Check out the trailer for Zynga's FrontierVille.
Click here to learn more about this new wild west themed Facebook game.
Thứ Tư, 15 tháng 2, 2012
FrontierVille Cheats & Tips: Four easy ways to get ahead
frontierville on facebook
Zynga's wild west game FrontierVille launches on Facebook today, and we asked Brian Reynolds, Zynga's chief game designer to give us a few tips on how to get a leg up on turning your wilderness property into a bustling frontier town.
1. "Every time you go and visit a neighbor you can get a little bit of energy back. The more energy you have, the more things you can do. That kind of combines with getting more reputation and then getting more energy."
2. "The other things that happens: Little stories and goals appear now and then, and make sure you take a look at those, because those have good bonuses at the end."
3. When you hire friends with a higher reputation, you get more money.
4. "Eventually, you might be able to figure out where the snakes come from. If you look under a skull, there's often a snake. The fun thing about a snake is that you get a whole bunch of bonuses for getting rid of a snake. So it can actually be really good to -- if you want to get a lot of stuff -- go looking for snakes."
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Zynga's wild west game FrontierVille launches on Facebook today, and we asked Brian Reynolds, Zynga's chief game designer to give us a few tips on how to get a leg up on turning your wilderness property into a bustling frontier town.
1. "Every time you go and visit a neighbor you can get a little bit of energy back. The more energy you have, the more things you can do. That kind of combines with getting more reputation and then getting more energy."
2. "The other things that happens: Little stories and goals appear now and then, and make sure you take a look at those, because those have good bonuses at the end."
3. When you hire friends with a higher reputation, you get more money.
4. "Eventually, you might be able to figure out where the snakes come from. If you look under a skull, there's often a snake. The fun thing about a snake is that you get a whole bunch of bonuses for getting rid of a snake. So it can actually be really good to -- if you want to get a lot of stuff -- go looking for snakes."
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Viximo taking social games beyond Facebook and Myspace
"Beyond Facebook?" I can almost hear millions (thousands? hundreds? tens?) of our readers crying out. "There are social networks besides Facebook?" Indeed there are, and I'm not just talking about MySpace, either. There are dozens of smaller social networks out there eager for games, just as there are dozens of social game developers looking to diversify away from Facebook's iron grip.
The problem: Most of these social game developers probably don't want to go through the trouble of customizing their games for dozens of different social networks, each with their own technical, submission and payment guidelines. This is where three-year-old Viximo comes in. Today, they announced the launch of a unified platform that lets developers submit a game once, to Viximo, to be deployed to dozens of social networks Viximo has partnered with, including Blackplanet.com, Quepasa.com and Zorpia.com.
While none of these partner networks rival the size or exposure of a Facebook or MySpace, together they represent tens of millions of potential new players for any given game. And anything that makes social gaming less synonymous with the world's largest (but not only!) social network is fine by us.
The problem: Most of these social game developers probably don't want to go through the trouble of customizing their games for dozens of different social networks, each with their own technical, submission and payment guidelines. This is where three-year-old Viximo comes in. Today, they announced the launch of a unified platform that lets developers submit a game once, to Viximo, to be deployed to dozens of social networks Viximo has partnered with, including Blackplanet.com, Quepasa.com and Zorpia.com.
While none of these partner networks rival the size or exposure of a Facebook or MySpace, together they represent tens of millions of potential new players for any given game. And anything that makes social gaming less synonymous with the world's largest (but not only!) social network is fine by us.
FrontierVille: Everything you need to know
frontierville
Prepare to embark on a brand new adventure with FrontierVille on Facebook. Zynga's new wild west themed game has all of us aspiring pioneers headed towards the Pacific to start our very own frontier towns. You'll work the land, start a family, build cottages, decorate your town, and help your neighbors endure the hardships of the west. Before you know it you'll have conquered the wilderness and established a first-rate town out in the wild west.
However, getting to that point won't be easy, there's a ton of features packed into FrontierVille. Fortunately, we have everything you need to know about FrontierVille to have your town flourishing in no time.
frontierville create a character
Welcome to the West
Before starting a new life out on the frontier, you'll have to create a character. The straightforward system lets you recreate your FarmVille player with all the same hair styles, smiles, and eyes. In addition, FrontierVille offers a bunch of western themed features and clothing to make your character fit the period. I decided to go traditional western with a large wild-man mustache and cowboy attire. My character is certainly not happy, he knows there are hard times ahead before he can relax in our bustling frontier town. Perhaps I'll change his mouth to a smile later on.
Energy and Goals
In FrontierVille you need energy to do everything. Most actions require one energy. However, like in Treasure Isle, FrontierVille gives you a very limited amount of energy. At the beginning, the scarcity of energy preventing you from playing the new game may frustrate you. But if you used wisely, following our tips, you'll be able to maintain a healthy amount of energy throughout the first few levels.
frontiervill meals
Energy can be replenished by purchasing meals at the market or by waiting. One energy is replenished every five three minutes. In addition, your entire meter is refilled every time you level up. As a result, to be most efficient, your energy is best used contributing to a level up. At the beginning of the game, the best way to level up is by completing goals. Completing these tasks will reward you with extra experience improving your chances of leveling up and regaining your energy.
frontierville goal
Beginner Tip: Only use your precious energy to complete goals allowing you to level up faster.
frontierville level up frontierville
For example, don't feed your sheep until you receive a goal telling you to. Early goals include tasks such as clearing trees and grass or buying a cottage and giving it a few whacks. Nonetheless, completing goals will help you level up faster and teach you the basics of the game.
frontierville goodies
Working and Resourcesfrontierville wood
Everything you do in FrontierVille will give you food, wood, experience, coins and sometimes even some energy or a collectors item. Whether it's cutting trees, clobbering snakes, feeding chicks or whacking your unfinished cabin, resources will pop out for you to gather up.
Experience - You need experience to level up. Leveling up unlocks new items in the market and increases your total amount of energy. Experience can be gained from most forms of work.
Coins - To buy anything you're going to need coins. Coins can be found in many forms of work such as harvesting crops and feeding animals. The store is full of great stuff and we suggest browsing through the inventory of decorations, animals, trees, crops and buildings.
Wood - Necessary to build structures, wood is a precious commodity. You'll gain wood by chopping down trees. It's good to have a sizable supply. Just to build a cabin you'll need 46 logs!
Food - Gained from harvesting crops and feeding animals, food will allow you to buy meals, replenishing your energy.
frontierville farming
Farming and Ranching
There's a lot of work to be done on your land claim. Once you've cleared a little of the brush, you can begin farming. Farming works a little differently than FarmVille so be careful. To plant seeds, go to the market and select the crop you wish to buy. Plowing and planting are done in one move that doesn't require energy. Harvesting on the other hand, does require energy.
frontierville feeding
Beginner TIp: Don't plant more crops than your energy meter will allow you to harvest. You wouldn't want your crops to wither.
Fruit trees from the market are also valuable in FrontierVille, they can be harvested for food over and over, serving as a good source of energy.
Animals too can offer food and coins when harvested. Plus, what western homestead is complete a variety of livestock?
Tame the Wild West
frontierville snakeSooner or later, malicious critters are going to make their way to your homestead. These animals are going to hinder your frontier town unless you clobber them and scare them away. For example, doing work in proximity to a snake will require more energy than usual, so make sure to get rid of them as fast as possible.
Neighbors on the Frontier
Starting a frontier town is a daunting task, luckily your neighbors will be able to help you. When visiting a neighbor, you'll be able to help them work the land. Similar to FarmVille's crop fertilizing system, you will be able to assist your neighbor with five tasks. It doesn't cost energy and you still gain resources, so be sure to help your neighbors every day. In addition, helping out will add to your reputation. The higher reputation is as a good helper, the more you'll be able to help your friends.
Like leveling up, gaining neighbors will also unlock more options for your town. New buildings such as the General Store require multiple neighbors.
Settle Down
The world of FrontierVille can be a lonely one, but fortunately once completing your cabin you'll be able to get married and have children to aid in the daily toils of life in the old west.
Collections are also a feature of FrontierVille, collecting all five in a set will net you some serious coins and experience. Collectors item's can sometimes be found in the mail and by working the land.
Posted on sign posts around your land claim are missions that seem to be coming soon. While details are still sparse on these, it seems they will be unique ways to earn more goods. In addition there are tons of goods to be bought at the market. Buy livestock, buildings and decorate your frontier town until no passerby could possibly resist spending a night in your western village.
So, now that you've learned about what to expect from the FrontierVille, it's time for you to make your claim and build a cabin out on the prairie. A new life awaits you out in the wild west, get started on your FrontierVille adventure now.
Click to play FrontierVille>
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What is your favorite part about FrontierVille?
Prepare to embark on a brand new adventure with FrontierVille on Facebook. Zynga's new wild west themed game has all of us aspiring pioneers headed towards the Pacific to start our very own frontier towns. You'll work the land, start a family, build cottages, decorate your town, and help your neighbors endure the hardships of the west. Before you know it you'll have conquered the wilderness and established a first-rate town out in the wild west.
However, getting to that point won't be easy, there's a ton of features packed into FrontierVille. Fortunately, we have everything you need to know about FrontierVille to have your town flourishing in no time.
frontierville create a character
Welcome to the West
Before starting a new life out on the frontier, you'll have to create a character. The straightforward system lets you recreate your FarmVille player with all the same hair styles, smiles, and eyes. In addition, FrontierVille offers a bunch of western themed features and clothing to make your character fit the period. I decided to go traditional western with a large wild-man mustache and cowboy attire. My character is certainly not happy, he knows there are hard times ahead before he can relax in our bustling frontier town. Perhaps I'll change his mouth to a smile later on.
Energy and Goals
In FrontierVille you need energy to do everything. Most actions require one energy. However, like in Treasure Isle, FrontierVille gives you a very limited amount of energy. At the beginning, the scarcity of energy preventing you from playing the new game may frustrate you. But if you used wisely, following our tips, you'll be able to maintain a healthy amount of energy throughout the first few levels.
frontiervill meals
Energy can be replenished by purchasing meals at the market or by waiting. One energy is replenished every five three minutes. In addition, your entire meter is refilled every time you level up. As a result, to be most efficient, your energy is best used contributing to a level up. At the beginning of the game, the best way to level up is by completing goals. Completing these tasks will reward you with extra experience improving your chances of leveling up and regaining your energy.
frontierville goal
Beginner Tip: Only use your precious energy to complete goals allowing you to level up faster.
frontierville level up frontierville
For example, don't feed your sheep until you receive a goal telling you to. Early goals include tasks such as clearing trees and grass or buying a cottage and giving it a few whacks. Nonetheless, completing goals will help you level up faster and teach you the basics of the game.
frontierville goodies
Working and Resourcesfrontierville wood
Everything you do in FrontierVille will give you food, wood, experience, coins and sometimes even some energy or a collectors item. Whether it's cutting trees, clobbering snakes, feeding chicks or whacking your unfinished cabin, resources will pop out for you to gather up.
Experience - You need experience to level up. Leveling up unlocks new items in the market and increases your total amount of energy. Experience can be gained from most forms of work.
Coins - To buy anything you're going to need coins. Coins can be found in many forms of work such as harvesting crops and feeding animals. The store is full of great stuff and we suggest browsing through the inventory of decorations, animals, trees, crops and buildings.
Wood - Necessary to build structures, wood is a precious commodity. You'll gain wood by chopping down trees. It's good to have a sizable supply. Just to build a cabin you'll need 46 logs!
Food - Gained from harvesting crops and feeding animals, food will allow you to buy meals, replenishing your energy.
frontierville farming
Farming and Ranching
There's a lot of work to be done on your land claim. Once you've cleared a little of the brush, you can begin farming. Farming works a little differently than FarmVille so be careful. To plant seeds, go to the market and select the crop you wish to buy. Plowing and planting are done in one move that doesn't require energy. Harvesting on the other hand, does require energy.
frontierville feeding
Beginner TIp: Don't plant more crops than your energy meter will allow you to harvest. You wouldn't want your crops to wither.
Fruit trees from the market are also valuable in FrontierVille, they can be harvested for food over and over, serving as a good source of energy.
Animals too can offer food and coins when harvested. Plus, what western homestead is complete a variety of livestock?
Tame the Wild West
frontierville snakeSooner or later, malicious critters are going to make their way to your homestead. These animals are going to hinder your frontier town unless you clobber them and scare them away. For example, doing work in proximity to a snake will require more energy than usual, so make sure to get rid of them as fast as possible.
Neighbors on the Frontier
Starting a frontier town is a daunting task, luckily your neighbors will be able to help you. When visiting a neighbor, you'll be able to help them work the land. Similar to FarmVille's crop fertilizing system, you will be able to assist your neighbor with five tasks. It doesn't cost energy and you still gain resources, so be sure to help your neighbors every day. In addition, helping out will add to your reputation. The higher reputation is as a good helper, the more you'll be able to help your friends.
Like leveling up, gaining neighbors will also unlock more options for your town. New buildings such as the General Store require multiple neighbors.
Settle Down
The world of FrontierVille can be a lonely one, but fortunately once completing your cabin you'll be able to get married and have children to aid in the daily toils of life in the old west.
Collections are also a feature of FrontierVille, collecting all five in a set will net you some serious coins and experience. Collectors item's can sometimes be found in the mail and by working the land.
Posted on sign posts around your land claim are missions that seem to be coming soon. While details are still sparse on these, it seems they will be unique ways to earn more goods. In addition there are tons of goods to be bought at the market. Buy livestock, buildings and decorate your frontier town until no passerby could possibly resist spending a night in your western village.
So, now that you've learned about what to expect from the FrontierVille, it's time for you to make your claim and build a cabin out on the prairie. A new life awaits you out in the wild west, get started on your FrontierVille adventure now.
Click to play FrontierVille>
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What is your favorite part about FrontierVille?
Quote of the Moment: Branching Out
"Once you had your first perfect first-person-shooter mechanic, it became apparent that you could apply it to different time periods in history, to science fiction themes, to fantasy themes, and so on. That's the same thing that's going on here. If you compare farming to first-person shooters, you can now take farming and add social elements and decorating elements and multi-player elements. A bit of genre hybridization is going on and the games are getting a bit broader as that happens."
-Metaplace founder Raph Koster explains to Gamasutra how casual and social gaming is branching out through games based around everything from chocolate to wine-making.
-Metaplace founder Raph Koster explains to Gamasutra how casual and social gaming is branching out through games based around everything from chocolate to wine-making.
Thứ Bảy, 11 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille Piglet disabled due to technical difficulties
Tonight, in an announcement on the Zynga Forums, Lexilicious has announced that the baby piglet feature is currently disabled while technical issues are resolved. Although currently disabled, some farmers were able to take advantage of the baby piglet feature before it was turned off.
FarmVille says Congratulation on your pig giving birth
FarmVille Piglet on FarmHere is an explanation of how the feature works:
A farmer will come across an expectant pig on their farm and be prompted to return the pregnant pig to their owner (it appears most owners are currently inactive FarmVille players). The farmer then posts to the owner's wall asking them to claim the pig.
Once the owner of the pig claims them, they place on their farm and return 24 hours later for the birth of the piglets.
When the piglets are born, the owner is then given the opportunity to share with neighbors via the neighbor selection process, similar to gift sending. There is no public post to the wall, so the owner will need to select the individuals they wish to give the piglets to and the recipient will need to accept via gift request page.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille says Congratulation on your pig giving birth
FarmVille Piglet on FarmHere is an explanation of how the feature works:
A farmer will come across an expectant pig on their farm and be prompted to return the pregnant pig to their owner (it appears most owners are currently inactive FarmVille players). The farmer then posts to the owner's wall asking them to claim the pig.
Once the owner of the pig claims them, they place on their farm and return 24 hours later for the birth of the piglets.
When the piglets are born, the owner is then given the opportunity to share with neighbors via the neighbor selection process, similar to gift sending. There is no public post to the wall, so the owner will need to select the individuals they wish to give the piglets to and the recipient will need to accept via gift request page.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Pet Society reels in Fizzyfish the Soda Pop Fish
A new fish just entered the Pet Society pond. The Fizzyfish is the freshest fish around, fo shizzle ma nizzles. I like how the cap looks like a pair of juicy red lips. How to catch this Fizzyfish? Try the bottle of Coca-Cola sold in the vending machines. You can either buy one of these yourself for 900 coins, or if you see it at a friend's house, just pay 50 coins for a drink.
While I think the Fizzyfish is cool, I feel mixed about this vending machine. Earlier this year, big soda companies like PepsiCo have vowed to remove full-calorie sodas from machines in schools by 2012. However, diet sodas will continue to be sold to students.
I used to be a Diet Coke addict for years. I'd drink one every day during lunch. If I didn't have one, I'd feel like my whole afternoon was shot.
Drinking a Diet Coke for me was almost a sensual experience. I loved wrapping my hand around an ice-cold can. I loved opening the can and hearing it pop. I loved that first sip, feeling the fizz on my tongue and tasting the dark brown Splenda-laced liquid. If the soda was served in a glass at a restaurant, I liked the look of it: dark, bubbly, with a tower of glistening ice cubes. Pet Society Anonymous Goodbye Diet CokeI ignored the dentists' warnings that carbonated drinks disintegrate your teeth. I ignored the doctors who said that soda leads to osteoporosis. (Osteoporosis is the bone disease that causes older people to shrink and stoop.)
I reasoned that Diet Coke wasn't so bad, because it had zero calories. I reasoned that because it makes you feel full, it keeps you from overeating and becoming obese, ignoring the studies that showed that diet sodas may actually stimulate appetite.
Then, one night, I overdosed on Diet Coke. I was at work late, and downed three cans in an hour. I also ate three Hershey bars, which, by the last couple of bites, looked and tasted like they were made out of cat poo.
After that ugly night, I woke up and vowed to cleanse my body. This is the only body I'm gonna have. Treat it like a temple. I decided to stop drinking Diet Coke once and for all.
It was a pretty tough battle for the first few days. During lunch, I missed that can of Diet Coke, and I missed all those cold and bubbly sensations. But after I got over the hump, it got easier and easier to say no to Diet Coke.
I haven't had Diet Coke, or any other soda, in nine months. I've been drinking a lot of water instead. Good old H2O. It's plentiful, it's free, and it's really good for you.
