Mob Wars
Encyclopedia
Mob Wars is a multiplayer role-playing game
hosted on the social networking site Facebook
. It allows players to engage in Mafia
-style wars with one another and has become one of the most lucrative Facebook applications and the first to net USD
1M per month in revenue.
However, this number has never been confirmed by the developer or any third parties.
Developed by David Maestri while he worked for Freewebs.com, it was subsequently the subject of an unsuccessful intellectual property
lawsuit as Maestri's former employers attempted to claim ownership over the asset.
The lawsuit was ultimately settled in December 2008 with the IP for Mob Wars remaining with Maestri but with SGN allowed to develop their own Mafia based role-playing application.
At August 2008, Mob Wars had 2.5 million active users.
It has spawned several very similar games with nearly identical gameplay and format on both Facebook
and MySpace
, some of which, such as Zynga's
Mafia Wars
were the subject of further lawsuits. Zynga made some changes to Mafia Wars so it wouldn't resemble Mob Wars as closely, but Mob Wars creator David Maestri moved forward with his lawsuit. In September 2009, Maestri and Zynga settled the case for about $7–$9 million, less than the $10 million Maestri had originally demanded.
In 2009 the developers of Mob Wars created a spin-off
game called Mob Wars: La Cosa Nostra, which follows a similar format, but awards skill points at a much faster pace than the original game.
. There is no world for the player to move around in. The only type of character interaction the player experiences with other players, is either by sending them messages, weapons, and energy boosts, or attacking them. Like many Facebook
applications, most of the gameplay revolves around having friends of the player join the player's mob through means made possible in the game.
The player starts off as a petty thief and works their way up to doing bigger and better paying jobs and heists. The player gains strength by equipping his mob with weapons, armor and vehicles. These can be drops from doing jobs and heists, gifts from friends, or they can be purchased with game money (earned by doing jobs, fighting other players, or as income from investments in properties.)
Favor Points (sub-currency also known as Godfather points) can be used to heal or gain more game money. They are slowly earned as you level up or can be gained quickly by participating in sponsor surveys or off site membership purchases with a credit card.
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
hosted on the social networking site Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. It allows players to engage in Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
-style wars with one another and has become one of the most lucrative Facebook applications and the first to net USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
1M per month in revenue.
However, this number has never been confirmed by the developer or any third parties.
Developed by David Maestri while he worked for Freewebs.com, it was subsequently the subject of an unsuccessful intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
lawsuit as Maestri's former employers attempted to claim ownership over the asset.
The lawsuit was ultimately settled in December 2008 with the IP for Mob Wars remaining with Maestri but with SGN allowed to develop their own Mafia based role-playing application.
At August 2008, Mob Wars had 2.5 million active users.
It has spawned several very similar games with nearly identical gameplay and format on both Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
, some of which, such as Zynga's
Zynga
Zynga is a social network game developer located in San Francisco, United States. The company develops browser-based games that work both stand-alone and as application widgets on social networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace....
Mafia Wars
Mafia Wars
Mafia Wars is a multiplayer Social network game created by Zynga.In Mafia Wars the gamers play as gangsters building their own mafia. The players fight other players online and complete tasks to gain rewards and strength in the game. The game is a freemium game, meaning it is free to play normally...
were the subject of further lawsuits. Zynga made some changes to Mafia Wars so it wouldn't resemble Mob Wars as closely, but Mob Wars creator David Maestri moved forward with his lawsuit. In September 2009, Maestri and Zynga settled the case for about $7–$9 million, less than the $10 million Maestri had originally demanded.
In 2009 the developers of Mob Wars created a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
game called Mob Wars: La Cosa Nostra, which follows a similar format, but awards skill points at a much faster pace than the original game.
Gameplay
Mob Wars is a simple role-playing gameRole-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. There is no world for the player to move around in. The only type of character interaction the player experiences with other players, is either by sending them messages, weapons, and energy boosts, or attacking them. Like many Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
applications, most of the gameplay revolves around having friends of the player join the player's mob through means made possible in the game.
The player starts off as a petty thief and works their way up to doing bigger and better paying jobs and heists. The player gains strength by equipping his mob with weapons, armor and vehicles. These can be drops from doing jobs and heists, gifts from friends, or they can be purchased with game money (earned by doing jobs, fighting other players, or as income from investments in properties.)
Favor Points (sub-currency also known as Godfather points) can be used to heal or gain more game money. They are slowly earned as you level up or can be gained quickly by participating in sponsor surveys or off site membership purchases with a credit card.