For the first time in a very, very long time, Zynga has updated the free gifts page in FrontierVille to offer a trio of new Winter Holiday items that you can now send to your friends, just as you would any other free gift.
Two of these items are decorative, and come in the form of a Large Wreath, and a Fence with Farland. The Large Wreath is just that - a large decorated wreath that has been placed on top of a tall stick, so that you don't have to worry about finding a "wall" to place the wreath on. The Fence with Garland item, meanwhile, is a simple brown, wooden fence (the most basic in the game), that happens to have green and red garland wrapped around the top and sides.
As for the Fruitcake, it is an energy item, which will reward you with 15 energy points each time you "eat" one. This is done in the same way that you use Lunches, Light Snacks, and the like, in that you can simply head into your inventory and use the item with a single click of the mouse.
It's likely that these three items will only be available for the rest of the Holiday season, so make sure to send them to your friends / ask your friends to send them to you while you know they are still available.
Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille: Mistletoe Tree and Ornament Tree now available
By this time next week, Christmas will have come and gone for those that celebrate it, but Zynga isn't done offering up holiday decorations for those who are still trying to find some additional holiday spirit. In tonight's FarmVille update, we see the release of two new Holiday-themed trees, that will be available in the game for the better part of a month - 28 days from this writing, to be exact.
The two trees are the Mistletoe Tree and the Ornament Tree (not to be confused with the re-release of the Ornament Tree I and II from the beginning of the month). Both of these trees are premium, meaning they are only available for Farm Cash. The Mistletoe Tree is the cheaper of the two, costing 5 Farm Cash, while the Ornament Tree (which grows bunches of red, green and ivory ornaments) goes for 15 Farm Cash.
Both trees are masterable, and can be harvested once every two days. You'll earn 150 coins from each tree that you harvest. As for the mastery, the first star of mastery for both trees is reached at 75 harvests.
Remember, if you've yet to find an in-game present for that special FarmVille neighbor in your life, the fact that these are premium items means that they can be purchased and then sent to friends from within the store, by simply clicking the "Send" button associated with the item you want to send. Sure, it's a virtual item, but if your friends are as into the game as we are, we don't think they'd mind.
The two trees are the Mistletoe Tree and the Ornament Tree (not to be confused with the re-release of the Ornament Tree I and II from the beginning of the month). Both of these trees are premium, meaning they are only available for Farm Cash. The Mistletoe Tree is the cheaper of the two, costing 5 Farm Cash, while the Ornament Tree (which grows bunches of red, green and ivory ornaments) goes for 15 Farm Cash.
Both trees are masterable, and can be harvested once every two days. You'll earn 150 coins from each tree that you harvest. As for the mastery, the first star of mastery for both trees is reached at 75 harvests.
Remember, if you've yet to find an in-game present for that special FarmVille neighbor in your life, the fact that these are premium items means that they can be purchased and then sent to friends from within the store, by simply clicking the "Send" button associated with the item you want to send. Sure, it's a virtual item, but if your friends are as into the game as we are, we don't think they'd mind.
FarmVille Mystery Game (12/19/10): Silver and Gold items for all
Tonight's FarmVille update brings with it a slew of silver and gold items, that will surely look great on any user's farm.
Silver and gold, silver and gold - means so much more when I seeeeeeeeee
Silver and gold decorations on every Christmas tree
... Ahem, excuse me. I think I got a little carried there - I do love a good Rudolph reference. Now where was I? Oh yes, new silver and gold items have been added to the Mystery Game this week, and we have a full list of what is included here for your browsing pleasure.
As usual, there are six items up for grabs - here's what you can find inside:
Golden Bridge
Silver and Gold Garden
Silver and Gold Mansion
Gold Trellis Swing
Silver Rabbit
Golden Monkey
See? I told you there were enough silver and gold items to go around! If you'd like a chance at adding one, or all of these new decorative items to your farm, you'll have to pay 16 Farm Cash per dart. And you'll need to do so fast - as usual, this Mystery Game will only be around for the rest of the week, when (presumably next Sunday) these items are removed, and another set of six exclusive items is added to the game.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Silver and gold, silver and gold - means so much more when I seeeeeeeeee
Silver and gold decorations on every Christmas tree
... Ahem, excuse me. I think I got a little carried there - I do love a good Rudolph reference. Now where was I? Oh yes, new silver and gold items have been added to the Mystery Game this week, and we have a full list of what is included here for your browsing pleasure.
As usual, there are six items up for grabs - here's what you can find inside:
Golden Bridge
Silver and Gold Garden
Silver and Gold Mansion
Gold Trellis Swing
Silver Rabbit
Golden Monkey
See? I told you there were enough silver and gold items to go around! If you'd like a chance at adding one, or all of these new decorative items to your farm, you'll have to pay 16 Farm Cash per dart. And you'll need to do so fast - as usual, this Mystery Game will only be around for the rest of the week, when (presumably next Sunday) these items are removed, and another set of six exclusive items is added to the game.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
FarmVille Yakut Pony and Santa Cat now available for Farm Cash
If you'd like to get your hands on even more Holiday (or at least Winter) themed animals in FarmVille, you'll be happy to know that Zynga has included two such animals in tonight's FarmVille update.
Now available are the Yakut Pony and the Santa Cat. Both are premium items, available only for Farm Cash (or, I suppose you could have a generous farmer purchase one for you, you lucky farmer, you). The Yakut Pony costs 26 Farm Cash, and can be harvested from every three days. You'll earn 84 coins when you do so. The Santa Cat can also be harvested every three days, but it costs less, at 12 Farm Cash. You'll earn 90 coins each time you collect from the cat, making this the more profitable item overall.
Still, for you horse collectors out there, you know what a knew Pony means - that's right! A new Yakut Foal as well, so be sure to add the Pony to your Horse Stable if you do choose to purchase one for a chance of breeding a Foal that can be shared with friends.
Since the Santa Cat is clearly a holiday-related animal, it's time remaining in the store reflects that, as it will only be available to purchase for 5 days, while the Yakut Pony will be available for 12.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Now available are the Yakut Pony and the Santa Cat. Both are premium items, available only for Farm Cash (or, I suppose you could have a generous farmer purchase one for you, you lucky farmer, you). The Yakut Pony costs 26 Farm Cash, and can be harvested from every three days. You'll earn 84 coins when you do so. The Santa Cat can also be harvested every three days, but it costs less, at 12 Farm Cash. You'll earn 90 coins each time you collect from the cat, making this the more profitable item overall.
Still, for you horse collectors out there, you know what a knew Pony means - that's right! A new Yakut Foal as well, so be sure to add the Pony to your Horse Stable if you do choose to purchase one for a chance of breeding a Foal that can be shared with friends.
Since the Santa Cat is clearly a holiday-related animal, it's time remaining in the store reflects that, as it will only be available to purchase for 5 days, while the Yakut Pony will be available for 12.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
FarmVille Mountain Cabin, FV Ornament, Redwood, Turtle Doves, and more now available
A slew of new Winter Holiday buildings and decorations were released to the FarmVille store this evening, as Zynga is apparently looking to add content to the theme right up until Christmas itself rolls around (or even after). In tonight's update, we see a new building being added to the theme, along with six new decorative items.
The new building is the Mountain Cabin, and it costs 30 Farm Cash to add to your farm. This lovely building fits in with the other Winter Holiday buildings that have been added to the game, as it is themed in a rustic way, with evergreen trees at the corners, just as the others are.
As for the decorative items, they are split evenly between those items that cost Farm Cash, and those that go for coins. On the premium side, we have the Redwood tree, a decoration-only tree that costs 4 Farm Cash, the Horse Snowpile (an animated item that shows a Horse playing around in a pile of snow) which costs 12 Farm Cash, and the Turtle Doves, a pair of lovely birds that are perked upon a themed birdhouse - these birds will set you back 18 Farm Cash. Just as the Redwood tree, these Doves are purely decorative, and are not harvestable.
For those who have already spent all of their Farm Cash on other items from this theme, there are three items that are available for coins. The first is the Snowman Family, a lighted decoration that falls in line with the Lighted Train released at the end of November, which costs 200,000 coins. Next is the FV Ornament (which stands for the "FarmVille Ornament"), which is marked with a 2010 marking, making it especially limited, in that we know it won't be released next year. It can be purchased for 20,000 coins. Finally, the Winter Mailbox is a decorated mailbox that costs 10,000 coins.
These items have varying expiration dates, with the Mountain Cabin being available for 14 days, the FV Ornament and the Snowman Family being available for 5 days, and the Horse Snowpile, Turtle Doves, and Winter Mailbox being available for 12 days. Finally, the Redwood will be available longer still, with 21 days left in the store.
The new building is the Mountain Cabin, and it costs 30 Farm Cash to add to your farm. This lovely building fits in with the other Winter Holiday buildings that have been added to the game, as it is themed in a rustic way, with evergreen trees at the corners, just as the others are.
As for the decorative items, they are split evenly between those items that cost Farm Cash, and those that go for coins. On the premium side, we have the Redwood tree, a decoration-only tree that costs 4 Farm Cash, the Horse Snowpile (an animated item that shows a Horse playing around in a pile of snow) which costs 12 Farm Cash, and the Turtle Doves, a pair of lovely birds that are perked upon a themed birdhouse - these birds will set you back 18 Farm Cash. Just as the Redwood tree, these Doves are purely decorative, and are not harvestable.
For those who have already spent all of their Farm Cash on other items from this theme, there are three items that are available for coins. The first is the Snowman Family, a lighted decoration that falls in line with the Lighted Train released at the end of November, which costs 200,000 coins. Next is the FV Ornament (which stands for the "FarmVille Ornament"), which is marked with a 2010 marking, making it especially limited, in that we know it won't be released next year. It can be purchased for 20,000 coins. Finally, the Winter Mailbox is a decorated mailbox that costs 10,000 coins.
These items have varying expiration dates, with the Mountain Cabin being available for 14 days, the FV Ornament and the Snowman Family being available for 5 days, and the Horse Snowpile, Turtle Doves, and Winter Mailbox being available for 12 days. Finally, the Redwood will be available longer still, with 21 days left in the store.
Thứ Năm, 12 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Ski Resort, Fjord Horse, Blue Duck and more
Fjord Foal Prz Horse Fjord Horse
And just when we all thought FarmVille's Winter Wonderland Theme had ended with the most recent edition of FarmVille Showcase yesterday, FarmVille Freak has found a bunch more that's yet to grace the farm. There are plenty of animals including fan requests like the Fjord Horse and the interesting Komodo. (What's an Indonesian reptile doing on a farm anyway?) But what's most interesting is the Ski Resort, which was not featured in yesterday's showcase. While the Ski Shop was merely a decorative building, I still have hope that this one in particular will hold some sort of function. Keep your fingers crossed.
Andean Bear Komodo Blue Duck Dall Sheep
Rounding out the list of items that may be released are the adult Prz Horse, the Andean Bear (this must be the bear cub we noticed in the video posted yesterday), a Dall Sheep and a Blue Duck. Could that last addition be a reference to a classic 90s movie, perhaps? Stay tuned for when these items possibly release next week.
And just when we all thought FarmVille's Winter Wonderland Theme had ended with the most recent edition of FarmVille Showcase yesterday, FarmVille Freak has found a bunch more that's yet to grace the farm. There are plenty of animals including fan requests like the Fjord Horse and the interesting Komodo. (What's an Indonesian reptile doing on a farm anyway?) But what's most interesting is the Ski Resort, which was not featured in yesterday's showcase. While the Ski Shop was merely a decorative building, I still have hope that this one in particular will hold some sort of function. Keep your fingers crossed.
Andean Bear Komodo Blue Duck Dall Sheep
Rounding out the list of items that may be released are the adult Prz Horse, the Andean Bear (this must be the bear cub we noticed in the video posted yesterday), a Dall Sheep and a Blue Duck. Could that last addition be a reference to a classic 90s movie, perhaps? Stay tuned for when these items possibly release next week.
FrontierVille: Bess has arrived, but what brings her to the frontier?
Bess has arrived
As part of the recent New Year's Party Goals, we were briefly introduced to a new character in FrontierVille named Bess. Reportedly Frontier Jack's niece, Bess will be the next major character in FrontierVille, but as to what she's up to or why she even came out west we haven't an idea in the slightest. Though, that hasn't stopped Zynga from fueling the flames of wild speculation. The company posted a three-page long forum thread on the FrontierVille fan page that has players discussing the possibilities for this new character.
During the New Year's Party Goals and building the Dance Floor, some hints were made at a potential love triangle between Miss Fanny Wildcat, the mysterious Bess and Hank, that lecherous General Store manager. The most logical guess is that this will be the basis for an upcoming Valentine's Day holiday event series. But the teaser message that many are seeing in-game mentions that Bess will be heavily involved in the events for 2011, so it's doubtful that this homestead drama will be settled on Feb. 14. Could one of our lovestruck ladies receive some good news in time for Mother's Day? We'll have to keep playing to find out.
As part of the recent New Year's Party Goals, we were briefly introduced to a new character in FrontierVille named Bess. Reportedly Frontier Jack's niece, Bess will be the next major character in FrontierVille, but as to what she's up to or why she even came out west we haven't an idea in the slightest. Though, that hasn't stopped Zynga from fueling the flames of wild speculation. The company posted a three-page long forum thread on the FrontierVille fan page that has players discussing the possibilities for this new character.
During the New Year's Party Goals and building the Dance Floor, some hints were made at a potential love triangle between Miss Fanny Wildcat, the mysterious Bess and Hank, that lecherous General Store manager. The most logical guess is that this will be the basis for an upcoming Valentine's Day holiday event series. But the teaser message that many are seeing in-game mentions that Bess will be heavily involved in the events for 2011, so it's doubtful that this homestead drama will be settled on Feb. 14. Could one of our lovestruck ladies receive some good news in time for Mother's Day? We'll have to keep playing to find out.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Duck Pond images revealed, launching soon?
FarmVille Duck Pond
Yeah, yeah. So, you already know that the Duck Pond is coming to FarmVille. But have you seen these brand new images of the incoming item yet? Thanks again to FarmVille Freak, we've found several snap shots of both the Duck Pond in progress and the finished product. And it looks... more natural than what I was expecting. The thing doesn't even look man-made.
Stage One Stage Two Stage Three
The Duck Pond will be built in three stages, if these images turn out to be correct. Like most constructed and functional buildings, this will most likely take items from gifting requests to complete. And if our original coverage of the Duck Pond proves to be the case, then there will be four different items to collect and 10 of each item. What isn't known yet is what purpose the Duck Pond will serve beyond a pretty place for our Ducks to play in. Hopefully, Zynga thinks something up for Ducks to be useful like it did with the Pigpen and Truffle Hunting. Stay tuned for details when this item finally makes its way onto the farm, which we guess will be fairly soon considering how many details we have.
Yeah, yeah. So, you already know that the Duck Pond is coming to FarmVille. But have you seen these brand new images of the incoming item yet? Thanks again to FarmVille Freak, we've found several snap shots of both the Duck Pond in progress and the finished product. And it looks... more natural than what I was expecting. The thing doesn't even look man-made.
Stage One Stage Two Stage Three
The Duck Pond will be built in three stages, if these images turn out to be correct. Like most constructed and functional buildings, this will most likely take items from gifting requests to complete. And if our original coverage of the Duck Pond proves to be the case, then there will be four different items to collect and 10 of each item. What isn't known yet is what purpose the Duck Pond will serve beyond a pretty place for our Ducks to play in. Hopefully, Zynga thinks something up for Ducks to be useful like it did with the Pigpen and Truffle Hunting. Stay tuned for details when this item finally makes its way onto the farm, which we guess will be fairly soon considering how many details we have.
CityVille Lost Puppy Goal: A ploy to attract more players
Lost Puppy Needs a Home
A new Goal--if you would call it that--has arrived in CityVille. Titled, "Lost Puppy Needs a Home," this new task requires players to ask their friends to adopt a brown puppy that they happened to find walking down the street. However, both neighbors and general Facebook friends can be requested. Furthermore, this technically isn't even a Goal. It appears to be just another way to attract new players to the game through you, the player. (I guess over 90 million players isn't enough.)
Puppy request
After sending out the requests, no Goal icon appears on the left side of the screen and no XP, coins or Goods are rewarded. Nada. In other words, this is a fine waste of your daily requests. So, do try to avoid it if you have no friends that are willing to join CityVille. If you think this would be a cute way to get your friends who have yet to try CityVille into the game, then by all means throw a couple puppies out there. Regardless, it begs the question: If there is no benefit to sending this request to fellow neighbors, then why include the option? Very sneaky, Zynga.
A new Goal--if you would call it that--has arrived in CityVille. Titled, "Lost Puppy Needs a Home," this new task requires players to ask their friends to adopt a brown puppy that they happened to find walking down the street. However, both neighbors and general Facebook friends can be requested. Furthermore, this technically isn't even a Goal. It appears to be just another way to attract new players to the game through you, the player. (I guess over 90 million players isn't enough.)
Puppy request
After sending out the requests, no Goal icon appears on the left side of the screen and no XP, coins or Goods are rewarded. Nada. In other words, this is a fine waste of your daily requests. So, do try to avoid it if you have no friends that are willing to join CityVille. If you think this would be a cute way to get your friends who have yet to try CityVille into the game, then by all means throw a couple puppies out there. Regardless, it begs the question: If there is no benefit to sending this request to fellow neighbors, then why include the option? Very sneaky, Zynga.
FarmVille Special Delivery Boxes get 'Open All' feature, save headaches
With the amount of Special Delivery Boxes that some FarmVille players have to open daily, unpacking them individually was becoming a lengthy chore. Thankfully, Zynga introduced a small update to the game recently that allows players to open every Special Delivery Box in their inventory at once, FarmVille Freak reports. With this new 'Open All' feature precious minutes have been restored to many players' short farming sessions.
However, this doesn't remedy the other problem with Special Delivery Boxes: high level players simply don't need them. A few months ago, there were players who expressed their disdain for the smart items because they simply were on top of their game and didn't need 500 extra Bricks, so to speak. Until that improvement comes, just be smart about who you're sending Special Delivery Boxes. If a player is over Level 100, you might help more by leaving them be or sending some Fertilize All.
However, this doesn't remedy the other problem with Special Delivery Boxes: high level players simply don't need them. A few months ago, there were players who expressed their disdain for the smart items because they simply were on top of their game and didn't need 500 extra Bricks, so to speak. Until that improvement comes, just be smart about who you're sending Special Delivery Boxes. If a player is over Level 100, you might help more by leaving them be or sending some Fertilize All.
Thứ Ba, 10 tháng 1, 2012
There are 12M monthly paying Facebook gamers in the U.S.
When compared to the 700 million total Facebook users, this seems minuscule. But remember that under 12 million World of Warcraft players pay $15 every month. PayPal says in a new infographic that 12 million monthly Facebook gamers in the U.S. pay for content in their favorite games. And here's something else: Of those 12 million monthly players, 58 percent of them spend between $10 and $50 on games like FarmVille.
But a tiny 9 percent of that 12 million, just over 1 million, spend $50 or more on Facebook games every month. It was previously estimated that anywhere from 1 to 3 percent of all Facebook gamers pay big every month for new goodies in their games. Then according to PayPal, U.S. Facebook gamers make up just about two-fifths of a percent of the globe's "whales," a casino term that's been applied to these big social spenders.
However, this number was sourced from U.S. social gamers alone, and Facebook games are a global industry. So, you can imagine that the percentage of paying players worldwide is even larger. The oft-sputtered and mystical "1 to 3 percent" has been demystified, at least in the U.S. (judging from PayPal's findings). As the number paying Facebook gamers increases, it'll be interesting to see not only how (or if at all) prices change for Farm Cash, but how pricing changes for hardcore games.
[Source and Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Do you think number is an accurate representation of paying Facebook gamers? How big would you guess is that number worldwide?
But a tiny 9 percent of that 12 million, just over 1 million, spend $50 or more on Facebook games every month. It was previously estimated that anywhere from 1 to 3 percent of all Facebook gamers pay big every month for new goodies in their games. Then according to PayPal, U.S. Facebook gamers make up just about two-fifths of a percent of the globe's "whales," a casino term that's been applied to these big social spenders.
However, this number was sourced from U.S. social gamers alone, and Facebook games are a global industry. So, you can imagine that the percentage of paying players worldwide is even larger. The oft-sputtered and mystical "1 to 3 percent" has been demystified, at least in the U.S. (judging from PayPal's findings). As the number paying Facebook gamers increases, it'll be interesting to see not only how (or if at all) prices change for Farm Cash, but how pricing changes for hardcore games.
[Source and Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Do you think number is an accurate representation of paying Facebook gamers? How big would you guess is that number worldwide?
Penny Arcade: When free games aren't really free
Popular video game-centric comic Penny Arcade exposes the dark underbelly of 'free-to-play' games, such as League of Legends and FarmVille. Yup, this pretty much says it all.
Puppy lovers unite as OMGPop pulls in $20k daily from Puppy World
That's a heck of a lot of doggy biscuits... Released in late July, OMGPop's Puppy World on iPhone / iPod Touch has been downloaded over one million times, and currently sits at #54 on the iTunes Top Free Apps chart. While not one of the most social-heavy games on the App Store (although the app claims you can share puppies with your Facebook friends), that doesn't mean it's not a profitable setup. In fact, players are apparently so in love with puppies that they're paying $20,000 per day on the game's virtual goods.
As reported by TechCrunch, OMGPop's CEO Dan Porter has offered some stats about the game's progress so far (unfortunately, there's no infographic to go with them - we love infographics). Of the game's 1 million downloads, a quarter of those have resulted in daily active users returning to the game. What's more, when taking all users into account, each user spends an average of eight cents per day on virtual goods that are available within the Puppy World app (players can purchase premium decorations, or can even buy their way out of quests with premium currency). While it wasn't revealed in exact detail, Puppy World has many players that spend sometimes more than $50 on premium currency packages, with all spending adding up to over $20,000 a day.
