With the way waste management around the globe is going, the Earth probably won't look so hot in a few decades. Canadian social game maker RocketOwl Inc. asks gamers to fast forward a couple hundred years in its new Facebook game GreenSpace. In that time--assuming we've yet to destroy ourselves--our planet will likely be inhabitable if we maintain this track, and it's up to you to reclaim a previously colonized and, of course, dirtied up planet one piece of litter at a time.
GreenSpace has officially exited its open beta period today, and is now available for all to play hopefully bug-free. The game tasks players with managing a colony as they transform it from a heap of trash into a lush, green mountain valley. While GreenSpace's presentation doesn't seem terribly different from games like CityVille, RocketOwl touts the game's animations, artwork and addictive cleaning actions. Fast-paced mini games are also said to play a role in GreenSpace.
GreenSpace in action
"We've been working with players over the past few months to fine-tune the game,"RocketOwl CEO Graeme Barlow said in a statement. "Now that GreenSpace is coming out of beta, the entire team is really excited to see the public reception of the launch. We could not be happier with the final product and hope that you enjoy playing it as much as we've enjoyed putting it together."
GreenSpace strikes us as quite similar to a recent green-themed Facebook game, Guerillapps's Trash Tycoon. Both games revolve around reclaiming a territory from the clutches of clutter, though the latter is attached to real-life organizations looking to do the same in the world around us. Based on the looks of GreenSpace, RocketOwl seems to be dedicated to at least raising awareness of the same issues, but make that call for yourself.
Click here to play GreenSpace on Facebook Now >
Do you think Facebook games are a good place to raise awareness of issues of waste and other "green" concerns? Do you think GreenSpace could do or does a good job of this?
Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 3, 2012
Game of the Day: Loaded Waterguns
In Loaded Waterguns you'll explore a dusty Wild West town. You'll have to use impeccable aim and shooting skills to blast away at targets. The only difference is in this town, folks don't do battle with bullets, they gun each other down with good ol' water guns.
At the start of the game you'll have a pick of two water guns. The first is the trusty Soak Gattler, which is kind of a revolver-gatling gun mix. The other choice is the slightly more unwieldy super-advanced Hydro Soaker DH-32 gun. After that, pick your settings and get shooting. Remember to only shoot the red targets and to charge up your gun before firing. When you run out of water click the glass to reload!
It's high noon, get out there and draw!
Click here to play Loaded Waterguns!
loaded waterguns game of the day loaded waterguns game of the day
Pro Tips:
Only shoot the red targets.
Charge up your water gun all the way before firing.
To reload, click the water glass at the bottom right of the screen.
Click here to play Loaded Waterguns!
Where you able to get past the incredibly difficult third level?
At the start of the game you'll have a pick of two water guns. The first is the trusty Soak Gattler, which is kind of a revolver-gatling gun mix. The other choice is the slightly more unwieldy super-advanced Hydro Soaker DH-32 gun. After that, pick your settings and get shooting. Remember to only shoot the red targets and to charge up your gun before firing. When you run out of water click the glass to reload!
It's high noon, get out there and draw!
Click here to play Loaded Waterguns!
loaded waterguns game of the day loaded waterguns game of the day
Pro Tips:
Only shoot the red targets.
Charge up your water gun all the way before firing.
To reload, click the water glass at the bottom right of the screen.
Click here to play Loaded Waterguns!
Where you able to get past the incredibly difficult third level?
Look, Activision, do you want to make Facebook games or not?
Seriously, it's not a hard question. And yet, the omnipotent games publisher continues to flip-flop on the subject of social games. In October, Activision Blizzard (Call of Duty ring a bell?) CEO Bobby Kotick told Los Angeles Magazine that, while the company is at a point where it's ready to invest in Facebook games, it doesn't expect much to come of it. Here's an excerpt from Kotick's conversation:
As of October Activision chief executive Bobby Kotick still wasn't ready. "If we can't put a creative foot forward, it's not interesting to us," he told me at the company's headquarters, which is tucked in an office complex on Ocean Park Avenue. In assessing Facebook, Kotick says he's been "trying to figure out what we could do that's different from what's being done. So now that they've gotten a large enough audience and we've done enough analysis of the opportunity, we can commit capital." He adds, however, "We don't have huge expectations."
Um, just curious ... what's the point then? Since then, Kotick spoke with Bloomberg, seeming refreshingly bullish on the prospect of Facebook games. Over the summer--before either interview--the Activision chief admitted that the company was into social games. But shortly after, other executives within the company made points to denounce Facebook gaming. What gives?
Here's the thing: If you're not going to go full bore into the social games space, then you're not going to get anywhere. Just look at EA, for instance. It's cost the company upwards of $2 billion in acquisitions to hit second place on the charts with 56.9 million monthly players, and that's not even close to the industry leader Zynga's 218 million. If Activision doesn't have "huge expectations" of its efforts in Facebook games, why even spend the cash? Hell, the publisher's own former game creators may beat it to the punch.
[Via LA Observed]
Is it even worth it for Activision Blizzard to get into Facebook games at this point? If so, what types of games would you like to see from the games publisher?
As of October Activision chief executive Bobby Kotick still wasn't ready. "If we can't put a creative foot forward, it's not interesting to us," he told me at the company's headquarters, which is tucked in an office complex on Ocean Park Avenue. In assessing Facebook, Kotick says he's been "trying to figure out what we could do that's different from what's being done. So now that they've gotten a large enough audience and we've done enough analysis of the opportunity, we can commit capital." He adds, however, "We don't have huge expectations."
Um, just curious ... what's the point then? Since then, Kotick spoke with Bloomberg, seeming refreshingly bullish on the prospect of Facebook games. Over the summer--before either interview--the Activision chief admitted that the company was into social games. But shortly after, other executives within the company made points to denounce Facebook gaming. What gives?
Here's the thing: If you're not going to go full bore into the social games space, then you're not going to get anywhere. Just look at EA, for instance. It's cost the company upwards of $2 billion in acquisitions to hit second place on the charts with 56.9 million monthly players, and that's not even close to the industry leader Zynga's 218 million. If Activision doesn't have "huge expectations" of its efforts in Facebook games, why even spend the cash? Hell, the publisher's own former game creators may beat it to the punch.
[Via LA Observed]
Is it even worth it for Activision Blizzard to get into Facebook games at this point? If so, what types of games would you like to see from the games publisher?
Facebook Pokémon clone MinoMonsters migrates to iOS for $1
You might remember MinoMonsters, game developer Josh Buckley's take on Pokémon for Facebook. Well, that game was either just a test or a flop for the 17-year-old entrepreneur, as his new studio has re-released the game as an iPhone and iPad app. In this new-and-improved MinoMonsters, players must journey across the Kingdom of Zancardi, capturing and battling creatures called Minos for, well, the sake of battling monsters. Come on, it's not as if Pokémon's plot is rock solid either.
The youngin's new studio is called MinoMonsters Inc., so you can tell the guy's dedicated to the concept, which will cost you $.99 on the App Store. Once purchased, you can start trading blows back and forth in turn-based bouts with opponents' monsters either within the game's story or your friends from anywhere in the world. Just like in Pokémon, players' monsters gain new abilities and will become stronger, which helps players find new monsters and defeat tougher opponents.
MinoMonsters in action
The first thing we noticed with these screens of the game in action are the impressive, seemingly hand-drawn graphics. Seriously, this game looks like an episode of Pokémon--look, the comparisons are inevitable at this point--at least when still. MinoMonsters (the company) promises that you can find players to do battle with in under 30 seconds. The game's primary competition on iOS, Monster Galaxy, doesn't seem to have multiplayer just yet. So, now MinoMonsters is the closest you're going to get a Pokémon game on your iPhone.
Click here to download MinoMonsters for $.99 on the App Store Now >
Are you craving that Pokémon experience on your iPhone? Do you think a game like MinoMonsters can feed the need?
The youngin's new studio is called MinoMonsters Inc., so you can tell the guy's dedicated to the concept, which will cost you $.99 on the App Store. Once purchased, you can start trading blows back and forth in turn-based bouts with opponents' monsters either within the game's story or your friends from anywhere in the world. Just like in Pokémon, players' monsters gain new abilities and will become stronger, which helps players find new monsters and defeat tougher opponents.
MinoMonsters in action
The first thing we noticed with these screens of the game in action are the impressive, seemingly hand-drawn graphics. Seriously, this game looks like an episode of Pokémon--look, the comparisons are inevitable at this point--at least when still. MinoMonsters (the company) promises that you can find players to do battle with in under 30 seconds. The game's primary competition on iOS, Monster Galaxy, doesn't seem to have multiplayer just yet. So, now MinoMonsters is the closest you're going to get a Pokémon game on your iPhone.
Click here to download MinoMonsters for $.99 on the App Store Now >
Are you craving that Pokémon experience on your iPhone? Do you think a game like MinoMonsters can feed the need?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Ditch e-cards for Faustino's farm-sized, cards display
Normally, people treat their Christmas cards as mantelpieces, but FarmVille player Faustino has traded the fireplace for the farm with his Christmas card farm display. Three wintery, holiday tableaux in the form of giant greeting cards sit around an equally gigantic holiday tree that Faustino designed himself.
