Facebook and Warner Bros. this week unveiled a partnership enabling movies to be rented or purchased through Facebook using Facebook Credits. The first movie to be made available under the program is The Dark Knight (more to be made available in coming months). Rentals costs $3 for 48 hours, and Facebook takes a 30% cut. According to Business Insider, Netflix shares are now tanking, as investors are beginning to worry about Netflix's future. But what about the future of the games business? Facebook already has a stranglehold on the social games market and most of the top developers are using Facebook Credits. Although the impact of the Facebook rentals service won't be felt immediately on the traditional games business, it's a sure sign that Facebook is not hesitating to expand its entertainment aspirations. While Microsoft and Sony are clearly battling it out for control of the living room, and Google is getting involved more and more with games, Android and Google TV, it would be foolish to ignore Facebook. Facebook is truly ubiquitous, with over 500 million users, and the social network is even present on game consoles like Xbox 360 and PS3. What will happen to these consoles, however? Cloud technology is very real, and both OnLive and Gaikai are ironing out the kinks as you read this. David Perry's Gaikai has already shown Mass Effect 2 running within Facebook on a browser. What if Facebook decides to acquire Gaikai (or develop its own proprietary tech) and make it possible to buy/rent game time in triple-A titles with Facebook Credits (which users don't even need a credit card to get)? Suddenly, as a publisher, your game is available to over 500 million people (far better than the installed bases combined of PS3, 360 and Wii) and you immediately benefit from all the social and viral marketing that the social games space already benefits from. And of course, publishers won't have to deal with the hassle of retail and futile attempts to mitigate the impact of used games. There may not be a ton of overlap between social gamers and core console gamers, but the common thread is that both kinds of gamers have Facebook accounts. Everyone has a Facebook account. Facebook is the unifying force. It already dominates many people's lives on the web, and it just might control the future of entertainment. Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, your next round of consoles could be in trouble. http://www.industrygamers.com/news/microsoft-sony-nintendo-should-fear-facebook/
I don't understand how the publishers should fear it? If its all digital, they will be getting a cut. It's not like walking into a place like Blockbuster where you renting it...Blockbuster gets 100%. I would never in my life rent a digital copy...Nor should anyone else. But if Facebook somehow does a DD service of some kind...I would embrace if I were the big three. Digital distribution for publishers is a huge plus...It saves them a ton of money. But digital renting is nothing more than a waste.
I already get my games digital. If I can leave it in the cloud thats even better. I can play t on some pad anywhere anytime. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ive said it before in the forums..Facebook will be bigger than google and micorsoft combined...soon. One day FB will be the second biggest company in history. Bill gates will run the biggest, having long left MS, he will control 90% of the energy in the world with his new project. mini nuke plants. facebook and google are duking it out over Twitter..I think twitter will go with facebook. Its a perfect fit. facebook buys google... the end
I don't really see the rentals hurting netflix, i pay 7.99 a month for as many movies i want, ill never pay 3 bucks just to watch 1.
Facebook and everything involving Facebook is retarded and I will never support anything that comes from that hell hole. 4chan is better than Facebook, true story.
Seconded. Plus, despite the implication, Netflix is available in far more places than just the three consoles. At least as many as Facebook, I suspect, including mobile phones (I don't understand why people watch movies on phones, but still ... it's there).
Facebook should watch its step. It could potentially turn into something people just aren't interested in anymore. It's popular now because it provides something unique. If it tries to do everything, they'll just overwhelm their simplistic userbase.
no thanks the browser games on facebook are utter garbage ill stick with games that run off good hardware.
...Its good when you don't want to play a kids games. if your over 12, Its really lame to have the game update your wall.