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Glu Mobile receives top honors at Google I/O 2011

Thursday, May 12th, 2011

Google’s annual I/O conference always brings us a wealth of information, and this year is no different. Amongst the various announcements and items of focus, Glu Mobile Inc. has emerged as the Top Developer for Android. Adding to the honors, Glu’s social mobile game “Gun Bros,” has been named Editors Choice. The title has been a driving factor behind Glu’s success, already garnering more than 3 million downloads to Android devices within it’s first three months of release.

Glu points to these awards as proof positive of their development relationship with Google. From Google’s side, it noteworthy to point out that during the Google Honeycomb launch this past February, Glu’s Gun Bros was highlighted during a gaming demo. Likewise, when Google flipped the switch on in-game (or app) purchasing functionality, Glu published three of the six initial titles featured during the February launch event.

“We are honored to be named a Top Developer, as well as to receive the prestigious Editor’s Choice award for Gun Bros,” said Niccolo de Masi, Chief Executive Officer at Glu in a statement. “Our dedication to the Android platform, innovation in design and game play is evidenced through the popularity of our 3D Social Mobile games. We appreciate Google’s recognition of these accomplishments.”

Moving forward, Glu is showcasing their newest offering, Contract Killer, at this year’s I/O event. Attendees now have the opportunity to give Contract Killer a first-go on Android devices before the Friday, May 13th official launch date.

With this much cozy-cozy going on between Glu and Google, this author can only wonder how far off the acquisition announcement is?

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Google to launch Android in-app payments this week

Monday, March 28th, 2011

Google is gearing up to officially support in-app transactions on the Android Market this week. You might remember that they made the announcement back in January, and it appears as though all systems are go sometime this week. Google is encouraging developers to upload and test their microtransactions enabled apps via the Developer Console asap, as the big G wants to ensure that the secure billing mechanism is lock tight before unleashing the function into the wild.

Android Developer Ecosystem Manager Eric Chu writes, “In preparation for the launch, we are opening up Android Market for upload and end-to-end testing of your apps that use In-app Billing. You can now upload your apps to the Developer Console, create a catalog of in-app products, and set prices for them. You can then set up accounts to test in-app purchases. During these test transactions, the In-app Billing service interacts with your app exactly as it will for actual users and live transactions.”

All fine and dandy, but aren’t in-app purchases already available on Android? Certainly! Zong, BOKU, PayPal, and PlaySpan all have 3rd party enabled in-app purchasing mechanisms, so what’s the big deal?

The big deal here is that while on paper, nothing groundbreaking or new, but rather, making the platform far more attractive to both developers and consumers.

Developers

By enabling their own in-app transactions, thereby cutting out any 3rd parties, Google has effectively given the green light to developers to port their title from iOS, which, of course, already supports in-app transactions. Granted, not an easy task, but with the proliferation of Android, and now combined with a direct billing method to the actual vendor of said app, I can’t imagine a developer who would pass this option up. The revenues speak for themselves.

Consumer

Likewise, this new feature for Android could signal a much larger project in the works at Google. A project we’ve already seen, but perhaps haven’t put the two together yet. I’ll explain. By enabling in-app transactions directly via Google, the company is now allowing users a very simple, no frills method whereby they can simply buy away via the credit card details stored within a Google Checkout account. No 3rd party with your details, or no need to re-enter that 16 digit string every time you want to make a purchase. Credit card details stored with Google. Android now offering in-app purchases via Google Checkout. Google teams with MasterCard and Citigroup to enable NFC payments (and files a patent). See where I’m going with this?

Google Checkout has long been a property that’s been a quiet one in the mix. It’s been the payment mechanism that Google always seem one or two steps behind their competitors on. And while Mountain View may have been keeping this sleeping dragon quiet for a while, the combination of in-app purchases, Android, and NFC technology could just be the beginning of a whole new way of business at Google.

