FIFA Superstars' Tactical Joe hints at things to come, isn't real

Now I've seen everything. Promoting a product through fictional events like interactive stories and games is one thing, but Playfish decided to preview future changes in FIFA Superstars through a fictional character, Tactical Joe. This imaginary F.C. manager will be interviewed "every fortnight about game hints, current features and upcoming new FIFA Superstars additions" about future changes, according to the blog post.

As for news of recent changes from the world of animated community managers, there is no restriction on the 24-hour training sessions for players before Level 11. To further boost team rating, there is now a Personal Trainer in FIFA Superstars, ready to increase your team's rating by 10 with a training boost between matches.

In addition to new Superstars of the Week, new competitions and leagues are on the way, according to Tactical Joe. Not to mention that a new feature inspired by community feedback is coming soon. Because of players reaching out to the Playfish team, you'll soon be able to change your lineup in the middle of a game as player cards start to suffer injuries or penalty cards.

Dunkin' Donuts pushes its brand with a free Sims Social Lawn Chair

Dunkin' Donuts strikes again in The Sims Social. On top of all the free fan gifts from Playfish and EA rolling out daily on the game's official fan page, the American coffee-and-donuts chain has chipped in for the first Sims Social-branded virtual item in the form of an exclusive Dunkin' Donuts Lawn Chair.

To get the chair, you've got to 'like' the official Dunkin' Donuts Facebook page here and then head over to the section of the page titled "DD & The Sims Social".

Owning the lawn chair adds 250 points to your house value, which is a modest, but no small amount. It also sells for 15 Simoleons, which is chump change, but hey, free furniture! And lastly, the chair comes with a bit of extra animation.

Just click on the chair, and your Sim will get the option to "Sit" or "Drink Dunkin' Donuts Coffee". So kick back, and watch your Sim lie down on the chair to sip from a steamy cup.
Dunkin Donuts Sims Social Lawn Chair
Do you enjoy branded goods in games? Do you think it makes them more realistic?

Bejeweled 2 to bedazzle Kindle Fire along with Scrabble, Monopoly et al

The Kindle Fire could approach "Blazing Speed" before it's even released. (Get it? No? Ah, never mind.) EA Mobile has announced that a number of its mobile social game properties (and one rather "hardcore" game) have been pushed to the Amazon Appstore for Android and optimized for the upcoming Kindle Fire tablet.

Namely Bejeweled 2, Monopoly, The Game of Life and Scrabble will be available when the Kindle Fire launches. But those three games are also joined by Tetris (which is damn near everywhere) and survival horror hit Dead Space. When Zynga announced that Words With Friends would hit the Kindle Fire, we wondered whether that was a sign that the device might be hot on social gaming.

Now that versions of two of the most addictive Facebook games to date will be featured on Kindle Fire, we're certainly getting warmer. No, wait, that's just our credit cards burning holes in our wallets.

"EA is proud to be part of Kindle Fire," EA's Bernard Kim said, according to Social Times. "On Kindle Fire, we're offering some of the world's most popular titles with incredible gameplay and breathtaking graphics that anyone can play and enjoy anytime, anywhere." Does "incredible graphics" mean we'll finally get to see those wooden word tiles in HD, grains and all?

Do you plan on picking up a Kindle Fire when it releases? Could the device prove to be a hotbed for mobile social gaming like the iOS lineup has?

Theme Park coming to iPhone, iPad this year: Get your tickets ready

Here's a piece of news from this year's gamescom convention that I'm genuinely excited about: Theme Park (you know, the classic mid-90's amusement park simulator) is coming to iPhone and iPad later this year! The game is being rebuilt from the ground up and will be released by Electronic Arts as a freemium (free-to-play) title with some premium extras.

Digital Spy has captured some details about the new game, which will allow you to build new rides and attractions with their construction (and profit intake) taking place in real time. You'll have a "Park Rank" that serves as your level, with new rides being unlocked as you level up, or you can use a premium currency (we suspect they'll be called "Tickets") to unlock items and complete other tasks without waiting.

Similar to a city-builder, Theme Park will allow you to expand your amusement park by purchasing additional plots of land, and will then let you style the entire park in a number of themes: pirate, futuristic, and natural/organic being just a few of the announced examples.

While you'll eventually be able to let your park earn money over time without interaction, you can also use your device's touch controls to interact with items like the bouncy castle (by poking it) or the swinging ship by flicking the ship with your finger. To add more flair to the game, EA will use its many franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Dead Space to inspire new rides or perhaps even themed areas in your park that will be available to build or otherwise purchase. We can only imagine that those sorts of items would cost premium currency, but a girl can hope for a free dragon statue, right?

As more news launches about Theme Park (including any details about its assumed social features), we'll make sure to let you know. For now, I'll just keep myself busy with my other versions of Theme Park while dreaming of new park ideas for this one!

