All this talk about how Zygna's greatest innovation was "virtual goods" effectively ignores gaming culture in Asia. Zygna's greatest feat was tying in to Facebook and convincing people who didn't consider themselves "gamers" to spend money.

These people are making billions of dollars by releasing terrible software and selling images within that software.

/capitalism everyone!

Buying virtual products is stupid. Of course, if I could pay to find a faster way from Uncle Wiggily's Bungalow to Dr. Possum's House, that's different.

Seems like when a company has an IPO these days, they are done growing and in "stay" mode. See Zynga and Groupon.

When I first got on facebook I loved the games there until I realized that you had three ways to really do well at the game.

1. Play the game constantly and make it your job.
2. Spam the crap out of your friends.
3. Pay real cash for fake currency in the game.

Attention: Due to a change in the Terms and Conditions, the Farmville bank has revalued your farm and has adjusted your interest rate, effective retroactively for your borrowing history. To avoid seizure of all Farmville assets belonging to the account holder and friends of the account holder equal to or exceeding the recalculated loan amount, please log into your Paypal account within the next 10 minutes to reactivate your Farmville credit account and accept this and other pending credit rate changes. That's a nice farm you got there, would be a shame if something... happened to it.

Software has always been "virtual goods", music and video basically are too. Hell, physical media for music and video often becomes useless far quicker than any virtual item does, who here still has a VHS and an 8 track player?

What is this "Farmville"?

As a youth trying to peddle baseball cards long long ago, I learned quickly that goods are "worth" exactly what people are willing to pay for them. It didn't seem to matter what Beckett said.

Think an iPhone isn't worth its weight in shiat? That's fine, but enough people disagree with you that the market has been set, for the time being. Why does that suburbanite trash pay that much for ... anything with the Lexus nameplate? Because lots of other suburbanite trash do too. For the time being.

Virtual goods are no different. What I doubt is that Zynga will be able to maintain the "worth" of what they're peddling. So goes the most difficult part of innovation in a capitalist society. Doing it again.

Tell me when they produce awesome critically and commercially lauded games.

Then make hats.

Is this the thread where people who spend thousands of dollars on hardware and DLC to play FPS make fun of people spending $20 on "stupid games"?

Benevolent Misanthrope: Why in the everloving Fark would anyone spend money on this shiat? As a matter of fact, I can't even begin to imagine why anyone would spend time on this shiat either.

Says the man with a TF logo next to his name....

Balchinian: Benevolent Misanthrope: Why in the everloving Fark would anyone spend money on this shiat? As a matter of fact, I can't even begin to imagine why anyone would spend time on this shiat either.

Says the man with a TF logo next to his name....

Somebody just bought mine for me. Woo hoo! And I didn't even ask...

Maybe it's a reward for quitting that Zynga crap forever ;)

Really who cares? I don't see the point, but if people are having fun with it and they aren't wasting the rent money on it, then more power to 'em.

This is common for all the free MMORPGs out there right now. I don't know how well they are doing, but gPotato keeps putting out new games and only collects money from in-game purchases.

Benevolent Misanthrope: Why in the everloving Fark would anyone spend money on this shiat? As a matter of fact, I can't even begin to imagine why anyone would spend time on this shiat either.

Really. I said earlier today that not owning a microwave is the one thing I feel entitled to feel smug about (not that I don't smug about other things, but I have a shame about them), but I think never having played Farmville or Mafia Wars is another one.

I was just telling a friend that I'd rather be a porn kingpin, a pimp or a drug dealer than a developer for farmville, because they all deliver a worthier product.

1 billion man.

ONE BILLION.

I'm now depressed.

aerojockey: Benevolent Misanthrope: Why in the everloving Fark would anyone spend money on this shiat? As a matter of fact, I can't even begin to imagine why anyone would spend time on this shiat either.

Really. I said earlier today that not owning a microwave is the one thing I feel entitled to feel smug about (not that I don't smug about other things, but I have a shame about them), but I think never having played Farmville or Mafia Wars is another one.


But...but how do you re-heat leftovers?

/Seriously, though, is it a space-critical issue, or a lifestyle choice?

Benevolent Misanthrope: Why in the everloving Fark would anyone spend money on this shiat? As a matter of fact, I can't even begin to imagine why anyone would spend time on this shiat either.

