Zynga is apparently looking to continue the fun had in the recent FrontierVille timed mission called "Playtime," as they seem to be working on a follow-up to that quest entitled "Playtime II." Playtime II will also be a timed mission, just like its predecessor, and you should have 2 days after you accept the mission to complete it before it expires. Rumor has it that you'll be able to buy extra time for Horseshoes.
This mission will require you to complete three tasks:
Craft 20 Planks
Collect 10 Metal Bars
Collect 10 Wood Rasps
The Planks can be crafted inside the wagon for 7 pieces of wood and 250 coins each, while we're assuming that you'll be able to ask your friends to send you the Metal Bars and Wood Rasps, via either traditional wall posts asking for items, or individual gift requests sent to those friends that you think would be most willing to help you.
The rewards for finishing this mission are 250 experience points, 1000 coins and a See Saw decorative item (a teeter-totter, if you'd prefer, commonly seen on children's playgrounds - one my personal favorites as a kid).
We'll make sure to let you know when the mission releases in full, but until then, remember that this information is subject to change at any time, up until the point that Zynga releases it into the game. Feel free to plan ahead (crafting Planks), but do so with caution.
Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille: Reindeer now available through Feed Trough
For those of you that like collecting Animal Feed for your Animal Feed Trough in FarmVille, you'll appreciate the fact that Zynga has now added a new animal to the list of those available animals that will randomly walk into your small barn. The animal is the Reindeer, which has been released a free gift earlier this year, but was first seen as a full animal release in FarmVille during last year's Winter Holiday celebration.
As the Reindeer is currently unavailable to purchase in the store, and you weren't playing the game last year, you'll want to make sure to take advantage of this opportunity. You'll need to collect 20 bundles of Animal Feed to activate your Trough to draw an animal in, and you can earn feed by having your friends send it to you through gift requests, or by earning it through clicking on friends' wall posts.
Since this is a Holiday related animal, it is possible that the Reindeer will only be available to find in the Trough for a limited time. Yes, the Turkey from Thanksgiving is still available, but do you really want to take the chance of losing out on a Reindeer just because you waited too long to collect Animal Feed? No, I wouldn't either.
Make sure to fill that Animal Trough and good luck finding a Reindeer on your own farm!
As the Reindeer is currently unavailable to purchase in the store, and you weren't playing the game last year, you'll want to make sure to take advantage of this opportunity. You'll need to collect 20 bundles of Animal Feed to activate your Trough to draw an animal in, and you can earn feed by having your friends send it to you through gift requests, or by earning it through clicking on friends' wall posts.
Since this is a Holiday related animal, it is possible that the Reindeer will only be available to find in the Trough for a limited time. Yes, the Turkey from Thanksgiving is still available, but do you really want to take the chance of losing out on a Reindeer just because you waited too long to collect Animal Feed? No, I wouldn't either.
Make sure to fill that Animal Trough and good luck finding a Reindeer on your own farm!
FarmVille Snowman / Snowball Fight: Everything you need to know
Recently, we showed you some leaked images from FarmVille's as-of-then unreleased Snowman and Snowball Fight activities that would be coming to FarmVille this holiday season. Well, the time is now for these features to go live, as the Snowman and Snowball Fight features have now begun rolling out to users across the game.
You'll know that this feature has launched in your game when you visit your farm and see the large pop-up like the one above. This lets you know the basics of the feature - you'll be able to visit your friends' farms and start a snowball fight with them. When your friend retaliates (throws a snowball back), those snowballs will start to form enough of a mound for you to build your own Magical Snowman.
For all of the details concerning this new event, meet us behind the break. To start, simply click on the "Okay" button on the pop-up at the top of this post, and then wait for your game to switch into Placement mode. This allows you to place a very small pile of snow on your Farm. Think of this pile of snow as the beginnings of a wonderful Snowman, or as the base for any one of the previously released "Buildables" in the game. From there, you'll be able to share the news that you're building a Snowman with friends.
Your Snowman will need to be constructed using various building materials. In the first step of the construction (there seem to be four stages of completion in all), you'll need to collect 10 Piles of Snow, and a single Snowman Scarf. You can collect these items by clicking on the "Ask for more" button associated with that particular item.
From there, you'll see a window like the one below, where you can post on individual users walls (the available list of users is randomly generated by the game) with a request to send you either Snow or a Scarf. Unfortunately, this will limit your progress, as you can't choose the individual friends that you'd like to ask, and out of the three people I personally could choose from, only one actually plays the game. It's presumable that many users will end up with the same sort of situation in their own games.
Luckily, there is another aspect to this feature, which comes from the actual Snowball Fight portion of this event. Once you have the Snowman on your farm, you can visit your neighbors' farms to see a new window appear asking you if you'd like to throw a snowball at that friend. This is done by simply clicking on the "Share" button, watching the animation of the flying snowball, and then posting a news item to that friend's wall alerting them that you've hit them with a Snowball.
Your friends can then retaliate, creating a true snowball fight - nay, war, sending snowballs back and forth amongst friends for the duration of the event.
As you collect snowballs, your Snowman will grow through four stages of completion: He will start as a Pile or Snow, and then move into Smiling Snowman, Dapper Snowman, and eventually Dancing Snowman stages. Once completed, it's assumed that the Snowman will actually dance, just like Frosty the Snowman from the classic children's story.
So what are you waiting for? Don't you want a Dancing Snowman on your farm? Start throwing Snowballs at your friends and build your very own Snowman while you can!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Find the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Snowman and Snowball Fight events in FarmVille? Will you build your Snowman, or do you already have enough Winter goodies on your farm?
You'll know that this feature has launched in your game when you visit your farm and see the large pop-up like the one above. This lets you know the basics of the feature - you'll be able to visit your friends' farms and start a snowball fight with them. When your friend retaliates (throws a snowball back), those snowballs will start to form enough of a mound for you to build your own Magical Snowman.
For all of the details concerning this new event, meet us behind the break. To start, simply click on the "Okay" button on the pop-up at the top of this post, and then wait for your game to switch into Placement mode. This allows you to place a very small pile of snow on your Farm. Think of this pile of snow as the beginnings of a wonderful Snowman, or as the base for any one of the previously released "Buildables" in the game. From there, you'll be able to share the news that you're building a Snowman with friends.
Your Snowman will need to be constructed using various building materials. In the first step of the construction (there seem to be four stages of completion in all), you'll need to collect 10 Piles of Snow, and a single Snowman Scarf. You can collect these items by clicking on the "Ask for more" button associated with that particular item.
From there, you'll see a window like the one below, where you can post on individual users walls (the available list of users is randomly generated by the game) with a request to send you either Snow or a Scarf. Unfortunately, this will limit your progress, as you can't choose the individual friends that you'd like to ask, and out of the three people I personally could choose from, only one actually plays the game. It's presumable that many users will end up with the same sort of situation in their own games.
Luckily, there is another aspect to this feature, which comes from the actual Snowball Fight portion of this event. Once you have the Snowman on your farm, you can visit your neighbors' farms to see a new window appear asking you if you'd like to throw a snowball at that friend. This is done by simply clicking on the "Share" button, watching the animation of the flying snowball, and then posting a news item to that friend's wall alerting them that you've hit them with a Snowball.
Your friends can then retaliate, creating a true snowball fight - nay, war, sending snowballs back and forth amongst friends for the duration of the event.
As you collect snowballs, your Snowman will grow through four stages of completion: He will start as a Pile or Snow, and then move into Smiling Snowman, Dapper Snowman, and eventually Dancing Snowman stages. Once completed, it's assumed that the Snowman will actually dance, just like Frosty the Snowman from the classic children's story.
So what are you waiting for? Don't you want a Dancing Snowman on your farm? Start throwing Snowballs at your friends and build your very own Snowman while you can!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Find the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Snowman and Snowball Fight events in FarmVille? Will you build your Snowman, or do you already have enough Winter goodies on your farm?
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash from Coca-Cola promotion
Keeping the tradition of free Farm Cash in FarmVille going, Zynga has launched a new cross-promotional activity with Coca-Cola, that can be found underneath the FarmVille gameplay area. This isn't the first time we've seen Zynga partner with Coca-Cola, as a Cafe World promotion was launched back in October.
At any rate, this newest FarmVille promotion will see users earning 2 free Farm Cash for completing a short activity. To begin, simply click on the Sponsored Link window, as seen at the right of this post (here is the link of the activity, if it never loads on your own game - if it doesn't work for you, then you'll need to wait for the activity to appear on your own account).
A new window will load, where you'll see a short trailer for this activity - you'll see six locked bottles of Coca-Cola, and when you click on them, you'll see game tips about FarmVille (basic tips concerning game elements like upgrading vehicles or visiting neighbors), and you'll then be allowed to submit your progress and are offered a free coupon that you can send to your friends via the official Coca-Cola Facebook fan page.
You must click on the button within the promotion to launch the fan page in order to finally earn your 2 free Farm Cash, which will then be added to your account in the game (if it doesn't show up automatically, a simple game refresh should force it to appear.
At any rate, this newest FarmVille promotion will see users earning 2 free Farm Cash for completing a short activity. To begin, simply click on the Sponsored Link window, as seen at the right of this post (here is the link of the activity, if it never loads on your own game - if it doesn't work for you, then you'll need to wait for the activity to appear on your own account).
A new window will load, where you'll see a short trailer for this activity - you'll see six locked bottles of Coca-Cola, and when you click on them, you'll see game tips about FarmVille (basic tips concerning game elements like upgrading vehicles or visiting neighbors), and you'll then be allowed to submit your progress and are offered a free coupon that you can send to your friends via the official Coca-Cola Facebook fan page.
You must click on the button within the promotion to launch the fan page in order to finally earn your 2 free Farm Cash, which will then be added to your account in the game (if it doesn't show up automatically, a simple game refresh should force it to appear.
Official FarmVille Podcast (12/17/10): Pig Pen Expansions, Winter Countdown details
In this week's official FarmVille podcast, FarmVille Community Manager Lexilicious gave users a sneak peek at some of the upcoming features that will be launching in FarmVille in the coming days and weeks. Here's a recap of this week's details.
First, Zynga will soon be launching a Greeting Card contest. Similar to the Baking Contest, this Greeting Card contest will ask aspiring artists to create a FarmVille themed card (either in the real world, or through Microsoft Paint, Photoshop, or another photo editing program). The prizes for this contest will be 1,000 Farm Cash, 1 million coins and any limited edition FarmVille item of your choice. We'll be sure to give you all of the details of this contest as soon as it launches (presumably on the forums).
Another upcoming feature will be the introduction of Pig Pen expansions. These expansions will allow you to upgrade the capacity of your Pig Pen from 20 to 40 pigs. As a result, you'll be able to hold more slop, and send more pigs truffle hunting at once.
The New Year's Party feature that we gave you a sneak peek of last week has also been officially confirmed. This will be a social event, with the more friends you get to attend resulting in better rewards. Some of these rewards include new crops, new clothes for your avatar, and a new pony.
Sometime after December 25, a Winter Countdown will begin. Each day you login, you'll be able to ask for and give an item from FarmVille's old Winter Holiday theme to/from friends. If you unlock all 12 of these items (that is, login each and every day and participate for that 12 day time period), you'll receive a special, apparently exclusive animal as a prize.
Finally, Lexi confirmed that the FarmVille team is hoping to add the coin purchasing option for the 28x28 land expansion to the game sometime after the new year. There was no announcement as to how much it would cost, but she did confirm that the team was working on it.
For those that love listening to the FarmVille Podcast in full, you can check it out at the top of this post. The next FarmVille podcast is scheduled for release on January 7, and we'll make sure to bring you all of the details therein after it is released.
First, Zynga will soon be launching a Greeting Card contest. Similar to the Baking Contest, this Greeting Card contest will ask aspiring artists to create a FarmVille themed card (either in the real world, or through Microsoft Paint, Photoshop, or another photo editing program). The prizes for this contest will be 1,000 Farm Cash, 1 million coins and any limited edition FarmVille item of your choice. We'll be sure to give you all of the details of this contest as soon as it launches (presumably on the forums).
Another upcoming feature will be the introduction of Pig Pen expansions. These expansions will allow you to upgrade the capacity of your Pig Pen from 20 to 40 pigs. As a result, you'll be able to hold more slop, and send more pigs truffle hunting at once.
