Social Gaming

In mid-August, Google announced the launch of Google+ games integrated directly into the search giant’s new social network. Silicon Valley consensus is that Google is finally making a direct attack at Facebook and that company’s commanding lead over social networking; the inclusion of social games, which comprise much of Facebook’s own user activity, seems confirmation [...]

Distimo, the app store market tracking service, continues to reveal the importance of the freemium model. Free app downloads have grown 34 percent since 2010 in contrast to paid app downloads which grew by 7 percent. In the past the firm also reported a 10x growth in freemium revenue from top releases on the App Stor. More after the jump.

As the lines between console and mobile continue to blur, Apple’s eyes remain fixated on conquering the living room experience. Its introduction of AirPlay Mirroring could be a key blow to console makers like Sony and Microsoft who are still trying to gain traction on the mobile frontier. The plethora of content on Apple’s App Store combined with portable devices could be the reason why Apple will be the first to deliver a seamless gaming experience. More after the jump.

OpenFeint has been the heartthrob of writers in the gaming space, notably for its departing personnel, as it navigates the murky waters of iOS. The latest news to come from the mobile gaming network is its launch of its app discovery platform Game Channel on Android. More after the jump.

Just a year ago when people mentioned social games, thoughts of Facebook shuddered the mind. Fast forward today, Viximo’s latest report entitled ‘Beyond Facebook’ claims that all the other social networks, that comprise 70 percent of social networking traffic in the world, bring in more gaming revenue combined.

Facebook’s mobile announcement is spawning an army of games with Facebook tie-ins. Social gaming company Wooga is leaping into the HTML5 frenzy by launching its first mobile game Magic Land Island that can be accessed on almost any device. More after the jump.

Storm8, one of the premier mobile game developers for iPhone and Android has just launched 3 of its popular mobile titles with Facebook connectivity. This announcement comes in lieu of Facebook’s recent announcement to support third party mobile apps with its social infrastructure from within its own mobile apps.

The Facebook tidal wave seems to be unleashing across the social gaming ecosphere. The latest extension of Facebook’s social connectedness comes from none other than Zynga itself which today unveiled Zynga Direct, an extension of its ZLive platform that will serve as a new discovery and distribution channel for the social gaming powerhouse. More after the jump.

Social Game publisher, RockYou, has joined forces with Sony Home Entertainment to incorporate the hit movie, Zookeeper into the popular social game Zoo World 2. The promotion includes favorite characters from the film found in-game, Zookeeper-themed activities to complete, and special edition animals to buy. If that wasn’t enough, fans who purchase the DVD will receive 12,500 free Zoo Bucks($10 value) to spend in Zoo World 2.

While many of us have been sitting around waiting until our own profiles switch over to the new Facebook timeline, the crew at McCann Erickson in Tel Aviv have already been hard at work creating their first campaign with the new timeline—a Facebook timeline mash-up that brings together all ten members of their team on one (sorta creepy) timeline.