On the lookout for some free Farm Cash in FarmVille? Why not take part in Zynga's newest cross-promotion with Ford that offers 2 free Farm Cash just for doing so?
Interested? You'll be able to start this simple activity by looking for the "Sponsored Link" picture as seen at the right side of this post. This newest promotion is for the "Ford Focus Global Test Drive" contest that, of course, is being run by Ford (yes, the car company). This activity loads in a new window, and is comprised of you listening to a fairly lengthly trailer for Ford's Global Test Drive contest, which is also being held on Facebook. Note: Here is the link for the activity, but note that it might not work on your account.
This contest asks users to create a video submission for a chance to win a trip to Spain and a $10,000 donation to a charity of your choosing, but if you're just interested in the free Farm Cash, you can skip the video by clicking on the "Get Started Now" button and "faking" your way through creating a video. The video you "create" can be a second long, and can be downloaded and deleted in a matter of seconds. After the video has been "completed," you'll earn your free Farm Cash notification, and can close the activity window.
Head back to your game of FarmVille and you'll see your Farm Cash total rise by two. Sure, this may be an activity that's a bit more involved, but if you follow our simple steps, you'll be able to finish it as quickly as possible and get to spending your free Farm Cash. Of course, you can always take the time to create a real video for the contest as well - whatever works for you.
Legit site to earn money from home
Friday, January 13, 2012
Earn 100 free FarmVille Farm Cash through ProFlowers promotion
Back again for another holiday is the ProFlowers promotion in FarmVille. If you weren't around for the Mother's Day or Thanksgiving flower promotions in Zynga's games like FarmVille or Cafe World, then here are all of the details surrounding this new offer.
This cross-promotion is one of the more profitable ones we've seen. For all users that click on the ProFlowers "Sponsored Link" window found at the bottom of the FarmVille gameplay area, they'll activate the ability to earn 100 free Farm Cash by making any purchase at ProFlowers.com. By clicking on the Sponsored Link, you'll load a new window, where you'll find all of the official rules (it must be a valid purchase, your farm cash can take upwards of 30 minutes to arrive on your account, and so on).
In addition, users that order through this offer will receive 50% on holiday flowers and gifts, so if you've been looking for something for that special someone in your life, or just someone who is incredibly difficult to shop for otherwise, this might be worth looking into. After all, why not receive something for yourself in the process of buying something fabulous for a loved one? No one will blame you, most certainly not me.
Shop fast, as we're assuming that this offer will disappear just as quickly as the holidays after this week.
This cross-promotion is one of the more profitable ones we've seen. For all users that click on the ProFlowers "Sponsored Link" window found at the bottom of the FarmVille gameplay area, they'll activate the ability to earn 100 free Farm Cash by making any purchase at ProFlowers.com. By clicking on the Sponsored Link, you'll load a new window, where you'll find all of the official rules (it must be a valid purchase, your farm cash can take upwards of 30 minutes to arrive on your account, and so on).
In addition, users that order through this offer will receive 50% on holiday flowers and gifts, so if you've been looking for something for that special someone in your life, or just someone who is incredibly difficult to shop for otherwise, this might be worth looking into. After all, why not receive something for yourself in the process of buying something fabulous for a loved one? No one will blame you, most certainly not me.
Shop fast, as we're assuming that this offer will disappear just as quickly as the holidays after this week.
CityVille Let it Snow Goals blanket your town in frosty flakes
While you were prepping the town's Holiday Tree, Zynga added another Goal to CityVille to turn your city into an even more wonderful winter wonderland. In "Let it Snow!" Sam asks players to ask their friends for 10 Snow Flakes and 10 Snowballs. Each requirement can also be met using 20 City Cash and doing either will allow you to buy one new Decoration item from the Build menu, Snow Cover.
For just 500 coins, Snow Cover will blanket your city's streets in snow. Interestingly enough, this change is irreversible, but the snow will automatically melt come March 20, 2011. As for the second part of this Goal series, players will have to collect 15 Winter Lights from their friends. Doing so will open up Snow Top in the Decorations tab of the Build menu. For another 500 coins, this will blanket your buildings and decorations in snow, which also will not disappear until March. Start asking away for those items now if you want your town to celebrate a white Christmas like some of us on the East Coast might enjoy.
For just 500 coins, Snow Cover will blanket your city's streets in snow. Interestingly enough, this change is irreversible, but the snow will automatically melt come March 20, 2011. As for the second part of this Goal series, players will have to collect 15 Winter Lights from their friends. Doing so will open up Snow Top in the Decorations tab of the Build menu. For another 500 coins, this will blanket your buildings and decorations in snow, which also will not disappear until March. Start asking away for those items now if you want your town to celebrate a white Christmas like some of us on the East Coast might enjoy.
Age of Champions on Facebook doesn't cry over spilled blood
Battle in Age of Champions
Fantasy social games are almost dime a dozen, but what are they missing? Why, half naked men spilling the blood of goblins and other beasts, of course. In Age of Champions on Facebook, players take the role of one of three races: a human, an elf or a minotaur as they vie for the throne of an emperor who recently kicked the can. As it turns out, so is everyone else. After choosing which of the three warring factions that you'll be siding with in this sprawling conflict, you'll be launched into battle with a band of goblins, your warriors sprinting across a green, war-torn field, bronze daggers flailing. After witnessing the green, gooey bloodshed as your avatar guts the goblin leader, you realize that this is not standard fantasy fare on Facebook.
Find out more about Age of Champions and our impressions after the break.
Defeating the Orge
If you hadn't noticed by now, this game isn't necessarily for the little ones. There will be blood in Age of Champions, lots of it. Developed by Sacramento, CA-based studio KlickNation, this game's primary focus is on two important things: story and gameplay. Absolutely filled to the brim with quest text designed to give purpose to otherwise mundane tasks, Age of Champions contains a plot that weaves throughout the game's primary mode of spending Energy--a social game staple--quests.
However, Energy is plentiful in Age of Champions' early levels as opposed to other social games. You'll frequently level up through questing, restoring your Energy each time. (However, the game does offer Blue Crystals, a paid currency, to replenish Energy and Stamina.) Quests are completed through the Travel menu, which opens up the game's story in a book-shaped menu, offering the plot in chapters that almost always contain at least one session on the battlefield and one boss monster to defeat. Rewards from quests are normally the standard gold coins, which are used to hire more soldiers and outfit your army with weapons and armor, and experience points. Leveling up also rewards players with points to enhance their primary character's Energy, Attack strength, Stamina (used to battle other players) and Health. While Energy and Stamina will allow you to play the game for longer sessions without having to pay up for more, Attack and Health are extremely important in combat.
Questing Book
Ah, yes, the meat and potatoes of Age of Champions. Combat scenarios are somewhat rare treats, but are most definitely not to be underestimated. These special quests are marked with an icon shaped like a shield adorned with two swords. Clicking on "Go to Battle" will open up the battlefield. While battles play out automatically based on the size of your army compared to the enemy's, it all happens in real time and takes equipment statistics into account as well. It's not until all of your units fall that your main avatar will rush into the fray, duking it out with the opposing commander. In the early stages of the game, your army will almost always be wiped out, but that doesn't mean you lose them forever. However, improving their equipment by buying quantities of armor and weapons that match your squad's numbers will increase their lasting power. There is the option to skip each battle sequence, but why would you want to do that?
While combat and questing are plenty entertaining, Age of Champions does include some fairly deep social elements. Throughout the game, players can attempt to craft items that are more powerful than what can be bought in the store, but some of the ingredients can only be found through Gifting. Thankfully, social interaction goes deeper than that with Raids, or massive enemies that require cooperation from friends to defeat. Furthermore, players can join Guilds, which are groups of friends within the game that can collaborate without the need of being Facebook friends. In other words, you won't find too many request-athons here, but more teamwork through the game's Raid bosses and Battle system.
Raid on the Ice Dragon
With an interesting albeit violent approach to combat, an engaging story for those who take the time to read it and social features similar to other, more current social games like Knights of the Crystals and Legacy of a Thousand Suns, Age of Champions delivers on nearly all fronts aside from a few annoying bugs such as losing access to the top of game screen at times. Just ignore the fact that your avatar will be without pants for quite a while and you should have a grand time.
Fantasy social games are almost dime a dozen, but what are they missing? Why, half naked men spilling the blood of goblins and other beasts, of course. In Age of Champions on Facebook, players take the role of one of three races: a human, an elf or a minotaur as they vie for the throne of an emperor who recently kicked the can. As it turns out, so is everyone else. After choosing which of the three warring factions that you'll be siding with in this sprawling conflict, you'll be launched into battle with a band of goblins, your warriors sprinting across a green, war-torn field, bronze daggers flailing. After witnessing the green, gooey bloodshed as your avatar guts the goblin leader, you realize that this is not standard fantasy fare on Facebook.
Find out more about Age of Champions and our impressions after the break.
Defeating the Orge
If you hadn't noticed by now, this game isn't necessarily for the little ones. There will be blood in Age of Champions, lots of it. Developed by Sacramento, CA-based studio KlickNation, this game's primary focus is on two important things: story and gameplay. Absolutely filled to the brim with quest text designed to give purpose to otherwise mundane tasks, Age of Champions contains a plot that weaves throughout the game's primary mode of spending Energy--a social game staple--quests.
