XPOGames: A Portal and Social Network for Gamers and Developers [Invites]

Credit:

That's not the focus of XPOGames, though. The gaming social network, launching today, enters the gaming arena with a platform for not only playing games online, but for supporting game developers and creating a fully-immersing social experience. It combines the best of gaming portals with social media.

XPOGames: Social Networking Meets Gaming Portal

Unlike other gaming social networks like UGAME, the focus is not on mainstream games on consoles, but user-created games, mostly via Flash. In that way, it's a lot like Armor Games.

But XPOGames goes beyond the portal functionality. While Armor Games, Newgrounds, and other user-created gaming sites are gaming portals, XPOGames is both a portal and a social network. There are a full range of social features available, including the ability to like games, friend other users, create profiles, send messages, posts on virtual walls, and groups.

Two specific social features catch the eye. First is the news feed, which makes perfect sense for a social gaming website. You're immediately informed of your friends' achievements, high scores, and recently uploaded games. The second feature is what XPOGames calls "LSS," or the Live Scoring System. Simply put: you can compete against anyone in any game in real-time.

Gaming is simply more relevant when you're playing against friends, and XPOGames not only understands this, but encourages users to become friends to enhance the appeal and functionality of its platform.

Standing Out in a Crowded Field

Credit:

XPOGames joins a crowded field of gaming communities, social networks, and platforms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. OMGPOP is an amazing social gaming platform, but doesn't allow for user-submitted games. Newgrounds and Armor Games provide for user-submitted games, but lack many social features.

XPOGames has brought a lot of the best pieces of these services together. It's rich in features and already has a slew of fun games ready-to-go. It's a challenge to compete in this market, but XPOGames brings the best of social networking and gaming together in a clean and efficient way.

Exclusive: 1000 Invites for Mashable Readers