After playing FarmVille on iPhone, I couldn't resist booting up the iPad and give the app a whirl. The verdict? The graphics look fuzzy (as expected since they're blown up twice the size of what they are on iPhone), but other than that, it's a better overall experience. Why? Simply because the iPad touch screen is bigger. It's easier to move around your farm as well as harvest trees and animals smooshed together in an effort to make more room for crops. Since the iPad runs slightly faster than the iPhone 3GS, the entire game is smoother and the loading times are cut down significantly.
I asked a Zynga rep if an iPad-ready version of FarmVille is on the way, and was told that "that can not be confirmed at this time." That, of course, leads me to believe that one is in the works, and it's only a matter of time until we'll all be finger farming with crystal clear graphics on the iPhone's bigger brother.
FarmVille can be downloaded from the App Store, just go here. You can also download the game directly on your iPhone/iPod or iPad by going to the App Store App, searching for 'FarmVille' and then downloading the game for free.
Earn Money by watching videos
Monday, February 13, 2012
Social City 1 Comment Tweet Social City flashes back for one week only
Social City flashback sale
This week in Social City is a special one, because for just this week only, there will be old limited time buildings making short appearances again. This is the perfect chance to purchase something that you might have missed while it was on sale, so for that - it's a great solution to that issue.
It's not the optimal situation however, as it has several flaws. Firstly, these items are only available for 3 hours at a time. This means that there is a very good chance you'll miss the item you want a second time. Coming back every 3 hours just to check and see what building is now available? That's probably only for the hardcore Social City lovers. In addition, these items all cost City Bucks, so they will definitely cost your wallet a bit of cash. We think this is a neat idea though, but it would definitely be nice if each building held around longer than 3 hours each.
This week in Social City is a special one, because for just this week only, there will be old limited time buildings making short appearances again. This is the perfect chance to purchase something that you might have missed while it was on sale, so for that - it's a great solution to that issue.
It's not the optimal situation however, as it has several flaws. Firstly, these items are only available for 3 hours at a time. This means that there is a very good chance you'll miss the item you want a second time. Coming back every 3 hours just to check and see what building is now available? That's probably only for the hardcore Social City lovers. In addition, these items all cost City Bucks, so they will definitely cost your wallet a bit of cash. We think this is a neat idea though, but it would definitely be nice if each building held around longer than 3 hours each.
Wild Ones premium membership now on sale
Wild Ones subscription sale
This month, Wild Ones debuted a monumental feature in Facebook games - the optional monthly membership cost. Having a premium subscription is new territory for Facebook games, so we're sure there is a lot of knowledge that is still being learned about the viability of that type of business model in these casual games. Playdom were brave by breaking new ground, but now they're doing some tuning to get the pricing right.
Currently, you can obtain a premium monthly membership to Wild Ones for only $4.80 a month. This is 50% off of the debut cost, which is a fantastic discount. Perhaps the Wild One subscription isn't selling well? Or maybe it is, and Playdom want to entice even more people to partake in the benefits of being a premium member? Whatever the reason may be, this is a good opportunity to check out the Wild Ones subscription at a cheaper cost. It's unclear if this will be a limited time deal, or the new permanent price.
This month, Wild Ones debuted a monumental feature in Facebook games - the optional monthly membership cost. Having a premium subscription is new territory for Facebook games, so we're sure there is a lot of knowledge that is still being learned about the viability of that type of business model in these casual games. Playdom were brave by breaking new ground, but now they're doing some tuning to get the pricing right.
Currently, you can obtain a premium monthly membership to Wild Ones for only $4.80 a month. This is 50% off of the debut cost, which is a fantastic discount. Perhaps the Wild One subscription isn't selling well? Or maybe it is, and Playdom want to entice even more people to partake in the benefits of being a premium member? Whatever the reason may be, this is a good opportunity to check out the Wild Ones subscription at a cheaper cost. It's unclear if this will be a limited time deal, or the new permanent price.
FarmVille iPhone, iPod app includes exclusive Snow Leopard, Apple trees
The Apple device FarmVille App has just gone live! You can download it for free on iTunes or directly on your ipod Touch or iPhone. There are now exclusive Apple items in the Market while in the FarmVille App:
To purchase:
FarmVille Snow Leopard Rainbow Apple Tree
Rainbow Apple Tree- Cost: 500 coins, Harvest Time: 3 Days, Xp: 5
Snow Leopard-Cost: 50,000 coins, Harvest Time: 2 Days, Xp: 500
Giftable, White Apple Tree:
FarmVille White Apple Tree
At this time we do not know if FarmVille players that are NOT using the Apple FarmVille App can accept this gift.
Farmville Freak Jeremy V's Snow Leopard and Rainbow Apple Tree
Have you downloaded the new FarmVille App? What do you think of farming on a mobile device?
This post originally appeared on farmvillefreak.com
To purchase:
FarmVille Snow Leopard Rainbow Apple Tree
Rainbow Apple Tree- Cost: 500 coins, Harvest Time: 3 Days, Xp: 5
Snow Leopard-Cost: 50,000 coins, Harvest Time: 2 Days, Xp: 500
Giftable, White Apple Tree:
FarmVille White Apple Tree
At this time we do not know if FarmVille players that are NOT using the Apple FarmVille App can accept this gift.
Farmville Freak Jeremy V's Snow Leopard and Rainbow Apple Tree
Have you downloaded the new FarmVille App? What do you think of farming on a mobile device?
This post originally appeared on farmvillefreak.com
Facebook Game Cheats & Tips: How to mass accept game requests
If you're anything like us, your Facebook requests page is absolutely out of control with everything from gifts, help requests, page suggestions, group and event invites, and neighbor requests. Sometimes, we log in and look at our requests page and simply turn away because the thought of clicking accept and back on each one of these requests makes us want to cry. If this sounds familiar, there is actually a solution that can help you out: The Facebook Mass Accept Requests tool.
Facebook Mass Accept Requests is a Greasemonkey script for Firefox that will allow you to "accept all" on your page of requests. Once you have this browser addon installed, it will add checkboxes beside each one of your requests so that you can choose to accept whichever ones you like. After that, clicking a simple "accept all" button will automatically go through and accept all of these gifts. In some games, it can even send back a reciprocal gift.
This doesn't work for all games 100% of the time, so your results may vary. It is known to work well in FarmVille, Farm Town, and FishVille. Other apps that don't work too great are Mafia Wars, Cafe World, and Social City. You may have to try your favorite game and report back and let us know which work and which do not.
Installing a Greasemonkey script is actually pretty simple, as long as you have Firefox installed. Greasemonkey is a simple browser extension that you can install by clicking here. After you have installed Greasemonkey and refreshed your browser, install the Facebook Mass Accept Requests script by going here. Click the install button and it will now be loaded. Simply go to your Facebook requests page and you should now see a new "Accept All" button. Give it a try.
Facebook Mass Accept Requests is a Greasemonkey script for Firefox that will allow you to "accept all" on your page of requests. Once you have this browser addon installed, it will add checkboxes beside each one of your requests so that you can choose to accept whichever ones you like. After that, clicking a simple "accept all" button will automatically go through and accept all of these gifts. In some games, it can even send back a reciprocal gift.
This doesn't work for all games 100% of the time, so your results may vary. It is known to work well in FarmVille, Farm Town, and FishVille. Other apps that don't work too great are Mafia Wars, Cafe World, and Social City. You may have to try your favorite game and report back and let us know which work and which do not.
Installing a Greasemonkey script is actually pretty simple, as long as you have Firefox installed. Greasemonkey is a simple browser extension that you can install by clicking here. After you have installed Greasemonkey and refreshed your browser, install the Facebook Mass Accept Requests script by going here. Click the install button and it will now be loaded. Simply go to your Facebook requests page and you should now see a new "Accept All" button. Give it a try.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Gamestop promoting Facebook game with free game giveaway
With downloadable and web-based games taking up an ever-bigger chunk of the video game market, many brick-and-mortar game retailers are struggling to adapt their business models to a coming new world order that might not need their services. Case in point, game mega-retailer Gamestop, which first dipped its toes in the social gaming waters with its late 2009 acquisition of web-game maker Jolt Online. Now, Gamestop is throwing its weight behind Jolt's latest release, Gangsta Zombies, with free in-game cash and a "free games for a year" contest.
