The social game roundup

As web technology improves, games are spreading into places you'd expect, as well as places you wouldn't. Facebook is practically a console, the definition of MMOG is changing and Raph Koster's Metaplace may very well turn everything on the web into a play space.

Tadgh Kelly at Simple Lifeforms was good enough to take inventory of the social games enjoying popularity today. He breaks the scene into eight categories:

• Social RPGs

• Sports RPGs

• Casual games

• Word games

• Virtual villages, or mini virtual worlds

• Casino games

• Just for laughs, or silly games like the versus games on Facebook

• Ownership games

Kelly provides a bunch of examples for each category, and definitely makes for good reading, especially as the media through which games can be played evolve.