However, Energy is plentiful in Age of Champions' early levels as opposed to other social games. You'll frequently level up through questing, restoring your Energy each time. (However, the game does offer Blue Crystals, a paid currency, to replenish Energy and Stamina.) Quests are completed through the Travel menu, which opens up the game's story in a book-shaped menu, offering the plot in chapters that almost always contain at least one session on the battlefield and one boss monster to defeat. Rewards from quests are normally the standard gold coins, which are used to hire more soldiers and outfit your army with weapons and armor, and experience points. Leveling up also rewards players with points to enhance their primary character's Energy, Attack strength, Stamina (used to battle other players) and Health. While Energy and Stamina will allow you to play the game for longer sessions without having to pay up for more, Attack and Health are extremely important in combat.
Questing Book
Ah, yes, the meat and potatoes of Age of Champions. Combat scenarios are somewhat rare treats, but are most definitely not to be underestimated. These special quests are marked with an icon shaped like a shield adorned with two swords. Clicking on "Go to Battle" will open up the battlefield. While battles play out automatically based on the size of your army compared to the enemy's, it all happens in real time and takes equipment statistics into account as well. It's not until all of your units fall that your main avatar will rush into the fray, duking it out with the opposing commander. In the early stages of the game, your army will almost always be wiped out, but that doesn't mean you lose them forever. However, improving their equipment by buying quantities of armor and weapons that match your squad's numbers will increase their lasting power. There is the option to skip each battle sequence, but why would you want to do that?
While combat and questing are plenty entertaining, Age of Champions does include some fairly deep social elements. Throughout the game, players can attempt to craft items that are more powerful than what can be bought in the store, but some of the ingredients can only be found through Gifting. Thankfully, social interaction goes deeper than that with Raids, or massive enemies that require cooperation from friends to defeat. Furthermore, players can join Guilds, which are groups of friends within the game that can collaborate without the need of being Facebook friends. In other words, you won't find too many request-athons here, but more teamwork through the game's Raid bosses and Battle system.
Raid on the Ice Dragon
With an interesting albeit violent approach to combat, an engaging story for those who take the time to read it and social features similar to other, more current social games like Knights of the Crystals and Legacy of a Thousand Suns, Age of Champions delivers on nearly all fronts aside from a few annoying bugs such as losing access to the top of game screen at times. Just ignore the fact that your avatar will be without pants for quite a while and you should have a grand time.
Zynga's CityVille could overthrow FarmVille tomorrow, reporter claims
CityVile won't stop growing
Remember when we mentioned that CityVille was dangerously close to beating FarmVille as the top Zynga Facebook game? Well, it could happen as early as tomorrow, according to a speculative report by Social Times. If true, this could drastically change the playing field, with FarmVille living in the shadow of a far more current social game with enhanced visuals and more streamlined progression.
Social Times cites AllFacebook's recent findings that CityVille is, as of this writing, sitting at 54.7 million monthly players while FarmVille waits for what seems to be inevitable at 56.6 million. With Zynga's other games below second place trailing behind by as much as 20 and 30 million fewer players (Zynga Poker, FrontierVille and Mafia Wars, respectively), CityVille could be number one for a long time. We'll see if Zynga, and the CityVille team especially, get their early Christmas gift tomorrow.
Remember when we mentioned that CityVille was dangerously close to beating FarmVille as the top Zynga Facebook game? Well, it could happen as early as tomorrow, according to a speculative report by Social Times. If true, this could drastically change the playing field, with FarmVille living in the shadow of a far more current social game with enhanced visuals and more streamlined progression.
Social Times cites AllFacebook's recent findings that CityVille is, as of this writing, sitting at 54.7 million monthly players while FarmVille waits for what seems to be inevitable at 56.6 million. With Zynga's other games below second place trailing behind by as much as 20 and 30 million fewer players (Zynga Poker, FrontierVille and Mafia Wars, respectively), CityVille could be number one for a long time. We'll see if Zynga, and the CityVille team especially, get their early Christmas gift tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Playdom co-founder: Facebook farming games aren't social games
Rick Thompson, co-founder of Disney-owned social game studio Playdom, is not happy with the lot of social games. During an interview with All Things Digital (ATD), Thompson was asked if he finds many Facebook games enjoyable. "I think they are fairly scarce," Thompson told ATD. While he did shout out to games like Kixeye's Backyard Monsters and Gardens of Time by his own former company, Thompson said that the established powers in social games are having a hard time raising the bar.
"I tend to think that those will not be very interesting in another two years, and they aren't social games," Thompson said to ATD, referring specifically to the myriad of Facebook games that insist on farming mechanics. "They are single-player games with the possibility of visiting your friend's aquarium – that's not social." (And you should already know just where Thompson is pointing.)
Despite this, Thompson says that the maturity of Facebook games is leaps and bounds beyond what it was just three years ago, mostly because of how much it costs developers to acquire new users ever since Facebook changed things up. But Thompson--now a social gaming veteran that has invested in companies like Funzio of Crime City fame to Idle Games--still sees companies that focus primarily on increasing players numbers as, well, doing it wrong.
Thompson isn't alone here, either. A number of analysts and designers alike are calling the industry out. Most recently, Eedar analyst Jesse Divnich claimed that we're on the verge of the next generation of social games. Designers like Braid creator Jonathan Blow, however, simply see the current lot of Facebook games as exploitative and not much more. (And we all know how Ian Bogost feels about the games.) Sadly, it likely won't be until arguably forward-thinking games like IdleWorship become as profitable as, say, FarmVille that Facebook games begin to agree with Thompson's sentiments on a wide scale.
"I tend to think that those will not be very interesting in another two years, and they aren't social games," Thompson said to ATD, referring specifically to the myriad of Facebook games that insist on farming mechanics. "They are single-player games with the possibility of visiting your friend's aquarium – that's not social." (And you should already know just where Thompson is pointing.)
Despite this, Thompson says that the maturity of Facebook games is leaps and bounds beyond what it was just three years ago, mostly because of how much it costs developers to acquire new users ever since Facebook changed things up. But Thompson--now a social gaming veteran that has invested in companies like Funzio of Crime City fame to Idle Games--still sees companies that focus primarily on increasing players numbers as, well, doing it wrong.
Thompson isn't alone here, either. A number of analysts and designers alike are calling the industry out. Most recently, Eedar analyst Jesse Divnich claimed that we're on the verge of the next generation of social games. Designers like Braid creator Jonathan Blow, however, simply see the current lot of Facebook games as exploitative and not much more. (And we all know how Ian Bogost feels about the games.) Sadly, it likely won't be until arguably forward-thinking games like IdleWorship become as profitable as, say, FarmVille that Facebook games begin to agree with Thompson's sentiments on a wide scale.
CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls gets Diner Dash-style Facebook game
More and more, TV networks are turning to games to promote new and existing shows. "Smack talk hipsters, serve coffee to loners and rack up tips!" is the hook of a new Facebook game launched by CBS last month to promote their new fall comedy TV series, 2 Broke Girls, about a pair of waitresses at a Brooklyn diner saving up for the chance to run their own cupcake shop someday.
2 Broke Girls diner game
Created by GameSalad (the generous hosts of the political Angry Birds homage, Angry Anna) and CBS Interactive, the 2 Broke Girls game is also available for iOS devices at the App Store as well as GameSalad's website. It's also not the first time a CBS show has made it as a Facebook game. Just last month, a fake collectible card game from CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, got turned into a real collectible card game for Facebook called "Mystic Worlds of Ka'a".
2 Broke Girls menu
2 Broke Girls is a Facebook game very similar in play to Playfirst's phenomenally popular Diner Dash. The latter had made a home for itself on Facebook until poor traffic forced Playfirst to announce its shutdown back in July. Seeing how 2 Broke Girls is definitely more barebones and less Facebook integrated than Diner Dash was, I doubt it'll take off as a game alone. But if the show is good enough, they could always deepen the game's development.
2 Broke Girls diner game
Created by GameSalad (the generous hosts of the political Angry Birds homage, Angry Anna) and CBS Interactive, the 2 Broke Girls game is also available for iOS devices at the App Store as well as GameSalad's website. It's also not the first time a CBS show has made it as a Facebook game. Just last month, a fake collectible card game from CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, got turned into a real collectible card game for Facebook called "Mystic Worlds of Ka'a".
2 Broke Girls menu
2 Broke Girls is a Facebook game very similar in play to Playfirst's phenomenally popular Diner Dash. The latter had made a home for itself on Facebook until poor traffic forced Playfirst to announce its shutdown back in July. Seeing how 2 Broke Girls is definitely more barebones and less Facebook integrated than Diner Dash was, I doubt it'll take off as a game alone. But if the show is good enough, they could always deepen the game's development.
Study: Social games will make $5.6 billion outside Facebook by 2014
Maybe there's a future for social games beyond Facebook, after all. That is, of course, if you ask the right people. A study by SuperData Research and commissioned by Viximo, a leading social games platform, estimates that social games that exist outside of Facebook's grubby paws will reel in a whopping $5.6 billion in revenue by 2014. Non-Facebook social games are expected to reach $3.2 billion in revenue this year alone.
While it's important to keep in mind just who commissioned this study, we should at least consider that social games do exist on other platforms around the globe. In fact, the study reports to have found that Asia is the largest market for social games, and that Facebook accounts for a third of all social network traffic around the world. The SuperData study made these estimations based on 774,158 unique transactions by 152,159 individuals in the six-month period ending on June 1, 2011.
From that, the study found that the largest western nations for social gaming aren't even in North America, but are Russia and Brazil with 35 million and 32.6 million players, respectively. "The social web beyond Facebook is often overlooked when it comes to games and applications," Viximo CEO Dale Strang said in a release. As it turns out, social networks beyond Facebook represent a non-trivial--in fact, significant--and fertile ground for games and apps."
