Continuing in the double-item update in FarmVille, tonight's release brought us new buildings not only in the previous Animal Sanctuary item theme, but also in the Lighthouse Cove theme. These Lighthouse Cove items are available to purchase in other farms, so keep an eye out for them in the store when hanging out at Home or in the English Countryside as well.
Lighthouse Cove
Seaside Cottage - 25 Farm Cash
Village Store - 25 Farm Cash
Coastal Farmhouse - 25 Farm Cash
Coastal Restaurant - 30 Farm Cash
As usual, buildings in FarmVille are some of the most expensive things you can purchase, and these are no exception to that rule. The Seaside Cottage and Village Store have shorter time limits at 11 days, while the Coastal Farmhouse and Coastal Restaurant (not to be confused with the Restaurant Crafting Cottage you can purchase on your new farm for coins) will be around for the next two week.
Animal Sanctuary
Asian Gazebo - 10 Farm Cash
This building is fairly small, looking more like a lawn ornament than a full sized building, but I suppose that helps explain the cheaper price tag. If you're interested in purchasing this one, you'll need to do so within the next two weeks, before it expires form the store.
Will we see these items again after they expire? It's likely, but in the off chance that they don't, make sure to purchase any you feel you just can't live without during this first release.
Which of these new buildings is your favorite? Are you more of a fan of the Lighthouse Cove theme or the pre-existing Animal Sanctuary theme? Sound off in the comments.
Friday, September 30, 2011
FarmVille Animal Sanctuary & Lighthouse Cove Decorations: Sea Lavender, Panda Arch and more
While decorations may be the last items we've discussed in tonight's FarmVille update, that doesn't mean they're the least important. These decorative items come from both the Animal Sanctuary and Lighthouse Cove themes, and there are actually quite a few coin items in this set for those shopping on a budget. As a note, these Lighthouse Cove items are available not just in your Lighthouse Cove farm, so if you chose not to buy your way in, you don't have to worry about missing out (on these items, anyway).
Lighthouse Cove
Beach Tent - 2 Farm Cash
Beach Grass - 4,000 coins
Beach Chair Set - 20,000 coins
Coastal Planter - 8,000 coins
Dark Wood Fence - 5,000 coins
Field Stone Bridge - 15 Farm Cash
Nelly Moser - 50,000 coins
Boreal Owl - 18 Farm Cash
Sea Lavender - 5,000 coins
Maple Leaf Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
You'll need to pay special attention to these items in the store, as some of them expire in 11 days, while others are around for two weeks. Overall, there are a surprisingly large amount of coin-only items here, so if you've already spent all of your Farm Cash in simply getting into Lighthouse Cove, you'll receive a break there.
Animal Sanctuary
Panda Arch - 2 Farm Cash
Cockatiel - 10 Farm Cash
As you can see, the Lighthouse Cove side of the store definitely has more items, but you can still splurge a bit of Farm Cash on these two items if you choose. They'll both be available in the store for the next two weeks.
What do you think of this pile of new items? Have you already created a retreat on your farm with these Lighthouse Cove items, or are you just starting to decorate with them this evening? Sound off in the comments.
Lighthouse Cove
Beach Tent - 2 Farm Cash
Beach Grass - 4,000 coins
Beach Chair Set - 20,000 coins
Coastal Planter - 8,000 coins
Dark Wood Fence - 5,000 coins
Field Stone Bridge - 15 Farm Cash
Nelly Moser - 50,000 coins
Boreal Owl - 18 Farm Cash
Sea Lavender - 5,000 coins
Maple Leaf Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
You'll need to pay special attention to these items in the store, as some of them expire in 11 days, while others are around for two weeks. Overall, there are a surprisingly large amount of coin-only items here, so if you've already spent all of your Farm Cash in simply getting into Lighthouse Cove, you'll receive a break there.
Animal Sanctuary
Panda Arch - 2 Farm Cash
Cockatiel - 10 Farm Cash
As you can see, the Lighthouse Cove side of the store definitely has more items, but you can still splurge a bit of Farm Cash on these two items if you choose. They'll both be available in the store for the next two weeks.
What do you think of this pile of new items? Have you already created a retreat on your farm with these Lighthouse Cove items, or are you just starting to decorate with them this evening? Sound off in the comments.
Bubble Witch Saga pops on Facebook, King.com hits 900M gameplays
If games like Bubble Bobble have taught us anything, it's that sometimes there's nothing more relaxing than popping bubbles. Casual and social game developer King.com knows this all too well, and has released its second bubble-bursting game on Facebook, Bubble Witch Saga. This new game is a socially-enhanced port of one of the top five most popular games ever on King.com (the casual games website of the same name), King.com Director of Product Performance, Social and Mobile, Lars Jornow told us.
The game features more levels than ever with 70 unique stages, new booster power-ups available for Facebook Credits and a deeper storyline than before. Players assume the role of an aspiring witch who wishes to join the proverbial circle of three. In order to impress the witches, you must burst the bubbles by matching three of the same color to fill their cauldron with magic goop. I mean, who knows what witches put in those things?
Bursting the bubbles will get the cauldron below bubbling, as witches are so wont to do. Each successful match causes spiders to drop from the ceiling. The more spiders you have when you burst enough bubbles, the more points you'll get (and hopefully stars), as the spiders will act as bumpers for the remaining bubbles and increase your chances of scoring big.
Buggle Witch Saga concept art
Completing each level with the most stars possible will help you reach new uncharted parts of a vast forest in your quest to become the fourth witch of the circle. Players can invite their friends to the game to help restore their lives if they fail to clear a difficult level, and later in the game they will need more friends to unlock new levels to play.
Bubble Witch Saga takes an interesting spin on the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual and social games, with its semi-realistic art style that's delightfully reminiscent of the unforgettable Halloween flick Hocus-Pocus. While the game already has six episodes (with about 10 levels each) of content, Jornow tells us that more content is already in the works.
Bubble Witch Saga gameplay
Not to mention that the game will hit mobile devices later this year. King.com also announced that it has surpassed 900 million monthly gameplay sessions across all of its platforms. Granted, that's thanks to its over 200 games total, but an impressive feat nonetheless--though, the company does say that it has beat PopCap in monthly players on Facebook, according to AppData. Bubble Witch is available for play now on Facebook, so have at those bubbles, my pretties. (I promise that's the last time I say "my pretties" here ... whoops, done it again!)
Click here to play Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook Now >
Are you excited to kick back and blow up some bubbles once again? What do you think of this game so far, and the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual or social games? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
The game features more levels than ever with 70 unique stages, new booster power-ups available for Facebook Credits and a deeper storyline than before. Players assume the role of an aspiring witch who wishes to join the proverbial circle of three. In order to impress the witches, you must burst the bubbles by matching three of the same color to fill their cauldron with magic goop. I mean, who knows what witches put in those things?
Bursting the bubbles will get the cauldron below bubbling, as witches are so wont to do. Each successful match causes spiders to drop from the ceiling. The more spiders you have when you burst enough bubbles, the more points you'll get (and hopefully stars), as the spiders will act as bumpers for the remaining bubbles and increase your chances of scoring big.
Buggle Witch Saga concept art
Completing each level with the most stars possible will help you reach new uncharted parts of a vast forest in your quest to become the fourth witch of the circle. Players can invite their friends to the game to help restore their lives if they fail to clear a difficult level, and later in the game they will need more friends to unlock new levels to play.
Bubble Witch Saga takes an interesting spin on the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual and social games, with its semi-realistic art style that's delightfully reminiscent of the unforgettable Halloween flick Hocus-Pocus. While the game already has six episodes (with about 10 levels each) of content, Jornow tells us that more content is already in the works.
Bubble Witch Saga gameplay
Not to mention that the game will hit mobile devices later this year. King.com also announced that it has surpassed 900 million monthly gameplay sessions across all of its platforms. Granted, that's thanks to its over 200 games total, but an impressive feat nonetheless--though, the company does say that it has beat PopCap in monthly players on Facebook, according to AppData. Bubble Witch is available for play now on Facebook, so have at those bubbles, my pretties. (I promise that's the last time I say "my pretties" here ... whoops, done it again!)
Click here to play Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook Now >
Are you excited to kick back and blow up some bubbles once again? What do you think of this game so far, and the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual or social games? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
Thursday, September 29, 2011
FarmVille Repairing the Lighthouse Cove: Everything you need to know
One of the biggest elements of FarmVille's new Lighthouse Cove farm will come in actually repairing the dock and lighthouse after a huge storm wiped them out. This is done via item collection, using the three new tools found in the Lighthouse Cove proper: Logs, Stones and Steel Beams. As of this writing, there look to be 10 different levels for upgrades you can provide to the "Lighthouse Cove" itself, with the starting level requiring just three each of those Logs, Stones and Steel Beams. This removes the seaweed and debris from the water, but does little else.
As you continually repair, or level up your Lighthouse Cove (of course, each level takes more and more of each building material), you'll see visual transformations reflecting those repairs. This is important to note, as repairing the cove will be the only way to draw out animals like dolphins, which serve an (as of now) still unknown purpose. Your friends can send you more of these parts, or you can purchase them outright for Farm Cash.
On top of all of this, the Lighthouse Cove can actually be "harvested," once per day, giving you a chance to find "sea" bushels, like Clams. These bushels are then placed into a Market Stall for your friends to use, if they so choose.
We're sure that the upgrades given to the Lighthouse Cove will have a much larger effect on the game sometime in the future, but for right now, just focus on getting through the first few levels, while still trying to complete all of those new goals as well.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started repairing your Lighthouse Cove area, or are you waiting for the free passes to be handed out to FarmVille players? What will be the first thing you do when landing in Lighthouse Cove? Sound off in the comments.
As you continually repair, or level up your Lighthouse Cove (of course, each level takes more and more of each building material), you'll see visual transformations reflecting those repairs. This is important to note, as repairing the cove will be the only way to draw out animals like dolphins, which serve an (as of now) still unknown purpose. Your friends can send you more of these parts, or you can purchase them outright for Farm Cash.
On top of all of this, the Lighthouse Cove can actually be "harvested," once per day, giving you a chance to find "sea" bushels, like Clams. These bushels are then placed into a Market Stall for your friends to use, if they so choose.
We're sure that the upgrades given to the Lighthouse Cove will have a much larger effect on the game sometime in the future, but for right now, just focus on getting through the first few levels, while still trying to complete all of those new goals as well.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started repairing your Lighthouse Cove area, or are you waiting for the free passes to be handed out to FarmVille players? What will be the first thing you do when landing in Lighthouse Cove? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Bonus Challenge Goals: Everything you need to know
While you're busy working on the first "introductory" chapter of goals in FarmVille's new Lighthouse Cove, keep in mind that three additional goals will soon fall onto your plate in the form of Bonus Challenges. Here's a complete look at these goals, which have a full month long time limit (that is, once they're given to you, not from today).
