The newest round of the FarmVille Mystery Game has just launched, and with it comes the fulfillment of our prediction - this week's theme is white animals. However, before you get incredibly excited, know that half of this week's game is full of re-releases of animals that we've seen given away previously. If you were hoping to score six all-new animals, you'll unfortunately have to wait for another week for that to happen.
The animals that are available, however, are the following:
Arctic Fox
White Kitten
White Shire Horse
White Squirrel
White Stork
White Wolf Cub
The White Squirrel was first released back in July, as part of the first Mystery Game ever, while the Arctic Fox was a prize in the Holiday Tree and the White Kitten was seen in a Mystery Game just last month. Again, the other three animals are new, so if you'd like to splurge and spend the 20 Farm Cash on a dart, hopefully you won't receive an animal that you already have on your farm. We'll wish you luck that you don't.
Either way, this Mystery Game theme will only be around for a week, at which point another theme will take over, so make sure to play now and play fast if you're at all interested.
Work at home & Earn Money
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
GSN Digital gets smart with Jeopardy! for Facebook (sans Watson)
Alex Trebek is quite the busy man these days. First, he kept his contestants from lunging at Watson--that IBM supercomputer that defeated two Jeopardy! legends in February--in jealous rage of its immense computing ability and now, he's on Facebook. (Alright, that first part never happened, but they thought about it!) GSN Digital, the team responsible for Wheel of Fortune on the platform, has launched Jeopardy for Facebook. It's available for play now, and has been modified to cater to the short-burst gameplay most social gamers have time for during their lunch break.
Contestants play in three shortened rounds and can make wagers on Daily Doubles and the Final Jeopardy question--just like in the game that airs after dinner every night. However, the game offers several features tailored toward the Facebook audience like Jeopardy Boosts, which allow players to either double their score or pass on a clue. And if you don't know the answer to the Final Jeopardy question, you can ask a friend and make back half of your wager. Of course, micro-transactions are included to purchase Boosts or more Episodes, which are your allowed play sessions.
Gallery: JEOPARDY! beta
"Jeopardy! is considered a benchmark of ultimate knowledge. We're thrilled that GSN Digital has created an interactive game for Facebook that makes learning fun," Harry Friedman, executive producer of Jeopardy, said in a statement. You see that, folks? If that's the case, then this is the Facebook game of ultimate knowledge. Yeah, we knew that would pique your interest.
Contestants play in three shortened rounds and can make wagers on Daily Doubles and the Final Jeopardy question--just like in the game that airs after dinner every night. However, the game offers several features tailored toward the Facebook audience like Jeopardy Boosts, which allow players to either double their score or pass on a clue. And if you don't know the answer to the Final Jeopardy question, you can ask a friend and make back half of your wager. Of course, micro-transactions are included to purchase Boosts or more Episodes, which are your allowed play sessions.
Gallery: JEOPARDY! beta
"Jeopardy! is considered a benchmark of ultimate knowledge. We're thrilled that GSN Digital has created an interactive game for Facebook that makes learning fun," Harry Friedman, executive producer of Jeopardy, said in a statement. You see that, folks? If that's the case, then this is the Facebook game of ultimate knowledge. Yeah, we knew that would pique your interest.
Dragon Age Legends producer Ethan Levy: This game 'was a gamble' [Interview]
Deemed the first real game on Facebook when it was released, Dragon Age Legends launched in advance of its console counterpart, Dragon Age 2, in March. It's been over a month since EA2D threw you into the world of Thedas through Facebook, and now it's time to see whether the team feels that it lived up to its lofty expectations. To do just that, we had the chance recently to chat with Ethan Levy, producer of Dragon Age Legends, and get his reflections on the game. Of course, we also learned quite a lot about what's in store for the game, and how Levy and his team plan to keep your adventures going for a very, very long time.
Now that Dragon Age Legends (DAL) has been out in the wild for a month, how do you feel about it? What do you like most about the finished product? What, in your opinion, still needs work?
It was a gamble whether a hardcore gamer audience would show up for a Facebook game and enjoy it. And I think we did a very good job of staying true to the vision of Dragon Age and the world that Bioware has created, and players responded. One of the best moments is whenever people comment on the game on Facebook or review it, they refer to us as Bioware. On one hand, I've spent the past two and a half years at this point helping to build EA2D, and I wish we stood on our own right. But on the other hand, Bioware is one of the most acclaimed game developers in the world. So, if people look at what we've done and say, 'Hey Bioware. Great job, but you really need to improve this and this,' it's kind of a badge of honor that they hold it to the same level of quality.
As for what needs improvement, the team is working in a software-as-service model, and we update the game every week with new quests, new features and bug fixes. Just yesterday we released a major new feature called 'Guilds,' and we plan on operating this game for a long time. So, I have a really deep road map of different features and improvements that the team is excited about. We have a year-long narrative outline that we worked with Bioware on. We just started teasing that, now that we have Guilds, we're going to do a Guild versus Guild arena system. So, there are really hundreds of ways that we want to improve to the game.
Why did you decide to go with not only a decidedly more hardcore play style, but such graphic animation?
That was the gamble, I guess: That gamers would-and not to disparage my fellow EA employees at Playfish or any other company-show up for a real game. And not an activity where there's no real meaningful choices; games that just reward you for showing up. So, we wanted to do a game that any hardcore gamer or Bioware fan would show up for.
By tapping into a mature theme and audience like that, we would never hit the 25 million daily players of a FarmVille, for instance. But the players that we did cater to would stay around longer and would pay more on average for micro-transactions, because when you buy a really cool sword or armor it's more meaningful and long lasting in its effects.
Dragon Age Legends Concept
During the development process, what was most difficult and why did it give you so much trouble?
The most difficult obstacle for us was the technology base. DAL might look like a Flash game, but it's actually built a lot more like an MMO, and we built all that tech from scratch. So, the game that you see is just the tip of the iceberg of a really impressive piece of technology that our systems and platform team here has built. And that platform was built with long-term investment for EA2D. I think there are a lot of hard lessons learned along the way as we built our team and technology. Now that it's in place, we're able to create some pretty incredible things like the mobile extension of DAL, which we're really proud of.
So, you mentioned a year-long road map--
(Laughs.) At least! That's the features we can think of now.
And that's impressive. You seem to want this game to stand on its own, so how do you plan to differentiate DAL from companion game to just Facebook game?
Part of our theory is that this will serve as a bridge game, or a game that bridges gamers from the release of the console product to downloadable packages. People can be playing this for weeks and weeks or potentially years and years in between releases of the core game from Bioware. It'll differentiate itself over time.
Better yet, is there any desire to link the two games in more meaningful ways like crossing plot lines or introducing characters from one game to the other?
We have hopes to do some deeper integration points than we have so far. I was very privileged to work with Dragon Age's lead designer when I crafted the story for DAL. And the two games were in development at the same time, so something that was important to me was to avoid any dependency.
There are two things I really wouldn't want to happen while we were both in development. One would be that [Bioware] changed something at the last minute story wise and all of a sudden a piece of our game doesn't make sense. What a harder case would be is that I never want to get a call from the Dragon Age team saying, 'Why would you invent this city?' (Laughs.) No Dragon Age product is non-canon, so making DAL parallel to Dragon Age 2 was very intentional and we hope to intersect those paths more meaningfully in the future.
Gallery: Dragon Age Legends on Facebook
More importantly, where do you see the future of companion games going on Facebook? How do you see the links between console games and their Facebook counterparts growing?
I imagine we'll see two different flavors of games. It's very clear when there's a Facebook game launch that really is a marketing ploy and not really a deep and meaningful game in any sense. I could point out examples of, but that would be kind of rude. Facebook advergames-I think those will continue to exist. I hope DAL paves the way for more meaningful companion games that live on their own, because there are other games I'd love to get little bite-sized pieces of everyday. I'm hopeful that the idea of a quick advergame will be marginalized.
You and me both, honestly. Now, some developers, like Naughty Dog, are integrating Facebook and YouTube right into their games like Uncharted 3. Is this the next point of collision for the two genres?
If it's built in a way that enhances the experience for players, that will be phenomenal. But if it's just functionality to post to your Facebook wall from within the game, that really only applies to a certain type of gamer who has a lot of gamer friends, frankly. I know how difficult it would be to do that level of deep integration between a console product and Facebook or anywhere on the web. A team really has to step up and not just pay lip service.
Dragon Age Legends Cinematic
Now, EA2D has created original social games before like, most recently, AWOL. Does DAL mark a move away from that or will we see more original games from the studio?
I would say it's not EA2D's mission to create companion games. It's our mission to make social games for gamers. There's equal passion around here to do both. We're not a marketing arm; we're a game developer in our own right, and I hope both more original games and companion games are in store for us in the future.
Now, I can't help myself but ask, 'Will EA2D ever make a 3D game on Facebook?'
(Laughs.) I was actually part of the conversation when we chose to call ourselves EA2D, and I was the one who put the name forward. Calling ourselves EA2D is not about the dimensions of the art in the games we're making. It's really about the frame of mind. [EA2D is] trying to hearken back to a golden era of EA when there was some really classic games we made, when it wasn't possible to amaze people with visuals and gameplay came first.
What do you think of Dragon Age Legends and its development process on Facebook? Do you see a future for more games like this on the platform?
Now that Dragon Age Legends (DAL) has been out in the wild for a month, how do you feel about it? What do you like most about the finished product? What, in your opinion, still needs work?
It was a gamble whether a hardcore gamer audience would show up for a Facebook game and enjoy it. And I think we did a very good job of staying true to the vision of Dragon Age and the world that Bioware has created, and players responded. One of the best moments is whenever people comment on the game on Facebook or review it, they refer to us as Bioware. On one hand, I've spent the past two and a half years at this point helping to build EA2D, and I wish we stood on our own right. But on the other hand, Bioware is one of the most acclaimed game developers in the world. So, if people look at what we've done and say, 'Hey Bioware. Great job, but you really need to improve this and this,' it's kind of a badge of honor that they hold it to the same level of quality.
As for what needs improvement, the team is working in a software-as-service model, and we update the game every week with new quests, new features and bug fixes. Just yesterday we released a major new feature called 'Guilds,' and we plan on operating this game for a long time. So, I have a really deep road map of different features and improvements that the team is excited about. We have a year-long narrative outline that we worked with Bioware on. We just started teasing that, now that we have Guilds, we're going to do a Guild versus Guild arena system. So, there are really hundreds of ways that we want to improve to the game.
Why did you decide to go with not only a decidedly more hardcore play style, but such graphic animation?
That was the gamble, I guess: That gamers would-and not to disparage my fellow EA employees at Playfish or any other company-show up for a real game. And not an activity where there's no real meaningful choices; games that just reward you for showing up. So, we wanted to do a game that any hardcore gamer or Bioware fan would show up for.
By tapping into a mature theme and audience like that, we would never hit the 25 million daily players of a FarmVille, for instance. But the players that we did cater to would stay around longer and would pay more on average for micro-transactions, because when you buy a really cool sword or armor it's more meaningful and long lasting in its effects.
Dragon Age Legends Concept
During the development process, what was most difficult and why did it give you so much trouble?
The most difficult obstacle for us was the technology base. DAL might look like a Flash game, but it's actually built a lot more like an MMO, and we built all that tech from scratch. So, the game that you see is just the tip of the iceberg of a really impressive piece of technology that our systems and platform team here has built. And that platform was built with long-term investment for EA2D. I think there are a lot of hard lessons learned along the way as we built our team and technology. Now that it's in place, we're able to create some pretty incredible things like the mobile extension of DAL, which we're really proud of.
So, you mentioned a year-long road map--
(Laughs.) At least! That's the features we can think of now.
And that's impressive. You seem to want this game to stand on its own, so how do you plan to differentiate DAL from companion game to just Facebook game?
Part of our theory is that this will serve as a bridge game, or a game that bridges gamers from the release of the console product to downloadable packages. People can be playing this for weeks and weeks or potentially years and years in between releases of the core game from Bioware. It'll differentiate itself over time.
Better yet, is there any desire to link the two games in more meaningful ways like crossing plot lines or introducing characters from one game to the other?
We have hopes to do some deeper integration points than we have so far. I was very privileged to work with Dragon Age's lead designer when I crafted the story for DAL. And the two games were in development at the same time, so something that was important to me was to avoid any dependency.
There are two things I really wouldn't want to happen while we were both in development. One would be that [Bioware] changed something at the last minute story wise and all of a sudden a piece of our game doesn't make sense. What a harder case would be is that I never want to get a call from the Dragon Age team saying, 'Why would you invent this city?' (Laughs.) No Dragon Age product is non-canon, so making DAL parallel to Dragon Age 2 was very intentional and we hope to intersect those paths more meaningfully in the future.
Gallery: Dragon Age Legends on Facebook
More importantly, where do you see the future of companion games going on Facebook? How do you see the links between console games and their Facebook counterparts growing?
I imagine we'll see two different flavors of games. It's very clear when there's a Facebook game launch that really is a marketing ploy and not really a deep and meaningful game in any sense. I could point out examples of, but that would be kind of rude. Facebook advergames-I think those will continue to exist. I hope DAL paves the way for more meaningful companion games that live on their own, because there are other games I'd love to get little bite-sized pieces of everyday. I'm hopeful that the idea of a quick advergame will be marginalized.
You and me both, honestly. Now, some developers, like Naughty Dog, are integrating Facebook and YouTube right into their games like Uncharted 3. Is this the next point of collision for the two genres?
If it's built in a way that enhances the experience for players, that will be phenomenal. But if it's just functionality to post to your Facebook wall from within the game, that really only applies to a certain type of gamer who has a lot of gamer friends, frankly. I know how difficult it would be to do that level of deep integration between a console product and Facebook or anywhere on the web. A team really has to step up and not just pay lip service.
Dragon Age Legends Cinematic
Now, EA2D has created original social games before like, most recently, AWOL. Does DAL mark a move away from that or will we see more original games from the studio?
I would say it's not EA2D's mission to create companion games. It's our mission to make social games for gamers. There's equal passion around here to do both. We're not a marketing arm; we're a game developer in our own right, and I hope both more original games and companion games are in store for us in the future.
Now, I can't help myself but ask, 'Will EA2D ever make a 3D game on Facebook?'
(Laughs.) I was actually part of the conversation when we chose to call ourselves EA2D, and I was the one who put the name forward. Calling ourselves EA2D is not about the dimensions of the art in the games we're making. It's really about the frame of mind. [EA2D is] trying to hearken back to a golden era of EA when there was some really classic games we made, when it wasn't possible to amaze people with visuals and gameplay came first.
What do you think of Dragon Age Legends and its development process on Facebook? Do you see a future for more games like this on the platform?
Quote of the Moment: Thank Zelda for Zynga's big success
"[C]ompanies like Zynga, Playdom, and Playfish .... are tapping into the historic user experiences gamers obtained from systems like the Odyssey, Atari, and NES. Their look and feel is reminiscent of the 8-bit, low-fidelity standard of that earlier time, and their simple, but addictive style of gameplay recycles the interaction design models of original favorites like Asteroids and Zelda. [G]ames like Mafia Wars combine the nostalgic feeling of historic games like Dragon Warrior (1986) with the new frontier of social connectivity. This creates a very powerful psychological connection between users and, ultimately, a very large fan base."
Vador News' Bryan McClain says FarmVille-maker Zynga and its peers are harnessing the addictive power of classic game mechanics to fuel the social gaming revolution.
Do you think Zynga games like Mafia Wars and FarmVille are popular due to their simple game mechanics -- or does having a built-in social experience make all the difference?
Vador News' Bryan McClain says FarmVille-maker Zynga and its peers are harnessing the addictive power of classic game mechanics to fuel the social gaming revolution.
Do you think Zynga games like Mafia Wars and FarmVille are popular due to their simple game mechanics -- or does having a built-in social experience make all the difference?
Did FarmVille kill All My Children and One Life to Live?
It appears that Zynga and its FarmVille franchise have drawn middle-aged mothers' eyes from the TV set to the computer screen. AdWeek reports that ABC's imminent closure of both All My Children and One Life to Live is thanks to Zynga's 259 million fans of games like CityVille and FrontierVille. Both shows have been doomed to enternal rest this coming Sept., while Mark Pincus and crew have experienced record turnouts that blow these lunchtime serial dramas away.
AdWeek cites that between 2007 and 2011, the ratings for these two decades-old programs plummeted in the 25 to 54-year-old demographic. (Does that sound familiar?) All the while, the monthly player base for FarmVille peaked at 80 million in early 2010 and CityVille peaked at over 100 million players later that year. "Women at home used to have these virtual friends, these soap stars," Maria Bailey, author of Mom 3.0, said to AdWeek. "Now their virtual friends have come alive, and they don't need one-way conversations. I grew up on Susan Lucci, but Susan Lucci doesn't talk back to me."
While this is all, of course, speculation, the primary demographics for both soaps and social games do match almost exactly. Is it a coincidence that as Susan Lucci slowly drifted from the minds of mommies in their late 30s, a digital farm was there to fill the void? Possibly, but maybe ABC should have taken a cue from England's ATV.
