‘Why?’ I hear you asking. Well, when it comes to ball pits, the real question to ask is ‘Why not?’ This ball pit is the latest addition to our incredibly entertaining reception area, following a real slot machine and a Foosball table.

The ball pit has already improved morale and productivity by 120% (statistics not confirmed) and has made arriving at and leaving the office an incredibly joyous, relaxing, and colorful experience. If you’re in the Berlin area, feel free to come and say hi and take a vibrant bath in our ball bath!

Crowdpark is pioneering social casino games, on multiple platforms including the web, on Facebook, and mobile. Crowdpark has a prominent position in the social casino market, with two unique and distinctive games – Pet Vegas and Golden Empire Casino.

Pet Vegas combines the cutest animal characters with the excitement of slot machines, allowing you to compete against friends, level up, and win big. Golden Empire Casino will be the most prestigious and advanced casino on Facebook.

Combining the popular casino classics with the best in modern slots and games technology, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Golden Empire Casino. Crowdpark is based in Berlin, Germany, Europe’s gaming and technology hub. Former VC-backed by Earlybird and Target Partners we are now part of one of the biggest European casino group.

To lead the growth of our social casino platform we are looking for a "Lead Artist" who will create and manage amazing products.

Your responsibilities:

• Developing new social casino games / online gambling games
• Define visual and art standards, ensure all creative material is consistent
• Establish a collaborative art culture that engages creative talent and maximizes team potential
• Optimize our creative process
• Lead inter-department communications as they relate to art
• Take an active role in developing, maintaining, and refining a vision for art direction
• Guide and mentor team: hire, induct and manage team members as needed
• Lead formal and informal critique, and provide effective feedback
• Create art assets for our games

Required Skills:

• Solid experience in the entertainment, casino and/or game markets
• Bachelor’s degree in Arts, Graphic Arts, or related field is required
• 4+ years of professional experience and advanced leadership including communication and project management skills is required
• Fluent in English, written and spoken. (Speaking German is a huge plus)
• Ability to provide cohesive feedback to a vast range of specialities (from concept art, UI to animation)
• Excellent aptitudes and training in graphic design
• Great illustration skills (storyboard, concept, finished product)
• Expert knowledge of Photoshop, Flash, After Effects and Illustrator
• Expertise in arts/design, and a demonstrated ability to direct, mentor and enhance the efforts of a creative team
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams
• Experience managing multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines with a strong attention to detail
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills
• Demonstrated ability to direct and multi-task effectively under pressure, while balancing speed and quality of the work
• Applied conceptual strategy, brainstorm facilitation, day-to-day shepherding of a project to completion and team collaboration with product managers and leads is required

We offer you:

• A competitive salary
• The spirit of a dynamic team at a fast growing company
• Challenging tasks combined with a high level of freedom of scope
• The chance to shape the future of a globally oriented startup
• Located in Berlin – Europe’s most exciting city with low cost of living and high quality of life

Please call or send your application to:
jobs (at) crowdpark.com

Crowdpark Entertainment GmbH
Rotherstr. 16
10245 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)30 417 212 80
Fax: +49 (0)30 417 212 81

I was born in Athens, in Greece, 27 summers ago and grew up in various cities in Greece, but I feel like I belong to the most beautiful of all – that is, Thessaloniki. In the year 2004 I started my education at the Technological Institute of Thessaloniki and after four years I graduated with a Degree in Information Technology Engineering. I then decided to go to the Aegean University to continue my studies, but this time as a Master of Science student. And the result was a Degree in Security in Information and Communication Systems. I moved to Germany in the year 2011. The first ten months were spent in Frankfurt am Main and since August 2012 I’ve been living in Berlin, looking for my future..

My work experience is summarized as following: In 2008, I did an internship as a bachelor student at the Support Center of Information Technology of the Aristotle University in Greece. My main responsibilities included the management of the client and the server of the University, as well as user support. In 2010 I worked as an intern at the Center of Telecommunications of Catalonia in Barcelona. My main task was to develop an operational model for the computers on a wireless network. The main components of the model were the operating integrity, authentication, and security of the stations in the wireless network. From August 2012 until January 2013 I did an internship in Berlin as a web developer at Computer Manufaktur. During this internship, I worked on both the installation and configuration of the content management system Drupal and the development of a Drupal module. I also managed a Linux server and I worked on the optimization of the Apache web server, the usage of the Varnish reverse proxy and of the Memcached server. My main tasks included the installation and configuration of the version control systems (Subversion server and Git server) and the integration and migration of repositories from the SVN server to the Git server.

Apart from that I like to spend my spare time meeting with friends, going for walks or staying at home and drinking a glass of wine and reading a book. I have to confess that I am not the sportiest person; however I would never refuse an invitation to a basketball game.

Crowdpark is pioneering social casino games, on multiple platforms including the web, on Facebook, and mobile. Crowdpark has a prominent position in the social casino market, with two unique and distinctive games – Pet Vegas and Golden Empire Casino.

Pet Vegas combines the cutest animal characters with the excitement of slot machines, allowing you to compete against friends, level up, and win big. Golden Empire Casino will be the most prestigious and advanced casino on Facebook.

Combining the popular casino classics with the best in modern slots and games technology, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Golden Empire Casino. Crowdpark is based in Berlin, Germany, Europe’s gaming and technology hub. Former VC-backed by Earlybird and Target Partners we are now part of one of the biggest european casino group.

To lead the growth of our social casino platform we are looking for a "Social Media Manager" who will work on amazing products.

Your Responsibilities:

• Solely manage, create content and execute strategies for all corporate social media channels - Facebook, Twitter, Blog, YouTube, LinkedIn, Flickr, Instagram.
• Solely manage, create content and execute strategies for all product social media channels - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest.
• Engagement, user support, and customer service, with all fans and followers across all channels.
• Coordinate, plan and design in-game communication (e.g. pop-ups) for Golden Empire Casino and Pet Vegas.
• Coordinate, plan and design user newsletters for Golden Empire Casino and Pet Vegas.
• Manage and coordinate corporate blog, as well as website design and general content.
• Research social media marketing and social gaming trends.
• In general, use all channels to engage new and old users and encourage gameplay.

Your Qualification:

• 2+ years social media marketing and/or community management experience.
• Experience with and passion for social media – a strong presence across several channels is preferred.
• You have a strong knowledge of social media trends.
• A passion for customer communication and customer service.
• You work well independently and within a team.
• English native speaker.

Any of the following are a plus:

• A passion for facebook games.
• Experience working in the games industry is beneficial, but not essential.
• Basic German language skills.

Your Profile:

We are looking for someone who is a very versatile professional with a creative mindset, good logical and analytical capabilities, you think from a user’s point of view and you have the ability to prioritize, multi-task and work under fast deadlines.

Your Benefits:

• Being able to bring in own ideas in products
• Work at a fast growing company that operates in a very dynamic environment
• No hierarchies and quick decision making processes
• International environment
• Located in Berlin

Please call or send your application to:
jobs (at) crowdpark.com

Crowdpark Entertainment GmbH
Rotherstr. 16
10245 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)30 417 212 80
Fax: +49 (0)30 417 212 81

I am from Hamburg and I am working freelance as a programmer. Between 2006 and 2008 I worked as a web developer for ArgonautenG2 in Berlin, and then joined the flash team at Fork Unstable Media in Hamburg for one year. Since 2009 I’ve been working freelance, mostly based in Hamburg and Berlin. In the last four years I have been mostly working on games. Some of the clients I have worked for include Innogames, Neues aus Hamburg, Wooga, ArgonautenG2 and now Crowdpark! My favorite computer games are sports games and the good old classic games. But in reality I do not spend that much time playing at home in my spare time anymore.

When not sitting in front of my computer, you’ll find me out and about with my skateboard, a racing bike, a surfboard or a snowboard.

I bake cakes. And if I’m currently not busy doing this, I work as a flash developer creating all kind of games. I was  born in Berlin, the city of my choice and heart and have lived here most time of my life. In 2009, I finished studying Applied Computer Science and decided that I want to work as a Flash Developer in the games industry.

As it currently stands, I have been developing in Flash for more than three years and have worked on multiple advertisement projects, mini games, complex causal games, multiplayer-, browser-, mobile-  and Facebook games. The great thing about working in this area is the chance to work together with like-minded people, that often turn into good friends both during and after work.

Another perk of working in the dynamic games industry is the possibility to never stop progressing and learning something new. Most of the time you will find me behind some screen, busy typing or pressing buttons, behind a book, the camera, in the kitchen, under water, on the bike racing through the city, scribbling or folding something.

Current status: Waiting for spring, the most wonderful season in Berlin.

Crowdpark is pioneering social casino games, on multiple platforms including the web, on Facebook, and mobile. Crowdpark has a prominent position in the social casino market, with two unique and distinctive games – Pet Vegas and Golden Empire Casino.

Pet Vegas combines the cutest animal characters with the excitement of slot machines, allowing you to compete against friends, level up, and win big. Golden Empire Casino will be the most prestigious and advanced casino on Facebook.

Combining the popular casino classics with the best in modern slots and games technology, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Golden Empire Casino. Crowdpark is based in Berlin, Germany, Europe’s gaming and technology hub. Former VC-backed by Earlybird and Target Partners we are now part of one of the biggest european casino group.

To lead the growth of our social casino platform we are looking for a "Senior Flash Developer" who will create amazing products.

Your Experience:

• Awesome skills in Flash development (optimization, Javascript / Flash bridging, cross-browser compatibility, Flex, AIR)
• ActionScript3, XML, MXML, CSS, Eclipse / Flex Builder/ FDT, SVN, GIT, Design Patterns including MVC
• Experience in the development of Flash Applications with heavy server communication (Remoting, Sockets, JSON)
• Community awareness with new technologies, frameworks, resources, and open source libraries (Robotlegs, Parsley, SWIZ) & Github is your friend
• Eye for detail, performance & optimization
• SCRUM / Pair - Programming
• Experience with flash games

Any of the following are a plus:

• A passion for games
• Understanding of Back-end and Database technologies
• Facebook API (ActionScript)

Your Profile:

We are looking for someone who is a very versatile professional with a creative mindset, good logical and analytical capabilities, you think from a user’s point of view and you have the ability to prioritize, multi-task and work under fast deadlines.

