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?
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Tuesday, December 27, 2011
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?
Sunday, December 25, 2011
HSN Arcade: Come for the jewelry, stay to play free games
HSN, formerly known as the Home Shopping Network, gets game. Now, in addition to luring potential customers in to buy deeply discounted jewelry, handbags, et al, the website will soon offer a suite of 25 games, which will be inserted directly into the shopping experience. That means, you'll be able to visit the site, watch HSN streaming video, shop for stuff and play a game -- all on the same page. Talk about sensory overload (or shopping heaven, depending on your POV).
"The launch of HSN Arcade is a strategic move to further differentiate the HSN shopping experience.... by combining what people currently do online more than any other activities: shopping, gaming and sharing," Jill Braff, EVP of Digital Commerce for HSN says.
The New York-based Arkadium (the creator of Mahjongg Dimensions and Writer's Blox on Facebook) will be providing the games for HSN.com, which will include daily jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, word search, sudoku, blackjack and a new game called Lights! Camera! Subtraction! that stars HSN celebrities. New games will be added based on user feedback. Players will be to earn badges for playing games, be able to compare scores via leaderboard and share scores via Facebook wall posts.
HSN.com is one of several big online destinations that have added special game areas over the past few years, including Oxygen, USA Network and People.com. When you consider how much time people spend playing these types of 'casual' games (for instance, people spend an average of 40 minutes playing Mahjongg on Games.com), combined with the recent Newzoo survey that shows 66% of all people online play casual games -- it only makes sense that everyone's trying to tap into games to create a more intriguing online experience.
HSN Arcade is set for launch on June 1. Visit HSN.com for more details.
"The launch of HSN Arcade is a strategic move to further differentiate the HSN shopping experience.... by combining what people currently do online more than any other activities: shopping, gaming and sharing," Jill Braff, EVP of Digital Commerce for HSN says.
The New York-based Arkadium (the creator of Mahjongg Dimensions and Writer's Blox on Facebook) will be providing the games for HSN.com, which will include daily jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, word search, sudoku, blackjack and a new game called Lights! Camera! Subtraction! that stars HSN celebrities. New games will be added based on user feedback. Players will be to earn badges for playing games, be able to compare scores via leaderboard and share scores via Facebook wall posts.
HSN.com is one of several big online destinations that have added special game areas over the past few years, including Oxygen, USA Network and People.com. When you consider how much time people spend playing these types of 'casual' games (for instance, people spend an average of 40 minutes playing Mahjongg on Games.com), combined with the recent Newzoo survey that shows 66% of all people online play casual games -- it only makes sense that everyone's trying to tap into games to create a more intriguing online experience.
HSN Arcade is set for launch on June 1. Visit HSN.com for more details.
FarmVille Sheep and Pig Breeding Conga Line: Fantastic or flop?
Alright, so Zynga releases a helluva lot of updates to its games every week, namely FarmVille. Some are awesome, large and in charge, but others are either too small or too complex, at least according to the players. The company's most recent update would probably fall somewhere between "large"and "complex" given that it changes the interface and interactivity of a feature considerably. Do you think the Sheep Breeding Conga Line was awesome, or was it a bummer? We'll let you answer that in the comments, but let's go to the first source of knee-jerk reactions and judgment--the forums!--for a communal perspective, shall we?
Ew, it does not look pretty in there. While there were some responses of joy and acceptance regarding the new feature, most players appear furious, disappointed, generally irate--it's not good, folks. The first response in the thread, by contributor RobToro, reads, "Great for those who still bother with breeding after all we have been through. I'm done with it though. Have fun, guys."
Another response, 16 pages later, reads that it's simply too slow. "I totally agree that it is too slow," writes Silke_farming. "I usually look only at the first four sheep it shows because it takes about one minute (!) until it moves just one sheep forward." Some players even estimated that the feature just plain didn't work refusing to breed patterns outlawed by Zynga. FarmVille community manager Grimwell didn't take kindly to that talk, so he provided this clarifying statement:
It's working properly. Let me pull back the curtain a little and hopefully make sense of it. You have sheep that aren't patterns we released. You got them from your feed in legit ways and we aren't about to take them away - but we also aren't going to release them for breeding. To get them you have to put values on a sheep that don't jive with the breeding system - what you see is the code freaking out.
You can't breed those because the server checks when you breed and says "That there is a bad value, reject it!" and prevents the lambs from getting that way. The Conga Line does not use that server check. It would be unnecessary overhead and make performance dip some. Instead it shows you the invalid offspring, saving the performance/network check. It won't breed true though.
I didn't mention this in the video because most folks have no idea what we are talking about. They don't read the forums and it would have confused the heck out of them. Feel free to point anyone at this note if ya need! Oh, bonus note! I'll give your feedback on getting some Rams that aren't white in the Market. No promises, but you will be heard!
Ew, it does not look pretty in there. While there were some responses of joy and acceptance regarding the new feature, most players appear furious, disappointed, generally irate--it's not good, folks. The first response in the thread, by contributor RobToro, reads, "Great for those who still bother with breeding after all we have been through. I'm done with it though. Have fun, guys."
Another response, 16 pages later, reads that it's simply too slow. "I totally agree that it is too slow," writes Silke_farming. "I usually look only at the first four sheep it shows because it takes about one minute (!) until it moves just one sheep forward." Some players even estimated that the feature just plain didn't work refusing to breed patterns outlawed by Zynga. FarmVille community manager Grimwell didn't take kindly to that talk, so he provided this clarifying statement:
It's working properly. Let me pull back the curtain a little and hopefully make sense of it. You have sheep that aren't patterns we released. You got them from your feed in legit ways and we aren't about to take them away - but we also aren't going to release them for breeding. To get them you have to put values on a sheep that don't jive with the breeding system - what you see is the code freaking out.
You can't breed those because the server checks when you breed and says "That there is a bad value, reject it!" and prevents the lambs from getting that way. The Conga Line does not use that server check. It would be unnecessary overhead and make performance dip some. Instead it shows you the invalid offspring, saving the performance/network check. It won't breed true though.
I didn't mention this in the video because most folks have no idea what we are talking about. They don't read the forums and it would have confused the heck out of them. Feel free to point anyone at this note if ya need! Oh, bonus note! I'll give your feedback on getting some Rams that aren't white in the Market. No promises, but you will be heard!
Sony to 'fully restore' PlayStation Network this week ... in the West
Alright, so that image doesn't exactly apply anymore, but it's still funny. As Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea await proof of improved security, Sony has gone ahead and announced that it will 'fully restore' PlayStation Network services by the end of this week. The news comes short after the company announced its "Welcome Back" for Western customers, which included a short amount of free time with the PlayStation Plus service as well as one free game (from a selection of four) for PS3 and PSP consoles and more. (But something is missing.)
"We have been conducting additional testing and further security verification of our commerce functions in order to bring the PlayStation Network completely back online so that our fans can again enjoy the first class entertainment experience they have come to love," said Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president of Sony, in a statement. "We appreciate the patience and support shown during this time."
The full restoration, according to Sony, will include bringing back the following services:
Full functionality on PlayStation Store
In-game commerce
Ability to redeem vouchers and codes
Full functionality on Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3, PSP, VAIO and other PCs
Full functionality on Media Go
However, still no compensation has been announced for Sony Online Entertainment, which saw its games and services restored recently, Facebook games like Wildlife Refuge or Dungeon Overlord. Call it "petty," we call it principle. C'mon, guys, would a few Facebook Credits or in-game items kill ya? You got, oh, I dunno, 50 thousand or so disgruntled folks over here. Oh, you say that you have, like, over 100 million angry PSN and SOE customers? Well, get back to us when you're not busy, then.
[Image Credit: Mission Geek]
Are finally back on your Sony system? Are you satisfied with how Sony handled the PSN and SOE outages?
"We have been conducting additional testing and further security verification of our commerce functions in order to bring the PlayStation Network completely back online so that our fans can again enjoy the first class entertainment experience they have come to love," said Kazuo Hirai, executive deputy president of Sony, in a statement. "We appreciate the patience and support shown during this time."
The full restoration, according to Sony, will include bringing back the following services:
Full functionality on PlayStation Store
In-game commerce
Ability to redeem vouchers and codes
Full functionality on Music Unlimited powered by Qriocity for PS3, PSP, VAIO and other PCs
Full functionality on Media Go
However, still no compensation has been announced for Sony Online Entertainment, which saw its games and services restored recently, Facebook games like Wildlife Refuge or Dungeon Overlord. Call it "petty," we call it principle. C'mon, guys, would a few Facebook Credits or in-game items kill ya? You got, oh, I dunno, 50 thousand or so disgruntled folks over here. Oh, you say that you have, like, over 100 million angry PSN and SOE customers? Well, get back to us when you're not busy, then.
[Image Credit: Mission Geek]
Are finally back on your Sony system? Are you satisfied with how Sony handled the PSN and SOE outages?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Cat99's Gaga Paradise
After the recent Lady Gaga FarmVille promotion, all kinds of GagaVille-themed farms have been cropping up. But with so many similar designs, it takes something special to stand out from the other GagaVilles. Over on the FarmVille Forums, Cat99 seems to have totally embraced the insane world of Gaga. With it's crazy patterns and insane mixture of color, Cat99's masterpiece definitely stands out as one of the better Gaga-themed farms I've seen.
cat99 gagaville farm
Centered in the midst of Cat99's monster ball is Lady Gaga herself, putting on a show for the animal fans. Of course, should you visit Cat99's farm, Lady Gaga will be replaced with your character on stage, a subtle yet thoughtful touch. Surrounding the stage is a ridiculous and impressive arrangement of flashy crop art, animals, colorful trees, and even some hay bale work.
It takes passion to create such a masterpiece. Cat99, inspired by their love for Lady Gaga, took five days to finish this project. Was it worth it? I think so. Cat99's farm is surely worthy of the rock star icon herself.
What do you think of Cat99's GagaVille?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
cat99 gagaville farm
Centered in the midst of Cat99's monster ball is Lady Gaga herself, putting on a show for the animal fans. Of course, should you visit Cat99's farm, Lady Gaga will be replaced with your character on stage, a subtle yet thoughtful touch. Surrounding the stage is a ridiculous and impressive arrangement of flashy crop art, animals, colorful trees, and even some hay bale work.
It takes passion to create such a masterpiece. Cat99, inspired by their love for Lady Gaga, took five days to finish this project. Was it worth it? I think so. Cat99's farm is surely worthy of the rock star icon herself.
What do you think of Cat99's GagaVille?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Zynga releases CityVille survey, spills the beans on future updates?
Oh, Zynga, at this point we're starting to think these unintentional content leaks are, well, totally intentional. The company has released another survey, and this time it is for CityVille, but more specifically looks to measure how responsive players would be to a few new features. Alright, with options like these, the results are going to be terribly one-sided.
The ability to hire a property manager who can harvest all ready residences with one click
The ability to rent a goods delivery truck that can deliver goods to all businesses with one click
The ability to use a tractor to harvest all crops with one click
The ability to use a crane to harvest all boats with one click
The ability to hire a worker to collect all the bonuses that pop up when you harvest (so you don't have to click them)
These are all the options that are presented in the survey, and if things go well, you'll likely see at least a few of these make it into the game. As you can see, just about all of them involve streamlining interaction with the game, much like the Combine vehicles in FarmVille. However, with our luck Zynga will release these features for either City Cash or through some arduous series of Goals. We'll take the arduous Goals, thank you.
[Via CityVille Forums]
How many of these features do you think will make it into the actual game? If you could choose just one, what would it be?
The ability to hire a property manager who can harvest all ready residences with one click
The ability to rent a goods delivery truck that can deliver goods to all businesses with one click
The ability to use a tractor to harvest all crops with one click
The ability to use a crane to harvest all boats with one click
The ability to hire a worker to collect all the bonuses that pop up when you harvest (so you don't have to click them)
These are all the options that are presented in the survey, and if things go well, you'll likely see at least a few of these make it into the game. As you can see, just about all of them involve streamlining interaction with the game, much like the Combine vehicles in FarmVille. However, with our luck Zynga will release these features for either City Cash or through some arduous series of Goals. We'll take the arduous Goals, thank you.
[Via CityVille Forums]
How many of these features do you think will make it into the actual game? If you could choose just one, what would it be?
Combat in Civilization World is like cards, but with angry soliders on 'em
The more we hear about Civilization World, the more we want those guys working the Large Hadron Collider to discover time travel. Firaxis has just released a blog post covering combat in the upcoming Facebook edition of the seriously huge strategy series. According to the post, combat will be decided in card games. Wait, you mean to say that battles aren't fought on bloody fields and treacherous waters? Well, they are in your imagination, least.
The combat system allows for a set amount of card slots per battle. However, players can stack extra amounts of the same unit on a single slot, whether it be from the calvary, ranged, naval and melee classes. Of course, certain units do well against others and vise versa, but some perform better in certain environments as well, granting them attack bonuses. All of this information is displayed on each unit's card, thankfully.
Units can then attack their opponents heroically or on the defensive. The former increases both damage dealt and taken while the latter decreases both. Each style will have its own use, which you can likely deduce on your own, but what's important is that you build a squad of units with varying skills and stats to be prepared for anything. Not to mention that, like any Civ game, research is the gateway to not only fierce armies but sprawling, beautiful cities. Can you tell that we're excited? Just a little--OK good.
[Image Credit: NeoWin]
What do you think of the combat system in Civ World when you read about it? Do you think Civ will do well on Facebook?
The combat system allows for a set amount of card slots per battle. However, players can stack extra amounts of the same unit on a single slot, whether it be from the calvary, ranged, naval and melee classes. Of course, certain units do well against others and vise versa, but some perform better in certain environments as well, granting them attack bonuses. All of this information is displayed on each unit's card, thankfully.