The New Year's Party feature that we gave you a sneak peek of last week has also been officially confirmed. This will be a social event, with the more friends you get to attend resulting in better rewards. Some of these rewards include new crops, new clothes for your avatar, and a new pony.
Sometime after December 25, a Winter Countdown will begin. Each day you login, you'll be able to ask for and give an item from FarmVille's old Winter Holiday theme to/from friends. If you unlock all 12 of these items (that is, login each and every day and participate for that 12 day time period), you'll receive a special, apparently exclusive animal as a prize.
Finally, Lexi confirmed that the FarmVille team is hoping to add the coin purchasing option for the 28x28 land expansion to the game sometime after the new year. There was no announcement as to how much it would cost, but she did confirm that the team was working on it.
For those that love listening to the FarmVille Podcast in full, you can check it out at the top of this post. The next FarmVille podcast is scheduled for release on January 7, and we'll make sure to bring you all of the details therein after it is released.
Thứ Năm, 12 tháng 1, 2012
Mafia Wars gets buzzed by The Green Hornet
No, Seth Rogen will not be making an appearance in Mafia Wars--only famous rappers can pull that off--but cool stuff from his new movie, The Green Hornet, will be. Starting today until the theatrical release of The Green Hornet on Jan. 14, we digital mobsters can collect eight different loot items surrounding the feature film adaptation of the famous 1930s radio drama. Doing jobs and fighting other players in any location of the game have a chance of dropping these seven items: Kato's Mask, Black Beauty Missiles, Gas Gun, Double Barrel Gun, Chudnovsky's Gas Mask, Hood Gun and The Green Hornet crest.
Finding all seven will unlock The Black Beauty. Both The Green Hornet's iconic, deadly vehicle and this event's Mastery item with 90 Attack and 45 Defense, the Black Beauty is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Also available in the Market for 25 Reward Points is Kato's Motorcycle, a vehicle item that doesn't contribute to unlocking The Black Beauty with 64 Attack and 88 Defense.
This promotional event follows the still-running Hustlin' Wit Dre event and a recent promotion involving the TNT crime drama Southland. "The entertainment industry has been 'gamified' as these types of unique integrations are connecting millions of players with new and exclusive content," reads an official statement from Zynga. "In return, Zynga's millions of players are creating additional buzz as they interact with films, televisions shows and artists within their favorite games." In other words, there's probably more where this came from for 2011.
Finding all seven will unlock The Black Beauty. Both The Green Hornet's iconic, deadly vehicle and this event's Mastery item with 90 Attack and 45 Defense, the Black Beauty is certainly a force to be reckoned with. Also available in the Market for 25 Reward Points is Kato's Motorcycle, a vehicle item that doesn't contribute to unlocking The Black Beauty with 64 Attack and 88 Defense.
This promotional event follows the still-running Hustlin' Wit Dre event and a recent promotion involving the TNT crime drama Southland. "The entertainment industry has been 'gamified' as these types of unique integrations are connecting millions of players with new and exclusive content," reads an official statement from Zynga. "In return, Zynga's millions of players are creating additional buzz as they interact with films, televisions shows and artists within their favorite games." In other words, there's probably more where this came from for 2011.
RewardVille: Zynga plans a mysterious rewards program
zynga rewardville
Hot on the heels of CityVille, Zynga may already be planning another release: RewardVille. Today, Fusible confirmed rumors that Zynga has big plans for this mysterious reward program.
The speculation about RewardVille solidified into fact when it was discovered that Zynga had actually filed a trademark for RewardVille back in mid December. Not only that, but they paid $4,500 for the website: rewardville.com. Would you pay that much for a website you didn't plan on using? I think we can definitely expect to hear a lot more about RewardVille in the future.
As of right now, we can only speculate as to what RewardVille might be. A new Zynga Lotto? Maybe a new game? Some believe it may be a continuation of the American Express free items deal we saw in late November. Or perhaps it will just be a way to see all the current rewards across all Zynga's games in one place.
Either way, based on the name RewardVille it sounds like us Facebook gamers can expect some goodies from our friends at Zynga. Stay tuned for more info.
Hot on the heels of CityVille, Zynga may already be planning another release: RewardVille. Today, Fusible confirmed rumors that Zynga has big plans for this mysterious reward program.
The speculation about RewardVille solidified into fact when it was discovered that Zynga had actually filed a trademark for RewardVille back in mid December. Not only that, but they paid $4,500 for the website: rewardville.com. Would you pay that much for a website you didn't plan on using? I think we can definitely expect to hear a lot more about RewardVille in the future.
As of right now, we can only speculate as to what RewardVille might be. A new Zynga Lotto? Maybe a new game? Some believe it may be a continuation of the American Express free items deal we saw in late November. Or perhaps it will just be a way to see all the current rewards across all Zynga's games in one place.
Either way, based on the name RewardVille it sounds like us Facebook gamers can expect some goodies from our friends at Zynga. Stay tuned for more info.
Mafia Wars and The Green Hornet Event: Everything you need to know
Black Beauty
The Green Hornet has been buzzing around in Mafia Wars for just a few hours, but it's time we get to bottom of just how to nab Black Beauty for our own garages. Unlike other promotional events, the drops in this are completely random, meaning that doing any job or fighting any player will have a chance at causing one of the seven items that count toward unlocking Black Beauty to drop.
However, there are certain items that only drop from fighting and others that drop solely from doing jobs. So, find our full list of all seven items and exactly where and how you can find them behind the break.
Hornet Crest
Drops from the first job completed after accepting the event
Kato's Mask
Drops from doing Jobs
Black Beauty's Missiles
Drops from winning Fights
Chudnovsky's Gas Mask
Drops from winning Fights (also available as a Free Gift)
Double Barreled Gun
Drops from doing Jobs
Hood Gun
Drops from winning Fights
Gas Gun
Drops from doing Jobs (also available as a Free Gift)
Technically, you only need to collect five items to unlock the Mastery Item with two of them available as Free Gifts, making this event even simpler. Essentially, this reduces the item hunt to just four items considering the Hornet Crest is a freebie. Find all four items to unlock the Black Beauty, a slick-looking car complete with missile launchers, chain gun, 90 Attack and 45 Defense.
The Green Hornet has been buzzing around in Mafia Wars for just a few hours, but it's time we get to bottom of just how to nab Black Beauty for our own garages. Unlike other promotional events, the drops in this are completely random, meaning that doing any job or fighting any player will have a chance at causing one of the seven items that count toward unlocking Black Beauty to drop.
However, there are certain items that only drop from fighting and others that drop solely from doing jobs. So, find our full list of all seven items and exactly where and how you can find them behind the break.
Hornet Crest
Drops from the first job completed after accepting the event
Kato's Mask
Drops from doing Jobs
Black Beauty's Missiles
Drops from winning Fights
Chudnovsky's Gas Mask
Drops from winning Fights (also available as a Free Gift)
Double Barreled Gun
Drops from doing Jobs
Hood Gun
Drops from winning Fights
Gas Gun
Drops from doing Jobs (also available as a Free Gift)
Technically, you only need to collect five items to unlock the Mastery Item with two of them available as Free Gifts, making this event even simpler. Essentially, this reduces the item hunt to just four items considering the Hornet Crest is a freebie. Find all four items to unlock the Black Beauty, a slick-looking car complete with missile launchers, chain gun, 90 Attack and 45 Defense.
FarmVille Winter Wonderland Theme Showcase: The farm goes skiing
In the most recent edition of the FarmVille Showcase by Zynga, the Winter Wonderland Theme is put on display for us. And surprisingly, we can gather quite a lot from 13 seconds of video. In fact, just about all of these items have already been released in the game like the Caribou, Totem Pole, Ski Shop, and Winter Fire Pit. Also released last night was the new animated Ski Jump. Watch in awe as this brave little man performs a back flip from atop the hill only to do it all over again. And again.
Also included in the video are the Fiorland Penguin, which has already been released in the game, what looks to be a black bear cub, a Koala and a giant Panda Bear. For good measure, Zynga threw in a B0V1NE-09 and a Gold Gnome--no farm is complete without them, really. Stay tuned for when the rest of these items go live in-game.
Also included in the video are the Fiorland Penguin, which has already been released in the game, what looks to be a black bear cub, a Koala and a giant Panda Bear. For good measure, Zynga threw in a B0V1NE-09 and a Gold Gnome--no farm is complete without them, really. Stay tuned for when the rest of these items go live in-game.
Games.com's 2011 social gaming predictions: Mobile, 3D, MMOs and more
For social gaming, 2010 was a roller coaster ride with stories of ups and downs almost weekly. In the end, it turned out to be a year that witnessed some truly wonderful games, so everyone was a winner, really. But now it's time to look forward to a year that will surely be rife with change. And like any self-respecting journalists and bloggers would, we gaze into the future with wild theories, educated guesses and speculation. We give you Games.com's Predictions for 2011.
facebook game predictions 2011
Social = Mobile
If you thought the slew of social games-gone-mobile like FarmVille for iPhone and Mafia Wars across iOS, Android Blackberry and webOS was a step forward in 2010, just wait for what's to come. While major developers like Zynga, Playfish and Playdom have all started to expand to mobile devices using their existing games like My Empire and Social City, 2011 will see many more original mobile social games--just look at games like Raise the Village. (Bonus prediction: Zynga's recent cross platform strategy using mobile browsers might take off elsewhere.)
Find the rest of our predictions for 2011 after the break.
facebook game predictions 2011
Faster, Prettier Games
It's inevitable, really. With games like Godswar Online and the upcoming EA Sports PGA Tour for Facebook, both of which in full 3D, it's almost certain that there will be more where that came from. The two technologies that will be most responsible for this are HTML5 and the Unity Engine. The former being the next step in how websites are created, HTML5 can do things that Flash can without the need for Flash at all. (Just take a look at what's possible with HTML5.) The Unity Engine, however, is much like Flash in that its software through which developers can create browser games. But in detailed, appealing 3D that can run smoothly in websites without extra downloads (i.e. Facebook). Not to mention that developers are getting much better with Flash (take CityVille, for instance).
facebook game predictions 2011
CityVille Can't Stay on Top Forever
As much as some of us here at The Games.com Blog love CityVille, there's no way it's going to last forever as the top Facebook game. Sure, FarmVille was on top for months, but it too fell from its ivory tower made of Zynga Game Cards. Admittedly, the game isn't doing anything that's seriously groundbreaking, which means a game that does city building better could have a chance at dethroning CityVille. But good luck competing with both the Zynga name and its pool of over 100 million potential players. It's sad to say that, if anything, it will probably be another Zynga game that topples CityVille.
facebook game predictions 2011
Ads, ads, and more ads-Oh, my!
Some social games have more players monthly than most countries have people living in them. As big wigs in the advertising world would say, "That's a lot of eyeballs." With huge companies like McDonalds and Coca-Cola along with big-time rappers such as Dr. Dre getting into the game early, it's only natural that the rest of corporate America is itching to dig its pickax into the social gaming gold mine. That said, advertising in social games could become as second nature as, say, viral marketing has become in the world of YouTube (we've all seen the Old Spice Man).
facebook game predictions 2011
Is Zynga Creating its Own Network?
If eight major purchases in the last eight months and its most recent weren't hint enough, then we'll say it now. More than likely, this is what Zynga is ultimately up to. Zynga CEO Mark Pincus even came forthright in saying that his vision for the future of gaming is a "dog-activated world." Now that we've squashed all doubt, one question remains: What does it mean? Well, it could mean a lot of things, but most importantly is that it could spell independence from Facebook for Zynga.
facebook game predictions 2011
Hey Guys, Check Out Our "Game"
You've seen them already. Out there, just waiting to trick you, thinking what you just clicked on will be a remotely entertaining or enjoyable experience. Advergames. Instead of partnering with major developers, some companies pushing products are saying to themselves, "You know what, screw working with an experienced game developer. I'll make my own game. How hard can it be?" And what we get is a quasi-game, a series of Flash animations and a few clickable buttons designed for one purpose: to show us how cool Product X is and that we should totally buy it immediately.
facebook game predictions 2011
There's an MMO in my Facebook
There are now at least two full blown massively mutliplayer online games (MMO) currently on Facebook, Godswar Online and Milmo. While browser-based MMOs have existed for over a year if not longer, this will be the year when the lines between Facebook game and MMO blur. The two genres are too similar not to. Both are free to play, involve transactions for individual virtual goods or boosts and can now run right within Facebook. However, the Facebook game genre-bending likely won't stop there. With a full 3D golf game (see above) coming to Facebook, who is to say other types of games can't?
facebook game predictions 2011
The Big Will Undoubtedly Get Bigger
Call us pessimistic, but it's just how things work, people. Companies like Zynga are attracting over half of the social gaming market's audience. Numbers like that are tough to crack even for other juggernauts like PopCap who have all but ruled the casual gaming space with Bejeweled, Peggle and Zuma. Even Disney--you know, the guys who thought up Mickey Mouse?--are having trouble competing with them through Playdom. Zynga is likely going to be on top for a long, long time. The question of the day will remain, "Who is number two?" with companies like EA's Playfish, CrowdStar, PopCap and Playdom battling fiercely for second best.
facebook game predictions 2011
Facebook Will Be Our Friend Again
As much as it looked like it was working against us in 2010, Facebook could turn a new leaf this year. In fact, it already has. Just in the second half of 2010, Facebook created an entire games engineering team dedicated to making Facebook better for us social gamers. Not to mention that even more recently the 600-million strong social network hired a social games partnerships director to keep developers like Zynga happy (pictured right). It's too bad that its already looking to grow beyond Facebook. Maybe the two can cut another deal?
facebook game predictions 2011
Social = Mobile
If you thought the slew of social games-gone-mobile like FarmVille for iPhone and Mafia Wars across iOS, Android Blackberry and webOS was a step forward in 2010, just wait for what's to come. While major developers like Zynga, Playfish and Playdom have all started to expand to mobile devices using their existing games like My Empire and Social City, 2011 will see many more original mobile social games--just look at games like Raise the Village. (Bonus prediction: Zynga's recent cross platform strategy using mobile browsers might take off elsewhere.)
Find the rest of our predictions for 2011 after the break.
facebook game predictions 2011
Faster, Prettier Games
It's inevitable, really. With games like Godswar Online and the upcoming EA Sports PGA Tour for Facebook, both of which in full 3D, it's almost certain that there will be more where that came from. The two technologies that will be most responsible for this are HTML5 and the Unity Engine. The former being the next step in how websites are created, HTML5 can do things that Flash can without the need for Flash at all. (Just take a look at what's possible with HTML5.) The Unity Engine, however, is much like Flash in that its software through which developers can create browser games. But in detailed, appealing 3D that can run smoothly in websites without extra downloads (i.e. Facebook). Not to mention that developers are getting much better with Flash (take CityVille, for instance).
facebook game predictions 2011
CityVille Can't Stay on Top Forever
As much as some of us here at The Games.com Blog love CityVille, there's no way it's going to last forever as the top Facebook game. Sure, FarmVille was on top for months, but it too fell from its ivory tower made of Zynga Game Cards. Admittedly, the game isn't doing anything that's seriously groundbreaking, which means a game that does city building better could have a chance at dethroning CityVille. But good luck competing with both the Zynga name and its pool of over 100 million potential players. It's sad to say that, if anything, it will probably be another Zynga game that topples CityVille.
facebook game predictions 2011
Ads, ads, and more ads-Oh, my!
Some social games have more players monthly than most countries have people living in them. As big wigs in the advertising world would say, "That's a lot of eyeballs." With huge companies like McDonalds and Coca-Cola along with big-time rappers such as Dr. Dre getting into the game early, it's only natural that the rest of corporate America is itching to dig its pickax into the social gaming gold mine. That said, advertising in social games could become as second nature as, say, viral marketing has become in the world of YouTube (we've all seen the Old Spice Man).
facebook game predictions 2011
Is Zynga Creating its Own Network?
If eight major purchases in the last eight months and its most recent weren't hint enough, then we'll say it now. More than likely, this is what Zynga is ultimately up to. Zynga CEO Mark Pincus even came forthright in saying that his vision for the future of gaming is a "dog-activated world." Now that we've squashed all doubt, one question remains: What does it mean? Well, it could mean a lot of things, but most importantly is that it could spell independence from Facebook for Zynga.
facebook game predictions 2011
Hey Guys, Check Out Our "Game"
You've seen them already. Out there, just waiting to trick you, thinking what you just clicked on will be a remotely entertaining or enjoyable experience. Advergames. Instead of partnering with major developers, some companies pushing products are saying to themselves, "You know what, screw working with an experienced game developer. I'll make my own game. How hard can it be?" And what we get is a quasi-game, a series of Flash animations and a few clickable buttons designed for one purpose: to show us how cool Product X is and that we should totally buy it immediately.
facebook game predictions 2011
There's an MMO in my Facebook
There are now at least two full blown massively mutliplayer online games (MMO) currently on Facebook, Godswar Online and Milmo. While browser-based MMOs have existed for over a year if not longer, this will be the year when the lines between Facebook game and MMO blur. The two genres are too similar not to. Both are free to play, involve transactions for individual virtual goods or boosts and can now run right within Facebook. However, the Facebook game genre-bending likely won't stop there. With a full 3D golf game (see above) coming to Facebook, who is to say other types of games can't?
facebook game predictions 2011
The Big Will Undoubtedly Get Bigger
Call us pessimistic, but it's just how things work, people. Companies like Zynga are attracting over half of the social gaming market's audience. Numbers like that are tough to crack even for other juggernauts like PopCap who have all but ruled the casual gaming space with Bejeweled, Peggle and Zuma. Even Disney--you know, the guys who thought up Mickey Mouse?--are having trouble competing with them through Playdom. Zynga is likely going to be on top for a long, long time. The question of the day will remain, "Who is number two?" with companies like EA's Playfish, CrowdStar, PopCap and Playdom battling fiercely for second best.
facebook game predictions 2011
Facebook Will Be Our Friend Again
As much as it looked like it was working against us in 2010, Facebook could turn a new leaf this year. In fact, it already has. Just in the second half of 2010, Facebook created an entire games engineering team dedicated to making Facebook better for us social gamers. Not to mention that even more recently the 600-million strong social network hired a social games partnerships director to keep developers like Zynga happy (pictured right). It's too bad that its already looking to grow beyond Facebook. Maybe the two can cut another deal?
Thứ Ba, 10 tháng 1, 2012
Zynga Game Cards arrive in the Middle East
Zynga Game Cards
Now, the only people Zynga hasn't hit with its plastic cards are the pygmies of Australia. (Never say never, I guess.) The creator of FarmVille has entered 16 countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa through Gate2Play, an "end-to-end payment and value-added services platform based in Amman, Jordan," Gate2Play said in a statement. In other words, it handles payment of a number of clients' games through plastic cards and digital PIN numbers for paying players.
The cards will come available in $2, $5 and $10 increments, giving players more choices in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the UAE, and Yemen. Yep, I think that's about all of 'em. However, no mentions were made of localization, which strikes us as odd.
It hasn't been until recent that Middle Eastern social games have hit the radar, but they've been growing rapidly. Not to mention they're already doing amazing things like oh, I don't know, attempting to end the influence of extremism in the region? While this could lead to localization of Zynga games a' la the recent Zynga City (or Chinese CityVille), it more importantly points to the possibility of the Middle East becoming an important player in social games in general. Hey, if we're not going to get diversity in social game genres anytime soon, I'll gladly take cultural diversity.
Now, the only people Zynga hasn't hit with its plastic cards are the pygmies of Australia. (Never say never, I guess.) The creator of FarmVille has entered 16 countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa through Gate2Play, an "end-to-end payment and value-added services platform based in Amman, Jordan," Gate2Play said in a statement. In other words, it handles payment of a number of clients' games through plastic cards and digital PIN numbers for paying players.
The cards will come available in $2, $5 and $10 increments, giving players more choices in Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, the UAE, and Yemen. Yep, I think that's about all of 'em. However, no mentions were made of localization, which strikes us as odd.
It hasn't been until recent that Middle Eastern social games have hit the radar, but they've been growing rapidly. Not to mention they're already doing amazing things like oh, I don't know, attempting to end the influence of extremism in the region? While this could lead to localization of Zynga games a' la the recent Zynga City (or Chinese CityVille), it more importantly points to the possibility of the Middle East becoming an important player in social games in general. Hey, if we're not going to get diversity in social game genres anytime soon, I'll gladly take cultural diversity.
FarmVille for iPhone finds a cadaverous competitor in Zombie Farm
Since the myriad fixes made to FarmVille for iPhone, it has become my preferred method of online farming. But not one of those fixes had zombies in them. Likely made with the Walking Dead heads (myself included) in mind, The Playforge has updated its 15 million-download strong Zombie Farm for iOS with a list of social features including the ability to import friends from Facebook, Pocket Gamer reports.
Players can then visit those friends' farms and send them gifts. You know, like FarmVille ... but with zombies. The update for Android and iOS versions of the game also introduces new mini games like Zombie Tag, which rewards the player with XP for catching all of a friend's invading Brain Munchers. Another mini game, the Wheel of Brains, is like the daily bonus in games like CityVille, but with premium currency rewards.
Oh, and did we mention that the game is free? I think we'll just stop there. (Need we say more? Because we can: players can not only visit their friends' farms, but invade them with zombies in hopes for bigger rewards. Zombie Farm is available on Android through DeNA and Ngmoco's Mobage network, and on iOS through--what else?--the App Store.
Zombie Farm in action
Players can then visit those friends' farms and send them gifts. You know, like FarmVille ... but with zombies. The update for Android and iOS versions of the game also introduces new mini games like Zombie Tag, which rewards the player with XP for catching all of a friend's invading Brain Munchers. Another mini game, the Wheel of Brains, is like the daily bonus in games like CityVille, but with premium currency rewards.
Oh, and did we mention that the game is free? I think we'll just stop there. (Need we say more? Because we can: players can not only visit their friends' farms, but invade them with zombies in hopes for bigger rewards. Zombie Farm is available on Android through DeNA and Ngmoco's Mobage network, and on iOS through--what else?--the App Store.
Zombie Farm in action
Pot Farm creators open Downtown East Side Games, announce Zombinis
The Canadian creators of the fire grass Facebook farmer Pot Farm have opened a new studio, East Side Games, Inside Social Games reports. (But wait, didn't these guys also work for Downtown East Side Games? Why, yes they did.) Josh Nilson and Galan Akin, formerly studio manager and creative director of DES Games, scored $1.5 million in funding with Super Rewards founder Robert Bailey.
Bailey will assume the role of CEO of the new East Side Games, while Nilson and Akin resume work under their former titles at Downtown East Side Games. Now, East Side Games also has acquired rights to Pot Farm, which enjoys 900 thousand monthly players, according to Bailey. So, why the name change at all? Who knows, but our guess is that it has something to do with that funding.
The new found trio plans to release Zombinis, "a collectible battle game featuring cuddly and somewhat explosive zombies with detachable body parts and addicting gameplay," according to ISG, before the end of this year on Facebook. It already sounds like a far cry from Pot Farm, but still potentially aiming for a mature audience. East Side Games is already considering other platforms like the open web and the Google+ Games service, and had choice words for platforms like Facebook:
"[That] way we own the user, we control the experience and we pay the lowest tax rate," Bailey told ISG. "Zuck and Jobs want a 30% cut, Google is talking about a much more fair 5%, but regardless, the safest place for us is to not be at the whim of one platform, high taxes, and draconian content restrictions." I'm guessing he's not very good friends with Sean Ryan, huh? Check out all of what East Side Games had to say of the news here.
Bailey will assume the role of CEO of the new East Side Games, while Nilson and Akin resume work under their former titles at Downtown East Side Games. Now, East Side Games also has acquired rights to Pot Farm, which enjoys 900 thousand monthly players, according to Bailey. So, why the name change at all? Who knows, but our guess is that it has something to do with that funding.
The new found trio plans to release Zombinis, "a collectible battle game featuring cuddly and somewhat explosive zombies with detachable body parts and addicting gameplay," according to ISG, before the end of this year on Facebook. It already sounds like a far cry from Pot Farm, but still potentially aiming for a mature audience. East Side Games is already considering other platforms like the open web and the Google+ Games service, and had choice words for platforms like Facebook:
"[That] way we own the user, we control the experience and we pay the lowest tax rate," Bailey told ISG. "Zuck and Jobs want a 30% cut, Google is talking about a much more fair 5%, but regardless, the safest place for us is to not be at the whim of one platform, high taxes, and draconian content restrictions." I'm guessing he's not very good friends with Sean Ryan, huh? Check out all of what East Side Games had to say of the news here.
