English Mill
Zynga is about to do hydro power the English way. FarmVille Feed has found an image of an unreleased item in FarmVille: the English Mill. While the mill looks visibly unique from the standard mills found in the original FarmVille, FarmVille Feed doesn't expect its function to be any different. This will likely be another animated decoration for English farms that unsurprisingly costs Farm Cash. Either way, start saving if you want to bring some more life to your farm across the pond.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Would you be willing to buy another Mill for your English farm? What if it brought with it an additional function like increased results from the Crafting buildings?
Thứ Năm, 29 tháng 12, 2011
Apple cuts the cord on incentive-based app downloads; free currency in social games is out
While most iPhone game players are used to the technique of downloading other apps in order to receive free premium currency in your current game (the examples are too numerous to count, but include games like the mobile version of Social City, which gives you free City Bucks for downloading both free and paid apps), Apple hasn't taken too kindly to the "feature," and has now started the cutoff process for apps that employ such features.
To be specific, if you wanted to earn free City Bucks in Social City, all you'd have to do is download other iPhone applications, such as Zynga Poker (ironically enough), Pretty Pet Salon, Living Social, and so on, as seen at the picture at right. You'd receive any number of City Bucks from each app downloaded, with more free currency being given out if you actually purchased one of these "sponsored" apps. While this is great for the game player, as they are allowed to further their own experience and purchase new items otherwise unavailable to them, it does create a very weird imbalance on Apple's top app charts, as apps that may suffer from bugs, or simply aren't that enjoyable suddenly rise to the top of the free or paid app charts. This "padding" makes other games (those that don't use this incentive-based download feature) look worse by comparison, which Apple claims simply isn't fair.
For now, all apps that contain such incentive-based downloads will still have the currency up for grabs, but only until their developers can release an update that removes it. If they don't, these apps face removal from the app store, and the developers themselves could even be permanently banned from the iOS developer program. We know that this is serious business, as Tech Crunch has reported that some new apps have been rejected from inclusion on the app store because they violated this reinterpreted ruling in the developers terms of service:
3.10: Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program
What does this mean in the long run? Essentially, if you play any mobile version of a Facebook game, like Social City, you'll have to start paying up for your City Cash just like everyone else, until Playdom (in this case) or other developers across the platform decide what to do in terms of advertising and cross-promotional activities. If your apps haven't been updated yet, stock up on all of the free premium currency you can, while you can, as there's no telling when each app will be updated (or removed for good).
Do you have many apps that ask you to download other apps for free currency? What will you do now that those options for free "money" are now being taken away?
To be specific, if you wanted to earn free City Bucks in Social City, all you'd have to do is download other iPhone applications, such as Zynga Poker (ironically enough), Pretty Pet Salon, Living Social, and so on, as seen at the picture at right. You'd receive any number of City Bucks from each app downloaded, with more free currency being given out if you actually purchased one of these "sponsored" apps. While this is great for the game player, as they are allowed to further their own experience and purchase new items otherwise unavailable to them, it does create a very weird imbalance on Apple's top app charts, as apps that may suffer from bugs, or simply aren't that enjoyable suddenly rise to the top of the free or paid app charts. This "padding" makes other games (those that don't use this incentive-based download feature) look worse by comparison, which Apple claims simply isn't fair.
For now, all apps that contain such incentive-based downloads will still have the currency up for grabs, but only until their developers can release an update that removes it. If they don't, these apps face removal from the app store, and the developers themselves could even be permanently banned from the iOS developer program. We know that this is serious business, as Tech Crunch has reported that some new apps have been rejected from inclusion on the app store because they violated this reinterpreted ruling in the developers terms of service:
3.10: Developers who attempt to manipulate or cheat the user reviews or chart ranking in the App Store with fake or paid reviews, or any other inappropriate methods will be removed from the iOS Developer Program
What does this mean in the long run? Essentially, if you play any mobile version of a Facebook game, like Social City, you'll have to start paying up for your City Cash just like everyone else, until Playdom (in this case) or other developers across the platform decide what to do in terms of advertising and cross-promotional activities. If your apps haven't been updated yet, stock up on all of the free premium currency you can, while you can, as there's no telling when each app will be updated (or removed for good).
Do you have many apps that ask you to download other apps for free currency? What will you do now that those options for free "money" are now being taken away?
JamLegend closes its doors this month; Zynga acquires its talent
JamLegend, a music-games startup was shut down today after three years of trying to compete with the heavy hitters in the music-game genre like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. According to Tech Crunch, the company's employees were headed into new ventures, and it looks like the name of that new venture is Zynga.
Social game giant Zynga has acquired the JamLegend team in a talent acquisition for an unknown sum of money. There's no news yet as to which of Zynga's offices the crew will be heading to, but we can only help to start the rumor mill early with this one. Could Zynga's acquisition of folks skilled in music games mean that they are going to try developing a music game of their own on Facebook? Sure, Zynga's accumulated enough talent over the years to create any number of new and unique games on the platform, but I would be particularly interested in how Zynga would handle a game that very well may be all about sound, rather than the visuals.
We'll make sure to let you know what comes of this acquisition as we know more, so keep checking back.
Should Zynga try making their own version of games like NightClub City? Or is the music-genre one area you don't think they're capable of breaking into?
Social game giant Zynga has acquired the JamLegend team in a talent acquisition for an unknown sum of money. There's no news yet as to which of Zynga's offices the crew will be heading to, but we can only help to start the rumor mill early with this one. Could Zynga's acquisition of folks skilled in music games mean that they are going to try developing a music game of their own on Facebook? Sure, Zynga's accumulated enough talent over the years to create any number of new and unique games on the platform, but I would be particularly interested in how Zynga would handle a game that very well may be all about sound, rather than the visuals.
We'll make sure to let you know what comes of this acquisition as we know more, so keep checking back.
Should Zynga try making their own version of games like NightClub City? Or is the music-genre one area you don't think they're capable of breaking into?
JamLegend closes its doors this month; Zynga acquires its talent
JamLegend, a music-games startup was shut down today after three years of trying to compete with the heavy hitters in the music-game genre like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. According to Tech Crunch, the company's employees were headed into new ventures, and it looks like the name of that new venture is Zynga.
Social game giant Zynga has acquired the JamLegend team in a talent acquisition for an unknown sum of money. There's no news yet as to which of Zynga's offices the crew will be heading to, but we can only help to start the rumor mill early with this one. Could Zynga's acquisition of folks skilled in music games mean that they are going to try developing a music game of their own on Facebook? Sure, Zynga's accumulated enough talent over the years to create any number of new and unique games on the platform, but I would be particularly interested in how Zynga would handle a game that very well may be all about sound, rather than the visuals.
We'll make sure to let you know what comes of this acquisition as we know more, so keep checking back.
Should Zynga try making their own version of games like NightClub City? Or is the music-genre one area you don't think they're capable of breaking into?
Social game giant Zynga has acquired the JamLegend team in a talent acquisition for an unknown sum of money. There's no news yet as to which of Zynga's offices the crew will be heading to, but we can only help to start the rumor mill early with this one. Could Zynga's acquisition of folks skilled in music games mean that they are going to try developing a music game of their own on Facebook? Sure, Zynga's accumulated enough talent over the years to create any number of new and unique games on the platform, but I would be particularly interested in how Zynga would handle a game that very well may be all about sound, rather than the visuals.
We'll make sure to let you know what comes of this acquisition as we know more, so keep checking back.
Should Zynga try making their own version of games like NightClub City? Or is the music-genre one area you don't think they're capable of breaking into?
FarmVille: Watering Can bug fixed; no more missing pop-ups
A fairly substantial bug (or perhaps it would be better called a weakness, rather than a bug) hit FarmVille with the release of the new streamlined ability to use building ingredients and Watering Cans from your gift box - that being an issue particularly with Watering Cans, that would see the three pop-ups associated with growing a single tree not appearing in the game if you used Watering Cans too quickly.
While most users would likely be thrilled with less pop-ups, in these cases, these pop-ups allow you earn more Watering Cans, and even share a free version of your new tree when it's fully grown - two things that most users like and will voluntary post in mass to their news feeds. Zynga has fixed this issue now, however, apparently allowing you to use Watering Cans as fast as your little clicking finger can muster, all while being able to share in the experience with your friends just as you did before.
Have you noticed any other bugs that showed up with the release of quicker building material usage?
While most users would likely be thrilled with less pop-ups, in these cases, these pop-ups allow you earn more Watering Cans, and even share a free version of your new tree when it's fully grown - two things that most users like and will voluntary post in mass to their news feeds. Zynga has fixed this issue now, however, apparently allowing you to use Watering Cans as fast as your little clicking finger can muster, all while being able to share in the experience with your friends just as you did before.
Have you noticed any other bugs that showed up with the release of quicker building material usage?
FarmVille Easter Sneak Peek: Cream Egg Tree & Giant Cream Egg Tree
Forget the Cream Eggs you may receive in the real world every Easter - it looks like Zynga will be releasing two full-grown trees into FarmVille this Easter holiday that will grow those trees year round, without having to buy them in the store! Ok, so no, you won't be able to eat these Cream Eggs, but you will able to see them growing in their bright and colorful goodness for as long as you want, which is always a good thing.
To be specific, the two new trees are the Cream Egg Tree and the Giant Cream Egg Tree, and while neither has an official release date yet, we can only imagine they'll be launching very soon (perhaps as early as tomorrow), since Easter is all but officially upon us in the real world.
Make sure to save up some Farm Cash for when these trees release, as they'll likely cost 5 Farm Cash and 10 Farm Cash for the normal and giant versions, respectively. We'll make sure to let you know the exact details of these trees when they launch.
To be specific, the two new trees are the Cream Egg Tree and the Giant Cream Egg Tree, and while neither has an official release date yet, we can only imagine they'll be launching very soon (perhaps as early as tomorrow), since Easter is all but officially upon us in the real world.
Make sure to save up some Farm Cash for when these trees release, as they'll likely cost 5 Farm Cash and 10 Farm Cash for the normal and giant versions, respectively. We'll make sure to let you know the exact details of these trees when they launch.
FarmVille Animal Sneak Peek: Bunny Sheep, New Forest Pony, White Duckling and more
We've come across images of four new animals that will be launching in FarmVille in the near future, with one of these animals being part of the upcoming Easter celebration in the game. This animal is the Bunny Sheep, and while Sheep breeders might not get much out of this new animals (as it is all white, after all), those who simply like collecting sheep, regardless of their color, shouldn't be disappointed.
The other three animals are the New Forest Pony, New Forest Pony Foal (of course bred from Pony in the Horse Stable), and the White Duckling. We're not sure if this White Duckling will simply be added to the Duck Pond feature on the fly, or if he will be released along with some new adult ducks to increase our interaction with the cute little fella, but we'll make sure to let you know what happens officially when the time comes.
What do you think will happen when the White Duckling launches? Will he turn into new types of Ducks, or will he just fall in line with the Brown and Yellow ducklings already available in the game?
The other three animals are the New Forest Pony, New Forest Pony Foal (of course bred from Pony in the Horse Stable), and the White Duckling. We're not sure if this White Duckling will simply be added to the Duck Pond feature on the fly, or if he will be released along with some new adult ducks to increase our interaction with the cute little fella, but we'll make sure to let you know what happens officially when the time comes.
What do you think will happen when the White Duckling launches? Will he turn into new types of Ducks, or will he just fall in line with the Brown and Yellow ducklings already available in the game?
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 12, 2011
Halo maker Bungie trademarks suspicious mobile game tech, 'Crimson'
Bungie Aerospace
Now do we have your attention? Bungie Aerospace, a publishing arm of the creator of the legendary Halo franchise, has trademarked an interestingly-named mobile software, Touch Arcade reports. It's called "Crimson," and you can imagine that the lot of indie mobile developers are seeing red right about now. The iOS, Android other mobile device game scene has been otherwise dominated by small, independent development teams, with little guys like Tiny Wings creator Andreas Illiger soaring to the top of the App Store. (Minecraft, anyone?)
According to the wording in the patent, "Crimson" is a mobile game tech designed for connectivity. It reads plainly, "Computer game software downloadable from a global computer network; Computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones; Downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices." Touch Arcade guesses that it could be the basis of an alternate reality game (ARG), but trademarking an entire engine to make mobile games with seems a bit much for a promotional stunt.
On top of that, Game Informer notes that Bungie has mentioned its interest in the mobile scene. Touch Arcade (and we agree) finally estimates that Bungie is working on mobile for its next big IP, and Activision Blizzard, it's new owner, will publish the game. Throw the rumors of a shooter MMO floating around, and you have one bubbling, frothy rumor brewing there.
[Image Credit: Touch Arcade]
Do you think Bungie is making a mobile game? What do you think the game will be like; will this be the Halo creator's new focus?
Now do we have your attention? Bungie Aerospace, a publishing arm of the creator of the legendary Halo franchise, has trademarked an interestingly-named mobile software, Touch Arcade reports. It's called "Crimson," and you can imagine that the lot of indie mobile developers are seeing red right about now. The iOS, Android other mobile device game scene has been otherwise dominated by small, independent development teams, with little guys like Tiny Wings creator Andreas Illiger soaring to the top of the App Store. (Minecraft, anyone?)
According to the wording in the patent, "Crimson" is a mobile game tech designed for connectivity. It reads plainly, "Computer game software downloadable from a global computer network; Computer game software for use on mobile and cellular phones; Downloadable computer game software via a global computer network and wireless devices." Touch Arcade guesses that it could be the basis of an alternate reality game (ARG), but trademarking an entire engine to make mobile games with seems a bit much for a promotional stunt.
On top of that, Game Informer notes that Bungie has mentioned its interest in the mobile scene. Touch Arcade (and we agree) finally estimates that Bungie is working on mobile for its next big IP, and Activision Blizzard, it's new owner, will publish the game. Throw the rumors of a shooter MMO floating around, and you have one bubbling, frothy rumor brewing there.
[Image Credit: Touch Arcade]
Do you think Bungie is making a mobile game? What do you think the game will be like; will this be the Halo creator's new focus?
Angry Birds Cheats and Tips: Quick hack unlocks all 70 Chrome levels
The purists out there beat every Angry Birds level on the Chrome version a few hours ago, as the game released yesterday with fanfare at Googles' I/O Conference. But for those who actually have other things to do, like yourselves, Wes Bos, a notable tech entrepreneur and founder of DealPage, has found a neat trick to unlock all the levels in the game. And all it takes is a single line of code.
First of all, the game requires you to have Google's Chrome browser. Download and install that, and come back here. (Done? Good.) Now, go to the Chrome Web Store and download Angry Birds. With the game loaded, copy and paste this code into Chrome's address bar:
javascript: var i = 0; while (i<=69) { localStorage.setItem('level_star_'+i,'3'); i++; } window.location.reload();
Hit the Enter key, and watch as all 70 levels in the game are open for you to fling around in. Now, if you ever want to revert the game to its original state, just use this line of code in the same way:
javascript: var i = 1; while (i<=69) { localStorage.setItem('level_star_'+i,'-1'); i++; } window.location.reload();
Now, if you're interested, here's how the whiz figured it out: "In the talk Rovio did at Google IO, they mentioned they were using HTML5′s LocalStorage. If you open up Web Inspector in chrome, you'll see they are keeping track of your score and stars with localstorage. Lucky for us, that means we can use setItem() set all 70 levels to 3 and get access to them all." This smarty pants just made plenty of Angry Birds (and Google) fans very, very happy.
First of all, the game requires you to have Google's Chrome browser. Download and install that, and come back here. (Done? Good.) Now, go to the Chrome Web Store and download Angry Birds. With the game loaded, copy and paste this code into Chrome's address bar:
javascript: var i = 0; while (i<=69) { localStorage.setItem('level_star_'+i,'3'); i++; } window.location.reload();
Hit the Enter key, and watch as all 70 levels in the game are open for you to fling around in. Now, if you ever want to revert the game to its original state, just use this line of code in the same way:
javascript: var i = 1; while (i<=69) { localStorage.setItem('level_star_'+i,'-1'); i++; } window.location.reload();
Now, if you're interested, here's how the whiz figured it out: "In the talk Rovio did at Google IO, they mentioned they were using HTML5′s LocalStorage. If you open up Web Inspector in chrome, you'll see they are keeping track of your score and stars with localstorage. Lucky for us, that means we can use setItem() set all 70 levels to 3 and get access to them all." This smarty pants just made plenty of Angry Birds (and Google) fans very, very happy.
