Just as the Village Map was revealed yesterday (spoilers!), Zynga released the Dairy Farm for all to see on the English Countryside. Well, at least it released the Goals to unlock and build your own Milk Machines in FarmVille. There is a series of four Goals that will grant you with a Dairy Farm, if you help Lily with her list of problems. There's always got to be problems.
1. How Dairy You
Get a new Cow
Harvest 100 Bluebells
How Dairy You
To get a new Cow, either just click on the button within the Goal window or head to the Market--they go for an easy 300 coins. Then, harvesting 100 Bluebells will cost 12 thousand coins and take at least 12 hours if you can plant them all at once. Complete this Goal to receive your very own Dairy Farm, 100 XP and 2,500 coins.
2. Say Cheese
Get 6 Cheese Cultures
Collect from your Dairy Farm twice
Say Cheese
Another simple Goal, these Cheese Cultures can be requested right from the Goal's menu window for your friends to answer. The second requirement will take some time as the cool down on collecting from buildings is considerable. Regardless, finishing this Goal will reward you with 200 XP, 5,000 coins and a Shorthorn Cow.
3. Showing Off
Achieve one Mastery Tier of Bluebells
Use a Combine 50 times
Expand the farm to 16x16
Showing Off
Now, things begin to get interesting, if a challenge is interesting to you. To achieve Bluebell Mastery, just keep plantin', but remember to use the Combine when you do to kill two birds with one stone. However, Fuel is tough to come by these days, so let's hope Zynga tweaks this second requirement. The 16x16 expansion to a Family Farm costs an insane 50 thousand coins, but the return on mastering Bluebells even just once should help a great deal in raising the money for this. You'll be rewarded with 7,500 coins, 300 XP and five Vehicle Parts.
4. Saving Dr. Fluffy
Visit 6 Neighbors
Get 6 Electric Torches
Harvest 100 Radishes
Saving Dr. Fluffy
In this fourth and final Goal, the requirements are surprisingly simple. First, just plant those 100 Radishes, which will cost you 9,000 coins and take 18 hours at the very least. Then, go off and visit your friends and request for Electronic Torches through the Goal's menu. Finally, this Goal will reward your success with the coveted Sheep Pen for your home farm, 500 XP and a Bunny to bounce around your farm.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you tried these Goals yet? What tips do you have for completing them even faster?
Friday, December 30, 2011
CityVille Cruise Ship Goals: Everything you need to know
CityVille Cruise Ship Goals
The next major CityVille update has arrived in the form of luxury and adventure: Cruise Ships. This brand new feature will appear in a series of Goals, but will ultimately bring more tourists to your cities and speed up your Businesses. (With fireworks and everything!) Tourism Director Dan will guide you in creating your CityVille City Port and later sending off Cruise Ships. Join us behind the break to find out how. (Warning: You must be Level 20 or above to start these Goals.)
This new feature spans across four Goals, and as the City Port is brand new, this information is extremely early and subject to change. Let's start with the Goals:
City Port1. Unlock Cruise Ships
Place a City Port
Place four Decorations near the City Port
Place three Businesses near the City Port
Upon accepting the first Goal, the City Port will appear in your inventory. Take it from there and place it near water, otherwise you will not be able to build it. After putting that down, either purchase or move four Decorations and three Businesses to surround the City Port. For completing this simple Goal, you'll receive Sunglasses, one of the items required to finish the City Port.
2. Tourists in Sight
Get 5 Tourism Pamphlets
Send 5 Tour Buses
The Tourism Pamphlets will come from your friends after requesting them through the Goal's menu. All the while, just visit one friend and use all five Helps to send Tour Buses to their Businesses. This Goal will be done in no time, and you'll win a nifty Robot Street Performer for doing it.
Waterfront Condo3. Port Time
Grow your Population by 250
Finish the City Port
Growing your population is as easy as throwing together another Community Building like a Bank or one of the newer additions. (Unless you want to drop 2 million in coins on a fancy Landmark.) To finish the City Port, check out the details later on in this guide. Finishing this Goal will reward you with a measly 50 Goods.
4. Ready to Dock
Have 1,000 Goods
Unload three Cruise Ships
Now that you've already built the City Port, which we'll cover in detail below, it's time to finish this series. Conserve your Goods and make sure you have 1,000 before completing this second requirement, which requires you to unload your ship three times. Do this and a Beachfront Condo, a home with 150 population and 230 coins as rent per day, is yours.
Finish Your City Port
Building and Using the City Port
As you likely already figured out (we hope), these Goals revolve around the City Port. This new item will appear in your inventory after starting the first Goal. Take it out from there and place it near water. Then, click it seven times to finish the foundation of the building. Then, a menu window will open just like any other Community Building, requiring five items to finish the City Port:
2 2x4
8 Sunglasses
8 Dec Chairs
2 Whistles
8 Visors
Cruise Ship Passenger ArrivalOnce you acquire all 28 items in total, the City Port will finally be operational. Collect from the City Port like any other Community Building every 12 hours. Not only coins and XP will appear, but legions of tourists ready to spend money. When more tourists arrive, a fireworks show will play upon arrival. Every time you want to send for tourists, it will cost 300 Goods, but the City Port will pay out 1,350 coins every time new tourists arrive.
Unfortunately, you must stick around the city while tourists shop, as they might disappear if you close the game or visit a friend immediately after accepting the folks into your city. The idea is to use the tourists to speed up the production of your Businesses, resulting in more coins and XP in the end. Tip: Make sure your Businesses are all fully stocked before unloading tourists to maximize the benefits.
[Source and Image Credits: CityVille Goals and Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you seen these Goals in your game yet?
The next major CityVille update has arrived in the form of luxury and adventure: Cruise Ships. This brand new feature will appear in a series of Goals, but will ultimately bring more tourists to your cities and speed up your Businesses. (With fireworks and everything!) Tourism Director Dan will guide you in creating your CityVille City Port and later sending off Cruise Ships. Join us behind the break to find out how. (Warning: You must be Level 20 or above to start these Goals.)
This new feature spans across four Goals, and as the City Port is brand new, this information is extremely early and subject to change. Let's start with the Goals:
City Port1. Unlock Cruise Ships
Place a City Port
Place four Decorations near the City Port
Place three Businesses near the City Port
Upon accepting the first Goal, the City Port will appear in your inventory. Take it from there and place it near water, otherwise you will not be able to build it. After putting that down, either purchase or move four Decorations and three Businesses to surround the City Port. For completing this simple Goal, you'll receive Sunglasses, one of the items required to finish the City Port.
2. Tourists in Sight
Get 5 Tourism Pamphlets
Send 5 Tour Buses
The Tourism Pamphlets will come from your friends after requesting them through the Goal's menu. All the while, just visit one friend and use all five Helps to send Tour Buses to their Businesses. This Goal will be done in no time, and you'll win a nifty Robot Street Performer for doing it.
Waterfront Condo3. Port Time
Grow your Population by 250
Finish the City Port
Growing your population is as easy as throwing together another Community Building like a Bank or one of the newer additions. (Unless you want to drop 2 million in coins on a fancy Landmark.) To finish the City Port, check out the details later on in this guide. Finishing this Goal will reward you with a measly 50 Goods.
4. Ready to Dock
Have 1,000 Goods
Unload three Cruise Ships
Now that you've already built the City Port, which we'll cover in detail below, it's time to finish this series. Conserve your Goods and make sure you have 1,000 before completing this second requirement, which requires you to unload your ship three times. Do this and a Beachfront Condo, a home with 150 population and 230 coins as rent per day, is yours.
Finish Your City Port
Building and Using the City Port
As you likely already figured out (we hope), these Goals revolve around the City Port. This new item will appear in your inventory after starting the first Goal. Take it out from there and place it near water. Then, click it seven times to finish the foundation of the building. Then, a menu window will open just like any other Community Building, requiring five items to finish the City Port:
2 2x4
8 Sunglasses
8 Dec Chairs
2 Whistles
8 Visors
Cruise Ship Passenger ArrivalOnce you acquire all 28 items in total, the City Port will finally be operational. Collect from the City Port like any other Community Building every 12 hours. Not only coins and XP will appear, but legions of tourists ready to spend money. When more tourists arrive, a fireworks show will play upon arrival. Every time you want to send for tourists, it will cost 300 Goods, but the City Port will pay out 1,350 coins every time new tourists arrive.
Unfortunately, you must stick around the city while tourists shop, as they might disappear if you close the game or visit a friend immediately after accepting the folks into your city. The idea is to use the tourists to speed up the production of your Businesses, resulting in more coins and XP in the end. Tip: Make sure your Businesses are all fully stocked before unloading tourists to maximize the benefits.
[Source and Image Credits: CityVille Goals and Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you seen these Goals in your game yet?
FarmVille English Countryside Dig Site Goals: Everything you need to know
As if milking cows isn't a dirty-enough gig, it's time to get them dirty literally with the next set of Goals to the new FarmVille, the English Countryside. In these Goals, players will meet the illustrious Professor Milton of Drummund Institute Royal Tutor Society as he searches for rare artifacts. It's time get all Indiana Jones up in FarmVille--with less whip and more digging, unfortunately.
1. Dig It
Plow 100 Plots of farmland
Fertilize 25 Neighbor Crops (Total)
Dig It
Plowing 100 new Plots should be easy enough given the nice amount of room you have thanks to helping Lily out in the Dairy Farm. Fertilizing neighbor crops shouldn't be terribly difficult, but it will take at least five total visits to complete. Finish this Goal and enjoy 2,500 coins, 100 XP and an Ancient Cow Statue, as if you could do anything with that.
2. Book 'Em
Get 6 Old Books
Buy and Place one Storage Cellar
Book 'Em
Getting the Old Books is simple: Just use the "Ask Friends" button within the Goal window. Then, the Storage Cellar can be purchased directly from the Goal window or through the Market for a measly single coin. We imagine this is because it's attached to a Goal, but it could just as easily be a bug. The new Storage Cellar acts as a permanent gifting event like the Duck Pond or new English Wishing Well. Completing this Goal will reward you with 3,000 coins, 200 XP and an Ancient Duck Statue.
3. Past Pursuits
Harvest 100 Hops
Fertilize 25 Neighbor Crops (Total)
Past Pursuits
Again, you'll have to visit at least five friends to fertilize 25 crops total. This will be convenient especially when waiting for the 100 Hops you planted, which will cost 15 thousand coins and take at least 10 hours. Complete this simple Goal and 5,000 coins, 300 XP and Knight Armor, an Avatar costume, are yours.
4. Ancient Methods
Achieve Level 1 Hops Mastery
Harvest 50 Barley
Ancient Methods
This Goal will prove more time consuming, as you must master Hops to at least Tier 1, which will take 780 total harvests. The 50 Barley will cost you 8,000 coins and take at least 12 hours to harvest. Other than achieving Mastery, there isn't much else to this simple-yet-difficult Goal. Finish it to receive 7,500 coins, 400 XP and 5 Farm Cash.
5. Drinking in History
Harvest 50 Royal Hops
Make three Lionhead Ales
Drinking in History
After discovering the Royal Hops (since when do we need archeology to find new crops?), it's time to harvest them and put them to good use. The 50 Royal Hops will cost 12 thousand coins and take at least 10 hours to harvest. To learn how to make the Lionhead Ale recipe, check out our guide right here. Finally, this series is over, and for your hard work enjoy 500 XP, one Museum and a Double Mastery, which, well grants double Mastery for all crops. Yeah, I'd say these long Goals are worth it.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
How far along are you in these Goals? Do you have any tips for completing them any faster?
1. Dig It
Plow 100 Plots of farmland
Fertilize 25 Neighbor Crops (Total)
Dig It
Plowing 100 new Plots should be easy enough given the nice amount of room you have thanks to helping Lily out in the Dairy Farm. Fertilizing neighbor crops shouldn't be terribly difficult, but it will take at least five total visits to complete. Finish this Goal and enjoy 2,500 coins, 100 XP and an Ancient Cow Statue, as if you could do anything with that.
2. Book 'Em
Get 6 Old Books
Buy and Place one Storage Cellar
Book 'Em
Getting the Old Books is simple: Just use the "Ask Friends" button within the Goal window. Then, the Storage Cellar can be purchased directly from the Goal window or through the Market for a measly single coin. We imagine this is because it's attached to a Goal, but it could just as easily be a bug. The new Storage Cellar acts as a permanent gifting event like the Duck Pond or new English Wishing Well. Completing this Goal will reward you with 3,000 coins, 200 XP and an Ancient Duck Statue.
3. Past Pursuits
Harvest 100 Hops
Fertilize 25 Neighbor Crops (Total)
Past Pursuits
Again, you'll have to visit at least five friends to fertilize 25 crops total. This will be convenient especially when waiting for the 100 Hops you planted, which will cost 15 thousand coins and take at least 10 hours. Complete this simple Goal and 5,000 coins, 300 XP and Knight Armor, an Avatar costume, are yours.
4. Ancient Methods
Achieve Level 1 Hops Mastery
Harvest 50 Barley
Ancient Methods
This Goal will prove more time consuming, as you must master Hops to at least Tier 1, which will take 780 total harvests. The 50 Barley will cost you 8,000 coins and take at least 12 hours to harvest. Other than achieving Mastery, there isn't much else to this simple-yet-difficult Goal. Finish it to receive 7,500 coins, 400 XP and 5 Farm Cash.
5. Drinking in History
Harvest 50 Royal Hops
Make three Lionhead Ales
Drinking in History
After discovering the Royal Hops (since when do we need archeology to find new crops?), it's time to harvest them and put them to good use. The 50 Royal Hops will cost 12 thousand coins and take at least 10 hours to harvest. To learn how to make the Lionhead Ale recipe, check out our guide right here. Finally, this series is over, and for your hard work enjoy 500 XP, one Museum and a Double Mastery, which, well grants double Mastery for all crops. Yeah, I'd say these long Goals are worth it.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
How far along are you in these Goals? Do you have any tips for completing them any faster?
Playfish closing Pirates Ahoy!, Gangster City and Poker Rivals in June
Update: To lighten the blow, Playfish is giving 5 Monopoly Gold to all new Monopoly Millionaires players. Check behind the break for more information.
And down the blade comes. Playfish announced recently on its forums that three of its games, Pirates Ahoy!, Gangster City and Poker Rivals will all shut down this June 7th. Admittedly, it explains why some of these games have had next to zero activity (ahem, Pirates), but is a loss nonetheless. Playfish forum representative Bevypoo said, "Regretfully, those games are no longer performing at a level in which they can continue to be supported and therefore we had to make this difficult decision," to explain the reason behind the closures.
The representative was quick to publish a FAQ page for the unfortunate news, which explains that players' existing Playfish Cash balances will not be affected. You can also still spend your virtual dollars in the three doomed games, but, sadly, why bother. She went on to mention that while the forums for said game will still be live after the games go kaput, they won't be for longer than 30 days afterward.
Our best wishes go out to the teams involved in creating and maintaining these three games--it must be a bummer to see your work end like this. Well gamers, there are always Monopoly Millionaires and World Series Superstars to try out. If you're looking for a pirate fix, try Mighty Pirates by CrowdStar or Pirates Saga on for size.
[Image Credit: Florida Center for Instructional Technology]
And down the blade comes. Playfish announced recently on its forums that three of its games, Pirates Ahoy!, Gangster City and Poker Rivals will all shut down this June 7th. Admittedly, it explains why some of these games have had next to zero activity (ahem, Pirates), but is a loss nonetheless. Playfish forum representative Bevypoo said, "Regretfully, those games are no longer performing at a level in which they can continue to be supported and therefore we had to make this difficult decision," to explain the reason behind the closures.
The representative was quick to publish a FAQ page for the unfortunate news, which explains that players' existing Playfish Cash balances will not be affected. You can also still spend your virtual dollars in the three doomed games, but, sadly, why bother. She went on to mention that while the forums for said game will still be live after the games go kaput, they won't be for longer than 30 days afterward.
Our best wishes go out to the teams involved in creating and maintaining these three games--it must be a bummer to see your work end like this. Well gamers, there are always Monopoly Millionaires and World Series Superstars to try out. If you're looking for a pirate fix, try Mighty Pirates by CrowdStar or Pirates Saga on for size.
[Image Credit: Florida Center for Instructional Technology]
FarmVille: Pile of Snow gifts either hilarious prank or potential glitch
While it's a little late for April Fools, Zynga has played a potential prank on unsuspecting farmers in FarmVille. Players have reported to FarmVille Freak that they're receiving Piles of Snow in return for responding to help requests through the Facebook News Feed. Players have been asking for help like mad in their quests to restore the English Countryside, which has lead to helpful players getting buried in, well, snow. Again, it's unsure as to whether it's intentional as a joke or just a programming glitch. But considering how Zynga should know their fans' temperament, we're going with the latter.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you received a Pile of Snow thanks to a News Feed request recently? Did you think the glitch is funny or has it disrupted your play?
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you received a Pile of Snow thanks to a News Feed request recently? Did you think the glitch is funny or has it disrupted your play?
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
FarmVille Sneak Peek: English Countryside Pig Pen, Knight Shop, Lion Statue and much more
With this latest set of unreleased item images from FarmVille, we have come across something that will likely excite the farmers that may be waiting to add all of the available animal buildings to their second farms in the English Countryside because they aren't in the dark brown and grey theme. This will all change for one animal in the near future, as we've found the makings of the English Countryside Pig Pen, which will be built in three stages, likely with Bricks, Wooden Boards, and Nails.
There are other new buildings coming to the game, like the Spring Watermill, Castle Tower, and Knight Shop seen above, but these items are just decorations, rather than anything functional. These too (well, most of these items) will likely be coming to the game's English Countryside, which will be the first set of true decorative items we've seen released in the theme since the Royal Wedding fever took over last week.
But that's not all! There's a whole set of regular decorations that will be released as well! Meet us behind the break to see what they are.
