Country Story embraces Roman architecture with My Empire items

It's rather common in Facebook games to see a developer releasing items in one game that take on the theme of another game of theirs. Tonight, Playfish has done this very thing by releasing a small set of My Empire themed items in Country Story. Roman items on a farm? Not too far fetched actually - Roman architecture is used to influence many different styles of buildings. And who would turn down beautiful Roman columns? Certainly not us. Here is the list of the new limited time My Empire decorations.

Cupid Statue - 20,000 coins
Lion King - 60,000 coins
Roman Archway - 5,000 coins
Roman Fence 1 through 6 - 5,000 coins each

The most interesting piece here is certainly the Lion King, which is a previous little lion with a shield riding a cute horse. We're not sure exactly how it will fit in our farm atmosphere, but hey - it's cute. At this point in time we're not sure if more My Empire themed items are coming or how long these limited time decorations will last. Hop on over to Country Story and check them out.

Play Country Story on Facebook >

Pet Society: Dig in Ancient Egypt

Here's your chance to release your inner Indiana Jones in Pet Society. With Ancient Egypt added to the Treasure Hunting feature, your pet can be an archaeologist digging up Cleopatra's glossy black wig or the mighty Sphinx. Here's one pet working hard in the desert:
pet society ancient egypt dig
Kudos to Mia, who found all the Egyptian items. We love how the eyes of the Sphinx follow you around!
pet society ancient egypt dig
This article originally appeared on Pet Society Anonymous.

The Sims Social, Gamescom's 'Best Browser Game,' lives on Facebook

While EA and Playfish London have officially set The Sims Social live at this year's Gamescom (with a show award, to boot), we're going with "lives," because the game technically already lived. Alas, despite a shoddy launch and some unfortunate down time, this gem of a Facebook game has launched to nearly 5 million players. Even counting since its downtime (and "open beta" issues), The Sims Social has grown exponentially in the past week, gaining about a whopping 3 million players in that time, according to AppData.

I'd hate to speak too soon (no I don't), but these look a lot like Zynga numbers. Could the big red bull dog have finally met its match, the biggest casual gaming brand long before FarmVille? It's quite possible, especially considering what players say the game could imply for the future of the genre.

"When we created The Sims Social, it was important for us to incorporate the deep gameplay nuances The Sims Studio has perfected and leverage what Playfish does best – develop compelling, cutting-edge social-gaming experiences," Playfish London GM John Earner said in a statement. And based on these explosive numbers, it looks like the players might agree. If The Sims Social keeps growing at this rate, it could catch up with Zynga's top games in a few months.

Gallery: The Sims Social on Facebook

The game already has branded partnerships with companies like Dunkin' Donuts, so it's clear how serious EA is about this game. Between what seems to be a hit on Facebook and a hit machine in the bag for possibly $1.3 million, maybe the Madden guys can hang with the FarmVillers, after all.

Playfish joins Japan relief effort with Mercy Corps donation program [Updated]

Finally, another social game developer has decided to use its immense resources for good. Playfish announced today that it has joined forces with Mercy Corps and their partner, Peace Winds Japan, to run a donation program. Through the program, Playfish will give 100 percent of its proceeds to Mercy Corps to provide the Japanese with "balloon shelters to accommodate up to 600 people; large emergency tents; clean water, food and blankets," according to the company.

Throughout the week, Playfish will add items to its games for purchase and donate 100 percent of those proceeds to Mercy Corps. Currently, the Garden of Hope item is available in Restaurant City, but more games will receive donation items this week including a "Support Japan" bundle in Pet Society, "Japan Elite Transfers" in FIFA Superstars, and a "Red Japanese Pagoda" in Monopoly Millionaires.

There is a link beneath most Playfish games leading to the donation website. Playfish is handling the situation differently than Zynga's, which allowed players to donate through playing its games (and buying items) immediately. Using this method, the company has already raised $1 million. Will Playfish be able to produce the same contribution with its week-long event?

That's unlikely, but keep in mind that this is far from a competition. The fact that Playfish has made the gesture is respectable, but what prevented the company from employing the same strategy? My guess is that it was a matter of how much time is left to make a contribution with impact, which lead to this week-long event. Regardless, every donation helps--here's your chance, Playfish fans.

Do you intend on donating to the Japan relief effort through Playfish? How successful do you think the company will be using this method?

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?