How to win Gnomes and Influence People: A Netnographic study of Zyngas use of Evolutionary Psychology

Owen ORiordan Student Number: 0752622 MSc in Marketing, Consumption & Society Supervisor: Conor Carroll Year of Completion: 2012

MSc in Marketing, Consumption & Society

Year of Completion: 2012 Owen ORiordan Student Number: 0752622 How to win Gnomes and Influence People: A Netnographic study of Zyngas use of Evolutionary Psychology Word Count: 7,313 Supervisor: Conor Carroll

This project is solely the work of the author and is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Degree of MSc in Marketing, Consumption and Society

Abstract This paper explores the use of Evolutionary Psychology in Zyngas online social game Farmville. The study conducted a netnography of a Farmville forum over the course of three months. Information was gathered and analyzed through a content analysis to identify the Evolutionary Psychology theories present among the dialogue of Farmville players. This paper examines how Social Dominance, Envy and Altruism are utilized by Farmvilles game play mechanics in order to maintain its user base. This is followed by how Zynga has successfully used Tribal Marketing through its online forum.

Acknowledgements I would like to thank Conor Carroll, my esteemed supervisor whom without this would not have been made possible. He was always available in times of need and always raised my spirit when things were looking grim. Conor thank you for your patience. Maurice Patterson and Lisa OMalley who worked tirelessly to make this Masters the best experience possible. I hope one day Maurice will fully understand my shoebox. To everyone in the MSc Marketing, Consumption and Society class for making the year so enjoyable. From an awesome an Scot, Azerbajini/Irish/Russian Rapper, to a Saudi princess. You guys will be my friends for life. Patrick Noonan, thank you for making every college day an adventure. Jonathan Morrissey, thank you for the countless hour of Fifa. I am sure we have put in enough hours to qualify for a degree in it. My girlfriend, Mairead OConnell your unparalleled level of love, support and devotion did not go unnoticed. I know I put you through a lot during this time but the patience you showed me was incredible. You helped me believe that anything was possible. This simply would not have been possible without you. Thank you Mairead, I hope you know how much I appreciate everything. I love you. Last but not least my family, Jack, Mary and Sean for always being there for me during this time. You guys showed so much faith in me this year and I really appreciate it. You let me do things at my own pace and never put me under pressure. I couldnt ask for a better family. This was as much for me as it was for you. I hope I have made you guys proud. Love you all.

Table of Contents 1.Introduction ........................................................................................................ 5

2. Literature Review.............................................................................................. 7 2.1 The Growth of the Online Medium and Virtual Communities ................... 7 2.2 Evolutionary Psychology .......................................................................... 8 3. History of Farmville ........................................................................................ 11 4. Methodology ................................................................................................... 12 4.1 Data Collection .......................................................................................... 12 4.2 Data Analysis .......................................................................................... 15 5. Empirical Findings .......................................................................................... 16 5.1 Social Dominance ...................................................................................... 16 5.2 Envy ........................................................................................................ 19 5.3 Altruism .................................................................................................. 22 6. Marketing Implications ................................................................................... 25 7. Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 28 Bibliography........................................................................................................ 30

1.Introduction The past decade has seen an unprecedented growth of people connecting to the World Wide Web. Today there are an estimated 1.5 billion active users (Internet user stats, 2011). The rise in adoption rate is enormous. In 1995 the Internet Society claimed that there were 20 to 30 million active Net users (Ubois, 1995). Advancements in online technologies, particularly that of WEB 2.0, mean activities that were once restricted by the need for a physical presence (e.g shopping) are now possible within a virtual space. Of all the possibilities that the Internet offers, none has seen the success that online social media has. The social networking platform Facebook can account for over 800 million users (Facebook user stats, 2012). With such a large user base, it was only a matter of time before businesses took advantage of it. The launch of the online medium was initially met with a level of scepticism. There was a growing fear that the Internet was a poor foundation for cultural and social activity (Nie and Erbring, 2002). Yet the three most commonly used Internet services were electronic mail, information databases and bulletin boards, two having a direct link to social interaction (Farnet, 1994). Today there are now millions of online users who find themselves part of an ever growing online community, and Farmville is a primary example of this. The popular online social game Farmville created by games developer Zynga has more than 5 million active daily users (Thompson, 2012). There are 166 countries with Zynga players, and 38,000 virtual items are created every second (MacMillan, 2012). Farmville is essentially an online farming simulator that allows a player to have a fully customizable farm full of plants, trees, animals and other miscellaneous items. The game has 80 virtual farms for every real farm that exists in the United States (Cohen, 2011). Players of these games have invested countless hours playing not just for personal achievement, but also for that of others. All of these players are individuals but they are also part of a much larger Farmville community. Community members flood to online forums, whether it is Zyngas official forum, or other

