Shanti Bergel is a social gaming entrepreneur based in San Francisco. You should follow me on Twitter here. Alternatively, you can also get in touch by email at sbergel at gee mail dot com.Tumblr (3.0; @nattomaki)http://shantibergel.com/<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lupntpn2Ik1qzapabo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2011/11/14/mobile-games-may-be-taking-off-but-how-are-their-creators-going-to-make-money-infographic/" target="_blank">Infographic: Mobile Gaming Explodes, Transitions To Freemium</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/iZG7xv59PM4" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/iZG7xv59PM4/12840026686http://shantibergel.com/post/12840026686Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:06:21 -0800social gamingmobilemobile gamingsocial mobileFreemiumfree to playhttp://shantibergel.com/post/12840026686<iframe width="400" height="225" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qQT_ES4pFtc?wmode=transparent&autohide=1&egm=0&hd=1&iv_load_policy=3&modestbranding=1&rel=0&showinfo=0&showsearch=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br/><br/><p>My presentation at Casual Connect 2011: “Navigating The Red Oceans & Green Fields Of Social Gaming”</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/PNXQb3V7kBw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/PNXQb3V7kBw/9084773009http://shantibergel.com/post/9084773009Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:17:00 -0700social gamingfacebookSocial mediavirtual goodshttp://shantibergel.com/post/9084773009<img src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lmqu14Fosi1qzapabo1_500.gif"/><br/><br/><p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.vincos.it/world-map-of-social-networks/">The Global Expansion of Facebook:  2009 - 2011 </a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/Ebk1__Zu1UA" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/Ebk1__Zu1UA/6495644505http://shantibergel.com/post/6495644505Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:27:02 -0700social networkSocial mediafacebookhttp://shantibergel.com/post/6495644505Apple appears to be cracking down on the use of offer wall providers in an effort to curtail third...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/N0PcfE7m1ao" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/N0PcfE7m1ao/4748843974http://shantibergel.com/post/4748843974Tue, 19 Apr 2011 08:49:00 -0700mobile gamingmarketingViral marketinghttp://shantibergel.com/post/4748843974“This is the unlit social graph, and this is where Facebook is vulnerable.” - The Unlit...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/NVD9dksXD1M" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/NVD9dksXD1M/4507524534http://shantibergel.com/post/4507524534Sun, 10 Apr 2011 16:05:14 -0700Social mediasocial networksocial graphhttp://shantibergel.com/post/4507524534According to a new report released today from market research firm Parks Associates, social gaming...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/tRptC_JToFw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/tRptC_JToFw/4425854776http://shantibergel.com/post/4425854776Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:56:00 -0700mobile gamingsocial gaminghttp://shantibergel.com/post/4425854776The more things change, the more they stay the same.  Cross-promo trickery on the iOS AppStore would...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/sLWFrcOwuIA" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/sLWFrcOwuIA/4284138548http://shantibergel.com/post/4284138548Sat, 02 Apr 2011 09:21:20 -0700http://shantibergel.com/post/4284138548“Social Gaming By The Numbers: The Seven Deadly Social Metrics” - Albert Lai<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/eLka5_c23vs" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/eLka5_c23vs/2583045041http://shantibergel.com/post/2583045041Mon, 03 Jan 2011 09:15:14 -0800social gamingSocial mediasocial gamessocial graphmetricsmonetizationmarketinghttp://shantibergel.com/post/2583045041<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lajn8g6S1G1qzapabo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>Country by country breakdown of the European market for virtual goods </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/GczCBzGOtok" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/GczCBzGOtok/1351736856http://shantibergel.com/post/1351736856Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:33:51 -0700virtual goodsVirtual Currencyvirtual economyhttp://shantibergel.com/post/1351736856<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l9y45x0vdn1qzapabo1_500.png"/><br/><br/><p>Map of Online Communities: Summer 2010</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/BUDXwgZYAIk" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/BUDXwgZYAIk/1265643649http://shantibergel.com/post/1265643649Thu, 07 Oct 2010 17:32:20 -0700Social mediasocial networksocial graphsocial gaminghttp://shantibergel.com/post/1265643649“The key insight is that the interactions of one person affect and organize the interactions...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/tfdE7DVEqDo" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/tfdE7DVEqDo/1258431828http://shantibergel.com/post/1258431828Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:11:47 -0700facebookSocial mediasocial graphsocial artifacthttp://shantibergel.com/post/1258431828“Work consists of whatever a body is obliged to do…Play consists of whatever a body is not...