Kongregate#Kongai

Kongregate was released on October 10, 2006, by siblings Emily and Jim Greer into an alpha testing phase, which lasted until December 2006.{{cite web |last=Greer |first=Jim |title=Gamers asking for Kongregate! |publisher=Jim on Web Games |date=2006-09-01 |url=http://jimonwebgames.com/articles/2006/08/31/gamers-asking-for-kongregate |access-date=2018-10-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928102139/http://jimonwebgames.com/articles/2006/08/31/gamers-asking-for-kongregate |archive-date=2007-09-28}} During that time, game developers and players tested the site's interface and functionality. The site formally entered the beta testing phase on March 22, 2007.{{cite news |last=Nicole |first=Kristen |title=Kongregate Announces Funding, Launches |publisher=Mashable Social Networking News |date=2007-03-22 |url=https://mashable.com/2007/03/22/kongregate/ |access-date=2018-10-15}}{{cite news |last=Marshall |first=Matt |title=Kongregate, the online social game hub |publisher=Venture Beat |date=2007-03-21 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2007/03/21/kongregrate-the-online-social-game-hub/ |access-date=2018-10-15}} In December of the same year, the site was formally opened to the public. By July 2008, Kongregate had raised around $9 million in capital from investments by Reid Hoffman, Jeff Clavier, Jeff Bezos, and Greylock Partners, a venture capital firm.{{cite news |url=https://techcrunch.com/2008/04/30/kongregate-gets-3-million-from-bezos-growing-fast-and-about-to-unleash-its-games-on-facebook/ |title=Kongregate Gets $3 Million From Bezos: Growing Fast and About To Unleash Its Games on Facebook |first=Erick |last=Schonfeld |date=2008-04-30 |access-date=2018-10-15 |work=Tech Crunch}}

On July 23, 2010, GameStop announced an agreement to acquire Kongregate.{{cite web |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100727005389/en/GameStop-Announces-Agreement-Acquire-Kongregate |author=GameStop |publisher=BusinessWire |title=GameStop Announces Agreement to Acquire Kongregate Inc. |date=2010-07-27 |access-date=2018-10-15}} In 2014, the site introduced digital creatures called Kongpanions, which act as a site-wide achievement system and metagame. The creatures often take the form of animals or anthropomophized objects. The Kongpanions which players collect can be used in some games on the site.{{cite web |url=http://www.jmtb02.com/ |title=Other Work |access-date=2018-10-15}}

In 2024 it was announced that game development studio Monumental acquired Kongregate.{{cite web | url=https://www.mtg.com/press-releases/mtg-combines-kongregate-with-monumental-for-a-30-stake-in-the-joined-entity/ | title=MTG combines Kongregate with Monumental for a 30 % stake in the joined entity }}

In early 2013, Kongregate announced a $10 million fund devoted to mobile gaming{{cite web |last1=Weber |first1=Rachel |title=Kongregate launches $10m fund for mobile developers |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-02-04-kongregate-launches-USD10m-for-mobile-developers |website=GamesIndustry.biz |date=4 February 2013 |access-date=9 September 2020 |language=en}} and as part of this new program, Pany Haritatos, a former Zynga executive, was hired to oversee it.{{cite web |url=https://www.mobileworldlive.com/kongregate-launches-10m-mobile-games-fund |first=Steve |last=Costello |title=Kongregate launches $10M mobile games fund |date=2013-02-14 |access-date=2018-10-15 |archive-date=2019-05-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190506105236/https://www.mobileworldlive.com/kongregate-launches-10m-mobile-games-fund |url-status=dead }} The money was used to financially support free-to-play mobile game developers by helping them test and market their games.{{cite web |last1=Weber |first1=Rachel |title=Kongregate names $10m mobile fund developers |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2013-07-02-kongregate-names-USD10m-mobile-fund-developers |website=GamesIndustry.biz |date=2 July 2013 |access-date=9 September 2020 |language=en}} Some of the developers who benefited from the fund included Synapse Games, RedPoint Labs, and Making Fun.

