AOL Relaunches Games.com Portal

AOL has announced that it has relaunched its gaming site Games.com, with the aim of broadening its advertising capabilities and demographic reach. The company has retooled the site, hoping to create a new look with easier navigation, and will add twenty new games by the end of 2007, also offering user-generated game reviews, tips and ratings. AOL says the new Games.com will feature in-game advertising integrations in several online games such as Bingo and Solitaire. In addition, the games will also employ pre-roll ads and in-game interstitials. The company says it hopes to broaden its demographic by targeting players of all ages with Games.com, while AOL’s games.aol.com will still target traditional adult gamers. According to AOL, Games.com will feature more than 400 online and downloadable games and will add twenty new single and multiplayer exclusive online games, such as multiplayer Solitaire to its roster by the end of 2007. The site will continue to develop its single and multiplayer games to include card and board games, casino games and puzzles. The games will be enhanced with feature tournament functionality, a prizing system, player profiles and state of the art graphics. AOL Games director Greg Mills says, "By offering next generation online games and continuing to partner with all the leading game casual downloadable publishers, Games.com will be able to offer the best selection of online and downloadable game content on the Web. The new community features will provide a destination where people can experience the games they love while connecting with players from around the world.”