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Is Facebook Arcade a Joke?

Is Facebook Arcade a Joke?

Recently, Facebook has partnered with Unity, a cross-platform game engine used to develop video games for PC, consoles, mobile devices and websites. The partnership, along with the development of the Oculus Rift, will put Facebook on the map as a serious gaming platform. Furthermore, it will make things easier for developers who have already built games on Unity to push them out on Facebook’s site and their dedicated desktop app, Facebook Arcade. It certainly seems like Facebook wants to join the Microsoft bandwagon and compete with Steam. What will come of this? Well, since Facebook has long had a reputation for extremely casual games like FarmVille and Candy Crush , I think this new venture will bring about even more.

Before we get into that, however, we need to address the assumption that Facebook is going to succeed at this step into the gaming industry. According to Statistic Brain , Facebook’s existing user base is at 1.72 billion monthly users compared to Steam’s released statement in 2015 that claimed 1.25 million active accounts. If every one of Facebook’s users took advantage of Facebook Arcade, than it might outgun competitors by default. That is certainly a very attractive statistic, especially for developers. The widespread advertising alone that Facebook could provide is certainly enough for many game developers to take the risk. Thus, if nothing else, Facebook Arcade will likely see a huge influx of customers and developers – even if those numbers don’t equal its user base.

But what will this influx of people mean for the gaming industry? I think it’s safe to say that most Facebook users that also game on Facebook are casual gamers. Therefore, it’s rather likely that this partnership with Unity will help expand on that. More Facebook game genres will arise, certainly not limited to casino slots and simulation games. We can take a look at the variety of mobile games available as an example. Rhythm games can become quite deep and provocative while remaining casual as ever. Rayark’s Deemo is one of the most popular of this genre, cleverly incorporating the simplicity of a rhythm game with a subtle but complex narrative. Or, nothing beats Dandelion Puff in terms of casual, where all you do is float from one platform to the next. Yet it manages to intrigue with beautiful art and one of the best soundtracks for such an elementary game.

Is Facebook Arcade a Joke?

With such games, however casual, Facebook would likely draw the attention of hardcore gamers too. We’re always looking for something new to experience and I think this wider array of casual games will do just that. In addition, it’s only natural that Oculus Rift gamers explore other faucets of the company that made their favourite VR games. Facebook might even link Oculus Home with Facebook Arcade to make this exploration easier for their customers.

Facebook’s partnership with Unity is certainly exciting and I look forward to what comes out of it. The huge increase and diversity of casual games will be thrilling to take part in, as mobile games have already shown with games like Deemo and Dandelion Puff . As to Facebook’s success, well, they have the numbers and the casual gamer audience, in addition to Oculus Rift gamers willing to expand their gaming library. There is little doubt that Facebook Arcade is going to be serious competitor to Steam, particularly in the realm of casual gaming.

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