Because between Google Play, the iTunes App Store, the Amazon App Store, the Google Chrome App Store…we just really needed another place on the Internet to buy tiny little programs that are mostly for goofing off at work.
And Facebook has rushed to meet this demand, with their new App Store:
The new app center, the company’s first big announcement since its IPO, went live tonight with more than 600 apps, including Nike+ GPS, Ubisoft Ghost Recon Commander, Stitcher Radio, Draw Something, and Pinterest.
You know, all the stuff you probably already have on your phone. But if you don’t already, you can now buy it from Facebook! For some reason!
If we sound a little skeptical, it’s because of the “me too! ME TOO!” nature of this. Facebook is very good at one thing: getting you to cough up your personal information so it can sell it. It’s not good at pushing apps. The only reason it’s pushing apps is because every company involved with the Internet has a gun to its head to figure out how to make money off of mobile access, since it’s hard to cram ads into a tiny screen without annoying users.
Honestly, if Facebook really wants to make money off of mobile, it needs to start using location data: Foursquare has just revamped itself into a more personalized Yelp, which means for the first time, Foursquare is actually useful. If Foursquare can do it, Facebook can do it.
In short, we expect this App Store to come out, be ignored, and make just enough money to keep existing without us ever having to think about it again.
image courtesy Facebook