Confirming a long-time running trend, CEO of game developer Schell Games--the folks behind The Mummy Online--Jesse Schell (pictured) told GamesIndustry.biz he believes that branding and licensed content will be the next big thing in social games. And if the past few games we've previewed are any indication, he just might be right. Schell has been in the game for a long time, previously working with Disney on their browser-MMO Toon Town before he opened his own studio to develop online games in 2002.
Apparently, social games will follow in console gaming's footsteps, according to Schell. "That's how it always goes with videogames, " Schell said. "They always start out with no licensed IP, then some people start to float with it - and then usually licensed IP becomes about 50 percent of any game platform, in terms of where the money comes from. I think there's a lot of room for that with social games."
Like we said, this is kind of old news (but 50 percent?). Branding through Facebook games has been a growing trend for quite a while now, but the question is whether studios like Schell Games will do the source materials in question justice. There's a huge opportunity here to make some truly interesting social games backed by long-standing brands and licenses. Thankfully, Schell raises a good point that developers new to Facebook should understand.
"I often tell people that if they've not sure what platform they should be on, then their idea might not be strong enough - because a lot of things that really succeed have a lot to do with the platform," Schell said. In other words, don't bring your award-winning license to Facebook unless you know what the platform is capable of.
Let's just hope that developers don't take Schell's advice too close to heart. Everyone knows we certainly don't need to see Mega Man working as a farmhand. Thankfully, some of the big league studios know better. For better or worse, even more signs are pointing recognizable brands to Facebook.
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn Facebook games. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn Facebook games. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 2, 2012
Thứ Hai, 9 tháng 1, 2012
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?
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 1, 2012
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
Thứ Tư, 4 tháng 1, 2012
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?
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?
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 12, 2011
Fleck brings social gaming (and zombies) to Google Maps and Facebook
Ever wonder what it would be like to grow trees, build houses, plant flowers and interact with other real world players all on top of Google Maps? No, I hadn't really thought of that either, but the people at Self Aware Games sure have. They've brought their idea to life via Fleck, a new browser-based game that's currently in beta at Fleck.com. Fleck can be signed up for independently, or you can connect to the game via Facebook to easily start playing in less than 10 seconds. It should be noted that Fleck is technically available to play as a game on Facebook by installing the App, but I found the experience to be much more enjoyable when not confined to the small play area on Facebook. You can also play the game on your iPad.
Fleck's gameplay can be most easily thought of as a combination of MMO and the established Facebook social game. You'll enter into a real-time environment populated by dozens or even hundreds of other real-world players, depending on your geographical location, and can then interact with both those players, and the surrounding environment through a variety of activities. The novelty behind Fleck is the game's world - the real world, as seen through Google Maps. That is, each environment in the game represents a real world place, but rather than seeing a completely animated background, filled with static buildings or plant life, you'll see the white lines of streets, green shaded areas representing parks or forested areas and so on - just as though you were looking up a general location via the Google Maps service.
This isn't to say that animation isn't represented here, but that all happens in the foreground. Rather than simply looking at these plain map sections, you'll be able to plant flowers or trees in 3D to make the world come to life digitally. Like in other social games, you'll need to water plants often or they'll die and wither. In fact, all of the major social gaming elements are here. You have both a stamina and a health bar, and XP meter that fills as you complete tasks (watering or harvesting plants or trees and so on), and will unlock new items to purchase in the store as you level up. There are even free gifts to send to your friends, like new flowers that they may not have unlocked on their own otherwise.
While your actions in Fleck are your own, your alterations are seen by all players, just like the world of an MMO. In this is the beauty of the game. Due to its Google Maps backdrop, you can literally travel anywhere within the United States or Canada, so long as you know an address. This allows you to stand on top of your own real-world home, planting flowers on the nearby streets, or, will even let you travel to what may be a particularly shady part of your real-world neighborhood and make it a better place - at least within the game. You can even travel to landmark locations, such as the Statue of Liberty or the Space Needle, without knowing the address, by just typing the name of a particular landmark into the Travel bar.
One of the first places you'll likely visit is your home address, which is encouraged through the game's ample Quest system. You'll be able to place a small house on any particular address in the game, so this only makes sense. Doing so gives you an automatic spawn point whenever you next login to the game. These quests will also introduce you to the many, many features and various platform integrations available in Fleck.
For one, there's a real-time chat window where you can talk to other players, and there's also the ability to connect your Twitter account to your Fleck profile to send themed tweets. In addition, say you've found a particularly pretty area of the map and want to take a picture of it. There's a button for that too - automatically taking and posting a TwitPic if you've allowed for the connectivity. Are you a Yelp fan? Businesses may even pop-up on your map, allowing you to read that real-world business's Yelp reviews, or allow you to purchase the building in-game for coins. While this may be a lot of cross-promotion, none of it seems forced, allowing you to use as much or as little of it as you please.
Oh, and did I mention there are zombies? Every now and again, you'll come across a grave stone in the middle of a map's area. These don't seem to correlate one-to-one with real world cemeteries (that would be a bit too creepy, I think), but once you find one, you'll be able to start a new zombie battle mini-game. The Zombies of fleck are unlike anything I've seen - bright purple mounds of hair that chase you around the map or spit at your from afar. Your character will automatically shoot at the undead, but you need to click around the map to move and avoid being lunch.
Gallery: Fleck
With everything Fleck has to offer, along with its simple novelty, I've found myself pretty hooked right from the start. For the technologically minded, that have Twitter, TwitPic, and Yelp accounts (and so on), or just for those that would like to take a look at places like Disneyland or your local Zoo from a different perspective, Fleck should at least be given a once-over. If you're not won over by its charm, then I guess that just leaves more zombies for me to kill instead.
Play Fleck --->
Play Fleck on Facebook --->
Have you tried Fleck, or will you try the game now that you've seen what it has to offer? What do you think of the game so far? Are there any locations you wish the developers would give actual landmarks?
Fleck's gameplay can be most easily thought of as a combination of MMO and the established Facebook social game. You'll enter into a real-time environment populated by dozens or even hundreds of other real-world players, depending on your geographical location, and can then interact with both those players, and the surrounding environment through a variety of activities. The novelty behind Fleck is the game's world - the real world, as seen through Google Maps. That is, each environment in the game represents a real world place, but rather than seeing a completely animated background, filled with static buildings or plant life, you'll see the white lines of streets, green shaded areas representing parks or forested areas and so on - just as though you were looking up a general location via the Google Maps service.
This isn't to say that animation isn't represented here, but that all happens in the foreground. Rather than simply looking at these plain map sections, you'll be able to plant flowers or trees in 3D to make the world come to life digitally. Like in other social games, you'll need to water plants often or they'll die and wither. In fact, all of the major social gaming elements are here. You have both a stamina and a health bar, and XP meter that fills as you complete tasks (watering or harvesting plants or trees and so on), and will unlock new items to purchase in the store as you level up. There are even free gifts to send to your friends, like new flowers that they may not have unlocked on their own otherwise.
While your actions in Fleck are your own, your alterations are seen by all players, just like the world of an MMO. In this is the beauty of the game. Due to its Google Maps backdrop, you can literally travel anywhere within the United States or Canada, so long as you know an address. This allows you to stand on top of your own real-world home, planting flowers on the nearby streets, or, will even let you travel to what may be a particularly shady part of your real-world neighborhood and make it a better place - at least within the game. You can even travel to landmark locations, such as the Statue of Liberty or the Space Needle, without knowing the address, by just typing the name of a particular landmark into the Travel bar.
One of the first places you'll likely visit is your home address, which is encouraged through the game's ample Quest system. You'll be able to place a small house on any particular address in the game, so this only makes sense. Doing so gives you an automatic spawn point whenever you next login to the game. These quests will also introduce you to the many, many features and various platform integrations available in Fleck.
For one, there's a real-time chat window where you can talk to other players, and there's also the ability to connect your Twitter account to your Fleck profile to send themed tweets. In addition, say you've found a particularly pretty area of the map and want to take a picture of it. There's a button for that too - automatically taking and posting a TwitPic if you've allowed for the connectivity. Are you a Yelp fan? Businesses may even pop-up on your map, allowing you to read that real-world business's Yelp reviews, or allow you to purchase the building in-game for coins. While this may be a lot of cross-promotion, none of it seems forced, allowing you to use as much or as little of it as you please.
Oh, and did I mention there are zombies? Every now and again, you'll come across a grave stone in the middle of a map's area. These don't seem to correlate one-to-one with real world cemeteries (that would be a bit too creepy, I think), but once you find one, you'll be able to start a new zombie battle mini-game. The Zombies of fleck are unlike anything I've seen - bright purple mounds of hair that chase you around the map or spit at your from afar. Your character will automatically shoot at the undead, but you need to click around the map to move and avoid being lunch.
Gallery: Fleck
With everything Fleck has to offer, along with its simple novelty, I've found myself pretty hooked right from the start. For the technologically minded, that have Twitter, TwitPic, and Yelp accounts (and so on), or just for those that would like to take a look at places like Disneyland or your local Zoo from a different perspective, Fleck should at least be given a once-over. If you're not won over by its charm, then I guess that just leaves more zombies for me to kill instead.
Play Fleck --->
Play Fleck on Facebook --->
Have you tried Fleck, or will you try the game now that you've seen what it has to offer? What do you think of the game so far? Are there any locations you wish the developers would give actual landmarks?
Thứ Sáu, 16 tháng 12, 2011
Bubble Witch Saga pops on Facebook, King.com hits 900M gameplays
If games like Bubble Bobble have taught us anything, it's that sometimes there's nothing more relaxing than popping bubbles. Casual and social game developer King.com knows this all too well, and has released its second bubble-bursting game on Facebook, Bubble Witch Saga. This new game is a socially-enhanced port of one of the top five most popular games ever on King.com (the casual games website of the same name), King.com Director of Product Performance, Social and Mobile, Lars Jornow told us.
The game features more levels than ever with 70 unique stages, new booster power-ups available for Facebook Credits and a deeper storyline than before. Players assume the role of an aspiring witch who wishes to join the proverbial circle of three. In order to impress the witches, you must burst the bubbles by matching three of the same color to fill their cauldron with magic goop. I mean, who knows what witches put in those things?
Bursting the bubbles will get the cauldron below bubbling, as witches are so wont to do. Each successful match causes spiders to drop from the ceiling. The more spiders you have when you burst enough bubbles, the more points you'll get (and hopefully stars), as the spiders will act as bumpers for the remaining bubbles and increase your chances of scoring big.
Buggle Witch Saga concept art
Completing each level with the most stars possible will help you reach new uncharted parts of a vast forest in your quest to become the fourth witch of the circle. Players can invite their friends to the game to help restore their lives if they fail to clear a difficult level, and later in the game they will need more friends to unlock new levels to play.
Bubble Witch Saga takes an interesting spin on the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual and social games, with its semi-realistic art style that's delightfully reminiscent of the unforgettable Halloween flick Hocus-Pocus. While the game already has six episodes (with about 10 levels each) of content, Jornow tells us that more content is already in the works.
Bubble Witch Saga gameplay
Not to mention that the game will hit mobile devices later this year. King.com also announced that it has surpassed 900 million monthly gameplay sessions across all of its platforms. Granted, that's thanks to its over 200 games total, but an impressive feat nonetheless--though, the company does say that it has beat PopCap in monthly players on Facebook, according to AppData. Bubble Witch is available for play now on Facebook, so have at those bubbles, my pretties. (I promise that's the last time I say "my pretties" here ... whoops, done it again!)
Click here to play Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook Now >
Are you excited to kick back and blow up some bubbles once again? What do you think of this game so far, and the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual or social games?
The game features more levels than ever with 70 unique stages, new booster power-ups available for Facebook Credits and a deeper storyline than before. Players assume the role of an aspiring witch who wishes to join the proverbial circle of three. In order to impress the witches, you must burst the bubbles by matching three of the same color to fill their cauldron with magic goop. I mean, who knows what witches put in those things?
Bursting the bubbles will get the cauldron below bubbling, as witches are so wont to do. Each successful match causes spiders to drop from the ceiling. The more spiders you have when you burst enough bubbles, the more points you'll get (and hopefully stars), as the spiders will act as bumpers for the remaining bubbles and increase your chances of scoring big.
Buggle Witch Saga concept art
Completing each level with the most stars possible will help you reach new uncharted parts of a vast forest in your quest to become the fourth witch of the circle. Players can invite their friends to the game to help restore their lives if they fail to clear a difficult level, and later in the game they will need more friends to unlock new levels to play.
Bubble Witch Saga takes an interesting spin on the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual and social games, with its semi-realistic art style that's delightfully reminiscent of the unforgettable Halloween flick Hocus-Pocus. While the game already has six episodes (with about 10 levels each) of content, Jornow tells us that more content is already in the works.
Bubble Witch Saga gameplay
Not to mention that the game will hit mobile devices later this year. King.com also announced that it has surpassed 900 million monthly gameplay sessions across all of its platforms. Granted, that's thanks to its over 200 games total, but an impressive feat nonetheless--though, the company does say that it has beat PopCap in monthly players on Facebook, according to AppData. Bubble Witch is available for play now on Facebook, so have at those bubbles, my pretties. (I promise that's the last time I say "my pretties" here ... whoops, done it again!)
Click here to play Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook Now >
Are you excited to kick back and blow up some bubbles once again? What do you think of this game so far, and the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual or social games?
Thứ Tư, 14 tháng 12, 2011
Look, Zynga, MapleStory maker Nexon can make a billion bucks too
Well, at least in Japan. TechCrunch reports that Nexon, the South Korean creator of hit free-to-play game franchise MapleStory, looks to make up to $1.3 billion from its initial public offering (IPO) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The company, which has since expanded onto Facebook with a version of MapleStory and two other games, expects to reel in over 100 billion yen.
Better yet, the Nexon IPO could boost the now Japan-based company's market cap, or the public consensus on how much a company is worth, up to between $7.7 and $9 billion. For those keeping score, that's not terribly far off from where Zynga is expected to land. (You know, when its IPO actually happens.) And in the Japanese social game space, that could set Nexon in first place ahead of both DeNA and GREE.
Many credit Nexon as one of the first companies to popularize the free-to-play game model in the Western world. The company is also known for releasing the world's first graphics-based MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), The Kingdom of the Winds, in 1995. That said, we're surprised this hadn't happened sooner.
