Foursquare declares platform-dom with launch of App Gallery

Mobile location application Foursquare is diversifying itself into a platform of its own today by launching an aggregation of third-party applications built on top of its core service. It’s calling it the App Gallery.

According to TechCrunch, Foursquare suspects there are more than 500 applications taking advantage of its functionality in the field right now. Its goal? To aggregate them and make them all discoverable for its users. Testing the waters to see if this is something people will be interested in, the App Gallery currently has 10 downloadable apps posted. The company is also calling for developers to submit their creations through their site.

Like every other app store out there, Foursquare will let users find apps by category, while also featuring several at a time at the top of the Gallery page, and listing recently-submitted apps. Each app will be given its own page within the Gallery (just like applications on the iPhone), providing further description and screenshots. User reviews will no doubt be added as the gallery gains traction.

Users will also be able to use buttons to share new applications via social networks, and of course they’ll be able to upvote or “like” certain submissions, making them easier for others to discover.

Currently, the featured apps include HootSuite (a service to share your favorite locations with your friends), Kickball (a new interface design), FourFace (a creative interface changer) and Mob Zombies (a game that plays on the zombie apocalypse meme).

The introduction of the App Gallery could provide the boost Foursquare needs to pull ahead of competitor Gowalla, which has been losing favor among developers due to its restrictive API, according to TechCrunch. It could also head off similar services that have yet to launch, like Burbn.

Don’t miss MobileBeat 2010, VentureBeat’s conference on the future of mobile. The theme: “The year of the superphone and who will profit.” Now expanded to two days, MobileBeat 2010 will take place on July 12-13 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Early-bird pricing is available until May 15. For complete conference details, or to apply for the MobileBeat Startup Competition, click here.