Facebookers spend fraction of time on games and apps; a giant niche?
Facebook users spend just 10 percent of their time playing with games or apps, according to a recent ComScore study. But aren't Facebook games expected to make the company $1 billion this year alone? Either something is missing from this equation, or Facebook gamers are the biggest niche in the history of niches.
However, this study takes all 750 million plus Facebook users into account, meaning the daily players for each game represent a much smaller demographic even within the 250 million gamers on the platform. (Though, the collective daily players still make up tens of millions of Facebook users.)
Are Facebook games something most players simply dabble in? When looking at this statistic, it sure seems that way. Social gamers could be even more casual than previously thought, barely considering themselves "gamers."
But no matter, companies like FarmVille maker Zynga and EA (who recently bought PopCap for potentially $1.3 billion) will continue to set records in the financial world, thanks to "whales." As long as these big spenders, which make up for just 1 to 3 percent of the Facebook gaming population, stick around so will Facebook gaming. If you look at some Facebook game studios like casinos without the immense upkeep costs, it's easy to see why Facebook games will be around for a long, long time.
However, this study takes all 750 million plus Facebook users into account, meaning the daily players for each game represent a much smaller demographic even within the 250 million gamers on the platform. (Though, the collective daily players still make up tens of millions of Facebook users.)
Are Facebook games something most players simply dabble in? When looking at this statistic, it sure seems that way. Social gamers could be even more casual than previously thought, barely considering themselves "gamers."
But no matter, companies like FarmVille maker Zynga and EA (who recently bought PopCap for potentially $1.3 billion) will continue to set records in the financial world, thanks to "whales." As long as these big spenders, which make up for just 1 to 3 percent of the Facebook gaming population, stick around so will Facebook gaming. If you look at some Facebook game studios like casinos without the immense upkeep costs, it's easy to see why Facebook games will be around for a long, long time.
Nintendo president takes blame (and 50 percent pay cut) for 3DS woes
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata is taking a slap on the wrist for poor sales of its 3DS ... a slap with a yardstick wrapped in barbed wire and set on fire. Kotaku Japan reports that Iwata addressed shareholders in a meeting with the news that he's taking responsibility for the 3DS, which will result in a whopping 50 percent cut in his pay.
"For cuts in fixed salaries, I'm taking a fifty percent cut, other representative directors are taking a 30 percent cut, and other execs are taking a 20 percent cut," Iwata said. Nintendo announced yesterday that its 3D successor to the crazy successful DS line of consoles, the 3DS, would have its price chopped down to $169.99 from its $249.99 launch price. That's an $80 drop, and the system just released this March.
During a Q&A, Nintendo admitted that it must provide something that mobile phones--like the iPhone--cannot offer. While that's telling of Nintendo's increased focus on its online offerings with the 3DS and its upcoming Wii U console, that's still a tall order. The 3DS, which still uses the Friend Code format, does not have a social gaming ecosystem comparable to even the iPhone's mildly-appealing Game Center. Nintendo is clearly making strides toward the digital age of gaming, but it might need a few pole vaults to catch up.
"For cuts in fixed salaries, I'm taking a fifty percent cut, other representative directors are taking a 30 percent cut, and other execs are taking a 20 percent cut," Iwata said. Nintendo announced yesterday that its 3D successor to the crazy successful DS line of consoles, the 3DS, would have its price chopped down to $169.99 from its $249.99 launch price. That's an $80 drop, and the system just released this March.
During a Q&A, Nintendo admitted that it must provide something that mobile phones--like the iPhone--cannot offer. While that's telling of Nintendo's increased focus on its online offerings with the 3DS and its upcoming Wii U console, that's still a tall order. The 3DS, which still uses the Friend Code format, does not have a social gaming ecosystem comparable to even the iPhone's mildly-appealing Game Center. Nintendo is clearly making strides toward the digital age of gaming, but it might need a few pole vaults to catch up.
Thứ Hai, 9 tháng 1, 2012
Cafe World: The Saga of the New Years Goals continues, but this time with free iPads!
Heya Chefs! We've been taking an in-depth look at how Zynga will be ringing in the New Year in Cafe World throughout this week, and at simply how much work needs to be done in an assumed short amount of time. Many users (myself included) are questioning whether or not it will even be worth it to complete the eight New Years Party Goals, even if we miss out on four exclusive recipes in the process, just because of how many things we need to collect, mostly with friends' help.
Zynga is looking to get players back into the gaming spirit, however, as they have offered some amazing real world incentive for users to finish the eight missions. They are now holding a contest, where each person that finishes all eight goals will automatically be entered to win one of 5 iPads, 5 iPod Touches, and 5 Flip Cameras! How's that for incentive!?
These are some fantastic prizes, worth hundreds of dollars in the real world, and they definitely work to create a shining light at the end of the very long tunnel that is these New Years Goals. However, if you can do so before January 10, you'll be entered for your chance to win!
Check out the rest of our New Years coverage right here.
As this growing saga of the New Years Goals continues, we want to know your thoughts - will you complete this mission set now that there are real world prizes available to win, or do you still think the missions are too difficult to complete?
Zynga is looking to get players back into the gaming spirit, however, as they have offered some amazing real world incentive for users to finish the eight missions. They are now holding a contest, where each person that finishes all eight goals will automatically be entered to win one of 5 iPads, 5 iPod Touches, and 5 Flip Cameras! How's that for incentive!?
These are some fantastic prizes, worth hundreds of dollars in the real world, and they definitely work to create a shining light at the end of the very long tunnel that is these New Years Goals. However, if you can do so before January 10, you'll be entered for your chance to win!
Check out the rest of our New Years coverage right here.
As this growing saga of the New Years Goals continues, we want to know your thoughts - will you complete this mission set now that there are real world prizes available to win, or do you still think the missions are too difficult to complete?
Live in a tropical paradise year-round with Beachtown on Facebook
Want to ring in the new year on Facebook by trying out a new game? Hueys Planet hopes that you will give their offering Beachtown a try. The game gives "everyone... their own beach," and you'll be able to customize that beach with a wide assortment of outdoor and water activities (those that you would normally find on a trip to the beach) in a gameplay setup that isn't entirely unlike the Sims.
Your friends will play an integral part in your advancement through Beachtown, as you'll be able to control their actions, and earn experience points and Beach Coins (the game's currency) for not only your actions, but the actions of your friends as well. Luckily, your friends don't actually have to play the game to take part, although it couldn't hurt the experience, if you can actually play with real friends.
Meet us behind the break for a complete look at Beachtown on Facebook.
Bringing in elements of the Sims franchise, each person on your beach is technically computer controlled, but you'll be able to control their actions at any time by simply clicking on them and then dragging them to the area of the beach or water of your choice. Each person has a set of desires, based on activities that they would like to take part in, and while you'll receive points for all actions, if you can match up a character with the activity they would personally like to complete, then you'll earn bonus points.
All sorts of "attractions" or activities can be added to your beach, ranging from spots that allow for Longboarding, Surfing or Snorkling in the water, to areas on the sand like Yoga and Exercise stations, or even Hula spots. Each activity will be completed after a different amount of time, so there will likely always be a spot open for your friends if you stick around long enough into a gameplay session. You can even upgrade these activities as you go along to make them more rewarding.
You'll have a series of light quests to complete on the left side of the screen, and bonus items will appear as you, or your assigned friends complete each task. You'll need to manually collect the prizes for completing tasks, which adds the ability to leave the game and then come back at a later time when the activity has been completed, but the rewards are still available.
Adding to the customization in the game is the ability to decorate your beach with a variety of themed items, including palm trees, beach umbrellas, and beach towels, along with some more unique items, like rock stacks, sundials, tikis, and so on. There are items available to purchase for both Beach Coins and Clams, the game's premium currency.
Another game element comes in the form of your Beach's popularity. As you add activities for your friends to take part in, the popularity goes up, allowing you to have even more friends appear on your Beach at the same time. Obviously, then, the more activities you have to take part in and the more friends you have to do them - the more coins you'll earn as a result and the faster you'll level up. Leveling up unlocks new activities, and thus the cycle continues.
Other gameplay elements include collections that can be completed (shells, starfish, stones, and the like) by clicking on Treasure Chests that appear at random quite frequently as you play. These chests can contain either coins or these collectibles. Trading in collections earns you coins, and you can add items to a Needs List to ask your friends for help in sending them to you.
Speaking of friends, the game's social elements include the ability to send free gifts to your friends, and the ability to visit your friends' beaches. Interestingly, there is no in-game NPC friend, so you'll have to invite some of your own friends to play the game in order to get anything out of these features.
As it stands, Beachtown has attracted almost 25,000 users who have decided to build a beach of their own. Want to join them?
Your friends will play an integral part in your advancement through Beachtown, as you'll be able to control their actions, and earn experience points and Beach Coins (the game's currency) for not only your actions, but the actions of your friends as well. Luckily, your friends don't actually have to play the game to take part, although it couldn't hurt the experience, if you can actually play with real friends.
Meet us behind the break for a complete look at Beachtown on Facebook.
Bringing in elements of the Sims franchise, each person on your beach is technically computer controlled, but you'll be able to control their actions at any time by simply clicking on them and then dragging them to the area of the beach or water of your choice. Each person has a set of desires, based on activities that they would like to take part in, and while you'll receive points for all actions, if you can match up a character with the activity they would personally like to complete, then you'll earn bonus points.
All sorts of "attractions" or activities can be added to your beach, ranging from spots that allow for Longboarding, Surfing or Snorkling in the water, to areas on the sand like Yoga and Exercise stations, or even Hula spots. Each activity will be completed after a different amount of time, so there will likely always be a spot open for your friends if you stick around long enough into a gameplay session. You can even upgrade these activities as you go along to make them more rewarding.
You'll have a series of light quests to complete on the left side of the screen, and bonus items will appear as you, or your assigned friends complete each task. You'll need to manually collect the prizes for completing tasks, which adds the ability to leave the game and then come back at a later time when the activity has been completed, but the rewards are still available.
Adding to the customization in the game is the ability to decorate your beach with a variety of themed items, including palm trees, beach umbrellas, and beach towels, along with some more unique items, like rock stacks, sundials, tikis, and so on. There are items available to purchase for both Beach Coins and Clams, the game's premium currency.
Another game element comes in the form of your Beach's popularity. As you add activities for your friends to take part in, the popularity goes up, allowing you to have even more friends appear on your Beach at the same time. Obviously, then, the more activities you have to take part in and the more friends you have to do them - the more coins you'll earn as a result and the faster you'll level up. Leveling up unlocks new activities, and thus the cycle continues.
Other gameplay elements include collections that can be completed (shells, starfish, stones, and the like) by clicking on Treasure Chests that appear at random quite frequently as you play. These chests can contain either coins or these collectibles. Trading in collections earns you coins, and you can add items to a Needs List to ask your friends for help in sending them to you.
Speaking of friends, the game's social elements include the ability to send free gifts to your friends, and the ability to visit your friends' beaches. Interestingly, there is no in-game NPC friend, so you'll have to invite some of your own friends to play the game in order to get anything out of these features.
As it stands, Beachtown has attracted almost 25,000 users who have decided to build a beach of their own. Want to join them?
Playfish's New Years Event Round-Up: Catch up with Restaurant City, Hotel City, Pet Society & More!
If you're an active player of one of Playfish's many Facebook games, you'll be happy to hear that the developer has some very exciting activities lined up for players in honor of the new year. These New Year themed items / events are taking place in six of their games: Pet Society, Restaurant City, Fifa Superstars, Madden NFL Superstars, Country Story, and Hotel City.
You'll be able to purchase new, exclusive items, earn free coins, participate in contests, and more - all with the help of our handy guide. Want to see what's going in the game of your choice? Meet us behind the break for everything you need to know to bring in the New Year with a bang!
Pet Society:
Playfish's pet-caretaking game is now offering a slew of New Year's themed items. Technically, this week's theme is called the "New York" theme, but there are plenty of New Years banners, and other decorations to purchase that will make sure your pet welcomes the new year with style, just as we all will in the real world.
Some of the items include 2011 Fireworks that glow in the dark, a Happy New Year banner for 600 coins, an animated New Years ball for 2,000 coins, balloons, party hats, an even a "Happy New Year 2011" neon sign, that also glows in the dark. Some of these items will only be available for one week, so purchase them soon so that you don't miss out!
Restaurant City:
Maggie (the game's mascot) is now giving away free coins, every single day you play the game. Starting on January 1 (psst, you might be able to claim some today, if you're lucky - we did), you'll be able to login and receive a free coin bundle for the first time you login that day. This isn't something to sneeze at either, as these coin bags will contain 25,000 coins each! Maggie will be giving away 200,000 coins in total, for the span of eight days, so make sure to keep logging back into the game to make the most of this free coin extravaganza!
As an added note, it's believed that you must be a fan of Restaurant City on Facebook for these coins to automatically appear in your game. Make sure to head to the game's fan page, click on the "Like" button and then check your game's left-hand menu to see when the coin bag arrives in your game. Plus, fans of the game receive free items, most on a daily basis, so being a fan really does serve a noticeable purpose.
Fifa Superstars:
Fifa Superstars is now offering daily deals to players who would like to add an extra edge to their game that will help long into the future. These deals will run until January 6. For today's deal, you can pick up a new Coach for just 1 Coin, the game's basic currency. This is an item that normally costs 12 Playfish Cash! Talk about a bargain! Deals can be anything from Match Credits and Silver Transfers to those dealing with Personal Trainers, and (as we've seen) coaches, so be sure to login once per day to see what the new deal is in the game.
Madden NFL Superstars:
Players of Madden NFL Superstars are now being given a chance to enter the Ultimate Experience contest, just for playing the game during this holiday season. All players that login to the game once per day will earn an entry to win a complete NFL "Ultimate Experience," including a Home Theater System, Xbox 360 game system with Kinect, Madden NFL 11 game, and more! Luckily, the game will allow all users to have the same amount of entries, based on whether or not you log into the game. That being the case, everyone has the same chance of winning, so why not login to the game and make sure you have a chance of winning too?
Country Story:
Country Story's event is a unique one, in that the majority of the event hasn't even started yet. Instead, we've been given a hint that a new animal will be arriving in the game on January 4th, and that it could possibly be the "cutest animal ever," according to the game's fan page. Playfish has created an entire Event (as in, an actual Facebook Event) that users can say that they're "Attending," and as more users RSVP that they will attend the event, the prizes will become greater.
First and foremost, they are giving away an exclusive Playfish Cash Monkey. After that, the prizes are secrets, but are apparently "mind blowing" and "amazing," and you simply won't want to miss out. The developer's goal is to have 100,000 users RSVP that they are attending, but it seems as though they may not actually have to reach that number in order to give away the prizes, as they have released a full schedule of the upcoming event on the event's page. On Jan. 3, a special surprise will be given away, and the free Playfish Cash Monkey will come on January 5. Other days see users being given a free gift on the game's fan page, so keep checking back to see what it is.
Hotel City:
Last but certainly not least, Hotel City will be offering a similar giveaway to that of Restaurant City. Upon your first login to the game from January 3-7, you'll receive 10,000 free coins, just for logging into the game! If you miss a day of logging in, you'll miss those free coins, so make sure to take at least a few seconds to claim your coins everyday in order to make the most of this rare event.
And there you have it! A complete run-down to all you need to know concerning Playfish's New Years celebrations. Happy New Year!
You'll be able to purchase new, exclusive items, earn free coins, participate in contests, and more - all with the help of our handy guide. Want to see what's going in the game of your choice? Meet us behind the break for everything you need to know to bring in the New Year with a bang!
Pet Society:
Playfish's pet-caretaking game is now offering a slew of New Year's themed items. Technically, this week's theme is called the "New York" theme, but there are plenty of New Years banners, and other decorations to purchase that will make sure your pet welcomes the new year with style, just as we all will in the real world.
Some of the items include 2011 Fireworks that glow in the dark, a Happy New Year banner for 600 coins, an animated New Years ball for 2,000 coins, balloons, party hats, an even a "Happy New Year 2011" neon sign, that also glows in the dark. Some of these items will only be available for one week, so purchase them soon so that you don't miss out!
Restaurant City:
Maggie (the game's mascot) is now giving away free coins, every single day you play the game. Starting on January 1 (psst, you might be able to claim some today, if you're lucky - we did), you'll be able to login and receive a free coin bundle for the first time you login that day. This isn't something to sneeze at either, as these coin bags will contain 25,000 coins each! Maggie will be giving away 200,000 coins in total, for the span of eight days, so make sure to keep logging back into the game to make the most of this free coin extravaganza!
As an added note, it's believed that you must be a fan of Restaurant City on Facebook for these coins to automatically appear in your game. Make sure to head to the game's fan page, click on the "Like" button and then check your game's left-hand menu to see when the coin bag arrives in your game. Plus, fans of the game receive free items, most on a daily basis, so being a fan really does serve a noticeable purpose.
Fifa Superstars:
Fifa Superstars is now offering daily deals to players who would like to add an extra edge to their game that will help long into the future. These deals will run until January 6. For today's deal, you can pick up a new Coach for just 1 Coin, the game's basic currency. This is an item that normally costs 12 Playfish Cash! Talk about a bargain! Deals can be anything from Match Credits and Silver Transfers to those dealing with Personal Trainers, and (as we've seen) coaches, so be sure to login once per day to see what the new deal is in the game.
Madden NFL Superstars:
Players of Madden NFL Superstars are now being given a chance to enter the Ultimate Experience contest, just for playing the game during this holiday season. All players that login to the game once per day will earn an entry to win a complete NFL "Ultimate Experience," including a Home Theater System, Xbox 360 game system with Kinect, Madden NFL 11 game, and more! Luckily, the game will allow all users to have the same amount of entries, based on whether or not you log into the game. That being the case, everyone has the same chance of winning, so why not login to the game and make sure you have a chance of winning too?
Country Story:
Country Story's event is a unique one, in that the majority of the event hasn't even started yet. Instead, we've been given a hint that a new animal will be arriving in the game on January 4th, and that it could possibly be the "cutest animal ever," according to the game's fan page. Playfish has created an entire Event (as in, an actual Facebook Event) that users can say that they're "Attending," and as more users RSVP that they will attend the event, the prizes will become greater.
First and foremost, they are giving away an exclusive Playfish Cash Monkey. After that, the prizes are secrets, but are apparently "mind blowing" and "amazing," and you simply won't want to miss out. The developer's goal is to have 100,000 users RSVP that they are attending, but it seems as though they may not actually have to reach that number in order to give away the prizes, as they have released a full schedule of the upcoming event on the event's page. On Jan. 3, a special surprise will be given away, and the free Playfish Cash Monkey will come on January 5. Other days see users being given a free gift on the game's fan page, so keep checking back to see what it is.
Hotel City:
Last but certainly not least, Hotel City will be offering a similar giveaway to that of Restaurant City. Upon your first login to the game from January 3-7, you'll receive 10,000 free coins, just for logging into the game! If you miss a day of logging in, you'll miss those free coins, so make sure to take at least a few seconds to claim your coins everyday in order to make the most of this rare event.
And there you have it! A complete run-down to all you need to know concerning Playfish's New Years celebrations. Happy New Year!
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash from Pretty Little Liars promotion
In a new FarmVille Farm Cash promotion, Zynga is now offering two free Farm Cash to users that wish to participate. The promotion is with the ABC Family television show Pretty Little Liars, and the promotion itself can be found by clicking on the Sponsored Link window as seen at the right of this post.
The promotion will launch in a new window, where you'll be shown a survey asking "Would you keep a dark secret to protect your friend?" This of course fits with the subject matter of the television show, but you can luckily answer in any way that you'd like in order to receive credit.
You'll know that you've received your Farm Cash when the "You've earned your Farm Cash" line appears in the top right corner of this new window. You can then close that window and reload FarmVille to ensure that your two free Farm Cash have been added to your account (if you don't see them pop in automatically).
If you don't see this promotion on your account, you may have other promotions that are cycling through first that must be completed before this newest one will show up. Also, this promotion is only available for those playing the game in the US, so international players are unfortunately not eligible.
The promotion will launch in a new window, where you'll be shown a survey asking "Would you keep a dark secret to protect your friend?" This of course fits with the subject matter of the television show, but you can luckily answer in any way that you'd like in order to receive credit.
You'll know that you've received your Farm Cash when the "You've earned your Farm Cash" line appears in the top right corner of this new window. You can then close that window and reload FarmVille to ensure that your two free Farm Cash have been added to your account (if you don't see them pop in automatically).
If you don't see this promotion on your account, you may have other promotions that are cycling through first that must be completed before this newest one will show up. Also, this promotion is only available for those playing the game in the US, so international players are unfortunately not eligible.
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash from Microsoft Technology promotion
Another free Farm Cash promotion has been spotted, making its rounds to the American users of FarmVille on Facebook, with this newest promotion coming from Microsoft. We've seen other Microsoft promotions before (for Microsoft Office and Bing), but rest assured, this is a new promotion, dealing with a year-end survey.
You'll be able to participate in this 2 free Farm Cash promotion by clicking on the Sponsored Link window seen at the right side of this post - it will appear for you in your own game underneath the FarmVille gameplay area. If you don't spot it the next time you load the game, we're assuming it is on a slow rollout, or you could have other promotions that are "in the way" that must be completed before this newest one will appear.
The activity itself will load in a new window, where you'll be able to fill out a survey, telling Microsoft what your favorite technology was of 2010 - the choices are of course Microsoft related (Windows 7, Kinect for Xbox 360, and Windows Phones), but you can make any choice and still have your vote count. You'll know you've received your Farm Cash when a phrase such as "You've earned your Farm Cash" appears in the top right corner of this new window. You can then close the activity window and refresh FarmVille to ensure that your 2 free Farm Cash is added to your account.
You'll be able to participate in this 2 free Farm Cash promotion by clicking on the Sponsored Link window seen at the right side of this post - it will appear for you in your own game underneath the FarmVille gameplay area. If you don't spot it the next time you load the game, we're assuming it is on a slow rollout, or you could have other promotions that are "in the way" that must be completed before this newest one will appear.
The activity itself will load in a new window, where you'll be able to fill out a survey, telling Microsoft what your favorite technology was of 2010 - the choices are of course Microsoft related (Windows 7, Kinect for Xbox 360, and Windows Phones), but you can make any choice and still have your vote count. You'll know you've received your Farm Cash when a phrase such as "You've earned your Farm Cash" appears in the top right corner of this new window. You can then close the activity window and refresh FarmVille to ensure that your 2 free Farm Cash is added to your account.
Thứ Bảy, 7 tháng 1, 2012
Official FarmVille Podcast (02/04/11): 28 x 28 Land Expansion coming next week
In this week's official FarmVille Podcast, Zynga gave all listeners a brief sneak peek of some new features and changes that will be coming to FarmVille in the near future. While most of this podcast was concerned with giving an overview of the new Greenhouse feature, we did get a couple of previews, one which seems to finally put the next land expansion issue to bed once and for all.
That's right, Zynga has yet again brought up the topic of the 28 x 28 land expansion, but this time, they've actually given us an exact time frame for its release - it will be coming to the game, available for coins, next week. Apparently, this expansion was formerly going to be part of another feature in the game, but Zynga has scrapped that feature (at least for now), so they've decided to simply release the land expansion to satisfy users that have been waiting for it since last year when it was released for Farm Cash.
Along with this, Zynga once again confirmed that watering cans will soon be available to earn from Orchards. They've also given us a ratio - two watering cans will be received per Orchard harvested, and you'll also receive an extra watering can, that is only available to share on your wall (up to ten neighbors can claim this free can).
Lastly, Zynga will soon be introducing a new set of crops to the game, which offer more experience points and more coins than normal crops. No other details were shared about these crops, such as when they will be released, but they appear to be unrelated to any other feature.
While this isn't as feature-heavy a podcast as we're used to, it is nice to see Zynga finally announcing a static release window for the next expansion. When it, and these other hinted features launch in the game, we'll be sure to let you know.
That's right, Zynga has yet again brought up the topic of the 28 x 28 land expansion, but this time, they've actually given us an exact time frame for its release - it will be coming to the game, available for coins, next week. Apparently, this expansion was formerly going to be part of another feature in the game, but Zynga has scrapped that feature (at least for now), so they've decided to simply release the land expansion to satisfy users that have been waiting for it since last year when it was released for Farm Cash.