[Source and Image Credit: Digital Spy]

Are you excited about Theme Park for iPhone / iPad? What sorts of rides or themes do you hope EA adds to the games? Are there other EA games you'd like to see integrated into an amusement park? Sound off in the comments.

Is EA's PopCap working on casino-style Facebook games? [Rumor]

Is PopCap looking to go toe to toe with Zynga and DoubleDown Interactive's casino Facebook games? According to GeekWire, a bunch of rather specific domain purchases by the recently-acquired company certainly suggest that's the case. Well, that and a recent trademark application ... and a Facebook page created with that very same trademark. Alright, PopCap has been terrible at keeping this whole thing a secret.

Lucky Gem CasinoThe game in question might be titled "Lucky Gem Casino," as Fusible points out that the Bejeweled creator recently changed a Facebook page it owns to reflect the new title. The Info tab on the page reads, "Thanks for visiting! PopCap Casino is the future home of some amazing, casino-style social games from PopCap, the worldwide leader in casual gaming."

With wording like that, it sounds as if Lucky Gem Casino will be a suite of casino games from the developer, much like DoubleDown Casino. And if you take a peak at the page's Wall, a message can be found there, presumably from the company, that reads, "Keep an eye out to experience casino-style gaming from PopCap Games!" A week later, a poll was posted asking fans about their favorite type of casino games--unsurprisingly, the "Slot Machines" category won by a landslide.

GeekWire points out that this might be because PopCap is now owned by EA, which likely has a vested interested in directly competing with Facebook game champ Zynga at every turn. However, it's also important to keep in mind that a majority of PopCap's games (not including Plants vs Zombies) are visibly influenced by a casino approach to gameplay albeit with a far heavier focus on skill rather than luck.

[Via Financial Times]

[Image Credit: Destructoid]

What do you think PopCap might be up to with this trademark, Facebook page and domain registries? Would you play a stable of casino games from the creator of Bejeweled and Zuma Blitz? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments.

The Sims Social: Celebrate the last days of summer with new Summer House theme

With the mass popularity of the Sims Social on Facebook, it's no surprise that Playfish / EA are continually adding new decorative items to the game's store, allowing you to personalize your home in new ways. Specifically, this week sees the launch of a "Summer House" theme of items, with items being available for your living room, bedroom and even outdoor areas. There are also plenty of decorative items here to take a look at, so we'll do our best to give you a complete guide to these new items. Check them out!

SolTrain Cubic (Shelving Unit)

    * Costs: 35 SimCash
    * Value: $5,150


SolTrain Chair (Buildable item)

    * Costs: 2,250 coins
    * Value: $1,800


SolTrain Kingsize (Bed)

    * Costs: 79 SimCash
    * Value: $11,700
    * Sleep Stat: 11


SolTrain Rays (Lamp)

    * Costs: 3 SimCash
    * Value: $450


BasketCase Travel (Requires Level 30)

    * Value: $350


SolTrain UV Lite

    * Costs: 12 SimCash
    * Value: $1,750


BasketCase XL (Requires Level 30)

    * Value: $600


SolTrain UV XL (Lamp)

    * Costs: 22 SimCash
    * Value: $3,250


Summer Tones (Painting - requires level 30)

    * Value: $750


Woody Divider (Requires Level 24)

    * Value: $1,300



SolTrain BagelUp

    * Costs: 5 SimCash
    * Value: $750


Woody Boxout B (Kitchen cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)

    * Value: $1,650


Woody Boxout L (Kitchen Cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)

    * Value: $1,650


SolTrain Panama (Outdoor Bed)

    * Costs: 49 Sim Cash
    * Value: $7,250


SolTrain Snug (Buildable item - requires Level 30)

    * Value: $2,200


Palm Tree

    * Costs: 1,750 coins
    * Value: $1,650
    * Happiness Stat: 3
    * Social Stat: 3


SolTrain Parasol

    * Costs: 59 SimCash
    * Value: $8,700


SolTrain Swing (Buildable item - requires Level 30)

    * Value: $4,850
    * Sleep Stat: 3


UltiMax Top Deck (Stereo)

    * Costs: 59 SimCash
    * Value: $8,700
    * Fun Stat: 5


In addition to all of these items, there's a full set of windows available in the Build menu is a new "Alpine" theme, which consists of a dark tan, almost orange colored frame. Four flooring options are available for either Social Points or (at most) a single SimCash per tile, and the theme is rounded out with a "SolTrain Beach" wallpaper that costs 55 Social Points per square.

As with previously released themes, these Summer House items don't appear to be limited edition; rather, they should be available permanently in the game's store. That being the case, you should be able to save up coins, or Social Points, or have time to purchase SimCash long into the future to create this theme in your home as far into the future as you like. If we see this change, we'll make sure to let you know.

What do you think of these Summer House items in Sims Social? What kinds of items would you like to see released next in the game? Sound off in the comments.