The Breeders’ Cup today
announced the launch of Blazing Silks,
Breeders’ Cup Edition, an interactive social network game that allows horse
racing fans and social gamers to train and care for Thoroughbred horses. Fans
can then race their horses against friends and past Breeders’ Cup Champions in
photorealistic 3D races at some of the most famous racetracks in the world. Blazing Silks combines the thrill of
racing with immersive role-playing gameplay, allowing the ownership, training
and caring for your own Thoroughbred with the interactive elements that have
helped propel social gaming into the mainstream.
With the launch, Blazing Silks will continue to release exciting new content and
gameplay between now and the 2012 Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Nov. 2-3
at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. Players can currently access Blazing Silks through Facebook at https://apps.facebook.com/blazing_silks/.
An iPad version of the game is planned for the near future.
“Blazing
Silks is a key part of our strategy to expand and diversify our fan base
through new channels,” said Justin McDonald, Sr. Director, Marketing and
Digital Media for the Breeders’ Cup. “Early returns show that Blazing Silks players are skewing much
younger than our core fans, exactly what we were hoping to accomplish with a
game like this.”
In Blazing
Silks, players accumulate experience points, wealth and status within the
game world by completing training challenges, caring for and racing their
horse. They can also race in unparalleled photorealistic graphics at virtual
versions of Breeders’ Cup partner venues, such as Del Mar and Keeneland.
Players will also have the chance to compete and win prizes in the Virtual
Breeders’ Cup Classic contest, leading up to the actual Breeders’ Cup on Nov.
2-3.
Blazing Silks was developed by social gaming developer
iRace.Social.