The Dairy Barn expansion arrived! You can now expand the storage capacity from 20 to 40 for up to 5 dairies, giving you room for 200 cows total. To expand your Dairy Barn click on it and open the Expand Menu. Select the Dairy Barn you would like to add 10 extra storage to and click expand. You will need to get the help of 10 friends over 3 days, like all barn raisings have worked in the past. You also have an option to 'Buy Now' for 10$FV instead of asking your friends to help.
You will be able to perform 2 barn raisings for each dairy, so a total of 10 or 100 clicks to help from friends.
Note: For now Cow Print Dairy Barns are not expandable, this was posted by Lexilicious on the Official FarmVille Forums.
Have you expanded your Dairy Barn?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Great Site to Earn Money Online
Monday, February 13, 2012
Quote of the Moment: The Eternal Struggle
"Where does the antagonism between traditional and social games come from? I think it might be coming from the intent on both sides. The developers of console games and traditional standalone PC games are almost always thinking about what will be fun -- money comes second. Money is the purview of the marketing and business guys, not the developers themselves.
"But the developers of social games must necessarily think about money and fun together, whether they be executive or otherwise. They have access to insanely detailed information about what players do, like, and want to pay for. Why not use it? What would console developers do with the same information? Not ignore is surely. Is it simply a question of information, then?
"It may also be a matter of ego. Console developers often view social games as lesser, in spite of how complex they have become (again, just look at the current depth of FarmVille), because with accessibility comes simplicity. Social game execs and developers, for all their money, still seem to feel they're the younger sibling of console games, and must rail against them whenever possible.
"There is room for all of us in this industry, though the dollars may flow one way or another depending on the climate. It's important to learn what each side has to offer the other –- and then eventually there may not be sides at all. But for my part, I want to hear a lot less talk of users, and start hearing a much greater focus on player enjoyment."
-Gamasutra's Brandon Sheffield analyzes two eternal struggles -- art vs. commerce and traditional vs. social games -- in a recent editorial
"But the developers of social games must necessarily think about money and fun together, whether they be executive or otherwise. They have access to insanely detailed information about what players do, like, and want to pay for. Why not use it? What would console developers do with the same information? Not ignore is surely. Is it simply a question of information, then?
"It may also be a matter of ego. Console developers often view social games as lesser, in spite of how complex they have become (again, just look at the current depth of FarmVille), because with accessibility comes simplicity. Social game execs and developers, for all their money, still seem to feel they're the younger sibling of console games, and must rail against them whenever possible.
"There is room for all of us in this industry, though the dollars may flow one way or another depending on the climate. It's important to learn what each side has to offer the other –- and then eventually there may not be sides at all. But for my part, I want to hear a lot less talk of users, and start hearing a much greater focus on player enjoyment."
-Gamasutra's Brandon Sheffield analyzes two eternal struggles -- art vs. commerce and traditional vs. social games -- in a recent editorial
YoVille: Grab Lunch with the Zynga Ninjas in San Francisco
Thirty YoVille players will get to have lunch with Pink and Platinum Ninja at the YoVille studio in San Francisco Bay area. The lucky winners will also take a tour around the building and get some free YoVille swag. Check the official event post after the link.
Does Pink Ninja have Pink hair in real life? Who is going to cook? What are they having for lunch? We will make sure to answer these serious questions in future posts. Stay tuned.
Update: It looks like the players are going to prepare their own food since Zynga is still looking for a cook for its San Francisco office :D
Hi Guys,
We want to meet you. :)
YoVille is hosting it's first ever meet and greet lunch!
If you're in the San Francisco Bay area and would like to have lunch at the YoVille studio with myself and Platinum Ninja now is your chance.
This Friday June 25th at 12:00pm we will be hosting a lunch for up to 30 people. This will also include a tour of our building and some free swag!
Contact us here if you are in the area and would like to attend.
turquoiseninja@zynga.com
We will send details to the first 30 people that contact us.
**Please note that the above listed email is not for Support, reporting or anything else. If you send emails that are not related to the lunch gathering to this email address you will not receive a response. Please continue to contact Support for any game issues.**
**You must be 18 years or older to attend.**
Does Pink Ninja have Pink hair in real life? Who is going to cook? What are they having for lunch? We will make sure to answer these serious questions in future posts. Stay tuned.
Update: It looks like the players are going to prepare their own food since Zynga is still looking for a cook for its San Francisco office :D
Hi Guys,
We want to meet you. :)
YoVille is hosting it's first ever meet and greet lunch!
If you're in the San Francisco Bay area and would like to have lunch at the YoVille studio with myself and Platinum Ninja now is your chance.
This Friday June 25th at 12:00pm we will be hosting a lunch for up to 30 people. This will also include a tour of our building and some free swag!
Contact us here if you are in the area and would like to attend.
turquoiseninja@zynga.com
We will send details to the first 30 people that contact us.
**Please note that the above listed email is not for Support, reporting or anything else. If you send emails that are not related to the lunch gathering to this email address you will not receive a response. Please continue to contact Support for any game issues.**
**You must be 18 years or older to attend.**
Treasure Isle: Grab 5 free Island Cash and a Starfruit daily bonus
Treasure Isle 5 free Island Cash and Starfruit
Fans at Treasure Isle Info have discovered a shortcut to grab 5 free Island Cash and a Starfruit from the Zynga toolbar without having to install it.
Treasure Isle Starfruit
The link is here. You can click on that link every 8 hours to get another Starfruit, which grants players 15 Energy.
Fans at Treasure Isle Info have discovered a shortcut to grab 5 free Island Cash and a Starfruit from the Zynga toolbar without having to install it.
Treasure Isle Starfruit
The link is here. You can click on that link every 8 hours to get another Starfruit, which grants players 15 Energy.
Survey outlines social game play, spending habits
Surveys of the social gaming landscape are nothing new, but a new survey from Inside Networks shows just how addictive the games can be.
As reported by GamesBeat, the survey found over 90% of the 1,800 interviewed social game players check in on their games at least once a day. Of those, over two-thirds check in on their social gaming multiple times a day, suggesting a deep engagement with the content. Farmville was the most popular daily-check for social gamers, unsurprisingly, but games like Social City, Pet Society and Cafe World also drew high proportions of daily players.
The survey also has some interesting data on the so-called "whales" that spend the most money on social games. While only two percent of survey respondents copped to spending at least $25 on social gaming in a month, the vast majority of those big spenders focused their spending on a single game. This suggests that these players are developing an intense connection with their favorite social game, rather than with social gaming in general. Then again, 0.1% of respondents said they spent $25 or more a month on eight separate social games, proving there are at least a few profligate social gaming generalists out there.
Unsurprisingly, a majority of respondents said they play social games with friends, rather than co-workers, classmates or strangers.
As reported by GamesBeat, the survey found over 90% of the 1,800 interviewed social game players check in on their games at least once a day. Of those, over two-thirds check in on their social gaming multiple times a day, suggesting a deep engagement with the content. Farmville was the most popular daily-check for social gamers, unsurprisingly, but games like Social City, Pet Society and Cafe World also drew high proportions of daily players.
The survey also has some interesting data on the so-called "whales" that spend the most money on social games. While only two percent of survey respondents copped to spending at least $25 on social gaming in a month, the vast majority of those big spenders focused their spending on a single game. This suggests that these players are developing an intense connection with their favorite social game, rather than with social gaming in general. Then again, 0.1% of respondents said they spent $25 or more a month on eight separate social games, proving there are at least a few profligate social gaming generalists out there.
Unsurprisingly, a majority of respondents said they play social games with friends, rather than co-workers, classmates or strangers.
Friday, February 10, 2012
YoVille: New way to grab the Free Blue Balloon
This is an official post by Zynga's Platinum Ninja.
We saw that there was some confusion about how to get the exclusive handheld blue balloons so we will be making it easier to rally your friends through a discoverable balloon in YoVille. You may find a wandering blue balloon floating around town! It's known to hang out at the stores, your friends homes, or even your own.
Once you click on the balloon you will be given the chance to then "Rally your Friends" as before. Click the "Rally your Friends" option and then share and a Feed will be posted to your wall. Remember rallying your friends and posting this feed not only brings more awareness to the cause but also increases your chances on getting your hands on this exclusive Handheld Blue Balloon. If you get 10 friends to click in on this feed you'll receive a handheld balloon to keep and wear as much as you want!
yoville free blue balloonyoville free blue balloon
So don't forget to click on this balloon when you find it around YoVille and Rally your Friends!
- Platinum Ninja
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
We saw that there was some confusion about how to get the exclusive handheld blue balloons so we will be making it easier to rally your friends through a discoverable balloon in YoVille. You may find a wandering blue balloon floating around town! It's known to hang out at the stores, your friends homes, or even your own.
Once you click on the balloon you will be given the chance to then "Rally your Friends" as before. Click the "Rally your Friends" option and then share and a Feed will be posted to your wall. Remember rallying your friends and posting this feed not only brings more awareness to the cause but also increases your chances on getting your hands on this exclusive Handheld Blue Balloon. If you get 10 friends to click in on this feed you'll receive a handheld balloon to keep and wear as much as you want!
yoville free blue balloonyoville free blue balloon
So don't forget to click on this balloon when you find it around YoVille and Rally your Friends!
- Platinum Ninja
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Twilight theme arrive in Cafe World & PetVille -- Is YoVille next?
Zynga updated Cafe World with items from the vampire movie, Twilight. The items that were added are kind of similar to the ones that are usually released on Halloween. They also include decorations like the Twinkling Vampire (Edward) and Transforming Werewolf (Jacob). PetVille players are also expecting a coming soon Twilight theme.
I'm sure you've guessed where this is going. Do you think a Twilight theme is coming soon to YoVille? We're talking about modern houses, werewolves and who knows, maybe fancy cars?
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
I'm sure you've guessed where this is going. Do you think a Twilight theme is coming soon to YoVille? We're talking about modern houses, werewolves and who knows, maybe fancy cars?
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
FarmVille Sponsored Link Appears: Bing
Bing is sponsoring a link for 2 Free FarmVille Cash. You can access the sponsored link offer through FarmVille. The offer is located underneath your FarmVille home page.
Bing sponsored a similar link back in March of this year. Before clicking on this sponsored link, double check that you do not currently have "like" on the Bing page.
Once you click the link under the farm, a pop up window will appear. Choose either Dining In or Dining Out, answer a question and watch the short video.
farmville free farm cash
After watching the video, click on the Join us on Facebook button. You will be directed to the Bing page on Facebook. The pop up window will display the reward.
farmville free farm cash
farmville free farm cash
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you do this quick sponsored link for 2 Free FarmVille Cash?
Bing sponsored a similar link back in March of this year. Before clicking on this sponsored link, double check that you do not currently have "like" on the Bing page.
Once you click the link under the farm, a pop up window will appear. Choose either Dining In or Dining Out, answer a question and watch the short video.
farmville free farm cash
After watching the video, click on the Join us on Facebook button. You will be directed to the Bing page on Facebook. The pop up window will display the reward.
farmville free farm cash
farmville free farm cash
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you do this quick sponsored link for 2 Free FarmVille Cash?
Disney makes a $500 million play for Playdom [Rumor]
Disney is rumored to be days away from inking a deal with social game publisher Playdom for somewhere in the ballpark of $500 million. The news, which was originally reported by TechCrunch and has been since confirmed by a handful of anonymous sources, would not be surprising considering that social gaming is the new hotness in interactive entertainment.
Playdom is one of the larger social game publishers, responsible for games such as Social City, Tiki Farm and Wild Ones. These games don't attract the same monthly active users of Zynga's top games, FarmVille, Poker, etc, but the company has still secured millions in funding and has been on a major acquisition spree of late, most recently snapping up My Vineyard creator Metaplace.
Disney and Playdom are both staying mum on the rumor, but if this potential partnership means that Mickey and friends will make their way to Facebook -- maybe in the form of a decent theme park simulation or a socialized Epic Mickey -- we'd tip our Mouse ears to that. Read
Playdom is one of the larger social game publishers, responsible for games such as Social City, Tiki Farm and Wild Ones. These games don't attract the same monthly active users of Zynga's top games, FarmVille, Poker, etc, but the company has still secured millions in funding and has been on a major acquisition spree of late, most recently snapping up My Vineyard creator Metaplace.
Disney and Playdom are both staying mum on the rumor, but if this potential partnership means that Mickey and friends will make their way to Facebook -- maybe in the form of a decent theme park simulation or a socialized Epic Mickey -- we'd tip our Mouse ears to that. Read
Cafe World Cuisine Cookbooks 'coming soon'
The Cafe World Cookbook hold the recipes that keep our virtual restaurants in business, but in addition to the fundamental and advanced recipes, there's always been a mysterious 'specialty' recipes as well. I'm still not 100% sure what these recipes will be, but based on what's there so far, it looks like you will also be able to level up your cooking skill by type of cuisine and then unlock bonuses.
cafe world cuisine cookbooks comoing soon
Since my favorite things to cook right now are the pot roast and chicken, looks like I've already managed to reach Level 1 in American style cooking. So much for being adventurous in my virtual kitchen. I'll post more on Cuisine Cookbooks as soon there's more information.
Which type of cuisine do you cook the most in Cafe World?
cafe world cuisine cookbooks comoing soon
Since my favorite things to cook right now are the pot roast and chicken, looks like I've already managed to reach Level 1 in American style cooking. So much for being adventurous in my virtual kitchen. I'll post more on Cuisine Cookbooks as soon there's more information.
Which type of cuisine do you cook the most in Cafe World?
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Social Game Fads: Enough with the cute lost animals already!
Social Game Fads is a new series where we take a look at some of the unoriginal game mechanics that are being reused over and over again in our favorite Facebook games. Are you getting bored of the same ole' thing? We are too, and we're exposing some of the copycats who are to blame.
Just about every game on Facebook does this, regardless if it's an animal game or not. "Oh no! This adorable little baby sad crying animal has been abandoned on your farm/zoo/island and needs your friend's help in order to rescue it!". Whether your play Facebook goes or not, you've seen this. The animals started out looking like regular animals, and over time the eyes have gotten bigger and bigger, the baby animals are getting cuter and cuter, and they're all looking sadder and sadder.
In this mechanic, the game will tell you that a lost/hurt/abandoned/wandering animal has appeared and you need to ask friends to rescue her. When friends click on the wall post that you make, they will get to claim the pet. Basically, the player gets nothing out of this except the gratification of 'saving' this poor adorable little critter and the feeling of helping their friends get a new animal. It seems like animals are constantly finding themselves lost and in trouble and in need of your help. Where do they come from?
In fact, Zoo World is built almost entirely on this concept. Animals are always appearing on your zoo and in need of rescue, and there is even a reward for having tons of people rescue your animal. Virtually every game is to blame for pulling on our heart strings and using the power of adorable sad animals to get us to post to our wall.
Do you post every sad animal you see to your wall? Do you like saving animals, or are you sick of this in Facebook games?
Just about every game on Facebook does this, regardless if it's an animal game or not. "Oh no! This adorable little baby sad crying animal has been abandoned on your farm/zoo/island and needs your friend's help in order to rescue it!". Whether your play Facebook goes or not, you've seen this. The animals started out looking like regular animals, and over time the eyes have gotten bigger and bigger, the baby animals are getting cuter and cuter, and they're all looking sadder and sadder.
In this mechanic, the game will tell you that a lost/hurt/abandoned/wandering animal has appeared and you need to ask friends to rescue her. When friends click on the wall post that you make, they will get to claim the pet. Basically, the player gets nothing out of this except the gratification of 'saving' this poor adorable little critter and the feeling of helping their friends get a new animal. It seems like animals are constantly finding themselves lost and in trouble and in need of your help. Where do they come from?
In fact, Zoo World is built almost entirely on this concept. Animals are always appearing on your zoo and in need of rescue, and there is even a reward for having tons of people rescue your animal. Virtually every game is to blame for pulling on our heart strings and using the power of adorable sad animals to get us to post to our wall.
Do you post every sad animal you see to your wall? Do you like saving animals, or are you sick of this in Facebook games?
Happy Aquarium releases new decor to get your sharks in the mood
Happy Aquarium Shark tank decor
After a very sharktastic week in Happy Aquarium, where Crowdstar gave away a Rare Rainbow Shark, and then put out four friendly Limited Edition sharks in the store (which has since, sold out), there's now shark decor.
You can find the Beware of Shark sign as a freebie on the gifts page. As for tank ambiance, the Deep Blue gravel costs 35 Pearls or 21 Facebook Credits ($2.10 USD, which is currently a 63% discount), while the tank wallpaper Deep Blue costs 36 Pearls or 30 FB Credits ($3 USD).
After a very sharktastic week in Happy Aquarium, where Crowdstar gave away a Rare Rainbow Shark, and then put out four friendly Limited Edition sharks in the store (which has since, sold out), there's now shark decor.
You can find the Beware of Shark sign as a freebie on the gifts page. As for tank ambiance, the Deep Blue gravel costs 35 Pearls or 21 Facebook Credits ($2.10 USD, which is currently a 63% discount), while the tank wallpaper Deep Blue costs 36 Pearls or 30 FB Credits ($3 USD).