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Latino focused social network Quepasa acquires XtFt Games

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

Along with myYearbook, a number of smaller, lesser known social networks are starting to take a page from Facebook’s playbook, and are making moves of their own. One non-Facebook social network is Quepasa, specifically targeted at the Latino market. To this gaming end, Quepasa has recently announced the successful acquisition of Curitiba, Brazil based XtFt Games. XtFt Games, in turn owns a substantial amount of assets from TechFront, a social games development studio.

TechFront joined the scene in 2006, initially developing games from multiplatform console titles, to web and mobile games. In 2010 they began developing games for the geographically popular Orkut (Google) social network. This shift in focus was tied to a number of partnerships with various international publishers; including U.S. based eGames.

Terms of the deal dictate that XtFt complete it’s previous agreement with eGames; to publish and promote eGames’ titles on Quepasa.com and other third part social media platforms (read:Facebook).

“As both a publisher of social games and social network, Quepasa will command a greater proportion of the revenues associated with social games on its own platform, while also participating in additional revenues generated on alternative social networks,” comments Quepasa CEO John C. Abbott.

Quepasa is currently enjoying a string of 2010 successes, as the company is reporting a 225 percent growth over the course of the year, now up to 27.2 million registered users. The acquisition of the 41 person XtFt team, will now allow the studio to focus solely on developing social gaming IP for the Quepasa platform, as well as other social networking platforms throughout the Latin America region. The combination of triple digit user growth, along with a dedicated development team focusing on one of the largest revenue generators on any social networking platform, puts Quepasa in a commanding position.

“The addition of TechFront’s talented team provides Quepasa with the means to offer and monetize culturally relevant social games to our Quepasa.com member base and other audience networks, like Orkut and Facebook, and eventually to mobile users across Latin America,” says Abbott.

XtFt partner and TechFront Founder and President adds, “Joining forces with Quepasa will afford us immediate access to one of the largest and fastest growing audiences in Latin America in addition to innovative social marketing tools, such as Quepasa’s DSM (Distributed Social Media), to help promote our titles. We expect to gain valuable insights into Quepasa users’ receptivity to our game features and functionality ahead of publishing our titles onto other well-trafficked sites across the region.”

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ComScore: Android closing in on iPhone

Tuesday, December 7th, 2010

Leading metrics firm ComScore has recently published it’s MobileLens report, with Google’s Android OS making a strong showing across the board. The report, which covers August – the end of October found that Google, read:Android based devices now account for 23.5 percent of the U.S. smartphone marketshare.

Looking at the numbers in terms of OS, it appears as though RIM’s BlackBerry is still leading the pack, commanding a 35.8 percent marketshare, with Apple and Google now fighting tooth and nail for the number two spot. At the end of October, 2010, Apple held 24.6 percent of the market, while Google, 23.5 percent.

What’s also important to keep in mind with these numbers is, not only are they now 2 months old, but the growth rate. As referenced above, in July Google held a 17 percent marketshare, while 3 months later that share had jumped to 23.5 percent, a 6.5 percent gain. At the same time, Apple had only increased it’s share by 0.8 percent. If this trend remains on track, it’s very likely that Google might already have a lead on Apple at the time of this publication. Also noteworthy; during the same time, RIM’s marketshare dropped a significant 3.5 percent. Doing a bit of cocktail napkin math, it’s entirely possible that Google may now be nipping at the heals of RIM’s once commanding lead.

While this seems happy happy joy joy for Google, it’s not the best news for games and apps developers. A lack of a single, unified hardware specification means that each and every device has it’s own unique set of “can do’s” and “can’t do’s”. Why would this matter? Other than the obvious set of unique challenges various forms of hardware present, according to ComScore, gaming is also becoming increasingly important to smartphone owners. While up only 1.4 percent, 22.3 in July to 23.7 percent in October, gaming on smartphones has overtaken music listening usage, and is closing in on the social networking category, with less than a percentage point between the two.

It’s also important to keep in mind, as pointed out by Kyle Orland of Gamasutra, the ComScore survey did not take into account iPod Touch devices, which, while not mobile phones, will do just about everything else an iPhone will do (and iPad for that matter – although it’s size format does significantly disqualify it from this survey).