Bright red hay bales frame each 'card' to make them look like they're standing upright. As for the the tree, it's obviously made of bunches of other trees put together. Even the ornaments are trees, or more specifically, Stouffer's Mac & Cheese Trees, while sprinkled on the ground are many White and Pink Star Hay Bales. Regular hay bales were used to spell "HOLIDAY" beneath the tree, as well as forming the icy-looking snowflakes in the background.
In certain ways, Faustino's holiday farm combines ideas and techniques from Brayzdin's fantastical Christmas wonderland and Hieloiceberg's greeting card holographic projection farm to create something equally original.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Instead of snail mailing greeting cards, what do you think of emailing pictures of a FarmVille Christmas farm you've made to people?
Thứ Hai, 12 tháng 3, 2012
CityVille Happy New Year Goals: Everything you need to know
It's the last day of 2011, and that means big things in CityVille on Facebook. A new set of three goals has launched in the game today, offering you a way to end 2011 with a bang, and bring in 2012 with an even bigger one! The town is ready for a party, and you'll need to set it up. Your ultimate reward for doing so if the New Year's Eve Party Spot, a home with a whopping 1,500 population!
Happy New Year!
Complete the New Year's Museum Party
Ask friends for 12 Sparklers
Gather 40 New Year's Hats
Hats are earned by collecting rent from residences, while Sparklers are earned by posting a general news item on your wall. Finally, the New Year's Museum Party is a large new item that takes 10 energy to build. Once the base has been constructed, you'll need to collect 25 building ingredients:
5 Bowtie
5 Opera Gloves
5 NYE Ticket
5 Driver's Hat
5 Red Carpet
The Bowties, NYE Tickets and Driver's Hats are earned through general news posts on your wall, while the Opera Gloves and Red Carpets come from individual requests sent out to friends. You'll need to finish this building before being able to finish the first goal, but when you do you'll receive 20 energy as a reward.
Be My Guest!
Ask for 15 VIP Bracelets
Collect from 20 Cars
Visit 40 Neighbors
Unfortunately, this goal requires you to have completed either the Garage or the Custom Car Shop to enable cars to actually drive on your roads. This wouldn't be such a big deal if you could work on these goals infinitely, but I wouldn't expect these goals to last that long. Either way, the VIP Bracelets come from a general wall post. When you finish this post, you'll receive 300 XP.
Ring in the New Year!
Collect 40 2012 Glasses
Harvest 3 Times from your Museum Party
The 2012 Glasses come from collecting from Community Buildings. You won't receive one for each building you collect from, so you might need to spend a couple of days on this task (or pay City Cash to speed your way through). When you finish this third goal, you'll receive the NYE Party Spot we spoke of earlier: a large home that offers 1,500-3,000 citizens to your town. As of this writing, the building is only available through completing these goals, so if you want that massive population boost, make sure to complete them all in your town!
What do you think of these New Year's Eve goals in CityVille? What do you think of the large home as the final reward for this series? Is it worth it?
Happy New Year!
Complete the New Year's Museum Party
Ask friends for 12 Sparklers
Gather 40 New Year's Hats
Hats are earned by collecting rent from residences, while Sparklers are earned by posting a general news item on your wall. Finally, the New Year's Museum Party is a large new item that takes 10 energy to build. Once the base has been constructed, you'll need to collect 25 building ingredients:
5 Bowtie
5 Opera Gloves
5 NYE Ticket
5 Driver's Hat
5 Red Carpet
The Bowties, NYE Tickets and Driver's Hats are earned through general news posts on your wall, while the Opera Gloves and Red Carpets come from individual requests sent out to friends. You'll need to finish this building before being able to finish the first goal, but when you do you'll receive 20 energy as a reward.
Be My Guest!
Ask for 15 VIP Bracelets
Collect from 20 Cars
Visit 40 Neighbors
Unfortunately, this goal requires you to have completed either the Garage or the Custom Car Shop to enable cars to actually drive on your roads. This wouldn't be such a big deal if you could work on these goals infinitely, but I wouldn't expect these goals to last that long. Either way, the VIP Bracelets come from a general wall post. When you finish this post, you'll receive 300 XP.
Ring in the New Year!
Collect 40 2012 Glasses
Harvest 3 Times from your Museum Party
The 2012 Glasses come from collecting from Community Buildings. You won't receive one for each building you collect from, so you might need to spend a couple of days on this task (or pay City Cash to speed your way through). When you finish this third goal, you'll receive the NYE Party Spot we spoke of earlier: a large home that offers 1,500-3,000 citizens to your town. As of this writing, the building is only available through completing these goals, so if you want that massive population boost, make sure to complete them all in your town!
What do you think of these New Year's Eve goals in CityVille? What do you think of the large home as the final reward for this series? Is it worth it?
The Sims Social: Claim your free 2012 Balloons before it's too late
If you've already claimed (and perhaps spent) your free 2,012 Simoleons being given away this week in the Sims Social, but still want more New Year's Eve fun in your game, make sure to head over the game's Facebook page, as you can now claim a free set of balloons, decorated with numbers that create 2012 in their design.
Technically, this set of balloons is called the "2012 Balloons Silver" (let's face it, item naming has never been the game's strong suit), and when you claim some for your own game, you'll find that they're worth 500 Simoleons (only 50 if you actually try to sell them), and add $350 of value to your home.
As with most items, this one comes with a universal link, so if you can't find the post on the game's official fan page, you can claim your free balloons by clicking right here. Make sure to keep checking back with us as the new year begins, as we'll make sure to let you know when other interesting items are up for grabs for free in the Sims Social (and beyond!).
Will you claim your free set of 2012 Balloons in the Sims Social?
Technically, this set of balloons is called the "2012 Balloons Silver" (let's face it, item naming has never been the game's strong suit), and when you claim some for your own game, you'll find that they're worth 500 Simoleons (only 50 if you actually try to sell them), and add $350 of value to your home.
As with most items, this one comes with a universal link, so if you can't find the post on the game's official fan page, you can claim your free balloons by clicking right here. Make sure to keep checking back with us as the new year begins, as we'll make sure to let you know when other interesting items are up for grabs for free in the Sims Social (and beyond!).
Will you claim your free set of 2012 Balloons in the Sims Social?
The Sims Social partners with Wendy's for free W Burgers
First, we saw Dunkin' Donuts items being released in the Sims Social on Facebook and now we see a new promotion taking place between EA / Playfish and Wendy's to advertise the restaurant's new W Burger. Everyone is eligible for a free W Burger in the Sims Social, but you'll need to watch a video first. The video is found underneath the Sims Social gameplay area, and launches in a pop-up window.
When you've watched the video, you'll receive a free W Burger back in the game which can be "eaten" by your Sim to receive a +3 energy boost. This is important, as the video is only 15 seconds long, but can be watched multiple times to receive multiple W Burgers for your Sim! The catch to all of this? The promotion seems to be a bit... glitched (to put it lightly) as of this writing. That is, some users are receiving the W Burgers and others aren't, even if they've watched the entire video and refreshed their game for good measure.
We've reached out to Playfish to see what the problem is, and will make sure to update this space when we know more. In the meantime, keep checking back with this promotion in your own game to see if the kinks are ever worked out.
Have you been able to claim any free W Burgers in the Sims Social, or are you stuck waiting for the glitches to be worked out?
When you've watched the video, you'll receive a free W Burger back in the game which can be "eaten" by your Sim to receive a +3 energy boost. This is important, as the video is only 15 seconds long, but can be watched multiple times to receive multiple W Burgers for your Sim! The catch to all of this? The promotion seems to be a bit... glitched (to put it lightly) as of this writing. That is, some users are receiving the W Burgers and others aren't, even if they've watched the entire video and refreshed their game for good measure.
We've reached out to Playfish to see what the problem is, and will make sure to update this space when we know more. In the meantime, keep checking back with this promotion in your own game to see if the kinks are ever worked out.
Have you been able to claim any free W Burgers in the Sims Social, or are you stuck waiting for the glitches to be worked out?
FarmVille Winter Fantasy Items: Icy Peach Tree, Frosty Fairy Duck and more
Since we've now wrapped up the New Year celebration, it's time for FarmVille to see a new limited edition item theme in the game. The folks at Zynga have created just that, as the store now plays host to a set of "Winter Fantasy" items. These items still deal with winter, so they'd look great on a similarly themed farm, but they don't have a holiday affiliation and can therefore be kept out until you decide to let the snow thaw on your farm(s).
Trees
Icy Peach Tree - 6 Farm Cash
Giant Icy Peach Tree - 12 Farm Cash
Ice Sculpture Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Giant Ice Sculpture Tree - 14 Farm Cash
All of these trees are similar shades of blue, so you'll want to make sure you're purchasing the ones you want before clicking to spend the Farm Cash. Remember, the Giant trees can be earned for free by growing Mystery Seedlings, so there's no reason to purchase those at all (unless you simply don't want to wait for the free option).
