I've been a big proponent of this methodology - build something people want, the product will have an inherent value.
However companies like Twitter and Zynga are proving that isn't the only methodology out there.
One could argue that Farmville + co solve the problem of "how do I entertain myself"/etc, but that's fairly contrived. Social/Casual games don't solve any problems and are popular mainly because they are addictive (in the same way roulette doesn't solve a problem but makes casinos a lot of money).
I've been a big proponent of this methodology - build something people want, the product will have an inherent value.
However companies like Twitter and Zynga are proving that isn't the only methodology out there.
One could argue that Farmville + co solve the problem of "how do I entertain myself"/etc, but that's fairly contrived. Social/Casual games don't solve any problems and are popular mainly because they are addictive (in the same way roulette doesn't solve a problem but makes casinos a lot of money).