WhatsUp? PlayPhone brings the social virality of Tango's 190 million users to its games platform
Carriers on the Fightback... With Friends
Given Facebook's $19 billion WhatsApp acquisition, the timing for PlayPhone's latest announcement couldn't be better.
The white label b2b social mobile gaming platform is hooking up with US messaging app outfit Tango.
The result will see Tango's 190 million members able to access PlayPhone's gaming network from within their Tango app.
This is a similar move to that which has been so success in Asia with Kakao, LINE and WeChat. It's also an obvious first move for WhatsApp.
Super boostAs well as plugging the games live on PlayPhone's platform into the virality of Tango's user base, the deal also streamlines Tango's Android users into PlayPhone's operator-demarcated app store ecosystem.
"Our 'Game Store Plug-In' for messenger apps and the corresponding increase of gamers in our global gaming community supports our ongoing efforts to provide a superior mobile gaming experience for PlayPhone gamers across the planet," said Anders Evju, PlayPhone's CMO.
PlayPhone is currently live with operators such as Verizon, AT&T and Sprint - it covers 83 percent of North American mobile subscribers - as well as the likes of SingTel and Claro.
It operates its own curated app stores of Android content for each carrier, replacing Google Play, and also offering users the option of buying content with carrier billing.
Massive scaleThe companies have plans to more deeply integrate Tango's social graph within PlayPhone's recommendation engine over the coming months.
"PlayPhone's massive gaming network and relationships with leading mobile carriers and game developers enables Tango to provide new ways for customers to connect and engage with one another," said Renato Iwersen, Tango's VP of Strategic Partnerships.