Gangsta Zombies, a Mafia Wars clone with some slick production values, has already attracted nearly 200,000 monthly users since first coming online in early June. Despite this, Gamestop official announced the game's launch only yesterday, alongside its promotional plan for the game. That plan involves giving away free game cards in stores and selling $10 pre-paid cards, both of which allow players to buy in-game items. Store visitors can also enter to win a year of free games from Gamestop, which the company defines as $1,000 worth. I wonder if you can use that money on Farmville cash cards...
So, social gamers, will this kind of promotion get you to step away from your computers and actually visit a brick-and-mortar retailer like Gamestop? Would you change your mind if they were promoting a different game?
Gangsta Zombies, a Mafia Wars clone with some slick production values, has already attracted nearly 200,000 monthly users since first coming online in early June. Despite this, Gamestop official announced the game's launch only yesterday, alongside its promotional plan for the game. That plan involves giving away free game cards in stores and selling $10 pre-paid cards, both of which allow players to buy in-game items. Store visitors can also enter to win a year of free games from Gamestop, which the company defines as $1,000 worth. I wonder if you can use that money on Farmville cash cards...
So, social gamers, will this kind of promotion get you to step away from your computers and actually visit a brick-and-mortar retailer like Gamestop? Would you change your mind if they were promoting a different game?
Wrestling star Paul Heyman working on social fighting game
The San Diego Comic-Con may be mecca for all things geeky, but it's not exactly the center of the universe as far as social gaming is concerned. So we were a bit surprised to learn that former ECW owner and WWE Smackdown lead writer Paul Heyman used the conference to announce a new social fighting game, planned for later this year.
The project, which Heyman is working on in partnership with Jeff Katz's Geekweek, is being described as "a new online fighting league featuring a hybrid of pro wrestling, mixed martial arts and boxing." Players will be able to create their own fighter in any of these disciplines and work their way up the tournament ladder via turn-based battles, gaining new abilities and customization options as they go.
Katz also promises "a host of star performers - past present and future - from the worlds of wrestling, MMA and boxing" will be available as purchasable downloads. Though Katz didn't mention which star performers had been signed, specifically, pro wrestling stars Samoa Joe and Shane "Hurricane" Helms were reportedly on hand for the Comic-Con announcement, suggesting their likely involvement. "The thinking here is that one ring + three disciplines = endless dream matches," Katz writes.
The game will be coming to Geekweek.com, smartphones and "the obvious social platforms" by the fourth quarter of this year.
The project, which Heyman is working on in partnership with Jeff Katz's Geekweek, is being described as "a new online fighting league featuring a hybrid of pro wrestling, mixed martial arts and boxing." Players will be able to create their own fighter in any of these disciplines and work their way up the tournament ladder via turn-based battles, gaining new abilities and customization options as they go.
Katz also promises "a host of star performers - past present and future - from the worlds of wrestling, MMA and boxing" will be available as purchasable downloads. Though Katz didn't mention which star performers had been signed, specifically, pro wrestling stars Samoa Joe and Shane "Hurricane" Helms were reportedly on hand for the Comic-Con announcement, suggesting their likely involvement. "The thinking here is that one ring + three disciplines = endless dream matches," Katz writes.
The game will be coming to Geekweek.com, smartphones and "the obvious social platforms" by the fourth quarter of this year.
Quote of the Moment: Escaping from the escape
"I think the triumph comes more in the act of doing, in the sheer decadence of spending real time on fake food. I play [Cafe World] mostly in my apartment, by far the nicest one I've had-ten-foot ceilings, stainless steel refrigerator, dishwasher, washer and dryer, everything new, never before lived in. I'm in a newish career, no longer living the nightmare of an adjunct English instructor, grading papers all the time, all the time. My dishes are washed for me by a machine and I don't have to drive to and from a Laundromat.
"Still, the time I use to cook digital meat is stolen time, time I could and should be using for working on my novel, reading, cleaning, maintaining my real space as much as the digital retail space, etc. But these things are choices, not life or death-as humans we've collectively progressed to the point of being able to use our time not to hunt and gather and sew our own clothing but to squander as shamelessly as we choose to.
"I guess that's a bit sarcastic, a backhanded point-and yet it really does feel-there is a true sense of relief in it, a visceral sense that if you're spending your time worrying about whether or not your digital chicken pot pie will run out overnight, your life must not be that bad. ...
"And then there's spiritual death. Soul crush. Waking up on a weekend morning, grabbing some coffee and reclining in bed with a laptop, serving what's been cooked overnight, harvesting in Farmville, feeding in Fishville, finishing contracts in Social City. Need to shower, need to have breakfast, need to leave the apartment. But really need to get tonight's dinner service on the stoves. Of course one is going to feel a sense of I'm a loser, is this really my life? I can't believe I'm doing this. It plunks down on you with each click of the mouse. I'm planting fake grapes. Why am I planting fake grapes? Why am I deciding between different fake floorings for my café? When is an escape from reality something from which you need to escape?
"I haven't farmed in a couple of months -- I've quit all these games except Café World, which I was recently away from for a couple of weeks of great productivity with my novel. I don't know if I'll ever fully get back into it. Anything in moderation, I guess. In moderation is neither triumph nor spiritual death."
- OpenSalon blogger Jeff Maehre reflects on the benefits and drawbacks of his personal social gaming obsession.
"Still, the time I use to cook digital meat is stolen time, time I could and should be using for working on my novel, reading, cleaning, maintaining my real space as much as the digital retail space, etc. But these things are choices, not life or death-as humans we've collectively progressed to the point of being able to use our time not to hunt and gather and sew our own clothing but to squander as shamelessly as we choose to.
"I guess that's a bit sarcastic, a backhanded point-and yet it really does feel-there is a true sense of relief in it, a visceral sense that if you're spending your time worrying about whether or not your digital chicken pot pie will run out overnight, your life must not be that bad. ...
"And then there's spiritual death. Soul crush. Waking up on a weekend morning, grabbing some coffee and reclining in bed with a laptop, serving what's been cooked overnight, harvesting in Farmville, feeding in Fishville, finishing contracts in Social City. Need to shower, need to have breakfast, need to leave the apartment. But really need to get tonight's dinner service on the stoves. Of course one is going to feel a sense of I'm a loser, is this really my life? I can't believe I'm doing this. It plunks down on you with each click of the mouse. I'm planting fake grapes. Why am I planting fake grapes? Why am I deciding between different fake floorings for my café? When is an escape from reality something from which you need to escape?
"I haven't farmed in a couple of months -- I've quit all these games except Café World, which I was recently away from for a couple of weeks of great productivity with my novel. I don't know if I'll ever fully get back into it. Anything in moderation, I guess. In moderation is neither triumph nor spiritual death."
- OpenSalon blogger Jeff Maehre reflects on the benefits and drawbacks of his personal social gaming obsession.
Four lessons learned from Casual Connect 2010
Casual Connect 2010 in Seattle came and went last week with a whisper. The annual show held by the Casual Game Association had high attendance this year (2,000 people total), but it failed to generate major buzz. No big consumer news came from the event, and a big portion of the casual gaming world – Flash games – were nowhere to be found.
Some might argue that's because social gaming is so hot – there was no point in showing up unless you had something to say about the matter. Whether or not that's the case, it suddenly seems clear why casual games don't get the respect they deserve – it's all too fragmented to present a united front.
Despite the lack of mind-blowing moments at Casual Connect this year, there were a few common threads running throughout the three days of talks, all of which will likely impact your casual game playing experience for the rest of the year.
Everyone's obsessed with going social
About 80% of the conference was focused on social games, with discussions about how to keep your social game alive or how to turn an existing game franchise into something that's Facebook ready. PopCap made the jump with iterations of its popular PC games – first, with Bejeweled Blitz then Zuma Blitz (available in a few weeks). Big Fish Games made the jump with My Tribe and Treasure Quest; Playrix is doing the same with Fishdom. If you're favorite casual games haven't made the jump to Facebook yet, it will most likely happen sooner than later.
casual connect 2010 logoEveryone wants to figure out how to entice you to buy items in 'freemium' games
Freemium games are great for consumers – you can play for free and then – if you feel like it – you can spend anywhere from $1 to $10,000 buying additional items for your game. People who spend, spend big, but the majority of players refuse to part with their dollars, which is leaving everyone on the inside wondering what kind of new virtual doo-dads they can create to entice you to part with your hard earned cash.
