Gree closing OpenFeint

Gree is closing down mobile games network OpenFeint next month just a year after it acquired the company for $104 million.

Announcing the decision on its website, the mobile games outfit stated developers should begin preparations for the closure of the service on December 14th, although noted it may not be closed till a later date.

All information and unsecured player data will be lost after OpenFeint is shutdown, and all network calls will be nonfictional which Gree said “may result in service disruptions to your game and a poor player experience”.

As a result of the closure, Gree has encouraged developers to move to its on Gree platform to maintain game information, signifying a clear change in strategy to its own-developed services.

The mobile games company said that basic Gree platform SDK integration can take less than a week, so developers should migrate to the new service soon if they plan to stick with the firm’s services.

Historical data from OpenFeint will not be transferred to the new Gree platform analytics system, while a virtual goods management solution similar to OFX will not be featured in the service’s initial release, with the OFSDK not compatible either.

Developers who have created iPad titles will also currently not be able to transfer their titles, with a tablet-optimised SDK yet to be released.