This weekend, Zynga has launched the Water Well in FrontierVille. Along with an actual "building" (the Well) that you can place on your Homestead, and then use to collect crop and animal boosts, along with two new and rare critters (the Blue Frog and the Yellow Turtle), you'll also be able to complete a series of three goals associated with the Well. Remember, as these quests are incredibly new, they are subject to change at any time.
The first goal is called "May as well find a Spring!" and it asks you to complete three tasks:
Clear 20 Grass
Discover a Wellspring
Begin Building a Well
As we've told you before, the Wellspring can be found randomly while clearing debris. Simply whacking that wellspring (as though it were the base of a building frame) will allow you to "begin" the building of the actual well. Finishing this first quest rewards you with 100 XP, five Peanut Ready Boosts, and two Well Pulleys, which are used in the actual construction of the final Water Well. The second goal in this series asks you to harvest some crops, and help out on friends' Homesteads, along with collecting another item used in the construction of the Well (while you can ignore the Well altogether once you find the Wellspring, this proves that Zynga really wants you to go through with building it).
Harvest 10 Flax
Unwither Neighbors' Crops 15 Times
Collect 5 Dowsing Rods
For this mission, it looks like the Dowsing Rods will be collected via a general wall post asking your friends to give them to you, rather than individual gift requests. Finishing this mission gives you 150 XP and two Corn Ready Boosts.
Finally, for mission three, you'll need to complete the construction of your first Well, and move immediately into working on the second.
Complete the Well
Remove Two Stumps (on your own Homestead)
Find a second Wellspring
For a full look at completing the Well's construction, make sure to check out our guide. For finishing this final of the three missions, you'll receive 250 XP, five Unwither Crop Boosts, and a Bucket O' Duckies, a new decoration that's just overflowing with tiny rubber duckies (and is so cute!).
Remember, by completing your Well(s), you'll have a chance to collect crop and animal boosts, and maybe even a rare critter from the Well a full 10 times before it dries up and you'll need to move onto the next. These missions don't seem too terribly complicated either, so even if you only went into this looking to snag a couple of exclusive critters, you wouldn't really lose anything, other than time.
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Water Well goal? Are they too difficult,
Legit site to earn money from home
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
FrontierVille: Clear debris to find shy Spring Ferret critter
Yet another new "injured" (or in this case "shy") critter has appeared in FrontierVille, with this newest animal being the Spring Ferret. You'll find a Spring Ferret's burrow by clearing debris on your Homestead, and once you do, you'll need to make the decision of either helping the animal of abandoning it.
Should you choose to help it (and why wouldn't you, at least to say you've helped one), you'll need to collect Juicy Berries to lure the ferret out of the underground burrow. From out experience, it takes seven Juicy Berries to lure a single ferret out and onto your Homestead, where you can keep her as a new pet, along with your Spring Bears, Spring Quails and the like. The ferret itself is a tiny brown animal, as you can see by the picture at right, so at least helping one doesn't seem like such a big burden, for the little amount of space she takes up; plus, she's just so darn cute!
Have you found a Spring Ferret on your land yet? What do you think of this newest addition to the game's "critter family?"
Should you choose to help it (and why wouldn't you, at least to say you've helped one), you'll need to collect Juicy Berries to lure the ferret out of the underground burrow. From out experience, it takes seven Juicy Berries to lure a single ferret out and onto your Homestead, where you can keep her as a new pet, along with your Spring Bears, Spring Quails and the like. The ferret itself is a tiny brown animal, as you can see by the picture at right, so at least helping one doesn't seem like such a big burden, for the little amount of space she takes up; plus, she's just so darn cute!
Have you found a Spring Ferret on your land yet? What do you think of this newest addition to the game's "critter family?"
FarmVille Enchanted Love Trees: Wedding Tree & Giant Wedding Tree
While we already brought you the news that Giant Wedding Trees have been appearing in Mystery Seedlings in FarmVille, if you'd rather not wait until you're "lucky enough" to receive one, you can now purchase one from the store for 12 Farm Cash.
Or, say you've already received a few of these larger trees from friends or from your own Orchards, you can also purchase the smaller, "normal," version of this tree, the regular Wedding Tree, for 7 Farm Cash. Unfortunately, it looks like these 7 and 12 Farm Cash prices might be the new norm for price points on limited edition trees, rather than the 5 and 10 Farm Cash prices we had seen over the last few months. Will it cause a decrease in purchases? Only time will tell, but I don't know if I can stop myself from adding one (or more) of these trees to my collection - they're just so pretty!
These trees are part of the new Enchanted Love theme in the game, and will be available for the next two weeks.
Will you purchase either of these trees for your farm, or did you already receive enough Giant Wedding Trees from Mystery Seedlings?
Or, say you've already received a few of these larger trees from friends or from your own Orchards, you can also purchase the smaller, "normal," version of this tree, the regular Wedding Tree, for 7 Farm Cash. Unfortunately, it looks like these 7 and 12 Farm Cash prices might be the new norm for price points on limited edition trees, rather than the 5 and 10 Farm Cash prices we had seen over the last few months. Will it cause a decrease in purchases? Only time will tell, but I don't know if I can stop myself from adding one (or more) of these trees to my collection - they're just so pretty!
These trees are part of the new Enchanted Love theme in the game, and will be available for the next two weeks.
Will you purchase either of these trees for your farm, or did you already receive enough Giant Wedding Trees from Mystery Seedlings?
FarmVille Enchanted Love Animals: Royal Horse & Royal Guard Duck
While tonight's FarmVille update did bring with it a wedding-themed item set, it wasn't called the Royal Wedding theme as many would have guessed, although the significance with the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton is unquestionable. Instead, the theme is called Enchanted Love, and so far, there are two new animals in the theme available for you to purchase.
The first animal is the Royal Guard Duck, which costs 16 Farm Cash and rewards you with 1600 experience points when you purchase one. The other animal is the Royal Horse, which costs more at 26 Farm Cash. As usual, placing the Royal Horse in a Horse Stable with a Stallion will give you a chance to spawn a Royal Foal which can be shared with friends. Don't have the Farm Cash to spend on a horse of your own? Remember to look for free foals posted by your friends on your news feed! I've got a whole collection of cute little foals that I've acquired in such a way, so it's definitely not impossible to still have those exclusive animals on your farm(s)!
The two Enchanted Love animals will be available in the game for the next two weeks, and we'll be sure to let you know if more animals join them before the theme ends.
Are you excited for the Royal Wedding? Will you purchase these items to celebrate the real-world romance being celebrated this week?
The first animal is the Royal Guard Duck, which costs 16 Farm Cash and rewards you with 1600 experience points when you purchase one. The other animal is the Royal Horse, which costs more at 26 Farm Cash. As usual, placing the Royal Horse in a Horse Stable with a Stallion will give you a chance to spawn a Royal Foal which can be shared with friends. Don't have the Farm Cash to spend on a horse of your own? Remember to look for free foals posted by your friends on your news feed! I've got a whole collection of cute little foals that I've acquired in such a way, so it's definitely not impossible to still have those exclusive animals on your farm(s)!
The two Enchanted Love animals will be available in the game for the next two weeks, and we'll be sure to let you know if more animals join them before the theme ends.
Are you excited for the Royal Wedding? Will you purchase these items to celebrate the real-world romance being celebrated this week?
FarmVille Enchanted Love Decorations: Royal Palace, Wedding Swing, Rose Petals & More
With the Royal Wedding week now in full swing in the real world (that being the wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton), tonight's FarmVille update saw Zynga beginning the celebration in the game this evening as well with the release of the new Enchanted Love limited edition item theme. While this items may be English (and definitely symbolic) in nature, they aren't part of the English Countryside theme, and so you're free to place them on either of your farms.
There is one new building in tonight's release, in the form of the large Royal Palace. This grand building costs 45 Farm Cash, and comes with such a large footprint (that is, it takes up so much space) that you might need to reorganize some other items before placing it. Either way, you'll gain 4500 experience points for your purchase, and don't let anyone tell you that this building doesn't present the perfect backdrop for the actual wedding-themed items also released this evening.
You can find out more about those items by meeting us behind the break.
As for the other items released this evening, there are five decorative items to purchase, with one being a re-release from the Valentine's Day theme of this year. That item is the Rose Petals, which is a small ground-cover item of sorts, available for 2,000 coins for a single square of petals.
Otherwise, the four actually new items are split 50/50 between those costing coins and those going for Farm Cash. The Wedding Swing and the Wedding Carriage go for 7 Farm Cash and 18 Farm Cash, respectively, while a few coins can get you the Wedding Archway or the Wedding Cake, which cost just 50,000 or 100,000 coins each. Sure, that still might seem like a fairly large chunk of change, but we've routinely seen items (both buildings and decorations) being priced at 300,000 coins or more, so 100,000 being the cap here really is a treat.
No matter which item you choose to purchase, you'll need to do so within the next two weeks, after which point these items will disappear from the store, likely not to be seen again, unless another member of the royal family decides to get married.
Until then, let us know what you think of these items in the comments. Have you been looking forward to creating your own Royal Wedding in FarmVille, or will you simply imagine that these items are for you and your own sweetie?
There is one new building in tonight's release, in the form of the large Royal Palace. This grand building costs 45 Farm Cash, and comes with such a large footprint (that is, it takes up so much space) that you might need to reorganize some other items before placing it. Either way, you'll gain 4500 experience points for your purchase, and don't let anyone tell you that this building doesn't present the perfect backdrop for the actual wedding-themed items also released this evening.
You can find out more about those items by meeting us behind the break.
As for the other items released this evening, there are five decorative items to purchase, with one being a re-release from the Valentine's Day theme of this year. That item is the Rose Petals, which is a small ground-cover item of sorts, available for 2,000 coins for a single square of petals.
Otherwise, the four actually new items are split 50/50 between those costing coins and those going for Farm Cash. The Wedding Swing and the Wedding Carriage go for 7 Farm Cash and 18 Farm Cash, respectively, while a few coins can get you the Wedding Archway or the Wedding Cake, which cost just 50,000 or 100,000 coins each. Sure, that still might seem like a fairly large chunk of change, but we've routinely seen items (both buildings and decorations) being priced at 300,000 coins or more, so 100,000 being the cap here really is a treat.
No matter which item you choose to purchase, you'll need to do so within the next two weeks, after which point these items will disappear from the store, likely not to be seen again, unless another member of the royal family decides to get married.
Until then, let us know what you think of these items in the comments. Have you been looking forward to creating your own Royal Wedding in FarmVille, or will you simply imagine that these items are for you and your own sweetie?
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Game of the Day: Virtual Villagers
The Game of the Day likes the jungle and doll houses, why not put them together. Virtual Villagers:These poor villagers washed up on shore after surviving a horrific volcanic eruption. You have to guide them in learning how to survive in this real-time simulation game. They learn by doing, but you might have to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't give up too easily. They need to become farmers, builders, scientists, parents and more in order to thrive on this new island. How will you lead your tribe?
Click --> Play Virtual Villagers
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click --> Play Virtual Villagers
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
FarmVille: Send Farmhands and Animal Feed as free gifts for a limited time
This Memorial Day, if you're using your day off to catch up on tasks around the farm in FarmVille, there are two animal-related free gifts that you might be interested in. Animal Feed and Farmhands are now available to send to your friends (or for your friends to send back to you), but only for a limited time.
For those new farmers, or those that just need a refresher, Animal Feed is used as bait in the Animal Feed Trough, while Farmhands work to harvest all ready animals (giving you tons of coins in the process) with just one click. Remember, there's no telling when exactly these items will leave the free gifts page, so take advantage and stock up now.
Have you given up on the Animal Trough feature in FarmVille? Do you always have a ready supply of Farmhands in your Gift Box, or have you been waiting for them to reappear to earn some more?
For those new farmers, or those that just need a refresher, Animal Feed is used as bait in the Animal Feed Trough, while Farmhands work to harvest all ready animals (giving you tons of coins in the process) with just one click. Remember, there's no telling when exactly these items will leave the free gifts page, so take advantage and stock up now.
Have you given up on the Animal Trough feature in FarmVille? Do you always have a ready supply of Farmhands in your Gift Box, or have you been waiting for them to reappear to earn some more?
Woman loses $400 in FarmVille phishing scam, blames Zynga
In another news case taken entirely out of proportion, a Pittsburgh woman was scammed for $400 while playing FarmVille, and is blaming Zynga and Facebook for the withdrawals. Pittsburgh's WTAE news network has reported on a woman who was playing FarmVille on Facebook when she got an instant message from someone she had apparently friend-ed to play the game with. This message contained a link. Without thinking, the woman clicked the link and in an instant gave all of her credit card information to this stranger.
While we don't know the exact manner in which the scammer retrieved her personal information, it's likely that she might have saved her credit card information on Facebook proper, and the link activated a phishing application created to steal users' information. Either that, or she foolishly gave her information over herself, thinking she was speaking to Facebook or Zynga - that particular detail wasn't revealed.
What's more concerning here though is how the woman has responded, by seemingly blaming Zynga and Facebook and expecting them to return the money. Zynga is reportedly investigating the situation, but as they weren't the source of the scam, it's unlikely that this will result in a positive outcome. Facebook itself hasn't responded.
While this is an unfortunate situation, it reminds us all of internet safety. Even if you routinely purchase items in Facebook games, it's never a smart idea to save your information on the "cloud," and you should never click links in IMs from people you don't know. That last bit doesn't just concern Facebook - it's sound advice for all of your internet activities.
As for WTAE's news story? "Just by playing a game somebody can drain your bank account and put you in the hole," is a quote that particularly stands out, as being entirely wrong. Facebook games are harmless in a financial sense, so long as you play responsibly and keep the old adage "don't talk to strangers" at the forefront of your mind. Members of Zynga and Facebook won't IM you asking for information, so you shouldn't give it to them - it's as simple as that.
Has anyone you know fallen victim to a FarmVille scam that had real-world effects? Do you think Zynga or Facebook are responsible and should compensate this player's funds?
While we don't know the exact manner in which the scammer retrieved her personal information, it's likely that she might have saved her credit card information on Facebook proper, and the link activated a phishing application created to steal users' information. Either that, or she foolishly gave her information over herself, thinking she was speaking to Facebook or Zynga - that particular detail wasn't revealed.
What's more concerning here though is how the woman has responded, by seemingly blaming Zynga and Facebook and expecting them to return the money. Zynga is reportedly investigating the situation, but as they weren't the source of the scam, it's unlikely that this will result in a positive outcome. Facebook itself hasn't responded.
