Even real farmers LOVE Farmville!
Even real farmers play Facebook game FarmVille
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 | 11:14 PM ET
CBC News
A social media game about farming has skyrocketed to popularity on Facebook, attracting more than 73.8 million daily users worldwide just six months after it was launched.
FarmVille, developed by the California gaming firm Zynga, is the most popular game among Facebook's 350 million users. It allows the ordinary city person to become a virtual farmer. You can get up at virtual dawn, plant virtual crops and raise virtual animals, even buy virtual little red tractors.
Users say it is addictive, thanks to the satisfaction of seeing your harvest grow in size.
But what do real farmers think?
"It doesn't depict real farming because you make money at it all the time," Saskatchewan farmer Ben Wilson joked to CBC News at a farm expo in Saskatoon.
Asked if the popularity of the game surprises him, Wilson replied: "It kind of does, in a way, that they are playing a farming game, of all things."
Saskatchewan farmer Jesse Horn apparently couldn't get enough of the real thing. She started playing FarmVille in her spare time and quickly became addicted, spending more than an hour a day to get her crops to the virtual harvest.
But then came the real harvest, and her virtual game went to seed.
"There was no time for it, so everything died," Horn said. "I quit this so I could harvest for real."
Canada has the sixth most visitors to FarmVille. The United States is number one, followed by Turkey, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Italy.
A social media expert says FarmVille's appeal has less to do with digging in dirt than with the players themselves.
"It provides an alternative world, a world where people can build their status — and people do care about their status," said Julita Vassileva of the University of Saskatchewan. "They care about their reputation, and they're ready to pay real dollars."
Despite its success, FarmVille has detractors.
A Facebook group called Not Playing FarmVille has more than 1.9 million members, including some who call the game a waste of time.
"Mindless, boring, stupid and annoying," wrote one member of the group, while another said, "Better to cook or read a book, no time for gaming."
Another member confessed: "I am a FarmVille addict. I have taken the first step" while another was torn: "FarmVille's not a bad game, but who has all that time?"
The game is also cited in a class-action lawsuit against Zynga and Facebook, filed in California in November.
The lawsuit alleges Zynga lures "unsuspecting consumers into signing up for services and goods that they do not want or need."
FarmVille is used as an example of the schemes Zynga allegedly employs. The suit says they're similar to the much-criticized offers of online IQ tests.
"To take the test the consumer must provide their cellphone number and they are told that the results of the test will be sent to them via text message," the suit states.
"However, what the user does not know is that by providing their cellphone number they have unwittingly subscribed to a useless SMS service and will be billed on a monthly basis through their cellphone bill."
The suit seeks compensation for all users of Zynga games who have made such payments in connection with their use of the games.
Bill Mooney, a Zynga vice-president and the general manager of FarmVille, wouldn't discuss the litigation but said the company has taken a "substantial financial hit" to address user concerns about third-party charges.
"First we turned everything off, went through and cleaned out offers that we had concerns about that provided a bad user experience, and we're working basically to improve the quality of those offers," Mooney said.
eh? of course I am your neighbour, TCOM! ..:):)
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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small compared to what lies within us."
Oliver Wendell Holmes
How come you are not my neighbour
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I also had my days. ;-)
Farmville is like Age of Empires on kiddie graphics and chicken and corn empire. ;-P
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
You can't teach experience...
you see heero, i would never even touch soil dirt..
virtual farm for me is just perfect...
Once, few years ago, I was addicted to the gamed called "Sim City". It was awesome! You build your own city, with businesses, residential areas, industrial areas, roads, parks, schools... everything.. I went nuts over this game..i forgot to sleep, to eat, to.. ok, leave it...
..If you built the convenient city, it starts bringing you profit, and the citizens are happy.. if for example not enough hospitals in the city, the dwellers go on strike! they request to change their Mayor!..
...it was absolutely insane... but at some point i had to stop, otherwise all my life could be crashed..:)
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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small compared to what lies within us."
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Lupin..how come you are still not my neighbour??
Olive, i have just hutched the egg from one of your chikens
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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small compared to what lies within us."
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Cool! The only FB game I indulge in :o)
But I think my crops have withered a looong time ago. Sheesh! Must remember to HARVEST!!! :-0
Everything I plant has its days numbered :0(
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Beauty lies in the eyes of the beerholder.
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
i do play farmville.. its nice and great... anybody wana neighbour can add me.. [email protected]
herro_yuy2 dont take it seriously, its only for fun n enjoyment
DON'T LET FANTASY ROB YOU OF YOUR REAL LIFE BEAUTY
I would never exchange planting in soil dirt for such virtual entertainment!
"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach
i juz harvest my farmville :D
DON'T LET FANTASY ROB YOU OF YOUR REAL LIFE BEAUTY
I neva tried it and i will neva try it.. though i tried Mafia Gangsta.. but then I was kille'd by my enemies.. then i took my revenge and promise'd neva to return ...
---------The End ---------
-: I may not agree with everything what you say, but to the death I will defend your right to say it :-
I'm not a farmer . . .c',)
that is why I don't love playing FARMVILLE
Sorry folks but it's quite boring for me... so peace!!!
hhehehehehehhe
Oh come on, Our family has been into farming for generations and I think this game is stupid. I tried this game for a couple of weeks after all the hype and didn't like it at all.
**** Aal Izz Well****
can u guys supply me with 100 eggs, 200 chickens, and fruits and veggies please !!
-: I may not agree with everything what you say, but to the death I will defend your right to say it :-
i'm not FV addict only my neighbors... Pajju, Rizks and Khannan
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I admit.....I am addicted to farmville.. he he he
thanks to this post.. i remember to harvest my crops. it almost died. haha :P
-=The desire to do what you shouldn'T is the very desire that defines Humanity=-
I have stayed away from it so far even though I have over 100 farmville requests. I wonder how long I can deny it's existence!
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"HE WHO DARES WINS"
Derek Edward Trotter
i wish they remove the limit for owning chicken coops, i need more than one! :P
I did. I got a gold one. :)
"We submit to the majority because we have to. But we are not compelled to call our attitude of subjection a posture of respect." Ambrose Bierce
i liked it and now am bored.
Want to sell my farm any bidders.
Oh with that want to sell my neighbors also they go free if you buy one.
Olive...did you get any mystery eggs...:)________________________________________
One life to live, live it to the fullest.
MJ...I second you...I am loving it too...:)
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One life to live, live it to the fullest.
I'm collecting eggs from my chickens at the moment. LOL.
"We submit to the majority because we have to. But we are not compelled to call our attitude of subjection a posture of respect." Ambrose Bierce
Yeehaw! horray for Farmville!! i love farmville :)