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/-iyMgwN-4Ks" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/-iyMgwN-4Ks/660667801http://shantibergel.com/post/660667801Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:34:23 -0700game designSocial mediasocial gaminghttp://shantibergel.com/post/660667801<img src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l33amyMv4y1qzapabo1_500.jpg"/><br/><br/><p>A Brief History of Social Games: 3100 BC - 2010 AD</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/JrVGUFK_g7M" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/JrVGUFK_g7M/638142189http://shantibergel.com/post/638142189Thu, 27 May 2010 10:44:57 -0700social gaminghttp://shantibergel.com/post/638142189“Badges are at risk of becoming the new banner advertisement” - Foursquare<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/lNtiTyJ7T20" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/lNtiTyJ7T20/568559263http://shantibergel.com/post/568559263Mon, 03 May 2010 10:02:15 -0700Social mediasocial networksocial gamingad fatiguehttp://shantibergel.com/post/568559263<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="400" height="348" id="VideoPlayerLg44277"><param name="movie" value="http://g4tv.com/lv3/44277" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed src="http://g4tv.com/lv3/44277" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" name="VideoPlayer" width="400" height="382" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br/><br/><p><strong>The Game-ification Of Everything</strong></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/US_64uiCMj8" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/US_64uiCMj8/405065596http://shantibergel.com/post/405065596Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:56:00 -0800game designsocial gamingsocial graphfacebookhttp://shantibergel.com/post/405065596“NFO (News Feed Optimization) is the new SEO” - Justin Smith Presentation by Hiten...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/eKAlHWV9n2k" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/eKAlHWV9n2k/354570954http://shantibergel.com/post/354570954Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:01:32 -0800facebookoptimizationmetricshttp://shantibergel.com/post/354570954Atul Bagga analyzes the video game space for ThinkEquity and has recently been doing an interesting...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/WXm2ue9MHDI" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/WXm2ue9MHDI/319977953http://shantibergel.com/post/319977953Wed, 06 Jan 2010 08:28:00 -0800Facebooksocial gamingARPUhttp://shantibergel.com/post/319977953<object width="400" height="292"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff" /><param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/MalcolmGladwell_2004-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/MalcolmGladwell-2004.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=320&vh=240&ap=0&ti=20&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=malcolm_gladwell_on_spaghetti_sauce;year=2004;theme=tales_of_invention;theme=not_business_as_usual;theme=what_makes_us_happy;theme=unconventional_explanations;event=TED2004;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;" /><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="334" height="292" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/MalcolmGladwell_2004-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/MalcolmGladwell-2004.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=320&vh=240&ap=0&ti=20&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=malcolm_gladwell_on_spaghetti_sauce;year=2004;theme=tales_of_invention;theme=not_business_as_usual;theme=what_makes_us_happy;theme=unconventional_explanations;event=TED2004;"></embed></object><br/><br/><p><b>“Beyond the age of information is the age of choices”</b></p> <p><i>-Charles Eames</i></p> <p>The legendary design thinker almost certainly did not have virtual goods in mind when he made that statement but, in my opinion, it informs our industry all the same.  For, like the consumer staples sector, ours is a business based on consumer choice.  The work of Howard Moskowitz (see video) is extremely inspirational to me in this regard.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/t4J5o2pn3EU" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/t4J5o2pn3EU/248637241http://shantibergel.com/post/248637241Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:50:00 -0800virtual goodspsychologyhttp://shantibergel.com/post/248637241With its recently announced acquisition of Playfish, Electronic Arts is now the first traditional...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/zkynZbKluXo" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/zkynZbKluXo/239251331http://shantibergel.com/post/239251331Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:28:00 -0800Electronic ArtsPlayfishfacebooksocial gamingsocial networkcross-platformcross-promotionhttp://shantibergel.com/post/239251331“In virtual economies, you have perfect information.” - William Grosso<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/sbergel/~4/srVuz6ZqiNw" height="1" width="1"/>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sbergel/~3/srVuz6ZqiNw/238206442http://shantibergel.com/post/238206442Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800metricsvirtual goodsvirtual worldvirtual economyhttp://shantibergel.com/post/238206442