Is a Farmville for Dummies book really necessary?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Internet, Video Games

How do you justify the existence of a book that lays out the concept and strategy to succeed in Farmville? Especially when there are sites that can help you free of charge. Co-author Kyle Orland of Farmville for Dummies sat down with Ars Technica to make an argument for putting the casual Internet game into layman's terms.

"Sure, Farmville isn't a particularly difficult game—it practically holds your hand in telling you how to play, and there's a limited amount of strategy to playing," Orland told Ars. "Some of the sections of the game—especially the farmer's market and some aspects of animal tending—require multiple, time-lapsed steps to complete successfully, and the game only gives one screen of text-heavy explanation for how to go about them."

So the book breaks down the game into a guide you can follow step by step. Meanwhile, the game merely breaks down the basics of planting, growing, and harvesting in a two-minute tutorial. While I can understand how some may get frustrated without further prompting and learning some of the nuances, half the fun is in the exploration. However, intimidation may hold most players back, since this is a game designed for people who aren't gamers. There's also the added comfort of having everything you need to get started at your finger tips, rather than trolling the Internet for your all-in-one guide.

Farmville for Dummies is currently available for pre-order and will be released on February 22. The book is comprised of six basic parts that highlight "Basic Farming", "Seeking Your Farmville Fortune", "Expanding Your Reach", "Embracing Farmville Fame and Community", "Staying Safe and Up-to-Date on Farmville", and "The Part of Tens" (exploring top ten items, crops, and more of Farmville). A preview is currently available on Amazon.

This article, written by Natalie Shoemaker, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc..