VoxPop Launches Delish Challenge for Hearst and MSN

Social gaming has become such a big hit on Facebook that media brands are getting in on the act. Food website Delish.com, owned jointly by Hearst Magazines Digital Media and MSN, has launched the trivia-based Delish Challenge on Facebook. The game challenges players to answer questions and earn points, driving them up the restaurant chain from busser to executive chef. The game was built by game developer VoxPop and is the first in a series of 10 social games the company is developing for media brands spanning topics such as music, sports, celebrities and TV. Delish.com is the exclusive food partner. The Delish Challenge is to be cross-promoted with some of VoxPop's other games, as well as on the Delish.com website and the Delish.com Facebook page. In total there are 23 levels and more than 1,000 questions, covering topics from desserts to healthy cooking. As players level up, they gather culinary collectibles, such as sushi knives, wine glasses and spicy chilies, and these can be traded with friends. While the Delish Challenge does involve micro-transactions like many other Facebook games, the branded content aspect is particularly interesting. This could be a significant marketing opportunity for Delish.com if the game takes off because the structure of game play is designed to drive traffic to the website. The quizzes, on the game's 'events' tab, are related to content on Delish.com and link directly from the Facebook game to the site. The plan is to develop customized quizzes based on seasons, holidays and specialty food items. Elizabeth Shepard, executive director of Delish.com, said the game could help drive traffic to the website. "We ... know that our game will resonate with the massive audience we have built in partnership with MSN, and we're excited to offer users an engaging, new way to participate on Delish," she said. "With Delish Challenge, we can reach even more people through Facebook's amazing scale." More than 200 million people play Facebook games every month and 24 games have more than 10 million monthly active users, according Facebook. In the early days of social gaming, developers concentrated on original concepts, but there are signs that branding could become more important. Since Electronic Arts bought Playfish last year, the company has launched soccer title FIFA Superstars on Facebook. Last week Disney bought Playdom for up to $763.2 million and announced plans to bring Disney characters to forthcoming Playdom titles.

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VoxPop Launches Delish Challenge for Hearst and MSN

Caitlin Fitzsimmons

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Caitlin Fitzsimmons