Bejeweled Blitz fans say 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it!'
Bejeweled Blitz new stats screen
Bejeweled Blitz 600k noviceEvery time a game makes a change, it's not without controversy. The puzzling basics of PopCap Games' Bejeweled Blitz was a winner three years before Facebook itself came into existence in 2004. Players of the game have also been climbing steadily this past week.
Well, today, PopCap whipped out a new acheivements system with a flourish, which features 131 ranks, where the first hundred have corresponding badges, the oldest being the "Elder Bejewelian". (But you can go higher than Rank 131, since PopCap admits they simply "ran out of cool names at that point.") Even without checking out the revamped game, the first thing I knew was that the change will upset veteran players.
When Bejeweled Blitz finally got the 25k bar to work, it meant that people had to deliberately play badly to fill it up again. Another issue was when they allowed players to hit beyond 500k, but didn't introduce the 500k Star Medal 'til much later, prompting players to try again. All these things happened because the new features couldn't be applied retroactively. And then they had to go and introduce the Boosts system, which injected the game with a freshness we didn't think was possible, but it definitely lowered the bar for newbies to score higher than previously before.
The immediate reaction by fans to this latest change is that the screen has SHRUNK. By this, I doubt they mean the play area. Because I've noticed that the player roster on the right has this unpleasant varnished look to it, indicative of a smaller screen size. And yet, this isn't so important as how silly it is for a player like me, to have scored over 620,000 points at one point, reduced to the rank of Novice. Oh well, at least the race to the top will be fun.
Bejeweled Blitz 600k noviceEvery time a game makes a change, it's not without controversy. The puzzling basics of PopCap Games' Bejeweled Blitz was a winner three years before Facebook itself came into existence in 2004. Players of the game have also been climbing steadily this past week.
Well, today, PopCap whipped out a new acheivements system with a flourish, which features 131 ranks, where the first hundred have corresponding badges, the oldest being the "Elder Bejewelian". (But you can go higher than Rank 131, since PopCap admits they simply "ran out of cool names at that point.") Even without checking out the revamped game, the first thing I knew was that the change will upset veteran players.
When Bejeweled Blitz finally got the 25k bar to work, it meant that people had to deliberately play badly to fill it up again. Another issue was when they allowed players to hit beyond 500k, but didn't introduce the 500k Star Medal 'til much later, prompting players to try again. All these things happened because the new features couldn't be applied retroactively. And then they had to go and introduce the Boosts system, which injected the game with a freshness we didn't think was possible, but it definitely lowered the bar for newbies to score higher than previously before.
The immediate reaction by fans to this latest change is that the screen has SHRUNK. By this, I doubt they mean the play area. Because I've noticed that the player roster on the right has this unpleasant varnished look to it, indicative of a smaller screen size. And yet, this isn't so important as how silly it is for a player like me, to have scored over 620,000 points at one point, reduced to the rank of Novice. Oh well, at least the race to the top will be fun.
FarmVille Potato Onion Bread recipe change
In another minor update tonight, the Potato Onion Bread Recipe time has been changed.
The time of the Recipe has increased from previously 30 minutes to now the cook time of 6 hours.
This originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
The time of the Recipe has increased from previously 30 minutes to now the cook time of 6 hours.
This originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille introduces Crafting Recipe Mastery
Get ready. FarmVille Crafting Recipe Mastery is now available for you to master!
Crafting Mastery works with your existing Crafting Buildings including the Winery, Spa, and Bakery and allows you to master your Recipes. After mastering a Craft Recipe, just like with Crop Mastery, you will receive additional XP as well as Craft Mastery Sign for you to proudly display on your farm.
Good news, your current progress will count towards Crafting Recipe Mastery, so all your hard work up until this point will be counted.
Will you participate in FarmVille Craft Mastery?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Crafting Mastery works with your existing Crafting Buildings including the Winery, Spa, and Bakery and allows you to master your Recipes. After mastering a Craft Recipe, just like with Crop Mastery, you will receive additional XP as well as Craft Mastery Sign for you to proudly display on your farm.
Good news, your current progress will count towards Crafting Recipe Mastery, so all your hard work up until this point will be counted.
Will you participate in FarmVille Craft Mastery?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille iPhone Version 1.04 promises to speed the plow
FarmVille released a few fixes for the iPhone version of the game, some that look like they might hopefully speed things up a bit. One of the biggest complains about playing the farm game on the go is that everything tends to move molasses slow.
Version 1.04 of the game promises to speed up load times, let you accept and send gifts faster, and you can new invite neighbors to join your virtual farming community via email.
Download FarmVille Version 1.04 from the iTunes App Store here >
FarmVille for iPhone: Love it or leave it?
Love it!Leave it!Don't have an iPhoneI only play on Facebook
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Version 1.04 of the game promises to speed up load times, let you accept and send gifts faster, and you can new invite neighbors to join your virtual farming community via email.
Download FarmVille Version 1.04 from the iTunes App Store here >
FarmVille for iPhone: Love it or leave it?
Love it!Leave it!Don't have an iPhoneI only play on Facebook
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Cafe World's 1 Year Anniversary Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Cafe World One Year Anniversary Recipes
Zynga's Cafe World is one year old this week and to celebrate (along with a huge sale on Cafe Cash and other items), you'll find five new recipes in your cookbook that are available for one week only. They're essential to finishing the brand new catering order, "One Year Anniversary Party." Complete the order by September 30 to qualify for a chance to win a trip for two to New York City. Join us behind the cut to get all the information you need to complete this daunting order.
Cafe World One Year Catering Order recipes
If you get three stars on the job, you'll get to keep these five limited edition recipes:
Anniversary Cake: 300 coins, serves 400 in 8 hours, rewards 1200 coins and 127 Cafe Points
Pastilla: 3,350 coins, serves 800 in 16 hours, rewards 6,400 coins and 367 Cafe Points
Feijoada: 840 coins, serves 600 in 12 hours, rewards 3,000 coins and 219 Cafe Points
Shanghai Dumpling: 4,000 coins, serves 1,100 in 22 hours, rewards 7,700 coins and 440 Cafe Points
Ratatouille: 13,000 coins: serves 1,200 in 24 hours, rewards 19,200 coins and 614 Cafe Points
Cafe World Ratatouille
For this limited time order, you'll also need to provide 15 Balloons and 10 Party Favors, which will run you 40 Cafe Cash total, or about $7 USD with the sale that's going on this week. Let's hope being forced to pay Cafe Cash in order to complete Catering Orders doesn't become a trend. Here's what you'll need to cook up to help Amelia host the best party ever:
65 Shanghai Dumplings: 22 hours, unlocks for 14 Cafe Cash
120 Feijoada: 12 hours, unlocks for 12 Cafe Cash
146 Pastilla: 16 hours, unlocks for 17 Cafe Cash
1 Anniversary Cake: 8 hours, unlocks for 8 Cafe Cash
Wow, that is a lot of cooking. Honestly, if you want to complete this in time to qualify for that awesome trip to New York, you'll need the 21 friends that this order calls for. Remember, you can queue up all of your dishes across your friends and start the timer on the order just before the first dish completes to save yourself a lot of time. However, if you're shooting for the trip to New York, you'll need to complete the order by September 30 regardless, so this won't help much. If you just want to finish the order within seven days, this strategy will work out just fine. These are the rewards you'll get for completing the order on time:
In seven days: 7,560 Cafe Points; 113,400 coins
In 10 days: 5,400 Cafe Points; 81,000 coins
More than 10 days: 3,200 Cafe Points; 48,600 coins
Zynga's Cafe World is one year old this week and to celebrate (along with a huge sale on Cafe Cash and other items), you'll find five new recipes in your cookbook that are available for one week only. They're essential to finishing the brand new catering order, "One Year Anniversary Party." Complete the order by September 30 to qualify for a chance to win a trip for two to New York City. Join us behind the cut to get all the information you need to complete this daunting order.
Cafe World One Year Catering Order recipes
If you get three stars on the job, you'll get to keep these five limited edition recipes:
Anniversary Cake: 300 coins, serves 400 in 8 hours, rewards 1200 coins and 127 Cafe Points
Pastilla: 3,350 coins, serves 800 in 16 hours, rewards 6,400 coins and 367 Cafe Points
Feijoada: 840 coins, serves 600 in 12 hours, rewards 3,000 coins and 219 Cafe Points
Shanghai Dumpling: 4,000 coins, serves 1,100 in 22 hours, rewards 7,700 coins and 440 Cafe Points
Ratatouille: 13,000 coins: serves 1,200 in 24 hours, rewards 19,200 coins and 614 Cafe Points
Cafe World Ratatouille
For this limited time order, you'll also need to provide 15 Balloons and 10 Party Favors, which will run you 40 Cafe Cash total, or about $7 USD with the sale that's going on this week. Let's hope being forced to pay Cafe Cash in order to complete Catering Orders doesn't become a trend. Here's what you'll need to cook up to help Amelia host the best party ever:
65 Shanghai Dumplings: 22 hours, unlocks for 14 Cafe Cash
120 Feijoada: 12 hours, unlocks for 12 Cafe Cash
146 Pastilla: 16 hours, unlocks for 17 Cafe Cash
1 Anniversary Cake: 8 hours, unlocks for 8 Cafe Cash
Wow, that is a lot of cooking. Honestly, if you want to complete this in time to qualify for that awesome trip to New York, you'll need the 21 friends that this order calls for. Remember, you can queue up all of your dishes across your friends and start the timer on the order just before the first dish completes to save yourself a lot of time. However, if you're shooting for the trip to New York, you'll need to complete the order by September 30 regardless, so this won't help much. If you just want to finish the order within seven days, this strategy will work out just fine. These are the rewards you'll get for completing the order on time:
In seven days: 7,560 Cafe Points; 113,400 coins
In 10 days: 5,400 Cafe Points; 81,000 coins
More than 10 days: 3,200 Cafe Points; 48,600 coins
Cafe World One Year Anniversary Sweepstakes: Win a trip to New York or $1,000 cash
To celebrate dominating our online lives for one whole year, Cafe World is going to rock seven lucky players' worlds with a trip to New York City for two and five prizes to the tune of $1,000 cash in Zynga's Cafe World One Year Anniversary Sweepstakes. To have a chance at the dough, all you need to do is log in for five separate days before September 30 and you'll be entered.
If you want that three-day, two-night trip to New York (that Zynga claims is worth up to $5,000), you'll need to work for it. Complete the new "One Year Anniversary Party" Catering Order by September 30 to be entered for a chance to win. There's only six days left to complete that order, so get to cooking. It's a pretty big order, but don't worry. We have you covered with a full guide.
Check out the official rules over at the Cafe World forums for more information.
If you want that three-day, two-night trip to New York (that Zynga claims is worth up to $5,000), you'll need to work for it. Complete the new "One Year Anniversary Party" Catering Order by September 30 to be entered for a chance to win. There's only six days left to complete that order, so get to cooking. It's a pretty big order, but don't worry. We have you covered with a full guide.
Check out the official rules over at the Cafe World forums for more information.
Zynga Germany: What does this new Euro studio mean for FarmVille?
In the next phase of the Zynga Dominion Initiative (kidding, sort of), the social gaming titan behind FarmVille has acquired Dextrose, a Mainz-based German gaming technology company that developed the Aves engine, for an undisclosed amount. The company, now officially Zynga Germany, has used Aves to help other developers create web browser games with high-end graphics, something Zynga will most likely use to improve its games.
However, it's unknown whether Facebook can support the Aves engine. Zynga cryptically said that Dextrose would help the company bring the "best in next-generation gaming technology." It's doubtful that Zynga would buy a company like Dextrose without researching if Facebook can support its engine.
Zynga Germany will be based in Frankfurt and headed by chief technology officer Paul Bakaus, the founder of Dextrose, while co-founder Rocco Di Leo will serve as country manager for Zynga's European arm. First China, then Japan and now Europe? Who's next, Canada?
However, it's unknown whether Facebook can support the Aves engine. Zynga cryptically said that Dextrose would help the company bring the "best in next-generation gaming technology." It's doubtful that Zynga would buy a company like Dextrose without researching if Facebook can support its engine.
Zynga Germany will be based in Frankfurt and headed by chief technology officer Paul Bakaus, the founder of Dextrose, while co-founder Rocco Di Leo will serve as country manager for Zynga's European arm. First China, then Japan and now Europe? Who's next, Canada?
Happy Pets iPad Giveaway Sweepstakes: Every Dragon is a chance to win an iPad
Between now and October 8, every Dragon you buy in Happy Pets will enter you for a chance to win one Apple iPad or one of 10 iPod Nanos in the Happy Pets iPad Giveaway Sweepstakes. Considering the short sale on Dragons a few days ago, its as if CrowdStar can't give these creatures away. It's probably due to the fire hazards that come with the purchase these flame-belchers.
Each Dragon can be bought for 66 Facebook Credits, or $6.60 USD (why can't all currency conversions be this easy?). Unfortunately, you'll also need to have a Dino Den to house the whelps, so get to it, if you haven't already. Besides, who wouldn't want a dragon?
Each Dragon can be bought for 66 Facebook Credits, or $6.60 USD (why can't all currency conversions be this easy?). Unfortunately, you'll also need to have a Dino Den to house the whelps, so get to it, if you haven't already. Besides, who wouldn't want a dragon?
Breaking News! Mickey Mouse invades Social City!
I was playing Social City, and there he was -- looming over my town square, his big yellow feet ready to stomp on my carefully placed trees and post office. And then, I realized -- this wasn't Godzilla with big round ears, it was the brand new Mickey Mouse statue that is available as a free gift. Call off the Social City police, it's just Mickey Mouse!
And, you too can get a giant Mickey Mouse statue for your city by clicking this link -- http://play.dm/99Y -- or by receiving one as a gift from friends. This is part of the recent Disney-fication of Social City. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!
And, you too can get a giant Mickey Mouse statue for your city by clicking this link -- http://play.dm/99Y -- or by receiving one as a gift from friends. This is part of the recent Disney-fication of Social City. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!
Friday, February 3, 2012
New Social City free gifts are spooktacular
Just yesterday, we brought you the news that Playdom has launched a new Halloween raffle in Social City, allowing users to spend City Bucks for their chance at some Halloween themed buildings and decorative items.
Today, we see the release of even more Halloween-themed goodies in the game, both via the game's free gifts page, and through an email promotion being given to those members of the Social City email distribution list.
Follow us behind the break for complete details on how you can get your hands on these spooktacular new items.
As we said, there are currently four Halloween themed items available to send as free gifts, three of which are decorative. The items are the Grave Digger, the Shallow Grave, and the Pumpkin Patch.
The final item is the Pumpkin House, a residential structure that will add citizens to your town, as opposed to the Happiness Points that the other three provide.
In addition, if you are a member of the Social City email distribution list, make sure to check your email inbox for an email from Playdom, giving you a free Trick or Treat bonus in the form of a Pumpkin Statue. Luckily, the link within the email seems to be universal, as we've tested the same email link on multiple accounts, with all receiving the free Pumpkin Statue.
To receive one for yourself, click on this link to receive your own Pumpkin Statue. Just make sure you're logged into Facebook first, before clicking on the link to make sure you receive the item.
Today, we see the release of even more Halloween-themed goodies in the game, both via the game's free gifts page, and through an email promotion being given to those members of the Social City email distribution list.
Follow us behind the break for complete details on how you can get your hands on these spooktacular new items.
As we said, there are currently four Halloween themed items available to send as free gifts, three of which are decorative. The items are the Grave Digger, the Shallow Grave, and the Pumpkin Patch.
The final item is the Pumpkin House, a residential structure that will add citizens to your town, as opposed to the Happiness Points that the other three provide.
In addition, if you are a member of the Social City email distribution list, make sure to check your email inbox for an email from Playdom, giving you a free Trick or Treat bonus in the form of a Pumpkin Statue. Luckily, the link within the email seems to be universal, as we've tested the same email link on multiple accounts, with all receiving the free Pumpkin Statue.
To receive one for yourself, click on this link to receive your own Pumpkin Statue. Just make sure you're logged into Facebook first, before clicking on the link to make sure you receive the item.
Millionaire City celebrates Green Week with new items, homes
While Digital Chocolate's Millionaire City may be focused on living a fantastic life with all of the luxuries money can buy (the game is called Millionaire City after all), that doesn't mean that your spoiled citizens also shouldn't be looking out for the care and survival of Mother Earth. You don't want your city to crumble under pollution, now do you?
That being the case, they have celebrated Green Week, offering users a chance to add a bit of environmental conservation to their towns, via green technology, organic foods, and even luxury resorts and homes that follow the green theme.
Follow us behind the break to see the full selection of items.
There are currently six items available in this environmentally conscious theme. The first two are available to fairly low level players, and come in the form of a Windmill and Recycling Station.
Other items include 15 day Treehouses and Organic Gardens. To offer your citizens some peace of mind while living in the lap of luxury, they can now reside in Eco Resorts and Eco Luxury Homes, both of which are available to higher level players, requiring a level of at least 22 to start purchasing them.
A new feature has also been launched in the game, allowing users to spend a bit of Gold to unlock access to purchasing items that are currently locked due to their level. That being the case, if you'd like to splurge on some of these items, then treat yourself to a bit of early unlocking by shelling out some of your Gold supply to earn the right to purchase them.