As promised, there are a whopping nine other items to take a look at here, with these items looking to be a part of quite a few themes. There are some English Countryside items, along with some items that may be released in a general "Spring" theme. From left to right in the image below, the items are: White Cherry Blossom Tree (decoration only), Citrus Archway, Flowery Cow Topiary, Crate of Berries, Wheat Scarecrow, Lion Statue, Castle Wall, Black Knight Gnome, and Gourd Gnome.
Personally, the Gourd Gnome may be one of the cutest things I've ever seen. It's just a shame that it will likely be released for 15 Farm Cash or more when it launches. As for the other items, I'd make a wager that the Black Knight Gnome and Wheat Scarecrow will also be Farm Cash items, while those like the Crate of Berries will likely cost a few thousand coins each.
Either way, we'll make sure to bring you the final prices and details about all of these items as soon as they launch in the game, which might be as early as this weekend. Keep checking back for more, and for now - Happy Farming!
There are other new buildings coming to the game, like the Spring Watermill, Castle Tower, and Knight Shop seen above, but these items are just decorations, rather than anything functional. These too (well, most of these items) will likely be coming to the game's English Countryside, which will be the first set of true decorative items we've seen released in the theme since the Royal Wedding fever took over last week.
But that's not all! There's a whole set of regular decorations that will be released as well! Meet us behind the break to see what they are.
As promised, there are a whopping nine other items to take a look at here, with these items looking to be a part of quite a few themes. There are some English Countryside items, along with some items that may be released in a general "Spring" theme. From left to right in the image below, the items are: White Cherry Blossom Tree (decoration only), Citrus Archway, Flowery Cow Topiary, Crate of Berries, Wheat Scarecrow, Lion Statue, Castle Wall, Black Knight Gnome, and Gourd Gnome.
Personally, the Gourd Gnome may be one of the cutest things I've ever seen. It's just a shame that it will likely be released for 15 Farm Cash or more when it launches. As for the other items, I'd make a wager that the Black Knight Gnome and Wheat Scarecrow will also be Farm Cash items, while those like the Crate of Berries will likely cost a few thousand coins each.
Either way, we'll make sure to bring you the final prices and details about all of these items as soon as they launch in the game, which might be as early as this weekend. Keep checking back for more, and for now - Happy Farming!
FarmVille English Countryside Co-Op Farming Jobs: Everything you need to know
If you've found yourself longing for some lengthy farming jobs with your friends in FarmVille's English Countryside, wait no longer, as three new Co-Op Farming Jobs have been added to the game this week. Two of these jobs are required to finish Chapters 6 & 7 of the English Countryside goals, dealing with the Village Faire and Henry's love for Lucy, but if you're looking for a complete guide to all three jobs, start right here.
First things first, these jobs function just as Co-Op Farming Jobs on your original farm, and can be started by hovering on the village map in the lower-right corner of the game's menu and then clicking on the Co-Op Farming icon that appears. You'll only have a limited amount of time to finish each job to receive the appropriate awards, and you'll be able to bring you friends in on the job with you, with their farming also being added to the overall tally.
We'll start with the Cornflower Contingency Job, which can be found behind the break.
The Cornflower Contingency:
Goal: Seed and harvest 1200 Cornflower, which can be planted for 60 coins and harvested for 110 coins 16 hours later.
Rewards:
Gold: Finish in under 18 hours and 59 minutes to receive 575 coins, 575 XP and the Cornflower Pot decoration
Silver: Finish in under 1 days and 4 hours to receive 500 coins and 500 XP
Bronze: Finish in under 2 days to receive 425 coins and 450 XP
The Great Rabbit Caper:
Goal: Seed and harvest 700 Radishes and 700 Turnips. Radishes are planted for 90 coins per square and can be harvested after 18 hours, while Turnips take 16 hours to grow after you plant them for 160 coins per square.
Rewards:
Gold: Finish in under 1 day and 10 hours to receive 950 coins, 950 XP and a Brown Spot Rabbit
Silver: Finish in under 2 days and 4 hours to receive 825 coins and 825 XP
Bronze: Finish in under 3 days and 15 hours to receive 700 coins and 700 XP
The Amazing Asters:
Goal: Seed and harvest 1200 Pink Asters, which are planted for 50 coins and are ready to harvest after one full day of growing.
Rewards:
Gold: Finish in under 18 hours and 59 minutes to receive 575 coins, 575 XP and a Love Potion
Silver: Finish in under 1 day and 4 hours to receive 500 coins and 500 XP
Bronze: Finish in under 2 days to receive 425 coins and 450 XP
Should you run out of time to complete a job, remember that you can purchase extra time for Farm Cash. Whether or not that's really wise will be up to you, as you might be able to more easily start over with help from more friends and finish in time... for free.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you started working on any of these English Countryside Co-Op Farming Jobs? Do you think they're more difficult than the jobs already available on the Home Farm?
First things first, these jobs function just as Co-Op Farming Jobs on your original farm, and can be started by hovering on the village map in the lower-right corner of the game's menu and then clicking on the Co-Op Farming icon that appears. You'll only have a limited amount of time to finish each job to receive the appropriate awards, and you'll be able to bring you friends in on the job with you, with their farming also being added to the overall tally.
We'll start with the Cornflower Contingency Job, which can be found behind the break.
The Cornflower Contingency:
Goal: Seed and harvest 1200 Cornflower, which can be planted for 60 coins and harvested for 110 coins 16 hours later.
Rewards:
Gold: Finish in under 18 hours and 59 minutes to receive 575 coins, 575 XP and the Cornflower Pot decoration
Silver: Finish in under 1 days and 4 hours to receive 500 coins and 500 XP
Bronze: Finish in under 2 days to receive 425 coins and 450 XP
The Great Rabbit Caper:
Goal: Seed and harvest 700 Radishes and 700 Turnips. Radishes are planted for 90 coins per square and can be harvested after 18 hours, while Turnips take 16 hours to grow after you plant them for 160 coins per square.
Rewards:
Gold: Finish in under 1 day and 10 hours to receive 950 coins, 950 XP and a Brown Spot Rabbit
Silver: Finish in under 2 days and 4 hours to receive 825 coins and 825 XP
Bronze: Finish in under 3 days and 15 hours to receive 700 coins and 700 XP
The Amazing Asters:
Goal: Seed and harvest 1200 Pink Asters, which are planted for 50 coins and are ready to harvest after one full day of growing.
Rewards:
Gold: Finish in under 18 hours and 59 minutes to receive 575 coins, 575 XP and a Love Potion
Silver: Finish in under 1 day and 4 hours to receive 500 coins and 500 XP
Bronze: Finish in under 2 days to receive 425 coins and 450 XP
Should you run out of time to complete a job, remember that you can purchase extra time for Farm Cash. Whether or not that's really wise will be up to you, as you might be able to more easily start over with help from more friends and finish in time... for free.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you started working on any of these English Countryside Co-Op Farming Jobs? Do you think they're more difficult than the jobs already available on the Home Farm?
Building and expanding your Zoo in CityVille: Everything you need to know
While we already brought you a complete guide to the new Zoo Goals in CityVille, the building itself has been released officially in the game this week, and we've got all of the info you need to bring in the tourists with your habitats full of wild creatures! The Zoo is acquired at level 17 or higher, and you'll start with just a basic Habitat, being given to you Karen, a new character (and animal lover) in the game.
The Habitat is a square item, requiring six energy to build. Building it will complete one part of the first Zoo Goal, which should be noted only has two of the three tasks required that we initially believed. You'll only need to build the Jungle Habitat and then Place a Jungle Animal to finish the goal. To "place" the Jungle Animal, you'll need to click on your Zoo to be taken to the building's interior, as seen at the top of this post. You'll be given an animal for free (it can be random), and can place the animal into your Zoo by simply clicking on the "Place" button underneath it.
As the Zoo is basically a glorified collection feature, you'll need to collect a set of Jungle animals before being able to unlock other "habitats" within the Zoo. To collect more animals, you'll be able to post simple news feed requests for new animals. If your friends help you, they'll have a chance of receiving an animal as well, but you can only ask for more animals every eight hours. For each new animal you collect, you'll receive an increase to the Zoo's payout, with the Zoo working as any other business. That is, the Zoo has a built-in timer, and when the timer runs down, you'll collect the profits from your Zoo, resetting the timer.
While you may be satisfied with the way your Jungle Habitat looks on its own, as you complete the Zoo goals, you'll also have a chance of unlocking zoo-specific decorative items. The first item, for instance, is the TIcket Booth, which is an entirely separate item, with its own (large) footprint, that must be placed next to the Zoo to have any real effect. These types of decorations will only interact with the Zoo, and therefore must be placed within the same general area. In our example, the Ticket Booth adds an 11% bonus to your current Zoo payout.
As for the other zoo-themed items released, they are split between those that work as the Ticket Booth, only giving a bonus to the Zoo, and those that work as stand-alone businesses. The businesses are the Zoo Cafeteria and the Zoo Gift Shop. The Cafeteria costs 6,000 coins, requires 130 Goods and offers 585 coins when the Goods are used. Meanwhile, the Gift Shop costs less at 5,500 coins, and only requires 80 Goods to function. You'll gain 352 coins by default each time the Goods are used.
So far, the only other habitat available to unlock in the Zoo is the Savannah Habitat, but an in-game menu confirms that more are coming soon. We'll make sure to let you know when other animals are added to the Zoo, but for now, start asking your friends for these Jungle animals to start your Zoo off with a bang!
The Habitat is a square item, requiring six energy to build. Building it will complete one part of the first Zoo Goal, which should be noted only has two of the three tasks required that we initially believed. You'll only need to build the Jungle Habitat and then Place a Jungle Animal to finish the goal. To "place" the Jungle Animal, you'll need to click on your Zoo to be taken to the building's interior, as seen at the top of this post. You'll be given an animal for free (it can be random), and can place the animal into your Zoo by simply clicking on the "Place" button underneath it.
As the Zoo is basically a glorified collection feature, you'll need to collect a set of Jungle animals before being able to unlock other "habitats" within the Zoo. To collect more animals, you'll be able to post simple news feed requests for new animals. If your friends help you, they'll have a chance of receiving an animal as well, but you can only ask for more animals every eight hours. For each new animal you collect, you'll receive an increase to the Zoo's payout, with the Zoo working as any other business. That is, the Zoo has a built-in timer, and when the timer runs down, you'll collect the profits from your Zoo, resetting the timer.
While you may be satisfied with the way your Jungle Habitat looks on its own, as you complete the Zoo goals, you'll also have a chance of unlocking zoo-specific decorative items. The first item, for instance, is the TIcket Booth, which is an entirely separate item, with its own (large) footprint, that must be placed next to the Zoo to have any real effect. These types of decorations will only interact with the Zoo, and therefore must be placed within the same general area. In our example, the Ticket Booth adds an 11% bonus to your current Zoo payout.
As for the other zoo-themed items released, they are split between those that work as the Ticket Booth, only giving a bonus to the Zoo, and those that work as stand-alone businesses. The businesses are the Zoo Cafeteria and the Zoo Gift Shop. The Cafeteria costs 6,000 coins, requires 130 Goods and offers 585 coins when the Goods are used. Meanwhile, the Gift Shop costs less at 5,500 coins, and only requires 80 Goods to function. You'll gain 352 coins by default each time the Goods are used.
So far, the only other habitat available to unlock in the Zoo is the Savannah Habitat, but an in-game menu confirms that more are coming soon. We'll make sure to let you know when other animals are added to the Zoo, but for now, start asking your friends for these Jungle animals to start your Zoo off with a bang!
CityVille Bug Fixes and Improvements: No more cloned Holiday Trees, fast selling of decorations added
Two rather interesting changes have been made to CityVille over the past couple of days, with one being a bug fix, and the other being a design change in the way you remove items from your city. The bug fix removes the issue with Holiday Trees that would cause duplicate, cloned trees to appear in your Inventory at random when trying to store your Holiday Tree in the Warehouse. This issue has now been fixed, and you can store your Holiday Tree until next Christmas without the worry of receiving another right in its place.
The other issue is the more important of the two, as it changes the way you'll be able to remove low-value items from your town. From now on, removing any item that costs less than 20 coins will no longer cause you to go through the confirmation pop-up when you choose to sell it. That is, if you try to remove a piece of Asphalt Road, a Sidewalk or a Parking Lot, you'll be able to do so with less clicks, saving you time if you choose to completely reorganize your town to save space, or just for the heck of it.
While it may not be a complete redo of the energy system in the game (which I think most of us could agree the game desperately needs), these new changes do show that Zynga's at least trying to make some aspects of the game better. We'll let you know if anything more substantial is changed in the future, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these fixes in CityVille? How many Holiday Trees did you end up with before the bug was fixed?
The other issue is the more important of the two, as it changes the way you'll be able to remove low-value items from your town. From now on, removing any item that costs less than 20 coins will no longer cause you to go through the confirmation pop-up when you choose to sell it. That is, if you try to remove a piece of Asphalt Road, a Sidewalk or a Parking Lot, you'll be able to do so with less clicks, saving you time if you choose to completely reorganize your town to save space, or just for the heck of it.
While it may not be a complete redo of the energy system in the game (which I think most of us could agree the game desperately needs), these new changes do show that Zynga's at least trying to make some aspects of the game better. We'll let you know if anything more substantial is changed in the future, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these fixes in CityVille? How many Holiday Trees did you end up with before the bug was fixed?
Sunday, December 25, 2011
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Service Tree and Wild Service Tree
A new pair of trees looks to be coming to FarmVille's Irish item theme. The pair is the Service Tree and Wild Service Tree. Never heard of them? It turns out that both trees are native to Europe, giving them a proper place in this theme. The big question remaining here is which of the two trees will be cheaper, and which will be available as a Mystery Seedling when both are ultimately released in the game's store.
My guess? I'd throw my wager towards the Service Tree costing either 5 or 7 Farm Cash, while the Wild Service Tree will likely be the level 2 tree, available for either 10 or 12 Farm Cash. Sure, that's speculation at this point, but it's a pretty good guess all the same. We'll just have to see if I'm right when these trees release in full (likely Sunday evening). Just don't hold it against me if I'm wrong, eh?
Do you like the look of these two new trees? Are you glad Zynga has started releasing more realistic trees in the game, or do you want a return of the whimsical, impossible-in-real-life trees?
My guess? I'd throw my wager towards the Service Tree costing either 5 or 7 Farm Cash, while the Wild Service Tree will likely be the level 2 tree, available for either 10 or 12 Farm Cash. Sure, that's speculation at this point, but it's a pretty good guess all the same. We'll just have to see if I'm right when these trees release in full (likely Sunday evening). Just don't hold it against me if I'm wrong, eh?
Do you like the look of these two new trees? Are you glad Zynga has started releasing more realistic trees in the game, or do you want a return of the whimsical, impossible-in-real-life trees?
FarmVille Irish Sneak Peek: Irish Garden Table, Irish Garden Pot and more
We've come across a new set of unreleased items in FarmVille, all of which look to be in the current Irish limited edition item theme. From left to right in the image above, we have the Irish Garden Pot, the Irish Bird Bath, an Irish Garden Table, Irish Fountain and Ivy Arch.
There's no guarantee that all of these items will be made available in the store, or if we might be looking at a new Irish-themed Mystery Game. The latter is less likely, though, so save up both your coins and your Farm Cash in case they're released as normal decorations in the store. If I had to place a wager, I'd say the Bird Bath and Fountain would be those items most likely available for Farm Cash, while the Irish Garden Pot might go for anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 coins, depending on the FarmVille team's mood at the time.
Either way, we'll make sure to give you a full rundown of these items when/if they're officially released in the game, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these Irish-themed items? Would you pay Farm Cash for any of them?
There's no guarantee that all of these items will be made available in the store, or if we might be looking at a new Irish-themed Mystery Game. The latter is less likely, though, so save up both your coins and your Farm Cash in case they're released as normal decorations in the store. If I had to place a wager, I'd say the Bird Bath and Fountain would be those items most likely available for Farm Cash, while the Irish Garden Pot might go for anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 coins, depending on the FarmVille team's mood at the time.
Either way, we'll make sure to give you a full rundown of these items when/if they're officially released in the game, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these Irish-themed items? Would you pay Farm Cash for any of them?
SOE sells Dungeon Overlord to Night Owl Games, game to launch out of beta this summer
We first brought you a detailed look at Dungeon Overlord, then Sony Online Entertainment's hardcore strategy title on Facebook, back in January. Since its launch, Dungeon Overlord peaked at a high of just 90,000 monthly players, and has now plummeted down to 27,000 monthly average users, according to AppData (let's not forget that a recent service outage could be blamed for some of the drop). Whether Sony is just trying to escape a sinking ship, or if it's trying to place the game in more capable hands, we don't know, but what we do know is that the company has now announced that it has sold all rights of Dungeon Overlord to Night Owl Games, the developer of the project.
Determined to keep the game alive, Night Owl Games hopes to further user experiences in "new and exciting ways," according to a company press release. While there were no new details as to what new features would be added to the game to achieve that goal, we do know that the game will officially be taken out of beta into a full launch sometime this summer. Hopefully, an ad campaign will accompany the launch, helping to raise user numbers.
In the meantime, if you've yet to play Dungeon Overlord for yourself, you can jump right into the game and take part in the changes/additions as Night Owl Games makes them.
Are you a fan of Dungeon Overlord on Facebook? What would make you come back to the game, if you once played but have now left?
Determined to keep the game alive, Night Owl Games hopes to further user experiences in "new and exciting ways," according to a company press release. While there were no new details as to what new features would be added to the game to achieve that goal, we do know that the game will officially be taken out of beta into a full launch sometime this summer. Hopefully, an ad campaign will accompany the launch, helping to raise user numbers.
In the meantime, if you've yet to play Dungeon Overlord for yourself, you can jump right into the game and take part in the changes/additions as Night Owl Games makes them.
