The more traditional video games world has been growing progressively more social in recent years. The Nintendo Wii has turned gaming from a solitary activity to a family affair and Microsoft's Xbox Live has allowed gamers to connect with fellow joystick jockeys in ways that haven't been possible before.
Now Microsoft goes even more social with its new gaming device -- Kinect. Formerly known as Project Natal, Kinect is, at its core, a motion sensor camera that connects to the Xbox 360 and then lets your body act as the controller. At an over-the-top event, complete with Cirque du Soleil acrobatics, we saw some of the very first games for this device in action -- almost all of them catering to more than one player.
Kinect has a Wii Sports clone, Kinect Sports, a driving game called Kinect JoyRide and another game named Kinect Adventures, but the one that stands out the most is Kinectimals, an animal simulation game, where you adopt a virtual pet, teach it tricks using motion and voice commands, play games with it -- all using nothing more than this high powered camera. The animal reacts to your movement, and, in general, seems aware of your presence. For instance, if you hide from your virtual pet, it will come looking for you. It's like having a stuffed animal come to life.
kinectimals tiger
Speaking of stuffed animals, those will be integral to the game. You will be able to buy Kinectimals-branded stuffed animals in stores or online, and then scan them using Kinect, and they will magically appear onscreen. Think of it as a Neopets for Xbox 360. There will be 20 collectible animals in all, and you will also have the option to buy virtual items to care for your pet via the in-game store. You'll be able to set up play dates with friends pets online, and your pet will be rewarded with items for exploring the game's universe, unlocking new areas along the way.
The other interesting part of this is how Kinect will be used to navigate through the Xbox menu and other non-gaming apps on the device. Microsoft showed off how you can use voice commands to play a movie, chat with friends via video ad watch ESPN on demand, but we're curious to see how this will apply to the social networking apps on the device -- Facebook and Twitter. Specifically, Facebook games. Right now, there's still no word whether FarmVille or any other Facebook games will be playable on Microsoft's console at any point in the future, but mixing gesture and/or voice controls with tending to a virtual farm or building a virtual city could offer a unique twist to the social games we know and love.
From what we've seen so far, the console world doesn't exactly seem ready to embrace the millions of FarmVille players out there, but we're certainly seeing 'social' continue to be a bigger part of gaming whether it's on Facebook or an Xbox 360.
Monday, February 13, 2012
YoVille Group Buying: purchase YoCash items for YoCoins
We gave you a little preview of YoVille's new Group Buying feature already, and tonight they have rolled this new feature out live to the world. Group Buying allows you to opt in to receive YoCash items for YoCoins, and a discount of 50%. In order to get the discount, 100,000 people need to opt-in to this discount. If that many people sign up, you will receive an email letting you know that you're eligible to make a purchase at a discount. The available items in this first round of Group Buying are:
Enchanted Animated Fountain - 500 coins, formerly 12 YoCash
Enchanted Hot Springs - 600 coins, formerly 12 YoCash
Luxury Min Pin Plush - 400 coins, formerly 6 YoCash
Yolex - 500 coins, formerly 10 YoCash
Black Hobo Purse - 350 coins, formerly 7 YoCash
As of this writing, just over 58,000 people have already signed up for this offer. It will expire in 22 hours, so make sure to visit the promotion's page, sign up, and then share it to your wall to encourage your friends to join in.
Enchanted Animated Fountain - 500 coins, formerly 12 YoCash
Enchanted Hot Springs - 600 coins, formerly 12 YoCash
Luxury Min Pin Plush - 400 coins, formerly 6 YoCash
Yolex - 500 coins, formerly 10 YoCash
Black Hobo Purse - 350 coins, formerly 7 YoCash
As of this writing, just over 58,000 people have already signed up for this offer. It will expire in 22 hours, so make sure to visit the promotion's page, sign up, and then share it to your wall to encourage your friends to join in.
Show your support for South Africa in Island Paradise
Island Paradise is really going all out for the FIFA World Cup 2010. So far, the popular island farming game has released avatar costumes, a World Cup trophy, and flags to represent the different countries - and now they've added to this collection with a pair of items to honor South Africa. South Africa is where the World Cup is held this year, so it's only fair to show support to the nation for hosting the gigantic sporting event.
Available in the Island Shop are two new items for coins, a set of Djembe Drums, and a Zulu Shield. Djembe Drums are a very popular drum in Africa, intended to be played with the bare hands. You can have your own set in Island Paradise at level 10, for 1,500 coins. Zulu are the largest tribe in South Africa with 10-11 million people, and you can have a Zulu Shield for 5,000 coins (if you're level 13 or above).
Available in the Island Shop are two new items for coins, a set of Djembe Drums, and a Zulu Shield. Djembe Drums are a very popular drum in Africa, intended to be played with the bare hands. You can have your own set in Island Paradise at level 10, for 1,500 coins. Zulu are the largest tribe in South Africa with 10-11 million people, and you can have a Zulu Shield for 5,000 coins (if you're level 13 or above).
Wild Ones offers premium membership for monthly fee
Wild Ones premium membership
In a bold and surprising move, Playdom's popular social game Wild Ones has announced a premium subscription option. This new membership requires a monthly fee of 99 Facebook Credits (roughly $9.90 USD) and provides many benefits over being a free member. This is of course, completely optional, but does make a lot of sense if you're someone who has spent a little bit of real life cash in Wild Ones. Let's take a peek at the benefits:
Premium "Members Only" items - Can you imagine having exclusive items that your friends don't have?
50% experience to leveling - This is a huge benefit. If you can level up 50% faster for becoming a member, this is a huge incentive to join the membership fee.
Increased coin earnings - For anyone who is stuck slowly grinding away coins, this may be a way to get them quicker.
Buy premium items with coins - If this is what it sounds like, you would be able to buy items that are typically priced in Facebook Credits, for coins.
We're not sure what to think. On one hand, one thing that sets Facebook games apart from other forms of gaming entertainment is their free-to-play nature. While this is optional, this could definitely upset some folks because anyone who pays will have a substantially better gaming experience. We think $9.99 is quite the hefty price as well, especially when compared with large scale immersive MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft. On the other hand, this could be a great option for traditional game players who would rather pay a flat fee to enjoy all the content rather than paying for items a little at a time.
In a bold and surprising move, Playdom's popular social game Wild Ones has announced a premium subscription option. This new membership requires a monthly fee of 99 Facebook Credits (roughly $9.90 USD) and provides many benefits over being a free member. This is of course, completely optional, but does make a lot of sense if you're someone who has spent a little bit of real life cash in Wild Ones. Let's take a peek at the benefits:
Premium "Members Only" items - Can you imagine having exclusive items that your friends don't have?
50% experience to leveling - This is a huge benefit. If you can level up 50% faster for becoming a member, this is a huge incentive to join the membership fee.
Increased coin earnings - For anyone who is stuck slowly grinding away coins, this may be a way to get them quicker.
Buy premium items with coins - If this is what it sounds like, you would be able to buy items that are typically priced in Facebook Credits, for coins.
We're not sure what to think. On one hand, one thing that sets Facebook games apart from other forms of gaming entertainment is their free-to-play nature. While this is optional, this could definitely upset some folks because anyone who pays will have a substantially better gaming experience. We think $9.99 is quite the hefty price as well, especially when compared with large scale immersive MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft. On the other hand, this could be a great option for traditional game players who would rather pay a flat fee to enjoy all the content rather than paying for items a little at a time.
PetVille releases final four Space Struggle lost toys
Earlier this month, PetVille launched a new set of lost Space Struggle toys, beginning with the first four in the set. Tonight, the final four have been added to the game. These adorable space toys are quite clearly modeled after Star Wars - and the four latest released toys are mirror images of R2-D2, Yoda, Boba Fett, and Darth Vader.
These toys are found randomly in treasure chests that can be found in your neighbor's pet's homes. Once found, you are prompted to post a notice on your wall telling your friends that you found the toy. This means that in order to actually obtain these pets, you'll have to scour over your friend's wall postings to find a friend who has found and posted about the toy you're looking for. This Space Struggle set includes 8 lost toys in total, which can be used to decorate your pet's home.
These toys are found randomly in treasure chests that can be found in your neighbor's pet's homes. Once found, you are prompted to post a notice on your wall telling your friends that you found the toy. This means that in order to actually obtain these pets, you'll have to scour over your friend's wall postings to find a friend who has found and posted about the toy you're looking for. This Space Struggle set includes 8 lost toys in total, which can be used to decorate your pet's home.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
FarmVille Limited Edition Swiss Buildings: Swiss Manor & Large Chalet
farmville swiss manor
Two new limited edition Swiss themed buildings hit the market, the Swiss Manor and Large Chalet.