Units can then attack their opponents heroically or on the defensive. The former increases both damage dealt and taken while the latter decreases both. Each style will have its own use, which you can likely deduce on your own, but what's important is that you build a squad of units with varying skills and stats to be prepared for anything. Not to mention that, like any Civ game, research is the gateway to not only fierce armies but sprawling, beautiful cities. Can you tell that we're excited? Just a little--OK good.
[Image Credit: NeoWin]
What do you think of the combat system in Civ World when you read about it? Do you think Civ will do well on Facebook?
CityVille: Show off your Zoo for a chance to win 100 City Cash and exclusive decorations
If your Zoo in CityVille is bursting at the proverbial seams with all sorts of wild animals from lions to tigers (oh my!), you're welcome to enter Zynga's newest contest on the game's forums. The CityVille "Show us your Zoo!" contest asks you to show off that area of your town dedicated to the zoo's habitats and surrounding decorations (whether specific to the zoo or otherwise) for your chance at internet fame, the admiration of your peers, and oh yeah - up to 100 City Cash.
Three players will walk away with prizes, with the grand prize being 100 City Cash and four preselected decorations. These decorations have no special bonus, but are rare in that they aren't available from the game's store (or apparently anywhere else). Finish in second or third place and you may not walk away with the awesome (at least, I'm assuming they're awesome) decorations, but you can win 50 or 25 City Cash, respectively.
Your zoos will be judged on originality, theme and presentation so don't just slop something together. Be creative in your approach and you may be rewarded in the end! Good luck!
Will you enter the Show us your Zoo! contest in CityVille, or have you yet to even build a Zoo in your city due to it taking up so much space?
Three players will walk away with prizes, with the grand prize being 100 City Cash and four preselected decorations. These decorations have no special bonus, but are rare in that they aren't available from the game's store (or apparently anywhere else). Finish in second or third place and you may not walk away with the awesome (at least, I'm assuming they're awesome) decorations, but you can win 50 or 25 City Cash, respectively.
Your zoos will be judged on originality, theme and presentation so don't just slop something together. Be creative in your approach and you may be rewarded in the end! Good luck!
Will you enter the Show us your Zoo! contest in CityVille, or have you yet to even build a Zoo in your city due to it taking up so much space?
Friday, December 23, 2011
CivWorld Cheats & Tips: 10 must-know maneuvers from the creators
If there's one thing we can say about the new CivWorld on Facebook -- it's complicated. So while you muddle around the socialized rendition of this classic real-time strategy game -- learning the ins and outs of managing resources, researching new technology and how to beat the bejeesuz out of any competing empire -- be sure to consult this list of 10 winning tips from the game's creators, originally posted on video game site Kotaku.
"1. Have a good city layout-–Make sure there is the shortest route possible from the citizen's house to the resource and then to the drop off location. This will ensure that the citizen is being the most efficient it can be. Another way to improve a citizen's efficiency is to make sure they are happy. You can do this by placing them next to neighbors of the same job, a forest, water or all three.
2. Use guard towers–-Utilize guard towers to scope out the map to find better water, forest, stone, and Iron resource locations. Also upgrade for higher visibility and usability of the map.
3. Upgrade whenever you can-–To make your citizens even more efficient, you can place down productivity buildings. For example, a granary will be a new drop off location for a farmer and the more you upgrade it, the larger it will get, making your farmer even more efficient. The same goes for a scientist next to a library or university or a merchant next to a market or bank.
4. Get to know your fellow civ mates-–Use the chat room to speak directly to your civ to coordinate battles, technology research, Wonders-building and any other strategies. Use the personal chat to work out treaties, agreements, and plans of attack, with individuals in another civ.
5. Group up on technologies-Technologies are cooperatively discovered by a civ, from the pooled resources of all the members. The more members there are contributing their science to that tech, the faster they will collectively reach the goal and discover the technology. Coordinating a common research goal among your civ mates is the fastest way to discovery.
6. Become a minister-–There are six ministers that you can become: defense minister, cultural minister, finance minister, political minister, interior minister, and science minister. When you become a minister, you have more responsibility and be able to help your civ. In order to become a minister, you have to be the first in your civ to accomplish a specific task and win medal that will promote you to a ministry. For example, if you are the first person to upgrade your library to ginormous size, you will get a construction medal which will promote you to the interior minister. As the interior minister, whenever you harvest, you'll also give 1 Harvest bonus to a member of your civ. If you become the finance minster, when you complete the caravan maze, you'll send your civ some gold depending on how much you win.
7. Collect Fame Points–-As you collect achievements and medals, you will move up the ranks in your civ in hopes of becoming the king or queen. When a civ wins an era victory, Fame Points are distributed in descending order, so you want to be as high in the ranks as possible in order to get the most Fame Points. These points will then turn into gems so you can deck out your throne room and show off all of your achievements. The cool part about the throne room is what you place in the room is yours forever. So the more games you play, the more trophies you will win!
8. Get hitched–-You can marry other citizens in the game using the "Dowry" button. The word "Dowry" will show up at random on the World button. What it means is you have the opportunity for one of the citizens from your city to "marry" a citizen from another player's city. The resulting dowry will give you and the other player a onetime bonus in the associated resource with the chosen Citizen. Neither player loses their citizen-dowries are purely a bonus.
9. Produce a mighty military–-It is important to have either military units always on hand or a lot of production just in case a civilization decides to invade your civilization or vice versa. Having a lot of production versus gold helps in this situation because building a unit using production is almost always less expensive than buying it in the marketplace.
10. Stack and position your military carefully-Stacking units or having a lot of the same unit also is important in a battle because it makes that particular slot on the battle field much stronger. During a battle, you should try to change the units' stance on every turn. Each unit can be changed to either "Fortify," "Heroic," "Normal," or "Retreat." While defending, you should change the units' stance to "Fortify" right before the turn is up to make sure your defense is at its highest. The same goes for "Heroic" when it is your turn to attack."
If I could use a pen to underline my favorite tips, I would put two lines under "Use Guard Towers" and "Upgrade whenever you can." I also found the military tips to come in handy, especially since I tend to lean toward winning a culture victory when I play Civilization games.
Do you have any other must-know CivWorld Facebook cheats and/or tips?
"1. Have a good city layout-–Make sure there is the shortest route possible from the citizen's house to the resource and then to the drop off location. This will ensure that the citizen is being the most efficient it can be. Another way to improve a citizen's efficiency is to make sure they are happy. You can do this by placing them next to neighbors of the same job, a forest, water or all three.
2. Use guard towers–-Utilize guard towers to scope out the map to find better water, forest, stone, and Iron resource locations. Also upgrade for higher visibility and usability of the map.
3. Upgrade whenever you can-–To make your citizens even more efficient, you can place down productivity buildings. For example, a granary will be a new drop off location for a farmer and the more you upgrade it, the larger it will get, making your farmer even more efficient. The same goes for a scientist next to a library or university or a merchant next to a market or bank.
4. Get to know your fellow civ mates-–Use the chat room to speak directly to your civ to coordinate battles, technology research, Wonders-building and any other strategies. Use the personal chat to work out treaties, agreements, and plans of attack, with individuals in another civ.
5. Group up on technologies-Technologies are cooperatively discovered by a civ, from the pooled resources of all the members. The more members there are contributing their science to that tech, the faster they will collectively reach the goal and discover the technology. Coordinating a common research goal among your civ mates is the fastest way to discovery.
6. Become a minister-–There are six ministers that you can become: defense minister, cultural minister, finance minister, political minister, interior minister, and science minister. When you become a minister, you have more responsibility and be able to help your civ. In order to become a minister, you have to be the first in your civ to accomplish a specific task and win medal that will promote you to a ministry. For example, if you are the first person to upgrade your library to ginormous size, you will get a construction medal which will promote you to the interior minister. As the interior minister, whenever you harvest, you'll also give 1 Harvest bonus to a member of your civ. If you become the finance minster, when you complete the caravan maze, you'll send your civ some gold depending on how much you win.
7. Collect Fame Points–-As you collect achievements and medals, you will move up the ranks in your civ in hopes of becoming the king or queen. When a civ wins an era victory, Fame Points are distributed in descending order, so you want to be as high in the ranks as possible in order to get the most Fame Points. These points will then turn into gems so you can deck out your throne room and show off all of your achievements. The cool part about the throne room is what you place in the room is yours forever. So the more games you play, the more trophies you will win!
8. Get hitched–-You can marry other citizens in the game using the "Dowry" button. The word "Dowry" will show up at random on the World button. What it means is you have the opportunity for one of the citizens from your city to "marry" a citizen from another player's city. The resulting dowry will give you and the other player a onetime bonus in the associated resource with the chosen Citizen. Neither player loses their citizen-dowries are purely a bonus.
9. Produce a mighty military–-It is important to have either military units always on hand or a lot of production just in case a civilization decides to invade your civilization or vice versa. Having a lot of production versus gold helps in this situation because building a unit using production is almost always less expensive than buying it in the marketplace.
10. Stack and position your military carefully-Stacking units or having a lot of the same unit also is important in a battle because it makes that particular slot on the battle field much stronger. During a battle, you should try to change the units' stance on every turn. Each unit can be changed to either "Fortify," "Heroic," "Normal," or "Retreat." While defending, you should change the units' stance to "Fortify" right before the turn is up to make sure your defense is at its highest. The same goes for "Heroic" when it is your turn to attack."
If I could use a pen to underline my favorite tips, I would put two lines under "Use Guard Towers" and "Upgrade whenever you can." I also found the military tips to come in handy, especially since I tend to lean toward winning a culture victory when I play Civilization games.
Do you have any other must-know CivWorld Facebook cheats and/or tips?
Empires & Allies Cheats and Tips: A Power-Ups Guide
Empires & Allies Power-Ups
Who knew that combat in a Facebook game could actually be interesting? Well, Zynga has arguably achieved the impossible in Empires & Allies with a turned-based combat system that relies on brief strategy and lots of explosions to keep players engaged. But another engrossing aspect of combat in E&A is Invasions, more specifically the Power-Ups earned from them.
As players invade their friends or visit them to help, their Infamy or Honor will increase, respectively. At certain milestones, power-ups are granted to the player that cost Empire Points to use, but boy are some of them worth it. There's just something about clicking that big green button during a battle and watching the explosions that's simply satisfying. Without any further delay, here is everything you need to know about every Power-Up in the game:
Field Repairs Explosive Ammo Air Strike Missile Attack
Field Repairs (Repairs friendly units in combat):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 1, Costs 4 Empire Points, Restores 25 Health to each Unit
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 16, Costs 11 Empire Points, Restores 50 Health to each Unit
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 31, Costs 20 Empire Points, Restores even more Health
Explosive Ammo (Increases damage done by successful attacks):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 1, Costs 3 Empire Points, +10 damage on a direct hit and +15 damage on a critical hit (5 uses)
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 17, Costs 8 Empire Points, +20 damage on a direct hit and +30 damage on a critical hit (4 uses)
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 32, Costs 13 Empire Points, +30 damage on a direct hit and +45 damage on a critical hit
Air Strike (Bombers bomb one target. Bonus versus Army units):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 1, Costs 4 Empire Points, 30 damage to sea or air unit and 60 damage to land unit
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 19, Costs 13 Empire Points, 100 damage to naval or air units and 200 damage to land units
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 35, Costs 20 Empire Points
Missile Attack (Launches missile at one enemy unit. Bonus versus Naval units):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 6, Costs 5 Empire Points, 30 damage to land or air unit and 60 damage to sea units
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 20, Costs 16 Empire Points, 100 damage to land or air units and 200 damage to naval units
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 36, Costs 25 Empire Points, 150 damage to land or air units and 300 damage to naval units
Hunker Down Target Jammer Accuracy Evasion
Hunker Down (Friendly units take less damage):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 7, Costs 4 Empire Points, Shields units from 5 damage (5 uses)
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 22, Costs 8 Empire Points, Shields units from 10 damage (5 uses)
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 37, Costs 12 Empire Points, Shields units from more damage (5 uses)
Target Jammer (Reduces enemy accuracy):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 8, Costs 5 Empire Points, 8 uses
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 23, Costs 11 Empire Points
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 38, Costs 19 Empire Points
Accuracy (Increases units' chance to hit enemy units):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 10, Costs 5 Empire Points, 3 uses
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 25, Costs 11 Empire Points, 7 uses
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 40, Costs 17 Empire Points
Evasion (Decreases chance of being hit):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 11, Costs 6 Empire Points, 4 uses
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 26, Costs 12 Empire Points, 6 uses
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 41, Costs 20 Empire Points
EMP Poison Gas Tactical Nuke
EMP (Prevents one enemy from attacking):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 6, Costs 7 Empire Points, 5 uses
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 29, Costs 11 Empire Points
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 44, Costs 15 Empire Points
Poison Gas (Damages all enemy units over time):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 15, Costs 8 Empire Points, 5 damage to all units every turn (5 uses)
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 30, Costs 15 Empire Points, 10 damage to all units every turn (6 uses)
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 45, Costs 21 Empire Points, 15 damage to all units every turn (8 uses)
Tactical Nuke (Destroys all enemies instantly)
Requires Player Level 46, Cost Unknown, 1 use
Of course, the Tactical Nuke is the grand daddy of Power-Ups in E&A, though there are plenty more useful ones. Most notable of which we'd say are Accuracy, because critical hits yield more resources than normal hits, and either the Target Jammer or Evasion, which essentially do the same thing: keep you from getting knocked out. Other runners up are the Poison Gas and the Field Repairs, though players have the option to heal any one unit for 2 Empire Points at any time. I don't know about you, but I'm not terribly attached to my units to spend Empire Points on keeping them alive, so maybe skip this option. Either way, these Power- Ups can save your behind in battle, so spend wisely.
Who knew that combat in a Facebook game could actually be interesting? Well, Zynga has arguably achieved the impossible in Empires & Allies with a turned-based combat system that relies on brief strategy and lots of explosions to keep players engaged. But another engrossing aspect of combat in E&A is Invasions, more specifically the Power-Ups earned from them.