Your Benefits:

• Being able to bring in own ideas in products
• Work at a fast growing company that operates in a very dynamic environment
• No hierarchies and quick decision making processes
• International environment
• Located in Berlin

Please call or send your application to:
jobs (at) crowdpark.com

Crowdpark Entertainment GmbH
Rotherstr. 16
10245 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)30 417 212 80
Fax: +49 (0)30 417 212 81

In August 2012, Gamesys launched Bingo and Slots Friendzy – the first real money app available on Facebook. The release, as well as Facebook’s partnership with Gamesys, not only fuelled global dialogue about social gaming and real-money gambling, but also opened up the social platform for future potential partnerships with other gambling enterprises.

The Bingo and Slots Friendzy launch was quickly proceeded by another, with non-egaming company 888 releasing Bingo Appy, a real money social bingo game, in December last year. Just a few days ago, Bonza Gaming (a joint venture formed by Sportingbet and Plumbee) released Bonza Slots for Facebook. The core games in Bonza Slots are customized versions of Net Entertainment online games already tried and tested on the market. Bonza Gaming is the third operator to strike a real money gambling deal with Facebook.

These apps are all still only available in the United Kingdom, and are strictly limited to an audience over the age of 18. Surely it is only a matter of time before some of these country restrictions are limited, and real money gambling spreads beyond the UK.

Crowdpark is pioneering social casino games, on multiple platforms including the web, on Facebook, and mobile. Crowdpark has a prominent position in the social casino market, with two unique and distinctive games – Pet Vegas and Golden Empire Casino.

Pet Vegas combines the cutest animal characters with the excitement of slot machines, allowing you to compete against friends, level up, and win big. Golden Empire Casino will be the most prestigious and advanced casino on Facebook.

Combining the popular casino classics with the best in modern slots and games technology, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Golden Empire Casino. Crowdpark is based in Berlin, Germany, Europe’s gaming and technology hub. Former VC-backed by Earlybird and Target Partners we are now part of a big european casino group.

To lead the growth of our social casino platform we are looking for a "Quality Assurance Manager" who will work on amazing products.

Your responsibilities:

• Play our games until you know more about them than anyone else
• Test the functionality and text/graphics quality for our products
• Create bug reports for multiple games and assist in the generation and execution of test plans
• Close cooperation with game designers, artists and other developers throughout a project
• Building and managing a QA team
• Help in managing and overseeing Customer Service
• Assist in creating user-testing-strategies

Your qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience in QA
• Huge passion for Social Games and customer experience
• Strong analytical, problem solving, organizational, and planning skills
• Good understanding of the game development and programming process and the ability to work well with the game development team
• Experience with Scrum
• Avid internet user and interested in Social- and Casino games
• Excellent written and communication skills in German and English
• Display an eagerness for both working independently as well as in a team
• Ability to work flexible hours and meet tight deadlines

We offer you:

• Work at a growing startup that operates in a very dynamic environment
• Be part of a young and international team
• An attractive and modern place to work at – located in the next “Silicon Valley” Berlin
• Flat hierarchies and quick decision making processes

We’re looking forward to your complete application, including your earliest possible start date and your desired salary!
Martin Frindt, jobs (at) crowdpark.com
Crowdpark Entertainment GmbH
Rotherstr. 16
10245 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)30 417 212 80
Fax: +49 (0)30 417 212 81]]> http://www.crowdpark.com/enthusiastic-quality-assurance-manager/feed/ 0 http://www.crowdpark.com/artistportfolio/ http://www.crowdpark.com/artistportfolio/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:10:32 +0000 Kalinda http://www.crowdpark.com/?p=5939 Have you ever wondered who was behind the colorful, detailed, and eye-catching graphics in our games? The adorable animals in Pet Vegas, the striking football graphics in 90Live, and the many Betty varieties in Bet Tycoon, are all attributed to the accomplished skills of our Game Artist team. With diverse cultural and professional backgrounds, the team manages to find a great balance of individual flair as well as consistency and professionalism in their work.

We wanted to showcase some of their work in order to give you a glimpse into what our talented maestros do outside of Crowdpark. Here’s a small selection, with more to follow:

Tutorial: How to quickly draw a curvy lady, by Lana Bijuk

High on Apples, by Lana Bijuk

Ariel, by Lana Bijuk

Rose Red, by Nadia Karroue

Punk Muslim, by Nadia Karroue

Heavenly Chibi Battle, by Nadia Karroue

Long Day at the Office, by Nadia Karroue

Donna Lethal, by Nadia Karroue

Every Rain is Wholesome, by Nadia Karroue

Doctor Drugs Ship, by Nadia Karroue

Additionally, here’s an impressive animation done by Game Artist Larisa Frelke.

‘What is the Harlem Shake?’
‘I hate the Harlem Shake!’
‘Can we do a Harlem Shake video?’

Late last Friday afternoon, we decided to concentrate on the third (albeit, most entertaining) of these phrases. For those who have staunchly avoided any exposure to the Harlem Shake for the past few weeks, here’s the lowdown:
Harlem Shake videos last around thirty seconds and feature the song ‘Harlem Shake’ by artist Baauer. The videos usually begin with one person dancing ‘inconspicuously’ to the song alone for the first 15 seconds, surrounded by a group of people, large or small, ignoring the solo dancing individual. When the bass drops (the best part, in our opinion), the video switches to the entire crowd of people doing a crazy, uncoordinated, almost spasmodic, dance for the next 15 seconds.

So ladies and gentlemen of the blogosphere, it’s true: Crowdpark jumped on the Harlem Shake bandwagon, taking on a slightly new angle that we like to refer to in the office as the ‘lame angle’. And here it is:

Crowdpark is pioneering social casino games, on multiple platforms including the web, on Facebook, and mobile. Crowdpark has a prominent position in the social casino market, with two unique and distinctive games – Pet Vegas and Golden Empire Casino.

Pet Vegas combines the cutest animal characters with the excitement of slot machines, allowing you to compete against friends, level up, and win big. Golden Empire Casino will be the most prestigious and advanced casino on Facebook.

Combining the popular casino classics with the best in modern slots and games technology, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Golden Empire Casino. Crowdpark is based in Berlin, Germany, Europe’s gaming and technology hub. Former VC-backed by Earlybird and Target Partners we are now part of one of the biggest european casino group.

To lead the growth of our social casino platform we are looking for a "Head of Product" who will create and manage amazing products.

Your responsibilities:

• Creating features for our casino offering that engaging and highly monetizable
• Creating concepts for casino games, multi-lingual Facebook and mobile applications in addition to further developing the platform
• Managing our internal and external agencies and developers
• Defining, measuring and analyzing KPIs and deriving changes
• Performing systematic a/b tests (split testing)
• Constantly optimizing the products for even more virality, engagement and monetization
• Be part of our SCRUM team as a Product Owner (PO)

Your qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience leading and managing a team in a fast-paced, rapid-change startup environment
• You have good logical and analytical capabilities, very good soft skills, you think from a user’s point of view and you stay organized
• Experience in product management in a games or gambling/iGaming/casino company
• You get thing done as a Producer even under pressure
• Advanced German or English language skills
• A good understanding of internet technologies
• Willingness to “roll up your sleeves” and get the job done

We offer you:

• A competitive salary
• The spirit of a dynamic team at a fast growing company
• Challenging tasks combined with a high level of freedom of scope
• The chance to shape the future of a globally oriented startup
• Located in Berlin – Europe’s most exciting city with low cost of living and high quality of life

Please call or send your application to:
jobs (at) crowdpark.com

Crowdpark Entertainment GmbH
Rotherstr. 16
10245 Berlin, Germany

Tel.: +49 (0)30 417 212 80
Fax: +49 (0)30 417 212 81

Here are some semi-candid moments captured by a couple of (somewhat suspiciously) wobbly iPhone cameras.

We left the comforts of East Berlin and took the S-bahn to Westend, where the Kochschule Friedrich is found. Instead of embracing the usual tradition of simply showing up to a restaurant to celebrate the silly season, we were taken on an educational culinary journey, and created (and ate!) our own four course meal – goat’s cheese salad, ginger and pumpkin soup, roasted duck, dumplings, cabbage, apple strudel, ice cream, and more deliciousness.

The experience was topped off with the quintessential ‘after party’ at one of Charlottenburg’s no doubt lesser known stammkneipen, ‘Zum Goldenen Faß’. All in all it was a convivial end to a challenging and inspiring year for Crowdpark.

Some snaps taken by skilled photographers Irina, Anton, and Nadia on the night:

Additionally, the infamous Crowdpark Tetris wall was featured in Business Punk this month. We are grateful and honored – although we were somewhat hoping that the YouTube video that was the reason behind our decoration of choice would be mentioned.

Crowdpark wishes all employees, blog readers, friends, family, and people of the start-up and tech world in Berlin Happy Holidays and a successful and happy 2013 .

I was born in a small town in West Germany many, many, years ago (I won’t reveal how many). It was idyllic and quaint, but somehow I always felt I had to live in Berlin.  I had the opportunity eleven years ago to move there, and grabbed it straight away!

I worked for various companies in Berlin, and decided to get qualified as an office administrator. When I saw that Crowdpark had an opening for a similar position, I applied straight away! The interview went really smoothly, and I already felt at home. Luckily the anxiety I experienced waiting to hear back was worth it, because I got the job: yeah! I really wanted to work at Crowdpark, and I did!

It’s really cool working here; it’s creative, exciting, somewhat unconventional and very engaging! My job is a lot of fun, and my English has improved in such a short time (with thanks to the patience of the English native speakers in the office!). Not only am I in charge of the bookkeeping at Crowdpark, but have started to expand into new areas including HR and office management. I guess you could say I’m the girl who does a bit of everything! And I love it!

