iGB Intelligence reports Social Gaming report | Page 13
Part 1 – SOCIAL CASINO
virtual world games specialist FlowPlay has received
praise for its MMORPG (massively multiplayer online
role-playing game) social casino, Vegas World, in
which users create avatars and can interact with
other players and share gifts in virtual environments.
Big Fish Games’ Big Fish Casino is arguably the
most social product from the top publishers as its
multiplayer casino games recreate a feeling of playing
alongside fellow patrons at an actual casino. Users can
also interact and buy rounds of drinks. Crucially, social
elements help to boost monetisation rates (FlowPlay
claims to have some of the highest in the industry) and
player lifetime values (LTVs).
Overall, though, casual games generally are
increasingly more social experiences, Chahine
explains, highlighting multiplayer game 8 Ball Pool by
Miniclip as a prime example of a truly social mobile
game with competitive mechanics. “Four years ago,
only 20 to 25% of all games were multiplayer. Now it’s
60%. The next generation isn’t going to play singleplayer games – they are going to play with other
people. That’s the Millennial DNA. They might enjoy
mobile games like Crossy Road but in reality social
networking has changed, hence people want more from
an app. So apps are going to have to become much
more complicated from a technical standpoint.” He
continues: “I think the fight in the future is going to be
around how many services you can add so that users
can have a better experience. Consumers want more
than just a simple game.”
Upwardly mobile
The mobile gaming market is worth a staggering
US$34.8bn and is predicted to soar to US$74bn by
2020, according to app analytics specialists App Annie.
Mobile gaming is estimated to have accounted for 85%
of all app revenues in 2015. The past five years has
witnessed a dramatic rise in mobile gaming, fuelled
by the proliferation of smartphones and tablets. This
trend means most of the leading social casino firms
have switched from desktop-fo