That being the case, they have celebrated Green Week, offering users a chance to add a bit of environmental conservation to their towns, via green technology, organic foods, and even luxury resorts and homes that follow the green theme.
Follow us behind the break to see the full selection of items.
There are currently six items available in this environmentally conscious theme. The first two are available to fairly low level players, and come in the form of a Windmill and Recycling Station.
Other items include 15 day Treehouses and Organic Gardens. To offer your citizens some peace of mind while living in the lap of luxury, they can now reside in Eco Resorts and Eco Luxury Homes, both of which are available to higher level players, requiring a level of at least 22 to start purchasing them.
A new feature has also been launched in the game, allowing users to spend a bit of Gold to unlock access to purchasing items that are currently locked due to their level. That being the case, if you'd like to splurge on some of these items, then treat yourself to a bit of early unlocking by shelling out some of your Gold supply to earn the right to purchase them.
Add more fright to your Hotel City this Halloween with new rooms, decorations
In addition to the Dracula Room released in Hotel City earlier this month, Playfish has been hard at work creating even more spooky rooms that may or may not scare the daylights out of your customers.
The first is the Pumpkin Room, available to purchase for 20 Playfish Cash. It will generate 200 coins and 200 experience points per hour. Other rooms are the Ghostly Attic and Mad Scientist Room.
In addition, some new decorative items have been added to the game's store, allowing you to transform your previously placed rooms into those that are also ready to trick or treat your guests this Halloween. It should be noted that most of these items are those that are found in the complete rooms mentioned above, so you can also put these rooms together yourself if you have the funds and patience to do so.
Some of the items include a Pumpkin Four-Posted Bed, a Pumpkin Red-Eyed Moon painting, a cobweb wallpaper, sofas and more. These items are available for both coins or Playfish Cash, so there's a little something for everyone to enjoy the season.
The first is the Pumpkin Room, available to purchase for 20 Playfish Cash. It will generate 200 coins and 200 experience points per hour. Other rooms are the Ghostly Attic and Mad Scientist Room.
In addition, some new decorative items have been added to the game's store, allowing you to transform your previously placed rooms into those that are also ready to trick or treat your guests this Halloween. It should be noted that most of these items are those that are found in the complete rooms mentioned above, so you can also put these rooms together yourself if you have the funds and patience to do so.
Some of the items include a Pumpkin Four-Posted Bed, a Pumpkin Red-Eyed Moon painting, a cobweb wallpaper, sofas and more. These items are available for both coins or Playfish Cash, so there's a little something for everyone to enjoy the season.
Shrink or grow your Happy Island decor with new Magic Gems
Happy Island magical gems
Crowdstar's Happy Island has released two special items today that aren't your typical decorations. These two gems can be used to either enlarge or shrink your decorative items on your island. This is great if you've been trying to get that specific design you've been trying to create but can't get the right sized items you want. These gems are not cheap though, at 8 Facebook Credits (or 80 cents) each.
Topaz of Tinyness - 8 Facebook Credits
Garnet of Giants - 8 Facebook Credits
We like when game developers give us the opportunity to further customize our decorations by changing their color or allow them to be rotated. Now, Happy Island players can shrink or grow their attractions or decorations.
Crowdstar's Happy Island has released two special items today that aren't your typical decorations. These two gems can be used to either enlarge or shrink your decorative items on your island. This is great if you've been trying to get that specific design you've been trying to create but can't get the right sized items you want. These gems are not cheap though, at 8 Facebook Credits (or 80 cents) each.
Topaz of Tinyness - 8 Facebook Credits
Garnet of Giants - 8 Facebook Credits
We like when game developers give us the opportunity to further customize our decorations by changing their color or allow them to be rotated. Now, Happy Island players can shrink or grow their attractions or decorations.
Happy Aquarium gets in the Halloween spirit with new decorations
Crowdstar's Happy Aquarium has already released some spooky Halloween fish, but now the rest of the decorations have also been launched to the world. A new set of creepy decorations for your tank is now available in the store, and we have everything you need to know to deck out your aquarium for the holiday. Here's what you can find right now in the store:
Haunted House - 13 Facebook Credits
Halloween Black Cat - 150 coins
Deep Sea Devil - 11 Facebook Credits
Happy Halloween Grave - 5 Facebook Credits
Dracula Coffin - 10 Facebook Credits
Halloween Tombstone - 7 Facebook Credits
Halloween Cauldron - 150 coins
Cemetery Background - 30 Facebook Credits
These prices are really affordable. Aside from the tank background, the most expensive decoration is only $1.30, and that's for the big Haunted House shown on the right. Everything else is definitely reasonable, and you should be able to fill your tank up with Halloween items before the big date in just over a week. Happy Haunting!
Haunted House - 13 Facebook Credits
Halloween Black Cat - 150 coins
Deep Sea Devil - 11 Facebook Credits
Happy Halloween Grave - 5 Facebook Credits
Dracula Coffin - 10 Facebook Credits
Halloween Tombstone - 7 Facebook Credits
Halloween Cauldron - 150 coins
Cemetery Background - 30 Facebook Credits
These prices are really affordable. Aside from the tank background, the most expensive decoration is only $1.30, and that's for the big Haunted House shown on the right. Everything else is definitely reasonable, and you should be able to fill your tank up with Halloween items before the big date in just over a week. Happy Haunting!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Jack-o-Squirrel & Thanksgiving Topiary
The Thanksgiving celebration in FarmVille is gearing up to be quite the feast (at least visually), if the newest leaked images are anything to go by. This time around, we have a FarmVille Sneak Peek of a cute little Jack-o-Squirrel (a squirrel sticking its head out of pumpkin) and a lovely Thanksgiving Topiary (a wheelbarrow filled with pumpkins and leaves).
These items have not been given an official release date in the game, and in fact, there is no guarantee that they will ever release, so keep that in mind.
If these items do launch in the game, we'd expect them both to be decorative items available in the game's store, since it seems that Zynga is focusing on Mums for the season's free gift selection.
These items have not been given an official release date in the game, and in fact, there is no guarantee that they will ever release, so keep that in mind.
If these items do launch in the game, we'd expect them both to be decorative items available in the game's store, since it seems that Zynga is focusing on Mums for the season's free gift selection.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Animal (Thanksgiving?) Floats
Thanks to some new leaked images, we can bring you another FarmVille Sneak Peek, offering details of items that may or may not be coming to FarmVille in the near future.
This time around, we have images of three animal balloon floats. These floats are the Horse Float, the Cow Float, and the Duck Float, and they are all comprised of a large floating balloon (that animates by floating up and down, with tails or legs flapping/moving, depending on the offering), along with a lovely float at the bottom, to which the balloon is connected by strings.
If we didn't know any better (and we don't), we'd guess that these items will be released as part of the Thanksgiving day celebration in the game, as they seem to pay homage to the time-honored tradition of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Only time will tell at this point, however.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually be released in the game, so keep that in mind.
This time around, we have images of three animal balloon floats. These floats are the Horse Float, the Cow Float, and the Duck Float, and they are all comprised of a large floating balloon (that animates by floating up and down, with tails or legs flapping/moving, depending on the offering), along with a lovely float at the bottom, to which the balloon is connected by strings.
If we didn't know any better (and we don't), we'd guess that these items will be released as part of the Thanksgiving day celebration in the game, as they seem to pay homage to the time-honored tradition of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Only time will tell at this point, however.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually be released in the game, so keep that in mind.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Thanksgiving Gnomes
It's been a big day for leaked images from Zynga's FarmVille, allowing us to bring you another FarmVille Sneak Peek of items that may or may not be coming to the farming giant in the near future.
This time around, we have images of three new gnomes, a fan-favorite collectible. These gnomes are the Pocahontas Gnome, the Pilgrim Girl Gnome and the Pilgrim Boy Gnome.
Unfortunately, we don't have any details as to when (if) these items will actually release, or whether or not they'll be available for Farm Cash or coins. If history has taught us anything, however, you may want to save up some Farm Cash to purchase these little cuties when they launch.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually launch in FarmVille, so keep that in mind.
This time around, we have images of three new gnomes, a fan-favorite collectible. These gnomes are the Pocahontas Gnome, the Pilgrim Girl Gnome and the Pilgrim Boy Gnome.
Unfortunately, we don't have any details as to when (if) these items will actually release, or whether or not they'll be available for Farm Cash or coins. If history has taught us anything, however, you may want to save up some Farm Cash to purchase these little cuties when they launch.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually launch in FarmVille, so keep that in mind.
Restaurant City Indian Buffet Table allows customers to serve themselves
Playfish teased us last week, that a new item would be launching in the Restaurant City today, and that time has come. The new item is the Indian Buffet Table, and it fits right in with the current Bollywood item theme.
What makes this item so special (at least in Playfish's eyes), is the fact that it's available to purchase for coins. This functional item is indeed available for coins, but we doubt the majority of the game's user-base will be able to afford it, as it goes for a whopping 240,000 coins.
The Buffet Table functions as an Arcade Machine or sorts, allowing customers to serve themselves and endless supply of gourmet Indian dishes. It earns 500 coins every four hours, meaning that you could make a nice profit off of the item, if you played the game with enough regularity to always cash out your profits (never fear, you won't lose anything if you go away for a while, you just won't earn anything past the 500 coin cap either).
This Buffet Table will only be available for the next two days, so shop while you can if you want to add it to your restaurant.
What makes this item so special (at least in Playfish's eyes), is the fact that it's available to purchase for coins. This functional item is indeed available for coins, but we doubt the majority of the game's user-base will be able to afford it, as it goes for a whopping 240,000 coins.
The Buffet Table functions as an Arcade Machine or sorts, allowing customers to serve themselves and endless supply of gourmet Indian dishes. It earns 500 coins every four hours, meaning that you could make a nice profit off of the item, if you played the game with enough regularity to always cash out your profits (never fear, you won't lose anything if you go away for a while, you just won't earn anything past the 500 coin cap either).
This Buffet Table will only be available for the next two days, so shop while you can if you want to add it to your restaurant.
FrontierVille's Gold Rush possibly coming soon with golden items
Gold Hot Tub Gold Outhouse Gold Water Tower
The wait for what once was one of the nation's greatest resources might be over sooner than we think in FrontierVille. Calin of FrontierVille Info has dug up some unreleased items in the nearly ubiquitous Zynga game that suggest the Gold Rush could be here soon. So, how did arrive at this conclusion?
Every single item is golden. The whole lot of 'em. Either this is some sort of sick prank or Zynga has finally completed the first full expansion to FrontierVille. Our guess is the latter, because we hope that the developer wouldn't be so sadistic. Our second guess is that gold will be a new resource similar to Wood and will be required to craft these items in a new building, but again, that's also us hoping.
This is what the comments is for: hopeful speculation. So, what do you think these new items imply? Is this a telltale sign of the Gold Rush?
The wait for what once was one of the nation's greatest resources might be over sooner than we think in FrontierVille. Calin of FrontierVille Info has dug up some unreleased items in the nearly ubiquitous Zynga game that suggest the Gold Rush could be here soon. So, how did arrive at this conclusion?
Every single item is golden. The whole lot of 'em. Either this is some sort of sick prank or Zynga has finally completed the first full expansion to FrontierVille. Our guess is the latter, because we hope that the developer wouldn't be so sadistic. Our second guess is that gold will be a new resource similar to Wood and will be required to craft these items in a new building, but again, that's also us hoping.
This is what the comments is for: hopeful speculation. So, what do you think these new items imply? Is this a telltale sign of the Gold Rush?
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
PopCap launches Bejeweled 3 from English mum's living room tea party
Bejeweled 3 Tea Party
Forget those glitzy and glamorous launch parties for the year's biggest games like Halo: Reach or Call of Duty: Black Ops. The sequel to one of the best selling casual games of all time, Bejeweled 3, launched from a British mother's living room. A bold move by famed casual game developer PopCap, the comfier launch was made in honor of recent research targeting the largest demographic of Bejeweled players: middle-aged, tech savvy mothers.
According to a survey of 2,000 casual gamers conducted by 72 Point, the average player of games like Bejeweled is "a 43-year-old married mum called Sue with two grown up children who counts watching Midsomer Murders and playing on her own games console as among her favourite pastimes." While this is an especially personalized and hilarious account of a statistic, it checks out with claims made elsewhere.
Guests invited to the launch party included a Women's Institute secretary, a granny, a Welsh librarian, a glamorous banker and a trendy dad to name a few. And what did they once they arrived in the Northern London living room of this British mother of two? Why, they had a tea party over Bejeweled 3, of course.
Despite containing twice the game modes, better visuals and sound and eight mini games, what has to be the game's most unique and interesting feature is its Zen Mode. Neil Shah, a member of the Stress Management Society, was invited to the launch tea party to test this new game mode and says, "Bejeweled 3's new Zen mode is a great idea for helping players chill out even more and put all their worries to one side." According to PopCap, Bejeweled 2 was proven to reduce stress levels by 47 percent and the new Zen Mode is designed to create a "mental vacation" for players. Players can find their very own mind escape first thing tomorrow.
Forget those glitzy and glamorous launch parties for the year's biggest games like Halo: Reach or Call of Duty: Black Ops. The sequel to one of the best selling casual games of all time, Bejeweled 3, launched from a British mother's living room. A bold move by famed casual game developer PopCap, the comfier launch was made in honor of recent research targeting the largest demographic of Bejeweled players: middle-aged, tech savvy mothers.
According to a survey of 2,000 casual gamers conducted by 72 Point, the average player of games like Bejeweled is "a 43-year-old married mum called Sue with two grown up children who counts watching Midsomer Murders and playing on her own games console as among her favourite pastimes." While this is an especially personalized and hilarious account of a statistic, it checks out with claims made elsewhere.
Guests invited to the launch party included a Women's Institute secretary, a granny, a Welsh librarian, a glamorous banker and a trendy dad to name a few. And what did they once they arrived in the Northern London living room of this British mother of two? Why, they had a tea party over Bejeweled 3, of course.
Despite containing twice the game modes, better visuals and sound and eight mini games, what has to be the game's most unique and interesting feature is its Zen Mode. Neil Shah, a member of the Stress Management Society, was invited to the launch tea party to test this new game mode and says, "Bejeweled 3's new Zen mode is a great idea for helping players chill out even more and put all their worries to one side." According to PopCap, Bejeweled 2 was proven to reduce stress levels by 47 percent and the new Zen Mode is designed to create a "mental vacation" for players. Players can find their very own mind escape first thing tomorrow.
FrontierVille Level Cap increases to 150, but not without a hitch
Level Up Glitch
Hold your applause, please. Zynga announced today that the Level Cap in FrontierVille has been raised to 150. This will allow players to advance even further in the game to obscene levels. Unfortunately, veteran pioneers everywhere are experiencing issues when leveling up past 100. The most common of these issues is Frontier Jack presenting players with a congratulatory server sync error, forcing them to refresh their pages. Upon reentering, their progress has been deleted up to just before the final experience points required to level up.
And then it happens again and again, thus crippling their game to a FrontierVille rendition of Groundhog Day. Well, except with less Bill Murray and more frustration. The Zynga community team is reportedly on the case, according to a prompt forum post, but it's uncertain when this issue will be fixed. So, welcome to Level 100, pioneer pros, and enjoy your stay--it might be a long one. Now, here's something to look forward to: you'll need to accumulate 5 million XP to reach Level 150 from Level 100, according to FrontierVille Wiki. How's that for hardcore?
Have any of you experienced the current level-up glitch? If not, why not give your fellow frontier folk a hand and tip us off to how you dodged it.
Hold your applause, please. Zynga announced today that the Level Cap in FrontierVille has been raised to 150. This will allow players to advance even further in the game to obscene levels. Unfortunately, veteran pioneers everywhere are experiencing issues when leveling up past 100. The most common of these issues is Frontier Jack presenting players with a congratulatory server sync error, forcing them to refresh their pages. Upon reentering, their progress has been deleted up to just before the final experience points required to level up.
And then it happens again and again, thus crippling their game to a FrontierVille rendition of Groundhog Day. Well, except with less Bill Murray and more frustration. The Zynga community team is reportedly on the case, according to a prompt forum post, but it's uncertain when this issue will be fixed. So, welcome to Level 100, pioneer pros, and enjoy your stay--it might be a long one. Now, here's something to look forward to: you'll need to accumulate 5 million XP to reach Level 150 from Level 100, according to FrontierVille Wiki. How's that for hardcore?
Have any of you experienced the current level-up glitch? If not, why not give your fellow frontier folk a hand and tip us off to how you dodged it.
First Facebook-connected Nintendo DS game: TouchMaster: Connect
It's finally time to get social on two screens. Publisher Warner Bros. and developer Double Tap Games announced today that TouchMaster: Connect, the first Nintendo DS to feature social media integration, is available in the U.K. for £19.99. The game is a collection several ports from the immensely popular--if you can remember them-- Megatouch touchscreen systems you lushes have surely seen in the corner of many a bar counter courtesy of AMI Entertainment Network.
