Flummoxed

There is a cluster of subjects about which I have yet to obtain any understanding. One of them if Farmville. I cannot see the appeal of this "game." Real farming is tedious, hard work. Unlike ranching (which is very hard work), farming lacks the awesome elements of cowboys and herds of dangerous yet tasty animals. Rodeos are exciting. Farmers' markets are not. [note: admittedly, a virtual law firm game some probably bore people into catatonia]

So, I am truly flummoxed as to why millions of people play Farmville on Facebook. And by millions, we're talking about 75M+. That is more than the entire populations of Texas, California, and Florida combined. Adding fuel to this inferno of banality, I have just learned that crops on Farmville may become branded and soon "credits" for Farmville may be purchased in cash at 7-11 (so kids without credit cards can participate).

I don't understand the appeal of tending virtual crops. At least real crops can be eaten or monetized. Then there are the sad lost cows and turtles. How do I know this? Because they show up in my Facebook news feed. I don't care about seeing this; after all, I sometimes bombard Facebook with my Foursquare check ins. I am concerned, though, when I see that instead of being occupied on Friday night (by movie time with spouse/kids, binge drinking, poker, visiting lesbian bondage clubs with RNC staffers, whatever), some people, somewhere are planting virtual crops and milking cartoon cows.

Now, while players of Farmville confuse me, I'm pretty damn impressed by Zynga (the game developer) and its ability to squeeze sizable amounts of cash out of a product I would have considered repellent. Then again, I would have rejected Snuggie if asked to fund it. I may just be out of touch with the pulse of society.

[note: some people don't understand Foursquare and/or GoWalla. They obviously don't know the thrill of getting positive reinforcement (or validation, as some might say) for one's frequent bar visits, or the titillation of finding a Wild GoWallaby.]