Two days ago, the first set of island decorations was debuted in FarmVille, and while we didn't think it would be an enormous collection we didn't expect to see so many items come so fast. Tonight, 12 more tiki inspired items were released - making this set begin to take over the Market in FarmVille. These items are a great mix of coins and Farm Cash, so everyone will be able to partake in this summery theme. Here are the new items:
Hot Pink Flamingo - 12 Farm Cash
Island Stage - 14 Farm Cash
Spider Monkey - 18 Farm Cash
Pink Hibiscus (Crop)
Island Grill - 30,000 coins
Island Totem - 25,000 coins
Sand Hammock - 20,000 coins
Sky Hammock - 20,000 coins
Bamboo Fence - 5,500 coins
Tree Village - 42 Farm Cash
Island Resort - 36 Farm Cash
Island Shanty - 55,000 coins
FarmVille island items
We're not sure how popular this theme will be, as there are already plenty of island games out there already. It is nice to see something new following the Tuscan items, which we were starting to grow weary of. Nothing here stands out as being totally awesome though, except perhaps the Tree Village which is something unlike anything we've seen thus far. At 42 Farm Cash, it is the most expensive of the new decorations.
Have you been decorating your farm for the summer months, or are you skipping this theme entirely?
Thứ Tư, 15 tháng 2, 2012
Send Lava Mangoes to your friends in Treasure Isle
The next installment in the "get everyone incredibly excited for the Fire God Mountain maps" is a new gift available on the Treasure Isle gift page. You can now send friends a new Lava Mango on the gift page. If you hover over this gift, it tells you that it will give 20 energy inside volcanoes.
These new mangoes are ONLY usable inside the Fire God Mountain, and regular mangoes will not be usable within the volcano. Some players have been confused over this, but a moderator on the official Treasure Isle forums has clarified this. These new Lava Mangoes do not have an expiration, so now is a good time to be stockpiling them to work your way through the Fire God Mountain volcano maps once they are released.
Are you getting excited for the new Fire God Mountain?
These new mangoes are ONLY usable inside the Fire God Mountain, and regular mangoes will not be usable within the volcano. Some players have been confused over this, but a moderator on the official Treasure Isle forums has clarified this. These new Lava Mangoes do not have an expiration, so now is a good time to be stockpiling them to work your way through the Fire God Mountain volcano maps once they are released.
Are you getting excited for the new Fire God Mountain?
'Super Whales' drop upwards of $10K on social games
If you've ever wondered just how much people are spending in FarmVille and other social games, a new report from Social Gold and Inside Social Games have found some (disturbing) answers. About 90% of social gamers don't drop a dime on these free-to-play games, but those who do, average about $60 a person.
That's not the unsettling part of the story. There's a tiny percentage of that spendy population, called "Super Whales,' who have dropped over $10K on FarmVille and its ilk. Social Gold, a company that provides microtransaction software to game developers, reports that one lavish spender in Saudi Arabia has dropped $25,000 (yes, you read that right -- 25 THOUSAND) dollars on social games and another in the US has invested nearly $20,000 in games as well. Can you say goodbye college fund?
One game maker says he ran across several hedge-funders who tried to out-spend each other in one of his games, dropping over a grand each on virtual armor and weapons. We predict it's only a matter of time until we see a bankrupt virtual farmer sobbing on Dr. Phil. Oh, the horror.
That's not the unsettling part of the story. There's a tiny percentage of that spendy population, called "Super Whales,' who have dropped over $10K on FarmVille and its ilk. Social Gold, a company that provides microtransaction software to game developers, reports that one lavish spender in Saudi Arabia has dropped $25,000 (yes, you read that right -- 25 THOUSAND) dollars on social games and another in the US has invested nearly $20,000 in games as well. Can you say goodbye college fund?
One game maker says he ran across several hedge-funders who tried to out-spend each other in one of his games, dropping over a grand each on virtual armor and weapons. We predict it's only a matter of time until we see a bankrupt virtual farmer sobbing on Dr. Phil. Oh, the horror.
YoVille: More Hollywood goodies
New Hollywood items have been released in Yoville. You can now complete your Manhattan, Fantasy and Romance movie sets with the newest set items. Many other miscellaneous items are also available. make sure to check a list of pictures and prices are after the link.
Which set are you going to build?
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Which set are you going to build?
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
FarmVille Unreleased Tiki Hot Rod Surfboard, Pink Surfboard, Stripe Surfboard, Tiki Surfboard, & Double Surfboard
farmville hot rod surfboard
Thank you to FarmVille Freak Farhan for finding these unreleased FarmVille Tiki Hot Rod Surfboard, Pink Surfboard, Stripe Surfboard, Tiki Surfboard, & Double Surfboard.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Thank you to FarmVille Freak Farhan for finding these unreleased FarmVille Tiki Hot Rod Surfboard, Pink Surfboard, Stripe Surfboard, Tiki Surfboard, & Double Surfboard.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Thứ Bảy, 11 tháng 2, 2012
Cold Drinks Collection in Pet Society
Despite my aversion to sodas in real life, I have to say that these bottles are delightfully shaped and colored! Several players have been lucky to collect all ten of the new cold drinks from the Pet Society vending machines.
From left to right, the drinks are:
Cold Orange Soda
Cold Cola
Cold Peach Iced Tea
Cold Tropical Drink
Cold Lemonade – I think this one's my favorite bottle.
Cold Coconut Drink
Cold Grape Soda
Cold Lime Soda
Cold Cherry Cola – Oh, wait. I like this one even better.
Cold Mint Drink
Remember singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" as a kid? This pet has 105 bottles, to be exact!
pet society soda
This article originally appeared on Pet Society Anonymous.
From left to right, the drinks are:
Cold Orange Soda
Cold Cola
Cold Peach Iced Tea
Cold Tropical Drink
Cold Lemonade – I think this one's my favorite bottle.
Cold Coconut Drink
Cold Grape Soda
Cold Lime Soda
Cold Cherry Cola – Oh, wait. I like this one even better.
Cold Mint Drink
Remember singing "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" as a kid? This pet has 105 bottles, to be exact!
pet society soda
This article originally appeared on Pet Society Anonymous.
Summer Permanent Hair Styles arrive to YoVille
yoville summer hair
Two New YoVille Permanent Hair Styles: Blonde Summer Hair (16 YoCash) for girls and Male Blonde Summer Hair (16 YoCash) for guys are offered at the Salon for a limited time. Get them while you can!
Take a closer view after the jump.
yoville summer hair
yoville summer hair
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Bookmark this site!
Two New YoVille Permanent Hair Styles: Blonde Summer Hair (16 YoCash) for girls and Male Blonde Summer Hair (16 YoCash) for guys are offered at the Salon for a limited time. Get them while you can!
Take a closer view after the jump.
yoville summer hair
yoville summer hair
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Bookmark this site!
New Summer Stylings arrive at the YoVille Fashion Store!
Its a Hot YoVille Summer! Cool off and get decked out in the latest Summer Fashions. Cropped Tops, Headbands, Summer Shorts, Summer Sandals, Summer Floral Dress with coordinated Floral Flats and Hat for Girls. And Summer Vest, Shorts, Tanks, Slip-Ons, and Navy and Summer Hats for Guys! Head on down to the Fashion Store!
See the complete selection after the jump.
yoville summer clothesyoville summer clothesyoville summer clothesyoville summer clothesyoville summer clothesyoville summer clothes
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Bookmark this site!
See the complete selection after the jump.
yoville summer clothesyoville summer clothesyoville summer clothesyoville summer clothesyoville summer clothesyoville summer clothes
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Bookmark this site!
Wild Ones match selector lets players revert to old settings
wild ones match selector
There was a time long ago when Wild Ones was a game of survival. Players had one life and had to strategically fight and endure until they remained victorious as the last one standing. Unfortunately to the dismay of dedicated fans, on one fateful day, Playdom changed the rules. Wild Ones became a deathmatch style game where pets merely respawned when they died. Many players were totally outraged at the abrupt change to the game they knew and loved.
Well friends, I'm happy to announce, the old Wild Ones is back.
Wild Ones introduced a new match selector screen (pictured above) that expands and streamlines the process of finding a battle:
First, players choose a mode:
wild ones point match wild one team point match
wild ones last one standing wild ones last team standing
wild ones super speed wild ones custom game
Fans of the old Wild Ones will be delighted to not only see the return of their beloved Last One Standing, but there is now a team option for the survival gametype too! I can assure you, it's just as awesome.
The match selector then lets you choose a map, yet some of the levels still require higher levels to be unlocked. Also pretty exciting is six blank map slots that are sure to be filled soon. In addition, the new match selector retains all the options for private games and customizable options with the Custom Game mode.
The usually angry and upset Wild Ones fans have nothing to complain about this time. This update asks for no Facebook Credits and no commitments. All the new match selector does is expand the game to embrace all its players: those who love the new point match and those who were devastated by the removal of last one standing. Personally, I'm a fan of the latter, so I'm definitely ready to jump back into the strategic game of survival I had come to love.
Click here to play Wild Ones>
There was a time long ago when Wild Ones was a game of survival. Players had one life and had to strategically fight and endure until they remained victorious as the last one standing. Unfortunately to the dismay of dedicated fans, on one fateful day, Playdom changed the rules. Wild Ones became a deathmatch style game where pets merely respawned when they died. Many players were totally outraged at the abrupt change to the game they knew and loved.
Well friends, I'm happy to announce, the old Wild Ones is back.
Wild Ones introduced a new match selector screen (pictured above) that expands and streamlines the process of finding a battle:
First, players choose a mode:
wild ones point match wild one team point match
wild ones last one standing wild ones last team standing
wild ones super speed wild ones custom game
Fans of the old Wild Ones will be delighted to not only see the return of their beloved Last One Standing, but there is now a team option for the survival gametype too! I can assure you, it's just as awesome.
The match selector then lets you choose a map, yet some of the levels still require higher levels to be unlocked. Also pretty exciting is six blank map slots that are sure to be filled soon. In addition, the new match selector retains all the options for private games and customizable options with the Custom Game mode.
The usually angry and upset Wild Ones fans have nothing to complain about this time. This update asks for no Facebook Credits and no commitments. All the new match selector does is expand the game to embrace all its players: those who love the new point match and those who were devastated by the removal of last one standing. Personally, I'm a fan of the latter, so I'm definitely ready to jump back into the strategic game of survival I had come to love.
Click here to play Wild Ones>
Mafia Wars promises more rewards if you give up your email
Mafia Wars on Facebook is pulling out all of the stops (OK, maybe more like a concerted effort) to convince you to give up your email address. Now, if you hand it over, you'll receive emails that include updates from the game and bonus loot in the form of animals, stamina refills, XP, Reward Points and Energy.
Does this new offer compel you to give up your email to Mafia Wars?
Does this new offer compel you to give up your email to Mafia Wars?
Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 2, 2012
Treasure Isle Gem Mine is 'coming soon'
Always on the hunt for certain colored gems in Treasure Isle? Got too many purples, greens, reds and blues but never seem to have any orange? The new Gem mine feature might help lessen the pain of always searching for missing gems. The mine will allow you collect gems every 24 hours and pick which color gems you want. The official TI Facebook fan page says it's 'coming soon,' so stay tuned.
Mafia Wars Beat the Feds yanked for a second time -- foiled again!
Update (8/14): Beat the Feds has returned to the game, though it still has been very buggy for some players. Is it working for you?
Mafia Wars launched the new Beat the Feds challenge today and after complaints about various bugs, rolled back the new mission with no indication on when it would be back again. This is the second time that this special mission has launched and was rolled back again -- the first time, the challenge went live for a few hours and was yanked as well.
Below is the error message I got when I tried to attack Agent Karlin. When I hit the red button, the bar under Karlin said 'undefined/900' and nothing happened. Clicked again -- nothing happened. Then Mafia Wars wouldn't load and when it finally refreshed, the event had disappeared from the game.
mafia wars beat the feds In the official message boards, one player posted their chat conversation with Zynga help, which confirmed that Zynga has pulled Beat the Feds again and that they did not know when it would be back in action. I just went back to the message boards to pull direct quotes from this chat, but now it's no where to be found. Not sure if the comment was deleted or moved to another spot in the forums.
Other players who had already beat some of the bosses, came back to find their loot missing and others couldn't play at all because the game was frozen. Either way, Beat the Feds is no longer in the game for now.
Update: The official word from a Zynga community manager is that they've 'slowed down the release' to handle the bugs.
We're seeing some technical issues with the Fight Event, so we've slowed down our release while we work on resolving the situation. We want to thank our players for their patience and for immediately providing us with helpful info which we're using to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.
We'll keep you posted on the status of the event as soon as we have more information for you. Again, thanks for your support!
Mafia Wars launched the new Beat the Feds challenge today and after complaints about various bugs, rolled back the new mission with no indication on when it would be back again. This is the second time that this special mission has launched and was rolled back again -- the first time, the challenge went live for a few hours and was yanked as well.
Below is the error message I got when I tried to attack Agent Karlin. When I hit the red button, the bar under Karlin said 'undefined/900' and nothing happened. Clicked again -- nothing happened. Then Mafia Wars wouldn't load and when it finally refreshed, the event had disappeared from the game.
mafia wars beat the feds In the official message boards, one player posted their chat conversation with Zynga help, which confirmed that Zynga has pulled Beat the Feds again and that they did not know when it would be back in action. I just went back to the message boards to pull direct quotes from this chat, but now it's no where to be found. Not sure if the comment was deleted or moved to another spot in the forums.
Other players who had already beat some of the bosses, came back to find their loot missing and others couldn't play at all because the game was frozen. Either way, Beat the Feds is no longer in the game for now.
Update: The official word from a Zynga community manager is that they've 'slowed down the release' to handle the bugs.
We're seeing some technical issues with the Fight Event, so we've slowed down our release while we work on resolving the situation. We want to thank our players for their patience and for immediately providing us with helpful info which we're using to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.
We'll keep you posted on the status of the event as soon as we have more information for you. Again, thanks for your support!
Google and Social Gold -- it's official
Jambool, creator of the Social Gold virtual currency platform, have officially announced that they have been acquired by Google, which confirms rumors that were circulating earlier this week.
The two Jambool founders positively gushed about the merger on the company's official blog and created an FAQ for existing customers. They also recast the Social Gold logo to look like the Google logo -- isn't that cute?
Google's still staying hush-hush on its plans for Social Gold and its rumored 'Google Me' social network. If you follow the money trail, however, all signs seem to be pointing somewhere in that direction.
The two Jambool founders positively gushed about the merger on the company's official blog and created an FAQ for existing customers. They also recast the Social Gold logo to look like the Google logo -- isn't that cute?
Google's still staying hush-hush on its plans for Social Gold and its rumored 'Google Me' social network. If you follow the money trail, however, all signs seem to be pointing somewhere in that direction.
FarmVille parody app FarmVillain lands on iPhone
FarmVille's evil twin, FarmVillain has had a troubled start from the beginning. The parody app designed to give frustrated Facebookers a way to strike back at FarmVille spam was almost banned from the social network for its crude humor. Three times. Then the app was rejected three more times from the iTunes App store.
It looks like the fourth time's the charm, however, as FarmVillain finally makes its debut on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The app costs 99 cents, and if you're tired of seeing friends' endless FarmVille gifting requests (or even if you're not), you can zing 'em back by posting the funny, and often crass, farm-bashing messages on their Facebook Wall. Two of my personal faves are below:
farmvillian tractor post
farmvillian gremlins post
If you don't want to pay $1 for to send these silly messages, you can always use the FarmVillain app on Facebook for the low price of free.
The cheeky company behind the FarmVillain app, Jolt Online, also has a handful of free online games under its belt, with more on its way. Earlier this year, Jolt partnered with Gamestop to create the tongue-in-cheek Legends of Zork and are currently at work on another game that might raise a few eyebrows -- Playboy Manager, a "massively casual online game set in the world of Playboy."
It looks like the fourth time's the charm, however, as FarmVillain finally makes its debut on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The app costs 99 cents, and if you're tired of seeing friends' endless FarmVille gifting requests (or even if you're not), you can zing 'em back by posting the funny, and often crass, farm-bashing messages on their Facebook Wall. Two of my personal faves are below:
farmvillian tractor post
farmvillian gremlins post
If you don't want to pay $1 for to send these silly messages, you can always use the FarmVillain app on Facebook for the low price of free.
The cheeky company behind the FarmVillain app, Jolt Online, also has a handful of free online games under its belt, with more on its way. Earlier this year, Jolt partnered with Gamestop to create the tongue-in-cheek Legends of Zork and are currently at work on another game that might raise a few eyebrows -- Playboy Manager, a "massively casual online game set in the world of Playboy."
Treasure Isle Gem Mine: Everything you need to know
As predicted a couple of days ago, Treasure Isle has just released their new buildable Gem Mine. If you've been playing Treasure Isle for awhile, you're probably familiar with how this works since it functions almost identically to the Pirate Ship and the Tiki Statue. Not sure how to build your Gem Mine? Here is a guide that will help you with everything you need to know.
When you first log in to Treasure Isle, you'll be greeted with a message alerting you that you can begin building your Gem Mine. You can either place the mine right away, or store it for later building. Click "Place It" and then click on the ground on your island wherever you would like to place your mine. You can move it at a later time, so don't worry too much about the placement. After you have placed the not-yet-built Gem Mine, click on it several times to get the mine started. It will cost a total of 20 energy to get the mine started, in 5 energy chunks. Now that your Gem Mine is started, it's time for the nitty-gritty building.
Clicking on your unfinished Gem Mine will display the building interface, which shows you exactly what you need in order to complete the mine. You will need 5 each of Bolts, Planks, Rope, Pillars, and Gears. These materials can be received in several different ways. Buying them with Island Cash is the quickest (yet most expensive) way to complete your gem mine, but it will cost you either 1 Island Cash each or 22 total. Alternatively, you can "Ask for More" on each ingredient, which will post to your wall. Anyone who clicks on the wall post will instantly be granting you the material that you ask for. Unfortunately, you can only ask for a material once every 12 hours, and this includes materials for your Pirate Ship or Tiki Statue as well. The final way to collect all the pieces is through standard gifting on the gift page - so you can request for specific gifts to be sent to you.
Once you have completed your Gem Mine, it is now a functional piece of decor for your island that provides a huge bonus - gems! Every 24 hours you can go "mining for gems", which has a chance to give you 1-5 gems of the color of your choice. This is an essential addition to your island.
What do you think of the new Gem Mine? Have you finished yours yet?
When you first log in to Treasure Isle, you'll be greeted with a message alerting you that you can begin building your Gem Mine. You can either place the mine right away, or store it for later building. Click "Place It" and then click on the ground on your island wherever you would like to place your mine. You can move it at a later time, so don't worry too much about the placement. After you have placed the not-yet-built Gem Mine, click on it several times to get the mine started. It will cost a total of 20 energy to get the mine started, in 5 energy chunks. Now that your Gem Mine is started, it's time for the nitty-gritty building.
Clicking on your unfinished Gem Mine will display the building interface, which shows you exactly what you need in order to complete the mine. You will need 5 each of Bolts, Planks, Rope, Pillars, and Gears. These materials can be received in several different ways. Buying them with Island Cash is the quickest (yet most expensive) way to complete your gem mine, but it will cost you either 1 Island Cash each or 22 total. Alternatively, you can "Ask for More" on each ingredient, which will post to your wall. Anyone who clicks on the wall post will instantly be granting you the material that you ask for. Unfortunately, you can only ask for a material once every 12 hours, and this includes materials for your Pirate Ship or Tiki Statue as well. The final way to collect all the pieces is through standard gifting on the gift page - so you can request for specific gifts to be sent to you.
Once you have completed your Gem Mine, it is now a functional piece of decor for your island that provides a huge bonus - gems! Every 24 hours you can go "mining for gems", which has a chance to give you 1-5 gems of the color of your choice. This is an essential addition to your island.
What do you think of the new Gem Mine? Have you finished yours yet?
Thứ Hai, 6 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille Unreleased Riding Pony, Riding Foal, Tulips, Mystery Gift, German Home
A slew of FarmVille unreleased items were discovered this evening, including the Riding Pony (which you can see in the German loading screen), the Riding Pony Foal, Orange Tulips, Mystery Gift and the German Home. Looks like we're just getting started with the German Limited Edition items this evening.
Please note: These items are 'unreleased,' which means they are not yet live in FarmVille, and there is no guarantee that these items will be released in the future.
[Via FarmVille Freak, FV Fan]
What do you think about the new Riding Pony?
Please note: These items are 'unreleased,' which means they are not yet live in FarmVille, and there is no guarantee that these items will be released in the future.
[Via FarmVille Freak, FV Fan]
What do you think about the new Riding Pony?
FarmVille Releases Limited Edition Germany Theme!
Just in time for Octoberfest, FarmVille has debuted a new Limited Edition Germany theme!
The German invasion will feature limited edition buildings, decorations, animals and possibly some new seeds.
You can purchase the first round of Germany themed items in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days. The Germany theme is running concurrent with the Wild West theme that is still featured in the FarmVille Market, but will be expiring soon.
What items do you see in the Loading Screen not yet available in the FarmVille Market? We spotted a new unreleased Pony (standing next to the Roe Deer).
As more and more FarmVille Germany theme content goes up, check back here to see all the new releases.
- FarmVille Unreleased Riding Pony, Riding Foal, Tulips, Mystery Gift, German Home
- FarmVille German Limited Edition buildings: German Barn, German Flower Cafe, German Tool Shed
- FarmVille German Limited Edition decor: Farm animal statue, Giant Moss Rock, Flower Knoll, Farm Fence
The German invasion will feature limited edition buildings, decorations, animals and possibly some new seeds.
You can purchase the first round of Germany themed items in the FarmVille Market during the next 12 days. The Germany theme is running concurrent with the Wild West theme that is still featured in the FarmVille Market, but will be expiring soon.
What items do you see in the Loading Screen not yet available in the FarmVille Market? We spotted a new unreleased Pony (standing next to the Roe Deer).
As more and more FarmVille Germany theme content goes up, check back here to see all the new releases.
- FarmVille Unreleased Riding Pony, Riding Foal, Tulips, Mystery Gift, German Home
- FarmVille German Limited Edition buildings: German Barn, German Flower Cafe, German Tool Shed
- FarmVille German Limited Edition decor: Farm animal statue, Giant Moss Rock, Flower Knoll, Farm Fence
FarmVille Haiti charity event #3 coming soon?
FarmVille maker Zynga is the subject of much criticism - some of it deserved - but the social gaming company has done a stand-up job running in-game promotions to raise money to build schools in Haiti. So far, there have been two Sweet Seeds for Haiti promotions in FarmVille, where players could donate money buy purchasing special limited edition crops using Farm Cash. Those two promotions have raised over $500K for Haiti, and a portion of those funds went to build a school(s) for those in need.
There are rumors flying that Zynga is planning a new in-game Haiti charity event soon, based on this series of backpack and school supply images discovered by FVFan. Since there seems to be a progression in the images, we can only guess that this promotion will require you to collect items (maybe school supplies?) from your neighbors to fill up your backpack until it overflows.
Please note that these items have not been released yet, and there's no guarantee that they will make it into FarmVille. (Let's be honest, this unreleased stuff usually makes it into the game). Keep your eyes open (and your wallets ready) to help those in need in the near future.
There are rumors flying that Zynga is planning a new in-game Haiti charity event soon, based on this series of backpack and school supply images discovered by FVFan. Since there seems to be a progression in the images, we can only guess that this promotion will require you to collect items (maybe school supplies?) from your neighbors to fill up your backpack until it overflows.
Please note that these items have not been released yet, and there's no guarantee that they will make it into FarmVille. (Let's be honest, this unreleased stuff usually makes it into the game). Keep your eyes open (and your wallets ready) to help those in need in the near future.
FarmVille Orange Tulip coming soon as a permanent crop
farmville orange tulip
Orange Tulips may be coming soon to FarmVille. There also appears to be Crop Mastery available for Orange Tulips, so it is possible this could be a permanent crop or at least a Limited Edition crop with mastery!
Note, unreleased items have no official release date or guarantee that they will make it to the FarmVille Market and are subject to change without notice.
farmville orange tulip farmville orange tulip mastery
Thank you to FarmVille Freak Teresa for finding these unreleased FarmVille Tulip items!
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Orange Tulips may be coming soon to FarmVille. There also appears to be Crop Mastery available for Orange Tulips, so it is possible this could be a permanent crop or at least a Limited Edition crop with mastery!
Note, unreleased items have no official release date or guarantee that they will make it to the FarmVille Market and are subject to change without notice.
farmville orange tulip farmville orange tulip mastery
Thank you to FarmVille Freak Teresa for finding these unreleased FarmVille Tulip items!
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
New YoVille Romantic Kitchen Items arrive
yoville romantic kitchen items
How elegant! This installment of the new YoVille romantic theme include 38 new kitchen items.
Items Include refrigerators, cabinets, islands, and more available in purple, white, red and brown matching a very nice dark wood.
Also, check the previously released YoVille Romantic items here:
New Romantic Bathroom Items
New Romantic Bedroom Items
New Romantic Living Room Items
New Romantic House
New Romantic Clothing
Prices and photos of all new items available after the link.
yoville romantic kitchen items
yoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen items
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
How elegant! This installment of the new YoVille romantic theme include 38 new kitchen items.
Items Include refrigerators, cabinets, islands, and more available in purple, white, red and brown matching a very nice dark wood.
Also, check the previously released YoVille Romantic items here:
New Romantic Bathroom Items
New Romantic Bedroom Items
New Romantic Living Room Items
New Romantic House
New Romantic Clothing
Prices and photos of all new items available after the link.
yoville romantic kitchen items
yoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen itemsyoville romantic kitchen items
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Thứ Sáu, 3 tháng 2, 2012
Virtual Goods Summit panel says indie Facebook games still have a chance
Panelists as Virtual Goods Summit
There is hope yet for you indie enthusiasts out there (no, not the music). During a panel at the Virtual Goods Summit in San Francisco, five small social game studios took stage to dispel some myths and confirm some claims about the industry. Most important of those confirmations was that yes, "It's still possible for an indie developer to launch a successful Facebook title," the panelists unanimously agreed upon.
According to the panelists, innovation is still the primary factor in a successful game and it will propel good games to the forefront (try telling that to Zynga). Frederic Descamps from A Bit Lucky gave mention to the recent game sensation powered by social media, Minecraft. With the help of a plethora of "Look what I made" style YouTube videos, Minecraft has made $5 million in preorders in just three weeks. The game hasn't even reached beta status.
But with Facebook cracking down on game discovery and Groups potentially fragmenting potential fans even further, is this really all independent developers have to bank on? Regardless of how innovative and fresh your new game is, it's going to take some serious marketing savvy--or maybe what viral channels Facebook has left--but more importantly dollars to get the buzz going.
Well, these developers are out there every day making and selling games, so they should know first hand of what's possible. For our enjoyment's sake, let's just hope they're right.
There is hope yet for you indie enthusiasts out there (no, not the music). During a panel at the Virtual Goods Summit in San Francisco, five small social game studios took stage to dispel some myths and confirm some claims about the industry. Most important of those confirmations was that yes, "It's still possible for an indie developer to launch a successful Facebook title," the panelists unanimously agreed upon.
According to the panelists, innovation is still the primary factor in a successful game and it will propel good games to the forefront (try telling that to Zynga). Frederic Descamps from A Bit Lucky gave mention to the recent game sensation powered by social media, Minecraft. With the help of a plethora of "Look what I made" style YouTube videos, Minecraft has made $5 million in preorders in just three weeks. The game hasn't even reached beta status.
But with Facebook cracking down on game discovery and Groups potentially fragmenting potential fans even further, is this really all independent developers have to bank on? Regardless of how innovative and fresh your new game is, it's going to take some serious marketing savvy--or maybe what viral channels Facebook has left--but more importantly dollars to get the buzz going.
Well, these developers are out there every day making and selling games, so they should know first hand of what's possible. For our enjoyment's sake, let's just hope they're right.
FarmVille Boer Goat now giftable for a Limited Time
Thank you to FarmVille player Craig for giving us a heads up on the now giftable Boer Goat! You can gift the Boer Goat from the icon on the top left of your farm or directly from the gifting page!
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Social games to see increase in virtual purchases (again), analysts say
It looks like we're going to be buying many more digital doodads in the future, according to a study conducted by Lazard Capital Markets. Lazard's survey also suggests that time spent in social games will steadily increase if not maintain.
"Specifically, 86 percent of online gamers plan to spend at least as much or more time playing games online this year," Lazard said. "Similarly, 88 percent of social gamers plan to spend as much or more time playing Facebook games this year."
Well, that is a lot of loyal Facebook gamers, but just because social games like FarmVille are immensely popular in the U.S. doesn't necessarily mean players are going to be suddenly inspired to throw their dough at a social game. According Lazard's study, 21 percent of Facebook users--both console and social gamers exclusively--are paying for digital goods somewhere. While this doesn't directly correlate to just digital purchases on Facebook, Lazard claimed, "Nonetheless, from a trend perspective we note that virtual goods consumption is increasing."
The prime question here is, regardless of what the numbers imply, what is it exactly that will improve attitudes towards digital goods enough to change how game content is accessed? It's entirely possible that by as early as the next generation of traditional video games that digital distribution will become the primary method of buying games, which social gaming has surely had an impact on. However, it's uncertain what would make us gamers more comfortable with spending money on intangible items. The regulation of social games' item prices through Facebook Credits might do the trick.
"Specifically, 86 percent of online gamers plan to spend at least as much or more time playing games online this year," Lazard said. "Similarly, 88 percent of social gamers plan to spend as much or more time playing Facebook games this year."
Well, that is a lot of loyal Facebook gamers, but just because social games like FarmVille are immensely popular in the U.S. doesn't necessarily mean players are going to be suddenly inspired to throw their dough at a social game. According Lazard's study, 21 percent of Facebook users--both console and social gamers exclusively--are paying for digital goods somewhere. While this doesn't directly correlate to just digital purchases on Facebook, Lazard claimed, "Nonetheless, from a trend perspective we note that virtual goods consumption is increasing."
The prime question here is, regardless of what the numbers imply, what is it exactly that will improve attitudes towards digital goods enough to change how game content is accessed? It's entirely possible that by as early as the next generation of traditional video games that digital distribution will become the primary method of buying games, which social gaming has surely had an impact on. However, it's uncertain what would make us gamers more comfortable with spending money on intangible items. The regulation of social games' item prices through Facebook Credits might do the trick.
Zynga Giveaway: Win a free FarmVille T-Shirt
We're kicking off the holiday season a little earlier this year by giving away a bunch of free stuff. We have all kinds of cool swag and we aim to give it all away to our readers. Everyone is eligible to get free prizes so continue reading to find out how you can enter to win.
This is just the first in a number of free giveaways, so we thought it best to kick it off with a trendy FarmVille T-Shirt. The shirt is 100 percent cotton and a Men's Small from American Apparel. Displayed across the chest is the FarmVille logo with a wreckless sheep speeding by on an out of control tractor (pictured above).
Continue reading to enter for the free t-shirt.
farmville t shirt
To enter:
Step 1: Go to the Games.com Facebook fanpage (http://www.facebook.com/gamescom).
Step 2: 'Like' the fanpage so you can see Facebook game news, tips, and cheats.
Step 3: Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment on the fanpage, telling us what your most prized FarmVille item is.
(My most prized FarmVille item is my withered Limited Edition Nachos that are no longer available in the market.)
After a few days, we'll randomly select a winner, message them on Facebook for their address, and send them their free prize. Sound easy enough?
Get started by heading to the Games.com fanpage to enter for a free FarmVille T-Shirt.
This is just the first in a number of free giveaways, so we thought it best to kick it off with a trendy FarmVille T-Shirt. The shirt is 100 percent cotton and a Men's Small from American Apparel. Displayed across the chest is the FarmVille logo with a wreckless sheep speeding by on an out of control tractor (pictured above).
Continue reading to enter for the free t-shirt.
farmville t shirt
To enter:
Step 1: Go to the Games.com Facebook fanpage (http://www.facebook.com/gamescom).
Step 2: 'Like' the fanpage so you can see Facebook game news, tips, and cheats.
Step 3: Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment on the fanpage, telling us what your most prized FarmVille item is.
(My most prized FarmVille item is my withered Limited Edition Nachos that are no longer available in the market.)
After a few days, we'll randomly select a winner, message them on Facebook for their address, and send them their free prize. Sound easy enough?
Get started by heading to the Games.com fanpage to enter for a free FarmVille T-Shirt.
Happy Island Halloween Items: Your happily haunted island resort awaits
As the big night draws near, more games are revealing their Halloween item sets and CrowdStar's Happy Island is right on time for the costume party. A new set of attractions and decorations have made their way into the game for varying amounts of coins and Facebook Credits. Some of the new attractions--which are in limited supply--collect as many as 2150 coins regularly and some, like "Freddie's House," make obvious nods at the pantheon of slasher films.
Happy Island Halloween Decorations
Almost every one of the new decorations goes for coins, with one exception being the "BOOOOoooo!!!!" item, which asks for a measly 13 Facebook Credits, or $1.30. All in all, these items aren't too hard on the wallet, costing just coins and $6.30 total, and will surely turn your island into the fright fest it deserves to be this season. Come to think of it, some of the items from the Anime Collection might be fitting for your island on Hallow's Eve as well.
What attraction will you be spooking up the place with this season? What other attractions would you have liked to see?
Happy Island Halloween Decorations
Almost every one of the new decorations goes for coins, with one exception being the "BOOOOoooo!!!!" item, which asks for a measly 13 Facebook Credits, or $1.30. All in all, these items aren't too hard on the wallet, costing just coins and $6.30 total, and will surely turn your island into the fright fest it deserves to be this season. Come to think of it, some of the items from the Anime Collection might be fitting for your island on Hallow's Eve as well.
What attraction will you be spooking up the place with this season? What other attractions would you have liked to see?
Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 2, 2012
Vampire Wars' Imp Familiars: Cool new looks, same old Energy boost
Imps
Zynga's most recent update to Vampire Wars--well, aside from a whole new city to explore--introduces Imp Familiars to go with your Avatar. While they provide the same old Energy boosts Familiars have for, oh, I don't know, forever, these are probably the most badass-looking items to find their way into the game in a long time. The Veined Imp (that just sounds gross) provides 25 Energy for 40 Favor Points. The next two Imps definitely do the name justice when it comes to devilish looks, but provide the same old function. The Horned Imp, a green feathered-winged beast, provides 40 Energy for 60 Favor Points, (which is less than those before) while the avian Beaked Imp grants 55 Energy for 80 Favor Points.
Again, these items are only available for Favor Points and must be purchased in order if you want the Beaked Imp. We find it strange that these Familiars provide even less Energy than the Ghost Familiars yet they cost the same amounts. While this will most definitely put off plenty of folks, if there were any Familiars that I would buy, it would be these little devils. If there were a stat called "Badassery," these would boost that imaginary number by at least over 9,000. Nonetheless, it's up to you to decide on the price tag for looking cool.
Zynga's most recent update to Vampire Wars--well, aside from a whole new city to explore--introduces Imp Familiars to go with your Avatar. While they provide the same old Energy boosts Familiars have for, oh, I don't know, forever, these are probably the most badass-looking items to find their way into the game in a long time. The Veined Imp (that just sounds gross) provides 25 Energy for 40 Favor Points. The next two Imps definitely do the name justice when it comes to devilish looks, but provide the same old function. The Horned Imp, a green feathered-winged beast, provides 40 Energy for 60 Favor Points, (which is less than those before) while the avian Beaked Imp grants 55 Energy for 80 Favor Points.
Again, these items are only available for Favor Points and must be purchased in order if you want the Beaked Imp. We find it strange that these Familiars provide even less Energy than the Ghost Familiars yet they cost the same amounts. While this will most definitely put off plenty of folks, if there were any Familiars that I would buy, it would be these little devils. If there were a stat called "Badassery," these would boost that imaginary number by at least over 9,000. Nonetheless, it's up to you to decide on the price tag for looking cool.
Lunchtime poll: Facebook punishes Ravenwood Fair maker for privacy gaffe - did they go too far?
Just as we were really starting to fall for the Facebook game Ravenwood Fair from LOLApps, we got a rude awakening when we learned we could no longer share items from the game on our Facebook Wall or send gifts to friends. Turns out, Facebook is punishing the social game developer for leaking user information to ad network and other data mining companies.
For six months, you will not be able to post anything from any LOL Apps game on Facebook, essentially turning off all of the things that make these games 'social,' and in some cases, fun to play.
While privacy on the Internet is no joking matter, do you think that Facebook's punishment is too harsh? Or should they have taken the punishment a step further? Sound off in today's lunchtime poll.
Facebook punishes LOLApps for privacy gaffe. Is it fair?
Yes, it's a fair punishmentNot sureNo, they should ban LOL Apps from Facebook foreverNo, it's really affecting my game experience!
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
For six months, you will not be able to post anything from any LOL Apps game on Facebook, essentially turning off all of the things that make these games 'social,' and in some cases, fun to play.
While privacy on the Internet is no joking matter, do you think that Facebook's punishment is too harsh? Or should they have taken the punishment a step further? Sound off in today's lunchtime poll.
Facebook punishes LOLApps for privacy gaffe. Is it fair?
Yes, it's a fair punishmentNot sureNo, they should ban LOL Apps from Facebook foreverNo, it's really affecting my game experience!
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
PetVille releases Betty the Baker and new window set
PetVille Betty Baker
Today, PetVille has released a mini-set of new decorations that they're calling 'essential', but we're not exactly sure if they are. Either way, they're super cute and will make great additions for your pet's home. The first set of items is two separate windows that look out to very peaceful environments. The first is a Sunflower Afternoon Scene, which costs 29 Pet Cash. The second is the Valley Vineyard, which is a grape-filled view of the rolling countryside, also 29 Pet Cash.
In addition to the two windows, there are two new kinds of cellars, which are functionally the same as windows. The Stocked Pantry is chock full of food for your pet, although you can't actually go inside it and eat any of the food. This pantry will cost you 28 Pet Cash. The second new room is the Wine Cellar, which would go perfect with the Valley Vineyard window. This is also 28 Pet Cash.
Finally, there is a new Betty Baker pet (shown above) for 48 Pet Cash. She is animated and spends a lot of time mixing in her little bowl and licking the spoon. All of these items are limited time and are available for just over 6 days.
Today, PetVille has released a mini-set of new decorations that they're calling 'essential', but we're not exactly sure if they are. Either way, they're super cute and will make great additions for your pet's home. The first set of items is two separate windows that look out to very peaceful environments. The first is a Sunflower Afternoon Scene, which costs 29 Pet Cash. The second is the Valley Vineyard, which is a grape-filled view of the rolling countryside, also 29 Pet Cash.
In addition to the two windows, there are two new kinds of cellars, which are functionally the same as windows. The Stocked Pantry is chock full of food for your pet, although you can't actually go inside it and eat any of the food. This pantry will cost you 28 Pet Cash. The second new room is the Wine Cellar, which would go perfect with the Valley Vineyard window. This is also 28 Pet Cash.
Finally, there is a new Betty Baker pet (shown above) for 48 Pet Cash. She is animated and spends a lot of time mixing in her little bowl and licking the spoon. All of these items are limited time and are available for just over 6 days.
Market Street Fan Giveaway: 25,000 free coins!
Market Street free coins
Playdom has just given Market Street fans a huge reward - a free 25,000 coins simply for being a fan and clicking a link on their wall post. The post claimed that the local newspaper just voted our store the best in the city, and because of that they are giving out a huge reward. Market Street players know just how hard it is to collect and earn coins in this game, so 25,000 is an immense help - especially if you're just starting out in the game and learning how to play. We definitely appreciate some extra chump change so we can order some more expensive items and stock our store with better accessories and clothing!
To claim the 25,000 free coins, all you need to do is first install the game if you haven't already, and then click this link. At this point, there is no evidence of an expiration date for this promotion but it could end at any time.
Play Market Street on Facebook >
Playdom has just given Market Street fans a huge reward - a free 25,000 coins simply for being a fan and clicking a link on their wall post. The post claimed that the local newspaper just voted our store the best in the city, and because of that they are giving out a huge reward. Market Street players know just how hard it is to collect and earn coins in this game, so 25,000 is an immense help - especially if you're just starting out in the game and learning how to play. We definitely appreciate some extra chump change so we can order some more expensive items and stock our store with better accessories and clothing!
To claim the 25,000 free coins, all you need to do is first install the game if you haven't already, and then click this link. At this point, there is no evidence of an expiration date for this promotion but it could end at any time.
Play Market Street on Facebook >
Other Games 1 Comment Baking Life Upgradeable Ovens: Everything you need to know
Baking Life has been teasing us for time about their new upgradeable oven feature, and now we finally get to see it in action. This new feature allows players to upgrade each and every one of their ovens three times, unlocking some slick rewards. We have the full details here to help you maximize your baking experience and get the most out of your new oven upgrades in Baking Life. Read on for the guide!
Upgrading your ovens is a multiple step process. Each step requires you to either materials with Facebook Credits or ask for parts from your friends. The first oven upgrade is the Super Oven, which allows you to skip the preparation clicks when you're making your recipes. The second upgrade is the Fancy Oven, which bakes in one click and recipes will bake 5% faster and burn 5% slower. The third and final upgrade for each oven is the Super Fancy Oven, which bakes in one click, recipes bake 10% faster, burn 10% slower, and it will auto-clean after baking. If you've spent much time in Baking Life, you know what a time saver this will all be. So how do you do it?
There are two ways to access the upgrade oven process. The first is by clicking on the little icon at the top of your screen that looks like three tubes filled with different colored liquids. If you click this button, you will see a screen that prompts you to select which oven you would like to upgrade.
Baking Life Oven Upgrades
You can only have one oven going through the upgrade process at a time, so you should be sure to pick the oven that you definitely want to upgrade. Once you click on "select oven" your mouse cursor will change and you can click on one of your ovens to select it. After you do this, you'll see the Oven Upgrade Materials screen which shows you your progress and allows you to ask for or buy the required materials that you'll need.
Baking Life Oven Upgrades
Now you know the drill! Ask for items from friends or buy them outright with Facebook Credits. The biggest difference with this new buildable feature vs. other games is that you actually get a material simply for responding to a friend's request for help. This means that it's possible for you to complete your ovens simply by helping others. Pretty neat isn't it? We think so.
You can then upgrade each one of your ovens in this way, through multiple steps until all of your ovens are at their max. You can tell what stage your oven is at by looking at the little indicators over each oven. This will take a lot of time, so get to it!
Upgrading your ovens is a multiple step process. Each step requires you to either materials with Facebook Credits or ask for parts from your friends. The first oven upgrade is the Super Oven, which allows you to skip the preparation clicks when you're making your recipes. The second upgrade is the Fancy Oven, which bakes in one click and recipes will bake 5% faster and burn 5% slower. The third and final upgrade for each oven is the Super Fancy Oven, which bakes in one click, recipes bake 10% faster, burn 10% slower, and it will auto-clean after baking. If you've spent much time in Baking Life, you know what a time saver this will all be. So how do you do it?
There are two ways to access the upgrade oven process. The first is by clicking on the little icon at the top of your screen that looks like three tubes filled with different colored liquids. If you click this button, you will see a screen that prompts you to select which oven you would like to upgrade.
Baking Life Oven Upgrades
You can only have one oven going through the upgrade process at a time, so you should be sure to pick the oven that you definitely want to upgrade. Once you click on "select oven" your mouse cursor will change and you can click on one of your ovens to select it. After you do this, you'll see the Oven Upgrade Materials screen which shows you your progress and allows you to ask for or buy the required materials that you'll need.
Baking Life Oven Upgrades
Now you know the drill! Ask for items from friends or buy them outright with Facebook Credits. The biggest difference with this new buildable feature vs. other games is that you actually get a material simply for responding to a friend's request for help. This means that it's possible for you to complete your ovens simply by helping others. Pretty neat isn't it? We think so.
You can then upgrade each one of your ovens in this way, through multiple steps until all of your ovens are at their max. You can tell what stage your oven is at by looking at the little indicators over each oven. This will take a lot of time, so get to it!
Thứ Tư, 1 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille Winter Holiday decorations: Snowy Tracks, Holiday Train Set & More
A few days ago, we brought you a sneak peek of some holiday train and snow-covered train track items that would be coming to FarmVille in the near future. We didn't have to wait long for that to become a reality, as in FarmVille's newest update, Zynga has released the full set of Holiday Train and Snowy Track items, allowing you to create a new train set wherever you'd like on your farm. What's more, there are new Winter Holiday decorative items also available to decorate your farm.
All aboard! Meet us behind the break to take a look at these new themed items.
First and foremost, you can now purchase for individual pieces comprising a Holiday Train. Unfortunately, though, you'll need to shell out quite a bit of Farm Cash, along with some coins, to make a complete train on your farm.
The engine is simply called the Holiday Train, and it is available for 20 Farm Cash. You can add more length to your train (as much as you'd like, in fact), by adding individual Holiday Cars to the train for 120,000 coins each. If you'd like your train to look as those it is carrying toys for boys and girls this holiday season, you can add the Holiday Flatbed to the train for 12 Farm Cash. Finally, once you've built your train, you'll need the Holiday Cart to bring up the rear. It can be purchase for 7 Farm Cash.
Of course, you'll want your train to be able to travel, even if only in your imagination, so you can also pick up five different pieces of "Snowy Track," named Snow Track I - V, which are available for either 5,000 coins each. An additional Snowy Crossing will allow your avatar and in-game vehicles to cross the tracks safely for 8,000 coins.
Aside from the train set, two other Winter Holiday decorations have been added to the game, with these items coming in the form of a Winter Carriage and a Santa Gnome. Both are premium items, setting you back 20 and 18 Farm Cash, respectively.
All of the above items will be available in the game for the next 26 days, giving you plenty of time to thoughtfully construct as elaborate a railroad system as you'd like on your farm, and still have time to enjoy looking at it once it's completed, but before the Holidays are over.
All aboard! Meet us behind the break to take a look at these new themed items.
First and foremost, you can now purchase for individual pieces comprising a Holiday Train. Unfortunately, though, you'll need to shell out quite a bit of Farm Cash, along with some coins, to make a complete train on your farm.
The engine is simply called the Holiday Train, and it is available for 20 Farm Cash. You can add more length to your train (as much as you'd like, in fact), by adding individual Holiday Cars to the train for 120,000 coins each. If you'd like your train to look as those it is carrying toys for boys and girls this holiday season, you can add the Holiday Flatbed to the train for 12 Farm Cash. Finally, once you've built your train, you'll need the Holiday Cart to bring up the rear. It can be purchase for 7 Farm Cash.
Of course, you'll want your train to be able to travel, even if only in your imagination, so you can also pick up five different pieces of "Snowy Track," named Snow Track I - V, which are available for either 5,000 coins each. An additional Snowy Crossing will allow your avatar and in-game vehicles to cross the tracks safely for 8,000 coins.
Aside from the train set, two other Winter Holiday decorations have been added to the game, with these items coming in the form of a Winter Carriage and a Santa Gnome. Both are premium items, setting you back 20 and 18 Farm Cash, respectively.
All of the above items will be available in the game for the next 26 days, giving you plenty of time to thoughtfully construct as elaborate a railroad system as you'd like on your farm, and still have time to enjoy looking at it once it's completed, but before the Holidays are over.
FarmVille 28 x 28 Farm Estate Land Expansion is now available
Last week, we brought you a sneak peek of an image advertising an unreleased 28x28 land expansion in FarmVille. Who would have thought that less than a week later the expansion would actually be live in the game, but that's what has indeed happened.
Farmers who have simply run out of room on their 26x26 Grand Plantations can now upgrade to the 28x28n Farm Estate. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the ability to purchase this expansion with coins is unavailable, but if you don't want to wait (or save up the coins for what's sure to be a massive price tag - after all, the Grand Plantation cost 2 million coins), you can purchase the Farm Estate expansion right now for 120 Farm Cash, a full 40 Farm Cash more than the last expansion.
To be clear, the coin option for the Farm Estate is simply unavailable right now. This isn't a case of needing to be a certain level, or needing to add a certain amount of neighbors - Zynga has simply not activated the coin option yet (when you hover over it, you see a "Coming Soon" bubble). We'll be sure to let you know when they do.
Farmers who have simply run out of room on their 26x26 Grand Plantations can now upgrade to the 28x28n Farm Estate. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the ability to purchase this expansion with coins is unavailable, but if you don't want to wait (or save up the coins for what's sure to be a massive price tag - after all, the Grand Plantation cost 2 million coins), you can purchase the Farm Estate expansion right now for 120 Farm Cash, a full 40 Farm Cash more than the last expansion.
To be clear, the coin option for the Farm Estate is simply unavailable right now. This isn't a case of needing to be a certain level, or needing to add a certain amount of neighbors - Zynga has simply not activated the coin option yet (when you hover over it, you see a "Coming Soon" bubble). We'll be sure to let you know when they do.
Hotel City hosts huge 25% off sale for 48 hours
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are definitely the time for sales, and if you're a Facebook gamer who doesn't mind spending money in games, you can get a great deal around this time of year. Today, Playfish has kicked off a 48 hour sale that gives great discounts on your favorite Playfish Cash items in Hotel City.
For the next 44+ hours, all Playfish Cash items in Hotel City will be 25% off. This means items, rooms, and everything else in the store. Regardless of what you want in the store, you'll see the old price crossed off, and a new discounted price shown instead. This appears to be a Cyber Monday-inspired sale, although it's continuing throughout tomorrow as well so you'll have a bit of extra time to spend your cash.
Perhaps you want to check out the new sweet candy themed rooms and decorations? Or maybe you'd like to buy the Vegas casino items to go with your free Casino room? The choice is yours, but as long as you purchase within the next 44 hours or so, you'll get a sweet 25% discount.
For the next 44+ hours, all Playfish Cash items in Hotel City will be 25% off. This means items, rooms, and everything else in the store. Regardless of what you want in the store, you'll see the old price crossed off, and a new discounted price shown instead. This appears to be a Cyber Monday-inspired sale, although it's continuing throughout tomorrow as well so you'll have a bit of extra time to spend your cash.
Perhaps you want to check out the new sweet candy themed rooms and decorations? Or maybe you'd like to buy the Vegas casino items to go with your free Casino room? The choice is yours, but as long as you purchase within the next 44 hours or so, you'll get a sweet 25% discount.
Happy Birthday PetVille: Zynga's pet game turns one
PetVille First Birthday
PetVille is showing its longevity, being one of the first pet-themed games to hit the Facebook scene in 2009. On Friday, December 3rd, it's PetVille's first birthday and Zynga has invited players to come celebrate on that day.
We have absolutely no idea what to expect for the cute game's first anniversary. Could it be free Pet Cash simply for logging in? Maybe there will be balloons and new birthday items available to buy in the store? A new minigame, or a new theme? We really have no idea and PetVille sure haven't divulged much in the way of dirty details. All we know is that you can celebrate by logging into PetVille this Friday, and that you "won't want to miss out". This could mean a lot.
PetVille is showing its longevity, being one of the first pet-themed games to hit the Facebook scene in 2009. On Friday, December 3rd, it's PetVille's first birthday and Zynga has invited players to come celebrate on that day.
We have absolutely no idea what to expect for the cute game's first anniversary. Could it be free Pet Cash simply for logging in? Maybe there will be balloons and new birthday items available to buy in the store? A new minigame, or a new theme? We really have no idea and PetVille sure haven't divulged much in the way of dirty details. All we know is that you can celebrate by logging into PetVille this Friday, and that you "won't want to miss out". This could mean a lot.
FarmVille: Gift box capacity increasing to 500
Good news for you farmers with a packed gift box - more space is coming soon! An increased FarmVille gift box capacity is slowly rolling its way out to all FarmVille players, and many of you might already see this feature released in your game. Previously, the highest capacity for gifts was only 200, so this is a huge upgrade that more than doubles your available space for gift storage.