Players can post their highest scores from 20 recognizable bar and restaurant touch games like Tricky Fish, Dodge Bull (pictured) and Super Boxxi to Facebook and Twitter through the DS' Nintendo WiFi Connection. You'll be able to create a gamer profile with which you can link both your Facebook and Twitter accounts to share your scores and achievement badges to all of your Internet friends. In addition to competing via social networks, you can test your stylus-smashing might against players across the globe in online leaderboards. And on the local level, players can share select games with friends who don't own the TouchMaster: Connect through DS Download Play and "System Swap" multiplayer.
While we've heard mention of Nintendo's social goals for its Nintendo 3DS already, it's surprising developers have found a way to squeeze social network connection into the DS' older models.
Considering AMI's touchscreens are in nearly every bar I've ever been to (not to say that number is astronomical...), you can almost bet your next beer that TouchMaster: Connect will arrive in the U.S. In fact, it releases tomorrow. Just don't bring your DS to the bar unless you're not trying to take anyone home that night.
Will you be picking up TouchMaster: Connect for the social features? Do you think this marks a distinct future for Nintendo's handheld games?
Players can post their highest scores from 20 recognizable bar and restaurant touch games like Tricky Fish, Dodge Bull (pictured) and Super Boxxi to Facebook and Twitter through the DS' Nintendo WiFi Connection. You'll be able to create a gamer profile with which you can link both your Facebook and Twitter accounts to share your scores and achievement badges to all of your Internet friends. In addition to competing via social networks, you can test your stylus-smashing might against players across the globe in online leaderboards. And on the local level, players can share select games with friends who don't own the TouchMaster: Connect through DS Download Play and "System Swap" multiplayer.
While we've heard mention of Nintendo's social goals for its Nintendo 3DS already, it's surprising developers have found a way to squeeze social network connection into the DS' older models.
Considering AMI's touchscreens are in nearly every bar I've ever been to (not to say that number is astronomical...), you can almost bet your next beer that TouchMaster: Connect will arrive in the U.S. In fact, it releases tomorrow. Just don't bring your DS to the bar unless you're not trying to take anyone home that night.
Will you be picking up TouchMaster: Connect for the social features? Do you think this marks a distinct future for Nintendo's handheld games?
Top Chef Challenge on Facebook: Please pack your knives and go
Top Chef Challenge, a new Facebook game which launched same night at the debut of Top Chef All Stars (what a coinky-dink!) lets you choose for your favorite chef from the new show (comprised of 18 chefs from previous seasons) and earn them as many points as possible by logging into the game daily to complete challenges.
Gallery: Top Chef Challenge on Facebook
The advergame works like this: Choose a "Chef'testant" that you want to root for, and then you'll be presented with a series of challenges, which when completed, will earn your chef points for the week. The first day's challenges include sharing your pick -- twice -- on Facebook or Twitter, each resulting in a certain number of points for your pick. Once the first two challenges are complete, then you're given a link to share with friends on Twitter and Facebook, which links directly back to the application. Do this to earn more points for your chef. The chef with the most points at the end of the week will in the challenge, and you can track your chef's standings in a leaderboard.
So now's time for the good news and the bad news:
The good: If your chef is kicked off the show, he/she will still be in the Facebook game.
The bad: This advergame is so dull and unimaginative that it just might be the worst offender in a long line of offensive advergames. All you do is share your pick on your Facebook wall and Twitter, then harass friends with a link to the game in exchange for maybe meeting one of the chefs or to "win other prizes." Blech.
top chef challenge
More bad: Right after I chose my chef (I chose Spike Mendelsohn because of his cool hat), I went to complete the first challenge, but could not. Instead of found a message that said, "Whoops look like you didn't complete the challenge in time..." What? I JUST signed up for the game -- how did I not complete it in time?
I decided to complete the second challenge (by sharing my pick on my Facebook wall), but then was not able to complete the third challenge because you have to complete the first two tasks to unlock it. And, since that wasn't an option, no third challenge for me.
And, if whomever made this thinks I'll back tomorrow to try again -- they'd be wrong. So, so wrong. Top Chef Challenge on Facebook, please pack your knives and go.
Gallery: Top Chef Challenge on Facebook
The advergame works like this: Choose a "Chef'testant" that you want to root for, and then you'll be presented with a series of challenges, which when completed, will earn your chef points for the week. The first day's challenges include sharing your pick -- twice -- on Facebook or Twitter, each resulting in a certain number of points for your pick. Once the first two challenges are complete, then you're given a link to share with friends on Twitter and Facebook, which links directly back to the application. Do this to earn more points for your chef. The chef with the most points at the end of the week will in the challenge, and you can track your chef's standings in a leaderboard.
So now's time for the good news and the bad news:
The good: If your chef is kicked off the show, he/she will still be in the Facebook game.
The bad: This advergame is so dull and unimaginative that it just might be the worst offender in a long line of offensive advergames. All you do is share your pick on your Facebook wall and Twitter, then harass friends with a link to the game in exchange for maybe meeting one of the chefs or to "win other prizes." Blech.
top chef challenge
More bad: Right after I chose my chef (I chose Spike Mendelsohn because of his cool hat), I went to complete the first challenge, but could not. Instead of found a message that said, "Whoops look like you didn't complete the challenge in time..." What? I JUST signed up for the game -- how did I not complete it in time?
I decided to complete the second challenge (by sharing my pick on my Facebook wall), but then was not able to complete the third challenge because you have to complete the first two tasks to unlock it. And, since that wasn't an option, no third challenge for me.
And, if whomever made this thinks I'll back tomorrow to try again -- they'd be wrong. So, so wrong. Top Chef Challenge on Facebook, please pack your knives and go.
Atari and Asteroids blast onto Facebook with Asteroids Online
Asteroids Online
One of the original space odysseys in video gaming, Asteroids, has reached Facebook in the much updated form of Asteroids Online. Made possible by its original publisher, Atari, Asteroids Online brings back the same gameplay you adored in the early 80s onward with a massive suite of features designed for the modern, social gaming crowds. Using the now-popular Unity 3D engine, much of this Asteroids overhaul is in 3D including its various ships and the infamous asteroids. But the overhaul doesn't stop there--this is not your average Facebook game. And that's the whole point.
"We're consciously trying to stay away from the mindless click fests," Atari's VP of Consumer Experience, Patrick Ford, told IGN. "There are millions of different types of people on Facebook. The FarmVille-playing housewives might not like Asteroids, but we're confident plenty of people will."
Find our full preview after the break.
Campaign Menu
While this is still Asteroids, nearly everything aside from the basic gameplay of steer and shoot has changed. And with that said, a detailed tutorial is in order, but don't worry--it won't be too long before you get to blow stuff up. Asteroids Online operates in Missions, like most social games, though these are far more interactive and skill-based than most . And while most of them involve blowing flying hunks of rock to bits, there are some that pit you against the clock or toe-to-toe with alien enemies.
In addition to the original combat of steering your ship via the arrows keys and firing away furiously with the space bar, the 'V' key activates an interesting ability called "Hyperspace." This new feature warps your ship into a wormhole of sorts and back out into usually a safe area, which is perfect for when you're in a pinch and need to get out fast. (Though, it does take time to recharge.) This is also useful for luring enemy aliens into asteroids, which can take them out too (and they don't have shields).
Damage report
Missions are split up into three Sectors, or rounds. Your job in each Sector is to destroy enough rock chunks to fill up the meter on the top right corner of the screen completely. However, each new round isn't exactly a fresh start as the damage to your shields will carry over into the next Sector until you complete the mission. Luckily in this version of the game, death isn't necessarily 'Game Over.' But if your ship sustains maximum damage, you will have to pay up in Credits to repair or if you're too low on Credits you may abandon the mission. Doing this will result in you losing the Energy needed to access the mission. Abort too many times and you'll be at a standstill.
Of course, Energy is what drives your actions in this game and you'll need gobs of it if you want to play for longer than a few missions at a time. In addition to Energy refilling over time, players can currently gift each other Energy in packs of 40. You can also purchase Atari Credits to pay for more Energy in packs of 400, 1,000, 2,000 and 4,000 for $5, $12.50, $25 and $50, respectively. This paid currency can also be used to speed along the timed process of ship upgrades which cost Credits regardless, the game's natural currency found through blasting asteroids while on Missions.
Galactic Map
Much unlike the original Asteroids, this update contains six ships with several different weapon and shield configurations. Believe it or not, this multitude of ships and weapons matters when it comes to dealing with the game's variety of enemies and situations. They'll also be necessary when moving onward to new star systems, which can be accessed through the game's Galactic Map feature. Each new area requires a certain amount of experience to enter and will be blocked off by a red beam until that time comes. These additional zones will certainly contain more missions and hopefully more ships and weapons, but it's too early to tell given the game just launched recently.
Keeping in mind that Asteroids Online is still in its beta phase. There are still a number of mysterious features like "Champion" and "Challenge" that have yet to surface in addition to what appears to be a worldwide leaderboard. Despite the lack of these features, Atari has come out swinging on Facebook through a massive overhaul to one of the most beloved retro games and transforming it into something relevant.
Click here to play Asteroids on Facebook Now>
One of the original space odysseys in video gaming, Asteroids, has reached Facebook in the much updated form of Asteroids Online. Made possible by its original publisher, Atari, Asteroids Online brings back the same gameplay you adored in the early 80s onward with a massive suite of features designed for the modern, social gaming crowds. Using the now-popular Unity 3D engine, much of this Asteroids overhaul is in 3D including its various ships and the infamous asteroids. But the overhaul doesn't stop there--this is not your average Facebook game. And that's the whole point.
"We're consciously trying to stay away from the mindless click fests," Atari's VP of Consumer Experience, Patrick Ford, told IGN. "There are millions of different types of people on Facebook. The FarmVille-playing housewives might not like Asteroids, but we're confident plenty of people will."
Find our full preview after the break.
Campaign Menu
While this is still Asteroids, nearly everything aside from the basic gameplay of steer and shoot has changed. And with that said, a detailed tutorial is in order, but don't worry--it won't be too long before you get to blow stuff up. Asteroids Online operates in Missions, like most social games, though these are far more interactive and skill-based than most . And while most of them involve blowing flying hunks of rock to bits, there are some that pit you against the clock or toe-to-toe with alien enemies.
In addition to the original combat of steering your ship via the arrows keys and firing away furiously with the space bar, the 'V' key activates an interesting ability called "Hyperspace." This new feature warps your ship into a wormhole of sorts and back out into usually a safe area, which is perfect for when you're in a pinch and need to get out fast. (Though, it does take time to recharge.) This is also useful for luring enemy aliens into asteroids, which can take them out too (and they don't have shields).
Damage report
Missions are split up into three Sectors, or rounds. Your job in each Sector is to destroy enough rock chunks to fill up the meter on the top right corner of the screen completely. However, each new round isn't exactly a fresh start as the damage to your shields will carry over into the next Sector until you complete the mission. Luckily in this version of the game, death isn't necessarily 'Game Over.' But if your ship sustains maximum damage, you will have to pay up in Credits to repair or if you're too low on Credits you may abandon the mission. Doing this will result in you losing the Energy needed to access the mission. Abort too many times and you'll be at a standstill.
Of course, Energy is what drives your actions in this game and you'll need gobs of it if you want to play for longer than a few missions at a time. In addition to Energy refilling over time, players can currently gift each other Energy in packs of 40. You can also purchase Atari Credits to pay for more Energy in packs of 400, 1,000, 2,000 and 4,000 for $5, $12.50, $25 and $50, respectively. This paid currency can also be used to speed along the timed process of ship upgrades which cost Credits regardless, the game's natural currency found through blasting asteroids while on Missions.
Galactic Map
Much unlike the original Asteroids, this update contains six ships with several different weapon and shield configurations. Believe it or not, this multitude of ships and weapons matters when it comes to dealing with the game's variety of enemies and situations. They'll also be necessary when moving onward to new star systems, which can be accessed through the game's Galactic Map feature. Each new area requires a certain amount of experience to enter and will be blocked off by a red beam until that time comes. These additional zones will certainly contain more missions and hopefully more ships and weapons, but it's too early to tell given the game just launched recently.
Keeping in mind that Asteroids Online is still in its beta phase. There are still a number of mysterious features like "Champion" and "Challenge" that have yet to surface in addition to what appears to be a worldwide leaderboard. Despite the lack of these features, Atari has come out swinging on Facebook through a massive overhaul to one of the most beloved retro games and transforming it into something relevant.
Click here to play Asteroids on Facebook Now>
Friday, January 13, 2012
Mafia Wars Missions feature adds character like Gang Busters
Mafia Wars Missions
Now that the Inventory Page overhaul has gone live for mobsters worldwide in Mafia Wars, how about adding a face to the otherwise sometimes mundane Jobs in the game? In fact, make that a lot of faces. Without notice, Zynga has introduced a new Missions feature to the game that not only streamlines the Jobs process in Italy and New York, but introduces new characters and possibly more purpose to your actions in the game as a result.
Appearing on players' home page directly above the recently introduced news reel, digital mobsters can click on either the Italy symbol or what looks like a file folder to access the Job they're currently on in Italy or New York, respectively. Clicking either icon a second time will cause a drop down box to appear containing the tasks you need to tackle for that chapter and the Boss you'll have to take out, if there is one. (There is almost always a Boss.) Additional information includes the Mastery Item you have to look forward to and a short blurb to the left from a character, egging you on to complete the task at hand.
But there's something odd about this new Missions feature. The Missions that it supplies you appear contextual, or based on your current progress in the game beyond mere Jobs. For instance, clicking on the file folder icon will not only remind you of Jobs that need to be completed in New York, but of other tasks like mastering a Job Tier or robbing more properties. These otherwise arbitrary actions will now reward players with extra cash, experience and loot if completed through the new Missions feature. It seems that Zynga is looking to give players new guidance in the game while streamlining the experience for veterans, giving them things to do beyond their normal routines. According to a blog post on the Mafia Wars Blog, this is only the beginning for the new and improved Mission in Mafia Wars, so stay tuned for any changes.
Now that the Inventory Page overhaul has gone live for mobsters worldwide in Mafia Wars, how about adding a face to the otherwise sometimes mundane Jobs in the game? In fact, make that a lot of faces. Without notice, Zynga has introduced a new Missions feature to the game that not only streamlines the Jobs process in Italy and New York, but introduces new characters and possibly more purpose to your actions in the game as a result.
Appearing on players' home page directly above the recently introduced news reel, digital mobsters can click on either the Italy symbol or what looks like a file folder to access the Job they're currently on in Italy or New York, respectively. Clicking either icon a second time will cause a drop down box to appear containing the tasks you need to tackle for that chapter and the Boss you'll have to take out, if there is one. (There is almost always a Boss.) Additional information includes the Mastery Item you have to look forward to and a short blurb to the left from a character, egging you on to complete the task at hand.
But there's something odd about this new Missions feature. The Missions that it supplies you appear contextual, or based on your current progress in the game beyond mere Jobs. For instance, clicking on the file folder icon will not only remind you of Jobs that need to be completed in New York, but of other tasks like mastering a Job Tier or robbing more properties. These otherwise arbitrary actions will now reward players with extra cash, experience and loot if completed through the new Missions feature. It seems that Zynga is looking to give players new guidance in the game while streamlining the experience for veterans, giving them things to do beyond their normal routines. According to a blog post on the Mafia Wars Blog, this is only the beginning for the new and improved Mission in Mafia Wars, so stay tuned for any changes.
Game of the Day: Snow Lemmings
Pump It
Music games are rare in the social gaming world and impressive ones are even more elusive, but Pump It on Facebook dishes out what techno fans (i.e. this guy right here) have craving for. Developed by French company MXP4, Pump It is an amalgamation of sorts between Dance Dance Revolution and the Simon electronic game by Milton Bradley, but without the stinky, quarter dropping nerds at the arcade and the need for a bulky device. Throw in some of today's most popular house, trance and hip hop artists and Pump It becomes a refreshing entry into the emerging world of music games on Facebook.
Find more of our trance-induced thoughts on Pump It after the break.
Pump It Main Menu
Before we say anything, let's get one thing out of the way. Pump It is damned hard to find on Facebook. Simply searching either "Pump It" or "MXP4" through Facebook turns up nothing. After doing some intense digging, you'll find Pump It through one of four applications: "Tiësto, Play with it!," "David Guetta, Play with it!," "Lloyd Banks, Play with it!" and "Ministry of Sound, Play with it!" While we do have kind words for the game of Pump It, this needs to be fixed by MXP4 as soon as possible. Quite frankly, it makes absolutely no sense to have the game appear within four different applications for each of the game's four initial artists.
After choosing one of the four artists Pump It--recently released in public beta--currently has to offer, you'll be able to either invite your friends to the game (more on that later) or choose a difficulty. Trust us, go with "Easy" on your first attempt as there a mildly steep learning curve. The game begins as soon as the track does, with what appears to be a speaker as the playing field. In rhythm with the song, purple, blue, pink and orange lights will begin to travel to the center of the speaker within each of its four quadrants. In order to keep the song going, all you need to do is move your mouse into the quadrant that is currently glowing before the beam of light reaches the center.