With global competitors like Google+, the Mobage network and whatever in the world Gree is cooking up with OpenFeint, Strang certainly has a point. And let's not forget the number of developers and publisher across the globe that are quickly gaining notoriety like wooga, Nordeus and Spil Games. Facebook, it looks like you're surrounded.
While it's important to keep in mind just who commissioned this study, we should at least consider that social games do exist on other platforms around the globe. In fact, the study reports to have found that Asia is the largest market for social games, and that Facebook accounts for a third of all social network traffic around the world. The SuperData study made these estimations based on 774,158 unique transactions by 152,159 individuals in the six-month period ending on June 1, 2011.
From that, the study found that the largest western nations for social gaming aren't even in North America, but are Russia and Brazil with 35 million and 32.6 million players, respectively. "The social web beyond Facebook is often overlooked when it comes to games and applications," Viximo CEO Dale Strang said in a release. As it turns out, social networks beyond Facebook represent a non-trivial--in fact, significant--and fertile ground for games and apps."
With global competitors like Google+, the Mobage network and whatever in the world Gree is cooking up with OpenFeint, Strang certainly has a point. And let's not forget the number of developers and publisher across the globe that are quickly gaining notoriety like wooga, Nordeus and Spil Games. Facebook, it looks like you're surrounded.
FarmVille Express, Words with Friends et al, to hit Facebook Mobile
Now, why wasn't Gerard Butler hired to make this announcement? It seems as if the first phase of Facebook's Project Spartan is underway, as several HTML5--a relatively new coding language for the web--games and apps were announced on the Facebook Developer's Blog today. Zynga will launch FarmVille Express, Texas HoldEm Poker and Words with Friends to Facebook for mobile browsers tomorrow, but is joined by a number of games by big time developers.
Joining Zynga are Wooga with Magic Land: Island (a mobile extension of its most recent Facebook game), Moblyng with Social Poker Live and Word Racer Live and Storm8 with three releases: World War, iMobsters and Vampires Live. While the three Zynga games will be playable tomorrow, these six games are playable through Facebook on mobile browsers like Safari for iPhone or iPad right now.
We imagine Zynga will formally announce these three HTML5-powered games tomorrow at its Zynga Unleashed news event. Facebook just let one big cat out of the bag, revealing that EA too plans on releasing mobile browser games through the social network. (According to All Things Digital, that will start with an HTML5 version of The Sims Social.) All of these games support Facebook Credits, confirming earlier rumors, as well as all app-related Facebook Social Channels like Bookmarks, Requests and interactive News Feed posts.
Magic Land: Island
This means that users can answer both direct and News Feed requests for their favorite Facebook games through either the mobile web version of Facebook or the native Facebook app for iPhone and iPad (which launched today). Clicking on a Game Request or Bookmark through either form of Facebook will launch the relevant app should it exist and you have it installed.
This is a huge step forward for HTML5-based social games, especially considering Zynga's mobile head recently seemed not-so-bullish on the HTML5 movement in social games. And based on some brief time with Magic Land: Island, I can say that mobile browser-based gaming seems to have come a long way in the blink of an eye. Stay tuned tomorrow for more news from Zynga that will likely revolve around this huge if inadvertent announcement.
Joining Zynga are Wooga with Magic Land: Island (a mobile extension of its most recent Facebook game), Moblyng with Social Poker Live and Word Racer Live and Storm8 with three releases: World War, iMobsters and Vampires Live. While the three Zynga games will be playable tomorrow, these six games are playable through Facebook on mobile browsers like Safari for iPhone or iPad right now.
We imagine Zynga will formally announce these three HTML5-powered games tomorrow at its Zynga Unleashed news event. Facebook just let one big cat out of the bag, revealing that EA too plans on releasing mobile browser games through the social network. (According to All Things Digital, that will start with an HTML5 version of The Sims Social.) All of these games support Facebook Credits, confirming earlier rumors, as well as all app-related Facebook Social Channels like Bookmarks, Requests and interactive News Feed posts.
Magic Land: Island
This means that users can answer both direct and News Feed requests for their favorite Facebook games through either the mobile web version of Facebook or the native Facebook app for iPhone and iPad (which launched today). Clicking on a Game Request or Bookmark through either form of Facebook will launch the relevant app should it exist and you have it installed.
This is a huge step forward for HTML5-based social games, especially considering Zynga's mobile head recently seemed not-so-bullish on the HTML5 movement in social games. And based on some brief time with Magic Land: Island, I can say that mobile browser-based gaming seems to have come a long way in the blink of an eye. Stay tuned tomorrow for more news from Zynga that will likely revolve around this huge if inadvertent announcement.
Top 25 Facebook Games - October 2011: FarmVille falls even further
FarmVille I Quit
Things are just not looking up in the world of digital agriculture. This month, FarmVille gets knocked down yet another spot to fourth place with nearly 35.4 million monthly players, ousted by Zynga's brand new Adventure World. Admittedly, we were afraid of what would happen to the Zynga Boston debut given its terribly slow start, but it has amassed 35.7 million monthly players. (Keep in mind that FarmVille still has more daily players than Adventure World.)
The massive developer's two most popular Facebook games are now CityVille--still at number one with 74.6 million monthly players--and Adventure World in third place. That leaves The Sims Social, arguably the biggest upset in Facebook gaming since, well, Zynga first beat itself at its own game, trailing close behind at number two with 66.5 million monthly players. Many wonder whether EA's wildly successful Facebook game can completely beat Zynga, and at the moment it seems to have peaked, according to AppData.
Top 25 Facebook Games October
Aside from FarmVille seemingly nearing the end of its life on top despite even a new expansion, Lighthouse Cove, it looks like Zynga's most threatening competitors are solidifying their positions. As games like Gaia Online's Monster Galaxy drop over 10 places from the list completely and Cie Games's Car Town are knocked from the list one a few of the little guys remain. Ninja Saga hangs tight on the list, dropping one spot to 23rd place with 5.9 million players, while Social Point makes a major dent in the charts with Social Empires gaining over 2 million players to hit the 18 spot.
Other than Playtika's Slotomania at number 19 and King.com even bumping one spot up to 20th place with Bubble Saga, it's important to notice what's happening here. Aside from a few strong and likely savvy smaller developers, the Top 25 is slowly becoming dominated by the biggest names in social gaming. The giants of Facebook gaming are asserting their supremacy just as they did in the traditional games space, and it's likely only going to get harder for indie creators to find this level of success on Facebook. Hey, there's always Google+ Games, right?
Things are just not looking up in the world of digital agriculture. This month, FarmVille gets knocked down yet another spot to fourth place with nearly 35.4 million monthly players, ousted by Zynga's brand new Adventure World. Admittedly, we were afraid of what would happen to the Zynga Boston debut given its terribly slow start, but it has amassed 35.7 million monthly players. (Keep in mind that FarmVille still has more daily players than Adventure World.)
The massive developer's two most popular Facebook games are now CityVille--still at number one with 74.6 million monthly players--and Adventure World in third place. That leaves The Sims Social, arguably the biggest upset in Facebook gaming since, well, Zynga first beat itself at its own game, trailing close behind at number two with 66.5 million monthly players. Many wonder whether EA's wildly successful Facebook game can completely beat Zynga, and at the moment it seems to have peaked, according to AppData.
Top 25 Facebook Games October
Aside from FarmVille seemingly nearing the end of its life on top despite even a new expansion, Lighthouse Cove, it looks like Zynga's most threatening competitors are solidifying their positions. As games like Gaia Online's Monster Galaxy drop over 10 places from the list completely and Cie Games's Car Town are knocked from the list one a few of the little guys remain. Ninja Saga hangs tight on the list, dropping one spot to 23rd place with 5.9 million players, while Social Point makes a major dent in the charts with Social Empires gaining over 2 million players to hit the 18 spot.
Other than Playtika's Slotomania at number 19 and King.com even bumping one spot up to 20th place with Bubble Saga, it's important to notice what's happening here. Aside from a few strong and likely savvy smaller developers, the Top 25 is slowly becoming dominated by the biggest names in social gaming. The giants of Facebook gaming are asserting their supremacy just as they did in the traditional games space, and it's likely only going to get harder for indie creators to find this level of success on Facebook. Hey, there's always Google+ Games, right?
Sunday, January 8, 2012
First-ever Facebook game soundtrack released
Movie soundtracks have been popular, like, forever, and in the past decade or so -- video game soundtracks have also come into their own --- so much that they've spawned a traveling show called Video Games Live that features nothing but game music played by a live orchestra.
Now Facebook games seem to be getting into the soundtrack business, as Booyah's Nightclub City releases a soundtrack -- called 'Drop the Bass: Original Music from Nightclub City' which features songs gathered from online music community Indaba Music.com. Around 1,000 songs were submitted to be include on the soundtrack (and in the game), and the 10 on the album were the big winners. The album can be purchased for $10 on iTunes and on the Indaba Music web site.
If you're not familiar with Nightclub City on Facebook, this social game lets you try your hand at running your own virtual nightclub. You have to keep patrons happy by keeping the drinks flowing and the party going -- which includes spinning records that features songs from real-life indie artists. (All of the music is of the 'dance' variety, so if you're not down with tunes designed to make you groove, this might not be your thing). The game has about 3.6 million monthly players right now, according to AppData, and has been on a steady decline in the recent months -- will the soundtrack keep players coming back for more? Even if it doesn't, it's still can be seen as a sign that Facebook games are coming into their own. First a soundtrack and then ... Nightclub City: The Movie? OK, maybe not.
