Platforms like OpenFeint are becoming popular for game developers to easily implement a plug and play technology to incorporate social gaming elements into iOS and Android games. PapayaMobile also offers a similar platform, as well as dedicated social games. Tonight, PapayaMobile is launching its FarmVille-like game, aptly called Papaya Farm, on the iPhone and iPad. While Papaya Farm was on iPhone shortly after the company launched in September 2009, the app was shortly removed and has been available on Android only.
Papaya Farm allows players to manage a virtual farm by plowing land and planting and harvesting virtual crops, trees and bushes (sound familiar?) A player begins with an empty farm and a fixed starting amount of “Papayas,” the virtual currency used in the game. Papayas can also be used in PapayaMobile’s other social games, including PapayaFish.
As we mentioned, the game was developed using PapayaMobile’s Game Engine SDK. Until now the game was only available via an Android app and the web, and has actually seen decent success considering the competition in the mobile social gaming space. Papaya Farm has more than 2.5 million monthly average users, around 20 percent of which are on iOS devices. Hopefully that number will increase with the launch of a native app.