Bonus Challenge 1
* Get 3 Hobby Horses
* Harvest 70 Cove Cranberries
* Improve the Cove to Level 4
As we told you earlier this evening, you'll "improve" your Cove by repairing the Lighthouse Cove dock and lighthouse area using Steel Beams, Logs and Stones. Once you reach level four, you'll apparently have the ability to draw out dolphins, so watch out for that! Finishing this first goal gives you 500 XP, a Fisherman / Fishing Gnome and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Challenge 2
* Harvest 90 Chandler Blueberries
* Expand to a Harbor Homestead
* Make Wild Blueberry Pie Twice
Here's where things get a bit complicated. While Wild Blueberry Pies are fairly self-explanatory, and must be crafted inside the Level 2 Restaurant, the Harbor Homestead is the third homestead expansion option in Lighthouse Cove, and it costs 50 Farm Cash. To make matters worse, the two expansion before it? Yeah, they cost Farm Cash too - 30 and 40 Farm Cash each, to be specific. I'm sure there will be coin options released eventually, but keep this in mind for now. Once you finish this goal, you'll receive 1,000 XP, a Tulip Poplar Tree and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Challenge 3
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Make Black Raspberry Wine Twice
* Harvest the Zoo
Unfortunately, it looks like you might have to build another Zoo to finish this goal, on top of those you may have on other farms. Check out our guide to building a Zoo for more details. Also, as you might have guessed, the Black Raspberry Wine is another crafting recipe, also requiring a Level 2 Restaurant. Finishing this final Bonus Challenge goal gives you 500 XP, a Gorilla, ten Animal Feeds and 2,500 coins.
Zynga has said previously that new content will be added to the Lighthouse Cove every week (for a few weeks, anyhow), so keep checking back with us and we'll make sure to keep you up to date as new items are added.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Are these Bonus Challenges worth doing? Do you appreciate a real challenge in your goals, or do you wish these goals were less complex? Sound off in the comments.
Bonus Challenge 1
* Get 3 Hobby Horses
* Harvest 70 Cove Cranberries
* Improve the Cove to Level 4
As we told you earlier this evening, you'll "improve" your Cove by repairing the Lighthouse Cove dock and lighthouse area using Steel Beams, Logs and Stones. Once you reach level four, you'll apparently have the ability to draw out dolphins, so watch out for that! Finishing this first goal gives you 500 XP, a Fisherman / Fishing Gnome and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Challenge 2
* Harvest 90 Chandler Blueberries
* Expand to a Harbor Homestead
* Make Wild Blueberry Pie Twice
Here's where things get a bit complicated. While Wild Blueberry Pies are fairly self-explanatory, and must be crafted inside the Level 2 Restaurant, the Harbor Homestead is the third homestead expansion option in Lighthouse Cove, and it costs 50 Farm Cash. To make matters worse, the two expansion before it? Yeah, they cost Farm Cash too - 30 and 40 Farm Cash each, to be specific. I'm sure there will be coin options released eventually, but keep this in mind for now. Once you finish this goal, you'll receive 1,000 XP, a Tulip Poplar Tree and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Challenge 3
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Make Black Raspberry Wine Twice
* Harvest the Zoo
Unfortunately, it looks like you might have to build another Zoo to finish this goal, on top of those you may have on other farms. Check out our guide to building a Zoo for more details. Also, as you might have guessed, the Black Raspberry Wine is another crafting recipe, also requiring a Level 2 Restaurant. Finishing this final Bonus Challenge goal gives you 500 XP, a Gorilla, ten Animal Feeds and 2,500 coins.
Zynga has said previously that new content will be added to the Lighthouse Cove every week (for a few weeks, anyhow), so keep checking back with us and we'll make sure to keep you up to date as new items are added.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Are these Bonus Challenges worth doing? Do you appreciate a real challenge in your goals, or do you wish these goals were less complex? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Crops: Everything you need to know
Just as was the case with the launch of the English Countryside in FarmVille, Lighthouse Cove has been given plenty of new crops to get you started. If you're looking for a way to earn more mastery signs, or if you enjoy crafting recipes inside your new Restaurant, you'll want to take a look at these crops to see what to expect as you play in this third farm.
Darrow Blackberry
* Costs: 30 coins
* Growth Time: 4 Hours
* Earns: 60 coins
* XP Gained: 0
Hay
* Costs: 30 coins
* Growth Time: 1 Day
* Earns: 135 coins
* XP Gained: 3
Chandler Blueberry
* Costs: 45 coins
* Growth Time: 8 Hours
* Earns: 85 coins
* XP Gained: 1
Lady Slipper
* Costs: 50 coins
* Growth Time: 8 hours
* Earns: 100 coins
* XP Gained: 1
Kennebec Potato
* Costs: 60 coins
* Growth Time: 1 Day
* Earns: 155 coins
* XP Gained: 3
Cove Cranberry
* Costs: 65 coins
* Growth Time: 1 Day
* Earns: 170 coins
* XP Gained: 3
Daylily
* Costs: 70 coins
* Growth Time: 16 Hours
* Earns: 150 coins
* XP Gained: 2
Butter & Sugar Corn
* Costs: 90 coins
* Growth Time: 12 Hours
* Earns: 145 coins
* XP Gained: 2
Tarragon
* Costs: 110 coins
* Growth Time: 10 Hours
* Earns: 160 coins
* XP Gained: 1
Red Clover
* Costs: 120 coins
* Growth Time: 1 Day
* Earns: 225 coins
* XP Gained: 3
Cauliflower
* Costs: 125 coins
* Growth Time: 2 Days
* Earns: 350 coins
* XP Gained: 4
Dill
* Costs: 135 coins
* Growth Time: 12 Hours
* Earns: 190 coins
* XP Gained: 2
While there's plenty of XP to be earned with some of these crops, keep in mind that if you want to complete all of the goals already available in Lighthouse Cove, your options for planting crops will be fairly limited, as you'll be "forced" to grow what the goals require. Even with that being the case, these crops look to be the permanent options for this new farm, so you don't have to rush to master them all. Just plant them when you have some free time and you'll earn all of those new mastery signs eventually.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Which of these crops do you think will be your favorite? Do you grow crops based on what they look like, or based on their stats? Sound off in the comments.
Darrow Blackberry
* Costs: 30 coins
* Growth Time: 4 Hours
* Earns: 60 coins
* XP Gained: 0
Hay
* Costs: 30 coins
* Growth Time: 1 Day
* Earns: 135 coins
* XP Gained: 3
Chandler Blueberry
* Costs: 45 coins
* Growth Time: 8 Hours
* Earns: 85 coins
* XP Gained: 1
Lady Slipper
* Costs: 50 coins
* Growth Time: 8 hours
* Earns: 100 coins
* XP Gained: 1
Kennebec Potato
* Costs: 60 coins
* Growth Time: 1 Day
* Earns: 155 coins
* XP Gained: 3
Cove Cranberry
* Costs: 65 coins
* Growth Time: 1 Day
* Earns: 170 coins
* XP Gained: 3
Daylily
* Costs: 70 coins
* Growth Time: 16 Hours
* Earns: 150 coins
* XP Gained: 2
Butter & Sugar Corn
* Costs: 90 coins
* Growth Time: 12 Hours
* Earns: 145 coins
* XP Gained: 2
Tarragon
* Costs: 110 coins
* Growth Time: 10 Hours
* Earns: 160 coins
* XP Gained: 1
Red Clover
* Costs: 120 coins
* Growth Time: 1 Day
* Earns: 225 coins
* XP Gained: 3
Cauliflower
* Costs: 125 coins
* Growth Time: 2 Days
* Earns: 350 coins
* XP Gained: 4
Dill
* Costs: 135 coins
* Growth Time: 12 Hours
* Earns: 190 coins
* XP Gained: 2
While there's plenty of XP to be earned with some of these crops, keep in mind that if you want to complete all of the goals already available in Lighthouse Cove, your options for planting crops will be fairly limited, as you'll be "forced" to grow what the goals require. Even with that being the case, these crops look to be the permanent options for this new farm, so you don't have to rush to master them all. Just plant them when you have some free time and you'll earn all of those new mastery signs eventually.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Which of these crops do you think will be your favorite? Do you grow crops based on what they look like, or based on their stats? Sound off in the comments.
Adventure World Cheats & Tips Guide
In Zynga's Adventure World, you'll explore volcanoes, search ruins, fight monsters, trek across mountains, wade through swamps, and eventually discover El Dorado itself! Adventure World is 40 times bigger than any of Zynga's other games, and its jam-packed with difficult puzzles and mysteries. That's where our Adventure World Cheats & Tips Guide comes in.
Adventure World is nothing like FarmVille, CityVille, or any of Zynga's other games. But luckily we have the Adventure World cheats and tips to get you through the game without a hitch. Whether you're an Adventure World know-it-all or you're just getting started, I guarantee you'll learn all kinds of cheats, tricks, and more from our Adventure World Cheats & Tips Guide.
Older posts can be found at the bottom of the list.
adventure world cheats cave of montezumaAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Cave of Montezuma Guide
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Tool Upgrade Guide
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Deep Jungle Quests Guide
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Base Camp Expansion Guide
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Expedition Mastery Guide adventure world cheats zynga faq questionsAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
FAQ - Zynga answers our questions
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Snake Marsh Expedition Guide
adventure world cheats quests prologueAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Prologue Quests Guide adventure world cheats previewAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Preview
Check out our other guides:
cityville cheats guideCityVille Cheats & Tips Guide empires allies cheatsEmpires & Allies Cheats & Tips Guide
Click here to play Adventure World on Facebook Now >
Do you have any more Adventure World Cheats & Tips? Or looking for friends to play the game with? Leave a post in the comments below!
Adventure World is nothing like FarmVille, CityVille, or any of Zynga's other games. But luckily we have the Adventure World cheats and tips to get you through the game without a hitch. Whether you're an Adventure World know-it-all or you're just getting started, I guarantee you'll learn all kinds of cheats, tricks, and more from our Adventure World Cheats & Tips Guide.
Older posts can be found at the bottom of the list.
adventure world cheats cave of montezumaAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Cave of Montezuma Guide
adventure world cheats ram runnerAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Ram Runner Guide adventure world cheats tool upgradeAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Tool Upgrade Guide
adventure world cheats mountain pasAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Mountain Pass Expedition Guide adventure world cheats deep jungleAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Deep Jungle Quests Guide
adventure world cheats avatar clothesAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Avatar Appearance Guide adventure world cheats base camp expansionAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Base Camp Expansion Guide
adventure world cheats expedition masteryAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Expedition Mastery Guide adventure world cheats zynga faq questionsAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
FAQ - Zynga answers our questions
adventure world cheats jungle runAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Jungle Run Expedition Guide adventure world cheats snake marshAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Snake Marsh Expedition Guide
adventure world cheats quests prologueAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Prologue Quests Guide adventure world cheats previewAdventure World Cheats & Tips:
Preview
Check out our other guides:
cityville cheats guideCityVille Cheats & Tips Guide empires allies cheatsEmpires & Allies Cheats & Tips Guide
Click here to play Adventure World on Facebook Now >
Do you have any more Adventure World Cheats & Tips? Or looking for friends to play the game with? Leave a post in the comments below!
Idle Games shows first game Idle Worship's true social colors [Video]
Since co-founding social game hit maker Playdom, Rick Thompson has grown tired of the friend bar beneath Faecbook games. No, scratch that: He's grown tired of the way traditional Facebook games operate ... period. His contempt for this arguably tired form of Facebook game has helped spawn Idle Games and its first ever Facebook game, Idle Worship.