Both will be available in the FarmVille Market during the next 15 days.
farmville large chalet farmville swiss manor
Limited Edition Swiss Alps Buildings: (Released July 14th 2010)
Swiss Manor – 50 FV$
Large Chalet – 350,000 coins
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you purchase any of these buildings? Share your pics with editors@games.com and we may feature them here.
Two new limited edition Swiss themed buildings hit the market, the Swiss Manor and Large Chalet.
Both will be available in the FarmVille Market during the next 15 days.
farmville large chalet farmville swiss manor
Limited Edition Swiss Alps Buildings: (Released July 14th 2010)
Swiss Manor – 50 FV$
Large Chalet – 350,000 coins
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you purchase any of these buildings? Share your pics with editors@games.com and we may feature them here.
FarmVille's Mystery Game: Is it really better than a Mystery Box?
In this week's update, FarmVille released a new Mystery Game in the Market, calling it "better than a mystery box." (We'll see about that!) If you want to play the Mystery Game, head to the Market and look under the Decorations tab. For the next six days, you will be able to play the game ... provided you're willing to part with 20 Farm Cash.
farmville mystery game
If you decide to take the plunge, press 'Play,' and you'll be given access to a Pop the Balloons! game. The game itself is pretty simple, just aim using the mouse and then click once you've targeted your balloon.
farmville pop the balloon game
Once the balloon pops, you'll be rewarded with a mystery animal, which you will be able to find in your gift box. I played a single round of the Pop the Balloon! game and was rewarded with a handsome Black Stallion. If you want to try your luck again and throw another dart, you will have to pay an additional 20 Farm Cash.
Before you decide to go on a spending spree, take a gander at the six mystery animals inside:
From left to right, here's a list the mystery animals you can win from the game:
White Squirrel
White Porcupine
White Lion Cub
White Kangaroo
White Deer
Black Stallion
My personal take: While these animals are all lovely, none of them really strike me as a must-have on the farm. I question whether this new Mystery Game really is better than a Mystery Box, based on pricing alone. The game costs 20 Farm Cash to play, a Mystery Box generally costs 15 Farm Cash. If this game yielded more useful gifts -- like a Hot Rod vehicle or a bundle of Unwithers -- I could understand the motivation behind this new mystery item. Otherwise, it's just seems like a game within a game that you pay for the privilege to play.
FarmVille Mystery Box vs. Mystery Game
Mystery Box!Mystery Game!I like bothI don't like eitherI don't spend cash in FarmVille
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
farmville mystery game
If you decide to take the plunge, press 'Play,' and you'll be given access to a Pop the Balloons! game. The game itself is pretty simple, just aim using the mouse and then click once you've targeted your balloon.
farmville pop the balloon game
Once the balloon pops, you'll be rewarded with a mystery animal, which you will be able to find in your gift box. I played a single round of the Pop the Balloon! game and was rewarded with a handsome Black Stallion. If you want to try your luck again and throw another dart, you will have to pay an additional 20 Farm Cash.
Before you decide to go on a spending spree, take a gander at the six mystery animals inside:
From left to right, here's a list the mystery animals you can win from the game:
White Squirrel
White Porcupine
White Lion Cub
White Kangaroo
White Deer
Black Stallion
My personal take: While these animals are all lovely, none of them really strike me as a must-have on the farm. I question whether this new Mystery Game really is better than a Mystery Box, based on pricing alone. The game costs 20 Farm Cash to play, a Mystery Box generally costs 15 Farm Cash. If this game yielded more useful gifts -- like a Hot Rod vehicle or a bundle of Unwithers -- I could understand the motivation behind this new mystery item. Otherwise, it's just seems like a game within a game that you pay for the privilege to play.
FarmVille Mystery Box vs. Mystery Game
Mystery Box!Mystery Game!I like bothI don't like eitherI don't spend cash in FarmVille
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
FarmVille Swiss Flag Now in the Market!
Finally! The Swiss Flag is now available for you to proudly display on your FarmVille Farms.
The Swiss Flag is a permanent market item that you can purchase in the FarmVille Market at any time for
16 FV$.
You may notice that the Swiss Flag is rectangular shaped in FarmVille, however, in real life the Swiss flag is square shaped.
farmville swiss flag
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
The Swiss Flag is a permanent market item that you can purchase in the FarmVille Market at any time for
16 FV$.
You may notice that the Swiss Flag is rectangular shaped in FarmVille, however, in real life the Swiss flag is square shaped.
farmville swiss flag
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Fan Sheep arrives in the Market
The FarmVille Fan Sheep is finally here and available in the FarmVille Market!
The Fan Sheep celebrates the FarmVille Sheep's reaching 2 million fans on its FaceBook Fan page.
The Fan Sheep has a 300,000 coins price tag and will be available during the next 20 days only in the FarmVille Market.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
What do you think, is this too many coins to pay for a Fan Sheep?
The Fan Sheep celebrates the FarmVille Sheep's reaching 2 million fans on its FaceBook Fan page.
The Fan Sheep has a 300,000 coins price tag and will be available during the next 20 days only in the FarmVille Market.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
What do you think, is this too many coins to pay for a Fan Sheep?
FarmVille Limited Edition Swiss Ibex
A new Swiss Alps limited edition animal, the Swiss Ibex hit the FarmVille Market.
The Swiss Ibex is available for 16 farm cash during the next 13 days only.
farmville swiss ibex
Check out a real life Swiss Ibex in the video below. Traditionally the Swiss Ibex's horns are used to defend themselves, but this one found another use!
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
The Swiss Ibex is available for 16 farm cash during the next 13 days only.
farmville swiss ibex
Check out a real life Swiss Ibex in the video below. Traditionally the Swiss Ibex's horns are used to defend themselves, but this one found another use!
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
FrontierVille Animal Mystery Crate: Find out what's inside
A new Mystery Animal crate mysteriously appeared in FrontierVille, bringing with it a chance to add three new, exclusive animals to your homestead. If you're in the mood to try your luck, you can buy a Mystery Animal box in the market for 50 Horseshoes (roughly $7) and open it up to find an owl, porcupine and a pink rabbit inside. If you collect all three, you'll will be able to brag about it with your new Dead Bear statue.
The Mystery Animal crate will only be around for a limited time, so all of you collectors out there should move fast before the crate disappears from the Market. (Though, judging from FarmVille's limited edition items, it's more than likely that these mystery animals will return again at a later date).
The Mystery Animal crate will only be around for a limited time, so all of you collectors out there should move fast before the crate disappears from the Market. (Though, judging from FarmVille's limited edition items, it's more than likely that these mystery animals will return again at a later date).
Happy Pets adds Honey Parrot adoptable pet
Today, Happy Pets have announced that there is a new adoptable pet available in the game - the Honey Parrot. This parrot is a beautiful rich shade of yellow and has a big adorable beak. While there isn't actually a real bird named a Honey Parrot, we still think this is a fine addition to the game.
To claim a Honey Parrot, it's the same as any other adoptable wall post animal. A friend will discover the lost parrot in their room, and will be able to share the parrot with friends on their wall. If you want to be the proud owner of a new Honey Parrot, you'll just have to be the first one to click on the wall post. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Well, as long as you're quick you'll do just fine.
Do you have a Honey Parrot yet? How adorable are they?
To claim a Honey Parrot, it's the same as any other adoptable wall post animal. A friend will discover the lost parrot in their room, and will be able to share the parrot with friends on their wall. If you want to be the proud owner of a new Honey Parrot, you'll just have to be the first one to click on the wall post. Sounds easy, doesn't it? Well, as long as you're quick you'll do just fine.
Do you have a Honey Parrot yet? How adorable are they?
Treasure Isle to give out energy for visiting neighbors
Treasure Isle energy by visiting neighbors
Treasure Isle sure has been shaking things up lately, and this is no exception. Today, on the Treasure Isle Diggers Anonymous fan page (an official page run by Zynga), the game has announced that soon you will be able to get +1 energy for each friend you visit. This is a major change to the game, because any player who has a lot of neighbors will be able to replenish their energy and play the game longer.
We're sure that there will be a maximum amount of energy you can earn per day, and you can probably only get an energy bonus the first time you visit a neighbor per day. Either way, this is yet another way that gameplay can be lengthened and players can enjoy exploring and digging longer without having to wait until their energy recharges. Also, if you were a player who often bought Energy Packs with Island Cash, you may no longer need to spend nearly as much with this new change.