independent forums for conversations regarding Farmville, or sometimes life itself. This is in contrast to the original concerns about the online medium. These online communities have the potential to provide a wealth of knowledge for consumer research. The past decade has seen qualitative consumer research broaden its domain of inquiry to incorporate this cyberspace phenomenon (Giesler & Pohlmann, 2003). Kozinets (1997, p470) in his study of the X-Files subculture posits that Fandom is a complex, contradictory and fascinating arena that affects a wide range of social behaviour, including consumer behaviour, and is therefore worthy of serious academic attention. Crucial aspects of ones identity which would be involuntarily revealed in a face-to-face meeting can be masked on the Internet (Garrison, 1994). The masquerading of identity allows for greater freedom in expressing attitudes and opinions. This enables researchers to study these messages in order to gain deeper insights into motives, concerns and experiences. The Farmville fan base is huge and players communicate with each other frequently. This study is an attempt to explore the use of Evolutionary Psychology in Farmville as a means to progress further in the game, through the use of a Netnographic analysis. This paper begins with a literature review on the growth of the Internet and online communities followed by an exploration of the elements of Evolutionary Psychology present in Farmville. The methodology of the study is then described followed by the findings of this study. The paper will conclude with a summary about how Zynga has utilized Evolutionary Theory and Tribal Marketing in order to maintain its audience.

2. Literature Review 2.1 The Growth of the Online Medium and Virtual Communities The last decade has seen a leap in technology resulting in sophisticated simulated environments and the ability to use these environments for entertainment, education and social interaction. The popularity of video games has reached the point where it is the fastest growing form of human recreation. It is now one of the worlds largest industries and at one stage surpassed Hollywood in terms of annual revenue (Yi, 2004). User demographics of video games has expanded into territories young, old with a higher adoption rate by females (Resiginer, 2008). This is something that gaming has not experienced before, resulting in an much wider market. Game developers have begun to expand the way games are being played thanks to the tools now available on the Internet. As with any new medium questions regarding its impact have arisen. In the case of video games the potential for harmful health and social impacts are quite prominently discussed (Wartella & Reeves, 1985). A major concern that was attached to the use of the Internet in our daily lives was the potential harm it might cause to human relationships. As Putnam (1995) theorized with the rise of television, use of new technology may come at the expense of personal relationships and community involvement. Some scholars argue that the Internet makes people lonelier, encroaches on time that could be spend socializing with family and friends (Kraut, et al, 1998). Others have argued that the Internet, unlike traditional passive media such as television, is capable of connecting people across time and space and thus facilitates social interaction and communicative activities (Williams, 2006). What has to be considered is that the Internet can be used in different ways. People now have the capability to surf the web, stream videos, answer emails and chat to friends, all essentially forms of socialising. With the rise of Social networking platforms, we have the birth of social

games, and they too have the capacity to serve as a unique venue for human interaction. Social games, which are games accessible through social networking platforms such as Facebook and MySpace, are very popular. As these games require social interactions, social considerations have to be part of the players deliberations (Juul, 2010). Social gamers are part of a passionate fan base who invest a large amount of their leisure time into their games. They also invest time communicating with one another via online forums. . These forums are a unique venue for socialization both in a playful manner and in a more serious way also. Contrary to the imagined popular stereotype, the average social gamer is 43 years of age and females are more likely to play than males (Ingram, 2010). In recent years Robert Kozinets has pioneered studies of fan-based subcultures and how their communication over the Internet affects subcultural characteristics (Kozinets, 1997, 2001). Farmville players and those players who partake in online discussions via forums are part of their own social group or subculture. This is an unexplored area of research that could potentially be beneficial to marketing practice.

2.2 Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary Psychology provides new theories of entire domains of human functioning such as mating and kinship (Hill & Buss, 2006). Among academics and scholars there is a level of unrest and controversy surrounding Evolutionary Psychology as a result of its interdisciplinary origins. Evolutionary Psychology incorporates aspects of biology, psychology, and anthropology. Interdisciplinary propositions are generally met with applause for being creative and innovative but are often met with conflict amongst scholars whose methodological preferences and academic traditions differ.

A major criticism of Evolutionary Psychology is that advocates neglect to adequately test hypotheses and assumptions. Evolutionary Psychologists assume that the assumptions of modern evolutionary theory are correct, thus they work forward from these assumptions to examine how they can be applied to our understanding of the origins and nature of the mind (Buss, 1995, 1999; Buss & Greiling, 2001; Cosmides et al; 1992). These assumptions come to rely on historical narrative which, according to Mayr (1997, p64) is perhaps the only scientifically and philosophically valid approach in the explanation of unique occurrences. Those who oppose this, such as psychologists Thornhill & Thornhill (1992) who have been concerned not with unique occurrences, but with accurately predicting common behaviours, reject the legitimacy of historical narration as a valid methodology in their discipline. Another concern about Evolutionary Psychology is the correlation between its theories/assumptions and falsifiability, or the lack thereof. Longino (1990) asserts that the cornerstone of science, according to logical positivism, is falsifiability. It was the philosopher Karl Popper who introduced the strategy of falsification. According to Popper (1972), scientific explanations are comprised of statements that can be empirically tested to determine whether they are verified (supported by the data) or falsified (inconsistent with the data). Cognitive Scientist Alan Newell in Gannon (2002) argued that from a Popperian perspective, psychology is viewed as a discriminating science that promises to deliver findings about the mind by revealing falsehoods and leaving us to piece together the remaining not-yet-finished explanations to achieve greater insight. Newell argues that Poppers discriminating approach only created negative knowledge about the mind, and as a consequence, by itself, could not be an efficient strategy for advancing positive knowledge regarding the complexity of mental processes. Mayr (1997) has a view similar to that of Newells, as he believes the method of falsification is inappropriate in evolutionary biology in which historical narratives must be constructed to explain certain observations.. [and]

it is often difficult, if not impossible, to decisively falsify an invalid theory (p 49). Thus, a large portion of the controversy surrounding Evolutionary Psychology is in relation to falsifiability. Social scientists insist on falsifiability as a criterion, whereas advocates of Evolutionary Psychology, whose origins are in evolutionary biology, do not agree. The Evolutionary Psychology theories of Social Dominance, Altruism and Envy are supported by a number of Evolutionary biologists. Hawley (2003) and Buss (1995) outline that throughout evolution the behaviour of social species evolved in the context of social groups and this has been no less true for humans. Social Dominance emits the signal of general effectiveness in the chosen environment. Social awards follow those people who are successful. There is a development of self confidence in their own ability and they seek out Social Challenges. This is in contrast to non-successful individuals who avoid confrontation or challenge. The Social Dominance model, can help us better understand certain behaviours such as the need to strive for success. Buss and Hill (2006) discuss how Envy is a subjectively unpleasant mix of discontent and hostility occurring in response to unfavourable social comparisons. They propose that Envy has been shaped by natural selection to signal competitive disadvantage, making individuals experience strong resentful awareness of a fitness augmenting advantage enjoyed by others with whom they are in direct competition combined with a desire to possess the same advantage (Gilbert, 1990, 2000). It is important to note that Envy can be separated from jealously, as jealously refers to a complex mental state or operating mode activated by a perceived threat that a third party might usurp ones place in a valued relationship (Wilson & Daly, 1998).

Altruism is another popular theory within Evolutionary Psychology. Altruism is the behaviour that benefits another organism, not closely related (Burgess & MacDonald, 2005). The evolutionary theory of Inclusion fitness explains why you would help a person who

carries your genes, but this Altruism is focused on the motivations of strangers. Reciprocal Altruism is allied to Altruism. Cosmides and Tooby define Reciprocal Altruism as cooperation between two or more individuals for mutual benefit.

3. History of Farmville The months after the launch of the Facebook Application Developer that was released in May of 2007, developers around the world exhausted their resources to develop applications that would engage Facebooks growing user base. (Lil) Green Patch, a game devised around growing a small garden by sending and receiving Garden-based utilities had an estimated 350,000 daily active users and was in the top 15 Facebook Applications in 2008 (Hamilton, 2008). In early 2009, developer Slashkey developed Farm Town in which, similar to the core concept of (Lil) Green Patch, players grew their farms by sending and receiving gifts. The game had a fully customizable avatar that moved within the virtual world. In June 2009 Zynga released their social Farm simulator, Farmville. Farmville had noticeable improvements over Farm Town; it was faster, better looking and had its own in-game currency. Although Farm Town was a success, Farmville surpassed it due to its access to a user base across other Zynga Games such as Mafia Wars. Some claimed that Zyngas success was due to them stealing the ideas of others and building upon them (Saint, 2010). The game has continued to rise in popularity with its user base growing to a peak close to 80 million.