To bring in those users, Porter claims that 20 percent of users are downloading the game based on adds they've seen on OMGPop's website and on Facebook app pages, while viral sharing and exposure on the iTunes app charts accounts for a larger portion: 60%. The final 20% is comprised of users that responded to paid advertising. Do the math, and Porter states that "For every user we pay to acquire we are seeing 6 more users for free." That's pretty impressive, all things considered.
Of course, many would argue that in the world of social and mobile games, success is found over the course of a marathon, and not a sprint. Sure, OMGPop may have a hit on their hands now, but how long will it last? Porter admits that the game isn't without flaws, especially when playing on older iPhones. "If we had to do it all over again, we would have only supported iPhone 4," he says. He attributes many of the app's one-star reviews to the app crashing on older phones.
With such simplistic gameplay as waiting for puppies to grow before giving them over to happy children, mixed with some light animal care-taking tasks, could Puppy World even have enough content to sustain a port to Facebook? I know I'd be interested in these adorable puppies making the switch, and with profits like these just on the iPhone, we're excited to learn if that becomes OMGPop's next logical step. We'll make sure to let you know if it is.
As reported by TechCrunch, OMGPop's CEO Dan Porter has offered some stats about the game's progress so far (unfortunately, there's no infographic to go with them - we love infographics). Of the game's 1 million downloads, a quarter of those have resulted in daily active users returning to the game. What's more, when taking all users into account, each user spends an average of eight cents per day on virtual goods that are available within the Puppy World app (players can purchase premium decorations, or can even buy their way out of quests with premium currency). While it wasn't revealed in exact detail, Puppy World has many players that spend sometimes more than $50 on premium currency packages, with all spending adding up to over $20,000 a day.
To bring in those users, Porter claims that 20 percent of users are downloading the game based on adds they've seen on OMGPop's website and on Facebook app pages, while viral sharing and exposure on the iTunes app charts accounts for a larger portion: 60%. The final 20% is comprised of users that responded to paid advertising. Do the math, and Porter states that "For every user we pay to acquire we are seeing 6 more users for free." That's pretty impressive, all things considered.
Of course, many would argue that in the world of social and mobile games, success is found over the course of a marathon, and not a sprint. Sure, OMGPop may have a hit on their hands now, but how long will it last? Porter admits that the game isn't without flaws, especially when playing on older iPhones. "If we had to do it all over again, we would have only supported iPhone 4," he says. He attributes many of the app's one-star reviews to the app crashing on older phones.
With such simplistic gameplay as waiting for puppies to grow before giving them over to happy children, mixed with some light animal care-taking tasks, could Puppy World even have enough content to sustain a port to Facebook? I know I'd be interested in these adorable puppies making the switch, and with profits like these just on the iPhone, we're excited to learn if that becomes OMGPop's next logical step. We'll make sure to let you know if it is.
Meteor Games wants to be the Nintendo of Facebook games, not just "for moms"
While Meteor Games may be a name that's foreign to most Facebook gamers, with just 1.1 million monthly active users across their entire catalog of Facebook games, that doesn't mean their games aren't successful. Just ask CEO Zac Brandenburg. According to Forbes, Meteor finds success in their Facebook games (including their most popular - Island Paradise) because they're more focused on the long-term when designing a game, rather than on instant success.
"The feature set is much more than a simple compulsion loop," says Brandenberg, "You need to have different things for players to do, centered around what the plot is going to be." In an upcoming branded game, released with Viacom, we'll apparently see that ideology in full effect. Meteor is currently working on three games that are "close to launch," but Brandenburg didn't reveal specific details about any of them, other than the fact that they may be "fantasy-themed."
We do know the company's end goal, however: to focus on the middle section of gamers. "We don't think like Kabam with hard core games and we are also not just casual games for moms. There is a middle ground - like with Nintendo. There's a huge audience in the middle. We're going to draw from the hard core elements and the super casual side." Brandenburg says that games don't need massive audiences to be successful, so long as you've given players a high quality experience that engages them over the long term. Of course, high-paying users don't hurt either.
While Brandenburg refrained from using the term "whales," Meteor apparently does have them, and in droves. In Meteor's case, whales are gamers that spend over $1,000 a year on their games, while a handful of Super Whales in each game spend over $10,000 - that's a lot of premium currency!
Even with all of that being said, Brandenburg made it clear that the company's focus isn't so much on a game's social aspects, but on making an individual user want to come back to the experience just to play the game. "You only play if you actually want to not because your friends want you to. Then you have a smaller audience but the audience may spend 50 times what another gamer (on a different game) spends. You can have a lot of success there."
When Meteor Games announces more details about their three upcoming titles (including the branded game with Viacom), we'll make sure to let you know.
"The feature set is much more than a simple compulsion loop," says Brandenberg, "You need to have different things for players to do, centered around what the plot is going to be." In an upcoming branded game, released with Viacom, we'll apparently see that ideology in full effect. Meteor is currently working on three games that are "close to launch," but Brandenburg didn't reveal specific details about any of them, other than the fact that they may be "fantasy-themed."
We do know the company's end goal, however: to focus on the middle section of gamers. "We don't think like Kabam with hard core games and we are also not just casual games for moms. There is a middle ground - like with Nintendo. There's a huge audience in the middle. We're going to draw from the hard core elements and the super casual side." Brandenburg says that games don't need massive audiences to be successful, so long as you've given players a high quality experience that engages them over the long term. Of course, high-paying users don't hurt either.
While Brandenburg refrained from using the term "whales," Meteor apparently does have them, and in droves. In Meteor's case, whales are gamers that spend over $1,000 a year on their games, while a handful of Super Whales in each game spend over $10,000 - that's a lot of premium currency!
Even with all of that being said, Brandenburg made it clear that the company's focus isn't so much on a game's social aspects, but on making an individual user want to come back to the experience just to play the game. "You only play if you actually want to not because your friends want you to. Then you have a smaller audience but the audience may spend 50 times what another gamer (on a different game) spends. You can have a lot of success there."
When Meteor Games announces more details about their three upcoming titles (including the branded game with Viacom), we'll make sure to let you know.
Top 25 Facebook Games - August 2011: Gardens of Time hits the big time
Gardens of Time
For all of the Playdom and Disney nay saying lately, the duo seems to be proving everyone wrong with a single game. Gardens of Time has been on a steady climb since its release, and this month it's the fifth largest Facebook game at nearly 16 million monthly players. Just last month alone, the game garnered another 1.7 million players, which is impressive for any game that wasn't made by You Know Who. (Has Zynga reached Voldemort-like proportions yet? We like to think so.)
Of course, Zynga maintains the same top four spots it did last month, even as CityVille lost over 8.5 million monthly players and Empires & Allies lost over half a million. Even FarmVille lost another 3.4 million monthly players, though it'll take a lot more than this for Zynga to lose its reign.
And oddly enough, Monster Galaxy lost a whopping 8.4 million monthly players last month just after gaining over 6 million the month prior. This caused the game to fall back from the mighty top five to now eighth place at 10.6 million players. In fact, loss is somewhat of a trend this month, with 18 of 25 games losing monthly players. This could be attributed to a list of factors, but we're gonna' go with: It's summer, and most folks would rather be outside than in front of the computer.
AppData top 25 Facebook Games August
New additions to the Top 25 are Mall World, which comes in at number 24 with 5.3 million monthly players, and Zoo World 2 in the 20 spot with 6.4 million monthly players and a gain of nearly 3 million. However, publisher RockYou, according to Inside Social Games, uses the same app ID for the sequel to Zoo World as the original, meaning RockYou has not separate the traffic from both games.
Unfortunately, Ravenwood Fair was knocked off the leader boards this month, as was MindJolt Games from the rise of Mall World and It Girl's far leap from 21st place in June to the 14 spot this time around. Gardens of Time has hit the coveted top five because, while there are hidden object games out there, it seems that Playdom hit the previously untapped genre at just the right time. It speaks volumes to Facebook games partnership director Sean Ryan's plea for developers to experiment with new genres (at least to Facebook). At this point, it just might be the only way to reach at least fifth place.
For all of the Playdom and Disney nay saying lately, the duo seems to be proving everyone wrong with a single game. Gardens of Time has been on a steady climb since its release, and this month it's the fifth largest Facebook game at nearly 16 million monthly players. Just last month alone, the game garnered another 1.7 million players, which is impressive for any game that wasn't made by You Know Who. (Has Zynga reached Voldemort-like proportions yet? We like to think so.)
Of course, Zynga maintains the same top four spots it did last month, even as CityVille lost over 8.5 million monthly players and Empires & Allies lost over half a million. Even FarmVille lost another 3.4 million monthly players, though it'll take a lot more than this for Zynga to lose its reign.
And oddly enough, Monster Galaxy lost a whopping 8.4 million monthly players last month just after gaining over 6 million the month prior. This caused the game to fall back from the mighty top five to now eighth place at 10.6 million players. In fact, loss is somewhat of a trend this month, with 18 of 25 games losing monthly players. This could be attributed to a list of factors, but we're gonna' go with: It's summer, and most folks would rather be outside than in front of the computer.
AppData top 25 Facebook Games August
New additions to the Top 25 are Mall World, which comes in at number 24 with 5.3 million monthly players, and Zoo World 2 in the 20 spot with 6.4 million monthly players and a gain of nearly 3 million. However, publisher RockYou, according to Inside Social Games, uses the same app ID for the sequel to Zoo World as the original, meaning RockYou has not separate the traffic from both games.
Unfortunately, Ravenwood Fair was knocked off the leader boards this month, as was MindJolt Games from the rise of Mall World and It Girl's far leap from 21st place in June to the 14 spot this time around. Gardens of Time has hit the coveted top five because, while there are hidden object games out there, it seems that Playdom hit the previously untapped genre at just the right time. It speaks volumes to Facebook games partnership director Sean Ryan's plea for developers to experiment with new genres (at least to Facebook). At this point, it just might be the only way to reach at least fifth place.
Thứ Hai, 9 tháng 1, 2012
CityVille Expansions: Are they worth it?
When you are first starting out in CityVille, one of the first quests that you are prompted to complete is expanding your city. While I was going through the intro quests, I was especially excited for this quest because I wanted the space to add on to my already packed city. When I went into the build menu to purchase the expansion, I was completely blown away by the cost. 20,000 coins to buy a 12x12 expansion? I found that absolutely ridiculous.
20,000 coins is a ton of coins at the level when you first receive the expansion quest. I had dozens of neighbors to visit to earn coins from and I had to wait several levels before I could save up the money to purchase the expansion. When I finally got to the milestone of 20,000 coins, purchased the expansion and went to place it, I noticed that it was tiny. If placed side-by-side, only 9 buildings would fit in this space. That's not really what I expected with such a hefty price tag.
When reading the CityVille forums, I noticed that I am not alone. Many players agree with me that the expansions are too small and the price is too high. Some people have issues when they place expansions to the left as well. So far, color me unimpressed with CityVille expansions.
