This article was published on October 15, 2009

Japan no. 1 social network enters mobile gaming strategy


Japan no. 1 social network enters mobile gaming strategy

Screen shot 2009-10-15 at 3.40.57 PM Mixi, the biggest social network in Japan (over 10 million users), seems to be going mobile. Recently, the social network launched a service for mobile applications and games called Mixi Appli, a service similar to Facebook apps. Small companies are already developing games and applications, but Japan’s biggest social network acquired a 20% stake in a particular software development company called Pikkle.

Pikkle has always been developing mobile Flash applications with social functions, but the Mixi’s acquisition of Pikkle might be becasuse one particular reason, the company has developed a social networking game called “dance unit”.

Dance unit is a game where you are a New York resident. You enter a dancing competition, and you need to practice your steps and increase your balance. With mini-games you can increase XP, but there also seem to be options for microtransactions, making us suspect that the company might integrate the game with the Mixi Mobile network.

Sources say that Mixi aquired 20% of the shares for about 44 million dollars.

Screen shot 2009-10-15 at 3.34.26 PM

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