In April or May, I was at a local corner shop, and for old times' sake, I bought a can of Diet Coke. It was a warm, sunny day and I relished that feeling of the cold can in my hands again. But after I opened it, I couldn't drink more than a few sips. Why? It tasted awful, like soap water. Perhaps there was something wrong with that can. I had a friend take a sip. He shrugged and said that's how it usually tastes. I was stumped. I couldn't believe I had been addicted to that bizarre soap water for years.
It's funny how addictions are. When you're addicted to something, you think you can't live without it. You think that it's good for you, even when the object of your addiction treats you badly. It's like having a crush on a guy who doesn't love you back. Your line of reasoning becomes less and less logical and more and more desperate. Then after a while, after you've managed to come to your senses and step away from the addiction, you wonder what it was about it that you really liked.
This article originally appeared on Pet Society Anonymous.
While I think the Fizzyfish is cool, I feel mixed about this vending machine. Earlier this year, big soda companies like PepsiCo have vowed to remove full-calorie sodas from machines in schools by 2012. However, diet sodas will continue to be sold to students.
I used to be a Diet Coke addict for years. I'd drink one every day during lunch. If I didn't have one, I'd feel like my whole afternoon was shot.
Drinking a Diet Coke for me was almost a sensual experience. I loved wrapping my hand around an ice-cold can. I loved opening the can and hearing it pop. I loved that first sip, feeling the fizz on my tongue and tasting the dark brown Splenda-laced liquid. If the soda was served in a glass at a restaurant, I liked the look of it: dark, bubbly, with a tower of glistening ice cubes. Pet Society Anonymous Goodbye Diet CokeI ignored the dentists' warnings that carbonated drinks disintegrate your teeth. I ignored the doctors who said that soda leads to osteoporosis. (Osteoporosis is the bone disease that causes older people to shrink and stoop.)
I reasoned that Diet Coke wasn't so bad, because it had zero calories. I reasoned that because it makes you feel full, it keeps you from overeating and becoming obese, ignoring the studies that showed that diet sodas may actually stimulate appetite.
Then, one night, I overdosed on Diet Coke. I was at work late, and downed three cans in an hour. I also ate three Hershey bars, which, by the last couple of bites, looked and tasted like they were made out of cat poo.
After that ugly night, I woke up and vowed to cleanse my body. This is the only body I'm gonna have. Treat it like a temple. I decided to stop drinking Diet Coke once and for all.
It was a pretty tough battle for the first few days. During lunch, I missed that can of Diet Coke, and I missed all those cold and bubbly sensations. But after I got over the hump, it got easier and easier to say no to Diet Coke.
I haven't had Diet Coke, or any other soda, in nine months. I've been drinking a lot of water instead. Good old H2O. It's plentiful, it's free, and it's really good for you.
In April or May, I was at a local corner shop, and for old times' sake, I bought a can of Diet Coke. It was a warm, sunny day and I relished that feeling of the cold can in my hands again. But after I opened it, I couldn't drink more than a few sips. Why? It tasted awful, like soap water. Perhaps there was something wrong with that can. I had a friend take a sip. He shrugged and said that's how it usually tastes. I was stumped. I couldn't believe I had been addicted to that bizarre soap water for years.
It's funny how addictions are. When you're addicted to something, you think you can't live without it. You think that it's good for you, even when the object of your addiction treats you badly. It's like having a crush on a guy who doesn't love you back. Your line of reasoning becomes less and less logical and more and more desperate. Then after a while, after you've managed to come to your senses and step away from the addiction, you wonder what it was about it that you really liked.
This article originally appeared on Pet Society Anonymous.
Pet Society: Chill out with a new vendy soda pop machine and cute collectible drinks
As part of their new rockin' 50s retro theme, Pet Society is selling a Cold Drinks Vending Machine -- that actually dispenses soda pops! -- for 900 Coins. You can find it in the Market store in "Cool Stuff". Place the machine in your home, where you and your friends can buy drinks for 50 Coins each. There are ten collectible drinks in all, but what comes out is completely random. I dropped 1,250 Coins into my machine in an attempt to collect 'em all, and I'm happy to report it was a success!
Here's a pic of all the drinks and a list of their names (from left to right):
Pet Society Cold Drinks Collection
TOP row:
1) Cold Mint Drink
2) Cold Cherry Coke
3) Cold Lime Soda
4) Cold Grape Soda
5) Cold Coconut Drink
BOTTOM row:
6) Cold Lemonade
7) Cold Tropical Drink
8) Cold Peach Iced Tea
9) Cold Cola (Note: Use this as bait to catch the new Fizzyfish.)
10) Cold Orange Soda
Since you're going to have extras while trying to build your collection, just note that all drinks can be sold for 16 Coins each.
Warning: I put my drinks on the floor to fit 'em into the shot, but you shouldn't ever leave your drinks on the floor or anywhere your pet can easily reach, cause your hungry pet will consume 'em! Get yourself a table, shelf, or put the drinks on a window sill.
Here's a pic of all the drinks and a list of their names (from left to right):
Pet Society Cold Drinks Collection
TOP row:
1) Cold Mint Drink
2) Cold Cherry Coke
3) Cold Lime Soda
4) Cold Grape Soda
5) Cold Coconut Drink
BOTTOM row:
6) Cold Lemonade
7) Cold Tropical Drink
8) Cold Peach Iced Tea
9) Cold Cola (Note: Use this as bait to catch the new Fizzyfish.)
10) Cold Orange Soda
Since you're going to have extras while trying to build your collection, just note that all drinks can be sold for 16 Coins each.
Warning: I put my drinks on the floor to fit 'em into the shot, but you shouldn't ever leave your drinks on the floor or anywhere your pet can easily reach, cause your hungry pet will consume 'em! Get yourself a table, shelf, or put the drinks on a window sill.
PetVille: Magic Genie free Pet Cash Giveaway links round-up
Magic Genie Weekend Giveaway
Players who stuck around PetVille during the Independence Day break got to take part in a Magic Genie 10,000 Pet Cash Weekend Giveaway by clicking on free Pet Cash links. While the contest itself is over, the freebie links still work. There are six in total, and we've rounded 'em all up here for the convenience of those players who missed out over the weekend.
July 3rd: Link 1
July 3rd: Link 2
July 4th: Link 3
July 4th: Link 4
July 5th: Link 5
July 5th: Link 6
Enjoy your 6 free Pet Cash guys!
Players who stuck around PetVille during the Independence Day break got to take part in a Magic Genie 10,000 Pet Cash Weekend Giveaway by clicking on free Pet Cash links. While the contest itself is over, the freebie links still work. There are six in total, and we've rounded 'em all up here for the convenience of those players who missed out over the weekend.
July 3rd: Link 1
July 3rd: Link 2
July 4th: Link 3
July 4th: Link 4
July 5th: Link 5
July 5th: Link 6
Enjoy your 6 free Pet Cash guys!
Happy Aquarium turns Sex and the City ladies into fish
It's only been four days since Happy Aquarium brought out their Limited Edition fashionista fish set, and already, the octopus Charla and the kissing fish Sandra masquerading as Charlene and Samantha, respectively, have sold out. Each fish costs 59 Pearls or 49 Facebook Credits ($4.90 USD).
Miranda from Sex and the City
Right now, there's only 4 Melina (that's Miranda, for you non-fans out there) and 41 Corey (or Carrie Bradshaw) left in Happy Aquarium, and if you're a Sex and the City fan, you'd want to grab 'em before they're gone. The popularity of these have been amazing, especially considering that there were at least 800 of each fish when they were released.
Happy Aquarium Fish in the City
Bookmark this site!
Miranda from Sex and the City
Right now, there's only 4 Melina (that's Miranda, for you non-fans out there) and 41 Corey (or Carrie Bradshaw) left in Happy Aquarium, and if you're a Sex and the City fan, you'd want to grab 'em before they're gone. The popularity of these have been amazing, especially considering that there were at least 800 of each fish when they were released.
Happy Aquarium Fish in the City
Bookmark this site!
Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 2, 2012
YoVille: Camping theme debuts with Camp Yo Living Furniture
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It is time to furnish your own camp in YoVille with the new Camp YoVille theme that will be around for the rest of August. The first set of items include living room furniture, such as armchairs, loveseats, couches and curtains -- all for YoCash. Other decorations such as lights, rugs, windows and coat racks are available in both currencies.
New floors and wallpapers were also added for Coins. Check a complete list of items and prices after the jump.
Bedroom, kitchen and bathroom items are coming in the next weeks. Stay tuned.
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This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
It is time to furnish your own camp in YoVille with the new Camp YoVille theme that will be around for the rest of August. The first set of items include living room furniture, such as armchairs, loveseats, couches and curtains -- all for YoCash. Other decorations such as lights, rugs, windows and coat racks are available in both currencies.
New floors and wallpapers were also added for Coins. Check a complete list of items and prices after the jump.
Bedroom, kitchen and bathroom items are coming in the next weeks. Stay tuned.
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This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
YoVille gets campy with new Camp Yo cabin and YoCash house
Looking for a cabin to decorate with all of your camping furniture? The new Camp Yo Cabin is now available in YoVille. Head over to the reality office and get one for 36 YoCash.
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
YoVille Camp Collectibles available for limited time only
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Three camping collectibles are now available in the Furniture as part of the new Camp YoVille theme. These collectibles will expire in 13 days.
- Camp Yo Slip And Splash is a water slide on which YoVille players can use. You must be wearing a swimsuit to use this item. Get it for 26 YoCash.
- Camp You Animated Grizzly Statue is an animated decorative item to scare your friends. Get it for 13,000 Coins.
- Camp Yo Animated Camper is a camper that expands when clicked on. It is available for 21 YoCash.
Thank you Spiralda and Angie for sending pictures of these items; see them after the jump.
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This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Three camping collectibles are now available in the Furniture as part of the new Camp YoVille theme. These collectibles will expire in 13 days.
- Camp Yo Slip And Splash is a water slide on which YoVille players can use. You must be wearing a swimsuit to use this item. Get it for 26 YoCash.
- Camp You Animated Grizzly Statue is an animated decorative item to scare your friends. Get it for 13,000 Coins.
- Camp Yo Animated Camper is a camper that expands when clicked on. It is available for 21 YoCash.
Thank you Spiralda and Angie for sending pictures of these items; see them after the jump.
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This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Report: Social game advertising to hit $220 million this year
Social game makers may be focusing more on virtual good sales than advertising offers these days, but that doesn't mean selling ads to players is an irrelevant part of social gaming's revenue base. Indeed, a new report from the analysts at eMarketer predicts worldwide social game advertising will reach $220 million this year.
That estimate represents a 20% increase from last year's social gaming advertising market, which eMarketer pegged at $183 million. Not everyone is sharing equally in the growth though, as eMarketer's numbers show US social game ad sales on pace to actually fall slightly in 2010. Don't fret, though -- eMarketer sees both US and international ad sales rising by over a third in 2011, to create a total market worth $293 million.
That rate of growth matches expectations for the virtual goods market, the size of which is expected to shoot up 134% over five years. This means that in-game advertising is likely to continue to represent about 20% of total social gaming revenues for the forseeable future. So, not the industy's driving force, surely, but still an important piece of any social game maker's balance sheet.
That estimate represents a 20% increase from last year's social gaming advertising market, which eMarketer pegged at $183 million. Not everyone is sharing equally in the growth though, as eMarketer's numbers show US social game ad sales on pace to actually fall slightly in 2010. Don't fret, though -- eMarketer sees both US and international ad sales rising by over a third in 2011, to create a total market worth $293 million.
That rate of growth matches expectations for the virtual goods market, the size of which is expected to shoot up 134% over five years. This means that in-game advertising is likely to continue to represent about 20% of total social gaming revenues for the forseeable future. So, not the industy's driving force, surely, but still an important piece of any social game maker's balance sheet.
Social game maker OMGPOP signs on with myYearbook
Just because social game maker OMGPOP isn't ready to sell out doesn't mean it isn't ready to expand via partnerships with other companies. Indeed, OMGPOP has announced a deal with myYearbook to integrate its games into the growing social network.
While myYearbook is no Facebook, or even a MySpace, it does boast 20 million members and is one of ComScore's top 25 trafficked sites in the US, by some metrics. OMGPOP, for its part, brings 3 million registered users and some innovative in-house games which already attract a million plays a day. Together, they create "an exciting opportunity to enrich their users' experience, while providing a new exciting monetization outlet," according OMGPOP CRO Wilson Kriegel. Translation: That means he thinks everyone's going to make a lot of money.
MyYearbook's gaming plans don't end with OMGPOP, though. CEO Geoff Cook said the company is "looking to deepen our relationships with high-quality social games developers like OMGPOP over the next 12 to 18 months." Did you catch that "like" in there? That would imply there are other companies they're looking to have a relationship with. Um... dude... OMGPOP is sitting right there. Maybe you should pay some attention to them for now, eh?
While myYearbook is no Facebook, or even a MySpace, it does boast 20 million members and is one of ComScore's top 25 trafficked sites in the US, by some metrics. OMGPOP, for its part, brings 3 million registered users and some innovative in-house games which already attract a million plays a day. Together, they create "an exciting opportunity to enrich their users' experience, while providing a new exciting monetization outlet," according OMGPOP CRO Wilson Kriegel. Translation: That means he thinks everyone's going to make a lot of money.
MyYearbook's gaming plans don't end with OMGPOP, though. CEO Geoff Cook said the company is "looking to deepen our relationships with high-quality social games developers like OMGPOP over the next 12 to 18 months." Did you catch that "like" in there? That would imply there are other companies they're looking to have a relationship with. Um... dude... OMGPOP is sitting right there. Maybe you should pay some attention to them for now, eh?
Thứ Hai, 6 tháng 2, 2012
Crowdstar brings the Chickens home to roost in Happy Pets
Like the Horse Stable and the Dino Den before it, Happy Pets' new Chicken Coop need to be completed before players can get their poultry in motion. Once they do, they're receive a free Orange Chicken, the option of four more chickens at the store that can be purchased with coins, and another four that can only be bought with Facebook Credits.
Happy Pets Chickens
Happy Pets Cerulean ChickenThere's no telling what these chickens will grow up to look like, but these blinky, wide-eyed, rotund chicks sure look cute! Here's a list of them at the store, from cheapest to most expensive:
White Chicken - 31,795 Coins
Yellow Chicken - 33,795 Coins
Brown Chicken - 35,795 Coins
Cerulean Chicken - 37,795 Coins
Black Chicken - 50 FB Credits (or $5.00 USD)
Purple Chicken - 52 FB Credits (or $5.20 USD)
Red Chicken - 54 FB Credits (or $5.40 USD)
Pink Chicken - 56 FB Credits (or $5.60 USD)
Your first step to getting a Chicken Coop is to buy the frame for 800 Coins. This purchase will also net you 100 XP. After that, you'll need to collect the 8 following items to unlock your coop: Screwdriver, Screws, Saw Horse, Tape Measure, Hinges, Chicken Wire, Rake, and Saw. But you're going to need 5 of each item, so you'll have to have collected 40 items in all.
Happy Pets Building Materials gifts page
To get them, you'll need the help of other players to send them to you from the gifts page. It'll be a slow and tedious process, since you can only get one per day, per player. To add on the frustration, not all the items will be available on the gifts page because they have to share space with building materials from the Horse Stable and Dino Den. This means items will rotate on and off the page on a daily basis.
If you're feeling lazy, or just rich, you can also grab items for your coop at 5 Facebook Credits ($0.50 USD) each, while the whole caboodle goes for a lump sum of 148 FB Credits ($14.80 USD).
Happy Pets Chickens
Happy Pets Cerulean ChickenThere's no telling what these chickens will grow up to look like, but these blinky, wide-eyed, rotund chicks sure look cute! Here's a list of them at the store, from cheapest to most expensive:
White Chicken - 31,795 Coins
Yellow Chicken - 33,795 Coins
Brown Chicken - 35,795 Coins
Cerulean Chicken - 37,795 Coins
Black Chicken - 50 FB Credits (or $5.00 USD)
Purple Chicken - 52 FB Credits (or $5.20 USD)
Red Chicken - 54 FB Credits (or $5.40 USD)
Pink Chicken - 56 FB Credits (or $5.60 USD)
Your first step to getting a Chicken Coop is to buy the frame for 800 Coins. This purchase will also net you 100 XP. After that, you'll need to collect the 8 following items to unlock your coop: Screwdriver, Screws, Saw Horse, Tape Measure, Hinges, Chicken Wire, Rake, and Saw. But you're going to need 5 of each item, so you'll have to have collected 40 items in all.
Happy Pets Building Materials gifts page
To get them, you'll need the help of other players to send them to you from the gifts page. It'll be a slow and tedious process, since you can only get one per day, per player. To add on the frustration, not all the items will be available on the gifts page because they have to share space with building materials from the Horse Stable and Dino Den. This means items will rotate on and off the page on a daily basis.
If you're feeling lazy, or just rich, you can also grab items for your coop at 5 Facebook Credits ($0.50 USD) each, while the whole caboodle goes for a lump sum of 148 FB Credits ($14.80 USD).
Baking Life Cheats & Tips: All gift links with no level restrictions
baking life cheats gift links
Hello Facefolks, it's Mr. Cheats here with the down-low on the things you shouldn't know. Folks, the experts over at The Facegamer have done the impossible and found links for all of the Baking Life giftable items. Of course you must be wondering why in the world I'm bothering to put up regular gift item links. Not only are these items all easily accessible without my quick links, but depending on your level, many of the gifts are probably locked. Well that's just where you're wrong:
Our Baking Life Cheats & Tips Gift Links allow anyone to send any gift, regardless of what level you are.
So what are you waiting for? Start sending out those otherwise locked gifts to your friends immediately by clicking on the images below. Also be sure to send out my Baking Life gift links to your friends so you can receive free high level goodies.
