Annotated Bibliography
Six Articles and Sources relevant to the topic
1. Chen, S (2009) “The Social Network Game Boom” Retrieved
1/1/10 from URL:http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4009/the_social_network_game_boom.php
Chen provides a comprehensive overview of the recent increase in popularity of social networking gaming. I chose the article because it gives a good definition of social games then goes on to describe an ideal for social games as well as business models in social networking games such as advertising and micro-transactions. The future of social games is discussed in the conclusion.
Research I conducted into Gamasutra showed that it was founded in 1997 and is a website for video game developers, it is the online sister to Game Developer print magazine. I would therefore consider this to be a reputable source.
2. Neale, L and Russell-Bennett, R (2009) “What value do users derive from social networking applications?” Retrieved 16/12/09 from
http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2506/2278
I chose this article because it is a peer-reviewed article, and therefore considered reliable, especially from an academic point of view. I found this article useful in providing some background detail to the topic. Some of the other articles I have reviewed describe how to play the game, or some of the pitfalls involved, but not why people play these games, or what value they get out of it. I feel this article addresses some of these concerns.
First Monday is a peer-reviewed journal publishing articles about the internet. It was established in May 1996.
3. Quenqua, D (2009) “To Harvest Squash, Click Here” The New York Times Retrieved 31/12/09 from
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/fashion/29farmville.html?_r=1
I chose this article as it features a number of stories about how FarmVille affects the everyday lives and relationships of those “mesmerised” by it, such as the player who keeps his laptop beside his bed and sets his alarm so that he can harvest crops during the night! Some interesting facts are quoted, such as the total number of FarmVille users.
The article appeared in the New York Times online newspaper, so I would consider it to be a reliable source. Throughout the article, reputable sources such as Mark Pincus, the founder of Zynga, (the company who owns FarmVille), are quoted.
4. Newheiser, M (2009). “Farmville, Social Gaming, and Addiction”, Gamasutra, Retrieved 16/12/09 from URL: http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/MarkNewheiser/20091204/3733/Farmville_Social_Gaming_and_Addiction.php
I chose this report because it gives a good overview of how FarmVille works, and provides a reason why, in the author’s opinion, that it is addictive. Newheiser describes how FarmVille “virally” distributes itself around a player’s social network in an innocent way. He concludes with the view that “Farmville is more addictive than it is fun”.
I have detailed earlier in this document as to the reasons why I believe Gamasutra is a reputable source. Research into the author, Mark Newheiser, shows that he is an IT professional who is does freelance gaming writing as a hobby.
5. Luscombe , B (2009) “Are You Getting Scammed by Facebook Games?” Time.com
Retrieved 15/12/09 from URL: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1935698,00.html
This article details some of the pitfalls in using social gaming applications. The article describes how some advertisers lure players into providing their mobile phone numbers by offering them free game cash in return for completing a survey or a quiz. Unsuspecting players then get a nasty surprise when they receive their phone bill to find that they have unwittingly subscribed to a service.
I chose this article as it provides a negative view of social gaming applications. I consider the source reliable, as Time.com is the online version of Time magazine, and again, this article quotes reputable sources, such as the founder of Zynga, Mark Pincus.
6. Harvey, M (2009). “Online FarmVille game ploughs new fields of revenue” Times
online (from The Times, UK) Retrieved 20/12/09 from URL: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6888156.ece
The other articles I have chosen show how FarmVille is played, why it is played, who plays it, and some of the problems associated with playing it. This article looks at FarmVille from a business perspective; how FarmVille and other social networking gaming applications have become a business revenue model. The article also discusses online gaming and the future for other associated businesses.
The article was published by Times online (from The Times, UK), which I consider to be a reliable source because The Times is a reputable, long established newspaper.
Six Sources of Information for following Developments
1. New York Times (online) Business Section
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/facebook_inc/index.html
This page has links to a collection of stories about Facebook. At the time of writing, there were links to 266 stories featuring Facebook. As FarmVille is a Facebook application, I thought that this site would be a useful one in terms of providing reputable news stories featuring FarmVille.
