Well, if it wasn't for the loading issues FarmVille is suffering as of this writing, you'd already be slopping it up in the Pig Pen. FarmVille Feed has confirmed that the new Pig Breeding feature is slowly rolling out to players. After just a week of leaks, the new feature was released at just around the same time the game started to experience issues. (Coincidence? Possibly.) Players will be able to use the same Sheep Breeding techniques on Pigs to create colorful combinations and share them with their friends. The Market also has a Purple Boar available for 30 Farm Cash, but we doubt that's part of the Goals that will likely come with the new Pig Pen. Regardless, expect Pig Breeding to start not long, if instantly, after the game is restored.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Did you receive the Pig Breeding feature before the game glitched out? Do you expect to find yourself breeding Pigs or Sheep more once the feature releases?
Great Site to Earn From Home
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Thoroughbred Prince Horse, Crystal Trees et al.
If you play like me, you probably don't even have the Farm Cash to cover these new FarmVille items. Regardless, Zynga presses on with an update of regal proportions to match its expected price tags. First is the Thoroughbred Horse Prince, a fine steed dressed in royal garb that FarmVille Feed expects to cost between 24 and 26 Farm Cash. Join us behind the break for a look at four more items headed to FarmVille soon enough.
Pink and Purple Crystal Trees
These Crystal Trees, available in Pink and Purple, are likely coming to FarmVille in an update this week or next, according to FarmVille Feed. The fan website also estimates that they'll cost between 5 and 10 Farm Cash. As you can see from the screen shot, some of the artwork (note the Mastery signs) is unfinished, so these items could come later rather than sooner. Regardless, they'll probably sprout up from Mystery Seedlings before you even have to pay for them.
White Shire Horse
Finally, we come to the White Shire Horse. A majestic, snowy equine beauty. OK, let's not get too dramatic, but she is quite a pretty piece of art. According to FarmVille Feed, this horse will be released through the next upcoming Mystery Game. Good luck scoring this one once it releases.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Which of these items are you most excited to see in the game? Would you consider buying any of them for your farm?
Pink and Purple Crystal Trees
These Crystal Trees, available in Pink and Purple, are likely coming to FarmVille in an update this week or next, according to FarmVille Feed. The fan website also estimates that they'll cost between 5 and 10 Farm Cash. As you can see from the screen shot, some of the artwork (note the Mastery signs) is unfinished, so these items could come later rather than sooner. Regardless, they'll probably sprout up from Mystery Seedlings before you even have to pay for them.
White Shire Horse
Finally, we come to the White Shire Horse. A majestic, snowy equine beauty. OK, let's not get too dramatic, but she is quite a pretty piece of art. According to FarmVille Feed, this horse will be released through the next upcoming Mystery Game. Good luck scoring this one once it releases.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Which of these items are you most excited to see in the game? Would you consider buying any of them for your farm?
Gameloft rockets N.O.V.A. iOS shooter game onto Facebook
Remember our little chats about 3D gaming on Facebook? Well, this is what we were talking about. Gameloft has launched N.O.V.A., its popular iOS first-person shooter series, on Facebook. Titled N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance Elite, the game throws you into a galactic battle for the livelihood of Earth ... or something like that. The free-to-play social game expectantly runs on the Unity Engine, as do most 3D games on Facebook, and already has a virtual goods shop available. This marks Gameloft's, normally a mobile phone developer, third game on Facebook. And boy, is it a strong (looking) one.
"For over 10 years, Gameloft has established itself as the leading developer on all mass-market platforms for downloadable video games," Gameloft president Michel Guillemot said. "With this in mind, we've expanded our reach to include games for social networks. This also illustrates our resolve to be closer to our fans on all platforms of their choosing."
According to Digital Trends, the game is heavily inspired by Microsoft's Halo series, which is most definitely apparent. However, to say it's a rip-off would probably be selling it short entirely too early. Isn't it difficult enough for a sci-fi-themed shooter game to avoid the all-too-easy Halo comparison? We'll be the judge of whether N.O.V.A. dodges the Halo bullet in our preview, so stay tuned.
[Video Credit: Gameloft]
Are you psyched to try out this game on Facebook? Do you think N.O.V.A. will establish a traditional gameplay type well enough for it to stick (and where others have failed)?
"For over 10 years, Gameloft has established itself as the leading developer on all mass-market platforms for downloadable video games," Gameloft president Michel Guillemot said. "With this in mind, we've expanded our reach to include games for social networks. This also illustrates our resolve to be closer to our fans on all platforms of their choosing."
According to Digital Trends, the game is heavily inspired by Microsoft's Halo series, which is most definitely apparent. However, to say it's a rip-off would probably be selling it short entirely too early. Isn't it difficult enough for a sci-fi-themed shooter game to avoid the all-too-easy Halo comparison? We'll be the judge of whether N.O.V.A. dodges the Halo bullet in our preview, so stay tuned.
[Video Credit: Gameloft]
Are you psyched to try out this game on Facebook? Do you think N.O.V.A. will establish a traditional gameplay type well enough for it to stick (and where others have failed)?
FarmVille Scam Alert: Obvious Giant Cream Egg Tree scam is obvious
Giant Cream Egg Scam
They're everywhere! Phony Giant Cream Egg Trees are running rampant through FarmVille. Well, at least scammers offering free ones are. FarmVille Freak has found the next big FarmVille scam, offering free Giant Cream Egg Trees. Wait, isn't the item offered through the Market called a Giant Spring Egg Tree? Exactly. These scammers don't seem to do their homework, but does it really matter? Aren't people going to click on it anyway simply because it reads "Free" somewhere on it? Not if you can help. Spread the word to your friends and those affected that this is a scam and they should get their computers checked out immediately. Problem solved ... for now.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our Easter 2011 coverage right here.
Have you seen this scam circulating through your News Feed? How do you think Zynga should handle what's arguably become a serious issue?
They're everywhere! Phony Giant Cream Egg Trees are running rampant through FarmVille. Well, at least scammers offering free ones are. FarmVille Freak has found the next big FarmVille scam, offering free Giant Cream Egg Trees. Wait, isn't the item offered through the Market called a Giant Spring Egg Tree? Exactly. These scammers don't seem to do their homework, but does it really matter? Aren't people going to click on it anyway simply because it reads "Free" somewhere on it? Not if you can help. Spread the word to your friends and those affected that this is a scam and they should get their computers checked out immediately. Problem solved ... for now.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our Easter 2011 coverage right here.
Have you seen this scam circulating through your News Feed? How do you think Zynga should handle what's arguably become a serious issue?
Family Village game on Facebook pushes privacy boundaries
Everyone is fascinated by the concept of learning more about their family roots. Case in point: NBC's Friday night reality show 'Who Do You Think You Are,' where celebs such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Kim Cattrall and Steve Buscemi dig deep into their family's past while America watches.
Now, there's a new Facebook game from Funium -- Family Village -- that's designed to do the same for you. There's a catch, though. You're required to give up some serious personal information in order to uncover any new family info. I'm not talking about things like your hometown and birthday, but things like your parents name, place of birth, birthdays, etc. It's necessary info to properly play the game, but it also inadvertently reminds me of the numerous phishing scam emails I get every month.
Family Village works like this: Create an avatar in a virtual village (much like you'd see in FarmVille or any other Facebook game) and then move your parents and other relatives into your town, assign them a place to live and give them jobs so they can earn coins which can, in turn, be used to upgrade your town with new buildings, roads, etc. The game is driven by a series of tasks -- many of which require you to enter people's birthdays and other personal info.
Gallery: Family Village on Facebook
As you enter your relatives' info, the game will pull up old articles, census data or other bits of information that may be relevant to your family. You can check it out and then determine whether the information is relevant or not. If so, you can save the info (or print it out), then continue populating your village with the rest of your family tree, and, ideally, uncovering more information as time moves on.
Admittedly, the concept of a game that helps you discover your roots is a fascinating one, but with the recent reports that Facebook plans to cash in on users' personal information more than ever, the Family Village's release couldn't really come at a worse time.
And, even though the Funium gives the generic promise to take 'great care to protect your family information inside Family Village' and says its 'servers are located behind firewalls' -- that's not really saying much, especially in the digital age wracked with headlines about supposedly secure Android apps exposing personal information and recent Capital One, JP Morgan Chase and Best Buy hacks doing the same.
Family Village: Are you OK with handing out that much personal info?
Yes -- I trust that it's safe.On the fence.No -- better safe than sorry.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
UPDATE 4/22: Funium's general council gave us this official statement on the game's privacy:
"Privacy is of key importance to Funium as well as its players. Please understand that Funium does not share anyone's information with Facebook. Rather it is Facebook that shares the user's information with us. The relationship is one-way. And, unless the user specifically allows it, no one visiting your village can see anything but first names and last initials for villagers. We allow users to share their family tree with other family members but it is the player who determines who their family tree is shared with, not Funium."
Now, there's a new Facebook game from Funium -- Family Village -- that's designed to do the same for you. There's a catch, though. You're required to give up some serious personal information in order to uncover any new family info. I'm not talking about things like your hometown and birthday, but things like your parents name, place of birth, birthdays, etc. It's necessary info to properly play the game, but it also inadvertently reminds me of the numerous phishing scam emails I get every month.
Family Village works like this: Create an avatar in a virtual village (much like you'd see in FarmVille or any other Facebook game) and then move your parents and other relatives into your town, assign them a place to live and give them jobs so they can earn coins which can, in turn, be used to upgrade your town with new buildings, roads, etc. The game is driven by a series of tasks -- many of which require you to enter people's birthdays and other personal info.
Gallery: Family Village on Facebook
As you enter your relatives' info, the game will pull up old articles, census data or other bits of information that may be relevant to your family. You can check it out and then determine whether the information is relevant or not. If so, you can save the info (or print it out), then continue populating your village with the rest of your family tree, and, ideally, uncovering more information as time moves on.
Admittedly, the concept of a game that helps you discover your roots is a fascinating one, but with the recent reports that Facebook plans to cash in on users' personal information more than ever, the Family Village's release couldn't really come at a worse time.
And, even though the Funium gives the generic promise to take 'great care to protect your family information inside Family Village' and says its 'servers are located behind firewalls' -- that's not really saying much, especially in the digital age wracked with headlines about supposedly secure Android apps exposing personal information and recent Capital One, JP Morgan Chase and Best Buy hacks doing the same.
Family Village: Are you OK with handing out that much personal info?
Yes -- I trust that it's safe.On the fence.No -- better safe than sorry.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
UPDATE 4/22: Funium's general council gave us this official statement on the game's privacy:
"Privacy is of key importance to Funium as well as its players. Please understand that Funium does not share anyone's information with Facebook. Rather it is Facebook that shares the user's information with us. The relationship is one-way. And, unless the user specifically allows it, no one visiting your village can see anything but first names and last initials for villagers. We allow users to share their family tree with other family members but it is the player who determines who their family tree is shared with, not Funium."
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Zynga IPO leads social games investment spree; will the bubble burst?
Zynga is poised to present its multi-billion dollar IPO in a matter of days, PopCap is looking to do the same (much later), and countless developers are being bought, sold and invested in daily. Frankly, it's crazy town in the social games business these days.
For instance, as Zynga prepares to become at least the second most valuable game company globally compared to EA and Activision Blizzard (if not the most valuable), Google leads an $85 million investment in Kabam, creator of 'hardcore' social games like most recently Global Warfare, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
All the while, Finnish developer Supercell has raised $12 million using a similar strategy, VentureBeat reports. If that wasn't enough, Turkish developer Peak Games just raised a cool $5 million to make more games for the Turkish, Middle Eastern and North African market, according to the Wall Street Journal. Crazy town, we say, but will things ever calm down?
With estimates that social gaming will soar to become a $5 billion industry by 2015, probably not anytime soon. Though, as history has told us, it has to happen at some point. Social games have become a major component to what I call the "Internet Bubble 2.0" with the likes of Facebook, Google and Twitter gobbling up companies and raking in the dough. You'd think with this many investments and buyouts flying around, the social games industry would have to reach a breaking point soon, but nay.
Zynga IPO
These companies are just getting started. Most social game developers haven't even used Facebook to its full potential, as we've heard many designers cry out. Not to mention even Zynga hasn't achieved its long-term goals like mobile dominance, and Google's rumored social games service isn't here yet. Until another company can effectively compete on Zynga's level--and truly over-saturate the space--expect your favorite social games companies to be around for a long time. Well, at least until 2015, if we all make it that far.
[Image Credits: All Things D, Richard Heeks]
When do you think the social games money madness will cease? Will it take a company to compete with Zynga head on for that to happen, or will something else like, say, public disinterest bring Zynga and the like down from Cloud 9?
For instance, as Zynga prepares to become at least the second most valuable game company globally compared to EA and Activision Blizzard (if not the most valuable), Google leads an $85 million investment in Kabam, creator of 'hardcore' social games like most recently Global Warfare, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
All the while, Finnish developer Supercell has raised $12 million using a similar strategy, VentureBeat reports. If that wasn't enough, Turkish developer Peak Games just raised a cool $5 million to make more games for the Turkish, Middle Eastern and North African market, according to the Wall Street Journal. Crazy town, we say, but will things ever calm down?
With estimates that social gaming will soar to become a $5 billion industry by 2015, probably not anytime soon. Though, as history has told us, it has to happen at some point. Social games have become a major component to what I call the "Internet Bubble 2.0" with the likes of Facebook, Google and Twitter gobbling up companies and raking in the dough. You'd think with this many investments and buyouts flying around, the social games industry would have to reach a breaking point soon, but nay.
Zynga IPO
These companies are just getting started. Most social game developers haven't even used Facebook to its full potential, as we've heard many designers cry out. Not to mention even Zynga hasn't achieved its long-term goals like mobile dominance, and Google's rumored social games service isn't here yet. Until another company can effectively compete on Zynga's level--and truly over-saturate the space--expect your favorite social games companies to be around for a long time. Well, at least until 2015, if we all make it that far.
[Image Credits: All Things D, Richard Heeks]
When do you think the social games money madness will cease? Will it take a company to compete with Zynga head on for that to happen, or will something else like, say, public disinterest bring Zynga and the like down from Cloud 9?
Resident Evil producer to board social game bandwagon in Japan
"Next stop, money!" said the questionable man in a gold-threaded suit as he yanked the social games bandwagon away from Street Fighter-creator Capcom's offices in Osaka, Japan. Keiji Inafune, one of the many ingenious minds behind iconic franchises like Resident Evil and Mega Man, revealed to Bloomberg that he has a social game set to release in Japan this summer.
Inafune joins Tecmo Koei, Square Enix and Sega as Japanese game developers that decided to board the social games train in hopes of making some serious cash. Not to mention executives from companies like Tecmo Koei getting up and running to money makers such as Zynga for the same reason.
The dejected developer claims that the shortsightedness of traditional publishers and developers (ahem, Capcom?) to not include developers in big decisions will cause them to fall behind social game giants like Zynga, Bloomberg reports. If you hadn't guessed already, Inafune left Capcom in Oct. 2010 due to managerial disputes, and has since founded two game companies: Comcept and Intercept.
One of which, we imagine, is working on this social game. And if we had to guess, it will release either on Gree or DeNA's MobageTown mobile network. And according to Bloomberg, the developer could release the game as early as this, so consider us here in the states "jelly," Japan.
[Via/Image Credit: Siliconera]
How do you think Inafune will fare on his own not only with his two companies, but in social games? Do you this trend of traditional developers fleeing to Facebook continuing much longer?
Inafune joins Tecmo Koei, Square Enix and Sega as Japanese game developers that decided to board the social games train in hopes of making some serious cash. Not to mention executives from companies like Tecmo Koei getting up and running to money makers such as Zynga for the same reason.
The dejected developer claims that the shortsightedness of traditional publishers and developers (ahem, Capcom?) to not include developers in big decisions will cause them to fall behind social game giants like Zynga, Bloomberg reports. If you hadn't guessed already, Inafune left Capcom in Oct. 2010 due to managerial disputes, and has since founded two game companies: Comcept and Intercept.
One of which, we imagine, is working on this social game. And if we had to guess, it will release either on Gree or DeNA's MobageTown mobile network. And according to Bloomberg, the developer could release the game as early as this, so consider us here in the states "jelly," Japan.
[Via/Image Credit: Siliconera]
How do you think Inafune will fare on his own not only with his two companies, but in social games? Do you this trend of traditional developers fleeing to Facebook continuing much longer?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: GagaVille Chrome Pegasus, Irish Strawberry, Chinese Cherry Trees
You may think these three unreleased FarmVille items are completely unrelated, but perhaps you forgot the awesome factor? I mean, what goes better with a metallic flying horse than some delicious Irish strawberries or some succulent Chinese cherries? Nothing, that's what. (Work with me here, folks.) FarmVille Feed has found three new unreleased items: the Chrome Pegasus, the Irish Strawberry Tree and a Chinese Cherry Tree. The former, the fan site predicts, is raring to go and will likely be part of an "all-chrome" Mystery Game next week. However, we predict that this will be Lady Gaga's final hurrah in FarmVille.
FarmVille Irish Strawberry Tree, Chinese Cherry Tree
As for these two Trees, FarmVille Feed estimates that will hit the Market soon for between 7 and 12 Farm Cash. That is, after they sprout from Mystery Seedlings for a few days, of course. Granted, that's all speculation, but after seeing this sort of thing happen for the umpteenth time, you kind of get the hang of predicting these nuances. Either way, start collecting those Mystery Seedlings and Mystery Game Darts what appears will be a mystifying start to June next week.
[Image Credits: FarmVille Feed]
How and when do you think Zynga will release all of these new items? Which of the three are you more excited about landing in the game?
FarmVille Irish Strawberry Tree, Chinese Cherry Tree
As for these two Trees, FarmVille Feed estimates that will hit the Market soon for between 7 and 12 Farm Cash. That is, after they sprout from Mystery Seedlings for a few days, of course. Granted, that's all speculation, but after seeing this sort of thing happen for the umpteenth time, you kind of get the hang of predicting these nuances. Either way, start collecting those Mystery Seedlings and Mystery Game Darts what appears will be a mystifying start to June next week.
[Image Credits: FarmVille Feed]
How and when do you think Zynga will release all of these new items? Which of the three are you more excited about landing in the game?
The Simpsons and SimCity: Rumors say EA's bringing both to Facebook
Will it have Tomacco? Please tell me it will have Tomacco. EA has revealed that it's working on a Simpsons Facebook game, set to release this September, MCV reports. Details on the game are scarce, but the site presumes that Playfish is working on it. MCV also found out that the veteran publisher will release a SimCity game as well, which we imagine Playfish is handling too. When EA mentioned that it would ramp up its efforts on Facebook recently, it certainly wasn't joking
While SimCity will more than likely become a direct competitor to Zynga's CityVille, the possibilities for what a Simpsons Facebook game would are nearly endless. Our wildest dreams guess is that it will be a social version of the classic arcade game you fed hundreds of quarters into at the local rollerskating rink. Come on, there's no way we were the only ones.
[Image Credit: Watch Mojo]
How do you think EA will handle the Simpsons Facebook game? Which are you more excited about: The Simpsons or SimCity on Facebook?
While SimCity will more than likely become a direct competitor to Zynga's CityVille, the possibilities for what a Simpsons Facebook game would are nearly endless. Our wildest dreams guess is that it will be a social version of the classic arcade game you fed hundreds of quarters into at the local rollerskating rink. Come on, there's no way we were the only ones.
[Image Credit: Watch Mojo]
How do you think EA will handle the Simpsons Facebook game? Which are you more excited about: The Simpsons or SimCity on Facebook?
Does Facebook's PayPal option for game developers mean more games?
This whole Facebook Credits change looks like it'll be a drag either way, but at least the network is making it easier for game developers to hop on board. Facebook announced today on its blog that developers can sign up for PayPal as a payment when creating their social games. According to the blog post, this will make international developers' lives much easier in signing up for Facebook Credits, which will be mandatory come this July.
"This should be good news for developers in 22 countries, including Turkey, India and Japan, who previously had to supply additional credentials to authorize payouts to their bank account, or who were not able to use Facebook Credits at all," blogger Loren Cheng writes. "By adding PayPal as a payout option, we have doubled the number of countries where developers can get started with Facebook Credits immediately."
Of course, this means diddly squat to us lowly gamers--or does it? The more developers that can get onto Facebook, the more games that will be made available for us social gamers, no? It may be a bit of a stretch, but this also means there will be more potential competitors to Zynga, EA and the like, making for a fresher social games community. Besides, isn't it time we get a bit more international flavor in our social games?
Do you think more international developers will be interested in Facebook thanks to this change? Are you looking for more variety in your Facebook games, and could this be what brings that to the table?
"This should be good news for developers in 22 countries, including Turkey, India and Japan, who previously had to supply additional credentials to authorize payouts to their bank account, or who were not able to use Facebook Credits at all," blogger Loren Cheng writes. "By adding PayPal as a payout option, we have doubled the number of countries where developers can get started with Facebook Credits immediately."
Of course, this means diddly squat to us lowly gamers--or does it? The more developers that can get onto Facebook, the more games that will be made available for us social gamers, no? It may be a bit of a stretch, but this also means there will be more potential competitors to Zynga, EA and the like, making for a fresher social games community. Besides, isn't it time we get a bit more international flavor in our social games?
Do you think more international developers will be interested in Facebook thanks to this change? Are you looking for more variety in your Facebook games, and could this be what brings that to the table?
Will Sony's PlayStation 4 go toe to toe with Nintendo's 'Project Cafe?'
Look, it's been over five years since Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft has released a new home console--it's about time. After Nintendo revealed its plans to announce the successor to the Wii, Sony has leaked a small sliver of a confirmation for the inevitable PlayStation 4. (That image above is a mock-up folks ... for octopus people.) Sony executive VP Masaru Kato spilled the beans during a call to investors, explaining hikes in development costs, MCV reports.
"For the home equipment the PS3 still has a product life but this is platform business, so for the future platform – when we'll be introducing that product, I cannot discuss that – but our development is already under way, so the costs are incurred there," Kato said. It makes sense for Sony to start revealing at least that it's working on a new PlayStation, but wouldn't it be more vocal about this new system if it was further in development?
Nintendo Project Cafe
The rumor mill has been spinning at breakneck speeds thanks to "leaks" regarding Nintendo's Project Cafe, the codename for the company's next system. (Is that a leaked image or a phony? You decide.) Reports have pegged the console to be more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360, feature some sort of touchscreen control interface, game streaming capabilities and support for the Wii remote and previous Wii games. Oh, and all of its games will cost $20--psych! (We can see a new rumor brewing right now.)
With all of these Project Cafe "details" already in the open, Sony could have revealed this miniscule confirmation in response to the fact that Nintendo has already said it will have a playable version of the new console at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3. So, PS4 confirmation or not, it appears that Nintendo already has a leg-up on the competition--at least when it comes to timing. There has been little to no word on a Microsoft successor to the Xbox 360 (yet), but don't worry, this next console war is just starting to heat up.
[Image Credit: Media and Cyberculture, SlashGear]
What do you think the PlayStation 4 will be capable of? Are you more excited for Nintendo's next console or the next Sony system?
"For the home equipment the PS3 still has a product life but this is platform business, so for the future platform – when we'll be introducing that product, I cannot discuss that – but our development is already under way, so the costs are incurred there," Kato said. It makes sense for Sony to start revealing at least that it's working on a new PlayStation, but wouldn't it be more vocal about this new system if it was further in development?
Nintendo Project Cafe
The rumor mill has been spinning at breakneck speeds thanks to "leaks" regarding Nintendo's Project Cafe, the codename for the company's next system. (Is that a leaked image or a phony? You decide.) Reports have pegged the console to be more powerful than the PS3 and Xbox 360, feature some sort of touchscreen control interface, game streaming capabilities and support for the Wii remote and previous Wii games. Oh, and all of its games will cost $20--psych! (We can see a new rumor brewing right now.)
With all of these Project Cafe "details" already in the open, Sony could have revealed this miniscule confirmation in response to the fact that Nintendo has already said it will have a playable version of the new console at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3. So, PS4 confirmation or not, it appears that Nintendo already has a leg-up on the competition--at least when it comes to timing. There has been little to no word on a Microsoft successor to the Xbox 360 (yet), but don't worry, this next console war is just starting to heat up.
[Image Credit: Media and Cyberculture, SlashGear]
What do you think the PlayStation 4 will be capable of? Are you more excited for Nintendo's next console or the next Sony system?
Friday, December 23, 2011
FrontierVille Fourth of July Goals: Everything you need to know
Earlier today, we brought you a sneak peek of the first goal available in the new Fourth of July series in FrontierVille. This three part goal series doesn't stop there, however, so we've compiled a complete guide that will see you celebrating the fourth in FrontierVille like never before!
First though, here's a quick refresher over the first goal's requirements:
Chop Trees 30 times on your Homestead or a Neighbor's
Plant 25 Wheat
Visit 15 Neighbors
Luckily, all three of these tasks are relatively basic, which is a good thing, as we'll only be able to complete these goals until July 21. For completing this first one, you'll receive 570 XP, one match, and a Blue Spider Firework. Both the match and the firework can be put to good use in your Fireworks Stand. Don't have one on your Homestead yet? You can learn how to build one in our complete guide.
For the second goal, "Stars and Stripes Forever," you'll need to tend some animals, along with actually putting your new Fireworks Stand to good use.
Tend 25 Geese on your Homestead or a Neighbor's
Have 10 Pyrotechnic Stars
Craft One Firework in the Fireworks Stand
Remember, you'll need to have completely finished the construction on your Fireworks Stand to craft anything within it, but you can find some of the crafting ingredients by simply completing tasks around your Homestead. One of these items just so happens to be the Pyrotechnic Stars that you need 10 of, but this item also comes with the ability to ask your friends to send them to you (conveniently enough). For completing this second goal, you'll receive 676 XP, one match, and a Red Peony Firework.
Finally, the last goal in this trio is called "American the Beautiful," and it asks you to collect quite a few more matches before all is said and done.
Find or Obtain 25 Matches
Tend 30 Apple Trees
Set of 5 New Fireworks that are Crafted from the Fireworks Stand
Feel free to harvest Apple Trees that are currently inside your Orchard. You don't need to pull them out for these to count. For finishing this final goal, you'll receive 776 XP, a July 4th Decoration Crate and a Giant Roman Candle.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Do you with more Fourth of July goals had been released in FrontierVille, on top of these three? Do you like the idea of being able to craft your own fireworks, or do you wish we could use the same fireworks we've been holding onto and crafting since last year?
First though, here's a quick refresher over the first goal's requirements:
Chop Trees 30 times on your Homestead or a Neighbor's
Plant 25 Wheat
Visit 15 Neighbors
Luckily, all three of these tasks are relatively basic, which is a good thing, as we'll only be able to complete these goals until July 21. For completing this first one, you'll receive 570 XP, one match, and a Blue Spider Firework. Both the match and the firework can be put to good use in your Fireworks Stand. Don't have one on your Homestead yet? You can learn how to build one in our complete guide.
For the second goal, "Stars and Stripes Forever," you'll need to tend some animals, along with actually putting your new Fireworks Stand to good use.
Tend 25 Geese on your Homestead or a Neighbor's
Have 10 Pyrotechnic Stars
Craft One Firework in the Fireworks Stand
Remember, you'll need to have completely finished the construction on your Fireworks Stand to craft anything within it, but you can find some of the crafting ingredients by simply completing tasks around your Homestead. One of these items just so happens to be the Pyrotechnic Stars that you need 10 of, but this item also comes with the ability to ask your friends to send them to you (conveniently enough). For completing this second goal, you'll receive 676 XP, one match, and a Red Peony Firework.
Finally, the last goal in this trio is called "American the Beautiful," and it asks you to collect quite a few more matches before all is said and done.
Find or Obtain 25 Matches
Tend 30 Apple Trees
Set of 5 New Fireworks that are Crafted from the Fireworks Stand
Feel free to harvest Apple Trees that are currently inside your Orchard. You don't need to pull them out for these to count. For finishing this final goal, you'll receive 776 XP, a July 4th Decoration Crate and a Giant Roman Candle.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Do you with more Fourth of July goals had been released in FrontierVille, on top of these three? Do you like the idea of being able to craft your own fireworks, or do you wish we could use the same fireworks we've been holding onto and crafting since last year?
FrontierVille's Fourth of July items celebrate the Red, White, and Blue
If the Fireworks Stand (and the accompanying Goals) aren't enough to fully satisfy your patriotism in FrontierVille, you can now go on a shopping spree in the store for some returning patriotic trees, along with some new decorations celebrating the Fourth of July.
First, here's something that comes with a bit of pros and cons: the colored Cherry Trees have been re-released to the game, (well, the Liberty Cherry Tree has been renamed the Blue Cherry Tree), but these trees now cost coins, rather than Horseshoes. That's a great thing, as you can pick up a single tree (Red, White, Blue or Green) for less than 1700 coins, but if you're one of the players that purchased these trees for 15 Horseshoes last year, I can see how you'd be a bit upset.
Elsewhere, you can also pick up a Parade Float for 8 Horseshoes, some Sparklers for 6 Horseshoes, or a Statue of Liberty for 24 Horseshoes. There are even returning decorations like the Liberty Bell and Liberty Cannon that can be purchased for 25 and 45 Horseshoes, respectively. Again, these prices are incredibly lower than what they were last year, so now's the time to purchase if you held off last July.
Some of these items, like the trees and Liberty Bell, are limited edition, only being available in the game's store for the next 19 days. Sure, that gives you plenty of time to purchase them, but if you wait for the holiday itself to pass, they really won't have the same ring, will they?
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Will you stock up on these limited edition Cherry Trees now that they don't cost Horseshoes to purchase? What about the Liberty Bell?
First, here's something that comes with a bit of pros and cons: the colored Cherry Trees have been re-released to the game, (well, the Liberty Cherry Tree has been renamed the Blue Cherry Tree), but these trees now cost coins, rather than Horseshoes. That's a great thing, as you can pick up a single tree (Red, White, Blue or Green) for less than 1700 coins, but if you're one of the players that purchased these trees for 15 Horseshoes last year, I can see how you'd be a bit upset.
Elsewhere, you can also pick up a Parade Float for 8 Horseshoes, some Sparklers for 6 Horseshoes, or a Statue of Liberty for 24 Horseshoes. There are even returning decorations like the Liberty Bell and Liberty Cannon that can be purchased for 25 and 45 Horseshoes, respectively. Again, these prices are incredibly lower than what they were last year, so now's the time to purchase if you held off last July.
Some of these items, like the trees and Liberty Bell, are limited edition, only being available in the game's store for the next 19 days. Sure, that gives you plenty of time to purchase them, but if you wait for the holiday itself to pass, they really won't have the same ring, will they?
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Will you stock up on these limited edition Cherry Trees now that they don't cost Horseshoes to purchase? What about the Liberty Bell?
FrontierVille Patriotic Mystery Animal Crate: Uncle Sam would be proud
While buying trees and decorations is a great way to give your Homestead that Fourth of July feel in FrontierVille, a way to really make statement is by adding themed animals. If you agree, you can now do just that by purchasing the Patriotic Crate from the game's store. This Mystery Animal Crate comes stocked with three animals, all of which have been dressed up either as Uncle Sam, or at least in the red, white and blue theme.
For the price of 50 Horseshoes, you'll be able to purchase a single crate containing either an Alpaca, Chameleon or Himalayan Cow. Which one is the best? They're all cute in their own way, but if you ask which one is the most decorated, I'd have to go with Alpaca - just look at his cute coat and top hat!
There doesn't seem to be a time limit for how long you can purchase these crates, but I wouldn't expect them to stick around any longer than the end of July at the latest.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Will you purchase a Patriotic Mystery Animal Crate? Which of the three animals are you hoping to find inside?
For the price of 50 Horseshoes, you'll be able to purchase a single crate containing either an Alpaca, Chameleon or Himalayan Cow. Which one is the best? They're all cute in their own way, but if you ask which one is the most decorated, I'd have to go with Alpaca - just look at his cute coat and top hat!
There doesn't seem to be a time limit for how long you can purchase these crates, but I wouldn't expect them to stick around any longer than the end of July at the latest.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Will you purchase a Patriotic Mystery Animal Crate? Which of the three animals are you hoping to find inside?
FrontierVille: Finish the Fourth of July Collection for an Eagle Statue and free XP
To help further flesh out the game's July 4th celebration, Zynga has launched the new Fourth of July collection in FrontierVille. Not to be confused with the Independence Day collection, which is retired, this Fourth of July collection requires you to acquire five all-new items. Luckily, you don't have to do anything special to earn them. That is, you can increase your chances of earning these items by collecting the Daily Bonus from the new Fireworks Stand, but you can also earn them by simply completing tasks around the Homestead as normal.
Here's what to look out for as a bonus pop-up item:
Patriotic Ribbons
Tiny Flag
Picnic Basket
Flag Cake
Uncle Sam Hat
Once you've collected these five items, you'll be able to turn in the collection for an Eagle Statue and 200 XP. That's a pretty nice amount of XP, considering the relative ease with which we should be able to repeatedly complete this collection, so I'd make sure to trade it in fast and often (where applicable) before (in case) they decide to change the prize to something less desirable later on.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
What do you think of the prizes in this Fourth of July collection in FrontierVille? Will you play on your Homestead more frequently than normal this weekend to try and complete it more than once?
Here's what to look out for as a bonus pop-up item:
Patriotic Ribbons
Tiny Flag
Picnic Basket
Flag Cake
Uncle Sam Hat
Once you've collected these five items, you'll be able to turn in the collection for an Eagle Statue and 200 XP. That's a pretty nice amount of XP, considering the relative ease with which we should be able to repeatedly complete this collection, so I'd make sure to trade it in fast and often (where applicable) before (in case) they decide to change the prize to something less desirable later on.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
What do you think of the prizes in this Fourth of July collection in FrontierVille? Will you play on your Homestead more frequently than normal this weekend to try and complete it more than once?
FrontierVille: Fireworks Badges reward you for blowing stuff up
If you've ever wanted to blow something up, you can now do so in FrontierVille (only virtually, I'm afraid), and you'll actually be rewarded for doing so. As part of the new Fireworks Stand feature, you can now earn a series of four Badges that reward you for launching more and more fireworks crafted inside the building proper. As we told you before, you can find the ingredients to craft fireworks either by simply working around the Homestead, or asking your friends to send them to you (where available).
As you set off these fireworks, you'll earn points towards this new Badge, with the first level - Star Student - being available after you've set off just five. Here's the complete rundown of what you'll need to do to earn the rest:
Level 2: Shell Worker - Set of 25 Fireworks
Level 3: Mortar Packer - Set off 100 Fireworks
Level 4: Pyro Boss - Set off 500 fireworks
Of course, there's a fairly large jump to get from 5 to 500, but I suppose with enough diligence you could finish off these badges before the Fourth of July event ends on July 21. Just remember to not blow up your Fireworks Stand if you plan on crafting this many, or you'd have to rebuild it all over again (and as we all know, wasting time isn't very fun).
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Will you go for the final, 500 fireworks Badge in FrontierVille, or is that simply too high of a number to require from us in such a short amount of time?
As you set off these fireworks, you'll earn points towards this new Badge, with the first level - Star Student - being available after you've set off just five. Here's the complete rundown of what you'll need to do to earn the rest:
Level 2: Shell Worker - Set of 25 Fireworks
Level 3: Mortar Packer - Set off 100 Fireworks
Level 4: Pyro Boss - Set off 500 fireworks
Of course, there's a fairly large jump to get from 5 to 500, but I suppose with enough diligence you could finish off these badges before the Fourth of July event ends on July 21. Just remember to not blow up your Fireworks Stand if you plan on crafting this many, or you'd have to rebuild it all over again (and as we all know, wasting time isn't very fun).
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Will you go for the final, 500 fireworks Badge in FrontierVille, or is that simply too high of a number to require from us in such a short amount of time?
FarmVille: Double Mastery on now for Fourth of July weekend
While it may have been turned on later than I expected, Zynga has finally come through in FarmVille, turning on Double Mastery for this July 4th weekend. From now until Monday evening at 9PM Pacific, you'll be able to earn double the mastery points on every single crop and tree harvested.
Don't stop there though - remember to take extra advantage of this event by adding bushels to your crop harvesting for triple mastery! Just think - if a crop takes 1,000 points to master the next star, you'll only have to grow a third of that to actually reach that number! For those who purchased the Star Flowers permit from the store, this is particularly exciting as you'll be much more likely to reach the goal of full crop mastery before your permit expires in a week's time.
No matter what you do with this event (that is, whether you focus on trees, crops or both), it definitely makes the game just a bit more exciting this Fourth of July weekend, which is all we can really ask for.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Which crops and trees will you try to master in this Double Mastery event? Did you purchase the Star Flowers permit, and will use this time to master that crop?
Don't stop there though - remember to take extra advantage of this event by adding bushels to your crop harvesting for triple mastery! Just think - if a crop takes 1,000 points to master the next star, you'll only have to grow a third of that to actually reach that number! For those who purchased the Star Flowers permit from the store, this is particularly exciting as you'll be much more likely to reach the goal of full crop mastery before your permit expires in a week's time.
No matter what you do with this event (that is, whether you focus on trees, crops or both), it definitely makes the game just a bit more exciting this Fourth of July weekend, which is all we can really ask for.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
Which crops and trees will you try to master in this Double Mastery event? Did you purchase the Star Flowers permit, and will use this time to master that crop?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: July 4th Fireworks, Cottage, Balloon Trees and more
This weekend looks to expand on the July 4th theme in FarmVille, as FarmVillePro has discovered images of a few new decorative items, plus new trees! It should be noted that these item images are (as of this writing) no longer available, but we don't expect that to alter their release.
The new items look to be a set of July Fireworks, a July Fountain (will likely cost Farm Cash), a July Cottage, and two trees: the July Balloon Tree and Giant July Balloon Tree. Yes, yet again, we're seeing a re-coloring of a previously released tree, but this time the balloons are perfectly themed in red, white and blue. They'll likely cost 5 and 10 Farm Cash each, respectively. As for the Fireworks, we can see that item costing 1-3 Farm Cash.
We'd take an educated guess that these items will launch in the game's store on Sunday evening, and you can believe we'll be there to give you a complete rundown when / if they do.
[Image Credit: FarmVillePro]
The new items look to be a set of July Fireworks, a July Fountain (will likely cost Farm Cash), a July Cottage, and two trees: the July Balloon Tree and Giant July Balloon Tree. Yes, yet again, we're seeing a re-coloring of a previously released tree, but this time the balloons are perfectly themed in red, white and blue. They'll likely cost 5 and 10 Farm Cash each, respectively. As for the Fireworks, we can see that item costing 1-3 Farm Cash.
We'd take an educated guess that these items will launch in the game's store on Sunday evening, and you can believe we'll be there to give you a complete rundown when / if they do.
[Image Credit: FarmVillePro]
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Zynga goes bananas for Astro Ape, potential buyout in action [Rumor]
Can we finally give Zynga an ominous title ... like the Ape Assimilator? (It just rolls off the tongue.) Business Insider reports that Zynga, most recently creator of Pioneer Trail, has purchased self-proclaimed mobile social game competitor Astro Ape, most recently known for Monsterz Revenge for iPhone. And no "anonymous sources" even needed to be cited--just look at Linkedin.
Astro Ape CEO Chieh Huang, along with a number of his colleagues, have changed their profile information to positions within Zynga NY, one of the global companies few east coast studios. Specifically, Business Insider cites Astro Ape's director of engineering, who has taken the exact same title within Zynga's New York office.
So, the website deduces that Zynga has more than likely acquired Astro Ape. And what an interesting turn of events. Just recently, Huang called out Zynga, claiming that his studio was better than the omnipresent Facebook games creator.
"It sounds like a basic concept, but I think it's getting lost a bit today in social gaming. Our users come into our apps because they want to play our games, not because we spam them with invites, requests and other offers," Huang said months ago, indirectly referring to Zynga.
Monsterz Revenge
Has Astro Ape bended its stance in the name of the mighty dollar, or does it plan to bring a new breed of mobile game to Zynga? Who knows, but if this turns out to be true, Zynga just employed a brilliant strategy, sway the naysayers.
[Via VentureBeat]
Do you think this is enough proof that Zynga has bought Astro Ape? What do you think Astro Ape would bring to Zynga, and will it involve its existing games?
Astro Ape CEO Chieh Huang, along with a number of his colleagues, have changed their profile information to positions within Zynga NY, one of the global companies few east coast studios. Specifically, Business Insider cites Astro Ape's director of engineering, who has taken the exact same title within Zynga's New York office.
So, the website deduces that Zynga has more than likely acquired Astro Ape. And what an interesting turn of events. Just recently, Huang called out Zynga, claiming that his studio was better than the omnipresent Facebook games creator.
"It sounds like a basic concept, but I think it's getting lost a bit today in social gaming. Our users come into our apps because they want to play our games, not because we spam them with invites, requests and other offers," Huang said months ago, indirectly referring to Zynga.
Monsterz Revenge
Has Astro Ape bended its stance in the name of the mighty dollar, or does it plan to bring a new breed of mobile game to Zynga? Who knows, but if this turns out to be true, Zynga just employed a brilliant strategy, sway the naysayers.
[Via VentureBeat]
Do you think this is enough proof that Zynga has bought Astro Ape? What do you think Astro Ape would bring to Zynga, and will it involve its existing games?
Zynga slapped with yet another patent infringement suit over its games
Zynga is officially the proverbial guy who wins the lottery and suddenly "reunites" with hundreds of long-lost friends. Only those old friends are angry, money-hungry companies and the "reunions" have been swapped for nasty lawsuits. Zynga faces yet another patent infringement lawsuit, this time from Agincourt Gaming, seemingly the publisher of Pantheon, a greco-roman combat game on Facebook (pictured below).
Sun Herald reports that, according to allegations made by Agincourt Gaming, Zynga has violated two patents held by the company regarding credits-based online gaming since 1996. (You know, the model used by every Facebook game ever?) The company, who just recently entered the Facebook games biz, seeks monetary damages and a permanent injunction against Zynga that shut down several of its games.
More specifically, Agincourt Gaming named FarmVille, FishVille, PetVille, YoVille, Zynga Poker, Empires & Allies, Mafia Wars, Treasure Isle, FrontierVille, CityVille, Cafe World and Vampire Wars. In other words, all of Zynga's games (that matter) have been put under fire. According to Sun Herald the lawsuit also alleges that Zynga has a history of copying smaller developers' game ideas.
Pantheon on Facebook
Zynga knows the issue rather intimately, considering the company has been smacked with multiple infringement lawsuits over the past few months. Companies like Vostu, SocialApps and even The Learning Company have approached Zynga, which is said to be worth over $11.5 billion. Clearly this has become a growing trend for the global developer, but when or if Zynga will finally bite the bullet and respond to these claims is what we're all really waiting for.
Do you think Agincourt has a case against Zynga with its patents? Do you think Zynga will ever directly respond to the claims made that it copies game ideas?
Sun Herald reports that, according to allegations made by Agincourt Gaming, Zynga has violated two patents held by the company regarding credits-based online gaming since 1996. (You know, the model used by every Facebook game ever?) The company, who just recently entered the Facebook games biz, seeks monetary damages and a permanent injunction against Zynga that shut down several of its games.
More specifically, Agincourt Gaming named FarmVille, FishVille, PetVille, YoVille, Zynga Poker, Empires & Allies, Mafia Wars, Treasure Isle, FrontierVille, CityVille, Cafe World and Vampire Wars. In other words, all of Zynga's games (that matter) have been put under fire. According to Sun Herald the lawsuit also alleges that Zynga has a history of copying smaller developers' game ideas.
Pantheon on Facebook
Zynga knows the issue rather intimately, considering the company has been smacked with multiple infringement lawsuits over the past few months. Companies like Vostu, SocialApps and even The Learning Company have approached Zynga, which is said to be worth over $11.5 billion. Clearly this has become a growing trend for the global developer, but when or if Zynga will finally bite the bullet and respond to these claims is what we're all really waiting for.
Do you think Agincourt has a case against Zynga with its patents? Do you think Zynga will ever directly respond to the claims made that it copies game ideas?
Dustbin Bieber will see double in Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo for DS
And so will the little ones, we'd imagine. Mind Candy, creator of the hyper popular social game franchise Moshi Monsters, has announced Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo for the Nintendo DS. With the help of global publisher Activision, Mind Candy looks to put the adorable little creatures right in every kid's pocket this fall. (Because, seriously, what kid doesn't own a DS by now?)
The game sounds like it will expand upon the existing Moshi Monsters hook: Moshlings are pets that players collect for their pet monsters. Pet monsters with pets of their own--this is a little too meta for my taste already.
According to a release, the game will feature 52 Moshlings to collect including a brand new one that has yet tot be announced. The game will also feature new mini games that are, of course, educational, as well as trophies for players to collect.
Gallery: Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo
This is just one of the many ways Moshi Monsters will and has occupied the time of over 50 million kids worldwide since 2008 like the Moshi Monsters toys, books, trading cards and even a magazine. Being able to interact with your Moshi Monsters in new ways and in new places sounds cool and all, but we just hope Mind Candy cures our Dustbin Bieber fever while on the go. Something tells us we're not the only ones. Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo, is due out globally this fall.
Are you psyched (at least for the tikes) that Moshi Monsters are coming to Nintendo DS? Do you think this was the logical next step for the Moshi Monsters?
The game sounds like it will expand upon the existing Moshi Monsters hook: Moshlings are pets that players collect for their pet monsters. Pet monsters with pets of their own--this is a little too meta for my taste already.
According to a release, the game will feature 52 Moshlings to collect including a brand new one that has yet tot be announced. The game will also feature new mini games that are, of course, educational, as well as trophies for players to collect.
Gallery: Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo
This is just one of the many ways Moshi Monsters will and has occupied the time of over 50 million kids worldwide since 2008 like the Moshi Monsters toys, books, trading cards and even a magazine. Being able to interact with your Moshi Monsters in new ways and in new places sounds cool and all, but we just hope Mind Candy cures our Dustbin Bieber fever while on the go. Something tells us we're not the only ones. Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo, is due out globally this fall.
Are you psyched (at least for the tikes) that Moshi Monsters are coming to Nintendo DS? Do you think this was the logical next step for the Moshi Monsters?
Yar's Rutabaga Revenge: Atari's 'core focus' now on social, mobile games
Looks like Yar might exact his revenge on your farm next. Atari has announced three additions to its high-level staff, but more importantly, a big clue as to where the ancient company is headed next. According to a release, Atari will shift its "core focus to casual gaming experiences designed for mobile, social networks and emerging platforms."
The bolstering of the company's senior management with three new hires brings in collective experience from EA, Vivendi Games, King.com, Sprint and more. The lucky (lady and) gentlemen are Robert Mattes as CFO, Owais Farooqui as Senior VP of Digital Publishing, and Maria Pacheco as VP of Mobile.
Some might have seen this one coming, considering it will have released three Facebook games in less than a year once Dungeons & Dragons hits Facebook, but this the proverbial mission statement for the company going forward. Since December of last year, the company has released two Facebook games: Asteroids Online and most recently Fairies vs Darklings, neither of which have been particularly successful, according to AppData.
Alas, the company will press on into social games in search of its flagship Facebook game. Thankfully, it has a few ginormous properties up its sleeve like Missile Command, Centipede, Pong and Breakout. And with Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter (pictured) headed to Facebook this fall, the company just might have a shot. Just look, those are some of the most well-known names in gaming. Come on, just try and tell me you wouldn't play (a legit version of) Pong on your iPhone.
Do you think Atari is making a good move, shifting its focus to social and mobile games? Which of its properties do you think has the best chance of "sticking" on Facebook?
The bolstering of the company's senior management with three new hires brings in collective experience from EA, Vivendi Games, King.com, Sprint and more. The lucky (lady and) gentlemen are Robert Mattes as CFO, Owais Farooqui as Senior VP of Digital Publishing, and Maria Pacheco as VP of Mobile.
Some might have seen this one coming, considering it will have released three Facebook games in less than a year once Dungeons & Dragons hits Facebook, but this the proverbial mission statement for the company going forward. Since December of last year, the company has released two Facebook games: Asteroids Online and most recently Fairies vs Darklings, neither of which have been particularly successful, according to AppData.
Alas, the company will press on into social games in search of its flagship Facebook game. Thankfully, it has a few ginormous properties up its sleeve like Missile Command, Centipede, Pong and Breakout. And with Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter (pictured) headed to Facebook this fall, the company just might have a shot. Just look, those are some of the most well-known names in gaming. Come on, just try and tell me you wouldn't play (a legit version of) Pong on your iPhone.
Do you think Atari is making a good move, shifting its focus to social and mobile games? Which of its properties do you think has the best chance of "sticking" on Facebook?
Ultima's Richard Garriott: Social, mobile games are the 'future of games'
We knew it was for more than the buck all along. For big league game designers and (literal) space cadets, apparently, like Richard Garriott, their leap into social games is about more than money: It's the future, Marty! During the final keynote speech of GDC Europe, the creator of Ultima commonly known as Lord British said, "I'm a devout believer that this is the current and near-term future of games." What's "this," you ask?
Social and mobile games, and Garriott is certainly not alone in his new found faith. The founder of social games studio (and technology) Portalarium has been joined by veterans like Doom co-creator John Romero and Civilization maker Sid Meier. Even Sim City creator Will Wright is said to be digging Facebook games right now. (Though, there is certainly a ton of cashola to be made in this biz.)
However, Garriott has some specific ideas for how social games will continue to operate, according to Gamasutra. Namely, he seems to think that asynchronicity is here to stay. This means that how friends interact independently of one another a' la FarmVille will be the mode for Facebook and mobile games going forward. Of course, the burgeoning freemium model will also become a norm in mobile games as it has social games, according to Garriott, who is currently working on bringing his flagship character, Lord British, to social networks in a big way.
His answer to the naysayers still sitting in the Xbox and PlayStation camps? Just you watch, these things are evolving fast. Garriott reiterated on his points made earlier in the year that Facebook gamers are already more sophisticated at navigating video games than we've assumed, and they'll be ready when the technology catches up.
"My main message to the development community is don't get left behind," Garriott said. Don't worry, milord, I reckon the dollar signs alone will eventually attract almost everyone.
[Via Massively]
Do you agree with Garriott that mobile and social are the future of games? How do you think the rest of those in the games industry will react
Social and mobile games, and Garriott is certainly not alone in his new found faith. The founder of social games studio (and technology) Portalarium has been joined by veterans like Doom co-creator John Romero and Civilization maker Sid Meier. Even Sim City creator Will Wright is said to be digging Facebook games right now. (Though, there is certainly a ton of cashola to be made in this biz.)
However, Garriott has some specific ideas for how social games will continue to operate, according to Gamasutra. Namely, he seems to think that asynchronicity is here to stay. This means that how friends interact independently of one another a' la FarmVille will be the mode for Facebook and mobile games going forward. Of course, the burgeoning freemium model will also become a norm in mobile games as it has social games, according to Garriott, who is currently working on bringing his flagship character, Lord British, to social networks in a big way.
His answer to the naysayers still sitting in the Xbox and PlayStation camps? Just you watch, these things are evolving fast. Garriott reiterated on his points made earlier in the year that Facebook gamers are already more sophisticated at navigating video games than we've assumed, and they'll be ready when the technology catches up.
"My main message to the development community is don't get left behind," Garriott said. Don't worry, milord, I reckon the dollar signs alone will eventually attract almost everyone.
[Via Massively]
Do you agree with Garriott that mobile and social are the future of games? How do you think the rest of those in the games industry will react
Empires & Allies Sneak Peek: The War Room will usher in global PvP
Demand and you shall receive. Players have often called for open player vs player (PvP) combat since Empires & Allies released months ago, and finally they will get their wish with the War Room. This upcoming feature will allow Zynga to match players around the world with hapless empires to invade regardless of whether the two are Facebook friends. In other words, your selection of targets to crush will soon reach far beyond your friends.
Another upcoming feature Zynga teased were Defense Towers (pictured). At the moment, players can choose to go neutral for a few hours to protect their empires from enemy invasion, but these buildings will apply that effect to specific locations. For instance, a Defense Tower can be placed as a "last ditch defense when the enemy attacks," according to Zynga. It looks like these will be full-on buildings that need to be constructed and staffed, so it's going to take some work to see these defensive boons in action.
While Zynga points out that this information is tentative, I seriously doubt the developer would tout a feature as big as global PvP only to can it later. If you're interested in having a say in how these exciting new features are implemented, check out this forum thread.
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you psyched about Global PvP coming to E&A? How do you think Zynga should handle the new feature, and what are your thoughts on Defense Towers?
Another upcoming feature Zynga teased were Defense Towers (pictured). At the moment, players can choose to go neutral for a few hours to protect their empires from enemy invasion, but these buildings will apply that effect to specific locations. For instance, a Defense Tower can be placed as a "last ditch defense when the enemy attacks," according to Zynga. It looks like these will be full-on buildings that need to be constructed and staffed, so it's going to take some work to see these defensive boons in action.
While Zynga points out that this information is tentative, I seriously doubt the developer would tout a feature as big as global PvP only to can it later. If you're interested in having a say in how these exciting new features are implemented, check out this forum thread.
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you psyched about Global PvP coming to E&A? How do you think Zynga should handle the new feature, and what are your thoughts on Defense Towers?
Tatty Teddy Facebook game gets super cute website for wider audience
Chocked full of adorable mini-games, cute critters, soothing music, and positive vibes all-around, Sharkius' Games family-friendly Me to You: My Place finally has its own website, which is open to players of all ages.
This was a smart move by the game's publisher, Carte Blanche Greetings, because regardless of a game's content, Facebook and federal policies impose an age limit that only allows those 13 years-old and up to join.
On top of that, Me to You: My Place has had very limited success on Facebook, since its launch last December, though player reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Due to its collection of mini-games, Me to You: My Place is heavily reminiscent of zSlide's Treasure Madness (which preceded Zynga's Treasure Isle).
Basically, you play Tatty Teddy (the star of Carte Blanche Greetings' huge stuffed animals franchise, Me to You Bears) as he rescues his Blue Nosed Friends in a fantasy world. You do this by clicking on tiles to find said friends and to hunt for treasure. Doing so, puts you face-to-face with a random mini-game.
Me to You My Place Fruits Fusion is like Wooga's Diamond Dash
The ones I've encountered are Dilly's Dash (a simple platform jumping game à la Robot Unicorn Attack), Snowdrop's Bubble Hop (which is definitely inspired by Winterbells), Sky Writing (a speed typing game), Maths Magic (a basic arithmetic game), and Fruits Fusion (think Wooga's Diamond Dash). The best thing about these mini-games is there are actually high score boards in each one, so you can compare how well you're doing with other players.
The rest of the game involves caring for the animal friends you've rescued until they become your eternal BFFs, which will make them part of your friend collection. This includes fulfilling point-and-click activities and growing crops to feed them with.
Gallery: Me to You: My Place
Click here to play Me to You: My Place on Facebook >>
[Hat-tip: Shiny Shiny]
What do you folks think of the Tatty Teddy spiel? Do you think it'll find more success outside of Facebook?
This was a smart move by the game's publisher, Carte Blanche Greetings, because regardless of a game's content, Facebook and federal policies impose an age limit that only allows those 13 years-old and up to join.
On top of that, Me to You: My Place has had very limited success on Facebook, since its launch last December, though player reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. Due to its collection of mini-games, Me to You: My Place is heavily reminiscent of zSlide's Treasure Madness (which preceded Zynga's Treasure Isle).
Basically, you play Tatty Teddy (the star of Carte Blanche Greetings' huge stuffed animals franchise, Me to You Bears) as he rescues his Blue Nosed Friends in a fantasy world. You do this by clicking on tiles to find said friends and to hunt for treasure. Doing so, puts you face-to-face with a random mini-game.
Me to You My Place Fruits Fusion is like Wooga's Diamond Dash
The ones I've encountered are Dilly's Dash (a simple platform jumping game à la Robot Unicorn Attack), Snowdrop's Bubble Hop (which is definitely inspired by Winterbells), Sky Writing (a speed typing game), Maths Magic (a basic arithmetic game), and Fruits Fusion (think Wooga's Diamond Dash). The best thing about these mini-games is there are actually high score boards in each one, so you can compare how well you're doing with other players.
The rest of the game involves caring for the animal friends you've rescued until they become your eternal BFFs, which will make them part of your friend collection. This includes fulfilling point-and-click activities and growing crops to feed them with.
Gallery: Me to You: My Place
Click here to play Me to You: My Place on Facebook >>
[Hat-tip: Shiny Shiny]
What do you folks think of the Tatty Teddy spiel? Do you think it'll find more success outside of Facebook?
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Microsoft Windows 7 promo
You like free, don't you? Look, in this climate, even a digital freebie sounds awesome. That's why Zynga keeps it up with the free Farm Cash promotions in FarmVille, and that's why we're all smiles. This time around, Microsoft has joined in on the free-loving fun with a promotion for Windows 7.
Scroll a bit further past the bottom of your FarmVille game screen, and click on the link that reads, "Meet your new PC..." (For some, these links take awhile the appear, and for others they're not available period. It appears to depend on your location.)
Then, a pop-up will appear in a faux wooden border with a Windows commercial playing inside. Answer the simple questions and, eventually, text will appear in the upper right corner that reads, "You've earned your Farm Cash."
Click the blue "X" and the 2 Farm Cash you've earned should appear in your total almost immediately. For the impatient loyal fans, it sometimes takes awhile for Farm Cash to post, so give it time before you berate nicely inform customer service about it. It is a freebie, after all.
Windows 7 FarmVille
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Are you a partaker in the free Farm Cash offers? If not, do you like free things at all?
Scroll a bit further past the bottom of your FarmVille game screen, and click on the link that reads, "Meet your new PC..." (For some, these links take awhile the appear, and for others they're not available period. It appears to depend on your location.)
Then, a pop-up will appear in a faux wooden border with a Windows commercial playing inside. Answer the simple questions and, eventually, text will appear in the upper right corner that reads, "You've earned your Farm Cash."
Click the blue "X" and the 2 Farm Cash you've earned should appear in your total almost immediately. For the impatient loyal fans, it sometimes takes awhile for Farm Cash to post, so give it time before you berate nicely inform customer service about it. It is a freebie, after all.
Windows 7 FarmVille
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Are you a partaker in the free Farm Cash offers? If not, do you like free things at all?
Hero Generations: What if saving the world was only the beginning?
Hero Generations is a game that tries to live up to the idea that every adventure is a part of a neverending story. An ambitious indie creation brought to us by Scott Brodie, a former Microsoft Xbox LIVE Arcade Producer and the heart behind the studio, Heart Shaped Games, I'm almost loathe to recommend a game that's still in open beta testing, but Brodie's entry onto Facebook is one that few developers have aspired to, or players often see.
Hero Generations 16 years later
Basically, you begin as the lone hero, but like all heroes, you'll age and eventually die, so your quest must come to an end at some point. But you can get married and have a kid who will follow in your footsteps; thus, your adventures can continue. Depending on how well you do in life, you can pass on certain traits and equipment to your heir, such as Life Expectancy, Strength, Gold, and Bonus Cards (the game's premium virtual currency). Your heir will also gain his own random bonuses at birth, so his stats will build on top of yours.
The game doesn't require energy to play, but it is turn-based, and every move costs one year of your life. When you run out of life, the game is over, and you have to start a new game. Because Hero Generations is currently in beta, you can't have saved games. What you do have, however, is that the game will save the hero with the highest score in the game, which is measured as Fame. Fame are points that you earn by exploring your world, defeating monsters, completing quests, and just basically, you running around doing whatever stuff it is that heroes do. But Fame can be depleted as well, for example, when you are defeated or choose to run away from the baddies.
Hero Generations migration warning
Finally, the most novel element is the idea that you can travel to different worlds, and these are randomly generated by the game, so if you ever choose to leave, you can't return to where you were. Your only connections to the past come in the form of little tombstones that you visit shortly after an heir is born, listing the names of the heir's previous two ancestors. But as the generations wear on, this token of appreciation disappears.
Gallery: Hero Generations
Ultimately, Hero Generations is a game that promises a lot of depth, but it's possible that in setting out to create such a broad world, the elements are worn a bit thin. Your descendants and worlds start to look the same after a while, and there's not much strategy involved in the play. There's no story except for the fact that life goes on regardless of what you do. Still, this game is incredibly unique and deserves all the attention it can get. Or you can view our screenshots. It's the little details that will surprise you.
Hero Generations 16 years later
Basically, you begin as the lone hero, but like all heroes, you'll age and eventually die, so your quest must come to an end at some point. But you can get married and have a kid who will follow in your footsteps; thus, your adventures can continue. Depending on how well you do in life, you can pass on certain traits and equipment to your heir, such as Life Expectancy, Strength, Gold, and Bonus Cards (the game's premium virtual currency). Your heir will also gain his own random bonuses at birth, so his stats will build on top of yours.
The game doesn't require energy to play, but it is turn-based, and every move costs one year of your life. When you run out of life, the game is over, and you have to start a new game. Because Hero Generations is currently in beta, you can't have saved games. What you do have, however, is that the game will save the hero with the highest score in the game, which is measured as Fame. Fame are points that you earn by exploring your world, defeating monsters, completing quests, and just basically, you running around doing whatever stuff it is that heroes do. But Fame can be depleted as well, for example, when you are defeated or choose to run away from the baddies.
Hero Generations migration warning
Finally, the most novel element is the idea that you can travel to different worlds, and these are randomly generated by the game, so if you ever choose to leave, you can't return to where you were. Your only connections to the past come in the form of little tombstones that you visit shortly after an heir is born, listing the names of the heir's previous two ancestors. But as the generations wear on, this token of appreciation disappears.
Gallery: Hero Generations
Ultimately, Hero Generations is a game that promises a lot of depth, but it's possible that in setting out to create such a broad world, the elements are worn a bit thin. Your descendants and worlds start to look the same after a while, and there's not much strategy involved in the play. There's no story except for the fact that life goes on regardless of what you do. Still, this game is incredibly unique and deserves all the attention it can get. Or you can view our screenshots. It's the little details that will surprise you.
FarmVille Wildlife Habitat: Everything you need to know
A fairly large new feature has launched in FarmVille this evening in the form of a Wildlife Habitat. Using these new buildings (which you can own multiples of), you'll be able to store 20 "wild" animals each. Sure, animal storage is great, but you won't be able to unlock this new storage without working for it. You'll be given the base to your first Wildlife Habitat for free the next time you log into the game, and from there, will be required to collect 30 building ingredients to finish it off:
10 Fence Posts
10 Shrubs
10 Grazing Grass
You'll have a few methods available for finding these items. You can purchase them for Farm Cash, send them as free gifts with the hope that friends will send them back, or send requests to your friends to have them help you out from the start. As for Special Delivery Boxes, I personally opened up over 60 boxes, and didn't receive one ingredient, so you might save those for the time being.
Once the Wildlife Habitat is finished, you will be given a Porcupine for free, and will have a building that can store animals like Minks, Beavers, Dall Sheep, Frogs and more. There are currently 12 pages (six animals each page) of animals available to store in Wildlife Habitats (again, you can own more than one, since that's more than the current limit of 20 animals per habitat), and you'll be able to see all of the animals by looking inside your Wildlife Habitat. Animals that you have inside will show up in their bright colors, while animals that aren't inside but technically can be stored are in a shadowed form.
Aside from storage, the main purpose of the Wildlife Habitat is in offering you a chance to earn free Mystery Babies each time you harvest it. The Wildlife Habitat technically replaces the Animal Trough on your land, so this breeding feature will now make use of all of your excess Animal Feed (thereby making it relevant again). Note: Though you're losing the Animal Trough, you are given a free Reindeer and six units of Animal Feed as a consolation from Zynga for the mandatory removal.
Each time your Wildlife Habitat is ready to harvest, you'll be able to click on it to harvest all animals inside. The more animals you have inside, the greater chance you have of making a baby. You only need one of each animal to breed, rather than pairs, but only some of the possibly stored animals can be bred at this time (we've been told that more breeding options will become available in the future). If you're lucky enough to receive a Mystery Baby, you'll be able to place it on your land similar to placing a Mystery Seedling or baby Piglet or Lamb. You'll then use Animal Feed to help it grow. The color of the baby's pouch signals the Baby's rarity, with pink meaning you've received a rare animal, and blue (apparently the color is now green) signifying a common animal.
Simply feed enough Animal Feed to each baby, and it will grow into an adult animal that can be placed inside the Wildlife Habitat to master and continue the cycle. We've been told that this Wildlife Habitat is just the first of six new animal breeding buildings that are coming soon, so make sure to stock up on plenty of these before we're hit with another building and feature!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the new Wildlife Habitat? Are you sad to see the Animal Feed Trough leave the game? Will you try to master and breed each of these wild animals?
10 Fence Posts
10 Shrubs
10 Grazing Grass
You'll have a few methods available for finding these items. You can purchase them for Farm Cash, send them as free gifts with the hope that friends will send them back, or send requests to your friends to have them help you out from the start. As for Special Delivery Boxes, I personally opened up over 60 boxes, and didn't receive one ingredient, so you might save those for the time being.
Once the Wildlife Habitat is finished, you will be given a Porcupine for free, and will have a building that can store animals like Minks, Beavers, Dall Sheep, Frogs and more. There are currently 12 pages (six animals each page) of animals available to store in Wildlife Habitats (again, you can own more than one, since that's more than the current limit of 20 animals per habitat), and you'll be able to see all of the animals by looking inside your Wildlife Habitat. Animals that you have inside will show up in their bright colors, while animals that aren't inside but technically can be stored are in a shadowed form.
Aside from storage, the main purpose of the Wildlife Habitat is in offering you a chance to earn free Mystery Babies each time you harvest it. The Wildlife Habitat technically replaces the Animal Trough on your land, so this breeding feature will now make use of all of your excess Animal Feed (thereby making it relevant again). Note: Though you're losing the Animal Trough, you are given a free Reindeer and six units of Animal Feed as a consolation from Zynga for the mandatory removal.
Each time your Wildlife Habitat is ready to harvest, you'll be able to click on it to harvest all animals inside. The more animals you have inside, the greater chance you have of making a baby. You only need one of each animal to breed, rather than pairs, but only some of the possibly stored animals can be bred at this time (we've been told that more breeding options will become available in the future). If you're lucky enough to receive a Mystery Baby, you'll be able to place it on your land similar to placing a Mystery Seedling or baby Piglet or Lamb. You'll then use Animal Feed to help it grow. The color of the baby's pouch signals the Baby's rarity, with pink meaning you've received a rare animal, and blue (apparently the color is now green) signifying a common animal.
Simply feed enough Animal Feed to each baby, and it will grow into an adult animal that can be placed inside the Wildlife Habitat to master and continue the cycle. We've been told that this Wildlife Habitat is just the first of six new animal breeding buildings that are coming soon, so make sure to stock up on plenty of these before we're hit with another building and feature!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the new Wildlife Habitat? Are you sad to see the Animal Feed Trough leave the game? Will you try to master and breed each of these wild animals?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Lunchtime Poll: Would you skip work to play a new Zynga game?
Right now is the best time to be a video game aficionado, especially if you own Microsoft's Xbox 360 or Sony's PlayStation 3 systems. Highly anticipated games, such as the new Gears of War, Batman and Call of Duty are hitting the shelves, and fans will do whatever it takes to get their hands on a copy ASAP -- including waiting in long lines at special midnight launch events held at various retail stores.
A new survey also says that lots of people are willing to skip work so they can spend hours sniping at enemies in the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 without interruption. CouponCodes4u asked 2,312 people if they were planning to take time off work to play the action-packed game and 19% said yes. Which made me wonder, would you consider skipping work to play CastleVille? What about another Zynga game? Sound off in today's Lunchtime Poll.
Would you skip work to play a new Zynga game?
Heck yeahCastleVille? Yes!Really depends on the gameNo way, I'll just play at workNo, never
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
A new survey also says that lots of people are willing to skip work so they can spend hours sniping at enemies in the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 without interruption. CouponCodes4u asked 2,312 people if they were planning to take time off work to play the action-packed game and 19% said yes. Which made me wonder, would you consider skipping work to play CastleVille? What about another Zynga game? Sound off in today's Lunchtime Poll.
Would you skip work to play a new Zynga game?
Heck yeahCastleVille? Yes!Really depends on the gameNo way, I'll just play at workNo, never
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
NHL Superstars coming to Facebook in October
Adding to its popular brand of "Superstars" titles on Facebook, Electronic Arts has announced the production of NHL Superstars for Facebook. This new game, as reported by ShackNews, comes on the heels of EA's NHL 12 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 breaking franchise records for the biggest launch week in the franchise's history.
As for the franchise's jump onto the Facebook ice, we're told this: "NHL Superstars will bring an all-new NHL experience to millions of hockey fans by enabling players to build and manage their ultimate team of professional hockey players. With dynamic and accessible gameplay, fans can compete head-to-head in games against their Facebook friends from around the world."
While specific details are still lacking as to what we can exactly expect from NHL Superstars, we can't imagine EA / Playfish breaking the mold. We'll likely be able to collect cards that contain professional hockey players, and then trade those cards out to create the best team possible. Each player will likely have stats, and we'll be able to use those players in virtual hockey games against others for supremacy.
We don't have a specific release date for NHL Superstars, although the game is set to take to the ice sometime in October. We'll make sure to give you a complete look at the game when we know more.
Are you excited to see NHL Superstars come to Facebook? Which players will you look for to create your perfect team?
As for the franchise's jump onto the Facebook ice, we're told this: "NHL Superstars will bring an all-new NHL experience to millions of hockey fans by enabling players to build and manage their ultimate team of professional hockey players. With dynamic and accessible gameplay, fans can compete head-to-head in games against their Facebook friends from around the world."
While specific details are still lacking as to what we can exactly expect from NHL Superstars, we can't imagine EA / Playfish breaking the mold. We'll likely be able to collect cards that contain professional hockey players, and then trade those cards out to create the best team possible. Each player will likely have stats, and we'll be able to use those players in virtual hockey games against others for supremacy.
We don't have a specific release date for NHL Superstars, although the game is set to take to the ice sometime in October. We'll make sure to give you a complete look at the game when we know more.
Are you excited to see NHL Superstars come to Facebook? Which players will you look for to create your perfect team?
Zynga says 'gimme back' to early employees awarded company stocks
Or you're fired. No, seriously. That's essentially how a recent report by The Wall Street Journal reads, citing anonymous sources. According to the report, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus (pictured) and a number of his fellow higher-ups decided that it had awarded employees with too much stock while planning its much-awaited initial public offering (IPO) last year. Zynga wasn't very happy with the situation that put it in.
With this hindsight, Zynga decided to offer said employees an ultimatum: Either return your not-yet-vested stock or pack up your things. (According to CNET, it's common for tech startups to dole out stock packages to desired prospects to make seemingly-low salaries more attractive on the outset.) WSJ reports that Pincus and crew tried to offer the take-it-or-leave-it to employees they felt whose contributions to Zynga didn't reflect the potential windfall they could come into once the IPO hit. According to WSJ, the execs hoped to lure in future employees with the promise of stock.
To put things into perspective, Zynga is expected to clear $1 billion with its IPO, which could make some of said employees very, very rich. Once Pincus and other execs approached their target employees with the demand, they were unsurprisingly met with resistance. WSJ cites two anonymous employees that hired attorneys to settle with Zynga, giving up only a portion of their shares.
One of those employees has since left the FarmVille maker. Of course, this is far from the first time nameless Zynga employees have spoke out regarding the company's practices. We've reached out to Zynga for comment.
What do you think of how Zynga handled the situation, based on the WSJ report? How would you have reacted to such an ultimatum?
With this hindsight, Zynga decided to offer said employees an ultimatum: Either return your not-yet-vested stock or pack up your things. (According to CNET, it's common for tech startups to dole out stock packages to desired prospects to make seemingly-low salaries more attractive on the outset.) WSJ reports that Pincus and crew tried to offer the take-it-or-leave-it to employees they felt whose contributions to Zynga didn't reflect the potential windfall they could come into once the IPO hit. According to WSJ, the execs hoped to lure in future employees with the promise of stock.
To put things into perspective, Zynga is expected to clear $1 billion with its IPO, which could make some of said employees very, very rich. Once Pincus and other execs approached their target employees with the demand, they were unsurprisingly met with resistance. WSJ cites two anonymous employees that hired attorneys to settle with Zynga, giving up only a portion of their shares.
One of those employees has since left the FarmVille maker. Of course, this is far from the first time nameless Zynga employees have spoke out regarding the company's practices. We've reached out to Zynga for comment.
What do you think of how Zynga handled the situation, based on the WSJ report? How would you have reacted to such an ultimatum?
Angry Birds looks to make angry bucks, flocks to overseas retail stores
We know what you're thinking: "But wait, isn't Angry Birds absolutely free to play on Google+ and in the Chrome Web Store?" Why yes, it is. MCV reports that Rovio's flagship mobile-turned-everywhere game will hit retailers in the UK, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand for £10.20. That amounts to about $16.25 USD. A majority of which we gather is for the disc.
If you want to nitpick, that's three copies of each of the Angry Birds games released for iOS and enough for yet another. As irony would have it, the publishing deal Finland-based Rovio signed with Focus Multimedia covers PC versions of all three Angry Birds games. The first game to be released under the deal is none other than the original game on Nov. 25. The game has already reached 500 million downloads across all the platforms it exists on, so why now go the brick and mortar route?
"Boxed retail is another way to reach more audience," Rovio spokesperson Ville Heijari told MCV. "Digital and mobile are still at the core of our business, but boxed retail is a good addition for taking the brand forward." The guy has a point: If Rovio is serious about hitting the 1 billion fan mark, the company must consider those unfortunately without Internet access. However, we doubt charging them ten times as much for the game will have them running to the nearest GameStop.
[Via Pocket Gamer]
What do you think of how much Rovio is charging for the PC retail version of Angry Birds? Should Rovio be focused on the Internet-less crowd in its quest for 1 billion players?
If you want to nitpick, that's three copies of each of the Angry Birds games released for iOS and enough for yet another. As irony would have it, the publishing deal Finland-based Rovio signed with Focus Multimedia covers PC versions of all three Angry Birds games. The first game to be released under the deal is none other than the original game on Nov. 25. The game has already reached 500 million downloads across all the platforms it exists on, so why now go the brick and mortar route?
"Boxed retail is another way to reach more audience," Rovio spokesperson Ville Heijari told MCV. "Digital and mobile are still at the core of our business, but boxed retail is a good addition for taking the brand forward." The guy has a point: If Rovio is serious about hitting the 1 billion fan mark, the company must consider those unfortunately without Internet access. However, we doubt charging them ten times as much for the game will have them running to the nearest GameStop.
[Via Pocket Gamer]
What do you think of how much Rovio is charging for the PC retail version of Angry Birds? Should Rovio be focused on the Internet-less crowd in its quest for 1 billion players?
FarmVille, Angry Birds double the number of gamers in three years
Games -- everybody loves 'em. Or, at least, more people love them than ever before. A new Parks Associates study shows that the number of gamers have doubled in the past three years thanks to games like FarmVille and Angry Birds.
The study surveyed people who play at least one hour of games every month, and that number increased from 56 million in 2008 to 135 million in 2011. The majority of the new gamers are so-called 'casual gamers,' many of whom play quick-hit games on social networks and mobile devices.
"These changes have significant implications for the gaming industry," Parks Associates analyst Pietro Macchiarella says. "This new majority of casual gamers is looking for games with low entry barriers, with limited investments required in terms of dollars and time necessary to learn the game.
gaming doubles in three years
"The ubiquity of portable devices and Internet access allows more people to play on-the-go, putting pressure on the gaming industry to design games that can deliver a satisfactory experience within these specific conditions," he adds.
Macchiarella predicts that with the rapid consumer adoption of tablets, such as the not-yet-released Amazon Kindle Fire, Americans will spend more time than gaming before as well. More people spending more time playing accessible games on even more accessible devices? Yep, sounds about right to us.
The study surveyed people who play at least one hour of games every month, and that number increased from 56 million in 2008 to 135 million in 2011. The majority of the new gamers are so-called 'casual gamers,' many of whom play quick-hit games on social networks and mobile devices.
"These changes have significant implications for the gaming industry," Parks Associates analyst Pietro Macchiarella says. "This new majority of casual gamers is looking for games with low entry barriers, with limited investments required in terms of dollars and time necessary to learn the game.
gaming doubles in three years
"The ubiquity of portable devices and Internet access allows more people to play on-the-go, putting pressure on the gaming industry to design games that can deliver a satisfactory experience within these specific conditions," he adds.
Macchiarella predicts that with the rapid consumer adoption of tablets, such as the not-yet-released Amazon Kindle Fire, Americans will spend more time than gaming before as well. More people spending more time playing accessible games on even more accessible devices? Yep, sounds about right to us.
Could Disney's Playdom be in worse shape than previously thought?
That's what a report by Business Insider looks to get to the bottom of, citing several anonymous sources. The report lists several bulleted claims by unnamed folks close to Playdom that range from a handful of high level execs have left the company recently to Playdom was forced to relinquish control over what games it made to Disney. And the House of Mouse is unsurprisingly reportedly not very happy about it.
"Six top executives at the VP level or above have moved on in the last three months including Playdom's Co-COO," one nameless source told Business Insider. Another source told the website that soon after Disney's $400 million plus acquisition of Playdom, the new parent company quickly "started to come in and ask Playdom to work on certain games and drop others," according to Business Insider.
Another notable takeaway from the report states that "voices within Playdom" said that they didn't see a value in pursuing Disney's lucrative brands within social games, because kids--Disney's target audience--doesn't pay up on Facebook. Other anonymous sources came to Playdom's defense, claiming that the company "is making three or four times as much money off its users as other social gaming companies," Business Insider reports.
Disney issued a response to Business Insider, reminding readers that Gardens of Time has been the company's most successful Facebook game, reaching top five status at one point. More importantly, the company was keen on letting players know that the first social game based on a Disney brand is coming. (We guess this one doesn't count then?)
This is certainly not the first time doomsayers have outed Disney and Playdom as headed for failure. There's no doubt the two companies have dragged their feet ever since joining hands. We've reached out to Playdom for comment.
[Image Credit: Disney]
Do you think Playdom is doomed, or is it just warming up? What do you hope the first Disney Facebook game is like?
"Six top executives at the VP level or above have moved on in the last three months including Playdom's Co-COO," one nameless source told Business Insider. Another source told the website that soon after Disney's $400 million plus acquisition of Playdom, the new parent company quickly "started to come in and ask Playdom to work on certain games and drop others," according to Business Insider.
Another notable takeaway from the report states that "voices within Playdom" said that they didn't see a value in pursuing Disney's lucrative brands within social games, because kids--Disney's target audience--doesn't pay up on Facebook. Other anonymous sources came to Playdom's defense, claiming that the company "is making three or four times as much money off its users as other social gaming companies," Business Insider reports.
Disney issued a response to Business Insider, reminding readers that Gardens of Time has been the company's most successful Facebook game, reaching top five status at one point. More importantly, the company was keen on letting players know that the first social game based on a Disney brand is coming. (We guess this one doesn't count then?)
This is certainly not the first time doomsayers have outed Disney and Playdom as headed for failure. There's no doubt the two companies have dragged their feet ever since joining hands. We've reached out to Playdom for comment.
[Image Credit: Disney]
Do you think Playdom is doomed, or is it just warming up? What do you hope the first Disney Facebook game is like?
Monday, December 12, 2011
Playdom leads gamers into double life in Secret Agent X on Facebook
By day, you're a suburban soccer mom who brings dinner to the table for her kids. By night, you're a secret agent working for an undercover organization that keeps the world safe. This is the general premise for Playdom's next game since Disney's GnomeTown, Secret Agent X. The game, set to launch this fall, pits you against the evil organization known as SCAM.
All Things Digital reports that the game is available in some international markets in a closed beta test. The Disney-owned developer released a teaser trailer that reveals next to nothing about its gameplay, but we can always image what it'll be like. Based on what Playdom has told ATD, the game will send players on adventures using high-tech gadgets only to have them return home to the normal duties of suburban life.
It's easy to envision "home" being the hub of the game in which you customize a house, while you explore large maps on missions as a secret agent. (Again, this is speculation.) Playdom tells ATD that, starting with Secret Agent X, the company will release a dozen games within the next year. Up to three of those games--coming in January, March and August 2012--will revolve around Disney brands, according to ATD.
Playdom has been under fire from analysts for dragging its feet into the social games race since Disney bought it for a whopping $563.2 million over a year ago. How does the developer plan to catch up to the likes of wooga, Playfish and possibly Zynga: Explore new concepts and leverage the bevy of Disney mega brands. "A year after the acquisition, we are successfully transitioning into an operating division within Disney," Playdom COO Brad Serwin told ATD. "We are 100 percent back to work."
Based on the teaser trailer, what do you expect from Secret Agent X? Which of Disney's brands do you hope becomes a Facebook game most?
All Things Digital reports that the game is available in some international markets in a closed beta test. The Disney-owned developer released a teaser trailer that reveals next to nothing about its gameplay, but we can always image what it'll be like. Based on what Playdom has told ATD, the game will send players on adventures using high-tech gadgets only to have them return home to the normal duties of suburban life.
It's easy to envision "home" being the hub of the game in which you customize a house, while you explore large maps on missions as a secret agent. (Again, this is speculation.) Playdom tells ATD that, starting with Secret Agent X, the company will release a dozen games within the next year. Up to three of those games--coming in January, March and August 2012--will revolve around Disney brands, according to ATD.
Playdom has been under fire from analysts for dragging its feet into the social games race since Disney bought it for a whopping $563.2 million over a year ago. How does the developer plan to catch up to the likes of wooga, Playfish and possibly Zynga: Explore new concepts and leverage the bevy of Disney mega brands. "A year after the acquisition, we are successfully transitioning into an operating division within Disney," Playdom COO Brad Serwin told ATD. "We are 100 percent back to work."
Based on the teaser trailer, what do you expect from Secret Agent X? Which of Disney's brands do you hope becomes a Facebook game most?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Have a pirate adventure in Brayzdin's Neverland
If you want to go to Neverland, you don't have to wait for a boy with green tights and a pixie to sneak through your window. Now there's an easier way to do it instead of flying "Second star to the right and straight on till morning." Because we've got Brayzdin's "Never, Never" FarmVille farm, which takes obvious inspiration from J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan novels.
Brayzdin has a penchant for fantastical pieces and this theme has clearly allowed him to let loose with a huge variety of design tricks. If those trees look familiar to you, it's because Brayzdin is a landscaper who's so nice, we chose him twice. His last entry, a farm-chomping monster lizard, is an amazing piece that best encompasses his style and just the sheer originality of his imagination. An artist of masterpiece farms, fans can easily spot his deft touch by his careful object placements and heavy use of green, rounded treetops to generate 3D effects. This time, he even managed to recreate a plane's air trail by using white trees. For the record, the only time he thinks hay bales are appropriate is when you want to mimic water, which he does here.
Click the image to make it larger.
While everyone grew up with a traditional notion of Neverland that involved Mermaid Lagoon, Captain Hook's pirate cove, the Indian Chief's village, and the Lost Boys hideout, Brayzdin includes new elements such as Duke's Airship from the English Countryside event, a Mini Stonehenge, a Lake Nessie, and a Balloon Gnome. The most lovely item is probably the Leprechaun's Cottage, which looks really expensive, but is actually one of those buildings that can be obtained with the help of neighbors. Finally, the most arresting part of his farm is the height he's managed to achieve on the farm's center cliff. It's a really dramatic straight drop and gives the illusion that the right side of the cliff is a cove and sky, when we all know that everything we're seeing is laid out flat, like stickers on a wall.
Which part of Brayzdin's Neverland would you like to visit first? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Brayzdin has a penchant for fantastical pieces and this theme has clearly allowed him to let loose with a huge variety of design tricks. If those trees look familiar to you, it's because Brayzdin is a landscaper who's so nice, we chose him twice. His last entry, a farm-chomping monster lizard, is an amazing piece that best encompasses his style and just the sheer originality of his imagination. An artist of masterpiece farms, fans can easily spot his deft touch by his careful object placements and heavy use of green, rounded treetops to generate 3D effects. This time, he even managed to recreate a plane's air trail by using white trees. For the record, the only time he thinks hay bales are appropriate is when you want to mimic water, which he does here.
Click the image to make it larger.
While everyone grew up with a traditional notion of Neverland that involved Mermaid Lagoon, Captain Hook's pirate cove, the Indian Chief's village, and the Lost Boys hideout, Brayzdin includes new elements such as Duke's Airship from the English Countryside event, a Mini Stonehenge, a Lake Nessie, and a Balloon Gnome. The most lovely item is probably the Leprechaun's Cottage, which looks really expensive, but is actually one of those buildings that can be obtained with the help of neighbors. Finally, the most arresting part of his farm is the height he's managed to achieve on the farm's center cliff. It's a really dramatic straight drop and gives the illusion that the right side of the cliff is a cove and sky, when we all know that everything we're seeing is laid out flat, like stickers on a wall.
Which part of Brayzdin's Neverland would you like to visit first? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Family Feud maker iWin hires Loot Drop's Laralyn McWilliams
Before the studio released even its first Facebook game, Cloudforest Expedition, social game exec Laralyn McWilliams has left Loot Drop and joined iWin as its VP of Creative, Inside Social Games reports. After mere months with seasoned designer John Romero's Loot Drop, McWilliams joins Dragons of Atlantis developer Nick Rush and mobile developer Randy Angle at iWin.
Best known for its social renditions of popular game shows like Family Feud and 1 vs 100, iWin looks to use these strategic hires to get its list of casual downloadable games onto social and mobile platforms. Before joining Loot Drop for a short time and now iWin, McWilliams worked with Sony Online Entertainment on Free Realms and a number of Facebook games that were unfortunately axed before release.
"I had a change of heart and wound up accepting at iWin," McWilliams explained to ISG. "There's a great gift with iWin's brands in that they've been tested [and] there's a wealth of content and learning. The greatest challenge is taking the brands an extending them into some of the new spaces - like [making] a Jewel Quest mobile game, for example. That's what appeals to me about this role. I'm always interested in new frontiers."
ISG reports that Rush and Angle will focus on social and mobile, respectively, and we imagine they will report to McWilliams in some capacity. McWilliams, while she couldn't confirm to the website whether iWin originals like Jewel Quest would come to Facebook, doubts that iWin will ignore them in its increased social and mobile efforts. You know, because we certainly don't have enough match-three games on Facebook already.
Do you think iWin could become a worthy competitor to the standing Facebook game giants with its game show offerings and upcoming original properties? How do you think this move might affect Loot Drop as it tries to get its first game out the gate?
Best known for its social renditions of popular game shows like Family Feud and 1 vs 100, iWin looks to use these strategic hires to get its list of casual downloadable games onto social and mobile platforms. Before joining Loot Drop for a short time and now iWin, McWilliams worked with Sony Online Entertainment on Free Realms and a number of Facebook games that were unfortunately axed before release.
"I had a change of heart and wound up accepting at iWin," McWilliams explained to ISG. "There's a great gift with iWin's brands in that they've been tested [and] there's a wealth of content and learning. The greatest challenge is taking the brands an extending them into some of the new spaces - like [making] a Jewel Quest mobile game, for example. That's what appeals to me about this role. I'm always interested in new frontiers."
ISG reports that Rush and Angle will focus on social and mobile, respectively, and we imagine they will report to McWilliams in some capacity. McWilliams, while she couldn't confirm to the website whether iWin originals like Jewel Quest would come to Facebook, doubts that iWin will ignore them in its increased social and mobile efforts. You know, because we certainly don't have enough match-three games on Facebook already.
Do you think iWin could become a worthy competitor to the standing Facebook game giants with its game show offerings and upcoming original properties? How do you think this move might affect Loot Drop as it tries to get its first game out the gate?
Playdom co-founder: Facebook farming games aren't social games
Rick Thompson, co-founder of Disney-owned social game studio Playdom, is not happy with the lot of social games. During an interview with All Things Digital (ATD), Thompson was asked if he finds many Facebook games enjoyable. "I think they are fairly scarce," Thompson told ATD. While he did shout out to games like Kixeye's Backyard Monsters and Gardens of Time by his own former company, Thompson said that the established powers in social games are having a hard time raising the bar.
"I tend to think that those will not be very interesting in another two years, and they aren't social games," Thompson said to ATD, referring specifically to the myriad of Facebook games that insist on farming mechanics. "They are single-player games with the possibility of visiting your friend's aquarium – that's not social." (And you should already know just where Thompson is pointing.)
Despite this, Thompson says that the maturity of Facebook games is leaps and bounds beyond what it was just three years ago, mostly because of how much it costs developers to acquire new users ever since Facebook changed things up. But Thompson--now a social gaming veteran that has invested in companies like Funzio of Crime City fame to Idle Games--still sees companies that focus primarily on increasing players numbers as, well, doing it wrong.
Thompson isn't alone here, either. A number of analysts and designers alike are calling the industry out. Most recently, Eedar analyst Jesse Divnich claimed that we're on the verge of the next generation of social games. Designers like Braid creator Jonathan Blow, however, simply see the current lot of Facebook games as exploitative and not much more. (And we all know how Ian Bogost feels about the games.) Sadly, it likely won't be until arguably forward-thinking games like IdleWorship become as profitable as, say, FarmVille that Facebook games begin to agree with Thompson's sentiments on a wide scale.
Do you agree that the current lot of top Facebook games lack real social gameplay? What do you think it will take until that becomes a reality in the top 10?
"I tend to think that those will not be very interesting in another two years, and they aren't social games," Thompson said to ATD, referring specifically to the myriad of Facebook games that insist on farming mechanics. "They are single-player games with the possibility of visiting your friend's aquarium – that's not social." (And you should already know just where Thompson is pointing.)
Despite this, Thompson says that the maturity of Facebook games is leaps and bounds beyond what it was just three years ago, mostly because of how much it costs developers to acquire new users ever since Facebook changed things up. But Thompson--now a social gaming veteran that has invested in companies like Funzio of Crime City fame to Idle Games--still sees companies that focus primarily on increasing players numbers as, well, doing it wrong.
Thompson isn't alone here, either. A number of analysts and designers alike are calling the industry out. Most recently, Eedar analyst Jesse Divnich claimed that we're on the verge of the next generation of social games. Designers like Braid creator Jonathan Blow, however, simply see the current lot of Facebook games as exploitative and not much more. (And we all know how Ian Bogost feels about the games.) Sadly, it likely won't be until arguably forward-thinking games like IdleWorship become as profitable as, say, FarmVille that Facebook games begin to agree with Thompson's sentiments on a wide scale.
Do you agree that the current lot of top Facebook games lack real social gameplay? What do you think it will take until that becomes a reality in the top 10?
CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls gets Diner Dash-style Facebook game
More and more, TV networks are turning to games to promote new and existing shows. "Smack talk hipsters, serve coffee to loners and rack up tips!" is the hook of a new Facebook game launched by CBS last month to promote their new fall comedy TV series, 2 Broke Girls, about a pair of waitresses at a Brooklyn diner saving up for the chance to run their own cupcake shop someday.
2 Broke Girls diner game
Created by GameSalad (the generous hosts of the political Angry Birds homage, Angry Anna) and CBS Interactive, the 2 Broke Girls game is also available for iOS devices at the App Store as well as GameSalad's website. It's also not the first time a CBS show has made it as a Facebook game. Just last month, a fake collectible card game from CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, got turned into a real collectible card game for Facebook called "Mystic Worlds of Ka'a".
2 Broke Girls menu
2 Broke Girls is a Facebook game very similar in play to Playfirst's phenomenally popular Diner Dash. The latter had made a home for itself on Facebook until poor traffic forced Playfirst to announce its shutdown back in July. Seeing how 2 Broke Girls is definitely more barebones and less Facebook integrated than Diner Dash was, I doubt it'll take off as a game alone. But if the show is good enough, they could always deepen the game's development.
Click here to play 2 Broke Girls on Facebook Now >
[Hat-tip: ClickZ]
Are Facebook games about a show enough to make you want to check out the show? Have you ever played Diner Dash before?
2 Broke Girls diner game
Created by GameSalad (the generous hosts of the political Angry Birds homage, Angry Anna) and CBS Interactive, the 2 Broke Girls game is also available for iOS devices at the App Store as well as GameSalad's website. It's also not the first time a CBS show has made it as a Facebook game. Just last month, a fake collectible card game from CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, got turned into a real collectible card game for Facebook called "Mystic Worlds of Ka'a".
2 Broke Girls menu
2 Broke Girls is a Facebook game very similar in play to Playfirst's phenomenally popular Diner Dash. The latter had made a home for itself on Facebook until poor traffic forced Playfirst to announce its shutdown back in July. Seeing how 2 Broke Girls is definitely more barebones and less Facebook integrated than Diner Dash was, I doubt it'll take off as a game alone. But if the show is good enough, they could always deepen the game's development.
Click here to play 2 Broke Girls on Facebook Now >
[Hat-tip: ClickZ]
Are Facebook games about a show enough to make you want to check out the show? Have you ever played Diner Dash before?
Study: Social games will make $5.6 billion outside Facebook by 2014
Maybe there's a future for social games beyond Facebook, after all. That is, of course, if you ask the right people. A study by SuperData Research and commissioned by Viximo, a leading social games platform, estimates that social games that exist outside of Facebook's grubby paws will reel in a whopping $5.6 billion in revenue by 2014. Non-Facebook social games are expected to reach $3.2 billion in revenue this year alone.
While it's important to keep in mind just who commissioned this study, we should at least consider that social games do exist on other platforms around the globe. In fact, the study reports to have found that Asia is the largest market for social games, and that Facebook accounts for a third of all social network traffic around the world. The SuperData study made these estimations based on 774,158 unique transactions by 152,159 individuals in the six-month period ending on June 1, 2011.
From that, the study found that the largest western nations for social gaming aren't even in North America, but are Russia and Brazil with 35 million and 32.6 million players, respectively. "The social web beyond Facebook is often overlooked when it comes to games and applications," Viximo CEO Dale Strang said in a release. As it turns out, social networks beyond Facebook represent a non-trivial--in fact, significant--and fertile ground for games and apps."
With global competitors like Google+, the Mobage network and whatever in the world Gree is cooking up with OpenFeint, Strang certainly has a point. And let's not forget the number of developers and publisher across the globe that are quickly gaining notoriety like wooga, Nordeus and Spil Games. Facebook, it looks like you're surrounded.
Do you think Facebook will become less important for social game creators as competitors rise? How do you think Facebook will adapt to the growing competition?
While it's important to keep in mind just who commissioned this study, we should at least consider that social games do exist on other platforms around the globe. In fact, the study reports to have found that Asia is the largest market for social games, and that Facebook accounts for a third of all social network traffic around the world. The SuperData study made these estimations based on 774,158 unique transactions by 152,159 individuals in the six-month period ending on June 1, 2011.
From that, the study found that the largest western nations for social gaming aren't even in North America, but are Russia and Brazil with 35 million and 32.6 million players, respectively. "The social web beyond Facebook is often overlooked when it comes to games and applications," Viximo CEO Dale Strang said in a release. As it turns out, social networks beyond Facebook represent a non-trivial--in fact, significant--and fertile ground for games and apps."
With global competitors like Google+, the Mobage network and whatever in the world Gree is cooking up with OpenFeint, Strang certainly has a point. And let's not forget the number of developers and publisher across the globe that are quickly gaining notoriety like wooga, Nordeus and Spil Games. Facebook, it looks like you're surrounded.
Do you think Facebook will become less important for social game creators as competitors rise? How do you think Facebook will adapt to the growing competition?
FarmVille Express, Words with Friends et al, to hit Facebook Mobile
Now, why wasn't Gerard Butler hired to make this announcement? It seems as if the first phase of Facebook's Project Spartan is underway, as several HTML5--a relatively new coding language for the web--games and apps were announced on the Facebook Developer's Blog today. Zynga will launch FarmVille Express, Texas HoldEm Poker and Words with Friends to Facebook for mobile browsers tomorrow, but is joined by a number of games by big time developers.
Joining Zynga are Wooga with Magic Land: Island (a mobile extension of its most recent Facebook game), Moblyng with Social Poker Live and Word Racer Live and Storm8 with three releases: World War, iMobsters and Vampires Live. While the three Zynga games will be playable tomorrow, these six games are playable through Facebook on mobile browsers like Safari for iPhone or iPad right now.
We imagine Zynga will formally announce these three HTML5-powered games tomorrow at its Zynga Unleashed news event. Facebook just let one big cat out of the bag, revealing that EA too plans on releasing mobile browser games through the social network. (According to All Things Digital, that will start with an HTML5 version of The Sims Social.) All of these games support Facebook Credits, confirming earlier rumors, as well as all app-related Facebook Social Channels like Bookmarks, Requests and interactive News Feed posts.
Magic Land: Island
This means that users can answer both direct and News Feed requests for their favorite Facebook games through either the mobile web version of Facebook or the native Facebook app for iPhone and iPad (which launched today). Clicking on a Game Request or Bookmark through either form of Facebook will launch the relevant app should it exist and you have it installed.
This is a huge step forward for HTML5-based social games, especially considering Zynga's mobile head recently seemed not-so-bullish on the HTML5 movement in social games. And based on some brief time with Magic Land: Island, I can say that mobile browser-based gaming seems to have come a long way in the blink of an eye. Stay tuned tomorrow for more news from Zynga that will likely revolve around this huge if inadvertent announcement.
Are you excited at the chance to play lighter versions or companions to your favorite Facebook games through your phone's browser? What do you think of the HTML5 game movement generally?
Joining Zynga are Wooga with Magic Land: Island (a mobile extension of its most recent Facebook game), Moblyng with Social Poker Live and Word Racer Live and Storm8 with three releases: World War, iMobsters and Vampires Live. While the three Zynga games will be playable tomorrow, these six games are playable through Facebook on mobile browsers like Safari for iPhone or iPad right now.
We imagine Zynga will formally announce these three HTML5-powered games tomorrow at its Zynga Unleashed news event. Facebook just let one big cat out of the bag, revealing that EA too plans on releasing mobile browser games through the social network. (According to All Things Digital, that will start with an HTML5 version of The Sims Social.) All of these games support Facebook Credits, confirming earlier rumors, as well as all app-related Facebook Social Channels like Bookmarks, Requests and interactive News Feed posts.
Magic Land: Island
This means that users can answer both direct and News Feed requests for their favorite Facebook games through either the mobile web version of Facebook or the native Facebook app for iPhone and iPad (which launched today). Clicking on a Game Request or Bookmark through either form of Facebook will launch the relevant app should it exist and you have it installed.
This is a huge step forward for HTML5-based social games, especially considering Zynga's mobile head recently seemed not-so-bullish on the HTML5 movement in social games. And based on some brief time with Magic Land: Island, I can say that mobile browser-based gaming seems to have come a long way in the blink of an eye. Stay tuned tomorrow for more news from Zynga that will likely revolve around this huge if inadvertent announcement.
Are you excited at the chance to play lighter versions or companions to your favorite Facebook games through your phone's browser? What do you think of the HTML5 game movement generally?
Earn 3 FarmVille Farm Cash in Dr. Oz Show promotion
With all of the Halloween decorations and limited edition animals released in FarmVille recently, I wouldn't be surprised if your virtual (and real-world) wallets were hurting from all of the spending. In order to help ease the pain a bit, Zynga has launched a cross-promotional activity with the Dr. Oz Show in order to offer all participants three Farm Cash, absolutely free.
Don't worry - this activity has nothing to do with self-discovery or embarrassing health issues; it's simply a poll that you can answer in absolutely any way you'd like to receive your free Cash. This promotion, like all others, can be found underneath the FarmVille gameplay area, at the bottom right (usually, depending on your broswer). You'll see a preview for Dr. Oz's show, and will be able to answer three questions about what you do to stay healthy, and what sorts of topics you'd like to learn more about. Again, it doesn't matter which way you answer these three poll questions, so just blow through them to get to the end.
At the end, you're asked to click on a link to send Dr. Oz a question (technically, the button sends you to his website), but don't click on it! I mean, I suppose you can, if you're genuinely interested in the content, but for the sake of our promotion, all of your work here is done (you'll know it when you see the "You've earned your Farm Cash" text in the top right corner of the activity window.
When you close the window, you should automatically receive your free three Farm Cash, but if not, just refresh the game and that should set things right. We'll make sure to let you know when additional Farm Cash activities launch, so keep checking back with us!
Have you found this Dr. Oz promotion in your FarmVille game yet?
Don't worry - this activity has nothing to do with self-discovery or embarrassing health issues; it's simply a poll that you can answer in absolutely any way you'd like to receive your free Cash. This promotion, like all others, can be found underneath the FarmVille gameplay area, at the bottom right (usually, depending on your broswer). You'll see a preview for Dr. Oz's show, and will be able to answer three questions about what you do to stay healthy, and what sorts of topics you'd like to learn more about. Again, it doesn't matter which way you answer these three poll questions, so just blow through them to get to the end.
At the end, you're asked to click on a link to send Dr. Oz a question (technically, the button sends you to his website), but don't click on it! I mean, I suppose you can, if you're genuinely interested in the content, but for the sake of our promotion, all of your work here is done (you'll know it when you see the "You've earned your Farm Cash" text in the top right corner of the activity window.
When you close the window, you should automatically receive your free three Farm Cash, but if not, just refresh the game and that should set things right. We'll make sure to let you know when additional Farm Cash activities launch, so keep checking back with us!
Have you found this Dr. Oz promotion in your FarmVille game yet?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
CityVille Shipping Pier Upgrades: Everything you need to know
If you're one of the many CityVille players with multiple Piers cluttering your shoreline so that you can hold more boats (and therefore earn more Goods), you'll be happy to know that you can now expand and upgrade the size of your Piers, giving you not only more space to dock boats, but also more overall storage to hold Goods, whether you've received those Goods from shipping or even from farming!
If you haven't placed a pier in your town, you'll be prompted to do so the next time you login. Provided you've reached at least Level 20, if you haven't created an expansion that touches the water yet, you'll be given a discount on purchasing it for City Cash, as it should cost you only three City Cash for the expansion itself. If you've already unlocked a Pier in your city, however, you'll simply be able to jump straight away into the upgrade process.
There are three requirements to upgrade a single Pier, and you'll need to upgrade each individual Pier you own individually to take advantage of these bonuses and rewards.
Have 6 Ships
Harvest 15 Ships on this Pier
Gather Parts to upgrade your Pier
Again, each Pier must be upgraded individually, with this second requirement asking you to harvest ships specifically on the Pier that you're currently trying to upgrade. As for gathering parts, you'll need to gather six of each of the following items:
Pier Planks
Cranes
Mooring Lines
Cargo
Forklifts
The Pier Planks, Mooring Lines and Forklifts are earned through general news items you'll post to your wall, while the other two items are earned via individual requests sent to your friends. You can also purchase the parts for City Cash.
Once you've finished these three tasks, you'll have upgraded that individual Pier to Level 2. This takes the Pier from a 6-foot Dock, housing 420 Goods to one that is an 8-Foot Dock, allowing storage for 1500 Goods. From there, you'll be able to upgrade yet again to Level 3, but this time, the requirements are different:
Harvest 30 Ships or Freighters on this Pier
Have 3 Freighters
Gather parts to upgrade the Pier.
You'll be required to gather 50 parts overall for this upgrade, instead of 30 as for the first upgrade. Additionally, the Freighters and Super Freighters are available to purchase from the store, just as you've purchased Boats or Barges in the past. A Freighter costs 10,000 coins, while a Super Freighter costs 100,000 coins. These cost more coins to purchase initially, but they can also return with more Goods than you would have received from Boats normally, so that's the trade-off. Once you've reached Level 3 of a Pier, it will offer storage for 2,500 Goods and will be 10 feet long.
To go along with these Pier upgrades, a set of new goals has also been released pertaining to Shipping Upgrades, and we'll make sure to have a complete guide to those goals for you as soon as we can.
What do you think of the ability to upgrade your shipping Piers in CityVille? Will you upgrade each to Level 2/3 and upgrade all of your Boats to Freighters, or is that too much work to take on right now?
If you haven't placed a pier in your town, you'll be prompted to do so the next time you login. Provided you've reached at least Level 20, if you haven't created an expansion that touches the water yet, you'll be given a discount on purchasing it for City Cash, as it should cost you only three City Cash for the expansion itself. If you've already unlocked a Pier in your city, however, you'll simply be able to jump straight away into the upgrade process.
There are three requirements to upgrade a single Pier, and you'll need to upgrade each individual Pier you own individually to take advantage of these bonuses and rewards.
Have 6 Ships
Harvest 15 Ships on this Pier
Gather Parts to upgrade your Pier
Again, each Pier must be upgraded individually, with this second requirement asking you to harvest ships specifically on the Pier that you're currently trying to upgrade. As for gathering parts, you'll need to gather six of each of the following items:
Pier Planks
Cranes
Mooring Lines
Cargo
Forklifts
The Pier Planks, Mooring Lines and Forklifts are earned through general news items you'll post to your wall, while the other two items are earned via individual requests sent to your friends. You can also purchase the parts for City Cash.
Once you've finished these three tasks, you'll have upgraded that individual Pier to Level 2. This takes the Pier from a 6-foot Dock, housing 420 Goods to one that is an 8-Foot Dock, allowing storage for 1500 Goods. From there, you'll be able to upgrade yet again to Level 3, but this time, the requirements are different:
Harvest 30 Ships or Freighters on this Pier
Have 3 Freighters
Gather parts to upgrade the Pier.
You'll be required to gather 50 parts overall for this upgrade, instead of 30 as for the first upgrade. Additionally, the Freighters and Super Freighters are available to purchase from the store, just as you've purchased Boats or Barges in the past. A Freighter costs 10,000 coins, while a Super Freighter costs 100,000 coins. These cost more coins to purchase initially, but they can also return with more Goods than you would have received from Boats normally, so that's the trade-off. Once you've reached Level 3 of a Pier, it will offer storage for 2,500 Goods and will be 10 feet long.
To go along with these Pier upgrades, a set of new goals has also been released pertaining to Shipping Upgrades, and we'll make sure to have a complete guide to those goals for you as soon as we can.
What do you think of the ability to upgrade your shipping Piers in CityVille? Will you upgrade each to Level 2/3 and upgrade all of your Boats to Freighters, or is that too much work to take on right now?
CityVille Shipping Upgrade Goals: Everything you need to know
As you go through the multi-step Pier Upgrade process in CityVille, which will allow you to expand the size and Goods storage capacity of your docks, you'll also be asked to complete a series of five themed goals, given to you by Captain Rusty. These goals offer limited edition items, as well Freighters and the like, so let's get started on a guide showing you exactly how to complete them.
Dock Star
Have a Level 2 Pier
Unlad from a Boat 10 Times
Unload from a Freighter Once
The Level 2 Pier is earned by completing the Pier upgrade process, which involves collecting 30 building materials with the help of friends. Make sure to check out our guide to Shipping Pier Upgrades to learn exactly what those items are. When you complete this goal, you'll receive the Harbor Master's Office building, a Community Building that allows for 4,000 citizens to live in your town. You'll need six staff members to finish its construction.
Sunken Treasure
Have 3 Piers
Have 2 Freighters
Have 10,000 Goods
By adding these additional Piers, you'll get closer to the 10,000 Goods storage capacity, as each one adds to that maximum storage. If you don't have that amount of storage already, this goal will likely be a bit time consuming, but once you finish it, you'll receive a Special Freighter, which offers 50% more Goods when it returns from Shipping Contracts.
Lonely Island
Collect from Natural History Museum 2 Times
Collect from Coffee Shop 5 Times
Ask for 8 Cell Phones
Cell Phones are earned through a wall post. You'll receive a Coffee Table for finishing this goal, which is a decorative item offering a 15% payout bonus.
Super Freighter!
Have a Level 3 Pier
Unload from a Freighter 3 Times
Unload from a Super Freighter Once
The Super Freighters cost even more than the regular Freighters, but luckily, you only need to have one of them for this goal. As for upgrading your Pier to Level 3, you'll need to collect the same building materials as before, but in larger quantities. If you finish this goal, you'll receive a Special Super Freighter, which gives 175% more Goods than traditionally received from the same Shipping Contract.
Bigger Fish to Fry
Have 20,000 Goods
Have 2 Level 3 Piers
Unload from a Special Super Freighter once
This will likely be the most time consuming goal of them all, as you'll need to complete both levels of Pier upgrades on two separate Piers, along with ensuring (either through these upgrades or by simply purchasing more Piers) that you can store 20,000 Goods at one time. If you can meet these hefty requirements, you'll receive the Harbor Master's Boat as your reward for this final goal. It gives a 4% payout bonus to nearby homes and businesses, and is strictly a decoration.
These goals are definitely some of the most time consuming and gift-request-specific we've seen released in quite some time. It doesn't look like they'll be leaving the game anytime soon, so feel free to take your time with completing them, or even put them off for a while, until you've finished more pressing things in your city.
[Goals 2-5 Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these Shipping Upgrade goals? Do you use the Shipping / Pier feature a lot already, or are you one that sticks to farming instead?
Dock Star
Have a Level 2 Pier
Unlad from a Boat 10 Times
Unload from a Freighter Once
The Level 2 Pier is earned by completing the Pier upgrade process, which involves collecting 30 building materials with the help of friends. Make sure to check out our guide to Shipping Pier Upgrades to learn exactly what those items are. When you complete this goal, you'll receive the Harbor Master's Office building, a Community Building that allows for 4,000 citizens to live in your town. You'll need six staff members to finish its construction.
Sunken Treasure
Have 3 Piers
Have 2 Freighters
Have 10,000 Goods
By adding these additional Piers, you'll get closer to the 10,000 Goods storage capacity, as each one adds to that maximum storage. If you don't have that amount of storage already, this goal will likely be a bit time consuming, but once you finish it, you'll receive a Special Freighter, which offers 50% more Goods when it returns from Shipping Contracts.
Lonely Island
Collect from Natural History Museum 2 Times
Collect from Coffee Shop 5 Times
Ask for 8 Cell Phones
Cell Phones are earned through a wall post. You'll receive a Coffee Table for finishing this goal, which is a decorative item offering a 15% payout bonus.
Super Freighter!
Have a Level 3 Pier
Unload from a Freighter 3 Times
Unload from a Super Freighter Once
The Super Freighters cost even more than the regular Freighters, but luckily, you only need to have one of them for this goal. As for upgrading your Pier to Level 3, you'll need to collect the same building materials as before, but in larger quantities. If you finish this goal, you'll receive a Special Super Freighter, which gives 175% more Goods than traditionally received from the same Shipping Contract.
Bigger Fish to Fry
Have 20,000 Goods
Have 2 Level 3 Piers
Unload from a Special Super Freighter once
This will likely be the most time consuming goal of them all, as you'll need to complete both levels of Pier upgrades on two separate Piers, along with ensuring (either through these upgrades or by simply purchasing more Piers) that you can store 20,000 Goods at one time. If you can meet these hefty requirements, you'll receive the Harbor Master's Boat as your reward for this final goal. It gives a 4% payout bonus to nearby homes and businesses, and is strictly a decoration.
These goals are definitely some of the most time consuming and gift-request-specific we've seen released in quite some time. It doesn't look like they'll be leaving the game anytime soon, so feel free to take your time with completing them, or even put them off for a while, until you've finished more pressing things in your city.
[Goals 2-5 Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these Shipping Upgrade goals? Do you use the Shipping / Pier feature a lot already, or are you one that sticks to farming instead?
CityVille launches Buy 2 Get 1 free feature on Homes and Businesses
As a way to entice users to purchase more items for City Cash in CityVille, Zynga has launched a Buy 2 Get 1 free program within the game's store, offering you a chance to do just that - buy two of a particular item to receive a third of that same item for free. Of course, the only items listed under this program cost City Cash to start, so I hope you have plenty of that on hand to splurge!
There's only one business that has been given this treatment: The Intuition Technologies building, which costs 80 City Cash. That means that for 160 City Cash, you'll receive three of these buildings, rather than 240 City Cash, as is the normal price. The other items are homes, like the Gorilla Towers (104 City Cash each), Summer Sprawl (50 City Cash each) or Gardener's House (50 City Cash each). You can find the full selection of Buy 2 Get 1 items by heading into the game's market, clicking on the Specials tab and then clicking on "Special Offers" on the far right.
To be especially clear, you'll need to purchase two of the same item to receive a third of that same item. As of this writing, you won't be able to simply purchase two of these separate buildings and then choose a third - it's either all or nothing with this deal, so I hope there's at least one building here that you like enough to have at least three on you land. Keep in mind that some of these buildings are limited edition, so they won't be around forever. If you want to stock up, now's definitely the time. We'll make sure to let you know if other items are added to the Buy 2 Get 1 promotion in the future.
What do you think of this Buy 2 Get 1 free promotion? Will you purchase two of any of these items just to receive a third one, or is that far too expensive a prospect?
There's only one business that has been given this treatment: The Intuition Technologies building, which costs 80 City Cash. That means that for 160 City Cash, you'll receive three of these buildings, rather than 240 City Cash, as is the normal price. The other items are homes, like the Gorilla Towers (104 City Cash each), Summer Sprawl (50 City Cash each) or Gardener's House (50 City Cash each). You can find the full selection of Buy 2 Get 1 items by heading into the game's market, clicking on the Specials tab and then clicking on "Special Offers" on the far right.
To be especially clear, you'll need to purchase two of the same item to receive a third of that same item. As of this writing, you won't be able to simply purchase two of these separate buildings and then choose a third - it's either all or nothing with this deal, so I hope there's at least one building here that you like enough to have at least three on you land. Keep in mind that some of these buildings are limited edition, so they won't be around forever. If you want to stock up, now's definitely the time. We'll make sure to let you know if other items are added to the Buy 2 Get 1 promotion in the future.
What do you think of this Buy 2 Get 1 free promotion? Will you purchase two of any of these items just to receive a third one, or is that far too expensive a prospect?
FarmVille Crafting Silo Upgrades: Everything you need to know
With three farms constantly running in FarmVille, it can be more difficult to keep your Bushel / Basket count under control than it can to actually find (or receive) the Bushels that you need to craft in the first place. If you're like me, with a forever-full Crafting Silo, you're probably waiting for the day when the current maximum of items is increased. Well, wait no more farmers, as that day has arrived!
Crafting Silo expansions are now available in the game, and you'll likely be asked if you'd like to complete this process the next time you harvest a crop. Either way, this upgrade will see you earning 50 more storage slots in your Crafting Silo, and can be completed by collecting three building materials:
20 Screws
20 Red Beams
20 Aluminum Siding
You'll be able to earn these items either by purchasing them for Farm Cash, or by asking your friends to send them to you via individual gift requests. Also be on the lookout for bonus parts being shared by your friends on their walls.
Of course, this expansion process is entirely voluntary, so if you'd rather skip it entirely, or at least put it off while completing other goals in the game, feel free to do that as well. If you want the option to expand, however, it's now here, making your life just a bit easier (I hope).
Will you expand your Crafting Silos? What do you think of the Crafting Silo feature overall in FarmVille?
Crafting Silo expansions are now available in the game, and you'll likely be asked if you'd like to complete this process the next time you harvest a crop. Either way, this upgrade will see you earning 50 more storage slots in your Crafting Silo, and can be completed by collecting three building materials:
20 Screws
20 Red Beams
20 Aluminum Siding
You'll be able to earn these items either by purchasing them for Farm Cash, or by asking your friends to send them to you via individual gift requests. Also be on the lookout for bonus parts being shared by your friends on their walls.
Of course, this expansion process is entirely voluntary, so if you'd rather skip it entirely, or at least put it off while completing other goals in the game, feel free to do that as well. If you want the option to expand, however, it's now here, making your life just a bit easier (I hope).
Will you expand your Crafting Silos? What do you think of the Crafting Silo feature overall in FarmVille?
Adventure World Jungle Hunt Expedition: Everything you need to know
It seems as though the folks at Zynga didn't expect players to finish the Temple of the Mask and Great Stampede Expeditions as quickly as they did in Adventure World, as parts three and four were nowhere to be found... until today, that is. Part three is called the Jungle Hunt, and like the other two in this series, you'll have six full days to complete it. You'll need to have 450 Supplies, along with two each of Food, Fuel and Water before you begin, and you'll also be able to bring in five friends with you for extra energy. Keep in mind that these Mask Expeditions are still pretty challenging, or can be incredibly time consuming if you're not prepared before going in / don't have a lot of active neighbors, but our guide will show you just what's expected of you before you spend all of those Supplies to enter.
Escape the Jungle!
Use 3 Jaguar Bait from your Gadget Inventory
Use your Whip to Knock Out 3 Monkey Kongs
Find the Mouth to the Mask of the Hunter
While you've fought off spiders and rams in the previous two Expeditions, this third one requires you to face off against a Jaguar, along with more Monkeys. You'll need to have a fully built "Zoey's Tent" back on your Base Camp in order to access this new Jaguar Bait gadget, but if you're fast (or, are comfortable wasting a lot of energy on fighting them), you can get a lot done while trying to gather the ingredients to craft them elsewhere in the game. As for the Monkeys, you'll find that early on, this map splits into two main paths, and then reconnects at a bridge just before you make it to the Mouth piece at the end. Two monkeys are found after a grapple point if you head to the right path, from your perspective (that is, towards the right side of your screen, not from your player's perspective).
The Prey of the Mask
Ask for 12 Bottles of Black Ink
Use Woolly Mammoth Bones to apply Black Ink
Use Sabre-Tooth Bones to apply Black Ink
User Serpent Bones to apply Black Ink
Here, you'll gather the Black Ink by posting a general news item on your wall asking for them. Make sure to look out for other friends asking for the ink, as you'll receive one for yourself by clicking on their posts. The Woolly Mammoth bones are at the very beginning of the map, before the path splits into two, while the Sabre-Tooth bones are on the right path, near the two Monkeys pictured above. Finally, the Serpent Bones are on the left path, right out in the open. If you're trying to finish the Expedition as quickly as possible, you can claim bottles of Black Ink by interacting with the desks that are found in this map's camp sites (by the bottles needed below).
Kitty Care
Collect 3 Milk
Use three Jaguar Cubs to Help Them
While the adult Jaguars are enraged by the presence of the mask, they've abandoned their cubs! If you don't help them, they'll surely parish, so you'll need to gather milk from crates scattered around the map, and then simply click on cubs to help them. One cub is towards the beginning of this entire map, so don't forget to backtrack and get him (if all else fails, just click on the "Show Me" button to be shown a cub).
