Las Vegas -- Interactive-television-software vendor Liberate Technologies
said it bolstered its 'PopTV Program' with a slew of gaming-software designers,
claiming that familiar titles such as 'Trivial Pursuit' and 'Jumble' can run on
Motorola Broadband Communications Sector's widely deployed 'DCT-2000' digital
set-tops.
To date, Liberate's interactive-TV-gaming partners include Agency.com Ltd.,
Gameplay plc, Runecraft Ltd., Tribune Media Services, TWiN Entertainment Inc.,
Two Way TV, Visiware and ZAQ Interactive Solutions.
Liberate also expanded its content roster for low-end set-tops by inking
agreements with Cable News Network, CNN/SI and The Weather Channel.
That content will be folded into Liberate's 'PopTV Variety Pack,' which cable
operators can tap into for interactive-TV pilots designed to test Liberate's
set-top middleware.
Liberate -- which made the announcements during the National Association of
Television Program Executives confab here, said interactive gaming is 'a key
driver of the development and adoption of interactive television.'
To that point, the company noted that two U.K.-based cable operators that
have deployed Liberate's software -- NTL Inc. and Telewest Communications plc --
have shown that 'active' gamers spend an average of 80 minutes per session
participating.
In a separate announcement, Liberate signed on MetaTV Inc. as its exclusive
provider of interactive-TV-portal technology for low-end set-tops. The companies
are also collaborating on a content portal for advanced digital boxes.
The MetaTV portal will contain news, sports, local city information, traffic
reports, current events and weather reports from TWC.
