Latest news with #FarmVille
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Mark Zuckerberg reveals how Apple's policies destroyed Facebook's FarmVille
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg The digital landscape has been shaped by a series of key players over the years, with Facebook, now Meta, standing at the forefront of the social media revolution. But for all its growth and transformation, the platform has faced significant challenges along the way. One of the more notable struggles came when Facebook 's thriving app and game ecosystem, including the wildly popular FarmVille , saw a dramatic decline. In a recent interview with tech writer Ben Thompson from Stratechery, Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg addressed a critical factor in this decline: Apple 's strict App Store policies. Zuckerberg explained how Apple's decisions over the years impacted Facebook's ability to maintain its business model, particularly its app-based games, and how this shift altered the company's trajectory in the mobile era. How FarmVille and viral apps powered Facebook's early success In the late 2000s, Facebook was at the peak of its desktop-based platform, where games and apps played a significant role in the platform's growth. The social network quickly became a hub for developers looking to create interactive content that would engage its growing user base. Games like FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and Texas HoldEm Poker captured the attention of millions, providing Facebook with a fresh revenue stream. By 2012, these apps contributed to about 20% of the company's revenue, marking a high point for Facebook's game platform. This success was primarily driven by Facebook's ability to integrate its game platform into the broader Facebook experience, allowing users to discover and share apps with their friends. The platform was tailored for the web, and developers used Facebook's social features to create viral games. As the desktop experience dominated, it seemed that Facebook's app ecosystem would only continue to thrive. Zuckerberg explains how Apple's App Store restrictions impacted Facebook's mobile growth However, the rise of smartphones and mobile apps introduced a massive shift in the way people engaged with the internet. The advent of the iPhone and other smartphones ushered in a new era of app-based experiences that would change the way users interacted with social media and online games. As mobile platforms began to dominate, Zuckerberg and his team recognized that Facebook's future would depend on successfully adapting to the mobile revolution. Unfortunately, Facebook's smooth transition from desktop to mobile wasn't as seamless as they hoped. Zuckerberg recalled, "The original Facebook platform was really built for the web, before mobile became big." The company's model, which relied heavily on web-based interactions, needed to be overhauled to thrive in an app-centric mobile environment. It was at this point that Zuckerberg pointed to Apple's App Store policies as a significant hurdle for Facebook's continued success in the mobile space. Facebook had initially planned to leverage its own app platform inside the iPhone to continue growing its mobile app and game ecosystem. However, Apple's stringent rules soon made this impossible. Apple's App Store policies and their impact on Facebook In the early days of mobile app development, Apple implemented rules that severely restricted how companies like Facebook could operate within the App Store. One of the key policies that Zuckerberg highlighted was Apple's decision to block Facebook from running its own app platform inside the iPhone. Zuckerberg explained, "When people started using mobile more, Apple told us, 'You can't have apps inside your app.' That hurt something that had grown to be an important part of our business." This policy change effectively cut Facebook off from the ability to operate a platform that could support games and apps in the same way it had on desktop. As a result, Facebook's ability to host third-party applications, which had been a core part of its business model, was significantly diminished. While Apple argued that these policies were necessary for maintaining the security and quality of apps on its platform, the restriction ultimately stifled the growth of Facebook's app-based ecosystem. The ramifications were immediate and profound: Facebook's once-booming app and game business started to decline, and developers who had once relied on Facebook's platform for distribution were forced to adapt to the new constraints. Zuckerberg noted that by limiting Facebook's access to key tools and changing the company's relationship with developers, Apple set off a chain of events that led to the decline of its game and app platform. Apple's privacy and tracking policies In addition to the restrictions on Facebook's app platform, Zuckerberg also pointed to Apple's privacy policies as a factor that further undermined Facebook's mobile business. Specifically, Apple's introduction of App Tracking Transparency (ATT) in 2020 made it more difficult for companies like Facebook to track user behavior across different apps and websites. This update, which required apps to ask users for permission before collecting data for targeted advertising, was seen as a direct challenge to Facebook's ad-driven revenue model. For Facebook, which had built its business around precise ad targeting, this policy change was a blow to its ability to effectively monetize its platform. Zuckerberg expressed frustration with Apple's stance, noting