While this is an unfortunate situation, it reminds us all of internet safety. Even if you routinely purchase items in Facebook games, it's never a smart idea to save your information on the "cloud," and you should never click links in IMs from people you don't know. That last bit doesn't just concern Facebook - it's sound advice for all of your internet activities.
As for WTAE's news story? "Just by playing a game somebody can drain your bank account and put you in the hole," is a quote that particularly stands out, as being entirely wrong. Facebook games are harmless in a financial sense, so long as you play responsibly and keep the old adage "don't talk to strangers" at the forefront of your mind. Members of Zynga and Facebook won't IM you asking for information, so you shouldn't give it to them - it's as simple as that.
Has anyone you know fallen victim to a FarmVille scam that had real-world effects? Do you think Zynga or Facebook are responsible and should compensate this player's funds?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: White Knight Gnome, Bunny Head Band, Irish Picnic Table and more
A new set of unreleased images has hit FarmVille, with most of these items coming in the new Irish limited edition item theme. There are also a few random images here, that looks like they were skipped for release last Easter or even winter!
From left to right in the image above, we have a White Knight Gnome, a Bunny Head Band for your avatar, an Irish Picnic Table, Irish Stone Fence, an Irish Cliff and a Wool Hat (another item for your avatar).
No word yet on when these items will release, but our best bet would be that the Irish items will launch this Wednesday when the market is next expected to update. Keep checking back with us as we'll make sure to give you all of the details about these new items if and when they are officially released.
What do you think of these new decorations and avatar clothing items?
From left to right in the image above, we have a White Knight Gnome, a Bunny Head Band for your avatar, an Irish Picnic Table, Irish Stone Fence, an Irish Cliff and a Wool Hat (another item for your avatar).
No word yet on when these items will release, but our best bet would be that the Irish items will launch this Wednesday when the market is next expected to update. Keep checking back with us as we'll make sure to give you all of the details about these new items if and when they are officially released.
What do you think of these new decorations and avatar clothing items?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Pochard Duck, Connemara Pony and Connemara Pony Foal
A new trio of animals will soon be released in FarmVille's Irish limited edition item theme, if this newest trio of unreleased images is anything to go by. Horse lovers will be able to purchase a Connemara Pony, and then have a chance of breeding it for a Connemara Foal, while Duck collectors will be able to expand their collections with a Pochard Duck (just look at his cute spiky feathers!).
How do we know these items are coming to the Irish item theme? For one, Connemara is a district in western Ireland, while Pochard ducks are found in small numbers living in northern Ireland. Leave it to Zynga to yet again educate us with a zoology lesson while releasing new animals in the process.
No word yet as to how much these animals will cost (I'd wager the Pony to cost somewhere between 22 and 26 Farm Cash), but we'll make sure to let you know all of the details about these animals as they are officially released.
What do you think of these new animals? What other Irish animals would you like to see released in the game?
How do we know these items are coming to the Irish item theme? For one, Connemara is a district in western Ireland, while Pochard ducks are found in small numbers living in northern Ireland. Leave it to Zynga to yet again educate us with a zoology lesson while releasing new animals in the process.
No word yet as to how much these animals will cost (I'd wager the Pony to cost somewhere between 22 and 26 Farm Cash), but we'll make sure to let you know all of the details about these animals as they are officially released.
What do you think of these new animals? What other Irish animals would you like to see released in the game?
Friday, December 23, 2011
Eminem has a Facebook game--way to keep it gangsta, Slim Shady
Aspiring thugs, the new way to show you're 100 percent gangsta has arrived: Eminem has launched his very own Facebook game. Titled Bad Meets Evil to match the name of Eminem's side project, the game is designed to promote Hell: The Sequel, a recently released EP by the duo.
But what you get is the rappers essentially shouting obscenities in your ear as you stab random passerby on your journey to Hell. That's the goal: to become so evil you reach the fiery pits of Hades. (This ought to be fun.)
Well, that and to get you hyped enough about Eminem to buy his new EP from iTunes. At any rate, the game operates like your standard fare with an energy resource that depletes as you search for Skulls, the game's primary currency, to kill random fellows walking down the street.
This increases your level and access to new weapons and gear with Cash, the game's standard currency. However, fighting your friends and random computer-controlled characters (asynchronously, of course) costs Skulls that can only be filled with Facebook Credits or by using more Energy to search through objects.
Bad Meets Evil Combat
It should go without saying, but to cover our bases, this game is absolutely NSFW for more reasons than we can count. Honestly, the number one reason Bad Meets Evil is NSFW is because we can't possibly think of ways for you to explain when your boss walks by and notices that your screen reads, "Shank that motherfucker!"
While highly interactive with its own battle system, featuring fully customizable characters and smooth animations by developer Grab Games, Bad Meets Evil appears to be more of a set piece for Eminem and his music than anything else. In fact, almost every environment within the game has a video screen that can play either promotional content or Eminem's music videos. So, if you want to hear some of Eminem's new tracks while stabbing a few dudes, give it a go, I guess.
But what you get is the rappers essentially shouting obscenities in your ear as you stab random passerby on your journey to Hell. That's the goal: to become so evil you reach the fiery pits of Hades. (This ought to be fun.)
Well, that and to get you hyped enough about Eminem to buy his new EP from iTunes. At any rate, the game operates like your standard fare with an energy resource that depletes as you search for Skulls, the game's primary currency, to kill random fellows walking down the street.
This increases your level and access to new weapons and gear with Cash, the game's standard currency. However, fighting your friends and random computer-controlled characters (asynchronously, of course) costs Skulls that can only be filled with Facebook Credits or by using more Energy to search through objects.
Bad Meets Evil Combat
It should go without saying, but to cover our bases, this game is absolutely NSFW for more reasons than we can count. Honestly, the number one reason Bad Meets Evil is NSFW is because we can't possibly think of ways for you to explain when your boss walks by and notices that your screen reads, "Shank that motherfucker!"
While highly interactive with its own battle system, featuring fully customizable characters and smooth animations by developer Grab Games, Bad Meets Evil appears to be more of a set piece for Eminem and his music than anything else. In fact, almost every environment within the game has a video screen that can play either promotional content or Eminem's music videos. So, if you want to hear some of Eminem's new tracks while stabbing a few dudes, give it a go, I guess.
Zynga serves food for lunch you can't even get in FarmVille
Zynga lunches
Well, at least we know they're fed well. In a Wall Street Journal report regarding the perks of being part of the supposed second tech bubble, Zynga was found to serve daily lunches and dinners to its employees with some fairly exorbitant condiments:
Zynga Inc., which filed for an initial public offering on Friday, serves lunch and dinner daily to its employees, using specialty ingredients like wasabi oil, Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise and pine cone syrup as well as locally sourced produce. The social gaming company has said that its goal is to offer sustainable and fresh food rather than be flashy or excessive.
I guess that's what you get for working at a $20 billion company. Zynga filed for IPO last week, and looks to raise another $1 billion to make it potentially the most valuable games company in the world. And with numbers like that, we hope the Kobe beef steaks are grilling next to that chocolate fountain.
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Erin Kunkel]
What do you think of Zynga now that it's known to offer seriously awesome food at lunch? Is this tech bubble bound to burst soon?
Well, at least we know they're fed well. In a Wall Street Journal report regarding the perks of being part of the supposed second tech bubble, Zynga was found to serve daily lunches and dinners to its employees with some fairly exorbitant condiments:
Zynga Inc., which filed for an initial public offering on Friday, serves lunch and dinner daily to its employees, using specialty ingredients like wasabi oil, Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise and pine cone syrup as well as locally sourced produce. The social gaming company has said that its goal is to offer sustainable and fresh food rather than be flashy or excessive.
I guess that's what you get for working at a $20 billion company. Zynga filed for IPO last week, and looks to raise another $1 billion to make it potentially the most valuable games company in the world. And with numbers like that, we hope the Kobe beef steaks are grilling next to that chocolate fountain.
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Erin Kunkel]
What do you think of Zynga now that it's known to offer seriously awesome food at lunch? Is this tech bubble bound to burst soon?
FrontierVille Pioneer Trail Sneak Peek: Avalanche Pass is a dangerous shortcut
When trying to make your way through FrontierVille's upcoming Pioneer Trail expansion, you'll apparently have the option of taking a shortcut through a section of the map known as Avalanche Pass. If the name doesn't make it clear enough, this cold, snow-covered environment poses a real threat, as avalanches will apparently trap players, requiring them to dig themselves out before they can get going again.
Of course, our prediction (as usual), is based off of a cryptic hint from Zynga: "Folks on the Pioneer Trail say you can save time by takin' a shortcut through the mountains. When you head on out soon you better get through the Avalanche Pass 'fore the blizzards blow in! Otherwise, bring a snow shovel... or ten!"
The most obvious explanation for this would be that we'd need to ask friends to help dig us out, either by forming a rescue team or simply sending us shovels, but we'll hold out a bit of hope that it's something more complex than that. Either way, it's interesting to see this full scope of seasons and natural environments being represented in Pioneer Trail (from the lush Beaver Valley to the arid High Plains), as it will help for more gameplay variety (which I have a sinking feeling might be needed). We'll make sure to bring you more details about this upcoming expansion as we know more, so keep checking back.
What do you think of Avalanche Pass? Do you think it will be mandatory for users to become stuck in an avalanche, or will it be an entirely random gameplay outcome based on your other decisions on the trail?
Of course, our prediction (as usual), is based off of a cryptic hint from Zynga: "Folks on the Pioneer Trail say you can save time by takin' a shortcut through the mountains. When you head on out soon you better get through the Avalanche Pass 'fore the blizzards blow in! Otherwise, bring a snow shovel... or ten!"
The most obvious explanation for this would be that we'd need to ask friends to help dig us out, either by forming a rescue team or simply sending us shovels, but we'll hold out a bit of hope that it's something more complex than that. Either way, it's interesting to see this full scope of seasons and natural environments being represented in Pioneer Trail (from the lush Beaver Valley to the arid High Plains), as it will help for more gameplay variety (which I have a sinking feeling might be needed). We'll make sure to bring you more details about this upcoming expansion as we know more, so keep checking back.
What do you think of Avalanche Pass? Do you think it will be mandatory for users to become stuck in an avalanche, or will it be an entirely random gameplay outcome based on your other decisions on the trail?
Cafe World Eat Great Late Goals: Everything you need to know
According to Zynga, it's about time that Cafe World celebrated late-night eaters, as they've released a set of five Eat Great Late goals that will introduce you not only to some new decorations, but also a new recipe that will help you (err, your cafe's guests) stay up late enough to enjoy a few midnight snacks of their own.
These goals are named appropriately Eat Great Late I, II and so on. Here's a complete guide to finishing them.
Eat Great Late I:
Cook Bacon and Eggs 5 Times
Cook Belgian Waffles 5 Times
Serve Blood Sausage 5 Times
Keep an eye on the wording here, as you shouldn't have to wait for the Bacon and Eggs or Belgian Waffles to actually finish cooking - you just need to start the cooking process. Meanwhile, the Blood Sausage can either be served directly out of your gift box, or you can cook it and wait for it to finish six hours later. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive a free "Now Open Late" neon sign decoration for your cafe.
Eat Great Late II:
Serve Mike's Mystical Pizza 15 Times
Serve Ice Cream Sundae 20 Times
Ask for 10 Energy Drinks
Mike's Mystical Pizza cooks in 11 hours, while Ice Cream Sundaes take 18 hours. While those are cooking, you can ask your friends to send you the Energy Drinks as you would any other collectible item in goals. For completing this goal, you'll receive 1,000 coins and 250 Cafe Points.
Eat Great Late III:
Serve Hot Dog and Garlic Fries 50 Times
Serve Fiery Fish Tacos 30 Times
Ask for 15 Coffee Mugs
Hot Dog and Garlic Fries take just five minutes to cook, while Fiery Fish Tacos take a bit longer, at two hours. Finish this goal and you'll be rewarded with a six Late Night Chairs - recliners, of course.
Eat Great Late IV:
Serve Jammin' Jelly Donuts 75 Times
Ask for 10 Honey
Ask for 10 Oats
Yep, ask your friends to send you the Honey and Oats, and then wait the 20 minutes it takes for the donuts to cook. All fairly self-explanatory here. The reward for this one is a bit exciting though - the Homemade Energy Bar recipe that I mentioned earlier. As of this writing, you can only earn that dish through this goal series, so hop to it!
Eat Great Late V:
Reach Level 1 Mastery of Homemade Energy Bar
Spice 5 Neighbors' Stoves
Ask for 15 Energy Drinks
Luckily, by visiting those friends, you'll likely earn spices that will help you speed up your Energy Bars and master them faster. Once you finish this goal, not only will you have reached the end of the entire goal series, but you'll also receive three Automatic Doors - a decoration that will give your guests a more high-tech way to enter your cafe.
All told, these goals are fairly average in their complexity and difficulty, so if all you care about is this exclusive new Energy Bar recipe, you should be able to unlock it without too much of a headache. If only the same could be said about everything else in Cafe World...
What do you think of these Eat Great Late goals? Would you like to see more independent goal series released, that don't have anything to do with particular appliances?
These goals are named appropriately Eat Great Late I, II and so on. Here's a complete guide to finishing them.
Eat Great Late I:
Cook Bacon and Eggs 5 Times
Cook Belgian Waffles 5 Times
Serve Blood Sausage 5 Times
Keep an eye on the wording here, as you shouldn't have to wait for the Bacon and Eggs or Belgian Waffles to actually finish cooking - you just need to start the cooking process. Meanwhile, the Blood Sausage can either be served directly out of your gift box, or you can cook it and wait for it to finish six hours later. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive a free "Now Open Late" neon sign decoration for your cafe.
Eat Great Late II:
Serve Mike's Mystical Pizza 15 Times
Serve Ice Cream Sundae 20 Times
Ask for 10 Energy Drinks
Mike's Mystical Pizza cooks in 11 hours, while Ice Cream Sundaes take 18 hours. While those are cooking, you can ask your friends to send you the Energy Drinks as you would any other collectible item in goals. For completing this goal, you'll receive 1,000 coins and 250 Cafe Points.
Eat Great Late III:
Serve Hot Dog and Garlic Fries 50 Times
Serve Fiery Fish Tacos 30 Times
Ask for 15 Coffee Mugs
Hot Dog and Garlic Fries take just five minutes to cook, while Fiery Fish Tacos take a bit longer, at two hours. Finish this goal and you'll be rewarded with a six Late Night Chairs - recliners, of course.