Social games are seeking life beyond Facebook
Right now, Facebook is the hot place for social gaming, but publishers want to spread the love around on other (or any) platforms, whether it's another social network like MySpace or Hi5 or a big gaming portal like Yahoo or the upcoming Google Games. Scrappy start-ups such as HeyZap were also at the show, offering publishers a way to port their games somewhere other than Facebook.
Lots of talk for 'innovation' in casual games, but not many real examples
"We can do better." That's how ohai founder Susan Wu started out her talk at Casual Connect this year, challenging social game makers to go beyond creating pet sims and farming clones. That was a common thread that was touched on throughout the week, both for social and casual games. Outside of some larger theories (like Playfish US General Manager Dan Fiden's touchy feely talk on creating emotions with games), there weren't too many solid examples of innovation in games outside of the 'I Love Bees' meta-game that was used to promote Halo 2 several years ago. There was also a game built around an augmented reality mobile app that involves tagging real-world places and then viewing them using your cell phone camera. It seems like most of the real innovation was on new ways to make money, and not the actual games themselves.
For a video game veteran like myself, Casual Connect was a great way to get a feel for what's happening in this fascinating, but largely unappreciated, segment of the gaming industry. In a year, we'll see if 'social' is still the big trend or if everyone will move onto the next big thing.
Oh yeah -- don't let the name fool you -- even thought it's called Casual Connect, we didn't spot anyone hanging around in a bathrobe or loungewear (though I did spy PopCap co-founder John Vechey in a sweet red tracksuit).
Gallery: Casual Connect 2010
Some might argue that's because social gaming is so hot – there was no point in showing up unless you had something to say about the matter. Whether or not that's the case, it suddenly seems clear why casual games don't get the respect they deserve – it's all too fragmented to present a united front.
Despite the lack of mind-blowing moments at Casual Connect this year, there were a few common threads running throughout the three days of talks, all of which will likely impact your casual game playing experience for the rest of the year.
Everyone's obsessed with going social
About 80% of the conference was focused on social games, with discussions about how to keep your social game alive or how to turn an existing game franchise into something that's Facebook ready. PopCap made the jump with iterations of its popular PC games – first, with Bejeweled Blitz then Zuma Blitz (available in a few weeks). Big Fish Games made the jump with My Tribe and Treasure Quest; Playrix is doing the same with Fishdom. If you're favorite casual games haven't made the jump to Facebook yet, it will most likely happen sooner than later.
casual connect 2010 logoEveryone wants to figure out how to entice you to buy items in 'freemium' games
Freemium games are great for consumers – you can play for free and then – if you feel like it – you can spend anywhere from $1 to $10,000 buying additional items for your game. People who spend, spend big, but the majority of players refuse to part with their dollars, which is leaving everyone on the inside wondering what kind of new virtual doo-dads they can create to entice you to part with your hard earned cash.
Social games are seeking life beyond Facebook
Right now, Facebook is the hot place for social gaming, but publishers want to spread the love around on other (or any) platforms, whether it's another social network like MySpace or Hi5 or a big gaming portal like Yahoo or the upcoming Google Games. Scrappy start-ups such as HeyZap were also at the show, offering publishers a way to port their games somewhere other than Facebook.
Lots of talk for 'innovation' in casual games, but not many real examples
"We can do better." That's how ohai founder Susan Wu started out her talk at Casual Connect this year, challenging social game makers to go beyond creating pet sims and farming clones. That was a common thread that was touched on throughout the week, both for social and casual games. Outside of some larger theories (like Playfish US General Manager Dan Fiden's touchy feely talk on creating emotions with games), there weren't too many solid examples of innovation in games outside of the 'I Love Bees' meta-game that was used to promote Halo 2 several years ago. There was also a game built around an augmented reality mobile app that involves tagging real-world places and then viewing them using your cell phone camera. It seems like most of the real innovation was on new ways to make money, and not the actual games themselves.
For a video game veteran like myself, Casual Connect was a great way to get a feel for what's happening in this fascinating, but largely unappreciated, segment of the gaming industry. In a year, we'll see if 'social' is still the big trend or if everyone will move onto the next big thing.
Oh yeah -- don't let the name fool you -- even thought it's called Casual Connect, we didn't spot anyone hanging around in a bathrobe or loungewear (though I did spy PopCap co-founder John Vechey in a sweet red tracksuit).
Gallery: Casual Connect 2010
YoVille: New Mystery Deal feature coming soon
This is an official post by Zynga's Platinum Ninja.
We'll be adding Mystery Deals to YoVille starting very soon! These Mystery Deals will be found on the Free Gift Page for you and your friends to share with one another. These will be very similar to coupons that you can use to buy certain items. Whether you are sending it to a friend or accepting one of these Mystery Deals let's walk through how these are going to work:
YoVille Mystery Deal
How to Send A Mystery Deal
Visit the Free Gift Page. Choose the Mystery Deal Free Gift and choose the friend(s) that you would like to send it to. Make sure to send lots of these to your friends to give them the opportunity to cash in on some great deals!
YoVille Mystery Deal
How to Open and Use a Mystery Deal
Check to see if one of your friends has sent you a Mystery Deal by visiting your Facebook Requests. If you have been sent a Mystery Deal by one of your friends click "Accept Mystery Deal". You will then be taken to the Accept page for the Mystery Deal and given the option to Open the deal or Not.
YoVille Mystery Deal 50% off
To open simply click Open Deal and you will then find out what the deal is. It could be a % off of an item or Buy one get one free for a specific item, you'll have to open to find out! We'll have tons of items to offer you at great deals and will be refreshing these items.
YoVille Mystery Deal Hollywood Reel to Reel Player
If it catches your eye and you want to buy that item at that awesome price click Buy, otherwise if you are not interested you can decline.
Make sure to take advantage of these great prices and Mystery Deal coupons from your friends! *Please note that you must open the Mystery Deal to see what it is. The Mystery Deal Coupon itself will not be placeable or in your inventory. Only the specific item in the deal if you purchase it will appear in your inventory".
Well that's about all folks! This should be an awesome chance to get some great deals so make sure to open any deals you get and make sure to share with your friends!
- Platinum Ninja
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
We'll be adding Mystery Deals to YoVille starting very soon! These Mystery Deals will be found on the Free Gift Page for you and your friends to share with one another. These will be very similar to coupons that you can use to buy certain items. Whether you are sending it to a friend or accepting one of these Mystery Deals let's walk through how these are going to work:
YoVille Mystery Deal
How to Send A Mystery Deal
Visit the Free Gift Page. Choose the Mystery Deal Free Gift and choose the friend(s) that you would like to send it to. Make sure to send lots of these to your friends to give them the opportunity to cash in on some great deals!
YoVille Mystery Deal
How to Open and Use a Mystery Deal
Check to see if one of your friends has sent you a Mystery Deal by visiting your Facebook Requests. If you have been sent a Mystery Deal by one of your friends click "Accept Mystery Deal". You will then be taken to the Accept page for the Mystery Deal and given the option to Open the deal or Not.
YoVille Mystery Deal 50% off
To open simply click Open Deal and you will then find out what the deal is. It could be a % off of an item or Buy one get one free for a specific item, you'll have to open to find out! We'll have tons of items to offer you at great deals and will be refreshing these items.
YoVille Mystery Deal Hollywood Reel to Reel Player
If it catches your eye and you want to buy that item at that awesome price click Buy, otherwise if you are not interested you can decline.
Make sure to take advantage of these great prices and Mystery Deal coupons from your friends! *Please note that you must open the Mystery Deal to see what it is. The Mystery Deal Coupon itself will not be placeable or in your inventory. Only the specific item in the deal if you purchase it will appear in your inventory".
Well that's about all folks! This should be an awesome chance to get some great deals so make sure to open any deals you get and make sure to share with your friends!
- Platinum Ninja
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Happy Pets Panda Fortune Wheel: Bargain or Baloney?
Last week Happy Pets released their first Panda cub into the store, but players couldn't buy it, even though it's listed for 60 Facebook Credits (or $6 USD). The reason? It's locked. And the key to unlocking it is playing the Panda Fortune Wheel.
"Oh, that sounds fun!", you'd say. Unfortunately, each spin of the wheel costs 8 FB Credits (or $0.80 USD). You must collect all 5 items to unlock the Panda, and the results are random. But if you collect 'em all, your first Panda is FREE! The 5-piece Panda decor set is as follows: Pagoda, Bamboo, Chinese Lantern, Bamboo Forest Background, and Bamboo Forest Floor.
