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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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