Along with this, Zynga once again confirmed that watering cans will soon be available to earn from Orchards. They've also given us a ratio - two watering cans will be received per Orchard harvested, and you'll also receive an extra watering can, that is only available to share on your wall (up to ten neighbors can claim this free can).
Lastly, Zynga will soon be introducing a new set of crops to the game, which offer more experience points and more coins than normal crops. No other details were shared about these crops, such as when they will be released, but they appear to be unrelated to any other feature.
While this isn't as feature-heavy a podcast as we're used to, it is nice to see Zynga finally announcing a static release window for the next expansion. When it, and these other hinted features launch in the game, we'll be sure to let you know.
Game of the Day: Bubble Town
The game of the day is a Games.com all time great! Bubble Town is arcade-style bubble bursting blast of a good time game. One shot from the chute and you'll be hooked! Join the unforgettable cast of Borbs for an adventure of bubble-popping proportions
Click here to play Bubble Town
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click here to play Bubble Town
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
New FarmVille Crops: Golden Poppies, Jalapenos, & Leeks
As if all of the new crop types released in the Greenhouse in FarmVille weren't enough, Zynga has updated the store with three new permanent crops - one flower, and two food items, with one of these items being familiar to veteran players.
The first crop, the Golden Poppies, will likely seem familiar, and that is due to the fact that the crop was originally released as part of the California event of limited edition items back in February of 2010. At the time, the Golden Poppies cost 120 coins to plant and were ready to harvest in eight hours. Now, though, this new release of the crop sees them being heavily discounted to just 50 coins to plant. However, you'll need to wait a full day to harvest them. They can be sold for 130 coins per square, and you'll earn 2 experience points for each square of the Poppies that you plant. Additionally, Golden Poppies can be mastered this time around, with the three stars of mastery coming after 320, 640, and 960 harvests, respectively.
The other two crops are entirely new, and are the Jalapenos and Leeks. Meet us behind the break for all the details about these two new crops.
First, the Jalapenos. These peppers can be planted for 80 coins per square, and you'll gain just a single experience point for each square planted. Jalapenos grow for eight hours, and are then ready to be harvested, giving you 130 coins per square. The Jalapeno crop can be mastered, with the three mastery stars being available after harvesting the crop 800, 1600, and 2400 times. Get ready for the long haul, because these guys will probably take you quite a while to master fully.
As for the Leeks, they don't require as many harvests to master, but they aren't exactly easy either. Leeks can be planted for 95 coins, and are ready to harvest after 16 hours. You'll be able to sell the Leeks for 220 coins per square, and you'll gain two experience point for each Leek planted. As for mastery, you'll earn the three stars for Leeks at 600, 1200, and 1800 harvests.
As we said before, all three of these crops are permanent additions to the game's store, with no expiration date in sight. That being the case, feel free to leave them for a while, if you have other crops you'd like to master first. They'll be waiting for you when you're ready.
The first crop, the Golden Poppies, will likely seem familiar, and that is due to the fact that the crop was originally released as part of the California event of limited edition items back in February of 2010. At the time, the Golden Poppies cost 120 coins to plant and were ready to harvest in eight hours. Now, though, this new release of the crop sees them being heavily discounted to just 50 coins to plant. However, you'll need to wait a full day to harvest them. They can be sold for 130 coins per square, and you'll earn 2 experience points for each square of the Poppies that you plant. Additionally, Golden Poppies can be mastered this time around, with the three stars of mastery coming after 320, 640, and 960 harvests, respectively.
The other two crops are entirely new, and are the Jalapenos and Leeks. Meet us behind the break for all the details about these two new crops.
First, the Jalapenos. These peppers can be planted for 80 coins per square, and you'll gain just a single experience point for each square planted. Jalapenos grow for eight hours, and are then ready to be harvested, giving you 130 coins per square. The Jalapeno crop can be mastered, with the three mastery stars being available after harvesting the crop 800, 1600, and 2400 times. Get ready for the long haul, because these guys will probably take you quite a while to master fully.
As for the Leeks, they don't require as many harvests to master, but they aren't exactly easy either. Leeks can be planted for 95 coins, and are ready to harvest after 16 hours. You'll be able to sell the Leeks for 220 coins per square, and you'll gain two experience point for each Leek planted. As for mastery, you'll earn the three stars for Leeks at 600, 1200, and 1800 harvests.
As we said before, all three of these crops are permanent additions to the game's store, with no expiration date in sight. That being the case, feel free to leave them for a while, if you have other crops you'd like to master first. They'll be waiting for you when you're ready.
FarmVille Chinese New Year Items: New Year Rabbit, Forbidden City, Firecrackers & More
As was the case in FarmVille at this time last year, Zynga has once again offered users a new theme celebrating the Chinese / Lunar New Year. There are currently animals, buildings, and decorations to purchase in the store, with most of these likely being familiar to those veteran users that were playing the game last year.
The new animal is the New Year Rabbit, which is an entirely new animal in the game. Luckily, the animal isn't premium, and can be purchased for coins, but hold onto your wallet because this one's expensive. How expensive? How does 250,000 coins sound? If you can afford it, you'll be able to collect from your new rabbit every two days, and will receive 100 coins for doing so. You'll also receive a one-time bonus of 2500 experience points for purchasing the rabbit for your farm.
As for the new building, there is also just one to choose from, but this one is a re-release from last year's theme. What's the item exactly? Meet us behind the break to find out.
The new building is the Forbidden City, which was first released in the game last year. This is an absolutely massive item, so if you are at all lacking in room on your farm, you might reconsider purchasing it. If you would like the item, it costs 52 Farm Cash (the same price as last year), and will reward you with 5200 experience points for purchasing it. The only differences between its release this year and last are the fact that now, if you choose to sell the building, you'll receive 26,000 coins, and in the amount of experience points you gain. Last year, you would have received only 6,000 coins for selling, and only 1200 XP for purchasing it.
As for the new decorations, there are just three to choose from at this point: the Dragon Arch, Firecrackers, and Bamboo Forest. The Dragon Arch and Firecrackers are returning items from last year, while the Bamboo Forest is entirely new. The Dragon Arch retains all of its stats from last year. You'll be able to purchase it for 5200 coins, and you'll earn just 52 experience points for doing so. The Firecrackers also cost the same as before, at 2 Farm Cash. Like the Fireworks items released during the New Year's event, these Firecrackers are a one-time use item, that can be activated by clicking on the Firecrackers on your farm and clicking on "Launch" to see the show.
For the new decoration, the Bamboo Forest can be purchased for 6 Farm Cash. That's actually quite cheap, considering the fairly large size of the item. You'll receive 600 experience points for purchasing the forest, and it should be noted that regardless of the fact that this forest is made of trees, it is only decorative and can't be harvested from.
All of these items will remain in the game for the next 14 days. With Zynga updating the game daily over the past few days, new items could be added at any time, so keep checking back with us. You'll be the first to know if something new is launched in the game.
The new animal is the New Year Rabbit, which is an entirely new animal in the game. Luckily, the animal isn't premium, and can be purchased for coins, but hold onto your wallet because this one's expensive. How expensive? How does 250,000 coins sound? If you can afford it, you'll be able to collect from your new rabbit every two days, and will receive 100 coins for doing so. You'll also receive a one-time bonus of 2500 experience points for purchasing the rabbit for your farm.
As for the new building, there is also just one to choose from, but this one is a re-release from last year's theme. What's the item exactly? Meet us behind the break to find out.
The new building is the Forbidden City, which was first released in the game last year. This is an absolutely massive item, so if you are at all lacking in room on your farm, you might reconsider purchasing it. If you would like the item, it costs 52 Farm Cash (the same price as last year), and will reward you with 5200 experience points for purchasing it. The only differences between its release this year and last are the fact that now, if you choose to sell the building, you'll receive 26,000 coins, and in the amount of experience points you gain. Last year, you would have received only 6,000 coins for selling, and only 1200 XP for purchasing it.
As for the new decorations, there are just three to choose from at this point: the Dragon Arch, Firecrackers, and Bamboo Forest. The Dragon Arch and Firecrackers are returning items from last year, while the Bamboo Forest is entirely new. The Dragon Arch retains all of its stats from last year. You'll be able to purchase it for 5200 coins, and you'll earn just 52 experience points for doing so. The Firecrackers also cost the same as before, at 2 Farm Cash. Like the Fireworks items released during the New Year's event, these Firecrackers are a one-time use item, that can be activated by clicking on the Firecrackers on your farm and clicking on "Launch" to see the show.
For the new decoration, the Bamboo Forest can be purchased for 6 Farm Cash. That's actually quite cheap, considering the fairly large size of the item. You'll receive 600 experience points for purchasing the forest, and it should be noted that regardless of the fact that this forest is made of trees, it is only decorative and can't be harvested from.
All of these items will remain in the game for the next 14 days. With Zynga updating the game daily over the past few days, new items could be added at any time, so keep checking back with us. You'll be the first to know if something new is launched in the game.
FarmVille Chinese New Year avatar costumes now available
If you're in the mood for celebrating the Chinese / Lunar New Year in FarmVille using more than just the new items that have been released in the store, you're in luck, as Zynga has also released a trio of costumes that you can purchase to dress your in-game avatar up to match the theme.
There are two generically named "Chinese Costumes" - one each for boys and girls. Both outfits cost 15 Farm Cash each, and will reward you with 525 experience points for purchasing them. The girl's outfit comes with a traditional dress and shoes, while the boy's outfit contains a shirt, pants, shoes, and hat.
While these outfits are definitely cute and worthwhile in their own right, the item that will most likely interest you is the New Year Bunny costume. This costume is almost identical in structure to the other bunny costumes that have been released in the game, but with a different theme (here, the bunny wears a jacket and a hat). The thing that really sets it apart though is its price - just 30,000 coins! Yes, you read that right farmers - a limited edition costume is not only being offered for coins, but a very low amount of coins at that! I snapped up one of these for my farmer as quickly as I could - I'm sure you'll want to do the same.
Regardless of which costume you'd like to purchase, you have just 14 days to make your decision, as the items will expire from the store after that point. It's likely that Zynga will re-release these items next year, but do you really want to take that risk?
There are two generically named "Chinese Costumes" - one each for boys and girls. Both outfits cost 15 Farm Cash each, and will reward you with 525 experience points for purchasing them. The girl's outfit comes with a traditional dress and shoes, while the boy's outfit contains a shirt, pants, shoes, and hat.
While these outfits are definitely cute and worthwhile in their own right, the item that will most likely interest you is the New Year Bunny costume. This costume is almost identical in structure to the other bunny costumes that have been released in the game, but with a different theme (here, the bunny wears a jacket and a hat). The thing that really sets it apart though is its price - just 30,000 coins! Yes, you read that right farmers - a limited edition costume is not only being offered for coins, but a very low amount of coins at that! I snapped up one of these for my farmer as quickly as I could - I'm sure you'll want to do the same.
Regardless of which costume you'd like to purchase, you have just 14 days to make your decision, as the items will expire from the store after that point. It's likely that Zynga will re-release these items next year, but do you really want to take that risk?
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Purple Azaleas, Little Pink Wagon, & Duck Weather Vane
A rather interesting trio of unreleased FarmVille items has been spotted by the folks at FVNation this week, with these three items being Purple Azaleas, a Little Pink Wagon, and a Duck Weather Vane. What makes these items so interesting is the fact that all three have been previously released into the game, only in a different color.
The Purple Azaleas are modeled after the orange Azalea that is currently available to send to your friends from the free gifts page, the Little Purple Wagon is modeled after the Lil Yellow Wagon released in the Mystery Gift box back in April of last year, and finally, the Duck Weather Vane is simply a basic weather vane with a duck on top instead of a chicken.
While it's not entirely unheard of for Zynga to release multiple colors of the same item (look at Hay Bales, Fencing, and even basic Sheep), these items are still rather unusual. Will they bit part of an updated Mystery Gift box in the game, or will they be part of an upcoming Spring theme? We'll make sure to let you know in the coming days and weeks, when and if these items officially launch in the game, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these three new items? Do you like these colors of items better than the original items?
