Today's technology story in Stuff says that the top five Facebook games are:
- YoVille - which sounds like a vast cartoon world that you wander around in, play games, buy and decorate your house, gamble, chat and all those things you expect from a Second Life type virtual world. 5 million active monthly users can't be wrong. (yes, that's 5 million!)
- Pet Society - yup, tamagochi on line - only you can also decorate their homes, visit your friends' pets and pet homes, etc. Looking after (and pimping) your pet gives a strong reason for a repeat visit. (We have witnessed with kids on the (very successful) Mission-On site that the virtual vegetable garden where you grow and tend for your own vegetable plants over time is HUGELY popular)
- Mousehunt - you are armed with traps and bait and you have to catch mice - as you move through the game, catching mice gets harder and harder - extending the challenge and hooking you in.
- Save the Planet - sounds like another collection of games where you earn points you can donate to a "charity" - doing good or just feeling like you are? (Might be better off to turn off your computer and go do something for someone else - like, as in a real person.)
- Farm Town - this is your chance to run a "life-style" block/farm and see if you can make money from it - minus the hard yards and sun burn.
So, that's the top five - and many of them seem like their premise has a younger slant to me, where you have to participate in a virtual world, play games etc and earn (or buy) points to increase your status in that world. I am very curious about their popularity - especially with adults. We know from experience how that formula can be effective with kids - but what do you think?
I would LOVE to hear if you play any games on Facebook. What are they? Or are there any other Facebook applications that you can't resist?
(Personally I often dip into Playfish's "Word Challenge" when I'm in Facebook- you get six letters and you have to come up with as many words with them as you can - against the clock. I can't resist having a wee crack at my top score. Many other things that require you to send them on to your friends I find insidious, frankly.)