As players invade their friends or visit them to help, their Infamy or Honor will increase, respectively. At certain milestones, power-ups are granted to the player that cost Empire Points to use, but boy are some of them worth it. There's just something about clicking that big green button during a battle and watching the explosions that's simply satisfying. Without any further delay, here is everything you need to know about every Power-Up in the game:
Field Repairs Explosive Ammo Air Strike Missile Attack
Field Repairs (Repairs friendly units in combat):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 1, Costs 4 Empire Points, Restores 25 Health to each Unit
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 16, Costs 11 Empire Points, Restores 50 Health to each Unit
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 31, Costs 20 Empire Points, Restores even more Health
Explosive Ammo (Increases damage done by successful attacks):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 1, Costs 3 Empire Points, +10 damage on a direct hit and +15 damage on a critical hit (5 uses)
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 17, Costs 8 Empire Points, +20 damage on a direct hit and +30 damage on a critical hit (4 uses)
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 32, Costs 13 Empire Points, +30 damage on a direct hit and +45 damage on a critical hit
Air Strike (Bombers bomb one target. Bonus versus Army units):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 1, Costs 4 Empire Points, 30 damage to sea or air unit and 60 damage to land unit
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 19, Costs 13 Empire Points, 100 damage to naval or air units and 200 damage to land units
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 35, Costs 20 Empire Points
Missile Attack (Launches missile at one enemy unit. Bonus versus Naval units):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 6, Costs 5 Empire Points, 30 damage to land or air unit and 60 damage to sea units
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 20, Costs 16 Empire Points, 100 damage to land or air units and 200 damage to naval units
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 36, Costs 25 Empire Points, 150 damage to land or air units and 300 damage to naval units
Hunker Down Target Jammer Accuracy Evasion
Hunker Down (Friendly units take less damage):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 7, Costs 4 Empire Points, Shields units from 5 damage (5 uses)
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 22, Costs 8 Empire Points, Shields units from 10 damage (5 uses)
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 37, Costs 12 Empire Points, Shields units from more damage (5 uses)
Target Jammer (Reduces enemy accuracy):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 8, Costs 5 Empire Points, 8 uses
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 23, Costs 11 Empire Points
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 38, Costs 19 Empire Points
Accuracy (Increases units' chance to hit enemy units):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 10, Costs 5 Empire Points, 3 uses
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 25, Costs 11 Empire Points, 7 uses
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 40, Costs 17 Empire Points
Evasion (Decreases chance of being hit):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 11, Costs 6 Empire Points, 4 uses
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 26, Costs 12 Empire Points, 6 uses
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 41, Costs 20 Empire Points
EMP Poison Gas Tactical Nuke
EMP (Prevents one enemy from attacking):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 6, Costs 7 Empire Points, 5 uses
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 29, Costs 11 Empire Points
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 44, Costs 15 Empire Points
Poison Gas (Damages all enemy units over time):
Level 1 - Requires Player Level 15, Costs 8 Empire Points, 5 damage to all units every turn (5 uses)
Level 2 - Requires Player Level 30, Costs 15 Empire Points, 10 damage to all units every turn (6 uses)
Level 3 - Requires Player Level 45, Costs 21 Empire Points, 15 damage to all units every turn (8 uses)
Tactical Nuke (Destroys all enemies instantly)
Requires Player Level 46, Cost Unknown, 1 use
Of course, the Tactical Nuke is the grand daddy of Power-Ups in E&A, though there are plenty more useful ones. Most notable of which we'd say are Accuracy, because critical hits yield more resources than normal hits, and either the Target Jammer or Evasion, which essentially do the same thing: keep you from getting knocked out. Other runners up are the Poison Gas and the Field Repairs, though players have the option to heal any one unit for 2 Empire Points at any time. I don't know about you, but I'm not terribly attached to my units to spend Empire Points on keeping them alive, so maybe skip this option. Either way, these Power- Ups can save your behind in battle, so spend wisely.
Zynga's PrivacyVille: A silly mini game about a serious issue
When Zynga can't think of a better name for a product, slapping a good old 'Ville' on there does the trick. PrivacyVille sounds like the company's next big game, but on the contrary. It is Zynga's way of communicating the issues of Internet privacy to its fans--through a mini game.
This interactive tutorial, available now right here, rewards players with zPoints to use in RewardVille for learning everything there is to know about the intersections of Internet privacy and Zynga games.The "game," clearly inspired by CityVille, is largely a series of pop-up windows explaining each facet of the company's privacy policy plainly.
Each broken-down explanation provides links to all the tools at your disposal to edit your privacy settings with both Zynga and Facebook. After you read all of the information, Zynga will quiz you on what you learned. (And trust us, there's no way you can lose this one.) Once you're done, you will be asked to connect to RewardVille to collect your 200 zPoint reward.
PrivacyVille Quiz
While this certainly isn't the next big game we're all waiting for, it's an interesting take on privacy. Most companies merely place their privacy policies in a wall of text that no one in their right mind would waste time reading, but Zynga knows its audience. And its audience has learned to play countless Zynga games, so why not treat this lesson as one? It certainly makes sense, but ... PrivacyVille? Really, guys?
Click here to participate in PrivacyVille Now >
What do you think of Zynga's new approach to educating its players about privacy? What is your take on social games and their effects on our privacy?
This interactive tutorial, available now right here, rewards players with zPoints to use in RewardVille for learning everything there is to know about the intersections of Internet privacy and Zynga games.The "game," clearly inspired by CityVille, is largely a series of pop-up windows explaining each facet of the company's privacy policy plainly.
Each broken-down explanation provides links to all the tools at your disposal to edit your privacy settings with both Zynga and Facebook. After you read all of the information, Zynga will quiz you on what you learned. (And trust us, there's no way you can lose this one.) Once you're done, you will be asked to connect to RewardVille to collect your 200 zPoint reward.
PrivacyVille Quiz
While this certainly isn't the next big game we're all waiting for, it's an interesting take on privacy. Most companies merely place their privacy policies in a wall of text that no one in their right mind would waste time reading, but Zynga knows its audience. And its audience has learned to play countless Zynga games, so why not treat this lesson as one? It certainly makes sense, but ... PrivacyVille? Really, guys?
Click here to participate in PrivacyVille Now >
What do you think of Zynga's new approach to educating its players about privacy? What is your take on social games and their effects on our privacy?
Free-to-play games dominating paid games in the App Store
According to a report published today by Flurry, an independent analytics company, free-to-play games are now bringing in more revenue than traditional paid games. Free-to-play games require no up-front fees to play, you can simply download the game and start playing immediately. Paid games require the app to be purchased from the App Store for a minimum of $0.99 each.
In January of 2011, 61% of the revenue from the top 100 highest grossing games in the App Store came from paid apps. This number has now dropped to only 35%, with the other 65% coming from free-to-play titles like Smurf Village or Tap Zoo. It would appear that all forms of gaming are quickly trending to the freemium model, a business model that has proven successful for many developers including PopCap Games (who release free versions of all of their casual games). Facebook games have been using the free-to-play model exclusively, including the titan Zynga who reported over 90 million dollars in profit in 2010. Traditional games have been trending in this direction for years, despite hardcore gamers' best efforts to push back.
Free-to-play games feel like a win for everyone. Those who want to play without paying can do so, and those who want to pay have no theoretical cap on how much they can spend. It feels like a no-brainer to launch games as free-to-play on the App Store and Android Market.
What would inspire you to pay for goods inside a free-to-play game? Would you prefer a one time up-front fee?
In January of 2011, 61% of the revenue from the top 100 highest grossing games in the App Store came from paid apps. This number has now dropped to only 35%, with the other 65% coming from free-to-play titles like Smurf Village or Tap Zoo. It would appear that all forms of gaming are quickly trending to the freemium model, a business model that has proven successful for many developers including PopCap Games (who release free versions of all of their casual games). Facebook games have been using the free-to-play model exclusively, including the titan Zynga who reported over 90 million dollars in profit in 2010. Traditional games have been trending in this direction for years, despite hardcore gamers' best efforts to push back.
Free-to-play games feel like a win for everyone. Those who want to play without paying can do so, and those who want to pay have no theoretical cap on how much they can spend. It feels like a no-brainer to launch games as free-to-play on the App Store and Android Market.
What would inspire you to pay for goods inside a free-to-play game? Would you prefer a one time up-front fee?
FrontierVille Sneak Peek: Zynga teases 'Vast' 41 x 41 Land Expansion and more
Aside from a place to create alcoholic beverages concoctions in, The Birch Still, not much has gone down in FrontierVille this week. But according to Zynga community manager Stumpgrinder, the long-awaited "Vast" Land Expansion is coming soon. The Land Expansion will likely come with a few new Goals to master, and it will increase your land size from 37 x 37 to 41 x 41.
Stumpgrinder also hinted in his forum post that "romance is in the air this week," and that the conclusion to Hank and Fanny's Wedding is coming soon. Not to mention that Zynga will throw a contest in honor of the upcoming Goals, which he seems to think are going to launch this week. Though, I'd hold your breath on that one. Here are some more recognized issues and fixes Zynga made to FrontierVille recently:
Dogs: The first herding quest was not tracking and should do so now.
Collections: Players are not able to open Collections at all.
Rodeo: Send Mighty Cheers comments/posts are not being counted/not showing up. Fixed!
Bears: Attempting to clobber a bear on a neighbor's homestead puts you out of sync.
Bad Rap Crate: We've extended the deadline on these crates for another five days.
Of course, the most exciting of these changes is that extension on the Bad Rap Crate, which offers several adorable Mystery Animals for Horseshoes, though 100 percent of proceeds go to Bad Rap's efforts. It looks like it pays to complain on the forums, after all.
Which are you more excited for: the Land Expansion or Hank and Fanny's Wedding? What other fixes or changes are you hoping come to FrontierVille?
Stumpgrinder also hinted in his forum post that "romance is in the air this week," and that the conclusion to Hank and Fanny's Wedding is coming soon. Not to mention that Zynga will throw a contest in honor of the upcoming Goals, which he seems to think are going to launch this week. Though, I'd hold your breath on that one. Here are some more recognized issues and fixes Zynga made to FrontierVille recently:
Dogs: The first herding quest was not tracking and should do so now.
Collections: Players are not able to open Collections at all.
Rodeo: Send Mighty Cheers comments/posts are not being counted/not showing up. Fixed!
Bears: Attempting to clobber a bear on a neighbor's homestead puts you out of sync.
Bad Rap Crate: We've extended the deadline on these crates for another five days.
Of course, the most exciting of these changes is that extension on the Bad Rap Crate, which offers several adorable Mystery Animals for Horseshoes, though 100 percent of proceeds go to Bad Rap's efforts. It looks like it pays to complain on the forums, after all.
Which are you more excited for: the Land Expansion or Hank and Fanny's Wedding? What other fixes or changes are you hoping come to FrontierVille?
Former Playdom exec joins OpenFeint to help in Japanese Invasion
And another falls. Yet another executive from one of social gaming's biggest companies, Playdom, has left for a competitor. This time it's Ethan Fassett, an executive producer for Playdom who is now headed to OpenFeint, a mobile games network that enjoys 90 million players, as SVP of Product, VentureBeat reports.
The Burlingham, Calif.-based mobile games platform hired Fassett to help its clients create free-to-play games using the OpenFeint network--purchased by Japanese network Gree earlier this year--on both Android and iOS devices. He'll do this by leading development on new social networking features and distribution channels to support the freebie games, according to VentureBeat.
"We're very excited to bring on Ethan, whose expertise in free-to-play games and social communities will drive product strategy and shape the evolution of the network," OpenFeint CEO Jason Citron said. "Ethan truly understands social games, the social networks they need to be successful, and the tools game developers need to properly engage and monetize their players."
Executives from major gaming companies like Playdom and EA have been leaving for potentially more lucrative ventures in the social and mobile gaming arenas. And as these two companies appear to be in a lull (though, Playdom did just launch a new ESPN-branded game), publishers from the Far East encroach on the globe, throwing around millions. DeNA and its Mobage network are competing with both Zynga and Gree for dominance in the mobile games market, and the latter just got another shot in the arm.
[Image Credit: VentureBeat]
How do you think OpenFeint and Gree play in the growing war for the mobile games market? Will Playdom and EA be able to compete as Zynga and its opponents in Japan grow exponentially?
The Burlingham, Calif.-based mobile games platform hired Fassett to help its clients create free-to-play games using the OpenFeint network--purchased by Japanese network Gree earlier this year--on both Android and iOS devices. He'll do this by leading development on new social networking features and distribution channels to support the freebie games, according to VentureBeat.
"We're very excited to bring on Ethan, whose expertise in free-to-play games and social communities will drive product strategy and shape the evolution of the network," OpenFeint CEO Jason Citron said. "Ethan truly understands social games, the social networks they need to be successful, and the tools game developers need to properly engage and monetize their players."
Executives from major gaming companies like Playdom and EA have been leaving for potentially more lucrative ventures in the social and mobile gaming arenas. And as these two companies appear to be in a lull (though, Playdom did just launch a new ESPN-branded game), publishers from the Far East encroach on the globe, throwing around millions. DeNA and its Mobage network are competing with both Zynga and Gree for dominance in the mobile games market, and the latter just got another shot in the arm.
[Image Credit: VentureBeat]
How do you think OpenFeint and Gree play in the growing war for the mobile games market? Will Playdom and EA be able to compete as Zynga and its opponents in Japan grow exponentially?
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Remodeling Buildings in CityVille: Everything you need to know
Well, will you look at that, Extreme Makeover has made it to CityVille. Zynga has introduced a brand new building to the game, the Remodeling HQ, and with it an interesting new feature. Once players have reached Level 15, they will be introduced to the new ability to remodel Residences.
