Broadband guide

An introduction to social gaming

Monday 1 May, 2012

By Duncan Heaney

Social gaming has become something of a big deal, with millions of players all over the world. We help you get started...

There was a time when the term “social gaming” meant joining your friends round a table for a few hands of poker, or having a raging argument over whether “innit” is a legitimate word in Scrabble. These days things are different.

Fast internet access means that within seconds I can confirm that, yes, innit is is allowed (it’s a contraction of isn’t it, innit?). More importantly, it’s led to a new type of social game - multiplayer titles that that incorporate the features of social networks.

If you’ve ever tended a virtual farm, or matched three jewels on Facebook, you’ve no doubt been playing a social game. To say that they’ve become popular would be an understatement. Social gaming has exploded over the last few years, and the industry’s making mega-bucks. Just last year, Zynga, the publisher of some of the most popular games out there, such as FarmVille and CityVille, went public, raising a cool one billion dollars in its initial public offering (IPO) - the second biggest technology IPO ever, behind the almighty Google.

But what are social games?

Social games are played online, often through social networks like Facebook and Google +. Some are directly accessed through a web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Google Chrome, but others can also be played on smartphones and tablet platforms.

There is no one defined type of social game, but they do often share a similar set of features.

Many social games are based around asynchronous gameplay. That means the games involve multiple players, but they don’t have to play at the same time. Yes, thanks to the internet, it’s now possible to play a multiplayer game without having to put up with other people - now that’s progress.

Another common feature is community. Social games are often based around a social network like Facebook, and integrate your friends list into gameplay. For example, some objectives can only be achieved if you ask friends for help or support, which of course encourages them to play the game themselves. Cunning, eh?

How do social games make money?

There are a few different techniques that social games use to make money. For example, some are supported by advertising, while others are monetised through micro-transactions - trading virtual goods for real money.

Usually this involves players exchanging real money for “virtual currency”, such as Facebook credits. You can then spend those credits on additional game content - power ups for Bejeweled Blitz for example, or a new wardrobe in The Sims Social.

You could argue you’re paying something for nothing, but that’s a rather cynical view - and not one shared by the most dedicated of social gamers.

Controversies

Before trying a social game, it’s a good idea to be aware of some of the criticisms and controversies surrounding the medium. One of the most common complaints is friend harassment.

Most social games are eager to get users to post notifications of in-game achievements and requests for assistance on their Facebook walls. Many users find the constant messaging from these games deeply irritating as it clogs up their feed. When you play a social game, you must be careful not to bombard your friends with endless messages from the game. Most games let you skip notifications, so pick and choose what you want displayed on your wall,

Friend harassment is irritating, but a bigger issue is the way social games make their money. Ever since games supported by micro-transactions rose to prominence, they’ve faced criticism for luring susceptible people - particularly children - into playing under the assumption that online games are free”.

In fairness, it’s not an entirely baseless criticism. There have been a number of examples of people inadvertently racking up big bills on these games. For example, in 2010, a 12-year old boy made headlines after he spent more than £900 on Farmville - without his parent’s knowledge no less. The budding Jimmy Doherty emptied his savings of £288 and used his mum’s credit card to buy an additional £624 worth of virtual goods, bulking up his farm with virtual crops, plants and livestock. Unsurprisingly, his (now literally) poor mum was less than pleased. Still, it must have been one heck of a farm.

As the kid’s experience shows, when you’re dealing with virtual currencies, and don’t have any physical product in your hands, it’s easy to lose track of how much real cash is being drained from your account.

It’s easy to point fingers at the game developers and accuse them of “tricking” players out of their cash. Of course, like stealing a toddler’s Transformers action figures, easy doesn’t always mean fair. Most social game publishers, including Playfish and Zynga, have learned to be upfront with players about the financial impact their games can have - like any business they want as much of your money as possible, but they also want you to be able to keep playing.

If you go in prepared, with preset spending limits, and an understanding of what in-game items are worth in the real world, it’s possible to have fun in these games without overspending.

Okay, I want to try social gaming - what should I play?

The important thing to remember about social games is that the more you put in, the more entertainment you’ll get out. That includes time, money and friends. Friends are particularly important - if you can’t persuade one or two extra people to play (at least), it’s probably not worth your time. And that’s fine - there are plenty of other, equally valid ways to use up these precious hours of your life. I’ve heard good things about books.

As to what you should play, that’s entirely up to you. There’s no shortage of choice, and what I like might not be what you like. What I can do is highlight some of the most popular options out there.

CityVille (Zynga)

CityVille is a massively popular game, with more than 100 million players. Players become the mayors of a virtual city and try to turn it into a bustling metropolis by completing tasks like construction and collecting rent. If you’ve ever wanted to be Boris Johnson (and who wouldn’t!), give it a go.

Gardens of Time (Playdom)

This was the most popular social game in 2011. Players travel through time looking for hidden objects in scenes of the past. It’s a bit like being Doctor Who, except there’s no risk of regenerating into Colin Baker.

Scrabble (EA)

It’s a classic game, and it’s just as fun on Facebook. Innit. Never learned to play? Let the world’s most overenthusiastic fan of the game give you some pointers:

Indiana Jones Adventure World (Zynga)

If TV and film is to believed, there are two kinds of archaeologist. There are the Time Team types - brainy men and women who scrabble in the ground for evidence of days past. Then there are the ones who run around ancient tombs, leaping over pits and breaking things. The most famous example of the latter is Indiana Jones.

Indiana Jones Adventure World lets you pal around with everyone’s favourite whip-wielding history vandal. Players work together to explore ancient ruins and find artifacts. It was the fifth most popular game on Facebook last year.

The Sims Social (EA)

The Sims is one of the most successful video game franchises ever, and the social version doesn’t buck the trend. It lets you create a virtual character, and live a virtual life, decorating your home, visiting friends - even indulging in a spot of romance. Of course, you can do all that in real life too, but this requires much less effort.

A few final tips...

Those are just some of the options available, but it’s far from an exhaustive list. Ultimately, the best way to find the game that’s right for you is to have a look yourself. Here are some quick tips to help you get started:

Play what your friends play - If some of your friends play social games already (and statistics indicate that’s not unlikely), it’s a good idea to join them. For example, if you notice a number of people on your friends list regularly play The Sims Social that’s probably a good place to start.

Follow your interests - There are hundreds of social games out there, so you can probably find one that’s in line with your interests. A keen gardener? Why not try Farmville? Always wanted to snap on spandex and fight crime? Marvel Avengers Alliance might be for you.

Sample to your heart’s content - Many social games are free, so there’s no need to lock yourself into just one. Try a few different ones to work out what you do and don’t enjoy.

Try before you buy - A lot of social games limit the amount you can play unless you hand over some cash. Even so, it’s worth playing for free for a few days, to get a sense of how the game works and whether you think it’s worth spending your hard-earned money.