Brock Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 From Reuters: RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (Reuters) - Although, technically speaking, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance and William Frawley never left small screens thanks to 60 years of "I Love Lucy," in TV reruns, the gang is back for their first interactive adventure in "Retro World." "I Love Lucy," from maker Entertainment Games, enters the videogame space in early March as an episodic series available on Facebook and RetroWorld.com with mobile and tablet versions to follow. The black-and-white game will blend footage from one of the most popular TV comedies of all time with new character interaction, exploration, puzzles and mini-games. The first installment expands on the classic "Job Switching" episode in which the girls, Lucy Ricardo (Ball) and Ethel Mertz (Vance), go to work while their husbands Ricky (Ricardo) and Fred (Frawley) stay home and take care of the house. In the game, the players control Lucy and Ricky. "The experience is uniquely designed to feel like you're playing in an actual 'I Love Lucy' episode," said Gene Mauro, President of Entertainment Games. "In some scenes, players will control Lucy as she struggles comically to stay employed alongside Ethel in the chocolate factory; in other scenes, players become Ricky as he coaches Fred and labors to learn the ropes of basic housekeeping." Entertainment Games has worked closely with producers Desilu, Too, LLC and CBS Consumer Products Inc., which control rights to products from the classic TV show that first aired from 1951 - 1957, on the game, turning the program's comedy into casual games designed to appeal to the boomer generation. According to Bruce Bronn, owner of Unforgettable Enterprises, Inc., which represents Desilu/CBS, the show remains popular today with nearly 1 million Facebook likes and mainstream consumer awareness. "Recent research data obtained by CBS shows 'Lucy' still enjoys an 88 percent awareness factor with 96 percent favorable appeal among the key female 18-54 age group and a 92 percent awareness with 95 percent favorable appeal for females 25-54," said Bronn. GAMES THAT GO RETRO Since launching its initial game in November 2011, the company has attracted over 60,000 players to its games like the '60s era spy game "Owl Files" and the '60s era comedy "Kat the Brat." Mauro said "Retro World" gamers are currently attracting mostly women with over 50 percent in the 40-plus age group. The game makers have been using Facebook to test core gameplay in preparation for the "I Love Lucy" launch, which will mark the initial marketing push for the casual gaming company. "They have an original idea, and think that iconic branded entertainment will have a lot of appeal, especially among the older Facebook users who remember brands like 'I Love Lucy,'" said Michael Pachter, videogame analyst, Wedbush Morgan Securities. "The unique nature of Entertainment Games' focus on nostalgia could build them a sizeable audience." New "I Love Lucy" game episodes will be released every few months. Once they finish the first episode, players gain access to a Lucille Ball avatar that they can use to explore the rest of the game world. Ball joins fellow Hollywood icons like Dick Clark, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley and John Belushi who already have avatars in the virtual game world. Mauro said that from "Retro World's" initial inception, the company envisioned working with media companies to bring iconic forms of entertainment already ingrained in people's memories to life through this game platform. Unlike Zynga, which has 227 million monthly active users across all age groups playing its casual games like "CityVille" and "Hidden Chronicles," Entertainment Games is focusing on the 150 million members of the baby boomer generation who are active on Facebook. Entertainment Games plans to launch an additional four game franchises this year based on classic CBS TV shows from the '50s, '60s, '70s and '80s. Pachter believes that if Entertainment Games can get other big retro licenses like CBS' "The Brady Bunch" it can build a pretty interesting business. For now, "I Love Lucy" fans will have more than just re-runs on Netflix or TVLand to enjoy. SOURCE: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/lucille-ball-stars-love-lucy-facebook-game-224231829.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 Okay, this is the shit! Can't wait for the TLS game to follow, where you must help Lucy and Viv scoop the water out of the shower before it rises too high! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 Finally, a Facebook game I can get into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted February 14, 2012 Report Share Posted February 14, 2012 Yeah I'm for playing. I don't play anything on Facebook now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 Maybe there will be a Lucy Farmville, where you have to plant and maintain more tulips than all your annoying "Betty Ramsey" neighbours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magster Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 Cool!