14 4 / 2010
Social Gaming on Social Web and Social Dynamics for Relating to Dating to Mating
“beauty = public opinion + eye of beholder” -unknown
Friendster then Myspace then Facebook all became popular because it helped people find late night booty in much more efficient ways. With the current trend of Social Gaming (Mafia Wars, Farmville, Friends For Sale, etc.) is leveraging the social networks and making it more effective to find booty by making interactions more fun.
In real life flirting or meeting potential partners… the conversational process framework involves discussing ‘topic-things’, ‘personal stories’, and ‘intimate’. Within conversation process; usually you pick a ‘topic’ to discuss about (latest tech, upcoming party, current weather, travel destination, etc.), and then you discuss your preferences, experiences or opinions in regards to the ‘topic’ and then hopefully the ‘topic’ can transition to the people discussing more intimate things, that they might disclose if a certain level of comfort or trust was not built. Social Networks are great helping people find relevant situational things to discuss about (such as relation status, mutual friends, similar careers/school, etc.). It also a great way to screen people to the person’s standards (weight, ethnicity, income level, etc.). But Social Games can really help people find irrelevant fun or funny things to discuss with each other. It’s the irrelevant fun stuff, that helps create a vibe for playful, flirty banter and jokes in real and virtual life.
Courting and Social Gaming have 2 themes that are analogously common; Showing high Value (through personal stories in courting and through personalized avatars in Social Gaming) and getting others to become heavily invested. In gaming huge value can be created if people becomes vested meaning the application becomes ‘sticky.’ In courtship, when girls holds off from giving it up too soon… is basically to guys become more invested and value their relationship more. Guys will tell stories about their cars to demonstrate a certain status level to girls. In the online world, users can achieve or buy scarce digital items to show a higher status value to the rest of the online community. And there are always people out there willing to spend stupid money to obtain that status.
I really think if somebody (hopefully me) created a Social Game that apply these different social dynamics levers to foster, facilitate and guide people in online interactions; the game would be able to monetize in a huge way. In real life, you’re not likely to have somebody to guide you in real time conversations. But through online game mechanics, you can program in guidance to foster moreintimate conversations.
If somebody can make a gaming user experience who help chics collect and select potential bf’s and for socially awkward guys be able to get more dates… there should be a lot of coin at the end of the rainbow.
