Widespread naivety on the true value of social network integration, says Mika
The game industry fails to understand the core properties and potential of social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
That was the view offered by Mike Mika, an industry veteran of twenty years having been involved in over 120 game projects.
“In boardrooms across the world, people are using Facebook and Twitter as a buzzword rather than really understanding why they work so well and what they offer to enhance a game,” he told Develop in an interview published today.
“In the last three years, people have been pitching the same thing: Post highscores on Facebook or Twitter for a viral reaction that increases your potential user base. This is well and good, but it hasn't made anyone rich yet (Well, not many people rich).”
Mika currently stands as head of development at Other Ocean, developer of XBLA title Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and the iPhone version of Sega’s Super Monkey Ball. He’s also worked at iPhone specialist dev ngmoco.
“In many ways, the games industry is waking up to what the web has offered for so long,” he added, “and in doing so, it's following some of the classic misconceptions. Just being where the action is doesn't make you succeed. You need to integrate, understand, dissect. There's no magic bullet.”
Advertisement
as long as someone does it...
connect your casual gamers with your core gamers.
have someone in a facebook game assist someone with the boring repetitive tasks of your rpg for instance and have then mine for you and even have quests that involve someone from a social game to help you finish in the form of mails, and messages, to receive information, or other goods. use an online spying network, or engage in interplanetary politics and research in a strategy game.
there are so many ways to bridge the two fronts and make it enjoyable for everyone. as well of course as bring them together to promote your game and support the cost. especially since it is obvious that the "free to play" model is so successful.
It makes even more sense for MMOs.
