Social Gaming Revenue Could Soon Top $5 Billion

Bet you didn’t see this one coming. According to analysts at research firm Park Associates, the social gaming market will massively increase between 2010 and 2015, a baffling prediction considering it’s already raking in $1 billion a year. The firm has suggested that on a worldwide scale, social gaming could very well be hitting five times that amount ($5 billion).

According to the company, over 250 million people actively play social games on Facebook, most popularly Zynga’s FarmVille and CityVille. Such big numbers are an instant draw for advertising and marketing, let alone massive returns on seemingly low investments in what are essentially very basic games.

Further money-making schemes include micro-transactions, in which users can purchase items to better their surroundings–a feature that accounts for some of the massive profit of studios like Zynga. Park Associates, though, believes that access to behavioral data influences how companies alter their games for maximum exposure and profit.

“Zynga’s huge market share is the best proof of the competitive advantage made possible by properly leveraging consumer data,” said Park Associates about social games giant Zynga. “The abilities to measure the efficacy of different gameplay mechanisms, to tweak game design in near-real time, and to test new models are advantages that traditional gaming companies will never have.”