This new function will give select Residences a new look and increase their bonuses like population boosts. If you're Level 15 or higher, the following Goal will appear in your game:
Paint the Town!
Place and Complete the Remodeling HQ
Remodel 5 Residences
The ability to place the new building will be included in the Goal's menu. Once it's placed, it will take 10 clicks to complete the foundation. However, it doesn't appear to require friends to finish like most new functional buildings.
Remodel options
Remodeled Residences CityVilleOnce the Remodeling HQ is complete, an arrow will appear above the select tool--click it to reveal a new mode: Remodel. Select the function to cause all Residences that are available for remodeling to appear with a floating icon. These are the Residences you can remodel now:
Cozy Cottage
Family Townhouse
Country Home
Terraced Brownstone
Apartment Complex
Timeshare Tower
Bay Point Duplex
Surely, Zynga will introduce the ability to remodel more Residences later on. When you click on a Residence that can be remodeled, a menu similar to the old Build Menu will appear, displaying all the options there are to remodel your building. (Remodeling is handled per building, meaning remodeling a Cozy Cottage will apply to just that Cozy and not every one you own.) Most of these options cost mere Coins, but there are options available for City Cash, of course.
Hovering over each options will reveal what bonuses it provides, too.Once you select the new look, your building will appear with a scaffolding around it. The amount of clicks required to complete each remodeling job seems to vary, but each click will cost one Energy. The final click will reveal your new-and-improved Residence, new stats and all.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you tried out remodeling your Residences yet? What do you think of the new feature, and which Residences do you hope to remodel in the future?
This new function will give select Residences a new look and increase their bonuses like population boosts. If you're Level 15 or higher, the following Goal will appear in your game:
Paint the Town!
Place and Complete the Remodeling HQ
Remodel 5 Residences
The ability to place the new building will be included in the Goal's menu. Once it's placed, it will take 10 clicks to complete the foundation. However, it doesn't appear to require friends to finish like most new functional buildings.
Remodel options
Remodeled Residences CityVilleOnce the Remodeling HQ is complete, an arrow will appear above the select tool--click it to reveal a new mode: Remodel. Select the function to cause all Residences that are available for remodeling to appear with a floating icon. These are the Residences you can remodel now:
Cozy Cottage
Family Townhouse
Country Home
Terraced Brownstone
Apartment Complex
Timeshare Tower
Bay Point Duplex
Surely, Zynga will introduce the ability to remodel more Residences later on. When you click on a Residence that can be remodeled, a menu similar to the old Build Menu will appear, displaying all the options there are to remodel your building. (Remodeling is handled per building, meaning remodeling a Cozy Cottage will apply to just that Cozy and not every one you own.) Most of these options cost mere Coins, but there are options available for City Cash, of course.
Hovering over each options will reveal what bonuses it provides, too.Once you select the new look, your building will appear with a scaffolding around it. The amount of clicks required to complete each remodeling job seems to vary, but each click will cost one Energy. The final click will reveal your new-and-improved Residence, new stats and all.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you tried out remodeling your Residences yet? What do you think of the new feature, and which Residences do you hope to remodel in the future?
The Sims Social: Didn't get your free Fan Page gifts? Join the club
Just a short time after launching the Sims Social on Facebook, EA / Playfish are already catching some flack from many users about their fan page promotion, which offered free gifts to all users that Liked the fan page on Facebook. However, in this case, the many complaints seem rather accurate.
For the past few months, EA and Playfish have been practically begging users to Like the Sims Social fan page on Facebook in anticipation of the game's launch. In return, we were told that we'd receive free gifts when the amount of Likes reached certain amounts (a free grill for reaching 10,000 Likes, for instance). So, Like the page we did - to the tune of over 2 million players, as of this writing. However, when it came time to fulfill its end of the promise, it looks like the team of EA and Playfish have really dropped the ball.
With the many loading, gameplay and other general maintenance issues that the game has suffered since launch, and with the lack of warning that the developers gave to users, the free items came and went within a matter of days, leaving many completely in the dark, but plenty upset. And when I say matter of days, I mean less than a week (or, less than four days, if you stick strictly to the posts on the game's page). Speaking of, EA / Playfish made just two posts on the fan page's wall about the items being available. One, last Friday, announced that the items were available. Then, in the wee Monday morning hours, they announced that we had one final "last chance" at claiming these items.
In theory, all seven million of the game's monthly active players would have had to see one of these two posts on their News Feed (assuming it didn't get covered up by game posts or simply general status updates and posts by friends), and then click on the link to head to the "More to Like" section of the fan page to click on individual links to claim each and every item. They would then have to hope that they didn't run into maintenance or loading issues that would prevent the items from really being claimed. That's a lot of stuff that all needed to go right, all in a very short period of time. Needless to say, many users didn't make it and walked away almost empty-handed.
Currently, the only item that has a still active link (as of this writing) is an orange refrigerator, which unlocked at the 1.5 million player mark. Why this single item is still available is unknown, but it leaves us to believe that someone simply forgot to "turn it off." To let the developers know of their dissatisfaction, a group of users have taken to the official Playfish forums (along with those posting on the fan page itself), urging the developer to re-release the items for a short while longer, so that more players have a chance to claim them. What's more - many users are claiming that the links were already inactive when EA / Playfish posted their last chance warning, which really adds fuel to the fire.
Will this call to the developers really result in a re-release of the free items? Maybe it will, and maybe it won't, but we bring you all of this information so that you can join the cause (if you so choose). There's more power in numbers, so if you're unsatisfied with the amount of time (or lack thereof) that Playfish gave us to claim these items, make sure to let your voice be heard. Even if it doesn't work out, you'll at least be able to rest with the satisfaction of knowing that you tried.
Were you able to claim your free fan page items for liking the Sims Social fan page, or did the links expire before you even knew they were active? Will you join the cause on the official Playfish forums, requesting a re-release?
For the past few months, EA and Playfish have been practically begging users to Like the Sims Social fan page on Facebook in anticipation of the game's launch. In return, we were told that we'd receive free gifts when the amount of Likes reached certain amounts (a free grill for reaching 10,000 Likes, for instance). So, Like the page we did - to the tune of over 2 million players, as of this writing. However, when it came time to fulfill its end of the promise, it looks like the team of EA and Playfish have really dropped the ball.
With the many loading, gameplay and other general maintenance issues that the game has suffered since launch, and with the lack of warning that the developers gave to users, the free items came and went within a matter of days, leaving many completely in the dark, but plenty upset. And when I say matter of days, I mean less than a week (or, less than four days, if you stick strictly to the posts on the game's page). Speaking of, EA / Playfish made just two posts on the fan page's wall about the items being available. One, last Friday, announced that the items were available. Then, in the wee Monday morning hours, they announced that we had one final "last chance" at claiming these items.
In theory, all seven million of the game's monthly active players would have had to see one of these two posts on their News Feed (assuming it didn't get covered up by game posts or simply general status updates and posts by friends), and then click on the link to head to the "More to Like" section of the fan page to click on individual links to claim each and every item. They would then have to hope that they didn't run into maintenance or loading issues that would prevent the items from really being claimed. That's a lot of stuff that all needed to go right, all in a very short period of time. Needless to say, many users didn't make it and walked away almost empty-handed.
Currently, the only item that has a still active link (as of this writing) is an orange refrigerator, which unlocked at the 1.5 million player mark. Why this single item is still available is unknown, but it leaves us to believe that someone simply forgot to "turn it off." To let the developers know of their dissatisfaction, a group of users have taken to the official Playfish forums (along with those posting on the fan page itself), urging the developer to re-release the items for a short while longer, so that more players have a chance to claim them. What's more - many users are claiming that the links were already inactive when EA / Playfish posted their last chance warning, which really adds fuel to the fire.
Will this call to the developers really result in a re-release of the free items? Maybe it will, and maybe it won't, but we bring you all of this information so that you can join the cause (if you so choose). There's more power in numbers, so if you're unsatisfied with the amount of time (or lack thereof) that Playfish gave us to claim these items, make sure to let your voice be heard. Even if it doesn't work out, you'll at least be able to rest with the satisfaction of knowing that you tried.
Were you able to claim your free fan page items for liking the Sims Social fan page, or did the links expire before you even knew they were active? Will you join the cause on the official Playfish forums, requesting a re-release?
Cafe World Sock Hop Catering Order: Everything you need to know
The local high school in Cafe World is throwing a 50's themed party (or a Sock Hop), and it's up to you to cater the event! Feeding all of those students is going to be a tough job (kids can eat!), and you've got just three days to finish this one off before you'll lose your chance at a free meal. There are six tasks in all in this Catering Order, so let's jump straight into our guide - there's no time to waste!
First, the food. You'll need to serve Meat Craver's Pizza (a 12-hour dish) 30 times, Onion Rings (an 18-hour dish) 25 times, Chef's Salad (a 30-minute dish) 200 times and Choco-Scotch Clusters (a two-hour dish) a whopping 500 times. Why are the Meat Craver's Pizza and Onion Rings so limited? First, the Pizza can only be cooked on a Pizza Oven, which you can only have, at most, two of. In addition, the Onion Rings are a Deep Fryer dish, meaning you'll only be able to cook two of those at once as well. Remember, you'll be able to serve extra servings out of your Gift Box, along with using spices to speed your progress along, but either way, you'll want to try and gather as many of the 15 extra friends as you can to help you with this order.
In addition to these cooking tasks, you'll need to collect 15 Poodle Skirts and 15 Leather Jackets with the help of friends to finish this one off. If you can complete all of the above in less than three days, you'll earn the three-star rating, 15 Catering Points, 7,500 Cafe Points, 200,000 coins and the Drive-In Meal recipe. Finish in more than three days, but under five and you'll receive the two-star rating, 10 Catering Points, 5,000 Cafe Points and 125,000 coins. Finally, if you finish the order at any time after the first five days have passed, you'll receive a single star, 5 Catering Points, 3,000 Cafe Points and 75,000 coins.
Remember, you'll need to have your Deep Fryer(s) and Pizza Oven(s) going non-stop, with the help of friends in the background, to be able to finish this one off with the three-star rating. Still, if you can pull it off, you'll not only receive the new Drive-In Meal recipe, but will be able to walk away from this dance with your head held high. Good luck!
What do you think of this Sock Hop Catering Order in Cafe World? Do you like having to use the Deep Fryer and Pizza Oven, or would you rather everything stick to the true stove-top?
First, the food. You'll need to serve Meat Craver's Pizza (a 12-hour dish) 30 times, Onion Rings (an 18-hour dish) 25 times, Chef's Salad (a 30-minute dish) 200 times and Choco-Scotch Clusters (a two-hour dish) a whopping 500 times. Why are the Meat Craver's Pizza and Onion Rings so limited? First, the Pizza can only be cooked on a Pizza Oven, which you can only have, at most, two of. In addition, the Onion Rings are a Deep Fryer dish, meaning you'll only be able to cook two of those at once as well. Remember, you'll be able to serve extra servings out of your Gift Box, along with using spices to speed your progress along, but either way, you'll want to try and gather as many of the 15 extra friends as you can to help you with this order.
In addition to these cooking tasks, you'll need to collect 15 Poodle Skirts and 15 Leather Jackets with the help of friends to finish this one off. If you can complete all of the above in less than three days, you'll earn the three-star rating, 15 Catering Points, 7,500 Cafe Points, 200,000 coins and the Drive-In Meal recipe. Finish in more than three days, but under five and you'll receive the two-star rating, 10 Catering Points, 5,000 Cafe Points and 125,000 coins. Finally, if you finish the order at any time after the first five days have passed, you'll receive a single star, 5 Catering Points, 3,000 Cafe Points and 75,000 coins.
Remember, you'll need to have your Deep Fryer(s) and Pizza Oven(s) going non-stop, with the help of friends in the background, to be able to finish this one off with the three-star rating. Still, if you can pull it off, you'll not only receive the new Drive-In Meal recipe, but will be able to walk away from this dance with your head held high. Good luck!
What do you think of this Sock Hop Catering Order in Cafe World? Do you like having to use the Deep Fryer and Pizza Oven, or would you rather everything stick to the true stove-top?
FarmVille: 32x32 Land Expansion now available for both farms
If you've run out of land space on either your Home Farm or your English Countryside farm in FarmVille, you can now upgrade to the 32x32 Lush Spread (on the Home Farm) or Chipper Farm (in England) for Farm Cash. Actually, just saying "Farm Cash" doesn't really cut it - a LOT of Farm Cash is more like it. Seriously... a ton.
Starting with the Home Farm's Lush Spread, you can now purchase the expansion for a whopping 180 Farm Cash. But wait! If you fail to purchase this expansion within the next 30 days, the price will go up after that point to 200 Farm Cash.
The same can be said for the Chipper Farm, in terms of it being on sale. The starting, sale price is 195 Farm Cash, while waiting until after the sale period pushes the price to 215 Farm Cash. All of those prices range from around $34 to $40 each, depending on the Farm Cash package you purchase to get to that much Farm Cash on your account. I'll give you a second to let that set in... Again, these "sale" prices will only last until September 23 (to be exact), so that means that until that point, there's no way we should even think about a coin option, as it simply won't happen (that is, unless all of us suddenly boycott the game, which isn't likely to happen either).
The only good news that comes for this (for farmers on a budget, that is) is that the 30x30 land expansions might be released in a coin option sooner, rather than later (perhaps before the end of the year?). No word yet on how much those expansion will cost, once they are officially released for coins, but that's probably a good thing. These massive Farm Cash prices are enough bad news for most of us, I'd imagine.
Will you purchase either of these expansions for 180 or 195 Farm Cash? How much is too much to spend on a single item or upgrade on your farm? How many coins would you be willing to pay for these expansions instead?
Starting with the Home Farm's Lush Spread, you can now purchase the expansion for a whopping 180 Farm Cash. But wait! If you fail to purchase this expansion within the next 30 days, the price will go up after that point to 200 Farm Cash.
