YoVille sounds like some kind of Haribo rip-off, or possibly a rather sugary yoghurt. It's actually an online metropolis buried away in the deepest, darkest depths of Facebook.
Users get a customisable avatar and apartment, a limitless supply of water balloons and the trot of the town.
There's no monthly subscription or up-front cost - all you need to join is a Facebook (or failing that MySpace) account. A few bits of avatar gear and apartment furniture cost real-world cash, but you needn't fork out a penny unless you absolutely crave a virtual Tiki bar.
As part of an on-going crusade to sort the best social networking services from the rest, your courageous correspondent spent a whole 12 hours prying into YoVille's secrets.
GameZone: "YoVille has been saved! Big Viking Games and Zynga have officially reached an agreement to transfer ownership of YoVille back to the original developer."
GameZone writes, "As sad as Bliss' video was, it's nothing compared to the story of Amanda, who in 2010 was broken, felt alone, and was an outcast, even in her own family. YoVille was her place to make friends, build relationships, and of course still have fun and be mischevious, as a 13 year old should. She discusses some of the more shady things she's been a part of, like not handing out prizes for pageants, or having her friend somehow hack items and coins into the game, but hey, I was 13 once too."
GameZone reacts to the passionate response of YoVille players and Zynga's decision to shut the game down.
