The former, which launches January 6 to the first 10,000 Spartacus fans who register on the network's Facebook Page, is one of the first social media games based on a TV show. The game lets you run your own Ludus (gladiator school) in the role of Lanista (manager of gladiators) and assemble your team to be fighting champions and do battle in the top arenas of the Roman Empire. The full launch is set for January 21. Starz Digital Media, the network's digital and online unit, worked with social media gaming publisher 6waves on the launch.
Starz is also planning to introduce an iPad app based on Spartacus on January 22 that provides a screenplay of the show augmented by exclusive multimedia video segments, directors' notes and cast photos, among other extras. The app is free via Starz' iTunes storefront [iTunes link], but subsequent scripts will cost $0.99 each. Starz had previously released an iPad app for The Pillars of the Earth.
Ian Schafer, CEO of Deep Focus, a digital agency that has worked with cable networks TMC and HBO on launches, says a Facebook game is a natural add-on for a TV show these days. "It's an evolution of what's being expected from consumers," says Schafer. "People expect some kind of trans-media experience."