Farmville, Social Gaming, and Addiction 251
MarkN writes "Facebook has been trumpeting the fact that Farmville, the most popular game on its site, has more users than Twitter, with 69 million playing over a month and 26 million playing each day. Combined with Facebook's announcement that they have hit 350 million users, that means one out of every five people on Facebook is playing Farmville. Gamasutra has a post taking a critical analysis of Farmville, its deceptively slow level grind, how a number of gameplay features end up as simply decorative since they aren't balanced with the benefits of raising crops, and discussing why Farmville succeeds so well in virally spreading itself and addicting people."
Something I overheard (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Something I overheard (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Something I overheard (Score:5, Funny)
That would actually make these 'games' worth while.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Something I overheard (Score:5, Interesting)
You probably should be able to - both games are run by the same company.
Of course, you should also be able to order hits on all of your friends playing FarmVille, so this cross-game thing may not be the best idea after all.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Something I overheard: "Can I grow weed on Farmville and sell it on Mafia Wars?"
That is funny, but you hit a good point. Since most of the FaceBook games ONLY allow FaceBook users, there is little incentive to share between social networks. This will probably change this next year (if a company is confident theirs is the superior social game for that genre, they should not be afraid to share the API with other social networks, even if owned by another company...of course if they are afraid that they are not good enough, the fear will keep them from opening up their api. It would pr
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Just seems like... (Score:4, Informative)
Harvest Moon! (Score:5, Insightful)
If only FarmVille approached even a fraction of the things you can do in the Harvest Moon series.
I think saying it's a glorified version is being too nice.
Re: (Score:2)
I agree completely. Harvest Moon > Farmville
Re: (Score:2)
Remember the privacy policy? (Score:5, Insightful)
Hey, 1 in 5 people use this application. Remember that once the application has more than a million users, it can access not only your personal information, but everyone's personal information you can access. So, in short, the creators of Farmville have access to most, if not all, of the Facebook database. Moo, moo.
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Remember the privacy policy? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Remember the privacy policy? (Score:5, Funny)
Kind of begs the question "who is farming and for what?"
Please proceed immediately to the next thread, as the effects of prolonged exposure to this question has not been investigated. *fzzt* As an optional test protocol, we are pleased to present an amusing fact. The personal data is now more valuable than the organs and combined incomes of everyone in your hometown.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
not only that, but how many of those accounts actually play the game?
I had a look at it a while ago and half the people who 'play' it.. well appear to have planted a few crops and then never touched it again.
Re: (Score:2)
This number reflects reported monthly active users. Or more accurately, monthly active accounts - plenty of those accounts share a single warm body.
Re: (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Remember the privacy policy? (Score:5, Funny)
Call me Ms Grumpypants, but my ideal man is not someone whose idea of a fulfilling life is playing some stupid first-person shooter game.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
O M G ! You two need to hook up!
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
What about watching millionaires play sports?
Re:Remember the privacy policy? (Score:5, Funny)
>>Call me Mr Grumpy Pants, but my ideal woman is not someone whose idea of a fulfilling life is playing some stupid flash game.
My wonderful wife is downstairs playing Harvest Moon on the Wii.
She's not only beautiful, but this also gives me time to play Dragon Age.
Re:Remember the privacy policy? (Score:5, Funny)
Your ideal woman probably is a flash game.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Nothing that gives you an excuse to buy another PC is bad.
Re:Remember the privacy policy? (Score:5, Informative)
Remember that once the application has more than a million users, it can access not only your personal information, but everyone's personal information you can access.
You can disable [facebook.com] that.
Not totally. (Score:4, Interesting)
You can disable that.
You can only fully disable it if you completely opt out of using any Facebook applications. While it's true that most Facebook apps are crap, it'd be nice to be able to play Lexulous with friends without having any black-hat or social marketer who's written a quiz have access to my name and list of friends (along with whatever other info I'm not careful enough about).
The option they need is: "only reveal even my mere existence to apps I've explicitly opted into."
Re:Not totally. (Score:4, Informative)
You can block applications on a per-application basis too. I've blocked everything people have invited me to, except for the two applications I actually use. Not as good as opt-in, but it does exist.
2 thoughts (Score:3, Interesting)
Security and "China farmers".
First, the security issue is an obvious one, when you're tempted to hand out your password so someone can "babysit" your farm.
The other one would be an interesting one indeed. So far, I doubt any online farming game (usually browser games) got big enough to even attract "goldsellers", whatever form they may take. Now, I neither have a facebook account nor play this game, so someone who does might be able to give me a hint whether it's possible to hand over money (or whatever resource there is) in the game, but it would be interesting to see what the owners of Facebook think of a sudden dramatic increase of new users who all just play this game, know each other and basically are nothing but a huge grinder farm (no pun intended). I'd guess they wouldn't be too happy since it would poison their data pool quite a bit.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
Err, if you know you're going to be out for awhile, you simply plant stuff that grows slower, or don't plant anything.
I (admittedly) do play this thing on occasion, and I don't really see anything in there that would make your classic 'gold farmer' ('scuse the pun) see it as worth their time. Few folks buy the bucks in-game as it is, and unlike Mafia Wars style games, a bot would be fairly useless.
I could've summed the game down in two sentences: It's a cute-but-silly animated time waster that occasionally
Re:2 thoughts (Score:4, Interesting)
Many facebook games (Farmville included) have eliminated the need for gold farmers by selling the currency (or other in-game items) themselves. In fact, it's one of if not the largest revenue stream for many of them, in addition to ad sales. They figured out what Blizzard et al haven't - people are willing to pay cash for game currency, so it might as well be the game developers who are doing the selling.
Critical analysis of a browser game? (Score:2)
It's true: Nerds have way too much time on their hands.
Re: (Score:2)
They have a lot of free time, true, but it's not time that they're holding...
Re:Critical analysis of a browser game? (Score:5, Insightful)
Except, most "nerds" wouldn't be caught dead playing this game.
Re:Critical analysis of a browser game? (Score:5, Funny)
Except, most "nerds" wouldn't be caught dead playing this game.
I have a friend who is a well-known cryptographer. He is a tenured professor at the best university in his home country (it's also the best-known university in his home country; the two aren't always the same). Some of his work has become part of important international standards. I have used applications built on his work, and depending on how nerdy you are and what kind of work you do, you might have used some too. His work has won awards and has been recognized by his peers at major academic conferences on cryptography. Whether or not you have heard of him, you have almost certainly heard of some of his collaborators in other countries, even if you aren't a cryptography nerd. If that's not enough "nerd cred" for ya, he is also a fluent speaker of five languages, can get by really well in a sixth, can imitate different accents in at least one of his non-native languages, and has some knowledge of two other real languages plus Klingon.
And because I was sick to death of seeing his FarmVille updates and my sister's Mafia Wars updates, I finally learned how to block updates from those two applications just today.
Social Networking groups (Score:5, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Except they aren't selling these games on Facebook.
It's a freemium model. Free to everyone, but you can also pay for premium features.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
I think the fact that a poor game can be so popular is the fact that they are targeting addicted social network users.
That is a valid point.
That is like saying you can sell games and apps for more on an iphone... duhhh. It is all about the user base.
I'm not sure I'm following you here. You think you can sell games for more on an iPhone than on what platform? Games are certainly cheaper on average than on a Nintendo DS or PSP (which average $32 a title). I haven't seen overall numbers for other phone platforms, but there are published numbers on the average cost of the top 10 most popular paid apps and the iPhone is at the bottom of the list:
In sho
Re: (Score:2)
Find stats on amount of money spent on apps PER phone. iphone vs any other OS and it'll be a pretty damn big gap I assure you.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Pretty much all winmo apps are free...
Yeah, but there are still fewer free apps for WinMo than the iPhone. What were were talking about was specifically excluding apps for free because you said apps that were sold. I'm not interested in getting in a dick waving contest with you about whether Windows Mobile or the iPhone is a better platform for some purpose. I don't care and don't own one of either. I'm just wondering where you got the idea that apps cost more on the iPhone, since I've never seen any article that made such a claim and many that
Re: (Score:2)
I pay more than $1.60 for apps. The only apps I think are worth buying are usually over $5. You get what you pay for. I'm not interested in filling my iPhone with tons of crap apps. Averages and top 10 charts don't tell you everything.
Re: (Score:2)
I pay more than $1.60 for apps.
I don't pay anything for apps because I don't own a smartphone. What does that have to do with anything. One person's experience doesn't really matter compared to wide ranging statistical analysis of many users.
Re: (Score:2)
And if you look at the iPhone's top grossing apps*, you'll see an average price of $30.69 with 3 of the 10 at or above $79.99 (all GPS apps, the rest with one exception are games). If you went through the top 25 that drops to $14.55, which is not insignificant.