Zynga adds FarmVille Instant Grow per plot option, not exactly worth it
Think of it as ... reverse DDT. Yeah, that might help you forget about the chemicals in your digital food! Zynga has added an option to FarmVIlle (sans digital chemicals ... whatever that means) that allows players to apply Instant Grow to individual plots of farmland. FarmVille Freak found that, when you mouse over freshly planted plots, text appears reading, "Click to Apply Instant Grow." Doing so, if you have the item, will apply the effect to a single plot for a smaller amount of Farm Cash.
Here are the prices for applying Instant Grow to a single crop or tree, but keep in mind that they vary depending upon how ready the crops or plants in question are:
Instant Grow Crop – 3 Farm Cash
Instant Grow Tree – 7 Farm Cash
Now, this is the cost for a freshly planted or harvested crop or tree. However, the option to apply the effect to all crops and trees still exists for just 15 Farm Cash for each category. (Note: However, this is could easily be a bug in which the true switch has yet to take place for all players.) Just applying Instant Grow to five individual crops would cost the same as applying it to them all. In other words, this isn't really a good deal. If you're going to apply Instant Grow to a single crop, you may as well do it for the whole bunch.
Have you seen this feature appear in your game yet? Are you a fan of the Instant Grow, or would you rather play old-fashioned (i.e. not spend money)?
Here are the prices for applying Instant Grow to a single crop or tree, but keep in mind that they vary depending upon how ready the crops or plants in question are:
Instant Grow Crop – 3 Farm Cash
Instant Grow Tree – 7 Farm Cash
Now, this is the cost for a freshly planted or harvested crop or tree. However, the option to apply the effect to all crops and trees still exists for just 15 Farm Cash for each category. (Note: However, this is could easily be a bug in which the true switch has yet to take place for all players.) Just applying Instant Grow to five individual crops would cost the same as applying it to them all. In other words, this isn't really a good deal. If you're going to apply Instant Grow to a single crop, you may as well do it for the whole bunch.
Have you seen this feature appear in your game yet? Are you a fan of the Instant Grow, or would you rather play old-fashioned (i.e. not spend money)?
Game of the Day: Fanged Fun Level Pack
The Game of the Day want you to use your noodle and figure out some pretty tricky puzzles... oh the puzzle shapes are vampires! Fanged Fun Level Pack: Help the green and red fanged vampire faces get to their corresponding platforms. Over 20 exciting levels! A box can transform into a ball, and a ball can transform into a box.
Click --> Play Fanged Fun Level Pack
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click --> Play Fanged Fun Level Pack
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Buddy Rush for iPhone (and Facebook): The time for adventure is all the time
Cross platform social games can be a drag--just look at FarmVille. (Alright, so it's come a long ways, I still don't wanna hear it.) They're rarely, if ever, like their core counterpart, which in most cases lives on Facebook or elsewhere. However, Sollmo might have found the answer in Buddy Rush for the iPhone (and Facebook): asynchronous gameplay. You know, what we've been trying to move away from as a genre? That's exactly what makes Buddy Rush, a free game on the iOS App Store, work so well. After downloading and installing the game, you'll need to log in using Facebook Connect. From there, you can add all of your Facebook friends by sending them in-game gifts. And trust us when we say you will need lots of friends. This is because, at the heart of it, you're never actually playing with your friends. (Stay with us, people.) You're slaying blue monsters and giant bugs with AI-controlled versions of your friends' characters. However, having a large pool of friend friend characters available for whatever trials you might face would be a good idea.
Gallery: Buddy Rush
And those trial are faced in real time for you, but your partying adventurers, if used by you, we imagine will receive bonuses upon logging into his game. And that's the number one flaw and point of brilliance in Buddy Rush. While not being able to play with your friends in real time through your phones or on Facebook is a bummer, that's not the point. The aim of the game is to be there to provide a dungeon-diving adventure whenever you're ready, with your friends. And since today's gamer has little interest in setting up times to play a massively multiplayer game, here you go.
The asynchronous gameplay allows players to enjoy the game whenever they want, and have their friends be right there with them, fighting back hordes of beasts. The combat and aesthetic are standard fantasy fare with a twist of humor and a kid-friendly style. There are several character classes to choose from the standard warrior/wizard/archer trio to strange character types like the Vampino (a vampire that wears copious amounts of sunblock) and Skully (a revolver-wielding pirate), which unlock in time.
Buddy Rush for Facebook
As for actually dispatching enemies, Missions are displayed isometrically, with the player touching (or clicking) the areas on the ground he wants his avatar to run to. Honestly, the controls are all very intuitive: tap enemies to kill them, then tap different abilities and items to use them. (Visions of a cuter Diablo might dance in your head while playing this game.)Your party members contribute to combat automatically, and can be healed--remember that. Each Mission rewards XP and Chips, the game's currency, as well as costs Stamina. This slowly refilling statistic is similar to the Energy system in most social games, but can be restored with potions either earned or purchased for Chips.
All in all, Buddy Rush for the iPhone would stand on its as a single player game (by technicality, it is), but the inclusion of Facebook friends, regardless of whether its asynchronous, opens up whole new possibilities. And you can access that content whenever you want--forget waiting around for your friends to make the monster raid. Buddy Rush is an elegant solution to a common problem in mobile social gaming crossovers: simply make both versions as similar in form, function and style as possible (the Facebook and iPhone versions are nearly identical). And for the mobile monster-slaying crowd, this game is a fashion do.
Click here to play Buddy Rush on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Buddy Rush on either platform? What do you think of cross-platform social games? Are games generally headed this way?
Gallery: Buddy Rush
And those trial are faced in real time for you, but your partying adventurers, if used by you, we imagine will receive bonuses upon logging into his game. And that's the number one flaw and point of brilliance in Buddy Rush. While not being able to play with your friends in real time through your phones or on Facebook is a bummer, that's not the point. The aim of the game is to be there to provide a dungeon-diving adventure whenever you're ready, with your friends. And since today's gamer has little interest in setting up times to play a massively multiplayer game, here you go.
The asynchronous gameplay allows players to enjoy the game whenever they want, and have their friends be right there with them, fighting back hordes of beasts. The combat and aesthetic are standard fantasy fare with a twist of humor and a kid-friendly style. There are several character classes to choose from the standard warrior/wizard/archer trio to strange character types like the Vampino (a vampire that wears copious amounts of sunblock) and Skully (a revolver-wielding pirate), which unlock in time.
Buddy Rush for Facebook
As for actually dispatching enemies, Missions are displayed isometrically, with the player touching (or clicking) the areas on the ground he wants his avatar to run to. Honestly, the controls are all very intuitive: tap enemies to kill them, then tap different abilities and items to use them. (Visions of a cuter Diablo might dance in your head while playing this game.)Your party members contribute to combat automatically, and can be healed--remember that. Each Mission rewards XP and Chips, the game's currency, as well as costs Stamina. This slowly refilling statistic is similar to the Energy system in most social games, but can be restored with potions either earned or purchased for Chips.
All in all, Buddy Rush for the iPhone would stand on its as a single player game (by technicality, it is), but the inclusion of Facebook friends, regardless of whether its asynchronous, opens up whole new possibilities. And you can access that content whenever you want--forget waiting around for your friends to make the monster raid. Buddy Rush is an elegant solution to a common problem in mobile social gaming crossovers: simply make both versions as similar in form, function and style as possible (the Facebook and iPhone versions are nearly identical). And for the mobile monster-slaying crowd, this game is a fashion do.
Click here to play Buddy Rush on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Buddy Rush on either platform? What do you think of cross-platform social games? Are games generally headed this way?
Chủ Nhật, 25 tháng 12, 2011
Portal-maker Valve cryptically announces free-to-play game
It's only been just over a week since Valve brought five fancy free-to-play games to Steam, its digital games distribution service. And already the developer slash online marketplace curator has caught the fever known as free, as spokesman Doug Lombardi replied simply "yes" when asked by French magazine Barre de Vie whether Valve had its own free-to-play games in the making.
According to Gamasutra, some guess that the game in question could be Dota 2 (pictured), a game inspired by the Defense of the Ancients game mod created within WarCraft 3, a strategy game by Blizzard released in 2002. The game is said to join other spin-offs of the original like League of Legends by Riot Games, which just so happens to be free-to-play as well. However, this is all guesswork based on Valve's existing projects and what the competition offers within the genre.
Last week, the company brought several free-to-play albeit hardcore games (aside from Spiral Knights) to its Steam service, so it is understandable that Valve would have confidence in the increasingly popular business model. In fact, we all know companies like Zynga, traditionally hardcore developers like EA and even designers like John Romero are digging on free games. So, it appears that Valve is looking to keep up with the competition--at least when it comes to its "hardcore" fans. You know, the ones who bought Bejeweled 3 and Peggle Nights from Steam? We've contacted Valve for comment.
[Image Credit: Valve]
Are you excited to see another major hardcore game creator to join the free-to-play space? How do you think Valve will fare against those who have already enjoyed the successes of free?
According to Gamasutra, some guess that the game in question could be Dota 2 (pictured), a game inspired by the Defense of the Ancients game mod created within WarCraft 3, a strategy game by Blizzard released in 2002. The game is said to join other spin-offs of the original like League of Legends by Riot Games, which just so happens to be free-to-play as well. However, this is all guesswork based on Valve's existing projects and what the competition offers within the genre.
Last week, the company brought several free-to-play albeit hardcore games (aside from Spiral Knights) to its Steam service, so it is understandable that Valve would have confidence in the increasingly popular business model. In fact, we all know companies like Zynga, traditionally hardcore developers like EA and even designers like John Romero are digging on free games. So, it appears that Valve is looking to keep up with the competition--at least when it comes to its "hardcore" fans. You know, the ones who bought Bejeweled 3 and Peggle Nights from Steam? We've contacted Valve for comment.
[Image Credit: Valve]
Are you excited to see another major hardcore game creator to join the free-to-play space? How do you think Valve will fare against those who have already enjoyed the successes of free?
Earn free FarmVille Farm Cash from USA Suits, Intuit promotions
If your wallet is still a bit singed from this Father's Day weekend, these two new sponsored links from USA Suits and Intuit in FarmVille might make that burn sting a little less. Zynga has released both promotions just in time to start of the week with a bang, but don't be alarmed if you don't see the two links beneath your game screen immediately--these things take time. With that, the first set of free Farm Cash is thanks to Suits, a new show on the USA Network, and it's good for 2 Farm Cash.
Suits FarmVille promo
Just click on the link below the game screen that reads, "Take the USA Suits poll!" and you'll be greeted by a pop-up advertisement, but it's a good one. We promise. Just answer the questions as the video above plays, and soon enough you will see a blue "X" with text to the left of it that reads something to the effect of, "You've earned your two Farm Cash." Click on the blue "X" and the window will close.
Intuit FarmVille promo
The second promotion is from Intuit, and can be accessed by clicking the link beneath your game screen that reads, "Build your website with Intuit..." The usual pop-up will appear on your screen, and you will be asked to answer yet another poll and to try its service for free. Eventually, that familiar blue "X" will appear and you will be free to go, 2 Farm Cash in tow. All Farm Cash from sponsored links is added to your total automatically, though the process can take more than 30 minutes at times, so hang tight.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Are you a fan of the free Farm Cash promotions? If there was any one item you could spend Farm Cash on, what would it be?
Suits FarmVille promo
Just click on the link below the game screen that reads, "Take the USA Suits poll!" and you'll be greeted by a pop-up advertisement, but it's a good one. We promise. Just answer the questions as the video above plays, and soon enough you will see a blue "X" with text to the left of it that reads something to the effect of, "You've earned your two Farm Cash." Click on the blue "X" and the window will close.
Intuit FarmVille promo
The second promotion is from Intuit, and can be accessed by clicking the link beneath your game screen that reads, "Build your website with Intuit..." The usual pop-up will appear on your screen, and you will be asked to answer yet another poll and to try its service for free. Eventually, that familiar blue "X" will appear and you will be free to go, 2 Farm Cash in tow. All Farm Cash from sponsored links is added to your total automatically, though the process can take more than 30 minutes at times, so hang tight.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Are you a fan of the free Farm Cash promotions? If there was any one item you could spend Farm Cash on, what would it be?
Realm of the Mad God busts out of beta on Chrome Web Store
Do you like shooting things? How about ... lots of things? Then you'll more than likely love Realm of the Mad God. (Well, it helps to appreciate retro-style visuals and all things fantasy.) Game designer Daniel Cook has released his frenetic, fraternal side project from open beta to the Chrome Web Store for absolutely free. Just the way we like it. (Though, it's really just a link to the original web game. [Thanks, Laurent!])
The game enlists you, brave adventurer, as one of several fantasy tropes--the wizard, the warrior, you get the idea--to slay the evil god kings of each realm. Though, you'll need the help of some friends to make it happen, because there are a ton of bullets out there. Realm of the Mad God features solely cooperative play, but attempts to instill some competition through item stealing and friendly corpse-looting. If you want some more info on the game, check out our full guide right here.
Just like your standard fare social game, Realm of the Mad God has no downloads, installations or any of the other hurdles that come along with PC gaming. But unlike most social games, this one features real-time gameplay with monster-hunting parties of up to 85 players. Now that's what we call "social." The game takes a bit of getting used to for the ... less coordinated gamer, but give it a shot, and maybe we'll see you slay the Mad God Oryx.
Click here to download Realm of the Mad God on the Chrome Web Store Now >
Have you played Realm of the Mad God before? What do you think of retro style games, and why are they almost always casual affairs these days?
The game enlists you, brave adventurer, as one of several fantasy tropes--the wizard, the warrior, you get the idea--to slay the evil god kings of each realm. Though, you'll need the help of some friends to make it happen, because there are a ton of bullets out there. Realm of the Mad God features solely cooperative play, but attempts to instill some competition through item stealing and friendly corpse-looting. If you want some more info on the game, check out our full guide right here.
Just like your standard fare social game, Realm of the Mad God has no downloads, installations or any of the other hurdles that come along with PC gaming. But unlike most social games, this one features real-time gameplay with monster-hunting parties of up to 85 players. Now that's what we call "social." The game takes a bit of getting used to for the ... less coordinated gamer, but give it a shot, and maybe we'll see you slay the Mad God Oryx.
Click here to download Realm of the Mad God on the Chrome Web Store Now >
Have you played Realm of the Mad God before? What do you think of retro style games, and why are they almost always casual affairs these days?
Want a $10 FarmVille Game Card? Use Bing Rewards
And here we are giving you ways to earn a measly 2 Farm Cash through sponsors in FarmVille. Now, you can earn $10 worth of Farm Cash through Bing Rewards simply by using Bing as your search engine. Now, we're not always so quick to endorse (eh, we call it "sharing the wealth") products, but this is $10 in Farm Cash, people--for free!
All you need to do is make a Bing Rewards account by clicking on the orange circle in the upper right corner of Bing's home page. Thankfully, you can do this through Facebook Connect, which makes the journey to earning cool stuff (i.e. Farm Cash) that much faster.
Then, all you need to do is search for things. Really. Every time you search for something on Bing and click through to a website from the search engine, you will earn a small amount of credits (not to be confused with Facebook Credits). Once you earn 1,176 credits, you can redeem the $10 FarmVille Game Card, which will be sent to your house with free shipping.
However, there are faster ways to earn credits like installing the Bing toolbar on your browser and taking part in various reward offers. Read the Bing Rewards FAQ for more information on how you can get to that coveted 1,176 credits in no time. Until then, search to your heart's content.
[Via All Facebook]
Now that some sweet Farm Cash is on the line, would you ever consider signing up for Bing Rewards? What's the first thing you would buy using $10 in Farm Cash?
All you need to do is make a Bing Rewards account by clicking on the orange circle in the upper right corner of Bing's home page. Thankfully, you can do this through Facebook Connect, which makes the journey to earning cool stuff (i.e. Farm Cash) that much faster.
Then, all you need to do is search for things. Really. Every time you search for something on Bing and click through to a website from the search engine, you will earn a small amount of credits (not to be confused with Facebook Credits). Once you earn 1,176 credits, you can redeem the $10 FarmVille Game Card, which will be sent to your house with free shipping.
However, there are faster ways to earn credits like installing the Bing toolbar on your browser and taking part in various reward offers. Read the Bing Rewards FAQ for more information on how you can get to that coveted 1,176 credits in no time. Until then, search to your heart's content.
[Via All Facebook]
Now that some sweet Farm Cash is on the line, would you ever consider signing up for Bing Rewards? What's the first thing you would buy using $10 in Farm Cash?
