RAZER OPENS zVAULT, REWARDS GAMERS FOR PLAYING WITH VIRTUAL CURRENCY IN EXPANSIVE ONLINE ECONOMY
Digital wallet offers secure payment platform and rewards to more than 22 million users, hundreds-of-millions on-deck
IRVINE, Calif. – RazerTM, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced plans to make its zVault virtual currency platform the preferred payment solution for gamers to use online for purchases and in-game transactions. The proprietary monetary system is based on zGold units, with a conversion rate at launch of 100 zGold:US$1.
“The introduction of zVault is all about giving value to gamers with secure payment convenience and a great rewards program,” said Min-Liang Tan, CEO and co-founder of Razer. “This is much more than a club or credit card perks program or micro-transaction solution. Our ultimate vision is a complete gamer economy expanding from the zVault ecosystem. It’s social, interactive and truly useful, opening the doors to a safer way of doing business and an expansive rewards market for our fans.”
Razer’s zVault is a secure digital wallet for gamers with virtual currencies for payments and rewards. Razer zVault patrons may securely pay for digital items using zGold, while earning zSilver currency from purchases made using zGold, and through Razer software use, such as Razer Cortex and Arena.
Razer’s virtual currency platform is accessible to Razer ID holders at https://zvault.razerzone.com. There are more than 22 million registered Razer ID users presently.
On the zVault website, users can browse content and exclusive purchase offers, as well as rewards available for redemption using zSilver. Users can replenish their wallets by acquiring zGold packs on the site, which can be purchased in 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 denominations using PayPal, major credit cards, Openbucks or Paysafecard.
Free-to-play games developed by Hi-Rez Studios (“SMITE,” “Paladins”) and Smilegate West (“CrossFire,” “Lost Saga”) are currently accepting zGold. Game stores such as IndieGala and GamersGate have also collaborated with Razer zVault in expanding their payment offerings, allowing gamers to purchase games in the form of Steam keys.
Osama Deeb, Smilegate West’s global payments and partnerships lead, said: “Smilegate West is delighted to increase the mutually beneficial collaboration with Razer and making our product catalog available to an even wider audience than before. As a gamer-focused payment option, Razer zGold will allow Smilegate West to tap into more than 22 million gamers that are already part of the Razer network.” Smilegate West is accepting zGold on its online portal Z8Games. Z8Games currently hosts “Lost Saga,” a free-to-play 3D fighting game, and “CrossFire,” which is the world’s most popular online first-person shooter with over 400 million registered users.
In the near future, Trion Worlds will also be integrating zGold as a payment option into its six game titles.
“Trion and Razer’s audiences are one and the same: tens of millions of dedicated gamers around the world,” said Scott Hartsman, CEO of Trion Worlds. “It makes perfect sense to expand our amazing partnership with Razer to include the zVault payment and rewards program. We love finding great new ways for our players to earn additional rewards.”
To celebrate the official launch of zVault, Razer is offering benefits to Razer ID users for a limited time: a starter gift pack of Bonus 2,000 zSilver; up to 30 percent additional Bonus zGold after users top up their wallet for a limited time only, more ways to earn zSilver, and reap discount offers, bonus in-game items for selected purchases using zGold.
ABOUT RAZER:
Razer™ is a world leader in connected devices and software for gamers.
Razer is transforming the way people play games, engage with other gamers and identify with the gamer lifestyle. Having won the coveted “Best of CES” award consecutively for seven years, the company’s leadership in product innovation continues to create new categories for the gaming community that is to have over 1 billion gamers worldwide.
Razer’s award-winning design and technology include an array of user interface and systems devices, voice-over IP for gamers and a cloud platform for customizing and enhancing gaming devices.
Founded in 2005, Razer is backed by Intel Capital, IDG-Accel and Heliconia Capital Management (Heliconia), a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore investment company Temasek. For more information, visit http://www.razerzone.com/about-razer.
ABOUT HI-REZ STUDIOS:
Atlanta-based Hi-Rez Studios was established in 2005 to create exceptional online interactive entertainment, and is now one of the largest video game studios in the Southeast United States. Its games include the squad-based shooter Global Agenda, the critically acclaimed Tribes: Ascend and SMITE, the Battleground of the Gods. Hi-Rez Studios' latest games include Jetpack Fighter, a swipe-to-attack high speed platformer for mobile devices, Paladins a fantasy FPS with progression using collectible cards which is currently in Beta, and the recently announced turn based strategy game SMITE Tactics. For more information, visit: www.HiRezStudios.com.
ABOUT SMILEGATE WEST:
Smilegate West is the western division of Smilegate Entertainment, and is a leading publisher of online free-to-play games. Founded in 2006, Smilegate West’s mission is to deliver quality gaming experiences to players around the world. Smilegate West publishes CROSSFIRE, a free-to-play FPS game with the largest global user base for the genre, and LOST SAGA, a free-to-play action game through its proprietary online gaming portal: http://www.z8games.com.
ABOUT TRION WORLDS:
Trion Worlds is a leading publisher, developer and distributor of premium games for the connected era. Powered by Glyph, the breakthrough development and publishing platform, Trion is revolutionizing the way games are created, played and sold. Trion’s top-notch teams deliver high-quality, dynamic, and massively social games operated as live services throughout the world, including the genre-defining Atlas Reactor™, the critically acclaimed blockbuster, RIFT®, the hugely successful cross-platform hit Trove©, the groundbreaking trans-media crossover Defiance®, as well as publishing XLGAMES’ ArcheAge© and Bluehole’s Devilian™. Trion Worlds has offices in Redwood City, California, and Austin, Texas. Find out more: http://www.trionworlds.com/
ABOUT GAMERSGATE:
GamersGate has been pioneering digital distribution of PC and Mac games for 11 years and is one of the leading portals in this market, bringing games to millions of customers worldwide. With more than 300 publishers as partners, they are offering a vast catalog of more than 5,000 products, including a strong selection of AAA titles and a dynamic variety of indie games. For more information, visit http://www.GamersGate.com
ABOUT INDIEGALA:
IndieGala is a digital distribution platform launched in December 2011, focusing on supplying PC video games and entertainment content redeemable on Steam. Apart from specializing in curating bundle sales to support indie game developers, IndieGala is also an independent game creator and publisher. For more information, visit:
PRESS CONTACTS:
Americas
Kevin Scarpati
[email protected]
Alain Mazer, Global Director of Public Relations
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Europe/Africa
Jan Horak
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Asia-Pacific
Nicholas Ferguson
[email protected]
Razer – For Gamers. By Gamers.™
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