Bigpoint Moves Post-Apocalyptic Shooter ‘Ruined’ to Open Beta

First US-Built Title Blends Console-Quality Features with Fast-Paced Multiplayer Action into Intense Arena Combat Game

San Francisco, CA - May 16, 2011 - Bigpoint Inc. - the North American subsidiary of Bigpoint GmbH (http://bigpoint.com/), a worldwide leader in browser-based massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) - today launched the open beta of its first title built entirely in the United States, Ruined (http://www.ruined.com/). Set in wrecked venues inspired by some of San Francisco's best known landmarks — such as the Golden Gate Bridge — Ruined is a fast-paced, tournament-style third-person shooter that pits players against one another in a competition to become the ultimate villain.

Created by a veteran game development team atop the Unity game engine, Ruined boasts an array of impressive features - such as high-end graphics, effects, and audio - designed to appeal to hardcore gamers. Playable through any web browser, gamers can satisfy their craving for action anywhere they have access to an Internet connection. Combat arenas allow up to 24 players at a time battle to the death with a range of traditional and exotic weapons, such as Bubble and Lightning guns.

In Ruined, there are two types of currency, Scrap (free) and Platonium (premium). Weapons bought with Scrap are available for a limited number of uses, while weapons bought with Plutonium have unlimited use." Boosts that are purchased with Platonium have more strength than boosts bought with Scrap currency.

Previously demonstrated at the 2011 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, Ruined currently includes six characters and three combat arenas, including The Bridge, The Prison, and The Fort where players can compete in timed deathmatch battles. Players can play as any character they want for free, each one with their own strengths and weaknesses. At launch, the Mad Medic, Mutant, Crawler, Samurai, Enforcer, or Assassin are available.

Players can play for free by visiting http://www.ruined.com/. Over the following months, Ruined will be localized in several languages, including German, French, Spanish, and Italian and new content will continue to be added.

About Bigpoint

Bigpoint (www.bigpoint.com) is an online-game publisher, content provider for large media concerns and browser-based game developer. Bigpoint-developed games are played by over 190 million people in more than 25 languages, are free to play anytime, anywhere, and require no download or installation. The company's portfolio includes games in a quality which until now was associated exclusively with console games or PC-installed games. More than 700 employees from over 35 different nations work at the company headquarters in Hamburg, Germany or at other locations in Berlin, San Francisco, and Malta. For more information or press material, please visit the press area at www.bigpoint.net.