MySpace To Launch Casual Gaming Space

MySpace, the Internet’s largest aggregator of casual users, today announced a partnership with games company Oberon Media to in hopes of making a collection of casual games. The two companies will launch in early 2008 “MySpace Games,” which will enable MySpace users to choose from hundreds of online casual games to play with friends in the community.

After implementation of the new feature, MySpace users will be able to add games to their profile pages as well as challenge friends to multi-player games, invite them to play the same single player game or socialize via chat services within the game.

“Bringing entertainment in the form of fun, social, casual games will enhance our user experience,” said Amit Kapur, VP of Business Development for MySpace. “Our goal is to provide our members with an easy way to play with their friends and give them with additional ways to interact.”

“We’re very excited to be partnering with MySpace to provide the best social networking casual games experience to its growing audience. Our white label casual gaming solution is allowing us to create a customized games platform that delivers a great experience to MySpace users,” Tal Kerret, Co-Founder and Chairman of Oberon Media commented. “We’re looking forward to responding to users’ needs and to involving the best game developers to create the greatest online entertainment experience. The opportunity to give MySpace users the chance to share the fun and socialize within this rapidly growing media segment is thrilling.”

The two companies said that there will be “further community initiatives” resulting from the partnership to be announced in early next year. Interestingly, the press release asks budding game developers to submit their ideas for new social gaming titles to myspace@oberon-media.com. Development will supposedly be supported by a specially created software development kit, perhaps in a move that could lead to community-created casual games.

A recent study concluded that casual gaming is the most popular online entertainment activity, ahead of streaming video and even social networking.

At present time, the games.myspace.com page states that MySpace is launching a new games section, and asks users to stay tuned for updates.

info : www.dailytech.com