Jersey Shore Shows the Benefit of Popular TV Tie-Ins on Facebook

Jersey Shore by MTVN Social Gaming recently appeared on our emerging games list, and continues to grow rapidly. The MTV series counterpart is now closing in on a million monthly active users, all eager for a taste of guido'tastique goodness. A hybrid of role-playing and battling, Jersey Shore allows for a lot of avatar customization, perfect for fans who want to create their own Jersey Shore character. Much like the show, the game is over-the-top, absurd and funny. The game play itself is repetitive, so fans are going to get a lot more from the game than those not familiar with, or repulsed by, the show. The core mechanic is avatar battling: you pit your avatar against those of other players. Every aspect of the application is meant to enhance battles. First, you create an avatar (either custom or one of the cast members from the show) and are then dropped right into a battle. Unlike most Facebook games, battles are not completely automated. You get to choose what abilities to use in a turn-based battle. Immediately, the absurdity of the game kicks in as different abilities allow you to attack or heal using some rather… creative means. Attacks range from throwing an exploding duck, to siccing “Snooki’s Boyfriend.” Everything is styled after the outrageous and zany parts of the show. In addition to attacks, you can also use a turn to heal your avatar using such items as “Bro’Glow” and “Your Mom.” But there really isn’t much strategy to choosing abilities because they only differ in strength, with stronger and more hilarious items costing more. Most weapons are directly taken from the show in some form or another. Fans will also be amused by the comical call backs. Avatars will automatically use purchased abilities when challenged by another player. If your avatar is injured in battle, you will occasionally see a bit of health fall to the ground. You have about three seconds to pick it up and regain some of what you lost. While battling grants some coin and experience, it’s not the primary way to improve your arsenal. This is where the RPG element comes in. You can take on a number of jobs from the show, and repeat them in the traditional Mafia-style fashion; consuming energy as you work. Jobs reward you with decent chunks of money, experience, and the occasional random item. You can earn even more cash and experience through, you guessed it, “G.T.L.” -- Gym, Tan, Laundry -- the holy trinity of the Jersey Shore cast. Each of the three activities takes a set amount of time and energy to complete. The max time, thus far, is about eight minutes. The primary social element is battling other users, but there isn’t a tremendous amount to do with friends directly. But, you can send clothing and battle items to friends. From Jersey Shore-themed outfits to limited edition Halloween costumes, clothes are a big part of avatar customization in the game. In fact, avatar customization is likely to be where fans will have the most fun. There are many, many options to show your guido pride. If you aren't a fan of the show, you probably won't find lasting appeal in Jersey Shore. Fans may not be addicted for long either. The visual style is well done and the comedic elements work, but as you advance in the game, they offer diminishing returns. When you buy a new ability, it’s amusing for a few minutes, but can get old after a while. Jersey Shore is an app for fans of the show who want to mix and match clothes and props to create their own elaborate Jersey Shore avatar and battle personas created by other fans. It makes a lot of references to past episodes, so the uninitiated may feel a bit lost. Also, the core game play, while amusing, is very basic compared to recent Facebook titles. The combination of a specific target audience and fairly repetitive game play are perhaps why the game’s DAU count is roughly one-tenth that of its MAU. It’s fun for a short while, but not something everyone is going to come back to.

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Jersey Shore Shows the Benefit of Popular TV Tie-Ins on Facebook

Christopher Mack

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Christopher Mack