Connected gaming specialist hitting paydirt through daily and weekly contests.
Star Arcade launched in 2011 to sell freemium and ad-funded games, targeted primarily at emerging markets of Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The games all support community elements such as multi-play, rankings, high-scores, chat and so on. They can be played in real-time on feature phones or on iOS, Android, Nokia, Blackberry, Amazon Kindle, Samsung Bada, Windows, Facebook and others.
Star Arcade firm had 200,000 users as of May 2011, but has tripled that figure now.
And the firm reckons it's hit on a winning formula with the tournament play model. It works with operators to send out messages that invite players to download a game and then take part in a weekly or daily contest.
Players pay from two euros to take part and can earn prizes or just kudos. Star Arcade is working on tournaments with STC, a triple play provider to the Saudi Market, but with a network of businesses in Asia and Africa.
Harri Myllyla, CEO of Star Arcade, said: "We've been slightly surprised by the success of the tournament model. Players really like it, and operators are enthusiastic because it gets them messaging revenues."
Star Arcade is now looking to extend the concept into other markets. It is live in 180 countries, and says the US, China, India and the Middle East contribute the most activity.
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