Social Mid-Core Gamers Saving Social Gaming

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According to SuperData, the amount that gamers spend on social gaming has dropped from $45.58 last year to $37.59 this year. Despite this, more users are going to be making payments, and the total will add up to $1.8 billion by the end of the year in the U.S. and $1.4 billion in Europe.

By 2015, SuperData expects the global social game market on both PC and mobile to hit $13 billion. The number of “mid core” gamers is increasing from 1.4 percent last year to 2.5 percent of social gamers this year.

“Mid-core social games are clearly driving the current momentum,” said analyst Janelle Benjamin. “This emerging genre represents a different gaming demographic that spends substantially more.”

Shooter and strategy titles continue to perform well, while the hardest hit games in the genre are from simulation games, like FarmVille. Offsetting the 18 percent drop in average sales per user is the increase in paid conversion, which allows for growth in overall revenues per title.

GM Pulling Plug On Facebook Advertising

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GM has reported that it will no longer spend money advertising on Facebook, instead focusing on their free Facebook page for which they pay no fee. The U.S. auto company’s marketing executives decided Facebook’s ads had little impact on consumers.

“We regularly review our overall media spend and make adjustments as needed…it’s not unusual for us to move our spending around various media outlets – especially with the growth of multiple social and digital media outlets,” GM said in a statement. “In terms of Facebook specifically, while we currently do not plan to continue with advertising, we remain committed to an aggressive content strategy through all of our products and brands, as it continues to be a very effective tool for engaging with our customers.”

GM is the country’s third largest advertiser behind Procter & Gamble Co and AT&T Inc and spent $1.11 billion on U.S. ads last year, according to Kantar Media. GM spends about $40 million on its Facebook presence, but only about $10 million of that is paid to Facebook for advertising, the rest going to agencies.

Source: Reuters

Facebook IPO Might Have 422 Million Shares

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Reports are that Facebook will expand its IPO by 25 percent. It is believed that the number of shares the social network will release will increase from 337.4 million to 422 million to satisfy investor demand.

Combined with the decision to raise the IPO price range from $28-$35 to $34-$38, Facebook is now looking at an IPO worth $16 billion, which would be the third largest in history behind Visa Inc. and General Motors. With 422 million shares at a mid-point value of $36, the company would see value between $93 billion and $104 billion, around the same level as Amazon.

Source: Reuters

Apple Talking With China Mobile

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China Mobile is talking with Apple to bring the iPhone to its subscribers. This would add China Mobile’s 667.2 million users, in addition to Apple’s deals with China Unicom and China Telecom.

“We’ve been actively talking to Apple on how we can cooperate,” said China Mobile chairman Xi Guohua. “I can’t give you too many details, but I’d like to repeat that both sides do hope to boost our cooperation.”

“There’s a tremendous opportunity for companies that understand China, and we’re doing everything we can to understand it and serve the market as good as we can,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Source: Reuters

Fit Buns Turns Bread Into Fitness Memberships

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The Fitness Academy got into cooperation with bakery that supplies bread to neighborhood stores. Together they created FIT BUNS — a branded healthy buns with coupon for a free visit to fitness center inside the box, resulting in a massive return on investment!

Source: Ads of the World

Kingdom Hearts 3D Pre-Order AR Cards

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Square Enix has announced a pre-order bonus for everyone who puts money down for Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance. Those that purchase the game before its launch on July 31 will receive three augmented reality (AR) cards.

“Using these cards will allow players to unlock rare Dream Eaters and a 360 viewing stand that allows players to take a closer look at their Dream Eaters from all angles,” explains Square Enix. “One wild AR card will randomly unlock one of the three rare Dream Eaters: Ursa Circus, Sudo Neku or Meowjesty. The second AR card unlocks R&R Seal Dream Eater, and the last AR card unlocks the 360 viewing stand.”

Art Of The Instakill

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Corridor Digital went all out to recreate this death match with real life actors. Things start out with some contemporary shooters and it just gets crazier from there.

Game Of Thrones — Behind The Wall

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The Project Director and Lead Game Designer from Cyanide Studio talk about creating an original story for Game of Thrones. The French accents are thick, but their love for the series of books (and recent TV series) shines through.