Category: Mobile Gaming

Mobile gaming set to change with new COPPA rules

| December 26, 2012

mobile gaming security rules childrenFTC issues amendments to COPPA that could affect mobile gaming

Earlier this month, The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a U.S. agency committed to promoting consumer protection, issued a call to the mobile applications industry to bolster their security measures for applications that are designed for children. Mobile gaming application are rampantly popular among children, and the FTC believes that the majority of these applications do not have adequate security measures in place to protect the information of consumers. The agency has released amendments to the Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) this week detailing some of the changes that must be made to mobile gaming and the applications business in general.

Developers banned from collecting information from children

According to the COPPA amendments, mobile gaming applications are completely forbidden from collecting personal data from users that are under the age of 13. Developers will have to received parental consent in order to obtain this information. The ban keeps mobile gaming applications from collecting geographic information as well in an attempt to provide young consumers with another layer of protection. Geographic information is often used in marketing to target specific demographics.

Developers tasked with securing personal information

The changes to the COPPA law also close a loophole that allowed applications to collect a wide assortment of information from consumers. These applications often use third party solutions to acquire personal information from users. The FTC notes that developers and applications providers will need to take reasonable steps in securing the protection of a child’s personal information and ensure that this information is kept confidential.

COPPA changes may be difficult to comply with due to consumer honesty

Changes to COPPA may have an impact on the mobile gaming sector, but app developers are likely to adapt well to the changes. There are concerns that children often use mobile applications without the consent of their parents. Protecting the information of young consumers is largely linked to the honesty of these consumers, which can be a problematic issue as young consumers tend to bend the truth in order to gain access to applications that may not be suitable for their age group.

Kamcord wins strong financial backing

| December 24, 2012

kamcord wins financial backingKamcord aims to revolutionize mobile gaming

Being able to record and share gameplay, especially from a mobile device, is a very alluring concept to a large number of gamers. Sites like YouTube, Twitch, and Own3d offer users the ability to stream their gameplay sessions, which can be seen by thousands of game enthusiasts around the world. The ability to record and share gameplay has been largely absent from the mobile space until very recently. Kamcord, a company that specializes in recording mobile gaming,  has managed to bring new services to gamers that have been eager to record their gaming session on their favorite mobile devices.

Mobile gaming continues to dominate the game industry

Mobile gaming has become a major part of the game industry. The high penetration of mobile devices, such as smart phones and tablets, has provided game and application developers with a promising opportunity to engage a huge number of consumers around the world. Streaming services have established a strong foothold with gamers, many of whom have shown intense interest and support for mobile gaming.

Kamcord received $1.5 million in funding

Kamcord has announced that it has raised a total of $1.5 million in seed funding that will help it further enhance its mobile gaming recording services. Earlier this year, Kamcord introduced its mobile game recording SDK to developers, which was well received. Backed by new funding, the company is keen to continue developing innovative services and platforms for those interested in recording their mobile gaming experiences.

Funding may help Kamcord move into Android platform

The funding that Kamcord received comes from Google Ventures, Tencent, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and Andreessen Horowitz. The money may help Kamcord tackle the Android platform, which it has avoided thus far. Kamcord is comprised of a small team, which has limited the company’s focus on the iOS platform. Kamcord has interest in entering the Android space in the future in order to provide better services to a wider range of gamers.