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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)