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.
Just a year before the release of this game, Happy Farm was introduced on the internet. This Chinese social networking game was somewhat popular and laid the groundwork for a truly successful virtual farming game. However, the roots run deeper. In 1996, a farming game was designed for the Super Nintendo platform called Harvest Moon. This introduced the concept entirely and paved the way for its successors.
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".
The social game industry brings in more than a billion dollars a year in revenue and, as such, has become an advertising gold mine. In any given game, sponsors have many options. Banners are the most obvious choice, visible when players log in and throughout the games. However, certain ones even afford the opportunity for product placement directly into game-play. Such games also increase traffic to a website, as a large portion of users return day after day to continue play.
FarmVille was one of Facebook's most popular social games. It was so widely played that a sequel, FarmVille 2, was even released. Since reaching its peak, it has settled into the seventh most popular slot on Facebook. Zynga continues to produce new games that hold the top positions, however.
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.
Just a year before the release of this game, Happy Farm was introduced on the internet. This Chinese social networking game was somewhat popular and laid the groundwork for a truly successful virtual farming game. However, the roots run deeper. In 1996, a farming game was designed for the Super Nintendo platform called Harvest Moon. This introduced the concept entirely and paved the way for its successors.
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".
The social game industry brings in more than a billion dollars a year in revenue and, as such, has become an advertising gold mine. In any given game, sponsors have many options. Banners are the most obvious choice, visible when players log in and throughout the games. However, certain ones even afford the opportunity for product placement directly into game-play. Such games also increase traffic to a website, as a large portion of users return day after day to continue play.
FarmVille was one of Facebook's most popular social games. It was so widely played that a sequel, FarmVille 2, was even released. Since reaching its peak, it has settled into the seventh most popular slot on Facebook. Zynga continues to produce new games that hold the top positions, however.
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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