CollegeHumor And Awkward Hug Team To Launch "Bout" - A Social Photo-Taking Game

NEW YORK, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading comedy brand CollegeHumor and indie game developer Awkward Hug have teamed to launch Bout, a new free gaming app for iOS devices. A social photo-taking game, Bout pits players' photography skills and cleverness against their friends' for the chance to win in-game coins and earn bragging rights. With two ways to play—as a competitor or a judge—players race to submit the most creative pictures in response to Bout prompts, resulting in an endless stream of amazing, funny photos. Bout is available now on the App Store.

Bout turns taking photos into a competition amongst friends by giving players an opportunity to put the pictures they're already snapping with their mobile devices to use. As a Bout judge, players will select an inspiring phrase or category from a list of prompts such as "Something Contagious," "Art Made From Desk Supplies" or  "A Guilty Pleasure," and post the challenge to friends playing the game. Users can also play by submitting photos to their friends' open Bout challenges. The first five submissions make up a completed Bout, and are in contention for the win. Images are revealed anonymously to the judge who selects their favorite as the winner, and the identity of the players is revealed to all. Coins are awarded at the completion of each Bout—ten to the winner, two to other players—and can be used to refresh the challenge prompt list, start additional Bouts, unlock themed challenge bundles and create custom Bouts. Additional coins can be purchased through the app.

In addition to being easy to play, addictively fun and creatively inspiring, Bout is also a social platform. At the heart of the game is a feed of completed Bouts—ultimately a series of photos of and by players and their friends—complete with in-game comments and "©'s." Not only can players register for Bout through Facebook—which automatically connects them to Facebook friends already playing the game—it's easy to share completed Bouts through Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram directly from the app. Plus, every day there's a new "Global Bout," a daily challenge open to all players where users vote each image up or down to decide the winner.

"Bout was born from a conversation about the social nature of creativity and the success of games that combine creativity and humor with gameplay," says Julie Babb, co-founder of Awkward Hug. "CollegeHumor embodies the light-hearted nature of the game and understands the business of digital entertainment, and so was the ideal partner to help make Bout a reality."

"Making Bout was as much a comedy writing challenge as it was a technical challenge," says Ricky Van Veen, co-founder of CollegeHumor, "so it turned out to be a perfect fit for us. We've been testing the game around our office for a few weeks and if that's any indication of what's to come, many, many people are going to be completely addicted to Bout very soon."

Bout is currently available for iOS 6 and can be downloaded free from the App Store. For more information, visit www.boutgame.com and follow Bout on Twitter @BoutGame.

About CollegeHumor Media
CollegeHumor Media, an operating business of IAC (NASDAQ: IACI), is a multi-media, multi platform studio comprised of three website properties—CollegeHumor, Dorkly and SportsPickle—a long-form TV development division and a film production division. A leading entertainment company targeting people ages 18-49, CollegeHumor Media has created original content that has been viewed more than three billion times. Founded in 1999 with the launch of CollegeHumor.com, the brand delivers daily comedic content online through videos, pictures, articles and jokes, both created and curated by the CollegeHumor staff. CollegeHumor Media attracts more than 15 million unique users per month and generates more than 100 million video views per month, and the brand has expanded into apparel and other forms of entertainment including film, television, books and live comedy shows. For more information, visit www.chmedia.com or www.collegehumor.com, and follow CollegeHumor on Twitter @CollegeHumor.

About Awkward Hug
Awkward Hug is a non-traditional game development studio that creates fun in the awkward space between the digital and real world. The collaborative partners with people and organizations to bring remarkable games and playful experience to life. Awkward Hug's award-winning games have earned the company a reputation for creating innovative, cross-platform and ridiculously fun games. For more information, visit www.awkwardhug.com, and follow Awkward Hug on Twitter @Awkward_Hug.

SOURCE CollegeHumor.com