4. Methodology 4.1 Data Collection Marketers now realise the importance of the Internet and the consumers who inhabit online communities (Kozinets, 2002). Marketing research professionals use a number of varied methods to study consumers. Qualitative methodologies are particularly useful for revealing the rich symbolic and descriptive world that underlies consumer needs, desires, meanings and choices. Presently the most popular qualitative methods being employed are focus groups and interviews. In comparison to ethnographic research, focus groups and face-to-face interaction through interviews are less time consuming, simpler and more popular techniques for market research. However, because of their obtrusiveness and the artificiality of cultural marketing information, their level of observtion of the consumer in a naturalistic environment is less than that of an ethnographic study. Ethnography is traditionally a research method used by anthropologists to study unfamiliar cultures (Ware et al, 1999). It was Bronislaw Malinowski who was the pioneer of ethnography when he adopted the process for his study of foreign cultures by immersing himself within the culture he was studying (Harvery & Myers, 1994). It has since grown to become one of the most in-depth and detailed research methods available to market researchers. In-depth analysis is required to capture the spectrum of tones and sentiments embedded in the conversations and the dynamism and spontanity of interactions that are a particularly prominent feature in social networks. Analytic software, lacking sensitivity and accuracy, usually fails to address this (Mlsk & Nadeem, 2012). Quantitative methods are not necessarily deemed fit for all types of research as they may fail to account for the themes that qualitative studies may find.

Ethnography as with Malinowski then requires researchers to observe and immerse themselves with their chosen study. Schouten and McAlexander (1995), Fox (1987), and Celsi et al (1993) have all completed ethnographic studies through observation of participants, interviews and also by partaking in the cultural rituals. Since the surge in the popularity of ethnography, the landscape to which ethnography can be applied has evolved. Online technology is now an integral part of modern society. Many consumption practices now take place online and market research needs to adapt to account for these developments. Kozinets (2002) stated in recent years there have been calls from a number of anthropologists, sociologists and qualitative marketing researchers to adapt existing ethnographic techniques to the many cultures and communities that are emerging through online communications. Ethnography of the Internet, otherwise known as Netnography is a qualitative consumer research methodology that uses publicly available online information. This information is made available through online forums and can be utilized to aid in understanding the needs and decisions influencing online consumer groups. Netnography was specially designed to study computer mediated communications and social interactions within online communities. Yuan et al (2007) discuss how large-scale communities offer great environments to study the social and economic behaviour of large populations. They can be accessed with ease while the anonymity of users remains intact, increasing the likelihood that the actions of users are representative of their true behaviour. Compared to market-orientated ethnography, netnography is capable of being conducted in a manner that is entirely unobtrusive, allowing the preservation of the naturalistic state of consumer interactions. Focus groups and interviews are compromised by the presence of the researcher. Netnography is also capable of providing information in a manner that is less costly and timelier than focus groups.

This study used this particular qualitative method of data gathering and analysis because of its suitability to understand and uncover the complex phenomena of Farmville players. Online communities encompass many of qualitative aspects, relationships and insights that may be impossible, or at least very difficult, to quantify even with the most advanced automated techniques (Mlsk & Nadeem, 2012). It should be noted that Netnography is quite a new technique, and some issues need to be addressed. Arnould & Wallendorf (1994) state Netnography is primarily based on the observations of textual discourse, an important difference from the balancing of discourse and observed behaviour that appears during ethnography. Netnography is incapable of detecting small mannerisms such a body language which can play a vital role in a study. The validity of the Netnographic data may be subject to many of the same validity concerns and evaluations as other types of qualitative data (Kozinets, 1997). Unlike other methods of research where the researcher is capable of controlling external variables, netnographic research does not facilitate this as it is carried out in a natural setting. Bias may enter into data collection. Due to the nature of the research being primarily interpretive, the interpretation of the text may be reflective of the researchers personality, cultural orientations, social status and life experience. The data gathered during this study was collected during a three month period May July 2012. Prior to data collection, a suitable forum had to be decided upon so that the best information would be acquired. Due to Farmvilles popularity there are a large number of forums available. Because of time constraints it was decided to focus on a single forum. The key criteria used to aid the selection process were: Number of posts/replies per thread Forum restriction

Zyngas official Farmville forum was deemed to be the most suitable as it was unrestricted which meant the evasion of unnecessary ethical issues, but also because it has a large number of contributors.

4.2 Data Analysis This research was purely observational with no participatory element. This is in contrast to the participant observer who is directly involved with the participants, contributing to the conversation. The interactions within the group were observed without interruption in order to gain genuine and rich insights into the community practices as they occurred (Mlsk & Nadeem, 2012). There are over 71,000 threads on the Farmville discussion forum, and over 4,000 threads on the off topic discussion forum. For the benefit of the research it was important to select different themed threads rather than to focus on one. In order to give the study a broader spectrum, threads were selected from the Farmville Discussion, Off Topic Discussion and Community Created Guides. The chosen threads were Off Topic Discussions, Add Me and Gnome Collection. The selection of threads was determined by the number of posts/replies. The greater the number, the more data there would be to analyse benefiting the research. A qualitative content analysis was used to interpret the data. John Seidels (1998) Noticing, Collecting and Thinking model was used. Seidel notes that this process is iterative and progressive, in that it is a repeating cycle. Noticing involves first recording things you noticed, reading this record again followed by coding any themes that arise (Seidel, 1998). The collecting stage involves organising the coded data and playing it into themed groups. Lastly, the thinking stage requires examination of the collected data looking for patterns, relationships and attempting to make discoveries about the data.

