LONDON, January 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

New online game offers risk-free, real-time access to stock market with real cash prizes to be won

An exciting new, free, online game is bringing the stock market to the masses, showing what life is really like on the trading floor.

TraderPlay (http://www.traderplay.com) is a real-time, virtual game where aspiring traders, finance enthusiasts or even inquisitive novices, can practice and hone their skills using up to the minute accurate data and prices, without having to leave their desk, or most importantly, part with their own money.

Players are awarded £1,000,000 of virtual money and use this to enter live trading competitions where their profits and losses contribute to the overall leaderboard. Gamers are encouraged to challenge friends and contacts to go head-to-head using the website's in-built Facebook app, and see who has triumphed when the markets close. For those that show a natural skill, there is even real money to be won - or potentially the opportunity to catch the eye of industry headhunters.  

TraderPlay streams live financial market data and offers players the chance to invest in a comprehensive choice of assets - foreign currency, equities and commodities. For those who are new to trading, it offers in-depth tutorials to educate and help players reach higher levels of achievement and game satisfaction.

TraderPlay is developed by TraderPeople, and is the brainchild of Jonathan Rose and Chris Hobcroft, both of whom have a combined 15 years' experience in trading and technology sectors.

Commenting on the launch, Jonathan Rose, CEO of TraderPeople said: "This is an exciting time for us. The launch of TraderPlay will boost our gaming credentials and allow us to really make our mark on the financial trading game scene.

"Financial markets have been historically viewed as inaccessible, with a perception that they are too complicated for the everyday person. Since the recession, trust in banking institutions, and the stock market, has declined and caused a negative impact on how the nation views the markets, and namely those who work them. Perhaps the positive outcome here is that people have started to question what exactly it all entails and are more inclined to want to throw their own hat in the ring, and trading games are a perfect way to do this, risk-free.

"When looking at what else was out there, we saw only over simplified and boring alternatives, or those that didn't reflect the reality of what was truly happening on the market. Worryingly, we also saw many 'games' that were merely sales tools for businesses, which actually called for users to take a punt on their own money.

"TraderPlay is a fast paced option and is extremely simple to engage with. Players can log on and place trades in a matter of minutes, and log off again. It's clearly set up for players to be able to monitor their performance over the duration of the competition. A big draw will obviously be the opportunity to win real cash prizes if they're doing well but within a few hours of using it players really will begin to understand how the markets work and make informed decisions as to where to invest their virtual money. If anything, TraderPlay offers the nation a chance to show the 'overpaid' traders how, if given the chance, there is no reason why the average person couldn't make similar decisions based on information readily available."

To start investing, risk-free, visit http://www.traderplay.com and see how you fare on the TraderPlay leaderboard.

About TraderPeople

TraderPeople provides educational social trading games based on real world financial markets. It is a great place for players to learn about investing from scratch.  In 2011, the company created TraderPlay, the UK's first free-to-play financial trading game and also provides Traderversity, a trading game aimed exclusively at the student sector. It offers bespoke financial gaming platforms, which can be integrated into existing websites or established as standalone domains.

For further editorial information or to request hi-res images, please contact Dawn Hesketh, Jaime Gee or Francesca Gaffey@ JAMpr Ltd:
Tel: +44(0)161-850-0565 / +44(0)161-850-9595
E: Dawn@jampr.co.uk / Jaime@jampr.co.uk / Francesca@jampr.co.uk

SOURCE TraderPeople