We first heard word of the potentially revolutionary social game way back in April, and Idle Games has launched the game into a closed beta test before presenting it to the audience of TechCrunch Disrupt, an event in San Francisco celebrating tech startups ran by TechCrunch. The overall gameplay of Idle Worship hasn't changed since we first heard about it, but now we have fancy video that reveals more of what the game is all about.
Through Idle Games's Idle Engine, Idle Worship does away with the friend found in almost all social games. Instead, your island of Mudlings (the people you oversee with either benevolence or tyranny) will be surrounded by not only your friends' islands, but players' islands based on how their Facebook profiles match up with your own.
Going even further, the game will slowly curate which of your friendships are stronger by bringing more active friends closer to your island, which is always at the center, and pushing your inactive friends away from your island. And, according to Idle Games CEO Jeffrey Hyman, your interactions with your friends will send ripples throughout the entire game in real time.
Through innovations like these, Hyman aims for Idle Games to become "the Pixar of casual games," according to TechCrunch. To better understand what we mean, check out Hyman's presentation below, and sign up for the ongoing closed beta test of the game right here.
Do you plan on signing up for the closed beta test of Idle Worship? What excites you most (or doesn't excite you) about the game? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
We first heard word of the potentially revolutionary social game way back in April, and Idle Games has launched the game into a closed beta test before presenting it to the audience of TechCrunch Disrupt, an event in San Francisco celebrating tech startups ran by TechCrunch. The overall gameplay of Idle Worship hasn't changed since we first heard about it, but now we have fancy video that reveals more of what the game is all about.
Through Idle Games's Idle Engine, Idle Worship does away with the friend found in almost all social games. Instead, your island of Mudlings (the people you oversee with either benevolence or tyranny) will be surrounded by not only your friends' islands, but players' islands based on how their Facebook profiles match up with your own.
Going even further, the game will slowly curate which of your friendships are stronger by bringing more active friends closer to your island, which is always at the center, and pushing your inactive friends away from your island. And, according to Idle Games CEO Jeffrey Hyman, your interactions with your friends will send ripples throughout the entire game in real time.
Through innovations like these, Hyman aims for Idle Games to become "the Pixar of casual games," according to TechCrunch. To better understand what we mean, check out Hyman's presentation below, and sign up for the ongoing closed beta test of the game right here.
Do you plan on signing up for the closed beta test of Idle Worship? What excites you most (or doesn't excite you) about the game? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Why are we so hooked on Angry Birds? It's science [Infographic]
We already know that Rovio and its Angry Birds are poised to do battle with Zynga for global gaming domination. The iPhone-game-turned-everywhere-game has become millions' preferred time-waster on the run. But there's one thing we just can't seem to put our finger on: Why? An infographic put together by Ask Your Target Marketing attempts to answer this question with two forms of science (though, the latter of which is debatable in some circles): psychology and sociology.
But before we get into that, some basics. According to 1,000 surveyed Angry Birds players, men are 35 percent more likely to buy Angry Birds than women, and 18 to 24-year-olds are 33 percent more likely to buy the game than those 25 or older. Here's an interesting finding: gamers collectively play Angry Birds an average of 200 million minutes per day--that amounts to 16 collective years of flinging agitated avian creatures every hour of every day.
While just 15 percent of players feel addicted to the game often when playing and an even smaller 13 percent say they feel addicted always, a whopping 54 percent say they feel addicted occasionally. OK, so we get it: We're hooked by their angry talons. Now, how in the world did this happen? Simply put, it makes us feel good.
Out of 1,000 people who played Angry Birds 25 or more times, 32 percent of them felt "somewhat relaxed" after an Angry Birds session, while 23 percent said to have felt "very relaxed" after launching the birds into the amorphous green pigs. But generally speaking, 58 percent of Angry Birds players reported their mood to be improved after playing the game, while 37 percent said their mood was unchanged.
This is thanks to an amazing strange little thing called dopamine, which our brains put out on overdrive in anticipation of reward, according to the infographic. This massive release of dopamine makes us want to know just what will happen after letting that next bird careen into some wooden planks.
For 12 percent of players, the addiction has been so bad that they were forced to delete the game from their phones, while another 12 percent have merely considered that drastic measure as an option. The other 76 percent just keep playing, apparently. Good idea, you not-so-jovial bird junkies. Find the full infographic below, and click it to make it larger.
[Via Scribbal]
[Image Credit: ThinkGeek]
Are you hooked on Angry Birds? Do you think this infographic does a good enough job of explaining why you're addicted to the game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Angry Birds infographic
But before we get into that, some basics. According to 1,000 surveyed Angry Birds players, men are 35 percent more likely to buy Angry Birds than women, and 18 to 24-year-olds are 33 percent more likely to buy the game than those 25 or older. Here's an interesting finding: gamers collectively play Angry Birds an average of 200 million minutes per day--that amounts to 16 collective years of flinging agitated avian creatures every hour of every day.
While just 15 percent of players feel addicted to the game often when playing and an even smaller 13 percent say they feel addicted always, a whopping 54 percent say they feel addicted occasionally. OK, so we get it: We're hooked by their angry talons. Now, how in the world did this happen? Simply put, it makes us feel good.
Out of 1,000 people who played Angry Birds 25 or more times, 32 percent of them felt "somewhat relaxed" after an Angry Birds session, while 23 percent said to have felt "very relaxed" after launching the birds into the amorphous green pigs. But generally speaking, 58 percent of Angry Birds players reported their mood to be improved after playing the game, while 37 percent said their mood was unchanged.
This is thanks to an amazing strange little thing called dopamine, which our brains put out on overdrive in anticipation of reward, according to the infographic. This massive release of dopamine makes us want to know just what will happen after letting that next bird careen into some wooden planks.
For 12 percent of players, the addiction has been so bad that they were forced to delete the game from their phones, while another 12 percent have merely considered that drastic measure as an option. The other 76 percent just keep playing, apparently. Good idea, you not-so-jovial bird junkies. Find the full infographic below, and click it to make it larger.
[Via Scribbal]
[Image Credit: ThinkGeek]
Are you hooked on Angry Birds? Do you think this infographic does a good enough job of explaining why you're addicted to the game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Angry Birds infographic
BringIt puts games in your Facebook games, so you can ... gamble?
If you're the type who enjoys wasting their money gambling, have we got some news for you. In select Facebook games by CrowdStar, East Side Games, Sometrics and Mall World, you can wager your hard-earned, paid game currency with your friends in custom mini games by BringIt. A real-time transactional platform for social games, BringIt announced that its head-to-head competitions for virtual currency are now available in games from these developers.
According to BringIt, 8 million players have participated in these mini games within their favorite social games, and the asynchronous, head-to-head competitions will increase their number of daily players to 2.1 million. Players can wager any amount of virtual currency they choose, and post challenges to multiple friends at once. These challenges are sent to players who then can respond with their own wagers and post their scores in said games--the winner takes all.
For instance, Happy Aquarium fans can now challenge each other in a game of match-three, Aqua Blast, which is strikingly similar to Bejeweled. Using speed and various power ups, players must score as many points as possible in 60 seconds after wagering so many Pearls (the game's paid currency). Then, players can post that score to whomever's News Feed that they challenged.
If a friend responds with a wager of Pearls and a score that beats the challenger's score, they win whatever the challenger wagered. If the friend happens to score less than what the challenger did, then whoever posted the challenge wins whatever amount of Pearls that the loser wagered.
Payments are said to be posted automatically, but as of Sept. 11, there have been issues with the speed of payment, though BringIt is cataloging all payments to ensure that all winnings are met with payments. (At least this applies to Happy Aquarium.) Other BringIt partners like East Side Games, have different BringIt-powered mini games such as Gold Rush in Pot Farm.
Developers like East Side Games hope to make lots of dough from this form of in-game gambling. BringIt claims that the novelty of wagering paid currency could turn more freeloading social gamers into ones that pay up to play. And we guess it's all kosher, because the money at stake isn't "real" money. Though, if you paid for it with real cash originally, it kind of is, no?
Would you ever gamble wager your hard-earned Pearls or other paid currency in these mini games by BringIt? What are your thoughts on online wagering, generally speaking? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
According to BringIt, 8 million players have participated in these mini games within their favorite social games, and the asynchronous, head-to-head competitions will increase their number of daily players to 2.1 million. Players can wager any amount of virtual currency they choose, and post challenges to multiple friends at once. These challenges are sent to players who then can respond with their own wagers and post their scores in said games--the winner takes all.
For instance, Happy Aquarium fans can now challenge each other in a game of match-three, Aqua Blast, which is strikingly similar to Bejeweled. Using speed and various power ups, players must score as many points as possible in 60 seconds after wagering so many Pearls (the game's paid currency). Then, players can post that score to whomever's News Feed that they challenged.
If a friend responds with a wager of Pearls and a score that beats the challenger's score, they win whatever the challenger wagered. If the friend happens to score less than what the challenger did, then whoever posted the challenge wins whatever amount of Pearls that the loser wagered.
Payments are said to be posted automatically, but as of Sept. 11, there have been issues with the speed of payment, though BringIt is cataloging all payments to ensure that all winnings are met with payments. (At least this applies to Happy Aquarium.) Other BringIt partners like East Side Games, have different BringIt-powered mini games such as Gold Rush in Pot Farm.
Developers like East Side Games hope to make lots of dough from this form of in-game gambling. BringIt claims that the novelty of wagering paid currency could turn more freeloading social gamers into ones that pay up to play. And we guess it's all kosher, because the money at stake isn't "real" money. Though, if you paid for it with real cash originally, it kind of is, no?
Would you ever gamble wager your hard-earned Pearls or other paid currency in these mini games by BringIt? What are your thoughts on online wagering, generally speaking? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
NBA Legend creator Lionside bought out by Ngmoco [Updated]
Update: An ngmoco spokesperson confirmed the news to ISG: "We can confirm that ngmoco has acquired the Lionside team. The terms of the agreement are undisclosed. We are very excited to have Lionside join the ngmoco and DeNA family. They are working on new products for the Mobage social gaming platform, bringing their passion and experience to our continuously expanding first party development capabilities."
Neither side seems to want anyone to know about it just yet, but signs are pointing toward a buyout in the works between ngmoco and Lionside. Inside Social Games reports that, according to numerous Lionside employee Linkedin pages, a shuttered website, an inactive Twitter account and Facebook games that simply aren't operational, ngmoco may have acquired the San Francisco-based company.
A tipster pointed ISG toward the Linkedin pages of Lionside VP of Business Operations Michael McBride and European Account Manager Kane Curran, both of which read that Lionside has been acquired by ngmoco. Not to mention that Lionside CEO Brandon Barber's Google+ profile reads, "Lionside & ngmoco marketing and product guy."
To add to the mountain of evidence that Lionside has potentially been acquired by ngmoco, the company's official website has been taken down. And neither NBA Legend nor Lionside Football are available to play, the former of which is "being enhanced," according to a page that has replaced the actual game on Facebook.
Unfortunately, both games have been performing poorly, garnering a mere total of just over 367,000 monthly players, according to AppData. So, this begs the question: If Lionside has been acquired by ngmoco, just what would the studio be up to in its new capacity? Ngmoco, since it was purchased by Japanese social gaming giant DeNA earlier this year, has been working diligently on a global version of the publisher's Mobage mobile social games network, which was just released for Android.