Continue reading to start using my Baking Life Cheats & Tips Gift Links. Remember, your level does not matter here.
baking life cheats gift links
Cinnamon Rolls baking life cheats gift links
Lemon Poppy
Seed Muffins baking life cheats gift links
Lattice Top
Apple Pie baking life cheats gift links
Layered Chocolate
Cake
baking life cheats gift links
Almond Croissants baking life cheats gift links
Chocolate Chip
Cookies baking life cheats gift links
Raspberry
Cheesecake baking life cheats gift links
Floating Castle Cake
baking life cheats gift links
Tres Leches Cake baking life cheats gift links
Vanilla Bundt Cake baking life cheats gift links
Baklava baking life cheats gift links
Chocolate Delights
baking life cheats gift links
Strawberry
Rhubarb Pie baking life cheats gift links
Bibingka Coconut
Cake baking life cheats gift links
Pistachio Biscotti baking life cheats gift links
Parisian Macaroons
baking life cheats gift links
Passion Fruit Mousse
Cake baking life cheats gift links
Peanut Butter Blossoms baking life cheats gift links
Tiramisu baking life cheats gift links
Carrot Cake
baking life cheats gift links
Independence Cake
baking life cheats
Turkey Pot Pie baking life cheats
Pony Wall:
Bamboo baking life cheats
Pony Wall Corner:
Bamboo
baking life cheats
Pony Wall: Castle baking life cheats
Pony Wall Corner:
Castle baking life cheats
Pumpkin Pie baking life cheats
Graveyard Cake
Which is your favorite Baking Life gift?
For cheats & more, check out The Facegamer.
Hello Facefolks, it's Mr. Cheats here with the down-low on the things you shouldn't know. Folks, the experts over at The Facegamer have done the impossible and found links for all of the Baking Life giftable items. Of course you must be wondering why in the world I'm bothering to put up regular gift item links. Not only are these items all easily accessible without my quick links, but depending on your level, many of the gifts are probably locked. Well that's just where you're wrong:
Our Baking Life Cheats & Tips Gift Links allow anyone to send any gift, regardless of what level you are.
So what are you waiting for? Start sending out those otherwise locked gifts to your friends immediately by clicking on the images below. Also be sure to send out my Baking Life gift links to your friends so you can receive free high level goodies.
Continue reading to start using my Baking Life Cheats & Tips Gift Links. Remember, your level does not matter here.
baking life cheats gift links
Cinnamon Rolls baking life cheats gift links
Lemon Poppy
Seed Muffins baking life cheats gift links
Lattice Top
Apple Pie baking life cheats gift links
Layered Chocolate
Cake
baking life cheats gift links
Almond Croissants baking life cheats gift links
Chocolate Chip
Cookies baking life cheats gift links
Raspberry
Cheesecake baking life cheats gift links
Floating Castle Cake
baking life cheats gift links
Tres Leches Cake baking life cheats gift links
Vanilla Bundt Cake baking life cheats gift links
Baklava baking life cheats gift links
Chocolate Delights
baking life cheats gift links
Strawberry
Rhubarb Pie baking life cheats gift links
Bibingka Coconut
Cake baking life cheats gift links
Pistachio Biscotti baking life cheats gift links
Parisian Macaroons
baking life cheats gift links
Passion Fruit Mousse
Cake baking life cheats gift links
Peanut Butter Blossoms baking life cheats gift links
Tiramisu baking life cheats gift links
Carrot Cake
baking life cheats gift links
Independence Cake
baking life cheats
Turkey Pot Pie baking life cheats
Pony Wall:
Bamboo baking life cheats
Pony Wall Corner:
Bamboo
baking life cheats
Pony Wall: Castle baking life cheats
Pony Wall Corner:
Castle baking life cheats
Pumpkin Pie baking life cheats
Graveyard Cake
Which is your favorite Baking Life gift?
For cheats & more, check out The Facegamer.
Mafia Wars Las Vegas Collections: A tip on grabbing rare items
Las Vegas in Mafia Wars
It turns out that the final items in each of the new Las Vegas Collections in Mafia Wars are much harder to find than we thought. It turns out that the only sure-fire way of acquiring them is through gifts from your friends. The more common items in the collections can still be found the old-fashioned way: doing jobs and grabbing loot.
Fortunately, there is a way to increase your chances at finally completing these illusive new collections. Continue reading for more information on how to finish them up and boost your stats at last.
Mafia Wars The Daily Take
While it's still possible to get the rarer Las Vegas Collection items through job loot drops, that could take days and energy that most of us just can't spare. Here's a list of the rarest Las Vegas Collection items:
Planet Bollywood (Matchbooks Collection)
Saguaro (Cactus Collection)
Mountain Lion (Mojave Animals Collection)
Four of a Kind (Poker Hands Collection)
You frequent players might have already caught onto this, but here's a tip for those who haven't been logging in daily. There's a feature in Mafia Wars called The Daily Take, which rewards players who log in daily for a week. The rewards increase in value for every consecutive day you play for up to seven days. After which, the counter resets, you'll be rewarded for the first day again and the cycle continues.
However, The Daily Take always rewards players something from the same category on each numbered day. For example, on every fifth consecutive log-in, The Daily Take always rewards players a random Collection Item. See where I'm getting at here?
After putting the correct Las Vegas Collection items on your wish list and playing for five days in a row, your chances of getting that item will greatly increase. Then, just rinse and repeat. After the fourth time you do this, you should have completed the Las Vegas Collections, but no guarantees!
So, while this method will take some time, at least it's a more sure-fire way to getting your Collections bonuses.
It turns out that the final items in each of the new Las Vegas Collections in Mafia Wars are much harder to find than we thought. It turns out that the only sure-fire way of acquiring them is through gifts from your friends. The more common items in the collections can still be found the old-fashioned way: doing jobs and grabbing loot.
Fortunately, there is a way to increase your chances at finally completing these illusive new collections. Continue reading for more information on how to finish them up and boost your stats at last.
Mafia Wars The Daily Take
While it's still possible to get the rarer Las Vegas Collection items through job loot drops, that could take days and energy that most of us just can't spare. Here's a list of the rarest Las Vegas Collection items:
Planet Bollywood (Matchbooks Collection)
Saguaro (Cactus Collection)
Mountain Lion (Mojave Animals Collection)
Four of a Kind (Poker Hands Collection)
You frequent players might have already caught onto this, but here's a tip for those who haven't been logging in daily. There's a feature in Mafia Wars called The Daily Take, which rewards players who log in daily for a week. The rewards increase in value for every consecutive day you play for up to seven days. After which, the counter resets, you'll be rewarded for the first day again and the cycle continues.
However, The Daily Take always rewards players something from the same category on each numbered day. For example, on every fifth consecutive log-in, The Daily Take always rewards players a random Collection Item. See where I'm getting at here?
After putting the correct Las Vegas Collection items on your wish list and playing for five days in a row, your chances of getting that item will greatly increase. Then, just rinse and repeat. After the fourth time you do this, you should have completed the Las Vegas Collections, but no guarantees!
So, while this method will take some time, at least it's a more sure-fire way to getting your Collections bonuses.
Happy Aquarium is offering a limited number of Barreleye Fish starting today
Most social games are known for their limited time offers of items, but Happy Aquarium by Crowdstar does things a little differently. Instead, some fish in Happy Aquarium are limited by how many are put up for sale. If you wanted a truly rare fish, here's the way to go.
Right now, Happy Aquarium is offering the goofy Barreleye Fish for either 58 Pearls or 48 Facebook Credits (remember that exclusive deal) with just under 600 left as of this writing. This adorable, purple googly-eyed fish is joined by the new Magenta Deeps gravel (91 Pearls or 76 Facebook Credits) and the Bokeh Lights wallpaper, which goes for 36 Pearls or 30 Facebook Credits.
While some would consider 48 Facebook Credits a tough bargain for the Barreleye Fish, the limited Cuttlefish released last week goes for an even steeper 78 Pearls or 66 Facebook Credits. While putting a limited amount of downloads on digital collectibles could be seen as falsifying rarity, how else could Crowdstar create rarity in its pets or fish? Is it fair to only allow so many purchases?
Right now, Happy Aquarium is offering the goofy Barreleye Fish for either 58 Pearls or 48 Facebook Credits (remember that exclusive deal) with just under 600 left as of this writing. This adorable, purple googly-eyed fish is joined by the new Magenta Deeps gravel (91 Pearls or 76 Facebook Credits) and the Bokeh Lights wallpaper, which goes for 36 Pearls or 30 Facebook Credits.
While some would consider 48 Facebook Credits a tough bargain for the Barreleye Fish, the limited Cuttlefish released last week goes for an even steeper 78 Pearls or 66 Facebook Credits. While putting a limited amount of downloads on digital collectibles could be seen as falsifying rarity, how else could Crowdstar create rarity in its pets or fish? Is it fair to only allow so many purchases?
Cafe World: New promo surveys offer 5 Cafe Cash, but one's a faker
Cafe World promotional survey for free Cafe Cash
If you've been waiting for some free Cafe Cash and haven't checked the Earn Café Cash tab of Cafe World recently, now's the time to log in. Right now, clicking on that tab should lead players to three new promo surveys, but there's a catch -- only two of the three will be earning you any premium game currency.
Cafe World TheTruth.com Spheres survey
The one disguised as "Answer the question: In what year were you born?" is actually a public service announcement from TheTruth.com, a famous anti-smoking campaign! We're not sure why they wanted to deceive players by pretending their survey is something else. But at least they were honest about not choosing to advertise their survey as giving out any Cafe Cash. (Edit: Even though this gives out Cafe Cash, it doesn't say it will. But I got 3 Cafe Cash when I was done, and another person who commented on this post received 4. We're not sure about why there's a discrepancy. Either one of us can't count or the survey has a way to dole out the freebies depending on one's answers.)
Cafe World Tom's of Maine free Cafe Cash
For the ones here to deliver the goods, we've got Tom's of Maine, an all-natural personal care products company that's offering 3 Cafe Cash for clicking through their poll and watching their promo video.
Cafe World Toyota free Cafe Cash
And Toyota is offering 2 Cafe Cash for some casual questions about how you got your first car, and then they want to know which of their three clips about car ownership you liked the most.
Remember, as always, there's no obligation to do anything but answer the poll questions in order to get your free monies. You don't have to 'like' a page or even respond to the questions truthfully. But it's best to be honest since companies do desire this data, and it certainly wouldn't hurt you to answer.
If you've been waiting for some free Cafe Cash and haven't checked the Earn Café Cash tab of Cafe World recently, now's the time to log in. Right now, clicking on that tab should lead players to three new promo surveys, but there's a catch -- only two of the three will be earning you any premium game currency.
Cafe World TheTruth.com Spheres survey
The one disguised as "Answer the question: In what year were you born?" is actually a public service announcement from TheTruth.com, a famous anti-smoking campaign! We're not sure why they wanted to deceive players by pretending their survey is something else. But at least they were honest about not choosing to advertise their survey as giving out any Cafe Cash. (Edit: Even though this gives out Cafe Cash, it doesn't say it will. But I got 3 Cafe Cash when I was done, and another person who commented on this post received 4. We're not sure about why there's a discrepancy. Either one of us can't count or the survey has a way to dole out the freebies depending on one's answers.)
Cafe World Tom's of Maine free Cafe Cash
For the ones here to deliver the goods, we've got Tom's of Maine, an all-natural personal care products company that's offering 3 Cafe Cash for clicking through their poll and watching their promo video.
Cafe World Toyota free Cafe Cash
And Toyota is offering 2 Cafe Cash for some casual questions about how you got your first car, and then they want to know which of their three clips about car ownership you liked the most.
Remember, as always, there's no obligation to do anything but answer the poll questions in order to get your free monies. You don't have to 'like' a page or even respond to the questions truthfully. But it's best to be honest since companies do desire this data, and it certainly wouldn't hurt you to answer.
Thứ Sáu, 3 tháng 2, 2012
Happy Aquarium: Twilight-inspired fish sparkle and transform for Halloween
Happy Aquarium Sparkling Vampire
In the spirit of glittering vampires and really ripped werewolves--or Halloween these days--CrowdStar has revisited some old and introduced some new fish to Happy Aquarium. Jacob Black--er, the Werewolf returns from the Twilit theme for 48 Facebook Credits ($4.80) and, yes, he still transforms when you click him. The newest addition to the 'Halloween-themed' fish is Edward Cullen the Sparkling Vampire that for 55 Facebook Credits, or $5.50, sparkles when you click him. Oh, how fitting.
There is also a new wallpaper to go with your no-so-frightening fish: the Cemetery for 30 Facebook Credits, or $3. Its description reads, "Put fear into your tank with this Cemetery setting." Not with those fish, you won't. If there's one thing I can say about CrowdStar's paid currency items, it's that while most of them are shallow pop culture references, some of them are just plain hilarious.
In the spirit of glittering vampires and really ripped werewolves--or Halloween these days--CrowdStar has revisited some old and introduced some new fish to Happy Aquarium. Jacob Black--er, the Werewolf returns from the Twilit theme for 48 Facebook Credits ($4.80) and, yes, he still transforms when you click him. The newest addition to the 'Halloween-themed' fish is Edward Cullen the Sparkling Vampire that for 55 Facebook Credits, or $5.50, sparkles when you click him. Oh, how fitting.
There is also a new wallpaper to go with your no-so-frightening fish: the Cemetery for 30 Facebook Credits, or $3. Its description reads, "Put fear into your tank with this Cemetery setting." Not with those fish, you won't. If there's one thing I can say about CrowdStar's paid currency items, it's that while most of them are shallow pop culture references, some of them are just plain hilarious.
Scoreloop brings social gaming to Samsung TVs, where it all began
Samsung brings social gaming to TV
It's funny how things come full circle, isn't it? Scoreloop, a social gaming platform for mobile devices, is coming to bada, Samsung's mobile phone operating system, according to Venture Beat. The platform created by the Munich, Germany-based company allows developers to infuse social gaming elements like sharing, gifting and virtual goods to mobile games. Alright, you've heard this all before, so here's the real news: Scoreloop is coming to Samsung's internet-capable TVs.
Social gaming on your TV? Sure, you could probably do it with a standard video-out cable and a PC, but that's too much work. This will allow games that can be bought through Samsung's web-enabled TVs to use the same Scoreloop social network featured on Samsung phones.
If this idea catches on, what's to stop other developers from finding their way into your web-ready TV? Quite honestly, FrontierVille on a 42-inch LCD screen sounds pretty alluring to me, but unfortunately we're a ways away from that. But with TVs becoming as connected as our computers and phones are, it may be only a matter of time before the one genre that's shook the foundations of the industry makes it way to the screens that started it all.
It's funny how things come full circle, isn't it? Scoreloop, a social gaming platform for mobile devices, is coming to bada, Samsung's mobile phone operating system, according to Venture Beat. The platform created by the Munich, Germany-based company allows developers to infuse social gaming elements like sharing, gifting and virtual goods to mobile games. Alright, you've heard this all before, so here's the real news: Scoreloop is coming to Samsung's internet-capable TVs.
Social gaming on your TV? Sure, you could probably do it with a standard video-out cable and a PC, but that's too much work. This will allow games that can be bought through Samsung's web-enabled TVs to use the same Scoreloop social network featured on Samsung phones.
If this idea catches on, what's to stop other developers from finding their way into your web-ready TV? Quite honestly, FrontierVille on a 42-inch LCD screen sounds pretty alluring to me, but unfortunately we're a ways away from that. But with TVs becoming as connected as our computers and phones are, it may be only a matter of time before the one genre that's shook the foundations of the industry makes it way to the screens that started it all.
Five things you need to know about social games [GDC Online]
This year's Game Developer's Conference Online in Austin brought together 3,000 people, including game developer wannabes and industry insiders from World of Warcraft-maker Blizzard and FarmVille-maker Zynga (among others) with talks on how to make good games and some of the larger trends in online games.
gdc online 2010Social gaming (on Facebook and otherwise) played a major role in the conference, with a series of sessions devoted to the topic, which included a standout talk from FrontierVille creator Brian Reynolds (our full interview with him is coming soon), Playdom's Raph Koster and the first-ever Game Developer Choice Online Awards, where Social City was honored as the Best Social Network Game of the Year.
After sitting through a slew of panels, lectures, roundtables (and heated conversations at during a series of evening events), here's a list of five social gaming trends you can expect to see in the coming year.
1. Social gaming is not going away anytime soon
Everyone's buzzing about how FarmVille and the other top games have been losing players faster than a cat sheds its winter coat. And while that is largely true for the top 20 games on Facebook, newer games have still managed to attract players at a respectable rate. Two prime examples of this are Booyah's Nightclub City (a nightclub management sim game with music from real-life artists) and Casual Collective's Backyard Monsters (a tower defense game), and that trend is expected to continue into next year. So instead of Facebook gaming dying, it sounds more like it's changing. People are growing tired of the same old farm and pet games and are ready for the next big thing.
2. Expect social games to look better and offer more original game experiences
FarmVille and the rest of the first-generation social games haven't exactly had the best-looking graphics or most sophisticated game experiences. And that has been OK until recently. Game-wise, FrontierVille set the bar in creating a very playable social game, infusing all of that gift giving and neighbor visiting with popular game elements borrowed from Mario (yes, that Mario), Sonic, Diablo and World of Warcraft. Social games like ngmoco's We Rule and We Farm on iOS devices have set a new standard for high production values, and we expect that social game makers will be upping the ante on their creations in the near future.
3. Social gaming is going mobile (for reals this time)
It's hasn't been easy to transport social games from Facebook to iPhone, but we predict that this will be the year that mobile social gaming will have its coming out party in the US. Whether its social games companies like Zynga and Playfish figuring out how to launch games on iPhone and iOS (as well as making the leap to Android) or some dark horse mobile game maker beating Zynga to the punch -- it's clear that social games will be a must-play on mobile in the near future.
4. The debate on whether FarmVille, et al, is 'evil' or 'really a game' continues
While it seems like a no-brainer that games like FarmVille and Pet Society appeal to mostly women gamers who may also play games like Bejeweled and Mystery Case Files, this doesn't seem to be common knowledge for everyone. This was most evident in a roundtable called 'Do Social Games Suck?" where there were far too many comparisons between FarmVille and Halo or FarmVille and World of Warcraft. There was no final conclusion if these games 'suck,' but there is still a perception that FarmVille and its ilk are 'evil,' 'addictive' and are 'not really games.' The 200+ million Facebook users who play social games might disagree.
