Knight's Story, developed by Anute, tells two stories at once. First, it's a story of a knight who inherits a castle estate and explores the land he rules. Second, this is a retelling of the classic yarn, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Playing this brand new social game for even a few minutes will reveal that it has been heavily influenced by games like Zynga's Treasure Isle. In Knight's Story, the first Facebook game I've ever seen created using Microsoft's Silverlight (a Flash competitor), players explore various tracks of land through a grid system in which each tile explored costs a point of Energy. Sound familiar?
The similarities don't stop there, though Anute does attempt to expand on this tried and true game style. Upon logging into the game, players can customize their knight and its mighty steed with a variety of options. But it isn't until you receive your deed to the castle estate that Knight's Story begins to brag a little. The only way to complete the deed is to sign it--literally. You must use your mouse to click and drag the feather pen as if you were truly writing your signature. It's certainly nothing new when it comes to what's capable in Flash or Silverlight, but it's possibly a first in social games. Regardless, it's entertaining touches like these that almost set Knight's Story apart from the rest of the treasure-discovery games on Facebook.
Gallery: Knight's Story
Unfortunately, the defining characteristics essentially stop there. The game drudges along, employing tactics and interactions we've already seen before, and not done in a way that is particularly engaging. While you will come across new characters along the way, it seems that their purpose doesn't go beyond a short quest such as, "Kill this boar for me, please?"
Speaking of which, the combat in Knight's Story is almost insultingly simplistic. Of course, conflicts with wildlife are settled through turn-based battles in which you have three options: Strike, Bribe and Run Away. The fact that you can already imagine how battles pan out doesn't exactly spell excitement, does it? (Bribery uses coins to convince a monster to leave, by the way.) You can imagine even the most casual of gamers being bored by pressing the sword icon repeatedly.
Knight's Story combat
At least exploration in Knight's Story has a purpose: to build your castle town into a vast kingdom. The materials you find on your travels (and receive from your friends as gifts) are used to complete the buildings you create. These buildings provide you with coins and other tools daily to help you in your travels, creating a balance of nature hikes and home improvement. Unfortunately, there isn't anything terribly exciting about building your kingdom, which will likely lead you to explore more than build.
Knight's Story doesn't do much to distance itself from games like Treasure Isle aside from its theme, but some of those differentiations are glowing. Take the music, for instance. While it does play on a loop like all social games, the tune to this game sounds fuller and better produced than most Facebook games, something we should see more of across the board. For those who adored Treasure Isle and are looking for something new, this is your bread and butter. But if you're seeking a new experience on Facebook (like myself), you likely won't find it traversing tiles and slaying inanimate boars.
Click here to try Knight's Story on Facebook Now>
Have you played Knight's Story yet? What do you think of Anute's approach to the treasure-hunting genre of Facebook games?
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
FrontierVille Bess vs. Fanny Contest: It's decision-makin' time
It's been a month since the heated battle began between FrontierVille's Fanny Wildcat and Bess. Pioneers everywhere submitted their creative cases for either Fanny or Bess, and the Zynga community team has chosen their favorite submissions. The prize? The queendom over homesteads everywhere.
Really though, the winners receive a varying amount of Horseshoes and a FrontierVille t-shirt. And now the time has finally come to decide a finalist. Zynga has posted this survey on the FrontierVille fan page and it's up to you and your fellow pioneers to decide which is best.
Each of the 10 selections has a direct link to the submission itself, in case you forgot so soon. You're able to choose your three most beloved pieces of art or prose defending either Fanny or Bess. It's unknown how much time you have to participate, so you better do it quick if you want your favorite female to (and to make some pioneers very happy.)
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Who do you think should win the contest? Would you decide on the quality of the art, the sway of the submission or both?
Really though, the winners receive a varying amount of Horseshoes and a FrontierVille t-shirt. And now the time has finally come to decide a finalist. Zynga has posted this survey on the FrontierVille fan page and it's up to you and your fellow pioneers to decide which is best.
Each of the 10 selections has a direct link to the submission itself, in case you forgot so soon. You're able to choose your three most beloved pieces of art or prose defending either Fanny or Bess. It's unknown how much time you have to participate, so you better do it quick if you want your favorite female to (and to make some pioneers very happy.)
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Who do you think should win the contest? Would you decide on the quality of the art, the sway of the submission or both?
Mafia Wars: Catch up with triple mastery in Las Vegas and double loot from Fights
If you've fallen out of favor with Mafia Wars, and you aren't one of the "naughty" players that Zynga kicked from the game today, you'll be happy to know that Zynga wants you to catch up to your friends, or even pull ahead if you're a high-level player. They're allowing you to accomplish this over the next two days by offering two bonuses throughout the game. First, if you're a fan of the game's fighting mechanic, you'll earn double the loot from fights throughout this entire weekend.
The big news here though is the fact that until sometime next week (six days from now, to be exact), you'll be able to earn triple - yes, I said triple - the mastery points for completing a single mission in the Las Vegas portion of the game. Whether you've yet to step foot inside this virtual version of Sin City, or if you're just trying to finish off your last few missions, this triple mastery will have you doing so three times faster, meaning that you'll save tons of energy in the process! Who can argue with that?!
Have you already finished everything there is to accomplish in Mafia Wars: Las Vegas, or have you been waiting for such an event to catch up to your friends?
The big news here though is the fact that until sometime next week (six days from now, to be exact), you'll be able to earn triple - yes, I said triple - the mastery points for completing a single mission in the Las Vegas portion of the game. Whether you've yet to step foot inside this virtual version of Sin City, or if you're just trying to finish off your last few missions, this triple mastery will have you doing so three times faster, meaning that you'll save tons of energy in the process! Who can argue with that?!
Have you already finished everything there is to accomplish in Mafia Wars: Las Vegas, or have you been waiting for such an event to catch up to your friends?
FrontierVille Pee Collection: Don't eat the yellow snow
With the addition of a whole pack of puppies in FrontierVille, your land might start to become a bit cluttered with the... uh... wastes of those puppies. It seems Zynga is looking to celebrate this, however, rather than shun it, as they have quietly released the Pee Collection into the game.
This rather disgusting collection is full of five items that can be earned at random each time one of your puppies or dogs "makes wee-wee" on your land. In other words, you'll need to hurriedly finish the Pet Shop, and the accompanying Pet Shop goals to earn the right to have puppies on your land and then watch where you step! Here's what to keep an eye out for:
Yellow Snow
Damp Tree Trunk
Damp Bush
Damp Mailbox
Damp Leg
If we were still close enough to April Fool's Day, I would think that Zynga was playing a joke on us with this collection, but it seems entirely legit. For finding all five items, you'll earn a Yellow Snow Sign (a decoration made available at first last winter) and 50 XP. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go clean up after my puppies before their "business" stinks up the joint.
This rather disgusting collection is full of five items that can be earned at random each time one of your puppies or dogs "makes wee-wee" on your land. In other words, you'll need to hurriedly finish the Pet Shop, and the accompanying Pet Shop goals to earn the right to have puppies on your land and then watch where you step! Here's what to keep an eye out for:
Yellow Snow
Damp Tree Trunk
Damp Bush
Damp Mailbox
Damp Leg
If we were still close enough to April Fool's Day, I would think that Zynga was playing a joke on us with this collection, but it seems entirely legit. For finding all five items, you'll earn a Yellow Snow Sign (a decoration made available at first last winter) and 50 XP. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go clean up after my puppies before their "business" stinks up the joint.
Zynga launches Bingo on RewardVille: Play games for extra zPoints
While accepting my RewardVille gifts from Facebook just moments ago, I came across the RewardVille home page, where an interesting new development has launched in the form of RewardVille Bingo. When logging in, you'll see a miniaturized Bingo card of sorts at the top of the screen, where some of the participating Zynga games have been given their own squares. The point is to play a certain set of games within a 24 hour period to create a three-in-a-row pattern on your board, with the default RewardVille square acting as your "free space."
In the image above, I would need to play games like CityVille and Zynga Poker to create a vertical line, or play PetVille and FarmVille for a horizontal line. I suppose in that way, the game really resembles tic-tac-toe, rather than Bingo, but I digress. Once you earn a three-in-a-row line, you'll be rewarded with free zPoints. The first day, you'll earn 30 zPoints, the second day 40 and so on, until the end of the counter. Playing all five days in a row grants you a "Super Bingo Bonus" of 100 zPoints, making playing all of those days in a row definitely worth it.
To be clear, you won't have to login to RewardVille each time you play a new game, and for most players, you won't even need to try and complete a line on your card, as you might play enough games on your own to finish it automatically. In those cases, you can simply go about your business each day, and then add one last step of logging into RewardVille before signing off for the night. Your board updates with everything you've done that day and voila! Free zPoints are likely coming your way.
We'll make sure to keep an eye on this Bingo system, to ensure that other (non zPoint) prizes aren't added in the future.
In the image above, I would need to play games like CityVille and Zynga Poker to create a vertical line, or play PetVille and FarmVille for a horizontal line. I suppose in that way, the game really resembles tic-tac-toe, rather than Bingo, but I digress. Once you earn a three-in-a-row line, you'll be rewarded with free zPoints. The first day, you'll earn 30 zPoints, the second day 40 and so on, until the end of the counter. Playing all five days in a row grants you a "Super Bingo Bonus" of 100 zPoints, making playing all of those days in a row definitely worth it.
To be clear, you won't have to login to RewardVille each time you play a new game, and for most players, you won't even need to try and complete a line on your card, as you might play enough games on your own to finish it automatically. In those cases, you can simply go about your business each day, and then add one last step of logging into RewardVille before signing off for the night. Your board updates with everything you've done that day and voila! Free zPoints are likely coming your way.
We'll make sure to keep an eye on this Bingo system, to ensure that other (non zPoint) prizes aren't added in the future.
FarmVille: Crafting of Love Potions, Wooden Boards, Nails, and Bricks is here
Just today, we told you that there would soon be a way to craft Love Potions in FarmVille, allowing users to have more control over their Sheep and Pig Breeding. Apparently "soon" meant "this evening," as we've seen the release of not only a new Love Potion crafting recipe to the game, but also recipes that will let you craft Wooden Boards, Nails, and Bricks out of Bushels.
Sure, the idea of receiving wooden, or even metal items from crops is a bit outlandish, but if this is the only way Zynga could get it done, then we'll let go of reality. For the Potions, all users will be able to craft them inside the Pub in the English Countryside. A single Potion requires four Field Beans Bushels, 3 Pink Asters Bushels, and 5 English Peas Bushels. That's a heck of a lot of planting and farming for a single Love Potion, but I suppose if you're desperate to breed as many Sheep or Pigs as you can, it's something we'll have to accept.
As for the Wooden Board, Nail, and Brick recipes, these three are split between the three different kinds of general crafting buildings. That is, each type of building only has access to one recipe, so you'll only be able to craft one of the three items unless you shell out the Farm Cash to buy the other crafting buildings as well. The Spa, for instance, has access to crafting the Wooden Board, as you can see below. The Wooden Board takes four Morning Glory Bushels, five Lilac Bushels and three Sunflower Bushels.
If you have a Bakery, you'll be able to create Bricks, which require five Coffee Bushels, three Pepper Bushels, and four Ginger Bushels.
Finally, while we don't have an image of the Nail being crafted inside the Winery, we can tell you that it requires five White Grape Bushels, four Rice Bushels and three Grapes Bushels. We're working on bringing you an image of that recipe as soon as we can, but in the meantime, you can also spend your time stocking up on Love Potions, if you plan on breeding Sheep or Pigs in the near future.
What do you think of these interesting crafting recipes? Sure, it's great to be able to have access to these items, but does the fact that they're made out of crop Bushels bother you? What would you rather use instead?
Sure, the idea of receiving wooden, or even metal items from crops is a bit outlandish, but if this is the only way Zynga could get it done, then we'll let go of reality. For the Potions, all users will be able to craft them inside the Pub in the English Countryside. A single Potion requires four Field Beans Bushels, 3 Pink Asters Bushels, and 5 English Peas Bushels. That's a heck of a lot of planting and farming for a single Love Potion, but I suppose if you're desperate to breed as many Sheep or Pigs as you can, it's something we'll have to accept.
As for the Wooden Board, Nail, and Brick recipes, these three are split between the three different kinds of general crafting buildings. That is, each type of building only has access to one recipe, so you'll only be able to craft one of the three items unless you shell out the Farm Cash to buy the other crafting buildings as well. The Spa, for instance, has access to crafting the Wooden Board, as you can see below. The Wooden Board takes four Morning Glory Bushels, five Lilac Bushels and three Sunflower Bushels.
If you have a Bakery, you'll be able to create Bricks, which require five Coffee Bushels, three Pepper Bushels, and four Ginger Bushels.
Finally, while we don't have an image of the Nail being crafted inside the Winery, we can tell you that it requires five White Grape Bushels, four Rice Bushels and three Grapes Bushels. We're working on bringing you an image of that recipe as soon as we can, but in the meantime, you can also spend your time stocking up on Love Potions, if you plan on breeding Sheep or Pigs in the near future.
What do you think of these interesting crafting recipes? Sure, it's great to be able to have access to these items, but does the fact that they're made out of crop Bushels bother you? What would you rather use instead?
FarmVille: Giant Wedding Tree appearing from Mystery Seedlings
While I never seem to be lucky enough to receive one of these level 2 seedlings before they're released in the FarmVille marketplace, FVNation now has the news that a new tree is randomly appearing from Mystery Seedlings. The tree is the Giant Wedding Tree, which we first saw a glimpse of under a different name - the Crystal Trees - in a recent FarmVille Sneak Peek.
As usual, we expect that this Giant Wedding Tree will launch in the game's store officially in a matter of days - likely Sunday evening, when the entire store should receive an item update. For now though, be sure to be on the lookout for posts from your friends who've come across these trees and grown them, or for any Mystery Seedlings that they may share along the way.
[Image Credit: FVNation]
Have you received a Giant Wedding Tree from a Mystery Seedling? Let us know in the comments.
As usual, we expect that this Giant Wedding Tree will launch in the game's store officially in a matter of days - likely Sunday evening, when the entire store should receive an item update. For now though, be sure to be on the lookout for posts from your friends who've come across these trees and grown them, or for any Mystery Seedlings that they may share along the way.
[Image Credit: FVNation]
Have you received a Giant Wedding Tree from a Mystery Seedling? Let us know in the comments.
FarmVille Royal Wedding Sneak Peek: Balloon Arch, Cake, Swing, and more
So, we already told you that Zynga will be celebrating the Royal Wedding of Price William and Kate Middleton in FarmVille's English Countryside, but now we have more images to prove that this won't just be a passing glance at royalty - it will apparently be an entire theme. As you can see above, we have images of royal decorations, including the Wedding Swing, a Wedding Horse Carriage, a Wedding Cake, a Wedding Balloon Arch, and a Wedding Archway.
Sure, this is only a set of five items, but as we know, Zynga tends to do things big, so it's likely that we'll see more items released in this theme before all is said and done with the Royal Wedding in the real world. No word yet as to whether or not this will just be an item theme, leaving you to create a Royal Wedding of your own imagination, or whether or not this will be a grand feature with actual activities to complete, but we wouldn't be surprised if there were. We'll let you know either way.
What do you think of this royally inspired item theme? Will you create a Royal Wedding atmosphere on your own farm?
Sure, this is only a set of five items, but as we know, Zynga tends to do things big, so it's likely that we'll see more items released in this theme before all is said and done with the Royal Wedding in the real world. No word yet as to whether or not this will just be an item theme, leaving you to create a Royal Wedding of your own imagination, or whether or not this will be a grand feature with actual activities to complete, but we wouldn't be surprised if there were. We'll let you know either way.
What do you think of this royally inspired item theme? Will you create a Royal Wedding atmosphere on your own farm?
FarmVille Animal Sneak Peek: White Wolf Cub, White Stork, Royal Guard Duck & More
Five new animals will (apparently) be launching FarmVille as early as tomorrow evening, with this batch of animals looking to be split between those that will be part of the upcoming Mystery Game, and those that will continue in the English Countryside limited edition item theme. As is stands, we have a White Wolf Cub and a White Stork. Along with the White Shire Horse we brought you a sneak peek of earlier in the week, this gives us a pretty good indication that this week's Mystery Game will have a "white" theme, and will likely cost anywhere from 16 to 20 Farm Cash to play (or even more if Zynga is having a particularly "greedy" week... err, did I say that?).
The other animals are the Royal Guard Duck and the Royal Pied Horse and Foal. While it's pretty self-explanatory that these animals will be part of the English Countryside item theme, it's unknown right now if these animals have any direct connection with the Royal Wedding event set to launch in the game as well. We'll make sure to keep an eye on the game's store and free gifts page, and will let you know if any of these animals make an early appearance.
What do you think of a "white" Mystery Game? Would you prefer to see more color themes launch in the game?
The other animals are the Royal Guard Duck and the Royal Pied Horse and Foal. While it's pretty self-explanatory that these animals will be part of the English Countryside item theme, it's unknown right now if these animals have any direct connection with the Royal Wedding event set to launch in the game as well. We'll make sure to keep an eye on the game's store and free gifts page, and will let you know if any of these animals make an early appearance.
What do you think of a "white" Mystery Game? Would you prefer to see more color themes launch in the game?