The same can be said for the Chipper Farm, in terms of it being on sale. The starting, sale price is 195 Farm Cash, while waiting until after the sale period pushes the price to 215 Farm Cash. All of those prices range from around $34 to $40 each, depending on the Farm Cash package you purchase to get to that much Farm Cash on your account. I'll give you a second to let that set in... Again, these "sale" prices will only last until September 23 (to be exact), so that means that until that point, there's no way we should even think about a coin option, as it simply won't happen (that is, unless all of us suddenly boycott the game, which isn't likely to happen either).
The only good news that comes for this (for farmers on a budget, that is) is that the 30x30 land expansions might be released in a coin option sooner, rather than later (perhaps before the end of the year?). No word yet on how much those expansion will cost, once they are officially released for coins, but that's probably a good thing. These massive Farm Cash prices are enough bad news for most of us, I'd imagine.
Will you purchase either of these expansions for 180 or 195 Farm Cash? How much is too much to spend on a single item or upgrade on your farm? How many coins would you be willing to pay for these expansions instead?
FarmVille Unwither Ring back for another go around the barnyard
While we've had quite a few opportunities to purchase an Unwither Ring in FarmVille since the feature was first launched in early 2010, the price has been enough to ensure its rarity amongst the millions of farmers that still play the game. If you'd like to finally make the splurge on one for your own account, that opportunity has come around once again, but only for a limited time.
For the next seven days, interested farmers can either purchase an Unwither Ring for their own farm, or can gift one to a (very) lucky farmer in their lives. The price? 250 Farm Cash, or just under $50 US, depending on the types of Farm Cash packages you purchase to make your account reach 250 in the first place.
As usual, this Unwither Ring performs as the name suggests, and will allow you to never have to worry about withered crops, ever again. It should be noted that the ring, once purchased, will lock to your Home Farm, so keep that in mind. Also keep in mind the 5,000 XP bonus you'll receive for purchasing one. Sure, that 5,000 XP may not be worth the 250 Farm Cash you'll spend, but it's better than nothing... right?
Will you purchase an Unwither Ring for your own farm, or will you splurge on one as a gift for a friend? Do you already have an Unwither Ring? Do you regret the purchase, or was it everything you hoped for?
For the next seven days, interested farmers can either purchase an Unwither Ring for their own farm, or can gift one to a (very) lucky farmer in their lives. The price? 250 Farm Cash, or just under $50 US, depending on the types of Farm Cash packages you purchase to make your account reach 250 in the first place.
As usual, this Unwither Ring performs as the name suggests, and will allow you to never have to worry about withered crops, ever again. It should be noted that the ring, once purchased, will lock to your Home Farm, so keep that in mind. Also keep in mind the 5,000 XP bonus you'll receive for purchasing one. Sure, that 5,000 XP may not be worth the 250 Farm Cash you'll spend, but it's better than nothing... right?
Will you purchase an Unwither Ring for your own farm, or will you splurge on one as a gift for a friend? Do you already have an Unwither Ring? Do you regret the purchase, or was it everything you hoped for?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Pet Run Habitat and goals coming soon
With the launch of the Wildlife Habitat in FarmVille, we were told that the building was just the first of many that would be released in the future, allowing us to store all sorts of animals and breed them for new ones. While information about those future buildings was never announced, it looks like FarmVille Freak may have just found one of them anyway: the Pet Run Habitat.
There will apparently be a six-part goal series that will launch alongside the Pet Run Habitat, with the building itself looking to hold items like rabbits, cats and (apparently) other docile creatures. Along with this six part goal set, there are two new rabbits that will likely be given away either as rewards from these goals, or as Mystery Babies when harvesting a full Pet Run Habitat. These animals are the Seal Point Rabbit and the plain Black Rabbit.
Of course, all of the specific details about this new building and breeding habitat are unknown, but we'll make sure to let you know as soon as this building launches (potentially as early as tomorrow night), so keep checking back with us!
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
What do you think of the Pet Run Habitat? What other animals do you want to see storage and breeding buildings released for?
There will apparently be a six-part goal series that will launch alongside the Pet Run Habitat, with the building itself looking to hold items like rabbits, cats and (apparently) other docile creatures. Along with this six part goal set, there are two new rabbits that will likely be given away either as rewards from these goals, or as Mystery Babies when harvesting a full Pet Run Habitat. These animals are the Seal Point Rabbit and the plain Black Rabbit.
Of course, all of the specific details about this new building and breeding habitat are unknown, but we'll make sure to let you know as soon as this building launches (potentially as early as tomorrow night), so keep checking back with us!
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
What do you think of the Pet Run Habitat? What other animals do you want to see storage and breeding buildings released for?
Take to the sky and fly as far as you can in Rocketbird on Facebook
BeTomorrow first launched Rocketbird, a simple "survival" game on the iPhone, back in 2009 and it has gone on to become a fan favorite (especially with children), to the tune of over three million downloads. With such a simple premise, one wouldn't think that the game could find a following on Facebook, but the port of the game has done just that and currently sits at over 500,000 monthly active players.
As we said before, Rocketbird has an incredibly simple premise, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. You'll play as a cute yellow chick with a rocket strapped to its back. Each time you play, you'll guide the bird around the screen (from a behind the back perspective), avoiding obstacles and picking up lightning bolts to give yourself more "fuel" to continue on. In terms of interaction from you, the player, you'll need to do little more than move your mouse left and right to avoid trees, fences, buildings and rocks. Hitting one of these items will end your game instantly, while running out of fuel ends the game slowly, over time.
As you play, you're forever racking up distance points for how far you've traveled. The game is level-based, with the level system being similar to titles like Angry Birds, to give you an easy comparison. That is, each level has three stars possible, with the more points you earn (the farther you travel) earning you more stars. You'll need to earn a specific amount of stars to unlock subsequent levels, and you'll also unlock an additional power-up early on: a teleportation bubble that instantly launches you to a fairly close distance to where you last failed so you can hopefully increase your high score.
If all of this sounds simple, there's an added element of challenge thrown in as your bird increases in speed as you travel farther and farther through each level. Once you're going fast enough to have trees and barns whipping by in a blur, you won't be stuck thinking you're playing a "kids" game. Luckily, you can also activate Bullet Time by pressing the space bar, which slows the game down allowing you to avoid obstacles.
In terms of social features, these are understandably pretty light, but do include two leaderboards for tracking how many stars your friends have overall, and your scores for each individual level (with two whole worlds of levels still marked as "coming soon").
All in all, Rocketbird may not be the game you come back to each and every morning and spend countless hours on, but it's a fun little distraction from the real world with cute graphics and a charming premise. That's worth at least a few moments of your time, right?
Play Rocketbird on Facebook -->
Have you tried Rocketbird on Facebook or on iOS? How do you think the Facebook version of the game compares to its iPhone predecessor?
As we said before, Rocketbird has an incredibly simple premise, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. You'll play as a cute yellow chick with a rocket strapped to its back. Each time you play, you'll guide the bird around the screen (from a behind the back perspective), avoiding obstacles and picking up lightning bolts to give yourself more "fuel" to continue on. In terms of interaction from you, the player, you'll need to do little more than move your mouse left and right to avoid trees, fences, buildings and rocks. Hitting one of these items will end your game instantly, while running out of fuel ends the game slowly, over time.
As you play, you're forever racking up distance points for how far you've traveled. The game is level-based, with the level system being similar to titles like Angry Birds, to give you an easy comparison. That is, each level has three stars possible, with the more points you earn (the farther you travel) earning you more stars. You'll need to earn a specific amount of stars to unlock subsequent levels, and you'll also unlock an additional power-up early on: a teleportation bubble that instantly launches you to a fairly close distance to where you last failed so you can hopefully increase your high score.
If all of this sounds simple, there's an added element of challenge thrown in as your bird increases in speed as you travel farther and farther through each level. Once you're going fast enough to have trees and barns whipping by in a blur, you won't be stuck thinking you're playing a "kids" game. Luckily, you can also activate Bullet Time by pressing the space bar, which slows the game down allowing you to avoid obstacles.
In terms of social features, these are understandably pretty light, but do include two leaderboards for tracking how many stars your friends have overall, and your scores for each individual level (with two whole worlds of levels still marked as "coming soon").
All in all, Rocketbird may not be the game you come back to each and every morning and spend countless hours on, but it's a fun little distraction from the real world with cute graphics and a charming premise. That's worth at least a few moments of your time, right?
Play Rocketbird on Facebook -->
Have you tried Rocketbird on Facebook or on iOS? How do you think the Facebook version of the game compares to its iPhone predecessor?
Cafe World Chef Appreciation Week: Everything you need to know
After all of the hours we've spent toiling away in the kitchen, the Cafe World developers are looking to give back to us this week by launching a huge feature called (appropriately enough) Chef Appreciation Week! Don't worry, this new event doesn't come with goals or anything we actually have to do; rather, it's all about bonuses being given to us for our dedication to playing. Here's a full lineup of the prizes that are available.
1. Free Instant Spices: Login at least once per day over the next two days (technically, tomorrow's prize doesn't launch until after 7PM EST, so you have plenty of time to earn today's prize if you haven't already played today), and you'll be given two Instant Spices, absolutely free. Remember, these spices will allow you to instantly complete the cooking time on any dish you currently have cooking.
2. Returning Decor Themes: If you've ever regretted not purchasing an item in past decorative themes, you'll have a chance to make up for lost time as three sets of items have been re-released: both sets of Alien decorations, along with the entire 1950's decoration set (to go along with the launch of the Sock Hop Catering Order).
3. Free Community Cook-Off Recipe: After asking fan page users what foods they like to eat at a BBQ, the developers have created a "Community Cook-Off" dish that's ours to keep and master long after this event ends. The dish costs 500 coins but takes just 30 minutes to cook. You'll receive 21 Cafe Points and 800 coins once you've completely served and sold out of a single dish. Level one of mastery comes at 20 servings.
4. Cafe Decorating Contest: For complete details about the contest, check out the game's forums. Basically, you'll need to create a themed cafe using those Alien and 1950's items I mentioned earlier. You have until September 12 to enter, and the top winners will receive 500, 200 and 100 Cafe Cash each, respectively.
5. Cafe World Trivia Contest: On August 27, Zynga will throw a Cafe World trivia contest on the Cafe World fan page. Each question will see two winners (with the correct answers) being given 50 Cafe Cash each.
6. Super Sliders are back: Super Sliders are once again available to cook. Each serving costs 15 coins to cook and is ready to serve after just five minutes. You'll receive 10 Cafe Points and 100 coins for each Super Sliders you serve.
While none of these updates may be game-changing, it is nice to have a bunch of bonuses, contests and other goodies to look forward to, rather than constantly worrying about completing goals and catering orders. We'll make sure to let you know if other items or bonuses are added before Chef Appreciation Week end, so keep checking back with us.
What do you think of the different features of Chef Appreciation Week? Will you try to master the Super Sliders before they expire again at the end of this event?
1. Free Instant Spices: Login at least once per day over the next two days (technically, tomorrow's prize doesn't launch until after 7PM EST, so you have plenty of time to earn today's prize if you haven't already played today), and you'll be given two Instant Spices, absolutely free. Remember, these spices will allow you to instantly complete the cooking time on any dish you currently have cooking.
2. Returning Decor Themes: If you've ever regretted not purchasing an item in past decorative themes, you'll have a chance to make up for lost time as three sets of items have been re-released: both sets of Alien decorations, along with the entire 1950's decoration set (to go along with the launch of the Sock Hop Catering Order).
3. Free Community Cook-Off Recipe: After asking fan page users what foods they like to eat at a BBQ, the developers have created a "Community Cook-Off" dish that's ours to keep and master long after this event ends. The dish costs 500 coins but takes just 30 minutes to cook. You'll receive 21 Cafe Points and 800 coins once you've completely served and sold out of a single dish. Level one of mastery comes at 20 servings.
4. Cafe Decorating Contest: For complete details about the contest, check out the game's forums. Basically, you'll need to create a themed cafe using those Alien and 1950's items I mentioned earlier. You have until September 12 to enter, and the top winners will receive 500, 200 and 100 Cafe Cash each, respectively.
5. Cafe World Trivia Contest: On August 27, Zynga will throw a Cafe World trivia contest on the Cafe World fan page. Each question will see two winners (with the correct answers) being given 50 Cafe Cash each.
6. Super Sliders are back: Super Sliders are once again available to cook. Each serving costs 15 coins to cook and is ready to serve after just five minutes. You'll receive 10 Cafe Points and 100 coins for each Super Sliders you serve.
While none of these updates may be game-changing, it is nice to have a bunch of bonuses, contests and other goodies to look forward to, rather than constantly worrying about completing goals and catering orders. We'll make sure to let you know if other items or bonuses are added before Chef Appreciation Week end, so keep checking back with us.
What do you think of the different features of Chef Appreciation Week? Will you try to master the Super Sliders before they expire again at the end of this event?
Farm Cash Goes Global: Zynga Game Cards invade Europe, Turkey
It's not just language that's been a barrier to Zynga's global domination (which as of late it seems to have mastered). International digital farmers need a way to pay, too. This is exactly why the company has announced partnerships with distributors in Europe and Turkey to dole out Zynga Game Cards to the masses, VentureBeat reports.
Euronet Worldwide's epay division will distribute the game cards across 18 European countries. More specifically, European fans looking for an in-game boost can find the cards in 276,000 retail spots and 588,000 kiosks spanning the U.K., France, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia, according to VentureBeat. Those who buy a Zynga Game Card from these locations will also score a free in-game gift.
In Turkey, mobile payment provider Mikro Ödeme will offer the prepaid cards for smaller increments of Turkish Lira. However, players can also pay through their mobile phones through services TurkCell and Turk Telekom. This is far from the first place Zynga has expanded its game cards. Most recently, Zynga Game Cards entered the Middle East and North Africa through Gate2Play, touched India through MOL and into Latin America through Mentez.
