In a strategically timed move, Foursquare launched version 3.0 of its iPhone and Android apps. Ahead of the much-awaited unveiling of the Foursquare 3.0, the location-based mobile game startup unveiled glimpses of what's in store besides shedding light on the vision for #4sq3 and beyond in a blog post dated March 8.

We started foursquare with the idea of making cities easier to use, focusing on check-ins as the atomic unit of measuring interest in a place, the blog said after outlining the company's growth over the years with reference to the SXSW.

The startup, which took flight at SXSW 2009 with the idea of turning life into a game, released the latest version just in time for the 2011 edition of SXSW when all obsessed with technology are set to descend on Austin, Texas.

The new offering comes from the accumulation of every checkin accumulated over the last two years and the transformation of that data into recommendations.

One of the big ideas kicking around foursquare HQ these last few months has been the idea of 'every check-in counts,' the pre-launch blog added.

Start the slideshow for a walk through of the new features that Foursquare 3.0 has to offer Android and iPhone users:

App wishes you were here with a musical postcard
App wishes you were here with a musical postcard Foursquare Official Blog
quotAt foursquare, were big believers in the power of software to encourage and motivate behavior, and while our first stab at a leaderboard hinted at some of the possibilities, it never got the love it deserved,quot the blog said on Encouragement.
Taking 2009's original idea of the “leaderboard for Saturday night” to motivate friends to go out and explore the real world, the company unveiled a point system to help a circle of friends understand what each one is proud of.The gameplay of the version 3.0 ranges from number of gym visits to the number of new places tried out. The score will reflect the users' activity."Today’s major overhaul to the leaderboard is a big step in the evolution of that original idea. You’ll see that we’ve replaced our old leaderboard (and its simple points system and Sunday night reset) with a sliding 7-day barometer of you and your friends. Check-ins now trigger points for dozens of different types of actions – everything from discovering new places, trying new types of restaurants, visiting new cities, getting groups together, hanging out with old friends, and a few things you might not expect," the blog explained the feature. Foursquare Official Blog
On Loyalty, the company blog said, quotOver the past two years, many of you watched as we experimented with local merchants all over the world, working with them to build tools that redefine customer loyalty.quot
With the competition to become the 'Mayor' of a joint escalating due to the sheer numbers (7 million Foursquare users), the company has opened up newer channels for loyalty."As foursquare has grown, though, it’s become harder to both hold down Mayorships and win back the ones you’ve lost," the blog said before announcing the roll out of six new types of Foursquare Specials for merchants."Business will now be able to offer Specials to swarms, groups of friends, regulars, newbies, Mayors, or simply to everyone." Foursquare Official Blog
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