The Purple Azaleas are modeled after the orange Azalea that is currently available to send to your friends from the free gifts page, the Little Purple Wagon is modeled after the Lil Yellow Wagon released in the Mystery Gift box back in April of last year, and finally, the Duck Weather Vane is simply a basic weather vane with a duck on top instead of a chicken.
While it's not entirely unheard of for Zynga to release multiple colors of the same item (look at Hay Bales, Fencing, and even basic Sheep), these items are still rather unusual. Will they bit part of an updated Mystery Gift box in the game, or will they be part of an upcoming Spring theme? We'll make sure to let you know in the coming days and weeks, when and if these items officially launch in the game, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these three new items? Do you like these colors of items better than the original items?
Batter up! Sega launches Sega Play! Baseball on Facebook
Back in February, we brought you the news that SEGA was bringing their first Facebook game to the platform sometime in the future. That time is now, as the company has officially announced the launch of Sega Play! Baseball. The game will allow you to create your own baseball team and player (both of which you can name and customize). After the initial stages of setup, you'll be able to start on your journey to lead your new team through the ranks of the professional league to become the World Champion team.
Your team starts as an amateur team, and you'll need to train in order to go against the pros. Unfortunately, your team of NPCs is fairly shoddy, which gives you all the more incentive to invite your friends to play the game with you, as you can populate your team with all of your friends by simply dragging and dropping them onto your team, swapping them for one of your NPC players. Once you go to actually play a game, this is an automated process, running through the innings as you'd expect. You can either watch your game play out in real time, or you can skip to the results screen. Games take energy to begin, and you'll start with only 5 energy once installing the game. You'll regain energy to play in exhibition matches over time.
You'll be able to train yourself to become a better player, but you can't train NPCs. Training comes through a basic menu that allows you to spend points, the game's currency to start a training regimen that will raise one particular stat, whether that be stamina, power, or otherwise.
For other gameplay features, you'll be able to decorate your stadium with new decorative items, with these purchases, along with other actions in the game raising your overall level. You'll also be able to earn awards for completing certain tasks in the game, with some tasks being to have a certain amount of friends, to train a certain number of times, and so on.
Rather than being based on skill, you'll automatically be allowed to join the pro ranks once you reach level 10, so you'll simply need to play through exhibition matches or purchase items with your winnings until you have reached that level.
As you might expect, gameplay is accompanied by a series of premium items, called "Premium Services," that allow you to increase your amount of energy points for exhibition matches, increase the number of points (the game's currency, not actual runs) you earn per games for a limited amount of time, or even play a mystery game of sorts called "Struck Out," that has a chance of rewarding "special random items" when played.
All told, it looks like Sega Play! Baseball is simple enough for even the most casual of baseball fans to enjoy, but whether or not it can topple the likes of Zynga remains to be seen. Want to try your hand at creating a dominate baseball team?
[Top Image Credit: SEGA]
Play Sega Play! Baseball on Facebook --->
Have you tried Sega Play! Baseball yet? Do you enjoy playing sports games on Facebook, or do you prefer to stick to home consoles for such experiences
Your team starts as an amateur team, and you'll need to train in order to go against the pros. Unfortunately, your team of NPCs is fairly shoddy, which gives you all the more incentive to invite your friends to play the game with you, as you can populate your team with all of your friends by simply dragging and dropping them onto your team, swapping them for one of your NPC players. Once you go to actually play a game, this is an automated process, running through the innings as you'd expect. You can either watch your game play out in real time, or you can skip to the results screen. Games take energy to begin, and you'll start with only 5 energy once installing the game. You'll regain energy to play in exhibition matches over time.
You'll be able to train yourself to become a better player, but you can't train NPCs. Training comes through a basic menu that allows you to spend points, the game's currency to start a training regimen that will raise one particular stat, whether that be stamina, power, or otherwise.
For other gameplay features, you'll be able to decorate your stadium with new decorative items, with these purchases, along with other actions in the game raising your overall level. You'll also be able to earn awards for completing certain tasks in the game, with some tasks being to have a certain amount of friends, to train a certain number of times, and so on.
Rather than being based on skill, you'll automatically be allowed to join the pro ranks once you reach level 10, so you'll simply need to play through exhibition matches or purchase items with your winnings until you have reached that level.
As you might expect, gameplay is accompanied by a series of premium items, called "Premium Services," that allow you to increase your amount of energy points for exhibition matches, increase the number of points (the game's currency, not actual runs) you earn per games for a limited amount of time, or even play a mystery game of sorts called "Struck Out," that has a chance of rewarding "special random items" when played.
All told, it looks like Sega Play! Baseball is simple enough for even the most casual of baseball fans to enjoy, but whether or not it can topple the likes of Zynga remains to be seen. Want to try your hand at creating a dominate baseball team?
[Top Image Credit: SEGA]
Play Sega Play! Baseball on Facebook --->
Have you tried Sega Play! Baseball yet? Do you enjoy playing sports games on Facebook, or do you prefer to stick to home consoles for such experiences
Wishful Features: Animal mastery in FarmVille
As a fairly high level FarmVille player who has played the game since last summer, I have accumulated quite a few different species and varieties of animals in my time with the game. While crop mastery and even tree mastery has been added to the game since I started playing, one area of mastery has yet to be released - that being animal mastery.
While this might be an incredibly tricky procedure for Zynga to implement, considering the sheer number of different varieties of animals that are available in the game (just think of how many Horses are in the game, as an example), I don't think an animal mastery system has to be setup in such a way for each specific type of animal to receive its own mastery sign. Why not just program each horse to go to one overall Horse Mastery rating? Or, why not have all of the different colors of sheep, or all of the varieties of ducks go to one particular mastery for that basic animal type as well?
This would give users that much more incentive to purchase and care for their animals. I for one know that the only reason I tend my animals now is to remove the dozens of pink arrows that clutter my farm - not because I need the few coins each animal offers me when harvested. Mastery has already been proven to be a money maker for Zynga in the past - users have purchased limited edition crops or exclusive trees with Farm Cash just so they didn't miss out on the Mastery Sign associated with them, and I think the same thing would be said for animals.
C'mon, I know I can't be the only one that would buy more pigs if I knew I'd get a fancy sign out of the deal... Am I?
What do you think of the concept of animal mastery in FarmVille? Would you want each individual variety of animal to have its own mastery rating and sign, or would you be find if there were one mastery rating for all varieties?
While this might be an incredibly tricky procedure for Zynga to implement, considering the sheer number of different varieties of animals that are available in the game (just think of how many Horses are in the game, as an example), I don't think an animal mastery system has to be setup in such a way for each specific type of animal to receive its own mastery sign. Why not just program each horse to go to one overall Horse Mastery rating? Or, why not have all of the different colors of sheep, or all of the varieties of ducks go to one particular mastery for that basic animal type as well?
This would give users that much more incentive to purchase and care for their animals. I for one know that the only reason I tend my animals now is to remove the dozens of pink arrows that clutter my farm - not because I need the few coins each animal offers me when harvested. Mastery has already been proven to be a money maker for Zynga in the past - users have purchased limited edition crops or exclusive trees with Farm Cash just so they didn't miss out on the Mastery Sign associated with them, and I think the same thing would be said for animals.
C'mon, I know I can't be the only one that would buy more pigs if I knew I'd get a fancy sign out of the deal... Am I?
What do you think of the concept of animal mastery in FarmVille? Would you want each individual variety of animal to have its own mastery rating and sign, or would you be find if there were one mastery rating for all varieties?
Stouffer's frozen food promotion coming soon to FarmVille
Spotted this evening in the loading screen while logging in to play FarmVille was this new preview of a promotion that is soon to come. Stouffer's Farmers Harvest frozen foods are depicted on a billboard within the new loading screen along with the promise that farmers will soon be able to help grow wholesome ingredients to earn exclusive items.
So far, we're not sure what the full extent of these items will be, but we're already seeing Giant Mac & Cheese Trees coming from Mystery Seedlings.
Players on the official FarmVille forums are not too thrilled about the looks of this new Mac & Cheese tree, claiming it looks like maggots more than food and doesn't really make sense. Sometimes promotions do go out of their way to fit within the theme of the game, and we think this one is a bit of a stretch.
So far, we're not sure what the full extent of these items will be, but we're already seeing Giant Mac & Cheese Trees coming from Mystery Seedlings.
Players on the official FarmVille forums are not too thrilled about the looks of this new Mac & Cheese tree, claiming it looks like maggots more than food and doesn't really make sense. Sometimes promotions do go out of their way to fit within the theme of the game, and we think this one is a bit of a stretch.
f the Day Add Comment Game of the Day: Letter Linker
The game of the day wants to keep your mind sharp. Letter Linker is a Games.com classic. Link the letters on the board to make words just like you used to do in the newspaper. This game requires lightning-fast mental reflexes.It's VOCABULISTIC!! Form words in all directions to propel to the next level!
Click >> play Letter Linker
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click >> play Letter Linker
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Thứ Tư, 4 tháng 1, 2012
Could Zynga really double its paying fans? CrowdStar's CEO thinks so
Sure, it's shattered every other record out there, so why the hell not? It Girl maker CrowdStar's CEO and OpenFeint chairman (busy guy) Peter Relan agrees when asked whether CityVille creator Zynga could truly double its paying base of players. If you remember from last week, company CEO Mark Pincus made the bold claim during a presentation to investors in Boston.
According to Relan, this could happen one of two ways: Either Zynga simply grows to engross 300 million unique monthly players (the number of Facebookers is slowly nearing 1 billion globally), or somehow get more like 4 to 5 percent of its existing players to start paying up. Even with the norm for paying players being 2 to 3 percent, this would be quite the challenge for the company, which is poised for its initial public offering this week.
"Could 30 percent [of Facebook users] play Zynga games over time? Yeah," Relan confidently replies. "That doesn't seem like a 60-70 percent number, right? I think [the latter] one is trickier, and not so easy. But I think that the definition of paying will change. I think advertising may become a bigger portion of their revenue, because often times when you have scale--people are not pulling out their credit cards--you can stick ads in front of them and they become monetized users in that way."
As for whether Zynga's current valuation of $6 to $9 billion is crazy, the CrowdStar chief's opinion seems to have changed since Zynga first revealed it would go public. "I think the $20 billion one was a little suspect," Relan admits. So, if it's really in that range [between $6 and $9 billion], I don't think it's totally out of whack. The fact of the matter is that they are the dominant--by far--player in the US social gaming market. And that's a position, as long as Facebook's alive, unlikely to be challenged."
However, Relan spoke to the famed Facebook game maker's internal culture. "[Zynga] has got a 'take no prisoners' style, and that works very well as long as the performance is there." We'll see whether the performance is there this weekend, no doubt.
Will Zynga raise $1.15 billion when/if it goes public this week? For how long can the social games giant keep this up, and could it really grip 30 percent of Facebook users worldwide?
According to Relan, this could happen one of two ways: Either Zynga simply grows to engross 300 million unique monthly players (the number of Facebookers is slowly nearing 1 billion globally), or somehow get more like 4 to 5 percent of its existing players to start paying up. Even with the norm for paying players being 2 to 3 percent, this would be quite the challenge for the company, which is poised for its initial public offering this week.
"Could 30 percent [of Facebook users] play Zynga games over time? Yeah," Relan confidently replies. "That doesn't seem like a 60-70 percent number, right? I think [the latter] one is trickier, and not so easy. But I think that the definition of paying will change. I think advertising may become a bigger portion of their revenue, because often times when you have scale--people are not pulling out their credit cards--you can stick ads in front of them and they become monetized users in that way."
As for whether Zynga's current valuation of $6 to $9 billion is crazy, the CrowdStar chief's opinion seems to have changed since Zynga first revealed it would go public. "I think the $20 billion one was a little suspect," Relan admits. So, if it's really in that range [between $6 and $9 billion], I don't think it's totally out of whack. The fact of the matter is that they are the dominant--by far--player in the US social gaming market. And that's a position, as long as Facebook's alive, unlikely to be challenged."
However, Relan spoke to the famed Facebook game maker's internal culture. "[Zynga] has got a 'take no prisoners' style, and that works very well as long as the performance is there." We'll see whether the performance is there this weekend, no doubt.
Will Zynga raise $1.15 billion when/if it goes public this week? For how long can the social games giant keep this up, and could it really grip 30 percent of Facebook users worldwide?
