Syfy Channel beaming up to social games business

Syfy channel
Soon, the omni-nerds--you know, the folks who watched Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in its entirety and enjoyed it--will flock to Facebook to see what SyFy is up to in social games. According to Gamesindustry.biz, the NBC-owned network will create games based off of its own programs (ahem, Battlestar Galactica, anyone?) and original content. Of course, the games will launch on Facebook, but the company has plans to release them to other platforms.

"This bold business expansion into games publishing secures a key foundation for the powerful Syfy brand in the burgeoning social games space," said Syfy president Dave Howe. "By providing our fans on social networks and other platforms with a distinctive, premium gaming experience, we are creating a perfect complement to our existing Syfy Games portfolio."

All of the Syfy Facebook games will be open to sponsors like Zynga's and Playfish's games are, but no official promotions have been announced much less the games themselves. Syfy already has experience releasing browser-based games surrounding its franchises like Battlestar Galactica Online through Bigpoint, so chances are these will be quality social games. Just leave the Deep Space Nine be, will ya?

[Source: Broadcasting and Cable]

What Syfy franchise do you hope to see transformed into a social game first?

Former EA CCO Bing Gordon (and Zynga investor) on how EA can survive [Video]

Bing Gordon, former EA CCO and now an traitor investor in Zynga through Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer, knows what EA must do to survive. He holds the secret, well, a suggestion really. But look, it's all we got for now, so we'll take any answer at this point. During an interview with TechCrunch at its Disrupt conference in Manhattan, Gordon got into some nitty gritty business-speak regarding EA's condition, but what you need to take away from his interview is this: EA must reduce costs and monetize the hours spent playing their traditional games. Surely there are other methods, but if that suggestion were applied to all EA game immediately, you'd have an ecosystem not far different from Zynga's.

Does EA need to become more like Zynga to survive? Should all traditional games companies consider this approach? What will happen to our classic Mario or Sonic games? Is that the sky falling?

Over 55 percent of gamers play to socialize, meet people, study finds

Facebook games grew into a worldwide phenomenon for something, right (and not just the dollars)? "The Future of Gaming," a study by media research consultancy Latitude, says that 56 percent of gamers today play to socialize and meet new people. The most common reason, of course, was "enjoyment" at 95 percent. Latitude surveyed 290 smartphone owners who identified themselves at least as casual gamers.

The survey goes on to find that, of these 290 folks, 84 percent use social media several times a week--you do the math. (But remember kids, correlation does not equal causation.) Of course, however, the majority of people surveyed listed smartphones as their preferred gaming platform at 81 percent, with home consoles tailing closely at 80 percent.

Even more interesting is what Latitude found regarding what players want from their social games. (In this case, we're broadly speaking to not just Facebook games, but all games that feature social interaction.) More than half of gamers want to see games better connect people in new ways. Perhaps some of these participants were referring to the supposed lack of social interaction in Facebook and other social games.

Finally, a whopping 96 percent of gamers told Latitude that they'd like to see more games that help players make a positive change in the world, if executed correctly. So far, Facebook game developers are still working on that execution part.

The bottom line here is that, regardless of whether they're played on social networks or at social gatherings, gamers want their games to be more social. Games like The Sims Social by EA are already working to finally earn that moniker, and there can only be more where that came from.

Do you, too, look for social interactions in your games more than other things? How do you think social games will improve these connections in the future?

Top Eleven meets a new challenger in The Sun Football Legends

Come on, you know you were thinking it too. Oddly enough, The Sun--one the UK's leading tabloids--has launched its first Facebook game. Developed by social game maker Enteraction, The Sun Football Legends allows players to create their own legendary soccer football player both on and off the field. The game attempts to bring skill-based gameplay to sports games on Facebook, but you be the judge of whether that's successful.

Players are tasked with performing well in key roles during a given football match like successfully head-butting a ball or making a simple goal through timed clicking challenges. (Let's just say we're thankful you're given the option to simulate these sequences.) Successful games have players level up their completely personalized football legends with attribute points, and allow them to purchase clothes and other items for their legends. Players can eventually create a team full of legends.

"We are hugely excited about launching this game with The Sun, and our innovative partnership with them," Enteraction managing director Andy Rogers said in a release. "They have shown time and time again that they understand their audience and how to market products which exceed expectations. They are market leaders in other gaming sectors and we are confident that this will be no exception."
Sun Football Legends Free Header
Outside the field, players can take their legends on outings that could draw a few laughs (or a scandal all their own). However, players can only make moves in these outings once an hour, and there isn't much to them other than choosing an option out of three. While your mileage with Sun Football Legends may vary, this could be the first newspaper to launch a Facebook game. So, the game is worth a shot if only to see whether this is a trend other newspapers should hop on ... or avoid entirely.

Click here to play Sun Football Legends on Facebook Now >

Are you a fan of The Sun? What do you think of a newspaper of all companies getting into social games?

Xbox 360 cures gamers' loneliness, goes social in Dashboard update

Alright, so maybe they weren't lonely, but we'll bet that, after this Xbox 360 Dashboard update, players friends list will magically grow. Microsoft's Major Nelson, or Larry Hryb, made the announcement earlier this week that the next major Xbox update will hit Dec. 6 on his blog. Come the week after next, players will be able to share to Facebook straight from the Dashboard.

But the updates go a bit deeper with the addition of Beacons, which allow players to broadcast status updates to their friends that share what games they would like to play with anyone interested. These open call-outs for in-game teammates can be pushed to players' Facebook Walls too. Other changes include cloud storage for games, meaning more space on players' hard drives and access to games from any Xbox 360.

In a way, you could say that makes games more "social" as well, lowering the barrier to playing games with friends in person (IRL, if you will) ever so slightly. But we can't help but notice Microsoft's growing focus on social, and wonder if it's a response at all to the arrival potential game changers like these to Facebook. It may only a matter of time before that competition heats up.

[Via Inside Social Games]

Are you excited at all by these changes to Xbox gaming? Do you think Xbox-like games could ever be popular/successful on Facebook?

Ever want to joust on a Vespa? Then thank social game maker Naoplay

Soon, friend--your weird, weird dreams of impaling your best friends while riding a motorscooter will come true. French social game developer Naoplay has announced MetroJoust, a new social game headed to Facebook, iOS and Android come 2012. Expected in the year's "first trimester (what kind of time frame is that?)," MetroJoust sounds fairly self-explanatory.

You'll get to compete in a joust ... in a metropolitan area with metropolitan themes. We can already imagine how this is going to turn out. (Spoiler: It'll probably be a skill-based affair.) According to the announcement, "MetroJoust offers different and complementary playing experiences depending on the platform you play it on." We're just gonna go out on a limb and guess that means you'll earn rewards usual across multiple versions of the game.
MetroJoust artwork
Naoplay says that MetroJoust will start off like a casual social game, but later ramp up in complexity. The game will later feature "real RPG dimension including character leveling, interaction with other players but also non playing characters, a complete guild system and from the start, a thousand items available, allowing players to upgrade and personalize their characters."

Based on these initial screens, we know that the game will focus heavily on artwork evocative of themes like urban decay or perhaps even post-apocalypse. Players will get to deck out their modern knights like new shields, armor and steeds--er, rides. Naoplay will release another teaser for MetroJoust on Dec. 8, and maybe we'll get to see a Vespa joust in motion. But only if it's a Vespa.

Are you intrigued by a Facebook game focusing on modern jousts? Which of the three platforms do you think a game like this would do best on?

Diamond Dash maker: Social games 'will evolve again in the next years'

Frankly, they kind of have no choice. That's general idea Wooga studio head Henric Suuronen (pictured) seems to have put forward in an in-depth interview with Gamasutra. And it would be wise to listen--the Berlin, Germany-based Facebook game creator is third behind Zynga and EA (now that PopCap's numbers have been integrated), according to AppData.

During the interview, Suuronen gave Gamasutra a detailed explanation of where Facebook games have been, what it takes to create them from a design perspective and, most importantly, where they're going. Specifically speaking to social mechanics in Facebook games, Suuronen said to Gamasutra:

"Now moving four years forward, you have games like CityVille, Pioneer Trail from Zynga, Kabam games, Digital Chocolate games, and Zombie Lane -- great game -- and now Magic Land," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "So it has really evolved. So why would the progression stop here? So I think it will evolve, as it has done from four years ago with Jetman and Scrabulous and Tower Bloxx. So it will evolve again in the next years."

The hit maker behind Diamond Dash recently released its seventh game on Facebook, Magic Land, which enjoys a healthy 3.4 million monthly players and over 330,000 daily players. According to Suuronen, Wooga's latest game had the most man hours thrown into it, a trend he seems to believe will continue. "The whole myth of the minimum viable product -- it's gone," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "It's something that you say to investors to sound cool."

Sure, Suuronen believes that players will eventually get tired of the standard social gaming mechanics of sharing gifts and helping asynchronously. However, the Wooga studio head also points out that the harsh reality of designing Facebook games to get players to pay up isn't going anywhere, and some traditional designers have trouble coming to grips with that.