5. Big brands will flood Facebook this coming year
A few big video games brands (Madden, FIFA) made the jump to Facebook this year, with marginal success, but big brands (as in, stuff that even your grandma would know) will be headed to Facebook. You can already spin the Big Wheel in a Price is Right Facebook game, and you'll soon be able to Pass Go and Collect $200 in a Facebook Monopoly game from EA/Playfish.
gdc online 2010Social gaming (on Facebook and otherwise) played a major role in the conference, with a series of sessions devoted to the topic, which included a standout talk from FrontierVille creator Brian Reynolds (our full interview with him is coming soon), Playdom's Raph Koster and the first-ever Game Developer Choice Online Awards, where Social City was honored as the Best Social Network Game of the Year.
After sitting through a slew of panels, lectures, roundtables (and heated conversations at during a series of evening events), here's a list of five social gaming trends you can expect to see in the coming year.
1. Social gaming is not going away anytime soon
Everyone's buzzing about how FarmVille and the other top games have been losing players faster than a cat sheds its winter coat. And while that is largely true for the top 20 games on Facebook, newer games have still managed to attract players at a respectable rate. Two prime examples of this are Booyah's Nightclub City (a nightclub management sim game with music from real-life artists) and Casual Collective's Backyard Monsters (a tower defense game), and that trend is expected to continue into next year. So instead of Facebook gaming dying, it sounds more like it's changing. People are growing tired of the same old farm and pet games and are ready for the next big thing.
2. Expect social games to look better and offer more original game experiences
FarmVille and the rest of the first-generation social games haven't exactly had the best-looking graphics or most sophisticated game experiences. And that has been OK until recently. Game-wise, FrontierVille set the bar in creating a very playable social game, infusing all of that gift giving and neighbor visiting with popular game elements borrowed from Mario (yes, that Mario), Sonic, Diablo and World of Warcraft. Social games like ngmoco's We Rule and We Farm on iOS devices have set a new standard for high production values, and we expect that social game makers will be upping the ante on their creations in the near future.
3. Social gaming is going mobile (for reals this time)
It's hasn't been easy to transport social games from Facebook to iPhone, but we predict that this will be the year that mobile social gaming will have its coming out party in the US. Whether its social games companies like Zynga and Playfish figuring out how to launch games on iPhone and iOS (as well as making the leap to Android) or some dark horse mobile game maker beating Zynga to the punch -- it's clear that social games will be a must-play on mobile in the near future.
4. The debate on whether FarmVille, et al, is 'evil' or 'really a game' continues
While it seems like a no-brainer that games like FarmVille and Pet Society appeal to mostly women gamers who may also play games like Bejeweled and Mystery Case Files, this doesn't seem to be common knowledge for everyone. This was most evident in a roundtable called 'Do Social Games Suck?" where there were far too many comparisons between FarmVille and Halo or FarmVille and World of Warcraft. There was no final conclusion if these games 'suck,' but there is still a perception that FarmVille and its ilk are 'evil,' 'addictive' and are 'not really games.' The 200+ million Facebook users who play social games might disagree.
5. Big brands will flood Facebook this coming year
A few big video games brands (Madden, FIFA) made the jump to Facebook this year, with marginal success, but big brands (as in, stuff that even your grandma would know) will be headed to Facebook. You can already spin the Big Wheel in a Price is Right Facebook game, and you'll soon be able to Pass Go and Collect $200 in a Facebook Monopoly game from EA/Playfish.
Increase energy with Treasure Isle baby animal boats
Treasure Isle Baby Animal Boats
Treasure Isle sure is pulling our heart strings lately, with cute animals all over the place. The latest edition in the prettiest island pet shop is a set of absolutely adorable baby animal boats. These precocious pets don't exactly make a ton of sense, but we're not going to complain. These baby animal boats also increase your maximum energy from 1-3 total energy. Boats aren't a new addition to the game, but this is the first time we've seen little baby boats hit the store. It's not even springtime yet! Here is a glimpse at what you can expect to find if you check the Treasure Isle store right now.
Baby Bunnies - 65 Island Cash, +3 Energy
Baby Penguins - 65 Island Cash, +3 Energy
Baby Foxes - 55 Island Cash, +2 Energy
Baby Meerkats - 55 Island Cash, +2 Energy
Baby Polar Bears - 55 Island Cash, +2 Energy
Baby Owl - 45 Island Cash, +1 Energy
We're not sure exactly how long these will be in the store, but there is no expiration date on them as of yet. Check out the boat section of the store to find these new baby animal boats along with a slew of other boats.
Treasure Isle sure is pulling our heart strings lately, with cute animals all over the place. The latest edition in the prettiest island pet shop is a set of absolutely adorable baby animal boats. These precocious pets don't exactly make a ton of sense, but we're not going to complain. These baby animal boats also increase your maximum energy from 1-3 total energy. Boats aren't a new addition to the game, but this is the first time we've seen little baby boats hit the store. It's not even springtime yet! Here is a glimpse at what you can expect to find if you check the Treasure Isle store right now.
Baby Bunnies - 65 Island Cash, +3 Energy
Baby Penguins - 65 Island Cash, +3 Energy
Baby Foxes - 55 Island Cash, +2 Energy
Baby Meerkats - 55 Island Cash, +2 Energy
Baby Polar Bears - 55 Island Cash, +2 Energy
Baby Owl - 45 Island Cash, +1 Energy
We're not sure exactly how long these will be in the store, but there is no expiration date on them as of yet. Check out the boat section of the store to find these new baby animal boats along with a slew of other boats.
Nightclub City gets spooky with Nightclub on Elm Street
Nightclub City is going all out for the Halloween season, with full Nightclub on Elm Street festivities. The game has released decorations, costumes, new parties, and whole new location. To get the 6 costumes and throw the Halloween parties, however, you'll need to shell out a lot of cash to unlock the Nightclub on Elm Street location, which costs 10 million cash or 30 Facebook Credits. For those of us who are still saving up every penny and can't afford it, we'll have to save up - because you can't even buy any Halloween decorations unless you have opened a Nightclub on Elm Street.
The Halloween themed parties are as follows:
Furry Fun Fest
Celebrity: Michael J. Wolf
Rewards: 25,000 cash, 40 Party Points
Planning: 4 hours
Collectible Rewards: Werewolf Costume, Bunny Costume, Halloween Club Decor
Sisterhood's Pledge
Celebrities: Agatha, Tabitha, Hagatha
Rewards: 40,000 cash, 60 Party Points
Planning: 12 hours
Collectible Rewards: Witch Costume, Halloween Decor
Sexy Sailors & Naughty Nurses
Rewards: 20,000 cash, 20 Party Points
Planning: 1 hour
Collectible Rewards: Sailor Costume, Nurse Costume, Halloween Club Decor
Halloween Costume Party
Rewards: 10,000 cash, 10 Party Points
Planning: 10 min.
Collectible Rewards: Ghost Costume, Schoolgirl Costume, Halloween Club Decor
Millionaire Masquerade
Celebrities: Masked YoBama, Masked Donald Hump, Masked G.W. Tush
Rewards: 100,000 cash, 90 Party Points
Planning: 24 hours
Collectible Rewards: Masquerade Masks (4), Halloween Club Decor
The store is also packed with new ways to decorate your club to get ready for Halloween, including Trick or Treat dance floors, Pumpkin decor, vampire casket, Witch's Brewpot, and Haunted Portraits. Unfortunately, not everyone can enjoy these creepy haunted decorations. Such a bummer, but we'll be saving up to buy the new location before it's gone.
The Halloween themed parties are as follows:
Furry Fun Fest
Celebrity: Michael J. Wolf
Rewards: 25,000 cash, 40 Party Points
Planning: 4 hours
Collectible Rewards: Werewolf Costume, Bunny Costume, Halloween Club Decor
Sisterhood's Pledge
Celebrities: Agatha, Tabitha, Hagatha
Rewards: 40,000 cash, 60 Party Points
Planning: 12 hours
Collectible Rewards: Witch Costume, Halloween Decor
Sexy Sailors & Naughty Nurses
Rewards: 20,000 cash, 20 Party Points
Planning: 1 hour
Collectible Rewards: Sailor Costume, Nurse Costume, Halloween Club Decor
Halloween Costume Party
Rewards: 10,000 cash, 10 Party Points
Planning: 10 min.
Collectible Rewards: Ghost Costume, Schoolgirl Costume, Halloween Club Decor
Millionaire Masquerade
Celebrities: Masked YoBama, Masked Donald Hump, Masked G.W. Tush
Rewards: 100,000 cash, 90 Party Points
Planning: 24 hours
Collectible Rewards: Masquerade Masks (4), Halloween Club Decor
The store is also packed with new ways to decorate your club to get ready for Halloween, including Trick or Treat dance floors, Pumpkin decor, vampire casket, Witch's Brewpot, and Haunted Portraits. Unfortunately, not everyone can enjoy these creepy haunted decorations. Such a bummer, but we'll be saving up to buy the new location before it's gone.
Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 2, 2012
PetVille: Interview a developer and get the dirty details
PetVille is doing something pretty neat that we have never seen before in a Facebook game. The game is allowing players to submit questions to a PetVille developer, so they can find out whatever they want to know about the game.
The developer is named Andrew, and he is the QA Lead and Release Manager for the game. All you need to do is ask 2-3 questions in this forum thread. Andrew will be picking which question he wants to answer and posting them in the thread. He is the one who gets to see all the features before they go live, so he has all the exclusive details that you want.
Some of the questions asked so far include questions about the new neighborhoods system, new clothing options, and feature requests such as a screenshot feature.
So what kind of questions would you ask if you could chat with a PetVille developer?
The developer is named Andrew, and he is the QA Lead and Release Manager for the game. All you need to do is ask 2-3 questions in this forum thread. Andrew will be picking which question he wants to answer and posting them in the thread. He is the one who gets to see all the features before they go live, so he has all the exclusive details that you want.
Some of the questions asked so far include questions about the new neighborhoods system, new clothing options, and feature requests such as a screenshot feature.
So what kind of questions would you ask if you could chat with a PetVille developer?
Zoo World: Exotic Arabian Nights brings camels and genies
Zoo World has started a brand new theme today, and it's the Arabian Nights collection. There are a few new animals, decorations, and buildings to start decorating your zoo with the latest Persian gifts. This theme doesn't seem to be very big, but it's possible that it's just the beginning and that there is more to come. Here is a quick peek at what you can find in this new set of items:
Persian Leopard - 266,450 dollars
Arabian Camel - 259,200 dollars
3 Wishes Stand - 60,000 dollars
Mosque - 6,500,000 dollars
Great Sphinx - 1,000,000 dollars
This theme will only be around for 10 days, but it's awesome that none of these items require Wildlife Points. Players who don't spend money will be overjoyed at being able to have access to all of these Arabian Nights items. I purchased the 3 Wishes Stand expecting that it would grant some kind of reward 3 times, but it was purely a decorative item which was a bit disappointing to me. Either way, this is a neat theme and we hope it's expanded to more items.
Persian Leopard - 266,450 dollars
Arabian Camel - 259,200 dollars
3 Wishes Stand - 60,000 dollars
Mosque - 6,500,000 dollars
Great Sphinx - 1,000,000 dollars
This theme will only be around for 10 days, but it's awesome that none of these items require Wildlife Points. Players who don't spend money will be overjoyed at being able to have access to all of these Arabian Nights items. I purchased the 3 Wishes Stand expecting that it would grant some kind of reward 3 times, but it was purely a decorative item which was a bit disappointing to me. Either way, this is a neat theme and we hope it's expanded to more items.
It Girl debuts branded Rocawear clothing line
Crowdstar's It Girl is on a rampage lately, with new clothing and accessories available every direction we turn. Today, the game launched it's first branded clothing line, partnering up with Rocawear. Rocawear was started in 1999 by Jay-Z and a partner, and has a revenue around 700 million dollars. There are currently 7 new limited quantity items in the Couture store, and spending a bit of Facebook Credits will let you get your Jay-Z fashionista on. Here's the new gear:
Rocawear Can't Hold Me Down Dress - 57 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Beaded Dress - 55 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Roc Wings Tee - 44 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Marcella Shoes - 53 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Sparkle Drop Dress - 55 Facebook Credits
Rocawear It's the Roc Tee - 47 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Sylvi Heels - 51 Facebook Credits
Players may be a little disappointed that they can't buy these Rocawear items without spending real money, but we think these new clothing pieces are worth the money.
What other fashion designers do you hope to see in It Girl?
Rocawear Can't Hold Me Down Dress - 57 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Beaded Dress - 55 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Roc Wings Tee - 44 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Marcella Shoes - 53 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Sparkle Drop Dress - 55 Facebook Credits
Rocawear It's the Roc Tee - 47 Facebook Credits
Rocawear Sylvi Heels - 51 Facebook Credits
Players may be a little disappointed that they can't buy these Rocawear items without spending real money, but we think these new clothing pieces are worth the money.
What other fashion designers do you hope to see in It Girl?
Xbox Kinect Reviews: Revolutionary Movement
Kinect for Xbox 360 is now upon us, with thousands of midnight launch events across the country ushering in a new way of playing games throughout the country. If you don't know anything about Kinect, it is a 3D camera and sensor that hooks up to an Xbox 360 video game console, giving Kinect games the ability to actually track your movement without the need for any remote or controller at all.
We have been playing with Kinect for a couple of weeks now, and we can tell you that it definitely works! Almost instantly, it shows how Nintendo Wii is getting long in the tooth while it makes Sony's PlayStation Move look like a huge misstep. It feels like something out of a science-fiction movie, with the Kinect not only tracking your head, body and hands, but also recognizing your face when you step in front of the camera.
Games.com has been fortunate enough to play several of the games now available on Kinect, so just click the button below for reviews of six of the hottest games for Kinect.
Kinect Adventure
free, included with Xbox Kinect
Every Kinect comes with a free game, Kinect Adventures, that allows you to test out the motion control in a variety of games. Games include Rallyball, which has you kicking rubber balls off a wall full of targets as quickly as possible, and River Rush, which lands you in the middle of the rapids where you have to lean and jump to grab a ton of different medallions. Kinect Adventures is the perfect game to include with the camera as it's a lot of fun for one or two players, and the variety and challenge will keep you coming back.
Kinect Sports
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
If there's a game to get with your Kinect, it's Kinect Sports. By now, everyone has played Wii Sports, and Kinect Sports just takes it to the next level. Games like bowling, table tennis, volleyball, soccer and more appear in this compilation for single or multiple players. Kinect really shows off with this game because, instead of waggling a remote control to hit a ball, you actually have to make the motion of the hit -- there's no way to cheat the system!
For example, when playing table tennis, Kinect is so responsive that you can put a top spin or back spin on the ball with just the flick of your wrist. With volleyball, you will find yourself jumping to spike the ball down. And bowling requires perfect form and lining up your body in just the right way. Extremely impressive and tons of fun, Kinect Sports is a must-have.
Dance Central
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
The folks behind the critically-acclaimed Rock Band games offer up their take on dancing with Dance Central. Rather than a soundtrack full of rock and metal, Dance Central has current and old school dance hits that are sure to be familiar to anyone who's listened to the radio in the past couple of decades. Songs from Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" to Wreckx-n-Effect's "Rump Shaker" make for a great contrast from the usual music-based games.
Unlike other games, Dance Central is all about your ability to dance, and it is unlike anything you've ever played before. Kinect works wonders here to track how your body moves to the beat to stay on top of the variety of dance moves they throw at you. It takes some getting used to, especially if you've never tried Soulja Boy's famous "Crank That", but once you get the hang of it and see how responsive the system is, you'll never go back to another motion control system.
Kinect Joy Ride
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
What's a console launch without a realy cool racing game? Kinect Joy Ride fills in that need for speed with a game that must be played to be believed. In Kinect Joy Ride, the point of the game is to just race to the finish line against another opponent, opponents over Xbox Live, or against the computer. While there are no gas pedals or brakes of any kind, there is something revolutionary about just holding your hands out in front of you like you're grabbing an imaginary steering wheel, with the system tracking your every move.
Along the way, you'll hit huge ramps that will launch you into the air, which then gives you a chance to perform different stunts by spinning in place, leaning back or pushing forward. At the end of every race (and much like the other Kinect games we tried), you'll be treated to several pictures the Kinect takes of you in various poses, making for a good laugh. Not the deepest of racers, but a ton of fun.
Kinectimals
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
If you have kids, Kinectimals is a must-have. Kinectimals puts you in the position of a pet owner, but instead of a regular cat or dog, you have your choice of a number of exotic wild felines, from panthers to bengal tigers. The Kinect camera tracks your movements, and your connection with this virtual pet is solid from the get go as you use your hands to stroke your new friend's head, body and tail, making for an experience that is unlike any other.
As you get to know your pet, you'll teach them new tricks by mimicking those tricks by jumping, spinning or playing dead. For those of you who don't want to play dead, don't worry as the Kinect has voice recognition that works just as well. The game takes place on an island that will open up to you as you and your pet get to know each other, and mini-games appear throughout your adventure. This is absolutely perfect for any child, and even better is the limited edition version of the game that comes with a plush animal that can be scanned by the Kinect to unlock additional species and toys. Really amazing stuff.
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
Fitness gaming has become huge over the past few years, with games like Wii Fit and EA Active doing gangbusters sales. Kinect has a few fitness games out for launch, and we were able to try Your Shape: Fitness Evolved which is available now. The game jumps right in with the Kinect technology by offering a scan of your body, displaying the different measurements you have. Some data will have to be manually input like your age and weight, but overall it offers an impressive start.
Once you get into the menus, you'll see there are several options for the game, from yoga routines to one-on-one personal training. The game keeps track of your calories burned and how often you workout, but the most impressive part is how the game tracks the effectiveness of your workout. Rather than other fitness games, the Kinect allows Your Shape to tell you exactly how to hold your yoga pose or keep up with the trainer's rhythm. It is actually amazing to see the game realize your arms are dropping a little bit, and then telling you instantly to raise them a bit more. An absolute system seller for any fitness enthusiast.
We have been playing with Kinect for a couple of weeks now, and we can tell you that it definitely works! Almost instantly, it shows how Nintendo Wii is getting long in the tooth while it makes Sony's PlayStation Move look like a huge misstep. It feels like something out of a science-fiction movie, with the Kinect not only tracking your head, body and hands, but also recognizing your face when you step in front of the camera.