All the data was electronically catalogued and stored. The data was catalogued in relation to its prevailing themes in connection to Evolutionary Psychology by using keywords. Any post that showed no connection to desired theme was disgarded E.G Keywords Theories/Themes Social Dominance Envy Altruism Attributes/Keywords Active Level Non-Cheater Want Missing Availability Always Return Gifts Help Others Situation of Use Search for Neighbours Item Ownership Search for Neighbour

5. Empirical Findings The empirical analysis found three Evolutionary Theories that were demonstrated in Farmville players communications. These theories are discussed below in more detail and are enriched with extracts from the Farmville Forum discussions.

5.1 Social Dominance This section will discuss the theory of Social Dominance in relation to how players represent themselves in order to appear more attractive to new neighbours. According to Evolutionary Psychology, Social Dominance occurs when members of a social group vary in their ability to acquire resources. Survival, growth and development require resource acquisition (Ricklefs, 1979) and resource acquisition compels competition (Darwin,

1985). Not all individuals are capable of producing necessities; therefore dominant individuals are more socio central. The theory of Social Dominance suggest that socially dominant individuals are the central focus of social groups and should be the focal group member that is influential and the focus of visual attention. In keeping with this theory, in the Add me thread in Farmville players attempt to make themselves the focal point of visual attention. The Add Me thread was created for the purpose of allowing the players to make neighours. Similar to a personal advertisement, players provide details regarding the type of Farmville player they are and what attributes they want in a neighbour. Players have the freedom to then search the thread in order to find the most suitable neighbour. Ultimately the goal of Farmville is to progress your character and to grow your farm. Players strive for success and there are certain individuals who can better help achieve this than others. These players advertise themselves as the socially dominant by displaying all the necessary attributes. Respondent 1 (posts: 3) I am a daily player looking for more Facebook friends, mainly to help with quests and countdowns. I tend to have a busy schedule with work, but I at least try to find time to return gifts that are sent to me daily. I don't use 3rd party apps and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't either. I tend to "like" anything related to quests or daily countdowns but will do so if asked too. There are reoccurring factors that arise when the posts are studied. The first note-worthy observation is player activity. Almost all Respondents refer to themselves as a Daily or Active player. Farmville requires daily attention in terms of planting and harvesting crops for money. Within the context of Evolutionary Psychology it is comparable to a form of resource acquisition. Being a daily player is an indication of ones commitment to the game

and how keen one is to be among the best. If one is not committed to resource acquisition within the game, one is not a reliable neighbour. Respondent 1 admits to having a busy schedule because of work commitments, but wants to help and will try and find time to help others. Farmville is a social game, so Respondent 1 noting that time will be made to help others makes him more desirable to others. Farmvilles gameplay mechanics are like that of a role playing game where players progression is measured by a Level system. The higher level you are, the more experienced you are as a farmer. The game though, is designed in such a way that it is difficult to progress passed a certain point without help from others, thus forcing the social aspect of the game. So the better neighbours one has, the more benefits one will receive. Respondent 2 (POSTS: 10) Level 110. Looking for active neighbors who respond to help requests and click on feed/quest requests. I send out gifts 2+ times a day. I also go through the feed as much as possible to help everyone who posted. I delete those that use third party apps (so please do not waste my time if you use these). Respondent 3 (POSTS: 11) Level 182/47. Looking for good new neighbors (I weeded out inactive neighbors). I don't care if anyone uses 3rd party programs. I do not "like" posts. I rarely visit neighbor farms. I do play and buy crafting items almost every day. I usually return/send gifts twice a day. I post pretty much everything to everyone. Social Dominance emits the signal of general effectiveness in the chosen environment. In the case of Farmville, group members should gravitate towards the higher ranking individuals.

