Virtual crops are getting a lot of love
What is it about these super-cute, easy to play, addictive computer games that is bringing in more and more casual gamers every day? With Zynga’s Farmville reaching over 69 million players, it’s hard to ignore the incredible popularity of social games and applications. To put that number into perspective, Blizzard’s World of Warcraft in December of 2008 had about 11.5 million players. Social gaming is becoming a huge part of the user experience on Facebook and Myspace. As a long-time gamer, it’s one of the main reason’s I log onto Facebook a few times (or more) a day.
Everybody’s doing it –and if not, you should probably send them an invite
When comparing more traditional, multiplayer games and social games, it’s easy to see where social gaming differentiates itself. One of the most influential differences would be that social games accessed through a social network can run on most computers that have a web browser. It’s bringing more traditional gamers together with their friends and family who may not have a lot of experience with other video games. Social games are making it possible for more people to play games.
Another major difference would be social networks like Facebook already have an enormous, established user base. This makes it extremely easy for you and your friends to get into a game fast and start having fun. Lastly, social games are free to try without investing a lot of time in a download or a demo version. As a social gamer with little time and so many choices on which games to play, accessibility is important.
Socially awkward? Don’t worry–finding a game you enjoy is easy!
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with making a decision on which social game to play. When you log into Facebook, you might notice your friends have posted events from games they’re playing. If you haven’t tried out any social games, a good place to start is by playing one that your friends are playing so you can ask for help and score some free items from them. In social games, they probably will gain items or points from having you join.
While some of the more popular games like Mafia Wars and Pet Society have more players than Fish Life, you’ll want to find and play a game that’s fun for you. I have not noticed a limit on how many social game applications you can add, so my suggestion would be to try out a handful of them and see what you like the best. I try a lot of different games out knowing that I’ll probably find a great game in there somewhere.
I use Facebook’s search tool to find social games. If I am looking for a game with pets, I type in pets and it brings up a list of games. Then I just add the application and start playing. I couldn’t think of a faster and more enjoyable way to get involved in social gaming.
I’d like to read your comments on why you like social games. Let me know which games you’re playing!
Melissa Loy
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