I recall beating Donkey Kong Country - Part 1 on my Super Nintendo system back in the day ' no 3D action ' just the old school left-to-right screen adventure. What I recall the most, however, is the feeling of victory and attachment I felt for my little banana eating gorilla friend and his rigorous quest. Video games have come a long way in recent years with innovation on the rise and technological capabilities moving forward at a fabulous pace - especially gaming and its integration into social networking. According to Mashable, about 56 million Americans are currently playing social games'?¦56 million. The opportunity of social gaming is so vast and the chance to reach millions is at our finger tips. Gaming tactics have become so useful when devising the latest marketing strategies and tactics. Social gaming can take on many forms and the creative sky is the limit. We all know that Facebook likes to be a player. We've seen the phenomenon of Farmville and the increase in Facebook gaming applications. Interactive Facebook TABs are also providing brands with plentiful forwarding-thinking opportunities to 'take it to the next level' for their consumers. And of course, there is Foursquare who's undoubtedly a huge player ' with exciting acquisition of badges and points as one visits their favorite restaurant or hot spot ' all done from the daily mobile phone device. The more you get around, the better your status. So why do people like games? Because they are fun, of course! But also, social games engage the consumer and give the brand a chance to come to life and interact with fans. Social gaming is the future...so go ahead, don't feel guilty, be a player!