Inside Social Games

Don’t let the name fool you. This game is nothing like what you might think. Sorry, but there no flying cars, no Jetsons, and no space bass. As misleading as it may seem, Facebook game FutureGame does technically deal with the future, just not the distant future. It’s more like 30 seconds from now.

Sufficiently confused? Not surprising. FutureGame is actually a stock market type game, which at first glance seems very drab. Typically, games like this are simulations that let you build a portfolio and try to earn virtual points based on actual stock market data. But while FutureGame does utilize real data, it is nothing like that. The game, believe it or not, is basically a gambling game with a touch of educational value.

Wait… what? Gambling and education in the same sentence?

Okay, the educational aspect isn’t a built in feature, but it is something that should be utilized by players. The game is basically a guessing game in which you predict whether a particular stock, currency, or commodity will go up or down in the next 30 seconds. That’s all the game is about, but here’s the catch: Whenever you make a correct prediction you begin a “streak” and the bigger the streak, the bigger the payout. Yes, payout.

You can actually win cash and prizes. The developers at FutureGame.com offer prizes both daily and monthly for top streaks. For example, this month’s prize is a MacBook, and in order to win, you need to have the highest streak by the end of the month (thus pitting you against both the market and other players). Beyond prizes, there is a fiscal payout for streaks as well (see the image below). Of course, this is where the hard part comes in. You have to physically press the “cash out” button to claim your reward and end your streak. So here is the ever important question: Do you stay all in, or quit while you’re ahead?

Regardless of your choice, you don’t risk anything, which is something that cannot be said about the real stock market at the moment. However, this is where the aforementioned educational value comes into play. While you do have a 50/50 chance of getting something right, playing extensively or learning from real stock market trends may give you a better prediction knowledge. Just as with anything else, the more you practice the more you improve, thus you will start to see patterns, trends, and make better educated assessments, which in turn, increases your winning potential. Of course, you can always rely on luck, but this extra bit of learning certainly couldn’t hurt.

Overall, the game is nothing extravagant, but neither are slot machines (unless you count all the shiny, blinking lights). The key difference here, is you don’t have to put those coins into FutureGame to get a payout. The game is incredibly simple to pick up and play, and terribly, terribly addicting. Granted, the addiction is due in part to the allure of a $10,000 pay out, but also the competitive aspect. Remember, you’re not only competing against the market, but against other people as well for those daily and monthly prizes. It’s like combining eBay with Las Vegas except you’re not losing all your money.

A word of caution however: If you do have people that get addicted to gambling, you may want to keep them away from this app lest they never leave their room again.