Eat Great Late IV:
Serve Jammin' Jelly Donuts 75 Times
Ask for 10 Honey
Ask for 10 Oats
Yep, ask your friends to send you the Honey and Oats, and then wait the 20 minutes it takes for the donuts to cook. All fairly self-explanatory here. The reward for this one is a bit exciting though - the Homemade Energy Bar recipe that I mentioned earlier. As of this writing, you can only earn that dish through this goal series, so hop to it!
Eat Great Late V:
Reach Level 1 Mastery of Homemade Energy Bar
Spice 5 Neighbors' Stoves
Ask for 15 Energy Drinks
Luckily, by visiting those friends, you'll likely earn spices that will help you speed up your Energy Bars and master them faster. Once you finish this goal, not only will you have reached the end of the entire goal series, but you'll also receive three Automatic Doors - a decoration that will give your guests a more high-tech way to enter your cafe.
All told, these goals are fairly average in their complexity and difficulty, so if all you care about is this exclusive new Energy Bar recipe, you should be able to unlock it without too much of a headache. If only the same could be said about everything else in Cafe World...
What do you think of these Eat Great Late goals? Would you like to see more independent goal series released, that don't have anything to do with particular appliances?
Playdom hits it out of the park with ESPN Sports Bar & Grill
Playdom have launched a new game today in partnership with Disney property ESPN. ESPN Sports Bar & Grill is an isometric simulation game featuring some truly interesting real world sports connections. Players choose a home team and colors and set up their own hopping bar to attract thirsty and hungry sports fans. The bar and snacks have to be restocked frequently to make sure you can keep your supply up with the demand of your patrons. You level up by completing quests and goals that encourage you to decorate your bar, serve more customers, and expand your space.
That's about where the generic stops and the intriguing begins. Playdom have a real strong advantage in the sports arena as a Disney-owned studio. The game's ESPN connections make ESPN Sports Bar & Grill feel realistic and actually useful. A television behind the bar can actually broadcast live game scores in addition to previously recorded games. You can choose real teams instead of fake imitations. A ticker above the game keeps you up to date with the latest ESPN sports news. The majority of the decorations available for your bar use real sports teams and ESPN branded gear. You can even listen to live ESPN sports radio within your bar, and they have a partnership with Samsung as well.
Players can visit their friends and help them out by restocking their bar and serving their patrons while they're gone. One interesting fact about ESPN Bar & Grill is that Facebook game players who are under 21 play a different version of the game that doesn't feature alcohol. This allows Playdom to serve a larger audience without locking down the application to 21+ players to remain compliant with Facebook policy.
ESPN Bar & Grill is polished and well done. It features robust decoration, collections, gifting, leaderboards, interactivity, and social elements that are stronger than most new games on Facebook. It's actually a lot of fun to play, and I find myself continuing to go back to it. If I had any reservations about the game, it would be in questioning whether there is a real market on Facebook for sports-themed games, since the majority of them have flopped (including Playdom's own ESPN College Town). If any developer has a chance here, it's Playdom. It seems like ESPN Bar & Grill has a real potential to join Gardens of Time and do something real big for Playdom.
That's about where the generic stops and the intriguing begins. Playdom have a real strong advantage in the sports arena as a Disney-owned studio. The game's ESPN connections make ESPN Sports Bar & Grill feel realistic and actually useful. A television behind the bar can actually broadcast live game scores in addition to previously recorded games. You can choose real teams instead of fake imitations. A ticker above the game keeps you up to date with the latest ESPN sports news. The majority of the decorations available for your bar use real sports teams and ESPN branded gear. You can even listen to live ESPN sports radio within your bar, and they have a partnership with Samsung as well.
Players can visit their friends and help them out by restocking their bar and serving their patrons while they're gone. One interesting fact about ESPN Bar & Grill is that Facebook game players who are under 21 play a different version of the game that doesn't feature alcohol. This allows Playdom to serve a larger audience without locking down the application to 21+ players to remain compliant with Facebook policy.
ESPN Bar & Grill is polished and well done. It features robust decoration, collections, gifting, leaderboards, interactivity, and social elements that are stronger than most new games on Facebook. It's actually a lot of fun to play, and I find myself continuing to go back to it. If I had any reservations about the game, it would be in questioning whether there is a real market on Facebook for sports-themed games, since the majority of them have flopped (including Playdom's own ESPN College Town). If any developer has a chance here, it's Playdom. It seems like ESPN Bar & Grill has a real potential to join Gardens of Time and do something real big for Playdom.
FarmVille White Aster crop available to plant for one week only
Remember way back in March, when FarmVille users were asked to Like the English Countryside fan page to unlock the White Aster crop for our farms? We were told that the crop would be unlocked when the fan page reached 2.5 million Likes. Well, it may have taken a heck of a long time, but we've finally reached that mark, so Zynga has come through with their promise.
The White Aster crop is now available to plant, but only for a single week. To be specific, this four-hour crop is only available to plant until July 13. You'll be able to plant a single square for 30 coins, and will gain 2 XP for each square you plant. After four hours, you can come back to your farm to harvest them for 100 coins per square. While this short-growth time makes the crop a bit questionable in terms of overnight planting, you'll at least be able to plant and harvest the Asters multiple times throughout the day to earn those highly sought after Mastery Points.
The first star of Mastery for White Asters is only 300 harvests, so with some dedication, you should be able to completely master this one in time, before it leaves the store.
Will you try to master White Asters before the crop expires in a week? Had you completely forgotten about Zynga's promise to eventually release the crop?
The White Aster crop is now available to plant, but only for a single week. To be specific, this four-hour crop is only available to plant until July 13. You'll be able to plant a single square for 30 coins, and will gain 2 XP for each square you plant. After four hours, you can come back to your farm to harvest them for 100 coins per square. While this short-growth time makes the crop a bit questionable in terms of overnight planting, you'll at least be able to plant and harvest the Asters multiple times throughout the day to earn those highly sought after Mastery Points.
The first star of Mastery for White Asters is only 300 harvests, so with some dedication, you should be able to completely master this one in time, before it leaves the store.
Will you try to master White Asters before the crop expires in a week? Had you completely forgotten about Zynga's promise to eventually release the crop?
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Pac-Man maker creates joint social mobile games studio with DeNA
But Pac-Man is already on iPhon--no, social mobile games. Namco Bandai, the company responsible for the most recognizable character in gaming, will take a crack at social mobile games with a new studio co-created by DeNA. GamesIndustry.biz reports the massive Japanese social mobile games company (does Mobage ring a bell?) has contributed 25 percent of the 100 million yen studio project, named BDNA Inc.
While this is certainly a huge step for Namco Bandai, the company already has extensive mobile game experience since bringing a number of its properties like Pac-Man and Galaga to smartphones. In fact, the two companies have even worked together before, according to GamesIndustry.biz, on Gundam Royale. The game released on the Japanese Mobage mobile game network to 3 million players last year.
Namco Bandai Games executive VP Shin Unozawa will lead BDNA's operations, while it's board of directors will be led by Isao Moriyasu, and Keigo Watanabe of DeNA, alongside Hirotaka Reizei and Hideyuki Okabayashi of Namco. The Pac-Man maker has had limited success on Facebook, with just under 1.5 million monthly players across its games, most of which are social renditions of its arcade classics.
All the while, DeNA has been tearing it up since Mobage, now powered by recent buy Ngmoco, launched in English for U.S. and western European audiences through Android. The service will now be the go-to place for games on AT&T Android phones, not to mention the squad of legendary designers DeNA has on board like Mega Man's creator Keiji Inafune. Perhaps BDNA Inc, which opens Oct. 1, is just the boost Pac-Man needs to dominate in a world overrun by new arcade-style games.
Which of Namco's properties would you like to see re-imagined by BDNA, Inc. first? Would you rather the studio focus on new, original games instead?
While this is certainly a huge step for Namco Bandai, the company already has extensive mobile game experience since bringing a number of its properties like Pac-Man and Galaga to smartphones. In fact, the two companies have even worked together before, according to GamesIndustry.biz, on Gundam Royale. The game released on the Japanese Mobage mobile game network to 3 million players last year.
Namco Bandai Games executive VP Shin Unozawa will lead BDNA's operations, while it's board of directors will be led by Isao Moriyasu, and Keigo Watanabe of DeNA, alongside Hirotaka Reizei and Hideyuki Okabayashi of Namco. The Pac-Man maker has had limited success on Facebook, with just under 1.5 million monthly players across its games, most of which are social renditions of its arcade classics.
All the while, DeNA has been tearing it up since Mobage, now powered by recent buy Ngmoco, launched in English for U.S. and western European audiences through Android. The service will now be the go-to place for games on AT&T Android phones, not to mention the squad of legendary designers DeNA has on board like Mega Man's creator Keiji Inafune. Perhaps BDNA Inc, which opens Oct. 1, is just the boost Pac-Man needs to dominate in a world overrun by new arcade-style games.
Which of Namco's properties would you like to see re-imagined by BDNA, Inc. first? Would you rather the studio focus on new, original games instead?
Mighty Eagle swoops in on Angry Birds Seasons update
Before the Mighty Eagle, Angry Birds was just slinging irate avian creatures at pig-like blobs. But after His Mightiness arrived, Rovio's hit mobile game became a test of ultimate destruction. (It also probably made Rovio a bunch of cash.) So, it's only logical for the company to capitalize on such an awesome addition, and introduce it to Angry Birds Seasons.
The holiday-themed version of Angry Birds received an update today, adding the option for players to purchase the Mighty Eagle. For a one-time cost of one buck, players can opt to truck through difficult levels using this level-decimating creature. However, it also serves as an extra mode, measuring your destruction of the pigs' wooden forts by a percentage.
However, keep in mind that Angry Birds Seasons gates its content, meaning Rovio unlocks levels to players on a day-by-day basis. Considering the part of the point of the Mighty Eagle is to skip tough levels, this may affect its appeal for you. This is telling of Rovio's interest in virtual goods purchases (think of how Zynga attempts to sell you in-game features and boosts), and this is likely just the first of many goodies it will hang before players like the carrot to the horse. If you just can't wait to see the Mighty Eagle demolish the Angry Birds' holiday wonderland, click here for the update on iOS.
[Via TouchArcade]
Have you ever purchased the Mighty Eagle, and were you satisfied with it? Aside from mighty eagles, what do you hope to see next from Rovio when it comes to Angry Birds?
The holiday-themed version of Angry Birds received an update today, adding the option for players to purchase the Mighty Eagle. For a one-time cost of one buck, players can opt to truck through difficult levels using this level-decimating creature. However, it also serves as an extra mode, measuring your destruction of the pigs' wooden forts by a percentage.
However, keep in mind that Angry Birds Seasons gates its content, meaning Rovio unlocks levels to players on a day-by-day basis. Considering the part of the point of the Mighty Eagle is to skip tough levels, this may affect its appeal for you. This is telling of Rovio's interest in virtual goods purchases (think of how Zynga attempts to sell you in-game features and boosts), and this is likely just the first of many goodies it will hang before players like the carrot to the horse. If you just can't wait to see the Mighty Eagle demolish the Angry Birds' holiday wonderland, click here for the update on iOS.
[Via TouchArcade]
Have you ever purchased the Mighty Eagle, and were you satisfied with it? Aside from mighty eagles, what do you hope to see next from Rovio when it comes to Angry Birds?
CityVille Surf 'N Shop Goals: Everything you need to know
Looking to squeeze one (hopefully not) last summer event into CityVille, Zynga released the Surf 'N Shop recently. The new building finally makes use of those Shells you've collected with the Sea Shell Stand, but comes with a brand new set of Goals, too.
This new series, titled simply "Surfs Up!" introduces you to the Surf 'N Shop, and rewards you with plenty of XP, Coins and new decorations to ooh and ah at. Here's everything you need to know about these new Goals (though, this information is early and subject to change):
Surfs Up!
Place Surf 'N Shop
Complete Surf 'N Shop
This is how you'll be given a Surf 'N Shop in the game. However, completing the building is still an unknown, but it will almost certainly involve whacks that cost Energy and items to be requested from friends. Your reward for completing this Goal is 800 Goods.
Let's Talk Shop
Role Model
Have 15 Shells
Buy and place any Surf 'N Shop item
Have 3 Beach Towels
To get the 15 Shells, you can either collect from your Sea Shell Stand or ask your friends for more through the Surf 'N Shop menu. (City Cash always talks, too.) To buy an item from the Surf 'N Shop, just click on the building to open up the menu, and the rest should fall into place. The three Beach Towels are found through friends, so get to begging. For this Goal, your compensation is 25 XP.
Fine & Sandy
Have one Metal Detector
Collect from the Burger Joint 5 times
Supply Businesses 40 times
Surf 'N ShopThe Metal Detector is a decoration released as part of a recent theme, and can be found in the new Build Menu under Decorations. (Or you can just search for it.) If you don't already own a Burger Joint, it costs 1,000 Coins.
For those who focus on just a few major Businesses, it might be best just to buy a few cheap joints to speed this requirement up. Unfortunately, the reward for this Goal isn't yet available.
Camera Shy
Have 4 Aloe Vera Bottles
Collect from 40 Residences
Check-in to any Friend's Hotel
Of course, the 4 Aloe Vera Bottles are found by requesting them from friends. Since most veteran CityVille players likely have over 40 Residences, this second requirement should be nothing. To check-in to a friend's Hotel, you either need to be invited or do so while visiting that friend's city. For completing this fourth and final Goal, a Pirate Ship decoration will be yours.
[Source and Image Credit: CityVille Wiki]
Have you embarked on your Surf 'N Shop quest yet? Which of the new building's items are your favorite?
This new series, titled simply "Surfs Up!" introduces you to the Surf 'N Shop, and rewards you with plenty of XP, Coins and new decorations to ooh and ah at. Here's everything you need to know about these new Goals (though, this information is early and subject to change):
Surfs Up!
Place Surf 'N Shop
Complete Surf 'N Shop
This is how you'll be given a Surf 'N Shop in the game. However, completing the building is still an unknown, but it will almost certainly involve whacks that cost Energy and items to be requested from friends. Your reward for completing this Goal is 800 Goods.