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Zynga – Full speed ahead! Facebook – Dial it back.

Thursday, September 23rd, 2010

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently outlined changes to the social networking platforms changes, specifically in regards to the way games notifications impact other Facebook users. Delivered from Facebook HQ, Zuckerberg said that despite being one of the most popular services on the platform, games are also Facebook’s biggest source of complaints. Looking at the numbers, some 200 million of Facebook’s half billion users regularly play games on the platform. Naturally, gaming companies want that number of players to increase, notably through viral notifications and buzz creation (think FarmVille status updates), something that Facebook has already revised, with these notifications only appear in the news feed of other users that have the same game installed.

Sounds fair and reasonable, no? Yes, if you’re Joe Average consumer, but if you’re a gaming firm with millions invested in a solid return, primarily based on Facebook’s platform. Remember, the last time Facebook altered it’s rules and regs, Zynga reported losing over 10 million users.

On the other side of the coin, fence, field, however you want to look at it, Zynga CTO Cadir Lee took center stage at the Oracle OpenWorld event in San Francisco and stated that approximately 10 percent of the world’s internet population (around 215 million people) have played a Zynga title. To support these kinds of numbers, Lee commented that Zynga is adding as many as 1,000 servers every week to stay on top of demand. Keep in mind, this isn’t just FarmVille we’re talking about, but Zynga’s ‘other’ children, FrontierVille, Mafia Wars, Café World, etc.

While these changes aren’t likely to effect the average Facebook gamer, as you’ll keep on seeing your friends’ notifications, it does have significant impact for Zynga, as well as every other Facebook gaming focused development house. Zynga wasn’t the first on the scene, but the certainly the ones who ‘got it right’ and maximized the Facebook landscape before the floodgates were closed. Facebook’s new implementations have effectively killed the viral spread, and to Zynga’s credit, they’ve already been diversifying, and with this announcement, it seems as though they’re one step ahead of the game – again. However, with this in mind, one can’t forget about the five-year deal that the company agreed to with Facebook, but keep in mind Zynga’s deal with Yahoo! as well as the rumored Google Games Service.

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The Google Chrome Web Store’s focus on gaming

Friday, August 20th, 2010

While there’s been a plethora of interesting tidbits coming out of this week’s GDC Europe in Cologne, there really hasn’t been anything that’s truly been “out of the ordinary.” Well, that all changed yesterday with some juicy details about Google’s upcoming Chrome webstore.

Google’s Game Developer chief Mark DeLoura and Chrome dev Michael Mahemoff presented Google’s first major stab at the browser gaming space, highlighting the upcoming Chrome app Store. Google’s goal with gaming in the Chrome app store is simple; simplify the confusion of browser games on the internet today, including discovery, and more importantly: monetization.

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If you’re thinking that the Google Chrome App Store looks remarkably like the iTunes App Store, well, you’re not alone. However, the familiar format is surely part of Google’s MO, and I’d expect a gradual shift towards a more “Google Created” design and layout. The store is expected to be powered by Google Checkout, a service the company has been trying for ages to figure out how best to utilize.

And while the Chrome App Store might look a whole lot like iTunes, there are a number of significant differences when it comes to feel. The double edged sword in the games creation process comes via the approval process. In so much as, there is none. Google’s philosophy is to make creating a web app as simple as possible. They say that a developer only need create said web app, put a wrapper on it (icons and metadata), and upload to the store. Once uploaded the app is automatically approved and published. Let’s read that again. I can create anything I want, wrap it up, and publish it to the official Google Chrome Web Store. Google definitely scores points for taking the hassle out of the approval process, but on the other hand, isn’t that approval process a quality control check? Ok, yes, Google will charge a 5 percent processing fee (in start contrast to Apple’s 30 percent cut of every sale), but even at that rate….I’m imagining a vast wasteland of buggy, poor quality, and overall crap applications flooding the Web Store. Yes, quality will float to the top, but if Google wants to simplify the process of discovery, is flooding the delta really the way to do it?

