Cross-platform gaming is becoming quite popular, especially as iPhones, Facebook, and the web grow more ubiquitous. But it’s quite the hassle for developers to build multiple versions of a game for different applications. Sibblingz is a new company that’s trying to address this problem. It’s attempting to build a single game that can run across various platforms while still offering a single social context to its users.
Just think about it. You’d be able to play the same game across multiple platforms and the system would keep track of a leaderboard that is consistent across whatever platform you decide to play on. Sibblingz will use Facebook Connect to facilitate all the social networking aspects of the gaming experience.
The system has already gone into private beta testing as of December 8th. Here’s a screenshot of the Facebook/web version of a new game called Little Monsters. No public version of it is yet available for the iPhone, but we’ll keep you posted on any developments we hear about.
Via InsideSocialGames.
Who says an app store’s just for Apple products? Unity, a company that creates game engine software for developers, is planning on introducing its own “App Store” of sorts.
Unity’s user base currently includes over 25,000 individuals and has grown tremendously ever since Unity’s Chief Executive, David Helgaon, announced at a developer conference a few months ago that the $199 version of the Unity game engine software would be free. The company’s continued popularity is due to its release of helpful tools that allow pretty much any developer off the street to more easily adapt game engines. Usually, such advanced resources are only available to major publishers and skilled developers.
The $199 version of Unity’s software was originally intended for hobbyists and start-ups. Ideally, as these entities grow, Unity is hoping for them to upgrade to the $1,500 version of the software that has more advanced features. Add-ons to the current software is provided by current members of the Unity community.
According to Helgason, “There’s already an ad-hoc marketplace for extensions, both free and commercial. One guy didn’t like how we built user interfaces in Unity, so he built his own version of how to do this and is selling it for about 200 bucks.”
The Unity game engine powers many games, including those for the iPhones, browser-based games, and games played in Facebook, the ever-so-popular social networking site. Unity was originally founded in the country of Denmark, but is currently headquartered in San Francisco’s So-Ma startup district. It employs roughly 50 people.
Via FinancialTimes.
On December 10th, 2009 at 8:00 a.m. GMT, the online browser-based game Nindou entered the open-beta testing phase. In this virtual game, players are able to navigate their own adventure in the world of Ninja. Sound tempting?
To get in on the action and join Nindou World, you can either apply for an account through Nindou’s official website at www.nindou.com or log into the Nindou Facebook page. If you go the latter route, an account will be automatically created for you.
Every new account receives 100 Nincoins points for free. Have fun and good luck!
Via MediaNewswire.
Browser-Based Games, Browser-Based Games News, Facebook, Social Networking & Browser-Based Games | JJ | 
December 12, 2009 11:08 pm | 
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