Newsweek rates Facebook's 'most addictive games', the most fun epidemic in years

Newsweek recently took a look at the metrics they believe imply are Facebook's most addictive games including staples like Zyngas' FarmVille and Mafia Wars as well as gems like Bejeweled Blitz from Popcap and Mindjolt's Bouncing Balls. But are the numbers behind social games enough to say whether they're addictive? If the numbers indicate anything more than gamers simply enjoying games, then we might have an epidemic afflicting 160 million on our hands.

Well, if you're in Dr. Hilarie Cash's camp, who claims that social games are addictive by design, then this is most likely true. If Cash is right, then it's possible that we're all 'addicted' to Facebook games on varying levels solely by virtue of their design. But is it truly addiction that makes social games so popular or is it the basic reward structure in which social games operate? Maybe the gameplay structure of task and reward is inherently gripping.

While some cases of gaming addiction are pretty cut and dry, perhaps it's a personal realization of a negative impact. In a recent survey by Lightspeed Research, 19 percent of Facebook gamers admitted to being addicted. (And that doesn't account for how many who could be in denial.)

Weekly News Wrap: When Cafe World Took Over Our Lives

Days seem shorter? Check. Weather getting cooler? Uh huh. Well now that autumn seems to be in full swing, we're hunting down new indoor activities to keep us warm and busy. Farming and playing with cute animals still rank highly versus the Friday night TV lineup but this week's arrival of Zynga's Cafe World seriously threw us for a loop. We've been playing since we first caught wind of the game.

But that's not all that happened this week as Mafia Wars players found new adventures in Moscow, Zuma's Revenge gets a new version and we discovered a buried box of FarmVille tips that you'll just have to read. So get warm, it's time for the week's best stories.

Farmville Crop Mastery Released - Earn Bonuses Just Like in Mafia Wars


Farming isn't hard and fans of FarmVille have repeatedly wondered if the game might be better if there were more depth. Now, the game that gets Facebookers out to the dirt has added mastery bonuses to the game. Borrowed from FarmVille's cousin Mafia Wars, players gain mastery bonuses for repeating the planting of seed based foods. The details on what players gain from the mastery bonus is still a bit of a mystery, but any way to add more action to Facebook's hotttest game isn't a bad thing.

Mafia Wars: Moscow Tips - You'll Get By With a Little Help From Your Friends


Notice how your Mafia Wars-addicted friends skipped any social events this week? You can blame Mafia Wars: Moscow, the newest city expansion that brings mafia managers to Mother Russia's capitol to do business. Like the previously released Cuba expansion, Moscow tasks players with using the pugilist egos of your friends to complete jobs. It's an interesting development that you too can experience, if you're level 70 or higher. If you're already there, you'll want to read our tip guide before you take you trip.

Zuma's Revenge Adventure: Ball-Busting at Half the Price

Mention any of PopCap's games (Bejeweled, Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle, etc) and you'll find that even people who wouldn't necessarily play games, sure do play a lot of them. The latest variation of PopCap's Zuma series, Zuma's Revenge, pits players against a series of colored orbs that move closer and closer, your role is to shoot similarly colored orbs to make triplets, thus causing them to explode. While the full game carries a $20 price tag for the PC, the company released a pared down version called Zuma's Revenge – Adventure. You still get 60 levels of play, six new bosses but will miss out on the competitive challenge mode. Our recommendation is to get more game for $20, but if you're only got $10, there's still a lot of game with Zuma's Revenge – Adventure.

Farmville Maker Debuts New Facebook Game, Café World

Zynga surprised everyone this week by releasing a beta version (testing) of its upcoming game, Café World. In it, you take on the roles of café manager, head chef and room designer. As chef, you buy a menu items which gives you all the ingredients you need to make a meal. Of course, with cooking times ranging from 5 minutes to two days (yes, 48 hours), you still need to manage the hungry crowds of eaters. If you're looking to take a break this weekend, or looking for a familiar break from FarmVille, Café World is the type of welcome distraction that will warm up your chilly nights.

