Zynga better be prepared for an assault on all fronts, and no, this time it's not in Empires & Allies. Ngmoco, purchased by Japanese social gaming giant DeNA last year for a crazy $403 million, is ready to launch its Mobage mobile social gaming network to the world. VentureBeat reports that the Godfinger creator incorporated its ngCore technology into DeNA's network for what the duo hopes will take the globe by storm. (Well, smartphones around the globe, at least). Zynga has made huge strides to create a more robust mobile games network through acquisitions, but will it be enough to compete?
According to VentureBeat, Ngmoco chief publishing officer Simon Jeffery said that developers are already able to sign up for the platform, which already is home to over 100 games. (Though, we imagine most of which are Japanese.) Regardless, Mobage will release globally, meaning mobile gamers worldwide will have access to hundreds of games. Not to mention that when a developer releases a game through Mobage, it will be available globally in almost an instant, Jeffery said.
This is thanks to Ngmoco's ngCore, which allows games to be created in Javascript (just like Mafia Wars Atlantic City!). The famed web programming language is powerful for sure, but I wouldn't be surprised to see more games like Mafia Wars for mobile than not--at least on the outset--on Mobage. The platform will of course feature payment options, a cross-game currency and tools for developers to track their games.
Now that developers are signing up to get their hands on DeNA's service, Mobage looks to be just on the horizon. The question that stands now is whether Zynga and its slew of mobile gaming acquisitions--including the now Zynga with Friends--is ready for such an attack on the mobile front. And honestly, we won't know until DeNA and Ngmoco show their stuff. Though, it's proven rather difficult to tear my mom's fingers from Words with Friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment