Codemasters Online Partners with PlaySpan to Give Its Legions of Fans Ultimate Pay

UltimatePay provides the most methods for players to enjoy premium content!

Santa Clara, California & Warwickshire, England – November 24, 2009—Codemasters Online announced today the details of its new partnership with PlaySpan, the global leader in monetization solutions for online games, virtual worlds, and social networks. Starting today players will be able to purchase Codemasters Online digital goods and services using more than 56 payment methods.

This exciting new partnership has gone live just in time for the launch of the latest digital expansion to The Lord of the Rings Online(TM): Siege of Mirkwood(TM) (due for release 3 December 2009). UltimatePay can be used to pre-order the Siege of Mirkwood(TM) digital upgrade as well as many other Codemasters Online products.

UltimatePay (the combination of PayByCash’s 10 years of payment services experience and Spare Change’s leading social network payment platform) offers many popular cash-based payment methods including, CertaPay, CashU, Ecapay, hyperWALLET, TravellersExpress, MobilCash, MoneyMail, Mister Cash, myCitadel, Wallie Card and many more.

This partnership is one of many enhancements that Codemasters Online has made to improve the consumer billing and account experience in the last six months. This addition to the accounts system will facilitate a wide choice of easy payment methods for any customers unable to purchase with a credit card.

“I am delighted to launch this new scheme and think it is fantastic that we can now provide yet another route for users without credit cards enjoy our games and services. We are working hard to constantly improve our customer experience and this is another step in that direction,” said David Solari, Vice President & General Manager of Codemasters Online.

“PlaySpan is excited and proud to partner with Codemasters Online,” said Karl Mehta, Founder & CEO of PlaySpan. “We’re eager to introduce UltimatePay to its fans and enable more of them to experience Codemasters premium content.”

To purchase using one of these new methods simply log into the Codemasters Online Player Account System, select a product and choose your preferred payment option.

For further information on Siege of Mirkwood™ visit www.lotro-europe.com/siege-of-mirkwood/

Press Resource Web Site
Download game artwork, screens and essential Codemasters’ press materials direct to your desktop from: http://www.codemasters.com/mediabank

About Codemasters
Codemasters is a leading developer and publisher of best-selling interactive entertainment products for a global audience across multiple gaming platforms and channels. Established in 1986, the company’s dominant brands include Colin McRae DiRT, Race Driver GRID, Overlord and Operation Flashpoint; the company recently secured the exclusive worldwide video game rights to FORMULA 1. Codemasters is headquartered in Warwickshire UK, with North American operations based in Universal City, California. The company also maintains operations in Germany, France, Spain, Benelux and Malaysia. Codemasters receives over two million visitors to its web site every month, discover why at www.codemasters.com

About Codemasters Online
Codemasters Online is a leading global publisher / operator of online persistent world games. Established in 2005 and part of the wider Codemasters organisation, in a short time Codemasters Online has become one of the west’s leading gaming companies specialising in persistent world services. With a suite of successful persistent games including the hugely popular The Lord of the Rings Online™ and forthcoming space based MMO Jumpgate Evolution, Codemasters Online is one of the fastest growing specialists in massively multiplayer online games in the world.

About PlaySpan

PlaySpan™ is the leader in monetization solutions for over 1,000 online games, virtual worlds, and social networks. PlaySpan’s patent-pending in-game digital goods commerce and micropayment platform enables game publishers and developers to generate new revenues, acquire new users, and extend the loyalty of existing users.

PlaySpan also offers global payment solutions through its subsidiary PayByCash® with 85 payment methods in 180 countries. The ULTIMATE GAME CARD® is used by consumers to pay for 300 multiplayer games and around 700 games on popular social networking sites. It is available in about 45,000 retail locations across North America and growing rapidly worldwide.

Social network payment solutions are available through Spare Change©. Acquired by PlaySpan in April 2009, Spare Change is the first and leading payments platform designed specifically for social networks. Featured on over 700 applications, across Facebook, MySpace, and Bebo, Spare Change empowers developers to successfully monetize their applications through micro payments. The Spare Change platform enables users to make safe, convenient, and friendly 1-click purchases through a variety of funding sources.

PlaySpan is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in Charlottesville, Virginia, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Mumbai. Investors include Easton Capital, Menlo Ventures, STIC and Novel TMT Ventures. The company won the 2009 OnHollywood Category Award for Best Gaming Company.

For more information about PlaySpan, visit: http://corp.playspan.com
For more information about Spare Change, visit: www.sparechangepayments.com

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UK Press Information
Codemasters: +44 (0)1926 819299
Laura Bishop: laura.bishop@codemasters.com
www.codemasters.com/mediabank
www.lotro-europe.com

Contact Information

Eric Gonzalez

Senior Playmaker

VSC PR for PlaySpan

Contact via E-mail