Nexon's next social game, Zombie Misfits, looks for brains on Facebook

Alright, we thought it too: "Another zombie game?" But hold on just a second there, naysayers. Nexon's new Facebook game, Zombie Misfits, takes the whole zombie craze in a decidedly different direction. Co-developed by Canadian studio Antic Entertainment, this social take on what's quickly becoming a tired trend turns is a side-scrolling tower defense game.

Wait, according to a release, it's a "cartoon-style apocalyptic tower defense game with an RPG flare." Does that sound different enough for you? And if you ask us, the game's art style looks like something you'd easily find on Cartoon Network.

Ever since Nexon struck gold with MapleStory Adventures, the company has been bullish on Facebook games, but has taken its sweet time. (The publisher likely could have thrown its name on a number of Facebook games this year, but didn't.)

But back to the brain bustin'. Zombie Misfits has players defend survivors of the zombie apocalypse in two-dimensional zones against wave after wave of walking cadavers. To do so, you must place Defenders in key, predefined points in each level to kill off the walkers (thanks, The Walking Dead) before they reach the hovel of "breathers", as tutorial character Slim calls them.


The game features a number of different defenders like the Biker, a club-wielding badass type, and the pistol-toting Trooper--all of which can be modified and upgraded. Of course, you'll need to strategize which Defenders to place as you unlock them to fight the numerous types of zombies. And players can enlist the help of their friends, as per usual. But really, nothing beats the feeling of taking a giant chain saw to a morose mob of undead mouth-breathers.

Click here to play Zombie Misfits on Facebook Now >

Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.

Do you think there's room for another zombie game on Facebook? What do you think of the zombie craze overall--is it just a fad?

Will the Ultima maker's new social game appeal to all forms of gamer?

That's sounds pretty ... ambitious (to say the least), but that seems to be what game designer Richard Garriott is going for. During a recent interview with IndustryGamers, Ultima creator Garriott somehow revealed his master plan for how he's going to change social gaming without revealing anything specific, really. While it's too early to make serious judgment calls, his idea sounds downright awesome.

At least on paper, it sounds as if players will be able to carve out their own role in a fantasy world that rewards several different types of play. Basically, members of a group of friends can each take on different roles--be it farmer, shop owner or even adventurer--and somehow contribute to the overall world both in real time and asynchronously.

"And allowing it to be asynchronous interaction as well as synchronous interaction," Garriott told IndustryGamers. "So if you're the farmer, and you're playing your FarmVille style of gameplay, and that's what you like, that's fine, and you can either sell it on your produce stand or come over to my cafe and sell it to me directly, but either way, if you're offline, me or my chef can come over to your farm stand or to you personally if you're online, and buy the produce we need, and in either case we're gonna sell meals to the adventurer that just came through and might be bringing back the special dragon egg to make the greatest omelet that's ever been made in the history of the world! I can now make it in my cafe based on the stuff the adventurer brought back."

In essence, Garriott's Lord British's New Britannia (working title) will somehow allow the FarmVille player, the Cafe World fan and the Skyrim fanatic to all play the same game in their own way and help one another. If developer Portalarium can live up to these ambitions, then count us in.

Play the other football on Thanksgiving with Top Eleven on iOS

Sorry, friends around the world, but we only say that because Thanksgiving is originally an American holiday, after all. Nordeus has finally released its hit football/soccer game Top Eleven on iPhone and iPad for the fine price of free. Based on a brief description of the game provided by Nordeus, this looks to be simply a port of the Android version released in October.

A port this game may be, but one that will likely expand the game's player base. Just like before, players can create their own football clubs and take on nearly every aspect of the process as manager. And when we say "every aspect," we mean everything from training players to getting sponsorship for the team. More importantly, however, is that Top Eleven veterans can access their existing football clubs from Facebook, iPhone or Android and interact with their friends on any said platform.

"We aim to provide a seamless gaming experience for our Top Eleven fans no matter what device you're using." Nordeus CEO Branko Milutinović said in a release. "You can kick off a Top Eleven game on a desktop, and if you have to pop out at half-time you can now continue to follow your game on your iPhone."
Top Eleven iPhone in action
According to the developer, the Top Eleven is enjoyed by 3.5 million monthly players since its Android release last month, and Nordeus clearly looks to see that number grow through the App Store. So, now you can play football while watching football tomorrow ... just don't tell the rabid NFL fans in your life when they come to visit.

