Unlike FarmVille, which left users eagerly anticipating the English Countryside expansion for weeks or even months, Zynga's team behind FrontierVille has started the festivities relating to the Oregon Trail just hours after releasing an official trailer for the new expansion. New content has launched in the game today, in the form of the Oregon Ho! goal that we told you about just this morning.
The goal contains the same three requirements that we told you about in our sneak peek: Collect nine pages from the Medical Journal, watch the Oregon Trail video, and collect 10 Snake Bite Kits. However, you'll receive a set of decorative items along the way that we didn't know about before (and that you can learn about behind the break). But first, the Snake Bite kits are earned through a general news post asking all of your friends for help, while the Journal pages are earned by "performing various actions on your Homestead."
Indeed, I received pages of the Medical Journal by simply accepting friends' help with feeding animals, and by clearing debris on my land. This is the same sort of setup as seen back in the Rango mission released back in February. That is, as you collect Journal pages, you won't just earn progress towards the Oregon Ho! goal, you'll also earn three exclusive items as prizes along the way.
Your three items are the Weiner Campfire, the Pelt Line (earned at six Journal pages) and the Paisley Medical Kit, which is received when you've found all nine Journal pages required. On top of all of this, for completing the Oregon Ho! mission itself, you'll also receive 100 coins, 300 XP and a Camp Pack, like the one seen at right (that normally costs more than 7,000 coins in the store).
As you're told at the beginning of this quest, Doc Auburn's nephew, Doc Paisley, is headed off to the Oregon Trail on May 30, presumably the day when the entire Oregon Trail expansion will launch. Sure, that's a long time away, but as we're already receiving tasks to work on related to the Oregon Trail, we can only imagine that the next few weeks in FrontierVille will be very interesting indeed.
What are you waiting for? You don't want to be left behind when Doc Paisley heads off on the Oregon Trail, do you? Complete this goal and then head back here to learn more of what to expect from the upcoming expansion, as we bring you all of the latest news as it becomes available. Or, you can just play the old Apple II version of the Oregon Trail that has inspired it all to pass some time. It's up to you.
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Are you excited for the Oregon Trail's release in FrontierVille? Were you hoping that the Oregon Trail would work as the English Countryside in FarmVille, giving you an entire second Homestead to build on and grow?
Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille Let's Build feature allows for faster use of building materials
Remember how we were promised a new way (a quicker way) to complete our building projects in FarmVille, by simply being allowed to more quickly use each individual building ingredient we have in our Gift Box? Well, the time for that merciful change is now, as Zynga has released the "Let's Build!" feature in the game today.
To activate this mode, simply click "Use" on any building ingredient in your Gift Box. You'll then see your farm magically (ok, maybe not magically, but automatically) transform, showing you all of the buildings/items that currently need that particular ingredient highlighted in blue. As an example, I clicked on a Shovel in my Gift Box, and was then shown a bright blue outline around my Storage Cellar and my Duck Pond, as both need Shovels to expand.
Hovering over a building turns the outline from blue to orange, and your cursor changes to show you how many of that particular ingredient you can add. In keeping with my Shovel example, you can see that I have five Shovels in my inventory, and that my Duck Pond already has two of the Shovels it needs for its next expansion. I'd simply have to click on the Duck Pond one time for each of those five Shovels to be used. That is, one click per one ingredient, not one click to use every Shovel I have.
The same can be said for my Storage Cellar. What if I chose to use just one Shovel in my Duck Pond, and spend the other four in my Storage Cellar? I don't have to return to my Gift Box, I can simply navigate by clicking and dragging to the Storage Cellar on my farm and use some of my Shovels in it instead. It's an entirely seamless process. Once you choose your building ingredient, you can use it on as many, or as few building projects as you'd like. To disable the use of building ingredients (say I wanted to save some Shovels for another time), you'd just click back on the arrow in the bottom right corner of the screen, to reactivate the "multi-tool" as my cursor.
The best part of this entire setup? It works when using Watering Cans on Mystery Seedlings as well! No more clicking and waiting for each Watering Can to be used on a single seedling and waiting for the image to catch up. You can now grow a tree in less than ten seconds! I could literally cry tears of joy.
While the new building cursor may sound complicated in writing, in practice it saves so much time, as you don't have to use each ingredient, wait for the Gift Box menu to reappear, pick your ingredient, choose the proper building and so on and so forth. This is an absolute blessing for those users that like upgrading each and every project to their highest or greatest level, and I am personally so glad and thankful to Zynga for implementing it, even if it did take them a while do to. Better late than never, right?
Do you like the new building ingredient tool in FarmVille, or did you not mind using each ingredient individually via the Gift Box?
To activate this mode, simply click "Use" on any building ingredient in your Gift Box. You'll then see your farm magically (ok, maybe not magically, but automatically) transform, showing you all of the buildings/items that currently need that particular ingredient highlighted in blue. As an example, I clicked on a Shovel in my Gift Box, and was then shown a bright blue outline around my Storage Cellar and my Duck Pond, as both need Shovels to expand.
Hovering over a building turns the outline from blue to orange, and your cursor changes to show you how many of that particular ingredient you can add. In keeping with my Shovel example, you can see that I have five Shovels in my inventory, and that my Duck Pond already has two of the Shovels it needs for its next expansion. I'd simply have to click on the Duck Pond one time for each of those five Shovels to be used. That is, one click per one ingredient, not one click to use every Shovel I have.
The same can be said for my Storage Cellar. What if I chose to use just one Shovel in my Duck Pond, and spend the other four in my Storage Cellar? I don't have to return to my Gift Box, I can simply navigate by clicking and dragging to the Storage Cellar on my farm and use some of my Shovels in it instead. It's an entirely seamless process. Once you choose your building ingredient, you can use it on as many, or as few building projects as you'd like. To disable the use of building ingredients (say I wanted to save some Shovels for another time), you'd just click back on the arrow in the bottom right corner of the screen, to reactivate the "multi-tool" as my cursor.
The best part of this entire setup? It works when using Watering Cans on Mystery Seedlings as well! No more clicking and waiting for each Watering Can to be used on a single seedling and waiting for the image to catch up. You can now grow a tree in less than ten seconds! I could literally cry tears of joy.
While the new building cursor may sound complicated in writing, in practice it saves so much time, as you don't have to use each ingredient, wait for the Gift Box menu to reappear, pick your ingredient, choose the proper building and so on and so forth. This is an absolute blessing for those users that like upgrading each and every project to their highest or greatest level, and I am personally so glad and thankful to Zynga for implementing it, even if it did take them a while do to. Better late than never, right?
Do you like the new building ingredient tool in FarmVille, or did you not mind using each ingredient individually via the Gift Box?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Gift Box update coming soon?
In an update that just might be as fantastic as the recent upgrade to building material usage in FarmVille, it looks as though a "Gift Box 2.0" of sorts (Or would we be on 3 or 4.0 by now? Anyway...) will be launching in the game soon.
While the standard buttons appears to all be here - the Re-Gift, Sell, and Use buttons - the best part about this Gift Box redesign looks to be the inclusion of sub-categories, or tabs, that we'll be able to click on to sort our items, perhaps by theme, or by animal, building, and decoration type, just like we do in the game's marketplace.
While this could just be coincidental, it's also worth pointing out the quantities of these placeholder items (yes, all of which are apparently watering cans). If they are all available in quantities of 122, then that gives us the thought that perhaps an expanded Gift Box capacity will be coming with it. Either way, if you're an item saver, that tends to always hover around the 500 item cap (like I do), the new sorting ability will definitely be better than nothing.
[Via and image credit: FV Nation]
What do you think of the upcoming changes to the FarmVille Gift Box? Would you collect more items from your friends' news feed posts if the Gox Box limit was increased or removed entirely? How else would it affect your gameplay?
While the standard buttons appears to all be here - the Re-Gift, Sell, and Use buttons - the best part about this Gift Box redesign looks to be the inclusion of sub-categories, or tabs, that we'll be able to click on to sort our items, perhaps by theme, or by animal, building, and decoration type, just like we do in the game's marketplace.
While this could just be coincidental, it's also worth pointing out the quantities of these placeholder items (yes, all of which are apparently watering cans). If they are all available in quantities of 122, then that gives us the thought that perhaps an expanded Gift Box capacity will be coming with it. Either way, if you're an item saver, that tends to always hover around the 500 item cap (like I do), the new sorting ability will definitely be better than nothing.
[Via and image credit: FV Nation]
What do you think of the upcoming changes to the FarmVille Gift Box? Would you collect more items from your friends' news feed posts if the Gox Box limit was increased or removed entirely? How else would it affect your gameplay?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Moat Bridge, King's Castle, Brown English Spot Rabbit
A new trio of unreleased item images have appeared for FarmVille today, with two of these items filling in the blanks seen in the massive set of moat items we brought you a sneak peek of just this week. Now, with this Moat Bridge, and the King's Castle, we'll clearly be able to build an entire medieval expanse on our land, and will be able to rest easy knowing that our imaginary citizens can walk to and from the castle safely, without falling into the deadly waters below (ok, so I guess no one says the waters have to be deadly, but it makes it more dramatic that way).
The third item is a brown recoloring of the English Spot Rabbit. We're assuming he will be called the Brown English Spot Rabbit, although there's no telling whether or not he will be released for the same cheap price as his predecessor, of it this will be yet another Farm Cash animal users will have to splurge on.
Either way, we'll make sure to bring you all of the news about these new items as they officially launch in the game, so keep checking back.
The third item is a brown recoloring of the English Spot Rabbit. We're assuming he will be called the Brown English Spot Rabbit, although there's no telling whether or not he will be released for the same cheap price as his predecessor, of it this will be yet another Farm Cash animal users will have to splurge on.
Either way, we'll make sure to bring you all of the news about these new items as they officially launch in the game, so keep checking back.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Storage menu update coming soon
While the Gift Box update that's coming to FarmVille is enough to satisfy most users (including myself) for quite some time, there is another, even more archaic system currently in place in the game that few would argue against changing. That system is the Storage menu, which lets you scroll through page after page (after page...) of decorative items and buildings, without holding your place, so you have to scroll through all of those pages again to find a subsequent item.
Needless to say, this all makes redecorating your farm for a holiday or "just because" a lot of hard work, and very time consuming. Apparently, though, just as an update is coming to the game's Gift Box, so too is a massive overhaul coming to the Storage menu. It's about time, I say! Just check out the image above, and you'll see everything we expect to launch. It looks as though there will be a way to look at both items stored on your Home Farm and your second farm via tabs at the very top, you'll be able to search for a particular item, and perhaps most importantly, you'll be able to sort your items by category, whether that item is a building, decoration and so on.
While it's likely that the Tree and Animal tabs in this placeholder image are just that - placeholders that will be changed in the final product - I personally think it would be great if we could store such items for future use. After all, this would allow you to store any trees related to a specific holiday, so that when you pull them back out, they're all the more special as you see them again as if for the first time.
Also, it's possible that an expansion to your total Storage capacity may also launch, as there is a button here dedicated to expanding your storage amount. Hopefully, Zynga has finally learned that unlimited storage is best, even if we have to work at it. It would make users purchase more items (even with Farm Cash) in the long run, if they knew they would have a place to safely store them, and not having an infinite inventory limit is simply an outdated, and unneeded limitation at this point, but maybe that opinion is just my own - what do you think?
[Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Either way, we'll make sure to keep an eye on this exciting update as it gets closer to launch. Let us know what you think of these new Storage menu options in the comments. Would you purchase more decorations if there wasn't an item limit?
Needless to say, this all makes redecorating your farm for a holiday or "just because" a lot of hard work, and very time consuming. Apparently, though, just as an update is coming to the game's Gift Box, so too is a massive overhaul coming to the Storage menu. It's about time, I say! Just check out the image above, and you'll see everything we expect to launch. It looks as though there will be a way to look at both items stored on your Home Farm and your second farm via tabs at the very top, you'll be able to search for a particular item, and perhaps most importantly, you'll be able to sort your items by category, whether that item is a building, decoration and so on.
While it's likely that the Tree and Animal tabs in this placeholder image are just that - placeholders that will be changed in the final product - I personally think it would be great if we could store such items for future use. After all, this would allow you to store any trees related to a specific holiday, so that when you pull them back out, they're all the more special as you see them again as if for the first time.
Also, it's possible that an expansion to your total Storage capacity may also launch, as there is a button here dedicated to expanding your storage amount. Hopefully, Zynga has finally learned that unlimited storage is best, even if we have to work at it. It would make users purchase more items (even with Farm Cash) in the long run, if they knew they would have a place to safely store them, and not having an infinite inventory limit is simply an outdated, and unneeded limitation at this point, but maybe that opinion is just my own - what do you think?
[Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Either way, we'll make sure to keep an eye on this exciting update as it gets closer to launch. Let us know what you think of these new Storage menu options in the comments. Would you purchase more decorations if there wasn't an item limit?
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 12, 2011
Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty takes cue from social games in China
Call of Duty
And here we though the day would never come: The pinnacle of hardcore gaming, Call of Duty (CoD), has succumbed to the pressures and potential profits of Facebook games ... in China. VentureBeat reports that Activision Blizzard announced a new CoD game today, though the game will be a free-to-play affair for Chinese audiences only (at the moment). The company made the announcement in an earnings call today, and said that it will create a "best in class digital platform" to support the game.
"Today, Call of Duty is part of the cultural landscape," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, in the earnings call. But to succeed in foreign lands, the game will have to adapt to cultural landscapes as well. Free-to-play games supported by micro-transactions are what Chinese gamers expect these days, and Activision plans to deliver. Not to mention that the company also created a studio known as Beachhead to make an online community for CoD players worldwide. The platform has been in development for two years already, and Activision expects it to be ready in time for the expected fall release of the next CoD.
According to VentureBeat, details on the next CoD developed for Western audiences will surface in the coming weeks. And Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick promised that this next CoD will be the best experience that the company has ever made. If the company is aware of what resonates with Chinese gamers, surely it's considering the massive social games movement in the US. In fact, with EA already offering free-to-play versions of its Battlefield franchise, Kotick has at least mulled it over.
[Image Credit: G4TV]
Do you think CoD will adapt to a more social games-esque distribution model in the states as well? Would you be more interested in the franchise if it was presented like this?
And here we though the day would never come: The pinnacle of hardcore gaming, Call of Duty (CoD), has succumbed to the pressures and potential profits of Facebook games ... in China. VentureBeat reports that Activision Blizzard announced a new CoD game today, though the game will be a free-to-play affair for Chinese audiences only (at the moment). The company made the announcement in an earnings call today, and said that it will create a "best in class digital platform" to support the game.
"Today, Call of Duty is part of the cultural landscape," said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, in the earnings call. But to succeed in foreign lands, the game will have to adapt to cultural landscapes as well. Free-to-play games supported by micro-transactions are what Chinese gamers expect these days, and Activision plans to deliver. Not to mention that the company also created a studio known as Beachhead to make an online community for CoD players worldwide. The platform has been in development for two years already, and Activision expects it to be ready in time for the expected fall release of the next CoD.
According to VentureBeat, details on the next CoD developed for Western audiences will surface in the coming weeks. And Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick promised that this next CoD will be the best experience that the company has ever made. If the company is aware of what resonates with Chinese gamers, surely it's considering the massive social games movement in the US. In fact, with EA already offering free-to-play versions of its Battlefield franchise, Kotick has at least mulled it over.
[Image Credit: G4TV]
Do you think CoD will adapt to a more social games-esque distribution model in the states as well? Would you be more interested in the franchise if it was presented like this?
FarmVille Tips & Tricks: Quickly master trees with Orchard rotation
It's no question that the higher the level you reach in FarmVille, the less new things you have to work on. That is, by the time you reach level 75 and above, you've likely come to greatly understand bushels, crafting, animal breeding and the like, and might be looking for something else to occupy your time. I was in such a situation until I finally decided to hunker down and master the dozens of tree types that were quickly filling my Home Farm.
Sure, Tree Mastery has been around for some time now, but if you're only casually participating, or you delete more trees than you plant, you're missing out on a fine opportunity to expand your Mastery Sign collection by leaps and bounds. Luckily, there's a surefire way to master each tree much more quickly than if you had simply left the trees to grow on their own, harvesting them every two days (or less often) and then moving on, and this all has to do with your Orchards.
For those that have yet to undertake the Orchard Rotation trick to master trees in FarmVille, we've got a detailed guide on how to get you started. Just be warned - once you start, this addictive (yet admittedly time consuming) process might pull you in and you won't want to stop!
First and foremost, there are some ground rules to consider. Most importantly, the amount of time it will take you to master a particular tree will be greatly decreased by each individual Orchard you have. If you're going to undertake the Orchard Rotation strategy, you'll want to build as many Orchards as you have materials to build. I'd suggest having at least 10 on hand at all times, if you really want to earn the most bang for your proverbial buck.
From there, you'll need to make sure that your trees are organized. The best way to master trees is if you've been able to assort all of your trees in groups of like-species, so that all of your available trees can be used in this trick at the same time. To setup your farm, you'll want to place just one tree (either the type of tree you're trying to master, or some random species) into each Orchard, so that the overall Orchard becomes "ready" to harvest as normal. Place all of your desired trees to master in the first Orchard on a line, and then wait for everything to become "ready" to harvest before moving on.
Once your farm looks similar to the picture above (I keep each Orchards separate visually by placing incredibly different trees in each as the "starter" tree), you can begin. Each time your full set of Orchards is ready to harvest, click to harvest the Orchard that's full of your current active tree. If you're like me, you'll gain up to 19 individual mastery points with that single click. From there, do not harvest any of your other Orchards, but instead, remove all of the trees from the Orchard you just harvested, and place those trees into the next Orchard in the line (remember to leave one tree inside). Since you haven't harvested the second Orchard, these moved trees will instantly take on the "ready" status of the entire thing. Once full, harvest the second Orchard, earning another 19 points of mastery.
And so on and so forth the system goes. It's best to click slowly as you move trees from one Orchard to another, so that you don't accidentally harvest a ready Orchard before it's full (trust me, I've done it before, and losing all of those points is disappointing, to say the least). Once you've harvested every Orchard in your possession, you'll be pleased to know that you will have earned dozens or even hundreds of mastery points, all on a single type of tree, all within a single 10-15 minute session simply by following this plan.
Again, the more Orchards you have, and the more trees you have of that particular type, the more effective this strategy will be. We'd suggest even leaving some excess trees outside of your Orchard, if you have that many extras, so that they can continue to grow as normal (a few extra points never hurt, after all). In this way, you'll quickly find that you can take a tree that requires over 500 points to master, and whittle that point-earning process to a matter of a week or even just a few days (again, depending on the number of Orchards you own).
Orchard rotation may take up a lot of your free time, but with Orchards only becoming "ready" once every two days, those extra-long gameplay sessions don't have to take over your life. And as the mastery signs start piling up, I'm sure you'll agree that the process is worth the hassle. We can only hope that Zynga doesn't remove this "exploit" of sorts from the game to ruin our fun, but for now, take advantage of this great earning potential while you can!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Tips & Tricks right here.
Do you currently use the Orchard Rotation strategy to quickly master trees? Do you consider this to be "cheating," or just an effective use of items already freely available in the game?
Sure, Tree Mastery has been around for some time now, but if you're only casually participating, or you delete more trees than you plant, you're missing out on a fine opportunity to expand your Mastery Sign collection by leaps and bounds. Luckily, there's a surefire way to master each tree much more quickly than if you had simply left the trees to grow on their own, harvesting them every two days (or less often) and then moving on, and this all has to do with your Orchards.
For those that have yet to undertake the Orchard Rotation trick to master trees in FarmVille, we've got a detailed guide on how to get you started. Just be warned - once you start, this addictive (yet admittedly time consuming) process might pull you in and you won't want to stop!
First and foremost, there are some ground rules to consider. Most importantly, the amount of time it will take you to master a particular tree will be greatly decreased by each individual Orchard you have. If you're going to undertake the Orchard Rotation strategy, you'll want to build as many Orchards as you have materials to build. I'd suggest having at least 10 on hand at all times, if you really want to earn the most bang for your proverbial buck.
From there, you'll need to make sure that your trees are organized. The best way to master trees is if you've been able to assort all of your trees in groups of like-species, so that all of your available trees can be used in this trick at the same time. To setup your farm, you'll want to place just one tree (either the type of tree you're trying to master, or some random species) into each Orchard, so that the overall Orchard becomes "ready" to harvest as normal. Place all of your desired trees to master in the first Orchard on a line, and then wait for everything to become "ready" to harvest before moving on.
Once your farm looks similar to the picture above (I keep each Orchards separate visually by placing incredibly different trees in each as the "starter" tree), you can begin. Each time your full set of Orchards is ready to harvest, click to harvest the Orchard that's full of your current active tree. If you're like me, you'll gain up to 19 individual mastery points with that single click. From there, do not harvest any of your other Orchards, but instead, remove all of the trees from the Orchard you just harvested, and place those trees into the next Orchard in the line (remember to leave one tree inside). Since you haven't harvested the second Orchard, these moved trees will instantly take on the "ready" status of the entire thing. Once full, harvest the second Orchard, earning another 19 points of mastery.
And so on and so forth the system goes. It's best to click slowly as you move trees from one Orchard to another, so that you don't accidentally harvest a ready Orchard before it's full (trust me, I've done it before, and losing all of those points is disappointing, to say the least). Once you've harvested every Orchard in your possession, you'll be pleased to know that you will have earned dozens or even hundreds of mastery points, all on a single type of tree, all within a single 10-15 minute session simply by following this plan.
Again, the more Orchards you have, and the more trees you have of that particular type, the more effective this strategy will be. We'd suggest even leaving some excess trees outside of your Orchard, if you have that many extras, so that they can continue to grow as normal (a few extra points never hurt, after all). In this way, you'll quickly find that you can take a tree that requires over 500 points to master, and whittle that point-earning process to a matter of a week or even just a few days (again, depending on the number of Orchards you own).
Orchard rotation may take up a lot of your free time, but with Orchards only becoming "ready" once every two days, those extra-long gameplay sessions don't have to take over your life. And as the mastery signs start piling up, I'm sure you'll agree that the process is worth the hassle. We can only hope that Zynga doesn't remove this "exploit" of sorts from the game to ruin our fun, but for now, take advantage of this great earning potential while you can!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Tips & Tricks right here.
Do you currently use the Orchard Rotation strategy to quickly master trees? Do you consider this to be "cheating," or just an effective use of items already freely available in the game?
FrontierVille: Varmints no longer cause red areas on Homesteads
Many FrontierVille players might have already noticed that Varmints have been changed drastically in the game, but if you haven't noticed a difference, here's your heads-up. What's the change? Each time a Varmint appears on your Homestead, you will no longer see a large red area surrounding the animal, eliminating the need to confirm any actions within that area, as they cost an "extra energy" to complete - not that the extra energy was actually ever used, mind you, so the entire red area "feature" became pretty useless long ago.
What I first assumed was a bug, though, has now been confirmed via the official FrontierVille forums, as Community Specialist Miss Marme stated that "this [removal] was intentional and we are wondering if y'all like it or not..." Personally, I love this change. While it may not increase the appearance rate of Varmints on our land, I'm glad that I won't have to senselessly click through pop-up after pop-up as I try to chop down trees or remove debris (or worse, feed animals), just because a Snake or Fox happens to be in the surrounding area.
If you agree, please let the FrontierVille team know over on the game's forums, lest they think we don't and then turn it back on. No thanks!
What do you think of the removal of the red Varmint circles on your land? What other changes could Zynga make in FrontierVille that would make the game a more enjoyable experience for you?
What I first assumed was a bug, though, has now been confirmed via the official FrontierVille forums, as Community Specialist Miss Marme stated that "this [removal] was intentional and we are wondering if y'all like it or not..." Personally, I love this change. While it may not increase the appearance rate of Varmints on our land, I'm glad that I won't have to senselessly click through pop-up after pop-up as I try to chop down trees or remove debris (or worse, feed animals), just because a Snake or Fox happens to be in the surrounding area.
If you agree, please let the FrontierVille team know over on the game's forums, lest they think we don't and then turn it back on. No thanks!
What do you think of the removal of the red Varmint circles on your land? What other changes could Zynga make in FrontierVille that would make the game a more enjoyable experience for you?
FrontierVille: Buildings can now be stored in your Storage Shed
One of the biggest complaints many FrontierVille players have concerns an overall lack of space around the Homestead. While repeatable Storage Shed expansion missions do help us tame down the amount of decorations we have lying about, that still didn't take away the large buildings that some of no longer want on our lands, but are terrified of deleting in case we need them again in the future.
In come Zynga with a solution - some buildings can now be stored in your Storage Shed. While the list of buildings that can be stored isn't universal, Community Specialist Miss Marme was gracious enough to share with us a list of those buildings that can not be stored, so we know to not even try.
Here's the list of buildings that can't be stored currently. Unfortunately, Finkerton's Agency is on it (drats!).
Water Well
Barn
Storage Shed
Chicken Coop
General Store
School House
Barber Shop
Ponderosa Lodge
Doctor's Office
Finkerton's Detective Agency
Groundhog Trap
Beehive
New Year's Eve Dance Floor
While that list might seem pretty long, there are still quite a few buildings not on the list that we can clear off our lands (even if only temporarily, while you plant crops, or farm out Oxen for Food). Buildings like the Tailor Shop, Pony Express, Newspaper Stand, Land Office, Inn, and so on all should be able to be stored, at least by this logic (if they're not on the list, you should be able to store them, right?). Note that right now, this ability is slowly rolling out to all players, so you may not be able to store buildings for a few more hours yet.
We've also been given confirmation that this isn't part of some larger mission series or anything sinister - it will simply roll around to your land and will go into effect instantly from there on in. I personally couldn't be happier for it; well, I could, but only if I could make that darn Detective Agency disappear along with everything else. Since I can't, I'll just take happiness from the items that I can store, freeing up tons of space for new goodies. Who's with me!?
Will you clear your Homestead of all buildings not on the above list? Why do you think these particular buildings can't be stored?
In come Zynga with a solution - some buildings can now be stored in your Storage Shed. While the list of buildings that can be stored isn't universal, Community Specialist Miss Marme was gracious enough to share with us a list of those buildings that can not be stored, so we know to not even try.
Here's the list of buildings that can't be stored currently. Unfortunately, Finkerton's Agency is on it (drats!).
Water Well
Barn
Storage Shed
Chicken Coop
General Store
School House
Barber Shop
Ponderosa Lodge
Doctor's Office
Finkerton's Detective Agency
Groundhog Trap
Beehive
New Year's Eve Dance Floor
While that list might seem pretty long, there are still quite a few buildings not on the list that we can clear off our lands (even if only temporarily, while you plant crops, or farm out Oxen for Food). Buildings like the Tailor Shop, Pony Express, Newspaper Stand, Land Office, Inn, and so on all should be able to be stored, at least by this logic (if they're not on the list, you should be able to store them, right?). Note that right now, this ability is slowly rolling out to all players, so you may not be able to store buildings for a few more hours yet.
We've also been given confirmation that this isn't part of some larger mission series or anything sinister - it will simply roll around to your land and will go into effect instantly from there on in. I personally couldn't be happier for it; well, I could, but only if I could make that darn Detective Agency disappear along with everything else. Since I can't, I'll just take happiness from the items that I can store, freeing up tons of space for new goodies. Who's with me!?
Will you clear your Homestead of all buildings not on the above list? Why do you think these particular buildings can't be stored?
FarmVille: Show fewer pop-ups option removes ability to share trees
Last week, Zynga launched the option to allow folks to see less pop-ups in FarmVille. These "show fewer" windows appear after you've repeatedly canceled or "x-ed" out pop-ups to share item to your friends / news feed. While that seems like a perfect system, there's one particular area that has users very concerned due to its execution. The area? Growing Mystery Seedlings into adult trees.
For users such as myself (and the many others who have reported this issue on the FarmVille forums), we received the "show fewer" pop-up while canceling the option to ask for Watering Cans on our feeds. When I'm in a marathon tree-growing session, the last thing I want to do is spam my friends with 30+ news feed posts, all asking for watering cans, especially when I currently have enough of them in my inventory or I wouldn't have started the process in the first place. So, being given the option to skip these pop-ups seems perfect, right? Unfortunately not, as canceling the Watering Can windows also seems to have permanently removed the ability to share any fully grown trees with your friends. Uh oh.
farmville pop ups share trees
For tree collectors, one of the easiest ways (and most fun ways) of expanding your collection is to claim those adult trees grown by your friends. After all, if you chose not to purchase a particular tree from the store for Farm Cash, you can find one, absolutely free, from a friend. But now, these pop-ups have vanished for those users that simply didn't want to spam watering can requests.
As of this writing, Zynga has yet to make an official statement on the matter, but it does raise an interesting question. Have we brought this on ourselves? Or has Zynga's lack of an explanation only made things more confusing and compacted the error? On one hand, we did request to see less pop-ups, but when we allow the show fewer pop-ups stipulation to take hold when dealing with watering cans only, there's nothing logically stating that it should extend to every aspect of the tree growing process. Perhaps Zynga should better layout the ground rules for these "show fewer" windows when they appear, letting us know exactly which windows will vanish, and which we'll still see.
Until then (or until they release a way for us to "undo" our choices), I suppose the best thing would be to avoid these pop-ups when doing anything related to your trees, lest you end up in the same boat as we are - with a group of disappointed friends who can no longer claim your free trees. Yikes!
Have you experienced this issue on your farm, where you wanted to turn off one kind of pop-up, but actually saw the removal of all tree pop-ups?
For users such as myself (and the many others who have reported this issue on the FarmVille forums), we received the "show fewer" pop-up while canceling the option to ask for Watering Cans on our feeds. When I'm in a marathon tree-growing session, the last thing I want to do is spam my friends with 30+ news feed posts, all asking for watering cans, especially when I currently have enough of them in my inventory or I wouldn't have started the process in the first place. So, being given the option to skip these pop-ups seems perfect, right? Unfortunately not, as canceling the Watering Can windows also seems to have permanently removed the ability to share any fully grown trees with your friends. Uh oh.
farmville pop ups share trees
For tree collectors, one of the easiest ways (and most fun ways) of expanding your collection is to claim those adult trees grown by your friends. After all, if you chose not to purchase a particular tree from the store for Farm Cash, you can find one, absolutely free, from a friend. But now, these pop-ups have vanished for those users that simply didn't want to spam watering can requests.
As of this writing, Zynga has yet to make an official statement on the matter, but it does raise an interesting question. Have we brought this on ourselves? Or has Zynga's lack of an explanation only made things more confusing and compacted the error? On one hand, we did request to see less pop-ups, but when we allow the show fewer pop-ups stipulation to take hold when dealing with watering cans only, there's nothing logically stating that it should extend to every aspect of the tree growing process. Perhaps Zynga should better layout the ground rules for these "show fewer" windows when they appear, letting us know exactly which windows will vanish, and which we'll still see.
Until then (or until they release a way for us to "undo" our choices), I suppose the best thing would be to avoid these pop-ups when doing anything related to your trees, lest you end up in the same boat as we are - with a group of disappointed friends who can no longer claim your free trees. Yikes!
Have you experienced this issue on your farm, where you wanted to turn off one kind of pop-up, but actually saw the removal of all tree pop-ups?
Chủ Nhật, 25 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille: Storage Transfer between farms (finally) coming soon
I'd hate to sound cliche, but this truly is a time to rejoice: Storage Transfer between farms in FarmVille is coming. So, go on and rejoice. (Are you doing it yet? Good.) The FarmVille Examiner reports that the long-awaited feature will be released as a reward for completing the final Goal in the English Countryside series. Storage will essentially be something that exists between farms, meaning if you put an item in Storage on one farm, and take that item out of Storage on the other, it will be as if it was there the whole time. That's because, really, it was. It's unknown exactly when this new feature will arrive, but you better believe that when it does we'll be all over it.
FrontierVille Cheats & Tips: How to get ahead without neighbors
Look, we know social games are all about making friends and fostering relationships, but sometimes you simply don't have the time to wait around for your friends to answer that help request. Thankfully, FrontierVille Info reader Anna has come up with a solution to the problem. (And we're bummed we didn't think of it sooner.) Just make a few mock Facebook accounts.
OK, we know it sounds a bit ... off-putting. But so long as you don't abuse the power of Facebook, it's all good--especially considering how militant Facebook has become on shutting down suspicious accounts. But follow our simple two-step process and you should be just fine (and much better off for it).
1. Fraud is Fun's Best Friend
FrontierVille helpNow don't get your undies in a bunch--this is just Facebook, folks. You're not committing a felony here. Many of you likely have two accounts as is (one for standard use and the other for gaming). So, just sign up for an extra Gmail account or whatever mail service you prefer, and create a new account in your name.
Then, input some basic information and a relevant image. This can be a piece of art or whatever your heart desires, but it helps if you use your own face and ... human-sounding name. Then, install FrontierVille (this works with any Facebook game, really) and befriend your "true" account with both of the "fakes."
2. Reaping the Rewards
Now, every time you send a request in FrontierVille for a Goal or a new building, just use your brand new accounts to immediately send those items on over. Of course, this requires you to log in and out of your accounts somewhat rapidly, but anything beats waiting around for the one or two friends that actually respond to your requests. Anna also points out that these requests can be responded to almost every 20 minutes:
When I request an item, I go to my fake account and click the accept button. Then I copied the link of the request page then after few minutes (give it 15-20 minutes), copy paste the link again in your browser and you can send the item again.
And there you have it. A way to be self-sufficient in FrontierVille--and nearly any social game--for those pivotal moments when you just can't rely on your stable of gamer friends to come through. As an added tip, it comes especially in handy for Timed Goals and to avoid wasting Energy on crop harvests required for Goals.