20,000 coins is a ton of coins at the level when you first receive the expansion quest. I had dozens of neighbors to visit to earn coins from and I had to wait several levels before I could save up the money to purchase the expansion. When I finally got to the milestone of 20,000 coins, purchased the expansion and went to place it, I noticed that it was tiny. If placed side-by-side, only 9 buildings would fit in this space. That's not really what I expected with such a hefty price tag.
When reading the CityVille forums, I noticed that I am not alone. Many players agree with me that the expansions are too small and the price is too high. Some people have issues when they place expansions to the left as well. So far, color me unimpressed with CityVille expansions.
Create your own tropical aviary with Bird Oasis on Facebook
If you like the gameplay found in Facebook games like FishVille or Happy Aquarium, but want to raise and sell something other than fish, King.com and Playhopper hope that you'll choose their game Bird Oasis. Bird Oasis allows you to purchase, feed, train, and otherwise raise a wide variety of tropical birds in your own jungle aviary. Once your birds have grown to maturity, you'll be able to sell them, earning coins and experience points, and starting the cycle all over again.
The gameplay here also includes the ability to mate your birds, to produce offspring which can also be sold, among other timed features. Meet us behind the break for a full look at the gameplay of Bird Oasis.
Bird Oasis is one of the more simplistic titles on Facebook, from a pure gameplay standpoint. The graphics are quite cute, and there aren't very many birds to choose from yet (the game is still rather new, after all), but the gameplay is very simple to pick-up-and-play when you have a few minutes of spare time.
The basic gameplay method is as such: Use a small amount of coins to purchase a bird from the store. Birds come in varieties like Macaws, Whistlings, Herons, Tukans, and so on, and birds have different prices and different experience point rewards, based on their price or how long they take to grow. As your birds are growing to maturity, a food icon will appear above their head at routine intervals, and you'll to click on this icon whenever it appears to keep your birds well fed. Also while your birds are growing, you can "teach" them skills, or tricks, like ruffling their feathers. Once the bird is mature, a $ will appear above its head. Simply click on this button and you can sell your birds for a profit. Take this profit and purchase new birds, and you can begin the cycle all over again.
Of course, there's a bit more to gameplay than just those simple steps. Birds must be fed regularly, or else they'll become sick. Sick birds won't grow, and will need to be healed using First Aid. Also, you have a few choices for how you'd like to feed your birds. You can stick with the basic bird feed that is chosen automatically when clicking on a bird - this feed is free, but tends to last only a very short amount of time - or you can buy actual bird feed from the store (called Super Bird Seed) that will fill birds up for four times as long as the traditional food. You can also increase your birds' growth rate by purchasing Vitamins for the store, which make a bird grow up twice as fast. Luckily, all of these items (including First Aid kits) cost nothing but coins (150-250 coins), and not the game's premium currency (Bird Oasis Cash), so you'll be able to more freely use these items whenever you like.
You'll also be able to breed adult birds, by placing a Love Nest, and then moving a male and female of a particular species into the nest to mate. This results in a hatchling that can be raised and subsequently sold in the same way as those birds purchased from the store. In fact, the only real worthwhile aspect of breeding seems to be the fact that you'll receive a new bird to sell without having to pay for it first.
As you earn excess funds, you can customize your aviary, by not only purchasing size expansions (expansions simply allow you to keep more birds at once, but require neighbors to unlock, as well as coins), but also by purchasing a variety of decorative items - bushes, flowers, trees, torches, small buildings like huts, standing bird feeders, and so on. Most of these items will be unlocked as you level up, giving you more incentive to do so.
As we said above, as of this writing, there really isn't much to do in Bird Oasis other than the gameplay mentioned above. There are some slight social elements, like being able to send your friends free gifts, or visit their aviaries, but as of right now, the gameplay is mostly just about buying and raising birds only to sell them and start again. Still, this gameplay isn't new to the Facebook gaming scene - just look at our previous examples of FishVille and Happy Aquarium - so if you're looking for a different animal raising experience on Facebook, this wouldn't be a horrible place to start.
The gameplay here also includes the ability to mate your birds, to produce offspring which can also be sold, among other timed features. Meet us behind the break for a full look at the gameplay of Bird Oasis.
Bird Oasis is one of the more simplistic titles on Facebook, from a pure gameplay standpoint. The graphics are quite cute, and there aren't very many birds to choose from yet (the game is still rather new, after all), but the gameplay is very simple to pick-up-and-play when you have a few minutes of spare time.
The basic gameplay method is as such: Use a small amount of coins to purchase a bird from the store. Birds come in varieties like Macaws, Whistlings, Herons, Tukans, and so on, and birds have different prices and different experience point rewards, based on their price or how long they take to grow. As your birds are growing to maturity, a food icon will appear above their head at routine intervals, and you'll to click on this icon whenever it appears to keep your birds well fed. Also while your birds are growing, you can "teach" them skills, or tricks, like ruffling their feathers. Once the bird is mature, a $ will appear above its head. Simply click on this button and you can sell your birds for a profit. Take this profit and purchase new birds, and you can begin the cycle all over again.
Of course, there's a bit more to gameplay than just those simple steps. Birds must be fed regularly, or else they'll become sick. Sick birds won't grow, and will need to be healed using First Aid. Also, you have a few choices for how you'd like to feed your birds. You can stick with the basic bird feed that is chosen automatically when clicking on a bird - this feed is free, but tends to last only a very short amount of time - or you can buy actual bird feed from the store (called Super Bird Seed) that will fill birds up for four times as long as the traditional food. You can also increase your birds' growth rate by purchasing Vitamins for the store, which make a bird grow up twice as fast. Luckily, all of these items (including First Aid kits) cost nothing but coins (150-250 coins), and not the game's premium currency (Bird Oasis Cash), so you'll be able to more freely use these items whenever you like.
You'll also be able to breed adult birds, by placing a Love Nest, and then moving a male and female of a particular species into the nest to mate. This results in a hatchling that can be raised and subsequently sold in the same way as those birds purchased from the store. In fact, the only real worthwhile aspect of breeding seems to be the fact that you'll receive a new bird to sell without having to pay for it first.
As you earn excess funds, you can customize your aviary, by not only purchasing size expansions (expansions simply allow you to keep more birds at once, but require neighbors to unlock, as well as coins), but also by purchasing a variety of decorative items - bushes, flowers, trees, torches, small buildings like huts, standing bird feeders, and so on. Most of these items will be unlocked as you level up, giving you more incentive to do so.
As we said above, as of this writing, there really isn't much to do in Bird Oasis other than the gameplay mentioned above. There are some slight social elements, like being able to send your friends free gifts, or visit their aviaries, but as of right now, the gameplay is mostly just about buying and raising birds only to sell them and start again. Still, this gameplay isn't new to the Facebook gaming scene - just look at our previous examples of FishVille and Happy Aquarium - so if you're looking for a different animal raising experience on Facebook, this wouldn't be a horrible place to start.
FarmVille Mystery Game (01/02/11): "Best of" animals now available
It's a Sunday night, and during the holiday season, that means that FarmVille's Mystery Game has been restocked with six new items for you lucky players to try and win. This week's theme is "Best of" animals, and it contains, as the name suggests, some animals that were released in the game previously, but were removed and are now making a reappearance (likely due to fan suggestions).
The confirmed contents of this week's Mystery Game are:
White Peacock
White Owl
Japanese Duck
Red Parrot
Carinal
Female Ostrich
Remember, these items range in rarity from Common to Rare, so keep that in mind when playing the game. If you'd like to do so, this week's Mystery Game costs 20 Farm Cash to play, with 20 Farm Cash earning you a single dart that you can use to attempt to win one of these prizes.
This week's Mystery Game contents will be available for just the next six days, at which point another round of the Mystery Game will launch, with six new items to play for and collect.
The confirmed contents of this week's Mystery Game are:
White Peacock
White Owl
Japanese Duck
Red Parrot
Carinal
Female Ostrich
Remember, these items range in rarity from Common to Rare, so keep that in mind when playing the game. If you'd like to do so, this week's Mystery Game costs 20 Farm Cash to play, with 20 Farm Cash earning you a single dart that you can use to attempt to win one of these prizes.
This week's Mystery Game contents will be available for just the next six days, at which point another round of the Mystery Game will launch, with six new items to play for and collect.
FarmVille Winter Wonderland Animals: Baby Penguin, Brown Gypsy Horse, Brown Gypsy Foal
In tonight's FarmVille update, we see the launch of an entirely new limited edition item theme in the game. This theme will continue in the game's love of the winter holiday, as it is called simply "Winter Wonderland." To start this theme off with a bang, we see the release of three new animals to the game, with two of those animals being available in the game's store.
For some of you, you'll recognize these animals as those we brought you a sneak peek of some time ago. They are the Baby Penguin and the Brown Gypsy Horse. Both of these animals are premium, meaning that they can only be purchased with Farm Cash. The Baby Penguin costs 12 Farm Cash, and the Brown Gypsy Horse costs 26 Farm Cash. You'll gain a hefty XP bonus for purchasing either animal - 1200 for the Penguin and 2600 for the Horse.
Remember, since this is a Horse that can be placed inside the Horse Stable, it can also be bred. You guessed it - the Brown Gypsy Horse can produce a Brown Gypsy Foal, that can then be shared with your friends on your wall. If you know of any of your FarmVille neighbors that have purchased this horse for themselves, keep a special lookout for their wall posts to make sure you don't miss out on a free Brown Gypsy Foal for your own farm (or Nursery Barn, if you prefer).
This (first?) round of Winter Wonderland items will remain in the game's store for the next 13 days. We'll be sure to let you know if and when more items are added to the theme in the future, so keep checking back!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
What do you think of these two Winter Wonderland animals? What other animals do you think would fit in nicely with this theme?
For some of you, you'll recognize these animals as those we brought you a sneak peek of some time ago. They are the Baby Penguin and the Brown Gypsy Horse. Both of these animals are premium, meaning that they can only be purchased with Farm Cash. The Baby Penguin costs 12 Farm Cash, and the Brown Gypsy Horse costs 26 Farm Cash. You'll gain a hefty XP bonus for purchasing either animal - 1200 for the Penguin and 2600 for the Horse.
Remember, since this is a Horse that can be placed inside the Horse Stable, it can also be bred. You guessed it - the Brown Gypsy Horse can produce a Brown Gypsy Foal, that can then be shared with your friends on your wall. If you know of any of your FarmVille neighbors that have purchased this horse for themselves, keep a special lookout for their wall posts to make sure you don't miss out on a free Brown Gypsy Foal for your own farm (or Nursery Barn, if you prefer).
This (first?) round of Winter Wonderland items will remain in the game's store for the next 13 days. We'll be sure to let you know if and when more items are added to the theme in the future, so keep checking back!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
What do you think of these two Winter Wonderland animals? What other animals do you think would fit in nicely with this theme?
FarmVille Winter Wonderland Building: Bundle up and head into the new Igloo
Brrrrr. It's cold in here. You'd think the walls were made of ice or something. Oh wait... in the case of FarmVille's newest Winter Wonderland building, the Igloo, they are made of ice! The new Igloo is a cute, average sized building item that you can purchase for Farm Cash as a decorative building for your farm. Unfortunately, you can't actually walk inside it - darn!
The Igloo can be purchased for 16 Farm Cash, and can be sold for 8,000 coins, should you change your mind about keeping it once the winter season ends. You'll receive 1600 experience points as a bonus for purchasing the Igloo. While 16 Farm Cash might seem like a high price, this is actually one of the most affordable buildings we've seen released in the game in some time, at least where premium, or Farm Cash only, items are concerned. That being the case, we certainly couldn't blame you if you wanted to pick this one up because of its slightly lower price.
The Igloo will remain in the game for the next 13 days, at which point it will disappear from the store, likely not to be seen again (at least not until Zynga potentially decides to re-release the Igloo next year once winter comes around).
The Igloo can be purchased for 16 Farm Cash, and can be sold for 8,000 coins, should you change your mind about keeping it once the winter season ends. You'll receive 1600 experience points as a bonus for purchasing the Igloo. While 16 Farm Cash might seem like a high price, this is actually one of the most affordable buildings we've seen released in the game in some time, at least where premium, or Farm Cash only, items are concerned. That being the case, we certainly couldn't blame you if you wanted to pick this one up because of its slightly lower price.
The Igloo will remain in the game for the next 13 days, at which point it will disappear from the store, likely not to be seen again (at least not until Zynga potentially decides to re-release the Igloo next year once winter comes around).
Thứ Bảy, 7 tháng 1, 2012
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash from Best Buy Poll
It's time to score another two smackers on the farm through another FarmVille Sponsored Link. This time, Zynga has teamed with Best Buy to help players earn 2 Farm Cash through a short mini game and poll. First, click on the link below your FarmVille game screen that reads, "Take the Best Buy Buy Back Poll and earn free cash!" Then it's time to throw around the old pigskin Zynga-style in honor of the biggest game of the year.
Best Buy Football
Once inside the pop-up mini game, just, choose a team, select any two plays and you should score a touchdown. Honestly, I doubt any of those choices matter--it's just a fun way to get you to the meat of the sponsored link. Of course, that's answering some helpful questions for Best Buy's marketing department. Just answer the questions as best you can and you'll be brought back to the football game. You'll see in the top right of the window a message telling you that you've earned your Farm Cash. Just click on the "X" next to that message and you'll soon be on your way to FarmVille riches.
Have you completed this sponsored link yet? Who do you think Zynga will partner with next for its Farm Cash offers?
Best Buy Football
Once inside the pop-up mini game, just, choose a team, select any two plays and you should score a touchdown. Honestly, I doubt any of those choices matter--it's just a fun way to get you to the meat of the sponsored link. Of course, that's answering some helpful questions for Best Buy's marketing department. Just answer the questions as best you can and you'll be brought back to the football game. You'll see in the top right of the window a message telling you that you've earned your Farm Cash. Just click on the "X" next to that message and you'll soon be on your way to FarmVille riches.
Have you completed this sponsored link yet? Who do you think Zynga will partner with next for its Farm Cash offers?
FrontierVille Peach Cobbler Issues: Just a typo, sorry folks
The land expansion Goals have dropped in FrontierVille, but several players have reported issues to FrontierVille Info. More specifically, there seems to be a problem with the Goal titled "Reach an Agreement" within the 35x35 Land Expansion series. Players have reported that no matter how many Peach Cobblers they amass for the eight required, they're simply not enough to complete the Goal.
Whoops, that was just a typo, according to FrontierVille forum moderator NikkiKing. Zynga's bad, guys--the required item is actually eight Peach Pies and was entered in error when first placed into the game. That's cool, it's not as if we didn't spend all weekend collecting cobblers when we should have been grabbing pies. Granted, they both come from harvesting Peach Trees, but it's said that Pies are far more difficult to find than Cobblers. Isn't Cobbler good enough?
Whoops, that was just a typo, according to FrontierVille forum moderator NikkiKing. Zynga's bad, guys--the required item is actually eight Peach Pies and was entered in error when first placed into the game. That's cool, it's not as if we didn't spend all weekend collecting cobblers when we should have been grabbing pies. Granted, they both come from harvesting Peach Trees, but it's said that Pies are far more difficult to find than Cobblers. Isn't Cobbler good enough?
FarmVille Facebook Game Requests missing, hundreds of items lost
Zynga Message Center
Well, at least this is the case for one FarmVille Freak blogger. Over the weekend, FarmVille Freak writer CabbagePatchKid found that many of his or her FarmVille game requests simply weren't appearing where they should if at all. So, the illustrious blogger decided to contact Zynga customer support and get to the bottom of the issue.
Empty Greenhouse
With brand new buildings including the Duck Pond, Greenhouse and Valentine's Day buildings, friends are essential at times like this to complete them. When CabbagePatchKid reported the issue, Zynga customer support representative Sarah responded:
Sarah T.: Hi, my name is Sarah T.. How may I help you?
CabbagePatchKid: For quite some time now I have been losing about 90% of my gifts. It has been very difficult for me to complete things, now especially with the 125 bonus limit.
CabbagePatchKid: Only a few of my gifts show up in the in game gift center, so all my neighbors time and mine is being wasted. Now as of tonight, I click on game requests and they all disappeared, and it continues to do that ( on facebook).
Sarah T.: Do you know what is exactly missing?
Sarah T.: I am sorry you are missing items.
CabbagePatchKid: I have lost a lot of gifts! Especially a lot of special delivery boxes, probably close to 100 this evening.
CabbagePatchKid: Why are game requests going missing from Facebook?
Sarah T.: We are currently working on getting this issue resolved with Facebook.
It appears that Zynga has confirmed that the issue is with Facebook and not FarmVille. As of yesterday, a fix to the problem was in the works and still is, according to Zynga community manager Voltai. Stay tuned for updates.
Have you experienced these errors over the weekend? If so, have you discovered any workarounds? How do you think Zynga should handle the losses for players?
Well, at least this is the case for one FarmVille Freak blogger. Over the weekend, FarmVille Freak writer CabbagePatchKid found that many of his or her FarmVille game requests simply weren't appearing where they should if at all. So, the illustrious blogger decided to contact Zynga customer support and get to the bottom of the issue.
Empty Greenhouse
With brand new buildings including the Duck Pond, Greenhouse and Valentine's Day buildings, friends are essential at times like this to complete them. When CabbagePatchKid reported the issue, Zynga customer support representative Sarah responded:
Sarah T.: Hi, my name is Sarah T.. How may I help you?
CabbagePatchKid: For quite some time now I have been losing about 90% of my gifts. It has been very difficult for me to complete things, now especially with the 125 bonus limit.
CabbagePatchKid: Only a few of my gifts show up in the in game gift center, so all my neighbors time and mine is being wasted. Now as of tonight, I click on game requests and they all disappeared, and it continues to do that ( on facebook).
Sarah T.: Do you know what is exactly missing?
Sarah T.: I am sorry you are missing items.
CabbagePatchKid: I have lost a lot of gifts! Especially a lot of special delivery boxes, probably close to 100 this evening.
CabbagePatchKid: Why are game requests going missing from Facebook?
Sarah T.: We are currently working on getting this issue resolved with Facebook.
It appears that Zynga has confirmed that the issue is with Facebook and not FarmVille. As of yesterday, a fix to the problem was in the works and still is, according to Zynga community manager Voltai. Stay tuned for updates.
Have you experienced these errors over the weekend? If so, have you discovered any workarounds? How do you think Zynga should handle the losses for players?
UFC Undisputed Fight Nation on Facebook: A loss by decision
The number one thing that makes or breaks a sports-based Facebook game is its faithfulness to the sport. And the recently released UFC Undisputed Fight Nation by THQ teeters on that very line. There are some parts of UFC that make for an engaging, original experience. However, it can't be helped to notice how this game is just like all the rest after seeing the big picture.
So, does UFC Undisputed Fight Nation survive the Octagon? Find out after the break.
Kickboxing
Logging into the game marks one of its more original concepts. You must choose between two camps, or a fighting styles, kick boxing and wrestling. Each school has its own advantages that actually effect the outcome of fights. Wrestlers focus on pinning opponents to the ground while kick boxers rely on hard-hitting strikes. All in all, it makes for a good balance when in the Octagon.
After choosing from one of several ridiculous nicknames like Pseudonym, Big Papi and The Saint, you'll be guided to the Training Screen by Dana White, president of the UFC. This is where you will train moves to use in fights much like Jobs in Mafia Wars. However, these directly effect your performance in fights. Training, of course, consumes Energy that refills over time or can be refilled using paid currency, or UFC Points (sound familiar?). There are four types of moves: Strike, Submission, Transition and Buff. These moves can be mastered for increased effect and extra bonuses like more damage or Stamina recovery. Not to mention that training contributes to your experience gain too.
But so do fights, the core of UFC. Go in untrained, and the game's randomly chosen opponents-which happen to be real players--will mop the floor with you. Enter the Octagon prepared and you might have a chance. While you are fighting real players, it all happens asynchronously. Much similar to how you wouldn't know if a player iced you in Mafia Wars until your next log-in, you would not be aware of being KO'ed by an opponent until doing the same in UFC. And while the preparation for fights and the camp distinctions are certainly unique, the excitement stops there.
Fights are turn-based events in which each player is given five moves per round, which are chosen at random from a deck of move cards. The cards will fling themselves toward the opponents deck in a flourish of red and white depending on whether the attack landed. This automated process goes on until either a player is knocked out or players run out of Stamina. Each move drawn consumes a certain amount of the stat and when it's all gone, players get "gassed," meaning they're all out of oomph for attacks. From here, the player with the most health wins. In fact, this whole process can be skipped just to see the results immediately. It's as if THQ knew that players would get bored to tears of it.
Training
The standard Facebook game tropes are all present. There is a store in which players can buy performance boosts for either UFC Points or standard credits. You can even fight your friends every once in a while, but what's to stop you from just skipping straight to the results? There is also a Career section that provides players with goals to achieve--a feature similar to Goals in FarmVille. Finally, players can fight the pros after reaching certain landmarks in the game. Beating them down provides huge amounts of experience points and other rewards, but we bet you'll just skip to results in those fights too.
UFC for Facebook gives players purpose to otherwise mundane tasks like training and interesting decisions to make like fighting camps and which moves to improve first. However, the fight portion of the game, like so many sports or action-based social games, fails to come off as even close as exciting to the source material. Even being able to choose which moves to employ during fights would have been enough for an engaging, skill-driven fight system. But what we get is a Facebook game backed by an enormous brand that, sadly, isn't terribly different than the rest.
So, does UFC Undisputed Fight Nation survive the Octagon? Find out after the break.
