Z2Live Secures Series A Funding to Deliver the First Multiplayer Game Platform for iPhone and iPod touch

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - August 13, 2009) - Z2Live™, the first mobile multiplayer game platform, announced $3M in new funding from Madrona Venture Group as a follow on to Madrona's $1M seed investment last fall. Additionally, the company announced a Developer Preview for its real-time multiplayer services initially targeted for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. This investment recognizes the potential for fast-twitch mobile gaming and the overall market opportunity to bring multiplayer gaming to wireless networks.

"Multiplayer gaming on the iPhone translates to much more sustainable revenue models for mobile game developers, in a business which has otherwise proven tough to create," remarked David Bluhm, CEO of Z2Live Inc. "We offer small and large developers alike the opportunity to offer real-time, fast twitch multiplayer games at a fraction of the time and cost of internal development.

The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) recently reported that 62% of all gamers already play with their friends. Other trends indicate that online, social and/or multiplayer games are the fastest growing forms of gaming. Eric Goldberg, principal at Crossover Technologies who's served with eight mobile technology and game companies, points to 2010-2011 as an inflection point for mobile multiplayer games: "We'll see the same migration to turn-based, real-time and -- as wireless broadband networks deliver coverage to more than half the population -- fast twitch games seen in console and PC games." He commented, "We're social creatures and, once the technology obstacles are out of the way, the draw of playing with like-minded people and challenging your friends will be irresistible, as it has been on the wireline Internet."

Z2Live offers mobile game developers a highly reliable, high performance multiplayer platform to quickly get into the fast-growing iPhone and iPod touch market -- and without the expense of maintaining their own dedicated servers, which is a huge benefit for both small developers and large publishers. The company also offers a full set of services to implement subscription-based multiplayer and social game experiences for a wide variety of games, including: turn-based casual games, racing games, role-playing games, and eventually the most sophisticated first-person "shooters." Z2Live offers game developers its SDK free of charge, and receives a percentage of the multiplayer revenue.

"We see a big, well timed opportunity in bringing true multiplayer games to mobile," stated Paul Goodrich, managing director, Madrona Venture Group. "And the Z2Live team is perfectly suited to exploit it."

To access Z2Live's Developer Preview, please go to www.Z2Live.com or call 1+206.674.3000 for more information.

About Z2Live

Z2Live is bringing multiplayer gaming to mobile and leverages the new capabilities of devices, the seamless flow between mobile and Web communities and the advent of consumer-focused marketplaces. Z2Live is a division of Zero260 Inc. located in Seattle, Wash. It was founded by Damon Danieli, a 14-year Microsoft veteran and former Lead Program Manager and core designer of the original Xbox Live, David Bluhm, a long time veteran of mobile content and entertainment, plus Madrona Venture Group, a Seattle-based venture capital firm.

Z2Live is a trademark of Zero 260 Inc. Apple, iPhone and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.