我曾经接触过 Foursquare，但却没怎么玩过。于我个人而言，很多时候登录Foursquare和 Gowalla这样地理信息服务软件是件很新奇的事。很多时候，你无需费力去探讨这类应用软件究竟能否算得上 “游戏”。近期这样的争论开始延伸到了Facebook的地理定位领域。Facebook Place这项新功能的产生也许并非一个革命性突破，它的问世也可能带来一些隐私安全和技术争论等问题。

facebook marketplace

但很显然，从Twitter上的地理标签，一连串的登记应用软件，到星巴克折扣券、快闪暴走族活动、离不开每天24小时每周7天地理定位的用户群体等一系列关键词可以看出，Facebook Place的发展前景甚为明朗。

无论你同意与否，我都要列出Facebook Place 对社交游戏至关重要的五项理由。以下是我就游戏开发商如何有效利用地理定位功能所发表的一些拙见。

竞争

眼明人一下就看出来了，Foursquare为何这般焦虑，不停地散播否定Facebook地理定位新功能的恶评。想想看，如果你也有个功力超群的竞争对手，整天不停地对外界鼓吹自己拥有5亿的铁杆粉丝（包括1.5亿的手机用户），你最想做的事情就是让他闭嘴。

但Facebook Place的竞争对手也并不都是省油的灯（Foursquare拥有300万的用户，如果不对比Facebook的用户规模，这一数据已经算是宠大了），那些竞争对手目前看起来运营情况良好，并以第三方合作关系加入Facebook，大家各自相安无事。你还可以从其他渠道获得这些消息。

foursquare-stages

普及率

我认为普及率是Facebook大获全胜的重要原因，我很欣赏Foursquare的游戏理念，但对于内陆城市而言，许多我认识的熟人几乎都不知Foursquare为何物（提到Foursquare一词，许多人还误以为是小学操场上玩的一种球类游戏）。这就好像你提及游戏中的“Old Drunky’s, 亦称 Grandma’s House”，许多人却误以为你在问路的有趣经历。我相信不久的将来，这些可乐之事也将很快出现在Facebook上供人分享。

尽管如此，我还是愿意玩玩Foursquare，但遗憾的是Foursquare为这个地大物博的国家提供的资源却非常有限，甚至连服务国际用户的意识都没有。（我可能是这个城市的唯一用户，但我也可能是很真诚、忠实的用户，请不要将我遗忘。）

使用方便

有了Facebook Places，我不需要通过和伙伴们一起打发时间，或者下载多余的游戏软件来给社交生活添乐子。Facebook会默认更新我的地理位置，就好像Facebook上的即时新闻资讯，这确实是方便快捷。之前我总是先登陆Foursquare的某个位置，然后迅速点击我的Twitter手机软件，不厌其烦地一一更新其他的个人网站资料。当然，你也可以将Foursquare植入Twitter或者Facebook，让资料自动更新。但是现在既然我已经有了Facebook Places，我又何需再多此一举呢？

每种类型的用户都会有一系列的微博形式，但毫无疑问地理位置更新是这些微博的重要组成部分（无论你是否拥有或者使用地理标签）。例如，像“刚到波士顿”或者“成了外来党”这些位置状态，Facebook都会让这些信息各归各位，而不是漫天撒网，向其他应用软件四处发布你的信息。这项功能让你的游戏体验更具简便性、互动性，更符合主流趋势。

社交游戏的另一个环节

Facebook Places为游戏和app开发商提供的新选择难以计数，更不用说它为广告商、市场开发商和快闪暴走族活动组织者所提供的大量机遇了。一些软件开发商已经开始将目光瞄准了地理定位API，相关产品推广计划也逐渐浮出水面。

如果你在7-Eleven登陆FarmVille, YoVille和 Mafia Wars游戏的话，会赢得什么奖励呢？Country Story 或者 Social City的玩家可以在现实生活中参加scavenger hunts举办的活动。Bejeweled Blitzers玩家则可以在一些指定的地点找到事先埋藏的“宝藏”（比如说金币）。总而言之，社区游戏与现实生活的接轨在未来还有N种可能。

手机社区游戏SCVNGR是第五个以第三方软件身份加入Facebook Places API的应用软件，它鼓励玩家登陆报名，并通过完成在现实场景中设置的任务赢得奖励。现在这些登陆设置还能与玩家所在的区域挂钩，玩家所在的位置和参与的活动还将被纳入SCVNGR的场景页面中。

商业机遇       除了Facebook游戏和apps新功能外，Facebook Places还为各种公司提供了大量的广告投放机会。相信不久后我们就会看到Facebook Places为地理定位推广所注入的生机，例如推出电影衍生产品、商场折扣券、汽车经销折扣以及各种规模和类型的病毒营销手段。

但是以我个人看来， Foursqaure 和Gowalla 这类第三方应用软件选择与Facebook合作的日子可能会更好过些。我实在很想知道，社区游戏的开发商将如何把自己的产品植入Facebook Places的版图呢？不管怎么说，这已经成为一个趋势，试着习惯它吧。

I’ve never “played” Foursquare, but I have used it. To me, most location based check-in apps (like Foursquare & Gowalla) are more of a novelty than anything. You don’t have to look too hard to find a debate on whether or not this type of geo-caching should be considered a “game” in the standard definition. And recently, the debate has extended to a new location-based realm – Facebook.

