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While many developers knew that an increase in internet capable devices such as laptops, netbooks, smart phones and tablet computers would lead to advances in gaming, many didn’t recognize the impact that social media websites would have on the gaming industry. As social media sites such as FaceBook and MySpace have grown in popularity, many game developers are turning to social media sites to launch new games, revitalize old one or to simply advertise products. It has been an unexpected area of development.
The games, which are typically smaller in size, are offered to members of a social media site. They often appeal to those who use these sites because of the community of gamers that is already built into the system. This phenomenon was first recognized by the developers of FaceBook and the company who built and distributed a little game known as Farmville. The game mechanics are not important – what is important is how quickly it became popular. As more people turned to the game and began spending money to buy in game money, other developers recognized that social media gaming was a veritable goldmine of possibilities.
It didn’t end with the development of new games – instead, more and more companies were looking to take advantage of this marketing tool. Smart phones, net books and tablet computers were offered special ‘apps’ to make these social media game sensations playable on those formats and more players joined in.
While Farmville is perhaps the best example of this technology – so many players played for so many hours that addiction to Farmville is now recognized as an actual disorder by some doctors, the truth is there are no social media games available to suit almost any gamers’ interest.
Whether you are into word games, strategy games or arcade games, chances are you can play them via a social media website and more games are added every day.
