Kongregate
Encyclopedia
Kongregate is an online games hosting website owned by Gamestop Corporation, which allows users to upload user-created Adobe Flash
or Unity3D games. It features an API
that Flash and Unity developers can integrate into their games which allows users to submit high scores and in some games, earn achievement badges. Badges and local score submissions are only available on games whose developers choose to use the Kongregate API.
The original design for the Kongregate website itself was created by Happy Cog Studios.
As of July 2008, Kongregate has raised around $9 million in capital from investments by Reid Hoffman
, Jeff Clavier, Jeff Bezos
, and Greylock Partners.
In July 2010, GameStop
announced an agreement to acquire Kongregate. At the same time, Kongregate officially exited their beta stage.
On September 26, 2011 three new Kongregate layouts were informally released to an unknown number of registered users. Feedback was collected from the testers, a majority of it being negative, and on October 10 two of the layouts were tidied up to create a new layout. The third layout remained unchanged. Members who had kept the old version during the first testing phase also kept the old version during the second testing phase. More feedback was collected and the final layout was released to all users, both registered and unregistered, on October 26.
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
or Unity3D games. It features an API
Application programming interface
An application programming interface is a source code based specification intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other...
that Flash and Unity developers can integrate into their games which allows users to submit high scores and in some games, earn achievement badges. Badges and local score submissions are only available on games whose developers choose to use the Kongregate API.
History
Kongregate was released on October 10, 2006 by sister and brother team Emily and Jim Greer into an alpha testing phase, which lasted until December 2006. During this time, game developers and players tested the site's interface and functionality. In December of the same year, the site was formally opened to the public. The site formally entered the beta testing phase on March 22, 2007.The original design for the Kongregate website itself was created by Happy Cog Studios.
As of July 2008, Kongregate has raised around $9 million in capital from investments by Reid Hoffman
Reid Hoffman
Reid G. Hoffman is an American entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Hoffman is best known as the co-founder of LinkedIn, a social network used primarily for business connections and job searching.-Early education and career:...
, Jeff Clavier, Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos
Jeffrey Preston "Jeff" Bezos is the founder, president, chief executive officer , and chairman of the board of Amazon.com.-Early life and background:...
, and Greylock Partners.
In July 2010, GameStop
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
announced an agreement to acquire Kongregate. At the same time, Kongregate officially exited their beta stage.
On September 26, 2011 three new Kongregate layouts were informally released to an unknown number of registered users. Feedback was collected from the testers, a majority of it being negative, and on October 10 two of the layouts were tidied up to create a new layout. The third layout remained unchanged. Members who had kept the old version during the first testing phase also kept the old version during the second testing phase. More feedback was collected and the final layout was released to all users, both registered and unregistered, on October 26.