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Kongregate adds downloadable, free games to browser-based roster
Kongregate now hosts downloadable, free games, as well as its standard fare of browser-based titles. The first three downloadable games on Kongregate are Super Monday Night Combat, Bomb Buddies and Smashmuck Champions, all available right now.Kongregate will drop more downloadable games in the "coming weeks," and they are all integrated into existing social services. Players must sign into Kongregate to launch the games, and each one now available earns players 10 points."Our players are looking for increasingly sophisticated games," says Jim Greer, Kongregate CEO and co-founder. "Adding downloadable titles brings a new level of gaming to hardcore players looking for high-definition graphics with more options and content to select from."What previously set Kongregate apart from digital distributors is its focus on in-browser entertainment. Now it's inching closer to Steam territory, but still has its own flair in offering only free games for download. It's kind of like a tomcat slowly slinking into another's alleyway, and now we just wait for the hissing to begin.
Kongregate Arcade back in Android Marketplace, with some minor changes
Exactly one week after Kongregate's promising mobile app, Kongregate Arcade, made its tumultuous debut on the Android Marketplace (from which it was pulled from the very same day!) the browser-based gaming platform is ready for round two with Google, and has resubmitted the app. "We were just shocked," CEO Jim Greer told Joystiq after his app had been removed, an unusual move for the traditionally hands-off Google. In preparing the app for resubmission, Greer and company made some subtle, but potentially crucial, changes to the app. First: Though the original app played games in a standard WebKit browser, Kongregate Arcade obfuscated that experience by hiding the browser's address bar. Now, the address bar is visible when the app first loads, and then it jumps to full-screen, "which is a standard feature of Flash," Greer reminds us (and Google, we imagine). Second: Kongregate Arcade will now use the standard browser cache to store its "offline" files instead of "explicitly downloading and managing games on the SD card." Greer hopes that these changes help Kongregate Arcade "meet Google's requirement that we're not creating a competing App Store while still creating a great gaming experience." The new app is live in the Android Marketplace now, so we'll just have to wait and see if Google has any concerns this time around. If you want to sideload the original Arcade app, it's still available from Kongregate's site, though Greer tells us, "We'll work with Google to determine if we should stop supporting that version." You can find a video demo of the app (and its new changes) after the break. If you're an Android user, snag it and let us know what you think.
Kongregate CEO Jim Greer on getting pulled from the Android Market
Kongregate CEO Jim Greer called Google's swift removal of his company's Kongregate Arcade app from the Android Marketplace "surprising." Released on the morning of January 19, the app was pulled by that evening. "We were very surprised, especially since we had shown it to several people at Google in mobile," Greer told Joystiq, noting that "the particular person who's sort of the lead on rejecting it" had not seen it prior to release. "The reason for the removal," Greer recounted, "and we didn't find out until after it was already gone, was that they claim you can't use their app store to distribute another app store -- which is a reasonable restriction. But to us, what's really bizarre, to call [Kongregate Arcade] an 'app store' seems like a pretty extreme stretch." The Arcade app is essentially a portal to Kongregate's Flash site, with access to more than 300 games formatted for mobile display and wrapped in a native layer of social features. "Literally, you can go to m.kongregate.com and play any of the games," Greer insisted. "And the experience will be -- once you've got the game on your phone -- just the same," minus the "rich presentation layer" added by the app.
Kongregate Arcade removed from Android Market
Launched earlier today, the Kongregate Arcade app for Android-based phones has been removed from the Android Market for reasons unknown. Joystiq received word from a GameStop and Kongregate representative that it had been pulled, along with the following statement: As reported earlier today, the Kongregate Arcade app was launched on the Android Market and was enthusiastically received by the gaming community, receiving 4.5 out of 5 stars. Tens of thousands of users successfully downloaded the new app but, due to unknown reasons, Google has pulled it from the Market. Gamers wishing to experience Kongregate Arcade will be happy to learn it is now available for download at http://kongregate.com/android.Additionally, Kongregate has updated its Twitter feed with word that it is "working with Google to restore access in the Market." We've contacted Google for comment and will update as soon as we hear back. Update: Google has informed Joystiq that the app was in violation of the Android Market Developer Distribution Agreement because the app itself was distributing other apps. However, there is nothing prohibiting Flash developers from making apps available on the market wrapped in an individual apk.
Kongregate Arcade hits Android, GameStop shoving free Flash games straight onto your smartphone
GameStop may think that people still like boxes, but that's not stopping the company from diving into the digital distribution realm. It bought up Flash game purveyor Kongregate last summer and now that anty acquisition just dropped a big egg on Android with the launch of Kongregate Arcade. It's basically a separate mobile app store from the Android Market, but with a few important differences. Biggest is that these games, numbering over 300, are all free and are all Flash-based. This is said to "solve the game discovery problem" by popping out of the Market but certainly won't do much to solve revenue problems for devs working on premium mobile games. Of course to get all the games you'll still need to find this app, but it's there. Right now. We checked.
Kongregate Arcade brings 300+ games to Android, wants to 'solve the game discovery problem'
It's no secret that the Android Marketplace doesn't share the iPhone App Store's surfeit of high-quality games but, as the platform continues to grow, we expect to see more land grabs. Today, one of browser-based gaming's cool kids is coming to the Android platform with 300+ Flash-based games in one download. Kongregate Arcade brings much of the web-based Kongregate service to the Android platform, including game ratings, achievements, comments, and even "mobile-only badges on top titles," all tied to your Kongregate account. "In creating the Kongregate Arcade, we wanted to solve the game discovery problem that all Android owners have shared," said Jim Greer, CEO of Kongregate. To that end, the Arcade launched with over 300 games, with new titles promised weekly "with selection based on compatibility with the mobile platform and the ability to play on a touch screen device." Kongregate's also looking to create Android-exclusive games "which should further jumpstart Android as a viable gaming platform." In order to get in on the action, you'll need an Android device running Android 2.2 (Froyo) or higher, with Flash 10.1 installed. You'll also need an internet connection though "select games can also be downloaded for offline play." Share your Kongregate usernames in the comments, so we can beat your Dolphin Olympics 2 score.