The FarmVille creator's quest to be the number one games company in the world takes more than just localization through language support, but allowing international players to pay up, too. According to VentureBeat, Zynga already has 12 games in 50 countries--only 146 countries to go.
Where do you think Zynga will expand to next both in games and payment platforms? Are you an international Zynga game fan without the option to buy things in-game yet?
Euronet Worldwide's epay division will distribute the game cards across 18 European countries. More specifically, European fans looking for an in-game boost can find the cards in 276,000 retail spots and 588,000 kiosks spanning the U.K., France, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia, according to VentureBeat. Those who buy a Zynga Game Card from these locations will also score a free in-game gift.
In Turkey, mobile payment provider Mikro Ödeme will offer the prepaid cards for smaller increments of Turkish Lira. However, players can also pay through their mobile phones through services TurkCell and Turk Telekom. This is far from the first place Zynga has expanded its game cards. Most recently, Zynga Game Cards entered the Middle East and North Africa through Gate2Play, touched India through MOL and into Latin America through Mentez.
The FarmVille creator's quest to be the number one games company in the world takes more than just localization through language support, but allowing international players to pay up, too. According to VentureBeat, Zynga already has 12 games in 50 countries--only 146 countries to go.
Where do you think Zynga will expand to next both in games and payment platforms? Are you an international Zynga game fan without the option to buy things in-game yet?
FrontierVille, Ravenwood Fair score multiple GDC Online Awards nominations
It's almost that time of year again when the social games industry comes together for one collective pat on the back: The Game Developers Choice Online Awards. The second annual ceremony will be held during the GDC Online event in Austin, Texas this October. This year's GDC Online Awards nominations include a litany of hot online games, but are largely dominated by two Facebook games: Zynga's FrontierVille and Ravenwood Fair by Lolapps.
Each of the two games came away with three nominations, bested only by Spiral Knights, a free-to-play MMO (massively multiplayer game) by SEGA and recently released on Steam. Chosen by a committee of 400 industry professionals, FrontierVille earned nominations for Best Social Network Game, Best Online Game Design and Best Audio For An Online Game. Ravenwood Fair scored nods in the exact same categories.
Both FrontierVille and Ravenwood Fair made it onto our list of the Top Facebook Games of 2010, so we're not terribly surprised by the two games possibly cleaning house at the awards. Speaking of which, the GDC Online Awards will be held Oct. 12, smack dab in the middle of the three-day long conference celebrating all things social games. Take a look at the full list of nominees:
Best Online Visual Arts
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Best Social Network Game
CityVille (Zynga)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Best Online Game Design
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zuma Blitz (Popcap)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Online Innovation
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Shadow Cities (Grey Area)
Empire Avenue (Empire Avenue)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zombie Lane (Digital Chocolate)
Best Online Technology
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
CityVille (Zynga)
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Lego Universe Online (The LEGO Group/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Best Community Relations
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
Minecraft (Mojang)
EA Sports FIFA Superstars (Playfish/EA)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Best Audio For An Online Game
Clone Wars Adventures (Sony Online Entertainment)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Best New Online Game
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Monster Galaxy (Gaia Online)
Best Live Game
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
Moshi Monsters (Mind Candy)
League Of Legends (Riot Games)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Minecraft (Mojang)
[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]
Which of the two most nominated Facebook do you hope will win? Are you hoping on a sleeper hit like Monster Galaxy to take the cake?
Each of the two games came away with three nominations, bested only by Spiral Knights, a free-to-play MMO (massively multiplayer game) by SEGA and recently released on Steam. Chosen by a committee of 400 industry professionals, FrontierVille earned nominations for Best Social Network Game, Best Online Game Design and Best Audio For An Online Game. Ravenwood Fair scored nods in the exact same categories.
Both FrontierVille and Ravenwood Fair made it onto our list of the Top Facebook Games of 2010, so we're not terribly surprised by the two games possibly cleaning house at the awards. Speaking of which, the GDC Online Awards will be held Oct. 12, smack dab in the middle of the three-day long conference celebrating all things social games. Take a look at the full list of nominees:
Best Online Visual Arts
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Best Social Network Game
CityVille (Zynga)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Best Online Game Design
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zuma Blitz (Popcap)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Online Innovation
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Shadow Cities (Grey Area)
Empire Avenue (Empire Avenue)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zombie Lane (Digital Chocolate)
Best Online Technology
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
CityVille (Zynga)
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Lego Universe Online (The LEGO Group/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Best Community Relations
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
Minecraft (Mojang)
EA Sports FIFA Superstars (Playfish/EA)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Best Audio For An Online Game
Clone Wars Adventures (Sony Online Entertainment)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Best New Online Game
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Monster Galaxy (Gaia Online)
Best Live Game
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
Moshi Monsters (Mind Candy)
League Of Legends (Riot Games)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Minecraft (Mojang)
[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]
Which of the two most nominated Facebook do you hope will win? Are you hoping on a sleeper hit like Monster Galaxy to take the cake?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
With 11.1 million daily players, it's clear why Zynga is down with mobile
CityVille creator Zynga has released 10 games across iOS and Android devices this year alone. (And that includes two varieties of CityVille and Words With Friends.) We all know that mobile is the future of gaming--and blah, blah, blah--but we still wondered why exactly Zynga has pushed mobile so hard. Well, how about the fact that it's drawn 11.1 million daily players?
That figure was revealed in the company's recently-amended filing with the US Security and Exchanges Commission, according to Inside Mobile Apps. This new number, which includes all Zynga games on mobile devices, marks pretty significant growth considering the developer had 9.9 million daily players last quarter ending September. According to IMA, Zynga's most lucrative games are still Zynga Poker and Words With Friends, but we'll chalk this growth up to the three HTML5 games the company released last month.
And while this number is certainly impressive, it's still a distant second to Rovio's Angry Birds, which is said to tout 30 million daily players across all mobile devices. It's no wonder rumors are spreading that Zynga has taken a liking to the Finnish game developer entertainment company. Just this week alone, Zynga has released CityVille Holidaytown and Dream Zoo, so you can likely expect the same crazy pace going into 2012.
[Via Columbus Examiner]
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Which of Zynga's mobile games are your favorite? Do you play more social games on your mobile device or on your computer?
That figure was revealed in the company's recently-amended filing with the US Security and Exchanges Commission, according to Inside Mobile Apps. This new number, which includes all Zynga games on mobile devices, marks pretty significant growth considering the developer had 9.9 million daily players last quarter ending September. According to IMA, Zynga's most lucrative games are still Zynga Poker and Words With Friends, but we'll chalk this growth up to the three HTML5 games the company released last month.
And while this number is certainly impressive, it's still a distant second to Rovio's Angry Birds, which is said to tout 30 million daily players across all mobile devices. It's no wonder rumors are spreading that Zynga has taken a liking to the Finnish game developer entertainment company. Just this week alone, Zynga has released CityVille Holidaytown and Dream Zoo, so you can likely expect the same crazy pace going into 2012.
[Via Columbus Examiner]
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Which of Zynga's mobile games are your favorite? Do you play more social games on your mobile device or on your computer?
Games.com Presents: Best of Black Friday -- PopCap, iPad and more
You don't have to wait until Cyber Monday to get good deals for casual and social games. Both Amazon and Apple are promising deep discounts on Friday for a slew of games, and we fully expect that Steam and a bunch of other online gaming outlets will follow through with other wallet friendly sales as well.
Games.com will be tracking Black Friday sales for the bigger social, casual and online games, so stay tuned for regular updates right here during Thanksgiving week.
Amazon - 300+ Casual Games for $1.99
The online retailer is offering 300+ casual games for $1.99 (and at least 50% off 150 downloads). Some of those games include Puzzle Quest, Mystery at Mortlake Mansion and Diner Dash 5: Boom. > Amazon Black Friday Deals Week
amazon black friday deals
Apple
Apple is promising a one-day shopping "event" on Black Friday for Mac, iPad and iPhone games. This might be your big chance to get the paid version of Angry Birds or Jetpack Joyride for mere pennies. Note: There will also be a rare sale on iPads as well. > Apple Store
black friday apple
Steam - New deals every day through Nov. 27
The annual Steam Autumn Sale is generally described as "epic," and you should expect no less with this year's sale, which kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 23 and ends on Sunday, Nov 27. And, there will be new deals every day. For instance, on Thursday, you can get the excellent Portal 2 (for PC) for roughly 10 bucks.
steam autumn sale
Other items of note: The PopCap Complete Pack (includes 32 PopCap games including Bejewled 3, Zuma's Revenge) is $50 (it's usually $100) This and more casual games like Hamilton's Great Adventure, Luxor: 5th Passage will be available for 50% off through Monday. > Steam Autumn Sale
Blizzard - Starcraft II for 50% off
blizzard starcraft II sale
Head to the Blizzard Store and get StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for $29.99 (that's 50% off regular price.) Deal ends on Monday, November 28 > Blizzard Store
PopCap - Get a FREE copy of original Zuma game through Tuesday, Nov 29
popcap free zuma
PopCap is giving away the original Zuma for free when you sign up for the newsletter. Once you sign up, you'll get a link to download the game in your email. This deal ends Tuesday, November 29. > PopCap Free Zuma
PlayFirst - 70% off Diner Dash and other Dash Games
playfirst black friday
The creator of Diner Dash is offering 70% off all Dash games (standard edition only) through 11/28. So, if you've been wanting to work on your time management skills, you can get Diner Dash 5: Boom!, Hotel Dash 2 and Soap Opera Dash for $2.99 a pop. Use the code Dash 299 when checking out. Sale ends on Monday, 11/28. > PlayFirst
GameHouse - 2-for-1 Thanksgiving Sale
GameHouse is offering up to 64% on bundled games. The big winners are the Peggle Double Pack and for Twihards, the Vampire Saga Double Pack. > GameHouse 2-for-1 Thanksgiving games sale
Youda Games Black Friday sale
youda games
Youda Games is offering a discount on a handful of games, such as Youda Farmer 2 and Youda Fisherman, on Friday only. > Youda Games
Nexon - Limited time sales in Maple Story and other games on Friday
- MapleStory will have a slew of Black Friday doorbusters starting on Friday, in the form of three-hour sales that will pop up four times during the day.
nexon black friday deals
- MapleStory Adventures players will get a 30% discount on all pets on Black Friday and Cyber Monday will have deep discounts on "stylish outfits." Hairstyles, hats, coats and gloves will be 20% off all weekend.
- Dungeon Fighter Online, Combat Arms, Mabinogi, Atlantica Online will also have Black Friday deals, for more info on all of these sales go to Nexon's web site. > Nexon.net
Gameloft
gameloft thanksgiving sale
The mobile phone game publisher is giving away one free Android game every day through Monday. To get your free game, follow @GameloftAndroid on Twitter and keep your eyes peeled for the details (FYI -- the sale will only last two hours). Miss the big announcement? Gameloft will be offering discounts on Android games (through a special link posted on Twitter) and also has an iOS sale in the works on the website. > @GameloftAndroid on Twitter , Gameloft.com
Stay tuned for more updates on this Black Friday Guide for social and casual games. If you know if a great Black Friday sale for a social/casual game, drop us a line at editors@games.com.
Games.com will be tracking Black Friday sales for the bigger social, casual and online games, so stay tuned for regular updates right here during Thanksgiving week.
Amazon - 300+ Casual Games for $1.99
The online retailer is offering 300+ casual games for $1.99 (and at least 50% off 150 downloads). Some of those games include Puzzle Quest, Mystery at Mortlake Mansion and Diner Dash 5: Boom. > Amazon Black Friday Deals Week
amazon black friday deals
Apple
Apple is promising a one-day shopping "event" on Black Friday for Mac, iPad and iPhone games. This might be your big chance to get the paid version of Angry Birds or Jetpack Joyride for mere pennies. Note: There will also be a rare sale on iPads as well. > Apple Store
black friday apple
Steam - New deals every day through Nov. 27
The annual Steam Autumn Sale is generally described as "epic," and you should expect no less with this year's sale, which kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 23 and ends on Sunday, Nov 27. And, there will be new deals every day. For instance, on Thursday, you can get the excellent Portal 2 (for PC) for roughly 10 bucks.
steam autumn sale
Other items of note: The PopCap Complete Pack (includes 32 PopCap games including Bejewled 3, Zuma's Revenge) is $50 (it's usually $100) This and more casual games like Hamilton's Great Adventure, Luxor: 5th Passage will be available for 50% off through Monday. > Steam Autumn Sale
Blizzard - Starcraft II for 50% off
blizzard starcraft II sale
Head to the Blizzard Store and get StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for $29.99 (that's 50% off regular price.) Deal ends on Monday, November 28 > Blizzard Store
PopCap - Get a FREE copy of original Zuma game through Tuesday, Nov 29
popcap free zuma
PopCap is giving away the original Zuma for free when you sign up for the newsletter. Once you sign up, you'll get a link to download the game in your email. This deal ends Tuesday, November 29. > PopCap Free Zuma
PlayFirst - 70% off Diner Dash and other Dash Games
playfirst black friday
The creator of Diner Dash is offering 70% off all Dash games (standard edition only) through 11/28. So, if you've been wanting to work on your time management skills, you can get Diner Dash 5: Boom!, Hotel Dash 2 and Soap Opera Dash for $2.99 a pop. Use the code Dash 299 when checking out. Sale ends on Monday, 11/28. > PlayFirst
GameHouse - 2-for-1 Thanksgiving Sale
GameHouse is offering up to 64% on bundled games. The big winners are the Peggle Double Pack and for Twihards, the Vampire Saga Double Pack. > GameHouse 2-for-1 Thanksgiving games sale
Youda Games Black Friday sale
youda games
Youda Games is offering a discount on a handful of games, such as Youda Farmer 2 and Youda Fisherman, on Friday only. > Youda Games
Nexon - Limited time sales in Maple Story and other games on Friday
- MapleStory will have a slew of Black Friday doorbusters starting on Friday, in the form of three-hour sales that will pop up four times during the day.
nexon black friday deals
- MapleStory Adventures players will get a 30% discount on all pets on Black Friday and Cyber Monday will have deep discounts on "stylish outfits." Hairstyles, hats, coats and gloves will be 20% off all weekend.
