“Facebookville” to Let Players Tend to Simulated Facebook Accounts

Zynga, makers of the popular Farmville and Frontierville games on Facebook, announced today the upcoming release of “Facebookville,” a game which would allow players to create and manage their own virtual Facebook account.

“We’re really excited to be bringing all of Zynga’s signature addictive gameplay that — well, we’re letting you play Facebook as a game in Facebook. We’re expecting the same quick adoption as our most recent launch, Frontierville, which blew away all of our previous records.” Said Mark Pincus, CEO of Zynga.

Facebookville will contain many features familiar to users of the “real” Facebook, such as the wall, the ability to send messages and links, and the ability to play games with their friends, such as Scrabble. Players of Facebookville will earn points by gathering friends, whether real or computer-generated, chatting with them, liking their statuses, inviting them to “real-world” events which take place in a special multiplayer section of the game, and sharing photos. Players will have the ability to invite friends from the real Facebook — internally called Facebook Prime by Zynga staff — in order to gain points, photos, and other exclusive items.

Zynga’s fans are very excited. “This looks to be as compelling and original an experience as Farmville AND Frontierville. I’ll be able to write on my virtual friends’ Facebookville wall!” Said Francine Duncan, a self-described Farmville addict.

Facebookville is expected to launch December 20, 2010 in the US, with a world-wide roll-out on January 1. The game will support in-game purchase of items like photographs, events to invite your friends to, and even virtual friends. “This way, even if you don’t have many friends in Facebook Prime, you can lead a full and sociable life with all of the friends you’ll buy in Facebookville. They’ll even actually write on your wall, and respond to the event invitations you send out with something other than ‘blow me, dickwad’.” Said Pincus.

Looking ahead, Zynga has announced plans to make special Facebookville versions of both Farmville and Frontierville. As well, 2012 will see the release of Internetville, a game which will allow players to use a simulated Internet in order to connect to a virtual Facebook, which will have its own artificial Facebookville built into it.

“This is the future.” Said Pincus. “People have never seen gameplay quite like this. They’re going to flip out like the little crack monkeys they are.”