"[C]ompanies like Zynga, Playdom, and Playfish .... are tapping into the historic user experiences gamers obtained from systems like the Odyssey, Atari, and NES. Their look and feel is reminiscent of the 8-bit, low-fidelity standard of that earlier time, and their simple, but addictive style of gameplay recycles the interaction design models of original favorites like Asteroids and Zelda. [G]ames like Mafia Wars combine the nostalgic feeling of historic games like Dragon Warrior (1986) with the new frontier of social connectivity. This creates a very powerful psychological connection between users and, ultimately, a very large fan base."
Vador News' Bryan McClain says FarmVille-maker Zynga and its peers are harnessing the addictive power of classic game mechanics to fuel the social gaming revolution.
Do you think Zynga games like Mafia Wars and FarmVille are popular due to their simple game mechanics -- or does having a built-in social experience make all the difference?
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Did FarmVille kill All My Children and One Life to Live?
It appears that Zynga and its FarmVille franchise have drawn middle-aged mothers' eyes from the TV set to the computer screen. AdWeek reports that ABC's imminent closure of both All My Children and One Life to Live is thanks to Zynga's 259 million fans of games like CityVille and FrontierVille. Both shows have been doomed to enternal rest this coming Sept., while Mark Pincus and crew have experienced record turnouts that blow these lunchtime serial dramas away.
AdWeek cites that between 2007 and 2011, the ratings for these two decades-old programs plummeted in the 25 to 54-year-old demographic. (Does that sound familiar?) All the while, the monthly player base for FarmVille peaked at 80 million in early 2010 and CityVille peaked at over 100 million players later that year. "Women at home used to have these virtual friends, these soap stars," Maria Bailey, author of Mom 3.0, said to AdWeek. "Now their virtual friends have come alive, and they don't need one-way conversations. I grew up on Susan Lucci, but Susan Lucci doesn't talk back to me."
While this is all, of course, speculation, the primary demographics for both soaps and social games do match almost exactly. Is it a coincidence that as Susan Lucci slowly drifted from the minds of mommies in their late 30s, a digital farm was there to fill the void? Possibly, but maybe ABC should have taken a cue from England's ATV.
[Image Credit: ABC]
Are you sad to see these two soaps go? Do you agree that Zynga helped in their destruction?
AdWeek cites that between 2007 and 2011, the ratings for these two decades-old programs plummeted in the 25 to 54-year-old demographic. (Does that sound familiar?) All the while, the monthly player base for FarmVille peaked at 80 million in early 2010 and CityVille peaked at over 100 million players later that year. "Women at home used to have these virtual friends, these soap stars," Maria Bailey, author of Mom 3.0, said to AdWeek. "Now their virtual friends have come alive, and they don't need one-way conversations. I grew up on Susan Lucci, but Susan Lucci doesn't talk back to me."
While this is all, of course, speculation, the primary demographics for both soaps and social games do match almost exactly. Is it a coincidence that as Susan Lucci slowly drifted from the minds of mommies in their late 30s, a digital farm was there to fill the void? Possibly, but maybe ABC should have taken a cue from England's ATV.
[Image Credit: ABC]
Are you sad to see these two soaps go? Do you agree that Zynga helped in their destruction?
DeNA partners with Docomo, prepares for Japanese social game coup
DeNA, the massive Japanese mobile social game company, has taken another step toward its imminent invasion of the western world of social games in a partnership with Docomo. You know, the company that bought American mobile game developer Ngmoco for over $400 million last year? That massive company.
Docomo is a Japanese phone manufacturer that will link its 6 million smartphone and feature phone users in Japan with DeNA's Mobage social gaming platform through i-mode. The oddly-named feature is found on all Docomo phones, and it will provide users a direct link to DeNA's list of games by as early as May.
Not to mention that a dedicated Mobage application will be pre-installed into several Docomo phones sometime in the future. According to a statement, Docomoco users will have exclusive early access to new content and easier billing for micro-transactions. Of course, the two plan to bring the model to Europe and the rest of Asia through mobile phone operators and game developers.
However, we're going to assume that if this strategy does well in Europe, DeNA will stake its claim in the US as well. Whether this is enough to combat Zynga has yet to be seen, but know that the Far East has burst onto the scene with guns a' blazin'.
[Image Credit: Random Acts of Media]
Do you think DeNA has a chance of getting into the Western world of social gaming? How will Zynga fare against the Eastern juggernaut, if it gets that far?
Docomo is a Japanese phone manufacturer that will link its 6 million smartphone and feature phone users in Japan with DeNA's Mobage social gaming platform through i-mode. The oddly-named feature is found on all Docomo phones, and it will provide users a direct link to DeNA's list of games by as early as May.
Not to mention that a dedicated Mobage application will be pre-installed into several Docomo phones sometime in the future. According to a statement, Docomoco users will have exclusive early access to new content and easier billing for micro-transactions. Of course, the two plan to bring the model to Europe and the rest of Asia through mobile phone operators and game developers.
However, we're going to assume that if this strategy does well in Europe, DeNA will stake its claim in the US as well. Whether this is enough to combat Zynga has yet to be seen, but know that the Far East has burst onto the scene with guns a' blazin'.
[Image Credit: Random Acts of Media]
Do you think DeNA has a chance of getting into the Western world of social gaming? How will Zynga fare against the Eastern juggernaut, if it gets that far?
The Google Games effort is real, open job offer suggests
Sure, we've heard rumors of the search behemoth, Google, investing in numerous social game companies including Zynga. And the company bought Slide, a game developer, in 2010. But this job offer posted on Google's Linkedin page confirms the rumors: Google is serious about games. TechCrunch reports that the open call-out for a product manager of its Games division suggests that Google has not forgotten about its gaming efforts.
This job will be based in Google HQ in Mountain View, Calif., and the lucky guy or gal will be tasked with creating "strategies for game distribution and discovery, player identity, game mechanics, and more." It's also mentioned that the position will be heavily involved in Google's social platform, implying that these won't be just any games, but social games. If you doubted whether Google was serious about getting into games, then face the facts--it's happening. And if there is any company with the financial might, experience and notoriety to take on Zynga, it's Google. Find the full job offer after the break.
Product Manager, Games – Mountain View
Google – California , Mountain View (Global HQ) (United States)
Job Description
This position is based in Mountain View, CA.
The area: Product Management
One of the many reasons Google consistently brings innovative, world-changing products to market is because of the collaborative work we do in Product Management. With eyes focused squarely on the future, our team works closely with creative and prolific engineers to help design and develop technologies that improve access to the world's information. We're responsible for guiding products throughout the execution cycle, focusing specifically on analyzing, positioning, packaging, promoting and tailoring our solutions to all the markets where Google does business.
The role: Product Manager, Games
Rare opportunity to grow a brand-new business – Games at Google! We are looking for a strategic, technical and game-loving Product Manager to drive Google's gaming strategy. You will design strategies for game distribution and discovery, player identity, game mechanics, and more. In addition to designing a great user experience and building out key partnerships, you will be significantly influencing Google's social platform as you work directly with a critical set of early adopters, game developers. Interesting and impactful decisions involving social gaming, privacy, virality, business, and technical APIs await you and the strong, passionate team of gamers you will work with.
Responsibilities:
• Drive feature requirements for Google''s gaming platform
• Work with business development and developer relations to drive gaming partnerships/ content deals
• Initiate and prioritize projects within engineering, assist in determining the best technical implementation methods, track product development, and develop product launch plans.
• Establish partnerships internally and externally to drive the growth of games
Requirements:
• Technical undergraduate degree or equivalent experience; Masters degree preferred.
• Product management experience with a track record of creating innovative and winning Internet or software solutions.
• Entrepreneurial experience and a penchant for creating great products is highly valued.
• Demonstrated ability to gather user requirements and convert them into a winning product vision.
• Strong quantitative and analytical abilities with a deep understanding of gaming platforms
[Image Credit: Facebook PokerChip News]
Now that Google is apparently making steps toward a real gaming initiative, do you think it has what it takes to tackle Zynga? What do you think Google needs to do in order for that to happen?
This job will be based in Google HQ in Mountain View, Calif., and the lucky guy or gal will be tasked with creating "strategies for game distribution and discovery, player identity, game mechanics, and more." It's also mentioned that the position will be heavily involved in Google's social platform, implying that these won't be just any games, but social games. If you doubted whether Google was serious about getting into games, then face the facts--it's happening. And if there is any company with the financial might, experience and notoriety to take on Zynga, it's Google. Find the full job offer after the break.
Product Manager, Games – Mountain View
Google – California , Mountain View (Global HQ) (United States)
Job Description
This position is based in Mountain View, CA.
The area: Product Management
One of the many reasons Google consistently brings innovative, world-changing products to market is because of the collaborative work we do in Product Management. With eyes focused squarely on the future, our team works closely with creative and prolific engineers to help design and develop technologies that improve access to the world's information. We're responsible for guiding products throughout the execution cycle, focusing specifically on analyzing, positioning, packaging, promoting and tailoring our solutions to all the markets where Google does business.
The role: Product Manager, Games
Rare opportunity to grow a brand-new business – Games at Google! We are looking for a strategic, technical and game-loving Product Manager to drive Google's gaming strategy. You will design strategies for game distribution and discovery, player identity, game mechanics, and more. In addition to designing a great user experience and building out key partnerships, you will be significantly influencing Google's social platform as you work directly with a critical set of early adopters, game developers. Interesting and impactful decisions involving social gaming, privacy, virality, business, and technical APIs await you and the strong, passionate team of gamers you will work with.
Responsibilities:
• Drive feature requirements for Google''s gaming platform
• Work with business development and developer relations to drive gaming partnerships/ content deals
• Initiate and prioritize projects within engineering, assist in determining the best technical implementation methods, track product development, and develop product launch plans.
• Establish partnerships internally and externally to drive the growth of games
Requirements:
• Technical undergraduate degree or equivalent experience; Masters degree preferred.
• Product management experience with a track record of creating innovative and winning Internet or software solutions.
• Entrepreneurial experience and a penchant for creating great products is highly valued.
• Demonstrated ability to gather user requirements and convert them into a winning product vision.
• Strong quantitative and analytical abilities with a deep understanding of gaming platforms
[Image Credit: Facebook PokerChip News]
Now that Google is apparently making steps toward a real gaming initiative, do you think it has what it takes to tackle Zynga? What do you think Google needs to do in order for that to happen?
EA bringing video ads to social games, hires WildTangent's Dave Madden
Advertising might be in trouble everywhere else, but in social games it seems to be booming. And EA is riding that gravy train until it runs dry, hiring a new senior VP of global marketing solutions, Dave Madden. A veteran of WildTangent, Madden (no, not that Madden) worked there on BrandBoost, a video advertising platform for social games. Inside Social Games reports that he aims to bring that expertise to the giant publisher. More specifically, Madden plans to bring more direct, but less forceful advertising content to social gamers.
"This biggest challenge [at EA] is engagement scalability by platform," Madden said to ISG. "Our users at EA appreciate content on multiple platforms. The biggest thing we've learned in social gaming is adding value to the user, putting the user in control." In other words, Madden wants to bring ads that users not only have control over, but will actually benefit from in their games. To do this could be simpler than you might think, according to an example the new senior VP provided ISG.
You know the feeling all too well. You hit a wall in your favorite Facebook game when you've run out of Energy. But instead of putting up for more, Madden suggests that players could watch a video ad for some more Energy. You get more Energy; EA gets its precious moola from advertisers; everyone is happy! Hey, at this point, anything beats shelling out cash.
[Image Credit: Inside Social Games]
Is EA onto something with this new proposed ad platform? Would you agree to watch an ad over paying for more Energy?
"This biggest challenge [at EA] is engagement scalability by platform," Madden said to ISG. "Our users at EA appreciate content on multiple platforms. The biggest thing we've learned in social gaming is adding value to the user, putting the user in control." In other words, Madden wants to bring ads that users not only have control over, but will actually benefit from in their games. To do this could be simpler than you might think, according to an example the new senior VP provided ISG.
You know the feeling all too well. You hit a wall in your favorite Facebook game when you've run out of Energy. But instead of putting up for more, Madden suggests that players could watch a video ad for some more Energy. You get more Energy; EA gets its precious moola from advertisers; everyone is happy! Hey, at this point, anything beats shelling out cash.
[Image Credit: Inside Social Games]
Is EA onto something with this new proposed ad platform? Would you agree to watch an ad over paying for more Energy?
Eastpak takes a bold leap with human tetris Facebook game 'SPAK'
Eastpak's 'SPAK', a human tetris Facebook advergame that has backpackers jumping off a tall building and being sucked into jet turbines, is all part of the company's efforts in promoting an edgy and tough image for their backpacks, which are branded as "Built to Resist." And thanks to a great creative team, who managed to take a gory and morbid concept and spin it into something fun, the game doesn't fail to be engaging, work-safe, and made of complete and utter weird.
But how does it fare as a social game?
To play, you have to 'Like' Eastpak's official Facebook page, and then allow the game to access your Facebook account (which is all pretty standard stuff). You'll be a shown a game trailer every time you begin, but you've the option to "skip intro" after the first time. Once you're at the main menu, there's two ways to play: "Solo Training Mode" and "Duel Mode".
Eastpak Spak main screen
If you're going Solo, you don't have to look at the rules, but if you want to test out Duel Mode, expect SPAK to throw a few curveballs.
Eastpak SPAK human tetris Facebook game
To beat your opponent, you need to be the player that's first to eliminate 3 horizontal lines. The catch is, both you and your opponent are allowed to screw with each other's playing fields by dropping blocks to either help or hurt each other. There's also power-ups in the game, such as "BONUS BAGS" (which 'are full of surprise') and "MALUS BAGS" (that 'will destroy everything').
Eastpak SPAK fox head
As a stylistic touch, the use of a bonus also triggers live-action cutscenes that will interrupt you while you're playing. (Depending on your preferences, you may find this annoying or the most awesome thing ever!) The one that keeps showing up so far, is of a person in a black leather jacket with a fox's head, long tresses, and a bag of bricks. Another is the same fox person, but playing with a kitten. Like I said, it's weird.
Eastpak SPAK Duel Mode
With Duel Mode, you're limited to playing with friends who have also 'Liked' the Eastpak Facebook page. You're also only able to play if those friends are using the game at the same time as you.
Eastpak Duel Mode friends
If not, you're out of luck. When you get a request, you'll see it on your screen and you'll have one minute to respond or the request will time out.
Eastpak SPAK Duel Mode time out
Finally, no social game is complete without a highest score list, and there's a gamewide one of the top ten players who've eliminated the most lines in a game.
Eastpak SPAK top score rankings
Toss in the option to make posts on your Facebook wall to facilitate bragging rights and it looks like SPAK has all the makings of a social game. In fact, I'd argue it's best played with other people, as the Solo Training Mode really is about training and the real fun is in having a mano-a-mano with your friends. The only gripes so far is that it may be a little too weird, visually, for most people. Also, the art style does make it harder to gauge how much room you have for your lines cause you're maneuvering blocks shaped as people. Overall, I love it. But then, I'm never going to get tired of watching people get sucked into jet turbines and random clips of fox-headed person.
But how does it fare as a social game?
To play, you have to 'Like' Eastpak's official Facebook page, and then allow the game to access your Facebook account (which is all pretty standard stuff). You'll be a shown a game trailer every time you begin, but you've the option to "skip intro" after the first time. Once you're at the main menu, there's two ways to play: "Solo Training Mode" and "Duel Mode".
Eastpak Spak main screen
If you're going Solo, you don't have to look at the rules, but if you want to test out Duel Mode, expect SPAK to throw a few curveballs.
Eastpak SPAK human tetris Facebook game
To beat your opponent, you need to be the player that's first to eliminate 3 horizontal lines. The catch is, both you and your opponent are allowed to screw with each other's playing fields by dropping blocks to either help or hurt each other. There's also power-ups in the game, such as "BONUS BAGS" (which 'are full of surprise') and "MALUS BAGS" (that 'will destroy everything').
Eastpak SPAK fox head
As a stylistic touch, the use of a bonus also triggers live-action cutscenes that will interrupt you while you're playing. (Depending on your preferences, you may find this annoying or the most awesome thing ever!) The one that keeps showing up so far, is of a person in a black leather jacket with a fox's head, long tresses, and a bag of bricks. Another is the same fox person, but playing with a kitten. Like I said, it's weird.
Eastpak SPAK Duel Mode
With Duel Mode, you're limited to playing with friends who have also 'Liked' the Eastpak Facebook page. You're also only able to play if those friends are using the game at the same time as you.
Eastpak Duel Mode friends
If not, you're out of luck. When you get a request, you'll see it on your screen and you'll have one minute to respond or the request will time out.
Eastpak SPAK Duel Mode time out
Finally, no social game is complete without a highest score list, and there's a gamewide one of the top ten players who've eliminated the most lines in a game.
Eastpak SPAK top score rankings
Toss in the option to make posts on your Facebook wall to facilitate bragging rights and it looks like SPAK has all the makings of a social game. In fact, I'd argue it's best played with other people, as the Solo Training Mode really is about training and the real fun is in having a mano-a-mano with your friends. The only gripes so far is that it may be a little too weird, visually, for most people. Also, the art style does make it harder to gauge how much room you have for your lines cause you're maneuvering blocks shaped as people. Overall, I love it. But then, I'm never going to get tired of watching people get sucked into jet turbines and random clips of fox-headed person.
Cafe World Great Egg Hunt Goals: It's never too late for Easter fun in the kitchen
While Easter may have officially come and gone in the real world, you'll be able to carry on the pastel and egg-filled fun in Cafe World for a few days more (ok, maybe a few weeks more) thanks to the massive, eleven-part goal series that has launched in the game to celebrate the holiday. This goal series is called Great Egg Hunt, and it sees you serving dishes, helping out in your friends' cafes, collecting items from friends, restocking your salad bar and basically every other task you could expect from the game's many features.
Again, this is a very lengthy goal series, so I'll try my best to get right to heart of the matter, wasting little time. The first goal is called "A Basket Case." Amelia had been planning a great Easter egg hunt when all of her eggs went missing, and it's up to you to help Amelia find them. You'll receive the Egg Basket item for free to place in your cafe, which will grow and expand over time, as you complete these goals, just as the Love Meter expanded back in the Valentine's Day event, for those that were playing a few months ago.
A Basket Case asks you to complete three tasks:
Place Egg Basket
Spice 3 Neighbor Stoves
Serve Angel Fruit Cake 5 Times
Remember, you can always serve dishes from your Gift Box, if you'd rather not wait the eight hours for your cakes to cook. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 200 coins and 200 Cafe Points.
The second goal of eleven is called Egg-samples, and it introduces you to this goal series' main collectible item - the Colorful Eggs. Like RSVPs, your friends will need to respond individually for your requests for Eggs, with you having to wait a bit longer than a day to ask repeating friends to send you yet another egg, even if you're on a different mission in the series.
Ask for 4 Colorful Eggs
Serve French Onion Soup 10 Times
Obtain 5 Baby Carrots
You'll also have to ask your friends for the Baby Carrots. While waiting for them to arrive, you can cook the French Onion Soup, which takes four hours to prepare. For finishing this goal, you'll receive a Cute Pink Bunny decoration, which I have to admit lives up to its name.
Part III of XI becomes more time consuming still, requiring you to receive a lot of help from friends.
Serve Fish N Chips 20 Times
Obtain 5 Cartons of Eggs
Obtain 5 Cups of Sugar
Fish N Chips takes just 2 hours to cook, which explains its high requirement. Also, did you notice how these quests have said "obtain" items, rather than "ask for" them? Looks like users were getting confused by not having goals being completed after they "asked for" items (but had yet to receive them). Rest assured, this changes the missions in no way, so just ask your friends individually as you always have, and we'll move on from here.
Part IV of XI bring us back to the Colorful Eggs, as you'll have to increase your stockpile to twice its current size.
Ask for 8 Colorful Eggs
Obtain 7 Cups of Brown Sugar
Serve 7 Spicy Devil Eggs
Unfortunately, the only thing you can do on your own in this mission is cook the Spicy Devil Eggs, which take 18 hours to prepare. Unless you want to spend Cafe Cash to complete the other tasks, your best bet is to ask friends for these items early and often to finish as quickly as possible. Finishing this mission gives you the Egg Server decoration.
With Part V of XI, we've almost hit the halfway point, but first, you'll need to ask for even more Colorful Eggs, while completing the other two tasks on your own.
Ask for 12 Colorful Eggs
Serve Loco Moco 10 Times
Spice 7 Neighbors Stoves
While this may not be the first time we've seen a goal in this series asking you to spice friends' stove, the likelihood of you completing both Parts I and Part V in the same day is incredibly remote, unless you plan on using Cafe Cash to skip many of these steps. Either way, once you finish this quest, you'll receive the Cute Yellow Bunny decoration.
With Part VI of XI, we can almost see the final mission way off in the distance and what's this? A new recipe is up for grabs? Let's get to work on earning it, shall we?
Serve Gourmet Blend 18 Times
Obtain 6 Tablespoons of Butter
Ask for 10 Turbot Fillets
Well, just when we thought there was some new rhyme and reason to the "ask for" and "obtain" debate, we see both in the same mission. What's the difference? There isn't one really, so just ignore it and move onto the Gourmet Blend. You'll need 43 Energy to prepare a single batch of Gourmet Blend, which can then be served to nine people. Luckily, the required number (18) divides easily, so you won't have to waste energy preparing extra coffee that you don't end up serving. For finishing this mission, you're given the Milk Chocolate Bunny recipe, which can be cooked for 225 coins and takes 10 minutes to prepare.
Unlike what you'd expect, you don't have to use your new recipe just yet, as Part VII of XI instead has you serving a breakfast of sorts.
Serve Belgian Waffles 10 Times
Obtain 8 Quarts of Heavy Cream
Obtain 10 Cartons of Eggs
Belgian Waffles take just 20 minutes to cook, but you'll likely have to wait longer than that to have your friends send you these ingredients. Finishing this quest doesn't give you another recipe, but you will be finally required to put your Milk Chocolate Bunny recipe to work in the next quest.
Part VIII of XI asks you to not only cook some bunnies (wow, that sounds bad), but to also ask for more Colorful Eggs.
Ask for 16 Colorful Eggs
Obtain 10 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
Serve Milk Chocolate Bunny 20 Times
While most mission series are all-but-finished by the time you reach goal eight, we've still got a long way ahead of us after this mission. For finishing Part VIII, you will receive a bit of inspiration to keep going, however, as you'll receive the Egg Hunt Carrot Cake recipe, which is cooked for 475 coins and can be served after cooking for just one hour.
Part IX of XI puts your new Carrot Cake recipe to work and introduces the Salad Bar to this quest set.
Serve Egg Hunt Carrot Cake 10 Times
Restock Your Salad Bar 10 Times
Obtain 8 Cups of Sugar
With the Salad Bar, your best bet to finishing that task quickly is to only purchase the "10 servings" package when given the option. In this way, the Salad Bar runs out of food more quickly, giving you the ability to restock it more than once in one sitting and move on that much quicker. There's no free recipe for this mission, but hey - we're almost at the end, and that is prize enough!
Part X of XI allows you to complete your bunny family of decorations, but in order to receive the final prize, you'll need to complete three varied tasks.
Ask for 25 Colorful Eggs
Spice 5 Neighbors Stoves
Obtain 10 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
As promised, when you finish this goal, you'll receive the Cute Blue Bunny decoration. To find him or any other decoration you've received so far, just head into the decor section of the game's store (as though you were trying to pull them out of your inventory or storage - not out of the Gift Box).
Finally! Are we at the end? It seemed to take us so long to get here, but I suppose all of these cute decorations, and the two new recipes have been worth it. Let's finish Part XI of XI already, shall we?
Cook Egg Hunt Carrot Cake 20 Times
Cook Milk Chocolate Bunny 12 Times
Cater the Children's Egg Hunt
What? You didn't think a holiday would go by without a matching Catering Order, did you? We'll make sure to give you the guide to that Catering Order as soon as we have it, but for now, that simply work on the rest of these eleven goals and meet us back here when you're ready to move on. Do you want some help with this Catering Order? Head over to our full guide to see everything you need to know about the Order before jumping in bunny ears first.
Check out the rest of our Easter 2011 coverage and guides right here.
What do you think of these missions? Do they seem manageable, or are you dreading even starting them?
Again, this is a very lengthy goal series, so I'll try my best to get right to heart of the matter, wasting little time. The first goal is called "A Basket Case." Amelia had been planning a great Easter egg hunt when all of her eggs went missing, and it's up to you to help Amelia find them. You'll receive the Egg Basket item for free to place in your cafe, which will grow and expand over time, as you complete these goals, just as the Love Meter expanded back in the Valentine's Day event, for those that were playing a few months ago.
A Basket Case asks you to complete three tasks:
Place Egg Basket
Spice 3 Neighbor Stoves
Serve Angel Fruit Cake 5 Times
Remember, you can always serve dishes from your Gift Box, if you'd rather not wait the eight hours for your cakes to cook. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 200 coins and 200 Cafe Points.
The second goal of eleven is called Egg-samples, and it introduces you to this goal series' main collectible item - the Colorful Eggs. Like RSVPs, your friends will need to respond individually for your requests for Eggs, with you having to wait a bit longer than a day to ask repeating friends to send you yet another egg, even if you're on a different mission in the series.
Ask for 4 Colorful Eggs
Serve French Onion Soup 10 Times
Obtain 5 Baby Carrots
You'll also have to ask your friends for the Baby Carrots. While waiting for them to arrive, you can cook the French Onion Soup, which takes four hours to prepare. For finishing this goal, you'll receive a Cute Pink Bunny decoration, which I have to admit lives up to its name.
Part III of XI becomes more time consuming still, requiring you to receive a lot of help from friends.
Serve Fish N Chips 20 Times
Obtain 5 Cartons of Eggs
Obtain 5 Cups of Sugar
Fish N Chips takes just 2 hours to cook, which explains its high requirement. Also, did you notice how these quests have said "obtain" items, rather than "ask for" them? Looks like users were getting confused by not having goals being completed after they "asked for" items (but had yet to receive them). Rest assured, this changes the missions in no way, so just ask your friends individually as you always have, and we'll move on from here.
Part IV of XI bring us back to the Colorful Eggs, as you'll have to increase your stockpile to twice its current size.
Ask for 8 Colorful Eggs
Obtain 7 Cups of Brown Sugar
Serve 7 Spicy Devil Eggs
Unfortunately, the only thing you can do on your own in this mission is cook the Spicy Devil Eggs, which take 18 hours to prepare. Unless you want to spend Cafe Cash to complete the other tasks, your best bet is to ask friends for these items early and often to finish as quickly as possible. Finishing this mission gives you the Egg Server decoration.
With Part V of XI, we've almost hit the halfway point, but first, you'll need to ask for even more Colorful Eggs, while completing the other two tasks on your own.
Ask for 12 Colorful Eggs
Serve Loco Moco 10 Times
Spice 7 Neighbors Stoves
While this may not be the first time we've seen a goal in this series asking you to spice friends' stove, the likelihood of you completing both Parts I and Part V in the same day is incredibly remote, unless you plan on using Cafe Cash to skip many of these steps. Either way, once you finish this quest, you'll receive the Cute Yellow Bunny decoration.
With Part VI of XI, we can almost see the final mission way off in the distance and what's this? A new recipe is up for grabs? Let's get to work on earning it, shall we?
Serve Gourmet Blend 18 Times
Obtain 6 Tablespoons of Butter
Ask for 10 Turbot Fillets
Well, just when we thought there was some new rhyme and reason to the "ask for" and "obtain" debate, we see both in the same mission. What's the difference? There isn't one really, so just ignore it and move onto the Gourmet Blend. You'll need 43 Energy to prepare a single batch of Gourmet Blend, which can then be served to nine people. Luckily, the required number (18) divides easily, so you won't have to waste energy preparing extra coffee that you don't end up serving. For finishing this mission, you're given the Milk Chocolate Bunny recipe, which can be cooked for 225 coins and takes 10 minutes to prepare.
Unlike what you'd expect, you don't have to use your new recipe just yet, as Part VII of XI instead has you serving a breakfast of sorts.
Serve Belgian Waffles 10 Times
Obtain 8 Quarts of Heavy Cream
Obtain 10 Cartons of Eggs
Belgian Waffles take just 20 minutes to cook, but you'll likely have to wait longer than that to have your friends send you these ingredients. Finishing this quest doesn't give you another recipe, but you will be finally required to put your Milk Chocolate Bunny recipe to work in the next quest.
Part VIII of XI asks you to not only cook some bunnies (wow, that sounds bad), but to also ask for more Colorful Eggs.
Ask for 16 Colorful Eggs
Obtain 10 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
Serve Milk Chocolate Bunny 20 Times
While most mission series are all-but-finished by the time you reach goal eight, we've still got a long way ahead of us after this mission. For finishing Part VIII, you will receive a bit of inspiration to keep going, however, as you'll receive the Egg Hunt Carrot Cake recipe, which is cooked for 475 coins and can be served after cooking for just one hour.
Part IX of XI puts your new Carrot Cake recipe to work and introduces the Salad Bar to this quest set.
Serve Egg Hunt Carrot Cake 10 Times
Restock Your Salad Bar 10 Times
Obtain 8 Cups of Sugar
With the Salad Bar, your best bet to finishing that task quickly is to only purchase the "10 servings" package when given the option. In this way, the Salad Bar runs out of food more quickly, giving you the ability to restock it more than once in one sitting and move on that much quicker. There's no free recipe for this mission, but hey - we're almost at the end, and that is prize enough!
Part X of XI allows you to complete your bunny family of decorations, but in order to receive the final prize, you'll need to complete three varied tasks.
Ask for 25 Colorful Eggs
Spice 5 Neighbors Stoves
Obtain 10 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
As promised, when you finish this goal, you'll receive the Cute Blue Bunny decoration. To find him or any other decoration you've received so far, just head into the decor section of the game's store (as though you were trying to pull them out of your inventory or storage - not out of the Gift Box).
Finally! Are we at the end? It seemed to take us so long to get here, but I suppose all of these cute decorations, and the two new recipes have been worth it. Let's finish Part XI of XI already, shall we?
Cook Egg Hunt Carrot Cake 20 Times
Cook Milk Chocolate Bunny 12 Times
Cater the Children's Egg Hunt
What? You didn't think a holiday would go by without a matching Catering Order, did you? We'll make sure to give you the guide to that Catering Order as soon as we have it, but for now, that simply work on the rest of these eleven goals and meet us back here when you're ready to move on. Do you want some help with this Catering Order? Head over to our full guide to see everything you need to know about the Order before jumping in bunny ears first.
Check out the rest of our Easter 2011 coverage and guides right here.
What do you think of these missions? Do they seem manageable, or are you dreading even starting them?
Cafe World Great Egg Hunt Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Along with the downright massive Easter-themed mission set that's now available in Cafe World, you can also complete Amelia's Great Egg Hunt Catering Order. In fact, "can" is a bit of a light word, as you'll absolutely need to complete this order if you want to finish the last of those Egg Hunt goals.
Either way, you'll be able to jump into this Catering Order as you have all others: by heading to the back of the Catering Business menu and accepting the job on your account from the pop-up menu that appears. This Catering Order is on a short time limit, but the requirements are anything but easy, requiring you to cook three dishes and collect two different items from friends.
For the cooking portion of this order, you'll need to serve Egg Hunt Carrot Cake (a one hour dish) 260 times, Delicious Chocolate Cake (a 14 hour dish) 225 times, and Milk Chocolate Bunny (a 10 minute dish) 100 times. Sure, the Carrot Cakes and Bunnies (recipes only available by completing the Egg Hunt goals - check out our guide) may have short cooking times, but they are required in such quantities that it will take very dedicated chefs to serve enough in the three day time limit for a three-star rating. Not to mention, if you don't have the time to frequently come back to the game (say, if you work full-time or go to school), you'll be that much more likely to come back to a cafe full of rotten food, which is never fun.
Either way, while you're cooking dishes with your friends (up to 18 can join you on this order), you'll also need to collect 28 collectibles: 14 Party Hats and 14 Party Streamers. All of these items are earned via individual gift requests that you'll need to send to friends that you think would be most likely to help you. Again, if you can complete all five of these tasks within three days, you'll receive three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 6,300 Cafe Points, 75000 coins and the Egg Hunt Sugar Cookies recipe, and exclusive recipe that you can only receive by completing this order.
If you finish after three days, but within the first five days of beginning, you'll receive two-stars, eight Catering Points, 4500 Cafe Points, and 50000 coins, while simply finishing the order at any time after the first five days earns you a single star, four Catering Points, 2700 Cafe Points and 30000 coins. While those still aren't bad rewards for simply finishing the order at all, if you're like most cooks, you likely won't settle until you've receive your exclusive recipe, and frankly I can't blame you.
Check out the rest of our Easter 2011 coverage and guides right here.
What do you think of this Catering Order? Are the requirements too difficult, since they require you to unlock recipes before starting?
Either way, you'll be able to jump into this Catering Order as you have all others: by heading to the back of the Catering Business menu and accepting the job on your account from the pop-up menu that appears. This Catering Order is on a short time limit, but the requirements are anything but easy, requiring you to cook three dishes and collect two different items from friends.
For the cooking portion of this order, you'll need to serve Egg Hunt Carrot Cake (a one hour dish) 260 times, Delicious Chocolate Cake (a 14 hour dish) 225 times, and Milk Chocolate Bunny (a 10 minute dish) 100 times. Sure, the Carrot Cakes and Bunnies (recipes only available by completing the Egg Hunt goals - check out our guide) may have short cooking times, but they are required in such quantities that it will take very dedicated chefs to serve enough in the three day time limit for a three-star rating. Not to mention, if you don't have the time to frequently come back to the game (say, if you work full-time or go to school), you'll be that much more likely to come back to a cafe full of rotten food, which is never fun.
Either way, while you're cooking dishes with your friends (up to 18 can join you on this order), you'll also need to collect 28 collectibles: 14 Party Hats and 14 Party Streamers. All of these items are earned via individual gift requests that you'll need to send to friends that you think would be most likely to help you. Again, if you can complete all five of these tasks within three days, you'll receive three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 6,300 Cafe Points, 75000 coins and the Egg Hunt Sugar Cookies recipe, and exclusive recipe that you can only receive by completing this order.
If you finish after three days, but within the first five days of beginning, you'll receive two-stars, eight Catering Points, 4500 Cafe Points, and 50000 coins, while simply finishing the order at any time after the first five days earns you a single star, four Catering Points, 2700 Cafe Points and 30000 coins. While those still aren't bad rewards for simply finishing the order at all, if you're like most cooks, you likely won't settle until you've receive your exclusive recipe, and frankly I can't blame you.
Check out the rest of our Easter 2011 coverage and guides right here.
What do you think of this Catering Order? Are the requirements too difficult, since they require you to unlock recipes before starting?
Monday, December 26, 2011
FarmVille GagaVille Electric Chapel Goal: Everything you need to know
I hope you finished the first GagaVille quest in FarmVille farmers, as it has now expired, with Quest #2 taking its place, which -- when completed -- will unlock exclusive access to another new Lady Gaga single, 'Electric Chapel.'
The new quest is (appropriately) called Electric Chapel, and it is just as easy as you'd expect (after all, Zynga surely wants to expose as many players as possible to Lady Gaga's new album, so why make the quests hard?).
You'll have three tasks:
Visit GagaVille
Buy 1 Crystal Flowerbed
Plant 6 Chrome Daisies
Chrome Daisies can be planted for just 30 coins per square. The Crystal Flowerbed, meanwhile, is a decoration found in the store that costs just 2,000 coins. After you visit GagaVille, you'll finish this quest automatically, and will be given 2,500 coins, an Electric Chapel dance club (a large building that can be placed on your farm), a second VIP ticket and the chance to be one of the first to hear 'Electric Chapel' track from Gaga's upcoming 'Born this Way' album.
farmville electric chapel
Just as with the first GagaVille quest, Electric Chapel will only be available to complete until 9PM PST tomorrow evening, so make sure to set the song on repeat until then to get your gaga fix. Check back with us after this quest expires to take a look at Quest #3, including a full guide on how to complete it.
Check out the rest of our GagaVille coverage right here >
Do you like the way these GagaVille quests seem to be set up, with very easy requirements? Would you prefer the quests be more challenging, or give you something else to work towards (say, a sheep on a motorcycle)?
The new quest is (appropriately) called Electric Chapel, and it is just as easy as you'd expect (after all, Zynga surely wants to expose as many players as possible to Lady Gaga's new album, so why make the quests hard?).
You'll have three tasks:
Visit GagaVille
Buy 1 Crystal Flowerbed
Plant 6 Chrome Daisies
Chrome Daisies can be planted for just 30 coins per square. The Crystal Flowerbed, meanwhile, is a decoration found in the store that costs just 2,000 coins. After you visit GagaVille, you'll finish this quest automatically, and will be given 2,500 coins, an Electric Chapel dance club (a large building that can be placed on your farm), a second VIP ticket and the chance to be one of the first to hear 'Electric Chapel' track from Gaga's upcoming 'Born this Way' album.
farmville electric chapel
Just as with the first GagaVille quest, Electric Chapel will only be available to complete until 9PM PST tomorrow evening, so make sure to set the song on repeat until then to get your gaga fix. Check back with us after this quest expires to take a look at Quest #3, including a full guide on how to complete it.
Check out the rest of our GagaVille coverage right here >
Do you like the way these GagaVille quests seem to be set up, with very easy requirements? Would you prefer the quests be more challenging, or give you something else to work towards (say, a sheep on a motorcycle)?
PopCap plans to launch Plants vs. Zombies Social Edition ... in China
This morning, PopCap announced details about a social version of its big hit Plants vs. Zombies, which will soon launch exclusively -- not on Facebook -- but on Renren.com, which is China's version of Facebook with 117 million users.
"The passion for Plants vs. Zombies here in China is incredible. PvZ has tremendous, unprecedented brand awareness and popularity in China with almost one million people already signed up to a PvZ page on Renren.com," says James Gwertzman, VP of Asia/Pacific at PopCap Games.
The tower defense game in which you use different types of plants to keep shuffling cartoon zombies from invading your house (and eating your brains) will been enhanced with new modes and social features.
Players can create and invite friends to visit custom-created towns in the game and check out the new Rampage mode, where you have two-minutes to take down as many zombies as possible. Much like PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz or Zuma Blitz, a leaderboard will keep track of you and your friends' scores (and will reset every week to fuel the fires of competition.) There will be regular content updates as well -- with new zombies and powerups rolling out on a weekly basis.
I'm sure there are a million business reasons as to why Plants vs. Zombies Social Edition will exclusively be available on Renren, but as an unrepentant PvZ fan, I hope that exclusivity lasts for a limited time or that PopCap is hard at work on another (more awesome) English language version that will eventually live on Facebook.
"The passion for Plants vs. Zombies here in China is incredible. PvZ has tremendous, unprecedented brand awareness and popularity in China with almost one million people already signed up to a PvZ page on Renren.com," says James Gwertzman, VP of Asia/Pacific at PopCap Games.
The tower defense game in which you use different types of plants to keep shuffling cartoon zombies from invading your house (and eating your brains) will been enhanced with new modes and social features.
Players can create and invite friends to visit custom-created towns in the game and check out the new Rampage mode, where you have two-minutes to take down as many zombies as possible. Much like PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz or Zuma Blitz, a leaderboard will keep track of you and your friends' scores (and will reset every week to fuel the fires of competition.) There will be regular content updates as well -- with new zombies and powerups rolling out on a weekly basis.
I'm sure there are a million business reasons as to why Plants vs. Zombies Social Edition will exclusively be available on Renren, but as an unrepentant PvZ fan, I hope that exclusivity lasts for a limited time or that PopCap is hard at work on another (more awesome) English language version that will eventually live on Facebook.
Sony PlayStation Phone gets its game on with Verizon this month
Sony Ericsson Xperia Play
Wait, so is this the NGP or the Sony PlayStation tablet? It's neither? The amount of devices with the PlayStation name these days has become mind boggling, and to add to the confusion is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. Otherwise known as the PlayStation Phone, All Things Digital reports that this PSP Go look-alike is set to launch with Verizon this month. The Android-based, smartphone-gaming handheld hybrid will land on May 26 for $199 with a two-year contract.
If you're interested in playing Sony games on yet another device, Verizon will begin to take pre-orders Thursday. Thankfully, you won't need to buy games immediately along with that $200 price tag, as the Xperia Play comes loaded with seven games. And they're not your average games of Snake and Solitaire. Right out of the box, you'll have access to Madden 11, The Sims 3, Crash Bandicoot and more.
While the phones features a 4-inch touchscreen, playing games won't be much different from your standard PlayStation games. The phone slides to reveal not a QWERTY keyboard, but a full PlayStation controller complete with touch-sensitive joysticks. And thanks to a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, the Xperia Play should be able to handle much more than Bejeweled.
However, Sony might still have some issues restoring confidence in even Verizon customers after the PSN/SOE debacle that's just beginning to clear up. Network issues be damned, Sony presses on, bringing its PlayStation brand to even more devices than ever (perhaps even unnecessarily).
[Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Will you pick up a PlayStation phone? What do you think of Sony's expansion into nearly every mobile device out there, including a PSP successor?
Wait, so is this the NGP or the Sony PlayStation tablet? It's neither? The amount of devices with the PlayStation name these days has become mind boggling, and to add to the confusion is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. Otherwise known as the PlayStation Phone, All Things Digital reports that this PSP Go look-alike is set to launch with Verizon this month. The Android-based, smartphone-gaming handheld hybrid will land on May 26 for $199 with a two-year contract.
If you're interested in playing Sony games on yet another device, Verizon will begin to take pre-orders Thursday. Thankfully, you won't need to buy games immediately along with that $200 price tag, as the Xperia Play comes loaded with seven games. And they're not your average games of Snake and Solitaire. Right out of the box, you'll have access to Madden 11, The Sims 3, Crash Bandicoot and more.
While the phones features a 4-inch touchscreen, playing games won't be much different from your standard PlayStation games. The phone slides to reveal not a QWERTY keyboard, but a full PlayStation controller complete with touch-sensitive joysticks. And thanks to a 1GHz Qualcomm processor, the Xperia Play should be able to handle much more than Bejeweled.
However, Sony might still have some issues restoring confidence in even Verizon customers after the PSN/SOE debacle that's just beginning to clear up. Network issues be damned, Sony presses on, bringing its PlayStation brand to even more devices than ever (perhaps even unnecessarily).
[Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Will you pick up a PlayStation phone? What do you think of Sony's expansion into nearly every mobile device out there, including a PSP successor?
Game of the Day: Penguin Plop
The Game of the Day knows you love penguins and how you'll love launching them into the air!
Penguin Plop: How high will your penguin go? In Penguin Plop you use your trusty slingshot to fire your penguin into the atmosphere and beyond. Collect stars as you fly through the air. Use your money to purchase penguin power ups and new more powerful launchers. The more you spend on your penguins and launchers the higher you'll send your penguins!
Click --> Play Penguin Plop
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.
Penguin Plop: How high will your penguin go? In Penguin Plop you use your trusty slingshot to fire your penguin into the atmosphere and beyond. Collect stars as you fly through the air. Use your money to purchase penguin power ups and new more powerful launchers. The more you spend on your penguins and launchers the higher you'll send your penguins!
Click --> Play Penguin Plop
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.
Video game maker Tecmo leaps into Facebook games with Jollywood
Tecmo Koei is taking a short break from gore-spewing ninjas and warring Chinese armies to explore a far more lucrative market these days: Facebook games. The Japanese creator of Ninja Gaiden will launch JollyWood tomorrow, a social game developed by its Singapore studio. The game tasks players with creating "getaways of fun and relaxation amidst scenic landscapes," Tecmo Koei said in a statement.
JollyWood
The game will launch on Facebook, though this studio has big plans for global expansion on not just social networks but smartphones as well, according to the press release. Of course, the game will be free to play and plans to live off of micro-transactions.
Tecmo has already released some social games in the Japanese market, but this is first time that the legendary company has expanded its horizons globally in the social games space. You can find more details on the game through its Facebook page.
Are you excited to see what Tecmo Koei is capable of in the social games space? How do you think the company will fare against the big wigs of the industry?
JollyWood
The game will launch on Facebook, though this studio has big plans for global expansion on not just social networks but smartphones as well, according to the press release. Of course, the game will be free to play and plans to live off of micro-transactions.
Tecmo has already released some social games in the Japanese market, but this is first time that the legendary company has expanded its horizons globally in the social games space. You can find more details on the game through its Facebook page.
Are you excited to see what Tecmo Koei is capable of in the social games space? How do you think the company will fare against the big wigs of the industry?
FarmVille Sheep and Pig Breeding 'Conga Line' shows results before breeding [Video]
We'll admit it, Sheep and Pig Breeding in FarmVille can be a little bit confusing. Even after Zynga released detailed explanations (with bullet points and all!), some farmers still don't get how their Lambs come out the way they do. Enter the "Conga Line," an upcoming feature that will allow players to see the potential results of breeding before their animals do the deed.
This time, Zynga was even so courteous as to post a video describing the upcoming feature. When selecting two sheep or pigs to breed, now a window will appear displaying a shared dream bubble between the two woolly lovers with a few possible combinations inside. You want at least some element of surprise, no?
Is this a feature that you think will help with your Breeding issues? What other changes do you think need to be made to the Breeding feature?
This time, Zynga was even so courteous as to post a video describing the upcoming feature. When selecting two sheep or pigs to breed, now a window will appear displaying a shared dream bubble between the two woolly lovers with a few possible combinations inside. You want at least some element of surprise, no?
Is this a feature that you think will help with your Breeding issues? What other changes do you think need to be made to the Breeding feature?
Munch on PopCap's Candy Train for free on iPhone and iPad
PopCap is on a freebie frenzy this month. Pocket Gamer reports that the Seattle-based casual games giant has released Candy Train, a classic in the company's stable of "just one more level" games, for free on iPhone and iPad. The game was launched on the New Zealand Apple App Store as a universal app, meaning that it will available in the US and U.K. App Stores by midnight.
In Candy Train, players navigate, you guessed it, a train around a terribly incomplete track. To successfully pick up and deliver candy, you must switch the tracks as if they were puzzle pieces while controlling your train's speed against the clock. Go too fast, and you might crash, but going too slow won't get the candy delivered in time. With that kind of sweet strategy, Candy Train seems like a fine, free way to kill some extra time.
[Image Credit: Pocket Gamer]
Have you played Candy Train before? What other games do you hope PopCap releases to iOS in the future?
In Candy Train, players navigate, you guessed it, a train around a terribly incomplete track. To successfully pick up and deliver candy, you must switch the tracks as if they were puzzle pieces while controlling your train's speed against the clock. Go too fast, and you might crash, but going too slow won't get the candy delivered in time. With that kind of sweet strategy, Candy Train seems like a fine, free way to kill some extra time.
[Image Credit: Pocket Gamer]
Have you played Candy Train before? What other games do you hope PopCap releases to iOS in the future?
Saturday, December 24, 2011
FarmVille Upgraded Sheep Breeding Goals: Everything you need to know
Along with the upgrade to the Sheep Pen and the entire Sheep Breeding feature in FarmVille, the game has also seen the launch of a new four-part goal series. These goals will only be around for about two weeks, so get to work straight away if you want to say you've completed them, or just want the many prizes you'll receive along the way.
The first goal is called Sheep Shape, and it works to catch you up to other players, should you have yet to build a Sheep Pen on your farm.
Complete your Sheep Pen
Get 6 Romantic Tunes
Harvest 30 Sheep
The Romantic Tunes are earned by clicking on the "Ask for Help" button and then sending out individual requests to friends. Harvesting 30 Sheep, meanwhile, is as simple as having up to 30 Sheep and then collecting from your building (more than once if necessary) when it has the pink ready symbol on top of it. Your rewards for this goal set start off fairly simply too: 200 XP, 2,500 coins and 5 Love Potions.
From there, we move onto the second goal, called Sheep Thrills:
Expand your Sheep Pen
Be a level 5 Sheep Breeder
Breed 3 Lambs
While three lambs won't get you to level five, it will help you out. Just make sure to look at our complete guide to the upgraded Sheep Breeding feature to see what to expect along the way. As for expanding your Sheep Pen, we have a guide for that too. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 200 XP, 2,500 coins, and 10 Bottles.
Goal three is called Good Ewes, Everyone! (the puns are just fantastic here, don't you think):
Raise 1 Tiger Stripe Sheep
Harvest 200 Rhubarbs
Get 6 Bottles of Sheep Shampoo
Yet again, you'll need to ask your friends for the Sheep Shampoo bottles, and you'll also need to breed quite a few Lambs to unlock the Tiger Stripe Sheep pattern in your Sheep Pen. To be specific, you'll need to reach level 5, as the Tiger Stripe Ram is the prize for reaching that level. Once you reach level five and successfully raise a Tiger Stripe Sheep, you'll be able to move on. Your prizes for this goal? 200 XP, 2,500 coins, 10 Bottles, 5 Love Potions, and a Spiral Ram.
Finally, the last goal in this set is called Hogs and Kisses, and it brings Pig Breeding into this mix, because, well... why not?
Use 5 Love Potions
Breed 3 Piglets
Give Away 1 Piglet
If you don't like the idea of giving away a Piglet, perhaps work with a friend to make a post private to them, so that they can adopt one of yours, and you can adopt one of theirs in a trade. That way, you're not really wasting Love Potions as you'll still end up with a Piglet in the end. Your final prizes for this goal series are 200 XP, 2,500 coins, 5 Love Potions and a Purple Tiger Stripe Boar.
Again, while you do have two weeks to complete these goals, they are technically limited edition, so you'll want to start work sooner, rather than later, to ensure that you end up with all of these prizes before time runs out.
The first goal is called Sheep Shape, and it works to catch you up to other players, should you have yet to build a Sheep Pen on your farm.
Complete your Sheep Pen
Get 6 Romantic Tunes
Harvest 30 Sheep
The Romantic Tunes are earned by clicking on the "Ask for Help" button and then sending out individual requests to friends. Harvesting 30 Sheep, meanwhile, is as simple as having up to 30 Sheep and then collecting from your building (more than once if necessary) when it has the pink ready symbol on top of it. Your rewards for this goal set start off fairly simply too: 200 XP, 2,500 coins and 5 Love Potions.
From there, we move onto the second goal, called Sheep Thrills:
Expand your Sheep Pen
Be a level 5 Sheep Breeder
Breed 3 Lambs
While three lambs won't get you to level five, it will help you out. Just make sure to look at our complete guide to the upgraded Sheep Breeding feature to see what to expect along the way. As for expanding your Sheep Pen, we have a guide for that too. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 200 XP, 2,500 coins, and 10 Bottles.
Goal three is called Good Ewes, Everyone! (the puns are just fantastic here, don't you think):
Raise 1 Tiger Stripe Sheep
Harvest 200 Rhubarbs
Get 6 Bottles of Sheep Shampoo
Yet again, you'll need to ask your friends for the Sheep Shampoo bottles, and you'll also need to breed quite a few Lambs to unlock the Tiger Stripe Sheep pattern in your Sheep Pen. To be specific, you'll need to reach level 5, as the Tiger Stripe Ram is the prize for reaching that level. Once you reach level five and successfully raise a Tiger Stripe Sheep, you'll be able to move on. Your prizes for this goal? 200 XP, 2,500 coins, 10 Bottles, 5 Love Potions, and a Spiral Ram.
Finally, the last goal in this set is called Hogs and Kisses, and it brings Pig Breeding into this mix, because, well... why not?
Use 5 Love Potions
Breed 3 Piglets
Give Away 1 Piglet
If you don't like the idea of giving away a Piglet, perhaps work with a friend to make a post private to them, so that they can adopt one of yours, and you can adopt one of theirs in a trade. That way, you're not really wasting Love Potions as you'll still end up with a Piglet in the end. Your final prizes for this goal series are 200 XP, 2,500 coins, 5 Love Potions and a Purple Tiger Stripe Boar.
Again, while you do have two weeks to complete these goals, they are technically limited edition, so you'll want to start work sooner, rather than later, to ensure that you end up with all of these prizes before time runs out.
FrontierVille: Help protect dogs by purchasing the BAD RAP Charity Crate
If you're a dog lover, and you also happen to play FrontierVille, you'll be happy to know that Zynga has partnered with BAD RAP to offer the BAD RAP Charity Crate in the game's store. BAD RAP is a non-profit organization looking out for the welfare of Pit Bulls, and if you'd like to help their cause, you can purchase a single crate from the store for 50 Horseshoes.
For that price, you'll receive either a Cow, Sheep or Ox, all of which have been given the "Canine" visual treatment (see above). With the current exchange rate on purchasing Horseshoes (many of you will see that the 40 and 75 Horseshoe packages are on sale), 50 Horseshoes costs around $4 US, with all of the proceeds (that's right, all - not just a percentage) going to support BAD RAP.
These crates will be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, giving you plenty of time to decide whether or not to purchase one - or three. It's unfortunate that you won't know which of the three animals you'll receive by buying a crate, but all three are cute in their own way, so we really can't complain too heavily. Besides, it's for a good cause!
Will you purchase a BAD RAP Charity Crate in FrontierVille? Which of the three animals would you most like to receive from the crate?
For that price, you'll receive either a Cow, Sheep or Ox, all of which have been given the "Canine" visual treatment (see above). With the current exchange rate on purchasing Horseshoes (many of you will see that the 40 and 75 Horseshoe packages are on sale), 50 Horseshoes costs around $4 US, with all of the proceeds (that's right, all - not just a percentage) going to support BAD RAP.
These crates will be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, giving you plenty of time to decide whether or not to purchase one - or three. It's unfortunate that you won't know which of the three animals you'll receive by buying a crate, but all three are cute in their own way, so we really can't complain too heavily. Besides, it's for a good cause!
Will you purchase a BAD RAP Charity Crate in FrontierVille? Which of the three animals would you most like to receive from the crate?
FrontierVille Pioneer Trail: Choose your own adventure elements will customize your game
Another sneak preview of the Pioneer Trail has been revealed on the FrontierVille fan page, with this one actually showing us an element of gameplay. Apparently, there will be interactive events that pop-up as we travel, that will add a "choose your own adventure" element to the gameplay. For those unfamiliar with the phrase, basically, it means that an event will be presented to you, and you'll have a variety of options for how to respond. Presumably, these options will each alter a bit of your game, depending on which you choose.
For this example, we'll apparently come upon a tree on the plains with a pair of names carved into the branch of the tree, and we'll need to decide how to act. We can carve our own true love's name into the tree as well, climb up the tree for a better look at Beaver Valley, or ignore it entirely. The second option costs us one food item, but we can only assume that you'd gain something from this option as well - perhaps a larger part of the Trail Map will be revealed to you after you've come back down the tree?
Of course, the name of the game here is speculation, as we'll have to wait for the Pioneer Trail to officially launch to make any definitive conclusions about this feature. Still, it's interesting to see that we may be able to customize our games with such events, so we're looking even more forward to things now.
For this example, we'll apparently come upon a tree on the plains with a pair of names carved into the branch of the tree, and we'll need to decide how to act. We can carve our own true love's name into the tree as well, climb up the tree for a better look at Beaver Valley, or ignore it entirely. The second option costs us one food item, but we can only assume that you'd gain something from this option as well - perhaps a larger part of the Trail Map will be revealed to you after you've come back down the tree?
Of course, the name of the game here is speculation, as we'll have to wait for the Pioneer Trail to officially launch to make any definitive conclusions about this feature. Still, it's interesting to see that we may be able to customize our games with such events, so we're looking even more forward to things now.
FrontierVille Rodeo Badges: Complete Rodeo Challenges for free Horseshoes
Now that I have your attention, Zynga is hoping that the Rodeo draws your attention in FrontierVille as well, as they're offering some pretty great rewards for completing challenges in the new feature. Via a set of four new Rodeo Badges, you'll have a chance to walk away with 13 free Horseshoes, but of course, they won't come easy.
Each Rodeo Badge requires you to complete an increasing number of Rodeo Challenges. Here's the breakdown:
Rodeo Rookie - Complete 3 Rodeo Challenges - 100 XP, Carrot Treat
Rodeo Wrangler - Complete 50 Rodeo Challenges - Carrot Treat, 2 Horseshoes
Rodeo Pro - Complete 100 Rodeo Challenges - Carrot Treat, 4 Horseshoes
Rodeo Hero - Complete 200 Rodeo Challenges - Gold Buckle Sign, 7 Horseshoes
I told you - these Badges will likely take you quite a bit of time to unlock, but good things come to those who wait. Just make sure you're dedicated with the feature, and you'll eventually be able to lay claim to all of those Horseshoes yourself.
What do you think of these new Rodeo Badges? Is 200 Challenges simply too lofty a number to reach, or are you looking forward to the long-term challenge?
Each Rodeo Badge requires you to complete an increasing number of Rodeo Challenges. Here's the breakdown:
Rodeo Rookie - Complete 3 Rodeo Challenges - 100 XP, Carrot Treat
Rodeo Wrangler - Complete 50 Rodeo Challenges - Carrot Treat, 2 Horseshoes
Rodeo Pro - Complete 100 Rodeo Challenges - Carrot Treat, 4 Horseshoes
Rodeo Hero - Complete 200 Rodeo Challenges - Gold Buckle Sign, 7 Horseshoes
I told you - these Badges will likely take you quite a bit of time to unlock, but good things come to those who wait. Just make sure you're dedicated with the feature, and you'll eventually be able to lay claim to all of those Horseshoes yourself.
What do you think of these new Rodeo Badges? Is 200 Challenges simply too lofty a number to reach, or are you looking forward to the long-term challenge?
CityVille: Add to the summer fun with Swimwear Shop, Taffy Shop and more
If your town in CityVille still isn't the summer hangout that you'd like it to be, you can add to the summer fun in the sun by purchasing one of four new items from the game's store. There are two businesses here, along with a home and a decoration, and luckily, some of these items actually do cost coins, rather than City Cash.
There are two Cash items, though, with those being the Kite Flyer - a small decoration that offers a 2% bonus to surrounding businesses and homes - and a Swimwear Shop. This business costs 30 City Cash, and earns 530 coins for every 100 Goods you supply it with. Meanwhile, the Taffy Shop costs coins, 14,000 coins to be exact. For this business, you'll need to supply it with 90 Goods to receive a return of 470 coins once all of those Goods have been sold.
Finally, the new home is the Coastal House, which breaks the bank at 400,000 coins. The home starts with 210 residents, and can be expanded to 420 over time. It pays out 600 coins in rent every 2.1 days.
Luckily, there isn't a time limited associated with any of these items, so you can take your time saving up the 400,000 coins necessary for the Coastal Home, as an example. Should Zynga release any more summer themed goodies we'll make sure to let you know.
What do you think of this newest set of summer-themed items in CityVille? Are you happy to finally have some nice coin options for items, or were you fine spending City Cash all along?
There are two Cash items, though, with those being the Kite Flyer - a small decoration that offers a 2% bonus to surrounding businesses and homes - and a Swimwear Shop. This business costs 30 City Cash, and earns 530 coins for every 100 Goods you supply it with. Meanwhile, the Taffy Shop costs coins, 14,000 coins to be exact. For this business, you'll need to supply it with 90 Goods to receive a return of 470 coins once all of those Goods have been sold.
Finally, the new home is the Coastal House, which breaks the bank at 400,000 coins. The home starts with 210 residents, and can be expanded to 420 over time. It pays out 600 coins in rent every 2.1 days.
Luckily, there isn't a time limited associated with any of these items, so you can take your time saving up the 400,000 coins necessary for the Coastal Home, as an example. Should Zynga release any more summer themed goodies we'll make sure to let you know.
What do you think of this newest set of summer-themed items in CityVille? Are you happy to finally have some nice coin options for items, or were you fine spending City Cash all along?
Microsoft reaching out to developers for free-to-play games on Xbox
If the thought of playing Team Fortress 2 for free doesn't do anything for you, how about the idea of playing free-to-play games right on your Xbox 360? According to Develop, Microsoft is preparing not only a microtransaction system to handle free-to-play marketplaces (using Microsoft Points), but they're also reaching out to developers in an effort to bring such free-to-play games to the system.
While Microsoft hasn't publicly announced such, "several sources connected to the matter" have come forward, revealing that Microsoft is weighing two options: either games that support in-game purchases, or can be upgraded (new expansions and the like) at a premium cost.
Of course, the question now remains: just which developers has Microsoft reached out to? Is it possible that we may actually see games like Zynga's FarmVille or the more hardcore focused Empires & Allies given the 360 treatment, with console specific achievements and their own marketplaces? With free-to-play, the possibilities are endless. The cost of "free" gives developers the freedom to try anything knowing that players will give it a chance simply because it costs them nothing to do so. In the world of gaming, free seems to be more and more of a good thing.
While Microsoft hasn't publicly announced such, "several sources connected to the matter" have come forward, revealing that Microsoft is weighing two options: either games that support in-game purchases, or can be upgraded (new expansions and the like) at a premium cost.
Of course, the question now remains: just which developers has Microsoft reached out to? Is it possible that we may actually see games like Zynga's FarmVille or the more hardcore focused Empires & Allies given the 360 treatment, with console specific achievements and their own marketplaces? With free-to-play, the possibilities are endless. The cost of "free" gives developers the freedom to try anything knowing that players will give it a chance simply because it costs them nothing to do so. In the world of gaming, free seems to be more and more of a good thing.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
CityVille Goes Update Crazy: Level cap increase, Asparagus crop et al
Have you been keeping up? Because Zynga is moving at a breakneck pace, and introduced a slew of updates to CityVille recently. First, the level cap for the game has been boosted from Level 90 to Level 100, meaning it's time to collect another few hundred million XP (or something like that)--back to the Goals for you purist players.
Second, a new City Cash crop has been introduced, the Asparagus. It's only here for a limited time (another six days) and, like all City Cash crops, grows instantly. For 4 City Cash, the Asparagus will instantly provide players with 127 Goods. Of course, the crop has a short Mastery path to increase its Goods output, though we know you'd only try it for the Mastery Sign. (Who needs better Goods output on a crop that's going away in a week?)
CityVille Shark and Killer Whale
Finally, a few new decorations (and one building) have hit the Build menu, and tread on new ground for CityVille. The new Shark and Killer Whale decorations are fully animated, as they flip and swim through the ocean. And that's the only area where they can be placed. However, these two living set pieces have payout bonuses attached to them, which strikes us as odd consider they're placed out in the water while businesses sit way back on the beach.
Asparagus Staffing Agency
A new Community Building, the Staffing Building, has made it into the game as well. It costs a nice chunk of City Cash, but provides players with a massive Population boost. While the lot of them unfortunately go for City Cash, here's everything you need to know about the new items:
Asparagus
Goods: 127
Harvests: Instantly
Costs: 4 City Cash
Staffing Agency
Population: 2,250
Costs: 75 City Cash
Killer Whale
Bonus: 14 percent payout increase
Costs: 25 City Cash
Shark
Bonus: 4 percent payout increase
Costs: 8,000 Coins
Are you excited by any of these new items to hit the market? If you had the City Cash or Coins, which would you buy first?
Second, a new City Cash crop has been introduced, the Asparagus. It's only here for a limited time (another six days) and, like all City Cash crops, grows instantly. For 4 City Cash, the Asparagus will instantly provide players with 127 Goods. Of course, the crop has a short Mastery path to increase its Goods output, though we know you'd only try it for the Mastery Sign. (Who needs better Goods output on a crop that's going away in a week?)
CityVille Shark and Killer Whale
Finally, a few new decorations (and one building) have hit the Build menu, and tread on new ground for CityVille. The new Shark and Killer Whale decorations are fully animated, as they flip and swim through the ocean. And that's the only area where they can be placed. However, these two living set pieces have payout bonuses attached to them, which strikes us as odd consider they're placed out in the water while businesses sit way back on the beach.
Asparagus Staffing Agency
A new Community Building, the Staffing Building, has made it into the game as well. It costs a nice chunk of City Cash, but provides players with a massive Population boost. While the lot of them unfortunately go for City Cash, here's everything you need to know about the new items:
Asparagus
Goods: 127
Harvests: Instantly
Costs: 4 City Cash
Staffing Agency
Population: 2,250
Costs: 75 City Cash
Killer Whale
Bonus: 14 percent payout increase
Costs: 25 City Cash
Shark
Bonus: 4 percent payout increase
Costs: 8,000 Coins
Are you excited by any of these new items to hit the market? If you had the City Cash or Coins, which would you buy first?
Cafe World Serving Susie Goals: Everything you need to know
First, there came the Becky the Barista and Beverly Bartender sisters in Cafe World, two girls that allow you to serve your guests from the Coffee Machine and Drink Bar automatically, and now, we can add quick serving from stoves to that list as Susie has been introduced to the game. Susie's a young, perky wannabe waitress looking for her first real job, and you'll be there to give it to her. First, though, you'll need to complete some goals (as if you didn't guess that already). Here's a complete guide:
Serving Susie
Place Serving Susie
Ask for 3 Ears of Corn
Serve Fish n Chips 30 times
Susie's station actually comes a new item you'll need to place in your cafe and then construct. It takes four items to build: six each of Heat Lamps, Steel Plates, Counter Tops, and Nuts and Bolts. Once you've finished building her station, she'll be able to help you by serving all of your dishes from stoves to counters with a single click. Your reward for finishing this first goal is Creamy Corn Soup.
Susie Can't Wait
Spice 10 of your friends' stoves
Ask for 5 Mussels
Ask for 5 Butter
Depending on the amount of friends you have in your account, you'll be able to finish this one fairly easily, as luckily 10 items aren't too terribly hard to come by. Don't "worry" though chefs, things get worse over time. You'll earn the Buttered Mussels recipe for finishing this one.
Waitressing
Serve Buttered Mussels 40 Times
Ask for 6 Food Orders
Ask for 6 Cans of Soda
Once you've completed Susie's station, she'll be able to serve all of your dishes more quickly than before, but it doesn't actually affect the speed at which your dishes cook.
Prep Cook Susie
Serve Creamy Corn Soup 30 Times
Ask for 6 White Onions
Ask for 7 Cans of Gravy
Apparently, Susie is a bit too fast, and she's spilled all of those Buttered Mussles on the floor (at least in our story). You'll need to serve these Creamy Corn Soups to make up for it. For doing so, you'll earn yet another recipe: Biscuits and Gravy.
Fajita Fun
Serve Buttered Mussels 40 times
Ask for 8 Jumbo Shrimp
Ask for 8 Red Peppers
This goal will see you earning another recipe: the Shrimp Fajitas, for finishing it off.
Susie's Stumped
Serve Biscuits and Gravy 30 times
Ask for 10 Rainbow Trout
Ask for 10 Lemons
No new recipe for this one, but don't worry - you're not done with the free food yet.
The Susie Solution
Serve Shrimp Fajitas 40 Times
Ask for 10 Cedar Planks
Hire Susie Serving Crew
Like the other "stations" in the game, you'll need to ask your friends to help staff Susie's station, so that Susie can be properly "trained" for her new job in your cafe. You'll receive one final recipe for finishing off this goal series: the Broiled Rainbow Trout.
All told, it's likely that a lot of chefs will have some pretty strong opinions about this one. Serving dishes from our stoves is one of the main interactive abilities we have with the actual "cooking" portion of gameplay, and with Susie, we've now lost it. I suppose you could ignore Susie altogether if you want to stick to the status quo, but that will be up to you.
What do you think of the Serving Susie goals? Will you use Susie to speed up your dish-serving process, or will you keep things the way they are?
Serving Susie
Place Serving Susie
Ask for 3 Ears of Corn
Serve Fish n Chips 30 times
Susie's station actually comes a new item you'll need to place in your cafe and then construct. It takes four items to build: six each of Heat Lamps, Steel Plates, Counter Tops, and Nuts and Bolts. Once you've finished building her station, she'll be able to help you by serving all of your dishes from stoves to counters with a single click. Your reward for finishing this first goal is Creamy Corn Soup.
Susie Can't Wait
Spice 10 of your friends' stoves
Ask for 5 Mussels
Ask for 5 Butter
Depending on the amount of friends you have in your account, you'll be able to finish this one fairly easily, as luckily 10 items aren't too terribly hard to come by. Don't "worry" though chefs, things get worse over time. You'll earn the Buttered Mussels recipe for finishing this one.
Waitressing
Serve Buttered Mussels 40 Times
Ask for 6 Food Orders
Ask for 6 Cans of Soda
Once you've completed Susie's station, she'll be able to serve all of your dishes more quickly than before, but it doesn't actually affect the speed at which your dishes cook.
Prep Cook Susie
Serve Creamy Corn Soup 30 Times
Ask for 6 White Onions
Ask for 7 Cans of Gravy
Apparently, Susie is a bit too fast, and she's spilled all of those Buttered Mussles on the floor (at least in our story). You'll need to serve these Creamy Corn Soups to make up for it. For doing so, you'll earn yet another recipe: Biscuits and Gravy.
Fajita Fun
Serve Buttered Mussels 40 times
Ask for 8 Jumbo Shrimp
Ask for 8 Red Peppers
This goal will see you earning another recipe: the Shrimp Fajitas, for finishing it off.
Susie's Stumped
Serve Biscuits and Gravy 30 times
Ask for 10 Rainbow Trout
Ask for 10 Lemons
No new recipe for this one, but don't worry - you're not done with the free food yet.
The Susie Solution
Serve Shrimp Fajitas 40 Times
Ask for 10 Cedar Planks
Hire Susie Serving Crew
Like the other "stations" in the game, you'll need to ask your friends to help staff Susie's station, so that Susie can be properly "trained" for her new job in your cafe. You'll receive one final recipe for finishing off this goal series: the Broiled Rainbow Trout.
All told, it's likely that a lot of chefs will have some pretty strong opinions about this one. Serving dishes from our stoves is one of the main interactive abilities we have with the actual "cooking" portion of gameplay, and with Susie, we've now lost it. I suppose you could ignore Susie altogether if you want to stick to the status quo, but that will be up to you.
What do you think of the Serving Susie goals? Will you use Susie to speed up your dish-serving process, or will you keep things the way they are?
Empires & Allies brings German items to the frontlines
Achtung! (Atten-tion!) Three new German units have been released in Empires & Allies (along with new decorations), allowing you to add some serious firepower to your army, both in the ground and naval unit divisions. For commanders that appreciate land combat, there is a Tiger Tank and Red Tiger Tank, which come with 100 and 200 Strength each, respectively.
If that's not already impressive enough, you can also buy a Bismark battleship. Wait for it: the Bismark has a whopping 275 strength rating! Talk about bringing the heat! However, If you'd rather decorate your military base with some German-themed items, rather than use them to cause mass destruction, you can do that too.
The German Flag is a fairly basic decoration that could be used to show off your imaginary peace-treaty with the Germans, while an Army Obstacle Course, Edelweiss and a Hermann Statue add other decorative touches to your town. Finishing off your "Little Germany" is the Alpine Haus, a home that adds 60 population to your town.
All told, these German items are limited edition, and will expire from the game's store in around a week. Make sure to shop fast before they all sell out and you're left without these international goodies!
What do you think of the high strength ratings of the three German units? Will those stats make you want to build multiple units of your own?
If that's not already impressive enough, you can also buy a Bismark battleship. Wait for it: the Bismark has a whopping 275 strength rating! Talk about bringing the heat! However, If you'd rather decorate your military base with some German-themed items, rather than use them to cause mass destruction, you can do that too.
The German Flag is a fairly basic decoration that could be used to show off your imaginary peace-treaty with the Germans, while an Army Obstacle Course, Edelweiss and a Hermann Statue add other decorative touches to your town. Finishing off your "Little Germany" is the Alpine Haus, a home that adds 60 population to your town.
All told, these German items are limited edition, and will expire from the game's store in around a week. Make sure to shop fast before they all sell out and you're left without these international goodies!
What do you think of the high strength ratings of the three German units? Will those stats make you want to build multiple units of your own?
Empires & Allies German Goals require lots and lots of wheat
Along with the release of German items in Empires & Allies comes a three-part mission series that helps introduce your to those new items (isn't that clever?). The first missions is called Sausagefest, and it jumps straight away into growing some crops, along with building some homes. To be specific, you'll need to build four Alpine Haus, along with planting (and harvesting) six wheat fields.
Continuing in the food theme is the next mission: Bitter Harvest, which has you building a Herman Statue, planting some Edelweiss and harvesting even more Wheat Fields. Unfortunately, the information about these goals is a bit sketchy, and even the Empires & Allies wiki can't clarify how many of each item you'll need to build / plant. We're working on clarifying that, and will let you know when we can.
The same thing can be said for the final goal in this trio: Centerpiece. You'll need to construct Bandits (air units), at least one Tiger Tank, and plant wheat yet again to finally finish it off. All told though, none of these missions seem to overly difficult, even for some information being left unsaid. As we said, we'll fill in the blanks as we learn more about these new goals.
[Via Empires & Allies Wiki]
Have you been able to reach the second or third goal in this series? Let us know what the requirements are and we'll place them here!
Continuing in the food theme is the next mission: Bitter Harvest, which has you building a Herman Statue, planting some Edelweiss and harvesting even more Wheat Fields. Unfortunately, the information about these goals is a bit sketchy, and even the Empires & Allies wiki can't clarify how many of each item you'll need to build / plant. We're working on clarifying that, and will let you know when we can.
The same thing can be said for the final goal in this trio: Centerpiece. You'll need to construct Bandits (air units), at least one Tiger Tank, and plant wheat yet again to finally finish it off. All told though, none of these missions seem to overly difficult, even for some information being left unsaid. As we said, we'll fill in the blanks as we learn more about these new goals.
[Via Empires & Allies Wiki]
Have you been able to reach the second or third goal in this series? Let us know what the requirements are and we'll place them here!
FarmVille Animal Mastery is here, except for sheep and pigs
Well, it's slowly rolling out to farmers, anyhow. That's right! After two years of gameplay, and the coming of both crop and tree mastery, Zynga has finally flipped the switch in FarmVille, giving farmers a chance to master the animals on their farms, with the exception of sheep and pigs. Don't worry though - we've been told that pig and sheep mastery is coming soon, even though it isn't available right away.
All told, the difficulty each user has with mastering animals will ultimately come down to how big of a collector you are. That is, if you have five of the same kind of animal on your farm, you'll obviously master them more quickly than if you just purchased one. Still, animals like those seen below (on just the first of many pages of Animals in the new mastery menu) tend to reach their first star of mastery after just 3-9 harvests, depending on how long the animal takes to become "ready" again, or perhaps even depending a bit on its rarity.
Either way, it's interesting to see pigs and sheep acknowledged here, as it gives us something to both look forward to and be scared of for the future. On one hand, it would give mastery sign collectors more incentive to breed animals, but on the other, you're left with the potential for practically unlimited mastery signs, if each individual color shade or color/pattern combination is given its own sign. Hopefully, mastery is left to have each pattern have its own sign, rather than anything to do with color, but we'll make sure to let you know what ends up being the case just as soon as we know more.
[Original image credit: FVNation]
Have you received Animal Mastery on your farm(s) yet?! Which animals are you going to work to master first? Do you think that Zynga should re-release many of the game's past limited edition animals so that users can now master them by purchasing them for their farm?
All told, the difficulty each user has with mastering animals will ultimately come down to how big of a collector you are. That is, if you have five of the same kind of animal on your farm, you'll obviously master them more quickly than if you just purchased one. Still, animals like those seen below (on just the first of many pages of Animals in the new mastery menu) tend to reach their first star of mastery after just 3-9 harvests, depending on how long the animal takes to become "ready" again, or perhaps even depending a bit on its rarity.
Either way, it's interesting to see pigs and sheep acknowledged here, as it gives us something to both look forward to and be scared of for the future. On one hand, it would give mastery sign collectors more incentive to breed animals, but on the other, you're left with the potential for practically unlimited mastery signs, if each individual color shade or color/pattern combination is given its own sign. Hopefully, mastery is left to have each pattern have its own sign, rather than anything to do with color, but we'll make sure to let you know what ends up being the case just as soon as we know more.
[Original image credit: FVNation]
Have you received Animal Mastery on your farm(s) yet?! Which animals are you going to work to master first? Do you think that Zynga should re-release many of the game's past limited edition animals so that users can now master them by purchasing them for their farm?
iWin and Sony Pictures announce the $100,000 Pyramid for Facebook
The category is classic television shows. Here are your clues: Hosted by Dick Clark, contestants were paired with celebrities, two teams earn points by figuring out the answers to clues. Give up? It's the $100,000 pyramid of course,and you'll soon be able to play a variation of the gameplay on Facebook, as Sony Pictures and iWin have announced that they'll be bringing the $100,000 Pyramid to Facebook as a game later this summer.
In this Facebook version of the game, iWin has announced that the gameplay will be just as we expected. In the first round, players are given three categories in which to earn points, using clues to determine the object in question. if you can guess all six items in a single grouping, you'll earn the Big 6 bonus cash prize. After finishing the first round, if you have enough points, you'll move onto the Winners Circle, where you'll go for a $25,000 cash prize (all virtual, of course), and can win it if you get all three of the round's categories right.
To boost the winnings to $100,000, the game will bring in a social element. By inviting your friends to play the game with you, you'll be able to "Pass the Pyramid," and you'll also be able to compare your score(s) to your friends on the game's leaderboard.
While there's no announcement as to when exactly $100,000 Pyramid will launch on Facebook, we're looking forward to seeing what kinds of trivia categories are added to the game, and how many additional elements are added in to keep things fresh. As soon as we know more, we'll make sure to pass the details on to you.
Are you excited about playing $100,000 Pyramid on Facebook? Did you ever watch the television show?
In this Facebook version of the game, iWin has announced that the gameplay will be just as we expected. In the first round, players are given three categories in which to earn points, using clues to determine the object in question. if you can guess all six items in a single grouping, you'll earn the Big 6 bonus cash prize. After finishing the first round, if you have enough points, you'll move onto the Winners Circle, where you'll go for a $25,000 cash prize (all virtual, of course), and can win it if you get all three of the round's categories right.
To boost the winnings to $100,000, the game will bring in a social element. By inviting your friends to play the game with you, you'll be able to "Pass the Pyramid," and you'll also be able to compare your score(s) to your friends on the game's leaderboard.
While there's no announcement as to when exactly $100,000 Pyramid will launch on Facebook, we're looking forward to seeing what kinds of trivia categories are added to the game, and how many additional elements are added in to keep things fresh. As soon as we know more, we'll make sure to pass the details on to you.
Are you excited about playing $100,000 Pyramid on Facebook? Did you ever watch the television show?
Wal-Mart cuts 3DS price early, gives players best of both worlds [Updated]
Update: According to the Wal-Mart website, both the Aqua Blue and Black Nintendo 3DS systems have had their prices cut to $169.96 (exactly) early. However, we would strongly recommend purchasing them in stores, as your online orders will not ship until Aug. 12--just past the cut-off date for those 20 free games as part of the Nintendo's Ambassadors Program.
Nintendo 3DS price cutI bet Nintendo President Satoru Iwata and Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke are having a just lovely phone call right now. Cheap Ass Gamer reports that Wal-Mart will cut the price of the 3DS system in its stores to $169.99 on Aug. 9, citing "a trusted source." That's three days earlier than when Nintendo announced the price drop would take effect.
More importantly, if this turns out to be true, then gamers could buy their new 3DS system on the cheap and log into the Nintendo eShop before Aug. 12 to redeem the 20 free games promised by Nintendo to early adopters. Though, something tells us that, with all the media attention this rumor is getting, Nintendo is already on the horn with Wal-Mart. (Sorry, folks--just doing our job.)
Nintendo execs are already taking cuts to their salaries over the debacle (including a whopping 50 percent slash for Iwata). So we imagine that, once it finds out about this little undercutting scheme, the Mario maker will do everything in it's power to stop it. As for us, we'll meet you at Wal-Mart at 12 a.m. on Aug. 9--we're going camping!
[Via TechCrunch]
Do you think Wal-Mart is really going to cut the 3DS price early or will Nintendo thwart its plans? What are you bringing to the Wal-Mart camp out (I've bought the s'mores)?
Nintendo 3DS price cutI bet Nintendo President Satoru Iwata and Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke are having a just lovely phone call right now. Cheap Ass Gamer reports that Wal-Mart will cut the price of the 3DS system in its stores to $169.99 on Aug. 9, citing "a trusted source." That's three days earlier than when Nintendo announced the price drop would take effect.
More importantly, if this turns out to be true, then gamers could buy their new 3DS system on the cheap and log into the Nintendo eShop before Aug. 12 to redeem the 20 free games promised by Nintendo to early adopters. Though, something tells us that, with all the media attention this rumor is getting, Nintendo is already on the horn with Wal-Mart. (Sorry, folks--just doing our job.)
Nintendo execs are already taking cuts to their salaries over the debacle (including a whopping 50 percent slash for Iwata). So we imagine that, once it finds out about this little undercutting scheme, the Mario maker will do everything in it's power to stop it. As for us, we'll meet you at Wal-Mart at 12 a.m. on Aug. 9--we're going camping!
[Via TechCrunch]
Do you think Wal-Mart is really going to cut the 3DS price early or will Nintendo thwart its plans? What are you bringing to the Wal-Mart camp out (I've bought the s'mores)?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Summer Garden blazes with dragon's breath
That's all you need to know, really. While I could have easily filled this post with a reflection on my love for dragons, I'll be a respectable games writer and tell you about everything that's headed to FarmVille. Some new unreleased decorations and Goals have been unveiled, and aside from a blue, badass fire-breathing dragon there is a number of mythical set pieces.
This upcoming theme pays homage to the Enchanted Theme with a fairy sheep, magic wands and a tower that looks ripped straight from the pages of Rapunzel. However, the theme looks as if it will take on somewhat of a down-to-earth approach as well with a flowerbed truck a simple-looking acorn. More importantly, this new theme will be rung in with at least three new Goals, according to Goal icons that feature lots of pretty flowers and butterflies.
FarmVille Summer Garden items
The list of upcoming items is rounded out with what looks to be a fairy godmother, a pond littered with fairies of a different variety and what looks to be a magical tome. Keep in mind, a lot of these items are recolored versions of previously released decorations and animals. Regardless, it looks like this will be an entertaining theme, though all I needed to see was a fire-breathing dragon to make my educated guess.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Are you excited at all at the thought of another fairy tale-esque theme coming to FarmVille? Which of these new items is most exciting, and where do you think these new Goals will take us?
This upcoming theme pays homage to the Enchanted Theme with a fairy sheep, magic wands and a tower that looks ripped straight from the pages of Rapunzel. However, the theme looks as if it will take on somewhat of a down-to-earth approach as well with a flowerbed truck a simple-looking acorn. More importantly, this new theme will be rung in with at least three new Goals, according to Goal icons that feature lots of pretty flowers and butterflies.
FarmVille Summer Garden items
The list of upcoming items is rounded out with what looks to be a fairy godmother, a pond littered with fairies of a different variety and what looks to be a magical tome. Keep in mind, a lot of these items are recolored versions of previously released decorations and animals. Regardless, it looks like this will be an entertaining theme, though all I needed to see was a fire-breathing dragon to make my educated guess.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Are you excited at all at the thought of another fairy tale-esque theme coming to FarmVille? Which of these new items is most exciting, and where do you think these new Goals will take us?
Zynga co-founder places bets on Kixeye; is hardcore where it's at?
Zynga co-founder Andrew Trader (pictured) has traded in his plow for a panzer tank. Information Week reports that the other half to Zynga's hugely-successful whole has taken a seat on Backyard Monsters creator Kixeye's board.
"KIXEYE has emerged as the leading innovator of social games for core gamers," the former VP of sales and business development for the FarmVille maker said in a statement. "Gamers want great games, not re-skinned versions of the same thing." (Whoa, was that a left hook I just saw or an uppercut?)
Perhaps this is a reaction to the number of infringement lawsuits filed against his alma mater in the past few months alone from companies like The Learning Company, SocialApps and most recently Brazilian developer Vostu. It's even more interesting that Trader, who left Zynga last year, says this considering hardcore developers like Kabam have come under fire from Kixeye for that very issue. If Trader was looking to get away from the copycat wars between Facebook game developers, he certainly didn't travel far enough.
However, it's worth asking whether hardcore is the future on Facebook when the co-founder of arguably the most valuable gaming company ever has taken deep enough interest in a social game developer for the hardcore niche. (It's strange to call hardcore gaming a "niche" on Facebook, considering it has dominated elsewhere for 30 years.) Maybe Trader is right: There are nearly 80 million Facebook gamers playing these hardcore-style strategy games on Facebook, after all. And if there's anyone with the foresight to point out the next big thing on Facebook, it's the guy who planted seeds that grew into a $20 billion company.
[Image Credit: CrunchBase]
Do you think that hardcore games are the future of gaming on Facebook? Why do you think Trader would say such a thing in light of his new role at Kixeye?
"KIXEYE has emerged as the leading innovator of social games for core gamers," the former VP of sales and business development for the FarmVille maker said in a statement. "Gamers want great games, not re-skinned versions of the same thing." (Whoa, was that a left hook I just saw or an uppercut?)
Perhaps this is a reaction to the number of infringement lawsuits filed against his alma mater in the past few months alone from companies like The Learning Company, SocialApps and most recently Brazilian developer Vostu. It's even more interesting that Trader, who left Zynga last year, says this considering hardcore developers like Kabam have come under fire from Kixeye for that very issue. If Trader was looking to get away from the copycat wars between Facebook game developers, he certainly didn't travel far enough.
However, it's worth asking whether hardcore is the future on Facebook when the co-founder of arguably the most valuable gaming company ever has taken deep enough interest in a social game developer for the hardcore niche. (It's strange to call hardcore gaming a "niche" on Facebook, considering it has dominated elsewhere for 30 years.) Maybe Trader is right: There are nearly 80 million Facebook gamers playing these hardcore-style strategy games on Facebook, after all. And if there's anyone with the foresight to point out the next big thing on Facebook, it's the guy who planted seeds that grew into a $20 billion company.
[Image Credit: CrunchBase]
Do you think that hardcore games are the future of gaming on Facebook? Why do you think Trader would say such a thing in light of his new role at Kixeye?
Game of the Day: Into Space!
As a scientist, you've always dreamed of building a rocket capable of reaching the heavens. So when funding comes in, you seize the opportunity to achieve fame, fortune, and finally put a rocket in space. However, it won't be easy. You'll start out with a meager rocket, capable of just a few seconds of flight. But with persistence and some careful flying, you'll have a space craft capable of reaching infinity and beyond!
Click here to play Into Space!
into space game of the day into space game of the day
Pro Tips:
At the beginning, select the keyboard controls rather than the mouse controls, using the keyboard makes the game much easier.
Never turn off the engine unless you have to.
At the low levels, aim for the booster pads, they'll help you earn that precious extra money for parts.
Initially, you want to focus on getting money. So purchase the money upgrades, fuel upgrades, and engine upgrades before anything else. Don't worry too much about the hull or fins until you've got a rocket capable of achieving some height.
Once you have an efficient rocket, fuel can be more lucrative than a booster. If your ship has an expensive fuel tank and engine, and you're given the choice between fuel or a booster, choose fuel. Also, don't go far out of your way to hit a booster pad, it's not worth it.
Click here to play Into Space!
Do you have any other tips? Were you able to reach outer space?
Click here to play Into Space!
into space game of the day into space game of the day
Pro Tips:
At the beginning, select the keyboard controls rather than the mouse controls, using the keyboard makes the game much easier.
Never turn off the engine unless you have to.
At the low levels, aim for the booster pads, they'll help you earn that precious extra money for parts.
Initially, you want to focus on getting money. So purchase the money upgrades, fuel upgrades, and engine upgrades before anything else. Don't worry too much about the hull or fins until you've got a rocket capable of achieving some height.
Once you have an efficient rocket, fuel can be more lucrative than a booster. If your ship has an expensive fuel tank and engine, and you're given the choice between fuel or a booster, choose fuel. Also, don't go far out of your way to hit a booster pad, it's not worth it.
Click here to play Into Space!
Do you have any other tips? Were you able to reach outer space?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Facebook has more gamers than Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo combined?
Facebook games are big, but they might not be that huge just yet. At the company's London edition of the F8 conference, Facebook director of partnerships Ethan Beard said that it has more gamers than Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft combined, TechRadar reports. We're not exactly certain what measure Beard was referring to, because our math adds up a bit differently.
"Social design inside social gaming has driven fantastic growth," Beard told F8 conference-goers. "It's revolutionising gaming. We have over 200 million social gamers on Facebook every month; that's more Facebook gamers than the Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo combined."
But after looking at the number of units sold by each company, compared to Facebook's reported 200 million monthly players, we're not 100 percent on board with that call. Nintendo has shipped over 87 million Wii units and over 147 million Nintendo DS systems to date, as of June 30. And Microsoft has sold over 57 million Xbox 360 consoles as of Sept. 30, while Sony sold nearly 52 million PlayStation 3 rigs as of July 31.
Social games have no doubt garnered more players in such a short amount of time than any gaming platform to date. But, if you look at the amount of consoles shipped and sold by all three major manufacturers, Beard's claim appears to fall a bit short. That is, unless Beard is talking online gamers. Then Facebook just might have the big three beat, to which Beard said, "These aren't games with friends sprinkled on top; it's more about social interactions with gaming on top."
Do you think there are more Facebook gamers than there are of all three major game consoles combined? Will there be a time when social gaming is bigger than traditional gaming across the board?
"Social design inside social gaming has driven fantastic growth," Beard told F8 conference-goers. "It's revolutionising gaming. We have over 200 million social gamers on Facebook every month; that's more Facebook gamers than the Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo combined."
But after looking at the number of units sold by each company, compared to Facebook's reported 200 million monthly players, we're not 100 percent on board with that call. Nintendo has shipped over 87 million Wii units and over 147 million Nintendo DS systems to date, as of June 30. And Microsoft has sold over 57 million Xbox 360 consoles as of Sept. 30, while Sony sold nearly 52 million PlayStation 3 rigs as of July 31.
Social games have no doubt garnered more players in such a short amount of time than any gaming platform to date. But, if you look at the amount of consoles shipped and sold by all three major manufacturers, Beard's claim appears to fall a bit short. That is, unless Beard is talking online gamers. Then Facebook just might have the big three beat, to which Beard said, "These aren't games with friends sprinkled on top; it's more about social interactions with gaming on top."
Do you think there are more Facebook gamers than there are of all three major game consoles combined? Will there be a time when social gaming is bigger than traditional gaming across the board?
'Like' CastleVille by Zynga if you like donating to charity, in-game items
Zynga's spurring its horse-drawn wagon with CastleVille in tow, as the company announced a new Zynga.org initiative. The first charitable promotion attached to a Zynga game that isn't even out yet, the San Francisco-based social game maker will donate some hefty chunks of cash to Direct Relief, Save the Children and Water.org. But only if enough of you "Like" CastleVille.
When five million players click the "Like" button on the official CastleVille fan page right here, Zynga will donate $40,000, $30,000 and $20,000 to the three organizations. However, the company will leave it up to the players to decide which organization receives the largest sum of the three. As more fans "Like" the fan page, more in-game items will unlock for release when CastleVille finally launches. (See the CastleVille Like Meter below.)
But don't worry if you don't reach the 5 million "Likes" in time, as Zynga plans to donate $10,000 to Direct Relief's Community Health Clinic in Dallas, Tex. to celebrate CastleVille, the debut game from Zynga Dallas. With promises of an engaging fantasy storyline with playful and memorable characters that, detailed art and animation and an original music score recorded with a 75-piece orchestra and full choir, you can at least "Like" CastleVille for how it sounds on paper.
Do you plan on jumping in on the "Like" race that's about to begin surrounding CastleVille? Which organization do you think should receive the most cash, and should it even be up to us?
When five million players click the "Like" button on the official CastleVille fan page right here, Zynga will donate $40,000, $30,000 and $20,000 to the three organizations. However, the company will leave it up to the players to decide which organization receives the largest sum of the three. As more fans "Like" the fan page, more in-game items will unlock for release when CastleVille finally launches. (See the CastleVille Like Meter below.)
But don't worry if you don't reach the 5 million "Likes" in time, as Zynga plans to donate $10,000 to Direct Relief's Community Health Clinic in Dallas, Tex. to celebrate CastleVille, the debut game from Zynga Dallas. With promises of an engaging fantasy storyline with playful and memorable characters that, detailed art and animation and an original music score recorded with a 75-piece orchestra and full choir, you can at least "Like" CastleVille for how it sounds on paper.
Do you plan on jumping in on the "Like" race that's about to begin surrounding CastleVille? Which organization do you think should receive the most cash, and should it even be up to us?
Dick Clark stars in Retro World, a social game featuring Elvis, Belushi
Just when you thought it couldn't get any more studded with stars (or weirder), Dick Clark revealed his video game debut in Retro World, Entertainment Games' upcoming Facebook game, according to Hollywood Reporter. You know, the same social game that looks to somehow bring Elvis, John Belushi and classic cars to Facebook, Google+ and smartphones?
Yeah, that one. Now that Entertainment Games's first social endeavor is out in the open, Clark said that his likeness from the '70s and '80s will serve as the game's tutorial. Of course, Retro World is looking to hit the growing 40 plus demographic of social gamers.
"The idea of using past images of myself to guide players through a current online social game is a very innovative approach that I found intriguing," Clark said. "I look forward to serving as your host on this nostalgic and ground-breaking gaming experience."
According to Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Games president Gene Mauro said Clark might even become a playable character in the game along with Elvis, Belushi and more retro celebrities down the line. Because this was made possible through a licensing deal with Dick Clark productions, the company will sell Dick Clark-themed items to players within the game. We've certainly heard of social games centering around a single brand or even a single celebrity, but a project that looks to capture the power of numerous celebs from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s at least gets points for originality on paper.
Would you dig a game that took you back through the years of your youth? With so much nostalgia and star power, could Retro World make a dent in the success of the top social game makers?
Yeah, that one. Now that Entertainment Games's first social endeavor is out in the open, Clark said that his likeness from the '70s and '80s will serve as the game's tutorial. Of course, Retro World is looking to hit the growing 40 plus demographic of social gamers.
"The idea of using past images of myself to guide players through a current online social game is a very innovative approach that I found intriguing," Clark said. "I look forward to serving as your host on this nostalgic and ground-breaking gaming experience."
According to Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Games president Gene Mauro said Clark might even become a playable character in the game along with Elvis, Belushi and more retro celebrities down the line. Because this was made possible through a licensing deal with Dick Clark productions, the company will sell Dick Clark-themed items to players within the game. We've certainly heard of social games centering around a single brand or even a single celebrity, but a project that looks to capture the power of numerous celebs from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s at least gets points for originality on paper.
Would you dig a game that took you back through the years of your youth? With so much nostalgia and star power, could Retro World make a dent in the success of the top social game makers?
With PlayJam, Flash-based social games could hit your HDTV in 2012
Games like Zynga's Adventure World and Vostu's GolMania sure look nice in full screen, but how about in a really full screen? That's what London, England-based PlayJam looks to make possible. The company just announced an agreement with Adobe, the creator of Flash (the most common technology behind social games), to bring Flash-based social games to Internet-connected HDTVs.
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.
The developer tools are said to release in the second quarter of 2012, so between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2012. PlayJam currently has deals with developers like Relentless--the studio behind console quiz game series Buzz--but these tools will be up for grabs from any developer. And the fact that the company just scored another $5 million funding from investors like GameStop Digital Ventures and Adobe Ventures should nudge social game makers along.
With social game makers including Zynga looking to branch off of Facebook and onto new platforms, it's easy to see a day when we could manage our metropolises in CityVille on the old 55-inch plasma. And when you consider the imminent advent of 3D graphics through Flash, thanks to Unreal, (in theory) PlayJam offers an intriguing prospect. Well, at least the potential end of click-and-drag navigation.
Would you play your social games on the big screen in the living room? What Facebook game would you want to play on a 55-inch screen the most?
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.
The developer tools are said to release in the second quarter of 2012, so between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2012. PlayJam currently has deals with developers like Relentless--the studio behind console quiz game series Buzz--but these tools will be up for grabs from any developer. And the fact that the company just scored another $5 million funding from investors like GameStop Digital Ventures and Adobe Ventures should nudge social game makers along.
With social game makers including Zynga looking to branch off of Facebook and onto new platforms, it's easy to see a day when we could manage our metropolises in CityVille on the old 55-inch plasma. And when you consider the imminent advent of 3D graphics through Flash, thanks to Unreal, (in theory) PlayJam offers an intriguing prospect. Well, at least the potential end of click-and-drag navigation.
Would you play your social games on the big screen in the living room? What Facebook game would you want to play on a 55-inch screen the most?
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.
"We are ecstatic to have not only reached a billion monthly gameplays, but to also become a top 10 Facebook developer. It's rewarding to see our games gain so much interest and excitement among our players–across all platforms," King.com CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are taking this recent momentum and expanding our reach through North America by adding an office in San Francisco and new employees to that region so we can more closely connect with our partners and gamers there."
Most recently, King.com released Bubble Witch Saga to Facebook, which boasts more daily players than the company's top game at 1.7 million. Perhaps most importantly, this news confirms King.com's plans to strengthen its mobile presence, as social game makers are so wont to do these days. And something tells us those bubble-loving witches might get the treatment next.
Have you played either of the Bubble Saga games on Facebook yet? Which King.com game do you hope gets a mobile version next?
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.
"We are ecstatic to have not only reached a billion monthly gameplays, but to also become a top 10 Facebook developer. It's rewarding to see our games gain so much interest and excitement among our players–across all platforms," King.com CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are taking this recent momentum and expanding our reach through North America by adding an office in San Francisco and new employees to that region so we can more closely connect with our partners and gamers there."
Most recently, King.com released Bubble Witch Saga to Facebook, which boasts more daily players than the company's top game at 1.7 million. Perhaps most importantly, this news confirms King.com's plans to strengthen its mobile presence, as social game makers are so wont to do these days. And something tells us those bubble-loving witches might get the treatment next.
Have you played either of the Bubble Saga games on Facebook yet? Which King.com game do you hope gets a mobile version next?
Free Team Fortress 2 turns 20 to 30 percent of players into payers
Show me the mon--wait, scratch that. Valve has already seen it, and co-founder Gabe Newell is interested. During a conference in Seattle, the overseer of hit hardcore game franchises like Portal said that Team Fortress 2--its popular multilplayer shooter that recently went free-to-play--has seen incredible results in how many paying customers it has created.
"And then the conversion rate, when we talk to partners who do free-to-play, a lot of people see about a 2 to 3 percent conversion rate of the people in their audience who actually buy something, and then with Team Fortress 2, which looks more like Arkham Asylum in terms of the user profile and the content, we see about a 20 to 30 percent conversion rate of people who are playing those games who buy something," Newell revealed, according to Geekwire.
Newell alluded to the average number of social gamers that pay for in-game items and boosts. Calling it a fairly recent statistic, the Valve CEO said that's far larger than games like, say, FarmVille experience. "We don't understand what's going on," Newell said. "All we know is we're going to keep running these experiments to try and understand better what it is that our customers are telling us."
So, expect more of Valve's game franchises to go free-to-play for its 35 million plus Steam (its popular games distribution service) users. But consider the ripple effect Newell's words might have on other traditional game companies. Other than Valve's games, more hardcore games will undoubtedly go free-to-play. And they'll all have those blasted social games to thank.
[Via Develop]
Will Newell's words inspire even more traditional game companies to go free-to-play? Is this where gaming is headed across the board?
"And then the conversion rate, when we talk to partners who do free-to-play, a lot of people see about a 2 to 3 percent conversion rate of the people in their audience who actually buy something, and then with Team Fortress 2, which looks more like Arkham Asylum in terms of the user profile and the content, we see about a 20 to 30 percent conversion rate of people who are playing those games who buy something," Newell revealed, according to Geekwire.
Newell alluded to the average number of social gamers that pay for in-game items and boosts. Calling it a fairly recent statistic, the Valve CEO said that's far larger than games like, say, FarmVille experience. "We don't understand what's going on," Newell said. "All we know is we're going to keep running these experiments to try and understand better what it is that our customers are telling us."
So, expect more of Valve's game franchises to go free-to-play for its 35 million plus Steam (its popular games distribution service) users. But consider the ripple effect Newell's words might have on other traditional game companies. Other than Valve's games, more hardcore games will undoubtedly go free-to-play. And they'll all have those blasted social games to thank.
[Via Develop]
Will Newell's words inspire even more traditional game companies to go free-to-play? Is this where gaming is headed across the board?
Planet Cazmo: Monster Battles enters MocoSpace's orbit on HTML5
Planet Cazmo: Monster Battles
HTML5 gaming is about to (hopefully) nail yet another landing. Boston, Mass.-based social game platform MocoSpace announced that developer Planet Cazmo will release its first HTML5-based social game, Monster Battles, this December. The game will debut to the 22 million gamers on the MocoSpace games platform with a bevy of unique creatures to enter the ring.
In Planet Cazmo: Monster Battles, players will capture, collect, trade and, most importantly, pit different creatures against one another in brutal (but probably adorable) combat with flashy powers. "We are thrilled to be working with MocoSpace and creating a new HTML5 mobile game title especially for their users," Planet Cazmo CEO Michael Levine said in a release."We believe that HTML5 is a great way to reach large numbers of gamers."
Of course, Planet Cazmo is far from alone. Zynga just made a big bet on HTML5-based social games with mobile web versions of FarmVille, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker. CrowdStar CEO Peter Relan made clear his goal of launching the first game to reach 1 billion players through the mobile web, and Wooga released an HTML5 version of its new Magic Land.
Mobile gaming is undoubtedly huge, but HTML5 games in mobile browsers have yet to reach the caliber of native mobile games. MocoSpace's confidence in Planet Cazmo's ability to put out a graphically-rich HTML5 is promising. But really, we just want to see the flashy powers in action.
What do you think of HTML5 social games in the mobile browser so far? Will HTML5 social games catch up with their superior native game counterparts?
HTML5 gaming is about to (hopefully) nail yet another landing. Boston, Mass.-based social game platform MocoSpace announced that developer Planet Cazmo will release its first HTML5-based social game, Monster Battles, this December. The game will debut to the 22 million gamers on the MocoSpace games platform with a bevy of unique creatures to enter the ring.
In Planet Cazmo: Monster Battles, players will capture, collect, trade and, most importantly, pit different creatures against one another in brutal (but probably adorable) combat with flashy powers. "We are thrilled to be working with MocoSpace and creating a new HTML5 mobile game title especially for their users," Planet Cazmo CEO Michael Levine said in a release."We believe that HTML5 is a great way to reach large numbers of gamers."
Of course, Planet Cazmo is far from alone. Zynga just made a big bet on HTML5-based social games with mobile web versions of FarmVille, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker. CrowdStar CEO Peter Relan made clear his goal of launching the first game to reach 1 billion players through the mobile web, and Wooga released an HTML5 version of its new Magic Land.
Mobile gaming is undoubtedly huge, but HTML5 games in mobile browsers have yet to reach the caliber of native mobile games. MocoSpace's confidence in Planet Cazmo's ability to put out a graphically-rich HTML5 is promising. But really, we just want to see the flashy powers in action.
What do you think of HTML5 social games in the mobile browser so far? Will HTML5 social games catch up with their superior native game counterparts?
The Top 10 Most Influential People in Facebook and Social Games
Facebook games have attracted some of the most popular figures in the game industry since their dawn about four years ago. The past two years alone saw more video game veterans than we care to count leave the world of shooters and strategy games behind for Facebook. That said, we decided it was about time to see how these game design and business juggernauts sized up against one another after PeekYou approached us with a way to do so.
PeekYou, a search company focused on indexing the web around people, also runs PeekScore. This service ranks people on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their influence across the Internet. The score takes active and passive content creation into account, the former being social media use and blogging, and the latter being mentions in online news outlets, archives and databases.
However, we had to populate the list with 10 names. In an attempt at fairness, we took to AppData's developer leaderboard, but also peppered the list with industry transplants of note. We're certain we've glossed over some video game veterans, but did you really want a list of 30 people? So, feel free to give us your two cents in the comments. (We've put on our flame-retardant suits already.) Here are the top 10 most influential people in Facebook and social games:
PeekYou, a search company focused on indexing the web around people, also runs PeekScore. This service ranks people on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their influence across the Internet. The score takes active and passive content creation into account, the former being social media use and blogging, and the latter being mentions in online news outlets, archives and databases.
However, we had to populate the list with 10 names. In an attempt at fairness, we took to AppData's developer leaderboard, but also peppered the list with industry transplants of note. We're certain we've glossed over some video game veterans, but did you really want a list of 30 people? So, feel free to give us your two cents in the comments. (We've put on our flame-retardant suits already.) Here are the top 10 most influential people in Facebook and social games:
Monday, December 12, 2011
Raptr report: Gamers play Zynga's 'Ville games almost as much as Halo
Wait a second, that's not possible. Zynga games are for casual players, aren't they? Well, maybe not as much as previously though. A report issued by Raptr, the social network for gamers, reveals that the 265 million fans of games like CityVille and FarmVille are playing those games almost as much as Halo players. More importantly, Raptr users are playing said games more than "core" game franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Assassin's Creed and Gears of War combined.
Raptr's report breaks down the top game franchises on the social network by time spent playing, as the service tracks whenever users enter a game and for how long they play. Zynga's stable of games tails top hardcore franchises like Call of Duty's massive 43 percent time share and Halo's 14 percent with 13 percent. The remaining 12 percent is reserved for other hardcore games.
According to the report, big time hardcore games like CoD and WoW are played for longer sessions at a time, but Zynga Facebook games such as Empires & Allies or Pioneer Trail are played more frequently. In fact, Raptr goes on to say that about 12 to 20 percent of CityVille players are also deep into games like StarCraft 2 and Call of Duty Black Ops. And the percentage of Xbox 360 owners that have played a Zynga game increased by 50 percent to a total of 30 percent, the report claims.
Top Franchises by Share Time Spent
The data goes on to show that Zynga controls 60 percent of the market in social games, at least judging from Raptr's 10 million users. And before The Sims Social came along, the massive company's top games racked up three times as many hours as the rest of the top 10 Facebook games combined. Not to mention that Zynga fans are loyal: 90 percent of FrontierVille, Treasure Isle, CityVille, and Empires & Allies players were pulled from existing Zynga games.
While it almost goes without saying, Zynga is still killing it. More importantly for the company, however, is that reports like this will help instill confidence in its upcoming $1 billion initial public offering. With recent news that the company's profits plummeted 90 percent--and that The Sims Social has gobbled up most of its top games--made those prospects shaky.
Raptr's report breaks down the top game franchises on the social network by time spent playing, as the service tracks whenever users enter a game and for how long they play. Zynga's stable of games tails top hardcore franchises like Call of Duty's massive 43 percent time share and Halo's 14 percent with 13 percent. The remaining 12 percent is reserved for other hardcore games.
According to the report, big time hardcore games like CoD and WoW are played for longer sessions at a time, but Zynga Facebook games such as Empires & Allies or Pioneer Trail are played more frequently. In fact, Raptr goes on to say that about 12 to 20 percent of CityVille players are also deep into games like StarCraft 2 and Call of Duty Black Ops. And the percentage of Xbox 360 owners that have played a Zynga game increased by 50 percent to a total of 30 percent, the report claims.
Top Franchises by Share Time Spent
The data goes on to show that Zynga controls 60 percent of the market in social games, at least judging from Raptr's 10 million users. And before The Sims Social came along, the massive company's top games racked up three times as many hours as the rest of the top 10 Facebook games combined. Not to mention that Zynga fans are loyal: 90 percent of FrontierVille, Treasure Isle, CityVille, and Empires & Allies players were pulled from existing Zynga games.
While it almost goes without saying, Zynga is still killing it. More importantly for the company, however, is that reports like this will help instill confidence in its upcoming $1 billion initial public offering. With recent news that the company's profits plummeted 90 percent--and that The Sims Social has gobbled up most of its top games--made those prospects shaky.
Game of the Day: Impale
No one likes zombies.They're scary, they're smelly, they eat our brains, they congest our highways, and are generally a nuisance to have around. Has one of your socks ever gone mysteriously missing in the wash? Chances are a zombie took it.
Today's Game of the Day, Impale, understands your zombie-hatred. That's why the object of the game is to hurl zombies from a catapult, impaling them on spikes, hooks, saws, and much much more. On each map there are a number of hazards with red lights on them, impaling a zombie on that object will turn off the red light. If you turn off all the red lights, you'll progress to the next level!
Though it may sound easy, Impale quickly ramps up the difficulty in it's 50 regular and 20 bonus levels. It'll take accuracy, wit, and a little luck to successfully impale all the zombies.
Click here to play Impale!
impale game of the day impale game of the day
Pro Tips:
To unlock the bonus levels you'll need to get a score of 1,000 on the first 50 levels. To do that, you're going to need to limit the amount of zombies you launch. The fewer zombies it takes you to complete a level, the higher your score.
Remember to aim carefully. The further your cursor is from the catapult when you click, the farther and faster your zombie will travel. Also, though they are above death, zombies aren't above gravity. When you launch a zombie, it will travel in an arc. Aim slightly above what your trying to hit for best results.
If you aren't looking to unlock the bonus levels or get a high score, and just want to have fun, may I suggest my preferred technique: the zombie catapult machine gun. Simply rapid-fire zombies at whatever you want for maximum effectiveness.
Today's Game of the Day, Impale, understands your zombie-hatred. That's why the object of the game is to hurl zombies from a catapult, impaling them on spikes, hooks, saws, and much much more. On each map there are a number of hazards with red lights on them, impaling a zombie on that object will turn off the red light. If you turn off all the red lights, you'll progress to the next level!
Though it may sound easy, Impale quickly ramps up the difficulty in it's 50 regular and 20 bonus levels. It'll take accuracy, wit, and a little luck to successfully impale all the zombies.
Click here to play Impale!
impale game of the day impale game of the day
Pro Tips:
To unlock the bonus levels you'll need to get a score of 1,000 on the first 50 levels. To do that, you're going to need to limit the amount of zombies you launch. The fewer zombies it takes you to complete a level, the higher your score.
Remember to aim carefully. The further your cursor is from the catapult when you click, the farther and faster your zombie will travel. Also, though they are above death, zombies aren't above gravity. When you launch a zombie, it will travel in an arc. Aim slightly above what your trying to hit for best results.
If you aren't looking to unlock the bonus levels or get a high score, and just want to have fun, may I suggest my preferred technique: the zombie catapult machine gun. Simply rapid-fire zombies at whatever you want for maximum effectiveness.
Android gaming gets smurfalicious, Smurfs' Village launches Sept. 28
Android owners, did you really think you could survive the blue wave for long? Capcom's Beeline Interactive announced that Smurfs' Village will launch on select Android devices for free on Sept. 28. Originally released for the iPhone and iPad in late 2010, the mobile social game skyrocketed in popularity and even resulted in one hilarious lesson in child rearing in 2011.
The game plays out much like mobile Zynga games like CityVille Hometown in that players are tasked (by Papa Smurf) to build up their very own--you guessed it--village. But this time, it's for the Smurfs to dwell in as the evil Gargamel seeks them out. During your time expanding the Smurfs' miniature empire, you'll gain access to some of the more popular Smurfs and their special abilities.
Namely, many of these blue buggers will unlock mini games for you to enjoy and find additional resources with like Greedy Smurf's Baking Game or Papa Smurf's Potion Mixing Game. Of course, players can also share their experiences with their friends on Facebook through Facebook Connect. According to Capcom, Smurfs' Village consistently ranks as a top grossing app worldwide. (We think we have an idea of how that happened back in the day.)
Most recently, Capcom and Beeline released Smurfs' Grabber to iPhone and iPad, which will soon integrate directly with Smurfs' Village. (Not to mention that Ubisoft released a full-blown Smurfs game for Facebook.) We imagine that, with the heaping gold mine that the Smurfs property has proven to be for Capcom, it won't be long before you're grabbing for goodies in Smurfs' Village with Smurfs' Grabber on Android devices, too. Until then, just focus on building your blue buddies some comfy mushroom houses.
Click here to find The Smurfs' Village on the Android Market >
Are you a fan of the recent mobile and social takes on the Smurfs in smartphones and on Facebook? Will we ever get enough of the smurfing?
The game plays out much like mobile Zynga games like CityVille Hometown in that players are tasked (by Papa Smurf) to build up their very own--you guessed it--village. But this time, it's for the Smurfs to dwell in as the evil Gargamel seeks them out. During your time expanding the Smurfs' miniature empire, you'll gain access to some of the more popular Smurfs and their special abilities.
Namely, many of these blue buggers will unlock mini games for you to enjoy and find additional resources with like Greedy Smurf's Baking Game or Papa Smurf's Potion Mixing Game. Of course, players can also share their experiences with their friends on Facebook through Facebook Connect. According to Capcom, Smurfs' Village consistently ranks as a top grossing app worldwide. (We think we have an idea of how that happened back in the day.)
Most recently, Capcom and Beeline released Smurfs' Grabber to iPhone and iPad, which will soon integrate directly with Smurfs' Village. (Not to mention that Ubisoft released a full-blown Smurfs game for Facebook.) We imagine that, with the heaping gold mine that the Smurfs property has proven to be for Capcom, it won't be long before you're grabbing for goodies in Smurfs' Village with Smurfs' Grabber on Android devices, too. Until then, just focus on building your blue buddies some comfy mushroom houses.
Click here to find The Smurfs' Village on the Android Market >
Are you a fan of the recent mobile and social takes on the Smurfs in smartphones and on Facebook? Will we ever get enough of the smurfing?
Zynga publishes Mafia Wars 2 comic, sets the stage for Las Vegas intrigue
Mafia Wars 2 has remained a mystery since the word leaked in January. The only follow-up the public has gotten from Zynga is last week's 'badass' trailer. But the game's official fan page announced a Mafia Wars 2 digital comic last night, titled with the game's much bandied about tagline, "Being Bad Never Felt So Good". The comic presents the glamorous yet dangerous world of the game, which is set in Las Vegas, and drops just enough exposition for the reader to meet the cast -- including whose shoes players will be stepping into once the game launches.
This eight-page comic was created by UDON Entertainment, a Canadian comics studio that specializes in Asian-inspired art, lending the story a manga flair in the character designs and paneling layout. UDON (named after the Japanese noodle) isn't a new entrant in games comics either. They're best known for their work with major Japanese games maker Capcom, drawing and publishing comics and artbooks for the Street Fighter series.
Mafia Wars 2 characters
So far, Zynga seems intent on keeping quiet about Mafia Wars 2's gameplay (except for the fact that it'll be a "vast 3-D world"), but they've been very big on establishing the game's world and its characters, the latter of which actually have detailed backstories available on the official website. A focus on characters and narratives is a rare thing in Facebook games. The last time this was done, and to a much greater extent, was Qunify's CLASH: Rise of the Heroes, which is heavily based on superhero comics. One of Zynga's developers, Mike Humphrey, has said that "I'm really looking forward to finally seeing how Mafia Wars 2 is received; it's unlike most games on Facebook right now, and I think it pushes the envelope of what people can expect from games on the platform." Let's hope they keep pushing until the day of the launch.
To check out the comic yourself, click here and follow the directions to 'Like' the game's official Facebook fan page.
How do you like the comic so far? Are you enjoying what appears to be Zynga's move towards more in-depth, story-driven Facebook games?
This eight-page comic was created by UDON Entertainment, a Canadian comics studio that specializes in Asian-inspired art, lending the story a manga flair in the character designs and paneling layout. UDON (named after the Japanese noodle) isn't a new entrant in games comics either. They're best known for their work with major Japanese games maker Capcom, drawing and publishing comics and artbooks for the Street Fighter series.
Mafia Wars 2 characters
So far, Zynga seems intent on keeping quiet about Mafia Wars 2's gameplay (except for the fact that it'll be a "vast 3-D world"), but they've been very big on establishing the game's world and its characters, the latter of which actually have detailed backstories available on the official website. A focus on characters and narratives is a rare thing in Facebook games. The last time this was done, and to a much greater extent, was Qunify's CLASH: Rise of the Heroes, which is heavily based on superhero comics. One of Zynga's developers, Mike Humphrey, has said that "I'm really looking forward to finally seeing how Mafia Wars 2 is received; it's unlike most games on Facebook right now, and I think it pushes the envelope of what people can expect from games on the platform." Let's hope they keep pushing until the day of the launch.
To check out the comic yourself, click here and follow the directions to 'Like' the game's official Facebook fan page.
How do you like the comic so far? Are you enjoying what appears to be Zynga's move towards more in-depth, story-driven Facebook games?
RockYou partner Peak Games raises $11.5M for social game projects
For those of you (like myself) who are kind of tired of seeing the western world dominate Facebook games, this news should come as breath of fresh air. VentureBeat reports that Istanbul-based company Peak Games has raised $11.5 million and purchased two companies in efforts to become a power player in Facebook games. The developers in question, Umaykut and Erlikhan, were bought in what Peak Games calls "talent acquisitions." Sound familiar?
This move speaks to the rapid growth of Facebook games in regions like Turkey, the Middle East, North Africa, Mexico and South America. As we already know, Peak Games will work with growing publisher RockYou to distribute and localize its games in those regions. At the moment, Peak Games is the 18th most popular developer on Facebook, according to AppData, beating out notables like CrowdStar and Digital Chocolate in daily players.
Its most popular internally-created game is Okey, a social puzzle board game. And if you count its fans across all social networks including Facebook, Peak Games welcome 4 million daily players and 16 million monthly players, according to VentureBeat. Peak Games has made a name for itself in localizing social games from national companies for its audience, which is the the fourth largest on Facebook.
"Our goal is to be the dominant provider of games for emerging markets," Peak Games CSO Rina Onur, told VentureBeat. "The growth has been huge in the last six months. These regions are growing super fast and they are very hungry for games."
Facebook gaming is huge in regions other than the U.S.--companies like DeNA and Gree in Japan, Tencent in China and wooga in Europe are testament to that. But what we're more interested in is seeing creators like Peak Games create successful games for a global audience. Perhaps an injection of cash (from Hummingbird Ventures, Earlybird Venture Capital and an anonymous strategic investor) and talent will make that happen--Peak Games has an office in San Francisco, after all.
Would you like to see more Facebook games from these regions? Do you think Peak Games has a good chance at climbing up the ladder?
This move speaks to the rapid growth of Facebook games in regions like Turkey, the Middle East, North Africa, Mexico and South America. As we already know, Peak Games will work with growing publisher RockYou to distribute and localize its games in those regions. At the moment, Peak Games is the 18th most popular developer on Facebook, according to AppData, beating out notables like CrowdStar and Digital Chocolate in daily players.