FarmVille: English Countryside crops are no longer exclusive to the second farm
As if being able to transfer items from one farm to another wasn't exciting enough news, FarmVille players have also begun to discover a second bonus that comes when completing the Storage Transfer goals in the English Countryside: You can then grow English crops on your Home Farm, and vice versa.
If you're the kind of farmer that likes to plant only one kind of crop, day after day, until it's mastered, you'll be happy to know that you'll now be able to master said crops twice as fast (depending on how many plots you have on each farm, that is). This will also help in Bushel collection, as you'll be able to grow the same crop on both farms for double the Bushels in the same amount of times.
As with all things, though, there does appear to be a couple of catches here. For now, it doesn't look like you can plant Greenhouse crops in the English Countryside, and any crop that requires previous mastery of another to grow also look to be excluded as of this writing (so, crops like the Orange Daisy, which require mastery of the Gladiolus, as an example). Still, being able to grow beautiful Pink Asters, or extra Barley and Hops for crafting on my Home Farm is definitely something that has me excited, and working all the more vigilantly on those final English Countryside goals to unlock them myself. Check out our guide to completing them that much faster if you'd like to join me. Happy farming!
What do you think of this new ability to plant formerly exclusive crops across both farms?
If you're the kind of farmer that likes to plant only one kind of crop, day after day, until it's mastered, you'll be happy to know that you'll now be able to master said crops twice as fast (depending on how many plots you have on each farm, that is). This will also help in Bushel collection, as you'll be able to grow the same crop on both farms for double the Bushels in the same amount of times.
As with all things, though, there does appear to be a couple of catches here. For now, it doesn't look like you can plant Greenhouse crops in the English Countryside, and any crop that requires previous mastery of another to grow also look to be excluded as of this writing (so, crops like the Orange Daisy, which require mastery of the Gladiolus, as an example). Still, being able to grow beautiful Pink Asters, or extra Barley and Hops for crafting on my Home Farm is definitely something that has me excited, and working all the more vigilantly on those final English Countryside goals to unlock them myself. Check out our guide to completing them that much faster if you'd like to join me. Happy farming!
What do you think of this new ability to plant formerly exclusive crops across both farms?
Thứ Năm, 22 tháng 12, 2011
Building the Cafe World 4X Cooking Station: Everything you need to know
Well chefs, Cafe World's clever inventor Siggy is at it again, as he has created another item that will allow you to save space in your cafe, without losing any of its functionality in the process. This time, the invention comes in the form of a 4X Cooking Station, a four-in-one stove, that actually combines four of your already placed stoves into one, saving you space.
Not to be confused with the 4X Mega Stove, which is a single stove that has four burners (that must be unlocked), this 4X Cooking Station combines four stoves into one, allowing you to choose which stoves to combine (whether they be regular or Super/Lightning) in order to receive the biggest bang for your buck. Of course, you won't simply be given a completed 4X Cooking station, as you'll need to build one after placing your free base.
Construction requires four items:
6 Gas Pipes
9 Bolts
10 Steel Panels
10 Thermostats
You'll be able to acquire these items by clicking on the "Ask for More" button associated with each, and then asking your friends to send them to you. Either that, or you can speed up the building process considerably by simply purchasing each building ingredient for 4 Cafe Cash each.
Once the station is done, you can drag and drop four stoves of your choosing into it. To be clear, this 4X Cooking Station doesn't become any larger when full, so you'll save three squares (normally taken up by stoves) when it's completely full. Super Stoves, for instance, also won't lose the ability to cook dishes faster, and you'll be able to serve your 4X Cooking Station with just a single click. Finally, you can add a bit of a personal touch to the station by choosing its color pattern from a selection of templates.
Of course, there can't be a new release in Cafe World without a set of goals to go along with it, so be sure to check back with us soon as we'll bring you a complete guide to the 4X Cooking Station Goals just as soon as we can check out our complete guide to completing them right here.
What do you think of the 4X Cooking Station? Are you fine taking up extra space with each individual stove, or will you gladly take the ability to combine and save space?
Not to be confused with the 4X Mega Stove, which is a single stove that has four burners (that must be unlocked), this 4X Cooking Station combines four stoves into one, allowing you to choose which stoves to combine (whether they be regular or Super/Lightning) in order to receive the biggest bang for your buck. Of course, you won't simply be given a completed 4X Cooking station, as you'll need to build one after placing your free base.
Construction requires four items:
6 Gas Pipes
9 Bolts
10 Steel Panels
10 Thermostats
You'll be able to acquire these items by clicking on the "Ask for More" button associated with each, and then asking your friends to send them to you. Either that, or you can speed up the building process considerably by simply purchasing each building ingredient for 4 Cafe Cash each.
Once the station is done, you can drag and drop four stoves of your choosing into it. To be clear, this 4X Cooking Station doesn't become any larger when full, so you'll save three squares (normally taken up by stoves) when it's completely full. Super Stoves, for instance, also won't lose the ability to cook dishes faster, and you'll be able to serve your 4X Cooking Station with just a single click. Finally, you can add a bit of a personal touch to the station by choosing its color pattern from a selection of templates.
Of course, there can't be a new release in Cafe World without a set of goals to go along with it, so be sure to check back with us soon as we'll bring you a complete guide to the 4X Cooking Station Goals just as soon as we can check out our complete guide to completing them right here.
What do you think of the 4X Cooking Station? Are you fine taking up extra space with each individual stove, or will you gladly take the ability to combine and save space?
Cafe World 4X Cooking Station Goals: Everything you need to know
Earlier this evening, we brought you a detailed guide on how to build and use your new 4X Cooking Station in Cafe World - a helpful tool that will see you saving space by combining four stoves into one, without losing the functionality of any of them. To help further introduce us to this feature, Zynga has also announced the release of a six-part goal series entitled simply " 4X Cooking Station." Without further ado, let's jump straight into our goal guide, so you can start using your new toy sooner, rather than later.
4X Cooking Station
Place your Cooking Station
Serve Chips and Guacamole 7 Times
Ask for 4 Seating Charts
The ultimate prize of these goals is a new recipe, but to get there, you'll have to first place your Cooking Station, which is available for free the next time you login. You'll need to ask your friends for the Seating Charts, and in the meantime can finish off the Chips and Guacamole, which take just three minutes to prepare. Ok, so you'll likely have those finished long before you can earn your four Seating Charts, but at least the cooking portion of this one was easy, right?
I Can Fix That
Serve Pita and Dolmas 15 Times
Ask for 7 Handwritten Jokes
Have 6 Gas Pipes
The Gas Pipes are a building ingredient for constructing the 4X Cooking Station, so you'll earn them by default if you're actually attempting to build it (check out our guide to doing so). As for the Pita and Dolmas, a single serving takes four hours to prepare.
Elbow Grease
Serve 30 Savory Stuffed Turkeys
Ask for 8 Copper Coils
Ask for 6 Multi-tools
Here's where things become a bit more time-consuming, as you'll not only have to ask for more materials from your friends, but the Savory Stuffed Turkeys take 22 hours to prepare. Allow me to remind you that you can also bust out some extra servings from your Gift Box, or use some spices to speed up the process.
Kitchen Support
Serve 35 Voodoo Chicken Salad
Ask for 8 Rust-Proof Bolts
Have 10 Steel Panels
Again, the Steel Panels are another building material for the 4X Cooking Station construction, so this isn't an extra step (thank goodness). The Voodoo Chicken Salads, meanwhile, can be prepared in 12 hours.
Eggy for All
Serve Gem Cake 50 Times
Ask for 9 Atomic Eggs
Ask for 8 Wonderous Bread
While this goal itself may not unlock your new recipe, it does give us an idea of what to expect: eggs and bread. To find out exactly what the recipe is though, we'll need to push on, cooking each of the 50 Gem Cakes for 12 hours. Finish this goal and you'll receive the Eggy Award, a wall plaque of sorts, celebrating Siggy's many achievements in inventing culinary masterpieces.
It's Alive
Finish Building the Cooking Station
Cook with the Cooking Station 3 Times
Ask for 12 Quark Cheese
By this point, if you have already completed construction of the Cooking Station, you should be able to finish the cooking portion with incredible ease, depending on the cooking time of the dishes you choose to prepare. If you'd like, you can make more profits by cooking a dish with a longer prep-time, as you'll likely be stranded waiting for your friends to send you the Quark Cheese anyhow. Either way, when finishing off this goal series, you'll receive the Eggy in a Basket recipe, and will now be the proud owner of a space-saving 4X Cooking Station.
While these goals aren't terribly complicated, a few of them might be a bit time-consuming even if only for the fact that their required dish(es) take so long to cook. With a little perseverance though, you'll be able to finish them eventually. Luckily, there doesn't appear to be a time limit associated with them either, so take your time if you're feeling overwhelmed by what is probably a really full plate in your game right now.
Are you happy to see more goals released in Cafe World? What do you think of the 4X Cooking Station? Is it worth completing these goals and building a new item, just to save a few squares of space?
4X Cooking Station
Place your Cooking Station
Serve Chips and Guacamole 7 Times
Ask for 4 Seating Charts
The ultimate prize of these goals is a new recipe, but to get there, you'll have to first place your Cooking Station, which is available for free the next time you login. You'll need to ask your friends for the Seating Charts, and in the meantime can finish off the Chips and Guacamole, which take just three minutes to prepare. Ok, so you'll likely have those finished long before you can earn your four Seating Charts, but at least the cooking portion of this one was easy, right?
I Can Fix That
Serve Pita and Dolmas 15 Times
Ask for 7 Handwritten Jokes
Have 6 Gas Pipes
The Gas Pipes are a building ingredient for constructing the 4X Cooking Station, so you'll earn them by default if you're actually attempting to build it (check out our guide to doing so). As for the Pita and Dolmas, a single serving takes four hours to prepare.
Elbow Grease
Serve 30 Savory Stuffed Turkeys
Ask for 8 Copper Coils
Ask for 6 Multi-tools
Here's where things become a bit more time-consuming, as you'll not only have to ask for more materials from your friends, but the Savory Stuffed Turkeys take 22 hours to prepare. Allow me to remind you that you can also bust out some extra servings from your Gift Box, or use some spices to speed up the process.
Kitchen Support
Serve 35 Voodoo Chicken Salad
Ask for 8 Rust-Proof Bolts
Have 10 Steel Panels
Again, the Steel Panels are another building material for the 4X Cooking Station construction, so this isn't an extra step (thank goodness). The Voodoo Chicken Salads, meanwhile, can be prepared in 12 hours.
Eggy for All
Serve Gem Cake 50 Times
Ask for 9 Atomic Eggs
Ask for 8 Wonderous Bread
While this goal itself may not unlock your new recipe, it does give us an idea of what to expect: eggs and bread. To find out exactly what the recipe is though, we'll need to push on, cooking each of the 50 Gem Cakes for 12 hours. Finish this goal and you'll receive the Eggy Award, a wall plaque of sorts, celebrating Siggy's many achievements in inventing culinary masterpieces.
It's Alive
Finish Building the Cooking Station
Cook with the Cooking Station 3 Times
Ask for 12 Quark Cheese
By this point, if you have already completed construction of the Cooking Station, you should be able to finish the cooking portion with incredible ease, depending on the cooking time of the dishes you choose to prepare. If you'd like, you can make more profits by cooking a dish with a longer prep-time, as you'll likely be stranded waiting for your friends to send you the Quark Cheese anyhow. Either way, when finishing off this goal series, you'll receive the Eggy in a Basket recipe, and will now be the proud owner of a space-saving 4X Cooking Station.
While these goals aren't terribly complicated, a few of them might be a bit time-consuming even if only for the fact that their required dish(es) take so long to cook. With a little perseverance though, you'll be able to finish them eventually. Luckily, there doesn't appear to be a time limit associated with them either, so take your time if you're feeling overwhelmed by what is probably a really full plate in your game right now.
Are you happy to see more goals released in Cafe World? What do you think of the 4X Cooking Station? Is it worth completing these goals and building a new item, just to save a few squares of space?
CityVille continues to celebrate Britain with limited edition items
Earlier this week, Zynga launched a series of British-themed items in CityVille, consisting of homes and businesses, along with some fun decorations. Now, you can further expand upon your mini-Britain by purchasing even more items in the theme, with these newest items being limited edition (unfortunately, you either purchase them now, or you're out of luck... likely for good).
There are three new homes and two decorations here, so check out the full details for each below.
Spiffing Terrace
Costs 25,000 coins
150-250 population
Earns 195 coins in rent every 18 hours
London Flat
Costs 10,000 coins
120-250 coins
Earns 54 coins every hour
Countryside Home
Costs 35 City Cash
500-850 population
Earns 864 coins every 3.1 days
Sheepherder
Costs 2,000 coins
Adds a 4% bonus payout to surrounding buildings
Loch Nessie
Costs 25 City Cash
Adds a 20% bonus payout to surrounding buildings
Again, all of these items are limited edition, and they'll only be available in the game for the next four days. This isn't a time when you have the convenience of saving up coins or City Cash, so shop fast if you're at all interested in adding these buildings to your town before it's too late.
Have you created a miniature version of the United Kingdom in your CityVille? Which of these items will you purchase to go with it? Does the fact that these items are limited edition impact your likelihood of purchasing them?
There are three new homes and two decorations here, so check out the full details for each below.
Spiffing Terrace
Costs 25,000 coins
150-250 population
Earns 195 coins in rent every 18 hours
London Flat
Costs 10,000 coins
120-250 coins
Earns 54 coins every hour
Countryside Home
Costs 35 City Cash
500-850 population
Earns 864 coins every 3.1 days
Sheepherder
Costs 2,000 coins
Adds a 4% bonus payout to surrounding buildings
Loch Nessie
Costs 25 City Cash
Adds a 20% bonus payout to surrounding buildings
Again, all of these items are limited edition, and they'll only be available in the game for the next four days. This isn't a time when you have the convenience of saving up coins or City Cash, so shop fast if you're at all interested in adding these buildings to your town before it's too late.
Have you created a miniature version of the United Kingdom in your CityVille? Which of these items will you purchase to go with it? Does the fact that these items are limited edition impact your likelihood of purchasing them?
CityVille Odd Day at the Zoo Goals: Everything you need to know
Apparently, one Odd Day in CityVille isn't enough, as Zynga has released a second (self-proclaimed) unusual set of goals in the game today, dealing with Ruth and Edgar's trip to the Zoo. Appropriately enough, the goal series is called "Odd Day at the Zoo," but they'll only be available to players that have already finished the original Zoo goals in the game. Again, these aren't to be confused with the "Odd Day with Rusty" goals, which were released earlier this month. We'll do our best to keep them straight for you, so check out our guide to completing this newest set below:
A Date at the Zoo
Collect from Jungle Habitat 1 Time
Get 2 Disposable Cameras
Collect from your Zoo Cafeteria 3 Times
Ruth wants to see the Ostriches (she says they're like "tall pigeons that can't fly"), so you'll need to help her do just that by asking your friends for two cameras via a general news feed post. Meanwhile, if you're looking to plow through the Zoo Cafeteria task quickly, just remember to only supply the Cafeteria with Goods, rather than multiple businesses at once. That way, your citizens have to go to the Cafeteria, as there are no other businesses open in your town at the time! Finish this first goal, and you'll earn 480 coins.
I Love Zoos
Supply 25 Businesses
Have 1 Savannah Habitat
Collect from the Savannah Habitat 5 Times
To earn the Savannah Habitat, you must first unlock all of the animals in the Jungle Habitat. From there, you'll simply need to wait a few hours between collections to eventually make it to five. The reward for finishing this goal is the Ostrich Buddies decoration, which offers a 5% bonus to surrounding homes or businesses.
Feathered Friend
Have 1 Ostrich House in your City
Harvest 35 Corn
Get 8 Ostrich Eggs
The Ostrich House seems to be the Ostrich Buddies decoration from the last goal, but with a different name. That being the case, you should be able to find it in your inventory, and can place it into your town for free. Meanwhile, corn takes an entire day to grow, so you might plant some corn early, if you know that this goal is coming, so that you don't have to wait later. Finishing off this final goal in the series (as of this writing) grants you 19 XP (I'll leave you to decide whether or not that's enough).
You know, these goals really weren't that odd. It seems like through them, Ruth and Edgar were able to have a great day at the zoo, even if Ruth is a bit of an eccentric in her obsession with ostriches. Perhaps that's why it was an odd day? Either way, if you're looking for something to do in your city, aside from decorating it for Zynga's beachfront contest, why not give these goals a go?