Now Facebook games seem to be getting into the soundtrack business, as Booyah's Nightclub City releases a soundtrack -- called 'Drop the Bass: Original Music from Nightclub City' which features songs gathered from online music community Indaba Music.com. Around 1,000 songs were submitted to be include on the soundtrack (and in the game), and the 10 on the album were the big winners. The album can be purchased for $10 on iTunes and on the Indaba Music web site.
If you're not familiar with Nightclub City on Facebook, this social game lets you try your hand at running your own virtual nightclub. You have to keep patrons happy by keeping the drinks flowing and the party going -- which includes spinning records that features songs from real-life indie artists. (All of the music is of the 'dance' variety, so if you're not down with tunes designed to make you groove, this might not be your thing). The game has about 3.6 million monthly players right now, according to AppData, and has been on a steady decline in the recent months -- will the soundtrack keep players coming back for more? Even if it doesn't, it's still can be seen as a sign that Facebook games are coming into their own. First a soundtrack and then ... Nightclub City: The Movie? OK, maybe not.
Facebook games are kind of like pinball machines, game designer says
Are social gamers more like pinball wizards? UK-based Simple Lifeforms CCO Tadhg Kelly makes exactly that in a recent editorial on Inside Social Games. Rather than his previous analogy of Facebook games to slot machines, Kelly believes that the game mechanics and reward systems behind most social games bear striking resemblance to pinball. The game designer goes into detail, explaining his understanding of the systems within both social games and pinball, but the major takeaway is his thoughts on their similarities.
"Playing a game on Facebook is like standing in an amusement arcade," Kelly writes. "Pinball is primarily available at arcades, and each pinball machine has to fight for its right to be seen and heard by being louder, more visual and more immediately fun than its competitors."
He goes on to size up the instant reward systems of both games as short bursts of enjoyment. More importantly, he touches on the fact that both require players to inevitably pay more quarters or virtual cash to play for long periods of time. Bingo. I think this guy might be onto something here. However, Kelly's chief concern is the importance of environment in game design.
Just as there is no room for an absorbing game like The Legend of Zelda at the arcades, the environment of social games restricts their ability to be deep. What social game makers have realized is that Facebook is so loaded with distraction that deep gameplay is almost impossible to achieve. So the game you are playing has to keep things light, fast and fun because the rest of the player's social graph is only a Notification Request away.
Admittedly, I've never thought of it that way. If Kelly is right, then perhaps there is no hope for the up and coming Facebook MMOs, but no one said anything about 3D.
"Playing a game on Facebook is like standing in an amusement arcade," Kelly writes. "Pinball is primarily available at arcades, and each pinball machine has to fight for its right to be seen and heard by being louder, more visual and more immediately fun than its competitors."
He goes on to size up the instant reward systems of both games as short bursts of enjoyment. More importantly, he touches on the fact that both require players to inevitably pay more quarters or virtual cash to play for long periods of time. Bingo. I think this guy might be onto something here. However, Kelly's chief concern is the importance of environment in game design.
Just as there is no room for an absorbing game like The Legend of Zelda at the arcades, the environment of social games restricts their ability to be deep. What social game makers have realized is that Facebook is so loaded with distraction that deep gameplay is almost impossible to achieve. So the game you are playing has to keep things light, fast and fun because the rest of the player's social graph is only a Notification Request away.
Admittedly, I've never thought of it that way. If Kelly is right, then perhaps there is no hope for the up and coming Facebook MMOs, but no one said anything about 3D.
Dragons of Atlantis for Facebook unleashes the Dragons' Attack
Dragons of Atlantis
Alright, so it's not a Kraken, but no one can deny the cool factor of dragons. Kabam, the Redwood City, Calif.-based social game developer behind Kingdoms of Camelot, has released a brand new feature to its most recent game, Dragons of Atlantis. Called "Dragon Attack," this new option allows players to specifically target which of their enemies gets the extra crispy treatment from our favorite fire-breathers.
Dragons of Atlantis embodies Kabam's recent strategic (no pun intended) focus on massively multiplayer strategy games on Facebook. Like its previous games, players in Dragons of Atlantis are given one week in real time to build their kingdoms and their armies for an all out war for control of Atlantis against their fellow players. The linchpin of your defense in the game has always been the dragons, but with the new Dragon Attack, you can take dragons to the enemy before they know what hit them.
"Dragons of Atlantis is a dynamic world where player choice affects how the fight for Atlantis will unfold," said Andrew Sheppard, Kabam CPO. "The game design reflects Kabam's commitment to developing massively multiplayer social games on social networks by combining deep, immersive gameplay with the social connectivity and interaction provided by social platforms."
For the uninitiated, Dragons of Atlantis is surely an impressive feat on Facebook with large-scale battles occurring in real time against other players. But be prepared for a literal week's worth of preparation before you can leap into the fray. If you're already a fan of Dragons of Atlantis, executive producer Nathan Germish hints at city outposts and a new class of dragon that are on the way.
Alright, so it's not a Kraken, but no one can deny the cool factor of dragons. Kabam, the Redwood City, Calif.-based social game developer behind Kingdoms of Camelot, has released a brand new feature to its most recent game, Dragons of Atlantis. Called "Dragon Attack," this new option allows players to specifically target which of their enemies gets the extra crispy treatment from our favorite fire-breathers.
Dragons of Atlantis embodies Kabam's recent strategic (no pun intended) focus on massively multiplayer strategy games on Facebook. Like its previous games, players in Dragons of Atlantis are given one week in real time to build their kingdoms and their armies for an all out war for control of Atlantis against their fellow players. The linchpin of your defense in the game has always been the dragons, but with the new Dragon Attack, you can take dragons to the enemy before they know what hit them.
"Dragons of Atlantis is a dynamic world where player choice affects how the fight for Atlantis will unfold," said Andrew Sheppard, Kabam CPO. "The game design reflects Kabam's commitment to developing massively multiplayer social games on social networks by combining deep, immersive gameplay with the social connectivity and interaction provided by social platforms."
For the uninitiated, Dragons of Atlantis is surely an impressive feat on Facebook with large-scale battles occurring in real time against other players. But be prepared for a literal week's worth of preparation before you can leap into the fray. If you're already a fan of Dragons of Atlantis, executive producer Nathan Germish hints at city outposts and a new class of dragon that are on the way.
Draw My Thing on Facebook: More awesome than Pictionary
draw my thing facebook
Open any game on Facebook and you're sure to see energy bars, neighbors, and free gifts. Whether set in a city, farm, restaurant, or the wild west, most games on Facebook simply fail to stray from the game formula Zynga made so popular. As a result, these similar Facebook games are all starting to feel a little stale. But there are a few games that depart from that model entirely. OMGPOP's Facebook game, Draw My Thing, is one of those incredibly fresh games.
Draw my thing facebookCan you guess what it is?
Draw My Thing
Draw My Thing basically brings Pictionary to Facebook, and it's never been so awesome. At the main menu screen, click Play Now and Draw My Thing will place you into a game. Players take turns drawing pictures, while the others attempt to guess what it is. When it becomes your turn, you will be assigned a word and have one minute to draw using a variety of brush sizes and colors. While you draw, the other players will be trying to figure out what your masterpiece might be, and blurting out their guesses in the chat.
draw my thing facebook
The scoring system is just as simple. The first person to guess correctly is awarded three points and everyone after that one point. The artist of the masterpiece is awarded two points if anyone manages to guess correctly. The winner is the person with the highest score at the end of the round.
draw my thing facebookSadly, no one was able to guess this one...
Fine art abound
In Draw My Thing you'll see words like 'Harry Potter' or 'Lightning', harder words like 'Driving', and tricky words like 'Circle'. Some words may be much harder to draw than others, but one thing holds true every turn: drawing with the computer mouse is not easy. Most of the pictures I've seen are hilariously bad (including my own), and bring to mind something a kindergartner might hang on their fridge. You don't need any drawing skills to play, just a little creativity and some quick thinking. In Draw My Thing, you'll spend hours and hours drawing, guessing, and laughing with your friends at some no-doubt remarkably goofy works of art.
Actually play with your friends
Draw My Thing is one of the few Facebook games that actually allows you play with friends in real time (rather than visit their farms, cities, etc). At the home screen, click Choose Friends to set up a game for you and up to six buddies. To invite your friends, click one of the Invite buttons. Then in Facebook Chat or an Instant Message, paste the automatically copied link. When your friends click the link, they'll appear in your game, ready to draw and let the good times roll.
Fun with no gimmicks
Like other Facebook games, Draw My Thing allows you to buy things with Facebook Credits. However, this game can be fully played without spending a dime. Should you decide to spend some Facebook Credits, there's plenty of neat extras to buy on that can help you step up your game.
draw my thing facebook
New drawing tools can be purchased that extend your drawing time or let you to draw perfect circles. You can buy Word Swaps that allow you to pick a different word at the start of your turn. You can even buy Hints to help you guess correctly. And unlike CityVille, Draw My Thing will never require you to spam your friends to progress in the game (but it will allow you to share your finest works).
draw my thing facebook
Draw your thing
So while you can spend Facebook Credits or play with strangers, that's not what Draw My Thing is all about. Draw My Thing is a social game meant to be enjoyed by you and your friends. And while it does have some issues such as a lack of leaderboards and stats, we can look past that. Most importantly, Draw My Thing reminds us that it is possible to have a blast playing with your friends on Facebook; and no, fertilizing your friends' crops is neither "fun" nor "playing with your friends".
Open any game on Facebook and you're sure to see energy bars, neighbors, and free gifts. Whether set in a city, farm, restaurant, or the wild west, most games on Facebook simply fail to stray from the game formula Zynga made so popular. As a result, these similar Facebook games are all starting to feel a little stale. But there are a few games that depart from that model entirely. OMGPOP's Facebook game, Draw My Thing, is one of those incredibly fresh games.
Draw my thing facebookCan you guess what it is?
Draw My Thing
Draw My Thing basically brings Pictionary to Facebook, and it's never been so awesome. At the main menu screen, click Play Now and Draw My Thing will place you into a game. Players take turns drawing pictures, while the others attempt to guess what it is. When it becomes your turn, you will be assigned a word and have one minute to draw using a variety of brush sizes and colors. While you draw, the other players will be trying to figure out what your masterpiece might be, and blurting out their guesses in the chat.
draw my thing facebook
The scoring system is just as simple. The first person to guess correctly is awarded three points and everyone after that one point. The artist of the masterpiece is awarded two points if anyone manages to guess correctly. The winner is the person with the highest score at the end of the round.
draw my thing facebookSadly, no one was able to guess this one...
Fine art abound
In Draw My Thing you'll see words like 'Harry Potter' or 'Lightning', harder words like 'Driving', and tricky words like 'Circle'. Some words may be much harder to draw than others, but one thing holds true every turn: drawing with the computer mouse is not easy. Most of the pictures I've seen are hilariously bad (including my own), and bring to mind something a kindergartner might hang on their fridge. You don't need any drawing skills to play, just a little creativity and some quick thinking. In Draw My Thing, you'll spend hours and hours drawing, guessing, and laughing with your friends at some no-doubt remarkably goofy works of art.
Actually play with your friends
Draw My Thing is one of the few Facebook games that actually allows you play with friends in real time (rather than visit their farms, cities, etc). At the home screen, click Choose Friends to set up a game for you and up to six buddies. To invite your friends, click one of the Invite buttons. Then in Facebook Chat or an Instant Message, paste the automatically copied link. When your friends click the link, they'll appear in your game, ready to draw and let the good times roll.
Fun with no gimmicks
Like other Facebook games, Draw My Thing allows you to buy things with Facebook Credits. However, this game can be fully played without spending a dime. Should you decide to spend some Facebook Credits, there's plenty of neat extras to buy on that can help you step up your game.
draw my thing facebook
New drawing tools can be purchased that extend your drawing time or let you to draw perfect circles. You can buy Word Swaps that allow you to pick a different word at the start of your turn. You can even buy Hints to help you guess correctly. And unlike CityVille, Draw My Thing will never require you to spam your friends to progress in the game (but it will allow you to share your finest works).
draw my thing facebook
Draw your thing
So while you can spend Facebook Credits or play with strangers, that's not what Draw My Thing is all about. Draw My Thing is a social game meant to be enjoyed by you and your friends. And while it does have some issues such as a lack of leaderboards and stats, we can look past that. Most importantly, Draw My Thing reminds us that it is possible to have a blast playing with your friends on Facebook; and no, fertilizing your friends' crops is neither "fun" nor "playing with your friends".
Friday, January 6, 2012
FarmVille Fairy Tale Decorations: Fairy Shoe House, Troll Bridge, Fairy Gnome & More
As part of tonight's FarmVille update, we didn't only see the release of an entirely new quest set pertaining to the Greenhouse building, but we also saw a new set of Fairy Tale decorations being added to the store. These items will, of course, only be available for a limited time, and come in the form of one new building item, along with four new decorations.
The new building is the Fairy Shoe House (think the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe nursery rhyme). It is available for 12 Farm Cash, which seems like a fairly decent price, considering the tall size and intricate design of the item (it is around three times as tall as your in-game avatar, and is accompanied by lovely flower beds and barrels). You'll gain 1200 experience points for purchasing the Fairy Shoe House, so keep this as an option if you're looking for a way to quickly boost your level in the game.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the rest of the decorative items released this evening. If the Fairy Shoe House doesn't do it for you, perhaps one of these four new decorations will. Two of them, luckily enough, are available for coins, while the other two are premium, Farm Cash, items. The two Farm Cash items are the Magic Waterfall and the Fairy Gnome. The Fairy Gnome is a stationary item, dressed as a fairy with a green leaf dress and large purple wings, and it is priced at 18 Farm Cash. Unfortunately, being a gnome collector in FarmVille continues to be an expensive hobby. The Magic Waterfall, meanwhile, also costs 18 Farm Cash, and is also not animated (an interesting choice - we assumed that running water would be a given, but that currently isn't the case). This seems to have been a short error in the game, as the fountain does now animate.
The other two items are the Mushroom Knoll, and the Troll Bridge. The Troll Bridge is the more expensive of the two items, and by a long shot too, costing 200,000 coins. The Mushroom Knoll, then, can be purchased for just a tenth of that price, at 20,000 coins. You'll gain 2,000 experience points for splurging on the Troll Bridge, while the Mushroom Knoll rewards you with just 200 points.
All of these items, whether building or purely decorative, will be available in the game for the next two weeks. With this theme becoming a fairly large one in the game, it leaves us to wonder - will more items be released in the Fairy Tale theme in the future, or have we finally reached this end of this imaginative new theme?
The new building is the Fairy Shoe House (think the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe nursery rhyme). It is available for 12 Farm Cash, which seems like a fairly decent price, considering the tall size and intricate design of the item (it is around three times as tall as your in-game avatar, and is accompanied by lovely flower beds and barrels). You'll gain 1200 experience points for purchasing the Fairy Shoe House, so keep this as an option if you're looking for a way to quickly boost your level in the game.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the rest of the decorative items released this evening. If the Fairy Shoe House doesn't do it for you, perhaps one of these four new decorations will. Two of them, luckily enough, are available for coins, while the other two are premium, Farm Cash, items. The two Farm Cash items are the Magic Waterfall and the Fairy Gnome. The Fairy Gnome is a stationary item, dressed as a fairy with a green leaf dress and large purple wings, and it is priced at 18 Farm Cash. Unfortunately, being a gnome collector in FarmVille continues to be an expensive hobby. The Magic Waterfall, meanwhile, also costs 18 Farm Cash, and is also not animated (an interesting choice - we assumed that running water would be a given, but that currently isn't the case). This seems to have been a short error in the game, as the fountain does now animate.
The other two items are the Mushroom Knoll, and the Troll Bridge. The Troll Bridge is the more expensive of the two items, and by a long shot too, costing 200,000 coins. The Mushroom Knoll, then, can be purchased for just a tenth of that price, at 20,000 coins. You'll gain 2,000 experience points for splurging on the Troll Bridge, while the Mushroom Knoll rewards you with just 200 points.
All of these items, whether building or purely decorative, will be available in the game for the next two weeks. With this theme becoming a fairly large one in the game, it leaves us to wonder - will more items be released in the Fairy Tale theme in the future, or have we finally reached this end of this imaginative new theme?
FarmVille Fairy Tale Animals: Princess Duck & Pegasus
After a long wait by many farmers, the mythical Pegasus creature is now available in FarmVille. So too has another animal been released this evening in the form of a Princess Duck, both of which are part of the current Fairy Tale limited edition theme of items.
As for the Pegasus, this item has been floating around for some time. It was thought that it would be released way back when the Agricultural Alchemy theme was launched back in late November / early December, but it has remained in hiding until now. Unfortunately, with all of the hype associated with the animal, it comes with a high price tag - 35 Farm Cash. For that price, you'll receive the winged horse which comes with the same stats as a regular horse - it can be harvested from once every three days. You'll receive 3500 experience points for purchasing it.
Meanwhile, if you'd like to have an animal on your farm that can match your in-game avatar, the Princess Duck might be the choice for you, as she is wearing what looks to be an identical outfit to that of the Princess outfit you can currently buy for your avatar. The Princess Duck is much cheaper than the Pegasus, at 16 Farm Cash. Still, that's a fairly high price, so make sure you like the looks of this animal before you invest in it. Once purchased, you'll be able to harvest the Princess Duck once every two days. You'll gain 1600 experience points for purchasing it.
Both of these limited edition animals will be available in the game for the next two weeks.
Have you been patiently waiting for Pegasus to finally fly into FarmVille? What do you think of its price now that it's finally available?
As for the Pegasus, this item has been floating around for some time. It was thought that it would be released way back when the Agricultural Alchemy theme was launched back in late November / early December, but it has remained in hiding until now. Unfortunately, with all of the hype associated with the animal, it comes with a high price tag - 35 Farm Cash. For that price, you'll receive the winged horse which comes with the same stats as a regular horse - it can be harvested from once every three days. You'll receive 3500 experience points for purchasing it.
Meanwhile, if you'd like to have an animal on your farm that can match your in-game avatar, the Princess Duck might be the choice for you, as she is wearing what looks to be an identical outfit to that of the Princess outfit you can currently buy for your avatar. The Princess Duck is much cheaper than the Pegasus, at 16 Farm Cash. Still, that's a fairly high price, so make sure you like the looks of this animal before you invest in it. Once purchased, you'll be able to harvest the Princess Duck once every two days. You'll gain 1600 experience points for purchasing it.
Both of these limited edition animals will be available in the game for the next two weeks.
Have you been patiently waiting for Pegasus to finally fly into FarmVille? What do you think of its price now that it's finally available?
FarmVille's AVG promotion gives out Biplane and Instant Grow
Tonight a brand new promotion appeared in our FarmVille farms with a popup telling us to purchase AVG PC Tuneup in exchange for an in-game reward within FarmVille. If you purchase the software for $9.99 (normally $29.99) you not only get a faster PC but you also get a free branded AVG biplane. This biplane looks different than the Biplane already in the game, and comes with three free applications of Instant Grow.
