I-Play now X-Play

IP E-Games’ and GMA-NMI’s joint venture I-Play Online Games, Inc. ("I-Play") is now known as X-Play Online Games, Inc. ("X-Play")

With a name change (which means they have to inform the Securities and Exchange Commission, and file a new Trademark claim), comes a complete overhaul of their website. From the old look:

To the new look:

[Picture: New X-Play website.]

A fast flash based website (flash sites are becoming a trend in the country now that we have much faster Internet connection). I assume their tagline is “eXciting, eXhilarating, eXperience” as can be seen at the top of the site.

Aside from Audition Online and O2JamNX, they added TopSpeed and the recently announced NBA Street Online under the X-Play banner. TopSpeed is currently in Closed Beta Test (CBT) while NBA Street Online is still in the Coming Soon stage (not based from their site but on my own digging).

Many will ask why there was a name change, the reason is simple, I-Play (and in its various forms) is a registered trademark of Digital Bridges Limited, a foreign company specializing in games, particularly mobile and online (dig up the local IPO for updates).

Now that they have a new name (and it is good), we should expect more news and massive brand awareness for and about X-Play. We can also expect Audition Online and O2JamNX to start carrying X-Play instead of IP E-Games (brand, brand, brand!!)

I wonder now what is the official way of pronuncing the brand, ex-play or cross-play or it doesn’t matter?