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?
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 1, 2012
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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