Monday, December 26, 2011
Lady Gaga prizes now available via Zynga's RewardVille
"Let's Play with Gaga" is the slogan for Zynga's new section in RewardVille (their user rewards program), and it's officially launched this evening. For each of RewardVille's supported games (which include all the big names like FarmVille, FrontierVille and CityVille), you'll be able to use your zCoins to "purchase" one exclusive item (with the exception of Vampire Wars, which received two). To be especially clear, while GagaVille may be the main attraction in FarmVille, these items aren't specific to the farming game.
The items range from statues, sparkling gems and skull heads to shining thrones, avatar clothing and even a dancing monkey! You can find the full list of rewards, along with pictures and prices, behind the break.
Here's a full look at all of the prizes available:
CityVille: Lady Gaga Gyrosphere (bonus 6% payout) - 72 zCoins
FarmVille: Ruby Gaga Gem - 68 zCoins
Zynga Poker: Ponytail Skeleton - 56 zCoins
FrontierVille: Paws Up Statue - 64 zCoins
Mafia Wars: Lipstick Gun (115 Attack and 68 Defense) - 98 zCoins
Cafe World: Skull Faced Waitress - 66 zCoins
Treasure Isle: Fame Monkey - 56 zCoins
YoVille: Crystal Car - 88 zCoins
PetVille: Crystal Throne (color-changing) - 68 zCoins
Vampire Wars: LG Avatar Set Female or Male - 74 zCoins each
While you may already have enough zCoins stocked up to purchase any of the items you'd like across all of the RewardVille games, if you don't, you'll need to play games fast and often as these items won't be available forever. To be specific, they'll only be available through the end of the month, May 31.
As with other RewardVille items, once you redeem your zCoins, you'll be asked if you want to share a reward with friends via a post on your news feed. You can also purchase more than one of these Lady Gaga items if you wish, so long as you have enough zCoins to fund the purchase. Once you buy an item, just log into your game of choice and you should find the item waiting for you in that game's inventory system (whether it be the Gift Box in FarmVille, the backpack in Treasure Isle or elsewhere).
This is just the first of many pieces of GagaVille related content we'll be bringing you, so be prepared to go gaga for Lady Gaga!
Which of these prizes will you purchase first? Will you purchase items in games that you don't regularly play just because they're so exclusive or Lady Gaga themed?
The items range from statues, sparkling gems and skull heads to shining thrones, avatar clothing and even a dancing monkey! You can find the full list of rewards, along with pictures and prices, behind the break.
Here's a full look at all of the prizes available:
CityVille: Lady Gaga Gyrosphere (bonus 6% payout) - 72 zCoins
FarmVille: Ruby Gaga Gem - 68 zCoins
Zynga Poker: Ponytail Skeleton - 56 zCoins
FrontierVille: Paws Up Statue - 64 zCoins
Mafia Wars: Lipstick Gun (115 Attack and 68 Defense) - 98 zCoins
Cafe World: Skull Faced Waitress - 66 zCoins
Treasure Isle: Fame Monkey - 56 zCoins
YoVille: Crystal Car - 88 zCoins
PetVille: Crystal Throne (color-changing) - 68 zCoins
Vampire Wars: LG Avatar Set Female or Male - 74 zCoins each
While you may already have enough zCoins stocked up to purchase any of the items you'd like across all of the RewardVille games, if you don't, you'll need to play games fast and often as these items won't be available forever. To be specific, they'll only be available through the end of the month, May 31.
As with other RewardVille items, once you redeem your zCoins, you'll be asked if you want to share a reward with friends via a post on your news feed. You can also purchase more than one of these Lady Gaga items if you wish, so long as you have enough zCoins to fund the purchase. Once you buy an item, just log into your game of choice and you should find the item waiting for you in that game's inventory system (whether it be the Gift Box in FarmVille, the backpack in Treasure Isle or elsewhere).
This is just the first of many pieces of GagaVille related content we'll be bringing you, so be prepared to go gaga for Lady Gaga!
Which of these prizes will you purchase first? Will you purchase items in games that you don't regularly play just because they're so exclusive or Lady Gaga themed?
FarmVille: GagaVille has launched - get ready to go gaga with new trees, animals and more!
Hold your fancy shiny hats farmers! GagaVille has officially launched in FarmVille! While it may not be May 17 for the West Coast, the East Cost is already there, and Zynga has flipped the switch on this fantastic new expansion! There's an absolute slew of stuff going on here, starting with a massive store update, including two trees, some animals, plenty of decorations, and even avatar clothing items.
We'll start with the two trees - the Gem Tree, and the Giant Gem Tree. Remember, these trees starting appearing from Mystery Seedlings early this evening, so you don't have to purchase either from the store if you don't want to; that is, if you feel a bit lucky at receiving them through the free Mystery Seedlings methods. If you'd rather not wait, you can purchase a single Gem Tree or Giant Gem Tree for 7 and 12 Farm Cash, respectively.
You can find the rest of the GagaVille animals, decorations and clothing items behind the break.
Moving on to the barnyard, you'll be able to purchase three new animals: a Purple Ponytail horse costs 26 Farm Cash, a Crystal Sheep costs 20 Farm Cash and a Fame Sheep costs 20 Farm Cash. Unfortunately, my prediction about high priced items seems to be coming true. While the Purple Ponytail horse has a typical horse price, the two sheep have been given Sheep Breeding prices, rather than those for typical limited edition animals. That's the price of a high-profile cross-promotion, I suppose.
Remember, if you purchase the Purple Ponytail horse, you'll have a chance of breeding the Purple Ponytail foal when placing this horse in your Horse Stable.
Next, we hit the decorations tab of the store, which comes stocked with a Crystal Flowerbed costing 2,000 coins (not labeled as part of the GagaVille limited edition theme, but we're pretty sure that's an oversight), a Black Rose Arch for 10,000 coins, a Crystal Fountain for 18 Farm Cash, a Crystal Stage at 15 Farm Cash, the Enchanted Forest priced at 200,000 coins, and the Violet Gem which costs 20,000 coins.
Before you splurge on all of these items simply because they're labeled as GagaVille, remember that some of them are actually re-releases from other themes. The Black Rose Arch, for instance, was first seen back in last year's Halloween event, while the Enchanted Forest was first launched in February's Fairy Tale event. Laziness? That'll be up to you to decide, but the items are there for you to purchase again if you'd like.
If you were expecting this theme to launch without a vehicle to call your own, your assumption would be wrong, as you can spend 200,000 coins on a new Bedazzled Tractor. The Tractor functions the same as other vehicles, and can be upgraded to plow more land at once via the use of Vehicle Parts.
Finally, there are three avatar clothing items in the store - one for boys and girls, and another that works equally well for both genders. The Sparkly Glasses go for 5 Farm Cash and are a simple accessory, while the Gaga Fan Outfit will allow female players the chance to dress in an outlandish costume (of course inspired by the Lady herself) for 10 Farm Cash. Also for 10 Farm Cash, the male costume is called the Biker Outfit.
All of these items, except for the Crystal Flowerbed (which, again, we think is a mistake as of this writing), are limited to only being available for the next two weeks. Within that time, we may see other decorations released in this theme, and if we do, we'll make sure to let you know.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of the GagaVille experience so far. Are you impressed with the decorations, animals, trees, and other items already released, or were you expecting something more?
We'll start with the two trees - the Gem Tree, and the Giant Gem Tree. Remember, these trees starting appearing from Mystery Seedlings early this evening, so you don't have to purchase either from the store if you don't want to; that is, if you feel a bit lucky at receiving them through the free Mystery Seedlings methods. If you'd rather not wait, you can purchase a single Gem Tree or Giant Gem Tree for 7 and 12 Farm Cash, respectively.
You can find the rest of the GagaVille animals, decorations and clothing items behind the break.
Moving on to the barnyard, you'll be able to purchase three new animals: a Purple Ponytail horse costs 26 Farm Cash, a Crystal Sheep costs 20 Farm Cash and a Fame Sheep costs 20 Farm Cash. Unfortunately, my prediction about high priced items seems to be coming true. While the Purple Ponytail horse has a typical horse price, the two sheep have been given Sheep Breeding prices, rather than those for typical limited edition animals. That's the price of a high-profile cross-promotion, I suppose.
Remember, if you purchase the Purple Ponytail horse, you'll have a chance of breeding the Purple Ponytail foal when placing this horse in your Horse Stable.
Next, we hit the decorations tab of the store, which comes stocked with a Crystal Flowerbed costing 2,000 coins (not labeled as part of the GagaVille limited edition theme, but we're pretty sure that's an oversight), a Black Rose Arch for 10,000 coins, a Crystal Fountain for 18 Farm Cash, a Crystal Stage at 15 Farm Cash, the Enchanted Forest priced at 200,000 coins, and the Violet Gem which costs 20,000 coins.
Before you splurge on all of these items simply because they're labeled as GagaVille, remember that some of them are actually re-releases from other themes. The Black Rose Arch, for instance, was first seen back in last year's Halloween event, while the Enchanted Forest was first launched in February's Fairy Tale event. Laziness? That'll be up to you to decide, but the items are there for you to purchase again if you'd like.
If you were expecting this theme to launch without a vehicle to call your own, your assumption would be wrong, as you can spend 200,000 coins on a new Bedazzled Tractor. The Tractor functions the same as other vehicles, and can be upgraded to plow more land at once via the use of Vehicle Parts.
Finally, there are three avatar clothing items in the store - one for boys and girls, and another that works equally well for both genders. The Sparkly Glasses go for 5 Farm Cash and are a simple accessory, while the Gaga Fan Outfit will allow female players the chance to dress in an outlandish costume (of course inspired by the Lady herself) for 10 Farm Cash. Also for 10 Farm Cash, the male costume is called the Biker Outfit.
All of these items, except for the Crystal Flowerbed (which, again, we think is a mistake as of this writing), are limited to only being available for the next two weeks. Within that time, we may see other decorations released in this theme, and if we do, we'll make sure to let you know.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of the GagaVille experience so far. Are you impressed with the decorations, animals, trees, and other items already released, or were you expecting something more?
FarmVille: GagaVille Crops and crafting jobs now available
With tonight's launch of GagaVille in FarmVille, we see the launch of three new crops: Chrome Daisies, Electric Roses, and a crop simply called Crystals. Someone hold me, I think I might faint. Here's the full stats for each crop:
Chrome Daisies: Plant for 30 coins; harvest after eight hours for 70 coins; 1XP gained per square
Electric Roses: Plant for 40 coins; harvest after 12 hours for 100 coins; 2 XP gained per square
Crystals: Plant for 50 coins; harvest after one day for 200 coins; 3 XP gained per square
Luckily, as all three of these crops are able to be mastered, you'll have almost two months to get the job done - 55 days in total. There are new crafting jobs to go along with these crops, and you can learn all about them behind the break. As you might expect, there are four individual crafting recipes available with these new crops - one each for the four different crafting buildings a farmer may have on their two farms.
For the Spa owners, I would have to say this is one time where we're getting the best item of the bunch, as you can now craft the lovely Rose Flame candle using 2 Electric Roses Bushels, 3 Pumpkin Bushels, and 2 Iris Bushels.
For Bakers, you can now craft the Shiny Daisy Cake using 2 Chrome Daisy Bushels, 3 Wheat Bushels, and 2 Pepper Bushels.
For the Pub, we can now create the Spark Rose Mead, which takes us back to the Electric Roses Bushels. You'll need 3 Electric Roses Bushels, 2 Hops Bushels and 2 Pink Asters Bushels to do the trick.
Finally, owners of Wineries can craft the Crystalmist Wine using 2 Crystal Bushels, 3 Sugar Cane Bushels, and 2 White Grapes Bushels.
As these crops will only be available in the game for the next two or so months, you'll need to work extra hard (and fast) to master all four of these (or, two of these, if you're like most farmers) recipes in time to earn the Mastery Signs for each. Good luck for everyone that tries it!
Which recipes do you have access to? Which of the new crops is your favorite? Will you try to master all of the crops and the crafting recipes, or will you continue farming as normal?
Chrome Daisies: Plant for 30 coins; harvest after eight hours for 70 coins; 1XP gained per square
Electric Roses: Plant for 40 coins; harvest after 12 hours for 100 coins; 2 XP gained per square
Crystals: Plant for 50 coins; harvest after one day for 200 coins; 3 XP gained per square
Luckily, as all three of these crops are able to be mastered, you'll have almost two months to get the job done - 55 days in total. There are new crafting jobs to go along with these crops, and you can learn all about them behind the break. As you might expect, there are four individual crafting recipes available with these new crops - one each for the four different crafting buildings a farmer may have on their two farms.
For the Spa owners, I would have to say this is one time where we're getting the best item of the bunch, as you can now craft the lovely Rose Flame candle using 2 Electric Roses Bushels, 3 Pumpkin Bushels, and 2 Iris Bushels.
For Bakers, you can now craft the Shiny Daisy Cake using 2 Chrome Daisy Bushels, 3 Wheat Bushels, and 2 Pepper Bushels.
For the Pub, we can now create the Spark Rose Mead, which takes us back to the Electric Roses Bushels. You'll need 3 Electric Roses Bushels, 2 Hops Bushels and 2 Pink Asters Bushels to do the trick.
Finally, owners of Wineries can craft the Crystalmist Wine using 2 Crystal Bushels, 3 Sugar Cane Bushels, and 2 White Grapes Bushels.
As these crops will only be available in the game for the next two or so months, you'll need to work extra hard (and fast) to master all four of these (or, two of these, if you're like most farmers) recipes in time to earn the Mastery Signs for each. Good luck for everyone that tries it!
Which recipes do you have access to? Which of the new crops is your favorite? Will you try to master all of the crops and the crafting recipes, or will you continue farming as normal?
FarmVille GagaVille: Visit the GagaVille farm and complete quests for prizes and music
Get ready for it farmers! Lady Gaga has officially invaded FarmVille via the GagaVille cross-promotion. There's a new farm to visit, a music player to jam out to, and new quests to complete, one per day until May 26, rewarding you with fantastic exclusive (and of course themed) prizes all along the way. To start, you'll receive the above pop-up when logging into the game. This introduces you to the GagaVille farm itself, which is found where the Model Farm usually sits in your friends bar.
Once there, you'll see bouncing Crystal Sheep, a gorgeous reflective pond, and a load of crystals shooting out from what appears to be the overall GagaVille floating island in a purple sky. If Lady Gaga can be described as unusual, this farm has definitely followed suit. But enough with the sightseeing! We're here for the prizes! For just visiting the farm, you'll receive a free Chrome Daisy Bed decoration which can be found in your Gift Box.
Find out more about these free items, and the first quest in the GagaVille series behind the break.
Once you're done gazing at the GagaVille farm, you'll be able to start the first quest in the GagaVille quest series. Remember, these quests are only available for a single 24-hour period, so you'll need to move fast to complete them all (and therefore receive all of the great prizes along the way).
The first quest is quite simple - "Welcome to Gaga" has you simply visiting the GagaVille farm (which we did above), and then plowing and planting six squares of one of the three new GagaVille crops.
Visit GagaVille
Plow 6 Plots
Plant 6 Crystals
This isn't a case where Farm Cash can help you, and frankly, you don't really need it. Even if you delete the Crystal squares after you finish this mission (say, if you already have crops growing and don't want to wait), you'll finish this first mission in just a matter of minutes, and will receive a slew of rewards.
First, you'll receive 2,500 coins and a Fire Fountain, which is a new animated decoration that will go into your Gift Box. The other two prizes are related to the in-game Lady Gaga music player. A purple icon will appear in the top right corner of your gameplay area, allowing you to listen to a preview of Marry the Night from Lady Gaga's upcoming CD. You'll need to complete future quests to unlock more VIP Tickets, allowing you to listen to more songs before the album's release.
For Lady Gaga fans, who are perhaps new to the game, and have joined simply to listen to the new album - these are the complete songs, but they will only be available to stream until the next quest launches at the end of the 24 hour period.
Remember to return your farms at least once a day to complete the next quest, and listen to a new song from the album. We'll make sure to bring you guides about each quest to help you through, so keep checking back with us!
What do you think of the GagaVille experience? Are you enjoying getting a sneak peek of Lady Gaga's new album via FarmVille?
Once there, you'll see bouncing Crystal Sheep, a gorgeous reflective pond, and a load of crystals shooting out from what appears to be the overall GagaVille floating island in a purple sky. If Lady Gaga can be described as unusual, this farm has definitely followed suit. But enough with the sightseeing! We're here for the prizes! For just visiting the farm, you'll receive a free Chrome Daisy Bed decoration which can be found in your Gift Box.
Find out more about these free items, and the first quest in the GagaVille series behind the break.
Once you're done gazing at the GagaVille farm, you'll be able to start the first quest in the GagaVille quest series. Remember, these quests are only available for a single 24-hour period, so you'll need to move fast to complete them all (and therefore receive all of the great prizes along the way).
The first quest is quite simple - "Welcome to Gaga" has you simply visiting the GagaVille farm (which we did above), and then plowing and planting six squares of one of the three new GagaVille crops.
Visit GagaVille
Plow 6 Plots
Plant 6 Crystals
This isn't a case where Farm Cash can help you, and frankly, you don't really need it. Even if you delete the Crystal squares after you finish this mission (say, if you already have crops growing and don't want to wait), you'll finish this first mission in just a matter of minutes, and will receive a slew of rewards.
First, you'll receive 2,500 coins and a Fire Fountain, which is a new animated decoration that will go into your Gift Box. The other two prizes are related to the in-game Lady Gaga music player. A purple icon will appear in the top right corner of your gameplay area, allowing you to listen to a preview of Marry the Night from Lady Gaga's upcoming CD. You'll need to complete future quests to unlock more VIP Tickets, allowing you to listen to more songs before the album's release.
For Lady Gaga fans, who are perhaps new to the game, and have joined simply to listen to the new album - these are the complete songs, but they will only be available to stream until the next quest launches at the end of the 24 hour period.
Remember to return your farms at least once a day to complete the next quest, and listen to a new song from the album. We'll make sure to bring you guides about each quest to help you through, so keep checking back with us!
What do you think of the GagaVille experience? Are you enjoying getting a sneak peek of Lady Gaga's new album via FarmVille?
FarmVille: GagaVille free gifts available - go gaga for free!
If you thought that some of the prices on the GagaVille decorations, animals, and avatar clothing items in FarmVille were too expensive, you can rest assured that Zynga has released a way for you to get in on the fun of GagaVille absolutely free via a set of new free gifts. Actually, the word "new" doesn't describe this whole set, as there are some re-released items being included, but they're all exciting items all the same.
The completely new free gifts are the Black Roses Bed, the Neon Pink Fence and the Chrome Hay Bale. Meanwhile, you can continue in the purple and pink theme set out by GagaVille by sending your friends Purple Valentine Cows, Pink Heart Hays, Violet Hay Bales and squares of Pink Greenery. None of these items require you to go to FarmVille.com to send - you can send them all directly from the comfort of Facebook just as any other free gift.
While these items are exciting, they are still restricted to the same limits as other free gifts - you can only send out a certain number of requests per day, and you'll only be able to send a single friend one request everyday as well. Hopefully, you have a lot of friends that can help you receive tons of each item, if you're like me and want to collect mass quantities of each.
Either way, we'd love to know what you think of these Lady Gaga-inspired free gifts. Will you help your friends collect these news items, or are you more interested in stocking up on Purple Valentine Cows?
The completely new free gifts are the Black Roses Bed, the Neon Pink Fence and the Chrome Hay Bale. Meanwhile, you can continue in the purple and pink theme set out by GagaVille by sending your friends Purple Valentine Cows, Pink Heart Hays, Violet Hay Bales and squares of Pink Greenery. None of these items require you to go to FarmVille.com to send - you can send them all directly from the comfort of Facebook just as any other free gift.
While these items are exciting, they are still restricted to the same limits as other free gifts - you can only send out a certain number of requests per day, and you'll only be able to send a single friend one request everyday as well. Hopefully, you have a lot of friends that can help you receive tons of each item, if you're like me and want to collect mass quantities of each.
Either way, we'd love to know what you think of these Lady Gaga-inspired free gifts. Will you help your friends collect these news items, or are you more interested in stocking up on Purple Valentine Cows?
FarmVille: A GagaVille Crystal Sheep herd is possible (with Farm Cash)
FarmVille Crystal Sheep
Unless you're swimming in Farm Cash, making your dream herd of Crystal Sheep in FarmVille ain't gonna' happen. Zynga launched the GagaVille mega promotion today, and players who bought Crystal Sheep soon found out that they won't pass the Crystal pattern to their young when breeding. This is because of the inherent rules of Sheep Breeding: Ewes can only pass on colors, while Rams can only pass on patterns. What folks got after spending 20 Farm Cash on the Crystal Sheep and breeding it with a Ram was simply a white or gray Lamb, according to several disgruntled users on the FarmVille forums.
This is because, underneath all those crystals, this limited edition Ewe is just a white, boring Sheep. However, community manager Grimwell did mention that sometimes, due to an internal bug, Ewes tend to pass off their patterns. "Every now and then a ewe gives off it's pattern - that's a bug so it may not last," Grimwell wrote in a post. "I stick to the official track of 'Ram's only!' because I don't want folks to get let down." So, if you do have a Crystal Sheep, keep on breeding and maybe, just maybe, you'll get a second one ... some day.
Have you purchased a Crystal Sheep and tried to breed it? How do you feel about this revelation? Have you been lucky to get a second Crystal Sheep due to the glitch?
Unless you're swimming in Farm Cash, making your dream herd of Crystal Sheep in FarmVille ain't gonna' happen. Zynga launched the GagaVille mega promotion today, and players who bought Crystal Sheep soon found out that they won't pass the Crystal pattern to their young when breeding. This is because of the inherent rules of Sheep Breeding: Ewes can only pass on colors, while Rams can only pass on patterns. What folks got after spending 20 Farm Cash on the Crystal Sheep and breeding it with a Ram was simply a white or gray Lamb, according to several disgruntled users on the FarmVille forums.
This is because, underneath all those crystals, this limited edition Ewe is just a white, boring Sheep. However, community manager Grimwell did mention that sometimes, due to an internal bug, Ewes tend to pass off their patterns. "Every now and then a ewe gives off it's pattern - that's a bug so it may not last," Grimwell wrote in a post. "I stick to the official track of 'Ram's only!' because I don't want folks to get let down." So, if you do have a Crystal Sheep, keep on breeding and maybe, just maybe, you'll get a second one ... some day.
Have you purchased a Crystal Sheep and tried to breed it? How do you feel about this revelation? Have you been lucky to get a second Crystal Sheep due to the glitch?
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Sir 'Baby Got Back' Mix-A-Lot launches Facebook trivia game
If there's a new and notable trend in social gaming -- it's games that are doing double duty as a marketing tool for music artists. Lady Gaga recently partnered with Zynga for a special FarmVille promotion, which gave players early access to songs from her newest album.
That was a one-time shot, but other games, like the just-launched Platinum Life Country and the upcoming MargaritaVille games, are built to be interactive music portals. Each of these is a game, but it's also just another place that fans can tune in to listen to the new Kristin Chenoweth single (and a host of other Country Music Television artists) or a few Jimmy Buffett tracks, respectively, via a streaming player.
The latest artist to jump on this music marketing bandwagon is none other the man who, in the late '90s, turned the phrase 'Baby Got Back' into a song and pop culture phenomenon -- Anthony Ray, a.k.a. Sir Mix-A-lot. The hip-hop artist, with Seattle-based start-up Giant Thinkwell, released a new Facebook game this week called Mix -N- Match with Sir Mix-A-Lot.
It's a trivia game, and you have to answer a series of questions the way you think Mix would. A few sample questions are: 'What would Mix think is worse: Bad Breath or B.O.?" and "What would Mix prefer: White Meat or Dark Meat?" After each round, you try to answer the same questions for fellow Facebook friends as well.
The more questions you answer correctly, the more Hype you earn, which can then be used to win stuff, like an exclusive track from the artist, a video shout-out from Mix and a ride in Mix's Lamborghini. There's also an option to use Facebook Credits to buy power-ups that will double or triple the amount of hype you earn while playing.
Gallery: Mix-N-Match with Sir Mix-A-Lot
If were one of the millions of people who memorized all of the lyrics to 'Baby Got Back' -- this trivia game is amusing enough to play through at least once, though there's not really enough 'game' here to warrant doing much more than that. Only the hardest of hardcore Mix fans will likely be repeat visitors, driven by the chance hang out with the hip-hop artist who likes 'em "real thick and juicy." Yeah, you know what I mean.
That was a one-time shot, but other games, like the just-launched Platinum Life Country and the upcoming MargaritaVille games, are built to be interactive music portals. Each of these is a game, but it's also just another place that fans can tune in to listen to the new Kristin Chenoweth single (and a host of other Country Music Television artists) or a few Jimmy Buffett tracks, respectively, via a streaming player.
The latest artist to jump on this music marketing bandwagon is none other the man who, in the late '90s, turned the phrase 'Baby Got Back' into a song and pop culture phenomenon -- Anthony Ray, a.k.a. Sir Mix-A-lot. The hip-hop artist, with Seattle-based start-up Giant Thinkwell, released a new Facebook game this week called Mix -N- Match with Sir Mix-A-Lot.
It's a trivia game, and you have to answer a series of questions the way you think Mix would. A few sample questions are: 'What would Mix think is worse: Bad Breath or B.O.?" and "What would Mix prefer: White Meat or Dark Meat?" After each round, you try to answer the same questions for fellow Facebook friends as well.
The more questions you answer correctly, the more Hype you earn, which can then be used to win stuff, like an exclusive track from the artist, a video shout-out from Mix and a ride in Mix's Lamborghini. There's also an option to use Facebook Credits to buy power-ups that will double or triple the amount of hype you earn while playing.
Gallery: Mix-N-Match with Sir Mix-A-Lot
If were one of the millions of people who memorized all of the lyrics to 'Baby Got Back' -- this trivia game is amusing enough to play through at least once, though there's not really enough 'game' here to warrant doing much more than that. Only the hardest of hardcore Mix fans will likely be repeat visitors, driven by the chance hang out with the hip-hop artist who likes 'em "real thick and juicy." Yeah, you know what I mean.
Marc Ecko's Weeds Facebook game (puffs then) passes this month
Marc Ecko has rolled up a new joint on Facebook--figuratively, of course. Weeds, the hit show on Showtime revolving around a pot-dealing suburban soccer mom, will have its very own marijuana-making Facebook game this month.
Ecko's game studio, Ecko Code, built the game in association with Lionsgate Films to coincide with the show's season premiere June 27. And you can probably already guess what you'll be up to in Weeds Social Club (its official title).
Admittedly, much of the game sounds like the Canadian Facebook ganja-grower Pot Farm. Players will have to grow and create their own strains of marijuana, and tend to the "crops" much like they would in the far more innocent FarmVille.
As you level up in the game, you will unlock advanced strains of the potent plant to sell above or below street value. With the cash, players can deck out their houses with tons of digital goodies, and buy even more with Favors, the game's paid currency.
Weeds Social Club
The game's not all about growing the fire grass, at least. Andy Botwin from the show is featured in the game, and he's been blessed with the voice and wit of Justin Kirk (who plays Andy in Weeds) to give you tips as you progress. More importantly, Weeds Social Club will follow the plot of the show closely, and perhaps even try out new, alternative plot lines.
This social tie-in is decidedly more mature than most, and Marc Ecko frankly doesn't care. "There has been this philosophy of don't offend anyone, be very broad-this Hallmark card philosophy," Marc Ecko told Business Week. "We believe there is a user out there that wants something with more teeth and more counter culture." Well, you can't get more "counter culture" than this--unless, of course, someone went and made a Breaking Bad Facebook game.
[Source and Image Credit: Business Week]
Will you give Weeds Social Club a shot when it launches? What do you think of these more mature-themed social games that have cropped up lately?
Ecko's game studio, Ecko Code, built the game in association with Lionsgate Films to coincide with the show's season premiere June 27. And you can probably already guess what you'll be up to in Weeds Social Club (its official title).
Admittedly, much of the game sounds like the Canadian Facebook ganja-grower Pot Farm. Players will have to grow and create their own strains of marijuana, and tend to the "crops" much like they would in the far more innocent FarmVille.
As you level up in the game, you will unlock advanced strains of the potent plant to sell above or below street value. With the cash, players can deck out their houses with tons of digital goodies, and buy even more with Favors, the game's paid currency.
Weeds Social Club
The game's not all about growing the fire grass, at least. Andy Botwin from the show is featured in the game, and he's been blessed with the voice and wit of Justin Kirk (who plays Andy in Weeds) to give you tips as you progress. More importantly, Weeds Social Club will follow the plot of the show closely, and perhaps even try out new, alternative plot lines.
This social tie-in is decidedly more mature than most, and Marc Ecko frankly doesn't care. "There has been this philosophy of don't offend anyone, be very broad-this Hallmark card philosophy," Marc Ecko told Business Week. "We believe there is a user out there that wants something with more teeth and more counter culture." Well, you can't get more "counter culture" than this--unless, of course, someone went and made a Breaking Bad Facebook game.
[Source and Image Credit: Business Week]
Will you give Weeds Social Club a shot when it launches? What do you think of these more mature-themed social games that have cropped up lately?
Facebook Game Faceoff: Gardens of Time vs Mystery Manor
While Facebook's thousands of social games allow us to do everything from tending crops to growing cities and even defeating evil empires set on world destruction, there's one area of casual gaming that has just begun to really take a stand on Facebook: the hidden object game. Dozens of these games are released for download every month, but what if you want to play a social version of a hidden object game on Facebook (not to mention, play one of these games for free)? Luckily, there are two very solid options to choose from in Playdom's Gardens of Time and 6waves / Game Insight's Mystery Manor.
While both of these games come with quite a bit of complexity and depth, let's take a look at three major elements that hidden object game fans would likely look for in a title. The most obvious "want" in a hidden object game is a huge selection of scenes to enjoy, along with the variety of items you'll be searching for. Next comes item placement; are these hidden objects really hidden, changing location each time you replay a scene, or can you simply memorize their locations? Finally, are there any gameplay elements outside of simple item hunts?
Pictures are Worth 1,000 Words:
Don't worry, we won't bore you will all 1,000, but we will take a look at each games' setting and themes, which alters the types of scenes you'll search. For those that have always wanted to travel the world, you can experience a very cluttered version of locations like Giza, London, Florence and more in Gardens of Time. You can even travel throughout a historical timeline to see ancient Egyptian tombs still bursting at the seams with treasure or classical Italian gondolas not yet transformed into a tourist trap. Mixing standard hidden object scenes (find items on a list) with spot-the-difference scenes, you'll be able to unlock new chapters as you play, increasing your available scenes to search to a high degree.
For Mystery Manor, the setting is altogether different, and even a bit sinister. Ghosts and other nasty ghouls have taken over a sprawling estate, and it's up to you to search this haunted home for treasures. Each scene in Mystery Manor is themed in the same way - dark, dreary and cluttered with various household items like vases, silverware or clothing items. There's a Victorian charm to each room that hearkens to some of the most popular hidden object games ever released, so if you're looking for a traditional theme, Mystery Manor has it in spades.
Should I Be Taking Notes?:
In a social game setting, gameplay needs to be allowed to repeat forever, without a real end, so revisiting certain scenes in hidden object games is downright inevitable. It's in how the games treat these second (and third, and fourth) visits that can make or break them. For Gardens of Time, items remain in constant locations, but as you master a scene (that is, as you replay it more and more), your list of necessary items may become harder. That is, there are more than 12 items hidden in each scene, so you may wind up looking for items that are much smaller in size than before. Still, there are only so many items that you could ever be asked to find, so memorizing item locations is a sound strategy to undertake. This experience will ultimately allow you to earn higher scores on scenes, as you become more familiar with the standard item locations and can click on them faster.
On the other side of the coin, Mystery Manor's items cycle through multiple locations each time you play a scene. A flashlight that once sat upon the couch may be on the floor the next time you play that particular scene, as but one example. Items can only ever be located in a handful of locations, but with all 12 items in a scene changing locations each time you play, it adds more originality and freshness to your searches. This also adds more challenge to the experience, with is an equally important thing to consider.
Rounding Out the Experience:
Even the most dedicated of hidden object fans may want something more out of their experiences, which is where Gardens of Time's name really shines through. Between each hidden object scene, you'll have the opportunity to design your own garden, using themed artifacts and landmarks from around the world as decorations, along with items like flowers and garden benches, to name just a few. While you may not be tasked with creating a full town for some sort of virtual population of citizens, you can think of these elements as those from a common city-builder, as you can build paths to walk on, and even increase your Reputation, similar to increasing a town's population.
Meanwhile, Mystery Manor sticks closer to the hidden object cloth, instead offering you smaller item hunts when helping friends that are trapped in the rooms of your own manor, or by helping them by visiting them in your friends bar.
While both Gardens of Time and Mystery Manor offer beautifully drawn hidden object scenes with unique stories (including quests to complete) and social elements that actively engage your friends, the make or break element in any hidden object game is whether or not you can simply coast by memorizing or will be actively challenged time and time again. As Mystery Manor keeps bringing the challenge over time, we declare it the victor in this second Facebook Game Faceoff! The margin here was slim - almost too close to call - which leaves us to ask which game you prefer.
Gardens of Time vs Mystery Manor: Which game is better?
Gardens of Time stands the test of "time!"It's no "mystery" - Mystery Manor is the winner!
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
[Garden screenshot via HerbyTod]
Are there other gameplay elements that matter to you more when choosing a hidden object game? Ready to defend your chosen game against the masses?
While both of these games come with quite a bit of complexity and depth, let's take a look at three major elements that hidden object game fans would likely look for in a title. The most obvious "want" in a hidden object game is a huge selection of scenes to enjoy, along with the variety of items you'll be searching for. Next comes item placement; are these hidden objects really hidden, changing location each time you replay a scene, or can you simply memorize their locations? Finally, are there any gameplay elements outside of simple item hunts?
Pictures are Worth 1,000 Words:
Don't worry, we won't bore you will all 1,000, but we will take a look at each games' setting and themes, which alters the types of scenes you'll search. For those that have always wanted to travel the world, you can experience a very cluttered version of locations like Giza, London, Florence and more in Gardens of Time. You can even travel throughout a historical timeline to see ancient Egyptian tombs still bursting at the seams with treasure or classical Italian gondolas not yet transformed into a tourist trap. Mixing standard hidden object scenes (find items on a list) with spot-the-difference scenes, you'll be able to unlock new chapters as you play, increasing your available scenes to search to a high degree.
For Mystery Manor, the setting is altogether different, and even a bit sinister. Ghosts and other nasty ghouls have taken over a sprawling estate, and it's up to you to search this haunted home for treasures. Each scene in Mystery Manor is themed in the same way - dark, dreary and cluttered with various household items like vases, silverware or clothing items. There's a Victorian charm to each room that hearkens to some of the most popular hidden object games ever released, so if you're looking for a traditional theme, Mystery Manor has it in spades.
