The anti-hype about social games: missing the point?
Lots of folks are talking about how over-hyped social games are, how they are not at all social, how they’re just a fad, etc. But I think there’s something being missed in these rants.
The interesting thing to me about social games is the distribution platforms (ie, the social networks). Despite what anyone thinks about the hype, social sites as a gaming platform really is something new in that regard. Reach. I once marveled about the reach achievable through Mochi Media and Flash games, but that is dwarfed by the 400 million+ users of Facebook. That’s new, and it’s remarkable.
Never before has it been so easy to invite a friend to check out a game. No need to fire up an email client or even type. Your friend receives the message right on the site where the game will be played. No need to run another app or go to a different site (one you might not trust or that might crash your computer with too much bling).
Never before has the process/interface been so standardized (ie, very low friction) in between the friend getting the invite and getting into or out of the game. Everyone knows how to add or remove a game/app.
Never before have people felt so comfortable “installing” a game/app because they know the platform gives them control (unlike mailing lists, etc) over what communications they receive (or not) and when (if at all).
This converges with the growing power and ubiquity of Flash and other web browser technologies, giving rise to a huge number of highly accessible games (not all of them “casual”). These have existed before, but not on a platform like Facebook that brings so many other crucial factors into play, like reduced interface friction, user comfort, and low barriers to entry.
It’s still an uphill battle to get attention (and revenues), but it’s easier than out in the frontiers of the web, alone.