So, our best guess is that Lionside would be working on mobile social games to be played on the Mobage network, though it doesn't seem that Lionside has ever worked in mobile games as a company (official information from the company is unavailable at the moment). We've contacted Lionside for comment.
Are you convinced that ngmoco has purchased Lionside? What do you think or hope the studio will do for ngmoco and DeNA as a result? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Neither side seems to want anyone to know about it just yet, but signs are pointing toward a buyout in the works between ngmoco and Lionside. Inside Social Games reports that, according to numerous Lionside employee Linkedin pages, a shuttered website, an inactive Twitter account and Facebook games that simply aren't operational, ngmoco may have acquired the San Francisco-based company.
A tipster pointed ISG toward the Linkedin pages of Lionside VP of Business Operations Michael McBride and European Account Manager Kane Curran, both of which read that Lionside has been acquired by ngmoco. Not to mention that Lionside CEO Brandon Barber's Google+ profile reads, "Lionside & ngmoco marketing and product guy."
To add to the mountain of evidence that Lionside has potentially been acquired by ngmoco, the company's official website has been taken down. And neither NBA Legend nor Lionside Football are available to play, the former of which is "being enhanced," according to a page that has replaced the actual game on Facebook.
Unfortunately, both games have been performing poorly, garnering a mere total of just over 367,000 monthly players, according to AppData. So, this begs the question: If Lionside has been acquired by ngmoco, just what would the studio be up to in its new capacity? Ngmoco, since it was purchased by Japanese social gaming giant DeNA earlier this year, has been working diligently on a global version of the publisher's Mobage mobile social games network, which was just released for Android.
So, our best guess is that Lionside would be working on mobile social games to be played on the Mobage network, though it doesn't seem that Lionside has ever worked in mobile games as a company (official information from the company is unavailable at the moment). We've contacted Lionside for comment.
Are you convinced that ngmoco has purchased Lionside? What do you think or hope the studio will do for ngmoco and DeNA as a result? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Joelr's Floating Farm Illusion is king of the hill
FarmVille landscape designer Joelr is literally king of the hill and top of the heap, thanks to his "Floating Uphill illusion [sic]" farm. With all the awesome 3D looking farms out there, it's easy to forget that what you see is actually flat, and that it takes a lot of creativity and imagination to pull off any kind of depth in these landscapes.
Central to Joelr's bag of tricks is clever positioning. The "shadow" that allows the top of his hill to float is obviously made of black hay bales.The illusion of rounded hillsides is created by putting all the farm plots on a diagonal. Basically, you put one down and keep scooting each one a bit more over than the previous one. When you get enough of these off-kilter, the edges start to appear curved. To give the effect even more of a boost, the fences bordering the hillsides are 'stacked' higher on the top than on the bottom, while the bottom has more pieces. (Remember, there is no real stacking on FarmVille!)
It's all about layers, people -- basic visual engineering. In fact, methods such as this are great, because you can use the same techniques over and over again. There are no fancy items here, aside for decorative purposes. I'd like to see someone rework this so that it looks like a giant UFO saucer beaming up cows.
BONUS: Check out this interview to learn more about Joelr and the creation of this farm.
Are you impressed? Because we certainly are. What else do you think would work for a floating hill illusion? 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!
Central to Joelr's bag of tricks is clever positioning. The "shadow" that allows the top of his hill to float is obviously made of black hay bales.The illusion of rounded hillsides is created by putting all the farm plots on a diagonal. Basically, you put one down and keep scooting each one a bit more over than the previous one. When you get enough of these off-kilter, the edges start to appear curved. To give the effect even more of a boost, the fences bordering the hillsides are 'stacked' higher on the top than on the bottom, while the bottom has more pieces. (Remember, there is no real stacking on FarmVille!)
It's all about layers, people -- basic visual engineering. In fact, methods such as this are great, because you can use the same techniques over and over again. There are no fancy items here, aside for decorative purposes. I'd like to see someone rework this so that it looks like a giant UFO saucer beaming up cows.
BONUS: Check out this interview to learn more about Joelr and the creation of this farm.
Are you impressed? Because we certainly are. What else do you think would work for a floating hill illusion? 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!
CityVille Ride the Rapids Timed Goal: Everything you need to know
A new timed goal has launched in CityVille, that sees Paul hoping to enjoy one last outing in the summer heat by taking a ride on the rapids. Of course, the goal is called "Ride the Rapids," and it comes with just a 24 hour time limit, if you're looking for the biggest (and best) prizes.
Before Paul can take off on his adventure, you'll need to help him prepare by gathering quite a few ingredients. Luckily, these three tasks do seem doable in the 24 hour time period, at least more so than others that require you to grow crops.
Get 8 Paddles
Visit 15 Unique Neighbors
Collect from 80 Businesses
It doesn't seem to matter how many businesses you collect from repeatedly, so if I were you, I'd simply collect from some of the least profitable businesses tons of time to reach the 80 businesses total quicker. As for the paddles, they're earned via a general news post on your wall that any of your friends can respond to.
If you complete these three tasks within 24 hours, you'll receive the Gold Trophy, 2,300 coins, 1,100 Goods and 48 XP. For finishing after the first 24 hours, but within 72 hours of starting this goal, you'll earn the Silver Trophy, 2,300 coins and 1,100 Goods, but no experience points. Finally, if you finish these tasks at any point after the first 72 hours have passed, you'll receive 1,100 Goods. Either way, you'll receive plenty of Goods to pay you back for the Goods you spent in completing these tasks, so it isn't all bad.
There doesn't look to be a time limit for how long you'll have to accept this goal, so feel free to finish some other projects in your city before tackling it, if it makes you feel better.
What do you think of the Ride the Rapids Timed Goal? Is it the easiest timed goal yet, or the hardest? Sound off in the comments.
Before Paul can take off on his adventure, you'll need to help him prepare by gathering quite a few ingredients. Luckily, these three tasks do seem doable in the 24 hour time period, at least more so than others that require you to grow crops.
Get 8 Paddles
Visit 15 Unique Neighbors
Collect from 80 Businesses
It doesn't seem to matter how many businesses you collect from repeatedly, so if I were you, I'd simply collect from some of the least profitable businesses tons of time to reach the 80 businesses total quicker. As for the paddles, they're earned via a general news post on your wall that any of your friends can respond to.
If you complete these three tasks within 24 hours, you'll receive the Gold Trophy, 2,300 coins, 1,100 Goods and 48 XP. For finishing after the first 24 hours, but within 72 hours of starting this goal, you'll earn the Silver Trophy, 2,300 coins and 1,100 Goods, but no experience points. Finally, if you finish these tasks at any point after the first 72 hours have passed, you'll receive 1,100 Goods. Either way, you'll receive plenty of Goods to pay you back for the Goods you spent in completing these tasks, so it isn't all bad.
There doesn't look to be a time limit for how long you'll have to accept this goal, so feel free to finish some other projects in your city before tackling it, if it makes you feel better.
What do you think of the Ride the Rapids Timed Goal? Is it the easiest timed goal yet, or the hardest? Sound off in the comments.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Honoring 9/11 on barbs0803's memorial farm
WTC The SphereLast month, FarmVille player barbs0803 submitted the above farm entry with the caption: "My tribute to 911 Never forget those we have lost". Now seems to be the appropriate time to share it. This 9/11 tribute farm shows the towers on the day of their collapse, complete with fire and smoke, made out of what appears to be Maple, Yellow Maple, and Rainbow Trees that aren't in bloom. The smaller explosions are Outdoor Torches from last June's Tiki theme set. But to the right, barbs0803 has also included two reflecting pools crafted with bales of hay, a design based on the real 9/11 memorial plans, which involves pools built into the footprints of the original towers and surrounded by oak trees. These two centerpieces tell a story of before and after.
On the top left corner, Fleur de lis Trees are made to resemble golden laurels bordering a flag of the Great Seal of the United States. The rest of the farm is filled in by Forget-Me-Nots, reinforcing the memorial theme. It also proves that barbs0803 is at least a Level 90 player, because those flowers can't be planted otherwise. For a final bit of detail, barbs0803 added a statue between the towers, to resemble The Sphere, a sculpture that resided beneath the WTC and was damaged beyond repair on the day of the attack. However, there's one mistake that's immediately noticeable -- the use of Light Poles as antennas on both towers, since only the north tower, Tower One, had that feature.
Here in New York, it's hard to hide from the memory of September 11th, especially with its 10th anniversary on this coming Sunday. Personally, I feel the absence of the towers most strongly when I'm riding west on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The twin towers were the most prominent and recognizable part of the lower Manhattan skyline. It's taken the city a decade to build a permanent memorial, which is finally opening to the public after this weekend. For those of you who can't make it, we'll always have barbs0803's farm.
Do you think a FarmVille farm is an appropriate way to memorialize September 11th? Can you identify the parts that barbs0803 used to create the towers? 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!
On the top left corner, Fleur de lis Trees are made to resemble golden laurels bordering a flag of the Great Seal of the United States. The rest of the farm is filled in by Forget-Me-Nots, reinforcing the memorial theme. It also proves that barbs0803 is at least a Level 90 player, because those flowers can't be planted otherwise. For a final bit of detail, barbs0803 added a statue between the towers, to resemble The Sphere, a sculpture that resided beneath the WTC and was damaged beyond repair on the day of the attack. However, there's one mistake that's immediately noticeable -- the use of Light Poles as antennas on both towers, since only the north tower, Tower One, had that feature.
Here in New York, it's hard to hide from the memory of September 11th, especially with its 10th anniversary on this coming Sunday. Personally, I feel the absence of the towers most strongly when I'm riding west on the Brooklyn Queens Expressway. The twin towers were the most prominent and recognizable part of the lower Manhattan skyline. It's taken the city a decade to build a permanent memorial, which is finally opening to the public after this weekend. For those of you who can't make it, we'll always have barbs0803's farm.
Do you think a FarmVille farm is an appropriate way to memorialize September 11th? Can you identify the parts that barbs0803 used to create the towers? 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!
The Sims Social beats FarmVille, attracts second most daily players
Boy, people sure do love to play god. According to Appdata, The Sims Social has surpassed Zynga's iconic FarmVille with the second most daily players of any Facebook game. Since its launch just a month ago today, EA and Playfish's ambitious social rendition of The Sims has amassed over 9.3 million daily players--that's over 1 million more than FarmVille's 8.1 million.
The Sims Social still has a way to go to the number one spot, which is, of course, held by Zynga's most popular game CityVille at just under 14 million daily players. Regardless, it's unprecedented for a game to grow this quickly in daily players, at least for a game that wasn't built by Zynga. Not to mention this is despite the hiccups the game faced along the way including days worth of downtime.
So, that's the power of The Sims, huh? Well, not so fast. While The Sims Social has certainly showed its might when it comes to gripping players (and keeping them there ... so far), the game is still in fourth place in terms of monthly players at just over 34.3 million. This number could grow in time naturally as daily players spread the word and through advertising, but it's nevertheless telling of the limits a Facebook game faces when it doesn't have a massive existing player base, like Zynga's games.
