With tonight's FarmVille update, we see the game switch to Halloween-mode, as the first set of Halloween related items has been released in the store. This particular update sees the launch of both new items and old, so if you happen to regret not purchasing some items from last year's Halloween theme, take a look at our overview of these items to see if they've come back around.
Crops
Jack O Lantern - 10 Farm Cash
To be specific, the Jack O Lantern crop comes as an exclusive, permit-only crop that can be unlocked for 10 Farm Cash. For that price, you'll gain access to planting the crop as many times as you'd like for a seven day period. Once purchased and planted, you'll be able to harvest the Jack O Lanterns after 12 hours, and will gain three experience points for each and every square planted. The crop is masterable, with the first star coming at 400 harvests.
Trees
Candy Corn Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Giant Candy Corn Tree - 14 Farm Cash
Halloween Candy Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Big Halloween Candy Tree - 14 Farm Cash
If you're like me, the thought of bright and whimsical trees will likely have you ready to whip out your credit card. These trees are no exception, as the Halloween Candy trees keep their purple color constantly, while the Candy Corn trees start out in different shades of green, only to mature into the classic white, yellow and orange trio of colors we're familiar with from the candy. As usual, the Level 1 (cheaper) trees are the only ones you really need to worry about purchasing outright for your collection, as you'll likely earn the larger trees in each pair for free via Mystery Seedlings.
Animals
Candy Corn Cat - 12 Farm Cash
Candy Corn Pony - 24 Farm Cash
Candy Corn Unicorn - 30 Farm Cash
Candy Corn Stallion - 35 Farm Cash
For these animals, the Candy Corn Pony was released last year (also for 24 Farm Cash), so you might already have one on your farm. If you'd like to purchase these items for your new Lighthouse Cove farm, however, you will have to purchase multiples (duplicates) as there is no way to transfer storage to your new farm as of this writing.
Buildings
Halloween Cottage - 30 Farm Cash
Candy Corn Home - 18 Farm Cash
The Halloween Cottage has to be one of the most intricately detailed buildings I've seen released in FarmVille in quite some time, if not ever. The building is covered in various spiderwebs and has candy, pumpkins and what appear to be twigs resting in the windowsills, around the front "porch" and the sides. Even the weather vane on the roof is in the design of the bat - how neat! As for the Candy Corn Home, it takes on a cuter appearance, with smaller candy corn pieces branching off from the main home as separate rooms. It's just a shame that both of these items cost Farm Cash, rather than going for coins.
Decorations
Candy Corn Gate - 10,000 coins
Candy Corn (Fountain) - 15 Farm Cash
Jack-O'-Lantern - 3,000 coins
Candy Corn Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Candy Corn Fence - 5,000 coins
If this Jack-O'-Lantern trio looks familiar, it's because this is one item that has been a stable in FarmVille's Halloween events for the last few years, first appearing in 2009. The price has increased somewhat, but at 3,000 coins, it's still a bargain (especially considering that they glow as though lit with a candle).
Avatar Clothing
Banana Costume - 5 Farm Cash
Candy Corn Costume - 7 Farm Cash
While I'm fairly confident additional costumes will be launched in the game's store between now and Halloween proper, if you're looking to get into the spirit early, or just really like Bananas or Candy Corn, you can spend a few Farm Cash to dress your avatar up appropriately. Remember, you can try on items to see if you like the way your avatar looks in them before purchasing.
All of these items (with the exception of the crop) will be available in the game for the next 13 days. To top all of this off, however, if you happen to purchase seven items in this theme so far within the next seven days, you'll receive a free Nightmare Rider: a Halloween-themed sheep with a pumpkin hat and an orange and black flame motorcycle. We'll make sure to let you know when additional Halloween items and features launch in the game in the coming weeks, so keep checking back with us!
Are you excited to see FarmVille transition into Halloween-themed mode this year? Which of these items is your favorite so far? Sound off in the comments.
Friday, September 30, 2011
FarmVille: Horses return to the store in celebration of Horse Paddock
As has become a new (but temporary) ritual in FarmVille, every time another animal breeding building releases in the game, a set of matching animals are re-released in the game's store allowing you to fill it with a variety of limited edition animals. Such is the case with this final breeding habitat - the Horse Paddock - as you can now purchase a variety of Horses to fill it from the store for a limited time. Remember, you don't need a Stallion inside your Horse Paddock to trigger breeding; you just need a single kind of a particular Horse to produce a Foal at random you harvest from the Paddock. Here's a look at the animals you can now purchase.
Disco Pony - 24 Farm Cash
Pinto Pony - 26 Farm Cash
Clydesdale Stallion - 40 Farm Cash
Mini Appaloosa - 26 Farm Cash
Palouse Horse - 28 Farm Cash
Haflinger - 24 Farm Cash
E-QUESTR10N - 24 Farm Cash
Mini Purple Unicorn - 35 Farm Cash
White Pegasus - 35 Farm Cash
Andalusian Horse - 26 Farm Cash
King Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Pink Ponytail Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Pinto Mini Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Fairy Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Comtois Horse - 26 Farm Cash
There are plenty of Horse collectors in FarmVille, and it shows here, with a whopping 15 horses/ponies being released once again for players to add to their collections. If you joined the game later than other farmers, or just started your collection recently, this is a fantastic (albeit incredibly expensive) way to flesh out your collection into something that's definitely worth showing off. Just remember, these Horses will only be available in the store for the next week. After that point, they'll go into retirement, with no guarantee of when (if ever) they'll come back again.
Will you purchase any of these re-released Horses, or is your collection of Horses already large enough to fill plenty of Horse Paddocks? Sound off in the comments.
Disco Pony - 24 Farm Cash
Pinto Pony - 26 Farm Cash
Clydesdale Stallion - 40 Farm Cash
Mini Appaloosa - 26 Farm Cash
Palouse Horse - 28 Farm Cash
Haflinger - 24 Farm Cash
E-QUESTR10N - 24 Farm Cash
Mini Purple Unicorn - 35 Farm Cash
White Pegasus - 35 Farm Cash
Andalusian Horse - 26 Farm Cash
King Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Pink Ponytail Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Pinto Mini Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Fairy Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Comtois Horse - 26 Farm Cash
There are plenty of Horse collectors in FarmVille, and it shows here, with a whopping 15 horses/ponies being released once again for players to add to their collections. If you joined the game later than other farmers, or just started your collection recently, this is a fantastic (albeit incredibly expensive) way to flesh out your collection into something that's definitely worth showing off. Just remember, these Horses will only be available in the store for the next week. After that point, they'll go into retirement, with no guarantee of when (if ever) they'll come back again.
Will you purchase any of these re-released Horses, or is your collection of Horses already large enough to fill plenty of Horse Paddocks? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Horse Mystery Box: What's inside?
If the recently re-released set of Horses available in the FarmVille marketplace aren't enough to satisfy your Horse-collecting needs, why not look into purchasing one of the new Horse Mystery Boxes that have also been released in the game's store? Remember, these Mystery Boxes are found under the Decorations tab of the store, even if they contain animals, so don't worry if you don't see them where they likely should be.
As for this particular box, it comes stocked with six Horses, but remember - you'll have no way of knowing which Horse you'll receive when opening a single box up. They come with the expected Horse price tag of 24 Farm Cash per box, and for that price, you're guaranteed to receive one of the following:
Black Shire Horse
Chrome Pegasus
Rainbow Mini Horse
Rainbow Pony
Rainbow Stallion
White Unicorn
Unfortunately, another problem inherent with these Mystery Boxes is that they also don't guarantee you to not receive duplicates if you decide to open more than one. Depending on how many of these Horses you already have on your farms from previous releases, that fact alone could actually make this box too much of a risk to purchase. Either way, you'll need to make up your mind about a purchase fairly quickly, as the box (and its contents) will expire from the store in a week's time.
Will you purchase a Horse Mystery Box for your game? Which Horse are you hoping to find inside? Which one did you actually receive? Let us know in the comments!
As for this particular box, it comes stocked with six Horses, but remember - you'll have no way of knowing which Horse you'll receive when opening a single box up. They come with the expected Horse price tag of 24 Farm Cash per box, and for that price, you're guaranteed to receive one of the following:
Black Shire Horse
Chrome Pegasus
Rainbow Mini Horse
Rainbow Pony
Rainbow Stallion
White Unicorn
Unfortunately, another problem inherent with these Mystery Boxes is that they also don't guarantee you to not receive duplicates if you decide to open more than one. Depending on how many of these Horses you already have on your farms from previous releases, that fact alone could actually make this box too much of a risk to purchase. Either way, you'll need to make up your mind about a purchase fairly quickly, as the box (and its contents) will expire from the store in a week's time.
Will you purchase a Horse Mystery Box for your game? Which Horse are you hoping to find inside? Which one did you actually receive? Let us know in the comments!
FarmVille Halloween Model Farm offers free Arborists and more
While I know I've expressed my problems with the Model Farm in FarmVille in the past, with the new Halloween Model Farm that launched this evening, I might have to eat my words. Not only is it great to see Halloween-themed items (from one of my favorite holidays) in all of their "life-size glory," but this particular Model Farm also combines these Halloween items with Lighthouse Cove items so that we can see how that looks without spending our own money beforehand.
To add to this, you're even given free prizes just for visiting, giving us even more incentive to do so. Tonight's free prize, for example, is an Arborist. While it's unclear as to whether or not that prize is static just for today's date on the calendar or for each user's first visit to the Model Farm, but either way, it doesn't hurt to just spend a few seconds allowing the farm to load each day to receive your free prize. It could be anything from functional items to coins and beyond so isn't the mystery alone enough reason to check it out?
No? Well, also remember that you can purchase items directly from the farm if you happen to see something you like but that the store never gave you enough detail to before. I suppose that's the real purpose of the Model Farm, after all, so feel free to put it to good use.
What prizes have you received from the new Halloween Model Farm? Do you find the Model Farm feature useful, or is it just wasted space in your eyes? Let us know in the comments!
To add to this, you're even given free prizes just for visiting, giving us even more incentive to do so. Tonight's free prize, for example, is an Arborist. While it's unclear as to whether or not that prize is static just for today's date on the calendar or for each user's first visit to the Model Farm, but either way, it doesn't hurt to just spend a few seconds allowing the farm to load each day to receive your free prize. It could be anything from functional items to coins and beyond so isn't the mystery alone enough reason to check it out?
No? Well, also remember that you can purchase items directly from the farm if you happen to see something you like but that the store never gave you enough detail to before. I suppose that's the real purpose of the Model Farm, after all, so feel free to put it to good use.
What prizes have you received from the new Halloween Model Farm? Do you find the Model Farm feature useful, or is it just wasted space in your eyes? Let us know in the comments!
PopCap feels the power of 'free,' more freemium games incoming
Perhaps "PopCap feels the power of Facebook" is more like it. During an interview with PocketGamer.biz, PopCap senior director of mobile product and business strategy Giordano Contestabile revealed that the Bejeweled Blitz creator has plenty more plans for freemium mobile games. That's especially since its recent Plants vs Zombies freemium-inspired update.
"While we typically don't disclose much about our future plans, I can say that you're in for a lot of surprises for us in the coming months, and that in-app transactions and the freemium model are going to feature prominently," Contestabile told PocketGamer.biz. The PopCap exec believes that the play first, (maybe) pay later model of mobile games will likely take over.
"I think that, one year from now, 95 percent or more of iOS game downloads might come from freemium games, and 80 percent or more of the revenue could be associated with them," Contestabile told the website. "The freemium model is extremely powerful because it allows developers to reach the biggest possible audience, and it allows players to choose if and how to pay for content, after having tried it out."
While Contestabile did say that there's still a place for premium game experiences, or pay-to-play games, that approach is losing its luster for most games. It wouldn't be terribly inaccurate to call this "The Facebook Effect." The fact that companies like Zynga and EA (which now owns PopCap) have made serious dough with free-to-play Facebook games has certainly had a visible impact on mobile gaming, which has a distribution model fairly similar to social networks. Almost Free is here to stay, and it looks like PopCap wants to lead the charge.
