
Source: Upstream
Upstream, a software and infrastructure platform for mobile, has partnered with GamePix to offer GAMEDON, a browser-based gaming portal that gives consumers access to more than 100 top mobile games with one subscription. Upstream said this new mobile gaming experience offers several key advantages over games purchased in a traditional app store like the App Store or Google Play, including:
- No in-game purchases or additional purchases are required.
- Users can access GAMEDON with one “low cost” weekly payment.
- GAMEDOM is ad free.
- More than 80 game titles are available for kids under 10, including premium titles.
- GAMEDOM includes a family timer feature to control the amount of play time a user can have.
- Titles for kids are also available through a stand-alone portal called GAMEDOM Kids.
- GAMEDOM can be paid through direct operator billing, so a bank payment card is not necessary, which will help grow the user base in developing countries and emerging markets where online payments are difficult to make.
In an announcement about the GAMEDOM launch, George Kalyvas, Head of Propositions, Upstream, said: “We are phenomenally excited to be able to offer subscription-based mobile gaming. As has been shown by leading brands like Netflix, Apple Music, Spotify and Xbox Live Arcade, all-you-can-eat subscription services are popular amongst customers for offering access to a huge amount of content at an affordable price. GAMEDOM brings this model to the world of mobile gaming for the first time in many countries and provides a logical next step from traditional app store distribution models.”
Source: Upstream
To date, GAMEDOM has been launched in Brazil and Nicaragua. Qatar and Nigeria will be the next countries to get access to GAMEDOM over the summer. Pricing information or information about where the subscription can be purchased are not yet available. We have reached out to Upstream’s PR firm and are waiting for a reply. We’ll update the story as soon as we get additional information.
GamePix Edouard Wawra, CEO, also commented on the launch: “The mobile gaming industry continues to grow at an impressive rate, driven by consumer demand and smartphone penetration. GAMEDOM is the result of a successful partnership between Upstream and GamePix. For the first time, we will bring top branded HTML5 games in emerging markets, allowing users to play from any kind of mobile device: Android, iOS and others. This is an important step forward for the industry and will allow gaming companies to publish their games in strategic territories by leveraging the GamePix platform.”
With a focus on high growth markets, Upstream platforms have enabled 1.2 billion people to receive and pay for digital subscription services on mobile devices. The company has 65 million paying subscribers in 43 countries who paid purchases of $255 million in 2015.
Insider Take:
Because the target audience of GAMEDOM is emerging and growth markets, it is unlikely that this subscription service will come to the U.S., but we still love the idea. Packaging kid-friendly games with unique features like a family timer, an ad-free experience and direct operator billing creates an opportunity for mobile users of all ages to access an all-you-can-play gaming platform not currently available. We always love innovation, particularly when the subscription business model can help make new products and services available to new audiences.