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Trivya.com launches Facebook application

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trivya.pngTrivya.com, developer of the web’s biggest and fastest growing trivia game-platform, is launching a trivia game application for Facebook.

The Trivya application features exciting, fast-paced trivia games played against other members for play-money. Additionally the users will be able to participate in cash competition tournaments (wherever applicable by law), allowing them to win great prizes for sharpening their brains.

Trivya is a real time multiplayer service that enables people from all around the world to simultaneously compete against each other for fame, honor, glory and prizes. The featured games that can be accessed through the application include popular topics such TV trivia, movie trivia, sports trivia, and general knowledge. Players can pick a game according to their favorite subject and compete for the prize pool with other members who signed up for the game. Each game runs no more than 2 minutes, and the prize goes to the player who accumulates the highest number of correct answers. The game has player-friendly features such as the option to skip up to 4 questions, and to cut in half the number of answers in 2 multiple choice questions.

Originally posted on January 17, 2008 @ 2:47 pm

PlayFirst, RockYou to roll out casual games on social networks

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playfirst.pngPlayFirst and RockYou announced a joint initiative to distribute the first casual game, Wedding Dash, on social networking sites beginning with Facebook. The distribution and integration of casual games onto social networks will create a new way for users to engage with casual game content and will open an avenue for audiences to receive promotions from PlayFirst.

As more users find and share content with friends in centralized locations, like social networks, game publishers will need to give users access when and where they want it. The PlayFirst and RockYou partnership marries the expertise of two leading companies that understand the needs of their users and the importance and urgency of migrating successful game experiences onto social networks.

PlayFirst’s Wedding Dash is a top selling game evolving from the wildly successful Diner Dash franchise, which has garnered more than 200 million downloads across the PC, Mac, mobile and handheld platforms. With PlayFirst’s new game application, Facebook users will be able to challenge their friends in an exciting game to determine who can plan the ultimate wedding.

Originally posted on December 28, 2007 @ 7:30 am

meebo launches games via third party developers

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meebo1.pngmeebo announced that more than 20 games are now available to meebo users through the recently-launched meebo Platform. The games have been contributed by third-party developers using the recently-launched meebo Platform APIs. The introduction of games from 3rd Sense, Absolutist, Clearspring Technologies, Come2Play, Gamebrew, MediaGreenhouse, Mochi Media, MyGraffitiWall, Jiggmin, Kongregate, PlayFirst, Presidio Studios, and ZeroCode exemplifies the kinds of multiuser and synchronous applications being built on the meebo Platform every day. Since the October 30th Platform launch, more than 200 developers have registered applications for the meebo Platform and are working to make meebo the live interaction destination on the web. Future categories of applications will include shopping, productivity and work applications, music and video entertainment.

The games launching today include Animal Puzzle, Artillery, Backgammon, Battle Pool, Blackjack, Checkers, Chess, Connect4, Go, Kongregate Racing, Match4, Music Man, Picture This!, Pirate War, Platform Racing, Reversi, Sheep Me, Sploder, Sudoku Wars, Tactics 100, Texas Hold ‘em, and World Travel Puzzle.

The meebo Platform gives third-party developers a hassle-free revenue stream to monetize their applications. meebo is securing premium revenue relationships and will run user-friendly ads while applications run. meebo will then share that revenue with third-party application developers. Alternatively, meebo offers third-party developers the ability to opt out of the revenue sharing arrangement and run their own ads on their application. These developers can present custom or integrated advertising to meebo users where their advertisers are more relevant, entertaining or useful. This approach is designed to optimize the user experience and provide independent developers with a revenue stream.

Originally posted on November 20, 2007 @ 11:15 am

Vivox secures $7.8 million funding

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vivox.pngVivox, provider of integrated voice services for online games and virtual worlds, has secured $7.8 million in a second round of equity financing led by Benchmark Capital led the round. Support was also received from the its existing investors, Canaan Partners and GrandBanks Capital.

Proceeds from the round will fund product development, sales support and marketing as the Company extends its technology and market lead. Vivox offers the only integrated platform and managed service available today to enable online games and virtual worlds to connect their communities with cutting edge features and functionality on a massive scale.

Vivox customers and partners include online game and virtual world leaders 1GPN, Inc., Alpha Innovation, BigWorld Technology, CCP Games, The Electric Sheep Company, FWD International, IBM, Icarus Studios, Illusion Factory, K2 Network, LanguageLab.com, Linden Lab, Monumental Games, Pixel Mine and Wizards of the Coast.

Originally posted on November 13, 2007 @ 12:38 pm

Greystripe, Vivendi Games Mobile to deliver ad-supported mobile games

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vivendi.pngGreystripe announced an agreement with Vivendi Games Mobile to distribute ten ad-supported titles that will be offered for free via Greystripe’s online and mobile gaming portal GameJump.com and through its AdWRAP Catalog Platform.

Titles include the award-winning After Dark Flying Toaster and Amy’s Hangman, as well as several popular Garfield titles including Garfield Bowling, Garfield Euchre and Garfield Mice Sweeper. The mobile games will be distributed through Greystripe’s AdWRAP Catalog Platform channels, including twenty-one Web and mobile Web site partners, and GameJump.com, the world’s largest free, ad-supported mobile game portal.

Originally posted on October 31, 2007 @ 7:15 am