Cie Games Partners With Leading Automotive Listing Publication In Japan; PROTO CORPORATION To Publish Social Game Car Town In Asia

LONG BEACH, Calif., July 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Cie Games, successful social game developer and creator of the leading automotive-based Facebook game, Car Town, announced today a partnership with PROTO CORPORATION, the authority on automotive-related consumer and industry information resource in Japan. Headquartered in Nagoya, Japan, PROTO has tapped Car Town as a marketing vehicle to extend the company's footprint across Asia. The announcement unveils a strategic partnership between the two companies with Cie Games being one of the first social game developers to utilize a game as an effective brand building and advertising platform.

The partnership marks an exciting expansion for PROTO CORPORATION entering the social media and gaming market. Through Car Town, PROTO is able to extend their reach and leverage the game as a powerful media platform to organically integrate and launch the PROTO brand in new countries.

PROTO CORPORATION, a publicly traded company in Japan, provides a marketplace and services for auto dealers, private sellers, and manufacturers to advertise and market their vehicles. PROTO collects car data, user reviews and pricing for new/used vehicles and publishes the information via their massive network with millions of subscribers via mobile, web and print publications. PROTO's presence across various mediums is an opportunity for Car Town to reach new audiences.

This publishing deal also cements Cie Games' presence in Asia, expanding the Car Town franchise and positioning it to massively grow the player community. Under the terms of the deal, PROTO will publish, market and develop localized versions of Car Town on Facebook for Asia. The game will be available in 13 countries, including Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand. According to research group Niko Partners, the Southeast Asian online game market is expected to generate revenues of $1 billion by 2015.¹

"We are thrilled to partner with PROTO CORPORATION to focus on bringing localized and exclusive content to Car Town players in Asia," said Dennis Suggs, president and CEO, Cie Games.  "Enabling fans to play in their native language with new, custom-designed features for each region will further enhance the players' overall user experience and expand our community."

With more than 40 million drivers rolling in since launch, Car Town is one of the most in-demand games available on Facebook. Car Town also features the most robust collection of cars with 35 automotive and motorsports licenses worldwide including Mitsubishi Motors, Honda, and NASCAR.  In Car Town, players can collect and customize virtual cars, build their dream garage and race against friends.

About Cie Games
Cie Games is a leading publisher and developer of social and mobile games. Its popular game, Car Town, is the first Facebook game built around brands and has attracted more than 40 million players worldwide. Cie Games has developed licensing, advertising and marketing partnerships and integrations with more than 35 major companies and brands, including NASCAR, General Motors, Honda, Toyota, Ferrari, Universal Pictures, Regal Entertainment and others. Cie Games is based in Long Beach, California.

¹ http://venturebeat.com/2011/11/22/southeast-asian-online-game-market-expected-to-be-worth-1-billion-by-2015/

Contact:

Cie Games
Marina Beck
Rogers & Cowan
310-854-8192
[email protected]

SOURCE Cie Games