Forbes describes the ongoing struggle to create Facebook games that both entice players into logging online daily and make a return on investment.
The COO of Playfish, a leader in this type of game development, describes how he aims to create games that are “very engaging, entertaining worlds and lead to the discovery of new friendships and relationships.”
Playfish and its competitors make money by advertising and selling virtual goodies. They host video ads on their site and sell gifts to give to friends — including $40 virtual lip-shaped couches.
(We live in interesting times, don’t we?)