"52% of all gamers are now female"

THE RISE OF SOCIAL GAMING

With so many of us now regularly checking in to our social network accounts to keep a close eye on friends, family and celebrities, and with mobile-based games taking over as the world’s leading platform for entertainment, it was inevitable to witness the modern concepts of social media and ubiquitous gaming come together. 

Platforms like Twitter and Facebook show no intention of slowing down and much like every other form of technology, opportunities for developing the next big phenomenon are rife.

At the moment Facebook enjoys around 1.44 billion active users with half of that figure logging in on a daily basis and enjoying social gaming on the site. Online gaming has grown exponentially over the past decade with more and more gamers turning their attentions to mass multiplayer online titles and other console-based experiences that offer multiplayer features. 

It has become apparent that what makes social gaming so popular, particularly through sites such as Facebook, is the ability to challenge and even co-operate with other Facebook friends.

Around 10% of Facebook users currently play Zynga's farm simulation game Farmville and the best way to increase your productivity within the game is by inviting other Facebook friends to join in the fun and to help you out with your progress. Even strategy and puzzle-based games such as Candy Crush Saga and games at Royal Vegas have enjoyed phenomenal global success through the social network giant.

The fact is that these successes are down to a variety of factors and other industries evolving at a rapid rate have ultimately favored the social gaming market. With smartphone technology constantly improving as well as faster Wi-Fi connections, mobile devices with better and longer serving battery life and even free to play and in-app purchases have seen both mobile and social gaming cutting the largest slice from the overall gaming market.

Convenient mobile gaming means more people are now accessing the web and other apps that their smartphone, tablets or even smartwatches have instant access to whilst consumers and gamers are on the go. Suddenly there are new emerging demographics turning their attentions to gaming too. 

Around 52% of all gamers are now female, in what represents a big shift from the typical male aged 18 -25 audiences that have been mostly associated with gaming in the past. And there’s a similar trend taking place with the over 50’s who have embraced this modern tech to begin their long overdue gaming journey.

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