that its policies had placed significant limitations on how Facebook could operate in the mobile space. The bitter relationship between Meta and Apple Zuckerberg's comments on Apple reveal a deeper sense of frustration and bitterness between the two tech giants. He described Apple's decisions as creating "deep bitterness" and emphasized the company's refusal to consider the value Facebook's platform could bring to the iPhone ecosystem. Zuckerberg argued that Apple's approach was too restrictive and that it limited the potential for collaboration between the two companies. He expressed his belief that mobile platforms should be more open, similar to traditional desktop systems such as Windows or macOS, where developers have more freedom to build their own ecosystems and offer a wider range of services. Zuckerberg lamented that Apple's "walled garden" approach prevented Facebook from fully realizing its potential in the mobile era. Apple's legal challenges and the future of mobile platforms Zuckerberg's comments come at a time when Apple is facing increasing legal scrutiny over its App Store policies. Recently, a U.S. judge ruled that Apple had violated an earlier order by continuing to block developers from linking users to external payment options. This ruling is part of a broader legal battle in which Apple is being accused of maintaining an illegal monopoly over the app market. Apple is also facing an antitrust lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice, which claims that the company's practices harm competition in the smartphone industry. For Zuckerberg and Meta, these developments offer a glimmer of hope that Apple's "walled garden" may eventually start to open up, allowing for greater freedom for developers and a more open mobile platform. As regulators push back against Apple's control over the App Store, Zuckerberg and other tech leaders may see this as an opportunity for a more balanced and competitive mobile ecosystem. Also read | Genshin Impact Codes | Fruit Battlegrounds Codes | Blox Fruits Codes | Peroxide Codes AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Mint
01-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
‘Apple's policies crushed Facebook's viral games like FarmVille,' says Mark Zuckerberg
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has blamed Apple's strict App Store policies for the decline of Facebook's popular games and apps, such as the once-viral FarmVille. In a recent interview with tech writer Ben Thompson fromStratechery, Zuckerberg looked back at how Facebook's app and game platform thrived on desktop computers in the late 2000s but struggled as people moved to smartphones, reportedMacrumors. 'The original Facebook platform was really built for the web, before mobile became big,' Zuckerberg said. 'When people started using mobile more, Apple told us, 'You can't have apps inside your app.' That hurt something that had grown to be an important part of our business.' At its peak around the time Facebook went public in 2012, games and apps made up about 20 per cent of Facebook's revenue. But as Apple prevented Facebook from running its own app platform inside the iPhone, this business couldn't continue to grow. According to the report, Facebook also played a role by limiting access to some tools and changing policies in the early 2010s, partly because of concerns about privacy and security. These changes affected developers who made apps and games for Facebook. Still, he said Apple's decisions created 'deep bitterness' between the two companies. 'Apple just said, 'You can't do things we think would be valuable,' and that hurt,' Zuckerberg said. 'It's unfortunate.' In recent years, Facebook has also been hurt by Apple's App Tracking Transparency rules, which made it harder to show targeted ads on iPhones. Zuckerberg believes mobile platforms should be more open, like desktop systems such as Windows or macOS, where developers have more freedom. His comments come as Apple faces growing legal challenges over its App Store. Just this week, a U.S. judge ruled that Apple had broken a 2021 order by still stopping app developers from linking users to outside payment options. The judge ordered Apple to stop blocking those links and banned its 27% commission on such payments. Apple is also facing an antitrust lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice, which claims the company keeps an illegal monopoly over the smartphone market. With regulators pushing back, Apple's 'walled garden' might finally be opening up—a change Zuckerberg has long hoped to see. First Published: 1 May 2025, 10:02 PM IST
Mint
24-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
The Morgan Stanley star now leading Trump's invest-in-America push
The White House is getting its own investment banker. Michael Grimes, who spent three decades at Morgan Stanley as Silicon Valley's top IPO rainmaker, is helming President Trump's U.S. Investment Accelerator, an office to encourage domestic and foreign companies to invest money in the U.S. It is part of the Trump administration's broader 'America First" agenda that aims to reinvigorate U.S. production and manufacturing, while reducing reliance on imports. The role is a new one and its success will hinge on whether companies want the government's help. Grimes will have a unique pitch for companies to come to him: An inside line to cut through red tape, help with permits and construction sites and work with state officials to get projects moving faster, people familiar with the plans said. The Accelerator, a brainchild of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, was