TechCrunch just broke the news that MySpace is joining the OpenSocial coalition, allying itself with Google against Facebook.

How does this relate to Risk, you ask?

Well, it really relates to any Prisoner’s Dilemma situation, wherein parties have more to gain by collaborating than they do by attacking one another (at least at first). The boardgame Risk happens to be the perfect proving ground for Prisoner’s Dilemma.

Facebook’s ATTACK! application is a Flash-based version of the classic Risk boardgame:

… which the author of of this blog has developed a fleeting obsession with briefly. Risk AI opponents rarely offer the level of competition that real humans bring to the table, such as in the ATTACK! application.

Key Risk Strategy: Do *Not* Seem Too Powerful, Too Early

Funnily enough, underdog Facebook here is the force that appeared too powerful for it’s competitors in the social networking arena, Google and MySpace.

Perhaps if Facebook were not growing as fast as it has been, and had not been as aggressive in pushing their Facebook platform (without forming any allies, ala Open Social), then it would not be seen as such a huge threat by Google / MySpace / other Open Social partners.

It’s clear though, all of these social networking companies were on an inevitable crash course race to woo third-party application developers to each of their respective platforms.

Facebook to Become an Ally-less Player — the one Everyone Picks on?

In the game of Risk, the earliest players to go are those who do not form any alliances, and merely attack one another repeatedly, not building up their defenses and reserve armies. The usual winners are those who bide their time, picking up the remnants of other weakened players. (and taking their cards, so as to be able to build even more armies)

It’s too hard to say if this fate will become Facebook. What level of lockin do third-party apps provide?

Probably not as much as it might seem on the surface of things. People usually stay on one social network over another because all of their friends are on that particular site. Also, if there are only 2 dominant platforms (Open Social & Facebook), then developers will likely just build for both.