50 Cent enters social and mobile gaming arenas

An interesting collaboration between Hip-Hop and entertainment mogul 50 Cent and Game Show Network Digital (GSN) has culminated in the launch of “50 Cent’s Blackjack” on Facebook.

The game is the rapper’s first foray into gaming and is available to play through what is billed as “50 Cent’s lavish casino” on the social network.

Social features include bragging rights on the leaderboard and customisable avatars clad in the “hottest virtual fashions and swag”.

The game introduces several boosts which can be purchased with virtual chips.  An “I’m Killin’ It” boost tells players whether they’d bust on their next card, and “Ace Rich” lets players immediately gain an ace in their hand. The “Freestyle” boost allows players to split their hand, even if they don’t have matching cards.

“Table Heat” is a cooperative element that rewards all players at the table after they’ve won enough Blackjack hands by turning all twos in the deck into aces for a limited period of time.

Following its Facebook launch, GSN Digital will launch a mobile version of the game for Android and Apple devices later this quarter.

“50 Cent is an entertainment force of nature, and we’re excited to partner with him on his first venture into the world of social gaming,” said Peter Blacklow, executive vice president, GSN Digital. “50 has garnered an incredible following of millions of fans on Facebook, and we’re excited to bring this audience, as well as the millions of game fans out there, a fast-paced social blackjack experience.”

“I am excited to partner with GSN Digital on this venture to create an unparalleled social gaming experience for my fans. 50 Cent Blackjack is filled with fun twists and innovative features that is sure to provide hours of entertainment,” added 50 Cent.