Others could learn and imitate them. So the display of rank in game as seen from Respondent 2 & 3 is like a postural display of how experienced they are, making themselves more desirable to others. Lastly there is the issue of cheaters. The Farmville community views those who use 3rd party applications as cheaters, and the use of these applications is not accepted by the majority of players. This is because most users spend hours on their farms playing without help from other applications. Schouten and McAlexander (1995) state that a hierarchy is central to any subculture and it governs the social interactions within the group. What is taking place on this thread wouldnt be considered a hierarchy. The threads are monitored by a Moderator, not by the public. What is happening is people attempting to make themselves appear more desirable than others in order to gain some new neighbours. This is keeping with Social Dominance theory; those players who advertise themselves as a high level farmer are presumably a better choice because of their resource acquisition ability.

5.2 Envy This section will detail findings that show the link between players posts and the evolutionary theory of Envy. One adaptive goal of the evolutionary process is to better oneself, but at the same time to be better than the rivals with whom we are competing for access to resources in the same domain (Hill & Buss, 2006). An important part of being human is recognizing anothers advantage and the resulting feeling of unfairness and hostility that is sometimes conjured. A lot of people are unaware that we are competing against friends and family on a continuous

basis. We form our feelings of success and failure in relation to our performance compared to that of others. Envy, a subjectively unpleasant mix of discontent and hostility occurring in response to unfavourable social comparisons. Envy is a game mechanism that Farmville uses in order to drive players progression. Envy can serve as a motivational mechanism, prompting action to acquire the fitness enhancing resources that our rivals possess and we lack. In Farmville terms, my neighbour has this item and I will do what I can to acquire it. Respondent A i got a mystery box for my gf with a stallion in it... on the first try !!!!!!!! and i tried and tried and tried and never got one for myself sits there mocking me... mock mock mock Envy can arise in relation to a number of factors in Farmville such as Gnome collections, or just basic animals or ponds that a neighbour may have. These items are not large; they are quite simple, yet players still take note of what they dont have because this is the item that will help make their farm better. The chosen example Farmville players here shows reasons how/why players can become envious of others within the game. Respondent B The only thing I ever look at with envy is such a simple item that was once giftable but no longer available, actually 2 items: the barrel of apples, and barrel of grapes. I sold mine long ago to make room and have regretted it for months now. she doesnt even wanna breed horses so it just

I know, a silly item but something I really wished I still had. Respondents A & B were part of a discussion on Top Games forums concerning items that players were envious about. Respondent A envies his girlfriend as a result of his own

actions. Respondent A gave his girlfriend a mystery box, but the item inside was in fact something that interested him. As he stated he has tried and tried again to get that stallion but with no success. Now every time he visits his girlfriends farm there is an item that he wants that is not being fully utilized. Respondent B refers to the simplicity of how Envy can be conjured. The respondent acknowledges that the items are simple, but because they are no longer available they become the things that must be owned. Respondent C thanks for the pic of all your gnomes flopflipfan!!! Some day Some day!!!! Players farms are more than just a farm; rather they are an extension of their personalities represented through the items they display. Farmville now has its own community of collectors, Gnome collecting being the most popular choice. Respondent Cs comment was taken from the Community created guide on Zyngas official forum. Within this forum, there is a special thread where Gnome collectors come to display their Gnome collection.

Respondent D - Im wowed by .. post of pic of the gnomes here. I knew I was missing a few, but its very cool!!! Respondent D makes a remark regarding the picture posted by a community member, because some day he/she will hopefully have a collection like this. In accordance with the Evolutionary Psychology definition Envy contains a level of hostile feelings that can lead to undesired hostile actions. It should be noted that within the dialogue taking place on the forums there is little to no evidence of hostility, even though players are clearly envious. The almost non-existence of animosity may be a result of the lack of value of virtual goods. Yet research has shown aggression amongst player in other online games, particularly Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG). Past studies have shown violent game playing is related to aggression (Kim et al, 2008). In MMORPG games players as in Farmville level their character and can exchange virtual items. Cova, Pace and Park (2007) found in their study of the Warhammer community, that players avoided online forums because they did not feel at home in those kinds of crazy environments where an imaginary violence often runs rampant. Yet the distinction should be made that Farmvilles in game tasks cannot be successfully completed by means of violence or aggression. This may contribute to the harmonious aura among Farmville players.

5.3 Altruism This section will detail the findings that show the link between players posts and the theory of Altruism. The theory of Altruism could be considered one of the most talked about theories within Evolutionary Psychology. Altruistic behaviour is behaviour that benefits another organism

