Facebook already utilizes some basic game dynamics to get users interacting with the site, but they have yet to implement any badge service, the most common feature of many social games. That’s what the Badges application attempts to accomplish. In order to earn additional badges, users must complete various tasks throughout Facebook, effectively making them more engaged in the site.
Foursquare has popularized the concept of badges, however the feature is rapidly becoming ubiquitous among many social applications. The new Badges application is focused strictly on this feature. Users can be notified via email or automatically have wall posts displayed which alert them to new badges that they’ve earned based on their Facebook activity.
Right now there are 35 badges which reward users for a number of actions including the following:
- Having more than 250 friends
- Being among the first of your friends to open an account
- Being tagged in more than 500 photos
- Writing 10 or more notes
- Opening more than 3 groups
While I’d assume that these numbers will change as the developer gets more data about what’s average among Facebook users, implementing a basic badge service within Facebook makes a lot of sense. With Facebook preparing to roll out a location feature, integrating badges with the location service could rapidly spell doom for Foursquare.
In other words, the timing on this application is perfect. If you want to receive virtual rewards for your Facebook activity, you should go install the Badges application
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Very nice.
Comment by Ilan Peer — May 24, 2010 @ 6:52 am
like!!
Comment by Amir Yaari — May 24, 2010 @ 7:09 am
Pretty cool! Some badges I should have don't appear but I'll wait to see if they populate (e.g. Have a website, school attended, etc.)
Comment by Eric Rosario — May 24, 2010 @ 7:30 am
I`m not 12 years old anymore, I don`t collect badges.. pretty embarrasing..
Comment by M. Köpsi — May 24, 2010 @ 7:38 am
amir you are number 1
Comment by Gil David Guidetti — May 24, 2010 @ 1:00 pm
Ugh. Another feature that Facebook has ripped off from a competitor. Badges on foursquare are fun because they link the real world to your virtual profile; they're not just to show off that you have more than 250 friends. Why would anyone install this application?
Comment by Jed Singer — May 24, 2010 @ 1:16 pm
Badges, badges? We don need no stinkin badges!
Comment by Guest — May 24, 2010 @ 2:33 pm
Oh, and among the first of your friends to open an account? Their software is so buggy it says my photo was uploaded in 2006 when I actually put it there in 2005. Even their group member numbers keep jumping around from day to day when no one has left or joined.
Comment by Guest — May 24, 2010 @ 2:36 pm
It seems very close to the Foursquare Badges. Even in the design !
Comment by Tiz, Agence Web &agr — May 25, 2010 @ 12:49 am
The page says 'This application was not developed by Facebook', but this article gives the impression that it is.
Comment by vmat — May 25, 2010 @ 3:30 pm
Another silly thing for facebook! Seriously what are we, 2?!
Comment by Bec — May 26, 2010 @ 8:03 am
people didn't join the boy scouts for a reason. the interent continues to get nerdier!
Comment by smokey — May 26, 2010 @ 8:32 am
I hated the boy scouts, and i didn't give a rats butt about badges. Read comment above. Yes, FB is trying to collect 2 yr olds. They're trying to collect any wallet full of money that they can. The earlier the better to get them hooked. None of this stupid crap was on there before 2006, and it was better.
Comment by Guest — May 26, 2010 @ 9:52 am
Just to let you know that this App was NOT developped by Facebook, it's a third-party app that gets access to your data if you install it…
Comment by paul — May 31, 2010 @ 8:19 am
This isn't for 2 years old, its just a way to encourage and reward the facebook users to use facebook functionality even more, with a fun reward system. Of course there's veiled interest being this from facebook, and it's a complete rip off foursquare ones. But as the article say, this isn't new at all, it's being used in most social games, was there with scouts, has been there on forums, and has been widely popularized by the Xbox Achievements as a kind of fun metagame with social features. I think it's pretty cool. Is it an official facebook app though ?
Comment by Benito Pagotto — May 31, 2010 @ 9:45 am
I thought this was about Facebook badges that you can make like @ http://www.buttonshut.com/facebook-badge.html
Comment by Tom Kelly — July 23, 2010 @ 11:53 am
Facebook's success depends greatly on the applications on it. So should Google + project will be very difficult to overturn Facebook if not a perfect app store
Comment by Autozone Locations — September 9, 2011 @ 10:46 pm
i like that idea! all with badge!
Comment by dotgolf — October 19, 2011 @ 5:09 am