Should I Be Taking Notes?:
In a social game setting, gameplay needs to be allowed to repeat forever, without a real end, so revisiting certain scenes in hidden object games is downright inevitable. It's in how the games treat these second (and third, and fourth) visits that can make or break them. For Gardens of Time, items remain in constant locations, but as you master a scene (that is, as you replay it more and more), your list of necessary items may become harder. That is, there are more than 12 items hidden in each scene, so you may wind up looking for items that are much smaller in size than before. Still, there are only so many items that you could ever be asked to find, so memorizing item locations is a sound strategy to undertake. This experience will ultimately allow you to earn higher scores on scenes, as you become more familiar with the standard item locations and can click on them faster.
On the other side of the coin, Mystery Manor's items cycle through multiple locations each time you play a scene. A flashlight that once sat upon the couch may be on the floor the next time you play that particular scene, as but one example. Items can only ever be located in a handful of locations, but with all 12 items in a scene changing locations each time you play, it adds more originality and freshness to your searches. This also adds more challenge to the experience, with is an equally important thing to consider.
Rounding Out the Experience:
Even the most dedicated of hidden object fans may want something more out of their experiences, which is where Gardens of Time's name really shines through. Between each hidden object scene, you'll have the opportunity to design your own garden, using themed artifacts and landmarks from around the world as decorations, along with items like flowers and garden benches, to name just a few. While you may not be tasked with creating a full town for some sort of virtual population of citizens, you can think of these elements as those from a common city-builder, as you can build paths to walk on, and even increase your Reputation, similar to increasing a town's population.
Meanwhile, Mystery Manor sticks closer to the hidden object cloth, instead offering you smaller item hunts when helping friends that are trapped in the rooms of your own manor, or by helping them by visiting them in your friends bar.
While both Gardens of Time and Mystery Manor offer beautifully drawn hidden object scenes with unique stories (including quests to complete) and social elements that actively engage your friends, the make or break element in any hidden object game is whether or not you can simply coast by memorizing or will be actively challenged time and time again. As Mystery Manor keeps bringing the challenge over time, we declare it the victor in this second Facebook Game Faceoff! The margin here was slim - almost too close to call - which leaves us to ask which game you prefer.
Gardens of Time vs Mystery Manor: Which game is better?
Gardens of Time stands the test of "time!"It's no "mystery" - Mystery Manor is the winner!
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
[Garden screenshot via HerbyTod]
Are there other gameplay elements that matter to you more when choosing a hidden object game? Ready to defend your chosen game against the masses?
FrontierVille Ropin' Collection: Collect from your Rodeo for free Horse Treats
After you've finished building your Rodeo in FrontierVille, make sure to continue collecting the building's daily bonus. Why? I'm glad you asked! You see, there's a new collection to complete, and this collection will give you free Horse treats just for finishing it!
As usual, if you want to earn these items any faster, you can ask your friends for donations to the cause, but just make you remove an item from your wishlist if you receive one (or ten)! Here's what you'll need to collect:
Rodeo Boots
Silver Buckle
Parade Saddle
Ropin' Reins
Mustang Blanket
For finishing this collection, you'll receive the free Apple horse treat and 50 XP. This treat normally costs 8 Horseshoes, and when you use it, your Horse will gain double XP for the next seven tends on your Homestead. That's a pretty great prize, so make sure to turn this one in if you complete it to help your Horse out with its next level!
What do you think of this new Ropin' Rodeo Collection in FrontierVille? Would you rather see a different Horse Treat given away instead?
As usual, if you want to earn these items any faster, you can ask your friends for donations to the cause, but just make you remove an item from your wishlist if you receive one (or ten)! Here's what you'll need to collect:
Rodeo Boots
Silver Buckle
Parade Saddle
Ropin' Reins
Mustang Blanket
For finishing this collection, you'll receive the free Apple horse treat and 50 XP. This treat normally costs 8 Horseshoes, and when you use it, your Horse will gain double XP for the next seven tends on your Homestead. That's a pretty great prize, so make sure to turn this one in if you complete it to help your Horse out with its next level!
What do you think of this new Ropin' Rodeo Collection in FrontierVille? Would you rather see a different Horse Treat given away instead?
FarmVille: One click sharing slowly rolling out for faster news posts
At the beginning of May, Zynga launched a quick sharing option in FrontierVille that allowed users to simply click on an in-game window to requests for items, share bonuses, etc. without having to wait for the blue and white Facebook pop-up to appear on top of the gameplay area. The feature has apparently gone over so well that the FarmVille team has started rolling out this one-click sharing feature to a lucky group of farmers to test.
To be clear, this doesn't mean that Zynga will automatically share items to your wall without your permission, it will just allow you to skip a step when you actually want to post something. Say you want to share the news that you've just mastered a new crop, or you want to share that newborn calf that you've just discovered. After clicking on the window to share it, a post will automatically be generated on your wall using your current Facebook privacy settings.
There's no way to sign up to be one of these farmers, as the rollout appears to have happened randomly. There's also no telling when every farmer will have access to this time-saving feature, but we're willing to be patient for such a great end result. Facebook will no longer be able to force me out of full screen play just because I want to share some extra bushels? Yes please!
Have you received this one-click sharing feature in FarmVille? Will you use the option when it rolls around to you, or do you prefer to post everything manually?
To be clear, this doesn't mean that Zynga will automatically share items to your wall without your permission, it will just allow you to skip a step when you actually want to post something. Say you want to share the news that you've just mastered a new crop, or you want to share that newborn calf that you've just discovered. After clicking on the window to share it, a post will automatically be generated on your wall using your current Facebook privacy settings.
There's no way to sign up to be one of these farmers, as the rollout appears to have happened randomly. There's also no telling when every farmer will have access to this time-saving feature, but we're willing to be patient for such a great end result. Facebook will no longer be able to force me out of full screen play just because I want to share some extra bushels? Yes please!
Have you received this one-click sharing feature in FarmVille? Will you use the option when it rolls around to you, or do you prefer to post everything manually?
Games.com Weekly Roundup: Brought to you by the letter 'P' (as in PopCap)
Couldn't get your daily Games.com news fix and want to know what you've missed? Whether it's a major FarmVille guide or the launch of a new Facebook game, the Roundup will bring you up to speed on the most important or popular, or just plain out amazing and weird social gaming stories of the week.
Monday:
FrontierVille Pioneer Trail Map revealed: come get a look at Beaver Valley
Now that the legal brouhaha between The Learning Company's "The Oregon Trail" and Zynga's FrontierVille expansion is settled, here's a sneak peak on what's next for the game.
Activision Blizzard and Social Gaming: Call of Duty: Elite is the first step
The key point here is that Activision sees social and mobile "as a way to strengthen our core business." Subtly implying that social and mobile are not their core business.
Rovio's Angry Birds become physics teachers
Questions like these teach us not to take physics for granted: "Determine the coefficient of restitution and the mass of the angry bird." A lot of science goes into that flick of the finger.
Want a $10 FarmVille Game Card? Use Bing Rewards
"Every time you search for something on Bing and click through to a website from the search engine, you will earn a small amount of credits (not to be confused with Facebook Credits). Once you earn 1,176 credits, you can redeem the $10 FarmVille Game Card, which will be sent to your house with free shipping."
Realm of the Mad God busts out of beta on Chrome Web Store
This is here because we think it's awesome. Yeah, we can do that. Neener, neener!
inFAMOUS Anarchy combines CityVille and Mafia Wars on Facebook
Now you don't need a PS3 to play it! Brought to you by Mob Science and Sony.
Tuesday:
Professor Layton: Brain-bending game goes social and mobile later this year
"It's interesting that one of the Nintendo DS' most popular games is headed to mobile. Will this be a wake-up call to Nintendo, whose president recently said that the gaming company is 'not interested' in mobile and Facebook?"
Lego Universe goes free-to-play this August, who needs plastic bricks?
Here's what I remember most about Legos. Luckily, you can't stab your feet with the internet.
PopCap's Bejeweled 3 coming to Nintendo DS, go zen on the go
Feeling too tethered to Facebook to enjoy Bejeweled Blitz anymore? Get yourself a DS.
Vatican Wars on Facebook increases desire to attend church - honest!
I wonder what Pope Benedict XVI has to say about this.
HotShot on Facebook: Peggle has arrived, but it's not PopCap's game
"There is no denying that the idea and largely all of PlayQ's inspiration for HotShot came from Peggle and its absence from Facebook."
Wonderful City Rio brings the CityVille formula across Latin America
Wonderful City Rio is a CityVille clone, but as clones go, it might actually be more fun than the original.
FrontierVille: Dancing Bear given away for game's first birthday
Wow, has it really been a year?
Wednesday:
Better Business Bureau processed 436 Zynga complaints in 36 months, study says
I think one of our readers said it best, "How shocking!! A company that has over 200 million monthly users received 436 BBB complaints!!" Also check out the awesome social gaming infographic we scooped the headline from.
Report: Pottermore will be Harry Potter's online gaming hub [Updated]
"Author J.K. Rowling has revealed that Pottermore will not be a social game, but an interactive reading experience for Harry Potter fans . . . However, there will be virtual rewards for tasks completed on the site, Mashable reports."
Rumor: Bejeweled-maker PopCap to sell for over $1 billion
"EA could be the lucky shopper, but $1 billion is a far cry from the $400 million it paid for Playfish in 2009."
Thursday:
Empires & Allies receives first round of bug fixes and gameplay updates
Bugs are the number one gripe of Facebook gamers. So it's great to see Zynga take charge. Now all they need to do is keep at it.
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Captain America promotion
Let us get something straight here -- Norton, an anti-virus software provider, is promoting the Captain America movie via FarmVille? But hey, 2 free Farm Cash! Why not?
Civilization World for Facebook reveals a crazy complex city [Video]
And we mean that in a good way.
Plants vs. Zombies, unite! PopCap's charity auction enters Week 2
BEHOLD! Peashooter head costume! Plants vs. Zombies ceramic mug and bowl set! Wooden box diorama! It's all PvZ love here.
Sir 'Baby Got Back' Mix-A-Lot launches Facebook trivia game
Probably the most fascinating thing about this isn't the game itself, but the stalker-ish PR stunt videos personally addressed to our writer, Brandy Shaul, and our EIC, Libe Goad.
Marc Ecko's Weeds Facebook game (puffs then) passes this month
"Weeds, the hit show on Showtime revolving around a pot-dealing suburban soccer mom, will have its very own marijuana-making Facebook game this month."
FarmVille: One click sharing slowly rolling out for faster news posts
Zynga's just on a roll with these updates, aren't they? Whatever makes it easier to play, makes for a better gaming experience and makes for more gaming.
Monday:
FrontierVille Pioneer Trail Map revealed: come get a look at Beaver Valley
Now that the legal brouhaha between The Learning Company's "The Oregon Trail" and Zynga's FrontierVille expansion is settled, here's a sneak peak on what's next for the game.
Activision Blizzard and Social Gaming: Call of Duty: Elite is the first step
The key point here is that Activision sees social and mobile "as a way to strengthen our core business." Subtly implying that social and mobile are not their core business.
Rovio's Angry Birds become physics teachers
Questions like these teach us not to take physics for granted: "Determine the coefficient of restitution and the mass of the angry bird." A lot of science goes into that flick of the finger.
Want a $10 FarmVille Game Card? Use Bing Rewards
"Every time you search for something on Bing and click through to a website from the search engine, you will earn a small amount of credits (not to be confused with Facebook Credits). Once you earn 1,176 credits, you can redeem the $10 FarmVille Game Card, which will be sent to your house with free shipping."
Realm of the Mad God busts out of beta on Chrome Web Store
This is here because we think it's awesome. Yeah, we can do that. Neener, neener!
inFAMOUS Anarchy combines CityVille and Mafia Wars on Facebook
Now you don't need a PS3 to play it! Brought to you by Mob Science and Sony.
Tuesday:
Professor Layton: Brain-bending game goes social and mobile later this year
"It's interesting that one of the Nintendo DS' most popular games is headed to mobile. Will this be a wake-up call to Nintendo, whose president recently said that the gaming company is 'not interested' in mobile and Facebook?"
Lego Universe goes free-to-play this August, who needs plastic bricks?
Here's what I remember most about Legos. Luckily, you can't stab your feet with the internet.
PopCap's Bejeweled 3 coming to Nintendo DS, go zen on the go
Feeling too tethered to Facebook to enjoy Bejeweled Blitz anymore? Get yourself a DS.
Vatican Wars on Facebook increases desire to attend church - honest!
I wonder what Pope Benedict XVI has to say about this.
HotShot on Facebook: Peggle has arrived, but it's not PopCap's game
"There is no denying that the idea and largely all of PlayQ's inspiration for HotShot came from Peggle and its absence from Facebook."
Wonderful City Rio brings the CityVille formula across Latin America
Wonderful City Rio is a CityVille clone, but as clones go, it might actually be more fun than the original.
FrontierVille: Dancing Bear given away for game's first birthday
Wow, has it really been a year?
Wednesday:
Better Business Bureau processed 436 Zynga complaints in 36 months, study says
I think one of our readers said it best, "How shocking!! A company that has over 200 million monthly users received 436 BBB complaints!!" Also check out the awesome social gaming infographic we scooped the headline from.
Report: Pottermore will be Harry Potter's online gaming hub [Updated]
"Author J.K. Rowling has revealed that Pottermore will not be a social game, but an interactive reading experience for Harry Potter fans . . . However, there will be virtual rewards for tasks completed on the site, Mashable reports."
Rumor: Bejeweled-maker PopCap to sell for over $1 billion
"EA could be the lucky shopper, but $1 billion is a far cry from the $400 million it paid for Playfish in 2009."
Thursday:
Empires & Allies receives first round of bug fixes and gameplay updates
Bugs are the number one gripe of Facebook gamers. So it's great to see Zynga take charge. Now all they need to do is keep at it.
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Captain America promotion
Let us get something straight here -- Norton, an anti-virus software provider, is promoting the Captain America movie via FarmVille? But hey, 2 free Farm Cash! Why not?
Civilization World for Facebook reveals a crazy complex city [Video]
And we mean that in a good way.
Plants vs. Zombies, unite! PopCap's charity auction enters Week 2
BEHOLD! Peashooter head costume! Plants vs. Zombies ceramic mug and bowl set! Wooden box diorama! It's all PvZ love here.
Sir 'Baby Got Back' Mix-A-Lot launches Facebook trivia game
Probably the most fascinating thing about this isn't the game itself, but the stalker-ish PR stunt videos personally addressed to our writer, Brandy Shaul, and our EIC, Libe Goad.
Marc Ecko's Weeds Facebook game (puffs then) passes this month
"Weeds, the hit show on Showtime revolving around a pot-dealing suburban soccer mom, will have its very own marijuana-making Facebook game this month."
FarmVille: One click sharing slowly rolling out for faster news posts
Zynga's just on a roll with these updates, aren't they? Whatever makes it easier to play, makes for a better gaming experience and makes for more gaming.
FarmVille Turbo Chargers: Plow, Plant or Harvest your entire farm with one click
Forget the SuperCombine! Gone are the days of plowing, planting and harvesting just nine squares at once on your farm in FarmVille, as tonight Zynga has introduced the Turbo Charger feature. These Turbo Chargers are consumable items, just like a tank of fuel or a Fertilize All, that allow you to harvest, plow OR (watch out for that wording) plant every single square on your entire farm in a single click. That's right - whether you have 50 crop plots or 500, you can now tend to each of their needs with a single click.
You'll first need to choose your vehicle - either Tractor, Harvester or Seeder - and then use a Turbo Charger to perform that vehicle's function to your entire farm. It looks like you can choose the SuperCombine, but we're still working to figure out whether or not that would take three full Turbo Chargers to perform the one-click function. This feature is incredibly new, and we'll update when we can confirm one way or another.
Of course, these Turbo Chargers won't come cheap, as there are three packages of them available to purchase in the store (prices may change):
3 Turbo Chargers - 2 Farm Cash
15 Turbo Chargers - 8 Farm Cash
60 Turbo Chargers - 20 Farm Cash
Ok, actually, the three Turbo Chargers package is pretty cheap, but just remember that if you plan on planting quickly growing crops, and coming back to your game multiple times in a single day, those three Turbo Chargers could be gone in an instant, forcing you to spend more Farm Cash to keep the happiness flowing.
In order to entice users into purchasing more Turbo Chargers, and to simply introduce the feature to players, we're all being given three free Turbo Chargers to try out. Don't worry if they haven't appeared in your game yet, as this appears to be on a slow rollout. You can always purchase more from the store while waiting, but we won't judge you if you simply use your free supply and then save your Farm Cash for something else.
Have you tried the Turbo Chargers on your farm? Do you think this time-saving convenience is worth a continued stream of spent Farm Cash?
You'll first need to choose your vehicle - either Tractor, Harvester or Seeder - and then use a Turbo Charger to perform that vehicle's function to your entire farm. It looks like you can choose the SuperCombine, but we're still working to figure out whether or not that would take three full Turbo Chargers to perform the one-click function. This feature is incredibly new, and we'll update when we can confirm one way or another.
Of course, these Turbo Chargers won't come cheap, as there are three packages of them available to purchase in the store (prices may change):
3 Turbo Chargers - 2 Farm Cash
15 Turbo Chargers - 8 Farm Cash
60 Turbo Chargers - 20 Farm Cash
Ok, actually, the three Turbo Chargers package is pretty cheap, but just remember that if you plan on planting quickly growing crops, and coming back to your game multiple times in a single day, those three Turbo Chargers could be gone in an instant, forcing you to spend more Farm Cash to keep the happiness flowing.