On Facebook, Nexon currently enjoys around 1.7 million monthly players, according to AppData. That's thanks almost entirely to MapleStory Adventures. However, the publisher's Wonder Cruise has yet to officially release on Facebook and its brand spankin' new Zombie Misfits is slowly climbing. Now, if only Nexon would take that extra cash and put Dungeon Fighter in our iPhones already.
Have you played MapleStory Adventures yet? What do you think of Nexon's games on Facebook so far?
Better yet, the Nexon IPO could boost the now Japan-based company's market cap, or the public consensus on how much a company is worth, up to between $7.7 and $9 billion. For those keeping score, that's not terribly far off from where Zynga is expected to land. (You know, when its IPO actually happens.) And in the Japanese social game space, that could set Nexon in first place ahead of both DeNA and GREE.
Many credit Nexon as one of the first companies to popularize the free-to-play game model in the Western world. The company is also known for releasing the world's first graphics-based MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), The Kingdom of the Winds, in 1995. That said, we're surprised this hadn't happened sooner.
On Facebook, Nexon currently enjoys around 1.7 million monthly players, according to AppData. That's thanks almost entirely to MapleStory Adventures. However, the publisher's Wonder Cruise has yet to officially release on Facebook and its brand spankin' new Zombie Misfits is slowly climbing. Now, if only Nexon would take that extra cash and put Dungeon Fighter in our iPhones already.
Have you played MapleStory Adventures yet? What do you think of Nexon's games on Facebook so far?
Facebook's Zuckerberg 'pretty sure' company won't make social games
Riiight. We're onto you, Mark. Jokes (momentarily) aside, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (pictured) and COO Sheryl Sandberg told journalist Charlie Rose during a PBS interview that aired Monday night that Facebook will not build its own social games, Business Insider reports. However, it's interesting to note that the Big Z is the one who led the conversation into games, and continues to praise them.
"One thing that we haven't talked about at all here are games, right," Zuckerberg told Rose. "I mean, games is probably the biggest industry today that has gone really social, right. I mean, the incumbent game companies are really being disrupted and are quickly trying to become social. And you have companies like Zynga."
Despite his deep enthusiasm for social games, the Facebook chief said, "No, I'm pretty sure we're not going to build any games." That is, after Rose repeatedly interrupted the guy ... jeez. Zuckerberg went on to elaborate that Facebook is better off focusing its resources on creating a single ecosystem for smaller products, like games, music streaming services and more.
The guy kind of has a point. For Facebook to start its own game studio, it would draw focus away from the company's core product: a social network and platform. Here's a piece of the transcribed interview in which Rose appears to interrupt Zuckerberg, like, a lot:
Mark Zuckerberg: One thing that we haven't talked about at all here are games, right. I mean, games is probably the biggest industry today that has gone really social, right. I mean, the incumbent game companies are really being disrupted and are quickly trying to become social. And you have companies like Zynga.
Charlie Rose: Yeah, well –
Mark Zuckerberg: – which are going public soon and will be valued at most likely at multibillion dollar valuations. And basically all of their games are built on top of Facebook for the most part.
Charlie Rose: Exactly.
Mark Zuckerberg: And a huge number of other companies as well. So I mean, does Facebook build any games? No. We build no games.
Charlie Rose: You say that today –
Mark Zuckerberg: No, we –
Charlie Rose: You say that today.
Mark Zuckerberg: Actually –
Sheryl Sandberg: I'm pretty sure we're not going to –
Mark Zuckerberg: No, I'm pretty sure we're not going to build any games.
Sheryl Sandberg: [unintelligible] we're not going to build games.
Mark Zuckerberg: We build –
Charlie Rose: Well, why are you so sure?
Mark Zuckerberg: Here's why. Here's why.
Charlie Rose: I'm only saying this because people thought that Steve Jobs –
Mark Zuckerberg: I'll tell you why.
Charlie Rose: – would never go into retail, and he did.
Mark Zuckerberg: I'll tell you why.
Charlie Rose: All right.
Mark Zuckerberg: Because building games is really hard. And so that's –
Charlie Rose: So that's the only reason.
Mark Zuckerberg: And we're doing - what we're doing is really hard. And we think that we're better off focusing on this piece. I think that building a great game service is really hard. Building a great music service is really hard. Building a great movie service is really hard. And we just believe that an independent entrepreneur will always beat a division of a big company which is why we think that the strategy of these other companies trying to do everything themselves will inevitably be less successful than an ecosystem where you have someone like Facebook trying to build the core product to help people connect and then independent great companies that are only focused on one or two things doing those things really well.
Sheryl Sandberg: And those companies can't - don't have the discipline to do it, right. They get big, and everyone wants to do everything, and they just say yes. And then they don't do everything well.
[Image Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu]
Do you think Facebook is smart for avoiding the social games space itself, and simply creating a platform for them? How has Facebook done in that regard so far?
"One thing that we haven't talked about at all here are games, right," Zuckerberg told Rose. "I mean, games is probably the biggest industry today that has gone really social, right. I mean, the incumbent game companies are really being disrupted and are quickly trying to become social. And you have companies like Zynga."
Despite his deep enthusiasm for social games, the Facebook chief said, "No, I'm pretty sure we're not going to build any games." That is, after Rose repeatedly interrupted the guy ... jeez. Zuckerberg went on to elaborate that Facebook is better off focusing its resources on creating a single ecosystem for smaller products, like games, music streaming services and more.
The guy kind of has a point. For Facebook to start its own game studio, it would draw focus away from the company's core product: a social network and platform. Here's a piece of the transcribed interview in which Rose appears to interrupt Zuckerberg, like, a lot:
Mark Zuckerberg: One thing that we haven't talked about at all here are games, right. I mean, games is probably the biggest industry today that has gone really social, right. I mean, the incumbent game companies are really being disrupted and are quickly trying to become social. And you have companies like Zynga.
Charlie Rose: Yeah, well –
Mark Zuckerberg: – which are going public soon and will be valued at most likely at multibillion dollar valuations. And basically all of their games are built on top of Facebook for the most part.
Charlie Rose: Exactly.
Mark Zuckerberg: And a huge number of other companies as well. So I mean, does Facebook build any games? No. We build no games.
Charlie Rose: You say that today –
Mark Zuckerberg: No, we –
Charlie Rose: You say that today.
Mark Zuckerberg: Actually –
Sheryl Sandberg: I'm pretty sure we're not going to –
Mark Zuckerberg: No, I'm pretty sure we're not going to build any games.
Sheryl Sandberg: [unintelligible] we're not going to build games.
Mark Zuckerberg: We build –
Charlie Rose: Well, why are you so sure?
Mark Zuckerberg: Here's why. Here's why.
Charlie Rose: I'm only saying this because people thought that Steve Jobs –
Mark Zuckerberg: I'll tell you why.
Charlie Rose: – would never go into retail, and he did.
Mark Zuckerberg: I'll tell you why.
Charlie Rose: All right.
Mark Zuckerberg: Because building games is really hard. And so that's –
Charlie Rose: So that's the only reason.
Mark Zuckerberg: And we're doing - what we're doing is really hard. And we think that we're better off focusing on this piece. I think that building a great game service is really hard. Building a great music service is really hard. Building a great movie service is really hard. And we just believe that an independent entrepreneur will always beat a division of a big company which is why we think that the strategy of these other companies trying to do everything themselves will inevitably be less successful than an ecosystem where you have someone like Facebook trying to build the core product to help people connect and then independent great companies that are only focused on one or two things doing those things really well.
Sheryl Sandberg: And those companies can't - don't have the discipline to do it, right. They get big, and everyone wants to do everything, and they just say yes. And then they don't do everything well.
[Image Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu]
Do you think Facebook is smart for avoiding the social games space itself, and simply creating a platform for them? How has Facebook done in that regard so far?
NHL Superstars coming to Facebook in October
Adding to its popular brand of "Superstars" titles on Facebook, Electronic Arts has announced the production of NHL Superstars for Facebook. This new game, as reported by ShackNews, comes on the heels of EA's NHL 12 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 breaking franchise records for the biggest launch week in the franchise's history.
As for the franchise's jump onto the Facebook ice, we're told this: "NHL Superstars will bring an all-new NHL experience to millions of hockey fans by enabling players to build and manage their ultimate team of professional hockey players. With dynamic and accessible gameplay, fans can compete head-to-head in games against their Facebook friends from around the world."
While specific details are still lacking as to what we can exactly expect from NHL Superstars, we can't imagine EA / Playfish breaking the mold. We'll likely be able to collect cards that contain professional hockey players, and then trade those cards out to create the best team possible. Each player will likely have stats, and we'll be able to use those players in virtual hockey games against others for supremacy.
We don't have a specific release date for NHL Superstars, although the game is set to take to the ice sometime in October. We'll make sure to give you a complete look at the game when we know more.
Are you excited to see NHL Superstars come to Facebook? Which players will you look for to create your perfect team?
As for the franchise's jump onto the Facebook ice, we're told this: "NHL Superstars will bring an all-new NHL experience to millions of hockey fans by enabling players to build and manage their ultimate team of professional hockey players. With dynamic and accessible gameplay, fans can compete head-to-head in games against their Facebook friends from around the world."
While specific details are still lacking as to what we can exactly expect from NHL Superstars, we can't imagine EA / Playfish breaking the mold. We'll likely be able to collect cards that contain professional hockey players, and then trade those cards out to create the best team possible. Each player will likely have stats, and we'll be able to use those players in virtual hockey games against others for supremacy.
We don't have a specific release date for NHL Superstars, although the game is set to take to the ice sometime in October. We'll make sure to give you a complete look at the game when we know more.
Are you excited to see NHL Superstars come to Facebook? Which players will you look for to create your perfect team?
Like the Risk: Factions Facebook fan page to unlock rewards
Hey, if it worked once, why can't it work again? Playfish is copying a page in its own playbook, offering fans of the upcoming Facebook game RISK: Factions a chance at some free goodies once the game finally launches (it's now in closed beta). This new "Operation Like" feature asks users to simply Like the game's fan page, and (just as it was in the Sims Social), the more fans that Like the page before the game's launch, the more prizes we'll unlock.
Of course, the game hasn't received much traction just yet, so we've only unlocked one of the six prizes currently listed. Here's a complete rundown of what we're eligible to receive, if you'd like to help out the cause:
5,000 Likes - Pig on a Spit
10,000 Likes - Guard Tower
25,000 Likes - Security Gate
50,000 Likes - Coins
100,000 Likes - Troops
200,000 Likes - Donkey Cannon
If you're keeping track, this top prize - the Donkey Cannon - is the same one seen in the trailer of the game from E3 of this year. Also, the Coins and Troops are basic prizes, but we're not sure exactly how many coins, or what types of troops we'll receive if the fan page eventually reaches that many Likes.
As of this writing, the fan page has almost 10,000 Likes, so we'll definitely unlock the Guard Tower. It's whether or not we'll receive the infamous Donkey Cannon before the game launches that's the real question. Want to do your part? Head over to the game's Facebook fan page and click on the "Like" button as soon as you can! Your fellow Facebook gamers will thank you!
What do you think of the Operation Like feature in RISK: Factions? Are you looking forward to this game's launch on Facebook?
Of course, the game hasn't received much traction just yet, so we've only unlocked one of the six prizes currently listed. Here's a complete rundown of what we're eligible to receive, if you'd like to help out the cause:
5,000 Likes - Pig on a Spit
10,000 Likes - Guard Tower
25,000 Likes - Security Gate
50,000 Likes - Coins
100,000 Likes - Troops
200,000 Likes - Donkey Cannon
If you're keeping track, this top prize - the Donkey Cannon - is the same one seen in the trailer of the game from E3 of this year. Also, the Coins and Troops are basic prizes, but we're not sure exactly how many coins, or what types of troops we'll receive if the fan page eventually reaches that many Likes.
As of this writing, the fan page has almost 10,000 Likes, so we'll definitely unlock the Guard Tower. It's whether or not we'll receive the infamous Donkey Cannon before the game launches that's the real question. Want to do your part? Head over to the game's Facebook fan page and click on the "Like" button as soon as you can! Your fellow Facebook gamers will thank you!
What do you think of the Operation Like feature in RISK: Factions? Are you looking forward to this game's launch on Facebook?
Backyard Monsters creeps up on Yahoo! Games through Viximo
Who knows, maybe there are as many hardcore gamers on Yahoo! Games are there apparently are on Facebook. Viximo, a company that works with social game developers to get them onto new platforms, announced that Kixeye's Backyard Monsters is now available on Yahoo! Games. Backyard Monsters pits players against one another in all-out warfare with various monsters.
The game was Kixeye's first "hardcore" strategy game on Facebook, and has since become its most popular with 3 million monthly players and 760,000 daily players, according to AppData. Backyard Monsters allows players to create their own home base to defend from other players using numerous turrets and laser weapons against encroaching monsters. Of course, players can then retaliate with baddies of their own for resources and general bragging rights.
Backyard Monsters is far from the first Facebook game to make the leap to Yahoo! Games. A number of Zynga games, including Mafia Wars and FishVille, have taken the plunge along with EA's social version of Scrabble. While it makes sense for developers to expand beyond Facebook, we can't help but wonder how Yahoo! Games stacks up against Facebook games in terms of players.
Since its flagship game, Kixeye has focused entirely on strategy games for Facebook and other networks. Most recently, the company released War Commander, a strategy game with strong similarities to the Command & Conquer PC game series. And, considering Kixeye CEO Will Harbin thinks most social games suck, we're sure more "hardcore" games are in the oven.
Are you a fan of Backyard Monsters? How about games on Yahoo! Games? What do you think of the growing amount of strategy games on Facebook?
The game was Kixeye's first "hardcore" strategy game on Facebook, and has since become its most popular with 3 million monthly players and 760,000 daily players, according to AppData. Backyard Monsters allows players to create their own home base to defend from other players using numerous turrets and laser weapons against encroaching monsters. Of course, players can then retaliate with baddies of their own for resources and general bragging rights.
Backyard Monsters is far from the first Facebook game to make the leap to Yahoo! Games. A number of Zynga games, including Mafia Wars and FishVille, have taken the plunge along with EA's social version of Scrabble. While it makes sense for developers to expand beyond Facebook, we can't help but wonder how Yahoo! Games stacks up against Facebook games in terms of players.
