In the spirit of the season and all that comes with it (including a huge case of World Cup fever), Games.com is hosting a Summer Sale that must not be missed! This weekend all downloadable games on Games.com are 50% off! We've got over 1,400 games, and, yep, they are all half the regular price.
If you've ever been anxious about spending money on a downloadable game now is your chance to save HUGE on great games. If you don't know where to start, we've listed some of the staff favorites below:
Family Feud Download once $9.99, now $4.99
Family Feud
$9.99
Now, $4.99
Plants vs. Zombies Download once $19.99 now, $9.99
Plants vs. Zombies
$19.99
Now, $9.99
Mystery Case Files Return to Ravenhearst $6.99 now $4.50
Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst
$6.99
Now, $4.49
These are just an example of the deals can be had on Games.com! Act now, as the Games.com Summer Sale only runs through June 21st. Buy a new game today.
For information on how to use the checkout code check out our walk through:
Coupon code process
Great Site to Earn From Home
Monday, February 13, 2012
Wild Ones' new pet Hamster is members only
Wild Ones has released another new pet: the hamster. This hamster follows the release of the bat, two pets which require the $5 monthly membership subscription.
The membership program became active not long ago and offers players access to exclusive weapons, items, deals and pets. Unfortuantely, only Wild Ones members are able to play as the fearsome rodent.
This hamster is not a creature you want to mess with, in fact, when powered up it poses maximum danger. The hamster's special move makes it grow twice it's usual size and allows the player to suffer only half the damage it usually would take, for an entire minute (pictured at right, hamster dwarfing panda). That's a very valuable minute of damage squandering, especially against the beefier weapons.
With the new digging armadillo and flying bat, the hamster arrives with another very unique element on the battlefield. Special abilities are becoming more and more important as new animals are released. Head to Wild Ones to check it all out.
Click here to play Wild Ones>
The membership program became active not long ago and offers players access to exclusive weapons, items, deals and pets. Unfortuantely, only Wild Ones members are able to play as the fearsome rodent.
This hamster is not a creature you want to mess with, in fact, when powered up it poses maximum danger. The hamster's special move makes it grow twice it's usual size and allows the player to suffer only half the damage it usually would take, for an entire minute (pictured at right, hamster dwarfing panda). That's a very valuable minute of damage squandering, especially against the beefier weapons.
With the new digging armadillo and flying bat, the hamster arrives with another very unique element on the battlefield. Special abilities are becoming more and more important as new animals are released. Head to Wild Ones to check it all out.
Click here to play Wild Ones>
Wild Ones new map Kennel moves battle to a construction yard
wild ones kennel new map
Kennel is the newest map in Wild Ones. Players will be relieved to hear that this map does not require the new membership subscription. The $5 monthly membership program has lots of exclusive items, deals and pets not available to ordinary players. Fortunately, all players have access to this new map, regardless of level or membership status.
Kennel is a construction yard themed map. The main structural feature is the scaffolding in the center of the map. This tower divides the map into two halves, preventing pets from easily hitting those cross map shots with ease. However, as we witnessed earlier, the digging armadillo and flying bat easily traversed the new map and were able to make insane plays almost without regard for the terrain. The central tower is made of thin barriers and can be destroyed fairly easily, changing the dynamic of the level. Also notable are the perches along the top of the level. The flood lights serve the sniping sort very nicely, and remove the player from the main action. However, don't take our word for it; be sure to head over to Wild Ones and play the new map, Kennel, yourself.
Kennel is the newest map in Wild Ones. Players will be relieved to hear that this map does not require the new membership subscription. The $5 monthly membership program has lots of exclusive items, deals and pets not available to ordinary players. Fortunately, all players have access to this new map, regardless of level or membership status.
Kennel is a construction yard themed map. The main structural feature is the scaffolding in the center of the map. This tower divides the map into two halves, preventing pets from easily hitting those cross map shots with ease. However, as we witnessed earlier, the digging armadillo and flying bat easily traversed the new map and were able to make insane plays almost without regard for the terrain. The central tower is made of thin barriers and can be destroyed fairly easily, changing the dynamic of the level. Also notable are the perches along the top of the level. The flood lights serve the sniping sort very nicely, and remove the player from the main action. However, don't take our word for it; be sure to head over to Wild Ones and play the new map, Kennel, yourself.
FarmVille Unreleased Silver Pony & Silver Pony Foal
farmville silver pony foal
Thank you to FarmVille Freak Martijn from FarmVille Code Hunters for finding these unreleased FarmVille Silver Pony & Silver Pony Foal!
Continue reading to see the unreleased animals move!
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Thank you to FarmVille Freak Martijn from FarmVille Code Hunters for finding these unreleased FarmVille Silver Pony & Silver Pony Foal!
Continue reading to see the unreleased animals move!
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Unreleased Wasabi Crop, Wasabi Bushel, Wasabi Mastery Sign, & Wasabi Market Stall
Thank you to FarmVille Freak Martijn from FarmVille Code Hunters for finding this unreleased FarmVille Wasabi Crop, Wasabi Bushel, Wasabi Mastery Sign, & Wasabi Market Stall!
farmville wasabi farmville wasabi
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
farmville wasabi farmville wasabi
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Friday, February 10, 2012
PetVille: 6 free Pet Cash for watching Despicable Me and Best Buy promo
PetVille Best Buy Despicable Me in 3D Movie Mode
Head on over to the Get Pet Coins & Cash tab in PetVille for 6 free Pet Cash. This offer is being sponsored by Best Buy to promote their Movie Mode app for the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile. This app is a free download that helps you do various things, such as locate the nearest Best Buy stores, wherever's showing "Despicable Me in 3D", and dims your phone's screen when you're inside the theater.
That all sounds a bit too pushy for an app. However, the best part is that the app comes with a translator that translates what the little yellow Minions in the film are saying.
To get your 6 free Pet Cash, all you have to do is answer three simple questions. You don't have to pay attention to the video. You don't even have to get any of the questions right. For a preview of all the questions and results, see below. PetVille Best Buy Movie Mode - Question 1
Look at how cute that Minion is. And whoa, 23% of the people who took this either couldn't read or couldn't care.
PetVille Best Buy Movie Mode - Question 2
This is probably as tricky as these questions will ever get. Minions are very disposable, but they're also indispensable for world conquest. This film isn't about them though, but their supervillain boss Gru (played by Steve Carrell).
PetVille Best Buy Movie Mode - Question 3
Wow, 92%! It's like, by question 3, everyone's getting with the program.
PetVille Best Buy Movie Mode - Completed
Not too tough at all, was it? The Minion is too short to pat you on the back, but a thumbs up will do. And that's all you need for grabbing your 6 free Pet Cash.
Head on over to the Get Pet Coins & Cash tab in PetVille for 6 free Pet Cash. This offer is being sponsored by Best Buy to promote their Movie Mode app for the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile. This app is a free download that helps you do various things, such as locate the nearest Best Buy stores, wherever's showing "Despicable Me in 3D", and dims your phone's screen when you're inside the theater.
That all sounds a bit too pushy for an app. However, the best part is that the app comes with a translator that translates what the little yellow Minions in the film are saying.
To get your 6 free Pet Cash, all you have to do is answer three simple questions. You don't have to pay attention to the video. You don't even have to get any of the questions right. For a preview of all the questions and results, see below. PetVille Best Buy Movie Mode - Question 1
Look at how cute that Minion is. And whoa, 23% of the people who took this either couldn't read or couldn't care.
PetVille Best Buy Movie Mode - Question 2
This is probably as tricky as these questions will ever get. Minions are very disposable, but they're also indispensable for world conquest. This film isn't about them though, but their supervillain boss Gru (played by Steve Carrell).
PetVille Best Buy Movie Mode - Question 3
Wow, 92%! It's like, by question 3, everyone's getting with the program.
PetVille Best Buy Movie Mode - Completed
Not too tough at all, was it? The Minion is too short to pat you on the back, but a thumbs up will do. And that's all you need for grabbing your 6 free Pet Cash.
Jumpstart jumps into social gaming with Jumpstart Connect
Educational game maker Jumpstart is best known for games targeted at children. But now a new initiative from the company is seeking to hook those children's parents on social gaming.
The Jumpstart Connect program isn't all that complicated, when you get down to it. Parents link their Facebook account to their child's account on Jumpstart.com, then earn coins and prizes for the child on Jumpstart by playing supported Facebook games. Spa Adventures, the first game to support Jumpstart Connect, just launched this week, and seems like a pretty standard social business-management sim, save for this one new feature.
Jumpstart Connect is being sold as a way to "enhance [your] child's learning" that allows "parents to take an even more active role in their children's game play and education." To us, though, it just seems more like just another way to make social gamers feel guilty about fulfilling their in-game responsibilities. You think it's annoying remembering to check all your social game accounts regularly now? Just wait until your kid starts bugging you to play more so he or she can get their precious Jumpstart coins!
The Jumpstart Connect program isn't all that complicated, when you get down to it. Parents link their Facebook account to their child's account on Jumpstart.com, then earn coins and prizes for the child on Jumpstart by playing supported Facebook games. Spa Adventures, the first game to support Jumpstart Connect, just launched this week, and seems like a pretty standard social business-management sim, save for this one new feature.
Jumpstart Connect is being sold as a way to "enhance [your] child's learning" that allows "parents to take an even more active role in their children's game play and education." To us, though, it just seems more like just another way to make social gamers feel guilty about fulfilling their in-game responsibilities. You think it's annoying remembering to check all your social game accounts regularly now? Just wait until your kid starts bugging you to play more so he or she can get their precious Jumpstart coins!
Dueling studies differ on which gender spends more on social games
Anyone who works with polling and survey data knows that there's an inherent margin of error involved when try to extrapolate data about a large group from a small subset. That said, we were still a bit surprised by the diametrically opposite conclusions of two recent studies on the gendered spending habits of social gamers.
The first study, a Digital Good Spending Report from analysis firms VG Market and Playfirst, claims that while men play more games, women are the ones spending more on virtual goods. "Although males are playing significantly more games ... the average female spent $55 dollars, compared to only $30 for males," according to the press release, The second, Newzoo's Social Gaming Monitor 2010, claims just the opposite -- that women are more likely to play but women are more likely to pay. "Social games are most popular with women - 56% of all social gamers - but men are more likely to spend money, making up 65% of paying social gamers," according to the press release.
So which report is right? Well, theoretically they could both be accurate. If a few female Super Whales are driving up the mean for their gender, then women could indeed lead in average spending (as the VG Market report states) while still lagging behind in total spenders (as the Newzoo report says). The differences could also do with the types games studied -- the VG Market report included MMOs, casual games, and even console games with digital goods, while the Newzoo report focused only on games on social networks.
Without science unable to provide a clear answer, we've been inspired to do a little informal survey of our own. In your experience, do men or women spend more money on social games? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
The first study, a Digital Good Spending Report from analysis firms VG Market and Playfirst, claims that while men play more games, women are the ones spending more on virtual goods. "Although males are playing significantly more games ... the average female spent $55 dollars, compared to only $30 for males," according to the press release, The second, Newzoo's Social Gaming Monitor 2010, claims just the opposite -- that women are more likely to play but women are more likely to pay. "Social games are most popular with women - 56% of all social gamers - but men are more likely to spend money, making up 65% of paying social gamers," according to the press release.
So which report is right? Well, theoretically they could both be accurate. If a few female Super Whales are driving up the mean for their gender, then women could indeed lead in average spending (as the VG Market report states) while still lagging behind in total spenders (as the Newzoo report says). The differences could also do with the types games studied -- the VG Market report included MMOs, casual games, and even console games with digital goods, while the Newzoo report focused only on games on social networks.
Without science unable to provide a clear answer, we've been inspired to do a little informal survey of our own. In your experience, do men or women spend more money on social games? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Zindangi plans to teach financial skills though social game
Players of social games like Restaurant City and Hotel City might fancy themselves savvy financial geniuses already. But those looking to learn more about financial decisions in the real world might be better off waiting for an ambitious, educational social gaming project from startup Zindagi.
Billed as "Farmville meets Mint.com" on their web site, Zindagi's current project promises to teach students about entrepreneurship through a platform "that combines some of the best aspects of social gaming, such as incentive structures, social networking, and competition, with hands-on money management experience." It's that "hands-on" part that has us really excited about this idea. Players in Zindagi's game will master budgeting and saving skills using their own money, and be rewarded with real financial rewards through their efforts.
"The concept is really simple: Instead of trying to make games more life-like, Zindagi makes use of the fact that real life is already one big game," Zindagi co-founder Jason Young said in an interview with ReadWriteStart. And that kind of real-world financial experience for students is more important than ever, given a recent survey showing that 95% of new high school graduates are financially illiterate.
Zindagi is still looking for $25,000 in funding through its Kickstarter page, and we really hope they succeed in finding it, if for no other reason than because we really need some incentive to balance our checkbooks, and their game seems like the best chance of that happening any time soon.
Billed as "Farmville meets Mint.com" on their web site, Zindagi's current project promises to teach students about entrepreneurship through a platform "that combines some of the best aspects of social gaming, such as incentive structures, social networking, and competition, with hands-on money management experience." It's that "hands-on" part that has us really excited about this idea. Players in Zindagi's game will master budgeting and saving skills using their own money, and be rewarded with real financial rewards through their efforts.
"The concept is really simple: Instead of trying to make games more life-like, Zindagi makes use of the fact that real life is already one big game," Zindagi co-founder Jason Young said in an interview with ReadWriteStart. And that kind of real-world financial experience for students is more important than ever, given a recent survey showing that 95% of new high school graduates are financially illiterate.
Zindagi is still looking for $25,000 in funding through its Kickstarter page, and we really hope they succeed in finding it, if for no other reason than because we really need some incentive to balance our checkbooks, and their game seems like the best chance of that happening any time soon.
FarmVille New England Loading Screen: New Animal & Decoration Sneak Peek
FarmVille has added a new loading screen that features some items not yet released for their New England theme- miniature horse, black bear cub, lighthouse and stone fence.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Which item(s) are you excited about adding to your farm?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Which item(s) are you excited about adding to your farm?
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Social City raises the level cap to 60, adds new high-level contracts
Social City, Playdom's city-building game on Facebook, has raised the level cap from 40 to 60. So for those of you who have been dedicated mayors, you can keep on keeping on ... and, oh yeah, and you'll have access to new high-level contracts. Right now, only three new jobs have been added to the Contracts section of the game, but I fully expect more will be arriving shortly for players who will quickly blow past level 44 (you know who you are).
social city factory jobs
The new contracts are as follows:
Tasty Cheeses
2 Days
Cost: 5,600
Reward: 28,000, 555 XP
Ironic T-Shirts
15 minutes
Cost: 1,200 c
Reward: 2,500, 32 XP
Industrial Robots
18 hours
Cost: 32,000
Reward: 46,000, 360 XP
What do you think about the new contracts? What other cool stuff should higher level players have exclusive access to?
social city factory jobs
The new contracts are as follows:
Tasty Cheeses
2 Days
Cost: 5,600
Reward: 28,000, 555 XP
Ironic T-Shirts
15 minutes
Cost: 1,200 c
Reward: 2,500, 32 XP
Industrial Robots
18 hours
Cost: 32,000
Reward: 46,000, 360 XP
What do you think about the new contracts? What other cool stuff should higher level players have exclusive access to?
Playboy jumps into bed with BigPoint for Poisonville promotion
It's getting to the point where it would be shorter to start naming the big-name media companies that don't have some sort of interest in the social gaming space. The list already includes Disney, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, News Corp.... you know, we're kind of regretting not writing out that shorter list right about now.
Anyway, today you can add the venerable Playboy brand to that list, as the company has announced a partnership with German social game developer BigPoint Games to promote their new 3D social gang-themed title Poisonville on Playboy.com. The effort is part of a new, unnamed gaming label Playboy is aiming to have fully set up by the end of the year, according to PaidContent.
Despite the Playboy name's racy image, the new label and BigPoint partnership aren't aimed at prurient interests. "One of our core competencies involves using our brand to present quality content," Playboy Managing Director for New Digital Ventures Paul Lee told PaidContent. "Gaming is a growing, mainstream area. And part of our plan is to extend Playboy's brand into the mainstream." Playboy reportedly hasn't invested any sort of equity in BigPoint, but Lee said the company "fit the bill for what we needed to get started."
Anyway, today you can add the venerable Playboy brand to that list, as the company has announced a partnership with German social game developer BigPoint Games to promote their new 3D social gang-themed title Poisonville on Playboy.com. The effort is part of a new, unnamed gaming label Playboy is aiming to have fully set up by the end of the year, according to PaidContent.
Despite the Playboy name's racy image, the new label and BigPoint partnership aren't aimed at prurient interests. "One of our core competencies involves using our brand to present quality content," Playboy Managing Director for New Digital Ventures Paul Lee told PaidContent. "Gaming is a growing, mainstream area. And part of our plan is to extend Playboy's brand into the mainstream." Playboy reportedly hasn't invested any sort of equity in BigPoint, but Lee said the company "fit the bill for what we needed to get started."
CrowdStar's entire catalog set to hit Japan
Remember when almost every video game sold in the United States was an import from some Japanese company? These days, games played in Japan are just as likely to be imports from some of the big-name American developers. This trend looks set to extend into social games, as San Francisco's Crowdstar has announced its entire gaming catalog will soon be available on Japanese social networks.
The move is an expansion of an existing partnership with Japan's Drecom that has already brought two popular Crowdstar titles -- Happy Aquarium and Happy Island -- to three of Japan's biggest mobile social networks. With the expansion, Crowdstar is showing it's eager to grab even more of a Japanese social gaming market estimated to be worth $2 billion.
They're not the only ones, of course. Social gaming powerhouse Zynga recently announced they'd be forming Zynga Japan through a partnership with the country's Softbank. They'll both have to fight with Japanese companies like Square Enix, which have shown a similar eagerness to grab a piece of the social gaming pie.
Will these American exports be able to make a crack in the historically insular Japanese market? If the recent shape of the traditional gaming market is any indication, we're gonna bet that they will.