The New York Times is a reputable source (as far as newspapers can be). Their website is the most used news site in the USA (as at Dec 08), with 18 million unique users per month.
2. Gamasutra.com
www.gamasutra.com
I have included Gamasutra as a source, as it is a website founded in 1997 for game developers, and an online sister to Game Developer print magazine. I was able to find a number of interesting articles on the website regarding social networking game applications, and thought it would be an interesting site to follow as because it is aimed at game developers it would keep up to date with any news regarding gaming.
3. First Monday.com
http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/index
I have included First Monday as a source of information because it is a peer-reviewed journal with articles about the internet. First Monday started in May 1996 and has published over 1,000 articles about the internet. In order to follow articles about social networking in general, as well as social networking games and applications, I subscribed to First Monday.
4. FarmvilleFreak.com
://http://farmvillefreak.com/
Although I would not quote from this site in an academic essay, I have included it as a source because of the huge amount of FarmVille information it contains. The site seems to be constantly updated - at the time of writing, there were almost daily updates, and it can be subscribed to via RSS feed. The FarmVille freak has had over 90,000 unique visitors according to Google Analytics. The site quotes Zynga (the game developer) quite extensively. I feel it will be a useful source in keeping up to date with FarmVille trends and problems.
5. Mashable – The Social Media Guide
http://mashable.com
I thought that Mashable would be a good source of information for further developments with FarmVille and social networking in general. Mashable was founded in 2005 and is the largest blog focusing on Web 2.0 and social media news. The blog can be followed via RSS feed, which I found a useful feature. The “Google custom search” feature on the site made it easy to locate articles on FarmVille and Facebook, although I would still check the credibility of the individual author before quoting any of the articles.
6. Zynga Game Network
http://www.zynga.com/
I decided to use this website as my final source of information. After all, what could be more reputable than information coming straight from the source? This website has information about the company, and its founder, as well as sections for each of its games.
While the FarmVille link on the site takes you to the game itself (a Facebook login screen appears), on Zynga’s home page there is an update section, with details of press releases etc, and links to blogs about Farmville.zy
1. Chen, S (2009) “The Social Network Game Boom” Retrieved
1/1/10 from URL:http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4009/the_social_network_game_boom.php
Chen provides a comprehensive overview of the recent increase in popularity of social networking gaming. I chose the article because it gives a good definition of social games then goes on to describe an ideal for social games as well as business models in social networking games such as advertising and micro-transactions. The future of social games is discussed in the conclusion.
Research I conducted into Gamasutra showed that it was founded in 1997 and is a website for video game developers, it is the online sister to Game Developer print magazine. I would therefore consider this to be a reputable source.
2. Neale, L and Russell-Bennett, R (2009) “What value do users derive from social networking applications?” Retrieved 16/12/09 from
http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2506/2278
I chose this article because it is a peer-reviewed article, and therefore considered reliable, especially from an academic point of view. I found this article useful in providing some background detail to the topic. Some of the other articles I have reviewed describe how to play the game, or some of the pitfalls involved, but not why people play these games, or what value they get out of it. I feel this article addresses some of these concerns.
First Monday is a peer-reviewed journal publishing articles about the internet. It was established in May 1996.
3. Quenqua, D (2009) “To Harvest Squash, Click Here” The New York Times Retrieved 31/12/09 from
URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/fashion/29farmville.html?_r=1
I chose this article as it features a number of stories about how FarmVille affects the everyday lives and relationships of those “mesmerised” by it, such as the player who keeps his laptop beside his bed and sets his alarm so that he can harvest crops during the night! Some interesting facts are quoted, such as the total number of FarmVille users.
The article appeared in the New York Times online newspaper, so I would consider it to be a reliable source. Throughout the article, reputable sources such as Mark Pincus, the founder of Zynga, (the company who owns FarmVille), are quoted.