Are you a fan of Dungeon Overlord on Facebook? What would make you come back to the game, if you once played but have now left?
FrontierVille Hitchin' Rail Collection will let you grow your Red Roses faster
While you're busy trying to help Hank and Fanny find wedded bliss in FrontierVille, remember to continually collect the Daily Bonus from your new Hitchin' Rail "building." This Hitchin' Rail and Wedding Wagon combo allows you to earn a set of five new collectibles in the Hitchin' Rail Collection, with the prize being fairly romantic.
Here are the five new items to keep an eye out for as you play:
Spare Wheel
Wagon Canopy
Packing Crates
Strong Box
Canopy Rib
Sure, these five items are less than beautiful, and don't really speak of romance or weddings, but the prize for completing this collection sure does. You'll receive five Red Rose Ready Boosts, allowing you to plant up to five Red Roses and instantly grow them to harvest, say for the Love is in the Air goals that require you to collect Red Rose collectibles, only earned by harvesting that particular flower. Even if you save them for another use, just make sure you're dedicated in your "Daily Bonus" collecting, and you're bound to finish this one in time.
What do you think of the Hitchin' Rail collection? Are you upset that the collectibles aren't more floral or "wedding" themed? Or, does the fact that they aren't mean that another, different wagon might be pulling up to the Rail in the future as well?
Here are the five new items to keep an eye out for as you play:
Spare Wheel
Wagon Canopy
Packing Crates
Strong Box
Canopy Rib
Sure, these five items are less than beautiful, and don't really speak of romance or weddings, but the prize for completing this collection sure does. You'll receive five Red Rose Ready Boosts, allowing you to plant up to five Red Roses and instantly grow them to harvest, say for the Love is in the Air goals that require you to collect Red Rose collectibles, only earned by harvesting that particular flower. Even if you save them for another use, just make sure you're dedicated in your "Daily Bonus" collecting, and you're bound to finish this one in time.
What do you think of the Hitchin' Rail collection? Are you upset that the collectibles aren't more floral or "wedding" themed? Or, does the fact that they aren't mean that another, different wagon might be pulling up to the Rail in the future as well?
CityVille river expansion will require us to build the bridge
The saga of the CityVille bridge and land expansion has been given one more bit of clarity, as Edgar's death-defying helicopter ride is over, only to be replaced by a tiny construction crew sitting on the land opposite of the river. While we haven't been able to access this land up until now, due to a lack of a bridge, it looks like that will all be changing sooner, rather than later, as one of the construction crew is holding up a sign of a bridge!
If you click on this trio of workers, you'll see an informative pop-up that tells us in order to expand, you'll need to have at least 5,000 citizens living in your town - time to start building more Community Buildings and Residences! We've also been given the hint that we'll need to gather building materials for our "biggest project yet," presumably because we'll be responsible for building the bridge ourselves - steal rods and cables anyone?
Have you already reached the 5,000 population required for the bridge expansion? When do you think Zynga will pull the trigger on all of this new land?
If you click on this trio of workers, you'll see an informative pop-up that tells us in order to expand, you'll need to have at least 5,000 citizens living in your town - time to start building more Community Buildings and Residences! We've also been given the hint that we'll need to gather building materials for our "biggest project yet," presumably because we'll be responsible for building the bridge ourselves - steal rods and cables anyone?
Have you already reached the 5,000 population required for the bridge expansion? When do you think Zynga will pull the trigger on all of this new land?
FrontierVille: Animal ready boosts ignore livestock in storage
Believe it or not, not everything is coming up roses with FrontierVille's animal storage buildings, as users on the game's official forums have discovered that the use of Animal Ready Boosts does nothing to those animals inside either the Livestock Pen or the Big Barn.
Why is this a problem? Think of all of those goals that require you to tend a specific number of animals on your Homestead. If you have a goal that requires you to tend 50 Oxen, for instance, and you only have 25 Oxen on your land, you might feel compelled to use an Animal Ready Boost to finish the goal without having to wait for the Oxen to become hungry again on their own. So, you use an Animal Ready Boost, but wait - it did nothing, because all of your Oxen are inside the Big Barn. Not only have you now wasted one of the best Boosts in the game, but you'll also have to pull every single Oxen out of your Big Barn and use the Boost again to actually have it work.
Is this a game-breaker? Probably not, but it's an inconvenience to say the very least. The same can be said for the Orchard, in that Tree Boosts don't help to make those trees ready either. It looks like Zynga didn't think these two buildings through, as this isn't the first time we've seen problems with either. We can just hope that they fix the issues plaguing our new storage buildings before it's too late.
Have you wasted Animal Ready Boosts because you needed to "ready" animals that were in storage?
Why is this a problem? Think of all of those goals that require you to tend a specific number of animals on your Homestead. If you have a goal that requires you to tend 50 Oxen, for instance, and you only have 25 Oxen on your land, you might feel compelled to use an Animal Ready Boost to finish the goal without having to wait for the Oxen to become hungry again on their own. So, you use an Animal Ready Boost, but wait - it did nothing, because all of your Oxen are inside the Big Barn. Not only have you now wasted one of the best Boosts in the game, but you'll also have to pull every single Oxen out of your Big Barn and use the Boost again to actually have it work.
Is this a game-breaker? Probably not, but it's an inconvenience to say the very least. The same can be said for the Orchard, in that Tree Boosts don't help to make those trees ready either. It looks like Zynga didn't think these two buildings through, as this isn't the first time we've seen problems with either. We can just hope that they fix the issues plaguing our new storage buildings before it's too late.
Have you wasted Animal Ready Boosts because you needed to "ready" animals that were in storage?
Friday, December 23, 2011
Real gold is at stake in American Express' Gold Rush for Facebook
American Express has already double dipped its gold-dipped hands in Facebook games with FarmVille recently. But now the credit card company looks to make a solid effort in, yes, promoting a product through a Facebook game.
Wait, hear us out--$15 thousand in real gold bullion could be yours in this game, titled The Great America Express Gold Rush. (But only if you're a UK resident, sorry.) The game, while clearly designed to promote the new Preferred Rewards Gold Card, could teach you a thing or two about trading.
In a nutshell, what you must do is buy gobs of gold product from coins to jewelry to straight bars of the stuff, and sell it at a profit abroad. The game is far deeper than that, however, as prices at home differ from those in locales like New York, Sydney, Dubai and more.
And Gold Rush dives even deeper, as those prices change daily, which is displayed on the home page through a news ticker of sorts. However, the game is played daily, meaning you have to post a score to the daily leader boards every day to qualify for daily giveaway prizes.
This might be a bit much for the average gamer, but considering $15 thousand in 100 percent gold is to be given to the champion come August 5, we're sure you can squeeze in a few minutes a day. Of course, the game takes a minor level of business savvy, so you might not see me tearing it up. But if you're the type that likes creating six-figure numbers out of midair with reckless abandon, then this game contest ... thing is all yours.
Great American Express Gold Rush
[Via Tecca]
Click here to play The Great American Express Gold Rush on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this original American Express game yet? Do you think that you could win the $15 thousand in gold?
Wait, hear us out--$15 thousand in real gold bullion could be yours in this game, titled The Great America Express Gold Rush. (But only if you're a UK resident, sorry.) The game, while clearly designed to promote the new Preferred Rewards Gold Card, could teach you a thing or two about trading.
In a nutshell, what you must do is buy gobs of gold product from coins to jewelry to straight bars of the stuff, and sell it at a profit abroad. The game is far deeper than that, however, as prices at home differ from those in locales like New York, Sydney, Dubai and more.
And Gold Rush dives even deeper, as those prices change daily, which is displayed on the home page through a news ticker of sorts. However, the game is played daily, meaning you have to post a score to the daily leader boards every day to qualify for daily giveaway prizes.
This might be a bit much for the average gamer, but considering $15 thousand in 100 percent gold is to be given to the champion come August 5, we're sure you can squeeze in a few minutes a day. Of course, the game takes a minor level of business savvy, so you might not see me tearing it up. But if you're the type that likes creating six-figure numbers out of midair with reckless abandon, then this game contest ... thing is all yours.
Great American Express Gold Rush
[Via Tecca]
Click here to play The Great American Express Gold Rush on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this original American Express game yet? Do you think that you could win the $15 thousand in gold?
Empires & Allies launches Tactical Nukes for the ultimate in destruction
Do you have one or two Empires & Allies friends that have relentlessly attacked your islands every time they get a chance? Are you bent on revenge, but haven't really had to the ability to fight back using standard units? Now's your chance to exact the perfect revenge, as Tactical Nukes have been released in the store for a limited time.
Each Tactical Nuke is a one-time-use object, meaning that once you use it to blow away either a story enemy or your neighbors in battle, you won't be able to use it again. At a fairly high price tag of 49 Empire Points, that makes this a pretty big splurge, for something you'll never see again. Still, just imagine the sheer satisfaction you'll feel after dropping a nuke on a buddy that seems to have it out for you, or a story boss that just won't quit.
If you have any future plans for nuclear combat, you'll need to purchase these Tactical Nukes now, as they'll only be available in the store for a little less than two days, as of this writing. It didn't take long for Zynga to enter the nuclear age in Empires & Allies, so where does that leave us to grow from here? Will we potentially be given factories where we can produce future nukes? Or, will we be able to craft something even more sinister - perhaps something magical that's only available in a digital environment? We'll make sure to let you know what Zynga has up their sleeve, just as soon as we know more.
Check out the rest of our Empires & Allies Cheats and Tips right here. >
Will you purchase a stockpile of Tactical Nukes for future use in Empires & Allies, or will you use your splurge right away, taking out anything and everything in your path? Are items like these "fair," since everyone can't or won't purchase them?
Each Tactical Nuke is a one-time-use object, meaning that once you use it to blow away either a story enemy or your neighbors in battle, you won't be able to use it again. At a fairly high price tag of 49 Empire Points, that makes this a pretty big splurge, for something you'll never see again. Still, just imagine the sheer satisfaction you'll feel after dropping a nuke on a buddy that seems to have it out for you, or a story boss that just won't quit.
If you have any future plans for nuclear combat, you'll need to purchase these Tactical Nukes now, as they'll only be available in the store for a little less than two days, as of this writing. It didn't take long for Zynga to enter the nuclear age in Empires & Allies, so where does that leave us to grow from here? Will we potentially be given factories where we can produce future nukes? Or, will we be able to craft something even more sinister - perhaps something magical that's only available in a digital environment? We'll make sure to let you know what Zynga has up their sleeve, just as soon as we know more.
Check out the rest of our Empires & Allies Cheats and Tips right here. >
Will you purchase a stockpile of Tactical Nukes for future use in Empires & Allies, or will you use your splurge right away, taking out anything and everything in your path? Are items like these "fair," since everyone can't or won't purchase them?
FrontierVille: Build a Pavilion and Hammer Forge to collect one billion hammers for the Pioneer Trail
Phew, just try saying that five times fast. Actually, where was I? Oh yes, Zynga has officially started rolling out the beginnings of the FrontierVille Pioneer Trail, through a One Billion Hammers event that places the power to open the Pioneer Trail in our hands. Through this event, we'll be able to construct two new structures, and will be able to share Golden Hammers between friends. The entire community will pool their progress together automatically, and when we reach one billion Golden Hammers collectively, Pioneer Jack will finally open the Pioneer Trail to us all. To be clear, it does look like this event has a time limit, as we're told that the Pioneer Trail will launch in the future either way, even if we never make it to one billion, as the end goal will see us receiving the expansion "early."
Unfortunately, this feature is a slow rollout, as all tend to be, but we'll make sure you're as prepared as possible for when the event finally launches in your game. First things first, you'll be able to place both a Pavilion and Hammer Forge on your land. The Pavilion will change in shape and complexity as you collect Golden Hammers, and will then reward you with exclusive new items as you reach certain stockpile levels. The Hammer Forge, meanwhile, allows you to earn free Golden Hammers by collecting its daily bonus. However, you'll need to build it first (c'mon, it couldn't all be that easy).
The Hammer Forge requires 10 each of Forge Hinges, Forge Gears and Forge Chains, all of which can be earned through general wall posts. In addition, you'll need 15 each of Forge Levers, Forge Molds and Forge Bolts, which are earned through individual requests to friends. Once completed, you'll be able to earn Golden Hammers by simply collecting the Forge's Daily Bonus, but you can also add to your progress by clicking on the "Do Your Part" button on the new Hammer meter at the top of the gameplay screen.
You see, as all of our progress is being counted as one total, we'll be able to keep track of how many Golden Hammers have currently been sent using a new bar at the top of the screen. The bar will refresh with the current total every 15 seconds, and by clicking on "Do Your Part," as seen below, you can ask your friends for even more Golden Hammers.
As for the Pavilion, it comes equipped with a new menu that will allow you to track your own individual progress on collecting hammers. As you reach certain amounts (20, 50, 150 and 350 Golden Hammers), you'll receive exclusive rewards as a way to thank you for contributing to the cause. You can also manually send out Hammers to friends by clicking on the Golden Hammer icon, instead of just waiting for them to come to you.
When we as an entire gameplay community reach the one billion hammer level, Zynga will donate $200,000 to Save the Children, and we'll finally gain access to the Pioneer Trail. This means that now, perhaps more than ever before, it really matters that you play the game regularly, as you're not only affecting your own game, but helping to move us closer and closer to this highly anticipated new feature. So what are you waiting for!? Get into your game and see if you can send Golden Hammers already! I'll go and pack our bags for our trip to the Pioneer Trail!
Unfortunately, this feature is a slow rollout, as all tend to be, but we'll make sure you're as prepared as possible for when the event finally launches in your game. First things first, you'll be able to place both a Pavilion and Hammer Forge on your land. The Pavilion will change in shape and complexity as you collect Golden Hammers, and will then reward you with exclusive new items as you reach certain stockpile levels. The Hammer Forge, meanwhile, allows you to earn free Golden Hammers by collecting its daily bonus. However, you'll need to build it first (c'mon, it couldn't all be that easy).
The Hammer Forge requires 10 each of Forge Hinges, Forge Gears and Forge Chains, all of which can be earned through general wall posts. In addition, you'll need 15 each of Forge Levers, Forge Molds and Forge Bolts, which are earned through individual requests to friends. Once completed, you'll be able to earn Golden Hammers by simply collecting the Forge's Daily Bonus, but you can also add to your progress by clicking on the "Do Your Part" button on the new Hammer meter at the top of the gameplay screen.
You see, as all of our progress is being counted as one total, we'll be able to keep track of how many Golden Hammers have currently been sent using a new bar at the top of the screen. The bar will refresh with the current total every 15 seconds, and by clicking on "Do Your Part," as seen below, you can ask your friends for even more Golden Hammers.
As for the Pavilion, it comes equipped with a new menu that will allow you to track your own individual progress on collecting hammers. As you reach certain amounts (20, 50, 150 and 350 Golden Hammers), you'll receive exclusive rewards as a way to thank you for contributing to the cause. You can also manually send out Hammers to friends by clicking on the Golden Hammer icon, instead of just waiting for them to come to you.
When we as an entire gameplay community reach the one billion hammer level, Zynga will donate $200,000 to Save the Children, and we'll finally gain access to the Pioneer Trail. This means that now, perhaps more than ever before, it really matters that you play the game regularly, as you're not only affecting your own game, but helping to move us closer and closer to this highly anticipated new feature. So what are you waiting for!? Get into your game and see if you can send Golden Hammers already! I'll go and pack our bags for our trip to the Pioneer Trail!
FrontierVille One Billion Hammers Goals: Everything you need to know
As part of the new One Billion Hammers event in FrontierVille, that will have all users working collectively to reach a one billion Golden Hammer mark to open the Pioneer Trail early, Zynga has also released a three part goal series to really keep us busy. These goals reward you with Golden Hammers, and since every hammer does ultimately count, you'll want to get started on these as soon as you can - it's for a good cause, people!
Here's a complete rundown of what to expect (note: these goals are on a slow rollout, so don't panic if you don't have them yet).
Carin' Carpenter
Build the Hammer Forge
Collect 10 Planks
Visit Fanny (collect the Schoolhouse Daily Bonus Twice)
Planks are available to craft inside the Wagon for 7 wood and 250 coins each. Meanwhile, for a complete look at how to build the Hammer Forge, check out our guide. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 250 XP, 250 coins and 10 Golden Hammers.
First, Do No Harm
Tend 30 Chickens on a Neighbors' Homestead
Clear 10 Skulls
Get 10 Medical Degrees
You'll need to ask your friends to send you the Medical Degrees, and while you wait, you can turn in the Cow or Graveyard collections to earn extra Skulls if you don't already have ten growing on your land. Finish this goal and you'll earn 500 XP, 500 coins and another 10 Golden Hammers (sensing a theme here?).
Out With a Bang!
Clobber 5 Bears
Clobber 5 Snakes
Collect 10 Buckshot Balls
Again, ask your friends to send you these items, then remember to let some debris and trees grow on your land, so you have enough "bait" to actually pull out five bears and snakes in a reasonable time frame. For completing this last goal, you'll earn 750 XP, 750 coins, and - you guessed it - another 10 Golden Hammers.
Sure, 30 Golden Hammers may not seem like a lot when the overall goal is one billion, but just think - that's 30 Golden Hammers per person. Let's say all 3.5 million of the game's daily active players complete these goals - that's suddenly 105 million Hammers, which definitely isn't shabby. Add all of these goal-rewarded Hammers to those earned by friend requests and the one billion hammer mark is definitely doable. Just remember to stay vigilant over the next few days or even weeks, and we'll all get to the Pioneer Trail in no time!
Here's a complete rundown of what to expect (note: these goals are on a slow rollout, so don't panic if you don't have them yet).
Carin' Carpenter
Build the Hammer Forge
Collect 10 Planks
Visit Fanny (collect the Schoolhouse Daily Bonus Twice)
Planks are available to craft inside the Wagon for 7 wood and 250 coins each. Meanwhile, for a complete look at how to build the Hammer Forge, check out our guide. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 250 XP, 250 coins and 10 Golden Hammers.
