Social games have become a phenomenon as the popularity of social networking sites has exploded. One of the most successful of these was FarmVille, released in 2009 on the site Facebook. Almost overnight, the game became one of the top on Facebook and set the model for the genre.
As the name would suggest, the goal of the game is to grow and sustain a healthy farm. To do so, players are given a farm. They must then cultivate crops. As they progress, they gain coins and experience points, which open up new crops and tools in the "market". The concept is fairly straightforward yet requires dedication to ensure constant growth on the farm and success of the plants. Players try to earn as many coins as they possibly can.
Social interaction is also a major component of the game. Utilizing the social media platform, users can invite their Facebook friends, and more recently, other users that are not their friends, to become farm neighbors. Neighbors can visit one another's farms and perform actions on it. Gifts can be exchanged as well. A single farmer can establish a wide network of neighbors.
The concept of virtual farming is not unique to FarmVille. In fact, its roots can be found in a 1996 game called Harvest Moon.This role playing video game was released for the Super Nintendo and was met with only mild success. However, it did lead to the release of the Chinese social networking game Happy Farm. Released just one year before the introduction of FarmVille, Happy Farm set the stage for success for the interactive virtual farm concept.
Plinga, a German game developer, has apparently attempted to mimic the success of Zynga, the producer of FarmVille, with a remarkably similar name and business model. Yet, Zynga's reputation stands apart, as it has produced dozens of games across many platforms in the past few years. Its products can be found especially in stand alone platforms and social media sites. In fact, it has developed most of the games available for play on Facebook. Each follows a similar model in which users have the option to make in-game purchases using "Facebook credits".
This has quickly become a billion dollar industry, leaving the door wide open for advertising opportunities. Most users that participate will visit the same site every single day in order to keep up with their farm, restaurant, or what-have-you. Companies may decide to invest in product placement within the game. Or, banners displayed across the top of a page will surely catch attention. This can increase traffic to any website or company.
Once the most popular activity on Facebook, FarmVille has since nestled comfortable into the number seven slot. However, its ubiquity inspired a sequel, FarmVille 2. Zynga, however, continues to produce social games. For the most part, each one has been met with success.
FarmVille was almost destined to be a hit, considering it was launched on one of the most widely visited sites in the world. Facebook has the power to define a brand. The game definitely set a precedent for sequels and for others like it.
As the name would suggest, the goal of the game is to grow and sustain a healthy farm. To do so, players are given a farm. They must then cultivate crops. As they progress, they gain coins and experience points, which open up new crops and tools in the "market". The concept is fairly straightforward yet requires dedication to ensure constant growth on the farm and success of the plants. Players try to earn as many coins as they possibly can.
Social interaction is also a major component of the game. Utilizing the social media platform, users can invite their Facebook friends, and more recently, other users that are not their friends, to become farm neighbors. Neighbors can visit one another's farms and perform actions on it. Gifts can be exchanged as well. A single farmer can establish a wide network of neighbors.
The concept of virtual farming is not unique to FarmVille. In fact, its roots can be found in a 1996 game called Harvest Moon.This role playing video game was released for the Super Nintendo and was met with only mild success. However, it did lead to the release of the Chinese social networking game Happy Farm. Released just one year before the introduction of FarmVille, Happy Farm set the stage for success for the interactive virtual farm concept.
Plinga, a German game developer, has apparently attempted to mimic the success of Zynga, the producer of FarmVille, with a remarkably similar name and business model. Yet, Zynga's reputation stands apart, as it has produced dozens of games across many platforms in the past few years. Its products can be found especially in stand alone platforms and social media sites. In fact, it has developed most of the games available for play on Facebook. Each follows a similar model in which users have the option to make in-game purchases using "Facebook credits".
This has quickly become a billion dollar industry, leaving the door wide open for advertising opportunities. Most users that participate will visit the same site every single day in order to keep up with their farm, restaurant, or what-have-you. Companies may decide to invest in product placement within the game. Or, banners displayed across the top of a page will surely catch attention. This can increase traffic to any website or company.
Once the most popular activity on Facebook, FarmVille has since nestled comfortable into the number seven slot. However, its ubiquity inspired a sequel, FarmVille 2. Zynga, however, continues to produce social games. For the most part, each one has been met with success.
FarmVille was almost destined to be a hit, considering it was launched on one of the most widely visited sites in the world. Facebook has the power to define a brand. The game definitely set a precedent for sequels and for others like it.
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