SYDNEY, October 24, 2001 Games will play a leading role in the success of interactive TV in Australia, according to results released today from the Optus Interactive TV trial.
Optus revealed that one in four trialists have accessed the games section on its digital interactive TV service. The trial findings also show this section is attracting the highest volume of repeat visits.
Trialists are able to access interactive games through Optus' interactive games partner, Two Way TV Australia.
Two Way TV Australia allows trialists to play a range of entertainment based, on-demand games, 24 hours a day using the remote control. The games range from word challenges through to general knowledge quizzes such as 'Minefield' and 'Two Way Triv'.
Optus Interactive TV trialists can compare themselves with other trialists in different households via leaderboards, which rank the scores in order of skill and score.
In the UK, Two Way TV currently reaches 7.5 million homes, about the same number of all TV households in Australia. UK players spend on average 80 minutes playing four to five games a day, and 66% of first time players return to play again.
Two Way TV Australia Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Overall, said: "Two Way TV Australia is bringing its proven UK technological and game development skills to the Australian market place where we believe there is huge potential."
"The partnership with Optus Interactive TV is putting Two Way TV on the map as a significant player in providing interactive services to Australian television."
Martin Dalgleish, Marketing Director of Optus Consumer & Multimedia, said: "The trial process is providing us with a valuable insight into how digital interactive TV will be received in Australia.
"Games and trivia are a prime application for interactive TV - in the UK, the Big Brother series invites viewers to vote through their remote control rather than pick up the phone."
For more media information: Melissa Favero Optus Phone: (02) 9342 5030
Grant Kean Two Way TV Australia Phone: (02) 9282 9940
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