Had John Mayer known one tweet was all it would take for “Words with Friends” to create such a frenzy, he’d have bought shares to Zynga (formerly Newtoy, Inc.) before raving about a virtual unknown. The popular singer drove a horde of followers searching for ways to download the game --- within seconds after tweeting, “Words with Friends is the new Twitter”.
Before that, things didn’t come up roses for Zynga. In fact, it seemed to take too long for twenty-somethings to get wind of Words with Friends. Whereas the game was originally developed to create a buzz as a mobile phone app for a massive iPhone and the Android market, Words with Friends seemed close to fizzling with unmet expectations.
With the prodigious endorsement, however, a wave of interest surged, resurrecting hopes among Zynga executives. From the initial iPhone & Android market, they licensed a version for Facebook, ensuring the Lazarus effect of a redo of the classic board game, Scrabble.
In no time, Words for Friends likewise resurrected all the fun that baby boomers remember while offering the unequivocal candor of new age peer-to-peer challenge. It must have struck many tech savvy teeners as a refreshing break from elaborate video games. Without a doubt, one definitive appeal of Words with Friends is its simplicity.
One bonus comes from the fact that opponents never feel that the game is intrusive. A notification system simply alerts an opponent that it’s their turn. And with time as the new currency, returning to the game when it is most convenient for the player earns additional brownie points to a time-tested classic.
This laid back approach to social network games also works pretty much like Scrabble. Beat your opponents with words formed using lettered tiles. The resulting latticework may either show word acumen or verbal ineptitude. Rarely does it matter, though. The paramount thing is to connect with a friend.
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