And as a result, the game will be no more come Dec. 20. Mobile (and social) game developer Gameloft informed players from within the game. Order & Chaos Online for Facebook is the social version of the online mobile MMO (massively multiplayer online game) available on both iPhones and Android phones. So, if your one of the game's 2,000 daily players out there, bummer.
The message given to players in-game reminds them that they can join their friends on either their iOS or Android device to continue playing Order & Chaos. So, why did the game shut down after launching just in July of this year? While Gameloft hasn't provided an official explanation, we'd guess it's due to three things.
Order & Chaos Online closed
For one, 3D MMOs that require downloads (additional to the ubiquitous Flash), have control legends and list system requirements haven't done well on Facebook historically. Secondly, the game suffered severe security issues earlier this fall that could have very well scared many players away. And finally, when players in the game hit level 10, they were hit with a subscription fee to be paid in Facebook Credits in order to continue playing.
If there's one thing that's known about Facebook games, it's that nearly nobody likes to pay. And as for the 3 to 5 percent that do, they prefer to buy things at leisure, like new barns or an extra boost in energy to keep going. Order & Chaos Online threw the illusion of "free-to-play" out the window completely.
[Via Pocket Gamer]
Were you a fan of Order & Chaos enough to pay, an exception to the rule? What were your experiences in the game like? Could subscription-based social games ever work?
Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 12, 2011
Club Penguin Coins for Change program gives us the warm fuzzies
This one will rate high on your "Aw, shucks" meter. Club Penguin, Disney's popular kid-centric virtual world, has kicked off its fifth annual Coins for Change program, inviting its young players to donate virtual coins for a real-life cause. If the number of coins reaches a certain amount, Club Penguin will donate $2 million to help other children, families and environmental causes.
The program will run December 15-27, and players will be able to vote -- with their coins -- as to how the contribution will be divided among several charities. Previous Coins for Change efforts have helped a million people in 40 countries by funding clean water programs, schools, libraries, health clinics and more.
club penguin coins for change info in game
"The Club Penguin community has already helped more than a million people all over the world through Coins for Change and I hope by doubling the donation, they can help even more," Disney Online Studios EVP and Club Penguin Co-founder Lane Merrifield says. "I am continuously amazed by the commitment and passion our players have for helping improve the lives of others."
And, of course, this is a fantastic way to turn game-playing, often considered a waste of time by the uninitiated, into a valuable lesson in global citizenship. And that, in turn, helps parents feel better about shelling out $5 to $8 for the virtual world's monthly membership fee (not that there's anything wrong with that). For more details on Coins for Change, check out clubpenguin.com.
The program will run December 15-27, and players will be able to vote -- with their coins -- as to how the contribution will be divided among several charities. Previous Coins for Change efforts have helped a million people in 40 countries by funding clean water programs, schools, libraries, health clinics and more.
club penguin coins for change info in game
"The Club Penguin community has already helped more than a million people all over the world through Coins for Change and I hope by doubling the donation, they can help even more," Disney Online Studios EVP and Club Penguin Co-founder Lane Merrifield says. "I am continuously amazed by the commitment and passion our players have for helping improve the lives of others."
And, of course, this is a fantastic way to turn game-playing, often considered a waste of time by the uninitiated, into a valuable lesson in global citizenship. And that, in turn, helps parents feel better about shelling out $5 to $8 for the virtual world's monthly membership fee (not that there's anything wrong with that). For more details on Coins for Change, check out clubpenguin.com.
Mario creator Miyamoto isn't retiring after all, and everything's peachy
That's what the legendary Nintendo game designer told The Wall Street Journal in an interview Thursday. After telling Wired this week that he was retiring from his current position at Nintendo to take on smaller projects (and after Nintendo was quick to deny it entirely), Shigeru Miyamoto told WSJ that he is not retiring from his position. However, he is making preparations for the future.
"We have to construct the structure so that the organization so that it can make it without me," Miyamoto told WSJ. "I should also admit that it might be better without me; I mean that a different approach and different talent might emerge, though I shouldn't dwell on this because then the article might indeed say 'Mr. Miyamoto is thinking about retiring,' because that is not the case."