But I digress. While this is a major move for Google, let’s not forget that the Chrome Web Store is playing into a much larger Google initiative, the forthcoming Chrome OS that Google is developing, targeted at netbooks and tablets. And we all know what the best selling aps on these devices are.

And then there’s that thing about net neutrality…

source: 1up.com

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The Google Gaming puzzle is coming together nicely

Friday, August 13th, 2010

As reported by TechCrunch, Google Ventures has invested an undisclosed sum of money in iOS developer ngmoco. It’s believed that this cash was a part of a new round of funding ngmoco took on, although the company is already profitable. Speculation puts the figure somewhere in the $3 – $5 million range.

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It’s worth noting that the investment was made by Google Ventures, and not Google, the search engine, etc. giant. This completely self regulating and governing body that is completely separate from Google.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let me add the grain of salt. Google’s made no secret about their interest in gaming. Last week they quietly help a gaming conference, ThinkGaming, with many in attendance having to sign an NDA before even entering the door. In addition to the backdoor investment in ngmoco, don’t forget that around the middle of July, news started circulating that Google’s been pushing cash in Zynga’s direction, albeit a bit ‘under the table’.

Right, pieces 1 and 2 of the gaming trifecta in place. What’s next? Well, we’ll need a dash of social knowhow, enter the Slide acquisition. Ok, and now we need to monetize it all….Jambool, anyone?

Again, as stated by Google Ventures, they do not make strategic investments. This flies directly in the face of comments made by Google CEO Eric Schmidt, stating that any company receiving funding from Google Ventures, “would have 20,000 Googlers there to help them.”

And then there’s the Android. Recent figures have put the Android on top in the U.S. mobile market, however, there is a massive hole in the high quality gaming department on Android. Something tells me that although ngmoco has primarily been focused on iOS apps, we could start seeing Android ready titles from the company soon. Ngmoco’s chief Neil Young has even previously complimented Android, but chose to stick with iPhone at the time (February 2010).

Oh, and did I mention that ngmoco competitor SGN, another hit maker for iOS, has already jumped on the Android market. SGN closed a bridge round led by Tomorrow Ventures. A primary investor in Tomorrow Ventures? Well, none other than one Google CEO, Eric Schmidt.

I’ll let you connect the dots. I rest my case.

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Zynga = Google Games?

Monday, July 12th, 2010

In the, “Holy Kaw!” story of perhaps the year thus far, TechCrunch chief Michael Arrington broke the story on Saturday that search engine, online shopping, document holder, oh, just about everything under the sun, giant Google has secretly been fueling development and expansion at social games maker Zynga, to the tune of anywhere between $100 – $200 million.

While these numbers are nothing to sneeze at, they’re not outstanding in the field, as Zynga has received similar investments from SoftBank Capital (approx. $150 million) and Russian Digital Sky Technologies ($180 million), as well as investments from Tiger Global, Institutional Venture Partners, and Andreessen Horowitz. According to TechCrunch, the SoftBank investment was never confirmed by Zynga, and the Google investment was likely sandwiched in there.

And now for the why. Google has had a fairly successful track record of acquiring companies of note and then integrating them into their own product. It seems like this modus operandi is alive and well in Mountain View, as sources close to the deal speculate that the Zynga investment will serve as a cornerstone of an upcoming Google Games to be launched later this year. This is important because not only will Google gain Zynga’s expertise in the social gaming, but more importantly, Google will get their hands on true social graph data, as users would log in via Google to play their Zynga games. And lest we forget about that Google Checkout option that’s been rather quiet as of late, that may just swoop in and oust PayPal as the primary payment option.

This might also explain a bit of Zynga’s cockiness when it came to the entire Facebook fiasco. If Zynga was really (more or less) beholden by Facebook, they’d be far more willing to bend to Facebook than they were. I guess we now know why. Why bend to Facebook, when Google’s been interested for quite a while, $100 – $200 million interested? This does, however open the question…what’s about that Yahoo! deal Zynga just signed?