This increased space probably has its ups and downs. First, it means that you'll have more pages of gifts, and we all know that paging through gifts to find the one you want is already a little bit of a pain. It could also mean that whatever FarmVille has up its sleeve for this holiday season means sending and receiving a lot of gifts. That could be a good or a bad thing, but it is the season for gifting after all. This is a pretty great holiday present from Zynga, and we're definitely not going to complain about the extra space!
This increased space probably has its ups and downs. First, it means that you'll have more pages of gifts, and we all know that paging through gifts to find the one you want is already a little bit of a pain. It could also mean that whatever FarmVille has up its sleeve for this holiday season means sending and receiving a lot of gifts. That could be a good or a bad thing, but it is the season for gifting after all. This is a pretty great holiday present from Zynga, and we're definitely not going to complain about the extra space!
Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 1, 2012
Mafia Wars Cafe World Doctored Invoices: Everything you need to know
Mafia Wars Doctored Invoices
If you haven't noticed already while grabbing Beaver Pelts in FrontierVille for free Mafia Wars items, Zynga is also holding a similar cross promotion with Cafe World. Just like before, all you need to do in Mafia Wars is access your Properties page while in New York and choose any production Property. That means your Armory, Chop Shop, Weapons Depot and even Private Zoo have limited edition items with permanent stat increases just waiting to be built.
Steel Apron
However, only an item from the kitchens of Cafe World can be used to create these powerful items, the Doctored Invoice. So, go ahead and click on "Get Part" to throw on the apron and get started on finding those Invoices.
Join us behind the break to find out how to get Doctored Invoices from Cafe World.
Triple Berry Cheesecake
After clicking on "Get Part" you'll be sent to Head Chef Amelia who is wearing a decidedly darker cap and apron. What you need to do to get that Doctored Invoice is actually quite simple. Bake and serve five Triple Berry Cheesecakes. Unfortunately, these take a whopping 12 hours to finish baking. We'd recommend setting an alarm and going off to enjoy your Christmas, because this is going to take a while. (Editor's Note: While Amelia will greet you with your task upon logging into the game via Mafia Wars, there is no way to track your progress along the way such as FrontierVille's Goal icons and checklist. Thanks for the tip, Esol!)
After serving the final Triple Berry Cheesecake, you should receive a pop-up window prompting you to claim your reward back in Mafia Wars. Once back in the game, return to either the Property you entered Cafe World from or one of your choice. Now that you have in the Doctored Invoice, those "Get Part" buttons should be replaced with "Build." Click on that and the item is yours. For all four items that require Doctored Invoices, just rinse and repeat these steps. In fact, you could bake all four Triple Berry Cheesecakes at once and redeem each Doctored Invoice within minutes of each other to a whole lot of time. Take a look at the rest of the powerful items below:
Meat Truck
Flambe Torch
Giant Octopus
You'll quickly notice that all four items have the same exact statistics, except for those permanent stat increases. While these are all fairly impressive defensive items to begin with, it's those permanent boosts that will send the stat-mongers and new players looking for a leg up flocking.
If you haven't noticed already while grabbing Beaver Pelts in FrontierVille for free Mafia Wars items, Zynga is also holding a similar cross promotion with Cafe World. Just like before, all you need to do in Mafia Wars is access your Properties page while in New York and choose any production Property. That means your Armory, Chop Shop, Weapons Depot and even Private Zoo have limited edition items with permanent stat increases just waiting to be built.
Steel Apron
However, only an item from the kitchens of Cafe World can be used to create these powerful items, the Doctored Invoice. So, go ahead and click on "Get Part" to throw on the apron and get started on finding those Invoices.
Join us behind the break to find out how to get Doctored Invoices from Cafe World.
Triple Berry Cheesecake
After clicking on "Get Part" you'll be sent to Head Chef Amelia who is wearing a decidedly darker cap and apron. What you need to do to get that Doctored Invoice is actually quite simple. Bake and serve five Triple Berry Cheesecakes. Unfortunately, these take a whopping 12 hours to finish baking. We'd recommend setting an alarm and going off to enjoy your Christmas, because this is going to take a while. (Editor's Note: While Amelia will greet you with your task upon logging into the game via Mafia Wars, there is no way to track your progress along the way such as FrontierVille's Goal icons and checklist. Thanks for the tip, Esol!)
After serving the final Triple Berry Cheesecake, you should receive a pop-up window prompting you to claim your reward back in Mafia Wars. Once back in the game, return to either the Property you entered Cafe World from or one of your choice. Now that you have in the Doctored Invoice, those "Get Part" buttons should be replaced with "Build." Click on that and the item is yours. For all four items that require Doctored Invoices, just rinse and repeat these steps. In fact, you could bake all four Triple Berry Cheesecakes at once and redeem each Doctored Invoice within minutes of each other to a whole lot of time. Take a look at the rest of the powerful items below:
Meat Truck
Flambe Torch
Giant Octopus
You'll quickly notice that all four items have the same exact statistics, except for those permanent stat increases. While these are all fairly impressive defensive items to begin with, it's those permanent boosts that will send the stat-mongers and new players looking for a leg up flocking.
CityVille: Start unwrapping your Holiday Presents now!
UPDATE: It seems as though things aren't as user friendly with this event as we first believed. At the time of this post's original writing, present counters weren't being reset when presents were being opened, but some users have reported losing Holiday Present progress more recently. If you've yet to complete your Holiday Tree - open presents at your own risk!
Happy holidays readers! I hope you've been collecting a lot of Holiday Presents in CityVille, because if you have, you'll now be greeted with a very special treat - the ability to actual open those presents and find out what's inside! Similar to the first Holiday celebration in FarmVille (last year), each and every individual gift that you've received from friends can be opened.
To open these presents, all you'll need to do is click on your Holiday Tree in your town, no matter how far along you are in building it. To be clear, you'll need to click on the Holiday Tree each time you'd like to unwrap an individual present. That present will disappear from your tally in your inventory, as it has been "opened," but your progress in the Holiday Tree quests will stay the same. No need to worry about losing progress as you open presents - the total amount of presents that you had before you started opening gifts is where you will stay (thankfully).
Each gift can come with a different prize, or you can wind up with duplicates. While we work on accumulating a complete list of the available presents, here are some of the items that we've received inside:
50 coins
Plastic Snowman
Plastic Penguin
Individual square of Chocolate Sidewalk (in our experience, this is the most common decoration awarded)
Panda Ice Sculpture
1 XP
25 Goods
Hanging Flower
+1 or +2 Energy Refill
Red Holiday Tree
Well
Moose
Lion Ice Sculpture
CityVille Plastic Snowman
As you open presents, items like the coins, experience points, goods and energy can be clicked on as normal bonus objects, and they will be automatically added to their respective totals. All decorative items will go into your inventory, where they can be used as decorative items around your town.
Depending on how many gifts you've received, you will likely end up with a ton of duplicates. However, for a free item, the chance of receiving free Goods makes opening each present individual worth the trouble, at least in my opinion.
Update: Of course, after you've opened all 10 presents, you get the following "special message" from Zynga...
CityVille Holiday Tree Special Message from Zynga
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Happy holidays readers! I hope you've been collecting a lot of Holiday Presents in CityVille, because if you have, you'll now be greeted with a very special treat - the ability to actual open those presents and find out what's inside! Similar to the first Holiday celebration in FarmVille (last year), each and every individual gift that you've received from friends can be opened.
To open these presents, all you'll need to do is click on your Holiday Tree in your town, no matter how far along you are in building it. To be clear, you'll need to click on the Holiday Tree each time you'd like to unwrap an individual present. That present will disappear from your tally in your inventory, as it has been "opened," but your progress in the Holiday Tree quests will stay the same. No need to worry about losing progress as you open presents - the total amount of presents that you had before you started opening gifts is where you will stay (thankfully).
Each gift can come with a different prize, or you can wind up with duplicates. While we work on accumulating a complete list of the available presents, here are some of the items that we've received inside:
50 coins
Plastic Snowman
Plastic Penguin
Individual square of Chocolate Sidewalk (in our experience, this is the most common decoration awarded)
Panda Ice Sculpture
1 XP
25 Goods
Hanging Flower
+1 or +2 Energy Refill
Red Holiday Tree
Well
Moose
Lion Ice Sculpture
CityVille Plastic Snowman
As you open presents, items like the coins, experience points, goods and energy can be clicked on as normal bonus objects, and they will be automatically added to their respective totals. All decorative items will go into your inventory, where they can be used as decorative items around your town.
Depending on how many gifts you've received, you will likely end up with a ton of duplicates. However, for a free item, the chance of receiving free Goods makes opening each present individual worth the trouble, at least in my opinion.
Update: Of course, after you've opened all 10 presents, you get the following "special message" from Zynga...
CityVille Holiday Tree Special Message from Zynga
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
FrontierVille: Gingerbread House cross-promo links
Are you building your Gingerbread House in FrontierVille, but are having difficulty accessing Treasure Isle, Mafia Wars, and CityVille through the in-game links in the Gingerbread House menu? You're not alone, as even the team here has had issues activating the exclusive FrontierVille missions in these three games - those missions that must be completed, as you'll recall, to complete the construction of the Gingerbread House in FrontierVille proper.
For a few moments, the links within the game will work, but then they will mysteriously, and randomly stop functioning, turning into a broken link that will lead you to an equally broken page when clicked. These links will work for a few minutes, or even a matter of hours, before breaking again (we've only gotten them to work twice in as many days), so to solve the issue for everyone, Zynga has released a set of universal links that all players can click on in order to activate the FrontierVille missions in CityVille, Treasure Isle, and Mafia Wars.
Here are the links, for your clicking pleasure:
CityVille Cross Promotion
Treasure Isle Cross Promotion
Mafia Wars Cross Promotion
And there you have it! A surefire way to skip the annoying in-game glitches found with this event, until Zynga can permanently fix them. Considering as its the holidays, we doubt they'll be in any hurry to do so, so use these links for now just to be safe.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
For a few moments, the links within the game will work, but then they will mysteriously, and randomly stop functioning, turning into a broken link that will lead you to an equally broken page when clicked. These links will work for a few minutes, or even a matter of hours, before breaking again (we've only gotten them to work twice in as many days), so to solve the issue for everyone, Zynga has released a set of universal links that all players can click on in order to activate the FrontierVille missions in CityVille, Treasure Isle, and Mafia Wars.
Here are the links, for your clicking pleasure:
CityVille Cross Promotion
Treasure Isle Cross Promotion
Mafia Wars Cross Promotion
And there you have it! A surefire way to skip the annoying in-game glitches found with this event, until Zynga can permanently fix them. Considering as its the holidays, we doubt they'll be in any hurry to do so, so use these links for now just to be safe.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Cafe World: Daily Holiday Tree presents now available
If you've taken the time to build your Holiday Tree in Cafe World, remember that starting today, you can receive your free daily gift from Zynga. That's right, the developer itself is giving away these prizes, as a than you to users for their dedication over the past year. These gifts will be available until the first week of January, and can come in all forms, shapes, or sizes. Today's free gift, for instance, is a single free Cafe Cash.
Sure, 1 Cafe Cash may not be that great of a prize, but it's free, so we really can't complain. All you have to do to earn your free gifts is to log into the game once per day and then click on your Holiday Tree to receive that day's prize. If you don't receive a prize on subsequent days, but know that you should, we'd suggest waiting until it has been a full 24 hours before trying to collect your next prize, just to be safe.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Sure, 1 Cafe Cash may not be that great of a prize, but it's free, so we really can't complain. All you have to do to earn your free gifts is to log into the game once per day and then click on your Holiday Tree to receive that day's prize. If you don't receive a prize on subsequent days, but know that you should, we'd suggest waiting until it has been a full 24 hours before trying to collect your next prize, just to be safe.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
PlayFirst offering $2.99 "Dash" games in Holiday Sale - last minute gift shopping go!
While Facebook games are a fantastic way to spend some time each day, playing with friends, sometimes you may want to get in a little casual gaming by your lonesome. For those that fall into this category, PlayFirst (the developer made famous for its many "Dash" game series) is offering a fantastic sale on said Dash time-management games, just in time for some last-minute holiday shopping.
Looking for a quick virtual stocking stuffer, or simple (yet addictive, and fun) last-minute gift idea? PlayFirst has five different games on sale, all for the low, low price of $2.99. The games are:
Doggie Dash
Diaper Dash
Dairy Dash
Fitness Dash
Parking Dash
While there aren't any Diner or Wedding Dash games included in this sale, if you're looking for a new, or at least unique spin on the now classic time-management gameplay ideology, you'll want to check these games out for sure. What's more - each game is available to download on both Windows PC or Mac, so all of your friends and family can be accounted for when purchasing these games as quick gifts. Just use the code DASHPAC at checkout to make sure you receive your game for the discounted price.
With most stores now closed for the holidays, your chances for picking up Christmas gifts is now virtually gone, and at least by taking advantage of this deal, any wait for shipping is nonexistent! It doesn't get much better than that, if you as me.
Looking for a quick virtual stocking stuffer, or simple (yet addictive, and fun) last-minute gift idea? PlayFirst has five different games on sale, all for the low, low price of $2.99. The games are:
Doggie Dash
Diaper Dash
Dairy Dash
Fitness Dash
Parking Dash
While there aren't any Diner or Wedding Dash games included in this sale, if you're looking for a new, or at least unique spin on the now classic time-management gameplay ideology, you'll want to check these games out for sure. What's more - each game is available to download on both Windows PC or Mac, so all of your friends and family can be accounted for when purchasing these games as quick gifts. Just use the code DASHPAC at checkout to make sure you receive your game for the discounted price.
With most stores now closed for the holidays, your chances for picking up Christmas gifts is now virtually gone, and at least by taking advantage of this deal, any wait for shipping is nonexistent! It doesn't get much better than that, if you as me.
Thứ Tư, 11 tháng 1, 2012
Yet another Social Games Portal Emerges: Friendster is back
Friendster, like the phoenix has thousands of times before, has risen again renewed, refreshed and predictably re-branded. TechCrunch reports that the failed social network, after it shut its doors less than a month ago, has reopened for business as a social games portal. (Another one, seriously?)
And here's the clincher, the website features Facebook Connect, just like owner MOL Global promised. We'll let that one sink in for a minute. The new-and-improved Friendster already offers a litany of social games, some of which are already being enjoyed by thousands of players as of this writing.
To sign up either traditionally or with Facebook, users must create a name and persona for their Avatar. Then, they're free to play any games they wish, like Battlestations (pictured below).
However, Facebook Connect with Friendster doesn't go far beyond simply inviting friends to play games. These games aren't using the features that Facebook provides like posting to News Feeds, sharing and gifting. (However, whenever you start playing a new game, a Facebook News Feed post is created.)
Battlestations on Friendster
With Facebook on the verge of establishing its Facebook Credits platform, and Google revealing that its games effort is real, it's unsure whether Friendster can fit in the social gaming pool without some overflow. And that's especially considering the myriad of other social games services on the horizon from DeNA's Mobage mobile network to Hi5 and TeePee Games. Let's just say Friendster, even with help for developers, is surrounded by even more sharks in this pool.
And here's the clincher, the website features Facebook Connect, just like owner MOL Global promised. We'll let that one sink in for a minute. The new-and-improved Friendster already offers a litany of social games, some of which are already being enjoyed by thousands of players as of this writing.
To sign up either traditionally or with Facebook, users must create a name and persona for their Avatar. Then, they're free to play any games they wish, like Battlestations (pictured below).
However, Facebook Connect with Friendster doesn't go far beyond simply inviting friends to play games. These games aren't using the features that Facebook provides like posting to News Feeds, sharing and gifting. (However, whenever you start playing a new game, a Facebook News Feed post is created.)
Battlestations on Friendster
With Facebook on the verge of establishing its Facebook Credits platform, and Google revealing that its games effort is real, it's unsure whether Friendster can fit in the social gaming pool without some overflow. And that's especially considering the myriad of other social games services on the horizon from DeNA's Mobage mobile network to Hi5 and TeePee Games. Let's just say Friendster, even with help for developers, is surrounded by even more sharks in this pool.
Whoops! Zynga IPO is tomorrow, didn't you get the memo?
No, Zynga, we didn't get the memo. And thanks for telling us now after we got all pretty for nothing. Reuters reports that the Zynga IPO has been moved from its expected date of ... today until Thursday, citing an unnamed source. Well, at least tomorrow we'll get to see whether the FarmVille creator becomes the most valuable game company in the world. (Our bets are on "Is the sky blue?") Tomorrow, the mammoth game developer is expected to seek out another $1 to $2 billion in a funding round lead by investment firm Goldman Sachs, and a reveal a valuation between $15 and $20 billion. Zynga is also expected to erect a new Death Star to celebrate--grab the popcorn.
Live Gamer will provide Civilization World analytics support (that's a lot of data)
Seriously, we don't even want to look at those data logs--our brains might fry. VentureBeat reports that Firaxis and 2K Games have enlisted New York-based Live Gamer to handle the Civilization World's analytics data and Facebook Credit payment support.
This news is convenient for 2K Games considering Facebook Credits are about to become the official currency for all things Facebook commerce including games. But even more interesting is what this news implies: CivWorld is going to be massive.
Seriously, the publisher went and hired a company dedicated entirely to monitoring its first Facebook game (and its payments)--and that's everything from clicks to time spent to behavior patterns.
And in a game as visibly deep and intricate as CivWorld, that's going to produce a metric ton of data. Don't get too freaked out about this potential Big Brother scenario, because developers use this information to improve the game as it grows.