Kongregate announced plans in October 2016 to help developers bring their games to the Steam distribution platform with an updated software development kit to make it easy to port games between Kongregate's web and mobile platforms as well as the Steam platforms (Windows, macOS, and Linux). It also simplified for players data sharing between the platforms. That enabled games to take advantage of microtransactions through the Steam store for titles otherwise normally free-to-play.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-10-28-kongregate-expands-to-steam-exploring-opportunities-in-premium |title=Kongregate expands to Steam, "exploring opportunities" in premium |first=James |last=Brightman |date=2016-10-28 |access-date=2018-10-15|work=GamesIndustry.biz}} In 2016, Kongregate received Apple Editors' Choice for BattleHand and The Trail,{{cite web |url=https://appadvice.com/post/best-apps-and-games-of-2016/730901 |title=Here are Apple's Best Apps and Games of 2016 |work=AppAdvice |first=Aldrin |last=Calimlim |date=2016-12-07 |access-date=2018-10-15}} and the company received Google Play Editors' Choice for Animation Throwdown and AdVenture Capitalist. BattleHand and The Trail were voted as Best of 2016 by Apple, and Animation Throwdown and The Trail were voted Best of 2016 by Google Play.{{citation needed|date=October 2018}}

On June 20, 2017, Kongregate announced it had closed a deal to be acquired by Swedish entertainment company Modern Times Group{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/06/20/mtg-buys-gamestops-mobile-game-publisher-kongregate-for-55-million/ |first=Dean |last=Takahashi |title=MTG buys GameStop's mobile game publisher Kongregate for $55 million |date=2017-06-20 |website=VentureBeat |access-date=2018-10-15}} for $55 million. That followed MTG's recent purchase of 51% of Hamburg-based online game developer InnoGames in 2016 and 2017. Planned as part of the deal was a change in focus from hosting third-party games to driving game development as well. "[...]we'll be deepening our investment in several areas, from marketing/marketing tech to platform engineering. We're also going to be investing in first-party development and potential acquisitions of our own within the games space," said CEO Emily Greer.{{cite news |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/interview/66039/kongregate-on-its-post-acquisition-strategy/ |first=Matt |last=Suckley |date=2017-06-21 |title="More growth, more platforms, broader presence": Kongregate on its post-acquisition strategy |work=pocketgamer.biz |access-date=2018-10-15}} On October 5, 2017, Kongregate acquired Chicago-based Synapse Games, the developer of Animation Throwdown.{{cite web |url=https://www.pocketgamer.biz/news/66740/kongregate-acquires-synpase-games/ |title=Kongregate acquires Animation Throwdown and Spellstone developer Synpase Games |first=Ric |last=Cowley |date=2017-10-05 |website=pocketgamer.biz |access-date=2018-10-15}}

On May 2, 2019, Kongregate announced that Greer, the co-founder and CEO was leaving the company. She was replaced by COO Pany Haritatos as an interim CEO.{{cite web |url=https://venturebeat.com/2019/05/02/kongregate-ceo-and-cofounder-emily-greer-is-leaving-the-company/ |title=Kongregate CEO and cofounder Emily Greer is leaving the company |first=Mike |last=Minotti |date=2019-05-02 |website=venturebeat.com |access-date=2019-05-30}} In December 2019, Kongregate acquired Surviv.io, a free-to-play online game.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/355234/Kongregate_acquires_mobile_and_browser_battle_royale_shooter_Survivio.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205222632/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/355234/Kongregate_acquires_mobile_and_browser_battle_royale_shooter_Survivio.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 5, 2019|title=Kongregate acquires mobile and browser battle royale shooter Surviv.io|last=Kerr|first=Chris|website=www.gamasutra.com|date=5 December 2019 |language=en|access-date=2019-12-06}}{{Cite web|url=https://blog.kongregate.com/kongregate-acquires-popular-battle-royale-game-surviv-io/|title=Kongregate Acquires Popular Battle Royale Game 'Surviv.io'|date=2019-12-05|website=Kongregate Developers|language=en|access-date=2020-01-14}} On July 1, 2020, Kongregate announced the discontinuation of submissions as it prepared for the end-of-life for Adobe Flash Player by December 31, 2020, during which time the software required to run most of its games would be disabled in some browsers. Other features of the site such as the forums were also halted at the time as the Kongregate team worked on transitioning their internal titles to HTML5.{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/2/21311227/kongregate-flash-gaming-2020-changes-development | title= Kongregate is shifting away from Flash gaming | first = Nicole | last = Carpenter | date = July 2, 2020 | access-date = July 2, 2020 | work = Polygon }}