The move is an expansion of an existing partnership with Japan's Drecom that has already brought two popular Crowdstar titles -- Happy Aquarium and Happy Island -- to three of Japan's biggest mobile social networks. With the expansion, Crowdstar is showing it's eager to grab even more of a Japanese social gaming market estimated to be worth $2 billion.
They're not the only ones, of course. Social gaming powerhouse Zynga recently announced they'd be forming Zynga Japan through a partnership with the country's Softbank. They'll both have to fight with Japanese companies like Square Enix, which have shown a similar eagerness to grab a piece of the social gaming pie.
Will these American exports be able to make a crack in the historically insular Japanese market? If the recent shape of the traditional gaming market is any indication, we're gonna bet that they will.
Zynga Lotto offers players free exclusive prizes in FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and more
FarmVille zLotto Landing Page
Zynga has released an official Lottery for all its gamers to play on a newly launched website! Each Lottery ticket is valid for all of Zynga games and allows you to chose your prize coordinating with each participating game.
Lottery prizes include exclusive prizes including the Red animals for FarmVille!
To play Zynga Lotto you must register your account with a valid email address and follow the steps below.
1. Visit http://lotto.zynga.com/
2. Register your email account.
3. Confirm email validation by clicking on the link provided by Zynga within your email.
4. You get 3 chances to win a prize.
5. If a winner, select the prize that you want to claim that coordinates with the specific game (FarmVille, Mafia Wars, FrontierVille, etc.)
6. Claim your prize.
What prize did you win playing the Zynga Lottery? FarmVille zLotto Click Play To Start
FarmVille zLotto Prizes
FarmVille zLotto Scratch Off
FarmVille zLotto Claim Your Prize
FarmVille zLotto Claim Red Goat
FarmVille zLotto Here is your Prize
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Zynga has released an official Lottery for all its gamers to play on a newly launched website! Each Lottery ticket is valid for all of Zynga games and allows you to chose your prize coordinating with each participating game.
Lottery prizes include exclusive prizes including the Red animals for FarmVille!
To play Zynga Lotto you must register your account with a valid email address and follow the steps below.
1. Visit http://lotto.zynga.com/
2. Register your email account.
3. Confirm email validation by clicking on the link provided by Zynga within your email.
4. You get 3 chances to win a prize.
5. If a winner, select the prize that you want to claim that coordinates with the specific game (FarmVille, Mafia Wars, FrontierVille, etc.)
6. Claim your prize.
What prize did you win playing the Zynga Lottery? FarmVille zLotto Click Play To Start
FarmVille zLotto Prizes
FarmVille zLotto Scratch Off
FarmVille zLotto Claim Your Prize
FarmVille zLotto Claim Red Goat
FarmVille zLotto Here is your Prize
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Happy Pets Marvelous Superhero Critters are back in business
It's been nearly four months since these Happy Pets last saw action, but now they're back and at a discount! The original Iron Cat team consisted of four critters -- Nick Furry, Iron Cat, Machine Cat, and Widow Parrot -- going for 88 Facebook Credits (or $8.80 USD) each, but this time, the price has dropped to 60 FB Credits ($6.00 USD). Don't believe me? Check out the not-so hush-hush report of their debut, plus a Iron Man 2 cast matching list.
The only sad thing is that Widow Parrot seems to be out of commission. Other than that, everything's the same.
Minus the Marvel films to help with the hype, it's hard to tell how quickly they'll get snatched up. Right now, there's roughly 600 of each pet left in the store, while the original release let loose over 20,000 pets into the homes of players. All I can say is, if you've ever wanted one, don't wait.
The only sad thing is that Widow Parrot seems to be out of commission. Other than that, everything's the same.
Minus the Marvel films to help with the hype, it's hard to tell how quickly they'll get snatched up. Right now, there's roughly 600 of each pet left in the store, while the original release let loose over 20,000 pets into the homes of players. All I can say is, if you've ever wanted one, don't wait.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Mafia Wars Old City Bonus grants double mastery on jobs (for some)
A bonus that grants double mastery and extra cash for doing jobs in Mafia Wars' original cities is now live. Called "Old City Bonus," Zynga is rewarding players for finishing up loose ends in cities like New York and Bangkok, says the Mafia Wars Maniac. Completing jobs in these two cities right now will grant double the mastery and lots of extra cash, but not everyone has been invited to the party.
For some players, this feature simply doesn't exist yet. Our first guess is that this bonus is only open to players who either have access to or have mastered Las Vegas, hence the name "Old City Bonus." For someone that hasn't even visited Las Vegas yet, New York and Bangkok aren't exactly "old cities." As of his writing, it's uncertain whether this bonus applies to Cuba or Moscow. If you're one of the lucky few, enjoy increased mastery and more dough for visiting your old stomping grounds.
For some players, this feature simply doesn't exist yet. Our first guess is that this bonus is only open to players who either have access to or have mastered Las Vegas, hence the name "Old City Bonus." For someone that hasn't even visited Las Vegas yet, New York and Bangkok aren't exactly "old cities." As of his writing, it's uncertain whether this bonus applies to Cuba or Moscow. If you're one of the lucky few, enjoy increased mastery and more dough for visiting your old stomping grounds.
YoVille: Fall and Autumn Clothing coming soon to match English Cottage theme
Remember that survey Zynga put out a few days ago asking YoVille players to decide on the next clothing theme? Well, the results are in and the Fall and Autumn choice won by a huge margin, according to the YoVille blog. If you ask the YoVille designers, fall just screams... glasses? Since when is eye wear, other than sunglasses, seasonal?
Also mentioned in the preview are new hairstyles that will be joining the Fall and Autumn theme. This new set of threads will be released by the end of the week and will only be here for a short time before Halloween themes arrive, so get to it this weekend if you don't want to miss out.
Also mentioned in the preview are new hairstyles that will be joining the Fall and Autumn theme. This new set of threads will be released by the end of the week and will only be here for a short time before Halloween themes arrive, so get to it this weekend if you don't want to miss out.
FarmVille German Themed Crop: Dog Rose
farmville dog rose
There is a new Limited Edition German crop, Dog Roses, available in the FarmVille Market. This crop does have Mastery available, but will require you to have already mastered Pink Roses to unlock and purchase these seeds. The seeds will be in the FarmVille Market until October 20th 2010.
farmville dog roseDog Rose Crop Information:
Seeds cost: 105 Coins
Sells for: 190 Coins
Harvest: 10 Hours
XP: 1
Crop Mastery: Yes
Mastery Information:
Pre-requisite: Mastery of Pink Roses
Level 1: 550 Crops
Level 2: 1100 Crops
Level 3: 1750 Crops
Total Number of Crops: 3350
Available until October 20th, 2010.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
There is a new Limited Edition German crop, Dog Roses, available in the FarmVille Market. This crop does have Mastery available, but will require you to have already mastered Pink Roses to unlock and purchase these seeds. The seeds will be in the FarmVille Market until October 20th 2010.
farmville dog roseDog Rose Crop Information:
Seeds cost: 105 Coins
Sells for: 190 Coins
Harvest: 10 Hours
XP: 1
Crop Mastery: Yes
Mastery Information:
Pre-requisite: Mastery of Pink Roses
Level 1: 550 Crops
Level 2: 1100 Crops
Level 3: 1750 Crops
Total Number of Crops: 3350
Available until October 20th, 2010.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille: Wash up the Bathtub Sheep in the Barrel Tub [video]
barrel tub bathrub sheep
Splish splash I was taking a bath! Although we aren't sure exactly how the Barrel Tub Bathtub Sheep fits into the German theme, we do know that this sheep sure has a good deal going. Just basking in the warm FarmVille sun (assuming you don't have the snow theme), sinking down into a nice bath, gazing up at the clear blue skies and big, lazy clouds drifting over. He just sits in that bath all day, cleaning up, blowing bubbles, and preventing any greedy farmers from shearing his valuable wool.
Check out the sheep in action below.
If you've seen the latest update you may have seen our amazing new Barrel Tub. No one else on the farm gets this level of service except us!
http://zyn.ga/186 <– Play FarmVille Today and get treated like royalty!
Splish splash I was taking a bath! Although we aren't sure exactly how the Barrel Tub Bathtub Sheep fits into the German theme, we do know that this sheep sure has a good deal going. Just basking in the warm FarmVille sun (assuming you don't have the snow theme), sinking down into a nice bath, gazing up at the clear blue skies and big, lazy clouds drifting over. He just sits in that bath all day, cleaning up, blowing bubbles, and preventing any greedy farmers from shearing his valuable wool.
Check out the sheep in action below.
If you've seen the latest update you may have seen our amazing new Barrel Tub. No one else on the farm gets this level of service except us!
http://zyn.ga/186 <– Play FarmVille Today and get treated like royalty!
FarmVille: Frank's Mystery Egg cake!
farmville mystery egg cake
From time to time, we like to share with you some of the things that make us FarmVille freaks, like FarmVille themed birthday cakes.
FarmVille player Frank celebrated his birthday with a Mystery Egg Cake. Nice cake Frank! Thanks for sharing and hope you had a very Happy Birthday.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
From time to time, we like to share with you some of the things that make us FarmVille freaks, like FarmVille themed birthday cakes.
FarmVille player Frank celebrated his birthday with a Mystery Egg Cake. Nice cake Frank! Thanks for sharing and hope you had a very Happy Birthday.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Zynga to fans: Let's party in San Francisco!
Zynga Party shirt
If you missed our Zynga giveaways last week, but live on the West Coast, you've got another chance to snag some free Zynga goods at next week's official Zynga Fan Meet-Up. It was announced today across the Zynga games, and will be held on October 26th at the Jillian's Billiard Club in San Francisco from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Here's what they're promising:
- Drink tickets provided to the first 100 fans
- Zynga t-shirts given away to the first 100 fans
- Light appetizers and FUN for everyone!
- Find friends who love the games you love!
Please note that RSVP is required and simply clicking "I'm Attending" on the event's Facebook page will not be enough, so shoot an email to fanevents@zynga.com if you're roarin' to go!
If you missed our Zynga giveaways last week, but live on the West Coast, you've got another chance to snag some free Zynga goods at next week's official Zynga Fan Meet-Up. It was announced today across the Zynga games, and will be held on October 26th at the Jillian's Billiard Club in San Francisco from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Here's what they're promising:
- Drink tickets provided to the first 100 fans
- Zynga t-shirts given away to the first 100 fans
- Light appetizers and FUN for everyone!
- Find friends who love the games you love!
Please note that RSVP is required and simply clicking "I'm Attending" on the event's Facebook page will not be enough, so shoot an email to fanevents@zynga.com if you're roarin' to go!
AM Linkage: ESPNU College Town blows up, Zynga patents virtual currency?
ESPNU College Town, Millionaire City Lead Fastest-Growing Facebook Games [Gamasutra]
YouTube Interactive Games Are Actually Fun - Here Are 10 Of The Best [Social Times]
Digital Chocolate Releases the Latest NanoStars Title, Card Rivals [Inside Social Games]
Is Zynga Trying To Patent Virtual Currency? [TechCrunch]
Kleiner Perkins and Partners Create $250 Million 'Social' Fund [NY Times]
YouTube Interactive Games Are Actually Fun - Here Are 10 Of The Best [Social Times]
Digital Chocolate Releases the Latest NanoStars Title, Card Rivals [Inside Social Games]
Is Zynga Trying To Patent Virtual Currency? [TechCrunch]
Kleiner Perkins and Partners Create $250 Million 'Social' Fund [NY Times]
FrontierVille Headless Horseman Goals: Everything you need to know
The FrontierVille Headless Horseman Goals are finally live for everyone until Oct. 31 and just as promised, we have a full guide on all five Goals in the series. Prepare to be shocked and amazed as these might be the most visually impressive and challenging Goals seen to date.
Headless Horseman
Check behind the break for how to master the Headless Horseman and save your homestead from ghastly terror.
A Grave Tale
If you've yet to log in the game since the update, you'll find Miss Wildcat waiting to speak with you. It's at this point you'll notice that Zynga has seriously beefed up the storyline in these Goals. Once that's through you'll begin "A Grave Tale," the first Goal in the series.
As an introduction, this Goal is simple enough until the moment you place the foundations of the Graveyard on your homestead. It's then that the Headless Horseman will appear, forcing you to drive him off (trust us, wait on this one) much like a varmint, but doing so will cause him to appear on one of your friends' homesteads.Fortunately, placing the Graveyard nets you 100 XP and 250 coins as well as moves you along to the next Goal.
The Legend of Sleepy Junction
Next, you'll have to scare off the Headless Horseman in "The Legend of Sleepy Junction." Other than that crafting fire and asking friends for items should be second nature, so onward to Part III. (You'll receive 200 XP and a Skeleton Coffin for completing this Goal.)
Horseman's RampageThe third Goal, "Horseman's Rampage," will most likely send you on a rampage. Remember those horses that everyone most likely sold already? Well, you'll have to find five of them in your friends' homesteads and feed them, so good luck with that. Not to mention having to scare off the Horseman from five neighbors' homesteads, which also consumes your five favors.
To top it all off, you also need to chop down five of your neighbors' oak trees. In other words, this one is going to take a while. And all for a measly 200 XP and a Lantern? Thanks...
Ghost Cannon
"Finding the Weakness" is when things get, for lack of a better word, intense. Because this mission requires the Ghost Cannon, you'll have to catch up in FrontierVille's other new set of Goals, "Trick or Treat!" in order to move forward. Other than that, you'll have to find a Bloody Cannonball by clearing debris from your friends' homesteads while asking your friends for 10 Blessed Powders. Completing this Goal will reward you with a nice 300 XP and a Campfire.
Severed HeadThe fifth and final Goal in the series is "Rest in Pieces," which is actually simple enough. All you need to do is send the Headless Horseman back into the afterlife by blasting him with the Ghost Cannon using the Blessed Powders and Bloody Cannonball.
Defeating your noggin-less foe will cause him to literally lose his head, which is required to finish the Graveyard. Finish your personal cemetery to win a full Horseman or Horsewoman costume to strut around your homestead in this Halloween.
Headless Horseman
Check behind the break for how to master the Headless Horseman and save your homestead from ghastly terror.
A Grave Tale
If you've yet to log in the game since the update, you'll find Miss Wildcat waiting to speak with you. It's at this point you'll notice that Zynga has seriously beefed up the storyline in these Goals. Once that's through you'll begin "A Grave Tale," the first Goal in the series.
As an introduction, this Goal is simple enough until the moment you place the foundations of the Graveyard on your homestead. It's then that the Headless Horseman will appear, forcing you to drive him off (trust us, wait on this one) much like a varmint, but doing so will cause him to appear on one of your friends' homesteads.Fortunately, placing the Graveyard nets you 100 XP and 250 coins as well as moves you along to the next Goal.
The Legend of Sleepy Junction
Next, you'll have to scare off the Headless Horseman in "The Legend of Sleepy Junction." Other than that crafting fire and asking friends for items should be second nature, so onward to Part III. (You'll receive 200 XP and a Skeleton Coffin for completing this Goal.)
Horseman's RampageThe third Goal, "Horseman's Rampage," will most likely send you on a rampage. Remember those horses that everyone most likely sold already? Well, you'll have to find five of them in your friends' homesteads and feed them, so good luck with that. Not to mention having to scare off the Horseman from five neighbors' homesteads, which also consumes your five favors.
To top it all off, you also need to chop down five of your neighbors' oak trees. In other words, this one is going to take a while. And all for a measly 200 XP and a Lantern? Thanks...
Ghost Cannon
"Finding the Weakness" is when things get, for lack of a better word, intense. Because this mission requires the Ghost Cannon, you'll have to catch up in FrontierVille's other new set of Goals, "Trick or Treat!" in order to move forward. Other than that, you'll have to find a Bloody Cannonball by clearing debris from your friends' homesteads while asking your friends for 10 Blessed Powders. Completing this Goal will reward you with a nice 300 XP and a Campfire.
Severed HeadThe fifth and final Goal in the series is "Rest in Pieces," which is actually simple enough. All you need to do is send the Headless Horseman back into the afterlife by blasting him with the Ghost Cannon using the Blessed Powders and Bloody Cannonball.
Defeating your noggin-less foe will cause him to literally lose his head, which is required to finish the Graveyard. Finish your personal cemetery to win a full Horseman or Horsewoman costume to strut around your homestead in this Halloween.
FrontierVille Trick or Treat! Goals: Everything you need to know
umpkin Jack-o-Lantern
Finally, Halloween has arrived in FrontierVille and with it, of course, comes new Goals. One of two series of Goals, "Trick or Treat!" tasks players with preparing their homestead for the big night and finally tricking and treating up a storm in their neighbors' homesteads. While these Goals are much lighter than the star of the show, they're required to finish defeating the Headless Horseman that's been ravaging our homesteads. Besides, who doesn't like trick-or-treating?
Join us after the break for a detailed guide on how to make the best of these new Goals.
Halloween Harvest
To prepare your homestead for Halloween, you'll have to finish the autumn harvest in "Halloween Harvest." If you don't have eight of each of these items already, you can easily find them in the Market. Finish this Goal rewards you with a modest 50 XP and 50 Food, but then again you didn't do much.
Ghost Bustin'
You may have noticed that the varmints you've been clobbering haven't exactly been going away. Well, just whack them again in "Ghost Bustin'" to fulfill this Goal's requirements. Unfortunately, tackling this daunting task is going to require lots of EJack-o-Lanternnergy, so stock up on Food and visit your friends if you want this Goal done in a jiffy. Completing this mission rewards you with 100 XP and the coveted Ghost Cannon, which you'll need later, trust us.
In "Wicked Decoratin'," it's time to spruce up the place all spooky-like. Buy a Jack-o-Lantern from the Market and place anywhere in your homestead. Then, click on the pumpkin to carve it and you'll be met by a menu screen like most buildings. To build a Jack-o-Lantern you'll have to ask your friends for four of each of these items (in addition to one Pumpkin Tarp): Seed Scoops, Detail Saws, Carving Knives and Hole Pokers. Lastly, you'll need to buy Headstones from the Market too--not to be confused with Tombstones. Do this and you'll be 200 XP and 250 coins richer.
