US$ in exchange for a virtual tractor anyone (or…how free are free games)?-Social Games 3

US$ in exchange for a virtual tractor anyone (or…how free are free games)?

The biggest resistance I hear when it comes to the game of poker (and particularly online poker) is that it’s not for free. When I explain about play money accounts, people expect there to be a catch.

And so, back to the FarmVille rant…

There has to be something in it for the companies – otherwise they wouldn’t invest. So how free are these free games?

I remember a quote I read before correctly sums this concept of “free” up nicely:

If you are not paying, you are not the customer – you are the product being sold.”

According to Brandweek research, of all the women who play FarmVille and other social networking games, the 10% that click on the ads spend big. And Q Interactive reports that 78% of women who play FarmVille and other social media games earn their virtual currency via promotions. So, the quote is correct; the payers are the product for sale.

When it comes to poker; you know what you’re getting. If you want to play for free; you do just that. If you want to play for cash; that’s entirely your choice. You’re the customer; it’s not you being sold. And at the end of it all, you’re getting a product you want.

Still not convinced? Then this will blow you away:

Over one billion dollars are spent each year on virtual goodies for FarmVille and other social media games.

Now we’re getting closer to the truth.

Although FarmVille is free to play, Zynga allows (encourages?) people to buy Farm Dollars with real money to buy specialised items. So, players can use their credit card to purchase Farm Cash. In turn, they can buy virtual items to pretty up their virtual farms…genius!

So…let me point out one last thing while I’m on a roll…

In the U.S, you can spend your hard earned dollars on trees made out of pixels which do nothing to assist the economy, but poker is a big no-go area. In case you’re out of touch with the affairs going on there, poker is still outlawed in the state of Washington. But that’s the least of the worries; a 15 month “blackout period” is currently proposed, meaning that there would be fifteen months where no licensed Internet poker would be available to U.S. players. Fabulous! They can play FarmVille.

As John Pappas, Executive Director of the Poker Player’s Alliance states; “Frankly, the proposed blackout period is absurd”

I agree. But I have news for you John: there are even more ridiculous concepts out there.

Seriously, people; can we all come back down to earth? Yes, I’m biased. But what’s wrong with a good, old-fashioned game of poker? Get yourself on a kick-ass site and get that grey matter into action. And, if you’re going to invest money, at least give yourself the chance to win some too.

I’m not going to try and sell poker to you; poker sells itself. Just make sure you’re not doing the same and turning yourself into easy pickings.

Play for free. Play for money. Choose your own sign up bonus. Pick your game. Take my money off me at the tables (if you’re good enough). Just don’t add me on Facebook and send me FarmVille requests, thinking I’m the stupid one.

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