OK, we know it sounds a bit ... off-putting. But so long as you don't abuse the power of Facebook, it's all good--especially considering how militant Facebook has become on shutting down suspicious accounts. But follow our simple two-step process and you should be just fine (and much better off for it).
1. Fraud is Fun's Best Friend
FrontierVille helpNow don't get your undies in a bunch--this is just Facebook, folks. You're not committing a felony here. Many of you likely have two accounts as is (one for standard use and the other for gaming). So, just sign up for an extra Gmail account or whatever mail service you prefer, and create a new account in your name.
Then, input some basic information and a relevant image. This can be a piece of art or whatever your heart desires, but it helps if you use your own face and ... human-sounding name. Then, install FrontierVille (this works with any Facebook game, really) and befriend your "true" account with both of the "fakes."
2. Reaping the Rewards
Now, every time you send a request in FrontierVille for a Goal or a new building, just use your brand new accounts to immediately send those items on over. Of course, this requires you to log in and out of your accounts somewhat rapidly, but anything beats waiting around for the one or two friends that actually respond to your requests. Anna also points out that these requests can be responded to almost every 20 minutes:
When I request an item, I go to my fake account and click the accept button. Then I copied the link of the request page then after few minutes (give it 15-20 minutes), copy paste the link again in your browser and you can send the item again.
And there you have it. A way to be self-sufficient in FrontierVille--and nearly any social game--for those pivotal moments when you just can't rely on your stable of gamer friends to come through. As an added tip, it comes especially in handy for Timed Goals and to avoid wasting Energy on crop harvests required for Goals.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Trading Post--sell crops for Coins, XP and more
Before you go off name-calling, this unreleased FarmVille Trading Post is definitely not the Farmer's Market. Though, they are similar. FarmVille Feed has found that this upcoming building will not act like normal buildings. It doesn't appear to be rotatable much less a structure that we will have to build.
It seems to be more of a feature than a building, allowing farmers to sell their harvested crops directly to other farmers for Coins, XP and even Mastery bonuses. Our guess is that this will create an economy of sorts for crops that will spur farmers to sell their goods for the inherent extra bonuses Well, in theory, at least. At any rate, enjoy the extra image behind the break.
FarmVille Trading Post promo
It seems to be more of a feature than a building, allowing farmers to sell their harvested crops directly to other farmers for Coins, XP and even Mastery bonuses. Our guess is that this will create an economy of sorts for crops that will spur farmers to sell their goods for the inherent extra bonuses Well, in theory, at least. At any rate, enjoy the extra image behind the break.
FarmVille Trading Post promo
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Curtlav's mountainside farm
Curtlav's FarmVille design takes a very different approach from the past few featured farms. Cat99 and Cynne's Gaga-themed farms were crazy and colorful. While Curtlav's mountain farm is just as technically impressive, it embraces a peaceful mood that simply wasn't present in the crazy Gaga farms.
This mountainside farm is deceptively complex. At first glance you might not realize that all the incredible depth and variable height is actually created using careful item placement and stacking. The mountains and bluffs are made up of dozens of small rocks and logs. Train tunnels, mountains, and an entire farm were all built using this technique.
Also, don't forget, there is no water in FarmVille! All those waterfalls, rivers, and lakes are created using other items such as hay bales.
Luckily, Curtlav was able to answer some of our questions about the farm. Check out what the farm-artist had to say about this awesome design:
"I've always been detail oriented and I put a lot of hours into [this farm], a couple hours here and there. I would estimate forty hours over two months.
I first made tunnels on my winter farm coming out of the mountains. Then I cleaned my winter farm up, stored everything cause I needed more crops for coins. Shortly after that I had all these logs sitting in storage so i just messed around, that's how it ended up.
I was messing around again with the rocks and said, "Hey i can make cliffs with these!" So i spent every coin I had on them. I've changed the waterfall and river three times. It wont be changed again, I'm happy with it now.
I'm more into the realistic looking farms and the art of it. I'm not even much into the farming part." - Curtlav
Curtlav's knack for details and realistic looking farms certainly shows through this mountainside farm masterpiece.
What do you think of Curtlav's farm?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
This mountainside farm is deceptively complex. At first glance you might not realize that all the incredible depth and variable height is actually created using careful item placement and stacking. The mountains and bluffs are made up of dozens of small rocks and logs. Train tunnels, mountains, and an entire farm were all built using this technique.
Also, don't forget, there is no water in FarmVille! All those waterfalls, rivers, and lakes are created using other items such as hay bales.
Luckily, Curtlav was able to answer some of our questions about the farm. Check out what the farm-artist had to say about this awesome design:
"I've always been detail oriented and I put a lot of hours into [this farm], a couple hours here and there. I would estimate forty hours over two months.
I first made tunnels on my winter farm coming out of the mountains. Then I cleaned my winter farm up, stored everything cause I needed more crops for coins. Shortly after that I had all these logs sitting in storage so i just messed around, that's how it ended up.
I was messing around again with the rocks and said, "Hey i can make cliffs with these!" So i spent every coin I had on them. I've changed the waterfall and river three times. It wont be changed again, I'm happy with it now.
I'm more into the realistic looking farms and the art of it. I'm not even much into the farming part." - Curtlav
Curtlav's knack for details and realistic looking farms certainly shows through this mountainside farm masterpiece.
What do you think of Curtlav's farm?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Father's Day Trees pay homage to the go-to gift
You gotta' love Zynga for its sense of humor sometimes. Father's Day approaches, and FarmVille will soon get a brand new tree to commemorate the fine holiday that honors poppa dukes everywhere. This new Father's Day Tree is essentially a tree of ties, the ultimate gift every self-respecting son and daughter can rely on. However, what's even better is the ties on the tree begin plainly-colored department store items, but as the tree matures they gain stripes and styles you'd find in your chic downtown tailor shop. FarmVille Feed estimates that the new trees will, as usual, appear in Mystery Seedlings before hitting the market for somewhere between 5 and 10 Farm Cash. And once we see these go-to gift trees crop up in our Orchards, you'll be the first to know.
Thứ Năm, 22 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille Vineyard Buildings: Tasting Room and Wine Cellar bring sophistication to the barnyard
Tonight's FarmVille update brought with it a set of buildings in the new Vineyard theme that aren't just for adults. The new Tasting Room and Wine Cellar may deal with wine and alcohol, but hey - it's just a game! Unfortunately, the prices of these buildings are likely to leave a sour taste in your mouth, as they're both premium.
The Tasting Room costs 20 Farm Cash and rewards you with 2,000 XP for purchasing it, while the Wine Cellar is a slightly larger building that costs more to match: 25 Farm Cash, to be exact (you'll receive, you guessed it, 2,500 XP for your purchase).
What's odd here is that while there are new buildings, animals, and even decorations in this Vineyard theme, there aren't any trees (thus far)! Hopefully Zynga will rectify this oversight (granted, it was likely intentional) soon, and we'll make sure to let you know either way if they do.
Will you purchase either of these Vineyard buildings for your farm? Do you like your farm to look more sophisticated and refined, or fun and a bit whacky?
The Tasting Room costs 20 Farm Cash and rewards you with 2,000 XP for purchasing it, while the Wine Cellar is a slightly larger building that costs more to match: 25 Farm Cash, to be exact (you'll receive, you guessed it, 2,500 XP for your purchase).
What's odd here is that while there are new buildings, animals, and even decorations in this Vineyard theme, there aren't any trees (thus far)! Hopefully Zynga will rectify this oversight (granted, it was likely intentional) soon, and we'll make sure to let you know either way if they do.
Will you purchase either of these Vineyard buildings for your farm? Do you like your farm to look more sophisticated and refined, or fun and a bit whacky?
FarmVille Vineyard Decorations: Vineyard Carriage, Vine Arch, Grape Trellis and more
If you're looking for some Vineyard-themed items to add to your farm(s) in FarmVille, today is definitely the day to go shopping, as the new Vineyard theme has launched, bringing with it a series of new decorations, most of which (unfortunately) cost Farm Cash.
A new Vineyard Fountain costs 18 Farm Cash, and is the most expensive of the decorative items, while a Vineyard Carriage will allow your imaginary visitors to travel about the farm in style for 10 Farm Cash. There's a large Grape Trellis that costs 2 Farm Cash, and finally a Vine Arch and single piece of Vineyard Fence that go for 10,000 coins and 6,000 coins each, respectively.
You know, just once I'd love to see a theme released with only one or two Farm Cash items entirely, while the rest go for coins, but unfortunately, today just isn't that day. As it stands, you've got two weeks to shop for these items, and we'll make sure to let you know if/when Zynga adds additional items to the theme in the future, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these Vineyard decorations? Is 18 Farm Cash too much to ask for a single fountain? Will you add some of this intricate fencing to your farm?
A new Vineyard Fountain costs 18 Farm Cash, and is the most expensive of the decorative items, while a Vineyard Carriage will allow your imaginary visitors to travel about the farm in style for 10 Farm Cash. There's a large Grape Trellis that costs 2 Farm Cash, and finally a Vine Arch and single piece of Vineyard Fence that go for 10,000 coins and 6,000 coins each, respectively.
You know, just once I'd love to see a theme released with only one or two Farm Cash items entirely, while the rest go for coins, but unfortunately, today just isn't that day. As it stands, you've got two weeks to shop for these items, and we'll make sure to let you know if/when Zynga adds additional items to the theme in the future, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these Vineyard decorations? Is 18 Farm Cash too much to ask for a single fountain? Will you add some of this intricate fencing to your farm?
FarmVille French Animal Mystery Game (07/24/11): Win them all and earn a Unicorn for free
This week's FarmVille Mystery Game has launched, with this game containing a series of French-themed animals, including a unicorn, which is sure to make a large portion of farmers go nuts with excitement (as they're one of the most popular kinds of animals in the game). However, the way to earn this unicorn is actually different, as a huge change as come to the way we play Mystery Games.
You see, in order to win the French Unicorn from this week's game, you first need to win all six of the other animals available in the game, at which point you'll be given the Unicorn for "free." Let's make this a bit clearer - even if you were to be so extremely lucky as to win each of the six animals on your first try, without wasting any darts, you'll still need to spend 120 Farm Cash (this week's game costs 20 Farm Cash per dart) to end up with the Unicorn. Go right ahead and get angry about that one - I'm sure you're not alone.
As it stands, here are the six animals you'll end up with if you go for it:
Alpine Ibex
Black Percheron (horse)
European Boar
French Bulldog
Gallic Rooster
Raccoon Dog
Personally, the Gallic Rooster is one of the prettiest animals I've seen in the game in quite some time, and that Raccoon Dog is so cute that I could squeal, so while there are some cute items in this week's game, I'm not so sure that the French Unicorn is worth the hassle (and cost) of earning them all, especially in a single week's time. I know there are plenty of farmers that will play along though, and to them I wish good luck. Let us know how it goes!
Will you be throwing any darts at this week's Mystery Game board? Which of the six animals did you win? Which animal were you actually hoping to receive? Will you try to earn all six for the free French Unicorn?
You see, in order to win the French Unicorn from this week's game, you first need to win all six of the other animals available in the game, at which point you'll be given the Unicorn for "free." Let's make this a bit clearer - even if you were to be so extremely lucky as to win each of the six animals on your first try, without wasting any darts, you'll still need to spend 120 Farm Cash (this week's game costs 20 Farm Cash per dart) to end up with the Unicorn. Go right ahead and get angry about that one - I'm sure you're not alone.
As it stands, here are the six animals you'll end up with if you go for it:
Alpine Ibex
Black Percheron (horse)
European Boar
French Bulldog
Gallic Rooster
Raccoon Dog
Personally, the Gallic Rooster is one of the prettiest animals I've seen in the game in quite some time, and that Raccoon Dog is so cute that I could squeal, so while there are some cute items in this week's game, I'm not so sure that the French Unicorn is worth the hassle (and cost) of earning them all, especially in a single week's time. I know there are plenty of farmers that will play along though, and to them I wish good luck. Let us know how it goes!
Will you be throwing any darts at this week's Mystery Game board? Which of the six animals did you win? Which animal were you actually hoping to receive? Will you try to earn all six for the free French Unicorn?
FarmVille: More Farm Aides bundles now available for Farm Cash
While FarmVille farmers have had the opportunity to purchase items like cans of Fuel, Animal Feed, and even Fertilize All (among other "Farm Aides") from the store for some time now, if you're looking to spend even more Farm Cash on larger bulk purchases (or perhaps purchase something that's "in between" two that are already available) you now can, as Zynga has released a whole series of new "buy more and save" bundles in the store.
As you might have guessed, some of these bundles are incredibly expensive, so don't get too excited right off of the bat. Here's what's available:
80 Fuel Refills - 85 Farm Cash
7 Turbo Chargers - 14 Farm Cash
5 Farmhands - 20 Farm Cash
5 Fertilize All - 20 Farm Cash
5 Arborists - 15 Farm Cash
15 Love Potions - 28 Farm Cash
10 Animal Feed - 5 Farm Cash
45 Bottles - 35 Farm Cash
20 Bottles - 16 Farm Cash
15 Watering Cans - 10 Farm Cash
Of course, the value of each of these packages can really only truly be determined by you, the players. If you're a big sheep or pig breeder, you might look at those Love Potion and Bottle bundles as bargains, but someone who's more interested in crop mastery might be willing to purchase the Fuel Refills instead. Sure, buying any of these items is completely voluntary, but I suppose if anything, it's nice to have more options, right?
Will you purchase any of these Farm Aide bundles, or will you save your Farm Cash for decorations, animals and the like?
As you might have guessed, some of these bundles are incredibly expensive, so don't get too excited right off of the bat. Here's what's available:
80 Fuel Refills - 85 Farm Cash
7 Turbo Chargers - 14 Farm Cash
5 Farmhands - 20 Farm Cash
5 Fertilize All - 20 Farm Cash
5 Arborists - 15 Farm Cash
15 Love Potions - 28 Farm Cash
10 Animal Feed - 5 Farm Cash
45 Bottles - 35 Farm Cash
20 Bottles - 16 Farm Cash
15 Watering Cans - 10 Farm Cash
Of course, the value of each of these packages can really only truly be determined by you, the players. If you're a big sheep or pig breeder, you might look at those Love Potion and Bottle bundles as bargains, but someone who's more interested in crop mastery might be willing to purchase the Fuel Refills instead. Sure, buying any of these items is completely voluntary, but I suppose if anything, it's nice to have more options, right?
Will you purchase any of these Farm Aide bundles, or will you save your Farm Cash for decorations, animals and the like?
FarmVille: More Farm Aides bundles now available for Farm Cash
While FarmVille farmers have had the opportunity to purchase items like cans of Fuel, Animal Feed, and even Fertilize All (among other "Farm Aides") from the store for some time now, if you're looking to spend even more Farm Cash on larger bulk purchases (or perhaps purchase something that's "in between" two that are already available) you now can, as Zynga has released a whole series of new "buy more and save" bundles in the store.
As you might have guessed, some of these bundles are incredibly expensive, so don't get too excited right off of the bat. Here's what's available:
80 Fuel Refills - 85 Farm Cash
7 Turbo Chargers - 14 Farm Cash
5 Farmhands - 20 Farm Cash
5 Fertilize All - 20 Farm Cash
5 Arborists - 15 Farm Cash
15 Love Potions - 28 Farm Cash
10 Animal Feed - 5 Farm Cash
45 Bottles - 35 Farm Cash
20 Bottles - 16 Farm Cash
15 Watering Cans - 10 Farm Cash
Of course, the value of each of these packages can really only truly be determined by you, the players. If you're a big sheep or pig breeder, you might look at those Love Potion and Bottle bundles as bargains, but someone who's more interested in crop mastery might be willing to purchase the Fuel Refills instead. Sure, buying any of these items is completely voluntary, but I suppose if anything, it's nice to have more options, right?
Will you purchase any of these Farm Aide bundles, or will you save your Farm Cash for decorations, animals and the like?
As you might have guessed, some of these bundles are incredibly expensive, so don't get too excited right off of the bat. Here's what's available:
80 Fuel Refills - 85 Farm Cash
7 Turbo Chargers - 14 Farm Cash
5 Farmhands - 20 Farm Cash
5 Fertilize All - 20 Farm Cash
5 Arborists - 15 Farm Cash
15 Love Potions - 28 Farm Cash
10 Animal Feed - 5 Farm Cash
45 Bottles - 35 Farm Cash
20 Bottles - 16 Farm Cash
15 Watering Cans - 10 Farm Cash
Of course, the value of each of these packages can really only truly be determined by you, the players. If you're a big sheep or pig breeder, you might look at those Love Potion and Bottle bundles as bargains, but someone who's more interested in crop mastery might be willing to purchase the Fuel Refills instead. Sure, buying any of these items is completely voluntary, but I suppose if anything, it's nice to have more options, right?
Will you purchase any of these Farm Aide bundles, or will you save your Farm Cash for decorations, animals and the like?
FrontierVille Pioneer Trail Sneak Peek: Trader Bart on Avalanche Pass
As we begin to pass the halfway point to the long-awaited Pioneer Trail expansion release, Zynga teases us once more with this FrontierVille screen shot. It's of a new face, Trader Bart, a man who will be waiting for us on the Avalanche Pass. It looks as if we'll be needing more help than our friends can provide, as Bart will be able to sell players items for use on the trail.
And, judging by his horse's illustrious hair do, I'd say it would be alright to take Bart on his word. I mean, any guy who can style his horse that way must know something about something, no? But just don't hang around his cart for too long, unless you want to get buried again. (Is this hinting toward movement being a gameplay consideration? Possibilities!)
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you psyched to see another face on the Pioneer Trail? Have you been working toward its release?
And, judging by his horse's illustrious hair do, I'd say it would be alright to take Bart on his word. I mean, any guy who can style his horse that way must know something about something, no? But just don't hang around his cart for too long, unless you want to get buried again. (Is this hinting toward movement being a gameplay consideration? Possibilities!)
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you psyched to see another face on the Pioneer Trail? Have you been working toward its release?
Angry Birds maker soars into lawsuit with Lodsys over patent violation
Golly, what have the Angry Birds crashed their impervious beaks into now? Oh ... really? That's a bummer. The Telegraph reports that Rovio, the Finnish developer of the infamous Angry Birds games, is facing a patent violation lawsuit from Lodsys. The Texan company alleges that Rovio has violated a patent filed by Lodsys regarding how players purchase levels from within the game.
According to the Telegraph, the control of this alleged in-app payment system has limited several European game developers from launching stateside, but not Rovio. The developer sells millions daily on everything from purchases of the game to Angry Birds plush dolls.
So, it's understandable why a company with such a patent would want to probe that a bit. In fact, the Telegraph reports that the lawsuit has scared lots of European mobile game developers from the US App Store. We've contacted both parties for comment.
[Via Mashable]
How do you think this lawsuit could affect Rovio's day-to-day? Does this make Angry Birds any less appealing of a game to you?
According to the Telegraph, the control of this alleged in-app payment system has limited several European game developers from launching stateside, but not Rovio. The developer sells millions daily on everything from purchases of the game to Angry Birds plush dolls.
So, it's understandable why a company with such a patent would want to probe that a bit. In fact, the Telegraph reports that the lawsuit has scared lots of European mobile game developers from the US App Store. We've contacted both parties for comment.
[Via Mashable]
How do you think this lawsuit could affect Rovio's day-to-day? Does this make Angry Birds any less appealing of a game to you?
Thứ Sáu, 16 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille Mystery Game (09/18/11): Livestock animals come to the farm
In tonight's FarmVille update, we see a new round of animals hit the Mystery Game, with this week's theme (understandably) revolving around the new Livestock Pen released just last week. That means that for the price of 20 Farm Cash per dart, you can play this week's game to walk away with six (potentially seven) animals that can be stored, and subsequently bred (if you're lucky) inside that very Livestock Pen.
Here's the rundown of this week's animals:
Arapawa Island Pig
Barbados Sheep
Berkshire Pig
Dutch Landrace Goat
Girgentana Goat
Valais Goat
While you're not guaranteed to receive all six of these animals in the first six darts you throw, keep in mind that if you can manage to "win" all six during this week's game (again, that will be an incredibly pricey endeavor, even if you're really lucky), you'll walk away with a seventh, free prize: the Clun Forest Sheep.
Remember, these animals will only be around a single week. Whether or not they'll ever be re-released is anyone's guess (although, I will admit the possibility is likely), so if you don't want to wait to see if that possibility comes true, make sure to try your hand at this week's Mystery Game while you can.
Which of these prizes would you most want to win by playing this week's Mystery Game? What animals did you actually win?
Here's the rundown of this week's animals:
Arapawa Island Pig
Barbados Sheep
Berkshire Pig
Dutch Landrace Goat
Girgentana Goat
Valais Goat
While you're not guaranteed to receive all six of these animals in the first six darts you throw, keep in mind that if you can manage to "win" all six during this week's game (again, that will be an incredibly pricey endeavor, even if you're really lucky), you'll walk away with a seventh, free prize: the Clun Forest Sheep.
Remember, these animals will only be around a single week. Whether or not they'll ever be re-released is anyone's guess (although, I will admit the possibility is likely), so if you don't want to wait to see if that possibility comes true, make sure to try your hand at this week's Mystery Game while you can.
Which of these prizes would you most want to win by playing this week's Mystery Game? What animals did you actually win?
FarmVille Raffle Booth (09/18/11): Black Corgi and Gazebo up for grabs
It's Sunday night again farmers, which means that it's time for the FarmVille Raffle Booth to update with new prizes. I hope you walked away with plenty of prizes from last week's drawing, but if not, you've got a chance for even more prizes this week. Sure, three of the most basic prizes are basic and expected, but the top two prizes are pretty nice and come with even better odds. Here's the lineup:
10 Special Delivery Boxes: 1:5
3 Farmhands: 1:20
5 Love Potions: 1:50
Gazebo: 1:200
Black Corgi: 1:500
While the Black Corgi is really cute, keep in mind that this dog isn't a "pet" in the game, that can be fed or trained; instead, it's a "normal" animal that can simply be kept and harvested from every few days. As usual, you'll at least one chance of winning all of these items, as you'll receive one Raffle Ticker for free. To earn extras, you'll either be able to purchase them with Farm Cash or receive them from friends as gifts. Once next Sunday rolls around, the drawing for these items will take place, and hopefully you'll walk away with the full set!
Have you ever won the top two prizes in any FarmVille Raffle Booth drawing? Which item are you most hoping to win in this week's drawing?
10 Special Delivery Boxes: 1:5
3 Farmhands: 1:20
5 Love Potions: 1:50
Gazebo: 1:200
Black Corgi: 1:500
While the Black Corgi is really cute, keep in mind that this dog isn't a "pet" in the game, that can be fed or trained; instead, it's a "normal" animal that can simply be kept and harvested from every few days. As usual, you'll at least one chance of winning all of these items, as you'll receive one Raffle Ticker for free. To earn extras, you'll either be able to purchase them with Farm Cash or receive them from friends as gifts. Once next Sunday rolls around, the drawing for these items will take place, and hopefully you'll walk away with the full set!
Have you ever won the top two prizes in any FarmVille Raffle Booth drawing? Which item are you most hoping to win in this week's drawing?
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Items: Autumn Birch Tree, Walking Pony, Meadow Sage and more
With tonight's FarmVille update, we see a continuation of the new Lighthouse Cove item theme in the game's store. Just as a reminder, it doesn't matter if you paid your way into Lighthouse Cove early, or if you're waiting for free tickets to arrive (starting tomorrow), as these items can be purchased even when you're not on the Lighthouse Cove farm itself. That means you can take a little piece of the Cove with you back to your Home Farm, if that's where you spend most of your time, as an example. Here's a complete lineup of the newly available items.
Trees
Autumn Birch - 7 Farm Cash
Weeping Birch - 15 Farm Cash
If it's not obvious, the Autumn Birch is the level one tree here, while the Weeping Birch is the level two tree, available either by purchasing it here, or by waiting for one to appear as a Mystery Seedling (your best bet is the latter option). Both of these trees are available to harvest every two days, and their first stars of mastery come at 75 harvests each.
Animals
New Hampshire Red - 20 Farm Cash
Walking Pony - 24 Farm Cash
The New Hampshire Red is a chicken that can be mastered. Its first star of mastery comes at eight harvests, and as a chicken, it can be harvested once per day, making this a fairly quick procedure (that is, in cases where you only have a single animal to pull from). As for the Walking Pony, this one will generate a foal when randomly bred in your Horse Stable, with the Walking Pony Foal being available to share with your friends.
Buildings
Coastal Sweet Store - 300,000 coins
Coastal Antique - 20 Farm Cash
Gingerbread (Cottage?) - 30 Farm Cash
Don't lose it on me now farmers, but yes, you're looking at a coin building being released in a limited edition item theme. Hopefully, this is just the first of many, as the previous few themes were incredibly lacking in coin items altogether, let alone buildings. As for the Gingerbread building, it comes with no other name besides "Gingerbread," so it's up to you to determine what kind of home/cottage/hostel it really is. We'll go with "Cottage," for the sake of argument.
Decorations
Autumn Waterfall - 20 Farm Cash
Horse Rider Statue - 30,000 coins
Town Sign - 20,000 coins
Dolphin Fountain - 12 Farm Cash
Meadow Sage - 5,000 coins
Surprisingly, more of these new decorations cost coins than Farm Cash, with the Horse Rider Statue being a fairly large item in and of itself. The Town Sign contains a miniature picture of the Lighthouse Cove lighthouse, while the Meadow Sage is a long and narrow plant, rather than something in a square shape.
All of these items will be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, so while you can shop leisurely without the fear of them expiring, don't wait too long; I wouldn't want you to forget about them entirely and then regret missing out on your favorites.
Which of these items is your favorite? Are you happy to see coin-buildings released, or are you more of a tree or animal fan
Trees
Autumn Birch - 7 Farm Cash
Weeping Birch - 15 Farm Cash
If it's not obvious, the Autumn Birch is the level one tree here, while the Weeping Birch is the level two tree, available either by purchasing it here, or by waiting for one to appear as a Mystery Seedling (your best bet is the latter option). Both of these trees are available to harvest every two days, and their first stars of mastery come at 75 harvests each.
Animals
New Hampshire Red - 20 Farm Cash
Walking Pony - 24 Farm Cash
The New Hampshire Red is a chicken that can be mastered. Its first star of mastery comes at eight harvests, and as a chicken, it can be harvested once per day, making this a fairly quick procedure (that is, in cases where you only have a single animal to pull from). As for the Walking Pony, this one will generate a foal when randomly bred in your Horse Stable, with the Walking Pony Foal being available to share with your friends.
Buildings
Coastal Sweet Store - 300,000 coins
Coastal Antique - 20 Farm Cash
Gingerbread (Cottage?) - 30 Farm Cash
Don't lose it on me now farmers, but yes, you're looking at a coin building being released in a limited edition item theme. Hopefully, this is just the first of many, as the previous few themes were incredibly lacking in coin items altogether, let alone buildings. As for the Gingerbread building, it comes with no other name besides "Gingerbread," so it's up to you to determine what kind of home/cottage/hostel it really is. We'll go with "Cottage," for the sake of argument.
Decorations
Autumn Waterfall - 20 Farm Cash
Horse Rider Statue - 30,000 coins
Town Sign - 20,000 coins
Dolphin Fountain - 12 Farm Cash
Meadow Sage - 5,000 coins
Surprisingly, more of these new decorations cost coins than Farm Cash, with the Horse Rider Statue being a fairly large item in and of itself. The Town Sign contains a miniature picture of the Lighthouse Cove lighthouse, while the Meadow Sage is a long and narrow plant, rather than something in a square shape.
All of these items will be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, so while you can shop leisurely without the fear of them expiring, don't wait too long; I wouldn't want you to forget about them entirely and then regret missing out on your favorites.
Which of these items is your favorite? Are you happy to see coin-buildings released, or are you more of a tree or animal fan
CityVille: Casa del Sol offers fun-in-the-sun living for a huge price
If you thought the Playa del Rey Apartments in CityVille were expensive, costing 75 City Cash for a population boost of 2,350 citizens (at least), try this newest building on for size. The Casa del Sol home is priced at 90 City Cash, and is also in the Mexican item theme, making it limited edition. Specifically, the Casa del Sol home will be in the game for 10 days (note that that's also one day less than the Playa del Rey Apartments).
Once you purchase the Casa del Sol, you'll have a home that starts with a whopping population of 3,000 citizens, and can be upgraded by collecting from the building (or your friends can collect from them as well; all upgrades drop randomly) to a staggering figure of 5,500 citizens. If you're looking for a quick way (albeit expensive way) to unlock that next expansion by reaching your next population goal without adding multiple homes to your town, this would definitely be an easy way to get that done. However, at a price this high, even I'm not sure it's worth it.
Still, I suppose the building's rent potential could raise its value. You'll receive 156 coins every hour if you're prompt enough to routinely collect your earnings, which would give you upwards of 3,000 coins daily, if you were really on top of things. Still, does that justify the current cost of over $11 US for this single building? I'll leave you to be the judge of that.
What do you think of the Casa del Sol in CityVille? Will you purchase one of the expensive homes for your city, or would you rather purchase multiple, cheaper buildings instead?
Once you purchase the Casa del Sol, you'll have a home that starts with a whopping population of 3,000 citizens, and can be upgraded by collecting from the building (or your friends can collect from them as well; all upgrades drop randomly) to a staggering figure of 5,500 citizens. If you're looking for a quick way (albeit expensive way) to unlock that next expansion by reaching your next population goal without adding multiple homes to your town, this would definitely be an easy way to get that done. However, at a price this high, even I'm not sure it's worth it.
Still, I suppose the building's rent potential could raise its value. You'll receive 156 coins every hour if you're prompt enough to routinely collect your earnings, which would give you upwards of 3,000 coins daily, if you were really on top of things. Still, does that justify the current cost of over $11 US for this single building? I'll leave you to be the judge of that.
What do you think of the Casa del Sol in CityVille? Will you purchase one of the expensive homes for your city, or would you rather purchase multiple, cheaper buildings instead?
Google+ releases API to developers, more social games incoming
Google+ Games is cool with its no-nonsense interface and all, but the sad fact is that it only has 16 games. Compare that to the thousands of Facebook games out there, and it's clear that Google has to do something to compete with that selection. Enter the Google+ API, which was just recently released to developers, and could lead to a plethora of more Google+ Games.
The acronym API is short for Application Programming Interface, meaning it contains the tools for developers to create new applications within a given framework--in this case being Google+. Wired reports that Google will steadily release its developer API, meaning that it will be some time before it's feature-complete. And the features not yet included are, well, kinda vital.
For instance, at the moment developers can only create apps that publish read-only public posts. For instance, if a developer like Zynga released a new social game today on Google+ Games, your friends would not be able to interact with the News Feed posts you create. You all already likely know that this is essentially the bread and butter of Facebook games. It's how things get done in-game aside from directly requesting help from friends.
The reasoning for the omission? According to PC World, Google's Eric Chabot explains that this is because the company would rather improve Google+ over time, rather open up a "vacuum" with too many features at once. I'm not sure adding simple post-sharing interactivity would create a vacuum for the platform, but it's a first step nonetheless. What Google+ Games has to deal with more in its competition with Facebook's wide offering of games is scale. The bell rings on Round 2.
[Source: Google+ Platform Blog]
Do you think developers will flock to Google+ Games, even with a limited API at launch? Does Google+ Games have a chance against Facebook's Canvas platform for games?
The acronym API is short for Application Programming Interface, meaning it contains the tools for developers to create new applications within a given framework--in this case being Google+. Wired reports that Google will steadily release its developer API, meaning that it will be some time before it's feature-complete. And the features not yet included are, well, kinda vital.
For instance, at the moment developers can only create apps that publish read-only public posts. For instance, if a developer like Zynga released a new social game today on Google+ Games, your friends would not be able to interact with the News Feed posts you create. You all already likely know that this is essentially the bread and butter of Facebook games. It's how things get done in-game aside from directly requesting help from friends.
The reasoning for the omission? According to PC World, Google's Eric Chabot explains that this is because the company would rather improve Google+ over time, rather open up a "vacuum" with too many features at once. I'm not sure adding simple post-sharing interactivity would create a vacuum for the platform, but it's a first step nonetheless. What Google+ Games has to deal with more in its competition with Facebook's wide offering of games is scale. The bell rings on Round 2.
[Source: Google+ Platform Blog]
Do you think developers will flock to Google+ Games, even with a limited API at launch? Does Google+ Games have a chance against Facebook's Canvas platform for games?
It's Talk Like a Pirate Day: Play our Top Five pirate Facebook games
Is there any other way to being this feature than with a hearty "Yarrgg?" Probably not. (In fact, let's use this entire introduction to talk like pirates, eh?) In case ye hadn't noticed, mate, today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. So, I ask ye landlubbers, what better way to honor this joyous, silly holiday than with five of the best pirate games around on Facebook?
Avast, ye swabs! Look no further than right here for the five best seafarin' and land lootin' games on Facebook. Oh, right, and remember to click on the headers to jump off the plank right into each Facebook game:
Mighty Pirates
This release (pictured below) by CrowdStar explores the two most important things in a pirate's life: exploring and fighting. Players create, maintain and upgrade their very own vessel of piracy. And it's all in the name of surviving your next fight with your fellow pirate.
Mighty Pirates handles battles in turn-based affairs that add a bit of strategy to burning your enemies to the blue depths. In your off time, explore islands to dig up buried treasure and other resources to boost your ship with.
Mighty Pirates
Treasure Isle
While it may not directly involve pirates, the swashbucklers have invaded the shores of Zynga's island exploration game more times than not. In fact, players can even embark on Voyages with their own vessels, though simply to explore even more. Treasure Isle has players aiming to complete island maps by digging and digging ... and digging. But judging from more experienced players' islands, it certainly pays off. (In other words, there's lots and lots of treasure in it for you.)
Battle Pirates
Want a more ... serious approach to high seas fighting and looting? Then Kixeye certainly has that in spades with Battle Pirates, its strategy Facebook game centered around modern day piracy. (You know, like those bad dudes off the coast of Somalia?) The game plays much like the developer's previous strategy offerings, giving you a week to prepare your base for incoming attack from anyone playing the game. If you want a pirate game that puts the battle first, then look no further.
Battle Pirates
Pirates Saga
In this take on everyone's favorite sea-faring antiheroes, Can't Stop Games focuses almost entirely on your ship. More importantly, it's concerned with how you navigate it through the deep blue sea ... and away from enemy gunfire. Another battle-focused pirates game, Pirates Saga allows players to interact with each other in real time. As you transport cargo and fight back the forces of the infamous Blackbeard, be wary at all times of opposing ships that may or may not be fellow players.
Pirates Saga
Pirate Legacy
A somewhat smaller game than the rest in terms of monthly players, this game by 6waves and Paprika Lab throws a heavy RPG (role-playing game) layer onto the pirate game aesthetic. Pirate Legacy enlists you, a new corsair, to explore the ocean around your home port and hunt for monsters like giant serpents and ghost ships to acquire materials for contractors. Everything about the game is turn-based, giving it an impressive layer of strategy that's a little lighter on the action.
Pirate Legacy
[Lead Image Credit: Disney]
How are you honoring this most awesome Talk Like a Pirate Day? Which of these pirate-themed Facebook games do you like most, and do you know of any you'd personally recommend?
Avast, ye swabs! Look no further than right here for the five best seafarin' and land lootin' games on Facebook. Oh, right, and remember to click on the headers to jump off the plank right into each Facebook game:
Mighty Pirates
This release (pictured below) by CrowdStar explores the two most important things in a pirate's life: exploring and fighting. Players create, maintain and upgrade their very own vessel of piracy. And it's all in the name of surviving your next fight with your fellow pirate.
Mighty Pirates handles battles in turn-based affairs that add a bit of strategy to burning your enemies to the blue depths. In your off time, explore islands to dig up buried treasure and other resources to boost your ship with.
Mighty Pirates
Treasure Isle
While it may not directly involve pirates, the swashbucklers have invaded the shores of Zynga's island exploration game more times than not. In fact, players can even embark on Voyages with their own vessels, though simply to explore even more. Treasure Isle has players aiming to complete island maps by digging and digging ... and digging. But judging from more experienced players' islands, it certainly pays off. (In other words, there's lots and lots of treasure in it for you.)
Battle Pirates
Want a more ... serious approach to high seas fighting and looting? Then Kixeye certainly has that in spades with Battle Pirates, its strategy Facebook game centered around modern day piracy. (You know, like those bad dudes off the coast of Somalia?) The game plays much like the developer's previous strategy offerings, giving you a week to prepare your base for incoming attack from anyone playing the game. If you want a pirate game that puts the battle first, then look no further.
Battle Pirates
Pirates Saga
In this take on everyone's favorite sea-faring antiheroes, Can't Stop Games focuses almost entirely on your ship. More importantly, it's concerned with how you navigate it through the deep blue sea ... and away from enemy gunfire. Another battle-focused pirates game, Pirates Saga allows players to interact with each other in real time. As you transport cargo and fight back the forces of the infamous Blackbeard, be wary at all times of opposing ships that may or may not be fellow players.
Pirates Saga
Pirate Legacy
A somewhat smaller game than the rest in terms of monthly players, this game by 6waves and Paprika Lab throws a heavy RPG (role-playing game) layer onto the pirate game aesthetic. Pirate Legacy enlists you, a new corsair, to explore the ocean around your home port and hunt for monsters like giant serpents and ghost ships to acquire materials for contractors. Everything about the game is turn-based, giving it an impressive layer of strategy that's a little lighter on the action.
Pirate Legacy
[Lead Image Credit: Disney]
How are you honoring this most awesome Talk Like a Pirate Day? Which of these pirate-themed Facebook games do you like most, and do you know of any you'd personally recommend?
Thứ Tư, 14 tháng 12, 2011
Food Force on Facebook: It's FarmVille for do-gooders
Two of the biggest reasons people play social games are distraction and relaxation, but a new Facebook game hopes to add another reason -- to do good in real life.
Food Force, a game created by Konami and the World Food Programme, puts players at the head of a virtual humanitarian aid agency with the goal of getting rid of hunger in different parts of the world. To complete this monumental task, players will need to grow crops a la FarmVille, turn them into expendable goods and ship them off to countries in need. As per most social games, friends are required to get the job done, and you'll be able to visit neighbors' agencies for bonuses.
The game itself isn't exactly groundbreaking (and a tad confusing), but the main selling point is that you can use Facebook Credits to buy power-ups in the in-game store and the proceeds go to the World Food Programme school meal initiative (which helps feed 20 million children every year). So, basically, if you use Facebook Credits to buy a tractor or some kind of fertilizer, you'll help feed a certain number of children. A 'real-life impact" tracker in the game lets you know how many kids you've helped.
food force real world impact
It's worth noting that this is the second debut for Food Force. The first was back in 2005 when Konami released another game with the same name, in which players executed emergency operations on a fictional island. The new Food Force on Facebook game is a little broader in scope than the original and takes advantage of Facebook's social features.
"Through this title, we hope that people in Japan and across the globe not only strengthen their understanding of WFP's work but also support their worldwide efforts against hunger while enjoying an accessible social game," says Konami Senior Vice President Kazuhiko Uehara.
We've seen this trend of doing good in other social games, like the popular FarmVille's Sweet Seeds for Haiti promotions, but this is one of the few games entirely devoted to building awareness and raising money for a cause. While the idea behind the game is, well, admirable, one can't help but wonder -- is the game going to get enough people to play to really make a difference? An existing game like FarmVille, with 20-some-odd millions of engaged players, might be a better vehicle for organizations that want to make a difference.
Food Force, a game created by Konami and the World Food Programme, puts players at the head of a virtual humanitarian aid agency with the goal of getting rid of hunger in different parts of the world. To complete this monumental task, players will need to grow crops a la FarmVille, turn them into expendable goods and ship them off to countries in need. As per most social games, friends are required to get the job done, and you'll be able to visit neighbors' agencies for bonuses.
The game itself isn't exactly groundbreaking (and a tad confusing), but the main selling point is that you can use Facebook Credits to buy power-ups in the in-game store and the proceeds go to the World Food Programme school meal initiative (which helps feed 20 million children every year). So, basically, if you use Facebook Credits to buy a tractor or some kind of fertilizer, you'll help feed a certain number of children. A 'real-life impact" tracker in the game lets you know how many kids you've helped.
food force real world impact
It's worth noting that this is the second debut for Food Force. The first was back in 2005 when Konami released another game with the same name, in which players executed emergency operations on a fictional island. The new Food Force on Facebook game is a little broader in scope than the original and takes advantage of Facebook's social features.
"Through this title, we hope that people in Japan and across the globe not only strengthen their understanding of WFP's work but also support their worldwide efforts against hunger while enjoying an accessible social game," says Konami Senior Vice President Kazuhiko Uehara.
We've seen this trend of doing good in other social games, like the popular FarmVille's Sweet Seeds for Haiti promotions, but this is one of the few games entirely devoted to building awareness and raising money for a cause. While the idea behind the game is, well, admirable, one can't help but wonder -- is the game going to get enough people to play to really make a difference? An existing game like FarmVille, with 20-some-odd millions of engaged players, might be a better vehicle for organizations that want to make a difference.
Rovio goes nuts for branding: Angry Birds new pistachio-peddling game
Yet somehow ... it just feels right. Rovio and Wonderful Pistachios have joined forces to release The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio, a branded Angry Birds game playable on the nut-seller's website through Google's Chrome browser. Rovio calls this the developer's first fully-branded Angry Birds game, as it was built from the ground up with Wonderful Pistachios in mind.
Rovio told Mashable that this is different from Angry Birds Rio, which just received its final update, since characters were integrated into that game. We still don't really see the difference, but moving right along. In this web version of Angry Birds, players must crack open pistachios and crush enemy pigs across five new levels available through Dec. 31.
But there's more incentive to play this variety of Angry Birds than to simply feed the need. By playing The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio, players have the chance of winning a total of $300,000 in prizes. The goodies range from a year's supply of Wonderful Pistachios to Angry Birds plush toys and $25,000 in cash, but you need to get to at least Level 3 to qualify. From then on, you can invite your friends on Facebook to get extra attempts at each level, and more chances at prizes.
Angry Birds Pistachio game
This all started when the Angry Birds were featured in a Wonderful Pistachios commercial. But Rovio is certainly no stranger to branding: The company has released everything from Angry Birds t-shirts to a cookbook, and plans to release a feature-length film by 2014. Making sure everyone and their mother has heard of you is certainly a fine strategy to soar past 500 million downloads.
Click here to play Angry Birds: The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio (Chrome Users Only) Now >
Are you still and Angry Birds fan after all this time? What do you think of these five new Angry Birds levels?
Rovio told Mashable that this is different from Angry Birds Rio, which just received its final update, since characters were integrated into that game. We still don't really see the difference, but moving right along. In this web version of Angry Birds, players must crack open pistachios and crush enemy pigs across five new levels available through Dec. 31.
But there's more incentive to play this variety of Angry Birds than to simply feed the need. By playing The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio, players have the chance of winning a total of $300,000 in prizes. The goodies range from a year's supply of Wonderful Pistachios to Angry Birds plush toys and $25,000 in cash, but you need to get to at least Level 3 to qualify. From then on, you can invite your friends on Facebook to get extra attempts at each level, and more chances at prizes.
Angry Birds Pistachio game
This all started when the Angry Birds were featured in a Wonderful Pistachios commercial. But Rovio is certainly no stranger to branding: The company has released everything from Angry Birds t-shirts to a cookbook, and plans to release a feature-length film by 2014. Making sure everyone and their mother has heard of you is certainly a fine strategy to soar past 500 million downloads.
Click here to play Angry Birds: The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio (Chrome Users Only) Now >
Are you still and Angry Birds fan after all this time? What do you think of these five new Angry Birds levels?
Crime City maker assaults iOS first, Facebook later with Modern War
Now, isn't that odd? Crime City creator Funzio has decided to do the reverse of most social game companies: release a new on iPhone and iPad first, then come back to Facebook. Funzio has released its second original game, Modern War, to iOS devices. The game looks terribly similar to the iOS version of Crime City that released late this summer.
In other words, Modern War is essentially Crime City, but with dudes in military uniforms wielding M4 rifles rather than guys in torn jeans, brandishing knives. Players can take down terrorists (original!), bomb enemy vessels and structures and battle against other players in asynchronous, turn-based bouts. Of course, players can build alliances to defend themselves and bring to hurt more easily to other players.
According to TechCrunch, the game's graphics are designed to appeal to traditional gamers, and Modern War differentiates itself from Crime City with new combat options like jets and naval units. Players can share the game with friends on Facebook, but the focus here is mobile first, which is somewhat of a new concept for Facebook game makers.
It looks like we know just where Funzio's focus has shifted, just as the company takes on former EA exec Jamil Moledina. There's no word yet on whether the Facebook version will be connected to the iPhone and iPad varieties. But looking at how Mafia Wars 2 is doing on Facebook--a ... spiritual successor to Crime City--we can see why Funzio would hold back for a bit.
Click here to download Modern War on iPhone or iPad Now >
Are you a Crime City fan still? Do you think Modern War is different enough to pique your interest?
In other words, Modern War is essentially Crime City, but with dudes in military uniforms wielding M4 rifles rather than guys in torn jeans, brandishing knives. Players can take down terrorists (original!), bomb enemy vessels and structures and battle against other players in asynchronous, turn-based bouts. Of course, players can build alliances to defend themselves and bring to hurt more easily to other players.
According to TechCrunch, the game's graphics are designed to appeal to traditional gamers, and Modern War differentiates itself from Crime City with new combat options like jets and naval units. Players can share the game with friends on Facebook, but the focus here is mobile first, which is somewhat of a new concept for Facebook game makers.
It looks like we know just where Funzio's focus has shifted, just as the company takes on former EA exec Jamil Moledina. There's no word yet on whether the Facebook version will be connected to the iPhone and iPad varieties. But looking at how Mafia Wars 2 is doing on Facebook--a ... spiritual successor to Crime City--we can see why Funzio would hold back for a bit.
Click here to download Modern War on iPhone or iPad Now >
Are you a Crime City fan still? Do you think Modern War is different enough to pique your interest?
CrowdStar's Top Girl gets fancy on Android (and friendly with Amazon)
Android-admiring ladies, your game has arrived. It Girl creator CrowdStar has released its mobile version, Top Girl, to Android devices. However, you can only get it for free on Amazon's Appstore for the next two weeks. This makes CrowdStar's hugely popular girly game one of the first mobile social games to hit Amazon's new Kindle Fire tablet, according to the company.
The Android release of Top Girl looks to be the same game available to iPhone and iPad gamers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the game, players must amass new outfits and model them off for cash to climb the social ladder. Of course, ladies looking for love can find a virtual boyfriend that will lavish their characters with gifts. This is basically a Cosmo reader's dream in your Android phone or tablet.
Top Girl Kindle Fire
Top Girl on Android also marks the beginning of CrowdStar's quest for 1 billion players through its Project Trident initiative. "CrowdStar is entirely focused on Project Trident this year and Top Girl's Android launch is representative of that," CrowdStar studio head Blair Hamilton said in a release. "Now our 'Girl' social gaming franchise is thriving on Facebook, iOS, and Android."
And "thriving" might be a fine way of describing the "Girl" franchise: It has reportedly been downloaded over 4 million times on the iOS App Store. Players are apparently paying up, too, as CrowdStar said that Top Girl toppled both Angry Birds and Zynga Poker as the top-grossing game for iOS when launched earlier this spring. And who said girls don't play games?
Click here to download Top Girl for Android for Free Now >
Are you a Top Girl fan? Where would you like to see the franchise, or CrowdStar in general, go next?
The Android release of Top Girl looks to be the same game available to iPhone and iPad gamers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the game, players must amass new outfits and model them off for cash to climb the social ladder. Of course, ladies looking for love can find a virtual boyfriend that will lavish their characters with gifts. This is basically a Cosmo reader's dream in your Android phone or tablet.
Top Girl Kindle Fire
Top Girl on Android also marks the beginning of CrowdStar's quest for 1 billion players through its Project Trident initiative. "CrowdStar is entirely focused on Project Trident this year and Top Girl's Android launch is representative of that," CrowdStar studio head Blair Hamilton said in a release. "Now our 'Girl' social gaming franchise is thriving on Facebook, iOS, and Android."
And "thriving" might be a fine way of describing the "Girl" franchise: It has reportedly been downloaded over 4 million times on the iOS App Store. Players are apparently paying up, too, as CrowdStar said that Top Girl toppled both Angry Birds and Zynga Poker as the top-grossing game for iOS when launched earlier this spring. And who said girls don't play games?
Click here to download Top Girl for Android for Free Now >
Are you a Top Girl fan? Where would you like to see the franchise, or CrowdStar in general, go next?
Nintendo's Wii U is for 'a different consumer,' as in a wealthier one?
Aside from what the thing looks like (and a teeny bit of what it plays like), Nintendo's Wii U is shrouded in mystery. We know that the console will embrace social features, will have HD graphics and will cost a helluva lot of money--wait, what? There has been much speculation on the upcoming console's pricing. But Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime alluded to Time what type of crowd the company expects to draw with the Wii U, at least at launch.
"The consumer buying Wii hardware today is going to be a different consumer than the one who will be buying Wii U in the future," Fils-Aime told Time. "This is the first holiday that the Wii is available at $149.99 or below, so its an expanded demographic we're reaching. These are consumers who have heard about Wii for the past couple years, but at $199 or $249 it was economically out of their reach."
Based on earlier comments made by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and now these words, it would be fair to guess that the Wii U is going to cost more than $250 in the US at launch. That figure was the launch price for the original Wii way back in 2006, and still that was cheaper than both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 at launch. Nintendo's bread and butter has been the casual audience, which one could argue includes those that wouldn't exactly leap at a $300 or $400 video game box.
Fils-Aime went on the reiterate that the Wii and Wii U will coexist for some (as he told us recently), but said, "you can definitely expect that pricing is going to be different and that the games are going to be different." In this case, "different" sounds like "more expensive" to us, and we can't help but wonder whether Nintendo's most lucrative audience will bite.
[Via IndustryGamers]
Would you consider purchasing the Wii U if it were more expensive than $250 at launch? What would be your breaking point: $300, $400?
"The consumer buying Wii hardware today is going to be a different consumer than the one who will be buying Wii U in the future," Fils-Aime told Time. "This is the first holiday that the Wii is available at $149.99 or below, so its an expanded demographic we're reaching. These are consumers who have heard about Wii for the past couple years, but at $199 or $249 it was economically out of their reach."
Based on earlier comments made by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and now these words, it would be fair to guess that the Wii U is going to cost more than $250 in the US at launch. That figure was the launch price for the original Wii way back in 2006, and still that was cheaper than both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 at launch. Nintendo's bread and butter has been the casual audience, which one could argue includes those that wouldn't exactly leap at a $300 or $400 video game box.
Fils-Aime went on the reiterate that the Wii and Wii U will coexist for some (as he told us recently), but said, "you can definitely expect that pricing is going to be different and that the games are going to be different." In this case, "different" sounds like "more expensive" to us, and we can't help but wonder whether Nintendo's most lucrative audience will bite.
[Via IndustryGamers]
Would you consider purchasing the Wii U if it were more expensive than $250 at launch? What would be your breaking point: $300, $400?
Zynga drops IPO valuation to $10B, but it's still more than EA [Report]
The big red dog looks like it's playing it safe. According to Reuters, FarmVille creator Zynga has lowered its valuation--what a company is expected to be worth based on various conditions--from $14 billion to $10 billion for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO). (Of course, the news outlet cites nameless sources in its report.) This would make Zynga worth less than gaming giant Activision Blizzard's $14.21 billion.
However, the CityVille maker would still be leaps and bounds beyond current second place company EA's $7.69 billion. According to market analysts, $14 billion would have been asking for too much in this shaky economic climate. "I think they must have realized that getting $14 billion or higher would be a tough thing in this market," Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia told Reuters. We were wondering how they would pull that off."
Other analysts suggest that Zynga wait to go public, as the company just released its fastest-growing game to date, CastleVille, and revenue from that game hasn't even been recorded yet. According to Reuters, the company still seeks to raise $900 million initially at $8 to $10 a share when it hits the Nasdaq as "ZNGA" on Dec. 16. Company CEO Mark Pincus and crew are also still expected to hit the road next week, showing their stuff to potential investors. And Zynga will have to fight tooth and nail against the media, other companies and its own numbers for those billions.
How do you think it would effect the games industry if Zynga became even the second most valuable game company in the West? Do you think social games are worth investing your money in?
However, the CityVille maker would still be leaps and bounds beyond current second place company EA's $7.69 billion. According to market analysts, $14 billion would have been asking for too much in this shaky economic climate. "I think they must have realized that getting $14 billion or higher would be a tough thing in this market," Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia told Reuters. We were wondering how they would pull that off."
Other analysts suggest that Zynga wait to go public, as the company just released its fastest-growing game to date, CastleVille, and revenue from that game hasn't even been recorded yet. According to Reuters, the company still seeks to raise $900 million initially at $8 to $10 a share when it hits the Nasdaq as "ZNGA" on Dec. 16. Company CEO Mark Pincus and crew are also still expected to hit the road next week, showing their stuff to potential investors. And Zynga will have to fight tooth and nail against the media, other companies and its own numbers for those billions.
How do you think it would effect the games industry if Zynga became even the second most valuable game company in the West? Do you think social games are worth investing your money in?
Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and that red thing just might get a social game
You know, that thing that looks like a walking, furry Valentine? Wait, that thing has a name, and it's "Gossamer?" (What kind of name is that?) Anyway, Fusible has tracked down a lengthy list of domain names registered by Warner Bros. Entertainment on Nov. 29, nearly all of which seeming to refer to an online game that could be in the works: Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe.
Of course, the game could be named anything. But it's a safe guess for now that domains like "CartoonUniversegame.com", "Playtheuniverse.com" and "Looneytunescu.com," refer to a game titled at least similarly to that. There are other domains that WB registered this week, like "Toontokens.com" and "Wbcash.com", that suggest the game would be supported by in-game purchases using a currency like Toon Tokens.
A Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe game would make a whole lot of sense both on Facebook and elsewhere. Disney is arguably WB's biggest competitor, and the company has already stated plans for its cast of characters to enter Facebook games through developer Playdom. The company has even release a console game titled "Disney Universe." Perhaps WB is eying up a piece of the same pie.
While this game--if it even is a game--could appear on any platform, it's also important to consider the audience. Looney Tunes have always been the more mature cartoon troupe, and the majority of Facebook gamers are adults. Who knows, maybe Bugs, Daffy (and Gossamer) can beat Mickey and crew to the punch.
Would you play a Looney Tunes game on Facebook or elsewhere? Who do you think would be more successful in Facebook games: Disney or Warner Bros.?
Of course, the game could be named anything. But it's a safe guess for now that domains like "CartoonUniversegame.com", "Playtheuniverse.com" and "Looneytunescu.com," refer to a game titled at least similarly to that. There are other domains that WB registered this week, like "Toontokens.com" and "Wbcash.com", that suggest the game would be supported by in-game purchases using a currency like Toon Tokens.
A Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe game would make a whole lot of sense both on Facebook and elsewhere. Disney is arguably WB's biggest competitor, and the company has already stated plans for its cast of characters to enter Facebook games through developer Playdom. The company has even release a console game titled "Disney Universe." Perhaps WB is eying up a piece of the same pie.
While this game--if it even is a game--could appear on any platform, it's also important to consider the audience. Looney Tunes have always been the more mature cartoon troupe, and the majority of Facebook gamers are adults. Who knows, maybe Bugs, Daffy (and Gossamer) can beat Mickey and crew to the punch.
Would you play a Looney Tunes game on Facebook or elsewhere? Who do you think would be more successful in Facebook games: Disney or Warner Bros.?
EA wants to get into hardcore gaming ... on Facebook [Update]
Update: Inside Social Games has confirmed that EA has purchased KlickNation. The outlet reports that the studio will be integrated into BioWare's social game development arm, most likely referring to BioWare San Francisco. Check out the full report here.
No, you probably won't see Battlefield 3 on Facebook anytime soon. But EA could make another social gaming buy by the end of the week, according to Inside Social Games's nameless sources. The Playfish and PopCap owner is reportedly looking to pick up Age of Champions creator KlickNation in a bid to enter the emerging hardcore social games scene on Facebook.
The 70 person-strong studio would add to the publisher's stable of social game developers that could bring its traditional game franchises to life on social networks, like EA2D (now BioWare San Francisco) has done with Dragon Age Legends. It's been said that there are nearly 80 million gamers enjoying more "core" game experiences on Facebook, so it's understandable why EA would be bullish on this audience.
However, as it does with your run-of-the-mill social games, EA faces stiff competition in the strategy games space on Facebook. Developers like Kixeye, Kabam and even Digital Chocolate have staked their claim when it comes to hardcore games on the platform. EA will likely test the waters with its upcoming Risk: Factions on Facebook, but that games appears more cartoon-like than most strategy games on the network.
The second place publisher has struck gold with The Sims Social, though it's in decline. Regardless, EA will be better off sticking with its more recognizable franchises if it's to use the KlickNation team to make new games. That said, maybe Battlefield will make it to Facebook after all--and there's always Command & Conquer.
Is it a good idea for EA to buy a developer like KlickNation? Could EA make a dent in the strategy games space on Facebook with properties like Command & Conquer?
No, you probably won't see Battlefield 3 on Facebook anytime soon. But EA could make another social gaming buy by the end of the week, according to Inside Social Games's nameless sources. The Playfish and PopCap owner is reportedly looking to pick up Age of Champions creator KlickNation in a bid to enter the emerging hardcore social games scene on Facebook.
The 70 person-strong studio would add to the publisher's stable of social game developers that could bring its traditional game franchises to life on social networks, like EA2D (now BioWare San Francisco) has done with Dragon Age Legends. It's been said that there are nearly 80 million gamers enjoying more "core" game experiences on Facebook, so it's understandable why EA would be bullish on this audience.
However, as it does with your run-of-the-mill social games, EA faces stiff competition in the strategy games space on Facebook. Developers like Kixeye, Kabam and even Digital Chocolate have staked their claim when it comes to hardcore games on the platform. EA will likely test the waters with its upcoming Risk: Factions on Facebook, but that games appears more cartoon-like than most strategy games on the network.
The second place publisher has struck gold with The Sims Social, though it's in decline. Regardless, EA will be better off sticking with its more recognizable franchises if it's to use the KlickNation team to make new games. That said, maybe Battlefield will make it to Facebook after all--and there's always Command & Conquer.
Is it a good idea for EA to buy a developer like KlickNation? Could EA make a dent in the strategy games space on Facebook with properties like Command & Conquer?
Dev calls Zynga games "slightly gamified websites"
Many, maybe too many, conversations about social games lead back to the same topic: Zynga games, they're big, but are they any good?
One of the more measured answers to that question comes from Cerebral Fix CEO Ben Dellaca, who is currently on a Stateside tour to promote his and a few other New Zealand game companies who specialize in social, mobile and augmented reality games. He says Zynga started out creating, well, non-games, but have evolved since then. Here's a snippit of our conversation:
"I kind of argue that the original Zynga products on Facebook were actually slightly gamified websites. And that was as simple as it was. So the likes of the Mafia Wars products or the 'X' Wars products -- they just ripped themselves off like 20-something ridiculous times, Vampire Wars... Vomit Wars. They introduced a whole RPG (role-playing game) concept to it. It was one click, and then it was like, come back here [to click again].
Do you think Zynga games are the same now?
I don't think they're the same at all. This new flight of products coming out from Zynga actually are "games," in my unhumble opinion. I have to tip my hat off to them. Games like Empires & Allies have real fighting elements in them ... I don't think the PvP element is going well at all ... but I think that took their audience to the stage where they're starting, starting, to create some cool little game content. And there's a whole new wave of them... their Indiana Jones rip-offs and their Castle-things are kind of interesting, although that CastleVille does look a little like FrontierVille to me -- so that's a little bit of a worry. But it will be interesting to see where they go in the future because the whole space is maturing. And, if you see a company like Zynga changing... then we're all going to be.
Is Zynga dominating social games on Facebook so much, that it's, in a way, killing it?
I go to all of the conferences and I'm forever seeing developers who are actually looking at the likes of Zynga and going, "Let's do that!" Which I think is crazy... Pick something you're really great at, start there and really polish that up. A lot of game companies moving into, and getting their butts kicked, in the social space are better off, in my opinion, doing something that's a little more core. We've just figured this out recently and have a new buzzword called 'Mid-core' gaming.
What about "core" games on Facebook? Is that really going to draw console games to play a game on a social network?
A great example of how not to do that is Sony and product that they've put with that dungeony thing [aka, Dungeon Overlord] they've put in there. It was a really great game but it wasn't connected to the audience properly. It was almost as if they made this great little game and wanted to sell it to Zynga customers. It wasn't a product that a 55-year-old US 'home executive' was going to play. So you really have to think it through strategically and have got that wider level of thinking as opposed to getting a little too excited about what we're doing and just going out there and making a product. Which does happen from time to time."
Cerebral Fix recently churned out a Facebook game called Crystal Link, a simple, but compelling gem matching game with power-ups (think Bejeweled Blitz). The company also released a Pokemon-style game called Terrapets for Android in November, which Dellaca says will be scampering onto Facebook in the not-too-distant future.
One of the more measured answers to that question comes from Cerebral Fix CEO Ben Dellaca, who is currently on a Stateside tour to promote his and a few other New Zealand game companies who specialize in social, mobile and augmented reality games. He says Zynga started out creating, well, non-games, but have evolved since then. Here's a snippit of our conversation:
"I kind of argue that the original Zynga products on Facebook were actually slightly gamified websites. And that was as simple as it was. So the likes of the Mafia Wars products or the 'X' Wars products -- they just ripped themselves off like 20-something ridiculous times, Vampire Wars... Vomit Wars. They introduced a whole RPG (role-playing game) concept to it. It was one click, and then it was like, come back here [to click again].
Do you think Zynga games are the same now?
I don't think they're the same at all. This new flight of products coming out from Zynga actually are "games," in my unhumble opinion. I have to tip my hat off to them. Games like Empires & Allies have real fighting elements in them ... I don't think the PvP element is going well at all ... but I think that took their audience to the stage where they're starting, starting, to create some cool little game content. And there's a whole new wave of them... their Indiana Jones rip-offs and their Castle-things are kind of interesting, although that CastleVille does look a little like FrontierVille to me -- so that's a little bit of a worry. But it will be interesting to see where they go in the future because the whole space is maturing. And, if you see a company like Zynga changing... then we're all going to be.
Is Zynga dominating social games on Facebook so much, that it's, in a way, killing it?
I go to all of the conferences and I'm forever seeing developers who are actually looking at the likes of Zynga and going, "Let's do that!" Which I think is crazy... Pick something you're really great at, start there and really polish that up. A lot of game companies moving into, and getting their butts kicked, in the social space are better off, in my opinion, doing something that's a little more core. We've just figured this out recently and have a new buzzword called 'Mid-core' gaming.
What about "core" games on Facebook? Is that really going to draw console games to play a game on a social network?
A great example of how not to do that is Sony and product that they've put with that dungeony thing [aka, Dungeon Overlord] they've put in there. It was a really great game but it wasn't connected to the audience properly. It was almost as if they made this great little game and wanted to sell it to Zynga customers. It wasn't a product that a 55-year-old US 'home executive' was going to play. So you really have to think it through strategically and have got that wider level of thinking as opposed to getting a little too excited about what we're doing and just going out there and making a product. Which does happen from time to time."
Cerebral Fix recently churned out a Facebook game called Crystal Link, a simple, but compelling gem matching game with power-ups (think Bejeweled Blitz). The company also released a Pokemon-style game called Terrapets for Android in November, which Dellaca says will be scampering onto Facebook in the not-too-distant future.
Top 25 Facebook Games - December 2011: FarmVille Strikes Back
I guess in Facebook game years, FarmVille is kind of like Obi Wan Kenobi. And boy, did Zynga's farming game come back stronger than we could possibly imagine, or what? As The Sims Social falls from its cushy number two spot after losing 7.9 million monthly players, FarmVille swoops in with a 2.8 million gain this month. CityVille lost a few million, but still clings to the top.
EA and Playfish's slugger dipped even further on December's daily players chart to fifth place with a loss of 1.1 million players. (This is what we chalk all that up to.) Of course, CastleVille--Zynga's fastest-growing game ever--makes a grand entrance into both top 25 charts. The kingdom-builder shot up to fifth place in monthly players with 20.8 million, and an impressive second place in daily players with 7.3 million. That should be the shot in the arm the company needs for its imminent public offering, no?
Not so fast, considering Mafia Wars 2 didn't even make the charts in daily players, the best measure of a game's dedicated (and paying) audience. Zynga launched Mafia Wars 2 in October. The game does, however, have 11.3 million monthly players, which ties it with Wooga's Diamond Dash. That puzzle game is nine months old.
Top 25 Facebook Games by MAU
An interesting newcomer to this lineup is Nordeus's Top Eleven, which creeps up in 25th place on the daily players charts with 950,000. Unfortunately, the rest of these charts look like business as usual, aside from Zynga's major losses including Adventure World, which hemorrhaged 4.3 million monthly players. Though, it's refreshing to see some more developers continue to thrive in the top 25 charts, like King.com with Bubble Witch Saga and 6waves Lolapps with Ravenskye City.
[Source and Image Credit: Inside Social Games]
How can The Sims Social reclaim its second place spot? What other games do you think deserve to be on this list?
EA and Playfish's slugger dipped even further on December's daily players chart to fifth place with a loss of 1.1 million players. (This is what we chalk all that up to.) Of course, CastleVille--Zynga's fastest-growing game ever--makes a grand entrance into both top 25 charts. The kingdom-builder shot up to fifth place in monthly players with 20.8 million, and an impressive second place in daily players with 7.3 million. That should be the shot in the arm the company needs for its imminent public offering, no?
Not so fast, considering Mafia Wars 2 didn't even make the charts in daily players, the best measure of a game's dedicated (and paying) audience. Zynga launched Mafia Wars 2 in October. The game does, however, have 11.3 million monthly players, which ties it with Wooga's Diamond Dash. That puzzle game is nine months old.
Top 25 Facebook Games by MAU
An interesting newcomer to this lineup is Nordeus's Top Eleven, which creeps up in 25th place on the daily players charts with 950,000. Unfortunately, the rest of these charts look like business as usual, aside from Zynga's major losses including Adventure World, which hemorrhaged 4.3 million monthly players. Though, it's refreshing to see some more developers continue to thrive in the top 25 charts, like King.com with Bubble Witch Saga and 6waves Lolapps with Ravenskye City.
[Source and Image Credit: Inside Social Games]
How can The Sims Social reclaim its second place spot? What other games do you think deserve to be on this list?
CastleVille: Zynga's next 'Ville' is now live on Facebook
FarmVille and CityVille-maker Zynga's next new game, CastleVille, is now live on Facebook. The game is best described as FrontierVille meets Medieval Times, and the goal of the game is to build your kingdom by completing missions, exploring new territories and helping friends do the same. If you've played other Zynga games, this will feel instantly familiar, save for a few new enhanced features. Whether that's enough new stuff to get (and keep) Facebook gamers interested remains to be seen.