Wired's Chris Kohler, whom Miyamoto first talked to this week about retirement, stands by his piece and its accuracy. Some chalked the Legend of Zelda maker's words up to an error in translation, but Kohler told G4TV, "Miyamoto's comments as presented in our story are exactly what Miyamoto said, and presented with the full context of his remarks. We are absolutely standing by those statements as reported."
Miyamoto's talk with WSJ appears to be an attempt to clarify his words with Wired. Now, we're left with three different statements (two only slightly different, really) and a Nintendo stock price that's down a bit. So what we do know, with absolute certainty, is that the creator of Mario isn't just important to Nintendo, but all video games.
"We have to construct the structure so that the organization so that it can make it without me," Miyamoto told WSJ. "I should also admit that it might be better without me; I mean that a different approach and different talent might emerge, though I shouldn't dwell on this because then the article might indeed say 'Mr. Miyamoto is thinking about retiring,' because that is not the case."
Wired's Chris Kohler, whom Miyamoto first talked to this week about retirement, stands by his piece and its accuracy. Some chalked the Legend of Zelda maker's words up to an error in translation, but Kohler told G4TV, "Miyamoto's comments as presented in our story are exactly what Miyamoto said, and presented with the full context of his remarks. We are absolutely standing by those statements as reported."
Miyamoto's talk with WSJ appears to be an attempt to clarify his words with Wired. Now, we're left with three different statements (two only slightly different, really) and a Nintendo stock price that's down a bit. So what we do know, with absolute certainty, is that the creator of Mario isn't just important to Nintendo, but all video games.
An Angry Birds 'social' game (and three others) is in the works for 2012
So, we're just going to assume that by "social", Rovio game designer Jaako Iisalo means "Facebook". During the Social Games and Virtual Goods World conference in London, England, the Angry Birds designer told Pocket Gamer that four new Angry Birds games will launch next year. More specifically, one of them will be a "social" game.
And, will you look at that, Angry Birds is already on Google+. Granted, there are versions of the iconic everywhere mobile game on Facebook, but none of which seem legitimate. (One even seems to stream the Google Chrome version of Angry Birds through to Facebook.) While this could just as easily mean an Angry Birds game on a mobile platform with heavier social features, the developer has said in the past that the franchise will hit Facebook.
Honestly, how Angry Birds is available on the Intel AppUp store and in retail stores across Europe before officially on Facebook is beyond us. At any rate, we can likely expect these other three Angry Birds games to tap into new genres, since Rovio has expressed interest in exploring new types of games for its irate avian creatures. And just when you started to grow bored of it.
Would you play Angry Birds on Facebook more than elsewhere? What other genres would you like to see the Angry Birds characters take a part in?
And, will you look at that, Angry Birds is already on Google+. Granted, there are versions of the iconic everywhere mobile game on Facebook, but none of which seem legitimate. (One even seems to stream the Google Chrome version of Angry Birds through to Facebook.) While this could just as easily mean an Angry Birds game on a mobile platform with heavier social features, the developer has said in the past that the franchise will hit Facebook.
Honestly, how Angry Birds is available on the Intel AppUp store and in retail stores across Europe before officially on Facebook is beyond us. At any rate, we can likely expect these other three Angry Birds games to tap into new genres, since Rovio has expressed interest in exploring new types of games for its irate avian creatures. And just when you started to grow bored of it.
Would you play Angry Birds on Facebook more than elsewhere? What other genres would you like to see the Angry Birds characters take a part in?
Chủ Nhật, 11 tháng 12, 2011
The Sims Social celebrates launch of Sims 3 Pets with free virtual poster
Dogs, horses and cats, oh my. Because life is better with pets, The Sims maker EA has launched an expansion pack today for players that allows pets to take center stage in the game. Helping promote this launch is a free virtual poster offered to fans of The Sims Social.
You can grab The Sims 3 Pets Poster by clicking here, after you become a fan of the game's official Facebook fan page.
Aside from looking cool, the poster takes up two tiles of wall space and adds 100 House Value points to your home. If you don't like it, it can be sold for 150 Simoleons. It also comes with one action, "Learn More", which sends you to the Sims 3 Pets website when you click on it.
Do you play any of The Sims games along with The Sims Social? Were you able to grab the free poster?
You can grab The Sims 3 Pets Poster by clicking here, after you become a fan of the game's official Facebook fan page.