AdWeek cites that between 2007 and 2011, the ratings for these two decades-old programs plummeted in the 25 to 54-year-old demographic. (Does that sound familiar?) All the while, the monthly player base for FarmVille peaked at 80 million in early 2010 and CityVille peaked at over 100 million players later that year. "Women at home used to have these virtual friends, these soap stars," Maria Bailey, author of Mom 3.0, said to AdWeek. "Now their virtual friends have come alive, and they don't need one-way conversations. I grew up on Susan Lucci, but Susan Lucci doesn't talk back to me."
While this is all, of course, speculation, the primary demographics for both soaps and social games do match almost exactly. Is it a coincidence that as Susan Lucci slowly drifted from the minds of mommies in their late 30s, a digital farm was there to fill the void? Possibly, but maybe ABC should have taken a cue from England's ATV.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Have FrontierVille's storage buildings ruined our chance of completing goals?
While at first glance, FrontierVille's newest Orchard and Big Barn storage options seem fantastic, there are a few bugs and issues that have already cropped up relating to their release. For one, it seems that due to a bug (or an oversight on Zynga's part), if you finish the completion of the upgrade to the Big Barn, you are unable to complete the Shower Goals for Captain Flintlock and his soldiers.
For one of Captain Flintlock's goals, you're asked to collect the Daily Bonus from the Barn five times. But what if you upgrade to the Big Barn? Guess what - your bonus collecting doesn't count. It makes sense, as technically you are collecting from a changed building, but in the process, users like myself are now finding themselves at a literal standstill, with the only option being to waste building materials, coins and wood to build a second barn just to collect its daily bonus.
What's more concerning though is what these animal and tree storage buildings are doing to the social aspects of goals - those that require you to visit neighbors' homesteads to tend animals or trees. As an example, in the Big Barn Goal series, you are asked to "Tend 20 Neighbor Apple Trees." I personally found this normally simple task to be an incredibly time consuming one, as traveling from Homestead to Homestead, I found that all of my friends had stored every Apple Tree in their Orchard, and with no way for me to interact with it, I had to move on. It was only after traveling to the Homesteads of friends who have long quit playing the game that I was able to finish.
This could wind up being the case for most every animal and every tree in the game, and will only become worse as time wears on and more and more players finish their Orchards or Animal Storage buildings. Unless Zynga adds a way for users to interact with the items inside our friends' buildings, you'll need to rely on non-playing friends to accomplish most tasks (but isn't the entire point of social games to play games with neighbors that are active?). Either that, or hope that some of your friends are kind enough to pull animals or trees out of their storage buildings when they know a quest like that is active.
Even then, we shouldn't have to do that, should we? Yes, the idea of teamwork would have you remove cows or oxen from the Big Barn when you know your friends will come looking for them, but it's still a step that I believe shouldn't be necessary in the first place. More free space on our land is great, but when we can't simply pass the game's many goals to make any progress, suddenly that extra space doesn't seem so important.
Have you started to have any issues when visiting friends, and not finding the items you need to tend for quests? Would you like Zynga to add a way to interact with animals in your friends' buildings, or should they simply stop requiring us to tend our friends' animals and trees?
For one of Captain Flintlock's goals, you're asked to collect the Daily Bonus from the Barn five times. But what if you upgrade to the Big Barn? Guess what - your bonus collecting doesn't count. It makes sense, as technically you are collecting from a changed building, but in the process, users like myself are now finding themselves at a literal standstill, with the only option being to waste building materials, coins and wood to build a second barn just to collect its daily bonus.
What's more concerning though is what these animal and tree storage buildings are doing to the social aspects of goals - those that require you to visit neighbors' homesteads to tend animals or trees. As an example, in the Big Barn Goal series, you are asked to "Tend 20 Neighbor Apple Trees." I personally found this normally simple task to be an incredibly time consuming one, as traveling from Homestead to Homestead, I found that all of my friends had stored every Apple Tree in their Orchard, and with no way for me to interact with it, I had to move on. It was only after traveling to the Homesteads of friends who have long quit playing the game that I was able to finish.
This could wind up being the case for most every animal and every tree in the game, and will only become worse as time wears on and more and more players finish their Orchards or Animal Storage buildings. Unless Zynga adds a way for users to interact with the items inside our friends' buildings, you'll need to rely on non-playing friends to accomplish most tasks (but isn't the entire point of social games to play games with neighbors that are active?). Either that, or hope that some of your friends are kind enough to pull animals or trees out of their storage buildings when they know a quest like that is active.
Even then, we shouldn't have to do that, should we? Yes, the idea of teamwork would have you remove cows or oxen from the Big Barn when you know your friends will come looking for them, but it's still a step that I believe shouldn't be necessary in the first place. More free space on our land is great, but when we can't simply pass the game's many goals to make any progress, suddenly that extra space doesn't seem so important.
Have you started to have any issues when visiting friends, and not finding the items you need to tend for quests? Would you like Zynga to add a way to interact with animals in your friends' buildings, or should they simply stop requiring us to tend our friends' animals and trees?
Game of the Day: Aerial Mahjong
The Game of the Day calls for us to take the air and solve puzzles. Aerial Mahjong: Make your way through all of Aerial Mahjong's fascinating levels and solve all the riddles to find the mighty mage and earn a magnificent gift! As you match tiles and solve puzzles in the mystical land of Aerial, you'll encounter unique and different challenges, secret bonuses and earthquakes that mix things up a bit.
Click --> Play Aerial Mahjong
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click --> Play Aerial Mahjong
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Activision's Call of Duty Elite Service: Soldier-slayer goes social
As Zynga reportedly nears an IPO that could shatter the games industry, Activision has released a bomb of a retaliation. (And no, it's not thanks to World of Warcraft.) Activision Blizzard, the number one games publisher globally, has unveiled Call of Duty Elite, a subscription-based social network for CoD players. While the pricing hasn't even been discussed yet, a self-respecting CoD fan might want to start paying up when this feature, developed by Activision's new Beachhead Studio, releases Nov. 8 in conjunction with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 release date.
The service exists on the Web and soon after will be available through iOS and Android OS among other mobile devices. But what's most significant is that it involves an overarching stat tracking system that will reward players with virtual and physical prizes like in-game badges and even a Jeep Wrangler. The service will also serve as the ultimate repository for all things CoD--maps, tactics, guides, chat rooms, you name it.
Then, all of this information is transmittable via a Facebook or Twitter-like News Feed time line of all your registered friends. Judging from Activision's press release, it's essentially Facebook for Call of Duty, but let's hold absolute judgment until it officially releases. But beyond CoD MW3, the Elite service will exist, recording your previous performance history much like Halo Waypoint.
However, the comparison simply cannot be ignored when Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing says, "The average Call of Duty player spends 58 minutes per day playing multiplayer. That is more than the average Facebook user spends per day on Facebook. And yet, right now, there are very few tools to unite and super charge that social community."
The effect of Facebook (and its dastardly games) is having visible effects on how traditional developers release their games, especially with features designed to somewhat emulate social games and networks. With developers like Naughty Dog doing similar things to its hit Uncharted franchise, it's exciting to imagine who else might come out with social game-esque features this year--any wagers?
Have you read the previews of this new feature? Do you think this is how traditional developers will respond to the encroachment of Zynga and Facebook games?
The service exists on the Web and soon after will be available through iOS and Android OS among other mobile devices. But what's most significant is that it involves an overarching stat tracking system that will reward players with virtual and physical prizes like in-game badges and even a Jeep Wrangler. The service will also serve as the ultimate repository for all things CoD--maps, tactics, guides, chat rooms, you name it.
Then, all of this information is transmittable via a Facebook or Twitter-like News Feed time line of all your registered friends. Judging from Activision's press release, it's essentially Facebook for Call of Duty, but let's hold absolute judgment until it officially releases. But beyond CoD MW3, the Elite service will exist, recording your previous performance history much like Halo Waypoint.
However, the comparison simply cannot be ignored when Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing says, "The average Call of Duty player spends 58 minutes per day playing multiplayer. That is more than the average Facebook user spends per day on Facebook. And yet, right now, there are very few tools to unite and super charge that social community."
The effect of Facebook (and its dastardly games) is having visible effects on how traditional developers release their games, especially with features designed to somewhat emulate social games and networks. With developers like Naughty Dog doing similar things to its hit Uncharted franchise, it's exciting to imagine who else might come out with social game-esque features this year--any wagers?
Have you read the previews of this new feature? Do you think this is how traditional developers will respond to the encroachment of Zynga and Facebook games?
Diamond Dash-maker Wooga raises $24M, signs to Appatyze with RockYou
Wooga Diamond Dash
Wooga and RockYou must be on Cloud Nine right now, having Entourage-style parties on New York rooftops. (At least I would after this news.) The two biggest up-and-coming social game developers, RockYou and Wooga, have signed onto Appatyze, the social games advertisement auction service and cross-application bar invested in by our friend Ian Livingstone. Not to mention that Berlin-based Wooga has reported that it has raised $24 million in capital funding from investors like Highland Capital Partners, Tenaya Capital and more.
Appatyze allows developers to sign up for free (for now), install the cross-application bar into their Facebook game, and promote their own game across colleague's Appatyze bar and vise versa. However, developers sell the ad space above their game to the highest bidder, which creates an open market for trading ad space and increasing value. The advertising dollars exist within the network and grow there, in theory.
As of this writing, Appatyze is allowing all beta testers to receive 100 percent revenue from ad sales, which when the service goes live it will charge an Apple App Store-like fee of 20 percent of all revenue. It's a strategic move by both Wooga, which was recently ranked the fourth-largest social game developer, and RockYou, which signed two Loot Drop games courtesy of John Romero. We'll see soon enough whether Appatyze leads to more money generated in social games outside of the almighty Zynga, and hopefully bring more variety into the space.
[Image Credit: Wooga]
Do you Appatyze is an answer to game discovery and profitability woes on Facebook? Could this be what allows small-time social game developers the financial clout to compete with Zynga?
Wooga and RockYou must be on Cloud Nine right now, having Entourage-style parties on New York rooftops. (At least I would after this news.) The two biggest up-and-coming social game developers, RockYou and Wooga, have signed onto Appatyze, the social games advertisement auction service and cross-application bar invested in by our friend Ian Livingstone. Not to mention that Berlin-based Wooga has reported that it has raised $24 million in capital funding from investors like Highland Capital Partners, Tenaya Capital and more.
Appatyze allows developers to sign up for free (for now), install the cross-application bar into their Facebook game, and promote their own game across colleague's Appatyze bar and vise versa. However, developers sell the ad space above their game to the highest bidder, which creates an open market for trading ad space and increasing value. The advertising dollars exist within the network and grow there, in theory.
As of this writing, Appatyze is allowing all beta testers to receive 100 percent revenue from ad sales, which when the service goes live it will charge an Apple App Store-like fee of 20 percent of all revenue. It's a strategic move by both Wooga, which was recently ranked the fourth-largest social game developer, and RockYou, which signed two Loot Drop games courtesy of John Romero. We'll see soon enough whether Appatyze leads to more money generated in social games outside of the almighty Zynga, and hopefully bring more variety into the space.
[Image Credit: Wooga]
Do you Appatyze is an answer to game discovery and profitability woes on Facebook? Could this be what allows small-time social game developers the financial clout to compete with Zynga?
FarmVille player scammed out of $400 -- is Zynga really to blame?
Over the Memorial Day weekend, we reported on a FarmVille player who was scammed out of $400. Here's how it went down: The player received an instant message from a FarmVille 'friend' (or someone she thought was a FarmVille friend), which contained a link.
Contrary to common sense, the victim clicked on the link, and -- wouldn't you know it -- the other party snagged all of her credit card information. Soon she was out $400. Instead of blaming the person who send the link, this FarmVille player has pointed the finger at FarmVille creator Zynga, demanding that the company refund her stolen cash.
What do you think? Is Zynga to blame in this case? Sound off in our Lunchtime Poll below:
FarmVille scam: Is Zynga to blame?
Yes, Zynga should return all of her moneyNo way, Zynga is not to blame
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Contrary to common sense, the victim clicked on the link, and -- wouldn't you know it -- the other party snagged all of her credit card information. Soon she was out $400. Instead of blaming the person who send the link, this FarmVille player has pointed the finger at FarmVille creator Zynga, demanding that the company refund her stolen cash.
What do you think? Is Zynga to blame in this case? Sound off in our Lunchtime Poll below:
FarmVille scam: Is Zynga to blame?
Yes, Zynga should return all of her moneyNo way, Zynga is not to blame
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
PopCap's Plants vs. Zombies for Android is free on Amazon today
For lack of a better word: yay. The deservedly-famous Plants vs. Zombies from PopCap is available now on Android. Better yet, it's free! That's right, download the game through Amazon and pay absolutely nothing for the next 12 hours or so. This cool deal, which you can find right here, comes from a promotion PopCap orchestrated with the online retailer to release the Android edition of this hit game. It's not until after two weeks that PvZ will be available anywhere else than Amazon. Even if you miss the free WiFi-only download today, it'll only cost $2.99 after that, which ain't bad at all for one of the best pocket games, um, ever.
Update: PopCap also reminded us in a press release that an update to the iPhone version of PvZ will go live on June 2.
[Via Twitter]
[Image Credit: PopCap]
Have you picked up your free PvZ for Android yet? Which method of download do you prefer for your Android games?
Update: PopCap also reminded us in a press release that an update to the iPhone version of PvZ will go live on June 2.
[Via Twitter]
[Image Credit: PopCap]
Have you picked up your free PvZ for Android yet? Which method of download do you prefer for your Android games?
Friday, December 23, 2011
FarmVille: Another Birthday Gift comes to the free gifts page way too late
So, the FarmVille second birthday celebration may be long over, but it seems like Zynga forgot to release one of the free Birthday Gifts while it was still going on. You see, a fourth Birthday Gift has appeared on the game's free gifts page, but the gifts inside seem to just be re-releases of other things we've already been able to stock up on.
If, for whatever reason, you still want more Rainbow Apple Trees, Party Ducks, or Birthday Fireworks, you can once again send and ask for these mystery Birthday Gifts to/from friends. Here's the complete list of confirmed possible prizes, according to FVNation.
Durian Tree
Birthday Sheep
Arjuna Tree
B-Day Fireworks
Heart Teddy
Rainbow Apple Tree
Bottle
Party Duck
No Love Potions have been found so far, which lessens the value of these boxes even more, if we're being honest. There's no telling how long this gift will be available to send, so make sure to do so fast if you know of friends who still need any of these items.
What do you think of this newest Birthday Gift? Do you already have plenty of all of the items inside?
If, for whatever reason, you still want more Rainbow Apple Trees, Party Ducks, or Birthday Fireworks, you can once again send and ask for these mystery Birthday Gifts to/from friends. Here's the complete list of confirmed possible prizes, according to FVNation.
Durian Tree
Birthday Sheep
Arjuna Tree
B-Day Fireworks
Heart Teddy
Rainbow Apple Tree
Bottle
Party Duck
No Love Potions have been found so far, which lessens the value of these boxes even more, if we're being honest. There's no telling how long this gift will be available to send, so make sure to do so fast if you know of friends who still need any of these items.
What do you think of this newest Birthday Gift? Do you already have plenty of all of the items inside?
FarmVille: Have fun in the sun with new Summer items
If you thought the Sand Castle would be the only mention of summer in FarmVille, think again. A whole set of limited edition decorations and animals has launched in the game's store this evening, and guess what? They're in a new Summer theme. Actually, saying that these items are entirely "new" might be a bit of a stretch, as some are re-releases, but there are plenty of truly new items for those keeping score. Here's a look at what's available.
Animals:
Hula Pig - 14 Farm Cash
Beach Ball Ewe - 15 Farm Cash
If you're wondering why the Ewe is so cheap, it's because it happens to be on sale for a limited time. The full price is 20 Farm Cash, so make sure to snag this one at a discounted price if you're at all interested. Also, the Hula Pig was originally released last July, so if you're an animal collector, make sure you don't already have one before shelling out the 14 Farm Cash for another.
Buildings:
Summer Cottage - 20 Farm Cash
This item is on sale too, down from what will be its normal price of 25 Farm Cash.
Decorations:
Beach Gnome - 10 Farm Cash
Beach Chair Set - 20,000 coins
Mini Beach - 16 Farm Cash
Surfboard - 10,000 coins
Surf Shack - 18 Farm Cash
Summer Swing - 100,000 coins
Take note: the Surf Shack, Surfboard and Mini Beach were all released previously in the game's Island Event, so watch out for accidentally purchasing duplicates. Also take note of the Beach Gnome's sale price - the price will increase to 15 Farm Cash in the future so shop now if you're interested.
Since this theme is borrowing so heavily from the previously released (and retired) Island theme, does this mean that we'll see other items make a return as well? Perhaps a few of the Tiki-themed huts or masks? We'll make sure to let you know either way, so keep checking back.
Did you already have all of these re-released items on your farm, or are you just picking them up for the first time now? Which other summer-themed items would you like to see make a comeback?
Animals:
Hula Pig - 14 Farm Cash
Beach Ball Ewe - 15 Farm Cash
If you're wondering why the Ewe is so cheap, it's because it happens to be on sale for a limited time. The full price is 20 Farm Cash, so make sure to snag this one at a discounted price if you're at all interested. Also, the Hula Pig was originally released last July, so if you're an animal collector, make sure you don't already have one before shelling out the 14 Farm Cash for another.