Let's Talk Shop
Role Model
Have 15 Shells
Buy and place any Surf 'N Shop item
Have 3 Beach Towels
To get the 15 Shells, you can either collect from your Sea Shell Stand or ask your friends for more through the Surf 'N Shop menu. (City Cash always talks, too.) To buy an item from the Surf 'N Shop, just click on the building to open up the menu, and the rest should fall into place. The three Beach Towels are found through friends, so get to begging. For this Goal, your compensation is 25 XP.
Fine & Sandy
Have one Metal Detector
Collect from the Burger Joint 5 times
Supply Businesses 40 times
Surf 'N ShopThe Metal Detector is a decoration released as part of a recent theme, and can be found in the new Build Menu under Decorations. (Or you can just search for it.) If you don't already own a Burger Joint, it costs 1,000 Coins.
For those who focus on just a few major Businesses, it might be best just to buy a few cheap joints to speed this requirement up. Unfortunately, the reward for this Goal isn't yet available.
Camera Shy
Have 4 Aloe Vera Bottles
Collect from 40 Residences
Check-in to any Friend's Hotel
Of course, the 4 Aloe Vera Bottles are found by requesting them from friends. Since most veteran CityVille players likely have over 40 Residences, this second requirement should be nothing. To check-in to a friend's Hotel, you either need to be invited or do so while visiting that friend's city. For completing this fourth and final Goal, a Pirate Ship decoration will be yours.
[Source and Image Credit: CityVille Wiki]
Have you embarked on your Surf 'N Shop quest yet? Which of the new building's items are your favorite?
The Sims 3 World Adventures is free on iOS App Store today only
Face it, you've been spoiled. First, you get a free version of The Sims on Facebook in The Sims Social, and now you want even more free Sims action? (How rude!) Luckily, EA is feeling oddly generous, as The Sims 3 World Adventures for iOS is absolutely free on the App Store for today only. According to TouchArcade, no specific reason was given for the 100 percent discount, but we tend not to question awesome things.
The game is decidedly different from your normal game of The Sims: Your normal tasks of maintaining a home life are replaced with, "Holy crap--look out for that mummy!" In other words, the game takes you on exotic adventures around the world, Indie Jones style. Those with The Sims 3 installed in their iOS device have the option of importing their Sim to embark on these adventures.
TouchArcade mentions that the game hasn't been as well received as other Sims games. But hey, it's a free Sims game--don't be silly and pass this one up. Between The Sims Social and now this, perhaps "free" is becoming a fond term for EA. If anything, let this hold you over until that hopeful announcement of The Sims Social for smartphones comes along ... for a long time.
The Sims 3 iPhone footage
Click here to download The Sims 3 World Adventures on iOS for free Now >
Are you a big enough Sims fan to try any Sims game? What's your favorite Sims game thus far?
The game is decidedly different from your normal game of The Sims: Your normal tasks of maintaining a home life are replaced with, "Holy crap--look out for that mummy!" In other words, the game takes you on exotic adventures around the world, Indie Jones style. Those with The Sims 3 installed in their iOS device have the option of importing their Sim to embark on these adventures.
TouchArcade mentions that the game hasn't been as well received as other Sims games. But hey, it's a free Sims game--don't be silly and pass this one up. Between The Sims Social and now this, perhaps "free" is becoming a fond term for EA. If anything, let this hold you over until that hopeful announcement of The Sims Social for smartphones comes along ... for a long time.
The Sims 3 iPhone footage
Click here to download The Sims 3 World Adventures on iOS for free Now >
Are you a big enough Sims fan to try any Sims game? What's your favorite Sims game thus far?
Empires & Allies Defense Towers and Goals: Everything you need to know
Empires & Allies, Zynga's flagship strategy Facebook game, just got exponentially more purple. Defense Towers have been released to the game, which allow players to defend specific buildings within a small radius from invasion. More importantly, however, players can attack their friends while Defense Towers are active, though they require a special resource to remain active, Zipp Energy Drinks.
Defense Towers are introduced through a series of Goals, but players are simply given their first Defense Tower through a pop-up that appears. Here's everything you need to know about the Defense Tower and its Goals:
The Best Defense
Place the Defense Tower
Complete the Defense Tower
Place the Tower near buildings you'd like to be protected when the pop-up appears. After whacking the foundation three times, another pop-up will appear, displaying the following items you'll need to amass in order to finish the structure:
4 Cement
4 Nails
4 Table Saw
4 Nail Gun
Defense Tower 1 Build Menu
Of course, all of these items must be sourced through your loyal, helpful friends. The impatient will be happy to hear that they can buy their way out of these requirements, too. Once it's complete, you will also need to staff it with a few friends. Your reward for completing this Goal is 500 Coins and a Zipp Energy Drink, which will come in handy later.
Fire It Up
Activate the Defense Tower
This incredibly simple Goal asks you to just click on the Defense Tower and choose "Activate." However, the building can only be activated if you feed it with Energy Drinks and must be continually fed them if you want it to remain active. This Goal rewards players with a measly 100 Coins.
Free Reign
With Defense Tower Active, Invade a Neighboring Empire
Collect 1 Black Heart
Defene TowerThis Goal is simply to show you that it is, in fact, possible to attack your friends while defending your vital buildings. This Goal's reward ups the ante quite a bit with double the previous reward ... 200 Coins.
So Sleepy
Collect 1 Zipp Energy Drink
The final Goal in this painfully simple series tasks you with asking your friends for another Zipp Energy Drink, which is more than likely done through either the Goal menu or one within the Defense Tower.
Completing this Goal nets you a whopping 500 Coins. Man, I have no idea where you're gonna' spend all that hard-earned dough.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga, Empires & Allies Wiki]
Have you acquired and activated your Defense Tower yet? What do you think of this feature when compared to overall immunity through the World Embassy?
Defense Towers are introduced through a series of Goals, but players are simply given their first Defense Tower through a pop-up that appears. Here's everything you need to know about the Defense Tower and its Goals:
The Best Defense
Place the Defense Tower
Complete the Defense Tower
Place the Tower near buildings you'd like to be protected when the pop-up appears. After whacking the foundation three times, another pop-up will appear, displaying the following items you'll need to amass in order to finish the structure:
4 Cement
4 Nails
4 Table Saw
4 Nail Gun
Defense Tower 1 Build Menu
Of course, all of these items must be sourced through your loyal, helpful friends. The impatient will be happy to hear that they can buy their way out of these requirements, too. Once it's complete, you will also need to staff it with a few friends. Your reward for completing this Goal is 500 Coins and a Zipp Energy Drink, which will come in handy later.
Fire It Up
Activate the Defense Tower
This incredibly simple Goal asks you to just click on the Defense Tower and choose "Activate." However, the building can only be activated if you feed it with Energy Drinks and must be continually fed them if you want it to remain active. This Goal rewards players with a measly 100 Coins.
Free Reign
With Defense Tower Active, Invade a Neighboring Empire
Collect 1 Black Heart
Defene TowerThis Goal is simply to show you that it is, in fact, possible to attack your friends while defending your vital buildings. This Goal's reward ups the ante quite a bit with double the previous reward ... 200 Coins.
So Sleepy
Collect 1 Zipp Energy Drink
The final Goal in this painfully simple series tasks you with asking your friends for another Zipp Energy Drink, which is more than likely done through either the Goal menu or one within the Defense Tower.
Completing this Goal nets you a whopping 500 Coins. Man, I have no idea where you're gonna' spend all that hard-earned dough.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga, Empires & Allies Wiki]
Have you acquired and activated your Defense Tower yet? What do you think of this feature when compared to overall immunity through the World Embassy?
Pioneer Trail: Make your way into Avalanche Pass starting today
While we've had the ability to prepare for the Avalanche Pass missions in FrontierVille's Pioneer Trail for about a week now, speedy pioneers weren't actually able to access the third area of the trail... until today. If you were stuck at the end of the High Plains, waiting patiently (or not) for the Avalanche Pass to open, your time is now.
You'll start your journey in the Avalanche Pass by having your Covered Wagon literally covered in snow via an Avalanche. You'll still be able to interact with the wagon though, it seems, as the folks at Zynga have made a special point of letting us know that we can look towards the far right side of the Avalanche Pass map to find it.
Remember, you'll need to eventually blast your way through the Avalanche Pass with dynamite, so this isn't any time to slow down. There are plenty of missions and activities for you to complete in this newest section of the trail, so start soon in order to make it to Fort Courage as soon as possible!
Were you stuck waiting for Avalanche Pass to open in the Pioneer Trail, or are you still trying to make your way through Beaver Valley or the High Plains? What do you think of the Avalanche Pass so far?
You'll start your journey in the Avalanche Pass by having your Covered Wagon literally covered in snow via an Avalanche. You'll still be able to interact with the wagon though, it seems, as the folks at Zynga have made a special point of letting us know that we can look towards the far right side of the Avalanche Pass map to find it.
Remember, you'll need to eventually blast your way through the Avalanche Pass with dynamite, so this isn't any time to slow down. There are plenty of missions and activities for you to complete in this newest section of the trail, so start soon in order to make it to Fort Courage as soon as possible!
Were you stuck waiting for Avalanche Pass to open in the Pioneer Trail, or are you still trying to make your way through Beaver Valley or the High Plains? What do you think of the Avalanche Pass so far?
Facebook How-To: Add the best apps to your Favorites list
Depending on how active a Facebook gamer you happen to be, the left-hand side of your Home Page might be a bit cluttered, with icons for apps both large and small that you've accessed recently. If you're the kind that frequently tries new games, but may only play them once or twice before giving up on them, it can be a bit inconvenient when your favorite apps fall off of your visible list of apps, forcing you to load your app page and then find the app among every app you have installed on your account just to play them again.
Did you know that you can actually avoid this altogether, by adding apps to your Favorites? For most users, the Favorites section has just a few standard items in it: News Feed, Messages, Events and Friends. If you use this section to store your favorite games, like Bookmarks, you'll be able to avoid the stipulation that shows apps based on how frequently or how recently you played them, creating a (for now) permanent go-to list of your favorite games. Here's a guide on doing just that.
1. Head to the Facebook Home Page by clicking on "facebook" in the top left-hand corner of any page on the site. From there, locate the first game that you'd like to add to your Favorites list, as seen below. In our example, we'll move my FarmVille app link to my Favorites list.
2. Hover your mouse to the right of the vertical black line that separates these Favorites and Apps lists from your News Feed proper. You'll see a small button appear. Click on this button to see three options: Add to Favorites, Edit Settings and Remove App.
3. Click on Add to Favorites to see the app's link immediately jump into the Favorites list, and out of the Apps list. Continue to add apps until you have added all of the games you'd like to have instant, constant access to each time you login to Facebook.
As an aside, you do not want to click on the "Remove App" choice seen in Step 2, as this will uninstall the app entirely from your account, rather than just removing the link from this page.
Again, while the Favorites list might seem a bit useless, remember that the Apps list on the Home Page has been changed. You can no longer collapse and expand your list of most-used apps: You now have to load another page showing you a list of every app you have installed, whether you've used them recently or not.
Unfortunately, with any new change on Facebook, there's a chance (a fairly high one, at that) that these features could change again, or be removed entirely. We'll stay on top of things and will let you know if things become more complicated.
Will you use the Favorites feature to separate your apps that you use the most on your Home page? Which apps will you mark as your favorites?
Did you know that you can actually avoid this altogether, by adding apps to your Favorites? For most users, the Favorites section has just a few standard items in it: News Feed, Messages, Events and Friends. If you use this section to store your favorite games, like Bookmarks, you'll be able to avoid the stipulation that shows apps based on how frequently or how recently you played them, creating a (for now) permanent go-to list of your favorite games. Here's a guide on doing just that.
1. Head to the Facebook Home Page by clicking on "facebook" in the top left-hand corner of any page on the site. From there, locate the first game that you'd like to add to your Favorites list, as seen below. In our example, we'll move my FarmVille app link to my Favorites list.
2. Hover your mouse to the right of the vertical black line that separates these Favorites and Apps lists from your News Feed proper. You'll see a small button appear. Click on this button to see three options: Add to Favorites, Edit Settings and Remove App.
3. Click on Add to Favorites to see the app's link immediately jump into the Favorites list, and out of the Apps list. Continue to add apps until you have added all of the games you'd like to have instant, constant access to each time you login to Facebook.
As an aside, you do not want to click on the "Remove App" choice seen in Step 2, as this will uninstall the app entirely from your account, rather than just removing the link from this page.
Again, while the Favorites list might seem a bit useless, remember that the Apps list on the Home Page has been changed. You can no longer collapse and expand your list of most-used apps: You now have to load another page showing you a list of every app you have installed, whether you've used them recently or not.
Unfortunately, with any new change on Facebook, there's a chance (a fairly high one, at that) that these features could change again, or be removed entirely. We'll stay on top of things and will let you know if things become more complicated.
Will you use the Favorites feature to separate your apps that you use the most on your Home page? Which apps will you mark as your favorites?
CityVille Middle School Upgrades: Everything you need to know
One of the older buildings in CityVille, the Middle School, is finally being given some extra attention via the launch of Middle School upgrades in the game. Of course, if you're not in need of a raise in your population cap, you can ignore these upgrades, but why not give them a look either way?
The stock Middle School adds a boost of 800 citizens to your maximum population, but to upgrade that number, you'll first need to be at least Level 32 and have a population of 2,200 citizens already living in your town. The first upgrade takes you to Level 2 and turns the building from red to blue. The process of upgrading will likely take you a bit of time though, as it isn't as simple as adding more staff; instead, you'll need to collect various building materials to upgrade. Here's the list of items you'll need:
3 Lockers
3 Paper Airplanes
3 Notebooks
3 Manila Folders
3 Staplers
This Level 2 state raises the 800 citizens boost to 1,300, for an increase of 500 citizens. But wait, there's more! To upgrade to Level 3, your city must have at least 3,700 citizens living in it, and you will then have to collect the same building ingredients, but in larger amounts: six of each, to be exact. Once again, your Middle School will change in appearance from blue to yellow, and your final population boost will rise to 2,000 citizens. All told, that gives you room to house 1,200 more citizens without taking up more space with additional buildings, which is arguably the best part about every upgrade in the game. With space coming at a premium, at least you now have one more option for an increased population cap without losing any space.
Will you upgrade your Middle School to provide housing for more citizens? Which building or business would you like to see upgraded next?