When you finish this third Expedition in the Mask of the Hunter series, you will finally be able to move onto the finally of this feature. We'll make sure to bring you another guide for the final Expedition as soon as we can, but for now, check out some other Expeditions you can complete in the meantime in our guide below!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this third Mask of the Hunter Expedition? Did you already complete the first two and were anxiously awaiting the third, or are you still trying to gather the other two pieces of the mask?
Escape the Jungle!
Use 3 Jaguar Bait from your Gadget Inventory
Use your Whip to Knock Out 3 Monkey Kongs
Find the Mouth to the Mask of the Hunter
While you've fought off spiders and rams in the previous two Expeditions, this third one requires you to face off against a Jaguar, along with more Monkeys. You'll need to have a fully built "Zoey's Tent" back on your Base Camp in order to access this new Jaguar Bait gadget, but if you're fast (or, are comfortable wasting a lot of energy on fighting them), you can get a lot done while trying to gather the ingredients to craft them elsewhere in the game. As for the Monkeys, you'll find that early on, this map splits into two main paths, and then reconnects at a bridge just before you make it to the Mouth piece at the end. Two monkeys are found after a grapple point if you head to the right path, from your perspective (that is, towards the right side of your screen, not from your player's perspective).
The Prey of the Mask
Ask for 12 Bottles of Black Ink
Use Woolly Mammoth Bones to apply Black Ink
Use Sabre-Tooth Bones to apply Black Ink
User Serpent Bones to apply Black Ink
Here, you'll gather the Black Ink by posting a general news item on your wall asking for them. Make sure to look out for other friends asking for the ink, as you'll receive one for yourself by clicking on their posts. The Woolly Mammoth bones are at the very beginning of the map, before the path splits into two, while the Sabre-Tooth bones are on the right path, near the two Monkeys pictured above. Finally, the Serpent Bones are on the left path, right out in the open. If you're trying to finish the Expedition as quickly as possible, you can claim bottles of Black Ink by interacting with the desks that are found in this map's camp sites (by the bottles needed below).
Kitty Care
Collect 3 Milk
Use three Jaguar Cubs to Help Them
While the adult Jaguars are enraged by the presence of the mask, they've abandoned their cubs! If you don't help them, they'll surely parish, so you'll need to gather milk from crates scattered around the map, and then simply click on cubs to help them. One cub is towards the beginning of this entire map, so don't forget to backtrack and get him (if all else fails, just click on the "Show Me" button to be shown a cub).
When you finish this third Expedition in the Mask of the Hunter series, you will finally be able to move onto the finally of this feature. We'll make sure to bring you another guide for the final Expedition as soon as we can, but for now, check out some other Expeditions you can complete in the meantime in our guide below!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this third Mask of the Hunter Expedition? Did you already complete the first two and were anxiously awaiting the third, or are you still trying to gather the other two pieces of the mask?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Ice Strawberry and Peppermint Candy crops coming to fourth farm?
Since the middle of October, we've had an idea that Zynga is working on something big for the Winter / Christmas season in FarmVille. It turns out that we're probably looking at an entirely new farm - the fourth to be released thus far. Why a fourth farm? If images spotted by the folks at FVNation are correct, it looks like we have a ton of new crops and trees that are currently unreleased, but in the game's files, that are all in a Winter / Christmas theme, and the last time we saw this amount of items being unreleased (but in the same theme), it was right around the time that Lighthouse Cove was launched.
We already know that Ice Tulips and Ice Roses are coming, but what about Peppermint Candies, Gummy Bears, Holly, Ice Carrots, Ice Rice, Gingerbread Men and Ice Strawberries? All of those crops, and more, have been spotted (the names might vary in their final forms) with completely new Market Stalls to match. There's even a mastery sign for what looks like the Ice Rice, so this proves without much doubt that we'll either A) see the biggest winter holiday theme in the game to date or B) be able to plant these crops on an entirely new farm. To be fair, it looks like the Gingerbread and Gummy Bear crops will likely be limited edition crops on our Home Farms, as the Market Stalls are similar to those already in the game.
Personally? I might fall out of my chair when the new Christmas-themed farm is launched (that is, if it is launched), and not because I think it's a bad idea, but because I'll probably need to tape my wallet shut to prevent a mass spending on Farm Cash! Whatever ends up happening with these crops / Market Stalls, we'll make sure to let you know.
[Image Credit: FVNation]
Would you be excited to take control of a fourth farm, even if it is themed to a specific time of year / holiday?
We already know that Ice Tulips and Ice Roses are coming, but what about Peppermint Candies, Gummy Bears, Holly, Ice Carrots, Ice Rice, Gingerbread Men and Ice Strawberries? All of those crops, and more, have been spotted (the names might vary in their final forms) with completely new Market Stalls to match. There's even a mastery sign for what looks like the Ice Rice, so this proves without much doubt that we'll either A) see the biggest winter holiday theme in the game to date or B) be able to plant these crops on an entirely new farm. To be fair, it looks like the Gingerbread and Gummy Bear crops will likely be limited edition crops on our Home Farms, as the Market Stalls are similar to those already in the game.
Personally? I might fall out of my chair when the new Christmas-themed farm is launched (that is, if it is launched), and not because I think it's a bad idea, but because I'll probably need to tape my wallet shut to prevent a mass spending on Farm Cash! Whatever ends up happening with these crops / Market Stalls, we'll make sure to let you know.
[Image Credit: FVNation]
Would you be excited to take control of a fourth farm, even if it is themed to a specific time of year / holiday?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Christmas-themed trees offer more signs of a fourth farm
If you wanted more proof (or at least more evidence) supporting the existence of a fourth farm in FarmVille - one that's themed in a Winter Wonderland / Christmas theme - here's a massive batch of unreleased trees (well, their mastery signs anyway) to give you something to think about. As we pointed out in our look at another large batch of unreleased, Winter / Christmas - themed crops, the last time we had this many items that were all unreleased, all at the same time, was around the time that we were about to see Lighthouse Cove launched in the game.
This newest batch of tree Mastery signs was spotted by the folks at FVNation, and while we don't have specific names for each of the trees, we can at least tell what they'll grow (for the most part) by simply looking at the signs. There's a Candy Cane pair of trees (likely one large and small), what looks like a Pink and Purple set of Sugar Plum or perhaps Ornament trees, a set of Christmas Cookie trees (with snowmen, gingerbread men and Christmas tree cookies growing on them), some Stocking trees, a pair of trees sporting Silver and Gold bells, some Golden Jingle Bell / Ornament Trees, and even a pair of trees that look to be made entirely out of star-shaped cookies!
Of course, these trees could technically all come out within the game's regular store, and perhaps some of them will. But, with the very slow, and very modest rollout of Winter Holiday items that we've already seen in the game's store, could this just be a further indication that the bulk of the items will come out on this new farm instead? After all, there's a new design to these Winter Crops market stalls, so if we are looking at a fourth farm, you'll need trees to grow there, right? Either way, we'll make sure to stay on top of things concerning the new, supposedly fourth farm in FarmVille, so keep checking back with us!
[Image Credit: FVNation]
What do you think of these Winter / Christmas themed trees? Will you splurge on any of them with Farm Cash, even if they were for your original farm, and not for a new farm as we expect?
This newest batch of tree Mastery signs was spotted by the folks at FVNation, and while we don't have specific names for each of the trees, we can at least tell what they'll grow (for the most part) by simply looking at the signs. There's a Candy Cane pair of trees (likely one large and small), what looks like a Pink and Purple set of Sugar Plum or perhaps Ornament trees, a set of Christmas Cookie trees (with snowmen, gingerbread men and Christmas tree cookies growing on them), some Stocking trees, a pair of trees sporting Silver and Gold bells, some Golden Jingle Bell / Ornament Trees, and even a pair of trees that look to be made entirely out of star-shaped cookies!
Of course, these trees could technically all come out within the game's regular store, and perhaps some of them will. But, with the very slow, and very modest rollout of Winter Holiday items that we've already seen in the game's store, could this just be a further indication that the bulk of the items will come out on this new farm instead? After all, there's a new design to these Winter Crops market stalls, so if we are looking at a fourth farm, you'll need trees to grow there, right? Either way, we'll make sure to stay on top of things concerning the new, supposedly fourth farm in FarmVille, so keep checking back with us!
[Image Credit: FVNation]
What do you think of these Winter / Christmas themed trees? Will you splurge on any of them with Farm Cash, even if they were for your original farm, and not for a new farm as we expect?
Adventure World Last Stand Expedition: Everything you need to know
To finish off your journey through the Mask of the Hunter feature in Adventure World, you'll finally be able to use the masks parts you've gathered in the new Last Stand expedition. As we told you previously, the Jungle Hunt expedition serves as the third part in this series, giving you a chance to claim the mouth of the mask. Now, let's put the pieces together and end this! You'll need 450 Supplies, along with two each of Food, Fuel and Water to access this Expedition, which you'll have a full six days to complete. You'll be able to bring in up to five of your friends for extra energy, and you'll need their help if you want to finish this one quickly. Let's take a look at what awaits you.
Appease the Beasts
Collect 3 Stone Slabs
Collect 3 Buckets of Mortar
Rebuild the Altar of the Hunter
Place the Mask of the Hunter on the Altar
Here, you're placed in a village, forced to climb up a mountain while being chased by animals. The altar itself is broken, with the villagers having placed the pieces of the altar in storehouses scattered around the map. The altar itself is as the very top of the map, where your in-game friends are waiting.
And Stay Out!
Use 3 Stink Bombs
Collect 12 Wood Piles
Ask friends for 18 Barbed Wire
Build 6 Barricades at the Village Gates
It seems every animal in the jungle is after you now, so you're asked to build barricades using the Wood Piles you'll find scattered around the map (they actually just look like single wood planks) and Barbed Wire collected from friends (individual gift requests) to create barricades around the village. You'll see the outlines of where these barricades should go, as seen below. As for the Stink Bombs, these are crafted back in your Zoey's Tent building on your Base Camp.
Blow the Bridges
Collect 6 Powder Kegs
Use 3 Powder Kegs on the Stone Bridges
Use 3 Plungers to Blow up the Bridges
Again, you're being chased by animals here, so if you can't manage to barricade yourself in time, and the animals have made their way in, you'll want to blow up the bridges so that you'll cut off one of their paths. These bridges are found over the water (obviously), so just look there if you're having trouble. As for the materials, you'll find Powder Kegs in storage buildings, and the plungers on the ground near the bridges that you're to blow up.
A Final Decision
Speak to both Trip and Zoey
Once you make it to the top of the mountain, you'll see the professor speaking to you. He'll tell you that he expected Trip and Zoey would fight over the mask, and it turns out he was right. You'll need to decide, but first, you must speak to your two teammates. At that point, you'll get to make the choice, which finishes off this Expedition. There doesn't appear to be any sort of game-changing ending, based on your choice, so choose which one you feel is best and then do it. If you're curious, you can always replay this Expedition and choose the other way at the end. It's up to you.
For finishing this Expedition, you'll have finished this Mask of the Hunter quest line, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Zoey come back for more in future quests. After all, she was sent to our game by Indiana Jones himself, so when he finally does show up, maybe we'll work with them both.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this finale to the Mask of the Hunter quest line? Have you already finished the previous three Expeditions in the Mask of the Hunter Expedition set, or are you still trying to claim the various pieces of the mask instead?
Appease the Beasts
Collect 3 Stone Slabs
Collect 3 Buckets of Mortar
Rebuild the Altar of the Hunter
Place the Mask of the Hunter on the Altar
Here, you're placed in a village, forced to climb up a mountain while being chased by animals. The altar itself is broken, with the villagers having placed the pieces of the altar in storehouses scattered around the map. The altar itself is as the very top of the map, where your in-game friends are waiting.
And Stay Out!
Use 3 Stink Bombs
Collect 12 Wood Piles
Ask friends for 18 Barbed Wire
Build 6 Barricades at the Village Gates
It seems every animal in the jungle is after you now, so you're asked to build barricades using the Wood Piles you'll find scattered around the map (they actually just look like single wood planks) and Barbed Wire collected from friends (individual gift requests) to create barricades around the village. You'll see the outlines of where these barricades should go, as seen below. As for the Stink Bombs, these are crafted back in your Zoey's Tent building on your Base Camp.
Blow the Bridges
Collect 6 Powder Kegs
Use 3 Powder Kegs on the Stone Bridges
Use 3 Plungers to Blow up the Bridges
Again, you're being chased by animals here, so if you can't manage to barricade yourself in time, and the animals have made their way in, you'll want to blow up the bridges so that you'll cut off one of their paths. These bridges are found over the water (obviously), so just look there if you're having trouble. As for the materials, you'll find Powder Kegs in storage buildings, and the plungers on the ground near the bridges that you're to blow up.
A Final Decision
Speak to both Trip and Zoey
Once you make it to the top of the mountain, you'll see the professor speaking to you. He'll tell you that he expected Trip and Zoey would fight over the mask, and it turns out he was right. You'll need to decide, but first, you must speak to your two teammates. At that point, you'll get to make the choice, which finishes off this Expedition. There doesn't appear to be any sort of game-changing ending, based on your choice, so choose which one you feel is best and then do it. If you're curious, you can always replay this Expedition and choose the other way at the end. It's up to you.
For finishing this Expedition, you'll have finished this Mask of the Hunter quest line, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw Zoey come back for more in future quests. After all, she was sent to our game by Indiana Jones himself, so when he finally does show up, maybe we'll work with them both.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this finale to the Mask of the Hunter quest line? Have you already finished the previous three Expeditions in the Mask of the Hunter Expedition set, or are you still trying to claim the various pieces of the mask instead?
FarmVille: Plush ornaments coming to Best Buy December 4 [UPDATE]
[UPDATE] It turns out these animals will cost $9.99 each, or $0.99 with a $25 Zynga Game Card purchase. They will be available exclusively at Best Buy locations, and you can find out more about them in our extended preview!
And the love affair between Zynga and Best Buy continues. On top of re-launching a cross-promotion within CityVille, Zynga and Best Buy have partnered to offer FarmVille players a chance at real-world ornaments for their Christmas trees next month, along with bonuses in-game.
A player named Theresa sent FarmVilleFreak pictures, and a bit of info, concerning these ornaments, which will be a sort of real world "Mystery Game." There will be eight different animals available to receive, and each animal ornament is purchased separately. You'll only know which kind of animal you've received after opening the package back at home. We know that along with each animal, you'll also receive 10 Farm Cash and an in-game virtual animal, which will likely match the one you've received in the real world.
As for new information, we have personally contacted Best Buy and have learned that the promotion is not technically live yet, either in the game or in the stores. However, that hasn't stopped players like Theresa from seeing them in her stores. Think of this as a sort of "breaking release date," that you sometimes see when retailers sell movies or video games before the street date. That being the case, you won't be able to redeem any codes or items you receive as of this writing, because the promotion technical hasn't started.
We also learned from Best Buy that the official start date for this promotion will be December 4. On that date, all Best Buy's should start carrying these animals, but if you're lucky, you can of course grab some now from those naughty Best Buys that have broken the date. The price point is expected to be $12.95 per animal, although upon further investigation at my own personal Best Buy, I was also told that they might cost $15.00 each. I suppose we'll just have to wait until December 4 to find out for sure.
[Image Credit: FarmVilleFreak]
Have you spotted these FarmVille plush ornaments at your local Best Buy? Which animals did you receive inside? Will you pay $12.95 (or $15) for a single ornament?
And the love affair between Zynga and Best Buy continues. On top of re-launching a cross-promotion within CityVille, Zynga and Best Buy have partnered to offer FarmVille players a chance at real-world ornaments for their Christmas trees next month, along with bonuses in-game.
A player named Theresa sent FarmVilleFreak pictures, and a bit of info, concerning these ornaments, which will be a sort of real world "Mystery Game." There will be eight different animals available to receive, and each animal ornament is purchased separately. You'll only know which kind of animal you've received after opening the package back at home. We know that along with each animal, you'll also receive 10 Farm Cash and an in-game virtual animal, which will likely match the one you've received in the real world.
As for new information, we have personally contacted Best Buy and have learned that the promotion is not technically live yet, either in the game or in the stores. However, that hasn't stopped players like Theresa from seeing them in her stores. Think of this as a sort of "breaking release date," that you sometimes see when retailers sell movies or video games before the street date. That being the case, you won't be able to redeem any codes or items you receive as of this writing, because the promotion technical hasn't started.
We also learned from Best Buy that the official start date for this promotion will be December 4. On that date, all Best Buy's should start carrying these animals, but if you're lucky, you can of course grab some now from those naughty Best Buys that have broken the date. The price point is expected to be $12.95 per animal, although upon further investigation at my own personal Best Buy, I was also told that they might cost $15.00 each. I suppose we'll just have to wait until December 4 to find out for sure.
[Image Credit: FarmVilleFreak]
Have you spotted these FarmVille plush ornaments at your local Best Buy? Which animals did you receive inside? Will you pay $12.95 (or $15) for a single ornament?
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