For what it's worth, I've bought more titles for my iPhone than any other gaming platform; quite possibly more than all of them combined. Plenty were free and not all were games, but apps that cost only a few bucks are certainly less of a gamble than
Re: (Score:2)
And if you look at the iPhone's top grossing apps*
Why would anyone look at that particularly? Of course it will be skewed towards more expensive applications by virtue of what it is. I suppose you can compare that to the top grossing apps on other platforms. But I don't see those numbers published anywhere for anything but the iPhone for comparison. I chose the top selling apps because there were numbers for most platforms easily available.
Re: (Score:2)
I think the fact that a poor game can be so popular is the fact that they are targeting addicted social network users.
I think a contributing reason to its size today is because many users stop using Farmville as they grow bored, but don't delete the Farmville application => still an active Farmville user in the eyes of Facebook and Zynga. Many even do this intentionally, since friends who still play Farmville gain additional bonuses if they have friended Farmville users to be "neighbors".
So I think the number of active Farmville users could be something quite different.
Re: (Score:2)
Unfriending due to Farmville (Score:4, Interesting)
Due to Farmvilles massive spamming, and my inability to make it stop telling me when my sisters/friends/coworkers have found a new cow, I've actually resorted to unfriending people who are farmville addicts. My "newsfeed" went from updates on my friends lives to 3/4 farmville useless announcements, making it effectively useless. I was tempted to install the app to see if I could filter them somehow, but ultimately said forget it.
It's fine if people want to play games, but frankly, the rest of the world doesn't care or need to know that you planted seeds. If I installed a facebook app that broadcasted every time I got a green drop in WoW I'm sure my friends wouldn't be too happy.
Add to this the Mafia wars spam, and these stupid little apps have made a mess out of what was once a useful tool for me to keep on top of my friends day to day and related silliness.
Re:Unfriending due to Farmville (Score:5, Informative)
Due to Farmvilles massive spamming, and my inability to make it stop telling me when my sisters/friends/coworkers have found a new cow, I've actually resorted to unfriending people who are farmville addicts. My "newsfeed" went from updates on my friends lives to 3/4 farmville useless announcements, making it effectively useless. I was tempted to install the app to see if I could filter them somehow, but ultimately said forget it.
It's fine if people want to play games, but frankly, the rest of the world doesn't care or need to know that you planted seeds. If I installed a facebook app that broadcasted every time I got a green drop in WoW I'm sure my friends wouldn't be too happy.
Add to this the Mafia wars spam, and these stupid little apps have made a mess out of what was once a useful tool for me to keep on top of my friends day to day and related silliness.
It takes one click to block an unwanted application like Farmville from posting to your News Feed. There's a "Hide" option on any News Feed story which will block all posts from that application. Very useful.
Re:Unfriending due to Farmville (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Unfriending due to Farmville (Score:5, Funny)
(Looking for "Like" link...)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Yes, you can block posts from an application. As I already have, along with the hundreds of other applications that spam my newsfeed every day.
It's still one of the major reasons why I've largely turned my back on Facebook and turned to Twitter.
Re: (Score:2)
I've blocked them for a few weeks, but I get random notifications still :S
Re: (Score:2)
The same thing worked for other applications though.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, I got ticked with FarmVille and blocked it, along with MafiaWars, but I still see occasional updates. Kind of like a good spam filter - the occasional one getting through doesn't both me too much.
Also kind of amusing that one or two of my middle-aged Facebook contacts (former teachers) were the biggest source of Farmvile updates, rather than the Facebook junkies my own age.
Re: (Score:2)
Last I checked, those blocks didn't work on the iPhone App. That's why I stopped using the app... it got too full of game updates.
Re: (Score:2)
The WinMo app is the same way - doesn't take into account apps you've blocked or people you've hidden. Ends up having me just "web" to m.facebook.com.
But how do I block ALL applications? (Score:2)
I think I've finally managed to block all of the CURRENT hit games that my friends are addicted to on FB, but it is annoying to have to block each application individually.
Is there a way to simply block ALL present and future application notices?
All I want to see are what people type in their profile and their pictures. I am not interested in watching people play games, or hearing about the results.
Re: (Score:2, Informative)
http://lite.facebook.com
Anon Coward delivers.
Re: (Score:2)
Is there a way to simply block ALL present and future application notices?
Don't use Facebook. Works for me =)
Re: (Score:2)
doesn't always work. Same as fails to work if you want to prevent app you are playing around with posting stuff in your feed.
Re: (Score:2)
As someone else noted, you can block each application.
