Mobage
{{Short description|Japanese online gaming network}}
{{More citations needed|date=December 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Mobage
| logo = Mobage Logo.png
| logocaption = Mobile App Developers
| screenshot =
| collapsible =
| collapsetext =
| caption =
| commercial =
| type =
| registration =
| language = Japanese
| num_users =
| content_license =
| owner = DeNA
| author =
| editor =
| launch_date = {{start date and age|2006|02|07|df=y}} (as Mobage Town)
{{start date and age|2011|03|28|df=y}} (as Mobage)
| revenue =
| current_status = Active
| url = {{URL|mbga.jp}}
}}
{{nihongo|Mobage|モバゲー|Mobagē|"Mobile Game"}} is a portal and social network for games owned by the Japanese company DeNA. It derives its name from the Japanese slang word for mobile games.
History
In 2011, as part of a strategy to unify its services, DeNA rebranded Mobage Town as Mobage (sometimes called Mobage East) for use in Japan, while the Plus+ network operated by ngmoco, a subsidiary of DeNA, was also rebranded as Mobage (sometimes called Mobage West), for use in the West.{{Cite web |last=Jordan |first=Jon |date=15 December 2010 |title=Ngmoco launches JavaScript-based ngCore Game Tech framework for iOS and Android |url=https://www.pocketgamer.com/ngcore-game-tech/ngmoco-launches-javascript-based-ngcore-game-tech-framework-for-ios-and-android/ |access-date=1 March 2024 |website=wpocketgamer.com}}{{cite web|url=http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1102/14/news066.html|title=モバゲータウンが「Mobage」に サービス名・ロゴ一新して世界展開加速|access-date=24 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141206012646/http://www.itmedia.co.jp/news/articles/1102/14/news066.html|archive-date=6 December 2014|url-status=dead}}
On 19 December 2014, ngmoco announced the rebranding of Mobage West to DeNA.{{cite web|url=http://blog.denagames.com/post/97156889086/mobage-is-now-pronounced-dena-d-n-a|title=Mobage is now pronounced DeNA (D-N-A)!}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pocketgamer.biz/asia/news/60054/dena-drops-mobage-branding/|title=DeNA drops Mobage branding|date=2 October 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://technoapt.com/mobage-create-japanese-mobage-account/|title=Mobage}} The Japanese site continued to operate under the Mobage name.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
On 9 August 2018, the English website was reportedly shut down for unknown reasons.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
Reception
The service was described as highly successful in academic research.{{Cite book |last=Yamakami |first=Toshihiko |title=2011 10th International Conference on Mobile Business |date=June 2011 |isbn=978-1-4577-0497-0 |pages=114–118 |chapter=A Four-Layer Success Factor View Model of Mobile Social Games: Analysis of Mobage Success in Japan |doi=10.1109/ICMB.2011.36 |chapter-url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6047060 |s2cid=28809987}} In July 2011, it was reported the service had 30 million users, who largely played on feature phones.{{cite web |date=26 July 2011 |title=DeNA and Ngmoco launch Mobage mobile social network across globe |url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/07/26/dena-and-ngmoco-launch-mobage-mobile-social-network-across-globe/ |work=venturebeat.com}}
References
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