Facebook game makers will now sell in-game goods via Facebook ads

Facebook announced today that it's rolling out an update that lets game developers with sell in-game goods and services directly from ads on the desktop version of the website. Starting now, you should be able to create an ad for virtual goods in your game through Facebook's various advertising management systems, and users who see the ad can click to buy the item and start playing your game. The ads can appear in either the right-hand column or the main news feed of Facebook's desktop interface; previously, ads for in-game transactions could only be shown within the game itself. For more information, check out the update on Facebook's developer blog. Facebook has already seen some success in driving revenue from in-game purchases; the company reported a slight increase in game revenue during its most recent financial report, despite an overall decline in the number of people playing Facebook games in a desktop browser -- the sole source of said game revenue.