FarmVille fiasco: British child spends $1,375 on his farm
FarmVille is the wldly popular Facebook game created by Zynga.
FarmVille, the social networking game that allows players to tend a virtual farm tcomplete with crops and livestock, is a beloved pastime for many Facebook members, but for one fan it turned into a financial fiasco.
In just two weeks, a child in England spent $1,375 fixing up his “farm,” blowing almost $450 of his own money and putting $959 more on his mother’s credit card, the Guardian reported. The only crop that child is reaping now is his mom’s fury. The mom, who chose to remain anonymous, told the Guardian that FarmVille owner Zynga has refused to give her a refund because the boy shares the same address as the credit card holder.
What did the boy get for his money? Farmville currency is in coins (which you can earn by farming, or buy for around $0.005 per coin) and farm cash, which is much harder to earn but sells for roughly $0.17 per bill. A sample of the prices on Farmville:
- An estate is 600,000 coins, translating to around $3,000 in real money.
- A villa will run you 1,000,000 coins, or $5,000 cash.
- A mighty plantation, however is yours for only 30 in farm cash, or $5.
- You can get a pagoda for 48 in farm cash, which will only set you back about $8.
- And a Banyan tree? A measly $0.51.
You do, however, have to earn the right to make many of these purchases by successfully managing your farm and thereby moving up the ladder of achievement.
What do you think? To farm or not to farm, that is the question. Let us know below!
