Zynga CEO Thinks Facebook Should Be More Like Xbox Live

[Lauren Admire]

Zynga CEO Thinks Facebook Should Be More Like Xbox Live

Mark Pincus, Zynga's CEO and creator of some of Facebook's most popular online games, believes that Facebook should take a page out of Xbox Live's book.

According to Pincus, Facebook has a decision to make. Though 400 million users strong and growing, the social website is "at a crossroads. They have to decide whether it's more important to be the web's social platform, to make their social plumbing pervasive. They have a more obvious business model around being a portal."

He makes the case for an "app economy," where apps are more thoroughly integrated into Facebook's current model. He also points out that, instead of bickering over new users and popularity, app makers could try to handle it like Xbox Live did, sharing a virtual space and working together to create a more cohesive and pervasive experience. Pincus encouraged Facebook to be more like Xbox Live, "where there are achievements, a consistent user experience, a way for web publishers and networks and sites to participate and an easy way for developers to develop amazing game experiences that enhance relationships among people."

The result would be a Facebook where apps become the main focus of social interaction. "It would bother me if (something as innovative as the location-based Twitter game) Foursquare was not built on the Facebook platform," Pincus explains. "An analogy is Windows. If it had not been the home of Excel or the web browser, then it would not have grown."

Pincus argued for three important tools if Facebook should choose to follow this route. One is an "app bar" that would follow the users to every page, providing them with an easy way to get back to their games. The second would be better user communication, which would allow apps to reach out to their users without being obtrusive and annoying (say goodbye to those annoying "I found a lost stallion" status updates), and finally, universal social feeds that would be accessible from anywhere on the web.

Though I would thoroughly welcome a less obnoxious way for game apps to communicate with their users beyond clogging up the status updates feed, I think Pincus is somewhat missing the point. Facebook is first and foremost a social application, and although gaming fits very neatly into that category, it's not meant to be the website's focus. Could Pincus be hoping to tweak Facebook to better suit Zynga's interests?

Source: Industry Gamers [http://games.venturebeat.com/2010/04/20/zyngas-mark-pincus-facebook-should-focus-on-either-web-plumbing-or-portal-business-not-both/]

Permalink

 

[uppitycracker]

how about no? centering facebook around apps and games would completely ruin it for me. it's a social networking site, not a social gaming site. i use it for a lot of promotion, and pretty much my entire target audience would no longer be there if this were the case.

 

[oppp7]

As a gamer I'm supposed to say I agree, but as an intelligent being I have to say no.

It's not for gamers. It's for casual internet users.

 

[sooperman]

"Could Pincus be hoping to tweak Facebook to better suit Zynga's interests?"

Yes, yes he is. The man is a scammer and is willing to push whatever agenda that will increase profits. Pincus has proven his ability to manipulate people and this is just another game integration shift to push products.

Honestly I'm surprised he wasn't sued out of business when people found out that he was a scammer.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

As he is an admitted spammer and scammer, I can safely declare anything Mr. Pincus thinks is good, is probably bad.

 

[Rayjay06]

Counter argument: Facebook should get rid of all these stupid "games", I think that would be best. Seriously, it's used to keep in touch with friends, organize meetings and groups, and share files; not for visiting your pixilated farm or joining your werewolf army.

 

[Aura Guardian]

So...it should be like Xbox Live? The Xbox live with 10-14 and 21-30 year olds shouting curses and racial slurs?

 

[Gaderael]

Never trust a man named Pincus.

 

[A_Parked_Car]

I use Facebook to talk to people...or well "person" to be honest. I have no interest in all the apps and casual games that are so abundant on that site. What I'm saying is, I don't go on Facebook to play games, I go on Facebook to communicate. I have Steam for video games thank you very much.

 

[Lost In The Void]

Facebook is for retards to meet their retard friends and scribble retard messages on each others walls like every other generation before without the spraypaint, except that everyone and their dog has a can of spraypaint and large companies (and not so large companies) want to pay people to spraypaint advertisements for their shit all over other people's walls. Yes I know I could have said that less offensively but I have never been one to mince words especially with unpleasant truths.

Awe its another case of "its popular and thus the bane of Satan himself." Personally I don't find Facebook that bad, though the Farmville notifications are annoying. I disabled them and moved one. I use Facebook for talking with friends who don't carry their cells, letting people know if there's something exciting going on and seeing if they'd like to join me and keeping in touch with old classmates who are going to different colleges then me. Just because you think that it isn't any good doesn't make the Users of such a site "Retards" just like playing XBox Live doesn't automatically make you a raving fanboy and playing World of Warcraft doesn't make you a social recluse. Funny how that is.

On topic, I don's believe this is the way that Facebook should go. Instead they need to avoid this as much as possible.By allowing this app thing, you're taking more away from what the site is actually used for. Xbox Live was designed and is used for gaming, where as Facebook was designed as a social site. I won't say the system is perfect, but the evolution of the site should be focused more towards the social interactions of the Users, not the spamming of our request window.

 

[maddawg IAJI]

My answer is no. Xbox Live was created to go around solely on gaming and nothing else. If you were on Xbox Live, then chances are you're interested in gaming (Or watching a Movie from Netflix >_>)

Facebook was created as a social interaction site. The majority of those who use facebook don't use the Apps. In fact, most people find them annoying such as my dad. The site was meant for users to keep in touch with family and friends. Not for gamers.

 

[CloggedDonkey]

Where I do agree with that statement(as it will give me more to ***** about), I am sick and tired of hearing about Zynga. Seriously, I know there here to stay(as the escapist has told me two times, one cleverly during the battle with VALVe), but I just want to stop hearing about it. Do what game informer did, do an unbiased look at it, and a biased look at it. Show us what you would think of it as a first game or a time waister, and tell us what you think of it as a game for people who have played more then a few games. I would read that.

 

[Kevlar Eater]

"where there are achievements, a consistent user experience, a way for web publishers and networks and sites to participate and an easy way for developers to develop amazing game experiences that enhance relationships among people."

In other words, to attempt to make the game (and the website) more addicting, which would mean more money.

 

[Zarthek]

ME NO WANT! sorry.
Anyway, I just log on to facebook to see what my friends are doing, I don't want to have to use app games to do that, and achievements there just seem silly.
If anything make it an optional "upgrade", so that those of us that don't care can just keep it the way it is now.

 

[CoverYourHead]

Next step: Monthly fees for use.

... I really hate Zynga.

 

[Outlaw Torn]

Time to reset the '# days since a Scamga advert on The Escapist' sign.

I know I certainly wouldn't take any business advice from a liar and a thief, but obviously that is how most companies seem to operate these days.

 

[Onyx Oblivion]

So...it should be like Xbox Live? The Xbox live with 10-14 and 21-30 year olds shouting curses and racial slurs?

See also: The Internet in General

Well, I don't want that.

Achievement Unlocked: 1000 friends, 25 of which are actually your friends that you talk to

 

[Assassin Xaero]

The result would be a Facebook where apps become the main focus of social interaction.

Even as a gamer that seems bad... I mostly just use facebook to keep in contact with my friends and... uhh... that's about it... If I wanted to play games, I would play real ones, not some browser based [Insert Thing Here]Ville shit.

 

[Stilt-Man]

Could Pincus be hoping to tweak Facebook to better suit Zynga's interests?

You pretty much hit the nail on the head, there, I'd say. If it were up to Pincus, the site would be called Farmbook.