Will Facebook Soon Become a Major Distributor of Mobile Games?
A traditional challenge for mobile game developers is figuring out how to get in front of users. Facebook’s announcement today about Connect for Mobile Web points to how the company could help solve that problem.
One way would be for Facebook to use its own mobile applications to advertise third-party applications that use Connect. By creating a channel for mobile games and other applications within its own mobile app interface, the company could help drive more users to developers — and in turn, make its own apps more central to how people use mobile devices.
Another way would be for device manufacturers and carriers to build similar channels on their own…
September 4th, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Excellent points Eric,
Great example comparing Facebook mobile apps with Apple’s App Store.
Despite the latest version of Facebook Mobile (a killer version of the app), which holds the same feeling as iPhone’s interface, doesn’t have the same wide-spread marketing as the App Store.
I see attraction to particular iPhone Apps coming out as relational marketing from friends (as you mentioned), nostalgia of older or known games, and mass media marketing. As an avid iPhone user I download mobile apps that I’ve seen on television commercials or the App Store Mobile Interface. Apple’s App power comes from the mass media, up front, and relational advertising.
Until Facebook has the mobile division to aid transfer of the currently hot apps and games into the mobile realm, they will continue to rely on the social networking aspect to power their mobile efforts.
Again great article,
Dave
-Avid iPhone User/ Recent Facebook Convert
September 7th, 2009 at 9:33 pm
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