Microsoft has launched the Live Search Challenge – a search for the England’s best StickCricketer in a bespoke game from StickCricket.com – to promote the new Live Search service.
The Live Search Challenge is a unique, quick fire version of StickCricket.com – the cult online cricket game. Players must score as many runs as possible from 20 deliveries, with each six earning the player an extra ball.
Fans and devotees of StickCricket.com will notice an arsenal of additional features in the Live Search Challenge, including new shots, new deliveries and new character animations.
StickCricket.com is the world’s most popular online cricket game and the second most popular cricket website on the Internet, offering a series of addictive and free-to-play batting games. Stick Cricket offers companies unrivalled opportunities to market to its youthful, predominantly male game players through a variety of interactive channels such as advertising, branding and competitions.
Stuart Anderson, Live Search UK Marketing Manager says, “Windows Live linked up with StickCricket.com, one of the world’s most popular cricket websites, to capitalise on the cricket fans who’ll be flocking to the Internet this winter to keep abreast of developments in the Ashes.
“Having sampled the site, it was clear that visitors would remain on the site for lengthy periods staying up to date with the latest score in the cricket, as well as playing the game. StickCricket.com represented a great opportunity for us to promote our products to sports fans in the UK.
“StickCricket.com designed a bespoke game for us, to search for the best Stick Cricketer in the UK, which is a perfect fit for our Live Search product.”
“The inclusion of the Live Search toolbar means users can navigate their way to other pages while leaving the StickCricket.com page open. In addition, the very addictive Live Search Challenge features Windows Live and Live Search branding and our corporate colour scheme throughout the game. Users will be left in no doubt that Live Search is the sponsor.”
The launch of the Live Search Challenge has resulted in a flurry of online activity this month. It is estimated that StickCricket.com will receive 3.3 million visits from 1.4 million unique visitors, and 17.5 million individual page views in December 2006.
Paul Collins, Director of Stick Sports said, “We developed an idea for an exclusive game on StickCricket.com to promote Microsoft’s newly launched search function, Live Search. The Live Search Challenge gives UK cricket fans a chance to hit some big scores when their heroes are struggling to hit anything at all downunder.”