Everybody knows about
Foursquare, but I'm putting it here for completeness. It it a game? Well, contesting for mayorship of a place is a kind of (boring) game. The question is whether this is just a novelty, or something that people will continue to want to do. Some say that adding a fantasy element will help -- but I'm pretty sure that Foursquare + Fantasy = Larping. So far, most of the real world games (boktai, treasure world, etc.) have been more trouble than they have been worth. Geocaching is different, though, I think because there is a real cache when you get there, not a virtual one. Why go through real space to get to a virtual treasure? I know lots of companies are jumping on the bandwagon -- but they did that for Second Life, too. Go on, Foursquare -- prove me wrong! Bring the Gamepocalypse!
what about mytown?
ReplyDeleteWasn't aware of it... thanks!
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fair to say that any system that generates unknown outcomes can be used to facilitate a game (flipping a coin, red or blue cars coming down the street, etc.).
ReplyDeleteAssuming that's accepted, isn't the actual question at hand "Is Foursquare a good game?"
...which I will argue at length that it is not.
Agree with Dokata Reese Brown on that matter. I don't really feel really motivated by it. You know, getting points is all good, but if the resource is practically useless, it's pointless (mind my bad puns, oh no!).
ReplyDeleteThe most useful thing I got from Foursquare was in the suggested things to do at the location... what to order at a cafe, or even better, a special secret thing to check out you may have missed otherwise. Don't use it much anymore, too much trouble to stop my real experience and focus on launching an iPhone app.
ReplyDelete