Buildings:
Summer Cottage - 20 Farm Cash
This item is on sale too, down from what will be its normal price of 25 Farm Cash.
Decorations:
Beach Gnome - 10 Farm Cash
Beach Chair Set - 20,000 coins
Mini Beach - 16 Farm Cash
Surfboard - 10,000 coins
Surf Shack - 18 Farm Cash
Summer Swing - 100,000 coins
Take note: the Surf Shack, Surfboard and Mini Beach were all released previously in the game's Island Event, so watch out for accidentally purchasing duplicates. Also take note of the Beach Gnome's sale price - the price will increase to 15 Farm Cash in the future so shop now if you're interested.
Since this theme is borrowing so heavily from the previously released (and retired) Island theme, does this mean that we'll see other items make a return as well? Perhaps a few of the Tiki-themed huts or masks? We'll make sure to let you know either way, so keep checking back.
Did you already have all of these re-released items on your farm, or are you just picking them up for the first time now? Which other summer-themed items would you like to see make a comeback?
FarmVille Mexico Trees: Pink and White Plumeria Trees on sale for a limited time
If you're a tree farmer in FarmVille, or you just happen to love a good sale (c'mon, who doesn't?), you'll be happy to know that those two things have combined in FarmVille this evening, as Zynga has released two new trees in the limited edition Mexico item theme that are also on sale.
The Pink Plumeria Tree is the level one tree in this new pair, and it costs just 3 Farm Cash (down from the original price of 5 Farm Cash). As for its partner, the White Plumeria Tree, you can either skip purchasing it altogether in favor of earning one or more through Mystery Seedlings, or you can buy one for 7 Farm Cash, which is down from what will be its normal price of 10 Farm Cash.
While these trees are marked as being available in the game's store for the next two weeks, we can't imagine that the sale price will last that long, so make sure to shop fast to be guaranteed the savings. If you're interested in mastering these two beauties, the first star is available after 75 harvests, which falls in line with basically every other tree released in recent memory.
Will you purchase both of these trees while they're on sale, or will you still stick with just purchasing the Pink Plumeria and resorted to Mystery Seedlings for the White Plumeria tree?
The Pink Plumeria Tree is the level one tree in this new pair, and it costs just 3 Farm Cash (down from the original price of 5 Farm Cash). As for its partner, the White Plumeria Tree, you can either skip purchasing it altogether in favor of earning one or more through Mystery Seedlings, or you can buy one for 7 Farm Cash, which is down from what will be its normal price of 10 Farm Cash.
While these trees are marked as being available in the game's store for the next two weeks, we can't imagine that the sale price will last that long, so make sure to shop fast to be guaranteed the savings. If you're interested in mastering these two beauties, the first star is available after 75 harvests, which falls in line with basically every other tree released in recent memory.
Will you purchase both of these trees while they're on sale, or will you still stick with just purchasing the Pink Plumeria and resorted to Mystery Seedlings for the White Plumeria tree?
FarmVille: Mexico clothing items ready your avatar for a fiesta
If you've been enjoying the limited edition Mexico item theme in FarmVille has much as I have, you'll be happy to know that additional clothing items have been released for your in-game avatar. What Mexican fiesta would be complete without a Sombrero? Well, if you're not willing to spend 10 Farm Cash on a complete Charro Costume (which comes with one), you can now fill that void with a single Sombrero Hat, available to purchase for just a single Farm Cash.
If you're a soccer fan instead, you can purchase one of two jerseys, both called the "Mexico Soccer" jersey, for 5 Farm Cash each. The only different between the two is the color; one is black, gray and white, while the other is green, red and white.
If you're not sure whether these items are for you, remember that you can try any of them on in the store before buying, and also rest assured that you have a full two weeks to shop if you need time to make up your mind. Just remember to shop eventually - don't be like me and forget they exist altogether (trust me, that's not fun).
Will you deck your avatar out with any of these three new clothing items? What do you think of the massive size of the Sombrero Hat? Should the item be smaller, to fit the small scale of the avatar, or is it fine the way it is?
If you're a soccer fan instead, you can purchase one of two jerseys, both called the "Mexico Soccer" jersey, for 5 Farm Cash each. The only different between the two is the color; one is black, gray and white, while the other is green, red and white.
If you're not sure whether these items are for you, remember that you can try any of them on in the store before buying, and also rest assured that you have a full two weeks to shop if you need time to make up your mind. Just remember to shop eventually - don't be like me and forget they exist altogether (trust me, that's not fun).
Will you deck your avatar out with any of these three new clothing items? What do you think of the massive size of the Sombrero Hat? Should the item be smaller, to fit the small scale of the avatar, or is it fine the way it is?
FarmVille Mexico Items: Aztec Duck, Beach Villa, Beach Rock Arch and more
While tonight may have seen the official launch of the Summer limited edition item theme in FarmVille, it also saw a continuation of the now long-running Mexico item theme. Tonight's release sees the addition of new animals, buildings and decorations to the game's store, on top of new trees and clothing items for your in-game avatar. Here's a look at what's available.
Animals:
Aztec Duck - 12 Farm Cash
Jaguar Cub - 12 Farm Cash
Pay special attention to both of these animals. If their prices seem lower than "normal," that's because both have been released on sale. While it would have been great to see a greater discount on both, they will both eventually cost 16 Farm Cash, so I suppose we have to take the slight savings where we can get it.
Buildings:
Beach Villa - 20 Farm Cash
Mayan Thatched - 250,000 coins
Again, this item is another that's currently on sale. The original price will be 25 Farm Cash, so hey - we've saved 13 Farm Cash so far (assuming you purchase all three of these items). That's at least enough for a few trees.
Decorations:
Mexico Beach - 4 Farm Cash
Mexico Beach II - 30,000 coins
Thatched Shelter - 50,000 coins
Mexico Beach IV - 30,000 coins
Mexico Cactus - 8,000 coins
Cactus Hedge - 5,000 coins
Beach Rock Arch - 3 Farm Cash
Mexico Beach III - 50,000 coins
These Mexico Beach items are similar to items like train tracks or mote pieces, in that they're pieces of a beach that can be put together for an optical illusion on your farm. It should be noted though that as of this writing, Mexico Beach II and III seem to be a bit bugged, and will show up as invisible in the game's store. You can view them full size by clicking on the Preview button, however, and they can be purchased as normal. As for the other items, Mexico Beach and the Beach Rock Arch are both on sale, down from their eventual prices of 7 and 5 Farm Cash each, respectively.
If you're having a hard time thinking of what to do with these items (especially if you're only purchasing those available for coins), remember that many of the Wild West items actually look perfect when placed alongside them. Combine those two themes into one larger area on your farm, and you'll really have something to impress your neighbors.
Have you been keeping up with the Mexico item theme in FarmVille? Do you have any decorating tips for your fellow farmers? Which of these items is your favorite?
Animals:
Aztec Duck - 12 Farm Cash
Jaguar Cub - 12 Farm Cash
Pay special attention to both of these animals. If their prices seem lower than "normal," that's because both have been released on sale. While it would have been great to see a greater discount on both, they will both eventually cost 16 Farm Cash, so I suppose we have to take the slight savings where we can get it.
Buildings:
Beach Villa - 20 Farm Cash
Mayan Thatched - 250,000 coins
Again, this item is another that's currently on sale. The original price will be 25 Farm Cash, so hey - we've saved 13 Farm Cash so far (assuming you purchase all three of these items). That's at least enough for a few trees.
Decorations:
Mexico Beach - 4 Farm Cash
Mexico Beach II - 30,000 coins
Thatched Shelter - 50,000 coins
Mexico Beach IV - 30,000 coins
Mexico Cactus - 8,000 coins
Cactus Hedge - 5,000 coins
Beach Rock Arch - 3 Farm Cash
Mexico Beach III - 50,000 coins
These Mexico Beach items are similar to items like train tracks or mote pieces, in that they're pieces of a beach that can be put together for an optical illusion on your farm. It should be noted though that as of this writing, Mexico Beach II and III seem to be a bit bugged, and will show up as invisible in the game's store. You can view them full size by clicking on the Preview button, however, and they can be purchased as normal. As for the other items, Mexico Beach and the Beach Rock Arch are both on sale, down from their eventual prices of 7 and 5 Farm Cash each, respectively.
If you're having a hard time thinking of what to do with these items (especially if you're only purchasing those available for coins), remember that many of the Wild West items actually look perfect when placed alongside them. Combine those two themes into one larger area on your farm, and you'll really have something to impress your neighbors.
Have you been keeping up with the Mexico item theme in FarmVille? Do you have any decorating tips for your fellow farmers? Which of these items is your favorite?
Nintendo Wii U will arrive after April 1, better start saving now
Seriously, this thing is will not be cheap. During an interview with Forbes, Nintendo of America COO Reggie Fils-Aime said that its much-awaited Wii U console will not arrive until after April 1 of next year.
When asked about how Nintendo plans to market both the new console and its existing Wii at the same time, Fils-Aime said, "This is a device that will launch in 2012, after April 1st, so we will deal with that situation at the appropriate time."
The exec went on to further deny any rumors that the Wii U controller, a slate with several buttons surrounding a 6.2-inch touch screen, is a tablet. (Well, you kind of had to expect these questions, guys.) But more importantly, Fils-Aime revealed some interesting potential in the Wii U. When asked about whether the system can stream other content than games to the tiny screen wirelessly, specifically Netflix, he replied, "Theoretically, that's possible."
Nintendo recently revealed that it has big plans for the Wii U's approach to online gaming, namely social features. But in this interview, the company stated that it will largely leave online gaming up to its third party publishers with a platform that will change from game to game. Regardless of this loose end among others (like whether its price will scare casual gamers away), that little screen just became even more impossible to wait for.
[Via TechCrunch]
What are you most excited about when it comes to the Wii U? Do you think it will do as well as the original Wii did with its potentially steep price?
When asked about how Nintendo plans to market both the new console and its existing Wii at the same time, Fils-Aime said, "This is a device that will launch in 2012, after April 1st, so we will deal with that situation at the appropriate time."
The exec went on to further deny any rumors that the Wii U controller, a slate with several buttons surrounding a 6.2-inch touch screen, is a tablet. (Well, you kind of had to expect these questions, guys.) But more importantly, Fils-Aime revealed some interesting potential in the Wii U. When asked about whether the system can stream other content than games to the tiny screen wirelessly, specifically Netflix, he replied, "Theoretically, that's possible."
Nintendo recently revealed that it has big plans for the Wii U's approach to online gaming, namely social features. But in this interview, the company stated that it will largely leave online gaming up to its third party publishers with a platform that will change from game to game. Regardless of this loose end among others (like whether its price will scare casual gamers away), that little screen just became even more impossible to wait for.
[Via TechCrunch]
What are you most excited about when it comes to the Wii U? Do you think it will do as well as the original Wii did with its potentially steep price?
Upgrading the CityVille Clerk's Office: Everything you need to know
With the way Zynga's going, there won't be any more buildings to give nifty upgrades to in CityVille. The next building to get a boost is the Clerk's Office, and thankfully there's an interesting purpose to upgrading this time around.
When you reach Level 2 with this structure, you will be allowed to rename any of your Businesses at any time ... for free. Alright, so it's not huge, but it's still pretty dang cool, no? At any rate, on with the guide.
Once you reach Level 15 and have a Clerk's Office, clicking on the building should open the familiar upgrade window. This is where you'll need to enlist your friends' help in acquiring the following items:
3 Staplers
8 Ink Pads
3 Paper Weights
3 Pencil Sharpeners
8 Manila Folders
Of course, you're also open to send these gifts to your friends through this menu window, which might increase your chances of receiving these items in return. Once you finish finding these materials, your Clerk's Office will support 300 Population and allow you to rename Businesses at any time for zero cost.
CityVille Clerk's Office Menu
In order to upgrade to a Level 3 Clerk's Office, you must collect the daily bonus from the Level 2 version of the building. The next level will require much of the same materials, likely in larger numbers, which you should already know how to get your hands on. The Level 3 Clerk's Office offers support for 400 Population, and features a fancy new design.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Clerk's Office yet? What do you plan on renaming your Businesses?
When you reach Level 2 with this structure, you will be allowed to rename any of your Businesses at any time ... for free. Alright, so it's not huge, but it's still pretty dang cool, no? At any rate, on with the guide.
Once you reach Level 15 and have a Clerk's Office, clicking on the building should open the familiar upgrade window. This is where you'll need to enlist your friends' help in acquiring the following items:
3 Staplers
8 Ink Pads
3 Paper Weights
3 Pencil Sharpeners
8 Manila Folders
Of course, you're also open to send these gifts to your friends through this menu window, which might increase your chances of receiving these items in return. Once you finish finding these materials, your Clerk's Office will support 300 Population and allow you to rename Businesses at any time for zero cost.
CityVille Clerk's Office Menu
In order to upgrade to a Level 3 Clerk's Office, you must collect the daily bonus from the Level 2 version of the building. The next level will require much of the same materials, likely in larger numbers, which you should already know how to get your hands on. The Level 3 Clerk's Office offers support for 400 Population, and features a fancy new design.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Clerk's Office yet? What do you plan on renaming your Businesses?
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
CityVille: New Free Gift with City Cash purchase items now available
The "Free Gift with Purchase" has been updated in CityVille, giving players a chance to purchase one of three City Cash packages to receive not only said City Cash, but a free building, decoration, etc. in return. This offer has started rolling around to all players, so make sure to look out for it when you login.
With these sorts of promotions, there are a few ground rules to keep in mind: You will only earn one of the following three prizes by purchasing Farm Cash from the announcement menu that will appear in your game in the near future. Purchasing City Cash by clicking on "Adds coins & cash" will not reward you with any of these items, and this also doesn't apply to the redemption of Zynga Game Cards. Finally, you must be level six to receive these deals. Phew, now that that's out of the way, let's look at the new items up for grabs:
$5 - 40 City Cash a Kitty Play Park (17% payout bonus)
$20 - 179 City Cash and Beach Apartment Building (name may change)
$50 - 465 City Cash and a Winery / Vineyard
Again, this offer will only be available for a matter of days or even hours once it rolls around to you, so plan ahead as to whether or not you're going to make a purchase. Is $50 a lot to ask for the third package? Absolutely, but if you've got the money to spare, and don't want to have to worry about running out of City Cash anytime soon, it doesn't hurt to keep it in mind.
Will you purchase any of these three packages when the offer rolls around to you, or would you rather save your money for when City Cash in general goes on sale?
With these sorts of promotions, there are a few ground rules to keep in mind: You will only earn one of the following three prizes by purchasing Farm Cash from the announcement menu that will appear in your game in the near future. Purchasing City Cash by clicking on "Adds coins & cash" will not reward you with any of these items, and this also doesn't apply to the redemption of Zynga Game Cards. Finally, you must be level six to receive these deals. Phew, now that that's out of the way, let's look at the new items up for grabs:
$5 - 40 City Cash a Kitty Play Park (17% payout bonus)
$20 - 179 City Cash and Beach Apartment Building (name may change)
$50 - 465 City Cash and a Winery / Vineyard
Again, this offer will only be available for a matter of days or even hours once it rolls around to you, so plan ahead as to whether or not you're going to make a purchase. Is $50 a lot to ask for the third package? Absolutely, but if you've got the money to spare, and don't want to have to worry about running out of City Cash anytime soon, it doesn't hurt to keep it in mind.
Will you purchase any of these three packages when the offer rolls around to you, or would you rather save your money for when City Cash in general goes on sale?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Add neighbors without being Facebook friends
Back at the end of July, Zynga launched a fan survey concerning potential new features to FarmVille, many of which dealt with expanding our neighbor lists without having to add dozens of complete strangers as friends on Facebook. Well, it turns out that that specific idea is currently being worked on, as a new loading screen tells us just that:
"Coming Soon: Farmville Friends! Add neighbors without becoming Facebook friends!"
If done correctly, this new feature will simply allow us to add as many active, friendly farmers as neighbors as we'd like, without having to open ourselves up for full-on Facebook friend requests. While many players have secondary accounts they use just for gaming, due to the lack of privacy they may feel when interacting with these random players, if you're the kind that has blocked off certain areas of your profile to these sorts of people, you won't have to anymore, which is a great thing!
Again, in theory, this new feature will allow us to retain all of the friendship perks we enjoy now, but I do wonder how news feed posts will be handled. That is, if Jane Doe posts a free Mystery Seedling, but is only a FarmVille friend and not a true Facebook friend, how will I be able to claim it, or will I be able to claim it at all? There's still a lot up in the air about this new ability, but it looks like it could be one of the more positive updates to hit the game in some time (I hope). We'll make sure to bring you more details on this new feature as we know more.
For now, let us know what you think of this future feature in the comments. Will you expand your FarmVille neighbors list by dozens of farmers, or just a few? What other Facebook games would you like to see this feature released for?
"Coming Soon: Farmville Friends! Add neighbors without becoming Facebook friends!"
If done correctly, this new feature will simply allow us to add as many active, friendly farmers as neighbors as we'd like, without having to open ourselves up for full-on Facebook friend requests. While many players have secondary accounts they use just for gaming, due to the lack of privacy they may feel when interacting with these random players, if you're the kind that has blocked off certain areas of your profile to these sorts of people, you won't have to anymore, which is a great thing!
