OpenFeint
 | |
 | |
| Initial release | February 17, 2009 |
|---|---|
| Last release | 2.7.5 (1.7 Android) / Nov 5, 2010 (Jan 27, 2011 Android) |
| Operating system | Android, iOS |
| Type | Social networking |
| Website | http://www.gree.net |
OpenFeint was a social platform for mobile games for devices that ran Android and/or iOS. It was developed by Aurora Feint, a company named after a video game by the same developers.[1] The platform consisted of an SDK for use by games, allowing its various social networking features to be integrated into the game's functionality. OpenFeint was discontinued at the end of 2012.
History
The first iteration of OpenFeint was launched on February 17, 2009.[2]
Version 2.0 was released in June 2009, and marked the first time that the platform was free for developers to integrate into their own applications. Harris Tsim joined to help with engineering.
Version 2.1 was released on August 14, 2009, featuring "Social challenges", which allowed users to create tasks for themselves and their friends to attempt within games and notified users when new challenges were available. It also allowed users to add "Friends" and introduced a new user interface.
Version 2.4 was released on January 8, 2010, with a revamped layout and a standalone OpenFeint app. As of January 2010, there were over 900 applications in the iOS App Store that use OpenFeint, and there were over ten million users registered on the network.[3]
On September 15, 2010, OpenFeint announced that it would be supporting Android.
In 2011, OpenFeint was party to a class action suit with allegations including computer fraud, invasion of privacy, breach of contract, bad faith and seven other statutory violations. According to a news report "OpenFeint's business plan included accessing and disclosing personal information without authorization to mobile-device application developers, advertising networks and web-analytic vendors that market mobile applications".[4] The class action suit was later voluntarily dismissed.[5]
In April 2011, Japanese company GREE, Inc. bought OpenFeint for US$104 million.[6]
On November 16, 2012, GREE announced that it would be discontinuing the service on December 14, 2012, primarily in favor of its own similar platform.[7]
Notable applications
The following is a list of some of the many applications that used or were integrated with OpenFeint:
- 3D Rollercoaster Rush
- Arriving
- Birdstrike
- Bomberman Touch 2: Volcano Party
- Fieldrunners
- Fruit Ninja
- Galaxy on Fire
- geoDefense
- geoDefense Swarm
- Jetpack Joyride
- Minigore
- Mega Jump
- The Moron Test
- Pocket God
- Robot Unicorn Attack
- Tiny Wings
- World of Goo
See also
- Social discovery platform
- Similar social platforms include Scoreloop and Apple's Game Center.
References
- ↑ Sielger, MG (2009-04-17). "Indie iPhone App Developers Rallying Around OpenFeint". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2010-01-19.
- ↑ Kincaid, Jason (2009-02-17). "OpenFeint: A Plug-And-Play Social Platform For iPhone Games". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
- ↑ Holt, Chris (2010-01-27). "OpenFeint: iPad is a transformative gaming platform". Macworld. Retrieved 2010-01-31.
- ↑ Marshall, Chris (2011-06-24). "Gamers Say OpenFeint Sold Them Out". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
- ↑ "2011 Year-End Update on Class Actions". Gibson Dunn. 2012-01-30. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
- ↑ Techcrunch, April 2011, Japanese Company GREE Buys Mobile Social Gaming Platform OpenFeint For $104 Million In Cash
- ↑ "GREE Pulls the Plug on OpenFeint With Less Than One Month Notice to Developers". Touch Arcade. Retrieved 16 November 2012.