Social games on Facebook aren't performing as well as they used to, with numerous developers now favoring mobile over browser games. But now Facebook is looking to target a new demographic: core gamers.
According to Reuters, over the course of the next 12 months Facebook is backing the launch of 10 hardcore-focused games on the social network as it looks to cater for an audience that has up to this point not been hugely interested in the social games that Facebook has had to offer.
Currently, social game performance on Facebook is in decline, as more casual gamers make the switch to mobile devices and, in turn, developers follow suit. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted late last year that his company's game revenues declined by 20 percent in 2012.
With hardcore titles like the upcoming sci-fi combat game ChronoBlade (pictured), Facebook hopes to counteract this decline with a fresh new audience.
Sean Ryan, head of game partnerships at Facebook, explained, "You'll see a whole set of games hitting in the next two quarters in particular and throughout the year that really start to redefine what people think of Facebook games."
Facebook wants to embrace first-person shooters, MMO, real-time strategy games, and other such genres that appeal to the core audience, added Ryan.
Of course, Facebook is also trying to get in on the mobile games act, although that particular avenue isn't proving too successful for the company at present.
|
Meandered away over the last two years when I realized most of the people I saw using Facebook were a) Teens using it as a debauched rumor-mill/YouTube link repository, b) homemakers and seniors addicted to the 'Ville titles and gaudy casino games, or c) companies attempting to leverage it for viral marketing or F2P user acquisition purposes before the proverbial bubble bursts.
Granted, it's nowhere close to sliding into semi-irrelevant stagnation like, say, Myspace has. Then again, at the peak of Myspace people would've never seen it sliding into the background like it has. All I can say with certainty is that the last few professional conferences/events I attended (events with a decidedly "core" theme or focus) I kept hearing the words, "People still use Facebook?" from many studio friends.
Of course when that's being said, it's with a hint of jest and mirth. Everyone knows FB is still being used by hundreds of millions of people and can be an advantage when creatively harnessed.
But it's also a sign of the times and an indication of one demographic's pseudo-disdain for current day Facebook, or a neutral/uninterested stance and the ability to get along quite fine without it.
The market uses Facebook, but it's all pretty selfish. while Facebook will get money from this, it will completely depend on their ability to hide their marketing sin to hold players long term, at least in the US where options are more abundant. the "spam advertisements on your timeline" is starting to cross the line of usability. I also think Facebook can sink their own ship cluttering their web mail system with even more useless junk. And honestly who the heck is lookig for Facebook games aimed at 18-30 year old when the undercurrent of gaming is steering away from big developers and violent "generic" games?
they will have to lasso a budding Blizzard like company to make any headway .. and will likely need at least 3 or 4 more in the rears just not to be mocked.
the obvious advantage is they are worldwide, which is frankly a whole new territory. They can afford a little slop, but not much I think even with Zynga gone respect is going to be hard earned, "accessible" highly visible advertising or not.
If they were actually smart instead of partitioning off sections of visibility to advertisements they would actually offer improvements to their daily mail system that people actually want.
Like local events, in particular homebody stuff .. "like the knitters off" over 60 club, or the "nerd rage" game convention .. and set the standard for greater social interaction, instead of spamming sidebar, offer a ticket master of their own and charge a 10% convenience fee . or Facebook exclusive this or that. make money that way .. or do a lottery .. 5$ max a week .. something more interactive instead of constant corporate commercials. Heck even make it an option to be spammed on your side bar and offer better coupons at a local club ect ect ect.
10% off carnival tickets or ball games or park, there really going to have to be more universal like Google if they expect to continue succeed.