My small town soul loves life at Crowdpark and in Berlin.

Everyone in Crowdpark is certain that I keep a Kalashnikov under my table, have vodka for breakfast every day, personally know Putin and also that a big brown bear carries me to the office from home.  So… “That russian one” (as some Crowdparkers used to say) moved to Berlin in May 2011 from Saint Petersburg following her beloved German husband and exactly one year later started working for the best social-casino company as a Game Artist.

I graduated from Saint Petersburg State University in 2008 as a specialist in Computer Graphics and Animation. I gained three years’ work experience in various Russian studios, including working as a Flash Artist for Dnevnik.ru, as a Flash UI Artist for Create Studios inc as well as working on various projects as a freelancer. And now I’m very glad to have the opportunity to create animation and special effects for Crowdpark’s casino games, whilst at the same time learning new tricks of the trade and gaining new knowledge from the other members of our great art department team.

Though I had been studying German for two years before I moved to Germany and I’m always willing to practice it, in the office we’re used to speaking English – mainly because of the English-speaking members of our international team. I do however find the German language very beautiful and rich, and look forward to practicing it more.  But above everything I am so happy to have found new friends, who have helped my integration into Crowdpark, as well as my professional development.  It’s true, that even KGB agents need friends, isn’t it?.  :P

We kicked off the year with the release of our first social casino game – Pet Vegas – as well as our social football betting game for Facebook – 90Live. A few months later we released AnteUp, a social betting game, available on Facebook. We took the knowledge we gained from these games, and kept pushing. In honor of one of the biggest football events in Europe, the UEFA European Championships, we released a special Euro2012 edition of 90Live.

Around the same time, we released two iOS apps – Pet Vegas and AnteUp. These new social casino games and iOS apps significantly boosted our prior portfolio, which had had an exclusive focus on social betting games.  The importance of social casino games expanded the vision for our company, and has brought about many changes.  Read more about the social casino games industry in our white paper series.

This year we were also graced by the support and hard work of three US undergraduates, who had left the comforts of their homes in Miami and Pittsburgh, to gain work (and life) experience in Berlin.

We moved offices from one Oberbaum City location to another. We travelled to the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, went to Poland for the Euro 2012 kickoff, discussed NoSQL technology at the Couch Conf in Berlin and talked about social trends and propositions in social betting at the EiG Congress in Barcelona.

A quintessential element of life at Crowdpark is of course the people – we cooked together, reveled in the Berlin nightlife, and visited local casinos for inspiration – all whilst developing friendships only those working full-time for a start-up can appreciate.

We experienced some challenging times in the middle of the year, and our determination was put to the test. We learnt a lot from this experience, and as the saying goes, ‘what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’. This year has been an exalting, educational, and exhilarating journey for Crowdpark, and stronger and more united than ever, we look forward to an even more successful 2013. What drove this year was the hard work and loyalty of our team, the determination and leadership of our bosses, and the support of the Berlin tech community. So from all of us, thank you!

Conclusion

There are several potential entry points to social games for gambling operators, and there are many potential benefits for gambling operators of developing social games strategies. Many gambling operators agree on the central importance of making a move soon. As the timeline below demonstrates, some gambling operators who want to be ahead of the curve are willing to pay impressive sums for social games developers in the hopes that the reach of social games will increase their profits.

Analysts predict a promising future for the social games market.[1]

The international regulation for real money gaming is uncertain. It is clear, though, that teams with social games development talent are in high demand. While we wait for the future of the online gambling and social gaming markets to unfold, the growing success of social games is already proving the overall attraction of social games and viability of virtual money business models in the larger gaming industry ecosystem.

In Northern Germany, Sankt Nikolaus is usually celebrated on a smaller scale than other parts of Germany. Part of this annual tradition involves children putting a boot outside their front door on the night of December 5th. St. Nicholas then fills the boot with gifts and candy overnight, whilst checking up on the children to see if they were well-behaved or misbehaved over the last year. If not, their boots will be filled either with a coal or a tree root. Ouch.

In the name of this festivity, with freshly fallen snow frosting the office windows, and fairy lights decorating the walls, the atmosphere was rife with Christmassy St. Nicholas ambience. Crowdparkees were even visited by the infamous Nikolaus himself, with Santa-shaped chocolate, tasty mandarins, and lebkuchen gracing our desks in the morning.

After feasting on home-made coconut and cream cheese cookies, we dabbled in some Glühwein, and as with most Crowdpark celebrations, a series of kicker challenges ensued.  In short, a fine, fun, evening, celebrating our team’s hard work, dedication, and loyalty over a glass of mulled wine.

• 20% of social games revenues are derived from advertising; 20% from offers; and 60% from virtual goods;
• The average social network games player is a 40-year-old woman, quite closely resembling the average land-based casino use;
• Casino games are some of the best monetizing games on Facebook.

The monetization of social games

In September 2011, the Inside Network published a report entitled Inside Virtual Goods: The Future of Social Gaming 2012. This report clarifies the monetization process and benchmarking metrics of social games. A useful metric to assess a game’s success is average revenue per user (ARPU) which equals total monthly revenue/active user. More specifically, this is measured as revenue per thousand DAU (US$/KDAU). It is generally accepted that for a game to be profitable, it must be above $25/KDAU. A successful game will attain around $100/KDAU, and some extremely successful games have even reached $150/KDAU.[1]

According to the Casual Games Association’s 2012 Casual Games Sector Report, 20% of social games revenues are derived from advertising; 20% from offers; and 60% from virtual goods, which are purchased using Facebook Credits. The credits themselves are bought using credit cards, PayPal, by completing special offers or by purchasing credit vouchers at 12,000 retail locations in the US.[2]

Only a small number of social games players are paying users. The Casual Games Association Sector Report describes casino, poker and role-playing games as on average monetizing the best of all social games categories with 5-10 cents expected average daily revenue per daily active user (DAU). This number compares to 3-7 cents for hidden object, adventure and tournament games and 1-5 cents for puzzle, arcade, caretaking and simulation games.

A “whale” is a player whose spending is particularly high. This definitional threshold can vary, but >$25 is a generally accepted benchmark. Most whales concentrate their spending on 1-2 games.[3]

The average social network games player is a 40-year-old woman, quite closely resembling the average land-based casino user.[4] While this is the average player, the Millennial Generation (born between the early 80’s and the 90’s) has grown up within a ‘gamified’ environment, finding the virtual goods economy to be intuitive to their lives.[5]

Although having a large user base is important for social games developers, the sale of virtual goods is the bread and butter of their monetization. Virtual goods purchasers in social games are 58% female, 42% male. Of top spenders, 70% are female and 30% are male.[6] Women, who are more likely to play casino games, are also social games’ money makers.

One must remember that the ARPU metric is a ratio which can be manipulated by shrinking the base, or number of users, leading to potentially overall lower revenues. The focus of game developers should be on growing revenue by growing the absolute number of paying users as well as their rate of pay.

Hey, my name is Maciej [ˈmaʨ̑ɛ̇j] – don’t worry, nobody in Germany can pronounce it right – and I honestly don’t blame them. I’ve been working as a web developer in Poland for quite some time, but only got into browser gaming a few years ago with my own startup. It’s been a hell of a ride during that time, and I learned first-hand that being an entrepreneur is not an easy task at all. After closing that chapter of my life early 2012 I wondered where to go next in order to utilize the, still rather exotic, HTML5 skills I got developing my own game, and hopefully learn some new stuff! Luckily for me, I didn’t have to look far. I applied to the first job offer I googled, somewhere in Amsterdam, and few days later got a reply from a recruiter that this offer was no longer available, but that there was one available in Berlin fitting my profile. Since over-thinking life decisions isn’t my strongest side, I just went with it.

Sometime later on a wonderful Sunday, April 1st, I arrived in Berlin pleasantly surprised that the whole Crowdpark thing wasn’t just some insanely enormous April fools plot, and I’ve been having a blast since then. It takes few years of crazy tax-filing, employee & product management frenzy to really appreciate a nice spot in the office on a fixed schedule, and having people to talk to face to face, as all the work I used to do used to was remote. If you haven’t seen the amazing strip on working from home by The Oatmeal, you are missing out.

Berlin is a really strange city, mixing old and new in a pretty laid back atmosphere. It’s not the cleanest or prettiest Stadt I’ve got to visit in Europe, but it has its charm and makes it quite easy to feel at home, regardless of how advanced your Deutsch is (not). Most importantly, you can’t ignore the brilliant scheme that Germans came up with to keep developers in Berlin: first they lure you in, then they give you Club Mate to drink, next thing you know you are addicted to it and it’s nowhere to be seen wherever you came from. Couple more months, you get annoyed by tourists around the place too and you slowly realize you have turned into… EIN BERLINER.

The Berlin Geekettes Mentorship program aims to match mentors with mentees, based not only on expertise, but also personal interests and passions. Mentors and mentees meet formally on a monthly basis, to gain knowledge, exchange ideas, or simply provide guidance. The program launched by Berlin Geekettes has attracted a lot of interest from women across all fields, of all ages.

Mentor Nora-Vanessa Wohlert, of Gründerszene, said, “When you take the time to develop a strong mentee-mentor relationship, you get access to knowledge and experience, but you also end up with a lifelong friend and potential future business partner. So being a mentor or mentee is a great opportunity for both sides.”

Abby Carney of Berlin Geekettes, wrote, ‘It’s one thing to talk about wanting to see more women in tech, and quite another to do something about it. The Geekettes are taking their first step at actively helping women break into the scene and establish themselves through the help of women who have already, “been there, done that.”’ Berlin Geekettes have once again facilitated a platform for growth and development for women in the tech industry, and Crowdpark fully applauds their progress and contribution to the Berlin tech community.

• Facebook has been in discussions with gambling operators to issue eight licenses to create real money social games for Facebook in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal;
• The US Department of Justice is currently reworking its online gambling legislation;
• Facebook has recently been improving its platform to encourage users’ conversion to Facebook Credits so that games will monetize well.