[Goals 2-3 Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these goals? Should we receive a special, exclusive reward for each of the goals, rather than just the second?
A Date at the Zoo
Collect from Jungle Habitat 1 Time
Get 2 Disposable Cameras
Collect from your Zoo Cafeteria 3 Times
Ruth wants to see the Ostriches (she says they're like "tall pigeons that can't fly"), so you'll need to help her do just that by asking your friends for two cameras via a general news feed post. Meanwhile, if you're looking to plow through the Zoo Cafeteria task quickly, just remember to only supply the Cafeteria with Goods, rather than multiple businesses at once. That way, your citizens have to go to the Cafeteria, as there are no other businesses open in your town at the time! Finish this first goal, and you'll earn 480 coins.
I Love Zoos
Supply 25 Businesses
Have 1 Savannah Habitat
Collect from the Savannah Habitat 5 Times
To earn the Savannah Habitat, you must first unlock all of the animals in the Jungle Habitat. From there, you'll simply need to wait a few hours between collections to eventually make it to five. The reward for finishing this goal is the Ostrich Buddies decoration, which offers a 5% bonus to surrounding homes or businesses.
Feathered Friend
Have 1 Ostrich House in your City
Harvest 35 Corn
Get 8 Ostrich Eggs
The Ostrich House seems to be the Ostrich Buddies decoration from the last goal, but with a different name. That being the case, you should be able to find it in your inventory, and can place it into your town for free. Meanwhile, corn takes an entire day to grow, so you might plant some corn early, if you know that this goal is coming, so that you don't have to wait later. Finishing off this final goal in the series (as of this writing) grants you 19 XP (I'll leave you to decide whether or not that's enough).
You know, these goals really weren't that odd. It seems like through them, Ruth and Edgar were able to have a great day at the zoo, even if Ruth is a bit of an eccentric in her obsession with ostriches. Perhaps that's why it was an odd day? Either way, if you're looking for something to do in your city, aside from decorating it for Zynga's beachfront contest, why not give these goals a go?
[Goals 2-3 Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these goals? Should we receive a special, exclusive reward for each of the goals, rather than just the second?
Thứ Sáu, 16 tháng 12, 2011
Adventure World rockets to over 9 million players, thanks to promotions
Adventure World Mafia Wars promo
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again?
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again?
f8 Developers Conference: Facebook game shares move to the Ticker
Super Mario Facebook Share
You know those annoying pop-ups Facebook displays whenever you try to share something in FarmVille or what have you? Soon, those might be a thing of the past, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook boss announced the change in brief during the f8 Facebook Developers Conference, referring to a particularly hilarious Internet meme.
This change applies to Facebook apps across the board, but, of course, we're concerned with the games. According to Zuckerberg, sharing activity will be directly and automatically published to the News Feed or the Games Ticker, depending on what exactly it is you're sharing. And with that comes the privacy concerns.
Judging from Zuckerberg's brief mention of the change, this would cause apps to inform users upon installation exactly what activity they will automatically share. This information is extremely early, but we imagine that, if developers like Zynga were to implement this change, that players would have the be informed of those changes.
Later in the presentation, Zuckerberg mentioned that games will take even more advantage of the Games Ticker, which launched earlier this summer. The Facebook chief showed an instance in which a friend played the word "TEXT" against another in Words With Friends, which was displayed on the Games Ticker. He then proceeded to mouse over that Ticker notification, and it displayed a snapshot of the game board.
Words with Friends Share
Of course, you could then jump into the game and start a match with either player. In short, the day of the game-stopping share notification will soon be over. In its place, much of the viral sharing in Facebook games seems as if it will take place in the Games Ticker. It appears that these changes have already taken place in Words With Friends.
When these specific changes will take place has yet to be announced, though we imagine much of them will be up to the developers. And if FarmVille players' reactions to when Zynga made similar changes to its flagship game is any indication, we're opinons will be ... mixed. We'll keep you posted.
What do you think of Facebook doing away with the game share notifications, automating them and moving them into the Games Ticker?
You know those annoying pop-ups Facebook displays whenever you try to share something in FarmVille or what have you? Soon, those might be a thing of the past, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook boss announced the change in brief during the f8 Facebook Developers Conference, referring to a particularly hilarious Internet meme.
This change applies to Facebook apps across the board, but, of course, we're concerned with the games. According to Zuckerberg, sharing activity will be directly and automatically published to the News Feed or the Games Ticker, depending on what exactly it is you're sharing. And with that comes the privacy concerns.
Judging from Zuckerberg's brief mention of the change, this would cause apps to inform users upon installation exactly what activity they will automatically share. This information is extremely early, but we imagine that, if developers like Zynga were to implement this change, that players would have the be informed of those changes.
Later in the presentation, Zuckerberg mentioned that games will take even more advantage of the Games Ticker, which launched earlier this summer. The Facebook chief showed an instance in which a friend played the word "TEXT" against another in Words With Friends, which was displayed on the Games Ticker. He then proceeded to mouse over that Ticker notification, and it displayed a snapshot of the game board.
Words with Friends Share
Of course, you could then jump into the game and start a match with either player. In short, the day of the game-stopping share notification will soon be over. In its place, much of the viral sharing in Facebook games seems as if it will take place in the Games Ticker. It appears that these changes have already taken place in Words With Friends.
When these specific changes will take place has yet to be announced, though we imagine much of them will be up to the developers. And if FarmVille players' reactions to when Zynga made similar changes to its flagship game is any indication, we're opinons will be ... mixed. We'll keep you posted.
What do you think of Facebook doing away with the game share notifications, automating them and moving them into the Games Ticker?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Have fun getting lost in Aliciafay03's farm maze
Don't let the look of this farm fool you. Because the first thing someone would notice about Aliciafay03's FarmVille farm is that she's got "FARM VILLE" spelled out in an outline of red, orange, and blue hay bales, which I know isn't a big whoop. Hay bales as a design element have gotten pretty stale in the landscaping community. Bales are good for spelling out visual shout-outs, portraits, and the occasional fun art (care for a whopper?), but there's rarely any impressive ones anymore. But look closer at Aliciafay03's farm, and you'll realize that it's an interactive maze.
Originally designed to be a cornfield maze, Aliciafay03 was eager to debut her farm for Zynga's official Farm of the Week contest, so she released her entry before the corn had a chance to grow. This is probably better, cause a cornfield would've obscured all the clever lettering. What we know about hay bales is that there's a cheat for players to harvest crops faster by trapping your FarmVille farming avatar in hay bales -- now here's where the interactive part comes in -- so if you click one end of this farm, your avatar can't go anywhere but to run through the maze!
Have you ever played in a real cornfield maze? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
Originally designed to be a cornfield maze, Aliciafay03 was eager to debut her farm for Zynga's official Farm of the Week contest, so she released her entry before the corn had a chance to grow. This is probably better, cause a cornfield would've obscured all the clever lettering. What we know about hay bales is that there's a cheat for players to harvest crops faster by trapping your FarmVille farming avatar in hay bales -- now here's where the interactive part comes in -- so if you click one end of this farm, your avatar can't go anywhere but to run through the maze!
Have you ever played in a real cornfield maze? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
Stadiums full of people become Angry Birds players with Uplause
Could the Angry Birds replace the proverbial demands of "Make Some Noise" at your next baseball game? Maybe not your next one, but soon you could be cheering to fling the irate winged beasts into their plump green enemies. Pocket Gamer reports that Uplause, a Finnish developer of crowd-based games, has rebuilt Angry Birds with its creator, Rovio, into a version controlled by noise.
The self-proclaimed "social game maker for big crowds" has created similar games for use in stadiums for ice hockey games, soccer matches and even music festivals. Over the past summer, Uplause worked with Rovio to create a version of Angry Birds that is controlled using noise as an input device. (Namely, cheering, clapping, stomping and perhaps even booing, we assume.)
"As in the original, there's about a four second period before firing," Uplause CEO Veli-Pekka Marin explained to Pocket Gamer. "For live events, we'd expect each gaming session to take a few minutes." But in that time, thousands of folks will play at the same time. If anything, it's terribly efficient.
While all we know about this seriously social version of Angry Birds is that noise generates power for the game's slingshot, Pocket Gamer guesses that aiming is done automatically. Rovio and Uplause will first test this massive version of Angry Birds at a Formula 1 race taking place in Singapore this weekend, and the company's CMO Peter Vesterbacka sounds excited for its imminent global expansion.
"Through social participation, our fans will get to interact with the Angry Birds in an entirely new way," Vesterbacka said to Pocket Gamer. "We think this new form of gaming will give fans a great opportunity to form a strong emotional connection with the characters." I think Vesterbacka is confusing "emotional connection" with "drunken, crowd-fueled stupor." Check out the video below to get an idea of how it might work. Who knows you might be doing the same thing at the next World Series.
What do you imagine a noise-controlled version of Angry Birds would be like? What other games come to mind when you think of this approach?
The self-proclaimed "social game maker for big crowds" has created similar games for use in stadiums for ice hockey games, soccer matches and even music festivals. Over the past summer, Uplause worked with Rovio to create a version of Angry Birds that is controlled using noise as an input device. (Namely, cheering, clapping, stomping and perhaps even booing, we assume.)
"As in the original, there's about a four second period before firing," Uplause CEO Veli-Pekka Marin explained to Pocket Gamer. "For live events, we'd expect each gaming session to take a few minutes." But in that time, thousands of folks will play at the same time. If anything, it's terribly efficient.
While all we know about this seriously social version of Angry Birds is that noise generates power for the game's slingshot, Pocket Gamer guesses that aiming is done automatically. Rovio and Uplause will first test this massive version of Angry Birds at a Formula 1 race taking place in Singapore this weekend, and the company's CMO Peter Vesterbacka sounds excited for its imminent global expansion.
"Through social participation, our fans will get to interact with the Angry Birds in an entirely new way," Vesterbacka said to Pocket Gamer. "We think this new form of gaming will give fans a great opportunity to form a strong emotional connection with the characters." I think Vesterbacka is confusing "emotional connection" with "drunken, crowd-fueled stupor." Check out the video below to get an idea of how it might work. Who knows you might be doing the same thing at the next World Series.
What do you imagine a noise-controlled version of Angry Birds would be like? What other games come to mind when you think of this approach?
Bravo gifts turtle with instant cable TV fame and a Facebook game
Just when we thought we've seen everything, US cable TV network Bravo is launching a Facebook game where you get to dress up their latest celebrity -- she's a turtle. I don't mean she's reclusive or anything. I mean that literally: She is a turtle, but she's not just any turtle. This is a turtle that caught the eye of Bravo's Executive Vice President of Original Programming, also known as Andy Cohen, and host of Bravo TV's Watch What Happens: Live.
The turle has been selected as the show's new mascot and will make her first appearance on Sept. 25. Her Facebook game will be called "Turtle Time", named after a TV episode of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York, where one of the drunk stars made a toast at "Fat Turtle", a bar and dance club in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
The Facebook game's objective is to design the turtle's tank and dress her up each week. There will be options to gift decorations to friends in the game, or to use Facebook Credits to buy special items. Results will be posted online, voting will commence, winners will be chosen and live versions of these designs will then be used on the show. Finally, when the season ends in December, Cohen will choose a past winner to fly to New York for a live taping and chance to meet the turtle.
What does the turtle have to say about all this? Here's a quote from Bravo's cheeky press release:
"Ever since I landed on the shores of Sag Harbor, I have been searching for my big break in show biz. When Andy Cohen came walking down those golden sands, I knew my dreams were coming true," Divulged Yet-To-Be-Named Turtle. "I can't wait to move into the Bravo Clubhouse and to be dressed in the latest fashions."
Oh, and before anyone runs to the nearest phone to alert PETA, Bravo has contacted the American Humane Association for an animal safety monitor who'll oversee the tapings according to the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals In Filmed Media. There's no word if there's someone to monitor the turtle's dignity, but I think that's irretrievable at this point.
[Hat-tip: The Hollywood Reporter]
Is this cruel and/or unusual treatment of animals? Or just some harmless and wacky fun? Have you lost your faith in humanity yet?
The turle has been selected as the show's new mascot and will make her first appearance on Sept. 25. Her Facebook game will be called "Turtle Time", named after a TV episode of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York, where one of the drunk stars made a toast at "Fat Turtle", a bar and dance club in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
The Facebook game's objective is to design the turtle's tank and dress her up each week. There will be options to gift decorations to friends in the game, or to use Facebook Credits to buy special items. Results will be posted online, voting will commence, winners will be chosen and live versions of these designs will then be used on the show. Finally, when the season ends in December, Cohen will choose a past winner to fly to New York for a live taping and chance to meet the turtle.
What does the turtle have to say about all this? Here's a quote from Bravo's cheeky press release:
"Ever since I landed on the shores of Sag Harbor, I have been searching for my big break in show biz. When Andy Cohen came walking down those golden sands, I knew my dreams were coming true," Divulged Yet-To-Be-Named Turtle. "I can't wait to move into the Bravo Clubhouse and to be dressed in the latest fashions."
Oh, and before anyone runs to the nearest phone to alert PETA, Bravo has contacted the American Humane Association for an animal safety monitor who'll oversee the tapings according to the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals In Filmed Media. There's no word if there's someone to monitor the turtle's dignity, but I think that's irretrievable at this point.
[Hat-tip: The Hollywood Reporter]
Is this cruel and/or unusual treatment of animals? Or just some harmless and wacky fun? Have you lost your faith in humanity yet?
Zynga profits plummet 90 percent, raises questions about imminent IPO
Will the big show still go on? That's what many wonder, as Zynga just revealed in an updated regulatory filing that its profits dipped by 90 percent in the June quarter, thanks to increased spending and a lack of major game releases earlier this year, Reuters reports. According to the news service, this raises questions as to whether the company can sustain growth ahead of its long-awaited IPO (initial public offering).
Zynga's net income took a nose dive to $1.4 million from $14 million a year earlier, and its net profit plummeted over 90 percent in three months from $16.8 million in March of this year. Reuters chalks this up to the fact that the filing shows that the FarmVille maker's expenses rose $149 million compared to a year earlier, and $59 million alone from the previous financial quarter.
We'd imagine a major chunk of those expenses are thanks to the 14 companies Zynga gobbled up in the past year. It's also worth noting that the developer didn't really release any major Facebook games in 2011 prior to Empires & Allies. (And no, we're not counting FarmVille English Countryside.) Since then, however, the company has been on a frenzy, launching three more Facebook games this summer: Words With Friends, Pioneer Trail and recently Adventure World.
This news speaks volumes to the fact that Zynga has reached a point where it constantly needs to produce in order to sustain its meteoric growth, and more importantly for them right now, the faith of investors. Since the company's last filing, Zynga conducted a third-party analysis that estimated the probability of an IPO at 75 percent. This is down from the 80 percent probability reported in Zynga's previous filing.
In other words, it looks like the anticipated Zynga IPO could be delayed, just as previous reports suggested, to wait for improved market conditions. However, EA is gaining on the company with The Sims Social, and fast. According to AppData, EA and Playfish's game has just about 1.6 million fewer daily players than CityVille's 12.9 million.
Do you think Zynga has anything to worry about, given the news? Would you ever invest in Zynga if given the chance?
Zynga's net income took a nose dive to $1.4 million from $14 million a year earlier, and its net profit plummeted over 90 percent in three months from $16.8 million in March of this year. Reuters chalks this up to the fact that the filing shows that the FarmVille maker's expenses rose $149 million compared to a year earlier, and $59 million alone from the previous financial quarter.
We'd imagine a major chunk of those expenses are thanks to the 14 companies Zynga gobbled up in the past year. It's also worth noting that the developer didn't really release any major Facebook games in 2011 prior to Empires & Allies. (And no, we're not counting FarmVille English Countryside.) Since then, however, the company has been on a frenzy, launching three more Facebook games this summer: Words With Friends, Pioneer Trail and recently Adventure World.
This news speaks volumes to the fact that Zynga has reached a point where it constantly needs to produce in order to sustain its meteoric growth, and more importantly for them right now, the faith of investors. Since the company's last filing, Zynga conducted a third-party analysis that estimated the probability of an IPO at 75 percent. This is down from the 80 percent probability reported in Zynga's previous filing.