Costume Page
To get all dressed up for "Trick or Treat," you'll need to buy a costume from the Market. Thankfully, some of the get-ups are available for coins, especially the hilarious Green Man costume for you It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans out there. Once you're all done up, head to your neighbors' homesteads and click on your friends to either trick them or treat them. Each of your friends can only be either tricked or treated once daily, so these requirements are going to take a while if you don't have plenty of friends. However, finishing this task will reward you with 300 XP and Halloween Balloons--everyone loves balloons.
Candy Corn Bobbing Apple
The final Goal in the series, "The Aftermath," is much simpler than those before it and half of it will most likely be completed by the time you arrive at the task. You'll have to collect three Candy Corn, which is a part of the Treat Collection that's fortunately completed through treating your neighbors (sound familiar?). Other than that, all you need to do is ask your friends for Bobbing Apples to get you on your way to 500 XP and a sweet Skeleton Costume. Too bad Green Man is way cooler...
Finally, Halloween has arrived in FrontierVille and with it, of course, comes new Goals. One of two series of Goals, "Trick or Treat!" tasks players with preparing their homestead for the big night and finally tricking and treating up a storm in their neighbors' homesteads. While these Goals are much lighter than the star of the show, they're required to finish defeating the Headless Horseman that's been ravaging our homesteads. Besides, who doesn't like trick-or-treating?
Join us after the break for a detailed guide on how to make the best of these new Goals.
Halloween Harvest
To prepare your homestead for Halloween, you'll have to finish the autumn harvest in "Halloween Harvest." If you don't have eight of each of these items already, you can easily find them in the Market. Finish this Goal rewards you with a modest 50 XP and 50 Food, but then again you didn't do much.
Ghost Bustin'
You may have noticed that the varmints you've been clobbering haven't exactly been going away. Well, just whack them again in "Ghost Bustin'" to fulfill this Goal's requirements. Unfortunately, tackling this daunting task is going to require lots of EJack-o-Lanternnergy, so stock up on Food and visit your friends if you want this Goal done in a jiffy. Completing this mission rewards you with 100 XP and the coveted Ghost Cannon, which you'll need later, trust us.
In "Wicked Decoratin'," it's time to spruce up the place all spooky-like. Buy a Jack-o-Lantern from the Market and place anywhere in your homestead. Then, click on the pumpkin to carve it and you'll be met by a menu screen like most buildings. To build a Jack-o-Lantern you'll have to ask your friends for four of each of these items (in addition to one Pumpkin Tarp): Seed Scoops, Detail Saws, Carving Knives and Hole Pokers. Lastly, you'll need to buy Headstones from the Market too--not to be confused with Tombstones. Do this and you'll be 200 XP and 250 coins richer.
Costume Page
To get all dressed up for "Trick or Treat," you'll need to buy a costume from the Market. Thankfully, some of the get-ups are available for coins, especially the hilarious Green Man costume for you It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia fans out there. Once you're all done up, head to your neighbors' homesteads and click on your friends to either trick them or treat them. Each of your friends can only be either tricked or treated once daily, so these requirements are going to take a while if you don't have plenty of friends. However, finishing this task will reward you with 300 XP and Halloween Balloons--everyone loves balloons.
Candy Corn Bobbing Apple
The final Goal in the series, "The Aftermath," is much simpler than those before it and half of it will most likely be completed by the time you arrive at the task. You'll have to collect three Candy Corn, which is a part of the Treat Collection that's fortunately completed through treating your neighbors (sound familiar?). Other than that, all you need to do is ask your friends for Bobbing Apples to get you on your way to 500 XP and a sweet Skeleton Costume. Too bad Green Man is way cooler...
FrontierVille Graveyard: Everything you need to know
Finish Your Graveyard
With the onslaught of Halloween Goals and items recently unleashed upon FrontierVille came a brand new building--if you even could call it that--the Graveyard. While it's currently unknown what Daily Bonus it yields, the Graveyard is required to finish the Headless Horseman Goal series and requires much more than merely a few whacks (13, to be exact) to complete.
GraveyardBuying it in the Market for 500 coins and 500 wood will cause the gruesome-looking Headless Horseman to appear on your homestead, forcing you to shoo him away. Once that battle is through, the spot requires 13 whacks that each cost 13 wood (how quaint), the Graveyard menu (pictured above) will open up with six more requirements.
While asking your friends for Wooden Coffins, Grave Flowers and Beeswax Candles is easy enough, the other three items require a bit of snooping around. The Bloody Cannonball can only be found by clearing debris in your neighbors' homesteads, but consumes a daily favor with each attempt, unfortunately. If you hadn't guessed already, the Horseman's Head drops during Part V of the Headless Horseman Goals.
What's most peculiar is the Hessian's Hat. The only way to find the ghost's old military hat is to invite a new player or neighbor to FrontierVille. (Very clever, Zynga.) You can unlock this requirement by paying up a whopping 65 Horseshoes, or around $8, but that's a hefty fee. Talk about forcibly expanding your horizons.
With the onslaught of Halloween Goals and items recently unleashed upon FrontierVille came a brand new building--if you even could call it that--the Graveyard. While it's currently unknown what Daily Bonus it yields, the Graveyard is required to finish the Headless Horseman Goal series and requires much more than merely a few whacks (13, to be exact) to complete.
GraveyardBuying it in the Market for 500 coins and 500 wood will cause the gruesome-looking Headless Horseman to appear on your homestead, forcing you to shoo him away. Once that battle is through, the spot requires 13 whacks that each cost 13 wood (how quaint), the Graveyard menu (pictured above) will open up with six more requirements.
While asking your friends for Wooden Coffins, Grave Flowers and Beeswax Candles is easy enough, the other three items require a bit of snooping around. The Bloody Cannonball can only be found by clearing debris in your neighbors' homesteads, but consumes a daily favor with each attempt, unfortunately. If you hadn't guessed already, the Horseman's Head drops during Part V of the Headless Horseman Goals.
What's most peculiar is the Hessian's Hat. The only way to find the ghost's old military hat is to invite a new player or neighbor to FrontierVille. (Very clever, Zynga.) You can unlock this requirement by paying up a whopping 65 Horseshoes, or around $8, but that's a hefty fee. Talk about forcibly expanding your horizons.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Game of the Day: Spring Snow Fling
The Game of the Day is getting into the spirit of the season with Spring Snow Fling. In Spring Snow Fling you are at the commands of a powerful spring loaded snowman's head firing machine. Your task is to reunite those snowman heads with their snowman bodies. Using your trusty spring cannon you progress through increasingly difficult levels of head attachment wonder. The game is fun, fast and and just plain cute. Take a load off, play a little!
Click here to play Spring Snow Fling -->
Click here to play Spring Snow Fling -->
FrontierVille Third Kid Goals: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille Babies
And here you thought it stopped at two. Oh, no pioneers. Zynga is taking this all the way to six kids in FrontierVille, so we want to help get you there with some tips and information on how to make these deliveries as painless a process as possible. Well, at least for you--we can't speak for the misses.
Check after the break for more details on all four missions in the series.
Rocking HorseWith a third baby, you're going to have to up the ante with these Goals. Essentially, these tasks are just increased amounts of the ones before with a few twists. So, let us help you get this baby into the world safely.
Oh Baby?:
-Get 15 Baby Names (request from friends)
-Have 70 Cloth (visit a lot of friends' homesteads)
-Feed 40 Sheep
All in all, this first Goal is going to take even the most hardcore players more than one day. But at least sending your friends some Baby Names generates one for you too helps a bit, right?
Kids are People Too!:
-Have two Cherry Candies (harvest Cherry Trees for this Collection item)
-Have two Peach Candies (harvest Peach Trees for this Collection item)
-Buy three Lunches from the Market
Again, this is more of same... much more. Lunches will benefit you anyway, so don't fret about spending the Food.
Babies Love Goat Milk!:
-Accept Help from three Neighbors
-Have two Goat's Milk (Harvest Goats for this Collection item)
-Have 400 Wood
This will require a bit more finesse as it asks that your friends help out, which is something you don't necessarily have control over. Getting some Goat's Milk is easy enough, but acquiring 400 Wood is going to take lots of Energy over probably at least two days.
The Blessed Event!:
-Harvest 20 Cabbage
-Have two Cribs inside the Barn
-Buy a Rocking Horse at the Market (pictured)
You should already have two Cribs from the first Kid Goals, but harvesting the Cabbage will take some time. We recommend just begin harvesting in Part III, so that when you reach this Goal you'll already have the Cabbage ready to go. As for the Rocking Horse, we think you got this. Completing these Goals will finally reward you with a third little one to roam the homestead. Just revel in this a little before you jump right into the fourth one, OK?
And here you thought it stopped at two. Oh, no pioneers. Zynga is taking this all the way to six kids in FrontierVille, so we want to help get you there with some tips and information on how to make these deliveries as painless a process as possible. Well, at least for you--we can't speak for the misses.
Check after the break for more details on all four missions in the series.
Rocking HorseWith a third baby, you're going to have to up the ante with these Goals. Essentially, these tasks are just increased amounts of the ones before with a few twists. So, let us help you get this baby into the world safely.
Oh Baby?:
-Get 15 Baby Names (request from friends)
-Have 70 Cloth (visit a lot of friends' homesteads)
-Feed 40 Sheep
All in all, this first Goal is going to take even the most hardcore players more than one day. But at least sending your friends some Baby Names generates one for you too helps a bit, right?
Kids are People Too!:
-Have two Cherry Candies (harvest Cherry Trees for this Collection item)
-Have two Peach Candies (harvest Peach Trees for this Collection item)
-Buy three Lunches from the Market
Again, this is more of same... much more. Lunches will benefit you anyway, so don't fret about spending the Food.
Babies Love Goat Milk!:
-Accept Help from three Neighbors
-Have two Goat's Milk (Harvest Goats for this Collection item)
-Have 400 Wood
This will require a bit more finesse as it asks that your friends help out, which is something you don't necessarily have control over. Getting some Goat's Milk is easy enough, but acquiring 400 Wood is going to take lots of Energy over probably at least two days.
The Blessed Event!:
-Harvest 20 Cabbage
-Have two Cribs inside the Barn
-Buy a Rocking Horse at the Market (pictured)
You should already have two Cribs from the first Kid Goals, but harvesting the Cabbage will take some time. We recommend just begin harvesting in Part III, so that when you reach this Goal you'll already have the Cabbage ready to go. As for the Rocking Horse, we think you got this. Completing these Goals will finally reward you with a third little one to roam the homestead. Just revel in this a little before you jump right into the fourth one, OK?
Social City: Historic Downtown Buildings add that 'Old City' charm
Historic Downtown Apartment
While you might have the sprawling metropolis of your dreams in Social City, have you stopped to think about what might have made your city great? Well, Playdom clearly has with four new items in Social City that comprise the Historic Downtown set. These original brick apartments with classic arched windows and wall-crawling vines could a much needed "Old City" to the neighborhood. The Historic Downtown Apartment is open to Level 28 players for 100 thousand coins and provides 400 Population every 24 hours.
While Playdom has announced the other three buildings--Historic Downtown East, West and Corner--it seems that they've to make it into the game. Most likely, this is not a glitch and they're just being rolled out slowly to players. Stay tuned for when the rest of the Historic Downtown set makes it into Social City to add some homey flavor to your town.
While you might have the sprawling metropolis of your dreams in Social City, have you stopped to think about what might have made your city great? Well, Playdom clearly has with four new items in Social City that comprise the Historic Downtown set. These original brick apartments with classic arched windows and wall-crawling vines could a much needed "Old City" to the neighborhood. The Historic Downtown Apartment is open to Level 28 players for 100 thousand coins and provides 400 Population every 24 hours.
While Playdom has announced the other three buildings--Historic Downtown East, West and Corner--it seems that they've to make it into the game. Most likely, this is not a glitch and they're just being rolled out slowly to players. Stay tuned for when the rest of the Historic Downtown set makes it into Social City to add some homey flavor to your town.
Pet Society: Steampunk coming soon, bring your best mustache and monocle
Brass Robot Mechanical Wings
Man, Steampunk is so awesome. The Victorian furniture, the fine leather clothing, the crazy blueprints--aw, who am I kidding? We want airships, mechanical arms and monocles. Next week in Pet Society you'll find most of those things in the game's various stores--even the furniture! Playfish has declared the week of Nov. 14 Steampunk Week and we couldn't be more psyched.
Anyone out there who grew up on movies like The Rocketeer will know why we're excited to see items like Mechanical Wings from the Boutique, the Vintage Goggles digging reward and the Red Flying Airplane that will be found in the Market. There will be a ton of new pieces of Victorian furniture, outfits and super cool accessories like monocles. But the best of all has to be the steam-powered Brass Robot and Brass Motorcycle. Sadly, there are no jetpacks as of right now, but like Playfish says, "Please keep in mind that everything shown/mentioned in this blog is not necessarily set in stone, and may change before it's released." Our fingers are firmly crossed.
Man, Steampunk is so awesome. The Victorian furniture, the fine leather clothing, the crazy blueprints--aw, who am I kidding? We want airships, mechanical arms and monocles. Next week in Pet Society you'll find most of those things in the game's various stores--even the furniture! Playfish has declared the week of Nov. 14 Steampunk Week and we couldn't be more psyched.
Anyone out there who grew up on movies like The Rocketeer will know why we're excited to see items like Mechanical Wings from the Boutique, the Vintage Goggles digging reward and the Red Flying Airplane that will be found in the Market. There will be a ton of new pieces of Victorian furniture, outfits and super cool accessories like monocles. But the best of all has to be the steam-powered Brass Robot and Brass Motorcycle. Sadly, there are no jetpacks as of right now, but like Playfish says, "Please keep in mind that everything shown/mentioned in this blog is not necessarily set in stone, and may change before it's released." Our fingers are firmly crossed.
Happy Island Wizard Week: Collect four LE items to unleash the Dragon
Unleash the Dragon
The wizard fever has struck Happy Island in excitement for the seventh (but not final) Harry Potter movie to release next week, but CrowdStar decided to tone down the direct references and--gasp--be original. There are five attractions in all that will be available all week until the movie launches, so you have some time to collect them all. And trust us, you might want to.
Wizard's Bank ($9.90): Collects all Moneybags with one click, 2,250 coins
Wizard's Pranks ($4): Collects 2,250 coins
Wizard's Order ($4): Collects 2,250 coins
Wizard's Wands ($4): Collects 3,650 coins
Wizard's Burrow ($4): Collects 2250 coins
Purchasing the last four items in that list will reward players with the Red Dragon decoration, which will flutter adorably around your island and breathe fire--cute fire, that is. Players can also buy Demented Diamond gems for $1 a piece that will add demented* ghosts to their items, which should ring a bell for just about any Harry Potter fan. And we were so close to complete originality. Oh well, at least it has dragons.
The wizard fever has struck Happy Island in excitement for the seventh (but not final) Harry Potter movie to release next week, but CrowdStar decided to tone down the direct references and--gasp--be original. There are five attractions in all that will be available all week until the movie launches, so you have some time to collect them all. And trust us, you might want to.
Wizard's Bank ($9.90): Collects all Moneybags with one click, 2,250 coins
Wizard's Pranks ($4): Collects 2,250 coins
Wizard's Order ($4): Collects 2,250 coins
Wizard's Wands ($4): Collects 3,650 coins
Wizard's Burrow ($4): Collects 2250 coins
Purchasing the last four items in that list will reward players with the Red Dragon decoration, which will flutter adorably around your island and breathe fire--cute fire, that is. Players can also buy Demented Diamond gems for $1 a piece that will add demented* ghosts to their items, which should ring a bell for just about any Harry Potter fan. And we were so close to complete originality. Oh well, at least it has dragons.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Monty Python for Facebook establishes The Ministry of Silly Games
This game might be so funny that it needs its own regulatory body to keep things in line. Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones (pictured left to right) announced just that last night at Tower Bridge in London. The dippy duo revealed that the upcoming Monty Python Facebook game being developed by UK-based Zattikka will be known as The Ministry of Silly Games.
Find out what's in store for you in The Ministry of Silly Games after the break.
Ministry of Silly Games Characters
Scheduled to launch early next year, The Ministry of Silly Games will be a hub of sorts for a long list of ridiculous mini games like:
King Arthur's Knight Fight – Frantic "slice-'em-up", featuring the Black Knight, The Killer Rabbit, Tim the Enchanter, the Holy Hand Grenade and God. (We called it.)
Monty Python's Scratch 'N Sniff – Observation game featuring Zattikka's original Flash "Scratchcard" mechanic.
Camelot Smashalot – Catapult livestock, Holy Hand Grenades and Trojan rabbits at the fiendish French fortresses. (Also called it.)
Twit Russian Roulette – Keep your Upper-Class Twit alive for as long as you can in this wacky game of Russian Roulette!
Mr Creosote – Feed Mr Creosote his favorite nosh but avoid the wafer thin mints in this fun one-button reaction game.
Gumby Flower Arranging – Help the Gumby match three flowers of the same kind, otherwise he's going to hit himself with bricks!
Gillaxian – Arcade-style shooter that's also a tribute to a great game and a great artist.
Aerial Antics – Balance your TV aerial on household objects to tune in your telly in this fun puzzler.
It seems like, for Monty Python fans, there's going to be a lot to do and hopefully even more sidesplitting laughs to be had. Not to mention that it sounds like there's a great amount of variety in each of these games, which is a welcome change from your everyday social games. While many of the game's features have yet to be detailed (such as sharing), everyone involved appears to be excited about the project.
"I guess my visuals have always been a bit videogamey," adds Monty Python member Terry Gilliam. "So, it's brilliant seeing them actually in games at last. The Ministry of Silly Games looks like what was inside my head when I was creating all that iconic imagery. I know the game will prove massively popular when it launches." If you're at all unsure about Gilliam's confidence--or if you're as excited as we are and just want to play it--Zattikka is currently accepting beta applications on the game's website.
Find out what's in store for you in The Ministry of Silly Games after the break.
Ministry of Silly Games Characters
Scheduled to launch early next year, The Ministry of Silly Games will be a hub of sorts for a long list of ridiculous mini games like:
King Arthur's Knight Fight – Frantic "slice-'em-up", featuring the Black Knight, The Killer Rabbit, Tim the Enchanter, the Holy Hand Grenade and God. (We called it.)