announced in an executive order from Trump last month. The Accelerator doesn't plan be an investor itself, according to people familiar with the project. Instead, the plan is for Grimes to provide white-glove service to companies that commit to investing $1 billion or more in the U.S. In short, in many ways he will act like the professional investment banker he once was, dreaming up deals and brokering introductions. The Accelerator will focus on large domestic projects above $1 billion, according to the executive order. It won't be solely aimed at technology companies, though it is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Chips Act that the Biden administration passed to support American semiconductors. IPO bankers such as Grimes perform a task not unlike what he will be doing in Washington. When companies go public, they must convince public investors to purchase pieces of their business. Bankers help executives hone their sales pitches and make introductions to the fund managers who write the biggest checks. No one had more success than Grimes in landing the IPOs of tech companies in recent decades. Facebook, Uber and Google were all clients. He was a star who remained loyal to Morgan Stanley blue for years. He got his start in the 1990s under the tutelage of Frank Quattrone. When Quattrone left the bank for Deutsche Bank, Grimes remained behind. Grimes worked to ingratiate himself with CEOs by proving he used their technology. Ahead of Facebook's 2012 IPO, Grimes played FarmVille, a game on the social-media platform, for hours. Before Uber's 2018 IPO, Grimes took up a side job as an Uber driver. Other bankers drove Ubers too, according to an adviser to the company, but Grimes was the most serious, showing up to pitch meetings with the copious notes he had taken during his time driving around San Francisco. Grimes has a background in computer engineering that also helped impress tech clients. When Larry Page discovered Grimes's engineering chops during Google's IPO in the early aughts, Page was incredulous that Grimes chose banking over engineering, according to one person familiar with the exchange. 'He doesn't talk like a banker. He isn't slick," said Eric Ries, founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange who met him through a mutual friend. 'He's charming in a dorky way." While Grimes's star grew, other banks tried to steal him away from Morgan Stanley, people familiar with his tenure said. Morgan Stanley's management gave him freedom to run his business. Other bankers would typically be added to management committees and involved in firmwide strategy, but Grimes stuck to his IPO job. Grimes was drawn into the government this year, in part because of his connection to Elon Musk, who has become part of Trump's inner circle. Grimes' relationship with Musk goes back years and he played a key role when Musk decided to acquire Twitter in 2022. Musk's largest company, SpaceX, is viewed as a golden goose by IPO bankers. Grimes told some clients ahead of his move to Washington that he would be working with the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk's cost-cutting venture. Since joining the Trump administration, Grimes has been helping cut costs and jobs in the Commerce Department. Write to Corrie Driebusch at
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Take-Two forecasts downbeat Q4 bookings, reiterates 'GTA VI' launch in fall
By Zaheer Kachwala (Reuters) -Take-Two Interactive Software forecast its fourth-quarter bookings below estimates on Thursday, owing to weaker spending on mobile games as consumers grapple with economic uncertainties and still-high inflation. The videogame industry has experienced two tumultuous years marked by industry-wide layoffs, studio closures and project cancellations, owing to high borrowing costs and weak sales. Take-Two's mobile titles such as "Empires & Puzzles" underperformed its own expectations as players cut back on in-game spending, company executives said on a post-earnings conference call. The company acquired "FarmVille" maker Zynga in 2022 to boost its heft in the mobile game industry and better compete with rivals. "The mobile division is likely at the end of its integration process and I'd expect it to start contributing more significantly to Take-Two's bottom line," Joost Van Dreunen, a lecturer at NYU's Stern School of Business, said. Shares of the videogame publisher jumped more than 6% in extended trading, after it reiterated that its highly anticipated "Grand Theft Auto VI" is set to launch in the fall of 2025. GTA is a long-running action-adventure franchise that puts players in a sandbox environment filled with fast cars, guns and dynamic characters. "The lack of news (on GTA VI) had investors concerned that it might slip, so this is good news," Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter said. Take-Two also reiterated its expectation of a rise in net bookings in fiscal 2026 and 2027, with many analysts expecting that growth to come from "GTA VI." The company expects bookings to be between $1.48 billion and $1.58 billion for the fourth quarter, the midpoint of which is slightly below analysts' average estimate of $1.54 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. Besides "GTA VI", Take-Two expects to release big titles such as "Borderlands 4" and "Mafia: The Old Country" this year. Its third-quarter bookings of $1.37 billion missed estimates of $1.39 billion. On an adjusted basis, it earned 72 cents per share, compared with the estimates of 57 cents. Sign in to access your portfolio