Kickboxing
Logging into the game marks one of its more original concepts. You must choose between two camps, or a fighting styles, kick boxing and wrestling. Each school has its own advantages that actually effect the outcome of fights. Wrestlers focus on pinning opponents to the ground while kick boxers rely on hard-hitting strikes. All in all, it makes for a good balance when in the Octagon.
After choosing from one of several ridiculous nicknames like Pseudonym, Big Papi and The Saint, you'll be guided to the Training Screen by Dana White, president of the UFC. This is where you will train moves to use in fights much like Jobs in Mafia Wars. However, these directly effect your performance in fights. Training, of course, consumes Energy that refills over time or can be refilled using paid currency, or UFC Points (sound familiar?). There are four types of moves: Strike, Submission, Transition and Buff. These moves can be mastered for increased effect and extra bonuses like more damage or Stamina recovery. Not to mention that training contributes to your experience gain too.
But so do fights, the core of UFC. Go in untrained, and the game's randomly chosen opponents-which happen to be real players--will mop the floor with you. Enter the Octagon prepared and you might have a chance. While you are fighting real players, it all happens asynchronously. Much similar to how you wouldn't know if a player iced you in Mafia Wars until your next log-in, you would not be aware of being KO'ed by an opponent until doing the same in UFC. And while the preparation for fights and the camp distinctions are certainly unique, the excitement stops there.
Fights are turn-based events in which each player is given five moves per round, which are chosen at random from a deck of move cards. The cards will fling themselves toward the opponents deck in a flourish of red and white depending on whether the attack landed. This automated process goes on until either a player is knocked out or players run out of Stamina. Each move drawn consumes a certain amount of the stat and when it's all gone, players get "gassed," meaning they're all out of oomph for attacks. From here, the player with the most health wins. In fact, this whole process can be skipped just to see the results immediately. It's as if THQ knew that players would get bored to tears of it.
Training
The standard Facebook game tropes are all present. There is a store in which players can buy performance boosts for either UFC Points or standard credits. You can even fight your friends every once in a while, but what's to stop you from just skipping straight to the results? There is also a Career section that provides players with goals to achieve--a feature similar to Goals in FarmVille. Finally, players can fight the pros after reaching certain landmarks in the game. Beating them down provides huge amounts of experience points and other rewards, but we bet you'll just skip to results in those fights too.
UFC for Facebook gives players purpose to otherwise mundane tasks like training and interesting decisions to make like fighting camps and which moves to improve first. However, the fight portion of the game, like so many sports or action-based social games, fails to come off as even close as exciting to the source material. Even being able to choose which moves to employ during fights would have been enough for an engaging, skill-driven fight system. But what we get is a Facebook game backed by an enormous brand that, sadly, isn't terribly different than the rest.
WWE Fantasy Warfare advergame on Facebook is oddly entertaining
WWE Fantasy Warfare
I know, it's almost tough to read, but somehow THQ managed to create a mildly fun advergame. WWE Fantasy Warfare was created solely to generate buzz over the upcoming WWE All Stars video game, which releases for all major consoles March 29. But this amusing advergame lets you pit today's greatest wrestlers like John Cena against legends such as Hulk Hogan. After watching a brief video where each combatant gets to talk about how awesome their muscles they are, it's up to you to decide who would come out victorious.
Hulkamania
After that, both players will enter the ring in pre-rendered graphics akin to what you'd imagine them to look like on a console. As the fight continues, you'll be given the choice to choose who gets to perform a special move regardless of whom you voted for. (If you didn't go with Mr. Hulkmania, shame on you.) After the fight ends, special "Loot" will unlock for you like wallpapers, ringtones and discounts off WWE merchandise.
All in all, it simply felt exciting to watch Hulk Hogan beat down on John Cena with his signature moves I remember from my childhood. While this is certainly not a game, it's entertaining nonetheless. There are five fantasy videos and matches in total, all of which we expect to have as much energy as the first. But they will only unlock with more fans involved, so it's up to you to spread the news via News Feed posts if you want to see the other four match-ups. Not to mention some hilarious glimpses of 80s wrestling outfits (hint: not much has changed).
I know, it's almost tough to read, but somehow THQ managed to create a mildly fun advergame. WWE Fantasy Warfare was created solely to generate buzz over the upcoming WWE All Stars video game, which releases for all major consoles March 29. But this amusing advergame lets you pit today's greatest wrestlers like John Cena against legends such as Hulk Hogan. After watching a brief video where each combatant gets to talk about how awesome their muscles they are, it's up to you to decide who would come out victorious.
Hulkamania
After that, both players will enter the ring in pre-rendered graphics akin to what you'd imagine them to look like on a console. As the fight continues, you'll be given the choice to choose who gets to perform a special move regardless of whom you voted for. (If you didn't go with Mr. Hulkmania, shame on you.) After the fight ends, special "Loot" will unlock for you like wallpapers, ringtones and discounts off WWE merchandise.
All in all, it simply felt exciting to watch Hulk Hogan beat down on John Cena with his signature moves I remember from my childhood. While this is certainly not a game, it's entertaining nonetheless. There are five fantasy videos and matches in total, all of which we expect to have as much energy as the first. But they will only unlock with more fans involved, so it's up to you to spread the news via News Feed posts if you want to see the other four match-ups. Not to mention some hilarious glimpses of 80s wrestling outfits (hint: not much has changed).
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille Mac & Cheese Tree includes full Mastery, still cheesy
Mac and Cheese Mastery
As part of the upcoming Stouffer's frozen foods promotion in FarmVille, the game received a new tree to grow, the Mac & Cheese Tree. It has a chance of being within Mystery Seedlings that Orchards provide, but can also be mastered for extra XP and coins. (And let's not forget about the precious Mastery Sign.)
Here's a breakdown of all three Mastery Tiers, their requirements and rewards:
Mastery Level 1: 75 harvests / Rewards: 25 XP and 500 Farm Coins
Mastery Level 2: 150 harvests / Rewards: 75 XP and 1,500 Farm Coins
Mastery Level 3: 225 harvests / Rewards: 250 XP and 5,000 Farm Coins
While it may be a dumb-looking tree that barely fits in with the game, it might be in your best interest to master this one. Besides, Mac and Cheese is just plain delicious whether it's from a box or a tree, in this case.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you planted any Mac&Cheese trees yet in FarmVille? What do you think of this promotion overall?
As part of the upcoming Stouffer's frozen foods promotion in FarmVille, the game received a new tree to grow, the Mac & Cheese Tree. It has a chance of being within Mystery Seedlings that Orchards provide, but can also be mastered for extra XP and coins. (And let's not forget about the precious Mastery Sign.)
Here's a breakdown of all three Mastery Tiers, their requirements and rewards:
Mastery Level 1: 75 harvests / Rewards: 25 XP and 500 Farm Coins
Mastery Level 2: 150 harvests / Rewards: 75 XP and 1,500 Farm Coins
Mastery Level 3: 225 harvests / Rewards: 250 XP and 5,000 Farm Coins
While it may be a dumb-looking tree that barely fits in with the game, it might be in your best interest to master this one. Besides, Mac and Cheese is just plain delicious whether it's from a box or a tree, in this case.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you planted any Mac&Cheese trees yet in FarmVille? What do you think of this promotion overall?
Deep Realms on Facebook: Is this 'accessible' role-playing game still too deep?
If you take a look at the top 10 games on Facebook, one thing is certain. The types of games that lead the pack in social gaming are not necessarily designed for "gamers" -- people so devoted to this form of entertainment that they're willing to slap down hundreds of dollars for a supped-up PC or console designed specifically to play video games. Talk to avid Halo player or a World of Warcraft master about FarmVille, and you're likely to get the hand (as in, talk to the hand). Playdom, the company responsible for City of Wonder and Wild Ones, wants to change that with Deep Realms, a new 'accessible' role-player for Facebook that is a -- in creator Raph Koster's words -- a "game for gamers." The game begins with custom creating an avatar (male or female), choosing a character class and then setting off on an epic journey that starts on a farm and ends, well, you'll have to play it to find out.
Instead of a traditional video game, where you roam freely, exploration will be dictated by a series of tiles, and each tile your character travels to will require energy. Once the energy is used up, you can wait until it regenerates or you can spend real-life cash to buy an energy refill.
deep realm skill tree
Along the journey, your character will find loot, and run into randomly generated enemies and traps. As your hero progresses, s/he will level up which will unlock more skills, new missions and so forth. The game will also have a store, which you will be able to use your virtual coins to buy weapons and other power ups. Gifting will also be part of the game, and people will be able to send gifts that depend on their class.
What I like about Deep Realms is that -- while it seems very casual on its surface -- it still has traditional role-playing game elements designed to deliver a deeper game experience. Skill trees, for instance, are introduced in the game after level 5, allowing you to strategically map out your hero's abilities. There will be collection and crafting system, where you collect items to make, say, potions or other special items. You can organize raids with friends to take on powerful bosses (see the mummy in the pic below) and the game include a Player vs. Player (PvP) mode that will let you test your hero's skills and duel against other players. Koster, who also is Playdom's creative design VP, says they've also considered adding guilds for the game at some point in the future.
deep realms facebook playdom boss battles
If you're not already attune to the language of role-playing games, the list of features above may sound strange (and overwhelming), but Koster assures me that the game will ease players into these advanced maneuvers. He also says Deep Realms will be accessible for people who (like me) don't want to arrange real-time meet-ups with friends to beat a boss or otherwise progress in the game.
Look for the first few chapters of Deep Realms on Facebook near the end of March and followed by regular updates that will include additional chapters and side missions. Then we can judge how well this game maintains the precarious balance between being 'casual' enough for the Facebook gaming set, while deep enough for role-playing game aficionados.
Instead of a traditional video game, where you roam freely, exploration will be dictated by a series of tiles, and each tile your character travels to will require energy. Once the energy is used up, you can wait until it regenerates or you can spend real-life cash to buy an energy refill.
deep realm skill tree
Along the journey, your character will find loot, and run into randomly generated enemies and traps. As your hero progresses, s/he will level up which will unlock more skills, new missions and so forth. The game will also have a store, which you will be able to use your virtual coins to buy weapons and other power ups. Gifting will also be part of the game, and people will be able to send gifts that depend on their class.
What I like about Deep Realms is that -- while it seems very casual on its surface -- it still has traditional role-playing game elements designed to deliver a deeper game experience. Skill trees, for instance, are introduced in the game after level 5, allowing you to strategically map out your hero's abilities. There will be collection and crafting system, where you collect items to make, say, potions or other special items. You can organize raids with friends to take on powerful bosses (see the mummy in the pic below) and the game include a Player vs. Player (PvP) mode that will let you test your hero's skills and duel against other players. Koster, who also is Playdom's creative design VP, says they've also considered adding guilds for the game at some point in the future.
deep realms facebook playdom boss battles
If you're not already attune to the language of role-playing games, the list of features above may sound strange (and overwhelming), but Koster assures me that the game will ease players into these advanced maneuvers. He also says Deep Realms will be accessible for people who (like me) don't want to arrange real-time meet-ups with friends to beat a boss or otherwise progress in the game.