Its most popular internally-created game is Okey, a social puzzle board game. And if you count its fans across all social networks including Facebook, Peak Games welcome 4 million daily players and 16 million monthly players, according to VentureBeat. Peak Games has made a name for itself in localizing social games from national companies for its audience, which is the the fourth largest on Facebook.
"Our goal is to be the dominant provider of games for emerging markets," Peak Games CSO Rina Onur, told VentureBeat. "The growth has been huge in the last six months. These regions are growing super fast and they are very hungry for games."
Facebook gaming is huge in regions other than the U.S.--companies like DeNA and Gree in Japan, Tencent in China and wooga in Europe are testament to that. But what we're more interested in is seeing creators like Peak Games create successful games for a global audience. Perhaps an injection of cash (from Hummingbird Ventures, Earlybird Venture Capital and an anonymous strategic investor) and talent will make that happen--Peak Games has an office in San Francisco, after all.
Would you like to see more Facebook games from these regions? Do you think Peak Games has a good chance at climbing up the ladder?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Makiziki's lush desert oasis
Howdy folks. Today's featured farm is a handsome design by Makiziki, a player who spends time over at the FarmVille Forums. Makiziki's farm caught my eye because it does something rather novel: paths. Paths may be common in other games such as CityVille, Empires & Allies, and FrontierVille, but in FarmVille, there is no easy way to make paths. All the dirt trails you see are actually created by hand placing the Lush Grass decoration all over the farm.
So not only is this farm a beautiful estate full of crops, animals, and items; but it also serves as a great design guide for other FarmVille artists. Using Lush Grass to cover a farmville tall grass makizikifarm hasn't been done too much, especially considering how nice it looks. Unfortunately, Lush Grass was a limited time English Countryside item that is no longer available. However, a different item, Tall Grass, can be bought in the decorations tab of the market for 1,500 coins apiece. The only difference is that Tall Grass is a little taller, so it will give farms a more wild, natural look.
In addition to the unique use of grass and desert background in order to make paths, the farm has a lot more going on. In an age where FarmVille players have absurd amounts of stuff, Makiziki's farm remains rather organized. Here's what they had to say about their farm:
Well, first of all, I love to design with paths. FarmVille doesn't actually have them yet. And I love a lot of green, so my design looks like a real farm. I worked about 3-4 hours to finsih this farm, and I was so tired when I was done :) But I love my new farm :)
-Makiziki
So not only is this farm a beautiful estate full of crops, animals, and items; but it also serves as a great design guide for other FarmVille artists. Using Lush Grass to cover a farmville tall grass makizikifarm hasn't been done too much, especially considering how nice it looks. Unfortunately, Lush Grass was a limited time English Countryside item that is no longer available. However, a different item, Tall Grass, can be bought in the decorations tab of the market for 1,500 coins apiece. The only difference is that Tall Grass is a little taller, so it will give farms a more wild, natural look.
In addition to the unique use of grass and desert background in order to make paths, the farm has a lot more going on. In an age where FarmVille players have absurd amounts of stuff, Makiziki's farm remains rather organized. Here's what they had to say about their farm:
Well, first of all, I love to design with paths. FarmVille doesn't actually have them yet. And I love a lot of green, so my design looks like a real farm. I worked about 3-4 hours to finsih this farm, and I was so tired when I was done :) But I love my new farm :)
-Makiziki
Entertainment Games looks to revive soap operas in Facebook games
FarmVille may have killed the daytime soap opera, but it seems like soaps might have their heyday after all. Langhorne, Penn.-based Entertainment Games announced that it hired Michael Fairman (pictured below), a leading expert on daytime soaps (bet you didn't know such a job existed, eh?) to help the company develop a soap opera game with Heyday Games.
Working toward this announcement, the company has been surprisingly busy. Entertainment Games bought social games maker Heyday Games in late June. Then in August, the company changed the name it's had since 1992. Two weeks ago, the company struck a licensing deal with intellectual rights management firm CMG Worldwide to use pictures of celebrities for some "retro-based social game for Facebook, Google+, mobile devices and the open web."
Aside from admittedly banking on nostalgia, there are a few clues as to what type of game the company looks to make. Entertainment Games wants to harness Fairman's two decades of experience in the industry. The company wants his help to create a game that Entertainment Games's CCO F.J. Lennon says will "deliver a ground-breaking social gaming experience that both the gaming and soap opera industries will take note of."
Michael Fairman soap opera expertSince Facebook games came along, games and daytime soaps had been inadvertently at war over the same audience, namely, 25 to 54-year-old women. Unfortunately for soaps fans, Zynga's "television audience destruction machine" won the battle over All My Children and One Life to Live. But Entertainment Games isn't the only company looking to capitalize on this obvious demographic.
In an effort to generate more revenue, UK soap opera Coronation Street was turned into a Facebook social game called "Corrie Nation". Unfortunately, the game didn't last a year before it was taken down for a complete rehaul, with ATV network looking for a new game developer to take on the job. With soap operas dying and the first (and only) Facebook soap opera game ever made, out of commission, you'd think that no one would bother with another attempt, right? Well, here comes Entertainment Games, Inc. to prove us wrong.
From the sound of things, soap operas can find new life after television as Facebook games. On top of that, they're going to return vying for the same demographic as they once did against Zynga, but this time, they'll be on the same playing field.
Do you think soap opera social games have a chance at being the next big hit?
Working toward this announcement, the company has been surprisingly busy. Entertainment Games bought social games maker Heyday Games in late June. Then in August, the company changed the name it's had since 1992. Two weeks ago, the company struck a licensing deal with intellectual rights management firm CMG Worldwide to use pictures of celebrities for some "retro-based social game for Facebook, Google+, mobile devices and the open web."
Aside from admittedly banking on nostalgia, there are a few clues as to what type of game the company looks to make. Entertainment Games wants to harness Fairman's two decades of experience in the industry. The company wants his help to create a game that Entertainment Games's CCO F.J. Lennon says will "deliver a ground-breaking social gaming experience that both the gaming and soap opera industries will take note of."
Michael Fairman soap opera expertSince Facebook games came along, games and daytime soaps had been inadvertently at war over the same audience, namely, 25 to 54-year-old women. Unfortunately for soaps fans, Zynga's "television audience destruction machine" won the battle over All My Children and One Life to Live. But Entertainment Games isn't the only company looking to capitalize on this obvious demographic.
In an effort to generate more revenue, UK soap opera Coronation Street was turned into a Facebook social game called "Corrie Nation". Unfortunately, the game didn't last a year before it was taken down for a complete rehaul, with ATV network looking for a new game developer to take on the job. With soap operas dying and the first (and only) Facebook soap opera game ever made, out of commission, you'd think that no one would bother with another attempt, right? Well, here comes Entertainment Games, Inc. to prove us wrong.
From the sound of things, soap operas can find new life after television as Facebook games. On top of that, they're going to return vying for the same demographic as they once did against Zynga, but this time, they'll be on the same playing field.
Do you think soap opera social games have a chance at being the next big hit?
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?
"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?
Want exclusive freebies in The Sims Social? Register on the forums
I'd put away that credit card, if I were you, at least for the moment. I know, it's burning a hole and blah, blah, blah, but Playfish recently announced that it will give The Sims Social players exclusive freebies on a regular basis, but under one condition: You have to register on the Playfish forums. In fact, the game's community team created a new forum category just for this purpose.
Starting last week, Playfish gave away some free Relaxation--an ingredient used in crafting Fun Potions--in a short 24-hour window. So, it looks like, if you do decide to partake in the freebie-fest, you'll have to visit the Playfish forums on a regular basis to catch the next free giveaway that pops up. Perhaps eventually the developer will start to dole some beefier prizes like decorations for your Sim's house or straight-up Simoleons and Social Points.
EA and Playfish have been on a freebie frenzy as of late for all The Sims Social players. Just recently, the developer announced a week-long event in which it will post even more handouts on its Facebook page. At this point, we can't help but ask: Why? Well, considering just how close The Sims Social is to overtaking Zynga's CityVille as the number one game on Facebook in daily players, we're not surprised that Playfish would be pulling all the stops. To register on the Playfish forums, click right here.
Have you been reaping the rewards from Playfish on the forums and on The Sims Social Facebook page? What do you think of the game so far?
Starting last week, Playfish gave away some free Relaxation--an ingredient used in crafting Fun Potions--in a short 24-hour window. So, it looks like, if you do decide to partake in the freebie-fest, you'll have to visit the Playfish forums on a regular basis to catch the next free giveaway that pops up. Perhaps eventually the developer will start to dole some beefier prizes like decorations for your Sim's house or straight-up Simoleons and Social Points.
EA and Playfish have been on a freebie frenzy as of late for all The Sims Social players. Just recently, the developer announced a week-long event in which it will post even more handouts on its Facebook page. At this point, we can't help but ask: Why? Well, considering just how close The Sims Social is to overtaking Zynga's CityVille as the number one game on Facebook in daily players, we're not surprised that Playfish would be pulling all the stops. To register on the Playfish forums, click right here.
Have you been reaping the rewards from Playfish on the forums and on The Sims Social Facebook page? What do you think of the game so far?
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse Goals: Everything you need to know
Zynga has just released a new Pioneer Trail goal -- the Greenhouse -- that's best described by a player as "a TARDIS for crops" in more ways than one. For those who don't get the Doctor Who reference, I'd also say it's like the previously released FrontierVille Orchard.
Looking at the screenshot on the right, I can vaguely see how the Greenhouse resembles a time-traveling police box. But that's not where the resemblance ends, because once completed, your new Greenhouse will allow you to plant more crops. Even though it looks like a 3x3 building on the outside, it's actually a 6x6 building on the inside.
So what's the catch? Well, you won't be able to do this goal unless you're Level 13 or above. Also, like most goals, you'll need to collect a lot of stuff in order to build it. For the following items, you'll need to make Facebook Wall posts to get 10 of each: Mulch, Plant Food, and Ladybugs. The next set of required items are ones you've got to ask your friends for by sending them requests, and you'll need 15 of each: Insulating Glass, Sturdy Frame, and Irrigation System.
Pioneer Trail Finish Your Greenhouse
The upside though, is that once you finish your Greenhouse, and complete the four quests that go along with it, you'll unlock three new crops: Carrots, Grapes, and Watermelons. Watermelons are prized because they've got a harvest period of five days. Your crops will also be safe from Groundhogs during that time, and your neighbors can come by to tend those crops.
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse crops
Time to Flex That Green Thumb!
Place the Greenhouse
Harvest 50 Clover
Clear 15 Debris on Neighbors' Homesteads
Reward: 250XP, 250 Coins, Hanging Plant
Record-Breaking Crops!
Collect the Daily Bonus from the Greenhouse
Have or collect 50 Poultry Puddin'
Collect ten bottles of Buttermilk
Reward: 500XP, 500 Coins, Carrots Unlocked!
It's Carrotastic!
Harvest 40 Carrots in your Greenhouse or on your Homestead
Harvest 15 Crops on Neighbors' Homestead or in their Greenhouse
Collect 15 Fish Heads
Reward: 1000XP, 1000 Coins, Grapes Unlocked
A Grape Escape!
Harvest 40 Grapes in your Greenhouse or on your Homestead
Tend 30 Adult Cows
Collect 10 rays of Country Sunshine
Reward: 1000XP, 1000 Coins, Watermelon Unlocked
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse Collection
Finally, completion of the Greenhouse unlocks a new Collection that delivers a Big Wither Protection Boost, which prevents all your crops from dying. The Collection items are Butterflies, Mister, Garden Bunny, Gardening Glove, and Gardening Tape.
But there are players who believe the Greenhouse is poorly planned, and they have a point. Three of the four Greenhouse Goals ask you to plant 40 crops within the Greenhouse or on your Homestead. But the Greenhouse only has room for 36, therefore, leaving four that must be planted outside to fulfill the quest. There are also complaints that the first item you're forced to plant is the Clover, which is one of the earliest crops for a beginner. It would have been better if the game allowed players to get started with planting and harvesting the new unlockable crops right away instead.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Would you rather have a land expansion than a building that lets you plant more crops?
Looking at the screenshot on the right, I can vaguely see how the Greenhouse resembles a time-traveling police box. But that's not where the resemblance ends, because once completed, your new Greenhouse will allow you to plant more crops. Even though it looks like a 3x3 building on the outside, it's actually a 6x6 building on the inside.
So what's the catch? Well, you won't be able to do this goal unless you're Level 13 or above. Also, like most goals, you'll need to collect a lot of stuff in order to build it. For the following items, you'll need to make Facebook Wall posts to get 10 of each: Mulch, Plant Food, and Ladybugs. The next set of required items are ones you've got to ask your friends for by sending them requests, and you'll need 15 of each: Insulating Glass, Sturdy Frame, and Irrigation System.
Pioneer Trail Finish Your Greenhouse
The upside though, is that once you finish your Greenhouse, and complete the four quests that go along with it, you'll unlock three new crops: Carrots, Grapes, and Watermelons. Watermelons are prized because they've got a harvest period of five days. Your crops will also be safe from Groundhogs during that time, and your neighbors can come by to tend those crops.
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse crops
Time to Flex That Green Thumb!
Place the Greenhouse
Harvest 50 Clover
Clear 15 Debris on Neighbors' Homesteads
Reward: 250XP, 250 Coins, Hanging Plant
Record-Breaking Crops!
Collect the Daily Bonus from the Greenhouse
Have or collect 50 Poultry Puddin'
Collect ten bottles of Buttermilk
Reward: 500XP, 500 Coins, Carrots Unlocked!
It's Carrotastic!
Harvest 40 Carrots in your Greenhouse or on your Homestead
Harvest 15 Crops on Neighbors' Homestead or in their Greenhouse
Collect 15 Fish Heads
Reward: 1000XP, 1000 Coins, Grapes Unlocked
A Grape Escape!
Harvest 40 Grapes in your Greenhouse or on your Homestead
Tend 30 Adult Cows
Collect 10 rays of Country Sunshine
Reward: 1000XP, 1000 Coins, Watermelon Unlocked
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse Collection
Finally, completion of the Greenhouse unlocks a new Collection that delivers a Big Wither Protection Boost, which prevents all your crops from dying. The Collection items are Butterflies, Mister, Garden Bunny, Gardening Glove, and Gardening Tape.
But there are players who believe the Greenhouse is poorly planned, and they have a point. Three of the four Greenhouse Goals ask you to plant 40 crops within the Greenhouse or on your Homestead. But the Greenhouse only has room for 36, therefore, leaving four that must be planted outside to fulfill the quest. There are also complaints that the first item you're forced to plant is the Clover, which is one of the earliest crops for a beginner. It would have been better if the game allowed players to get started with planting and harvesting the new unlockable crops right away instead.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Would you rather have a land expansion than a building that lets you plant more crops?
CityVille: Earn a free Tunnel decoration for playing Adventure World
While Adventure World has finally started seeing a push in its user base (to a current total of around 26 million players), that doesn't mean Zynga wants the growth to slow down. To help users discover its newest game, the developer has launched a cross-promotion between Adventure World and its largest game: CityVille. This promotion, like the FarmVille promotion that came before it, will give users some incentive to play AW by rewarding them with a prize back in CityVille at the end.
To be specific, a free Tunnel decoration (pictured at right) is up for grabs for all CityVille players that take the time to reach at least Level 7 in Adventure World. This is unfortunately two levels more than that required for the FarmVille cross-promotion, so you will need to keep chugging along until you level up two more times. To help you do that, we have guides on the game's starting Expeditions, along with the game's main story quests, so make sure to check out our guides to those events to help yourself level up as quickly as possible.
While you shouldn't have to, you should also remember to click on the "Play Now" button in the pop-up that appears in CityVille to activate this cross-promotion in your game. It's possible that Zynga will automatically track the players that have met both requirements (that is, those that play CityVille and are at least Level 7 in Adventure World), but clicking on this link should eliminate all doubt. Oh yeah, you'll need to do all of the above fairly quickly - your time limit for receiving your free Tunnel Decoration is October 6. On that date, all qualifying users will receive their prize, so don't worry if you don't receive it beforehand. Just make sure you meet the deadline if you want this free Tunnel in your town.
Will you play Adventure World to at least Level 7 to qualify for a free CityVille Tunnel?
To be specific, a free Tunnel decoration (pictured at right) is up for grabs for all CityVille players that take the time to reach at least Level 7 in Adventure World. This is unfortunately two levels more than that required for the FarmVille cross-promotion, so you will need to keep chugging along until you level up two more times. To help you do that, we have guides on the game's starting Expeditions, along with the game's main story quests, so make sure to check out our guides to those events to help yourself level up as quickly as possible.
While you shouldn't have to, you should also remember to click on the "Play Now" button in the pop-up that appears in CityVille to activate this cross-promotion in your game. It's possible that Zynga will automatically track the players that have met both requirements (that is, those that play CityVille and are at least Level 7 in Adventure World), but clicking on this link should eliminate all doubt. Oh yeah, you'll need to do all of the above fairly quickly - your time limit for receiving your free Tunnel Decoration is October 6. On that date, all qualifying users will receive their prize, so don't worry if you don't receive it beforehand. Just make sure you meet the deadline if you want this free Tunnel in your town.
Will you play Adventure World to at least Level 7 to qualify for a free CityVille Tunnel?
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