Moblyng

Moblyng was a venture-backed company positioned as a developer and publisher of HTML5-based social games. Founded by Stewart Putney, the firm was established in 2008, although some sources suggest an earlier founding year of 2005 or 2007 under the name FlipTrack. Initially, the company focused on a slide show creation service before pivoting to become a specialist in cross-platform HTML5 social games. This strategic shift was driven by the vision that HTML5 would enable developers to create a game once and deploy it across various platforms, including mobile devices and social networks like Facebook and MySpace.

The company's primary market was the social and casual gaming sector. Its business model centered on the sale of virtual currency within its free-to-play web and mobile titles. Moblyng developed its own games, such as "Social Poker Live" and "Word Racer Live," and also formed strategic partnerships to publish titles from other developers, including a notable alliance with Disney's Playdom to bring games like "Mobsters" and "Sorority Life" to multiple mobile operating systems. The core value proposition was its cross-platform capability, allowing a user on Facebook to compete against another player on a mobile phone, a significant technical ambition at the time.

Despite raising approximately $14.7 million in funding over several rounds from investors like Mohr Davidow Ventures and Deep Fork Capital, Moblyng ultimately ceased operations in January 2012. The company was unable to generate sufficient revenue to sustain its business, a challenge the founder attributed to the nascent state of the HTML5 gaming ecosystem at the time. At the time of its closure, the Redwood City, California-based company laid off its entire staff of 20 employees. Founder Stewart Putney expressed that while he remained confident in the future of HTML5 for games, the market had not matured quickly enough for Moblyng to monetize its user base effectively.

Keywords: Moblyng, HTML5 games, social gaming, cross-platform games, mobile games, Stewart Putney, virtual currency, Playdom, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Deep Fork Capital, Redwood City startup, social network games, free-to-play, casual games, mobile game publisher, game development, venture-backed, FlipTrack, Social Poker Live, Word Racer Live