Animals
Frosty Fairy Cow - 20 Farm Cash
Big Blue Dragonfly Pig - 18 Farm Cash
Frosty Fairy Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Frosty Fairy Duck - 16 Farm Cash
Frosty Fairy Sheep - 16 Farm Cash
Little Blue Penguin - 2 million coins
Blue Dragonfly Pig - 16 Farm Cash
Here's where the "fantasy" part of this theme really comes into play, as almost all of these animals have wings, making them fantasy-themed fairies. They all contain plenty of blue as well, so I hope you like the color.
Buildings
Winter Fairy House - 15 Farm Cash
This one combines blue, pink and purple to create a whimsical, yet still winter-themed house that looks like it's been dug out of a snow bank. There's a lot of detail on this one, so make sure to preview it before making a decision to purchase it.
Decorations
Frosty Fairy Well - 150,000 coins
Snowflake Gnome - 12 Farm Cash
Frosty Fairy Lake - 10 Farm Cash
The Frosty Fairy Lake doesn't really scream "fairies," but it is animated to show a breeze blowing snow off of some of the trees and bushes on the left side of the item. The Fairy Well, meanwhile, actually has twinkling fairies that animate around the item.
Avatar Clothing
Snow Queen - 7 Farm Cash
Depending on when you check this one out in your game, it may not actually show up when you preview or purchase it. This happens frequently with new items in FarmVille, so just check back in a couple of hours (or the next day) and you should see everything back to normal.
All of these items will be available in the game for the next two weeks. We'll make sure to let you know if additional Winter Fantasy items are released in future updates, so keep checking back with us!
What do you think of these Winter Fantasy items in FarmVille? Which ones will you purchase, and which will you pass on?
Trees
Icy Peach Tree - 6 Farm Cash
Giant Icy Peach Tree - 12 Farm Cash
Ice Sculpture Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Giant Ice Sculpture Tree - 14 Farm Cash
All of these trees are similar shades of blue, so you'll want to make sure you're purchasing the ones you want before clicking to spend the Farm Cash. Remember, the Giant trees can be earned for free by growing Mystery Seedlings, so there's no reason to purchase those at all (unless you simply don't want to wait for the free option).
Animals
Frosty Fairy Cow - 20 Farm Cash
Big Blue Dragonfly Pig - 18 Farm Cash
Frosty Fairy Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Frosty Fairy Duck - 16 Farm Cash
Frosty Fairy Sheep - 16 Farm Cash
Little Blue Penguin - 2 million coins
Blue Dragonfly Pig - 16 Farm Cash
Here's where the "fantasy" part of this theme really comes into play, as almost all of these animals have wings, making them fantasy-themed fairies. They all contain plenty of blue as well, so I hope you like the color.
Buildings
Winter Fairy House - 15 Farm Cash
This one combines blue, pink and purple to create a whimsical, yet still winter-themed house that looks like it's been dug out of a snow bank. There's a lot of detail on this one, so make sure to preview it before making a decision to purchase it.
Decorations
Frosty Fairy Well - 150,000 coins
Snowflake Gnome - 12 Farm Cash
Frosty Fairy Lake - 10 Farm Cash
The Frosty Fairy Lake doesn't really scream "fairies," but it is animated to show a breeze blowing snow off of some of the trees and bushes on the left side of the item. The Fairy Well, meanwhile, actually has twinkling fairies that animate around the item.
Avatar Clothing
Snow Queen - 7 Farm Cash
Depending on when you check this one out in your game, it may not actually show up when you preview or purchase it. This happens frequently with new items in FarmVille, so just check back in a couple of hours (or the next day) and you should see everything back to normal.
All of these items will be available in the game for the next two weeks. We'll make sure to let you know if additional Winter Fantasy items are released in future updates, so keep checking back with us!
What do you think of these Winter Fantasy items in FarmVille? Which ones will you purchase, and which will you pass on?
FarmVille Mystery Game (1/1/12): Winter Fantasy animals take flight
As the first Mystery Game of the year in FarmVille, tonight's update has the potential for setting the stage for the year. Luckily, with the introduction of the new Winter Fantasy theme to the game tonight, we see some awesome looking animals being available in this week's game. Even better yet, we've started seeing free darts roll around to users so that most players will have a chance at at least one of these animals for free! Once you use your dart (or, if you haven't received your free one yet), you'll be able to take part in tonight's game for 20 Farm Cash. Here's what's available to win:
Frosted Fairy Bear
Frosted Fairy Cat
Frosted Fairy Deer
Frosted Fairy Dragon
Frosted Fairy Mini (horse)
Frosted Fairy Unicorn
Unfortunately, the Mini horse and the Unicorn look to be the two rarest prizes in this week's game, but perhaps you'll get lucky and receive one of them right away. Either way, if you manage to win one of every item in this week's game, you'll receive the Winter Fairy Cottage as your free gift. Just keep in mind that duplicates of the other six prizes are likely to happen (unless you have a lucky streak), so it could cost more than 120 Farm Cash (the overall cost if you received a different animal for each of the first six darts you purchased) if that's the case.
We wish you the best of luck in receiving the items you want from this game! Happy new year!
Which of these Winter Fantasy animals are you hoping to win from this week's game? Did you throw a dart at the board? If so, which of these animals did you win?
Frosted Fairy Bear
Frosted Fairy Cat
Frosted Fairy Deer
Frosted Fairy Dragon
Frosted Fairy Mini (horse)
Frosted Fairy Unicorn
Unfortunately, the Mini horse and the Unicorn look to be the two rarest prizes in this week's game, but perhaps you'll get lucky and receive one of them right away. Either way, if you manage to win one of every item in this week's game, you'll receive the Winter Fairy Cottage as your free gift. Just keep in mind that duplicates of the other six prizes are likely to happen (unless you have a lucky streak), so it could cost more than 120 Farm Cash (the overall cost if you received a different animal for each of the first six darts you purchased) if that's the case.
We wish you the best of luck in receiving the items you want from this game! Happy new year!
Which of these Winter Fantasy animals are you hoping to win from this week's game? Did you throw a dart at the board? If so, which of these animals did you win?
FarmVille: Snow Carnation crop available for coins
To coincide with tonight's launch of the Winter Fantasy item theme in FarmVille, there is now a new crop to plant: the Snow Carnation. These light pink flowers are thankfully available for coins, so you wont need to purchase a permit to plant them. They'll be around for the next month or so (27 days, to be exact), and they work as a standard crop. Here's the rundown of stats:
Cost: 40 coins per square
Harvest Time: 12 hours
XP Gained: 2 XP per square
Harvest For: 115 coins
First Star of Mastery: 750 harvests
Yep, you read that right - this limited edition crop is masterable. Furthermore, given the lengthy amount of time we've been given to plant and harvest this single crop (and the fact that it's available for coins to everyone), I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some crafting recipes appear across our farms using Snow Carnation bushels. If that does end up being the case, we'll make sure to let you know.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of this new crop in the comments. Will you change your regular farming plans so you can be sure to master this new Snow Carnation crop?
Cost: 40 coins per square
Harvest Time: 12 hours
XP Gained: 2 XP per square
Harvest For: 115 coins
First Star of Mastery: 750 harvests
Yep, you read that right - this limited edition crop is masterable. Furthermore, given the lengthy amount of time we've been given to plant and harvest this single crop (and the fact that it's available for coins to everyone), I wouldn't be surprised if we saw some crafting recipes appear across our farms using Snow Carnation bushels. If that does end up being the case, we'll make sure to let you know.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of this new crop in the comments. Will you change your regular farming plans so you can be sure to master this new Snow Carnation crop?
Here's why (real) casino Facebook games might explode in 2012
A recent Department of Justice opinion has effectively allowed states to individually allow online gambling and lottery services, with Washington D.C. to be first in line, The Washington Times reports. In other words, a lot of Americans are going to find themselves strapped for cash this year, if enough states follow suit. And seriously, what state is going to refuse free tax money?
The new opinion is an interpretation of The Wire Act of 1961 that was essentially revisited to address whether Illinois and New York could allow out-of-state organizations to sell lottery tickets to residents online, according to The Times. (For a primer on the history of online gambling in the U.S., check out this page.) However, it appears that a few states have taken this interpretation as a green light for online, non-sports gambling.
"We always knew it was legal. It didn't come as a shock to us," independent D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown told The Times. "But other states might beat us to the punch, and that would be a tragedy. I'm hopeful we still will be the first to the marketplace. Frankly [other states] have said, 'We're just going to take D.C.'s legislation and copy it.'"
Those other states include Nevada and New Jersey, both of which reportedly begun to lay the groundwork for online gambling within their borders. This all sounds like quite the coincidence to the arguably already-explosive growth of casino games on Facebook, like DoubleDown Casino and Slotomania. Just look at Facebook's take on the top 10 social games of 2011.
More importantly, however, is that the big time social game players are keen on the genre, too. Both Zynga and PopCap plan to hit it big with casino games on Facebook. (Though, the latter is just a rumor.) Not to mention that Caesars now has its own Facebook game company. Of course, this all depends on whether Facebook gives the green light. But again, what social network is going to refuse free tax money?
[Via SitNews]
Are you down with the possibility of real online gambling coming to Facebook in 2012? Are you afraid this might harm the social gaming scene in any way?
