Your article made me think about a notion known in anthropology and ethnology as “Potlatch”. Basically what it’s about is that, in tribal communities, people with social status (e.g. chieftains) hand out gifts (weapons, feasts, trading goods,…) to their subjects not only to enhance existing social ties, but also to confirm their rank above others.

Potlatch is even used to avoid armed conflict between rivalling chieftains or even tribes: “the tribe that gives most goods to the enemy(!) wins”. Sometimes gifts aren’t given, but thrown away (which is one of the reasons why archaeologists find so many Celtic weapons and jewelry in rivers).

The term itself comes from a US native ceremony (https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Potlatch), but can also be found anywhere else in the world (from Maori to Celtic tribes – see for instance http://www.hetsa.org.au/pdf-back/23-A-7.pdf and http://is.gd/hX2hX).

In other words: what Zynga uses in its games, through the gift-giving system of artificially rare goods, is our instinctive urge for social domination and recognition; it goes far beyond “a daily reminder to play”.

What’s the “LE stuff”?

Are there really people who make a point of getting all the new stuff, like decorations?

And the crafting and co-ops – as you say, you have not explored these – but they are interesting …

And one thing you do not mention, but which must be a big source of income, is the way that Zynga bring out new animals and decorations twice weekly (at least) – and there’s a load of folk who have to be the first to get new stuff on their farm.

And the LE stuff – so folk have to buy straight away, or never get it at all …