So far, we don't know when this is coming down the pipe. We'll keep you updated with all the latest Treasure Isle news, so stay tuned!
Do you approve of this change? When do you think it will be released?
Treasure Isle sure has been shaking things up lately, and this is no exception. Today, on the Treasure Isle Diggers Anonymous fan page (an official page run by Zynga), the game has announced that soon you will be able to get +1 energy for each friend you visit. This is a major change to the game, because any player who has a lot of neighbors will be able to replenish their energy and play the game longer.
We're sure that there will be a maximum amount of energy you can earn per day, and you can probably only get an energy bonus the first time you visit a neighbor per day. Either way, this is yet another way that gameplay can be lengthened and players can enjoy exploring and digging longer without having to wait until their energy recharges. Also, if you were a player who often bought Energy Packs with Island Cash, you may no longer need to spend nearly as much with this new change.
So far, we don't know when this is coming down the pipe. We'll keep you updated with all the latest Treasure Isle news, so stay tuned!
Do you approve of this change? When do you think it will be released?
Pet Society releases buildable Roller Skate Car
Pet Society Roller Skate Car
Pet Society is a game that we don't cover too often here, but it's awfully popular. Over 13 million players enjoy this game, which makes it one of the most popular Facebook games. Today, Pet Society has released a new buildable item in the Pet Workshop, which is a Roller Skate Car. This new Roller Skate Car is silly, fun, and just a little bit crazy - but that's okay! It's still cute.
To make the Roller Skate Car, you have to get the help of 20 friends. To do this, open up the Pet Workshop and click on the car. You can then either post a wall post asking your friends for help, or you can buy the item outright for 25 Playfish Cash. Once you've posted the wall post, 20 friends need to click on the link in order to help you unlock the prize.
The other items currently available in the Pet Workshop include the Hot Air Balloon, Playhouse, Party Invitation, and Magic Warrior statue.
Pet Society is a game that we don't cover too often here, but it's awfully popular. Over 13 million players enjoy this game, which makes it one of the most popular Facebook games. Today, Pet Society has released a new buildable item in the Pet Workshop, which is a Roller Skate Car. This new Roller Skate Car is silly, fun, and just a little bit crazy - but that's okay! It's still cute.
To make the Roller Skate Car, you have to get the help of 20 friends. To do this, open up the Pet Workshop and click on the car. You can then either post a wall post asking your friends for help, or you can buy the item outright for 25 Playfish Cash. Once you've posted the wall post, 20 friends need to click on the link in order to help you unlock the prize.
The other items currently available in the Pet Workshop include the Hot Air Balloon, Playhouse, Party Invitation, and Magic Warrior statue.
Playdom launches City of Wonder, a Civilization-themed city game
City of Wonder
Playdom is whipping out games left and right these days, and hot on the trails of Fanglies and Market Street is a Civilization-themed city builder named City of Wonder. This game just launched today, so now is your chance to hop in and be one of the first to try out this brand new title.
If you're not a big fan of Social City, you probably won't love City of Wonder. The game is an improvement on the original, but uses the same core mechanics and has a familiarity that Social City fans will feel right at home with. The main goal is to build a city, research technologies, and become wealthy. Players have "goods" which are basically similar to the contracts in Social City. Players research new technologies and have advisors that tell them which ones to pick. Researching new technologies unlocks different decorations and buildings. Population is increased just how it is in Social City, and everything else feels just about the same. Visiting neighbors gives bonuses when you find your 'embassy' within their city.
While I haven't had the chance to dig in too deep yet, there does seem to be some interesting new game ideas. Once you reach level 5 you can take part in "expeditions", which we suspect are for attacking and trading. There are also "Legends" which appear to be characters that give you bonuses such as faster research time. We'll be covering this game more in depth in the future.
Want to be one of the first to try out City of Wonder? Play it on Facebook now!
Playdom is whipping out games left and right these days, and hot on the trails of Fanglies and Market Street is a Civilization-themed city builder named City of Wonder. This game just launched today, so now is your chance to hop in and be one of the first to try out this brand new title.
If you're not a big fan of Social City, you probably won't love City of Wonder. The game is an improvement on the original, but uses the same core mechanics and has a familiarity that Social City fans will feel right at home with. The main goal is to build a city, research technologies, and become wealthy. Players have "goods" which are basically similar to the contracts in Social City. Players research new technologies and have advisors that tell them which ones to pick. Researching new technologies unlocks different decorations and buildings. Population is increased just how it is in Social City, and everything else feels just about the same. Visiting neighbors gives bonuses when you find your 'embassy' within their city.
While I haven't had the chance to dig in too deep yet, there does seem to be some interesting new game ideas. Once you reach level 5 you can take part in "expeditions", which we suspect are for attacking and trading. There are also "Legends" which appear to be characters that give you bonuses such as faster research time. We'll be covering this game more in depth in the future.
Want to be one of the first to try out City of Wonder? Play it on Facebook now!
Treasure Isle releases purchaseable coins, makes mistake
Treasure Isle released an update tonight, and included the ability to purchase coins for Island Cash. We covered this last night, however it didn't pan out exactly how we predicted. The original Treasure Isle wall post said that soon players would be able to "trade coins for cash". Typically, this would lead us to believe that you're trading in coins and getting Island Cash in return. Apparently, the post was incorrect and was actually stated backwards. Released in Treasure Isle is now the ability to buy coins with Island Cash, so the exact opposite of what we wrote.
Treasure Isle moderator Kaerie posted the following in this thread:
We've just got word that this was posted backwards accidentally (the blast has been removed now).
It's actually going to be coins for cash, not cash for coins.
This was a simple miscommunication on Treasure Isle's part, and we got all excited about it. It really didn't make sense anyway, so this isn't a huge surprise. The players, however, are quite upset about the inaccuracy.
Treasure Isle moderator Kaerie posted the following in this thread:
We've just got word that this was posted backwards accidentally (the blast has been removed now).
It's actually going to be coins for cash, not cash for coins.
This was a simple miscommunication on Treasure Isle's part, and we got all excited about it. It really didn't make sense anyway, so this isn't a huge surprise. The players, however, are quite upset about the inaccuracy.
Cafe World "No Clean Fairy" now buildable by all
Cafe World fans are no stranger to the "No Clean Fairy", as it has been around for quite some time. We covered the No Clean Fairy back in early July when it was simply a functional special item that had to be purchased outright with Cafe Cash. Now, the fairy has been bumped the forefront, and is now buildable by everyone using the familiar building mechanism that almost every game is using right now. The No Clean Fairy is an item that when placed in your cafe, will make it so that your stoves never need to be cleaned again. A game-changing decoration for sure.
To start building, click on the gold fairy icon on your bottom toolbar, and you will have access to the ingredient screen that shows you what you need to collect in order to get your No Clean Fairy. The fairy won't be easy, it requires 10 each of Pinch of Fairy Dust, Vial of Dewdrops, and Wildflower Essence, and also 20 of Mountain-Fresh Air. These ingredients can be obtained by asking for them from friends, or paying 2 Cafe Cash for each ingredient. For those of you who aren't math whizzes, that comes up to 100 Cafe Cash total to purchase each piece. That's even more expensive than the 95 Cafe Cash that the No Clean Fairy originally cost! Luckily, you don't have to spend money if you don't want to.
This is a major functionality improvement for the game, so it is likely you will be seeing a lot of Cafe World wall posts in the coming weeks as players are striving to collect all of the ingredients for their No Clean Fairy.
To start building, click on the gold fairy icon on your bottom toolbar, and you will have access to the ingredient screen that shows you what you need to collect in order to get your No Clean Fairy. The fairy won't be easy, it requires 10 each of Pinch of Fairy Dust, Vial of Dewdrops, and Wildflower Essence, and also 20 of Mountain-Fresh Air. These ingredients can be obtained by asking for them from friends, or paying 2 Cafe Cash for each ingredient. For those of you who aren't math whizzes, that comes up to 100 Cafe Cash total to purchase each piece. That's even more expensive than the 95 Cafe Cash that the No Clean Fairy originally cost! Luckily, you don't have to spend money if you don't want to.
This is a major functionality improvement for the game, so it is likely you will be seeing a lot of Cafe World wall posts in the coming weeks as players are striving to collect all of the ingredients for their No Clean Fairy.
Treasure Isle: Two new balloons hover for one day only
Two days ago, Treasure Isle released a set of balloons that not only look pretty hovering around your island, but also increase storage space by 10 slots. Tonight, they have added two more balloons to the collection, bringing the total amount of balloons to choose from to 10. These balloons are not special in any way - they cost the same (40 Island Cash) and also add 10 backback slots.
