PokerStars has launched a new online poker app on Facebook. Available in a limited beta version, the app is an extension of PokerStars’ free play .net poker site on Facebook.
Built on Flash, the new app has features commonly found on all social free play gaming apps, such as levels, experience points, achievements, challenges, virtual items, leader boards, and so on.
The app includes an in-built store, where players can purchase extra gold coins and chips and
spend them on purchasing accessories that are displayed near their table avatars.
The app also allows players to include their Facebook friends into their poker friends list, transfer play chips to and receive them from their poker friends, and send and receive virtual gifts.
The app, called PokerStars.net on Facebook, includes a number of attractive PokerStars features such as play chip cash, several varieties of games, tournaments, and Zoom Poker. Players who have registered accounts at PokerStars can log into PokerStars.net with the same password and user name.
PokerStars has announced that PokerStars.net is now in the limited beta version, owing to which it cannot be found in Facebook’s app store.
Speaking about the new app, Eric Hollreiser, head (corporate communications) of PokerStars, said:
We’re launching it in beta because we want to test it out and ensure it is up to PokerStars’ high standard. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and while the beta testing is just beginning, we will allow new participants to join as and when we are able to do so.
This is part of ongoing research and development efforts, and is just one of a whole range of areas that we are working on.
According to a Pokerfuse news report, PokerStars had begun working on social gaming apps last November and was getting ready to launch a major social gaming product. PokerStars, however, had not confirmed the news at that time.
While PokerStars is planning to compete with Zynga Poker in the social gaming sector, Zynga Poker is planning to compete with PokerStars in the real money poker gaming sector. Zynga recently got into an agreement with Bwin.party Digital Entertainment Plc. to provide real money poker to its UK players in the first half of this year under the brand name Zynga Plus Poker.
The social gaming and real money gaming sectors are merging at a rapid pace now that Facebook is allowing real money gaming apps.
