RealNetworks Launches GameHouse Fusion For Cross-Platform Social Games

RealNetworks's GameHouse division launched GameHouse Fusion, a social gaming platform allowing users to play titles across a variety of networks and devices (Facebook, MySpace, mobile phones, PCs, and other internet-connected platforms). Along with the GameHouse Fusion news, GameHouse also announced support from media and tech companies like Comcast, MySpace, Qualcomm Incorporated, Mattel and PopCap Games. GameHouse Fusion is designed to enable players to connect with their friends and gaming communities, play GameHouse's catalog of titles, receive notifications and news feeds, purchase and spend virtual currency, access leaderboards, join in multiplayer games, and chat live across different social networks and online devices. The company says its platform also turns single-player experiences into multiplayer games as it gives developers the opportunity to add options for meeting new gamers, creating tournament challenges with friends and online communities, and design virtual awards like customized trophies for winners. The first release built on GameHouse Fusion is a new and free Facebook app from the company that offers over 1000 games. It serves as a centralized location for connected game experiences that will eventually stretch across to other platforms and take advantage of GameHouse Fusion over time. The RealNetworks division notes that other social apps will follow in the coming months. GameHouse claims that with its platform's SDK, developers can publish their games once to distribute it to popular PC gaming portals and major social networks. The company plans to put out SDKs for Brew and Brew MP in the third quarter of 2010, and for iPhone, Android, other mobile phones, internet-connected TVs, and other devices later this year. The company also points out that developer partners have access to data collection and analytics capabilities that could help them better understand player demographic information and behavior, so they can adjust their monetization options (in-game advertising, sponsorships, micro-transactions and licensing programs) accordingly. "GameHouse Fusion is truly a game changing platform, providing consumers access to thousands of great games and a community of millions of other players," says Gamehouse president John Barbour. "It offers our developer partners the opportunity to make all games social – even those not originally designed for social interaction – on virtually any screen." He adds, "With the unmatched set of multi-platform development and distribution assets we have built over time, GameHouse is leading the transformation of digital games to mainstream social entertainment for the masses."