5 ms·
It doesn't matter how big a game dev gets: Facebook makes it possible; appdevs are wondering when the "tax" will start. Well, a de facto tax has already has sta
by cellis 17y ago
It doesn't matter how big a game dev gets: Facebook makes it possible; appdevs are wondering when the "tax" will start. Well, a de facto tax has already has started, and forcing devs to use less viral channels is when it started. The "tax" is for devs to pay in advertising to ensure their apps continue to grow and competitors don't overtake them. Zynga understands this, perhaps better than anyone.
I predict that later, facebook will add more "taxes" by squeezing out the offerpals and superrewards of their world with Credits (and charging more than them for "added value"), and, as the bar for quality gets raised for games (by the big three), they will even become a broker for in-game advertising.
And thats how the platform cookie crumbles. Its just one piece to facebook's overall puzzle though.
- replicatorblog 17y agoI wonder if there will be a tax revolt at some point, and a company like Zynga builds the social network around the games. Getting games right seems a lot harder than adding in some photo sharing and feed features. I think social networks are a lot like IM clients. I switched from AIM>Skype>Gtalk because at each step someone offered a new tool that integrated chat. Zynga has found the special sauce for addictive games. I'm sure most of their players would create a new Zynga social network profile if it got them $10 in free poker chips. The hardest thing about creating a new soc net is getting a critical mass of people. Zynga has that all tied up.
- catch23 17y agoThe first tax will be striking in the face of virtual goods services like OfferPal. App developers won't feel the tax, but supporting companies would.