Since its flagship game, Kixeye has focused entirely on strategy games for Facebook and other networks. Most recently, the company released War Commander, a strategy game with strong similarities to the Command & Conquer PC game series. And, considering Kixeye CEO Will Harbin thinks most social games suck, we're sure more "hardcore" games are in the oven.
Are you a fan of Backyard Monsters? How about games on Yahoo! Games? What do you think of the growing amount of strategy games on Facebook?
Winter is coming, and so is another Game of Thrones Facebook game
Since HBO's second season of Game of Thrones won't hit until April 2012, our guess is that it'll hit long after that nasty winter. USA Today reports that another social game based on the acclaimed novel series turned hit TV series is in the works already. Of course, that's along with two more games under development, enjoying close involvement with the property.
If you remember, a Facebook advergame surrounding George R. R. Martin's work launched earlier this year, Game of Thrones: Battle for the Iron Throne. (And just in time for the HBO show's debut ... how convenient.) While we dug it--for an advergame--the game has since been shut down.
The game was pretty impressive considering its sole purpose was to generate hype for the then-upcoming fantasy drama. However, we can see why the game was canned: Chatter about Game of Thrones has been at a minimum since for awhile. Hopefully whatever developer is currently working with HBO and Martin gets the chance to create a Facebook game that's longer lasting than its predecessor. USA Today briefly described the game as "think FarmVille comes to Westeros." If that's the case, then we'll pass on the social Iron Throne, thanks.
[Via PC Gamer]
Are you a fan of A Game of Thrones? What did you think of the first Facebook game based on the series, and what would you want from this second crack at it?
If you remember, a Facebook advergame surrounding George R. R. Martin's work launched earlier this year, Game of Thrones: Battle for the Iron Throne. (And just in time for the HBO show's debut ... how convenient.) While we dug it--for an advergame--the game has since been shut down.
The game was pretty impressive considering its sole purpose was to generate hype for the then-upcoming fantasy drama. However, we can see why the game was canned: Chatter about Game of Thrones has been at a minimum since for awhile. Hopefully whatever developer is currently working with HBO and Martin gets the chance to create a Facebook game that's longer lasting than its predecessor. USA Today briefly described the game as "think FarmVille comes to Westeros." If that's the case, then we'll pass on the social Iron Throne, thanks.
[Via PC Gamer]
Are you a fan of A Game of Thrones? What did you think of the first Facebook game based on the series, and what would you want from this second crack at it?
Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 10, 2011
With PlayJam, Flash-based social games could hit your HDTV in 2012
PlayJam, which works with social game developers to bring social games to HDTVs from Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Sony, will bring both 2D and 3D-based Flash games to said flat screens. "Features such as billing, leader-boards, tournaments and integration with third party social networks and TV programming can be seamlessly integrated via PlayJam's SDK," PlayJam said in a release.
King.com hits top 10 Facebook developers, 1B games played a month
But wait, there's more: the company has also opened offices in San Francisco and Romania. King.com, London, England-based creator of hit Facebook games like Bubble Saga, announced it is now a top 10 Facebook app developer, according to AppData. The social game maker and games portal chalks the accomplishment up to reaching 1 billion games played monthly.
While that measure is across all King.com game platforms, the developer welcomes 17.6 million monthly and 4.2 million daily players on Facebook. Of course, the top performing King.com game is Bubble Saga. The company's Romania office will handle its mobile efforts, while North American business development will be led by former Gamelab president Jong Woo, King.com's new senior business development director in San Francisco.
While that measure is across all King.com game platforms, the developer welcomes 17.6 million monthly and 4.2 million daily players on Facebook. Of course, the top performing King.com game is Bubble Saga. The company's Romania office will handle its mobile efforts, while North American business development will be led by former Gamelab president Jong Woo, King.com's new senior business development director in San Francisco.
Thứ Năm, 6 tháng 10, 2011
Bubble Saga maker King.com hires Microsoft exec as marketing head
Can none resist the dollar signs allure of Facebook games? King.com, maker of Facebook game ports like Bubble Saga, announced that it has hired ex-Microsoft exec Alex Dale as its chief marketing officer. Dale joins King.com after overseeing Microsoft's marketing efforts on products including Bing, Internet Explorer and Windows Phone.
"We have made several strategic hires recently in an effort continue this growth and even take it one step further, becoming a clear leader in the space," King.com co-fonder and CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are confident that Alex will be instrumental in helping us further grow our global user- and partnership-base and are thrilled to have him on board."
Dale joins a list of executives that have found themselves in the social games space. Sean Ryan, director of Facebook games partnerships, was at one time the CEO of now-defunct social network LiveJournal. Zynga head of mobile games David Ko comes from Yahoo, and most recently Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield moved on to make his own social game, Glitch.