Pagoda, Happy Pets Panda Fortune Wheel: Bamboo, Chinese Lantern, Bamboo Forest Background, and Bamboo Forest Floor.
And for your instant gratification, Happy Pets is charging 198 FB Credits, which is nearly $20 USD, as a 5-piece decor collection bundle with Panda. Given that the Panda costs 60 FB Credits, going for the instant purchase means you're dropping 138 FB Credits (or nearly $14 USD) on the decor items alone. So you're probably better off dropping 8 FB Credits, or 80 cents at a time, to try your lucky with the wheel.
Happy Pets Spin the Panda Fortune Wheel for 8 Facebook Credits
I gave it a spin, and it landed me a Bamboo Forest Background, which can be sold for 500 Coins and only used outdoors. Was it worth it? Considering that all the premium outdoor backgrounds cost 12 FB Credits, I'd have to say yes.
Happy Pets Panda Fortune Wheel: Bamboo Forest Background
Verdict: If you want a Panda bad enough, don't go for the instant option. For the $20 USD you would've dropped on that, you could've spun that wheel a maximum of 24.7 times!
"Oh, that sounds fun!", you'd say. Unfortunately, each spin of the wheel costs 8 FB Credits (or $0.80 USD). You must collect all 5 items to unlock the Panda, and the results are random. But if you collect 'em all, your first Panda is FREE! The 5-piece Panda decor set is as follows: Pagoda, Bamboo, Chinese Lantern, Bamboo Forest Background, and Bamboo Forest Floor.
Pagoda, Happy Pets Panda Fortune Wheel: Bamboo, Chinese Lantern, Bamboo Forest Background, and Bamboo Forest Floor.
And for your instant gratification, Happy Pets is charging 198 FB Credits, which is nearly $20 USD, as a 5-piece decor collection bundle with Panda. Given that the Panda costs 60 FB Credits, going for the instant purchase means you're dropping 138 FB Credits (or nearly $14 USD) on the decor items alone. So you're probably better off dropping 8 FB Credits, or 80 cents at a time, to try your lucky with the wheel.
Happy Pets Spin the Panda Fortune Wheel for 8 Facebook Credits
I gave it a spin, and it landed me a Bamboo Forest Background, which can be sold for 500 Coins and only used outdoors. Was it worth it? Considering that all the premium outdoor backgrounds cost 12 FB Credits, I'd have to say yes.
Happy Pets Panda Fortune Wheel: Bamboo Forest Background
Verdict: If you want a Panda bad enough, don't go for the instant option. For the $20 USD you would've dropped on that, you could've spun that wheel a maximum of 24.7 times!
Google buys mobile/social game maker SocialDeck
If you somehow still think that Google impending entrance into the social game space is nothing but a bunch of chatter, you have another data point to fight against today. That's because today, the world's most popular internet search engine scooped up mobile game developer SocialDeck for an undisclosed sum.
The Toronto-based developer, founded in 2008, reportedly attracted over a million downloads in 2009 for its three mobile titles: Dr. Mario clone Pet Hero, Boggle clone Shake & Spell 3D, and color-matching game Color Connect. All three games integrate social competition, allowing players to challenge their friends to score battles. Shake & Spell also has a free-to-play Facebook version which has failed to attract much attention.
"SocialDeck's team and technology is a perfect addition to our current team of engineers in Waterloo, to continue to innovate in the social and mobile web," Google Canada spokeswoman Wendy Rozeluk said to Canada's Globe and Mail.
Following on Google's purchase of companies including virtual currency maker Jambool, SuperPoke Pets! creator Slide and investments in developers like Zynga, this latest acquisition makes the company's plans for some sort of social gaming platform all but inescapable. The only question now is when the Big G will make its move.
The Toronto-based developer, founded in 2008, reportedly attracted over a million downloads in 2009 for its three mobile titles: Dr. Mario clone Pet Hero, Boggle clone Shake & Spell 3D, and color-matching game Color Connect. All three games integrate social competition, allowing players to challenge their friends to score battles. Shake & Spell also has a free-to-play Facebook version which has failed to attract much attention.
"SocialDeck's team and technology is a perfect addition to our current team of engineers in Waterloo, to continue to innovate in the social and mobile web," Google Canada spokeswoman Wendy Rozeluk said to Canada's Globe and Mail.
Following on Google's purchase of companies including virtual currency maker Jambool, SuperPoke Pets! creator Slide and investments in developers like Zynga, this latest acquisition makes the company's plans for some sort of social gaming platform all but inescapable. The only question now is when the Big G will make its move.
PetVille Designer Dogs: Bleu the Saint-Dane comes marching in
So long Cockapoo! Today, PetVille has put up Bleu the Saint-Dane as third in the Limited Edition Designer Dogs collection. As with the two earlier pups, you can get Bleu from the game's Gifts page with the cooperation of other players.
We're also beginning to see a pattern in the dog releases -- all the dogs are hybrid breeds. Bleu the Saint-Dane is a mix between a Saint Bernard and a Great Dane. Another name for Bleu's breed is the "Great Bernard". The main thing to know about hybrid breeds is that they're neither purebreds nor mutts, because you can trace the lineage of the dogs' purebred parents.
Like all the dogs, Bleu is animated -- he blinks, pants, his tongue wags more than his tail, and his tail flicks more than it wags. This is pretty disappointing, and Bleu's look is also a complete break from design of the earlier pups. Unlike Paul and Trubble, Bleu appears to be an adult. He doesn't look as cute as the first two, and he's not that well animated either. I almost wonder if Zynga is designing these dogs on-the-fly.
Regardless, if Bleu isn't to your liking, you can always sell him off for 150 Coins.
We're also beginning to see a pattern in the dog releases -- all the dogs are hybrid breeds. Bleu the Saint-Dane is a mix between a Saint Bernard and a Great Dane. Another name for Bleu's breed is the "Great Bernard". The main thing to know about hybrid breeds is that they're neither purebreds nor mutts, because you can trace the lineage of the dogs' purebred parents.
Like all the dogs, Bleu is animated -- he blinks, pants, his tongue wags more than his tail, and his tail flicks more than it wags. This is pretty disappointing, and Bleu's look is also a complete break from design of the earlier pups. Unlike Paul and Trubble, Bleu appears to be an adult. He doesn't look as cute as the first two, and he's not that well animated either. I almost wonder if Zynga is designing these dogs on-the-fly.
Regardless, if Bleu isn't to your liking, you can always sell him off for 150 Coins.
Playdom takes CrowdStar's place as third-largest Facebook game developer
New data from Facebook app tracker AppData this week shows that Playdom has edged out competitor Crowdstar to become the third-largest developer of Facebook games, as measured by number of monthly average users across all published games. Playdom's 43.8 million users just edged out CrowdStar's 43.3 million, according to the site.
While massive player gains for new Playdom games such City of Wonder and Market Street helped fuel the company's achievement, a precipitous drop in users for CrowdStar's games also contributed to the switch in positions. The Happy Aquarium maker lost more than 9 million aggregate monthly users for its games in the last week, though the bulk of the drop came in a single day (Aug. 27), suggesting it may have had more to do with changes in Facebook's statistics reporting than any actual player exodus.
Regardless, the jump into the top three is good news for Playdom owner Disney, which has seen their acquisition's player base grow by roughly 10% in the month since their purchase. Still, the company will have to grow more than 25% more to challenge the current position of No. 2 developer Electronic Arts, or a whopping 417% if it wants to match industry-leader Zynga's current position.
While massive player gains for new Playdom games such City of Wonder and Market Street helped fuel the company's achievement, a precipitous drop in users for CrowdStar's games also contributed to the switch in positions. The Happy Aquarium maker lost more than 9 million aggregate monthly users for its games in the last week, though the bulk of the drop came in a single day (Aug. 27), suggesting it may have had more to do with changes in Facebook's statistics reporting than any actual player exodus.
Regardless, the jump into the top three is good news for Playdom owner Disney, which has seen their acquisition's player base grow by roughly 10% in the month since their purchase. Still, the company will have to grow more than 25% more to challenge the current position of No. 2 developer Electronic Arts, or a whopping 417% if it wants to match industry-leader Zynga's current position.
