According to Silicon Alley Insider, of the 30,000 applications posted on Facebook, the most popular apps are games. Although these aren’t mobile games, Facebook application games are so similar to mobile games that it does provide some insight into the mobile gaming industry.
Of the 50 most popular apps on Facebook, 15 of them get 10% or more of the people who’ve installed the app to use them on a daily basis — and seven of those are games. Of the top five, four are games — including the most popular one, Bowling Buddies.
So what does this tell us about the mobile gaming industry? That it isn’t necessarily the quality of gaming that is deterring people. Clearly, people love playing casual games and will play them on a daily basis. The problem must lie in the discovery and acquiring of the games themselves.
Facebook has managed to provide a content distribution system that is easy to use and provides for quick acquisition. Sounds like iTunes doesn’t it? From this article, it has become even more clear to me that mobile gaming will get the boost it needs once iTunes or a similar content distribution system takes over, and discovery becomes an enjoyable experience, rather than one that makes you want to stick hot knitting needles in your eyes.
[Article via Silicon Alley Insider]
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