14 DAY TRIAL // Playfish, the social-minded gaming division of publisher Electronic Arts, has announced that it will be no longer using the Playfish Cash system for in-game purchases inside the game it offers and that players will be able to achieve the same things by using the Facebook Credits system offered by the social network itself.
C.J. Prober, who is a vice president in charge of product management and publishing at Playfish, has told Inside Social Games, that, “We think that having individual game currencies in connection with Facebook Credits is a better user experience.”
He added, “We've always taken the high road and really been focused on the consumers from everything from virality to payment methods. Credits provides a much more seamless purchasing experience across the whole platform.”
Electronic Arts committed to the change late in 2010, but Playfish says that the main reason for the switch is the better experience allowed by the use of Facebook Credits.
For a short period those who have a lot of Playfish cash in their virtual pockets are encouraged to exchange it for in-game currency, with the company throwing in bonus items for those who take advantage of the offer.
The use of Facebook Credits will make it easier for players to get virtual items with their real-world money and will enable Playfish to introduce promotions and price drops in one game in its line up without affecting all the others.
The social games that Playfish operates are enjoyed by about 36 million users during each month and close to 6 million log in each day, with the best performers including Pet Society, Monopoly Millionaires, Restaurant City, and EA Sports FIFA Superstars.
Electronic Arts is also offering Facebook games outside the Playfish family, with the biggest launch in the final months being Dragon Age: Legends, a game which is based on the role-playing franchise created by BioWare.