MERCURY NEWS -- May 25 -- Online social gaming has been around for years and its popularity is surging, piggybacking on the success of Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and other social networks.  More than $30m in venture funding has been invested in Silicon Valley start-ups that specialize in social games. Kongregate alone, a destination site for social gaming, hosts more than 4,500 games. Backed by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Kongregate launched seven applications on Facebook last week to promote some of its more popular games, including "Dolphin Olympics" and "Mutually Assured Destruction." About 90% of Kongregate's users are under age 34, and 85% are male.

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