Blending gaming and social networking

Mar 12th 2009 at 09:00 by Susan Choe

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The majority of Outspark’s current demographic is between the ages 13-25 and are living in North America, with 70 per cent of the user base being male. Outspark expects the demographic to expand with the addition of new titles.

When asked if there are any game requirements for developers to consider before submitting a game Outspark responds, “The game needs to be fun, entertaining and easy to get into – period!”

Despite Outspark’s “free-to-play” classification, its audience base has already proven it’s ready to play-and-pay with active users averaging $50 per month on in-game premium digital content. In addition, Outspark is in the midst of creating an ecosystem where developers will be able to self publish their games to a ready-made youth market without having to rely on getting lucky with a producer that wants to pick up the title, although Outspark acknowledges that luck helps too.

Outspark chalks up its success to a self-named “3P” business model that pushes the company into a whole new category of gaming, where the three operating components of Publisher, Portal and Platform are all performed under one roof.

There are many gaming companies that have tried to operate as a publisher and portal as well, but have not yet met success because they lack the ability to manage the third pillar – the platform. Outspark has succeeded at functioning as an online games publisher and social-networking portal that operates both separately from and in conjunction with its games.

In addition, their platform, which includes data-mining, billing/payments and customer service tools, allows the publishing and portal aspects of the company to function, grow and be profitable. Outspark’s publishing platform has experience reading market feedback, user data and buying behaviors and this has become a key benefit to large and mid tier game developers trying to get their games in front of Outspark.

Outspark’s developer hunt is hoping to turn up new titles that will round-out and expand its collection of casual games with everything from first-person shooters, action-sports and arcade games to fantasy battle, music and puzzle titles. The Outspark virtual playground currently features five titles including Fiesta, Secret of the Solstice, Project Powder, Blackshot and Wind Slayer, a fantasy role playing game where characters are challenged to complete quests and battle monsters.

If you are a developer interested in contacting Outspark please email contact@outspark.com.

In the sea of casual game sites one North American force is making some big waves in developer circles as it ignites a new category of online casual gaming.  Outspark, a virtual playground combining premium online games with personalized social experiences, in just a little more than 12 months has already grown to more than 3.8 million users who currently can join up to five games of all different genres. The San Francisco based publisher expects its user base to triple in 2009 as it continues to launch additional titles.