In other words, EA and Playfish have quite a lot of work ahead of them, if they want The Sims Social to be on top in all regards. But judging from the game's performance thus far despite its early setbacks--and in the face of the most popular Facebook games to date--perhaps Simlish could become the dominant language in Facebook gaming.
Have you been one of the over 9 million locked into The Sims Social? What do you think of the game so far? Share with us in the comments.Add Comment
The Sims Social still has a way to go to the number one spot, which is, of course, held by Zynga's most popular game CityVille at just under 14 million daily players. Regardless, it's unprecedented for a game to grow this quickly in daily players, at least for a game that wasn't built by Zynga. Not to mention this is despite the hiccups the game faced along the way including days worth of downtime.
So, that's the power of The Sims, huh? Well, not so fast. While The Sims Social has certainly showed its might when it comes to gripping players (and keeping them there ... so far), the game is still in fourth place in terms of monthly players at just over 34.3 million. This number could grow in time naturally as daily players spread the word and through advertising, but it's nevertheless telling of the limits a Facebook game faces when it doesn't have a massive existing player base, like Zynga's games.
In other words, EA and Playfish have quite a lot of work ahead of them, if they want The Sims Social to be on top in all regards. But judging from the game's performance thus far despite its early setbacks--and in the face of the most popular Facebook games to date--perhaps Simlish could become the dominant language in Facebook gaming.
Have you been one of the over 9 million locked into The Sims Social? What do you think of the game so far? Share with us in the comments.Add Comment
Zynga Mobile steals away Disney Interactive exec Adam Sussman
Just despicable: When Zynga isn't buying out companies, it's downright hiring buying out people. According to paidContent, Disney Games SVP Adam Sussman has left the company to join Zynga Mobile, which Disney confirmed to paidContent's Staci D. Kramer. Sussman joined Disney Interactive Media Group (DIMG) in January of this year, coming from EA's mobile division.
The former SVP was responsible for global publishing at Disney's games department, but paidContent believes Sussman will focus solely on mobile games while with Zynga Mobile, working under David Ko. In his move to Zynga Mobile, Sussman joins former Playdom VP of global distribution Paul LaFontaine as the second Disney Games executive to leave this week alone.
Companies like Disney, EA and similar major gaming companies have suffered several losses of high-level executives--including EA COO John Schappert (which has since been confirmed)--to Zynga and other competitors this year. Even a delayed IPO (initial public offering) can't scare high-level games industry execs away from the big red dog.
The continuous string of bad news already had analysts questioning whether Disney and Playdom could hang with its competitors months ago, and the fact that the company is having trouble holding onto its key players doesn't help today. Despite its losses, games like Gardens of Times do consistently well for Disney Playdom.
So, perhaps there is still hope for the company that it can squeeze out another hit and continue to hang with the top five Facebook game developers. You know, another hit like ... a Facebook game actually revolving around Disney characters? (Um ... duh?)
[Image Credit: Disney]
Do you think Disney Playdom can still compete with Zynga, EA and Wooga despite its losses and worried analysts? Why do you think the developer has yet to make a Facebook game using Disney characters? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
The former SVP was responsible for global publishing at Disney's games department, but paidContent believes Sussman will focus solely on mobile games while with Zynga Mobile, working under David Ko. In his move to Zynga Mobile, Sussman joins former Playdom VP of global distribution Paul LaFontaine as the second Disney Games executive to leave this week alone.
Companies like Disney, EA and similar major gaming companies have suffered several losses of high-level executives--including EA COO John Schappert (which has since been confirmed)--to Zynga and other competitors this year. Even a delayed IPO (initial public offering) can't scare high-level games industry execs away from the big red dog.
The continuous string of bad news already had analysts questioning whether Disney and Playdom could hang with its competitors months ago, and the fact that the company is having trouble holding onto its key players doesn't help today. Despite its losses, games like Gardens of Times do consistently well for Disney Playdom.
So, perhaps there is still hope for the company that it can squeeze out another hit and continue to hang with the top five Facebook game developers. You know, another hit like ... a Facebook game actually revolving around Disney characters? (Um ... duh?)
[Image Credit: Disney]
Do you think Disney Playdom can still compete with Zynga, EA and Wooga despite its losses and worried analysts? Why do you think the developer has yet to make a Facebook game using Disney characters? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Adventure World Jungle Run Expedition: Everything you need to know
Just yesterday, Zynga dropped their biggest Facebook game yet - Adventure World, which sees you tackling an adventure leading to the opening of the lost city of El Dorado through a main storyline and series of Expeditions. These expeditions are repeatable, and will see you tackling a series of specific quests on different maps. In our third Expedition, available at Level 5, we're asked to make our way through Jungle Run, which has a two day time limit. You'll need 150 Supplies, along with a single unit of Food, Fuel and Water to make your way through the Expedition, and your maximum final prizes are 880 coins and 1 Fuel (along with the XP and coins, etc. that you'll earn by simply making your way through the Expedition's quests).
Get to the Finish!
Get the First Champion's Sunstone
Get the Second Champion's Sunstone
Get the Third Champion's Sunstone
Get the Fourth Champion's Sunstone
In Jungle Run, you're presented with an ancient obstacle course, and must make your way to the finish line (the end of the map) while collecting four "Chamption Sunstones." If you can't see them on your own while traveling through the map (some blend in with their surroundings), then just enter into the Quest Menu above and click on the "Show Me" button to have the camera pan to the item's location.
Clear the Obstacles!
Clear 5 Sprung Spike Traps
Use 5 Banana Peels to Clean Up
As you go along the path, you'll find wooden spikes sticking up from the ground and must whack them with your Machete to clear them. They're fairly tall, so you should have no problem spotting them on the paths in front of you. As for the Banana Peels, these are rather small, and a very pale yellow, so you may need to really scan the landscape to find enough.
Take a Breather
Investigate 3 Hidden Rest Stops
Get 3 Azure Skulls
Get 5 Ruby Vases
Ask friends for 3 Fly Swatters
In this Expedition, we find our first friend request task, which should be taken incredibly seriously, as remember - you're on a time limit of two days to finish all three quests. Specifically, these Fly Swatters are earned by sending out individual gift requests to your friends. If you don't have very many friends that have jumped into Adventure World with you, this might be a bit difficult to complete, so make sure to check and see if your friends have started playing before panicking.
As for the hidden rest stops, they are hidden behind groups of clouds. Just click on the land next to the clouds and the clouds will clear automatically as you approach. From there, just click on the blue Azure Skull and you'll complete the "discovery" of that hidden rest stop.
Once you complete these three quests, you will have finished the ancient obstacle course and will be rewarded with your prizes. Remember, you can replay these Expeditions at any time (that is, if you have the Supplies necessary to leave Base Camp), so if you find one that you particularly like, keep playing it over and over to raise your level and become a better adventurer! Happy travels!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Jungle Run Expedition in Adventure World? Have you started or finished this Expedition yet? Let us know in the comments.
Get to the Finish!
Get the First Champion's Sunstone
Get the Second Champion's Sunstone
Get the Third Champion's Sunstone
Get the Fourth Champion's Sunstone
In Jungle Run, you're presented with an ancient obstacle course, and must make your way to the finish line (the end of the map) while collecting four "Chamption Sunstones." If you can't see them on your own while traveling through the map (some blend in with their surroundings), then just enter into the Quest Menu above and click on the "Show Me" button to have the camera pan to the item's location.
Clear the Obstacles!
Clear 5 Sprung Spike Traps
Use 5 Banana Peels to Clean Up
As you go along the path, you'll find wooden spikes sticking up from the ground and must whack them with your Machete to clear them. They're fairly tall, so you should have no problem spotting them on the paths in front of you. As for the Banana Peels, these are rather small, and a very pale yellow, so you may need to really scan the landscape to find enough.
Take a Breather
Investigate 3 Hidden Rest Stops
Get 3 Azure Skulls
Get 5 Ruby Vases
Ask friends for 3 Fly Swatters
In this Expedition, we find our first friend request task, which should be taken incredibly seriously, as remember - you're on a time limit of two days to finish all three quests. Specifically, these Fly Swatters are earned by sending out individual gift requests to your friends. If you don't have very many friends that have jumped into Adventure World with you, this might be a bit difficult to complete, so make sure to check and see if your friends have started playing before panicking.
As for the hidden rest stops, they are hidden behind groups of clouds. Just click on the land next to the clouds and the clouds will clear automatically as you approach. From there, just click on the blue Azure Skull and you'll complete the "discovery" of that hidden rest stop.
Once you complete these three quests, you will have finished the ancient obstacle course and will be rewarded with your prizes. Remember, you can replay these Expeditions at any time (that is, if you have the Supplies necessary to leave Base Camp), so if you find one that you particularly like, keep playing it over and over to raise your level and become a better adventurer! Happy travels!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Jungle Run Expedition in Adventure World? Have you started or finished this Expedition yet? Let us know in the comments.
FarmVille Upgrade window asks for permission to publish app activity to the ticker [UPDATE]
Many FarmVille players, myself included, were recently met with a new FarmVille Upgrade window upon entering their farms. We were asked to give Zynga (via the FarmVille app) our permission to publish games and app activity... but to where? According to the in-game pop-up, this all points to the new Facebook Games Ticker (which, as we reported earlier, can be considered a way for your friends to stalk you while online).
This ticker will show your friends when you've logged into a specific app, such as FarmVille, or can simply be used as a way to prove that you're online (and are capable of accepting their requests or messages) without you needing to be signed into Facebook Chat. Either way, the details about this FarmVille Upgrade were incredibly shaky when it comes to privacy, as are most other things when it comes to Facebook.
As usual, the general rule of thumb is to never store or publish information on Facebook that you wouldn't be comfortable with the entire world seeing, regardless of how locked down your profile may be to "strangers." For these specific options, though, you can see exactly what Zynga is asking for below. It all looks pretty straightforward, and looks like permissions we've given the developer before.
Since things are so cryptic, this also could be a precursor to the upcoming ability to add FarmVille neighbors that aren't your Facebook friends. Either way, your gameplay experience shouldn't change when allowing these "upgrades" to occur, so if you're confident about what you're sharing online, feel free to do just that.
UPDATE: Zynga has commented officially on the pop-up, since it caused confusion. Here's their statement:
Hey Farmers! You may have seen our latest message 'FarmVille Upgrade', and we'd like to assure you it is not spam, nor will clicking "OK" affect what is posted on your Newsfeed. We're simply only collecting permissions to better enhance your game play, by allowing you to view your game achievements and other special events using some of Facebook's new channels. We will be slowly rolling out these features over the next several weeks, so please stay tuned for new enhancements!
What do you think these FarmVille Upgrades really stand for? Did you receive the pop-up on your farm? Did you allow or refuse Zynga's latest request for your information? Sound off in the comments.
This ticker will show your friends when you've logged into a specific app, such as FarmVille, or can simply be used as a way to prove that you're online (and are capable of accepting their requests or messages) without you needing to be signed into Facebook Chat. Either way, the details about this FarmVille Upgrade were incredibly shaky when it comes to privacy, as are most other things when it comes to Facebook.
As usual, the general rule of thumb is to never store or publish information on Facebook that you wouldn't be comfortable with the entire world seeing, regardless of how locked down your profile may be to "strangers." For these specific options, though, you can see exactly what Zynga is asking for below. It all looks pretty straightforward, and looks like permissions we've given the developer before.
Since things are so cryptic, this also could be a precursor to the upcoming ability to add FarmVille neighbors that aren't your Facebook friends. Either way, your gameplay experience shouldn't change when allowing these "upgrades" to occur, so if you're confident about what you're sharing online, feel free to do just that.
UPDATE: Zynga has commented officially on the pop-up, since it caused confusion. Here's their statement:
Hey Farmers! You may have seen our latest message 'FarmVille Upgrade', and we'd like to assure you it is not spam, nor will clicking "OK" affect what is posted on your Newsfeed. We're simply only collecting permissions to better enhance your game play, by allowing you to view your game achievements and other special events using some of Facebook's new channels. We will be slowly rolling out these features over the next several weeks, so please stay tuned for new enhancements!
What do you think these FarmVille Upgrades really stand for? Did you receive the pop-up on your farm? Did you allow or refuse Zynga's latest request for your information? Sound off in the comments.
Monday, September 26, 2011
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Sneak Peek: Chandler Blueberry crops in the wild
Here we go again, farmers. More news about FarmVille's upcoming Lighthouse Cove has been released today by Zynga itself. This new "news" comes in the form of a single screenshot, containing two animals and an area of nine crops. To go along with this screenshot, we're given the following text:
Not only Lighthouse Cove will have exclusive animals, but there will also be new crops like the Lady Slipper and the Chandler Blueberry. Will you be ready to master more crops?
While we already knew that Chandler Blueberries existed, based on Mastery Signs we've previously seen, the Lady Slippers do look to be new. We can also spot two animals in this picture, with one looking to be a new kind of Rooster, and a fluffy gray sheep.
What we still haven't been able to determine is where exactly our farm will "end," and where the Cove landscaping will begin. In this new picture, the crops and sheep are placed incredibly close to the water, without a dark line separating interactive farmland from background picture. If this is deliberate, it opens up a whole world of possibilities for new game features out on the water, which would further explain why so much is going on out there in the Lighthouse Cove loading screen we discovered just days ago.
Whether this screenshot really sheds light on big features or not (I suppose it doesn't, depending on your viewpoint), it does continue to raise at least this farmer's hopes for something fantastic. We'll make sure to bring you all of the continued news about Lighthouse Cove as we know more, so keep checking back.
Are you excited about Lighthouse Cove? What sorts of themed items or activities are you looking forward to seeing in this new farm? Sound off in the comments!
Not only Lighthouse Cove will have exclusive animals, but there will also be new crops like the Lady Slipper and the Chandler Blueberry. Will you be ready to master more crops?
While we already knew that Chandler Blueberries existed, based on Mastery Signs we've previously seen, the Lady Slippers do look to be new. We can also spot two animals in this picture, with one looking to be a new kind of Rooster, and a fluffy gray sheep.
What we still haven't been able to determine is where exactly our farm will "end," and where the Cove landscaping will begin. In this new picture, the crops and sheep are placed incredibly close to the water, without a dark line separating interactive farmland from background picture. If this is deliberate, it opens up a whole world of possibilities for new game features out on the water, which would further explain why so much is going on out there in the Lighthouse Cove loading screen we discovered just days ago.
Whether this screenshot really sheds light on big features or not (I suppose it doesn't, depending on your viewpoint), it does continue to raise at least this farmer's hopes for something fantastic. We'll make sure to bring you all of the continued news about Lighthouse Cove as we know more, so keep checking back.
Are you excited about Lighthouse Cove? What sorts of themed items or activities are you looking forward to seeing in this new farm? Sound off in the comments!
FarmVille Animal Sanctuary Items: Acacia Tree, Red Kangaroo, Safari Tent and more
With tonight's FarmVille update, we see a continuation of the Animal Sanctuary theme containing a pair of new trees, some animals, decorations (Gnome-collectors watch out!) and more! As usual, we'll take a thorough look at these new items before we send you off to do some shopping of your own so you'll know exactly which items you want once you get there.
Trees
Acacia Tree - 7 Farm Cash
Candelabra Tree - 15 Farm Cash
First things first, Zynga has added level markers to all of the trees in the store, which is a welcome addition, even if a bit unnecessary. After all, I think we're all accustomed to Level 2 trees costing more in the store (in fact, this Candelabra Tree is the Level 2 tree of the pair), but a quick reminder before you spend Farm Cash is always nice. Just don't think that you have to purchase this Candelabra Tree, as you can use some patience and wait to receive one or more for free as Mystery Seedlings.
Animals
Red Kangaroo - 8 Farm Cash
Cassowary - 10 Farm Cash
Black Friesian - 35 Farm Cash
I don't know if Zynga is feeling generous, or if I happened to have stumbled upon a "low" period in their price testing routine, but the Kangaroo and Cassowary prices are far lower than those for most other animals released in the store. If you've wanted some exclusive animals, but didn't want to pay 20+ Farm Cash per animal, here's your chance. Again, if the prices are higher when you look in your own store, that's probably due to price testing and it can't be changed.
Buildings
Safari Tent - 20 Farm Cash
Again, for a building, this isn't a horrible price, as we've routinely seen items priced at 35 Farm Cash or more. Is this Safari Tent a bargain? Definitely not, but it's also not something that will entirely break the bank.
Decorations
Safari Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Sunset Flower - 4,000 coins
Safari Rock - 3 Farm Cash
With these items, Gnome collectors obviously have something to be excited about, but those shopping on a coins-only budget will likely walk away disappointed (yet again). It's not that the Sunset Flower isn't pretty, but with that being the only new coin item, frustration will (understandably) be high. Hopefully, with enough public outcry, we'll see a return of more coin-only items, but for now, we'll just have to accept Zynga's arguably greedy ways.
Avatar Clothing
Safari Outfit - 10 Farm Cash
All of these items will be in the game's store for the next two weeks. Shop now while you can, as there's no guarantee that any will return after they've been retired.
What do you think of these Animal Sanctuary items? Are you becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of coin items in these FarmVille updates, or are you used to Zynga's business practices? Sound off in the comments.
Trees
Acacia Tree - 7 Farm Cash
Candelabra Tree - 15 Farm Cash
First things first, Zynga has added level markers to all of the trees in the store, which is a welcome addition, even if a bit unnecessary. After all, I think we're all accustomed to Level 2 trees costing more in the store (in fact, this Candelabra Tree is the Level 2 tree of the pair), but a quick reminder before you spend Farm Cash is always nice. Just don't think that you have to purchase this Candelabra Tree, as you can use some patience and wait to receive one or more for free as Mystery Seedlings.
Animals
Red Kangaroo - 8 Farm Cash
Cassowary - 10 Farm Cash
Black Friesian - 35 Farm Cash
I don't know if Zynga is feeling generous, or if I happened to have stumbled upon a "low" period in their price testing routine, but the Kangaroo and Cassowary prices are far lower than those for most other animals released in the store. If you've wanted some exclusive animals, but didn't want to pay 20+ Farm Cash per animal, here's your chance. Again, if the prices are higher when you look in your own store, that's probably due to price testing and it can't be changed.
Buildings
Safari Tent - 20 Farm Cash
Again, for a building, this isn't a horrible price, as we've routinely seen items priced at 35 Farm Cash or more. Is this Safari Tent a bargain? Definitely not, but it's also not something that will entirely break the bank.
Decorations
Safari Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Sunset Flower - 4,000 coins
Safari Rock - 3 Farm Cash
With these items, Gnome collectors obviously have something to be excited about, but those shopping on a coins-only budget will likely walk away disappointed (yet again). It's not that the Sunset Flower isn't pretty, but with that being the only new coin item, frustration will (understandably) be high. Hopefully, with enough public outcry, we'll see a return of more coin-only items, but for now, we'll just have to accept Zynga's arguably greedy ways.
Avatar Clothing
Safari Outfit - 10 Farm Cash
All of these items will be in the game's store for the next two weeks. Shop now while you can, as there's no guarantee that any will return after they've been retired.
What do you think of these Animal Sanctuary items? Are you becoming increasingly frustrated by the lack of coin items in these FarmVille updates, or are you used to Zynga's business practices? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille birds take flight back into the store for a limited time
To go along with tonight's release of the Aviary Habitat in FarmVille comes the re-release of several birds to the game's store. You can purchase one or all of these birds for Farm Cash, but they'll only be available for a limited time. Here's a look at what's available. Note: while these animals have been released with the likely purpose of placing them inside your Aviary, that isn't mandatory. If you'd like to keep your feathered friends out to show off to your neighbors, feel free to do just that.
* Eider Duck - 20 Farm Cash
* Snow Goose - 16 Farm Cash
* Royal Guard Duck - 16 Farm Cash
* Modern Game Hen - 20 Farm Cash
* Campbell Duck - 16 Farm Cash
* Crested Duck - 16 Farm Cash
* Marans Chicken - 20 Farm Cash
* Pelican - 18 Farm Cash
As you can see, none of these animals are exactly cheap, but if you're going for those exclusive animal mastery signs, this is an opportunity you'll really want to consider. Just remember, these animals will only be around for another week, so shop now while you have a chance.
Will you purchase any of these re-released birds, or do you already have them on your land? Sound off in the comments.
* Eider Duck - 20 Farm Cash
* Snow Goose - 16 Farm Cash
* Royal Guard Duck - 16 Farm Cash
* Modern Game Hen - 20 Farm Cash
* Campbell Duck - 16 Farm Cash
* Crested Duck - 16 Farm Cash
* Marans Chicken - 20 Farm Cash
* Pelican - 18 Farm Cash
As you can see, none of these animals are exactly cheap, but if you're going for those exclusive animal mastery signs, this is an opportunity you'll really want to consider. Just remember, these animals will only be around for another week, so shop now while you have a chance.
Will you purchase any of these re-released birds, or do you already have them on your land? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Aviary Mystery Box offers re-released birds for your new habitat
If the re-released birds that have hit the FarmVille marketplace tonight aren't enough to stock your new Aviary habitat to capacity, why not take a look at the new Aviary Mystery Box that's also launched in the game? The Aviary Mystery Box contains re-released birds, with some of these birds having originally launched in the game back in March and April of this year. Needless to say, we haven't seen some of them for quite a while, so you'll want to keep them in mind when deciding whether or not to purchase a box.
Each Aviary Mystery Box costs 16 Farm Cash. You unfortunately have no guarantee that you won't end up with duplicates as you go for the complete set of six, but you can thankfully stop at any time should you decide the risk is too great. Here's a list of the six available birds:
* Chrome Duck
* White Stork
* Gray Heron
* Golfer Duck
* Gallic Rooster
* Tufted Duck
Again, these animals can all be stored inside your new Aviary habitat, but if you'd rather leave them outside to show off to your visiting neighbors, feel free to do that as well. Just make sure to purchase this box fast if you want any of the birds inside, as it will only be available for a week.
Will you purchase any of these Aviary Mystery Boxes? If you go for the full set of six, how many duplicates did you receive first? Which of these birds is your favorite? Sound off in the comments.