The new opinion is an interpretation of The Wire Act of 1961 that was essentially revisited to address whether Illinois and New York could allow out-of-state organizations to sell lottery tickets to residents online, according to The Times. (For a primer on the history of online gambling in the U.S., check out this page.) However, it appears that a few states have taken this interpretation as a green light for online, non-sports gambling.
"We always knew it was legal. It didn't come as a shock to us," independent D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown told The Times. "But other states might beat us to the punch, and that would be a tragedy. I'm hopeful we still will be the first to the marketplace. Frankly [other states] have said, 'We're just going to take D.C.'s legislation and copy it.'"
Those other states include Nevada and New Jersey, both of which reportedly begun to lay the groundwork for online gambling within their borders. This all sounds like quite the coincidence to the arguably already-explosive growth of casino games on Facebook, like DoubleDown Casino and Slotomania. Just look at Facebook's take on the top 10 social games of 2011.
More importantly, however, is that the big time social game players are keen on the genre, too. Both Zynga and PopCap plan to hit it big with casino games on Facebook. (Though, the latter is just a rumor.) Not to mention that Caesars now has its own Facebook game company. Of course, this all depends on whether Facebook gives the green light. But again, what social network is going to refuse free tax money?
[Via SitNews]
Are you down with the possibility of real online gambling coming to Facebook in 2012? Are you afraid this might harm the social gaming scene in any way?
Thứ Tư, 7 tháng 3, 2012
Does a new SimCity await behind EA's curtain at GDC? [Report]
Remember when a China-based Playfish team reportedly said that it stopped everything to "develop the hell out of SimCity" for Facebook? Well, the fruits of that supposed labor (or something else entirely) could be shown at this years Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco on March 6, according to CVG.
EA plans to live stream its Game Changers event during GDC, in which Maxis, the studio behind ubiquitous hits like SimCity and The Sims, will reveal a super secret project. The news broke when EA senior public relations director Erik Reynolds tweeted, "MORE INFO! EA Maxis GDC announcement, huge event w/ special guests."
The tweet included a link to the Game Changers Facebook page, which reads, "How can we change the world together? Find out when EA hosts the Game Changers event at GDC. What would you do if you had the power to change the world?" CVG hearkens back to a Maxis job posting looking for a designer with "knowledge of the Xbox 360 and PS3 rendering architectures and APIs" to work "on an upcoming triple-A simulation style game."
This ultimately leads CVG to believe that Maxis will announce a brand new SimCity game for the more powerful game consoles. However, this talk of Playfish doubling down on a SimCity Facebook game could mean that A.) EA and Maxis will announce a SimCity Facebook game B.) the two will announce a SimCity Xbox 360 and PS3 game C.) they will announce a SimCity game for Facebook, Xbox 360 and PS3 or D.) this has nothing to do with SimCity whatsoever. March 6 suddenly feels so far away.
[Via IndustryGamers]
What do you think EA and Maxis have cooked up? Will you watch the live stream of the event?
EA plans to live stream its Game Changers event during GDC, in which Maxis, the studio behind ubiquitous hits like SimCity and The Sims, will reveal a super secret project. The news broke when EA senior public relations director Erik Reynolds tweeted, "MORE INFO! EA Maxis GDC announcement, huge event w/ special guests."
The tweet included a link to the Game Changers Facebook page, which reads, "How can we change the world together? Find out when EA hosts the Game Changers event at GDC. What would you do if you had the power to change the world?" CVG hearkens back to a Maxis job posting looking for a designer with "knowledge of the Xbox 360 and PS3 rendering architectures and APIs" to work "on an upcoming triple-A simulation style game."
This ultimately leads CVG to believe that Maxis will announce a brand new SimCity game for the more powerful game consoles. However, this talk of Playfish doubling down on a SimCity Facebook game could mean that A.) EA and Maxis will announce a SimCity Facebook game B.) the two will announce a SimCity Xbox 360 and PS3 game C.) they will announce a SimCity game for Facebook, Xbox 360 and PS3 or D.) this has nothing to do with SimCity whatsoever. March 6 suddenly feels so far away.
[Via IndustryGamers]
What do you think EA and Maxis have cooked up? Will you watch the live stream of the event?
Build your own Monopoly Hotels for free, now on iOS
Back in December, Electronic Arts launched Monopoly Hotels in the Canadian iTunes App Store, giving players a chance to relive the gameplay made famous by now-defunct Facebook game Hotel City, but with the properties from the famous board game as their guide.
Monopoly Hotels allows you to purchase hotels on the individual game pieces around a Monopoly game board (Boardwalk, Marvin Gardens, etc.), and then asks you to make those hotels as profitable as possible by filling them with hotel rooms and businesses. The game's social features will eventually allow you to visit your friends' hotels and track everyone's progress via an in-game leaderboard, or you can just play by your lonesome, unlocking as many hotels as possible along the way.
Monopoly Hotels is now available to download for free on iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. To download it, make sure to head over to iTunes.
Download Monopoly Hotels on iOS -->
Have you tried Monopoly Hotels on iOS? What do you think of this hotel-builder's gameplay? Do you think it can fill in the void left behind by the closure of Hotel City?
Monopoly Hotels allows you to purchase hotels on the individual game pieces around a Monopoly game board (Boardwalk, Marvin Gardens, etc.), and then asks you to make those hotels as profitable as possible by filling them with hotel rooms and businesses. The game's social features will eventually allow you to visit your friends' hotels and track everyone's progress via an in-game leaderboard, or you can just play by your lonesome, unlocking as many hotels as possible along the way.
Monopoly Hotels is now available to download for free on iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. To download it, make sure to head over to iTunes.
Download Monopoly Hotels on iOS -->
Have you tried Monopoly Hotels on iOS? What do you think of this hotel-builder's gameplay? Do you think it can fill in the void left behind by the closure of Hotel City?
CastleVille Gloom Swamp Quests: Everything you need to know
Towards the bottom of your Kingdom in CastleVille, you might have noticed that a "river" of green swampy... goo was flowing through the area. While you could expand into some of these areas on your own prior to this week, the Gloom Swamp feature has officially become a major element in the game via the Gloom Swamp quest set. This set starts with a basic quest - Reeking Havoc - that asks you to unlock your first Expansion dealing with the Gloom Swamp, and then expands from there.
Reeking Havoc
Have 170 Castle Level
Collect Taxes from 5 Buildings
Explore Gloom
This particular square of Gloom has relatively low requirements: 170 Castle Level, four Exploration Crystals and 21,000 coins. When you finish this quest, you'll receive 1,000 coins and 20 XP.
Gloom Vision Goggles
Have 4 Eye of Newt
Have 320 Castle Level
Explore Gloom
These Eyes of Newt come from a general news post on your wall, asking friends to help. The second Gloom area you'll need to explore requires you to have 320 Castle Level, five Exploration Crystals and 40,000 coins. Finishing this quest gives you 1,000 coins and 20 XP.
From here, you'll actually jump into the numbered 10-part Gloom Swamp quest series.
Ea de Gloom Orc
Banish Gloom Orc
Sell 3 Honey
Collect 7 Ogre's Belch
Rewards: 1,500 coins, 30 XP, Firefly Bush
Fit for a Swamp
Consume 3 Grape Juice
Have 3 Fly Swatters
Explore another Gloom Area
Rewards: 1,500 coins, 30 XP
Gloom Roots!
Have a Studio
Craft 3 Purity Talismans
Cleanse 3 Swamp Roots
The Purity Talismans are an item you'll need to craft, and you can then use them to "cleanse" the Swamp Roots. If you'd like, think of this as a sort of Ice Pick / Frozen Item situation, in that you originally needed to craft Ice Picks to interact with ice-covered items in the winter event. When you finish these tasks, you'll earn 1,750 coins and 30 XP.
Listen! You Smell Something?
Banish 3 Gloom Orcs
Ask for 7 Empty Flasks
Harvest 10 Tomatoes
Rewards: 1,500 coins, 30 XP, Sonja's Old Dinghy decoration
Rooted in Evil
Have 2 Studios
Craft 10 Purity Talismans
Free 3 Animals Trapped in Swamp Roots
Rewards: 1,000 coins and 20 XP
Spread the Word
Unwither 10 Neighbor Crops
Chop 20 Trees
Have 7 Purity Talismans
Rewards: 1,500 coins and 30 XP
Going Deeper
Cleanse 2 Swamp Roots
Buy 3 Nature Items
Explore Deeper into Gloom Swamp
Rewards: 1,500 coins, 30 XP, Critter Den decoration
Swamp Rejuvenation
Banish 2 Gloom Orcs
Have 10 Bags of Sand
Craft 2 Fertilizers
Rewards: 1,750 coins and 35 XP
Cleansed with Flame
Craft 2 Cleansing Flames
Cleanse Gloom Trees
You'll have to craft additional Cleansing Flames if you have more than two Gloom Trees to cleanse, as that's the only item that will banish them. Your rewards for finishing this are 1,750 coins and 35 XP.
