Facebook champions HTML5 as apps go mobile

Facebook is transforming its applications business in a new bid to bring social games to smartphones – but the heavy lifting needs to be done by studios.

As part of a comprehensive package of changes to the Facebook Platform, rich media services such as games can now be rebuilt for HTML5 and appear on Android, iOS and other smartphone OSes. EA, Wooga and Zynga are three of many games studios already on board.

The changes also allow users to purchase Facebook Credits via mobile. The virtual currency, now an enforced payment method on Facebook, has been the driving the successes of numerous social games studios. Facebook takes a thirty per cent cut from all revenues.

“We’re at the beginning of bringing Facebook Platform apps to mobile,” said Luke Shepard, a software development engineer at Facebook.

“The features we are launching are still under development. They will evolve as we learn more about building richer social experiences on mobile devices.”

Facebook will in the near-future extend native support for further more mobile platforms, such as Android and Windows Phone, the Shepard said.

The company says 350 million Facebook users access the site via mobile every month.