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)
it does weird things to people (Score:1, Funny)
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:Unfriending due to Farmville (Score:5, Funny)
Re:FarmTown (Score:1, Funny)
everyone one ... duplicates
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: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.
Re:Something I overheard (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Critical analysis of a browser game? (Score:1, Funny)
You finally figured out how to block the updates? You mean you found the highly obscure "hide" button that appears on the update? Hopefully you aren't a tenured professor anywhere.
Re:Unfriending due to Farmville (Score:5, Funny)
(Looking for "Like" link...)
Re:Something I overheard (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Something I overheard (Score:5, Funny)
That would actually make these 'games' worth while.
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?
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:Forget Farmville (Score:2, Funny)
Hey William you're not so good looking either anymore.
-- Danielle
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: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:3, Funny)
O M G ! You two need to hook up!
Re:Remember the privacy policy? (Score:5, Funny)
Your ideal woman probably is a flash game.
Re:Forget Farmville (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Remember the privacy policy? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Something I overheard (Score:2, Funny)