Monty Python's Scratch 'N Sniff – Observation game featuring Zattikka's original Flash "Scratchcard" mechanic.
Camelot Smashalot – Catapult livestock, Holy Hand Grenades and Trojan rabbits at the fiendish French fortresses. (Also called it.)
Twit Russian Roulette – Keep your Upper-Class Twit alive for as long as you can in this wacky game of Russian Roulette!
Mr Creosote – Feed Mr Creosote his favorite nosh but avoid the wafer thin mints in this fun one-button reaction game.
Gumby Flower Arranging – Help the Gumby match three flowers of the same kind, otherwise he's going to hit himself with bricks!
Gillaxian – Arcade-style shooter that's also a tribute to a great game and a great artist.
Aerial Antics – Balance your TV aerial on household objects to tune in your telly in this fun puzzler.
It seems like, for Monty Python fans, there's going to be a lot to do and hopefully even more sidesplitting laughs to be had. Not to mention that it sounds like there's a great amount of variety in each of these games, which is a welcome change from your everyday social games. While many of the game's features have yet to be detailed (such as sharing), everyone involved appears to be excited about the project.
"I guess my visuals have always been a bit videogamey," adds Monty Python member Terry Gilliam. "So, it's brilliant seeing them actually in games at last. The Ministry of Silly Games looks like what was inside my head when I was creating all that iconic imagery. I know the game will prove massively popular when it launches." If you're at all unsure about Gilliam's confidence--or if you're as excited as we are and just want to play it--Zattikka is currently accepting beta applications on the game's website.
FrontierVille Land Grab: Cool new feature or cheap ploy to lure new players?
FrontierVille has introduced a new feature called the Land Grab, which pops up at random while you're paying a visit to your neighbors. At first, it seemed like it was actually offering additional land for your frontier, but on closer inspection, it's really a new way to invite people to play FrontierVille. Some might be tempted to call this Land Grab feature a "cheap ploy."
Anyway -- it works like this. While you are visiting a neighbor, you will see a pop-up window that says the following:
You set foot on an unclaimed parcel of land on the way to your neighbor's homestead! Tidy 'er up then choose a friend who'd like to Manifest Destiney here -- once they settle down with a cozy little cabin, you'll get a 10,000 coin finders fee.
If you decide to accept 'Tidy Up,' you'll be prompted to spend 100 coins and buy a title for a friend who is not currently playing FrontierVille. If that person decides to build a cabin on that property, you'll get the 10K coins.
frontierville land grab land title
After you buy a title and notify your friends, you can "tidy" up the place and do five tasks on your friend's would-be property.
frontierville land grab
When you're done with that -- the waiting begins. Will your friends accept the invite or will you be denied your 10,000 coins? Only time will tell.
Anyway -- it works like this. While you are visiting a neighbor, you will see a pop-up window that says the following:
You set foot on an unclaimed parcel of land on the way to your neighbor's homestead! Tidy 'er up then choose a friend who'd like to Manifest Destiney here -- once they settle down with a cozy little cabin, you'll get a 10,000 coin finders fee.
If you decide to accept 'Tidy Up,' you'll be prompted to spend 100 coins and buy a title for a friend who is not currently playing FrontierVille. If that person decides to build a cabin on that property, you'll get the 10K coins.
frontierville land grab land title
After you buy a title and notify your friends, you can "tidy" up the place and do five tasks on your friend's would-be property.
frontierville land grab
When you're done with that -- the waiting begins. Will your friends accept the invite or will you be denied your 10,000 coins? Only time will tell.
Barbarians on Facebook: Vikings of Thule brings intense PvP combat
Vikings of Thule Battle
After watching a three-minute long tutorial video, I am ready to pillage. Yes, Vikings of Thule for Facebook is that intense. Developed by Icelandic studio Gogogic, Vikings of Thule places you in the leathery shoes of a viking who escaped Norway and its oppression for Thule, the Nordic promised land. It's your job to settle this land and we highly recommend you watch the video if you want to get good at it. In order to become one of the top 39 viking chiefs in the game, you'll need to train your ability to manage and organize as much as your fighting prowess.
Sneak a peek of Vikings of Thule after the break.
Map of Thule
After creating your barbarian, you'll find yourself looking at a map of Thule with almost too many options in front of you and the wailing of harsh winds throughout. Thankfully, the game contains a "Chapters" feature that when clicked will give you small text tutorials for nearly every aspect of the game, rewarding you with small amounts of resources for reading. Scratch that, this game is so intense it has two tutorials.
After reading the tutorials--if you're still interested at this point--you can embark on your very first quest: slaying a Wyrm. Clicking on the dragon in the center of the Map will send you into a small sequence of text and illustrations to set the scene, which do an excellent job of getting you psyched for what's to come. If there's one thing Gogogic seems to know, it's exposition and immersion. After that's through, players will find themselves staring at a large map with various numbered bullet points. Clicking on the highlighted one sweeps you into your first exciting albeit automated battle with a pack of wolves. The comparison of yours and the enemy's stats will decide the outcome. However, these fight sequences lean on the terribly long side and skipping is not an option. So, go off and enjoy a sandwich while your warrior dukes it out.
Quest battle
After a few fights, you'll probably want to do something else rather than sit and watch some flying wolves and bloody scratch marks, so click on the Map and then enter the glowing city icon whose name won't even bother trying to reproduce. It's here that you can access the Quartermaster who sells weapons, the Blacksmith who sells armor and shields and other important features. (This is also where Silver coins, the game's paid currency, comes into play.) Most important here is the Weapon Master. This mysterious fellow will teach the moves you need to compete in player versus player (PvP) combat.
Forget the overcomplicated Land Management system (more on that later), Vikings of Thule shines brightest in its combat. Named the Battlefield and accessed from the lower left corner of the Map, this real-time battle system features a live chat room and random matchmaking service. It's here that players will be able to talk trash and organize matches with one another. Once inside a duel, things happen more strategically than you would think for a game revolving around mindless, bloodthirsty warriors.
Battle Menu
Fights are broken down into a series of rounds on what looks strikingly similar to a chess board. While the matches occur in real time, the way brawls go down is turn-based. As soon as you enter a match, you'll notice a wide selection of ability cards (movements, attacks, spells, etc.) with only three open spots for moves. Within the time limit, decide on three moves for your warrior to perform on the battlefield. Then, your and your opponent's moves will trade off turn-by-turn until all three moves for each player have been used. Rinse, repeat and you have yourself one of deepest PvP systems I've seen in a Facebook game to date. Trust us, battles become strangely cerebral when things get down to the wire.
However, Vikings of Thule becomes entirely too cerebral with its Land Management system. Clicking on the icon to the most immediate right of your character while on the Map screen will take you to your property. From here, you can claim new stakes of land in Thule, recruit more peasants and other units to inhabit and tend your land and upgrade your home. This all sounds easy enough, but it's the interface that confuses things. All of these actions require Ore, the game's main currency, and the aptly named "Resources." Ore, Resources and Runes (spent for using special moves in combat) are all found through quests, collecting various "windfall" icons on the Map and defeating opponents in battle.
Village Menu
All things considered, Vikings of Thule is most definitely a social game for the hardcore crowd, which is both refreshing and off-putting. For the genre's sake, it needs new ideas like this game's unique and rewarding PvP system. However, the rest of the game is simply too complex for the average social gamer to grasp. (Hell, I even had to ask around in the live chat to find out what Runes did.) Those looking for some real challenge in their social games look further, but for those trying to kick back and relax, move along.
Click here to try out Vikings of Thule on Facebook Now>
After watching a three-minute long tutorial video, I am ready to pillage. Yes, Vikings of Thule for Facebook is that intense. Developed by Icelandic studio Gogogic, Vikings of Thule places you in the leathery shoes of a viking who escaped Norway and its oppression for Thule, the Nordic promised land. It's your job to settle this land and we highly recommend you watch the video if you want to get good at it. In order to become one of the top 39 viking chiefs in the game, you'll need to train your ability to manage and organize as much as your fighting prowess.
Sneak a peek of Vikings of Thule after the break.
Map of Thule
After creating your barbarian, you'll find yourself looking at a map of Thule with almost too many options in front of you and the wailing of harsh winds throughout. Thankfully, the game contains a "Chapters" feature that when clicked will give you small text tutorials for nearly every aspect of the game, rewarding you with small amounts of resources for reading. Scratch that, this game is so intense it has two tutorials.
After reading the tutorials--if you're still interested at this point--you can embark on your very first quest: slaying a Wyrm. Clicking on the dragon in the center of the Map will send you into a small sequence of text and illustrations to set the scene, which do an excellent job of getting you psyched for what's to come. If there's one thing Gogogic seems to know, it's exposition and immersion. After that's through, players will find themselves staring at a large map with various numbered bullet points. Clicking on the highlighted one sweeps you into your first exciting albeit automated battle with a pack of wolves. The comparison of yours and the enemy's stats will decide the outcome. However, these fight sequences lean on the terribly long side and skipping is not an option. So, go off and enjoy a sandwich while your warrior dukes it out.
Quest battle
After a few fights, you'll probably want to do something else rather than sit and watch some flying wolves and bloody scratch marks, so click on the Map and then enter the glowing city icon whose name won't even bother trying to reproduce. It's here that you can access the Quartermaster who sells weapons, the Blacksmith who sells armor and shields and other important features. (This is also where Silver coins, the game's paid currency, comes into play.) Most important here is the Weapon Master. This mysterious fellow will teach the moves you need to compete in player versus player (PvP) combat.
Forget the overcomplicated Land Management system (more on that later), Vikings of Thule shines brightest in its combat. Named the Battlefield and accessed from the lower left corner of the Map, this real-time battle system features a live chat room and random matchmaking service. It's here that players will be able to talk trash and organize matches with one another. Once inside a duel, things happen more strategically than you would think for a game revolving around mindless, bloodthirsty warriors.
Battle Menu
Fights are broken down into a series of rounds on what looks strikingly similar to a chess board. While the matches occur in real time, the way brawls go down is turn-based. As soon as you enter a match, you'll notice a wide selection of ability cards (movements, attacks, spells, etc.) with only three open spots for moves. Within the time limit, decide on three moves for your warrior to perform on the battlefield. Then, your and your opponent's moves will trade off turn-by-turn until all three moves for each player have been used. Rinse, repeat and you have yourself one of deepest PvP systems I've seen in a Facebook game to date. Trust us, battles become strangely cerebral when things get down to the wire.
However, Vikings of Thule becomes entirely too cerebral with its Land Management system. Clicking on the icon to the most immediate right of your character while on the Map screen will take you to your property. From here, you can claim new stakes of land in Thule, recruit more peasants and other units to inhabit and tend your land and upgrade your home. This all sounds easy enough, but it's the interface that confuses things. All of these actions require Ore, the game's main currency, and the aptly named "Resources." Ore, Resources and Runes (spent for using special moves in combat) are all found through quests, collecting various "windfall" icons on the Map and defeating opponents in battle.
Village Menu
All things considered, Vikings of Thule is most definitely a social game for the hardcore crowd, which is both refreshing and off-putting. For the genre's sake, it needs new ideas like this game's unique and rewarding PvP system. However, the rest of the game is simply too complex for the average social gamer to grasp. (Hell, I even had to ask around in the live chat to find out what Runes did.) Those looking for some real challenge in their social games look further, but for those trying to kick back and relax, move along.
Click here to try out Vikings of Thule on Facebook Now>
FarmVille attempts to lure back AWOL players with 20 free Farm Cash
FarmVille, which was once 80 million monthly players strong is now down to 53 million players and, according to AppData, the downward trend continues month over month. So it's no surprise to see FarmVille offering 20 Farm Cash to get no-show farmers back to their virtual fields.
FarmVille isn't the only game begging former players to return. Vpet society pet misses youirtual cash incentives seem to be coming in fast and hard these days. In fact, I just got one today from Pet Society offering me 1,000 coins to pay attention to my virtual pet Nano, who is most likely is wearing a pouty face while flies circle her head. Ah, the guilt of neglect.
Of course, the question is -- do these offers actually get people to come back? My guess is that it largely depends on the offer. Twenty Farm Cash is pretty hard to resist, and I'm sure I'd at least click that once time to claim the cash... just to have it. One thousand Pet Society coins? Hm, I can take it or leave it.
FarmVille isn't the only game begging former players to return. Vpet society pet misses youirtual cash incentives seem to be coming in fast and hard these days. In fact, I just got one today from Pet Society offering me 1,000 coins to pay attention to my virtual pet Nano, who is most likely is wearing a pouty face while flies circle her head. Ah, the guilt of neglect.
Of course, the question is -- do these offers actually get people to come back? My guess is that it largely depends on the offer. Twenty Farm Cash is pretty hard to resist, and I'm sure I'd at least click that once time to claim the cash... just to have it. One thousand Pet Society coins? Hm, I can take it or leave it.
FarmVille Winter Workshop: Everything you need to know
The Winter Workshop is now available in FarmVille! This new constructable building is the first major step to the FarmVille holiday season and soon enough you'll be able to harvest special Holiday Gifts from the Winter Workshop for special use later (hint: they'll probably be used in quests).
This brand new building will most likely operate like the recent Halloween Candy Basket, requiring players to ask friends for parts to build it and upgrade it. As for the gifts, we imagine there will be a lot of sharing going around and not through the Gifts section.
Workin' on the Workshop
You'll get the base for the Winter Workshop for free the first time you play FarmVille after the game update, and you will immediately be entered into Placement Mode. You can place the Winter Workshop base on your farm now, or you can choose to place it in your Gift Box for use later.
You'll only be able to have one Winter Workshop at a time. If you sell yours and want another, you can find it in the Market in the "Buildings" tab for 5,000 coins. You'll need to be Level 5 in order to place and use the Winter Workshop.
Take a look after the break for more information about this winter fun factory from Zynga.
FarmVille Winter Workshop
The basic Winter Workshop looks pretty but you won't be able to harvest it for Holiday Gifts when the time comes. You'll need twelve (12) parts (4 bricks, 4 nails and 4 wooden boards) to complete construction of the first level:
FarmVille Winter Workshop Construction Parts
Like other constructable buildings, you can acquire these parts by:
Asking your neighbors for these parts by posting a help request to your feed (click on the "Ask For More" button for each type of part).
Give parts to your neighbors via the Free Gifts page or the "Send Gifts" button.
Acquire individual parts by spending Farm Cash (click on the "Buy" button for that particular part). Each part is 1 Farm Cash.
Acquire all needed parts for the building by spending Farm Cash (click on the "Complete Now" button to purchase parts for the rest of the building). The Cost is X Farm Cash, where X is the amount of parts left needed to finish the building.
Parts awarded through Special Delivery Boxes.
Using individual parts available in your Gift Box.
Once you complete construction of the first level you'll see this new window:
FarmVille Winter Workshop More Construction Parts
There are two more levels of construction; the second level requires forty-five (45) total parts (15 bricks, 15 nails and 15 wooden boards), where the meter will be halfway filled, while the third level requires an additional sixty (60) parts (20 each of the 3 above). The bigger the level of the Winter Workshop, the more Holiday Gifts you'll get when you harvest it.
Here's how the Winter Workshop will look:
Basic Workshop
First Level Constructed (Capable of Harvesting)
Second Level Constructed
Fully Built & Operational
Harvesting for Holiday Gifts will begin soon. Your neighbors will be able to harvest your Winter Workshops for Holiday Gifts as well. Seeing the logical, vertical progression of the Winter Workshop is interesting. It's currently unknown what gifts the Winter Workshop will hold, but expect them to have a grander purpose than just looking pretty. What's most exciting is this building will give us yet another reason to visit our friends' farms, something that isn't encouraged enough in FarmVille. But most importantly, will elves be included? Who knows, but a man can dream, can't he?
Source: Zynga FarmVille Forum
Find the rest of our Holidays coverage right here.
This brand new building will most likely operate like the recent Halloween Candy Basket, requiring players to ask friends for parts to build it and upgrade it. As for the gifts, we imagine there will be a lot of sharing going around and not through the Gifts section.
Workin' on the Workshop
You'll get the base for the Winter Workshop for free the first time you play FarmVille after the game update, and you will immediately be entered into Placement Mode. You can place the Winter Workshop base on your farm now, or you can choose to place it in your Gift Box for use later.
You'll only be able to have one Winter Workshop at a time. If you sell yours and want another, you can find it in the Market in the "Buildings" tab for 5,000 coins. You'll need to be Level 5 in order to place and use the Winter Workshop.
Take a look after the break for more information about this winter fun factory from Zynga.
FarmVille Winter Workshop
The basic Winter Workshop looks pretty but you won't be able to harvest it for Holiday Gifts when the time comes. You'll need twelve (12) parts (4 bricks, 4 nails and 4 wooden boards) to complete construction of the first level:
FarmVille Winter Workshop Construction Parts
Like other constructable buildings, you can acquire these parts by:
Asking your neighbors for these parts by posting a help request to your feed (click on the "Ask For More" button for each type of part).
Give parts to your neighbors via the Free Gifts page or the "Send Gifts" button.
Acquire individual parts by spending Farm Cash (click on the "Buy" button for that particular part). Each part is 1 Farm Cash.
Acquire all needed parts for the building by spending Farm Cash (click on the "Complete Now" button to purchase parts for the rest of the building). The Cost is X Farm Cash, where X is the amount of parts left needed to finish the building.
Parts awarded through Special Delivery Boxes.
Using individual parts available in your Gift Box.
Once you complete construction of the first level you'll see this new window:
FarmVille Winter Workshop More Construction Parts
There are two more levels of construction; the second level requires forty-five (45) total parts (15 bricks, 15 nails and 15 wooden boards), where the meter will be halfway filled, while the third level requires an additional sixty (60) parts (20 each of the 3 above). The bigger the level of the Winter Workshop, the more Holiday Gifts you'll get when you harvest it.
Here's how the Winter Workshop will look:
Basic Workshop
First Level Constructed (Capable of Harvesting)
Second Level Constructed
Fully Built & Operational
Harvesting for Holiday Gifts will begin soon. Your neighbors will be able to harvest your Winter Workshops for Holiday Gifts as well. Seeing the logical, vertical progression of the Winter Workshop is interesting. It's currently unknown what gifts the Winter Workshop will hold, but expect them to have a grander purpose than just looking pretty. What's most exciting is this building will give us yet another reason to visit our friends' farms, something that isn't encouraged enough in FarmVille. But most importantly, will elves be included? Who knows, but a man can dream, can't he?
