Speed is, indeed, an important differentiating factor when comparing the two. It has tremendous consequences in various levels (development, distribution, adoption, customer feedback…), as you mentioned.

Yet, speed itself cannot fully explain the reason behind the success (or failure) of social games, or, fully depict the new challenges of selling them. It’s not enough.

Let’s back up a little: When TV came along, radio didn’t die, much like retail games will never die; their audience may change, buyers’ demands and expectations may shift, market share may be lost. And that’s all fine and expected to some degree. To me, the REAL challenge for (selling) social games, given the warp-drive speeds in which they operate, is how soon will it be before they reach their next paradigm…

So, what is the social games’ next paradigm?

Can it be new features (as in new seeds or new buildings in FV, for instance)? Probably not. Too “conventional” or too “retail” thinking. While new features will always be important, there’s got to be something more.

Can it be new distribution? Perhaps…

So, to cut a long story short (too late for that Costa!), it seems to me like their next proving ground will be the level of “immersion” or, in other words, the real-life “experience” players LIVE (games should be “lived”, not just “played”) and real-life emotions players share with real life friends, relatives, even strangers.

For instance, wouldn’t it be great if there was some sort of a …commodities exchange for harvested FV crops? You can immediately sell your crop at a (lower) fixed price, OR, wait and check back often (let me repeat that: check back often!…) in the FV Merc Exchange for getting, PERHAPS, a higher price for your recently harvested crops (stored in your silos—playing along the “buildings with a purpose” theme), as it is constantly adjusted by supply (of global or regional FV farmers) and an artificial (global or regional) demand algorithm!

Now, THAT’s reality!

(BTW, that exchange could trade other virtual commodities, too, like goods, coins for cash, coins for XP, you name it. Did you know that there ARE, as we speak, _REAL_ eBay auctions with _REAL_ cash involved for “50 untraceable phones” for Mafia Wars??? Why send those people to eBay when Zynga can keep this trading to itself?)