Facebook Credit Gift Cards to Go on Sale Throughout Various Target Stores in the USA

The decision for Facebook to launch its own series of game gift cards would not have been a difficult one. With an expected $86.2 billion up for grabs throughout the prepaid gift card market this year (as predicted by Mercator Advisory Group), it is logical that the social network site should venture into this potential goldmine.

There is something slightly strange about the latest offering from Facebook insofar as it is a tangible, corporeal entity, which can be physically felt and bought over the counter in a human – human interaction.

The cards will be available from the 5th of September throughout the Target stores, the penetration of which is extensive; the company has 1743 stores situated in 49 of the 51 United States of America. The electronics and home goods store is already well versed in the sale of game cards, offering over 30 various credit gift cards for online gaming.

The availability of credit gift cards will appeal to those who remain suspicious of online transactions; the opportunity to revert to traditional pre-internet purchase methods will alleviate the existing reservations of many relating to the divulgence of one's bank details online.

The cards are manufactured by GMG Entertainment, the group responsible for the design of Apple's iTunes vouchers. Despite the growing numbers of “social” online gamers, it is hard to envisage the Facebook gift cards enjoying levels of success similar to those experienced by their iTunes equivalent.

In keeping with the iTunes comparison, the Facebook cards are available in a small variety of denominations, including $15, $25, and $50 values. The alternative means of payment is currently compatible with more than 150 online games and applications accessible through Facebook. These include the ever-increasingly popular FarmVille, a game in which after signing up for free, users are encouraged to fork out their well-earned virtual – yet no less real – cash on crops, barns and various other pastoral detritus. Scintillating stuff.

The game was featured in various news stories recently when it was discovered that a Bulgarian councillor was sacked over an alleged addiction to the online world of farming. His bucolic bungle, although an exaggerated and particularly absurd example, is indicative of the growing social tendency toward online addiction, and the further penetration of social media into the professional domain.

The heightened presence of social media within the office environment has in fact led to a focused addressing of the issue by various companies; some embrace it while others forbid it. Although many firms place their faith in the capacity of such sites to enhance their company's online presence, as well as promoting their brand within the 21st century marketplace par excellence, many remain wary of the detrimental and distracting effects of Facebook & co. on the productivity of staff.

In any case, prepare to witness hordes of office staff scratching away their FarmVille gift cards on their lunch break, competing against rival departments in the race to create the farm of the firm. The prize? Probable unemployment.