Flush with new cash, Foursquare continues to upgrade its feature set. We’ve long said that game mechanics (scoring badges, mayorships, etc.) will lose novelty and a “value exchange” of monetary significance would have to develop. Foursquare agrees.

Meanwhile, nearby specials are popping up more and more, anecdotally speaking, since we first spotted them. There are also many more branded “tips” (i.e., Bravo says, visit nearby xyz) as Foursquare forms deals with national brands. Now appears another way nearby offers are displayed.

Yesterday, when under the “places” tab, nearby deals were indicated in the list view (previously shown after you click through to a place page). This is a step that makes a lot of sense in making merchant deals more prevalent. In an environment where local deals (Groupon, etc.) are gaining steam, it’s particularly timely.

On that note, Foursquare might have reached one of those penetration points that it looks back on someday, as rap legend Snoop Dogg has indicated (via TechCrunch) an interest in the service.

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