But I hear what you're saying about the spam from all the apps. Personally, I use facebook as a gaming platform, so the game ones don't bother me, but the other ones do instead, like the constant barrage of 'join this group' and 'support my cause' and the new quizzes and crap.
whatever - facebook sucks (Score:3, Insightful)
I wouldn't even go on my facebook page if it wasn't for the games. The people that use facebook are BORING.
I really don't care what any of my friends had for dinner, the new dress they bought or what their little kids did that morning. Yes, clicking random bullshit in Mafia wars is more interesting to me than those things.
I attempted to steer updates into the things that interest me (programming and technology) but gave up after one of my "friends" just posted a "what?" comment on it.
I then realized that th
My take on facebook (Score:3, Insightful)
I really don't care what any of my friends had for dinner, the new dress they bought or what their little kids did that morning.
When you visit your friends, you do say "hey, nice new dress!", or "how're the kids doing?", or "so how's that diet you're on working out for you?", right?
Oh well, if they're geeks too, I suppose "So did you hear about this new smartphone that runs Linux?" is more appropriate, but it sounds like you're dissing small talk rather than dissing facebook as a medium for small talk.
The latter I agree with, the former I don't---even though I'm not a particularly well-renowned practitioner of said art ;-)
Re:My take on facebook (Score:5, Funny)
it sounds like you're dissing small talk rather than dissing facebook as a medium for small talk.
Ah, thats not a real diss, try these:
My old quote: "facebook is a workflow automation system for relationships between stereotypical middle school girls"
My new quote: "facebook is a computer optimized maximal shallowness solution to impress people you don't care about".
Now, which one is more accurate, and/or offensive?
Re: (Score:2)
I can't actually tell the difference between middle school girl behavior and the behavior of many adult women online. Maybe it's my failing, being a nerd and a man. I have a handful of female friends who are different in this regard to me, so I'm not entirely certain it's my fault.
Re: (Score:2)
When you visit your friends, you do say "hey, nice new dress!", or "how're the kids doing?", or "so how's that diet you're on working out for you?", right?
There is a difference between seeing it and commenting on it, and having them post it so everyone can see. And no, I usually don't make that kind of small talk, which might explain why I fail to see the use of facebook's model.
I tried to do nerd small talk, but it didn't work, so I'm just brushing the entire service aside.
Re: (Score:2)
I was tempted to install the app to see if I could filter them somehow, but ultimately said forget it.
Facebook does allow you to block apps... and that IIRC includes the announcements that come with them.
Your post indicates lack of Facebook app technique (Score:2)
I don't know at what "time" (months ago, etc.) you started unfriending addicts, but there is a simpler way to block all Farmville posts.
If you see one Farmville post in your feed, click it on the top right and you get two choices:
1 - hide all posts from Farmville
2 - hide all posts from this user.
All you have to do is select item #1. I've used it for any/all apps appearing in my feed.
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
There's a much more elegant solution to your problem.
1) In Facebook's left column, select "Create a New List."
2) Call it "Non Bozos."
3) Select every non-Farmville playing friend who you actually want to be part of your news feed.
4) When you're finished, click your "Non Bozos" list, and you'll see a news feed made up of just those people.
5) Bookmark that page, and make that bookmark the normal way you visit Facebook from now on.
This will solve your Farmville problem and also make your news feed experience 10
Re: (Score:2)
If he doesn't care about the bozos, then "unfriending" is exactly what should happen.
Forget Farmville (Score:5, Funny)
Facebook will ruin your life.
A few months ago I signed up on Facebook, just for the heck of it. Then I noticed that there were a lot of people I went to High School with on there. Pretty soon I was gettng friend request from them. One day I got a friend request from an old girlfriend who I hadn't seen since graduating. My only memory of her was when she was 17 -- cute with big titties. And then I looked at her current picture.
She has not aged well.
My fantasies are ruined.
Re:Forget Farmville (Score:5, Interesting)
Are you kidding? I had the same situation, and took the time to breathe one hell of a big sigh of relief that I didn't marry her.
Re:Forget Farmville (Score:5, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)
Hey William you're not so good looking either anymore.
-- Danielle
Re: (Score:2)
I think we used to spend our summers together in Eagle River!
Re: (Score:2)
She has not aged well.
My fantasies are ruined.
Time's a bitch. But then, I've seen that happen before. Hell, a girl I had a severe crush on in high school managed to age about 20 years during her college years. A computer screen between two people can be a blessing because that first "Oh my God what happened to you?" look doesn't transmit.