Civilization World in action
And better yet, New York-based Live Gamer will handle CivWorld's Facebook Credits payment system entirely, leaving the Firaxis and 2K Games teams to focus solely on improving the game. Well, at least in theory. And all the cool kids are doing it--EA and THQ use Live Gamer to monitor their social games' analytics, according to VentureBeat. CivWorld is in the middle of its closed beta test, and is expected to launch ... sometime soon, we hope.
This news is convenient for 2K Games considering Facebook Credits are about to become the official currency for all things Facebook commerce including games. But even more interesting is what this news implies: CivWorld is going to be massive.
Seriously, the publisher went and hired a company dedicated entirely to monitoring its first Facebook game (and its payments)--and that's everything from clicks to time spent to behavior patterns.
And in a game as visibly deep and intricate as CivWorld, that's going to produce a metric ton of data. Don't get too freaked out about this potential Big Brother scenario, because developers use this information to improve the game as it grows.
Civilization World in action
And better yet, New York-based Live Gamer will handle CivWorld's Facebook Credits payment system entirely, leaving the Firaxis and 2K Games teams to focus solely on improving the game. Well, at least in theory. And all the cool kids are doing it--EA and THQ use Live Gamer to monitor their social games' analytics, according to VentureBeat. CivWorld is in the middle of its closed beta test, and is expected to launch ... sometime soon, we hope.
Halo creator Bungie sets its sights on Facebook, mobile games (and making piles of cash)
It almost goes without saying, but it's almost stupid to not consider mobile and social these days as a game developer. So--surprise--another game creator has entered the mobile/social space, the creators of the Halo franchise, Bungie. The ex-Microsoft developer revealed to Develop today in an interview that its Bungie Aerospace publishing division will focus solely on independent mobile and social game projects.
Its first game is called Crimson (pictured), the same as its previously revealed mobile tech for cross-platform games, and it looks like it will launch on iPad by the looks of its website. Still, no details have been revealed about the game other than Harebrained Schemes, a mobile games developer, is working on it.
During his interview with Develop, Bungie COO Pete Parsons revealed that it's about time Bungie uses its expertise as a developer to enter the publishing realm, but also joked, "Well, it's like every other developer publisher relationship where the developer does the work and the publisher takes the credit and the money... I'm kidding of course."
Parsons went on to say that he sees Bungie's deal with Harebrained Schemes as a partnership rather than a publishing deal. But more importantly, Parsons alluded to a network that will exist across all Bungie games and all the platforms it develops (and publishes) on. It's designed to track analytics for all of its games, provide united leader board services and to be deployed through both Facebook and Apple's Game Center. (So, Bungie is lookin' at Facebook, eh?)
Check out the full interview here, where the Parsons and Harebrained Schemes head Jordan Weisman go into detail regarding the risks, rewards and intrigue of mobile/social game development. We'll be here, waiting for the imminent Halo Facebook game--make our dream a reality, guys?
Its first game is called Crimson (pictured), the same as its previously revealed mobile tech for cross-platform games, and it looks like it will launch on iPad by the looks of its website. Still, no details have been revealed about the game other than Harebrained Schemes, a mobile games developer, is working on it.
During his interview with Develop, Bungie COO Pete Parsons revealed that it's about time Bungie uses its expertise as a developer to enter the publishing realm, but also joked, "Well, it's like every other developer publisher relationship where the developer does the work and the publisher takes the credit and the money... I'm kidding of course."
Parsons went on to say that he sees Bungie's deal with Harebrained Schemes as a partnership rather than a publishing deal. But more importantly, Parsons alluded to a network that will exist across all Bungie games and all the platforms it develops (and publishes) on. It's designed to track analytics for all of its games, provide united leader board services and to be deployed through both Facebook and Apple's Game Center. (So, Bungie is lookin' at Facebook, eh?)
Check out the full interview here, where the Parsons and Harebrained Schemes head Jordan Weisman go into detail regarding the risks, rewards and intrigue of mobile/social game development. We'll be here, waiting for the imminent Halo Facebook game--make our dream a reality, guys?
Social game creators gaga for Google Plus already (is Facebook that bad?)
Apparently so, considering several heads of major social game studios are already interested in what Google Plus can do for their games, Gamasutra reports. Google's next answer to Facebook just launched its invite-only closed beta tests of the Plus service, and the monolithic search and web apps company has yet to make a peep about how Google Games is to fit in all this. Though, we're sure it will now (somehow) that developers are going gaga for Google Plus mere days after its release.
What's most interesting to developers like Kabam and publishers like RockYou is the Circles feature in Google Plus. Circles are customized groups for friends to share information that are tailored toward specific interests.It does have the potential for games shared through it to go viral throughout connected Circles, but again we don't even know how games fit in this equation.
While Kabam Ceo Kevin Chou is visibly cautious, he said, "In terms of whether or not the platform can eventually be a great place for games -- and specifically for Kabam... -- I think it's certainly something we're heavily evaluating, should we decide to go head in that direction."
However, publishers like RockYou have an insider view on Google's game(s) plan, and have already hinted that RockYou will work with Google on future game projects. RockYou SVP Jonathan Knight said to Gamasutra, "People who play games on social networks typically have groups of people they play games with, who don't necessarily overlap with 'true' friends they see socially."
But, Facebook has been doing that for months now, no? While I'm admittedly skeptical of Google Plus (I am not in the beta currently) based on its work with Buzz and that "+1" button, this could certainly work if stretched over the Chrome Web Store, the Android Market and anywhere else games are sold through Google.
However, it's interesting that developers are so interested in another platform just as Facebook prepares to drop an Iron Curtain around its social game ecosystem, reportedly controlling developers' pricing on other platforms so as to keep them inside. Perhaps developers are right to run away, but who is to say Google would never impose the same restrictions? Now with Google Plus as its secret weapon, we'll be watching Google Games rather closely.
What's most interesting to developers like Kabam and publishers like RockYou is the Circles feature in Google Plus. Circles are customized groups for friends to share information that are tailored toward specific interests.It does have the potential for games shared through it to go viral throughout connected Circles, but again we don't even know how games fit in this equation.
While Kabam Ceo Kevin Chou is visibly cautious, he said, "In terms of whether or not the platform can eventually be a great place for games -- and specifically for Kabam... -- I think it's certainly something we're heavily evaluating, should we decide to go head in that direction."
However, publishers like RockYou have an insider view on Google's game(s) plan, and have already hinted that RockYou will work with Google on future game projects. RockYou SVP Jonathan Knight said to Gamasutra, "People who play games on social networks typically have groups of people they play games with, who don't necessarily overlap with 'true' friends they see socially."
But, Facebook has been doing that for months now, no? While I'm admittedly skeptical of Google Plus (I am not in the beta currently) based on its work with Buzz and that "+1" button, this could certainly work if stretched over the Chrome Web Store, the Android Market and anywhere else games are sold through Google.
However, it's interesting that developers are so interested in another platform just as Facebook prepares to drop an Iron Curtain around its social game ecosystem, reportedly controlling developers' pricing on other platforms so as to keep them inside. Perhaps developers are right to run away, but who is to say Google would never impose the same restrictions? Now with Google Plus as its secret weapon, we'll be watching Google Games rather closely.
Thứ Ba, 10 tháng 1, 2012
Sony Extreme Makeover: PlayStation Home Edition: Home gets social
Sony might want to consider this golden marketing opportunity for its new-and-improved PlayStation Home. The virtual world hub that exists in the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network will soon become a hub for social games, VentureBeat reports.
Since its launch in 2008, the service boasts a healthy 23 million users. But virtual worlds aren't exactly in right now, and director of PlayStation Home Jack Buser thinks it's time to adapt with a heavier focus on--what else--the games.
"We are going to 'up level' games as the heart of PlayStation Home," Buser told VentureBeat. "This means that Home itself is going to become a game. The first things you see when you get into Home are games."
This new version of Home, said to release this fall, will include large-scale group play games in addition to the avatar features it already offers. However, Home will also serve as a meta game, according to VentureBeat, that will track points earned from in-game achievements.
The "social" part--which we imagine won't reach past Home users--seems to come in when Home will ask players to team up for group objectives within games. And while all games will be accessible from the Home hub, the service will also have areas that are thematic with different genres.
PlayStation Home revision
For instance, users will find all of the action games in a territory known as the Action District that looks like something out of Grand Theft Auto, while arcade and carnival-style games will be found in a waterfront boardwalk area called Pier Park. While according to VentureBeat, Home already houses 230 games, this update will make those (and new) games the number one emphasis. Sony's certainly playing it smart to keep Home relevant in the age of Facebook games, but Home on the upcoming PS Vita could certainly seal the deal for many on the fence about the handheld--fingers crossed!
Since its launch in 2008, the service boasts a healthy 23 million users. But virtual worlds aren't exactly in right now, and director of PlayStation Home Jack Buser thinks it's time to adapt with a heavier focus on--what else--the games.
"We are going to 'up level' games as the heart of PlayStation Home," Buser told VentureBeat. "This means that Home itself is going to become a game. The first things you see when you get into Home are games."
This new version of Home, said to release this fall, will include large-scale group play games in addition to the avatar features it already offers. However, Home will also serve as a meta game, according to VentureBeat, that will track points earned from in-game achievements.
The "social" part--which we imagine won't reach past Home users--seems to come in when Home will ask players to team up for group objectives within games. And while all games will be accessible from the Home hub, the service will also have areas that are thematic with different genres.
PlayStation Home revision
For instance, users will find all of the action games in a territory known as the Action District that looks like something out of Grand Theft Auto, while arcade and carnival-style games will be found in a waterfront boardwalk area called Pier Park. While according to VentureBeat, Home already houses 230 games, this update will make those (and new) games the number one emphasis. Sony's certainly playing it smart to keep Home relevant in the age of Facebook games, but Home on the upcoming PS Vita could certainly seal the deal for many on the fence about the handheld--fingers crossed!
A Nintendo 3DS revamp is in the works with ... less 3D? [Rumor]
First, Nintendo cuts the price of its new handheld nearly in half. Now, the company is reportedly looking to cut the thing that makes its 3DS unique ... the 3D. French gaming news website 01Net reports, citing insider sources, that the Big N is working on an overhaul to the 3DS that "radically tones down" the system's 3D capabilities, according to Eurogamer. Like all reports citing anonymous sources, this news deserves a certain amount of skepticism, though Eurogamer points out 01Net's track record.
According to Eurogamer, 01Net broke the news of Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PS Vita hardware specifications before either console was even announced. The French website also reports that the company is regretful that it never added a second analog joystick to the 3DS, and that it will soon release a detachable one for about $10. Furthermore, Nintendo has reportedly asked a number of developers to work on games to make use of the upcoming peripheral.
The 01Net report goes on to say that this new version of the 3DS will release sometime in 2012, and could dramatically rebrand the handheld console entirely. According to the report, the recent $80 price cut made by Nintendo was not only in response to poor sales, but to clear stock of the original 3DS to make way for this new model.
However, we're not 100 percent sure 3D is what held the Nintendo 3DS back from being the absolute hit its predecessor was. For one, the system launched with little support from Nintendo staples like Mario and Link much less other games. Second, Nintendo has yet to introduce an online gaming network as robust as those you'll find even in modern day smartphones.
The price drop might turn out to be a brilliant move for Nintendo moving forward, but a complete rebranding sounds too rash of a decision for a company like Nintendo.
According to Eurogamer, 01Net broke the news of Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PS Vita hardware specifications before either console was even announced. The French website also reports that the company is regretful that it never added a second analog joystick to the 3DS, and that it will soon release a detachable one for about $10. Furthermore, Nintendo has reportedly asked a number of developers to work on games to make use of the upcoming peripheral.
The 01Net report goes on to say that this new version of the 3DS will release sometime in 2012, and could dramatically rebrand the handheld console entirely. According to the report, the recent $80 price cut made by Nintendo was not only in response to poor sales, but to clear stock of the original 3DS to make way for this new model.
However, we're not 100 percent sure 3D is what held the Nintendo 3DS back from being the absolute hit its predecessor was. For one, the system launched with little support from Nintendo staples like Mario and Link much less other games. Second, Nintendo has yet to introduce an online gaming network as robust as those you'll find even in modern day smartphones.
The price drop might turn out to be a brilliant move for Nintendo moving forward, but a complete rebranding sounds too rash of a decision for a company like Nintendo.
Infographic: Almost 60 percent of social gamers play with their friends
And the other 40 percent play with complete strangers. Alright, that's not true, but any update on the FarmVille fan page says otherwise. According to an infographic thrown together by Rounds, a Facebook video chat app, and research firm Column Five Media, nearly 60 percent of North American social gamers play with their friends. From there, just 33 percent play with their siblings and 25 percent play with parents and spouses.
You could infer from this data that a large percentage of social gamers either play with others they've met through games on Facebook or another social network, or that they play alone. But considering that would cost an enormous amount of money, we're going with the former. Ultimately, this data speaks to either players making friends out of necessity or that true connections are forming through social games.
The infographic goes on to say that there are 100 million social gamers in North America, which sounds about right given recent estimates. (That's about a third of everyone in the U.S.) A fraction of that, 26 million, are playing mobile social games. Though, that can easily be attributed to smartphones still perceived and priced as luxury devices.
Citing sources such as The New York Times and and MIT, this infographic drives one major point home: Social gaming is the fastest growing and evolving genre in the history of video games, and we're just getting started. Check out the whole infographic below:
You could infer from this data that a large percentage of social gamers either play with others they've met through games on Facebook or another social network, or that they play alone. But considering that would cost an enormous amount of money, we're going with the former. Ultimately, this data speaks to either players making friends out of necessity or that true connections are forming through social games.
The infographic goes on to say that there are 100 million social gamers in North America, which sounds about right given recent estimates. (That's about a third of everyone in the U.S.) A fraction of that, 26 million, are playing mobile social games. Though, that can easily be attributed to smartphones still perceived and priced as luxury devices.
Citing sources such as The New York Times and and MIT, this infographic drives one major point home: Social gaming is the fastest growing and evolving genre in the history of video games, and we're just getting started. Check out the whole infographic below:
Farm Cash Goes Global: Zynga Game Cards invade Europe, Turkey
It's not just language that's been a barrier to Zynga's global domination (which as of late it seems to have mastered). International digital farmers need a way to pay, too. This is exactly why the company has announced partnerships with distributors in Europe and Turkey to dole out Zynga Game Cards to the masses, VentureBeat reports.
Euronet Worldwide's epay division will distribute the game cards across 18 European countries. More specifically, European fans looking for an in-game boost can find the cards in 276,000 retail spots and 588,000 kiosks spanning the U.K., France, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia, according to VentureBeat. Those who buy a Zynga Game Card from these locations will also score a free in-game gift.
In Turkey, mobile payment provider Mikro Ödeme will offer the prepaid cards for smaller increments of Turkish Lira. However, players can also pay through their mobile phones through services TurkCell and Turk Telekom. This is far from the first place Zynga has expanded its game cards. Most recently, Zynga Game Cards entered the Middle East and North Africa through Gate2Play, touched India through MOL and into Latin America through Mentez.
The FarmVille creator's quest to be the number one games company in the world takes more than just localization through language support, but allowing international players to pay up, too. According to VentureBeat, Zynga already has 12 games in 50 countries--only 146 countries to go.
Euronet Worldwide's epay division will distribute the game cards across 18 European countries. More specifically, European fans looking for an in-game boost can find the cards in 276,000 retail spots and 588,000 kiosks spanning the U.K., France, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia, according to VentureBeat. Those who buy a Zynga Game Card from these locations will also score a free in-game gift.
In Turkey, mobile payment provider Mikro Ödeme will offer the prepaid cards for smaller increments of Turkish Lira. However, players can also pay through their mobile phones through services TurkCell and Turk Telekom. This is far from the first place Zynga has expanded its game cards. Most recently, Zynga Game Cards entered the Middle East and North Africa through Gate2Play, touched India through MOL and into Latin America through Mentez.
The FarmVille creator's quest to be the number one games company in the world takes more than just localization through language support, but allowing international players to pay up, too. According to VentureBeat, Zynga already has 12 games in 50 countries--only 146 countries to go.
FrontierVille, Ravenwood Fair score multiple GDC Online Awards nominations
It's almost that time of year again when the social games industry comes together for one collective pat on the back: The Game Developers Choice Online Awards. The second annual ceremony will be held during the GDC Online event in Austin, Texas this October. This year's GDC Online Awards nominations include a litany of hot online games, but are largely dominated by two Facebook games: Zynga's FrontierVille and Ravenwood Fair by Lolapps.
Each of the two games came away with three nominations, bested only by Spiral Knights, a free-to-play MMO (massively multiplayer game) by SEGA and recently released on Steam. Chosen by a committee of 400 industry professionals, FrontierVille earned nominations for Best Social Network Game, Best Online Game Design and Best Audio For An Online Game. Ravenwood Fair scored nods in the exact same categories.
Both FrontierVille and Ravenwood Fair made it onto our list of the Top Facebook Games of 2010, so we're not terribly surprised by the two games possibly cleaning house at the awards. Speaking of which, the GDC Online Awards will be held Oct. 12, smack dab in the middle of the three-day long conference celebrating all things social games. Take a look at the full list of nominees:
Best Online Visual Arts
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Best Social Network Game
CityVille (Zynga)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Best Online Game Design
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zuma Blitz (Popcap)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Online Innovation
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Shadow Cities (Grey Area)
Empire Avenue (Empire Avenue)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zombie Lane (Digital Chocolate)
Best Online Technology
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
CityVille (Zynga)
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Lego Universe Online (The LEGO Group/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Best Community Relations
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
Minecraft (Mojang)
EA Sports FIFA Superstars (Playfish/EA)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Best Audio For An Online Game
Clone Wars Adventures (Sony Online Entertainment)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Best New Online Game
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Monster Galaxy (Gaia Online)
Best Live Game
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
Moshi Monsters (Mind Candy)
League Of Legends (Riot Games)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Each of the two games came away with three nominations, bested only by Spiral Knights, a free-to-play MMO (massively multiplayer game) by SEGA and recently released on Steam. Chosen by a committee of 400 industry professionals, FrontierVille earned nominations for Best Social Network Game, Best Online Game Design and Best Audio For An Online Game. Ravenwood Fair scored nods in the exact same categories.