Biplanes typically cost 30,000 coins and help you instant grow all of your crops. Instant Grow costs Farm Cash though, so just owning a biplane isn't enough to really utilize its benefits. The new AVG biplane acts the same as the old one, except it has the AVG logo and colors on it.
You can find out more information on the promotion page here. The offer is good until March 2nd at 11:59pm EST.
Biplanes typically cost 30,000 coins and help you instant grow all of your crops. Instant Grow costs Farm Cash though, so just owning a biplane isn't enough to really utilize its benefits. The new AVG biplane acts the same as the old one, except it has the AVG logo and colors on it.
You can find out more information on the promotion page here. The offer is good until March 2nd at 11:59pm EST.
Totally sweet! More awesome FarmVille cakes
Not everyone is baking inclined -- I know I could never make anything recognizable out of frosting, chocolate and sprinkles. But these talented FarmVille players sure know how to show their farm spirit using sugar. FarmVille has announced the the 15 winners of the Valentine's Day dessert contest on the official forums, and there are some truly talented FarmVille bakers out there.
Gallery: FarmVille Valentine's Day Desserts
sam boxall
The entries were judged in three categories, cakes, cookies, and original desserts. There were so many amazing entries that I could probably drool over them all day. The winners received an awesome prize for their efforts: 1,000 Farm Cash and 1,000,000 coins. They deserve every bit of that prize.
To check out the full list of winners with all the pictures of their fantastic edible FarmVille creations, be sure to check out the thread. We just can't get away from Valentine's Day.
Gallery: FarmVille Valentine's Day Desserts
sam boxall
The entries were judged in three categories, cakes, cookies, and original desserts. There were so many amazing entries that I could probably drool over them all day. The winners received an awesome prize for their efforts: 1,000 Farm Cash and 1,000,000 coins. They deserve every bit of that prize.
To check out the full list of winners with all the pictures of their fantastic edible FarmVille creations, be sure to check out the thread. We just can't get away from Valentine's Day.
Game of the Day: Hidden Expedition: Titanic
The Game of the Day is hidden object game classic. Hidden Expedition: Titanic: On April 14, 1912, the great steamship RMS Titanic struck an iceberg and within hours, sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. As part of the Hidden Expedition Adventure League, it is your job to explore the wreckage of this once-majestic ship and collect antique artifacts for the Titanic Museum.
Click --> Play Hidden Expedition: Titanic
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 Hidden Expedition: Titanic
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.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Woof! Zynga teases FrontierVille Dog House feature
Unfortunately, we doubt this dog will be much of a drinker. Zynga posted this message today on its FrontierVille Facebook page: "Woof! Looks like a new friend is moving in. Stay tuned." Well, I guess the cat--er, dog is out of the bag. (They've never been too great in the hint department.) It's unknown when this feature will be released nor do we know how a dog will fit into the grand scheme of things on the homestead.
But we do know that it will more than likely be awesome. How could it not? It fills the void every new set of parents feel: The need to care for a creature that doesn't talk back. Though, house training isn't exactly fun the second, third or fourth time around. Things are about to get hairy on the homestead, so stay tuned.
What do you think this new addition to your family will be like? Are you excited for yet another family member?
But we do know that it will more than likely be awesome. How could it not? It fills the void every new set of parents feel: The need to care for a creature that doesn't talk back. Though, house training isn't exactly fun the second, third or fourth time around. Things are about to get hairy on the homestead, so stay tuned.
What do you think this new addition to your family will be like? Are you excited for yet another family member?
Microsoft video: Social is the future of Windows, Xbox, mobile gaming
As if the folks in Redmond, Wash. had a choice. This leaked internal Microsoft video reveals the company's vision for the future of gaming on its Xbox, Windows and mobile platforms. Two words pretty much sum up the gist of it: social gaming. As we all know, this emergent genre has spun the entire industry on its head. That said, it's time that not only traditional game designers adapt, but hardware and interface designers as well. In Microsoft's perfect world, social games and sharing features will be built-in across its platforms--either in this generation or the next--Minority Report-style. Jokes aside, expect lots more Kinect and touch integration in the future, not to mention a huge push toward social gaming (and virtual goods) from Microsoft all around. Let's just hope Microsoft's aspirations don't wholly involve FarmVille--guy's gotta' have his Halo.
[Via Uber Gizmo]
[Source: ZDNet]
Is this the type of future you had envisioned for Xbox or console gaming in general? What do you think is missing or needs work in Microsoft's vision for the future?
[Via Uber Gizmo]
[Source: ZDNet]
Is this the type of future you had envisioned for Xbox or console gaming in general? What do you think is missing or needs work in Microsoft's vision for the future?
Quote of the Moment: '[Xbox Live's] too small a demographic' for Zynga
Brian Reynolds of Zynga
"[Xbox Live's] too small a demographic. Think about, of my friends, how many of them own an Xbox 360? Well, I'm a game developer and I even come from a triple-A space so we might even be in the double digits... Twenty or maybe even thirty percent of my friends might have an Xbox 360, but effectively 100 percent of them have Facebook and effectively 100 percent of them have a mobile phone. Of them, probably 90 percent have a smartphone."
Brian Reynolds, chief game designer at Zynga, said this to Industrygamers.com in a recent interview. He's referring to what might be the next move for the omnipotent social game developer. While all signs point to mobile, it's not silly to assume that Microsoft's Xbox Live could be next with its over 30 million players. As it turns out, 30 million just doesn't stack up to Facebook's over 500 million, that of which half is said to play social games. A game like CityVille on Xbox would grab probably over a few million players, but that's small potatoes compared to the 90 million that already play on Facebook. Reynolds continued, explaining that mobile is next, because while plenty of his friends have Xbox 360s, the average social gamer doesn't have as many friends with the console. On the other hand, Reynolds said that at least 90 percent of his friends likely have a smartphone. You do the math. (Sorry, Microsoft.)
[Image Credit: The Baltimore Sun]
What do you think of Zynga's dismissal of Xbox 360? Is the company making a mistake in leaving it out or is the company right on track?
"[Xbox Live's] too small a demographic. Think about, of my friends, how many of them own an Xbox 360? Well, I'm a game developer and I even come from a triple-A space so we might even be in the double digits... Twenty or maybe even thirty percent of my friends might have an Xbox 360, but effectively 100 percent of them have Facebook and effectively 100 percent of them have a mobile phone. Of them, probably 90 percent have a smartphone."
Brian Reynolds, chief game designer at Zynga, said this to Industrygamers.com in a recent interview. He's referring to what might be the next move for the omnipotent social game developer. While all signs point to mobile, it's not silly to assume that Microsoft's Xbox Live could be next with its over 30 million players. As it turns out, 30 million just doesn't stack up to Facebook's over 500 million, that of which half is said to play social games. A game like CityVille on Xbox would grab probably over a few million players, but that's small potatoes compared to the 90 million that already play on Facebook. Reynolds continued, explaining that mobile is next, because while plenty of his friends have Xbox 360s, the average social gamer doesn't have as many friends with the console. On the other hand, Reynolds said that at least 90 percent of his friends likely have a smartphone. You do the math. (Sorry, Microsoft.)
[Image Credit: The Baltimore Sun]
What do you think of Zynga's dismissal of Xbox 360? Is the company making a mistake in leaving it out or is the company right on track?
Earn 3 free FarmVille Farm Cash in The Killing promotion
It's been quite a while since we've seen a FarmVille Sponsored Link, but leave it to our friends at FarmVille Freak to dig up (Get it? Maybe that's too far...) the next one. This promotion for AMC's next series, The Killing, may not have made it to every farmer's game page yet (it's not on mine as of this writing), but it should show up any day now. Like all Sponsored Links, it will appear underneath your game screen and read, "Watch a preview for The Killing, AMC's spellbinding new crime drama."
Click on the link and the usual pop-up will appear, wrapped in the signature FarmVille wooden border. There's no game to this promotion, just watch the show's trailer and answer a simple multiple choice question. Then, you should see a message in the upper right side of the window that reads something to the effect of "You've earned your Farm Cash." When you see this, it's time to split and give it about 30 minutes to an hour before the Farm Cash posts to your account.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen or completed this FarmVille Sponsored Link yet? What might you be saving your Farm Cash for?
Click on the link and the usual pop-up will appear, wrapped in the signature FarmVille wooden border. There's no game to this promotion, just watch the show's trailer and answer a simple multiple choice question. Then, you should see a message in the upper right side of the window that reads something to the effect of "You've earned your Farm Cash." When you see this, it's time to split and give it about 30 minutes to an hour before the Farm Cash posts to your account.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen or completed this FarmVille Sponsored Link yet? What might you be saving your Farm Cash for?
FarmVille English Countryside prep: Hit level 20 fast using these nifty tips
In order to play the much-anticipated FarmVille English Countryside expansion (said to arrive sometime this week), you'll need to be at level 20 before you'll be able to gain access. While this won't be a problem for long-time players, newbies or a more sporadic farmer might need to do some quick leveling up in order to gain access to England as soon as its available. If you find yourself in this situation, Games.com - The Blog! offers these tips to ensure an expedited trip to your new farm across the pond.
farmvile strawberries
Plant Strawberries and/or Aloe Vera crops
Strawberries take four hours to mature and you will gain 1 XP every time they are harvested. Since you can plant and harvest strawberries up to six times in a 24-hour period (OK, you might lose a little sleep if you plant that often), you can rack up a bunch of XP points with these crops.
