Comments on: Delete – Can a game be too addictive for its own good? http://markgeller.com/2009/09/delete-can-a-game-be-too-addictive-for-its-own-good/ Thoughts on making stuff from an L.A. product manager and entrepreneur Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:55:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Mark Geller http://markgeller.com/2009/09/delete-can-a-game-be-too-addictive-for-its-own-good/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Mark Geller Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:03:40 +0000 http://markgeller.com/?p=47#comment-8 Parizad, I agree it is a great thing to design a game that inspires so much passion that users stay up until 4am to beat their friends and co-workers... and/or steal their office equipment. ;-) The trouble comes when they do that every week or every night--and never get any work done! Parizad, I agree it is a great thing to design a game that inspires so much passion that users stay up until 4am to beat their friends and co-workers… and/or steal their office equipment. ;-) The trouble comes when they do that every week or every night–and never get any work done!

]]> By: Parizad http://markgeller.com/2009/09/delete-can-a-game-be-too-addictive-for-its-own-good/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Parizad Thu, 03 Sep 2009 01:10:05 +0000 http://markgeller.com/?p=47#comment-7 Three things: 1. One of the best introductions I ever received when I first joined this team. Our EVP introducing one of our devs, "This is Motts. He's very dedicated and a go getter! Once, he stayed up till 4 a.m. to beat my Bejeweled Blitz score." 2. I suppose not everyone has the gamer gene, but even those people have something that they're crazy about, whether it is jogging every single day, or refusing to let anyone go faster than them on the road. We all have something we're obsessed with! Luckily, ours is games, and not, like you know, anything illegal. On iPhone's Harbor Master game, I'm #67 globally on the Sturgeon Creek map! /flex!! 3. If you try FarmVille and decide it is too addicting, here are a couple of comforting stories: - A couple of months ago, Someone send out an email from the EP's desk to the whole building asking if anyone had an extra pair of pants. Five minutes later, the EP sent a follow-up email claiming he wasn't the one that had sent the original. Hilarity ensued all week. He figured out who had done it because those punks that work for him totally told on Someone! A week later during lunch, he told Someone that he would get back at her, and she won't see it coming. She told him that would not be in his best interest. The EP has a son around 14 years old. In about 10 years when Someone is ready to start cougaring, he'd become her baby daddy. More hilarity ensued. - A few weeks ago, Someone took their producer's phone hostage until the hostage negotiations were met later that day at a neutral place (Starbucks). It was glorious! When I realized I was becoming addicted to FarmVille, I decided to express it the only way I knew how. This is my farm: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2797233&l=f7e8dcf196&id=658277422 Three things:

1. One of the best introductions I ever received when I first joined this team. Our EVP introducing one of our devs, “This is Motts. He’s very dedicated and a go getter! Once, he stayed up till 4 a.m. to beat my Bejeweled Blitz score.”

2. I suppose not everyone has the gamer gene, but even those people have something that they’re crazy about, whether it is jogging every single day, or refusing to let anyone go faster than them on the road. We all have something we’re obsessed with! Luckily, ours is games, and not, like you know, anything illegal.

On iPhone’s Harbor Master game, I’m #67 globally on the Sturgeon Creek map! /flex!!

3. If you try FarmVille and decide it is too addicting, here are a couple of comforting stories:

- A couple of months ago, Someone send out an email from the EP’s desk to the whole building asking if anyone had an extra pair of pants. Five minutes later, the EP sent a follow-up email claiming he wasn’t the one that had sent the original. Hilarity ensued all week.

He figured out who had done it because those punks that work for him totally told on Someone! A week later during lunch, he told Someone that he would get back at her, and she won’t see it coming. She told him that would not be in his best interest. The EP has a son around 14 years old. In about 10 years when Someone is ready to start cougaring, he’d become her baby daddy. More hilarity ensued.

- A few weeks ago, Someone took their producer’s phone hostage until the hostage negotiations were met later that day at a neutral place (Starbucks). It was glorious!

When I realized I was becoming addicted to FarmVille, I decided to express it the only way I knew how. This is my farm: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2797233&l=f7e8dcf196&id=658277422

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