Games.com has been fortunate enough to play several of the games now available on Kinect, so just click the button below for reviews of six of the hottest games for Kinect.
Kinect Adventure
free, included with Xbox Kinect
Every Kinect comes with a free game, Kinect Adventures, that allows you to test out the motion control in a variety of games. Games include Rallyball, which has you kicking rubber balls off a wall full of targets as quickly as possible, and River Rush, which lands you in the middle of the rapids where you have to lean and jump to grab a ton of different medallions. Kinect Adventures is the perfect game to include with the camera as it's a lot of fun for one or two players, and the variety and challenge will keep you coming back.
Kinect Sports
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
If there's a game to get with your Kinect, it's Kinect Sports. By now, everyone has played Wii Sports, and Kinect Sports just takes it to the next level. Games like bowling, table tennis, volleyball, soccer and more appear in this compilation for single or multiple players. Kinect really shows off with this game because, instead of waggling a remote control to hit a ball, you actually have to make the motion of the hit -- there's no way to cheat the system!
For example, when playing table tennis, Kinect is so responsive that you can put a top spin or back spin on the ball with just the flick of your wrist. With volleyball, you will find yourself jumping to spike the ball down. And bowling requires perfect form and lining up your body in just the right way. Extremely impressive and tons of fun, Kinect Sports is a must-have.
Dance Central
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
The folks behind the critically-acclaimed Rock Band games offer up their take on dancing with Dance Central. Rather than a soundtrack full of rock and metal, Dance Central has current and old school dance hits that are sure to be familiar to anyone who's listened to the radio in the past couple of decades. Songs from Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" to Wreckx-n-Effect's "Rump Shaker" make for a great contrast from the usual music-based games.
Unlike other games, Dance Central is all about your ability to dance, and it is unlike anything you've ever played before. Kinect works wonders here to track how your body moves to the beat to stay on top of the variety of dance moves they throw at you. It takes some getting used to, especially if you've never tried Soulja Boy's famous "Crank That", but once you get the hang of it and see how responsive the system is, you'll never go back to another motion control system.
Kinect Joy Ride
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
What's a console launch without a realy cool racing game? Kinect Joy Ride fills in that need for speed with a game that must be played to be believed. In Kinect Joy Ride, the point of the game is to just race to the finish line against another opponent, opponents over Xbox Live, or against the computer. While there are no gas pedals or brakes of any kind, there is something revolutionary about just holding your hands out in front of you like you're grabbing an imaginary steering wheel, with the system tracking your every move.
Along the way, you'll hit huge ramps that will launch you into the air, which then gives you a chance to perform different stunts by spinning in place, leaning back or pushing forward. At the end of every race (and much like the other Kinect games we tried), you'll be treated to several pictures the Kinect takes of you in various poses, making for a good laugh. Not the deepest of racers, but a ton of fun.
Kinectimals
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
If you have kids, Kinectimals is a must-have. Kinectimals puts you in the position of a pet owner, but instead of a regular cat or dog, you have your choice of a number of exotic wild felines, from panthers to bengal tigers. The Kinect camera tracks your movements, and your connection with this virtual pet is solid from the get go as you use your hands to stroke your new friend's head, body and tail, making for an experience that is unlike any other.
As you get to know your pet, you'll teach them new tricks by mimicking those tricks by jumping, spinning or playing dead. For those of you who don't want to play dead, don't worry as the Kinect has voice recognition that works just as well. The game takes place on an island that will open up to you as you and your pet get to know each other, and mini-games appear throughout your adventure. This is absolutely perfect for any child, and even better is the limited edition version of the game that comes with a plush animal that can be scanned by the Kinect to unlock additional species and toys. Really amazing stuff.
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved
$49.99 for Xbox Kinect
Fitness gaming has become huge over the past few years, with games like Wii Fit and EA Active doing gangbusters sales. Kinect has a few fitness games out for launch, and we were able to try Your Shape: Fitness Evolved which is available now. The game jumps right in with the Kinect technology by offering a scan of your body, displaying the different measurements you have. Some data will have to be manually input like your age and weight, but overall it offers an impressive start.
Once you get into the menus, you'll see there are several options for the game, from yoga routines to one-on-one personal training. The game keeps track of your calories burned and how often you workout, but the most impressive part is how the game tracks the effectiveness of your workout. Rather than other fitness games, the Kinect allows Your Shape to tell you exactly how to hold your yoga pose or keep up with the trainer's rhythm. It is actually amazing to see the game realize your arms are dropping a little bit, and then telling you instantly to raise them a bit more. An absolute system seller for any fitness enthusiast.
Thanksgiving Guide: FarmVille, FrontierVille, Mafia Wars & more
thanksgiving facebook
Thanksgiving is next in the 2010 holiday line up, and we couldn't be more excited for the big turkey day. Halloween just came to a spectacular conclusion with over 160 festive game updates spanning across a ton of different Facebook games. But there's no time to catch your breath, we have to start preparing for Thanksgiving day and a brand new batch of holiday game content.
We expect Thanksgiving updates from FarmVille, FrontierVille, Restaurant City, Mafia Wars, Pet Society, Cafe World, and all the other big games. But Halloween set the bar high; will Thanksgiving deliver the same caliber of Facebook game updates? I think we can count on our favorite Facebook games to give us something to be thankful for.
So put the turkey in the oven, call the relatives, and dive into all the Thanksgiving 2010 Facebook game updates below. Check back in here for all the latest Thanksgiving updates and items.
Note: The newest posts are at the bottom of each game list. Posts in BOLD are the biggest Thanksgiving updates.
farmville thanksgiving
FarmVille Thanksgiving
FarmVille's Wild Turkey giftable for limited time, get the rotisserie ready
FarmVille Thanksgiving is already on the way
Official FarmVille Podcast (11/05): Turkey Roost, Thanksgiving Basket details
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Thanksgiving food items, plus Fruit Cake
FarmVille Turkey Roost: Everything you need to know
FarmVille: Fill up your Feed Trough for a free White Turkey
FarmVille New Decorations: Fair Market, UFO Ride, Harvest Table, Pony Ride, & Fair Fence
FarmVille: New Thanksgiving costumes to play dressup with
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Jack-o-Squirrel & Thanksgiving Topiary
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Thanksgiving Gnomes
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Animal (Thanksgiving?) Floats
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Skunk & Chicken Turkey
FarmVille: New Pilgrim, Turkey, and Wizard costumes
New FarmVille Animals: Harvest Horse & Silver Turkey
New FarmVille Limited Edition Crop: White Pumpkin
FarmVille Fruitcake: What is it for?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Harvest Store, Autumn Fountain, Cornucopia Home, Squash House & More
FarmVille Thanksgiving Basket: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Autumn Cow and Autumn Calf
FarmVille Thanksgiving Basket's ultimate prize is the Turkey Costume
FarmVille Thanksgiving Animal & Buildings: Chicken Turkey, Cornucopia Home, & Pilgrim Cabin
FarmVille Thanksgiving Decorations: Squirrel Pumpkin, Duck Balloon, & More
FarmVille Thanksgiving Items: Squash Home, Pilgrim Carriage, Turkey Balloon, & More
FarmVille: iPhone exclusive Thanksgiving Cart
FarmVille Thanksgiving crafting recipes available for a limited time
mafia wars thanksgiving
Mafia Wars Thanksgiving
Mafia Wars Stuff the Bird Secret Mission puts the 'give' in Thanksgiving
Mafia Wars Thanksgiving Weapons Depot items incoming Thursday
petville thanksgiving
PetVille Thanksgiving
PetVille Fall Collection hits the stores with autumn colors
PetVille Fall Collection now offering more items!
Have a Thankgiving dinner for your pet in PetVille
PetVille: New collect 'em all turkeys for Thanksgiving
FrontierVille Thanksgiving
FrontierVille Thanksgiving celebration coming soon
FrontierVille Thanksgiving Missions: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille Thanksgiving Collection: Collect items to earn a Turkey Fryer
FrontierVille Squash Collection: Plant this new crop to earn rewards
FrontierVille Turkey Collection: Accelerate your crop growth with this new collection
FrontierVille: Go all out with new Fall and Thanksgiving decorations
FrontierVille Thanksgiving Feast Missions: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille Thanksgiving Contest: Bake goodies for massive rewards
FrontierVille: Serve your neighbors a feast for free Thanksgiving dishes
ravenwood fair thanksgiving
Ravenwood Fair Thanksgiving
Ravenwood Fair Thanksgiving items are a cornucopia of fun
treasure isle thanksgiving
Treasure Isle Thanksgiving
Celebrate Thanksgiving in Treasure Isle with fall decorations
Treasure Isle: New limited time fall themed animals
Treasure Isle Thanksgiving Campaign: Everything you need to know
Treasure Isle Thanksgiving Holiday Sweepstakes: Win a trip to Hawaii
cafe world thanksgiving
Cafe World Thanksgiving
Cafe World Turkey Deep Fryer: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Cheats & Tips: Turkey Deep Fryer gifting links
Cafe World Thanksgiving Extravaganza Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Thanksgiving decorations have arrived
Cafe World Thanksgiving Mystery Crate holds animated items inside
Send Thanksgiving Flowers, earn 100 free Cafe World Cafe Cash
happy aquarium thanksgiving
Happy Aquarium Thanksgiving
Happy Aquarium dives underwater and emerges with fall items
Happy Aquarium's Black Friday Sale joins the post-Thanksgiving insanity
yoville thanksgiving
YoVille Thanksgiving
YoVille Sneak Peek: New costumes for Thanksgiving coming soon
YoVille Thanksgiving costumes will make your avatar say "Gobble, Gobble"
YoVille Thanksgiving furniture and decorations now available
YoVille Thanksgiving theme expands with 41 new decorative items
YoVille offers a FarmVille experience for Thanksgiving
pet society thanksgiving
Pet Society Thanksgiving
Pet Society Stadium Turkey Challenge puts your pet to the turkeys' test
baking life thanksgiving
Baking Life Thanksgiving
Baking Life: New autumn items available now
fishville thanksgiving
FishVille Thanksgiving
FishVille releases underwater Turkey Day items
FishVille releases round two of Thanksgiving decorations
zoo world thanksgiving
Zoo World Thanksgiving
Zoo World Thanksgiving Parade: Everything you need to know
Zoo World releases festive Thanksgiving decor for the animals
Zoo World: Transform your zoo into Thanksgiving Island
Zoo World Cornucopia: Everything you need to know
market street thanksgiving
Market Street Thanksgiving
Market Street: Decorate your store for the Thanksgiving holiday
ESPNU College Town Thanksgiving
ESPNU College Town Thanksgiving items bring the comforts of home
ESPNU College Town: Giant Thanksgiving turkey terrorizes campus
Other Games Thanksgiving
Cafe Life: Adopt Gobbles the Turkey in time for Thanksgiving
Social City's Thanksgiving 5 Days of Gifting reflects on first Turkey Day
Cafe Life releases new decor in time for Thanksgiving
It Girl celebrates Thanksgiving with new Fall Leaves Couture line
My Vineyard Thanksgiving Day Table celebrates the sophisticated way
City of Wonder: Gifts of Wonder visits Jamestown, birthplace of the colonies
Restaurant City: Master the 'Turducken' dish for a free 'Santa Marzipan'
Mall World launches Thanksgiving Harvest store
Thanksgiving is next in the 2010 holiday line up, and we couldn't be more excited for the big turkey day. Halloween just came to a spectacular conclusion with over 160 festive game updates spanning across a ton of different Facebook games. But there's no time to catch your breath, we have to start preparing for Thanksgiving day and a brand new batch of holiday game content.
We expect Thanksgiving updates from FarmVille, FrontierVille, Restaurant City, Mafia Wars, Pet Society, Cafe World, and all the other big games. But Halloween set the bar high; will Thanksgiving deliver the same caliber of Facebook game updates? I think we can count on our favorite Facebook games to give us something to be thankful for.
So put the turkey in the oven, call the relatives, and dive into all the Thanksgiving 2010 Facebook game updates below. Check back in here for all the latest Thanksgiving updates and items.
Note: The newest posts are at the bottom of each game list. Posts in BOLD are the biggest Thanksgiving updates.
farmville thanksgiving
FarmVille Thanksgiving
FarmVille's Wild Turkey giftable for limited time, get the rotisserie ready
FarmVille Thanksgiving is already on the way
Official FarmVille Podcast (11/05): Turkey Roost, Thanksgiving Basket details
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Thanksgiving food items, plus Fruit Cake
FarmVille Turkey Roost: Everything you need to know
FarmVille: Fill up your Feed Trough for a free White Turkey
FarmVille New Decorations: Fair Market, UFO Ride, Harvest Table, Pony Ride, & Fair Fence
FarmVille: New Thanksgiving costumes to play dressup with
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Jack-o-Squirrel & Thanksgiving Topiary
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Thanksgiving Gnomes
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Animal (Thanksgiving?) Floats
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Skunk & Chicken Turkey
FarmVille: New Pilgrim, Turkey, and Wizard costumes
New FarmVille Animals: Harvest Horse & Silver Turkey
New FarmVille Limited Edition Crop: White Pumpkin
FarmVille Fruitcake: What is it for?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Harvest Store, Autumn Fountain, Cornucopia Home, Squash House & More
FarmVille Thanksgiving Basket: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Autumn Cow and Autumn Calf
FarmVille Thanksgiving Basket's ultimate prize is the Turkey Costume
FarmVille Thanksgiving Animal & Buildings: Chicken Turkey, Cornucopia Home, & Pilgrim Cabin
FarmVille Thanksgiving Decorations: Squirrel Pumpkin, Duck Balloon, & More
FarmVille Thanksgiving Items: Squash Home, Pilgrim Carriage, Turkey Balloon, & More
FarmVille: iPhone exclusive Thanksgiving Cart
FarmVille Thanksgiving crafting recipes available for a limited time
mafia wars thanksgiving
Mafia Wars Thanksgiving
Mafia Wars Stuff the Bird Secret Mission puts the 'give' in Thanksgiving
Mafia Wars Thanksgiving Weapons Depot items incoming Thursday
petville thanksgiving
PetVille Thanksgiving
PetVille Fall Collection hits the stores with autumn colors
PetVille Fall Collection now offering more items!
Have a Thankgiving dinner for your pet in PetVille
PetVille: New collect 'em all turkeys for Thanksgiving
FrontierVille Thanksgiving
FrontierVille Thanksgiving celebration coming soon
FrontierVille Thanksgiving Missions: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille Thanksgiving Collection: Collect items to earn a Turkey Fryer
FrontierVille Squash Collection: Plant this new crop to earn rewards
FrontierVille Turkey Collection: Accelerate your crop growth with this new collection
FrontierVille: Go all out with new Fall and Thanksgiving decorations
FrontierVille Thanksgiving Feast Missions: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille Thanksgiving Contest: Bake goodies for massive rewards
FrontierVille: Serve your neighbors a feast for free Thanksgiving dishes
ravenwood fair thanksgiving
Ravenwood Fair Thanksgiving
Ravenwood Fair Thanksgiving items are a cornucopia of fun
treasure isle thanksgiving
Treasure Isle Thanksgiving
Celebrate Thanksgiving in Treasure Isle with fall decorations
Treasure Isle: New limited time fall themed animals
Treasure Isle Thanksgiving Campaign: Everything you need to know
Treasure Isle Thanksgiving Holiday Sweepstakes: Win a trip to Hawaii
cafe world thanksgiving
Cafe World Thanksgiving
Cafe World Turkey Deep Fryer: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Cheats & Tips: Turkey Deep Fryer gifting links
Cafe World Thanksgiving Extravaganza Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Thanksgiving decorations have arrived
Cafe World Thanksgiving Mystery Crate holds animated items inside
Send Thanksgiving Flowers, earn 100 free Cafe World Cafe Cash
happy aquarium thanksgiving
Happy Aquarium Thanksgiving
Happy Aquarium dives underwater and emerges with fall items
Happy Aquarium's Black Friday Sale joins the post-Thanksgiving insanity
yoville thanksgiving
YoVille Thanksgiving
YoVille Sneak Peek: New costumes for Thanksgiving coming soon
YoVille Thanksgiving costumes will make your avatar say "Gobble, Gobble"
YoVille Thanksgiving furniture and decorations now available
YoVille Thanksgiving theme expands with 41 new decorative items
YoVille offers a FarmVille experience for Thanksgiving
pet society thanksgiving
Pet Society Thanksgiving
Pet Society Stadium Turkey Challenge puts your pet to the turkeys' test
baking life thanksgiving
Baking Life Thanksgiving
Baking Life: New autumn items available now
fishville thanksgiving
FishVille Thanksgiving
FishVille releases underwater Turkey Day items
FishVille releases round two of Thanksgiving decorations
zoo world thanksgiving
Zoo World Thanksgiving
Zoo World Thanksgiving Parade: Everything you need to know
Zoo World releases festive Thanksgiving decor for the animals
Zoo World: Transform your zoo into Thanksgiving Island
Zoo World Cornucopia: Everything you need to know
market street thanksgiving
Market Street Thanksgiving
Market Street: Decorate your store for the Thanksgiving holiday
ESPNU College Town Thanksgiving
ESPNU College Town Thanksgiving items bring the comforts of home
ESPNU College Town: Giant Thanksgiving turkey terrorizes campus
Other Games Thanksgiving
Cafe Life: Adopt Gobbles the Turkey in time for Thanksgiving
Social City's Thanksgiving 5 Days of Gifting reflects on first Turkey Day
Cafe Life releases new decor in time for Thanksgiving
It Girl celebrates Thanksgiving with new Fall Leaves Couture line
My Vineyard Thanksgiving Day Table celebrates the sophisticated way
City of Wonder: Gifts of Wonder visits Jamestown, birthplace of the colonies
Restaurant City: Master the 'Turducken' dish for a free 'Santa Marzipan'
Mall World launches Thanksgiving Harvest store
Thứ Tư, 1 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: White Ram, Snow Goose, Arctic Rabbit, Muskox
It's time once again for a FarmVille Sneak Peek, where we bring you leaked images of unreleased items that might be coming to FarmVille in the near future. This time around, we've come across a set of unreleased animals, all of which seem to have a connection to the upcoming winter holiday.