Are you excited to hear that more free-to-play games are coming from PopCap? Which property do you hope gets the free treatment next, or are you hoping for more original games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"While we typically don't disclose much about our future plans, I can say that you're in for a lot of surprises for us in the coming months, and that in-app transactions and the freemium model are going to feature prominently," Contestabile told PocketGamer.biz. The PopCap exec believes that the play first, (maybe) pay later model of mobile games will likely take over.
"I think that, one year from now, 95 percent or more of iOS game downloads might come from freemium games, and 80 percent or more of the revenue could be associated with them," Contestabile told the website. "The freemium model is extremely powerful because it allows developers to reach the biggest possible audience, and it allows players to choose if and how to pay for content, after having tried it out."
While Contestabile did say that there's still a place for premium game experiences, or pay-to-play games, that approach is losing its luster for most games. It wouldn't be terribly inaccurate to call this "The Facebook Effect." The fact that companies like Zynga and EA (which now owns PopCap) have made serious dough with free-to-play Facebook games has certainly had a visible impact on mobile gaming, which has a distribution model fairly similar to social networks. Almost Free is here to stay, and it looks like PopCap wants to lead the charge.
Are you excited to hear that more free-to-play games are coming from PopCap? Which property do you hope gets the free treatment next, or are you hoping for more original games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Thursday, September 29, 2011
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Makiziki's lush desert oasis
Howdy folks. Today's featured farm is a handsome design by Makiziki, a player who spends time over at the FarmVille Forums. Makiziki's farm caught my eye because it does something rather novel: paths. Paths may be common in other games such as CityVille, Empires & Allies, and FrontierVille, but in FarmVille, there is no easy way to make paths. All the dirt trails you see are actually created by hand placing the Lush Grass decoration all over the farm.
So not only is this farm a beautiful estate full of crops, animals, and items; but it also serves as a great design guide for other FarmVille artists. Using Lush Grass to cover a farmville tall grass makizikifarm hasn't been done too much, especially considering how nice it looks. Unfortunately, Lush Grass was a limited time English Countryside item that is no longer available. However, a different item, Tall Grass, can be bought in the decorations tab of the market for 1,500 coins apiece. The only difference is that Tall Grass is a little taller, so it will give farms a more wild, natural look.
In addition to the unique use of grass and desert background in order to make paths, the farm has a lot more going on. In an age where FarmVille players have absurd amounts of stuff, Makiziki's farm remains rather organized. Here's what they had to say about their farm:
Well, first of all, I love to design with paths. FarmVille doesn't actually have them yet. And I love a lot of green, so my design looks like a real farm. I worked about 3-4 hours to finsih this farm, and I was so tired when I was done :) But I love my new farm :)
-Makiziki
What do you guys think of Makizki's Lush Grass-filled farm? Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
So not only is this farm a beautiful estate full of crops, animals, and items; but it also serves as a great design guide for other FarmVille artists. Using Lush Grass to cover a farmville tall grass makizikifarm hasn't been done too much, especially considering how nice it looks. Unfortunately, Lush Grass was a limited time English Countryside item that is no longer available. However, a different item, Tall Grass, can be bought in the decorations tab of the market for 1,500 coins apiece. The only difference is that Tall Grass is a little taller, so it will give farms a more wild, natural look.
In addition to the unique use of grass and desert background in order to make paths, the farm has a lot more going on. In an age where FarmVille players have absurd amounts of stuff, Makiziki's farm remains rather organized. Here's what they had to say about their farm:
Well, first of all, I love to design with paths. FarmVille doesn't actually have them yet. And I love a lot of green, so my design looks like a real farm. I worked about 3-4 hours to finsih this farm, and I was so tired when I was done :) But I love my new farm :)
-Makiziki
What do you guys think of Makizki's Lush Grass-filled farm? Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
Entertainment Games looks to revive soap operas in Facebook games
FarmVille may have killed the daytime soap opera, but it seems like soaps might have their heyday after all. Langhorne, Penn.-based Entertainment Games announced that it hired Michael Fairman (pictured below), a leading expert on daytime soaps (bet you didn't know such a job existed, eh?) to help the company develop a soap opera game with Heyday Games.
Working toward this announcement, the company has been surprisingly busy. Entertainment Games bought social games maker Heyday Games in late June. Then in August, the company changed the name it's had since 1992. Two weeks ago, the company struck a licensing deal with intellectual rights management firm CMG Worldwide to use pictures of celebrities for some "retro-based social game for Facebook, Google+, mobile devices and the open web."
Aside from admittedly banking on nostalgia, there are a few clues as to what type of game the company looks to make. Entertainment Games wants to harness Fairman's two decades of experience in the industry. The company wants his help to create a game that Entertainment Games's CCO F.J. Lennon says will "deliver a ground-breaking social gaming experience that both the gaming and soap opera industries will take note of."
Michael Fairman soap opera expertSince Facebook games came along, games and daytime soaps had been inadvertently at war over the same audience, namely, 25 to 54-year-old women. Unfortunately for soaps fans, Zynga's "television audience destruction machine" won the battle over All My Children and One Life to Live. But Entertainment Games isn't the only company looking to capitalize on this obvious demographic.
In an effort to generate more revenue, UK soap opera Coronation Street was turned into a Facebook social game called "Corrie Nation". Unfortunately, the game didn't last a year before it was taken down for a complete rehaul, with ATV network looking for a new game developer to take on the job. With soap operas dying and the first (and only) Facebook soap opera game ever made, out of commission, you'd think that no one would bother with another attempt, right? Well, here comes Entertainment Games, Inc. to prove us wrong.
From the sound of things, soap operas can find new life after television as Facebook games. On top of that, they're going to return vying for the same demographic as they once did against Zynga, but this time, they'll be on the same playing field.
Do you think soap opera social games have a chance at being the next big hit? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Working toward this announcement, the company has been surprisingly busy. Entertainment Games bought social games maker Heyday Games in late June. Then in August, the company changed the name it's had since 1992. Two weeks ago, the company struck a licensing deal with intellectual rights management firm CMG Worldwide to use pictures of celebrities for some "retro-based social game for Facebook, Google+, mobile devices and the open web."
Aside from admittedly banking on nostalgia, there are a few clues as to what type of game the company looks to make. Entertainment Games wants to harness Fairman's two decades of experience in the industry. The company wants his help to create a game that Entertainment Games's CCO F.J. Lennon says will "deliver a ground-breaking social gaming experience that both the gaming and soap opera industries will take note of."
Michael Fairman soap opera expertSince Facebook games came along, games and daytime soaps had been inadvertently at war over the same audience, namely, 25 to 54-year-old women. Unfortunately for soaps fans, Zynga's "television audience destruction machine" won the battle over All My Children and One Life to Live. But Entertainment Games isn't the only company looking to capitalize on this obvious demographic.
In an effort to generate more revenue, UK soap opera Coronation Street was turned into a Facebook social game called "Corrie Nation". Unfortunately, the game didn't last a year before it was taken down for a complete rehaul, with ATV network looking for a new game developer to take on the job. With soap operas dying and the first (and only) Facebook soap opera game ever made, out of commission, you'd think that no one would bother with another attempt, right? Well, here comes Entertainment Games, Inc. to prove us wrong.
From the sound of things, soap operas can find new life after television as Facebook games. On top of that, they're going to return vying for the same demographic as they once did against Zynga, but this time, they'll be on the same playing field.
Do you think soap opera social games have a chance at being the next big hit? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Bubble Saga maker King.com hires Microsoft exec as marketing head
Can none resist the dollar signs allure of Facebook games? King.com, maker of Facebook game ports like Bubble Saga, announced that it has hired ex-Microsoft exec Alex Dale as its chief marketing officer. Dale joins King.com after overseeing Microsoft's marketing efforts on products including Bing, Internet Explorer and Windows Phone.
"We have made several strategic hires recently in an effort continue this growth and even take it one step further, becoming a clear leader in the space," King.com co-fonder and CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are confident that Alex will be instrumental in helping us further grow our global user- and partnership-base and are thrilled to have him on board."
Dale joins a list of executives that have found themselves in the social games space. Sean Ryan, director of Facebook games partnerships, was at one time the CEO of now-defunct social network LiveJournal. Zynga head of mobile games David Ko comes from Yahoo, and most recently Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield moved on to make his own social game, Glitch.
King.com, which most recently launched Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook, now joins the ranks of companies like Zynga in its willingness to source talent from other industries. And King.com says in the announcement that Dale will be at helm of the companies global expansion. It seems that the company is looking abroad to reach the top five game makers on AppData--it sits pretty at number seven with just over 17 million monthly players.
Do you think King.com, making hires like this, can become an even bigger competitor in Facebook games? What do you think of games like Bubble Witch Saga? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
"We have made several strategic hires recently in an effort continue this growth and even take it one step further, becoming a clear leader in the space," King.com co-fonder and CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are confident that Alex will be instrumental in helping us further grow our global user- and partnership-base and are thrilled to have him on board."
Dale joins a list of executives that have found themselves in the social games space. Sean Ryan, director of Facebook games partnerships, was at one time the CEO of now-defunct social network LiveJournal. Zynga head of mobile games David Ko comes from Yahoo, and most recently Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield moved on to make his own social game, Glitch.
King.com, which most recently launched Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook, now joins the ranks of companies like Zynga in its willingness to source talent from other industries. And King.com says in the announcement that Dale will be at helm of the companies global expansion. It seems that the company is looking abroad to reach the top five game makers on AppData--it sits pretty at number seven with just over 17 million monthly players.
Do you think King.com, making hires like this, can become an even bigger competitor in Facebook games? What do you think of games like Bubble Witch Saga? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Want exclusive freebies in The Sims Social? Register on the forums
I'd put away that credit card, if I were you, at least for the moment. I know, it's burning a hole and blah, blah, blah, but Playfish recently announced that it will give The Sims Social players exclusive freebies on a regular basis, but under one condition: You have to register on the Playfish forums. In fact, the game's community team created a new forum category just for this purpose.
Starting last week, Playfish gave away some free Relaxation--an ingredient used in crafting Fun Potions--in a short 24-hour window. So, it looks like, if you do decide to partake in the freebie-fest, you'll have to visit the Playfish forums on a regular basis to catch the next free giveaway that pops up. Perhaps eventually the developer will start to dole some beefier prizes like decorations for your Sim's house or straight-up Simoleons and Social Points.
EA and Playfish have been on a freebie frenzy as of late for all The Sims Social players. Just recently, the developer announced a week-long event in which it will post even more handouts on its Facebook page. At this point, we can't help but ask: Why? Well, considering just how close The Sims Social is to overtaking Zynga's CityVille as the number one game on Facebook in daily players, we're not surprised that Playfish would be pulling all the stops. To register on the Playfish forums, click right here.
Have you been reaping the rewards from Playfish on the forums and on The Sims Social Facebook page? What do you think of the game so far? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
Starting last week, Playfish gave away some free Relaxation--an ingredient used in crafting Fun Potions--in a short 24-hour window. So, it looks like, if you do decide to partake in the freebie-fest, you'll have to visit the Playfish forums on a regular basis to catch the next free giveaway that pops up. Perhaps eventually the developer will start to dole some beefier prizes like decorations for your Sim's house or straight-up Simoleons and Social Points.
EA and Playfish have been on a freebie frenzy as of late for all The Sims Social players. Just recently, the developer announced a week-long event in which it will post even more handouts on its Facebook page. At this point, we can't help but ask: Why? Well, considering just how close The Sims Social is to overtaking Zynga's CityVille as the number one game on Facebook in daily players, we're not surprised that Playfish would be pulling all the stops. To register on the Playfish forums, click right here.
Have you been reaping the rewards from Playfish on the forums and on The Sims Social Facebook page? What do you think of the game so far? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse Goals: Everything you need to know
Zynga has just released a new Pioneer Trail goal -- the Greenhouse -- that's best described by a player as "a TARDIS for crops" in more ways than one. For those who don't get the Doctor Who reference, I'd also say it's like the previously released FrontierVille Orchard.
