Funsta.com to target casual gamers

Codemasters today announced that it will launch Funsta.com, an independent Web site aimed at casual gamers. The site will host a variety of online games and will launch in September.

"As online distribution becomes a more regular route for broadband Internet users to access entertainment products, Codemasters is perfectly placed to launch Funsta.com as an all-in-one gaming portal," said Nick Pili, Codemasters' head of Internet gaming.

There will be 300 downloadable games and 85 browser-based games available at no charge. Codemasters also plans to have more than 500 premium PC games, games on demand, and sports management games available at Funsta.com.

Codemasters will be partnering up with several other companies in the endeavor. RealNetworks will provide games in several genres and will power Funsta Arcade, Codemasters' gaming client. Macrovision's Trymedia unit will assist Codemasters with providing online gamers with full-release PC games, and Metaboli will allow gamers access to Codemasters' PC titles through a subscription-based service.