In Foul Territory
Have 6 Purity Talismans
Have 10 Spy Glasses
Craft 4 Exploration Crystals
Rewards: 1,750 coins, 35 XP, Swampy Pond
There doesn't appear to be a time limit on these goals, so if you'd like to finish some other tasks first, feel free to do so. The Gloom Swamp will still be there waiting for you when you're ready.
What do you think of these Gloom Swamp Quests? Are you happy to expand into areas that the quests ask you to, or will you ignore those requirements for now?
Reeking Havoc
Have 170 Castle Level
Collect Taxes from 5 Buildings
Explore Gloom
This particular square of Gloom has relatively low requirements: 170 Castle Level, four Exploration Crystals and 21,000 coins. When you finish this quest, you'll receive 1,000 coins and 20 XP.
Gloom Vision Goggles
Have 4 Eye of Newt
Have 320 Castle Level
Explore Gloom
These Eyes of Newt come from a general news post on your wall, asking friends to help. The second Gloom area you'll need to explore requires you to have 320 Castle Level, five Exploration Crystals and 40,000 coins. Finishing this quest gives you 1,000 coins and 20 XP.
From here, you'll actually jump into the numbered 10-part Gloom Swamp quest series.
Ea de Gloom Orc
Banish Gloom Orc
Sell 3 Honey
Collect 7 Ogre's Belch
Rewards: 1,500 coins, 30 XP, Firefly Bush
Fit for a Swamp
Consume 3 Grape Juice
Have 3 Fly Swatters
Explore another Gloom Area
Rewards: 1,500 coins, 30 XP
Gloom Roots!
Have a Studio
Craft 3 Purity Talismans
Cleanse 3 Swamp Roots
The Purity Talismans are an item you'll need to craft, and you can then use them to "cleanse" the Swamp Roots. If you'd like, think of this as a sort of Ice Pick / Frozen Item situation, in that you originally needed to craft Ice Picks to interact with ice-covered items in the winter event. When you finish these tasks, you'll earn 1,750 coins and 30 XP.
Listen! You Smell Something?
Banish 3 Gloom Orcs
Ask for 7 Empty Flasks
Harvest 10 Tomatoes
Rewards: 1,500 coins, 30 XP, Sonja's Old Dinghy decoration
Rooted in Evil
Have 2 Studios
Craft 10 Purity Talismans
Free 3 Animals Trapped in Swamp Roots
Rewards: 1,000 coins and 20 XP
Spread the Word
Unwither 10 Neighbor Crops
Chop 20 Trees
Have 7 Purity Talismans
Rewards: 1,500 coins and 30 XP
Going Deeper
Cleanse 2 Swamp Roots
Buy 3 Nature Items
Explore Deeper into Gloom Swamp
Rewards: 1,500 coins, 30 XP, Critter Den decoration
Swamp Rejuvenation
Banish 2 Gloom Orcs
Have 10 Bags of Sand
Craft 2 Fertilizers
Rewards: 1,750 coins and 35 XP
Cleansed with Flame
Craft 2 Cleansing Flames
Cleanse Gloom Trees
You'll have to craft additional Cleansing Flames if you have more than two Gloom Trees to cleanse, as that's the only item that will banish them. Your rewards for finishing this are 1,750 coins and 35 XP.
In Foul Territory
Have 6 Purity Talismans
Have 10 Spy Glasses
Craft 4 Exploration Crystals
Rewards: 1,750 coins, 35 XP, Swampy Pond
There doesn't appear to be a time limit on these goals, so if you'd like to finish some other tasks first, feel free to do so. The Gloom Swamp will still be there waiting for you when you're ready.
What do you think of these Gloom Swamp Quests? Are you happy to expand into areas that the quests ask you to, or will you ignore those requirements for now?
Manage a factory and storefront in Chillingo's Toy Factory on iPhone
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While there are plenty of social games on iOS, and even plenty of games that allow you to run your own store, Chillingo's newest game - Toy Factory - adds more complexity to the normal "store simulation" setup by offering you a chance to customize both a toy factory and a toy shop, as you'll create toys and then sell them in a store of your own design.
With existing toys as your employees, you'll manage a factory, placing smaller machines that will take raw materials (cotton, for instance) and turn them into toy parts (thread for stuffed animals, in our cotton example), and then combining those ingredients in a larger machine to make the actual toys. From there, you'll take the toys up the elevator to the storefront, where you'll sell them to the customers to make a profit.
The store portion of the game runs as you'd expect. You'll need to have individual tables to display the various items you'll create, and you'll earn profits from selling items over time. You can customize the look of the shop, adding new windows, decorations, floor tiles and the like, but will need to manage your profits appropriately, so that you don't waste your toy-production funds on excess decorations.
Back down in the factory, you'll be able to unlock new toy blueprints as you gain experience points and level up (likewise, you'll unlock new items for basically every portion of the game), but might need to purchase those blueprints with some of your profits. Each toy has different requirements for production, so you can easily multitask on item creation, if only one toy at a time requires the use of the Twister (cotton) machine, for instance.
Gallery: Toy Factory on iOS
You'll receive a brief notification in the bottom of the screen if something has happened in the other area of your game, giving you a chance to head down to the factory, or back up to the store (depending on your current location) to deal with the development, and you'll be able to complete some basic quests along the way (craft a certain number of toys, buy a specific machine or decoration, and so on.
In terms of social features, Toy Factory offers Game Center and Crystal integration, giving you a chance to visit your friends' factories. While there, you can either check out their toy store designs, or can interact with their bubble gum machine (where applicable) to earn a prize (normally coins).
Toy Factory is free to play, but is only available natively on iPhone. You can download the game on your iPad, but you'll need to accept some stretched graphics if you do. Unfortunately, the game does have some relatively small text for the iPhone's screen and some long loading times, but we can only expect that to be improved as the game continues to grow under Chillingo's care.
Click here to download Toy Factory on iTunes -->
Will you try Toy Factory on your iPhone? Have you already tried the game? What do you think of it so far?
While there are plenty of social games on iOS, and even plenty of games that allow you to run your own store, Chillingo's newest game - Toy Factory - adds more complexity to the normal "store simulation" setup by offering you a chance to customize both a toy factory and a toy shop, as you'll create toys and then sell them in a store of your own design.
With existing toys as your employees, you'll manage a factory, placing smaller machines that will take raw materials (cotton, for instance) and turn them into toy parts (thread for stuffed animals, in our cotton example), and then combining those ingredients in a larger machine to make the actual toys. From there, you'll take the toys up the elevator to the storefront, where you'll sell them to the customers to make a profit.
The store portion of the game runs as you'd expect. You'll need to have individual tables to display the various items you'll create, and you'll earn profits from selling items over time. You can customize the look of the shop, adding new windows, decorations, floor tiles and the like, but will need to manage your profits appropriately, so that you don't waste your toy-production funds on excess decorations.
Back down in the factory, you'll be able to unlock new toy blueprints as you gain experience points and level up (likewise, you'll unlock new items for basically every portion of the game), but might need to purchase those blueprints with some of your profits. Each toy has different requirements for production, so you can easily multitask on item creation, if only one toy at a time requires the use of the Twister (cotton) machine, for instance.
Gallery: Toy Factory on iOS
You'll receive a brief notification in the bottom of the screen if something has happened in the other area of your game, giving you a chance to head down to the factory, or back up to the store (depending on your current location) to deal with the development, and you'll be able to complete some basic quests along the way (craft a certain number of toys, buy a specific machine or decoration, and so on.
In terms of social features, Toy Factory offers Game Center and Crystal integration, giving you a chance to visit your friends' factories. While there, you can either check out their toy store designs, or can interact with their bubble gum machine (where applicable) to earn a prize (normally coins).
Toy Factory is free to play, but is only available natively on iPhone. You can download the game on your iPad, but you'll need to accept some stretched graphics if you do. Unfortunately, the game does have some relatively small text for the iPhone's screen and some long loading times, but we can only expect that to be improved as the game continues to grow under Chillingo's care.
Click here to download Toy Factory on iTunes -->
Will you try Toy Factory on your iPhone? Have you already tried the game? What do you think of it so far?
FarmVille King Cake Goals: Everything you need to know
It's time for Mardi Gras in FarmVille, and if the recently released Carnival items aren't enough for your farms during this party season, you can now also finish a nine-part goal series in the game, earning tons of themed rewards along the way. FarmVille Freak has discovered the information about these goals, which will reward you with buildings, decorations and plenty of animals. Let's get started!
Beads! Beads Everywhere!
Get 4 Mardi Gras Beads
Harvest 25 Vegetables
Harvest 25 Strawberries
For this Mardi Gras Beads task, and all other "Get X item" tasks in this goal series, you'll need to ask your friends to send you these items through either individual requests or general news items on your wall. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 125 XP, a Mardi Gras Duck and 2,500 coins.
Mardi Gras Masquerade
Get 6 Mardi Gras Masks
Harvest 25 Fruit
Harvest 75 Lilac
Rewards: 150 XP, Pile of Doubloons, 3,000 coins
The Colors!
Get 8 Mardi Gras Streamers!
Harvest Mardi Gras Duck
Harvest 100 Morning Glory
Rewards: 175 XP, Mardi Gras Llama, 3,500 coins
Doubloons!
