Cultivated Play: Farmville »

everythinginthesky:

The secret to Farmville’s popularity is neither gameplay nor aesthetics.  Farmville is popular because in entangles users in a web of social obligations.   When users log into Facebook, they are reminded that their neighbors have sent them gifts, posted bonuses on their walls, and helped with each others’ farms.  In turn, they are obligated to return the courtesies.  As the French sociologist Marcel Mauss tells us, gifts are never free: they bind the giver and receiver in a loop of reciprocity.  It is rude to refuse a gift, and ruder still to not return the kindness. We play Farmville, then, because we are trying to be good to one another.  We play Farmville because we are polite, cultivated people.

Interesting thinking on why Farmville is so popular and such a bad idea.

Post Notes

1. severin liked this
2. fusionreaktor reblogged this from everythinginthesky and added:

   the tumblr radar:...This is precisely the reason...to not...

3. ironstring liked this
4. theg33k reblogged this from cvxn and added:

   everythinginthesky:...If that’s why people play Farmville, do I not play Farmville because...

5. cresell reblogged this from everythinginthesky and added:

   O my goodness, I am so glad to finally be past that phase in my life.

6. asecretcity reblogged this from everythinginthesky
7. afeedfromcloudmountain reblogged this from everythinginthesky and added:

   Thought it was crazy that more people play that game the World of Warcraft. I never got into Farmville, but it’s been...

8. thomasjfranssen liked this
9. awalkinmysneakers reblogged this from bumpcarbabe and added:

   Well, I have no problem ignoring gifts on Facebook :| I’m not stuck in a loop or reciprocity, but rather in a line of...

10. bumpcarbabe reblogged this from everythinginthesky
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16. heatherfacethebitch reblogged this from karawest and added:

    The gift thing is bullshit, because I have a lot of rude-as-hell FV neighbors. Once a person reaches 300 friends just...

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26. juansie reblogged this from everythinginthesky and added:

    Thank God I’m out of the Farmville loop.

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29. minimalistic reblogged this from everythinginthesky and added:

    I never played this, or even have a Facebook account, but I always found the concept to be rather amusing. Especially...

30. idonotknowwhy reblogged this from everythinginthesky
31. sango0711 reblogged this from everythinginthesky
32. heycheeky reblogged this from everythinginthesky and added:

    Yo no juego Farmville, pero se puede aplicar a otras cosas I guess

33. obsetress reblogged this from everythinginthesky and added:

    the most important thing to recognize here...that, whether we like it or not,...

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47. shoddy-cursive reblogged this from everythinginthesky and added:

    my dad asked me how to make a farmville one time and i told him that if he got a farmville it’ll give our computer a...

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