The social gaming space, whether on Facebook, mobile or a dedicated website, is growing fast. While that growth can be promising for young companies with great ideas, it also means that the market is getting even more crowded than it already is.
That can be a challenge to newcomers in the space, according to Clive Downie, VP of marketing for
Rolando and
We Rule mobile publisher Ngmoco.
"What we're seeing here is companies scrambling to tap into the new needs of consumers," he said in a
new Gamasutra feature. "Competition is building, the bigger companies are becoming more successful, and soon it will become harder for new companies to find a foothold as the market matures."
Ngmoco, founded in 2008, last year hired MySpace executive Jason Oberfest as its VP of social applications, as the company explores new ways to connect its players. The company's commercially successful iPhone and iPad game
We Rule lets users create kingdoms, and drop in to friends' kingdoms to work and earn gold.
Downie said that Ngmoco is open to expanding beyond mobile, but for now, its "vision" is to become a leader on 3G mobile devices. "You know, the road is littered with people who don't change quickly enough," he said. "But, right now, we have a job to do, we're doing it, and that's fulfilling our vision as a company."
The
full Gamasutra feature is available now, and also includes insight from social game companies Evony and Zynga.
