In 2009, the wildly popular social game, FarmVille, was released on the social media site, Facebook. Gaining popularity quickly, it became the most popular game on Facebook almost instantly. It belongs to a genre of online games known as "social games", which has grown leaps and bounds with the ubiquity of social media.
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.
In addition to these two goals, social interaction with one's neighbors is a crucial component. By utilizing one's list of Facebook friends - or by connecting to new users all over the world - a farmer can build a complex network of neighbors. Once added, they can visit different people's farms, performing tasks and earning coins. Gifts can even be left as well. A single farm can quickly become an extensive web, building on the social media concept.
Harvest Moon, a role playing game introduced in 1996 is said to have been the jumping off point for FarmVille. This RPG created the concept of virtual farming to the Super Nintendo platform, although it was not wildly popular. Its successor, Happy Farm, was far more widely known, especially in China. This is the game that truly set the stage for the virtual social farming concept. It appeared on the web just one year before the Facebook game.
The developer, Zynga, is a well known creator of social games for both stand alone platforms and social media sites. The company has created dozens of successful games over a myriad of platforms. It is the developer of most games found on Facebook. In each of these, users may play for free with the option of making in-game purchases via "Facebook credits". The company has been so influential, a German copycat, cleverly named "Plinga", has even attempted to mimic the model.
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.
Being introduced on Facebook can define the career of a brand. FarmVille's home on Facebook almost surely guaranteed its bullet rude to the top. Since 2009, it may have lost some popularity, but, on the whole, it defined a new generation of social gaming.
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.
In addition to these two goals, social interaction with one's neighbors is a crucial component. By utilizing one's list of Facebook friends - or by connecting to new users all over the world - a farmer can build a complex network of neighbors. Once added, they can visit different people's farms, performing tasks and earning coins. Gifts can even be left as well. A single farm can quickly become an extensive web, building on the social media concept.
Harvest Moon, a role playing game introduced in 1996 is said to have been the jumping off point for FarmVille. This RPG created the concept of virtual farming to the Super Nintendo platform, although it was not wildly popular. Its successor, Happy Farm, was far more widely known, especially in China. This is the game that truly set the stage for the virtual social farming concept. It appeared on the web just one year before the Facebook game.
The developer, Zynga, is a well known creator of social games for both stand alone platforms and social media sites. The company has created dozens of successful games over a myriad of platforms. It is the developer of most games found on Facebook. In each of these, users may play for free with the option of making in-game purchases via "Facebook credits". The company has been so influential, a German copycat, cleverly named "Plinga", has even attempted to mimic the model.
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.
Being introduced on Facebook can define the career of a brand. FarmVille's home on Facebook almost surely guaranteed its bullet rude to the top. Since 2009, it may have lost some popularity, but, on the whole, it defined a new generation of social gaming.
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