DeNA To Launch Global Social Gaming Network, Partners With Samsung

Tokyo-based DeNA announced plans to launch a global social gaming network for smartphones in April 2011, as well as a partnership to integrate the platform on Samsung's Android handsets. The planned service is called Mobage -- similar to DeNA's Mobage-town platform in Japan, which has 20.5 million registered users -- and will feature a catalog of social games. Mobage will offer "social entertainment" and networking features, such as sharing status updates and communicating with other players, too. Ahead of the network's launch, DeNA has initiated a private beta for its Open Mobage Smartphone SDK with 50 partners, including Hudson, Square Enix, Take-Two Interactive, Nexon, SGN, Gamevil, RockYou, PlayFirst, Mochi Media, Gameview Studios, Flipside 5, Nimblebit, Lumos Labs, Playforge, Ricochet Labs, and Bolt Creative. The SDK promises access to and monetization of DeNA's Mobage-town and plus+ audience. DeNA also unveiled ngCore, created by recently-acquired subsidiary Ngmoco, which serves as Mobage's technology layer and allows developers to deploy games across devices (Android, iOS, and web) globally with "minimum modification". "With ngCore, we are providing a technology framework that allows for the rapid development, deployment and iteration of optimized native quality applications that can be deployed globally, across platforms, and across devices," says Ngmoco's CEO Neil Young. Samsung will work with DeNA to offer Mobage on its Android handsets in most of the world "in several months." Ngmoco says this deal will accelerate the social gaming network's global market growth, and that it will continue to expand the service with more global relationships throughout the coming year.