It's all about monetisation and creating the new Zynga.
News that Apple is working on a social games network for iPhone and iPad led many people - us included - to wonder what now for existing companies in that space, like Aurora Feint and Scoreloop.
Game Center will offer leaderboards, multiplayer matching, achievements and friend profiles among other features - all core elements of platforms like OpenFeint, Scoreloop and also Plus+ and Crystal.
These companies have all been making inevitable statements welcoming Game Center, while making the case for their continued survival. One thing jumped straight out of the statements from Aurora Feint and Scoreloop. See:
"Our infrastructure enables any developer to become the next Zynga..."
Marc Gumpinger, CEO, Scoreloop (link)
"The real opportunity is in allowing developers to create the next Zynga..."
Peter Relan, chairman, Aurora Feint (link)
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Both these companies - and Plus+ owner ngmoco - are effectively admitting that Game Center will cannibalise their basic social features. And they're all focusing on 'monetisation' as the reason their platforms will survive on top of Apple's games community.
Indeed, both Aurora Feint and Scoreloop specifically mention virtual goods as something they'll be focusing more on.
Meanwhile, Scoreloop also points people to its expansion to other smartphone platforms. Here's Gumpinger again:
"Scoreloop's focus has been cross-platform from the very beginning. We have invested significant efforts outside the iPhone, and it now pays off. While Scoreloop is already the market leader on Android, we’re extending our infrastructure to the other important platforms for complete full coverage".
It's not far-fetched to wonder if the ideal exit strategy now for these platforms is an acquisition by Google or Research In Motion - Microsoft of course has its Xbox Live community set to be the centrepiece of Windows Phone 7 gaming.
One unanswered question from last night is how Facebook Connect will fit into Game Center. The two could work well together: players could find out which of their Facebook friends are playing on iPhones and add them, for example.
But it remains to be seen whether Apple's policy towards games using Facebook as their sole connectivity platform will change once Game Center is up and running - and what this may mean for developers looking to release cross-platform games for Facebook and iPhone.