- Dungeon Fighter Online, Combat Arms, Mabinogi, Atlantica Online will also have Black Friday deals, for more info on all of these sales go to Nexon's web site. > Nexon.net
Gameloft
gameloft thanksgiving sale
The mobile phone game publisher is giving away one free Android game every day through Monday. To get your free game, follow @GameloftAndroid on Twitter and keep your eyes peeled for the details (FYI -- the sale will only last two hours). Miss the big announcement? Gameloft will be offering discounts on Android games (through a special link posted on Twitter) and also has an iOS sale in the works on the website. > @GameloftAndroid on Twitter , Gameloft.com
Stay tuned for more updates on this Black Friday Guide for social and casual games. If you know if a great Black Friday sale for a social/casual game, drop us a line at editors@games.com.
Disney's cleaning house, Playdom's ESPNU College Town is next
Did you get the email too? Social City--um, never mind--Gardens of Time maker Playdom has announced in a mass email sent to players that ESPNU College Town will be closed for good this Dec. 20. According to the message (the game features a truncated version), Playdom feels that the game has run its course." And players already appear quite upset in the forums.
No information has been given on whether players will be able to transfer their existing premium in-game currency to another Playdom game nor whether players will be reimbursed for their money spent. And that fact seems to have players more upset than anything.
"What a waste for everyone who ever did anything with this game," player Dean, Johnstown State writes. "I'm ashamed I ever signed up. Get an email saying I was one of the game's best, well, I hate myself for the money I spent playing this POS game and what it became and, now, how it's going out."
ESPNU College Town was one of the first major branding attempts in Facebook games, which enjoyed considerable success in 2010. And, at least as far as we know, ESPNU was the first social game to receive TV advertisement. As of this writing, the game welcomes just 150,000 monthly players and 20,000 daily players, according to AppData.
ESPNU College Town Closing Notice
This is the second game this week alone to get the axe, following Social City. A lack of players is certainly the primary reason, but you can imagine that Disney is looking to make room for its upcoming Facebook games to be developed by Playdom. It looks like the company's new social games head is already hard at work.
Were you a long time ESPNU College Town fan? How do you think Playdom should handle the shutting down of these games, and do you plan on picking up any other Playdom games?
No information has been given on whether players will be able to transfer their existing premium in-game currency to another Playdom game nor whether players will be reimbursed for their money spent. And that fact seems to have players more upset than anything.
"What a waste for everyone who ever did anything with this game," player Dean, Johnstown State writes. "I'm ashamed I ever signed up. Get an email saying I was one of the game's best, well, I hate myself for the money I spent playing this POS game and what it became and, now, how it's going out."
ESPNU College Town was one of the first major branding attempts in Facebook games, which enjoyed considerable success in 2010. And, at least as far as we know, ESPNU was the first social game to receive TV advertisement. As of this writing, the game welcomes just 150,000 monthly players and 20,000 daily players, according to AppData.
ESPNU College Town Closing Notice
This is the second game this week alone to get the axe, following Social City. A lack of players is certainly the primary reason, but you can imagine that Disney is looking to make room for its upcoming Facebook games to be developed by Playdom. It looks like the company's new social games head is already hard at work.
Were you a long time ESPNU College Town fan? How do you think Playdom should handle the shutting down of these games, and do you plan on picking up any other Playdom games?
In case your life somehow lacks zombies, Zombie Lane is on iOS
In 2011 alone, pop culture has provided all the training videos and simulators we'll ever need to survive the zombie apocalypse. Keeping with that lovely tradition, Millionaire City maker Digital Chocolate launched its second most popular social game, Zombie Lane, to iPhone and iPad. This mobile version looks nearly identical to its Facebook counterpart, though it is undoubtedly a visual upgrade to the original.
"Zombie Lane has been a hit game on Facebook - with 17 million cumulative users so far eliminating more than 6 billion Zombies," Digital Chocolate president Marc Metis said in a release. "Players are looking to play on their device at their convenience and on their terms, and Zombie Lane for Apple mobile devices lets them do that with the best of all the Zombie games on these platforms."
Zombie Lane on iPhone in action
However, the pocket variety of Zombie Lane looks and sounds as if it plays exactly as it does on Facebook, based on these first screen shots. Players can enlist the help of their friends through Facebook Connect and Game Center to fend off encroaching cadavers as they rebuild their homes in the midst of the zombie invasion. (Sound familiar?) With an interface that's nearly indistinguishable from the web version, we can't help but think this is the same game, but tinier and prettier.
That could be exactly what players are looking for, but between The Walking Dead, Zombie Misfits, the numerous zombie games on consoles and even Zombie Lane on Facebook we unfortunately doubt that. Perhaps the already-teased Downtown feature will provide that twist we're all clamoring for. And it's free, so what the hey?
Click here to download Zombie Lane on iPhone or iPad for Free Now >
Are you a fan of Zombie Lane for Facebook? Are you psyched to try the game on iPhone, or are you slowly coming down with zombie fatigue?
"Zombie Lane has been a hit game on Facebook - with 17 million cumulative users so far eliminating more than 6 billion Zombies," Digital Chocolate president Marc Metis said in a release. "Players are looking to play on their device at their convenience and on their terms, and Zombie Lane for Apple mobile devices lets them do that with the best of all the Zombie games on these platforms."
Zombie Lane on iPhone in action
However, the pocket variety of Zombie Lane looks and sounds as if it plays exactly as it does on Facebook, based on these first screen shots. Players can enlist the help of their friends through Facebook Connect and Game Center to fend off encroaching cadavers as they rebuild their homes in the midst of the zombie invasion. (Sound familiar?) With an interface that's nearly indistinguishable from the web version, we can't help but think this is the same game, but tinier and prettier.
That could be exactly what players are looking for, but between The Walking Dead, Zombie Misfits, the numerous zombie games on consoles and even Zombie Lane on Facebook we unfortunately doubt that. Perhaps the already-teased Downtown feature will provide that twist we're all clamoring for. And it's free, so what the hey?
Click here to download Zombie Lane on iPhone or iPad for Free Now >
Are you a fan of Zombie Lane for Facebook? Are you psyched to try the game on iPhone, or are you slowly coming down with zombie fatigue?
Monday, December 12, 2011
Zynga: Mafia Wars is not connected to Air Force drone fleet virus
It seems that Zynga's Mafia Wars might not have anything to do with this Air Force drone scare, after all. Speaking to Kotaku, Zynga Chief Security Officer Nils Puhlmann said, "We have no indications that suggest Zynga's Mafia Wars was connected with the malware that infected the Pentagon's drone program."
Earlier this week, an anonymous defense official told the Associated Press that the virus that has infected the hard drives of remote cockpits used to pilot Air Force drones "is routinely used to steal log-in and password data from people who gamble or play games like Mafia Wars online." While the official simply name-dropped Mafia Wars, it seemed terribly specific.
However, Zynga's Puhlmann said to Kotaku, "We actively take steps to maintain and protect the trust of our customers, including educating our players about the risks associated with visiting untrusted sites and downloading untrusted applications. Both of those actions can increase the risk of getting infected with malware."
The malware that infected the cockpits' hard drives was first found on a connected thumb drive, but according to Air Force Space Command spokesperson Colonel Kathleen Cook, the malware has since been isolated and has not affected the drones directly. While it's possible that the drone crews weren't specifically playing Mafia Wars while said thumb drive was connected to either a personal or military PC, the malware was likely designed to attack social networks with such games on them.
According to Cook, the malware was found on a stand-alone, Windows-based support network and was considered a nuisance rather than a threat. However, the origins of the malware have yet to be determined, only narrowed slightly. Whether a social network website like Facebook was accessed through a military computer with the drive connected, or the infected drive was used on a personal computer, is still a mystery.
[Image Credit: Sky News]
Now that Zynga has made a statement looking to clear things up, what do you think might have caused the virus? Have you ever logged into Facebook while at work or played a social game at work?
Earlier this week, an anonymous defense official told the Associated Press that the virus that has infected the hard drives of remote cockpits used to pilot Air Force drones "is routinely used to steal log-in and password data from people who gamble or play games like Mafia Wars online." While the official simply name-dropped Mafia Wars, it seemed terribly specific.
However, Zynga's Puhlmann said to Kotaku, "We actively take steps to maintain and protect the trust of our customers, including educating our players about the risks associated with visiting untrusted sites and downloading untrusted applications. Both of those actions can increase the risk of getting infected with malware."
The malware that infected the cockpits' hard drives was first found on a connected thumb drive, but according to Air Force Space Command spokesperson Colonel Kathleen Cook, the malware has since been isolated and has not affected the drones directly. While it's possible that the drone crews weren't specifically playing Mafia Wars while said thumb drive was connected to either a personal or military PC, the malware was likely designed to attack social networks with such games on them.
According to Cook, the malware was found on a stand-alone, Windows-based support network and was considered a nuisance rather than a threat. However, the origins of the malware have yet to be determined, only narrowed slightly. Whether a social network website like Facebook was accessed through a military computer with the drive connected, or the infected drive was used on a personal computer, is still a mystery.
[Image Credit: Sky News]
Now that Zynga has made a statement looking to clear things up, what do you think might have caused the virus? Have you ever logged into Facebook while at work or played a social game at work?
AddictingGames on iPhone: A fine collection of quirky time-wasters
For those of you out of the loop: AddictingGames (AG) has been around for a long, long time. How many of you remember toiling away on its litany of Flash-based casual games way back in high school? (You know, when you should have been paying attention in computer class?) Yep, it's been that long. Now, with the advent of those fancy iOS devices, Nickelodeon's AG has released a version of its suite of time-killers hot on the heels of AG's arrival on Facebook this past spring.
Of course, the app and all 18 games within it are absolutely free. Staples like Achoo!, Catopult, Bustin Blocks and Happy Clicks are joined by a game developed exclusively for the AG iOS app, Potty Copter. This next entry in AG Potty franchise takes on the popular if specific "helicopter in a tunnel" sub genre ... only you're guiding an airborne porta-potty. But, according to Nickelodeon Games VP of Product and Marketing John vanSuchtelen, this is just the beginning.
"We're looking at this as sort of a Best of AG app," vanSuchtelen tells us. "We think the sum of [AddictingGames's] parts is greater than any individual piece. Our goal with AddictingGames is to make it a starting point for a multifaceted gaming experience, no matter what platform you're on."
The AG app for iOS (an iPad-optimized version is in the works, we're told) is the next logical step in the company's mission to bring the over 4,000 games on the platform to everywhere casual gamers are getting their fix these days. But simply releasing a collecting of 18 of AG's best games--of those that would work on mobile, of course--wasn't enough for vanSuchtelen. The app had to ... feel right.
"What we're hearing from the audience is, 'There's constantly something new I gotta' see, it's gotta' be easy to use and it's just got to be updated all the time,'" vanSuchtelen explains. "This really plays to AG's core strength, which is that on both AG.com and AG Facebook there is something new to discover, because we're always putting new games up all the time."
Gallery: AddictingGames on iPhone
AG decided that, to emulate the feeling of having new games appear all the time, it had to work around Apple's terribly specific process for how an app is updated through the App Store. So, vanSuchtelen tell us that the AG for iOS app will be updated on a near-monthly basis with new games, but those games will release over the course of said month. More specifically, AG plans to add more topical games. For instance, three Halloween-themed games are already slated to hit the app by the end of October.
But what appears to be even more important to AG and Nickelodeon is that AG for iOS becomes a social experience. At the moment, players can log into Facebook through the app to share their high scores with friends. You can also share games that you've found, encouraging your friends to join them and perhaps try to beat your high score. At launch, this doesn't serve much purpose, as new games have yet to be added, but this feature could become more prominent as new games are introduced.
Potty Copter
AG has big plans for the social features within the app like Facebook friend-driven leader boards (including the several achievements found in each game), turn-based games between Facebook friends and new game discovery based on what your friends are into. Regardless of the company's ambitions, the Facebook Connect function is tough to find, and isn't as prominent as you'd imagine given the company's aspirations for it.
Social gamers aren't going to find the level of social features they might in some of Facebook's top casual games like Bejeweled Blitz at launch. But if AG plans on updating the app monthly, then this could certainly change. What's most striking about AG for iOS is how closely it resembles a game platform in and of itself already. Sure, most of AG's games are simple if entertaining physics-based diversions and the like, but isn't that what you're looking for while in line at the grocery store?
Click here to download AddictingGames for iPhone and iPod Touch for Free Now >
What do you think of AddictingGames on Facebook and now iOS? Which AG games do you think should be added to the app next?
Of course, the app and all 18 games within it are absolutely free. Staples like Achoo!, Catopult, Bustin Blocks and Happy Clicks are joined by a game developed exclusively for the AG iOS app, Potty Copter. This next entry in AG Potty franchise takes on the popular if specific "helicopter in a tunnel" sub genre ... only you're guiding an airborne porta-potty. But, according to Nickelodeon Games VP of Product and Marketing John vanSuchtelen, this is just the beginning.
"We're looking at this as sort of a Best of AG app," vanSuchtelen tells us. "We think the sum of [AddictingGames's] parts is greater than any individual piece. Our goal with AddictingGames is to make it a starting point for a multifaceted gaming experience, no matter what platform you're on."
