[CNET] Vivendi developing for ICQ as a platform.

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From: Adam Rifkin -4K (adam@XeNT.ics.uci.edu)
Date: Thu Aug 10 2000 - 18:06:30 PDT

Vivendi is merging with Seagram's and ICQ is owned by AOL which is
merging with Time Warner. Global media conglomerates play well together.

With web server functionality built into ICQ2000, people can now
start thinking about ICQ as a *platform* for development:

   http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-2491117.html

An instant messaging platform, what a great idea...

> Vivendi plays games with ICQ
> By Bloomberg News
> August 10, 2000, 3:15 p.m. PT
>
> Vivendi's Flipside.com Internet games unit said it licensed software
> from America Online to let people play games over AOL's instant
> messaging service.
>
> Flipside plans to offer titles such as checkers, chess and some original
> two-player games that ICQ members can play with friends using the
> messaging service. The instant messaging service, ICQ, has more than 73
> million members.
>
> Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
>
> The deal comes after games company Electronic Arts agreed in November to
> pay AOL $81 million to gain exclusive rights for five years to publish
> games on AOL's Internet service, Web sites and ICQ. Flipside's games
> won't appear on the ICQ service itself and must be downloaded from Flipside.
>
> The company hopes people will help make the games popular by emailing
> them to friends who use instant messaging.
>
> "The whole idea is that once you've got one of these games, you tell
> your buddy and send it to them," Flipside chief executive Emmanuel
> Schalit said. "It'll be a big traffic and revenue generator for us."
>
> Flipside makes money by selling ads. It lures people by giving away cash
> and prizes. The first instant messaging games are scheduled to appear
> around mid-September.
>
> The company hopes to pursue similar agreements with other providers of
> instant messaging services, including Microsoft and CMGI's Tribal Voice. 

----
Adam@4K-Associates.Com

I can never tell before-hand if I'm dealing with slime.  I still don't know.
  -- Dave Winer, scripting.com Aug 1 2000

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