作者：Nadia Oxford

社交游戏：无处不在，所以你也许有玩过。什么是社交游戏？技术角度看，所有包含互动元素的游戏都属于“社交”类型，所以《大富翁》和《Go Fish》也属此类型。但我们这里所说的社交游戏是指交织玩法和社交互动元素的免费游戏。众所周知的社交游戏包括Zynga的《FarmVille》和Playfish的《宠物社区》，但其实除此之外还有众多倍受青睐的作品。

Go Fish from rodnreel.com

若你刚开始接触社交游戏，下述要点将能帮你充分感受此类游戏的趣味。

并非所有社交游戏都瞄准儿童——社交游戏通常都非常光鲜、愉快，但不是所有类型都瞄准年轻族群。若你想要了解更多游戏内容，可访问游戏源网站浏览其内容概要。即便游戏不包含“成年内容”，但也不能排除其融入模拟赌博和饮酒场景的情况。

但多数社交游戏都适用于儿童——网络弥漫各种服务儿童的优质社交游戏和虚拟空间。两个典型的例子是《Moshi Monsters》和《NeoPets》。瞄准儿童的社交游戏通常受到有效监督，有所节制，提供安全体验环境，但若你身为父母，最好还是事先自己“审查”下这些社交游戏，因为：

多数社交游戏并未受ESRB（游戏邦注：美国的游戏分级组织“娱乐软件定级委员会”）鉴定——少数游戏有收到ESRB发出的公函标识，旨在提醒家长游戏内容蕴含潜在攻击/暴力元素。虽然游戏网站通常会提示游戏包含成年内容，但若你是家长，最好还是自己事先审查游戏。

社交游戏题材多种多样——Zynga《FarmVille》的成功令人容易把社交游戏同农场游戏联系在一起，但其实社交游戏还有很多其他题材，很多反应日常生活点滴的内容。很多社交游戏围绕城建、策略、餐馆维持、怪物收集、海盗、汽车组装和比赛主题。换而言之，不要轻易下结论称社交游戏不会有你感兴趣的题材。

多数社交游戏通过微交易提供内容——微交易是社交游戏经济形态的支柱。多数社交游戏都能免费体验，这意味着玩家无需掏钱就能登陆体验，但某些道具和关卡需投入少量金钱才能解锁。玩家能够通过微交易解锁的道具和能力因游戏而异，所以若玩家就某游戏提供的内容非常感兴趣，那么就仔细研读。放心游戏非常愿意告知玩家待售物品。

微交易通常通过信用卡进行，有时会借助PayPal之类的在线支付服务，但这些不是你的唯一支付选择：

很多游戏有出售预付“现金”卡——下次逛小卖部或药房时，不妨留心下礼品卡。你会发现很多服务社交游戏的色彩斑斓塑料制品。是的，玩家可以购买喜爱社交游戏的预付现金卡，这对那些不希望在线使用信用卡的玩家，或那些想要送给小孩大把游戏货币的家长来说是个绝佳选择。

社交游戏也可独自体验，但和朋友共同合作更富趣味——玩家可以选择自己玩，但多数游戏若有好友参与会更有趣。就游戏新手而言，有些游戏会限制其前进，直到他们找到好友或“邻居”共同参与。在其他情况下，若玩家身边有好友陪同，其发展和前进会更迅速。

不要将自己局限于Facebook：留意App Store——所以若你想玩社交游戏，但不想通过马克·扎克伯格的平台获得游戏体验？不要失望。移动平台还有大量社交游戏（游戏邦注：尤其是iPhone平台）。

app store from mhtml5.com

社交游戏是低端PC的理想选择——有些社交游戏旨在充分运用你的PC性能，但很多只是简单利用画面和音效，所以大家都可以充分享受其中内容。若你因为自己的电脑设备年代较为久远而犹豫是否能运行PC游戏，不要担心，只要能连接网络就能玩社交游戏。

理性体验——社交游戏是打发工作时间的绝佳方式，只要你能利用适当时间体验。把体验时间留在休息和午餐时分。你的农场也许非常美丽，但敌不过你的生计。游戏还适合在家享受。但不要忽视你的家人、家务、作业，或小狗。（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，如需转载请联系：游戏邦）

10 Things to Know About Social Games

By Nadia Oxford

Social games: They’re everywhere, so you might as well play ‘em. What is a social game? Technically, any game that involves interaction with other players can be filed under the “social” breed, so that includes the likes of Monopoly and Go Fish. When we speak about social games today, however, we generally mean free-to-play titles that weave gameplay and social interaction. Some of the more popular social offerings include FarmVille by Zynga (find it on Facebook) and Pet Society by Playfish, but there are hundreds of games out there with substantial user bases. Experiment and make them your own!

