Adam Rafkin has a very opinionated piece on GigaOM – Why Google has no game. It’s an interesting read but I feel like he’s just on the Facebook bandwagon. I remember a time when everyone was on the Google bandwagon and it was Yahoo! who looked like the chump. That’s the way they hype cycle rolls in Silicon Valley.

Adam starts off with quite a stretch.

Real social engagement comes from photo-sharing and chat. I thank Fred Wilson for that insight. It’s why FriendFeed was such a fantastic acquisition for Facebook: because they deeply understand that. Google should start by turning Picasa into a social application. If Google really cares about social engagement, copy Flickr.

As if all else doesn’t count as “real” social engagement. What does Adam mean by “real” social anyway? I’ve heard countless conversations started around social games.

Reading further you get the feeling that Adam just dislikes social games.

Many people are just not into social games. That’s right, half of Facebook users don’t play games, and many users hate games. Plus, the whole gaming ecosystem feels like it’s about to collapse on itself. It’s no wonder that Playdom sold out. For Facebook, games were a means to an end: a way to experiment with the pay-for-application-installs business model long enough to evolve into an advertising unit allowing brands and companies to promote (and pay for “likes” on) their Facebook Pages.

Lesson one of Product Management: Listen to your customer

I got into the social game industry six months ago and I was skeptical like many. Was it all a fad? I hated the viral spam as much as anyone. But social games had already done the impossible – garnered a large woman audience. That’s what intrigued me and the potential for interactive drama. Being a Product Manager I went in with open eyes and was a bit amazed at what I found. Some players actually loved sending virals, it was part of their game play. What was most encouraging though was how passionate some of the players were. Some of the games had become part of their daily lives and they would certainly let us hear it if we tweaked something they liked or were down. That kind of passion is a rarity. It’s what excites me about the medium and keeps me and the likes of  Bing Gordon hopeful for it’s future.

We knock what we don’t understand

A lot of what Adam says reminds me of my friend and manga. My friend grew up on American comics and can’t stand manga because it’s black and white. To him it’s a step backwards, he doesn’t understand why people get so into it. However they do and they’re plunking down millions to feed their hunger.

A frivolous medium

Interestingly both comics and manga were considered frivolous when they began. However through the passion of their audiences and efforts of talented artists they both evolved.

Osamu Tezuka (1928-1989) is the godfather of Japanese manga comics. He originally intended to become a doctor and earned his degree before turning to what was still then considered a frivolous medium. With his sweeping vision, deftly intertwined plots, and indefatigable commitment to human dignity, Tezuka elevated manga to an art form.

-Back cover of Ode to Kirihito

Seeing audiences passion I expect the same evolution for social games.