Click here to play CastleVille now & stay tuned for our first impressions and getting started guides.
Psst! Want to make new friends to play CastleVille with? Head over to our new CastleVille "Add Me" page for details on how to do just that.
Click here to play CastleVille now & stay tuned for our first impressions and getting started guides.
Psst! Want to make new friends to play CastleVille with? Head over to our new CastleVille "Add Me" page for details on how to do just that.
Chủ Nhật, 11 tháng 12, 2011
Empires & Allies: Reach Level 5 in Mafia Wars 2 for a Fighter Bundle
In addition to the cross-promotions found in games like FarmVille and CityVille, another Zynga game has taken its turn of publicizing the company's newest Facebook game, Mafia Wars 2. Here, we see a promotion come to Empires & Allies, offering players a Fighter Bundle filled with goodies if you can make it to Level 5 in Mafia Wars 2.
Making it to Level 5 takes about 10-15 minutes, but can be even quicker if you already have multiple friends playing the game (as you could visit their compounds and earn extra supplies without using your own energy). Just make sure to access Mafia Wars 2 through the in-game pop-up that should appear for you when logging into Empires & Allies to make sure your progress "syncs" back to your Home Island.
Once you've reached Level 5, come back to Empires & Allies (refreshing the game if necessary), and you'll see the following pop-up, alerting you to your prizes. Specifically, the Fighter Bundle contains three items: Air Strike, III, Poison Gas III and a Tactical Nuke. All three will pop into your inventory where you can choose to use them at the most advantageous time for you in battle.
Remember, it's likely that this promotion won't be around forever, and as these prizes can really help turn the tide for you in battle, there's no reason not to spend a few minutes trying out Mafia Wars 2, even if you have no intention of playing it again. Play the game once, and you'll unlock multiple prizes across tons of Zynga games, so what are you waiting for? Claim them all before it's too late!
Have you already received your Fighter Bundle in Empires & Allies, or do you simply have no desire to ever play Mafia Wars 2?
Making it to Level 5 takes about 10-15 minutes, but can be even quicker if you already have multiple friends playing the game (as you could visit their compounds and earn extra supplies without using your own energy). Just make sure to access Mafia Wars 2 through the in-game pop-up that should appear for you when logging into Empires & Allies to make sure your progress "syncs" back to your Home Island.
Once you've reached Level 5, come back to Empires & Allies (refreshing the game if necessary), and you'll see the following pop-up, alerting you to your prizes. Specifically, the Fighter Bundle contains three items: Air Strike, III, Poison Gas III and a Tactical Nuke. All three will pop into your inventory where you can choose to use them at the most advantageous time for you in battle.
Remember, it's likely that this promotion won't be around forever, and as these prizes can really help turn the tide for you in battle, there's no reason not to spend a few minutes trying out Mafia Wars 2, even if you have no intention of playing it again. Play the game once, and you'll unlock multiple prizes across tons of Zynga games, so what are you waiting for? Claim them all before it's too late!
Have you already received your Fighter Bundle in Empires & Allies, or do you simply have no desire to ever play Mafia Wars 2?
Cafe World: Reach Level 5 in Mafia Wars 2 for a Lavender Lightning Stove
Hoping to pull in plenty of its existing player base into Mafia Wars 2, Zynga has launched yet another cross-promotional in one of its games, offering prizes to those players who try out its newest Facebook game at least for a few minutes. Specifically, this newest promotion is in Cafe World, offering players a trio of items for reaching Level 5 in Mafia Wars 2.
This task should take you no more than 10-15 minutes, and should be even easier now, as many of your friends have likely already tried the game to earn prizes in their own favorite Zynga games. Once you reach Level 5 (I'd suggest entering the game from the Cafe World pop-up so that it can be guaranteed to keep track of your progress), you can come back to Cafe World and will likely have to refresh the game to see your prizes in your inventory, spice rack, etc.
The three prizes here are a Lavender Super Stove, a six-pack of Instant Thymes (used to make your dishes instantly ready to serve), and the Chocolate Eclairs.
With this, we've now seen promotions in FarmVille (free Unicorn), CityVille (free Casino), Pioneer Trail (free White Lion), Empires & Allies (free Fighter Bundle) and now Cafe World. With the requirement being the same across all games - simply reach Level 5 in Mafia Wars 2 - you can play the game just once and rack up all of these prizes for free, just by making sure to login to each during what's expected to be a limited time promotion period. So, what are you waiting for? Plenty of free goodies are out there waiting for you people! Go make the most of them!
How many of these promotional prizes have you already claimed in these games? Which promotion has been your favorite so far?
This task should take you no more than 10-15 minutes, and should be even easier now, as many of your friends have likely already tried the game to earn prizes in their own favorite Zynga games. Once you reach Level 5 (I'd suggest entering the game from the Cafe World pop-up so that it can be guaranteed to keep track of your progress), you can come back to Cafe World and will likely have to refresh the game to see your prizes in your inventory, spice rack, etc.
The three prizes here are a Lavender Super Stove, a six-pack of Instant Thymes (used to make your dishes instantly ready to serve), and the Chocolate Eclairs.
With this, we've now seen promotions in FarmVille (free Unicorn), CityVille (free Casino), Pioneer Trail (free White Lion), Empires & Allies (free Fighter Bundle) and now Cafe World. With the requirement being the same across all games - simply reach Level 5 in Mafia Wars 2 - you can play the game just once and rack up all of these prizes for free, just by making sure to login to each during what's expected to be a limited time promotion period. So, what are you waiting for? Plenty of free goodies are out there waiting for you people! Go make the most of them!
How many of these promotional prizes have you already claimed in these games? Which promotion has been your favorite so far?
Adventure World: Complete your Base Camp with Farms, Fuel Depots or Wells
At the beginning of the game's run on Facebook, Adventure World only allowed players to have one of three commodity buildings on their Base Camp, with this building being random among three: Fuel Depots, Wells and Farms. This left users relying on neighbors to earn the other two items that they needed to go on Expeditions or complete most any quest in the game, but again, since these buildings were random, it was entirely possible that someone could have 10 neighbors (as an example), with only one of them having Water.
While the game's computer ally offers all three items on its Base Camp, this still didn't solve the problem, so Zynga has gone right to the source. You can now build the remaining two structures on your own Base Camp, giving you access to all three, once per day, as well!
To be specific, you'll see quests in your sidebar asking you to build the two buildings that you don't already have. In my case, I was given the Fuel Depot to start, so I have two goals for Farms and Wells, but your game will vary depending on which one you were given at the very beginning. As it stands, it looks like all three buildings cost 500 coins to purchase from the store, but you're still only allowed one of each.
To build these two buildings, you'll need to collect various building materials, just like you would when completing a Tool Shop upgrade, as an example. For the Farm, for instance, you'll need four each of Tiles, Wood, Topsoil, Food Baskets, Twine and Thatches. Some of these items are also those that you'll use to upgrade your Tool Shop, so you'll need to prioritize which items are given to which building.
With the launch of this feature, we're now seeing the game become a bit more friendly to those users who don't have as many neighbors as others. Still, this is a bit of a double-edged sword, as it will likely take those players quite some time to collect all of the building materials for each. Either way, we'll make sure to let you know if more features are launched in the game (seemingly) with the player in mind.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
Will you build a Farm, Fuel Depot or Well on your Base Camp, or do you already get all of the supplies you need from friends?
While the game's computer ally offers all three items on its Base Camp, this still didn't solve the problem, so Zynga has gone right to the source. You can now build the remaining two structures on your own Base Camp, giving you access to all three, once per day, as well!
To be specific, you'll see quests in your sidebar asking you to build the two buildings that you don't already have. In my case, I was given the Fuel Depot to start, so I have two goals for Farms and Wells, but your game will vary depending on which one you were given at the very beginning. As it stands, it looks like all three buildings cost 500 coins to purchase from the store, but you're still only allowed one of each.
To build these two buildings, you'll need to collect various building materials, just like you would when completing a Tool Shop upgrade, as an example. For the Farm, for instance, you'll need four each of Tiles, Wood, Topsoil, Food Baskets, Twine and Thatches. Some of these items are also those that you'll use to upgrade your Tool Shop, so you'll need to prioritize which items are given to which building.
With the launch of this feature, we're now seeing the game become a bit more friendly to those users who don't have as many neighbors as others. Still, this is a bit of a double-edged sword, as it will likely take those players quite some time to collect all of the building materials for each. Either way, we'll make sure to let you know if more features are launched in the game (seemingly) with the player in mind.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
Will you build a Farm, Fuel Depot or Well on your Base Camp, or do you already get all of the supplies you need from friends?
Pioneer Trail Halloween on the Homestead Contest: Walk away with 2,000 Horseshoes!
Talk about incentive! With Pioneer Trail throwing multiple Halloween events this year, you've got plenty to work with when it comes to decorating your Homestead for the holiday. That's a good thing too, as Zynga wants to see just what you can do with all of those items (even those that you still have from last year) in its Halloween on the Homestead contest taking place on the game's official forums.
From now until November 2, you can take a screenshot of your Homestead decked out in all of its spooky, creepy glory and then post it on the forums for judging. At the end of the submission period, the Pioneer Trail Community Team will judge each picture on three categories: Originality, presentation and holiday theme. Once they've picked the top 20 entries, the fans will get to vote on which three pictures they like best.
The top prize? A whopping 2,000 Horseshoes! If you don't purchase them while they're on sale, that's a current value of over $200 US! Just think of all the decorations, boosts and animals that could purchase! If you're not lucky enough to be voted into the top prize, you could also win second or third place, with prizes of 1,000 and 500 Horseshoes each, respectively.
For full details on how to enter the contest, or to jump right in and do so, make sure to check out the game's official forums.
[Image Credit: Forums User Otamay]
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Will you enter Pioneer Trail's Halloween on the Homestead decorating contest? What would you do with 2,000 Horseshoes? Would you save them for future use, or would you go on a shopping spree right now?
From now until November 2, you can take a screenshot of your Homestead decked out in all of its spooky, creepy glory and then post it on the forums for judging. At the end of the submission period, the Pioneer Trail Community Team will judge each picture on three categories: Originality, presentation and holiday theme. Once they've picked the top 20 entries, the fans will get to vote on which three pictures they like best.
The top prize? A whopping 2,000 Horseshoes! If you don't purchase them while they're on sale, that's a current value of over $200 US! Just think of all the decorations, boosts and animals that could purchase! If you're not lucky enough to be voted into the top prize, you could also win second or third place, with prizes of 1,000 and 500 Horseshoes each, respectively.
For full details on how to enter the contest, or to jump right in and do so, make sure to check out the game's official forums.
[Image Credit: Forums User Otamay]
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Will you enter Pioneer Trail's Halloween on the Homestead decorating contest? What would you do with 2,000 Horseshoes? Would you save them for future use, or would you go on a shopping spree right now?
Adventure World Poacher Ploy Expedition: Everything you need to know
After learning about a mischievous band of poachers that were trapping or otherwise harming animals in the mountains and jungles of Adventure World, the time has come for you to get some real revenge on these hooligans. But first, they've gone to work on capturing more animals, this time in the form of Albino Snakes, which must be freed. This third Poacher Expedition (see Poacher Peak and Poacher Problems) has a four-day time limit, and requires 1,550 Supplies to start. You'll also need three each of Food, Fuel and Water.
All set? Let's get started!
Still of the Night
Collect 5 Mice
Open Poacher Tents and Place 5 Mice Inside
Get 5 Snake Cage Keys
Open the Cages to Release 5 Albino Snakes
The Poachers have been tracked to a cave inside a mountain. At the time of your arrival, they're all sleeping inside tents, conveniently enough right next to cages containing the Albino Snakes. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? You'll first need to collect five mice, which are sitting around the map. Of course, they won't just be out in the open, as they may be placed beside Spike Traps or even behind pillars that must be lowered by activating switches of the same colors. The Keys, on the other hand, must be earned by asking your friends to send them to you via a general news item you'll post on your wall.
Here I Go Again
Solve the First Ancient Puzzle
Solve the Second Ancient Puzzle
Solve the Third Ancient Puzzle
Recover the Tawny Kitten
Adding some real complexity to this Expeditions are a series of side-quests that you'll need to undertake for your fellow explorers. Emily would apparently love a Tawny Kitten, and wouldn't you know it? There's one on this particular map. You'll need to solve some "Simon Says" style puzzles in order to complete this quest, so just look out for them hidden by clouds or in otherwise out-of-the-way places. As for the Tawny Kitten itself, it's located at the far end of the map, and there just so happen to be three pillars blocking your path to it.
Is This Love?
Use Minecart to Collect Fluffy in the Open Air Cave
Get Bottles of Perfume
Use Minecart to Introduce Fluffy to the Albino Ram
Use Minecart to Push Fluffy and the Ram out of the Cave
Somehow, an Albino Ram has found himself trapped in this cave, and being a stubborn one, won't simply leave on his own. You'll need to use Fluffy the sheep to lure the Ram out of the cave, with plenty of help from a Minecart you'll find in one of the far corners. Of course, there are plenty of obstacles both on the track or around it, that will slow down your progress, but so long as you're diligent about coming back to this Expedition each time you have more energy, you should be able to rescue the Ram in plenty of time. As for the Perfume, this is earned by asking your friends via individual gift requests.
All in all, with the four day time limit, and the ability to ask friends to come help you on this Expedition (as usual), you should be able to complete all of the tasks in time. Just remember that visiting your friends' Base Camps will give you opportunities for free energy every day, and that you might have some energy stashed in your inventory from gift requests that you've received from friends. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you completed the two previous Poacher Expeditions, or are you ready to take the fight to the Poachers before even tackling the other two? What do you think of this particular Expedition
All set? Let's get started!
Still of the Night
Collect 5 Mice
Open Poacher Tents and Place 5 Mice Inside
Get 5 Snake Cage Keys
Open the Cages to Release 5 Albino Snakes
The Poachers have been tracked to a cave inside a mountain. At the time of your arrival, they're all sleeping inside tents, conveniently enough right next to cages containing the Albino Snakes. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? You'll first need to collect five mice, which are sitting around the map. Of course, they won't just be out in the open, as they may be placed beside Spike Traps or even behind pillars that must be lowered by activating switches of the same colors. The Keys, on the other hand, must be earned by asking your friends to send them to you via a general news item you'll post on your wall.
Here I Go Again
Solve the First Ancient Puzzle
Solve the Second Ancient Puzzle
Solve the Third Ancient Puzzle
Recover the Tawny Kitten
Adding some real complexity to this Expeditions are a series of side-quests that you'll need to undertake for your fellow explorers. Emily would apparently love a Tawny Kitten, and wouldn't you know it? There's one on this particular map. You'll need to solve some "Simon Says" style puzzles in order to complete this quest, so just look out for them hidden by clouds or in otherwise out-of-the-way places. As for the Tawny Kitten itself, it's located at the far end of the map, and there just so happen to be three pillars blocking your path to it.
Is This Love?
Use Minecart to Collect Fluffy in the Open Air Cave
Get Bottles of Perfume
Use Minecart to Introduce Fluffy to the Albino Ram
Use Minecart to Push Fluffy and the Ram out of the Cave
Somehow, an Albino Ram has found himself trapped in this cave, and being a stubborn one, won't simply leave on his own. You'll need to use Fluffy the sheep to lure the Ram out of the cave, with plenty of help from a Minecart you'll find in one of the far corners. Of course, there are plenty of obstacles both on the track or around it, that will slow down your progress, but so long as you're diligent about coming back to this Expedition each time you have more energy, you should be able to rescue the Ram in plenty of time. As for the Perfume, this is earned by asking your friends via individual gift requests.
All in all, with the four day time limit, and the ability to ask friends to come help you on this Expedition (as usual), you should be able to complete all of the tasks in time. Just remember that visiting your friends' Base Camps will give you opportunities for free energy every day, and that you might have some energy stashed in your inventory from gift requests that you've received from friends. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you completed the two previous Poacher Expeditions, or are you ready to take the fight to the Poachers before even tackling the other two? What do you think of this particular Expedition
Thứ Sáu, 9 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille Santa's Sleigh: Everything you need to know
Just yesterday, we brought you a sneak peek that Santa himself would be joining the Christmas festivities in FarmVille, and it has only taken him 24 hours to arrive! That's right, the big man in red has taken a break from his Christmas planning at the North Pole to make a visit to your farm via Santa's Sleigh... well, sort of. This is a new building project that's rolling out to users as we speak, and is available to build for free using parts from friends. Or, if you want to skip the technicalities, you can also purchase a complete Sleigh from the store for Farm Cash.
If you choose to go the free route, you'll be given a chance to place the frame for your Sleigh on the farm of your choosing for free. If you happen to load the game on a farm that you don't want the Sleigh to be on, just click on the Arrow tool in the bottom right corner of the screen before placing it. This places the Sleigh into your inventory so that you can freely switch farms and place Santa's Sleigh when and where you want.
