Sulake CEO Paul LaFontaine on why mobile games are important to retain and extend the Habbo community
Play outside but always come back
Launched in 2000 and now with over 10 million users per month, Habbo (previously Habbo Hotel) was the pre-Facebook social network for kids and young teens; a status it still holds thanks to Facebook's 13-year age limit.
But all services have to evolve, and so it is that new CEO Paul LaFontaine, who joined from Playdom in September 2011, is looking to change Habbo's role.
Talking to Gamasutra, he says publisher Sulake is looking to make Habbo more of hub from which users can find new mobile gaming experiences, all-the-while being brought back to its community to interact.
Don't check out"You'll see Habbo as a vehicle to move audiences from online to mobile," he explained.
Significantly, there's no mobile client for Habbo, meaning it's not been involved in the booming space.
"We'll work that audience-moving loop into their gaming, and it's an incredible lifetime value both for us and for partners. So you'll see more partner relationships going forward," he added.
These will include what's described as "some well-known brands", but in the meantime, Sulake is partnering with third party developers such as Swedish outfit Fabrication, which developed iOS platformer Niko for it - just out on the App Store.
Compulsion loop"Our mission is to move audiences from online to mobile and then back again," LaFontaine said.
"The Habbo player will be able to go to [the iOS games], collect prizes and get reputation and status as a result of making the journey out of the hotel and back."
In Niko, players unlock badges, trophies and items within Habbo as they complete levels.
Indeed, one of the key advantages of this at-arms-length approach is that it enables Sulake to experiment with different art styles and characters, rather than being locked into the characteristic sprite look of Habbo, which some have described as now being old fashioned.
[source: Gamasutra]