Both FrontierVille and Ravenwood Fair made it onto our list of the Top Facebook Games of 2010, so we're not terribly surprised by the two games possibly cleaning house at the awards. Speaking of which, the GDC Online Awards will be held Oct. 12, smack dab in the middle of the three-day long conference celebrating all things social games. Take a look at the full list of nominees:
Best Online Visual Arts
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Best Social Network Game
CityVille (Zynga)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Best Online Game Design
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zuma Blitz (Popcap)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Online Innovation
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Shadow Cities (Grey Area)
Empire Avenue (Empire Avenue)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zombie Lane (Digital Chocolate)
Best Online Technology
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
CityVille (Zynga)
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Lego Universe Online (The LEGO Group/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Best Community Relations
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
Minecraft (Mojang)
EA Sports FIFA Superstars (Playfish/EA)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Best Audio For An Online Game
Clone Wars Adventures (Sony Online Entertainment)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Best New Online Game
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Monster Galaxy (Gaia Online)
Best Live Game
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
Moshi Monsters (Mind Candy)
League Of Legends (Riot Games)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Minecraft (Mojang)
Thứ Hai, 9 tháng 1, 2012
Cafe World Cater the Winter Ball: Everything you need to know
There's a new catering order to fulfill in Cafe World, with this one fitting into the current "winter" theme that Zynga has released in the game. The catering order is called simply: "Cater the Winter Ball" and it will see you asking your friends for help over (ideally) a five day period in order to unlock a new, exclusive recipe (that is, a recipe that can only be received through completing the mission), also fitting in the theme.
To find out what this new recipe is, and how you'll earn it, join us behind the break.
This Catering Order asks you to complete a total of six steps: three cooking steps, and three collection steps. For the three dishes, you'll have to cook Steak Dinner (a 16 hour dish) 150 times, Creme Fraiche Caviar (a 30 minute dish) 300 times, and Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail (a 30 minute dish) 250 times.
For this portion of the catering order, you'll need a lot of help from friends, and you can bring up to 10 of your friends into the mission with you, for a total of 11 members on your Catering Crew. The only good thing here is that there are two dishes that only take 30 minutes to cook, so if you can find a friend who is willing to spend a couple of hours checking frequently back in with the game, these tasks don't seem entirely impossible.
As for the collection portions of the order, you'll need to collect 5 Corsages, 5 Tiaras, and 10 Winter Ball Tickets. These items can either be purchased for Cafe Cash (3 Cafe Cash per one individual item - not a cheap route), or you can send requests to your individual Cafe World neighbors, asking them to send you one of these items. Of course, you would want to send requests once every day (or more often, if the game allows), in order to have a better chance at collecting these items, but be sure not to spam those players who may not appreciate the requests.
Interestingly, when it comes to scoring this Catering Order, you have 5 full days to complete the order to still receive the 3 star rating - normally, the time limit is 3 days. This is likely due to the sheer number of dishes that need to be cooked, regardless of the short cooking time of two of them, and the two extra days are definitely appreciated.
If you can complete the order within 5 days, you'll receive 9 Catering Points, 7,560 Cafe Points, 113,400 coins, and you'll unlock the Snowflake Cake recipe. The Snowflake Cake recipe can only be cooked if you unlock it through this manner. When you do, you'll be able to cook it for 1530 coins. The cake cooks in 6 hours, and you'll have 320 servings to sell to your customers for 12 coins per serving. This results in a return of 3,840 coins.
If you can't finish the order in five days, but can finish it before a full seven days have elapsed, you'll receive two stars, 6 Catering Points, 5,400 Cafe Points, and 8100 coins. Yes, we're as shocked at the discrepancy of coin rewards between these two star levels as you are. In addition, the two star rating will not unlock the Snowflake Cake - you must earn all three stars in order to start cooking the dessert.
After seven days, if you're still plugging along on this order, and you do manage to complete it (without canceling it and starting over, that is), you'll receive a single star rating, 3 Catering Points, 3,240 Catering Points, and 7,450 coins.
It's become pretty apparent lately that Cafe World players are becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of "begging" that takes place in the game, as players are all-but-forced into sending their friends requests for items in order to finish their own quests. We want to know what you think about this new Catering Order (and the fact that it requires you to collect even more items from friends)
To find out what this new recipe is, and how you'll earn it, join us behind the break.
This Catering Order asks you to complete a total of six steps: three cooking steps, and three collection steps. For the three dishes, you'll have to cook Steak Dinner (a 16 hour dish) 150 times, Creme Fraiche Caviar (a 30 minute dish) 300 times, and Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail (a 30 minute dish) 250 times.
For this portion of the catering order, you'll need a lot of help from friends, and you can bring up to 10 of your friends into the mission with you, for a total of 11 members on your Catering Crew. The only good thing here is that there are two dishes that only take 30 minutes to cook, so if you can find a friend who is willing to spend a couple of hours checking frequently back in with the game, these tasks don't seem entirely impossible.
As for the collection portions of the order, you'll need to collect 5 Corsages, 5 Tiaras, and 10 Winter Ball Tickets. These items can either be purchased for Cafe Cash (3 Cafe Cash per one individual item - not a cheap route), or you can send requests to your individual Cafe World neighbors, asking them to send you one of these items. Of course, you would want to send requests once every day (or more often, if the game allows), in order to have a better chance at collecting these items, but be sure not to spam those players who may not appreciate the requests.
Interestingly, when it comes to scoring this Catering Order, you have 5 full days to complete the order to still receive the 3 star rating - normally, the time limit is 3 days. This is likely due to the sheer number of dishes that need to be cooked, regardless of the short cooking time of two of them, and the two extra days are definitely appreciated.
If you can complete the order within 5 days, you'll receive 9 Catering Points, 7,560 Cafe Points, 113,400 coins, and you'll unlock the Snowflake Cake recipe. The Snowflake Cake recipe can only be cooked if you unlock it through this manner. When you do, you'll be able to cook it for 1530 coins. The cake cooks in 6 hours, and you'll have 320 servings to sell to your customers for 12 coins per serving. This results in a return of 3,840 coins.
If you can't finish the order in five days, but can finish it before a full seven days have elapsed, you'll receive two stars, 6 Catering Points, 5,400 Cafe Points, and 8100 coins. Yes, we're as shocked at the discrepancy of coin rewards between these two star levels as you are. In addition, the two star rating will not unlock the Snowflake Cake - you must earn all three stars in order to start cooking the dessert.
After seven days, if you're still plugging along on this order, and you do manage to complete it (without canceling it and starting over, that is), you'll receive a single star rating, 3 Catering Points, 3,240 Catering Points, and 7,450 coins.
It's become pretty apparent lately that Cafe World players are becoming increasingly frustrated with the amount of "begging" that takes place in the game, as players are all-but-forced into sending their friends requests for items in order to finish their own quests. We want to know what you think about this new Catering Order (and the fact that it requires you to collect even more items from friends)
FrontierVille Resolution Goal Crates: Everything you need to know
Cider Press Stone Gate Wishing Well
The New Year is finally upon us and even our digital family and friends are pestering us about New Years resolutions. In FrontierVille, Humble Bob is even forcing Resolution Goals upon us. What if we don't want to change? Well, you might after seeing the rewards for not only completing all six missions, but the potential goodies you can find after finishing each one. Completing each of these sets of Goals will reward you with a themed Mystery Crate containing one of four rare items. We're here to show you exactly what you can win should you live up to those resolutions.
Tidying Up: Organization Crate:
-Chugging Burner
-Cider Press
-Stone Gate
-Wishing Well
Find the rest of these brand new Mystery Crates after the break.
Nutrition Crate
Eat Healthy: Nutrition Crate
-Pot o' Veggies
-Tasty Pig Table
-Turkey Frier
-Drinks Tub
Social Crate
Friends and Family: Social Crate
-Harvest Gazebo
-Stroller
-Dollhouse
-Whiskey Still
Tetherball Rock Waterfall Axe Target Old Style Bicycle
Exercise More: Exercise Crate
-Old Style Bicycle
-Axe Target
-Rock Waterfall
-Tetherball
Sewing Machine Lemonade Stand Double Rainbow Ring of Fire
Play FrontierVille: Workaholic Crate
-Sewing Machine
-Lemonade Stand
-Double Rainbow
-Ring of Fire
Stuffed Groundhog Fishing Hole Fiddle Tetherball
New Hobbies: Hobby Crate
-Stuffed Groundhog
-Fishing Hole
-Fiddle
-Pumpkin Launcher
Most of these items are already available in the Market, but some of which cost Horseshoes. Thankfully, these missions are all repeatable through Jan. 31, so get to grinding on these Goals if you want all 24 items before these New Years resolutions go away forever. Well, there's always next year.
The New Year is finally upon us and even our digital family and friends are pestering us about New Years resolutions. In FrontierVille, Humble Bob is even forcing Resolution Goals upon us. What if we don't want to change? Well, you might after seeing the rewards for not only completing all six missions, but the potential goodies you can find after finishing each one. Completing each of these sets of Goals will reward you with a themed Mystery Crate containing one of four rare items. We're here to show you exactly what you can win should you live up to those resolutions.
Tidying Up: Organization Crate:
-Chugging Burner
-Cider Press
-Stone Gate
-Wishing Well
Find the rest of these brand new Mystery Crates after the break.
Nutrition Crate
Eat Healthy: Nutrition Crate
-Pot o' Veggies
-Tasty Pig Table
-Turkey Frier
-Drinks Tub
Social Crate
Friends and Family: Social Crate
-Harvest Gazebo
-Stroller
-Dollhouse
-Whiskey Still
Tetherball Rock Waterfall Axe Target Old Style Bicycle
Exercise More: Exercise Crate
-Old Style Bicycle
-Axe Target
-Rock Waterfall
-Tetherball
Sewing Machine Lemonade Stand Double Rainbow Ring of Fire
Play FrontierVille: Workaholic Crate
-Sewing Machine
-Lemonade Stand
-Double Rainbow
-Ring of Fire
Stuffed Groundhog Fishing Hole Fiddle Tetherball
New Hobbies: Hobby Crate
-Stuffed Groundhog
-Fishing Hole
-Fiddle
-Pumpkin Launcher
Most of these items are already available in the Market, but some of which cost Horseshoes. Thankfully, these missions are all repeatable through Jan. 31, so get to grinding on these Goals if you want all 24 items before these New Years resolutions go away forever. Well, there's always next year.
CityVille Cheats and Tips: Level up and experience guide
Gaining experience and leveling up are central to successfully playing CityVille. Gaining experience allows you to level up. Leveling up unlocks new buildings, expands your energy bar, awards you City Cash, and more. In addition, it's important to level up your Reputation by collecting hearts while helping your neighbors. The higher your Reputation Level, the more goodies and bonuses you'll receive for visiting each neighboring city. You need lots of neighbors to get by in CityVille, so gaining extra bonuses for each neighbor makes your Reputation Level extremely valuable.
Many have been asking about how much experience they are going to need to level up to those higher levels. Thanks to some help from the Zynga forums, our CityVille Cheats & Tips: Level up & experience guide has all the information you'll need. There are currently sixty levels in CityVille and 60 reputation levels. Below is the required amount of experience to reach that level.
Levels
Level 2 - 4 XP - Crossroads
Level 3 - 16 XP - One-Horse Town
Level 4 - 31 XP - Two-Horse Town
Level 5 - 78 XP - SmallishVille
Level 6 - 125 XP - Teeny Town
Level 7 - 172 XP - Tween Town
Level 8 - 219 XP - Young Town
Level 9 - 276 XP - LargerVille
Level 10 - 343 XP - Coup de Ville
Level 11 - 420 XP - Traffic Town
Level 12 - 507 XP - Big Town
Level 13 - 604 XP - Terrific Town
Level 14 - 711 XP - Boom Town
Level 15 - 828 XP - Wee Lil' City
Level 16 - 955 XP - Small City
Level 17 - 1092 XP - Pretty City
Level 18 - 1239 XP - Citifield City
Level 19 - 1396 XP - Happy Hood
Level 20 - 1563 XP - Syncronicity
Level 21 - 1740 XP - Silver City
Level 22 - 1927 XP - Backwater Burgh
Level 23 - 2124 XP - Windy City
Level 24 - 2331 XP - Vast Village
Level 25 - 2548 XP - Happy Hamlet
Level 26 - 2775 XP - Shining Shire
Level 27 - 3003 XP - City Scape
Level 28 - 3232 XP - Funkadelphia
Level 29 - 3462 XP - Modest Municipality
Level 30 - 3693 XP - Booming Burgh
Level 31 - 3925 XP - Witty City
Level 32 - 4158 XP - Urban Expanse
Level 33 - 4392 XP -
Level 34 - 4627 XP - Perfect Principality
Level 35 - 4863 XP - Surging City
Level 36 - 5100 XP - City Without Pity
Level 37 - 5338 XP - Pot-holed Pit Stop
Level 38 - 5577 XP - Stop Light Suburb
Level 39 - 5817 XP - Swell City
Level 40 - 6058 XP -
Level 41 - 6300 XP - Slick City
Level 42 - 6543 XP - Capitol City
Level 43 - 6787 XP - Peppy Populous
Level 44 - 7032 XP - Bustling Borough
Level 45 - 7278 XP - Capital Of Cool
Level 46 - 7525 XP - Virtuous Village
Level 47 - 7773 XP - Quaint Escape
Level 48 - 8022 XP - Concrete Jungle
Level 49 - 8272 XP - Popular Province
Level 50 - 8523 XP - Rural Retreat
Level 51 -
Level 52 - XP - Hopping Hood
Level 53 - 9876 XP
Level 54 -
Level 55 -
Level 56 -
Level 57 -
Level 58 -
Level 59 -
Level 60 - Reputation Levels
Level 2 - 10 XP - +40 Goods
Level 3 - 25 XP - +60 Goods
Level 4 - 45 XP - +80 Goods
Level 5 - 70 XP - +100 Goods
Level 6 - 100 XP - +120 Goods
Level 7 - 200 XP - +140 Goods
Level 8 - 300 XP - +160 Goods
Level 9 - 400 XP - +180 Goods
Level 10 - 500 XP - +200 Goods
Level 11 - 600 XP - +220 Goods
Level 12 - 700 XP - +240 Goods
Level 13 - 800 XP - +260 Goods
Level 14 - 900 XP - +280 Goods
Level 15 - 1000 XP - +300 Goods
Level 16 - 1100 XP - +320 Goods
Level 17 - 1200 XP - +340 Goods
Level 18 - 1300 XP - +360 Goods
Level 19 - 1400 XP - +380 Goods
Level 20 - 1500 XP - +400 Goods
Level 21 - 1750 XP - +420 Goods
Level 22 - 2000 XP - +440 Goods
Level 23 - 2500 XP - +460 goods
Level 24 - 3000 XP - +480 Goods
Level 25 - 3500 XP - +500 Goods
Level 26 - 4000 XP - +520 Goods
Level 27 - 4500 XP - +540 Goods
Level 28 - 5000 XP - +560 Goods
Level 29 - 6000 XP - +580 Goods
Level 30 - 7000 XP - +600 Goods
Level 31 - 8000 XP - +620 Goods
Level 32 - 9000 XP - +640 Goods
Level 33 - 10000 XP - +660 Goods
Level 34 - 11000 XP - +680 Goods
Level 35 - 12000 XP - +700 Goods
Level 36 - 13000 XP - +720 Goods
Level 37 - 14000 XP - +740 Goods
Level 38 - 15000 XP - +760 Goods
Level 39 - 16000 XP - +780 Goods
Level 40 - 17000 XP - +800 Goods
Level 41 - 18000 XP - +820 Goods
Level 42 - 19000 XP - +840 Goods
Level 43 - 20000 XP - +860 Goods
Level 44 - 21000 XP - +880 Goods
Level 45 - 22000 XP - +900 Goods
Level 46 - 23000 XP - +920 Goods
Level 47 - 24000 XP - +940 Goods
Level 48 - 25000 XP - +960 Goods
Level 49 - 30000 XP - +980 Goods
Level 50 - 35000 XP - +1000 Goods
Level 51 -
Level 52 -
Level 53 -
Level 54 -
Level 55 -
Level 56 -
Level 57 -
Level 58 -
Level 59 -
Level 60 -
I'm still struggling to get to 30, so pat yourself on the back if you've reached Level 60. In case you were curious, if you reach Level 60, that mean's you've accumulated well over 200,000 XP, which is really an incredible feat.
Many have been asking about how much experience they are going to need to level up to those higher levels. Thanks to some help from the Zynga forums, our CityVille Cheats & Tips: Level up & experience guide has all the information you'll need. There are currently sixty levels in CityVille and 60 reputation levels. Below is the required amount of experience to reach that level.
