A recent study has revealed that, on average, people spend 40 percent of their time on Facebook playing games. With Facebook poised to hire a dedicated gaming manager, the social networking giant could be set to shake up the whole world of online gaming, according to Sony Ericsson.
Facebook is taking the gaming industry very seriously if they are hiring a dedicated games boss to deal with games publishers and development studios. There are currently 100 million unique game players a month on Facebook. Currently, these are mostly users playing casual games. With the addition of a dedicated games department the numbers of gamers on Facebook is likely increase, as hard-core games may find their way onto the social network, attracting even larger audiences.
The statistics presented on gamasutra.com show that as the consumption of entertainment and gaming has increased, the attention span for these has simultaneously decreased. Online games need to be fast paced to hold the attention of the user so games like internet pinball are ideal for those users who do not want to commit a lot of time to gaming, rather opting to play a quick game here and there.
Facebook is the ideal playground for casual gamers, as most don’t have time to play for long periods nor do they want to spend much or any money. Applications found on Facebook are generally free but it has also implemented a credit system where users can earn Facebook currency to spend within games.
Users looking to play quick, classic arcade games such as Sony Ericsson’s free online pinball Emusicon, will therefore find socialised options within Facebook. Games developers just need to follow Facebook’s policies, making it possible for independent developers to get their games distributed using the social open graph.
Ben Padley, Head of Digital and CRM for Sony Ericsson, says: “Facebook’s gaming community looks set to grow, which is very exciting for small and large game developers alike. Brands can quite easily offer people what many Facebook users seem to desire when visiting the site – quick to play, fun social games.
“Sony Ericsson incorporated the computer pinball game, Emusicon Pinball, on its global community page to give the fans of the brand a bit of fun competition by playing a well recognised, classic arcade game against their friends.”
Kaynak : 