The Threat That Is FarmVille: The Matrix Inverted

Check out my Farmville
Yes it is very addictive
but i think it is good for the brain. play games and your brain gets busy.

I love Zynga, they have cool games.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/e0dec4744518.jpg[/atsimg]

You had me at " Zynga, which may or may not be the front for the Antichrist."

I may or may not be in love with you now.

But don;t knock Farmville- that game gets tedious. You have to harvest and plow everything yourself...now FarmTOWN- that game is crack. You hire OTHER crackheads who drool on their knees to plow and harvest FOR you, and you make all the money. Sweet deal.

Well, I was a little shocked to come and find 2 Farmville-related threads in 24 hours. The one yesterday was about a chain-letter type hoax being spread through Facebook. Gotta admit, that I was able to provide info in that thread....because, I too am on Facebook (and Farmville). I would say that site (FB) and game (Farmville) are an attempt to even out....bring some equilibrium to life. We spend time here subjecting ourselves to the brutal truth (well, at least in some threads)....we spend time there going brain dead somewhat. I'm pretty sure that the mixture of ATS and Farmville is what keeps me normal enough to function at work

I think this is just the new model for gaming.

There are many interent games not connected to facebook that do the same thing. It is a FREEE game...but to advanced at all in it or to compete with other players...you have to buy items with in game points. Sure...the game gives you 1 point maybe every day or you can randomly win some points somewhere. But they also just let you buy them. It's a good marketing trick...and it is working.

I got sucked into a game call Evony...never paid a dime into the game...but boy was I tempted. The other bad part of these games is that they don't stop. You may leave the game...but the game doesn't stop. You have to go back to fertilize your crops, or have to collect your take, or in evony had to feed your troops (by attacking other towns and stealing food). They are not like other games where you can save, pause, or turn off and play when you have time. If you decide to play these games...you are making a commitment to it.

I don't think they are evil in a conspiracy type of way...but they are addicting. But I think it is a good marketing scheme and is making them lots of money.

I was kind of hoping this would blossom into a discussion of the future of such mindless avatar games, like The Matrix turned inside-out, with "players" addicted to tedious, menial, redundant mental tasks as their true worth in life is sapped away by an Architect somewhere.

I mean, that's the bigger picture. I didn't mean to remain focused on FarmVille so much as on the proliferation of these mind-numbing abacus games and what they're doing to civilization. Global civilization.

Hell, if this was an indictment of VR games in general, I'd go after the big dogs; however, I don't see the great big raucous shoot-em-ups and adventure/role-playing games as particularly dangerous — they are what they are, and they're too amped-up and grotesque to deceive anyone into believing anything else.

But I find the bean-counting games, the seemingly innocuous games far more insidious.

— Doc Velocity

Wow how totally Azz backwards, the game of course.

You waste time on a virtual farm. I would rather be on a real farm actually growing food.

Like really, people should get a petition for farming going, I know food is somewhat important

Haha, Doc, I love the thread. I never played farmville but I just recently started cafe world since I've been sick and holed up in my house.. Lemme tell ya the FIRST thing I thought was "REALLY?? people would pay $150 for 1,000,000 cafe points?"

I wouldn't pay that even *if* I had money laying around to toss out the window! With that said, the above picture of farmville looks quite inticing!! lol, good thread.

[edit on 4-2-2010 by Wookiep]

Originally posted by compwiz32190
Umm...I'm pretty sure it's just a way for the creator to make money. And people are buying into it, so what's the big deal? And I don't know anybody that is "addicted" to Farmville, despite having tons of Facebook friends that play it now and then. I played it for about two days, but it got boring very quickly when I discovered how unrealistic the whole game is. So if people want to go spend their/mommy's money on virtual nothingness, go ahead and let them contribute something to this economy.

I love it when people start off their replies with "Umm..." as it implies, "What you just said is stupid, ignorant and irrational, but whatever else I write has got the be the best explanation, so take note."

Geesh, give the guy a break. It's his opinion.

My opinion is, it's capitalism baby!



[edit on 4-2-2010 by Freenrgy2]

Very interesting information.

But alas, welcome to the power of media and advertising!

Now the question is how will everyone justify their personal addiction, their escape into some fanciful world where they can escape from reality. Almost everyone has one but there are few who can deal with reality, without an alternate escape route.

Media and advertising techniques are justified for personal entertainment when in reality it is a completely strategic and intelligent way to keep sheep, sheep.

S&F for pointing this out in such a necessary and optimal way.