The two new balloons are the Contraption Balloon and the Candy Balloon.
All balloons are only available for 1 more day, so log in and buy one if you don't want to miss your chance. We suspect this won't be the last time we see items that increase storage space, and it might not be the last time we see these balloons - but if you want a balloon I'd recommend buying one now.
The two new balloons are the Contraption Balloon and the Candy Balloon.
All balloons are only available for 1 more day, so log in and buy one if you don't want to miss your chance. We suspect this won't be the last time we see items that increase storage space, and it might not be the last time we see these balloons - but if you want a balloon I'd recommend buying one now.
Yoville: Camp Yo Kitchen Items Arrive
Get ready to set your table with Yoville's latest release of Camp Yo Kitchen Items. Beautiful stained windows, marble counters, ovens and more all available in the Furniture Store.
Prices and photos of all the new items are after the link.
Living Room and bedroom furniture have been already released in YoVille. YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Prices and photos of all the new items are after the link.
Living Room and bedroom furniture have been already released in YoVille. YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
YoVille Camp Yo Kitchen
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
YoVille's Free Gifts Page gets a Green Mystery Camp Cooler
The green mystery camp cooler has replaced the blue cooler and is filled with loads of new camping items! Send them now from your free gifts page.
Fans over on Yoville Lounge Forum have posted photos of items they got so far. They found items like, Camp Porta Potty, Camp Yo Bear Sign and an Air Mattress. (Photos of these items found after the link.)
Send this free gift to your friends and let us know what you found in yours in comments. YoVille Green Mystery Pack - Camp Yo Charcoal Starter
YoVille Green Mystery Pack - Camp Yo Lighter Fluid
YoVille Green Mystery Pack- Camp Yo Bear Sign
YoVille Green Mystery Pack - Camp Porta Potty Blue
YoVille Green Mystery Pack - Air Mattress Sky Blue
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Fans over on Yoville Lounge Forum have posted photos of items they got so far. They found items like, Camp Porta Potty, Camp Yo Bear Sign and an Air Mattress. (Photos of these items found after the link.)
Send this free gift to your friends and let us know what you found in yours in comments. YoVille Green Mystery Pack - Camp Yo Charcoal Starter
YoVille Green Mystery Pack - Camp Yo Lighter Fluid
YoVille Green Mystery Pack- Camp Yo Bear Sign
YoVille Green Mystery Pack - Camp Porta Potty Blue
YoVille Green Mystery Pack - Air Mattress Sky Blue
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Mafia Wars Armory: Everything you need to know
The Mafia Wars Armory has arrived, as Zynga promised earlier this week. The Armory is a new New York Property that can be upgraded 10 times, can be harvested for cash every 24 hours and, most importantly, can be used to make different types of weapons.
mafia wars armory mafia wars armory
Like the Chop Shop and Weapons Depot, you will need to collect building materials -- either by purchasing them for Reward Points or asking mafia members to send them to you via a Facebook Wall post (and in their Player Updates). NOTE: These parts will not drop as loot when robbing, fighting or doing jobs.
To upgrade your armory one level you will need the following:
Hammer - 5
Rivet -5
Furnace - 5
Vice - 5
Anvil - 5
mafia wars armory building materials
As you level up, the items you create will be more powerful. Now --- for the best part of the armory -- crafting items.
You will collect armory items while doing jobs, fighting and robbing. Then, every 24 hours, you can use those parts to craft a new weapon. Select 'Build' under the type of item you want to create, you'll have a new weapon to add to your arsenal.
mafia wars armory
We're working on a complete list of items that you can make in your Armory -- stay tuned. My first build gave me this
Pair of Ocular Implants (so Star Trek, don't you think?) with 25 Attack, 26 Defense.
mafia wars armory ocular implants
mafia wars armory mafia wars armory
Like the Chop Shop and Weapons Depot, you will need to collect building materials -- either by purchasing them for Reward Points or asking mafia members to send them to you via a Facebook Wall post (and in their Player Updates). NOTE: These parts will not drop as loot when robbing, fighting or doing jobs.
To upgrade your armory one level you will need the following:
Hammer - 5
Rivet -5
Furnace - 5
Vice - 5
Anvil - 5
mafia wars armory building materials
As you level up, the items you create will be more powerful. Now --- for the best part of the armory -- crafting items.
You will collect armory items while doing jobs, fighting and robbing. Then, every 24 hours, you can use those parts to craft a new weapon. Select 'Build' under the type of item you want to create, you'll have a new weapon to add to your arsenal.
mafia wars armory
We're working on a complete list of items that you can make in your Armory -- stay tuned. My first build gave me this
Pair of Ocular Implants (so Star Trek, don't you think?) with 25 Attack, 26 Defense.
mafia wars armory ocular implants
Capcom to launch three Facebook-connected iPhone games as soon as October
Capcom
Capcom, famed developer of the Street Fighter and Mega Man series, is currently developing three iPhone games with Facebook connection that could launch as early as October, according to Capcom President Haruhiro Tsujimoto. While details are extremely scarce on what these games could be, "two of the games will have our original content and one more will include licensed characters," Tsujimoto said today at Tokyo Game Show.
Capcom is looking to capitalize on the popularity of games on Facebook and News Corp.'s MySpace, a market ThinkEquity LLC estimates will triple to $2 billion by 2012 in the U.S, according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
What's even less clear about this news is what level of connection to Facebook these games will have. If they simply support Facebook Connect like a majority of popular iPhone games, then these games probably won't be anything too groundbreaking. But, if the three games support Facebook connectivity on a level that, say, Zynga's FarmVille does on the iPhone, this could be huge for both Osaka-based Capcom and the social games industry.
Capcom, famed developer of the Street Fighter and Mega Man series, is currently developing three iPhone games with Facebook connection that could launch as early as October, according to Capcom President Haruhiro Tsujimoto. While details are extremely scarce on what these games could be, "two of the games will have our original content and one more will include licensed characters," Tsujimoto said today at Tokyo Game Show.
Capcom is looking to capitalize on the popularity of games on Facebook and News Corp.'s MySpace, a market ThinkEquity LLC estimates will triple to $2 billion by 2012 in the U.S, according to Bloomberg BusinessWeek.
What's even less clear about this news is what level of connection to Facebook these games will have. If they simply support Facebook Connect like a majority of popular iPhone games, then these games probably won't be anything too groundbreaking. But, if the three games support Facebook connectivity on a level that, say, Zynga's FarmVille does on the iPhone, this could be huge for both Osaka-based Capcom and the social games industry.
Bejeweled Blitz and FarmVille nominated Online Game of the Year in Golden Joystick Awards
Bejeweled Blitz, the beautifully addictive Facebook edition of the popular puzzle series by Popcap, has been nominated for Online Game of the Year in the 28th Annual Golden Joystick Awards. The gem-bursting puzzler join 15 others like Zynga's FarmVille, Champions Online by Cryptic and Turbine's Lord of the Rings Online (which recently went free-to-play).
Players enjoy Bejeweled Blitz in rapid fire, one-minute-long high score competitions that are posted to online leaderboards on Facebook. The game boasts over 12 million active users on Facebook and can also be played on most mobile devices.
The Golden Joystick Awards are run by U.K.-based Future Media and allow you, the gamers, to vote on your favorite games each year by category. For not one, but two social games (no FrontierVille?) to make it into the nominees this year serves as even more proof that the industry is taking social gaming seriously.
Players enjoy Bejeweled Blitz in rapid fire, one-minute-long high score competitions that are posted to online leaderboards on Facebook. The game boasts over 12 million active users on Facebook and can also be played on most mobile devices.
The Golden Joystick Awards are run by U.K.-based Future Media and allow you, the gamers, to vote on your favorite games each year by category. For not one, but two social games (no FrontierVille?) to make it into the nominees this year serves as even more proof that the industry is taking social gaming seriously.
Crowdstar's It Girl brings the new hotness to Facebook
CrowdStar's It Girl
In addition to launching Pop Boom recently on Facebook, CrowdStar has also just launched a game aimed at a very specific demographic, It Girl. The game, currently in its first phases of testing, allows players to create a female avatar with style savvy in hopes of achieving ultimate hotness.
The goal of the game is to boost your girl's confidence meter by buying new clothes and participating in "Show Downs," which are little competitions between girls in which they flaunt various pieces of designer clothing at one another. Each Show Down reduces your confidence rating, which you'll need to refill by buying more outfits and increasing your "Hotness."
More on the new hotness after the break.
