iMob Online is the next big iPhone social game

iPhone social gaming is going to be big in 2009. We've been banging on about it, but that's because it's true. The latest example is a new game called iMob Online, which has just been launched on the App Store.

It's heavily influenced by Facebook game Mob Wars, and is a strategy game where you work your way up the mafia ranks by doing jobs, earning money and buying weapons.

However, like Mob Wars, it's the social aspects that stand out. You can invite other players to join your mob or battle them, including the ability to use GPS to find nearby players of the game.

The game also includes real-time news feeds, global leaderboards and other social networking features. What's more, the developer is trying an interesting pricing model for the game on the App Store. There are actually five versions available.

The basic game is free, but if you want to start with 10 respect points (the game's internal currency), you can pay £0.59, with versions offering 75 points (£2.99), 200 points (£5.99) or 400 points (£11.99) also available.

Here's the interesting point: social games firm Zynga is doing a very similar thing with its Live Poker iPhone game, which ranges in price from free to £29.99 depending how many daily chips you want.

With traditional games firms like EA Mobile and Gameloft selling their games for a maximum of £5.99, it's fascinating that the social games companies think that if you offer players a headstart in a connected game, you can charge more.
Will it work? It's too early to say. But it's going to be hugely interesting to find out. The game is published by Addmired, about whom TechCrunch has more info.