As for finishing it, this Sleigh is comparable to the Polar Train Station within Winter Wonderland, as it comes with seven different levels, and can be upgraded by collecting more and more building materials. The first level requires the following:
8 GPS
8 Silver Bells
8 Holiday Lights
These items can either be purchased for a single Farm Cash each, or you can ask your friends to send them to you via individual requests. As you start to build your Sleigh, you'll be frequently prompted to share ingredients with friends, so make sure to click on similar posts made by your friends for truly free parts.
Once you reach Level 4, you'll need to collect some different items, starting with 18 each of Milk and Cookie, Reindeer Treats and Holiday Cheer. These items are earned in the same way as the others.
As you continue to upgrade Santa's Sleigh, eventually reaching Level 7, you're not just making this item look prettier, but are also ensuring that you'll be able to harvest more Gifts from it when this year's Holiday Tree launches in the game. This is the first official mention we've seen of a Christmas Holiday Tree for FarmVille this year, so we'll make sure to stay on top of things and will let you know when that Tree launches. It could be any day, so start building Santa's Sleigh today!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Are you excited to see Santa's Sleigh arrive in FarmVille, or are you more concerned with this year's Holiday Tree and the prizes you'll "win" in it?
If you choose to go the free route, you'll be given a chance to place the frame for your Sleigh on the farm of your choosing for free. If you happen to load the game on a farm that you don't want the Sleigh to be on, just click on the Arrow tool in the bottom right corner of the screen before placing it. This places the Sleigh into your inventory so that you can freely switch farms and place Santa's Sleigh when and where you want.
As for finishing it, this Sleigh is comparable to the Polar Train Station within Winter Wonderland, as it comes with seven different levels, and can be upgraded by collecting more and more building materials. The first level requires the following:
8 GPS
8 Silver Bells
8 Holiday Lights
These items can either be purchased for a single Farm Cash each, or you can ask your friends to send them to you via individual requests. As you start to build your Sleigh, you'll be frequently prompted to share ingredients with friends, so make sure to click on similar posts made by your friends for truly free parts.
Once you reach Level 4, you'll need to collect some different items, starting with 18 each of Milk and Cookie, Reindeer Treats and Holiday Cheer. These items are earned in the same way as the others.
As you continue to upgrade Santa's Sleigh, eventually reaching Level 7, you're not just making this item look prettier, but are also ensuring that you'll be able to harvest more Gifts from it when this year's Holiday Tree launches in the game. This is the first official mention we've seen of a Christmas Holiday Tree for FarmVille this year, so we'll make sure to stay on top of things and will let you know when that Tree launches. It could be any day, so start building Santa's Sleigh today!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Are you excited to see Santa's Sleigh arrive in FarmVille, or are you more concerned with this year's Holiday Tree and the prizes you'll "win" in it?
CityVille celebrates one year anniversary by taking a look back [Infographic]
While you may be busy celebrating CityVille's first birthday by building your City Center (so that it will eventually be able to store Community Buildings), the folks at Zynga proper have taken a look back at the year that was via a set of interesting stats, featuring accomplishments made by you - the players - in the past year.
Since being allowed to capture Bandits last March (those would-be felons that try to steal our profits when collecting from businesses), CityVille players have done just that, with over 4.5 billion bandits captured since then. And it's not just girls that are playing the game either, as we've learned that the game is composed of 41% male and 53% female players (we're assuming the missing 6% are users that don't have their gender listed on their Facebook profiles).
When compared to the real world, we see the size and scale of CityVille's reach really shine. For instance, Zynga has calculated that there are 45,300 McDonald's and Burger Kings (combined) in the entire world, while CityVille plays home to over 63 million burger joints in players towns. Similarly, Starbucks runs 17,000 restaurants in the real world, and there are even more Coffee Shops in CityVille - 89 milllion!
With such high figures for just its first year, is the sky really the limit for CityVille? Unfortunately, the game is on a decline, with AppData figures placing the game down 1.1 million players in just the last seven days. Still, with dedicated players creating these impressive one-year anniversary stats, I think it would be safe to say the game isn't going anywhere, anytime soon. You can check out the full infographic below.
Are you surprised to see such high numbers from CityVille's first year? How many times do you play CityVille each day or have you actually stopped?
Since being allowed to capture Bandits last March (those would-be felons that try to steal our profits when collecting from businesses), CityVille players have done just that, with over 4.5 billion bandits captured since then. And it's not just girls that are playing the game either, as we've learned that the game is composed of 41% male and 53% female players (we're assuming the missing 6% are users that don't have their gender listed on their Facebook profiles).
When compared to the real world, we see the size and scale of CityVille's reach really shine. For instance, Zynga has calculated that there are 45,300 McDonald's and Burger Kings (combined) in the entire world, while CityVille plays home to over 63 million burger joints in players towns. Similarly, Starbucks runs 17,000 restaurants in the real world, and there are even more Coffee Shops in CityVille - 89 milllion!
With such high figures for just its first year, is the sky really the limit for CityVille? Unfortunately, the game is on a decline, with AppData figures placing the game down 1.1 million players in just the last seven days. Still, with dedicated players creating these impressive one-year anniversary stats, I think it would be safe to say the game isn't going anywhere, anytime soon. You can check out the full infographic below.
Are you surprised to see such high numbers from CityVille's first year? How many times do you play CityVille each day or have you actually stopped?
Adventure World Mystery of the Moon Door Expedition: Everything you need to know
Part 2 of the new Indiana Jones mission series in Adventure World sees you and Indy making your way inside the Moon Temple to try and find a component for the Calendar of the Sun. You'll need to have at least started the Jungle Approach Expedition in your game (the first in the Calendar of the Sun series) before being able to access this one, although you can run them both at the same time. To start Mystery of the Moon Door, you'll need to have at least 150 Supplies and a single Food, Fuel and Water. You can bring up to five of your friends in on this Expedition with you, and you'll have five days to complete it in its entirety. Here's a look at how to do just that!
Let Me In!
Investigate the 3 Skeletons Outside the Door
Ask Friends for 16 Compass Rose Seeds
Use Fertile Soil to Plant 8 Compass Rose Seeds
Use 4 Compass Markers to Learn How to Build a Celestial Compass
When compared to Jungle Approach, this Expedition immediately becomes more complicated (and therefore more time consuming). First, you'll need to ask your friends for 16 Compass Rose Seeds, which is done via individual requests to each of your game-playing friends. As you first enter this Expedition, you'll see the skeletons placed on stakes - apparently, the tribes that were here before you set up plenty of traps for outsiders, and you'll need to investigate these poor souls' demise. When clicking on the first one, you'll learn that the key to opening the door is the Celestial Compass. You'll need to find the four Compass Markers around the map (don't worry - they're large and hard to miss) and use them to find out just how to build a Compass of your own. However, you'll need to plant flowers next to the markers to actually be able to interact with them, hence having to ask your friends for the seeds.
The Competition
Investigate the Abandoned Camp
Investigate the Campfire
Recover the Lost Book
Apparently, you and Indy aren't the only ones that know about the Calendar of the Sun, so you'll need to take this opportunity to learn more about your competition by studying what they left behind. Luckily, both the fire and tent are right next to each other, but they are guarded by a snake you'll have to take out. When you investigate the tent, the book will appear next to it automatically, making this one of the easiest quests to complete in all of Adventure World.
Out of Time
Investigate the Dodo Bird
Investigate the Red-Throated Wood Rail Bird
Investigate the Great Auk Bird
Just as with the Jungle Approach Expedition, you'll find some extinct (well, formerly believed to be extinct) wildlife on this map. Here, you're finding birds, where as before you found plants. Just locate these three birds on the map (feel free to click on "Show Me" for their exact locations) and click on them to investigate.
When you finish this Expedition, you'll have just three more Expeditions to complete to finish the entire Calendar of the Sun mission set. You'll need to continue going through each map in order, before you can unlock the next in the path, but with enough hard work (and a little help from friends), you should have no problem making it to this point. Happy adventuring!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Mystery of the Moon Door Expedition in Adventure World?
Let Me In!
Investigate the 3 Skeletons Outside the Door
Ask Friends for 16 Compass Rose Seeds
Use Fertile Soil to Plant 8 Compass Rose Seeds
Use 4 Compass Markers to Learn How to Build a Celestial Compass
When compared to Jungle Approach, this Expedition immediately becomes more complicated (and therefore more time consuming). First, you'll need to ask your friends for 16 Compass Rose Seeds, which is done via individual requests to each of your game-playing friends. As you first enter this Expedition, you'll see the skeletons placed on stakes - apparently, the tribes that were here before you set up plenty of traps for outsiders, and you'll need to investigate these poor souls' demise. When clicking on the first one, you'll learn that the key to opening the door is the Celestial Compass. You'll need to find the four Compass Markers around the map (don't worry - they're large and hard to miss) and use them to find out just how to build a Compass of your own. However, you'll need to plant flowers next to the markers to actually be able to interact with them, hence having to ask your friends for the seeds.
The Competition
Investigate the Abandoned Camp
Investigate the Campfire
Recover the Lost Book
Apparently, you and Indy aren't the only ones that know about the Calendar of the Sun, so you'll need to take this opportunity to learn more about your competition by studying what they left behind. Luckily, both the fire and tent are right next to each other, but they are guarded by a snake you'll have to take out. When you investigate the tent, the book will appear next to it automatically, making this one of the easiest quests to complete in all of Adventure World.
Out of Time
Investigate the Dodo Bird
Investigate the Red-Throated Wood Rail Bird
Investigate the Great Auk Bird
Just as with the Jungle Approach Expedition, you'll find some extinct (well, formerly believed to be extinct) wildlife on this map. Here, you're finding birds, where as before you found plants. Just locate these three birds on the map (feel free to click on "Show Me" for their exact locations) and click on them to investigate.
When you finish this Expedition, you'll have just three more Expeditions to complete to finish the entire Calendar of the Sun mission set. You'll need to continue going through each map in order, before you can unlock the next in the path, but with enough hard work (and a little help from friends), you should have no problem making it to this point. Happy adventuring!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Mystery of the Moon Door Expedition in Adventure World?
CityVille Meet the Parents Goals: Everything you need to know
If you're above Level 50 in CityVille, and aren't too busy completing your City Center as part of the game's first birthday celebration, you now have a completely new set of goals to work on, surrounding Louise and her parents. Louise's parents are on vacation in your city, and it's up to you to make sure they have a good time while they're there! This is a four-part goal series, but there doesn't look to be an expiration date for when you need to complete them, so feel free to take your time. Here's a guide to finishing them off.
Meet the Parents
Ask for 12 Rocking Chairs
Collect from Attractions 2 Times
Collect from Restaurants 30 Times
The Rocking Chairs are earned by asking your friends to send them to you via a general wall post. While you're waiting, you can put two of your attractions into action (the Ferris Wheel, Pirate Ship Ride, etc.) so that you can collect from them later. Finish this first goal and you'll receive 200 XP.
Bread Winner
Ask for 12 Family Recipes
Collect from Food Markets 30 Times
Harvest 80 Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes
The Food Markets are those buildings like the Corner Store, City Supermarket or Produce Paradise. You can collect from more than one of each of these, if you happen to have them in your city, or just repeatedly collect from the three of them until you reach 30. While tending to your businesses, you can also tend to your crops, with the Grapes being ready to harvest after one full day. Once you complete this goal, you'll receive a Spa, a business that you very well might already have in your town.
Mother's Nature
Ask for 15 Bathrobes
Collect from Spas 20 Times
Collect from Handbag Store 20 Times
Luckily, if you did already have the Spa in your city before being given one at the end of the last goal, then this goal is going to be twice as easy to complete. You just might find yourself stalled waiting for your friends to send you the Bathrobes. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20,000 coins.
Male Bonding
Ask for 20 Bags of Popcorn
Collect from Stadiums 4 Times
Collect from the Executive Driving Range 3 Times
The Stadium task allows you to collect from College Stadiums, Soccer Stadiums or Baseball Stadiums, so if you have all three in your town, you'll finish that much quicker. As for the Executive Driving Range, that's an attraction that you can find our guide to building right here. Finish this final goal in the Meet the Parents series and you'll receive a whopping 5,000 Goods.
Since this goal series is completely separate from any limited time event or building in the game, you'll also apparently have an unlimited amount of time to complete them. Still, we've seen some goals being retired after months of being available in the game, so you might want to do these eventually, even if only to say that you did.
[Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these Meet the Parents goals? Do you miss seeing more goals like these - that are completely self-contained and deal with already released content
Meet the Parents
Ask for 12 Rocking Chairs
Collect from Attractions 2 Times
Collect from Restaurants 30 Times
The Rocking Chairs are earned by asking your friends to send them to you via a general wall post. While you're waiting, you can put two of your attractions into action (the Ferris Wheel, Pirate Ship Ride, etc.) so that you can collect from them later. Finish this first goal and you'll receive 200 XP.
Bread Winner
Ask for 12 Family Recipes
Collect from Food Markets 30 Times
Harvest 80 Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes
The Food Markets are those buildings like the Corner Store, City Supermarket or Produce Paradise. You can collect from more than one of each of these, if you happen to have them in your city, or just repeatedly collect from the three of them until you reach 30. While tending to your businesses, you can also tend to your crops, with the Grapes being ready to harvest after one full day. Once you complete this goal, you'll receive a Spa, a business that you very well might already have in your town.
Mother's Nature
Ask for 15 Bathrobes
Collect from Spas 20 Times
Collect from Handbag Store 20 Times
Luckily, if you did already have the Spa in your city before being given one at the end of the last goal, then this goal is going to be twice as easy to complete. You just might find yourself stalled waiting for your friends to send you the Bathrobes. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20,000 coins.
Male Bonding
Ask for 20 Bags of Popcorn
Collect from Stadiums 4 Times
Collect from the Executive Driving Range 3 Times
The Stadium task allows you to collect from College Stadiums, Soccer Stadiums or Baseball Stadiums, so if you have all three in your town, you'll finish that much quicker. As for the Executive Driving Range, that's an attraction that you can find our guide to building right here. Finish this final goal in the Meet the Parents series and you'll receive a whopping 5,000 Goods.
Since this goal series is completely separate from any limited time event or building in the game, you'll also apparently have an unlimited amount of time to complete them. Still, we've seen some goals being retired after months of being available in the game, so you might want to do these eventually, even if only to say that you did.
[Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these Meet the Parents goals? Do you miss seeing more goals like these - that are completely self-contained and deal with already released content
Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 10, 2011
When Mass Effect Meets Battlefield
Two of Electronic Arts’ biggest current franchises collide in this wallpaper, sent today to Christina Norman, former BioWare designer on the Mass Effect series who is currently working for Riot Games, makers of League of Legends.
Check Out Phoenix Wright’s Surreal, Multi-Tiered Fighting Style In Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3
The biggest applause in the panels that Capcom held for their upcoming fighting games came for the introduction of the blue-suited hero of the Ace Attorney games. During the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 panel, special consultant and fighting game expert Seth Killian talked about how the development team tried to make the unlikely placement of the barrister into a brawling game.
They also wanted to make sure that Phoenix still felt like the hero who’s earned a loyal following. I think they nailed it. Watch this video and you’ll probably agree.
They also wanted to make sure that Phoenix still felt like the hero who’s earned a loyal following. I think they nailed it. Watch this video and you’ll probably agree.
Playstation Should You Buy Ace Combat: Assault Horizon? Yes. By Mike Fahey on October 17, 2011 at 12:00 AM Namco Bandai’s Ace Combat: Assault Horizon is out there ready to be purchased, or rented and played. But should you invest the time and money? Since I’m the only one playing, here’s my split personality Gut Check. On the blog now, Porter acknowledges that “this will clearly severely delay the next update, which was very near completion.” However, no Project Zomboid player’s personal information was on either of the two computers stolen, he said. Michael Fahey, Die-Hard
What the hell have they done to my series? I depend on Ace Combat for high-velocity aerial combat. In the three hours I’ve played Assault Horizon I’ve participated in a lengthy battle acting solely as a helicopter gunner, piloted my own helicopter slowly around a town providing cover fire for ground troops, and played an extended version of the gunner bit from the end of Modern Warfare 2. I’ve spent more time in other aircraft than I have in jets. This is not what I wanted. I can’t even use my flight stick? Screw this
Michael Fahey, Somewhat More Reasonable
ce Combat Fan: As much as I love the earlier entries in the series, I must admit that flying around in circles until the missiles hit was getting a bit tedious. Project Aces’ new Close-Range Assault system gives me the chance to experience a more dynamic and dramatic sort of dogfighting. I’m riding my enemy’s tails, camera shaking as I struggle to keep them in my sights. I’m killing bad guys with my machine guns — something that almost never happened in earlier entries in the series. Sure it’s essentially on rails at that point, but the action is so intense that I don’t mind so much. Between the new combat system and the frequency of flying (or not flying) things that are not jets, Assault Horizon doesn’t feel like an Ace Combat game, but what it does feel like is a game I didn’t mind purchasing
Đăng ký:
Bài đăng (Atom)