The social network’s newest feature, Facebook Places may not be revolutionary, and it’s release brings about all new privacy concerns and polar opinions to the great technological debate.

One thing is clear – Facebook Places is the next logical step, from geo-tagging on Twitter and a barrage of check-in apps, to Starbucks coupons, flash-mob events, and a 24-7 location-fueled generation that demands increased connectivity at every turn.

Like it or not, here are five more-than-valid reasons why Facebook Places matters for social games (and the tech space in general). I’ve also scratched the surface below, with a few ideas on how social game developers might put use the new location feature.

1) Connected to the competition

One can easily see why foursquare would be worried, spreading naysayer thoughts and downplaying the importance of Facebook’s fancy new location feature. If your company just got a new competitor that boasts an astounding 500 million active users (to be fair, 150 million on mobile devices), you’d be quick to shut them up too.

But Facebook Places’ competitors aren’t dead yet (Foursquare just surpassed 3 million users, which would seem huge if I hadn’t just quote the Facebook stats). And its competitors seem to be playing nice so far, partnering with Facebook in third-party relationship style. But you can read plenty about that elsewhere.

2) Already widespread (by default)

To me, this widespreadedness is why Facebook Places is such a win. I always liked the *idea* of foursquare, but not living in a coastal city means most of the folks I know (nearby anyway) have never even heard of it. (Mention Foursquare and people still think of the elementary school ball game.)  That kind of takes the fun out of checking in around town – leaving the occasional chuckle of finding places like “Old Drunky’s, aka Grandma’s House,” as my only real draw. I’m sure it won’t be long before those little gems pop up on Facebook Places too.

Regardless, I’ve been wanting to play along, but Foursquare simply offers limited resources in a widespread, mainstream, national sense. And that doesn’t even cover international users. I may be alone here, but at least I’m honest.

3) Easy to use, free, mainstream

Now, with Facebook Places, my friends don’t have to “play along”, or even download an extra app for me to get the social “juice” I seek from checking in. By default, friends see my location-based updates like any regular Facebook news item. That just makes sense. Before, I’d check in somewhere on Foursquare, and immediately click over to my Twitter iPhone app to reiterate the notion to the majority of my less tech-savvy social network. Of course, you can link Foursquare to Twitter or Facebook to update automatically, but so far I haven’t been compelled to do so. With Facebook Places, I don’t have to.

There are a variety of tweet types (status updates) in any typical user’s feed, but no doubt location updates are a big part of them (whether or not you have or utilize geotagging). For example, “just landed in Boston” or “come to the field party!” Facebook Places puts all that noise back where it belongs – in your feed instead of spread across multiple applications. It makes the check-in “game” easier to use, more social, and more mainstream friendly.

I’m not going to rip into the privacy concerns of checking your friends in, or revealing your exact location for the world to see on Facebook Places. Don’t be a douche about it and you’ll be fine.

4) Another link in the social gaming chain

There is no short way to sum up the new options the Facebook Places presents to game and app developers, not to mention everyone from advertisers and marketers to flash-mob organizers. Some developers have already started using the location-based API to their advantage, and plenty of tie-in ideas come to mind.

What if you could earn special prizes in FarmVille, YoVille or Mafia Wars by checking in at 7-Eleven? Country Story or Social City players could take part in real world scavenger hunts, geo-cache style. Or perhaps Bejeweled Blitzers could find buried treasure (aka coins) in pre-determined locations. Oh there are endless possibilities for a more connected, real-time future of social games…

Mobile-social game, SCVNGR is the fifth third-party app to integrate the Facebook Places API.  SCVNGR lets users check-in and complete challenges at real-world locations to earn rewards, Now those check-ins can be associated with a Place, and activity on the Places page of a location you’re visiting can be pulled back into SCVNGR’s venue pages. (Inside Facebook)

5) New  business opportunities

Beyond new fun features for Facebook games and apps, Places also offers a wealth of new advertising opportunities for any sort of company. It won’t be long before we see Facebook Places breathe new life into location-based promotions – movie tie-ins, retailer coupons, car dealership discounts, and viral marketing efforts of all shapes and sizes.

One early-adopter example is Topguest, which has worked Facebook Places into its travel/hospitality loyalty points offering, now counting Facebook Places among the check-in services that it aggregates, like Foursquare, Gowalla, Loopt and Yelp. (CNET)

How deep does it go? Is Facebook Places another link in the chain towards global social game domination? Or is it another novelty app, destined for ruin via privacy control naysayers and eventually dwindling interest? Does Facebook Places spell certain doom for its competitors? Partnerships with other leading location check-in apps say probably not, but even using a third-party app like Foursqaure or Gowalla will still be better with Facebook support, in my humble opinion. How will social game developers put themselves on the map with Facebook Places? I can’t wait to find out.

However you feel -It’s here, it matters, get used to it.（source：frisky mongoose）