Noob gamers (Score:5, Insightful)
While you could argue any game is a waste of time, Farmville's grind only earns you the opportunity to continue grinding- no end goal, no endgame sandbox. At least when you have a goal in sight you can tell when it isn't getting any closer.
Re: (Score:2)
It's only a waste of time if your time is actually worth something. I suspect most people's time is pretty worthless to begin with, else television executives would not generally be wealthy.
Re: (Score:2)
Yeah, this applies to me (Score:2)
In my case, it's been a whole bunch of round-structured browser games. A few of them got kicked to the curb months ago, and I will stop after finishing the current round of the last one.
This experience has kept me far away from WoW and the Facebook games.
I'll tell you why... (Score:4, Insightful)
Everyone where I works plays it, except me, it's total cheese but they love it...why?
Because to them it's better than working.
Better model than PS3/Xbox/Wii (Score:5, Interesting)
I've got a friend that purchased on his own a Wii (so his kids/wife can play games) and a PS3 for his hardcore (FPS and fighting) games. He received a xbox360 as a gift from a cousin. Probably has about a $1000 worth of platforms and associated games.
Yet if his wife doesn't tell him "Go to bed, it's late" he can play Mafiawars/Farmville until the sun comes up. Amazing how addictive these games are without having to have massive graphics, sound, rumble controllers, online multiplayer. Just a flash interface and a bunch of clicking.
I'm waiting for Southpark to do an episode on Farmville as a remake of the WoW episode.
People are aliens. (Score:3, Interesting)
Seriously. Farmville?
I'll do you one better.
I'm annoyed that I need a Facebook account just to receive what we used to call, "Email".
The advantage I see is that open messages can turn into impromptu, albeit simple discussion forums with built-in photo catalogs. This can be more useful than email for some jobs.
But that's not what it's all about, as Farmville indicates. I think Facebook touches some kind of primal-tribal-pack-animal nerve. Farmville itself might represent more than just a dumb game with an addictive tamagachi edge. It might be a subconscious response to the fact that our food supply is precarious and stupid and that survival might fairly soon depend upon being able to raise chickens and grow potatoes in your back yard. [freep.com]
-FL
Relax (Score:3, Insightful)
I don't understand why people get all pissy when you mention Farmville. If you don't want to play, then don't. But you don't have to hate people that do and call them noobs or sheep.
The reason people play is the same reason people buy the Wii. It's accessible. Anyone can fucking play. Anyone. I know that for the hardcore player out there that just seems wrong, but you know what? The gaming world doesn't revolve around you.
If you don't what to see that shit in your news feed, choose to hide announcements from that app. Simple. Other people have other opinions. Learn to accept it.
In the interest of full disclosure, I'm level 41 in Farmville and have never paid a dime for content.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2, Insightful)
(Yeah.. I also feel like killing someone when I see those "John Cusak found a black sheep on his farm")
If you are really concerned about the data at your account why putting it on facebook at the first place.. the problem with paranoia these days is that some people are still shy about their data... internet is here fellas... privacy is something from last century when REAL farm people could "do it" behind the ba
Do you people not even TRY to look? (Score:3, Interesting)
Do you just load the page and wait to see what happens?
There's a lot you can filter if you take two seconds to look.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Paranoid people don't use Facebook.
Re: (Score:2)
*I would omit a qualifier but some games have positive social interaction.
Good point, but... (Score:2)
I might make that Rule 2, with the following as Rule 1:
"If the game isn't fun anymore (i.e. because the grind has driven you nuts), then quit".
Re:Levels! (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:2)
Re:Levels! (Score:4, Insightful)
Modification (Score:2)
Okay, sibling posts aren't happy with the sexism in parent post. Understandable.
However, modifying the post to the following, it makes an interesting statement:
"It's the first MMORPG-like game not considered geek: this is evidenced by the fact that it's played by a larger percentage/amount of women than play WoW and the like."
A similar factor was behind _The Sims_ being such a huge hit.
I have no issue with females being involved in primarily-male activities.
However, I feel that the disparity should still be
Re: (Score:2)
If these games have access to users' personal information you'd think they'd know enough about each user to use "his" or "her" in place of "their."
That pesky transgendered problem rears its head again...
FarmTown (Score:5, Funny)
And, then there is FarmTown, almost the exact same game. That's the annoying bit about Facebook apps, everyone one has at least two or three near duplicates.
Re:FarmTown (Score:4, Interesting)
I may be wrong, but my understanding is that FarmVille is a nearly complete ripoff of FarmTown, and FarmTown has a lot more interesting features (interaction with other players, etc).