Playdom Keeps The Acquisition Fun Rolling With Virtual-World Startup Metaplace

Social gaming giant Playdom is definitely on an acquisition spree. Last month it bought Hive 7 , this month it is Metaplace , a startup that l aunched at TechCrunch 40 in 2007. Metaplace has developed an in-browser virtual-world engine which can be applied to social games. Founders Raph Koster and John Donham previously worked at Sony Online Entertainment, where they helped develop games like Star Wars Galaxies and Everquest II . At Metaplace, they've already launched two Facebook games: Island Life and My Vineyard. A third game is on the way. Playdom will use the virtual world game engine Metaplace has developed to create even more games in that genre.