I’ve been a little jaded by the Facebook phenomenon lately and I needed a different fix… Enter Ego (still in beta) by Punch Entertainment, a little startup in Mountain View. These guys used to port console games to mobile phones for carriers like Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile etc.

After playing it online for a day, I find that Ego is like a cross between a Tamagotchi, a Mii, Facebook and IM. Your avatar starts off with very basic attributes and levels up by developing a stronger persona or archetype through in-game interactions called Socializing. Going from high school to college to adulthood, you can be buddies with not only your friends, but with the whole American Idol crew, the folks from Lost (all AI driven) or random avatars with AI kicking in when they’re not online – based on those users’ past actions. As you progress in the game, you unlock rewards that help refine your personality instead of buying features.

Ego is built as a social networking game for mobile phones with online components through their site, a Facebook app and beyond. It was awarded “Most Innovative Game” at Game Developers Conference 2008. The target demographic is teens and up.

http://www.ego-city.com/

Nic Tan