Social Gaming 101: Welcome to the Life

Platinum Life that is. Hopefully, you checked out my initial review of Heatwave Interactive’s new game Platinum Life. Whether you have or haven’t, you might be wondering what’s the deal with social gaming and why should you let this latest entry become your new productivity killer.

Unless you’ve been doing your best Luddite imitation, you’ve heard at least a few tidbits about social gaming. One factoid is the ease of play. Social games have simple rules and gameplay that makes them accessible for even the most inexperienced gamer. However simplicity does not a game make. It has to be engrossing with an interesting angle and incentive to play.

In Platinum Life, players are tasked with working their way up the fame ladder to the upper echelons of superstardom as either a rapper, emcee, or vocalist. You start in the seedy clubs honing your skills, building your fame and cred while dealing with the drama that comes with the territory. With a simple push of the button you’re either rocking the party or getting ridiculed for your unbelievable wackness. Combine that with the catchy beats playing in the background and before you know it, you’ve spent an hour or so working to get your first mixtape made, sign that first record deal, and cop your first house.

A common misconception people have about social games is that there’s no strategy. At first glance, it looks like you can make it to the next level if the player just keeps pushing the button. If you try that in Platinum Life, you’ll be up the creek quick, fast, and in a hurry. The smart gamer’s strategy starts with their gear. With every piece of clothing, facial expression, and hair style affecting your performance points, you have to balance style with strategy. Choosing low-rated gear and it’ll be that much harder to master a venue and build your fame meter.

Speaking of the meters, you definitely want to keep an eye on that juice meter. Button mashing all but guarantees a short game. Every performance means your avatar has to expend some juice and with every venue costing juice, you want to be sure that you have the skills to pay the bills. Attempting to play a gig that’s out of your league not only wastes juice that could have been better spent on a spot that’s more your speed, you also dent your cred level and you don’t earn any fame. Enough ill-advised performances and you’ll be on the sidelines waiting for your character’s juice to rejuvenate, meanwhile your  friends are climbing the fame ladder, leaving you in the dust.

Your assets also play a big part in the game. There’s a cost of fame and in Platinum Life the cost translates into your gig. Every performance has a setup cost and guess who has to pay? If you’re not doing to well with the shows, it pays to have a few businesses under your belt to keep some guaranteed revenue coming in. You’re also going to need that extra guap for high level equipment, clothing, and of course that mansion. Choose wisely though, even though some properties are cheaper than others they also have a smaller payout and a shorter window of profitability. It might be in a player’s best interest to build up their level and their paper and buy some of the pricier assets.

So there you have it, a quick intro to the Life. I’m at level 8 right now, come join me and maybe you can battle or if you’re dope enough, maybe you can join my entourage.

About the Author
Sherri is a freelance writer that has a love of all things fun and geeky including gadgets, gaming, anime, and comics. When she isn't writing or out on the town living it up, she loves doing 10-12 hour marathon sessions on her Xbox 360 or one of her older consoles. It's not an addiction, it's a way of life!
See all posts by Sherri L. Smith.