It may be uncommon for LoreHound to cover Facebook’s library of games, but it has happened. More important is the impact that the juggernaut of social networking has had on the game industry at large. Casual gaming became a viable option for all major game companies after numerous never-heard-ofs struck it big on Facebook. The Zuckerberg Nation has changed the world but it looks like its efforts to install a new currency, Facebook Coins, for gaming has fallen flat.
According to TechCrunch, the company will allow developers to adopt a subscription model in lieu of Facebook Credits starting July 1, 2012. The move will be a win for developers and players alike. Originally installed a few years ago, the change will allow developers to set their own prices in their own currency as the primary transaction method, be it subscription or a la carte. Many developers have been asking for this…or finding ways to circumvent restrictions.
For players, purchases should be more transparent between their local IRL currency and the in-game money. Jaime Madigan of The Psychology of Video Games has a great two-piece article on how the added layers of economic complexity messes with our brains, causing us to spend more than we might otherwise.
Interesting to see Facebook offering subscription models to keep its 30/70 revenue sharing in face of the MMOG market shifting to a F2P model.
According to a statement made by Zynga, Facebook Coins will be phased out entirely.