Look for the first few chapters of Deep Realms on Facebook near the end of March and followed by regular updates that will include additional chapters and side missions. Then we can judge how well this game maintains the precarious balance between being 'casual' enough for the Facebook gaming set, while deep enough for role-playing game aficionados.
Boxhead the Nightmare on Facebook: A bloody good time
Boxhead Nightmare
There's been a niche in Flash and casual gaming that has endured a litany of adaptations and interpretations on the legion of Flash gaming websites. It's called Boxhead and its designer, Sean Cooper, has brought his baby to the next frontier for Flash games, Facebook, with Boxhead the Nightmare. Far more action-driven than most social games, Boxhead the Nightmare, or "Boxhead" for short, is immediately reminiscent of games like Jackal released by Konami on the original NES in 1988. From an isometric perspective, you assume the role of a Boxhead whose mission is to fend off hordes of zombies, mummies, fire-breathing demons and more "Baddies." And it's not easy.
Especially when playing on a laptop with just a track pad. That limitation aside, Boxhead is one difficult game. Before diving into the battlefield, players can customize their character's appearance and weapons load out. The game only provides you with a few options to start like the weak, inaccurate pistol and the powerful Uzi. Yes, the guns in Boxhead have accuracy ratings--it can border on infuriating when you aim directly for an enemy with your mouse to see your shot whiz past its head.
Boxhead Customization
In fact, all of the weapons in the game have statistics attached, like accuracy and damage, that can be upgraded after certain amounts of play time. However, you also need to add friends to increase your weapons' stats, which is at least more appealing than requesting their help every few days. Of course, all of the weapons, defense structures like barricades, and their upgrades can be bought outright for Bollars, the game's paid currency.
With such intense menus, Boxhead could be described as complex. Though, that's right about where the complexity ends and the mindless, gory fun begins. Players control their Boxhead on the battlefield by moving with the arrow keys, aiming in all directions with the mouse and switching between weapons with the number keys. Making the blood splatter is as easy as clicking the mouse, and you'll be doing plenty of both.
Boxhead blood shed
In traditional Facebook games, you're always well aware of the task at hand. It's difficult to get lost in a game like FrontierVille when every action is driven by the next Goal or achievement. In Boxhead, there is only survival, hours and hours of survival. The hordes of undead and demons stop at nothing to destroy your small entrenchment. Well, except for leveling up, which allows you to reload and customize your weapons selection. And this is exactly the hook embedded in Boxhead.
For each of your weapons, you're only given one clip of ammunition for each wave of enemies. This forces players to aim, move, and shoot smart, though all of which can prove frustrating when trying to fend off hordes of flame-belching, horned devils. Yet you might feel just the right amount of frustration to be pressured to become stronger through, well, playing more. This is exactly Cooper's intention. When you see a squad of 50 some mummies approaching your encampment, explosions rock the ground and bullets and blood fly with not even a stutter, you'll want some more Boxhead the Nightmare.
There's been a niche in Flash and casual gaming that has endured a litany of adaptations and interpretations on the legion of Flash gaming websites. It's called Boxhead and its designer, Sean Cooper, has brought his baby to the next frontier for Flash games, Facebook, with Boxhead the Nightmare. Far more action-driven than most social games, Boxhead the Nightmare, or "Boxhead" for short, is immediately reminiscent of games like Jackal released by Konami on the original NES in 1988. From an isometric perspective, you assume the role of a Boxhead whose mission is to fend off hordes of zombies, mummies, fire-breathing demons and more "Baddies." And it's not easy.
Especially when playing on a laptop with just a track pad. That limitation aside, Boxhead is one difficult game. Before diving into the battlefield, players can customize their character's appearance and weapons load out. The game only provides you with a few options to start like the weak, inaccurate pistol and the powerful Uzi. Yes, the guns in Boxhead have accuracy ratings--it can border on infuriating when you aim directly for an enemy with your mouse to see your shot whiz past its head.
Boxhead Customization
In fact, all of the weapons in the game have statistics attached, like accuracy and damage, that can be upgraded after certain amounts of play time. However, you also need to add friends to increase your weapons' stats, which is at least more appealing than requesting their help every few days. Of course, all of the weapons, defense structures like barricades, and their upgrades can be bought outright for Bollars, the game's paid currency.
With such intense menus, Boxhead could be described as complex. Though, that's right about where the complexity ends and the mindless, gory fun begins. Players control their Boxhead on the battlefield by moving with the arrow keys, aiming in all directions with the mouse and switching between weapons with the number keys. Making the blood splatter is as easy as clicking the mouse, and you'll be doing plenty of both.
Boxhead blood shed
In traditional Facebook games, you're always well aware of the task at hand. It's difficult to get lost in a game like FrontierVille when every action is driven by the next Goal or achievement. In Boxhead, there is only survival, hours and hours of survival. The hordes of undead and demons stop at nothing to destroy your small entrenchment. Well, except for leveling up, which allows you to reload and customize your weapons selection. And this is exactly the hook embedded in Boxhead.
For each of your weapons, you're only given one clip of ammunition for each wave of enemies. This forces players to aim, move, and shoot smart, though all of which can prove frustrating when trying to fend off hordes of flame-belching, horned devils. Yet you might feel just the right amount of frustration to be pressured to become stronger through, well, playing more. This is exactly Cooper's intention. When you see a squad of 50 some mummies approaching your encampment, explosions rock the ground and bullets and blood fly with not even a stutter, you'll want some more Boxhead the Nightmare.
FarmVille English Countryside screen stokes coal in the hype train
We're inching that much closer toward the English Countryside with a new FarmVille loading screen that teases the expansions' new features. Of course, Sheep breeding, faster mastery, new crops and items will be aplenty in this brand new FarmVille, but Zynga is leaving out what's most interesting: a story. Finally, FarmVille will follow at least a small plot, something that plenty of similar Facebook games could benefit from. I'm more excited to help fix Duke's airship, make cheese with Lily and dig up artifacts with that ragged little boy. It's exciting to think about how Zynga's story-writing and character development skills might have improved. You say "hype train," but I say "optimism."
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our FarmVille English Countryside coverage right here.
Are you any more excited about English Countryside? What part of the expansion are you most psyched or hopeful for?
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our FarmVille English Countryside coverage right here.
Are you any more excited about English Countryside? What part of the expansion are you most psyched or hopeful for?
FarmVille Scam Alert! Watch out for Clover Foal News Feed posts
You'd think some type of Internet superhero would crop up to thwart these incessant FarmVille scammers by now. (Seriously, this is becoming a broken record.) FarmVille Freak has found yet another scam post involving a "Clover Foal," which doesn't even appear to exist in the game yet. This is not an official post from Zynga and all it will lead to is malware that could make your computing life unnecessarily difficult. This one looks far more legit than most, and even clicking on the scam's link will lead to a surprisingly believable page. Do not be fooled and don't let your friends fall for the same trick either. If you did happen to click through twice, it's time for a password change and thorough virus scan.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
Have you fallen victim to this scam or know someone who has? What solution can you come up with to solve the ongoing problem?
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
Have you fallen victim to this scam or know someone who has? What solution can you come up with to solve the ongoing problem?
Thứ Tư, 4 tháng 1, 2012
Alec Baldwin on SNL: Zynga's Words With Friends is 'for smart people'
Alec Baldwin, award-winning actor and TV star of NBC's currently-running "30 Rock", is milking his fight with American Airlines over Zynga's Word With Friends for all the publicity he can get. Which is strange, because he certainly doesn't need it. But after deleting his Twitter account, Baldwin made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update, and sat for an interview with Seth Meyers to talk about what happened. Except, he didn't show up as Alec Baldwin, but as "Captain Steve Rogers" (which superhero comics geeks would recognize as the alias of Captain America). This, of course, is Baldwin's impersonation of the real AA pilot of the plane he was on, Captain Steve Roach.
In under three minutes, Baldwin mocked American Airlines' decision to boot him off the plane, bashed the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) policy of forbidding the use of wireless devices on planes, engaged in comical and completely unsubtle ego-stroking, and managed to self-style himself as the unofficial spokesman of Zynga's premier word game. You can watch the whole thing above or on the SNL website, but here's a sample transcript:
MEYERS: "So let me get this straight, you, Captain Rogers, want to apologize to Alec Baldwin?"
BALDWIN: "Yes. Mr. Baldwin is an American treasure, and I am ashamed at the way he was treated. I mean, what harm would it do to let him keep playing his game -- not any game mind you -- but a word game for smart people."
. . .
MEYERS: "It was also reported that Alec Baldwin slammed the bathroom door so loudly that you could hear it in the cockpit."
BALDWIN: "Now, Seth, Words with Friends can be frustrating. And again, I just started to play the game myself. But when you think you're about to play JAILERS off of someone's QUICHE and then you realize you don't have the 'I', let me tell you, that would make you slam the bathroom door too!"
Obviously, Baldwin's outburst has attracted plenty of media attention and Zynga's support. Though judging by the actor's actual, serious apology in The Huffington Post, Baldwin hasn't so much been aiming to free advertise for Zynga as crusading against what he believes to be the dwindling quality of service offered by US airlines. Of course, free publicity never hurts, and remember, BROUHAHA alone is worth 16 points in Words With Friends.
Has Alec Baldwin gone too far, or is he on to something here? Have you started playing Words With Friends because of what happened?
In under three minutes, Baldwin mocked American Airlines' decision to boot him off the plane, bashed the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) policy of forbidding the use of wireless devices on planes, engaged in comical and completely unsubtle ego-stroking, and managed to self-style himself as the unofficial spokesman of Zynga's premier word game. You can watch the whole thing above or on the SNL website, but here's a sample transcript:
MEYERS: "So let me get this straight, you, Captain Rogers, want to apologize to Alec Baldwin?"
BALDWIN: "Yes. Mr. Baldwin is an American treasure, and I am ashamed at the way he was treated. I mean, what harm would it do to let him keep playing his game -- not any game mind you -- but a word game for smart people."
. . .
MEYERS: "It was also reported that Alec Baldwin slammed the bathroom door so loudly that you could hear it in the cockpit."
BALDWIN: "Now, Seth, Words with Friends can be frustrating. And again, I just started to play the game myself. But when you think you're about to play JAILERS off of someone's QUICHE and then you realize you don't have the 'I', let me tell you, that would make you slam the bathroom door too!"
Obviously, Baldwin's outburst has attracted plenty of media attention and Zynga's support. Though judging by the actor's actual, serious apology in The Huffington Post, Baldwin hasn't so much been aiming to free advertise for Zynga as crusading against what he believes to be the dwindling quality of service offered by US airlines. Of course, free publicity never hurts, and remember, BROUHAHA alone is worth 16 points in Words With Friends.
Has Alec Baldwin gone too far, or is he on to something here? Have you started playing Words With Friends because of what happened?
Facebook shoot 'em up, BigHead BASH, brings licensed toys to the game
Spicy Horse, the largest Western indie games developer in China, is taking a break from console games to create a side-scrolling, multiplayer shooter for Facebook. Owned by American McGee, this Shanghai-based studio's previous project was a PC and console game, "Alice: Madness Returns", which was a sequel to the highly praised American McGee's Alice that put a dark and macabre spin on Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.