The animals are (from left to right), the White Ram, Snow Goose, Arctic Rabbit and Muskox. It's unclear yet as to whether or not these animals will be available for Farm Cash or coins (we're assuming the former for all of them), or how much they'll be worth when harvested.
As usual, there is no guarantee that any of these items will officially launch in the game, so keep that in mind.
The animals are (from left to right), the White Ram, Snow Goose, Arctic Rabbit and Muskox. It's unclear yet as to whether or not these animals will be available for Farm Cash or coins (we're assuming the former for all of them), or how much they'll be worth when harvested.
As usual, there is no guarantee that any of these items will officially launch in the game, so keep that in mind.
City of Wonder: Stock up on extra Gold in Black Friday sale
As most Facebook games have done this year, Playdom is holding a Black Friday sale in City of Wonder, allowing users to stock up on extra Gold (the game's premium currency) that they can then use to purchase exclusive buildings and decorations.
This sale is a bit backwards, in terms of design. Rather than lowering the amount of money required to purchase each Gold package in the game, Playdom has instead simply increased the amount of Gold each package contains. That being the case, you can now pick up 100 Gold for $19.99 and 280 Gold for $49.99 (as examples), rather than the original 85 and 240 Gold packages originally available at those prices.
This sale will only be going on for a limited time, and Gold packages are available in quantities of as little as 20 Gold for $4.99, so make sure to take advantage of the bonus Gold now if you're at all interested.
This sale is a bit backwards, in terms of design. Rather than lowering the amount of money required to purchase each Gold package in the game, Playdom has instead simply increased the amount of Gold each package contains. That being the case, you can now pick up 100 Gold for $19.99 and 280 Gold for $49.99 (as examples), rather than the original 85 and 240 Gold packages originally available at those prices.
This sale will only be going on for a limited time, and Gold packages are available in quantities of as little as 20 Gold for $4.99, so make sure to take advantage of the bonus Gold now if you're at all interested.
Cafe World: Earn 50 Cafe Cash for Harry & David purchase
If you've been waiting for another shopping promotion in Cafe World, Zynga has launched a new one this weekend that you might be interested in. This newest promotion is from Harry & David, a gourmet gifts retailer.
Via this promotion, you'll be able to receive 30% off gourmet gifts, and get free standard delivery on all purchases. You'll need to activate this offer by clicking on the link (as seen at right) which appears below the Cafe World gameplay area. From there, place a legitimate order between now and December 18 and you'll receive 50 free Cafe Cash a reward for taking part.
While this offer will, of course, require you to put out some real money before you receive your Cafe Cash, if you had been planning on making such a purchase anyway, why not take a few extra seconds to activate the Cafe World deal and earn something for yourself in the process?
Via this promotion, you'll be able to receive 30% off gourmet gifts, and get free standard delivery on all purchases. You'll need to activate this offer by clicking on the link (as seen at right) which appears below the Cafe World gameplay area. From there, place a legitimate order between now and December 18 and you'll receive 50 free Cafe Cash a reward for taking part.
While this offer will, of course, require you to put out some real money before you receive your Cafe Cash, if you had been planning on making such a purchase anyway, why not take a few extra seconds to activate the Cafe World deal and earn something for yourself in the process?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Mini Black Stallion & Mini Black Stallion Foal
This weekend has been a good one for the released of leaked images from FarmVille, allowing us to bring you another FarmVille Sneak Peek, which contains images of items that may or may not be coming to FarmVille in the near future.
This time around, we've spotted images of a Mini Black Stallion, perfect for those users that are tired of waiting for the Wandering Stallion to appear and help them breed foals in the Horse Stable. We're assuming this Stallion will be sold in the store for Farm Cash, but of course that hasn't been confirmed as of this writing.
The Black Stallion Foal, then, is what we're assuming would be produced when a Mini Black Stallion is placed inside the Horse Stable.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these animals will actually be released in the game, so keep that in mind.
This time around, we've spotted images of a Mini Black Stallion, perfect for those users that are tired of waiting for the Wandering Stallion to appear and help them breed foals in the Horse Stable. We're assuming this Stallion will be sold in the store for Farm Cash, but of course that hasn't been confirmed as of this writing.
The Black Stallion Foal, then, is what we're assuming would be produced when a Mini Black Stallion is placed inside the Horse Stable.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these animals will actually be released in the game, so keep that in mind.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Train Station & Santa's Post Office
In anticipation of the upcoming Winter Holiday season, we've come across new leaked images of some unreleased Winter Holiday items in FarmVille, allowing us to bring you a sneak peek of these items, that may or may not be coming to FarmVille in the near future.
This time around, we have images of a holiday-themed Train Station, and a Santa's Post Office building. The Train Station will go fabulously with the also (as-of-now) unreleased Winter Holiday Train that we told you about a few days ago. We're guessing it will be available for Farm Cash, although there's no official confirmation of that as-of-now.
The other building, the Santa's Post Office is a lovely, colorful building with shipping boxes piled up to one side, showing just how much mail the big man receives every year.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually be launched in the game, so keep that in mind.
This time around, we have images of a holiday-themed Train Station, and a Santa's Post Office building. The Train Station will go fabulously with the also (as-of-now) unreleased Winter Holiday Train that we told you about a few days ago. We're guessing it will be available for Farm Cash, although there's no official confirmation of that as-of-now.
The other building, the Santa's Post Office is a lovely, colorful building with shipping boxes piled up to one side, showing just how much mail the big man receives every year.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually be launched in the game, so keep that in mind.
Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 1, 2012
New FarmVille Limited Edition Crop: White Poinsettia (requires seed packets)
As part of tonight's FarmVille update, we see the release of a new limited edition crop in the game that flower-lovers will definitely appreciate. The crop is the White Poinsettia, and just like the regular Poinsettia before it, it is a limited time offering that you'll need to be fast to plant and harvest if you want a chance at full mastery.
The White Poinsettias are a crop just like the Black Roses from Halloween, that must be collected in seed packets before they can be planted. You can click on the "Get" button next to the White Poinsettia crop in the store in order to "Ask for more" seed packets, with this allowing you to post a general request to your wall for your friends to see. Since this might be looked over by many players, you might try asking some of your closest neighbors personally to send you some (they are available to send in packets of 20 from the game's free gifts page).
Once you have packets of seeds, you'll be able to plant them and harvest them 16 hours later. You'll get 200 coins for each harvest, and you'll earn 2 experience points for each seed that you plant. As with other crops, the White Poinsettia can be mastered, with the first star of mastery coming at 250 harvests.
The White Poinsettias will only be available to grow for the next 22 days, so what are you waiting for?
The White Poinsettias are a crop just like the Black Roses from Halloween, that must be collected in seed packets before they can be planted. You can click on the "Get" button next to the White Poinsettia crop in the store in order to "Ask for more" seed packets, with this allowing you to post a general request to your wall for your friends to see. Since this might be looked over by many players, you might try asking some of your closest neighbors personally to send you some (they are available to send in packets of 20 from the game's free gifts page).
Once you have packets of seeds, you'll be able to plant them and harvest them 16 hours later. You'll get 200 coins for each harvest, and you'll earn 2 experience points for each seed that you plant. As with other crops, the White Poinsettia can be mastered, with the first star of mastery coming at 250 harvests.
The White Poinsettias will only be available to grow for the next 22 days, so what are you waiting for?
FarmVille Winter Holiday items: Candy Cane Chicken, Winter Castle, Reindeer Balloon & More
If you check out the "Specials" tab of the FarmVille marketplace, you'll see that the middle image has now been transformed to say "Last Chance!" on "Winter Holiday Items!" However, the fact that the Christmas holiday is now just days away hasn't stopped Zynga from adding even more items to this quickly expiring theme.
Tonight's FarmVille update sees the release of a new animal, a new (and very large) building, along with five new decorative items in the game's store. Luckily, the majority of the decorative items are available for coins, so if you've got any extra space on your farm to hold them, be sure to check out all of the details about these new items with us behind the break.
First, the new animal is one that we gave you a Sneak Peek of a few days ago. It is the Candy Cane Chicken, and it is available to purchase for 25 Farm Cash. Candy Cane Chickens, when placed into a Chicken Coop, have a chance of laying a treasured Candy Cane Mystery Egg, which can then be shared with your friends via a generic wall post. As for your own farm, the chicken can be harvested from once per day and will give you 64 coins in the process. The chicken will be available for the next 9 days.
Moving on, the new building is the Winter Castle, another item that we gave you a Sneak Peek of earlier this week. It is available for 42 Farm Cash. You'll receive 4200 experience points as a reward for purchasing it, and if you'd like to sell it once the holiday season is over, you'll receive 21,000 coins in return. That's not very much, so maybe you'd try storing it instead? I know I would.
As for the decorations, four out of the five new items go for coins. The one premium item is the Reindeer Gnome. Gnome collectors better have their in-game wallets ready, as the Gnome will cost 12 Farm Cash to add to your collection. However, if you're willing to make the splurge, you'll receive 1200 experience points as a reward for doing so.
The other four items are the Chilipepper Lights, the Lighted Saguaro cactus, the Reindeer Balloon, and the Stocking Planter, which cost 10,000, 30,000, 50,000, and 5,000 coins, respectively. You'll receive 10% of the purchase price as a reward in experience points (100 for the Lights, 300 for the cactus, 500 for the balloon, and 50 for the planter). It should be noted that the Reindeer Balloon is yet another large item to be released in this theme. The base itself isn't large, but the balloon portion is, so it will probably block your view of whatever sits near it / behind it.
And there you have it! Presumably the final addition of Winter Holiday items in FarmVille for the year, which will be available for the next nine days. We'll be sure to let you know if Zynga adds any other decorative items to the game, but until then, happy holidays!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Which of these new items are you most looking forward to adding to your farm? Is your farm now overflowing with holiday decorations, or would you like Zynga to release even more for your shopping pleasure?
Tonight's FarmVille update sees the release of a new animal, a new (and very large) building, along with five new decorative items in the game's store. Luckily, the majority of the decorative items are available for coins, so if you've got any extra space on your farm to hold them, be sure to check out all of the details about these new items with us behind the break.
First, the new animal is one that we gave you a Sneak Peek of a few days ago. It is the Candy Cane Chicken, and it is available to purchase for 25 Farm Cash. Candy Cane Chickens, when placed into a Chicken Coop, have a chance of laying a treasured Candy Cane Mystery Egg, which can then be shared with your friends via a generic wall post. As for your own farm, the chicken can be harvested from once per day and will give you 64 coins in the process. The chicken will be available for the next 9 days.
Moving on, the new building is the Winter Castle, another item that we gave you a Sneak Peek of earlier this week. It is available for 42 Farm Cash. You'll receive 4200 experience points as a reward for purchasing it, and if you'd like to sell it once the holiday season is over, you'll receive 21,000 coins in return. That's not very much, so maybe you'd try storing it instead? I know I would.
As for the decorations, four out of the five new items go for coins. The one premium item is the Reindeer Gnome. Gnome collectors better have their in-game wallets ready, as the Gnome will cost 12 Farm Cash to add to your collection. However, if you're willing to make the splurge, you'll receive 1200 experience points as a reward for doing so.
The other four items are the Chilipepper Lights, the Lighted Saguaro cactus, the Reindeer Balloon, and the Stocking Planter, which cost 10,000, 30,000, 50,000, and 5,000 coins, respectively. You'll receive 10% of the purchase price as a reward in experience points (100 for the Lights, 300 for the cactus, 500 for the balloon, and 50 for the planter). It should be noted that the Reindeer Balloon is yet another large item to be released in this theme. The base itself isn't large, but the balloon portion is, so it will probably block your view of whatever sits near it / behind it.
And there you have it! Presumably the final addition of Winter Holiday items in FarmVille for the year, which will be available for the next nine days. We'll be sure to let you know if Zynga adds any other decorative items to the game, but until then, happy holidays!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Which of these new items are you most looking forward to adding to your farm? Is your farm now overflowing with holiday decorations, or would you like Zynga to release even more for your shopping pleasure?
FrontierVille Gingerbread House Goals: Everything you need to know
Gingerbread House WhackingYou pioneers are never satisfied, are you? First, it's the Buildable Snowman. Then Zynga gives you 12 days of Christmas Goals. And now, because that clearly wasn't enough, it threw in one of the most elaborate cross promotions you've ever seen this side of Rattlesnake Canyon: The Gingerbread House. Man, you FrontierVille players are just plain spoiled.
It seems that this adorable little gingerbread man is having trouble building his home this Christmas season as everywhere he's gone, people have literally eaten him out of house and home. In order to help, you'll need to go back to the three locales he's tried to build at and retrieve the essential ingredients to his home: CityVille, Treasure Isle and Mafia Wars. After placing his house on the homestead and giving it a few good whacks (that cost Food this time rather than Wood, get it?), you'll be greeted by this Building's menu. (If you're having trouble finding him, he's hanging out with the Carolers near the Toy Factory.)
Find out how to complete this Goal spanning several Zynga games after the break.
Finish your Gingerbread House
We'll get the easy--well, easier--stuff out of the way first. In addition to traveling to three different game worlds, you will need 15 Pretzels, 10 Gingerbread Slabs and 10 Frosting Tubes. All three of these items are acquired the old fashioned way: begging, of course. So, keep up on tapping your friends for these Gifts while you gallivant about three games.
Paul's Improvements
Let's start with finding a Chocolate Bar in CityVille. Clicking on the "Earn for Free" button will take you to a confirmation screen that will then launch you into your own city. From there, click on the Horseshoe icon to get started with "Paul's Improvements." Here, you'll need to do three simple tasks: place two Asphalt Roads, collect from five Residences and place three Decorations (yawn). Find the Asphalt Roads in the Decorations tab of the Build menu for 10 coins a pop. Also in that same tab will be where you can find three Decorations, so pick any three and put them any old place. Then, just click on five Residences with the coin icon hovering above them. If you're trying to save money or don't have any room for this nonsense, just delete it when your done using the Remove tool. For doing this, you'll receive 50 coins.
For some reason, completing the Goal won't return you to FrontierVille automatically nor did it instantly reward me with the Chocolate Bar. Only after jumping back into FrontierVille and following the same link that go me into CityVille from the game in the first place made Paul reappear, allowing me to jump back into FrontierVille to claim my Chocolate Bar. Next, let's take a stroll down the shady streets of Mafia Wars to get the next item, the Candy Cane.
Mafia Wars Candy Cane
Following the same process again, but for Mafia Wars, will take you where you need to be for the Candy Cane. For new or low level Mafia Wars players, this is going to be cake. For the veterans out there, have fun, OK? All you need to do in Mafia Wars to get the Candy Cane is gain one level above Level 5 through Jobs, which won't be so easy for the Level 100-plus players out there. Once you level up, you should receive a similar message to that from CityVille, prompting you to return to FrontierVille and open up your Candy Cane. Next, let's dive into Treasure Isle for the final item, the Gum Drops.
Treasure Isle Gum Drops
This Goal should be even easier than the last for most. For players above Level 4 (it's a requirement), all you need to do is find five Treasures... anywhere. So, you could probably just go about your business and work on whatever it is your currently tackling. Then, you should receive a similar confirmation as before, transporting you back to the homestead with Gum Drops in hand. If this doesn't happen automatically--this goes for Mafia Wars too--try the trick mentioned above. It worked in CityVille, so it might work the same way here. Now that you know what to do, go forth and conquer the worlds of what might soon be the misfit Zynga games, cowering in the shadow of the mighty CityVille empire.
Find the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Have you started this game-spanning set of Goals yet? Have any tips we didn't mention here for your fellow players?
It seems that this adorable little gingerbread man is having trouble building his home this Christmas season as everywhere he's gone, people have literally eaten him out of house and home. In order to help, you'll need to go back to the three locales he's tried to build at and retrieve the essential ingredients to his home: CityVille, Treasure Isle and Mafia Wars. After placing his house on the homestead and giving it a few good whacks (that cost Food this time rather than Wood, get it?), you'll be greeted by this Building's menu. (If you're having trouble finding him, he's hanging out with the Carolers near the Toy Factory.)
Find out how to complete this Goal spanning several Zynga games after the break.
Finish your Gingerbread House
We'll get the easy--well, easier--stuff out of the way first. In addition to traveling to three different game worlds, you will need 15 Pretzels, 10 Gingerbread Slabs and 10 Frosting Tubes. All three of these items are acquired the old fashioned way: begging, of course. So, keep up on tapping your friends for these Gifts while you gallivant about three games.
Paul's Improvements
Let's start with finding a Chocolate Bar in CityVille. Clicking on the "Earn for Free" button will take you to a confirmation screen that will then launch you into your own city. From there, click on the Horseshoe icon to get started with "Paul's Improvements." Here, you'll need to do three simple tasks: place two Asphalt Roads, collect from five Residences and place three Decorations (yawn). Find the Asphalt Roads in the Decorations tab of the Build menu for 10 coins a pop. Also in that same tab will be where you can find three Decorations, so pick any three and put them any old place. Then, just click on five Residences with the coin icon hovering above them. If you're trying to save money or don't have any room for this nonsense, just delete it when your done using the Remove tool. For doing this, you'll receive 50 coins.
For some reason, completing the Goal won't return you to FrontierVille automatically nor did it instantly reward me with the Chocolate Bar. Only after jumping back into FrontierVille and following the same link that go me into CityVille from the game in the first place made Paul reappear, allowing me to jump back into FrontierVille to claim my Chocolate Bar. Next, let's take a stroll down the shady streets of Mafia Wars to get the next item, the Candy Cane.
Mafia Wars Candy Cane
Following the same process again, but for Mafia Wars, will take you where you need to be for the Candy Cane. For new or low level Mafia Wars players, this is going to be cake. For the veterans out there, have fun, OK? All you need to do in Mafia Wars to get the Candy Cane is gain one level above Level 5 through Jobs, which won't be so easy for the Level 100-plus players out there. Once you level up, you should receive a similar message to that from CityVille, prompting you to return to FrontierVille and open up your Candy Cane. Next, let's dive into Treasure Isle for the final item, the Gum Drops.
