Developer criticises Facebook games like Farmville
Video game developer Jonathan Blow has criticised social network games, claiming that they turn friends into resources.
Speaking to PC Gamer, Blow said that games such as Farmville and other applications that can be played through Facebook, did nothing to develop and foster relationships unlike games such as World of Warcraft that do not “require you to exploit” friends.
“The thing about these games though is they’re made to look really light and friendly or whatever,” explained Blow. “So it’s very difficult especially for someone to think about games and how their design affects the world – which is most people in the world, they don’t think about that, right? It’s very difficult for them to see how this could possibly be detrimental in any way. They’re just like, 'Oh, I’m clicking on the items, I’m having fun'.”
Blow also accused social media game designers of building their games around a 'tease' dynamic where the full experience gamers are looking for is always slightly out of reach, which encourages them to play on leading them to 'invade' their free time.