Mobile social gaming network PlayPhone struck an agreement which will see US number-three operator Sprint supporting its social gaming platform, reports GamesBeat.

Users will now be able to access the social game service within the Sprint Zone store, and the PlayPhone games portal will soon become part of Sprint’s preloaded software offering, with a widget to boost visibility.

Sprint’s direct carrier billing service will make it easy for users to purchase games, which should boost developer revenue.

PlayPhone already has similar deals with Verizon Wireless and AT&T, and the addition of Sprint’s 55 million subscribers means it now has access to 83 per cent of smartphone and tablet subscribers in the US.

It also provides its distribution platform for Android and HTML5-based games to Claro Brazil as Ideias Social Games.

PlayPhone CEO, Ron Czerny, said in an interview with GamesBeat that there are now more than 500 HTML5 and Android games available on the network with Sprint deal showing PlayPhone has “great momentum”.

Developers to have joined the network include Big Blue Bubble, DragonPlay, Handy Games, Liquid Entertainment and 11Bits.

PlayPhone said the success of its network shows that there could soon be a revenue shift in the mobile games industry from app stores to developer- and operator-centric business models.

Blue Bubble’s Bryan Davis said PlayPhone’s “ease of integration and extreme virality” makes it a valuable channel to distribute games and allows developers to focus on creating compelling games.