It Girl Level Up
Girls on the street (this entire city has not one single man, mind you) will also give you quests to find ideal outfits for different situations as well as go to parties to meet friends. These quests, along with experience gained through shopping and Show Downs, will raise your level and open access to stores with hotter clothes. With the amount of hotness going on around here, we're surprised Ms. Hilton isn't involved.
It Girl also tries to capture the shopping experience by allowing players to search shelves of clothing for new pieces to add to her ensemble, which consumes energy (think Treasure Isle with fancy clothes). Each piece of clothing has a "Hotness" rating, which will help in winning Show Downs with other girls. There is also a paid transaction store that works in Facebook Credits with items of even higher levels of hotness for those who want a leg up on the competition. Accumulating more outfits will also boost players' "Closet" rating, which also contributes to Show Downs.
It Girl Lose
The name of the game in It Girl is to shop, show off your stuff and shop some more to build your confidence and become the new hotness in town. However, like we said the game is still in early phases of testing, so expect frequent crashing and freezing. So, if you want a seamless experience in becoming the premiere fashionista, give it a week or two.
In addition to launching Pop Boom recently on Facebook, CrowdStar has also just launched a game aimed at a very specific demographic, It Girl. The game, currently in its first phases of testing, allows players to create a female avatar with style savvy in hopes of achieving ultimate hotness.
The goal of the game is to boost your girl's confidence meter by buying new clothes and participating in "Show Downs," which are little competitions between girls in which they flaunt various pieces of designer clothing at one another. Each Show Down reduces your confidence rating, which you'll need to refill by buying more outfits and increasing your "Hotness."
More on the new hotness after the break.
It Girl Level Up
Girls on the street (this entire city has not one single man, mind you) will also give you quests to find ideal outfits for different situations as well as go to parties to meet friends. These quests, along with experience gained through shopping and Show Downs, will raise your level and open access to stores with hotter clothes. With the amount of hotness going on around here, we're surprised Ms. Hilton isn't involved.
It Girl also tries to capture the shopping experience by allowing players to search shelves of clothing for new pieces to add to her ensemble, which consumes energy (think Treasure Isle with fancy clothes). Each piece of clothing has a "Hotness" rating, which will help in winning Show Downs with other girls. There is also a paid transaction store that works in Facebook Credits with items of even higher levels of hotness for those who want a leg up on the competition. Accumulating more outfits will also boost players' "Closet" rating, which also contributes to Show Downs.
It Girl Lose
The name of the game in It Girl is to shop, show off your stuff and shop some more to build your confidence and become the new hotness in town. However, like we said the game is still in early phases of testing, so expect frequent crashing and freezing. So, if you want a seamless experience in becoming the premiere fashionista, give it a week or two.
Mafia Wars helps two players find love through Facebook gaming
In today's adorable news, Zynga's Mafia Wars has brought together two players in a lovestruck romance that has led the gang-busting couple to join in holy matrimony today. The couple, John Sweeney and Joanne Doan, met through a Mafia Wars clan in March 2009 called Mafia Wars Dark Angels in which a heated clan war brought the smitten web-mobsters closer together, according to Sweeney.
The resultant long-distance relationship only lasted through the holiday season before neither could take being apart anymore, leading Sweeney to move in with his beloved across Florida from Margate to Treasure Isle. After a while of warring with clans together in their second love, the Mafia Wars True Alliance clan, Sweeney popped the big question and today they'll finally make official what they both call a "True Mafia Wars Love Connection."
Zynga was apparently so touched by the story that to help the bride and groom celebrate they're sending them on a honeymoon of their choice! Pretty sweet deal for the newlyweds, if you ask us.
Both Sweeney and Doan have since gone in together on various labors of love, including the "The Facebook & Zynga Podcast," which airs weekly on Blog Talk Radio.
The resultant long-distance relationship only lasted through the holiday season before neither could take being apart anymore, leading Sweeney to move in with his beloved across Florida from Margate to Treasure Isle. After a while of warring with clans together in their second love, the Mafia Wars True Alliance clan, Sweeney popped the big question and today they'll finally make official what they both call a "True Mafia Wars Love Connection."
Zynga was apparently so touched by the story that to help the bride and groom celebrate they're sending them on a honeymoon of their choice! Pretty sweet deal for the newlyweds, if you ask us.
Both Sweeney and Doan have since gone in together on various labors of love, including the "The Facebook & Zynga Podcast," which airs weekly on Blog Talk Radio.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Mafia Wars Natural Disaster Crates have catastrophic loot inside
The Zynga team have added yet another set of Crates to Mafia Wars with Natural Disaster Crates. For 12 Reward Points each or 35 Reward Points for three (around $3 and $7, respectively), you'll have a chance at one of eight disaster-themed weapons, vehicle and armor. Like the usual loot crates, each Natural Disaster Crate will have a 60 percent chance of containing a common item, a 30 percent chance for uncommon items and just a 10 percent chance of holding a rare item.
Check behind the break for a full list of the items you can win by picking up a few of these new crates. Here's a full preview of what you have to look forward to finding inside the Natural Disaster Crates:
Landslide Avalanche Lightning Strike
Common Items (60 percent chance)
Tornado Eruption Famine
Uncommon Items (30 percent chance)
Tsunami Earthquake
Rare Items (10 percent chance)
These new crates have cool looking items, but whether they're worth buying when more powerful items can be found in Las Vegas jobs alone should be taken under serious consideration. But hey, if you're a collector, there's no stopping you anyway.
Check behind the break for a full list of the items you can win by picking up a few of these new crates. Here's a full preview of what you have to look forward to finding inside the Natural Disaster Crates:
Landslide Avalanche Lightning Strike
Common Items (60 percent chance)
Tornado Eruption Famine
Uncommon Items (30 percent chance)
Tsunami Earthquake
Rare Items (10 percent chance)
These new crates have cool looking items, but whether they're worth buying when more powerful items can be found in Las Vegas jobs alone should be taken under serious consideration. But hey, if you're a collector, there's no stopping you anyway.
Treasure Isle's Ninja Vs. Pirates Map is now ready for epic battles
Well, Zynga's earlier claim to the "battle of the universe" is yet to be seen, but the prophesied Pirates Vs. Ninjas update to Treasure Isle is now live... and it's another map titled "Ninja Vs. Pirates." There better be some intense duels on at least one of this new map's eight islands or we will all be very sad ninjas--or do I mean pirates?
You'll find a novice ninja monkey either sitting on your home island or inside your backpack who will need to be trained in the ways of ninja combat before he can take you to the Ninja Vs. Pirates map. You'll have to ask five friends to help train your simian shinobi or unlock each of the five training steps for 5 Island Cash, or about $1. Oh, this is just like the Wounded Dragon and Wounded Tiger maps before it, but with less pathetic creatures and more swords. After that's through, the new islands are yours to explore, though it's still unknown who's going to come out on top in this battle. It seems we'll just have to do some exploring to find out.
You'll find a novice ninja monkey either sitting on your home island or inside your backpack who will need to be trained in the ways of ninja combat before he can take you to the Ninja Vs. Pirates map. You'll have to ask five friends to help train your simian shinobi or unlock each of the five training steps for 5 Island Cash, or about $1. Oh, this is just like the Wounded Dragon and Wounded Tiger maps before it, but with less pathetic creatures and more swords. After that's through, the new islands are yours to explore, though it's still unknown who's going to come out on top in this battle. It seems we'll just have to do some exploring to find out.
Zynga Giveaway: Win a free Zynga Moleskine Notebook
Happy Friday! Once again: we're kicking off the holiday season a little earlier this year by giving away a bunch of free stuff. We have all kinds of cool swag and we aim to give it all away to our readers. Everyone is eligible to get free prizes so continue reading to find out how you can enter to win.
In our previous giveaways, readers could enter to win a free FarmVille T-Shirt and a free Zynga Laptop Bag. Now, for our third Zynga giveaway, we have a custom Zynga Moleskin Notebook. This trendy notepad is perfect for those who need a space to keep their thoughts, addresses, doodles and more. I can't tell you how often I think of a cool idea but end up forgetting it because I neglected to write the idea down. Don't let that happen to you! Emblazoned with the Zynga logo, secured by an elastic strap, and full of blank pages just waiting to be filled; Zynga's Moleskine Notebook is ideal for note-taking and more.
Continue reading to learn how to enter.
To enter:
Step 1: Go to the Games.com Facebook fanpage (http://www.facebook.com/gamescom).
Step 2: 'Like' the fanpage so you can see Facebook game news, tips, and cheats.
Step 3: Enter the giveaway by heading to the fanpage and leave us a comment saying "I love Games.com!" BUT WAIT, there's a catch. While typing, you aren't allowed to use your hands and you aren't allowed to backspace. Tricky eh? Be creative! And when you're done, let us know how you managed!
(i nmlo9v fe gtam esxdz.c volm ~! That was my best attempt using my elbows. Hopefully you can do better haha)
After a few days, we'll randomly select a winner, message them on Facebook for their address, and send them their free prize. Sound easy enough?
Get started by heading to the Games.com fanpage to enter for a free Zynga Moleskine Notebook.
In our previous giveaways, readers could enter to win a free FarmVille T-Shirt and a free Zynga Laptop Bag. Now, for our third Zynga giveaway, we have a custom Zynga Moleskin Notebook. This trendy notepad is perfect for those who need a space to keep their thoughts, addresses, doodles and more. I can't tell you how often I think of a cool idea but end up forgetting it because I neglected to write the idea down. Don't let that happen to you! Emblazoned with the Zynga logo, secured by an elastic strap, and full of blank pages just waiting to be filled; Zynga's Moleskine Notebook is ideal for note-taking and more.
Continue reading to learn how to enter.
To enter:
Step 1: Go to the Games.com Facebook fanpage (http://www.facebook.com/gamescom).
Step 2: 'Like' the fanpage so you can see Facebook game news, tips, and cheats.
Step 3: Enter the giveaway by heading to the fanpage and leave us a comment saying "I love Games.com!" BUT WAIT, there's a catch. While typing, you aren't allowed to use your hands and you aren't allowed to backspace. Tricky eh? Be creative! And when you're done, let us know how you managed!
(i nmlo9v fe gtam esxdz.c volm ~! That was my best attempt using my elbows. Hopefully you can do better haha)
After a few days, we'll randomly select a winner, message them on Facebook for their address, and send them their free prize. Sound easy enough?
Get started by heading to the Games.com fanpage to enter for a free Zynga Moleskine Notebook.
ESPNU College Town brings Baseball, Softball and giftable All Star Refills
ESPNU Baseballs
Getting bored of football (impossible) and basketball? Playdom has added both baseball and softball to ESPNU College Town among a litany of other features, fixes and items. Players can now build baseball and softball fields on their campus and, of course, recruit new baseball and softball All Star players.
On top of that, a slew of new items have been added to the store along with some fixes to the game that you'll find behind the cut.
Max All Star Plays
In addition to the new baseball field and new All Stars, a new giftable item was introduced called "Max All Star Plays." This free gift will refill all of your All Star's plays, allowing you to use the same All Star players over and over again. However, Playdom also added a list of items that aren't so cheap:
Samford Hall - Auburn
Science Building - Baylor
Healy Hall - Georgetown
Campus Recreation Center - Georgia Tech
Beardshear Hall- Iowa State
Memorial Union - Iowa State
Hale Library Kansas State
Marquette Hall - Marquette
Memorial Bell Tower - North Carolina State
Rebecca Crown ClockTower - Northwestern
Edmon Low Library - Oklahoma State
College Building - Providence
Each of these buildings inspired by true-to-life university buildings costs between 29 and 39 Campus Cash, or between $6 and $9, which is pretty steep for some XP and School Spirit. Playdom made a few mysterious fixes to the game to improve the overall experience as well:
Numerous fixes to address loading and synchronization issues.
Numerous fixes to the competitions section of the game.
Various fixes to improve user experience and minor textual issues.
Friends Only
While Playdom is unclear on what these fixes might have actually... fixed (I wasn't experiencing any problems in-game), hopefully they solved some issues for players. In yet another change to the Competitions section, players can now filter their potential Challenges to just their friends in the Competitions menu, which is a small but welcome addition. Honestly, we just can't wait to see what sport Playdom adds to the game next. Come on, crew team!
Getting bored of football (impossible) and basketball? Playdom has added both baseball and softball to ESPNU College Town among a litany of other features, fixes and items. Players can now build baseball and softball fields on their campus and, of course, recruit new baseball and softball All Star players.
On top of that, a slew of new items have been added to the store along with some fixes to the game that you'll find behind the cut.
Max All Star Plays
In addition to the new baseball field and new All Stars, a new giftable item was introduced called "Max All Star Plays." This free gift will refill all of your All Star's plays, allowing you to use the same All Star players over and over again. However, Playdom also added a list of items that aren't so cheap:
Samford Hall - Auburn
Science Building - Baylor
Healy Hall - Georgetown
Campus Recreation Center - Georgia Tech
Beardshear Hall- Iowa State
Memorial Union - Iowa State
Hale Library Kansas State
Marquette Hall - Marquette
Memorial Bell Tower - North Carolina State
Rebecca Crown ClockTower - Northwestern
Edmon Low Library - Oklahoma State
College Building - Providence
Each of these buildings inspired by true-to-life university buildings costs between 29 and 39 Campus Cash, or between $6 and $9, which is pretty steep for some XP and School Spirit. Playdom made a few mysterious fixes to the game to improve the overall experience as well:
Numerous fixes to address loading and synchronization issues.
Numerous fixes to the competitions section of the game.
Various fixes to improve user experience and minor textual issues.
Friends Only
While Playdom is unclear on what these fixes might have actually... fixed (I wasn't experiencing any problems in-game), hopefully they solved some issues for players. In yet another change to the Competitions section, players can now filter their potential Challenges to just their friends in the Competitions menu, which is a small but welcome addition. Honestly, we just can't wait to see what sport Playdom adds to the game next. Come on, crew team!
Happy Island on iPhone and iPad is now free (finally)
Happy Island on iPhone
When CrowdStar first introduced the Happy Island app for iOS 4 devices in July, it cost $.99, which is weird for a social game that's free to play online. Finally the company has decided to make the app, developed by Sibblingz, free in the Apple App Store.
The Happy Island app, which allows you to access and interact with your Facebook islands much like FarmVille for iPhone, allows players to visit their friend's islands as well as collect profits from their attractions and customize their islands. The app was recently updated on Oct. 11 to improve stability and fix bugs, so hopefully the game is ready for the onslaught of downloads it's most likely to suffer very shortly.
When CrowdStar first introduced the Happy Island app for iOS 4 devices in July, it cost $.99, which is weird for a social game that's free to play online. Finally the company has decided to make the app, developed by Sibblingz, free in the Apple App Store.
The Happy Island app, which allows you to access and interact with your Facebook islands much like FarmVille for iPhone, allows players to visit their friend's islands as well as collect profits from their attractions and customize their islands. The app was recently updated on Oct. 11 to improve stability and fix bugs, so hopefully the game is ready for the onslaught of downloads it's most likely to suffer very shortly.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Jersey Shore game updates with outfits from the show
Jersey Shore game outfits
Yeah, we know what you're thinking - the Jersey Shore game, really? Well, here at Games.com - The Blog, we cover all the latest news in the top Facebook games and Jersey Shore is popular enough that it hit our radar. This game based on the popular MTV television series about a group of young self-proclaimed guidos from the East Coast has its own game on Facebook with over 1 million players so far.
Today the Jersey Shore game has removed all of the Halloween costumes and replaced then with real outfits from the show available for purchase. There are 8 outfits per gender available, or 16 total. For the ladies, you'll find such clasics as the "Sammi Brawler" from her fight in the kitchen with Angelina, and the "JWoww Clubbin" outfit which is right out of J-Woww's nightlife attire. For the boys, some of the new outfits include the "Hot Pink Sitch" which is one of The Situation's best t-shirts from the show, and the DJ Paully D outfit which he actually wore while DJing at the club.
It's pretty fun to see your avatar fighting in the same clothes worn by characters on the show while you're squeezing pickle juice on people and throwing "grenades".
Yeah, we know what you're thinking - the Jersey Shore game, really? Well, here at Games.com - The Blog, we cover all the latest news in the top Facebook games and Jersey Shore is popular enough that it hit our radar. This game based on the popular MTV television series about a group of young self-proclaimed guidos from the East Coast has its own game on Facebook with over 1 million players so far.
Today the Jersey Shore game has removed all of the Halloween costumes and replaced then with real outfits from the show available for purchase. There are 8 outfits per gender available, or 16 total. For the ladies, you'll find such clasics as the "Sammi Brawler" from her fight in the kitchen with Angelina, and the "JWoww Clubbin" outfit which is right out of J-Woww's nightlife attire. For the boys, some of the new outfits include the "Hot Pink Sitch" which is one of The Situation's best t-shirts from the show, and the DJ Paully D outfit which he actually wore while DJing at the club.
It's pretty fun to see your avatar fighting in the same clothes worn by characters on the show while you're squeezing pickle juice on people and throwing "grenades".
Mall World: New adoptable Yorkie and Poodles in the pet store
Mall World puppies
Mall World has just updated the pet store with the addition of three new breeds of puppies. Everyone knows that dogs make a perfect fashion accessory, especially if they're purse sized like these. The new puppies that are available are the Yorkie (also known as a Yorkshire Terrier), the Black Poodle, and the White Poodle. All dogs cost the same amount to acquire, and you can get them without paying any money as long as you're willing to ask your friends for help.
To get your paws on one of these new pooches, visit the pet store and click on the puppy you want. You will then be prompted to either purchase the puppy with 4 Credit (which is fairly inexpensive) or get 3 references from your friends. If you ask for references, you have to post a wall post and have three different friends click on it. You'll then unlock the adorable dog. You can have as many dogs as you want (unlike FarmVille) so you should be happy to increase the size of your doggie collection with these three precious pups.
Interestingly, while updating on the fan wall today Mall World leaked out a picture of a Pomeranian which led players to believe that it was available. This dog is nowhere to be found in the store, so it's possible that it was forgotten and it is coming soon.
Mall World has just updated the pet store with the addition of three new breeds of puppies. Everyone knows that dogs make a perfect fashion accessory, especially if they're purse sized like these. The new puppies that are available are the Yorkie (also known as a Yorkshire Terrier), the Black Poodle, and the White Poodle. All dogs cost the same amount to acquire, and you can get them without paying any money as long as you're willing to ask your friends for help.
To get your paws on one of these new pooches, visit the pet store and click on the puppy you want. You will then be prompted to either purchase the puppy with 4 Credit (which is fairly inexpensive) or get 3 references from your friends. If you ask for references, you have to post a wall post and have three different friends click on it. You'll then unlock the adorable dog. You can have as many dogs as you want (unlike FarmVille) so you should be happy to increase the size of your doggie collection with these three precious pups.
Interestingly, while updating on the fan wall today Mall World leaked out a picture of a Pomeranian which led players to believe that it was available. This dog is nowhere to be found in the store, so it's possible that it was forgotten and it is coming soon.
City of Wonder kicks off India Week with four buildings
Russian Week has come to an end in City of Wonder and it's time to jumpstart a new theme. This week's exotic vacation is to India, where great food and costumes are aplenty and beautiful buildings are abound. We're being promised a whole week full of new items and gifts, but for now there are four new items available to celebrate India Week.
The first is an Indian House, which requires Masonry research but gives 110 population every 2 hours. The second is a market - the Indian Bazaar which requires Trade and gives 55 coins every 2 hours. Third, you will find the Victoria Terminus from Mumbai, a large gothic train station cultural building. Finally, the Qutub Minar is a huge tower straight from Delhi that gives 1340 happiness and 134 culture.
This is a pretty interesting theme because the architecture in India is so unique and varied and should make for a beautiful city in City of Wonder. So far, we're not too impressed with the selections but we're sure that plenty more will be coming soon as the week has just begun.
The first is an Indian House, which requires Masonry research but gives 110 population every 2 hours. The second is a market - the Indian Bazaar which requires Trade and gives 55 coins every 2 hours. Third, you will find the Victoria Terminus from Mumbai, a large gothic train station cultural building. Finally, the Qutub Minar is a huge tower straight from Delhi that gives 1340 happiness and 134 culture.
This is a pretty interesting theme because the architecture in India is so unique and varied and should make for a beautiful city in City of Wonder. So far, we're not too impressed with the selections but we're sure that plenty more will be coming soon as the week has just begun.
Social City Skate Park: Be ready to shred when 5 Days of Gifting returns
Grind Rail Skate Bowl
It's been quite a while since Playdom has showered us with gifts. Alright, it hasn't been that long, but Social City's signature 5 Days of Gifting event has been MIA for a bit, which is why the studio is making a comeback with a Skate Park set. According to the preview posted on the Social City fan page, it looks like we'll be treated to a half pipe complete with an airborne skater, a grind rail and even a bowl for our lovely hooligans citizens to do tricks in.
As per usual, all of these items will be free to gift over the course of five days. That also means that there are two items that we've yet to see. If one of them is not a full loop, I will be severely disappointed, but that doesn't mean I won't be gifting. I mean, who could turn down a chance to add some snot-nosed teenagers to their city? All we need now are a few disgruntled parents and policemen to create our own little Dogtown.
It's been quite a while since Playdom has showered us with gifts. Alright, it hasn't been that long, but Social City's signature 5 Days of Gifting event has been MIA for a bit, which is why the studio is making a comeback with a Skate Park set. According to the preview posted on the Social City fan page, it looks like we'll be treated to a half pipe complete with an airborne skater, a grind rail and even a bowl for our lovely hooligans citizens to do tricks in.
As per usual, all of these items will be free to gift over the course of five days. That also means that there are two items that we've yet to see. If one of them is not a full loop, I will be severely disappointed, but that doesn't mean I won't be gifting. I mean, who could turn down a chance to add some snot-nosed teenagers to their city? All we need now are a few disgruntled parents and policemen to create our own little Dogtown.
Restaurant City's Bollywood theme channels our inner Slumdog Millionaire
Are you ready for some spicy dance moves and fiery food? Players will get a crash course in Bollywood dancing and Indian cuisine this Thursday in Restaurant City. The new Bollywood theme coming to the game this week will feature a slew of Indian-themed decorations including male and female dance troupes for when your customers feel the sudden urge to join the professionals in song and dance. You know how this Bollywood thing goes, right?
Joining the dancers are royal elephants, Tuk-Tuk cars and even Shalwar Kameez and Sherwani outfits for your female and male staff, respectively. Better yet, the update will include three new recipes to master: spicy Chicken Korma, Lamb Biryani and the sweet Mango Lassi drink to wash it all down. Two limited edition functional items will also make their way into Bollywood. The Tiffin Take-Away table will net players a nice 850 coins every two hours while the Indian Buffet Table will score you 500 coins every four hours.
I'm already excited for this update purely because of my love for Indian food, but a little dancing never hurt anyone either. Now, who's bringing the tunes this Thursday?
Joining the dancers are royal elephants, Tuk-Tuk cars and even Shalwar Kameez and Sherwani outfits for your female and male staff, respectively. Better yet, the update will include three new recipes to master: spicy Chicken Korma, Lamb Biryani and the sweet Mango Lassi drink to wash it all down. Two limited edition functional items will also make their way into Bollywood. The Tiffin Take-Away table will net players a nice 850 coins every two hours while the Indian Buffet Table will score you 500 coins every four hours.
I'm already excited for this update purely because of my love for Indian food, but a little dancing never hurt anyone either. Now, who's bringing the tunes this Thursday?
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Unseating FarmVille: Have social games seen better days?
We reported earlier this week that FarmVille has been ousted as the top Facebook application, with the Phrases application coming out on top as of this week. For those of us who work with these games day after day, we know that FarmVille falling to 54 million players from 84 million players isn't the end of the world. An article posted today in PC World claims that this is a sign of general social gaming woes:
It's like Zynga is scrambling to add more sources of air to a deflating bubble. The fact that a random quiz app could unseat Farmville from its top spot, even temporarily, shows that social games have seen better days.
[Source: PCWorld]
We think that this article was a bit sensational and overblowing the situation. Many articles on the web talk about social games as if there is only one game (FarmVille) or only one company (Zynga) who are playing a part in the massively popular gaming trend. What these articles fail to mention is that smaller developers are now showing huge successes, and that there are many more companies out there making social games. There are currently 10 social game developers with over 10 million monthly active users across their games. Another 12 with over 5 million MAU. And over 75 other lesser-known social game developers who have games with over 1 million players combined. This is no easy feat, and nothing to sneeze at.
Social games are diversifying. The days of Zynga not only ruling the roost but also being the only major player are dead. There are up-and-coming developers such as Digital Chocolate that are pumping out high quality games at an unbelievable pace. Massive brands such as Google (who purchased Slide), EA (who purchased Playfish), and Disney (who purchased Playdom) are coming in and putting existing IP and familiar faces into new and existing games.
Social games aren't dying, by any means. The loss in numbers of FarmVille is an indicator of the game's age and lifecycle, and the vast number of new games by new companies that are being released weekly. It's never looked better for social game players, nor social game developers. Using FarmVIlle as an indicator of social game health as a whole is a rookie mistake that many journalists are making, but at Games.com - The Blog, we know better because we are completely immersed in Facebook games.
It's like Zynga is scrambling to add more sources of air to a deflating bubble. The fact that a random quiz app could unseat Farmville from its top spot, even temporarily, shows that social games have seen better days.
