Spend those free Facebook Credits before they expire Feb. 15

You freeloaders better get to spending fast, because any Facebook Credits received for free from Facebook will expire Feb. 15. The company has been doling out Credits for about six months as it solidified five-year exclusivity deals with several developers including Zynga, Playfish and Playdom. All Facebook reports that the social network is killing the free credits because the idea behind the promotions was to spur in-app (ahem, in-game) spending, not hoarding.

However, Inside Facebook reports that this change will only effect a small number of the lazier folks to receive promotions. All Facebook guesses that this implies that Credits will only be removed from accounts that have yet to long into a Facebook app since receiving the free Credits. Of course, this has yet to be seen.

Clearly this all ties back into Facebook's July 1 deadline for all applications on the platform, including games, to use Facebook Credits as their one and only currency. Console gamers will already be used to this type of transition given how many of you are used to buying games and expansion packs through services like the Xbox Game Marketplace and the PlayStation Store. But for terribly non-traditional gamers on Facebook, the company is doing everything it can to educate them in time for the change.

Even if you're a frequent Facebook gamer, I would recommend spending those free Credits as soon as possible to play it safe. Refilling the old Energy bar once or twice never hurt anyone, huh? Or maybe it's time to indulge in one of those lovely Unwither Rings.

Social games will help Facebook become Facebank by 2015

According to Metal International founder and president Ken Rutkowski, social games will boost Facebook Credit sales and account holdings more than anything else on the platform, TechWorld reports. But that's not all, Rutkowski believes that thanks to social games, Facebook and its Credits platform could become the largest bank in the world by 2015. If you use the term loosely, he might have a point, but Rutkowski is completely serious. "Facebook will be the largest bank by 2015," Rutkowski said. "I hear you say 'how can they be a bank' what's going on?"

TechWorld reports that Rutkowski believes Facebook is already making deals with major, real banks to bring credit profiles to Facebook. Wait, that's still not outlandish enough for him:

    In China and a lot of the Asian areas right now that is becoming a massive revenue source and that currency is going to start spreading and Facebook is doing deals with banks around the world right now to create an exchange mechanism. Why is its important to have a profile? They are going to start using that to determine what your credit worthiness is.

Did he just say that banks will use our Facebook profiles in replace of credit scores? So let's get this straight. Facebook shopping will be so widespread and ingrained into our culture in just four years that Facebook profiles will be used to gauge our eligibility to, say, get a loan? And it's all thanks to our rampant crop harvests in FarmVille spiking Facebook Credit sales?

While it's tough to dismiss his background--Rutkowski launches about 1 thousand companies a year through his Founders Institute in Los Angeles, Calif.--to say that Facebook will literally become an online-only bank through Facebook Credits in just four years is hasty. Though, I can't wait to see if he was right come 2015. I can see it now: "Facebank."

[Image Credit: Long Straws]

What do you think of Rutkowski's outlandish predictions for Facebook and games? If you had a choice, would you want to do your banking through Facebook?