SEA Multimedia Plc is in negotiations with a ‘large UK games network’ – assumed to be British Telecommunications Plc’s Wireplay – to provide its new naval warfare game on the service. The company has just signed a similar deal with Mpath Interactive Inc for online play of its new @Range new multiplayer naval warfare game on Mpath’s Mplayer online games service. In addition, the company is talking to a Japanese games network to tie up a similar deal. The game will go live in a couple of weeks for online play at $1.25 per hour. The Tel Aviv, Israel-based company said that the game supports up to 3,600 simultaneous users. The company has developed a proprietary client-server game architecture for the game. SEA said the new game is unlike other hybrid games that can be played standalone and online because it is not published as a separate CD-ROM, but available only on-line at an hourly play rate. SEA Multimedia was floated on the UK Alternative Investment Market last June and is valued at 15.8m pounds. Its core business was established in 1993 based around developing CD-ROMs and internet sites for the educational and entertainment industry. It moved to develop on-line games 18 months ago and @Range is its first title, with three others to follow next year. Other companies that have games on the Mplayer internet multiplayer games service include Electronic Arts Inc, which also holds a minority investment in Mpath. Jupiter Research estimates that the online and internet games market will be worth a massive $1.6bn by the year 2000.
