Toby in action on Parking Wars
I had a quiet go on Parking Wars the other day and am now hooked.
So what’s going on?
It’s a social game that obeys some of my great app principles (top secret for now):
- turn based - I can play against friends who are in different time zones
- quick to move - a move takes a few clicks and I’m done. I can “get away with” a quick turn just before I pop out for a lunch break
- uses the network effect - gets better the more friends I have who play, I have more places to park for a start
- unlockable rewards - I enjoyed explaining its badges system to a colleague
- can see how I’m doing - yay I’m already a Parking Pro after only a few days.
- simple simple simple - it really is
- raid and reward - I can quietly park on non-active users streets and avoid a ticket - thank you Joshua March for not playing today ;o)
Parking Wars has made the headlines in the social media world because it is a great example of a branded app that has been a success on Facebook (160,000 Daily Active Users). It advertises a TV show of the same name.
For those of you who think Facebook is just a work tool you can see Parking Wars’ daily usage charts going back to its launch last December and you’ll find you were right. A dip in active usage every weekend…
