Software maker Network Associates is offering a $500,000 grand prize to the winner of a new online game designed to carve out a greater market share for the company’s new McAfee anti-virus software.
Dubbed the “Virus Attack,” the game is only open to representatives of value-added resellers or companies that sell customized hardware, software or service packages to businesses.
Diane Seghposs, vice president of channel marketing, said the Santa Clara, CA company is hoping the game will educate sales representatives about McAfee software and products. McAfee.com Corp. is a majority-owned subsidiary of Network Associates.
The hope is that the sales reps will then take that knowledge into the fields with them, as well as into corporate offices.
“They’re salespeople,” Seghposs said. “They’re really competitive, so playing a game seems like a natural way to get the attention.”
The game asks players an assortment of questions about McAfee products; a satisfactory number of correct responses earn the player the right to shoot down animated viruses attempting to invade a company PC.
The contest is slated to run through 2001, with the top scorer in each quarter getting a $500 cash prize. At the end of the year, the top scorer will be awarded $10,000. The $500,000 grand prize will be awarded by random selection based on scores that match the closing Dow Jones industrial average on Jan. 7, 2002.
Players can register and begin playing the game by logging onto the McAfee home page.
