KickApps launched its new KickApps App Studio yesterday, which the company hopes will become a new marketplace for developers to create and distribute applications.

Formerly called the Widget Studio, the new Apps Studio makes it easier to manage user comments, permits community members to rate one another, and enhances the member privacy features. Get all the highlights here.

Since the original launch last year, KickApps has continued to add functionality including third party web services (like video ad networks). The newest release now allows more third party applications including Meebo and Yahoo! Maps.

“Our goal is to be the complete solution for web publishers to create, deploy and manage every aspect of their website,” the company said on its blog. Plug-in APIs will be available in the second quarter of 2009.