Gambling and the Facebook ecosystem

Facebook is only one of many platforms for social games development, but is a strong entry into social games because of its accessibility and reach. Currently, “gambling” per se defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “to bet on an uncertain outcome” or “to stake something on a contingency” is not allowed on Facebook.[1] Nonetheless, social casino and betting games do exist, and indeed generate strong revenue on Facebook. Gambling by definition includes consideration, chance, and prize as legally defined in the US.[2] The social casino and betting games currently on Facebook do not include the prize element. All winnings are in virtual goods that cannot be converted to real money.

As of summer 2011, gambling operators are allowed to advertise on Facebook as long as they abide by local legislation.[3] As with their advertising policy, Facebook would require that gambling operators abide by local legislation, privacy and age-restriction terms and conditions if it allowed real money gaming. The US Department of Justice is currently reworking its online gambling legislation. In December 2011, the US Department of Justice reinterpreted the 1961 Wire Act, which increases the likelihood that online gambling could be permitted in the US on a state-by-state basis.[4]

In an exclusive article published in December 2011, eGaming Review revealed that Facebook has been in discussions with gambling operators to issue eight licenses to create real money social games for Facebook in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal.[5] Monetization strategies are still in negotiation, as is the question of whether the platform will be opened up at all.[6] Despite the indefinite status of the negotiations, gambling operators are preparing for this eventuality as being one of the first developers, or licensed games, to offer real money gambling on Facebook presents a formidable opportunity.

Zynga’s CEO Marc Pincus recently announced that Zynga is considering developing real money casino games, but only with the appropriate partnerships or talent acquisitions.[7] Similarly, Greg Enell, CEO of Double Down Interactive has announced that with their new partnership with International Game Technology, they will explore developing real money social games.[8]

Facebook does not develop their own games because they intend to encourage developers to create the best games for their platform on a level playing field.[9] With Facebook’s standard Facebook Credits payment method, developers must share 30% of all Facebook Credit revenues with Facebook. Facebook recognizes the strong monetization of casino games. Julien Codorniou, head of platform partnerships at Facebook, has expressed Facebook’s intention to foster the growth of the casino games genre. Facebook has recently been improving its platform to encourage users’ conversion to Facebook Credits so that games will monetize better.[10]

• In 2010, the total social games industry was estimated at $3.65B and the online gambling industry was measured at $30.3B;
• Facebook had 845M monthly active users by the end of 2011, 50% of whom play games;
• Mobile gaming revenues have been calculated at $8B for 2011.

The social games industry enjoying upward trend

Facebook had 845M monthly active users by the end of 2011, 50% of whom play games. Approximately 2-6% of these players pay to play. Facebook made $557M from Facebook Credits in 2011, representing 15% of its total revenue.[1]

The total social games industry was estimated at $3.65B[2] and the online gambling industry was measured at $30.3B in 2010.[3] Both social games and online gaming are healthy markets, and together they can accelerate each other’s growth: Online gambling monetizes very well on a per-player basis, and social games have a huge reach.

Social gaming has grown out of the video games industry, which unbeknownst to some is itself a colossal industry. PricewaterhouseCoopers estimated that in 2010 the video game market was worth $56B, and is thus twice the size of the recorded-music industry.[4] The growth and reach of the Internet has led to changes in the video games industry as game player demographics evolve. More people of all ages are now playing video games as games are not distributed only in the form of console games.[5]

While Facebook is an important platform for social games, many social games developers are looking towards mobile games. Mobile gaming revenues have been calculated at $8B for 2011, more than twice the social games market, and are expected to reach $11.4B by 2014.[6] The reach and revenue of the mobile market are promising.

Zynga is the premier social games behemoth. Prominent gambling blog Calvin Ayre reported on February 14, 2012 that Zynga’s Q4 2011 revenues were $311.2M (up 59% from 2010). Online game revenue was $283.9M (up 51% from 2010) and advertising revenue was $27.3M (up 230% from 2010). Zynga Poker, which is the biggest poker network in the world, is one of Zynga’s top three money makers.[7]

[1] Cutler, “There is a discrepancy.”

[2] “Social Network Games: 2012 Casual Games Sector Report,” Casual Games Association, 2012.

[3] H2 Gambling Capital, May, 2010.

[4] “All the world’s a game,” The Economist, December 10, 2011; “Shoot ‘em up,” The Economist, December 9, 2011; Dean Takahashi, “The DeanBeat: DICE Summit entices the game industry’s insiders to Vegas,” VentureBeat, February 10, 2012..

[5] Dean Takahashi, “The DeanBeat: DICE Summit entices the game industry’s insiders to Vegas,” VentureBeat, February 10, 2012.

[6] “Mobile Gaming by the numbers,” Geekaphone, July 27, 2011.

[7] Peter Amsel, “Zynga in ‘unique position’ to enter ‘very interesting’ online gambling biz,” Calvin Ayre, February 15, 2012.

The panel took place in the birthplace of start-ups  the Betahaus, and included four panelists from Facebook; Jing Chen, Engineer in the Product Infrastructure team, Denise Noyes, Tech Lead for Video Calling, Raylene Yung, Engineering Manager in the Privacy and Tagging team, and Philip Su, site lead for Facebook’s London Engineering Office.

Jess Erickson of Berlin Geekettes was an exceptional moderator of the engineering panel; including both technical and across-the-board questions in order to obtain a broader view of life as an engineer at Facebook. Topics discussed included the development process, women in the development team, day-to-day life at Facebook, as well as the challenges of catering one product to an audience of one billion.

The panel was insightful, funny, and engaging, and we were impressed by the transparency as well as the down-to-earth attitude of the Facebook engineers. We found the amount of responsibility and flexibility the technical team are given at Facebook very impressive; the quality of a project always comes first (preceding deadlines), and often a lot of written code will be implemented the very next day. In conclusion, an inspiring and fascinating event, which we were very grateful to have participated in.

We would like to thank Berlin Geekettes for continuing to facilitate excellent events on behalf of the broader Berlin tech community.

All photos taken by Aurélie Bazard

I arrived in Berlin at the end of May – as many of the Crowdpark people did from different countries – and found myself staring at my monitor in the office the very next day. I have been working at Crowdpark since May as a Junior Flash Developer. Although it has only been 5 months here in Crowdpark, as well as in Berlin, it feels like I’ve been here for a much longer time. The adaptation process must have been very short, as I adjusted myself very quickly. What helped my integration more than anything was the company, namely my co-workers.

Right after I graduated from the Computer Science department, I started an internship as a Flash Developer in a Design Studio located in Istanbul. After a year and a half I decided to go back to school but continued to work as a freelancer. At some point the solitude that came with being a freelancer was not enjoyable as it had been. I realized I had to experience more and try working in a different field. And that’s when I stumbled upon the ‘games’ industry! Joining Crowdpark and developing games with talented and experienced people from around the world has been a very exciting and an educational process for me so far.

There’s one thing that hasn’t been going very well though, and that’s the German language, or my ability to speak it. One way that I’ve been learning is by listening to audio lessons, during my journeys around Berlin. And here’s hoping my next blog post will be in German!

Francis Varga was born in Cebu, Philippines. He emigrated to Germany at the age of 7. He began his career at 19 joining one of the biggest pharma agencies in Germany. Following that, he worked for over 6 years as a software engineer gaining valuable experience with clients such as Volkswagen, Universal, Porsche, Nike, VZ-Netwerke and currently works as a developer at Crowdpark. I chatted to him about his talk at last week’s CouchConf.

Francis, how did you come to be interested in CouchBase technology?
I started working with CouchDB 3 years ago, a database system with http. As a freelancer, I used it for all flash applications. It was quite easy to install and to maintain, with a smooth admin interface. It included a ruby module called soca which bundled all your assets and files and put everything in the CouchDB, which meant you could host your whole application in the CouchDB. This is how I became exposed to the first NoSQL databases. After I started at Crowdpark, I was put in charge of the back-end systems, and had to use MySQL.

The problem I found with MySQL databases was that they weren’t scalable; which inevitably created problems with our data (masterslave). To fix this performance problem, we used Membase as a memcache-tier.  A couple of months later Couch1 and Membase fused to become CouchBase, and released their first developer preview 1. In addition to the easy installation and smooth administration functions, we also saw the full potential of CouchBD as well as the power of Membase as one impressive unit. We used the developer preview 1 as a cache and MySQL as a fallback option.

What did your presentation cover at the CouchConf?
My talk at the CouchConf last week was about how Crowdpark has utilized CouchBase, from using developer preview 1 up until the latest recent build, Couchbase 2.0 #1870. I went into detail about unleashing the power of Couchbase 2.0 into our own environment, and the lessons we learnt along the way, as well as the workarounds that were necessary for Crowdpark and our applications. Using Couchbase for all our applications, we were able to install a really nice plugin for elasticsearch, which allowed us to easily all of our data.

What was your personal highlight of the CouchConf?
My highlight was meeting and networking with the people of CouchBase, as well as being able to meet such highly talented and interesting people. I look forward to the CouchConf next session!

View the full presentation here:

Christoph Jenke’s panel, amongst other topics, focused on understanding how social trends are transforming user experience and propositions in sports betting. Christoph joined Matt Cullen, President of Rocketplay, Mickey Kalifa, Corporate Development Officer of Sportech, and Adriaan Brink, CEO of Socialitize in discussing a range of topics. They analysed the challenge of marrying social gaming with sports betting, as well as unlocking innovative ways in which social can be leveraged in the sports betting environment.

The 10th European iGaming Conference in Milan in 2011 saw Ingo Hinterding, MD, represent Crowdpark in the Start-Up LaunchPad & Start-Up Zone. Crowdpark came in 2nd place last year; a noble feat. Ingo Hinterding was interviewed by EiG on the day. Crowdpark was again honored to be selected as a participant of the EiG Congress 2012, and look forward to future participation in engaging industry events.

