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.
Social 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.
Facebook 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.
