As the popularity of mobile games continues to experience rapid growth, social elements are emerging as the significant ingredient to successful games - and for good reason. They are the future of mobile gaming.With the proliferation of smartphones in America, it is the right time to usher in a next generation of mobile gaming that is social at its core. Eiji Araki, SVP of Product at GREE International, Japan's leading mobile social gaming platform with 5 years experience in making successful social games, will discuss user behavior and key game mechanisms that make games popular. Eiji will focus on the 3 essential parts of a game: user acquisition, engagement, and monetization in the context of both game design and social design. He will discuss the role of long and short term game cycles, the necessity for a social graph, the importance of fostering cooperation, competition, and communication, and platform requirements.