FarmVille Dairy Barn Tank Expansion
The Dairy Barn is a unique building with purpose, unlike the Horse Stable, Nursery Barn and Coop, players are allowed to have more than one. The limit of five Dairy Barns makes it the largest animal storage option (20 per barn, 100 total).
The Nursery and Dairy Barn are the the only buildings with purpose that do not have an expand option. These new unreleased images suggest that Dairy expansion will be coming soon!
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Thứ Tư, 15 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille Unreleased Button Collection
Thank you to FarmVille Freak Martijn for finding these unreleased button images.
It's been a while since we've seen FarmVille make any updates to the Collectables, now it looks like a new collection is in the works!
FarmVille Button Collection
As always, we cannot guarantee if and when these unreleased items will be released, but it's great to get a sneak peek and hope that they are.
Do you still work towards completing FarmVille Collections? Will new collections encourage you to do so?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
It's been a while since we've seen FarmVille make any updates to the Collectables, now it looks like a new collection is in the works!
FarmVille Button Collection
As always, we cannot guarantee if and when these unreleased items will be released, but it's great to get a sneak peek and hope that they are.
Do you still work towards completing FarmVille Collections? Will new collections encourage you to do so?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Unreleased Flower Crops - Gardenia and Flamingo Flower
Thank you to FarmVille Freaks Martijn and rainexel for finding these unreleased flower crop and mastery signs.
While there's no guarantee we'll see them any time soon, it looks like two new flower crops are in the works. As there are mastery signs for each, we can only hope they'll be not only masterable, but possibly a permanent crop addition.
FarmVille Flamingo Flower and Gardenia Flower
The Flamingo Flower, nthurium andraeanum (scientific name), thrives in moist soils with high organic matter. In milder climates the plant can be grown in pots of soil.
Gardenia plants are prized for the strong sweet scent of their flowers, which can be very large in some species.
Source: FarmVille Unreleased Flamingo Flower Mastery Sign – Zynga FarmVille
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
While there's no guarantee we'll see them any time soon, it looks like two new flower crops are in the works. As there are mastery signs for each, we can only hope they'll be not only masterable, but possibly a permanent crop addition.
FarmVille Flamingo Flower and Gardenia Flower
The Flamingo Flower, nthurium andraeanum (scientific name), thrives in moist soils with high organic matter. In milder climates the plant can be grown in pots of soil.
Gardenia plants are prized for the strong sweet scent of their flowers, which can be very large in some species.
Source: FarmVille Unreleased Flamingo Flower Mastery Sign – Zynga FarmVille
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille: Wandering Sheep or Goat found with no name
FarmVille Freak Bruno's No Name Sheep/Goat
Last week the Mouflon Sheep was added to FarmVille as a new lost and wandering animal. Many people thought this sheep was a goat, but its original name was was in fact "Mouflon Sheep". Not only is their species confusing, but the sheep/goat is now nameless.
FarmVille No Name Goat/Sheep Message
What do you think this animal's name should be?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Last week the Mouflon Sheep was added to FarmVille as a new lost and wandering animal. Many people thought this sheep was a goat, but its original name was was in fact "Mouflon Sheep". Not only is their species confusing, but the sheep/goat is now nameless.
FarmVille No Name Goat/Sheep Message
What do you think this animal's name should be?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille: New Horses, Pony, Foals, Cows and Calf
farmville new horses pony foals cows and calf
In a much anticipated update last night the FarmVille Nursery was upgraded. Farmers now have the ability to produce brand new adult Horses and Cows. Keep in mind if you are lucky enough to produce a new adult animal, you will be able to give away the corresponding calf or foal to your neighbors.
In total, there are 8 new animals that can be produced by or as a bonus of growing up your foals and calves.
Note: When the first enhancement occurred last night, all of the new animals were on the Free Gifting page, but were very quickly taken down. The Groovy Cow was only available for a short period of time through Free Gifting. (More details on that to come)
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
In a much anticipated update last night the FarmVille Nursery was upgraded. Farmers now have the ability to produce brand new adult Horses and Cows. Keep in mind if you are lucky enough to produce a new adult animal, you will be able to give away the corresponding calf or foal to your neighbors.
In total, there are 8 new animals that can be produced by or as a bonus of growing up your foals and calves.
Note: When the first enhancement occurred last night, all of the new animals were on the Free Gifting page, but were very quickly taken down. The Groovy Cow was only available for a short period of time through Free Gifting. (More details on that to come)
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Thứ Bảy, 11 tháng 2, 2012
Mafia Wars Mystery Animals: Add more fearsome friends to your arsenal
Mafia Wars just released Mystery Animals that you can send and receive from friends. As you may be aware, animals have recently become increasingly important in everyone's favorite mobbed up Facebook game -- these critters are now part of your arsenal and the stronger the animals you have, the more powerful your family. See how these new Mystery Animals work after the jump. To send Mystery Animals to friends:
Head to the Free Gifts page and send Mystery Animals to your friends. Pretty simple!
mafia wars mystery animal
To snag your own Mystery Animals:
Head to your Facebook wall and when a friend sends you a Mystery Animal, click the Retrieve Mystery Animal button.
mystery animals
That will load the game, and in the homepage, you'll see a small window that says Retrieve animal (this kind of works like the Mystery Bags). Click 'Open It' and...
mafia wars mystery animal
... a pop-up window will let you know which animal you successfully retrieved.
Which Mystery Animals have you received so far? Leave a note in the comments below.
(AND, if you have images of your Mystery Animal, please send them to libe@games.com, and I'll feature them here with your name! Thanks!)
Head to the Free Gifts page and send Mystery Animals to your friends. Pretty simple!
mafia wars mystery animal
To snag your own Mystery Animals:
Head to your Facebook wall and when a friend sends you a Mystery Animal, click the Retrieve Mystery Animal button.
mystery animals
That will load the game, and in the homepage, you'll see a small window that says Retrieve animal (this kind of works like the Mystery Bags). Click 'Open It' and...
mafia wars mystery animal
... a pop-up window will let you know which animal you successfully retrieved.
Which Mystery Animals have you received so far? Leave a note in the comments below.
(AND, if you have images of your Mystery Animal, please send them to libe@games.com, and I'll feature them here with your name! Thanks!)
Mafia Wars Mystery Animals: See the complete collection *Spoilers*
The new Mafia Wars Mystery Animal collection will most likely have you hunting down a complete list of critters that can be added to your arsenal. See the entire lineup below. *Spoiler*
King Cheetah (rare)
21 Attack 42 Defense
Arabian Leopard (common)
20 Attack 16 Defense
Kangaroo (uncommon)
30 Attack 29 Defense
Electric Eel (uncommon)
36 Attack 20 Defense
Piranha (uncommon)
23 Attack 35 Defense
Badger (common)
17 Attack 19 Defense
Cassowary (common)
18 Attack 18 Defense
Dingo (common)
13 Attack 24 Defense
Buffalo (common)
25 Attack 12 Defense
Badger (common)
17 Attack 19 Defense
King Cheetah (rare)
21 Attack 42 Defense
Arabian Leopard (common)
20 Attack 16 Defense
Kangaroo (uncommon)
30 Attack 29 Defense
Electric Eel (uncommon)
36 Attack 20 Defense
Piranha (uncommon)
23 Attack 35 Defense
Badger (common)
17 Attack 19 Defense
Cassowary (common)
18 Attack 18 Defense
Dingo (common)
13 Attack 24 Defense
Buffalo (common)
25 Attack 12 Defense
Badger (common)
17 Attack 19 Defense
FarmVille iPhone version 1.01 crops up in the App Store
FarmVille for iPhone: You just downloaded it, now it's time to download the 1.01 update, which cropped up in the AppStore over the weekend. This new version doesn't introduce any big new changes to the game, just a handful of tweaks designed to fix some bugs that have been plaguing the portable farm game. You can download this update for your phone by clicking HERE or by visiting the Updates section in the App Store on your iPhone and downloading this patch from there.
Changes in the 1.01 update include the following:
Fixes to allow farms to load faster
General fixes to prevent crashes
Improvements to sending gifts
Fix for plots that get misaligned after plowing
Fixes to reduce out of sync issues
Changes in the 1.01 update include the following:
Fixes to allow farms to load faster
General fixes to prevent crashes
Improvements to sending gifts
Fix for plots that get misaligned after plowing
Fixes to reduce out of sync issues
Ultimate Fourth of July Guide for FarmVille, Mafia Wars and more
The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and you can bet your firecrackers that FarmVille, Mafia Wars and the rest of the big games on Facebook will release special items and events in celebration of this major holiday. Games.com - The Blog! will be compiling all of those special holiday items/events in this post, so check back here soon for a complete list.
For readers who do not live in the U.S., here's the low-down on this American holiday from Wikipedia:
"In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States."
FrontierVille
FrontierVille celebrates Independence Day with Firecracker, Liberty Bell
FrontierVille Liberty Cherry trees available for limited time
FrontierVille Independence Day Collection rings in the holiday weekend
FarmVille
New FarmVille decorations and free gifts: Celebrate Fourth of July with fireworks!
Pet Society
Pet Society rolls out Fourth of July items and clearance sale
Cafe World
Cafe World: Celebrate Fourth of July with Sizzling Summer Decor
Mafia Wars
Mafia Wars Fourth of July sale includes five limited edition items
Mafia Wars Fourth of July sale incentives: Elvis impersonator and more
Treasure Isle
Treasure Isle flags return in time for Fourth of July
YoVille
YoVille Fourth of July Fireworks now available
YoVille releases new July 4th items
YoVille Fourth of July items added to the clothing store
FishVille
FishVille creatures and decor flaunt Fourth of July flair
Zoo World
Zoo World celebrates 4th of July with collection game
Happy Pets
Happy Pets pretends Independence Day is Memorial Day
Hotel City
Hotel City lights up the sky with July 4th fireworks
How are you going to celebrate Fourth of July?
For readers who do not live in the U.S., here's the low-down on this American holiday from Wikipedia:
"In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the national day of the United States."
FrontierVille
FrontierVille celebrates Independence Day with Firecracker, Liberty Bell
FrontierVille Liberty Cherry trees available for limited time
FrontierVille Independence Day Collection rings in the holiday weekend
FarmVille
New FarmVille decorations and free gifts: Celebrate Fourth of July with fireworks!
Pet Society
Pet Society rolls out Fourth of July items and clearance sale
Cafe World
Cafe World: Celebrate Fourth of July with Sizzling Summer Decor
Mafia Wars
Mafia Wars Fourth of July sale includes five limited edition items
Mafia Wars Fourth of July sale incentives: Elvis impersonator and more
Treasure Isle
Treasure Isle flags return in time for Fourth of July
YoVille
YoVille Fourth of July Fireworks now available
YoVille releases new July 4th items
YoVille Fourth of July items added to the clothing store
FishVille
FishVille creatures and decor flaunt Fourth of July flair
Zoo World
Zoo World celebrates 4th of July with collection game
Happy Pets
Happy Pets pretends Independence Day is Memorial Day
Hotel City
Hotel City lights up the sky with July 4th fireworks
How are you going to celebrate Fourth of July?
YoVille: The Ultimate Guide To Earning More Coins
With all the new items being released by Zynga every week, it is so important to have all the up to date information on making the most coins you can in YoVille. Here is an updated guide for you to follow in order to make that task a lot easier.
If we've missed anything, make sure to post about it in comments.
«Login Daily»
YoVille Daily Login Bonus
Make sure you log into Yoville at least once a day and each day you will get more coins, up to 300 coins a day.
«The Widget Factory»
YoVille Widget Factory
The Widget Factory was the place you once made a majority of your coins. However, sense the release of the new Yoville Jobs, that is no longer the case. The Widget factory is still a good source for making money in Yoville and should be visited as often as possible throughout the day. Currently you need 100 energy to complete your job at the Widget Factory and the payout is 200 to 350 coins depending on the amount of neighbors you currently have.
«Yoville Jobs»
The newest feature added to Yoville are the Yoville jobs! Here is a great article with all the details needed to succeed in this fun new feature in Yoville.
«Coin Runs»
YoVille Coin Runs
At the bottom of your screens, you will see a ladder of your neighbors in Yoville. By mousing over them you are then given choices to visit or gift each friend. This is what we call Coin Runs or "CR"...which some of you might have seen written in messages from friends in the game. Once a day you can visit up to 25 friends and make up to 20 coins each by choosing 1 of the 6 different interactions with your friends avatar... Dance, fight, kiss, tell a joke, leave a message, or send a gift.
«Take Photos»
YoVille Take Photos
In the bottom right side of your screen you will see your chat box...where you type to interact with other players, in this area you will see a camera icon. You are given up to 5 rolls of film once a day to take pictures. You earn up to 20 coins per photo depending on the quality of your photo.
«Maxing (Play Games)»
YoVille Maxing
In Yoville you can ask any of the other players to play a game of tic-tac-toe or rock-paper-scissors with you. Just click another player and ask him/her to play a game with you:
If you win, you'll get 10 coins. If it's a draw, you both get 5 coins. If you lose, you get nothing.
You can earn up to 200 coins per day by playing games. Fastest way to "max out" (= get all the coins possible per day from games) is to join an event made just for playing. Check the events-list and from there the section "games".
Rules:
Tictactoe (TTT) – try to get 3 symbols (X or O) in a row before the other player.
Rock-paper-scissors (RPS) – Choose either rock, paper or scissors, game starts when both players have made their choice. Paper wins rock, rock wins scissors, scissors wins paper. At least 2 rounds are played.
«Speedway»
YoVille Speedway Race
On bottom right corner of the map there is a speedway-arena.
Here you can choose from 3 options: Race, practice or bet.
By racing against your friends, you will earn 10 coins by winning a race against your friends avatars. It's possible to earn up to 200 coins per day this way. Unfortunately racing is connected to the games though (ttt and rps), so if you have already maxed out for the day with them, the wins in races won't give you any coins. They will be counted on the badgelist still.
- You race by clicking and holding the left mouse button. But don't hold too long or you will flip over, and also remember to watch those oil-slicks! Get a boost from the arrows on your lane.
By betting, only the sky is a limit or you can lose it all. Place a bet between 10-500 coins and choose from 3 friends which one you believe will win.
«Casino»
If you are feeling lucky...make your way over to the Yoville Casino! You have really good odds of winning considering all it takes to break even is 1 cherry!!! The payout can be as high as your luck will allow.
«Yoville Fishing»
YoVille Fishing
Yoville has a really fun fishing game that I still enjoy just playing because its a challenge!! You buy some bait and pick 3 friends you want to fish against...then try and catch the heaviest amount of fish before the 2 1/2 minutes is up. You win 10 coins a game and can win up to 200 coins a day playing this game.
«Buying and Trading»
YoVille Buying and TradingYou can buy and sell items with other YoVillians, this is called "trading". Step by step instructions how to trade, can be found in this topic:
http://yvlounge.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1891&sid=8bf0f1b2abd54517ee34edeb570921b3
You can sell the items you don't need anymore, you can make art on whiteboard and sell them or you can invest in something, for example if you have yocash, you can buy yocash-items and sell them to other players for coins (you can't trade yocash) or buy some seasonal or collectible items and wait until they are out of store and starting to raise price. This is how many people in Yoville make their fortune.
You can also sell the items back to Yoville. That happens from top boxes:
Click "view inventory", browse the items in there and once you've found what you want to sell, click it and it will show how much you will get from it, you can choose either "sell" or "close". When you sell back to Yoville, you get approximately 1/3 of the store-value back. YoCash-items, starter-items, houses, teleport-doors and the things you've bought from yoville.com can't be sold back to Yoville, only "removed" from inventory which won't give you any coins.
«Mystery Gifts»
YoVille Mystery Gifts
These items are gifted to you by your neighbors and they should be returned. The amount of coins received in them varies but there is a chance at rare items in some and other have items needed to complete the Yoville collections.
Click the gifts to send your friends a free mystery gift.
If we've missed anything, make sure to post about it in comments.
«Login Daily»
YoVille Daily Login Bonus
Make sure you log into Yoville at least once a day and each day you will get more coins, up to 300 coins a day.
«The Widget Factory»
YoVille Widget Factory
The Widget Factory was the place you once made a majority of your coins. However, sense the release of the new Yoville Jobs, that is no longer the case. The Widget factory is still a good source for making money in Yoville and should be visited as often as possible throughout the day. Currently you need 100 energy to complete your job at the Widget Factory and the payout is 200 to 350 coins depending on the amount of neighbors you currently have.
«Yoville Jobs»
The newest feature added to Yoville are the Yoville jobs! Here is a great article with all the details needed to succeed in this fun new feature in Yoville.
«Coin Runs»
YoVille Coin Runs
At the bottom of your screens, you will see a ladder of your neighbors in Yoville. By mousing over them you are then given choices to visit or gift each friend. This is what we call Coin Runs or "CR"...which some of you might have seen written in messages from friends in the game. Once a day you can visit up to 25 friends and make up to 20 coins each by choosing 1 of the 6 different interactions with your friends avatar... Dance, fight, kiss, tell a joke, leave a message, or send a gift.
«Take Photos»
YoVille Take Photos
In the bottom right side of your screen you will see your chat box...where you type to interact with other players, in this area you will see a camera icon. You are given up to 5 rolls of film once a day to take pictures. You earn up to 20 coins per photo depending on the quality of your photo.
«Maxing (Play Games)»
YoVille Maxing
In Yoville you can ask any of the other players to play a game of tic-tac-toe or rock-paper-scissors with you. Just click another player and ask him/her to play a game with you:
If you win, you'll get 10 coins. If it's a draw, you both get 5 coins. If you lose, you get nothing.
You can earn up to 200 coins per day by playing games. Fastest way to "max out" (= get all the coins possible per day from games) is to join an event made just for playing. Check the events-list and from there the section "games".
Rules:
Tictactoe (TTT) – try to get 3 symbols (X or O) in a row before the other player.
Rock-paper-scissors (RPS) – Choose either rock, paper or scissors, game starts when both players have made their choice. Paper wins rock, rock wins scissors, scissors wins paper. At least 2 rounds are played.
«Speedway»
YoVille Speedway Race
On bottom right corner of the map there is a speedway-arena.
Here you can choose from 3 options: Race, practice or bet.
