Social Gaming (Part 1): Important things you need to know
WHAT IS SOCIAL GAMING?
At the time of its inception, while thinking about Social Gaming, the only way people could relate with the idea was the likes of Farmville. In last 5 years, this landscape has changed drastically with the rebranding of the term “Social Gaming” itself. Today, the extensive ecosystem of Social Gaming consists primarily of offerings that most people can easily relate to. They are based on real-life experiences, real-life events, and built around concepts that a person as a user has control over.
In the current scenario, with the growing influence and dependency on technology, these Social Gaming Platforms offer people with a channel to connect with like-minded individuals, with limited personal interaction (thus, maintaining a sense of anonymity and confidentiality).
As of 2017, the entire Social Gaming industry is estimated to be of around US $4.4 Billion Dollars with a user base that is nearly 2.5x the times of a traditional gaming offering.
WHY SOCIAL GAMING?
By its definition, Social Gaming Platforms are either FREE TO PLAY or offer FREEMIUM Game Play options with NO to Very Limited Monetary returns for the users.
Now, the main question is why offer something which has no monetary returns? Well, most studies related to Social Gaming have suggested that while monetary returns and gains are important to a user, they are not the most vital need. People who participate in social gaming do so primarily to interact with others just like them, people who share the same interests. The key variable here is the word “SOCIAL”. It’s a platform connecting people with one another using Gaming as a common denominator.
SOCIAL GAMING FOR SPORTS
There is no passion greater than supporting your local/favourite team. The world is filled with fans with varied backgrounds, ethnicity, affiliations or age. These fans are the lifeblood of professional sports and the only reason why this industry (Global Sports Industry) is worth a little over US $450 BILLION (As of 2016).
Today, sports fans everywhere are changing how they express their support and spend their time and money. Sports knowledge is considered to a benchmark in most social gatherings. It’s the proverbial icebreaker in new social setups and environment. Now, with the emergence of Social Media, the same can be done online with Social Gaming.
WHAT MAKES ONLINE GAMING SOCIAL?
Well, these games are played in a group and with multiple other users. These offerings include some form of social interaction. These interactions could be:
- Playing in a Group and Not in solitude.
- Sharing the outcomes with others (friends or followers).
- Direct link with major Social Media Applications (mainly Facebook).
- Ability to Invite others.
- Ability to Post Awards, Rewards, Accolades and Achievements.
About Techracers
Techracers have been delivering benchmark fantasy sports and sports betting platforms to start-ups, iGaming operators, and media houses. Our iGaming team specialize in sports betting, Social gaming and fantasy sports design and development. Our partnerships with leading data providers and payment gateways makes us a one-stop shop for all your development needs.
Originally published at Techracers…