Top Eleven meets a new challenger in The Sun Football Legends

Come on, you know you were thinking it too. Oddly enough, The Sun--one the UK's leading tabloids--has launched its first Facebook game. Developed by social game maker Enteraction, The Sun Football Legends allows players to create their own legendary soccer football player both on and off the field. The game attempts to bring skill-based gameplay to sports games on Facebook, but you be the judge of whether that's successful.

Players are tasked with performing well in key roles during a given football match like successfully head-butting a ball or making a simple goal through timed clicking challenges. (Let's just say we're thankful you're given the option to simulate these sequences.) Successful games have players level up their completely personalized football legends with attribute points, and allow them to purchase clothes and other items for their legends. Players can eventually create a team full of legends.

"We are hugely excited about launching this game with The Sun, and our innovative partnership with them," Enteraction managing director Andy Rogers said in a release. "They have shown time and time again that they understand their audience and how to market products which exceed expectations. They are market leaders in other gaming sectors and we are confident that this will be no exception."
Sun Football Legends Free Header
Outside the field, players can take their legends on outings that could draw a few laughs (or a scandal all their own). However, players can only make moves in these outings once an hour, and there isn't much to them other than choosing an option out of three. While your mileage with Sun Football Legends may vary, this could be the first newspaper to launch a Facebook game. So, the game is worth a shot if only to see whether this is a trend other newspapers should hop on ... or avoid entirely.

PlayStation Home renovations make 'a true social game platform'

The idea of PlayStation Home was always an intriguing one: Rather than simply log into a service, go to a more literal destination to connect with your game friends. While Home has enjoyed 24 million users worldwide, Sony hasn't exactly capitalized on that healthy player base. Since its launch in 2008, the company has listened to feedback, and here we have the new Home, "a true social game platform," Sony says.

Now, wait a minute, we thought social games were reserved for social networks or at least connected to them. Well, consider this Sony ... redefining the term "social network." The new core of PlayStation Home is the aptly-named Hub, which serves as the main place for PS3 gamers to socialize in real time through their avatars.

This Hub also provides players with quests that span a number of new free-to-play games and community events through the Activity Board. The Hub, as its name implies, also connects players to the various districts of Home:

        Action District: A gathering place for hardcore gamers, the Action District has a gritty, urban feel reminiscent of a first-person shooter level and provides a direct travel point to action and horror games.
        Sportswalk: The Sportswalk has an exciting outside-the-stadium feel with instant major league sports scores, headlines and highlights and sports-themed games.
        Adventure District: At the launch of the PlayStation Home redesign, the Adventure District will present the Uncharted 3: Fortune Hunter total game integration event, providing a third-person adventure experience including a partial recreation of the Yemen level from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception multiplayer mode and a cover-based shooting system complete with weapons and gameplay inspired by the hit series. Players can unlock content that can be used in the Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Blu-Ray Disc game as well as additional PlayStation Home rewards.
        Pier Park: A waterfront boardwalk leads players to carnival, puzzle, outdoor and arcade games. Take a ride on the Pier Park Ferris wheel or visit the arcade for more games.
        PlayStation Home Theater: The PlayStation Home Theater features an ultra-modern architectural design and hosts a wide range of videos programmed specifically for PlayStation gamers, including episodes of Pulse and Qore, trailers and interviews from the PlayStation Blog, and exclusive user-generated videos in the popular Community Theater.
        PlayStation Home Mall: The PlayStation Home Mall is loaded with thousands of pieces of content from some of the most popular games and entertainment in the world. Shop for PlayStation Home games, extravagant personal spaces, costumes, clothing items and other avatar enhancements, and tons more in the redesigned Mall.