By racing against your friends, you will earn 10 coins by winning a race against your friends avatars. It's possible to earn up to 200 coins per day this way. Unfortunately racing is connected to the games though (ttt and rps), so if you have already maxed out for the day with them, the wins in races won't give you any coins. They will be counted on the badgelist still.
- You race by clicking and holding the left mouse button. But don't hold too long or you will flip over, and also remember to watch those oil-slicks! Get a boost from the arrows on your lane.
By betting, only the sky is a limit or you can lose it all. Place a bet between 10-500 coins and choose from 3 friends which one you believe will win.
«Casino»
If you are feeling lucky...make your way over to the Yoville Casino! You have really good odds of winning considering all it takes to break even is 1 cherry!!! The payout can be as high as your luck will allow.
«Yoville Fishing»
YoVille Fishing
Yoville has a really fun fishing game that I still enjoy just playing because its a challenge!! You buy some bait and pick 3 friends you want to fish against...then try and catch the heaviest amount of fish before the 2 1/2 minutes is up. You win 10 coins a game and can win up to 200 coins a day playing this game.
«Buying and Trading»
YoVille Buying and TradingYou can buy and sell items with other YoVillians, this is called "trading". Step by step instructions how to trade, can be found in this topic:
http://yvlounge.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=1891&sid=8bf0f1b2abd54517ee34edeb570921b3
You can sell the items you don't need anymore, you can make art on whiteboard and sell them or you can invest in something, for example if you have yocash, you can buy yocash-items and sell them to other players for coins (you can't trade yocash) or buy some seasonal or collectible items and wait until they are out of store and starting to raise price. This is how many people in Yoville make their fortune.
You can also sell the items back to Yoville. That happens from top boxes:
Click "view inventory", browse the items in there and once you've found what you want to sell, click it and it will show how much you will get from it, you can choose either "sell" or "close". When you sell back to Yoville, you get approximately 1/3 of the store-value back. YoCash-items, starter-items, houses, teleport-doors and the things you've bought from yoville.com can't be sold back to Yoville, only "removed" from inventory which won't give you any coins.
«Mystery Gifts»
YoVille Mystery Gifts
These items are gifted to you by your neighbors and they should be returned. The amount of coins received in them varies but there is a chance at rare items in some and other have items needed to complete the Yoville collections.
Click the gifts to send your friends a free mystery gift.
Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 2, 2012
YoVille: Otter leaves, Sea Turtle arrives and Alligator is on the way
The charity otter will be leaving our town soon and will be replaced by a cute Sea Turtle. This week, you will be able to help save the gulf by buying this YoCash pet. 50% of all proceeds will go to Audubon to help save the gulf.
Platinum Ninja also announced that an alligator which will be replacing this turtle in a week.
Did you get any of the new charity pets? Which one is your favorite?
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Platinum Ninja also announced that an alligator which will be replacing this turtle in a week.
Did you get any of the new charity pets? Which one is your favorite?
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
YoVille: New Skin Tones, Searchable Inventory and Mystery Deals
Zynga's Platinum Ninja announced that tons of new updates are coming to YoVille this month.
Skin Tones – Also more variety of Skin Tones on their way. So you'll have more choices when changing your appearance!
Searchable Inventory – We've been working on making decorating easier! Soon we'll be coming out with a much simpler way to find all of your prized possessions without having to scroll a ton! Stay tuned for other new ways to manage your inventories and items as well!
Group Buying Coming Back! – That's right folks a new and improved version of Group Buying will be on it's way to YoVille pretty soon. We've made some tweeks to improve this user experience and will be offering you some awesome stuff! Read more about group buying here.
Want to hear about what is coming out this August in YoVille? Of course you do!! Let's check out some awesome things the team is working on to bring you this month.
Mystery Deals – should be coming very very soon! Want to give you all an awesome opportunity to get some of your favorite items at great prices! Check out the Blog on this feature to learn more.
Photo Booth -This awesome item will be coming soon! It will let you take pics and share with your friends. To check out more info on this feature check out here.
YoVille Wave Photo Booth
Busy month for YoVille players! Keep an eye on the Lounge for all the updates
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Skin Tones – Also more variety of Skin Tones on their way. So you'll have more choices when changing your appearance!
Searchable Inventory – We've been working on making decorating easier! Soon we'll be coming out with a much simpler way to find all of your prized possessions without having to scroll a ton! Stay tuned for other new ways to manage your inventories and items as well!
Group Buying Coming Back! – That's right folks a new and improved version of Group Buying will be on it's way to YoVille pretty soon. We've made some tweeks to improve this user experience and will be offering you some awesome stuff! Read more about group buying here.
Want to hear about what is coming out this August in YoVille? Of course you do!! Let's check out some awesome things the team is working on to bring you this month.
Mystery Deals – should be coming very very soon! Want to give you all an awesome opportunity to get some of your favorite items at great prices! Check out the Blog on this feature to learn more.
Photo Booth -This awesome item will be coming soon! It will let you take pics and share with your friends. To check out more info on this feature check out here.
YoVille Wave Photo Booth
Busy month for YoVille players! Keep an eye on the Lounge for all the updates
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Zynga plans to blow up real armored truck in Mafia Wars publicity stunt
In what might be the most awesome social gaming publicity stunt ever, Zynga reps will be blowing up a real-life armored truck once 10 million players visit the recently launched Mafia Wars Vegas.
Right now the visitor count is around 2.8 million -- and growing every second -- so I'll take a gander that the big 'splosion will take place in the next day or so. And, of course, you'll be able to watch the truck turn into cinder on mafiawars.com. Take that, Michael Bay.
In addition to exploding trucks, Zynga is also pimping Mafia Wars Vegas by giving away 10 iPads every week and handing out $25,000 to one lucky players. You can enter to win the big prize by simply playing the Mafia Wars expansion, and you get an additional entry to win for each member of your Mafia that also visits Vegas.
Now if you will 'scuze me, I'm headed to Mafia Wars Vegas -- I'm ready to see that truck burn.
Right now the visitor count is around 2.8 million -- and growing every second -- so I'll take a gander that the big 'splosion will take place in the next day or so. And, of course, you'll be able to watch the truck turn into cinder on mafiawars.com. Take that, Michael Bay.
In addition to exploding trucks, Zynga is also pimping Mafia Wars Vegas by giving away 10 iPads every week and handing out $25,000 to one lucky players. You can enter to win the big prize by simply playing the Mafia Wars expansion, and you get an additional entry to win for each member of your Mafia that also visits Vegas.
Now if you will 'scuze me, I'm headed to Mafia Wars Vegas -- I'm ready to see that truck burn.
Cafe World's new decor takes diners to Transylvannia
After last week's Twilight decor, Cafe World has headed outside with new outdoors restaurant decor. It still involves vampires, but it's more traditional, which is to say, totally Transylvannian!
The honor for most expensive item is tied at 60 Cafe Cash for Red Gothic Rooftop and Black Gothic Rooftop. These two are also the most extravagant, transforming your restaurant's roof into a castle that resembles an elegant Gothic cathedral. Premium item runners-up would be the Gothic Spire for 18, and the adorable Happy Vamp Diner Statue for 16 Cafe Cash.
Out of the 22 new decor pieces, 14 require Cafe Cash. If the game didn't make acquiring in-game premium money so simple and often, this would be a problem. Not requiring Cafe Cash, the priciest item is the Gothic Stained Glass in the outdoor Windows category, which costs a whopping 75,000 Coins for one.
You can get a glimpse of all the items in the graphic below.
Cafe World Vampire Outdoor Restaurant Decor
The honor for most expensive item is tied at 60 Cafe Cash for Red Gothic Rooftop and Black Gothic Rooftop. These two are also the most extravagant, transforming your restaurant's roof into a castle that resembles an elegant Gothic cathedral. Premium item runners-up would be the Gothic Spire for 18, and the adorable Happy Vamp Diner Statue for 16 Cafe Cash.
Out of the 22 new decor pieces, 14 require Cafe Cash. If the game didn't make acquiring in-game premium money so simple and often, this would be a problem. Not requiring Cafe Cash, the priciest item is the Gothic Stained Glass in the outdoor Windows category, which costs a whopping 75,000 Coins for one.
You can get a glimpse of all the items in the graphic below.
Cafe World Vampire Outdoor Restaurant Decor
Happy Pets Special Offers: Fantasia and Pink Clydesdale Unicorns
Happy Pets Special Offer of Fantasia Unicorn and Pink Clydesdale Unicorn
Happy Pets Pink Unicorn Special OfferUnicorns are serious business in Happy Pets. So far, all the Unicorns and special Horses in the game outsell and outprice even the new pet Dinosaurs. But some lucky players have gotten a special in-game offer, where they can buy a Fantasia Unicorn for 10 Facebook Credits ($1 USD), or a Pink Clydesdale Unicorn for 20 FB Credits ($2 USD), which are both big discounts.
How can you tell you're saving? Well, the latest Limited Edition horses has a horse very similar to the ones shown above -- the Purple Clydesdale Unicorn, which is being sold for 80 FB Credits ($8 USD). Also, for 18 FB Credits ($1.80) you can use a Color Dye to change your Fantasia or Pink Clydesdale Unicorn into a color you'd like. (I've got a Citrus Dalamatian, so I know you can change the color of premium cash pets.) To know if this offer is available to you, just look for the icon of the pink unicorn on the left-hand side of your game screen.
Happy Pets Pink Unicorn Special OfferUnicorns are serious business in Happy Pets. So far, all the Unicorns and special Horses in the game outsell and outprice even the new pet Dinosaurs. But some lucky players have gotten a special in-game offer, where they can buy a Fantasia Unicorn for 10 Facebook Credits ($1 USD), or a Pink Clydesdale Unicorn for 20 FB Credits ($2 USD), which are both big discounts.
How can you tell you're saving? Well, the latest Limited Edition horses has a horse very similar to the ones shown above -- the Purple Clydesdale Unicorn, which is being sold for 80 FB Credits ($8 USD). Also, for 18 FB Credits ($1.80) you can use a Color Dye to change your Fantasia or Pink Clydesdale Unicorn into a color you'd like. (I've got a Citrus Dalamatian, so I know you can change the color of premium cash pets.) To know if this offer is available to you, just look for the icon of the pink unicorn on the left-hand side of your game screen.
Thứ Ba, 7 tháng 2, 2012
YoVille is giving away two Gold Mystery Boxes this week only
As Platinum Ninja told us before, September marks YoVille's Player Appreciation Month. And to kick off the festivities, Zynga will be randomly giving away Gold Mystery Boxes twice this week, but they're not telling when.
You'll have to log in to the game daily (a chore, we know) to find out exactly when these mysterious goodies will be given away. Obviously, the contents of the boxes are a mystery, but expect lots of coins and YoCash to fill those wallets again after the Labor Day Sale, according to the YoVille blog.
When looking at the success of Zynga's other social games, it's a surprise we haven't seen similar events in FarmVille, Mafia Wars or FrontierVille. Here's to hoping this is the start of a new trend for Zynga!
You'll have to log in to the game daily (a chore, we know) to find out exactly when these mysterious goodies will be given away. Obviously, the contents of the boxes are a mystery, but expect lots of coins and YoCash to fill those wallets again after the Labor Day Sale, according to the YoVille blog.
When looking at the success of Zynga's other social games, it's a surprise we haven't seen similar events in FarmVille, Mafia Wars or FrontierVille. Here's to hoping this is the start of a new trend for Zynga!
Robot Unicorn Attack: The most magical game of all time lands on Facebook
It's common knowledge that nothing inspires love and harmony like exploding robot unicorns and shimmering rainbows -- and Robot Unicorn Attack has both in spades. The online game first launched on AdultSwim.com in February 2010 and got one million plays in its first week. That was followed by an equally popular iPhone version in June, and, now, it has finally brought the magic to Facebook.
The main thing this game has going for it is the simple gameplay. It only requires two controls -- the jump and dash buttons -- which are the keyboard keys 'Z' and 'X', respectively. These buttons control a shiny unicorn flying through the sky like a shooting star, and you're responsible for piloting this pretty pony to safety, avoiding purple cliffsides and dashing your way through stars of white steel. All that is set to the game's hypnotic soundtrack, which features the 1994 hit "Always" by the UK band Erasure.
Robot Unicorn Attack in action
The Facebook version comes with a leaderboard, which gets reset weekly (something that Bejeweled Blitz fans are pretty familiar with). That means no more clicking on that "Post to Facebook" option to show the world how many hours of your life you've wasted. All your stats and those of your friends can be glimpse in one easy location.
Play Robot Unicorn Attack on Facebook >
The main thing this game has going for it is the simple gameplay. It only requires two controls -- the jump and dash buttons -- which are the keyboard keys 'Z' and 'X', respectively. These buttons control a shiny unicorn flying through the sky like a shooting star, and you're responsible for piloting this pretty pony to safety, avoiding purple cliffsides and dashing your way through stars of white steel. All that is set to the game's hypnotic soundtrack, which features the 1994 hit "Always" by the UK band Erasure.
Robot Unicorn Attack in action
The Facebook version comes with a leaderboard, which gets reset weekly (something that Bejeweled Blitz fans are pretty familiar with). That means no more clicking on that "Post to Facebook" option to show the world how many hours of your life you've wasted. All your stats and those of your friends can be glimpse in one easy location.
Play Robot Unicorn Attack on Facebook >
Quote of the Moment: End of the Golden Era
"There's going to be a lot of [game cloning]. The truth is that there's that in every industry. I mean, MMOs, there's no shortage of terrible World of WarCraft clones that didn't really work out, and you'll see the same thing I think here. A handful will survive, a bunch will fail. You're definitely in the stage right now in social games where there's a lot of bandwagon jumping, where everyone sees moneymoneymoney and suddenly all these new companies appear... It happened before in mobile, it happened before in casual – in the past it's tended to signal the beginning of the end.
"Not necessarily of the genre, but of the sort of golden era, where everything was a fresh blue ocean and all that stuff. It's getting into the era where it'll be a lot more hard-fought. It'll be tough. People will make money there, but there'll be a lot of competition and then margins will shrink and all that sort of stuff. That's my thought on where we're heading with social stuff. Facebook can't go that much faster, they're only going to tighten up their restrictions. Sooner or later they will raise their rates, do other things like that, margins will just get increasingly tough.
"You're already sort of seeing that, a lot of the viral growth of Facebook games is now shut down, they have to do it the old fashioned way, which is by buying ads or by having something that people are actually interested in playing and actually want to want to tell their friends about. From our point of view, we can live with that. That's an okay solution for us. So I'm fairly optimistic about the future – there's enough crazy stuff going on that you never know what's going to happen. I know Google are doing some sort of social network..."
-Popcap Chief Creative Officer Jason Kapalka talks to GamesIndustry.biz about what he sees as a fundamental shift in the social gaming market of late.
"Not necessarily of the genre, but of the sort of golden era, where everything was a fresh blue ocean and all that stuff. It's getting into the era where it'll be a lot more hard-fought. It'll be tough. People will make money there, but there'll be a lot of competition and then margins will shrink and all that sort of stuff. That's my thought on where we're heading with social stuff. Facebook can't go that much faster, they're only going to tighten up their restrictions. Sooner or later they will raise their rates, do other things like that, margins will just get increasingly tough.
"You're already sort of seeing that, a lot of the viral growth of Facebook games is now shut down, they have to do it the old fashioned way, which is by buying ads or by having something that people are actually interested in playing and actually want to want to tell their friends about. From our point of view, we can live with that. That's an okay solution for us. So I'm fairly optimistic about the future – there's enough crazy stuff going on that you never know what's going to happen. I know Google are doing some sort of social network..."
-Popcap Chief Creative Officer Jason Kapalka talks to GamesIndustry.biz about what he sees as a fundamental shift in the social gaming market of late.
Happy Pets: There's a new pet in town this week, but you have to guess
To add to your already massive collection of dogs, cats, birds and dinosaurs, Crowdstar is releasing yet another pet this week in Happy Pets. However, as of right now, the pet is a total mystery. Luckily for us, they've posted a silhouette of the pet in question on their Happy Aquarium page for you to drool over.
The only details we know so far about the mystery pet is that it will be available in eight colors. Fortunately, we can assume that if this mystery pet is coming in eight colors it will not be part of the Random Pets family. We all know how well those blow over.
In the meantime, let's guess what the pet might be. I was thinking a baby eagle, or maybe an owl? But what about that comb on its head (wink, wink)?
The only details we know so far about the mystery pet is that it will be available in eight colors. Fortunately, we can assume that if this mystery pet is coming in eight colors it will not be part of the Random Pets family. We all know how well those blow over.
In the meantime, let's guess what the pet might be. I was thinking a baby eagle, or maybe an owl? But what about that comb on its head (wink, wink)?
Tonight's Vampire Wars developer chat will answer your burning questions
If you have nagging questions concerning your favorite fang-filled Facebook game, Vampire Wars, then hang around Zynga's Vampire Wars forum today around 4 PM PDT (that's 7 PM EST for you East Coasters). Zynga's Vlad the Emailer (and hopefully more of the development team) will be answering your burning questions for one hour in a developer's chat.
The team is taking questions right now in preparation for the discussion, so head on over now to get your words in if you won't be able to make it. The forums are heating up with questions already concerning time limits on gameplay and their effect on balance, perceived flaws in the game's combat system and what the team is doing for new players.
All that's well and good, but we just want to know is when will Blade be making an appearance (this is a war, you know). Stay tuned for when we discuss the results of the live developer chat tomorrow.
The team is taking questions right now in preparation for the discussion, so head on over now to get your words in if you won't be able to make it. The forums are heating up with questions already concerning time limits on gameplay and their effect on balance, perceived flaws in the game's combat system and what the team is doing for new players.
All that's well and good, but we just want to know is when will Blade be making an appearance (this is a war, you know). Stay tuned for when we discuss the results of the live developer chat tomorrow.
Thứ Bảy, 4 tháng 2, 2012
FIFA Superstars brings in a Sports Psychologist to boost team morale
Sports Psychologist
EA Sports and Playfish have updated their game, FIFA Superstars, pretty extensively in the past few weeks with the launch of FIFA 11and the new Sports Psychologist feature is no exception. Buying this item for 9 Playfish Cash, or about $2 USD, will boost your team rating directly by about eight points for 24 hours.
