Facebook’s Virtual Currency Rules Spook New Developers
Looks like mixed emotions are flooding the path to Facebook Credits. The growing tension between the social networking giant and game developers has been the talk of the town ever since Mark Zucherberg hinted about this mandatory virtual currency last April. However, as July 1st, the expected day of implementation draws closer, some seasoned developers have been more receptive, trying to look at the brighter side of things. After all, turning their backs against Facebook is like jumping into another platform that has less than 30% of the 500 million users of this monster site (just calling a horse a horse).
Following the Inside Social Apps conference in San Francisco last week, Facebook marketing manager Deborah Liu noted: “Every single day we know developers get to choose between our platforms and another platform.” She added, “We’re excited to give Facebook users the confidence that when they purchase Facebook Credits or receive them as a gift, they can spend them in any game on Facebook. We want to make Facebook the most attractive place to invest, and keep users with credits in their pockets.”
At the other end of this issue, Michael Carpenter, VP of social product operations at PopCap, makers of the worldwide phenomenon Plants Vs Zombies and Bejeweled, seems very optimistic. He said, “In looking at our success with Facebook Credits, we believe the reduced friction and customer benefits generally outweigh the revenue split considerations.”
The unprecedented growth of virtual good and currencies can be associated with the ease that these bring the users. Making something universal at this day in age is always a good catch. It is also interesting to note that virtual currencies are gaining traction not only in web services, but also within the mobile industry, penetrating Android and beyond. According to an article read on SiliconAngle, the mobile gaming sector is one of great opportunity for businesses, developers and ad networks alike and expected to bring in hundreds in million of revenue this year. Super Rewards is first to take on the challenge of the competition, and might also be the trendsetter, who knows.
A message from John Furrier, co-founder of SiliconANGLE:
Support our mission to keep content open and free by engaging with theCUBE community. Join theCUBE’s Alumni Trust Network, where technology leaders connect, share intelligence and create opportunities.
- 15M+ viewers of theCUBE videos, powering conversations across AI, cloud, cybersecurity and more
- 11.4k+ theCUBE alumni — Connect with more than 11,400 tech and business leaders shaping the future through a unique trusted-based network.
About SiliconANGLE Media
SiliconANGLE Media is a recognized leader in digital media innovation, uniting breakthrough technology, strategic insights and real-time audience engagement. As the parent company of SiliconANGLE, theCUBE Network, theCUBE Research, CUBE365, theCUBE AI and theCUBE SuperStudios — with flagship locations in Silicon Valley and the New York Stock Exchange — SiliconANGLE Media operates at the intersection of media, technology and AI.
Founded by tech visionaries John Furrier and Dave Vellante, SiliconANGLE Media has built a dynamic ecosystem of industry-leading digital media brands that reach 15+ million elite tech professionals. Our new proprietary theCUBE AI Video Cloud is breaking ground in audience interaction, leveraging theCUBEai.com neural network to help technology companies make data-driven decisions and stay at the forefront of industry conversations.
