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.
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KONGREGATE LAUNCHES KONGREGATE ARCADE, WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION OF FREE MOBILE FLASH GAMES
New Android App Now Offers Social Gaming Site's Most Popular Games
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 18, 2011) – Kongregate (www.kongregate.com), one of the leading free browser based game sites with more than 13 million monthly unique visitors, today launched Kongregate Arcade, the world's largest collection of free mobile games for Android using Adobe® Flash® Player. Kongregate Arcade blends a growing library of more than 300 games with player achievements, profiles and a robust navigation layer to create the most complete gaming experience on Android.
The introduction of Kongregate Arcade signals another strategic step by Kongregate to allow gamers to access and play hundreds of games anytime, anywhere from their desktop or on their mobile device, and gives game developers yet another viable platform to design and showcase their games. Kongregate Arcade will also be promoted in parent company GameStop's, (NYSE: GME), 4,600 stores in the US.
Games are increasingly dominating America's growing appetite for mobile Apps. Given that Android OS is the fastest growing smartphone operating system, making a move into the Android Marketplace is the next logical step for the rapidly growing Kongregate.
"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. "It was important to reinforce our mission to provide gamers with great free games anytime, anywhere, and to broaden the reach of the Kongregate community across multiple platforms. The arrival of Kongregate Arcade is the perfect next step in that strategy."
Initially launching with more than 300 free Flash based games – one of the largest libraries of mobile games in the industry – new titles will be added to the App weekly with selection based on compatibility with the mobile platform and the ability to play on a touch screen device. In addition, Kongregate is actively looking to identify opportunities to work with its community of more than 8,500 developers to create new Flash based game content exclusively for the Kongregate Arcade library which should further jumpstart Android as a viable gaming platform.
Top Kongregate Arcade Features Include:
· World's largest collection of free mobile Flash games
· One app install includes 300+ games, with more added each week
· Best game-discovery tools on Android
· Available on any device running Android 2.2 (Froyo) or higher, with Flash 10.1
· Fully integrated with Kongregate web accounts
· Gamers can share and review game ratings, achievements and comments with community
· Ability to collect exclusive, mobile-only badges on top titles
· Select games can also be downloaded for offline play
With the launch of Kongregate Arcade, the company -- voted one of TIME Magazine's "50 Best Websites 2010" -- brings some of its most popular free Flash based games to the Android Marketplace, with top titles including mobile versions of Vector Runner, Assembler, Perfect Balance 2, Barry Lost His Marbles, Billy's Hill, Gem Grab, Pel Plus and G-Switch. Games featured on Kongregate Arcade span all of the top categories currently on Kongregate.com, including action, adventure, RPG, MMO, strategy, defense, and puzzle games, with all featured content rated PG-13.
About Kongregate
Kongregate is a leading browser-based game site with over 13 million monthly unique visitors who spend more than 23 million hours playing per month. As part of the GameStop Corporation network, the site features a unique community and social platform including achievements, profiles, chat, messaging, forums, and levels, which unifies over 35,000 games into a cohesive and addicting experience. Kongregate shares revenue from advertising and virtual goods directly with over 8,500 developers who have uploaded games to the site. Advertisers include brands like Electronic Arts, Sony Pictures, Sprint, Frito Lay, Axe, Xbox 360, Nokia, and Toyota. While all games on Kongregate are free, the site also features a virtual currency called kreds, which can be used to unlock additional features in some games. Based in San Francisco, CA, the company was founded in 2006 by brother-and-sister team Jim Greer, a game industry veteran, and Emily Greer, an interactive marketing executive.
