Farmville - Making Farming Popular?

JupiterKid

As some of you might know, on FaceBook is a web based game called FarmVille, where players have to tend to their farms, plough their land, harvest their crops, build up their animal stock, establish orchards etc. and generally develop and grow their farms. It's an incredibly popular game with 74 million users worldwide and it only started last summer.

Given the massive popularity of FarmVille (and another game like it, Farm Town) does anyone here think it might make farming a more attractive career prospect for young players of the game? Could it raise the profile of farming?

leg wax

JupiterKid wrote: »

As some of you might know, on FaceBook is a web based game called FarmVille, where players have to tend to their farms, plough their land, harvest their crops, build up their animal stock, establish orchards etc. and generally develop and grow their farms. It's an incredibly popular game with 74 million users worldwide and it only started last summer.

Given the massive popularity of FarmVille (and another game like it, Farm Town) does anyone here think it might make farming a more attractive career prospect for young players of the game? Could it raise the profile of farming?

go back to jupiter kid and play your games

vincenzolorenzo

leg wax wrote: »

go back to jupiter kid and play your games

Bit harsh there leg_wax?

JupiterKid

Do you know what a troll is leg_wax?:rolleyes:

I was asking a perfectly innocent question. I know of a couple of young people who have really got into FarmVile and they say it's made them more interested in farming. Surely that's a good thing or are you too cynical and bitter to see that?

Of course, real life farming is hard - not sitting in front of a computer and clicking a mouse. In Farmville there's no weather, no taxes, no quotas, no levys, no diseases, no need for vets, no family squabbles, no planning and policy hurdles and the animals aren't even slaughtered (laughably, the pigs are used to collect truffles) etc.

But the game does raise awareness of farming among a largely urban based game playing group who are very disconnected from the land. Surely this is not a bad thing?

leg wax

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

Bit harsh there leg_wax?

sorry hate these type of threads on farming forum as you can see no replies to question from us the farmers, legwax the troll has a ring to it.

Tableman

One day of real farming and they will realize that its nothing like that game!

Indubitable

Tableman wrote: »

One day of real farming and they will realize that its nothing like that game!

Well what I have found is you either like farming or you don't, simple as that.

I was originally from dublin city and i started farming when i was 2 when i visited my granny. I drove my first tractor at 4 years old.

Many people don't get to experience what life being a farmer is like and farmville is no comparison to real life. Farming requires a strong heart and stomach and plenty of brains. Creativity also plays a role. Farming is one of the most labourous occupations in Ireland. Farmville needs a finger, an eye and some very bored and/or feeble minded human beings

(yeah i know this topic is old)
sorry

Indubitable

JupiterKid wrote: »

But the game does raise awareness of farming among a largely urban based game playing group who are very disconnected from the land. Surely this is not a bad thing?

It is a bad thing from my point of view. Ireland needs less farmers and then the prices of produce might rise from a lower supply.

I would prefer to see farmers that have some sort of a farming backround so they would have some experience and therefore (hopefully) make better farmers than people from an urban area. This theoretically should improve the quality of animals in the livestock trade.



(another apology. This time for double posting.)

haybob

I'm not really sure if this is a bit of a piss take or not but I cant see the harm of farmville it can only make people more aware of where their food comes from and the work that goes into producing it.

Indubitable

haybob wrote: »

I'm not really sure if this is a bit of a piss take or not but I cant see the harm of farmville it can only make people more aware of where their food comes from and the work that goes into producing it.

I don't think growing "super pumpkins" and flowers by clicking on a computer screen repeatedly shows the work that gets put into farming not to mention crops can be harvested multiple times a week rather than once or twice a year



You would have to be a real fool not to know that lamb comes from lambs that pork comes from pigs and that beef and milk comes from cattle.

Sam Kade

kingofthe3rdyrs wrote: »

I was originally from dublin city and i started farming when i was 2 when i visited my granny. I drove my first tractor at 4 years old.

Why did you wait 2 years to drive your first tractor?:rolleyes:

Indubitable

Sam Kade wrote: »

Why did you wait 2 years to drive your first tractor?:rolleyes:

A. i wasnt heavy enough to push the accelerator.

B. Wasn't strong enough to press clutch and turn key:)

Sam Kade

kingofthe3rdyrs wrote: »

A. i wasnt heavy enough to push the accelerator.

B. Wasn't strong enough to press clutch and turn key:)

You mean pull the throttle.

tabby aspreme

I think there should be an irish version of farmville where you can fall out with your neighbours and get subs for imaginary sheep:D ,anyone remember the flying flocks ,also no matter how much i rub the cat no money goes into my real bank account unlike farmville where you get paid for cat rubbing etc

Indubitable

Sam Kade wrote: »

You mean pull the throttle.

I forgot that was a while ago but keys weren't far away then.

Indubitable

tabby aspreme wrote: »

I think there should be an irish version of farmville where you can fall out with your neighbours and get subs for imaginary sheep:D ,anyone remember the flying flocks ,also no matter how much i rub the cat no money goes into my real bank account unlike farmville where you get paid for cat rubbing etc

And dont forget cattle dieing and paying out over €100 to get them removed

tabby aspreme

kingofthe3rdyrs wrote: »

And dont forget cattle dieing and paying out over €100 to get them removed

you are lucky:D,i have to bring dead sheep to the knackery and still pay for them

Indubitable

Well that depends if they are registered

I think i may have the wrong term for knackery

johngalway

tabby aspreme wrote: »

also no matter how much i rub the cat no money goes into my real bank account unlike farmville where you get paid for cat rubbing etc

*Consigns comment in brain to the bin as would likely get me banned*

tabby aspreme

John i thought Novenas dealt with such thoughts around Galway

Sam Kade

JupiterKid wrote: »

.But the game does raise awareness of farming among a largely urban based game playing group who are very disconnected from the land. Surely this is not a bad thing?

That reminds me of what I heard someone say today. The person was in a car being driven by an urban 26 year old nurse. There was a car driving slow in front of them, the nurse noticed that the driver was an old man wearing a cap so like a lot of townies she came to the conclusion that he was a farmer:rolleyes:. The nurse started a rant about farmers when one of her passengers said to her that only for farmers she would have no milk to put in her tea. The nurse replied that she could get her milk in the supermarket so wheres the need for farmers. Thing is she was serious about what she said.

Casinoking

And here was me thinking nurses knew all about milking it.....

Indubitable

Casinoking wrote: »

And here was me thinking nurses knew all about milking it.....

Haha.

I think the unions are the experts on that front.