The stock Middle School adds a boost of 800 citizens to your maximum population, but to upgrade that number, you'll first need to be at least Level 32 and have a population of 2,200 citizens already living in your town. The first upgrade takes you to Level 2 and turns the building from red to blue. The process of upgrading will likely take you a bit of time though, as it isn't as simple as adding more staff; instead, you'll need to collect various building materials to upgrade. Here's the list of items you'll need:
3 Lockers
3 Paper Airplanes
3 Notebooks
3 Manila Folders
3 Staplers
This Level 2 state raises the 800 citizens boost to 1,300, for an increase of 500 citizens. But wait, there's more! To upgrade to Level 3, your city must have at least 3,700 citizens living in it, and you will then have to collect the same building ingredients, but in larger amounts: six of each, to be exact. Once again, your Middle School will change in appearance from blue to yellow, and your final population boost will rise to 2,000 citizens. All told, that gives you room to house 1,200 more citizens without taking up more space with additional buildings, which is arguably the best part about every upgrade in the game. With space coming at a premium, at least you now have one more option for an increased population cap without losing any space.
Will you upgrade your Middle School to provide housing for more citizens? Which building or business would you like to see upgraded next?
CityVille Bird Watching Timed Goal: Everything you need to know
There's a new Timed Goal available in CityVille, Mayors, but don't run off to your cities in excitement just yet; this one is pretty difficult to complete. This goal, as usual, goes by two names: Bird Watching and Flock Party. As part of your town's story, your citizens have all ventured into the woods with binoculars for some bird watching, and you'll need to complete some steps (including gathering bird information books) to join in the fun.
Get 12 Bird Books
Water 10 Neighbor Crops
Harvest 50 Corn
While the first two tasks are fairly self-explanatory (ask your friends for the books via a general news item), the task of harvesting that many Corn will likely frustrate many players, especially those that are going for the Gold Trophy. To be specific, Corn takes a full day to grow, so you're on a pretty strict time limit for planting all 50 corn at once and coming back to them within the two hours you have before the Gold Trophy time limit of 26 hours expires. Or, you can always plant some corn and then come back to your game to activate the goal later, giving you more of a window; that's up to you.
For finishing within the 26-hour, Gold Trophy time limit, you'll receive the Wood Shop, a business that is exclusive to this goal. You'll also earn 1,000 Goods and 1,280 coins. The Silver Trophy is for those that finish after the first 26 hours, but before 72 hours have passed, and it comes with 1,000 Goods and 2,000 coins, while the Bronze Trophy comes last with no time limit and a prize of just 1,000 Goods.
Regardless of the Trophy you end up with, the Goods given away here are pretty substantial (on top of the Goods you'd receive simply from harvesting all of that Corn), so I can definitely see a reason to complete it either way. Good luck if you're going for the Gold!
What do you think of this newest Timed Goal? Do you think the 50 Corn requirement is too steep when paired with a short Gold Trophy time limit, or are you looking forward to such a challenge?
Get 12 Bird Books
Water 10 Neighbor Crops
Harvest 50 Corn
While the first two tasks are fairly self-explanatory (ask your friends for the books via a general news item), the task of harvesting that many Corn will likely frustrate many players, especially those that are going for the Gold Trophy. To be specific, Corn takes a full day to grow, so you're on a pretty strict time limit for planting all 50 corn at once and coming back to them within the two hours you have before the Gold Trophy time limit of 26 hours expires. Or, you can always plant some corn and then come back to your game to activate the goal later, giving you more of a window; that's up to you.
For finishing within the 26-hour, Gold Trophy time limit, you'll receive the Wood Shop, a business that is exclusive to this goal. You'll also earn 1,000 Goods and 1,280 coins. The Silver Trophy is for those that finish after the first 26 hours, but before 72 hours have passed, and it comes with 1,000 Goods and 2,000 coins, while the Bronze Trophy comes last with no time limit and a prize of just 1,000 Goods.
Regardless of the Trophy you end up with, the Goods given away here are pretty substantial (on top of the Goods you'd receive simply from harvesting all of that Corn), so I can definitely see a reason to complete it either way. Good luck if you're going for the Gold!
What do you think of this newest Timed Goal? Do you think the 50 Corn requirement is too steep when paired with a short Gold Trophy time limit, or are you looking forward to such a challenge?
CityVille: New Free Gift with City Cash purchase items now available
The "Free Gift with Purchase" has been updated in CityVille, giving players a chance to purchase one of three City Cash packages to receive not only said City Cash, but a free building, decoration, etc. in return. This offer has started rolling around to all players, so make sure to look out for it when you login.
With these sorts of promotions, there are a few ground rules to keep in mind: You will only earn one of the following three prizes by purchasing Farm Cash from the announcement menu that will appear in your game in the near future. Purchasing City Cash by clicking on "Adds coins & cash" will not reward you with any of these items, and this also doesn't apply to the redemption of Zynga Game Cards. Finally, you must be level six to receive these deals. Phew, now that that's out of the way, let's look at the new items up for grabs:
$5 - 40 City Cash a Kitty Play Park (17% payout bonus)
$20 - 179 City Cash and Beach Apartment Building (name may change)
$50 - 465 City Cash and a Winery / Vineyard
Again, this offer will only be available for a matter of days or even hours once it rolls around to you, so plan ahead as to whether or not you're going to make a purchase. Is $50 a lot to ask for the third package? Absolutely, but if you've got the money to spare, and don't want to have to worry about running out of City Cash anytime soon, it doesn't hurt to keep it in mind.
Will you purchase any of these three packages when the offer rolls around to you, or would you rather save your money for when City Cash in general goes on sale?
With these sorts of promotions, there are a few ground rules to keep in mind: You will only earn one of the following three prizes by purchasing Farm Cash from the announcement menu that will appear in your game in the near future. Purchasing City Cash by clicking on "Adds coins & cash" will not reward you with any of these items, and this also doesn't apply to the redemption of Zynga Game Cards. Finally, you must be level six to receive these deals. Phew, now that that's out of the way, let's look at the new items up for grabs:
$5 - 40 City Cash a Kitty Play Park (17% payout bonus)
$20 - 179 City Cash and Beach Apartment Building (name may change)
$50 - 465 City Cash and a Winery / Vineyard
Again, this offer will only be available for a matter of days or even hours once it rolls around to you, so plan ahead as to whether or not you're going to make a purchase. Is $50 a lot to ask for the third package? Absolutely, but if you've got the money to spare, and don't want to have to worry about running out of City Cash anytime soon, it doesn't hurt to keep it in mind.
Will you purchase any of these three packages when the offer rolls around to you, or would you rather save your money for when City Cash in general goes on sale?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Zynga owns the 'Ville' suffix, apparently, Night Owl Games fights it
"'Town"--ha! Houston, Tex.-based social game maker Night Owl Games has filed suit against Zynga over the fair use of the title "Dungeonville" in a new level or gameplay mode in its Dungeon Overlord. Night Owl Games took the case to federal court on Nov. 18 after months of dispute with the gaming giant.
Night Owl Games, which received full rights to Dungeon Overlord (which it developed) from SOE recently, filed for the "Dungeonville" trademark in Feb. 10, 2011. In July--just as Zynga filed with the U.S. Trademark office to delay the approval process of "Dungeonville"--the company's lawyer started an email exchange with Night Owl Games. The emails, featured as evidence in Night Owl's lawsuit, ask the company to abandon the trademark.
According to the lawsuit, Night Owl Games offered to hold off on "Dungeonville", but only if Zynga agreed to do the same. Of course, Zynga refused. Based on this email exchange, Zynga seems to believe that it has rights over any use of the suffix "'Ville". Well, at least as it pertains to video games. Basically, Night Owl is asking a Houston federal court judge to rule that "Dungeonville" is not a trademark infringement. Houston Examiner reports that a hearing should be scheduled within 30 days.
This is far from the first time Zynga has attempted to trademark "'Ville" at the butt of a video game title, nor is this a first for the company to oppose potential competitors using the suffix. What might be a first, however, is if Zynga wins.
Does Zynga have rights to any video game with suffix "'Ville" in its title? Can Night Owl Games win this case?
Night Owl Games, which received full rights to Dungeon Overlord (which it developed) from SOE recently, filed for the "Dungeonville" trademark in Feb. 10, 2011. In July--just as Zynga filed with the U.S. Trademark office to delay the approval process of "Dungeonville"--the company's lawyer started an email exchange with Night Owl Games. The emails, featured as evidence in Night Owl's lawsuit, ask the company to abandon the trademark.
According to the lawsuit, Night Owl Games offered to hold off on "Dungeonville", but only if Zynga agreed to do the same. Of course, Zynga refused. Based on this email exchange, Zynga seems to believe that it has rights over any use of the suffix "'Ville". Well, at least as it pertains to video games. Basically, Night Owl is asking a Houston federal court judge to rule that "Dungeonville" is not a trademark infringement. Houston Examiner reports that a hearing should be scheduled within 30 days.
This is far from the first time Zynga has attempted to trademark "'Ville" at the butt of a video game title, nor is this a first for the company to oppose potential competitors using the suffix. What might be a first, however, is if Zynga wins.
Does Zynga have rights to any video game with suffix "'Ville" in its title? Can Night Owl Games win this case?
Quote of the Moment: 'PC gaming press is discovering what to cover'
And they're mumbling and grumbling the whole way too. During an interview with [a]list daily, A Bit Lucky CEO Frederic Descamps said that "hardcore" games and social games are merging as more complexity and depth is introduced to Facebook games. However, the company's (which just launched hardcore Facebook game Lucky Space) CCO Jordan Maynard alluded to social gaming's effect on games media too.
"I think the PC gaming press is discovering what to cover," Maynard said to [a]list daily. "While initially there was a lot of rejection of the F2P space, games like League of Legends are making them rethink that. Facebook is on your PC so it is sort of PC gaming, but they didn't want to believe it."
And perhaps Maynard has a point: It's only recently that most traditional video game news outlets began to cover the social game scene. And even then it's been generally limited to Zynga and Playfish's efforts. Does this mean that Facebook games have "arrived"? Well, social games can only go up from here, one would guess.
As the two disparate game genres continue to close the gap, surely they'll garner even more attention from mainstream PC gaming press. But it makes you wonder: Do Facebook games even need to be legitimized by big time press outlets?
[Via IndustryGamers]
Well, do they? Are you happy with the possibility that hardcore games and social games are slowly becoming more similar?
"I think the PC gaming press is discovering what to cover," Maynard said to [a]list daily. "While initially there was a lot of rejection of the F2P space, games like League of Legends are making them rethink that. Facebook is on your PC so it is sort of PC gaming, but they didn't want to believe it."
And perhaps Maynard has a point: It's only recently that most traditional video game news outlets began to cover the social game scene. And even then it's been generally limited to Zynga and Playfish's efforts. Does this mean that Facebook games have "arrived"? Well, social games can only go up from here, one would guess.
As the two disparate game genres continue to close the gap, surely they'll garner even more attention from mainstream PC gaming press. But it makes you wonder: Do Facebook games even need to be legitimized by big time press outlets?
[Via IndustryGamers]
Well, do they? Are you happy with the possibility that hardcore games and social games are slowly becoming more similar?
Are social games cool now? Gen Y is 30 percent of US social gamers
Social games aren't just going "hardcore", but it seems they're no longer just for old middle-aged folk. According to an eMarketer report citing data from Information Solutions Group (ISG), 30 percent of US social gamers are between 18 and 29 years old. That figure is as of September of this year, and in January 2010, Generation Y made up for just 15 percent.
With that change, the average age of the social gamer has dropped from 45 to just above 41 years old. So, social gamers are getting younger--how did this happen? Well, "hardcore" games are generally for younger audiences, so perhaps the recent boom in strategy games on Facebook accounts for at least some of this shift. Generally speaking, social games are slowly becoming more visually attractive and action-packed. Take The Sims Social, CastleVille and Mafia Wars 2, for instance.
As for what this could mean, social game makers are likely going to create games that are more appealing to this younger crowd. That's especially considering the data from ISG finds that younger social gamers are more likely to pay up for virtual items. Will 2012 be the year of the Facebook shooter? Probably not, but you can probably expect more games like this.
Will social games change now that younger players are getting into the mix? If so, how will they change, and if not, why should they remain the same?
With that change, the average age of the social gamer has dropped from 45 to just above 41 years old. So, social gamers are getting younger--how did this happen? Well, "hardcore" games are generally for younger audiences, so perhaps the recent boom in strategy games on Facebook accounts for at least some of this shift. Generally speaking, social games are slowly becoming more visually attractive and action-packed. Take The Sims Social, CastleVille and Mafia Wars 2, for instance.
As for what this could mean, social game makers are likely going to create games that are more appealing to this younger crowd. That's especially considering the data from ISG finds that younger social gamers are more likely to pay up for virtual items. Will 2012 be the year of the Facebook shooter? Probably not, but you can probably expect more games like this.
Will social games change now that younger players are getting into the mix? If so, how will they change, and if not, why should they remain the same?
Your mission, should you accept, is to play this branded Facebook game
Hey, no one said you had to dig it. Paramount Pictures and New York-based Funtactix have launched Mission: Impossible The Game on Facebook to coincide with Mr. Cruise's fourth flick in the series, Ghost Protocol. The game puts players through the gauntlet of missions set to take down enemies of the IMF--the Impossible Missions Force, not the International Monetary Fund.
Players are sent on a series of eight missions through heavily-guided quests that tell them exactly what needs to be done. That amounts to clicking enemies to take them down, clicking items to search or hack them and--you guessed it--clicking things to add more gear to your home base. Mission: Impossible The Game will take players across the globe in over 200 missions, all accomplished through the almighty click.
"Mission: Impossible The Game goes well beyond a typical social game and brings an unprecedented level of detail and authenticity," Funtactix CEO Sam Glassenberg said in a release. "It allows fans of the action-packed Mission: Impossible movies to create an agent in the official M:I universe and live a life of espionage and covert operations with their real-life friends as accomplices."
Mission Impossible The Game
However, it's not exactly what one would expect from a game revolving around explosions and espionage. At least there is something in it for you ... should you choose to accept it. (Sorry, it's just too easy.) In the coming weeks before the movie's Dec. 21 release date, Paramount Pictures will dole out prizes that Mission: Impossible fans can only get through the this game.
Want free tickets to see the Ghost Protocol US premiere, or a hometown screening for you and 30 friends? How do free tickets to the movie when it releases and signed memorabilia sound? Well, then you better stick with the game through Dec. 21. Hey, it's not like clicking things around is hard labor--just don't expect giant explosions or epic chase scenes with doves.
