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A virtual farmer?

GLOBAL ADDICTION FarmVille on Facebook

This new application on Facebook is more than a little game; it is the new obsession of social networkers on the Internet. Started this June, Facebook’s new buzz has already counted 65-million addicts.

The rules are simple: develop a virtual farm, breed animals, sell your products, and earn (virtual too), but mind the clock, your new friends need permanent attention! With the coins earned, refurbish your house, buy new animals or new installation for your farm, and become the best farmer of the community. For the nostalgic, it is a lovely comeback to their lost childhood and their old pocket friend, the Japanese Tamagotchi!

This old electronic toy created in 1996, and since, released in 44 versions, has been the friend of many children. Based on the same principle — take care of growing lives — FarmVille added social and interaction aspects, taking advantage of Facebook’s endless network.

Like all Facebook applications, FarmVille’s main interest remains on the possibility of interacting with other players, exchanging advice or animals, helping them, etc… Funny, easy and with a shrewd concept, the game has seduced a huge amount of Facebook members (more than one in five), and it is now your turn to wear the farmer’s clothes.

The game provokes passion and reactions on the Internet, enriching Youtube and Dailymotion with videos, miscellaneous fora and hundreds of varied fans group on Facebook, such as like ‘I left my Job, I am a professional farmer now’, ‘I share my life with FarmVille’, but also ‘I hate FarmVille’, and or ‘I am going to stop FarmVille tomorrow’. FarmVille’s exciting feature is undeniably its new challenges that make the game endless.

SIMON CANEVET

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