Farmville: Why People Can't Get Enough Of Virtual Farming

Mother Nature Network:

Like an agrarian Sims, FarmVille allows you to tend a virtual plot of land. You harvest your crops, save coins and then use those coins to purchase farm implements, animals, and seeds that will help increase the size and scale of your own virtual farming operation.

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Comments

[Radical Pirate]

farmtown was there first. this is a total ripoff by Zynga. they are a predatory menace to other game developers, driving innovators away.

[robbyJ]

Farmville is a ripoff of harvest moon and simfarm.

[CaptainFailmore]

This is going to sound pretty ridiculous, but Dwarf Fortress was part of what motivated me to build my garden earlier this year. (Which was much more successful than I thought it would be, and a blast to build and tend.) I've wanted to build a vegetable garden for years, and finally I was like, "Okay, I have a bunch of ASCII smiley faces running around harvesting cleverly named purple mushrooms for hours at a time, while continually expanding a fortress that makes the Winchester Mansion look sensibly designed. Why can't I do that for real?"

So I went out and did it. I had a load of dirt ordered, I found a place with dirt-cheap cement blocks, I bought some seeds, and I grew some freaking plants. It was pretty awesome, and of course I have plenty of ambitious plans for next year, too.

Your mileage may vary. This game is probably another digital skinner box, just like World of Warcraft, but maybe it'll prove inspiring. I've met many, many people from my generation who are realizing that idle consumption isn't fulfilling, and consequentially 'discovering' domestic work (like gardening, etc.) as a source of personal reward and self worth. If Farmville really is a substitute for real world fulfillment, I challenge anyone here who plays it to try the real thing. It's a lot more fun, and much easier and less time consuming than you might think.

[ProperGanda]

I have a moral obligation not to play Facebook games. Im not sure of my reasoning, I just can't bring myself to do it

[freethinking moderate]

I am in my 30s and so I am not yet an old fogey, but I find myself in complete agreement with you. I simply cannot join this stampede to be part of "The Cult of the New" where I serve the machine rather than the other way around.

[Czoe]

I heart FarmVille. :)

[jingles32]

I admit it, I'm hooked! lol

[bgofca]

I don't care if people want to play farmville or happy aquarium or any of the other games, i just don't want it to clutter up my facebook. I look on fb to see how my friends and family are doing, to see pics of kids and vacations and to hear about things they are actually doing, not news about stupid games. You can now hide farmville posts without blocking the friends other posts, but not the other games yet.

[KIVPossum]

Virutal faming is perfect. You don't have to get your hands dirty, don't have to expend any energy, don't have to actually get your fat a$5 out of the house.

[robbyJ]

It's perfect. You can sit in a chair and feel like you're doing something.