ABSTRACT
Even a few years ago, the answer was “no.” Such a study would have limited utility and would cease to be topical the minute new social networks eclipsed Facebook, as undoubtedly will happen…eventually. Moreover, as many companies and investors are discovering the hard way, it is extremely difficult to succeed as a “fast-follower” in a space that already moves with a speed and agility that would make a falcon jealous, in an industry that seems to reinvent the “core experiences” it offers to the user every nine months. An intimate dissection of FarmVille, Vampire Wars (already moribund), CityVille, Candy Crush, or even Clash of Clans might remain current for the next year or two, but little more, and it would be extremely difficult for the lessons learned in such a narrow study to help guide the reader’s steps over the next decade. Moreover, as we noted in the first edition of this book, the powerful effects that social games can have also exist quite outside “traditional” social networks. Many of the most successful mobile games have succeeded with designs that take advantage of the network effects that exist in so connected a world. Mobile and tablet games can be social games as well. So can console games.