First, Do No Harm
Tend 30 Chickens on a Neighbors' Homestead
Clear 10 Skulls
Get 10 Medical Degrees
You'll need to ask your friends to send you the Medical Degrees, and while you wait, you can turn in the Cow or Graveyard collections to earn extra Skulls if you don't already have ten growing on your land. Finish this goal and you'll earn 500 XP, 500 coins and another 10 Golden Hammers (sensing a theme here?).
Out With a Bang!
Clobber 5 Bears
Clobber 5 Snakes
Collect 10 Buckshot Balls
Again, ask your friends to send you these items, then remember to let some debris and trees grow on your land, so you have enough "bait" to actually pull out five bears and snakes in a reasonable time frame. For completing this last goal, you'll earn 750 XP, 750 coins, and - you guessed it - another 10 Golden Hammers.
Sure, 30 Golden Hammers may not seem like a lot when the overall goal is one billion, but just think - that's 30 Golden Hammers per person. Let's say all 3.5 million of the game's daily active players complete these goals - that's suddenly 105 million Hammers, which definitely isn't shabby. Add all of these goal-rewarded Hammers to those earned by friend requests and the one billion hammer mark is definitely doable. Just remember to stay vigilant over the next few days or even weeks, and we'll all get to the Pioneer Trail in no time!
FrontierVille Golden Trails Collection offers a preview of Pioneer Trail events
Along with the One Billion Hammers event in FrontierVille comes the new Golden Trails collection. This collection offers a free Golden Hammer to anyone that completes it, along with 350 XP, and contains items that will "offer a sneak preview of Pioneer Trail areas and events."
There's a Golden Beaver Trap, which makes sense, as one of the Trail's areas is called Beaver Valley. A Golden Water Bucket apparently refers to the Prairie Fires in the High Plains, while a Golden Show Shovel likely alludes to Avalanche Pass. There's a Golden Musket for hunting food or just showing those bears who's boss, but the Golden Goose Egg is a bit of an odd one. Unless we'll be able to come across a magical Golden Egg laying Goose, I'm out of ideas. My mind is definitely intrigued though, and I can't wait to see what that hint actually develops into.
Remember, we have the power now as to when the Pioneer Trail will launch. If you're antsy for a new adventure in the wilderness, make sure to send (and ask for) as many Golden Hammers as possible, along with completing the event's new goals, to help the expansion launch that much faster!
What do you think this Golden Goose Egg refers to in terms of Pioneer Trail gameplay features? Will we be able to hunt geese? Use Goose Eggs for food on the trail? Use their feathers for pillows or bedding?
There's a Golden Beaver Trap, which makes sense, as one of the Trail's areas is called Beaver Valley. A Golden Water Bucket apparently refers to the Prairie Fires in the High Plains, while a Golden Show Shovel likely alludes to Avalanche Pass. There's a Golden Musket for hunting food or just showing those bears who's boss, but the Golden Goose Egg is a bit of an odd one. Unless we'll be able to come across a magical Golden Egg laying Goose, I'm out of ideas. My mind is definitely intrigued though, and I can't wait to see what that hint actually develops into.
Remember, we have the power now as to when the Pioneer Trail will launch. If you're antsy for a new adventure in the wilderness, make sure to send (and ask for) as many Golden Hammers as possible, along with completing the event's new goals, to help the expansion launch that much faster!
What do you think this Golden Goose Egg refers to in terms of Pioneer Trail gameplay features? Will we be able to hunt geese? Use Goose Eggs for food on the trail? Use their feathers for pillows or bedding?
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Building the Cafe World Pasta Maker: Everything you need to know
Along with releasing new goals in Cafe World introducing us to plenty of pasta-centric recipes, the team at Zynga has also released a Pasta Maker appliance, which works differently that some of the others we've seen, like the Deep Fryer or Pizza Oven (as examples), in that you don't need to actually cook on/in the Pasta Maker after it's been completed. Rather, the Pasta Maker simply makes the pasta (which is all it needs to do), leaving the actual cooking to be done on stoves.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, let's remember that we do need to actually build the Pasta Maker before it can go to work making the pasta for our many new dishes. You'll need to collect seven Authentic Plates, nine Pasta Strainers, 13 Pasta Spoons and 16 pieces of Olive Oil Glassware to finish this one off.
In terms of specifics, the Authentic Plates and Pasta Spoons are earned from general news feed posts and the Olive Oil Glassware and Pasta Strainers can be gathered through individual requests sent to friends. Unfortunately, you will need to likely post multiple times for each, especially the Pasta Spoons, so make sure your friends see these posts before they fall off of their news feeds or are otherwise hidden.
While this Pasta Maker doesn't seem necessary to build at all (after all, we're just cooking the new recipes we earn from the Pasta Maker goals on our stoves), you'll actually need to complete its construction to finish off said goals. Also, it's possible that future events, recipes or goals could be released in the game that require the completed Pasta Maker, so it really doesn't hurt to build it casually, even if you don't rush.
So what do you think of the Pasta Maker? What other kinds of appliances or cooking tools would you like to see released in the game next? Perhaps a Blender allowing us to make new kinds of smoothies?
Before we get ahead of ourselves, though, let's remember that we do need to actually build the Pasta Maker before it can go to work making the pasta for our many new dishes. You'll need to collect seven Authentic Plates, nine Pasta Strainers, 13 Pasta Spoons and 16 pieces of Olive Oil Glassware to finish this one off.
In terms of specifics, the Authentic Plates and Pasta Spoons are earned from general news feed posts and the Olive Oil Glassware and Pasta Strainers can be gathered through individual requests sent to friends. Unfortunately, you will need to likely post multiple times for each, especially the Pasta Spoons, so make sure your friends see these posts before they fall off of their news feeds or are otherwise hidden.
While this Pasta Maker doesn't seem necessary to build at all (after all, we're just cooking the new recipes we earn from the Pasta Maker goals on our stoves), you'll actually need to complete its construction to finish off said goals. Also, it's possible that future events, recipes or goals could be released in the game that require the completed Pasta Maker, so it really doesn't hurt to build it casually, even if you don't rush.
So what do you think of the Pasta Maker? What other kinds of appliances or cooking tools would you like to see released in the game next? Perhaps a Blender allowing us to make new kinds of smoothies?
CityVille: Head back to school with the upgradeable Clown College
While the Circus theme of items may have officially already disappeared from the CityVille marketplace, that hasn't stopped Zynga from releasing one more (final?) element to the theme - and boy it's a big one. The Clown College will allow you (well, your town's citizens) to go back to school to learn about all things funny, but you'll need to build it first. Also, note that you must be level 50 or above to access the Clown College.
The base of the Clown College requires nine whacks to build, or nine energy. Once the frame is constructed, you'll need to staff your Clown Collect by asking eight friends to help you out, or by paying 4 City Cash per staff position you'd like to fill. This Level 1 Clown College, once completely built, acts as any other Community Building, giving you a chance to house 730 more citizens in your town. However, it can instantly be upgraded (only once, as of this writing).
The upgrade to a Level 2 Clown College comes from simply filling 10 more staff positions with friends. You don't have to have a specific minimum population to access this upgrade, so feel free to start it whenever you wish. This upgrade will change the building's visual appearance slightly however, so keep that in mind if you happen to particularly like the purple and yellow scheme (the final building is purple and red).
Once upgraded, this final version of the Clown College will then be able to support up to 1650 more citizens living in your town. One word of warning though: it's base is far larger than some of the other Community Buildings (and most homes) we've seen released in the game thus far, so you'll need a large chunk of free land build on in the first place. Now what are you waiting for? Grab some animal balloons and face paint and make yourself into a clown! I'll be right behind you!
What do you think of the Clown College? Will you build this large building in your town, or will you stick with smaller community buildings?
The base of the Clown College requires nine whacks to build, or nine energy. Once the frame is constructed, you'll need to staff your Clown Collect by asking eight friends to help you out, or by paying 4 City Cash per staff position you'd like to fill. This Level 1 Clown College, once completely built, acts as any other Community Building, giving you a chance to house 730 more citizens in your town. However, it can instantly be upgraded (only once, as of this writing).
The upgrade to a Level 2 Clown College comes from simply filling 10 more staff positions with friends. You don't have to have a specific minimum population to access this upgrade, so feel free to start it whenever you wish. This upgrade will change the building's visual appearance slightly however, so keep that in mind if you happen to particularly like the purple and yellow scheme (the final building is purple and red).
Once upgraded, this final version of the Clown College will then be able to support up to 1650 more citizens living in your town. One word of warning though: it's base is far larger than some of the other Community Buildings (and most homes) we've seen released in the game thus far, so you'll need a large chunk of free land build on in the first place. Now what are you waiting for? Grab some animal balloons and face paint and make yourself into a clown! I'll be right behind you!
What do you think of the Clown College? Will you build this large building in your town, or will you stick with smaller community buildings?
CityVille Class Clown Goals: Everything you need to know
Along with the release of the Clown College in CityVille comes the Class Clown goal series, that will attempt to tickle your funny bone, and reward you with some fun circus-themed items in the process. First, know that you will need to place and completely build (or staff) the Clown College before you can even really begin these goals, so make sure to take a look at our complete guide to doing just that before you begin.
Class Clown
Place Clown College
Complete Clown College
See? I told you you'd need to place and build the College. Once that's done, you'll receive 2,240 coins as your reward for completing this goal.
Political Circus
Ask friends for 10 Clown Noses
Send 10 Boats to Paris
Harvest 50 Cabbage
Paris boats cost just 95 coins to send out, so at least this part of the task won't break the bank (and hey, you'll earn some Goods in the process, so that's really a win-win). Meanwhile, Cabbage takes 1.6 days to grow, so make sure to plant some as soon as you start this goal (or even before) to lessen the amount of time you'll be stuck waiting. For finishing this goal, you'll receive a Circus Fire Juggler decorative item.
A Fun House Divided
Upgrade Clown College
Catch 10 Bandits
Collect 4 Times from a Beach Hut 4 Times
If you don't already have any, the Beach Huts cost 10,000 coins in the store and can be collected from every five minutes. At that rate, just purchase and build one and collect from it four times to save money (and the energy it takes to build a new frame). Finish this goal and you'll receive 56 XP.
Clownward Spiral
Ask friends for 15 Cream Pies
Send 70 Tour Buses
Collect 15 Watering Hole Collection Items
The Watering Hole collection consists of items that can be found by collecting from the Bowling Alley, Pool Hall and Tavern. As for the Tour Buses, remember, this is done by simply clicking on your friends' businesses when visiting their towns. For finishing this (for now) final goal in the Class Clown series, you'll receive the Slideshow Souvenirs business.
One thing to point out about these goals: On the Political Circus goal, some users on the game's official forums are reporting that simply sending the Paris boats isn't counting for progress. That being the case, I'd suggest simply letting the boats complete their cycle to learn if perhaps harvesting counts for this goal instead (and there was a error in typing). If not, contact Zynga Customer Support about the error and they should be able to help you out.
[Goals 3-4 Via CityVille Wiki]
Will you complete this series of Class Clown goals in CityVille, or are you more focused on the goals that will vanish from the game shortly?
Class Clown
Place Clown College
Complete Clown College
See? I told you you'd need to place and build the College. Once that's done, you'll receive 2,240 coins as your reward for completing this goal.
Political Circus
Ask friends for 10 Clown Noses
Send 10 Boats to Paris
Harvest 50 Cabbage
Paris boats cost just 95 coins to send out, so at least this part of the task won't break the bank (and hey, you'll earn some Goods in the process, so that's really a win-win). Meanwhile, Cabbage takes 1.6 days to grow, so make sure to plant some as soon as you start this goal (or even before) to lessen the amount of time you'll be stuck waiting. For finishing this goal, you'll receive a Circus Fire Juggler decorative item.
A Fun House Divided
Upgrade Clown College
Catch 10 Bandits
Collect 4 Times from a Beach Hut 4 Times
If you don't already have any, the Beach Huts cost 10,000 coins in the store and can be collected from every five minutes. At that rate, just purchase and build one and collect from it four times to save money (and the energy it takes to build a new frame). Finish this goal and you'll receive 56 XP.
Clownward Spiral
Ask friends for 15 Cream Pies
Send 70 Tour Buses
Collect 15 Watering Hole Collection Items
The Watering Hole collection consists of items that can be found by collecting from the Bowling Alley, Pool Hall and Tavern. As for the Tour Buses, remember, this is done by simply clicking on your friends' businesses when visiting their towns. For finishing this (for now) final goal in the Class Clown series, you'll receive the Slideshow Souvenirs business.
One thing to point out about these goals: On the Political Circus goal, some users on the game's official forums are reporting that simply sending the Paris boats isn't counting for progress. That being the case, I'd suggest simply letting the boats complete their cycle to learn if perhaps harvesting counts for this goal instead (and there was a error in typing). If not, contact Zynga Customer Support about the error and they should be able to help you out.
[Goals 3-4 Via CityVille Wiki]
Will you complete this series of Class Clown goals in CityVille, or are you more focused on the goals that will vanish from the game shortly?
animal sanctuary, animal sanctuary items, farmville, farmville animal sanctuary items, limited edition, zynga
Well, farmers, we've been giving you sneak peeks of a "New Hampshire," "New England," etc. farm in FarmVille for a few weeks now. But whether you're ready for what looks to be a third farm or not, here it is: Lighthouse Cove was officially announced this evening via an in-game letter you'll receive upon logging into the game.
The letter comes from a new character that has invited us to stay in a Bed & Breakfast in her "lovely coastal farming village." We'll get to this new village--Lighthouse Cove--by boat, and we'll receive our Boat Ticket for free sometime "soon." All things considered, it looks as though this boat ride will be Lighthouse Cove's version of the Airship that brought us to the English Countryside, but whether this will be a fully functioning farm (just like the English Countryside), or perhaps something smaller remains to be seen.
If, however, I were to take an educated guess at the situation, I'd say we're looking at a complete third farm, as a fairly large set of unreleased crops seems to be associated with this release (that is, the crops are mostly "New England" in nature or theme). To add to that, the travel button in the top right hand corner of the gameplay screen now has a Globe, which looks to be just the first of many small changes that Zynga will put into place before Lighthouse Cove launches.
As Lighthouse Cove (or, the idea of a third farm entirely) is liable to spark quite an uproar with users (for both good and bad), we'll make sure to stay on top of things and will bring you continued coverage as soon as we know more.
What do you think of the idea of a third farm? Would you like Lighthouse Cove to just be a vacation spot where we'll perhaps be able to buy exclusive decorations to take back to the Home Farm, or are you ready to take on the challenge of running three farms at once?
The letter comes from a new character that has invited us to stay in a Bed & Breakfast in her "lovely coastal farming village." We'll get to this new village--Lighthouse Cove--by boat, and we'll receive our Boat Ticket for free sometime "soon." All things considered, it looks as though this boat ride will be Lighthouse Cove's version of the Airship that brought us to the English Countryside, but whether this will be a fully functioning farm (just like the English Countryside), or perhaps something smaller remains to be seen.
If, however, I were to take an educated guess at the situation, I'd say we're looking at a complete third farm, as a fairly large set of unreleased crops seems to be associated with this release (that is, the crops are mostly "New England" in nature or theme). To add to that, the travel button in the top right hand corner of the gameplay screen now has a Globe, which looks to be just the first of many small changes that Zynga will put into place before Lighthouse Cove launches.
As Lighthouse Cove (or, the idea of a third farm entirely) is liable to spark quite an uproar with users (for both good and bad), we'll make sure to stay on top of things and will bring you continued coverage as soon as we know more.
What do you think of the idea of a third farm? Would you like Lighthouse Cove to just be a vacation spot where we'll perhaps be able to buy exclusive decorations to take back to the Home Farm, or are you ready to take on the challenge of running three farms at once?
FarmVille Animal Sanctuary items available for a limited time
While the new announcement that the Lighthouse Cove "coastal farming village" actually exists in FarmVille is incredibly exciting, don't forget that tonight also marks a market update, as we've seen a new theme of items launch in the game. That theme is called "Animal Sanctuary," and while that may not immediately convey any sort of image as to what the theme contains, why not take a look at our overview below before you spend any of your hard earned Farm Cash (or even coins).
Trees
Chinese Tulip Tree - 7 Farm Cash
African Tulip Tree - 15 Farm Cash
First things first - the Chinese Tulip Tree is the only one that really "matters" here, as you can purchase it, place it in your Orchard and then wait for an African Tulip Tree to appear as a Mystery Seedling. You could even be lucky enough to have a friend post a fully grown tree on their wall for your to claim - even better! Both of these trees can be mastered, with the first star of mastery coming at 75 harvests each.
Animals
Capuchin Monkey - 18 Farm Cash
Arabian Stallion - 35 Farm Cash
While 35 Farm Cash might seem expensive for a horse (and it is), if you're going for a complete collection of all horses ever released, you'll either have to purchase one yourself or go in with a friend, so that they'll give you a Arabian Foal if and when one is born (then, you can have the Foal grow in your Nursery Barn, which could admittedly turn into a very time consuming process). Either way, the Stallion will give you 3500 experience points upon purchasing it (what? I'm looking for a silver lining after my sticker shock). One final thing: Zynga speaks of a Giant Anteater on the FarmVille fan page, but it has been removed from tonight's update, as of this writing. It will likely return shortly and will almost certainly cost Farm Cash.
Buildings
Botanical Garden - 15 Farm Cash
Garden Cafe - 20 Farm Cash
You know, it's times like these when I really miss the ability to purchase one new building for coins and one new building for Farm Cash, as I would gladly pay a few hundred thousand coins for either of these buildings. But alas, such is no longer the case. What is funny, however, is the fact that both of these buildings are technically new, but have been given the names of items already released in the game. For one, the first Garden Cafe was originally released back in April in the English Countryside event, while the Botanical Garden is a long-forgotten building project (apparently also forgotten by the big Z) that launched way back in April of 2010. That being the case, if you suddenly see these items' names change, don't be surprised.