Quote of the Moment: Stats ain't everything
"When we first started making games we made mistakes. We thought it was a matter of simple math. But you need to be qualitative; you can't just measure everything. Measurement is only good at finding local maxima."
- LolApps Co-Founder and Product VP Kevin Stewart explains why his company is no longer designing games solely based on mazimizing measurable player metrics. The entire piece is worth a read for a new perspective on social game development.
- LolApps Co-Founder and Product VP Kevin Stewart explains why his company is no longer designing games solely based on mazimizing measurable player metrics. The entire piece is worth a read for a new perspective on social game development.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Treasure Isle Voyages: Everything you need to know
Treasure Isle Voyages
Zynga has introduced a new feature to Treasure Isle that will expand your horizons and grow you some sea legs: Voyages. This addition to the game allows players to journey to distant islands in search of, what else, treasure. These new missions also unlock additional maps in the Dream Isles as well as prizes for mastering each Voyage.
Unfortunately, there is one obstacle in your way before you can set sail (if you can't guess what, then you might not want to take this one on). Join us behind the cut for more info on what you'll need to unlock Voyages and how they're done. Dragon Sailboat
First things first, you'll obviously need a boat. So, before you can access the Voyages, you'll need to complete the Dragon Sailboat. Here's what you'll need to complete the vessel:
5 Nails
5 Planks
5 Rope
5 Cloth
5 Resin
Each of these items costs one Island Cash, but can be gifted as well. Be sure to put the items on your wishlist, but if you want to ride the fast track to the high seas, you'll have to pay up 25 Island Cash.
Voyages Menu
Once your ship is complete, just give it a click and choose your first Voyage. These journeys act much like jobs in Mafia Wars, but with visible rewards Clicking on the "Go" button will incrementally progress you to your destination and increase your mastery of the Voyage. However, each push forward in a Voyage will decrease your Energy and reward XP, requiring you to refill your Energy to continue.
Voyages Progress
Making it to your destination will unlock the map connected to the Voyage, but a second time through will unlock a second map. You can master Voyages up to Level 4, but only the first two times through will open up new maps (Levels 3 and 4 grant bonus items). With three Voyages currently in the game with two maps to unlock, mathematics experts say that makes a total of six new maps to explore. Here are the Voyages currently in the game and what's in it for you:
Ninja Assassin: Unlocks Ninja Training and Ninja Shrine maps
Happy Land (Requires Two Crew Members): Unlocks Happy Pastures and Happy Uzumaki maps
Monster Island (Requires Three Crew Members): Unlocks Green Gargantuan and Monster Isle maps
Voyages Mastery
You'll notice in the Happy Land and Monster Island Voyages that Crew Members are required. Similar to Catering Orders in Cafe World, you can recruit your friends to help you on your Voyage or buy Crew Members for Island Cash. We recommend sucking it up and finding some friends if you're short on sailors.
Zynga has introduced a new feature to Treasure Isle that will expand your horizons and grow you some sea legs: Voyages. This addition to the game allows players to journey to distant islands in search of, what else, treasure. These new missions also unlock additional maps in the Dream Isles as well as prizes for mastering each Voyage.
Unfortunately, there is one obstacle in your way before you can set sail (if you can't guess what, then you might not want to take this one on). Join us behind the cut for more info on what you'll need to unlock Voyages and how they're done. Dragon Sailboat
First things first, you'll obviously need a boat. So, before you can access the Voyages, you'll need to complete the Dragon Sailboat. Here's what you'll need to complete the vessel:
5 Nails
5 Planks
5 Rope
5 Cloth
5 Resin
Each of these items costs one Island Cash, but can be gifted as well. Be sure to put the items on your wishlist, but if you want to ride the fast track to the high seas, you'll have to pay up 25 Island Cash.
Voyages Menu
Once your ship is complete, just give it a click and choose your first Voyage. These journeys act much like jobs in Mafia Wars, but with visible rewards Clicking on the "Go" button will incrementally progress you to your destination and increase your mastery of the Voyage. However, each push forward in a Voyage will decrease your Energy and reward XP, requiring you to refill your Energy to continue.
Voyages Progress
Making it to your destination will unlock the map connected to the Voyage, but a second time through will unlock a second map. You can master Voyages up to Level 4, but only the first two times through will open up new maps (Levels 3 and 4 grant bonus items). With three Voyages currently in the game with two maps to unlock, mathematics experts say that makes a total of six new maps to explore. Here are the Voyages currently in the game and what's in it for you:
Ninja Assassin: Unlocks Ninja Training and Ninja Shrine maps
Happy Land (Requires Two Crew Members): Unlocks Happy Pastures and Happy Uzumaki maps
Monster Island (Requires Three Crew Members): Unlocks Green Gargantuan and Monster Isle maps
Voyages Mastery
You'll notice in the Happy Land and Monster Island Voyages that Crew Members are required. Similar to Catering Orders in Cafe World, you can recruit your friends to help you on your Voyage or buy Crew Members for Island Cash. We recommend sucking it up and finding some friends if you're short on sailors.
FarmVille Special Delivery backlash begins among fed-up farmers
There seems to be some dissent growing among FarmVillers who say they are positively overloaded with Special Deliveries, and that they don't need the items they find inside. Today, I've noticed several posts on my Facebook wall with pictures that have a Special Delivery Crossed out or say "No more, Thank you."
farmville no more special delivery
Special Delivery mystery packages, which were released a few weeks ago, were designed to give players items they need vs. the random decoration items found in mystery boxes. So, if you need materials for a building, like, say, the new nursery barn expansion, these boxes will give you nails, boards, bricks and whatever else you need. Some players have apparently been getting hundreds of these boxes at a time and are overloaded with items that they don't need.
So, if you're feeling burdened by too many Special Deliveries, right click on the image at the top of this article, save it and then upload it to Facebook to tell your friends,"Thanks, but no thanks."
farmville no more special delivery
Special Delivery mystery packages, which were released a few weeks ago, were designed to give players items they need vs. the random decoration items found in mystery boxes. So, if you need materials for a building, like, say, the new nursery barn expansion, these boxes will give you nails, boards, bricks and whatever else you need. Some players have apparently been getting hundreds of these boxes at a time and are overloaded with items that they don't need.
So, if you're feeling burdened by too many Special Deliveries, right click on the image at the top of this article, save it and then upload it to Facebook to tell your friends,"Thanks, but no thanks."
Was FarmVille on Last Week's "The Office" TV Show?
If you caught last week's episode on "The Office" you may have seen this nod to FarmVille.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
ManStruggle brings retro, button-mashing delight to Facebook
Grab Games, creator of Gold Miner World, recently released a new social game to Facebook with a decidedly fresh aesthetic and gameplay hook. ManStruggle, a game that requires a seriously fast index finger, is an homage to all things 8-bit gaming. From the pixelated visuals to the campy music to the silly, muffled narrator who can say nothing more than "Man Struggle," this game conjures up fond memories of lazy Sunday mornings and burning wrists (no, that last memory is from today). Got your attention? Then join us behind the cut for a detailed first look at this tribute to the world of 8-bit.
Man Struggle
The game can essentially be summed up in two words: Press A. That's it, really. Well, you can briefly customize your wrestler (which looks more like strangling) and share your achievements on Facebook, but that's not the point. The idea of this game is to compete with friends either locally or online in real time to see who can press the "A" key faster.
Don't have any friends (really? This is Facebook) or none that are online? Then you can play your friends' average records of what the game cryptically calls "Rate." This metric measures the rate at which you press the "A" key in percentages. While we don't know what these percentages amount to in presses per second, the higher your Rate percentage, the better and it can go past 100 percent (I've reached 120% Rate).
There are four play modes to choose from. First, "Struggle Vs. Friend Now" mode lets you play against one your friends in the game in real time, if they're online. Second is "Struggle Vs. Friend in Person," which allows two people to play one another locally with the second player pressing the "L" key. Third, we have Struggle Roulette--no, it is not like Chat Roulette with more pixels--which randomly matches players live online regardless of whether they're friends for quick fun. Last is "Arcade Mode Vs. CPU," a mode that pits players against the computer in increasingly difficult struggle matches.
Man Struggle Win
To ignite the competitive spirit, there are leaderboards, and more importantly the Wall of Shame. This feature puts the top cheaters in a defined list for everyone to see their folly. Unfortunately, it's unknown what the criteria consists of to be considered a cheat. However, we'll take some players on the wall holding a 522% Rate as a sign of tampering with the game.
