Turner joins hand with Zapak to expand Cartoon Network's online games

Zapak will also support the launch of CN Coins game cards, the first ever Toon currency designed for the youth gaming space in India.

Turner International India has closed an exclusive deal with Zapak Digital Entertainment to market and distribute Cartoon Network's popular multiplayer online games, Ben 10 Omniverse: Rise of the Heroes (www.ben10.net) and a brand new version of the hugely popular Toon Football (www.toonfootball.com).

Zapak has tied up with Cartoon Network because of its strong presence in the industry. It will use the distribution strength of both the companies to market each other.

Turner is expected to leverage Zapak's strong promotional channels to expand the reach of Cartoon Network's online gaming experience in the country.

Zapak will also support the launch of CN Coins game cards, the first ever Toon currency designed for the youth gaming space in India. CN Coins will be available at more than 100 outlets of Zapak Gameplex, Zapak's gaming café network, along with 500 other private cafes across 35 cities in the country.

As the exclusive marketing and distribution partner for CN's games, Zapak will provide significant ongoing support to Ben 10 Omniverse: Rise of the Heroes and Toon Football via promotional activities, gaming tournaments and customised retail promotions across Zapak Gameplexes and the private cafes. Zapak will promote the two games heavily on Zapak.com and is targeting kids in the age group of 7-15 years.

In addition, Zapak will also act as a premium payment partner, integrating the games into payment channels including credit and debit cards and electronic coupon purchase (called CN Coins) in its Gameplexes and at its online payment gateways.

Commenting on the partnership, Rohit Sharma, chief executive officer, digital business, Reliance Big Entertainment, says, "The kids aged 15 years and below contribute to more than 20 per cent of traffic on Zapak.com. They serve as one of the stickiest users on the site. Ben 10 is an extremely popular CN Toon Star amongst kids in India, while the sports genre has always been one of the most popular genres of gaming.

Hence, this partnership with Turner will offer the very best to our growing kids segment. With the launch of the first time ever Toon currency, CN Coins game cards, we believe that it will give the smart kids in India a chance to manage their transactions wisely."

Benjamin Grubbs, executive director, Turner Entertainment Interactive Media and general manager, TurnOut Ventures, says, "India is a priority market for us - so our partnership is a win-win for both Turner and Zapak. The alliance expands the distribution of Cartoon Network games and associated payment options as it leverages Zapak's enviable network of promotional channels. We're already enjoying some of the highest game plays and web traffic in the region coming from India - so we look forward to welcoming even more players to our sites."