DISQUS

Joe · 1 year ago

Interesting thoughts Charles. We hope to eventually be in category #2. But we see Facebook and OpenSocial as the means to get there. Meaning we're making applications that are mini-versions of our destination site with the goal of interoperability between our apps on the larger social networks. I *think* this is similar to what you're doing with Gaia (?) - where the destination site is the bridge between the apps on various social networks.

And I don't think its just little guys like me that are moving towards the distributed service strategy. Yelp and Flixster come to mind for example. And they're probably too expensive for Facebook to buy (more like category #1).

So if they're already established and popular destinations, they're probably too expensive. And if they're cheap but up-and-coming, my guess is they're already figuring out integration into Facebook. ie I'm not sure if Facebook needs to acquire anyone to convince emerging sites to integrate into Facebook?

Joe Ludwig · 1 year ago

I fully expect Facebook (and other big social networks) to buy a few app developers. While they may pick up a few people from category 3, I think most of their purchases will be from category 1. They just won't buy Slide and Rock You (at least not at first) and instead will focus several places down the top-20 list.

This kind of acquisition happens all the time for game platform holders. Microsoft bought Bungie so they would have SOMEBODY to develop launch content for the Xbox. More recently they bought Rare (Viva Pinata) and Lionhead (Fable) to shore up their ability to build content for their own platform.

Sony has done similar things with Playstation developers. In the past few years they've purchased Evolution Studios (Motorstorm), Zipper Interactive (SOCOM: Navy Seals), and Guerrilla Games (Killzone).

Neither Microsoft nor Sony are really in a great position to buy EA, Activision (particularly not now that they've merged with Vivendi), or Take-two. Those companies are the big Slide or Rock You sized players in the game space. They buy smaller developers and try to grow them into big IP generating machines.

(Except for Bungie and Halo they mostly fail, but that doesn't stop the platform holders from trying.)

Vincent Nicolai · 1 year ago

quite interesting ...

i released that post on www.tectrnd.com

best regards