Source: Zynga FarmVille Forum
Find the rest of our Holidays coverage right here.
Friday, January 13, 2012
FarmVille: Mistletoe Tree and Ornament Tree now available
By this time next week, Christmas will have come and gone for those that celebrate it, but Zynga isn't done offering up holiday decorations for those who are still trying to find some additional holiday spirit. In tonight's FarmVille update, we see the release of two new Holiday-themed trees, that will be available in the game for the better part of a month - 28 days from this writing, to be exact.
The two trees are the Mistletoe Tree and the Ornament Tree (not to be confused with the re-release of the Ornament Tree I and II from the beginning of the month). Both of these trees are premium, meaning they are only available for Farm Cash. The Mistletoe Tree is the cheaper of the two, costing 5 Farm Cash, while the Ornament Tree (which grows bunches of red, green and ivory ornaments) goes for 15 Farm Cash.
Both trees are masterable, and can be harvested once every two days. You'll earn 150 coins from each tree that you harvest. As for the mastery, the first star of mastery for both trees is reached at 75 harvests.
Remember, if you've yet to find an in-game present for that special FarmVille neighbor in your life, the fact that these are premium items means that they can be purchased and then sent to friends from within the store, by simply clicking the "Send" button associated with the item you want to send. Sure, it's a virtual item, but if your friends are as into the game as we are, we don't think they'd mind.
The two trees are the Mistletoe Tree and the Ornament Tree (not to be confused with the re-release of the Ornament Tree I and II from the beginning of the month). Both of these trees are premium, meaning they are only available for Farm Cash. The Mistletoe Tree is the cheaper of the two, costing 5 Farm Cash, while the Ornament Tree (which grows bunches of red, green and ivory ornaments) goes for 15 Farm Cash.
Both trees are masterable, and can be harvested once every two days. You'll earn 150 coins from each tree that you harvest. As for the mastery, the first star of mastery for both trees is reached at 75 harvests.
Remember, if you've yet to find an in-game present for that special FarmVille neighbor in your life, the fact that these are premium items means that they can be purchased and then sent to friends from within the store, by simply clicking the "Send" button associated with the item you want to send. Sure, it's a virtual item, but if your friends are as into the game as we are, we don't think they'd mind.
FarmVille Mystery Game (12/19/10): Silver and Gold items for all
Tonight's FarmVille update brings with it a slew of silver and gold items, that will surely look great on any user's farm.
Silver and gold, silver and gold - means so much more when I seeeeeeeeee
Silver and gold decorations on every Christmas tree
... Ahem, excuse me. I think I got a little carried there - I do love a good Rudolph reference. Now where was I? Oh yes, new silver and gold items have been added to the Mystery Game this week, and we have a full list of what is included here for your browsing pleasure.
As usual, there are six items up for grabs - here's what you can find inside:
Golden Bridge
Silver and Gold Garden
Silver and Gold Mansion
Gold Trellis Swing
Silver Rabbit
Golden Monkey
See? I told you there were enough silver and gold items to go around! If you'd like a chance at adding one, or all of these new decorative items to your farm, you'll have to pay 16 Farm Cash per dart. And you'll need to do so fast - as usual, this Mystery Game will only be around for the rest of the week, when (presumably next Sunday) these items are removed, and another set of six exclusive items is added to the game.
Silver and gold, silver and gold - means so much more when I seeeeeeeeee
Silver and gold decorations on every Christmas tree
... Ahem, excuse me. I think I got a little carried there - I do love a good Rudolph reference. Now where was I? Oh yes, new silver and gold items have been added to the Mystery Game this week, and we have a full list of what is included here for your browsing pleasure.
As usual, there are six items up for grabs - here's what you can find inside:
Golden Bridge
Silver and Gold Garden
Silver and Gold Mansion
Gold Trellis Swing
Silver Rabbit
Golden Monkey
See? I told you there were enough silver and gold items to go around! If you'd like a chance at adding one, or all of these new decorative items to your farm, you'll have to pay 16 Farm Cash per dart. And you'll need to do so fast - as usual, this Mystery Game will only be around for the rest of the week, when (presumably next Sunday) these items are removed, and another set of six exclusive items is added to the game.
FarmVille Yakut Pony and Santa Cat now available for Farm Cash
If you'd like to get your hands on even more Holiday (or at least Winter) themed animals in FarmVille, you'll be happy to know that Zynga has included two such animals in tonight's FarmVille update.
Now available are the Yakut Pony and the Santa Cat. Both are premium items, available only for Farm Cash (or, I suppose you could have a generous farmer purchase one for you, you lucky farmer, you). The Yakut Pony costs 26 Farm Cash, and can be harvested from every three days. You'll earn 84 coins when you do so. The Santa Cat can also be harvested every three days, but it costs less, at 12 Farm Cash. You'll earn 90 coins each time you collect from the cat, making this the more profitable item overall.
Still, for you horse collectors out there, you know what a knew Pony means - that's right! A new Yakut Foal as well, so be sure to add the Pony to your Horse Stable if you do choose to purchase one for a chance of breeding a Foal that can be shared with friends.
Since the Santa Cat is clearly a holiday-related animal, it's time remaining in the store reflects that, as it will only be available to purchase for 5 days, while the Yakut Pony will be available for 12.
Now available are the Yakut Pony and the Santa Cat. Both are premium items, available only for Farm Cash (or, I suppose you could have a generous farmer purchase one for you, you lucky farmer, you). The Yakut Pony costs 26 Farm Cash, and can be harvested from every three days. You'll earn 84 coins when you do so. The Santa Cat can also be harvested every three days, but it costs less, at 12 Farm Cash. You'll earn 90 coins each time you collect from the cat, making this the more profitable item overall.
Still, for you horse collectors out there, you know what a knew Pony means - that's right! A new Yakut Foal as well, so be sure to add the Pony to your Horse Stable if you do choose to purchase one for a chance of breeding a Foal that can be shared with friends.
Since the Santa Cat is clearly a holiday-related animal, it's time remaining in the store reflects that, as it will only be available to purchase for 5 days, while the Yakut Pony will be available for 12.
FarmVille Mountain Cabin, FV Ornament, Redwood, Turtle Doves, and more now available
A slew of new Winter Holiday buildings and decorations were released to the FarmVille store this evening, as Zynga is apparently looking to add content to the theme right up until Christmas itself rolls around (or even after). In tonight's update, we see a new building being added to the theme, along with six new decorative items.
The new building is the Mountain Cabin, and it costs 30 Farm Cash to add to your farm. This lovely building fits in with the other Winter Holiday buildings that have been added to the game, as it is themed in a rustic way, with evergreen trees at the corners, just as the others are.
As for the decorative items, they are split evenly between those items that cost Farm Cash, and those that go for coins. On the premium side, we have the Redwood tree, a decoration-only tree that costs 4 Farm Cash, the Horse Snowpile (an animated item that shows a Horse playing around in a pile of snow) which costs 12 Farm Cash, and the Turtle Doves, a pair of lovely birds that are perked upon a themed birdhouse - these birds will set you back 18 Farm Cash. Just as the Redwood tree, these Doves are purely decorative, and are not harvestable.
For those who have already spent all of their Farm Cash on other items from this theme, there are three items that are available for coins. The first is the Snowman Family, a lighted decoration that falls in line with the Lighted Train released at the end of November, which costs 200,000 coins. Next is the FV Ornament (which stands for the "FarmVille Ornament"), which is marked with a 2010 marking, making it especially limited, in that we know it won't be released next year. It can be purchased for 20,000 coins. Finally, the Winter Mailbox is a decorated mailbox that costs 10,000 coins.
These items have varying expiration dates, with the Mountain Cabin being available for 14 days, the FV Ornament and the Snowman Family being available for 5 days, and the Horse Snowpile, Turtle Doves, and Winter Mailbox being available for 12 days. Finally, the Redwood will be available longer still, with 21 days left in the store.
The new building is the Mountain Cabin, and it costs 30 Farm Cash to add to your farm. This lovely building fits in with the other Winter Holiday buildings that have been added to the game, as it is themed in a rustic way, with evergreen trees at the corners, just as the others are.
As for the decorative items, they are split evenly between those items that cost Farm Cash, and those that go for coins. On the premium side, we have the Redwood tree, a decoration-only tree that costs 4 Farm Cash, the Horse Snowpile (an animated item that shows a Horse playing around in a pile of snow) which costs 12 Farm Cash, and the Turtle Doves, a pair of lovely birds that are perked upon a themed birdhouse - these birds will set you back 18 Farm Cash. Just as the Redwood tree, these Doves are purely decorative, and are not harvestable.
For those who have already spent all of their Farm Cash on other items from this theme, there are three items that are available for coins. The first is the Snowman Family, a lighted decoration that falls in line with the Lighted Train released at the end of November, which costs 200,000 coins. Next is the FV Ornament (which stands for the "FarmVille Ornament"), which is marked with a 2010 marking, making it especially limited, in that we know it won't be released next year. It can be purchased for 20,000 coins. Finally, the Winter Mailbox is a decorated mailbox that costs 10,000 coins.
These items have varying expiration dates, with the Mountain Cabin being available for 14 days, the FV Ornament and the Snowman Family being available for 5 days, and the Horse Snowpile, Turtle Doves, and Winter Mailbox being available for 12 days. Finally, the Redwood will be available longer still, with 21 days left in the store.
FrontierVille: 12 Days of Christmas missions are here... or are they?
Starting a few hours ago, some FrontierVille players were given a mysterious letter from Frontier Jack, detailing a new mission set that was apparently launched in the game at the same time. The mission set is the "12 Days of FrontierVille," the game's admitted take on the 12 Days of Christmas. However, the Carolers and the missions that this letter details are nowhere to be found. In an effort to calm some of the confusion associated with this seemingly "glitched" event, here's a recap of what we know so far.
When logging into the game, you'll receive a regular notice from Frontier Jack, pointing at a letter decorated with musical notes. If you can actually click on the letter (you may need to refresh the page and try again), you'll be introduced to a group of carolers, who sing a few lines of a revised version of the 12 Days of Christmas. This verse lets us know that the 12 Missions of FrontierVille are going to be released, one mission at a time - one mission for each of the next twelve days.
However, we're told to "click on the carolers" to activate the 12 Mission Calendar and truly start the event. The kicker being that the Carolers are nowhere to be found. They aren't in the snowy add-on released to hold the Toy Factory, the aren't scattered about the Homestead, they can't even be summoned by clicking on a Dinner Triangle.
Apparently, the entire letter itself has been released to users early, as an official comment has been made on the FrontierVille forums stating that we've received these pop-ups, including the letter from Frontier Jack early - a few hours early, to be exact.
This hasn't stopped users from panicking, as they fear the game has been broken, but we are assured that the missions will be coming to the game in the very near future, as a statement at the top of the FrontierVille gameplay area asks if you are ready to complete the missions (this is a rhetorical question, released, we believe, to assuage fears that the missions won't be released at all).
What will these missions contain, and when will they finally be released? We're guessing sometime within the next 24 hours, and we'll be sure to give you all of the details therein once they are officially released in the game.
When logging into the game, you'll receive a regular notice from Frontier Jack, pointing at a letter decorated with musical notes. If you can actually click on the letter (you may need to refresh the page and try again), you'll be introduced to a group of carolers, who sing a few lines of a revised version of the 12 Days of Christmas. This verse lets us know that the 12 Missions of FrontierVille are going to be released, one mission at a time - one mission for each of the next twelve days.
However, we're told to "click on the carolers" to activate the 12 Mission Calendar and truly start the event. The kicker being that the Carolers are nowhere to be found. They aren't in the snowy add-on released to hold the Toy Factory, the aren't scattered about the Homestead, they can't even be summoned by clicking on a Dinner Triangle.
Apparently, the entire letter itself has been released to users early, as an official comment has been made on the FrontierVille forums stating that we've received these pop-ups, including the letter from Frontier Jack early - a few hours early, to be exact.
This hasn't stopped users from panicking, as they fear the game has been broken, but we are assured that the missions will be coming to the game in the very near future, as a statement at the top of the FrontierVille gameplay area asks if you are ready to complete the missions (this is a rhetorical question, released, we believe, to assuage fears that the missions won't be released at all).
What will these missions contain, and when will they finally be released? We're guessing sometime within the next 24 hours, and we'll be sure to give you all of the details therein once they are officially released in the game.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Gree's OpenFeint hires ex-Glu Mobile exec, more social games coming?
The mobile social game wars are heating up, as OpenFeint just took on former Glu Mobile executive Sarah Thompson (pictured) as its director of developer relations, SocialTimes reports. In other words, OpenFeint, owned by Japanese mobile social gaming powerhouse Gree, hired Thomson to strategically acquire build relationships with independent developers.
Namely, SocialTimes's Azam Khan guesses those developers will be primarily social and mobile social game creators, given Thomson's past exploits in the industry with Glu Mobile and IUGO Entertainment before that. And frankly, we couldn't agree more. Considering OpenFeint is a social network for mobile games at heart, and Gree's existing status, it simply makes sense.
"OpenFeint is going through an exciting phase of growth right now and Sarah is exactly the kind of person we need to keep up the momentum," OpenFeint SVP Marketing and Developer Relations Eros Resmini said in a release. "Sarah's deep history in mobile gaming paired with her connections to the developer community made her a great fit for OpenFeint."
We can't help but recall what just went down between OpenFeint and Gree: The former's co-founder and CEO Jason Citron resigned, and Gree CFO Naoki Aoyagi took his place. (Though, VentureBeat reckons the move was less ... cut-and-dry.) But back to Gree and OpenFeint's future plans, the simple fact is mobile social games are growing at an exponential rate on iOS and Android devices.
"I've always admired OpenFeint for its constant innovation in the mobile gaming space," Thomson said in a release. "As the company continues to change with the market, I'm excited to help OpenFeint continue growing." And we think we have an idea of just where Thomson would like to go. It starts with an "S" and--oh, forget it. You get the point already.
Namely, SocialTimes's Azam Khan guesses those developers will be primarily social and mobile social game creators, given Thomson's past exploits in the industry with Glu Mobile and IUGO Entertainment before that. And frankly, we couldn't agree more. Considering OpenFeint is a social network for mobile games at heart, and Gree's existing status, it simply makes sense.
"OpenFeint is going through an exciting phase of growth right now and Sarah is exactly the kind of person we need to keep up the momentum," OpenFeint SVP Marketing and Developer Relations Eros Resmini said in a release. "Sarah's deep history in mobile gaming paired with her connections to the developer community made her a great fit for OpenFeint."
We can't help but recall what just went down between OpenFeint and Gree: The former's co-founder and CEO Jason Citron resigned, and Gree CFO Naoki Aoyagi took his place. (Though, VentureBeat reckons the move was less ... cut-and-dry.) But back to Gree and OpenFeint's future plans, the simple fact is mobile social games are growing at an exponential rate on iOS and Android devices.
"I've always admired OpenFeint for its constant innovation in the mobile gaming space," Thomson said in a release. "As the company continues to change with the market, I'm excited to help OpenFeint continue growing." And we think we have an idea of just where Thomson would like to go. It starts with an "S" and--oh, forget it. You get the point already.
Very sneaky, Zynga: Mafia Wars Shakedown revealed for iOS devices
Jeez, these guys are just terrible at keeping secrets, huh? (Alright, so this one looks like it was intentional, but nobody told us!) Zynga has announced yet another game, Mafia Wars Shakedown for iOS devices. However, the company went with a more low key approach for this announcement, which is far from its style. Exhibit A: Mafia Wars 2.
News of the game appeared when it replaced the Facebook page for Mafia Wars: Atlantic City, which was shuttered earlier this month in preparation for a "a much more exciting destination," the Mafia Wars Blog reads. What that implies to us is that Atlantic City may have been a failed experiment in HTML5 game creation, hence Shakedown. No other information about the game has been revealed other than it will first release for iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad.
Well, that and these tiny pieces of artwork. It's unknown whether this new iPhone game will come within a dedicated app like FarmVille and CityVille Hometown for iOS or through HTML5 like its predecessor. Frankly, HTML5--a web-based coding language capable of game development across multiple platforms simultaneously--is capable of more than Atlantic City.
Mafia Wars Shakedown Banner
Shakedown has all but replaced the web presence for Atlantic City (even the Twitter account has been taken over). My guess is that this new game will be a native iOS app like previous Zynga Mobile games, especially considering this news comes just as Zynga Mobile's David Ko told The Guardian he thinks HTML5 is still too early.
News of the game appeared when it replaced the Facebook page for Mafia Wars: Atlantic City, which was shuttered earlier this month in preparation for a "a much more exciting destination," the Mafia Wars Blog reads. What that implies to us is that Atlantic City may have been a failed experiment in HTML5 game creation, hence Shakedown. No other information about the game has been revealed other than it will first release for iOS devices like the iPhone and iPad.
Well, that and these tiny pieces of artwork. It's unknown whether this new iPhone game will come within a dedicated app like FarmVille and CityVille Hometown for iOS or through HTML5 like its predecessor. Frankly, HTML5--a web-based coding language capable of game development across multiple platforms simultaneously--is capable of more than Atlantic City.
Mafia Wars Shakedown Banner
Shakedown has all but replaced the web presence for Atlantic City (even the Twitter account has been taken over). My guess is that this new game will be a native iOS app like previous Zynga Mobile games, especially considering this news comes just as Zynga Mobile's David Ko told The Guardian he thinks HTML5 is still too early.
Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter goes live on Facebook
Released previously only in a private beta, Dungeons & Dragons Heroes of Neverwinter has now officially gone live on Facebook. Developed by Atari and set in the Neverwinter realm, the game already has 166,000 monthly players from its time in beta, but if you'd like to join them, here's a taste of what you can expect.
When first starting Heroes of Neverwinter, you'll be allowed to create a character using either set templates of a Fighter, Wizard, Cleric or Rogue (each with their own stats and specialties), or can create a custom character to customize your gender, stats, class, race and more. In this, the game can immediately start out being as complex or as straightforward as you like.