Decorations
Garden Fence - 6,000 coins
Herb Garden Stand - 20,000 coins
Butterfly Garden - 3 Farm Cash
Gardener Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Garden Fountain - 18 Farm Cash
As usual, the only coin items here are those that are fairly forgettable, save for the fencing if you do plan on creating a themed area on your land using these items, or simply like the pattern. As for the Butterfly Garden, its price tag is fairly low, and the item is animated with three butterflies flying around the flowerbeds and butterfly-shaped bench, so I think I might personally make a little splurge on a it.
All in all, tonight's update could turn out to be just the first of many Animal Sanctuary releases we'll see before all is said and done. These first items will expire from the game in two weeks, but if anything new shows up in the meantime, we'll make sure to let you know.
Will you purchase any of these Animal Sanctuary items? Which ones? Is 3 Farm Cash an acceptable price for an exclusive decoration?
Trees
Chinese Tulip Tree - 7 Farm Cash
African Tulip Tree - 15 Farm Cash
First things first - the Chinese Tulip Tree is the only one that really "matters" here, as you can purchase it, place it in your Orchard and then wait for an African Tulip Tree to appear as a Mystery Seedling. You could even be lucky enough to have a friend post a fully grown tree on their wall for your to claim - even better! Both of these trees can be mastered, with the first star of mastery coming at 75 harvests each.
Animals
Capuchin Monkey - 18 Farm Cash
Arabian Stallion - 35 Farm Cash
While 35 Farm Cash might seem expensive for a horse (and it is), if you're going for a complete collection of all horses ever released, you'll either have to purchase one yourself or go in with a friend, so that they'll give you a Arabian Foal if and when one is born (then, you can have the Foal grow in your Nursery Barn, which could admittedly turn into a very time consuming process). Either way, the Stallion will give you 3500 experience points upon purchasing it (what? I'm looking for a silver lining after my sticker shock). One final thing: Zynga speaks of a Giant Anteater on the FarmVille fan page, but it has been removed from tonight's update, as of this writing. It will likely return shortly and will almost certainly cost Farm Cash.
Buildings
Botanical Garden - 15 Farm Cash
Garden Cafe - 20 Farm Cash
You know, it's times like these when I really miss the ability to purchase one new building for coins and one new building for Farm Cash, as I would gladly pay a few hundred thousand coins for either of these buildings. But alas, such is no longer the case. What is funny, however, is the fact that both of these buildings are technically new, but have been given the names of items already released in the game. For one, the first Garden Cafe was originally released back in April in the English Countryside event, while the Botanical Garden is a long-forgotten building project (apparently also forgotten by the big Z) that launched way back in April of 2010. That being the case, if you suddenly see these items' names change, don't be surprised.
Decorations
Garden Fence - 6,000 coins
Herb Garden Stand - 20,000 coins
Butterfly Garden - 3 Farm Cash
Gardener Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Garden Fountain - 18 Farm Cash
As usual, the only coin items here are those that are fairly forgettable, save for the fencing if you do plan on creating a themed area on your land using these items, or simply like the pattern. As for the Butterfly Garden, its price tag is fairly low, and the item is animated with three butterflies flying around the flowerbeds and butterfly-shaped bench, so I think I might personally make a little splurge on a it.
All in all, tonight's update could turn out to be just the first of many Animal Sanctuary releases we'll see before all is said and done. These first items will expire from the game in two weeks, but if anything new shows up in the meantime, we'll make sure to let you know.
Will you purchase any of these Animal Sanctuary items? Which ones? Is 3 Farm Cash an acceptable price for an exclusive decoration?
Mass Effect for Facebook looks even more likely, job posting suggests
And honestly, with how well Dragon Age Legends (DAL) did (and how impressive of a game it is) when its companion Dragon Age 2 launched this year, why wouldn't it be? Mass Effect is even bigger than Dragon Age--that's enough to convince me, but alas, we have another piece of hard evidence. Inside Social Games reports that Bioware is looking for "a well-rounded Artist to work on an exciting, new, social game for gamers," a job posting reads.
More specifically, the job is based in Bioware San Francisco. You know, the studio that was born of EA2D, the social game arm of Bioware's parent company? The studio that was also wholly responsible for Dragon Age Legends? (Hopefully, this is all coming together now.) While the text does well to avoid pointing out any Bioware franchise in particular, the timing is simply too close to the release of Mass Effect 3.
The console game releases on March 6, 2012, and most social game development cycles range between six and nine months. The job posting calls specifically for an experienced concept and UI artist, meaning this game could be past early planning stages already.
While DAL never cleared the 1 million monthly players most Facebook games strive for, again, Mass Effect has much more mainstream appeal than Dragon Age and could easily blow past 1 million monthly players. We have only one request, Bioware: Please, somehow, make it involve a Reaper?
[Via Kotaku]
Do you think this is enough evidence to guess that Bioware is working on a Mass Effect Facebook game? What would want out of a Mass Effect game on Facebook?
More specifically, the job is based in Bioware San Francisco. You know, the studio that was born of EA2D, the social game arm of Bioware's parent company? The studio that was also wholly responsible for Dragon Age Legends? (Hopefully, this is all coming together now.) While the text does well to avoid pointing out any Bioware franchise in particular, the timing is simply too close to the release of Mass Effect 3.
The console game releases on March 6, 2012, and most social game development cycles range between six and nine months. The job posting calls specifically for an experienced concept and UI artist, meaning this game could be past early planning stages already.
While DAL never cleared the 1 million monthly players most Facebook games strive for, again, Mass Effect has much more mainstream appeal than Dragon Age and could easily blow past 1 million monthly players. We have only one request, Bioware: Please, somehow, make it involve a Reaper?
[Via Kotaku]
Do you think this is enough evidence to guess that Bioware is working on a Mass Effect Facebook game? What would want out of a Mass Effect game on Facebook?
Monster Galaxy makes iPhones even more addictive at no charge
At this rate, we may as well just graft iPhones to our arms ... or make iWatches (©®™). Gaia Online has released Monster Galaxy, its hit Pokemon-style Facebook game with over 9 million monthly players, to iOS devices, Inside Social Games reports. However, the game is a standalone version of what you'll find on Facebook, meaning there is no connection to your Facebook friends in this version.
The game is much similar to its popular Facebook counterpart in that players become Moga Tamers--the Mogas being the 137 monsters you must capture on a linear journey. The game, officially titled "Monster Galaxy: The Zodiac Islands," relies heavily on the astrological theme with many of its monsters and much of its art reflecting the Zodiac. Players navigate several islands, finding wild Moga to capture and plenty of other Moga Tamers to do battle with.
Speaking of which, combat in Monster Galaxy is a turn-based affair, much like its primary source of inspiration, but rewards players for good timing as well as matching up Zodiac types correctly. (Just like in Pokemon, certain Mogas are more powerful or weaker against other types.)
Monster Galaxy: The Zodiac Islands
Unlike Pokemon and more like Facebook games, Monster Galaxy limits how much players can do in a given sitting, as each step the player takes between battles consumes Energy. Yes, the Facebook gaming staple has encroached upon iPhone games, and this is far from the first. Of course, you can buy more Energy and other items for the green stuff. Hey, the game is free, and looks to be the only Pokemon-like fix you'll ever get on your iPhone. Is that enough convincing for ya?
Click here to download Monster Galaxy: The Zodiac Islands for Free Now >
Are you psyched that Monster Galaxy is on iPhone? What other popular Facebook games would you like see come to iOS?
The game is much similar to its popular Facebook counterpart in that players become Moga Tamers--the Mogas being the 137 monsters you must capture on a linear journey. The game, officially titled "Monster Galaxy: The Zodiac Islands," relies heavily on the astrological theme with many of its monsters and much of its art reflecting the Zodiac. Players navigate several islands, finding wild Moga to capture and plenty of other Moga Tamers to do battle with.
Speaking of which, combat in Monster Galaxy is a turn-based affair, much like its primary source of inspiration, but rewards players for good timing as well as matching up Zodiac types correctly. (Just like in Pokemon, certain Mogas are more powerful or weaker against other types.)
Monster Galaxy: The Zodiac Islands
Unlike Pokemon and more like Facebook games, Monster Galaxy limits how much players can do in a given sitting, as each step the player takes between battles consumes Energy. Yes, the Facebook gaming staple has encroached upon iPhone games, and this is far from the first. Of course, you can buy more Energy and other items for the green stuff. Hey, the game is free, and looks to be the only Pokemon-like fix you'll ever get on your iPhone. Is that enough convincing for ya?
Click here to download Monster Galaxy: The Zodiac Islands for Free Now >
Are you psyched that Monster Galaxy is on iPhone? What other popular Facebook games would you like see come to iOS?
Facebook games are 'not where our interests lie,' Fallout 3 maker says
So, no post-apoc mutant murder fests on Facebook then, huh? During an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Fallout 3 creator Bethesda's Pete Hines said, "That's not where our interests lie," referring to Facebook and mobile games. "That's not what we're known for and it's not the kind of stuff we've traditionally done."
Bethesda, which recently acquired Doom creator--and Loot Drop founder John Romero's original stomping ground--id Software, is currently working to release the fifth Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim (pictured). The game looks like it will certainly grab several Game of the Year nods when it releases to consoles Nov. 11. But even as future Game of the Year contenders like Mass Effect 3 could be getting the Facebook treatment, Bethesda simply doesn't see the connection.
"I guess I would put it this way: I want to make the kind of games that somebody who likes Rage would want to play, and who likes Skyrim would want to play, and there's a much clearer path from the guy who likes Rage is also probably going to like Skyrim also probably likes Prey 2 also probably likes Dishonored, or at least there's a much bigger chance of moving an audience from one to the next," Hines said to GamesIndustry.biz.
Basically, despite the fact that hardcore social gamers near 80 million, Hines doesn't see Bethesda effectively reaching its audience through Facebook. Well, it's either that or Hines doesn't buy that a large enough portion of its audience could be there.
While Hine said that he wouldn't want to "go off and do something that is completely different that we don't have a lot of expertise and knowledge of," he fails to mention how most of its competitors got into this at all: buying out folks that do know. Fine Bethesda, I didn't want Skyrim on Facebook anyway (still totally buying it)!
Do you think Bethesda is making a smart move in staying away from Facebook games or mobile games? Are you bummed that you won't be able to slay dragons with your bare hands on Facebook? (We are.)
Bethesda, which recently acquired Doom creator--and Loot Drop founder John Romero's original stomping ground--id Software, is currently working to release the fifth Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim (pictured). The game looks like it will certainly grab several Game of the Year nods when it releases to consoles Nov. 11. But even as future Game of the Year contenders like Mass Effect 3 could be getting the Facebook treatment, Bethesda simply doesn't see the connection.
"I guess I would put it this way: I want to make the kind of games that somebody who likes Rage would want to play, and who likes Skyrim would want to play, and there's a much clearer path from the guy who likes Rage is also probably going to like Skyrim also probably likes Prey 2 also probably likes Dishonored, or at least there's a much bigger chance of moving an audience from one to the next," Hines said to GamesIndustry.biz.
Basically, despite the fact that hardcore social gamers near 80 million, Hines doesn't see Bethesda effectively reaching its audience through Facebook. Well, it's either that or Hines doesn't buy that a large enough portion of its audience could be there.
While Hine said that he wouldn't want to "go off and do something that is completely different that we don't have a lot of expertise and knowledge of," he fails to mention how most of its competitors got into this at all: buying out folks that do know. Fine Bethesda, I didn't want Skyrim on Facebook anyway (still totally buying it)!
Do you think Bethesda is making a smart move in staying away from Facebook games or mobile games? Are you bummed that you won't be able to slay dragons with your bare hands on Facebook? (We are.)
EA to The Sims Social players: Sorry for the bugs, here's 150 SimCash
It looks like that, for many a player, The Sims Social hasn't been without its problems even after it has soared to over 7.5 million daily players. But EA and Playfish are keeping their cool, in fact, so cool that they're making it rain on disgruntled Sims fans.
Several players on the Playfish forums report receiving an email saying those who suffered a week-long glitch in which the game would not load past 65 percent will receive 150 SimCash, the game's paid currency, as compensation for the extensive outage.
Unfortunately, only players affected by the lengthy error will receive the email and the resultant 150 SimCash. When you receive the SimCash in-game, a message will appear in your messages page that reads "You have bought 150 SimCash." Confirmed by Playfish community manager Bevypoo, this will not bill you in anyway, regardless of the strange wording.
EA and Playfish sure know the way to players' hearts: more free stuff. Hopefully this will be enough to restore players' faith in the game even after its initial issues, because is there a better way to handle a situation like this than with freebies? We think not, which almost has us wishing we'd suffered the loading issues personally--almost. Check out the full email for yourself:
The Sims Social SImCash email
[Image Credits: Caperture]
Did you suffer loading issues last week, or are you one of the strangely unlucky? How well do you think EA and Playfish handled this situation?
Several players on the Playfish forums report receiving an email saying those who suffered a week-long glitch in which the game would not load past 65 percent will receive 150 SimCash, the game's paid currency, as compensation for the extensive outage.
Unfortunately, only players affected by the lengthy error will receive the email and the resultant 150 SimCash. When you receive the SimCash in-game, a message will appear in your messages page that reads "You have bought 150 SimCash." Confirmed by Playfish community manager Bevypoo, this will not bill you in anyway, regardless of the strange wording.
EA and Playfish sure know the way to players' hearts: more free stuff. Hopefully this will be enough to restore players' faith in the game even after its initial issues, because is there a better way to handle a situation like this than with freebies? We think not, which almost has us wishing we'd suffered the loading issues personally--almost. Check out the full email for yourself:
The Sims Social SImCash email
[Image Credits: Caperture]
Did you suffer loading issues last week, or are you one of the strangely unlucky? How well do you think EA and Playfish handled this situation?
Adventure World on Facebook: This massive game makes size matter
Is it possible to create a new genre of social game? Who knows, but that's exactly what Zynga Boston, formerly known as Conduit Labs, aims to do with its very first Zynga game: Adventure World. Announced just recently, Zynga Boston Lead Game Designer Seth Sivak took us on a hands-off tour through the game--a long, detailed tour of Zynga's largest game to date. Coined as a "social adventure game" by Sivak, Adventure World throws players into exploration age of the 1930s in search of El Dorado.
Heavily inspired by old adventure comics and design quirks of the time, Adventure World has players searching across five massive environments for the Lost City of Gold, which players will ultimately arrive at. (Though, based on the size of these levels and what it takes to trek through them, that won't be for awhile.)
And while basic navigation through the game doesn't venture far from staples like The Pioneer Trail or the original FrontierVille, it's the nuances that make this first effort truly unique from Zynga's previous releases.
For one, Adventure World, complete with pseudo-3D , cel-shaded characters, was built using a brand new engine overlaying the Flash player almost all Facebook games are displayed through, using tech borrowed from Conduit Labs. Two, the environment reacts to you, and more often than not poses a threat. Traps litter every map in Adventure World, and they have a funny way of letting you know of their presence.
Gallery: Adventure World on Facebook
As Sivak walked us through a lush, massive jungle (one of the game's first environments), he stumbled over a trap of wooden spikes that drained his Energy. However, he noticed a small lever next to the trap that could have been interacted with. Later, he approached a similar trap with more caution, disarming it by pressing the lever, which rewarded him with lots of bonuses.
Throughout your time in Adventure World, the game will teach you its many gameplay hooks slowly but surely, which is a far cry from the extremely literal approach of the company's other games. Basically, instead of the game demanding that you complete certain tasks a specific way like previous Zynga games, Adventure World wants you to pay attention to detail and learn from it. This tactic will come in handy across the game's litany of puzzles, too.
Adventure World in Action
Sivak called this a "Rule of Three," meaning the game presents an obstacle once for you to encounter, and twice more with slight variety to show you that there's more at play here than just tiles. In fact, certain puzzles have you applying pressure to tiles to cause stairs to raise or doors to lift, all of which adds life to a game that otherwise wouldn't look much different than Zynga's previous work.
We did mention the word "social" somewhere up there, right? Ah yes, this is a "social adventure game," and Zynga Boston is looking at a few interesting ways to foster social play. Through your time in Adventure World, you will see silhouettes of potential friends that can join you in times of need. While it's not mandatory, making use of your friends (asynchronously, of course) is highly encouraged.
This is thanks to Tools, or objects that players will acquire in their travels like machetes to cut down brush or grappling hooks to climb high walls. However, your Tools will level up with your adventurer at your discretion, as your only given so many points per level to apply to your Tools. Since it's much wiser to focus on powering up just one or two Tools, your friendships become far more useful both ways for specific situations. Finally, the game will reward you for using friends more often than others, increasing the bonuses they provide with each visit, which serves to organically create a tight group of friends (12 maximum, it seems) to play with.
Adventure World El Dorado
For a point of reference to the game's actual size in terms of content and literal real estate, Sivak told us that the game is 40 times larger than FarmVille. More specifically Zynga Boston packed over 1,000 distinct art assets, over 10,000 avatar combinations and 200 quests across 30 maps in Adventure World.
However, this game has no territory to maintain--just a linear story told through quests and cutscenes, and an adventure to trek through with your friends. (In fact, Sivak revealed to us that the game draws influence from the classic Legend of Zelda series, which certainly shines through in the puzzles.) And while there is no direct replay option planned, Zynga Boston plans to make certain scenarios re-playable, and will add more adventure content later down the line.
While the game won't release for a few weeks, we're already excited to get our hands on what looks to be one huge Facebook game in more ways than just the size of its jungles, mountains, volcanoes and ancient golden cities. Wow, that does sound like a lot, doesn't it?