Looking for something to pass the time while you reminisce of the golden days of gaming or just some more punishment for your wrists? Then by all means give Grab Games' ManStruggle a few million presses.
Play ManStruggle on Facebook Now >
Man Struggle
The game can essentially be summed up in two words: Press A. That's it, really. Well, you can briefly customize your wrestler (which looks more like strangling) and share your achievements on Facebook, but that's not the point. The idea of this game is to compete with friends either locally or online in real time to see who can press the "A" key faster.
Don't have any friends (really? This is Facebook) or none that are online? Then you can play your friends' average records of what the game cryptically calls "Rate." This metric measures the rate at which you press the "A" key in percentages. While we don't know what these percentages amount to in presses per second, the higher your Rate percentage, the better and it can go past 100 percent (I've reached 120% Rate).
There are four play modes to choose from. First, "Struggle Vs. Friend Now" mode lets you play against one your friends in the game in real time, if they're online. Second is "Struggle Vs. Friend in Person," which allows two people to play one another locally with the second player pressing the "L" key. Third, we have Struggle Roulette--no, it is not like Chat Roulette with more pixels--which randomly matches players live online regardless of whether they're friends for quick fun. Last is "Arcade Mode Vs. CPU," a mode that pits players against the computer in increasingly difficult struggle matches.
Man Struggle Win
To ignite the competitive spirit, there are leaderboards, and more importantly the Wall of Shame. This feature puts the top cheaters in a defined list for everyone to see their folly. Unfortunately, it's unknown what the criteria consists of to be considered a cheat. However, we'll take some players on the wall holding a 522% Rate as a sign of tampering with the game.
Looking for something to pass the time while you reminisce of the golden days of gaming or just some more punishment for your wrists? Then by all means give Grab Games' ManStruggle a few million presses.
Play ManStruggle on Facebook Now >
Mafia Wars Secret Drops rewarding double the goods, double the fun
Secret Drops double rewards
Mafia Wars creator Zynga introduced a new feature last week in the game called Secret Drops, which allows players to find hidden briefcases while robbing players and doing jobs and gift the goodies to their friends. It's been found that players can now reap double the rewards from Secret Drops at random, according to some tipsters to Mafia Wars Maniac.
When accepting a Secret Drops gift from a friend, there is now a chance for players to randomly receive either two of the same gift they would have won or two completely different items. However, players can still only accept a certain amount of Secret Drops daily, with extra Secret Drops only awarding mobsters with Burners to assist in robberies. Either way, consider this even more incentive to start looking for Secret Drops and sharing the goods.
Mafia Wars creator Zynga introduced a new feature last week in the game called Secret Drops, which allows players to find hidden briefcases while robbing players and doing jobs and gift the goodies to their friends. It's been found that players can now reap double the rewards from Secret Drops at random, according to some tipsters to Mafia Wars Maniac.
When accepting a Secret Drops gift from a friend, there is now a chance for players to randomly receive either two of the same gift they would have won or two completely different items. However, players can still only accept a certain amount of Secret Drops daily, with extra Secret Drops only awarding mobsters with Burners to assist in robberies. Either way, consider this even more incentive to start looking for Secret Drops and sharing the goods.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Vampire Wars Ghost Familiars will certainly not be friendly this Halloween
While most things about Vampire Wars are inherently appropriate for a Halloween celebration all year long, Zynga still tries to make us virtual vamps feel at least a little special. So, for just 10 days three new Ghost familiars will be available for purchase in the Avatar shop. Here are the three spectral friends you can find:
Electric Ghost: 40 Favor Points, 30 Energy
Skeletal Ghost: 60 Favor Points, 45 Energy
Smoky Ghost: 80 Favor Points, 60 Energy
Just like before, you can only buy these items in order, which essentially forces players to pay up 180 Favor Points (around $40) for the whole set. Well, at least these familiars offer more Energy than the last. However, Zynga is still missing out on a huge opportunity to make these unique items more interesting than just static images and stat increases. While these may make more of a statement in celebrating virtual vampirism this Halloween, we recommend going for the new Blood Brothers abilities and Avatar sets that won't cost you a dime.
Electric Ghost: 40 Favor Points, 30 Energy
Skeletal Ghost: 60 Favor Points, 45 Energy
Smoky Ghost: 80 Favor Points, 60 Energy
Just like before, you can only buy these items in order, which essentially forces players to pay up 180 Favor Points (around $40) for the whole set. Well, at least these familiars offer more Energy than the last. However, Zynga is still missing out on a huge opportunity to make these unique items more interesting than just static images and stat increases. While these may make more of a statement in celebrating virtual vampirism this Halloween, we recommend going for the new Blood Brothers abilities and Avatar sets that won't cost you a dime.
Square Enix brings Final Fantasy to Facebook with two new games
If there's one thing missing in Facebook games, it's crystals and giant ostrich-chicken hybrids. You can rest easy -- game publisher Square Enix plans to fill in that void with two new Facebook games, Chocobo's Crystal Tower and Knights of the Crystals. The games both draw inspiration from the popular Final Fantasy video game series -- in other words they're brimming with cute (but deadly) characters and an art style that will be immediately familiar to any fan of the franchise.
Chocobo's Crystal Tower is the infinitely cuter of the two, tasking players with hatching and raising a chocobo cute fit enough to embark on adventures into the dark Towers where monsters defend ancient relics. Players are rewarded with gil -- a Final Fantasy staple -- to buy food and equipment for their chocobos that increase their fighting strength.
Knights of the Crystals facebook
Knights of the Crystals (KotC) is a much more serious game that was released on Japanese social networks earlier this year and just now brought to the U.S. Dropping you in the middle of a war with the Arcana Company, a clan of monsters after crystal artifacts, combat is the primary focus of this Mafia Wars-meets-Final Fantasy social game. The quest system works almost exactly like it does in ga mes like -- dare I say it -- Mafia Wars, but KotC's class system could prove to be a major differential.
Both games are in beta testing right now with some features (*ahem* paid transactions) and buttons currently disabled, but we're almost certain Square Enix won't sit on this golden chocobo egg very long. We've contacted Square Enix for more details on both games.
Chocobo's Crystal Tower is the infinitely cuter of the two, tasking players with hatching and raising a chocobo cute fit enough to embark on adventures into the dark Towers where monsters defend ancient relics. Players are rewarded with gil -- a Final Fantasy staple -- to buy food and equipment for their chocobos that increase their fighting strength.
Knights of the Crystals facebook
Knights of the Crystals (KotC) is a much more serious game that was released on Japanese social networks earlier this year and just now brought to the U.S. Dropping you in the middle of a war with the Arcana Company, a clan of monsters after crystal artifacts, combat is the primary focus of this Mafia Wars-meets-Final Fantasy social game. The quest system works almost exactly like it does in ga mes like -- dare I say it -- Mafia Wars, but KotC's class system could prove to be a major differential.
Both games are in beta testing right now with some features (*ahem* paid transactions) and buttons currently disabled, but we're almost certain Square Enix won't sit on this golden chocobo egg very long. We've contacted Square Enix for more details on both games.
Final Fantasy meets Mafia Wars in Knights of the Crystals on Facebook
Knights of the Crystals
All it takes is that iconic level-up tune to cause that oft-forgotten giddy feeling of adventure to surface, but there is much more promise than that in one of Square Enix's first American social games, Knights of the Crystals (KotC). While rampant comparisons to Zynga's Mafia Wars have probably already been made across Facebook, the most obvious similarity between the two games is the job and/or quest system. Progress is made in KotC by completing quests, which isn't much more than clicking a button repeatedly and being treated by a quick Flash animation. Fortunately, Square Enix has some other tricks up its sleeve to help this game stand out.
Find out more about Knights of the Crystals after the break.
Knights of the Crystals quesitng system
As you continue mastering quests and gathering crystals and other artifacts, your Action Power will diminish much like Energy in other games. While paid transactions are disabled as of this writing, we're sure that more Action Power and other premium items will be available through a paid currency known as Square Enix Social Coins. What a name, huh?
While there are grouping elements and a passive fighting system much like the legion of "Wars" games, KotC features a class system that will surely differentiate it from other combat-focused social games. You'll slowly gain new class options as you gain collections of relics and crystals from mastering quests and defeating boss monsters. You're only to change your class once a day, which should already raise a red flag. Classes--think Fighter, Healer and Conjurer--will define how you play this game, especially in cooperative fights against more dangerous enemies.