Pump It Points
No clicking or exact timing is required to successfully score on a beat. Your mouse just needs to be positioned over the quadrant when the light hits the center to score points. However, later on precision will matter as lights begin to appear in multiple quadrants at once, forcing you to discern the correct timing based on their position in reference to the center. The general rule of thumb in Pump It is to always move your mouse to the light that's closest to the center to ensure you're keeping time. Successfully timing a beat correctly in one quadrant five times in a row will double the points scored for good timing in that quadrant until you lose the beat, which will become quite often in the harder difficulties at first. Scoring the bonus in all four quadrants will reward players with an extra 10 thousand points.
Alright, we lied when we said no clicking is required. Keeping a successful chain of 50 consecutive beats will fill up a meter in the center. Once it fills completely, you'll be prompted to "Pump It," hence the name. Clicking on the button before the meter runs out will multiply your score for a time and boost what MXP4 calls Crowd Energy, which serves as a multiplier as well. It becomes a challenge to balance "pumping it" with maintaining your bonuses in more difficult songs, making Pump It one of the more demanding social games out there--certainly refreshing amongst the legion of simulator games.
There isn't much of a social element to Pump It outside of challenging friends and posting your scores, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just look at the PopCap approach with games like Bejeweled Blitz and now Zuma Blitz and you'll see how effective it can be. Throw in unlockable tracks through repeat plays and the occasional contest for singed albums and merchandise and Pump It becomes one roaring social game in more ways than one.
Click here to play Tiesto Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play David Guetta Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play Lloyd Banks Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play Ministry of Sound Pump It on Facebook>a
Another day and another game - the game of the day rolls on. Today's game is Snow Lemmings - a game where you control a giant snowball and try to grow it as large as you can. Save as many snow lemmings as you can in the fastest time. Collect snow lemmings, snowmen and snow mounds. Collect five baby lemmings to spawn a Momma Lemming. Avoid Obstacles such as trees and boulders.
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.
Play Snow Lemmings Now -->
Music games are rare in the social gaming world and impressive ones are even more elusive, but Pump It on Facebook dishes out what techno fans (i.e. this guy right here) have craving for. Developed by French company MXP4, Pump It is an amalgamation of sorts between Dance Dance Revolution and the Simon electronic game by Milton Bradley, but without the stinky, quarter dropping nerds at the arcade and the need for a bulky device. Throw in some of today's most popular house, trance and hip hop artists and Pump It becomes a refreshing entry into the emerging world of music games on Facebook.
Find more of our trance-induced thoughts on Pump It after the break.
Pump It Main Menu
Before we say anything, let's get one thing out of the way. Pump It is damned hard to find on Facebook. Simply searching either "Pump It" or "MXP4" through Facebook turns up nothing. After doing some intense digging, you'll find Pump It through one of four applications: "Tiësto, Play with it!," "David Guetta, Play with it!," "Lloyd Banks, Play with it!" and "Ministry of Sound, Play with it!" While we do have kind words for the game of Pump It, this needs to be fixed by MXP4 as soon as possible. Quite frankly, it makes absolutely no sense to have the game appear within four different applications for each of the game's four initial artists.
After choosing one of the four artists Pump It--recently released in public beta--currently has to offer, you'll be able to either invite your friends to the game (more on that later) or choose a difficulty. Trust us, go with "Easy" on your first attempt as there a mildly steep learning curve. The game begins as soon as the track does, with what appears to be a speaker as the playing field. In rhythm with the song, purple, blue, pink and orange lights will begin to travel to the center of the speaker within each of its four quadrants. In order to keep the song going, all you need to do is move your mouse into the quadrant that is currently glowing before the beam of light reaches the center.
Pump It Points
No clicking or exact timing is required to successfully score on a beat. Your mouse just needs to be positioned over the quadrant when the light hits the center to score points. However, later on precision will matter as lights begin to appear in multiple quadrants at once, forcing you to discern the correct timing based on their position in reference to the center. The general rule of thumb in Pump It is to always move your mouse to the light that's closest to the center to ensure you're keeping time. Successfully timing a beat correctly in one quadrant five times in a row will double the points scored for good timing in that quadrant until you lose the beat, which will become quite often in the harder difficulties at first. Scoring the bonus in all four quadrants will reward players with an extra 10 thousand points.
Alright, we lied when we said no clicking is required. Keeping a successful chain of 50 consecutive beats will fill up a meter in the center. Once it fills completely, you'll be prompted to "Pump It," hence the name. Clicking on the button before the meter runs out will multiply your score for a time and boost what MXP4 calls Crowd Energy, which serves as a multiplier as well. It becomes a challenge to balance "pumping it" with maintaining your bonuses in more difficult songs, making Pump It one of the more demanding social games out there--certainly refreshing amongst the legion of simulator games.
There isn't much of a social element to Pump It outside of challenging friends and posting your scores, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just look at the PopCap approach with games like Bejeweled Blitz and now Zuma Blitz and you'll see how effective it can be. Throw in unlockable tracks through repeat plays and the occasional contest for singed albums and merchandise and Pump It becomes one roaring social game in more ways than one.
Click here to play Tiesto Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play David Guetta Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play Lloyd Banks Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play Ministry of Sound Pump It on Facebook>a
Another day and another game - the game of the day rolls on. Today's game is Snow Lemmings - a game where you control a giant snowball and try to grow it as large as you can. Save as many snow lemmings as you can in the fastest time. Collect snow lemmings, snowmen and snow mounds. Collect five baby lemmings to spawn a Momma Lemming. Avoid Obstacles such as trees and boulders.
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.
Play Snow Lemmings Now -->
Facebook thumps to Tiesto, Ministry of Sound and more with Pump It
Pump It
Music games are rare in the social gaming world and impressive ones are even more elusive, but Pump It on Facebook dishes out what techno fans (i.e. this guy right here) have craving for. Developed by French company MXP4, Pump It is an amalgamation of sorts between Dance Dance Revolution and the Simon electronic game by Milton Bradley, but without the stinky, quarter dropping nerds at the arcade and the need for a bulky device. Throw in some of today's most popular house, trance and hip hop artists and Pump It becomes a refreshing entry into the emerging world of music games on Facebook.
Find more of our trance-induced thoughts on Pump It after the break.
Pump It Main Menu
Before we say anything, let's get one thing out of the way. Pump It is damned hard to find on Facebook. Simply searching either "Pump It" or "MXP4" through Facebook turns up nothing. After doing some intense digging, you'll find Pump It through one of four applications: "Tiësto, Play with it!," "David Guetta, Play with it!," "Lloyd Banks, Play with it!" and "Ministry of Sound, Play with it!" While we do have kind words for the game of Pump It, this needs to be fixed by MXP4 as soon as possible. Quite frankly, it makes absolutely no sense to have the game appear within four different applications for each of the game's four initial artists.
After choosing one of the four artists Pump It--recently released in public beta--currently has to offer, you'll be able to either invite your friends to the game (more on that later) or choose a difficulty. Trust us, go with "Easy" on your first attempt as there a mildly steep learning curve. The game begins as soon as the track does, with what appears to be a speaker as the playing field. In rhythm with the song, purple, blue, pink and orange lights will begin to travel to the center of the speaker within each of its four quadrants. In order to keep the song going, all you need to do is move your mouse into the quadrant that is currently glowing before the beam of light reaches the center.
Pump It Points
No clicking or exact timing is required to successfully score on a beat. Your mouse just needs to be positioned over the quadrant when the light hits the center to score points. However, later on precision will matter as lights begin to appear in multiple quadrants at once, forcing you to discern the correct timing based on their position in reference to the center. The general rule of thumb in Pump It is to always move your mouse to the light that's closest to the center to ensure you're keeping time. Successfully timing a beat correctly in one quadrant five times in a row will double the points scored for good timing in that quadrant until you lose the beat, which will become quite often in the harder difficulties at first. Scoring the bonus in all four quadrants will reward players with an extra 10 thousand points.
Alright, we lied when we said no clicking is required. Keeping a successful chain of 50 consecutive beats will fill up a meter in the center. Once it fills completely, you'll be prompted to "Pump It," hence the name. Clicking on the button before the meter runs out will multiply your score for a time and boost what MXP4 calls Crowd Energy, which serves as a multiplier as well. It becomes a challenge to balance "pumping it" with maintaining your bonuses in more difficult songs, making Pump It one of the more demanding social games out there--certainly refreshing amongst the legion of simulator games.
There isn't much of a social element to Pump It outside of challenging friends and posting your scores, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just look at the PopCap approach with games like Bejeweled Blitz and now Zuma Blitz and you'll see how effective it can be. Throw in unlockable tracks through repeat plays and the occasional contest for singed albums and merchandise and Pump It becomes one roaring social game in more ways than one.
Click here to play Tiesto Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play David Guetta Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play Lloyd Banks Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play Ministry of Sound Pump It on Facebook>
Music games are rare in the social gaming world and impressive ones are even more elusive, but Pump It on Facebook dishes out what techno fans (i.e. this guy right here) have craving for. Developed by French company MXP4, Pump It is an amalgamation of sorts between Dance Dance Revolution and the Simon electronic game by Milton Bradley, but without the stinky, quarter dropping nerds at the arcade and the need for a bulky device. Throw in some of today's most popular house, trance and hip hop artists and Pump It becomes a refreshing entry into the emerging world of music games on Facebook.
Find more of our trance-induced thoughts on Pump It after the break.
Pump It Main Menu
Before we say anything, let's get one thing out of the way. Pump It is damned hard to find on Facebook. Simply searching either "Pump It" or "MXP4" through Facebook turns up nothing. After doing some intense digging, you'll find Pump It through one of four applications: "Tiësto, Play with it!," "David Guetta, Play with it!," "Lloyd Banks, Play with it!" and "Ministry of Sound, Play with it!" While we do have kind words for the game of Pump It, this needs to be fixed by MXP4 as soon as possible. Quite frankly, it makes absolutely no sense to have the game appear within four different applications for each of the game's four initial artists.
After choosing one of the four artists Pump It--recently released in public beta--currently has to offer, you'll be able to either invite your friends to the game (more on that later) or choose a difficulty. Trust us, go with "Easy" on your first attempt as there a mildly steep learning curve. The game begins as soon as the track does, with what appears to be a speaker as the playing field. In rhythm with the song, purple, blue, pink and orange lights will begin to travel to the center of the speaker within each of its four quadrants. In order to keep the song going, all you need to do is move your mouse into the quadrant that is currently glowing before the beam of light reaches the center.
Pump It Points
No clicking or exact timing is required to successfully score on a beat. Your mouse just needs to be positioned over the quadrant when the light hits the center to score points. However, later on precision will matter as lights begin to appear in multiple quadrants at once, forcing you to discern the correct timing based on their position in reference to the center. The general rule of thumb in Pump It is to always move your mouse to the light that's closest to the center to ensure you're keeping time. Successfully timing a beat correctly in one quadrant five times in a row will double the points scored for good timing in that quadrant until you lose the beat, which will become quite often in the harder difficulties at first. Scoring the bonus in all four quadrants will reward players with an extra 10 thousand points.
Alright, we lied when we said no clicking is required. Keeping a successful chain of 50 consecutive beats will fill up a meter in the center. Once it fills completely, you'll be prompted to "Pump It," hence the name. Clicking on the button before the meter runs out will multiply your score for a time and boost what MXP4 calls Crowd Energy, which serves as a multiplier as well. It becomes a challenge to balance "pumping it" with maintaining your bonuses in more difficult songs, making Pump It one of the more demanding social games out there--certainly refreshing amongst the legion of simulator games.
There isn't much of a social element to Pump It outside of challenging friends and posting your scores, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Just look at the PopCap approach with games like Bejeweled Blitz and now Zuma Blitz and you'll see how effective it can be. Throw in unlockable tracks through repeat plays and the occasional contest for singed albums and merchandise and Pump It becomes one roaring social game in more ways than one.
Click here to play Tiesto Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play David Guetta Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play Lloyd Banks Pump It on Facebook>
Click here to play Ministry of Sound Pump It on Facebook>
FrontierVille Flash Mob Party: 50 Horseshoes, five winners, be there
Flash Mob Party
Just before most of us take a long weekend for Christmas, Zynga will be throwing a Flash Mob. Alright, don't freak out. Not literally, but on the FrontierVille forums. Starting tomorrow at 11 a.m. PST sharp, a forum thread will open up on the FrontierVille forums for yet another Flash Mob Party trivia contest. A Zynga community manager will ask five sets of questions to you, the freakishly-knowledgeable pioneers, for a chance at one of five stashes of 50 Horseshoes. The first player to answer a set of questions correctly will win.
Do you have the mental fortitude, or strangely large amount of homestead facts memorized, to become a FrontierVille Master? Stay tuned to the forums tomorrow, have that FrontierVille Wiki page open and F5 key firmly underneath your fingertip for when this Flash Mob overtakes the FrontierVille forums at 3 p.m. EST.
Just before most of us take a long weekend for Christmas, Zynga will be throwing a Flash Mob. Alright, don't freak out. Not literally, but on the FrontierVille forums. Starting tomorrow at 11 a.m. PST sharp, a forum thread will open up on the FrontierVille forums for yet another Flash Mob Party trivia contest. A Zynga community manager will ask five sets of questions to you, the freakishly-knowledgeable pioneers, for a chance at one of five stashes of 50 Horseshoes. The first player to answer a set of questions correctly will win.
Do you have the mental fortitude, or strangely large amount of homestead facts memorized, to become a FrontierVille Master? Stay tuned to the forums tomorrow, have that FrontierVille Wiki page open and F5 key firmly underneath your fingertip for when this Flash Mob overtakes the FrontierVille forums at 3 p.m. EST.
FrontierVille Caroling Collection: Harvest things at random for success
Large WreathThat's the way to do it, folks. Along with the 12 Days of Christmas Goals in FrontierVille comes a brand new collection with absolutely no rhyme or reason. The Caroling Collection can be completed right now, but at the moment there is no solid information on how to better your chances at nabbing each item. Here are all five items that you'll essentially find at random:
Sheet Music
Tuning Fork
Caroling Candle
Hand Bell
Music Stand
With players reporting over on FrontierVille Wiki finding the items through almost every task imaginable from tending Neighbors' Pigs to collecting the Cabin Daily Bonus, we honestly can't say how exactly to complete this Collection. Though, finding all five items will reward you with one Large Wreath (pictured right) and 100 XP. Considering its random nature, we imagine this Collection will only be around for a limited time. So, erm, go about your business as usual and the Caroling Collection should be yours... eventually.
Sheet Music
Tuning Fork
Caroling Candle
Hand Bell
Music Stand
With players reporting over on FrontierVille Wiki finding the items through almost every task imaginable from tending Neighbors' Pigs to collecting the Cabin Daily Bonus, we honestly can't say how exactly to complete this Collection. Though, finding all five items will reward you with one Large Wreath (pictured right) and 100 XP. Considering its random nature, we imagine this Collection will only be around for a limited time. So, erm, go about your business as usual and the Caroling Collection should be yours... eventually.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
CW's The Vampire Diaries series now a 'fang-tastic' Facebook game
Launched today, The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In follows the heels of BBC's announcement for Being Human, another popular supernatural drama set to become a Facebook role-playing game.
The CW's The Vampire Diaries (adapted from a novel series by L.J. Smith of the same name) is a show about a female high schooler's romantic entanglements with two vampire brothers and the mysterious events surrounding their town.
Fans of the show can now visit Mystic Falls anytime instead of just Thursday nights, thanks to developer Arkadium and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Though Arkadium is best known for creating Mahjongg Dimensions and bringing Cooking Mama to Facebook, they've done work for The CW before, producing a Facebook game for the hit teen drama, Gossip Girl.
Gallery: The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In
Promising to draw upon "key plot lines," the game is currently divided into chapters, with eager fans having already completed chapter one and are now impatiently awaiting chapter two. When you begin, you're dropped into a fog in the middle of a dream, where you meet two of the show's three major characters--Elena and Damon. You get two item-fetching missions that are essentially a tutorial, then wake up to your first day at the Mystic Falls High School. An interactive map allows you to navigate the key parts of campus, your home, and the town, including the Mystic Grill restaurant. And while there's no voice acting, there's plenty of readable dialog and the music absolutely works to enhance the mood. It's all a very immersive experience.
The Vampire Diaries game map
Arkadium has clearly done its research. While I've not seen the series, the developer has created a game that completely indulges and rewards the most loyal fans while crafting enough intrigue to not alienate the random player who wanders in. The ultimate indulgence for fans is the mini-game "Mystic Trivia," which you can only pass if you have arcane knowledge of events in the show, such as, "Who is the warlock Bonnie flirts with, then messes with in Season 2?" or "What is the color of Damon's eyes?" This Facebook rendition of Vampire Diaries is clearly aimed at the lovestruck fan girls out there.
And speaking of fan girls, the game will know if you're male or female and tailor certain missions to you accordingly. In one mission, female players are sent to the cheerleading squad tryouts, while male players are sent to the football team. Though when you begin, no one asks what your gender is nor does the game ask you for a name. You're basically a cipher, and the characters in the game treat you as a student or a peer.