Treasure Isle Gum Drops
This Goal should be even easier than the last for most. For players above Level 4 (it's a requirement), all you need to do is find five Treasures... anywhere. So, you could probably just go about your business and work on whatever it is your currently tackling. Then, you should receive a similar confirmation as before, transporting you back to the homestead with Gum Drops in hand. If this doesn't happen automatically--this goes for Mafia Wars too--try the trick mentioned above. It worked in CityVille, so it might work the same way here. Now that you know what to do, go forth and conquer the worlds of what might soon be the misfit Zynga games, cowering in the shadow of the mighty CityVille empire.
Find the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Have you started this game-spanning set of Goals yet? Have any tips we didn't mention here for your fellow players?
Mafia Wars 'No Crime Like the Present': Everything you need to know
If you took a look at your Operations today in Mafia Wars, you might have noticed a massive Christmas Tree plopped where your normal group missions should be. Do not be alarmed, this is Zynga's new, elaborate holiday event to ring in Christmas mobster-style, "No Crime Like the Present." In this special, limited time event, players will have to get into the holiday spirit like any self-respecting mafia member would: hoarding and stealing, of course. Mixing a little bit of gifting, stealing and protection, this event is going to take plenty dedication and team work if you want to nab the grand prize weapon: Auld Lang Syne (110 Attack, 135 Defense).
Peek behind the break to get a detailed look at how this huge holiday event works.
Holiday Gifting
Before you do much of anything involving Presents, we recommend getting your tree to the max level as soon as possible for it to hold the maximum amount of Presents: 45. (This becomes vitally important later, trust us.) To make your tree shine brilliantly at Level 5, you will need to collect large amounts of each Decoration: Ornaments, Lights and Candy Canes:
Level 2: Three of each Decoration (increases capacity to nine)
Level 3: Four of each Decoration (increases capacity to 18)
Level 4: Six of each Decoration (increases capacity to 30)
Level 5: Eight of each Decoration (increases capacity to 45)
That's a total of 21 for each Decoration, which adds up to a grand total of 63 gifted items.Thankfully, you can send these Decorations to your mafia members through the Free Gifts page as well as request them, making the task slightly less tedious. However, what you can send from that page is a Holiday Sack, which may contain one of seven items: any one of the three Decorations, any one of the three Presents or a Lump of Coal. If the person you're sending the Holiday Sack too has already maxed out their Christmas Tree, then that narrows down the possibilities to one of three Presents or the Lump of Coal (a weapon with one Attack and one Defense). After you've decked out the tree with blinding holiday bling, it's time to pilfer those Presents.
Rewards List
This is done exactly how decorating the tree was, but you can send Presents directly from the Christmas Tree menu. When sending or receiving a Gift, you have a random chance at getting or giving either a Blue, Red or Green Gift. This directly effects your chances at winning the 11 available items, most of which have impressive stats, thankfully. While there are five common items that can be found inside any of the three varieties of Presents with lesser stats, there are six items that can only be inside one of the three Presents with numbers that match some Italy-grade items. Here's where you can find the rarer holiday items:
Blue Gift: Shadow Transporter (77 Attack, 60 Defense); Bengal Tiger (72 Attack, 99 Defense)
Green Gift: Mobile Garage (55 Attack, 79 Defense); 40mm Bunker Buster (101 Attack, 68 Defense)
Red Gift: Achilles Salvation (69 Attack, 100 Defense); ET Hybrid (63 Attack, 75 Defense)
However, we don't recommend opening these Presents before New Year's Day. If you can't wait long enough and have the maximum amount of Presents come Jan. 1, you'll receive the grand prize. Unfortunately, that won't be so easy considering anyone can steal Presents from any Christmas Tree. Luckily for you, six friends can be enlisted to protect your Presents with their statistics contributing yours. So, make sure you recruit only your most powerful friends to keep your tree safe.
Tree Robbery
If you want to steal your own Presents, Christmas Trees will randomly appear on the Robbery Page with varying difficulty based on the mobsters protecting it, but you'll always need at least five mafia members and six Stamina to rob one. Also, Zynga added a News Feed to this Operation's home page so you can track who did what to your Presents and retaliate accordingly. With the threat of your precious Presents being stolen, we know where you're going to be this Christmas.
Find the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage here.
Have you started this massive event yet? Do you have any tips or information that we didn't mention here?
Peek behind the break to get a detailed look at how this huge holiday event works.
Holiday Gifting
Before you do much of anything involving Presents, we recommend getting your tree to the max level as soon as possible for it to hold the maximum amount of Presents: 45. (This becomes vitally important later, trust us.) To make your tree shine brilliantly at Level 5, you will need to collect large amounts of each Decoration: Ornaments, Lights and Candy Canes:
Level 2: Three of each Decoration (increases capacity to nine)
Level 3: Four of each Decoration (increases capacity to 18)
Level 4: Six of each Decoration (increases capacity to 30)
Level 5: Eight of each Decoration (increases capacity to 45)
That's a total of 21 for each Decoration, which adds up to a grand total of 63 gifted items.Thankfully, you can send these Decorations to your mafia members through the Free Gifts page as well as request them, making the task slightly less tedious. However, what you can send from that page is a Holiday Sack, which may contain one of seven items: any one of the three Decorations, any one of the three Presents or a Lump of Coal. If the person you're sending the Holiday Sack too has already maxed out their Christmas Tree, then that narrows down the possibilities to one of three Presents or the Lump of Coal (a weapon with one Attack and one Defense). After you've decked out the tree with blinding holiday bling, it's time to pilfer those Presents.
Rewards List
This is done exactly how decorating the tree was, but you can send Presents directly from the Christmas Tree menu. When sending or receiving a Gift, you have a random chance at getting or giving either a Blue, Red or Green Gift. This directly effects your chances at winning the 11 available items, most of which have impressive stats, thankfully. While there are five common items that can be found inside any of the three varieties of Presents with lesser stats, there are six items that can only be inside one of the three Presents with numbers that match some Italy-grade items. Here's where you can find the rarer holiday items:
Blue Gift: Shadow Transporter (77 Attack, 60 Defense); Bengal Tiger (72 Attack, 99 Defense)
Green Gift: Mobile Garage (55 Attack, 79 Defense); 40mm Bunker Buster (101 Attack, 68 Defense)
Red Gift: Achilles Salvation (69 Attack, 100 Defense); ET Hybrid (63 Attack, 75 Defense)
However, we don't recommend opening these Presents before New Year's Day. If you can't wait long enough and have the maximum amount of Presents come Jan. 1, you'll receive the grand prize. Unfortunately, that won't be so easy considering anyone can steal Presents from any Christmas Tree. Luckily for you, six friends can be enlisted to protect your Presents with their statistics contributing yours. So, make sure you recruit only your most powerful friends to keep your tree safe.
Tree Robbery
If you want to steal your own Presents, Christmas Trees will randomly appear on the Robbery Page with varying difficulty based on the mobsters protecting it, but you'll always need at least five mafia members and six Stamina to rob one. Also, Zynga added a News Feed to this Operation's home page so you can track who did what to your Presents and retaliate accordingly. With the threat of your precious Presents being stolen, we know where you're going to be this Christmas.
Find the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage here.
Have you started this massive event yet? Do you have any tips or information that we didn't mention here?
FrontierVille 12 Days of Christmas Goals: Everything you need to know for Day Nine
On the Ninth Day O' Christmas
By now, you're probably overwhelmed with holiday-themed things to do in FrontierVille, but you must press on. And we're here to help. Today, Zynga unlocked "On the Ninth Day O' Christmas" in the 12 Days of Christmas series of Goals. Once again, seasoned players will have little to no trouble with this Goal (although it can quickly become time consuming), but players who are relatively new to the game have quite a lot of work do.
First things first, you're going to need a completed Schoolhouse to complete this task, so why don't you new players check out this detailed guide (courtesy of FrontierVille Wiki) on how to complete it and come on back when you're ready? Once that's through, you'll need to collect the Daily Bonus from the Schoolhouse twice. So, this Goal is obviously going to take at least two days--just take your time. Next, you have to find a Lunchbox. Conveniently enough, they happen to be part of the Schoolhouse Collection, so you might come across one while collecting those two Daily Bonuses, but it is random. All the while, you will need to ask your friends for 10 Book Reports, which will be used up in the Goal. Fulfill all three requirements and this Goal will be in the bag faster than that torn-up wrapping paper Christmas morning with 90 XP and 900 coins waiting for you.
By now, you're probably overwhelmed with holiday-themed things to do in FrontierVille, but you must press on. And we're here to help. Today, Zynga unlocked "On the Ninth Day O' Christmas" in the 12 Days of Christmas series of Goals. Once again, seasoned players will have little to no trouble with this Goal (although it can quickly become time consuming), but players who are relatively new to the game have quite a lot of work do.
First things first, you're going to need a completed Schoolhouse to complete this task, so why don't you new players check out this detailed guide (courtesy of FrontierVille Wiki) on how to complete it and come on back when you're ready? Once that's through, you'll need to collect the Daily Bonus from the Schoolhouse twice. So, this Goal is obviously going to take at least two days--just take your time. Next, you have to find a Lunchbox. Conveniently enough, they happen to be part of the Schoolhouse Collection, so you might come across one while collecting those two Daily Bonuses, but it is random. All the while, you will need to ask your friends for 10 Book Reports, which will be used up in the Goal. Fulfill all three requirements and this Goal will be in the bag faster than that torn-up wrapping paper Christmas morning with 90 XP and 900 coins waiting for you.
Thứ Tư, 11 tháng 1, 2012
Lunchtime Poll: How well do you know your Facebook game friends?
Our guess is, "Not very well," but let's not get ahead of ourselves. A recent study reported by TechCrunch reveals that the average Facebook user has never met 7 percent of their friends on the social network in person. That's actually pretty impressive, considering how many celebrities and other folks that we follow on Twitter without so much as a "hello."
However, we have fairly good reason to believe that this is certainly not the case when it comes to the "other" Facebook user: the Facebook gamer. (Seriously, have you ever seen the comments on a game update via Facebook?) Though, we're going to let you confirm that for us in today's Lunchtime Poll:
How well do you know your Facebook game friends?
I actually know most of them personally, thank you very much.I only know a few personally, the rest I've met through games.Come to think of it, I don't know any of them "IRL," as the kids say.
However, we have fairly good reason to believe that this is certainly not the case when it comes to the "other" Facebook user: the Facebook gamer. (Seriously, have you ever seen the comments on a game update via Facebook?) Though, we're going to let you confirm that for us in today's Lunchtime Poll:
How well do you know your Facebook game friends?
I actually know most of them personally, thank you very much.I only know a few personally, the rest I've met through games.Come to think of it, I don't know any of them "IRL," as the kids say.
Father's Day iOS Game Sale: Scratch dad's gaming itch on the go
Madden NFL 11 iOS
Alright, just admit it: Father's Day is less than two days away, and you still didn't get him something. (I got mine a grill ... shh!) Don't worry, we've got you covered--well, EA, Gameloft and Firemint do at least. We're just the messengers. All three iOS game creators have started Father's Day sales for tons of great games to give your pop on the cheap. With game's like Madden NFL 11, Real Racing and Real Soccer 2011 for just $.99, your dad is gonna' love these mobile gaming gifts. Here are the games you can find on sale in the Apple App Store (each link will direct you to the game's App Store page):
EA (Electronic Arts):
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – $.99
Command & Conquer: Red Alert – $.99
Command & Conquer: Red Alert HD – $1.99
Dead Space – $2.99
Dead Space HD – $4.99
Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp – $.99
FIFA 11 – $.99
FIFA 11 HD – $4.99
Fight Night Champion – $.99
Madden NFL 11 – $.99
Madden NFL 11 HD – $.99
Monopoly – $.99
NBA Jam – $.99
NBA Jam HD – $4.99
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit – $.99
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit HD – $4.99
Need For Speed Undercover – $.99
Need For Speed Shift -$.99
Need For Speed Shift HD – $4.99
Reckless Racing – $.99
Reckless Racing HD – $.99
RISK – $.99
RISK HD – $1.99
Sim City Deluxe – $.99
Sim City Deluxe HD – $.99
Tetris – $.99
Tetris HD – $1.99
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 HD – $2.99
Real Soccer 2011
Gameloft:
Eternal Legacy – $.99
Eternal Legacy HD – $.99
Fast Five: The Movie: Official Game – $.99
Fast Five: The Movie: Official Game: HD – $.99
Fishing Kings – $.99
Gangstar: Miami Vindication – $.99
Gangstar: Miami Vindication HD – $.99
NFL 2011 – $.99
NFL 2011 HD – $.99
Order & Chaos Online – $.99
Real Soccer 2011 – $.99
Real Soccer 2011 HD – $.99
Spider-Man: Total Mayhem – $.99
Spider-Man – Total Mayhem HD – $.99
Real Racing 2
Firemint:
Real Racing -- $.99
Real Racing HD -- $1.99
Real Racing 2 -- $4.99
Real Racing 2 HD -- $6.99
It's safe to assume that each of those games with the letters "HD" at the foot of its title are for iPad only. And while EA and Firemint hit it on the nose with games a dad would go gaga for, we're a bit confused by some of Gameloft's choices. Unless your dad is a major nerd (like us), we doubt he'll dig Order & Chaos Online. Though, at least this company is the only one to offer a soccer game, so kudos to them for that. And even if you're no baby's daddy, you're free to treat yourself--just don't forget to get a little something for who truly deserves it: old poppa dukes.
Alright, just admit it: Father's Day is less than two days away, and you still didn't get him something. (I got mine a grill ... shh!) Don't worry, we've got you covered--well, EA, Gameloft and Firemint do at least. We're just the messengers. All three iOS game creators have started Father's Day sales for tons of great games to give your pop on the cheap. With game's like Madden NFL 11, Real Racing and Real Soccer 2011 for just $.99, your dad is gonna' love these mobile gaming gifts. Here are the games you can find on sale in the Apple App Store (each link will direct you to the game's App Store page):
EA (Electronic Arts):
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – $.99
Command & Conquer: Red Alert – $.99
Command & Conquer: Red Alert HD – $1.99
Dead Space – $2.99
Dead Space HD – $4.99
Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp – $.99
FIFA 11 – $.99
FIFA 11 HD – $4.99
Fight Night Champion – $.99
Madden NFL 11 – $.99
Madden NFL 11 HD – $.99
Monopoly – $.99
NBA Jam – $.99
NBA Jam HD – $4.99
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit – $.99
Need For Speed Hot Pursuit HD – $4.99
Need For Speed Undercover – $.99
Need For Speed Shift -$.99
Need For Speed Shift HD – $4.99
Reckless Racing – $.99
Reckless Racing HD – $.99
RISK – $.99
RISK HD – $1.99
Sim City Deluxe – $.99
Sim City Deluxe HD – $.99
Tetris – $.99
Tetris HD – $1.99
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 HD – $2.99
Real Soccer 2011
Gameloft:
Eternal Legacy – $.99
Eternal Legacy HD – $.99
Fast Five: The Movie: Official Game – $.99
Fast Five: The Movie: Official Game: HD – $.99
Fishing Kings – $.99
Gangstar: Miami Vindication – $.99
Gangstar: Miami Vindication HD – $.99
NFL 2011 – $.99
NFL 2011 HD – $.99
Order & Chaos Online – $.99
Real Soccer 2011 – $.99
Real Soccer 2011 HD – $.99
Spider-Man: Total Mayhem – $.99
Spider-Man – Total Mayhem HD – $.99
Real Racing 2
Firemint:
Real Racing -- $.99
Real Racing HD -- $1.99
Real Racing 2 -- $4.99
Real Racing 2 HD -- $6.99
It's safe to assume that each of those games with the letters "HD" at the foot of its title are for iPad only. And while EA and Firemint hit it on the nose with games a dad would go gaga for, we're a bit confused by some of Gameloft's choices. Unless your dad is a major nerd (like us), we doubt he'll dig Order & Chaos Online. Though, at least this company is the only one to offer a soccer game, so kudos to them for that. And even if you're no baby's daddy, you're free to treat yourself--just don't forget to get a little something for who truly deserves it: old poppa dukes.
Sony PS Vita will reign in a 'social gaming revolution' [Video]
If the $250 price point wasn't enough--which is admittedly quite tempting--Sony has released a new video detailing those juicy social features tucked away within its new handheld, the PS Vita. The PS3-grade portable will have a host of social gameplay features in addition to its two touch surfaces (one is the screen), gyroscope, 3G/WiFi Internet connection and whatever else is hiding in there. (We're holding our breath waiting patiently for the "Oh yeah, and it makes phone calls" announcement.)
The clearly promotional video tells us a lot of what we could have already guessed (and some of which we already knew): cross-game voice chat, social leader boards, connection to the PlayStation Network and more. However, the nearly three-minute clip gives a sliver more detail into the handheld's truly social features, and they sound a whole lot like what a certain Japanese, three-dimensional competitor offers.
Most notable of which is the Near system, which will allow the Vita to communicate with any other PS Vita within a certain radius, allowing for true friend discovery and instant social play--in theory. There is even a segment that shows a unit playing Uncharted: Golden Abyss, but when Near is enabled players begin sharing gifts. (Just like in Facebook games ... sorta.) Regardless of whether these features are inspired, it's clear that social gaming has, and will have, a very tangible effect on gaming everywhere. The Sony PS Vita was announced to release later this year at E3.
The clearly promotional video tells us a lot of what we could have already guessed (and some of which we already knew): cross-game voice chat, social leader boards, connection to the PlayStation Network and more. However, the nearly three-minute clip gives a sliver more detail into the handheld's truly social features, and they sound a whole lot like what a certain Japanese, three-dimensional competitor offers.
Most notable of which is the Near system, which will allow the Vita to communicate with any other PS Vita within a certain radius, allowing for true friend discovery and instant social play--in theory. There is even a segment that shows a unit playing Uncharted: Golden Abyss, but when Near is enabled players begin sharing gifts. (Just like in Facebook games ... sorta.) Regardless of whether these features are inspired, it's clear that social gaming has, and will have, a very tangible effect on gaming everywhere. The Sony PS Vita was announced to release later this year at E3.
