Social network's news feed 'the most valuable piece of real estate in the digital world'

LGC 2013: 73% of console game owners are on Facebook

73 per cent of all console game owners use Facebook, claims the social network’s head of EMEA for gaming Tarquin Henderson.

Speaking at the London Games Conference 2013, Henderson said that of these, 42 per cent of returned to the site daily.

He also revealed stats that showed Facebook currently boasts 34 million UK users. Of these, over 21 million access the site through their mobiles.

The US meanwhile has over 175 million users, and France has 26.8 million.

Henderson said developers and publishers were able to take advantage of such a large user base by advertising through its news feed, which he labelled "the most valuable piece of real estate in the digital world".

He cited the example of Activision’s latest blockbuster Call of Duty: Ghosts, which used Facebook to raise awareness in the US amongst males aged between 18 and 44.

Within three days, he said the game had reachd 55 per cent of US males aged between 18 and 24. This also resulted in a 14 per cent lift in brand awareness.

Other examples he gave for undisclosed titles included the doubling of trailer views for one title after being advertised through Facebook’s news feed, while another saw an increase in branded web search terms by 128 per cent.

Henderson was also bullish about Facebook’s move away from just being a social network to being a mobile network and partner. He claimed the company now made 49 per cent of its revenues through mobile.

He also warned developers and publishers that if they didn’t form a mobile strategy in the near future for their titles, their business would face major difficulties.

"If you don’t have a mobile strategy, then you’re in trouble," he said.

"If in two years your strategy isn’t in mobile, then you’re really in trouble."

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