Click here to "Like" the Adventure World Facebook fan page to learn more Now >
What do you think of Adventure World based on what it sounds/looks like? Do you think Adventure will hit a fever pitch, as most Zynga games are wont to do?
Heavily inspired by old adventure comics and design quirks of the time, Adventure World has players searching across five massive environments for the Lost City of Gold, which players will ultimately arrive at. (Though, based on the size of these levels and what it takes to trek through them, that won't be for awhile.)
And while basic navigation through the game doesn't venture far from staples like The Pioneer Trail or the original FrontierVille, it's the nuances that make this first effort truly unique from Zynga's previous releases.
For one, Adventure World, complete with pseudo-3D , cel-shaded characters, was built using a brand new engine overlaying the Flash player almost all Facebook games are displayed through, using tech borrowed from Conduit Labs. Two, the environment reacts to you, and more often than not poses a threat. Traps litter every map in Adventure World, and they have a funny way of letting you know of their presence.
Gallery: Adventure World on Facebook
As Sivak walked us through a lush, massive jungle (one of the game's first environments), he stumbled over a trap of wooden spikes that drained his Energy. However, he noticed a small lever next to the trap that could have been interacted with. Later, he approached a similar trap with more caution, disarming it by pressing the lever, which rewarded him with lots of bonuses.
Throughout your time in Adventure World, the game will teach you its many gameplay hooks slowly but surely, which is a far cry from the extremely literal approach of the company's other games. Basically, instead of the game demanding that you complete certain tasks a specific way like previous Zynga games, Adventure World wants you to pay attention to detail and learn from it. This tactic will come in handy across the game's litany of puzzles, too.
Adventure World in Action
Sivak called this a "Rule of Three," meaning the game presents an obstacle once for you to encounter, and twice more with slight variety to show you that there's more at play here than just tiles. In fact, certain puzzles have you applying pressure to tiles to cause stairs to raise or doors to lift, all of which adds life to a game that otherwise wouldn't look much different than Zynga's previous work.
We did mention the word "social" somewhere up there, right? Ah yes, this is a "social adventure game," and Zynga Boston is looking at a few interesting ways to foster social play. Through your time in Adventure World, you will see silhouettes of potential friends that can join you in times of need. While it's not mandatory, making use of your friends (asynchronously, of course) is highly encouraged.
This is thanks to Tools, or objects that players will acquire in their travels like machetes to cut down brush or grappling hooks to climb high walls. However, your Tools will level up with your adventurer at your discretion, as your only given so many points per level to apply to your Tools. Since it's much wiser to focus on powering up just one or two Tools, your friendships become far more useful both ways for specific situations. Finally, the game will reward you for using friends more often than others, increasing the bonuses they provide with each visit, which serves to organically create a tight group of friends (12 maximum, it seems) to play with.
Adventure World El Dorado
For a point of reference to the game's actual size in terms of content and literal real estate, Sivak told us that the game is 40 times larger than FarmVille. More specifically Zynga Boston packed over 1,000 distinct art assets, over 10,000 avatar combinations and 200 quests across 30 maps in Adventure World.
However, this game has no territory to maintain--just a linear story told through quests and cutscenes, and an adventure to trek through with your friends. (In fact, Sivak revealed to us that the game draws influence from the classic Legend of Zelda series, which certainly shines through in the puzzles.) And while there is no direct replay option planned, Zynga Boston plans to make certain scenarios re-playable, and will add more adventure content later down the line.
While the game won't release for a few weeks, we're already excited to get our hands on what looks to be one huge Facebook game in more ways than just the size of its jungles, mountains, volcanoes and ancient golden cities. Wow, that does sound like a lot, doesn't it?
Click here to "Like" the Adventure World Facebook fan page to learn more Now >
What do you think of Adventure World based on what it sounds/looks like? Do you think Adventure will hit a fever pitch, as most Zynga games are wont to do?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Halfbrick will open a whole new studio just for the Fruit Ninja sequel
In this case, it's 100 percent OK to let out a ninja cry like this dude. Those around you will understand once you tell them it's because you found out that Fruit Ninja creator Halfbrick plans to open a whole new studio just for the sequel to the iconic mobile game. The Brisbane, Australia-based game maker announced that, after a $3 million funding injection into the industry by state officials, it will open a new studio in Sydney and hire a new team to make the long-awaited second Fruit Ninja game.
"The new Sydney team will develop the next evolution of the Fruit Ninja games franchise," New South Wales deputy prime minister Andrew Stoner told Develop. "It will involve players launching a series of fruit to knock ninjas off their towers in a 3D world, with each fruit having special powers." In short, it will be remarkably different from the first game.
That's a relief, considering Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots did enough to flesh out the classic fruit-flaying gameplay to be worthy of the word "sequel". According to Stoner, the game is due out in 2012 for iOS devices initially. Though, we're sure Halfbrick will go platform crazy with this version as well, slapping the game onto Android, Facebook and even Xbox 360 Kinect. This news almost gets us excited enough to act like this guy ... almost (NSFW):
[Via Pocket Gamer]
Are you psyched to hear that a new Fruit Ninja game is in the works? What do you think of the premise so far?
"The new Sydney team will develop the next evolution of the Fruit Ninja games franchise," New South Wales deputy prime minister Andrew Stoner told Develop. "It will involve players launching a series of fruit to knock ninjas off their towers in a 3D world, with each fruit having special powers." In short, it will be remarkably different from the first game.
That's a relief, considering Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots did enough to flesh out the classic fruit-flaying gameplay to be worthy of the word "sequel". According to Stoner, the game is due out in 2012 for iOS devices initially. Though, we're sure Halfbrick will go platform crazy with this version as well, slapping the game onto Android, Facebook and even Xbox 360 Kinect. This news almost gets us excited enough to act like this guy ... almost (NSFW):
[Via Pocket Gamer]
Are you psyched to hear that a new Fruit Ninja game is in the works? What do you think of the premise so far?
If Zynga's next big 'Ville is 'ForestVille', how will it be any different?
Don't CastleVille and FrontierVille--sorry, Pioneer Trail--already take place in forests? That's about the only question we have, as Fusible discovered recently that Zynga has registered numerous domain names for "ForestVille". The social games giant has registered everything from "Forestville.com" onwards (the real deal belongs to a school district), to "Forestvillegame.com".
According to Fusbile, all of the domain names were registered through Internet brand protection company MarkMonitor, which Zynga regularly uses to acquire domain names. And Fusible points out that Zynga's own "Zynga.com" along with hundreds of other domains representing the company's properties are registered with MarkMonitor. So yeah, this is definitely Zynga.
Zynga has yet to make any announcement regarding such a game, so the company could purely be covering its bases in preparation for a game that doesn't even make it to Facebook. (Ahem, Kingdoms & Quests.) But again, two of Zynga's 'Ville games already revolve around creating communities in the woods, at least indirectly. We can't wait to see how the developer pushes a game centered around just that.
[Via Joystiq]
Would you play a game by Zynga called "ForestVille"? How could this game be different from both CastleVille and Pioneer Trail
According to Fusbile, all of the domain names were registered through Internet brand protection company MarkMonitor, which Zynga regularly uses to acquire domain names. And Fusible points out that Zynga's own "Zynga.com" along with hundreds of other domains representing the company's properties are registered with MarkMonitor. So yeah, this is definitely Zynga.
Zynga has yet to make any announcement regarding such a game, so the company could purely be covering its bases in preparation for a game that doesn't even make it to Facebook. (Ahem, Kingdoms & Quests.) But again, two of Zynga's 'Ville games already revolve around creating communities in the woods, at least indirectly. We can't wait to see how the developer pushes a game centered around just that.
[Via Joystiq]
Would you play a game by Zynga called "ForestVille"? How could this game be different from both CastleVille and Pioneer Trail
Avast ye, bingo fans! Gamesville's Pirate Cove Bingo sails on Facebook
Not to be confused with a Zynga game, Gamesville is a large web games portal that's been proudly "Wasting your time since 1996". Back in March, Gamesville debuted their first Facebook game, Super Chef Full Boil, as a Facebook exclusive, along with their usual promises of free cash drawings and prizes for players. But during the summer, the game was quietly dropped from Facebook, and now exists solely on Gamesville.
Undaunted, Gamesville unleashed another Facebook game today, a pirate-themed bingo game, with a rum-lovin' pirate announcer in tow, called Pirate Cove Bingo. Unlike Super Chef Full Boil, a puzzler that required Facebook players to register on Gamesville.com to participate in free cash and prize drawings, Pirate Cove Bingo is Facebook player-friendly.
In Pirate Cove Bingo, there's a $25 USD daily sweepstakes drawing. Every player gets unlimited White Cards and 5 Gold Cards per day to play bingo. If you get a bingo while using a Gold Card, the Gold Card becomes submitted as an entry to the day's daily sweepstakes.
Pirate Cove Bingo
However, only players from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada who are 18 years-old and above are eligible for the sweepstakes. On top of that, Canadians have an extra hurdle where they must "answer a mathematical, time-limited question administered by telephone, mail or email" if they are chosen as winners. (This requirement is likely a quirk of Canadian law, and not the fault of Gamesville, which is based in Waltham, MA.)
Pirate Cove Bingo creators
Like most Facebook games, it's free-to-play, though I suspect Gamesville will eventually allow players to buy more Gold Cards using Facebook Credits. There's already future plans to offer a level and ranking system, new game rooms, and coins later on. The thirty-three seconds between rounds are used to run commercials for the game's sponsors. I've seen one recurring commercial for the Nintendo 3DS so far. As for social elements, there's a chat room and leaderboard of the eleven, most recent sweepstakes winners.
Undaunted, Gamesville unleashed another Facebook game today, a pirate-themed bingo game, with a rum-lovin' pirate announcer in tow, called Pirate Cove Bingo. Unlike Super Chef Full Boil, a puzzler that required Facebook players to register on Gamesville.com to participate in free cash and prize drawings, Pirate Cove Bingo is Facebook player-friendly.
In Pirate Cove Bingo, there's a $25 USD daily sweepstakes drawing. Every player gets unlimited White Cards and 5 Gold Cards per day to play bingo. If you get a bingo while using a Gold Card, the Gold Card becomes submitted as an entry to the day's daily sweepstakes.
Pirate Cove Bingo
However, only players from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada who are 18 years-old and above are eligible for the sweepstakes. On top of that, Canadians have an extra hurdle where they must "answer a mathematical, time-limited question administered by telephone, mail or email" if they are chosen as winners. (This requirement is likely a quirk of Canadian law, and not the fault of Gamesville, which is based in Waltham, MA.)
Pirate Cove Bingo creators
Like most Facebook games, it's free-to-play, though I suspect Gamesville will eventually allow players to buy more Gold Cards using Facebook Credits. There's already future plans to offer a level and ranking system, new game rooms, and coins later on. The thirty-three seconds between rounds are used to run commercials for the game's sponsors. I've seen one recurring commercial for the Nintendo 3DS so far. As for social elements, there's a chat room and leaderboard of the eleven, most recent sweepstakes winners.
The Oregon Trail mozies on over to Wii for a fine 'n dandy price of $20
Oregon Trail Wii
Well, I reckon that there's a bargain. The fine fellers at Destructoid found that The Oregon Trail has taken a likin' ta ye olde Nintendo Wii console. (Is that annoying yet? Fine, we'll stop.) The game, developed by DoubleTap Games and published by Red Wagon Games under license by--who else?--The Learning Company, will hit stores on Dec. 9 for the budget price $19.99.
At any rate, color us surprised to find out that the Wii has yet to be touched by the legendary franchise, as it's damned near everywhere at this point. Hell, the game even hit Facebook before it was released on the Wii. Consider us even more shocked to remember that this is The Oregon Trail's 40th anniversary of teaching youngin's everywhere the horrors of dysentery.
This version of The Oregon Trail will be far different from the one recently released by Gameloft for smartphones in that it will feature full 3D graphics. Players will also have the pleasure of driving the wagon themselves across the nearly 3,000 mile expanse of the United States in four different storylines spanning three time periods. (So, how different from the 1840s are we talking, here?)
Players will get to partake in many of the familiar activities featured in previous takes on The Oregon Trail, like fishing, hunting and customizing their wagons. Now, hold on. Forgive us for getting stuck on this, but isn't the time period kind of vital to the historical accuracy of the game? The Oregon Trail was an educational tool, after all--ooh, look: you can play it on 3DS, too!
[Via Mashable]
Are you psyched to see The Oregon Trail to hit Wii and 3DS? Do you think this game will be better or worse than previous releases of the game this year?
Well, I reckon that there's a bargain. The fine fellers at Destructoid found that The Oregon Trail has taken a likin' ta ye olde Nintendo Wii console. (Is that annoying yet? Fine, we'll stop.) The game, developed by DoubleTap Games and published by Red Wagon Games under license by--who else?--The Learning Company, will hit stores on Dec. 9 for the budget price $19.99.
At any rate, color us surprised to find out that the Wii has yet to be touched by the legendary franchise, as it's damned near everywhere at this point. Hell, the game even hit Facebook before it was released on the Wii. Consider us even more shocked to remember that this is The Oregon Trail's 40th anniversary of teaching youngin's everywhere the horrors of dysentery.
This version of The Oregon Trail will be far different from the one recently released by Gameloft for smartphones in that it will feature full 3D graphics. Players will also have the pleasure of driving the wagon themselves across the nearly 3,000 mile expanse of the United States in four different storylines spanning three time periods. (So, how different from the 1840s are we talking, here?)
Players will get to partake in many of the familiar activities featured in previous takes on The Oregon Trail, like fishing, hunting and customizing their wagons. Now, hold on. Forgive us for getting stuck on this, but isn't the time period kind of vital to the historical accuracy of the game? The Oregon Trail was an educational tool, after all--ooh, look: you can play it on 3DS, too!
[Via Mashable]
Are you psyched to see The Oregon Trail to hit Wii and 3DS? Do you think this game will be better or worse than previous releases of the game this year?
GREE's mobile social games network to be 'borderless', to hit Q2 2012
And still, we know little about just exactly how the Japanese social game publisher's platform will work. GREE has revealed a sliver of information about its upcoming mobile social games network, namely that it will be "borderless". While company says this means that users will enjoy single sign-on into GREE on their iPhone or Android phone, we hope this means cross-platform play.
The company goes on to say that the platform will feature a global payment solution and a series of "robust out-of-network cross promotional opportunities," which sounds to us a lot like in-game advertisements. The OpenFeint-powered platform will provide developers with rich analytics tools, meaning game makers will be able to read and evaluate your actions within the GREE games you play. (That might sound a bit too much like Big Brother, but Facebook game makers do the exact same thing.)
"This new GREE platform continues to show the commitment we have to building a truly global, free-to-play ecosystem for mobile developers," GREE founder and CEO Yoshikazu Tanaka said in a release. "Our goal is to offer the best social gaming experience to players around the world. GREE worldwide has the largest cross-platform network and this is a step closer to our goal of reaching one billion users."
GREE's mobile social games network will offer games discovery to players as well as all the latest social features. Of course, leaderboards and achievements will be a staple in GREE's offering. However, the company plans to take the mobile social games world by storm in Q2 2012, or as early as April. With DeNA's Mobage network already out of beta testing on Android and Zynga's Project Z on the horizon, that sounds like a lifetime.
[Image Credit: Wired]
Can GREE combat both DeNA and Zynga in the mobile social games space coming in so late? What would GREE need that the other companies don't have right now for you to use its service?
The company goes on to say that the platform will feature a global payment solution and a series of "robust out-of-network cross promotional opportunities," which sounds to us a lot like in-game advertisements. The OpenFeint-powered platform will provide developers with rich analytics tools, meaning game makers will be able to read and evaluate your actions within the GREE games you play. (That might sound a bit too much like Big Brother, but Facebook game makers do the exact same thing.)
"This new GREE platform continues to show the commitment we have to building a truly global, free-to-play ecosystem for mobile developers," GREE founder and CEO Yoshikazu Tanaka said in a release. "Our goal is to offer the best social gaming experience to players around the world. GREE worldwide has the largest cross-platform network and this is a step closer to our goal of reaching one billion users."
GREE's mobile social games network will offer games discovery to players as well as all the latest social features. Of course, leaderboards and achievements will be a staple in GREE's offering. However, the company plans to take the mobile social games world by storm in Q2 2012, or as early as April. With DeNA's Mobage network already out of beta testing on Android and Zynga's Project Z on the horizon, that sounds like a lifetime.
[Image Credit: Wired]
Can GREE combat both DeNA and Zynga in the mobile social games space coming in so late? What would GREE need that the other companies don't have right now for you to use its service?
Monday, December 12, 2011
FarmVille Huge Jack-O'Lantern: Everything you need to know
The time has finally come farmers! It's time to stop wondering when we'll be able to start redeeming tricks and treats for Halloween themed goodies in FarmVille, and time to start actually doing it! That's right, the Huge Jack-O'Lantern (otherwise known as this year's collection basket) has finally started rolling out to farmers. Here's what to expect!
You'll receive a pop-up giving you a free Huge Jack-O'Lantern the first time you login after the update has rolled around to you. This item is different from others, as it isn't simply a "basket" or "bucket" to hold treats; rather, it's a farm plot that will grow as you collect Treats. As of right now, there are six different prizes up for grabs by collecting Treats:
Mini Jack-O'Lantern - 5 Treats
Pumpkin Terrier - 15 Treats
Pumpkin Cow - 35 Treats
Big Candy Pumpkin - 75 Treats
Halloween Pond - 100 Treats
Nightmare Stallion - 170 Treats
As with the release of the Apple Barrel, this collection event gives you a chance to bypass collecting treats altogether if there's just a specific item or two you'd like to add to your farms, as you can purchase them outright with Farm Cash. One Treat equals one Farm Cash, so your prizes are the same as the amount of Treats you'd pay otherwise. If you'd rather go the free route, however, you'll be able to earn Treats by asking your friends to send them to you, or by using your Count Duckula's Castle (and the castles on friends' farms) to earn even more Treats on your own.
