Playfish adopts Facebook Credits

Casual games developer Playfish is to abandon its own in-game currency in favour of Facebook Credits, making the move well ahead of Facebook's July deadline.

Speaking to website Inside Social Games, Playfish vice president C.J. Prober said that Facebook's requirement for all developers to use its currency after July 1 was only part of the reasoning behind the move.

"It's actually something we're excited to get behind because we think that having individual game currencies in connection with Facebook Credits is a better user experience," said Prober. "So going through that hurdle over the next couple of months will get us to that endpoint."

Customers with Playfish Cash will be able to exchange their currency at a one-to-one rate, and will receive a bonus in-game item for participating.

"We've always taken the high road and really been focused on the consumers from everything from virality to payment methods," Prober said. "Credits provides a much more seamless purchasing experience across the whole platform."

Developers have been reluctant to adopt Facebook Credits, given the 30 per cent commission taken by Facebook itself, with Zynga in particular threatening to leave the social network over the issue. In May last year though Zynga signed a five-year deal with Facebook, with Playfish owner EA following suite in November.