The potential for Facebook to be a massive platform for game development seems difficult to understate as of mid-2009. Already, it’s host to a huge number of games, several of which pull in millions of users on a regular basis.

In fact, several game on Facebook have surpassed World of Warcraft’s subscriber base in terms of monthly unique players, as recent charts have shown. Of course, none of the social network-based MMOs charge $15 a month to play — and many of the players never buy virtual items, which monetize these games. But many do, as the landscape rapidly evolves, and it’s becoming clear that you can build userbase for online games incredibly fast using social networks.

It’s been just over two years since Facebook was opened up as a platform to application developers. Companies have been founded, have released games, have become profitable, and most recently, have begun to hire talent from the mainstream development of console and PC packaged software. Continue reading →