It's been a tough twelve months for GI Joe fans. We've had some highs (such as the 30th Anniversary/Renegades line) and some lows (the cancellation of GI Joe: Renegades, the cutbacks being made to the Retaliation tie-in toys) but it looks as if the soon-to-be-released GI Joe: Retaliation has sparked some new interest in the franchise, as not only are we getting a new line of ''Basic'' figures but GI Joe is to get its very own social media game.
Created by SyFy Games, GI Joe: Special Ops is an ''arena-based combat game'' that targets ''male core gamers on social network platforms.''
Here's the official announcement:
NEW YORK – April 23, 2012 -- Syfy Ventures and Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAS) today announced they will develop the first ever online social game based on the iconic G.I. JOE brand, marking the latest addition to Syfy Games' action-packed entertainment slate targeting male core gamers on social network platforms.
The game, G.I. JOE: SPECIAL OPS, will launch in June on Facebook and Syfy Games.com, among other platforms worldwide.
In the arena-based combat game, players can join either the G.I JOE team or the villainous COBRA organization, accessing a huge catalogue of iconic heroes and villains along with spectacular weapons and vehicles.
G.I. JOE: SPECIAL OPS will be released under the Syfy Games banner, which is the umbrella brand for Syfy's gaming projects, including the partnerships with Trion Worlds (Defiance and Rift) and Bigpoint (Battlestar Galatica Online).
As part of the agreement granting exclusive worldwide licensing rights on online social media platforms for a fresh take on the classic G.I. JOE brand, Syfy Games will serve as publisher. Artplant, creator of the award-winning Battlestar Galactica Online, will develop the game, which will be free-to-play.
Said Dave Howe, President, Syfy: "The G.I. JOE brand holds a special place in fans' hearts, and we're delighted to offer both those long-time fans and new players an action-packed gaming experience in a fresh and exciting way. Since we launched our social game platform, nearly 90% of our players are male, compared to the typical social game audience which skews female. With G.I. JOE: SPECIAL OPS, we will build upon this early momentum and significantly expand our audience to reach that underserved male social gamer and deliver them the best social games around."
"As a global leader in branded play and gaming, Hasbro is thrilled to be working with Syfy Games to deliver the G.I. JOE: SPECIAL OPS social game for Facebook," said Mark Blecher, Senior Vice President of digital marketing, Hasbro, Inc. "The epic G.I. JOE vs. COBRA saga is a perfect fit for this gaming platform and we're excited to deliver our classic characters such as SNAKE EYES and COBRA COMMANDER to fans in this new format."
Learn more at the GI Joe: Special Ops micro-site.
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