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Thursday, March 22, 2007

Community Of User Generated Games

Currently players get points for uploading games (big points), completing game challenges, rating games, leaving quality feedback, and referring Kongregate to other players. You get achievement icons by accomplishing challenges, like finding all the hidden items in their top game, The Fancy Pants Adventures. In the future, players will get some rewards for each level-up, which may include new options for personalizing their profile, unlocking the ‘labs’ category on the site, or special offers from Kongregate and its advertisers. The achievements you get from points and challenges will also unlock cards for a special online card game (set to release in May) they are developing in-house.

Developers who upload their own games get more than points. Kongregate will also share 25%-50% of advertising revenue generated from the games with developers.
-- Kongregate Gets $1M, Launches User Generated Games

I'm still not a fan of Flash games. I can't describe, every one I've played has rubbed me the wrong way. I'm beginning to lose interest in browser based games in general, with the exception of IF, in spite (or rather because) of working with one for the last couple months.

Still, Flash is a compelling platform because it is so cross-platform and universally accessible. Plus - I can't argue with the idea of people being able to upload games, rate games, play games, etc. This is something of an "iTunes for games" that I think is just waiting to pop, although I'm not sure this is the avenue that will really take off.

But of course, Kongregate just got one million reasons to think otherwise, so kudos to them.

1 comment:

Patrick said...

I think the big opportunity is using Flash clients as an interface into something more interesting on the back-end. I know a few people (Three Rings included) that are on this.