Facebook Instant Games trialling monetisation options for developers
In-app purchases and ads coming to a select set of games
Nearly a year after it first launched, Facebook's Instant Games is introducing monetisation for developers.
Though the forthcoming changes are only trials, Facebook is rolling out in-game purchases for Android and advertisements. Additionally, the platform is making it easier for developers to submit and launch games.
Product manager at Facebook Mike Weingert said in a statement: "As we start to test monetisation, we are also making it easier for our closed beta developers to submit and launch games directly on the platform with a more robust toolset. Integrating additional monetisation features and adding better tools are two critical components to have in place prior to opening the Instant Games platform more widely."
Facebook Instant Games boasts over 50 titles from developers such as Zynga, FRVR, and Everwing, plus classics such as Pac-Man and Space Invaders. The introduction of monetisation will allow developers to run advertisements directly to the hundreds of millions of people who play these games every month, and keep 70% of the revenue.
When the platform first launched, Leo Olebe, director of global games partnerships, told GamesIndustry.biz that the plan was to "build something which is really compelling, which is highly engaging and something people can fall in love with. Once we've achieved that stuff we'll figure out monetisation later."
That time has come it would seem with the ads initially rolling out to a small selection of games in order to test the best way for developers to integrate them.
"Based on the results from these initial tests, we'll begin to enable interstitial and rewarded video ads with additional developers over the coming weeks, as well as further optimise the ad platform," said Weingert.
"We will also unlock more developer tools for measurement and ad optimisation. Opening these capabilities will eventually allow developers to generate revenue from their titles and invest more in further development."