King.com, which most recently launched Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook, now joins the ranks of companies like Zynga in its willingness to source talent from other industries. And King.com says in the announcement that Dale will be at helm of the companies global expansion. It seems that the company is looking abroad to reach the top five game makers on AppData--it sits pretty at number seven with just over 17 million monthly players.
Do you think King.com, making hires like this, can become an even bigger competitor in Facebook games? What do you think of games like Bubble Witch Saga? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
"We have made several strategic hires recently in an effort continue this growth and even take it one step further, becoming a clear leader in the space," King.com co-fonder and CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are confident that Alex will be instrumental in helping us further grow our global user- and partnership-base and are thrilled to have him on board."
Dale joins a list of executives that have found themselves in the social games space. Sean Ryan, director of Facebook games partnerships, was at one time the CEO of now-defunct social network LiveJournal. Zynga head of mobile games David Ko comes from Yahoo, and most recently Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield moved on to make his own social game, Glitch.
King.com, which most recently launched Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook, now joins the ranks of companies like Zynga in its willingness to source talent from other industries. And King.com says in the announcement that Dale will be at helm of the companies global expansion. It seems that the company is looking abroad to reach the top five game makers on AppData--it sits pretty at number seven with just over 17 million monthly players.
Do you think King.com, making hires like this, can become an even bigger competitor in Facebook games? What do you think of games like Bubble Witch Saga? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
Chủ Nhật, 25 tháng 9, 2011
Karma Kingdom looks to combine social good, social fun on Facebook
A Facebook game that can score us some good karma points--where do we sign up? We've seen games like FarmVille and CityVille run social good campaigns, but Singapore-based developer Asvathaa has a made an entire game of the idea. The developer just released Karma Kingdom on Facebook, a quest-driven game that looks to help you "Create Your Better World," according to its tag line.
Karma Kingdom integrates Indian mythology into modern lessons of doing good for others. It does this by allowing players to curate an island nation and maintain their citizens' happiness using the three tenants of happiness: health, community and knowledge. You will be guided by several Indian gods and goddesses in your efforts to keep the people happy through quests.
You do this through creating homes for your people to live in, and then surrounding those homes with decorations that promote Health, Community and Knowledge. It seems as if it's important to keep that balance in the decorations you place. Otherwise, your citizens will quickly become unhappy and provide less Goodwill, the resource you need to provide for your people.
Players can plant crops to provide more Goodwill, and the game doesn't seem to be governed by any energy system. (Now, that's something fresh.) But what's more important is the real goodwill Asvathaa aims to create with Karma Kingdom. The Singapore developer has promised to donate a 10 percent of its income through Facebook Credits to non-profit charities. (However, Asvathaa doesn't say which charities it will donate to exactly.)
Karma Kingdom in action
The more happiness-generating decorations you buy in the game using Facebook Credits, the more Asvathaa will donate ... somewhere. "We want to offer a personal CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) platform for every individual as the desire to give back exists in each one of us," Asvathaa CEO and founder Ashok Desai said in a release. If anything, the game looks to be a fresh take on the genre given that it doesn't limit your play time through energy, and maybe it will do some good, too.
Click here to play Karma Kingdom on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this new Facebook game yet, and what do you think of the fact that it doesn't limit you via energy? Would you ever pay up in the game, not knowing exactly where your Facebook Credits are going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Karma Kingdom integrates Indian mythology into modern lessons of doing good for others. It does this by allowing players to curate an island nation and maintain their citizens' happiness using the three tenants of happiness: health, community and knowledge. You will be guided by several Indian gods and goddesses in your efforts to keep the people happy through quests.
You do this through creating homes for your people to live in, and then surrounding those homes with decorations that promote Health, Community and Knowledge. It seems as if it's important to keep that balance in the decorations you place. Otherwise, your citizens will quickly become unhappy and provide less Goodwill, the resource you need to provide for your people.
Players can plant crops to provide more Goodwill, and the game doesn't seem to be governed by any energy system. (Now, that's something fresh.) But what's more important is the real goodwill Asvathaa aims to create with Karma Kingdom. The Singapore developer has promised to donate a 10 percent of its income through Facebook Credits to non-profit charities. (However, Asvathaa doesn't say which charities it will donate to exactly.)
Karma Kingdom in action
The more happiness-generating decorations you buy in the game using Facebook Credits, the more Asvathaa will donate ... somewhere. "We want to offer a personal CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) platform for every individual as the desire to give back exists in each one of us," Asvathaa CEO and founder Ashok Desai said in a release. If anything, the game looks to be a fresh take on the genre given that it doesn't limit your play time through energy, and maybe it will do some good, too.
Click here to play Karma Kingdom on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this new Facebook game yet, and what do you think of the fact that it doesn't limit you via energy? Would you ever pay up in the game, not knowing exactly where your Facebook Credits are going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
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