In November 2018 Kongregate opened Kartridge, a digital storefront focusing on independent games.{{cite web |last1=Tarason |first1=Dominic |title=Kongregate's new games store Kartridge is open for business |url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2018/11/01/kongregate-kartridge-store-opening/ |website=Rock, Paper, Shotgun|date=November 2018 }} The storefront was available via browser or desktop app and features both premium paid games and free browser-based titles.{{cite web |last1=Chalk |first1=Andy |title=Kongregate's digital storefront Kartridge is now open for everyone |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/kongregates-digital-storefront-kartridge-is-now-open-for-everyone/ |website=PC Gamer|date=November 2018 }} Unlike other storefronts such as Steam, Kartridge is a heavily curated store. Kongregate hopes this curation will help spotlight quality games and address discoverability issues indie games commonly face.{{cite web |last1=Conditt |first1=Jessica |title=Kartridge is a curated game store, now with more Indie Megabooth |url=https://www.engadget.com/2018/12/13/indie-megabooth-kartridge-kongregate-game-store/ |website=Engadget|date=13 December 2018 }} Another incentive offered to developers by the store is an increased revenue share for all games until they reach $10,000 in sales,{{cite web |last1=Chan |first1=Stephanie |title=Kongregate announces revenue share details for its PC gaming platform Kartridge |url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/04/24/kongregate-announces-revenue-share-details-for-its-pc-gaming-platform-kartridge/ |website=VentureBeat |access-date=9 September 2020 |date=24 April 2018}} with games that are exclusive to it having a higher threshold of $40,000.{{cite web |last1=Handrahan |first1=Matthew |title=Kartridge offers developers 100% of revenue up to $10,000 |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-04-25-kartridge-offers-developers-100-percent-of-revenue-up-to-usd10k |website=GamesIndustry.biz |date=25 April 2018 |access-date=9 September 2020 |language=en}}

Kartridge shut down in September 2023.{{Cite web |date=2023-09-13 |title=Sunsetting Kartridge & Kartridge.com - Kongregate |url=https://kong.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/16394691968660-Sunsetting-Kartridge-Kartridge-com }}

In July 2021 Kongregate announced plans for Kongregate.io, a web gaming portal featuring games that use non-fungible tokens.{{cite web |last1=Takahashi | first1=Dean |title=Kongregate.io will hit open beta later this year with NFT games| date=29 July 2021 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2021/07/29/kongregate-io-will-hit-open-beta-later-this-year-with-nft-games/}}

In May 2022 Kongregate announced a team-up with blockchain game tech company Immutable X with a $40 million grant fund for developers who make blockchain games for Kongregate.{{cite web |last1=Takahashi | first1=Dean |title=Kongregate and Immutable X launch $40M blockchain game dev fund| date=25 May 2022 |url=https://venturebeat.com/2022/05/25/kongregate-and-immutable-x-launch-40m-blockchain-game-dev-fund/}}

Kongregate has released 25 games for mobile devices that are available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. Their most downloaded apps include AdVenture Capitalist, Pocket Politics, and Star Trek Trexels.

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website}}
• [https://www.kartridge.com Kartridge website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112013225/https://www.kartridge.com/ |date=2020-11-12 }}

Category:Browser-based game websites

Category:Internet properties established in 2006

Category:Webby Award winners

Category:GameStop

Category:Modern Times Group

Category:2010 mergers and acquisitions

Category:2017 mergers and acquisitions

Category:Video game companies established in 2006