Facebook

Facebook announced the news this week that it is integrating Rixty as a way for users to pay for Facebook credits to get enhanced content in Facebook games and send virtual gifts.

As many more Facebook games are including the universal Facebook Credit as a way for players to get more out of their games by offering more content and more continuous play – for a price, Rixty is becoming an exclusive way to pay that price without a credit card (and without completing offers… which also often requires a credit card). I recently had the opportunity to char with Joel Andren, Marketing Director for Rixty about the exciting news…

Rixty & Facebook

GA – Why don’t you start off by telling me a little bit more about Rixty?
Joel – Rixty provides an easy way for people who pay for online content – especially games – using cash and coins. Traditionally there is a large segment of the population who does not have credit cards or access to debit cards, so they are essentially locked out of online gaming or paying for other online entertainment. What Rixty does is it enables people to pay for online entertainment with either a prepaid card or what a lot of our users like to do is use cash and coins at a Coinstar. So the way we are different from other prepaid options is we provide users the flexibility to play across a number of gaming platforms and to even divvy up their payments from one card between multiple games and multiple entertainment options… This is an opportunity for people to pay online for over hundreds of games online and spend their money how they please.

GA – Okay, and can players use it for just anywhere users would buy content online, or I see on the Rixty website that it says hundreds of locations, are there specific locations where the card is good?
Joel – Well, we do have to be integrated with the game publisher. So that’s part of what are major efforts are is getting in to as many publishers as possible. At this point, it’s hundreds of games and over 50 publishers. And we were out there with many of the top games that people like to play and part of why we are announcing this news is that people are going to be able to buy Facebook credits using Rixty. And we’re going to be the first, exclusive cash based payment option for FB credits. And Facebook credits, as we know are in the beginning stages of becoming the defacto currency for Facebook games and also virtual items within Facebook. So we are very excited. This is just one more step to bring a lot more games and a lot more online entertainment opportunities to people who want to pay with cash or coins.

GA – How does it differ from just buying a prepaid Visa or American Express card?
Joel – I think big thing is that you’re able to use Coinstar. The average American household has $90 in change sitting around their house. That little jar of coins you have really adds up to quite a bit. So for many families, they don’t think they have money to play these games, but they do and it’s just sitting right next to them on the couch. So it’s an opportunity for them to go out and play with money they already have and enable them to do that. The greatest thing about Coinstar and Rixty is that there are no fees associated with it. So you put $75 in coins in and you get a $75 code back from Rixty, which is different than if you want just pure cash back in which they take a little surcharge there. It’s a way to get maximum value from money that basically you have sitting around.

GA – What does Rixty’s integration with Facebook mean to users?
Joel – This is an opportunity for the 25% of the US population who lacks a credit card to be able to buy credits for these Facebook games. As we know the economy has changed a lot and credit card markets have changed a lot and a lot of people are wary of paying with a credit card or don’t have a credit card. So this allows them the opportunity to play these games or send people virtual gifts in a way they haven’t had before… And it really opens up a whole new world of gaming and virtual goods to people who didn’t have this opportunity. And if you look at this compared to the other alternative payment options – sometimes you can send charges over to mobile phone – it’s much more expensive to do it that way. This is a much more cost-effective way of going in and playing these games.

GA – It sounds like it’s basically going to help increase the base of people playing these games of Facebook, too.
Joel – We certainly think so, and I would imagine that that’s why they’re interested in having us be able to provide this service. One of the wonderful things about it is that it provides flexibility – especially with Facebook – because now we’re seeing things with Facebook that obviously (and this happened a while ago) they’ve expanded beyond college students and now there are families on facebook. So this is an opportunity for US family to go in and purchase Facebook credits and Mom can play Farmville and the son can send a virtual gift. Even if someone in the family wants to buy Facebook credits and another wants to go play an MMORPPG, they can do that as well. So it really is a very flexible payment solution.

GA – So then are Rixty credits giftable?
Joel – Not at this time, but the PIN is giftable. You can give somebody a PIN number and it’s a quick 2-step process to redeem those into Facebook credits. So maybe in the future, much in the way your Grandmother gave you a $20 bill slipped in an envelope, she can do the same with a Rixty code. That would be a 16-year-old kid’s dream come true, right? Because if your Grandma is picking out the games for you to play, she’s probably not going to get the right games, but giving you a Rixty code and letting you play the games you want is idea. We also stress a lot about online security. We are COPA compliant, so that we don’t market to children below a certain age. We also assure that this content is proper gaming sites. There’s no other alternative way to spend this money, this is money safely spent on games.

GA – So, going in that direction, as a company is Rixty a little bit selective about the sites that they integrate or associate with.
Joel – Generally we focus on gaming. I think sometimes people think, “Oh you’re secure, you’re an anonymous way to pay online, are you going beyond that into more risqué areas.” And no, we focus on gaming, we focus on entertainment. Eventually, there might be other types of things you purchase online, but we always want to keep it in the family realm.

GA –Do you play?
Joel – I play a lot of games. And what I am trying to do is – we have over 50 publishers – and I am starting to play all of the games that we play, and it’s really a little bit of a challenge because there’s such diversity out there. We’re in games from mass market games from Farmville to the new Frontierville to the fantasy role-playing games – Steampunk role-playing and also turn based games. I learned about a new game yesterday that we’re now working with called Kingdom of Loathing, which is fascinating game that’s basically stick figures and really creative inventive copy. It’s really something that I’m getting involved with and understanding the full diversity of the gamers out there.

GA – Awesome. That’s all of the questions that I really have. It seems like the Facebook news is very exciting.
Joel – Our mission is to be able to provide as many gaming opportunities for people without credit cards. And I think this is a huge step forward in terms of being able to provide Facebook credits. I think we’re known with the serious gamers and the gamers who are playing maybe 20 – 30 hours a week and are very involved and I think now we’re going to be able to provide a service to a much more casual and social gamer. I think a lot of these gamers are pretty excited about the opportunity to pay with cash and coin.

GA – Thank you for your time in talking with us today!
Joel – Thank you it was nice meeting you.

For more information regarding Rixty, or to purchase Facebook credits using Rixty, visit Rixty.com!