Civilization Network PBBG

[lolninja]

Hey, guys and gals, was reading some blogs and saw that Sid Mayer is releasing a faceboook version of Civilization, which is both pretty awesome, and a complete pain.

You can read some very minor details at, http://blog.games.com/2009/10/21/civilization-network-marches-to-facebook-in-2010/ anyone else kinda worried that having such a big name entering the PBBG space will blow some of the smaller guys out of the water?

Me personally I am kind of worried, I've been worried, because I've been working on a civ like game as a hobby project with the eventual goal of releasing it as a full game, and in all reality what chance do I stand with my fan made semi-clone against Sid Mayer and co :S

[Chris]

"The game will offer everything you enjoy in Civ" if this part is true, then no worries. Typical PC game scale bad into PBBG. But I suspect Mayer is too smart for this...

Still, I think he will be bound to the old Civ fans, which means he would not be able to use full potencial of browser games. Threat to other civ type games, but not such threat to other strategies. In addition, this is Facebook only, plenty of PBBG players hate Facebook.

[Nox]

On the other hand... I think many people use FB to kill a free time so they may be willing to play this...you know... there are many really weird games like having aquarium etc. which I think many people wouldn't play otherwise. And there will be the think that many of them would play it just cause their friends are playing and it's famous, I believe that. I think it would be somewhere between what lolninja and Chris said

Anyway I think it was inevitable, the same as big companies having their channel on youtube

[Chris]

Oh yes, this will be a big hit, no doubt. But it does not mean it is any threat to all other games (to some games, yes). Actually, if he were to grab my share of the market, he would fail to make a hit, since I occupy too niche market (people who don't have much time to play and hate micromanagement). But if I had a civ style game with facebook interface implemented then indeed, I could start worrying.

[dbest]

I know a lot of people who play games on facebook (fb), but would not play any browser based games outside of facebook. So if your game is not on fb, then you are not in direct competition at all.

Sid Meier entering the fb scene, could lead to some dedicated civ fans getting onto fb to play the game. With a big name player is in the strategy bbg market, it would mean that some of the guys looking for his game, might also find your game, if its on fb in the same segment. So that could lead to a few additional hits to your game. Its like going to the supermarket to buy 'insert famous product here'. Along the way, you will also notice the not-so famous products in the same segment, and maybe, you might be tempted to just try one of the not-so famous product.

[e-fish]

Of course you could allow people to play through facebook and from your own website. Then you can get players from both "markets".

Chris what makes you say that many PBBG players hate facebook? Just wondering because some facebook PBBGs are producing BIG money.

ps:nice to see your still working on your Civ clone lolninja. I restarted my rpg coding couple weeks ago.

[Chris]

Well, I was refering to the original post which was an estimate how effectively Mayer's project could steal players from a game similar to my. I wasn't evaluating Facebook's potential or anything, just the threat level, which I find very low or non existant.

Chris what makes you say that many PBBG players hate facebook? Just wondering because some facebook PBBGs are producing BIG money.

To clarify, I was thinking about a typical PBBG, similar to my, with similar demographic and promotion methods.
- It is logical, my players do not have too much time, my main selling point is that you don't need much time to play most of my games. Such design naturally attracts older players nad people who dislike social networks and have no time for them.
- I read somewhere (I think on this forum) a post from other game owner who had similar conclusion
- My biggest game has more than 100k accounts, I never, ever got any request or suggestion to make any Facebook friendly feature (while iPods or Wii implementation requests occur from time to time), I never saw any Facebook link on my forum, my moderators never got to delete any facebook link in the shoutbox, no player ever asked for my Facebook nick.

[dbest]

- My biggest game has more than 100k accounts, I never, ever got any request or suggestion to make any Facebook friendly feature (while iPods or Wii implementation requests occur from time to time), I never saw any Facebook link on my forum, my moderators never got to delete any facebook link in the shoutbox, no player ever asked for my Facebook nick.

I do not think that people like to advertise their facebook accounts, its more for people that you know IRL (mostly). Nor do people want to add people that they do not know. Maybe you aint been friendly to your players.