Users can purchase or register for an app or games once, enjoy it on their Kindle Fire and other Android-based devices. Plus, all apps and games are backed up in the Amazon Cloud for re-download anytime.
Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting June 7. Speakers include Abigail Cusick (Bravo Digital), Gregory Galant (Sawhorse Media), Alex Leo (Thomson Reuters Digital), Jim Tobin (Ignite Social Media), and many more. Read the reviews. 
Electronic Arts announced plans to purchase PopCap for $650 million in cash today. Even though the news was expected by most social gaming analysts, the extent of the deal was left uncertain. Sources state that the final deal will be closed by the end of August.
Family board game night has officially been upgraded: Monopoly is now available free-to-play on Facebook. Called Monopoly Millionaires, this classic board game has seen a facelift for the Facebook generation, with leaderboards, points for visiting other players’ boards, and customization – all flagship features of the most addictive of social games.
Today game publishing giant Electronic Arts is announcing that they’ve selected microtransaction/virtual economy service provider Live Gamer to help monetize its online gaming products. This is major news for the game industry, as America’s largest game publisher continues moving away from the old school retail model and towards social network-driven, free-to-play gaming, with revenue driven more by virtual item sales than sales of cardboard boxes on shelves. Last year, EA made a huge move into social gaming with the purchase of Playfish; this partnership with Live Gamer strongly hints that the company will put more of its existing “core gamer” franchises online, with Live Gamer handling sales.
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Electronic Arts is bringing Pogo Games to Facebook through a new application, allowing existing Pogo players and new players alike to play on Facebook. The application, which is currently in its beta period, is meant for players to try out the games and social services and send some feedback to Pogo using the Facebook fan page. However we’d expect the company to continue to expanding the Pogo presence over the coming months.
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EA is promoting Saboteur, one of their newest console titles, by creating a Facebook quiz application that involves videos and content from the game. The application isn’t a full-fledged game, but does have a quiz element and leaderboards to compete with friends. There are also prizes to the top players, including an all-expenses paid trip to Las Vegas.
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I recently had the chance to talk with Manu Rekhi, the Vice President of Marketing, Business and Corporate Development with Lolapps and a former Senior Product Manager with Google. Socialtimes.com had recently covered the implementation of Lolapps’ Dante’s Inferno application and we wanted to get a bit more information on the development of the application, the social gaming industry in general and the next steps for Lolapps. Click below to listen.
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Another big week for Social Games, with Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Zynga and Offerpal making big announcements. Microsoft is considering purchase of Crowdstar, makers of Happy Acquarium, Electronic Arts has announced a Madden NFL Game and more for Facebook, Zynga acquires the makers of Friends for Sale and Offerpal releases tasks, an easy new way to buy virtual currency. Read on for more!
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There have been rumors circulating over the past month about Playfish, the second largest Facebook Platform developer, being acquired by Electronic Arts. This morning the news was confirmed via a press release stating that:
EA has acquired Playfish for approximately US$275 million in cash and approximately $US25 million in equity retention arrangements. In addition, the sellers are entitled to additional variable cash consideration, up to a maximum of US$100 million, contingent upon the achievement of certain performance milestones through December 31, 2011.
What happens when two longtime Electronic Arts employees leave the video game giant, one to launch a start-up and the other to become a venture capitalist? According to VentureBeat, in the case of new iPhone games developer Ngmoco, the VC funds the start-up and takes a seat on the board.
Ngmoco, or next-generation mobile company, founded by former EA dude Neil Young, just closed its first round of funding, led by Kleiner Perkins partner Bing Gordon, who joined the VC firm in April after resigning as EA’s chief creating officer. Gordon has joined Ngmoco’s board.
The financing makes Ngmoco the latest recipient of a portion of Kleiner Perkins’ $100 million iFund. Maples Investments also ponied up some cash, which Ngmoco will use to develop, license and publish games for the iPhone.