That the developers would allow such ambiguity is certainly worthy of notice. It'll be interesting, if there's more to it further down the road. Aside from trivia, there's a simple hidden object mechanic that takes up the bulk of the gameplay, followed by the "Mystic Pix" mini-game, which has you compare two screenshots of the show side-by-side.
The CW's The Vampire Diaries (adapted from a novel series by L.J. Smith of the same name) is a show about a female high schooler's romantic entanglements with two vampire brothers and the mysterious events surrounding their town.
Fans of the show can now visit Mystic Falls anytime instead of just Thursday nights, thanks to developer Arkadium and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Though Arkadium is best known for creating Mahjongg Dimensions and bringing Cooking Mama to Facebook, they've done work for The CW before, producing a Facebook game for the hit teen drama, Gossip Girl.
Gallery: The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In
Promising to draw upon "key plot lines," the game is currently divided into chapters, with eager fans having already completed chapter one and are now impatiently awaiting chapter two. When you begin, you're dropped into a fog in the middle of a dream, where you meet two of the show's three major characters--Elena and Damon. You get two item-fetching missions that are essentially a tutorial, then wake up to your first day at the Mystic Falls High School. An interactive map allows you to navigate the key parts of campus, your home, and the town, including the Mystic Grill restaurant. And while there's no voice acting, there's plenty of readable dialog and the music absolutely works to enhance the mood. It's all a very immersive experience.
The Vampire Diaries game map
Arkadium has clearly done its research. While I've not seen the series, the developer has created a game that completely indulges and rewards the most loyal fans while crafting enough intrigue to not alienate the random player who wanders in. The ultimate indulgence for fans is the mini-game "Mystic Trivia," which you can only pass if you have arcane knowledge of events in the show, such as, "Who is the warlock Bonnie flirts with, then messes with in Season 2?" or "What is the color of Damon's eyes?" This Facebook rendition of Vampire Diaries is clearly aimed at the lovestruck fan girls out there.
And speaking of fan girls, the game will know if you're male or female and tailor certain missions to you accordingly. In one mission, female players are sent to the cheerleading squad tryouts, while male players are sent to the football team. Though when you begin, no one asks what your gender is nor does the game ask you for a name. You're basically a cipher, and the characters in the game treat you as a student or a peer.
That the developers would allow such ambiguity is certainly worthy of notice. It'll be interesting, if there's more to it further down the road. Aside from trivia, there's a simple hidden object mechanic that takes up the bulk of the gameplay, followed by the "Mystic Pix" mini-game, which has you compare two screenshots of the show side-by-side.
FarmVille could crop up on the big screen, Toy Story writers say
Hey, if the Angry Birds are getting their own flick, why not? During an interview with IGN about their work on Skylanders: Spyro's Adventures, Toy Story writers Alec Sokolow and Joel Cohen hinted that they're in talks with Zynga about writing up a FarmVille movie, most likely for theaters. Of course, the writers didn't mention the mega popular farming simulator directly.
"So, yes, we will continue writing movies," Sokolow and Cohen told IGN. "We are also working on several new and very exciting opportunities. We're in conversations with Zynga to do something with one of their brands. Can't really say too much on that front yet, but 'Old MacDonald' didn't have a factory, if you get our drift."
That pretty much confirms it, but when contacted by IGN, the game developer declined to comment. That's most likely because no official announcement has been made regarding a film. (But we bet that some form of a press release is being written up right about now.)
You know, we normally cringe at the thought of a film based on a video game, much less on a game that has little to no action or plot. But we're cautiously confident, considering the writers behind one of the greatest animated films of all time are in on the potential project. Just forget about those ... other movies.
"So, yes, we will continue writing movies," Sokolow and Cohen told IGN. "We are also working on several new and very exciting opportunities. We're in conversations with Zynga to do something with one of their brands. Can't really say too much on that front yet, but 'Old MacDonald' didn't have a factory, if you get our drift."
That pretty much confirms it, but when contacted by IGN, the game developer declined to comment. That's most likely because no official announcement has been made regarding a film. (But we bet that some form of a press release is being written up right about now.)
You know, we normally cringe at the thought of a film based on a video game, much less on a game that has little to no action or plot. But we're cautiously confident, considering the writers behind one of the greatest animated films of all time are in on the potential project. Just forget about those ... other movies.
Facebook soccer sim Top Eleven gets even more serious in Version 2.0
Top Eleven Version 2.0
Seriously, if you're looking for a soccer (football, sorry) simulator that considers nearly every possibility, it seriously doesn't more serious than Top Eleven. If we've yet to drive home that this game by Serbian developer Nordeus is seriously deep, just check out some of the features that will hit Top Eleven when Version 2.0 hits on Oct. 10 ... seriously. In addition to already covering every tiny detail:
Training – the complete overhaul of the training mode now lets managers control every aspect of coaching their team. Decisions need to be made about which skills to focus a player on developing, how to balance the intensity of training with players physical condition, and whether to change a players career and train them for a new position
Club Finances – managers can now win more premium currency for free than ever before by strategically choosing sponsorships deals. They can sign a riskier deal linked the results of the team, or play it safe and gain tokens on a daily basis
New Interface – Top Eleven's sleek new look makes the game even easier to navigate and is built to update with new features in the future
"We've been working really hard over the last six months to get these new features built into the game," Nordeus CEO Branko Milutinović said in a release. "The early feedback we've got from our loyal BETA testers has been fantastic and helped us fine-tune the new features, ready for our millions of players. These changes make Top Eleven even more life-like by bringing in more decisions to keep managers thinking and on their toes."
Top Eleven training
With a game that takes such minute considerations (for fans, at least) and turns them into pivotal gameplay hooks, we can only imagine Top Eleven became the most popular sports game on Facebook because soccer fans are insanely meticulous at heart(?). Well, that and the fact that the game is available in about 27 languages. Oh, and soccer (well, football) is huge.
Seriously, if you're looking for a soccer (football, sorry) simulator that considers nearly every possibility, it seriously doesn't more serious than Top Eleven. If we've yet to drive home that this game by Serbian developer Nordeus is seriously deep, just check out some of the features that will hit Top Eleven when Version 2.0 hits on Oct. 10 ... seriously. In addition to already covering every tiny detail:
Training – the complete overhaul of the training mode now lets managers control every aspect of coaching their team. Decisions need to be made about which skills to focus a player on developing, how to balance the intensity of training with players physical condition, and whether to change a players career and train them for a new position
Club Finances – managers can now win more premium currency for free than ever before by strategically choosing sponsorships deals. They can sign a riskier deal linked the results of the team, or play it safe and gain tokens on a daily basis
New Interface – Top Eleven's sleek new look makes the game even easier to navigate and is built to update with new features in the future
"We've been working really hard over the last six months to get these new features built into the game," Nordeus CEO Branko Milutinović said in a release. "The early feedback we've got from our loyal BETA testers has been fantastic and helped us fine-tune the new features, ready for our millions of players. These changes make Top Eleven even more life-like by bringing in more decisions to keep managers thinking and on their toes."
Top Eleven training
With a game that takes such minute considerations (for fans, at least) and turns them into pivotal gameplay hooks, we can only imagine Top Eleven became the most popular sports game on Facebook because soccer fans are insanely meticulous at heart(?). Well, that and the fact that the game is available in about 27 languages. Oh, and soccer (well, football) is huge.
Masters of Mystery hits Facebook as, yes, another hidden-object game
Masters of Mystery Online
At this point, we're surprised I Spy hasn't hit Facebook yet. Canadian developer Big Blue Bubble announced that its Masters of Mystery series has hit Facebook in a brand new, aptly-named game, Masters of Mystery: Online. The game takes a look at the stereotypical gritty world of a beat cop-turned-private investigator as he attempts to uncover the truth behind a murder case.
More specifically, a model is found killed in the apartment of a prominent fashion designer, and it's up to you to figure out, well, whodunnit' through--what else?--hidden object gameplay. According to a release, the plot will only unfurl as you add more friends to your list of helpers, and for fans of the franchise, some familiar characters will return to help you.
Masters of Mystery Online Gameplay
Players are scored for how quickly they find the objects listed across four chapters and 24 levels. From the currency you'll earn by performing well in the game's several stages, you can outfit your office with decorations for friends to check out. Of course, there will be daily rewards to collect and weekly content updates of new quests, as well as achievements for special milestones.
Sure, it's another hidden-object game, but that genre is arguably new on Facebook, surprisingly enough. If you've had your fill of the ornate, historic scenery of Facebook's top hidden-object game, Gardens of Time, then maybe it's time to put your police cap on. The game currently welcomes a whopping 47 players, but give it a break--it's 100 percent fresh.
At this point, we're surprised I Spy hasn't hit Facebook yet. Canadian developer Big Blue Bubble announced that its Masters of Mystery series has hit Facebook in a brand new, aptly-named game, Masters of Mystery: Online. The game takes a look at the stereotypical gritty world of a beat cop-turned-private investigator as he attempts to uncover the truth behind a murder case.
More specifically, a model is found killed in the apartment of a prominent fashion designer, and it's up to you to figure out, well, whodunnit' through--what else?--hidden object gameplay. According to a release, the plot will only unfurl as you add more friends to your list of helpers, and for fans of the franchise, some familiar characters will return to help you.
Masters of Mystery Online Gameplay
Players are scored for how quickly they find the objects listed across four chapters and 24 levels. From the currency you'll earn by performing well in the game's several stages, you can outfit your office with decorations for friends to check out. Of course, there will be daily rewards to collect and weekly content updates of new quests, as well as achievements for special milestones.
Sure, it's another hidden-object game, but that genre is arguably new on Facebook, surprisingly enough. If you've had your fill of the ornate, historic scenery of Facebook's top hidden-object game, Gardens of Time, then maybe it's time to put your police cap on. The game currently welcomes a whopping 47 players, but give it a break--it's 100 percent fresh.
Crysis maker Crytek looks to support Flash (and Facebook gaming?)
No matter what way you slice it, Facebook games are about to get intense. Crytek, German creator of technologically-demanding and critically-acclaimed PC games like Crysis (pictured), revealed that it's looking into Flash support for its CryEngine game creation tech.
Edge reports that the developer will announce a "truly cross-platform solution" in the near future. More importantly, it will include support for Adobe's upcoming Flash Player 11, the next version of the technology found running beneath almost all Facebook games.
Referring to Gears of War creator Epic Games's recent announcement that its Unreal Engine 3 now supports Flash Player 11, Crytek director of global business development Carl Jones told Edge, "It is an interesting approach we've been investigating as well. We're developing a unifying technology to create high quality social and gaming experiences on all platforms including browser, smartphones, tablets, etc." In other words, it might not be long before social gamers see near-Crysis-level graphics in their Facebook Canvas.
Given this new found competition on the high-end Flash games front, it's all but certain that these type of games will hit Facebook. Facebook is one of the most popular destinations for Flash-based games. More importantly, if you're to believe recent studies, the number of hardcore gamers on Facebook is steadily increasing. Prepare for far more explosions in your Facebook games.
Edge reports that the developer will announce a "truly cross-platform solution" in the near future. More importantly, it will include support for Adobe's upcoming Flash Player 11, the next version of the technology found running beneath almost all Facebook games.
Referring to Gears of War creator Epic Games's recent announcement that its Unreal Engine 3 now supports Flash Player 11, Crytek director of global business development Carl Jones told Edge, "It is an interesting approach we've been investigating as well. We're developing a unifying technology to create high quality social and gaming experiences on all platforms including browser, smartphones, tablets, etc." In other words, it might not be long before social gamers see near-Crysis-level graphics in their Facebook Canvas.
Given this new found competition on the high-end Flash games front, it's all but certain that these type of games will hit Facebook. Facebook is one of the most popular destinations for Flash-based games. More importantly, if you're to believe recent studies, the number of hardcore gamers on Facebook is steadily increasing. Prepare for far more explosions in your Facebook games.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
FarmVille: Wall posts now only show to active farmers, so post away!
In a recent update, Zynga has pushed through a change in the way news feed or wall post items work in FarmVille. Previously, anyone who had installed FarmVille on their account (whether they were still playing or not) would see these news feed posts, offering up any number of free goodies in the game.
As any farmer can tell you, these wall posts are great, as it helps you earn items that you may not be able to earn anywhere else, but are, obviously, only useful and interesting if you actually play the game. That being the case, Zynga has changes this so that now, when you publish something to the public news feed, it will only be shown to active farmers - those farmers that regularly play the game, and would therefore get something out of those posts. Those farmers that haven't played for some time (no exact time limit was given), or those users that don't play the game at all won't see a thing.
What does this mean in the grand scheme of things? First and foremost, it means that if you are in the habit of posting each and every item that you're allowed to, you no longer have to worry about spamming friends that simply don't care about the game anymore - so post away! If your friends choose not to play the game, eventually they too will fall into the hidden category, and all will remain well in the world of spam and FarmVille news feed posts.
Now, if we can only get Zynga to do something about gift requests as well... but I guess that's for another time.
As any farmer can tell you, these wall posts are great, as it helps you earn items that you may not be able to earn anywhere else, but are, obviously, only useful and interesting if you actually play the game. That being the case, Zynga has changes this so that now, when you publish something to the public news feed, it will only be shown to active farmers - those farmers that regularly play the game, and would therefore get something out of those posts. Those farmers that haven't played for some time (no exact time limit was given), or those users that don't play the game at all won't see a thing.
What does this mean in the grand scheme of things? First and foremost, it means that if you are in the habit of posting each and every item that you're allowed to, you no longer have to worry about spamming friends that simply don't care about the game anymore - so post away! If your friends choose not to play the game, eventually they too will fall into the hidden category, and all will remain well in the world of spam and FarmVille news feed posts.
Now, if we can only get Zynga to do something about gift requests as well... but I guess that's for another time.
FarmVille Limited Time Crop: Fire & Ice Roses
Released for the first time last year, the Fire & Roses crop has made a comeback to FarmVille in time for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday. As you might expect, this re-release of the Fire & Ice Roses is only for a limited time, with users having 27 days to plant and harvest as many of them as they'd like.
The Fire & Ice Roses can be purchased for 100 coins per square, and are ready to harvest in eight hours. Harvested Fire & Ice Roses offer 190 coins in return, and you'll earn 2 experience points for each of the roses that you plant. For those with really good memories, this is a complete overhaul of the crop's stats from last Valentine's Day, as they cost more to plant last year, took longer to grow, and gave off more experience points in the process.
These lovely roses (arguably the prettiest flower in the game) can be mastered, with the first star of mastery being earned after 650 harvests. Remember, there is another limited edition crop currently in the store, in the form of the Goji Berries, so if you're the kind that likes to master all limited edition crops, plan your time accordingly to have enough time to master both before they expire from the store.
The Fire & Ice Roses can be purchased for 100 coins per square, and are ready to harvest in eight hours. Harvested Fire & Ice Roses offer 190 coins in return, and you'll earn 2 experience points for each of the roses that you plant. For those with really good memories, this is a complete overhaul of the crop's stats from last Valentine's Day, as they cost more to plant last year, took longer to grow, and gave off more experience points in the process.
These lovely roses (arguably the prettiest flower in the game) can be mastered, with the first star of mastery being earned after 650 harvests. Remember, there is another limited edition crop currently in the store, in the form of the Goji Berries, so if you're the kind that likes to master all limited edition crops, plan your time accordingly to have enough time to master both before they expire from the store.
FarmVille Valentine Trees: Giant Bubblegum and Pink Bubblegum Trees
As we showed you a few days ago in a FarmVille Sneak Peek, Zynga has been hard at work on some limited edition trees that are now part of the new Valentine's Day theme in the game. These two trees are mostly alike, except in size (and therefore price).
The two trees are the Giant Bubblegum tree and the Pink Bubblegum tree. The Pink Bubblegum tree, being the smaller of the two, costs just 5 Farm Cash, while the Giant Bubblegum tree costs 30 Farm Cash. It's likely that the Pink Bubblegum tree is the level 1 tree in this equation, and that you'll be able to earn Giant Bubblegum trees will show up as Mystery Seedlings from these when placed in Orchards. This hasn't been confirmed, but we'll let you know if it turns out otherwise.
Both trees come with the same stats, aside from price. You'll earn 15 experience points for purchasing each of them, and you'll be able to harvest them every two days to earn 150 coins in the process. They will both only be available to purchase in the store for the next five days.
The two trees are the Giant Bubblegum tree and the Pink Bubblegum tree. The Pink Bubblegum tree, being the smaller of the two, costs just 5 Farm Cash, while the Giant Bubblegum tree costs 30 Farm Cash. It's likely that the Pink Bubblegum tree is the level 1 tree in this equation, and that you'll be able to earn Giant Bubblegum trees will show up as Mystery Seedlings from these when placed in Orchards. This hasn't been confirmed, but we'll let you know if it turns out otherwise.
Both trees come with the same stats, aside from price. You'll earn 15 experience points for purchasing each of them, and you'll be able to harvest them every two days to earn 150 coins in the process. They will both only be available to purchase in the store for the next five days.
FarmVille Valentine's Day Animals: Valentine Cow & Valentine Duck
As part of tonight's official introduction of the Valentine's Day theme in FarmVille, we see the launch of two new (and incredibly adorable) heart-themed animals. We've brought you a sneak peek of these in the past, but it's great to see them finally available in the store.
