Location-aware social networks allow you to tell your friends where you are so you can meet up, have a drink, and hang out simply by “checking in” on your smart phone and many apps are increasingly incorporating competitive elements to keep users interested.
One of the newer apps for the iPhone, MyTown, is clever mashup of Monopoly and mobile that pushes Foursquare’s mayorship idea into full-on ownership. The result is an addictive GPS game, reminiscent of Mafia Wars or Farmville on Facebook, that has quickly amassed more users than Foursquare or Gowalla.
How Does It Work?
Like other location-based apps, MyTown draws from the yellow pages listings of known businesses in cities all over the world. So, after you’ve installed the MyTown app to your iPhone (iTunes link), you can check-in wherever you are, shout out to your friends, and start earning in-game cash and “power-ups” at each location. After you’ve earned enough cash, you can then buy your favorite locations, collect rent, and upgrade your properties to increase their value (and rent).
What are power-ups? They range from things like food items like apples, sushi, or shrimp cocktails, which increase your cash or point-bonus on the next check-in, to scratch off lottery tickets which can really boost your bonus. After you achieve a certain number of points, you level-up and unlock more locations to buy.
How Do They Monetize It?
Like Foursquare or Yelp, MyTown lets you unlock real-world discounts and offers at the places you check-in. For example, checking-in at your favorite sandwich shop might result in a 10% discount when you show your MyTown app to the register.
But MyTown’s strategy for achieving profits goes much further than just mobile couponing.
Remember those power-ups I mentioned earlier? MyTown sells them as advertising space to companies like clothing retailer, H&M, or the frozen yogurt chain Red Mango. So you might earn a power-up in the form of a sweater or a scratch-off lottery ticket that is branded with H&M.
And finally, there’s also an in-game store where you can buy special abilities, content packs, and unique items using real money via in-app purchase (you can also buy power-ups using in-game currency).
What Else?
Like many other location-based mobile apps, MyTown has a real issue with GPS accuracy. As a result, gaming the system is way too easy. Checking in at places across town and rapid-fire check-ins (where you check-in at multiple places in a row) are a snap so you can breeze through the game in no time.
After a week of testing the app, I quickly maxed out at Level 40 and was no longer earning points (my app said “MAX POINTS”). I could only buy and upgrade properties at this point, and since property upgrades max out at 11, I quickly lost interest in the game.
The Bottom Line
MyTown is a clever take on a location-based social networking app, but because it is not wholly dependent on your location nor your network of friends, at the end of the day, it’s just a game.
Creative Department’s Rating
(3 out of 5)
