Tuesday, October 25, 2011
CCP Now Working on World of Darkness at a “Much Slower Pace”
CCP have got a lot on the boil right now, what with EVE Onine and Dust 514 preparing to co-exist across multiple platforms and that World of Darkness MMO in the works. Unfortunately, the latter’s progress has now been hampered by two things: CCP’s recent slew of lay-offs, and the fact that, by their own admittance, they’ve simply set the bar too high for themselves. “We have good people remaining here, which are going to advance World of Darkness on a much slower pace,” CEO Hilmar Petursson informed Gamasutra.
Deep Silver Dragging Chain on Dead Island Console Patch
PC aficionados of Deep Silver’s alternately awesome-and-terrible zombie co-op romp Dead Island are sitting pretty with the latest patch, but the comparatively less hygienic console set are still coping with mondo bugs and onscreen weirdness. Not only that, but Deep Silver have refused to commit to a release date for the console equivalent of the latest patch, merely promising that they’ll “hurry.” Oh good.
“We’re going to work on getting the update out as soon as we can – hurrying it along too fast will just give us a bad patch,” the Polish dev told VG24/7. “People put so much pressure on devs to announce specific release dates and then when something happens to change that they just rage again. I’ve seen tons of instances of fan rage when devs [announce delays]. ‘Oh it needs more time? It must be shit then.’”
“We’re going to work on getting the update out as soon as we can – hurrying it along too fast will just give us a bad patch,” the Polish dev told VG24/7. “People put so much pressure on devs to announce specific release dates and then when something happens to change that they just rage again. I’ve seen tons of instances of fan rage when devs [announce delays]. ‘Oh it needs more time? It must be shit then.’”
BF3 Leaflet Hints at New Medal of Honor
It’s a bit like opening up a clam to reveal a big poo instead of a pearl, sure, but reportedly a leaflet included with boxed retail copies of Battlefield 3 hints at a Medal of Honor sequel. The jet-black bit of EA propaganda typically gives away nothing of substance, of course, but it’s definitely not the first clue gamingdom’s been teased with in regards to a new Medal of Honor.
Eagle-eyed purveyors of internet gaming news might remember that developer Danger Close Games were very publicly hiring new talent for an “unannounced AAA first person shooter title” all the way back in January. Thing is, is anyone interested in a sequel to one of the biggest let-downs of 2010? Probably not, which is why that big ol’ “1” on the leaflet is so curious. Are we looking at some kind of HD remake here?
Eagle-eyed purveyors of internet gaming news might remember that developer Danger Close Games were very publicly hiring new talent for an “unannounced AAA first person shooter title” all the way back in January. Thing is, is anyone interested in a sequel to one of the biggest let-downs of 2010? Probably not, which is why that big ol’ “1” on the leaflet is so curious. Are we looking at some kind of HD remake here?
Sunday, October 23, 2011
A Dead Sega Mascot Is Even Deader Now
Forget his flirtation with Nintendo on the Wii. Monkey maraca simulation Samba de Amigo was, is and always will be a Sega icon, a reminder that the Dreamcast was cool, quirky and now very, very dead.
Something this neat shirt captures perfectly. Samba de los Muertos is a new shirt from Meat Bun that takes the adorable little simian and, well, kills him in honour of Mexico’s impending Día de los Muertos. Or, Day of the Dead.
Something this neat shirt captures perfectly. Samba de los Muertos is a new shirt from Meat Bun that takes the adorable little simian and, well, kills him in honour of Mexico’s impending Día de los Muertos. Or, Day of the Dead.
Man Sings Tribute To Mario’s Creator. No, It’s Not Creepy.
hat creepy (kidding! sorta!). YouTube user WyldStallynsGames really likes Shigeru Miyamoto. He likes him so much that he wrote a ballad for him. No, he wrote a power ballad.
On YouTube, WyldStallynsGames explains why he wrote this tune.
“It was through the work of Shigeru Miyamoto that I discovered my own passion: creating moving and meaningful video games that can cause others to grow and discover as well. I can only hope to touch one person’s life the way that Mr. Miyamoto has touched mine.”
This is heart-on-your-sleeve kind of stuff, which is sometimes good and sometimes awkward. It’s usually sincere, though.
On YouTube, WyldStallynsGames explains why he wrote this tune.
“It was through the work of Shigeru Miyamoto that I discovered my own passion: creating moving and meaningful video games that can cause others to grow and discover as well. I can only hope to touch one person’s life the way that Mr. Miyamoto has touched mine.”
This is heart-on-your-sleeve kind of stuff, which is sometimes good and sometimes awkward. It’s usually sincere, though.
Adorable Zelda Cosplay Is Breaking My Heart
Not all Halloween costumes need to be scary. These parents dressed their son as Link and it’s having the opposite effect of scary.
Call them stage parents if you want, but they’ve really gone the extra mile here. Not only is the costume great, but they took some slick photos and, to top it all off, even made a great video featuring rupees and Navi buzzing around his head.
