Adele Caelia questions people in the Facebook community about their gaming habits, and asks why they play.
Facebook Games Can Be Played in Small Chunks of Time
Facebook games are fast and easy, and this is one of the major reasons why people play them. MMOs take a lot of time and investment, and it seems that time is a luxury for many. For those who can’t spend as much time gaming as they do working, Facebook games fit the bill. Facebook games allow users to quickly log in, and do what they need to do to advance in only a matter of minutes. Yet, for those who have had that taste of gaming, they just can’t seem to help themselves. Take a look around the Facebook virtual worlds, and you will find that the addicts are still there, but they’ve found a new drug.
To Compete With Friends is one big reason we play Facebook games.
You can guarantee that practically every Facebook account is bombarded with game invites. While many might start off ignoring them, it usually isn’t long before they join the masses. What starts out as accepting a friend’s invite, simply because they asked, quickly turns into video game addiction. Pam Skaggs, 61, of Evansville, IN says “I started playing because friends were. It became fun., [and] then it became addicting. [I] have to get to all my Ville’s first thing in the morning to feed, pet, gather, [and] train. Is there Ville’s help groups?” Facebook games are indeed addicting, and while the controversy continues over the addictive properties of MMOs; Facebook games are slowly rising up for a sneak attack.
No Super Computer Needed
Most PC games require a lot of power, even at the minimum requirements. Traditional gamers are willing to fork over a lot of cash to keep their systems up-to-date and on par with current video games. Many people, however, simply can’t afford, or won’t spent the money for high powered technology. Because Facebook games are web-based they can run on almost any system; giving the application creators the upper hand when compared to traditional game developers, because they don’t have to leave anyone out. With millions of people playing, the companies can make big bucks on the ad revenue alone. It’s not shocking that big name developers have caught on to the Facebook craze, and are now developing their own applications.
Boredom is another reason Facebook games are popular.
Boredom. It hits us all, and it’s role in the abundance of Facebook gamers cannot be denied. Many people play Facebook games, because quite simply, they have nothing better to do. “I play FB games when there aren’t any new status updates,” states Nicole Arslanbas, mother of three in Pelham, NH. While once upon a time, TV was the go to when there was nothing else to do, in today’s society, we just can’t seem to leave the computer. When you have nothing better to do, you can surf the web aimlessly, or you can plow your farm. Need I say more?
