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by Androsynth 5348 days ago
The difference is that one type of game has mechanics and the other doesn't. Social games are like gambling in that they both strictly put you in a Skinner's box, and there is no game-loop. Traditional video games have strong game-loops and this is a different kind of enjoyment.

There is overlap, especially in RPG's, but the big difference is that you can enjoy traditional games without the rewards.
2 comments
steve8918 5348 days ago
I disagree. Even the article that you linked to below specifically mentions Farmville's game loop! Even though you don't find the game particularly interesting (neither do I), it doesn't mean that it isn't fun for a certain section of the population. Farmville and games like this are a different type of game so you can't compare them. But it doesn't mean that it's gambling!

If you read the following presentation from the Farmville developer, the reason why Farmville was so popular was because it was designed to be simple with a very easy reward system. It was made for the single moms who have spent an entire day taking care of their kids, and they want to sit back and relax to something fun that isn't particularly challenging.

http://www.slideshare.net/ctrottier1/designing-games-for-the...

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hugh3 5348 days ago
What do you mean by "game loop"?

Surely something like Farmville has some gameplay elements, right? I've never played it, but there are some choices to be made (shall I get chickens or cows), right?

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Androsynth 5348 days ago
this is what I meant by game loop: http://whatgamesare.com/2010/12/functions-vs-loops-finding-f...

'strong game loop' was vague, what I meant was what I said in the last sentence, that you can enjoy playing a traditional game without rewards. It is fun to play on its own merit. If you take away the rewards from a social game, it can't stand up on it's own as a 'fun game'.

In Farmville, there are gameplay elements, but its very minimal. In Cow Clicker, another social game, there are no game mechanics at all. There are some 'hardcore' social game companies, like Kabam, but they end up just having more elaborate reward feedback mechanisms.

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davidtyleryork 5348 days ago
Yeah, of course, but the gameplay is largely cyclical and repeated
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