August 12, 2010

The social gaming market exploded in 2009. Despite having only just emerged from such an intensely formative phase, social gaming in the first half of 2010 has brought with it some strict lessons about consolidation, platform ownership and software maturity. Screen Digest looks at these developments, largely through examination of Facebook as a gaming platform in H1 2010.

Thanks to changes in the nature of Facebook as a distribution platform for apps, social gaming on the network has suffered a downturn in terms of user activity. Screen Digest looks at this trend in more detail, and explains why it's far from a portent for any 'faddishness' on behalf of social gaming. Further, the rise and fall of Facebook gaming's poster boy, FarmVille, is examined alongside a genre analysis of the top 200 games that are being played each month on the platform.

Funding and acquisition for the period is summarised, as are attempts by existing casual gaming and MMOG companies to enter the social gaming fray, with mixed results. Three of the biggest social gaming operators - Zynga, EA and Disney Playdom - are profiled, alongside userbase data for each company's catalogue of titles.

Highlights

• Feb-10 sees Facebook achieve record usage as a gaming platform, but also heralds its first downturn
• Microtransactions gain greater presence as a method for monetising users, while advertising wanes
• Resource-management games proliferate, but need to mature both production values and themes to maintain attention
• Existing casual gaming companies gain superior social gaming presence compared to their MMOG counterparts

In this report

Facebook's monthly active users, pt.1
Facebook's monthly active users, pt.2
Monetisation & distribution changes on Facebook
Facebook game genre analysis
The shadow of FarmVille
MMOG & casual gaming companies on Facebook
Funding & acquisition activity in social gaming
Zynga social gaming profile
Electronic Arts social gaming profile
Disney Playdom social gaming profile
Other social gaming companies of note
Notes & definitions

Tables and charts included:

• Monthly active game users, Facebook
• Biggest and smallest games in Facebook top 200
• Percentage of users exposed to differing business models
• Userbase of Facebook top 200 games, by genre
• Titles in Facebook top 200 games, by genre
• FarmVille?s Facebook MAUs
• Funding & acquisition summary
• MMOG and casual gaming companies on Facebook
• Zynga Facebook MAUs
• Electronic Arts Facebook MAUs
• Disney Playdom Facebook MAUs
• Facebook MAUs of other notable companies

Pages: 12

Tables & charts: 12

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