Gamezebo
Encyclopedia
Gamezebo is a website that focuses on editorial coverage of the casual game
s industry, offering interviews, features, reviews, previews, strategy guides, news and podcasts.
Gamezebo currently covers casual PC games from studios and publishers including PlayFirst
, Big Fish Games
, Oberon, RealArcade/GameHouse
, MumboJumbo
, Playrix Entertainment
, Gogii Games
, Sandlot Games
, Reflexive Entertainment
and Last Day of Work
. The site also spotlights new web games, iPhone games, casual massively-multiplayer online (MMO) games, and casual console video games.
The site is also referred to by casual game developers and publishers, in regards to their reviews, news and walkthroughs.
, and over the years has grown to become the leading medium on casual games, with up to 3.5 million page views per day. To cope with the shift from casual games to social games, the Gamezebo-website was given a large update in February of 2010.
, Gamezebo has a freelance network of about 20 people covering the casual and social games industry. Current and past contributors include Marc Saltzman, Scott Steinberg, , David Laprad, Justin McElroy, Kyle Orland, Chuck Miller, Margie Bissainthe, Meryl K. Evans, Vinny Carrella, Andrew Hayward, Jim Squires, Andrew Webster, Christina Winterburn, Lisa Haasbroek, Martijn Müller, Brandy Shaul, Talor Berthelson and Tawny Müller.
, The Netherlands as part of CGA Europe: West 2007.
by the Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences in the category of Best Video Games-related website.
Casual game
A casual game is a video game targeted at or used by a mass audience of casual gamers. Casual games can have any type of gameplay, and fit in any genre. They are typically distinguished by their simple rules and lack of commitment required in contrast to more complex hardcore games...
s industry, offering interviews, features, reviews, previews, strategy guides, news and podcasts.
Gamezebo currently covers casual PC games from studios and publishers including PlayFirst
PlayFirst
PlayFirst is a San Francisco-based publisher of casual games. The company’s mission is to deliver delightful games for everybody, every day. PlayFirst was founded in 2004 by industry veterans...
, Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games
Big Fish Games is a provider of Internet media delivery software and game services based in Seattle, Washington. The company was founded in 2002 by Paul Thelen , and currently employs more than 400 people...
, Oberon, RealArcade/GameHouse
GameHouse
GameHouse is a casual game developer, publisher, digital video game distributor, and portal, based in Seattle, Washington, United States-History:...
, MumboJumbo
MumboJumbo
Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, MumboJumbo LLC is a publisher, developer and mass marketer of casual games for PCs and game consoles including those manufactured by Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft Corporation. Established in January 2001 they originally focused exclusively on...
, Playrix Entertainment
Playrix Entertainment
Playrix Entertainment is a casual games developer and publisher headquartered in Vologda, Russia. Founded in 2004, it currently employs over 100 people...
, Gogii Games
Gogii Games
Gogii Games is an independent Canadian video game developer and publisher headquartered in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. They currently employ 20 employees in Moncton as well as having full-time contract workers in Nova Scotia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.-History:Founded in 2006 by George...
, Sandlot Games
Sandlot Games
Sandlot Games is a casual and family-friendly games developer and publisher based in Bothell, Washington, United States. It was founded in 2002 by Daniel Bernstein, a veteran of the casual gaming industry, whose experience spans from game development to content strategy at WildTangent, Monolith,...
, Reflexive Entertainment
Reflexive Entertainment
Reflexive Entertainment is a computer game developer based in Lake Forest, California. The company was founded by Lars Brubaker in 1997...
and Last Day of Work
Last Day of Work
Last Day of Work is an independent game studio based in San Francisco, California, which creates and develops casual games for the Windows and Macintosh platforms. The company was founded in 2002 by Arthur K...
. The site also spotlights new web games, iPhone games, casual massively-multiplayer online (MMO) games, and casual console video games.
The site is also referred to by casual game developers and publishers, in regards to their reviews, news and walkthroughs.
History
Gamezebo was founded in 2006 by Joel Brodie, former head of business development at Yahoo! GamesYahoo! Games
Yahoo! Games is the section of the Yahoo! website in which Yahoo! users can play games either with other users or by themselves. The games on the website are typically Java applets or quick Flash games, but there are others which require a download. Many of the games that require a download...
, and over the years has grown to become the leading medium on casual games, with up to 3.5 million page views per day. To cope with the shift from casual games to social games, the Gamezebo-website was given a large update in February of 2010.
Writers
Besides owner Joel Brodie, and editor-in-chief Erin BellErin Bell
Erin Bell is a videogame and technology journalist based in Toronto, Canada. She is currently a regular contributor to The Globe and Mail, PC World Canada, Crispy Gamer and Gamezebo, and has also written for Ziff Davis’ Pocket Games magazine, the Canadian videogame magazine Total Gamer, and...
, Gamezebo has a freelance network of about 20 people covering the casual and social games industry. Current and past contributors include Marc Saltzman, Scott Steinberg, , David Laprad, Justin McElroy, Kyle Orland, Chuck Miller, Margie Bissainthe, Meryl K. Evans, Vinny Carrella, Andrew Hayward, Jim Squires, Andrew Webster, Christina Winterburn, Lisa Haasbroek, Martijn Müller, Brandy Shaul, Talor Berthelson and Tawny Müller.
The Zeebys
In 2007, Gamezebo and the Casual Games Association jointly launched the Zeebys, a set of awards recognizing the best in casual games each year. The awards are divided into two categories: the People’s Choice Awards are voted on by the general public, while the Craft Awards are voted on by registered members of the Casual Games Association. The Zeeby award winners for 2006 were announced in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, The Netherlands as part of CGA Europe: West 2007.
Awards and Industry Involvement
In 2008, Gamezebo was nominated for a Webby AwardWebby Awards
A Webby Award is an international award presented annually by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences for excellence on the Internet with categories in websites, interactive advertising, online film and video, and mobile....
by the Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences in the category of Best Video Games-related website.