LONDON, July 30, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- As the number of Facebook users continue to grow past the half billion mark, developers need to ensure applications are globally suited and games like the Emusicon free online pinball ( http://www.facebook.com/login.php?api_key=4e8c8dc772cd21ad1eb40e676e55c8...) are naturally fitting for an international audience, according to Sony Ericsson.

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A recent post from the developers at Facebook calls for the builders of applications to expand user bases, with a particular focus on the more rapidly growing countries like Japan, Korea, Russia, Brazil, India, Germany, Poland, and the Netherlands. The international growth of the social networking site in the past eighteen months has been astounding, even to those who closely study social media. Between January 2009 and June 2010 there was an increase of 305 million international users and Facebook is now translated into over 100 languages.

With over 70% of Facebook users now situated outside the United States of America it is no surprise to find language is a potentially huge barrier when it comes to accessing fan pages and applications associated with them. Localising applications often means making sure they are available in a number of languages. Sony Ericsson recognised that because Pinball is a classic game in arcades and as internet pinball ( http://www.facebook.com/sonyericsson?v=app_10339498918ref=ts) it is recognisable all around the world. It is a game that transcends language and therefore Emusicon Pinball immediately lends itself to an international audience.

This recent gaming addition to Sony Ericsson's global page brings the classic into the twenty first century as it socialises computer pinball (http://www.facebook.com/sonyericsson?v=app_10339498918ref=ts) in the context of Facebook, meaning friends across the world can compete for an ultimate high score. Even though the text is in English, the user instructions are represented pictorially, meaning gamers who don't understand the wording will still easily figure out how to play. When users need to move on to the next screen the arrow on the continue button directs them to do so and players of any language will recognise the all important leader board and where they are placed in comparison to their friends.

For more information, please visit sonyericsson.com.

SOURCE: Sony Ericsson

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