treasure isle pet animals
Sounds like a good deal to us. We love the fact that we can now interact with our Treasure Isle animals in exchange for coins. Our previously motionless animals add a new dynamic as well as a new source of income. Pictured above, we chased butterflies and petted a seagull for fifteen coins apiece. Perfect for those occasions where your funds are just shy of a new decoration or item.
Although we have to admit, some of the animal actions are quite curious. Petting a margay is somewhat acceptable. But chasing butterflies for money? Bizarre. Also, we don't recommend petting seagulls in real life unless you want painful peck on the hand.
Start interacting with your pets now on Treasure Isle. Click here to play>
Thứ Tư, 15 tháng 2, 2012
Wild Ones New Pet: Meet the Armadillo
The Wild Ones Armadillo has arrived and we're warning you, this new pet is extreme. Just look at him, he's tough, angry, colorful and armed to the teeth.
Keep reading to learn more about the Armadillo and its special ability.
wild ones new pet armadillo
wild ones armadillo special abilityAfter the release of the cat and over forty new weapons, we were satisfied with Wild Ones' efforts to please fans. However, it seems they were just getting started and haven't stopped rolling out new stuff for players of the Facebook game.
This new Wild Ones Armadillo can be bought in the store for 1,299 Coins; no Facebook Credits needed!
Not to mention he's got a gnarly unique ability: dig. The Armadillo can tunnel underground for a few seconds, putting something solid between him and the over forty new weapons trying to eviscerate any trace of this carapaced critter from the battlefield.
Head to Wild Ones to check him out. Click here to play>
Keep reading to learn more about the Armadillo and its special ability.
wild ones new pet armadillo
wild ones armadillo special abilityAfter the release of the cat and over forty new weapons, we were satisfied with Wild Ones' efforts to please fans. However, it seems they were just getting started and haven't stopped rolling out new stuff for players of the Facebook game.
This new Wild Ones Armadillo can be bought in the store for 1,299 Coins; no Facebook Credits needed!
Not to mention he's got a gnarly unique ability: dig. The Armadillo can tunnel underground for a few seconds, putting something solid between him and the over forty new weapons trying to eviscerate any trace of this carapaced critter from the battlefield.
Head to Wild Ones to check him out. Click here to play>
Wild Ones: New devastating weapons put to the test [video]
A short time ago, Wild Ones released over forty new weapons. However, because of expensive price tags and other reasons, you may not have been able to see all of the new brutal armaments in action. Fortunately, we have seven videos showing off a number of the new goods.
Even if you don't play Wild Ones, you definitely don't want to miss this; these weapons are serious business (screen filling explosions). Continue reading to see the footage.
Click the Facebook button in each image to view the video.
Even if you don't play Wild Ones, you definitely don't want to miss this; these weapons are serious business (screen filling explosions). Continue reading to see the footage.
Click the Facebook button in each image to view the video.
Oh pioneer! FrontierVille's Brian Reynolds takes on the Wild West of social gaming [Interview]
It's almost ironic that while social gaming is still in its Wild West phase, FarmVille creator Zynga seems to be giving us a knowing wink and nod by releasing a new Facebook game set in the Wild West -- FrontierVille.
The new game, which debuted on June 9, has all of the trappings of a typical social game -- neighbors, in-game currency, virtual goods, and even a little farming. The pioneering game also attempts to innovate by expanding those features and adding elements that we've seen in more traditional video games, such as a reputation meter which you fill by helping friends.
Zynga's Head Game Designer Brian Reynolds calls FrontierVille "a living, breathing world" that encroaches on your plot of virtual land. "If you go away for a while, the weeds grown up, and you'll have to clear them out. The little trees grow into bigger trees, grow into really big trees and the really big trees drop seeds that might start new trees. And that can be good or maybe you don't want it so you have to decide if you want more trees to grow or not. It's not exactly the same way you left it when you come back -- there's a sense that the wildness is alive."
This is something that we've seen in video games for ages, but adding it to a social/Facebook game somehow makes the concept novel again.
Then there's the Western theme, which we haven't seen explored fully in a Facebook game (though touched upon in Meteor Games' Ranch Town). Reynolds describes the game as "Oregon Trail meets 'Little House on the Prairie' meets FarmVille" He says the game's concurrent release with Rockstar's epic western Red Dead Redemption was purely coincidental. "Everyone has their Western thing going on," he says with a laugh.
We also talked to Reynolds, who is also a seasoned video game vet who worked on several popular PC strategy games (Civilization II, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri) about how FrontierVille will fill a gap in the social gaming space, how the game will keep people coming back for more and plans for the game on iPhone. Read the rest of our interview after the jump.
frontierville on facebook -- yee-hawWhat void do you think FrontierVille will fill in Facebook gaming?
I come from the entertainment industry, and in the entertainment industry you always wanna be doing new stuff. So I feel like there's always room for something that's good, for something that's original, for something with good craftsmanship. And this is definitely a big investment for Zynga in doing an originally themed game. We thought about what kind of game we'd like to do and decided this was something that would appeal to a whole lot of people, and that's why we did it. At the same time, we're not just making a game about a theme, we also want to innovate in play and talk about the idea of the living world and new social features, basically give gamers gameplay that haven't seen before. That's what we think of as important to move the state of social entertainment forward.
Who is going to play FrontierVille? What's the target audience?
I'd say it's for everyone. When were picking out theme, one of the things we found with a frontier game, was that it appealed pretty strongly to both men and women. The men would think about their most recent Western adventure movie and pioneer life out West, and women would identify with raising family out on the pioneer. They would say, "Oh that reminds me of Little House on the Prairie." So it was a topic with a broad appeal. That's what we're always aiming for in a social game because you want your friends to be interested in playing it -- all your different kinds of friends -- so you have a good social experience.
What are the expectations for FrontierVille when you launch? Zynga is very statistics driven, so what are the expectations?
We think it's going to do well. [Reynolds declined to share number goals]. Our most recent game was Treasure Isle and it took off really well -- we're really happy with that. If we can get going as well as Treasure Isle, that is a good start for us. Treasure was the fastest growing social game ever [5 million players in one week].
What's been the most challenging aspect of designing a social game, even with all of your video game experience behind you?
I had to get a feel for what's the right level of simplicity that you can put in a game for a mass market audience. I've done a little bit of casual game work before, but certainly not a totally mass market social game. That came pretty naturally, because the way I learn how to design games was to make simple parts and making them interact in subtle ways. So there's nothing in FrontierVille that's very complicated, but then there's a lot of interesting things to click on, and it's a very open game board where you can choose your own adventure.
I had to put a lot of thought of making a game more social -- how to improve the social experience. Some of these things we talked about with reputation, visiting and seeing neighbors little person there and family as you start to accumulate family members in your make-believe frontier family. Those all seemed to resonate with people we were testing with.
Can you give us a hint at what else is to come in FrontierVille in the next few months?
I can give you a little hint because when you start the game, and you're out there in the wilderness and gotten there in your covered wagon, and you're unpacking and getting going -- off toward the edge of the map you can see some signs leading to some potential different places that are coming soon. There's a sign pointing toward gold rush and toward Rattlesnake Canyon, and there's a couple more in there hidden in the forest. We're going to have... We won't neglect any area we've traditionally serviced in support of games, but in terms of hinting at some interesting broad strokes that we've got going -- that's what we're kind of dangling out there.
We've seen FarmVille number drop quite a bit over the past few weeks/months? Do you think people are just tired of the game? Are they tired of social gaming Does that mean social games have a short shelf life? What's your take on it?
I don't really know why FarmVille numbers have dropped. I'm a game designer more than a metritician. My job is to keep new exciting content flowing in. I know in our development of FrontierVille seeing a whole bunch of interest in people test the game, we have little secret beta testing things -- people say "Oh boy, can I keep this?... They want to keep on playing, doing more. I don't see social gaming having any particular big dip, but again, I'm a game designer.
My strategy for FrontierVille is come to the market in the first place with something that has an original theme, has a bunch of simple but new things that players haven't seen before, so it's just going to be this exciting, fun, new toy keep, and the strategy going forward is keep putting new content out, keep it interesting for players and... That's what we plan to do. It's not that we don't plan to do that in FarmVille too.
FIFA Superstars launched and while other games, like Treasure Isle, can gain 5 million players in a week, this game's just hitting the 500K mark in the same amount of time. What does this say to you about traditional video game publishers getting into the Facebook gaming space?
You have to sort out different possibilities. Just because a traditional game publisher dies it doesn't mean that's the reason it grew at one rate or another. You have to also think about -- is the topic a really mass market topic? Certainly, sports game have been really popular in the traditional game industry, but so far, no one's had a really big break-out sports game on the social side, which is also true of another number of topics -- like fantasy and robots and aliens -- that work well on the traditional side haven't really made a big splash in the social space. I would think that sports would do better than science fiction and robots. It's an unproven area, so you have to wait and see how well it's executed, and see if people on Facebook want to play that kind of game.
There's a lot of learning when you come into this space -- learning both who you're talking to with the game now (of course for me it's exciting to talk to such a big potential audience). You have to remember that if you're going to get people to play it as a social experience, they have to bring a good portion of their friends in, and so you have to make a game that appeals to different kinds of people. So my aunt can play, my mom can play and my gaming friends can also play and so forth. You have to get a game that whole bunch of different people are going to like.
Do you see a lot of potential for social gaming with all of the recent iPhone and iPhone OS announcements?
One of those things announced on the Apple stage was that FarmVille for iPhone is coming. So we've definitely got a lot of initiative going on the mobile side -- there's a lot of social potential before.
So, will we see FrontierVille and other Zynga games on iPhone, which will interact with the Facebook versions of the game?
Absolutely. That makes a lot of sense and we're likely to continue... I think FarmVille on iPhone is likely to be the first step.
The new game, which debuted on June 9, has all of the trappings of a typical social game -- neighbors, in-game currency, virtual goods, and even a little farming. The pioneering game also attempts to innovate by expanding those features and adding elements that we've seen in more traditional video games, such as a reputation meter which you fill by helping friends.
Zynga's Head Game Designer Brian Reynolds calls FrontierVille "a living, breathing world" that encroaches on your plot of virtual land. "If you go away for a while, the weeds grown up, and you'll have to clear them out. The little trees grow into bigger trees, grow into really big trees and the really big trees drop seeds that might start new trees. And that can be good or maybe you don't want it so you have to decide if you want more trees to grow or not. It's not exactly the same way you left it when you come back -- there's a sense that the wildness is alive."
This is something that we've seen in video games for ages, but adding it to a social/Facebook game somehow makes the concept novel again.
Then there's the Western theme, which we haven't seen explored fully in a Facebook game (though touched upon in Meteor Games' Ranch Town). Reynolds describes the game as "Oregon Trail meets 'Little House on the Prairie' meets FarmVille" He says the game's concurrent release with Rockstar's epic western Red Dead Redemption was purely coincidental. "Everyone has their Western thing going on," he says with a laugh.
We also talked to Reynolds, who is also a seasoned video game vet who worked on several popular PC strategy games (Civilization II, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri) about how FrontierVille will fill a gap in the social gaming space, how the game will keep people coming back for more and plans for the game on iPhone. Read the rest of our interview after the jump.
frontierville on facebook -- yee-hawWhat void do you think FrontierVille will fill in Facebook gaming?
I come from the entertainment industry, and in the entertainment industry you always wanna be doing new stuff. So I feel like there's always room for something that's good, for something that's original, for something with good craftsmanship. And this is definitely a big investment for Zynga in doing an originally themed game. We thought about what kind of game we'd like to do and decided this was something that would appeal to a whole lot of people, and that's why we did it. At the same time, we're not just making a game about a theme, we also want to innovate in play and talk about the idea of the living world and new social features, basically give gamers gameplay that haven't seen before. That's what we think of as important to move the state of social entertainment forward.
Who is going to play FrontierVille? What's the target audience?
I'd say it's for everyone. When were picking out theme, one of the things we found with a frontier game, was that it appealed pretty strongly to both men and women. The men would think about their most recent Western adventure movie and pioneer life out West, and women would identify with raising family out on the pioneer. They would say, "Oh that reminds me of Little House on the Prairie." So it was a topic with a broad appeal. That's what we're always aiming for in a social game because you want your friends to be interested in playing it -- all your different kinds of friends -- so you have a good social experience.
What are the expectations for FrontierVille when you launch? Zynga is very statistics driven, so what are the expectations?
We think it's going to do well. [Reynolds declined to share number goals]. Our most recent game was Treasure Isle and it took off really well -- we're really happy with that. If we can get going as well as Treasure Isle, that is a good start for us. Treasure was the fastest growing social game ever [5 million players in one week].
What's been the most challenging aspect of designing a social game, even with all of your video game experience behind you?
I had to get a feel for what's the right level of simplicity that you can put in a game for a mass market audience. I've done a little bit of casual game work before, but certainly not a totally mass market social game. That came pretty naturally, because the way I learn how to design games was to make simple parts and making them interact in subtle ways. So there's nothing in FrontierVille that's very complicated, but then there's a lot of interesting things to click on, and it's a very open game board where you can choose your own adventure.
I had to put a lot of thought of making a game more social -- how to improve the social experience. Some of these things we talked about with reputation, visiting and seeing neighbors little person there and family as you start to accumulate family members in your make-believe frontier family. Those all seemed to resonate with people we were testing with.
Can you give us a hint at what else is to come in FrontierVille in the next few months?
I can give you a little hint because when you start the game, and you're out there in the wilderness and gotten there in your covered wagon, and you're unpacking and getting going -- off toward the edge of the map you can see some signs leading to some potential different places that are coming soon. There's a sign pointing toward gold rush and toward Rattlesnake Canyon, and there's a couple more in there hidden in the forest. We're going to have... We won't neglect any area we've traditionally serviced in support of games, but in terms of hinting at some interesting broad strokes that we've got going -- that's what we're kind of dangling out there.
We've seen FarmVille number drop quite a bit over the past few weeks/months? Do you think people are just tired of the game? Are they tired of social gaming Does that mean social games have a short shelf life? What's your take on it?
I don't really know why FarmVille numbers have dropped. I'm a game designer more than a metritician. My job is to keep new exciting content flowing in. I know in our development of FrontierVille seeing a whole bunch of interest in people test the game, we have little secret beta testing things -- people say "Oh boy, can I keep this?... They want to keep on playing, doing more. I don't see social gaming having any particular big dip, but again, I'm a game designer.
My strategy for FrontierVille is come to the market in the first place with something that has an original theme, has a bunch of simple but new things that players haven't seen before, so it's just going to be this exciting, fun, new toy keep, and the strategy going forward is keep putting new content out, keep it interesting for players and... That's what we plan to do. It's not that we don't plan to do that in FarmVille too.
FIFA Superstars launched and while other games, like Treasure Isle, can gain 5 million players in a week, this game's just hitting the 500K mark in the same amount of time. What does this say to you about traditional video game publishers getting into the Facebook gaming space?
You have to sort out different possibilities. Just because a traditional game publisher dies it doesn't mean that's the reason it grew at one rate or another. You have to also think about -- is the topic a really mass market topic? Certainly, sports game have been really popular in the traditional game industry, but so far, no one's had a really big break-out sports game on the social side, which is also true of another number of topics -- like fantasy and robots and aliens -- that work well on the traditional side haven't really made a big splash in the social space. I would think that sports would do better than science fiction and robots. It's an unproven area, so you have to wait and see how well it's executed, and see if people on Facebook want to play that kind of game.
There's a lot of learning when you come into this space -- learning both who you're talking to with the game now (of course for me it's exciting to talk to such a big potential audience). You have to remember that if you're going to get people to play it as a social experience, they have to bring a good portion of their friends in, and so you have to make a game that appeals to different kinds of people. So my aunt can play, my mom can play and my gaming friends can also play and so forth. You have to get a game that whole bunch of different people are going to like.
Do you see a lot of potential for social gaming with all of the recent iPhone and iPhone OS announcements?
One of those things announced on the Apple stage was that FarmVille for iPhone is coming. So we've definitely got a lot of initiative going on the mobile side -- there's a lot of social potential before.
So, will we see FrontierVille and other Zynga games on iPhone, which will interact with the Facebook versions of the game?
Absolutely. That makes a lot of sense and we're likely to continue... I think FarmVille on iPhone is likely to be the first step.
YoVille previews new Group Buying feature
YoVille Group Buying
Are you frustrated with constantly having to spend YoCash to get the best items for your pad in YoVille? Today, the YoVille blog was updated with a preview of a brand new feature - Group Buying! This will allow players to buy items with coins that are typically priced for YoCash. While this hasn't gone live yet, we have all the details here for you to satiate your anticipation of this new addition to the game.
To participate in the game, there will be a "YoVille Group Buying" banner inside the game in which you can click on. From there, you can click on "Count me In" to indicate that you are interested in participating in the group buying deal. After you opt in, you'll be given the option to share the deal with your friends on your wall and sent a confirmation email. If enough people click and participate in the Group Buying deal, it will become activated for everyone who opted in. You will then get an email telling you that you have 24 hours to buy the items. You'll be able to buy as many or as few of these items as you want.
The best way to think of this is a Groupon deal right within YoVille. The secret to this is making sure that you encourage people to participate so that the deal is unlocked. Once you opt in, there is no obligation. This sounds like a fun way to get expensive items at an exclusive discount. For the full details, check out the YoVille Official Blog.
Are you frustrated with constantly having to spend YoCash to get the best items for your pad in YoVille? Today, the YoVille blog was updated with a preview of a brand new feature - Group Buying! This will allow players to buy items with coins that are typically priced for YoCash. While this hasn't gone live yet, we have all the details here for you to satiate your anticipation of this new addition to the game.
To participate in the game, there will be a "YoVille Group Buying" banner inside the game in which you can click on. From there, you can click on "Count me In" to indicate that you are interested in participating in the group buying deal. After you opt in, you'll be given the option to share the deal with your friends on your wall and sent a confirmation email. If enough people click and participate in the Group Buying deal, it will become activated for everyone who opted in. You will then get an email telling you that you have 24 hours to buy the items. You'll be able to buy as many or as few of these items as you want.
The best way to think of this is a Groupon deal right within YoVille. The secret to this is making sure that you encourage people to participate so that the deal is unlocked. Once you opt in, there is no obligation. This sounds like a fun way to get expensive items at an exclusive discount. For the full details, check out the YoVille Official Blog.
Thứ Bảy, 11 tháng 2, 2012
New York Times reviewer compares FrontierVille to Diablo and casinos
New York Times FrontierVille
On the New York Times website, filed under Television, then Arts, is a review of FrontierVille by video games reporter, Seth Schiesel.
Schiesel, who admits to having "played Mafia Wars off and on for at least a year" and actually "paid $20 for 170 virtual horseshoes [in FrontierVille]", has this to say on the popularity of the game:
In its infectious appeal FrontierVille borrows liberally from the sound and visual iconography of games from Diablo to slot machines. Every time you clear weeds or harvest crops or animals, little stars and loot pop out à la Diablo, and your rewards are tied to how quickly you click to pick them up. The bloops and beeps are straight off a casino floor. FrontierVille is very intelligent in how it gets the player into a rhythm of clicking and receiving little rewards, always with the possibility of hitting the jackpot with a rare item or piece of a collectible set (like the oak-tree collection, or some such).
Though he concedes that Zynga's games feel more like "lucrative business models" that manipulate its users into ponying up real cash, Schiesel also believes that "perhaps Zynga games like FrontierVille are not manipulative at all in the sense that they are so transparent about how they operate." And in the end, people do have fun playing them, and that's the whole point of a good game.
This isn't the first time that the Grey Old Lady has written up FrontierVille. On June 9th, the New York Times Bits blog, located in the Business and Technology sections, reported on the game's impending launch.
On the New York Times website, filed under Television, then Arts, is a review of FrontierVille by video games reporter, Seth Schiesel.
Schiesel, who admits to having "played Mafia Wars off and on for at least a year" and actually "paid $20 for 170 virtual horseshoes [in FrontierVille]", has this to say on the popularity of the game:
In its infectious appeal FrontierVille borrows liberally from the sound and visual iconography of games from Diablo to slot machines. Every time you clear weeds or harvest crops or animals, little stars and loot pop out à la Diablo, and your rewards are tied to how quickly you click to pick them up. The bloops and beeps are straight off a casino floor. FrontierVille is very intelligent in how it gets the player into a rhythm of clicking and receiving little rewards, always with the possibility of hitting the jackpot with a rare item or piece of a collectible set (like the oak-tree collection, or some such).
Though he concedes that Zynga's games feel more like "lucrative business models" that manipulate its users into ponying up real cash, Schiesel also believes that "perhaps Zynga games like FrontierVille are not manipulative at all in the sense that they are so transparent about how they operate." And in the end, people do have fun playing them, and that's the whole point of a good game.
This isn't the first time that the Grey Old Lady has written up FrontierVille. On June 9th, the New York Times Bits blog, located in the Business and Technology sections, reported on the game's impending launch.
Happy Aquarium Lost Expedition Crew Collection Prize Revealed: Scuba Parrot
Happy Aquarium Scuba Parrot
Happy Aquarium's Collections feature was released early this March with the "Super Sea Shell Hunt" for players Level 10+, which awards a Seashell Temple upon completion. A few weeks later, the game added the "Egg Hunt!" just in time for Easter. That Collection unlocks at Level 13 and gives out an animated Glowing Egg.
The third and final Collection is "Lost Expedition Crew!", which unlocks at Level 15 and requires you to collect 9 crew medallions. As with the first two, the last collection item always takes a long time to reveal itself and item drops are completely random. In this case, the Captain medallion was the culprit. But once everything's collected, players will get a Scuba Parrot dropped into their primary tank. The Parrot is animated and can be sold for 360 Coins, while the medallions go for 16 Coins each.
Happy Aquarium's Collections feature was released early this March with the "Super Sea Shell Hunt" for players Level 10+, which awards a Seashell Temple upon completion. A few weeks later, the game added the "Egg Hunt!" just in time for Easter. That Collection unlocks at Level 13 and gives out an animated Glowing Egg.
The third and final Collection is "Lost Expedition Crew!", which unlocks at Level 15 and requires you to collect 9 crew medallions. As with the first two, the last collection item always takes a long time to reveal itself and item drops are completely random. In this case, the Captain medallion was the culprit. But once everything's collected, players will get a Scuba Parrot dropped into their primary tank. The Parrot is animated and can be sold for 360 Coins, while the medallions go for 16 Coins each.
Playdom's new game Fanglies brings innovation and fun
Tonight, Playdom quietly launched their new game Fanglies to the public. Fanglies is an adorable combination of city building games, mixed with a bit of pet care and some elements of FrontierVille thrown in for good measure. It is one of the more feature-complete social game launches we have seen, and raises the quality bar for engagement, depth of gameplay, and whimsical fun. Read on for a preview of Fanglies, brought to you by Games.com - The Blog!
Like most Facebook games, Fanglies starts you out by letting you create and customize your avatar, which is a sort of unrecognizable mix-and-match animal with fangs. After you create your avatar, you step through a guided tutorial that shows you how to get started in playing the game. If you name it, this game has it. You are given your own little village and are prompted to both increase the size of your village and buy yourself another Fanglie. The number of Fanglies you can have is directly related to the size of your village. Each Fanglie has a set of desires that you can view by clicking on them, and these desires cost energy but give you XP and coins so that you can level up. Clicking on their desire will make whichever Fanglie you chose perform a little emote and animation and will earn you XP. This appears to be the most obvious way to level up in Fanglies.
On your village, you can do a number of things. Random dig spots will appear on your village occasionally and you can harvest them for collectibles. There is also a fishing hole in which you can fish for collectibles (which requires energy to do so). The collection system is robust, allowing you to trade in your collections for rewards and create wishlists to share with your friends. Villages can also hold decorations, and this is the city-building element of the game. Shops and attractions can be built on the island that can actually be used to create other items. For example, if you purchase the shop titled "Cheap n Nice", you can then create furniture for your home. Purchasing the Parks & Gardens building allows you to make items like birdbaths or park benches. These all require coin and a particular length of time to complete, but actually give you a tangible reward when they're completed.
Every village also starts with a den, which is a building on your village that allows you to enter the inside if you click on it. The inside of the building is an isometric room that can be customized with a ton of furniture. For the shopoholics, the store has everything you could ever want to buy to decorate your house with. For those who are more thrifty, they can create their own furniture through the village shops. Having an interior and an exterior to decorate is sure to satiate any creative appetite.
Fanglies also has all of the standard elements of social games, such as gifting, neighbors, inviting, purchasable avatar additions, and the ability to buy a secondary currency (gems). Everything is bright, slick, and polished. The game feels more done than almost any other game we've tried, and the fun is instantly shown to the players. The added mechanics of an interior space, finding collectibles, gaining energy, manufacturing decorations, and fishing make Fanglies stand out from the crowd. We think we're looking at the next big thing for Playdom, for sure.
Like most Facebook games, Fanglies starts you out by letting you create and customize your avatar, which is a sort of unrecognizable mix-and-match animal with fangs. After you create your avatar, you step through a guided tutorial that shows you how to get started in playing the game. If you name it, this game has it. You are given your own little village and are prompted to both increase the size of your village and buy yourself another Fanglie. The number of Fanglies you can have is directly related to the size of your village. Each Fanglie has a set of desires that you can view by clicking on them, and these desires cost energy but give you XP and coins so that you can level up. Clicking on their desire will make whichever Fanglie you chose perform a little emote and animation and will earn you XP. This appears to be the most obvious way to level up in Fanglies.
On your village, you can do a number of things. Random dig spots will appear on your village occasionally and you can harvest them for collectibles. There is also a fishing hole in which you can fish for collectibles (which requires energy to do so). The collection system is robust, allowing you to trade in your collections for rewards and create wishlists to share with your friends. Villages can also hold decorations, and this is the city-building element of the game. Shops and attractions can be built on the island that can actually be used to create other items. For example, if you purchase the shop titled "Cheap n Nice", you can then create furniture for your home. Purchasing the Parks & Gardens building allows you to make items like birdbaths or park benches. These all require coin and a particular length of time to complete, but actually give you a tangible reward when they're completed.
Every village also starts with a den, which is a building on your village that allows you to enter the inside if you click on it. The inside of the building is an isometric room that can be customized with a ton of furniture. For the shopoholics, the store has everything you could ever want to buy to decorate your house with. For those who are more thrifty, they can create their own furniture through the village shops. Having an interior and an exterior to decorate is sure to satiate any creative appetite.
Fanglies also has all of the standard elements of social games, such as gifting, neighbors, inviting, purchasable avatar additions, and the ability to buy a secondary currency (gems). Everything is bright, slick, and polished. The game feels more done than almost any other game we've tried, and the fun is instantly shown to the players. The added mechanics of an interior space, finding collectibles, gaining energy, manufacturing decorations, and fishing make Fanglies stand out from the crowd. We think we're looking at the next big thing for Playdom, for sure.
FarmVille slowly rolling out 26 x 26 farm expansion
Tonight, observant FarmVille players may have noticed a new banner below the game tonight that proudly announced that 26 x 26 land expansion is being released. The message does say that this new feature will be rolling out over time to all farmers, however, so you may not actually have the expansion just yet. Many players on the official forums have confirmed that they have the Grand Plantation in their Market, and many others do not have it yet.
Once the Grand Plantation comes to your market, you'll need to shell out a bit in order to purchase it. Here are the requirements for purchase:
Must have 35 neighbors, with 5 new neighbors
80 Farm Cash or 2 million coins to purchase
This price is quite a bit higher than the 24 x 24 expansion, which only cost 500,000 coins. Don't go to hog wild with planting and taking up all of your new space, you'll want to leave room for the crafting stations and buildings that are undoubtedly coming soon. There are also a ton of new Swiss Alps decorations available that you may want to leave space for.
Once the Grand Plantation comes to your market, you'll need to shell out a bit in order to purchase it. Here are the requirements for purchase:
Must have 35 neighbors, with 5 new neighbors
80 Farm Cash or 2 million coins to purchase
This price is quite a bit higher than the 24 x 24 expansion, which only cost 500,000 coins. Don't go to hog wild with planting and taking up all of your new space, you'll want to leave room for the crafting stations and buildings that are undoubtedly coming soon. There are also a ton of new Swiss Alps decorations available that you may want to leave space for.
FarmVille releases Swiss Alps themed items
FarmVille released a huge set of new Swiss Alps items tonight, including many animals, buildings, decorations, and two new crops. These items are all available for anywhere from 16-21 days depending on the item, and some are available for Farm Cash and others are coin items. There are plenty of nice looking items for your farm in this set, even if you aren't familiar with Swiss culture. Check out the full list of new items below!
Crops:
Alpine Roses
Cost 145 to plant
Sell for 250 coins
Harvest in 10 hours
XP Gained: 1
Swiss Chard
Cost 35 to plant
Sell for 100 coins
Harvest in 14 hours
XP Gained: 2
Animals:
Hampshire Lamb
Cost: 12 FV
Harvest in 3 days
Sell for 90 coins
Simmental Cow
Cost: 14 FV
Harvest in 1 Day
Sell for 18 coins
Breton Horse
Cost: 22 FV
Harvest in 3 days
Sell for 140 coins
Buildings:
Swiss Cottage - 32 FV
Swiss Farmhouse - 36 FV
Swiss Cabin - 250,000 coins
Swiss Barn - 30 FV
Swiss Tool Shed - 24 FV
Swiss Chalet - 85,000 coins
Decorations:
Swiss Alps - 42 FV
Miss Swiss Gnome - 18 FV
Mr. Swiss Gnome - 18 FV
Evergreen Tree II - 40,000 coins
Rocks with Lichen - 25,000 coins
Firewood Basket - 5,000 coins
Shaded Picnic - 8 FV
Floral Fence - 10,000 coins
Oval Planter - 8,000 coins
Bookmark this site!
Crops:
Alpine Roses
Cost 145 to plant
Sell for 250 coins
Harvest in 10 hours
XP Gained: 1
Swiss Chard
Cost 35 to plant
Sell for 100 coins
Harvest in 14 hours
XP Gained: 2
Animals:
Hampshire Lamb
Cost: 12 FV
Harvest in 3 days
Sell for 90 coins
Simmental Cow
Cost: 14 FV
Harvest in 1 Day
Sell for 18 coins
Breton Horse
Cost: 22 FV
Harvest in 3 days
Sell for 140 coins
Buildings:
Swiss Cottage - 32 FV
Swiss Farmhouse - 36 FV
Swiss Cabin - 250,000 coins
Swiss Barn - 30 FV
Swiss Tool Shed - 24 FV
Swiss Chalet - 85,000 coins
Decorations:
Swiss Alps - 42 FV
Miss Swiss Gnome - 18 FV
Mr. Swiss Gnome - 18 FV
Evergreen Tree II - 40,000 coins
Rocks with Lichen - 25,000 coins
Firewood Basket - 5,000 coins
Shaded Picnic - 8 FV
Floral Fence - 10,000 coins
Oval Planter - 8,000 coins
Bookmark this site!
Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 2, 2012
Social games help drive growth for China's Tencent network
The largest social network in the world's largest country just keep getting, um, larger. And social games are a big part of that ever-increasing largeness, according to the latest financial results from China's TenCent.
Sure, services like instant messaging, bundled SMS packages and events like the World Cup also contributed to Tencent's 65% increase in year-over-year for the first half of 2010. But their latest financial report highlights many areas where social games helped drive growth, including:
Tencent mobile business, which saw revenue from mobile social games increase.
Tencent's QZone blogging platform, where revenue increases were "mainly fueled by enhancements in bundled privileges relating to social games."
Tencent's online game revenues increased due to 5.9% on the strength of "improved monetization" for games like Cross Fire. These games are expected to do even better in the third quarter because of the "improved seasonality" of the summer school holiday.
"Our recently launched game titles, namely Dragon Power, a hardcore 2D MMOG, and World of Fantasy, a self-developed MMOG, also contributed to the growth in revenues."
It's not all peaches and cream for Tencent gaming, though. Looking ahead, the company expects "the success rate and extent of success for new game titles may decrease" because of "slowing industry growth, intensifying competition and increasing sophistication of gamers." And the company has recently come under fire for rampant game copying and efforts to push smaller players out of the market. Remind you of anyone?
Sure, services like instant messaging, bundled SMS packages and events like the World Cup also contributed to Tencent's 65% increase in year-over-year for the first half of 2010. But their latest financial report highlights many areas where social games helped drive growth, including:
Tencent mobile business, which saw revenue from mobile social games increase.
Tencent's QZone blogging platform, where revenue increases were "mainly fueled by enhancements in bundled privileges relating to social games."
Tencent's online game revenues increased due to 5.9% on the strength of "improved monetization" for games like Cross Fire. These games are expected to do even better in the third quarter because of the "improved seasonality" of the summer school holiday.
"Our recently launched game titles, namely Dragon Power, a hardcore 2D MMOG, and World of Fantasy, a self-developed MMOG, also contributed to the growth in revenues."
It's not all peaches and cream for Tencent gaming, though. Looking ahead, the company expects "the success rate and extent of success for new game titles may decrease" because of "slowing industry growth, intensifying competition and increasing sophistication of gamers." And the company has recently come under fire for rampant game copying and efforts to push smaller players out of the market. Remind you of anyone?
Quote of the Moment: The race to take over Europe
"I think [social game monetization in Europe] is going be even better for us than it is in North America, because there is less competition. One of the reasons why Playdom is expanding to European social networks now is that we were the major player on Myspace for a very long time same as Zynga had Facebook all to themselves. When you are one of the first few developers on a social network the revenues are just insane. I think it is going to be the same on StudiVZ or Netlog. One example why we think the expansion is going to be successful is our revenue on Orkut."
-Playdom's International Operations head Lloyd Melnick explains why the company is eager to expand to Europe in an interview with Social Games Observer.
-Playdom's International Operations head Lloyd Melnick explains why the company is eager to expand to Europe in an interview with Social Games Observer.
FarmVille Farmer's Market update lets you request bushels from friends
Today an update was made to the way farmers obtain bushels. Since the Crafting Buildings were released we all have been hard at work trying to upgrade and level up our recipes. This has been difficult at times because of recent restrictions on how many bushels we can purchase from neighbors, as well as not being able to find bushels at all.
Well, now there is a way to 'request' bushels.
FarmVille Farmer's Market Request Bushels As Gift
If your neighbors are not currently offering the bushel you need to make a recipe you can request them on Facebook homefeed and neighbors can send them as a gift.
FarmVille Farmer's Market Request Bushels As Gift Facebook Image
When your neighbors see this on their Facebook homefeed they will be able to send you the bushel you need when clicking on the post!
FarmVille Farmer's Market Send Bushel As Gift To Neighbor
If your kind neighbors send you a bushel from a request, you will need to accept them from your FarmVille gift requests. After accepting the bushel will go directly to your bushel inventory, NOT YOUR GIFT BOX.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Well, now there is a way to 'request' bushels.
FarmVille Farmer's Market Request Bushels As Gift
If your neighbors are not currently offering the bushel you need to make a recipe you can request them on Facebook homefeed and neighbors can send them as a gift.
FarmVille Farmer's Market Request Bushels As Gift Facebook Image
When your neighbors see this on their Facebook homefeed they will be able to send you the bushel you need when clicking on the post!
FarmVille Farmer's Market Send Bushel As Gift To Neighbor
If your kind neighbors send you a bushel from a request, you will need to accept them from your FarmVille gift requests. After accepting the bushel will go directly to your bushel inventory, NOT YOUR GIFT BOX.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Unreleased Animated Mule
Thank you FarmVille Freak Vezok for finding this unreleased FarmVille Unreleased Mule!
Note: Unreleased items have no official release date or guarantee that they will make it to the FarmVille Market.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Note: Unreleased items have no official release date or guarantee that they will make it to the FarmVille Market.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Mystery Game stocked with new prizes, plus one free spin
FarmVille has populated its Mystery Game with a slew of new Tuscan-themed items (see what they are after the jump), and *drumroll* please, a free chance to play the game. To find the Mystery Game, open the Market and then the Decorations section and the game is the first item on the list. Click 'Play' to open the game, and you'll get a pop-up like the one at the top of this article. Click Accept, and then throw a dart. Remember only the first dart is free, each subsequent throw will cost 16FV
farmville mystery game
*Spoilers*
Here are all of the items you have a chance to win if you play the Mystery Game today:
Rare – Rosetta Hall
Rare – Bee Catcher x 2
Uncommon – Bellissimo Falls
Uncommon – Fattoria
Common – Florella Fountain
Common – Roe Deer (New item)
Have you played the Mystery Game today? What did you get?
farmville mystery game
*Spoilers*
Here are all of the items you have a chance to win if you play the Mystery Game today:
Rare – Rosetta Hall
Rare – Bee Catcher x 2
Uncommon – Bellissimo Falls
Uncommon – Fattoria
Common – Florella Fountain
Common – Roe Deer (New item)
Have you played the Mystery Game today? What did you get?
Thứ Hai, 6 tháng 2, 2012
Cafe World: New promo surveys offer 5 Cafe Cash, but one's a faker
Cafe World promotional survey for free Cafe Cash
If you've been waiting for some free Cafe Cash and haven't checked the Earn Café Cash tab of Cafe World recently, now's the time to log in. Right now, clicking on that tab should lead players to three new promo surveys, but there's a catch -- only two of the three will be earning you any premium game currency.
Cafe World TheTruth.com Spheres survey
The one disguised as "Answer the question: In what year were you born?" is actually a public service announcement from TheTruth.com, a famous anti-smoking campaign! We're not sure why they wanted to deceive players by pretending their survey is something else. But at least they were honest about not choosing to advertise their survey as giving out any Cafe Cash. (Edit: Even though this gives out Cafe Cash, it doesn't say it will. But I got 3 Cafe Cash when I was done, and another person who commented on this post received 4. We're not sure about why there's a discrepancy. Either one of us can't count or the survey has a way to dole out the freebies depending on one's answers.)
Cafe World Tom's of Maine free Cafe Cash
For the ones here to deliver the goods, we've got Tom's of Maine, an all-natural personal care products company that's offering 3 Cafe Cash for clicking through their poll and watching their promo video.
Cafe World Toyota free Cafe Cash
And Toyota is offering 2 Cafe Cash for some casual questions about how you got your first car, and then they want to know which of their three clips about car ownership you liked the most.
Remember, as always, there's no obligation to do anything but answer the poll questions in order to get your free monies. You don't have to 'like' a page or even respond to the questions truthfully. But it's best to be honest since companies do desire this data, and it certainly wouldn't hurt you to answer.
If you've been waiting for some free Cafe Cash and haven't checked the Earn Café Cash tab of Cafe World recently, now's the time to log in. Right now, clicking on that tab should lead players to three new promo surveys, but there's a catch -- only two of the three will be earning you any premium game currency.
Cafe World TheTruth.com Spheres survey
The one disguised as "Answer the question: In what year were you born?" is actually a public service announcement from TheTruth.com, a famous anti-smoking campaign! We're not sure why they wanted to deceive players by pretending their survey is something else. But at least they were honest about not choosing to advertise their survey as giving out any Cafe Cash. (Edit: Even though this gives out Cafe Cash, it doesn't say it will. But I got 3 Cafe Cash when I was done, and another person who commented on this post received 4. We're not sure about why there's a discrepancy. Either one of us can't count or the survey has a way to dole out the freebies depending on one's answers.)
Cafe World Tom's of Maine free Cafe Cash
For the ones here to deliver the goods, we've got Tom's of Maine, an all-natural personal care products company that's offering 3 Cafe Cash for clicking through their poll and watching their promo video.
Cafe World Toyota free Cafe Cash
And Toyota is offering 2 Cafe Cash for some casual questions about how you got your first car, and then they want to know which of their three clips about car ownership you liked the most.
Remember, as always, there's no obligation to do anything but answer the poll questions in order to get your free monies. You don't have to 'like' a page or even respond to the questions truthfully. But it's best to be honest since companies do desire this data, and it certainly wouldn't hurt you to answer.
Treasure Isle Cheats & Tips: Tiki God Statue Quick Links
treasure isle tiki relic cheats
Hello Facefolks, it's Mr. Cheats here with the down-low on the things you shouldn't know. These links, found by The Facegamer, are for the Treasure Isle Tiki Relic parts.
To complete the Tiki Relic, all you need is a little help from your friends and the links below. Use the Treasure Isle Cheats & Tips Tiki God Statue gifting links to send out the various parts and supplies by clicking on the corresponding images and selecting the friends you wish to send the supplies to. To finish your Tiki Relic you will need a lot of parts. There are four stages, each requiring a few of the following :
treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links
treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links
Click on the parts above to send them out to your friends.
For cheats & more, check out The Facegamer.
Hello Facefolks, it's Mr. Cheats here with the down-low on the things you shouldn't know. These links, found by The Facegamer, are for the Treasure Isle Tiki Relic parts.
To complete the Tiki Relic, all you need is a little help from your friends and the links below. Use the Treasure Isle Cheats & Tips Tiki God Statue gifting links to send out the various parts and supplies by clicking on the corresponding images and selecting the friends you wish to send the supplies to. To finish your Tiki Relic you will need a lot of parts. There are four stages, each requiring a few of the following :
treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links
treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links treasure isle cheats tiki relic gift links
Click on the parts above to send them out to your friends.
For cheats & more, check out The Facegamer.
Social game-addicted mother neglects children, starves dogs to death
A 33-year-old mother in the U.K. was so hooked on a social game called Small World that she ignored her three children and starved her two dogs to death, according to the Daily Mail. The mother, whose name has been held in private by authorities, was taken to court after a neighbor saw the condition of her home through the window and reported the situation.
Suffering the recent loss of her husband, the mother of three fed her children, ages 9, 10 and 13, cold cooked beans from the can while she retreated to Small World for hours daily. She bought food that didn't require cooking and forced them to eat it out of the packaging due to a lack of utensils in the home, the Daily Mail reported.
While she made sure that her children made it to school daily, the mother refused to feed to her two dogs, whose bodies laid in her dining room for two months before her neighbor called the police.
After trying to block police from her dining room she admitted, "All right, my dogs are in there. They are dead. I killed them. I probably starved them, probably because I have been playing the computer game all the time."
The woman's three children are currently in foster care as she faces a suspended six-month prison sentence, 75 hours of unpaid work and a ban from computers and pets.
Suffering the recent loss of her husband, the mother of three fed her children, ages 9, 10 and 13, cold cooked beans from the can while she retreated to Small World for hours daily. She bought food that didn't require cooking and forced them to eat it out of the packaging due to a lack of utensils in the home, the Daily Mail reported.
While she made sure that her children made it to school daily, the mother refused to feed to her two dogs, whose bodies laid in her dining room for two months before her neighbor called the police.
After trying to block police from her dining room she admitted, "All right, my dogs are in there. They are dead. I killed them. I probably starved them, probably because I have been playing the computer game all the time."
The woman's three children are currently in foster care as she faces a suspended six-month prison sentence, 75 hours of unpaid work and a ban from computers and pets.
Facebook users: 55% play social games, 19% say they're addicted
Lightspeed Research has released a new survey on Facebook users, and -- to no surprise -- 53% of the respondents say they play social games, and -- a little more surprising -- 19% admit that they're 'addicted' to social games. If you were wondering whether you should start up a FarmVille 12-step program, this might be the ammo you need (along with this awful story about a serious social game addiction).
Other noteworthy stats from the Facebook user survey include:
- 55% play social games daily
- More than half of the Facebook users (53%) had played a social game
- Women are more likely to play and get 'addicted' to social games.
- More than half of Facebook users have up to 10 friends playing the same social games together
- Most people say they play 'for fun' (79%)
- 12% of all social games are played on mobile
- 20% of Facebook gamers have paid cash to get rewards/benefit
- Men are more likely to pay cash for rewards/benefits than women
Are you addicted to social games?
Yes!Not sure.No way.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
See more detailed information on the survey after the jump: It's game on for Facebook Users
More than half of Facebook users play games and 19% are 'addicted'
New York, 13 September 2010: The latest findings from leading online market research provider Lightspeed Research (www.lightspeedresearch.com) highlight the growing importance of social games for Facebook users. More than half (53%) of the Facebook users surveyed had played a social game, with two thirds (65%) starting to play in the last year including 13% in the last month. 19% of social gamers considered themselves 'addicted.'
Not only do more women have a Facebook account than men (75% compared to 63%) but they are more likely to play social games and to consider themselves 'addicted' to them than men (21% vs 17%). 22% of 18-34 year olds can't break the social gaming habit, but the figure is only slightly less for 35-54 year olds (18%) and 55+ (15%).
More than half of Facebook users (55%) have up to 10 friends playing the same social games as them. Truly "social", 59% of social gamers have invited their friends to join them, and 15% have also invited strangers. Being invited by a friend was cited by 37% of the game players as the reason they started social gaming. Other common introductions include finding the game themselves (27%) and a recommendation (17%). Only 6% started playing as a result of seeing the game advertised.
55% play social games daily
Most respondents (63%) play one to two different social games at least once per week, but 14% play five or more. While just over one third (27%) play their social game(s) daily, 28% play theirs several times per day. The majority (65%) play for up to 30 minutes in an average social game session, but 27% play for 30-60 minutes at a time. 8% play for more than one hour in an average session. Interestingly, those aged 55+ are more likely to spend more than 30 minutes playing per session than 18-34 year olds (43% vs 26%).
Social games for fun, competition and stress relief
The reasons respondents gave for playing include for fun (79%), to pass the time (44%) or to relieve stress (36%). Women are more likely to play for fun (82% % vs. 77% of men), or for stress relief (40% vs. 32% of men).
Gaming isn't just restricted to computers, with 12% of social games players having played on their mobile. This proportion increases to 19% for 18-34 year olds.
Monetising social games
Many social gamers are motivated to interact with brands to get rewards for their games, with 39% having responded to some kind of marketing activity to get game rewards – 20% have signed up to a new game to get rewards; 19% have clicked on an advert to get rewards; 16% have signed up to a newsletter; 13% to a free offer and 3% to a new credit card for game rewards. Those aged 18-34 are most likely to have done one of these things at 43%, followed by 39% of 35-54 year olds and 29% of those aged 55+. Men are more likely than women to do all these things (42% have done at least one compared to 35% of women).
Facebook social gamers (20%) have also paid cash to get game rewards/benefits. This is something men are more likely to do (23% vs 17% of women). Of these, 48% used PayPal, 34% a credit card and 31% used Facebook credits.
26% of respondents also said they are more likely to buy products belonging to a brand/company that has sponsored or advertised in social games. With more men saying this than women, this could be an effective strategy for brands targeting men.
Naor Chazan, Marketing Director of Lightspeed Research Americas, says: "With half of Facebook users aged 18 and over participating in social games, the popularity and potential influence of online games is huge. Having witnessed successful in-game branding sponsorships from 7-Eleven, Microsoft and Honda, social games offer a new and exciting way to engage with existing and potential customers."
Other noteworthy stats from the Facebook user survey include:
- 55% play social games daily
- More than half of the Facebook users (53%) had played a social game
- Women are more likely to play and get 'addicted' to social games.
- More than half of Facebook users have up to 10 friends playing the same social games together
- Most people say they play 'for fun' (79%)
- 12% of all social games are played on mobile
- 20% of Facebook gamers have paid cash to get rewards/benefit
- Men are more likely to pay cash for rewards/benefits than women
Are you addicted to social games?
Yes!Not sure.No way.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
See more detailed information on the survey after the jump: It's game on for Facebook Users
More than half of Facebook users play games and 19% are 'addicted'
New York, 13 September 2010: The latest findings from leading online market research provider Lightspeed Research (www.lightspeedresearch.com) highlight the growing importance of social games for Facebook users. More than half (53%) of the Facebook users surveyed had played a social game, with two thirds (65%) starting to play in the last year including 13% in the last month. 19% of social gamers considered themselves 'addicted.'
Not only do more women have a Facebook account than men (75% compared to 63%) but they are more likely to play social games and to consider themselves 'addicted' to them than men (21% vs 17%). 22% of 18-34 year olds can't break the social gaming habit, but the figure is only slightly less for 35-54 year olds (18%) and 55+ (15%).
More than half of Facebook users (55%) have up to 10 friends playing the same social games as them. Truly "social", 59% of social gamers have invited their friends to join them, and 15% have also invited strangers. Being invited by a friend was cited by 37% of the game players as the reason they started social gaming. Other common introductions include finding the game themselves (27%) and a recommendation (17%). Only 6% started playing as a result of seeing the game advertised.
55% play social games daily
Most respondents (63%) play one to two different social games at least once per week, but 14% play five or more. While just over one third (27%) play their social game(s) daily, 28% play theirs several times per day. The majority (65%) play for up to 30 minutes in an average social game session, but 27% play for 30-60 minutes at a time. 8% play for more than one hour in an average session. Interestingly, those aged 55+ are more likely to spend more than 30 minutes playing per session than 18-34 year olds (43% vs 26%).
Social games for fun, competition and stress relief
The reasons respondents gave for playing include for fun (79%), to pass the time (44%) or to relieve stress (36%). Women are more likely to play for fun (82% % vs. 77% of men), or for stress relief (40% vs. 32% of men).
Gaming isn't just restricted to computers, with 12% of social games players having played on their mobile. This proportion increases to 19% for 18-34 year olds.
Monetising social games
Many social gamers are motivated to interact with brands to get rewards for their games, with 39% having responded to some kind of marketing activity to get game rewards – 20% have signed up to a new game to get rewards; 19% have clicked on an advert to get rewards; 16% have signed up to a newsletter; 13% to a free offer and 3% to a new credit card for game rewards. Those aged 18-34 are most likely to have done one of these things at 43%, followed by 39% of 35-54 year olds and 29% of those aged 55+. Men are more likely than women to do all these things (42% have done at least one compared to 35% of women).
Facebook social gamers (20%) have also paid cash to get game rewards/benefits. This is something men are more likely to do (23% vs 17% of women). Of these, 48% used PayPal, 34% a credit card and 31% used Facebook credits.
26% of respondents also said they are more likely to buy products belonging to a brand/company that has sponsored or advertised in social games. With more men saying this than women, this could be an effective strategy for brands targeting men.
Naor Chazan, Marketing Director of Lightspeed Research Americas, says: "With half of Facebook users aged 18 and over participating in social games, the popularity and potential influence of online games is huge. Having witnessed successful in-game branding sponsorships from 7-Eleven, Microsoft and Honda, social games offer a new and exciting way to engage with existing and potential customers."
FarmVille 'Fertilize All' limited edition gift: It's back!
FarmVille 'Fertilize All' is one of the nicest gifts you can send to neighbors (outside of free fuel). It lets you -- with a single click -- fertilize all of your crops. This gift made an appearance this weekend, then disappeared and now, it seems to be back for a limited time.
farmville fertilize all -- it's back
To send these to your lucky friends, look for the icon above on the left-hand side of the screen, click it and pop-up window with a friend selector will appear. Pick whom you want to send this gift to -- and voila!
farmville fertilize all
If you receive a 'Fertilize All' gift, accept it and then look for it in your gifts box. Click 'use' and all of your crops will be fertilized, which means extra XP and bonuses when you harvest.
farmville fertilize all
Send 'em now -- there's no telling how long these will stick around.
farmville fertilize all -- it's back
To send these to your lucky friends, look for the icon above on the left-hand side of the screen, click it and pop-up window with a friend selector will appear. Pick whom you want to send this gift to -- and voila!
farmville fertilize all
If you receive a 'Fertilize All' gift, accept it and then look for it in your gifts box. Click 'use' and all of your crops will be fertilized, which means extra XP and bonuses when you harvest.
farmville fertilize all
Send 'em now -- there's no telling how long these will stick around.
Thứ Sáu, 3 tháng 2, 2012
Support Breast Cancer Awareness in Playdom's My Vineyard
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Playdom's game My Vineyard is giving players a chance to show their support and honor their loved ones and friends who have suffered from breast cancer. Several items that have already been released in the game have received a fresh coat of paint and a few revisions, such as the hanging of a pink ribbon upon the door of the buildable cottages. There is also a new item, the Pink Ribbon Sign with the message "Hope, Love, Cure" displayed for all to see. Here are the new pink items:
Pink Buildable Cottage - 10,000 coins
Pink Picket Fence - 500 coins
Pink Picket Gate - 500 coins
Pink Ribbon Sign - 200 coins
Pink Streetlight - 5000 coins
Pink Umbrella - 6000 coins
Some players have made beautiful tributes to their lost family members and friends, which is truly touching. In a very gracious move by Playdom, none of these items require spending real life money, and they are all very affordable in coins. Kudos to My Vineyard for embracing a wonderful cause.
Pink Buildable Cottage - 10,000 coins
Pink Picket Fence - 500 coins
Pink Picket Gate - 500 coins
Pink Ribbon Sign - 200 coins
Pink Streetlight - 5000 coins
Pink Umbrella - 6000 coins
Some players have made beautiful tributes to their lost family members and friends, which is truly touching. In a very gracious move by Playdom, none of these items require spending real life money, and they are all very affordable in coins. Kudos to My Vineyard for embracing a wonderful cause.
Cafe World: Create a steam-powered cafe with steampunk decor
Everyone loves a bit of steampunk gadgetry, and now geeks and historians alike can decorate their Cafe World cafe with the latest and greatest inventions from some scientist's latest experiment. The Steampunk collection has arrived, and there is plenty to keep even the most avid of collectors busy tinkering around with this decor. The new gear is as follows:
Giant Telescope - 20 Cafe Cash
Gear Divider - 4 Cafe Cash
Brass Globe - 4 Cafe Cash
Pressure Gauge Cradle - 5 Cafe Cash
Watch Part Raven - 6 Cafe Cash
Zeppelin - 12 Cafe Cash
Tesla Coil - 12 Cafe Cash
Shock Clock - 12 Cafe Cash
Steam Powered Record Player - 15 Cafe Cash
Steampunk Fishtank - 18 Cafe Cash
Steampunk Bookshelf - 60,000 coins
Robot Maid - 150,000 coins
Steam Powered Soda Machine - 200,000 coins
There you have it. A list almost entirely dominated by items that require Cafe Cash. Who can blame them though? These are precious collectibles and gadgets that take you back in time to an era where steam power was used for more than just our vegetables.
Giant Telescope - 20 Cafe Cash
Gear Divider - 4 Cafe Cash
Brass Globe - 4 Cafe Cash
Pressure Gauge Cradle - 5 Cafe Cash
Watch Part Raven - 6 Cafe Cash
Zeppelin - 12 Cafe Cash
Tesla Coil - 12 Cafe Cash
Shock Clock - 12 Cafe Cash
Steam Powered Record Player - 15 Cafe Cash
Steampunk Fishtank - 18 Cafe Cash
Steampunk Bookshelf - 60,000 coins
Robot Maid - 150,000 coins
Steam Powered Soda Machine - 200,000 coins
There you have it. A list almost entirely dominated by items that require Cafe Cash. Who can blame them though? These are precious collectibles and gadgets that take you back in time to an era where steam power was used for more than just our vegetables.
Restaurant City goes to the dark side during Midnight Week
Restaurant City Halloween
Restaurant City doesn't ever release new items without going completely overboard (in a good way, of course!) and this theme is no exception. This week has been declared "Midnight Week", and the game is chock full of horror and goth themed items. Given that there are several weeks left until Halloween on October 31st, we're not sure why these decorations will only be around for a week. Perhaps EA has a ton in store for us for this month, and they're just getting started? Either way, it would take us all day to list all of the new items, so we'll just run down our favorites and save the rest for your surprise in the game.
One theme of new decorations are the "Figsaw" items, which are obviously a parody of the long-running Saw series of horror movies. Figsaw is a creepy clown on a tricycle, and you can also buy his matching 'game' which appears to be more of a torture device. For new food, there is the Blood Orange Juice and the Millionaire Shortbread. There are also new clothing options for your avatars, including the Goth Outfit Shirt and Pants, and a Caramella Jacket. Finally, a whole slew of goth nightclub furniture such as the Goth Club Entrance, the Goth Nightclub Roof, the Neon Coffin Table, and the Goth Club Dance Cage.
For the full list, check out the Restaurant City official blog. Happy haunting (and cooking!)
Restaurant City doesn't ever release new items without going completely overboard (in a good way, of course!) and this theme is no exception. This week has been declared "Midnight Week", and the game is chock full of horror and goth themed items. Given that there are several weeks left until Halloween on October 31st, we're not sure why these decorations will only be around for a week. Perhaps EA has a ton in store for us for this month, and they're just getting started? Either way, it would take us all day to list all of the new items, so we'll just run down our favorites and save the rest for your surprise in the game.
One theme of new decorations are the "Figsaw" items, which are obviously a parody of the long-running Saw series of horror movies. Figsaw is a creepy clown on a tricycle, and you can also buy his matching 'game' which appears to be more of a torture device. For new food, there is the Blood Orange Juice and the Millionaire Shortbread. There are also new clothing options for your avatars, including the Goth Outfit Shirt and Pants, and a Caramella Jacket. Finally, a whole slew of goth nightclub furniture such as the Goth Club Entrance, the Goth Nightclub Roof, the Neon Coffin Table, and the Goth Club Dance Cage.
For the full list, check out the Restaurant City official blog. Happy haunting (and cooking!)
Get references to adopt a precious puppy in Cafe Life
Cafe Life puppy adoption
Yes, it's yet another lost and lonely adoptable animal in a Facebook game, but their darn wet noses and wagging tails get us every time! In Cafe Life, a puppy was abandoned at your cafe's doorstep. It needs a home, of course, but you need to prove yourself a worthy owner of a canine companion by gaining references from your friends in order to adopt it. How do you gain a reference? You beg your friends!
You need to request references from your friends, and you need a total of 5 of them in order to adopt the curious pup. If you're impatient or can't find references, you can also buy references for 10 Facebook Credits each. Who said money doesn't talk? We're not sure PETA would approve of being able to skip references by shelling out the dough, but luckily it's just a game.
Yes, it's yet another lost and lonely adoptable animal in a Facebook game, but their darn wet noses and wagging tails get us every time! In Cafe Life, a puppy was abandoned at your cafe's doorstep. It needs a home, of course, but you need to prove yourself a worthy owner of a canine companion by gaining references from your friends in order to adopt it. How do you gain a reference? You beg your friends!
You need to request references from your friends, and you need a total of 5 of them in order to adopt the curious pup. If you're impatient or can't find references, you can also buy references for 10 Facebook Credits each. Who said money doesn't talk? We're not sure PETA would approve of being able to skip references by shelling out the dough, but luckily it's just a game.
Treasure Isle Baby Animal Boats: Adopt these adorable sailors for Energy boosts
Baby Animal Boats are here!
Boy, Zynga sure knows how to bring on the cute. Thanks to a recent Treasure Isle update, you can now buy Baby Animal Boats from the store. For varying amounts of Isle Cash, these adorable animals at sea will boost your Energy permanently and give XP when purchased.
The Baby Bunnies and Baby Penguins both cost 65 Island Cash, or about $11, and give 3 max Energy and 390 XP. For 55 Island Cash ($10), you can have the Baby Foxes, Baby Meerkats or Baby Polar Bears, which all give 2 max Energy and 330 XP. Lastly, both the Baby Owl and the Gator Raft cost 45 Island Cash, or around $9, and give 1 max Energy and 270 XP.
All in all, not too shabby for a little cutey that gives you both Energy and XP, but we'd love to have the option to unlock these items through friend additions like the Backpack expansion. Hey, at least Island Cash bundles are 30 percent off as of this writing.
Boy, Zynga sure knows how to bring on the cute. Thanks to a recent Treasure Isle update, you can now buy Baby Animal Boats from the store. For varying amounts of Isle Cash, these adorable animals at sea will boost your Energy permanently and give XP when purchased.
The Baby Bunnies and Baby Penguins both cost 65 Island Cash, or about $11, and give 3 max Energy and 390 XP. For 55 Island Cash ($10), you can have the Baby Foxes, Baby Meerkats or Baby Polar Bears, which all give 2 max Energy and 330 XP. Lastly, both the Baby Owl and the Gator Raft cost 45 Island Cash, or around $9, and give 1 max Energy and 270 XP.
All in all, not too shabby for a little cutey that gives you both Energy and XP, but we'd love to have the option to unlock these items through friend additions like the Backpack expansion. Hey, at least Island Cash bundles are 30 percent off as of this writing.
Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille Megamind promotion is in full bloom for 24 hours only
As promised, the FarmVille Megamind promotion is in full swing today. Farmers can visit Megamind's farm, where they are asked to 'help' activate the blue alien's contraption. The kicker is, after you agree that you want to help, you just watch the action unfold on screen, i.e. the blimp-like contraption projects a movie promo onto a field of white hay bales.
After the promo is over (it takes about 30 seconds or less), you will be rewarded with Mega-Grow, which will instantly mature your crops and offer wither protection and a Megamind Decoration, which you can display on your farm if you so desire. You can find these two items in your gift box and use them at your discretion.
See how the entire FarmVille Megamind promotion works in the video below.
This is the second promotion of this type for FarmVille (the first being McDonalds), and I am happy to report that this is available to international players as well. I also can't help but feel a little disappointed that there's not much more to do once you get to the Megamind farm. Would be interesting if FarmVille creator Zynga would bake in a few more things to do on the farm -- maybe grow or plow some crops -- so it feels less like you're simply a spectating an advertisement.
Either way, I'm sure this 24-hour promotion will prove very popular with FarmVille die-hards, and we can expect to see more of these types of advertising integration in the not-too-distant future.
After the promo is over (it takes about 30 seconds or less), you will be rewarded with Mega-Grow, which will instantly mature your crops and offer wither protection and a Megamind Decoration, which you can display on your farm if you so desire. You can find these two items in your gift box and use them at your discretion.
See how the entire FarmVille Megamind promotion works in the video below.
This is the second promotion of this type for FarmVille (the first being McDonalds), and I am happy to report that this is available to international players as well. I also can't help but feel a little disappointed that there's not much more to do once you get to the Megamind farm. Would be interesting if FarmVille creator Zynga would bake in a few more things to do on the farm -- maybe grow or plow some crops -- so it feels less like you're simply a spectating an advertisement.
Either way, I'm sure this 24-hour promotion will prove very popular with FarmVille die-hards, and we can expect to see more of these types of advertising integration in the not-too-distant future.
Mafia Wars' Fight Event drops double loot from brawls this weekend
2X Fight Loot
The brawlers and scrappers out there are going to love this. Zynga has decided to give you pugilists some love this weekend in Mafia Wars by giving fighter double the loot drops this weekend. Want to know what the best part is? All you need to do is fight. Just burn through your oodles of Stamina and you'll see the goodies pour in--that is if you win, of course.
This comes as a more than welcome event for the fighters considering Zynga largely ignored players who exclusively leveled up their stamina before Las Vegas and later Italy entered the picture. Before then, players didn't have much more to do than pick fights, participate in brief Secret Missions, declare wars that seemed wholly incomplete--the whole system has been revamped, thankfully--and rob properties. While most fighters would have probably been bumping heads this weekend regardless, enjoy an even better reason to get out there and break in those knuckles. Just remember the first rule... and the second.
The brawlers and scrappers out there are going to love this. Zynga has decided to give you pugilists some love this weekend in Mafia Wars by giving fighter double the loot drops this weekend. Want to know what the best part is? All you need to do is fight. Just burn through your oodles of Stamina and you'll see the goodies pour in--that is if you win, of course.
This comes as a more than welcome event for the fighters considering Zynga largely ignored players who exclusively leveled up their stamina before Las Vegas and later Italy entered the picture. Before then, players didn't have much more to do than pick fights, participate in brief Secret Missions, declare wars that seemed wholly incomplete--the whole system has been revamped, thankfully--and rob properties. While most fighters would have probably been bumping heads this weekend regardless, enjoy an even better reason to get out there and break in those knuckles. Just remember the first rule... and the second.
Social City trailer parks go mobile (home) with new game update
Trailer Park
It's about time the Boondocks (no, not those Boondocks, unfortunately) arrive in Social City; things were getting a bit too stuffy around here. In Playdom's most recent update, there are now four giftable trailer homes that players can send to their friends. You know, to add some more character to the outskirts of their city. Unless you want to create a city solely comprised of mobile homes--we'd love to see that.
Also part of the update are two new buildings available for City Bucks: Telecomm HQ and Dr. Sunshine's Toy Emporium. The former goes for 39 City Bucks, or about $7, and will score you 5,000 coins daily, 45,000 Happiness and 1,765 XP. The lengthily named latter will net players 12,000 coins every five days, 32,000 Happiness and 1,025 XP for 29 City Bucks (about $5.50).
In addition to the six new buildings, players will enjoy flashy new level-up and achievement animations, the ability to find contracts right from each factory's menu and the fact that houses will automatically populate once built. All in all, there's a bunch more content to enjoy in Social City, but forget that and get to making that trailer park city. Pics or it didn't happen.
It's about time the Boondocks (no, not those Boondocks, unfortunately) arrive in Social City; things were getting a bit too stuffy around here. In Playdom's most recent update, there are now four giftable trailer homes that players can send to their friends. You know, to add some more character to the outskirts of their city. Unless you want to create a city solely comprised of mobile homes--we'd love to see that.
Also part of the update are two new buildings available for City Bucks: Telecomm HQ and Dr. Sunshine's Toy Emporium. The former goes for 39 City Bucks, or about $7, and will score you 5,000 coins daily, 45,000 Happiness and 1,765 XP. The lengthily named latter will net players 12,000 coins every five days, 32,000 Happiness and 1,025 XP for 29 City Bucks (about $5.50).
In addition to the six new buildings, players will enjoy flashy new level-up and achievement animations, the ability to find contracts right from each factory's menu and the fact that houses will automatically populate once built. All in all, there's a bunch more content to enjoy in Social City, but forget that and get to making that trailer park city. Pics or it didn't happen.
Madden NFL Superstars Collections: Everything you need to know
Card Collections
Finally, Elite Cards have made their way to Madden NFL Superstars. But if you want to get the best of the best, you'll have to collect the rest. Unfortunately, Elite Players can only be unlocked after completing a Tier Three or Four team in the new Collections. Don't worry, it's 100 percent worth it. These special Player Cards all have a personal rating of 99, will boost your team's overall rating by three points or more and never expire. (And you'll need all the help you can get in Pro League II.)
In other words, you might want to start buying those Player Packs--but not before reading our guide on how Collections work after the break.
Elite Players
The new Collection feature is where to get the best players, but you'll need to have at least eight friends access to all four NFL Player Books. Essentially, these collections work much like collections in other social games like FrontierVille and Cafe World's new Collection Cabinet, but we're dealing with items that directly affect your performance here. So, it would be in your best judgment to choose which players you trade in wisely.
My Collection
The collections your aiming to complete are actually the NFL's 32 teams' rosters with your own Player Cards found in Player Packs. Not to mention some of which are only available in Gold and Ultimate Packs. Our advice is to only trade in extra or weaker players that you're absolutely sure you won't be using until you become more savvy to potential gains versus losses. While it will take longer to complete a particular team's roster this way, you'll have a much smaller chance of shooting yourself in the foot, so to speak.
Philadelphia EaglesThe first two NFL Player Books only reward sums of 50 thousand coins or higher for completing each team's roster, but would be an ideal place to start to get a feel for how the system works. It's not until you reach Player Books #3 and #4 that you'll have access to the stars of the show: the Elites. Completing a Tier Three or Four Collection for Elite Player Cards--like, say, the Minnesota Vikings' Randy Moss or the Cincinnati Bengals' Chad Ochocinco--will also reward players handsomely with coin rewards of up to an insane 1 million coins.
Unfortunately, there are no Playfish Cash shortcuts to completing the Collections, but that might be a good thing for those who suffer from the infamous Burning Wallet Syndrome. Just remember, when you turn in a Player Card that there's no turning back. Choose your trade-ins wisely and you'll be well on your way to the best players Madden NFL Superstars has to offer.
Finally, Elite Cards have made their way to Madden NFL Superstars. But if you want to get the best of the best, you'll have to collect the rest. Unfortunately, Elite Players can only be unlocked after completing a Tier Three or Four team in the new Collections. Don't worry, it's 100 percent worth it. These special Player Cards all have a personal rating of 99, will boost your team's overall rating by three points or more and never expire. (And you'll need all the help you can get in Pro League II.)
In other words, you might want to start buying those Player Packs--but not before reading our guide on how Collections work after the break.
Elite Players
The new Collection feature is where to get the best players, but you'll need to have at least eight friends access to all four NFL Player Books. Essentially, these collections work much like collections in other social games like FrontierVille and Cafe World's new Collection Cabinet, but we're dealing with items that directly affect your performance here. So, it would be in your best judgment to choose which players you trade in wisely.
My Collection
The collections your aiming to complete are actually the NFL's 32 teams' rosters with your own Player Cards found in Player Packs. Not to mention some of which are only available in Gold and Ultimate Packs. Our advice is to only trade in extra or weaker players that you're absolutely sure you won't be using until you become more savvy to potential gains versus losses. While it will take longer to complete a particular team's roster this way, you'll have a much smaller chance of shooting yourself in the foot, so to speak.
Philadelphia EaglesThe first two NFL Player Books only reward sums of 50 thousand coins or higher for completing each team's roster, but would be an ideal place to start to get a feel for how the system works. It's not until you reach Player Books #3 and #4 that you'll have access to the stars of the show: the Elites. Completing a Tier Three or Four Collection for Elite Player Cards--like, say, the Minnesota Vikings' Randy Moss or the Cincinnati Bengals' Chad Ochocinco--will also reward players handsomely with coin rewards of up to an insane 1 million coins.
Unfortunately, there are no Playfish Cash shortcuts to completing the Collections, but that might be a good thing for those who suffer from the infamous Burning Wallet Syndrome. Just remember, when you turn in a Player Card that there's no turning back. Choose your trade-ins wisely and you'll be well on your way to the best players Madden NFL Superstars has to offer.
Pet Society's Arabian Nights Theme to create 'a whole new world' soon
While we imagine most players aren't even close to done with the Autumn Countryside Theme, Playfish is moving right along to a decidedly more exotic setting with the Arabian Nights set in Pet Society. The Pet Society Blog and forums both claim that this update is live in-game right now, but we've yet to see it. This sprawling set of items, inspired by both the famous novel and (not surprisingly) Disney's Aladdin, is complete with animated decorations like Ploddington the Camel and functional items like the Magic Genie Lamp (pictured). While we doubt he's voiced by Robin Williams the all-too-familiar blue genie that will grant players advice and tell them jokes.
Not to mention there's also a Flying Carpet to ride (apparently also a functional item) and an adorable Monkey Petling to care for. Most interesting are the new Hideeni item,s which doesn't really have anything to do with Persian folklore at all. These functional items will directly effect how often or rarely you see the costumed caper.
For instance, the Hideeni Magnet, or what's supposed to be an attractive cat, will instantly bring Hideeni to your house to collect goodies from. A bottle of smelly liquid aptly named Hideeni Repellent, however will keep the guy away for those annoyed by his unannounced appearances--he does lack manners, after all. Lastly, the Hideeni Bribe will force him to give you items regardless of whether you missed a friend's News Feed or they posted one at all.
In addition to a plethora of new Arabian furniture options and two new costumes, Hideeni will be back to give unsuspecting players one of 12 shiny gems. Collect all of them for an exclusive Monkey costume--looks like they'll have to update the Hideeni Mystery Box sometime soon. That's if we'll have five minutes to breathe, of course. (Though, I guess it's better than nothing.)
Not to mention there's also a Flying Carpet to ride (apparently also a functional item) and an adorable Monkey Petling to care for. Most interesting are the new Hideeni item,s which doesn't really have anything to do with Persian folklore at all. These functional items will directly effect how often or rarely you see the costumed caper.
For instance, the Hideeni Magnet, or what's supposed to be an attractive cat, will instantly bring Hideeni to your house to collect goodies from. A bottle of smelly liquid aptly named Hideeni Repellent, however will keep the guy away for those annoyed by his unannounced appearances--he does lack manners, after all. Lastly, the Hideeni Bribe will force him to give you items regardless of whether you missed a friend's News Feed or they posted one at all.
In addition to a plethora of new Arabian furniture options and two new costumes, Hideeni will be back to give unsuspecting players one of 12 shiny gems. Collect all of them for an exclusive Monkey costume--looks like they'll have to update the Hideeni Mystery Box sometime soon. That's if we'll have five minutes to breathe, of course. (Though, I guess it's better than nothing.)
Thứ Tư, 1 tháng 2, 2012
CausePlay aims to create games for good causes with Hospitopia
One of the more interesting ideas coming out of the social gaming space is the idea of using games to raise money for real life charities. We've seen Zynga do quite a bit of this with their Sweet Seeds for Haiti FarmVille partnership, or their new Candy Cane campaign to donate 100% of their proceeds to the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Sony Online's latest game, Wildlife Refuge, is donating profits from cheetah sales to the Cheetah Conservation Fund. Now, a new company aims to create social games for social good on a regular basis.
CausePlay is a new social games developer founded by Jonas Hudson that aims to create games that benefit a worthy nonprofit organization. They clearly see the potential due to millions of players enjoying social games, and want to revolutionize the way that people donate to their favorite causes. The company aims to create a marketing tool within their games called Cause Integration, which allows brands to plug in their promotions easily within their social game titles.
The first game by CausePlay will be released in January 2011, and is titled Hospitopia. The game sounds similar to Simply Hospital, in which players will manage their own hospital and take care of patients. The big difference is that 10% of all game revenue will be going to the Children's Miracle Network hospitals to care for children in need. You can become a fan of the game's Facebook page for more news as the game gets closer to its release date.
CausePlay, based out of Manhattan Beach, CA, aims to release at least three more social game titles in 2011, and also will be holding a vote on Facebook to have people choose which cause their next game will be developed to support. As of right now, the company appears to only have a Facebook page set up. We'll be keeping our eyes closely on Hospitopia and can't wait to see how CausePlay raises money through social gaming.
CausePlay is a new social games developer founded by Jonas Hudson that aims to create games that benefit a worthy nonprofit organization. They clearly see the potential due to millions of players enjoying social games, and want to revolutionize the way that people donate to their favorite causes. The company aims to create a marketing tool within their games called Cause Integration, which allows brands to plug in their promotions easily within their social game titles.
The first game by CausePlay will be released in January 2011, and is titled Hospitopia. The game sounds similar to Simply Hospital, in which players will manage their own hospital and take care of patients. The big difference is that 10% of all game revenue will be going to the Children's Miracle Network hospitals to care for children in need. You can become a fan of the game's Facebook page for more news as the game gets closer to its release date.
CausePlay, based out of Manhattan Beach, CA, aims to release at least three more social game titles in 2011, and also will be holding a vote on Facebook to have people choose which cause their next game will be developed to support. As of right now, the company appears to only have a Facebook page set up. We'll be keeping our eyes closely on Hospitopia and can't wait to see how CausePlay raises money through social gaming.
Pre-order FarmVille for Dummies on Amazon.com
No folks, this one isn't a joke. FarmVille for Dummies now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. In case you still need to learn more about how to play everyone's favorite social game, this 288-page paperback book will teach you everything you need to know.
Aimed for new FarmVille players who are just starting out, FarmVille for Dummies will teach you how to find neighbors, how to achieve all of the ribbons and collections, how to shop at the FarmVille Market, how to do co-op missions, and how to deal with any technical issues that might be keeping you down. FarmVille for Dummies is written by Angela Morales of FarmVille Freak, and co-authored by Kyle Orland (who has done quite a bit of writing for us here).
The book is $13.59 USD, and has a release date of February 15, 2011. What could make a better Valentine's Day present than a copy of FarmVille for Dummies? We'll definitely be picking it up!
Preorder FarmVille for Dummies on Amazon here >
Aimed for new FarmVille players who are just starting out, FarmVille for Dummies will teach you how to find neighbors, how to achieve all of the ribbons and collections, how to shop at the FarmVille Market, how to do co-op missions, and how to deal with any technical issues that might be keeping you down. FarmVille for Dummies is written by Angela Morales of FarmVille Freak, and co-authored by Kyle Orland (who has done quite a bit of writing for us here).
The book is $13.59 USD, and has a release date of February 15, 2011. What could make a better Valentine's Day present than a copy of FarmVille for Dummies? We'll definitely be picking it up!
Preorder FarmVille for Dummies on Amazon here >
Treasure Isle gets the Zynga Message Center for streamlined gift requests
If you're tired of finding that all of your Treasure Isle gift requests have expired because you've waited too long collect them (due to the fact that it simply takes so long to accept gifts individually from the gift requests screen), you'll be thrilled to know that Zynga has added the Zynga Message Center to Treasure Isle, allowing you the ability to have one-click access to all of the game's gift requests currently on your account.
You an access the Zynga Message Center by clicking on the red and white Z at the top right of the gameplay area. From there, you'll be able to view all of your current gift requests, whether they be actual gifts sent to you from friends (including Mystery Gifts), explorer pack offers, or even those requests that see you sending items to your friends for collectings, or just extra energy.
Zynga has been known to roll the Zynga Message Center in other games slowly, so if you don't see the feature live on your own game just yet, be patient, as we're sure it will arrive soon.
You an access the Zynga Message Center by clicking on the red and white Z at the top right of the gameplay area. From there, you'll be able to view all of your current gift requests, whether they be actual gifts sent to you from friends (including Mystery Gifts), explorer pack offers, or even those requests that see you sending items to your friends for collectings, or just extra energy.
Zynga has been known to roll the Zynga Message Center in other games slowly, so if you don't see the feature live on your own game just yet, be patient, as we're sure it will arrive soon.
Treasure Isle: Build the Ziggurat Relic for extra energy
A new relic is available to build in Treasure Isle, and this one comes in the form of a Ziggurat Relic. This relic is a land-based object, which is actually fairly large, so you may need to rearrange some items before placing down your free base.
You'll need to build the Relic, just as you have all of the others, using materials collected from friends. In this case, the first stage of the build requires 1 each of Metal, Ectoplasm, Gold, Pillars, and Paint. You can accept these items either as general gifts from your friends (that they initiate), or you can click on the "Ask for More" button associated with the item you want to post a request to your wall asking your friends for help. Remember, you can have five of these requests active on your account at one time, so feel free to ask for all five if you don't think your friends would mind.
All told, there are four steps to the Ziggurat's construction, requiring a total of 10 of all of the individual ingredients, or 50 items. Once completed, you'll earn a permanent +3 maximum energy boost, that will stay active on your account until you store or sell the relic, at which point the boost would be removed.
You'll need to build the Relic, just as you have all of the others, using materials collected from friends. In this case, the first stage of the build requires 1 each of Metal, Ectoplasm, Gold, Pillars, and Paint. You can accept these items either as general gifts from your friends (that they initiate), or you can click on the "Ask for More" button associated with the item you want to post a request to your wall asking your friends for help. Remember, you can have five of these requests active on your account at one time, so feel free to ask for all five if you don't think your friends would mind.
All told, there are four steps to the Ziggurat's construction, requiring a total of 10 of all of the individual ingredients, or 50 items. Once completed, you'll earn a permanent +3 maximum energy boost, that will stay active on your account until you store or sell the relic, at which point the boost would be removed.
PetVille All-in-One Store makes shopping for items easier than ever
If you're on a slower computer, you might find PetVille to be one of the harder games to navigate on Facebook, especially when it comes to shopping for new items, as you have to scroll (and scroll... and scroll... ) to find virtually anything in the game's Furniture or Clothing, and other stores.
Now, though, Zynga has launched the "All-in-One" Store in PetVille, allowing users to simply load a basic menu, showing pictures of all items, along with their prices, and purchase them with the quick click of a mouse. The store's menu contains tons of sorting features, like sorting items that are limited time only, those that belong to particular themes (collections), those that go in a particular room (bedroom, kitchen, etc.), those that are on sale, and on and on it goes.
All of the game's items have been combined into this store (hence the name), allowing you to pick up wallpaper and flooring just as quickly as you can buy a complete new outfit for your pet. The only downside to this is the fact that in using this new store, you lose the ability to see a complete collection laid out in an example space. In the kitchen department, for instance, it was always nice to see a set of cabinets arranged to see how they would really look placed next to one another.
Luckily, the old stores are still available to browse through, giving you complete freedom in how you want your shopping experience to look in the game.
Now, though, Zynga has launched the "All-in-One" Store in PetVille, allowing users to simply load a basic menu, showing pictures of all items, along with their prices, and purchase them with the quick click of a mouse. The store's menu contains tons of sorting features, like sorting items that are limited time only, those that belong to particular themes (collections), those that go in a particular room (bedroom, kitchen, etc.), those that are on sale, and on and on it goes.
All of the game's items have been combined into this store (hence the name), allowing you to pick up wallpaper and flooring just as quickly as you can buy a complete new outfit for your pet. The only downside to this is the fact that in using this new store, you lose the ability to see a complete collection laid out in an example space. In the kitchen department, for instance, it was always nice to see a set of cabinets arranged to see how they would really look placed next to one another.
Luckily, the old stores are still available to browse through, giving you complete freedom in how you want your shopping experience to look in the game.
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