Considering social games are expected to make $1 billion this year alone (and cash in even more from there), traditional designers and companies better wise up quick if they want to fit in the next big money machine. Read Suuronen's full interview with Gamasutra here, in which he predicts how you might be enticed to pay up in the future.

Do you agree that Facebook games can only grow into more robust entertainment options from here? Where would you like to see the industry go from today's CityVille's and other life simulators? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments

Clarins looks to beautify Facebook with Spa Life, its first social game

Is it only a matter time now before mom pants get their own Facebook game? Clarins, a well-known French brand of beauty products, recently released its own Facebook game, Spa Life. The game doesn't stray far away from games like Cafe World or Restaurant City, but applies the same principles to managing a spa rather than an eatery. Developed by Freshplanet, Spa Life has players managing an influx of customers looking for everything from a "mani-pedi" to facials and more.

Of course, just like its inspirations, players can decorate, upgrade and add new services to their spa. But players can only do this if they serve their terribly impatient customers in time to make the most cash from them. And in true Facebook game fashion, players can always buy their way out of waiting for the next upgrade with Facebook Credits.

According to Mashable, Clarins's North American CEO Jonathan Zrihen saw Facebook as a golden opportunity to reach its audience. And considering we all know by now that the average Facebook gamer is a middle-aged mother, he's probably right on the money. "I knew about the craziness of Zynga games, but I didn't realize the demographic was so much in line with the demographics of our products," Zrihen told Mashable. "I was also impressed by the level of engagement these games create."

Yes, this is yet another branded game, though it's odd that players aren't inundated with the brand until much later in the game. Another interesting nod is that Spa Life attempts to use your friends' names as customers to add more social awareness to the game. Building off of that, you'll need plenty more friends to run your various services, just like you need them to staff buildings in CityVille.
Spa Life in action
Branded games are exploding on Facebook. In fact, studios like Ecko|Code are focusing all of their efforts on creating games for brands such as Showtime shows like Weeds and Dexter. Facebook game developers like Zynga and Playdom have integrated brands into their games for awhile through promotions, it's only recently that they've begun to build games around a single brand.

For instance, it looks as if Adventure World will become Zynga's first game to completely embrace a brand. In October, the game will become "Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game" with the help of Lucasfilm. Sure, original games will continue to release, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see less of them moving forward.

Click here to Play Spa Life on Facebook Now >

Are you a Clarins fan--enough to check out this Facebook game? What do you think of branded games on Facebook and the fact that they're growing? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment

Kabam study suggests hardcore gamers are flocking to Facebook

Have the tables finally turned? Not quite just yet, but slowly and surely they are, a study released by Kabam suggests. The Redwood City-Calif.-based creator of Facebook games like Dragons of Atlantis and Edgeworld recently commissioned a survey of 1,412 "hardcore" gamers to find just how their behavior has changed since the dawn of Facebook games.

Dubbed the "Social Gamer Study," Kabam found that the demographics of the average social game fan are slowly changing--more young to middle-aged men are playing Facebook games. And a whopping 82 percent of them come from the console game space, which is terribly important. This is because 27 percent of those surveyed report playing console games less often.

And perhaps more importantly to those looking to make cash from hardcore games, those surveyed reported spending 50 percent less on console games. Of course, Kabam threw in that players of its games are even more dedicated to Facebook games than console games: 55 percent reported playing console games less and spending 65 percent on the games.
Social Gamer Study findings
According to the study conducted by Information Solutions Group, 72 percent of these hardcore social gamers are playing two or more games at once, and 47 percent are playing three or more. If you've ever played a game like Kingdoms of Camelot or Kixeye's Backyard Monsters, you know that this is quite a lot to keep up with--much more so than, say, FarmVille.

Not to mention that this growing sub culture of Facebook gamers plays far longer game sessions than the 30 minutes or so your average Bejeweled Blitz player sits down for on lunch break. A massive 68 percent reported playing social strategy games for three hours or longer a day, and 30 percent said they play for longer than an hour per session.

Of course, it's important to keep in mind who commissioned this study: a developer and publisher of hardcore Facebook games. Vested interests aside, it's undeniable that a new breed of Facebook game fan is emerging, and fast. And you have to assume, with advances like download-free 3D gaming on the horizon, these numbers will only grow. Check out the study in full here.

Are you part of this growing portion of Facebook gamers? Do you think social game creators like Zynga, EA and wooga have anything to worry about? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment