The Down-Low About Hi5

I’m guessing the list of what you don’t know about the social networking site Hi5 is long?

Here’s a short resume:

• Not just a social networking site, it’s a social gaming site.
• According to hi5, It’s the 3rd largest social gaming site in the world, after Facebook and MySpace--claiming over 80 million members.
• According to Alexa it’s the 37th most popular website in the world.
• The #1 social network site in over 25 countries.
• The #1 social network site among the Spanish-speaking population.
• It was created in 2003 by Ramu Yalamanchi, and is based in San Francisco. (Yep, THAT San Francisco)

Hi5 has some aspects of Facebook—in fact, it has some aspects of many sites. It is relying on the strength of social gaming for its popularity and growth. You know all those Facebook apps like “Mafia Wars” and “Farmville”? Hi5 relies on those types of games and games found on online gaming sites like Pogo.com. Hi5 rewards you for doing well playing games, giving out coins that are the “currency” for the site.

Like Facebook, you set up your profile and add in your personal information, but unlike Facebook it allows for much more customization of your page through various backgrounds and the ability to create your own avatar (much like setting up your Twitter page, actually). The site is largely advertisement-free.

Hi5 has obviously found a niche with games adding to the social networking user experience. But will it compete in the United States against the likes of Facebook? I can see it being much more attractive that online gaming sites (like Pogo), but trying to be the photo (and music and video) sharing site Facebook has become will be a tough hill to climb. Facebook, in addition to its many other strengths offers games of its own—enough to satisfy those people looking to spend (waste?) time conquering the farm or streets.