Cool story, Storm8: Zoo Story 2, Pet Shop hit iPhone, iPad for free
Seriously, though. Mobile social game publisher Storm8 announced that two new games in its popular "Story" franchise of games have hit the App Store for both iPhone and iPad. (And for free, mind you.) Both developed by TeamLava, Zoo Story 2 and Pet Shop Story are available now on nearly all Apple devices, and mark the 10th and 11th releases from the developer in 18 months.
Zoo Story 2, according to Storm8 CEO Perry Tam, is "the most beautiful, fun and social zoo game on iOS." The game allows players to create their own zoos from scratch, choose from more than 100 animals to populate it and even crossbreed critters. Ever wanted to make your own gryphon? You got it. How about a flying monkey? Yours. Of course, players can invite friends to their zoos through Facebook Connect and help them build new habitats for their animals through gifting.
Pet Shop Story, however, sounds as if it's the same premise in a different setting. (Or would that be the other way around?) Players can create a thriving pet shop with a wide variety of domesticated animals. As with the former, you can also crossbreed your pets, though it doesn't sound like you'll be able to create creatures like winged dogs or cats with fins. Of course, this game too allows for friendly interactions via Facebook Connect, and we're sure you're going to need it.
Zoo Story 2
Storm8 is on a roll with mobile social games this year. In June, the publisher had its first million-dollar day, meaning it made $1 million in a single day from virtual goods sales. And now, it's one of the launch partners on the release of Facebook Mobile platform, with games like World War available in HTML5. So, yes: Cool story, bro Storm8.
Click here to download Zoo Story 2 and here to download Pet Shop Story for free Now >
Are you a fan of Storm8's Story series of mobile games? What are your favorite mobile social games these days?
Zoo Story 2, according to Storm8 CEO Perry Tam, is "the most beautiful, fun and social zoo game on iOS." The game allows players to create their own zoos from scratch, choose from more than 100 animals to populate it and even crossbreed critters. Ever wanted to make your own gryphon? You got it. How about a flying monkey? Yours. Of course, players can invite friends to their zoos through Facebook Connect and help them build new habitats for their animals through gifting.
Pet Shop Story, however, sounds as if it's the same premise in a different setting. (Or would that be the other way around?) Players can create a thriving pet shop with a wide variety of domesticated animals. As with the former, you can also crossbreed your pets, though it doesn't sound like you'll be able to create creatures like winged dogs or cats with fins. Of course, this game too allows for friendly interactions via Facebook Connect, and we're sure you're going to need it.
Zoo Story 2
Storm8 is on a roll with mobile social games this year. In June, the publisher had its first million-dollar day, meaning it made $1 million in a single day from virtual goods sales. And now, it's one of the launch partners on the release of Facebook Mobile platform, with games like World War available in HTML5. So, yes: Cool story, bro Storm8.
Click here to download Zoo Story 2 and here to download Pet Shop Story for free Now >
Are you a fan of Storm8's Story series of mobile games? What are your favorite mobile social games these days?
Do young folk get Alec Baldwin's thing for Words With Friends?
They might "understand" Mr. Baldwin's desire to play mobile games while on the runway, but we doubt they understand his ... handling of the situation. According to poll of 1,356 by Poll Position, 69.9 percent of people aged 18 to 29 years old think that passengers should be able to play electronic games with others while awaiting take-off in the plane. They got your back, Alec!
That's all well and good, but what about people that are the guy's age--the 45 to 64-year-old group? According to the poll, only 26.8 percent of folks in that group think you should be able to play said games while waiting for take-off. In that case, we almost definitely know that they wouldn't be down with Baldwin's reported outburst on an American Airlines flight last week.
The snafu had far more of a ripple effect than you'd might imagine. Not only did it lead to both American Airlines and the Greyhound bus company's embarrassment, but it drove Baldwin off of Twitter and (of course) garnered the support of Zynga. The Words With Friends creator enjoyed a fine week with its hit word game: Last week, the game skyrocketed by 500,000 daily players to oust competitor The Sims Social on the charts, knocking it down to sixth place. In short, Words With Friends is serious business. That is, if you ask over-privileged millennials.
[Image Credit: Jim Lopes]
Do you think people should be able to play video games while waiting for the plane to take off? Was Baldwin right in his outrage with American Airlines?
That's all well and good, but what about people that are the guy's age--the 45 to 64-year-old group? According to the poll, only 26.8 percent of folks in that group think you should be able to play said games while waiting for take-off. In that case, we almost definitely know that they wouldn't be down with Baldwin's reported outburst on an American Airlines flight last week.
The snafu had far more of a ripple effect than you'd might imagine. Not only did it lead to both American Airlines and the Greyhound bus company's embarrassment, but it drove Baldwin off of Twitter and (of course) garnered the support of Zynga. The Words With Friends creator enjoyed a fine week with its hit word game: Last week, the game skyrocketed by 500,000 daily players to oust competitor The Sims Social on the charts, knocking it down to sixth place. In short, Words With Friends is serious business. That is, if you ask over-privileged millennials.
[Image Credit: Jim Lopes]
Do you think people should be able to play video games while waiting for the plane to take off? Was Baldwin right in his outrage with American Airlines?
The Sims Social PSA: Playfish Cash Cards on sale on Target
Heads up! If you're a player of one Playfish's Facebook games - The Sims Social, Pet Society, Restaurant City, FIFA Superstars or Madden NFL Superstars, as examples - you'll want to pay attention to Target this week, as the department store is offering $10 Playfish Cash Cards for 20% off. To be specific, that makes a $10 Cash Card just $8. You can redeem these cards on Playfish's website by simply connecting your Facebook account, choosing your game and redeeming your code.
If you're one that only checks your weekly newspaper ads for deals, you will have missed this one, as it's not technically a "sale," but rather a case where the price has been temporarily cut (a Temporary Price Cut, or TPC, in Target jargon). Typically, these TPC events last a few weeks or longer, but we don't have that luxury here. This deal ends on December 17.
Using the Sims Social as an example, if you choose to redeem your card for SimCash, you'll receive 72 SimCash for the $8 price. That's the $10 bundle of SimCash, but of course you will have paid $2 less to receive it. It's not a huge savings, but if you were already planning on purchasing a Cash Card as a present this holiday season, why not save money where you can?
This Playfish sale follows a similar discount on Zynga Game Cards at Target, so could Playdom or another major Facebook game developer be next? You can be sure we'll keep an eye on things and will let you know when and if another opportunity to save some money comes around.
Will you buy a Playfish Cash Card for someone special this holiday since they're now on sale, or will you use your Playfish Cash Card as an early present for yourself?
If you're one that only checks your weekly newspaper ads for deals, you will have missed this one, as it's not technically a "sale," but rather a case where the price has been temporarily cut (a Temporary Price Cut, or TPC, in Target jargon). Typically, these TPC events last a few weeks or longer, but we don't have that luxury here. This deal ends on December 17.
Using the Sims Social as an example, if you choose to redeem your card for SimCash, you'll receive 72 SimCash for the $8 price. That's the $10 bundle of SimCash, but of course you will have paid $2 less to receive it. It's not a huge savings, but if you were already planning on purchasing a Cash Card as a present this holiday season, why not save money where you can?
This Playfish sale follows a similar discount on Zynga Game Cards at Target, so could Playdom or another major Facebook game developer be next? You can be sure we'll keep an eye on things and will let you know when and if another opportunity to save some money comes around.
Will you buy a Playfish Cash Card for someone special this holiday since they're now on sale, or will you use your Playfish Cash Card as an early present for yourself?
Keep the little ones off of Facebook: MokoFarm is FarmVille for kids
MokoFarm
You love them to tears, but your kids want shut the heck up about FarmVille. And what (good) parent wants their toddler on Facebook? MokoMomo Interactive has released MokoFarm for the iPad for $1.99 on the App Store. This game is said to give kids the FarmVille experience and might teach them a thing or two in the process. And near everything in the game is touchable.
And we all know your kids like to touch things--you put those plastic things on the outlets around the house for a reason. MokoFarm doesn't look like it's limited by the boundaries of normal social games like energy or lengthy time constraints. However, kids can also share their farm creations through their parents' Facebook accounts. According to MokoMomo, the game is narrated to help the younger folks learn new words.
Of course, the common FarmVille-like tropes are all present like buying animals, crops and new buildings to deck out the farm. That said, nearly every piece of content, including the animals, appear to be interactive. Kids can tap the windmills to make them spin, touch trees to shake their leaves and tap critters to make them run. Your tike can even take pictures of his/her farm to send to you. Sure, it's no FarmVille, but for what it's worth it looks pretty darn close.
Click here to download MokoFarm on iPad Now >
[Via E27]
Does your kid(s) bug you about playing FarmVille? Do you wish Facebook games were more kid-friendly?
You love them to tears, but your kids want shut the heck up about FarmVille. And what (good) parent wants their toddler on Facebook? MokoMomo Interactive has released MokoFarm for the iPad for $1.99 on the App Store. This game is said to give kids the FarmVille experience and might teach them a thing or two in the process. And near everything in the game is touchable.
And we all know your kids like to touch things--you put those plastic things on the outlets around the house for a reason. MokoFarm doesn't look like it's limited by the boundaries of normal social games like energy or lengthy time constraints. However, kids can also share their farm creations through their parents' Facebook accounts. According to MokoMomo, the game is narrated to help the younger folks learn new words.
Of course, the common FarmVille-like tropes are all present like buying animals, crops and new buildings to deck out the farm. That said, nearly every piece of content, including the animals, appear to be interactive. Kids can tap the windmills to make them spin, touch trees to shake their leaves and tap critters to make them run. Your tike can even take pictures of his/her farm to send to you. Sure, it's no FarmVille, but for what it's worth it looks pretty darn close.
Click here to download MokoFarm on iPad Now >
[Via E27]
Does your kid(s) bug you about playing FarmVille? Do you wish Facebook games were more kid-friendly?
If Pawn Stars works on Facebook, Storage Wars will feel right at home
What the hey, let's throw Parking Wars on their too while we're at it--oh, never mind. It's official, folks: Now that Storage Wars has made it to Facebook after just a single season on A&E, reality TV has staked its claim in social gaming. The game based on the popular--though, we can't understand why--TV show hits Facebook today as the second season premieres tonight on A&E. (With Pawn Stars still kicking, this is A&E's second Facebook game.)
In Storage Wars on Facebook, players join animated versions of characters from the show in high-stakes bidding wars on things in folks' storage units. Players travel around the world in-game to bid on various relics with virtual cash in order to earn more digital bucks to bid on more things. It sounds like a boring vicious cycle, but ultimately players will go all-in for Wanted Treasures that come with huge profits.
"Storage Wars fans have shown that they are eager to get in on the bidding action themselves and our new game for Facebook lets them do just that," said A+E Networks SVP of Games Kris Soumas in a release. "We've put the same emphasis on developing a fun and addictive game experience that A&E brings to its program development."
Gallery: Storage Wars on Facebook
Based on these first screen shots, the game looks to pack numerous storage units with items to bid for inside. More importantly, however, players are guided through the game with none other than quests, or folks craving for Wanted Treasures. But what about our Wanted Treasure, Mario Kart on Facebook?
Click here to play Storage Wars on Facebook Now >
Are you a fan of Storage Wars on A&E? What do you think of the rampant growth of branded games on Facebook?
In Storage Wars on Facebook, players join animated versions of characters from the show in high-stakes bidding wars on things in folks' storage units. Players travel around the world in-game to bid on various relics with virtual cash in order to earn more digital bucks to bid on more things. It sounds like a boring vicious cycle, but ultimately players will go all-in for Wanted Treasures that come with huge profits.
"Storage Wars fans have shown that they are eager to get in on the bidding action themselves and our new game for Facebook lets them do just that," said A+E Networks SVP of Games Kris Soumas in a release. "We've put the same emphasis on developing a fun and addictive game experience that A&E brings to its program development."
Gallery: Storage Wars on Facebook
Based on these first screen shots, the game looks to pack numerous storage units with items to bid for inside. More importantly, however, players are guided through the game with none other than quests, or folks craving for Wanted Treasures. But what about our Wanted Treasure, Mario Kart on Facebook?
Click here to play Storage Wars on Facebook Now >
Are you a fan of Storage Wars on A&E? What do you think of the rampant growth of branded games on Facebook?
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