Ok ok,

Facebook is the answer to a question no one asked: “How can I waste more of my time?” Compared to social network gaming, however, Facebook itself is as useful an invention as the mobile phone or the nuclear war head.

Actually, I do like Facebook. No questions about it. I’ve used it to reconnect with dozens of people I used to know. Few of them are even people I actually like. A year after I joined Facebook for the sole purpose of sharing pictures of a new rig I built, I find myself updating status, making comments and “unliking” them, and listing things like the “Five things I would say if I was Ris Low” quiz. [1:Boomz, 2:Rad, 3:Boomz, 4:Mastercard or Visa, 5:World Peace]. These are kind of answers I wouldn’t give outside the Facebook environment even if I was not sober.

I used Facebook for about 6mnths before I caved in tried social gaming. It help no appeal at all. I ignored from friends inviting me to join their mafia, become part of their vampire clan, move in next to their farm, or contribute to efforts to select the next Singapore Idol.

I have always admired the mafia after watching Al-Pacino in the Godfather. So Mafia wars did sound right. It’s actually an elegant piece of work: a role playing game stripped down to pure tats and wrapped in a simple graphical user interface. It has a balanced risk/reward system and a satisfying initial arc driven by leveling, establishing and expanding an income stream and gathering little bits or stuff.

But it loses steam rather quickly. The leveling cycle becomes routine, and the game reaches a point where risk vanishes, rendering the rewards hollow. It’s also an oddly unsocial social game, with minimal personal interaction and more inflicting cyber damage.

Yet it retains one important appeal. Its undemanding. You can perform all your duties for the day with a few clicks over coffee or when u first log on to your office pc (Yes, you can play it in Mac too.), making it one of the most efficient games I’ve seen. It’s like we are outsourcing game play.
And no, I don’t want to join your mafia.

Cheers.
ps: I shall strive to bring down Facebook.