]]> http://www.crowdpark.com/eig2012barcelona/feed/ 1 http://www.crowdpark.com/system-engineer/ http://www.crowdpark.com/system-engineer/#comments Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:52:48 +0000 Maria http://www.crowdpark.com/?p=5630 Crowdpark is pioneering social casino games, on multiple platforms including the web, on Facebook, and mobile. Crowdpark has a prominent position in the social casino market, with two unique and distinctive games – Pet Vegas and Golden Empire Casino.

Pet Vegas combines the cutest animal characters with the excitement of slot machines, allowing you to compete against friends, level up, and win big. Golden Empire Casino is the most prestigious and advanced casino on Facebook. Combining the popular casino classics with the best in modern slots and games technology, there is something for everyone to enjoy in Golden Empire Casino.

Crowdpark is based in Berlin, Germany, Europe’s gaming and technology hub.

Your Experience:

• 4+ years professional Linux system administration, in large data center environments serving a high traffic destination site
• 4+ year professional PHP/Ruby/Python Developer
• 2+ years professional Amazon Web Services Administration (Cloudformation, EC2, RDS, S3, VPC)
• Excellent knowledge about Cloud
• Scripting in php, python or perl
• Extensive experience with web infrastructure, distributed systems, performance analysis, search infrastructure and/or large-scale data processing
• Deep experience managing database/datastore clusters, such as Redis, CouchDB, Couchbase
• Experience with network engineering and strong knowledge of IPv4 and IPv6 Networks
• Proven excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to handle fast paced, high-interrupt startup environment with ease
  

Your Profile/ What we expect:

• Experience with Computer Science
• Must have good communication skills including writing and briefing skills
• Experience with Virtualization, PHP /Perl Programming
• Experience with System- and network secrurity, Firewall administration and Server hosting
• Excellent written and communication skills in German and English
• Display an eagerness for both working independently as well as in a team
• Ability to work flexible hours and meet tight deadlines

4 Reasons to work at Crowdpark:

• Work at a growing startup that operates in a very dynamic environment
• Be part of a young and international team
• An attractive and modern place to work at – located in the next “Silicon Valley” Berlin
• Flat hierarchies and quick decision making processes

We’re looking forward to your complete application, including your earliest possible start date and your desired salary!

APPLY NOW!

Send your CV to: Martin Frindt – jobs [at] crowdpark [dot] com

Crowdpark Entertainment GmbH
Rotherstr. 16
10245 Berlin

With an open mind, hard work and dedication, the team has so far created seven games – four Facebook games (Pet Vegas, Bet Tycoon, AnteUp, and 90Live), two iOS games (Pet Vegas and AnteUp), and one online game (Crowdpark.de). We’re proud of our achievements so far, and without giving away too much information – we are far from settling down now. For Crowdpark this is just the beginning – so stay tuned.

We decided to make the most of the Berlin sunshine recently, and sprung down to the park to take some team photos. So here we’d like to extend a great big ‘hello!’ from the entire Crowdpark team! Note:

It is a real slot machine that has numerous entertaining and fun games built in. Crowdparkees have welcomed our newest team member with open arms, spending many a lunch break spinning the reels.

This slot machine will help us to bring fresh ideas for new games as well as ideas to help revamp current games, including Pet Vegas, a cute animal themed slot machine game. More than just a slot machine, Pet Vegas features a whole host of wonderfully themed slots, including the cute ‘Furry Fortune’, the ethereal ‘Mystic Garden’, and the Egyptian-themed ‘Cleopetra’. Pet Vegas combines the thrill of casino games with the competitive fun of social gaming. We believe that every gaming experience is enriched by a social component; this is the core belief behind all Crowdpark games.

Watch this space for more updates!

Residents of Berlin are a dexterous and hard-working group, living in a city that is creatively inspiring and thought-invoking. It is this combination of work ethics and creative talent that has turned Berlin into the ‘Silicon Valley of Europe’, as it is known today. The Berlin Chamber of Commerce reported that over 1,300 Internet Startups have been founded since 2008, 500 of them in 2011 alone.

Christoph Jenke, Chief Operating Officer at Crowdpark, explains why it works to work in Berlin, “The city of Berlin is one of the reasons why our employees hailing from 14 nations opted to work at Crowdpark. The international and creative atmosphere and the mood in Berlin is the ideal environment for our company – here we consider ourselves as part of the Berlin startup and gaming community.”

For anyone looking for an address for their future startup, Berlin is an almost ideal location. Not only for the masses of talented people inhabiting the city and looking for employment at any given time, but also the tightknit nature of the business and networking communities that have been established here.

Of course, there is no guarantee- many startups haven’t and won’t survive the journey. According to the Small Business Administration Frequently Asked Questions document that was recently published, ”Seven out of 10 new employer firms survive at least 2 years, half at least 5 years, a third at least 10 years, and a quarter stay in business 15 years or more.”

However, despite the figures and in the eyes of Crowdpark, Berlin remains to be the best place to be based. Berlin startups support each other like family, network like friends, and move forward with passion.  And this is why working in Berlin simply works.

[...] German social-game company Crowdpark launched a Facebook game in virtual wagering specifically tied to June’s European soccer championships. “Sports Casino” will offer more, including baseball, professional and college football and England’s Barclay’s Premier League soccer, with plans to add basketball and hockey as those seasons start.[...]

Online

I’ll be honest with you, if I could have any job in the world, I would probably be building walking and talking robots. But since I’m neither an engineer nor a programmer, I settled for the next best thing: a Game Artist at Crowdpark.

Joining Crowdpark has been an awesome ride so far. I’ve been a freelance game artist and illustrator since I graduated from a course with a really complicated name, almost 4 years ago. (If you must know, the course is called Design for Virtual Theatre and Games… -Exactly.)

I loved freelancing but I felt I was missing out on being part of a team, having fun with coworkers and all that other stuff that comes with sitting in an office for the largest part of your waking life.

And as it turns out, there couldn’t have been a more perfect place for me to experience all those things. And now more than half a year later, I’m hooked!

And then there is Berlin. To say that it’s a lively city would be a massive understatement. It’s smelly, gritty, and full of dreamers. Every wall is covered with art and the sidewalks are littered with broken beer bottles. I guess it’s the type of city you either love or hate. In my case it’s definitely a love story.

I get to live in an awesome city AND work with great people. And one day I will build that robot.

[...]Crowdpark bietet kostenlose Wetten an. Die monatlich etwa 500.000 Spieler können zu allen Themen, vom nächsten Oscar-Gewinner bis hin zu Zugverspätungen, Wetten abschließen.[...]

Online

Wictor is the “new kid on the block”, both here at Crowdpark and on the Berlin-scene, working as a Game Designer. He comes from Stockholm, Sweden, however adventures around the world have kept him away from his origins for the last five years. Rest assured he still loves going back once in a while to catch up with his family and friends.

Wictor has a very diverse background, coming from a military career in the Swedish Royal Marines, he now lives his life to the fullest by designing games. This is something that has been driving his passion for the last six years, having developed immersive games on most platforms ranging from AAA to Free2Play.

Paris, Gold Coast, and Hamburg are just a few of the places where he has been living and working, but Berlin is by far the city which he has fallen for the quickest, not only because of its awesome creative vibes but also for the ‘Do It Yourself’ mentality, which is just simply inspiring.

[...] While the industry is well aware of the vast social appeal of sports betting, players are still awaiting a social sportsbook offering that can rival, or at least replicate, the traditional betting experience. [...]

Online

[...]A recent Crowdpark market report emphasized the potential of joining the social gaming industry with online gambling, and Zynga is undoubtedly paying attention to these eye-catching numbers.[...]

Online

It’s time to celebrate our 3.3 year birthday! Crowdpark was founded three years and three months ago and is headquartered in Berlin, Europe’s gaming and technology hub. At the beginning of this year we launched three games for Facebook – Pet Vegas – Slot Machines, 90Live, and AnteUp, adding to our previous portfolio that included Bet Tycoon. Just last week we launched two iOS games – Pet Vegas Slot Machines and AnteUp – and our ambitions haven’t stopped there.

With almost 50 employees, six products, and a never-ending source of motivation, drive, and creativity, Crowdpark wants to continue on its path to social gaming success. As they say; ‘All good things come in threes’, and with our track record, we are confident we can continue to produce engaging and fun games, with high-quality graphics and competitive social elements. With a balanced diet of hard work, determination, and Club Mate, we will continue to deliver superior social betting and casino games to the world. So we make a toast to our employees, users, and friends; ‘To many more birthdays!’.

Now this is the story all about how
Social gaming got flipped, turned upside down
And I’d like to take a minute just sit right there
I’ll tell you how Crowdpark became a startup in a town called Berlin.

In East Berlin born and raised ,
At tech events where we spent most our days
Researching, networking, relaxing all cool
Crowdpark was born and joined the startup pool.

When a couple of guys, they were up to some good
Started making social games in the Facebook hood
They made one little game and then they declared
And said “Let’s make more social games in the town of Berlin!”

Mobile social casino game developer Crowdpark confirmed the release of two new mobile social games this week for the iOS platform. AnteUp Mobile and Pet Vegas Mobile are the names of the two new releases that are set to take the mobile social gaming community by storm this week on the iOS platform and will join an impressive portfolio of games that already exists for Crowdpark on Facebook and other social networking sites. (…)

Online

(…) Meanwhile, other online game developers have stayed away from real gambling. Crowdpark, the creator of the social betting genre, has no plans to produce a game that allows players to bet real money.(…)

Online

Crowdpark veröffentlicht zwei mobile Social-Betting- und Casino-Spiele: Pet Vegas und AnteUp. Weiters gab Crowdpark bekannt, dass ein international angelegter Investorenprozess gestartet ist.

Online

Crowdpark, the European start-up bringing legal virtual payout betting and casino games to the world of social gaming, today announced the launch of two mobile social games. The iOS games, Pet Vegas Mobile and AnteUp Mobile, join their existing Facebook and Web games to position Crowdpark at the intersection of three powerful markets: social gaming, online gambling, and mobile gaming.

