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Top Trends in Social Media Games

Social gamers are educated, have full-time jobs and are here to stay. Advertisers like social games because players are more likely to click on advertisements or other messages in return for game rewards. Casino games, educational games, hidden object games and entertainment tie-ins all look poised to be some of the top trends in social gaming.

Casino Games
- Casion games will allow social gaming to get past the tipping point.
  
  Gamblification will be a major force in what social media games are played and developed. It̵7;s the intersection of social media and gambling with brick and mortar casinos figuring out how they can partner with these games. Boyd Gaming Corporation owns several casinos and has already started to merge the physical casino and the online world. It has launched B Connected, a site that rewards its casino visitors when they share experiences on social media. A scoreboard is kept to encourage frequent interaction, as well as hidden objects games (HOGs) and prizes. There is big money in casino social games. Zynga, the company that makes many of the top social casino games, is responsible for 12 percent of Facebook̵7;s revenue. DoubleDown Casino is one of the leading games on Facebook and is estimated to earn $140,000 a day.
Education
- Make education fun and the parents won't question the games.
  
  In homes with a tablet computer, fifty-seven percent use it for children̵7;s educational purposes. As each new tablet iteration is released or the device's price decreases, families are keeping the older tablets for family members. Companies are creating education games. FriendsLearn is a startup with the goal of teaching the player personal education. It coined the phrase ̶0;learnification̶1; to describe social games that educate the gamer while creating a social experience. One game that̵7;s in development is "Fooya," which teaches teens about the importance of eating healthy. The lessons take place through a 3-D food fight and will be available on Facebook. Even established games like "SimCity" are being used to teach kids about social studies in an Ontario school.
Hidden Objects
- Hidden object games can be fun and educational.
  
  Hidden object games have been popular on computers, but are now making inroads into the social gaming world. The most popular game on Facebook last year was a HOG Disney game from Playdom. This year the company is releasing Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers, which will be an HOG that will also teach players about animals, conservation and ecosystems. HOGs have a simple premise and can be in any genre that interests you, from romantic ("Love Chronicles: The Sword and the Rose") to horror ("Shiver: Vanishing Hitchhiker").
Entertainment Partners
- Literary giant Jane Austen is getting a social game.
  
  Expect to see social games released to compliment popular movies and television shows. "The Hunger Games" has released a social game on Facebook and "The Walking Dead" will do so also. Even Jane Austen has a hidden object game called "Rogues and Romance" that can be found on Facebook.

Computer Games