PlayStation Home Cogs
But what sounds most "social" to us are the several new free-to-play games strewn across the new Home. These new games are supported by microtransactions, much like the Facebook games you likely play daily. However, most of these games certainly cater more to the traditional gamer, and here's why:

        Bootleggers '29: Set in the seedy underbelly of the Roaring Twenties, this PlayStation Home exclusive first-person shooter found in the Action District pits cops vs. criminals in a Prohibition-era game of Capture the Cask. Boasting real-time multiplayer action, a variety of vintage weapons and unlockable rewards, and the unique ability to play as your PlayStation Home avatar, Bootleggers '29 is a 100% free-to-play game that introduces a classic narrative to the modern shooter genre.
        PlayStation Home Hold 'Em: A series of backroom poker tables hosted in the brand new Sportswalk district, PlayStation Home Hold 'Em squares players off in a no-holds-barred, winner-take-all battle of the bluffs. Only the best of the best will progress to the high stakes tables and collect all the prizes in this free version of the wildly-popular Texas Hold 'Em card game.
        PlayStation Home Sports Trivia: Test your sports expertise against the PlayStation Home community and unlock a series of themed rewards in this massive sports trivia game, found in the Sportswalk. Packed with over 10,000 trivia questions, this game will challenge the memories of even the most die-hard sports fans.
        RC Rally: Build and customize your own remote controlled car and race against friends over multiple courses, performing stunts and tricks and unlocking numerous upgrades along the way. This fast-paced PlayStation Home original game can be found in the new Pier Park.
        Cogs: A 3D version of Lazy 8 Studios award-winning Steampunk puzzle game, Cogs can be found front-and-center in PlayStation Home's new Hub. Build a variety of machines from sliding tiles and unlock exclusive PlayStation Home rewards in this highly-addictive puzzler.

PlayStation Home RC Rally
The new focus for Sony's PlayStation Home is the games, according to PlayStation Home director Jack Buser. However, we're still hung up on this whole "social" thing. (And not only with Home, but with that PS Vita, too.) Whether Home will better connect players through its increased focus on games will be seen starting tomorrow. PlayStation Home launches on the PS3 on Nov. 3, but until then, tease yourself with this trailer.


What do you think of the new PlayStation Home? How about Sony's overall focus on social through both of its leading consoles?

Kabam study suggests hardcore gamers are flocking to Facebook

Have the tables finally turned? Not quite just yet, but slowly and surely they are, a study released by Kabam suggests. The Redwood City-Calif.-based creator of Facebook games like Dragons of Atlantis and Edgeworld recently commissioned a survey of 1,412 "hardcore" gamers to find just how their behavior has changed since the dawn of Facebook games.

Dubbed the "Social Gamer Study," Kabam found that the demographics of the average social game fan are slowly changing--more young to middle-aged men are playing Facebook games. And a whopping 82 percent of them come from the console game space, which is terribly important. This is because 27 percent of those surveyed report playing console games less often.

And perhaps more importantly to those looking to make cash from hardcore games, those surveyed reported spending 50 percent less on console games. Of course, Kabam threw in that players of its games are even more dedicated to Facebook games than console games: 55 percent reported playing console games less and spending 65 percent on the games.
Social Gamer Study findings
According to the study conducted by Information Solutions Group, 72 percent of these hardcore social gamers are playing two or more games at once, and 47 percent are playing three or more. If you've ever played a game like Kingdoms of Camelot or Kixeye's Backyard Monsters, you know that this is quite a lot to keep up with--much more so than, say, FarmVille.

Not to mention that this growing sub culture of Facebook gamers plays far longer game sessions than the 30 minutes or so your average Bejeweled Blitz player sits down for on lunch break. A massive 68 percent reported playing social strategy games for three hours or longer a day, and 30 percent said they play for longer than an hour per session.

Of course, it's important to keep in mind who commissioned this study: a developer and publisher of hardcore Facebook games. Vested interests aside, it's undeniable that a new breed of Facebook game fan is emerging, and fast. And you have to assume, with advances like download-free 3D gaming on the horizon, these numbers will only grow. Check out the study in full here.

Are you part of this growing portion of Facebook gamers? Do you think social game creators like Zynga, EA and wooga have anything to worry about? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment