Heyzap, a startup that allows users to check in as they play their favorite mobile games, is now releasing its data through an API.
The API focuses on two types of information — games and players. Through the API, a developer can see which games are trending based on usage, or they can bring up a list of who has checked in to each title. Heyzap says developers could also look up information about individual players, such as their profile and check-in history. And since co-founder Jude Gomila describes this as “a read API to start with,” you can probably assume that the startup will be adding more features over time.
Gomila says non-game developers have been making requests for access to Heyzap’s data, so he sees the API as a way for the company to reach an entirely new set of partners, including gaming platforms, social platforms, and gaming news websites. As with anyone launching API, Gomila is hoping to be surprised by how the API is used, though he notes that many of “the early compelling projects” have had a strong visual elements. He offers the tantalizing (but also theoretically exhausting) suggestion that it might be possible to use the API as the basis for a “location-based chess game.”
As a demonstration of how the API might be used, Heyzap has created two cool maps that show game usage in real-time — one for the whole world, and one specifically for San Francisco (where the Game Developers Conference is currently being held). So as players check in to games, you can see icons appear (or rather fall) on a map, showing where they’re playing.
You can read more about the API here. (And yes, this does seem to be the week for cool projects from Heyzap.)
Heyzap is a social discovery platform for mobile and the largest social network for Android/iPhone mobile gamers. Heyzap is based on San Francisco and was founded in 2009 by Jude Gomila and Immad Akhund. Heyzap provides users with a way to check-in to their favorite games, discover games and join a massive community of mobile gamers. Heyzap allows users to let other gamers know what they are playing, leave or browse tips for their favorite games, and earn badges. For mobile...
Jude Gomila is currently co founder of Heyzap (Union Square Ventures and Y Combinator funded in 2009). Jude Gomila was born in London, UK and attended the UK’s Cambridge University. He graduated with Honors in Engineering and Management. During his final year of University he started Sugar Global, a digital photo frame brand, making sales to UK stores including Harrods, Selfridges, Amazon and Firebox.com. Sugar products were featured in the What Hi-Fi Magazine’s Expo 2007. After Sugar Global, Jude...
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
Berlin, Germany
San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