Looking at the screenshot on the right, I can vaguely see how the Greenhouse resembles a time-traveling police box. But that's not where the resemblance ends, because once completed, your new Greenhouse will allow you to plant more crops. Even though it looks like a 3x3 building on the outside, it's actually a 6x6 building on the inside.
So what's the catch? Well, you won't be able to do this goal unless you're Level 13 or above. Also, like most goals, you'll need to collect a lot of stuff in order to build it. For the following items, you'll need to make Facebook Wall posts to get 10 of each: Mulch, Plant Food, and Ladybugs. The next set of required items are ones you've got to ask your friends for by sending them requests, and you'll need 15 of each: Insulating Glass, Sturdy Frame, and Irrigation System.
Pioneer Trail Finish Your Greenhouse
The upside though, is that once you finish your Greenhouse, and complete the four quests that go along with it, you'll unlock three new crops: Carrots, Grapes, and Watermelons. Watermelons are prized because they've got a harvest period of five days. Your crops will also be safe from Groundhogs during that time, and your neighbors can come by to tend those crops.
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse crops
Time to Flex That Green Thumb!
* Place the Greenhouse
* Harvest 50 Clover
* Clear 15 Debris on Neighbors' Homesteads
* Reward: 250XP, 250 Coins, Hanging Plant
Record-Breaking Crops!
* Collect the Daily Bonus from the Greenhouse
* Have or collect 50 Poultry Puddin'
* Collect ten bottles of Buttermilk
* Reward: 500XP, 500 Coins, Carrots Unlocked!
It's Carrotastic!
* Harvest 40 Carrots in your Greenhouse or on your Homestead
* Harvest 15 Crops on Neighbors' Homestead or in their Greenhouse
* Collect 15 Fish Heads
* Reward: 1000XP, 1000 Coins, Grapes Unlocked
A Grape Escape!
* Harvest 40 Grapes in your Greenhouse or on your Homestead
* Tend 30 Adult Cows
* Collect 10 rays of Country Sunshine
* Reward: 1000XP, 1000 Coins, Watermelon Unlocked
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse Collection
Finally, completion of the Greenhouse unlocks a new Collection that delivers a Big Wither Protection Boost, which prevents all your crops from dying. The Collection items are Butterflies, Mister, Garden Bunny, Gardening Glove, and Gardening Tape.
But there are players who believe the Greenhouse is poorly planned, and they have a point. Three of the four Greenhouse Goals ask you to plant 40 crops within the Greenhouse or on your Homestead. But the Greenhouse only has room for 36, therefore, leaving four that must be planted outside to fulfill the quest. There are also complaints that the first item you're forced to plant is the Clover, which is one of the earliest crops for a beginner. It would have been better if the game allowed players to get started with planting and harvesting the new unlockable crops right away instead.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Would you rather have a land expansion than a building that lets you plant more crops? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Looking at the screenshot on the right, I can vaguely see how the Greenhouse resembles a time-traveling police box. But that's not where the resemblance ends, because once completed, your new Greenhouse will allow you to plant more crops. Even though it looks like a 3x3 building on the outside, it's actually a 6x6 building on the inside.
So what's the catch? Well, you won't be able to do this goal unless you're Level 13 or above. Also, like most goals, you'll need to collect a lot of stuff in order to build it. For the following items, you'll need to make Facebook Wall posts to get 10 of each: Mulch, Plant Food, and Ladybugs. The next set of required items are ones you've got to ask your friends for by sending them requests, and you'll need 15 of each: Insulating Glass, Sturdy Frame, and Irrigation System.
Pioneer Trail Finish Your Greenhouse
The upside though, is that once you finish your Greenhouse, and complete the four quests that go along with it, you'll unlock three new crops: Carrots, Grapes, and Watermelons. Watermelons are prized because they've got a harvest period of five days. Your crops will also be safe from Groundhogs during that time, and your neighbors can come by to tend those crops.
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse crops
Time to Flex That Green Thumb!
* Place the Greenhouse
* Harvest 50 Clover
* Clear 15 Debris on Neighbors' Homesteads
* Reward: 250XP, 250 Coins, Hanging Plant
Record-Breaking Crops!
* Collect the Daily Bonus from the Greenhouse
* Have or collect 50 Poultry Puddin'
* Collect ten bottles of Buttermilk
* Reward: 500XP, 500 Coins, Carrots Unlocked!
It's Carrotastic!
* Harvest 40 Carrots in your Greenhouse or on your Homestead
* Harvest 15 Crops on Neighbors' Homestead or in their Greenhouse
* Collect 15 Fish Heads
* Reward: 1000XP, 1000 Coins, Grapes Unlocked
A Grape Escape!
* Harvest 40 Grapes in your Greenhouse or on your Homestead
* Tend 30 Adult Cows
* Collect 10 rays of Country Sunshine
* Reward: 1000XP, 1000 Coins, Watermelon Unlocked
Pioneer Trail Greenhouse Collection
Finally, completion of the Greenhouse unlocks a new Collection that delivers a Big Wither Protection Boost, which prevents all your crops from dying. The Collection items are Butterflies, Mister, Garden Bunny, Gardening Glove, and Gardening Tape.
But there are players who believe the Greenhouse is poorly planned, and they have a point. Three of the four Greenhouse Goals ask you to plant 40 crops within the Greenhouse or on your Homestead. But the Greenhouse only has room for 36, therefore, leaving four that must be planted outside to fulfill the quest. There are also complaints that the first item you're forced to plant is the Clover, which is one of the earliest crops for a beginner. It would have been better if the game allowed players to get started with planting and harvesting the new unlockable crops right away instead.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Would you rather have a land expansion than a building that lets you plant more crops? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
CityVille Baseball and Soccer Stadiums: Everything you need to know
Just in time for the upcoming MLB playoff season, Zynga has released Baseball Stadiums to CityVille to honor America's favorite pastime. Oh, and the developer added Soccer Stadiums, too. (Though, Zynga might have been better off naming them "Football" Stadiums, if it was going for the international nod.)
At any rate, these two new community buildings will give a huge boost to your allowed population and earn you some major coin. When you reach Level 11, the new stadiums will become available to you. So, here's everything you need to know about the Baseball ... and Soccer Stadium Goals:
Alive and Kicking
* Place the Soccer Stadium
* Compete the Soccer Stadium
Both Goals for these new buildings are painfully simple. Once you reach Level 11 (or log into the game at a level above that), a Goal icon will appear. Click on it to open a window that will allow you to place the foundation for the Soccer Stadium. Once that's done, whack the building eight times, costing you an equal amount of Energy. Click on the unfinished Soccer Stadium to reveal what's needed to complete the building.
Finish your Soccer Stadium
Unfortunately, that amounts to asking your friends for a lot of items. You must ask your friends for nine of each of the above items. That amounts to a total of 45 items you will have to collect. Luckily, it seems as if you can add those items to your Wish List once you acquire one of each. Your reward for completing the Soccer Stadium is a massive 20,000 Coins. The Soccer Stadium will boost your allowed Population by 5,000.
Root for the Home Team
* Place the Baseball Stadium
* Complete the Baseball Stadium
Again, these are some pretty simple Goals, but the challenge comes in actually completing the buildings. Just like before, a Goal icon will appear if you're above Level 11. Click on the icon to open a Goal window that will allow you to place the foundation for your Baseball Stadium. After placing the foundation and clicking it eight times at the cost of 8 Energy, click it once more to reveal what you'll need to complete the Baseball Stadium.
Staff your Baseball Stadium
This time, things are slightly different from the Soccer Stadium. Rather than requesting items, you will need to ask friends to staff your new community building. You will have to get a whopping 12 friends to fill positions in your Baseball Stadium. Sure, that's far less than the Soccer Stadium requires in items, but these positions need to be filled by 12 individual friends. Once that's through, you will be rewarded with another heaping 20,000 Coins for your effort. The Baseball Stadium boosts your allowed Population by 3,000.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you started on your new sports stadiums yet? What tips or tricks do you have to complete these new buildings? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
At any rate, these two new community buildings will give a huge boost to your allowed population and earn you some major coin. When you reach Level 11, the new stadiums will become available to you. So, here's everything you need to know about the Baseball ... and Soccer Stadium Goals:
Alive and Kicking
* Place the Soccer Stadium
* Compete the Soccer Stadium
Both Goals for these new buildings are painfully simple. Once you reach Level 11 (or log into the game at a level above that), a Goal icon will appear. Click on it to open a window that will allow you to place the foundation for the Soccer Stadium. Once that's done, whack the building eight times, costing you an equal amount of Energy. Click on the unfinished Soccer Stadium to reveal what's needed to complete the building.
Finish your Soccer Stadium
Unfortunately, that amounts to asking your friends for a lot of items. You must ask your friends for nine of each of the above items. That amounts to a total of 45 items you will have to collect. Luckily, it seems as if you can add those items to your Wish List once you acquire one of each. Your reward for completing the Soccer Stadium is a massive 20,000 Coins. The Soccer Stadium will boost your allowed Population by 5,000.
Root for the Home Team
* Place the Baseball Stadium
* Complete the Baseball Stadium
Again, these are some pretty simple Goals, but the challenge comes in actually completing the buildings. Just like before, a Goal icon will appear if you're above Level 11. Click on the icon to open a Goal window that will allow you to place the foundation for your Baseball Stadium. After placing the foundation and clicking it eight times at the cost of 8 Energy, click it once more to reveal what you'll need to complete the Baseball Stadium.
Staff your Baseball Stadium
This time, things are slightly different from the Soccer Stadium. Rather than requesting items, you will need to ask friends to staff your new community building. You will have to get a whopping 12 friends to fill positions in your Baseball Stadium. Sure, that's far less than the Soccer Stadium requires in items, but these positions need to be filled by 12 individual friends. Once that's through, you will be rewarded with another heaping 20,000 Coins for your effort. The Baseball Stadium boosts your allowed Population by 3,000.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you started on your new sports stadiums yet? What tips or tricks do you have to complete these new buildings? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Is EA's PopCap working on casino-style Facebook games? [Rumor]
Is PopCap looking to go toe to toe with Zynga and DoubleDown Interactive's casino Facebook games? According to GeekWire, a bunch of rather specific domain purchases by the recently-acquired company certainly suggest that's the case. Well, that and a recent trademark application ... and a Facebook page created with that very same trademark. Alright, PopCap has been terrible at keeping this whole thing a secret.
Lucky Gem CasinoThe game in question might be titled "Lucky Gem Casino," as Fusible points out that the Bejeweled creator recently changed a Facebook page it owns to reflect the new title. The Info tab on the page reads, "Thanks for visiting! PopCap Casino is the future home of some amazing, casino-style social games from PopCap, the worldwide leader in casual gaming."
With wording like that, it sounds as if Lucky Gem Casino will be a suite of casino games from the developer, much like DoubleDown Casino. And if you take a peak at the page's Wall, a message can be found there, presumably from the company, that reads, "Keep an eye out to experience casino-style gaming from PopCap Games!" A week later, a poll was posted asking fans about their favorite type of casino games--unsurprisingly, the "Slot Machines" category won by a landslide.
GeekWire points out that this might be because PopCap is now owned by EA, which likely has a vested interested in directly competing with Facebook game champ Zynga at every turn. However, it's also important to keep in mind that a majority of PopCap's games (not including Plants vs Zombies) are visibly influenced by a casino approach to gameplay albeit with a far heavier focus on skill rather than luck.
[Via Financial Times]
[Image Credit: Destructoid]
What do you think PopCap might be up to with this trademark, Facebook page and domain registries? Would you play a stable of casino games from the creator of Bejeweled and Zuma Blitz? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment.
Lucky Gem CasinoThe game in question might be titled "Lucky Gem Casino," as Fusible points out that the Bejeweled creator recently changed a Facebook page it owns to reflect the new title. The Info tab on the page reads, "Thanks for visiting! PopCap Casino is the future home of some amazing, casino-style social games from PopCap, the worldwide leader in casual gaming."
With wording like that, it sounds as if Lucky Gem Casino will be a suite of casino games from the developer, much like DoubleDown Casino. And if you take a peak at the page's Wall, a message can be found there, presumably from the company, that reads, "Keep an eye out to experience casino-style gaming from PopCap Games!" A week later, a poll was posted asking fans about their favorite type of casino games--unsurprisingly, the "Slot Machines" category won by a landslide.
GeekWire points out that this might be because PopCap is now owned by EA, which likely has a vested interested in directly competing with Facebook game champ Zynga at every turn. However, it's also important to keep in mind that a majority of PopCap's games (not including Plants vs Zombies) are visibly influenced by a casino approach to gameplay albeit with a far heavier focus on skill rather than luck.
[Via Financial Times]
[Image Credit: Destructoid]
What do you think PopCap might be up to with this trademark, Facebook page and domain registries? Would you play a stable of casino games from the creator of Bejeweled and Zuma Blitz? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment.
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Hop on a train to Onisuka057's fall oasis
Even though we're in the end of September, the leaves are still green in New York City. But Onisuka057's FarmVille farm is clearly headed for autumn with the yellows and reds of what appears to be the Autumn Ginkgo Tree, Maple Tree, Red Maple Tree, Sugar Maple Tree, and Rowan Tree. On top of that, there's also a Maple orchard below, though that seems to have been thrown in at the last minute. Maybe he can build up the bottom of his farm once Halloween comes around. But he has already dipped into the recently released Lighthouse Cove decor with several Tree Arches, Autumn Creeks, and Outdoor Picnics. So yeah, there's a lot of premium Farm Cash goods going on in this one.
Beyond the colors, the next most striking aspect of Onisuka057's farm are the train tracks bordering it, which are actually two-dimensional, but some massive fence-stacking and blue hay bales have fooled your eyes into seeing an elevated "bridge" hanging over "water." That's the sort of low-cost ingenuity farm designers love to see. But while building a bridge out of fences was a bit of improvisation on the creator's part, limited edition railroad decor did come out in FarmVille last fall as part of the Wild West package, so those are real tracks you're looking at there.
Onisuka057 FarmVille farm closeup
Finally, hidden in the top corner is a plume of smoke that's actually another limited edition special--an Old Faithful geyser eruption from the Yellowstone collection.
Have the trees changed colors in your town yet? Does the use of lots of Farm Cash items in a farm bug you? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Beyond the colors, the next most striking aspect of Onisuka057's farm are the train tracks bordering it, which are actually two-dimensional, but some massive fence-stacking and blue hay bales have fooled your eyes into seeing an elevated "bridge" hanging over "water." That's the sort of low-cost ingenuity farm designers love to see. But while building a bridge out of fences was a bit of improvisation on the creator's part, limited edition railroad decor did come out in FarmVille last fall as part of the Wild West package, so those are real tracks you're looking at there.
Onisuka057 FarmVille farm closeup
Finally, hidden in the top corner is a plume of smoke that's actually another limited edition special--an Old Faithful geyser eruption from the Yellowstone collection.
Have the trees changed colors in your town yet? Does the use of lots of Farm Cash items in a farm bug you? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Microsoft Research releases Facebook game for 'research'
Sure you are, guys--we're onto you. The Research division at Microsoft has released its first Facebook games, Project Waterloo, in order to find out how people interact and negotiate with one another across social networks. The game is a turn-based combat simulator in which players allocate 100 generic troops across five locations. In a way, Project Waterloo works a lot like Zynga's Words With Friends.
Of course, we're referring to the one-on-one, turn-based gameplay, not the words. Players challenge friends with allocations of 100 troops either using a slider or directly entering a number in each location on the battlefield. Said friends can then respond with their own strategic positioning using 100 troops, and if they don't currently play the game, they will be invited prior to responding.
So, it might help to think of Project Waterloo as a cross between games like Words With Friends and the classic board game Battleship. Players can also start games with random players, regardless of whether they're Facebook friends. Project Waterloo, according to a post on the Microsoft Research website, is the start of the "Facebook Game Theory Lab." This will serve as a platform through which Microsoft Research explores concepts of strategic human interaction within "resource allocation and negotiation games." The team of four researchers wrote:
The goal of the project is to test the behaviour of real people in game theoretic interactions, and especially those that take place in social networks. Some example questions are: how do people negotiate with one another? How does such negotiation take place in social networks? How can we aggregate opinions of individuals to arrive at high quality decisions? In what ways do people reciprocate other people's actions?
Project Waterloo in action
While it doesn't appear that Project Waterloo will be a source of revenue for Microsoft Research's parent company, the team does use words like "viral marketing" to explain how it will reach new players. Ultimately, we don't see a game like this taking off commercially, but it is another step in that direction, as Microsoft has already expressed interest in entering the space. Just recently, the company began to offer support to developers through its Windows Azure service. Perhaps Project Waterloo and the Facebook Game Theory Lab represent Microsoft further testing the waters.
Click here to play Project Waterloo on Facebook Now >
[Via ZDNet]
What do you think of Microsoft's very scientific foray into Facebook games? Do you think the company would ever dive into the industry like Google or Facebook has? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
Of course, we're referring to the one-on-one, turn-based gameplay, not the words. Players challenge friends with allocations of 100 troops either using a slider or directly entering a number in each location on the battlefield. Said friends can then respond with their own strategic positioning using 100 troops, and if they don't currently play the game, they will be invited prior to responding.
So, it might help to think of Project Waterloo as a cross between games like Words With Friends and the classic board game Battleship. Players can also start games with random players, regardless of whether they're Facebook friends. Project Waterloo, according to a post on the Microsoft Research website, is the start of the "Facebook Game Theory Lab." This will serve as a platform through which Microsoft Research explores concepts of strategic human interaction within "resource allocation and negotiation games." The team of four researchers wrote:
The goal of the project is to test the behaviour of real people in game theoretic interactions, and especially those that take place in social networks. Some example questions are: how do people negotiate with one another? How does such negotiation take place in social networks? How can we aggregate opinions of individuals to arrive at high quality decisions? In what ways do people reciprocate other people's actions?
Project Waterloo in action
While it doesn't appear that Project Waterloo will be a source of revenue for Microsoft Research's parent company, the team does use words like "viral marketing" to explain how it will reach new players. Ultimately, we don't see a game like this taking off commercially, but it is another step in that direction, as Microsoft has already expressed interest in entering the space. Just recently, the company began to offer support to developers through its Windows Azure service. Perhaps Project Waterloo and the Facebook Game Theory Lab represent Microsoft further testing the waters.
Click here to play Project Waterloo on Facebook Now >
[Via ZDNet]
What do you think of Microsoft's very scientific foray into Facebook games? Do you think the company would ever dive into the industry like Google or Facebook has? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
RockYou seeking skilled recruits ... to play Galactic Allies [Video]
Look, RockYou knows that you're not an architect by trade, and you're certainly no cook. So, why not stop pretending to do things real people do and pretend to be something completely fictional, like a galactic fleet commander? With developer 3 Blokes, the Facebook game publisher recently released Galactic Allies to Facebook, the studio's second strategy game.
The game enlists players as commanders of their very own fleet of star ships in a battle to protect their end of the galaxy from alien enemies. In a more casual approach to the growing sub genre of hardcore strategy games on Facebook, Galactic Allies lets players directly control their space-faring units to avoid enemy fire in real-time combat. (Of course, battles are exchanged between players asynchronously.)
While it's not marketed as such, the game looks a lot like the spiritual successor to 3 Blokes's first game on Facebook, Galactic Trader. But this time around, the developer has resources from a major publisher, which can only mean one thing: a goofy trailer displaying almost everything the game has to offer in a 60-second nutshell.
Gallery: Galactic Allies on Facebook
Also, the game wasn't exactly live when we first revealed it to you, so check out the fun trailer down there. And when you're done with that, click on the link below to hop into Galactic Allies. That is, if you think you can answer the call--come on, even the narrator wants in.
Click here to play Galactic Allies on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Galactic Allies on Facebook yet? What do you think of where hardcore strategy games on Facebook are at right now? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
The game enlists players as commanders of their very own fleet of star ships in a battle to protect their end of the galaxy from alien enemies. In a more casual approach to the growing sub genre of hardcore strategy games on Facebook, Galactic Allies lets players directly control their space-faring units to avoid enemy fire in real-time combat. (Of course, battles are exchanged between players asynchronously.)
While it's not marketed as such, the game looks a lot like the spiritual successor to 3 Blokes's first game on Facebook, Galactic Trader. But this time around, the developer has resources from a major publisher, which can only mean one thing: a goofy trailer displaying almost everything the game has to offer in a 60-second nutshell.
Gallery: Galactic Allies on Facebook
Also, the game wasn't exactly live when we first revealed it to you, so check out the fun trailer down there. And when you're done with that, click on the link below to hop into Galactic Allies. That is, if you think you can answer the call--come on, even the narrator wants in.
Click here to play Galactic Allies on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Galactic Allies on Facebook yet? What do you think of where hardcore strategy games on Facebook are at right now? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Pioneer Trail Shaman Lodge Goals: Everything you need to know
Finally, Halloween approaches. Zynga is already preparing its in-game festivities with the release of the Shaman Lodge to Pioneer Trail. Laughing Bear the Shaman has arrived on the Homestead, and he foresees a terrible spookiness on your land. It's up to you (if you're at least Level 17) to help Laughing Bear build his lodge to collect as many charms as possible in preparation for a seriously spooky event.
Once you complete the Lodge, you will be able to collect shiny charms from it daily. We assume these will come in handy in this year's Halloween event in Pioneer Trail, so it's in your best interest to get started on this new building right away. Since we know the suspense is killing you, here's everything you need to know to build the Shaman Lodge:
Clearin' the Ground
* Place the Shaman Lodge
* Clear 12 Skulls
* Harvest 30 Sunflowers
When the even appears in your game, it will present you with the option to place the Lodge in a pop-up. Select "Build Lodge" to get started. Then, simply search your Homestead for Skulls--they're also a reward for completing the Cow and Graveyard Collections. Harvesting 30 Sunflowers will cost a total of 9,300 Coins and take at least 18 hours to grow. Your reward for completing this Goal includes one Mystery Animal Crate, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Staffin' Up
* Chop 30 Oak Trees on a Neighbor's Homestead
* Collect Two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge
* Collect 15 Eerie Gems
By this point, the Goals assume you've already completed the Shaman Lodge, so give the foundation a few whacks (which we imagine will cost Energy and Wood). Once that's complete, a window will appear with what's needed to complete the building, pictured below. Based on previous Goals, we imagine the first three items are requested through News Feed posts, while the latter three are found by asking your friends directly.
Finish your Shaman Lodge
After that's through, visit at least six friends to chop 30 Oak Trees. Collecting two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge will take at least two days. The 15 Eerie Gems will, again, come from your friends. Your rewards for this Goal include a welcome nod to the popular Internet video, the Double Rainbow, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Final Preparations
* Clobber six Snakes
* Harvest 30 Peppermint
* Collect 15 Monsterbane Arrows
Snakes appear most frequently beneath Skulls and Rocks, so try to avoid clobbering any Snakes from collecting Skulls in the first Goal. Peppermint acts more like a fruit tree than a crop, so you can choose to buy all 30, but I wouldn't recommend that. Regardless, this portion of the Goal will take you at least four hours at the very least. The Monsterbane Arrows are sourced from your friends like the Eerie Gems before them. Enjoy a Mystical Charm Totem, 700 XP and 700 Coins for completing this Goal.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you started your Shaman Lodge yet? What do you think these Charms will be used for this Halloween? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Once you complete the Lodge, you will be able to collect shiny charms from it daily. We assume these will come in handy in this year's Halloween event in Pioneer Trail, so it's in your best interest to get started on this new building right away. Since we know the suspense is killing you, here's everything you need to know to build the Shaman Lodge:
Clearin' the Ground
* Place the Shaman Lodge
* Clear 12 Skulls
* Harvest 30 Sunflowers
When the even appears in your game, it will present you with the option to place the Lodge in a pop-up. Select "Build Lodge" to get started. Then, simply search your Homestead for Skulls--they're also a reward for completing the Cow and Graveyard Collections. Harvesting 30 Sunflowers will cost a total of 9,300 Coins and take at least 18 hours to grow. Your reward for completing this Goal includes one Mystery Animal Crate, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Staffin' Up
* Chop 30 Oak Trees on a Neighbor's Homestead
* Collect Two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge
* Collect 15 Eerie Gems
By this point, the Goals assume you've already completed the Shaman Lodge, so give the foundation a few whacks (which we imagine will cost Energy and Wood). Once that's complete, a window will appear with what's needed to complete the building, pictured below. Based on previous Goals, we imagine the first three items are requested through News Feed posts, while the latter three are found by asking your friends directly.
Finish your Shaman Lodge
After that's through, visit at least six friends to chop 30 Oak Trees. Collecting two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge will take at least two days. The 15 Eerie Gems will, again, come from your friends. Your rewards for this Goal include a welcome nod to the popular Internet video, the Double Rainbow, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Final Preparations
* Clobber six Snakes
* Harvest 30 Peppermint
* Collect 15 Monsterbane Arrows
Snakes appear most frequently beneath Skulls and Rocks, so try to avoid clobbering any Snakes from collecting Skulls in the first Goal. Peppermint acts more like a fruit tree than a crop, so you can choose to buy all 30, but I wouldn't recommend that. Regardless, this portion of the Goal will take you at least four hours at the very least. The Monsterbane Arrows are sourced from your friends like the Eerie Gems before them. Enjoy a Mystical Charm Totem, 700 XP and 700 Coins for completing this Goal.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you started your Shaman Lodge yet? What do you think these Charms will be used for this Halloween? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
FarmVille Pic(s) of the Day: Master farm artist Nicky Tran
Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're probably wondering why there are so many handsome farms all in one FarmVille Pic of the Day post. Well folks, today is a special day devoted to one very talented farm artist: Nicky Tran. As you can immediately tell, Nicky Tran is a farm artist of the highest caliber. There was no way I was going to be able to choose just one of Nicky's amazing farms to feature. So, I decided to feature them all!
farmville featured farm nicky tranFarmVille designer Nicky Tran is a master of item optical illusions, creating unbelievable 3D surfaces and structures. Not only that, but Nicky carefully selects item themes to prevent their farms from looking to disorderly. However, if I were to go into detail about what makes each one of these such a fantastic farm design, this post would be far too long. So I'm going to let you explore Nicky Tran's farms on your own. Look closely though, there's a lot to see and a lot to appreciate!
Click the images to make them larger!
farmville featured farm of the day nicky tran farmville pic nicky tran
Here's what Nicky Tran had to say about their farms:
First, I'd like to thank you for your compliments! My farms were all inspired by passion. It was that passion that gave me all these ideas for farm designs.
The advice I would give to other upcoming farm artists is to do what's in your mind courageously and boldly. Always do whatever it is you feel like! It was the passion and that understanding that helped me complete these very difficult designs. Once again, I thank you very much. - Nicky Tran
What do you like best about Nicky Tran's farms? Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
farmville featured farm nicky tranFarmVille designer Nicky Tran is a master of item optical illusions, creating unbelievable 3D surfaces and structures. Not only that, but Nicky carefully selects item themes to prevent their farms from looking to disorderly. However, if I were to go into detail about what makes each one of these such a fantastic farm design, this post would be far too long. So I'm going to let you explore Nicky Tran's farms on your own. Look closely though, there's a lot to see and a lot to appreciate!
Click the images to make them larger!
farmville featured farm of the day nicky tran farmville pic nicky tran
Here's what Nicky Tran had to say about their farms:
First, I'd like to thank you for your compliments! My farms were all inspired by passion. It was that passion that gave me all these ideas for farm designs.
The advice I would give to other upcoming farm artists is to do what's in your mind courageously and boldly. Always do whatever it is you feel like! It was the passion and that understanding that helped me complete these very difficult designs. Once again, I thank you very much. - Nicky Tran
What do you like best about Nicky Tran's farms? Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
Using the CityVille Eiffel Tower: Everything you need to know
So, you've finally completed all three CityVille Landmarks required to unlock the Eiffel Tower: The Sailboat Hotel, the Tonga Tower and the French Riviera Casino. Now that the game's first Wonder is yours, just what do you do with it? More importantly, how does it work? Luckily for you, we have the answers. Here's everything you need to know about the Eiffel Tower:
What's This Thing Do?
Once you unlock the Eiffel Tower, building it is as simple as placing it, and then clicking on its foundation to finish it. What the building does essentially is power-up the payouts of all Restaurants, Hotels and other Businesses in your city. More specifically, Wonders triple the payout of Hotels, double the payout of Restaurants and boost other Businesses by 25 percent. However, this effect only lasts for a limited time. In that respect, Wonders are similar to Attractions in the game.
Giving the Shine Treatment
There's no range on the Eiffel Tower--it's bonuses are city-wide. So, place the building wherever you please. Then, click on the building to get it started. Each time you use the Eiffel Tower, it costs you 3 Energy, and the effect lasts for three minutes. You can extend this time with City Cash, which at least grants you with bonus Energy. During that three minutes, any relevant buildings surrounding the Wonder will sparkle, and you must collect from those buildings while the bonuses are in effect.
Eiffel Tower Maitenance
Pushing the Restart Button
After the three minutes are up, your Eiffel Tower will shut down, so to speak. An icon with a key inside will hover above the building. Click it to open a new window in which displays two options. If you want to use the Wonder again immediately, you can ask your friends for six Keys to start it up again, but if you're willing to wait, the Eiffel Tower recharges in 72 hours. In essence, the Eiffel Tower is one massive Attraction, so push the power button and reap the rewards.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you unlocked the Eiffel Tower yet in CityVille? What do you think of Zynga's approach to Wonders? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
What's This Thing Do?
Once you unlock the Eiffel Tower, building it is as simple as placing it, and then clicking on its foundation to finish it. What the building does essentially is power-up the payouts of all Restaurants, Hotels and other Businesses in your city. More specifically, Wonders triple the payout of Hotels, double the payout of Restaurants and boost other Businesses by 25 percent. However, this effect only lasts for a limited time. In that respect, Wonders are similar to Attractions in the game.
Giving the Shine Treatment
There's no range on the Eiffel Tower--it's bonuses are city-wide. So, place the building wherever you please. Then, click on the building to get it started. Each time you use the Eiffel Tower, it costs you 3 Energy, and the effect lasts for three minutes. You can extend this time with City Cash, which at least grants you with bonus Energy. During that three minutes, any relevant buildings surrounding the Wonder will sparkle, and you must collect from those buildings while the bonuses are in effect.
Eiffel Tower Maitenance
Pushing the Restart Button
After the three minutes are up, your Eiffel Tower will shut down, so to speak. An icon with a key inside will hover above the building. Click it to open a new window in which displays two options. If you want to use the Wonder again immediately, you can ask your friends for six Keys to start it up again, but if you're willing to wait, the Eiffel Tower recharges in 72 hours. In essence, the Eiffel Tower is one massive Attraction, so push the power button and reap the rewards.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you unlocked the Eiffel Tower yet in CityVille? What do you think of Zynga's approach to Wonders? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
The Sims Social: Celebrate the last days of summer with new Summer House theme
With the mass popularity of the Sims Social on Facebook, it's no surprise that Playfish / EA are continually adding new decorative items to the game's store, allowing you to personalize your home in new ways. Specifically, this week sees the launch of a "Summer House" theme of items, with items being available for your living room, bedroom and even outdoor areas. There are also plenty of decorative items here to take a look at, so we'll do our best to give you a complete guide to these new items. Check them out!
SolTrain Cubic (Shelving Unit)
* Costs: 35 SimCash
* Value: $5,150
SolTrain Chair (Buildable item)
* Costs: 2,250 coins
* Value: $1,800
SolTrain Kingsize (Bed)
* Costs: 79 SimCash
* Value: $11,700
* Sleep Stat: 11
SolTrain Rays (Lamp)
* Costs: 3 SimCash
* Value: $450
BasketCase Travel (Requires Level 30)
* Value: $350
SolTrain UV Lite
* Costs: 12 SimCash
* Value: $1,750
BasketCase XL (Requires Level 30)
* Value: $600
SolTrain UV XL (Lamp)
* Costs: 22 SimCash
* Value: $3,250
Summer Tones (Painting - requires level 30)
* Value: $750
Woody Divider (Requires Level 24)
* Value: $1,300
SolTrain BagelUp
* Costs: 5 SimCash
* Value: $750
Woody Boxout B (Kitchen cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)
* Value: $1,650
Woody Boxout L (Kitchen Cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)
* Value: $1,650
SolTrain Panama (Outdoor Bed)
* Costs: 49 Sim Cash
* Value: $7,250
SolTrain Snug (Buildable item - requires Level 30)
* Value: $2,200
Palm Tree
* Costs: 1,750 coins
* Value: $1,650
* Happiness Stat: 3
* Social Stat: 3
SolTrain Parasol
* Costs: 59 SimCash
* Value: $8,700
SolTrain Swing (Buildable item - requires Level 30)
* Value: $4,850
* Sleep Stat: 3
UltiMax Top Deck (Stereo)
* Costs: 59 SimCash
* Value: $8,700
* Fun Stat: 5
In addition to all of these items, there's a full set of windows available in the Build menu is a new "Alpine" theme, which consists of a dark tan, almost orange colored frame. Four flooring options are available for either Social Points or (at most) a single SimCash per tile, and the theme is rounded out with a "SolTrain Beach" wallpaper that costs 55 Social Points per square.
As with previously released themes, these Summer House items don't appear to be limited edition; rather, they should be available permanently in the game's store. That being the case, you should be able to save up coins, or Social Points, or have time to purchase SimCash long into the future to create this theme in your home as far into the future as you like. If we see this change, we'll make sure to let you know.
What do you think of these Summer House items in Sims Social? What kinds of items would you like to see released next in the game? Sound off in the comments.
SolTrain Cubic (Shelving Unit)
* Costs: 35 SimCash
* Value: $5,150
SolTrain Chair (Buildable item)
* Costs: 2,250 coins
* Value: $1,800
SolTrain Kingsize (Bed)
* Costs: 79 SimCash
* Value: $11,700
* Sleep Stat: 11
SolTrain Rays (Lamp)
* Costs: 3 SimCash
* Value: $450
BasketCase Travel (Requires Level 30)
* Value: $350
SolTrain UV Lite
* Costs: 12 SimCash
* Value: $1,750
BasketCase XL (Requires Level 30)
* Value: $600
SolTrain UV XL (Lamp)
* Costs: 22 SimCash
* Value: $3,250
Summer Tones (Painting - requires level 30)
* Value: $750
Woody Divider (Requires Level 24)
* Value: $1,300
SolTrain BagelUp
* Costs: 5 SimCash
* Value: $750
Woody Boxout B (Kitchen cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)
* Value: $1,650
Woody Boxout L (Kitchen Cabinet - requires Level 26 - Buildable item)
* Value: $1,650
SolTrain Panama (Outdoor Bed)
* Costs: 49 Sim Cash
* Value: $7,250
SolTrain Snug (Buildable item - requires Level 30)
* Value: $2,200
Palm Tree
* Costs: 1,750 coins
* Value: $1,650
* Happiness Stat: 3
* Social Stat: 3
SolTrain Parasol
* Costs: 59 SimCash
* Value: $8,700
SolTrain Swing (Buildable item - requires Level 30)
* Value: $4,850
* Sleep Stat: 3
UltiMax Top Deck (Stereo)
* Costs: 59 SimCash
* Value: $8,700
* Fun Stat: 5
In addition to all of these items, there's a full set of windows available in the Build menu is a new "Alpine" theme, which consists of a dark tan, almost orange colored frame. Four flooring options are available for either Social Points or (at most) a single SimCash per tile, and the theme is rounded out with a "SolTrain Beach" wallpaper that costs 55 Social Points per square.
As with previously released themes, these Summer House items don't appear to be limited edition; rather, they should be available permanently in the game's store. That being the case, you should be able to save up coins, or Social Points, or have time to purchase SimCash long into the future to create this theme in your home as far into the future as you like. If we see this change, we'll make sure to let you know.
What do you think of these Summer House items in Sims Social? What kinds of items would you like to see released next in the game? Sound off in the comments.
Cafe World Red Phone Booth Goals: Everything you need to know
While we all have plenty of goals on our plate in Cafe World right now, what with the release of not one, but two five-part goal series dealing with the game's two-year anniversary, there's another goal series to complete concerning a Red Phone Booth. To be fair, this trio of goals deals with the two-year anniversary event itself, in that it will give you a bonus on all of the Travel Passes you earn. Remember, collecting more Travel Passes gives you a better opportunity of earning prizes both in-game (stoves and the like) and in the real world (trips to exotic locales). Here's a complete look at the Red Phone Booth goals.
Also, this is another case where the dishes you're asked to serve will likely vary from those listed here. It is impossible for us to predict which dishes each individual user will be required to cook, but for that we apologize.
Phone a Friend 1
* Place Red Phone Booth
* Serve 12 Biscuits of Tomorrow
* Call 3 Friends from your Phone Booth
Luckily, even though the Red Phone Booth is an item we'll place in our cafes, it doesn't need to be built like other items. Instead, you'll be able to look inside it and post messages ("phone calls") to your friends' walls. If they agree to be your Travel Buddy (it looks like you can collect 30 Travel Buddies in all), you'll earn points. As you earn Travel Buddies, you'll unlock items, as seen below:
3 Travel Buddies: Crispy Egg Rolls
6 Travel Buddies: Ivory Lightning Stove
10 Travel Buddies: Pineapple Cake
15 Travel Buddies: Double Travel Passes
Phone a Friend 2
* Call 6 Friends from your Phone Booth
* Spice 10 Neighbors' Stoves
* Serve 10 Napoleon's Napoleon
Remember, if you want to rush your way through this goal series to get back to the main two-year anniversary goals, you can use spices on your own dishes to make them cook faster. You can also check out your Gift Box to make sure you don't have extra servings lying around that you can use to instantly skip any cooking time here.
Phone a Friend 3
* Call 10 Friends from your Phone Booth
* Spice 10 Neighbors' Stoves
* Serve 15 Basil Finger Sandwiches
Again, this goal is fairly self-explanatory; just head inside your Red Phone Booth to post messages to your friends' walls, thus fulfilling the "call" task, and you'll be able to finish this one off basically in the time it takes to cook the dish you're required to. After that's done, you'll be able to celebrate by (hopefully) unlocking the double Travel Passes boost in your cafe, and can go back to completing tasks in the two-year anniversary event. Happy Cooking!
What do you think of these Red Phone Booth goals? Do you think they have a real purpose, or should the Phone Booth have been released without them? Sound off in the comments.
Also, this is another case where the dishes you're asked to serve will likely vary from those listed here. It is impossible for us to predict which dishes each individual user will be required to cook, but for that we apologize.
Phone a Friend 1
* Place Red Phone Booth
* Serve 12 Biscuits of Tomorrow
* Call 3 Friends from your Phone Booth
Luckily, even though the Red Phone Booth is an item we'll place in our cafes, it doesn't need to be built like other items. Instead, you'll be able to look inside it and post messages ("phone calls") to your friends' walls. If they agree to be your Travel Buddy (it looks like you can collect 30 Travel Buddies in all), you'll earn points. As you earn Travel Buddies, you'll unlock items, as seen below:
3 Travel Buddies: Crispy Egg Rolls
6 Travel Buddies: Ivory Lightning Stove
10 Travel Buddies: Pineapple Cake
15 Travel Buddies: Double Travel Passes
Phone a Friend 2
* Call 6 Friends from your Phone Booth
* Spice 10 Neighbors' Stoves
* Serve 10 Napoleon's Napoleon
Remember, if you want to rush your way through this goal series to get back to the main two-year anniversary goals, you can use spices on your own dishes to make them cook faster. You can also check out your Gift Box to make sure you don't have extra servings lying around that you can use to instantly skip any cooking time here.
Phone a Friend 3
* Call 10 Friends from your Phone Booth
* Spice 10 Neighbors' Stoves
* Serve 15 Basil Finger Sandwiches
Again, this goal is fairly self-explanatory; just head inside your Red Phone Booth to post messages to your friends' walls, thus fulfilling the "call" task, and you'll be able to finish this one off basically in the time it takes to cook the dish you're required to. After that's done, you'll be able to celebrate by (hopefully) unlocking the double Travel Passes boost in your cafe, and can go back to completing tasks in the two-year anniversary event. Happy Cooking!
What do you think of these Red Phone Booth goals? Do you think they have a real purpose, or should the Phone Booth have been released without them? Sound off in the comments.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Adventure World rockets to over 9 million players, thanks to promotions
Adventure World Mafia Wars promo
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
FarmVille iOS Update: Sail to Lighthouse Cove on iPhone, iPad
FarmVille for iOS is keeping up with the Joneses. Zynga just released Version 2.3 of FarmVille for iPhone and iPad, a major update that grants access to the brand new Lighthouse Cove expansion. Now, you can take your coastal farming village with you on your iPhone and iPad. The update doesn't contain much else, but let's not look too ungrateful--these updates are rare.
The update also includes "a barn-full of bug fixes and crash fixes," but what's more important is now we can finally hit up Lighthouse Cove on our tiny, touchy screens. To access the new content, just touch options button on the bottom right hand corner of the screen, and then "Travel to..." and Lighthouse Cove. The transition is surprisingly smooth.
However, you need to have already visited Lighthouse Cove on FarmVille for Facebook before you can check it out on your iOS device of choice. The mobile version of Lighthouse Cove even comes with a brand new theme song that sounds decidedly western, oddly enough.
FarmVille iPhone Lighthouse Cove
While you can access all the new crops, animals and trees the expansion has to offer, you won't be able to fix the place up while playing from your iPhone or iPad. Hey, at least you can keep up with things while in line at the grocery store, you know, buying real fruits and vegetables.
Click here to download FarmVille for iOS Version 2.3 Now >
Have you visited Lighthouse Cove through your iPhone or iPad yet? What do you think of how Zynga handles the mobile version of FarmVille? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
The update also includes "a barn-full of bug fixes and crash fixes," but what's more important is now we can finally hit up Lighthouse Cove on our tiny, touchy screens. To access the new content, just touch options button on the bottom right hand corner of the screen, and then "Travel to..." and Lighthouse Cove. The transition is surprisingly smooth.
However, you need to have already visited Lighthouse Cove on FarmVille for Facebook before you can check it out on your iOS device of choice. The mobile version of Lighthouse Cove even comes with a brand new theme song that sounds decidedly western, oddly enough.
FarmVille iPhone Lighthouse Cove
While you can access all the new crops, animals and trees the expansion has to offer, you won't be able to fix the place up while playing from your iPhone or iPad. Hey, at least you can keep up with things while in line at the grocery store, you know, buying real fruits and vegetables.
Click here to download FarmVille for iOS Version 2.3 Now >
Have you visited Lighthouse Cove through your iPhone or iPad yet? What do you think of how Zynga handles the mobile version of FarmVille? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
f8 Developers Conference: Facebook game shares move to the Ticker
Super Mario Facebook Share
You know those annoying pop-ups Facebook displays whenever you try to share something in FarmVille or what have you? Soon, those might be a thing of the past, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook boss announced the change in brief during the f8 Facebook Developers Conference, referring to a particularly hilarious Internet meme.
This change applies to Facebook apps across the board, but, of course, we're concerned with the games. According to Zuckerberg, sharing activity will be directly and automatically published to the News Feed or the Games Ticker, depending on what exactly it is you're sharing. And with that comes the privacy concerns.
Judging from Zuckerberg's brief mention of the change, this would cause apps to inform users upon installation exactly what activity they will automatically share. This information is extremely early, but we imagine that, if developers like Zynga were to implement this change, that players would have the be informed of those changes.
Later in the presentation, Zuckerberg mentioned that games will take even more advantage of the Games Ticker, which launched earlier this summer. The Facebook chief showed an instance in which a friend played the word "TEXT" against another in Words With Friends, which was displayed on the Games Ticker. He then proceeded to mouse over that Ticker notification, and it displayed a snapshot of the game board.
Words with Friends Share
Of course, you could then jump into the game and start a match with either player. In short, the day of the game-stopping share notification will soon be over. In its place, much of the viral sharing in Facebook games seems as if it will take place in the Games Ticker. It appears that these changes have already taken place in Words With Friends.
When these specific changes will take place has yet to be announced, though we imagine much of them will be up to the developers. And if FarmVille players' reactions to when Zynga made similar changes to its flagship game is any indication, we're opinons will be ... mixed. We'll keep you posted.
What do you think of Facebook doing away with the game share notifications, automating them and moving them into the Games Ticker? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
You know those annoying pop-ups Facebook displays whenever you try to share something in FarmVille or what have you? Soon, those might be a thing of the past, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook boss announced the change in brief during the f8 Facebook Developers Conference, referring to a particularly hilarious Internet meme.
This change applies to Facebook apps across the board, but, of course, we're concerned with the games. According to Zuckerberg, sharing activity will be directly and automatically published to the News Feed or the Games Ticker, depending on what exactly it is you're sharing. And with that comes the privacy concerns.
Judging from Zuckerberg's brief mention of the change, this would cause apps to inform users upon installation exactly what activity they will automatically share. This information is extremely early, but we imagine that, if developers like Zynga were to implement this change, that players would have the be informed of those changes.
Later in the presentation, Zuckerberg mentioned that games will take even more advantage of the Games Ticker, which launched earlier this summer. The Facebook chief showed an instance in which a friend played the word "TEXT" against another in Words With Friends, which was displayed on the Games Ticker. He then proceeded to mouse over that Ticker notification, and it displayed a snapshot of the game board.
Words with Friends Share
Of course, you could then jump into the game and start a match with either player. In short, the day of the game-stopping share notification will soon be over. In its place, much of the viral sharing in Facebook games seems as if it will take place in the Games Ticker. It appears that these changes have already taken place in Words With Friends.
When these specific changes will take place has yet to be announced, though we imagine much of them will be up to the developers. And if FarmVille players' reactions to when Zynga made similar changes to its flagship game is any indication, we're opinons will be ... mixed. We'll keep you posted.
What do you think of Facebook doing away with the game share notifications, automating them and moving them into the Games Ticker? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Have fun getting lost in Aliciafay03's farm maze
Don't let the look of this farm fool you. Because the first thing someone would notice about Aliciafay03's FarmVille farm is that she's got "FARM VILLE" spelled out in an outline of red, orange, and blue hay bales, which I know isn't a big whoop. Hay bales as a design element have gotten pretty stale in the landscaping community. Bales are good for spelling out visual shout-outs, portraits, and the occasional fun art (care for a whopper?), but there's rarely any impressive ones anymore. But look closer at Aliciafay03's farm, and you'll realize that it's an interactive maze.
Originally designed to be a cornfield maze, Aliciafay03 was eager to debut her farm for Zynga's official Farm of the Week contest, so she released her entry before the corn had a chance to grow. This is probably better, cause a cornfield would've obscured all the clever lettering. What we know about hay bales is that there's a cheat for players to harvest crops faster by trapping your FarmVille farming avatar in hay bales -- now here's where the interactive part comes in -- so if you click one end of this farm, your avatar can't go anywhere but to run through the maze!
Have you ever played in a real cornfield maze? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
Originally designed to be a cornfield maze, Aliciafay03 was eager to debut her farm for Zynga's official Farm of the Week contest, so she released her entry before the corn had a chance to grow. This is probably better, cause a cornfield would've obscured all the clever lettering. What we know about hay bales is that there's a cheat for players to harvest crops faster by trapping your FarmVille farming avatar in hay bales -- now here's where the interactive part comes in -- so if you click one end of this farm, your avatar can't go anywhere but to run through the maze!
Have you ever played in a real cornfield maze? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
Stadiums full of people become Angry Birds players with Uplause
Could the Angry Birds replace the proverbial demands of "Make Some Noise" at your next baseball game? Maybe not your next one, but soon you could be cheering to fling the irate winged beasts into their plump green enemies. Pocket Gamer reports that Uplause, a Finnish developer of crowd-based games, has rebuilt Angry Birds with its creator, Rovio, into a version controlled by noise.
The self-proclaimed "social game maker for big crowds" has created similar games for use in stadiums for ice hockey games, soccer matches and even music festivals. Over the past summer, Uplause worked with Rovio to create a version of Angry Birds that is controlled using noise as an input device. (Namely, cheering, clapping, stomping and perhaps even booing, we assume.)
"As in the original, there's about a four second period before firing," Uplause CEO Veli-Pekka Marin explained to Pocket Gamer. "For live events, we'd expect each gaming session to take a few minutes." But in that time, thousands of folks will play at the same time. If anything, it's terribly efficient.
While all we know about this seriously social version of Angry Birds is that noise generates power for the game's slingshot, Pocket Gamer guesses that aiming is done automatically. Rovio and Uplause will first test this massive version of Angry Birds at a Formula 1 race taking place in Singapore this weekend, and the company's CMO Peter Vesterbacka sounds excited for its imminent global expansion.
"Through social participation, our fans will get to interact with the Angry Birds in an entirely new way," Vesterbacka said to Pocket Gamer. "We think this new form of gaming will give fans a great opportunity to form a strong emotional connection with the characters." I think Vesterbacka is confusing "emotional connection" with "drunken, crowd-fueled stupor." Check out the video below to get an idea of how it might work. Who knows you might be doing the same thing at the next World Series.
What do you imagine a noise-controlled version of Angry Birds would be like? What other games come to mind when you think of this approach? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
The self-proclaimed "social game maker for big crowds" has created similar games for use in stadiums for ice hockey games, soccer matches and even music festivals. Over the past summer, Uplause worked with Rovio to create a version of Angry Birds that is controlled using noise as an input device. (Namely, cheering, clapping, stomping and perhaps even booing, we assume.)
"As in the original, there's about a four second period before firing," Uplause CEO Veli-Pekka Marin explained to Pocket Gamer. "For live events, we'd expect each gaming session to take a few minutes." But in that time, thousands of folks will play at the same time. If anything, it's terribly efficient.
While all we know about this seriously social version of Angry Birds is that noise generates power for the game's slingshot, Pocket Gamer guesses that aiming is done automatically. Rovio and Uplause will first test this massive version of Angry Birds at a Formula 1 race taking place in Singapore this weekend, and the company's CMO Peter Vesterbacka sounds excited for its imminent global expansion.
"Through social participation, our fans will get to interact with the Angry Birds in an entirely new way," Vesterbacka said to Pocket Gamer. "We think this new form of gaming will give fans a great opportunity to form a strong emotional connection with the characters." I think Vesterbacka is confusing "emotional connection" with "drunken, crowd-fueled stupor." Check out the video below to get an idea of how it might work. Who knows you might be doing the same thing at the next World Series.
What do you imagine a noise-controlled version of Angry Birds would be like? What other games come to mind when you think of this approach? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Saturday, September 24, 2011
My Country on Facebook adds in-depth micromanagement to city building
With the success of CityVille, we've seen a slew of new city-building games released on Facebook in an effort to try and capitalize on the genre's success, which most games falling far short of capturing Zynga's spark. Yet another contender has stepped into the proverbial ring, as 6waves and innoWate have launched My Country on Facebook. My Country looks like an ordinary city-builder, as you're asked to build new businesses and homes, eventually expand your land and continue the process, but there's a real emphasis on complex micro-management, as you'll have to do far more than simply build a business to actually open it for customers.
As an example, let's take a look at the construction and initial operation of a Taxi Stand. Once you pay a chunk of change to start the building's construction, you can pay even more to speed up the process (or wait a few minutes for it to finish automatically). You'll then have to hire a Taxi Driver to actually work there, which requires you to collect profits from other businesses and homes until you receive enough randomly appearing collectible items to hire him (each individual employee requires three collectible items, only some of which can be earned by asking friends). One final step sees you actually starting a contract at the Taxi Stand to earn your first profits. In terms of other businesses, the process is similar, and will see you using the game's collection feature to hire new employees (turn in those collections), rather than the process being automatic.
The animations in My Country are plentiful, and you can alter your town's appearance by painting buildings in colors of your choosing to give it more life. You can even alter the land by adding square of water for lakes or rivers. These touches are greatly appreciated, as the rest of the game almost seems to be too complex for its own good. You'll quickly run through your beginning allowance of $650,000 by purchasing and opening just three businesses (as you'll likely have to upgrade everything to completion to finish the hiring collections for postal workers, businessmen, etc.), and there are some unintuitive menu screens that seem to contain far too much text without any explanation as to how to complete upgrade tasks while you're there.
If you follow along with the game's quest system, you'll learn about adding decorations, and ensuring that your city has enough power by building wind turbines, solar panels, and more to generate electricity. As your population grows, you'll require more and more energy, adding another layer (and another expense) for you to keep track of. Even decorations require you to have certain people working in your town, as you can't have a Pool without hiring a Lifeguard, a Cocktail Bar without a Bartender and so on.
Gallery: My Country on Facebook
If you're interested in a slow-moving title, where you can have as much control over your city as you'd like, My Country would likely satisfy your needs. Just keep in mind that funds are fairly difficult to earn at the start, and you can run out quicker than you might expect with just a single building. There's a lot of promise with My Country, even for its steep learning curve, and with a few adjustments, it just might have what it takes to compete with Zynga's juggernaut. With over 800,000 monthly active users already starting their own countries, it will be interesting to see just how high this one climbs.
Play My Country on Facebook --->
Have you tried My Country on Facebook? What do you think of it? Do you enjoy having a multitude of steps required for each individual business to be built, or do you prefer a more streamlined "one-and-done" scenario? Let us know in the comments.
As an example, let's take a look at the construction and initial operation of a Taxi Stand. Once you pay a chunk of change to start the building's construction, you can pay even more to speed up the process (or wait a few minutes for it to finish automatically). You'll then have to hire a Taxi Driver to actually work there, which requires you to collect profits from other businesses and homes until you receive enough randomly appearing collectible items to hire him (each individual employee requires three collectible items, only some of which can be earned by asking friends). One final step sees you actually starting a contract at the Taxi Stand to earn your first profits. In terms of other businesses, the process is similar, and will see you using the game's collection feature to hire new employees (turn in those collections), rather than the process being automatic.
The animations in My Country are plentiful, and you can alter your town's appearance by painting buildings in colors of your choosing to give it more life. You can even alter the land by adding square of water for lakes or rivers. These touches are greatly appreciated, as the rest of the game almost seems to be too complex for its own good. You'll quickly run through your beginning allowance of $650,000 by purchasing and opening just three businesses (as you'll likely have to upgrade everything to completion to finish the hiring collections for postal workers, businessmen, etc.), and there are some unintuitive menu screens that seem to contain far too much text without any explanation as to how to complete upgrade tasks while you're there.
If you follow along with the game's quest system, you'll learn about adding decorations, and ensuring that your city has enough power by building wind turbines, solar panels, and more to generate electricity. As your population grows, you'll require more and more energy, adding another layer (and another expense) for you to keep track of. Even decorations require you to have certain people working in your town, as you can't have a Pool without hiring a Lifeguard, a Cocktail Bar without a Bartender and so on.
Gallery: My Country on Facebook
If you're interested in a slow-moving title, where you can have as much control over your city as you'd like, My Country would likely satisfy your needs. Just keep in mind that funds are fairly difficult to earn at the start, and you can run out quicker than you might expect with just a single building. There's a lot of promise with My Country, even for its steep learning curve, and with a few adjustments, it just might have what it takes to compete with Zynga's juggernaut. With over 800,000 monthly active users already starting their own countries, it will be interesting to see just how high this one climbs.
Play My Country on Facebook --->
Have you tried My Country on Facebook? What do you think of it? Do you enjoy having a multitude of steps required for each individual business to be built, or do you prefer a more streamlined "one-and-done" scenario? Let us know in the comments.
Ravenwood Fair creator Lolapps joins 6waves to combat big leaguers
In another case of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," social game developer Lolapps has merged with publisher 6waves. While financial details were not disclosed, TechCrunch reports that the marriage of the Ravenwood Fair creator and the Hong Kong-based publisher makes for a collective 39 million monthly players worldwide. The company will be re-branded as 6waves Lolapps, though each company will continue to act independently.
6 waves CEO Rex Ng will lead the newly formed company, and Lolapps CEO Arjun Sethi will report to him. After leading the creation of the 25 million-strong Ravenwood Fair, veteran designer John Romero left the company to create his own studio, Loot Drop. This move will likely help Lolapps' future games reach a wider audience, which now will use the recently-acquired Fliso engine for creating Flash games that run faster.
And if you count the two companies' collectively player base, the duo is larger than Diamond Dash creator Wooga, which enjoys just under 35 million monthly players, according to AppData. Now that EA has acquired PopCap, and Zynga has bought, well, everyone else almost, the big players in the social game space are starting to emerge. The rest of this year will show whether 6waves Lolapps can hang in the Facebook game major leagues.
Do you think Lolapps, with the help of 6waves, can compete with the likes of EA and Zynga in the future? Are you still a fan of Ravenwood Fair, and what do you hope to see come from the game next? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
6 waves CEO Rex Ng will lead the newly formed company, and Lolapps CEO Arjun Sethi will report to him. After leading the creation of the 25 million-strong Ravenwood Fair, veteran designer John Romero left the company to create his own studio, Loot Drop. This move will likely help Lolapps' future games reach a wider audience, which now will use the recently-acquired Fliso engine for creating Flash games that run faster.
And if you count the two companies' collectively player base, the duo is larger than Diamond Dash creator Wooga, which enjoys just under 35 million monthly players, according to AppData. Now that EA has acquired PopCap, and Zynga has bought, well, everyone else almost, the big players in the social game space are starting to emerge. The rest of this year will show whether 6waves Lolapps can hang in the Facebook game major leagues.
Do you think Lolapps, with the help of 6waves, can compete with the likes of EA and Zynga in the future? Are you still a fan of Ravenwood Fair, and what do you hope to see come from the game next? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Adopt and care for a virtual child in Baby & Me on Facebook
While there are plenty of pet simulation games on Facebook (PetVille, Pet Society and Happy Pets, to name just a handful), ModernMom, Grab.com and 6waves Lolapps (phew, what a mouthful) have partnered to create a childcare simulator, that also focuses on the needs of moms. The game is called Baby & Me, and as of this writing, it has climbed to over 1 million monthly active players.
Upon first starting the game, you'll be able to name your child, although it doesn't appear as though you can choose the sex of your baby; rather, the color of the stork's bundle will tell you if you've become the proud parent of a girl or boy. You'll be sent straight into the role of mom with little time to prepare, as your nursery is an absolute wreck, the baby is dirty and you're already a little stressed. You see, the game here is about balancing your work as a mother to your baby, and as a caretaker of your own self, so you can go back and forth between actually interacting with your child and exercising, among other tasks.
First things first, you'll want to take care of your baby. This is done by simply clicking on the child, which zooms in your view for a better look. Individual buttons allow you to change its diaper, give it a bath or feed it, and only after its basic needs have been met will you be able to play games or participate in other activities with the child, like coloring, peek-a-boo and so on. Mini-games are introduced here, as you must use your mouse to wash dirt from your baby's face, or click your mouse in a steady rhythm to burp the baby after it has eaten.
Of course, it still can't be as simple as all that, as you'll also need to craft new diapers and bars of soap, as examples, to actually take care of your child. You'll earn collectibles as you play the game which must be turned in to "craft" these items, as seen in so many other social games, and the better items that you craft, the longer your baby will feel the effects, and the less often you'll have to come back and take care of those same needs. Once it's satisfied, you can even put the baby down for a nap, allowing you up to eight hours (at the start of the game) of peace as the baby sleeps.
On the mother's side of the game, you're given your own special room for "mommy time," where you can watch videos from ModernMom, or purchase luxuries to boost your character's mood. You can exercise, which is an automated process, or you can simply go shopping for something fun (including spa treatments) in the store, using coins you've earned by simply playing the game. You can even change your character's appearance by purchasing new clothing items and accessories.
Gallery: Baby & Me on Facebook
A quest system and an overall town map add even more features to the experience, including an energy bar and more timed events. You'll be able to schedule parties and events at your own home, at the local restaurant and so on, or can spend some energy to travel down to the beach to play hidden object scenes for additional coins and other bonuses.
Rounding out the package are some light social features that see you taking your child to your friends' homes for a play date or even to help them clean up their home, or chatting with other users in real time below the gameplay area.
All in all, Baby & Me seems like the perfect game for moms who love being moms, especially if they've perhaps watched their youngins' grow out of this stage and want to relive some of the better memories. If nothing else, the game contains a surprising amount of depth and aside from a few odd graphical glitches, runs really well. It will just be interesting to see if this specific of a gameplay theme can hold onto this many users in the long run.
Upon first starting the game, you'll be able to name your child, although it doesn't appear as though you can choose the sex of your baby; rather, the color of the stork's bundle will tell you if you've become the proud parent of a girl or boy. You'll be sent straight into the role of mom with little time to prepare, as your nursery is an absolute wreck, the baby is dirty and you're already a little stressed. You see, the game here is about balancing your work as a mother to your baby, and as a caretaker of your own self, so you can go back and forth between actually interacting with your child and exercising, among other tasks.
First things first, you'll want to take care of your baby. This is done by simply clicking on the child, which zooms in your view for a better look. Individual buttons allow you to change its diaper, give it a bath or feed it, and only after its basic needs have been met will you be able to play games or participate in other activities with the child, like coloring, peek-a-boo and so on. Mini-games are introduced here, as you must use your mouse to wash dirt from your baby's face, or click your mouse in a steady rhythm to burp the baby after it has eaten.
Of course, it still can't be as simple as all that, as you'll also need to craft new diapers and bars of soap, as examples, to actually take care of your child. You'll earn collectibles as you play the game which must be turned in to "craft" these items, as seen in so many other social games, and the better items that you craft, the longer your baby will feel the effects, and the less often you'll have to come back and take care of those same needs. Once it's satisfied, you can even put the baby down for a nap, allowing you up to eight hours (at the start of the game) of peace as the baby sleeps.
On the mother's side of the game, you're given your own special room for "mommy time," where you can watch videos from ModernMom, or purchase luxuries to boost your character's mood. You can exercise, which is an automated process, or you can simply go shopping for something fun (including spa treatments) in the store, using coins you've earned by simply playing the game. You can even change your character's appearance by purchasing new clothing items and accessories.
Gallery: Baby & Me on Facebook
A quest system and an overall town map add even more features to the experience, including an energy bar and more timed events. You'll be able to schedule parties and events at your own home, at the local restaurant and so on, or can spend some energy to travel down to the beach to play hidden object scenes for additional coins and other bonuses.
Rounding out the package are some light social features that see you taking your child to your friends' homes for a play date or even to help them clean up their home, or chatting with other users in real time below the gameplay area.
All in all, Baby & Me seems like the perfect game for moms who love being moms, especially if they've perhaps watched their youngins' grow out of this stage and want to relive some of the better memories. If nothing else, the game contains a surprising amount of depth and aside from a few odd graphical glitches, runs really well. It will just be interesting to see if this specific of a gameplay theme can hold onto this many users in the long run.
It's Talk Like a Pirate Day: Play our Top Five pirate Facebook games
Is there any other way to being this feature than with a hearty "Yarrgg?" Probably not. (In fact, let's use this entire introduction to talk like pirates, eh?) In case ye hadn't noticed, mate, today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. So, I ask ye landlubbers, what better way to honor this joyous, silly holiday than with five of the best pirate games around on Facebook?
Avast, ye swabs! Look no further than right here for the five best seafarin' and land lootin' games on Facebook. Oh, right, and remember to click on the headers to jump off the plank right into each Facebook game:
Mighty Pirates
This release (pictured below) by CrowdStar explores the two most important things in a pirate's life: exploring and fighting. Players create, maintain and upgrade their very own vessel of piracy. And it's all in the name of surviving your next fight with your fellow pirate.
Mighty Pirates handles battles in turn-based affairs that add a bit of strategy to burning your enemies to the blue depths. In your off time, explore islands to dig up buried treasure and other resources to boost your ship with.
Mighty Pirates
Treasure Isle
While it may not directly involve pirates, the swashbucklers have invaded the shores of Zynga's island exploration game more times than not. In fact, players can even embark on Voyages with their own vessels, though simply to explore even more. Treasure Isle has players aiming to complete island maps by digging and digging ... and digging. But judging from more experienced players' islands, it certainly pays off. (In other words, there's lots and lots of treasure in it for you.)
Battle Pirates
Want a more ... serious approach to high seas fighting and looting? Then Kixeye certainly has that in spades with Battle Pirates, its strategy Facebook game centered around modern day piracy. (You know, like those bad dudes off the coast of Somalia?) The game plays much like the developer's previous strategy offerings, giving you a week to prepare your base for incoming attack from anyone playing the game. If you want a pirate game that puts the battle first, then look no further.
Battle Pirates
Pirates Saga
In this take on everyone's favorite sea-faring antiheroes, Can't Stop Games focuses almost entirely on your ship. More importantly, it's concerned with how you navigate it through the deep blue sea ... and away from enemy gunfire. Another battle-focused pirates game, Pirates Saga allows players to interact with each other in real time. As you transport cargo and fight back the forces of the infamous Blackbeard, be wary at all times of opposing ships that may or may not be fellow players.
Pirates Saga
Pirate Legacy
A somewhat smaller game than the rest in terms of monthly players, this game by 6waves and Paprika Lab throws a heavy RPG (role-playing game) layer onto the pirate game aesthetic. Pirate Legacy enlists you, a new corsair, to explore the ocean around your home port and hunt for monsters like giant serpents and ghost ships to acquire materials for contractors. Everything about the game is turn-based, giving it an impressive layer of strategy that's a little lighter on the action.
Pirate Legacy
[Lead Image Credit: Disney]
How are you honoring this most awesome Talk Like a Pirate Day? Which of these pirate-themed Facebook games do you like most, and do you know of any you'd personally recommend? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
Avast, ye swabs! Look no further than right here for the five best seafarin' and land lootin' games on Facebook. Oh, right, and remember to click on the headers to jump off the plank right into each Facebook game:
Mighty Pirates
This release (pictured below) by CrowdStar explores the two most important things in a pirate's life: exploring and fighting. Players create, maintain and upgrade their very own vessel of piracy. And it's all in the name of surviving your next fight with your fellow pirate.
Mighty Pirates handles battles in turn-based affairs that add a bit of strategy to burning your enemies to the blue depths. In your off time, explore islands to dig up buried treasure and other resources to boost your ship with.
Mighty Pirates
Treasure Isle
While it may not directly involve pirates, the swashbucklers have invaded the shores of Zynga's island exploration game more times than not. In fact, players can even embark on Voyages with their own vessels, though simply to explore even more. Treasure Isle has players aiming to complete island maps by digging and digging ... and digging. But judging from more experienced players' islands, it certainly pays off. (In other words, there's lots and lots of treasure in it for you.)
Battle Pirates
Want a more ... serious approach to high seas fighting and looting? Then Kixeye certainly has that in spades with Battle Pirates, its strategy Facebook game centered around modern day piracy. (You know, like those bad dudes off the coast of Somalia?) The game plays much like the developer's previous strategy offerings, giving you a week to prepare your base for incoming attack from anyone playing the game. If you want a pirate game that puts the battle first, then look no further.
Battle Pirates
Pirates Saga
In this take on everyone's favorite sea-faring antiheroes, Can't Stop Games focuses almost entirely on your ship. More importantly, it's concerned with how you navigate it through the deep blue sea ... and away from enemy gunfire. Another battle-focused pirates game, Pirates Saga allows players to interact with each other in real time. As you transport cargo and fight back the forces of the infamous Blackbeard, be wary at all times of opposing ships that may or may not be fellow players.
Pirates Saga
Pirate Legacy
A somewhat smaller game than the rest in terms of monthly players, this game by 6waves and Paprika Lab throws a heavy RPG (role-playing game) layer onto the pirate game aesthetic. Pirate Legacy enlists you, a new corsair, to explore the ocean around your home port and hunt for monsters like giant serpents and ghost ships to acquire materials for contractors. Everything about the game is turn-based, giving it an impressive layer of strategy that's a little lighter on the action.
Pirate Legacy
[Lead Image Credit: Disney]
How are you honoring this most awesome Talk Like a Pirate Day? Which of these pirate-themed Facebook games do you like most, and do you know of any you'd personally recommend? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
6waves Lolapps puts up $10 million for indie social game developers
Is 6waves Lolapps looking to find the next FarmVille? It's possible, but what's more important is that the new found publisher-meets-developer duo is looking to give the little guy a chance. The company just announced that it has raised $10 million in what it calls the 6L Fund. With it, the publisher will grant independent social and mobile game creators the financial resources and support they need to (hopefully) create the next big thing on Facebook or elsewhere.
"There are game teams at all stages in the creative process that have fresh and potentially groundbreaking ideas," said SVP of Publishing at 6waves Lolapps Jim Ying in a statement. "With the capital and the resources that only 6waves Lolapps can deliver, they could help shape the future of social gaming."
The resources Ying referred to include cross promotion, funded user acquisition (essentially paying for more players through advertising), product management, localization, hosting, and the FLISO Game Engine. The latter is enhanced Flash--software game developers commonly use to create Facebook games--technology acquired by 6waves earlier this year.
Independent developers might want to bite, considering that 6waves Lolapps reaches about 38 million collective monthly players, according to AppData--that technically puts the company just under Diamond Dash maker wooga's over 41 million monthly players. Most importantly, this potentially gives indie social game makers a chance on Facebook, which some argue has otherwise all but dried up.
Starting Sept. 27, developers can submit their applications for the 6L Fund, and hopefully we'll see the fruits of their labor sometime next year. Who knows, maybe it's time for another indie developer to enjoy wild success. Just think, what was Rovio before Angry Birds?
What do you think of 6waves Lolapps looking to indie game creators for the next social or mobile hit? Do you think this strategy could result in the next big Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"There are game teams at all stages in the creative process that have fresh and potentially groundbreaking ideas," said SVP of Publishing at 6waves Lolapps Jim Ying in a statement. "With the capital and the resources that only 6waves Lolapps can deliver, they could help shape the future of social gaming."
The resources Ying referred to include cross promotion, funded user acquisition (essentially paying for more players through advertising), product management, localization, hosting, and the FLISO Game Engine. The latter is enhanced Flash--software game developers commonly use to create Facebook games--technology acquired by 6waves earlier this year.
Independent developers might want to bite, considering that 6waves Lolapps reaches about 38 million collective monthly players, according to AppData--that technically puts the company just under Diamond Dash maker wooga's over 41 million monthly players. Most importantly, this potentially gives indie social game makers a chance on Facebook, which some argue has otherwise all but dried up.
Starting Sept. 27, developers can submit their applications for the 6L Fund, and hopefully we'll see the fruits of their labor sometime next year. Who knows, maybe it's time for another indie developer to enjoy wild success. Just think, what was Rovio before Angry Birds?
What do you think of 6waves Lolapps looking to indie game creators for the next social or mobile hit? Do you think this strategy could result in the next big Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
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