Each Aviary Mystery Box costs 16 Farm Cash. You unfortunately have no guarantee that you won't end up with duplicates as you go for the complete set of six, but you can thankfully stop at any time should you decide the risk is too great. Here's a list of the six available birds:
* Chrome Duck
* White Stork
* Gray Heron
* Golfer Duck
* Gallic Rooster
* Tufted Duck
Again, these animals can all be stored inside your new Aviary habitat, but if you'd rather leave them outside to show off to your visiting neighbors, feel free to do that as well. Just make sure to purchase this box fast if you want any of the birds inside, as it will only be available for a week.
Will you purchase any of these Aviary Mystery Boxes? If you go for the full set of six, how many duplicates did you receive first? Which of these birds is your favorite? Sound off in the comments.
Kingdoms & Quests looks like Zynga's next big game, a social RPG?
Update: Zynga has since taken down the support pages detailing Kingdoms & Quests. However, the "restricted" app still has a presence on Facebook.
And its worst-kept secret at that. Even before Adventure World has hit Facebook, it looks as if we already know a great deal about Zynga's next major social game. It's called Kingdoms & Quests, and at the moment is available only in Australia, according to brand new support pages for the game.
This is the first we're hearing of this new game, but a detailed guide for beginners reveals quite a lot about the unannounced Kingdoms & Quests. (You can try to access the game via Facebook, though you'll simply get a screen that reads, "Use of app 'Kingdoms & Quests' is restricted.")
First of all, we know that this game is a fantasy RPG (roleplaying game) in which players gain experience and resources like wood, coins and food through battling monsters as they clear the fog surrounding their kingdom. So, there will be a property management and expansion aspect to Kingdoms & Quests, but the support page drives home that combat is the focus in this game.
Like Empires & Allies before it, players will create a kingdom and populate it with combat units to do battle against monsters in turn-based bouts, though we doubt this game will focus on strategy like E&A does. That's namely because Zynga doesn't at all mention PvP (player vs player) combat nor does it mention large-scale encounters or having to defend your territory. In fact, it looks like you'll only be able to have four units in battle at a time.
Kingdoms & Quests art
Zynga uses language that implies that players will explore the land around them on quests, killing individual groups of monsters with supporting warriors. Furthermore, it looks like players will be able to micromanage their units through equipment either crafted or found during battle. It sounds as if each and every unit will be outfitted with unique weapons.
While PvP doesn't seem to be a part of Kingdoms & Quests, social interaction will, of course, be a major focus ... perhaps more so than in any Zynga game before it. "If a player has an element icon next to their name, rather than the home kingdom icon, you can visit them on their map and play Kingdoms & Quests with them in real-time," the support page reads. Surely Kingdoms & Quests will be a first for Zynga on many levels, and we're psyched to learn more. To see what this game will be about in detail, check out its support page right here.
[Via Mafia Wars Maniac]
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you excited for yet another new Zynga game? How do you think or hope Kingdoms & Quests will play? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
And its worst-kept secret at that. Even before Adventure World has hit Facebook, it looks as if we already know a great deal about Zynga's next major social game. It's called Kingdoms & Quests, and at the moment is available only in Australia, according to brand new support pages for the game.
This is the first we're hearing of this new game, but a detailed guide for beginners reveals quite a lot about the unannounced Kingdoms & Quests. (You can try to access the game via Facebook, though you'll simply get a screen that reads, "Use of app 'Kingdoms & Quests' is restricted.")
First of all, we know that this game is a fantasy RPG (roleplaying game) in which players gain experience and resources like wood, coins and food through battling monsters as they clear the fog surrounding their kingdom. So, there will be a property management and expansion aspect to Kingdoms & Quests, but the support page drives home that combat is the focus in this game.
Like Empires & Allies before it, players will create a kingdom and populate it with combat units to do battle against monsters in turn-based bouts, though we doubt this game will focus on strategy like E&A does. That's namely because Zynga doesn't at all mention PvP (player vs player) combat nor does it mention large-scale encounters or having to defend your territory. In fact, it looks like you'll only be able to have four units in battle at a time.
Kingdoms & Quests art
Zynga uses language that implies that players will explore the land around them on quests, killing individual groups of monsters with supporting warriors. Furthermore, it looks like players will be able to micromanage their units through equipment either crafted or found during battle. It sounds as if each and every unit will be outfitted with unique weapons.
While PvP doesn't seem to be a part of Kingdoms & Quests, social interaction will, of course, be a major focus ... perhaps more so than in any Zynga game before it. "If a player has an element icon next to their name, rather than the home kingdom icon, you can visit them on their map and play Kingdoms & Quests with them in real-time," the support page reads. Surely Kingdoms & Quests will be a first for Zynga on many levels, and we're psyched to learn more. To see what this game will be about in detail, check out its support page right here.
[Via Mafia Wars Maniac]
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you excited for yet another new Zynga game? How do you think or hope Kingdoms & Quests will play? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Sunday, September 25, 2011
BrainJewel on Facebook tests your brain in math and memory tasks
While many Facebook gamers have left school behind a long time ago, Chinese game developer TribePlay is hoping to reinvigorate our brains, testing how much we've remembered about math, along with testing our observational skills and memory in a new game called BrainJewel.
In BrainJewel, you're met with an Egyptian treasure map containing a series of levels or tests that include variations on basic memory games, and those that include basic math tasks from addition to division. Each mini-game can be mastered to a three star level, based on your score and as you earn more stars, you'll unlock more tests. As of this writing, it looks like there are only 11 spots, or mini-games, to visit on the map, but you'll likely need to play each game multiple times before earning a score worthy of three stars, which will keep you going long after you've first started the game.
As you play the game, you'll receive Jewels which can be used to purchase power-ups. These power-ups may give you more time to play each mini-game, will increase your score multiplier until you make a mistake and will even protect that multiplier from being reset should you choose the wrong answer in any particular game. As for the games themselves, they range from incredibly simplistic (click on checkerboard squares that contain items, after the items have faded away) to truly challenging (balloons containing - sometimes complex - math equations float into the distance, and you need to determine the right answer from a large selection of arrows).
Gallery: BrainJewel on Facebook
In terms of basic gameplay, there's no energy bar here, so it looks like you can continue playing indefinitely. You can even invite a single friend to challenge on any particular game, if you want to show off your mental prowess. You'll also "level up," such as it is, earning a new in-game title (bragging rights, rather than truly new content) once you reach certain cumulative scores.
All told, BrainJewel has a fairly simplistic setup, and will likely do well to absorb a few minutes of your time, but it needs, at the very least, the promise of new mini-games and maps to truly be a force in the Facebook gaming world.
Play BrainJewel on Facebook -->
Do you like brain-bending puzzle games like this, or do you prefer a more casual gameplay experience like the many simulation games also available on Facebook? Sound off in the comments.
In BrainJewel, you're met with an Egyptian treasure map containing a series of levels or tests that include variations on basic memory games, and those that include basic math tasks from addition to division. Each mini-game can be mastered to a three star level, based on your score and as you earn more stars, you'll unlock more tests. As of this writing, it looks like there are only 11 spots, or mini-games, to visit on the map, but you'll likely need to play each game multiple times before earning a score worthy of three stars, which will keep you going long after you've first started the game.
As you play the game, you'll receive Jewels which can be used to purchase power-ups. These power-ups may give you more time to play each mini-game, will increase your score multiplier until you make a mistake and will even protect that multiplier from being reset should you choose the wrong answer in any particular game. As for the games themselves, they range from incredibly simplistic (click on checkerboard squares that contain items, after the items have faded away) to truly challenging (balloons containing - sometimes complex - math equations float into the distance, and you need to determine the right answer from a large selection of arrows).
Gallery: BrainJewel on Facebook
In terms of basic gameplay, there's no energy bar here, so it looks like you can continue playing indefinitely. You can even invite a single friend to challenge on any particular game, if you want to show off your mental prowess. You'll also "level up," such as it is, earning a new in-game title (bragging rights, rather than truly new content) once you reach certain cumulative scores.
All told, BrainJewel has a fairly simplistic setup, and will likely do well to absorb a few minutes of your time, but it needs, at the very least, the promise of new mini-games and maps to truly be a force in the Facebook gaming world.
Play BrainJewel on Facebook -->
Do you like brain-bending puzzle games like this, or do you prefer a more casual gameplay experience like the many simulation games also available on Facebook? Sound off in the comments.
Diner Dash serves up good eats on iOS for free
Were you sad to see Diner Dash close its doors on Facebook? If you have an Apple mobile device, you can now fill in a bit of the hole left behind with the game's closure, as the original Diner Dash is now absolutely free to download via iTunes. Technically, the free version is only for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but you can download it on your iPad as well (the graphics will be much poorer in that case).
Before this sale, Diner Dash could be purchased for $2.99, which makes this a pretty good deal. Add to this the fact that the game is frequently updated with new content (new themed restaurants and levels, for one) and the deal becomes even better!
Sure, downloading an iPhone game won't bring back the joy of playing as Flo on Facebook, but we certainly won't turn down a free game. The only thing to keep in mind here, folks, is that this free price will only be around for a limited time. How limited? Unfortunately, PlayFirst doesn't say, but that just gives you all the more incentive to download it now, even if you don't plan on playing it until later!
Do you already own Diner Dash on iOS, or will you download it now for the first time since it's free? Does this freebie giveaway help heal the wound of losing Diner Dash on Facebook? Let us know in the comments!
Before this sale, Diner Dash could be purchased for $2.99, which makes this a pretty good deal. Add to this the fact that the game is frequently updated with new content (new themed restaurants and levels, for one) and the deal becomes even better!
Sure, downloading an iPhone game won't bring back the joy of playing as Flo on Facebook, but we certainly won't turn down a free game. The only thing to keep in mind here, folks, is that this free price will only be around for a limited time. How limited? Unfortunately, PlayFirst doesn't say, but that just gives you all the more incentive to download it now, even if you don't plan on playing it until later!
Do you already own Diner Dash on iOS, or will you download it now for the first time since it's free? Does this freebie giveaway help heal the wound of losing Diner Dash on Facebook? Let us know in the comments!
Pioneer Trail survey reveals possible storylines involving... pirates?
Yes, you read that correctly - pirates. They may be coming to the Pioneer Trail in the future, if a recent fan survey (released by the big Z itself on the Pioneer Trail fan page) comes true. We've been given quite a few options to toss around in this new survey, but unfortunately, we're not told if these are story ideas that would pertain to Pioneer Trail itself (either the Homestead or actual Pioneer Trail portion of the game), or if this is just a general survey about future game ideas that Zynga is exploring. As it stands, no other fan page, as of this writing, has linked to the survey, which does give some weight to the former idea above.
As for this pirate story itself, we're told that we could "set sail for Booty Island," and play pirates with a full crew. We'll plunder ships and neighbors' islands, and can match up friends with others (this portion is lacking in fine details) for either love or "pirate mischief." If that isn't a wild enough storyline, then how about heading into space? In this storyline, we'd find ourselves crash-landing on an "uncharted planet," where we're forced to build a farm using alien plants or creatures (that is, instead of Cows or other traditional farm animals).
When it comes to this space storyline, I'm reminded of Astro Ranch on iPhone, which is a space-themed farming game allowing you to grow crops and livestock with the help of aliens. As we all know Zynga likes to cop---err, draw inspiration from other titles, could this be a definite game in Zynga's development cycle?
