Gaming News - July 2006

San Francisco, CA (July 27, 2006) - Three Rings Design today announced that its Puzzle Pirates game has hit the two million registered users mark.

From Three Rings Design:

The company has seen a dramatic increase in registrations with its shift from subscription pricing to a "free-to-play" model that includes the option of purchasing micro-currency. Players can then spend their micro-currency on in-game upgrades and additional content.

"Three Rings is leading the charge for micro-currency in the US market, and reaching 2 million registrations confirms our success. We believe that this model represents the future for online entertainment," said Daniel James, Three Rings' CEO. "Our inspiration continues to be the Korean market, where 'free to play, pay for item' is the ubiquitous business model for online games. As the US market matures to meet Korea, we intend to keep leading the way."

The company is riding some powerful trends in digital entertainment - the popularity of casual games, a move towards the massively multiplayer, and the ascent of digital distribution. With the shift to "freemium" pricing, the company is rapidly growing its user base and recently closed a Series B financing to accelerate the distribution and development of its games.

Additionally, the company recently released the beta version of a new game, "Bang! Howdy," a multiplayer online tactical strategy game for the PC which uses the same payment structure and online distribution model.

To learn more about Three Rings and or "Puzzle Pirates," please visit the web site at: www.puzzlepirates.com.