OpenFeint to bring Groupon-like feature geared to mobile games, Android to get it in 2011
OpenFeint is planning to release an interesting new feature to their line-up of awesomeness. This feature will be a Groupon-like feature that will offer discounts and sales on games, a neat voting type of feature and even a Free game-of-the-day for everyone. While it generally said for mobile games, we got in contact with AuroraFeint for a bit of clarification.
Thanks to the good people over at AuroraFeint, developers of OpenFeint, we now have a better understanding of what this includes. Before we get into that though, we will look at this neat voting feature called Fire Sale that, if enough people vote on a game, will be given a steep discount. Here is the official description:
This could be a lot of fun and the concept of user engagement for game discounts is great. It's almost like going to an action but instead of bidding against other people, the whole collective works together for the cheaper price!
Now for some clarification regarding who will get this great Groupon-like service in OpenFeint. Eros Resmini, VP of Marketing & Developer Relations told us that it will hit iOS first. Android will be getting this as well for Android OpenFeint games, however, we will not see this come into being until sometime in 2011.
So while we have to wait a little bit before we get this, when we do it should be a lot of fun but also help developers with sales and gamers getting some sweet deals on games. Check out the full press release below:
OpenFeint Launches Groupon™ Style Deals for Game Developers
Burlingame, Calif. - December 16, 2010 - The group-buying model has become wildly popular. Millions of consumers are now buying goods and services at deep discounts but at a volume that is attractive to vendors. Today, OpenFeint brings the group-buying model to mobile gaming with the launch of Game Channel, a group buying game deals app for OpenFeint’s 50 million users. Game Channel lets developers promote their games whenever they choose, giving users a constant stream of daily and weekly deals on games.
The most notable deal is Fire Sale, which will use a group-buying model to drive downloads for game developers. Each week, Fire Sale will feature a premium game, normally priced at $1.99 to $9.99, promoted to OpenFeint’s 50 million users. When enough Game Channel users vote to say they want the game, the price of the game drops. OpenFeint will send push notifications to voters notifying them that the game is on sale for a limited time.
First up in Fire Sale is Jaws, the official game based on the original summer blockbuster movie, from Bytemark Games. Game Channel users can start voting for the game on Friday, December 17 at 12:01 AM PST.
“We have a motivated community that has proven time and again that they’ll come back for great deals. This happens every day with Free Game of the Day,” says Jason Citron, CEO of OpenFeint. “Fire Sale is a truly social, community-based promotion, that is a perfect way for game developers to get their games downloaded.”
Game Channel will also include Free Game of the Day, which makes one game free for a day, boosting downloads and improving App Store rankings.
“We’re excited that Jaws will be the first game featured in Group-buying promotions have great potential for mobile games, so we’re thrilled that OpenFeint is bringing them to their community,” said Jon Walsh, CEO of Bytemark Games.
Developers interested in using Game Channel should visit OpenFeint.com/Developers.
Andrew Huff
Andrew Huff, otherwise known as ExtremeT on this site, is the Founder and Chief Editor here at DroidGamers. When not writing and editing articles on DG, testing games, new Android devices, playing lots of video games in general and geeking out on general mobile gadget news, you can find him spending time with his wife and 2yr old son.
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