The AG app for iOS (an iPad-optimized version is in the works, we're told) is the next logical step in the company's mission to bring the over 4,000 games on the platform to everywhere casual gamers are getting their fix these days. But simply releasing a collecting of 18 of AG's best games--of those that would work on mobile, of course--wasn't enough for vanSuchtelen. The app had to ... feel right.
"What we're hearing from the audience is, 'There's constantly something new I gotta' see, it's gotta' be easy to use and it's just got to be updated all the time,'" vanSuchtelen explains. "This really plays to AG's core strength, which is that on both AG.com and AG Facebook there is something new to discover, because we're always putting new games up all the time."
Gallery: AddictingGames on iPhone
AG decided that, to emulate the feeling of having new games appear all the time, it had to work around Apple's terribly specific process for how an app is updated through the App Store. So, vanSuchtelen tell us that the AG for iOS app will be updated on a near-monthly basis with new games, but those games will release over the course of said month. More specifically, AG plans to add more topical games. For instance, three Halloween-themed games are already slated to hit the app by the end of October.
But what appears to be even more important to AG and Nickelodeon is that AG for iOS becomes a social experience. At the moment, players can log into Facebook through the app to share their high scores with friends. You can also share games that you've found, encouraging your friends to join them and perhaps try to beat your high score. At launch, this doesn't serve much purpose, as new games have yet to be added, but this feature could become more prominent as new games are introduced.
Potty Copter
AG has big plans for the social features within the app like Facebook friend-driven leader boards (including the several achievements found in each game), turn-based games between Facebook friends and new game discovery based on what your friends are into. Regardless of the company's ambitions, the Facebook Connect function is tough to find, and isn't as prominent as you'd imagine given the company's aspirations for it.
Social gamers aren't going to find the level of social features they might in some of Facebook's top casual games like Bejeweled Blitz at launch. But if AG plans on updating the app monthly, then this could certainly change. What's most striking about AG for iOS is how closely it resembles a game platform in and of itself already. Sure, most of AG's games are simple if entertaining physics-based diversions and the like, but isn't that what you're looking for while in line at the grocery store?
Click here to download AddictingGames for iPhone and iPod Touch for Free Now >
What do you think of AddictingGames on Facebook and now iOS? Which AG games do you think should be added to the app next?
Game of the Day: Snow Lemmings
"Hey dude."
"Hey man, you have something on your shoulder, let me get that for y- WHOAAA!"
And that's how it all started. Two snow lemmings on a cliff take one wrong step and are sent careening down the snowy slopes. Maneuver the runaway lemming snowball to pick up additional lemmings. Carefully dodge trees and boulders to save the lemmings from their almost certain doom. Can you save the lemmings after their deadly slip?
Click here to play Snow Lemmings!
snow lemmings game of the day snow lemmings game of the day
Pro Tips:
Don't go too fast! While still a beginner, go slowly down the course. Once you get a feel for how the lemmings handle you can start zooming down the mountain.
When you see a tree warning, slow down and wait for a piece of flat ground before the tree. Leap off that bit of ground, hold forward, and clear it with ease.
When you see a boulder, try to jump over it without touching it at all. If you don't think you're going to clear it, simply hit it from behind once. This will prevent you from losing lemmings down the mountain when you get repeatedly hit by the boulder.
Click here to play Snow Lemmings!
Were you able to make it safely to the bottom of the mountain?
"Hey man, you have something on your shoulder, let me get that for y- WHOAAA!"
And that's how it all started. Two snow lemmings on a cliff take one wrong step and are sent careening down the snowy slopes. Maneuver the runaway lemming snowball to pick up additional lemmings. Carefully dodge trees and boulders to save the lemmings from their almost certain doom. Can you save the lemmings after their deadly slip?
Click here to play Snow Lemmings!
snow lemmings game of the day snow lemmings game of the day
Pro Tips:
Don't go too fast! While still a beginner, go slowly down the course. Once you get a feel for how the lemmings handle you can start zooming down the mountain.
When you see a tree warning, slow down and wait for a piece of flat ground before the tree. Leap off that bit of ground, hold forward, and clear it with ease.
When you see a boulder, try to jump over it without touching it at all. If you don't think you're going to clear it, simply hit it from behind once. This will prevent you from losing lemmings down the mountain when you get repeatedly hit by the boulder.
Click here to play Snow Lemmings!
Were you able to make it safely to the bottom of the mountain?
Namco Bandai, DeNA to tell a social tale with Tales of Kizna for Mobage
Namco Bandai has as bad a case of sequelitis with its Tales series that Square Enix has with its Final Fantasy franchise. Marking the 14th (seriously) game in the series, the publisher announced that Tales of Kizna will launch on DeNA's Mobage. Slated to release only on Japan's version of the popular mobile social game network, KLab Ltd is handling the game's creation.
The Tales series of Namco RPGs (role-playing games) always takes on a heavy Japanese anime aesthetic with real-time combat and deep, twisting plots, but Tales of Kizna will have players battle enemies cooperatively using character cards. And since the game will feature characters spanning the entirety of the franchise, we're expecting a much lighter story this time.
Players, as with most social games, will have the option to join guilds and form parties to do battle with one another. On paper at least, the game sounds a whole lot like a mobile Mafia Wars, but with a card game as its combat system. Tales of Kizna is due out on Japan's Mobage network this November, and Japanese fans of the series can pre-register for the game right now.
We imagine this game marks the start of Namco Bandai's joint venture with the social gaming giant, BDNA Inc. DeNA has reportedly had trouble gaining a foothold in the U.S. and abroad with its Android version of Mobage. But to help move that along (as its main competitor, Gree, gets a move on with OpenFeint), the company has reigned in some big time developers. For one, No More Heroes maker Grasshopper Manufacture looks to bring the bloodiest social game to date to Mobage in Japan and abroad.
[Via Gamasutra]
Do you think such a niche RPG will do well on DeNA's Mobage network? Do you wish DeNA and its competitors would bring such games stateside and elsewhere?
The Tales series of Namco RPGs (role-playing games) always takes on a heavy Japanese anime aesthetic with real-time combat and deep, twisting plots, but Tales of Kizna will have players battle enemies cooperatively using character cards. And since the game will feature characters spanning the entirety of the franchise, we're expecting a much lighter story this time.
Players, as with most social games, will have the option to join guilds and form parties to do battle with one another. On paper at least, the game sounds a whole lot like a mobile Mafia Wars, but with a card game as its combat system. Tales of Kizna is due out on Japan's Mobage network this November, and Japanese fans of the series can pre-register for the game right now.
We imagine this game marks the start of Namco Bandai's joint venture with the social gaming giant, BDNA Inc. DeNA has reportedly had trouble gaining a foothold in the U.S. and abroad with its Android version of Mobage. But to help move that along (as its main competitor, Gree, gets a move on with OpenFeint), the company has reigned in some big time developers. For one, No More Heroes maker Grasshopper Manufacture looks to bring the bloodiest social game to date to Mobage in Japan and abroad.
[Via Gamasutra]
Do you think such a niche RPG will do well on DeNA's Mobage network? Do you wish DeNA and its competitors would bring such games stateside and elsewhere?
Buy Facebook Credits from Walmart, score sweet The Sims Social items
Sometimes, it's plenty worth it to step foot into a Walmart. EA and Playfish are working with Facebook to grant you some fun exclusive items in The Sims Social. Well, there is one catch: You're gonna' have to buy some Facebook Credits. We know, some of you might cringe at the thought of spending real money on digital products within a free game, but maybe hear the guys out.
From now through Dec. 26, 2011, if you pick up a $15 Facebook Credits gift card from Walmart, you'll receive one of three in-game items of your choice. While we don't know exactly what those items are just yet, we can imagine that they're pretty darn awesome. (Well, you are paying up 15 clams.)
To find a Walmart near you either look out the window, or head over to this page for a store locator. Just type in your zip code and you're good to go. And you'll know exactly which card to buy, because they'll, well, look like that. And what do you know--the Dec. 26, 2011 expiration date on this deal makes these cards quite the nifty stocking stuffer, no?
Have you ever bought in-game items for your favorite Facebook game? Would you ever buy them as a gift for a friend or loved one?
From now through Dec. 26, 2011, if you pick up a $15 Facebook Credits gift card from Walmart, you'll receive one of three in-game items of your choice. While we don't know exactly what those items are just yet, we can imagine that they're pretty darn awesome. (Well, you are paying up 15 clams.)
To find a Walmart near you either look out the window, or head over to this page for a store locator. Just type in your zip code and you're good to go. And you'll know exactly which card to buy, because they'll, well, look like that. And what do you know--the Dec. 26, 2011 expiration date on this deal makes these cards quite the nifty stocking stuffer, no?
Have you ever bought in-game items for your favorite Facebook game? Would you ever buy them as a gift for a friend or loved one?
How Bejeweled Blitz brought two gamers in love to say 'I do'
Oh, you must be wondering about that massive cubic zirconium diamond ring right there. Inspired by the story of Chris and Laura Sheriff of Lexington Park, Md., PopCap sent the couple that enormous rock in celebration of their first anniversary. No, the studio didn't just find two newlyweds to send a gargantuan ring to--the Sheriffs have Bejeweled to thank for their union.
Well, at least a little bit. You see, Chris is a gaming fanatic, while Laura tends to dabble in casual games, namely Bejeweled Blitz. But Chris was never above toppling her scores even between his Call of Duty sessions. "He almost always manages to beat me at Bejeweled Blitz but that one week, I was on fire," Laura told PopCap. "I racked up a score of over 600,000 which is a lot for me-my highest score ever is 775,000."
Alas, Chris wasn't on his A-game that week. "I hit that score early in the week and then I watched as Chris tried and tried right up until the last minute to beat me," Laura said. "But he just couldn't top my score. The next day, he surprised me with a proposal, saying that he knew I was the one for him after I trounced him at Bejeweled Blitz."
It almost goes without saying that the two were officially husband and wife eight months later. The Sheriffs are now the proud, hard-working parents of two children, which has certainly changed their competitive gaming habits. "I think that when we do play now, its more of a planned escape rather than just a random playing," Laura tell us. "I'm just a casual gamer--I still think the original NES is the best thing ever--so I mostly play the puzzle games like Zuma and Bejeweled. Chris is a more serious gamer. He's even got my 9 year old shooting Nazi Zombies with him in Call of Duty."
The Sheriff'sEven nearly two years later, however, the competition thrives. "I have beat Chris quite a few times at Bejeweled Blitz, mainly because he'll play at the beginning of the week and get a 'good enough' score, and I'll spend the rest of the week trying to beat him," Laura admits. "We do, however, own Bejeweled 3 on our PC at home, and I hold most of the high scores in the different categories for that one."
And after all this time, it's the connections that keep Laura hooked on social games like Bejeweled Blitz. "I really like the social games because they let me keep in friendly competition with a lot of my friends," Laura says. "People I rarely talk to anymore play Bejeweled, Zuma and other games, but I always see them on my leader board and might send them 'jabber' every once in awhile to let them know I'm paying attention. It's always nice to have someone to play against and to have a goal to beat."
Of course, we couldn't help but ask about that gargantuan, um, diamond. Laura gushed, "The gem the people at PopCap sent to us is just amazing. We really couldn't be more pleased. I actually put the ring on my finger and asked Chris why he couldn't get me a diamond that big. His response was, 'Well, duh, I did. Without me, you wouldn't have gotten it.'" Touché, Chris, touché.
Do you and your significant other enjoy some friendly competition in Bejeweled Blitz or any other social games? Do you have any video game-inspired love stories of your own?
Well, at least a little bit. You see, Chris is a gaming fanatic, while Laura tends to dabble in casual games, namely Bejeweled Blitz. But Chris was never above toppling her scores even between his Call of Duty sessions. "He almost always manages to beat me at Bejeweled Blitz but that one week, I was on fire," Laura told PopCap. "I racked up a score of over 600,000 which is a lot for me-my highest score ever is 775,000."
Alas, Chris wasn't on his A-game that week. "I hit that score early in the week and then I watched as Chris tried and tried right up until the last minute to beat me," Laura said. "But he just couldn't top my score. The next day, he surprised me with a proposal, saying that he knew I was the one for him after I trounced him at Bejeweled Blitz."
It almost goes without saying that the two were officially husband and wife eight months later. The Sheriffs are now the proud, hard-working parents of two children, which has certainly changed their competitive gaming habits. "I think that when we do play now, its more of a planned escape rather than just a random playing," Laura tell us. "I'm just a casual gamer--I still think the original NES is the best thing ever--so I mostly play the puzzle games like Zuma and Bejeweled. Chris is a more serious gamer. He's even got my 9 year old shooting Nazi Zombies with him in Call of Duty."
The Sheriff'sEven nearly two years later, however, the competition thrives. "I have beat Chris quite a few times at Bejeweled Blitz, mainly because he'll play at the beginning of the week and get a 'good enough' score, and I'll spend the rest of the week trying to beat him," Laura admits. "We do, however, own Bejeweled 3 on our PC at home, and I hold most of the high scores in the different categories for that one."
And after all this time, it's the connections that keep Laura hooked on social games like Bejeweled Blitz. "I really like the social games because they let me keep in friendly competition with a lot of my friends," Laura says. "People I rarely talk to anymore play Bejeweled, Zuma and other games, but I always see them on my leader board and might send them 'jabber' every once in awhile to let them know I'm paying attention. It's always nice to have someone to play against and to have a goal to beat."
Of course, we couldn't help but ask about that gargantuan, um, diamond. Laura gushed, "The gem the people at PopCap sent to us is just amazing. We really couldn't be more pleased. I actually put the ring on my finger and asked Chris why he couldn't get me a diamond that big. His response was, 'Well, duh, I did. Without me, you wouldn't have gotten it.'" Touché, Chris, touché.
Do you and your significant other enjoy some friendly competition in Bejeweled Blitz or any other social games? Do you have any video game-inspired love stories of your own?
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