It's what they like to do as dumb as it seems (is). I can't help notice that you have also spent some money on social networking (or maybe it was a gift).

Several mmorpg's do the Free to play thing (new window)

But you guys knew that.

Remember when people were spending money on facebook wall post gifts? Now that was stupid.

With my Facebook PLATINUM account, I am able to level up faster and get a leg up in these games (for a nominal fee).

Sadly, my girlfriend played the "Girlfriend Card" and said I had to play Cityville so I could respond to her gift requests.

She then pimped me out to her friends and I have FORTY-FIVE neighbors.

If I don't check daily, I end up with 50+ requests to click.

Click here, click there - it's almost like work!

Betting on people's stupidity is a good business model.

Anyone want to buy a pet rock?

/Be sure to purchase a breeding pair!

Hey - at least I'm not having to play Farmville and Pioneer Trail!

/Hangs head in shame...

how about the unusual burning kabuto?

Is Bejeweled and Zuma blitz still OK?

The problem with Zynga is that it's Zynga.

And its owner is a thieving, lying, cockpunching malware advocate.

Mad Canadian: Sadly, my girlfriend played the "Girlfriend Card" and said I had to play Cityville so I could respond to her gift requests.

If my GF ever played that card, I'd play the "Have a taste of my knuckles" card.

Cow Clicker (new window) is all the proof we need that there are some easily entertained people out there with some disposable income.

Disney Zynga is a company that makes money by selling nothing. Or, to be fair, by selling imaginary things...

It's all fantasy baby.

They make "Words with Friends." I do enjoy that game.

I would love to see "Call of Duty: The Farmville Invasion"

nocturn: Tell me when they produce awesome critically and commercially lauded games.

Then make hats.

That's not all TF2 is. There are also accessories.

/really like my new Bombinomicon

The finest minds of our generation are fixated on how to get you to click on a particular box.

This deeply saddens me, for reasons I don't fully understand. I enjoy games, I enjoy entertainment....but at some point I think we got off track.

// Oddly enough - I'm starting a gaming website.

wholedamnshow: They make "Words with Friends." I do enjoy that game.

That's still in the "it's free to get you hooked" phase. Soon you'll have the option of paying for special "Words Buckz" to spend on buying some extra letters.

Icespy: All this talk about how Zygna's greatest innovation was "virtual goods" effectively ignores gaming culture in Asia. Zygna's greatest feat was tying in to Facebook and convincing people who didn't consider themselves "gamers" to spend money.

You missed a part. They managed to take about 3 games and turn them in to 20 by changing the theme and graphics. I have seen people "get tired' of a Zynga game only to start playing another one that is the exact same game with a different setting.

FARTNOISE FARTNOISE JUNIOR: nocturn: Tell me when they produce awesome critically and commercially lauded games.

Then make hats.

That's not all TF2 is. There are also accessories.

/really like my new Bombinomicon

*eyeroll* Not that I don't love me some TF2. :)

What nobody's really saying is that games like Farmville, Mafia, et al, are eschewing gameplay for a pure reward system. And pushing marketing directly to the people buying into their services. Really quite clever. But evil. But clever.

Or I'm being horrifically, pedantically obvious. It's early. *yawn*

Mad Canadian: Sadly, my girlfriend played the "Girlfriend Card" and said I had to play Cityville so I could respond to her gift requests.

I hope you're getting something worthwhile in return. If not, tell her the whole internet agrees that you don't have to play.

PanicMan: Mad Canadian: Sadly, my girlfriend played the "Girlfriend Card" and said I had to play Cityville so I could respond to her gift requests.

I hope you're getting something worthwhile in return. If not, tell her the whole internet agrees that you don't have to play.

Definitely. The first time that anyone I know tells me that they play these games, i inform said person that under no circumstances will I ever play those games, that I will immediately and permanently lose respect for anyone I know who actually spends money on them, and do my level best to recommend games such as Harvest Moon or Sim City as alternatives that offer a proper gaming experience without spamming innocent souls such as myself.

If you want to irritate people over the internet, post in the Politics tab here on Fark. More challenging, more satisfying and won't make you lose all faith in humanity quite as rapidly.