Unlike those sluggish training coaches, this PhD--that's Dr. Jones to you--will boost your team rating without any training time at all through the power of... couch therapy? For just $2, this isn't that bad of a deal; just be sure that you'll be playing a lot during that 24 hours to make the best of your team's time with of Ms.--err, I mean--Dr. Jones. Then again, for more patient folk, keeping your team in tip top shape training should be more than enough to continue dominating the field. She's only here for another five days, so make a decision quick if you want to reap the benefits of the Sports Psychologist's expertise.
EA Sports and Playfish have updated their game, FIFA Superstars, pretty extensively in the past few weeks with the launch of FIFA 11and the new Sports Psychologist feature is no exception. Buying this item for 9 Playfish Cash, or about $2 USD, will boost your team rating directly by about eight points for 24 hours.
Unlike those sluggish training coaches, this PhD--that's Dr. Jones to you--will boost your team rating without any training time at all through the power of... couch therapy? For just $2, this isn't that bad of a deal; just be sure that you'll be playing a lot during that 24 hours to make the best of your team's time with of Ms.--err, I mean--Dr. Jones. Then again, for more patient folk, keeping your team in tip top shape training should be more than enough to continue dominating the field. She's only here for another five days, so make a decision quick if you want to reap the benefits of the Sports Psychologist's expertise.
Mafia Wars 'Declare War' Feature: Everything you need to know
Mafia Wars Declare War
Our favorite mobster RPG game on Facebook, Mafia Wars, is more of a series of skirmishes, fights and robberies than it is a war between mobs. Zynga wants to change this with their updated Declare War feature, which allows players to settle disputes with anyone--rather than stabbing our friends in their backs like before--in timed matches using their Top Mafia members.
Take a look behind the break to learn how to master this updated feature and dominate your turf.
Mafia Wars Top Mafia
First things first, you'll need to be at least Level 8 to have access to this feature, which unlocks the Top Mafia option when looking at the My Mafia page. Top Mafia, first introduced in 2009, is a feature that allows you to choose six of your best mobsters to fill key positions in your mafia for extra bonuses. However, certain positions can only be filled by players with specific character traits, so here's the breakdown:
Mastermind (more XP from jobs): Any character
Wheel Man (reduced Energy usage on jobs): Fearless only
Button Man (increased Attack): Maniac only
Bodyguard (increased Defense): Any character
Safecracker (more money from fights): Any character
Bag Man (more money from jobs): Mogul only
To make sure you have the absolute best Top Mafia, be mindful of your friends' stats when choosing them for one of these six positions. For example, it's best to choose a friend who has completed the most jobs to be your Mastermind as it implies he or she is a high Energy player and will net you a ton more experience. The same idea goes for the rest of these positions; a Maniac in your mafia that has won the most fights would be the best choice for your Button Man, and so on.
After you've chosen your Top Mafia, you can finally declare war on any mafia you would normally fight by going to the Fight page. Next to the option to fight a mafia member should be a button that reads "Declare War." Remember to judge who you're about to declare war on based on their level and mafia size. Clicking the button will automatically take you the war page, though a pop-up will appear suggesting you to ask your friends for help. This is no time to play the lone wolf, so just ask 'em.
Declare War ask for help
You'll now see both yourself, your Top Mafia and the opposing player with his Top Mafia hiding behind silhouettes. To make things a bit more challenging, you'll have 16 hours from the start of the war to wipe out each of your enemy's Top Mafia members and eventually knock out your opponent. To seek out your friends' help, just click the button above your portrait to post a news feed on your wall.
Clicking on any one of the six mystery combatants will result in you either defeating that mafia member or you being defeated. It seems currently that you can only personally attack one Top Mafia opponent before your friend's help out. While this can slow things up rather quickly, if you could just attack every Top Mafia member yourself, that would trivialize the experience to the point where you would be better suited to just fight other mobsters.
Declare Wars Reward
In the middle of the page you'll notice item rewards accompanied by a question mark. These are the rewards that leader of this war will win, with the visible reward being one of the more common and the question mark being a rare reward only to be revealed when the war is won. At the bottom of the screen is the reward that your Top Mafia members will win for helping you if your team should come out victorious. There are 16 rewards in total and if you manage to collect them all from either starting wars or helping your friends out, you'll receive the "Warlord" achievement.
If you'd like to help your friends in war, just look for a post on their Facebook feed to the tune of "Joe Shmoe needs your help in a War." Click through and you'll be taken to their war page where you can attack your friend's opponents. However, there seems to be a potential error in the game currently that when your friend helps one of their friends in a war, you will be asked to help out, which isn't possible. Mafia Wars Maniac claims that this issue is a bug, but it does make sense that you wouldn't be able to help a friend of a friend in a War. Come on, mafias are more cliquey than that.
Now you're ready to hit the battlefield, but remember that can only declare one war at a time and have just one declared on you. Make sure to beef yourself up with some extra weapons, items and friends before going to battle, because this time everything counts.
Our favorite mobster RPG game on Facebook, Mafia Wars, is more of a series of skirmishes, fights and robberies than it is a war between mobs. Zynga wants to change this with their updated Declare War feature, which allows players to settle disputes with anyone--rather than stabbing our friends in their backs like before--in timed matches using their Top Mafia members.
Take a look behind the break to learn how to master this updated feature and dominate your turf.
Mafia Wars Top Mafia
First things first, you'll need to be at least Level 8 to have access to this feature, which unlocks the Top Mafia option when looking at the My Mafia page. Top Mafia, first introduced in 2009, is a feature that allows you to choose six of your best mobsters to fill key positions in your mafia for extra bonuses. However, certain positions can only be filled by players with specific character traits, so here's the breakdown:
Mastermind (more XP from jobs): Any character
Wheel Man (reduced Energy usage on jobs): Fearless only
Button Man (increased Attack): Maniac only
Bodyguard (increased Defense): Any character
Safecracker (more money from fights): Any character
Bag Man (more money from jobs): Mogul only
To make sure you have the absolute best Top Mafia, be mindful of your friends' stats when choosing them for one of these six positions. For example, it's best to choose a friend who has completed the most jobs to be your Mastermind as it implies he or she is a high Energy player and will net you a ton more experience. The same idea goes for the rest of these positions; a Maniac in your mafia that has won the most fights would be the best choice for your Button Man, and so on.
After you've chosen your Top Mafia, you can finally declare war on any mafia you would normally fight by going to the Fight page. Next to the option to fight a mafia member should be a button that reads "Declare War." Remember to judge who you're about to declare war on based on their level and mafia size. Clicking the button will automatically take you the war page, though a pop-up will appear suggesting you to ask your friends for help. This is no time to play the lone wolf, so just ask 'em.
Declare War ask for help
You'll now see both yourself, your Top Mafia and the opposing player with his Top Mafia hiding behind silhouettes. To make things a bit more challenging, you'll have 16 hours from the start of the war to wipe out each of your enemy's Top Mafia members and eventually knock out your opponent. To seek out your friends' help, just click the button above your portrait to post a news feed on your wall.
Clicking on any one of the six mystery combatants will result in you either defeating that mafia member or you being defeated. It seems currently that you can only personally attack one Top Mafia opponent before your friend's help out. While this can slow things up rather quickly, if you could just attack every Top Mafia member yourself, that would trivialize the experience to the point where you would be better suited to just fight other mobsters.
Declare Wars Reward
In the middle of the page you'll notice item rewards accompanied by a question mark. These are the rewards that leader of this war will win, with the visible reward being one of the more common and the question mark being a rare reward only to be revealed when the war is won. At the bottom of the screen is the reward that your Top Mafia members will win for helping you if your team should come out victorious. There are 16 rewards in total and if you manage to collect them all from either starting wars or helping your friends out, you'll receive the "Warlord" achievement.
If you'd like to help your friends in war, just look for a post on their Facebook feed to the tune of "Joe Shmoe needs your help in a War." Click through and you'll be taken to their war page where you can attack your friend's opponents. However, there seems to be a potential error in the game currently that when your friend helps one of their friends in a war, you will be asked to help out, which isn't possible. Mafia Wars Maniac claims that this issue is a bug, but it does make sense that you wouldn't be able to help a friend of a friend in a War. Come on, mafias are more cliquey than that.
Now you're ready to hit the battlefield, but remember that can only declare one war at a time and have just one declared on you. Make sure to beef yourself up with some extra weapons, items and friends before going to battle, because this time everything counts.
Zynga Poker VIP Club gives players the true card shark treatment for a very important price
Zynga Poker VIP Club
For the hardcore online poker players, Zynga has introduced the VIP Club in Zynga Poker for players with deep interest in poker and even deeper pockets. For $29.95 a month, VIP Club members--somewhat similar to Mafia Wars' Loyalty Program--will receive double experience from games, free limited edition items monthly, access to "members-only" tables for those who play high stakes and a VIP badge on your table profile for all to see.
While the extra experience and items are a plus, let's face the facts: what your $30 monthly fee is really going towards is status, as goes with most high-profile memberships. This is all well and good if you want to play poker games with players you know are willing to put up some serious chips, but to include a badge feature can be looked at from two sides. Either players will be impressed by your supposed skill and presumed wealth or snicker when catching sight of your badge for purchasing such a feature.
However, these transactions are all about return on investment: will you play enough Zynga Poker to warrant the monthly fee? And besides, VIP status exists for those who thrive in the limelight (i.e. take on the scrutiny willingly). So, if you're one of those types and are lucky skilled at internet poker, then this looks like the program for you. Hey, at least Zynga's being up front about this one.
For the hardcore online poker players, Zynga has introduced the VIP Club in Zynga Poker for players with deep interest in poker and even deeper pockets. For $29.95 a month, VIP Club members--somewhat similar to Mafia Wars' Loyalty Program--will receive double experience from games, free limited edition items monthly, access to "members-only" tables for those who play high stakes and a VIP badge on your table profile for all to see.
While the extra experience and items are a plus, let's face the facts: what your $30 monthly fee is really going towards is status, as goes with most high-profile memberships. This is all well and good if you want to play poker games with players you know are willing to put up some serious chips, but to include a badge feature can be looked at from two sides. Either players will be impressed by your supposed skill and presumed wealth or snicker when catching sight of your badge for purchasing such a feature.
However, these transactions are all about return on investment: will you play enough Zynga Poker to warrant the monthly fee? And besides, VIP status exists for those who thrive in the limelight (i.e. take on the scrutiny willingly). So, if you're one of those types and are lucky skilled at internet poker, then this looks like the program for you. Hey, at least Zynga's being up front about this one.
PetVille's flaming Baby Phoenix stealthily introduced for e-mail subscribers
PetVille Baby Phoenix
According to a member of the PetVille forums, Isabella Boo, her son received a Baby Phoenix Egg in an e-mail from Zynga. Another forum-goer simply known as Highly has posted images of her very own glowing Baby Phoenix as it soars around her room and back into its egg. Several other forum members have confirmed that the e-mail is legitimate, but some are having trouble receiving the adorable, winged fireball in PetVille. This pet is an exclusive reward for signing up to receive e-mail updates from PetVille and has not been officially announced.
Details such as hatching time or whether this blazing baby bird will reach adulthood are scarce, but stay glued to your e-mail over the next few weeks to see when you receive yours. If you haven't yet signed up for e-mail updates from PetVille, just head over to the Zynga account page for PetVille and sign yourself up.
This item addition is very similar to Zynga's recent introduction of the Treehouse to FrontierVille players who subscribe for e-mail updates. It's unfortunate that these items--which are usually far cooler than most accessible items-- are available for e-mail subscribers only as there must be a good amount of players who simply aren't comfortable sharing their e-mail address in fear of spam or account compromise. Hopefully in the future this item is added into the game as part of a contest or at least for Pet Cash or coins. Sadly, when it comes to exclusivity, this is the name of the game.
According to a member of the PetVille forums, Isabella Boo, her son received a Baby Phoenix Egg in an e-mail from Zynga. Another forum-goer simply known as Highly has posted images of her very own glowing Baby Phoenix as it soars around her room and back into its egg. Several other forum members have confirmed that the e-mail is legitimate, but some are having trouble receiving the adorable, winged fireball in PetVille. This pet is an exclusive reward for signing up to receive e-mail updates from PetVille and has not been officially announced.
Details such as hatching time or whether this blazing baby bird will reach adulthood are scarce, but stay glued to your e-mail over the next few weeks to see when you receive yours. If you haven't yet signed up for e-mail updates from PetVille, just head over to the Zynga account page for PetVille and sign yourself up.
This item addition is very similar to Zynga's recent introduction of the Treehouse to FrontierVille players who subscribe for e-mail updates. It's unfortunate that these items--which are usually far cooler than most accessible items-- are available for e-mail subscribers only as there must be a good amount of players who simply aren't comfortable sharing their e-mail address in fear of spam or account compromise. Hopefully in the future this item is added into the game as part of a contest or at least for Pet Cash or coins. Sadly, when it comes to exclusivity, this is the name of the game.
Vampire Wars gets fierce with Hyena Familiars, fancy with Wedding Avatar sets
Vampire Wars Hyena Familiars
While the lot of you blood suckers were gallivanting around Paris, Zynga updated Vampire Wars with brand new familiars and avatar sets. Firstly, the new Hyena familiars go for quite a lot of Favor Points each, which isn't helped by the fact that you must buy them in succession to have all three.
Zombie Hyena: Costs 40 Favor Points, grants 25 maximum Energy
Spotted Hyena: Cost Unknown*, grants 40 Energy
Fire Hyena: Cost Unknown*, grants 55 Energy
*Because the Spotted and Fire Hyenas are locked for purchase until the Zombie Hyena is paid for, it's unknown what these two familiars will cost. But if past pricing on familiars is any indication, expect the Spotted and Fire Hyenas to cost around 60 and 80 Favor Points respectively. For 180 Favor Points, or about $25, these three Hyenas and an extra 120 Energy can be yours, but how do they stack up to the Wedding Avatar sets?
Check behind the cut for a closer look at the Avatar sets and which set of items is a better deal.
Vampire Wars Avatar Wedding sets
The new Bride and Groom Avatar sets are fitting with the theme of the Paris Missions currently underway and are a steal compared to the Hyena familiars. Both sets go for 35 Favor Points, or around $4, and carry different stats. The Bride set comes with a bonus of 7 Attack, 6 Defense and 10 Energy, while the Groom set is equipped with 5 Attack, 4 Defense and 14 Energy. It's odd that these sets aren't balanced as surely some vampire ladies would want more Energy while vampire lords would enjoy more fighting stats.
For what it's worth, each Hyena does provide quite a lot of Energy, but at $25 total--compared to similar items in other games like Happy Pets' Experience Idol--is asking a bit much no matter how you slice it (they'll sell like hotcakes either way). But, for less cash and a better variety of stats, either one of the new Avatar sets is a much better deal.
While the lot of you blood suckers were gallivanting around Paris, Zynga updated Vampire Wars with brand new familiars and avatar sets. Firstly, the new Hyena familiars go for quite a lot of Favor Points each, which isn't helped by the fact that you must buy them in succession to have all three.
Zombie Hyena: Costs 40 Favor Points, grants 25 maximum Energy
Spotted Hyena: Cost Unknown*, grants 40 Energy
Fire Hyena: Cost Unknown*, grants 55 Energy
*Because the Spotted and Fire Hyenas are locked for purchase until the Zombie Hyena is paid for, it's unknown what these two familiars will cost. But if past pricing on familiars is any indication, expect the Spotted and Fire Hyenas to cost around 60 and 80 Favor Points respectively. For 180 Favor Points, or about $25, these three Hyenas and an extra 120 Energy can be yours, but how do they stack up to the Wedding Avatar sets?
Check behind the cut for a closer look at the Avatar sets and which set of items is a better deal.
Vampire Wars Avatar Wedding sets
The new Bride and Groom Avatar sets are fitting with the theme of the Paris Missions currently underway and are a steal compared to the Hyena familiars. Both sets go for 35 Favor Points, or around $4, and carry different stats. The Bride set comes with a bonus of 7 Attack, 6 Defense and 10 Energy, while the Groom set is equipped with 5 Attack, 4 Defense and 14 Energy. It's odd that these sets aren't balanced as surely some vampire ladies would want more Energy while vampire lords would enjoy more fighting stats.
For what it's worth, each Hyena does provide quite a lot of Energy, but at $25 total--compared to similar items in other games like Happy Pets' Experience Idol--is asking a bit much no matter how you slice it (they'll sell like hotcakes either way). But, for less cash and a better variety of stats, either one of the new Avatar sets is a much better deal.
Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille Dinosaur Costume: "Rawr" means "I love farming" in dinosaur
Zynga has gone all out this October, adding a whole slew of both decorative items and free gifts to the pages of FarmVille for users to get into (and to help their friends celebrate) the Halloween season. Included in that celebration was the release of page after page of Halloween costumes with which you can deck out your avatar in the holiday spirit as well.
While the current selection might have contained more than enough options to fill your avatar's closet with potential costumes for years to come, one more (particularly special) costume was added to the game this evening. But what is the costume, I hear you asking. Well, if the picture at right didn't give it away, the new costume is the Dinosaur costume, and it can be purchased for 100,000 coins.
This costume is noteworthy due to the fact that it was inspired by player submissions in a recent art project that took place on the official FarmVille forums. Unfortunately, even though the costume has just been added to the store, it still has the same 3-Day time limit that now rests on the vast majority of Halloween goodies released in the game. Shop fast if you want your avatar to be able to say "Rawr" as a T-Rex this Halloween.
While the current selection might have contained more than enough options to fill your avatar's closet with potential costumes for years to come, one more (particularly special) costume was added to the game this evening. But what is the costume, I hear you asking. Well, if the picture at right didn't give it away, the new costume is the Dinosaur costume, and it can be purchased for 100,000 coins.
This costume is noteworthy due to the fact that it was inspired by player submissions in a recent art project that took place on the official FarmVille forums. Unfortunately, even though the costume has just been added to the store, it still has the same 3-Day time limit that now rests on the vast majority of Halloween goodies released in the game. Shop fast if you want your avatar to be able to say "Rawr" as a T-Rex this Halloween.
Mafia Wars Halloween Loot Event: Complete jobs and brawl for seven rare costumes
Halloween Loot Event
Just when you thought Zynga was done with Halloween in Mafia Wars, the team throws a change up with the Halloween Loot Event. On top of everything else going on this season, doing jobs and beating the pulp out of people like normal will randomly drop one of seven new Halloween costume items like the Devil Costume and Zombie Costume (top left).
