Facebook's CityVille

Facebook has launched another successful social networking game which made Facebook members look forward in playing the game every time they log in. Reports have stated that CityVille has overtaken Farmville as the most number of active monthly users at 84.2 million compared to Farmville's 83.8 million. CityVille's daily active user audience is currently at 14.8 million, more than the most popular full-pledged online game, World of Warcraft, which has "just" 12 million monthly subscribers (http://news.softpedia.com).

Here are a few reasons why CityVille has already beaten the current records:
1. CityVille was Zynga's (game creator and developer) first multilingual release, having versions in English, but also in German, Italian, Spanish, and French, thus allowing more people an easier access to it (http://news.softpedia.com). Imagine if they have it in Chinese....
2. Zynga used all of its other Facebook games, from FarmVille to FrontierVille, Mafia Wars or Zynga Poker to advertise the release of CityVille, thus appealing to those that were already interested in gaming on Facebook (http://news.softpedia.com).
3. CityVille has similarities with Sim City game which, I think has already 6 versions excluding The Sims games. Its first release was in 1989 and last was in 2007.
4. CityVille is free. No need to buy the software or download more applications. Facebook, being the number 1 social networking site with the most number of members is a great platform for CityVille's popularity.
5. CityVille concept generates the users creativity. It allows a player to control a city, beginning from a simple community to a very successful metropolis. Almost every human being has dreams of owning a good business, build a nice home, manage a small farm and be a leader or politician who can control a city and earn on the side. There is no violence in this game and people love to earn by just using their laptops or desktop pc's.

I already tried the game and I am sure, if my internet connection is good, I'll be addicted playing the game. Hopefully I won't. It is another way of wasting one's time at home or at the office. Social networking sites are good tools to communicate with long lost friends or relatives but it is also the reason why we lack time with our own love ones who live with us at home. Instead of having quality time playing with kids and teaching them homework, people spend an average of 2-4 hours a day to play internet games.

Playing online is not bad but it must always be in moderation. Hopefully we will learn that sometimes technology helps us and sometimes it does not. Just keep everything in moderation and try to balance time at home, work and leisure. Have fun playing but remember to do your responsibilities at the office and at home first before playing CityVille.

Mafia Wars, Street Racing and Facebook

I was not into Facebook before but recently, i got hooked up in Mafia Wars and Street Racing. My limited time for blogging went all to playing these games in Facebook. I knew i will be addicted to these games when my friend invited me but i tried it anyway. Now i have been looking forward everyday to play until i reach high levels or until i got bored. Some friends invited me too at Farmville and poker, i am sure i will be hooked up to those games too so i have not tried them yet.

Internet games are so addictive that i hear DJs in radio stations talking about couples having problems because they have limited time for each other. After spending most of their time working or studying, they will immediately log on to internet games, usually in Facebook and build a good reputation. Family time or time with your loved ones are sacrificed and people end up spending more time or socializing with friends on the net. Sometimes we have to think twice before joining any social networking sites because definitely it will get time from our usual daily activities.

Even Bayantel has been aggressively promoting their products and have come up with a new and effective way of advertising. Lola Techie is all over TV, billboards and streamers and they even had an event introducing internet to senior citizens like her. I heard Lola Techie say that she was really thankful that she knows how to use the internet and she urged people her age to try internet too. Can you imagine when our grandparents are also hooked up in Facebook and other social networking sites? What will happen to the good old quality time with the family. Will there be Christmas seasons, special family occasions and reunions if everybody is hooked up in the web?

Internet has its advantages and disadvantages and it is up to us to manage our time wisely and learn to prioritize what or who are really important to us.