Virtual Farms Find a Foothold With 'Farm Town'
Christine Buske — October 11, 2009 — Tech
References: facebook
It seems everyone I know, or almost everyone I know, has set up a “farm” on Facebook with the Farm Town game. When I first joined in on social networking, I never thought I would actually be tempted to play any of the games; after all, I'd much rather blog or do something else that is productive than play a virtual game with no apparent real-life payoff. However, after seeing the massive growth in the number of games available, and the number of people seriously involved in them, it has officially become a phenomenon.
Why do people get virtual farms on Facebook? Or any other virtual business, for that matter, since I just saw you can also set up shop and own a virtual restaurant as well? Funny enough, games like Farm Town elicit serious commitment from the people using it. You have to go back periodically to check up on your crops, because… horror of horrors, they could go “to waste.” In which case, you wasted your virtual money, instead of only wasting time.
As if playing Farm Town wasn’t enough, there are also a lot of instructional videos on YouTube explaining how to achieve particular effects on the game. Who else has noticed this growing trend among Facebook users? Every person in my office plays the game, and we often hear one person yell out “want to harvest for me” across the room to another. Trust me, this has nothing to do with our regular day to day work away from our virtual farms.
Why do people get virtual farms on Facebook? Or any other virtual business, for that matter, since I just saw you can also set up shop and own a virtual restaurant as well? Funny enough, games like Farm Town elicit serious commitment from the people using it. You have to go back periodically to check up on your crops, because… horror of horrors, they could go “to waste.” In which case, you wasted your virtual money, instead of only wasting time.
As if playing Farm Town wasn’t enough, there are also a lot of instructional videos on YouTube explaining how to achieve particular effects on the game. Who else has noticed this growing trend among Facebook users? Every person in my office plays the game, and we often hear one person yell out “want to harvest for me” across the room to another. Trust me, this has nothing to do with our regular day to day work away from our virtual farms.
Trend Themes
1. Virtual Farming Games - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop advanced virtual farming games with gamification features to create more engaging and immersive experiences for players.
2. Virtual Business Simulations - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create virtual business simulations that allow users to set up and manage their own virtual restaurants or other businesses, providing a realistic environment for learning and skill development.
3. Youtube Tutorials for Facebook Games - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Build a platform or community specifically designed for creating and sharing tutorials on Facebook games, catering to the growing demand for knowledge and strategies among players.
Industry Implications
1. Gaming Industry - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Merge virtual farming games with augmented reality (AR) technology to bring farming experiences into the real world, transforming the gaming industry and creating new revenue streams.
2. Edtech Industry - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Develop virtual business simulation tools for educational purposes, offering students hands-on experience in entrepreneurship and business management within a safe and controlled environment.
3. Social Media Industry - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Create a dedicated social gaming platform within social media networks, providing a seamless and integrated experience for users to play and connect with friends, expanding the social media industry's reach and user engagement.
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