Online

Berlin game developer Crowdpark today released two of its top titles, Pet Vegas and AnteUp, for iOS mobile, just one month after filing for insolvency – and expects a positive outcome in its search for new investors.

Online

(…) The Berlin-based operator has released iOS versions of slot game Pet Vegas (pictured) and social betting app Ante Up, optimised for tablet and mobile devices and featuring Facebook integration.

Online

The future for Crowdpark is looking a lot brighter than it did in July when the social gaming startup filed for insolvency, with today’s release of two of its Facebook games on mobile. Pet Vegas Mobile and AnteUp Mobile will enable to company to mix the markets of social gaming, online gambling and mobile gaming.

Online

The future for Crowdpark is looking a lot brighter than it did in July when the startup filed for insolvency, with today’s release of two of its Facebook games on mobile. Pet Vegas Mobile and AnteUp Mobile will enable to company to mix the markets of social gaming, online gambling and mobile gaming. (…)

Online

Crowdpark, the European start-up bringing legal virtual payout betting and casino games to the world of social gaming, today announced the launch of two mobile social games. The iOS games, Pet Vegas Mobile and AnteUp Mobile, join their existing Facebook and Web games to position Crowdpark at the intersection of three powerful markets: social gaming, online gambling, and mobile gaming. Casino games have proven to be among the highest revenue generators on Facebook and in the AppStore. By marrying the monetization potential of social casino and betting games with the striking reach of mobile devices, Crowdpark aims to propel their Web and Facebook games portfolio to the next level.

Mobile social games promise to capture the attention of the one billion activated smartphone and106 million tablet users forecasted for the end of 2012. Moreover, as iOS users are asked to register credit card details at the time of App Store registration, analysts are optimistic for the strong monetization of freemium mobile games.“Crowdpark feels that it is essential to maximize social games’ potential by pursuing a cross-platform strategy, capitalizing on cross-marketing and seamless play on multiple devices. Mobile and Facebook are synergistic platforms allowing for heightened gamer satisfaction,” said co-founder Martin Frindt.

With their current strategy, Crowdpark positions themselves within several growth markets. To visually illustrate this news, please see the Crowdpark Mobile Social Casino Market infographic. Crowdpark filed for insolvency in July. Nonetheless, the launch of these new games demonstrates that Crowdpark is continuing operations and working to follow their multi-platform strategy. Crowdpark’s preliminary insolvency administrator, Thomas Kühn of Brinkmann & Partner, is workingtogether with the founding management team and M&A advisory firm Advantum Corporate Financeto steer the international investment and acquisition process.

“Crowdpark has a highly qualified team and great technology,” said Kühn. “We have seen much interest from potential investors and acquirers in our initial discussions. I am confident that there will be a favorable outcome for Crowdpark.”

Pet Vegas – The Pet Vegas Mobile App brings Crowdpark’s lovable slots to mobile. Users can connect with Facebook on iOS devices to play their beloved Facebook game on-the-go. Pet Vegas Mobile marries Crowdpark’s savvy graphics with playful social mechanics. Follow the game on Twitter @PetVegas and play Pet Vegas on Facebook.

AnteUp – The mobile version of AnteUp brings betting to its natural home. Players make simple bets such as ‘I bet you a beer that Manchester United will win the next match.’ Initiate a bet, side with your friends in their wagers and show off your success online. AnteUp Mobile embraces smartphone and tablet features such as the camera so that users can flaunt their wins to their friends. Crowdpark’s peer-to-peer betting is the perfect platform to engage in light-hearted, friendly competition. Earn your bragging rights with AnteUp Mobile. Follow the game on Twitter @GoAnteUp and play AnteUp on Facebook.

This announcement demonstrates Crowdpark’s strength and focus in the face of adversity, as well as determination to hold its position in the market. The high quality of Pet Vegas Mobile and AnteUp Mobile is a reflection of the team’s hard work, loyalty, and dedication.

Have fun playing on the go!

[Crowdpark]…is one of the few operators to develop social betting products. Its Bet Tycoon game allows players to bet against one another on a range of
events with real-time forecasts provided through its patented Dynamic Betting technology.

Online

Athletes are becoming more accessible to the public as they do live tweets about the games and, in some cases, respond directly to criticism. Fans have also gotten a look into the Olympic village for the first time as competitors like American track and field star Lolo Jones tweet seemingly insider information like, “No air conditioners. Its HOT in the rooms. No need to practice, just lay in ur bed & sweat. Where r the applications for Winter Olympics??”

Even though we get a sneak-peek behind the scenes, tweets have also caused the suspension of two athletes. Competitors that have not been able to filter their opinionated tweets have had to deal with media backlash and reviews by the Olympic committee. NBC has also had to deal with the influx of live tweets that they claim have caused glitches in their programming and have essentially tried to ban the use of social media at matches.

Procera Networks of Fremont said social-networking traffic rose 25% above normal levels the first weekend of the games. Companies all over the world have been taking advantage of the popularity of the Olympics on the social media platform. Crowdpark has used Twitter to promote its Facebook games Bet Tycoon and AnteUp to followers by tweeting about different matches and congratulating athletes as they win medals.  As Twitter ingrains itself as part of the Olympics conversation, corporations will find new ways to connect with users while NBC tries to find a way to restrain it.

The true success of Crowdpark’s team can be attributed to the dynamic and open nature of everyone who works here. This dynamic nature is accredited to the various cultural and social heritages of our Crowdparkees – seventeen heritages to be precise.

Around half of the Crowdpark team stems from Germany, and considering the location of our office – the silicon alley of Europe, Berlin – this is a relatively small number. The other half hail from Spain, France, USA, Australia, England, the Netherlands, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Latvia, the Philippines, Turkey, Croatia, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, Venezuela, and Russia.

Like many startups in Berlin, you can always hear a mixture of languages being spoken in the office at any one time, enhancing an already international atmosphere. This international atmosphere creates an inspiring and progressive work environment, allowing us to create and market products to a global audience. The cosmopolitan attitude is what makes Crowdpark so very special.

Did we capture your interest? Simply visit our Jobs page, to join the awesome Crowdpark team.

I started interning at Crowdpark about two weeks ago and have decided that it is one of the best internships I’ve ever had (considering that it’s my first internship). I had no idea what to expect when I walked in the office doors, but on the first day everyone was very friendly and I had no problem adjusting to the Crowdpark family.

I’m so glad I went through Intrax and was able to intern at this great tech start-up.

Being from Miami and going to school at Florida State helped prepare me to have an open mind and to live in such a culturally diverse city as Berlin. What surprised me most was the creative graffiti around my workplace and being woken up by the howling monkeys at the Berlin Zoo every morning.

If any city were to be called a concrete jungle, then Berlin would be first on my list. Having said that, Berlin is a very lively city with many awesome concerts and festivals, as well as the 400,000 ‘fan mile’ home to the public viewing sessions of the Euro 2012, and much more – these things will make my summer in Berlin one not to forget.

I Bet … ”I can make you say the word ‘black.’” Setup: Start asking your mark the colors of various objects in the room, making sure that none of them are black or blue. After three or four objects, ask “What are the colors of the American flag?” Payoff: When they respond, “Red, white, and blue,” you say, “I win, I told you I could make you say ‘blue’!” Nine times out of ten they’ll come back with, “You didn’t say blue, you said black.” Then you say, “Now I really do win!”

I Bet … ”I can make you say what I want you to.” Setup: When the other person agrees to the bet, tell them to say “mutifarious verbiage.” Payoff: When they say they won’t or that they don’t know what that means, you’ve won the bet. Why? To say multifarious verbiage means to say a variety of words … which they’ve just done.

I Bet … ”I can roll the cue ball underneath the cue stick without holding it and without the ball touching the stick.” Setup: To demonstrate the difficulty, place the cue stick over the two long side rails of the pool table. Then have the sucker try to roll the cue ball underneath the stick, which they won’t be able to do – the space between the stick and the tabletop is too small. Payoff: But you can do it. Pick up the cue ball, put it on the floor under the table, and roll it underneath the table so it passes below the cue stick above. It will never touch the stick.

I Bet … ”You can’t lift my hand off the top of my head” Setup: Put your palm on the top of your head and instruct the person to try to remove it by pushing up on your forearm. It works best when a smaller person challenges a bigger, stronger person. Payoff: They won’t be able to. We’re not sure why; it’s one of those freaks of nature (not you, the trick).

I Bet … ”I can remove this quarter from underneath this napkin without touching the napkin or blowing on it.” Setup: Put a quarter under a napkin. After you’ve set up the trick, discreetly put another quarter into your hand. Then put that hand underneath the table, say some magical incantations, and after a moment, reveal that the quarter is magically in your hand! Payoff: The person will most likely go straight for the napkin to prove you wrong. When they remove it, pick up the quarter and you’ve won the bet.

I Bet … ”You can’t taste the difference between an apple and a raw potato if you close your eyes and plug your nose.” Setup: The best way to ensure success with this one is to make them try it three times. Just once is a 50/50 guess. Three times put the odds in your favor. Payoff: It’s not really a trick. According to experts, smell and sight are more important in tasting things than most people realize. Without those two senses, the taste buds don’t have enough info to send to the brain.

I Bet … ”You can’t eat eight saltines in 60 seconds.” Setup: Make sure that you stipulate the person isn’t allowed to wash them down with anything – and that they have to eat them one by one. Payoff: Because of the saltiness of the crackers, most people will get “cotton mouth” and not be able to eat more than five or six. Don’t wager too much, though, because there is the occasional big mouth that can pull this one off. But at least you’ve gotten them to make a fool of themselves.

I Bet … ”I can jump higher than this house.” Setup:Just jump up in the air six inches or so. Payoff: You’ve just jumped higher than any house ever could.

Source: Bathroom Reader

I joined Crowdpark in early May 2012 with a background of two and a half years’ experience in the field of social gaming. Most recently, I managed the mobile business of a leading social games publisher in Berlin, getting the chance to specialize in one of the hottest markets in the world.

