Social Gaming Gets Huger

According to this analyst the social, mobile and online gaming segments could total 40% of revenues for 2010. With traditional console games expected to decline, this represents a continuation of the tectonic shifts in the industry. Whither marketing in this brave new world of social gaming? Elements of marketing become incorporated into the game design... encouraging people to dragoon their friends into joining the game and giving them free gifts, or help with their game. Of course, it's the virtual goods that are really bringing in the revenue. Some predictions figure a $1 billion market in a year or two for virtual goods.

Much as publishers and developers have to rethink their product development model for these new platforms and distribution methods, marketers are having to rethink how they market games. Old school: spend a lot of time designing the package, create an ad campaign to run in all the major gaming magazines. New school: Spend time developing a web site, orchestrating a buzz campaign on social media, get game designers to throw in features that help connect users together and interest them in DLC and updates... magazines? Oh, yeah, that dead tree stuff last century.

Oh, it's going to be an interesting year ahead...