Rootstech - the 'gamification' of genealogy

Over dinner one night during Rootstech, my companions and I were discussing the path that family history might take in the light of new developments in technology. Someone wondered if there was a way of finding a genealogical application for those Facebook games that seem so popular and so addictive.

The very next day as I was walking through the Expo Hall, I saw the familiar figure of Paul Allen (World Vital Records and Familylink) in the Demo area, announcing the launch of that very thing! In conjunction with Funium, the game of Family Village is now available on Facebook. It has a similar look and feel to games like Farmville, Cityville and so on.

I have to confess that I have no idea how these games work, but they are undeniably popular, and people get very absorbed in them. It will be interesting to see if this one takes off. I am definitely intrigued by the possibilities. Genealogy has made itself at home on TV, radio and online, so why not the world of gaming?