[edit on 4-2-2010 by Crossfate]

Hahaha, the dude is tripping over that game?
You clearly had not seen a lan party or else....we still buy faster computers and VGA's to "kill" more, to "drive" faster...al of this is nonsense, not just farmville there.
But guess what, i doesnt end there. Its also politics, sports, sex, adventures...its all about stuff that will not add to your spiritual process of growing your essence, your soul. The best teachings on this matter (the inner path) are found in the gnostic teachings of Samael Aun Weor. There you can learn how to escape the matrix, and be aware of much more things.

reply to post by Doc Velocity


people said the same thing about GTA and other popular video games, movies, comics, etc...

The truth is, there are over 6 billion people on this planet, you have to try hard not to make something that someone out there won't like.
When more than a few people like it, other people just get jealous and put labels on it like little kids do at school to their peers.

It still speaks poorly of our society, but we're living at the pinnacle of this reality as we know it. When we have to start over, people won't be so entertained by time waisters.

Originally posted by Doc Velocity
Wow. You know, the sense of humor on ATS is, like, at about the seventh level of granite rock...

Was the sarcasm totally lost on you people?? Jeez!

C'mon, loosen up, the world isn't ending.

— Doc Velocity

you haven't been in the 2012 forum lately have you? Your in for a suprize!

Farmville Is nothing like that. There are absolutely loads of these kind of games on the internet. Yes they are addictive at first. But like any game, they will get boring. There is a point to any game this one:

-Create The biggest farm
-Get the best income
-Make a nice design
-Beat your friends

This is just basic for gaming and you'll find there are better more addictive games than Farmville. I have played It before and for a short period yes, was on it. But it got boring. People have short attention spans. A lot of my friends played this game, but now the boom has ended.

Avatar made the top selling film because of

-how long it has been anticipated
-the new technology
-being one of the first good 3D films
-good ratings
-being from the director of Titanic

Yes we have our own worlds. But surely we all of course have our own worlds. The more creative create their own worlds with writing, Lord of the rings? That was a very detailed world. But the less creative focus on gaming and films. But really the threat isnt Farmville or as such but of just addictions.

Why wife spends countless hours playing that game.

But hey... if you think about it, is it that much worse than internet porn?

Hehehe! I tried Farmville - and I bet that the plot of cyber land is dried and dead. VR games can be addicting and can ruin the real lives of people. If those people "plug in" and dismiss all real life responsibilities and pleasures, it's essentially like drugs, alcohol, etc. Escapism to the extreme.

In defense of the virtual RP games - I enjoy the one I play. I can do things that I can't do in real life. I'm physically disabled and mostly bedridden. I can't garden (and used to love to). Even walking is difficult. So, it's just another form of entertainment for me - but my "avatar" can jump, run, etc. I can lead a group into virtual battle against the bad guys - which I won't be able to do if TSHTF. The fine line is the addictive personalities that play.

On a side note, but kinda related - has anyone ever read the Otherworld series by Tad Williams?

My relatives seem to be addicted to this game. The only communication we really have on Facebook is them sending me multiple FarmVille requests a day. I finally got sick of it and blocked the application. I had considered a theory like this, but dismissed it as too ludicrous, but I believe you may in fact be right.

I am on Facebook, and saw Farmville starting to spread its tendrils across the site, I have close friends and even family members that seem to be obsessed with Farmville, it has got to the point where almost all of their posts on FB are "Can someone fertilize my crops for me?", or "I just found a black sheep on my farm!".
Seriously, I took one look at this and decided that I would not be participating in this mindless twaddle, as I regard myself (rightly or wrongly) to have more intelligence to be lured in by this kind of 'diversion'.
My feeling is that games like this are aimed at suppressing original thought, by making people concentrate on trivial things in the game, instead of looking at the real world around them and seeing what is really happening.
Just like many things in this world today, I think it is an attempt at subconscious mind control, whether it is by the game company trying to make money, or Facebook allowing these kind of games to be promoted on their site.
After all, if the Internet populace are obsessed by things like Farmville, then they will not be shouting from the rooftops about the real issues today, will they?

Roy.

reply to post by Captain Reynolds


I don't have time to spend playing these games, but just about everyone on my FB seems to be doing it and drives me crazy getting all these reports of who has won a cow, or built a barn or found a tractor or whatever.

Good to hear these inane messages can be blocked, I will need to look into that. It will save me from deleting what few friends and relatives I have leaving me just a sad and lonely old twat with only ATS for company.

reply to post by Doc Velocity


complete and utter lunatic ranting and raving....

you are need of psychological help.

reply to post by Doc Velocity


Real men, go to a real casino, play a real game, like Omaha or Holdem, with real money, with real people, and don't concern themselves with how other people spend their time.



[edit on 4-2-2010 by whaaa]