Get 8 Doubloons
Harvest Mardi Gras Llama
Harvest 125 Carrots
Rewards: 200 XP, Mardi Gras Building, 4,000 coins
Winner Takes All
Get 8 Baby Doll Trinkets
Master Mardi Gras Duck to Level 1
Harvest 150 Cranberies
Rewards: 225 XP, Mardi Gras Ostrich, 4,500 coins
Colorful Cakes
Get 8 King Cakes
Harvest Mardi Gras Ostrich
Harvest 150 Rice
Rewards: 250 XP, Mardigator, 5,000 coins
Remembering Tomorrow
Get 9 Cameras
Harvest Mardigator
Harvest 150 Peppers
Rewards: 275 XP, Mardi Gras Peacock, 5,500 coins
Doubloons! Doubloons!
Get 10 Bags
Harvest Mardi Gras Peacock Twice
Harvest 150 Red Tulips
Rewards: 300 XP, Masked Pig, 6,000 coins
Colors in the Sky
Get 12 Mardi Gras Balloons
Master Mardigator to Level 1
Harvest 200 Grapes
Rewards: 325 XP, King Cake Gnome, 6,500 coins
These goals will be available to complete for the next two weeks, so get started soon to have a chance at completing them all (and earning all of the prizes) with time to spare! Good luck!
Are your excited about FarmVille's Mardi Gras celebration so far? What do you think of the prizes offered via these goals?
Beads! Beads Everywhere!
Get 4 Mardi Gras Beads
Harvest 25 Vegetables
Harvest 25 Strawberries
For this Mardi Gras Beads task, and all other "Get X item" tasks in this goal series, you'll need to ask your friends to send you these items through either individual requests or general news items on your wall. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 125 XP, a Mardi Gras Duck and 2,500 coins.
Mardi Gras Masquerade
Get 6 Mardi Gras Masks
Harvest 25 Fruit
Harvest 75 Lilac
Rewards: 150 XP, Pile of Doubloons, 3,000 coins
The Colors!
Get 8 Mardi Gras Streamers!
Harvest Mardi Gras Duck
Harvest 100 Morning Glory
Rewards: 175 XP, Mardi Gras Llama, 3,500 coins
Doubloons!
Get 8 Doubloons
Harvest Mardi Gras Llama
Harvest 125 Carrots
Rewards: 200 XP, Mardi Gras Building, 4,000 coins
Winner Takes All
Get 8 Baby Doll Trinkets
Master Mardi Gras Duck to Level 1
Harvest 150 Cranberies
Rewards: 225 XP, Mardi Gras Ostrich, 4,500 coins
Colorful Cakes
Get 8 King Cakes
Harvest Mardi Gras Ostrich
Harvest 150 Rice
Rewards: 250 XP, Mardigator, 5,000 coins
Remembering Tomorrow
Get 9 Cameras
Harvest Mardigator
Harvest 150 Peppers
Rewards: 275 XP, Mardi Gras Peacock, 5,500 coins
Doubloons! Doubloons!
Get 10 Bags
Harvest Mardi Gras Peacock Twice
Harvest 150 Red Tulips
Rewards: 300 XP, Masked Pig, 6,000 coins
Colors in the Sky
Get 12 Mardi Gras Balloons
Master Mardigator to Level 1
Harvest 200 Grapes
Rewards: 325 XP, King Cake Gnome, 6,500 coins
These goals will be available to complete for the next two weeks, so get started soon to have a chance at completing them all (and earning all of the prizes) with time to spare! Good luck!
Are your excited about FarmVille's Mardi Gras celebration so far? What do you think of the prizes offered via these goals?
FarmVille Bunnies offer hints of Easter event?
Search for the word "bunny" in the FarmVille marketplace and you'll see six new animals that have been added to the game's marketplace. These bunnies come in different colors and designs, but all of them look to be permanent additions to the store.
Blue Lily Bunny - 5 Farm Cash
White Daisy Bunny - 2 Farm Cash
Pink Loppy Bunny - 20 Farm Cash
Yellow Chubby - 10 Farm Cash
Purple Puffy Bunny - 15 Farm Cash
Gold Floppy Bunny - 30 Farm Cash
While these are definitely some adorable animals, and I myself am fairly tempted to bust out some Farm Cash to purchase them, the folks at FVNation have come up with a good theory - it's likely that at least the White Daisy Bunny will be given away for free in a future in-game feature, either dealing with the Easter holiday or otherwise.
Either way, we'll make sure to keep an eye on these bunnies and will let you know if there are any price changes or additional releases of these bunnies in the game.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
In the meantime, will you purchase any of these bunnies right now, or will you wait to see if any of them are released for free?
Blue Lily Bunny - 5 Farm Cash
White Daisy Bunny - 2 Farm Cash
Pink Loppy Bunny - 20 Farm Cash
Yellow Chubby - 10 Farm Cash
Purple Puffy Bunny - 15 Farm Cash
Gold Floppy Bunny - 30 Farm Cash
While these are definitely some adorable animals, and I myself am fairly tempted to bust out some Farm Cash to purchase them, the folks at FVNation have come up with a good theory - it's likely that at least the White Daisy Bunny will be given away for free in a future in-game feature, either dealing with the Easter holiday or otherwise.
Either way, we'll make sure to keep an eye on these bunnies and will let you know if there are any price changes or additional releases of these bunnies in the game.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
In the meantime, will you purchase any of these bunnies right now, or will you wait to see if any of them are released for free?
Game of the Day: Papa's Taco Mia
papas taco mia game of the day
Papa Louie is branching out with a new taco restaurant, and he's putting you in charge! You'll have to single handedly take customer's orders, cook meats, and assemble towering tacos. While Papa's Taco Mia may start off slow, it gets difficult fast. Even with purchasable golden utensils, meat timers, fancy hats, and restaurant decorations; you'll be struggling to serve those tasty tacos and keep up with your customers.
With over a dozen unlockable new toppings, taco shells, and meats; managing Papa Louie's taco restaurant is definitely going to keep you on your toes.
Click here to play Papa's Taco Mia!
papas taco mia game of the day papas taco mia game of the day
Pro Tips:
Save your money for the meat and customer timers (very important). Then purchase the taco shell signs and store decorations to keep your waiting customers happy.
At the build station, to make those perfect tacos, start on one side and gently move back and forth a few times. You want to evenly coat the meat, leaving no lumps and no spaces. Keep practicing and you'll be earning 100 points at the build station in no time.
If you accidentally mess up with an ingredient, don't panic. Just try to even out the lumps with the next ingredient.
Remember which people like which meats and shells. But be careful, after unlocking a new shell or meat their preferences might change.
When you start a new day, keep an eye out for who's hanging around the taco restaurant. The two people you see will be your first two customers.
Sometimes a customer's hair can give away what type of shell they'll want. Spiky hair will usually want a hard shell (with the spiky symbol).
Click here to play Papa's Taco Mia!
What do you think of Papa's Taco Mia? Have any more awesome tips to share?
Papa Louie is branching out with a new taco restaurant, and he's putting you in charge! You'll have to single handedly take customer's orders, cook meats, and assemble towering tacos. While Papa's Taco Mia may start off slow, it gets difficult fast. Even with purchasable golden utensils, meat timers, fancy hats, and restaurant decorations; you'll be struggling to serve those tasty tacos and keep up with your customers.
With over a dozen unlockable new toppings, taco shells, and meats; managing Papa Louie's taco restaurant is definitely going to keep you on your toes.
Click here to play Papa's Taco Mia!
papas taco mia game of the day papas taco mia game of the day
Pro Tips:
Save your money for the meat and customer timers (very important). Then purchase the taco shell signs and store decorations to keep your waiting customers happy.
At the build station, to make those perfect tacos, start on one side and gently move back and forth a few times. You want to evenly coat the meat, leaving no lumps and no spaces. Keep practicing and you'll be earning 100 points at the build station in no time.
If you accidentally mess up with an ingredient, don't panic. Just try to even out the lumps with the next ingredient.
Remember which people like which meats and shells. But be careful, after unlocking a new shell or meat their preferences might change.
When you start a new day, keep an eye out for who's hanging around the taco restaurant. The two people you see will be your first two customers.
Sometimes a customer's hair can give away what type of shell they'll want. Spiky hair will usually want a hard shell (with the spiky symbol).
Click here to play Papa's Taco Mia!
What do you think of Papa's Taco Mia? Have any more awesome tips to share?
Thứ Bảy, 3 tháng 3, 2012
Very Good Grief: Snoopy's Street Fair is Charlie Brown's iPhone debut
Nope, no dogfights between Snoopy and The Red Baron just yet. And based on the title of Beeline Interactive's (Capcom's mobile games arm) iPhone game surrounding The Peanuts, Snoopy's Street Fair, we doubt there will be any. But that's OK, because based on these brand new screens that were just released, it looks like the game might be a hoot regardless.
It appears that this freemium iPhone game adaptation of the iconic comic strip (and don't forget those ABC specials!) will take the property management approach in its homage to Snoopy and the gang. It looks like players will guide Charlie Brown as he builds a bustling street fair from scratch, adding new booths, carnival games and kitschy attractions to level up.
