Social gaming platforms are platforms where you can play with others. And yes, they’ve been here for a long time already! But more than that, they’re gaining a lot of popularity in the gaming industry!
You might not believe it, but you’ve probably come across a social gaming platform before. But what makes a social gaming platform anyway?
Let’s explore social gaming platforms and learn more about them!
INTRODUCTION
Thanks to mobile technology and social media, social gaming became popular. It’s like adding the ease of having access to them, plus a platform for social gaming to prosper.
Now, everything is so easy! Players can log in to their accounts from an app or third-party site. They can play games anytime and anywhere! Then there are social gaming platforms, which offer many games to players.
In this article, we’ll go over everything about social gaming platforms. What were the impacts of social gaming platforms on the gaming industry? What are your options with the many types of social gaming available? Are you ready to take on these questions? Read on.
HOW SOCIAL GAMING PLATFORMS WORK
What do social gaming platforms give players? You can invite friends to play together with you or join public game rooms.
But there are more things that make up for social gaming platforms. Let’s look at each of them:
In-game currency and transactions
More than the traditional gaming mechanics, social gambling platforms have in-game transactions. You can buy these with real money or by playing and learning from the games.
Integration with social media
Social gaming platforms integrate with social media. For example, you can share their achievements using Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Social features
Now, social gaming platforms add other social features for players. You can use public and private chat rooms, forums, and leaderboards. These also encourage players to engage with each other, like through competition.
And there you have it! All in all, social gambling platforms have evolved to make gaming better. Now, they’re on their way to become a popular pastime for millions of people worldwide.
In our article How Social Gaming Works, we explore the underlying factors that contributes to the popularity of social gaming.
TYPES OF SOCIAL GAMING PLATFORMS
Social gaming platforms are available on a variety of devices. Let’s explore each one:
Mobile social gaming platforms
Mobile gaming exploded in recent years. Now, millions of people are playing on their smartphones and tablets. And what’s the best part about them? It’s that they offer the convenience of playing anywhere and anytime.
Browser-based social gaming platforms
If you use your desktop more often, then this one might be for you. You can access browser-based social gaming platforms from any web browser. This makes them easy to access and play on any device with the internet. Often, these have more games and social features to offer, like forums. But a downside here would be that they have a bigger file to install before using.
Console social gaming platforms
Console gaming might be ancient, but they’re still here! And yes, they offer social gaming features. Players can connect through their consoles and play. They can also do various in-game transactions, like with skins and items.
There you have it! These are only some of the types of social gaming platforms today. They offer unique features and experiences for players.
SIGNIFICANCE OF SOCIAL GAMING PLATFORMS
Of course, it’s a must to know the impact of social gaming platforms to the gaming industry. Here are the many ways that it left a mark on the industry:
Democratization of gaming
First, social gaming platforms democratize gaming by making games more accessible. Unlike before, you can now access games regardless of your location or device. Who wouldn’t like that?
Increasing engagement and retention
Second, social gaming platforms have been successful in keeping players engaged. Thanks to their social features like leaderboards, communities, and multiplayers, players stay.
New opportunities for game developers
And last, but definitely not the least is the opportunities for developers. They don’t stop, and developers are finding new ways to improve the setup. Imagine a growing population of players, of course you’d find more problems to solve as you go, right? That’s the case with social gaming platforms.
In the coming years, we are going to see continued growth for social gaming platforms.
CHALLENGES FACING SOCIAL GAMING PLATFORMS
While social gaming platforms are on the road to success, they face some challenges. Here are some of them:
Competition from traditional gaming platforms
Social gaming platforms face a lot of competition from traditional gaming platforms. If you’re not familiar with them, they’re the usual PCs and game consoles. These are not as advanced as social gaming platforms, but they have a dedicated user base. That’s why you see PS5 and Xbox users stick to their consoles over the years.
Monetization challenges
The second challenge has to do with money. Many players from social gaming platforms are hesitant to spend money in-game. Why is this the case? This is because they already have access to the game, so they don’t find the need to go extra. Of course, this hurts the profitability of the social gaming platforms.
Maintaining user engagement
And last has to do with maintaining user engagement. It’s the most crucial concern for social gaming platforms. If players lose interest in the game, then they’ll leave. And the social gaming platforms won’t have a consistent user base.
So, what must social gambling platforms do to keep their players? There are a lot of things, actually. But the gist of it is to continue innovating and providing new features to keep players engaged.
CONCLUSION
All in all, social gaming platforms became popular for many reasons. The most notable features are due to their social features. More so, social gaming platforms have been able to use social media to their advantage. Now, they have a growing user base to entertain.
With that, developers also gain from the way social gaming platforms are. How so? They’re able to make it more accessible to people, which grows their user base. And since it doesn’t stop, they only keep having problems to fix as they go.
But it’s also important to note that it’s not always rainbows and sunshine here. Social gaming platforms also face a lot of challenges, like user engagement.
What does the future look like for social gaming platforms? The future outlook for them is positive. The industry continues to evolve according to the needs of players. With the growing popularity of mobile gaming, social gaming platforms will face success.