Click here to play Mission: Impossible The Game on Facebook Now >
Are you a Mission: Impossible fan? What do you think of branded games on Facebook?
Players are sent on a series of eight missions through heavily-guided quests that tell them exactly what needs to be done. That amounts to clicking enemies to take them down, clicking items to search or hack them and--you guessed it--clicking things to add more gear to your home base. Mission: Impossible The Game will take players across the globe in over 200 missions, all accomplished through the almighty click.
"Mission: Impossible The Game goes well beyond a typical social game and brings an unprecedented level of detail and authenticity," Funtactix CEO Sam Glassenberg said in a release. "It allows fans of the action-packed Mission: Impossible movies to create an agent in the official M:I universe and live a life of espionage and covert operations with their real-life friends as accomplices."
Mission Impossible The Game
However, it's not exactly what one would expect from a game revolving around explosions and espionage. At least there is something in it for you ... should you choose to accept it. (Sorry, it's just too easy.) In the coming weeks before the movie's Dec. 21 release date, Paramount Pictures will dole out prizes that Mission: Impossible fans can only get through the this game.
Want free tickets to see the Ghost Protocol US premiere, or a hometown screening for you and 30 friends? How do free tickets to the movie when it releases and signed memorabilia sound? Well, then you better stick with the game through Dec. 21. Hey, it's not like clicking things around is hard labor--just don't expect giant explosions or epic chase scenes with doves.
Click here to play Mission: Impossible The Game on Facebook Now >
Are you a Mission: Impossible fan? What do you think of branded games on Facebook?
CastleVille beats CityVille as Zynga's fastest growing Facebook game
It's a good day to be the king. Zynga tells us that CastleVille has amassed over 5 million daily players in just six days. (However, AppData tells a different story, though we're told it will reflect this number in a few days.) That's leaps and bounds beyond how quickly the developer's top Facebook game, CityVille, grew. The city-builder took on just 3.2 million daily players in the same time frame when it launched in December 2010. Zynga provided more fun facts.
The San Francisco-based social games giant says that 68 percent of CastleVille fans are logging in twice daily, and that 135,176,035 quests have been completed. Players have expanded their kingdoms in the Gloom 4,594,750 times, all the while bashing 23,845,983 beasties with their bare hands. If anything, that's one helluva lot of clicks.
CastleVille launched just last week to fanfare, but likely exploded over the weekend thanks to cross-promotions in FarmVille and CityVille--two of the developer's most popular games. In CityVille, players can earn 20 free Zoning Permits for reaching Level 5 in its medieval counterpart, while FarmVillers will score five Instant Grows for doing the same.
These rewards are far more substantial than usual cross-promotions, and we bet there will be more where that came from. Adventure World failed to grow on its own for its first few weeks of existence, but Zynga stepped in with liberal use of cross-promotions to skyrocket its player base to over 16 million monthly. While the big Z might be more reliant on its existing players than it would like, this growth is nevertheless ... insane? Yeah, we think that's the word.
Are you enjoying CastleVille so far? What do you think Zynga will need to put out in order to top this potential milestone?
The San Francisco-based social games giant says that 68 percent of CastleVille fans are logging in twice daily, and that 135,176,035 quests have been completed. Players have expanded their kingdoms in the Gloom 4,594,750 times, all the while bashing 23,845,983 beasties with their bare hands. If anything, that's one helluva lot of clicks.
CastleVille launched just last week to fanfare, but likely exploded over the weekend thanks to cross-promotions in FarmVille and CityVille--two of the developer's most popular games. In CityVille, players can earn 20 free Zoning Permits for reaching Level 5 in its medieval counterpart, while FarmVillers will score five Instant Grows for doing the same.
These rewards are far more substantial than usual cross-promotions, and we bet there will be more where that came from. Adventure World failed to grow on its own for its first few weeks of existence, but Zynga stepped in with liberal use of cross-promotions to skyrocket its player base to over 16 million monthly. While the big Z might be more reliant on its existing players than it would like, this growth is nevertheless ... insane? Yeah, we think that's the word.
Are you enjoying CastleVille so far? What do you think Zynga will need to put out in order to top this potential milestone?
Zynga starts decorating really early in CityVille Holidaytown for iPhone
We can just imagine the meeting that spawned CityVille Holidaytown: "You know what, this is the holidays, gosh darn it! Forget an in-game event--we're doing a full-blown Christmas--er Holiday game." Zynga has released its second CityVille game to the App Store, CityVille Holidaytown, and what better way to stir the Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa (did we get them all?) spirit than an iPhone game?
The game looks like it plays essentially the same way as CityVille Hometown, but swap the human residents for elves and and bricks homes for gingerbread houses. Players are tasked with building the ultimate Christmas town with, of course, the help of their Facebook friends. Zynga's first-ever holiday-themed game is governed by quests, much like the original, though it's not connected to your web CityVille game.
Simply put, CityVille Holidaytown is a CityVille dedicated solely to ringing in the holidays (even if a tad early). With the stress of the holidays that begins on the dot on Nov. 25, the least this game could do is get you in the mood to celebrate amidst the Christmas chaos. Besides, it's 100 percent free to play ... now we've got your attention.
CityVille Holidaytown on iPhone
Click here to download CityVille Holidaytown for free from the App Store Now >
Are you ready for Christmas just yet? Do you think a Christmas game wherever you go can put you in the spirit?
The game looks like it plays essentially the same way as CityVille Hometown, but swap the human residents for elves and and bricks homes for gingerbread houses. Players are tasked with building the ultimate Christmas town with, of course, the help of their Facebook friends. Zynga's first-ever holiday-themed game is governed by quests, much like the original, though it's not connected to your web CityVille game.
Simply put, CityVille Holidaytown is a CityVille dedicated solely to ringing in the holidays (even if a tad early). With the stress of the holidays that begins on the dot on Nov. 25, the least this game could do is get you in the mood to celebrate amidst the Christmas chaos. Besides, it's 100 percent free to play ... now we've got your attention.
CityVille Holidaytown on iPhone
Click here to download CityVille Holidaytown for free from the App Store Now >
Are you ready for Christmas just yet? Do you think a Christmas game wherever you go can put you in the spirit?
Disney, Playdom look to former OnLive exec as head of social games
Former OnLive VP of games and media John Spinale got traditional game publishers interested in streaming their games, perhaps he has a trick or two up his sleeve for Disney. VentureBeat reports that Spinale has joined Disney as its head of social games, essentially taking over Playdom GM (and Disney Interactive Media Group co-president) John Pleasants's duties.
Spinale, now based in DIMG's Palo Alto-Calif. offices, will cover Playdom's day-to-day activities and report to Pleasants, according to VentureBeat. Before coming to Playdom, Spinale handled bringing dozens of new games and publishers on board to OnLive's video game streaming service--quite the feat, if you ask us.
"Playdom has an exciting road map for 2012 and beyond, and John will play an important role in bringing the magic of Disney to the world's most popular social media platforms," Pleasants said. "Social games are a key part of Disney's digital strategy, and will be a critical driver of DIMG's future success."
This news comes just after Business Insider's scathing report on the state of Disney and Playdom, citing nameless sources. One source even said, "Six top executives at the VP level or above have moved on in the last three months including Playdom's Co-COO." If those statements are to be true, then Spinale has quite a lot of work ahead of him. Spinale will have the golden opportunity to oversee Disney's long-awaited entry into social games ... aside from Gnome Town.
Is this the nudge that Disney and Playdom need to make even bigger waves in the social games space? What Disney franchise do you hope hits Facebook first?
Spinale, now based in DIMG's Palo Alto-Calif. offices, will cover Playdom's day-to-day activities and report to Pleasants, according to VentureBeat. Before coming to Playdom, Spinale handled bringing dozens of new games and publishers on board to OnLive's video game streaming service--quite the feat, if you ask us.
"Playdom has an exciting road map for 2012 and beyond, and John will play an important role in bringing the magic of Disney to the world's most popular social media platforms," Pleasants said. "Social games are a key part of Disney's digital strategy, and will be a critical driver of DIMG's future success."
This news comes just after Business Insider's scathing report on the state of Disney and Playdom, citing nameless sources. One source even said, "Six top executives at the VP level or above have moved on in the last three months including Playdom's Co-COO." If those statements are to be true, then Spinale has quite a lot of work ahead of him. Spinale will have the golden opportunity to oversee Disney's long-awaited entry into social games ... aside from Gnome Town.
Is this the nudge that Disney and Playdom need to make even bigger waves in the social games space? What Disney franchise do you hope hits Facebook first?
Monday, December 12, 2011
FarmVille Express, Words With Friends, Zynga Poker hit Facebook Mobile
Just when you thought Zynga might be through with HTML5 gaming for the time being, the developer has launched three of its most popular games to the mobile web. FarmVille Express, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker are all available now through either Facebook Mobile directly or on the mobile web.
Revealed earlier this week, the company announced the three games as part of its continued push into mobile gaming with the upcoming Dream Zoo and Mafia Wars Shakedown for iPhone and iPad. FarmVille Express is a stripped version of the native iOS game that's already available, but it allows players to plant crops on their main farm, send free gifts to their friends and respond to help requests.
There's no visual representation of your farm(s) in FarmVille Express--this is merely a companion app that's meant to let you keep up while on the go. While this is brilliant for those who don't own iPhones or other iOS devices, we can't see much reason for an iOS device owner to use this. And since the full Facebook Mobile platform is only available for iOS at the moment, that leaves Android and other smartphone users with just mobile web access to FarmVille Express.
Zynga Poker HTML5
Words with Friends HTML5Words With Friends and Zynga Poker were designed with users who have access to only the mobile web in mind, as attempting to launch either from Facebook for iOS either moves you into the native app, or isn't available at all. And Word With Friends for mobile web appears no different from its native mobile counterpart. The presentation looks nearly identical to its iOS and Android cousins, albeit with less than stunning polish.
However, the game has full sound effects and smooth animations as you navigate its menus. That said, this version of Words With Friends is probably the most impressive HTML5 game we've seen to date. It tracks your finger movements with great accuracy and little to no lag, and it even has advertisements--just like the original! But if you already have Words With Friends for either iOS or Android, there's not much reason to play this version.
Zynga Poker, which must be played in landscape mode, is a somewhat stripped down version of what you'll find on Facebook, but more features are promised to be on the way. However, this too is an impressive HTML5 outing for Zynga. The game lets players sit down for poker hands in real time with other players. Sure, you can send free gifts and will soon be able to buy chips from right within the browser game, but just seeing players interact in real time over HTML5 within a browser is remarkable.
These games are certainly an impressive improvement over recent HTML5 games we've seen, and will only become more robust over time. However, it's tough to recommend these versions over their iOS counterparts or even their Android cousins, when it applies. If anything, consider these games a smooth step in the direction nearly everyone else in the social games world is headed.
Click here to launch all three of Zynga's new HTML5 games Now >
Are you interested in HTML5 gaming more so than native, downloadable gaming apps for your smartphone? Do you think Zynga was smart in releasing these games before a majority of the competition did
Revealed earlier this week, the company announced the three games as part of its continued push into mobile gaming with the upcoming Dream Zoo and Mafia Wars Shakedown for iPhone and iPad. FarmVille Express is a stripped version of the native iOS game that's already available, but it allows players to plant crops on their main farm, send free gifts to their friends and respond to help requests.
There's no visual representation of your farm(s) in FarmVille Express--this is merely a companion app that's meant to let you keep up while on the go. While this is brilliant for those who don't own iPhones or other iOS devices, we can't see much reason for an iOS device owner to use this. And since the full Facebook Mobile platform is only available for iOS at the moment, that leaves Android and other smartphone users with just mobile web access to FarmVille Express.
Zynga Poker HTML5
Words with Friends HTML5Words With Friends and Zynga Poker were designed with users who have access to only the mobile web in mind, as attempting to launch either from Facebook for iOS either moves you into the native app, or isn't available at all. And Word With Friends for mobile web appears no different from its native mobile counterpart. The presentation looks nearly identical to its iOS and Android cousins, albeit with less than stunning polish.
However, the game has full sound effects and smooth animations as you navigate its menus. That said, this version of Words With Friends is probably the most impressive HTML5 game we've seen to date. It tracks your finger movements with great accuracy and little to no lag, and it even has advertisements--just like the original! But if you already have Words With Friends for either iOS or Android, there's not much reason to play this version.
Zynga Poker, which must be played in landscape mode, is a somewhat stripped down version of what you'll find on Facebook, but more features are promised to be on the way. However, this too is an impressive HTML5 outing for Zynga. The game lets players sit down for poker hands in real time with other players. Sure, you can send free gifts and will soon be able to buy chips from right within the browser game, but just seeing players interact in real time over HTML5 within a browser is remarkable.
These games are certainly an impressive improvement over recent HTML5 games we've seen, and will only become more robust over time. However, it's tough to recommend these versions over their iOS counterparts or even their Android cousins, when it applies. If anything, consider these games a smooth step in the direction nearly everyone else in the social games world is headed.
Click here to launch all three of Zynga's new HTML5 games Now >
Are you interested in HTML5 gaming more so than native, downloadable gaming apps for your smartphone? Do you think Zynga was smart in releasing these games before a majority of the competition did
CityVille Governor's Run Vampire Goals: Everything you need to know
While the major elements of CityVille's eventual Halloween theme have yet to launch in the game, the third part of Act 2 in CityVille's Governor's Run event does deal with some Halloween-themed monsters, as the last "special interest group" is led by a vampire! Vlad to make sure that you have ever interest group in your sights when it comes to defeating Captain Krunsch, whether they have a pulse or not, and he's come up with four different goals for you to complete to earn their support.
Devil's Advocate
Ask for 10 Treat Bags
Collect from Businesses 24 Times
Collect from 20 Neighbor Residences
The Treat Bags are earned by posting general news items on your wall. As for the Businesses, these must be done on your own land, and visiting homes must be done in your neighbors' cities, so make sure to keep both of those tasks straight to avoid wasting valuable energy. Finishing this first goal gives you 14 energy as a reward.
Pick Your Brain
Ask friends for 15 Brains
Collect twice from any Library
Harvest 25 Corn
For this one, make a note of the wording. You can collect from any Library - it doesn't necessarily have to be the same Library two days in a row, allowing you to finish this one much more quickly by simply harvesting two different Libraries in your town. Finish this next goal to receive a whopping 1500 Goods.