It's interesting that the biggest prize here is 170 Treats, as that's far less than the prices we've seen for such events' largest prizes in the past. For instance, the Eiffel Tower in the Valentine's Day event ended up costing 275 Valentines! Could this mean that additional prizes (perhaps an entire "page 2") will be added to the Huge Jack-O'Lantern before Halloween proper, or are we simply being given a break with this holiday? We'll make sure to keep an eye on things, and will let you know if additional prizes are added before all is said and done.
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Which of these six prizes are you most excited about earning on your farm? What other sorts of Halloween items do you hope Zynga releases before the end of the month?
You'll receive a pop-up giving you a free Huge Jack-O'Lantern the first time you login after the update has rolled around to you. This item is different from others, as it isn't simply a "basket" or "bucket" to hold treats; rather, it's a farm plot that will grow as you collect Treats. As of right now, there are six different prizes up for grabs by collecting Treats:
Mini Jack-O'Lantern - 5 Treats
Pumpkin Terrier - 15 Treats
Pumpkin Cow - 35 Treats
Big Candy Pumpkin - 75 Treats
Halloween Pond - 100 Treats
Nightmare Stallion - 170 Treats
As with the release of the Apple Barrel, this collection event gives you a chance to bypass collecting treats altogether if there's just a specific item or two you'd like to add to your farms, as you can purchase them outright with Farm Cash. One Treat equals one Farm Cash, so your prizes are the same as the amount of Treats you'd pay otherwise. If you'd rather go the free route, however, you'll be able to earn Treats by asking your friends to send them to you, or by using your Count Duckula's Castle (and the castles on friends' farms) to earn even more Treats on your own.
It's interesting that the biggest prize here is 170 Treats, as that's far less than the prices we've seen for such events' largest prizes in the past. For instance, the Eiffel Tower in the Valentine's Day event ended up costing 275 Valentines! Could this mean that additional prizes (perhaps an entire "page 2") will be added to the Huge Jack-O'Lantern before Halloween proper, or are we simply being given a break with this holiday? We'll make sure to keep an eye on things, and will let you know if additional prizes are added before all is said and done.
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Which of these six prizes are you most excited about earning on your farm? What other sorts of Halloween items do you hope Zynga releases before the end of the month?
DoubleDown Casino's Photo Booth Friends: Play slots with faces friends
Now, you can literally play slots with your friends ... as in use their likeness to win big. DoubleDown Interactive has announced Photo Booth Friends, the newest slot game to hit its popular DoubleDown Casino Facebook game. Photo Booth Friends allows players to customize their slot reels with up to 11 of their friends' faces, but they can also be picked at random.
Of course, matching your friends' faces nets you lots of chips to play more with, which you can brag about or share through Facebook News Feed posts. According to DoubleDown Interactive, this is the 18th game the developer has introduced to the DoubleDown Casino app, all of which we just recently had an in-depth peek at. The Seattle, Wash.-based studio also hinted that more games will be released within the overarching app later this year.
"We've made a significant investment to develop a truly social slot game, one that takes full advantage of the many social features provided by Facebook," Double Down Interactive CEO Greg Enell said in a release. "We've done it with Photo Booth Slots by providing a unique slot game that's full of social and viral features, culminating in an experience that's all about winning with friends. I'm confident that our millions of players will embrace this slot, once again proving that we are the world's premiere developer and distributor of virtual casino games."
Photo Booth Friends Snapshot Bonus
Players can hit up the new mode of slots by entering DoubleDown Casino and going directly to the slot machines section of the game from the lobby. While DoubleDown Casino enjoys an impressive 1 million daily players and 3.4 million monthly players, according to AppData, its competition is about to heat up with both Zynga and PopCap preparing casino-style social games. But with nearly 30 percent of its player base playing daily, DoubleDown Casino has its feet firmly in the red and gold carpet.
Have you tried Photo Booth Friends in DoubleDown Casino yet? What do you think of slot and casino games on Facebook thus far, and will you jump ship to Zynga or PopCap's casino game when they release?
Of course, matching your friends' faces nets you lots of chips to play more with, which you can brag about or share through Facebook News Feed posts. According to DoubleDown Interactive, this is the 18th game the developer has introduced to the DoubleDown Casino app, all of which we just recently had an in-depth peek at. The Seattle, Wash.-based studio also hinted that more games will be released within the overarching app later this year.
"We've made a significant investment to develop a truly social slot game, one that takes full advantage of the many social features provided by Facebook," Double Down Interactive CEO Greg Enell said in a release. "We've done it with Photo Booth Slots by providing a unique slot game that's full of social and viral features, culminating in an experience that's all about winning with friends. I'm confident that our millions of players will embrace this slot, once again proving that we are the world's premiere developer and distributor of virtual casino games."
Photo Booth Friends Snapshot Bonus
Players can hit up the new mode of slots by entering DoubleDown Casino and going directly to the slot machines section of the game from the lobby. While DoubleDown Casino enjoys an impressive 1 million daily players and 3.4 million monthly players, according to AppData, its competition is about to heat up with both Zynga and PopCap preparing casino-style social games. But with nearly 30 percent of its player base playing daily, DoubleDown Casino has its feet firmly in the red and gold carpet.
Have you tried Photo Booth Friends in DoubleDown Casino yet? What do you think of slot and casino games on Facebook thus far, and will you jump ship to Zynga or PopCap's casino game when they release?
Crowdpark: Bet Tycoon heralds 'a promising, new genre' [Interview]
So, online gambling is illegal, right? Well, not if you do it right, according to Crowdpark co-founder Ingo Hinterding and COO Christoph Jenke, who just scored another $6 million in funding from European investors Target Partners and Earlybird Venture Capital. The injection of cash will fuel the company's first social game, Bet Tycoon, a social betting game that has been available on Facebook since April of this year.
Berlin, Germany-based Crowdpark has big plans for Bet Tycoon, powered by the developer's "Dynamic Betting" technology, which shifts the odds on a given bet in real time in response to where gamblers decide place their bets. The game, which welcomes 480,000 monthly players, allows players to place bets on real life events from just where Angelina will go to adopt her next baby to who will win the football game this weekend. (That's both American and world football, mind you.)
Players can also create their own bets and send them to friends for personalized competition. We sat down with the duo recently to learn more about Bet Tycoon, what's next for the game and how Crowdpark intends to capitalize on what it calls "an entirely new genre of social betting games."
What drove Crowdpark to the idea for Bet Tycoon, and more importantly, "social betting?"
Ingo Hinterding: We do have a patent pending technology, which is called Dynamic Betting, and we've been using it for some time for B2B. We've found that this technology is really unique, and there had yet to be a social game done with this technology. We've found that this is really interesting--it could be a real game-changer--because the odds are defined by the crowd in real time. This gives us the opportunity to have a real life and real-time-based game, which is really new to Facebook right now.
How is the game kept current? Do you have a team that just updates the game with new bets?
IH: That's exactly what we're doing! So, we do have editors working, like all over the world and based here in the headquarters, in Berlin, and in the UK. And we do have editors working in the states right now, based in New York. These editors listen and have an open eye for what is there to bet about in these countries, what's really interesting. And they provide these bets in two languages right now: English and German, [but] Spanish and Turkish languages are following.
Players appear to level up in the game. Does this have a purpose beyond bragging rights?
IH: It's all about overcoming restrictions and progress, and having something from the progress, right? This is something we will launch within the next week--a big update where we will include new features related to the progress of the player in the game. You'll have the ability to bet on more and premium features. We're pretty excited about that.
Bet Tycoon gameplay
Can you speak more specifically to those new features?
IH: Sure, would be happy to. To give a sneak peek, we are adding a metaphor about progressing in an office building. You'll start in the basement, making your way up to the top--kind of like the American Dream through betting.
Now that Bet Tycoon is out and has around 1 million monthly players, what's the next step for the game?
IH: We have several products [we're working on] not only on Facebook, but across platforms. We are working on a dedicated [mobile] product for sports and you can see that on our website called Fanatical. It's all about sports, and the excitement of sports. Naturally, betting and sports are a perfect fit, with more sports apps coming soon. And we're working on a game vertical of our Bet Tycoon that is directed to sports fans on Facebook. That's coming soon.
Now, I notice that players are able to purchase more betting cash with Facebook Credits, but aren't able to make any real cash off of winning bets, thus making it legal. How have players reacted to this so far, and how do you expect players to react as Bet Tycoon gains steam?
Christoph Jenke: Of course, Crowdpark's betting game is 100 percent legal. We will be able to translate Facebook Credits into our second currency, Crowdpark Dollars. Of course, like in any social game, they're never able to translate into real currency. Crowdpark is totally about the fun of betting, [we're] focused on the thrill of betting and not for real money.
As Ingo said, we don't have that many restrictions. It's quite easy to play the game without putting real money into Facebook Credits, so of course, we will add more features. I hope people will be really willing to pay for the experience and leveling up just like in any other social game.
What plans does Crowdpark have for future games? Will they all have a casino/betting hook to them, and if so how will that change?
IH: The social betting is our focus right now. But you've got that spot on: Casino games are really relevant for us too. The target audience and the players are quite similar. They love to bet, people love to play poker games, slot machines and bingo. They're a really good fit, and we're looking into the market right now.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Ingo and Christoph.
Click here to play Bet Tycoon on Facebook Now >
What do you think of legal online gambling and casino games gaining traction on Facebook? Do you think there's room for this type of game on social networks?
Berlin, Germany-based Crowdpark has big plans for Bet Tycoon, powered by the developer's "Dynamic Betting" technology, which shifts the odds on a given bet in real time in response to where gamblers decide place their bets. The game, which welcomes 480,000 monthly players, allows players to place bets on real life events from just where Angelina will go to adopt her next baby to who will win the football game this weekend. (That's both American and world football, mind you.)
Players can also create their own bets and send them to friends for personalized competition. We sat down with the duo recently to learn more about Bet Tycoon, what's next for the game and how Crowdpark intends to capitalize on what it calls "an entirely new genre of social betting games."
What drove Crowdpark to the idea for Bet Tycoon, and more importantly, "social betting?"
Ingo Hinterding: We do have a patent pending technology, which is called Dynamic Betting, and we've been using it for some time for B2B. We've found that this technology is really unique, and there had yet to be a social game done with this technology. We've found that this is really interesting--it could be a real game-changer--because the odds are defined by the crowd in real time. This gives us the opportunity to have a real life and real-time-based game, which is really new to Facebook right now.
How is the game kept current? Do you have a team that just updates the game with new bets?
IH: That's exactly what we're doing! So, we do have editors working, like all over the world and based here in the headquarters, in Berlin, and in the UK. And we do have editors working in the states right now, based in New York. These editors listen and have an open eye for what is there to bet about in these countries, what's really interesting. And they provide these bets in two languages right now: English and German, [but] Spanish and Turkish languages are following.
Players appear to level up in the game. Does this have a purpose beyond bragging rights?
IH: It's all about overcoming restrictions and progress, and having something from the progress, right? This is something we will launch within the next week--a big update where we will include new features related to the progress of the player in the game. You'll have the ability to bet on more and premium features. We're pretty excited about that.
Bet Tycoon gameplay
Can you speak more specifically to those new features?
IH: Sure, would be happy to. To give a sneak peek, we are adding a metaphor about progressing in an office building. You'll start in the basement, making your way up to the top--kind of like the American Dream through betting.
Now that Bet Tycoon is out and has around 1 million monthly players, what's the next step for the game?
IH: We have several products [we're working on] not only on Facebook, but across platforms. We are working on a dedicated [mobile] product for sports and you can see that on our website called Fanatical. It's all about sports, and the excitement of sports. Naturally, betting and sports are a perfect fit, with more sports apps coming soon. And we're working on a game vertical of our Bet Tycoon that is directed to sports fans on Facebook. That's coming soon.
Now, I notice that players are able to purchase more betting cash with Facebook Credits, but aren't able to make any real cash off of winning bets, thus making it legal. How have players reacted to this so far, and how do you expect players to react as Bet Tycoon gains steam?
Christoph Jenke: Of course, Crowdpark's betting game is 100 percent legal. We will be able to translate Facebook Credits into our second currency, Crowdpark Dollars. Of course, like in any social game, they're never able to translate into real currency. Crowdpark is totally about the fun of betting, [we're] focused on the thrill of betting and not for real money.
As Ingo said, we don't have that many restrictions. It's quite easy to play the game without putting real money into Facebook Credits, so of course, we will add more features. I hope people will be really willing to pay for the experience and leveling up just like in any other social game.
What plans does Crowdpark have for future games? Will they all have a casino/betting hook to them, and if so how will that change?
IH: The social betting is our focus right now. But you've got that spot on: Casino games are really relevant for us too. The target audience and the players are quite similar. They love to bet, people love to play poker games, slot machines and bingo. They're a really good fit, and we're looking into the market right now.
Thanks for taking the time to talk with us, Ingo and Christoph.
Click here to play Bet Tycoon on Facebook Now >
What do you think of legal online gambling and casino games gaining traction on Facebook? Do you think there's room for this type of game on social networks?
Game of the Day: Cake Mania
Folks, baking runs in Jill's family. But today it's up to you to help Jill serve her ever-increasingly difficult customers, while upgrading her kitchen with state-of-the-art baking tools. Help Jill earn enough money to reopen her grandparents' bakery in this fast-paced culinary crisis.
Cake Mania is an oldie but goodie. It may not be as flashy as Papa's Freezeria or Papa's Taco Mia, but this game is still a ton of fun. In this sweet time management game, you'll have to juggle taking orders, baking cakes, frosting, and serving customers all at the same time. Think you're up to the challenge? Check it out below.
Click here to play Cake Mania!
cake mania game of the day cake mania game of the day
Pro Tips:
Never let Jill stand still! Learn the timings of the various activities so you can constantly be working on a job. Multitasking is the key to efficiency.
Click here to play Cake Mania!
Which Cake Mania frosting and cake combination looks most delicious?
Cake Mania is an oldie but goodie. It may not be as flashy as Papa's Freezeria or Papa's Taco Mia, but this game is still a ton of fun. In this sweet time management game, you'll have to juggle taking orders, baking cakes, frosting, and serving customers all at the same time. Think you're up to the challenge? Check it out below.
Click here to play Cake Mania!
cake mania game of the day cake mania game of the day
Pro Tips:
Never let Jill stand still! Learn the timings of the various activities so you can constantly be working on a job. Multitasking is the key to efficiency.
Click here to play Cake Mania!
Which Cake Mania frosting and cake combination looks most delicious?
Toyota's Social Network Racer flaunts flashy concept car [Video]
Sure, branded games are huge on Facebook, but Toyota is just plain showing off. The global car manufacturer announced its first branded Facebook game, Social Network Racer. (Wow, original, huh?) The game, which launches Oct. 19 at 11 p.m. PST right here, is designed to promote the company's brand new product model car that will be officially unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show this December.
Social Network Racer is said to run from Oct. 19 right up until Dec. 31, or the very day the Tokyo Motor Show opens to the public. If you hadn't guessed already from the game's brilliant title, players will race the concept car around a predetermined track in full 3D, thanks to Flash Player 11. Come to think of it, Toyota may be one of the first to use the new Flash Player's 3D capabilities commercially.
The track is only predetermined to a point: The track's surroundings will incorporate information from your Facebook profile like photos and News Feed updates as if they were billboards and video advertisements. According to a release, players will get to create and host their own races with their friends, and compete in events hosted by Toyota.
A special event known as the Toyota Championship will pit racers against each other for the ultimate prize: a trip to Tokyo, Japan to see Toyota's mysterious concept car in the flesh--err, metal, rubber and chrome. Oh, and if you win, you'll also receive "a secret prize," a Toyota representative tells us.
Gearheads, it's OK to nerd squeal now. Based on the preview trailer below, the concept car looks to be a variation of the FT-86 II unveiled at this year's Geneva Motor Show. Also, we doubt that the driving displayed in this preview is indicative of what Toyota's concept car is capable of. Well, we sure hope not.
(Editor's Note: This post was edited for clarity regarding the prize in store for players and the car to be featured at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.)
Click here to play Social Network Racer starting Oct. 19, 11 p.m. PST >
Are you psyched to get behind the virtual wheel of Toyota's next major sports car? Do you think a full-blown 3D racing game could work on Facebook?
Social Network Racer is said to run from Oct. 19 right up until Dec. 31, or the very day the Tokyo Motor Show opens to the public. If you hadn't guessed already from the game's brilliant title, players will race the concept car around a predetermined track in full 3D, thanks to Flash Player 11. Come to think of it, Toyota may be one of the first to use the new Flash Player's 3D capabilities commercially.
The track is only predetermined to a point: The track's surroundings will incorporate information from your Facebook profile like photos and News Feed updates as if they were billboards and video advertisements. According to a release, players will get to create and host their own races with their friends, and compete in events hosted by Toyota.
A special event known as the Toyota Championship will pit racers against each other for the ultimate prize: a trip to Tokyo, Japan to see Toyota's mysterious concept car in the flesh--err, metal, rubber and chrome. Oh, and if you win, you'll also receive "a secret prize," a Toyota representative tells us.
Gearheads, it's OK to nerd squeal now. Based on the preview trailer below, the concept car looks to be a variation of the FT-86 II unveiled at this year's Geneva Motor Show. Also, we doubt that the driving displayed in this preview is indicative of what Toyota's concept car is capable of. Well, we sure hope not.
(Editor's Note: This post was edited for clarity regarding the prize in store for players and the car to be featured at this year's Tokyo Motor Show.)
Click here to play Social Network Racer starting Oct. 19, 11 p.m. PST >
Are you psyched to get behind the virtual wheel of Toyota's next major sports car? Do you think a full-blown 3D racing game could work on Facebook?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
The Sims Social Cheats and Tips: Basic Stacking Guide
That amazing, towering tree house pictured here from The Sims Social is the result of stacking. Before players discovered stacking, the best idea for personalizing our Sims' homes was carpet art. But there's not enough floor space in the game for carpet tiling to become popular. At least, not in the same way that hay bale art had overtaken FarmVille as a major design tool of players. Many Sims Social items also aren't made to be stacked, so you'll need a workaround for it, which we'll show you here
Sims Social Basix TV Stand Tan
Step 1: Buy 3 tables from the store that are two tile lengths long, preferably the Basix TV Stand - Tan (costs 350 Simoleons), because it's the cheapest option. (Another popular, though more expensive option is the ShortNSweet tables.) My example also uses the Black stand (costs 650 Simoleons), cause I want to make it easier for you to see what I'm doing.
Sims Social Basix TV Stand
Step 2: Stack the tables so that you've got two on the bottom and one laid out across the top of the bottom ones.
Sims Social L-tool
Step 3: Pick one of the tables on the bottom and drag it away from your stack. The table on the top should automatically get dragged off too when you do this. If this worked, then congrats! These two stuck tables are now your L-shaped stacking tool. (Note: Always move your L-tool by holding the bottom or it'll fall apart.)
Sims Social stack objects
Step 4: Pick something you want to stack. The screenshot above shows a few great ideas (well... except for that toilet trophy stand). A popular choice is to put flowers on top of the Cubic Bush and hedges. But what always bugged me is how the game won't let me put stuffed animals on my beds, so let's do that!
Sims Social item bed stack
Step 5: To get Plumpkins Bear onto the bed, move the L-tool until the top table is right above the spot you need to put the bear. After you're done, click on the bear and put it on the top table.
Sims Social rotate L-tool
Step 6: The next part is like the classic tablecloth trick, where your tablecloth is the L-tool and the bed is the table. Grab the bottom of the L-tool to slide it away from the bed. (If you don't have enough room to slide the table away, use the Rotate function of the bottom table.) Because the bear won't move, the bear will end up looking like it's sitting on top of the bed. Voila, you've now got a stuffed animal onto the bed!
Sims Social Entertainment Center
When you're ready to try something harder, player Amy Yang has a tutorial video that shows you how to make an entire entertainment center (seen above) for your Sim using just tables and rugs. Also, special thanks to NathanXOXO for the bush and tulip idea.
What other items do you think will look good stacked together?
Sims Social Basix TV Stand Tan
Step 1: Buy 3 tables from the store that are two tile lengths long, preferably the Basix TV Stand - Tan (costs 350 Simoleons), because it's the cheapest option. (Another popular, though more expensive option is the ShortNSweet tables.) My example also uses the Black stand (costs 650 Simoleons), cause I want to make it easier for you to see what I'm doing.
Sims Social Basix TV Stand
Step 2: Stack the tables so that you've got two on the bottom and one laid out across the top of the bottom ones.
Sims Social L-tool
Step 3: Pick one of the tables on the bottom and drag it away from your stack. The table on the top should automatically get dragged off too when you do this. If this worked, then congrats! These two stuck tables are now your L-shaped stacking tool. (Note: Always move your L-tool by holding the bottom or it'll fall apart.)
Sims Social stack objects
Step 4: Pick something you want to stack. The screenshot above shows a few great ideas (well... except for that toilet trophy stand). A popular choice is to put flowers on top of the Cubic Bush and hedges. But what always bugged me is how the game won't let me put stuffed animals on my beds, so let's do that!
Sims Social item bed stack
Step 5: To get Plumpkins Bear onto the bed, move the L-tool until the top table is right above the spot you need to put the bear. After you're done, click on the bear and put it on the top table.
Sims Social rotate L-tool
Step 6: The next part is like the classic tablecloth trick, where your tablecloth is the L-tool and the bed is the table. Grab the bottom of the L-tool to slide it away from the bed. (If you don't have enough room to slide the table away, use the Rotate function of the bottom table.) Because the bear won't move, the bear will end up looking like it's sitting on top of the bed. Voila, you've now got a stuffed animal onto the bed!
Sims Social Entertainment Center
When you're ready to try something harder, player Amy Yang has a tutorial video that shows you how to make an entire entertainment center (seen above) for your Sim using just tables and rugs. Also, special thanks to NathanXOXO for the bush and tulip idea.
What other items do you think will look good stacked together?
Games.com Presents: Best of Black Friday -- PopCap, iPad and more
You don't have to wait until Cyber Monday to get good deals for casual and social games. Both Amazon and Apple are promising deep discounts on Friday for a slew of games, and we fully expect that Steam and a bunch of other online gaming outlets will follow through with other wallet friendly sales as well.
Games.com will be tracking Black Friday sales for the bigger social, casual and online games, so stay tuned for regular updates right here during Thanksgiving week.
Amazon - 300+ Casual Games for $1.99
The online retailer is offering 300+ casual games for $1.99 (and at least 50% off 150 downloads). Some of those games include Puzzle Quest, Mystery at Mortlake Mansion and Diner Dash 5: Boom. > Amazon Black Friday Deals Week
amazon black friday deals
Apple
Apple is promising a one-day shopping "event" on Black Friday for Mac, iPad and iPhone games. This might be your big chance to get the paid version of Angry Birds or Jetpack Joyride for mere pennies. Note: There will also be a rare sale on iPads as well. > Apple Store
black friday apple
Steam - New deals every day through Nov. 27
The annual Steam Autumn Sale is generally described as "epic," and you should expect no less with this year's sale, which kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 23 and ends on Sunday, Nov 27. And, there will be new deals every day. For instance, on Thursday, you can get the excellent Portal 2 (for PC) for roughly 10 bucks.
steam autumn sale
Other items of note: The PopCap Complete Pack (includes 32 PopCap games including Bejewled 3, Zuma's Revenge) is $50 (it's usually $100) This and more casual games like Hamilton's Great Adventure, Luxor: 5th Passage will be available for 50% off through Monday. > Steam Autumn Sale
Blizzard - Starcraft II for 50% off
blizzard starcraft II sale
Head to the Blizzard Store and get StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for $29.99 (that's 50% off regular price.) Deal ends on Monday, November 28 > Blizzard Store
PopCap - Get a FREE copy of original Zuma game through Tuesday, Nov 29
popcap free zuma
PopCap is giving away the original Zuma for free when you sign up for the newsletter. Once you sign up, you'll get a link to download the game in your email. This deal ends Tuesday, November 29. > PopCap Free Zuma
PlayFirst - 70% off Diner Dash and other Dash Games
playfirst black friday
The creator of Diner Dash is offering 70% off all Dash games (standard edition only) through 11/28. So, if you've been wanting to work on your time management skills, you can get Diner Dash 5: Boom!, Hotel Dash 2 and Soap Opera Dash for $2.99 a pop. Use the code Dash 299 when checking out. Sale ends on Monday, 11/28. > PlayFirst
GameHouse - 2-for-1 Thanksgiving Sale
GameHouse is offering up to 64% on bundled games. The big winners are the Peggle Double Pack and for Twihards, the Vampire Saga Double Pack. > GameHouse 2-for-1 Thanksgiving games sale
Youda Games Black Friday sale
youda games
Youda Games is offering a discount on a handful of games, such as Youda Farmer 2 and Youda Fisherman, on Friday only. > Youda Games
Nexon - Limited time sales in Maple Story and other games on Friday
- MapleStory will have a slew of Black Friday doorbusters starting on Friday, in the form of three-hour sales that will pop up four times during the day.
nexon black friday deals
- MapleStory Adventures players will get a 30% discount on all pets on Black Friday and Cyber Monday will have deep discounts on "stylish outfits." Hairstyles, hats, coats and gloves will be 20% off all weekend.
- Dungeon Fighter Online, Combat Arms, Mabinogi, Atlantica Online will also have Black Friday deals, for more info on all of these sales go to Nexon's web site. > Nexon.net
Gameloft
gameloft thanksgiving sale
The mobile phone game publisher is giving away one free Android game every day through Monday. To get your free game, follow @GameloftAndroid on Twitter and keep your eyes peeled for the details (FYI -- the sale will only last two hours). Miss the big announcement? Gameloft will be offering discounts on Android games (through a special link posted on Twitter) and also has an iOS sale in the works on the website. > @GameloftAndroid on Twitter , Gameloft.com
Stay tuned for more updates on this Black Friday Guide for social and casual games. If you know if a great Black Friday sale for a social/casual game, drop us a line at editors@games.com.
Games.com will be tracking Black Friday sales for the bigger social, casual and online games, so stay tuned for regular updates right here during Thanksgiving week.
Amazon - 300+ Casual Games for $1.99
The online retailer is offering 300+ casual games for $1.99 (and at least 50% off 150 downloads). Some of those games include Puzzle Quest, Mystery at Mortlake Mansion and Diner Dash 5: Boom. > Amazon Black Friday Deals Week
amazon black friday deals
Apple
Apple is promising a one-day shopping "event" on Black Friday for Mac, iPad and iPhone games. This might be your big chance to get the paid version of Angry Birds or Jetpack Joyride for mere pennies. Note: There will also be a rare sale on iPads as well. > Apple Store
black friday apple
Steam - New deals every day through Nov. 27
The annual Steam Autumn Sale is generally described as "epic," and you should expect no less with this year's sale, which kicks off Wednesday, Nov. 23 and ends on Sunday, Nov 27. And, there will be new deals every day. For instance, on Thursday, you can get the excellent Portal 2 (for PC) for roughly 10 bucks.
steam autumn sale
Other items of note: The PopCap Complete Pack (includes 32 PopCap games including Bejewled 3, Zuma's Revenge) is $50 (it's usually $100) This and more casual games like Hamilton's Great Adventure, Luxor: 5th Passage will be available for 50% off through Monday. > Steam Autumn Sale
Blizzard - Starcraft II for 50% off
blizzard starcraft II sale
Head to the Blizzard Store and get StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty for $29.99 (that's 50% off regular price.) Deal ends on Monday, November 28 > Blizzard Store
PopCap - Get a FREE copy of original Zuma game through Tuesday, Nov 29
popcap free zuma
PopCap is giving away the original Zuma for free when you sign up for the newsletter. Once you sign up, you'll get a link to download the game in your email. This deal ends Tuesday, November 29. > PopCap Free Zuma
PlayFirst - 70% off Diner Dash and other Dash Games
playfirst black friday
The creator of Diner Dash is offering 70% off all Dash games (standard edition only) through 11/28. So, if you've been wanting to work on your time management skills, you can get Diner Dash 5: Boom!, Hotel Dash 2 and Soap Opera Dash for $2.99 a pop. Use the code Dash 299 when checking out. Sale ends on Monday, 11/28. > PlayFirst
GameHouse - 2-for-1 Thanksgiving Sale
GameHouse is offering up to 64% on bundled games. The big winners are the Peggle Double Pack and for Twihards, the Vampire Saga Double Pack. > GameHouse 2-for-1 Thanksgiving games sale
Youda Games Black Friday sale
youda games
Youda Games is offering a discount on a handful of games, such as Youda Farmer 2 and Youda Fisherman, on Friday only. > Youda Games
Nexon - Limited time sales in Maple Story and other games on Friday
- MapleStory will have a slew of Black Friday doorbusters starting on Friday, in the form of three-hour sales that will pop up four times during the day.
nexon black friday deals
- MapleStory Adventures players will get a 30% discount on all pets on Black Friday and Cyber Monday will have deep discounts on "stylish outfits." Hairstyles, hats, coats and gloves will be 20% off all weekend.
- Dungeon Fighter Online, Combat Arms, Mabinogi, Atlantica Online will also have Black Friday deals, for more info on all of these sales go to Nexon's web site. > Nexon.net
Gameloft
gameloft thanksgiving sale
The mobile phone game publisher is giving away one free Android game every day through Monday. To get your free game, follow @GameloftAndroid on Twitter and keep your eyes peeled for the details (FYI -- the sale will only last two hours). Miss the big announcement? Gameloft will be offering discounts on Android games (through a special link posted on Twitter) and also has an iOS sale in the works on the website. > @GameloftAndroid on Twitter , Gameloft.com
Stay tuned for more updates on this Black Friday Guide for social and casual games. If you know if a great Black Friday sale for a social/casual game, drop us a line at editors@games.com.
Disney's cleaning house, Playdom's ESPNU College Town is next
Did you get the email too? Social City--um, never mind--Gardens of Time maker Playdom has announced in a mass email sent to players that ESPNU College Town will be closed for good this Dec. 20. According to the message (the game features a truncated version), Playdom feels that the game has run its course." And players already appear quite upset in the forums.
No information has been given on whether players will be able to transfer their existing premium in-game currency to another Playdom game nor whether players will be reimbursed for their money spent. And that fact seems to have players more upset than anything.
"What a waste for everyone who ever did anything with this game," player Dean, Johnstown State writes. "I'm ashamed I ever signed up. Get an email saying I was one of the game's best, well, I hate myself for the money I spent playing this POS game and what it became and, now, how it's going out."
ESPNU College Town was one of the first major branding attempts in Facebook games, which enjoyed considerable success in 2010. And, at least as far as we know, ESPNU was the first social game to receive TV advertisement. As of this writing, the game welcomes just 150,000 monthly players and 20,000 daily players, according to AppData.
ESPNU College Town Closing Notice
This is the second game this week alone to get the axe, following Social City. A lack of players is certainly the primary reason, but you can imagine that Disney is looking to make room for its upcoming Facebook games to be developed by Playdom. It looks like the company's new social games head is already hard at work.
Were you a long time ESPNU College Town fan? How do you think Playdom should handle the shutting down of these games, and do you plan on picking up any other Playdom games?
No information has been given on whether players will be able to transfer their existing premium in-game currency to another Playdom game nor whether players will be reimbursed for their money spent. And that fact seems to have players more upset than anything.
"What a waste for everyone who ever did anything with this game," player Dean, Johnstown State writes. "I'm ashamed I ever signed up. Get an email saying I was one of the game's best, well, I hate myself for the money I spent playing this POS game and what it became and, now, how it's going out."
ESPNU College Town was one of the first major branding attempts in Facebook games, which enjoyed considerable success in 2010. And, at least as far as we know, ESPNU was the first social game to receive TV advertisement. As of this writing, the game welcomes just 150,000 monthly players and 20,000 daily players, according to AppData.
ESPNU College Town Closing Notice
This is the second game this week alone to get the axe, following Social City. A lack of players is certainly the primary reason, but you can imagine that Disney is looking to make room for its upcoming Facebook games to be developed by Playdom. It looks like the company's new social games head is already hard at work.
Were you a long time ESPNU College Town fan? How do you think Playdom should handle the shutting down of these games, and do you plan on picking up any other Playdom games?
In case your life somehow lacks zombies, Zombie Lane is on iOS
Zombie Lane on iPhone
In 2011 alone, pop culture has provided all the training videos and simulators we'll ever need to survive the zombie apocalypse. Keeping with that lovely tradition, Millionaire City maker Digital Chocolate launched its second most popular social game, Zombie Lane, to iPhone and iPad. This mobile version looks nearly identical to its Facebook counterpart, though it is undoubtedly a visual upgrade to the original.
"Zombie Lane has been a hit game on Facebook - with 17 million cumulative users so far eliminating more than 6 billion Zombies," Digital Chocolate president Marc Metis said in a release. "Players are looking to play on their device at their convenience and on their terms, and Zombie Lane for Apple mobile devices lets them do that with the best of all the Zombie games on these platforms."
Zombie Lane on iPhone in action
However, the pocket variety of Zombie Lane looks and sounds as if it plays exactly as it does on Facebook, based on these first screen shots. Players can enlist the help of their friends through Facebook Connect and Game Center to fend off encroaching cadavers as they rebuild their homes in the midst of the zombie invasion. (Sound familiar?) With an interface that's nearly indistinguishable from the web version, we can't help but think this is the same game, but tinier and prettier.
That could be exactly what players are looking for, but between The Walking Dead, Zombie Misfits, the numerous zombie games on consoles and even Zombie Lane on Facebook we unfortunately doubt that. Perhaps the already-teased Downtown feature will provide that twist we're all clamoring for. And it's free, so what the hey?
Click here to download Zombie Lane on iPhone or iPad for Free Now >
Are you a fan of Zombie Lane for Facebook? Are you psyched to try the game on iPhone, or are you slowly coming down with zombie fatigue?
In 2011 alone, pop culture has provided all the training videos and simulators we'll ever need to survive the zombie apocalypse. Keeping with that lovely tradition, Millionaire City maker Digital Chocolate launched its second most popular social game, Zombie Lane, to iPhone and iPad. This mobile version looks nearly identical to its Facebook counterpart, though it is undoubtedly a visual upgrade to the original.
"Zombie Lane has been a hit game on Facebook - with 17 million cumulative users so far eliminating more than 6 billion Zombies," Digital Chocolate president Marc Metis said in a release. "Players are looking to play on their device at their convenience and on their terms, and Zombie Lane for Apple mobile devices lets them do that with the best of all the Zombie games on these platforms."
Zombie Lane on iPhone in action
However, the pocket variety of Zombie Lane looks and sounds as if it plays exactly as it does on Facebook, based on these first screen shots. Players can enlist the help of their friends through Facebook Connect and Game Center to fend off encroaching cadavers as they rebuild their homes in the midst of the zombie invasion. (Sound familiar?) With an interface that's nearly indistinguishable from the web version, we can't help but think this is the same game, but tinier and prettier.
That could be exactly what players are looking for, but between The Walking Dead, Zombie Misfits, the numerous zombie games on consoles and even Zombie Lane on Facebook we unfortunately doubt that. Perhaps the already-teased Downtown feature will provide that twist we're all clamoring for. And it's free, so what the hey?
Click here to download Zombie Lane on iPhone or iPad for Free Now >
Are you a fan of Zombie Lane for Facebook? Are you psyched to try the game on iPhone, or are you slowly coming down with zombie fatigue?
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