When Facebook launched for real in 2007, the subsequent popularisation of so-called social gaming caught almost everyone by surprise. While this was not the initial purpose of social media and was initially designed as little more than a recreational addition to the site, however, brands have quickly understood the potential of social gaming and what can be achieved simply by monetising the market creating a series of diverse and engaging titles. Despite the popularity and appeal of social games, however, there remains many misconceptions about the market and some continue to misunderstand it.
Essentially, social gaming is a revolutionary form of on interactive gaming that is underpinned by a turn-based model. Seamlessly integrated on sites such as Fruity King (visit website here), these games are instantly accessible to users and are usually built around a simple and engaging premise. Interestingly, they embody the increasingly popular freemium business model, which means that players can enjoy them for free without being forced to pay an arbitrary subscription fee. Instead, developers monetise these games by integrating different tiers and paid options, so that players are afforded choice in terms of how and when they spend their money.
This provides a stark contrast to traditional console gaming, where players are forced to invest heavily in proprietary hardware and individual titles. So although social games lack the graphical sophistication and complexity of console games, they more than make up for this with a far greater diversity of games, by inspiring greater levels of interaction among players and creating the ‘illusion of fee’. This has also helped to inspire a new generation of older, more educated and female-dominated gamers, opening up the contemporary market and driving significant change. Cheaper, more flexible and appealing to a wide demographic, it is easy to see why social gaming is so popular in the modern age of demanding and expectant customers.
Social gaming has already broken down barriers within the traditional market, and along with mobile platforms laid the foundations for increasingly engaging and flexible cross-platform experiences. This will continue for the foreseeable future, as online casino games and other forms of social gamings elevate the typical experience and ultimately reduce the gap on traditional console gaming.