The two animals are the Valentine Cow and the Valentine Duck. Both of these animals are premium, meaning that you'll have to be willing to spend some Farm Cash in order to add their lovely patterns to your farm - but who are we kidding? They're so cute, they can melt your heart even while staying in the store! The Valentine Cow costs 24 Farm Cash, and can be harvested once daily to earn 30 coins in the process, while the Valentine Duck costs 16 Farm Cash, and rewards you with 1600 experience points for your purchase. It can be harvested every two days for 45 coins each time.
Both of these animals will only be available in the game for the next 13 days, but since that doesn't even get us to Valentine's Day proper, you can expect to see many more Valentine's Day themed goodies released in the game in the meantime, and we'll be sure to let you know when they're available.
The two animals are the Valentine Cow and the Valentine Duck. Both of these animals are premium, meaning that you'll have to be willing to spend some Farm Cash in order to add their lovely patterns to your farm - but who are we kidding? They're so cute, they can melt your heart even while staying in the store! The Valentine Cow costs 24 Farm Cash, and can be harvested once daily to earn 30 coins in the process, while the Valentine Duck costs 16 Farm Cash, and rewards you with 1600 experience points for your purchase. It can be harvested every two days for 45 coins each time.
Both of these animals will only be available in the game for the next 13 days, but since that doesn't even get us to Valentine's Day proper, you can expect to see many more Valentine's Day themed goodies released in the game in the meantime, and we'll be sure to let you know when they're available.
FarmVille Mystery Game for 01/23/11: Valentine's Day items galore!
So, I've got some good news, and I've got some bad news when it comes to tonight's FarmVille update. For the good news, the Mystery Game has been restocked with new limited edition items, and the price has been lowered to the traditional 16 Farm Cash price. The bad news? What is arguably the best Valentine's Day item that we've seen so far - the Pink Unicorn - is only available as a "Rare" prize via the Mystery Game, rather than being available in the store.
As it stands, there are five other items available to win, in addition to the Pink Unicorn - here's the complete rundown of confirmed prizes:
Valentine Sheep - Common
Love Crow (scarecrow) - Common
Tunnel of Love (building) - Uncommon
Mandarin Pond - Uncommon
Pink Unicorn - Rare
Lavender Victorian (building) - Rare
As we said, this week's Mystery Game only costs 16 Farm Cash to purchase, which is actually a fantastic price, if you happen to win either of the Rare prizes. Whether or not 16 Farm Cash is worth a simple sheep or scarecrow though (granted, they are adorable) will be up to you.
This round of the FarmVille Mystery Game will be available for the next week, at which point Quacker's will update the game with a new round of items. Will they also be in the Valentine's Day theme? Only time will tell, but we'll make sure you're the first to know when the game updates.
As it stands, there are five other items available to win, in addition to the Pink Unicorn - here's the complete rundown of confirmed prizes:
Valentine Sheep - Common
Love Crow (scarecrow) - Common
Tunnel of Love (building) - Uncommon
Mandarin Pond - Uncommon
Pink Unicorn - Rare
Lavender Victorian (building) - Rare
As we said, this week's Mystery Game only costs 16 Farm Cash to purchase, which is actually a fantastic price, if you happen to win either of the Rare prizes. Whether or not 16 Farm Cash is worth a simple sheep or scarecrow though (granted, they are adorable) will be up to you.
This round of the FarmVille Mystery Game will be available for the next week, at which point Quacker's will update the game with a new round of items. Will they also be in the Valentine's Day theme? Only time will tell, but we'll make sure you're the first to know when the game updates.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Title Town Racing on Facebook: Weird, there's racing in this game
Facebook games like Title Town Football aren't exactly known for their faithfulness to the sport and neither is Gas Works Games' next addition to the franchise with Title Town Racing. However, it is a whole lot of fun. Of course, Title Town Racing is all about building a racing empire and creating the best racing venue, but what makes this Facebook game enjoyable is that it actually has a racing feature. Title Town Racing, while some might see it as just another simulator, has learned from its predecessor's mistakes by paying tribute to the sport that inspired it with a mildly fun mini game.
Players assume the role of owner of an entire racing franchise at the beginning of the game. Their mission is to take this dodgy little dirt lot and turn it into the next Indy 500 track. There are several sections of the racing venue to upgrade like the track itself, the garage in which you upgrade and repair cars and your front office. It'll cost a helluva lot of coins to upgrade all of these functional buildings, which you'll accrue over time from several sources like vendors on your track to, well, racing.
Management is boring
Look, I could spend hundreds of words detailing the litany of features in Title Town Racing, many of which are admittedly complex and, frankly, boring. So instead, how about I tell you what impresses me? Gas Works Games has finally embraced and delivered on what many seek from a sports Facebook game: At least a sliver of the feeling you would find competing in the actual sport. You're bored of maintaining your racing franchise. Tracking things like new drivers, licenses and how many nacho stands are producing on your track can become snore-inducing after some time.
So, click on the button on the bottom right corner of your game screen that reads, "Race." What a novel concept for a game to include a feature that's mentioned in its name. The races in Title Town Racing are little more than tests of your timing abilities, but that's also a huge part of the real deal, I'd imagine. Choose a friend to race against (some NPCs are provided to you at first) and start the engine.
Racing is fun
You will have to click the green button at specific times relative to what's happening on the right side of the screen whether it be trying to make a turn or shift gears at just the right time. Click too early and you won't score as many points, but click too late and you won't get any at all. Click at just the right time and you be awarded maximum points. Once the run is over, this total will be sent as a challenge to your friend. Yes, this mini game is asynchronous like most social games, meaning that you aren't racing your friend in real time. Regardless, it is surprisingly rewarding to get those clicks just right.
In fact, it's far more rewarding than maintaining yet another business. This little racing game is a fine way to break the necessary monotony of running a racing franchise. Better yet, you can score coins and fans from it. If not for this, Title Town Racing would have just been a re-skinning of a game that already exists. While surely some will find the management aspect of the game and its smoothly animated menus a pleasure, most will undoubtedly prefer going to the daily races.
Click here to play Title Town Racing on Facebook Now>
Have you tried this game on Facebook yet? What do you think of mini games like this once injected into games largely about maintaining properties?
Players assume the role of owner of an entire racing franchise at the beginning of the game. Their mission is to take this dodgy little dirt lot and turn it into the next Indy 500 track. There are several sections of the racing venue to upgrade like the track itself, the garage in which you upgrade and repair cars and your front office. It'll cost a helluva lot of coins to upgrade all of these functional buildings, which you'll accrue over time from several sources like vendors on your track to, well, racing.
Management is boring
Look, I could spend hundreds of words detailing the litany of features in Title Town Racing, many of which are admittedly complex and, frankly, boring. So instead, how about I tell you what impresses me? Gas Works Games has finally embraced and delivered on what many seek from a sports Facebook game: At least a sliver of the feeling you would find competing in the actual sport. You're bored of maintaining your racing franchise. Tracking things like new drivers, licenses and how many nacho stands are producing on your track can become snore-inducing after some time.
So, click on the button on the bottom right corner of your game screen that reads, "Race." What a novel concept for a game to include a feature that's mentioned in its name. The races in Title Town Racing are little more than tests of your timing abilities, but that's also a huge part of the real deal, I'd imagine. Choose a friend to race against (some NPCs are provided to you at first) and start the engine.
Racing is fun
You will have to click the green button at specific times relative to what's happening on the right side of the screen whether it be trying to make a turn or shift gears at just the right time. Click too early and you won't score as many points, but click too late and you won't get any at all. Click at just the right time and you be awarded maximum points. Once the run is over, this total will be sent as a challenge to your friend. Yes, this mini game is asynchronous like most social games, meaning that you aren't racing your friend in real time. Regardless, it is surprisingly rewarding to get those clicks just right.
In fact, it's far more rewarding than maintaining yet another business. This little racing game is a fine way to break the necessary monotony of running a racing franchise. Better yet, you can score coins and fans from it. If not for this, Title Town Racing would have just been a re-skinning of a game that already exists. While surely some will find the management aspect of the game and its smoothly animated menus a pleasure, most will undoubtedly prefer going to the daily races.
Click here to play Title Town Racing on Facebook Now>
Have you tried this game on Facebook yet? What do you think of mini games like this once injected into games largely about maintaining properties?
Firefox slowing FarmVille, Facebook games down? Try this quick fix
Facebook games are notorious for running like absolute junk at times. (I'm looking at you, FrontierVille.) Thankfully, our friends at Download Squad have found a potential fix to the problem with the help of Lifehacker. Well, at least while running the games in Firefox. According to Download Squad, Firefox takes a snapshot of all the browser tabs you have open every ten seconds so that in the event of a crash, or accidentally closing the browser, your tabs will be restored. Oddly enough, this is actually pretty taxing on Firefox's resources, and harvesting your 10 thousand strawberries in FarmVille doesn't help.
But you can alleviate the problem without shutting off this useful feature entirely--just change how often it saves your tabs. Here's the way to do it from Switched:
To do this, type about:config into Firefox's address bar, then in the filter box enter browser.sessionstore.interval. The default value is 10000, which is the number of milliseconds between snapshots. Setting the number to 120000 lengthens the period to two minutes, a more reasonable but still useful period. Of course, you can set it to whatever you want, as long as you keep in mind that you're dealing with milliseconds.
In other words, just change the number and Firefox should be able to handle intense games like Zuma Blitz even better than before. However, this only works for games that were created in Flash. If you're having trouble running a game like PGA Tour on Facebook, that might be an issue with your video card's age considering it runs on a 3D engine. In the event that your computer can't run a 3D browser game, I'd say it's time for an upgrade.
[Via PopCap]
[Image Credit: Meme Generator]
Did this fix work to make your games run faster? What tips or tricks do you have to make Facebook games run more smoothly?
But you can alleviate the problem without shutting off this useful feature entirely--just change how often it saves your tabs. Here's the way to do it from Switched:
To do this, type about:config into Firefox's address bar, then in the filter box enter browser.sessionstore.interval. The default value is 10000, which is the number of milliseconds between snapshots. Setting the number to 120000 lengthens the period to two minutes, a more reasonable but still useful period. Of course, you can set it to whatever you want, as long as you keep in mind that you're dealing with milliseconds.
In other words, just change the number and Firefox should be able to handle intense games like Zuma Blitz even better than before. However, this only works for games that were created in Flash. If you're having trouble running a game like PGA Tour on Facebook, that might be an issue with your video card's age considering it runs on a 3D engine. In the event that your computer can't run a 3D browser game, I'd say it's time for an upgrade.
[Via PopCap]
[Image Credit: Meme Generator]
Did this fix work to make your games run faster? What tips or tricks do you have to make Facebook games run more smoothly?
PopCap launches Bejeweled Blitz LIVE on XBLA with blazing speed
Consider your Xbox 360 assimilated. PopCap announced today that the company has launched Bejeweled Blitz LIVE on Xbox Live Arcade. The game costs 800 Microsoft Points, or $10 USD, and is essentially Bejeweled Blitz without the Facebook connectivity. However, the game does make liberal use of Xbox Live, allowing 16 players at once to compete in 60-second matches. You can also battle your friends one-on-one on the same console or over Xbox Live. The question is: Will your Xbox Live friends be as impressed by your Bejeweled score as your Facebook friends? Check out our preview of Bejeweled Blitz LIVE before rushing to the Xbox Game Marketplace and decide for yourself.
[Image Credit: PopCap]
Have you tried Bejeweled Blitz on Xbox 360 yet? What PopCap game would you like to see on consoles next?
[Image Credit: PopCap]
Have you tried Bejeweled Blitz on Xbox 360 yet? What PopCap game would you like to see on consoles next?
Mafia Wars: Zynga, Digital Chocolate finally settle trademark lawsuit
After Millionaire City creator Digital Chocolate filed suit against Zynga in Aug. 2010 for trademark infringement involving the Mafia Wars brand, the dispute has at last been settled, Gamasutra reports. However, the settlement amount nor the terms have been disclosed. Interestingly enough, the Mafia Wars name still appears to be under Zynga control as the game has yet to undergo any changes.
In the lawsuit filed last year, Digital Chocolate said it released a Mafia Wars mobile game way back in 2004 along with three sequels through 2009, according to Gamasutra. This was three years before Zynga came around and four before the company's Mafia Wars was released. The company says it sent a notice to Zynga in 2009 demanding that it stop using the Mafia Wars moniker.
"Through duplicity and bad faith, Zynga has effectively hijacked the Mafia Wars mark from Digital Chocolate and is aggressively marketing its games under the Mafia Wars mark to Digital Chocolate's substantial detriment," said the firm in documents filed with California's Northern District Court, according to Gamasutra.
Digital Chocolate hit Zynga with several charges including federal/common law trademark infringement, federal/state/common law unfair competition, false designation of origin, and cyber-squatting, Gamasutra reports. However, the company appears largely unscathed--at least it does on the outside. Keep in mind that this is far from the first time Zynga has been the target of a lawsuit.
This gives even better reason to ask this question: Is Zynga constantly the victim of legal attacks because it's simply something that comes with being a mulit-billion company or does it have more to do with its methods? If anything, this goes to show how intense the social games business has become in more ways than one.
[Source: The Recorder]
What do you think went on behind the scenes during this settlement? How does this news make you feel about Zynga's game-creation process?
In the lawsuit filed last year, Digital Chocolate said it released a Mafia Wars mobile game way back in 2004 along with three sequels through 2009, according to Gamasutra. This was three years before Zynga came around and four before the company's Mafia Wars was released. The company says it sent a notice to Zynga in 2009 demanding that it stop using the Mafia Wars moniker.
"Through duplicity and bad faith, Zynga has effectively hijacked the Mafia Wars mark from Digital Chocolate and is aggressively marketing its games under the Mafia Wars mark to Digital Chocolate's substantial detriment," said the firm in documents filed with California's Northern District Court, according to Gamasutra.
Digital Chocolate hit Zynga with several charges including federal/common law trademark infringement, federal/state/common law unfair competition, false designation of origin, and cyber-squatting, Gamasutra reports. However, the company appears largely unscathed--at least it does on the outside. Keep in mind that this is far from the first time Zynga has been the target of a lawsuit.
This gives even better reason to ask this question: Is Zynga constantly the victim of legal attacks because it's simply something that comes with being a mulit-billion company or does it have more to do with its methods? If anything, this goes to show how intense the social games business has become in more ways than one.
[Source: The Recorder]
What do you think went on behind the scenes during this settlement? How does this news make you feel about Zynga's game-creation process?
CityVille promises new neighbors will be 'friends with benefits'
CityVille on Facebook wants you to find new friends. Ya know... friends with benefits. Starting now, when you visit a friend for the first time, you'll get a few extras that include: 5 bonus energy, 10 bonus XP and 300 bonus coins. Not a bad incentive if you've been slacking on finding new neighbors. After all, with 95 million people playing Zynga's city-building game every month, there's plenty of new friends to go around.
cityville friends with benefits
Looking for a few new neighbors (i.e. friends with benefits) in CityVille?
cityville friends with benefits
Looking for a few new neighbors (i.e. friends with benefits) in CityVille?
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Game of the Day: Shutter Island
The Game of the Day is movie magic, hidden object good time! In Shutter Island you help uncover the dark secrets of Shutter Island, the eerie Hidden Object thriller based on the suspense-filled movie. U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels and his new partner have come to Shutter Island, home of Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, to investigate the disappearance of a patient, despite having been kept in a locked cell under constant surveillance. But nothing at Ashecliffe Hospital is as it seems, and disappearing patients isn't the only secret the island hides.
Click --> play Shutter Island
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 Shutter Island
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
FarmVille: Free Orchard, five new trees available as free gifts
Two small updates have launched in FarmVille this weekend, both concerning trees. First, when you login, you'll receive a pop-up like the one above, giving you a free Orchard frame. This pop-up introduces us to the second update - the fact that five trees have been added to the free gifts page.
These five trees are the Jackfruit Tree, Cashew Tree, Walnut Tree, and Breadfruit Tree. The Guava Tree is a FarmVille.com exclusive, meaning that you'll have to head over to FarmVille.com and send them to your Facebook friends from that portal, rather than from Facebook proper.
As for the Orchard itself, you've actually only been given a frame to an Orchard, which normally costs 1,000 coins to purchase in the store. You'll find it in your Gift Box. You will still have to finish its construction yourself by collection 10 each of Wooden Boards, Nails, and Bricks.
Remember though - the English Countryside is confirmed to launch this week. In fact, today is technically the start of another week in America, and tonight also happens to be a FarmVille update day. While there's no guarantee the expansion will launch tonight, the simple fact that it will launch this week brings up the concern of whether or not you'll want to waste 30 building ingredients to build the Orchard that you may not have time to replace before the English Countryside launches. If you choose to skip it, you can sell the frame for 50 coins.
Will you build your free Orchard in FarmVille, or will you save your building materials for the English Countryside?
These five trees are the Jackfruit Tree, Cashew Tree, Walnut Tree, and Breadfruit Tree. The Guava Tree is a FarmVille.com exclusive, meaning that you'll have to head over to FarmVille.com and send them to your Facebook friends from that portal, rather than from Facebook proper.