In other words, it looks like the anticipated Zynga IPO could be delayed, just as previous reports suggested, to wait for improved market conditions. However, EA is gaining on the company with The Sims Social, and fast. According to AppData, EA and Playfish's game has just about 1.6 million fewer daily players than CityVille's 12.9 million.
Do you think Zynga has anything to worry about, given the news? Would you ever invest in Zynga if given the chance?
FarmVille Cow Pasture Goals: Everything you need to know
Even though last night's FarmVille update brought with it the new Cow Pasture animal habitat, the corresponding goal series didn't appear for many users (myself included) until today. Luckily, we don't seem to have lost any time in the process, as these goals give us a full two weeks to complete them. Interestingly, with the launch of these goals, some users have lost access to previous habitat goal series, so we can only hope that Zynga will sort things out with time. In the meantime, however, here's a look at these Cow Pasture goals, so you'll know what to expect as you move through them.
Cow Cookies
Get 6 Cow Treats
Place 1 Cow Pasture
Harvest 100 Grain Crops
If you're having trouble deciding which crops fit the "Grain" distinction, just head into the store's crops section and click on the "Grains" tab to automatically sort the store to show you just grain crops. Pick the one you like most (perhaps one that takes the shortest time to grow) and plant away. Finishing this first goal gives you 50 XP, a Red Heart Cow and 2,500 coins.
The Tethered Heifer
Get 6 Cow Tethers
Buy 2 Cow Topiaries
Harvest 30 Plain Cows
Just ask your friends for these Cow Tethers and then buy two Cow Topiaries from the store - they cost just 300 coins each. After that, you'll need to harvest 30 original, regular cows (of the brown and white variety) to finish this last step. If you've long outgrown such "normal" animals and need to buy some in the store, you can also do that for 300 coins each. They can be harvested once per day, so make sure you have enough on hand to not slow yourself down too greatly while waiting for them to become ready to harvest. Finish this goal and you'll earn 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Grey Yak.
Lickety Split!
Get 6 Salt Licks
Complete the Cow Pasture
Place 3 Green Hay Bales
To see what you'll need to complete the construction of a Cow Pasture, check out our guide. The Salt Licks can be earned by posting a general help request on your feed, while Green Hay Bales cost 125 coins each in the store. For making it past this goal, you'll receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Black Shorthorn Cow.
Born and Grazed
Get 9 Cow Collars
Achieve Level 1 Mastery of Cow
Harvest 125 Strawberries
If you're into animal mastery, you'll likely already have the Cow mastered to this point, but if not, just keep those 30 cows you had (or purchased) earlier and harvest them until you reach that point. As for the Cow Collars, they are also earned via a general request posted on your news feed. As for the Strawberries, please note that Super Strawberries do not count, and you'll simply waste your time by planting them. These must be the original Strawberries only. After completing this goal, you will have cross the halfway mark and will receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and five units of Animal Feed.
Milk Master
Get 9 Milk Buckets
Harvest one Cow Pasture
Harvest 150 Vegetables
It doesn't matter which kind of vegetable you choose to harvest here, so feel free to plant something you need bushels for, or just something you've yet to master to complete two tasks in one. The Milk Bucket request is a general one to your news feed, while harvesting the Cow Pasture can happen once every day. Finish off this goal and you'll earn 50 XP, one Grey Jersey Cow and 2,500 coins.
Moovin' In
Get 9 Brass Cow Bells
Place 10 Cows in a Cow Pasture
Harvest 150 Fruit Crops
If you haven't removed your Dairy Barns from your farm (which is a voluntary process, mind you), you can simply pull cows out of them and place them into the Cow Pasture until you've reached ten (don't worry - you can always put them back later). Finally, to collect the Brass Cow Bells, you'll need to - you guessed it - post a general request on your news feed for all of your friends to help. Finishing this final goal in the series gives you 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a B0v1n3-11 - a very pretty two-toned red alien cow.
Again, these goals, as so many others in the game, are time limited, so you'll have two weeks to finish them off and earn all of the prizes therein. Good luck completing everything in time!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you received the Cow Pasture goals on your farm? Are you going to keep the Dairy Farms as normal, or are you going to swap them all out for Cow Pastures?
Cow Cookies
Get 6 Cow Treats
Place 1 Cow Pasture
Harvest 100 Grain Crops
If you're having trouble deciding which crops fit the "Grain" distinction, just head into the store's crops section and click on the "Grains" tab to automatically sort the store to show you just grain crops. Pick the one you like most (perhaps one that takes the shortest time to grow) and plant away. Finishing this first goal gives you 50 XP, a Red Heart Cow and 2,500 coins.
The Tethered Heifer
Get 6 Cow Tethers
Buy 2 Cow Topiaries
Harvest 30 Plain Cows
Just ask your friends for these Cow Tethers and then buy two Cow Topiaries from the store - they cost just 300 coins each. After that, you'll need to harvest 30 original, regular cows (of the brown and white variety) to finish this last step. If you've long outgrown such "normal" animals and need to buy some in the store, you can also do that for 300 coins each. They can be harvested once per day, so make sure you have enough on hand to not slow yourself down too greatly while waiting for them to become ready to harvest. Finish this goal and you'll earn 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Grey Yak.
Lickety Split!
Get 6 Salt Licks
Complete the Cow Pasture
Place 3 Green Hay Bales
To see what you'll need to complete the construction of a Cow Pasture, check out our guide. The Salt Licks can be earned by posting a general help request on your feed, while Green Hay Bales cost 125 coins each in the store. For making it past this goal, you'll receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Black Shorthorn Cow.
Born and Grazed
Get 9 Cow Collars
Achieve Level 1 Mastery of Cow
Harvest 125 Strawberries
If you're into animal mastery, you'll likely already have the Cow mastered to this point, but if not, just keep those 30 cows you had (or purchased) earlier and harvest them until you reach that point. As for the Cow Collars, they are also earned via a general request posted on your news feed. As for the Strawberries, please note that Super Strawberries do not count, and you'll simply waste your time by planting them. These must be the original Strawberries only. After completing this goal, you will have cross the halfway mark and will receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and five units of Animal Feed.
Milk Master
Get 9 Milk Buckets
Harvest one Cow Pasture
Harvest 150 Vegetables
It doesn't matter which kind of vegetable you choose to harvest here, so feel free to plant something you need bushels for, or just something you've yet to master to complete two tasks in one. The Milk Bucket request is a general one to your news feed, while harvesting the Cow Pasture can happen once every day. Finish off this goal and you'll earn 50 XP, one Grey Jersey Cow and 2,500 coins.
Moovin' In
Get 9 Brass Cow Bells
Place 10 Cows in a Cow Pasture
Harvest 150 Fruit Crops
If you haven't removed your Dairy Barns from your farm (which is a voluntary process, mind you), you can simply pull cows out of them and place them into the Cow Pasture until you've reached ten (don't worry - you can always put them back later). Finally, to collect the Brass Cow Bells, you'll need to - you guessed it - post a general request on your news feed for all of your friends to help. Finishing this final goal in the series gives you 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a B0v1n3-11 - a very pretty two-toned red alien cow.
Again, these goals, as so many others in the game, are time limited, so you'll have two weeks to finish them off and earn all of the prizes therein. Good luck completing everything in time!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you received the Cow Pasture goals on your farm? Are you going to keep the Dairy Farms as normal, or are you going to swap them all out for Cow Pastures?
FarmVille Dairy Mystery Box brings re-released Cows to pasture
Even if you're dissatisfied with the release of the Cow Pasture animal habitat in FarmVille, that has, more or less, replaced the Dairy Farm on our farms, you still might be interested in adding some previously released cows to your collection for the sake of Animal Mastery. You're now allowed to do just that with the release of the Dairy Mystery Box in the game's store. This box contains six different cows, but remember - the cow you receive upon opening each box is random, and very well could give you duplicates if you purchase more than one.
For 20 Farm Cash, you'll be able to purchase a single Dairy Mystery Box containing one of the following:
Black Yak
Jersey Cow
New Year Cow
Panda Cow
Vineyard Cow
Welsh Black Cow
While it's great to see these cows make a comeback, they won't be here forever; you'll have just a week to purchase as many of these boxes as you like before these cows go back into retirement. Then again, it's always possible these cows will release yet again sometime in the future, so you'll just have to decide for yourself how important it is to have each one right now. Good luck with receiving the cow(s) you want most!
Which of these cows do you hope to win from the Dairy Mystery Box? Do you already have enough of these cows that it would make purchasing one of these boxes too big of a risk?
For 20 Farm Cash, you'll be able to purchase a single Dairy Mystery Box containing one of the following:
Black Yak
Jersey Cow
New Year Cow
Panda Cow
Vineyard Cow
Welsh Black Cow
While it's great to see these cows make a comeback, they won't be here forever; you'll have just a week to purchase as many of these boxes as you like before these cows go back into retirement. Then again, it's always possible these cows will release yet again sometime in the future, so you'll just have to decide for yourself how important it is to have each one right now. Good luck with receiving the cow(s) you want most!
Which of these cows do you hope to win from the Dairy Mystery Box? Do you already have enough of these cows that it would make purchasing one of these boxes too big of a risk?
Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 12, 2011
New study finds Facebook games might do the economy good
The success of Facebook gaming goes beyond Facebook. Based on an economic impact study released today (courtesy of the University of Maryland), Facebook games, applications, and social plugins (e.g. "Like" buttons, fan pages, Facebook Connect, etc.) are responsible for adding somewhere from 182,744 to 235,644 full-time jobs, and $12.19 billion to $15.71 billion into the US economy.
Seeing that the Facebook platform has only been around since May 2007, the growth has been tremendous. The study cites Zynga as an example as the most successful venture on the Facebook platform, primarily thanks to hits like FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and Words With Friends. Zynga itself has 2,000 employees with the company valued at $15 to $20 billion. Whereas, Playfish was bought by EA for $300 million, and Playdom was bought by Disney for $763.2 million.
The study, created by professors of the Center for Digital Innovation, Technology, and Strategy at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, moves on from counting the numbers of direct employment to uncovering jobs indirectly created by Facebook apps. It then estimates the economic value of all those jobs, which means analyzing salaries and benefits. Still skeptical? They're calling it the "Facebook App Economy" and you can read all about it here.
[Image Credit: Visual Economics]
[Via SFGate]
Do you still think that Facebook games are a waste of money? Do you know anyone who's been able to make a living thanks to Facebook games?
Seeing that the Facebook platform has only been around since May 2007, the growth has been tremendous. The study cites Zynga as an example as the most successful venture on the Facebook platform, primarily thanks to hits like FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and Words With Friends. Zynga itself has 2,000 employees with the company valued at $15 to $20 billion. Whereas, Playfish was bought by EA for $300 million, and Playdom was bought by Disney for $763.2 million.
The study, created by professors of the Center for Digital Innovation, Technology, and Strategy at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, moves on from counting the numbers of direct employment to uncovering jobs indirectly created by Facebook apps. It then estimates the economic value of all those jobs, which means analyzing salaries and benefits. Still skeptical? They're calling it the "Facebook App Economy" and you can read all about it here.
[Image Credit: Visual Economics]
[Via SFGate]
Do you still think that Facebook games are a waste of money? Do you know anyone who's been able to make a living thanks to Facebook games?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Take a bite out of Deanna2u's BLT burger farm
Is it farm art or food art? Is it a burger or a BLT sandwich? Either way, it looks delicious! Today, we put aside landscapes and abstract pieces to go for still-life with hay bales, because I can't remember a time where a FarmVille farm managed to induce as much drooling as Deanna2u's simple, perfect creation.
Deanna2u chose bold bright colors on a black outline and a blue field, layering the bun's insides with what looks like cheese, ham (or an ultra rare cooked patty), lettuce and tomatoes. Is it just me or do the tomatoes actually look like they're smiling?
What other objects would look delicious on a farm? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Deanna2u chose bold bright colors on a black outline and a blue field, layering the bun's insides with what looks like cheese, ham (or an ultra rare cooked patty), lettuce and tomatoes. Is it just me or do the tomatoes actually look like they're smiling?
What other objects would look delicious on a farm? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Adventure World Cheats and Tips: A Tool Upgrades Guide
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers?
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers?
Cafe World High Tea Party Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Last week, we brought you a rundown of the British section of festivities taking place in Cafe World as part of the game's two-year-anniversary event. At the time, something was always missing from that equation (the catering order), but now, the Catering Order has officially been launched. Are you ready for high tea?
The High Tea Party catering order has a three day time limit, and isn't exactly easy. You'll be required to serve Yorkshire Pudding 500 times, Shepherd's Pie 30 times and Bangers and Mash 120 times. Do those recipes look familiar? They should, as they're part of the prize list that can be earned by completing the Winston's Royals goals in the game. However, you'll need to complete these goals multiple times to unlock all of the prizes associated with this event, so I can only imagine just how few chefs actually have all three of these dishes available to cook/serve. Luckily, you can bring 18 of your friends in on this order with you, so hopefully a few of them can take care of most of (if not all of) the cooking for you. Just remember to say thank you with free gifts!
On top of all of this, you'll need to collect 12 Fancy Hats and 12 Food Trays by sending out individual request to friends. If you can complete all of these tasks in under three days' time, you'll receive the three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 3,200 Cafe Points, 70,000 coins and the 2-Year Anniversary cake recipe.
Unfortunately, you must finish in under three days in order to walk away with this new recipe. If you can't manage to do that, but still finish within five days (I have to admit that still sounds like it would be hard), you'll receive two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2,300 Cafe Points and 50,000 coins. Finally, if you finish at any point after the fifth day, you'll receive just a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1,400 Cafe Points and 30,000 coins.
As an extra bonus (since this catering order goes along with the two-year-anniversary event), if you can finish with three stars, you'll also walk away with 10,000 free Travel Passes, which are used to enter yourself (automatically) into contests for in-game prizes like stoves, but also real world trips around the world! Good luck to all those who enter, along with all those who tackle this High Tea Party catering order itself.
What do you think of this High Tea Party order? Have you unlocked all three of these dishes in your own cookbook, or are you being forced to rely on your friends to finish this one in time?
The High Tea Party catering order has a three day time limit, and isn't exactly easy. You'll be required to serve Yorkshire Pudding 500 times, Shepherd's Pie 30 times and Bangers and Mash 120 times. Do those recipes look familiar? They should, as they're part of the prize list that can be earned by completing the Winston's Royals goals in the game. However, you'll need to complete these goals multiple times to unlock all of the prizes associated with this event, so I can only imagine just how few chefs actually have all three of these dishes available to cook/serve. Luckily, you can bring 18 of your friends in on this order with you, so hopefully a few of them can take care of most of (if not all of) the cooking for you. Just remember to say thank you with free gifts!
On top of all of this, you'll need to collect 12 Fancy Hats and 12 Food Trays by sending out individual request to friends. If you can complete all of these tasks in under three days' time, you'll receive the three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 3,200 Cafe Points, 70,000 coins and the 2-Year Anniversary cake recipe.
Unfortunately, you must finish in under three days in order to walk away with this new recipe. If you can't manage to do that, but still finish within five days (I have to admit that still sounds like it would be hard), you'll receive two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2,300 Cafe Points and 50,000 coins. Finally, if you finish at any point after the fifth day, you'll receive just a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1,400 Cafe Points and 30,000 coins.
As an extra bonus (since this catering order goes along with the two-year-anniversary event), if you can finish with three stars, you'll also walk away with 10,000 free Travel Passes, which are used to enter yourself (automatically) into contests for in-game prizes like stoves, but also real world trips around the world! Good luck to all those who enter, along with all those who tackle this High Tea Party catering order itself.
What do you think of this High Tea Party order? Have you unlocked all three of these dishes in your own cookbook, or are you being forced to rely on your friends to finish this one in time?
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Come Ashore Goals: Everything you need to know
As part of today's launch of the Lighthouse Cove farm in FarmVille to every farmer that's interested (whether they paid for admittance or not), a new goal series has been launched in the game, allowing even those new players a chance to become acquainted with their new farm, while also earning prizes. There are six goals in this new series, and they're limited edition, being available for the next seven days (or just a week).
Come Ashore!
Get 3 Piles of Hay
Harvest 10 Chandler Blueberries
Improve the Cove to Level 1
You'll need to earn the Piles of Hay by asking your friends to send them to you. As for the Chandler Blueberries, they take eight hours to grow, so even though you're not required to grow very many, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be done with this one quickly. As for the Lighthouse Cove, you can repair it by collecting Logs, Stones and Steel Beams. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 100 XP, the Restaurant, a Red Tractor and 2,500 coins. Hopefully you haven't already purchased a Restaurant for your new farm, as this will of course be worthless.