Spicy Horse's latest game, however, is going to be a social game with a fairly original concept -- players will get to customize their own characters (based on nine choices in the following categories: army toys, stuffed animals, and electronic bots) and buy their creations as real-life vinyl toys. Licensed designs from other IP, such as video game characters and fashion icons, also plan to be available.
Kraftwurx has openly stated that they've signed a deal with Spicy Horse to make these 3D toys possible. Silicornera reports that Spicy horse is "offering a 50% revenue split with content creators" and that they can get interested toy makers in touch with the developer.
Bighead BASH bots
As for the game itself, BigHead BASH is set to land on Facebook next February and will allow for team-vs-team arcade-style death matches. The three pre-designated teams are "Attack Force", "Fluf", and "BOTS". Despite its 3D aesthetic, it's still a 2D game. Other details are sparse at this stage, but you can get a sneak peak of the gameplay from the "Meet Attack Force" game trailer below.
Lastly, you can snag a chance to play the beta by clicking 'like' on the game's official Facebook page.
[Hat-tip: Video Game Writers]
How excited are you for BigHead BASH? Do you like the idea of being able to order a character you've designed from a Facebook game?
Spicy Horse's latest game, however, is going to be a social game with a fairly original concept -- players will get to customize their own characters (based on nine choices in the following categories: army toys, stuffed animals, and electronic bots) and buy their creations as real-life vinyl toys. Licensed designs from other IP, such as video game characters and fashion icons, also plan to be available.
Kraftwurx has openly stated that they've signed a deal with Spicy Horse to make these 3D toys possible. Silicornera reports that Spicy horse is "offering a 50% revenue split with content creators" and that they can get interested toy makers in touch with the developer.
Bighead BASH bots
As for the game itself, BigHead BASH is set to land on Facebook next February and will allow for team-vs-team arcade-style death matches. The three pre-designated teams are "Attack Force", "Fluf", and "BOTS". Despite its 3D aesthetic, it's still a 2D game. Other details are sparse at this stage, but you can get a sneak peak of the gameplay from the "Meet Attack Force" game trailer below.
Lastly, you can snag a chance to play the beta by clicking 'like' on the game's official Facebook page.
[Hat-tip: Video Game Writers]
How excited are you for BigHead BASH? Do you like the idea of being able to order a character you've designed from a Facebook game?
MapleStory maker stumbles on first day trading, bad news for Zynga?
Well, it could certainly scare the hell out of potential investors. Bloomberg reports that Nexon, creator of hit free-to-play and social games like MapleStory and Zombie Misfits, has already seen its stock price decline after its first day of publicly trading in Tokyo. When the company went public on Tuesday, its stock was priced at 1,307 yen--by day's end it dropped 2.3 percent to 1,270 yen.
Still, Nexon managed to raise $1.17 billion in its initial public offering (IPO), just a hair shy of its $1.2 billion goal marked last week. The CityVille creator is said to go public as soon as Thursday, looking to raise $1.15 billion on the Nasdaq as "ZNGA". It's almost no doubt that Zynga will get at least close to its goal, but if the pioneer of free-to-play games in the Western world can't keep its stock price steady for a single day, investors might wonder the same for the company behind FarmVille.
Keep in mind, however, that Nexon debuted in an entirely different market. (Though, the company offered shared in the US, too.) What's most worrisome is that Nexon is far older, and you'd imagine more experienced, than Zynga, but still couldn't hang on the first day of trading.
Despite its dependence on Facebook, Zynga's CEO Mark Pincus told investors that it could double its base of paying players in 2012. And while he seems to have made no effort to explain how, CrowdStar CEO Peter Relan seems to agree. We'll whether Zynga's efforts on its IPO roadshow were enough by Friday, or so they say.
Do you think Nexon's first-day experience is indicative of what Zynga might go through with its IPO? Would you invest in Zynga at this point?
Still, Nexon managed to raise $1.17 billion in its initial public offering (IPO), just a hair shy of its $1.2 billion goal marked last week. The CityVille creator is said to go public as soon as Thursday, looking to raise $1.15 billion on the Nasdaq as "ZNGA". It's almost no doubt that Zynga will get at least close to its goal, but if the pioneer of free-to-play games in the Western world can't keep its stock price steady for a single day, investors might wonder the same for the company behind FarmVille.
Keep in mind, however, that Nexon debuted in an entirely different market. (Though, the company offered shared in the US, too.) What's most worrisome is that Nexon is far older, and you'd imagine more experienced, than Zynga, but still couldn't hang on the first day of trading.
Despite its dependence on Facebook, Zynga's CEO Mark Pincus told investors that it could double its base of paying players in 2012. And while he seems to have made no effort to explain how, CrowdStar CEO Peter Relan seems to agree. We'll whether Zynga's efforts on its IPO roadshow were enough by Friday, or so they say.
Do you think Nexon's first-day experience is indicative of what Zynga might go through with its IPO? Would you invest in Zynga at this point?
Michael Bublé croons his way into CityVille to ring in the holiday
Zynga has gone celeb crazy in CityVille, its top game on Facebook. The next star to make his social game debut is none other than Michael Bublé. The swing singer from another era will strut on into the popular Facebook just in time for Christmas this year to promote his new chart-topping album for the holidays, "Christmas". And according to CityVille GM Scott Koenigsberg, "Bublé was a perfect fit."
"We love bringing real-world experiences into the game," Koenigsberg tells us. Sometime near Christmas, players will get to interact with Bublé in CityVille, as his avatar will walk around in players' cities, greeting players with a few sayings. (We're told those are still in the works with Michael Bublé.) The main draw of the promotion is for players to build a holiday bonfire with Bublé and their friends, which will unlock an exclusive music video featuring the crooner himself.
As players work to complete the holiday bonfire, they'll collect various items from turntables to hockey sticks that give players hints as to just what kind of guy Michael is. Koenigsberg says that this promotion won't be as mechanically different from previous in-game celebrity events (like, say, Enrique Iglesias's time in CityVille) as it will be thematically different with new artwork and assets. As for why Zynga has become obsessed with celebrity?
"One of the reasons why we do these integrations is because our players love it," Koenigsberg gushes. "We actually spend a lot of time speaking to our players, through our forums, through Skype chat. We actually just invited some local players in the San Francisco area to come have lunch with us and sit down and talk to them." Stay tuned to CityVille as we inch closer to Christmas to see just how Bublé will hit the game in a big way.
"We love bringing real-world experiences into the game," Koenigsberg tells us. Sometime near Christmas, players will get to interact with Bublé in CityVille, as his avatar will walk around in players' cities, greeting players with a few sayings. (We're told those are still in the works with Michael Bublé.) The main draw of the promotion is for players to build a holiday bonfire with Bublé and their friends, which will unlock an exclusive music video featuring the crooner himself.
As players work to complete the holiday bonfire, they'll collect various items from turntables to hockey sticks that give players hints as to just what kind of guy Michael is. Koenigsberg says that this promotion won't be as mechanically different from previous in-game celebrity events (like, say, Enrique Iglesias's time in CityVille) as it will be thematically different with new artwork and assets. As for why Zynga has become obsessed with celebrity?
"One of the reasons why we do these integrations is because our players love it," Koenigsberg gushes. "We actually spend a lot of time speaking to our players, through our forums, through Skype chat. We actually just invited some local players in the San Francisco area to come have lunch with us and sit down and talk to them." Stay tuned to CityVille as we inch closer to Christmas to see just how Bublé will hit the game in a big way.
Now you can venture into ForestVille in the good old US of A, too
But for whatever reason, The Big Z didn't make a big stink of it. Zynga has released ForestVille for iPhone and iPad to the US App Store for the wonderful cost of "free". However, the company merely made the announcement on its blog, rather than its usual teasers through the media. ForestVille has been available on the Canadian App Store for a few days prior.
"Farms, frontiers, cities and castles are all important and familiar 'Ville' territory," Zynga wrote in its announcement. "Today, we head to the wilderness to bring you Zynga's newest mobile game ForestVille. And we're sure you'll find it quite a different kind of 'Ville' and forest when you look beyond its trees."
We were under the impression that the game's presence in Canada was merely a test. As it turns out, ForestVille is ready enough for release. We first heard word of the woodland creature-filled addition to the 'Ville franchise through a series of domains registered by Zynga, and later the game's Facebook fan page was found. It seems that Zynga decided to simply let the cat out of the bag.
Gallery: ForestVille on iOS
We've had a chance to look at the game in depth since it hit the Canadian App Store. And just as this writer estimated before, ForestVille isn't much different from the stable of 'Ville games already available on both Facebook and mobile devices. Nevertheless, the game's free, so it's worth a shot to see if forest critters are more your thing than human beings.
Click here to download ForestVille for Free Now >
Have you tried ForestVille yet? What do you think Zynga can do to spice up the 'Ville franchise, or should it move on?
"Farms, frontiers, cities and castles are all important and familiar 'Ville' territory," Zynga wrote in its announcement. "Today, we head to the wilderness to bring you Zynga's newest mobile game ForestVille. And we're sure you'll find it quite a different kind of 'Ville' and forest when you look beyond its trees."
We were under the impression that the game's presence in Canada was merely a test. As it turns out, ForestVille is ready enough for release. We first heard word of the woodland creature-filled addition to the 'Ville franchise through a series of domains registered by Zynga, and later the game's Facebook fan page was found. It seems that Zynga decided to simply let the cat out of the bag.
Gallery: ForestVille on iOS
We've had a chance to look at the game in depth since it hit the Canadian App Store. And just as this writer estimated before, ForestVille isn't much different from the stable of 'Ville games already available on both Facebook and mobile devices. Nevertheless, the game's free, so it's worth a shot to see if forest critters are more your thing than human beings.
Click here to download ForestVille for Free Now >
Have you tried ForestVille yet? What do you think Zynga can do to spice up the 'Ville franchise, or should it move on?
Retro World contest: Enter to get your 15 minutes of fame
Still waiting for your 15 minutes of fame? Entertainment Games' new Retro World Photo contest might be your lucky break. Enter and you might win a starring role in this new point-and-click adventure game on Facebook alongside some of Hollywood's most memorable faces, such as Elvis "The Pelvis" Presley, Marilyn Monroe and a much (much) younger rendition of Dick Clark.
retro star contest
To enter the contest, submit a full-body picture of you wearing your best Sixties era getup. Two pictures will be chosen and the winners will star in a new episode of the game. Click here to enter the contest. While you're at it -- give the game a try. Love it or hate it, Retro World certainly offers something a little different than the rest of those 'Ville' games out there.
retro star contest
To enter the contest, submit a full-body picture of you wearing your best Sixties era getup. Two pictures will be chosen and the winners will star in a new episode of the game. Click here to enter the contest. While you're at it -- give the game a try. Love it or hate it, Retro World certainly offers something a little different than the rest of those 'Ville' games out there.
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