Facebook, Zynga Sign Long-Term Virtual Currency Deal 124
Despite recent rumors that Facebook and FarmVille developer Zynga were gearing up for a legal battle, the two announced yesterday that they have signed a five-year agreement over how virtual currency will be used. Quoting:
"The source of the conflict ... comes down to Facebook's decision to introduce Facebook Credits, an over-arching currency system to be used in all games on its platform. This allows users to purchase just one type of currency for use in Facebook games, rather than buying directly from individual developers — a lack of direct control over its monetization that became a major point of contention for Zynga. Also likely an issue is Facebook's decision to take 30 percent of revenues gathered from credits, with 70 percent allocated to the developers."
Monetize (Score:5, Insightful)
I pity the guy who has to find a way to monetize the virtual currency of a game that's inside a social network, inside internet.
I wonder if he has found a strong enough soap to remove that constant slimy sensation.
Whoa morons. (Score:5, Insightful)
are they aware that, if zygna wants, they can now just set up their servers with farmwille and draw their 85 million players to it ?
i bet that last bit was the thing that forced fuckerberg to sign a deal.
btw mark, youre fuckerberg for me from now on. your numerous failures in regard to privacy policies and flops with pr earned you an f in place of the z in your last name. enjoy.
Re:Monetize (Score:5, Insightful)
I pity the guy who has to find a way to monetize the virtual currency of a game that's inside a social network, inside internet.
I hear it was virtually impossible ;-)
I wonder if he has found a strong enough soap to remove that constant slimy sensation.
There isn't a shower hot enough to make someone feel clean after that.
Re:Monetize (Score:4, Insightful)
The whole business model of the game is to make money via selling stuff for real money. The game itself is free to play but it's designed to encourage players to draw friends into it and to spend real money on it. Or do you think they're running Farmville out of the goodness of their hearts?
Re:Monetize (Score:5, Insightful)
I agree in the analysis and disagree in the resulting conclusion.
At some point I stop seeing an insightful, astute, marketer and I start seeing someone who bases his income on the stupidity of the most stupid.
The guy you call genious, from my point of view is just as repugnant a person as a tv fortune teller.
Re:Virtual Currency? this is just wrong! (Score:5, Insightful)
people pay real money for virtual money?
"real" money? You mean like Gold?
Re:Virtual Currency? this is just wrong! (Score:5, Insightful)
people pay real money for virtual money?
People transfer one essentially worthless measure of value into another, yes. Real life money is almost no use by itself, it's only because of a strange kind of social contract that we regard it as having any value. People obviously must perceive value in virtual currency or they wouldn't buy any. So it's a kind of meta-currency - slightly less useful than real money, but still valuable to the individual.
Re:Monetize (Score:4, Insightful)
You may think such games and spending on them is stupid, but if it gives some value to the user (fun, feel of accomplished, whatever), what's wrong with it? People like different things.
where do I go to cash in my beenz (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Monetize (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Monetize (Score:4, Insightful)
At some point I stop seeing an insightful, astute, marketer and I start seeing someone who bases his income on the stupidity of the most stupid.
Insightful, astute marketers make their living finding the stupidity in people. You know who said "a fool and his money are soon parted"? A marketer, that's who.
Re:Monetize (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Monetize (Score:2, Insightful)
Because that's what the world economy needs today: virtual currency. Like we don't have enough types of currency that aren't real.
When can I start trading in derivatives of securities that are based on virtual currency? Or futures of derivatives of securities that are based on virtual currency?
Fuck's sake, can we please go back to trading in beads? Or tulips?