Moving in on what it claims is a burgeoning genre, Yahoo! has announced it is to go into business with Japanese firm DeNA to launch a social games platform in the region.
The company claims it and DeNA will release the platform currently called Yahoo! Mobage in the late summer, with the service set to tap into existing games portla Moba-ge-town, which boasts 18 million registered members.
"Yahoo! Japans strength and ability to attract customers, plus the game development and operational expertise that DeNA has cultivated in the mobile arena, offer the opportunity for major synergies," the company said in the statement.
A mobile move
Mobage is being designed to work on both PC and mobile, enabling the same titles to be played in both environments.
Yahoo! has also committed to help studios promote and structure games on the network, aiming to ensure titles are identical on both formats.
It's this cross-platform focus that looks to be Mobage's signature, the company stating it will be the first major player to link up an already existing PC network with the potential of the mobile gaming market.
Linking with Yahoo! ID accounts, there's also the potential to reach out to users who haven't encountered social games yet, the firm clearly hoping to trigger the kind of rush from mainstream gamers titles like FarmVille and Mafia Wars have enjoyed in the west.
News
With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.
Top Stories
News
Jun 9th, 2024
PocketGamer.biz Podcast Week in Mobile Games E15 - Star Wars: Hunters finally launches, the West's MOBA problem, and Xbox handheld rumours
News
Jun 7th, 2024
Week in Views - The hunt for the new Star Wars game, Xbox goes handheld, and cats versus monsters…
News
Jun 7th, 2024
Week in Views - The hunt for the new Star Wars game, Xbox goes handheld, and cats versus monsters…
News
Jun 7th, 2024
Metacore's Teppo Soininen: “Anybody who has put a game into soft launch knows there’s still plenty of space for f*ck ups.”
Events
Tribeca Games Festival 2024 | North America | Jun 5th |
Steam Next Fest: June 2024 Edition | Jun 10th | |
GamesForum Hamburg 2024 | Europe | Jun 11th |
WN Conference Istanbul 2024 | Jun 11th | |
ESI London 2024 | Europe | Jun 13th |
DevGAMM Vilnius 2024 | Europe | Jun 14th |
Game Con Canada (GCC) 2024 | North America | Jun 14th |
Indie Dev Play 2024 | Europe | Jun 14th |