Facebook game "mobwars" making $22,000 a day

http://venturebeat.com/2008/08/25/developer-analytics-facebook-game-mob-wars-making-22000-a-day/

by noor420 • 18 years ago

31 16 18 years ago

ajkirwin• 18 years ago

Isn't this one of those games that used to be around a while back (outwar, et-al) that was essentially a pyramid scheme wrapped in a game and led to IRC networks, blogging communities and such insta-banning on a mere mention of them due to massive spamming?

streety• 18 years ago

Yes and no. Although it's possible to play the game successfully without recruiting other people some functionality in the game does require you to recruit other people.

On the web at large I suspect this game would get a lot of complaints. On facebook though this sort of crazed inviting is so prevalent that Mobwars actually seems quite tame.

elai• 18 years ago

Although now with the new facebook gui/api/rules, you can't have incentivetized invites anymore, so this kind of stuff will probably die pretty quickly.

noor420• 18 years ago

It is probably the most addictive game on facebook, imo.

fallentimes• 18 years ago

Not sure about their methodology. Multiple anecdotes != data.

swombat• 18 years ago

Either way, the many naysayers suggesting that it’s impossible to make money on Facebook might want to think again.

It's not impossible, it's just damn hard - not any easier than making money off facebook. It is also fraught with additional risks, as Facebook can pull the plug on your business and destroy you in the blink of an eye (see Scrabulous), whereas that would be much harder off the FB platform.

josefresco2• 18 years ago

Indeed, the lesson that should be learned is to take your earnings and put them in the bank and put off buying that new office space in downtown SF and that new Porsche you've had your eye on until you have a sufficient cushion.

LogicHoleFlaw• 18 years ago

Does anyone actually do that? Buy the porsche I mean. Before having their finances solidly cemented in place. Maybe it's just my Midwestern sensibility (or, less generously, my being a cheapskate), but that is just unfathomable to me.

cdr2• 18 years ago

Facebook did not pull the plug on Scrabulous. Scrabulous pulled the plug on Scrabulous.

alex_c• 18 years ago

According to this, it's a bit of both: Scrabulous pulled the plug in the US and Canada, and Facebook pulled the plug in the rest of the world:

http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_10302325?source=rss

Harkins• 18 years ago

Hey, badass. I just took a week of R&R to sort out priorities and decided that my web-based game (with OpenSocial/FB frontends, natch) was probably the best bet. This success story is a nice encouragement.

andreyf• 18 years ago

Mmm, new platform, same old pyramid schemes. I'm surprised they haven't hit the iPhone yet...

vaksel• 18 years ago

I wonder if this blog post is the reason the guy is getting sued?

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=287217

Facebook game "mobwars" making $22,000 a day

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