Mytopia Opens New Online Playground to hi5 Social Network Members

* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

Mon Mar 31, 2008 12:25pm EDT

Casual Gaming Community Bridges Gap between Facebook, MySpace,
                     Bebo, hi5 and Internet Users

  "Gaming Industry to Pioneer Social Network Convergence," according
                           to CEO Ben-Artzi
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Helping the world play together, Mytopia, Inc. today announced
that members of hi5, a leading international social network, can now
play MMO-style casual online games with friends, family and
acquaintances on other popular social networks like Facebook, MySpace
and Bebo, as well as from the Internet. By simply logging into the
newly-launched Mytopia(TM) social gaming community from www.hi5.com,
people can enjoy casual online games like Chess, Spades and Sudoku
with others playing from different social networks and Internet sites.

   For links to Mytopia from each of the other major social networks:

   Facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/mytopia

   MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/359378160

   Bebo: http://apps.bebo.com/mytopia

   "Bringing Mytopia to hi5 users is part of our mission to help the
world play together - from any social network, any widget, any online
entry point," said Guy Ben-Artzi, founder and chief executive officer
of Mytopia. "Today, online social networks are isolated from one
another. Members of different communities really can't socialize with
each other freely. Mytopia and others in the games industry are
changing that. We're building bridges, uniting these islands of
isolation to form a larger, converged community that welcomes Internet
users from every corner of the modern web."

   The move expands Mytopia's reach to nearly 300 million estimated
users on Bebo, Facebook, MySpace and now, hi5(1). These users can play
and chat together, in real time, as well as with others playing from
Apple Dashboard Widgets, iGoogle Gadgets, Microsoft Vista Toolbar
Widgets, Yahoo! Widgets, and Mytopia.com. In addition to inherently
addictive board, parlor and casino games, Mytopians will enjoy
immersive social features typically associated with massive
multiplayer online (MMO) games, including a virtual economy, teams and
matches.

   The Bridge to Mytopia

   Increasingly, social networks are opening their doors to support
third-party developers and content such as Mytopia's online casual
games. Taking maximum advantage of this trend, Mytopia is built from
the ground up to rapidly support any community -- social network,
widget, blog, etc. -- that opens to third parties. Mytopia's
patent-pending technology makes the company's feature-rich games and
content immediately available to any newly supported network.

   To play games in Mytopia, hi5 users can log in from hi5.com. For
more flexibility in the near future, users can log in with their
existing hi5 profiles and import friends and contacts from hi5,
Facebook, MySpace or Bebo to Mytopia. Users don't have to create a new
account and build their community from scratch to enjoy games they
love with people they like from around the web.

   Recent Reviews on Mytopia

   "There is a new casual gaming network in town that's got some
serious cross-platform chops... These are the sort of apps that could
one day break Facebook's, or any social network's, hold on its
members." - Erick Schonfeld, TechCrunch

   "The great thing about Mytopia is that you don't have to go to
their website to play their games. You can play them on Facebook or
MySpace or even your own personalized start page like Netvibes. And
because Mytopia is an open platform, it doesn't matter where your
opponent is located." - Daniel Nations, About.com Web Trends

   "Interoperability between different social networks should not
only empower users but also boost widget makers who can aggregate
their audiences and increase revenues. Mytopia, launching today as a
'social gaming community', is a case in point." - Chris Nuttall,
Financial Times

   "So, anyone who signs up with Mytopia can play whenever and
wherever, no matter the network. And players are able to import their
profiles from other platforms to Mytopia, and vice versa." - David
Sheet, St. Louis Post Dispatch

   "The variety of platforms they're supporting is impressive for a
small company."- Dean Takahashi, VentureBeat

   Mytopia is currently in public beta. To register for a free
account and learn more, please visit www.mytopia.com.

   (1) Wikipedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites

   Resources

   Mytopia Press Kit:
http://www.mytopia.com/press/Mytopia_Presskit.zip

   About Mytopia Gaming Community

   When arriving in Mytopia, users will find a feature-rich digital
playground that includes:

   --  Classic Games: Eight games in the Club House (Chess,
        Backgammon, Sudoku, Dominoes, Bingo), Card Room (Spades,
        Hearts) and Casino (Video Poker), with new games added
        monthly;

   --  Town Hall: Lets users see who is online and their login
        locations, read and post to message boards, get help, and view
        and sort the dynamic Hall of Fame by what matters to them
        most;

   --  Home: Houses friend lists and friends of friends, customizable
        profile and avatar creation, in-game items inventory, chat
        histories, messages (instant or offline) and privacy settings;
        and

   --  Shop: Lets users trade their points for virtual goods and
        real-world prizes, including gift certificates to popular
        online stores, such as Amazon and iTunes.

   Anyone familiar with massive multiplayer online games will find
Mytopia incorporates their best community features, including hundreds
of skill levels, experience points, teams, virtual currency, vibrant
in-game economy and the ability to trade in points and collect
inventory items. The community brings traditionally hard-core game
features to the world of familiar classic games that are accessible to
everyone. Now, players can communicate, socialize and compete as
seriously or casually as they choose.

   About Mytopia

   Helping the world play together, Mytopia, Inc. has created the
first social gaming community where users on virtually every social
network, every widget community, any blog or site, and Mytopia.com can
seamlessly play classic games together in real-time. In this virtual
world, players from across the web gather in the Casino, Card Room,
and Club House to enjoy time-honored, classic, multiplayer games.
Founded in 2007, Mytopia is headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
For more information, please visit www.mytopia.com.

   Mytopia is a trademark of Mytopia, Inc. All other names, brands,
or products may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their
respective owners.

Mytopia, Inc.
Galia Ben-Artzi, +1-650-269-9992
Galia@Mytopia.com
or
TECHMarket Communications
Marisa Lam, +1-650-544-3350
Marisa@TECHMarket.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008
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