[Source: PCWorld]
We think that this article was a bit sensational and overblowing the situation. Many articles on the web talk about social games as if there is only one game (FarmVille) or only one company (Zynga) who are playing a part in the massively popular gaming trend. What these articles fail to mention is that smaller developers are now showing huge successes, and that there are many more companies out there making social games. There are currently 10 social game developers with over 10 million monthly active users across their games. Another 12 with over 5 million MAU. And over 75 other lesser-known social game developers who have games with over 1 million players combined. This is no easy feat, and nothing to sneeze at.
Social games are diversifying. The days of Zynga not only ruling the roost but also being the only major player are dead. There are up-and-coming developers such as Digital Chocolate that are pumping out high quality games at an unbelievable pace. Massive brands such as Google (who purchased Slide), EA (who purchased Playfish), and Disney (who purchased Playdom) are coming in and putting existing IP and familiar faces into new and existing games.
Social games aren't dying, by any means. The loss in numbers of FarmVille is an indicator of the game's age and lifecycle, and the vast number of new games by new companies that are being released weekly. It's never looked better for social game players, nor social game developers. Using FarmVIlle as an indicator of social game health as a whole is a rookie mistake that many journalists are making, but at Games.com - The Blog, we know better because we are completely immersed in Facebook games.
CausePlay aims to create games for good causes with Hospitopia
Hospitopia
One of the more interesting ideas coming out of the social gaming space is the idea of using games to raise money for real life charities. We've seen Zynga do quite a bit of this with their Sweet Seeds for Haiti FarmVille partnership, or their new Candy Cane campaign to donate 100% of their proceeds to the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Sony Online's latest game, Wildlife Refuge, is donating profits from cheetah sales to the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Now, a new company aims to create social games for social good on a regular basis.
CausePlay is a new social games developer founded by Jonas Hudson that aims to create games that benefit a worthy nonprofit organization. They clearly see the potential due to millions of players enjoying social games, and want to revolutionize the way that people donate to their favorite causes. The company aims to create a marketing tool within their games called Cause Integration, which allows brands to plug in their promotions easily within their social game titles.
The first game by CausePlay will be released in January 2011, and is titled Hospitopia. The game sounds similar to Simply Hospital, in which players will manage their own hospital and take care of patients. The big difference is that 10% of all game revenue will be going to the Children's Miracle Network hospitals to care for children in need. You can become a fan of the game's Facebook page for more news as the game gets closer to its release date.
CausePlay, based out of Manhattan Beach, CA, aims to release at least three more social game titles in 2011, and also will be holding a vote on Facebook to have people choose which cause their next game will be developed to support. As of right now, the company appears to only have a Facebook page set up. We'll be keeping our eyes closely on Hospitopia and can't wait to see how CausePlay raises money through social gaming.
One of the more interesting ideas coming out of the social gaming space is the idea of using games to raise money for real life charities. We've seen Zynga do quite a bit of this with their Sweet Seeds for Haiti FarmVille partnership, or their new Candy Cane campaign to donate 100% of their proceeds to the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Sony Online's latest game, Wildlife Refuge, is donating profits from cheetah sales to the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Now, a new company aims to create social games for social good on a regular basis.
CausePlay is a new social games developer founded by Jonas Hudson that aims to create games that benefit a worthy nonprofit organization. They clearly see the potential due to millions of players enjoying social games, and want to revolutionize the way that people donate to their favorite causes. The company aims to create a marketing tool within their games called Cause Integration, which allows brands to plug in their promotions easily within their social game titles.
The first game by CausePlay will be released in January 2011, and is titled Hospitopia. The game sounds similar to Simply Hospital, in which players will manage their own hospital and take care of patients. The big difference is that 10% of all game revenue will be going to the Children's Miracle Network hospitals to care for children in need. You can become a fan of the game's Facebook page for more news as the game gets closer to its release date.
CausePlay, based out of Manhattan Beach, CA, aims to release at least three more social game titles in 2011, and also will be holding a vote on Facebook to have people choose which cause their next game will be developed to support. As of right now, the company appears to only have a Facebook page set up. We'll be keeping our eyes closely on Hospitopia and can't wait to see how CausePlay raises money through social gaming.
Pre-order FarmVille for Dummies on Amazon.com
No folks, this one isn't a joke. FarmVille for Dummies now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. In case you still need to learn more about how to play everyone's favorite social game, this 288-page paperback book will teach you everything you need to know.
Aimed for new FarmVille players who are just starting out, FarmVille for Dummies will teach you how to find neighbors, how to achieve all of the ribbons and collections, how to shop at the FarmVille Market, how to do co-op missions, and how to deal with any technical issues that might be keeping you down. FarmVille for Dummies is written by Angela Morales of FarmVille Freak, and co-authored by Kyle Orland (who has done quite a bit of writing for us here).
The book is $13.59 USD, and has a release date of February 15, 2011. What could make a better Valentine's Day present than a copy of FarmVille for Dummies? We'll definitely be picking it up!
Preorder FarmVille for Dummies on Amazon here >
Aimed for new FarmVille players who are just starting out, FarmVille for Dummies will teach you how to find neighbors, how to achieve all of the ribbons and collections, how to shop at the FarmVille Market, how to do co-op missions, and how to deal with any technical issues that might be keeping you down. FarmVille for Dummies is written by Angela Morales of FarmVille Freak, and co-authored by Kyle Orland (who has done quite a bit of writing for us here).
The book is $13.59 USD, and has a release date of February 15, 2011. What could make a better Valentine's Day present than a copy of FarmVille for Dummies? We'll definitely be picking it up!
Preorder FarmVille for Dummies on Amazon here >
Treasure Isle gets the Zynga Message Center for streamlined gift requests
If you're tired of finding that all of your Treasure Isle gift requests have expired because you've waited too long collect them (due to the fact that it simply takes so long to accept gifts individually from the gift requests screen), you'll be thrilled to know that Zynga has added the Zynga Message Center to Treasure Isle, allowing you the ability to have one-click access to all of the game's gift requests currently on your account.
You an access the Zynga Message Center by clicking on the red and white Z at the top right of the gameplay area. From there, you'll be able to view all of your current gift requests, whether they be actual gifts sent to you from friends (including Mystery Gifts), explorer pack offers, or even those requests that see you sending items to your friends for collectings, or just extra energy.
Zynga has been known to roll the Zynga Message Center in other games slowly, so if you don't see the feature live on your own game just yet, be patient, as we're sure it will arrive soon.
You an access the Zynga Message Center by clicking on the red and white Z at the top right of the gameplay area. From there, you'll be able to view all of your current gift requests, whether they be actual gifts sent to you from friends (including Mystery Gifts), explorer pack offers, or even those requests that see you sending items to your friends for collectings, or just extra energy.
Zynga has been known to roll the Zynga Message Center in other games slowly, so if you don't see the feature live on your own game just yet, be patient, as we're sure it will arrive soon.
Treasure Isle: Build the Ziggurat Relic for extra energy
A new relic is available to build in Treasure Isle, and this one comes in the form of a Ziggurat Relic. This relic is a land-based object, which is actually fairly large, so you may need to rearrange some items before placing down your free base.
You'll need to build the Relic, just as you have all of the others, using materials collected from friends. In this case, the first stage of the build requires 1 each of Metal, Ectoplasm, Gold, Pillars, and Paint. You can accept these items either as general gifts from your friends (that they initiate), or you can click on the "Ask for More" button associated with the item you want to post a request to your wall asking your friends for help. Remember, you can have five of these requests active on your account at one time, so feel free to ask for all five if you don't think your friends would mind.
All told, there are four steps to the Ziggurat's construction, requiring a total of 10 of all of the individual ingredients, or 50 items. Once completed, you'll earn a permanent +3 maximum energy boost, that will stay active on your account until you store or sell the relic, at which point the boost would be removed.
You'll need to build the Relic, just as you have all of the others, using materials collected from friends. In this case, the first stage of the build requires 1 each of Metal, Ectoplasm, Gold, Pillars, and Paint. You can accept these items either as general gifts from your friends (that they initiate), or you can click on the "Ask for More" button associated with the item you want to post a request to your wall asking your friends for help. Remember, you can have five of these requests active on your account at one time, so feel free to ask for all five if you don't think your friends would mind.
All told, there are four steps to the Ziggurat's construction, requiring a total of 10 of all of the individual ingredients, or 50 items. Once completed, you'll earn a permanent +3 maximum energy boost, that will stay active on your account until you store or sell the relic, at which point the boost would be removed.
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