A Beach to Walk on
Get 6 Supply Boxes
Harvest 45 Darrow Blueberries
Place the Restaurant
Hopefully, if you are one of those users that placed the Restaurant before receiving these goals, it will automatically detect that it's present on your farm and complete this task for you. As for the Supply Boxes - you guessed it - just have your friends send you some. Darrow Blueberries, meanwhile, take just four hours to grow. Finish this goal and you'll receive 200 XP, a Sailor Cow (a cow in an adorable little sailor's hat and "tie"), a Yellow Seeder and 2,500 coins.
A Quick Tour
Harvest Lighthouse Cove
Complete 1 Wildlife Habitat
Make the Creamed Corn Recipe 1 Time
The Creamed Corn recipe is made inside the Restaurant, and it requires three Butter & Sugar Corn, three Tarragon and one Pepper Bushels. The Butter & Sugar Corn and Tarragon crops are new to the Lighthouse Cove farm, while you might already have some Pepper bushels on hand from your other farms. As for the Wildlife Habitat, you're given the frame of one for free when landing in the cove, and can then complete it by gathering Fence Posts, Shrubs and Grazing Grasses. Check out our complete guide to the Wildlife Habitat right here. Once you finish this third goal, you'll receive 300 XP, a White Cedar Tree, a Blue Harvester and 2,500 coins.
After finishing these first three goals, you will have walked away with a complete farm vehicle set (save for the Combine) that will allow you to complete all of the farming tasks required on your new farm. Of course, you can always purchase a Combine Chassis from the store for that three-in-one farming convenience, but at least you'll have these vehicles to rely on while you're waiting for the Vehicle Parts to pour in.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Lighthouse Cove goals?
Come Ashore!
Get 3 Piles of Hay
Harvest 10 Chandler Blueberries
Improve the Cove to Level 1
You'll need to earn the Piles of Hay by asking your friends to send them to you. As for the Chandler Blueberries, they take eight hours to grow, so even though you're not required to grow very many, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be done with this one quickly. As for the Lighthouse Cove, you can repair it by collecting Logs, Stones and Steel Beams. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 100 XP, the Restaurant, a Red Tractor and 2,500 coins. Hopefully you haven't already purchased a Restaurant for your new farm, as this will of course be worthless.
A Beach to Walk on
Get 6 Supply Boxes
Harvest 45 Darrow Blueberries
Place the Restaurant
Hopefully, if you are one of those users that placed the Restaurant before receiving these goals, it will automatically detect that it's present on your farm and complete this task for you. As for the Supply Boxes - you guessed it - just have your friends send you some. Darrow Blueberries, meanwhile, take just four hours to grow. Finish this goal and you'll receive 200 XP, a Sailor Cow (a cow in an adorable little sailor's hat and "tie"), a Yellow Seeder and 2,500 coins.
A Quick Tour
Harvest Lighthouse Cove
Complete 1 Wildlife Habitat
Make the Creamed Corn Recipe 1 Time
The Creamed Corn recipe is made inside the Restaurant, and it requires three Butter & Sugar Corn, three Tarragon and one Pepper Bushels. The Butter & Sugar Corn and Tarragon crops are new to the Lighthouse Cove farm, while you might already have some Pepper bushels on hand from your other farms. As for the Wildlife Habitat, you're given the frame of one for free when landing in the cove, and can then complete it by gathering Fence Posts, Shrubs and Grazing Grasses. Check out our complete guide to the Wildlife Habitat right here. Once you finish this third goal, you'll receive 300 XP, a White Cedar Tree, a Blue Harvester and 2,500 coins.
After finishing these first three goals, you will have walked away with a complete farm vehicle set (save for the Combine) that will allow you to complete all of the farming tasks required on your new farm. Of course, you can always purchase a Combine Chassis from the store for that three-in-one farming convenience, but at least you'll have these vehicles to rely on while you're waiting for the Vehicle Parts to pour in.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Lighthouse Cove goals?
DC Universe Online: Pound on bad guys for free starting next month
If you've always wanted to try out Sony Online Entertainment's DC Universe online (on either PS3 or PC), but didn't want to pay actual money to do so, you'll be happy to know that you'll soon be able to access "the entire game" for free starting next month. As reported by PCWorld, this switch to a freemium pricing plan will still allow users to purchase premium content, but all of the open world gameplay, missions, game updates and patches will be free.
To be specific, DC Universe Online will have three different levels of access. The first and completely free level, gives players access to create just two characters and join a league with other players. From there, the Premium level of users requires that a player spend at least $5 in real money in the game's store to be given that Premium player status for life. This gives them access to larger inventory space, the ability to create more characters and the ability to trade items with others. Finally, if you still want the subscription plan, you can be a Legendary player, paying around $15 a month for access to even more character and inventory slots, along with access to the game's DLC packages at no additional cost. There are plenty of other differences between the three gameplay levels; head over here to check them out.
DC Universe Online is just the latest of many once entirely paid-sub games to go free-to-play in some form. While the most noteworthy case has arguably been World of Warcraft's free-to-play setup for users up to level 20, this is just another case where social and casual players are given an opportunity to break away from Facebook simulators and jump into the world of true MMOs. While the two worlds are (for the most part) entirely different, a bigger selection is definitely not a bad thing.
To be specific, DC Universe Online will have three different levels of access. The first and completely free level, gives players access to create just two characters and join a league with other players. From there, the Premium level of users requires that a player spend at least $5 in real money in the game's store to be given that Premium player status for life. This gives them access to larger inventory space, the ability to create more characters and the ability to trade items with others. Finally, if you still want the subscription plan, you can be a Legendary player, paying around $15 a month for access to even more character and inventory slots, along with access to the game's DLC packages at no additional cost. There are plenty of other differences between the three gameplay levels; head over here to check them out.
DC Universe Online is just the latest of many once entirely paid-sub games to go free-to-play in some form. While the most noteworthy case has arguably been World of Warcraft's free-to-play setup for users up to level 20, this is just another case where social and casual players are given an opportunity to break away from Facebook simulators and jump into the world of true MMOs. While the two worlds are (for the most part) entirely different, a bigger selection is definitely not a bad thing.
CityVille Rose Garden Goals: Everything you need to know
While summer may quickly be drawing to a close, CityVille hopes to keep the summer fun alive by letting us have a place to grow beautiful flowers. Appropriately enough, this new "building" is called the Rose Garden, and you'll place it in your city when completing the first of four new goals that go along with it.
Garden State
Place Rose Garden
Plant a Rose in the Garden
The Rose Garden is a 4x4 structure that works similarly to the Zoo, in that you'll only be able to display three flowers on the outside of the garden, but can actually leave more of them inside. To start, you'll receive a single flower for free (that's right - this one doesn't need to be built at all after placing it in your town): a White Wild Rose. Once you look inside the building, just click on the Plant button and you'll be able to "feature" that rose as one of the three that show up on the outside. Once you finish these two (simple) steps, you'll receive 160 coins as your reward.
A Late Bloomer
Ask friends for 3 Shovels
Have 3 Gardens in your City
Water your Gardens 5 Times
Gardens can be watered once every 18 hours, and yes, you can have more than one in your city. In fact, you'll need to have three before you can finish this goal. Your second and third Rose Gardens would cost 50,000 coins in the store, but luckily, you can also purchase Small Rose Gardens (a smaller version of the regular Rose Garden) for just 8,000 coins. These do count for the completion of this goal. As for the shovels, you'll be able to post a general news item to your wall asking for three. Finishing this goal gives you Sculpted Tree.
It's Showtime!
Get 10 Rose Bushes
Have 1 Rose Collection item from the Garden Collection
Place one Rose Garden Gate in your city
To earn additional bushes, you'll go into your gardens (as seen above) and then click on "Ask for flowers" to ask your friends to send you some bushes. Finishing this goal gives you 32 experience points.
Comin' Up Roses
Ask friends for 4 Vases
Have 7 Roses Planted in your Gardens
Have an upgraded Flower Kiosk
As it looks like each garden can only display three flowers, you'll need to have flowers in at least three Gardens to reach seven. As for updating your Flower Kiosk, you can find our guide for doing just that right here. Finishing this final goal gives you a Roses Fountain.
We'll make sure to let you know if other kinds of gardens are made available in the build menu in the future, but for now - have fun growing and displaying all of those roses!
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Garden State
Place Rose Garden
Plant a Rose in the Garden
The Rose Garden is a 4x4 structure that works similarly to the Zoo, in that you'll only be able to display three flowers on the outside of the garden, but can actually leave more of them inside. To start, you'll receive a single flower for free (that's right - this one doesn't need to be built at all after placing it in your town): a White Wild Rose. Once you look inside the building, just click on the Plant button and you'll be able to "feature" that rose as one of the three that show up on the outside. Once you finish these two (simple) steps, you'll receive 160 coins as your reward.
A Late Bloomer
Ask friends for 3 Shovels
Have 3 Gardens in your City
Water your Gardens 5 Times
Gardens can be watered once every 18 hours, and yes, you can have more than one in your city. In fact, you'll need to have three before you can finish this goal. Your second and third Rose Gardens would cost 50,000 coins in the store, but luckily, you can also purchase Small Rose Gardens (a smaller version of the regular Rose Garden) for just 8,000 coins. These do count for the completion of this goal. As for the shovels, you'll be able to post a general news item to your wall asking for three. Finishing this goal gives you Sculpted Tree.
It's Showtime!
Get 10 Rose Bushes
Have 1 Rose Collection item from the Garden Collection
Place one Rose Garden Gate in your city
To earn additional bushes, you'll go into your gardens (as seen above) and then click on "Ask for flowers" to ask your friends to send you some bushes. Finishing this goal gives you 32 experience points.
Comin' Up Roses
Ask friends for 4 Vases
Have 7 Roses Planted in your Gardens
Have an upgraded Flower Kiosk
As it looks like each garden can only display three flowers, you'll need to have flowers in at least three Gardens to reach seven. As for updating your Flower Kiosk, you can find our guide for doing just that right here. Finishing this final goal gives you a Roses Fountain.
We'll make sure to let you know if other kinds of gardens are made available in the build menu in the future, but for now - have fun growing and displaying all of those roses!
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Zynga gives free rides to FarmVille Lighthouse Cove starting today
Oh, you patient ones. Now is finally the time to see if waiting in the freebie line was worth it. For those FarmVille players that declined to fork up 55 Farm Cash ($10 USD, to be exact), the Lighthouse Cove expansion will be available to all starting today. We assume, as with all changes or major releases by Zynga, that this release will be a slow roll-out.
Just like players did early last week, they will hop on a sail boat to a New England-esque coastal farming village. Unfortunately, the area has been ravaged by a brutal storm, and Brenda--the town's resident widow--has enlisted you to help restore it. You'll slowly level up your Lighthouse by repairing the lighthouse, dock and more through quests.
However, free players will not receive the exclusive quests and items given to those who put up the dough. Regardless there looks to be a ton of content here with a larger focus on building a village than simply farming crops. For instance, you'll have fewer plots to farm on that unlock over time in Lighthouse Cove, though those crops yield far more coins, XP and Mastery.
In addition to farming, you can harvest the Cove once its restored for ingredients to use in Restaurant recipes like clams and lobster for dishes like New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Rolls. Another interesting change with FarmVille LC in comparison to its first expansion, English Countryside, is that all quests will be timed this time around.
Gallery: FarmVille Lighthouse Cove
And that includes the bonus quests, courtesy of Brenda. Because quests were persistent throughout FarmVille EC, it was easy for friends to speed ahead or slip behind one another in their progress. "It was harder for players to work on the same thing in English Countryside," FarmVille GM Nate Etter explains.
FarmVille Sailor CalfDuring an early look of the game, Etter told us that the team was going for "a FarmVille meets Martha's Vineyard style." "Players seem to love water, which was a major source of inspiration for Lighthouse Cove," Etter recalls. "I think we're constantly listening to players, [and] that will govern where FarmVille will go."
So, while you're enjoying the serene orange glow and brisk autumn breeze of Lighthouse Cove (imagination, people), try to think up where you would like to go next, and take it to the Facebook page or forums--they're all ears. As for why the second expansion was released early to players who paid Farm Cash, a Zynga representative told us, "We have so many passionate players, that we wanted to offer them a first look at the game."
Well, patience has its payoffs, my friends. Namely, it saves you money. So, enjoy that peace of mind, and increase that peace in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove. Good things come to those who (choose to) wait--that's especially because we have a bevy of content to get you through your first several hours in FarmVille LC. Enjoy.
Did you pay to get into the FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Early? What do you think of all the new content so far?
Just like players did early last week, they will hop on a sail boat to a New England-esque coastal farming village. Unfortunately, the area has been ravaged by a brutal storm, and Brenda--the town's resident widow--has enlisted you to help restore it. You'll slowly level up your Lighthouse by repairing the lighthouse, dock and more through quests.
However, free players will not receive the exclusive quests and items given to those who put up the dough. Regardless there looks to be a ton of content here with a larger focus on building a village than simply farming crops. For instance, you'll have fewer plots to farm on that unlock over time in Lighthouse Cove, though those crops yield far more coins, XP and Mastery.
In addition to farming, you can harvest the Cove once its restored for ingredients to use in Restaurant recipes like clams and lobster for dishes like New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Rolls. Another interesting change with FarmVille LC in comparison to its first expansion, English Countryside, is that all quests will be timed this time around.
Gallery: FarmVille Lighthouse Cove
And that includes the bonus quests, courtesy of Brenda. Because quests were persistent throughout FarmVille EC, it was easy for friends to speed ahead or slip behind one another in their progress. "It was harder for players to work on the same thing in English Countryside," FarmVille GM Nate Etter explains.
FarmVille Sailor CalfDuring an early look of the game, Etter told us that the team was going for "a FarmVille meets Martha's Vineyard style." "Players seem to love water, which was a major source of inspiration for Lighthouse Cove," Etter recalls. "I think we're constantly listening to players, [and] that will govern where FarmVille will go."
So, while you're enjoying the serene orange glow and brisk autumn breeze of Lighthouse Cove (imagination, people), try to think up where you would like to go next, and take it to the Facebook page or forums--they're all ears. As for why the second expansion was released early to players who paid Farm Cash, a Zynga representative told us, "We have so many passionate players, that we wanted to offer them a first look at the game."
Well, patience has its payoffs, my friends. Namely, it saves you money. So, enjoy that peace of mind, and increase that peace in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove. Good things come to those who (choose to) wait--that's especially because we have a bevy of content to get you through your first several hours in FarmVille LC. Enjoy.
Did you pay to get into the FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Early? What do you think of all the new content so far?
FarmVille: Visit the Capital One farm for a free Capital One Goat
As we told you earlier this week, Zynga has officially launched a three-part cross-promotion with Capital One that sees the brand returning to FarmVille (and also making an appearance in CityVille and the Pioneer Trail). For FarmVille, we see the Capital One farm being added to our neighbor bars, and an incentive being offered for actually visiting said farm.
Once you visit the Capital One farm (don't worry if it doesn't show up in your friends list; an in-game prompt will appear allowing you to access it), you'll find that you don't really need to do anything here, except take in the scenery and click on the "Help Out" button that quickly appears. This sees the Capital One Goat (you'll know it's him as he's wearing sunglasses) harvesting crops and boosting animal storage buildings before being given to you as a gift.
What's more, if you agree to visit the Capital One Facebook Page, and then "Like" it, you'll receive one free application of "Capital One Grow," or instant grow for your farm. On top of this, there's also a Capital One Gift available to send to your friends on the FarmVille free gifts page, that can contain all sorts of goodies, so make sure to send some while you can. It will only be available to send for the next nine days.
Any and all of these prizes will appear in your Gift Box when you return to your farm, so make sure to check them out!
What do you think of this newest Capital One promotion? Will you save your Capital One grow for a Double Mastery event, or will you use it right away?
Once you visit the Capital One farm (don't worry if it doesn't show up in your friends list; an in-game prompt will appear allowing you to access it), you'll find that you don't really need to do anything here, except take in the scenery and click on the "Help Out" button that quickly appears. This sees the Capital One Goat (you'll know it's him as he's wearing sunglasses) harvesting crops and boosting animal storage buildings before being given to you as a gift.
What's more, if you agree to visit the Capital One Facebook Page, and then "Like" it, you'll receive one free application of "Capital One Grow," or instant grow for your farm. On top of this, there's also a Capital One Gift available to send to your friends on the FarmVille free gifts page, that can contain all sorts of goodies, so make sure to send some while you can. It will only be available to send for the next nine days.