Basically, judging from these images, Snoopy's Street Fair won't be a far cry from one of the studio's first releases under Capcom, Smurfs' Village. Players will be given hints or quests on how to advance their little fairs from supporting characters in the Peanuts world like Peppermint Patty through classic phone call gags. If you notice, the characters still don't own cell phones, a welcome touch of authenticity to the world Charles Schulz created.
Gallery: Snoopy's Street Fair on iPhone
In fact, the entire game embodies the late and great cartoonist's artwork so well, that it looks like one of Sunday's Peanuts strips come to life. In addition to running their fair, players will partake in mini games like roasting marshmallows against a timer to sate Snoopy's sweet tooth. According to Capcom, Snoopy's Street Fair is slated for a November release. So, hopefully by then Beeline can somehow squeeze in a mini game involving Snoopy piloting his dog house ... somehow.
Are you psyched for Snoopy and the gang's iPhone game debut? Are you interested in how the game is looking to play out so far--a property management game?
It appears that this freemium iPhone game adaptation of the iconic comic strip (and don't forget those ABC specials!) will take the property management approach in its homage to Snoopy and the gang. It looks like players will guide Charlie Brown as he builds a bustling street fair from scratch, adding new booths, carnival games and kitschy attractions to level up.
Basically, judging from these images, Snoopy's Street Fair won't be a far cry from one of the studio's first releases under Capcom, Smurfs' Village. Players will be given hints or quests on how to advance their little fairs from supporting characters in the Peanuts world like Peppermint Patty through classic phone call gags. If you notice, the characters still don't own cell phones, a welcome touch of authenticity to the world Charles Schulz created.
Gallery: Snoopy's Street Fair on iPhone
In fact, the entire game embodies the late and great cartoonist's artwork so well, that it looks like one of Sunday's Peanuts strips come to life. In addition to running their fair, players will partake in mini games like roasting marshmallows against a timer to sate Snoopy's sweet tooth. According to Capcom, Snoopy's Street Fair is slated for a November release. So, hopefully by then Beeline can somehow squeeze in a mini game involving Snoopy piloting his dog house ... somehow.
Are you psyched for Snoopy and the gang's iPhone game debut? Are you interested in how the game is looking to play out so far--a property management game?
Why are we so hooked on Angry Birds? It's science [Infographic]
We already know that Rovio and its Angry Birds are poised to do battle with Zynga for global gaming domination. The iPhone-game-turned-everywhere-game has become millions' preferred time-waster on the run. But there's one thing we just can't seem to put our finger on: Why? An infographic put together by Ask Your Target Marketing attempts to answer this question with two forms of science (though, the latter of which is debatable in some circles): psychology and sociology.
But before we get into that, some basics. According to 1,000 surveyed Angry Birds players, men are 35 percent more likely to buy Angry Birds than women, and 18 to 24-year-olds are 33 percent more likely to buy the game than those 25 or older. Here's an interesting finding: gamers collectively play Angry Birds an average of 200 million minutes per day--that amounts to 16 collective years of flinging agitated avian creatures every hour of every day.
While just 15 percent of players feel addicted to the game often when playing and an even smaller 13 percent say they feel addicted always, a whopping 54 percent say they feel addicted occasionally. OK, so we get it: We're hooked by their angry talons. Now, how in the world did this happen? Simply put, it makes us feel good.
Out of 1,000 people who played Angry Birds 25 or more times, 32 percent of them felt "somewhat relaxed" after an Angry Birds session, while 23 percent said to have felt "very relaxed" after launching the birds into the amorphous green pigs. But generally speaking, 58 percent of Angry Birds players reported their mood to be improved after playing the game, while 37 percent said their mood was unchanged.
This is thanks to an amazing strange little thing called dopamine, which our brains put out on overdrive in anticipation of reward, according to the infographic. This massive release of dopamine makes us want to know just what will happen after letting that next bird careen into some wooden planks.
For 12 percent of players, the addiction has been so bad that they were forced to delete the game from their phones, while another 12 percent have merely considered that drastic measure as an option. The other 76 percent just keep playing, apparently. Good idea, you not-so-jovial bird junkies. Find the full infographic below, and click it to make it larger.
[Via Scribbal]
[Image Credit: ThinkGeek]
Are you hooked on Angry Birds? Do you think this infographic does a good enough job of explaining why you're addicted to the game?
But before we get into that, some basics. According to 1,000 surveyed Angry Birds players, men are 35 percent more likely to buy Angry Birds than women, and 18 to 24-year-olds are 33 percent more likely to buy the game than those 25 or older. Here's an interesting finding: gamers collectively play Angry Birds an average of 200 million minutes per day--that amounts to 16 collective years of flinging agitated avian creatures every hour of every day.
While just 15 percent of players feel addicted to the game often when playing and an even smaller 13 percent say they feel addicted always, a whopping 54 percent say they feel addicted occasionally. OK, so we get it: We're hooked by their angry talons. Now, how in the world did this happen? Simply put, it makes us feel good.
Out of 1,000 people who played Angry Birds 25 or more times, 32 percent of them felt "somewhat relaxed" after an Angry Birds session, while 23 percent said to have felt "very relaxed" after launching the birds into the amorphous green pigs. But generally speaking, 58 percent of Angry Birds players reported their mood to be improved after playing the game, while 37 percent said their mood was unchanged.
This is thanks to an amazing strange little thing called dopamine, which our brains put out on overdrive in anticipation of reward, according to the infographic. This massive release of dopamine makes us want to know just what will happen after letting that next bird careen into some wooden planks.
For 12 percent of players, the addiction has been so bad that they were forced to delete the game from their phones, while another 12 percent have merely considered that drastic measure as an option. The other 76 percent just keep playing, apparently. Good idea, you not-so-jovial bird junkies. Find the full infographic below, and click it to make it larger.
[Via Scribbal]
[Image Credit: ThinkGeek]
Are you hooked on Angry Birds? Do you think this infographic does a good enough job of explaining why you're addicted to the game?
BringIt puts games in your Facebook games, so you can ... gamble?
If you're the type who enjoys wasting their money gambling, have we got some news for you. In select Facebook games by CrowdStar, East Side Games, Sometrics and Mall World, you can wager your hard-earned, paid game currency with your friends in custom mini games by BringIt. A real-time transactional platform for social games, BringIt announced that its head-to-head competitions for virtual currency are now available in games from these developers.
According to BringIt, 8 million players have participated in these mini games within their favorite social games, and the asynchronous, head-to-head competitions will increase their number of daily players to 2.1 million. Players can wager any amount of virtual currency they choose, and post challenges to multiple friends at once. These challenges are sent to players who then can respond with their own wagers and post their scores in said games--the winner takes all.
For instance, Happy Aquarium fans can now challenge each other in a game of match-three, Aqua Blast, which is strikingly similar to Bejeweled. Using speed and various power ups, players must score as many points as possible in 60 seconds after wagering so many Pearls (the game's paid currency). Then, players can post that score to whomever's News Feed that they challenged.
If a friend responds with a wager of Pearls and a score that beats the challenger's score, they win whatever the challenger wagered. If the friend happens to score less than what the challenger did, then whoever posted the challenge wins whatever amount of Pearls that the loser wagered.
Payments are said to be posted automatically, but as of Sept. 11, there have been issues with the speed of payment, though BringIt is cataloging all payments to ensure that all winnings are met with payments. (At least this applies to Happy Aquarium.) Other BringIt partners like East Side Games, have different BringIt-powered mini games such as Gold Rush in Pot Farm.
Developers like East Side Games hope to make lots of dough from this form of in-game gambling. BringIt claims that the novelty of wagering paid currency could turn more freeloading social gamers into ones that pay up to play. And we guess it's all kosher, because the money at stake isn't "real" money. Though, if you paid for it with real cash originally, it kind of is, no?
Would you ever gamble wager your hard-earned Pearls or other paid currency in these mini games by BringIt? What are your thoughts on online wagering, generally speaking?
According to BringIt, 8 million players have participated in these mini games within their favorite social games, and the asynchronous, head-to-head competitions will increase their number of daily players to 2.1 million. Players can wager any amount of virtual currency they choose, and post challenges to multiple friends at once. These challenges are sent to players who then can respond with their own wagers and post their scores in said games--the winner takes all.
For instance, Happy Aquarium fans can now challenge each other in a game of match-three, Aqua Blast, which is strikingly similar to Bejeweled. Using speed and various power ups, players must score as many points as possible in 60 seconds after wagering so many Pearls (the game's paid currency). Then, players can post that score to whomever's News Feed that they challenged.
If a friend responds with a wager of Pearls and a score that beats the challenger's score, they win whatever the challenger wagered. If the friend happens to score less than what the challenger did, then whoever posted the challenge wins whatever amount of Pearls that the loser wagered.
Payments are said to be posted automatically, but as of Sept. 11, there have been issues with the speed of payment, though BringIt is cataloging all payments to ensure that all winnings are met with payments. (At least this applies to Happy Aquarium.) Other BringIt partners like East Side Games, have different BringIt-powered mini games such as Gold Rush in Pot Farm.