Upon launching into the game proper, you're met with a story of amnesia and will be introduced to Edrick, a scout that was guiding you on your way to Neverwinter before a pack of Goblins knocked you unconscious. Through this introduction, you're told of Neverwinter, a place of hope and civilization that has survived the Ruining, and that you had originally wanted to travel there to purchase a home and earn your fortune. With this as a base, you're sent on your way.
Movement is achieved on a grid, with this turn-based game automatically allowing you to move at the beginning of each turn. When commanding a party, you'll be able to complete multiple actions, including attacking or opening your inventory with each character before needing to manually end their turn and start over with the next character. Once each "adventure" in the game is complete, you'll receive experience points for the battles you won and the tasks you completed in the process. For immediate prizes, you'll sometimes be able to loot your fallen enemies, selecting a prize from a list of ten. You can choose randomly from ten cards, or can use a potion to reveal items before you choose.
In terms of actual combat, you'll have a wide variety of options, depending on the classes of characters in your party. You might be able to attack an enemy from far away, eliminating them before they ever become a threat, or surround an enemy with multiple characters, giving everyone a combat advantage. There's enough strategy here to keep more hardcore players satisfied, but the initial sections of gameplay are incredibly simple and work well to help an unfamiliar player get up to speed.
Gallery: Dungeons & Dragons Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook
Back in Neverwinter proper, you can access a variety of buildings including the Adventure Board where you'll accept new Adventures (Adventures require energy and have multiple difficulty levels), the Tavern where you can purchase energy potions or Adventure boosts to your stats, the Trade house where you'll purchase similar potions or new equipment items, and even your own home, which you'll be able to fill with treasures as you complete different achievements or tasks within the game (collecting a certain amount of gold, for instance).
That being said, the main focus here (understandably) is in the Adventures themselves. There are plenty of them to undertake, each with an additional focus on bringing your friends in to help you (early on, it's entirely possible to fail even the most basic of Adventures by simply going it alone). The lore within the game is presented through text boxes at the beginning and end of most scenes and encounters, and will likely satisfy current D&D fans. Still, this isn't the first game of its kind of Facebook, so hopefully the D&D name alone will help draw more followers into the fray.
Will D&D Heroes of Neverwinter win over the "Zynga" crowd with its fairly in-depth, and somewhat slow-going gameplay? Likely not, but there's plenty of content here for fans who go out specifically in search for it.
When first starting Heroes of Neverwinter, you'll be allowed to create a character using either set templates of a Fighter, Wizard, Cleric or Rogue (each with their own stats and specialties), or can create a custom character to customize your gender, stats, class, race and more. In this, the game can immediately start out being as complex or as straightforward as you like.
Upon launching into the game proper, you're met with a story of amnesia and will be introduced to Edrick, a scout that was guiding you on your way to Neverwinter before a pack of Goblins knocked you unconscious. Through this introduction, you're told of Neverwinter, a place of hope and civilization that has survived the Ruining, and that you had originally wanted to travel there to purchase a home and earn your fortune. With this as a base, you're sent on your way.
Movement is achieved on a grid, with this turn-based game automatically allowing you to move at the beginning of each turn. When commanding a party, you'll be able to complete multiple actions, including attacking or opening your inventory with each character before needing to manually end their turn and start over with the next character. Once each "adventure" in the game is complete, you'll receive experience points for the battles you won and the tasks you completed in the process. For immediate prizes, you'll sometimes be able to loot your fallen enemies, selecting a prize from a list of ten. You can choose randomly from ten cards, or can use a potion to reveal items before you choose.
In terms of actual combat, you'll have a wide variety of options, depending on the classes of characters in your party. You might be able to attack an enemy from far away, eliminating them before they ever become a threat, or surround an enemy with multiple characters, giving everyone a combat advantage. There's enough strategy here to keep more hardcore players satisfied, but the initial sections of gameplay are incredibly simple and work well to help an unfamiliar player get up to speed.
Gallery: Dungeons & Dragons Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook
Back in Neverwinter proper, you can access a variety of buildings including the Adventure Board where you'll accept new Adventures (Adventures require energy and have multiple difficulty levels), the Tavern where you can purchase energy potions or Adventure boosts to your stats, the Trade house where you'll purchase similar potions or new equipment items, and even your own home, which you'll be able to fill with treasures as you complete different achievements or tasks within the game (collecting a certain amount of gold, for instance).
That being said, the main focus here (understandably) is in the Adventures themselves. There are plenty of them to undertake, each with an additional focus on bringing your friends in to help you (early on, it's entirely possible to fail even the most basic of Adventures by simply going it alone). The lore within the game is presented through text boxes at the beginning and end of most scenes and encounters, and will likely satisfy current D&D fans. Still, this isn't the first game of its kind of Facebook, so hopefully the D&D name alone will help draw more followers into the fray.
Will D&D Heroes of Neverwinter win over the "Zynga" crowd with its fairly in-depth, and somewhat slow-going gameplay? Likely not, but there's plenty of content here for fans who go out specifically in search for it.
The Sims Social maker EA wants you ... to make it lots of ad money
And unfortunately, it doesn't sound like you'll have much of a choice. EA, co-creator of Playfish's The Sims Social on Facebook (and arch nemesis to Zynga at this point), has announced EA Legend.
This is the company's new platform to provide marketers and advertisers with "campaign and audience insights across mobile, social, online and console games reaching over 300 million people worldwide," a release reads.
In other words, you're more valuable to EA than you might already know. The publisher wants to use the information you provide them inadvertently through gameplay to rope in ad and marketing deals not just through its Facebook games but all of its games. More specifically, EA said it can provide advertisers with (prepare for buzzword overload):
Key cross-platform campaign performance indicators such as impressions, clicks, unduplicated reach, demographic profiles, social media buzz, and ROI metrics.
Segmented audience insights based on demographic, psychographic, and social data.
Ability to drill down into the factors that impact campaign effectiveness including audience engagement, audience segmentation and type of creative all measured over time.
EA Legend
What's that again--psychographic data? This may all sound like something out of "1984," but it's nothing new. If you think other game creators don't do this type of stuff, then here's your wake-up call. We won't know exactly what information about us EA will provide to advertisers through Legend until it makes advertisers see green at this year's Advertising Week event in New York City on Oct. 4. And if EA keeps using words like psychographic, we may never know.
This is the company's new platform to provide marketers and advertisers with "campaign and audience insights across mobile, social, online and console games reaching over 300 million people worldwide," a release reads.
In other words, you're more valuable to EA than you might already know. The publisher wants to use the information you provide them inadvertently through gameplay to rope in ad and marketing deals not just through its Facebook games but all of its games. More specifically, EA said it can provide advertisers with (prepare for buzzword overload):
Key cross-platform campaign performance indicators such as impressions, clicks, unduplicated reach, demographic profiles, social media buzz, and ROI metrics.
Segmented audience insights based on demographic, psychographic, and social data.
Ability to drill down into the factors that impact campaign effectiveness including audience engagement, audience segmentation and type of creative all measured over time.
EA Legend
What's that again--psychographic data? This may all sound like something out of "1984," but it's nothing new. If you think other game creators don't do this type of stuff, then here's your wake-up call. We won't know exactly what information about us EA will provide to advertisers through Legend until it makes advertisers see green at this year's Advertising Week event in New York City on Oct. 4. And if EA keeps using words like psychographic, we may never know.
Zoo World creator RockYou's Jonathan Knight leaves for Zynga
And there goes another. Inside Social Games reports that Jonathan Knight (pictured), former SVP of Games at RockYou, has left the company for Zynga. The company's--best known for Zoo World--CEO Lisa Marino confirmed the move. Before his departure, Knight oversaw the acquisitions of studios like 3 Blokes, which just launched Galactic Allies, and Playdemic of Gourmet Ranch fame.
"We hired [Knight] to help us build out a portfolio of great products and he's done the job," Marino told ISG. "We have built a strong team of talent through a careful hiring process, our Studio Partners program, and acquisitions over the past year. The departure of Jonathan will not impact our game development pipeline or our plans to continue to launch quality titles."
Knight has a deep history in the games business, coming to RockYou from veteran publisher EA as VP and executive VP for nine years. During that time, Knight oversaw major releases like entries in The Sims series and The Simpsons Game. In fact, ISG recalls that Knight was brought in to help RockYou transform from a social app developer into a social game creator.
The move happens just as RockYou prepares to launch Cloudforest Expedition on Facebook with designer John Romero's Loot Drop. Knight joins a number of major video game execs that have flocked to Zynga in the past year, many of which coming from EA. The company's CCO Jeff Schappert recently left for Zynga, who was then followed by NBA Jam creator Mark Turmell and EA Play exec Jeff Karp. We've contacted Zynga for comment as to what Knight might be up to with the company.
"We hired [Knight] to help us build out a portfolio of great products and he's done the job," Marino told ISG. "We have built a strong team of talent through a careful hiring process, our Studio Partners program, and acquisitions over the past year. The departure of Jonathan will not impact our game development pipeline or our plans to continue to launch quality titles."
Knight has a deep history in the games business, coming to RockYou from veteran publisher EA as VP and executive VP for nine years. During that time, Knight oversaw major releases like entries in The Sims series and The Simpsons Game. In fact, ISG recalls that Knight was brought in to help RockYou transform from a social app developer into a social game creator.
The move happens just as RockYou prepares to launch Cloudforest Expedition on Facebook with designer John Romero's Loot Drop. Knight joins a number of major video game execs that have flocked to Zynga in the past year, many of which coming from EA. The company's CCO Jeff Schappert recently left for Zynga, who was then followed by NBA Jam creator Mark Turmell and EA Play exec Jeff Karp. We've contacted Zynga for comment as to what Knight might be up to with the company.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Download FarmVille Game Bar to receive Toggenburg Goat
Back in May, Zynga attempted to sweeten the deal associated with the FarmVille / Zynga Game Bar, and offered players a free Toggenburg Goat if they would download the toolbar to their browsers (normally, the prize is free Farm Cash). Unfortunately, most players never actually ended up with this free goat. To kick off the new year (and apparently make up for past sins), FarmVille Pro has spotted the fact that Zynga has "re-released" the Toggenburg Goat as a free prize for those that have yet to download the Game Bar on their account.
It seems like the most sure-fire way of receiving this as a prize for installing the Game Bar would be to install it using this link. Those that have already installed the Game Bar, or those that have uninstalled it after installing it previously may have problems receiving the Goat, so this offer isn't available for everyone.
As a reminder, the Zynga Game Bar will allow you to keep track of your crops, letting you know when they're ready to harvest in FarmVille, and will also reward you with various items in the other Zynga games that you play (free fruit in Treasure Isle, and so on). It's worth downloading, for those that play multiple Zynga games on a regular basis, but it is only available to download on Internet Explorer 7+ or Firefox 3.6+. Other browsers are currently unsupported.
It's likely that this Toggenburg Goat will only be available as a prize for a short time, so if you've yet to install the Game Bar, now might be the right time to do it.
It seems like the most sure-fire way of receiving this as a prize for installing the Game Bar would be to install it using this link. Those that have already installed the Game Bar, or those that have uninstalled it after installing it previously may have problems receiving the Goat, so this offer isn't available for everyone.
As a reminder, the Zynga Game Bar will allow you to keep track of your crops, letting you know when they're ready to harvest in FarmVille, and will also reward you with various items in the other Zynga games that you play (free fruit in Treasure Isle, and so on). It's worth downloading, for those that play multiple Zynga games on a regular basis, but it is only available to download on Internet Explorer 7+ or Firefox 3.6+. Other browsers are currently unsupported.
It's likely that this Toggenburg Goat will only be available as a prize for a short time, so if you've yet to install the Game Bar, now might be the right time to do it.
Cafe World Graduation Party Catering Order: Everything you need to know
With all of the work we've put into making our way through the Cooking Academy in Cafe World, it's about time we were able to celebrate our graduation with a party in the game. However, this party comes in the form of a Catering Order, which will likely lessen the appeal for some users.
The Graduation Party Catering Order asks you to "cater to the grads" and will reward you with a new themed cake, if you can complete the order within the three day, three-star time limit. This mission only asks you to cook three dishes, but you'll need to complete the accompanying Graduation Party goals (see our complete guide at the link) in order to unlock one of these three dishes. This is one of those cases when the task itself is fairly simple, but unlocking it in the first place will be difficult, as you will, of course, have to finish the many, many Cooking Academy goals in order to "graduate" in the game, and unlock the new dish required for this order.
If you aren't threatened by a challenge, meet us behind the break for a complete look at how to complete this new mission in the time limit provided.
Luckily, you won't have to complete any sort of collection with this catering order, but you will have to cook three different dishes. You'll need to cook Spicy Devil Eggs (an 18 hour dish) 5 times, Veggie Sushi (a 7 hour dish) 20 times, and Artichoke Dip (a 5 minute dish) 64 times.
All things considered, with a three day time limit for the best reward, this doesn't actually seem like that hard of a Catering Order. Sure, you should only complete it once having unlocked the Artichoke Dip recipe (cooked for 67 coins), but once you do, you can bring 10 of your friends into this mission with you. If at least a few of them also have the Artichoke Dip unlocked, then you should be able to make pretty quick work of this order (something I'm sure we all love hearing).
If you can complete the order within the first three days of accepting it, you'll earn 3 stars, 3 catering points, 480 Cafe Points, 7450 coins and the Graduation Cake recipe. The Graduation Cake is available to cook for 3,700 coins, and is ready to serve in 1 day. You'll have 1200 servings to sell for 6 coins each, offering a return of 7200 coins on each stove of the cake that is cooked.
If you can't complete the order within three days, but you do finish it within five, you'll receive 2 stars, 2 catering points, 350 Cafe Points, and 3500 coins. Finally, if you simply finish the mission at any time after the 5 day time limit has passed, you'll earn a single star, 1 catering point, 190 Cafe Points and 3100 coins.
Again, this is a fairly simple mission, and the somewhat lackluster rewards (aside from the exclusive new recipe) seem to the reflect that. Still, if you've been looking for a task that you can easily start and complete, without resorting to begging your friends endlessly for various items, this might be a good one to take a look at tackling.
The Graduation Party Catering Order asks you to "cater to the grads" and will reward you with a new themed cake, if you can complete the order within the three day, three-star time limit. This mission only asks you to cook three dishes, but you'll need to complete the accompanying Graduation Party goals (see our complete guide at the link) in order to unlock one of these three dishes. This is one of those cases when the task itself is fairly simple, but unlocking it in the first place will be difficult, as you will, of course, have to finish the many, many Cooking Academy goals in order to "graduate" in the game, and unlock the new dish required for this order.
If you aren't threatened by a challenge, meet us behind the break for a complete look at how to complete this new mission in the time limit provided.
Luckily, you won't have to complete any sort of collection with this catering order, but you will have to cook three different dishes. You'll need to cook Spicy Devil Eggs (an 18 hour dish) 5 times, Veggie Sushi (a 7 hour dish) 20 times, and Artichoke Dip (a 5 minute dish) 64 times.
All things considered, with a three day time limit for the best reward, this doesn't actually seem like that hard of a Catering Order. Sure, you should only complete it once having unlocked the Artichoke Dip recipe (cooked for 67 coins), but once you do, you can bring 10 of your friends into this mission with you. If at least a few of them also have the Artichoke Dip unlocked, then you should be able to make pretty quick work of this order (something I'm sure we all love hearing).
If you can complete the order within the first three days of accepting it, you'll earn 3 stars, 3 catering points, 480 Cafe Points, 7450 coins and the Graduation Cake recipe. The Graduation Cake is available to cook for 3,700 coins, and is ready to serve in 1 day. You'll have 1200 servings to sell for 6 coins each, offering a return of 7200 coins on each stove of the cake that is cooked.
If you can't complete the order within three days, but you do finish it within five, you'll receive 2 stars, 2 catering points, 350 Cafe Points, and 3500 coins. Finally, if you simply finish the mission at any time after the 5 day time limit has passed, you'll earn a single star, 1 catering point, 190 Cafe Points and 3100 coins.
Again, this is a fairly simple mission, and the somewhat lackluster rewards (aside from the exclusive new recipe) seem to the reflect that. Still, if you've been looking for a task that you can easily start and complete, without resorting to begging your friends endlessly for various items, this might be a good one to take a look at tackling.
Cafe World Graduation Party Goals: Everything you need to know
No, you're not seeing things, the amount of new missions being released in Cafe World really does seem to be never-ending. Just when you thought graduation would be the last we'd see of the Cooking Academy, Zynga releases a four-part "Graduation Party" goal series, that will have you decorating your cafe for the party, serving some dishes, unlocking an entirely new recipe (that is later used in a Catering Mission), collecting items, and more, all in the name of celebration after finishing your in-game work at the Cafe World Cooking Academy.
As we said, this is a four-part quest line, which will likely take you multiple days to complete. If you're ready to take part in another multi-part goal set, meet us behind the break for a complete look at the tasks required and prizes awarded for completing all four.
Part 1 of this new goal series is called "Get Ready to Party," and it asks you to purchase a few items to make your cafe look the part - you can't have friends coming over to celebrate your graduation without having a few balloons and streamers, after all. There are three tasks to complete to start:
Buy 5 Bunches of Balloons
Buy 2 Wall Streamers
Have 4 doors in your Cafe
All of these tasks are relatively simple, so long as you have quite a bit of spare change to go around. Each Bunch of Balloons costs 75,000 coins, and is available to purchase from the Decorations portion of the store. The Wall Streamers are even more expensive, going for 125,000 coins each. The four doors, then, can be any kind of door that you'd like, so long as you have four doors placed in your cafe to trigger the ending of the mission (they can later be removed and sold, if you so choose).
The rewards for this first goal are 250 Cafe Points and 5,000 coins.
Now that your cafe looks the part, you'll need to start serving some food to your guests, and in Part 2 of 4, "Serve the Sweets," you'll do just that by completing the following three tasks:
Serve Chocolate Cream Pie 16 times
Ask for 8 Chocolate Pecan Pies
Serve 20 Chocolate Pecan Pie servings
Unfortunately, yes, you will have to ask your friends for the 8 Pecan Pies, but the Chocolate Cream Pie can easily be cooked on your own in 10 hours for 445 coins per pie.