not closely related, for example a man jumping into water to save a stranger can be classified as Altruistic. A man who jumps in to save his own child, because it increases the chance of survival for his own genes is not considered to be Altruistic (Burgess and MacDonald, 2005). Given the nature of Farmville, where most hard-core players have friends who are not closely related it is essential to engage and participate in Altruistic behaviour. Altruistic behaviour is not limited to one person doing something for another, it can also be recipricated. This leads us to look at the theory of Reciprocal Altruism, the current theory dominating the non-kin discussion (Trivers, 1971). This theme is ever present in the postings on Farmvilles official Forum, as it is the quality that almost defines a good neighbour. Farmville is designed so that in order to progress your character level and gain valuable assets for your farm, you must have suitable neighbours. This of course is in line with the genre of game; social gaming. It is important for players to find the correct neighbour, one that will help them progress. Players are looking for someone who will help them. Assistance in the game is given in the form of harvesting, sending gifts or performing quests. The mechanics of the game encourage players to help their fellow players. The Add Me thread showed the vast majority of people were looking for neighbours who were willing to help, and to reciporicate the help given to them. These posts are an example of how players represent themselves as having Altruistic qualities. Respondent 1 (POSTS: 28) Looking for a few more neighbours to replace those who have given up. Level 117, longterm player, play daily, always return gifts, no "third-party apps" (and never have). New players most welcome, as most of my neighbours are level 300+.

Respondent 2 Hi folks. Daily player, I respond to gift and task requests. No cheaters please. Level-117. Looking for those who send gifts back and respond to requests. No need to click "like" for my posts either (I will for yours if you so want).

Respondent 1 & 2 are suitably grouped together because of the type of Altruistic players they are and the neighbour they would like to have. Respondent 1 as claimed, will always return gifts. Respondent 2 is looking for someone who returns gifts and responds to requests when needed. There is no particular language or code to say that you possess Altruistic qualities, rather you just say whether or not you are willing to help others. It has been found that subcultures often while in the process of transformation create their own language. This language is only really understood by those who are immersed in the culture (OLeary & Carroll, 2012). There appeared to be no unique language that only Farmville members can understand. Respondent 3 (POSTS: 1) Daily player level 53 if you hook me up ill hook you up. Respondent 3 is an example of the type of player who uses slang, but this slang is not inherent to Farmville. Although there may be a number of people who do not understand this slang, that is not the fault of the Farmville culture, rather it is the players disconnection with modern pop culture slang. The result is that co-operation and collaboration among strangers takes place quite easily. Nardi and Harris (2006) found something similar in their study of the highly popular massively multiplayer online game World Of Warcraft the emergence of new kinds of social relations developing within contexts provided by the Internet.

Yuan et al (2007 p475) noticed that co-operation can emerge as a norm in an environment comprising individually of selfish entities. In their study of a Chinese card game played online Yuan et al (2007) found that members banded together to defeat other opponents. In Farmville while there may be a temptation to exploit the cooperating neighour, no benefit will result for either player. Just like Jensen et al (1999) when researching the Prisoners Dilemma, players would be hurt if they behaved selfishly. In relation to Altruism, this selfishness is called The problem of cheating. This is where someone enjoys the benefits of an altruist and does not reciprocate. Cheaters are referenced within the Add Me thread, but it refers to those who use 3rd Party software rather than those who dont help. Those who act selfishly will eventually find themselves weaned out because those who engage in Reciprocal Altruism tend to outlast those who act selfishly.

6. Marketing Implications This paper has explored the link between the Farmville communitys contributions and Evolutionary Psychology. This section describes how Farmvilles game play mechanics were designed to exploit these behaviours and how Zynga has utilized a form of tribal marketing. Marketers should never minimize the importance of competition among consumers. Farmvilles introduction is the promise that anyone can play. Yet with each loading screen the player is met with images of bigger and better farms. These are images of idyllic farms that the most experienced players own, but the problem is that they are unobtainable without in-game financial aid. Every time a player launches their Farmville application, they are exposed to property that they could have, but only for the correct price. Farmville users are routinely asked to make friends with neighbours, as is the case on the Farmville forum, where moderators create threads for people to become neighbours. It is essential to be neighbourly

and have neighbours because it is impossible to acquire ones dream farm alone.Some aspects of the game such as the construction of nurseries and apiaries are near impossible to achieve without the aid of a neighbour. When these achievements have been completed, Farmville prompts players to share the news. Farmville has thousands of achievements, making the opportunity for self-praise or advertisement endless. To become neighbours with someone can conjure that feeling of Envy, resulting in the desire to acquire more and to become socially dominant. In Farmville one collects Farmville currency (coins) by harvesting plants and animal products. One is restricted to Farm Cash until a higher experience level is reached. There is however an easier option and that is to purchase Farmville coins and cash with real money. This provides an easier way for those who are unwilling to put in the hard graft to progress. If your competition is doing it, the only way to keep up is by purchasing Farmville coins/cash. This method for example can be used for rare collectors items such as the Farmville Gnomes. Collectors are passionate about collecting all items that make up the set. It was noted by players that they had missed out on getting some Gnomes. Once the timeframe is gone for getting these Gnomes for free, players can acquire them by paying a small fee. One of the most prominent attributes evident from the Add Me section was the need to be a Daily Player. This is a result of Farmvilles utilization of Gamification. Farmville is a primary example of good gamification, in that it coaxes its players to always return to the game. It is hard to get addicted if you can just stop playing whenever you want, but in Farmville if you leave your crops alone for too long they will wither. If they wither, you can unwither them with real money but players want to have choice, and they dont want to feel like they are being restricted by a rigid time frame. To counter this Farmville presents the player with a choice system. The player gets to choose what crops they want to plant, with

