Tag: mobile social games

Mobile games take priority with Zynga

| February 9, 2013

Zynga Mobile GamesZynga shifts focus to mobile games

Zynga has been experiencing a significant amount of turbulence in the social gaming space recently. The company made its fortune through Facebook with its vast portfolio of social games. Last year, however, Zynga suffered a proverbial fall from grace as consumers abandoned the company’s games and Facebook stopped showing exclusive favor to the developer. Zynga has adopted a new approach to gaming in an effort to reclaim its throne and has shifted focus to mobile games.

Social gaming takes a back seat

According to the company’s latest financial earnings report, Zynga saw revenues of $311 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. The company experienced a net loss of $48.6 million during the same period. Revenues have been stagnant for the company for several years, but in-game sales have dropped by 15% throughout 2012. For the company to reclaim its place in the game industry, it will have to make a big splash in the mobile games sector.

Zynga working to break into the mobile space

Zynga has already aligned itself with a mobile-centric focus. The company has a workforce of approximately 20 developers working exclusively on mobile games. The rest of the company is focusing on the business aspects of entering into the mobile space, such as marketing, developing better in-game monetization schemes, and working to build new mobile deployment platforms for its upcoming games. Though the company has adopted a very strong focus on mobile games, it is unlikely that Zynga will abandon its social games any time soon.

Social games not likely to be abandoned by the company

Though Zynga may have lost a great deal of favor with consumers over the past year, the company still boasts of more than 298 million monthly active users for its games. Most of these users come from Facebook, where the company’s most popular games are still featured. For its mobile games, Zynga will have to find a new publisher, as Facebook has shown wariness of supporting the company’s titles and the fact that the social network has a very limited presence in the mobile gaming sector.

SocialVibe teams with Placecast to launch ambitious new marketing solution

| December 27, 2012

SocialVibe teams with PlacecastSocialVibe and Placecast introduce marketing solution for retailers

SocialVibe, a digital advertising firm, has announced that it has teamed with Placecast, a location-based marketing provider, in order to launch a new marketing solution for the retail industry. The campaign will feature in-app advertisements in a mobile game that could help retail brands reach a new demographic of mobile consumers. The idea is simple: The mobile game associated with the campaign would encourage consumers to interact with advertisements from retailers. Interacting with these in-app advertisements would reward consumers with in-game points and other benefits.

Duo combines gaming with location-based marketing

The solution from SocialVibe and Placecast is being put to use by Best Buy in a new marketing campaign with mobile gaming and location-based marketing at its core. Through the use of a mobile gaming application that is associated with the SocialVibe and Placecast campaign, Best Buy customers will be receive a variety of in-app advertisements while they are playing their mobile game. Interacting with the advertisement and opting into a marketing program will net consumers with rewards in the mobile game as well as special offers from Best Buy and any other retailer participating in the game.

Location-based marketing may be enhanced through mobile gaming

The advertisements that consumers will see in the game are meant to make use of geographic information to appeal to specific demographics. The mobile game will use technology and methods developed by both SocialVibe and Placecast in order to accomplish this feat. Location-based marketing has been very effective in the past and may be able to be enhanced through mobile gaming.

Best Buy campaign to run through December

SocialVibe has been leveraging location-based marketing in the social gaming space since 2007. The company has a wealth of experience in this field, which may be attractive to a wide variety of retailers. The Best Buy campaign will run throughout December, giving shopper ample time to experience the campaign during the holiday shopping season.