Tag: mobile games news

Mobile games catch the eye of Facebook

| March 31, 2013

Facebook mobile gamesFacebook has some high hopes for mobile games

Facebook has long been a strong presence in the realm of social gaming due to its status as one of the most used social networking platforms in the world. The social network has been supporting various kinds of social games over the past several years, and has plans to continue doing so, but Facebook has also been growing more interested in the world of mobile games. Facebook has announced plans to reach out to a demographic it has not pursued in any serious fashion over the next year: Core gamers.

Facebook to focus on core gamers

Core gamers represent the stereotypical demographic of consumer that plays games in some way. This demographic is typically separated into various subclasses, such as mid-core and hardcore. Facebook has taken a strong interest in core gamers due to the fact that they are willing to devote a significant amount of their time to games that they enjoy or, in some cases, games that they do not enjoy at all. In the world of mobile games, more time spent playing a game itself generally translates into more money spent by the consumer, whether by participating in advertising or purchasing in-game content or virtual currencies.

Social network to offer developers promising incentives

Facebook is formulating a plan to attract mobile game developers to its platform, hoping that these developers will produce games that are attractive to core gamers. Currently, the social network is showing interest in a wide range of genres for these games, though which genres Facebook will focus on more intently will be determined by further research into what gamers actually want to play. Mobile games themselves are somewhat attractive because of their easily accessible and addictive nature, so Facebook may be interested in genres that play to the strengths of mobile gaming.

Mobile games may help Facebook overcome the past

Facebook experienced a turbulent 2012, with much of the social network’s turmoil being based on poor performance in the stock market. Lackluster security has also been a major problem for the social network, an issue that has served to plague Facebook for some time. Mobile games may be able to help the social network put much of its past troubles to rest, as long as these games are as successful as the company is hoping they will be.

Mobile games are becoming the heart of the game industry

| March 30, 2013

Mobile Games Heart of Game IndustryDevelopers becoming increasingly enthralled by mobile games

The game industry is currently on the verge of reaching its next generation; an era of powerful consoles equipped with cutting edge hardware. The companies behind this next generation of gaming, primarily Sony and Microsoft, are putting emphasis on the capabilities of new consoles, suggesting that they will be able to power games that provide a new level of entertainment and engagement was not possible until now. This new generation of consoles has, however, failed to hype consumers, many of whom are enthralled in the world of mobile games.

Developers are breaking away from publishers

In the past, a new generation of consoles typically meant a great deal of enthusiasm from developers. Developers have, traditionally, been focused primarily on these consoles, which served as the platform for the games they created. Over the past few years, however, smartphones and tablets have begun to replace consoles among consumers. These mobile devices have enabled a wider range of people to participate in mobile games, which have come to dominate the game industry itself. The popularity of mobile games has also lead to developers embracing mobile platforms over consoles.

Indie developers enjoy immaculate position among consumers

Today, many developers consider themselves “independent,” a term that suggests they have no ties with game publishers. The label of “indie” developer has earned several studios high praise among consumers, largely due to the concept that publishers are an inappropriate evil that is ruining the game industry as a whole. The advent of mobile games has shown that developers of all sized can find success in the industry without the backing of a large publisher. Indie ventures are often considered, among consumers, to be the purest form of game development. For developers, mobile games symbolize a way to present new ideas, but also a way to generate a great deal of profit.

Financial prospects of mobile games is not ignore by indie developers

As more developers break away from publishers and begin to focus on mobile games, console makers, like Sony, are attempting to encourage these developers to bring their games to the next generation of consoles. Sony’s Playstation 4, for example, is opening its proverbial doors to these developers, offering them tools and incentives to ensure that their games can run on this console. Many developers, however, have become irreversibly enthralled in the prospects of mobile games, and not just because of the creative opportunities that can be found therein. In-app purchases and advertising have made these games a lucrative venture that has turned a few innovative studios into multi-million dollar enterprises. Developers, large or small, are not blind to the financial implications of successful mobile games.