The same plant-and-harvest-more-often technique also works with Aloe Vera crops, which take six hours to mature.
farmville haybales level up guide
Buy Hay Bales
If you've ever wanted to create your own farm art using hay bales, this is the time to do it. Each hay bale you buy earns you 5 XP, so if you buy a bunch of them, you can gain XP like it's going out of style. Granted, this power leveling method can cost a lot of coin. If it's any consolation, you can sell the hay bales back for a fraction of the price you paid for them.
farmville collections trade in to level up fast
Trade in Collections
It took me a long time to really understand the value of Collections. I'd collect stuff and forget to trade it in. Then, I realized that, that was a mistake. Trade in the Country Kitsch, Feather or any of the other permanent in-game collections, and you'll score 250 XP (and 5,000 coins) a pop. Not bad, especially when feel the need, the need for speedy XP.
farmville ribbons level up fast
Focus on Easy Ribbon Achievements
FarmVille gives players ribbons as achievements and once you earn them, you'll also rewarded with a bundle of XP. Some of the easier ribbons to earn are Not Spoiled, Gifted!, which is earned by collecting gifts from friends (tho you'll need to hoard them until you earn the ribbons) and Local Celebrity, which simply requires you to have a certain number of friends.
Plow a field, plant a cheap crop that yields the most XP (like Soybeans), then delete. Do it over again.
This leveling up technique, often called the Soybean Method, is a little underhanded and sneaky and requires you to have lots of coins to burn. But, if you're desperate to gain XP quickly, it works.
farmville friends level up guide
Get more FarmVille friends ASAP
The more FarmVille friends you have, the more farms you'll be able to visit and the more XP you'll be able to earn.
Each farm you visit can give you up to 5 XP -- so the more friends you have, well, you can do the math.
farmville expansions- level up fast guide
Expand!
That's right -- if you've got the coins, make sure you expand your farm ASAP. These upgrades will give you more room for crops and every expansion you buy will also yield a certain number of experience points. On that note:
Store Buildings and Decorations, and use extra space for crops
Crops yield XP, decor and many buildings* don't. (*The Greenhouse is an exception -- see the last leveling tip below)
Build the Greenhouse, like, right now
If you've been putting off building the Greenhouse -- don't. It costs five coins to buy the frame and then needs a total of 12 building supplies (four of each: nails, boards, bricks) to get started creating hybrid crops. Why are hybrid crops so great? Two of them in particular -- the Strasberry (a cross between a strawberry and rasberry) and the Purple Tomatoes take a mere 2 hours to grow and yield double the XP of a regular crop.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Got any other killer tips on how to level up fast in FarmVille?
farmvile strawberries
Plant Strawberries and/or Aloe Vera crops
Strawberries take four hours to mature and you will gain 1 XP every time they are harvested. Since you can plant and harvest strawberries up to six times in a 24-hour period (OK, you might lose a little sleep if you plant that often), you can rack up a bunch of XP points with these crops.
The same plant-and-harvest-more-often technique also works with Aloe Vera crops, which take six hours to mature.
farmville haybales level up guide
Buy Hay Bales
If you've ever wanted to create your own farm art using hay bales, this is the time to do it. Each hay bale you buy earns you 5 XP, so if you buy a bunch of them, you can gain XP like it's going out of style. Granted, this power leveling method can cost a lot of coin. If it's any consolation, you can sell the hay bales back for a fraction of the price you paid for them.
farmville collections trade in to level up fast
Trade in Collections
It took me a long time to really understand the value of Collections. I'd collect stuff and forget to trade it in. Then, I realized that, that was a mistake. Trade in the Country Kitsch, Feather or any of the other permanent in-game collections, and you'll score 250 XP (and 5,000 coins) a pop. Not bad, especially when feel the need, the need for speedy XP.
farmville ribbons level up fast
Focus on Easy Ribbon Achievements
FarmVille gives players ribbons as achievements and once you earn them, you'll also rewarded with a bundle of XP. Some of the easier ribbons to earn are Not Spoiled, Gifted!, which is earned by collecting gifts from friends (tho you'll need to hoard them until you earn the ribbons) and Local Celebrity, which simply requires you to have a certain number of friends.
Plow a field, plant a cheap crop that yields the most XP (like Soybeans), then delete. Do it over again.
This leveling up technique, often called the Soybean Method, is a little underhanded and sneaky and requires you to have lots of coins to burn. But, if you're desperate to gain XP quickly, it works.
farmville friends level up guide
Get more FarmVille friends ASAP
The more FarmVille friends you have, the more farms you'll be able to visit and the more XP you'll be able to earn.
Each farm you visit can give you up to 5 XP -- so the more friends you have, well, you can do the math.
farmville expansions- level up fast guide
Expand!
That's right -- if you've got the coins, make sure you expand your farm ASAP. These upgrades will give you more room for crops and every expansion you buy will also yield a certain number of experience points. On that note:
Store Buildings and Decorations, and use extra space for crops
Crops yield XP, decor and many buildings* don't. (*The Greenhouse is an exception -- see the last leveling tip below)
Build the Greenhouse, like, right now
If you've been putting off building the Greenhouse -- don't. It costs five coins to buy the frame and then needs a total of 12 building supplies (four of each: nails, boards, bricks) to get started creating hybrid crops. Why are hybrid crops so great? Two of them in particular -- the Strasberry (a cross between a strawberry and rasberry) and the Purple Tomatoes take a mere 2 hours to grow and yield double the XP of a regular crop.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Got any other killer tips on how to level up fast in FarmVille?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
FarmVille English Countryside: Pause feature, be gone!
And so it was written: The Pause feature was banished from the lands of FarmVille after the English onslaught, never to wreak havoc on digital farms again. The virtual farmers rejoiced, but quickly realized how little time they had to manage two massive farms at once and cried out in favor of the Pause once more. Alright, so that second sentence was a prediction--sue me. Zynga has officially made the Pause between both farms optional. Of course, this is a slow roll out, so stay tuned if you've yet to receive the feature.
FarmVille travel options
When traveling between farms, you will be greeted with the warning that the farm you're currently leaving will freeze in time. However, a button reading "Change Options" has appeared within the window. Click on it to open the above window, which allows players to make it so both farms run simultaneously. There, you babies, you got your wish. Are you happy now? (I kid, please don't leave me.)
However, it begs the question. Will players really enjoy managing two properties at once on two separate timers? Or will they simply abandon English Countryside altogether now that the Sheep Pen is coming to home farms (surely the Pub is to follow)? It will be interesting to see how vacant English farms become in the coming months.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen this new option appear in your game yet? Now that the Pause has been relinquished, where will you spend most of your time farming?
FarmVille travel options
When traveling between farms, you will be greeted with the warning that the farm you're currently leaving will freeze in time. However, a button reading "Change Options" has appeared within the window. Click on it to open the above window, which allows players to make it so both farms run simultaneously. There, you babies, you got your wish. Are you happy now? (I kid, please don't leave me.)
However, it begs the question. Will players really enjoy managing two properties at once on two separate timers? Or will they simply abandon English Countryside altogether now that the Sheep Pen is coming to home farms (surely the Pub is to follow)? It will be interesting to see how vacant English farms become in the coming months.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen this new option appear in your game yet? Now that the Pause has been relinquished, where will you spend most of your time farming?
FrontierVille Canning Master Missions arrive, players predictably displeased
We brought you a sneak peek of FrontierVille's new set of Canning Master Missions back on April Fools' Day, and while the arguably ridiculous Food requirements (the missions will take a total of 170,000 Food from your account) might have seemed like a clever prank to celebrate the day, they are actually anything but, as they have started rolling out to users as any other set of missions would.
The high Food requirements haven't been lost on players, who immediately took to the game's official forums, already spawning a 26 page thread of users (and growing) that are mostly disappointed in the fact that these missions consume so much of your Food. While there are the heavy-hitting players that look at these missions as a challenge, most are like user "grobanite33," who says the following:
"I would perfectly fine with this if the food weren't going to be consumed. I've been playing since the beginning, seldom buy meals, and still only have about 45,000 food. I can't imagine losing all that and having to build it up from scratch for quest after quest."
Of course, these missions are entirely voluntary, and if you never choose to complete them, you'll never lose that much Food. Still, some users simply hate having an option mission on their account, and are taking even greater offense to their existence - so much so that Zynga has had to purge the thread of many, more than hateful comments.
Ultimately, we can see why Zynga released these missions (not that it necessarily makes it right, mind you). Users such as myself, who collect their free Daily Bonus email offering a free meal, those who collect all of the bonuses they can posted by friends, and those who only spend energy when it's really necessary can easily have 50-60k of Food sitting around in reserves. This has likely caused an "imbalance" in Zynga's eyes, and they want to literally force users down into a more manageable Food level.
Sure, there are those that claim that this is all part of a sinister plan on the part of Zynga to force users to pay Horseshoes for Energy since they won't have Food on hand to buy meals, but while we can't really prove that theory wrong, we'd hope it doesn't come down to something so evil.
Whether you take these missions as a challenge, or as a slap in the face to all of the hard work you've had building up your Food supplies, we want to know about it. Will you complete these missions, or will you ignore them entirely, in favor of keeping your Food for other tasks?
The high Food requirements haven't been lost on players, who immediately took to the game's official forums, already spawning a 26 page thread of users (and growing) that are mostly disappointed in the fact that these missions consume so much of your Food. While there are the heavy-hitting players that look at these missions as a challenge, most are like user "grobanite33," who says the following:
"I would perfectly fine with this if the food weren't going to be consumed. I've been playing since the beginning, seldom buy meals, and still only have about 45,000 food. I can't imagine losing all that and having to build it up from scratch for quest after quest."