Again, in theory, this new feature will allow us to retain all of the friendship perks we enjoy now, but I do wonder how news feed posts will be handled. That is, if Jane Doe posts a free Mystery Seedling, but is only a FarmVille friend and not a true Facebook friend, how will I be able to claim it, or will I be able to claim it at all? There's still a lot up in the air about this new ability, but it looks like it could be one of the more positive updates to hit the game in some time (I hope). We'll make sure to bring you more details on this new feature as we know more.
For now, let us know what you think of this future feature in the comments. Will you expand your FarmVille neighbors list by dozens of farmers, or just a few? What other Facebook games would you like to see this feature released for?
Sony Extreme Makeover: PlayStation Home Edition: Home gets social
Sony might want to consider this golden marketing opportunity for its new-and-improved PlayStation Home. The virtual world hub that exists in the PlayStation 3 on the PlayStation Network will soon become a hub for social games, VentureBeat reports.
Since its launch in 2008, the service boasts a healthy 23 million users. But virtual worlds aren't exactly in right now, and director of PlayStation Home Jack Buser thinks it's time to adapt with a heavier focus on--what else--the games.
"We are going to 'up level' games as the heart of PlayStation Home," Buser told VentureBeat. "This means that Home itself is going to become a game. The first things you see when you get into Home are games."
This new version of Home, said to release this fall, will include large-scale group play games in addition to the avatar features it already offers. However, Home will also serve as a meta game, according to VentureBeat, that will track points earned from in-game achievements.
The "social" part--which we imagine won't reach past Home users--seems to come in when Home will ask players to team up for group objectives within games. And while all games will be accessible from the Home hub, the service will also have areas that are thematic with different genres.
PlayStation Home revision
For instance, users will find all of the action games in a territory known as the Action District that looks like something out of Grand Theft Auto, while arcade and carnival-style games will be found in a waterfront boardwalk area called Pier Park. While according to VentureBeat, Home already houses 230 games, this update will make those (and new) games the number one emphasis. Sony's certainly playing it smart to keep Home relevant in the age of Facebook games, but Home on the upcoming PS Vita could certainly seal the deal for many on the fence about the handheld--fingers crossed!
[Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Do you think Sony could bring Home to even more users with this new focus? What do you think of the service as it is now?
Since its launch in 2008, the service boasts a healthy 23 million users. But virtual worlds aren't exactly in right now, and director of PlayStation Home Jack Buser thinks it's time to adapt with a heavier focus on--what else--the games.
"We are going to 'up level' games as the heart of PlayStation Home," Buser told VentureBeat. "This means that Home itself is going to become a game. The first things you see when you get into Home are games."
This new version of Home, said to release this fall, will include large-scale group play games in addition to the avatar features it already offers. However, Home will also serve as a meta game, according to VentureBeat, that will track points earned from in-game achievements.
The "social" part--which we imagine won't reach past Home users--seems to come in when Home will ask players to team up for group objectives within games. And while all games will be accessible from the Home hub, the service will also have areas that are thematic with different genres.
PlayStation Home revision
For instance, users will find all of the action games in a territory known as the Action District that looks like something out of Grand Theft Auto, while arcade and carnival-style games will be found in a waterfront boardwalk area called Pier Park. While according to VentureBeat, Home already houses 230 games, this update will make those (and new) games the number one emphasis. Sony's certainly playing it smart to keep Home relevant in the age of Facebook games, but Home on the upcoming PS Vita could certainly seal the deal for many on the fence about the handheld--fingers crossed!
[Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Do you think Sony could bring Home to even more users with this new focus? What do you think of the service as it is now?
A Nintendo 3DS revamp is in the works with ... less 3D? [Rumor]
First, Nintendo cuts the price of its new handheld nearly in half. Now, the company is reportedly looking to cut the thing that makes its 3DS unique ... the 3D. French gaming news website 01Net reports, citing insider sources, that the Big N is working on an overhaul to the 3DS that "radically tones down" the system's 3D capabilities, according to Eurogamer. Like all reports citing anonymous sources, this news deserves a certain amount of skepticism, though Eurogamer points out 01Net's track record.
According to Eurogamer, 01Net broke the news of Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PS Vita hardware specifications before either console was even announced. The French website also reports that the company is regretful that it never added a second analog joystick to the 3DS, and that it will soon release a detachable one for about $10. Furthermore, Nintendo has reportedly asked a number of developers to work on games to make use of the upcoming peripheral.
The 01Net report goes on to say that this new version of the 3DS will release sometime in 2012, and could dramatically rebrand the handheld console entirely. According to the report, the recent $80 price cut made by Nintendo was not only in response to poor sales, but to clear stock of the original 3DS to make way for this new model.
However, we're not 100 percent sure 3D is what held the Nintendo 3DS back from being the absolute hit its predecessor was. For one, the system launched with little support from Nintendo staples like Mario and Link much less other games. Second, Nintendo has yet to introduce an online gaming network as robust as those you'll find even in modern day smartphones.
The price drop might turn out to be a brilliant move for Nintendo moving forward, but a complete rebranding sounds too rash of a decision for a company like Nintendo. We've contacted Nintendo for comment.
Do you believe that Nintendo could be working to rebrand the 3DS entirely? Do you think this would be a smart move for the company to make?
According to Eurogamer, 01Net broke the news of Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PS Vita hardware specifications before either console was even announced. The French website also reports that the company is regretful that it never added a second analog joystick to the 3DS, and that it will soon release a detachable one for about $10. Furthermore, Nintendo has reportedly asked a number of developers to work on games to make use of the upcoming peripheral.
The 01Net report goes on to say that this new version of the 3DS will release sometime in 2012, and could dramatically rebrand the handheld console entirely. According to the report, the recent $80 price cut made by Nintendo was not only in response to poor sales, but to clear stock of the original 3DS to make way for this new model.
However, we're not 100 percent sure 3D is what held the Nintendo 3DS back from being the absolute hit its predecessor was. For one, the system launched with little support from Nintendo staples like Mario and Link much less other games. Second, Nintendo has yet to introduce an online gaming network as robust as those you'll find even in modern day smartphones.
The price drop might turn out to be a brilliant move for Nintendo moving forward, but a complete rebranding sounds too rash of a decision for a company like Nintendo. We've contacted Nintendo for comment.
Do you believe that Nintendo could be working to rebrand the 3DS entirely? Do you think this would be a smart move for the company to make?
Techno Kitten Adventure brings the ultimate Internet meme to Facebook
If you've been a citizen of the Internet for longer than five minutes, you know what lolcats are. (If not, then you're clearly on the wrong Internet.) Merging two of the largest web phenomena to date--funny cat media and Facebook games--Florida-based developer 21st Street Games and New York-based design firm Elite Gudz have brought Techno Kitten Adventure to Facebook.
Originally released on Xbox Live Indies and the iOS App Store, the game has players guiding a kitty strapped to a jetpack through a tiny corridor of stars, avoiding blinking stars and attempting to see just what in the world is going on through ... more stars. Oh, and did we mention the thumping techno beats?
Of course, hitting the ceiling or floor in this starry tunnel ends your run, but starting over is as simple as hitting the space bar again, which is how you keep Techno Kitten afloat--the longer you hold in the space bar, the higher it flies. Timing--and hopelessly trying to look past the borderline-epileptic laser light show--is as vital in Techno Kitten Adventure on Facebook as it is on other platforms. But why Facebook?
"When we started this project our goal was to spread the happiness and insanity that is Techno Kitten to the whole world," 21st Street Games Creative Director Brian Ferrara said in a release. "Today we've come one step closer and I can really see the rainbow." That's reason enough for a game as crazy as this, trust us.
Techno Kitten Adventure Facebook
For this social rendition, 21st Street Games introduced friend-driven leaderboards and weekly tournaments in vein of games like Bejeweled Blitz and Fruit Ninja Frenzy. Of course, Techno Kitten Adventure is not without some virtual goods, offering two map packs (new areas to play through) for $.99 a piece, or 10 Facebook Credits. If you were a fan of Robot Unicorn Attack when it hit Facebook recently, then we'd say Techno Kitten Adventure is right up your alley.
Click here to play Techno Kitten Adventure on Facebook Now >
Have you ever played Techno Kitten before on other platforms? For how long do you think you can handle the intensity without going cross-eyed?
Originally released on Xbox Live Indies and the iOS App Store, the game has players guiding a kitty strapped to a jetpack through a tiny corridor of stars, avoiding blinking stars and attempting to see just what in the world is going on through ... more stars. Oh, and did we mention the thumping techno beats?
Of course, hitting the ceiling or floor in this starry tunnel ends your run, but starting over is as simple as hitting the space bar again, which is how you keep Techno Kitten afloat--the longer you hold in the space bar, the higher it flies. Timing--and hopelessly trying to look past the borderline-epileptic laser light show--is as vital in Techno Kitten Adventure on Facebook as it is on other platforms. But why Facebook?
"When we started this project our goal was to spread the happiness and insanity that is Techno Kitten to the whole world," 21st Street Games Creative Director Brian Ferrara said in a release. "Today we've come one step closer and I can really see the rainbow." That's reason enough for a game as crazy as this, trust us.
Techno Kitten Adventure Facebook
For this social rendition, 21st Street Games introduced friend-driven leaderboards and weekly tournaments in vein of games like Bejeweled Blitz and Fruit Ninja Frenzy. Of course, Techno Kitten Adventure is not without some virtual goods, offering two map packs (new areas to play through) for $.99 a piece, or 10 Facebook Credits. If you were a fan of Robot Unicorn Attack when it hit Facebook recently, then we'd say Techno Kitten Adventure is right up your alley.
Click here to play Techno Kitten Adventure on Facebook Now >
Have you ever played Techno Kitten before on other platforms? For how long do you think you can handle the intensity without going cross-eyed?
Infographic: Almost 60 percent of social gamers play with their friends
And the other 40 percent play with complete strangers. Alright, that's not true, but any update on the FarmVille fan page says otherwise. According to an infographic thrown together by Rounds, a Facebook video chat app, and research firm Column Five Media, nearly 60 percent of North American social gamers play with their friends. From there, just 33 percent play with their siblings and 25 percent play with parents and spouses.
You could infer from this data that a large percentage of social gamers either play with others they've met through games on Facebook or another social network, or that they play alone. But considering that would cost an enormous amount of money, we're going with the former. Ultimately, this data speaks to either players making friends out of necessity or that true connections are forming through social games.
The infographic goes on to say that there are 100 million social gamers in North America, which sounds about right given recent estimates. (That's about a third of everyone in the U.S.) A fraction of that, 26 million, are playing mobile social games. Though, that can easily be attributed to smartphones still perceived and priced as luxury devices.
Citing sources such as The New York Times and and MIT, this infographic drives one major point home: Social gaming is the fastest growing and evolving genre in the history of video games, and we're just getting started. Check out the whole infographic below:
[Via SocialTimes]
Do you believe social games will become the mode of gaming going forward? Do you play social games more with real-life friends or acquaintances found through playing? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Social Evolution of Gaming
You could infer from this data that a large percentage of social gamers either play with others they've met through games on Facebook or another social network, or that they play alone. But considering that would cost an enormous amount of money, we're going with the former. Ultimately, this data speaks to either players making friends out of necessity or that true connections are forming through social games.
The infographic goes on to say that there are 100 million social gamers in North America, which sounds about right given recent estimates. (That's about a third of everyone in the U.S.) A fraction of that, 26 million, are playing mobile social games. Though, that can easily be attributed to smartphones still perceived and priced as luxury devices.
Citing sources such as The New York Times and and MIT, this infographic drives one major point home: Social gaming is the fastest growing and evolving genre in the history of video games, and we're just getting started. Check out the whole infographic below:
[Via SocialTimes]
Do you believe social games will become the mode of gaming going forward? Do you play social games more with real-life friends or acquaintances found through playing? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Social Evolution of Gaming
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Psannicolas1986's sprawling farm temple
Psannicolas1986's sprawling complex uses FarmVille's different terrain in combination with items and animals to create a wonderful and unique pattern. The surrounding sand dunes and Aztec ruins are definitely something I've never seen before and make for some incredible vistas. And if you look to the center, past the lovely tree arrangement, all you'll see is a couple of nursery barns and a dairy barn. But why keep just those buildings on the farm at all?
But now take a look at the black and white border, and you'll see that Psannicolas' temple is actually a giant dairy farm. There are dozens of belted cows, enough to make two walls around the central plaza! Psannicolas probably collects foals and raises them in those four nursery barns into adult cows. Not to mention, the trees and crop squares are also a source of profit. You folks know I love to see a farm that embraces function and form. Let's just hope Psannicolas has plenty of farm hands...
What do you think of Psannicolas' sprawling temple farm?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
But now take a look at the black and white border, and you'll see that Psannicolas' temple is actually a giant dairy farm. There are dozens of belted cows, enough to make two walls around the central plaza! Psannicolas probably collects foals and raises them in those four nursery barns into adult cows. Not to mention, the trees and crop squares are also a source of profit. You folks know I love to see a farm that embraces function and form. Let's just hope Psannicolas has plenty of farm hands...
What do you think of Psannicolas' sprawling temple farm?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
The Sims Social runs on Dunkin' with in-game items and boosts
Look, The Sims are people, too (sort of), and deserve a cup 'o joe every once in awhile. EA has come out of the gate swinging with The Sims Social, backing it up already with an in-game promotion by Dunkin' Donuts. The American coffee and donuts chain officially announced that several of its menu items have been given the Simlish treatment in an ambitious six-month long campaign.
Once a month for the next six months, players can send their friends one coffee and one food item (pictured) for an extra boost. (Well, then these better be pretty massive boosts.)
Aside from the usual gifting, players will also unlock Dunkin' Donuts-themed consumables as they progress through the game. Finally, if players "Like" the Dunkin' Donuts Facebook page, they'll score two more items to decorate their Sims' homes with, one of which is a beach chair that their Sims can relax on and drink Dunkin' Donuts coffee.
However, a point driven by EA and Dunkin' Donuts is that this brand integration is relevant to The Sims Social and adds a level of realism. Regardless of how relevant it is, while it's much appreciated, this is still a marketing push. However, it speaks volumes to not only how quickly The Sims Social is growing--it's already reached over 7 million players despite its launch issues--but how confident EA is in the game.
If not built around a brand entirely, most Facebook games need to hit several millions of players before even considering bringing in brand integration. It seems as if The Sims brand is speaking for itself in The Sims Social's rapid growth, but what we're all waiting for is to see how far that will take the game and for how long can it keep the momentum. One game has to touch FarmVille numbers eventually, and perhaps we're looking right at it.
Are you digging the Dunkin' Donuts branding in The Sims Social? Do you think this game is EA's way into the ring with Zynga?
Once a month for the next six months, players can send their friends one coffee and one food item (pictured) for an extra boost. (Well, then these better be pretty massive boosts.)
Aside from the usual gifting, players will also unlock Dunkin' Donuts-themed consumables as they progress through the game. Finally, if players "Like" the Dunkin' Donuts Facebook page, they'll score two more items to decorate their Sims' homes with, one of which is a beach chair that their Sims can relax on and drink Dunkin' Donuts coffee.
However, a point driven by EA and Dunkin' Donuts is that this brand integration is relevant to The Sims Social and adds a level of realism. Regardless of how relevant it is, while it's much appreciated, this is still a marketing push. However, it speaks volumes to not only how quickly The Sims Social is growing--it's already reached over 7 million players despite its launch issues--but how confident EA is in the game.
If not built around a brand entirely, most Facebook games need to hit several millions of players before even considering bringing in brand integration. It seems as if The Sims brand is speaking for itself in The Sims Social's rapid growth, but what we're all waiting for is to see how far that will take the game and for how long can it keep the momentum. One game has to touch FarmVille numbers eventually, and perhaps we're looking right at it.
Are you digging the Dunkin' Donuts branding in The Sims Social? Do you think this game is EA's way into the ring with Zynga?
Pioneer Trail The Forlorn Farmer Timed Goal: Everything you need to know
If the guy in that image is down in the dumps, I don't even want to be around when he's happy. Anyway, it's time to turn a fellow farmer's frown ... even more upside down on (?) The Pioneer Trail. In The Forlorn Farmer, a new Timed Goal found on your Homestead, it's up to you to help this fellow build a new farm.
This seven-day Timed Goal will only become available to those who have completed The Dogless Shepherd Timed Goal, and it must be accepted by Sept. 1. Here's everything you need to know:
The Forlorn Farmer
Chop Neighbor Pine Trees 10 Times
Collect 10 Hay Bundles
Collect 10 Barn Nails
The best way to go about this Goal is to coordinate with a close friend--perhaps one of your crew members on the Trail. Ask them to buy a few Pine Trees and do the same, give them some time to grow (five days would be pushing it) and chop away. The 10 Hay Bundles and 10 Barn Nails will come from your friends, of course. Your reward for finishing this Goal is a whopping 10 Critter Milk, 500XP and 400 Coins.
[Sources and Image Credit: Zynga, FrontierVille Info]
Have you gotten started on this new Timed Goal yet? Can you think of any faster ways to complete the Goal?
