What You Could Learn from Mafia Wars

Now before you say it, yes I know: You either love it or hate it. But whether or not you’re a fan of this remarkable brainchild of Zynga Games, there is one thing you cannot deny – you know about it.

Now to most, Mafia Wars is the conveyor of those annoying messages on Facebook and Twitter, telling us we’ve received a “gift” and that “you should give me a gift too!” Well I’ve been on that side of the alley too, an innocent bystander amongst all the shooting and looting that seems to be going on. But now that I’ve crossed the road, I have to urge you to take a look at it as well.

Zynga has created something in Mafia Wars that every would-be marketing guru would give their eye teeth for: fans who are not just loyal to the product, but rabid, passionate, and addicted. Let’s face it, when was the last time one of your subscribers woke up in the middle of the night to sneak a peek at your website?

It’s free to everyone. There is no loss of enjoyment to those who would never spend a dime on the product.

It has action. You get to commit crimes not usually tolerated in polite society.

It is mildly challenging to learn. There is no rule book, but the game is highly intuitive. Players spend the first several hours learning how to play as they move up, which is intriguing and, because you are rewarded for your trials and errors, also quite addictive.

It has collections. Weapons, armor, vehicles, loot, and bonuses. Each item uniquely crafted, with a viewing area where you can sit back during lunch and gloat about how much you have. Seriously. I know people who play the game only for the collections. Every week there are new items, slightly better than the week before, and you collect more items for filling your collections of cigars, medals, tropical fish, etc. etc.

Special items come with time, or at a premium. While you can do very well in the game without spending money, players have to wait several hours between levels, until their energy reserves are restored (at about a point every three minutes) to continue the action. For those who want to keep going, they can buy new reserves, (or special collectors items). However the premium they pay is only about two dollars. Like a cheap slot machine, its dirt cheap, but – again – highly addictive.

Networking! What you cannot do well, is play the game without any friends. Sure, you can buy artificial friends for a few bucks, but where the fun and dynamics of the game come into play is inviting your friends. You get bonuses for giving them weapons, and bonus energy packs. And when you give them these things, it is announced to the world that you’re doing it. The product rewards its customers for advertising and for engaging others in discussions about the product.

When was the last time  you rewarded your customers like that?

Tagged as: mafia wars