The rewards for serving these sweets are another 250 Cafe Points and 5,000 coins. You'll also unlock Part 3 of these four goals, with part 3 introducing an entirely new recipe to the game.
Part 3 is called Pass the Dip! and it asks you to collect the ingredients required to prepare your new, currently locked dish the Artichoke Dip. Unfortunately, you'll need to collect enough items that this might take you more than one day to complete.
Ask for 10 Cups of Mayo
Ask for 10 Cups of Parmesan Cheese
Ask for 10 Cups of Chopped Artichoke Hearts
Like we said - that's a whopping 30 items that must be collected just to unlock a single dish, but if you can achieve the goal (even over multiple days), you'll be able to unlock the Artichoke Dip recipe, which can be cooked for just 67 coins, so long as you are level 10 or above. The dish cooks in just 5 minutes, at which point you'll be able to serve 10 servings for 13 coins each, for a return of 130 coins.
This Artichoke Dip is a required recipe in the new Graduation Party Catering Order, and coincidentally enough, you'll need to finish that order as the final step required in this Graduation Party goal series - Part IV, which is called "Cater to the Grads!"
That's right, this mission has but one requirement - finish the Graduation Party Catering Order. You can check out our complete guide on how to finish this mission, but don't panic - you can finish the mission at any star rating to complete this quest. Doing so will offer you the reward of the Floating Party Sign, an item that otherwise costs a whopping 50 Cafe Cash, if purchased separately from the store's Decorations tab.
And there you have it - a goal series that is, all things considered, not terribly difficult. Collecting the 30 ingredients necessary to complete the "Pass the Dip!" goal seems like it will easily be the most time consuming process, unless you are a lower level player that will have difficulty collecting enough coins to purchase the required decorations at the beginning. Either way, good luck in your attempts at not only finishing these goals, but also the Graduation Part Catering Order - if history has taught us anything, we might need all the luck we can get.
As we said, this is a four-part quest line, which will likely take you multiple days to complete. If you're ready to take part in another multi-part goal set, meet us behind the break for a complete look at the tasks required and prizes awarded for completing all four.
Part 1 of this new goal series is called "Get Ready to Party," and it asks you to purchase a few items to make your cafe look the part - you can't have friends coming over to celebrate your graduation without having a few balloons and streamers, after all. There are three tasks to complete to start:
Buy 5 Bunches of Balloons
Buy 2 Wall Streamers
Have 4 doors in your Cafe
All of these tasks are relatively simple, so long as you have quite a bit of spare change to go around. Each Bunch of Balloons costs 75,000 coins, and is available to purchase from the Decorations portion of the store. The Wall Streamers are even more expensive, going for 125,000 coins each. The four doors, then, can be any kind of door that you'd like, so long as you have four doors placed in your cafe to trigger the ending of the mission (they can later be removed and sold, if you so choose).
The rewards for this first goal are 250 Cafe Points and 5,000 coins.
Now that your cafe looks the part, you'll need to start serving some food to your guests, and in Part 2 of 4, "Serve the Sweets," you'll do just that by completing the following three tasks:
Serve Chocolate Cream Pie 16 times
Ask for 8 Chocolate Pecan Pies
Serve 20 Chocolate Pecan Pie servings
Unfortunately, yes, you will have to ask your friends for the 8 Pecan Pies, but the Chocolate Cream Pie can easily be cooked on your own in 10 hours for 445 coins per pie.
The rewards for serving these sweets are another 250 Cafe Points and 5,000 coins. You'll also unlock Part 3 of these four goals, with part 3 introducing an entirely new recipe to the game.
Part 3 is called Pass the Dip! and it asks you to collect the ingredients required to prepare your new, currently locked dish the Artichoke Dip. Unfortunately, you'll need to collect enough items that this might take you more than one day to complete.
Ask for 10 Cups of Mayo
Ask for 10 Cups of Parmesan Cheese
Ask for 10 Cups of Chopped Artichoke Hearts
Like we said - that's a whopping 30 items that must be collected just to unlock a single dish, but if you can achieve the goal (even over multiple days), you'll be able to unlock the Artichoke Dip recipe, which can be cooked for just 67 coins, so long as you are level 10 or above. The dish cooks in just 5 minutes, at which point you'll be able to serve 10 servings for 13 coins each, for a return of 130 coins.
This Artichoke Dip is a required recipe in the new Graduation Party Catering Order, and coincidentally enough, you'll need to finish that order as the final step required in this Graduation Party goal series - Part IV, which is called "Cater to the Grads!"
That's right, this mission has but one requirement - finish the Graduation Party Catering Order. You can check out our complete guide on how to finish this mission, but don't panic - you can finish the mission at any star rating to complete this quest. Doing so will offer you the reward of the Floating Party Sign, an item that otherwise costs a whopping 50 Cafe Cash, if purchased separately from the store's Decorations tab.
And there you have it - a goal series that is, all things considered, not terribly difficult. Collecting the 30 ingredients necessary to complete the "Pass the Dip!" goal seems like it will easily be the most time consuming process, unless you are a lower level player that will have difficulty collecting enough coins to purchase the required decorations at the beginning. Either way, good luck in your attempts at not only finishing these goals, but also the Graduation Part Catering Order - if history has taught us anything, we might need all the luck we can get.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Seal, Cream Saddle Horse, & Indian Runner Duck
If you're into collecting animals in FarmVille, you'll be happy to know that we've come across three new unreleased images of animals that will likely be coming to the game in the future. The first, the Seal (or perhaps called the Ice Seal) will likely be the first one released into the game out of the three, due to the current Winter Wonderland theme of limited edition items being available in the store.
The other two animals are the Cream Saddle Horse and the Indian Runner Duck. For both Horse and Duck lovers, this will apparently give you one of each animal to add to their respective animal storage buildings (the Horse Stable or Duck Pond). As of this writing, however, we haven't come across images of a Cream Saddle Foal, so it is also possible that due to the horse's functional appearance (it is dressed up with a gear, after all), this could be simply a decorative animal and not one that could actually be bred.
Either way, we'll be sure to bring you guys all of the details about these new animals if and when they are officially released in the game. Remember though - there's no guarantee that they will be released, so keep that in mind.
Which of these three animals is your favorite? Why do you think the Cream Saddle Horse is dressed up so fancifully? Could it have a function, other than being a normal horse?
The other two animals are the Cream Saddle Horse and the Indian Runner Duck. For both Horse and Duck lovers, this will apparently give you one of each animal to add to their respective animal storage buildings (the Horse Stable or Duck Pond). As of this writing, however, we haven't come across images of a Cream Saddle Foal, so it is also possible that due to the horse's functional appearance (it is dressed up with a gear, after all), this could be simply a decorative animal and not one that could actually be bred.
Either way, we'll be sure to bring you guys all of the details about these new animals if and when they are officially released in the game. Remember though - there's no guarantee that they will be released, so keep that in mind.
Which of these three animals is your favorite? Why do you think the Cream Saddle Horse is dressed up so fancifully? Could it have a function, other than being a normal horse?
Zynga now speaks 'Mafia Wars' in Spanish, French, Italian and German
Italian French Spanish
Sie habe vereist, Narr! That's "You just got iced, fool!" in German (roughly) and finally, Mafia Wars players from around the world can trash talk one another in their native tongue. Isn't the Internet beautiful? Zynga has introduced language support for Spanish, French, Italian and German to Mafia Wars. Taking a cue from the explosive CityVille, opening up the game to more languages could increase the game's player base considerably.
Well, Western languages at least. While I'm no developer, I'd imagine it's far easier to localize a game for Western language audiences than it is for Eastern language players. It all comes down to cultural differences and tolerances. While Europe is far different from the US culturally, its tolerance for violence, language and other cultural nuances are more similar to the US than, say, China. In fact, Zynga has specifically localized both FarmVille and Zynga Poker for Chinese audiences in the past year. With yet another game featuring multilingual support, it wouldn't be a terrible guess to predict this will become a growing trend in Zynga's future game development.
Language Support
To access the new languages in Mafia Wars, just click on the drop-down box in the upper right corner of the game screen and select "Languages." Then, a pop-up window will appear with the available languages. Select one and the game will refresh with the language you selected. Just so you know that Zynga is serious about being the social gaming company of the world, Mafia Wars fan pages have launched in the four newly supported languages as well. With a change like this, I wouldn't be surprised of "Mafia Nation" launched with multilingual support.
Sie habe vereist, Narr! That's "You just got iced, fool!" in German (roughly) and finally, Mafia Wars players from around the world can trash talk one another in their native tongue. Isn't the Internet beautiful? Zynga has introduced language support for Spanish, French, Italian and German to Mafia Wars. Taking a cue from the explosive CityVille, opening up the game to more languages could increase the game's player base considerably.
Well, Western languages at least. While I'm no developer, I'd imagine it's far easier to localize a game for Western language audiences than it is for Eastern language players. It all comes down to cultural differences and tolerances. While Europe is far different from the US culturally, its tolerance for violence, language and other cultural nuances are more similar to the US than, say, China. In fact, Zynga has specifically localized both FarmVille and Zynga Poker for Chinese audiences in the past year. With yet another game featuring multilingual support, it wouldn't be a terrible guess to predict this will become a growing trend in Zynga's future game development.
Language Support
To access the new languages in Mafia Wars, just click on the drop-down box in the upper right corner of the game screen and select "Languages." Then, a pop-up window will appear with the available languages. Select one and the game will refresh with the language you selected. Just so you know that Zynga is serious about being the social gaming company of the world, Mafia Wars fan pages have launched in the four newly supported languages as well. With a change like this, I wouldn't be surprised of "Mafia Nation" launched with multilingual support.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Oreo promotion
Back in January, we saw Zynga partnering with Nabisco to offer two free Farm Cash to users who participated in an Oreo DSRL promotion, and now, thanks to the folks at FarmVille Feed, we've learned that Oreo is back again, offering another two free Farm Cash to farmers.
This new promotion, as usual, can be spotted underneath the FarmVille gameplay area. If the promotion is currently active on your account (remember, you may have other incomplete promotions that are blocking this one from view), you'll be able to click on the Sponsored Link [pictured] and take part in a short activity where you'll share your family's favorite Oreo and milk moment "with the world."
Completing this short step will see you earning two free Farm Cash that should be added to your overall total automatically. If you don't see it, a quick refresh of the game should force your Farm Cash total to update, where you'll be two Farm Cash richer!
This new promotion, as usual, can be spotted underneath the FarmVille gameplay area. If the promotion is currently active on your account (remember, you may have other incomplete promotions that are blocking this one from view), you'll be able to click on the Sponsored Link [pictured] and take part in a short activity where you'll share your family's favorite Oreo and milk moment "with the world."
Completing this short step will see you earning two free Farm Cash that should be added to your overall total automatically. If you don't see it, a quick refresh of the game should force your Farm Cash total to update, where you'll be two Farm Cash richer!
Game of the Day: Diner Dash: Flo on the Go
The game of the day knows hard work and restaurants go together. Diner Dash: Flo on the Go: Flo trades in her apron for a passport to paradise! But will our hard-working waitress get a chance to relax? Flo on the go keeps the Diner Dash spirit alive and has our apron-wearing, red sneaker heroin saving the day one more time. The hardest working waitress in the business will never let up until everyone is served.
Click --> Play Diner Dash Flo on the Go
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click --> Play Diner Dash Flo on the Go
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Sega goes social with Facebook games coming this month
Sega Play! Baseball
The publisher behind Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega, is getting into the US social games business. While the company has worked on Japanese social games before like a Yakuza game, this marks the first time Sega will be going toe-to-toe with Zynga and Bitter Enemies Friends. Not to mention Sega was already on the lookout for American talent. Its line of Facebook and Hi5 games, Sega Play!, will begin by the end of Feb. with a localization of Sega Play! Baseball, Total Telecom reports.
In fact, the game is available now on Facebook, but it hasn't exactly been localized completely. Much of the game is still in Japanese, so we'll refrain from judgment ... for now. When it finally is ready for American audiences it will be one of the first baseball Facebook games released by a major publisher. In March, the company will launch Sega Play! Football on Hi5.
Of course, the games will be free to play, but will charge for premium items and boosts. In other words, standard Facebook game fare. But let's hope the gameplay is anything but standard. Sega already has plans for global expansion, according to Total Telecom, so watch out, Zynga.
The publisher behind Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega, is getting into the US social games business. While the company has worked on Japanese social games before like a Yakuza game, this marks the first time Sega will be going toe-to-toe with Zynga and Bitter Enemies Friends. Not to mention Sega was already on the lookout for American talent. Its line of Facebook and Hi5 games, Sega Play!, will begin by the end of Feb. with a localization of Sega Play! Baseball, Total Telecom reports.
In fact, the game is available now on Facebook, but it hasn't exactly been localized completely. Much of the game is still in Japanese, so we'll refrain from judgment ... for now. When it finally is ready for American audiences it will be one of the first baseball Facebook games released by a major publisher. In March, the company will launch Sega Play! Football on Hi5.
Of course, the games will be free to play, but will charge for premium items and boosts. In other words, standard Facebook game fare. But let's hope the gameplay is anything but standard. Sega already has plans for global expansion, according to Total Telecom, so watch out, Zynga.
NBA Legend on Facebook: A fine simulator, but where's the hoops?
When we heard that the NBA was launching their own Facebook game through Lionside, we were cautiously optimistic. And now we're thankful that we approached NBA Legend this way. While there is not much the game does differently than sports Facebook games like FIFA Superstars and Madden NFL Superstars, it sure emulates them well. However, it's hard to say that Lionside knows what works when these two sources of inspiration haven't exactly won any championships.
Find more of our NBA Legend impressions after the break.
Locker Room
Let's just get one thing out of the way. NBA is unique from its predecessors in that players assume the role of both the coach and one player. You will need to suspend disbelief somewhat to look past that fact, because it makes for a slightly deeper experience. Upon opening the game, players are asked to create an avatar, its position and the team he plays for. All of this can change at any time, but we doubt your loyalty will sway too far. Players can customize their avatar with unique uniform additions that will improve stats. Many of these enhancements cost Lion Bucks, the game's paid currency.
Your home court gym is where you will practice Drills. Much like training in other sports games, these timed events will increase your players' stats and chances of winning in games. Wait too long to reap the rewards and they will disappear. To guide you along, you will receive missions from your avatar's smartphone via text messages. Many of these missions will involve you practicing with NBA pros, which increases Chemistry. This stat is almost a wild card in that it generally increases your chances of victory in games, but it needs to be maintained by practicing with the professionals. In your final preparation for games, you can buy Boosts with coins or Lion Bucks that will temporarily increase a stat in games like block percentage.
Simulating...
The strategy behind NBA Legend is enormous. Choosing just the right players, which are added by practicing with pros or making friends, is essential to winning games later on. In fact, compensating for your team's weaknesses through player switching and choosing the right Boost is a game within itself. But it's too bad that the actual games are nothing more than a simulation. Literally (see above). When a game is chosen, all of which are against real gamers, sounds of rubber soles rubbing on wooden floors and buzzers ringing fill your speakers. Before your excitement can grow, two teams' logos grow larger as points on a counter rack up. And the game is decided. You can't even watch your team play the game much less skip the simulation.
And this is the major issue with not only NBA Legend, but all Facebook sports games. This game has strategy in spades and looks darn good doing it, but there's no action. And when it comes to it, that's what sports are all about: the thrill and rush of playing. And if 3D is possible on Facebook, surely it's possible to create an action-oriented sports game. Frankly, this is most likely the reason sports games aren't doing well on Facebook at the moment. Games like NBA Legend are smooth and gorgeous uses of Flash, but until some action is thrown in, the majority of fans likely aren't going to hop on board.
Find more of our NBA Legend impressions after the break.
Locker Room
Let's just get one thing out of the way. NBA is unique from its predecessors in that players assume the role of both the coach and one player. You will need to suspend disbelief somewhat to look past that fact, because it makes for a slightly deeper experience. Upon opening the game, players are asked to create an avatar, its position and the team he plays for. All of this can change at any time, but we doubt your loyalty will sway too far. Players can customize their avatar with unique uniform additions that will improve stats. Many of these enhancements cost Lion Bucks, the game's paid currency.
Your home court gym is where you will practice Drills. Much like training in other sports games, these timed events will increase your players' stats and chances of winning in games. Wait too long to reap the rewards and they will disappear. To guide you along, you will receive missions from your avatar's smartphone via text messages. Many of these missions will involve you practicing with NBA pros, which increases Chemistry. This stat is almost a wild card in that it generally increases your chances of victory in games, but it needs to be maintained by practicing with the professionals. In your final preparation for games, you can buy Boosts with coins or Lion Bucks that will temporarily increase a stat in games like block percentage.
Simulating...
The strategy behind NBA Legend is enormous. Choosing just the right players, which are added by practicing with pros or making friends, is essential to winning games later on. In fact, compensating for your team's weaknesses through player switching and choosing the right Boost is a game within itself. But it's too bad that the actual games are nothing more than a simulation. Literally (see above). When a game is chosen, all of which are against real gamers, sounds of rubber soles rubbing on wooden floors and buzzers ringing fill your speakers. Before your excitement can grow, two teams' logos grow larger as points on a counter rack up. And the game is decided. You can't even watch your team play the game much less skip the simulation.
And this is the major issue with not only NBA Legend, but all Facebook sports games. This game has strategy in spades and looks darn good doing it, but there's no action. And when it comes to it, that's what sports are all about: the thrill and rush of playing. And if 3D is possible on Facebook, surely it's possible to create an action-oriented sports game. Frankly, this is most likely the reason sports games aren't doing well on Facebook at the moment. Games like NBA Legend are smooth and gorgeous uses of Flash, but until some action is thrown in, the majority of fans likely aren't going to hop on board.
Social game features will invade consoles, says Game Theory host
According to Scott Steinberg, CEO of TechSavvy and host of web video series Game Theory, it's only inevitable. Social game elements are bound to find their way into traditional consoles, and it will happen sooner than later, according to an interview with Mashable. Steinberg claims that elements such as free-to-play and social connectivity will become standard in console game experiences, but it will take forward-thinking publishers and manufacturers to make it happen.