Knights of the Crystals boss fight
For example, when fighting the game's tutorial boss (pictured above)--a Behemoth for the Final Fantasy-savvy out there-- you're given two companions to help defeat the beast. A conjurer and a healer, even this familiar-looking tutorial fight would not be possible without these wizards. Quite honestly, it speaks volumes of what Square Enix is trying to do with Knights of the Crystals. While other games allow players to make friends and have them help out on optional jobs and boss fights, the quests and bosses that progress the KotC's surprisingly involved plot cannot be done without a specialized group of friends. I'm hopeful that this philosophy of friendship by design will continue when the game exits beta testing.
While there is the option to fight other players right now, its benefit has yet to be seen. Other than that and a few select bugs, KotC is a fully functional and promising game. Regardless of the Final Fantasy brand's strength, it's Knights of the Crystals' unique class system and forced social interaction that will hopefully lead it to become a successful, possibly genre bending social game. The catchy tunes don't hurt either.
Play Knights of the Crystals on Facebook >
All it takes is that iconic level-up tune to cause that oft-forgotten giddy feeling of adventure to surface, but there is much more promise than that in one of Square Enix's first American social games, Knights of the Crystals (KotC). While rampant comparisons to Zynga's Mafia Wars have probably already been made across Facebook, the most obvious similarity between the two games is the job and/or quest system. Progress is made in KotC by completing quests, which isn't much more than clicking a button repeatedly and being treated by a quick Flash animation. Fortunately, Square Enix has some other tricks up its sleeve to help this game stand out.
Find out more about Knights of the Crystals after the break.
Knights of the Crystals quesitng system
As you continue mastering quests and gathering crystals and other artifacts, your Action Power will diminish much like Energy in other games. While paid transactions are disabled as of this writing, we're sure that more Action Power and other premium items will be available through a paid currency known as Square Enix Social Coins. What a name, huh?
While there are grouping elements and a passive fighting system much like the legion of "Wars" games, KotC features a class system that will surely differentiate it from other combat-focused social games. You'll slowly gain new class options as you gain collections of relics and crystals from mastering quests and defeating boss monsters. You're only to change your class once a day, which should already raise a red flag. Classes--think Fighter, Healer and Conjurer--will define how you play this game, especially in cooperative fights against more dangerous enemies.
Knights of the Crystals boss fight
For example, when fighting the game's tutorial boss (pictured above)--a Behemoth for the Final Fantasy-savvy out there-- you're given two companions to help defeat the beast. A conjurer and a healer, even this familiar-looking tutorial fight would not be possible without these wizards. Quite honestly, it speaks volumes of what Square Enix is trying to do with Knights of the Crystals. While other games allow players to make friends and have them help out on optional jobs and boss fights, the quests and bosses that progress the KotC's surprisingly involved plot cannot be done without a specialized group of friends. I'm hopeful that this philosophy of friendship by design will continue when the game exits beta testing.
While there is the option to fight other players right now, its benefit has yet to be seen. Other than that and a few select bugs, KotC is a fully functional and promising game. Regardless of the Final Fantasy brand's strength, it's Knights of the Crystals' unique class system and forced social interaction that will hopefully lead it to become a successful, possibly genre bending social game. The catchy tunes don't hurt either.
Play Knights of the Crystals on Facebook >
Pet Society player's virtual home stripped clean by burglars
If you're still on the hunt for a topical Halloween costume, try this one on for size -- a Pet Society burglar.
A wacky news story reports that a thief broke into 44-year-old Sicilian woman's Facebook account and cleaned out her virtual house in the game Pet Society, taking $140 worth of virtual items, including paintings, carpets, aquariums and mirrors. All that was left when Paola Letizia logged into the game was her pet named 'Blue Cat.'
'I don't think it matters that the flat only exists in Facebook. It is real to me, and I have suffered a real loss.' Letizia told Italian media.
Italy's postal police are investigating the matter, and authorities say the crime is punishable with up to five years in prison.
A wacky news story reports that a thief broke into 44-year-old Sicilian woman's Facebook account and cleaned out her virtual house in the game Pet Society, taking $140 worth of virtual items, including paintings, carpets, aquariums and mirrors. All that was left when Paola Letizia logged into the game was her pet named 'Blue Cat.'
'I don't think it matters that the flat only exists in Facebook. It is real to me, and I have suffered a real loss.' Letizia told Italian media.
Italy's postal police are investigating the matter, and authorities say the crime is punishable with up to five years in prison.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Pumpkin Carriage, Black Rose, Purple Gallinule & More
A wide variety of new items look to be coming to FarmVille in the future, with some of these items being a Pumpkin Carriage, Rove Goat, and Purple Gallinule. We've also been given a look at the announced Black Rose flower and Tree Mastery signs, along with the Mystery Seedling, all three of which were touted in last week's official FarmVille podcast.
While the Pumpkin Carriage could easily fit in with the current Halloween or even fall themes of items, the Rove Goat and Purple Gallinule seem fairly independent in that respect. Will we see these items released as part of a new item theme, or as simple individual updates in the future? Only time will tell.
What we do know, however, is that the Pumpkin Carriage, Goat and Gallinule will animate, and you can check them out in action below.
[Via FarmVIlle Latest]
While the Pumpkin Carriage could easily fit in with the current Halloween or even fall themes of items, the Rove Goat and Purple Gallinule seem fairly independent in that respect. Will we see these items released as part of a new item theme, or as simple individual updates in the future? Only time will tell.
What we do know, however, is that the Pumpkin Carriage, Goat and Gallinule will animate, and you can check them out in action below.
[Via FarmVIlle Latest]
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Zynga brings Mafia Wars, FishVille to Yahoo
The exodus has begun. Well, sort of. TechCrunch reports that Zynga has officially launched Mafia Wars and FishVille on many of Yahoo's services including Yahoo Messenger, Pulse, Games, and within its browser toolbar. The release seems to be the fruit of a partnership between the two companies that was revealed in May of this year. This news comes hot off the heels of Zynga CEO Mark Pincus' stating his vision for a "dog activated world." We suspect that more Zynga games are to come if the expansion proves successful.
We say "expansion" because Zynga isn't going anywhere on Facebook. You'll still find your digital mob and fish tank on Facebook, though the company has been looking to go forth and conquer our digital lives for some time. Hopefully for the studio this attempt at expansion goes better than when it launched FarmVille on MSN Games only to have it shuttered shortly after.
Mafia Wars even has items exclusive to its Yahoo version, though players can't import their Facebook player profiles at the moment. This could be intentional so as to not draw away too many Facebook mobsters, though Zynga is reported to be working on a currency that it will likely use across the several platforms the company has already invaded. Eventually, it would make sense for Zynga to allow its players to access their original accounts across any platform, but it appears that the company is just testing the waters with Yahoo.
We say "expansion" because Zynga isn't going anywhere on Facebook. You'll still find your digital mob and fish tank on Facebook, though the company has been looking to go forth and conquer our digital lives for some time. Hopefully for the studio this attempt at expansion goes better than when it launched FarmVille on MSN Games only to have it shuttered shortly after.
Mafia Wars even has items exclusive to its Yahoo version, though players can't import their Facebook player profiles at the moment. This could be intentional so as to not draw away too many Facebook mobsters, though Zynga is reported to be working on a currency that it will likely use across the several platforms the company has already invaded. Eventually, it would make sense for Zynga to allow its players to access their original accounts across any platform, but it appears that the company is just testing the waters with Yahoo.
Facebook blocked by half of small businesses: Less farming, more work
FarmVille at work
Who wants to work, anyway? According to a study conducted by Webroot, 50 percent of small businesses want you to, that's who. The report shows that half of over one thousand employees surveyed in the U.S. and U.K. said that all social networks are blocked from their office network--that means Facebook games too.
While 39 percent reported being blocked from Facebook specifically, this specific social network is more than likely included in the 50 percent mentioned above. According to All Facebook, Internet security is a large cause of the block, citing that "one in six of those surveyed said a social networking site or Web 2.0 application was the source of a virus."
However, we can't imagine that at least part of the reason wasn't because businesses have taken a hit to productivity since Facebook blew up. Not to mention, who knows how many of those employees are playing the same games we are? Come to think of it, there are probably plenty of you at work reading this right now with FarmVille loaded in another browser tab. We know, it's OK. (You're safe here, for now.)
