So there - I said it - I am on Farmville

While learning that facebooks social games, such as Farmville, has reached the Austin American Statesman this morning, I contemplated the appropriate statement in regard to my involvement in such internet activities'. I have known many gamers in my day and up until the last couple of years I have not participated. Aside from the age of the original Nintendo and Nintendo's Game Boy, I have been fairly removed from the world of video games and internet gaming as well. However when the requests came from facebook friends for apple trees, cows, and reindeer…I will have to admit… I was intrigued. But why?


I learned early on that it was a game built around reaching the next level. Plant these crops - then harvest them for money to plant more, you get the picture. A year later I own a beautiful plantation home surrounded by animals, ponds, fountains, barns, guest houses, and a plethora of other ornaments that would make the Ewing Estate, on the formerly popular TV series, Dallas, look like a compound with a doublewide. After accumulating all of this Farmville clout and boasting a Farmville bank account that has almost reached 4,000,000,000 coins, I go about my daily business just like any other member of the hoi polloi. That's just me. I have learned however, that the jealousy has surmounted among facebook friends and foes all around me. Instead of boasting about my success on Farmville, just like any other modest farmer - I've learned to keep a lid on it.

When groups titled: "I don't care about your Farm, Aquarium, or Mafia," began cropping up on Facebook I knew that the days of sending friend request, sharing barn raising opportunities with non-Farmviller's were over. But what did we (Farmviller's) do? We banded together. Farmville is a game that you improve through expansion, more neighbors, more land, more farm cash and coins, all of these factors help you move up. When the groups that discriminated against us made their mark on facebook, we stuck together. W raised our own barns, sent gifts, and eggs, and fuel, among other things to one another. We shared friends that were also Farmviller's in an effort to add more to the underworld web of crops, and harvest. When asked at cocktail parties and happy hours if we played such games, we declined answering by acting as if we were unaware of the subject. All the while we were thriving as farmers.

But why? It's simple - it's fun! Farmville is something that hooks us just like the Time Crossword puzzle or a good book. Page after page we go into a story that leads nowhere, only this time we're building something. So there - I said it - I am on Farmville. Farmville is a game just like WOW, or Mario Cart, the only difference is the object of the game. Instead of winning the race or war, the object is to flourish as a Farmer. Is it laughable? Of course! Just as laughable as grown men and women playing virtual games involving guns and bombs. Does it hurt anything? I doubt it. Am I serious about all the banding together and discrimination and all those militant phrases I used earlier? Not at all.

So Farmville made the paper. I can't say that I am surprised. The next thing I am waiting to hear is that President Obama has sent Secretary Clinton a Farmville Friend request - that's when I will get worried!

So today I had to comment - I'm just that kind of nut. Speaking of nuts, I better check on my Walnut Trees…they may need to be harvested. Ciao!