Flowplay launches new immersive social casino product

The Seattle-based games developer FlowPlay has entered the competitive social casino sector with an immersive, free-to-play MMORPG casino product branded “Vegas World”.

FlowPlay is a developer started by former RealNetworks general manager Derrick Morton several years ago, and incorporates environmental features that go beyond avatars, allowing players to use virtual cash to gamble, hire a virtual hotel room, or visit virtual facilities like the pool and restaurants, interacting with other players.

Another innovation is the ability to buy “luck charms” which improve the players’ odds in the casino games.

The launch of the game follows its “soft” introduction almost a year ago, and it has proved to be a popular venue, attracting over a million registrations so far and boasting 350,000 unique monthly users with an average dwelling time of 40 minutes a session.

In an interview with the publication Geekwire, Morton said that Vegas World is unique in that it offers a virtual world experience beyond mere gambling.

“Even when you’re playing slots, you’re in a room with seven other people cooperating together for jackpots that everyone participates in,” he claimed, adding that his inspiration for the product came from the now shuttered VirtualVegas.com more than a decade ago.

Vegas World is available on Facebook, Android, iOS and the web.

FlowPlay has offices in Seattle and Shanghai, China and employs just over 30 people; the company has raised $7.2 million in investment capital from Intel Capital and ASI, and has been profitable since 2011.

Check out the Vegas World promotional vid here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxzkK93MMKw