Google Games confirmed or not, this job ad certainly raises the question – not if, but when?

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Google acquires Social App. Dev. LabPixies

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Announced earlier this week, Google has made yet another acquisition, this time Tel Aviv based social apps. Developer LabPixies. According to the Google announcement, the LabPixies team was one of the first developers that worked on iGoogle widgets, all the way back in 2005.

LabPixiesLabPixies provide widgets ranging from games and entertainment to productivity tools like calendars and news feeds. Along the way, they’ve managed to provide a number of global OpenSocial-based gadgets for Mountain View. And while these gadgets are significant in their own right, it’s the ‘other’ things that LabPixies produce that makes this acquisition of note: iPhone and Android smartphone games such as Flood-It!, Flood-It!2, Line-Up and Trio. Flood-It! alone has been downloaded over 2 million times since it’s launch in March of 2009.

As mentioned above, this is just another day, another acquisition for Google. The month alone Google has snatched up mobile visual search startup Plink, web video co. Episodic, and most notably, stealth hardware company Agnilux. The Agnilux acquisition has already started fueling rumors of an Android based tablet device may or may not already be on Google’s radar. Looking back through 2010, Google has purchased Microsoft Office sharing service DocVerse, photo-editing startup Picnik, email solutions co. reMail, and social search firm Aardvark.

While details surrounding the purchase were not disclosed, TechCrunch reports that TheMarker (in Hebrew) is citing the price to be close to $25 million. They also astutely point out – not a bad price for a company that only ever raised $1 million in angel funding in 2008.

As part of the deal, LabPixies will remain based in Tel Aviv, and will work to expand the presence of the iGoogle brand across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. As well as develop some snazzy Android apps, we’re betting…

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MySpace acquiesces, Facebook Connect to be integrated

Monday, December 7th, 2009

Remember MySpace? Yes, they’re still alive and kicking, albeit in a greatly modified form from their one dominant place in the social networking market. But according to insidefacebook.com, it looks like MySpace may have finally read the writing on the wall, and are now adopting Facebook’s ‘Connect’ technology.  The implementation could come to fruition as soon as early 2010.

facebook-logoThis information is still ‘rumored’, but sources on both sides of the fence have given the proverbial nod and smile when asked about it. Traditionally, the two friend destination sites have been bitter rivals, competing tooth and nail for number of registered users, activity on the site, etc.. However, 2009 has seen a rapid cooling off between the two, and Facebook has clearly won out, and is now kind of the social networking hill. Assorted news and rumors started appearing back in October with the U.K. Telegraph news outlet breaking a story indicating that MySpace and Facebook were in talks.

“The move could potentially see MySpace music and video footage being shared on Facebook via its Connect platform, which allows people to log into third-party sites using their Facebook ID,” the article by Emma Barnett explains.

Instead of continuing the social networking cold war standoff, it looks like MySpace has already put in action a dramatic shift that sees the company moving away from the social networking arena, and focusing more on what they call ‘social entertainment’. For some time now, MySpace has been focusing more and more on it’s industry leading music service. In fact, just last week, MySpace took their music service global, and launched MySpace Music to the United Kingdom market.

The details of the deal, and just how far Facebook will reach into MySpace’s space has yet to be revealed. However, this news arrives hot on the heals of Yahoo!’s announcement of a massive Facebook Connect implementation, effectively now making the previous largest social site on the web, into nothing more than a content publisher. A very large content publisher, but still…

The Facebook Connect/MySpace/Yahoo! deal also has significant implications for Mountain View, CA giant, Google. While Google has (virtually) no presense in the social networking end of the pool, the do have quite a bit invested in their one-login-to-rule-them-all product, Google Friend Connect. Coincidentally, the same day that the MySpace Music UK product was announced, Google made waves be announcing that they’ve cut a deal with twitter that allows users to login with their twitter account details.

With Yahoo! and MySpace out of the game, it looks like 2010 could be quite an interesting year, as Facebook and Google turn the heat up on their battle to achieve Web identity dominance.

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