100things - pop culture - facebook games, my love/hate relationship, Sims addiction
So, I had avoided Facebook games for a LONG time. I was a "real" gamer, so the idea of playing some silly Farmville game never entered my mind. But earlier this year, EA launched Sims Social for Facebook and my Sims addiction over-rode my Facebook game phobia.
There's definitely a snobbery among gamers. That those who played the simple Facebook flash-based games were not "real gamers". But I think that is unfair. I think many people just didn't have access to video games and playing them on Facebook or on phones makes them more acceptable. Plus, most FB/phone games are meant to be done in small pieces, so you can do a quick game while on your lunch break. I'll admit, it's quite nice to get a quick fix for five minutes while I'm eating my sandwich.
I just wish that all of these games were web-based but not FB based. I'd rather play with strangers on Sims Social and get through the game. But I guess the whole business model for these games is to pull people in, make them hit a wall and hope that they will pay actual money to advance.
That's where it gets ridiculous for me. I will not give you real money for a fake game money. I clicked on the Sims Cash the other day, just curious what sort of micro-transactions they were doing and was just SHOCKED that they offered a bundle for $200. TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS????? Are people really dropping that much cash on Sims Social?????
But this seems to be the model now. I downloaded Sims Freeplay for my iPad and a few other "free" games, but eventually you click through and find these actual money parts and it's like "really? Is this happening?"
I think that is where the "real" gamer/FB gamer line is drawn. I feel like someone who has played video games for a long time, is used to buying a full game and playing until done, they say "what? LOL no." while those less experienced might actually pay real money.
I don't know, I can't figure it out. But it must be happening because these games just keep coming!
...
Also if anyone is on FB and wants to play Sims Social with me, I NEED MORE FRIENDS! Frakking thing only works if you have tons of FB friends who ALSO game. And they try to tell you to just add random people and I'm like WHAT? NO this is FACEBOOK, I'm not adding people I don't know! They need to make it not FB, just EA based, lord knows they must have the money for servers, COME ON!
Then I got Sims: Freeplay for my iPad/iPhone (also available on Android!) hoping to get away from that and now they've integrated that in to FB (argh!). That doesn't really effect gameplay too much, just can't get free stuff from the party boat.
Now with Sims:Showtime, you can send your sims to other people's towns to perform. I've actually managed to find a couple people via GetGlue who needed friends. So yesterday I was all set to send my Sim on the road and I found out she has to have someone else living in the house with her! WHAT? I can send my Sim on vacation, no problem, but to go on tour, she has to have a room mate? So now she is spending time trying to seduce some other guy because there's not enough space for two platonic people in that shack, but if it's a LOVE shack, they'll be fine. LOL.
There's definitely a snobbery among gamers. That those who played the simple Facebook flash-based games were not "real gamers". But I think that is unfair. I think many people just didn't have access to video games and playing them on Facebook or on phones makes them more acceptable. Plus, most FB/phone games are meant to be done in small pieces, so you can do a quick game while on your lunch break. I'll admit, it's quite nice to get a quick fix for five minutes while I'm eating my sandwich.
I just wish that all of these games were web-based but not FB based. I'd rather play with strangers on Sims Social and get through the game. But I guess the whole business model for these games is to pull people in, make them hit a wall and hope that they will pay actual money to advance.
That's where it gets ridiculous for me. I will not give you real money for a fake game money. I clicked on the Sims Cash the other day, just curious what sort of micro-transactions they were doing and was just SHOCKED that they offered a bundle for $200. TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS????? Are people really dropping that much cash on Sims Social?????
But this seems to be the model now. I downloaded Sims Freeplay for my iPad and a few other "free" games, but eventually you click through and find these actual money parts and it's like "really? Is this happening?"
I think that is where the "real" gamer/FB gamer line is drawn. I feel like someone who has played video games for a long time, is used to buying a full game and playing until done, they say "what? LOL no." while those less experienced might actually pay real money.
I don't know, I can't figure it out. But it must be happening because these games just keep coming!
...
Also if anyone is on FB and wants to play Sims Social with me, I NEED MORE FRIENDS! Frakking thing only works if you have tons of FB friends who ALSO game. And they try to tell you to just add random people and I'm like WHAT? NO this is FACEBOOK, I'm not adding people I don't know! They need to make it not FB, just EA based, lord knows they must have the money for servers, COME ON!
Then I got Sims: Freeplay for my iPad/iPhone (also available on Android!) hoping to get away from that and now they've integrated that in to FB (argh!). That doesn't really effect gameplay too much, just can't get free stuff from the party boat.
Now with Sims:Showtime, you can send your sims to other people's towns to perform. I've actually managed to find a couple people via GetGlue who needed friends. So yesterday I was all set to send my Sim on the road and I found out she has to have someone else living in the house with her! WHAT? I can send my Sim on vacation, no problem, but to go on tour, she has to have a room mate? So now she is spending time trying to seduce some other guy because there's not enough space for two platonic people in that shack, but if it's a LOVE shack, they'll be fine. LOL.