My wife and I are both hard-core gamers. We play games for all they're worth, often inventing new challenges, and on a few occasions impressing either the game designers or the relevant game communities. We both recently picked up a viral Facebook game, did some analysis and testing to create a near-optimal design, and quickly moved to the top of our local leaderboard. Most of our friends quit playing soon after.
One of the major problems with leaderboards is that they can discourage those who don't have the time, resources, or sk1llz to compete with the top of the (local or global) food chain. Restricting leaderboards to "just your friends" only resolves the issue if everyone on your local list plays at a similar level of seriousness.
One of the major problems with leaderboards is that they can discourage those who don't have the time, resources, or sk1llz to compete with the top of the (local or global) food chain. Restricting leaderboards to "just your friends" only resolves the issue if everyone on your local list plays at a similar level of seriousness.