Facebook Credits used in nearly 90 percent of Facebook's top 25 games

During a presentation at the Virtual Goods Summit in San Francisco, Deborah Liu, manager of product marketing for Facebook Credits, revealed that 22 of Facebook's 25 top games use the social network's premiere currency. While it's known that both CrowdStar and Zynga were essentially forced into taking on the new currency, this new number allows the idea of how much that 30 percent cut Facebook receives could be making the company settle in our heads.

Of course, studios like Digital Chocolate and Arkadium have reported even more buyers of digital trinkets due to the currency change, so we can't imagine that Zynga or CrowdStar are losing too much money on this either. Not to mention Zynga doesn't even use Facebook Credits directly like its second place competitor does, forcing players to still buy packages of cash in games like FarmVille and FrontierVille. So, what is it that makes Facebook Credits so successful that the company is taking their virtual dollars worldwide with the help of PlaySpan, a social monetization firm that will provide easier payment options for international Facebook gamers.

Accessibility. Facebook Credits admittedly have the one of the simplest conversion rates of any virtual currency: one Credit is equal to 10 U.S. cents. It's much easier to buy something directly for 15 Facebook Credits, or $1.50, than it is to be forced into buying a package of, say, 40 Farm Cash for however many dollars and only using that $1.50.

Aside from Facebook (and its fellow game developers, apparently) making a lot more money and getting more developers to use the currency, buying the hottest item in your favorite new social game should be much easier. And depending on how you flip it, that can be a good thing... or a very bad one.

[Via Venture Beat]

Do you find Facebook Credits easier to use and understand? Either way, do you find yourself buying more items in games that use Facebook Credits? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.