Roundup: Tidbits on Jangl’s demise, Virgin considers Helio hookup, VCs looking overseas, and more
updated
The back-story on Jangl’s slow death — Yesterday, we reported on Jangl’s asset sale process. A tipster tells us that Seattle-based WhitePages had offered to buy Internet phone company Jangl for $20 million, but then kept the company in diligence for more than a month and walked away at the last minute — giving Jangl no choice to but throw in the towel when it ran out of time and options. Whitepages flew down from Seattle… Continue Reading
Real Networks acquires casual game company Gametrust, for less than $50M
Real Networks has acquired NYC-based online casual gaming site Gametrust, according to PaidContent.org. The sale was for less than $50 million, the report said. Gametrust raised nearly $20 million in three rounds.
King.com, well-armed game company, strikes latest distribution deal
King.com, one of the largest makers of games where people compete against each other for small awards, has announced an exclusive partnership with RealNetworks, a once popular video player company that has struggled of late.
This is just the latest deal happening in the increasingly competitive online gaming industry. However, we mention this one because King (previous coverage) and Real have been particularly active of late.
Last week, King announced MyGame.com, which lets you create, play and… Continue Reading
Roundup: Google’s Korean clutter, Real’s player, Panoramio and more
Here’s the latest action:
Google Korea has cluttered page — This is a striking departure from the spartan interface Google is known for. Details here. We checked with Google, and a spokeswoman confirmed the Korean site was developed in response to market research and feedback from Korean users. She called it a “new intuitive and easy-to-use design” that helps discover Google products and services.
AOL serving ads in IM and chat — AOL subsidiary Userplane lets Website publishers… Continue Reading
OGPlanet raises $1.5M to license virtual world games from Korean developers
A team of gaming and media executives in Los Angeles have invested $1.5 million into a new company called OGPlanet that license popular Korean games and bring them to the U.S.
The targeted multiplayer, PC games are those built on a “Second Life-like” model that let anyone play for free, but offer players the opportunity to purchase game pieces, clothing and accessories, the company said.
These “virtual economy” games have already attracted tens of millions of players… Continue Reading