Collecting all seven costumes will reward players with the Vampire Bat, an animal with 67 Attack and 34 Defense, which when compared with the stats on the collection's seven other items is pretty impressive, unfortunately. Some of the costumes are actually pretty elaborate (and scary!) like the Ghost Costume (top right). Could you imagine walking into a Halloween party and seeing a dude dressed like that? Either way, this is a free event that will last through Oct. 31. So, get to... doing what you normally do--and quick--if you want to complete the whole Halloween set.
Just when you thought Zynga was done with Halloween in Mafia Wars, the team throws a change up with the Halloween Loot Event. On top of everything else going on this season, doing jobs and beating the pulp out of people like normal will randomly drop one of seven new Halloween costume items like the Devil Costume and Zombie Costume (top left).
Collecting all seven costumes will reward players with the Vampire Bat, an animal with 67 Attack and 34 Defense, which when compared with the stats on the collection's seven other items is pretty impressive, unfortunately. Some of the costumes are actually pretty elaborate (and scary!) like the Ghost Costume (top right). Could you imagine walking into a Halloween party and seeing a dude dressed like that? Either way, this is a free event that will last through Oct. 31. So, get to... doing what you normally do--and quick--if you want to complete the whole Halloween set.
ESPNU College Town Update: New University Quads and buildings keep spirits high
While the star of yesterday's ESPNU College Town update was the new Halloween items, Playdom also added new university-affiliated items to the game that could improve the personal flair of your campus. A brand new type of item, University Logo Quads, has been introduced to the game. These glossy, massive slabs of pavement adorned with your college logo can be placed anywhere normal roads or crosswalks can and go for 9 Campus Cash each, or about $2.50. Each Quad also grants 650 Happiness and 200 XP, so it's not too bad of a deal.
The rest of the items included in the update are a slew of buildings, stadiums and mascots for those who were left out in previous updates. Take a look in the Affiliation section of the game (go to Campus Information and click "Change") to see if your university was lucky enough to be part of this pass through. Finally, Playdom also optimized ESPNU to use fewer resources, which should mean a faster game with less crashes... should. Thankfully, the team is open to feedback, so keep reporting those crashes.
The rest of the items included in the update are a slew of buildings, stadiums and mascots for those who were left out in previous updates. Take a look in the Affiliation section of the game (go to Campus Information and click "Change") to see if your university was lucky enough to be part of this pass through. Finally, Playdom also optimized ESPNU to use fewer resources, which should mean a faster game with less crashes... should. Thankfully, the team is open to feedback, so keep reporting those crashes.
What the Smurf? Capcom to launch Smurfs' Village on iPhone this Nov.
Smurfs' Village
When Capcom announced two of their three social iPhone games earlier this month the company decided to keep the third a secret. Until now. This November, Capcom expects to release Smurfs' Village for iPhone and iPod Touch, Macworld reports. When the company alluded to the game as a "licensed title based on a children's entertainment property," we expected something more along the lines of, say, Dora the Explorer.
But Smurfs' Village will probably have smurf tons more nostalgia appeal than Capcom might expect. Legions of reminiscent 25 to 30-year-old iPhone users will likely latch onto this FarmVille mimic faster than Papa Smurf did Smurfette. Yes, Smurfs' Village is expected to play much like Zynga's flagship game, though hopefully the Smurfs don't suffer the same stability issues. Players will be tasked with restoring their Smurf village to its former glory after Gargamel trashed the place by building a town, planting crops and helping out individual Smurfs. The game also includes elements of FrontierVille with Papa Smurf replacing Frontier Jack as your mentor character and will also feature mini games like painting and baking that will hopefully differentiate it from other existing social games, according to Macworld.
According to the screenshots, Capcom has thankfully done the Smurf world justice with every building, piece of terrain and, well, Smurf rendered in adorable detail. Again, the game will be absolutely free to download, but purchases of Smurfberries--the game's paid currency--will be encouraged. Stay tuned for when the hopefully smurftastic game launches this November in the App Store. Now, where's my David the Gnome?
When Capcom announced two of their three social iPhone games earlier this month the company decided to keep the third a secret. Until now. This November, Capcom expects to release Smurfs' Village for iPhone and iPod Touch, Macworld reports. When the company alluded to the game as a "licensed title based on a children's entertainment property," we expected something more along the lines of, say, Dora the Explorer.
But Smurfs' Village will probably have smurf tons more nostalgia appeal than Capcom might expect. Legions of reminiscent 25 to 30-year-old iPhone users will likely latch onto this FarmVille mimic faster than Papa Smurf did Smurfette. Yes, Smurfs' Village is expected to play much like Zynga's flagship game, though hopefully the Smurfs don't suffer the same stability issues. Players will be tasked with restoring their Smurf village to its former glory after Gargamel trashed the place by building a town, planting crops and helping out individual Smurfs. The game also includes elements of FrontierVille with Papa Smurf replacing Frontier Jack as your mentor character and will also feature mini games like painting and baking that will hopefully differentiate it from other existing social games, according to Macworld.
According to the screenshots, Capcom has thankfully done the Smurf world justice with every building, piece of terrain and, well, Smurf rendered in adorable detail. Again, the game will be absolutely free to download, but purchases of Smurfberries--the game's paid currency--will be encouraged. Stay tuned for when the hopefully smurftastic game launches this November in the App Store. Now, where's my David the Gnome?
Twitter is a game with Super Twario, tweet like mad for the high score
Twitter for some is just another aspect of their social presence that needs to be maintained with a healthy amount of retweets, link sharing and original, witty commentary. But thanks to UK-based Head First, tweetin' the deets might become even more addictive than before with their new game Super Twario for iPhone and iPod Touch.
Well, that is before Nintendo decides to rain down righteous fire upon them for potential copyright infringement--but it'll be fun while it lasts, right? Anyway, Super Twario takes your Twitter feed and turns each tweet into an interactive platform within the game. Jumping on platforms with a strangely deformed bunny character (who we imagine is Super Twario) and hitting the tweets' user blocks will open up a slew of options on what to do with the tweet.
The main drive of the game is to earn as many points and achievements as possible for tweets, retweets and new followers, which will both boost your beloved Twitter presence and your high score on the leader boards backed by Apple's Game Center. Sorry folks, looks like only full iOS 4-compatible iPhones and iPod Touches are invited to the Twario party. Super Twario is available for download from the App Store now for £0.59, or $0.99 for us Americans.
Check out a video of the game in action after the break.
Well, that is before Nintendo decides to rain down righteous fire upon them for potential copyright infringement--but it'll be fun while it lasts, right? Anyway, Super Twario takes your Twitter feed and turns each tweet into an interactive platform within the game. Jumping on platforms with a strangely deformed bunny character (who we imagine is Super Twario) and hitting the tweets' user blocks will open up a slew of options on what to do with the tweet.
The main drive of the game is to earn as many points and achievements as possible for tweets, retweets and new followers, which will both boost your beloved Twitter presence and your high score on the leader boards backed by Apple's Game Center. Sorry folks, looks like only full iOS 4-compatible iPhones and iPod Touches are invited to the Twario party. Super Twario is available for download from the App Store now for £0.59, or $0.99 for us Americans.
Check out a video of the game in action after the break.
Thứ Tư, 1 tháng 2, 2012
Old Navy brings It Girl affordable fashion sans talking mannequins
And the next brand to take a seat under the Facebook games money tree is--drum roll, please--Old Navy? Yes, ladies, Old Navy fashion has arrived in It Girl. CrowdStar has brought in the Old Navy store to the game with a new mission for you shopaholics. To access the new content, just click on the button on the right-hand side of the screen and you'll be transported right to the Old Navy store.
Then, all you need to do is find and buy all 20 basic items in the store, though there is a wide selection of Couture clothing to buy for Facebook Credits as well. It appears that a lot of the items are actually inspired by clothing you can find in Old Navy today, which is more than clever on the company's part. You won't be able to find and buy all the items at once, however. The racks and shelves will restock over time with the rest of the outfits you'll need to uncover.
Furthermore, there is a new party for you to attend called the Old Navy Gobblepalooza Party, which has almost nothing to do with Thanksgiving outside of its title. In this Nightlife Event, you'll have to defeat two girls in Showdowns ranked at Very hard difficulty and pay a 10 Dollar cover charge for 36 experience. If this event gets a good enough turn out, it looks like It Girl could be a hotbed for retailer-branded events in the future.
Then, all you need to do is find and buy all 20 basic items in the store, though there is a wide selection of Couture clothing to buy for Facebook Credits as well. It appears that a lot of the items are actually inspired by clothing you can find in Old Navy today, which is more than clever on the company's part. You won't be able to find and buy all the items at once, however. The racks and shelves will restock over time with the rest of the outfits you'll need to uncover.
Furthermore, there is a new party for you to attend called the Old Navy Gobblepalooza Party, which has almost nothing to do with Thanksgiving outside of its title. In this Nightlife Event, you'll have to defeat two girls in Showdowns ranked at Very hard difficulty and pay a 10 Dollar cover charge for 36 experience. If this event gets a good enough turn out, it looks like It Girl could be a hotbed for retailer-branded events in the future.
Facebook FPS: UberStrike brings gunslinging action to social networks
UberStrike
While browser first-person shooters (FPS) like Quake Live and Battlefield Heroes have been around for a while now, we've patiently awaited the day for our favorite modern American past time to come to Facebook: shooting things. South Korean developer Cmune has brought its browser FPS game, UberStrike, to Facebook. And it is, for lack of a better a word, awesome. Playing much like commonly known games such as Quake, UberStrike brings the traditional online FPS to the world of social games in a huge way.
Take a look behind the break for more about this shooter on Facebook.
Character Creation
For those familiar with how FPS games work, there won't be much different here than the novelty of having one on Facebook. But those new to genre will learn best through trial and error. Installing UberStrike requires players to download a one-time Java program to help run the game. Once inside the game, you'll find yourself in Character Creation where you're given a few options to customize your avatar such as skin tone, clothing color and hair color. (But only male avatars are available, what gives?) After that's through, the lobby awaits, which serves as the game's live chat room as well. This is where players can organize games together and buy Credits (the game's paid currency) bundles.
More importantly, this is also where you'll access games to play. Clicking the "Play" button will take you to a list of servers that are located in various parts of the world by region. It's best to choose a server closest to where you live to ensure the best play experience. For instance, I live on the East Coast, so choosing a West Coast server would still be playable, though I might suffer from serious lag and control issues. After choosing a server, you'll be presented with a list of games currently playing on that server.
Gameplay
Fortunately, the games are separated by map, player number and gameplay mode. There are currently only two gameplay modes available: Death Match and Team Death Match. In other words, you can kill everyone around you or kill everyone on opposing teams. Choose a game (or create your own) and you'll assume control of your character and get to the meat and potatoes of UberStrike.
Gameplay is simple enough, control movement using a combination of the WASD keys and the mouse to aim. Clicking the left mouse button fires and keys 1 through 5 cycle through weapons. The aim of the game is rack up as many kills as possible while staying alive, so be sure to pick up as many armor and health packs as possible. The balance between attacking other players and staying alive by collecting armor and health makes for a Facebook gaming experience that is sure to keep you on your toes.
Death Scene
As for visuals, this game looks impressive for being on a platform that normally only runs Flash games and not much else. Uberstrike operates in full, though minimally detailed, 3D with even a physics engine that affects the flight of projectiles and, how should we say, bodies. The graphics can be scaled for performance or looks through the Options menu where you can also remap controls and even sync a game controller for the console FPS crowd.
However, we're put off by just one thing: The Shop. Acquiring new weapons is far different than in other FPS games where they're found on the ground. Using Credits, players can buy licenses for more advanced weapons. The keyword here is "license." Buying a weapon or other enhancement only grants access to the item for a certain time period. This wouldn't be so bad if they weren't so expensive. To paint a better picture, buying, say, a Force Cannon for one week's use costs 2,184 Credits currently. However, that's about $4 for an item that's only going to last you a week as opposed to other games where that would be a one-time purchase.
While there are items and weapons available for coins, they'll never be as powerful as the paid items. Unfortunately, that's the current state of social gaming and it's unlikely to change for some time. That being said, UberStrike is a game that could get FPS fans hooked almost instantly and might even make some FPS players out of you.
Play UberStrike on Facebook Now >
While browser first-person shooters (FPS) like Quake Live and Battlefield Heroes have been around for a while now, we've patiently awaited the day for our favorite modern American past time to come to Facebook: shooting things. South Korean developer Cmune has brought its browser FPS game, UberStrike, to Facebook. And it is, for lack of a better a word, awesome. Playing much like commonly known games such as Quake, UberStrike brings the traditional online FPS to the world of social games in a huge way.
Take a look behind the break for more about this shooter on Facebook.
Character Creation
For those familiar with how FPS games work, there won't be much different here than the novelty of having one on Facebook. But those new to genre will learn best through trial and error. Installing UberStrike requires players to download a one-time Java program to help run the game. Once inside the game, you'll find yourself in Character Creation where you're given a few options to customize your avatar such as skin tone, clothing color and hair color. (But only male avatars are available, what gives?) After that's through, the lobby awaits, which serves as the game's live chat room as well. This is where players can organize games together and buy Credits (the game's paid currency) bundles.
More importantly, this is also where you'll access games to play. Clicking the "Play" button will take you to a list of servers that are located in various parts of the world by region. It's best to choose a server closest to where you live to ensure the best play experience. For instance, I live on the East Coast, so choosing a West Coast server would still be playable, though I might suffer from serious lag and control issues. After choosing a server, you'll be presented with a list of games currently playing on that server.
Gameplay
Fortunately, the games are separated by map, player number and gameplay mode. There are currently only two gameplay modes available: Death Match and Team Death Match. In other words, you can kill everyone around you or kill everyone on opposing teams. Choose a game (or create your own) and you'll assume control of your character and get to the meat and potatoes of UberStrike.
Gameplay is simple enough, control movement using a combination of the WASD keys and the mouse to aim. Clicking the left mouse button fires and keys 1 through 5 cycle through weapons. The aim of the game is rack up as many kills as possible while staying alive, so be sure to pick up as many armor and health packs as possible. The balance between attacking other players and staying alive by collecting armor and health makes for a Facebook gaming experience that is sure to keep you on your toes.
Death Scene
As for visuals, this game looks impressive for being on a platform that normally only runs Flash games and not much else. Uberstrike operates in full, though minimally detailed, 3D with even a physics engine that affects the flight of projectiles and, how should we say, bodies. The graphics can be scaled for performance or looks through the Options menu where you can also remap controls and even sync a game controller for the console FPS crowd.
However, we're put off by just one thing: The Shop. Acquiring new weapons is far different than in other FPS games where they're found on the ground. Using Credits, players can buy licenses for more advanced weapons. The keyword here is "license." Buying a weapon or other enhancement only grants access to the item for a certain time period. This wouldn't be so bad if they weren't so expensive. To paint a better picture, buying, say, a Force Cannon for one week's use costs 2,184 Credits currently. However, that's about $4 for an item that's only going to last you a week as opposed to other games where that would be a one-time purchase.
While there are items and weapons available for coins, they'll never be as powerful as the paid items. Unfortunately, that's the current state of social gaming and it's unlikely to change for some time. That being said, UberStrike is a game that could get FPS fans hooked almost instantly and might even make some FPS players out of you.
Play UberStrike on Facebook Now >
Game of the Day: Bomboozle 2
The game of the day is back for a Friday evening. The great flash game maker Megadev and released it's latest game Bomboozle 2. Bomboozle 2 is a match three masterpiece!
A sequel to the immensely popular Bomboozle, which has garnered over 50 million plays to date, Bomboozle 2 is a frantic step up on every level! Group like-coloured blobs together in threes or more for oodles of points, and use bombs to create carnage on a massive scale! Run out of possible moves though, and your Bomboozling time is over...
Click here to play Bomboozle 2 -->
A sequel to the immensely popular Bomboozle, which has garnered over 50 million plays to date, Bomboozle 2 is a frantic step up on every level! Group like-coloured blobs together in threes or more for oodles of points, and use bombs to create carnage on a massive scale! Run out of possible moves though, and your Bomboozling time is over...
Click here to play Bomboozle 2 -->
Ravenwood Fair Strongbug's Big Top: A skittering, slimy circus
Strongbug's Big Top
What's a forest fair without circus freaks? Well, nothing really, which is exactly why LOLapps has introduced Strongbug's Big Top to Ravenwood Fair. This new theme of circus items ranges from the cool to the downright creepy and crawling. If you hadn't guessed already, this circus is run by a bunch of insect. Just about every game, decoration and building revolves around the not-so-little buggers. Here's what you'll find to bring the crawly circus to your fair:
Fettucine Bros. Cannon (1,900 coins, 10 Wood): 150 uses, 8 coins, 830 Fun
Mystic Wagon (2,100 coins, 12 Wood): 250 uses, 9 coins, 920 Fun
Big Tent (3,000 coins, 14 Wood): 300 uses, 13 coins, 1,300 Fun
Popcorn Cart (600 coins, 4 Wood): 100 uses, 3 coins, 260 Fun
Splattapillar (2,100 coins, 9 Wood): 100 uses, 9 coins, 920 Fun
Skee Ball (2,400 coins, 10 Wood): 200 uses, 11 coins, 1,080 Fun
Break-a-Plate (2,800 coins, 11 Wood: 150 uses, 13 coins, 1,210 Fun
Cattercoaster (3,000 coins, 15 Wood): 250 uses, 14 coins, 1,350 Fun
Purple Flag (9 FB Credits): 60 Fun
Orange and Maroon Flag (240 coins each): 40 Fun
Small Green Tent (900 coins): 150 Fun
Small Red and Blue Tent (25 FB Credits): 200 Fun
Fortunately, only a few of those items cost Facebook Credits and they're decorations at that. That makes it even easier to create your very own forest circus with Strongbug.