Aside from looking cool, the poster takes up two tiles of wall space and adds 100 House Value points to your home. If you don't like it, it can be sold for 150 Simoleons. It also comes with one action, "Learn More", which sends you to the Sims 3 Pets website when you click on it.
Do you play any of The Sims games along with The Sims Social? Were you able to grab the free poster?
The Killer Pumpkin assaults Pocket God on Facebook this Halloween
Do not under any circumstances mistake this for The Great Pumpkin. A killer pumpkin beast has attacked everybody's favorite pygmies in Pocket God on Facebook. Quebec-based Frima Studio has released a Halloween update to its social rendition of Pocket God, complete with new quests and powers, which means new ways (and reasons) to send pygmies to their doom.
While the game is down for maintenance as of this writing, a new Global Challenge awaits the game's 190,000 monthly players. The Great Jack-o'-Pygmy wants pumpkins everywhere this Halloween, and has granted players with the power to summon a giant pumpkin that transforms pygmies into pumpkins. And when those gourds grow to gigantic proportions, they can even be used to crush more pygmies.
A healthy seven solo quests have been introduced in honor of the costume and candy-filled day. Alright, we know all you care about is how you're going to squish more pygmies. Does this top a unicorn that farts radioactive rainbows? Not by a long shot, but hey, it's the Halloween season, and pumpkins just work. Besides, to best the unicorn, Frima would have to make a unicorn that farts double rainbows--that's still hip, right?
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here >
Have you played Pocket God on Facebook before? What do you like about the game's social edition, and what would you do to change it?
While the game is down for maintenance as of this writing, a new Global Challenge awaits the game's 190,000 monthly players. The Great Jack-o'-Pygmy wants pumpkins everywhere this Halloween, and has granted players with the power to summon a giant pumpkin that transforms pygmies into pumpkins. And when those gourds grow to gigantic proportions, they can even be used to crush more pygmies.
A healthy seven solo quests have been introduced in honor of the costume and candy-filled day. Alright, we know all you care about is how you're going to squish more pygmies. Does this top a unicorn that farts radioactive rainbows? Not by a long shot, but hey, it's the Halloween season, and pumpkins just work. Besides, to best the unicorn, Frima would have to make a unicorn that farts double rainbows--that's still hip, right?
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here >
Have you played Pocket God on Facebook before? What do you like about the game's social edition, and what would you do to change it?
PopCap says 'Happy Halloween' with pumpkins, zombies and ... a rave?
At this point, Halloween just comes too easy for Seattle-based PopCap Games. The maker of hits like Bejeweled Blitz, Zuma Blitz and, in this case, Plants vs Zombies has provided us with one crazy video. A resident zombie temp worker at PopCap is on a quest to ring in Halloween the right way, perhaps to impress his living co-workers and score a full-time position.
So, he's not the best pumpkin carver, and shows his lack of skill quite well in a PopCap cafeteria. It's then that the clumsy cadaver comes up with an idea, which is rare for a zombie, no? The result is probably the most fly dance party PopCap has ever seen, complete with a very ... festive zombie. Of course, we don't want to give too much away now. (Well, no more than that image already does.)
This video comes just weeks after the studio showed us Crazy Dave's (also from Plants vs Zombies) rap game. At this point, we'll admit that we're pretty envious at how well the PopCap folks can get down. Now, could those folks get down and release Lucky Gem Casino already? And maybe after that some Plants vs Zombies on Facebook--alright, we're getting greedy.
Are your big plans for Halloween this year as awesome as a zombie dance party? Which of PopCap's games do you hope hits Facebook next?
So, he's not the best pumpkin carver, and shows his lack of skill quite well in a PopCap cafeteria. It's then that the clumsy cadaver comes up with an idea, which is rare for a zombie, no? The result is probably the most fly dance party PopCap has ever seen, complete with a very ... festive zombie. Of course, we don't want to give too much away now. (Well, no more than that image already does.)
This video comes just weeks after the studio showed us Crazy Dave's (also from Plants vs Zombies) rap game. At this point, we'll admit that we're pretty envious at how well the PopCap folks can get down. Now, could those folks get down and release Lucky Gem Casino already? And maybe after that some Plants vs Zombies on Facebook--alright, we're getting greedy.
Are your big plans for Halloween this year as awesome as a zombie dance party? Which of PopCap's games do you hope hits Facebook next?
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