Why is Frontierville so Addictive?

I'll admit it. My name is Danie and I'm a Frontierville addict. It started about a month after Frontierville started popping up on my friends' updates. I held off for as long as I could, but on one dark night (not really, but it sounds good) I clicked. The rest is history. I am now sucked in, begging for spitballs and ribeyes and generally annoying everyone else on my friends list.

I find myself asking why I can't pull myself away. Is it the hoedown music? Could it be the oh so cute animals? How about the maddening quests that bring me to the grip of quitting, yet drag me back for just one more try?

The answer to this is that I just do not know. I do know that I am not alone in my addiction. My own friends include college professors, corporate superstars, doctors, nurses and various others who are highly skilled, educated, and search for the elusive nail or hammer to finish their inns. Beyond my small circle lies a small universe of message boards dedicated to trading objects, hints, tricks and unready animals to service. Old and young, smart and, well, not so smart, rich and poor, they all seem to be drawn in on the chance of getting Ms. Wildcat to teach at their school houses.

Zinga, the developer of Frontierville, has hit on a success that no one could have predicted five years ago. They have essentially fashioned a MMORPG, or massive multiplayer online role playing game, that is free of charge and can be mastered in seconds yet can shoulder months of play without seeming old or stale. People can play games with their friends without dedication of too much time. You can put in five or ten minutes or full hours a day and still be an active player. The action is brainless and the tasks are mindless, but there is a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction when quests are mastered and achievements are gained.

So, there you have it. I do not have the answers. The addictive nature could come from the social aspect, the ease of play, the satisfaction from task completion, or just from the feeling that you are doing something when really you are just sitting there staring at pixels on the screen. What ever it is, it is obvious that the popularity is just gaining as more and more people come over from Farmville, Yoville, Mafia Wars and other Zinga all-stars.

You will have to excuse me now. I have snakes to wallop and bears to thump.