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?
Thứ Tư, 4 tháng 1, 2012
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.
Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille LE English Countryside Decorations: English Windmill, Green Creek, Flowery Well & More
A series of seven new decorative / building items were released in FarmVille this evening, with all seven being available in the current limited edition English Countryside item theme. All of these items can be purchased for either your Home Farm or your second farm, but remember, if you want the same item on both farms, you'll have to purchase two.
To start, there are two new buildings to purchase, in the form of the English Town Hall and the English Windmill. The Windmill is actually the more expensive of the two items (presumably because it animates), costing 20 Farm Cash to the English Town Hall's price of 15 Farm Cash. You'll gain a whopping 1500-2000 experience points for purchasing these items, so there's definitely some added incentive to do so if you even remotely like the look of them.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the true decorative items made available this evening.
For the new decorations, there are five items to choose from, with only one costing Farm Cash. That item is the Green Creek, which costs 18 Farm Cash, and features an animated, dark blue creek running through a bit of forest. This item carries on in the theme of items that look to contain a much larger scene than their footprints might otherwise indicate, as there's a lot going on in such a small space.
Some of the coin decorations are just as pretty, although definitely not as complex. There's a Flowery Archway that costs 20,000 coins, a Flowery Well (my favorite of this release) that goes for 80,000 coins, and then two general decorative items - the Hay Pile and Stone Bench which will set you back 2,000 and 10,000 coins each, respectively.
All of these items will be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, so shop fast to make sure you can stock up on all of the decorations you may ever want or need while they are still available. Now if you'll excuse me, my virtual pocketbook is screaming for a shopping trip, and I am going to oblige.
Which of these new decorative or building items is your favorite? What other English Countryside items have you been looking forward to but haven't seen yet?
To start, there are two new buildings to purchase, in the form of the English Town Hall and the English Windmill. The Windmill is actually the more expensive of the two items (presumably because it animates), costing 20 Farm Cash to the English Town Hall's price of 15 Farm Cash. You'll gain a whopping 1500-2000 experience points for purchasing these items, so there's definitely some added incentive to do so if you even remotely like the look of them.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the true decorative items made available this evening.
For the new decorations, there are five items to choose from, with only one costing Farm Cash. That item is the Green Creek, which costs 18 Farm Cash, and features an animated, dark blue creek running through a bit of forest. This item carries on in the theme of items that look to contain a much larger scene than their footprints might otherwise indicate, as there's a lot going on in such a small space.
Some of the coin decorations are just as pretty, although definitely not as complex. There's a Flowery Archway that costs 20,000 coins, a Flowery Well (my favorite of this release) that goes for 80,000 coins, and then two general decorative items - the Hay Pile and Stone Bench which will set you back 2,000 and 10,000 coins each, respectively.
All of these items will be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, so shop fast to make sure you can stock up on all of the decorations you may ever want or need while they are still available. Now if you'll excuse me, my virtual pocketbook is screaming for a shopping trip, and I am going to oblige.
Which of these new decorative or building items is your favorite? What other English Countryside items have you been looking forward to but haven't seen yet?
Game of the Day: Nertz Solitaire
The Game of the Day funky card game that harks back to a simple time! Nertz Solitaire: Just like traditional solitaire, build piles of cards in ascending and descending order. Win by scoring the most points and getting rid of your Nertz pile before your opponent.
Click --> Play Nertz Solitaire
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click --> Play Nertz Solitaire
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
FrontierVille Granny's Home Goals: Everything you need to know
The Ponderosa Lodge wasn't enough, I guess. Now, Granny has come to FrontierVille, and she wants an even bigger house to stay in. But in order to score the Adobe Bricks needed to complete the Fancy Cabin upgrade (which seems to only appear in the Market after completing the Lodge), you must complete two sets of tasks for old g-mom. Just don't question why Granny would want an even bigger place. Don't worry, the "Granny's Home" series is almost too easy. Find out for yourself after the break.