each crop having a designated harvest time. This presents the illusion that players are in control, when really Farmville is dictating when they must return to the game. Zynga is utilising many aspects of Evolutionary Psychology to stimulate player motivation. It should be noted how they also take advantage of the users that connect with each other through their online forums. Players now use these forums to gather information regarding the best Farmville practices. This is in line with Burgess and MacDonalds (2005) assumption that humans need to be in social groups because that is how we learn from each other. Other companies who are looking to retain their large user base should look at how Zynga has employed Tribal Marketing. Traditional Marketing says that a company offers goods, which the consumers use up or deplete. This is a top down approach, where consumers are viewed as passive and isolated. However, the reality is consumers are increasingly joining tribes. The unit of reference that is used in Tribal marketing is more of a micro-social cohort of individuals who share similar experiences and emotions, and bond together in loosely connected communities. Tribal marketing promotes the product that holds consumers together. It supports products and services that hold people together as a group of enthusiasts or devotees. Zynga has created a platform that is user-friendly. Sometimes these things happen on an external unofficial site, and this is no different for Farmville, but much of user interactions takes place on Zyngas official forum. In this situation, it is important that marketers not try to leverage these communities too aggressively. If we attempt to manipulate them it can be counter-productive, as there is a risk of a negative backlash. Zynga follows the protocol of passiveness. It simply creates the platform for its user base, sets the rules for its created thread and allows the communication to develop among the consumers. Ultimately Farmville becomes the facilitator for user social interactions, leading to the creation of new in-game

neighbours, and potential friends. There is a now an established network of people that can advertise for Zynga or alternatively provide feedback on products. For example Zynga has recently announced that they will be launching Farmville 2. On its online forum Zynga created a thread asking if people would play it. By doing this, Zynga is both advertising the game and also obtaining valuable Market Research. e.g It is very doubtful I would start any Zynga game without a radical improvement in quality and an iron clad guarantee that bug fixes would come before new content. I have stuck with cityville, mostly for a couple friends sake and to fill time; advancing there requires support intervention on average 3 to 4 times a week. I have my doubts this Farmville will be any different. It may start out fun, and then there will be a push to pump out content without any sort of quality assurance. Might be nice to be proved wrong, but it will take seeing a bunch of positive reviews. Reviews along the lines of "wow, this game actually works as it should" before giving it a try. This post is from an unhappy Farmville user. From this Zynga are aware that if it does not make changes to their new game, their user base wont be as extensive as their original. Rather than just post a comment saying they will or will not play the game. Zynga receives suggestions regarding what changes should be made to the game to make it better. This is rich source of valuable information, that could be acquired through traditional consumer research methods. The response rate is far greater and much more valuable when using a forum and it can be achieved at a much smaller cost.

7. Conclusion Contrary to the originally feared consequences of the Internet it has been shown that it can be a medium for increased social interactions, not diminishing relationships but instead allowing us to form them. Most of the western world now lives and works in what is described as a

network society (Castells, 2000). These online social platforms have paved the way for development of online social games like Lil Green Patch, Farmtown and Farmville. Company and consumer relationships now develop online making the likes of Farmville players relevant consumers. Zynga, developer of Farmville has seen huge success and this study focused on how they managed to maintain such a strong user base. The game mechanics of Farmville has three principles of Evolutionary Psychology at its core. Social Dominance influenced how players represented themselves on the forum so that they had an increased chance of neighbour selection. The higher the level achieved the more Social Dominant they appeared to be, hence making them more attractive to other players. Altruism was essential to achieve success in the game and Reciprocal Altruism was necessary in order to progress through the friendship of neighbours. Envy drove competition within the game. Exploration of surrounding farms generated Envy among the players. Notably there was little evidence to demonstrate the existence of hostility between the players. Zynga acting as a facilitator through the creation of an online forum gave the company the opportunity to acquire valuable market research and to take full advantage of tribal marketing techniques. This study has explored aspects of Evolutionary Psychology evident in Farmville and its online userbase. This was a purely observational study so future research might usefully incorporate a participatory component.

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