Every Count Votes
Visit 25 Neighbors
Collect from your Emergency Clinic 4 Times
Collect from Pirate Ship Attraction once
If you've yet to complete the construction on your Pirate Ship attraction (or haven't even placed one in your town), make sure to check out our guide to getting it done. Meanwhile, the Emergency Clinic task will likely slow you down, as you'll need to wait for it to recharge three times after your first collection. Either way, finishing this third goal gives you 3,200 coins.
The Witching Hour
Ask for 20 Eyes of Newt
Master Pumpkins
Collect from 50 Residences
We're not sure if you'll need to entirely master pumpkins to the third star, or just the first, so plan ahead for the former requirement just in case. Hopefully, it's just the first star of mastery that's required, earned after 50 harvests. When you finally finish this fourth goal, you'll have earned the trust of the Vampire clan (and hopefully all of the other monsters you didn't even know lived in your town), and will walk away with the Blood Mobile as your prize. The Blood Mobile is a decoration that offers a bonus to the payout of surrounding businesses and homes.
This marks the end of Act 2 of the Governor's Run event, leaving us with just one more Act (apparently filled with three more goal series) to complete before the election will finally take place (and you'll hopefully be able to show Captain Krunsch the door. We'll make sure to bring you continuing coverage about this event as we know more, so keep checking back!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
[Via: CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these Vampire-themed goals in CityVille? Have you already completed the goals for the rest of Act 2 and even Act 1?
Devil's Advocate
Ask for 10 Treat Bags
Collect from Businesses 24 Times
Collect from 20 Neighbor Residences
The Treat Bags are earned by posting general news items on your wall. As for the Businesses, these must be done on your own land, and visiting homes must be done in your neighbors' cities, so make sure to keep both of those tasks straight to avoid wasting valuable energy. Finishing this first goal gives you 14 energy as a reward.
Pick Your Brain
Ask friends for 15 Brains
Collect twice from any Library
Harvest 25 Corn
For this one, make a note of the wording. You can collect from any Library - it doesn't necessarily have to be the same Library two days in a row, allowing you to finish this one much more quickly by simply harvesting two different Libraries in your town. Finish this next goal to receive a whopping 1500 Goods.
Every Count Votes
Visit 25 Neighbors
Collect from your Emergency Clinic 4 Times
Collect from Pirate Ship Attraction once
If you've yet to complete the construction on your Pirate Ship attraction (or haven't even placed one in your town), make sure to check out our guide to getting it done. Meanwhile, the Emergency Clinic task will likely slow you down, as you'll need to wait for it to recharge three times after your first collection. Either way, finishing this third goal gives you 3,200 coins.
The Witching Hour
Ask for 20 Eyes of Newt
Master Pumpkins
Collect from 50 Residences
We're not sure if you'll need to entirely master pumpkins to the third star, or just the first, so plan ahead for the former requirement just in case. Hopefully, it's just the first star of mastery that's required, earned after 50 harvests. When you finally finish this fourth goal, you'll have earned the trust of the Vampire clan (and hopefully all of the other monsters you didn't even know lived in your town), and will walk away with the Blood Mobile as your prize. The Blood Mobile is a decoration that offers a bonus to the payout of surrounding businesses and homes.
This marks the end of Act 2 of the Governor's Run event, leaving us with just one more Act (apparently filled with three more goal series) to complete before the election will finally take place (and you'll hopefully be able to show Captain Krunsch the door. We'll make sure to bring you continuing coverage about this event as we know more, so keep checking back!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
[Via: CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these Vampire-themed goals in CityVille? Have you already completed the goals for the rest of Act 2 and even Act 1?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Good Morning America anchors get Zynga-fied in CastleVille [Video]
Who knew the Zynga Dallas team were such skilled caricature artists? Two of ABC's Good Morning America (GMA) anchors found that out the hard way when the developer transformed the show's Lara Spencer and Josh Elliot into CastleVille avatars. Now, whenever the two play the brand new Zynga game, they'll get to play as, well, themselves.
Zynga Dallas's Bill Jackson made the change GMA visited Zynga HQ in San Francisco, and described CastleVille a bit. When crafting the avatars for the two anchors, Jackson focused on Lara's similarities to the game's Yvette and on Josh's ... "protruding chin." We imagine that, if you're so lucky to be either Lara or Josh's friend on Facebook, you could be visited by their likenesses in the game world.
And if you "Like" GMA on their Facebook page, you will receive a special decoration within your inventory in CastleVille called the GMA Flag Pole. As it turns out, it's just a red flag with a golden base and purple flowers surrounding it, but it sure looks nice. I'd like to be a character in CastleVille, but I don't think folks had glasses back then. Check out the video below to see how a person becomes Zynga-fied.
Would you like to be Zynga-fied in CastleVille? What do you think of the special decoration, and the game so far?
Zynga Dallas's Bill Jackson made the change GMA visited Zynga HQ in San Francisco, and described CastleVille a bit. When crafting the avatars for the two anchors, Jackson focused on Lara's similarities to the game's Yvette and on Josh's ... "protruding chin." We imagine that, if you're so lucky to be either Lara or Josh's friend on Facebook, you could be visited by their likenesses in the game world.
And if you "Like" GMA on their Facebook page, you will receive a special decoration within your inventory in CastleVille called the GMA Flag Pole. As it turns out, it's just a red flag with a golden base and purple flowers surrounding it, but it sure looks nice. I'd like to be a character in CastleVille, but I don't think folks had glasses back then. Check out the video below to see how a person becomes Zynga-fied.
Would you like to be Zynga-fied in CastleVille? What do you think of the special decoration, and the game so far?
Social UPs games lure in Facebook fans for small businesses with big prizes
Have you been seeing Facebook wall posts from your friends with the dubious offer of big prizes for high-scoring a game? I encountered one last night that promised a free iPad 2 from a Toyota dealer by playing "Bouncing Balls". Google searches revealed no official announcements about this promotion and I worried it was a scam, but the offer was legit after all. Other games and prizes -- such as Sony HDTVs, iPhone 4S, and even an Xbox 360 with Kinect -- are being offered on the Facebook pages of various businesses. All of them are coming from a San Diego-based, social media marketing company called Social UPs, best described as what you'd get if Games And Prizes crossed paths with GamesThatGive.
Games And Prizes is a generic games hub on Facebook that lets players bet on sponsored prizes with currency they earned through gaming. GamesThatGive pairs up socially conscious companies and fundraising organizations with their games, putting a game on the Facebook fan page of a company. But instead of player giveaways, money goes to a charity based on the number of people playing. Companies that have games on their Facebook pages have proven quite successful in driving up their number of fans. After all, fans have to 'Like' a Facebook page to access the goods.
Social Up Tara Gray
A Facebook game that offers big, real-world prizes for play isn't new. PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz used to do weekly drawings, and even handed out a Mazda once. But Social UPs capitalizes this practice by matchmaking businesses to its games, while offering prizes to players. Social UPs' customers currently include RoomStore, The Safe Cig, Vitalyte, Raging Bid, Tara Gray, Casey Jamerson, many local car dealerships and more. Social UPs' game stable includes generic knock-offs of Tetris (they call theirs,"Montris"), Bejeweled ("Gems Swap 2"), and even Pac-Man ("Ghost Man Advanced"). According to AppData, these games are delivered through the company's following Facebook apps: Games and Play & Win.
Tara Gray, who "was formerly Miss Alabama and is currently a host on the Direct Shopping Network", was prominently featured in a video on the Social UPs website promoting their services. She's seen with the Gems Swap 2 game in the background (pictured above). Currently, the prize on her page is an opal pendant and the winner is selected via random drawing, but the contest methods of each company vary across the board.
Gallery: SocialUPs
For example, the Gem Swap 2 game on Dave White Acura's Facebook page will end when it reaches 200,000 "Likes". Only one person will get to nab "a 42 inch Flat Screen TV", but winning is determined via a random drawing of the top 50 scorers left at the end of the promotional period. Moreover, you've got to be at the dealership building in Sylvania, OH to pick it up.
In contrast, Raging Bid is running their contest until November 21st. They're offering a Sony Bravia 3D HDTV or a $150.00 USD Shell gas gift card. There will be two winners out of the 25 top players. The drawing will not be random, but determined by votes on the company's official fan page. Because of these differences, I recommend that interested players read all the rules very carefully.
Have you come across any of Social UPs games yet? Do you think Social UPs is a boon for small businesses?
Games And Prizes is a generic games hub on Facebook that lets players bet on sponsored prizes with currency they earned through gaming. GamesThatGive pairs up socially conscious companies and fundraising organizations with their games, putting a game on the Facebook fan page of a company. But instead of player giveaways, money goes to a charity based on the number of people playing. Companies that have games on their Facebook pages have proven quite successful in driving up their number of fans. After all, fans have to 'Like' a Facebook page to access the goods.
Social Up Tara Gray
A Facebook game that offers big, real-world prizes for play isn't new. PopCap's Bejeweled Blitz used to do weekly drawings, and even handed out a Mazda once. But Social UPs capitalizes this practice by matchmaking businesses to its games, while offering prizes to players. Social UPs' customers currently include RoomStore, The Safe Cig, Vitalyte, Raging Bid, Tara Gray, Casey Jamerson, many local car dealerships and more. Social UPs' game stable includes generic knock-offs of Tetris (they call theirs,"Montris"), Bejeweled ("Gems Swap 2"), and even Pac-Man ("Ghost Man Advanced"). According to AppData, these games are delivered through the company's following Facebook apps: Games and Play & Win.
Tara Gray, who "was formerly Miss Alabama and is currently a host on the Direct Shopping Network", was prominently featured in a video on the Social UPs website promoting their services. She's seen with the Gems Swap 2 game in the background (pictured above). Currently, the prize on her page is an opal pendant and the winner is selected via random drawing, but the contest methods of each company vary across the board.
Gallery: SocialUPs
For example, the Gem Swap 2 game on Dave White Acura's Facebook page will end when it reaches 200,000 "Likes". Only one person will get to nab "a 42 inch Flat Screen TV", but winning is determined via a random drawing of the top 50 scorers left at the end of the promotional period. Moreover, you've got to be at the dealership building in Sylvania, OH to pick it up.
In contrast, Raging Bid is running their contest until November 21st. They're offering a Sony Bravia 3D HDTV or a $150.00 USD Shell gas gift card. There will be two winners out of the 25 top players. The drawing will not be random, but determined by votes on the company's official fan page. Because of these differences, I recommend that interested players read all the rules very carefully.
Have you come across any of Social UPs games yet? Do you think Social UPs is a boon for small businesses?
FarmVile maker Zynga CBO steps down, becomes adviser ahead of IPO
As it nears what's expected to be the initial public offering (IPO) of the year, people can't stop talking about Zynga. And with reports like these, we're sure the company wishes it would stop. Now, AllThingsD reports that Zynga chief business officer Owen Van Natta has stepped down from his executive role at the company to become a strategic adviser.
The website found out the news in Zynga's new filing with the Security and Exchanges Commission. According to AllThingsD, Van Natta came to Zynga founder and CEO Mark Pincus years ago to help him grow the company. Now, the former exec will relegate himself to the board and help the company with major partnerships. "Owen is a valuable business partner," Pincus confirmed to AllThingsD. "He's made great contributions to Zynga and continues to be an important part of our team."
However, Van Natta will have to surrender millions in pre-IPO shares as a result of the move. But AllThingsD reports that this move is not connected to the stock-related debacle reported by The Wall Street Journal recently. Recent hire and former EA exec John Schappert will now assume full command over the business end of Zynga, according to VentureBeat.
Our take on this news is that Zynga is simply getting its ducks in a row before supposedly going public after Thanksgiving, removing redundancies in its lineup of high-level execs. You know, the same IPO that AllThingsD guesses will bring Zynga close to $20 billion? Van Natta or not, it's going to be very merry Christmas.
Do you think Van Natta's shift will affect the company at all as it approaches its IPO? If given the opportunity, would you invest in Zynga?
The website found out the news in Zynga's new filing with the Security and Exchanges Commission. According to AllThingsD, Van Natta came to Zynga founder and CEO Mark Pincus years ago to help him grow the company. Now, the former exec will relegate himself to the board and help the company with major partnerships. "Owen is a valuable business partner," Pincus confirmed to AllThingsD. "He's made great contributions to Zynga and continues to be an important part of our team."
However, Van Natta will have to surrender millions in pre-IPO shares as a result of the move. But AllThingsD reports that this move is not connected to the stock-related debacle reported by The Wall Street Journal recently. Recent hire and former EA exec John Schappert will now assume full command over the business end of Zynga, according to VentureBeat.
Our take on this news is that Zynga is simply getting its ducks in a row before supposedly going public after Thanksgiving, removing redundancies in its lineup of high-level execs. You know, the same IPO that AllThingsD guesses will bring Zynga close to $20 billion? Van Natta or not, it's going to be very merry Christmas.
Do you think Van Natta's shift will affect the company at all as it approaches its IPO? If given the opportunity, would you invest in Zynga?
Sims Social: Earthling what is ... WooHoo? quest walkthrough
Ahh.. geek out! It's sci-fi week in The Sims Social and, in addition to furniture and decor that looks like it was ripped from the set of Buck Rogers, there's a new mission called 'Earthing, what is... WooHoo?"
The new seven-step quest has a time limit of five days, and if you deem it worthy of your time, you will be rewarded with a futuristic refrigerator, the "Nice Cold Fridge," which gives you Simoleons, XP and a fun or hunger boost when you use it.
Also, unlike the two Japan quests from last week, this one requires minimal Simoleons and can be done relatively quickly if you're persistent. So let's jump right into it:
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 1
earthing what is woohoo goal 1
Delete gossip fives times (on your own computer)
Ask two Sims to vouch for you
Have 6 Goodwill (do 'nice' stuff or ask friends to send you some)
Rewards:
15 Lifetime points
30 Simoleons
15 Experience Points
2 Energy
earthling what is woohoo rewards 1
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 2
sims social earthing woohoo
Have 10 Hammers (repair things to get them or ask friends to send 'em to you)
Research Translator Doobries (click on any bookshelves eight times to research, will cost 8 energy)
Buy Universal Translator Doobrie (go to the Clothes section, then the Head area and buy the Doobrie for a (reasonable) 1,000 Simoleons)
universal translator doobrie
Rewards:
15 Lifetime Points
30 Simoleons
15 XP
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 3
earthling what is woohoo part 3
Buy 4 Clothes from the new sci-fi collection
You will already get credit for buying the Universal Translator Doobrie. If you want to spend minimal Simoleons, buy wrist bands which cost 300 Simoleons.
sci-fi wrist bands
Buy 3 sci-fi items
I recommend buying the LookForward Dress, Posture, Poise chairs for 200 Simoleons, and the Specimen A and Specimen B plants for 200 Simoleons.
