| 26 February 2010
More than 24% of Internet users say they play social games frequently, making for a total of approximately 100 million social games players, according to a survey conducted by Information Solutions Group on behalf of social games publisher PopCap Games.
Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) said social games appeal to a larger demographic than the traditional market of hardcore gamers due to their simple gameplay and lower hardware requirements.
"This can be seen in the popularity of games like Popcap's Bejeweled, which to date has been downloaded over 150 million times and with 25 million copies sold, compared to a traditional hardcore blockbuster like Halo 3, which 8.1 million units sold made it one of the most successful console games in recent times," said Michelle Lui, MDA's deputy director of interactive media and games, in an e-mail interview with ZDNet Asia.
With this emerging trend, there is a potential for aspiring social game developers and to bring launch more products easily, said Lui. "The new revenue models created by these digital platforms have proved lucrative for smaller developers, especially given that development of a social game is well within their means. A typical [social] game takes about six months to develop, with costs ranging between US$75,000 and US$300,000… as opposed to the usual USS$5 million to US$20 million cost of [developing] a console or hardcore PC title."
Most of these social gamers constitute of fairly equal number of females and males with 55% and 45% respectively. Can this be the new hype of games that is overtaking the world?
Debbie Swee, market analyst for emerging technologies research at IDC Asia-Pacific, said in an interview with ZDNet Asia that she sees the emergence of social games such as FarmVille and Mafia Wars found on Facebook, and on independent social game sites such as Viwawa, as "symptomatic" of how the games industry is moving mainstream.
"The profile for gamers has changed very much over the years," noted Swee. "Games used to only appeal to a predominantly male demographic but these days, women, young children, working adults and the elderly, are also playing online games."
Such social gaming excitement is sustainable due to the frequent usage of social networking sites by individuals and whats more these games are usually totally FREE! Hence, while surfing the net and “gossiping” on the latest updates about people you know online, at the same time, you are also able to be able to play a game and alleviate boredom once in a while.
However, some game developers describe social games as a "trend that will pass with time" and a sector that is not worth entering.
Robin Tan, managing director of Singapore-based Envisage Reality, a PC game developer company, said social gamers enjoy games "based on popularity and not so much on quality".
"As game developers, I believe that what we develop is like art, just as what [painters] Picasso or Michelangelo did during the Renaissance period. Social game is a very different kind of art," said Tan.
However, interviews with gamers show that social games still have a place in the industry. He said social games are becoming the current trend in today's games industry and able to cater to a wider market audience at a much cheaper cost.
The vast majority (95%) of social gamers player multiple times per week, with 64% saying they play at least once a day; 61% said their average gaming sessions lasts more than half an hour.
Reasons why these people want to play social games is generally due to "Fun and excitement" (53%), while "stress relief" (45%), "self satisfaction" (43%) and "mental workout" (32%) are also reasons in their choices.
Online social networks such as Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and even the newly revamp Friendster are able to survive due to this new hype that is overtaking the online reality.