Developers like East Side Games hope to make lots of dough from this form of in-game gambling. BringIt claims that the novelty of wagering paid currency could turn more freeloading social gamers into ones that pay up to play. And we guess it's all kosher, because the money at stake isn't "real" money. Though, if you paid for it with real cash originally, it kind of is, no?
Would you ever gamble wager your hard-earned Pearls or other paid currency in these mini games by BringIt? What are your thoughts on online wagering, generally speaking?
NBA Legend creator Lionside bought out by Ngmoco [Updated]
Update: An ngmoco spokesperson confirmed the news to ISG: "We can confirm that ngmoco has acquired the Lionside team. The terms of the agreement are undisclosed. We are very excited to have Lionside join the ngmoco and DeNA family. They are working on new products for the Mobage social gaming platform, bringing their passion and experience to our continuously expanding first party development capabilities."
Neither side seems to want anyone to know about it just yet, but signs are pointing toward a buyout in the works between ngmoco and Lionside. Inside Social Games reports that, according to numerous Lionside employee Linkedin pages, a shuttered website, an inactive Twitter account and Facebook games that simply aren't operational, ngmoco may have acquired the San Francisco-based company.
A tipster pointed ISG toward the Linkedin pages of Lionside VP of Business Operations Michael McBride and European Account Manager Kane Curran, both of which read that Lionside has been acquired by ngmoco. Not to mention that Lionside CEO Brandon Barber's Google+ profile reads, "Lionside & ngmoco marketing and product guy."
To add to the mountain of evidence that Lionside has potentially been acquired by ngmoco, the company's official website has been taken down. And neither NBA Legend nor Lionside Football are available to play, the former of which is "being enhanced," according to a page that has replaced the actual game on Facebook.
Unfortunately, both games have been performing poorly, garnering a mere total of just over 367,000 monthly players, according to AppData. So, this begs the question: If Lionside has been acquired by ngmoco, just what would the studio be up to in its new capacity? Ngmoco, since it was purchased by Japanese social gaming giant DeNA earlier this year, has been working diligently on a global version of the publisher's Mobage mobile social games network, which was just released for Android.
So, our best guess is that Lionside would be working on mobile social games to be played on the Mobage network, though it doesn't seem that Lionside has ever worked in mobile games as a company (official information from the company is unavailable at the moment). We've contacted Lionside for comment.
Are you convinced that ngmoco has purchased Lionside? What do you think or hope the studio will do for ngmoco and DeNA as a result?
Neither side seems to want anyone to know about it just yet, but signs are pointing toward a buyout in the works between ngmoco and Lionside. Inside Social Games reports that, according to numerous Lionside employee Linkedin pages, a shuttered website, an inactive Twitter account and Facebook games that simply aren't operational, ngmoco may have acquired the San Francisco-based company.
A tipster pointed ISG toward the Linkedin pages of Lionside VP of Business Operations Michael McBride and European Account Manager Kane Curran, both of which read that Lionside has been acquired by ngmoco. Not to mention that Lionside CEO Brandon Barber's Google+ profile reads, "Lionside & ngmoco marketing and product guy."
To add to the mountain of evidence that Lionside has potentially been acquired by ngmoco, the company's official website has been taken down. And neither NBA Legend nor Lionside Football are available to play, the former of which is "being enhanced," according to a page that has replaced the actual game on Facebook.
Unfortunately, both games have been performing poorly, garnering a mere total of just over 367,000 monthly players, according to AppData. So, this begs the question: If Lionside has been acquired by ngmoco, just what would the studio be up to in its new capacity? Ngmoco, since it was purchased by Japanese social gaming giant DeNA earlier this year, has been working diligently on a global version of the publisher's Mobage mobile social games network, which was just released for Android.
So, our best guess is that Lionside would be working on mobile social games to be played on the Mobage network, though it doesn't seem that Lionside has ever worked in mobile games as a company (official information from the company is unavailable at the moment). We've contacted Lionside for comment.
Are you convinced that ngmoco has purchased Lionside? What do you think or hope the studio will do for ngmoco and DeNA as a result?
Playfish says goodbye to Hotel City, My Empire and four more games
Playfish games shut down
The Sims Social might have dethroned the mighty FarmVille, but its success may have cut into Playfish's other Facebook games and sent them to a speedier doom, too. On August 30th, the word went out in the official Playfish forums that Hotel City, My Empire, Who Has The Biggest Brain?, Geo Challenge, Word Challenge and Bowling Buddies will be getting axed Sept. 30.
We used to cover Hotel City back in the day (the game first launched on March 26, 2010) and can remember when it was a big deal. The game was well made and had once held an all-time high of 13 million monthly players and 3 million daily players. Right now, it's at 1.4 million monthly players and about 100,000 dailies, ranking it the 9th most-played Playfish and EA game on Facebook. But it's clear that won't be enough to save it.
Hotel City's popularity is followed closely by Bowling Buddies, Word Challenge, then Geo Challenge. Finally, far beneath them all on the social games ladder are Who Has The Biggest Brain? and My Empire. Though, at least one player suspects it may not be all about numbers, because Country Story currently ranks 10th behind Hotel City. But there's been no announcement to shut it down (yet).
Are you going to miss any of these Playfish games? Care to start a betting pool on the death of Country Story?
The Sims Social might have dethroned the mighty FarmVille, but its success may have cut into Playfish's other Facebook games and sent them to a speedier doom, too. On August 30th, the word went out in the official Playfish forums that Hotel City, My Empire, Who Has The Biggest Brain?, Geo Challenge, Word Challenge and Bowling Buddies will be getting axed Sept. 30.
We used to cover Hotel City back in the day (the game first launched on March 26, 2010) and can remember when it was a big deal. The game was well made and had once held an all-time high of 13 million monthly players and 3 million daily players. Right now, it's at 1.4 million monthly players and about 100,000 dailies, ranking it the 9th most-played Playfish and EA game on Facebook. But it's clear that won't be enough to save it.
Hotel City's popularity is followed closely by Bowling Buddies, Word Challenge, then Geo Challenge. Finally, far beneath them all on the social games ladder are Who Has The Biggest Brain? and My Empire. Though, at least one player suspects it may not be all about numbers, because Country Story currently ranks 10th behind Hotel City. But there's been no announcement to shut it down (yet).
Are you going to miss any of these Playfish games? Care to start a betting pool on the death of Country Story?
Idle Games shows first game Idle Worship's true social colors [Video]
Since co-founding social game hit maker Playdom, Rick Thompson has grown tired of the friend bar beneath Faecbook games. No, scratch that: He's grown tired of the way traditional Facebook games operate ... period. His contempt for this arguably tired form of Facebook game has helped spawn Idle Games and its first ever Facebook game, Idle Worship.
We first heard word of the potentially revolutionary social game way back in April, and Idle Games has launched the game into a closed beta test before presenting it to the audience of TechCrunch Disrupt, an event in San Francisco celebrating tech startups ran by TechCrunch. The overall gameplay of Idle Worship hasn't changed since we first heard about it, but now we have fancy video that reveals more of what the game is all about.
Through Idle Games's Idle Engine, Idle Worship does away with the friend found in almost all social games. Instead, your island of Mudlings (the people you oversee with either benevolence or tyranny) will be surrounded by not only your friends' islands, but players' islands based on how their Facebook profiles match up with your own.
Going even further, the game will slowly curate which of your friendships are stronger by bringing more active friends closer to your island, which is always at the center, and pushing your inactive friends away from your island. And, according to Idle Games CEO Jeffrey Hyman, your interactions with your friends will send ripples throughout the entire game in real time.
Through innovations like these, Hyman aims for Idle Games to become "the Pixar of casual games," according to TechCrunch. To better understand what we mean, check out Hyman's presentation below, and sign up for the ongoing closed beta test of the game right here.
Do you plan on signing up for the closed beta test of Idle Worship? What excites you most (or doesn't excite you) about the game?
We first heard word of the potentially revolutionary social game way back in April, and Idle Games has launched the game into a closed beta test before presenting it to the audience of TechCrunch Disrupt, an event in San Francisco celebrating tech startups ran by TechCrunch. The overall gameplay of Idle Worship hasn't changed since we first heard about it, but now we have fancy video that reveals more of what the game is all about.
Through Idle Games's Idle Engine, Idle Worship does away with the friend found in almost all social games. Instead, your island of Mudlings (the people you oversee with either benevolence or tyranny) will be surrounded by not only your friends' islands, but players' islands based on how their Facebook profiles match up with your own.
Going even further, the game will slowly curate which of your friendships are stronger by bringing more active friends closer to your island, which is always at the center, and pushing your inactive friends away from your island. And, according to Idle Games CEO Jeffrey Hyman, your interactions with your friends will send ripples throughout the entire game in real time.
Through innovations like these, Hyman aims for Idle Games to become "the Pixar of casual games," according to TechCrunch. To better understand what we mean, check out Hyman's presentation below, and sign up for the ongoing closed beta test of the game right here.
Do you plan on signing up for the closed beta test of Idle Worship? What excites you most (or doesn't excite you) about the game?
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