Farmville by Zynga - Social Networking Games

Bibliographic Information:

Zynga. (2009). Farmville. Retrieved from http://apps.facebook.com/onthefarm/index.php?ref=tab.

Plot Summary:
In this cute, fun, and addicting online virtual game, you create your own farm. You plow the land, purchase and plant the seeds, and then harvest your crops. Trees can be purchased and harvested; animals can be purchased and “harvested” also – gathering horsehair from the horses, eggs from the chickens, milk from the cows and goats, wool from the sheep, etc. You can purchase heavy equipment such as a harvester, buildings, ponds, and decorations. Friends with farms can be sent gifts in the hopes that they will send back a gift. The object is to have the biggest and best farm among your friends.

Critical Evaluation:
The game is enjoyable, but can be addicting. “For 45 minutes a day, [one user] … gets lost in the digital game [Farmville] on Facebook” (Swartz, For social networks.) She states that “‘Since Day One, I’ve been a complete addict. I lose sleep at night, worrying about my farm.’” (Swartz, For social networks.) While I am not “completely addicted,” I do like to play my favorite games on a daily basis and feel kind of bad if I neglect my farm, pet, or café.

Companies are not just creating these games for the fun of it. There is money to be made. While the games can all be played for free, if you want more options, the ability to get more and different items, you need to pay. “Micro-transactions can be for virtual farm tools, poker chips or swords, depending on the game. … Craig Sherman, CEO of Gaia Online, a social–gaming website … sells more than $1 million in virtual goods a month” (Swartz, For social networks.) This can be quite expensive if the player isn’t judicious. Overall, while these games can be addicting, they are a fun distraction, as long as one doesn’t pay (or pay too much) to ‘game up.’

Swartz, J. (2009, October 15). For social networds, it's game on. USA Today, News/01a. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=J0E118780704309&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live.

Reader's Annotation:
In this virtual game, you create a farm, plant and harvest crops and trees, purchase tools, animals, and buildings, send your Farmville friends gifts, and hope that they send gifts back. The object is to have the largest, best farm between you and your friends.

Information about the author:
“Zynga’s [collection] of games … boasts more than 125 million monthly active users” (Swartz, For social networks.) There are 18 games by Zynga currently on Facebook and nine on MySpace. Zynga also has two games on Bebo, one game on Friendster, three games on Tagged, two on MyYahoo, and five games available on iphone. However, new games seem to pop up all of the time probably because player “loyalty can be fleeting” (Swartz, For social networks.) Most games are played for two to three months before the player moves on to a different game (Swartz, For social networks.)


Swartz, J. (2009, October 15). For social networds, it's game on. USA Today, News/01a. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=J0E118780704309&loginpage=Login.asp&site=ehost-live.

Zynga. (2009). Available For facebook. In all zynga games on facebook. Retrieved from http://www.zynga.com/games/?network=facebook.

Zynga. (2009). Available For myspace (All Zynga Games on Myspace). Retrieved from http://www.zynga.com/games/?network=myspace.


Genre: Games on social networking sites


Curriculum Ties: Economics; farming


Gametalking Ideas:
• What does it take to run a farm?
• What happens if you don’t tend to your crops/animals in a timely manner?
• How do you know when you should stop playing?
• When is it okay to purchase items for this game?
• What do you really get when you purchase an item? Something tangible? Something intangible?

Playing Level/Interest Level:
Social networking sites require the user be at least 13 years of age. However, this can be circumvented. Farmville, and similar games, appeal to a wide range of people from 5 years of age to adults.

Challenge Issues:
Waste of time; can be costly

If the game is challenged:
• Listen calmly to the complainant.
• Ask if s/he has played the game.

If the complainant still has issues with the game:
• Request that the complainant play the game if this has not already occurred.
• Explain that in the school library setting, the district has filters making social networking sites unavailable to students.
• Explain that in the public library setting, the library is free and open to all patrons. Librarians cannot monitor each and every site that students use in the public library. If the person has further complaints, then they should have a frank discussion with their own child regarding what activities should be done on the computer and if any money should be spent upgrading online games.

Selection Process:
Games on social networks were my part of our group genre presentation.