Entropia Universe Is First Virtual World Ever to Contribute to Emmy Award

Interactive Emmy(R) Award Recognizes Convergence of Television Drama and Virtual World Entropia Universe


GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN and CANNES, FRANCE--(Marketwire - April 15, 2008) - Last week in Cannes, France, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced the winners of the International Interactive Emmy® Awards, recognizing the drama "The Truth About Marika," produced by Swedish Television and The Company P, for the best Interactive TV Service. The program successfully integrated television and the Internet, yielding an exemplary crossover experience for viewers that showcases the potential of future projects between the two mediums.

As part of "The Truth About Marika," viewers could participate in the show by helping to solve the mystery of a missing person. Clues were planted in the virtual realm of Entropia Universe, where viewers could collect the separate clues to solve a larger puzzle, leading them one step closer to solving the overarching mystery. Viewers could also interact with the avatars of the main characters of the show inside Entropia.

This partnership was a breakthrough for television and the Internet in terms of creating real value for the viewers, and engaging them in multiple platforms through one program. Christian Bjorkman, Director of Special Projects for Mindark, explains, "Television and broadcasting companies all over the world are currently discussing new revenue models, how to capture viewers' attention and how to create enhanced value and stickiness to their shows, not just during airtime, but before and after as well. The collaboration with Swedish Television and The Company P was extremely successful, especially as a preliminary project, and Mindark is excited to form relationships with other forward-thinking media partners to push the limits of entertainment to the next level."

"We are beyond thrilled to be part of this Emmy Award and are extremely thankful to Swedish Television and The Company P for allowing us to be part of this momentous partnership," says Mindark Chief Information Officer Marco Behrmann. "We look forward to more integration of entertainment outlets as technology and viewer demand calls for it."

For more information on "The Truth About Marika" and how Entropia Universe was integrated into the viewer experience, see http://www.thecompanyp.com/portfolio/the-truth-about-marika/.

ABOUT ENTROPIA UNIVERSE

Entropia Universe was launched in January 2003 and has grown to over 700,000 registered accounts from over 200 countries. Its business model is entirely unique as the client software is free to download from the internet and there are no monthly subscription fees. As the only virtual universe with a real cash economy whose currency, the PED, has a fixed exchange rate of 10:1 with the US Dollar, Entropia Universe provides a means for new players to immediately start exploring and earning real cash without having to deposit money. A key feature is that the funds acquired in Entropia Universe can easily be withdrawn into real-life cash.

Entropia Universe is a registered trademark of Mindark PE AB. Mindark supports and monitors the services and maintenance of the Entropia Universe platform. The real cash economy business model has been very successful and Mindark PE AB has been profitable since 2004. The 2007 turnover of Entropia Universe was over 400,000,000 US Dollars.

For more information, please visit www.entropiauniverse.com. For more information about Entropia Universe's developer, Mindark PE AB, please visit www.mindark.com.

Contact Information: MEDIA CONTACT: Elina Heng Terpin Communications (310) 821-6100 x108

On Stage - Swedish Television, The Company P and Mindark. This photo is free and for press use only. Copyright is compulsory and must appear with each photo. Photo courtesy of Missionning / MIPTV.
Company ProfileEntropia Universe