Facebook games

So a few months back I decided to join Facebook. Much like my first foray into Myspace, I didn't really know much about the site. I knew it was a social networking site and it was started at Harvard for use by the Ivy league schools, which then expanded to college students and now seems to be taking over the whole world. Other than that I was not hip to its uses. But after a few notices from friends who had joined, I thought I would check it out.

At first I reconnected with some friends from high school, which was OK as I have never gone to any reunions, so it filled that void of curiosity, but after a week or so I had read every ones profiles, checked out recent photos and conversed with those that wanted to hear from me. Then I was bored.

What to do now.

I started to play the application games available. The first was poker which I could play on my phone as well as on any computer against real people all over the world. I didn't have to pay for chips, so it was a good way to pass the time in line at the store or on my lunch break or whenever. Then I tried Scramble and Word Twist. They pit you against your friends in a spelling war. Fun, but very frustrating if you aren't a good speller.

After that someone invited me to Mafia Wars. Now there are quite a few games on Facebook like Mafia Wars and they all function in a similar pyramid set up. You have to convince your friends to join you in playing the game to become a more powerful player. At first it is kind of fun, buying guns, buildings and vehicles. You fight against other players and win money and loot. But soon, like real life, the game get boring. I can only make a billion dollars and buy another 5 Mega Casinos so many times. In a game you can't die in that takes no skill, it is only a matter of time before it gets stale.

Poker has some interesting aspects to it as well. Players can give gifts and chips to other players. I don't really grasp the need for virtual drinks, cigars and joints/bongs. Why would I want someone to by me a virtual shot of tequila? Will I get virtually high/drunk and lose all my virtual chips like I would in real life? Players have also become virtual beggars. On more than one occasion I have had people ask the players at the table I was at to give them some chips and some people have obliged. Mind you these aren't people they know, they are asking for money from strangers, and getting it. Virtual panhandlers on the digital range.

I still play the poker game, but not very much. The other games not so often.