With geolocation basking in the spotlight, it might be easy for marketers to overlook some key shared principles that both Foursquare and Gowalla use to keep their users excited and engaged. These principles tap into something already familiar to those of us in the business of video game marketing -- the magnetic power of gaming. Based on a recent eMarketer study, social gaming is the fifth most popular social networking activity, ahead of watching videos or searching for new contacts. Users are flocking toward playful competition, leaderboards, achievements, rewards, friend lists, etc. And, at their core, Foursquare and Gowalla understand that a quick check-in with no sense of accomplishment or community is an empty action with no legs.
With Foursquare, users can become "mayor" of the places they visit, and work toward unlocking special, and sometimes exclusive, badges (in partnership with brands like Bravo, Zagat, and The Wall Street Journal, to name a few). They can earn points over the course of the week (points reset every Sunday at midnight), and there's a leaderboard that pits their scores against those of their friends.
Gowalla takes a similar approach, adding a visually rich, game-like interface. You discover beautifully illustrated items to collect or share (Pokémon-style) by dropping in at locations, you earn pins and stamps (brand partners have included the NBA, inCase, and the pre-HP Palm), your profile is a passport, you can create trips, and there's a robust check-in leaderboard.
Both services offer tight integration with Facebook and Twitter so users can share any or all activities and achievements with friends and followers.
A powerful combination
The power of combining social media and gaming has never been clearer. FarmVille and Doodle Jump are two prime examples of socially aware games that dominate their respective sectors.
I don't doubt you've heard of a successful little game that debuted on Facebook in June of 2009 called FarmVille. Less than one year later, and with more than 82 million users worldwide, Zynga's intricately crafted social game expeditiously captured an audience larger than that of Twitter. Zynga has proven it understands the public's appetite for brisk rewards and achievements. FarmVille game developers know precisely when to dangle a carrot or pony up a prize, while virtual farmers work their illusionary land to avoid the shame of letting their farm fall into utter disrepair. The rapid reach of FarmVille would never have happened without the social infrastructure provided by Facebook. FarmVille players vigorously recruit their friends in exchange for virtual currency and other goods.
Doodle Jump, a hugely successful iPhone game, also utilizes social media to great effect. Released in the fall of 2009, Doodle Jump has reportedly sold more than 4 million copies, the most recent million having been sold since March 2010. Speaking at Facebook's F8 conference, Igor Pusenjak of Lima Sky said the integration of Facebook and Twitter, which allowed users to share their scores, helped keep the game alive and spread the word. For Doodle Jump, the marriage of great game play and enthusiasm spread through social media ultimately drives sales.
Players are out there, and they're looking for something to do
Recent insights have shown that social gaming on the web reaches an audience hungry for play. A study published by casual game maker PopCap in late February 2010 estimated there are around 100 million active social gamers in the U.S. and U.K. and that the average player is a 43-year-old female. Given the fact that FarmVille alone has more than 82 million players worldwide, these numbers come as no surprise.
The release of the iPhone brought casual mobile gaming to an eager market, and introduced short burst gaming, or micro-gaming, to the masses. Games you can quickly play while you wait on line give consumers the ability to jump in and jump out an experience, letting them kill a few moments or relieve some dreaded boredom. Games quickly dominated the app store for Apple's iPad, released in early April, with nearly 1,600 titles already available to choose from.
Apple will be adding premium value to its enthralled iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad audiences with the release of a new service dubbed Game Center, to be bundled in this fall's iPhone OS 4.0 system software update. All the social elements of gaming (leaderboards, achievements, friend lists, etc.) will be introduced for the first time to a broad, casual game-playing, portable audience. For Apple's consumers, this new level of engagement will be exhilarating and no doubt a massive success.
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