Froghop Spearheads Launch of TMA Consortium

Boston, MA – Froghop, Inc. today announced that the company’s founder and CEO, Vicky Wu will spearhead the launch of the TMA Consortium, the first group dedicated to the advancement of cross-platform experiences for the videogame industry. The TMA Consortium is a concentrated effort of key industry executives and academics, and is executed by invitation only.

Players are starting to look for multi-platform capabilities to effectively stay on top of their game; developers want different ways to draw the player in and keep them connected. Responding to this growing trend, the TMA Consortium was formed to advance cross-platform experiences (PC’s, consoles, mobile phones, handheld game devices, etc) in the areas of design, technology, and usability. Research, discussion, and educational output will encompass these factors with respect to its impact on the industry and the gaming community.

A pioneer in transmedial technologies and design, Froghop has been instrumental in establishing this group. “The future of gaming isn’t going to be confined to only one platform. Rather, it’s about connecting players to the game in different ways as they move from device to device throughout their day,” says Froghop CEO and TMA Consortium founding member Vicky Wu. “I’m really excited to be working so closely with other key players in this group, and sharing our knowledge with the rest of the industry.”

As the TMA Consortium addresses future multiplatform capabilities for the gaming market, Vicky Wu will be joined by Rich Lawrence, Director of Development Technology for Sony Online Entertainment; Jon Grande, formerly at Microsoft and currently VP of Business and Legal Affairs of Sigil Games Online; Chris Melissinos, Chief Game Officer for Sun Microsystems; Neil Young, VP and GM of EA Los Angeles, among several other industry professionals. Rick Hall, a faculty member with The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) at the University of Central Florida and 15-year game veteran, will lend both commercial and academic insight to the group. In addition, the participation of Henry Jenkins, MIT’s Director of Comparative Media Studies, will help maintain vendor neutrality for the Consortium.

This joint effort signifies a leap forward in the evolution of TMA, and the future of gaming. The TMA Consortium will hold quarterly discussions to address obstacles and opportunities for transmedial advancement. The members of the Consortium will trail blaze for creative transmedial models, create best practices for business and design, and foster discussion for technical convergence issues. In addition, through Froghop’s ties to the Chinese gaming market, Vicky Wu has already begun laying the groundwork for the TMA Consortium to share its knowledge for the game development community in China in the spring of 2006. For more information on the TMA Consortium, please contact Vicky Wu at Vicky@froghop.net.

About Froghop:
Froghop, Incorporated is a full-service solutions provider for transmedial needs catering to persistent and multi-user environments. From design-to-technology-to-support-to-education, Froghop dedicates technology and consultative resources for applications in the video game and training arena, helping connect disparate platforms to facilitate device-appropriate cross-platform experiences. With the philosophy that multiple platforms must complement – not compete with or replace – the other, Froghop ensures a tight integration of usability aligned with design and bottom-line objectives. Froghop works with PC-based applications needing mobilization, as well as mobile applications looking for more content depth. Froghop’s consulting and technology arms operate synergistically, but independently, allowing the accommodation of clients’ varying needs. Froghop custom integrates each transmedial solution, built off of and run on its cross-device/cross-network RAIN platform. Additional information can be requested by emailing info@froghop.net.