Tag: facebook mobile gaming

Facebook draws more attention to mobile games

| October 10, 2013

Campaign helps rekindle interest in old mobile games

Social networking giant Facebook recently launched a new campaign concerning mobile ads and consumer engagement. The campaign was meant to expose mobile users to advertisements while also reminding them to use applications that they have downloaded in the past. The campaign has been somewhat successful, leading to higher engagement for businesses and helping consumers discover, or re-discover, applications through the social platform. Game developer Arkadium held a study in the wake of the campaign in order to discover what impact it had on mobile games.

Study aims to shed light on consumer engagement

Facebook remains one of the most popular platforms for mobile games there is. The social network supports a wide range of these games, many of which are downloaded by the network’s massive user base. While many Facebook users download these mobile games, the majority of the games are played for a short period of time before being forgotten or replaced by other games. The study from Arkadium aims to shed some light on whether consumers are actually spending money on these games while they are playing them.

Facebook - Mobile Games Study40% of people spend money on in-game purchases

According to the study, some 40% of consumers have made an in-game purchase, with 38% of these people making an in-game purchase through games on Facebook. The study also shows that 56% of people play more than 3 Facebook mobile games every week. Consumers tend to be very fluid when it comes to the games they play, moving from one game to the next relatively quickly. This leaves smartphones and tablets cluttered with a variety of mobile games that go unused generally because they are simply forgotten.

Consumers unlikely to remain fixated on single game for long

Reminding consumers to make use of their old applications could lead to a boost in mobile games engagement. It may also help people discover new applications from their favorite developers. Consumers are not likely to become fixated on one mobile game for long, however, especially as new mobile games are being released at a rapid pace.

Facebook to publish mobile games

| August 2, 2013

Facebook unveils new publishing service for mobile games

Facebook has taken a bold step and has launched its own publishing venture for mobile games. Facebook Mobile Games Publishing is designed to cater to small and medium-sized developers and will provide them with a platform to release and promote their games. Mobile games have become a very attractive sector of the game industry and embracing these games could be a very lucrative move for Facebook. The social network already boasts of a strong presence in the social gaming sector, wherein it has enjoyed a great deal of success over the past several years.

Small and medium-sized developers will have access to Facebook publishing

Through its new publishing platform, Facebook will be able to select game developers and offer a variety of publishing and promotional services. Facebook expects that the platform will attract high-quality mobile games to the social network, which will be used to engage millions of users around the world. Much of Facebook’s interest in mobile games has to do with advertising, as these games typically thrive through in-app marketing.

Facebook - Mobile GamesSocial network will not fund the development of mobile games

Despite the name of the social network’s new venture, Facebook will not be fulfilling the traditional role of a publisher in the game industry. The social network will not be funding the development of mobile games and will only be promoting these games through various channels based on its marketing and analytic data. Developers will have access to this data, which Facebook will encourage them to use in order to develop mobile games that are attractive to specific demographics.

Publishing platform still in its pilot phase

Facebook is currently working with a small number of developers for the first stages of its publishing venture. Developers are free to sign up for Facebook Mobile Games Publishing, but the social network is not likely to expand its operations until later this year. There are many aspects of publishing and promotion that Facebook has yet to become comfortable with and the social network is keen to ensure that its latest mobile games venture goes off without a hitch.