When asked for his prediction when console games will go free-to-play, Steinberg replied, "Possibly within the next two to three years, as the number of players enjoying online connected games through console systems begins to reach critical mass. Keep in mind though that there's also a financial component to consider." However, he goes on to warn that there are even more hurdles to overcome like convincing a publisher to front millions on games that have no guarantee of making good on investments.
Regardless, Steinberg sees the social web integrating itself with consoles in one way or another:
From the smallest casual games to most sprawling adventures, you'll begin to see social connectivity increasingly woven into virtually every facet of interactive entertainment going forward. Beyond the sharing of status updates, achievements and instant ability to monitor friends' activity and quickly connect, collaborate and compete in favorite titles, you'll also see games that offer a variety of entry points from different platforms and devices.
It's already with MMOs like World of WarCraft and social games like FarmVille, both of which have smartphone apps designed to extend their offered experience beyond the computer. According to Steinberg, the same will happen for consoles. Playing the portable version of a game or a companion application will reward players with boosts and item in the original console game. While these are all lofty predictions, at least they are based in reality. Trends tend to spread like wildfire--just look at Twilight.
When asked for his prediction when console games will go free-to-play, Steinberg replied, "Possibly within the next two to three years, as the number of players enjoying online connected games through console systems begins to reach critical mass. Keep in mind though that there's also a financial component to consider." However, he goes on to warn that there are even more hurdles to overcome like convincing a publisher to front millions on games that have no guarantee of making good on investments.
Regardless, Steinberg sees the social web integrating itself with consoles in one way or another:
From the smallest casual games to most sprawling adventures, you'll begin to see social connectivity increasingly woven into virtually every facet of interactive entertainment going forward. Beyond the sharing of status updates, achievements and instant ability to monitor friends' activity and quickly connect, collaborate and compete in favorite titles, you'll also see games that offer a variety of entry points from different platforms and devices.
It's already with MMOs like World of WarCraft and social games like FarmVille, both of which have smartphone apps designed to extend their offered experience beyond the computer. According to Steinberg, the same will happen for consoles. Playing the portable version of a game or a companion application will reward players with boosts and item in the original console game. While these are all lofty predictions, at least they are based in reality. Trends tend to spread like wildfire--just look at Twilight.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
FarmVille English Countryside crops appear in FarmVille iOS Market
It's unsure whether this leak was intentional, but Zynga has revealed several of the FarmVille crops to be released with the English Countryside expansion ... through FarmVille for iOS. While it's not clear whether this was intentional, it's even more confusing that Zynga would release this information through the game's mobile app. Does this mean that EC will soon be released on iOS as well? Who knows, but what we do know is that there will be a ton of crops to master once we touch down in England. Check out the rest of the crops, some of whose images refused to load, and their prices behind the break.
FarmVille English Crops 2
FarmVille English Crops 3
FarmVille English Crops 4
Unfortunately, no timing, return or XP information is available yet. Yet this isn't even half of the crop information we've seen. If you want to see some of the future crops' Mastery signs, check out this post. Until then, this is the best sneak peek we have.
[Via FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen these leaked crops in your FarmVille iOS game? What do you think this means for how close we might be to the expansion's release?
FarmVille English Crops 2
FarmVille English Crops 3
FarmVille English Crops 4
Unfortunately, no timing, return or XP information is available yet. Yet this isn't even half of the crop information we've seen. If you want to see some of the future crops' Mastery signs, check out this post. Until then, this is the best sneak peek we have.
[Via FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen these leaked crops in your FarmVille iOS game? What do you think this means for how close we might be to the expansion's release?
ngmoco's We Rule boasts 12 million downloads, 3 billion minutes of playtime
In America, social gaming on the iPhone, iPad and other mobile devices has not reached its potential -- though this new We Rule infographic shows that, that might be changing soon (esp. considering the explosive growth of Android devices and tablets in general).
Ngmoco's freemium social kingdom simulation game for IOS devices celebrates its one-year anniversary this month, and to mark the occasion, has come out with some impressive sounding stats like 3 billion minutes played, 13 million downloads and 40 billion coins spent daily.
Of course, if you compare this game to Angry Birds, which has 100 million downloads, the numbers don't seem quite as epic as this infographic makes them out to be. Then again, Roxio's other hit, Cut the Rope, has somewhere in the ballpark of 6 million downloads -- so We Rule might not be number one, but just might hold the keys to a mobile social kingdom that has not yet reached its heyday.
Ngmoco's freemium social kingdom simulation game for IOS devices celebrates its one-year anniversary this month, and to mark the occasion, has come out with some impressive sounding stats like 3 billion minutes played, 13 million downloads and 40 billion coins spent daily.
Of course, if you compare this game to Angry Birds, which has 100 million downloads, the numbers don't seem quite as epic as this infographic makes them out to be. Then again, Roxio's other hit, Cut the Rope, has somewhere in the ballpark of 6 million downloads -- so We Rule might not be number one, but just might hold the keys to a mobile social kingdom that has not yet reached its heyday.
FrontierVille Flash Mob: Win Horseshoes in this forum trivia contest
How fresh is your FrontierVille knowledge? Zynga wants to test just that in its next FrontierVille Flash Mob. This trivia competition will test your ability to regurgitate random facts about the game. (You know, like how all trivia games test useless knowledge.) However, five prizes of 50 Horseshoes are up for grabs for the most savvy pioneers. It all starts at 2 p.m. EST, so open that FrontierVille Wiki page and hop in the forums for your chance at some free Horseshoes. If you're at work, don't worry--we won't tell.
Do you plan on joining the competition? How do you think the next few rounds will pan out?
Do you plan on joining the competition? How do you think the next few rounds will pan out?
FarmVille English Countryside buildings leak to FarmVille iOS Market
The deluge of FarmVille English Countryside information continues with more item details leaking through FarmVille for iPhone. Players can log into their FarmVille game right now on their iPhone and see nearly every building the English Countryside will have to offer at launch, but it's all on lockdown. Nonetheless, this gives us a better idea of how much these items will cost, and it varies greatly from just a thousand coins for the Orchard to the 60 thousand-coin English Farm. Whether these prices are indicative of their cost in the actual expansion in unknown, but at least these give us a good idea of what to expect. Check behind the break for the rest of the leaked buildings.
FarmVille English Countryside Buildings 2
[Via FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen these items in your FarmVille game for iOS? When do you think the expansion will release given all of this leaked information?
FarmVille English Countryside Buildings 2
[Via FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen these items in your FarmVille game for iOS? When do you think the expansion will release given all of this leaked information?
Buy Bejeweled for iOS this weekend, help the Japan earthquake relief effort
PopCap, the publisher responsible for such casual gaming classics as Bejeweled, Peggle, Bookworm, Plants vs. Zombies, is cutting prices on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad versions of its games this weekend and 100% of the proceeds will to the Red Cross for Japan earthquake relief.
The sale kicks off on Saturday, March 19 at 12:01 a.m. PDT and ends Sunday, March 20 at midnight PDT. During that time, all PopCap games for iPhone will drop to 99 cents (down from $2.99) and iPad games will be $1.99 (down from $6.99). Not a bad deal -- buy a great game on the cheap and do some good all at the same time.
The sale kicks off on Saturday, March 19 at 12:01 a.m. PDT and ends Sunday, March 20 at midnight PDT. During that time, all PopCap games for iPhone will drop to 99 cents (down from $2.99) and iPad games will be $1.99 (down from $6.99). Not a bad deal -- buy a great game on the cheap and do some good all at the same time.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Sims Social Cheats and Tips: Bunk Beds Stacking Guide
Move over carpet art, stacking in The Sims Social has become the de facto way of home design.
Our first guide showed you the basic principles of stacking, and gave you some cool, simple ideas to use. They only required one stacking tool. This one is going to take a bit more than that, but it's just as easy.
Many Sims Social items also aren't made to be stacked, so you'll need a workaround for it, which we'll show you here.
What You Need:
6 tables from the store that are 2 tile lengths long, preferably the Basix TV Stand - Tan (costs 350 Simoleons), because it's the cheapest option. (Another popular, though more expensive option is the ShortNSweet tables, but they've been discontinued.) My example also uses the Black stand (costs 650 Simoleons), cause I want to make it easier for you to see what I'm doing.
Any 2 beds you want. I'm using the SweetDreams Classic IV (the red one with the bed posts) and the Spartan Special.
Sims Social bunk bed requirements
Step 1: Arrange everything the way you see in the above picture. Unlike the first guide, which had you making and using one stacking tool, "L-tool". This time, you need to make two stacking tools. Let's start with the first tool.
Sims Social Stack Tool 1
Step 2: To make the first tool, look at the table set that has one Black stand and one Tan stand as its base. You need to grab that Black stand on the bottom and move it away. The Tan stand on the top should automatically get dragged off too when you do this. If this worked, then congrats! These two stuck tables are now your Stacking Tool #1. (Note: Always move your Tool by holding the bottom or it'll fall apart!)
Sims Social stacking tools
Step 3: You should have a leftover Tan stand after the first tool (shown in the above pic on the right). Take the leftover Tan stand and place it upon the other table set.
Sims Social Stacking Tool 2
Step 4: Now we need to make Stacking Tool #2 out of the second table set! To do that, grab the Black table to the far back and drag it away like you did with the first example. This should leave you with a leftover Black table, which you won't need anymore.
Sims Social bed stacking
Step 5: With your two stacking tools, you're now ready to stack the beds. Because your bed is three tile lengths long, you'll need to layer the tools on top of the bed like so -- Stacking Tool #2 will cover 2/3 of the bed, while Stacking Tool #1 will cover the last 1/3 of the bed. (Note again: Always move your Stacking Tools by holding their bottoms or they'll fall apart!)
Step 6: The next part is like the classic tablecloth trick, where your tablecloth are the stacking tools and the bottom red bed is the table. Grab the bottom of Stacking Tool #1 to slide it away from the red bed. Do the same for Stacking Tool #2. You should have a pair of bunk beds now where the red bed is on the bottom and the gray bed is floating above it!
Sims Social Bunk Beds and Plush
BONUS: Would you like to put Plumpkins Bear plush on the top of the gray bed like you see in the picture? To do that, add two of the TV stands to Stacking Tool #1. Then shove the tool on top of the gray bed, like in the first guide, and put Plumpkins Bear on top of the beds and the stands. As you see in the above picture, there's two Tans and one Black stand perched atop the Black base. When you move the Black base, Plumpkins Bear will stay on the gray bed!
Sims Social bed action
Now to see if the beds will work after all that fussing, and guess what? My Sim can nap or sleep and there's no glitches in sight. SUCCESS!
Finally, special thanks to Jhail for first posting about bunk beds in the official forums.
What other items do you think will look good stacked together?
Our first guide showed you the basic principles of stacking, and gave you some cool, simple ideas to use. They only required one stacking tool. This one is going to take a bit more than that, but it's just as easy.
Many Sims Social items also aren't made to be stacked, so you'll need a workaround for it, which we'll show you here.
What You Need:
6 tables from the store that are 2 tile lengths long, preferably the Basix TV Stand - Tan (costs 350 Simoleons), because it's the cheapest option. (Another popular, though more expensive option is the ShortNSweet tables, but they've been discontinued.) My example also uses the Black stand (costs 650 Simoleons), cause I want to make it easier for you to see what I'm doing.
Any 2 beds you want. I'm using the SweetDreams Classic IV (the red one with the bed posts) and the Spartan Special.
Sims Social bunk bed requirements
Step 1: Arrange everything the way you see in the above picture. Unlike the first guide, which had you making and using one stacking tool, "L-tool". This time, you need to make two stacking tools. Let's start with the first tool.
Sims Social Stack Tool 1
Step 2: To make the first tool, look at the table set that has one Black stand and one Tan stand as its base. You need to grab that Black stand on the bottom and move it away. The Tan stand on the top should automatically get dragged off too when you do this. If this worked, then congrats! These two stuck tables are now your Stacking Tool #1. (Note: Always move your Tool by holding the bottom or it'll fall apart!)
Sims Social stacking tools
Step 3: You should have a leftover Tan stand after the first tool (shown in the above pic on the right). Take the leftover Tan stand and place it upon the other table set.
Sims Social Stacking Tool 2
Step 4: Now we need to make Stacking Tool #2 out of the second table set! To do that, grab the Black table to the far back and drag it away like you did with the first example. This should leave you with a leftover Black table, which you won't need anymore.
Sims Social bed stacking
Step 5: With your two stacking tools, you're now ready to stack the beds. Because your bed is three tile lengths long, you'll need to layer the tools on top of the bed like so -- Stacking Tool #2 will cover 2/3 of the bed, while Stacking Tool #1 will cover the last 1/3 of the bed. (Note again: Always move your Stacking Tools by holding their bottoms or they'll fall apart!)
Step 6: The next part is like the classic tablecloth trick, where your tablecloth are the stacking tools and the bottom red bed is the table. Grab the bottom of Stacking Tool #1 to slide it away from the red bed. Do the same for Stacking Tool #2. You should have a pair of bunk beds now where the red bed is on the bottom and the gray bed is floating above it!
Sims Social Bunk Beds and Plush
BONUS: Would you like to put Plumpkins Bear plush on the top of the gray bed like you see in the picture? To do that, add two of the TV stands to Stacking Tool #1. Then shove the tool on top of the gray bed, like in the first guide, and put Plumpkins Bear on top of the beds and the stands. As you see in the above picture, there's two Tans and one Black stand perched atop the Black base. When you move the Black base, Plumpkins Bear will stay on the gray bed!
Sims Social bed action
Now to see if the beds will work after all that fussing, and guess what? My Sim can nap or sleep and there's no glitches in sight. SUCCESS!
Finally, special thanks to Jhail for first posting about bunk beds in the official forums.
What other items do you think will look good stacked together?
The Sims 3 Showtime: A Facebook game, minus Facebook
A live news feed, in-game gifting and the ability to visit your friend's games -- this might sound like the next big 'Ville' game on Facebook is actually none other than a new expansion for the hit PC game Sims 3.
This new add-on, Sims 3 Showtime, lets Sims take the stage as a performer -- a DJ, acrobat, what have you -- and eventually work their way to the top of their chosen profession. This will all take place with the help of friends though -- not Facebook -- but an in-game network that will have Facebook-like functionality. Players will be able to send in-game gifts, post updates to a news feed and visit each other's customized stages using something called a Sim-Port. Whether this new Sims network will be confined to this game -- or something larger -- remains to be seen.
sims 3 showtime
It's interesting to see this kind of convergence of social gaming and more traditional types of games. We've been watching Facebook games crib from more traditional games, in an effort to beef up the gameplay experience, for a while now. Maybe things are starting to go the other way as well.
Sims 3 Showtime will roll out in March 2012 for Mac and PC.
This new add-on, Sims 3 Showtime, lets Sims take the stage as a performer -- a DJ, acrobat, what have you -- and eventually work their way to the top of their chosen profession. This will all take place with the help of friends though -- not Facebook -- but an in-game network that will have Facebook-like functionality. Players will be able to send in-game gifts, post updates to a news feed and visit each other's customized stages using something called a Sim-Port. Whether this new Sims network will be confined to this game -- or something larger -- remains to be seen.
sims 3 showtime
It's interesting to see this kind of convergence of social gaming and more traditional types of games. We've been watching Facebook games crib from more traditional games, in an effort to beef up the gameplay experience, for a while now. Maybe things are starting to go the other way as well.
Sims 3 Showtime will roll out in March 2012 for Mac and PC.
The Sims Social lures players into a Winter Wonderland this week
Unfortunately, not everyone (including this writer) can fly to Sweden on a whim and stay in a gorgeous ice hotel. Well, at least EA and Playfish look to provide the next best thing in this week's update to The Sims Social. Fittingly titled "Winter Wonderland," this update (coming Thursday) will allow you to build your very own ice house, complete with frozen furniture and ice sculptures.
The Sims Social Eskimo KissOf course, a number of these items will likely cost SimCash, but hopefully a few of the cool ones go for at least Social Points. Take the Pola-Ice Igloo, for instance. This interactive decoration has several uses: Players can use the Pola-Ice as a toilet for their Sims, throw rotten fish in their friends' igloos and make frozen WooHoo with other Sims inside--the igloo even shakes. We're ... not exactly sure how to feel about that last point.
Players can also pick up special Santa outfits for him and her that allow Sims to Eskimo Kiss during visits. Of course, the Thursday update comes with a quest, "Revenge of the Simch," which will reward players with a Rocking Reindeer decoration should they complete it in time.
The festivities continue throughout the weekend, with Saturday and Sunday seeing the release of the Ice Ring, an interactive decoration that lets Sims do pirouette spins. Finally, players will gain access to an Ice Block on Monday that, when used, will increase Sims' sculpting skill and eventually result in an Ice Wolf Statue. We're calling next week's theme: "The Simch Strikes Back."
The Sims Social Ice Block
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of the winter celebrations in The Sims Social so far? Are you still digging the game since its release this summer?
The Sims Social Eskimo KissOf course, a number of these items will likely cost SimCash, but hopefully a few of the cool ones go for at least Social Points. Take the Pola-Ice Igloo, for instance. This interactive decoration has several uses: Players can use the Pola-Ice as a toilet for their Sims, throw rotten fish in their friends' igloos and make frozen WooHoo with other Sims inside--the igloo even shakes. We're ... not exactly sure how to feel about that last point.
Players can also pick up special Santa outfits for him and her that allow Sims to Eskimo Kiss during visits. Of course, the Thursday update comes with a quest, "Revenge of the Simch," which will reward players with a Rocking Reindeer decoration should they complete it in time.
The festivities continue throughout the weekend, with Saturday and Sunday seeing the release of the Ice Ring, an interactive decoration that lets Sims do pirouette spins. Finally, players will gain access to an Ice Block on Monday that, when used, will increase Sims' sculpting skill and eventually result in an Ice Wolf Statue. We're calling next week's theme: "The Simch Strikes Back."
The Sims Social Ice Block
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of the winter celebrations in The Sims Social so far? Are you still digging the game since its release this summer?
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