Offering developers a route to market in China, iDreamsky has announced it's on the look out for 82 Western studios willing to integrate its new Android gaming network, SkyNet.

The technology, which the company is billing as a social gaming and distribution platform or 'Game Center for Android', is currently in beta, but iDreamsky says it will be preloaded on handsets from OEMs such as Lenovo and Coolpad.

"After evaluating various smartphone social gaming platforms available in the market, SkyNet is the only one that truly understands what the players, developers, manufacturers and telecoms in China need," said Mao Shijie, Director of Mobile Internet Application and Service of Lenovo Group.

"SkyNet has the right tools to allow developers to form a good ecosystem and gamers to be socially connected."

iDreamsky expects SkyNet to be on four million devices by the end of 2011. 

Sky's the limit

Mobile app marketing specialist Appular will collaborate with the firm to bring US games onto SkyNet.

"Many of the developers we talk to are looking for opportunities to expand their titles and brands onto an international market," said Appular CEO Brian Akaka.

"SkyNet is the perfect way for an app to gain traction in the Chinese market. We hope to bring some of the most beloved titles from the US and introduce them to a massive new audience."

The platform - part marketplace, part social gaming network - offers developers features such as in-app purchases, incentivisation methods, online multiplayer, and local social media integration using Sina Weibo, RenRen, and QQ micro-blogging.

SkyNet has also integrated many of the most popular Chinese payment channels such as QQ coins, Unionpay, Alipay and Telecom's three payment gateways.

East meets west

"This partnership will help us and Appular to mutually extend our reaches across the Pacific," said iDreamsky CEO Michael Chen of the Appular deal.

"We want to be able to introduce new content to our Android users in China and this partnership with Appular will make it possible."

Developers interested in SkyNet are advised to contact either Appular at info [at] appular [dot] com, or iDreamsky on games [at] idreamsky [dot] com.