Of course, these missions are entirely voluntary, and if you never choose to complete them, you'll never lose that much Food. Still, some users simply hate having an option mission on their account, and are taking even greater offense to their existence - so much so that Zynga has had to purge the thread of many, more than hateful comments.
Ultimately, we can see why Zynga released these missions (not that it necessarily makes it right, mind you). Users such as myself, who collect their free Daily Bonus email offering a free meal, those who collect all of the bonuses they can posted by friends, and those who only spend energy when it's really necessary can easily have 50-60k of Food sitting around in reserves. This has likely caused an "imbalance" in Zynga's eyes, and they want to literally force users down into a more manageable Food level.
Sure, there are those that claim that this is all part of a sinister plan on the part of Zynga to force users to pay Horseshoes for Energy since they won't have Food on hand to buy meals, but while we can't really prove that theory wrong, we'd hope it doesn't come down to something so evil.
Whether you take these missions as a challenge, or as a slap in the face to all of the hard work you've had building up your Food supplies, we want to know about it. Will you complete these missions, or will you ignore them entirely, in favor of keeping your Food for other tasks?
FrontierVille Tips & Tricks: How NOT to complete the Canning Master Goals
Did you take one look at the Canning Master goals in FrontierVille, which (when all is said and done) require you to give away 170,000 Food and scoff at the requirements? Are you okay with leaving a mission set uncompleted on your land, just so you can keep your Food? Do you fear that you might accidentally complete these goals without really trying, only to suddenly lose all of your hard-earned Food?
If you answered yes to any of those questions (don't worry - you're not alone), we're here with a couple of tips that will allow you to stay as far away from the Canning Master goals as humanly possible, keeping all of your Food nice and safe in your game. The above image shows you a screenshot of what the first goal in the Canning Master series looks like. If you're like many farmers, you'll likely see the same two requirements (Butter and Food) automatically completed for you, due to your reserves. The easiest way to not complete this mission (and save the 5,000 Food, and beyond), then, is to simply never plant Tomatoes... ever again.
Of course, this isn't very reasonable, as we'll surely be given another goal at some point in the future that has us harvesting Tomatoes (that is, a goal that we don't mind completing), so meet us behind the break for other ways to save your Food.
The key to success here ultimately lies with the Butter. Even if you have the maximum allowed 99 Butter on your account, you can easily get rid of them by either simply turning into the collection (rewarding you with 25 more Food each time), or by sending the excess Butter to friends. As you can see from my picture, I'll only be able to turn in the collection nine times, due to my limited supply of Swiss Cheese, and I'll need to give the rest away.
This is done by opening up the Collections menu, and then scrolling to the Cow Collection. See the red and yellow gift box? Simply click on that button, and you'll be able to send your full supply of Butters to your friends, or even split them between multiple friends.
While you can send them to anyone, your best bet is to send them to players that are no longer playing the game, as you won't accidentally complete this mission for someone else who has also thrown away all of their Butters as well!
As Butter is a collection item, it's nigh impossible that you'll never have another Butter randomly spawn on your account, nor is it impossible that Zynga releases another quest requiring Butters to complete. The situation then becomes a bit more complicated, but still manageable. For the time being, every time you see a Butter appear, simply follow the same procedure - giving it to a friend that you know won't mind receiving it. If another Butter-requiring mission shows up, that requires three or more Butters, your best bet would likely be to earn up two Butters as normal, and pay the lessened Horseshoe requirement to complete just that task, without completing the Canning Master goal.
Yes, the latter situation will eventually (presumably) force you into paying some Horseshoes, but isn't losing a few Horseshoes in a single transaction worth keeping 170,000 Food, which would take you weeks or even months to earn back if you completed the Canning Master goals as normal?
These steps are of course entirely voluntary, and if you'd like to take on the challenge of the Canning Master goals, you're more than welcome to do so. For those users like myself, however, that feel that keeping our Food is worth having a forever-outstanding goal series on our accounts, these are a few tricks and tips to keep in mind that will help you do just that.
What do you think of the Canning Master goals? Will you follow these tips to save your Food, or will you hurry and complete the goals as fast as you can just to have them out of the way?
If you answered yes to any of those questions (don't worry - you're not alone), we're here with a couple of tips that will allow you to stay as far away from the Canning Master goals as humanly possible, keeping all of your Food nice and safe in your game. The above image shows you a screenshot of what the first goal in the Canning Master series looks like. If you're like many farmers, you'll likely see the same two requirements (Butter and Food) automatically completed for you, due to your reserves. The easiest way to not complete this mission (and save the 5,000 Food, and beyond), then, is to simply never plant Tomatoes... ever again.
Of course, this isn't very reasonable, as we'll surely be given another goal at some point in the future that has us harvesting Tomatoes (that is, a goal that we don't mind completing), so meet us behind the break for other ways to save your Food.
The key to success here ultimately lies with the Butter. Even if you have the maximum allowed 99 Butter on your account, you can easily get rid of them by either simply turning into the collection (rewarding you with 25 more Food each time), or by sending the excess Butter to friends. As you can see from my picture, I'll only be able to turn in the collection nine times, due to my limited supply of Swiss Cheese, and I'll need to give the rest away.
This is done by opening up the Collections menu, and then scrolling to the Cow Collection. See the red and yellow gift box? Simply click on that button, and you'll be able to send your full supply of Butters to your friends, or even split them between multiple friends.
While you can send them to anyone, your best bet is to send them to players that are no longer playing the game, as you won't accidentally complete this mission for someone else who has also thrown away all of their Butters as well!
As Butter is a collection item, it's nigh impossible that you'll never have another Butter randomly spawn on your account, nor is it impossible that Zynga releases another quest requiring Butters to complete. The situation then becomes a bit more complicated, but still manageable. For the time being, every time you see a Butter appear, simply follow the same procedure - giving it to a friend that you know won't mind receiving it. If another Butter-requiring mission shows up, that requires three or more Butters, your best bet would likely be to earn up two Butters as normal, and pay the lessened Horseshoe requirement to complete just that task, without completing the Canning Master goal.
Yes, the latter situation will eventually (presumably) force you into paying some Horseshoes, but isn't losing a few Horseshoes in a single transaction worth keeping 170,000 Food, which would take you weeks or even months to earn back if you completed the Canning Master goals as normal?
These steps are of course entirely voluntary, and if you'd like to take on the challenge of the Canning Master goals, you're more than welcome to do so. For those users like myself, however, that feel that keeping our Food is worth having a forever-outstanding goal series on our accounts, these are a few tricks and tips to keep in mind that will help you do just that.
What do you think of the Canning Master goals? Will you follow these tips to save your Food, or will you hurry and complete the goals as fast as you can just to have them out of the way?
FarmVille Bug Report: Mystery Game giving out wrong animals
This week's Mystery Game in FarmVille was released under the assumption that you'll receive one of six Blue and Red animals in this week's current theme. However, some users are finding a very different situation when they actually play the game.
If you have a free Mystery Game Dart in your inventory, say from redeeming a Zynga Gift Card or simply purchasing Farm Cash, you might want to hold onto it, as these Darts, when thrown, are giving away Wild West animals, rather than the expected Red and Blue animals.
Zynga has acknowledged the error on the game's official forums, and the issue is "under investigation." They haven't said what will happen to those users who were unfortunate enough to receive a wrong animal, or if their Mystery Game Darts will be "refunded," but we'd suggest filing a report with Zynga's support site if you'd like to know more. All told, unless you'd like a free Wild West animal, your best bet is to hang onto any free Darts in your Gift Box until the issue has been fully resolved.
Did you play this week's Mystery Game only to receive the wrong kind of animal?
If you have a free Mystery Game Dart in your inventory, say from redeeming a Zynga Gift Card or simply purchasing Farm Cash, you might want to hold onto it, as these Darts, when thrown, are giving away Wild West animals, rather than the expected Red and Blue animals.
Zynga has acknowledged the error on the game's official forums, and the issue is "under investigation." They haven't said what will happen to those users who were unfortunate enough to receive a wrong animal, or if their Mystery Game Darts will be "refunded," but we'd suggest filing a report with Zynga's support site if you'd like to know more. All told, unless you'd like a free Wild West animal, your best bet is to hang onto any free Darts in your Gift Box until the issue has been fully resolved.
Did you play this week's Mystery Game only to receive the wrong kind of animal?
FarmVille Model Farm updated with English Countryside items
If you're one that still visits the FarmVille Model Farm on a daily basis for the free prize you'll receive by doing so, you'll be in for a change today, as Zynga has updated the farm with a new English Countryside theme.
While, as usual, this update seems to bring only previously released items to the Model Farm, it does give you a better look at what these decorations look like full-size, with all of their animations active (if applicable). It can also be used as a nice template for which to decorate your own farm in the same theme, or just as it was intended - as a quick and easy way to purchase these items by simply clicking on them.
We were really hoping that with the release of the Model Farm, we'd have a chance to see sneak peeks of tons of unreleased items, but that's yet to really happy thus far. We'll keep an eye on things, and we'll let you know if things change.
Have you ever purchased anything from the Model Farm, or do you simply ignore it's even there?
While, as usual, this update seems to bring only previously released items to the Model Farm, it does give you a better look at what these decorations look like full-size, with all of their animations active (if applicable). It can also be used as a nice template for which to decorate your own farm in the same theme, or just as it was intended - as a quick and easy way to purchase these items by simply clicking on them.
We were really hoping that with the release of the Model Farm, we'd have a chance to see sneak peeks of tons of unreleased items, but that's yet to really happy thus far. We'll keep an eye on things, and we'll let you know if things change.
Have you ever purchased anything from the Model Farm, or do you simply ignore it's even there?
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