NBA takes a cue from Farmville

This week, the NBA is introducing a new game on Facebook called NBA Legend. It lets you create a player avatar, join a team, and then have a simulated career. It’s not an action game, you never shoot or pass or dunk, you just get skills and attributes that can increase the more time you put into it. OR you could always pay a little extra and increase your skills that way.

You know, like real pros don’t.

The NBA, according to the New York Times, is making a big push in social marketing.
But check it out: everyone makes money in this arrangement. From you.

If you spend a lot of time playing the game, both the NBA brand and the advertisements are soaking into your head. If you pay to upgrade, the NBA makes money and Facebook makes a 30% cut of that.