Activision Blizzard and Social Gaming: Call of Duty: Elite is the first step
As EA and Zynga struggle in their very own social version of the David and Goliath story (guess who the giant is!), Activision Blizzard has sat back watching. Waiting. Calculating. Now, the number one games publisher in the world is finally ready to enter the space with Call of Duty: Elite, which the company showed off just recently. And, according to an interview with Industry Gamers, Activision's involvement in the space won't go much farther than that for some time.
"I think what Activision has done, very smartly, is we don't want to rush into anything until we figure out what our unique contribution and what our unique competitive advantage can be," Activision Blizzard Publishing boss Eric Hirshberg said to Industry Gamers. "What we're choosing to do is use social and mobile and the fact that people are playing games in different parts of the day on different devices than they have before as a way to strengthen our core business. That's what we're doing with Call of Duty: Elite."
However, Hirshberg mentioned to Industry Gamers that its upcoming kids game, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is a step in the social/casual games direction as well. The multi-platform console game, said to release this fall, will allow kids to upload a selection of associated toys into the game for them to play with. According to Hirshberg, the game will have an iPhone app and even a web hub for kids to have extra connectivity to the game world.
But essentially the reason we've yet to see a Facebook or mobile game from Activision Blizzard is because it was too busy learning from the burgeoning industry's successes and mistakes. Now, the company is ready to enter the social games space, but not in a way that veterans like EA, Square Enix and Atari are hopping on board. Rather, Activision wants to embrace this genre in a way that enhances its existing games--like creating its own social network for all things Call of Duty. Hirshberg calls it a "sophisticated and measured response," we call it being a scaredy-cat.
"I think what Activision has done, very smartly, is we don't want to rush into anything until we figure out what our unique contribution and what our unique competitive advantage can be," Activision Blizzard Publishing boss Eric Hirshberg said to Industry Gamers. "What we're choosing to do is use social and mobile and the fact that people are playing games in different parts of the day on different devices than they have before as a way to strengthen our core business. That's what we're doing with Call of Duty: Elite."
However, Hirshberg mentioned to Industry Gamers that its upcoming kids game, Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure is a step in the social/casual games direction as well. The multi-platform console game, said to release this fall, will allow kids to upload a selection of associated toys into the game for them to play with. According to Hirshberg, the game will have an iPhone app and even a web hub for kids to have extra connectivity to the game world.
But essentially the reason we've yet to see a Facebook or mobile game from Activision Blizzard is because it was too busy learning from the burgeoning industry's successes and mistakes. Now, the company is ready to enter the social games space, but not in a way that veterans like EA, Square Enix and Atari are hopping on board. Rather, Activision wants to embrace this genre in a way that enhances its existing games--like creating its own social network for all things Call of Duty. Hirshberg calls it a "sophisticated and measured response," we call it being a scaredy-cat.
Rovio's Angry Birds become physics teachers
If the Angry Birds have taught us one thing in their pig-bashing exploits, it's that what goes up must come down. It just so happens that this common knowledge is grounded in physics, the scientific study of motion and matter ... and my worst enemy. Luckily for the mega nerds out there--who we pray will sort out this whole "How did we get here" mess at some point--Angry Birds has become an ideal tool to teach physics to kids.
The Western New York State Physics Teachers' Alliance (WNYSPTA) has agreed that the mighty iPhone game just might be able to hit home with the game-savvy kids these days, Pocket Gamer reports. So, Michael Magnuson of the WNYPTA released a series of videos each proposing a question, and a video of the Angry Birds animating the problem to be solved.
1. Make a reasonable estimate for the size of an angry bird, and determine the value of g in Angry Bird World. Why would the game designer want to have g be different than 9.8 m/s²?
The first of five is shown above. Honestly, I couldn't figure out a bit of these problems for you (writing is my strong suit--go figure), so try the rest over at Action-Reaction if you're confident in your number-crunching and complex theorizing abilities. A little familiarity with Angry Birds helps too, so be sure go play some more to avoid these insane word problems get yourself reacquainted.
The Western New York State Physics Teachers' Alliance (WNYSPTA) has agreed that the mighty iPhone game just might be able to hit home with the game-savvy kids these days, Pocket Gamer reports. So, Michael Magnuson of the WNYPTA released a series of videos each proposing a question, and a video of the Angry Birds animating the problem to be solved.
1. Make a reasonable estimate for the size of an angry bird, and determine the value of g in Angry Bird World. Why would the game designer want to have g be different than 9.8 m/s²?
The first of five is shown above. Honestly, I couldn't figure out a bit of these problems for you (writing is my strong suit--go figure), so try the rest over at Action-Reaction if you're confident in your number-crunching and complex theorizing abilities. A little familiarity with Angry Birds helps too, so be sure go play some more to avoid these insane word problems get yourself reacquainted.
Thứ Ba, 10 tháng 1, 2012
Facebook slaps back at Google+ Games with new game features
What a cowinkydink! Just as Google announced that it will now offer social games through Google+, Facebook announced a number of new changes to games on its platform. Announced in a blog post last night (much like Google+ Games was), the most notable of the changes is the new game ticker feature. This provides players with a smaller News Feed off to the right side of their games that will automatically update with game-related updates as they play.
What's important about this change is that players can see what their friends are up to in other games without having to leave the game they're currently playing. (We should mention that these changes, like all changes to almost everything on the Internet, are rolling out to users slowly.) For instance, if a friend smacks you with a triple-word score in Words with Friends while you're busy playing GnomeTown, you will see that almost immediately and be able to jump into that game straight from GnomeTown.
Facebook has also given gamers more control over who sees their game-related News Feed posts down to each individual app. This is now done in the Privacy Settings under Account Settings on the home page--just like how you remove apps or alter permissions. Finally, with what might come across sounding like the Ode to Joy for Facebook gamers with 13-inch screens (like myself), Facebook is working with developers to increase the screen size of games to make more use of your screens' width.
Facebook Games changes
While I've yet to have these changes make it to my own Facebook, they already sound impressive. However, we can't help but see some glaring similarities between these changes and Google+ Games. Namely, the (100 percent) separate News Feed for games from your standard News Feed sounds quite a lot like how Google is handling how game news is fed to players. However, we'll reserve any more comparisons until we see both Google+ Games and these Facebook changes in the digital, um, flesh. With two major competitors in the social games space now, there can only be one winner: the players.
What's important about this change is that players can see what their friends are up to in other games without having to leave the game they're currently playing. (We should mention that these changes, like all changes to almost everything on the Internet, are rolling out to users slowly.) For instance, if a friend smacks you with a triple-word score in Words with Friends while you're busy playing GnomeTown, you will see that almost immediately and be able to jump into that game straight from GnomeTown.
Facebook has also given gamers more control over who sees their game-related News Feed posts down to each individual app. This is now done in the Privacy Settings under Account Settings on the home page--just like how you remove apps or alter permissions. Finally, with what might come across sounding like the Ode to Joy for Facebook gamers with 13-inch screens (like myself), Facebook is working with developers to increase the screen size of games to make more use of your screens' width.
Facebook Games changes
While I've yet to have these changes make it to my own Facebook, they already sound impressive. However, we can't help but see some glaring similarities between these changes and Google+ Games. Namely, the (100 percent) separate News Feed for games from your standard News Feed sounds quite a lot like how Google is handling how game news is fed to players. However, we'll reserve any more comparisons until we see both Google+ Games and these Facebook changes in the digital, um, flesh. With two major competitors in the social games space now, there can only be one winner: the players.
Zynga vs Vostu Part 5: U.S. judge calls off Brazilian Vostu shut-down
Honestly, we're almost as bewildered as you might be on this one. TechCrunch reports that a U.S. judge has filed a TRO (temporary restraining order) against the Brazilian court that granted Zynga a preliminary injunction against developer Vostu, demanding that it take down four of its games that allegedly copy Zynga games directly in the face of a massive daily fine. Basically, a San Jose court is telling a Brazilian court that it cannot go through with its ruling in Zynga's favor.
Some brief background: Zynga filed suit in a U.S. court against Brazilian developer Vostu in June for copying its games. Vostu then retorted publicly, pointing fingers at Zynga for doing the very same thing, and filed a lawsuit of its own with the same allegations in July. Most recently, Zynga filed a second lawsuit against Vostu in Brazilian court for the very same allegations, this time bringing Google down with it as Orkut, a Google-owned company, hosts Vostu's games.
"Brazil has an important interest in enforcing its copyright laws," says U.S. District Judge Davila in the recently-issued TRO. "Zynga-which chose the U.S. forum first-now seeks to enforce an injunction it obtained abroad that would paralyze this Court's ability to decide this case."
Zynga copy Vostu
I guess this is what happens when you file lawsuits in two courts (internationally, mind you) regarding the same allegations. Now, we have two courts from across both sides of the equator that will duke it out over who can make what ruling. In essence, as TechCrunch's Michael Arrington puts it, this U.S. judge is saying that his court's desire to retain decision on this case outweighs the Brazilian court's rights to enforce its copyright laws.
This battle of the copycats just got incredibly nasty (and somewhat confusing), but speaks volumes to one of the most pressing issues the social games industry faces today. As Sean Ryan, director of games partnerships at Facebook, put it recently (in Inside Social Games's words): "The days of monetizing by making a clone of a clone are over." The sooner social games companies stop "borrowing" each others' ideas, the sooner we'll move on from insane international legal battles like so. And social games on the whole will be better for it.
Some brief background: Zynga filed suit in a U.S. court against Brazilian developer Vostu in June for copying its games. Vostu then retorted publicly, pointing fingers at Zynga for doing the very same thing, and filed a lawsuit of its own with the same allegations in July. Most recently, Zynga filed a second lawsuit against Vostu in Brazilian court for the very same allegations, this time bringing Google down with it as Orkut, a Google-owned company, hosts Vostu's games.
"Brazil has an important interest in enforcing its copyright laws," says U.S. District Judge Davila in the recently-issued TRO. "Zynga-which chose the U.S. forum first-now seeks to enforce an injunction it obtained abroad that would paralyze this Court's ability to decide this case."
Zynga copy Vostu
I guess this is what happens when you file lawsuits in two courts (internationally, mind you) regarding the same allegations. Now, we have two courts from across both sides of the equator that will duke it out over who can make what ruling. In essence, as TechCrunch's Michael Arrington puts it, this U.S. judge is saying that his court's desire to retain decision on this case outweighs the Brazilian court's rights to enforce its copyright laws.
This battle of the copycats just got incredibly nasty (and somewhat confusing), but speaks volumes to one of the most pressing issues the social games industry faces today. As Sean Ryan, director of games partnerships at Facebook, put it recently (in Inside Social Games's words): "The days of monetizing by making a clone of a clone are over." The sooner social games companies stop "borrowing" each others' ideas, the sooner we'll move on from insane international legal battles like so. And social games on the whole will be better for it.
Kabam trades dragons for desert planets in Edgeworld for Facebook
Prepare to activate your "Check Your Edgeworld Base!" phone alarms. Kabam, creator of strategy Facebook hits like Dragons of Atlantis and Kingdoms of Camelot, has launched Edgeworld on Facebook and Google+ Games. (Kabam is also the first Facebook developer to launch a game on Google+ Games.) Edgeworld takes a visibly different approach to strategy games than its predecessors, with a focus on real-time combat between players.
The game also focuses heavily on mood, with rallying, futuristic music and a story that unfolds as you play. You've been enlisted as commander of a rogue faction of The Union, a collection of nations who landed on the planet Cerulea to harvest the resources and technology of an advanced, ancient alien race known as The Ceruleans.
You know, standard sci-fi fare. Like most real-time strategy games on Facebook (and elsewhere, really), you must gather resources to build an efficient base, muster defenses for that base and execute strategic attacks against both other players and the storyline factions.
Edgeworld in action
That said, players can choose to focus on either the sprawling campaign, much like Empires & Allies, or to go to war with other players. Regardless, your "safe status" will eventually disappear as you progress in the game, so you'll have to fight opposing players eventually. (Within three days of starting the game, to be exact.) While players can purchase protection from other players, the easiest way to ensure your survival in this game is to form alliances with fellow commanders for mutually-assured protection.
The game seems to have been heavily influenced by traditional strategy franchises like Starcraft and Command and Conquer. However, competing Facebook strategy game maker Kixeye claims that Kabam copied its Backyard Monsters in Edgeworld's creation. Regardless of where Kabam sourced its inspiration from, Edgeworld looks to be a blast, and already enjoys over 400 thousand players. With strategy games looking (and sounding) like this, it's no wonder that nearly 80 million Facebook gamers are playing strategy games on the platform. Just remember to sleep, kay?
The game also focuses heavily on mood, with rallying, futuristic music and a story that unfolds as you play. You've been enlisted as commander of a rogue faction of The Union, a collection of nations who landed on the planet Cerulea to harvest the resources and technology of an advanced, ancient alien race known as The Ceruleans.
You know, standard sci-fi fare. Like most real-time strategy games on Facebook (and elsewhere, really), you must gather resources to build an efficient base, muster defenses for that base and execute strategic attacks against both other players and the storyline factions.
Edgeworld in action
That said, players can choose to focus on either the sprawling campaign, much like Empires & Allies, or to go to war with other players. Regardless, your "safe status" will eventually disappear as you progress in the game, so you'll have to fight opposing players eventually. (Within three days of starting the game, to be exact.) While players can purchase protection from other players, the easiest way to ensure your survival in this game is to form alliances with fellow commanders for mutually-assured protection.
The game seems to have been heavily influenced by traditional strategy franchises like Starcraft and Command and Conquer. However, competing Facebook strategy game maker Kixeye claims that Kabam copied its Backyard Monsters in Edgeworld's creation. Regardless of where Kabam sourced its inspiration from, Edgeworld looks to be a blast, and already enjoys over 400 thousand players. With strategy games looking (and sounding) like this, it's no wonder that nearly 80 million Facebook gamers are playing strategy games on the platform. Just remember to sleep, kay?
Infographic: The average FarmVille fan plays for 15 minutes a day
Why do you look so confused? Hey, not every FarmVille player is a super fan like you are. An infographic put together by Hasai, a social media strategy firm that explores Americans' use of social media, reports that the 63 million active FarmVille players spend an average of 15 minutes a day tending to their digital crops.
While that number is already grossly inaccurate, according to AppData, it's nevertheless interesting to get a glimpse at the average FarmVille player. (Blame the breakneck speed at which this genre moves.) Why is the average so low?
When you compare the vast amount of monthly players to the relatively small group of daily players, that would surely skew the numbers. Hasai goes on to point out that, over a year, that's 5,475 minutes spent playing the virtual sharecropper--two weeks worth of a full-time job. (Come to think of it, I'd love to see higher times in this average.)
The infographic also shares an interesting statistic overall: Online video games, the second most heavily-used Internet activity, make up 10 percent of all Internet activity in the U.S. And yes, that includes Facebook gaming. Honestly, I thought this percentage would have been larger, considering the amount of online gaming platforms there are even outside of Facebook. Well, there you have it: Not every FarmVille player is the super addict that your average evening news spot makes them out to be. You know, like this lovely lady claims to have been? Find the full infographic below (click on it to make it larger)
While that number is already grossly inaccurate, according to AppData, it's nevertheless interesting to get a glimpse at the average FarmVille player. (Blame the breakneck speed at which this genre moves.) Why is the average so low?
When you compare the vast amount of monthly players to the relatively small group of daily players, that would surely skew the numbers. Hasai goes on to point out that, over a year, that's 5,475 minutes spent playing the virtual sharecropper--two weeks worth of a full-time job. (Come to think of it, I'd love to see higher times in this average.)
The infographic also shares an interesting statistic overall: Online video games, the second most heavily-used Internet activity, make up 10 percent of all Internet activity in the U.S. And yes, that includes Facebook gaming. Honestly, I thought this percentage would have been larger, considering the amount of online gaming platforms there are even outside of Facebook. Well, there you have it: Not every FarmVille player is the super addict that your average evening news spot makes them out to be. You know, like this lovely lady claims to have been? Find the full infographic below (click on it to make it larger)
The Sims Social thanks players, comes out as beta in official email update
While the official Facebook fan page of The Sims Social has kept quiet over the game's troublesome downtime, Electronic Arts have finally broken the ice by sending a direct email to all the fans via the game's newsletter. (Even if you don't remember ever agreeing to subscribe to the newsletter, you probably got automatically subscribed by being a fan of the game's Facebook page.)
The email, with a subject heading of "Update about The Sims Social", was sent from "thesimssocialemail.com" which was registered by the Corporation Service Company (CSC), so it checks out as legit.
In it, the staff of the game thanks the fans for being "adventurous early adopters", promises us that they're working hard on improving the game, and that -- here's the most important bit --
Part of of this beta testing stage is gradually adding more players in a controlled way. So if you are currently not able to play The Sims Social, this is why. Please bear with us while we go through this process and rest assured that you will not lose your progress in the game to date.
This sounds like they're getting ready to let folks back in, but it's not going to be all of us at once. Aside from that, I guess they're being nice and just wanted to emphasize to players that the game's still in beta, which is why they refer to game as "The Sims Social Beta" in the opening and closing paragraphs. Because hey, if you look carefully, you'll also see that they've finally tacked the word "beta" onto the game's logo.
The Sims Social email
So, Electronic Arts... I guess that answers everything, except this: if we tell you, "You're welcome," do you think we'll get in faster? Signed, an Adventurous Early Adopter.
The email, with a subject heading of "Update about The Sims Social", was sent from "thesimssocialemail.com" which was registered by the Corporation Service Company (CSC), so it checks out as legit.
In it, the staff of the game thanks the fans for being "adventurous early adopters", promises us that they're working hard on improving the game, and that -- here's the most important bit --
Part of of this beta testing stage is gradually adding more players in a controlled way. So if you are currently not able to play The Sims Social, this is why. Please bear with us while we go through this process and rest assured that you will not lose your progress in the game to date.
This sounds like they're getting ready to let folks back in, but it's not going to be all of us at once. Aside from that, I guess they're being nice and just wanted to emphasize to players that the game's still in beta, which is why they refer to game as "The Sims Social Beta" in the opening and closing paragraphs. Because hey, if you look carefully, you'll also see that they've finally tacked the word "beta" onto the game's logo.
The Sims Social email
So, Electronic Arts... I guess that answers everything, except this: if we tell you, "You're welcome," do you think we'll get in faster? Signed, an Adventurous Early Adopter.
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