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Ngmoco preparing to release Mobage social gaming network in the west for iOS and Android

Will the magic translate?

Ngmoco preparing to release Mobage social gaming network in the west for iOS and Android
Six weeks. That’s precisely how long it took ngmoco to announce its first significant move in the mobile sphere since being acquired by Japanese games publisher DeNA.

Not content with making incremental changes to its iOS-only Plus+ service, ngmoco is looking to extend DeNA's Mobage social service to iPhone and Android markets in the west.

Beta program open for business

With Mobage scheduled to launch in 2011, the Beta program is now open, enabling interested developers to sign up for further information on this cross-platform initiative.

DeNA has, of course, already experienced huge success in its native Japan with the Mobage-town platform on mobile phones, attracting over 20 million subscribers to the virtual world.

Mobage-town invites its population to exchange messages, share music, and most importantly, play a wide selection of free and in-app purchase supported games, an area ngmoco is well positioned to exploit given its shift towards freemium titles.

Building on solid foundations

"It's hard for people in the West to get their heads around how big it (Mobage-town) is in Japan," said Neil Young, ngmoco's CEO.

"What's happening in Japan is really a blueprint for what's going to happen here."

To that end, ngmoco’s Mobage platform will draw inspiration from its parent company’s service, inviting players to create an alias for use across all of the supported games.

On Android, Mobage will be an app store for downloading Mobage-enabled games. On iPhone, Mobage's features will be built into each app. Eventually, the entire service may live on the web.

[source: CNN]

With a degree in German up his sleeve Richard squares up to the following three questions every morning: FIFA or Pro Evo? XBox 360 or PS3? McNulty or Bunk?