In order to entice users into purchasing more Turbo Chargers, and to simply introduce the feature to players, we're all being given three free Turbo Chargers to try out. Don't worry if they haven't appeared in your game yet, as this appears to be on a slow rollout. You can always purchase more from the store while waiting, but we won't judge you if you simply use your free supply and then save your Farm Cash for something else.
Have you tried the Turbo Chargers on your farm? Do you think this time-saving convenience is worth a continued stream of spent Farm Cash?
Cafe World Super Summer Food Fest Goals: Everything you need to know
To celebrate the summer in a big, big way, Zynga has launched the Super Summer Food Fest in Cafe World. You'll need to build your Food Booth, unlock new summer dishes (Chicken Salad Wrap, Baked Potatoes, Bacon Wrapped Scallops, and Baby-Back Ribs), and complete a new series of goals all in the hopes of seeing a great Fireworks show at the end of the event.
Here's a complete look at the new goals:
A Super Food Booth:
Place your Food Booth
Have 2 Festival Passes
Serve 10 Corn Dogs
You'll need to ask your friends for Festival Passes, which are actually a pretty limited item. You'll be able to earn only a single Festival Pass from the same friend throughout this entire Summer Food Festival, so I hope you have tons of friends around to help. Finishing this first goal gives you the Chicken Salad Wrap recipe.
Super Summer Fair:
Serve 15 Caramel Apples
Serve 15 Chicken Salad Wraps
Ask for 5 Tablecloths
That's right, in addition to these Festival Passes, you'll also have to ask for regular collectible items to finish these goals.
Summer Spuds:
Serve 30 Atomic Buffalo Wings
Ask for 5 Big Baking Potatoes
Have 8 Festival Passes
Your two passes from the first goal will carry over for this requirement, so at least you'll only have to find six more players to help you (or create more fake Facebook accounts to send the passes, but do that at your own risk). Finishing this goal gives you your second free recipe, the Baked Potatoes.
Enter the Ice Cream:
Finish Building the Ice Cream Cart
Ask for 8 Balloons
Master Baked Potatoes to level 1
As this Summer Food Fest includes all of the recently released cooking equipment in its theme, you'll need to have finished building the Ice Cream Cart, and later the BBQ Grill.
An Explosive Summer:
Master Chicken Salad Wrap to level 2
Have 15 Festival Passes
Ask for 7 Fireworks
Again, your eight passes are carried on here, leaving you to earn seven more for this task.
Grilling Season:
Serve 35 BBQ Chicken
Ask for 7 Saucey Suggestions
Ask for 10 BBQ Aprons
Yep, even after asking for tons of festival passes, you'll still need to spend the majority of this quest set asking for more items. Don't say I didn't warn you.
It's Officially Summer:
Complete the BBQ Grill
Ask for 12 Jars of Molasses
Serve Clubhouse Sandwich 40 Times
Finishing this goal gives you the Bacon Wrapped Scallops recipe. For a complete look at how to build the BBQ Grill, check out our guide.
Grilled to Order:
Master Pulled Pork to Level 2 on the BBQ Grill
Serve 16 Ginger Ale form the Drink Bar
Have 25 Festival Passes
This might be the first goal to actually give you problems with the Festival Passes, so just remember that you can always temporarily add new neighbors and Facebook friends to finish these goals and then delete them afterward. Admittedly, it's sad that we should have to add strangers as neighbors just to complete these goals, but I suppose if that's what it takes... For finishing this goal you'll receive 3,500 coins and 350 Cafe Points.
After these goals, Zynga has already announced that they are working on rolling out more goals to bring the total to 12. In the meantime though, you've got plenty to work on, so get to it! There's even a contest that will use those Festival Passes you've been collecting, and if you complete the goals you'll receive 500 extra passes (contest entries) as a reward. I suppose that makes all of this collecting worth it, right?
What do you think of the Super Summer Food Fest in Cafe World? Will you go out of your way to collect Festival Passes or complete these goals before the event ends?
Here's a complete look at the new goals:
A Super Food Booth:
Place your Food Booth
Have 2 Festival Passes
Serve 10 Corn Dogs
You'll need to ask your friends for Festival Passes, which are actually a pretty limited item. You'll be able to earn only a single Festival Pass from the same friend throughout this entire Summer Food Festival, so I hope you have tons of friends around to help. Finishing this first goal gives you the Chicken Salad Wrap recipe.
Super Summer Fair:
Serve 15 Caramel Apples
Serve 15 Chicken Salad Wraps
Ask for 5 Tablecloths
That's right, in addition to these Festival Passes, you'll also have to ask for regular collectible items to finish these goals.
Summer Spuds:
Serve 30 Atomic Buffalo Wings
Ask for 5 Big Baking Potatoes
Have 8 Festival Passes
Your two passes from the first goal will carry over for this requirement, so at least you'll only have to find six more players to help you (or create more fake Facebook accounts to send the passes, but do that at your own risk). Finishing this goal gives you your second free recipe, the Baked Potatoes.
Enter the Ice Cream:
Finish Building the Ice Cream Cart
Ask for 8 Balloons
Master Baked Potatoes to level 1
As this Summer Food Fest includes all of the recently released cooking equipment in its theme, you'll need to have finished building the Ice Cream Cart, and later the BBQ Grill.
An Explosive Summer:
Master Chicken Salad Wrap to level 2
Have 15 Festival Passes
Ask for 7 Fireworks
Again, your eight passes are carried on here, leaving you to earn seven more for this task.
Grilling Season:
Serve 35 BBQ Chicken
Ask for 7 Saucey Suggestions
Ask for 10 BBQ Aprons
Yep, even after asking for tons of festival passes, you'll still need to spend the majority of this quest set asking for more items. Don't say I didn't warn you.
It's Officially Summer:
Complete the BBQ Grill
Ask for 12 Jars of Molasses
Serve Clubhouse Sandwich 40 Times
Finishing this goal gives you the Bacon Wrapped Scallops recipe. For a complete look at how to build the BBQ Grill, check out our guide.
Grilled to Order:
Master Pulled Pork to Level 2 on the BBQ Grill
Serve 16 Ginger Ale form the Drink Bar
Have 25 Festival Passes
This might be the first goal to actually give you problems with the Festival Passes, so just remember that you can always temporarily add new neighbors and Facebook friends to finish these goals and then delete them afterward. Admittedly, it's sad that we should have to add strangers as neighbors just to complete these goals, but I suppose if that's what it takes... For finishing this goal you'll receive 3,500 coins and 350 Cafe Points.
After these goals, Zynga has already announced that they are working on rolling out more goals to bring the total to 12. In the meantime though, you've got plenty to work on, so get to it! There's even a contest that will use those Festival Passes you've been collecting, and if you complete the goals you'll receive 500 extra passes (contest entries) as a reward. I suppose that makes all of this collecting worth it, right?
What do you think of the Super Summer Food Fest in Cafe World? Will you go out of your way to collect Festival Passes or complete these goals before the event ends?
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Defense contractor helps launch CyberVille game to recruit HS students
CyberVille by the Air Force Association
Hey, it's got the 'Ville, the font style, and the FarmVille colors! So I know what you're thinking, but no, CyberVille isn't another Zynga title. It is, however, exclusively on Facebook and has a fairly prestigious pedigree, one that you'd never guess if not for the "Sponsored by NORTHROP GRUMMAN" caption at the bottom of the load screen. (Northrop Grumman is a global aerospace and defense contractor that builds a lot of military hardware -- y'know aircraft carriers and stealth bombers -- for the US government.)
CyberVille Nano
Other founders of the game include the non-profit Air Force Association (AFA), and game developer, AvatarLabs. It was AFA who wanted CyberVille made, so they could use the game to promote their CyberPatriot program. This makes CyberVille an advergame, but it's also a wonderfully solid tower defense game (think PopCap's Plants vs Zombies) geared towards newbies and high schoolers. AFA President and CEO, Michael M. Dunn, had the right idea when he wrote the following:
We could have generated a training program (which we think would attract very few users). We chose instead to make this game something many, many people (we hope many, many thousands) will want to share. We want it to be the Farmville of cyber, and our success will be measured by how many people we draw to the game and how many of those people "click-through" to our CyberPatriot website.
So far, CyberVille appears to live up to those goals. The game is very simple to play, very casual, and it never asks for your money or shoves pop-up windows at your face. It launched July 15th and had some lagging issues, but those appear to be fixed now.
CyberVille green virus bob threat
Click here to play CyberVille on Facebook now >
[Hat-tip: PR Newswire]
Hey, it's got the 'Ville, the font style, and the FarmVille colors! So I know what you're thinking, but no, CyberVille isn't another Zynga title. It is, however, exclusively on Facebook and has a fairly prestigious pedigree, one that you'd never guess if not for the "Sponsored by NORTHROP GRUMMAN" caption at the bottom of the load screen. (Northrop Grumman is a global aerospace and defense contractor that builds a lot of military hardware -- y'know aircraft carriers and stealth bombers -- for the US government.)
CyberVille Nano
Other founders of the game include the non-profit Air Force Association (AFA), and game developer, AvatarLabs. It was AFA who wanted CyberVille made, so they could use the game to promote their CyberPatriot program. This makes CyberVille an advergame, but it's also a wonderfully solid tower defense game (think PopCap's Plants vs Zombies) geared towards newbies and high schoolers. AFA President and CEO, Michael M. Dunn, had the right idea when he wrote the following:
We could have generated a training program (which we think would attract very few users). We chose instead to make this game something many, many people (we hope many, many thousands) will want to share. We want it to be the Farmville of cyber, and our success will be measured by how many people we draw to the game and how many of those people "click-through" to our CyberPatriot website.
So far, CyberVille appears to live up to those goals. The game is very simple to play, very casual, and it never asks for your money or shoves pop-up windows at your face. It launched July 15th and had some lagging issues, but those appear to be fixed now.
CyberVille green virus bob threat
Click here to play CyberVille on Facebook now >
[Hat-tip: PR Newswire]
Exclusive! Putting the 'social' into The Sims Social [video + interview]
If there's one blockbuster game from that's practically begging for a Facebook release, it's The Sims. The life simulation game series has been one of the best-selling PC games since its arrival in 2000 and it has particularly resonated with women, who wouldn't otherwise consider themselves gamers. This is the same audience that turned games like FarmVille and CityVille into computer game phenomenons.
Several months ago, Electronic Arts announced that the best-selling game franchise would be making its way to the social network, and with launch just mere weeks away, Games.com News brings you an exclusive sneak peek at what exactly puts the 'social' into The Sims Social.
Get the scoop on the game's social aspects in the brand new trailer above. I also talked to John Earner, general manager of Playfish's London studio, to get more details on how exactly the game will work -- including whether or not your beloved Sim will be able to do regular Sims things like make WooHoo and kick the bucket.
sims play tricks
What is both the most helpful and most horrific thing you can do to a friend in The Sims Social?
Generally you can do nice and helpful things for friends, and horrible things only to enemies. There's nothing worse than having your food stolen or fake spiders placed in precarious places, I find. As for being helpful to friends, players can clean your bathroom, repair broken items, and even do some gardening around your house.
Do you have the option to 'Dismiss' or reject what your friends have done to your Sims or their house?
No, but then nor can players do any permanent damage to your place. Any negative actions are fun and cosmetic. Relationships in The Sims are predominantly a game helping one another and positive interactions. Even rivalries, frenemies, and the other negative relationships in our game are in good fun and meant to be between friends.
sims social facebook preview
How often can you visit friends' Sims and do nice/naughty things for them?
As often as you like! Activities are accomplished using an energy system, but we provide bonus energy each day for each unique friend you visit to help you out.
How exactly does the whole romance thing work? What if you don't' want random people coming in and smooching on your Sim -- is there a way to restrict that? (That could get creepy fast).
There are three relationship paths in The Sims: friends, enemies, and lovers. Major relationship milestones like dating require a two-way handshake between players. It takes two to tango, so to speak.
sims social facebook preview
What about making WooHoo in the game? How does that work? (I assume that requires two consenting Sims, yes)?
WooHoo requires two Sims to be in a romantic relationship path: dating or further. Even then, you can only ask your Sim to, you know, WooHoo with their significant other. Whether they actually do it is up to them. Like traditional Sims games, Sims have a mind of their own. Our platform constraints require that mind be a bit smaller and less complex, but the general idea of a player assuming the role of god and sim playing role of fickle human subject still applies.
Other games -- like FrontierVille, FarmVille -- also let you see what your friends do when they visit your version of the game -- how is this feature different in The Sims Social?
Friend visits are a longstanding social gaming feature staple. Where The Sims Social differs from its social gaming predecessors is that the game now creates meaningful and varied relationships between players' Sims, just like in real life. You don't just have neighbors - you have girlfriends and frenemies and BFFs. Depending on the nature of your relationship, the nature of each visit and what you can do during a visit, is different and certainly more meaningful.
When a friend becomes an 'enemy" or you become an 'enemy' -- how does that change the game experience at large? Once you're deemed an enemy, can you work your way back toward being a friend in the game?
You can always work your way back, but you can't erase the past. Two Sims who used to date are ex-lovers (awkward!). Relationship statuses create new interaction options not available in other relationships.
sims social preview
Like the regular Sims -- can your Sim die in The Sims Social?
You never know. Generations is something we continue to spend a lot of time talking about for down the road. Remember, we're just getting started at launch. It could add replayability to the game. The flip side is that with a free-to-play business model, players aren't a fan of the virtual stuff they spend real money on going off and dying on them. It's a manageable problem, but not an easy one. The story of the Sims franchise is something like this. The Sims 1: They live. The Sims 2: They die. The Sims 3: they can explore a world beyond their house. The Sims Social: Back to "they live," but they live with your real friends. Our platform and our audience require us to simplify the game in some respects, but allow us to enrich it in others due to the social nature of the game. Also, our game is a service. We can travel along a similar journey as the PC and console gaming Sims franchise have done via frequent updates. We're just getting started.
Several months ago, Electronic Arts announced that the best-selling game franchise would be making its way to the social network, and with launch just mere weeks away, Games.com News brings you an exclusive sneak peek at what exactly puts the 'social' into The Sims Social.
Get the scoop on the game's social aspects in the brand new trailer above. I also talked to John Earner, general manager of Playfish's London studio, to get more details on how exactly the game will work -- including whether or not your beloved Sim will be able to do regular Sims things like make WooHoo and kick the bucket.
sims play tricks
What is both the most helpful and most horrific thing you can do to a friend in The Sims Social?
Generally you can do nice and helpful things for friends, and horrible things only to enemies. There's nothing worse than having your food stolen or fake spiders placed in precarious places, I find. As for being helpful to friends, players can clean your bathroom, repair broken items, and even do some gardening around your house.
Do you have the option to 'Dismiss' or reject what your friends have done to your Sims or their house?
No, but then nor can players do any permanent damage to your place. Any negative actions are fun and cosmetic. Relationships in The Sims are predominantly a game helping one another and positive interactions. Even rivalries, frenemies, and the other negative relationships in our game are in good fun and meant to be between friends.
sims social facebook preview
How often can you visit friends' Sims and do nice/naughty things for them?
As often as you like! Activities are accomplished using an energy system, but we provide bonus energy each day for each unique friend you visit to help you out.
How exactly does the whole romance thing work? What if you don't' want random people coming in and smooching on your Sim -- is there a way to restrict that? (That could get creepy fast).
There are three relationship paths in The Sims: friends, enemies, and lovers. Major relationship milestones like dating require a two-way handshake between players. It takes two to tango, so to speak.
sims social facebook preview
What about making WooHoo in the game? How does that work? (I assume that requires two consenting Sims, yes)?
WooHoo requires two Sims to be in a romantic relationship path: dating or further. Even then, you can only ask your Sim to, you know, WooHoo with their significant other. Whether they actually do it is up to them. Like traditional Sims games, Sims have a mind of their own. Our platform constraints require that mind be a bit smaller and less complex, but the general idea of a player assuming the role of god and sim playing role of fickle human subject still applies.
Other games -- like FrontierVille, FarmVille -- also let you see what your friends do when they visit your version of the game -- how is this feature different in The Sims Social?
Friend visits are a longstanding social gaming feature staple. Where The Sims Social differs from its social gaming predecessors is that the game now creates meaningful and varied relationships between players' Sims, just like in real life. You don't just have neighbors - you have girlfriends and frenemies and BFFs. Depending on the nature of your relationship, the nature of each visit and what you can do during a visit, is different and certainly more meaningful.
When a friend becomes an 'enemy" or you become an 'enemy' -- how does that change the game experience at large? Once you're deemed an enemy, can you work your way back toward being a friend in the game?
You can always work your way back, but you can't erase the past. Two Sims who used to date are ex-lovers (awkward!). Relationship statuses create new interaction options not available in other relationships.
sims social preview
Like the regular Sims -- can your Sim die in The Sims Social?
You never know. Generations is something we continue to spend a lot of time talking about for down the road. Remember, we're just getting started at launch. It could add replayability to the game. The flip side is that with a free-to-play business model, players aren't a fan of the virtual stuff they spend real money on going off and dying on them. It's a manageable problem, but not an easy one. The story of the Sims franchise is something like this. The Sims 1: They live. The Sims 2: They die. The Sims 3: they can explore a world beyond their house. The Sims Social: Back to "they live," but they live with your real friends. Our platform and our audience require us to simplify the game in some respects, but allow us to enrich it in others due to the social nature of the game. Also, our game is a service. We can travel along a similar journey as the PC and console gaming Sims franchise have done via frequent updates. We're just getting started.