Any and all of these prizes will appear in your Gift Box when you return to your farm, so make sure to check them out!
What do you think of this newest Capital One promotion? Will you save your Capital One grow for a Double Mastery event, or will you use it right away?
CityVille Capital One Bank: Everything you need to know
While we already knew that Capital One would be appearing via a new bank building in CityVille, we didn't know the exact details until now. That's right - the promotion has launched in the game this evening, bringing with it the "branded business" in the form of the Capital One Bank. This bank looks like a fairly modern building, and has Capital One written along the top corner, but overall isn't overly "advertising." It costs 5,000 coins to add to your town, and must be built using four energy to build the frame.
From there, you won't be able to actually name your building, but you can operate it using Goods like other businesses. Specifically, the Bank requires 100 Goods to put into service and will reward you with 500 coins once those Goods are used. What makes this particular business special however is that it introduces "branded business mastery" to the game.
While this doesn't give us any sort of indication as to what other "branded" businesses will be coming to the game, we do know that we have just over a month to master this one. As with upgrading businesses, mastering the Capital One Bank will require you to continually stock and collect from the business whenever possible, with each round giving you a single point. Once you reach 50 points, you'll receive your reward, which we know is some form of decoration (probably a statue), but don't have the specific name as of this writing.
As for purchasing the building, it has a different time limit than that for actually earning your decorative reward. You can only purchase the Capital One Bank from the store for the next 28 days, giving you around a week to earn the decoration even after that point. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Capital One Bank and the new branded business mastery feature? What sorts of branded businesses do you hope Zynga releases in the future?
From there, you won't be able to actually name your building, but you can operate it using Goods like other businesses. Specifically, the Bank requires 100 Goods to put into service and will reward you with 500 coins once those Goods are used. What makes this particular business special however is that it introduces "branded business mastery" to the game.
While this doesn't give us any sort of indication as to what other "branded" businesses will be coming to the game, we do know that we have just over a month to master this one. As with upgrading businesses, mastering the Capital One Bank will require you to continually stock and collect from the business whenever possible, with each round giving you a single point. Once you reach 50 points, you'll receive your reward, which we know is some form of decoration (probably a statue), but don't have the specific name as of this writing.
As for purchasing the building, it has a different time limit than that for actually earning your decorative reward. You can only purchase the Capital One Bank from the store for the next 28 days, giving you around a week to earn the decoration even after that point. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Capital One Bank and the new branded business mastery feature? What sorts of branded businesses do you hope Zynga releases in the future?
Pioneer Trail Capital One Goals: Everything you need to know
While we've already taken a look at the Capital One cross-promotions in FarmVille and CityVille, Pioneer Trail's version of the promotion is definitely the most complex, taking four goals to complete. The first of these goals introduces you to the Capital One Goat, who hopes that you can help him find his lost band mates, and bring their bandstand to life on your Homestead. That's right - there's a new building to create as part of this cross-promotion, along with the four goals. Here's a complete rundown of the event.
Sterling the Bloodhound
Collect one Bandstand Upgrade Part
Visit Capital One Facebook Page
Craft Sterling's Guitar in the Bandstand
First things first, the Bandstand can be purchased inside the store for under 10 coins if you have the discount enabled in your game. You won't have to whack a frame or collect items to create a functioning Bandstand; however, you will have to collect these parts to upgrade the building. This is done by clicking on the Bandstand and then clicking "Upgrade" on the menu that appears. From here, it's the familiar process of asking your friends for items.
You'll need to collect 10 each of Stage Lights, pieces of Band Merchandise and Concert Wristbands, all of which are earned through general news posts, while 15 each of Sandbags and Scaffolding are earned by sending out individual requests to your friends for help. The final item - the five Band Groupies - are earned by completing these new goals, as they'll be earned automatically. That being the case, you don't have to be in too great of a rush to collect the rest of the ingredients, as you literally can't complete it anyway.
As for finishing this first goal, you'll need to head inside your Bandstand to craft items as you would in other buildings. From there, you'll need three Guitar Fretboards and five Guitar Strings to actually craft the guitar. These are both new items, requiring you to tend goats or simply ask your friends to help you earn them, among other tasks. Finishing the entirety of this first goal will give you 250 XP, Sterling the Bloodhound and 250 coins.
Toonie the Bear
Chop 10 Trees on your Neighbors' Homesteads
Feed 30 Goats on your Homestead
Craft Toonie's Upright Bass in the Bandstand
Again, you'll need to head inside the Bandstand to craft Toonie's Upright Base, which requires three Tailpieces and five Bass Strings. Again, you can ask your friends to send you the Bass Strings, and can craft the Tailpieces, also inside the Bandstand.
Once you finish this second goal, you'll receive 500 XP, Toonie the Bear and 500 coins.
Penny the Bullfrog
Feed 30 Geese on your Homestead
Have or Collect 3 Termites
Craft Penny's Banjo in the Bandstand
Again, just head inside the Bandstand to see the parts you need to craft Penny's Banjo (in this case the Banjo Pot and Banjo Pick), and then make sure you have three termites from the Oak Tree collection to finish this one off. For doing so, you'll receive 750 XP, Goat and Penny (the two remaining band members) and 5 Band Groupies. Remember those Groupies that you needed to complete the upgrade of the Bandstand? There you go.
Entertainment, Not Food
Collect the Upgraded Bandstand Bonus Once
Collect 10 Wildberries
Harvest 50 Corn
Like a regular building, the Bandstand has a daily bonus that can be collected, so complete that and these other simple (albeit time-consuming) tasks and you'll be golden. You'll receive 1,000 XP, a Rockin Horse (a new mount for your avatar that wears sunglasses) and 1,000 coins for finishing this final goal.
All told, we're not given an expiration date for when this cross-promotion and these goals will leave the game, but your best bet would be to finish everything off as soon as possible just to make sure you don't miss out on anything. Have fun!
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this entire Capital One promotion in Pioneer Trail? Are you going to make your avatar ride this horse-with-shades?
Sterling the Bloodhound
Collect one Bandstand Upgrade Part
Visit Capital One Facebook Page
Craft Sterling's Guitar in the Bandstand
First things first, the Bandstand can be purchased inside the store for under 10 coins if you have the discount enabled in your game. You won't have to whack a frame or collect items to create a functioning Bandstand; however, you will have to collect these parts to upgrade the building. This is done by clicking on the Bandstand and then clicking "Upgrade" on the menu that appears. From here, it's the familiar process of asking your friends for items.
You'll need to collect 10 each of Stage Lights, pieces of Band Merchandise and Concert Wristbands, all of which are earned through general news posts, while 15 each of Sandbags and Scaffolding are earned by sending out individual requests to your friends for help. The final item - the five Band Groupies - are earned by completing these new goals, as they'll be earned automatically. That being the case, you don't have to be in too great of a rush to collect the rest of the ingredients, as you literally can't complete it anyway.
As for finishing this first goal, you'll need to head inside your Bandstand to craft items as you would in other buildings. From there, you'll need three Guitar Fretboards and five Guitar Strings to actually craft the guitar. These are both new items, requiring you to tend goats or simply ask your friends to help you earn them, among other tasks. Finishing the entirety of this first goal will give you 250 XP, Sterling the Bloodhound and 250 coins.
Toonie the Bear
Chop 10 Trees on your Neighbors' Homesteads
Feed 30 Goats on your Homestead
Craft Toonie's Upright Bass in the Bandstand
Again, you'll need to head inside the Bandstand to craft Toonie's Upright Base, which requires three Tailpieces and five Bass Strings. Again, you can ask your friends to send you the Bass Strings, and can craft the Tailpieces, also inside the Bandstand.
Once you finish this second goal, you'll receive 500 XP, Toonie the Bear and 500 coins.
Penny the Bullfrog
Feed 30 Geese on your Homestead
Have or Collect 3 Termites
Craft Penny's Banjo in the Bandstand
Again, just head inside the Bandstand to see the parts you need to craft Penny's Banjo (in this case the Banjo Pot and Banjo Pick), and then make sure you have three termites from the Oak Tree collection to finish this one off. For doing so, you'll receive 750 XP, Goat and Penny (the two remaining band members) and 5 Band Groupies. Remember those Groupies that you needed to complete the upgrade of the Bandstand? There you go.
Entertainment, Not Food
Collect the Upgraded Bandstand Bonus Once
Collect 10 Wildberries
Harvest 50 Corn
Like a regular building, the Bandstand has a daily bonus that can be collected, so complete that and these other simple (albeit time-consuming) tasks and you'll be golden. You'll receive 1,000 XP, a Rockin Horse (a new mount for your avatar that wears sunglasses) and 1,000 coins for finishing this final goal.
All told, we're not given an expiration date for when this cross-promotion and these goals will leave the game, but your best bet would be to finish everything off as soon as possible just to make sure you don't miss out on anything. Have fun!
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this entire Capital One promotion in Pioneer Trail? Are you going to make your avatar ride this horse-with-shades?
Chủ Nhật, 11 tháng 12, 2011
PapayaMobile's mobile social game network gets friendly with iOS
OpenFeint and Mobage might want to watch out ... or get a delicious fruit in their logo somehow. Beijing-based PapayaMobile announced that it has expanded its mobile social game network from Android to iOS devices. iPhone and iPad game developers can now incorporate PapayaMobile into their game much like they would OpenFeint or Apple's Game Center.
But not only that, developers can create their own social games from scratch through PapayaMobile's Social Game Engine, and launch said games across both iOS and Android devices at once. PapayaMobile's social game network works across both iOS and Android. This means that if a mobile game uses PapayaMobile on both its iOS and Android versions, players can issue challenges, send game invitations, view leaderboards and more between both versions of the game.
PapayaMobile's main goal is to connect both Android and iOS gamers through a single network, something that can't be said for most mobile social game networks (well, aside from OpenFeint). Surely PapayaMobile hopes this cross-platform move will boost its player base of over 30 million. It looks like the mobile social games arena just met a new challenger.
Well, make that a few new challengers. The first games to hit iOS with PapayaMobile include X-City by Aidi Game, Contagion by 2Clams, and Burger Joint by Arctic Empire. Something tells us Facebook missed a golden opportunity with Connect.
Do you think there's room for another mobile social games network? Which network do you prefer using right now with your mobile games?
But not only that, developers can create their own social games from scratch through PapayaMobile's Social Game Engine, and launch said games across both iOS and Android devices at once. PapayaMobile's social game network works across both iOS and Android. This means that if a mobile game uses PapayaMobile on both its iOS and Android versions, players can issue challenges, send game invitations, view leaderboards and more between both versions of the game.
PapayaMobile's main goal is to connect both Android and iOS gamers through a single network, something that can't be said for most mobile social game networks (well, aside from OpenFeint). Surely PapayaMobile hopes this cross-platform move will boost its player base of over 30 million. It looks like the mobile social games arena just met a new challenger.
Well, make that a few new challengers. The first games to hit iOS with PapayaMobile include X-City by Aidi Game, Contagion by 2Clams, and Burger Joint by Arctic Empire. Something tells us Facebook missed a golden opportunity with Connect.
Do you think there's room for another mobile social games network? Which network do you prefer using right now with your mobile games?
Nexon's next social game, Zombie Misfits, looks for brains on Facebook
Alright, we thought it too: "Another zombie game?" But hold on just a second there, naysayers. Nexon's new Facebook game, Zombie Misfits, takes the whole zombie craze in a decidedly different direction. Co-developed by Canadian studio Antic Entertainment, this social take on what's quickly becoming a tired trend turns is a side-scrolling tower defense game.
Wait, according to a release, it's a "cartoon-style apocalyptic tower defense game with an RPG flare." Does that sound different enough for you? And if you ask us, the game's art style looks like something you'd easily find on Cartoon Network.
Ever since Nexon struck gold with MapleStory Adventures, the company has been bullish on Facebook games, but has taken its sweet time. (The publisher likely could have thrown its name on a number of Facebook games this year, but didn't.)
But back to the brain bustin'. Zombie Misfits has players defend survivors of the zombie apocalypse in two-dimensional zones against wave after wave of walking cadavers. To do so, you must place Defenders in key, predefined points in each level to kill off the walkers (thanks, The Walking Dead) before they reach the hovel of "breathers", as tutorial character Slim calls them.
The game features a number of different defenders like the Biker, a club-wielding badass type, and the pistol-toting Trooper--all of which can be modified and upgraded. Of course, you'll need to strategize which Defenders to place as you unlock them to fight the numerous types of zombies. And players can enlist the help of their friends, as per usual. But really, nothing beats the feeling of taking a giant chain saw to a morose mob of undead mouth-breathers.
Click here to play Zombie Misfits on Facebook Now >
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Do you think there's room for another zombie game on Facebook? What do you think of the zombie craze overall--is it just a fad?
Wait, according to a release, it's a "cartoon-style apocalyptic tower defense game with an RPG flare." Does that sound different enough for you? And if you ask us, the game's art style looks like something you'd easily find on Cartoon Network.
Ever since Nexon struck gold with MapleStory Adventures, the company has been bullish on Facebook games, but has taken its sweet time. (The publisher likely could have thrown its name on a number of Facebook games this year, but didn't.)
But back to the brain bustin'. Zombie Misfits has players defend survivors of the zombie apocalypse in two-dimensional zones against wave after wave of walking cadavers. To do so, you must place Defenders in key, predefined points in each level to kill off the walkers (thanks, The Walking Dead) before they reach the hovel of "breathers", as tutorial character Slim calls them.
The game features a number of different defenders like the Biker, a club-wielding badass type, and the pistol-toting Trooper--all of which can be modified and upgraded. Of course, you'll need to strategize which Defenders to place as you unlock them to fight the numerous types of zombies. And players can enlist the help of their friends, as per usual. But really, nothing beats the feeling of taking a giant chain saw to a morose mob of undead mouth-breathers.
Click here to play Zombie Misfits on Facebook Now >
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Do you think there's room for another zombie game on Facebook? What do you think of the zombie craze overall--is it just a fad?
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town: Purchase limited edition items for a free Ghostly Horse
If you'd like to get more out of the Pioneer Trail Halloween event, and don't mind spending some (ok, a lot of) Horseshoes to do just that, you can now purchase a series of five limited edition items in lovely shades of pink and purple in a special event. To be especially clear, this option hasn't rolled out to all users just yet, but once you receive it, you'll see a list of five items, along with their prices and a time limit for how long you have to purchase them.
The five items are those that you'd normally see around Ghost Town while playing:
Cursed Chicken - 5 Horseshoes
Ghostly Grave - 35 Horseshoes
Cursed Sheep - 40 Horseshoes
Cursed Cow - 45 Horseshoes
Haunted Dog - 45 Horseshoes
For the full set, it will set you back 175 Horseshoes. That might sound like a lot (ok, it is a lot), but you'll have incentive to go for the whole lot. If you do end up purchasing one of everything, you'll receive a free, exclusive limited edition Ghostly Horse. This one is bright purple, and will apparently only be made available through this event. Of course, this horse is one of the many "rideable" ones released in the game, so if you want your avatar to be able to ride in style the whole year through, make sure to give this event a look.
Unfortunately, if you don't have enough Horseshoes on hand by default, you'll only have a matter of days to either earn some extras, or purchase them - six days, to be exact (or less, depending on when this finally rolls out to you). Again, these items will likely only be available via this particular event (or, at the very earliest, might be released next Halloween), so do any shopping sooner, rather than later to make sure you won't miss out entirely!
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Will you purchase any of these items for your own Homestead in Pioneer Trail? Will you purchase them all to receive the free horse?
The five items are those that you'd normally see around Ghost Town while playing:
Cursed Chicken - 5 Horseshoes
Ghostly Grave - 35 Horseshoes
Cursed Sheep - 40 Horseshoes
Cursed Cow - 45 Horseshoes
Haunted Dog - 45 Horseshoes
For the full set, it will set you back 175 Horseshoes. That might sound like a lot (ok, it is a lot), but you'll have incentive to go for the whole lot. If you do end up purchasing one of everything, you'll receive a free, exclusive limited edition Ghostly Horse. This one is bright purple, and will apparently only be made available through this event. Of course, this horse is one of the many "rideable" ones released in the game, so if you want your avatar to be able to ride in style the whole year through, make sure to give this event a look.
