Blog #5 - Plants v Zombies

Just finished playing and dominating Plants vs. Zombies. Mundane as it was, not the worst game by any means. At the very least, it changes things up somewhat from level to level, unlike many games such as Bejeweled or Snake. It bears similarity to other checkerboard-strategy games, like Stratego. However, the game seemed to be pretty easy. As long as you protect your sunflowers and spread out your weaponry, losing wasn't much of an option. So I suppose I would have liked to see a bit more strategy involved, or even more active participation on the board rather than just planting and picking up sun. By introducing new options every level though, the designers create a way to hook viewers and keep them from leaving. That must also be very appealing to advertisers between the levels.

I don't think that mindless, time-wasting games such as Plants vs. Zombies are a phenomenon specific to the Internet. People have always been pointless procrastinators, skipping stones, kicking cans, or chewing on field grass. However, the WWW, with its infinite channels, has made these games easily available to a wide audience. Throw in the advertising support, and viral games become a strong Internet presence. I've certainly spent many hours with them this year.