Use the new Hygenix Ocean
Go to Bella's house and you'll see a big blue boxy looking thing in the bathroom, click on it and perform any action to get credit)
hygenix ocean
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 4
sims social earthling quest part 4
Show the alien what being friendly to other Sims means
Show the alien what being mean to other Sims means
Show the alien what flirting means
Visit your neighboring Sims, click on them and choose mean, friendly and flirty actions. Note: You can only do one of each action per sim. If you click on a sim and try to do, say, four mean actions in a row, only the first will count toward the goal. In other words, you need to do a mean, friendly and flirty action to four different Sims.
Rewards
30 Lifetime Points
150 Social Points
30 XP
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 5
sims social earthling part 5
Have 12 Alien Fury by chatting to electronics
Have 12 Alien Love by chatting to electronics
Put on your Universal Translator Doobrie and try communicating with other Sims.
Equip your space-age goggles and then visit friends. Click on the Sim and choose to 'Communicate Electronically'
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 6
sims social earthling
Research Alien Probing
Click on your computer and select the Alien Probing option 10 times. You can only do this on your computer, so it will requrie 10 energy to complete.
Ask friends if they've been probed
Post a request to your Facebook Wall, three friends will have to respond to complete the goal.
Check if been probed
Visit 6 Sims, click on them and ask if they have been probed.
Reward:
50 Lifetime Point
150 Simoleons
60 XP
75 Social Points
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 7
sims social earthling 7
Check the Stars
Click on any telescope and select the 'Check the Stars' action. Make sure you don't accidentally click 'Look at Stars.' This activity costs no energy and you can perform the action as many time as you want, your Sim will not get bored.
Add 3 New Neighbors
Invite three new Sims Social players to be your neighbor. They don't have to accept for you to fulfill the goal.
Ask for Galactic Directions
Visit 6 friends, click them and select 'Ask for Galactic Directions'
Reward:
Nice Cold Fridge
Check supplies: Drops 9 Simoleons, 10 XP, increases 'fun'
Order Shopping: Drops 9 Simoleons, 10 XP, increases 'hunger' (meaning, you'll be less hungry, not more)
House Value increases by 50
sims social earthling what is reward
Did you find any problems with the Earthling, what is... WooHoo quest?
The new seven-step quest has a time limit of five days, and if you deem it worthy of your time, you will be rewarded with a futuristic refrigerator, the "Nice Cold Fridge," which gives you Simoleons, XP and a fun or hunger boost when you use it.
Also, unlike the two Japan quests from last week, this one requires minimal Simoleons and can be done relatively quickly if you're persistent. So let's jump right into it:
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 1
earthing what is woohoo goal 1
Delete gossip fives times (on your own computer)
Ask two Sims to vouch for you
Have 6 Goodwill (do 'nice' stuff or ask friends to send you some)
Rewards:
15 Lifetime points
30 Simoleons
15 Experience Points
2 Energy
earthling what is woohoo rewards 1
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 2
sims social earthing woohoo
Have 10 Hammers (repair things to get them or ask friends to send 'em to you)
Research Translator Doobries (click on any bookshelves eight times to research, will cost 8 energy)
Buy Universal Translator Doobrie (go to the Clothes section, then the Head area and buy the Doobrie for a (reasonable) 1,000 Simoleons)
universal translator doobrie
Rewards:
15 Lifetime Points
30 Simoleons
15 XP
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 3
earthling what is woohoo part 3
Buy 4 Clothes from the new sci-fi collection
You will already get credit for buying the Universal Translator Doobrie. If you want to spend minimal Simoleons, buy wrist bands which cost 300 Simoleons.
sci-fi wrist bands
Buy 3 sci-fi items
I recommend buying the LookForward Dress, Posture, Poise chairs for 200 Simoleons, and the Specimen A and Specimen B plants for 200 Simoleons.
Use the new Hygenix Ocean
Go to Bella's house and you'll see a big blue boxy looking thing in the bathroom, click on it and perform any action to get credit)
hygenix ocean
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 4
sims social earthling quest part 4
Show the alien what being friendly to other Sims means
Show the alien what being mean to other Sims means
Show the alien what flirting means
Visit your neighboring Sims, click on them and choose mean, friendly and flirty actions. Note: You can only do one of each action per sim. If you click on a sim and try to do, say, four mean actions in a row, only the first will count toward the goal. In other words, you need to do a mean, friendly and flirty action to four different Sims.
Rewards
30 Lifetime Points
150 Social Points
30 XP
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 5
sims social earthling part 5
Have 12 Alien Fury by chatting to electronics
Have 12 Alien Love by chatting to electronics
Put on your Universal Translator Doobrie and try communicating with other Sims.
Equip your space-age goggles and then visit friends. Click on the Sim and choose to 'Communicate Electronically'
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 6
sims social earthling
Research Alien Probing
Click on your computer and select the Alien Probing option 10 times. You can only do this on your computer, so it will requrie 10 energy to complete.
Ask friends if they've been probed
Post a request to your Facebook Wall, three friends will have to respond to complete the goal.
Check if been probed
Visit 6 Sims, click on them and ask if they have been probed.
Reward:
50 Lifetime Point
150 Simoleons
60 XP
75 Social Points
Earthing, what is... WooHoo? Part 7
sims social earthling 7
Check the Stars
Click on any telescope and select the 'Check the Stars' action. Make sure you don't accidentally click 'Look at Stars.' This activity costs no energy and you can perform the action as many time as you want, your Sim will not get bored.
Add 3 New Neighbors
Invite three new Sims Social players to be your neighbor. They don't have to accept for you to fulfill the goal.
Ask for Galactic Directions
Visit 6 friends, click them and select 'Ask for Galactic Directions'
Reward:
Nice Cold Fridge
Check supplies: Drops 9 Simoleons, 10 XP, increases 'fun'
Order Shopping: Drops 9 Simoleons, 10 XP, increases 'hunger' (meaning, you'll be less hungry, not more)
House Value increases by 50
sims social earthling what is reward
Did you find any problems with the Earthling, what is... WooHoo quest?
Retro World contest: Enter to get your 15 minutes of fame
Still waiting for your 15 minutes of fame? Entertainment Games' new Retro World Photo contest might be your lucky break. Enter and you might win a starring role in this new point-and-click adventure game on Facebook alongside some of Hollywood's most memorable faces, such as Elvis "The Pelvis" Presley, Marilyn Monroe and a much (much) younger rendition of Dick Clark.
retro star contest
To enter the contest, submit a full-body picture of you wearing your best Sixties era getup. Two pictures will be chosen and the winners will star in a new episode of the game. Click here to enter the contest. While you're at it -- give the game a try. Love it or hate it, Retro World certainly offers something a little different than the rest of those 'Ville' games out there.
retro star contest
To enter the contest, submit a full-body picture of you wearing your best Sixties era getup. Two pictures will be chosen and the winners will star in a new episode of the game. Click here to enter the contest. While you're at it -- give the game a try. Love it or hate it, Retro World certainly offers something a little different than the rest of those 'Ville' games out there.
Capcom feels the power of The Smurf, gets bullish on social games
Seriously, those blue buggers must be hypnotizing or something. Capcom, the Japanese games company behind serious game franchises like Resident Evil, has revealed serious intention to take advantage of the social games movement. 1UP reports that Capcom will employ a laser focus on the social games industry, the same industry that kept it in the black in 2011.
"Capcom has decided to look at the social-game field from the scope of the entire company," Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono told Famitsu Magazine, translated by 1UP. "Instead of framing it in its own section like consoles or mobile games, it's something that all of Capcom development is involved with."
The news comes just as Capcom announced that the next game in the wildly popular (in Japan) Monster Hunter series would appear on mobile phones through Japanese social game publisher Gree. Ono, who will lead the charge, went on to say that this company-wide push into social will ultimately lead to new properties, as not many social gamers are also fans of, say, Street Fighter, even in Japan. (Though, Ono has admitted that fighting games would fit right on Facebook.)
"We discuss all the issues that go behind a platform choice, then go with what we think is the best solution," Ono said. "If we have titles suitable for the overseas market, for example, then Facebook or Google+ are viable choices for that."
Capcom's strictly-social subsidiary, Beeline Interactive, has enjoyed immense success in the U.S. with games like Smurfs' Village. That said, we'd be surprised if this new found social initiative didn't creep over into Capcom's Western efforts. Facebook gamers: Better start practicing your Hadouken.
[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Do you think Capcom is making a smart move in focusing more on social games company-wide? What Capcom franchise do you hope hits Facebook or Google+ first?
"Capcom has decided to look at the social-game field from the scope of the entire company," Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono told Famitsu Magazine, translated by 1UP. "Instead of framing it in its own section like consoles or mobile games, it's something that all of Capcom development is involved with."
The news comes just as Capcom announced that the next game in the wildly popular (in Japan) Monster Hunter series would appear on mobile phones through Japanese social game publisher Gree. Ono, who will lead the charge, went on to say that this company-wide push into social will ultimately lead to new properties, as not many social gamers are also fans of, say, Street Fighter, even in Japan. (Though, Ono has admitted that fighting games would fit right on Facebook.)
"We discuss all the issues that go behind a platform choice, then go with what we think is the best solution," Ono said. "If we have titles suitable for the overseas market, for example, then Facebook or Google+ are viable choices for that."
Capcom's strictly-social subsidiary, Beeline Interactive, has enjoyed immense success in the U.S. with games like Smurfs' Village. That said, we'd be surprised if this new found social initiative didn't creep over into Capcom's Western efforts. Facebook gamers: Better start practicing your Hadouken.
[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Do you think Capcom is making a smart move in focusing more on social games company-wide? What Capcom franchise do you hope hits Facebook or Google+ first?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Michelle Jollie's farm is pretty as a flower
Look, Ma! No hay bales! Ok, so it's not entirely without hay bales, but Michelle Jollie may have crafted one of the simplest looking, yet ingenious FarmVille farms to date.
FarmVille Glass HouseZoomed out, all you see is a single, bright red flower growing from the grass on a sunny day. Zoomed in, you'll see that the 'flower' is actually composed of hay bales for the head, hedges for the stem, and trees for the leaves. The 'grass' is made up of many green treetops, and even the 'sun' is made out of trees. Though it's hard to tell in the screenshot, the 'clouds' might actually be made of cows. But what's most amazing is the farm's sky, which is made out of nearly 200 Glass Houses!
Not to be confused with the Green House, the Botanical Garden or even the iPhone exclusive Green House Cube, the Glass Houses used by Michelle Jollie cost 100K Coins each in the FarmVille Market. This means she must've spent at least 200 million FarmVille Coins to build that sky. Talk about amazing.
Can you tell exactly how many Glass Houses there are? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
FarmVille Glass HouseZoomed out, all you see is a single, bright red flower growing from the grass on a sunny day. Zoomed in, you'll see that the 'flower' is actually composed of hay bales for the head, hedges for the stem, and trees for the leaves. The 'grass' is made up of many green treetops, and even the 'sun' is made out of trees. Though it's hard to tell in the screenshot, the 'clouds' might actually be made of cows. But what's most amazing is the farm's sky, which is made out of nearly 200 Glass Houses!
Not to be confused with the Green House, the Botanical Garden or even the iPhone exclusive Green House Cube, the Glass Houses used by Michelle Jollie cost 100K Coins each in the FarmVille Market. This means she must've spent at least 200 million FarmVille Coins to build that sky. Talk about amazing.
Can you tell exactly how many Glass Houses there are? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
FarmVille's co-creator not sure selling to Zynga was the best idea
Well, duh. Now that Zynga is supposedly looking at $20 billion, thanks largely to FarmVille, we'd feel a tinge of regret too. The game's co-creator, Sizhao Yang (pictured), told FINS Technology about early interactions with CEO Mark Pincus, creating what would spawn an industry-changing revolution and ultimately selling MyMiniLife (and that game) to Zynga in June 2009.
"If I had known then what I know now, I don't think we would have sold [MyMiniLife]," Yang admitted to FINS. "But we did fairly well for ourselves, as well as for our investors." A little over a year later, Yang left Zynga on a day's notice, never looking back. Sure, Yang may seem to regret his decision to sell FarmVille, but his decision to leave came down to a simple idea.
"I left about eight figures in restricted stock on the table," Yang revealed to FINS. "I realized that when I'm 80 or 90 years old, am I going to be more proud of the fact that I created FarmVille and BetterWorks, or more proud of the fact that I have $20 or $40 million in my bank account? For me I was going to be more proud of the things I create and the things I do."
Yang moved on to found other tech startups, most recently BetterWorks, a company that makes Web-based software for small companies to more easily obtain company perks for their employees. Since the FarmVille mastermind's departure, Zynga has gone on to create several more games based on the FarmVille blueprint (which has since been put into question), each more successful than the last. That said, the all new CastleVille has quite a lot to live up to.
[Image Credit: TEDxOrangeCoast]
How do you think the social game scene might have been different had Yang not sold FarmVille? Would you have sold in the same situation?
"If I had known then what I know now, I don't think we would have sold [MyMiniLife]," Yang admitted to FINS. "But we did fairly well for ourselves, as well as for our investors." A little over a year later, Yang left Zynga on a day's notice, never looking back. Sure, Yang may seem to regret his decision to sell FarmVille, but his decision to leave came down to a simple idea.
"I left about eight figures in restricted stock on the table," Yang revealed to FINS. "I realized that when I'm 80 or 90 years old, am I going to be more proud of the fact that I created FarmVille and BetterWorks, or more proud of the fact that I have $20 or $40 million in my bank account? For me I was going to be more proud of the things I create and the things I do."
Yang moved on to found other tech startups, most recently BetterWorks, a company that makes Web-based software for small companies to more easily obtain company perks for their employees. Since the FarmVille mastermind's departure, Zynga has gone on to create several more games based on the FarmVille blueprint (which has since been put into question), each more successful than the last. That said, the all new CastleVille has quite a lot to live up to.
[Image Credit: TEDxOrangeCoast]
How do you think the social game scene might have been different had Yang not sold FarmVille? Would you have sold in the same situation?
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