Game allows you to succeed in politics without really trying

FiveOneNine games advertises itself as making "fun games with real-world content." As you play, headlines from the real world scroll at the top of the game. Clicking on a headline will take you to the news story in question.

However, when @nccapitol tested out the application, that seemed to be the limit of its "real world" tie. We asked FiveOneNine about how anchored in reality the game actually is.

"The headlines that are part of game play that a player responds to within the game were all based on real headlines that real political candidates have encountered while running for office," said Rachel Kovalev, FiveOneNine's senior marketing manager. She said the headlines were written with the help of a "seasoned newsman." She adds, "Our goal is to give the player as authentic an experience as possible within the realm of a Facebook game and provide a fun, interactive experience at the same time."

The game lets you deploy fundraisers, canvassers and press secretaries to deal with problems your virtual campaign encounters. And there's a social aspect where your campaign can get a boost when you work for other virtual candidates. None of these seems terribly challenging. We won our mayoral campaign pretty handily. 

If Facebook games are your thing, this might appeal. Like applications such as Farmville, you'll be more successful if you hector your friends into signing up and playing. And it appears that you can purchase some success if you're willing to convert real world money into virtual "gold."

As for us, @nccapitol will be pulling the plug on our virtual campaign. Following the real deal is hazardous enough without adding a virtual time waster.