 | |
Type of site | Video games |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Owner | iWin, Inc. |
| Founder | Joel Brodie |
| Editor | Jim Squires |
| CEO | Joel Brodie |
| URL | www |
| Launched | 2005 |
| Current status | Online |
Gamezebo (sometimes stylizedGameZebo) is awebsite which reports on and reviewsvideo games. Founded in 2005 by Joel Brodie, it was billed as the first website to solely covercasual games and expanded its scope tosocial games in 2009.[1] This expansion included games onFacebook,iOS, andAndroid devices.[1] After being acquired by the casual game company iWin in 2016,Gamezebo was redesigned and expanded its coverage toPC games.[1]Gamezebo is based inWalnut Creek, California.[2]
Gamezebo was launched in 2005.[1] It was founded by Joel Brodie, the former head of business development atYahoo! Games. Brodie found that manyvideo game publications "looked down" on casual games and started the website to review and cover news on the genre.[3] It was billed as the first website which solely covered casual games.[4]
Gamezebo and theCasual Games Association launched the Zeebys in 2007, which were awarded to casual games. Voting was open to members of the public. In 2008, it held another installment of the Zebbys which was aired onLifetime,[5][6] and was nominated for aWebby Award for 'Games-Related' websites.[7]Gamezebo usedRSS for its content feed.[8] In 2009,Gamezebo expanded its scope with the growing popularity ofsocial games such asFarmVille (2009). By February 2010, it had a staff and twenty freelance journalists. The website was redesigned in 2014.[1][3]
In 2015, editor-in-chief Jim Squires toldMacRumors thatGamezebo was struggling as larger mobile developers shifted away from traditional advertising.[9] In March 2016,Gamezebo was acquired by casual game company iWin.[10] It launched another redesign shortly after, improving navigation and expanding its coverage toPC games.[11]
An article inGames and Culture found thatGamezebo catered to a broader audience than other video game news sites. Unlike websites aimed at "core gamers" likeKotaku andTouchArcade, which also exclusively cover mobile games,Gamezebo did not marginalize mobile games in its coverage.[12]
Gamezebo, Inc. is based inWalnut Creek, California.[2] Its editor-in-chief is Jim Squires.[13]