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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Facebook Enters the Mobile Games Publishing Business

Eager to join the ranks of publishers getting a cut of the lucrative mobile gaming business, Facebook has announced a new pilot program that will help mobile game developers' titles to better stand out from the pack.

The program, known simply as Mobile Games Publishing, won't see Facebook turning into a traditional games publisher that has a hand in the development process. Rather than providing funding and oversight, Facebook will instead focus on the marketing aspect of the publishing business. It will offer targeted advertisements to its mobile users (which number upwards of 800 million per month) and offer analytics tools to developers in return for a portion of participating games' revenues.

Ten developers are already enrolled in the program, and applications are being taken for additional games. Those already in the program vary in size and include well-known developers such as Certain Affinity (Crimson Alliance, Age of Booty) and Gameloft (Modern Combat, Order & Chaos Online, Gangstar).

For smaller developers, in particular, the benefit of such an arrangement is the lack of any upfront cost. With the number of game releases on mobile platforms continuing to soar, it's exceedingly easy for games not attached to an established brand or developer to go unnoticed. Securing advertising space with a portion of Facebook's user base, which Facebook says will consist of people who play similar sorts of games on its website, could help developers to avoid such a fate.

However, developers run the risk of losing a great deal of money if the game turns out to be a big success. And should sales underwhelm, the developer could be left with very little money for itself after Facebook and either Apple or Google -- each of which takes 30 percent -- get their respective cuts.

Stay tuned to IGN for the latest on Facebook's journey into the mobile games business.

Chris Pereira is a freelance writer who spends his spare time agonizing over the final seasons of The X-Files. Check out what he's saying on Twitter and follow him on IGN.


Source : ign[dot]com

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