What's a forest fair without circus freaks? Well, nothing really, which is exactly why LOLapps has introduced Strongbug's Big Top to Ravenwood Fair. This new theme of circus items ranges from the cool to the downright creepy and crawling. If you hadn't guessed already, this circus is run by a bunch of insect. Just about every game, decoration and building revolves around the not-so-little buggers. Here's what you'll find to bring the crawly circus to your fair:
Fettucine Bros. Cannon (1,900 coins, 10 Wood): 150 uses, 8 coins, 830 Fun
Mystic Wagon (2,100 coins, 12 Wood): 250 uses, 9 coins, 920 Fun
Big Tent (3,000 coins, 14 Wood): 300 uses, 13 coins, 1,300 Fun
Popcorn Cart (600 coins, 4 Wood): 100 uses, 3 coins, 260 Fun
Splattapillar (2,100 coins, 9 Wood): 100 uses, 9 coins, 920 Fun
Skee Ball (2,400 coins, 10 Wood): 200 uses, 11 coins, 1,080 Fun
Break-a-Plate (2,800 coins, 11 Wood: 150 uses, 13 coins, 1,210 Fun
Cattercoaster (3,000 coins, 15 Wood): 250 uses, 14 coins, 1,350 Fun
Purple Flag (9 FB Credits): 60 Fun
Orange and Maroon Flag (240 coins each): 40 Fun
Small Green Tent (900 coins): 150 Fun
Small Red and Blue Tent (25 FB Credits): 200 Fun
Fortunately, only a few of those items cost Facebook Credits and they're decorations at that. That makes it even easier to create your very own forest circus with Strongbug.
Happy Pets Multi-Glow Pets are pretty in pink (and blue)!
The newest round of limited edition pets has been released in Happy Pets, with CrowdStar offering some new glowing pets to users. These aren't just any glow pets, however, as this new set of six limited edition animals are "multi-glow" pets, meaning that their glowing feature is bigger and better than those seen in previous themes of glowing pets. Basically, each pet now has an outer glowing ring of purple/lavender light, in addition to the color glow you choose to purchase specifically.
The six new available options are split evenly between those that are either blue or pink. The blue Multi-Glow pets are the Chicken, Pegazebra (a Pegasus and Zebra combined), and a Cat. For the Chicken and Pegazebra, remember that you'll need to have completed the respective animal holding building before you can purchase them. In this case, you'll need to have completed construction on the Chicken Coop before purchasing the chicken, and the Stable before purchasing the Pegazebra.
The pink versions are just as complicated, but offer different choices. In addition to another cat, you can pick up a couple of different animals in the form of a Dragon and a Unicorn. The Unicorn, again, will require the completed construction of a Horse Stable, while the Dragon needs a Dino Den to be built before you can purchase him/her.
Depending on the pet you choose, the cost varies, ranging anywhere from 58 Facebook Credits for the Blue Multi-Glow Chicken ($5.80 US) to 66 Facebook Credits for the Dragon, Pegazebra and Unicorn.
All of these pets are limited in their quantity in the store, with all of them being available to at least the next 500 users. Still, you'll want to shop fast to get your hands on one of these unique new pets.
The six new available options are split evenly between those that are either blue or pink. The blue Multi-Glow pets are the Chicken, Pegazebra (a Pegasus and Zebra combined), and a Cat. For the Chicken and Pegazebra, remember that you'll need to have completed the respective animal holding building before you can purchase them. In this case, you'll need to have completed construction on the Chicken Coop before purchasing the chicken, and the Stable before purchasing the Pegazebra.
The pink versions are just as complicated, but offer different choices. In addition to another cat, you can pick up a couple of different animals in the form of a Dragon and a Unicorn. The Unicorn, again, will require the completed construction of a Horse Stable, while the Dragon needs a Dino Den to be built before you can purchase him/her.
Depending on the pet you choose, the cost varies, ranging anywhere from 58 Facebook Credits for the Blue Multi-Glow Chicken ($5.80 US) to 66 Facebook Credits for the Dragon, Pegazebra and Unicorn.
All of these pets are limited in their quantity in the store, with all of them being available to at least the next 500 users. Still, you'll want to shop fast to get your hands on one of these unique new pets.
Thứ Ba, 31 tháng 1, 2012
CityVille Cheats and Tips: How Decorations Earn You More Coins
While efficient Goods management and mastering your Franchises in CityVille will certainly make you a far more successful mayor, one player has pointed out an extremely important aspect of the game that has the potential to send your profits sky high by implementing some hardcore decorating methods.
You can see in the image above, Josh Morlan (a.k.a. morlanjo) has done his math, using the Pool Hall as his example, he calculated that:
Normal Pool Hall output: 420 coins
Output with bonus: 1391 coins
1 energy = 1391 coins
Each Charlieville train I send out for more goods nets me 991 coins (that's
-400 coins for the 100 production)
Basically, collecting money from businesses will always cost 1 Energy (Note: Resupplying businesses with goods doesn't use up Energy!). So he decided to choose a business that will pay him the most money and raise its profits by surrounding it with decorations that offer the biggest boosts. For most folks, that big boost decoration would be the Arboretum, which offers +16% and costs 4,000 Coins. In the top image, you can see he's also using the Bronze Statue (+2%) and Flower Patch (+1%) to plug any leftover space. Why is there space leftover? Well, your business needs to connect to the Asphalt Roads in order to make money. Between his Bronze Statues, you can see the small strip of Sidewalk that lets the Pool Hall connect to the street.
After all these changes, each Energy Josh spends on the Pool Hall will now nab him 1,391 Coins instead of 420 Coins. The great thing about this setup is that you can reuse the Arboretum on the sides by putting down another business. You can also swap out the business for a higher paying one when it becomes available. (Hot Tip: The bonus boosts work for when you collect, so you can use this decoration plan on more than one business. You just gotta do it one at a time.) This seems to be the best Energy-saving and money-making plan for the long run.
Macoan's CityVille 4x4 decorations chart
Another user, Michael A. Coan (a.k.a. macoan) made some handy charts to help other players with laying down decorations. For businesses that take up a 4x4 space (such as Josh's Pool Hall), click here. For those that use up 3x3, click here.
You can see in the image above, Josh Morlan (a.k.a. morlanjo) has done his math, using the Pool Hall as his example, he calculated that:
Normal Pool Hall output: 420 coins
Output with bonus: 1391 coins
1 energy = 1391 coins
Each Charlieville train I send out for more goods nets me 991 coins (that's
-400 coins for the 100 production)
Basically, collecting money from businesses will always cost 1 Energy (Note: Resupplying businesses with goods doesn't use up Energy!). So he decided to choose a business that will pay him the most money and raise its profits by surrounding it with decorations that offer the biggest boosts. For most folks, that big boost decoration would be the Arboretum, which offers +16% and costs 4,000 Coins. In the top image, you can see he's also using the Bronze Statue (+2%) and Flower Patch (+1%) to plug any leftover space. Why is there space leftover? Well, your business needs to connect to the Asphalt Roads in order to make money. Between his Bronze Statues, you can see the small strip of Sidewalk that lets the Pool Hall connect to the street.
After all these changes, each Energy Josh spends on the Pool Hall will now nab him 1,391 Coins instead of 420 Coins. The great thing about this setup is that you can reuse the Arboretum on the sides by putting down another business. You can also swap out the business for a higher paying one when it becomes available. (Hot Tip: The bonus boosts work for when you collect, so you can use this decoration plan on more than one business. You just gotta do it one at a time.) This seems to be the best Energy-saving and money-making plan for the long run.
Macoan's CityVille 4x4 decorations chart
Another user, Michael A. Coan (a.k.a. macoan) made some handy charts to help other players with laying down decorations. For businesses that take up a 4x4 space (such as Josh's Pool Hall), click here. For those that use up 3x3, click here.
FrontierVille Pioneer Toy Factory: Everything you need to know
Log into FrontierVille today, and you'll be greated with the presence of a holiday-themed factory on the outskirts of your pioneer town. Looks like a bunch of elves moved onto your property and built a toy factory -- and now are getting ready to put you to work collecting toys. This can be done by asking friends (by posting a message on their Facebook Wall), helping neighbors on their homesteads and collecting daily bonuses. Toys can also be sent as free gifts.
pioneer toy factory collect toys
Once you have enough toys, you'll be able to redeem them for the six holiday-themed rewards:
frontierville toy factory colectibles
Candy Cane Lamp
Drummer Boy
Rudolph
Sledding Hill
Giant Pink Tree
Winter Mare
Oh yeah, and if you want to score these six items without doing all of that work, you can buy the number of presents you need using Horseshoes. Three Toy Bundles (x5, x10, x20) can be purchased for 15, 29 and 55 Horseshoes respectively.
pioneer toy factory collect toys
Once you have enough toys, you'll be able to redeem them for the six holiday-themed rewards:
frontierville toy factory colectibles
Candy Cane Lamp
Drummer Boy
Rudolph
Sledding Hill
Giant Pink Tree
Winter Mare
Oh yeah, and if you want to score these six items without doing all of that work, you can buy the number of presents you need using Horseshoes. Three Toy Bundles (x5, x10, x20) can be purchased for 15, 29 and 55 Horseshoes respectively.
Cafe World Holiday Dinner Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Attention all Cafe World caterers! A new job is now available to undertake via your Catering Van (the Catering Business menu), and it comes in the form of the "Holiday Dinner" order. Not to be confused with the Company Holiday Party job released last week, this is an entirely new catering order that sees you catering a Holiday Dinner, apparently just for friends, instead of for an entire company.
This job seems to be setup like most of the others, with a total of three stars available to earn, depending on how quickly you can complete the order, with the 3--star prize being a large decoration that you'd likely see up at Santa's Workshop. Meet us behind the break for everything you need to know about this new catering mission.
Once you start the Holiday Dinner catering job, you'll see that you have three full days to complete the job in order to do so with a three star rating. This job asks you to cook three holiday-themed dishes, which actually makes this catering job one of the hardest ever released, as these holiday recipes start out as locked out for users, until they can complete enough of the Holiday Dinner goals (remember, goals are an entirely different feature than Catering) in order to unlock access to cooking them. For example, the Baked Ham recipe that we'll talk about a little later can only be cooked after finishing part 5 of the Holiday Dinner Goals.
Whether or not you've unlocked these recipes does not affect your ability to accept the Catering order, so if you think you have enough friends on your account that have already unlocked those recipes and will be cooking them for their own stake with this job, go right ahead. Still, it seems unreasonable that Zynga would give such a short time limit of three days when this is the case. Luckily, this order as a convenient "Cancel Order" button located on its menu, so if you'd rather not even attempt the job until you have personally unlocked all three dishes, go right ahead - we won't blame you, as we're doing the same.
Moving onto the task at hand, however, once you are ready to tackle this mission, you'll need to serve Waldorf Salad 127 times, Baked Ham 138 times, and Angel Slices 63 times. You can unlock these tasks for Cafe Cash, at a price of 20, 18, and 16 Cafe Cash, respectively. In addition, you'll need to collect 15 Candy Canes and 10 Gingerbread Men to finish off this job's tasks.
For finishing the job in order three days, you'll earn 6 Catering Points, 6,300 Cafe Points, 141,750 Coins, and the Toy Workshop Bench decoration - a large animated item that has an elf diligently working away at a table in Santa's Workshop.
For the 2-star prize, you are given a total of five days to complete the order. This results in a prize of 4 Catering Points, 4,500 Cafe Points and 101,250 coins.
Finally, the 1-star prize will be received for simply finishing the mission, even if you go past the five day time limit. For going through with completing the order, you'll receive 2 Catering Points, 2,700 Cafe Points, and 60,750 coins - not a bad haul, considering.
For this job, you can have up to 11 people, including yourself, working on the job at once. You can either click on the "Ask for Help!" button to send individual requests to friends to ask them for help, or you can go into the Catering Business menu to see if any of your friends have already undertaken this job themselves, and if they have, you can instantly join their catering crew, if there are any positions left.
Since this job is such a difficult one (unless you and 10 of your friends just happen to have already unlocked the three Holiday dishes), this might be the time when you should take advantage of the ability to add more than the standard 11 total crew members to your order. This is done by clicking on the "Unlock Slot" button, at which point you are asked to gather the proper gear to allow another chef into the kitchen. You'll need to gather 1 Hat, 1 Jacket, 1 Pants, and 2 Pairs of Shoes in order to unlock a new crew slot, which can be done by asking your friends to send you the items via individual requests. You can skip this step entirely by simply paying 5 Cafe Cash to unlock the new slot instantly, if you so choose.
Remember, no matter what happens with your catering order (that is, no matter which star rating you end up getting), you'll be able to retry it if you so choose to get a higher score, and perhaps even unlock the Toy Workshop Bench decoration, if you didn't unlock it the first time around.
There's no telling whether or not this job will expire after the holiday season is over, so make sure to take a stab at this job while you're guaranteed to have a good shot at it. Besides, if you start the job now, you'll have the best chance of finding other players on your friends' list that are also trying the catering job, giving you an even better chance at success, so keep that in mind.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
How fair do you think this Catering Mission is? Do you think Zynga should allow warn users about locked dishes before allowing them to start the job - or should these dishes be locked in the first place?
This job seems to be setup like most of the others, with a total of three stars available to earn, depending on how quickly you can complete the order, with the 3--star prize being a large decoration that you'd likely see up at Santa's Workshop. Meet us behind the break for everything you need to know about this new catering mission.
Once you start the Holiday Dinner catering job, you'll see that you have three full days to complete the job in order to do so with a three star rating. This job asks you to cook three holiday-themed dishes, which actually makes this catering job one of the hardest ever released, as these holiday recipes start out as locked out for users, until they can complete enough of the Holiday Dinner goals (remember, goals are an entirely different feature than Catering) in order to unlock access to cooking them. For example, the Baked Ham recipe that we'll talk about a little later can only be cooked after finishing part 5 of the Holiday Dinner Goals.
Whether or not you've unlocked these recipes does not affect your ability to accept the Catering order, so if you think you have enough friends on your account that have already unlocked those recipes and will be cooking them for their own stake with this job, go right ahead. Still, it seems unreasonable that Zynga would give such a short time limit of three days when this is the case. Luckily, this order as a convenient "Cancel Order" button located on its menu, so if you'd rather not even attempt the job until you have personally unlocked all three dishes, go right ahead - we won't blame you, as we're doing the same.
Moving onto the task at hand, however, once you are ready to tackle this mission, you'll need to serve Waldorf Salad 127 times, Baked Ham 138 times, and Angel Slices 63 times. You can unlock these tasks for Cafe Cash, at a price of 20, 18, and 16 Cafe Cash, respectively. In addition, you'll need to collect 15 Candy Canes and 10 Gingerbread Men to finish off this job's tasks.
For finishing the job in order three days, you'll earn 6 Catering Points, 6,300 Cafe Points, 141,750 Coins, and the Toy Workshop Bench decoration - a large animated item that has an elf diligently working away at a table in Santa's Workshop.
For the 2-star prize, you are given a total of five days to complete the order. This results in a prize of 4 Catering Points, 4,500 Cafe Points and 101,250 coins.
Finally, the 1-star prize will be received for simply finishing the mission, even if you go past the five day time limit. For going through with completing the order, you'll receive 2 Catering Points, 2,700 Cafe Points, and 60,750 coins - not a bad haul, considering.
For this job, you can have up to 11 people, including yourself, working on the job at once. You can either click on the "Ask for Help!" button to send individual requests to friends to ask them for help, or you can go into the Catering Business menu to see if any of your friends have already undertaken this job themselves, and if they have, you can instantly join their catering crew, if there are any positions left.
Since this job is such a difficult one (unless you and 10 of your friends just happen to have already unlocked the three Holiday dishes), this might be the time when you should take advantage of the ability to add more than the standard 11 total crew members to your order. This is done by clicking on the "Unlock Slot" button, at which point you are asked to gather the proper gear to allow another chef into the kitchen. You'll need to gather 1 Hat, 1 Jacket, 1 Pants, and 2 Pairs of Shoes in order to unlock a new crew slot, which can be done by asking your friends to send you the items via individual requests. You can skip this step entirely by simply paying 5 Cafe Cash to unlock the new slot instantly, if you so choose.
Remember, no matter what happens with your catering order (that is, no matter which star rating you end up getting), you'll be able to retry it if you so choose to get a higher score, and perhaps even unlock the Toy Workshop Bench decoration, if you didn't unlock it the first time around.
There's no telling whether or not this job will expire after the holiday season is over, so make sure to take a stab at this job while you're guaranteed to have a good shot at it. Besides, if you start the job now, you'll have the best chance of finding other players on your friends' list that are also trying the catering job, giving you an even better chance at success, so keep that in mind.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
How fair do you think this Catering Mission is? Do you think Zynga should allow warn users about locked dishes before allowing them to start the job - or should these dishes be locked in the first place?
CityVille: Help choose which building(s) will be released next!
As CityVille has already been launched into the #5 spot on the overall Facebook app leaderboards, it's not surprising that Zynga is looking to expand the amount of content in the game. What's more, they've decided to give us, the real players of the game, a chance to help shape and influence the content that will be added in the coming days and weeks. This comes, first and foremost, in the form of a new poll on the official CityVille forums, where users can look at a variety of possible new buildings that may or may not be added to the game, and vote for their favorites.
As of right now, there are just five buildings to choose from, and you'll need to login to the forums in order to vote (a simply login with Facebook Connect will allow you to vote with the least amount of hassle). The choices are:
Power Plant
Gas Station
Prison
Parking Lot
Casino
As of this writing, the post has only been open for a matter of hours, and the Casino is winning with almost 46% of the vote. Second is the gas station with 24%, and the other options decrease from there. For the sake of the argument, the Parking Lot is in last place currently, with just 7% of the vote.
Interestingly, Zynga has made clear whether these items would be classified as businesses or community buildings. While it's presumable that items like the Casino and Gas Station would be released as businesses alongside the current options like the Toy Store or Diner, the Prison could very well be a community building, allowing you to add more population to your town (after all, the Police Station is a community building, so why stop there?).
We don't know when the winning item will be added to the game, but keep checking back with us, as we'll make sure you're the first to know which item wins, and when we'll see it in the game (personally, we're hoping for the Casino, so we're glad we're not alone in that vote).
As of right now, there are just five buildings to choose from, and you'll need to login to the forums in order to vote (a simply login with Facebook Connect will allow you to vote with the least amount of hassle). The choices are:
Power Plant
Gas Station
Prison
Parking Lot
Casino
As of this writing, the post has only been open for a matter of hours, and the Casino is winning with almost 46% of the vote. Second is the gas station with 24%, and the other options decrease from there. For the sake of the argument, the Parking Lot is in last place currently, with just 7% of the vote.
Interestingly, Zynga has made clear whether these items would be classified as businesses or community buildings. While it's presumable that items like the Casino and Gas Station would be released as businesses alongside the current options like the Toy Store or Diner, the Prison could very well be a community building, allowing you to add more population to your town (after all, the Police Station is a community building, so why stop there?).
We don't know when the winning item will be added to the game, but keep checking back with us, as we'll make sure you're the first to know which item wins, and when we'll see it in the game (personally, we're hoping for the Casino, so we're glad we're not alone in that vote).
CityVille: HQ Payouts doubled, game balance tweaked, bugs fixed
Almost a week has gone by since Zynga released their first major game upgrade for CityVille, providing for a Bonus Meter that's easier to fill, resulting in more profits for users, and a streamlined storage bar, that now contains both ship and overall Goods in one total (among other changes and improvements), but they haven't stopped there.
The developer has now announced an even larger list of changes that have taken place in the game this week (including one once again affecting the Bonus Meter), with some of these actually working to hurt the very rapid progress users have been experiencing since the game's launch.
As usual, we have the full list of improvements and changes behind the break, so meet us there, won't you?
First and foremost - the good news. The first bit of good news it the fact that HQ payout bonuses have now been doubled. That's right, from now on, when collecting from your Franchise HQs (not those franchises that your friends have added to your town - the actual Franchise skyscraper(s) you have in your town), you'll earn double the coins as before. With coins being perhaps the most valuable commodity in the game (aside from maybe energy), anyway to earn bonus coins is definitely appreciated.
Next, a bit of bad news. When supplying your franchises, you'll no longer receive bonus energy. While energy hasn't really been an issue for most users, who can play the game in five or ten minute sessions and never run out, this might become a bit harder to do, as this bonus energy is no more. Zynga says the reasoning behind this alteration was to "improve game balance," so we'll have to see how that works out for them.
As for Quests, earning items for your quests will now be easier thanks to the altered time limit for posting item requests. At launch, the request window was "once every 24 hours." Now though, players can now post item requests for items (like Chocolates, Endorsements, and the like, depending on the Quest) once every four hours.
Two other improvements come in the form of tweaked train values, which sees the amount of coins required for each amount of good when sending off your trains being altered slightly, and in the form of a changed Bronze Statue Payout Bonus. The Bronze Statue is a decorative item available to purchase from the store. Now, though, the payout bonus that you receive from the Bronze Statue has been reduced, again, as Zynga says, to help improve game balance.
While this is already a lot of changes to take in, there are even more general bug fixes to speak of, ranging from improving the texts in wall posts, to lessening the amount of Out of Sync errors that a player could potentially run into while performing certain (at the time) bugged activities. Here's the list of bug fixes, straight from Zynga:
Collections Feed Posts - Collections feed posts now correctly states "Get 50 coins".
Bonus Meter - Fixed/adjusted bonus meter payouts, and issues related to bonus meter progression.
OOS errors when supplying franchises - Fixed the issue that was causing OOS errors when supplying franchises.
Friends listed on the requests page - Requests of the same type can only be sent to the same friend once per day; fixed the issue where friends were still appearing on the list, which was causing some of the gifts/requests related issues.
Franchise HQ displayed payout bonus - Fixed the issue where franchise HQ payout bonuses were being displayed incorrectly.
Quest: Build City Funds - Resolved the issue with requesting "Capital Endorsements".
XP Discrepancy - Fixed a discrepancy between XP being added and XP shown, which was causing OOS errors after leveling
Coin Discrepancy - Fixed a discrepancy between coins being added when collecting from businesses to the coins shown, which was causing the appearance of losing coins after refreshing the game and OOS errors when spending coins which were not being counted.
As we said at the beginning of this post, we can now see that the Bonus Meter has been altered yet again (seems they haven't been able to strike a nice balance as of yet). However, instead of changing the overall amount of coins that are awarded (like with the first change of the meter), we now see its progression being altered. That is, after the first week, teh meter would stick at the "Masterful," and would slowly fill, if it ever actually filled at all. This resulted in one large sum of bonus coins being awarded (in my game the bonus was always somewhere around 4,000+ coins.
Now, though, the Masterful bar fills just as quickly as the others, and once it is completely full, the bonus levels cycle back around to the first stage of "Bonus," and continues from there. In this way, you may receive four 1,000 coin bonuses instead of one large 4,000 coin bonus, which is actually fine with us. Hopefully this is how the meter will stay too, as we really like all of those bonus coins that we've been getting.
The developer has now announced an even larger list of changes that have taken place in the game this week (including one once again affecting the Bonus Meter), with some of these actually working to hurt the very rapid progress users have been experiencing since the game's launch.
As usual, we have the full list of improvements and changes behind the break, so meet us there, won't you?
First and foremost - the good news. The first bit of good news it the fact that HQ payout bonuses have now been doubled. That's right, from now on, when collecting from your Franchise HQs (not those franchises that your friends have added to your town - the actual Franchise skyscraper(s) you have in your town), you'll earn double the coins as before. With coins being perhaps the most valuable commodity in the game (aside from maybe energy), anyway to earn bonus coins is definitely appreciated.
Next, a bit of bad news. When supplying your franchises, you'll no longer receive bonus energy. While energy hasn't really been an issue for most users, who can play the game in five or ten minute sessions and never run out, this might become a bit harder to do, as this bonus energy is no more. Zynga says the reasoning behind this alteration was to "improve game balance," so we'll have to see how that works out for them.
As for Quests, earning items for your quests will now be easier thanks to the altered time limit for posting item requests. At launch, the request window was "once every 24 hours." Now though, players can now post item requests for items (like Chocolates, Endorsements, and the like, depending on the Quest) once every four hours.
Two other improvements come in the form of tweaked train values, which sees the amount of coins required for each amount of good when sending off your trains being altered slightly, and in the form of a changed Bronze Statue Payout Bonus. The Bronze Statue is a decorative item available to purchase from the store. Now, though, the payout bonus that you receive from the Bronze Statue has been reduced, again, as Zynga says, to help improve game balance.
While this is already a lot of changes to take in, there are even more general bug fixes to speak of, ranging from improving the texts in wall posts, to lessening the amount of Out of Sync errors that a player could potentially run into while performing certain (at the time) bugged activities. Here's the list of bug fixes, straight from Zynga:
Collections Feed Posts - Collections feed posts now correctly states "Get 50 coins".
Bonus Meter - Fixed/adjusted bonus meter payouts, and issues related to bonus meter progression.
OOS errors when supplying franchises - Fixed the issue that was causing OOS errors when supplying franchises.
Friends listed on the requests page - Requests of the same type can only be sent to the same friend once per day; fixed the issue where friends were still appearing on the list, which was causing some of the gifts/requests related issues.
Franchise HQ displayed payout bonus - Fixed the issue where franchise HQ payout bonuses were being displayed incorrectly.
Quest: Build City Funds - Resolved the issue with requesting "Capital Endorsements".
XP Discrepancy - Fixed a discrepancy between XP being added and XP shown, which was causing OOS errors after leveling
Coin Discrepancy - Fixed a discrepancy between coins being added when collecting from businesses to the coins shown, which was causing the appearance of losing coins after refreshing the game and OOS errors when spending coins which were not being counted.
As we said at the beginning of this post, we can now see that the Bonus Meter has been altered yet again (seems they haven't been able to strike a nice balance as of yet). However, instead of changing the overall amount of coins that are awarded (like with the first change of the meter), we now see its progression being altered. That is, after the first week, teh meter would stick at the "Masterful," and would slowly fill, if it ever actually filled at all. This resulted in one large sum of bonus coins being awarded (in my game the bonus was always somewhere around 4,000+ coins.
Now, though, the Masterful bar fills just as quickly as the others, and once it is completely full, the bonus levels cycle back around to the first stage of "Bonus," and continues from there. In this way, you may receive four 1,000 coin bonuses instead of one large 4,000 coin bonus, which is actually fine with us. Hopefully this is how the meter will stay too, as we really like all of those bonus coins that we've been getting.
CityVille Cheats and Tips: Guess What? You Don't Need Roads!
There's two schools of thought when it comes to the best way to play CityVille -- that is, whether looking pretty and saving land is more important than cramming things to the hilt and saving Energy. Right now, the prevailing wisdom of players is to value Energy-saving over land space. Today, we already showcased an awesome way to save Energy by using decorations. But if you find yourself running out of space more than Energy, here's some pointers:
CityVille Franchise HQ bonus
1. Franchise HQs don't need Roads to work. They take up 5x5 of space, which is a lot, but you need them to manage your franchises. Most people put these buildings off to the side, but they offer a +2% boost range of 11x11 to businesses. (You can see from the sample image that one HQ can bonus boost up to five businesses.) So put 'em where you can use their bonus boosting power!
CityVille Community Buildings
2. Community buildings (e.g. Post Office, Police, City Hall, etc.) and Storage buildings (e.g. Silo, Red Barn, Sticks, etc.) don't need roads either. Community buildings give out money and owning them allows you to have a bigger population. And Storage buildings let you have more goods. But other than that, these are pretty useless. Profit bonuses from decorations don't work on them. So if you have to put a building in the corner, do it to these two kinds!
CityVille Roads versus Sidewalks
3. Contrary to the headline of this post, roads are important. We all know certain buildings can't earn coins unless they're somehow touching the roads. So what do I mean when I say you don't need them? Well, the game starts you off with some Asphalt Roads already in place. This means most of us are tempted to keep using them, so we buy more for 10 Coins each. But a better substitute is actually the City Sidewalk, which costs 20 Coins. If you care about space, one Asphalt Road takes up 3x3 land, but one City Sidewalk takes up just 1x1 land. Instead of connecting your buildings by using the Asphalt Road, use the City Sidewalk!
(Note: A piece of City Sidewalk must be touching a piece of Asphalt Road to work. See the above image where I put down one piece of road in the middle of nowhere, connected the Sidewalks to it, and the businesses are functional? And that one Coffee Shop has some Sidewalk sticking out of it, but the game says it's "Not connected to road.")
CityVille Franchise HQ bonus
1. Franchise HQs don't need Roads to work. They take up 5x5 of space, which is a lot, but you need them to manage your franchises. Most people put these buildings off to the side, but they offer a +2% boost range of 11x11 to businesses. (You can see from the sample image that one HQ can bonus boost up to five businesses.) So put 'em where you can use their bonus boosting power!
CityVille Community Buildings
2. Community buildings (e.g. Post Office, Police, City Hall, etc.) and Storage buildings (e.g. Silo, Red Barn, Sticks, etc.) don't need roads either. Community buildings give out money and owning them allows you to have a bigger population. And Storage buildings let you have more goods. But other than that, these are pretty useless. Profit bonuses from decorations don't work on them. So if you have to put a building in the corner, do it to these two kinds!
CityVille Roads versus Sidewalks
3. Contrary to the headline of this post, roads are important. We all know certain buildings can't earn coins unless they're somehow touching the roads. So what do I mean when I say you don't need them? Well, the game starts you off with some Asphalt Roads already in place. This means most of us are tempted to keep using them, so we buy more for 10 Coins each. But a better substitute is actually the City Sidewalk, which costs 20 Coins. If you care about space, one Asphalt Road takes up 3x3 land, but one City Sidewalk takes up just 1x1 land. Instead of connecting your buildings by using the Asphalt Road, use the City Sidewalk!
(Note: A piece of City Sidewalk must be touching a piece of Asphalt Road to work. See the above image where I put down one piece of road in the middle of nowhere, connected the Sidewalks to it, and the businesses are functional? And that one Coffee Shop has some Sidewalk sticking out of it, but the game says it's "Not connected to road.")
Thứ Năm, 12 tháng 1, 2012
Games.com's Top 10 Facebook Games of 2010
top ten facebook games 2010 games.com
This year has been both a turbulent time and a renaissance for social gaming. The first half of 2010 showed immense growth and opportunity for almost everyone involved in this brave new world of gaming. There were multiple stories of buyouts and new development studios cropping up at least once a month for quite a while with new games being released twice as often. And even in the midst of drastic changes to the way we discover games, developers kept cranking out hits with tens of millions of players flocking to the social game of the week. While most of these games competed for the same audience using slightly perfected design each time, there were a few that dared to be different and tread new ground. And with that, we've present our back at our Top 10 Facebook Games of 2010.
top ten facebook games it girl
10. It Girl
Crowdstar
For girly girls who want to get their shop on without opening their wallet, It Girl from Crowdstar is the way to do it. Customize your very own It Girl and then take her shopping, doll her up and then flirt to find a boyfriend. Use your style prowess to win showdowns against other It Girls. It's The Hills meets the Kardashians meets a Facebook game (if you're into that sort of thing). Even if you're not a fashionista, you'll be surprised at how easily this game sucks you in.
top ten facebook games mighty pirates
9. Mighty Pirates
Crowdstar
Hunt for treasure by digging, chopping, and slashing your way through tropical islands, searching for goods and fighting off the undead. Deck out your ship with crew members, weapons, and decorations. Then take your deadly war vessel out on the high seas and do battle with the meanest pirates the world has to offer. There are a number of pirate games on Facebook, but Mighty Pirates distinguishes itself from the rest with its epic mixture of action and adventure.
top ten facebook games robot unicorn attack
8. Robot Unicorn Attack
Adult Swim Games
"Always, I wanna be with you, and make believe with you, and live in harmony, harmony oh love!" If you know the song, you certainly know the game. This addictive, simple, two-button platformer starring a unicorn that zaps enemies with rainbow beams made a seamless transition from Adult Swim Games to Facebook. With weekly tournaments, leaderboards, and of course the new Heavy Metal Version, Robot Unicorn Attack will continue to capture our imaginations and our free time for many moons to come.
top ten facebook games flutter
7. Flutter
Runaway
Reminiscent of high-concept video games like Flower and flOw, Flutter brings a refreshing approach to social gaming with a heavier focus on exploration rather than maintaining a farm, city or other type of property. Flutter's smooth animation, soothing music and extremely detailed visuals are a sight to behold as you guide butterflies through a rainforest interacting with wildlife and completing quests. In what might be a first for social games, there's no pressure to be the best in Flutter, just be.
top ten facebook games city of wonder
6. City of Wonder
Playdom
Until the recent release of CityVille, City of Wonder was our favorite 'city' game out there -- mostly because it's the closest a Facebook has come to recreating one of our all-time favorite PC games, Civilization. You start out building a city and, while keeping your population growing (and happy), you learn new skills that will enable you to trade with and/or go to battle with other civilizations. Make allies to fortify your city and be prepared for enemies attack -- you'll need might and mettle if you want to give it back.
top ten facebook games pocket god
5. Pocket God
Frima/Bolt
The game that made a name for itself on the iPhone got ported to Facebook and managed to keep its main premise in tact -- you play a vengeful god to an island of pygmies -- while adding in some clever social elements (like being able to turn friends into pygmies and kill them) and a slew of brand new powers. Let the pygmy torture commence.
top ten facebook games ravenwood fair
4. Ravenwood Fair
LOLApps
Deep within the mysterious, dark forest of Ravenwood, a fun fair is under construction. Build rides, decorate your world and build games to attract friendly animal folks to your fair. But be wary, evil lies in the forest. Abandon your fair for too long and those creepy trees you originally beat back will slowly reclaim their home. Though Ravenwood Fair was struck by controversy and shares a lot in common with FrontierVille and other Facebook games; its charm, simple features and cute fantasy setting make the world of Ravenwood one worth returning to again and again.
top ten facebook games cityville
3. CityVille
Zynga
We all knew that Zynga's last release for 2010 was going to be huge regardless, but to dethrone FarmVille in monthly players in less than a month? That, for lack of a better word, is insane. Though, CityVille sure does deserve it for taking the stale city-building game and making it fresh through more social features than you can shake a friend request at. While the game's Reputation system and Franchises are nothing new (see FrontierVille and Millionaire City, respectively), Zynga gave them their signature polish to attract close to 78 million monthly players in December alone.
top ten facebook games zuma blitz
2. Zuma Blitz
PopCap
Let's face it -- PopCap's "Blitz" approach to Facebook gaming just works. Zuma Blitz is no exception, bringing back the gameplay that folks on the run crave for combined with the lasting satisfaction of traditional social games. Being pressured into scoring as many points in 60 seconds as possible demands quick skill and critical thinking that most social games don't even bother making a crack at. Top it all off with weekly tournaments, leader boards and impressively smooth gameplay for one of Zynga's most formidable opponents.
top ten facebook games frontierville
1. FrontierVille
Zynga
Zynga's Wild West game FrontierVille took us off the farm and plopped us down in the middle of a wilderness that we had to tame and turn into a thriving frontier town. Aside from the fact that we love Fr'ville's setting, the real reason this rootin' tootin' game sits at the top of our list is because it was one of the first Facebook games to integrate a series of quests, introduced us to characters and reminded us how fun it is to pick up stars, coins and other loot that drops after performing an otherwise mundane task. Oh yeah, and then there's the game's racy Facebook wall messages that give us a good laugh (and always manage to raise an eyebrow or two). FrontierVille set a new standard in social gaming, and we're already starting to see other games (CityVille, Ravenwood Fair) follow the same trail that this pioneering game blazed before them.
This year has been both a turbulent time and a renaissance for social gaming. The first half of 2010 showed immense growth and opportunity for almost everyone involved in this brave new world of gaming. There were multiple stories of buyouts and new development studios cropping up at least once a month for quite a while with new games being released twice as often. And even in the midst of drastic changes to the way we discover games, developers kept cranking out hits with tens of millions of players flocking to the social game of the week. While most of these games competed for the same audience using slightly perfected design each time, there were a few that dared to be different and tread new ground. And with that, we've present our back at our Top 10 Facebook Games of 2010.
top ten facebook games it girl
10. It Girl
Crowdstar
For girly girls who want to get their shop on without opening their wallet, It Girl from Crowdstar is the way to do it. Customize your very own It Girl and then take her shopping, doll her up and then flirt to find a boyfriend. Use your style prowess to win showdowns against other It Girls. It's The Hills meets the Kardashians meets a Facebook game (if you're into that sort of thing). Even if you're not a fashionista, you'll be surprised at how easily this game sucks you in.
top ten facebook games mighty pirates
9. Mighty Pirates
Crowdstar
Hunt for treasure by digging, chopping, and slashing your way through tropical islands, searching for goods and fighting off the undead. Deck out your ship with crew members, weapons, and decorations. Then take your deadly war vessel out on the high seas and do battle with the meanest pirates the world has to offer. There are a number of pirate games on Facebook, but Mighty Pirates distinguishes itself from the rest with its epic mixture of action and adventure.
top ten facebook games robot unicorn attack
8. Robot Unicorn Attack
Adult Swim Games
"Always, I wanna be with you, and make believe with you, and live in harmony, harmony oh love!" If you know the song, you certainly know the game. This addictive, simple, two-button platformer starring a unicorn that zaps enemies with rainbow beams made a seamless transition from Adult Swim Games to Facebook. With weekly tournaments, leaderboards, and of course the new Heavy Metal Version, Robot Unicorn Attack will continue to capture our imaginations and our free time for many moons to come.
top ten facebook games flutter
7. Flutter
Runaway
Reminiscent of high-concept video games like Flower and flOw, Flutter brings a refreshing approach to social gaming with a heavier focus on exploration rather than maintaining a farm, city or other type of property. Flutter's smooth animation, soothing music and extremely detailed visuals are a sight to behold as you guide butterflies through a rainforest interacting with wildlife and completing quests. In what might be a first for social games, there's no pressure to be the best in Flutter, just be.
top ten facebook games city of wonder
6. City of Wonder
Playdom
Until the recent release of CityVille, City of Wonder was our favorite 'city' game out there -- mostly because it's the closest a Facebook has come to recreating one of our all-time favorite PC games, Civilization. You start out building a city and, while keeping your population growing (and happy), you learn new skills that will enable you to trade with and/or go to battle with other civilizations. Make allies to fortify your city and be prepared for enemies attack -- you'll need might and mettle if you want to give it back.
top ten facebook games pocket god
5. Pocket God
Frima/Bolt
The game that made a name for itself on the iPhone got ported to Facebook and managed to keep its main premise in tact -- you play a vengeful god to an island of pygmies -- while adding in some clever social elements (like being able to turn friends into pygmies and kill them) and a slew of brand new powers. Let the pygmy torture commence.
top ten facebook games ravenwood fair
4. Ravenwood Fair
LOLApps
Deep within the mysterious, dark forest of Ravenwood, a fun fair is under construction. Build rides, decorate your world and build games to attract friendly animal folks to your fair. But be wary, evil lies in the forest. Abandon your fair for too long and those creepy trees you originally beat back will slowly reclaim their home. Though Ravenwood Fair was struck by controversy and shares a lot in common with FrontierVille and other Facebook games; its charm, simple features and cute fantasy setting make the world of Ravenwood one worth returning to again and again.
top ten facebook games cityville
3. CityVille
Zynga
We all knew that Zynga's last release for 2010 was going to be huge regardless, but to dethrone FarmVille in monthly players in less than a month? That, for lack of a better word, is insane. Though, CityVille sure does deserve it for taking the stale city-building game and making it fresh through more social features than you can shake a friend request at. While the game's Reputation system and Franchises are nothing new (see FrontierVille and Millionaire City, respectively), Zynga gave them their signature polish to attract close to 78 million monthly players in December alone.
top ten facebook games zuma blitz
2. Zuma Blitz
PopCap
Let's face it -- PopCap's "Blitz" approach to Facebook gaming just works. Zuma Blitz is no exception, bringing back the gameplay that folks on the run crave for combined with the lasting satisfaction of traditional social games. Being pressured into scoring as many points in 60 seconds as possible demands quick skill and critical thinking that most social games don't even bother making a crack at. Top it all off with weekly tournaments, leader boards and impressively smooth gameplay for one of Zynga's most formidable opponents.
top ten facebook games frontierville
1. FrontierVille
Zynga
Zynga's Wild West game FrontierVille took us off the farm and plopped us down in the middle of a wilderness that we had to tame and turn into a thriving frontier town. Aside from the fact that we love Fr'ville's setting, the real reason this rootin' tootin' game sits at the top of our list is because it was one of the first Facebook games to integrate a series of quests, introduced us to characters and reminded us how fun it is to pick up stars, coins and other loot that drops after performing an otherwise mundane task. Oh yeah, and then there's the game's racy Facebook wall messages that give us a good laugh (and always manage to raise an eyebrow or two). FrontierVille set a new standard in social gaming, and we're already starting to see other games (CityVille, Ravenwood Fair) follow the same trail that this pioneering game blazed before them.
CityVille: Changes to interface make the game more hassle-free!
By now, most of us have gotten pretty used to the gameplay in CityVille, and by extension, we've also gotten used to the design problems (however few, or minor) that have been present in the user interface. Two of these problems have been fixed by Zynga, as they have announced via the game's official forums that the technical side of gameplay has now been streamlined to be more user, or at least "patience" friendly.
First and foremost, you'll no longer receive a pop-up every time you collect a collectible from a building, when that collectible is going into a collection that has already been completed, but has yet to be turned in. That is, if you're saving up all of your "Peaceful Living Collection" items, because you simply don't need any more free White Picket Fences, you'll no longer be bothered by a pop-up that must be clicked on, alerting you that you've completed the collection again and again. This will greatly help those that like to max out their Bonus Meters, as you won't have to stop clicking on Bonus items long enough to close the window, and therefore won't be as likely to lose your streak without hitting the "Masterful" level in the meter.
Another big change comes with the new ability to now use Battery (read: Energy) items from your inventory in rapid succession, without having to wait for the inventory to close, and open the inventory all over again. Essentially, this will save you from having to reopen and close the inventory ad nauseum, which makes recharging your energy that much easier when doing so with gifts accepted from friends.
Two other changes worth mentioning come with quests and other in-game items, not associated with the gameplay menus. They see a change in the Cinema Quest line, that removes a bug that would stop the Cinema from being available to purchase even after unlocking it in the previous quest, and an addition of Support and Forum links to the game page, so that all players now have instant access to Zynga's support site and the official forums, should they experience problems while playing CityVille.
First and foremost, you'll no longer receive a pop-up every time you collect a collectible from a building, when that collectible is going into a collection that has already been completed, but has yet to be turned in. That is, if you're saving up all of your "Peaceful Living Collection" items, because you simply don't need any more free White Picket Fences, you'll no longer be bothered by a pop-up that must be clicked on, alerting you that you've completed the collection again and again. This will greatly help those that like to max out their Bonus Meters, as you won't have to stop clicking on Bonus items long enough to close the window, and therefore won't be as likely to lose your streak without hitting the "Masterful" level in the meter.
Another big change comes with the new ability to now use Battery (read: Energy) items from your inventory in rapid succession, without having to wait for the inventory to close, and open the inventory all over again. Essentially, this will save you from having to reopen and close the inventory ad nauseum, which makes recharging your energy that much easier when doing so with gifts accepted from friends.
Two other changes worth mentioning come with quests and other in-game items, not associated with the gameplay menus. They see a change in the Cinema Quest line, that removes a bug that would stop the Cinema from being available to purchase even after unlocking it in the previous quest, and an addition of Support and Forum links to the game page, so that all players now have instant access to Zynga's support site and the official forums, should they experience problems while playing CityVille.
FrontierVille: Timed Missions will expire tonight if you don't accept them now!
If you've been holding off on accepting one of the many Timed Missions we've seen released in FrontierVille over the recent weeks and months, now is definitely the time to do so, as when the year of 2010 comes to an end this evening, it will take with it your ability to accept four Timed Missions in the game. Say goodbye to the mission, but also say goodbye to any exclusive prizes that you could earn if you had accepted them.
The expiring missions are the Playtime!, Mutton Bustin', Hoedown, and Barbecue Party missions. We have complete guides on how to finish each and every one of these missions, so don't feel overwhelmed if you've yet to start any of them. Remember, depending on the mission, you'll have varying amounts of time (2 - 5 days) to complete these missions once you accept them. There are tons of rewards to earn here, like Experience Points, Coins, and even some decorative items, including the musical Fiddle, which is otherwise only available as a Horseshoe item.
Check out the guides to complete these four missions below, and good luck to all those that attempt to take them on in a mad dash to the finish!
Playtime! Mission Guide
Hoedown Mission Guide
Barbecue Party Mission Guide
Mutton Bustin' Mission Guide
The expiring missions are the Playtime!, Mutton Bustin', Hoedown, and Barbecue Party missions. We have complete guides on how to finish each and every one of these missions, so don't feel overwhelmed if you've yet to start any of them. Remember, depending on the mission, you'll have varying amounts of time (2 - 5 days) to complete these missions once you accept them. There are tons of rewards to earn here, like Experience Points, Coins, and even some decorative items, including the musical Fiddle, which is otherwise only available as a Horseshoe item.
Check out the guides to complete these four missions below, and good luck to all those that attempt to take them on in a mad dash to the finish!
Playtime! Mission Guide
Hoedown Mission Guide
Barbecue Party Mission Guide
Mutton Bustin' Mission Guide
Cafe World: The Saga of the New Years Goals continues, but this time with free iPads!
Heya Chefs! We've been taking an in-depth look at how Zynga will be ringing in the New Year in Cafe World throughout this week, and at simply how much work needs to be done in an assumed short amount of time. Many users (myself included) are questioning whether or not it will even be worth it to complete the eight New Years Party Goals, even if we miss out on four exclusive recipes in the process, just because of how many things we need to collect, mostly with friends' help.
Zynga is looking to get players back into the gaming spirit, however, as they have offered some amazing real world incentive for users to finish the eight missions. They are now holding a contest, where each person that finishes all eight goals will automatically be entered to win one of 5 iPads, 5 iPod Touches, and 5 Flip Cameras! How's that for incentive!?
These are some fantastic prizes, worth hundreds of dollars in the real world, and they definitely work to create a shining light at the end of the very long tunnel that is these New Years Goals. However, if you can do so before January 10, you'll be entered for your chance to win!
Check out the rest of our New Years coverage right here.
Zynga is looking to get players back into the gaming spirit, however, as they have offered some amazing real world incentive for users to finish the eight missions. They are now holding a contest, where each person that finishes all eight goals will automatically be entered to win one of 5 iPads, 5 iPod Touches, and 5 Flip Cameras! How's that for incentive!?
These are some fantastic prizes, worth hundreds of dollars in the real world, and they definitely work to create a shining light at the end of the very long tunnel that is these New Years Goals. However, if you can do so before January 10, you'll be entered for your chance to win!
Check out the rest of our New Years coverage right here.
Live in a tropical paradise year-round with Beachtown on Facebook
Want to ring in the new year on Facebook by trying out a new game? Hueys Planet hopes that you will give their offering Beachtown a try. The game gives "everyone... their own beach," and you'll be able to customize that beach with a wide assortment of outdoor and water activities (those that you would normally find on a trip to the beach) in a gameplay setup that isn't entirely unlike the Sims.
Your friends will play an integral part in your advancement through Beachtown, as you'll be able to control their actions, and earn experience points and Beach Coins (the game's currency) for not only your actions, but the actions of your friends as well. Luckily, your friends don't actually have to play the game to take part, although it couldn't hurt the experience, if you can actually play with real friends.
Meet us behind the break for a complete look at Beachtown on Facebook.
Bringing in elements of the Sims franchise, each person on your beach is technically computer controlled, but you'll be able to control their actions at any time by simply clicking on them and then dragging them to the area of the beach or water of your choice. Each person has a set of desires, based on activities that they would like to take part in, and while you'll receive points for all actions, if you can match up a character with the activity they would personally like to complete, then you'll earn bonus points.
All sorts of "attractions" or activities can be added to your beach, ranging from spots that allow for Longboarding, Surfing or Snorkling in the water, to areas on the sand like Yoga and Exercise stations, or even Hula spots. Each activity will be completed after a different amount of time, so there will likely always be a spot open for your friends if you stick around long enough into a gameplay session. You can even upgrade these activities as you go along to make them more rewarding.
You'll have a series of light quests to complete on the left side of the screen, and bonus items will appear as you, or your assigned friends complete each task. You'll need to manually collect the prizes for completing tasks, which adds the ability to leave the game and then come back at a later time when the activity has been completed, but the rewards are still available.
Adding to the customization in the game is the ability to decorate your beach with a variety of themed items, including palm trees, beach umbrellas, and beach towels, along with some more unique items, like rock stacks, sundials, tikis, and so on. There are items available to purchase for both Beach Coins and Clams, the game's premium currency.
Another game element comes in the form of your Beach's popularity. As you add activities for your friends to take part in, the popularity goes up, allowing you to have even more friends appear on your Beach at the same time. Obviously, then, the more activities you have to take part in and the more friends you have to do them - the more coins you'll earn as a result and the faster you'll level up. Leveling up unlocks new activities, and thus the cycle continues.
Other gameplay elements include collections that can be completed (shells, starfish, stones, and the like) by clicking on Treasure Chests that appear at random quite frequently as you play. These chests can contain either coins or these collectibles. Trading in collections earns you coins, and you can add items to a Needs List to ask your friends for help in sending them to you.
Speaking of friends, the game's social elements include the ability to send free gifts to your friends, and the ability to visit your friends' beaches. Interestingly, there is no in-game NPC friend, so you'll have to invite some of your own friends to play the game in order to get anything out of these features.
Your friends will play an integral part in your advancement through Beachtown, as you'll be able to control their actions, and earn experience points and Beach Coins (the game's currency) for not only your actions, but the actions of your friends as well. Luckily, your friends don't actually have to play the game to take part, although it couldn't hurt the experience, if you can actually play with real friends.
Meet us behind the break for a complete look at Beachtown on Facebook.
Bringing in elements of the Sims franchise, each person on your beach is technically computer controlled, but you'll be able to control their actions at any time by simply clicking on them and then dragging them to the area of the beach or water of your choice. Each person has a set of desires, based on activities that they would like to take part in, and while you'll receive points for all actions, if you can match up a character with the activity they would personally like to complete, then you'll earn bonus points.
All sorts of "attractions" or activities can be added to your beach, ranging from spots that allow for Longboarding, Surfing or Snorkling in the water, to areas on the sand like Yoga and Exercise stations, or even Hula spots. Each activity will be completed after a different amount of time, so there will likely always be a spot open for your friends if you stick around long enough into a gameplay session. You can even upgrade these activities as you go along to make them more rewarding.
You'll have a series of light quests to complete on the left side of the screen, and bonus items will appear as you, or your assigned friends complete each task. You'll need to manually collect the prizes for completing tasks, which adds the ability to leave the game and then come back at a later time when the activity has been completed, but the rewards are still available.
Adding to the customization in the game is the ability to decorate your beach with a variety of themed items, including palm trees, beach umbrellas, and beach towels, along with some more unique items, like rock stacks, sundials, tikis, and so on. There are items available to purchase for both Beach Coins and Clams, the game's premium currency.
Another game element comes in the form of your Beach's popularity. As you add activities for your friends to take part in, the popularity goes up, allowing you to have even more friends appear on your Beach at the same time. Obviously, then, the more activities you have to take part in and the more friends you have to do them - the more coins you'll earn as a result and the faster you'll level up. Leveling up unlocks new activities, and thus the cycle continues.
Other gameplay elements include collections that can be completed (shells, starfish, stones, and the like) by clicking on Treasure Chests that appear at random quite frequently as you play. These chests can contain either coins or these collectibles. Trading in collections earns you coins, and you can add items to a Needs List to ask your friends for help in sending them to you.
Speaking of friends, the game's social elements include the ability to send free gifts to your friends, and the ability to visit your friends' beaches. Interestingly, there is no in-game NPC friend, so you'll have to invite some of your own friends to play the game in order to get anything out of these features.
Thứ Ba, 10 tháng 1, 2012
DeNA prepares global (mobile games) domination with Mobage Android
Is Zynga shaking in its boots yet? Probably not, but the next major move by Japanese competitor DeNA might make the San Francisco-based red dog snarl. DeNA, who recently acquired American developer Ngmoco for $400 million to help with the global expansion of its Mobage mobile social games platform, will initiate phase one this month. Reuters reports that the game publisher will soon go global with a Mobage app for Android devices everywhere.
In an interview recently, DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu revealed plans to expand into Europe and other parts of Asia through acquisitions, though the company is also in talks with overseas mobile carriers to provide easier access to and payment support for DeNA games. A Chinese version of the Mobage Android app is coming this summer as well.
It might be a smart move to go for a wider platform like Android to start a global mobile games network, but it's only a matter of time before Mobage must head to iPhones and iPads. When it comes to mobile gaming, we all know that the App Store is where the action is. And if DeNA can swoop in and provide games that knock the likes of Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja off of their thrones, then more power to them.
In an interview recently, DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu revealed plans to expand into Europe and other parts of Asia through acquisitions, though the company is also in talks with overseas mobile carriers to provide easier access to and payment support for DeNA games. A Chinese version of the Mobage Android app is coming this summer as well.
It might be a smart move to go for a wider platform like Android to start a global mobile games network, but it's only a matter of time before Mobage must head to iPhones and iPads. When it comes to mobile gaming, we all know that the App Store is where the action is. And if DeNA can swoop in and provide games that knock the likes of Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja off of their thrones, then more power to them.
Bigpoint, Spil Games try the Facebook alternative: The Buddy System
Facebook is the largest social game platform out there, so what do you do when you can't beat 'em? Shack up with somebody else, that's what. And that's exactly what Bigpoint, the developer behind hit MMOs like Battlestar Galactica Online and most recently RamaCity (a blatant competitor to CityVille by Zynga), has opted for. The Hamburg, Germany-based developer has joined forces with Spil Games, based in the Netherlands, to increase its potential player base to 130 million players.
"We're thrilled to bring our already hugely successful game ZooMumba to Spil's platform," Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz said in a release. "Spil's audience of like-minded gamers is unique in the industry. We're certain this collaboration will ensure high amounts of exposure to ZooMumba and more of our games in the future."
Bigpoint will first take a dive on the deal with ZooMumba, its hit zoo-keeping social game, though there are other Bigpoint games headed for Spil Games' collection of European and Asian social gaming websites, according to a release. Considering Facebook's arguable stranglehold on game developers with its new Credits initiative, it's tough to blame companies for making partnerships to avoid it (and its 30 percent cut). It makes one wonder what Zynga might do ... in five years.
"We're thrilled to bring our already hugely successful game ZooMumba to Spil's platform," Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz said in a release. "Spil's audience of like-minded gamers is unique in the industry. We're certain this collaboration will ensure high amounts of exposure to ZooMumba and more of our games in the future."
