News
February 27, 2007Boonty releases cafe.com SDK
Boonty Releases Cafe.com SDK for Game Developers to Publish on the First Social Casual Games PlatformItem-based economy offers free online games for users and increased revenue for developersSDK provides developers with full access to Cafe.com’s microtransaction, avatar and social networking features for free online multiplayer video gamesDevelopers will reach the largest online video game audience, gaining the opportunity to realize more revenue per user than with the try-before-you-buy modelCommunity and online social networking effects combined with unrestricted play of free video games significantly increase website stickiness, providing developers with more revenue opportunitiesNew York, NY – February 27, 2007 – Cafe.com, the first platform and portal devoted exclusively to social casual games, announced today the availability of the Cafe.com SDK. The Cafe.com SDK provides independent developers with the most powerful set of tools available for creating and publishing multiplayer video games while simultaneously increasing monetization through game-item purchases, personalization capabilities, and online social networking effects. The new platform also benefits from access to the casual gaming leader’s worldwide online video game network.Cafe.com’s unique free-to-play environment implements a gold-coin based economy for microtransactions, those sub-$1 purchases that according to analyst firm DFC Intelligence will comprise a $1.8 billion-dollar industry by 2009. With the traditional try-before-you-buy model for online video games, developers only receive revenue from the 1 – 2% of gamers who purchase the game’s full version. Cafe.com’s free video game model will achieve revenue generation from more than 10% of players, as social players spend more time on each game and buy multiple items per game.The Cafe.com SDK’s flexible, integrated e-commerce engine, with support for a vast array of payment systems, provides independent developers with the ability to create and sell a wide range of 3D avatar and game items during the entire market lifespan of the game. Opportunities for further monetization exist in sponsored items, avatars and games.“The SDK offers developers the opportunity to access and monetize the largest possible gaming audience, the casual gaming audience,” stated Boonty Co-Founder and President Mathieu Nouzareth. “We can offer the greatest library of creative, retail-quality games at no charge to gamers. Meanwhile, the model has the best margins, lower development costs, better site stickiness, and we estimate microtransactions will net 10 times the revenue per user. This means free video games for users and more money for developers. What else can be better?”The SDK’s features include:
- Complete technical documentation, support and assistance for developers
- Graphical and design guidelines
- Anti-cheating mechanism
- Server and client components
- Game network communication
- User interface templates for games and game rooms
- Inbound and outbound APIs
- C++ support for 2D and 3D graphics
- Object oriented
- Easy implementation
- Macromedia Flash© Support
Additionally, the Cafe.com platform provides online video game players with sophisticated features including:
- Free membership with subscription and login features
- Unlimited access to retail-quality games at no cost
- Flexible and secure e-commerce transactions for 3D avatars and game items
- Public and private game rooms for multiplayer and team gameplay
- Online community and social networking functions
- No adware, spyware or malware
About BoontyBoonty is one of the largest casual games platforms in the world, operating in more than 25 countries. Since its launch in 2001, the company’s customized end-to-end solutions have been implemented by major publishers, Internet portals, ISPs, mobile phone operators, advertisers, Internet communities, and PC manufacturers globally. Boonty has offices in New York, Paris, Singapore, Tokyo, and Beijing.Press contact:Sherry SmithTelephone:sherry@fortexgroup.com