Levels
Level 2 - 4 XP - Crossroads
Level 3 - 16 XP - One-Horse Town
Level 4 - 31 XP - Two-Horse Town
Level 5 - 78 XP - SmallishVille
Level 6 - 125 XP - Teeny Town
Level 7 - 172 XP - Tween Town
Level 8 - 219 XP - Young Town
Level 9 - 276 XP - LargerVille
Level 10 - 343 XP - Coup de Ville
Level 11 - 420 XP - Traffic Town
Level 12 - 507 XP - Big Town
Level 13 - 604 XP - Terrific Town
Level 14 - 711 XP - Boom Town
Level 15 - 828 XP - Wee Lil' City
Level 16 - 955 XP - Small City
Level 17 - 1092 XP - Pretty City
Level 18 - 1239 XP - Citifield City
Level 19 - 1396 XP - Happy Hood
Level 20 - 1563 XP - Syncronicity
Level 21 - 1740 XP - Silver City
Level 22 - 1927 XP - Backwater Burgh
Level 23 - 2124 XP - Windy City
Level 24 - 2331 XP - Vast Village
Level 25 - 2548 XP - Happy Hamlet
Level 26 - 2775 XP - Shining Shire
Level 27 - 3003 XP - City Scape
Level 28 - 3232 XP - Funkadelphia
Level 29 - 3462 XP - Modest Municipality
Level 30 - 3693 XP - Booming Burgh
Level 31 - 3925 XP - Witty City
Level 32 - 4158 XP - Urban Expanse
Level 33 - 4392 XP -
Level 34 - 4627 XP - Perfect Principality
Level 35 - 4863 XP - Surging City
Level 36 - 5100 XP - City Without Pity
Level 37 - 5338 XP - Pot-holed Pit Stop
Level 38 - 5577 XP - Stop Light Suburb
Level 39 - 5817 XP - Swell City
Level 40 - 6058 XP -
Level 41 - 6300 XP - Slick City
Level 42 - 6543 XP - Capitol City
Level 43 - 6787 XP - Peppy Populous
Level 44 - 7032 XP - Bustling Borough
Level 45 - 7278 XP - Capital Of Cool
Level 46 - 7525 XP - Virtuous Village
Level 47 - 7773 XP - Quaint Escape
Level 48 - 8022 XP - Concrete Jungle
Level 49 - 8272 XP - Popular Province
Level 50 - 8523 XP - Rural Retreat
Level 51 -
Level 52 - XP - Hopping Hood
Level 53 - 9876 XP
Level 54 -
Level 55 -
Level 56 -
Level 57 -
Level 58 -
Level 59 -
Level 60 - Reputation Levels
Level 2 - 10 XP - +40 Goods
Level 3 - 25 XP - +60 Goods
Level 4 - 45 XP - +80 Goods
Level 5 - 70 XP - +100 Goods
Level 6 - 100 XP - +120 Goods
Level 7 - 200 XP - +140 Goods
Level 8 - 300 XP - +160 Goods
Level 9 - 400 XP - +180 Goods
Level 10 - 500 XP - +200 Goods
Level 11 - 600 XP - +220 Goods
Level 12 - 700 XP - +240 Goods
Level 13 - 800 XP - +260 Goods
Level 14 - 900 XP - +280 Goods
Level 15 - 1000 XP - +300 Goods
Level 16 - 1100 XP - +320 Goods
Level 17 - 1200 XP - +340 Goods
Level 18 - 1300 XP - +360 Goods
Level 19 - 1400 XP - +380 Goods
Level 20 - 1500 XP - +400 Goods
Level 21 - 1750 XP - +420 Goods
Level 22 - 2000 XP - +440 Goods
Level 23 - 2500 XP - +460 goods
Level 24 - 3000 XP - +480 Goods
Level 25 - 3500 XP - +500 Goods
Level 26 - 4000 XP - +520 Goods
Level 27 - 4500 XP - +540 Goods
Level 28 - 5000 XP - +560 Goods
Level 29 - 6000 XP - +580 Goods
Level 30 - 7000 XP - +600 Goods
Level 31 - 8000 XP - +620 Goods
Level 32 - 9000 XP - +640 Goods
Level 33 - 10000 XP - +660 Goods
Level 34 - 11000 XP - +680 Goods
Level 35 - 12000 XP - +700 Goods
Level 36 - 13000 XP - +720 Goods
Level 37 - 14000 XP - +740 Goods
Level 38 - 15000 XP - +760 Goods
Level 39 - 16000 XP - +780 Goods
Level 40 - 17000 XP - +800 Goods
Level 41 - 18000 XP - +820 Goods
Level 42 - 19000 XP - +840 Goods
Level 43 - 20000 XP - +860 Goods
Level 44 - 21000 XP - +880 Goods
Level 45 - 22000 XP - +900 Goods
Level 46 - 23000 XP - +920 Goods
Level 47 - 24000 XP - +940 Goods
Level 48 - 25000 XP - +960 Goods
Level 49 - 30000 XP - +980 Goods
Level 50 - 35000 XP - +1000 Goods
Level 51 -
Level 52 -
Level 53 -
Level 54 -
Level 55 -
Level 56 -
Level 57 -
Level 58 -
Level 59 -
Level 60 -
I'm still struggling to get to 30, so pat yourself on the back if you've reached Level 60. In case you were curious, if you reach Level 60, that mean's you've accumulated well over 200,000 XP, which is really an incredible feat.
Milmo on Facebook: Opening a whole new world of social gaming
Flying in Milmo
Let's forget the fancy introductions and just come out and say it: Milmo for Facebook is a sprawling, vibrant world that exists in your browser. A full 3D MMO developed by Swedish studio Junebud, Milmo is exactly what we were referring to when we predicted the trend of genre blending for 2011. And this game released in 2010!
Making use of the Unity Engine (another prediction for 2011), this game transports players into a living, breathing world even more so than existing Facebook MMOs like Godswar Online. Obviously, the game is designed to have more widespread appeal through somewhat childish graphics, a frame of a plot and simplistic combat (click to swing weapon, click again... and again). But where Milmo shines is in the sense of awe it draws from you--you'll find yourself saying yourself after a few minutes of play, "Whoa, this is on my Facebook?"
Find more of our impressions after the break.
The world of Milmo
This game is more about the experience of exploration than any of its other features. Everything from the combat to the quests are tools to drive players to see every nook and cranny of over 12 islands. In fact, there are even reward for collecting all eight Exploration Tokens in each level, which are normally found hiding in areas you wouldn't normally journey to. This encourages you to simply run around and take everything in, but with a purpose.
Of course, the common MMO tropes are all in place. However, there seem to be no levels in Milmo like most MMOs, which could serve to encourage play with other users of all experience levels, regardless of where they've been. But players do gain Gems from defeating enemies ranging from crabs to snails and strange bouncing heads of snowmen. (Hey, this is a fantasy.) These gems are used to buy items like health potions and new weapons. There are quests in the game, but they're rather simplistic in that they've yet to go beyond the range of "Hey you, kill these critters for me."
Sunlight
While flaws like this are noticeable to the jaded average gamer, Junebud's target demographic will think nothing of it, soaking in every quest and piece of uncharted land. In fact, even I found myself ignoring the quests for a time and simply running and jumping around, testing the limits of where I could reach. But these limits are easily broken by cannons strewn across islands that players can jump into for easy transport. Ever wanted to fly in a Facebook game? Now is your chance. As you progress, you'll be given the choice to tackle an overarching quest through divergent paths, giving you options on where to travel next. Again, this reinforces open discovery.
You'd think that a Facebook MMO would forget about using the network's normal channels of communication, choosing to use solely an in-game chat room or something (which it does include), but nearly everything can be shared on Facebook. Receive a new Title to show off that you collected over one thousand gems? You'll be automatically given the option to post that to your News Feed. You can also invite your Facebook friends to play directly, but what you will not find any of here is gifting or requests for help from friends.
Floating Islands
Alas, Milmo never forgets that it is, in fact, on Facebook. The game is littered with tutorials that update as you progress, revealing new features to you. This is mainly for players who have yet to try an MMO and can become tiresome for seasoned gamers. Also, there is a premium shop in Milmo for virtual goods purchases using cold hard cash, another Facebook staple. All in all, Milmo signifies a major leap forward for Facebook games in that it advances what's possible on the platform while retaining its roots.
Let's forget the fancy introductions and just come out and say it: Milmo for Facebook is a sprawling, vibrant world that exists in your browser. A full 3D MMO developed by Swedish studio Junebud, Milmo is exactly what we were referring to when we predicted the trend of genre blending for 2011. And this game released in 2010!
Making use of the Unity Engine (another prediction for 2011), this game transports players into a living, breathing world even more so than existing Facebook MMOs like Godswar Online. Obviously, the game is designed to have more widespread appeal through somewhat childish graphics, a frame of a plot and simplistic combat (click to swing weapon, click again... and again). But where Milmo shines is in the sense of awe it draws from you--you'll find yourself saying yourself after a few minutes of play, "Whoa, this is on my Facebook?"
Find more of our impressions after the break.
The world of Milmo
This game is more about the experience of exploration than any of its other features. Everything from the combat to the quests are tools to drive players to see every nook and cranny of over 12 islands. In fact, there are even reward for collecting all eight Exploration Tokens in each level, which are normally found hiding in areas you wouldn't normally journey to. This encourages you to simply run around and take everything in, but with a purpose.
Of course, the common MMO tropes are all in place. However, there seem to be no levels in Milmo like most MMOs, which could serve to encourage play with other users of all experience levels, regardless of where they've been. But players do gain Gems from defeating enemies ranging from crabs to snails and strange bouncing heads of snowmen. (Hey, this is a fantasy.) These gems are used to buy items like health potions and new weapons. There are quests in the game, but they're rather simplistic in that they've yet to go beyond the range of "Hey you, kill these critters for me."
Sunlight
While flaws like this are noticeable to the jaded average gamer, Junebud's target demographic will think nothing of it, soaking in every quest and piece of uncharted land. In fact, even I found myself ignoring the quests for a time and simply running and jumping around, testing the limits of where I could reach. But these limits are easily broken by cannons strewn across islands that players can jump into for easy transport. Ever wanted to fly in a Facebook game? Now is your chance. As you progress, you'll be given the choice to tackle an overarching quest through divergent paths, giving you options on where to travel next. Again, this reinforces open discovery.
You'd think that a Facebook MMO would forget about using the network's normal channels of communication, choosing to use solely an in-game chat room or something (which it does include), but nearly everything can be shared on Facebook. Receive a new Title to show off that you collected over one thousand gems? You'll be automatically given the option to post that to your News Feed. You can also invite your Facebook friends to play directly, but what you will not find any of here is gifting or requests for help from friends.
Floating Islands
Alas, Milmo never forgets that it is, in fact, on Facebook. The game is littered with tutorials that update as you progress, revealing new features to you. This is mainly for players who have yet to try an MMO and can become tiresome for seasoned gamers. Also, there is a premium shop in Milmo for virtual goods purchases using cold hard cash, another Facebook staple. All in all, Milmo signifies a major leap forward for Facebook games in that it advances what's possible on the platform while retaining its roots.
Go shopping on Facebook with Viva! Mall by Konami on Jan. 14
Slaying demons with a whip and weaving through rush hour traffic? Mere child's play. Esteemed developer Konami has already broken into Facebook with games like Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Challenge, but its newest game, Viva! Mall, marks a milestone for the company. This will be the first original (and complete) social game developed by Konami.
"With the release of Frogger and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Challenge already gaining traction among the Facebook community, we felt like we were ready to make another contribution to the social networking site with the release of Viva! Mall," Konami president Shinji Hirano says. "This title is our first major attempt in bringing a full featured Facebook game to market and consumers can expect to hear more announcements on our next Facebook game soon."
Set to release Jan. 14, Viva! Mall will put players in the role of running their own shopping center. Mall owners will take care of every responsibility from cleaning it to maintaining inventory. In other words, Viva! Mall is expected to play a lot like games such as CityVille and FarmVille. Said by Konami to give players a glimpse of what it's like to run a real mall, players will be able to hire friends to manage stores. The developer also promises weekly content updates as well as gifting and daily lottery bonuses. Expect more details when our checks clear the game is released this Friday.
"With the release of Frogger and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow Challenge already gaining traction among the Facebook community, we felt like we were ready to make another contribution to the social networking site with the release of Viva! Mall," Konami president Shinji Hirano says. "This title is our first major attempt in bringing a full featured Facebook game to market and consumers can expect to hear more announcements on our next Facebook game soon."
Set to release Jan. 14, Viva! Mall will put players in the role of running their own shopping center. Mall owners will take care of every responsibility from cleaning it to maintaining inventory. In other words, Viva! Mall is expected to play a lot like games such as CityVille and FarmVille. Said by Konami to give players a glimpse of what it's like to run a real mall, players will be able to hire friends to manage stores. The developer also promises weekly content updates as well as gifting and daily lottery bonuses. Expect more details when our checks clear the game is released this Friday.
Thứ Bảy, 7 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille English Countryside: More details revealed
Zynga sure are the masters of teasing us without revealing too much of the nitty gritty information! Today, we have just a little more information about the new English Countryside that is coming soon to a FarmVille near you. A new fan page was set up for FarmVille English Countryside, which will be updated with sneak peeks and more information as the new location becomes available. So far, we know the following:
You're going to love the English Countryside! New land, new crops, and new adventures.
farmville englandWhat does this mean? It certainly sounds like a second farm with an English theme to it. What else could "new land" mean? Players have been begging for a second farm for a very long time - could it be that FarmVille is finally releasing this long-awaited new feature?
The fan page tell us to keep checking our farm for updates in the next week, so we could be finding out very more soon. As always, stay tuned in to Games.com - The Blog! to read the latest news on the FarmVille English Countryside as soon as it hits!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille English Countryside coverage right here.
Click "Like" on the FarmVille English Countryside fan page >
You're going to love the English Countryside! New land, new crops, and new adventures.
farmville englandWhat does this mean? It certainly sounds like a second farm with an English theme to it. What else could "new land" mean? Players have been begging for a second farm for a very long time - could it be that FarmVille is finally releasing this long-awaited new feature?
The fan page tell us to keep checking our farm for updates in the next week, so we could be finding out very more soon. As always, stay tuned in to Games.com - The Blog! to read the latest news on the FarmVille English Countryside as soon as it hits!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille English Countryside coverage right here.
Click "Like" on the FarmVille English Countryside fan page >
Monopoly on Facebook: More movers, traps and (maybe) competition coming soon
Monopoly Millionaires landed on Facebook last week, and I got a chance to chat with game producer Adam Gutterman about the challenges of bringing a board game to Facebook and managed to get a few hints at what's next for this new game.
On the challenges:
"Board games are competitive; there's no more than a few players and there's a beginning, middle and end. We had the opposite challenge of bringing Monopoly to Facebook. We spent many hours working on this before we struck a balance with getting rich, and rolling and having fun with your friends. We did this by taking away siloed play, competition and having an ending. Rather than waiting on friends, you get to roll and roll as much as you want to."
On what's coming next:
monopoly moverGutterman says people have really taken a liking to the movers, traps and prizes in the game, and they're planning on adding more to the game. The movers, are, of course, the little pieces that you use to move around the board. In this case, you can buy new movers and each of them have special powers. The dog mover ensures that you'll get property cards, for example. Traps can be set up on your board, forcing people to pay more money or move two spaces, etc. and prizes are items that are placed at random on different players boards, like a set of property cards or Monopoly gold. If you land on a space with a prize, lucky you will take away some sweet loot. So, expect more of all that sometime down the line.
One of my biggest gripes about Monopoly Millionaires is that there's no way to win, like you can when you play the board game. Admittedly most Facebook games are not really about 'winning,' BUT Gutterman hinted that some more competitive elements might find their way into the game sooner than later. Let's just hope they copy the Bejeweled Blitz, Zuma Blitz model, with regular tournaments and leaderboards that are refreshed every week. Nothing gets my competitive spirit going more than seeing my Facebook pals beat my score in Zuma Blitz.
On the challenges:
"Board games are competitive; there's no more than a few players and there's a beginning, middle and end. We had the opposite challenge of bringing Monopoly to Facebook. We spent many hours working on this before we struck a balance with getting rich, and rolling and having fun with your friends. We did this by taking away siloed play, competition and having an ending. Rather than waiting on friends, you get to roll and roll as much as you want to."
On what's coming next:
monopoly moverGutterman says people have really taken a liking to the movers, traps and prizes in the game, and they're planning on adding more to the game. The movers, are, of course, the little pieces that you use to move around the board. In this case, you can buy new movers and each of them have special powers. The dog mover ensures that you'll get property cards, for example. Traps can be set up on your board, forcing people to pay more money or move two spaces, etc. and prizes are items that are placed at random on different players boards, like a set of property cards or Monopoly gold. If you land on a space with a prize, lucky you will take away some sweet loot. So, expect more of all that sometime down the line.
One of my biggest gripes about Monopoly Millionaires is that there's no way to win, like you can when you play the board game. Admittedly most Facebook games are not really about 'winning,' BUT Gutterman hinted that some more competitive elements might find their way into the game sooner than later. Let's just hope they copy the Bejeweled Blitz, Zuma Blitz model, with regular tournaments and leaderboards that are refreshed every week. Nothing gets my competitive spirit going more than seeing my Facebook pals beat my score in Zuma Blitz.
CityVille: More Valentine's Day Roses coming soon
If you played CityVille early this morning, you might have been one of the lucky players that were able to purchase some Valentine's Day Roses in the game. This Rose crop is an entirely new crop to the game, which grows instantly and never withers - great stats that come with a City Cash cost of 5 City Cash.
