Pocket Game 2010
However, the social giant of 2010 was FarmVille . While originally a browser game on Facebook, 2010 saw the explosion of the mobile companion app. It normalized the "freemium" model—games that were free to play but demanded time or microtransactions to progress. This business model would eventually come to dominate the entire industry.
2010 also gave birth to the concept of the "endless runner," a genre perfectly suited for the pocket gaming format. Titles like Canabalt (ported to iOS in 2010) and the release of Doodle Jump (which peaked in popularity in 2010) solidified the "high score" loop. These games had no finish line; they were about survival. This fit the lifestyle of the mobile user perfectly—open the game, try to beat your score, close it. It was gaming distilled to its most essential elements. pocket game 2010
It was the year "pocket gaming" stopped being a niche for kids on the school bus and became a mainstream cultural force. It was the year a slingshot bird became a global mascot, a spiky-haired god slayed armies on a 4.3-inch screen, and a yellow rat followed you around via a pedometer. However, the social giant of 2010 was FarmVille
You play as an all-powerful deity overseeing a tribe of "Pygmies" on a remote island. This business model would eventually come to dominate