If you’re just starting out with social gaming, here are ten factoids that will increase your enjoyment of the genre.

Not All Social Games Are for Kids… — Social games are often bright and cheery, but not all of them are meant for a young audience. If you’re concerned about the content in a social game, visit the game’s parent site and look for a summary of in-game content. Even if a game does not contain “adult content” specifically, there may be instances of simulated gambling and drinking.

…But Many Social Games ARE for Kids — The internet is thick with great social games and virtual worlds for children. Two good examples include Moshi Monsters and NeoPets. Social games tailored for kids are monitored, moderated, and generally offer a safe environment to play in, but if you’re a parent, it’s always a good idea to get involved with your child’s online interests. That especially applies to social games, because:

Most Social Games Are Not Rated by the ESRB — Few social games receive an official letter designation from the ESRB that warns parents about potentially offensive/violent in-game content. Often, a game’s website will warn of adult content within, though if you’re a parent, it’s best to scout out the game yourself, first.

Social Games Are Available in Many Genres — The success of Zynga’s FarmVille makes it easy to associate social gaming with farming, but there are social games available in multiple genres, and more are springing to life every day. There are social games that revolve around city building, strategy, maintaining restaurants, monster-collecting, pirates (yarr), car building and racing, and countless others. In other words, don’t automatically assume that social gaming has nothing you’d be interested in.

Most Social Games Offer Content via Microtransactions — Microtransactions, also known as micropayments, are the backbone of social gaming’s economy. Most social games are free-to-play, meaning it doesn’t cost you anything to sign up and play–but certain items, levels, etc, can only be unlocked for a small amount of money. The items and abilities you can unlock via microtransactions varies from game to game, so if you’re interested in something that one particular game has to offer you, read up. Rest assured the game will be only too happy to tell you what’s for sale.

Microtransactions are most commonly conducted via credit cards and sometimes through online payment services like PayPal, but those aren’t your only payment options:

Many Games Sell Pre-Paid “Cash” Cards — Next time you’re hanging out in a grocery store or a pharmacy, take a look at the gift card section. You’ll see a whole lot of colorful plastic that belongs to numerous social games. Yes, you can buy pre-paid cash cards for your favorite social games, which is an excellent option for anyone who doesn’t want to use their credit card online, or who wants to gift a youngster with a set amount of in-game money.

Social Games Can Be Played Solo, But Are A Lot More Fun With Friends — You can play social games by your lonesome, but most of them are tailored to be the most fun when your friends join in. For starters, some games will block your progression until you get a friend or “neighbor” to accompany you. In other instances, your growth and progress will proceed far faster if you have a friend at hand. Just something to keep in mind.

Don’t Limit Yourself to Facebook: Look to the App Store — So you want to play social games but aren’t cool about throwing yourself at the feet of Mark Zuckerberg to do so? Despair not. There is a sizable crop of social games on mobile platforms, especially the iPhone.

Social Games are a Great Gaming Option for Low-End PCs — Some social games are tailored to suck up your PC’s power, but many fall back on simple graphics and sound so that everyone can enjoy them. If you’re hesitant to get into PC gaming because your rig pre-dates the Obama administration, you are certain to find suitable social games as long as you have a broadband internet connection.

Play Wisely — Social games are a great way to pass the time at work–as long as you play during appropriate hours. Reserve playtime for breaks and lunch. Your farm, awesome as it may be, is not worth your livelihood. The same applies for playing at home. Don’t neglect your family, your chores, your schoolwork, or your dog.（Source：gametheoryonline）