Bigpoint will first take a dive on the deal with ZooMumba, its hit zoo-keeping social game, though there are other Bigpoint games headed for Spil Games' collection of European and Asian social gaming websites, according to a release. Considering Facebook's arguable stranglehold on game developers with its new Credits initiative, it's tough to blame companies for making partnerships to avoid it (and its 30 percent cut). It makes one wonder what Zynga might do ... in five years.
CivWorld on Facebook might be a blast, if we could play already
CivWorld is down
If you're one of the 73 thousand players who seem to have brought the CivWorld servers to their knees, you already know that the first Firaxis game on Facebook is currently offline for many players. But considering how small of a number that is, we're going to guess you might be out of the loop. Well, the game has suffered connection issues since its launch last week, really. After much complaining and dreaded 004 error codes, Firaxis decided to respond recently with:
We've had a large volume of people join the game in a very short amount of time (which is great!), and that has led to some technical challenges that we're addressing right now. Restoring access to everyone is our team's top priority. We've put some fixes into place and the team is working diligently on the remaining issues. We'll continue to keep you updated on our progress and have you back ruling the world soon!
Despite the poor first steps, we're sure Firaxis is working on a resolution as of this writing. While you wait, why not try some Empires & Allies so you can make an educated vote in one of our future Facebook Game Faceoff features? It's the American thing to do, really. In the meantime,
If you're one of the 73 thousand players who seem to have brought the CivWorld servers to their knees, you already know that the first Firaxis game on Facebook is currently offline for many players. But considering how small of a number that is, we're going to guess you might be out of the loop. Well, the game has suffered connection issues since its launch last week, really. After much complaining and dreaded 004 error codes, Firaxis decided to respond recently with:
We've had a large volume of people join the game in a very short amount of time (which is great!), and that has led to some technical challenges that we're addressing right now. Restoring access to everyone is our team's top priority. We've put some fixes into place and the team is working diligently on the remaining issues. We'll continue to keep you updated on our progress and have you back ruling the world soon!
Despite the poor first steps, we're sure Firaxis is working on a resolution as of this writing. While you wait, why not try some Empires & Allies so you can make an educated vote in one of our future Facebook Game Faceoff features? It's the American thing to do, really. In the meantime,
Rumors: First PopCap, now Ohai--EA looks for leg up in social games
Remember that mystery buyer that was rumored to pick up PopCap for an insane $1 billion? How about the scuttlebutt that a mystery shopper was eying up Ohai? As it turns out, they're both EA, the veteran games publisher that has tailed Zynga on Facebook with games like Madden NFL Superstars and Pet Society for some time. According to VentureBeat, unnamed sources have revealed that the company has purchased Ohai for an undisclosed amount, though the website guesses that it wasn't much.
While an opt to buy a company like PopCap with hit properties like Bejeweled and Plants vs Zombies (even if for $1 billion) is fairly obvious, a move to purchase a company like Ohai is a bit more ... puzzling. (Though, the company did just release a new game, Unicorn Parade.) Especially considering the fact that EA owns companies in the social games industry like Playfish and Chillingo, publisher of Angry Birds in the U.S.
However, some considerable talent has passed through Ohai, like former CEO Susan Wu, a professional gamer turned former venture capitalist. But with most of that talent long gone after a few lukewarm releases, why else would EA want Ohai? Our best guess is for good talent at a cheap price, but we know just about as much as you do.
Regardless of whether either rumor turns out to be true, know this: EA is on the hunt, and if it isn't PopCap or Ohai it'll be someone else. With lots of cash and lots of reason to close that gap between its now third-place 31 million players, EA looks like it's ready for another shopping spree.
While an opt to buy a company like PopCap with hit properties like Bejeweled and Plants vs Zombies (even if for $1 billion) is fairly obvious, a move to purchase a company like Ohai is a bit more ... puzzling. (Though, the company did just release a new game, Unicorn Parade.) Especially considering the fact that EA owns companies in the social games industry like Playfish and Chillingo, publisher of Angry Birds in the U.S.
However, some considerable talent has passed through Ohai, like former CEO Susan Wu, a professional gamer turned former venture capitalist. But with most of that talent long gone after a few lukewarm releases, why else would EA want Ohai? Our best guess is for good talent at a cheap price, but we know just about as much as you do.
Regardless of whether either rumor turns out to be true, know this: EA is on the hunt, and if it isn't PopCap or Ohai it'll be someone else. With lots of cash and lots of reason to close that gap between its now third-place 31 million players, EA looks like it's ready for another shopping spree.
Yup, it's true - Electronic Arts lassos Bejeweled maker PopCap for $650 million
Turns out (one of) the rumors from the past few weeks are true -- Bejeweled-creator PopCap has been purchased by Electronic Arts for upwards of a billion dollars, an unnamed source confirms for Games.com this afternoon. The official news should be breaking shortly... stay tuned...
And the news is out. Electronic Arts has purchased PopCap for $650 million, adding its slate of critically acclaimed, best-selling games like Bejeweled, Plants vs. Zombies, Zuma, Bookworm (and other) to EA's already vast library of games.
"We picked EA because they have recast their culture around making great digital games," said PopCap CEO David Roberts says in a statement. "By working with EA, we'll scale our games and services to deliver more social, mobile, casual fun to an even bigger, global audience."
"EA and PopCap are a compelling combination," EA CEO John Riccitiello says. "PopCap's great studio talent and powerful IP add to EA's momentum and accelerate our drive towards a $1 billion digital business. EA's global studio and publishing network will help PopCap rapidly expand their business to more digital devices, more countries, and more channels."
EA will pay $650 million in cash and $100 million in shares of EA common stock will be issued to select PopCap stockholders. PopCap sellers will also be eligible for additional cash, based on PopCap's performance through December 2013.
This is an unexpected development, especially after PopCap had been very forthcoming about its plans to go public earlier this year. It will also be interesting to see how EA will help PopCap reach a new audience and how PopCap, in turn, will enhance EA's casual games business.
And the news is out. Electronic Arts has purchased PopCap for $650 million, adding its slate of critically acclaimed, best-selling games like Bejeweled, Plants vs. Zombies, Zuma, Bookworm (and other) to EA's already vast library of games.
"We picked EA because they have recast their culture around making great digital games," said PopCap CEO David Roberts says in a statement. "By working with EA, we'll scale our games and services to deliver more social, mobile, casual fun to an even bigger, global audience."
"EA and PopCap are a compelling combination," EA CEO John Riccitiello says. "PopCap's great studio talent and powerful IP add to EA's momentum and accelerate our drive towards a $1 billion digital business. EA's global studio and publishing network will help PopCap rapidly expand their business to more digital devices, more countries, and more channels."
EA will pay $650 million in cash and $100 million in shares of EA common stock will be issued to select PopCap stockholders. PopCap sellers will also be eligible for additional cash, based on PopCap's performance through December 2013.
This is an unexpected development, especially after PopCap had been very forthcoming about its plans to go public earlier this year. It will also be interesting to see how EA will help PopCap reach a new audience and how PopCap, in turn, will enhance EA's casual games business.
Thứ Hai, 9 tháng 1, 2012
Ngmoco's DragonCraft gives you the power of dragons in your quest for world domination
During a demo of the game last week, we had a chance to learn more about ngmoco's upcoming mobile (and eventually) social game DragonCraft. From Brooklyn's FreeVerse studio, DragonCraft presents an alternate reality to our own, where technology advanced as in our world up until the 1500's. Sometime during the century, the people of DragonCraft discovered magic, and therefore simply combined that magic with the current technology of the time for all future advancements.
The world of Terra Vale is full of magic, distilled from dragon crystals. This magic is a dark resource that's coveted by all orders of the world, just as oil or other natural resources are in our world. The world is comprised of 12 Baronies, or colonies of sorts, each run by magic and ruled by a different Dragon Baron warrior. There's a necessary, but uneasy peace among the Council of Twelve in Terra Vale, which is only made all the more unstable by a cataclysmic event. Your city has been destroyed and your Dragon Baron is dead. Enemies of every size and shape roam freely outside your city's boundaries and you're put in charge of rebuilding your city and forging a dragon army in your new struggle for supremacy and domination of all that stand in your way.
Combining city-building and combat, you'll spend substantial amounts of time both rebuilding your city with functional buildings like Dragon Hatcheries, Farms and of course your Castle, while you'll also head out into the world, removing a dark fog as you travel through more of the 25 differently themed areas on the map, defeating enemies and interacting with the other Barons that remain, bringing them under your influence.
DragonCraft producer Kevin O'Neill told us more about the city-building portion of the game:
Every kingdom starts with a few key structures. You'll have a Castle, Advisor's Tower, Dragon Hatchery, Training Grounds and a Farm. As you build and unlock new buildings, you'll be able to actually fill the entire map out. One of the first buildings you'll build in the tutorial is the farm, which actually produces a steady stream of food, and food is basically the fuel to power your troops. The farm is where you'll go to harvest food to build more troops, but to compete on a global scale, you'll need a few more structures than that.
Early on, you'll be introduced to the game's quest system, which asks you to build specific buildings in your city, or to venture out into the world at large to complete tasks in other lands. You'll be able to keep track of your quests via the Advisor's Tower (also called a Quest Tower), where the three main sectors of life in Terra Vale are represented: Magic, Technology and Brute Force. As you build structures, you'll be able to earn resources like lumber and gold, which can then be used elsewhere. Each city starts with a set of Pikemen, but from there, you can build your own troops in the game's three disciplines.
At launch, there will be 16 different buildings to create and upgrade (you can use premium Dragon Crystals to speed up the building process), allowing you to place your focus in one discipline or another, and troops are separated in the same way (and unlocked as you become more capable in each of the three areas). Magic troops use Dragon Crystals for power, and come in the form of adepts or acolytes, while Brute Force troops are archers or swordsmen. As for Tech troops, O'Neill described these as "a combination of technology and magic like a Steam Tank or a Sky Gallion or a Bombadier which kind of fuse together Dragon Crystal magic with technology. So, you have a Sky Gallion that didn't bother learning aeronautics because they just put a Dragon Crystal in it and it shoots them up. That's the theme of our world. In the 1500's, technology just stopped developing because you could augment it with this magical Dragon Crystal power. So it's just variations on off of things that would exist back then."
While exploring the world, you'll be able to experience combat that O'Neill says is "deep, but tailored to a mobile play experience." The game offers Portrait mode, allowing you to hold your device upright for one-handed play (while on a bus or otherwise occupied). You'll come across two types of battles, one of which is incredibly quick and sees you patrolling your lands for any enemy units. These enemies are seen on the map, and you'll simply tap on them to send your forces in automatically to receive instant rewards. If you're in the mood for more in-depth combat, or just want more of a challenge, you can enter into "story missions," which are triggered by discussions with your advisors or other NPCs. These move the game's overall story arc along and can even allow you to uncover new, unexplored areas in the game. O'Neill compared this form of combat to Advance Wars, with one on one combat, with some units being in the air while others on are the ground.
When getting into the specifics of combat, we asked O'Neill whether the combat contained a "Rock, Paper, Scissors" element, causing different troops to be stronger (or weaker) than others:
There is a rock, paper, scissors mechanic, not for the specific troops, but for the different schools of warfare. So, the Technical troops have an advantage over Medieval troops, but they have a disadvantage against the Magical troops, so you kind of have to mix and match and make sure that you're appropriately fitted for the encounter you're going into. It's going to be a little bit of a learning experience, as there are some enemies where it's not immediately apparent [what kind of troop it is], like a Bear, but I think after just a couple of play-throughs, you'll pick that up pretty quickly.
As for Dragons, the game makes these creatures incredibly powerful, but also rare. You'll be able to hunt down Dragons and gather their Scales, and then combine those scales back in your Dragon Hatchery to form different Dragons for use in your army down the line. While you might be able to come across the same kinds of dragons multiple times in the game, O'Neill did tell us that the game has the ability to make specific Dragon Scales a one-time-only opportunity, encouraging players to keep coming back for more. When interacting with a Dragon, you'll also be able to use premium items to guarantee you'll receive a Scale, rather than relying on chance.
Gallery: DragonCraft Android / iOS Preview
To finish off our look at the game, we asked O'Neill whether we can expect social features to come to the game at some point in the future.
We do have a lot of social features planned. Right now we want to focus on the core game experience because if that doesn't hold up then no one's going to stick around to talk to their friends, but for launch we are going to have dragon encounters being social. So, instead of you just running into a dragon, it's actually going to be a Mobage friend that's being attacked by a dragon, and then you're coming into help them. You can add them as a friend, and if you're already friends you can exchange gifts at that time. We also have a fully built-out PvP system for battling between people ready to go. We're focusing on the single player now and then expanding later on.
Just like SkyFall (check out our full hands-on preview), DragonCraft is without a release date as of this writing, but it will debut on Android (including Mobage connectivity) before eventually making its way over to iOS in the coming weeks and months. We'll make sure to give you more info about both games as we learn more.
The world of Terra Vale is full of magic, distilled from dragon crystals. This magic is a dark resource that's coveted by all orders of the world, just as oil or other natural resources are in our world. The world is comprised of 12 Baronies, or colonies of sorts, each run by magic and ruled by a different Dragon Baron warrior. There's a necessary, but uneasy peace among the Council of Twelve in Terra Vale, which is only made all the more unstable by a cataclysmic event. Your city has been destroyed and your Dragon Baron is dead. Enemies of every size and shape roam freely outside your city's boundaries and you're put in charge of rebuilding your city and forging a dragon army in your new struggle for supremacy and domination of all that stand in your way.
Combining city-building and combat, you'll spend substantial amounts of time both rebuilding your city with functional buildings like Dragon Hatcheries, Farms and of course your Castle, while you'll also head out into the world, removing a dark fog as you travel through more of the 25 differently themed areas on the map, defeating enemies and interacting with the other Barons that remain, bringing them under your influence.
DragonCraft producer Kevin O'Neill told us more about the city-building portion of the game:
Every kingdom starts with a few key structures. You'll have a Castle, Advisor's Tower, Dragon Hatchery, Training Grounds and a Farm. As you build and unlock new buildings, you'll be able to actually fill the entire map out. One of the first buildings you'll build in the tutorial is the farm, which actually produces a steady stream of food, and food is basically the fuel to power your troops. The farm is where you'll go to harvest food to build more troops, but to compete on a global scale, you'll need a few more structures than that.
Early on, you'll be introduced to the game's quest system, which asks you to build specific buildings in your city, or to venture out into the world at large to complete tasks in other lands. You'll be able to keep track of your quests via the Advisor's Tower (also called a Quest Tower), where the three main sectors of life in Terra Vale are represented: Magic, Technology and Brute Force. As you build structures, you'll be able to earn resources like lumber and gold, which can then be used elsewhere. Each city starts with a set of Pikemen, but from there, you can build your own troops in the game's three disciplines.
At launch, there will be 16 different buildings to create and upgrade (you can use premium Dragon Crystals to speed up the building process), allowing you to place your focus in one discipline or another, and troops are separated in the same way (and unlocked as you become more capable in each of the three areas). Magic troops use Dragon Crystals for power, and come in the form of adepts or acolytes, while Brute Force troops are archers or swordsmen. As for Tech troops, O'Neill described these as "a combination of technology and magic like a Steam Tank or a Sky Gallion or a Bombadier which kind of fuse together Dragon Crystal magic with technology. So, you have a Sky Gallion that didn't bother learning aeronautics because they just put a Dragon Crystal in it and it shoots them up. That's the theme of our world. In the 1500's, technology just stopped developing because you could augment it with this magical Dragon Crystal power. So it's just variations on off of things that would exist back then."
While exploring the world, you'll be able to experience combat that O'Neill says is "deep, but tailored to a mobile play experience." The game offers Portrait mode, allowing you to hold your device upright for one-handed play (while on a bus or otherwise occupied). You'll come across two types of battles, one of which is incredibly quick and sees you patrolling your lands for any enemy units. These enemies are seen on the map, and you'll simply tap on them to send your forces in automatically to receive instant rewards. If you're in the mood for more in-depth combat, or just want more of a challenge, you can enter into "story missions," which are triggered by discussions with your advisors or other NPCs. These move the game's overall story arc along and can even allow you to uncover new, unexplored areas in the game. O'Neill compared this form of combat to Advance Wars, with one on one combat, with some units being in the air while others on are the ground.
When getting into the specifics of combat, we asked O'Neill whether the combat contained a "Rock, Paper, Scissors" element, causing different troops to be stronger (or weaker) than others:
There is a rock, paper, scissors mechanic, not for the specific troops, but for the different schools of warfare. So, the Technical troops have an advantage over Medieval troops, but they have a disadvantage against the Magical troops, so you kind of have to mix and match and make sure that you're appropriately fitted for the encounter you're going into. It's going to be a little bit of a learning experience, as there are some enemies where it's not immediately apparent [what kind of troop it is], like a Bear, but I think after just a couple of play-throughs, you'll pick that up pretty quickly.
As for Dragons, the game makes these creatures incredibly powerful, but also rare. You'll be able to hunt down Dragons and gather their Scales, and then combine those scales back in your Dragon Hatchery to form different Dragons for use in your army down the line. While you might be able to come across the same kinds of dragons multiple times in the game, O'Neill did tell us that the game has the ability to make specific Dragon Scales a one-time-only opportunity, encouraging players to keep coming back for more. When interacting with a Dragon, you'll also be able to use premium items to guarantee you'll receive a Scale, rather than relying on chance.
Gallery: DragonCraft Android / iOS Preview
To finish off our look at the game, we asked O'Neill whether we can expect social features to come to the game at some point in the future.
We do have a lot of social features planned. Right now we want to focus on the core game experience because if that doesn't hold up then no one's going to stick around to talk to their friends, but for launch we are going to have dragon encounters being social. So, instead of you just running into a dragon, it's actually going to be a Mobage friend that's being attacked by a dragon, and then you're coming into help them. You can add them as a friend, and if you're already friends you can exchange gifts at that time. We also have a fully built-out PvP system for battling between people ready to go. We're focusing on the single player now and then expanding later on.
Just like SkyFall (check out our full hands-on preview), DragonCraft is without a release date as of this writing, but it will debut on Android (including Mobage connectivity) before eventually making its way over to iOS in the coming weeks and months. We'll make sure to give you more info about both games as we learn more.
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