Réseau social[1] gaming refers to games that are played on social networking platforms. These games engage a variety of users, with studies showing a significant percentage are women and the average player’s age is around 43. The appeal of these games often comes from their cost-free, non-violent nature. Social network games use a range of technological applications, including Flash, HTML5, Java, and Objective-C, and incorporate features like asynchronous gameplay to boost engagement. Monetization methods mainly involve virtual goods transactions, but new models are also emerging. Companies use these games for promotional purposes, and there are instances of major companies acquiring game developers. However, social network gaming is not without criticism, often due to issues like spam and scams. Despite the challenges, it remains a popular and growing sector, with ongoing research providing valuable insights into this dynamic landscape.
A social network game (sometimes simply referred to as a social media game, social gamingou online social game) is a type of online game that is played through les réseaux sociaux ou médias sociaux. They typically feature gamification systems with multiplayer gameplay mechanics. Social network games were originally implemented as browser games. As mobile gaming took off, the games moved to mobile as well. While they share many aspects of traditional video games, social network games often employ additional ones that make them distinct. Traditionally they are oriented to be social games and casual games.
The first cross-platform "Facebook-to-Mobile" social network game was developed in 2011 by a Finnish company Star Arcade. Social network games are amongst the most popular games played in the world, with several products with tens of millions of players. (Lil) Green Patch, Happy Farmet Mob Wars were some of the first successful games of this genre. FarmVille, Mafia Wars, Kantai Collectionet The Sims Social are more recent examples of popular social network game.
Major companies that made or published social network games include Zynga, Wooga et Bigpoint Games.