Habbo set to launch its own social games platform

Following a child safety scandal at online chat service Habbo, developer Sulake is now looking to reel users back in with the upcoming launch of a new game platform within the website. An investigation into safety concerns at the children's gaming and chat website caused investors and retailers to jump ship earlier this year, and Sulake says that it lost over half of its monthly active users as a result, down from 9 million to 4 million. The new Habbo APIs will allow developers to publish games via the Habbo website, ready for the chat website's millions of users to try their hand at. A new games center option is set to be added to the site's main menu, giving visitors direct access to the library. Initially promotion for games will be free through the website, and in-app monetization and advertising will be possible. However, as the website is aimed at young children, there are strict content guidelines that must be following, including no violence, nudity, drugs, racism, bad language, and political and religious content. Antti Viitanen, Sulake EVP, explained to TechCrunch, "We have been thrilled to work with such a great bunch of talented game studios. Habbo offers developers globally a great opportunity to create games for the huge Habbo user base, especially now, when the platform isn't yet crowded with games." Interested parties can read more about the Habbo APIs and sign up at the official website.