This seven-day Timed Goal will only become available to those who have completed The Dogless Shepherd Timed Goal, and it must be accepted by Sept. 1. Here's everything you need to know:
The Forlorn Farmer
Chop Neighbor Pine Trees 10 Times
Collect 10 Hay Bundles
Collect 10 Barn Nails
The best way to go about this Goal is to coordinate with a close friend--perhaps one of your crew members on the Trail. Ask them to buy a few Pine Trees and do the same, give them some time to grow (five days would be pushing it) and chop away. The 10 Hay Bundles and 10 Barn Nails will come from your friends, of course. Your reward for finishing this Goal is a whopping 10 Critter Milk, 500XP and 400 Coins.
[Sources and Image Credit: Zynga, FrontierVille Info]
Have you gotten started on this new Timed Goal yet? Can you think of any faster ways to complete the Goal?
Remodeling Buildings in CityVille: Everything you need to know
Well, will you look at that, Extreme Makeover has made it to CityVille. Zynga has introduced a brand new building to the game, the Remodeling HQ, and with it an interesting new feature. Once players have reached Level 15, they will be introduced to the new ability to remodel Residences.
This new function will give select Residences a new look and increase their bonuses like population boosts. If you're Level 15 or higher, the following Goal will appear in your game:
Paint the Town!
Place and Complete the Remodeling HQ
Remodel 5 Residences
The ability to place the new building will be included in the Goal's menu. Once it's placed, it will take 10 clicks to complete the foundation. However, it doesn't appear to require friends to finish like most new functional buildings.
Remodel options
Remodeled Residences CityVilleOnce the Remodeling HQ is complete, an arrow will appear above the select tool--click it to reveal a new mode: Remodel. Select the function to cause all Residences that are available for remodeling to appear with a floating icon. These are the Residences you can remodel now:
Cozy Cottage
Family Townhouse
Country Home
Terraced Brownstone
Apartment Complex
Timeshare Tower
Bay Point Duplex
Surely, Zynga will introduce the ability to remodel more Residences later on. When you click on a Residence that can be remodeled, a menu similar to the old Build Menu will appear, displaying all the options there are to remodel your building. (Remodeling is handled per building, meaning remodeling a Cozy Cottage will apply to just that Cozy and not every one you own.) Most of these options cost mere Coins, but there are options available for City Cash, of course.
Hovering over each options will reveal what bonuses it provides, too.Once you select the new look, your building will appear with a scaffolding around it. The amount of clicks required to complete each remodeling job seems to vary, but each click will cost one Energy. The final click will reveal your new-and-improved Residence, new stats and all.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you tried out remodeling your Residences yet? What do you think of the new feature, and which Residences do you hope to remodel in the future?
This new function will give select Residences a new look and increase their bonuses like population boosts. If you're Level 15 or higher, the following Goal will appear in your game:
Paint the Town!
Place and Complete the Remodeling HQ
Remodel 5 Residences
The ability to place the new building will be included in the Goal's menu. Once it's placed, it will take 10 clicks to complete the foundation. However, it doesn't appear to require friends to finish like most new functional buildings.
Remodel options
Remodeled Residences CityVilleOnce the Remodeling HQ is complete, an arrow will appear above the select tool--click it to reveal a new mode: Remodel. Select the function to cause all Residences that are available for remodeling to appear with a floating icon. These are the Residences you can remodel now:
Cozy Cottage
Family Townhouse
Country Home
Terraced Brownstone
Apartment Complex
Timeshare Tower
Bay Point Duplex
Surely, Zynga will introduce the ability to remodel more Residences later on. When you click on a Residence that can be remodeled, a menu similar to the old Build Menu will appear, displaying all the options there are to remodel your building. (Remodeling is handled per building, meaning remodeling a Cozy Cottage will apply to just that Cozy and not every one you own.) Most of these options cost mere Coins, but there are options available for City Cash, of course.
Hovering over each options will reveal what bonuses it provides, too.Once you select the new look, your building will appear with a scaffolding around it. The amount of clicks required to complete each remodeling job seems to vary, but each click will cost one Energy. The final click will reveal your new-and-improved Residence, new stats and all.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you tried out remodeling your Residences yet? What do you think of the new feature, and which Residences do you hope to remodel in the future?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Black Friday doorbusters: Coming to an online game near you?
Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year in retail stores and, apparently, in online games.
Maple Story creator Nexon reports a massive surge in in-game item purchases during BF 2010 and expects history will repeat itself this year. On that day, which is generally devoted to gorging on Thanksgiving leftovers and stalking doorbuster deals, the company saw a 240% increase in virtual goods sales compared to the previous week. What were virtual shoppers snapping up like cheap flat-screen TVs? An item called a Miracle Cube in Maple Story, which can be used to randomly upgrade in-game items.
That statistic certainly leads one to wonder if other online games will roll out some doorbuster deals of their own. I'm sure more than a few people would be willing to wait on a virtual queue to buy, say, a deeply discounted FarmVille Unwither Ring, a rare (and pricey) item that ensures you'll never see a withered crop on your farm ever again.
Black Friday deals in games -- would that entice you to buy virtual goods?
Maple Story creator Nexon reports a massive surge in in-game item purchases during BF 2010 and expects history will repeat itself this year. On that day, which is generally devoted to gorging on Thanksgiving leftovers and stalking doorbuster deals, the company saw a 240% increase in virtual goods sales compared to the previous week. What were virtual shoppers snapping up like cheap flat-screen TVs? An item called a Miracle Cube in Maple Story, which can be used to randomly upgrade in-game items.
That statistic certainly leads one to wonder if other online games will roll out some doorbuster deals of their own. I'm sure more than a few people would be willing to wait on a virtual queue to buy, say, a deeply discounted FarmVille Unwither Ring, a rare (and pricey) item that ensures you'll never see a withered crop on your farm ever again.
Black Friday deals in games -- would that entice you to buy virtual goods?
Angry Birds Seasons Halloween update means a new bird is in town
Oh, and let's not forget about the 30 "bone-chilling" new levels and the bunch of new Game Center achievements to earn. Rovio unleashed a new update to Angry Birds Seasons today, and confirmed our suspicions that a new bird was in the works.
We're not sure of the new avian's name, but at least we know what it does. This orange little bugger isn't much of anything when first launched, but tap the screen while it's in midair and the bird will balloon several times its size.
Of course, this means it'll gain an enormous amount of weight, so the bird might be ideally used once inside a pig structure. The list of Game Center achivements to earn includes defeating 300 skeletons, finishing all 30 new stages, earning three stars on every level and more. And, like all Angry Birds updates, this one is absolutely free.
Angry Birds Seasons update
Well, given that you've already purchased Angry Birds Seasons for the buck. Look, we may be sick of Angry Birds around here, but not even we can help getting just a little giddy over a newly announced bird. This must be the power Rovio has over everyone else--must ... fight it ... but, I need that bird. And I just bought it. Now we have a better idea as to how Angry Birds might be worth more than $1 billion.
[Via Pocket Gamer]
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
You've already downloaded the update, too, haven't you? For how much longer do you think Rovio can keep up the Angry Birds planet-like gravitational pull?
We're not sure of the new avian's name, but at least we know what it does. This orange little bugger isn't much of anything when first launched, but tap the screen while it's in midair and the bird will balloon several times its size.
Of course, this means it'll gain an enormous amount of weight, so the bird might be ideally used once inside a pig structure. The list of Game Center achivements to earn includes defeating 300 skeletons, finishing all 30 new stages, earning three stars on every level and more. And, like all Angry Birds updates, this one is absolutely free.
Angry Birds Seasons update
Well, given that you've already purchased Angry Birds Seasons for the buck. Look, we may be sick of Angry Birds around here, but not even we can help getting just a little giddy over a newly announced bird. This must be the power Rovio has over everyone else--must ... fight it ... but, I need that bird. And I just bought it. Now we have a better idea as to how Angry Birds might be worth more than $1 billion.
[Via Pocket Gamer]
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
You've already downloaded the update, too, haven't you? For how much longer do you think Rovio can keep up the Angry Birds planet-like gravitational pull?
ESRB soon gets to say, 'You must be this old to play this iPhone game'
With this bit of news, you're mileage may vary. This could be either the most depressing or comforting news you hear all day, dependent upon your age. The ESRB, or the Entertainment Software Rating Board, will roll out a content ratings system for iOS and Android. IndustryGamers reports that the ESRB will have help from the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association.
The new system will standardize video game and app ratings across iOS and Android devices, which is admittedly a fragmented mess at the moment. While the App Store allows developers to choose ratings based on age, the Android Market features ratings with wording from "Everyone" to "High Maturity." With this system, mobile game creators would have to submit their games to the ESRB--just like they do with console and PC games--in order to receive a rating.
According to IndustryGamers, the ESRB has rated over 21,000 games since its inception in 1994. With the amount of games that hit the App Store and Android Market every week, that number is about to skyrocket. How this system will be enforced once employed is unknown, which is certainly a concern considering the amount of parents that let little Mary Sue play with the iPad.
Are you relieved or annoyed that mobile games are about to get their own standardized ratings system? How could the ESRB enforce such a system on the App Store and Android Market?
The new system will standardize video game and app ratings across iOS and Android devices, which is admittedly a fragmented mess at the moment. While the App Store allows developers to choose ratings based on age, the Android Market features ratings with wording from "Everyone" to "High Maturity." With this system, mobile game creators would have to submit their games to the ESRB--just like they do with console and PC games--in order to receive a rating.
According to IndustryGamers, the ESRB has rated over 21,000 games since its inception in 1994. With the amount of games that hit the App Store and Android Market every week, that number is about to skyrocket. How this system will be enforced once employed is unknown, which is certainly a concern considering the amount of parents that let little Mary Sue play with the iPad.
Are you relieved or annoyed that mobile games are about to get their own standardized ratings system? How could the ESRB enforce such a system on the App Store and Android Market?
Playdom will pull the plug on Social City next month
I hate to say it gamers, but it was only a matter of time. After launching Social City on Facebook back in the Spring of 2010, Playdom's city-building game skyrocketed in popularity and for a time sat on the top charts for most popular Facebook games. That popularity declined quickly however, and the game has continued to hemorrhage users up until now, with the game currently resting at just 270,000 monthly active players (20,000 daily active players, according to AppData).
While new content is still regularly pushed out for the game, one could argue that CityVille's release last year was the final straw for what would break its chance of a revival. It may have put up a hard fight, but Playdom is finally saying goodbye to its city-builder. Via emails that have now started circulating to players, we see that the game will officially close on December 20, 2011. There's no mention as to what will happen to any remaining City Bucks, the game's premium currency, but the ability to purchase more has seemingly been removed from the game (you'll receive an error message when attempting to go to the "Get City Bucks" page).
We can only assume that the reasoning behind the closure has been the mass exodus of players, along with any revenue they might have been providing, but Playdom is attempting to save existing players by advertising Gardens of Time and Gnome Town in the same breath as this closing announcement. "Unfortunately we feel the game has run its course," the email reads. "As we release new games, we hope to have your continued support and patronage!"
It's been fun Social City. Thanks for the memories.
Were you one of the faithful players that still latched to hope for the game's resurgence, or had you long ago abandoned the game for Zynga's CityVille or other city-builders on Facebook?
While new content is still regularly pushed out for the game, one could argue that CityVille's release last year was the final straw for what would break its chance of a revival. It may have put up a hard fight, but Playdom is finally saying goodbye to its city-builder. Via emails that have now started circulating to players, we see that the game will officially close on December 20, 2011. There's no mention as to what will happen to any remaining City Bucks, the game's premium currency, but the ability to purchase more has seemingly been removed from the game (you'll receive an error message when attempting to go to the "Get City Bucks" page).
We can only assume that the reasoning behind the closure has been the mass exodus of players, along with any revenue they might have been providing, but Playdom is attempting to save existing players by advertising Gardens of Time and Gnome Town in the same breath as this closing announcement. "Unfortunately we feel the game has run its course," the email reads. "As we release new games, we hope to have your continued support and patronage!"
It's been fun Social City. Thanks for the memories.
Were you one of the faithful players that still latched to hope for the game's resurgence, or had you long ago abandoned the game for Zynga's CityVille or other city-builders on Facebook?
Quote of the Moment: 'A brand is never a replacement for a good game'
Branding
That's all well and good, but it's also not to say that brands aren't "extremely important" to Facebook games today. Playfish GM John Earner made the quip to GamesIndustry.biz during a recent interview. According to Earner, the Facebook game space is growing increasingly crowded. In other words, big time creators like Zynga, Playfish and wooga have a competitive advantage.
"So I think brands are now extremely important, and I think that you either are a big player in the space already and you have an installed base of users, or you have a... man, otherwise I think you're in big trouble," Earner said to GI.biz. "It has just become a much more mature platform, and I'm not saying somebody can't rise up from the bottom--sure they can--but the barriers to entry now have changed in a big way and it's become a lot harder. I see that trend continuing, but at the end of the day, though, a brand is never a replacement for a good game. If you have a great product and a great brand, you'll have a lot of success."
Branding in Facebook games has become almost a norm among the top developers and games. While Zynga has been a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to branded games, the company has employed the pull of major celebrities and companies for some time now. And soon, the company will have its very first branded game: Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game.
We've been told before that the day of the indie game creator on Facebook is through. However, Earner may be right--just look at games like Weeds Social Club and Dexter Slice of Life. While the latter does add refreshing new gameplay, neither of which have exactly taken off, according to AppData. Sadly, it'll eventually be first instinct to see whether Feature Film A, TV Show B or Video Game C has a Facebook game. Check out the interview in full here to learn much more about The Sims Social.
Are you digging The Sims Social still? Are you excited or disappointed at the prospect of branding gaining popularity in social games?
That's all well and good, but it's also not to say that brands aren't "extremely important" to Facebook games today. Playfish GM John Earner made the quip to GamesIndustry.biz during a recent interview. According to Earner, the Facebook game space is growing increasingly crowded. In other words, big time creators like Zynga, Playfish and wooga have a competitive advantage.
"So I think brands are now extremely important, and I think that you either are a big player in the space already and you have an installed base of users, or you have a... man, otherwise I think you're in big trouble," Earner said to GI.biz. "It has just become a much more mature platform, and I'm not saying somebody can't rise up from the bottom--sure they can--but the barriers to entry now have changed in a big way and it's become a lot harder. I see that trend continuing, but at the end of the day, though, a brand is never a replacement for a good game. If you have a great product and a great brand, you'll have a lot of success."
Branding in Facebook games has become almost a norm among the top developers and games. While Zynga has been a bit slow on the uptake when it comes to branded games, the company has employed the pull of major celebrities and companies for some time now. And soon, the company will have its very first branded game: Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game.
We've been told before that the day of the indie game creator on Facebook is through. However, Earner may be right--just look at games like Weeds Social Club and Dexter Slice of Life. While the latter does add refreshing new gameplay, neither of which have exactly taken off, according to AppData. Sadly, it'll eventually be first instinct to see whether Feature Film A, TV Show B or Video Game C has a Facebook game. Check out the interview in full here to learn much more about The Sims Social.
Are you digging The Sims Social still? Are you excited or disappointed at the prospect of branding gaining popularity in social games?
Monday, December 12, 2011
Pioneer Trail Halloween Hutch: Everything you need to know
For the past couple of days now, we've been told that Fanny Wildcat in Pioneer Trail had a deep, dark secret. This secret was apparently so foul that she couldn't even share it with her new husband Hank. However, with Halloween approaching, Fanny's been unnerved enough to finally come clean. The secret, while a bit far-fetched, will see the game's Halloween theme really taking a turn back to a focus on the Homestead.
If you're not too busy dealing with the evil Mayor in Ghost Town, you'll be happy to learn the following: Fanny Wildcat is a Vampire! While that's crazy enough (after all, why has she not burned to a crisp standing in the sun all of these months?), it looks like Hank might have a secret of his own, and it revolves around him howling at the moon. To unravel all of these mysteries, we're asked to build the Halloween Hutch, a building that looks a bit like a coffin when first placed on your land (fitting), but then turns into a spooky cupboard of such as it's built. It looks like you might need to collect different amounts of ingredients depending on your level, as I'm a fairly high level and have to collect more items than my friends (as an example). For your reference, I'm level 93, and must collect the folllowing:
12 Grimoires
12 Apothecary Shelves
12 Preserved Lizards
16 Mortar and Pestles
16 Bunsen Burners
16 Glass Beakers
Regardless of the quantity, the Grimoires, Apothecary Shelves and Preserved Lizards are earned through general news posts placed on your wall, while the other three items are earned through individual gift requests sent to friends.
Once the Halloween Hutch is complete, you'll be able to use it to craft Vampire and Werewolf potions, that will allow you to "try out Hank and Fanny's powers for yourself." In other words, you'll be able to craft potions that will then let you look like either a Vampire or Werewolf, depending on which one you choose. If you choose one side of the argument (since Vampires vs. Werewolves is a heated argument in pop-culture), and then change your mind, you'll need to wait four hours for your potion to expire, or, you can craft another potion (including a hybrid potion) to change your look to something else before the timer has expired.
To go along with the release of the Halloween Hutch is a series of goals. We'll make sure to give you a complete look at these goals just as soon as we can, so keep checking back!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Are you excited to see yet another project to complete as part of Halloween in Pioneer Trail, or do you have enough to work on with simply completing Ghost Town?
If you're not too busy dealing with the evil Mayor in Ghost Town, you'll be happy to learn the following: Fanny Wildcat is a Vampire! While that's crazy enough (after all, why has she not burned to a crisp standing in the sun all of these months?), it looks like Hank might have a secret of his own, and it revolves around him howling at the moon. To unravel all of these mysteries, we're asked to build the Halloween Hutch, a building that looks a bit like a coffin when first placed on your land (fitting), but then turns into a spooky cupboard of such as it's built. It looks like you might need to collect different amounts of ingredients depending on your level, as I'm a fairly high level and have to collect more items than my friends (as an example). For your reference, I'm level 93, and must collect the folllowing:
12 Grimoires
12 Apothecary Shelves
12 Preserved Lizards
16 Mortar and Pestles
16 Bunsen Burners
16 Glass Beakers
Regardless of the quantity, the Grimoires, Apothecary Shelves and Preserved Lizards are earned through general news posts placed on your wall, while the other three items are earned through individual gift requests sent to friends.
Once the Halloween Hutch is complete, you'll be able to use it to craft Vampire and Werewolf potions, that will allow you to "try out Hank and Fanny's powers for yourself." In other words, you'll be able to craft potions that will then let you look like either a Vampire or Werewolf, depending on which one you choose. If you choose one side of the argument (since Vampires vs. Werewolves is a heated argument in pop-culture), and then change your mind, you'll need to wait four hours for your potion to expire, or, you can craft another potion (including a hybrid potion) to change your look to something else before the timer has expired.
To go along with the release of the Halloween Hutch is a series of goals. We'll make sure to give you a complete look at these goals just as soon as we can, so keep checking back!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Are you excited to see yet another project to complete as part of Halloween in Pioneer Trail, or do you have enough to work on with simply completing Ghost Town?
Pioneer Trail Family Secret Goals: Everything you need to know
With the launch of the Halloween Hutch in Pioneer Trail, we see both Fanny Wildcat and Hank revealing dark secrets about their pasts. For one, Fanny is a vampire! Hank, on the otherhand, is a Werewolf, but how both could actually keep these things secret from each other (they are married, after all) is anyone's guess. Still, with this Halloween-themed event, we see two sets of goals being released, on top of the Halloween Hutch itself to tie things back together.
The first set of goals is a one-time-only deal, going along with the construction of the Halloween Hutch itself (if these goals don't appear in your list at the left side of the screen, open your Mission Select screen and scroll to the very end). Here are the details.
Fanny Has a Secret
Harvest 20 Pumpkins
Clear 10 Skulls on your Homestead or a Neighbor's
Collect 10 Confession Letters
Even if you have Skulls on your own land, I'd highly suggest using your friends' Homesteads for this particular task, as you never know when you might need those extra skulls, specifically on your Homestead, sometime later on. Meanwhile, the Confession Letters are earned by posting a general request on your wall for all of your friends to see. Your friends will receive a Letter for helping you, so this should be one that's finished fairly quickly. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, 500 coins and a Bloodberry Juice. This is one of the ingredients that goes into crafting a Vampire Potion.
Vampires Love Werewolves
Clear 10 Grass with your Bat Following
Collect 10 Hank Loves Fanny Cards
Craft a Hybrid Potion with your Bat Following
Here's where things get a little complicated. Even though this Vampires Love Werewolves goal comes directly after Fanny Has a Secret, you won't actually be able to complete it without doing some repeatable goals first. There are two repeatable goals to tackle, and similar to the School House Upgrade feature, the more you complete these repeatable goals, the more prizes you will unlock.
Specifically, you'll unlock three prizes along the way. The first is earned after completing each goal just one time each. You'll unlock the Hybrid Potion, which allows you to turn yourself into a combination of Vampire / Werewolf. After completing each goal one more time (for four goals total), you'll unlock a "Family Moon Tree," representing Hank's end of the event. Finally, for completing each goal one more time (for a complete total of six goals completed - three of each), you'll unlock the Pet Bat. This one waits for your in your inventory, so just pull it out and you'll be able to go back to "Vampires Love Werewolves" to complete it.
Here are a look at the repeatable goals themselves.
Chronicle of a Vampire
Craft 2 Vampire Potions
Drink a Vampire Potion
Tend 5 Tomatoes on a Neighbors' Homestead
Just ask a friend to plant Tomatoes and come by afterwards (even if the crops have already had time to wither), and this one should work out just fine. As for the Vampire Potions, they're crafted using twelve Bloodberry Juice and eight Glitter Powders each. When harvesting new Bloodberry Trees, you'll have a chance of earning Bloodberry Juice, while Glitter Powder can be gathered from friends. Finishing this first repeatable goal gives you 200 XP, a Family Secret Mystery Box and a Wolfnut Butter.
Hank's Hankerin to Howl
Craft 2 Werewolf Potions
Drink a Werewolf Potion
Tend 10 Pumpkins on Neighbors' Homesteads
Werewolf Potions are created using 12 Wolfnut Butter and eight Hairy Beakers each, with the Wolfnut Butter coming from Wolfnut Trees and the Hairy Beakers being gathered from friends. Finishing this second repeatable goal gives you a single Bloodberry Juice, 300 XP and another Family Secret Mystery Box. These boxes contain themed decorations like spooky bell towers, stone ground tiles and even an antique angel statue. Both Wolfnut and Bloodberry Trees can also be earned by opening these crates.
All told, these Family Secret goals may look pretty complicated, but once you get started are fairly self-explanatory in practice. Hopefully, by using our guide you'll be able to tackle all four with stride, and will be able to complete these repeatable goals enough times to finish this entire event off. You'll walk away with some pretty cool prizes in the process, so good luck!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of these Family Secret goals? Do you like these goals more than those found in the game's Ghost Town event?
The first set of goals is a one-time-only deal, going along with the construction of the Halloween Hutch itself (if these goals don't appear in your list at the left side of the screen, open your Mission Select screen and scroll to the very end). Here are the details.
Fanny Has a Secret
Harvest 20 Pumpkins
Clear 10 Skulls on your Homestead or a Neighbor's
Collect 10 Confession Letters
Even if you have Skulls on your own land, I'd highly suggest using your friends' Homesteads for this particular task, as you never know when you might need those extra skulls, specifically on your Homestead, sometime later on. Meanwhile, the Confession Letters are earned by posting a general request on your wall for all of your friends to see. Your friends will receive a Letter for helping you, so this should be one that's finished fairly quickly. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, 500 coins and a Bloodberry Juice. This is one of the ingredients that goes into crafting a Vampire Potion.
Vampires Love Werewolves
Clear 10 Grass with your Bat Following
Collect 10 Hank Loves Fanny Cards
Craft a Hybrid Potion with your Bat Following
Here's where things get a little complicated. Even though this Vampires Love Werewolves goal comes directly after Fanny Has a Secret, you won't actually be able to complete it without doing some repeatable goals first. There are two repeatable goals to tackle, and similar to the School House Upgrade feature, the more you complete these repeatable goals, the more prizes you will unlock.
Specifically, you'll unlock three prizes along the way. The first is earned after completing each goal just one time each. You'll unlock the Hybrid Potion, which allows you to turn yourself into a combination of Vampire / Werewolf. After completing each goal one more time (for four goals total), you'll unlock a "Family Moon Tree," representing Hank's end of the event. Finally, for completing each goal one more time (for a complete total of six goals completed - three of each), you'll unlock the Pet Bat. This one waits for your in your inventory, so just pull it out and you'll be able to go back to "Vampires Love Werewolves" to complete it.
Here are a look at the repeatable goals themselves.
Chronicle of a Vampire
Craft 2 Vampire Potions
Drink a Vampire Potion
Tend 5 Tomatoes on a Neighbors' Homestead
Just ask a friend to plant Tomatoes and come by afterwards (even if the crops have already had time to wither), and this one should work out just fine. As for the Vampire Potions, they're crafted using twelve Bloodberry Juice and eight Glitter Powders each. When harvesting new Bloodberry Trees, you'll have a chance of earning Bloodberry Juice, while Glitter Powder can be gathered from friends. Finishing this first repeatable goal gives you 200 XP, a Family Secret Mystery Box and a Wolfnut Butter.
Hank's Hankerin to Howl
Craft 2 Werewolf Potions
Drink a Werewolf Potion
Tend 10 Pumpkins on Neighbors' Homesteads
Werewolf Potions are created using 12 Wolfnut Butter and eight Hairy Beakers each, with the Wolfnut Butter coming from Wolfnut Trees and the Hairy Beakers being gathered from friends. Finishing this second repeatable goal gives you a single Bloodberry Juice, 300 XP and another Family Secret Mystery Box. These boxes contain themed decorations like spooky bell towers, stone ground tiles and even an antique angel statue. Both Wolfnut and Bloodberry Trees can also be earned by opening these crates.
All told, these Family Secret goals may look pretty complicated, but once you get started are fairly self-explanatory in practice. Hopefully, by using our guide you'll be able to tackle all four with stride, and will be able to complete these repeatable goals enough times to finish this entire event off. You'll walk away with some pretty cool prizes in the process, so good luck!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of these Family Secret goals? Do you like these goals more than those found in the game's Ghost Town event?
Pioneer Trail Halloween Store: Stock up on scary supplies in one place
To make our Halloween shopping easy this year in the Pioneer Trail, the team behind the game has decided to completely separate the game's many themed items (including some returning from last year) into their own store. This is, appropriately enough, called the Halloween store, and you can find it on the right side of the gameplay screen marked by a huge Pumpkin logo. Inside this store, you'll find five different categories for your shopping pleasure: Mounts, Animals, Costumes, Crops and Decorations. We're here to give you a rundown of each of the items available, and their prices (with the School House discount in effect) so you know what to expect going in.
Mounts:
Rideable Wolf - 150 Horseshoes
Sure, this one is expensive (ok, really, really expensive), but if Horses are so last week to you, then this Rideable Wolf will be the perfect replacement. Now you can feel free to travel to your friends' Homesteads, terrorizing their children and animals with this menacing wild animal. We're sure he doesn't bite... hard.
Animals:
Spooky Crate - 35 Horseshoes
Halloween Mystery Animal Crate - 30 Horseshoes
Ballerina Cow - 10 Horseshoes
Dragon Goose - 950 coins
This Halloween Mystery Animal Crate is none other than the bat / rat filled version that has been given out quite frequently (say, through land expansion prizes) since Halloween of last year, so you may want to skip it in favor of the Spooky Crate, which comes with Pirate Pigs and what look to be some kind of Western / Cowboy Goats and Chickens. As for the Dragon Goose, well, it's just a Goose dressed as a bright green dragon. Nothing else really needs to be said.
Costumes:
Chicken Outfit - 50 Horseshoes
Ninja Outfit - 30 Horseshoes
Superhero Outfit - 9,500 coins
Sunflower Outfit (Female) - 5 Horseshoes
Along with these costumes are the returning offerings of the Reaper, Horseman, Ghost and Skeleton. If you already earned them last year, they won't be available to purchase again, but will be freely available for your characters to wear (including your children).
Crops:
Ghost Pumpkins - 1 Horseshoe
Black Rose - 285 coins
Don't panic about the price of the Ghost Pumpkins - they're also available to send on the game's free gifts page (you may have to scroll down some to spot them). They take just one hour to grow and reward you with 235 coins per square. As for the Black Roses, they take 14 hours to grow and reward you with 850 coins each.
Decorations:
Haunted Hayride - 30 Horseshoes
Mummy Chamber - 15 Horseshoes
The Game - 75 Horseshoes
Pumpkin Carriage - 50 Horseshoes
Kitty - 25 Horseshoes
Cheeky Pumpkin - 5 Horseshoes
Mausoleum - 30 Horseshoes
Zombie Swamp - 100 Horseshoes
Witches' Brew - 2 Horseshoes
Leaf Rake - 3,325 coins and 5 Wood
Bobbing Apples - 1,900 coins
Axe Topiary - 1,140 coins
Colorful Balloons - 950 coins
Crashed Witch - 9,500 coins
Frankenscarecrow - 47,500 coins
Monster Topiary - 1,140 coins
Prize Pumpkin - 475 coins
Ghost Outhouse - 2,375 coins
Grey Headstone - 1,805 coins and 5 Wood
Small Pumpkin I - 950 coins
Small Pumpkin II - 950 coins
Of course, with the launch of new items also comes some re-releases in the form of the Leaf Rake, Colorful Balloons, Small Pumpkins, etc. but if you've got plenty of Horseshoes burning a hole in your proverbial pocket, there are plenty of new items as well. Just remember to continue to upgrade your storage capacity in order to store all of these new goodies when the Halloween holiday has come and gone!
Since this is such a large supply of items, I'd actually be surprised if we saw additional items released in the Halloween Store. However, we'll definitely keep an eye on things, and will let you know if more items are released in the future.
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Which of these Halloween themed items is your favorite? Which ones are you planning on purchasing - just the coin items, or will you spend some Horseshoes as well?
Mounts:
Rideable Wolf - 150 Horseshoes
Sure, this one is expensive (ok, really, really expensive), but if Horses are so last week to you, then this Rideable Wolf will be the perfect replacement. Now you can feel free to travel to your friends' Homesteads, terrorizing their children and animals with this menacing wild animal. We're sure he doesn't bite... hard.
Animals:
Spooky Crate - 35 Horseshoes
Halloween Mystery Animal Crate - 30 Horseshoes
Ballerina Cow - 10 Horseshoes
Dragon Goose - 950 coins
This Halloween Mystery Animal Crate is none other than the bat / rat filled version that has been given out quite frequently (say, through land expansion prizes) since Halloween of last year, so you may want to skip it in favor of the Spooky Crate, which comes with Pirate Pigs and what look to be some kind of Western / Cowboy Goats and Chickens. As for the Dragon Goose, well, it's just a Goose dressed as a bright green dragon. Nothing else really needs to be said.
Costumes:
Chicken Outfit - 50 Horseshoes
Ninja Outfit - 30 Horseshoes
Superhero Outfit - 9,500 coins
Sunflower Outfit (Female) - 5 Horseshoes
Along with these costumes are the returning offerings of the Reaper, Horseman, Ghost and Skeleton. If you already earned them last year, they won't be available to purchase again, but will be freely available for your characters to wear (including your children).
Crops:
Ghost Pumpkins - 1 Horseshoe
Black Rose - 285 coins
Don't panic about the price of the Ghost Pumpkins - they're also available to send on the game's free gifts page (you may have to scroll down some to spot them). They take just one hour to grow and reward you with 235 coins per square. As for the Black Roses, they take 14 hours to grow and reward you with 850 coins each.
Decorations:
Haunted Hayride - 30 Horseshoes
Mummy Chamber - 15 Horseshoes
The Game - 75 Horseshoes
Pumpkin Carriage - 50 Horseshoes
Kitty - 25 Horseshoes
Cheeky Pumpkin - 5 Horseshoes
Mausoleum - 30 Horseshoes
Zombie Swamp - 100 Horseshoes
Witches' Brew - 2 Horseshoes
Leaf Rake - 3,325 coins and 5 Wood
Bobbing Apples - 1,900 coins
Axe Topiary - 1,140 coins
Colorful Balloons - 950 coins
Crashed Witch - 9,500 coins
Frankenscarecrow - 47,500 coins
Monster Topiary - 1,140 coins
Prize Pumpkin - 475 coins
Ghost Outhouse - 2,375 coins
Grey Headstone - 1,805 coins and 5 Wood
Small Pumpkin I - 950 coins
Small Pumpkin II - 950 coins
Of course, with the launch of new items also comes some re-releases in the form of the Leaf Rake, Colorful Balloons, Small Pumpkins, etc. but if you've got plenty of Horseshoes burning a hole in your proverbial pocket, there are plenty of new items as well. Just remember to continue to upgrade your storage capacity in order to store all of these new goodies when the Halloween holiday has come and gone!
Since this is such a large supply of items, I'd actually be surprised if we saw additional items released in the Halloween Store. However, we'll definitely keep an eye on things, and will let you know if more items are released in the future.
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Which of these Halloween themed items is your favorite? Which ones are you planning on purchasing - just the coin items, or will you spend some Horseshoes as well?
Cafe World Sandwich Counter Goals: Everything you need to know
Cafe World already has a Pizza Oven, Pasta Maker, Coffee Machine, Drink Bar and much more, but apparently Zynga decided that we were missing one very important appliance - a Sandwich Maker. They've filled that hole this week with the launch of the Sandwich Counter, which will introduce you to a series of new recipes (sandwiches, of course), and a man named Sal who will help you through a set of goals to complete this event.
There are seven goals to complete in all - here's a complete guide to completing them all! (Note: all of the cooking tasks here should remain the same across all chefs' accounts, unlike past goal series where they varied).
Sal's Sandwiches!
Place Sandwich Counter
Serve Clubhouse Sandwich 15 Times
Ask for 5 Sandwich Bread
Clubhouse Sandwiches take 18 hours to prepare. The Sandwich Counter, meanwhile, is a new appliance that you'll need to build from scratch with friends' help. You'll need to collect eight Sandwich Presses, 12 Sandwich Knives, 10 Carving Boards and 15 Condiment Bowls. The Sandwich Presses and Carving Boards are earned via general requests posted on your wall, while the other two items are earned through individual gift requests to friends.
Finishing this first goal gives you 100 coins and 100 Cafe Points.
Peanut Butter Jelly
Serve Basil Finger Sandwiches
Ask for 8 Peanut Butter Jars
Ask for 8 Jelly Jars
Basil Finger Sandwiches take six hours to cook. The reward for this one, as you might have guessed, is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich recipe - the PBJ, for short.
Better with Bacon!
Serve PBJ 20 Times
Ask for 8 Vine Ripened Tomatoes
Ask for 8 Thick Cut Bacon
Another recipe comes your way at the completion of this goal - the BLT sandwich.
Viva Cuba!
Complete the Sandwich Counter
Serve BLT 20 Times
Ask for 8 Cuban Bread Loafs
At the end of the this goal, you're given yet another sandwich, the Cuban Sandwich.
Ryeway Highway!
Serve Cuban Sandwiches 20 Times
Ask for 7 Rye Bread Loafs
Ask for 10 Pastrami Slices
Yet again, you're given another recipe (as tends to be the case with new appliances - you're given a ton of recipes to cook in it) - the Pastrami on Rye sandwich.
Groovin' Reuben
Serve Pastrami on Rye 20 Times
Ask for 8 Sauerkraut
Ask for 8 Corned Beef Slices
I'll give you one guess as to the prize for this goal... That's right, a simply Reuben Sandwich.
Sandwich King
Serve Reuben Sandwich 20 Times
Ask for 10 Ham and Turkey Slices
Ask for 10 Sticks of Butter
Up until now, I had refrained from commenting on how Zynga was likely influenced to release sandwich-themed content by Food Network's "Next Food Network Star" show, but since the winner of the most recent season went on to have a show called "Sandwich King," I just can't hold it in any longer. And there, it's out of my system. For finishing this goal, you'll receive yet another sandwich - the Monte Cristo.
This marks the current end of the Sandwich Counter goals. However, if history tells us anything, we'll likely either see A) a second Sandwich Counter released in a few months, or B) more recipes released on the one we now have. That's been the case with other appliances in the past, and we'll make sure to let you know if that happens to be the case now. Keep checking back!
What do you think of this Sandwich Counter / Sandwich Maker goal series? What kinds of sandwiches did Zynga overlook in these goals? Do you have room for yet another appliance in your cafe?
There are seven goals to complete in all - here's a complete guide to completing them all! (Note: all of the cooking tasks here should remain the same across all chefs' accounts, unlike past goal series where they varied).
Sal's Sandwiches!
Place Sandwich Counter
Serve Clubhouse Sandwich 15 Times
Ask for 5 Sandwich Bread
Clubhouse Sandwiches take 18 hours to prepare. The Sandwich Counter, meanwhile, is a new appliance that you'll need to build from scratch with friends' help. You'll need to collect eight Sandwich Presses, 12 Sandwich Knives, 10 Carving Boards and 15 Condiment Bowls. The Sandwich Presses and Carving Boards are earned via general requests posted on your wall, while the other two items are earned through individual gift requests to friends.
Finishing this first goal gives you 100 coins and 100 Cafe Points.
Peanut Butter Jelly
Serve Basil Finger Sandwiches
Ask for 8 Peanut Butter Jars
Ask for 8 Jelly Jars
Basil Finger Sandwiches take six hours to cook. The reward for this one, as you might have guessed, is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich recipe - the PBJ, for short.
Better with Bacon!
Serve PBJ 20 Times
Ask for 8 Vine Ripened Tomatoes
Ask for 8 Thick Cut Bacon
Another recipe comes your way at the completion of this goal - the BLT sandwich.
Viva Cuba!
Complete the Sandwich Counter
Serve BLT 20 Times
Ask for 8 Cuban Bread Loafs
At the end of the this goal, you're given yet another sandwich, the Cuban Sandwich.
Ryeway Highway!
Serve Cuban Sandwiches 20 Times
Ask for 7 Rye Bread Loafs
Ask for 10 Pastrami Slices
Yet again, you're given another recipe (as tends to be the case with new appliances - you're given a ton of recipes to cook in it) - the Pastrami on Rye sandwich.
Groovin' Reuben
Serve Pastrami on Rye 20 Times
Ask for 8 Sauerkraut
Ask for 8 Corned Beef Slices
I'll give you one guess as to the prize for this goal... That's right, a simply Reuben Sandwich.
Sandwich King
Serve Reuben Sandwich 20 Times
Ask for 10 Ham and Turkey Slices
Ask for 10 Sticks of Butter
Up until now, I had refrained from commenting on how Zynga was likely influenced to release sandwich-themed content by Food Network's "Next Food Network Star" show, but since the winner of the most recent season went on to have a show called "Sandwich King," I just can't hold it in any longer. And there, it's out of my system. For finishing this goal, you'll receive yet another sandwich - the Monte Cristo.
This marks the current end of the Sandwich Counter goals. However, if history tells us anything, we'll likely either see A) a second Sandwich Counter released in a few months, or B) more recipes released on the one we now have. That's been the case with other appliances in the past, and we'll make sure to let you know if that happens to be the case now. Keep checking back!
What do you think of this Sandwich Counter / Sandwich Maker goal series? What kinds of sandwiches did Zynga overlook in these goals? Do you have room for yet another appliance in your cafe?
CityVille Metro Marvel Items available for a limited time
An interesting trio of new items has been released in the CityVille marketplace this week, leaving us to think that perhaps the reason these three items were released on their own in such a small group, and with such an oddly named theme (after all, I don't personally find there to be anything "marvel" worthy about them) is that they'll be the last (or at least some of the last) items released in the game before it switches completely to Halloween. We've already seen some Vampire-themed goals release in the game, so perhaps that prediction isn't far off.
Either way, here's a look at the three items, two of which go for City Cash (so have that virtual - and real world - wallet ready)!
Sturdivant Tower
Type: Residence
Costs: 65 City Cash
Population: 1,850 - 3,650 citizens
Rent: 251 coins every eight hours
Skillets and Things
Type: Business
Cost: 7,400 coins
Requires: 185 Goods
Earns: 1,096 coins
CityVille School of Rock
Type: Community Building
Cost: 50 City Cash
Adds 1,500 citizens to maximum population cap
Remember, if you're purchasing either the Sturdivant Tower or Skillets and Things business, the profits listed above are the absolute base amount that you can earn. Add some high-powered decorations to their surrounding areas as you could see your profits skyrocket with each collection. Just remember to have a constant supply of Goods coming into your town (through crops, ships or otherwise), as they'll go fast at 185 Goods a pop.
Regardless of which items you choose to purchase, you'll need to do some shopping fast. These three items will only be available in the store for two full weeks. Hopefully, by the time these items vanish from the store, we'll have arguably more exciting content to purchase in the form of Halloween decorations, and we'll make sure to let you know if that's the case.
Are you interested in purchasing any of these three items for your town in CityVille? Which ones?
Either way, here's a look at the three items, two of which go for City Cash (so have that virtual - and real world - wallet ready)!
Sturdivant Tower
Type: Residence
Costs: 65 City Cash
Population: 1,850 - 3,650 citizens
Rent: 251 coins every eight hours
Skillets and Things
Type: Business
Cost: 7,400 coins
Requires: 185 Goods
Earns: 1,096 coins
CityVille School of Rock
Type: Community Building
Cost: 50 City Cash
Adds 1,500 citizens to maximum population cap
Remember, if you're purchasing either the Sturdivant Tower or Skillets and Things business, the profits listed above are the absolute base amount that you can earn. Add some high-powered decorations to their surrounding areas as you could see your profits skyrocket with each collection. Just remember to have a constant supply of Goods coming into your town (through crops, ships or otherwise), as they'll go fast at 185 Goods a pop.
Regardless of which items you choose to purchase, you'll need to do some shopping fast. These three items will only be available in the store for two full weeks. Hopefully, by the time these items vanish from the store, we'll have arguably more exciting content to purchase in the form of Halloween decorations, and we'll make sure to let you know if that's the case.
Are you interested in purchasing any of these three items for your town in CityVille? Which ones?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Sims Social: Claim your free Plants vs Zombies Sunflower
Among the free Social Points, Simoleons and SimCash given away by Playfish on the Sims Social fan page on Facebook, you can occasionally find the rare, exclusive treasure. Sure, Social Points and SimCash are definitely appreciated, but when it comes to cross-promotions between the Sims Social and Playfish's Plants vs Zombies, well, that's something a bit more special.
For a limited time, you can now claim a Sunflower from Plants vs Zombies for use in your own home as a decoration. If you've spotted this Sunflower hanging around Bella's House when you visit her, you can now claim one for yourself by clicking on this link right here. This link is universal, so anyone can click on it, but you can only do so once (unfortunately). Believe me, I'd love to have an army of Sunflowers lining my garden as well (for the inevitable zombie apocalypse), but hopefully this one will be able to offer enough sunshine to last us a short while, at least until we can dig out the heavy artillery - shotguns and the like. Have I thought too far into this? Probably.
All I know for sure is that this plant is awesome, and Plants vs Zombies is awesome, and you should definitely claim a Sunflower for your house! Just make to do so fast - there's no telling when the link will become inactive, taking your chance at a free Sunflower right along with it!
Have you already claimed your free Sunflower from this Plants vs Zombies cross-promotion? What other games would you like to see incorporated into Sims Social?
For a limited time, you can now claim a Sunflower from Plants vs Zombies for use in your own home as a decoration. If you've spotted this Sunflower hanging around Bella's House when you visit her, you can now claim one for yourself by clicking on this link right here. This link is universal, so anyone can click on it, but you can only do so once (unfortunately). Believe me, I'd love to have an army of Sunflowers lining my garden as well (for the inevitable zombie apocalypse), but hopefully this one will be able to offer enough sunshine to last us a short while, at least until we can dig out the heavy artillery - shotguns and the like. Have I thought too far into this? Probably.
All I know for sure is that this plant is awesome, and Plants vs Zombies is awesome, and you should definitely claim a Sunflower for your house! Just make to do so fast - there's no telling when the link will become inactive, taking your chance at a free Sunflower right along with it!
Have you already claimed your free Sunflower from this Plants vs Zombies cross-promotion? What other games would you like to see incorporated into Sims Social?
Cafe World Fall Feast Amelia's Goals: Everything you need to know
While we already brought you the news of the Fall Feast Event in Cafe World, I'm now here with news that makes even this dedicated player shake her head in disbelief. Instead of just a single set of five goals comprising Amelia's entire portion of the game's Thanksgiving event, we've been given 25. Yes, with all of the Cook-A-Thon goals, and Fred's goals that have yet to released in this event as well, that couldn't possibly be enough for us to work on, so Zynga has disregarded almost every thread on the game's official forums, begging the developers to slow down on content and went ahead and released more. My own personal ranting aside, if you're ready to tackle this massive set of Amelia's Fall Feast goals, here's a complete guide to doing just that.
The Fall Feast
Collect 3 Family China
Place the Festive Table
Serve 28 Dishes
To make matters a bit more complicated, this is a goal series where some of the dishes will be randomly generated for you. I wish I could give you the exact specifications for each and ever goal, but unfortunately, we can't. Sorry! Just check out our guide to building the Festive Table and then ask your friends for Family China and you'll do fine. Finish this goal and you'll receive 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites. These Invites give you a chance to win Cafe Cash in the game, so you'll win plenty of them throughout this event, if you decide to complete it.
Traditional Dish
Collect 7 Cranberries
Serve 24 Dishes
Collect 4 Traditional Recipe Cards
These recipe cards serve as this event's "one-per-friend" item. If a friend responds to your request, they'll never be able to send you another Card throughout the rest of the event (at least, that's the rules so far). Once they accept, they'll show up at your dinner table in-game. If a friend ignores your request, or just misses it, you can resend every 48 hours, but again, you will not be able to send another request to someone that's already accepted. Finishing this goal gives you 2,000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites.
Keep it Spicy!
Collect 6 Family China
Serve 32 Dishes
Spice 3 of your Neighbors' Dishes
The rewards for this goal are the Cream of Mushroom ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites.
New Fall Tastes
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Collect 8 Fresh Green Onions
Serve 20 Dishes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 20 Fall Feast Invites
Setting the Table
Collect 9 Family China
Complete the Festive Table
Serve 40 Dishes
Reward: Cranberry Chutney recipe, 100 Cafe Points and 50 Fall Feast Invites
Additional Guests
Collect 6 Family China
Serve 15 Dishes
Serve 20 Dishes
Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Sage Advice
Collect 7 Chopped Sage
Serve 24 Dishes
Collect 4 Traditional Recipe Cards
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points, 10 Fall Feast Invites
New Ingredients
Collect 8 Family China
Serve 32 Dishes
Spice 3 of your Dishes
Reward: Spicy Sausage ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites
Fresh Fall Dishes
Collect 5 Traditional Recipe Cards
Collect 8 Fresh Mushrooms
Serve 30 Dishes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points, 20 Fall Feast Invites
Pass the Potatoes
Collect 10 Family China
Ask for 8 Potatoes
Master Cranberry Chutney to Level 2
Reward: Mom's Mashed Potatoes recipe and 50 Fall Feast invites
Friendly Recipes
Collect 5 Traditional Recipe Cards
Serve 20 Dishes
Serve 28 Dishes
Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Cook for Friends
Collect 7 Cornbread Stuffing
Serve 24 Dishes
Collect 8 Family China
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites
Rice is Nice
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Serve 32 Dishes
Spice 3 of your Dishes
Reward: Rice Pilaf ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites
Setting the Mood
Collect 9 Family China
Collect 8 Candlestick Holders
Serve 24 Mom's Mashed Potatoes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 20 Fall Feast Invites
Candle Collection
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Collect 8 Holiday Candles
Master Mom's Mashed Potatoes to Level 2
Reward: Sweet Potato Pie recipe and 50 Fall Feast Invites
Extended Holiday
Collect 6 Family China
Serve 20 Dishes
Serve 28 Dishes
Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Fall Harvest
Collect 7 Sweet Corn
Serve 24 Cakes
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites
Holiday Spices
Collect 8 Family China
Serve 32 Dishes
Spice 4 of your Dishes
Reward: Apple Cider ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites
A Personal Taste
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Serve 20 Taste Lab Dishes with Rice Pilaf
Serve 24 Dishes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 20 Fall Feast Invites
Going Green
Collect 3 Family China
Ask for 8 Cheddar Wheels
Master Sweet Potato Pie to Level 2
Reward: Green Bean Casserole and 50 Fall Feast Invites
Fall Feast Finale
Collect 6 Family China
Serve 20 Cassava Cakes
Serve 28 Dishes
Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Recipes Galore!
Collect 7 Fresh Zucchini
Serve 24 Dishes
Collect 5 Traditional Recipe Cards
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites
Mmmmm Bacon!
Collect 8 Family China
Serve 30 Dishes
Spice 5 of your Dishes
Reward: Bacon ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites
New Creations
Collect 7 Traditional Recipe Cards
Serve 20 Taste Lab Dishes with Bacon
Serve 24 Dishes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Holiday Upgrades!
Collect 10 Family China
Master Green Bean Casserole to Level 2
Serve 40 Dishes
Reward: Mystery Prize (likely a 50% Lighting Stove) and 50 Fall Feast Invites
As of this writing, this is just the "Amelia's Goals" portion of the Fall Feast Event, but as you can probably tell from the prizes above, the goals themselves are split into sections. If you look into your game and see "I of V," trust me, the rest of these goals come later in different parts. Whether you're ready to dive into this massive event or not, the time is ticking down, and your choice will ultimately be made for you. If you're interested in filling out your Cookbook with every dish possible, then start plugging away at these goals. If not, feel free to go back to working on the Cook-A-Thon instead.
[Via Zynga]
Check out the rest of our Thanksgiving coverage right here.
What do you think of Amelia's Goals in the Fall Feast Event? Do you think Zynga releases too much content too quickly? Have you stopped playing the game because of it?
The Fall Feast
Collect 3 Family China
Place the Festive Table
Serve 28 Dishes
To make matters a bit more complicated, this is a goal series where some of the dishes will be randomly generated for you. I wish I could give you the exact specifications for each and ever goal, but unfortunately, we can't. Sorry! Just check out our guide to building the Festive Table and then ask your friends for Family China and you'll do fine. Finish this goal and you'll receive 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites. These Invites give you a chance to win Cafe Cash in the game, so you'll win plenty of them throughout this event, if you decide to complete it.
Traditional Dish
Collect 7 Cranberries
Serve 24 Dishes
Collect 4 Traditional Recipe Cards
These recipe cards serve as this event's "one-per-friend" item. If a friend responds to your request, they'll never be able to send you another Card throughout the rest of the event (at least, that's the rules so far). Once they accept, they'll show up at your dinner table in-game. If a friend ignores your request, or just misses it, you can resend every 48 hours, but again, you will not be able to send another request to someone that's already accepted. Finishing this goal gives you 2,000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites.
Keep it Spicy!
Collect 6 Family China
Serve 32 Dishes
Spice 3 of your Neighbors' Dishes
The rewards for this goal are the Cream of Mushroom ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites.