To keep those of you from hitting the wanted ads again, about 21 percent of small businesses allow Facebook use, but at designated hours of the day. Think of it as recess all over again, but replace the tether ball matches with virtual cook-offs.
Who wants to work, anyway? According to a study conducted by Webroot, 50 percent of small businesses want you to, that's who. The report shows that half of over one thousand employees surveyed in the U.S. and U.K. said that all social networks are blocked from their office network--that means Facebook games too.
While 39 percent reported being blocked from Facebook specifically, this specific social network is more than likely included in the 50 percent mentioned above. According to All Facebook, Internet security is a large cause of the block, citing that "one in six of those surveyed said a social networking site or Web 2.0 application was the source of a virus."
However, we can't imagine that at least part of the reason wasn't because businesses have taken a hit to productivity since Facebook blew up. Not to mention, who knows how many of those employees are playing the same games we are? Come to think of it, there are probably plenty of you at work reading this right now with FarmVille loaded in another browser tab. We know, it's OK. (You're safe here, for now.)
To keep those of you from hitting the wanted ads again, about 21 percent of small businesses allow Facebook use, but at designated hours of the day. Think of it as recess all over again, but replace the tether ball matches with virtual cook-offs.
FrontierVille: New Shovel Hunt goal offers 10 free digs in Treasure Isle
While it's not better than getting 10 free energy, the new Frontier Shovel from FrontierVille is an exclusive item that lets you make 10 free digs in Treasure Isle. But what it technically does, is make each of your next 10 digs require 5 less energy. And since each dig takes 5 Energy, well, you get the idea. And they're really heavy with the emphasis on the digs, because that's all you can do with it. You can't cut trees or ferns or search a lodge with it.
FrontierVille Goal: Shovel Hunt
When the offer window pops up in Treasure Isle, click on it to go to FrontierVille. There, you'll be presented with a new goal, Shovel Hunt, which requires the following:
Plant Four Fruit Trees (can also be unlocked for 16 Horseshoes)
Clear Two Rocks (8 Horseshoes)
Clear One Cactus (12 Horseshoes)
You can spend 36 Horseshoes to unlock this, but it's not worth it. They're also such simple tasks that you'll be better off just completing the goal the way it asks you to. After completing the goal, you get 50 XP, 250 Coins, and a Horseshoe-Handled Frontier Shovel.
Frontier Shovel in Treasure Isle
Claim your Frontier Shovel in FrontierVille, and you'll be redirected to Treasure Isle. The shovel will be in your backpack. You can use it or sell it, but just be warned, selling it won't earn you any coins.
FrontierVille Goal: Shovel Hunt
When the offer window pops up in Treasure Isle, click on it to go to FrontierVille. There, you'll be presented with a new goal, Shovel Hunt, which requires the following:
Plant Four Fruit Trees (can also be unlocked for 16 Horseshoes)
Clear Two Rocks (8 Horseshoes)
Clear One Cactus (12 Horseshoes)
You can spend 36 Horseshoes to unlock this, but it's not worth it. They're also such simple tasks that you'll be better off just completing the goal the way it asks you to. After completing the goal, you get 50 XP, 250 Coins, and a Horseshoe-Handled Frontier Shovel.
Frontier Shovel in Treasure Isle
Claim your Frontier Shovel in FrontierVille, and you'll be redirected to Treasure Isle. The shovel will be in your backpack. You can use it or sell it, but just be warned, selling it won't earn you any coins.
Frontierville Rodeo Timed Mission: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille is slowly rolling out a new time mission -- called "It's Rodeo Time!" which you will have eight days to complete. Here are the details:
frontierville rodeo time
GOAL: It's Rodeo Time! in FrontierVille
It's Rodeo Time! The rodeo is comin' to the Frontier! You're gonna need to toughen up some oxen, gather some Chaps, and some Rodeo Hats. This is gonna be a hoot!
- Sell 15 Adult Oxen
- Collect 15 Rodeo Hats (Them Rodeo Hats will be removed to complete this mission.)
- Collect 15 pairs of Chaps (Them Chaps will be used up.)
Hint : Oxen are available in the market. Click on "ask" above to ask your friends for Chaps and Rodeo Hats. (The hats and chaps will be removed once you've fulfilled the conditions of the mission)
frontierville rodeo time rewards
The rewards for completing the missions is a rodeo barrel + 1,000 XP + 1 Dinner
frontierville ox
If you don't have this mission yet, but want to get a leg up -- go ahead and buy any extra Oxen you might need and start feeding them until they grow up into big, strong adults and are ready to sell.
frontierville rodeo time
GOAL: It's Rodeo Time! in FrontierVille
It's Rodeo Time! The rodeo is comin' to the Frontier! You're gonna need to toughen up some oxen, gather some Chaps, and some Rodeo Hats. This is gonna be a hoot!
- Sell 15 Adult Oxen
- Collect 15 Rodeo Hats (Them Rodeo Hats will be removed to complete this mission.)
- Collect 15 pairs of Chaps (Them Chaps will be used up.)
Hint : Oxen are available in the market. Click on "ask" above to ask your friends for Chaps and Rodeo Hats. (The hats and chaps will be removed once you've fulfilled the conditions of the mission)
frontierville rodeo time rewards
The rewards for completing the missions is a rodeo barrel + 1,000 XP + 1 Dinner
frontierville ox
If you don't have this mission yet, but want to get a leg up -- go ahead and buy any extra Oxen you might need and start feeding them until they grow up into big, strong adults and are ready to sell.
City Of Wonder: Atomic Age has arrived, blinds us with lasers and music
City of Wonder is finally catching up with the rest of the world in its most recent update, The Atomic Age. Playdom has added several new areas of Research, new Marvels and more to the game in honor of both the most frightening and exciting time in human history.
Players can now Research fields such as Nuclear Power, Lasers, Globalization, Jazz and more. As always, these fields of Research will open up new buildings to construct like the Corporate HQ, which requires the new Globalization Research and nets your city 500 coins every eight hours. There are also a slew of new Cultural buildings like the Linear Accelerator, an item seemingly inspired by the Large Hadron Collider that brings 2,205 Happiness and 276 Culture to your people. (Hint: it requires Lasers.) Other Cultural buildings include the iconic Woodstock that comes of Folk Music Research and Apollo Theater, a Jazz building. I thought Woodstock was more Rock Music, but what do I know?
As for your military, NATO has been added as an available building. Known as one of the centers for global democracy, this building will grant players 160 Attack and 120 Defense. But we know what everyone wants to find out about: the Marvels. This time around, only two Marvels, Area 51 and the White House, were added Area 51 requires the new Electronics Research to complete and grants your armies a three percent damage increase. The White House, however, calls for Democracy of the Industrial Age and provides a three percent increase to goods and markets.
It looks like it's time to get with... the times in City of Wonder. Oddly enough from the title "Atomic Age," it looks like Culture and Trade benefit more from this update than Military. Of course, you'll need to be leveled up to the Industrial Age to enjoy these new features, so keep on keepin' on, newbies.
Players can now Research fields such as Nuclear Power, Lasers, Globalization, Jazz and more. As always, these fields of Research will open up new buildings to construct like the Corporate HQ, which requires the new Globalization Research and nets your city 500 coins every eight hours. There are also a slew of new Cultural buildings like the Linear Accelerator, an item seemingly inspired by the Large Hadron Collider that brings 2,205 Happiness and 276 Culture to your people. (Hint: it requires Lasers.) Other Cultural buildings include the iconic Woodstock that comes of Folk Music Research and Apollo Theater, a Jazz building. I thought Woodstock was more Rock Music, but what do I know?
As for your military, NATO has been added as an available building. Known as one of the centers for global democracy, this building will grant players 160 Attack and 120 Defense. But we know what everyone wants to find out about: the Marvels. This time around, only two Marvels, Area 51 and the White House, were added Area 51 requires the new Electronics Research to complete and grants your armies a three percent damage increase. The White House, however, calls for Democracy of the Industrial Age and provides a three percent increase to goods and markets.
It looks like it's time to get with... the times in City of Wonder. Oddly enough from the title "Atomic Age," it looks like Culture and Trade benefit more from this update than Military. Of course, you'll need to be leveled up to the Industrial Age to enjoy these new features, so keep on keepin' on, newbies.
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