FrontierVille The Dog-less Shepherd Timed Goal: Everything you need to know
If you're still reeling from the Newlywed Newbies Goal in FrontierVille, this otherwise good news might be a doozy. Zynga will soon release yet another Timed Goal, titled "The Dog-less Shepherd." This looks to be part of an ongoing series of Timed Goals that will be stymied across a period of time.
This Goal, like the first in this new series, seems as if you'll have to accept it by Aug. 31. However, this information is early, and details are subject to change before this content is released. Enough with the disclaimers and onto the good stuff:
The Dog-less Shepherd:
Clear 30 Grass on a Neighbor's Homestead
Collect 10 Doggie Toys
Collect 10 Doggie Treats
FrontierVille Dogless Shepherd
Since there should be no need to explain how to clear Grass (Hint: You click on it), let's move along. The 10 Doggie Toys, if the previous Goal in this series is any indication, will be collected through individual help requests sent to friends. Doggie Treats, on the other hand, will likely be found through general News Feed posts. Both options read as "Ask Friends" on the Goal menu, so it can get confusing. For completing this Goal, you'll score 10 Chunky Chow for your Old Dog, 400 XP and 300 Coins.
[Source and Image Credit: CE Gamers]
Have you seen this Goal appear yet in your game, or are you still working on the previous? What do you think of Timed Goals in FrontierVille?
This Goal, like the first in this new series, seems as if you'll have to accept it by Aug. 31. However, this information is early, and details are subject to change before this content is released. Enough with the disclaimers and onto the good stuff:
The Dog-less Shepherd:
Clear 30 Grass on a Neighbor's Homestead
Collect 10 Doggie Toys
Collect 10 Doggie Treats
FrontierVille Dogless Shepherd
Since there should be no need to explain how to clear Grass (Hint: You click on it), let's move along. The 10 Doggie Toys, if the previous Goal in this series is any indication, will be collected through individual help requests sent to friends. Doggie Treats, on the other hand, will likely be found through general News Feed posts. Both options read as "Ask Friends" on the Goal menu, so it can get confusing. For completing this Goal, you'll score 10 Chunky Chow for your Old Dog, 400 XP and 300 Coins.
[Source and Image Credit: CE Gamers]
Have you seen this Goal appear yet in your game, or are you still working on the previous? What do you think of Timed Goals in FrontierVille?
Serve up some tasty international treats in Mini Cafe on iPhone
Next to the farming genre, the restaurant/cafe sim is one of the most popular social and casual gaming templates around. While Cafe World and Restaurant City may share the title for most popular restaurant games on Facebook, until Restaurant City: Gourmet Edition finally launches on iOS, our iPhones are without a strong leader in the genre. Hoping to cut a slice of the pie for themselves, SGN has released Mini Cafe to the iTunes App Store. But while the game is free, it isn't exactly as social as we would have hoped.
As it stands, the gameplay is incredibly reminiscent of basically every other major cafe sim around (save for Restaurant City, interestingly enough), as you'll tap on a stove to choose the recipe you'd like to cook, with recipes being available from all sorts of ethnic varieties, and then wait for it to cook. Some dishes cost more to prepare, or take longer to cook, but you'll earn more money in the long-run by serving them, as you'd expect. You'll need to place your delectable goodies onto serving stations, and will earn money automatically as customers enter your cafe, walk up to the counter and serve themselves.
There's no real avatar system in the game, as you don't have to worry about hiring staff. That's not to say that you can't perform waitress-like duties however, as you'll be able to tap on tables to clean them after each guest eats, pick up trash and even clean your serving platforms after all of the current food has been served.
As with any proper cooking sim, you'll be able to decorate your restaurant using a variety of basic and premium items. It's unfortunate that so many items are locked until you level up, as the vast majority of items go for premium currency, leaving you with few options otherwise. Likewise, many of the game's starting dishes are horrible money-earners, and take just a few seconds or minutes to cook, requiring you to play constantly to make any progress. During this period, there's no lengthy dish that you can set and forget, only to check on it later, as you'll come back to rotten food instead. That all being said, for the gamer that loves constant micro-management, there's plenty to like here.
In terms of social features, you can take pictures of your cafe and share them through Facebook, and you can also invite your Facebook friends to play the game with you. The SiGN social network allows you to connect to friends that have played other SGN games, but as of this writing, it doesn't appear as though you can actually visit your friends' cafes. Needless to say, that's pretty disappointing, but not altogether unheard of.
Gallery: Mini Cafe iOS
As it stands, Mini Cafe has only been available for a little over a month, and has already been updated a handful of times. If SGN can improve the new-user experience, giving players a quicker opportunity to earn coins, or at least options for coming back to the game at a later time without losing progress, then it might really be recommendable. At the very least, it's a nice snack to tide us over until Restaurant City: Gourmet Edition launches later this year.
Download Mini Cafe on iPhone / iPad -->
Have you found a fantastic cooking sim on the iTunes App Store, or are you constantly looking for the next new dish? What do you think of Mini Cafe?
As it stands, the gameplay is incredibly reminiscent of basically every other major cafe sim around (save for Restaurant City, interestingly enough), as you'll tap on a stove to choose the recipe you'd like to cook, with recipes being available from all sorts of ethnic varieties, and then wait for it to cook. Some dishes cost more to prepare, or take longer to cook, but you'll earn more money in the long-run by serving them, as you'd expect. You'll need to place your delectable goodies onto serving stations, and will earn money automatically as customers enter your cafe, walk up to the counter and serve themselves.
There's no real avatar system in the game, as you don't have to worry about hiring staff. That's not to say that you can't perform waitress-like duties however, as you'll be able to tap on tables to clean them after each guest eats, pick up trash and even clean your serving platforms after all of the current food has been served.
As with any proper cooking sim, you'll be able to decorate your restaurant using a variety of basic and premium items. It's unfortunate that so many items are locked until you level up, as the vast majority of items go for premium currency, leaving you with few options otherwise. Likewise, many of the game's starting dishes are horrible money-earners, and take just a few seconds or minutes to cook, requiring you to play constantly to make any progress. During this period, there's no lengthy dish that you can set and forget, only to check on it later, as you'll come back to rotten food instead. That all being said, for the gamer that loves constant micro-management, there's plenty to like here.
In terms of social features, you can take pictures of your cafe and share them through Facebook, and you can also invite your Facebook friends to play the game with you. The SiGN social network allows you to connect to friends that have played other SGN games, but as of this writing, it doesn't appear as though you can actually visit your friends' cafes. Needless to say, that's pretty disappointing, but not altogether unheard of.
Gallery: Mini Cafe iOS
As it stands, Mini Cafe has only been available for a little over a month, and has already been updated a handful of times. If SGN can improve the new-user experience, giving players a quicker opportunity to earn coins, or at least options for coming back to the game at a later time without losing progress, then it might really be recommendable. At the very least, it's a nice snack to tide us over until Restaurant City: Gourmet Edition launches later this year.
Download Mini Cafe on iPhone / iPad -->
Have you found a fantastic cooking sim on the iTunes App Store, or are you constantly looking for the next new dish? What do you think of Mini Cafe?
Clash of the Dragons on Facebook offers a simplistic take on collectible card games
If you're like me, and have a love for collectible card games (CCGs), but don't have an active group to play them with in the real world, you're likely clamoring for a card game to play digitally, at any time, whether you're with friends or not. 5th Planet Games may not have reinvented the wheel when it comes to their Facebook CCG Clash of the Dragons, but they have streamlined the battle process enough to satisfy both casual gamers and give established fans a way to scratch that itch in between real world battles.
Clash of the Dragons offers a fairly cliche story in a fantasy setting, as you travel across a map fighting monsters and other enemies of varying strengths, earning experience points and spending energy as you go. Each fight requires you to spend a certain amount of energy to even enter, which limits your gameplay sessions to a shorter duration, but once you enter into battle, they can take quite a bit of time to complete depending on how larger you or your opponent's deck happen to be.
You see, instead of having an intricate health system, your health here is determined solely by the number of cards you have in your deck, with the object being to make your opponent spend or otherwise lose all of their cards before the same can happen to you. There tend to be just two numbers on each card. In the top left is the amount of damage the card does, and on the right is the amount of defense points you're given for when your opponent fights back on their next turn.
For instance, the Lesser Lightning Bolt card does two damage, and has one defense point. After playing it, I would force my enemy to discard two cards from its hand, and would gain a single defense point on my own deck. If they then counterattacked with an attack of two points, I would only have to discard one card, instead of two.
Battle becomes slightly more complicated with the inclusion of buff and healing cards, with buffs giving you some sort of status enhancement that holds until you complete another task (for instance, you may receive a chance to score a critical hit the next time you use a weapon card, rather than magic), and healing cards allowing you to pull cards out of the discard pile (the graveyard) and put them back in your deck.
For the most part, that pretty much sums up each battle (I told you it was fairly streamlined). You'll play in turn-based combat until one of you runs out of cards, and if you happen to win, you'll receive the spoils: coins, experience points, etc. Outside of the campaign, there are two multiplayer modes to take part in. The first is straight up player-vs-player card combat, which sees you taking on another real-world player, while the other places you on the same team as other real-world players, being placed against a larger boss to combine you efforts. If you have friends that play the game, you can also play against their decks when they're not around, just to give yourself something to do.
All told, the gameplay in Clash of the Dragons, outside of each battle, is fairly limited. You can spend skill points to boost the stats of your character, and you'll unlock classes as you level up that will give you more specific advantages in battle. You'll also be able to craft new, stronger cards by using leftover cards that may not be worthwhile in your deck any longer, but it seems as though actually acquiring enough cards to craft might take some time (as card packs cost quite a few coins each, or can also be purchased with premium currency).
Will Clash of the Dragons be strong enough to battle the likes of Magic: The Gathering, even in the real world? That's highly unlikely (as it sits at just 48,000 monthly players), but if you've always been interested in the most simple mechanics associated with a collectible card game, but didn't want to be overwhelmed by a multitude of rules, this one is a pretty great place to start.
Play Clash of the Dragons on Facebook -->
Do you enjoy collectible card games? Have you ever found a digital version that is as good as playing a card game in the real world? What do you think of Clash of the Dragons?
Clash of the Dragons offers a fairly cliche story in a fantasy setting, as you travel across a map fighting monsters and other enemies of varying strengths, earning experience points and spending energy as you go. Each fight requires you to spend a certain amount of energy to even enter, which limits your gameplay sessions to a shorter duration, but once you enter into battle, they can take quite a bit of time to complete depending on how larger you or your opponent's deck happen to be.
You see, instead of having an intricate health system, your health here is determined solely by the number of cards you have in your deck, with the object being to make your opponent spend or otherwise lose all of their cards before the same can happen to you. There tend to be just two numbers on each card. In the top left is the amount of damage the card does, and on the right is the amount of defense points you're given for when your opponent fights back on their next turn.
For instance, the Lesser Lightning Bolt card does two damage, and has one defense point. After playing it, I would force my enemy to discard two cards from its hand, and would gain a single defense point on my own deck. If they then counterattacked with an attack of two points, I would only have to discard one card, instead of two.
Battle becomes slightly more complicated with the inclusion of buff and healing cards, with buffs giving you some sort of status enhancement that holds until you complete another task (for instance, you may receive a chance to score a critical hit the next time you use a weapon card, rather than magic), and healing cards allowing you to pull cards out of the discard pile (the graveyard) and put them back in your deck.
For the most part, that pretty much sums up each battle (I told you it was fairly streamlined). You'll play in turn-based combat until one of you runs out of cards, and if you happen to win, you'll receive the spoils: coins, experience points, etc. Outside of the campaign, there are two multiplayer modes to take part in. The first is straight up player-vs-player card combat, which sees you taking on another real-world player, while the other places you on the same team as other real-world players, being placed against a larger boss to combine you efforts. If you have friends that play the game, you can also play against their decks when they're not around, just to give yourself something to do.
All told, the gameplay in Clash of the Dragons, outside of each battle, is fairly limited. You can spend skill points to boost the stats of your character, and you'll unlock classes as you level up that will give you more specific advantages in battle. You'll also be able to craft new, stronger cards by using leftover cards that may not be worthwhile in your deck any longer, but it seems as though actually acquiring enough cards to craft might take some time (as card packs cost quite a few coins each, or can also be purchased with premium currency).
Will Clash of the Dragons be strong enough to battle the likes of Magic: The Gathering, even in the real world? That's highly unlikely (as it sits at just 48,000 monthly players), but if you've always been interested in the most simple mechanics associated with a collectible card game, but didn't want to be overwhelmed by a multitude of rules, this one is a pretty great place to start.
Play Clash of the Dragons on Facebook -->
Do you enjoy collectible card games? Have you ever found a digital version that is as good as playing a card game in the real world? What do you think of Clash of the Dragons?
Only in FarmVille would money start growing on trees; Coin Tree found
Leave it to Zynga to take a cliche and turn it into the real deal ... sort of. Several players have noticed that, in the FarmVille Mastery Charts for trees, a Coin Tree has appeared around the fourth page. The tree, of course, will have Mastery ratings when released.
So far, we know that its first tier of Mastery will take 75 harvests to reach, but its Level 2 form is currently not listed. (The logical progression would be a Farm Cash Tree, no? Keep dreaming.)
The tree is not available on the Market yet. But there's one thing that's bugging us: Trees already provide Coins when harvested, so what will make this one so special? Will it provide more coins than normal trees? That's the only possibility we can imagine at the moment.
Coin Tree Mastery
That being said, our wild speculation for the day (so far) is that this tree will either be a reward for one seriously challenging Goal or be put on sale for Farm Cash. Call us cynical, but our bet is on the latter--prove us wrong, Zynga.
[Via FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen the Coin Tree in your Mastery chart? When and how do you hope this tree will be released, and what will that Level 2 tree be?
So far, we know that its first tier of Mastery will take 75 harvests to reach, but its Level 2 form is currently not listed. (The logical progression would be a Farm Cash Tree, no? Keep dreaming.)
The tree is not available on the Market yet. But there's one thing that's bugging us: Trees already provide Coins when harvested, so what will make this one so special? Will it provide more coins than normal trees? That's the only possibility we can imagine at the moment.
Coin Tree Mastery
That being said, our wild speculation for the day (so far) is that this tree will either be a reward for one seriously challenging Goal or be put on sale for Farm Cash. Call us cynical, but our bet is on the latter--prove us wrong, Zynga.
[Via FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen the Coin Tree in your Mastery chart? When and how do you hope this tree will be released, and what will that Level 2 tree be?
King's Bounty: Legions trailer asks, 'Will you be a king or pawn' [Video]
We hope you'll go with the former, or this will be one terribly boring game for you. Nival, the Russian developer of the hit strategy franchise King's Bounty, has released the first trailer for King's Bounty: Legions, its Facebook adaptation of the series.
The company has started the invite-only beta test of the game through Gamesradar. Members of the video game news website will have instant access to the King's Bounty beta on Facebook, and can invite anyone they please. So, at least everyone will get a crack at the hexagonal madness eventually.
The trailer poses an important if rhetorical question to players: "Will you be a king or a pawn?" Then, it dives right into some flashy gameplay footage filled with spells, swords and spiders--you know, what you expect from a fantasy game these days. We first got a look at the game at this year's E3, but now we know a bit more about King's Bounty: Legions. Namely, it uses the Unity Player to display its arguably beautiful 3D graphics and sparkly spells, which means an extra download.
The turn-based strategy game is being developed by KranX Productions, another Russian developer. King's Bounty on Facebook is most definitely going after the hardcore crowd, which is more familiar with tools like the Unity Player and likely has more of an affinity for the franchise. Players will be able to manage their armies through a card system across the Kingdom (humans and general good guys), Chaos (orcs, beasts with several eyes, you name it), Beasts (wild animals) and The Ancients (unicorns and other mythical creatures) factions. Covering all of these factions is the class system:
Archer - This range class offers players the chance to deal damage while keeping a safe distance from the fray.
Defender - The best offense is a good defense, as demonstrated with their ability to withstand heavy attacks from enemies.
Mage - Unleash magical powers to conquer foes from afar with these masters of the mystic arts.
Support - Everybody needs somebody to watch their back and this class is the go-to back-up in battle.
Warrior - Whether it's swinging a big sword, showing off some big fangs or just being a frontline trooper, this class will get up close and personal with foes.
The game will also have an asynchronous feature that allows players to do battle even when away, according to King's Bounty: Legions North American producer David D. Christensen. If you want an invite into the beta, you'll either have to sign up for a Gamesradar account or wait for a friend to invite you. And after watching that explosive trailer, we're sure you're patience for an invite will be tested.
Are you excited to see this seasoned strategy franchise come to Facebook? How do you think the Facebook game audience will receive the game?
The company has started the invite-only beta test of the game through Gamesradar. Members of the video game news website will have instant access to the King's Bounty beta on Facebook, and can invite anyone they please. So, at least everyone will get a crack at the hexagonal madness eventually.
The trailer poses an important if rhetorical question to players: "Will you be a king or a pawn?" Then, it dives right into some flashy gameplay footage filled with spells, swords and spiders--you know, what you expect from a fantasy game these days. We first got a look at the game at this year's E3, but now we know a bit more about King's Bounty: Legions. Namely, it uses the Unity Player to display its arguably beautiful 3D graphics and sparkly spells, which means an extra download.
The turn-based strategy game is being developed by KranX Productions, another Russian developer. King's Bounty on Facebook is most definitely going after the hardcore crowd, which is more familiar with tools like the Unity Player and likely has more of an affinity for the franchise. Players will be able to manage their armies through a card system across the Kingdom (humans and general good guys), Chaos (orcs, beasts with several eyes, you name it), Beasts (wild animals) and The Ancients (unicorns and other mythical creatures) factions. Covering all of these factions is the class system:
Archer - This range class offers players the chance to deal damage while keeping a safe distance from the fray.
Defender - The best offense is a good defense, as demonstrated with their ability to withstand heavy attacks from enemies.
Mage - Unleash magical powers to conquer foes from afar with these masters of the mystic arts.
Support - Everybody needs somebody to watch their back and this class is the go-to back-up in battle.
Warrior - Whether it's swinging a big sword, showing off some big fangs or just being a frontline trooper, this class will get up close and personal with foes.
The game will also have an asynchronous feature that allows players to do battle even when away, according to King's Bounty: Legions North American producer David D. Christensen. If you want an invite into the beta, you'll either have to sign up for a Gamesradar account or wait for a friend to invite you. And after watching that explosive trailer, we're sure you're patience for an invite will be tested.
Are you excited to see this seasoned strategy franchise come to Facebook? How do you think the Facebook game audience will receive the game?
Nintendo president apologizes for 'unprecedented' 3DS price drop
Isn't cutting your own salary in half enough? Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has issued a public apology to early adopters of the brand new 3DS handheld console. Giant Bomb has translated Iwata's public apology letter, which was issued on the company's Japanese website recently.
The letter is expectantly formal, but terribly honest. "... never before has Nintendo chosen to issue such a dramatic price drop less than 6 months after a system release," Iwata wrote. "This unprecedented timing for a price cut is because the situation has changed greatly since we originally launched the 3DS."
That situation Iwata refers to is that the 3DS has not sold to Nintendo's expectations, and after the company's drastic reduction in its annual earnings forecast, it was time to try something equally as drastic. You know, like cut nearly a third off of its original $250 asking price to $170? (This is effective Aug. 12.)
"If the software creators and those on the retail side are not confident that the Nintendo 3DS is a worthy successor to the DS and will achieve a similarly broad (user) base, it will be impossible for the 3DS to gain popularity, acquire a wide range of software, and eventually create the product cycle necessary for everyone to be satisfied with the system," Iwata admitted. He then went on to remind fans of the 20 free games the company will offer early adopters as consolation.
This letter comes after Iwata addressed investors with the news that he will take a 50 percent cut to his salary as a result of the poor 3DS launch, and other Nintendo executives will take less severe pay cuts. However, the Nintendo president mentions in the letter that there's nothing the company can do to completely make up for cheated feeling many fans might be experiencing. And while that's true, it might take more than just free games to make players feel like their purchase was worthwhile.
Nintendo announced recently that the 3DS and upcoming Wii U will embrace digital item transactions. It's the first step of many that the company should make if it wants to compete with consoles and mobile devices whose game offerings become more and more "connected." After witnessing the 3DS stumble out of the gate, we can't to see how Nintendo debuts the Wii U next year.
[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Do you think a public apology was enough from Iwata? Do you think the 3DS can save some face with this price cut?
The letter is expectantly formal, but terribly honest. "... never before has Nintendo chosen to issue such a dramatic price drop less than 6 months after a system release," Iwata wrote. "This unprecedented timing for a price cut is because the situation has changed greatly since we originally launched the 3DS."
That situation Iwata refers to is that the 3DS has not sold to Nintendo's expectations, and after the company's drastic reduction in its annual earnings forecast, it was time to try something equally as drastic. You know, like cut nearly a third off of its original $250 asking price to $170? (This is effective Aug. 12.)
"If the software creators and those on the retail side are not confident that the Nintendo 3DS is a worthy successor to the DS and will achieve a similarly broad (user) base, it will be impossible for the 3DS to gain popularity, acquire a wide range of software, and eventually create the product cycle necessary for everyone to be satisfied with the system," Iwata admitted. He then went on to remind fans of the 20 free games the company will offer early adopters as consolation.
This letter comes after Iwata addressed investors with the news that he will take a 50 percent cut to his salary as a result of the poor 3DS launch, and other Nintendo executives will take less severe pay cuts. However, the Nintendo president mentions in the letter that there's nothing the company can do to completely make up for cheated feeling many fans might be experiencing. And while that's true, it might take more than just free games to make players feel like their purchase was worthwhile.
Nintendo announced recently that the 3DS and upcoming Wii U will embrace digital item transactions. It's the first step of many that the company should make if it wants to compete with consoles and mobile devices whose game offerings become more and more "connected." After witnessing the 3DS stumble out of the gate, we can't to see how Nintendo debuts the Wii U next year.
[Via GamesIndustry.biz]
Do you think a public apology was enough from Iwata? Do you think the 3DS can save some face with this price cut?
You're gonna' get a free mobile social game, Charlie Brown!
Perhaps Charlie Brown isn't hopeless after all. Snoopy and the gang are going social, thanks to a partnership between Capcom and Peanuts Worldwide. More specifically, Capcom's new mobile division, Beeline Interactive, will develop a new "freemium" game for smartphones and tablets. However, all we know about the game at this point is that it's slated for a fall release and will include Peanuts staples like Charlie Brown, Lucy and, of course, Snoopy.
This move comes hot off the heels of the (perhaps too) wild success of Smurfs Village for iOS devices and Zombie Cafe, both developed by Capcom. Now, the Japanese developer will hand off the duties to Beeline as it pursues its ... manlier franchises like Street Fighter and Resident Evil. According to Pocket Gamer, Beeline plans to release three other mobile games in around the same time frame: Smurfs' Grabber, Dream Park and Monster Pet Shop.
However, it's also important to note that Iconix Brand Group, which now owns the Peanuts brand, is taking the iconic cartoons-turned-traditional holiday specials way farther than just mobile social games. The Peanuts theme park rides are now featured in Amazement Park, a Facebook game created by Cedar Fair Amusement Parks, owner of 11 theme parks nationwide. Certainly more Facebook adventures for Snoopy aren't out the realm of possibility. All we hope is that they involve at least one epic battle between Snoopy and The Red Baron--at least one.
Are you excited for a Snoopy mobile social game by Capcom? How do you hope Beeline will handle the Peanuts in their very own mobile game?
This move comes hot off the heels of the (perhaps too) wild success of Smurfs Village for iOS devices and Zombie Cafe, both developed by Capcom. Now, the Japanese developer will hand off the duties to Beeline as it pursues its ... manlier franchises like Street Fighter and Resident Evil. According to Pocket Gamer, Beeline plans to release three other mobile games in around the same time frame: Smurfs' Grabber, Dream Park and Monster Pet Shop.
However, it's also important to note that Iconix Brand Group, which now owns the Peanuts brand, is taking the iconic cartoons-turned-traditional holiday specials way farther than just mobile social games. The Peanuts theme park rides are now featured in Amazement Park, a Facebook game created by Cedar Fair Amusement Parks, owner of 11 theme parks nationwide. Certainly more Facebook adventures for Snoopy aren't out the realm of possibility. All we hope is that they involve at least one epic battle between Snoopy and The Red Baron--at least one.
Are you excited for a Snoopy mobile social game by Capcom? How do you hope Beeline will handle the Peanuts in their very own mobile game?
FrontierVille The Amazing Grain Silo Goals: Everything you need to know
Say goodbye to withered crops, pioneers. Zynga will soon release the Amazing Grain Silo in FrontierVille, a brand new building that will provide players with Unwither and Wither Protection Boosts through its Daily Bonus. (And that's not a typo.)
The new feature, which will require players to ask for materials from friends like all new buildings, will come with a duo of Goals. These Goals will guide players through the process of creating this building that sounds too good to be true. Well, it is, and let's get on with it:
FrontierVille Grain Silo1. A Grain Idea
Place the Grain Silo
Clean 12 Debris on your homestead
Harvest 25 Flax
To place the Grain Silo, purchase it from the Market for 2,500 Coins and 20 Wood, and just throw it any old place. To harvest 25 Flax, you'll need 3,750 Coins and at least eight hours for them to ripen. Your reward for completing this simple Goal is 500 XP and a Pink Rose Ready Boost.
2. Serious About Silos
Tend 15 Neighbor Crops
Harvest 25 Blue Corn
Collect 10 Silo Tarps
Blue Corn is a brand new crop to FrontierVille, and will cost a total of 5,700 Coins and take 12 hours to ripen. Better yet, each harvest of Blue Corn rewards players with 376 Coins, five Food and 18 XP. However, you may need to complete the Grain Silo to unlock this crop. To finish the Grain Silo after you whack it a few times using Energy and Wood you will need to request the following items from your friends:
Finish the Grain Silo
10 Silo beams
10 Roof Tile
10 Silo Ladder
15 Hopper
15 Stone Siding
15 Silo Crate
FrontierVille Blue CornLike most feature-rich buildings in the game, we imagine that the first three items will be asked for directly from friends, while the latter three will simply post News Feeds for players to respond to.
Once this is finished, the Blue Corn crop should unlock. The 10 Silo Tarps for the Goal look to be another item requested from friends. For finishing this Goal, you'll score 800 XP and a Queasy Chicken.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you seen this exciting new building appear in your game? Why do you think Zynga would release a building that's so powerful? Sound off in the comments. 5 Comments
The new feature, which will require players to ask for materials from friends like all new buildings, will come with a duo of Goals. These Goals will guide players through the process of creating this building that sounds too good to be true. Well, it is, and let's get on with it:
FrontierVille Grain Silo1. A Grain Idea
Place the Grain Silo
Clean 12 Debris on your homestead
Harvest 25 Flax
To place the Grain Silo, purchase it from the Market for 2,500 Coins and 20 Wood, and just throw it any old place. To harvest 25 Flax, you'll need 3,750 Coins and at least eight hours for them to ripen. Your reward for completing this simple Goal is 500 XP and a Pink Rose Ready Boost.
2. Serious About Silos
Tend 15 Neighbor Crops
Harvest 25 Blue Corn
Collect 10 Silo Tarps
Blue Corn is a brand new crop to FrontierVille, and will cost a total of 5,700 Coins and take 12 hours to ripen. Better yet, each harvest of Blue Corn rewards players with 376 Coins, five Food and 18 XP. However, you may need to complete the Grain Silo to unlock this crop. To finish the Grain Silo after you whack it a few times using Energy and Wood you will need to request the following items from your friends:
Finish the Grain Silo
10 Silo beams
10 Roof Tile
10 Silo Ladder
15 Hopper
15 Stone Siding
15 Silo Crate
FrontierVille Blue CornLike most feature-rich buildings in the game, we imagine that the first three items will be asked for directly from friends, while the latter three will simply post News Feeds for players to respond to.
Once this is finished, the Blue Corn crop should unlock. The 10 Silo Tarps for the Goal look to be another item requested from friends. For finishing this Goal, you'll score 800 XP and a Queasy Chicken.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you seen this exciting new building appear in your game? Why do you think Zynga would release a building that's so powerful? Sound off in the comments. 5 Comments
Friday, December 16, 2011
Zynga publishes Mafia Wars 2 comic, sets the stage for Las Vegas intrigue
Mafia Wars 2 has remained a mystery since the word leaked in January. The only follow-up the public has gotten from Zynga is last week's 'badass' trailer. But the game's official fan page announced a Mafia Wars 2 digital comic last night, titled with the game's much bandied about tagline, "Being Bad Never Felt So Good". The comic presents the glamorous yet dangerous world of the game, which is set in Las Vegas, and drops just enough exposition for the reader to meet the cast -- including whose shoes players will be stepping into once the game launches.
This eight-page comic was created by UDON Entertainment, a Canadian comics studio that specializes in Asian-inspired art, lending the story a manga flair in the character designs and paneling layout. UDON (named after the Japanese noodle) isn't a new entrant in games comics either. They're best known for their work with major Japanese games maker Capcom, drawing and publishing comics and artbooks for the Street Fighter series.
Mafia Wars 2 characters
So far, Zynga seems intent on keeping quiet about Mafia Wars 2's gameplay (except for the fact that it'll be a "vast 3-D world"), but they've been very big on establishing the game's world and its characters, the latter of which actually have detailed backstories available on the official website. A focus on characters and narratives is a rare thing in Facebook games. The last time this was done, and to a much greater extent, was Qunify's CLASH: Rise of the Heroes, which is heavily based on superhero comics. One of Zynga's developers, Mike Humphrey, has said that "I'm really looking forward to finally seeing how Mafia Wars 2 is received; it's unlike most games on Facebook right now, and I think it pushes the envelope of what people can expect from games on the platform." Let's hope they keep pushing until the day of the launch.
To check out the comic yourself, click here and follow the directions to 'Like' the game's official Facebook fan page.
How do you like the comic so far? Are you enjoying what appears to be Zynga's move towards more in-depth, story-driven Facebook games?
This eight-page comic was created by UDON Entertainment, a Canadian comics studio that specializes in Asian-inspired art, lending the story a manga flair in the character designs and paneling layout. UDON (named after the Japanese noodle) isn't a new entrant in games comics either. They're best known for their work with major Japanese games maker Capcom, drawing and publishing comics and artbooks for the Street Fighter series.
Mafia Wars 2 characters
So far, Zynga seems intent on keeping quiet about Mafia Wars 2's gameplay (except for the fact that it'll be a "vast 3-D world"), but they've been very big on establishing the game's world and its characters, the latter of which actually have detailed backstories available on the official website. A focus on characters and narratives is a rare thing in Facebook games. The last time this was done, and to a much greater extent, was Qunify's CLASH: Rise of the Heroes, which is heavily based on superhero comics. One of Zynga's developers, Mike Humphrey, has said that "I'm really looking forward to finally seeing how Mafia Wars 2 is received; it's unlike most games on Facebook right now, and I think it pushes the envelope of what people can expect from games on the platform." Let's hope they keep pushing until the day of the launch.
To check out the comic yourself, click here and follow the directions to 'Like' the game's official Facebook fan page.
How do you like the comic so far? Are you enjoying what appears to be Zynga's move towards more in-depth, story-driven Facebook games?
RockYou partner Peak Games raises $11.5M for social game projects
For those of you (like myself) who are kind of tired of seeing the western world dominate Facebook games, this news should come as breath of fresh air. VentureBeat reports that Istanbul-based company Peak Games has raised $11.5 million and purchased two companies in efforts to become a power player in Facebook games. The developers in question, Umaykut and Erlikhan, were bought in what Peak Games calls "talent acquisitions." Sound familiar?
This move speaks to the rapid growth of Facebook games in regions like Turkey, the Middle East, North Africa, Mexico and South America. As we already know, Peak Games will work with growing publisher RockYou to distribute and localize its games in those regions. At the moment, Peak Games is the 18th most popular developer on Facebook, according to AppData, beating out notables like CrowdStar and Digital Chocolate in daily players.
Its most popular internally-created game is Okey, a social puzzle board game. And if you count its fans across all social networks including Facebook, Peak Games welcome 4 million daily players and 16 million monthly players, according to VentureBeat. Peak Games has made a name for itself in localizing social games from national companies for its audience, which is the the fourth largest on Facebook.
"Our goal is to be the dominant provider of games for emerging markets," Peak Games CSO Rina Onur, told VentureBeat. "The growth has been huge in the last six months. These regions are growing super fast and they are very hungry for games."
Facebook gaming is huge in regions other than the U.S.--companies like DeNA and Gree in Japan, Tencent in China and wooga in Europe are testament to that. But what we're more interested in is seeing creators like Peak Games create successful games for a global audience. Perhaps an injection of cash (from Hummingbird Ventures, Earlybird Venture Capital and an anonymous strategic investor) and talent will make that happen--Peak Games has an office in San Francisco, after all.
Would you like to see more Facebook games from these regions? Do you think Peak Games has a good chance at climbing up the ladder?
This move speaks to the rapid growth of Facebook games in regions like Turkey, the Middle East, North Africa, Mexico and South America. As we already know, Peak Games will work with growing publisher RockYou to distribute and localize its games in those regions. At the moment, Peak Games is the 18th most popular developer on Facebook, according to AppData, beating out notables like CrowdStar and Digital Chocolate in daily players.
Its most popular internally-created game is Okey, a social puzzle board game. And if you count its fans across all social networks including Facebook, Peak Games welcome 4 million daily players and 16 million monthly players, according to VentureBeat. Peak Games has made a name for itself in localizing social games from national companies for its audience, which is the the fourth largest on Facebook.
"Our goal is to be the dominant provider of games for emerging markets," Peak Games CSO Rina Onur, told VentureBeat. "The growth has been huge in the last six months. These regions are growing super fast and they are very hungry for games."
Facebook gaming is huge in regions other than the U.S.--companies like DeNA and Gree in Japan, Tencent in China and wooga in Europe are testament to that. But what we're more interested in is seeing creators like Peak Games create successful games for a global audience. Perhaps an injection of cash (from Hummingbird Ventures, Earlybird Venture Capital and an anonymous strategic investor) and talent will make that happen--Peak Games has an office in San Francisco, after all.
Would you like to see more Facebook games from these regions? Do you think Peak Games has a good chance at climbing up the ladder?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Makiziki's lush desert oasis
Howdy folks. Today's featured farm is a handsome design by Makiziki, a player who spends time over at the FarmVille Forums. Makiziki's farm caught my eye because it does something rather novel: paths. Paths may be common in other games such as CityVille, Empires & Allies, and FrontierVille, but in FarmVille, there is no easy way to make paths. All the dirt trails you see are actually created by hand placing the Lush Grass decoration all over the farm.
So not only is this farm a beautiful estate full of crops, animals, and items; but it also serves as a great design guide for other FarmVille artists. Using Lush Grass to cover a farmville tall grass makizikifarm hasn't been done too much, especially considering how nice it looks. Unfortunately, Lush Grass was a limited time English Countryside item that is no longer available. However, a different item, Tall Grass, can be bought in the decorations tab of the market for 1,500 coins apiece. The only difference is that Tall Grass is a little taller, so it will give farms a more wild, natural look.
In addition to the unique use of grass and desert background in order to make paths, the farm has a lot more going on. In an age where FarmVille players have absurd amounts of stuff, Makiziki's farm remains rather organized. Here's what they had to say about their farm:
Well, first of all, I love to design with paths. FarmVille doesn't actually have them yet. And I love a lot of green, so my design looks like a real farm. I worked about 3-4 hours to finsih this farm, and I was so tired when I was done :) But I love my new farm :)
-Makiziki
What do you guys think of Makizki's Lush Grass-filled farm? Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
So not only is this farm a beautiful estate full of crops, animals, and items; but it also serves as a great design guide for other FarmVille artists. Using Lush Grass to cover a farmville tall grass makizikifarm hasn't been done too much, especially considering how nice it looks. Unfortunately, Lush Grass was a limited time English Countryside item that is no longer available. However, a different item, Tall Grass, can be bought in the decorations tab of the market for 1,500 coins apiece. The only difference is that Tall Grass is a little taller, so it will give farms a more wild, natural look.
In addition to the unique use of grass and desert background in order to make paths, the farm has a lot more going on. In an age where FarmVille players have absurd amounts of stuff, Makiziki's farm remains rather organized. Here's what they had to say about their farm:
Well, first of all, I love to design with paths. FarmVille doesn't actually have them yet. And I love a lot of green, so my design looks like a real farm. I worked about 3-4 hours to finsih this farm, and I was so tired when I was done :) But I love my new farm :)
-Makiziki
What do you guys think of Makizki's Lush Grass-filled farm? Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
Entertainment Games looks to revive soap operas in Facebook games
FarmVille may have killed the daytime soap opera, but it seems like soaps might have their heyday after all. Langhorne, Penn.-based Entertainment Games announced that it hired Michael Fairman (pictured below), a leading expert on daytime soaps (bet you didn't know such a job existed, eh?) to help the company develop a soap opera game with Heyday Games.
Working toward this announcement, the company has been surprisingly busy. Entertainment Games bought social games maker Heyday Games in late June. Then in August, the company changed the name it's had since 1992. Two weeks ago, the company struck a licensing deal with intellectual rights management firm CMG Worldwide to use pictures of celebrities for some "retro-based social game for Facebook, Google+, mobile devices and the open web."
Aside from admittedly banking on nostalgia, there are a few clues as to what type of game the company looks to make. Entertainment Games wants to harness Fairman's two decades of experience in the industry. The company wants his help to create a game that Entertainment Games's CCO F.J. Lennon says will "deliver a ground-breaking social gaming experience that both the gaming and soap opera industries will take note of."
Michael Fairman soap opera expertSince Facebook games came along, games and daytime soaps had been inadvertently at war over the same audience, namely, 25 to 54-year-old women. Unfortunately for soaps fans, Zynga's "television audience destruction machine" won the battle over All My Children and One Life to Live. But Entertainment Games isn't the only company looking to capitalize on this obvious demographic.
In an effort to generate more revenue, UK soap opera Coronation Street was turned into a Facebook social game called "Corrie Nation". Unfortunately, the game didn't last a year before it was taken down for a complete rehaul, with ATV network looking for a new game developer to take on the job. With soap operas dying and the first (and only) Facebook soap opera game ever made, out of commission, you'd think that no one would bother with another attempt, right? Well, here comes Entertainment Games, Inc. to prove us wrong.
From the sound of things, soap operas can find new life after television as Facebook games. On top of that, they're going to return vying for the same demographic as they once did against Zynga, but this time, they'll be on the same playing field.
Do you think soap opera social games have a chance at being the next big hit?
Working toward this announcement, the company has been surprisingly busy. Entertainment Games bought social games maker Heyday Games in late June. Then in August, the company changed the name it's had since 1992. Two weeks ago, the company struck a licensing deal with intellectual rights management firm CMG Worldwide to use pictures of celebrities for some "retro-based social game for Facebook, Google+, mobile devices and the open web."
Aside from admittedly banking on nostalgia, there are a few clues as to what type of game the company looks to make. Entertainment Games wants to harness Fairman's two decades of experience in the industry. The company wants his help to create a game that Entertainment Games's CCO F.J. Lennon says will "deliver a ground-breaking social gaming experience that both the gaming and soap opera industries will take note of."
Michael Fairman soap opera expertSince Facebook games came along, games and daytime soaps had been inadvertently at war over the same audience, namely, 25 to 54-year-old women. Unfortunately for soaps fans, Zynga's "television audience destruction machine" won the battle over All My Children and One Life to Live. But Entertainment Games isn't the only company looking to capitalize on this obvious demographic.
In an effort to generate more revenue, UK soap opera Coronation Street was turned into a Facebook social game called "Corrie Nation". Unfortunately, the game didn't last a year before it was taken down for a complete rehaul, with ATV network looking for a new game developer to take on the job. With soap operas dying and the first (and only) Facebook soap opera game ever made, out of commission, you'd think that no one would bother with another attempt, right? Well, here comes Entertainment Games, Inc. to prove us wrong.
From the sound of things, soap operas can find new life after television as Facebook games. On top of that, they're going to return vying for the same demographic as they once did against Zynga, but this time, they'll be on the same playing field.
Do you think soap opera social games have a chance at being the next big hit?
Bubble Saga maker King.com hires Microsoft exec as marketing head
Can none resist the dollar signs allure of Facebook games? King.com, maker of Facebook game ports like Bubble Saga, announced that it has hired ex-Microsoft exec Alex Dale as its chief marketing officer. Dale joins King.com after overseeing Microsoft's marketing efforts on products including Bing, Internet Explorer and Windows Phone.
"We have made several strategic hires recently in an effort continue this growth and even take it one step further, becoming a clear leader in the space," King.com co-fonder and CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are confident that Alex will be instrumental in helping us further grow our global user- and partnership-base and are thrilled to have him on board."
Dale joins a list of executives that have found themselves in the social games space. Sean Ryan, director of Facebook games partnerships, was at one time the CEO of now-defunct social network LiveJournal. Zynga head of mobile games David Ko comes from Yahoo, and most recently Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield moved on to make his own social game, Glitch.
King.com, which most recently launched Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook, now joins the ranks of companies like Zynga in its willingness to source talent from other industries. And King.com says in the announcement that Dale will be at helm of the companies global expansion. It seems that the company is looking abroad to reach the top five game makers on AppData--it sits pretty at number seven with just over 17 million monthly players.
Do you think King.com, making hires like this, can become an even bigger competitor in Facebook games? What do you think of games like Bubble Witch Saga?
"We have made several strategic hires recently in an effort continue this growth and even take it one step further, becoming a clear leader in the space," King.com co-fonder and CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are confident that Alex will be instrumental in helping us further grow our global user- and partnership-base and are thrilled to have him on board."
Dale joins a list of executives that have found themselves in the social games space. Sean Ryan, director of Facebook games partnerships, was at one time the CEO of now-defunct social network LiveJournal. Zynga head of mobile games David Ko comes from Yahoo, and most recently Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield moved on to make his own social game, Glitch.
King.com, which most recently launched Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook, now joins the ranks of companies like Zynga in its willingness to source talent from other industries. And King.com says in the announcement that Dale will be at helm of the companies global expansion. It seems that the company is looking abroad to reach the top five game makers on AppData--it sits pretty at number seven with just over 17 million monthly players.
Do you think King.com, making hires like this, can become an even bigger competitor in Facebook games? What do you think of games like Bubble Witch Saga?
Want exclusive freebies in The Sims Social? Register on the forums
I'd put away that credit card, if I were you, at least for the moment. I know, it's burning a hole and blah, blah, blah, but Playfish recently announced that it will give The Sims Social players exclusive freebies on a regular basis, but under one condition: You have to register on the Playfish forums. In fact, the game's community team created a new forum category just for this purpose.
Starting last week, Playfish gave away some free Relaxation--an ingredient used in crafting Fun Potions--in a short 24-hour window. So, it looks like, if you do decide to partake in the freebie-fest, you'll have to visit the Playfish forums on a regular basis to catch the next free giveaway that pops up. Perhaps eventually the developer will start to dole some beefier prizes like decorations for your Sim's house or straight-up Simoleons and Social Points.
EA and Playfish have been on a freebie frenzy as of late for all The Sims Social players. Just recently, the developer announced a week-long event in which it will post even more handouts on its Facebook page. At this point, we can't help but ask: Why? Well, considering just how close The Sims Social is to overtaking Zynga's CityVille as the number one game on Facebook in daily players, we're not surprised that Playfish would be pulling all the stops. To register on the Playfish forums, click right here.
Have you been reaping the rewards from Playfish on the forums and on The Sims Social Facebook page? What do you think of the game so far?
Starting last week, Playfish gave away some free Relaxation--an ingredient used in crafting Fun Potions--in a short 24-hour window. So, it looks like, if you do decide to partake in the freebie-fest, you'll have to visit the Playfish forums on a regular basis to catch the next free giveaway that pops up. Perhaps eventually the developer will start to dole some beefier prizes like decorations for your Sim's house or straight-up Simoleons and Social Points.
EA and Playfish have been on a freebie frenzy as of late for all The Sims Social players. Just recently, the developer announced a week-long event in which it will post even more handouts on its Facebook page. At this point, we can't help but ask: Why? Well, considering just how close The Sims Social is to overtaking Zynga's CityVille as the number one game on Facebook in daily players, we're not surprised that Playfish would be pulling all the stops. To register on the Playfish forums, click right here.
Have you been reaping the rewards from Playfish on the forums and on The Sims Social Facebook page? What do you think of the game so far?
Monday, December 12, 2011
FarmVille Friends feature finally launches; add neighbors without being Facebook buddies
For the past few weeks, we've been given you details about a then unreleased feature in FarmVille called "FarmVille Friends," which will - to put it simply - allow you to add new FarmVille neighbors without being Facebook friends. Finally, this feature has launched in the game, allowing you to browse through a list of possible neighbor suggestions to find just the right people for you.
You'll be greeted with this feature automatically once the update has rolled around to your game. From there, you'll have to take a trip to the "Add Neighbors" tab at the top of the FarmVille game page to see a list of five strangers at a time that you could add as FarmVille neighbors without actually adding them as Facebook friends. You'll see their first names, in-game levels, profile pictures (where available), locations and the last time they played. You'll then either have the option of sending them a neighbor request directly or visiting their farm to see if they have many of the game's newest features to be sure they're really an active player.
If you happen to have any mutual Facebook friends with that person, that information will be displayed as well, and you can tell who the mutual friend is by hovering over the orange banner, as seen above. If you don't wish to add any of those five strangers as FarmVille neighbors, you can click on the "See More" button at right to refresh your selection.
Keep in mind, as you're able to see others in this feature, so too can people see you. You may appear in players' groups of five, where others can add you as FarmvVille neighbors instead. You'll see these requests in the Zynga Messaging Center upon logging into the game, and can simply click to accept or ignore the request as you see fit.
If you'd rather remove yourself from this feature entirely (that is, remove yourself from the pool of possible neighbors, and not add any strangers as neighbors yourself), this is accomplished by scrolling all of the way down the Add Neighbors tab and unchecking the "FarmVille Friends" box, as seen below. Should you change your mind later, you can always check the box again to put yourself back in the pool.
Once you've become neighbors with these users, you'll be able to visit their farms and send them free gifts as normal, but it doesn't look like our interactions can spread much beyond that as of this writing. That makes this feature questionable in quality, but you can always try it out on a few neighbors to see if it positively changes your gameplay around the farm.
What do you think of this FarmVille Friends feature? Will you participate and add new players as neighbors?
You'll be greeted with this feature automatically once the update has rolled around to your game. From there, you'll have to take a trip to the "Add Neighbors" tab at the top of the FarmVille game page to see a list of five strangers at a time that you could add as FarmVille neighbors without actually adding them as Facebook friends. You'll see their first names, in-game levels, profile pictures (where available), locations and the last time they played. You'll then either have the option of sending them a neighbor request directly or visiting their farm to see if they have many of the game's newest features to be sure they're really an active player.
If you happen to have any mutual Facebook friends with that person, that information will be displayed as well, and you can tell who the mutual friend is by hovering over the orange banner, as seen above. If you don't wish to add any of those five strangers as FarmVille neighbors, you can click on the "See More" button at right to refresh your selection.
Keep in mind, as you're able to see others in this feature, so too can people see you. You may appear in players' groups of five, where others can add you as FarmvVille neighbors instead. You'll see these requests in the Zynga Messaging Center upon logging into the game, and can simply click to accept or ignore the request as you see fit.
If you'd rather remove yourself from this feature entirely (that is, remove yourself from the pool of possible neighbors, and not add any strangers as neighbors yourself), this is accomplished by scrolling all of the way down the Add Neighbors tab and unchecking the "FarmVille Friends" box, as seen below. Should you change your mind later, you can always check the box again to put yourself back in the pool.
Once you've become neighbors with these users, you'll be able to visit their farms and send them free gifts as normal, but it doesn't look like our interactions can spread much beyond that as of this writing. That makes this feature questionable in quality, but you can always try it out on a few neighbors to see if it positively changes your gameplay around the farm.
What do you think of this FarmVille Friends feature? Will you participate and add new players as neighbors?
FarmVille: Double Mastery on for this weekend on trees and crops
Even though there's no real holiday going on, that hasn't stopped Zynga from celebrating this weekend in FarmVille by turning on double mastery. This double mastery event will take place from now until Monday evening at 9:00 PM PDT. Within that time, all of your crops and trees harvested will count for double the mastery points, so there's a great opportunity here for mastery sign earning!
A couple of things to keep in mind: If you're going for crop mastery, you can activate a bushel when harvesting to earn three points of mastery for each square with this bonus. For tree farmers, you can also employ the orchard rotation technique, while earning double mastery on each orchard you harvest as well. Also, if you happen to own a Platinum Mastery Statue or recently re-released 2X Mastery Statue on your farm, this bonus will not stack on either crops or trees - you'll simply miss out on this event on that particular farm, as it only applies to those without such statues.
As one final note, this event does not give you double mastery points on animals. Why the FarmVille team hasn't decided to include our (mostly) furry friends in these updates hasn't yet been revealed, but I'm sure Zynga has its reasons. Either way, remember - this event will only last for the next couple of days. If you've ever needed extra incentive to play FarmVille on the weekends, this is about as good as it gets.
What crops or trees will you try to mastery during this double mastery weekend?
A couple of things to keep in mind: If you're going for crop mastery, you can activate a bushel when harvesting to earn three points of mastery for each square with this bonus. For tree farmers, you can also employ the orchard rotation technique, while earning double mastery on each orchard you harvest as well. Also, if you happen to own a Platinum Mastery Statue or recently re-released 2X Mastery Statue on your farm, this bonus will not stack on either crops or trees - you'll simply miss out on this event on that particular farm, as it only applies to those without such statues.
As one final note, this event does not give you double mastery points on animals. Why the FarmVille team hasn't decided to include our (mostly) furry friends in these updates hasn't yet been revealed, but I'm sure Zynga has its reasons. Either way, remember - this event will only last for the next couple of days. If you've ever needed extra incentive to play FarmVille on the weekends, this is about as good as it gets.
What crops or trees will you try to mastery during this double mastery weekend?
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Model Farm rewards free items daily
While the Model Farm has long been a fairly useless feature in FarmVille, that merely lets you look at limited edition items currently available in the store in all of their "life-size" and (sometimes) animated glory, it seems that the FarmVille team really wants you to pay attention to this "neighbor" on your friends list, as they've taken to rewarding you for doing so. In this newest case, we see the Model Farm taking on a Lighthouse Cove theme, with plenty of trees, animals and buildings giving off that "resort town" feeling.
For visiting the Model Farm, you should receive 1,000 coins for free. Don't worry if the window doesn't pop up right away; there are simply tons of items to load (and plenty of price-tags as well), so it might take the game a few seconds longer than normal to reward you with your prize. We're not sure if the 1,000 coin prize is static across the game just for today's visits, or for your first visit to the Model Farm, so make sure to take advantage of the daily prize giveaways on this farm while you can.
We're told that we can "come back tomorrow to win again," and while the prize may just be more coins, free is free, right?
What sorts of prizes would make you want to visit the Model Farm, or are some free coins enough to do the trick?
For visiting the Model Farm, you should receive 1,000 coins for free. Don't worry if the window doesn't pop up right away; there are simply tons of items to load (and plenty of price-tags as well), so it might take the game a few seconds longer than normal to reward you with your prize. We're not sure if the 1,000 coin prize is static across the game just for today's visits, or for your first visit to the Model Farm, so make sure to take advantage of the daily prize giveaways on this farm while you can.
We're told that we can "come back tomorrow to win again," and while the prize may just be more coins, free is free, right?
What sorts of prizes would make you want to visit the Model Farm, or are some free coins enough to do the trick?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)