4. Newheiser, M (2009). “Farmville, Social Gaming, and Addiction”, Gamasutra, Retrieved 16/12/09 from URL: http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/MarkNewheiser/20091204/3733/Farmville_Social_Gaming_and_Addiction.php
I chose this report because it gives a good overview of how FarmVille works, and provides a reason why, in the author’s opinion, that it is addictive. Newheiser describes how FarmVille “virally” distributes itself around a player’s social network in an innocent way. He concludes with the view that “Farmville is more addictive than it is fun”.
I have detailed earlier in this document as to the reasons why I believe Gamasutra is a reputable source. Research into the author, Mark Newheiser, shows that he is an IT professional who is does freelance gaming writing as a hobby.
5. Luscombe , B (2009) “Are You Getting Scammed by Facebook Games?” Time.com
Retrieved 15/12/09 from URL: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1935698,00.html
This article details some of the pitfalls in using social gaming applications. The article describes how some advertisers lure players into providing their mobile phone numbers by offering them free game cash in return for completing a survey or a quiz. Unsuspecting players then get a nasty surprise when they receive their phone bill to find that they have unwittingly subscribed to a service.
I chose this article as it provides a negative view of social gaming applications. I consider the source reliable, as Time.com is the online version of Time magazine, and again, this article quotes reputable sources, such as the founder of Zynga, Mark Pincus.
6. Harvey, M (2009). “Online FarmVille game ploughs new fields of revenue” Times
online (from The Times, UK) Retrieved 20/12/09 from URL: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/technology/article6888156.ece
The other articles I have chosen show how FarmVille is played, why it is played, who plays it, and some of the problems associated with playing it. This article looks at FarmVille from a business perspective; how FarmVille and other social networking gaming applications have become a business revenue model. The article also discusses online gaming and the future for other associated businesses.
The article was published by Times online (from The Times, UK), which I consider to be a reliable source because The Times is a reputable, long established newspaper.
Six Sources of Information for following Developments
1. New York Times (online) Business Section
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/facebook_inc/index.html
This page has links to a collection of stories about Facebook. At the time of writing, there were links to 266 stories featuring Facebook. As FarmVille is a Facebook application, I thought that this site would be a useful one in terms of providing reputable news stories featuring FarmVille.
The New York Times is a reputable source (as far as newspapers can be). Their website is the most used news site in the USA (as at Dec 08), with 18 million unique users per month.
2. Gamasutra.com
www.gamasutra.com
I have included Gamasutra as a source, as it is a website founded in 1997 for game developers, and an online sister to Game Developer print magazine. I was able to find a number of interesting articles on the website regarding social networking game applications, and thought it would be an interesting site to follow as because it is aimed at game developers it would keep up to date with any news regarding gaming.
3. First Monday.com
http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/index
I have included First Monday as a source of information because it is a peer-reviewed journal with articles about the internet. First Monday started in May 1996 and has published over 1,000 articles about the internet. In order to follow articles about social networking in general, as well as social networking games and applications, I subscribed to First Monday.
4. FarmvilleFreak.com
://http://farmvillefreak.com/
Although I would not quote from this site in an academic essay, I have included it as a source because of the huge amount of FarmVille information it contains. The site seems to be constantly updated - at the time of writing, there were almost daily updates, and it can be subscribed to via RSS feed. The FarmVille freak has had over 90,000 unique visitors according to Google Analytics. The site quotes Zynga (the game developer) quite extensively. I feel it will be a useful source in keeping up to date with FarmVille trends and problems.
5. Mashable – The Social Media Guide
http://mashable.com
I thought that Mashable would be a good source of information for further developments with FarmVille and social networking in general. Mashable was founded in 2005 and is the largest blog focusing on Web 2.0 and social media news. The blog can be followed via RSS feed, which I found a useful feature. The “Google custom search” feature on the site made it easy to locate articles on FarmVille and Facebook, although I would still check the credibility of the individual author before quoting any of the articles.
6. Zynga Game Network
http://www.zynga.com/
I decided to use this website as my final source of information. After all, what could be more reputable than information coming straight from the source? This website has information about the company, and its founder, as well as sections for each of its games.
While the FarmVille link on the site takes you to the game itself (a Facebook login screen appears), on Zynga’s home page there is an update section, with details of press releases etc, and links to blogs about Farmville.zy
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