GREE Platform Enters Open Beta, OpenFeint Migration Begins
The mobile gaming world continues to evolve, and this time, a familiar name is stepping up with a global vision. GREE, the Japan-based mobile social gaming company, has officially launched the GREE Platform in open beta, inviting developers worldwide to integrate its social gaming SDK into their apps.
For those who’ve been around the iOS gaming scene for a while, the GREE name may ring a bell—especially if you remember OpenFeint, one of the earliest social gaming platforms on iOS. Now, GREE is blending its existing international platform with the legacy of OpenFeint, and giving it a fresh push aimed at modern mobile developers.
What Is the GREE Platform?
At its core, the GREE Platform is a social integration toolkit—an SDK designed to bring robust, user-facing social features into mobile apps. We’re not just talking about basic leaderboards and achievements. The platform includes:
Player invites and friend requests
In-app messaging
Social sharing tools
Global leaderboards
Achievements and trophies
Language localization features
The idea is simple: help developers make their games more social, more engaging, and more discoverable—especially in a saturated market where user retention is a daily battle.
Why It Matters for Developers in 2025
In a mobile ecosystem dominated by Apple’s Game Center and Google’s Play Games Services, third-party SDKs often struggle to compete. But GREE isn’t just another plug-in—it’s backed by one of the biggest names in mobile gaming, especially in Asia.
Here’s what stands out about the GREE Platform today:
Multilingual support from day one – Launching with English and Japanese, GREE plans to support 14 languages to help developers reach a global audience.
Cross-border social features – Games can connect players across language and regional barriers.
Smart user acquisition tools – GREE claims its platform improves install rates and helps developers reach high-retention players by enhancing app virality.
These aren’t minor improvements—they target three of the biggest challenges mobile developers face today: user engagement, retention, and global growth.
What Happens to OpenFeint?
For anyone who used OpenFeint in the early 2010s, this news might feel like a nostalgic moment. At one time, OpenFeint was the backbone of mobile social gaming—used by hundreds of developers and hosting millions of users before Apple rolled out Game Center in iOS 4.
GREE acquired OpenFeint back in 2011, and while the platform slowly faded from relevance over the years, much of its architecture and community-focused design philosophy remains. Now, that foundation is being reactivated—this time under GREE’s global umbrella.
Developers who already integrated OpenFeint into their games will reportedly be able to migrate their apps to the GREE Platform, with transition instructions being rolled out on the GREE Developer Center.
What’s Included in the SDK?
From a technical standpoint, the GREE SDK aims to offer a wide range of plug-and-play features that go beyond the basics:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Leaderboards | Rank players globally or by region |
| Achievements | Custom badges, progress indicators, and unlockables |
| Social Invites | Players can invite friends to download and play |
| In-App Messaging | Direct communication between users |
| Sharing & Rewards | Incentivized social sharing tools |
| Multi-language Support | Dynamic localization tools integrated into the SDK |
Everything is designed with modular integration in mind, so developers can pick and choose the features they want without bloating their app.
A Social Layer Built for Global Gaming
One of the most appealing features for today’s mobile teams is localization. Many apps fail to expand globally not because of poor design, but because they lack localization support. GREE’s SDK puts that capability front and center, making it easier to reach users in Japan, South Korea, India, Brazil, or anywhere else mobile gaming is growing rapidly.
It also aims to reduce the dependency on in-house development for social features—saving time and budget for small and medium-sized studios.
GREE’s early rollout supports English and Japanese, but the goal is to reach 14 languages within the first year of release. That could unlock massive opportunity, especially in emerging markets.
How to Join the Open Beta
The GREE Platform is now in open beta, meaning any interested mobile game developer can apply. To get started:
Register at the GREE Developer Center
Access SDK documentation and integration guides
Test features in sandbox environments
Start integrating features into your app
While GREE hasn’t specified a closing date for the beta, early adopters may benefit from additional support and visibility as the platform scales.
Will It Compete with Game Center and Google Play Games?
That’s the big question. In many ways, GREE doesn’t need to compete directly. Apple and Google’s systems are built into devices, but they’re not always developer-friendly or customizable.
GREE offers something different: control and flexibility, along with global user reach and cross-platform design. The success of this platform will likely depend on adoption—and whether developers see real retention or install lifts from adding it.
If GREE can demonstrate that its tools lead to measurable user acquisition gains—especially for indie studios or mid-size publishers—it could easily carve out a powerful niche.