And now, I’m more than glad to combine all of this with another highly interesting field: Casinos and Betting. I’m a passionate slot machine player in my spare time (which was a well-kept secret until my first day here) and I’ve already spent tons of thrilling hours with my new colleagues playing in the biggest casinos in Berlin.

I can’t reveal too many details about our plans and upcoming products, but I think it’s not hard to guess that Crowdpark is definitely going to enter the mobile market soon. We have skilled iOS developers and game designers, talented artists and a type of product that has a generally higher ARPU (average revenue per user) than most of the other current game genres. All of that combined under one roof is what I call a very promising outlook. The challenge will be to fully realize this potential, and to create a solid and long-term position for our games in the biggest and most attractive mobile markets.

There are countless articles detailing the above-average monetization, superior growth rates, and multi-million dollar revenues, which should not contribute to the fallacy that mobile games are guaranteed to be successful. Although we’re talking about a growing market, in which sales forecasts worldwide for 2013 alone amount to up to 29 billion dollars, we should not forget that there is a significant amount of emerging competitors with numerous new applications released every day. The most relevant and crucial aspect of introducing a new mobile application is ensuring a product of exceptional quality with a fast response to the user’s needs. Creating a system that allows continuous improvement, as well as responding to the users immediately will ensure sustainability, as well as a high-quality product.

We hereby accept the challenge, and I am looking forward to expanding and strengthening Crowdpark’s mobile division in the future.

The Facebook App Centre is divided into many differing categories, including games, entertainment, music, travel, sports, and more. Facebook divides each app category into many sub-categories, and further catalogues apps by four criterions – Top Rated, Recommended, Trending, and Friends’.

Two of Crowdpark’s games – Pet Vegas and 90Live – were bestowed with the honor of being listed in the ‘Top Rated’ section of the respective Casino Games and Sports Games categories. The Facebook App Centre, despite being new, has potential for sizeable reach as well as providing an opportunity for new games to gain exposure.

Crowdpark is proud to have had two of our games featured in the new App Centre, and sincerely look forward to continued positive exposure in the future for sports betting game 90Live and social casino game Pet Vegas.

Crowdpark, a social gaming enterprise operating in full compliance with German gambling laws, announced the launch of a brand new social betting game, “90Live”, on Facebook. The game’s launch was strategically timed for the Euro 2012 Football Championships. (...)

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Not only online casinos face competition from social gaming sites. Now, online sportsbooks are facing threats. According to football betting news, one of the leaders in social gaming, Crowdpark, introduces football (soccer) betting to its range of games. (...)

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• Gambling operators will likely only be able to take a piece of the growing social games pie if they invest in or acquire social games developers;
• Determining a social games strategy is not a one-size-fits-all move.

Gambling operators are giving a mixed welcome to the inevitable arrival of social games to their industry. The virtual goods economy is foreign to many gambling operators, but those who recognize the synergies between real money gaming and social games are hurriedly developing strategies, aware that time-to-market is of the essence in order to maximize benefits.

Determining a social games strategy is not a one-size-fits-all move. Operators can decide to develop social games in-house, to invest in talent teams via financing or acquisition, or to license games. Developing popular social games that monetize well requires deep social games industry expertise. Many operators consider that delaying making a move is costly, and that building social games know-how in-house takes time. Gambling operators developing their own social games strategies are focusing on slots as a first step into the genre as they are cheap to develop and monetize well.

In addition to deciding how to go about developing social games, gambling operators must determine how they will use these social games in synergy with their core business. Gambling operators can use social games as:

• A means to broaden gambling operators’ operational regions because social casino and betting games are legal in all jurisdictions;
• A lead-generation model;
• Tie-ins with land-based casinos to broaden brand name recognition; and
• A tool to educate users and allow them to develop their skills. Risk taking in social games is different than in real money games because the stakes are not the same, and thus social games allow players to explore risk differently than in real money gaming.

Conversion of social games users to real money gaming is the goal that has received the most attention by gambling operators because of its obvious moneymaking potential. Facebook has a huge reach, and players of social casino and betting games could be more likely to convert to real money gaming than the average Facebook user. Moreover, those considering real money betting for the first time would likely consider the Facebook games they play in a virtual payout setting to decide which online gambling option to select.

Regardless of the lucrative potential of conversion, it is important to remember that social games are formidable stand-alone businesses that bring in compelling revenues. Moreover, social games allow the operator to amass large amounts of player data because of the social nature of the games.

Gambling operators have accurately identified potential synergies between online gambling and social betting and casino games. Indeed, the earliest social games have in part grown out of land-based casino game mechanics. Blockbuster games such as Zynga’s FarmVille include slots images and sounds, as well as slots mini-games. Casino games, which are increasingly a top growth category on Facebook, are thus a natural trend in social games. Nonetheless, social games developers have seen that while social games can adopt traditional casino game mechanics, they must also adapt them to the social games environment.

By noon, Warsaw was a sea of red and white with chants breaking out all over the city. I tried to join in on the chants, but would mostly mumble Polish phrases and yell ‘Polska!’ which still got a positive response.

After visiting the stadium, we packed into UEFA’s ‘Fanzone’ set up in the center of Warsaw to watch the game with the other 140,000 fans on the big screen.

The whole crowd was excited just to be there to cheer on the teams. When Poland scored the first goal, we saw a guy literally drop his beer to throw his hands in the air. The ultimate sacrifice for football.

During halftime both Greek and Polish fans joined together to sing the random array of 1970s rock songs and exchange ‘na zdrowies’.

Even though the game was a draw, Warsaw was a great choice for a host city, and Crowdpark were thrilled to be able to attend. Now to check our winnings on 90Live…

Just in time for Euro 2012 Crowdpark has released a new football game “90Live”. This is the first dedicated football betting game on Facebook and allows players to bet on any match throughout the Euro 2012 tournament. (...)

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Berlin’s social gambling start-up Crowdpark has launched their new football game, “90Live”. The first dedicated football betting game on Facebook. (...)

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Social betting games developer Crowdpark has launched what it claims to be the first dedicated football betting game on Facebook. (...)

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(…) Berlin-based social betting outfit Crowdpark, which already has a casino app and its ‘create your own prop bet’ Bet Tycoon app, is launching 90Live, a dedicated football (soccer, for you North American hooligans) betting app. (…)

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Just in time for Friday’s kickoff of the UEFA European Football Championship, European social gaming startup Crowdpark announced the launch of 90Live, which it calls the first dedicated soccer betting game on Facebook. (...)

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Crowdpark, the European start-up bringing legal betting to the world of social gaming, today launched a new football game, “90Live”. The first dedicated football betting game on Facebook, 90Live kicks off just in time for UEFA Euro 2012 on June 8th, so that players can start placing their bets from the very beginning of the tournament. (...)

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Social betting and casino games provider Crowdpark GmbH has launched the world’s first dedicated Facebook football betting title, 90Live, just in time for the start of the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship. (...)

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Crowdpark, the European start-up bringing legal betting to the world of social gaming, today launched a new football game, “90Live.” The first dedicated football betting game on Facebook, 90Live kicks off just in time for UEFA Euro 2012 on June 8, so that players can start placing their bets from the very beginning of the tournament.(…)

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On Friday 8th June at Warsaw Stadium, Poland, one of the biggest events in the Football calendar will begin – the Euro 2012. This event represents the chance to see some of Europe’s top players fight for the ultimate crown in European Football.

The Euro is renowned for its high quality play, electric atmosphere and show-stopping entertainment in and around the stadium. This time the countries hosting the Euro 2012 will be Poland & Ukraine.

90Live would like you to relish in this football spectacle and experience the magic of football, with special prize giveaways.
90Live will be giving away the following prizes in lieu of the Euro 2012 event:

1 x Playstation 3 + Fifa Game

3 x Samsung Smartphones

3 x Football Trikots

5x Adidas Football’s

Enter now for your chance to win fantastic prizes.

(...) That is certainly the belief of social betting startup Crowdpark, which has launched its new soccer game 90Live to coincide with the beginning of the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine. (...)

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Germany to win? Torres to be top scorer? Greece to repeat their 2004 heroics?
With less than two days to go to the big Euro 2012 kickoff, football fans across Europe are arguing over how the next three weeks of drama will unfold. And what better way to spice things up than to make a bet? (...)

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I came to Berlin about three weeks ago, and have already been almost knocked out by five bikers. They were not having me walking in the bike lane. I’ve learned so much since coming to Berlin besides the ‘avoid the bike lane’ thing. People in Berlin are always up for helping me get around or telling me how to pronounce a German word. Berlin is big and beautiful and I’m so lucky to be here.

My official first day at Crowdpark was a little scary since everyone had real jobs with already established inside jokes and I was just an intern. But ten minutes into arriving everyone acted like I was my own special butterfly and struck up a conversation.
My favorite moment about my first day will always be when I was introduced on Team Skype and no one could figure out my last name so I received three new nicknames. I’m almost done my second week now and I think out of everyone in Berlin, I got the best internship.

I came to Berlin as a Marketing Major from University of Pittsburgh to experience how Germans practice business, as well as spend some time traveling abroad.
I’ve had two internships before, one with a farm to restaurant non-profit and one with the communications office at my high school. My favorite things to do are write, snowboard and play videogames (even though I’m sort of a button-masher).

But even though I’m excited to learn about Crowdpark and gain new marketing skills, I’m secretly trying to become a Kicker champion.

Investors are placing big bets on social casino and betting companies; Double Down Interactive acquisition shows market potential. (...)

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It was my first day as the new online marketing manager at Crowdpark. I was now officially the newest member and feeling excited, uncertain and, and, and! It felt like being at the zoo and watching the adorable Meer cats, (but you were the Meer cat in the big jungle of new employees).

I just sat there in a big meeting room and everybody was looking at me, announcing his/her name and some of their hobbies and I just thought “Oh $*%? How will I ever remember this mass of new names?”

But then there was this special moment that keeps me smiling to this day still; the 11 o´clock break! I had experienced this at my last company, the only difference being that completely new faces surrounded me – I felt instantly at home! From then on the day simply got better as I got to know my new colleagues, and it was the best start in a new job I could have wished for.

