Lolapps
Social game developer and publisher on Facebook.
Lolapps built and published social games for Facebook, most notably Ravenwood Fair, a title co-created with John Romero that attracted 25 million players globally. In 2011, the company merged with fellow social games publisher 6waves, creating 6waves Lolapps. The combined entity reached 35 million monthly active users, ranking it as the second-largest game publisher on Facebook, behind only Zynga.
The company was founded in 2007 by Brian Rue, Kamo Asatryan, Annie Chang, and Kavin Stewart. Its first product was Quiz Creator, a Facebook app enabling users to make quizzes and invite friends. The success of Quiz Creator and a later app called Gift Creator led to a $4.5 million investment from Polaris Partners in fall 2008. In 2009, Lolapps bought social gaming company Roflplay, and Roflplay’s founder, Arjun Sethi, became Lolapps’ CEO. By 2010, Lolapps had 100 million users, putting it in competition with Zynga and CrowdStar.
Game designer Brenda Romero joined in May 2010 and brought in John Romero to work on Ravenwood Fair, which launched in October 2010. By March 2011, the game had 25 million users worldwide. In July 2011, Lolapps merged with 6waves, and the following month, South Korean publisher Nexon invested $35 million in the combined company. In March 2012, 6waves Lolapps laid off most of its development team—largely from the original Lolapps—to concentrate on publishing. Later that month, it rebranded simply as 6waves, dropping the Lolapps name. In January 2022, Stillfront Group bought 6waves for $201 million.
In October 2010, the Wall Street Journal reported that several Facebook apps, including those from Lolapps, were sending user data to third parties such as ad networks and tracking services. Facebook deemed this a policy violation and suspended Lolapps along with other offending apps. Lolapps returned online two days later after ending its relationship with RapLeaf.
Quick Facts
- Successor
- 6waves Lolapps
- Industry
- Video games
- Founder
- Brian Rue, Kamo Asatryan, Annie Chang, Kavin Stewart
- Products
- Ravenwood Fair
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Lolapps was founded in 2007 by Brian Rue, Kamo Asatryan, and Arjun Sethi. It started with Quiz Creator, a Facebook app that allowed users to create quizzes and invite friends. Based on the growth of Quiz Creator and Gift Creator, the company raised $4.5 million from Polaris Partners in fall 2008. By 2010, Lolapps had tens of millions of users, making it competitive with Zynga and CrowdStar.
Game designer Brenda Romero joined Lolapps in May 2010 and brought on John Romero to work on Ravenwood Fair, which launched in October 2010. By March 2011, Ravenwood Fair had 25 million users worldwide. In July 2011, Lolapps merged with 6waves to form 6waves Lolapps. In March 2012, 6waves Lolapps laid off its development team and rebranded as 6waves, dropping Lolapps from its name. In January 2022, Stillfront Group acquired 6waves for $201 million.
Reader's Guide
Lolapps played a significant role in the early social gaming ecosystem on Facebook, rising rapidly through quiz and gift apps before pivoting to more complex games like Ravenwood Fair. Its merger with 6waves created the second-largest game publisher on the platform, behind only Zynga, demonstrating the consolidation trend in social gaming. The company's brief but notable controversy in October 2010, when the Wall Street Journal found that Lolapps apps were transmitting Facebook user data to third parties like RapLeaf, led to a temporary suspension by Facebook. Lolapps resolved the issue by dissolving its relationship with RapLeaf. The eventual layoff of its development team and rebranding marked the end of Lolapps as an independent entity, though its legacy continued through 6waves, which was later acquired for $201 million. Lolapps exemplifies both the rapid growth and the privacy challenges of the early social gaming era.
Did You Know?
- Ravenwood Fair, created with John Romero, had 25 million players worldwide by March 2011.
- In October 2010, the Wall Street Journal found Lolapps apps were transmitting Facebook user data to RapLeaf, leading to a temporary suspension by Facebook.
- After merging with 6waves, the combined company had 35 million monthly active users.
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