For that price, you would have gained 115 Goods for each square of the Valentine Roses that you planted. However, that's only if you could actually plant them in time. That's right - not even a day after releasing this new crop, Zynga has posted an alert on the top of the CityVille game page on Facebook stating that these Valentine's Day roses have "outgrown capacity." Could it be that these roses were so popular that they broke the game, or did they really plan to make them this limited from the start?
The answer to that remains to be seen, but we do have some good news if you missed out on these flowers this morning - a "new batch of roses will be grown shortly," says Zynga, so we should be able to take advantage of this deal yet. We'll make sure to update this space when these new roses arrive, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day 2011 coverage right here.
Did you have a chance to plant Valentine's Day roses before they were removed from the store?
For that price, you would have gained 115 Goods for each square of the Valentine Roses that you planted. However, that's only if you could actually plant them in time. That's right - not even a day after releasing this new crop, Zynga has posted an alert on the top of the CityVille game page on Facebook stating that these Valentine's Day roses have "outgrown capacity." Could it be that these roses were so popular that they broke the game, or did they really plan to make them this limited from the start?
The answer to that remains to be seen, but we do have some good news if you missed out on these flowers this morning - a "new batch of roses will be grown shortly," says Zynga, so we should be able to take advantage of this deal yet. We'll make sure to update this space when these new roses arrive, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day 2011 coverage right here.
Did you have a chance to plant Valentine's Day roses before they were removed from the store?
CityVille: Send Lunar New Year free gifts to friends
If you're still in the mood to celebrate the Lunar / Chinese New Year in CityVille, don't forget to check out the game's free gifts page, as there are four new items available to send to your friends.
The first item is the Hanging Banners item, which would make the perfect decoration to run along streets, or to place beside any of the many Chinese businesses in your city. It offers a 1% bonus to any buildings you place it near. The other items are similar, and come in the form of three different statues, each dealing with either general Chinese culture, or the holiday itself. These three items are the Chinese Lion Statue, a Rabbit Statue (2011 is the year of the Rabbit), and a Terracotta Warrior statue, which alludes to the famous Terracotta Army.
There's no telling how long these items will be available to send to your friends, so make sure to send (and ask for) these items while you know you still can.
Have you received enough Terracotta Warriors to create your own in-game army?
The first item is the Hanging Banners item, which would make the perfect decoration to run along streets, or to place beside any of the many Chinese businesses in your city. It offers a 1% bonus to any buildings you place it near. The other items are similar, and come in the form of three different statues, each dealing with either general Chinese culture, or the holiday itself. These three items are the Chinese Lion Statue, a Rabbit Statue (2011 is the year of the Rabbit), and a Terracotta Warrior statue, which alludes to the famous Terracotta Army.
There's no telling how long these items will be available to send to your friends, so make sure to send (and ask for) these items while you know you still can.
Have you received enough Terracotta Warriors to create your own in-game army?
Cafe World Cupid's Helper Goals: Everything you need to know
If finishing eight Valentine's Day dinner goals in Cafe World isn't enough to put you in the mood for all things warm and fuzzy, Zynga has released yet another set of Valentine's Day themed goals in the game, so perhaps this one will do the trick. This latest set has just three parts, and is called the "Cupid's Helper" goal series. You'll unlock access to this trio of new missions after completing the eighth step in the previously released set (the full guide to those can be found right here).
If you thought that you were done collecting roses in Cafe World, I have some bad news for you, as immediately in this quest set, you're forced to gather more of them.
Earn 100,000 coins
Get 25 Roses
Serve 10 Oyster Shooters
Unfortunately, you do have to actually serve the Oyster Shooters for them to count, but luckily, this one hour dish can be cooked and then forgotten pretty quickly. The roses, again, can be gathered by asking your friends to send them to you via individual gift requests. Finishing this mission will reward you with 1000 Cafe Points and 10,000 coins, so I suppose it probably is worth doing, even if only for the boost of Cafe Points you'll receive.
Part II of III looks mostly similar to the first, requiring you to earn coins and collect more roses, but you'll be serving a different dish this time around.
Earn 200,000 coins
Get 35 Roses
Serve Creme Brulee 10 times
Creme Brulee is another of the new Valentine's Day recipes in the game, and it takes 20 hours to cook, which will slow your progress with this one quite a bit - even more so when combining this with the time it will take you to earn all of those coins.
Finally, Part III (the final part of this goal series) has you - you guessed it - earning more coins and collecting more roses, but you don't have to cook a specific dish for the third task. Rather, you must complete the entirety of the Valentine's Dinner catering order.
Earn 300,000 coins
Get 45 Roses
Complete the Valentine's Dinner Catering Order
This is a pretty hefty order, requiring you to cook all three of the new Valentine's Day recipes in fairly large quantities, all within five days' time for the three star rating. If you'd like the best chance of finishing this catering order with a high score, make sure to jump in with your friends when they start this mission for themselves - if you're unfamiliar with them, teamwork is the name of the game when it comes to Catering Orders. You can check out the complete details to this order in our guide.
As of this writing, this is where the Cupid's Helper goals end in Cafe World. If more Valentine's Day quests are added to the game in the future, you can be sure that we'll make you the first to know, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of this new series of goals? Are these any more difficult than the other goals released this month?
If you thought that you were done collecting roses in Cafe World, I have some bad news for you, as immediately in this quest set, you're forced to gather more of them.
Earn 100,000 coins
Get 25 Roses
Serve 10 Oyster Shooters
Unfortunately, you do have to actually serve the Oyster Shooters for them to count, but luckily, this one hour dish can be cooked and then forgotten pretty quickly. The roses, again, can be gathered by asking your friends to send them to you via individual gift requests. Finishing this mission will reward you with 1000 Cafe Points and 10,000 coins, so I suppose it probably is worth doing, even if only for the boost of Cafe Points you'll receive.
Part II of III looks mostly similar to the first, requiring you to earn coins and collect more roses, but you'll be serving a different dish this time around.
Earn 200,000 coins
Get 35 Roses
Serve Creme Brulee 10 times
Creme Brulee is another of the new Valentine's Day recipes in the game, and it takes 20 hours to cook, which will slow your progress with this one quite a bit - even more so when combining this with the time it will take you to earn all of those coins.
Finally, Part III (the final part of this goal series) has you - you guessed it - earning more coins and collecting more roses, but you don't have to cook a specific dish for the third task. Rather, you must complete the entirety of the Valentine's Dinner catering order.
Earn 300,000 coins
Get 45 Roses
Complete the Valentine's Dinner Catering Order
This is a pretty hefty order, requiring you to cook all three of the new Valentine's Day recipes in fairly large quantities, all within five days' time for the three star rating. If you'd like the best chance of finishing this catering order with a high score, make sure to jump in with your friends when they start this mission for themselves - if you're unfamiliar with them, teamwork is the name of the game when it comes to Catering Orders. You can check out the complete details to this order in our guide.
As of this writing, this is where the Cupid's Helper goals end in Cafe World. If more Valentine's Day quests are added to the game in the future, you can be sure that we'll make you the first to know, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of this new series of goals? Are these any more difficult than the other goals released this month?
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Spring Garden building ingredients
Back on the official FarmVille podcast dated March 4th, 2011, FarmVille Community Manager Lexilicious gave us a sneak peek to something called the Spring Garden, which looks to be the equivalent of the Leprechaun's Cottage for the upcoming Easter or "Spring Basket" event that we expect to launch in the game in the coming weeks. That is, we know that we'll be able to collect "eggs and flowers" from the garden, which can be redeemed for special prizes, just as you can collect Gold from the Leprechaun's Cottage.
We were told that this new structure will be constructed via the help of friends, and we've now found images that represent the three building materials (at least) that we'll need to put it together - those being the standard Wooden Boards, Nails, and Bricks. The news here though is in the tiny image of the Spring Garden itself that you can see in each of the above images. It looks as though Lexi will have been proven right - this does look like an elaborate decorative item, and we can't wait to learn more.
We'll make sure to bring you all of the news concerning this building as they become available, so keep checking back.
What do you think of the Spring Garden? Would you prefer the item look more structured and not so (presumably) large?
We were told that this new structure will be constructed via the help of friends, and we've now found images that represent the three building materials (at least) that we'll need to put it together - those being the standard Wooden Boards, Nails, and Bricks. The news here though is in the tiny image of the Spring Garden itself that you can see in each of the above images. It looks as though Lexi will have been proven right - this does look like an elaborate decorative item, and we can't wait to learn more.
We'll make sure to bring you all of the news concerning this building as they become available, so keep checking back.
What do you think of the Spring Garden? Would you prefer the item look more structured and not so (presumably) large?
FrontierVille St. Patrick's Day Celebration Goals: Everything you need to know
Along with the two new missions in FrontierVille that will have you hunting Leprechauns, the game has also seen the release of a five-part mission series called "St. Patrick's Day Celebration." The first goal in this mission set asks you to harvest both Cabbage and Potatoes, so if you tackle this mission along with the first mission of the Leprechaun goals, you can actually complete a bit of this quest in the same step, saving some time.
Tend 25 Cows
Harvest 30 Cabbage
Harvest 50 Potatoes
Luckily, these Cows really do only need to be tended; you don't have to sell them. As for the cabbage, it can be harvested after 16 hours, while the potatoes take just four. Remember, if you have a lot of neighbors that have yet to visit your land, you can simply ask them to come over and water these crops, as that will count as harvesting back in your own game, and it can save you a lot of time (especially with the cabbage). Completing this mission rewards you with 50 Food, 300 coins and 50 XP.
Part II of V will require you to actually sell some animals, so I hope you've been stocking up on adult goats.
Sell 30 Adult Goats
Chop Trees 100 times
Collect 15 Uilleanns
Uilleanns are the national bagpipe of Ireland, and you'll need to ask your friends to send you these items. Meanwhile, feel free to purchase some saplings from the store if you don't have grown trees on your land to chop down. For finishing this quest, you'll receive 5 Tools, 200 coins, and 200 XP.
Part III of V has you harvesting quite a few crops, but luckily they don't take very long to grow.
Tend 20 Wheat on Neighbors' Homesteads
Harvest 80 Clover
Have 3 Apple Cider
Clovers take only five minutes to grow, so hopefully, while you're waiting that short time to harvest your Clover, you can head over to four neighbor homesteads (at least) and help them with their Wheat. Apple Cider, meanwhile, is a part of the Apple Tree collection. As this isn't a frequently needed item in the game (but harvesting Apple Trees is) you'll likely have plenty of these on hand to spare. Finishing this quest gives you 175 XP and 500 coins.
Part IV of V has you collecting another type of collectible item, and this one should be just as easy to earn.
Have one Four Leaf Clover
Clear 2 Rocks
Collect 10 St. Patrick's Day Decorations
The Four Leaf Clover is part of the Clover Collection, so if you don't have one on hand before starting this mission series, you will likely earn one when you harvest the 80 Clover needed above. Meanwhile, you'll need to ask your friends to send you the St. Patrick's Day Decorations to finish this quest. Doing so will reward you with 100 XP and one Keg of Green Liquid, a themed decorative item.
Finally, Part V of V has you going back to the original purpose of these St. Patrick's Day goals - that being to introduce the Leprechaun "varmint" on your land.
Hire Four Neighbors
Visit 30 Neighbors
Chase 3 Leprechauns
If you don't have 30 neighbors on your account, simply wait another day until your visiting counter resets, and you should be able to finish this step with ease. Meanwhile, planting Clover is a quick way to bring out Leprechauns, as it can be harvested in just five minutes, and you may even receive all three Leprechauns in a single harvest, if you planted enough Clover at one time. Finishing this final mission rewards you with 300 XP, a Rainbow decorative item, and one Pot of Gold - an item that also happens to be the prize for turning in the new St. Patrick's Day collection.
And there you have it - a goal series that isn't as difficult as many of the others in the game, but should provide you with plenty of entertainment, even if it only comes in the end as you're chasing Leprechauns from your land (c'mon, I can't be the only one that finds it funny... am I?).
Check out the rest of our St. Patrick's Day 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of these St. Patrick's Day goals in FrontierVille? Do you enjoy planting and harvesting this much clover, as opposed to other crops?
Tend 25 Cows
Harvest 30 Cabbage
Harvest 50 Potatoes
Luckily, these Cows really do only need to be tended; you don't have to sell them. As for the cabbage, it can be harvested after 16 hours, while the potatoes take just four. Remember, if you have a lot of neighbors that have yet to visit your land, you can simply ask them to come over and water these crops, as that will count as harvesting back in your own game, and it can save you a lot of time (especially with the cabbage). Completing this mission rewards you with 50 Food, 300 coins and 50 XP.
Part II of V will require you to actually sell some animals, so I hope you've been stocking up on adult goats.
Sell 30 Adult Goats
Chop Trees 100 times
Collect 15 Uilleanns
Uilleanns are the national bagpipe of Ireland, and you'll need to ask your friends to send you these items. Meanwhile, feel free to purchase some saplings from the store if you don't have grown trees on your land to chop down. For finishing this quest, you'll receive 5 Tools, 200 coins, and 200 XP.
Part III of V has you harvesting quite a few crops, but luckily they don't take very long to grow.
Tend 20 Wheat on Neighbors' Homesteads
Harvest 80 Clover
Have 3 Apple Cider
Clovers take only five minutes to grow, so hopefully, while you're waiting that short time to harvest your Clover, you can head over to four neighbor homesteads (at least) and help them with their Wheat. Apple Cider, meanwhile, is a part of the Apple Tree collection. As this isn't a frequently needed item in the game (but harvesting Apple Trees is) you'll likely have plenty of these on hand to spare. Finishing this quest gives you 175 XP and 500 coins.
Part IV of V has you collecting another type of collectible item, and this one should be just as easy to earn.
Have one Four Leaf Clover
Clear 2 Rocks
Collect 10 St. Patrick's Day Decorations
The Four Leaf Clover is part of the Clover Collection, so if you don't have one on hand before starting this mission series, you will likely earn one when you harvest the 80 Clover needed above. Meanwhile, you'll need to ask your friends to send you the St. Patrick's Day Decorations to finish this quest. Doing so will reward you with 100 XP and one Keg of Green Liquid, a themed decorative item.
Finally, Part V of V has you going back to the original purpose of these St. Patrick's Day goals - that being to introduce the Leprechaun "varmint" on your land.
Hire Four Neighbors
Visit 30 Neighbors
Chase 3 Leprechauns
If you don't have 30 neighbors on your account, simply wait another day until your visiting counter resets, and you should be able to finish this step with ease. Meanwhile, planting Clover is a quick way to bring out Leprechauns, as it can be harvested in just five minutes, and you may even receive all three Leprechauns in a single harvest, if you planted enough Clover at one time. Finishing this final mission rewards you with 300 XP, a Rainbow decorative item, and one Pot of Gold - an item that also happens to be the prize for turning in the new St. Patrick's Day collection.
And there you have it - a goal series that isn't as difficult as many of the others in the game, but should provide you with plenty of entertainment, even if it only comes in the end as you're chasing Leprechauns from your land (c'mon, I can't be the only one that finds it funny... am I?).
Check out the rest of our St. Patrick's Day 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of these St. Patrick's Day goals in FrontierVille? Do you enjoy planting and harvesting this much clover, as opposed to other crops?
FrontierVille: Badges now available for catching Leprechauns
Along with today's release of the Leprechaun Hunting goals in FrontierVille, that see you, as the name suggests, catching Leprechauns (a new type of varmint in the game that appears when harvesting Clover, Cabbage, or Potatoes), there is also a new quarter of badges up for grabs for doing just that.
The first stage in this badge is called "Hearts Over Yellow Moons" and it requires you to catch just 3 Leprechauns. According to FrontierVille Legend, you'll receive 300 XP and 70 coins for earning this first badge.
The other three badges are listed as follows:
Orange Stars in Clover: 10 Leprechauns - Rewards 1,000 XP and 300 coins
Horseshoes for Diamonds: 25 Leprechauns - Rewards 2,500 XP and 3,700 coins
Red Balloons and a Pot of Gold: 50 Leprechauns - Rewards 5,000 XP and 7,337 coins
While that is an interesting coin reward for the final badge, I think we can all agree that the main reason for completing badges is for the massive XP prizes, and not the coins. Whatever the case, these badges don't have a time limit listed next to them, so you shouldn't have to worry about hunting that many leprechauns too quickly. We'll make sure to let you know if that changes in the future.
Check out the rest of our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
What do you think of the new Leprechaun "varmint?" Will these badges give you more incentive to plant the three crops that can bring them out, or will you actually avoid planting them to avoid receiving Leprechauns on your land?
The first stage in this badge is called "Hearts Over Yellow Moons" and it requires you to catch just 3 Leprechauns. According to FrontierVille Legend, you'll receive 300 XP and 70 coins for earning this first badge.
The other three badges are listed as follows:
Orange Stars in Clover: 10 Leprechauns - Rewards 1,000 XP and 300 coins
Horseshoes for Diamonds: 25 Leprechauns - Rewards 2,500 XP and 3,700 coins
Red Balloons and a Pot of Gold: 50 Leprechauns - Rewards 5,000 XP and 7,337 coins
While that is an interesting coin reward for the final badge, I think we can all agree that the main reason for completing badges is for the massive XP prizes, and not the coins. Whatever the case, these badges don't have a time limit listed next to them, so you shouldn't have to worry about hunting that many leprechauns too quickly. We'll make sure to let you know if that changes in the future.
Check out the rest of our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
What do you think of the new Leprechaun "varmint?" Will these badges give you more incentive to plant the three crops that can bring them out, or will you actually avoid planting them to avoid receiving Leprechauns on your land?
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