As with all things, we're left to speculate about which of these storylines/game ideas (or lack thereof) will actually come to light, but if you see something in the survey that you're more excited about than others, make sure to give it your vote. Who knows? Your vote could be the deciding factor between playing pirates and launching off into outer space, whether we do so with our Pioneer Trail characters, or in a whole new game.
What do you think of these new storyline ideas? Which ones did you vote for? Let us know in the comments.
As for this pirate story itself, we're told that we could "set sail for Booty Island," and play pirates with a full crew. We'll plunder ships and neighbors' islands, and can match up friends with others (this portion is lacking in fine details) for either love or "pirate mischief." If that isn't a wild enough storyline, then how about heading into space? In this storyline, we'd find ourselves crash-landing on an "uncharted planet," where we're forced to build a farm using alien plants or creatures (that is, instead of Cows or other traditional farm animals).
When it comes to this space storyline, I'm reminded of Astro Ranch on iPhone, which is a space-themed farming game allowing you to grow crops and livestock with the help of aliens. As we all know Zynga likes to cop---err, draw inspiration from other titles, could this be a definite game in Zynga's development cycle?
As with all things, we're left to speculate about which of these storylines/game ideas (or lack thereof) will actually come to light, but if you see something in the survey that you're more excited about than others, make sure to give it your vote. Who knows? Your vote could be the deciding factor between playing pirates and launching off into outer space, whether we do so with our Pioneer Trail characters, or in a whole new game.
What do you think of these new storyline ideas? Which ones did you vote for? Let us know in the comments.
Cafe World Pee Wee Chefs Goals: Everything you need to know
Here's a new Cafe World storyline for you: Your cafe has sponsored a Little League team, and it's now your responsibility to feed all of your little players before (and apparently after) the big game. This is, of course, done through a new goal series, an eight-part goal series, to be exact, called the Pee Wee Chefs.
Unfortunately, this is another one of those goal sets that will require you to cook dishes that may be different from those listed in our guide, and there's no way for us to personally guarantee which dish each chef will end up having to cook (sorry). The Cafe World team has stated before that when it comes to goals like these, the overall cooking time for each player will be the same, but you may have to cook varying cooking-time dishes to get there in the end. Either way, here's a complete rundown of the sorts of dishes you can expect to cook.
The Pee Wee Chefs 1
* Serve 10 Buttermilk Pancakes
* Serve 10 Belgian Waffles
* Ask for 5 Baseballs
Right off the bat (no pun intended), we're given the basic Cafe World goal requirements of cooking dishes and asking your friends to send you items. You'll receive a free Team Photo wall decoration for completing this first goal.
The Pee Wee Chefs 2
* Serve Pizza Margherita 30 Times
* Serve Pepperoni Pizza 20 Times
* Ask for 10 Catcher's Masks
For completing this goal, you'll receive the first of three new recipes for this goal series: the Banana Split.
The Pee Wee Chefs 3
* Serve Deep Fried Ice Cream 5 Times
* Serve 45 Caramel Apples
* Ask for 8 Aluminum Bats
Remember, as you're tasked with cooking all of these dishes (regardless of the appliance you're forced to use), make sure you check your Gift Box for any left-over servings that could speed up your progress considerably, or to use any spices that you might have lying around to really give things a boost.
The Pee Wee Chefs 4
* Serve 40 Cocktail Weenies
* Serve 30 In Flight Meals
* Ask for 12 Baseballs
For this task, we're not sure if the Baseballs will be cumulative (that is, making you only ask for seven more, since you already gathered five at the beginning of this series), or if you'll have to start from scratch. Keep that second possibility in mind either way.
The Pee Wee Chefs 5
* Serve 40 Fruit and Jelly Molds
* Serve 30 Kabayaki
* Ask for 6 Catcher's Masks
While these past two goals may not have been very creative (alright, the entire goal series is fairly lacking in that area), you will earn another new recipe for making it to this point: Blue Cotton Candy.
The Pee Wee Chefs 6
* Serve 20 Chickens and Forty Cloves
* Serve 30 Belgian Waffles
* Ask for 5 Aluminum Bats
The Pee Wee Chefs 7
* Serve Pulled Pork 4 Times
* Serve Tangy BBQ Chicken 8 Times
* Ask for 12 Logo Hats
As usual, just keep asking your friends for these Logo Hats (and the Aluminum Bats above), and you'll eventually slog your way through these goals to the end.
The Pee Wee Chefs 8
* Serve 8 Meat Craver's Pizzas
* Serve 40 Funnel Cakes
* Ask for 12 Team Jerseys
Your reward for completing this entire goal series is a final new recipe: The Giant Chili Dog.
As of this writing, there doesn't seem to be a time limit for completing these goals, so feel free to finish whatever you're working on, and then move onto these when you have the time.
What do you think of the Pee Wee Chefs goals in Cafe World? Sound off in the comments.
Unfortunately, this is another one of those goal sets that will require you to cook dishes that may be different from those listed in our guide, and there's no way for us to personally guarantee which dish each chef will end up having to cook (sorry). The Cafe World team has stated before that when it comes to goals like these, the overall cooking time for each player will be the same, but you may have to cook varying cooking-time dishes to get there in the end. Either way, here's a complete rundown of the sorts of dishes you can expect to cook.
The Pee Wee Chefs 1
* Serve 10 Buttermilk Pancakes
* Serve 10 Belgian Waffles
* Ask for 5 Baseballs
Right off the bat (no pun intended), we're given the basic Cafe World goal requirements of cooking dishes and asking your friends to send you items. You'll receive a free Team Photo wall decoration for completing this first goal.
The Pee Wee Chefs 2
* Serve Pizza Margherita 30 Times
* Serve Pepperoni Pizza 20 Times
* Ask for 10 Catcher's Masks
For completing this goal, you'll receive the first of three new recipes for this goal series: the Banana Split.
The Pee Wee Chefs 3
* Serve Deep Fried Ice Cream 5 Times
* Serve 45 Caramel Apples
* Ask for 8 Aluminum Bats
Remember, as you're tasked with cooking all of these dishes (regardless of the appliance you're forced to use), make sure you check your Gift Box for any left-over servings that could speed up your progress considerably, or to use any spices that you might have lying around to really give things a boost.
The Pee Wee Chefs 4
* Serve 40 Cocktail Weenies
* Serve 30 In Flight Meals
* Ask for 12 Baseballs
For this task, we're not sure if the Baseballs will be cumulative (that is, making you only ask for seven more, since you already gathered five at the beginning of this series), or if you'll have to start from scratch. Keep that second possibility in mind either way.
The Pee Wee Chefs 5
* Serve 40 Fruit and Jelly Molds
* Serve 30 Kabayaki
* Ask for 6 Catcher's Masks
While these past two goals may not have been very creative (alright, the entire goal series is fairly lacking in that area), you will earn another new recipe for making it to this point: Blue Cotton Candy.
The Pee Wee Chefs 6
* Serve 20 Chickens and Forty Cloves
* Serve 30 Belgian Waffles
* Ask for 5 Aluminum Bats
The Pee Wee Chefs 7
* Serve Pulled Pork 4 Times
* Serve Tangy BBQ Chicken 8 Times
* Ask for 12 Logo Hats
As usual, just keep asking your friends for these Logo Hats (and the Aluminum Bats above), and you'll eventually slog your way through these goals to the end.
The Pee Wee Chefs 8
* Serve 8 Meat Craver's Pizzas
* Serve 40 Funnel Cakes
* Ask for 12 Team Jerseys
Your reward for completing this entire goal series is a final new recipe: The Giant Chili Dog.
As of this writing, there doesn't seem to be a time limit for completing these goals, so feel free to finish whatever you're working on, and then move onto these when you have the time.
What do you think of the Pee Wee Chefs goals in Cafe World? Sound off in the comments.
Zynga hits Warstorm, three other games with the firey axe Sept. 30
A fiery axe laced with sadness and destruction, at that. Mafia Wars Maniac reports that Zynga, the creator of some of the most popular games on Facebook, will close Warstorm for good come Sept. 30 along with Scramble, Pathwords and Word Twist. In fact, Warstorm isn't even accepting new players anymore during its final breaths on Facebook. The news broke in a post by Warstorm forum moderator Cerulean Master, asking players to ring out Warstorm with a bang by sharing their memories.
Luckily, Cerulean also provided a FAQ to help us understand just what's up. The existing 11,126 (yikes!) daily Warstorm players can access the game right until it closes forever on Sept. 30, while new players simply won't be allowed. And for players who paid good money to enjoy their fantasy card battles, Zynga will transfer any virtual currency purchases made within the last 90 days to a game of their choice, and the company will add another 10 percent to that number.
Warstorm refugees will also be offered bonus packages for joining Zynga's better more popular games like CityVille, FarmVille and Empires & Allies. While this information pertains specifically to Warstorm, we imagine that players of Scramble, Word Twist and Pathwords will be offered the same treatment. (Zynga's forums are under maintenance as of this writing.)
Honestly, and no offense to you super fans out there, we can see why Zynga would close games that are dwarfed by its hits. (Not to mention that Words With Friends has become the defacto word game on Facebook.) This will be the second closure in just over a month. Near the end of August, Zynga closed the digital doors to Fashion Wars and two other games that were performing poorly. And not just poorly for a Zynga game--any Facebook game.
If anything, these closures will allow Zynga to focus more resources on making sure its flagship games continue to succeed and to make more money machines popular games. It's a shame to see these games go (I thought Warstorm was quite impressive, personally), but at least the company is providing players with options to stick around. Perhaps as Zynga trims the fat, we'll see even better games come from the international studio, like Adventure World.
Are you sad to see Warstorm and these other Zynga games go? Are you satisfied with how the company is addressing the time you spent in these games? Sound off in the comments. 33 Comments
Luckily, Cerulean also provided a FAQ to help us understand just what's up. The existing 11,126 (yikes!) daily Warstorm players can access the game right until it closes forever on Sept. 30, while new players simply won't be allowed. And for players who paid good money to enjoy their fantasy card battles, Zynga will transfer any virtual currency purchases made within the last 90 days to a game of their choice, and the company will add another 10 percent to that number.
Warstorm refugees will also be offered bonus packages for joining Zynga's better more popular games like CityVille, FarmVille and Empires & Allies. While this information pertains specifically to Warstorm, we imagine that players of Scramble, Word Twist and Pathwords will be offered the same treatment. (Zynga's forums are under maintenance as of this writing.)
Honestly, and no offense to you super fans out there, we can see why Zynga would close games that are dwarfed by its hits. (Not to mention that Words With Friends has become the defacto word game on Facebook.) This will be the second closure in just over a month. Near the end of August, Zynga closed the digital doors to Fashion Wars and two other games that were performing poorly. And not just poorly for a Zynga game--any Facebook game.
If anything, these closures will allow Zynga to focus more resources on making sure its flagship games continue to succeed and to make more money machines popular games. It's a shame to see these games go (I thought Warstorm was quite impressive, personally), but at least the company is providing players with options to stick around. Perhaps as Zynga trims the fat, we'll see even better games come from the international studio, like Adventure World.
Are you sad to see Warstorm and these other Zynga games go? Are you satisfied with how the company is addressing the time you spent in these games? Sound off in the comments. 33 Comments
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