New Fall Tastes
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Collect 8 Fresh Green Onions
Serve 20 Dishes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 20 Fall Feast Invites
Setting the Table
Collect 9 Family China
Complete the Festive Table
Serve 40 Dishes
Reward: Cranberry Chutney recipe, 100 Cafe Points and 50 Fall Feast Invites
Additional Guests
Collect 6 Family China
Serve 15 Dishes
Serve 20 Dishes
Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Sage Advice
Collect 7 Chopped Sage
Serve 24 Dishes
Collect 4 Traditional Recipe Cards
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points, 10 Fall Feast Invites
New Ingredients
Collect 8 Family China
Serve 32 Dishes
Spice 3 of your Dishes
Reward: Spicy Sausage ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites
Fresh Fall Dishes
Collect 5 Traditional Recipe Cards
Collect 8 Fresh Mushrooms
Serve 30 Dishes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points, 20 Fall Feast Invites
Pass the Potatoes
Collect 10 Family China
Ask for 8 Potatoes
Master Cranberry Chutney to Level 2
Reward: Mom's Mashed Potatoes recipe and 50 Fall Feast invites
Friendly Recipes
Collect 5 Traditional Recipe Cards
Serve 20 Dishes
Serve 28 Dishes
Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Cook for Friends
Collect 7 Cornbread Stuffing
Serve 24 Dishes
Collect 8 Family China
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites
Rice is Nice
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Serve 32 Dishes
Spice 3 of your Dishes
Reward: Rice Pilaf ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites
Setting the Mood
Collect 9 Family China
Collect 8 Candlestick Holders
Serve 24 Mom's Mashed Potatoes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 20 Fall Feast Invites
Candle Collection
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Collect 8 Holiday Candles
Master Mom's Mashed Potatoes to Level 2
Reward: Sweet Potato Pie recipe and 50 Fall Feast Invites
Extended Holiday
Collect 6 Family China
Serve 20 Dishes
Serve 28 Dishes
Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Fall Harvest
Collect 7 Sweet Corn
Serve 24 Cakes
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites
Holiday Spices
Collect 8 Family China
Serve 32 Dishes
Spice 4 of your Dishes
Reward: Apple Cider ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites
A Personal Taste
Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
Serve 20 Taste Lab Dishes with Rice Pilaf
Serve 24 Dishes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 20 Fall Feast Invites
Going Green
Collect 3 Family China
Ask for 8 Cheddar Wheels
Master Sweet Potato Pie to Level 2
Reward: Green Bean Casserole and 50 Fall Feast Invites
Fall Feast Finale
Collect 6 Family China
Serve 20 Cassava Cakes
Serve 28 Dishes
Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Recipes Galore!
Collect 7 Fresh Zucchini
Serve 24 Dishes
Collect 5 Traditional Recipe Cards
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites
Mmmmm Bacon!
Collect 8 Family China
Serve 30 Dishes
Spice 5 of your Dishes
Reward: Bacon ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites
New Creations
Collect 7 Traditional Recipe Cards
Serve 20 Taste Lab Dishes with Bacon
Serve 24 Dishes
Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites
Holiday Upgrades!
Collect 10 Family China
Master Green Bean Casserole to Level 2
Serve 40 Dishes
Reward: Mystery Prize (likely a 50% Lighting Stove) and 50 Fall Feast Invites
As of this writing, this is just the "Amelia's Goals" portion of the Fall Feast Event, but as you can probably tell from the prizes above, the goals themselves are split into sections. If you look into your game and see "I of V," trust me, the rest of these goals come later in different parts. Whether you're ready to dive into this massive event or not, the time is ticking down, and your choice will ultimately be made for you. If you're interested in filling out your Cookbook with every dish possible, then start plugging away at these goals. If not, feel free to go back to working on the Cook-A-Thon instead.
[Via Zynga]
Check out the rest of our Thanksgiving coverage right here.
What do you think of Amelia's Goals in the Fall Feast Event? Do you think Zynga releases too much content too quickly? Have you stopped playing the game because of it?
FarmVille Harvest Bonfire Goals: Everything you need to now
To go along with the Harvest Bonfire that has launched in FarmVille for Thanksgiving, you'll also have a set of six goals to complete as well. These goals offer (appropriately) some Thanksgiving or Fall-themed rewards, and require some themed items to complete as well. As usual, we're here to give you a look at how to complete these goals, so let's get started.
Like a Sheep to the Flame
Get 6 Lanterns
Harvest 5 Cows
Harvest 150 Wheat
These goals have the fairly standard quest setup of asking your friends for a specific item (either through individual requests or general wall posts) and then completing two other tasks on your own. Here, Cows are able to be harvested once a day, and Wheat grows in 12 hours. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, a Shaggy Fall Sheep and 2,500 coins.
We Did Start the Fire
Get 6 Fire Pit Stones
Harvest Shaggy Fall Sheep
Harvest 150 Corn
Plain corn takes three days to harvest, but you can plant any variety of corn if you'd rather not wait that long. Just note that you can't plant the new Multi-Color Corn that was released in the Autumn item theme. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 200 XP, 2,500 coins and a Founder Duck.
Time for a Good Sit
Get 6 Stumps
Harvest Founder Duck
Harvest 150 Potatoes
Traditional Potatoes take three days to harvest, but again, this looks like a time when you can plant any variety of potato to save some time. For the record, Kennebec and Super Kennebec Potatoes only take a single day, rather than three. When you finish this goal, you'll receive 300 XP, 2,500 coins and a Lantern decoration.
Now We're Cooking
Get 6 Baked Potatoes
Harvest 5 Horses
Harvest 150 Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera takes 6 hours to plant. As for the Horses, you should technically be able to harvest a Horse Stable or Paddock for this task to complete, but if it's bugged (as it has been in the past), you'll need to pull horses out of storage and wait for them to become ready to harvest on their own (a much more time consuming process, to be sure). Finishing this goal gives you 500 XP, 2,500 coins and a Merriam Turkey.
The Best Part of a Bonfire
Get 6 Marshmallow Sticks
Harvest Marriam Turkey 10 Times
Harvest 150 Strawberries
You'll be able to earn more Marriam Turkeys through Aviary eggs, so make sure to either continually harvest your Aviaries, or claim as many eggs as you can from friends to increase your population fast (well, at least freely). For finishing this goal, you'll receive 750 XP, 2,500 coins and the Night Under the Stars decorative item (sleeping bags placed outside).
Tending the Embers
Get 6 Fire Spades
Harvest Founder Duck Twice
Harvest 150 Pumpkins
Regular Pumpkins take eight hours to grow when planted. As for the Founder Duck, again, you should be able to place it in storage buildings to be able to harvest it once per day, but if it glitches, just pull it out of storage and wait for it to "mature" on its own. Finishing this goal gives you 1,000 XP, 2,500 coins and a Fall Lantern Horse (a horse carrying a Lantern, what else?).
As of this writing, you have two weeks left to finish these six goals, so while you're not being incredibly rushed, remember that you probably have goals to complete in Lighthouse Cove as well. Do a bit of multi-tasking across both farms and you'll be able to finish off both of these series with ease. Good luck!
[Via FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our Thanksgiving themed coverage right here.
What do you think of these Harvest Bonfire goals in FarmVille? Which of the prizes is your favorite? Will you be able to finish all six goals within the two week time period?
Like a Sheep to the Flame
Get 6 Lanterns
Harvest 5 Cows
Harvest 150 Wheat
These goals have the fairly standard quest setup of asking your friends for a specific item (either through individual requests or general wall posts) and then completing two other tasks on your own. Here, Cows are able to be harvested once a day, and Wheat grows in 12 hours. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, a Shaggy Fall Sheep and 2,500 coins.
We Did Start the Fire
Get 6 Fire Pit Stones
Harvest Shaggy Fall Sheep
Harvest 150 Corn
Plain corn takes three days to harvest, but you can plant any variety of corn if you'd rather not wait that long. Just note that you can't plant the new Multi-Color Corn that was released in the Autumn item theme. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 200 XP, 2,500 coins and a Founder Duck.
Time for a Good Sit
Get 6 Stumps
Harvest Founder Duck
Harvest 150 Potatoes
Traditional Potatoes take three days to harvest, but again, this looks like a time when you can plant any variety of potato to save some time. For the record, Kennebec and Super Kennebec Potatoes only take a single day, rather than three. When you finish this goal, you'll receive 300 XP, 2,500 coins and a Lantern decoration.
Now We're Cooking
Get 6 Baked Potatoes
Harvest 5 Horses
Harvest 150 Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera takes 6 hours to plant. As for the Horses, you should technically be able to harvest a Horse Stable or Paddock for this task to complete, but if it's bugged (as it has been in the past), you'll need to pull horses out of storage and wait for them to become ready to harvest on their own (a much more time consuming process, to be sure). Finishing this goal gives you 500 XP, 2,500 coins and a Merriam Turkey.
The Best Part of a Bonfire
Get 6 Marshmallow Sticks
Harvest Marriam Turkey 10 Times
Harvest 150 Strawberries
You'll be able to earn more Marriam Turkeys through Aviary eggs, so make sure to either continually harvest your Aviaries, or claim as many eggs as you can from friends to increase your population fast (well, at least freely). For finishing this goal, you'll receive 750 XP, 2,500 coins and the Night Under the Stars decorative item (sleeping bags placed outside).
Tending the Embers
Get 6 Fire Spades
Harvest Founder Duck Twice
Harvest 150 Pumpkins
Regular Pumpkins take eight hours to grow when planted. As for the Founder Duck, again, you should be able to place it in storage buildings to be able to harvest it once per day, but if it glitches, just pull it out of storage and wait for it to "mature" on its own. Finishing this goal gives you 1,000 XP, 2,500 coins and a Fall Lantern Horse (a horse carrying a Lantern, what else?).
As of this writing, you have two weeks left to finish these six goals, so while you're not being incredibly rushed, remember that you probably have goals to complete in Lighthouse Cove as well. Do a bit of multi-tasking across both farms and you'll be able to finish off both of these series with ease. Good luck!
[Via FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our Thanksgiving themed coverage right here.
What do you think of these Harvest Bonfire goals in FarmVille? Which of the prizes is your favorite? Will you be able to finish all six goals within the two week time period?
FarmVille: Win early access to Winter Wonderland through new contest
If you're like me, you're probably eagerly counting down the days and even minutes until you can step your virtual feet into FarmVille's fourth farm, the Winter Wonderland. Similar to a setup with the Lighthouse Cove, Zynga is taking advantage of your excitement by offering a contest to some very lucky farmers - 50 of them, to be exact - who will be given early access to the Winter Wonderland farm for winning a new "Winter Wonderland Escape" caption contest being held on the game's forums.
This caption contest presents you with the image above, or a duck that finds himself in a precarious situation under the snow. You'll have the option of writing up to two sentences that describes the picture, and, as Zynga says, "captures the essence of the characters." You can interpret that however you'd like; just make sure that your entry is clever and family-friendly and you'll have a chance to win!
The winners of the contest will be chosen by the FarmVille team and will be announced on Saturday, November 26. This sets up a pretty convenient time frame, if you think about it. Could it be that these lucky winners will receive access on the 26, and then the entire farm will open up to everyone on December 1? Either way, this contest is free to enter, and you really have nothing to lose, so why not take a shot at it? If you do win early access to Winter Wonderland, make sure to let us know how it is!
Will you try to win early access to Winter Wonderland via this caption contest, or will you wait until it becomes freely available to all players instead?
This caption contest presents you with the image above, or a duck that finds himself in a precarious situation under the snow. You'll have the option of writing up to two sentences that describes the picture, and, as Zynga says, "captures the essence of the characters." You can interpret that however you'd like; just make sure that your entry is clever and family-friendly and you'll have a chance to win!
The winners of the contest will be chosen by the FarmVille team and will be announced on Saturday, November 26. This sets up a pretty convenient time frame, if you think about it. Could it be that these lucky winners will receive access on the 26, and then the entire farm will open up to everyone on December 1? Either way, this contest is free to enter, and you really have nothing to lose, so why not take a shot at it? If you do win early access to Winter Wonderland, make sure to let us know how it is!
Will you try to win early access to Winter Wonderland via this caption contest, or will you wait until it becomes freely available to all players instead?
CityVille Stumpfords Mini Golf Goals: Everything you need to know
The Stumpfords may have come back from their family vacation in CityVille, but that doesn't mean they're ready to give up on fun altogether. In fact, they want to throw a little family competition by taking to the virtual, and miniature greens of the putt-putt golf course. You'll be there along the way, completing tasks and earning themed rewards as the Stumpfords fight amongst themselves for supremacy.
Par for the Course
Ask for 10 Parking Cards
Collect from the French Restaurant 16 Times
Harvest 24 Eggplant Crops
Ok, so these three tasks don't really pertain to golfing specifically, but here's the kicker: whoever wins this round of miniature golf gets to pick where the entire family goes for lunch. At least now, we understand all of these references to food! For the record, Eggplant takes just one hour to grow, and you can earn those Parking Cards by asking your friends via direct friend requests. Finishing this first goal gives you the Monkey Golf decoration, which is a piece of a putt-putt course. It gives a 12% payout bonus to surrounding homes and businesses.
Meal Ticket
Ask for 10 Lockers
Collect form the Noodle Shop
Harvest 8 Wheat Crops
Wheat takes 2.1 days to finish, so I suppose we should be happy that there doesn't appear to be a time limit on finishing these goals (as of this writing). Waiting all of that time for the Wheat to grow also gives you a chance to gather the 10 Lockers, which is done by posting a general wall post to your news feed that asks all of your CityVille neighbors to help at once. Finishing this goal gives you the Holland Hole in One, another piece of the golf course that offers a 12% payout bonus. It was originally available in the store for 135,000 coins.
Mini Me
Ask for 10 Golf Balls
Collect form the Burger Joint 20 Times
Water Neighbor Crops 8 Times
Keep an eye on the term here: you'll need to water crops in your friends' cities, not unwither them or harvest them. Just make sure you find some crops that are currently growing before you start clicking and you'll finish in a snap. Doing so gives you the Pirate Putt Putt item, a golf course piece that normally cost 27 City Cash and offers a 27% payout bonus.
Icing on the Cake
Ask for 10 Hot Wings
Collect from Community Buildings 8 Times
Harvest 24 Carrot Crops
It doesn't appear to matter which Community Buildings you collect from, and as you likely already have more than eight completed in your town, just collect the profits from eight different buildings to quickly finish this task. Meanwhile, Carrots take eight hours to grow. For finishing this final goal in the Stumpfords Mini Golf series, you'll receive the Big Play Brewery, a business that requires 335 Goods, and generates 1,781 coins. It normally cost 46 City Cash, so that's actually a pretty great final prize for completing a goal series that wasn't exactly difficult.
I don't know about you, but if we continue to receive such nice prizes from goals in CityVille, I'll be one happy mayor. What about you?
[Via CityVille Wiki]
Well, what do you think of these Stumpfords Mini Golf goals in CityVille? Will you stop what you're doing to finish these four goals first?
Par for the Course
Ask for 10 Parking Cards
Collect from the French Restaurant 16 Times
Harvest 24 Eggplant Crops
Ok, so these three tasks don't really pertain to golfing specifically, but here's the kicker: whoever wins this round of miniature golf gets to pick where the entire family goes for lunch. At least now, we understand all of these references to food! For the record, Eggplant takes just one hour to grow, and you can earn those Parking Cards by asking your friends via direct friend requests. Finishing this first goal gives you the Monkey Golf decoration, which is a piece of a putt-putt course. It gives a 12% payout bonus to surrounding homes and businesses.
Meal Ticket
Ask for 10 Lockers
Collect form the Noodle Shop
Harvest 8 Wheat Crops
Wheat takes 2.1 days to finish, so I suppose we should be happy that there doesn't appear to be a time limit on finishing these goals (as of this writing). Waiting all of that time for the Wheat to grow also gives you a chance to gather the 10 Lockers, which is done by posting a general wall post to your news feed that asks all of your CityVille neighbors to help at once. Finishing this goal gives you the Holland Hole in One, another piece of the golf course that offers a 12% payout bonus. It was originally available in the store for 135,000 coins.
Mini Me
Ask for 10 Golf Balls
Collect form the Burger Joint 20 Times
Water Neighbor Crops 8 Times
Keep an eye on the term here: you'll need to water crops in your friends' cities, not unwither them or harvest them. Just make sure you find some crops that are currently growing before you start clicking and you'll finish in a snap. Doing so gives you the Pirate Putt Putt item, a golf course piece that normally cost 27 City Cash and offers a 27% payout bonus.
Icing on the Cake
Ask for 10 Hot Wings
Collect from Community Buildings 8 Times
Harvest 24 Carrot Crops
It doesn't appear to matter which Community Buildings you collect from, and as you likely already have more than eight completed in your town, just collect the profits from eight different buildings to quickly finish this task. Meanwhile, Carrots take eight hours to grow. For finishing this final goal in the Stumpfords Mini Golf series, you'll receive the Big Play Brewery, a business that requires 335 Goods, and generates 1,781 coins. It normally cost 46 City Cash, so that's actually a pretty great final prize for completing a goal series that wasn't exactly difficult.
I don't know about you, but if we continue to receive such nice prizes from goals in CityVille, I'll be one happy mayor. What about you?
[Via CityVille Wiki]
Well, what do you think of these Stumpfords Mini Golf goals in CityVille? Will you stop what you're doing to finish these four goals first?
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