So now I’ve been working at Crowdpark for seven months, I’m not the ‘newbie’ anymore and every day at 11 o´clock, we gather over a coffee, just to talk about the events of yesterday, the plans for lunch, some harmless gossip of course, and other work-related things we want to talk about. And every week there are new guys joining us in this morning catchup session! It´s like having breakfast with your family, only with the crowdpark family ..( ihhhhh cheesy!)

So maybe we’ll be seeing you soon at 11 o´clock?

Club Mate’s slogan is ‘You’ll get used to it’ (German: Man gewöhnt sich daran), and that certainly reigns true.

If we could compile a video of every person’s reaction to their first taste of the mate-extract beverage, you would assume the drink was somewhere akin to a mix of petrol, warm cola, and Sternburg beer. But you do get used to it, and eventually muffled swallows and whispered reproaches, turn into a pure love for the stuff.

Club Mate is the soul of so many start-ups in Berlin, with companies, big and small, importing the golden goodness to support the efficiency and productivity of their employees.

Crowdpark is no exception to this. Every person’s desk at Crowdpark contains at least one Club Mate bottle (more than likely empty), and their presence does not stop there. When someone opens their Club Mate bottle, listening to the fresh fizzing sound that says, ‘You can work now!’ it’s as if they are instantly committed to the Mate by some sort of ancient beverage bond.

Everywhere the Crowdparkees go, so too do the Club Mate bottles: from desks to meetings, to breaks, to the bathroom kitchen, and back again. We can safely say Club Mate is the quintessential Berlin tech start-up accessory. And if you don’t like it? Well, you’ll get used to it!

Social casino and betting games are a hot market. Gambling operators are eyeing and buying social games developers in hopes that social gamers will convert to real money gamblers or to include a new stand-alone business with a lot of growth potential into their portfolio. (...)

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Just one year ago Crowdpark consisted of fewer than 20 employees, working away on one of the first games in our social betting product range, Bet Tycoon.

Since that time many talented people have joined the team, offering a range of skills, varying cultural backgrounds, and a host of invaluable experience. Now, one year on, the Crowdpark family consists of over 40 Crowdparkees from 15 different countries, working on four awesome products – Pet Vegas, AnteUp, Bet Tycoon, and 90Live.

Six brand new employees joined our team yesterday – game artist Larissa, quality assurance intern Jon, mobile project manager Sebastian, senior action script developer Henrik, flash developer Eugen, and quality assurance assistant Alex. (Welcome, new Crowdparkees!)

This growth in man power meant we had to find a new office location: stat! Luckily, our neighboring building contained an office we couldn’t refuse, and Crowdpark has found a new home! Last week we proudly stuffed our servers, laptops, cases of Club Mate, and office plants into brown boxes, and schlepped them across the courtyard to our new location.

A bigger and better office, with more space, more potential for kicker tournaments, more conference rooms, and a brand spanking new kitchen! This move says it all in alliance with Crowdpark’s direction: UP!

• Social games developers, like many of their casual games and video games contemporaries, create entertainment products;
• A small percentage of social games players pays for virtual currency and goods, which unlock features and intensify game play;
• Social games players expect quick, continuous feedback, clear progress, and challenges that are interesting but not insurmountable.

For those outside the social games industry, it can be surprising that social games players pay to play casino and betting games without being able to win real money. Why do people pay to play social games with no chance of material gain? Social games developers, like many of their casual games and video games contemporaries, create entertainment products. Players pay for virtual goods and currency for entertainment just as they would to purchase a console video game or to go to the movies. Even though only a small percentage of players is willing to pay for virtual currency and goods, which unlock features and intensify game play, the broad reach of social games often translates this small percentage into strong revenues.

Because social games players pay for entertainment in ways that are relatively new to the video games industry – in micro-payments, such as a few dollars to customize a pet or to unlock a new level more quickly – rather than in larger sums, social games developers must be strongly attuned to users’ behavior, emotions and social drives. Social games users expect quick, continuous feedback, clear progress, and challenges that are interesting but not insurmountable. And all of this must occur in a friendly, competitive environment in which users can share their achievements with other players, secure placement on a public leaderboard, and if they choose with their social graph on Facebook – all to gain social status.

The emotional thrill of winning a prize exists in virtual-currency payout social casino and betting games, but the fun of playing is more complex than simply winning a prize. Achievement and status are key drivers of social games monetization.

I am a Senior Software Engineer for quite some time now. My focus is on building user-centric and functional applications.

I pay a lot of attention to details because this is what makes the difference. I like challenges and this led me run into Crowdpark. Before joining the team I co-founded a start-up so I know & love how the cookie crumbles.

Regarding gadgets, I use a pimped MacbookPro15″ while I’m at work and a MacMini connected to a Dell U2311H display at home. My Moleskine is always around me for a quick note, iPhone4 for communications and Google for everything else (calendar, docs, contacts).

Bottom line, it’s good to be here, part of an awesome team and I am totally looking forward to changing the world!

Umzugskartons stehen im Flur der Firma Crowdpark in einem Bürogebäude in Berlin-Friedrichshain. Englische Wortfetzen fliegen hin und her. Immer wieder eilt einer der 30 Mitarbeiter über den Flur und holt sich eine Flasche des Modegetränks Club-Mate. (...)

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Increased mobile gaming, better and more networking platforms and refined in-game currencies are boding well for 'social games' on leading social networking sites such as Facebook.(...)

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Pet Vegas marks Crowdpark’s first social casino game on Facebook and currently the most successful of the Berlin-based developer’s three titles on the platform (the other two being 90Live – Football Game at 50,000 and Bet Tycoon at 30,000 monthly active users). (…)

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• Casino games, which include slots, bingo, blackjack, roulette and poker, have become a hot growth category on Facebook, creating “unbelievable monsters”;
• Much gambling industry conversation revolves around the promise of social games as a bonafide revenue opportunity.

Casino games, which include slots, bingo, blackjack, roulette and poker, were first offered online in 1996. Today, real-money online gambling caters to over 53.6M users. Ten years after the first online casino game launched, social games were born. Social games have jolted the video games market, democratizing games’ reach. Social games leverage a players’ social graph, in the form of a social network, to motivate gameplay.

While social casino games such as Zynga Poker, which launched in 2007, have been around for quite some time, many social games developers have recently ratcheted up their social casino game development, bringing an increasing number of slots, bingo and other casino games to Facebook. Together, the top five Facebook casino games – Texas HoldEm Poke (developed by Zynga), Slotomania (Playtika), DoubleDown Casino (Double Down Interactive), Bingo Blitz (Buffalo Studios) and Best Casino (diwip) – attract 49,800,000 monthly active users and 11,240,000 daily active users.

At the 2011 Casual Connect Conference in Seattle, Sean Ryan, director of games partnerships at Facebook, listed casino games as a hot growth category on Facebook. Ryan noted that the category is creating “unbelievable monsters,” naming DoubleDown Casino as a particularly strong game. Capitalizing on the opportunity to broaden its portfolio and get a piece of the social games action, the long-established slot machine maker International Game Technology announced in January 2012 that it would acquire Double Down Interactive for $500M. Revenues for DoubleDown Casino are not public, but have been rumored to be $140,000/day as reported by All Things D. Certainly, the rumored revenues exceeded expectations around the revenue potential of social games.

---“And that’s the key. Take well-known user mechanics, or game mechanics, and marry it with your understanding of social. Whatever platform you’re on socially it doesn’t matter. Figure that out.” – Sean Ryan, director of game partnerships at Facebook speaking at Casual Connect 2011 in Seattle.---

There are many strategic reasons for gambling operators to invest in social games. Although the $500M price tag on the Double Down Interactive acquisition surprised many, others readily acknowledged the value of the acquisition. Inside Asian Gaming cites a Union Gaming Research piece that describes Double Down Interactive as a shrewd investment for IGT because Double Down is “free cash flow positive and provides IGT with an entry into the growing online for-play wager market.”

Much gambling industry conversation revolves around the promise of social games as a bonafide revenue opportunity. At the 2012 ICE Totally Gaming conference in London, gambling operators discussed the strategic benefits of entering into the social games arena. James Bennett of eGaming Review published a feature “The New Face of Online Gambling,” describing the lucrative offering of virtual-goods monetized games. He predicts that gambling operators will only be able to take a piece of the growing social games pie if they invest in or acquire social games developers.

We’ve decided to serialize and expand upon our white paper on our blog. As an overview, we’ve prepared the video below:

Look out for more blog posts on this topic in the coming weeks. We’d love to hear your thoughts! Please send your questions and comments to clara@crowdpark.com. Keep in mind that you can find the full white paper here. Here’s the executive summary:

The social games industry launched approximately half a decade ago and has experienced strong traction, especially with the ever-rising popularity of the Facebook platform now at 845M users.  Companies such as Zynga (developer of FarmVille, Zynga Poker, etc.) and Double Down Interactive (DoubleDown Casino), acquired by International Game Technology, have launched very successful Facebook casino games.  Several trends are now coming into play to create the perfect storm for exponential growth in social games including: the explosion of mobile devices; additional networking platforms; and, increasing convergence between the gambling industry and the social games industry.

This white paper delves into the factors driving the growth and convergence of social games and gambling. It clarifies how social games monetize when only virtual currency is used, sheds light on the regulatory climate around real money usage in social games, as well as analyzes the strategic advantage of gambling operators partnering with, investing in, or acquiring social games developers.

My first six weeks at Crowdpark have been very exciting for me – especially since the project I am working on, Pet Vegas, has undergone quite a few changes and improvements!

Our players can now enjoy six new slot machines, which equals to 30 incredibly cute pets. We are currently working hard to introduce more bonus games in which every single one of our new friends gets their own little story.

Besides constantly trying to improve everything Pet Vegas already has to offer, we are also planning a completely new and very unique feature in the world of social casino games.

I don’t want to give away anything just yet, but I am convinced this will make Pet Vegas‘ “awwww” factor skyrocket!

Read more about Pet Vegas