As for the Orchard itself, you've actually only been given a frame to an Orchard, which normally costs 1,000 coins to purchase in the store. You'll find it in your Gift Box. You will still have to finish its construction yourself by collection 10 each of Wooden Boards, Nails, and Bricks.
Remember though - the English Countryside is confirmed to launch this week. In fact, today is technically the start of another week in America, and tonight also happens to be a FarmVille update day. While there's no guarantee the expansion will launch tonight, the simple fact that it will launch this week brings up the concern of whether or not you'll want to waste 30 building ingredients to build the Orchard that you may not have time to replace before the English Countryside launches. If you choose to skip it, you can sell the frame for 50 coins.
Will you build your free Orchard in FarmVille, or will you save your building materials for the English Countryside?
FarmVille: Pink Dogwood Tree appearing from Mystery Seedlings
Some farmers are reporting that they have received a new type of tree from Mystery Seedlings in FarmVille. According to FV Nation, the new tree is the Pink Dogwood Tree, which is quite a lovely shade of pale pink - perfect for the upcoming Spring.
It appears to be random at this point which trees give off the Pink Dogwood Tree, but I wouldn't be surprised if the actual tree was released this evening to purchase in the FarmVille marketplace, or at least some time in the very near future.
We'll make sure to give you all of the details about how you can get a Pink Dogwood Tree on your farm, should you not wish to "luck into" receiving one from a free Mystery Seedling, so keep checking back.
[Image Credit: FV Nation]
Have you received a Pink Dogwood Tree from your Mystery Seedlings? Have you seen friends sharing any on their wall?
It appears to be random at this point which trees give off the Pink Dogwood Tree, but I wouldn't be surprised if the actual tree was released this evening to purchase in the FarmVille marketplace, or at least some time in the very near future.
We'll make sure to give you all of the details about how you can get a Pink Dogwood Tree on your farm, should you not wish to "luck into" receiving one from a free Mystery Seedling, so keep checking back.
[Image Credit: FV Nation]
Have you received a Pink Dogwood Tree from your Mystery Seedlings? Have you seen friends sharing any on their wall?
FarmVille Spring Countdown Day 11: Bouncing Horse
Back on March 10, Zynga launched the Spring Countdown in FarmVille. This countdown is still going on, and we're just two prizes from the finale. Make that one prize, as a matter of fact, as a new prize has been made available for Day 11 of the countdown.
This new prize is the Bouncing Horse. Not to be confused with the Bouncing Horse released back in the International Children's Day event in June of 2010, this is an entirely different item that simply has the same name. This new Bouncing Horse, unlike the old Brown item, seems to be modeled after a gray and white Pinto Horse.
As this is part of the Spring Countdown, even if you don't want to have a second Bouncing Horse on your land, you'll need to collect at least one of these items to earn your check mark for the day. You'll be able to earn a Bouncing Horse by clicking on the "Ask/Share" button and then posting a news item to your wall asking your friends for help. If they help you, they'll receive a free Bouncing Horse as well, so don't be surprised if you wind up with five or more before all is said and done. At least you can always sell the extras.
Remember, for collecting all 12 of these prizes, we'll apparently be given an Instagrow Potion, so it's definitely worth all of the trouble.
Have you been keeping up with the Spring Countdown thus far? Do you like the prizes we've received, or are you tired of asking your friends for help?
This new prize is the Bouncing Horse. Not to be confused with the Bouncing Horse released back in the International Children's Day event in June of 2010, this is an entirely different item that simply has the same name. This new Bouncing Horse, unlike the old Brown item, seems to be modeled after a gray and white Pinto Horse.
As this is part of the Spring Countdown, even if you don't want to have a second Bouncing Horse on your land, you'll need to collect at least one of these items to earn your check mark for the day. You'll be able to earn a Bouncing Horse by clicking on the "Ask/Share" button and then posting a news item to your wall asking your friends for help. If they help you, they'll receive a free Bouncing Horse as well, so don't be surprised if you wind up with five or more before all is said and done. At least you can always sell the extras.
Remember, for collecting all 12 of these prizes, we'll apparently be given an Instagrow Potion, so it's definitely worth all of the trouble.
Have you been keeping up with the Spring Countdown thus far? Do you like the prizes we've received, or are you tired of asking your friends for help?
FarmVille: Old English Hen spotted in Chicken Coop
This weekend, we brought you the news of a new scam concerning a Union Jack Mystery Egg in FarmVille that has been flooding many of your news feeds. While this was a scam, the Union Jack Mystery Egg will actually be released in the game in the future (apparently under the name of an English Mystery Egg). At the time, we believed that perhaps a Union Jack Chicken would be responsible for laying these eggs, but it turns out that a different chicken is responsible - the Old English Hen.
How do we know this? Simple - as another step in preparation for this week's launch of the English Countryside, Zynga has added the Old English Hen's information to the Chicken Coop. This Old English Hen is the last chicken on the entire list - number 17 to be exact. We'll be able to harvest these Hens and receive 64 coins in return, so while it isn't anymore profitable than other chickens in the game, it's still something to take notice of.
We'll make sure to give you all of the details about this chicken when it officially launches in the game, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Will you purchase an Old English Hen for your Chicken Coop, or would you prefer this chicken really be red and blue, just like its egg?
How do we know this? Simple - as another step in preparation for this week's launch of the English Countryside, Zynga has added the Old English Hen's information to the Chicken Coop. This Old English Hen is the last chicken on the entire list - number 17 to be exact. We'll be able to harvest these Hens and receive 64 coins in return, so while it isn't anymore profitable than other chickens in the game, it's still something to take notice of.
We'll make sure to give you all of the details about this chicken when it officially launches in the game, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Will you purchase an Old English Hen for your Chicken Coop, or would you prefer this chicken really be red and blue, just like its egg?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
FarmVille Mystery Game (04/03/2011): Win some Red and Blue Animals for your farm
This week's FarmVille Mystery Game leaves the English Countryside theme behind in favor of a color-centric theme - a Blue and Red theme, to be exact. There are six animals up for grabs in this week's game, with four of them being under the "red" side of the theme, and the remaining two being "blue."
You'll need to pay 20 Farm Cash for each dart, if you'd like a chance at winning any of these animals, which is a bit higher than the "normal" price tag of 16 Farm Cash per dart. If you're willing to pay the higher price, you'll have a chance at one of the following:
Baby Blue Tiger
Blue Arrow Frog
Red Deer
Red Kite
Red Squirrel
Red Wolf Cub
You'll recognize some of these items as those that we've given you sneak peeks of in the past. No matter which animal you'd like to win, remember that this round of the Mystery Game will only be around for seven days, so you'll need to purchase a Dart(s) fast if you want the best chance at receiving all six animals before the game resets.
Which of these animals are you hoping to win in the Mystery Game this week?
You'll need to pay 20 Farm Cash for each dart, if you'd like a chance at winning any of these animals, which is a bit higher than the "normal" price tag of 16 Farm Cash per dart. If you're willing to pay the higher price, you'll have a chance at one of the following:
Baby Blue Tiger
Blue Arrow Frog
Red Deer
Red Kite
Red Squirrel
Red Wolf Cub
You'll recognize some of these items as those that we've given you sneak peeks of in the past. No matter which animal you'd like to win, remember that this round of the Mystery Game will only be around for seven days, so you'll need to purchase a Dart(s) fast if you want the best chance at receiving all six animals before the game resets.
Which of these animals are you hoping to win in the Mystery Game this week?
FarmVille English Countryside Cheats & Tips Guide
FarmVille English Countryside is the most colossal game update FarmVille has ever seen. The massive FarmVille England Expansion not only gives players level 20 and above a whole new farm, but it unlocks a whole new English FarmVille world to explore.
But that's just the beginning of what FarmVille English Countryside has to offer. FarmVille English Countryside adds new crops, new activities, new features, and a better game experience akin to FrontierVille and CityVille. Players are invited to start fresh in FarmVille's English Countryside. Check out the complete FarmVille English Countryside Cheat & Tips Guide below:
The latest posts are at the top of the list.
Scroll down to see older FarmVille English Countryside posts.
farmville english countryside pink carnation recipesFarmVille English Countryside:
Pink Carnation Crafting Recipes farmville english countryside back to basicsFarmVille English Countryside:
Back to Basics Goals
farmville co op farming english countrysideFarmVille English Countryside:
Co-op Farming Guide farmville english countryside village faireFarmVille English Countryside:
Village Fair Goals
farmville english countryside cheats dig site goalsFarmVille English Countryside:
Dig Site Goals Guide farmville english countryside dairy farm goals cheatsFarmVille English Countryside:
Dairy Farm Goals Guide
farmville english countryside black sheep white stars cheatsFarmVille English Countryside:
Breed a Black Sheep with White Stars farmville egnlish countryside cheats sheep breedingFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Breeding Tips
farmville english countryside cheats turn off pauseFarmVille English Countryside:
Turn Off Pause Feature farmville english countryside cheats character guideFarmVille English Countryside:
Character Guide
farmville english countryside cheats sheep pen goalsFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Pen Goals Guide farmville english countryside cheats pub goalsFarmVille English Countryside:
Pub Goals Guide
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iPhone, iPad, & Mobile Support farmville english countryside cheats pubFarmVille English Countryside:
Pub Guide
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Expansion Guide farmville english countryside cheats farm pausingFarmVille English Countryside:
Farm Pausing
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Transfer Items to the New Farm farmville english countryside cheats new cropsFarmVille English Countryside:
New Crops Guide
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Chicken Coop & Dairy Farm Guide FarmVille English Countryside cheats Sheep Breeding GuideFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Breeding Guide
FarmVille English Countryside cheats Sheep Pen GuideFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Pen Guide farmville english countryside cheats horse stableFarmVille English Countryside:
Horse Stable Repair Guide
FarmVille English Countryside cheats Garage Building GuideFarmVille English Countryside:
Garage Building Guide FarmVille English Countryside cheats Broken Combine Repair GuideFarmVille English Countryside:
Broken Combine Repair Guide
farmville english countryside cheats duke's airship goalsFarmVille English Countryside:
Duke's Airship Goals Guide farmville english countryside cheats get to level 20FarmVille English Countryside:
Get to Level 20 Fast!
farmville english countryside cheats two farmsFarmVille English Countryside:
Working Two Farms Guide farmville english countryside cheats sheep breedingFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Breeding Guide
farmville english countryside cheats first lookFarmVille English Countryside:
First Look! farmville english countryside cheats farmingFarmVille English Countryside:
Farming Guide
farmville english countryside cheats beginners guideFarmVille English Countryside:
New Traveler's Guide farmville english countryside cheats previewFarmVille English Countryside:
More Details Preview
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
But that's just the beginning of what FarmVille English Countryside has to offer. FarmVille English Countryside adds new crops, new activities, new features, and a better game experience akin to FrontierVille and CityVille. Players are invited to start fresh in FarmVille's English Countryside. Check out the complete FarmVille English Countryside Cheat & Tips Guide below:
The latest posts are at the top of the list.
Scroll down to see older FarmVille English Countryside posts.
farmville english countryside pink carnation recipesFarmVille English Countryside:
Pink Carnation Crafting Recipes farmville english countryside back to basicsFarmVille English Countryside:
Back to Basics Goals
farmville co op farming english countrysideFarmVille English Countryside:
Co-op Farming Guide farmville english countryside village faireFarmVille English Countryside:
Village Fair Goals
farmville english countryside cheats dig site goalsFarmVille English Countryside:
Dig Site Goals Guide farmville english countryside dairy farm goals cheatsFarmVille English Countryside:
Dairy Farm Goals Guide
farmville english countryside black sheep white stars cheatsFarmVille English Countryside:
Breed a Black Sheep with White Stars farmville egnlish countryside cheats sheep breedingFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Breeding Tips
farmville english countryside cheats turn off pauseFarmVille English Countryside:
Turn Off Pause Feature farmville english countryside cheats character guideFarmVille English Countryside:
Character Guide
farmville english countryside cheats sheep pen goalsFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Pen Goals Guide farmville english countryside cheats pub goalsFarmVille English Countryside:
Pub Goals Guide
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iPhone, iPad, & Mobile Support farmville english countryside cheats pubFarmVille English Countryside:
Pub Guide
farmville english countryside cheats expansionFarmVille English Countryside:
Expansion Guide farmville english countryside cheats farm pausingFarmVille English Countryside:
Farm Pausing
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Transfer Items to the New Farm farmville english countryside cheats new cropsFarmVille English Countryside:
New Crops Guide
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Chicken Coop & Dairy Farm Guide FarmVille English Countryside cheats Sheep Breeding GuideFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Breeding Guide
FarmVille English Countryside cheats Sheep Pen GuideFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Pen Guide farmville english countryside cheats horse stableFarmVille English Countryside:
Horse Stable Repair Guide
FarmVille English Countryside cheats Garage Building GuideFarmVille English Countryside:
Garage Building Guide FarmVille English Countryside cheats Broken Combine Repair GuideFarmVille English Countryside:
Broken Combine Repair Guide
farmville english countryside cheats duke's airship goalsFarmVille English Countryside:
Duke's Airship Goals Guide farmville english countryside cheats get to level 20FarmVille English Countryside:
Get to Level 20 Fast!
farmville english countryside cheats two farmsFarmVille English Countryside:
Working Two Farms Guide farmville english countryside cheats sheep breedingFarmVille English Countryside:
Sheep Breeding Guide
farmville english countryside cheats first lookFarmVille English Countryside:
First Look! farmville english countryside cheats farmingFarmVille English Countryside:
Farming Guide
farmville english countryside cheats beginners guideFarmVille English Countryside:
New Traveler's Guide farmville english countryside cheats previewFarmVille English Countryside:
More Details Preview
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Game of the Day: Alchemy
The Game of the Day is taking you back to the first super civilization. Alchemy: Place puzzle pieces strategically and turn lead into gold! Test your wizardry against multiple boards, new gems and deluxe challenges.
Click --> Play Alchemy
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 Alchemy
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
FarmVille English Countryside: Sheep Breeding coming to Home farms
It was announced last week on the FarmVille podcast that the most touted feature of FarmVille English Countryside, the Sheep Pen, is coming to FarmVille classic. Today, FarmVille Freak noticed this new loading screen, which further confirms the news. However, how the feature will reappear in the original farm is unknown. Regardless of all this, few have asked, "Why?"
Last time I checked, Sheep Breeding was one of the major draws of the expansion. To make all these features available in the original FarmVille is almost trivializing Zynga's work. To play devil's advocate, do players even want the expansion? It's interesting to think about why Zynga would rerelease this previously exclusive feature into an effectively old game.
Could this be the beginning of a response to the backlash from the dreaded Pause feature? This news brings up plenty of questions as to what this move means for the future of the English Countryside. Most notably, "Who has time to breed Sheep in two pens?"
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen the Sheep Pen appear in your farm yet? What are your thoughts on Zynga rereleasing an exclusive feature?
Last time I checked, Sheep Breeding was one of the major draws of the expansion. To make all these features available in the original FarmVille is almost trivializing Zynga's work. To play devil's advocate, do players even want the expansion? It's interesting to think about why Zynga would rerelease this previously exclusive feature into an effectively old game.
Could this be the beginning of a response to the backlash from the dreaded Pause feature? This news brings up plenty of questions as to what this move means for the future of the English Countryside. Most notably, "Who has time to breed Sheep in two pens?"
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen the Sheep Pen appear in your farm yet? What are your thoughts on Zynga rereleasing an exclusive feature?
Zynga wants Mafia Wars designers, coders; creates contest for you
Zynga seems to be taking the "Real World" approach to crowd sourcing its potential hire base for new designers and programmers. The company is looking for new talent to join its Mafia Wars team, and it has created a contest for both designers and programmers to partake in and prove their worth. Design contestants are tasked with creating a Mafia Wars-themed puzzle game and filming the experience creatively. A free-spirited effort, for sure, but programmers must take a multiple choice test to gauge their engineering skills. (Software engineers, now you know where to look.)
However, Zynga is requiring no experience, no resumes--just a display of your creative or technical talents. (At least at first.) This goes to show what Zynga values above all else: skill. That's a comforting approach coming from a multi-billion dollar company, but it's also indicative of what Zynga might be working on. The company is looking for designers to create a board game, and the next Mafia Wars has been said to employ a lot of features seen in Crime City (namely the isometric perspective and world). These two pieces of information fit together rather nicely, no? Surely, this is speculation, but that will be confirmed or denied in due time.
Are you entering Zynga's game design hiring contest? What do you think of the company's approach to finding it's new talent?
However, Zynga is requiring no experience, no resumes--just a display of your creative or technical talents. (At least at first.) This goes to show what Zynga values above all else: skill. That's a comforting approach coming from a multi-billion dollar company, but it's also indicative of what Zynga might be working on. The company is looking for designers to create a board game, and the next Mafia Wars has been said to employ a lot of features seen in Crime City (namely the isometric perspective and world). These two pieces of information fit together rather nicely, no? Surely, this is speculation, but that will be confirmed or denied in due time.
Are you entering Zynga's game design hiring contest? What do you think of the company's approach to finding it's new talent?
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