Post by Morreion on May 27, 2010 6:39:14 GMT -5
Justin Webb: The Bank of the Internet
MMORPG.com's Justin Webb uses his column this week to talk about Facebook, wacky privacy settings and what it can mean to you as an MMO gamer.
MMORPG.com's Justin Webb uses his column this week to talk about Facebook, wacky privacy settings and what it can mean to you as an MMO gamer.
...Facebook is maneuvering itself to become the payment method of the internet through the use of Facebook Credits (which are currently in beta). These credits are bought directly from Facebook and are then used to pay for virtual things in any Facebook app. It’s a way for Facebook to get a slice of the Zynga pie – well all the pies actually. In addition, Facebook Connect is a feature that allows you to login to third-party shopping sites using your Facebook credentials … in exchange for your personal information. Facebook then knows where you like to spend money, and on what. If you join the dots, one of the scary conclusions is that third-party Facebook Connect retail partners will soon accept Facebook credits as payment. It’s a genius idea – truly one-stop shopping, without having to create separate accounts for each retailer you visit. At that point,
Facebook will have become the Bank of the Internet.
Back to WoW -- it isn’t going to be around forever. There is a growing trend in MMO gaming to become streaming-client-based or browser-based. MMO publishers want this – they would much rather have you play instantly than have to download a gargantuan executable on launch day. While the MMO dinosaurs still rule the gaming landscape, the MMO mammals are coming. And they will be quick and agile and browser based:
The next MMO that “out-WoWs WoW” the way WoW “out-Everquested Everquest” will make a fortune, possibly in Facebook credits.
The current best candidate for a quality browser-based MMO client is the Unity Engine. Right now, Unity can do some amazing things (for example, Tiger Woods Online, Need for Speed World, FusionFall, etc.) but it doesn’t quite have the guts to handle an MMO. Moore’s Law should take care of that...
Ultimately, very soon, technology will be at a point where it will be possible to play an MMO in a browser – my money’s on Chrome ... or in Facebook running on Chrome. And, at that time, Facebook will have a massive captive player base and its own currency. Being able to tap into that market and precisely target gamers with advertisements will be very appealing to Unity MMO developers. Or devs might go the Chrome route and bypass Facebook altogether. Will it result in MMOs that we want to play? Who knows? But it’s gonna happen.
Two years, tops.
Facebook will have become the Bank of the Internet.
Back to WoW -- it isn’t going to be around forever. There is a growing trend in MMO gaming to become streaming-client-based or browser-based. MMO publishers want this – they would much rather have you play instantly than have to download a gargantuan executable on launch day. While the MMO dinosaurs still rule the gaming landscape, the MMO mammals are coming. And they will be quick and agile and browser based:
The next MMO that “out-WoWs WoW” the way WoW “out-Everquested Everquest” will make a fortune, possibly in Facebook credits.
The current best candidate for a quality browser-based MMO client is the Unity Engine. Right now, Unity can do some amazing things (for example, Tiger Woods Online, Need for Speed World, FusionFall, etc.) but it doesn’t quite have the guts to handle an MMO. Moore’s Law should take care of that...
Ultimately, very soon, technology will be at a point where it will be possible to play an MMO in a browser – my money’s on Chrome ... or in Facebook running on Chrome. And, at that time, Facebook will have a massive captive player base and its own currency. Being able to tap into that market and precisely target gamers with advertisements will be very appealing to Unity MMO developers. Or devs might go the Chrome route and bypass Facebook altogether. Will it result in MMOs that we want to play? Who knows? But it’s gonna happen.
Two years, tops.
