Tag: social mobile gaming

Social gaming picking up momentum

| January 23, 2013

social gaming picks up momentumSocial gaming represents several potential benefits

Social gaming is gaining ground both online and on mobile platforms. These are a new breed of game that have a strong focus on community and typically have a very close link to some kind of social networking site, like Facebook or Twitter. The vast number and variety of games in this genre belies the fact that social gaming is a relatively new trend. In a short amount of time, the genre has become a very promising market, with more than half of all social network users playing a social game of some kind.

Report highlights growth of social games

eMarketer, a leading marketing research firm, has released a new report concerning the growth and emerging trends seen in the social gaming sector. The report predicts that more than 141 million people in the U.S. alone will be playing social games of some kind by 2014. Another 101 million people are expected to play social games on their mobile devices over the coming years. The report also notes several trends concerning social gaming that may part of the reason this genre has become so popular with advertisers and not just consumers.

Social games prove popular among advertisers

The report notes that in-game advertisements are 100% viewable by gamers, making their exposure to these advertisements exceedingly high. Given the fact that many social games are designed to keep players engaged in the game itself for as long as possible, these advertisements have a high probability of interaction with consumers. Another aspect of social gaming that makes the sector attractive to advertisers is the fact that most social games are available on a wide variety of platforms. Mobile devices are not the only platforms that can play social games.

Social gaming has some catching up to do

Social gaming is on its way to becoming a massive and influential market. eMarketer suggests that social gaming will become a thriving enterprise in the coming years. Game developers have already put a strong emphasis on social games, but the appeal of this genre has not yet matched the allure of mobile gaming and other traditional focuses on the game industry as a whole.

SoLoMo report released by Mind Commerce

| January 3, 2013

solomo mind commerce reportMind Commerce publishes new study concerning SoLoMo in the mobile space

Mind Commerce, a leading mobile research firm, has been releasing numerous studies concerning the mobile space recently. One of the latest studies coming from Mind Commerce is the “Social Local Mobile (SoLoMo) Game-Play Behavior in Free2Play, Virtual Goods & Hybrid Ecosystem” report. The 46-page report documents the emerging trends of the Social, Local, and Mobile (SoLoMo) aspect of the mobile world. According to Mind Commerce, SoLoMo is becoming something that businesses and application developers may need to pay more attention to.

Demand for social games and location-based services on the rise

SoLoMo refers to a wide variety of applications that incorporate gaming with social aspects and location-based services. Social games, such as those found on Facebook, that offer content relating to a player’s physical location are a prime example of this concept. Many consumers have become enthralled by such games, largely because of the fact that these games are free-to-play. Mind Commerce suggests that SoLoMo is beginning to approach a place where it can revitalize the mobile gaming ecosystem.

Small companies may establish a strong competitive edge with SoLoMo

As more developers begin to embrace SoLoMo, they may be establishing a strong competitive edge against larger and more established companies. Larger companies may have a wider reach than independent developers, but they are also more likely to conform to traditional forms of engagement and development. Large development studios tends to produce games that do not have social aspects or those that do not include location-based services. While these companies are expected to begin adapting to meet the demands of consumers, smaller companies may have already established a significant head start.

Game industry expected to put focus on SoLoMo in 2013

The SoLoMo study from Mind Commerce is geared for social media companies, location-based service developers, and the game industry in general. These parties are likely to find some benefit in the information they can attain through the SoLoMo study. Focus on SoLoMo is expected to become much more common throughout the game industry in 2013.