Like playing games on Facebook? Try playing on your Samsung TV
The final frontier for social games might be what you sit in front of all night long: your television. (Do people still call it that?) GamePro reports that PlayJam, a social gaming company that specializes in TVs as its platform(s), has signed a deal with Samsung. This partnership will bring PlayJam's stable of casual games to web-enabled Samsung TVs through Smart TV software.
More specifically, London-based PlayJam games will be found through Samsung Apps, reportedly the first app store on an HDTV. While specific games weren't mentioned, a statement said that players will have access to a variety of "in-house and leading brand titles" and "thousands of casual games at the touch of a button on the remote control."
PlayJam's system has full support for social games including leader boards, cross-network tournaments, and--most importantly for some--virtual currencies. It's a brilliant idea, in theory. Where do most casual or non-gamers spend a bigger chunk of their leisure time than anywhere else? You guessed it.
GamePro guesses that social games for TV could grow even larger than Facebook games, but that all depends on the quality of the games, which we've yet to see. Regardless, the potential for growth and notoriety is certainly there, according to PlayJam CEO Jasper Smith:
I have a fundamental belief that games on TV will evolve into a huge commercial opportunity, and our combined aim is simply to provide the best games experience possible to our customers. To help make that a reality, we offer great game developers simple access to our global games network -- so that they can monetize their IP and make their games famous. TV has some extraordinary advantages over the Web and mobile, and the ability to make standout formats has never been greater.
And thanks to Facebook's recent ... rewording of its Facebook Credits terms, Facebook game developers are allowed to place their games elsewhere as long as pricing is identical. Empires & Allies on the old 55-inch, anyone? We've contacted PlayJam for more details.
[Image Credit: Slashgear]
Have you tried playing casual games on your HDTV through PlayJam? Do you this type of distribution could outgrow Facebook and smartphones? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