1. Granny's Home
Clobber 1 Snake
Clobber 1 Bear
Place the Fancy Cabin
Granny's RockerOf course, finding Snakes and Bears is as easy as clearing debris and chopping down trees, respectively. The Fancy Cabin upgrade will be in the Market to place, though its price is unknown as of this writing. (If you couldn't already tell, this information just recently leaked, so details are scarce.) Finish this mission and 500 XP and a Varmint Surprise await you.
2. Granny's Rocker
Craft or have 4 Saltpeter
Craft or have 40 Planks
Tend 40 Cotton
The 4 Saltpeter are obtained through the Manure Collection, as almost everyone should know, which of course is completed by tending to animals and beating up varmints. In other words, it's going to take a while. The 40 Planks can be crafted in the Wagon for 7 Wood and 250 coins a piece, which will cost 280 Wood and 10 thousand coins total. The 40 Cotton will cost 24 thousand coins and take three whole days to harvest. For completing this Goal, a Granny Rocker, 1,000 XP and 20 Adobe Bricks are yours.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you gotten this far in the Cabin Goals already? What do you recommend for completing them the fastest?
1. Granny's Home
Clobber 1 Snake
Clobber 1 Bear
Place the Fancy Cabin
Granny's RockerOf course, finding Snakes and Bears is as easy as clearing debris and chopping down trees, respectively. The Fancy Cabin upgrade will be in the Market to place, though its price is unknown as of this writing. (If you couldn't already tell, this information just recently leaked, so details are scarce.) Finish this mission and 500 XP and a Varmint Surprise await you.
2. Granny's Rocker
Craft or have 4 Saltpeter
Craft or have 40 Planks
Tend 40 Cotton
The 4 Saltpeter are obtained through the Manure Collection, as almost everyone should know, which of course is completed by tending to animals and beating up varmints. In other words, it's going to take a while. The 40 Planks can be crafted in the Wagon for 7 Wood and 250 coins a piece, which will cost 280 Wood and 10 thousand coins total. The 40 Cotton will cost 24 thousand coins and take three whole days to harvest. For completing this Goal, a Granny Rocker, 1,000 XP and 20 Adobe Bricks are yours.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you gotten this far in the Cabin Goals already? What do you recommend for completing them the fastest?
Mark Cuban releases new hoops game on Facebook - BattleBall
Mark Cuban, serial entrepreneur and owner of the Dallas Mavericks and Schell Games, just announced the release of a new basketball game on Facebook. BattleBall lets users custom create players (pick their clothes, basketballs and backboards) and then take on their fellow Facebook friends on the virtual court.
"BattleBall is taking the love people have for basketball and channeling it into the virtual world," Cuban says. "You can compete with your friends and swat their jumpers into the stands without breaking a sweat. My character has great calves too."
Get a sneak peek at the game below, and read the full review here.
In the meantime, give BattleBall a try for yourself and see what you think. Play Battleball on Facebook now >
Image credit: Facebook
"BattleBall is taking the love people have for basketball and channeling it into the virtual world," Cuban says. "You can compete with your friends and swat their jumpers into the stands without breaking a sweat. My character has great calves too."
Get a sneak peek at the game below, and read the full review here.
In the meantime, give BattleBall a try for yourself and see what you think. Play Battleball on Facebook now >
Image credit: Facebook
BattleBall on Facebook: Explosive graphics, but where's the game?
"Boy, that sure is a nice tech demo," I thought to myself as I watched lithe street ballers destroy backboards with shattering force in BattleBall's preliminary matches. Standing as one of the few basketball games on Facebook, BattleBall was developed by Schell Games and backed by Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks. While the game makes impressive use of the Unity 3D graphics engine, BattleBall sadly does nothing to explore the power of three dimensions. In fact, this game could have easily been presented in Flash-based 2D and absolutely nothing would have been different. Well, the explosions would be less prominent.
But should that be the basis for the quality of a game? Absolutely not. There are plenty of games on Facebook that make effective use of the Unity engine like Milmo and EA Sports PGA Golf. They do this by allowing players to navigate the space and interact with objects in that space. BattleBall does none of that, yet presents its scenarios in flashy 3D graphics and animation.
BattleBall in action
Now, that isn't to say that it looks bad. In fact, this game looks amazing on Facebook. The amount of depth on the court and the details of its surroundings is certainly an accomplishment. (Especially considering its on a platform not even meant for gaming.) But as soon as you begin a shoot-out with an opponent, it's completely out of your hands. Your customized avatar, based on the equipment you provide him through the in-game store, will simply go through the motions. Whether or not your player thwarts your opponents' attempts or sneaks past the opposition to make a reverse dunk--and deplete its health bar--is entirely up to his level and whatever special equipment he has on.
I use the words "your player" because, in reality, you're not an active participant in the explosive dunk mongering. Even correctly timing certain abilities like "Dunk" or "Swat" during the sequences would have introduced some engaging gameplay. It's strikingly odd that the game includes achievements considering none of them would be the result of your skill. Rather, the achievements are more like milestones or tallies of inevitable happenings. As you increase in level, you will gain access to new environments, which are surely a treat to look at, but don't touch!
BattleBall dunk
Well, you can't anyway, so don't worry about it. Aside from the ability to play with your friends asynchronously every few hours and the impressive graphics, BattleBall simply doesn't bring anything new to the table where it counts most in games that revolve around the thrill of competition: gameplay. With such slick animation, BattleBall could be the ultimate basketball game on Facebook, if it introduced deeper interactivity. If you want to help ensure that happens by sticking around, give BattleBall a shot--it has potential in the truckloads.
Click here to play BattleBall on Facebook Now>
Have you tried BattleBall yet on Facebook? What type of gameplay do you want from a sports game on Facebook?
But should that be the basis for the quality of a game? Absolutely not. There are plenty of games on Facebook that make effective use of the Unity engine like Milmo and EA Sports PGA Golf. They do this by allowing players to navigate the space and interact with objects in that space. BattleBall does none of that, yet presents its scenarios in flashy 3D graphics and animation.
BattleBall in action
Now, that isn't to say that it looks bad. In fact, this game looks amazing on Facebook. The amount of depth on the court and the details of its surroundings is certainly an accomplishment. (Especially considering its on a platform not even meant for gaming.) But as soon as you begin a shoot-out with an opponent, it's completely out of your hands. Your customized avatar, based on the equipment you provide him through the in-game store, will simply go through the motions. Whether or not your player thwarts your opponents' attempts or sneaks past the opposition to make a reverse dunk--and deplete its health bar--is entirely up to his level and whatever special equipment he has on.
I use the words "your player" because, in reality, you're not an active participant in the explosive dunk mongering. Even correctly timing certain abilities like "Dunk" or "Swat" during the sequences would have introduced some engaging gameplay. It's strikingly odd that the game includes achievements considering none of them would be the result of your skill. Rather, the achievements are more like milestones or tallies of inevitable happenings. As you increase in level, you will gain access to new environments, which are surely a treat to look at, but don't touch!
BattleBall dunk
Well, you can't anyway, so don't worry about it. Aside from the ability to play with your friends asynchronously every few hours and the impressive graphics, BattleBall simply doesn't bring anything new to the table where it counts most in games that revolve around the thrill of competition: gameplay. With such slick animation, BattleBall could be the ultimate basketball game on Facebook, if it introduced deeper interactivity. If you want to help ensure that happens by sticking around, give BattleBall a shot--it has potential in the truckloads.
Click here to play BattleBall on Facebook Now>
Have you tried BattleBall yet on Facebook? What type of gameplay do you want from a sports game on Facebook?
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