After many rounds of alpha testing with the use of play-money, PokerStars is confident that its hybrid poker game is now ready for its real-money launch to the public.
On October 10, The Stars Group Inc. officially announced the launch of the PokerStars Power Up, a new and highly innovative variant of online poker that combines the strategy and competitiveness of conventional poker with the excitement and amazing twist of modern video games. Just like what you would see in usual role-playing games of today, PokerStars Power Up features beautifully-designed graphics that can bring your online poker gaming to a whole new level via immersive audio and visual effects, complete with a good selection of avatars with unique personalities and backstories.
Director of Poker Innovation and Operations Severin Rasset said, "Since the game's inception, we've been eagerly anticipating this moment and it's finally here. The team has worked incredibly hard to produce a brand new game which, by utilizing our custom engine, delivers incredible mechanics and an engaging universe. We are immensely proud of this major innovation to poker and we hope our players love it as much as we do."
What It Is
Power Up is a mix of poker and card games, just like the game Hearthstone (a fast-paced strategy card game from Blizzard Entertainment). It brings in the concept of video gaming to add more depth, make things interesting, and bring the game to life.
Power Up is ultimately a three-person tournament that features traditional sit-and-go rules, with just one fun difference. Each player can have up to three ‘Special Power' cards. These cards cost ‘energy' when being used and can have wide-ranging effects, including the power to alter the board, manipulate hole cards, and even provide intel about upcoming cards or see your opponents' hands.
Power Up Universe
The setting of Power Up is in a futuristic universe known as the "Neutrino". There, you will find various characters with unique backstories that PokerStars hopes will amaze and keep the players interested, just like popular e-sports.
This involves marketing the immersive game in new ways, even extending the game to new demographics (gamers who do not usually play online poker).
For now, the real-money version of Power Up is available to the PokerStars.eu client. In the next days, it will be available for players in the UK and the rest of the world.
Power Up shall debut at the $1, $3, $7, and $15 levels.
A permanent play-money version shall be included to the PokerStars.net client.
Source:
https://www.pokerstars.com/en/blog/2017/pokerstars-power-up-goes-live-for-real-m-168359.shtml?no_redirect=1