Unfortunately, if you don't have enough Horseshoes on hand by default, you'll only have a matter of days to either earn some extras, or purchase them - six days, to be exact (or less, depending on when this finally rolls out to you). Again, these items will likely only be available via this particular event (or, at the very earliest, might be released next Halloween), so do any shopping sooner, rather than later to make sure you won't miss out entirely!
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
Will you purchase any of these items for your own Homestead in Pioneer Trail? Will you purchase them all to receive the free horse?
Adventure World Sneak Peek: Halloween Volcano coming soon
While Halloween may be nearly upon us, Adventure World has yet to receive any in-game celebration. Don't worry though, adventurers, as something big is apparently coming - and soon! Over on the game's official Facebook fan page, we've been given a couple of images that serve as sneak peeks to a Halloween event that will take place in the game.
Specifically, we're told that we'll be traveling into an active volcano, although the reasoning as to why has yet to be explained in detail. If we can assume anything from the picture posted just today, it looks like zombies might be that reason! Here's what we're told:
"Coming soon - An Adventure World Halloween - Are you ready to encounter zombie spiders, explore ancient crypts, meet ancient warriors and journey into the heart of an active volcano?"
From other images (seen below) on the game's fan page, it looks like something has happened with an ancient Jade Skeleton, to cause it to lose its skull. Whether raiders or bandits came and stole it, or it was just separated over the years is anyone's guess, but we'll likely be left to reconnect the two.
Of course, we'll be sure to bring you a complete look at Adventure World's Halloween event just as soon as it launches, so keep checking back with us!
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Are you looking forward to Halloween events in Adventure World? What do you think of the Jade Skeleton and its missing skull?
Specifically, we're told that we'll be traveling into an active volcano, although the reasoning as to why has yet to be explained in detail. If we can assume anything from the picture posted just today, it looks like zombies might be that reason! Here's what we're told:
"Coming soon - An Adventure World Halloween - Are you ready to encounter zombie spiders, explore ancient crypts, meet ancient warriors and journey into the heart of an active volcano?"
From other images (seen below) on the game's fan page, it looks like something has happened with an ancient Jade Skeleton, to cause it to lose its skull. Whether raiders or bandits came and stole it, or it was just separated over the years is anyone's guess, but we'll likely be left to reconnect the two.
Of course, we'll be sure to bring you a complete look at Adventure World's Halloween event just as soon as it launches, so keep checking back with us!
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Are you looking forward to Halloween events in Adventure World? What do you think of the Jade Skeleton and its missing skull?
The Sims Social sets a spine-chilling scene with new Halloween images
Seriously, this is just downright creepy ... for a Facebook game. EA and Playfish have provided us with some images featuring some of the new Halloween items you can pick up in The Sims Social right now. This week's theme appears to have lots to do with throwing a Halloween bash, but with a deathly dash of Halloween movie allusions thrown in.
Namely, allusions to some of the creepiest flicks around like The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street and The Ring. Sure, the launch trailer for The Sims Social was arguably creepy on one level, but this image is another level of disturbing entirely. The other screen shots EA shared with us are decidedly more tame, thankfully.
The below screen shot features a brand new item, the Witch's Broomstick. This new accessory costs just 1,750 Simoleons and is said to grant players with some new animations to enjoy. It can also boost Hygiene and Fun stats, though it requires building. That lucky girl flying away on the Broomstick is surrounded by numerous items found under the "Special" tab in the shop now.
The Sims Social Witch's Broomstick
Finally, this last image of Sims throwing a Halloween party is certainly the most tame. Well, aside from the dude in that skeleton costume--who wears those anymore? The various decorations can also be found under the "Special" tab. More important, however, is that glowing cauldron. It's called the Haunted Cauldron, and players can pick this bad boy up for serious cash: 59 SimCash, to be exact. Mastering cooking skills on this ... appliance will reward you with a Golden Cauldron.
The Sims Social Halloween Bash
What do you think of the various Halloween updates in The Sims Social so far? Which of the items or avatar costumes do you want the most for your Sim?
Namely, allusions to some of the creepiest flicks around like The Shining, Nightmare on Elm Street and The Ring. Sure, the launch trailer for The Sims Social was arguably creepy on one level, but this image is another level of disturbing entirely. The other screen shots EA shared with us are decidedly more tame, thankfully.
The below screen shot features a brand new item, the Witch's Broomstick. This new accessory costs just 1,750 Simoleons and is said to grant players with some new animations to enjoy. It can also boost Hygiene and Fun stats, though it requires building. That lucky girl flying away on the Broomstick is surrounded by numerous items found under the "Special" tab in the shop now.
The Sims Social Witch's Broomstick
Finally, this last image of Sims throwing a Halloween party is certainly the most tame. Well, aside from the dude in that skeleton costume--who wears those anymore? The various decorations can also be found under the "Special" tab. More important, however, is that glowing cauldron. It's called the Haunted Cauldron, and players can pick this bad boy up for serious cash: 59 SimCash, to be exact. Mastering cooking skills on this ... appliance will reward you with a Golden Cauldron.
The Sims Social Halloween Bash
What do you think of the various Halloween updates in The Sims Social so far? Which of the items or avatar costumes do you want the most for your Sim?
FarmVille Halloween Items: Witch Costume, Halloween Candle Tree and more
With tonight's FarmVille update, we see the re-release of a few items into the game's store, including trees that haven't been gone for very long. There are quite a few new avatar costumes available for you to add to your wardrobe, including one for coins, so keep a lookout for that as well. As usual, here's our complete look at these items, so get that Farm Cash ready!
Trees
Fall Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Northern Red Oak Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Halloween Candle Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Big Halloween Candle Tree - 14 Farm Cash
Not to be confused with the Halloween Lantern Tree released earlier this month, the Halloween Candle Trees are darker, and are different trees with their own mastery signs. Of course, this still doesn't change the fact that you don't need to purchase the Big version, as it can be earned for free through mystery seedlings.
Animals
African Elephant - 1.5 million coins
Blue Dragon - 24 Farm Cash
Phantom Duck - 18 Farm Cash
Black Unicorn - 30 Farm Cash
The Blue Dragon is a re-release, with the animal first being available for free as a goal reward. If you didn't receive it then, or just want an extra, you can now purchase one / another for a limited time.
Buildings
Frankenstein Lab - 42 Farm Cash
Unfortunately, awesome items tend to come with a high price tag, as this one does. Still, if you need another large, Halloween-themed building on your land (if Count Duckula's Castle wasn't enough), and you have the Farm Cash to spare, you could definitely do much worse than this.
Decorations
Bunny Lantern - 5 Farm Cash
Gargoyle Statue - 6,000 coins
Spooky Lake - 32 Farm Cash
Here, the Gargoyle Statue is a re-release, so make sure to check your storage for any of them before needlessly spending more coins. It's a cheap item sure, but why not save those coins and put them towards something like the African Elephant instead?
Avatar Costumes
Vampire - 30 Farm Cash
Vampress - 34 Farm Cash
Witch - 30 Farm Cash
Knight - 30 Farm Cash
Princess - 100,000 coins
If you've put off buying a costume for your avatar this long, you can now make your avatar the princess in your story for coins, which is a plus. If you want to be a more traditional vampire or she-vampire, however, know that you'll need to shell out the big bucks for those.
All of these items look to be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, which gives you plenty of time, even after Halloween has passed, to stock up on decorations for next year. Happy shopping!
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Will you buy any of these expensive animals or decorations for your farms in FarmVille? How many of this year's Halloween-themed items have you splurged on so far?
Trees
Fall Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Northern Red Oak Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Halloween Candle Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Big Halloween Candle Tree - 14 Farm Cash
Not to be confused with the Halloween Lantern Tree released earlier this month, the Halloween Candle Trees are darker, and are different trees with their own mastery signs. Of course, this still doesn't change the fact that you don't need to purchase the Big version, as it can be earned for free through mystery seedlings.
Animals
African Elephant - 1.5 million coins
Blue Dragon - 24 Farm Cash
Phantom Duck - 18 Farm Cash
Black Unicorn - 30 Farm Cash
The Blue Dragon is a re-release, with the animal first being available for free as a goal reward. If you didn't receive it then, or just want an extra, you can now purchase one / another for a limited time.
Buildings
Frankenstein Lab - 42 Farm Cash
Unfortunately, awesome items tend to come with a high price tag, as this one does. Still, if you need another large, Halloween-themed building on your land (if Count Duckula's Castle wasn't enough), and you have the Farm Cash to spare, you could definitely do much worse than this.
Decorations
Bunny Lantern - 5 Farm Cash
Gargoyle Statue - 6,000 coins
Spooky Lake - 32 Farm Cash
Here, the Gargoyle Statue is a re-release, so make sure to check your storage for any of them before needlessly spending more coins. It's a cheap item sure, but why not save those coins and put them towards something like the African Elephant instead?
Avatar Costumes
Vampire - 30 Farm Cash
Vampress - 34 Farm Cash
Witch - 30 Farm Cash
Knight - 30 Farm Cash
Princess - 100,000 coins
If you've put off buying a costume for your avatar this long, you can now make your avatar the princess in your story for coins, which is a plus. If you want to be a more traditional vampire or she-vampire, however, know that you'll need to shell out the big bucks for those.
All of these items look to be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, which gives you plenty of time, even after Halloween has passed, to stock up on decorations for next year. Happy shopping!
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Will you buy any of these expensive animals or decorations for your farms in FarmVille? How many of this year's Halloween-themed items have you splurged on so far?
Cafe World Halloween Siggy's Tricks Goals: Everything you need to know
After seeing the release of Amelia's Treats goals in Cafe World's Halloween event, we're now seeing the other side of the coin - Tricks - via Siggy. These Siggy's Tricks goals are just as limited as Amelia's Treats, with the game's entire Halloween event being available only for the next week or so. Unfortunately, there are a whopping 10 goals in this Siggy's Tricks series, so I hope you're ready to do a ton of cooking (and asking for items from your friends, of course).
Siggy's Tricks 1
Place Your Witch's Cauldron
Serve Pumpkin Pie 30 Times
Ask for 3 Vampire Fangs
Pumpkin Pie takes 12 hours to prepare. Meanwhile, the Witch's Cauldron is a new building project that you'll need to complete by asking your friends for parts. We'll have a full guide to building that item as soon as we can. You can check out our full guide to building the Witch's Cauldron right here. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive the Deviled Eyeballs recipe.
Siggy's Tricks 2
Serve Deviled Eyeballs 75 Times
Ask for 10 Glowing Skulls
Ask for 8 Vampire Fangs
Finishing this goal gives you the Snake Bits and Bones ingredients for the Signature Dish feature.
Siggy's Tricks 3
Serve a Taste Lab Dish with Bones
Ask for 10 Canned Screams
Serve 30 Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned Beef and Cabbage takes 12 hours to prepare. For the Taste Lab dish, you'll need to pick Bones as one of your ingredients when putting it together. Keep in mind that each ingredient you add changes the cooking time of the final dish, so feel free to use a spice to serve a single serving of this Bones dish quickly, if you happen to make a dish that takes a while to cook on its own.
Siggy's Tricks 4
Serve Vampire Staked Steak 30 Times
Ask for 10 Vampire Fangs
Ask for 10 TP Rolls
Vampire Staked Steak takes a full day to prepare, unless you use a spice, or have servings in your Gift Box to serve automatically.
Siggy's Tricks 5
Serve 30 Vegas Buffets
Spice 10 Neighbor Stoves
Ask for 8 Vampire Fangs
Vegas Buffets each take nine hours to make. For finishing this goal, you'll receive Celery Brooms and Cursed Cumin ingredients for the Taste Lab.
Siggy's Tricks 6
Serve a Taste Lab Dish with Cursed Cumin
Ask for 10 TP Rolls
Ask for 10 Gooey Eyeballs
Finishing this goal gives you the Breadstick Bones recipe to serve immediately.
Siggy's Tricks 7
Serve Breadstick Bones 50 Times
Ask for 8 Rotten Apples
Ask for 8 Vampire Fangs
For completing this goal, you'll receive the Spiders ingredient.
Siggy's Tricks 8
Serve Deviled Eyeballs 30 Times
Ask for 10 Gooey Eyeballs
Ask for 10 Animal Masks
For finishing this goal, you'll receive Molded Cheese.
Siggy's Tricks 9
Serve a Taste Lab Dish with Celery Brooms
Ask for 10 Toad Tongues
Ask for 10 Newt Eyes
Finishing this goal gives you 1,000 coins and 1,000 Cafe Points. We're almost at the end now, so don't give up yet!
Siggy's Tricks 10
Reach Level 1 Mastery of Martian Brain Bake
Complete your Witch's Cauldron
Ask for 10 Zombie Brains
Martian Brain Cake takes three days to cook, but only requires you to cook it seven times to reach the first level of mastery. For finishing this final goal in the Siggy's Tricks series, you'll receive the Jelly Zombie Brain recipe!
Phew! What a workout! If you've made it this far, than we congratulate you! You've gone through tons of work, and most of it likely wasn't the funnest of times, I understand. Still, by completing these goals, you've received some exclusive prizes that may not be available ever again after this event has passed, so you should be proud! I know I would be!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of these Siggy's Tricks goals? Do you like them more than the Amelia's Treats goals?
Siggy's Tricks 1
Place Your Witch's Cauldron
Serve Pumpkin Pie 30 Times
Ask for 3 Vampire Fangs
Pumpkin Pie takes 12 hours to prepare. Meanwhile, the Witch's Cauldron is a new building project that you'll need to complete by asking your friends for parts. We'll have a full guide to building that item as soon as we can. You can check out our full guide to building the Witch's Cauldron right here. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive the Deviled Eyeballs recipe.
Siggy's Tricks 2
Serve Deviled Eyeballs 75 Times
Ask for 10 Glowing Skulls
Ask for 8 Vampire Fangs
Finishing this goal gives you the Snake Bits and Bones ingredients for the Signature Dish feature.
Siggy's Tricks 3
Serve a Taste Lab Dish with Bones
Ask for 10 Canned Screams
Serve 30 Corned Beef and Cabbage
Corned Beef and Cabbage takes 12 hours to prepare. For the Taste Lab dish, you'll need to pick Bones as one of your ingredients when putting it together. Keep in mind that each ingredient you add changes the cooking time of the final dish, so feel free to use a spice to serve a single serving of this Bones dish quickly, if you happen to make a dish that takes a while to cook on its own.
Siggy's Tricks 4
Serve Vampire Staked Steak 30 Times
Ask for 10 Vampire Fangs
Ask for 10 TP Rolls
Vampire Staked Steak takes a full day to prepare, unless you use a spice, or have servings in your Gift Box to serve automatically.
Siggy's Tricks 5
Serve 30 Vegas Buffets
Spice 10 Neighbor Stoves
Ask for 8 Vampire Fangs
Vegas Buffets each take nine hours to make. For finishing this goal, you'll receive Celery Brooms and Cursed Cumin ingredients for the Taste Lab.
Siggy's Tricks 6
Serve a Taste Lab Dish with Cursed Cumin
Ask for 10 TP Rolls
Ask for 10 Gooey Eyeballs
Finishing this goal gives you the Breadstick Bones recipe to serve immediately.
Siggy's Tricks 7
Serve Breadstick Bones 50 Times
Ask for 8 Rotten Apples
Ask for 8 Vampire Fangs
For completing this goal, you'll receive the Spiders ingredient.
Siggy's Tricks 8
Serve Deviled Eyeballs 30 Times
Ask for 10 Gooey Eyeballs
Ask for 10 Animal Masks
For finishing this goal, you'll receive Molded Cheese.
Siggy's Tricks 9
Serve a Taste Lab Dish with Celery Brooms
Ask for 10 Toad Tongues
Ask for 10 Newt Eyes
Finishing this goal gives you 1,000 coins and 1,000 Cafe Points. We're almost at the end now, so don't give up yet!
Siggy's Tricks 10
Reach Level 1 Mastery of Martian Brain Bake
Complete your Witch's Cauldron
Ask for 10 Zombie Brains
Martian Brain Cake takes three days to cook, but only requires you to cook it seven times to reach the first level of mastery. For finishing this final goal in the Siggy's Tricks series, you'll receive the Jelly Zombie Brain recipe!
Phew! What a workout! If you've made it this far, than we congratulate you! You've gone through tons of work, and most of it likely wasn't the funnest of times, I understand. Still, by completing these goals, you've received some exclusive prizes that may not be available ever again after this event has passed, so you should be proud! I know I would be!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of these Siggy's Tricks goals? Do you like them more than the Amelia's Treats goals?
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