Video game developer Ecko Code is launching a series of social games on Facebook based on leading Showtime original series Weeds, Dexter, and The Borgias.

Ecko Code began as a video game studio set up by entrepreneur Marc Ecko, who currently sits on its board of directors. The developer got its start on consoles with 2006 PlayStation 2 and Xbox game, Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. Though the game received favorable reviews, it wasn't profitable enough for Ecko Code to continue developing for consoles. Through a partnership with TV network Showtime, the studio went into mobile games with a licensed Dexter title for iOS in 2009.

The Weeds game, Weeds Social Club, is the first of Ecko Code's Facebook titles. The game is officially developed by Mytopia and published by Ecko Code in collaboration with show producer Lionsgate Entertainment. Players take the role of series star, Nancy Botwin, and attempt to grow and sell marijuana while avoiding law enforcement. Most plot elements and other characters are omitted from the game and it's not clear where, if anywhere, the game fits into the show's continuity. Weeds Social Club will go into public beta as soon as this week.

The next Showtime property to hit Facebook via Ecko Code is Dexter in a game called Dexter: Slice of Life. This will be Ecko Code's first Facebook game developed in-house. Like the iOS game, this game is deeply tied to the show's plot. But while the iOS game was based off of Dexter's pilot episode while season 3 was running, Slice of Life comes directly from the show's sixth season with Ecko Code sometimes working with scripts before they've even been shot. The game launches on Facebook on October 3, the day after Dexter's season 6 premier.

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