Kongregate Releases Konduit Application Platform, Encourages Browser-Based Gaming

Today Kongregate will be launching the Konduit application platform, an attempt to encourage browser-based gaming. Developers will be able to integrate Kongregate’s community features into any browser-based game.

In the past, Kongregate has had game developers upload their games to the website. From there, the games could be accessed. Now, with the Konduit application platform, developers will be able to create browser-based games in programming languages such as Javascript (like those on Facebook) and host the games on their own servers. In addition, Kongregate will also exist in case players want to use its social features.

Kongregate has been fairly successful. Founded in 2006 by Jim Greer and his sister Emily Greer, the website has eight million unique visitors per month and hosts 21,000 flash-based games. Most games are monetized with advertisements. In a recent interview, Greer, chief executive of San Francisco-based Kongregate, expressed his interest in increasing the amount of social games on the website. Social browser-based games are fast becoming a trend in the online gaming market.

Via VentureBeat.

Popularity of Zattikka Games’ Browser-Based Games Leads to iPhone Releases for Christmas 2009

As Christmas season is right around the corner, video game publishers are reaching the home stretch for game releases. Zattikka Games is no deviant from the plan; the company’s getting in on the action with the release of three new games for the Apple iPhone on December 14th. Tim Chaney, the CEO of Zattikka Games, said that the triple whammy of iPhone games are guaranteed to keep your fingers entertained.

The games that are going to be released include Finger Frenzy (a popular browser-based game that has been played over 20 million times), Phantom Mansion: Red (a puzzle game), and Blocks with Letters On (a logic and word game that won the Best of 2008 award from jaylsGames.com).

Do you have a favorite video game or browser-based game that you’d like to see recreated for the iPhone?

Via PhonesReview.

Image via GamingYourWay.

Browser-Based Gaming is a Key Trend of the 2009 Korean Online Gaming Market

Five key trends in 2009 for the Korean online gaming market include:

• Chinese games
• Zombie
• Non-targeting systems
• Automouse
• Browser-based games

Here we’ll talk about the first trend in the list. Recently, Chinese browser-based games have become a hot commodity in the Korean online gaming market. Korean players have found Chinese browser-based games to be high-quality and to mix the qualities of familiarity and uniqueness. That is, some elements of the games are similar to that of previous games but other aspects are new.

Some Chinese games that have been published by Korean companies and launched in early 2009 include Pixel Soft’s Journey to Fairyland (a.k.a. JTF) by CJ Internet and Perfect World’s Murim Story by EYAInteractive. Games to come include Beijing Game World Tech’s Battlestar Online and Perfect World’s ZuxianOnline by CJ Internet, Perfect World’s RedCliff by KTH(Paran), and The9’s World of Fight.

In addition, most of the Chinese games hitting Korea have already been tried and tested in China so their stability and availability are a plus for Korean publishers and gamers as well. There’s a bunch more Chinese video games and browser-based games in the pipeline for 2010, so stay tuned for more news.

Via Gamasutra.