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickie Posted February 15, 2012 Report Share Posted February 15, 2012 Okay, this is the shit! Can't wait for the TLS game to follow, where you must help Lucy and Viv scoop the water out of the shower before it rises too high! I would love to see a Lucy Show game come out, but I will have to look out for the I Love Lucy game on Facebook now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Hepburn Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Finally, a Facebook game I can get into. Right? Haha. I've never played any of the Facebook games, but I'll give this a go. I say bring on an I Love Lucy video game for...whatever system Nintendo has out right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mot Morenzi Posted February 17, 2012 Report Share Posted February 17, 2012 Right? Haha. I've never played any of the Facebook games, but I'll give this a go. I say bring on an I Love Lucy video game for...whatever system Nintendo has out right now. Hahaha, Lucy on the Wii. Using the Mario-Kart wheel to steer her on the lawn mower, avoiding Betty's rows and rows of tulips...shaking the remote and nunchuck to make her stomp the grapes faster than Teresa...pressing a, b, c and z in rapid succession to make her pick up the chocolates while pressing the wrong button lets one go through... Hey, there might be something to this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydney Posted February 20, 2012 Report Share Posted February 20, 2012 Hahaha, Lucy on the Wii. Using the Mario-Kart wheel to steer her on the lawn mower, avoiding Betty's rows and rows of tulips...shaking the remote and nunchuck to make her stomp the grapes faster than Teresa...pressing a, b, c and z in rapid succession to make her pick up the chocolates while pressing the wrong button lets one go through... Hey, there might be something to this! Haha, I agree. I think you do have something there! I'd buy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted February 21, 2012 Report Share Posted February 21, 2012 This is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 More info on the game: LANGHORNE, Pa., Feb 27, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Social and casual game developer and publisher Entertainment Games, Inc. (otc pink:EGAM) finalized a deal today with Desilu, Too, LLC and CBS Consumer Products Inc. for rights to bring I Love Lucy to the world of social games. Interactive episodes of I Love Lucy will be featured within Entertainment Games' online social game platform Retro World. Blending authentic images from the most popular TV show of all time with all new character interaction, exploration, puzzles and mini-games, the result is a unique social experience that lets players jump right into one of the most famous I Love Lucy episodes of all time--"Job Switching." Players star as both Lucy and Ricky in scenes based on the original episode. As Ricky, you'll coach Fred and labor to learn the ropes of basic domestic housekeeping. As Lucy, you'll struggle comically to stay employed alongside Ethel in the chocolate factory, culminating in a mini-game that recreates one of the most iconic scenes in TV history--Lucy and Ethel trying desperately to wrap candy as it races past them on a conveyor belt. "The overwhelming majority of our 40+ market has nothing but fond memories of Lucy, Ricky, Fred and Ethel, so we're thrilled and honored that I Love Lucy is the first licensed show to appear within Retro World," said Gene Mauro, President and COO of Entertainment Games. "The opportunity to partner with CBS and Desilu, Too was in perfect alignment with our original vision of featuring both original and licensed content in our gaming platform." Entertainment Games also has immediate plans to include I Love Lucy virtual goods and a Lucy-themed competitive hidden object game. Entertainment Games will continue to mash up proven casual play mechanics with familiar, nostalgic, and proven entertainment properties and transport players "into the scenes" of some of the most beloved television shows in history. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/i-love-lucy-enters-the-social-scene-2012-02-27 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted February 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 And a screen grab courtesy of Bruce at Unforgettable Licensing: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magster Posted February 28, 2012 Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 This looks like so much fun! I can't wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted March 17, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2012 Here's an article that outlines some of the related games "Lucy" will soon be joining: http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2012/03/16/retro-world-takes-players-back-in-time-on-several-old-school-adventures/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rappy Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 And a screen grab courtesy of Bruce at Unforgettable Licensing: Let the games begin:) It's on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brock Posted April 1, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Has anyone taken the game for a spin yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Has anyone taken the game for a spin yet? Yeah. I don't know, it's cute but I guess I was expecting more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted April 8, 2012 Report Share Posted April 8, 2012 I was playing this last night. Only one episode now. Cute but as Taylor said I wad expecting more. I did win a coupon for $5 off ILL Season 2 at Amazon. So there's that if you don't have it, but I have it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKlucyfan Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 I Can't find it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvsbway Posted April 9, 2012 Report Share Posted April 9, 2012 I think it was under Retro World or whatever the company was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annaleigh Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 The FB advertisement bar is covering where I can access it. I do not approve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taylor Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 [quote name=DroopyDrawers ' timestamp='1334030943' post='36931] The FB advertisement bar is covering where I can access it. I do not approve. Don't worry. You're not missing much lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKlucyfan Posted April 10, 2012 Report Share Posted April 10, 2012 Ah ha! Found it and completed it, you're right... wasn't missing much but amused me for a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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