Call them stage parents if you want, but they’ve really gone the extra mile here. Not only is the costume great, but they took some slick photos and, to top it all off, even made a great video featuring rupees and Navi buzzing around his head.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Endgame: Deathwing Gets His Due in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Patch 4.3
Blizzard's World of Warcraft: Cataclysm expansion took the massively multiplayer world by storm during its release in December 2010, offering new and updated zones, harder dungeons, and two new races to spice up the game's almost seven-year-old framework. That initial flash of enthusiasm fizzled considerably over the following months, but Blizzard's recently announced patch 4.3 looks like it provides just the kind of content the MMO juggernaut needs to stave off its upcoming rivals. The details are still a bit murky, though, so last week I spoke with Greg Street -- Blizzard's lead systems designer -- to get a better idea of what Azeroth's millions of citizens can expect in the coming months
Latest Articles for World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Filled with sprawling worlds ripe for discovery, teeming with thousands of new people to meet, and capable of sucking up entire months' worth of playtime, massively multiplayer online role-playing games offer one of the modern world's most extreme forms of escapism. Join GameSpy columnist Leif Johnson as he turns a critical eye on the biggest and best of today's MMORPGs and quests for the virtual worlds most worthy of your time. This week, Leif reports back on his journey into WoW Patch
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
Building on the foundation established in World of Warcraft and its first two expansions, World of Warcraft: Cataclysm adds a variety of new content and offer players the opportunity to rediscover Azeroth and experience the game from a whole new perspective. Players are be able to adventure as two new playable races, achieve new levels of power, take on challenging quests and dungeons in all-new zones, and experience dramatic changes to familiar aspects of the game in the wake of a world-shattering disaster.
In Cataclysm, players will witness the face of Azeroth being altered forever, as the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing awakens from his subterranean slumber and erupts onto the surface, leaving ruin and destruction in his wake. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation.
In Cataclysm, players will witness the face of Azeroth being altered forever, as the corrupted Dragon Aspect Deathwing awakens from his subterranean slumber and erupts onto the surface, leaving ruin and destruction in his wake. As the Horde and Alliance race to the epicenter of the cataclysm, the kingdoms of Azeroth will witness seismic shifts in power, the kindling of a war of the elements, and the emergence of unlikely heroes who will rise up to protect their scarred and broken world from utter devastation.
Friday, October 21, 2011
What is the JRPG genre? A basic guide for the uninformed.
Ok this is more of a soap box rant driven by Hyperdimension Neptunia not given an Australian release date but it also sparked an inspiration, write an informative guide on the JRPG genre so those who only reference it to Square-Enix and Final Fantasy or don't know about it can finally learn what the genre really is and all the different styles of gameplay in each.
First I'll start with the basic info that most should know and then I'll go in depth a little later. A JRPG is a video game genre made in Japan where you take the role of a predetermine character or characters in a heavily story driven experience. The JRPG genre is also known for it's similarity to the tabletop board game "Dungeons and Dragons" in terms of it's RPG influence through character development(leveling up), basic structure of narrative flow and occasionally combat.
Now to get into the in depth part. Like I said a lot of people think Final Fantasy and Square-Enix when they hear JRPG and stereo type it on that alone. This isn't true though. There have been various things done to the JRPG combat system over they years and the classic Dungeons and Dragons style was used when the genre started due to data limitations on the Famicom/NES cartridges. Sure there are a fair few JRPGs that use the classic turn based combat but that is due to what is easier to develop and appeasing fans but there are a lot of examples of JRPGs that have various tweaks to the system or are different.
I'll start with examples of the turn based combat being tweek and then go into the ones that are different. Some examples of variations/tweaks to the norm are Fire Emblem where the combat is strategic turn based where the teams take turns to fight and Valkyria Chronicles takes that up a notch by having stuff happen while moving your characters and using the environment to you advantage a lot better then other games in this sub genre. Shadow Hearts also tweaks the turn based combat system by using a thing called the judgement ring which has you performing a quick time event essentially to perform attacks and skills. The Judgement ring has multiple segments that you have to hit in order to perform the command and it has to sections in each segment, a orange section which will make the command work and a red section with is small and will improve the effectiveness of the command. You need to hit all the segments to get the command to work. Baten Kaitos tweaks the system with cards for your commands with varying values to shake up combat. Resonance Of Fate which made some serious changes to the system like using a special gauge to perform a running attack that you can attack as many times as you like until the time gauge runs out and giving you 2 different types of attacks depending on the weapon used and a variety of weapon types to use. Eternal Sonata is a hybrid turn based combat game that incorporates action combat during the turn of each character. There are tons more but these are just some great examples of variations of the turn based combat system.
Now on to the different type of combat system, the action combat system. There are a whole bunch of these that have come out in years and most of you can probably name more of these then turn based combat JRPGs. Kingdom Hearts is one a lot of people will know straight away but there are others. Star Ocean and the 'Tales of' series are 2 other examples of action JRPGs that have a cult following. The combat in these games is relatively the same but the thing is that some of the people who worked on Star Ocean worked on Tales of Phantasia. The combat systems of 'Tales of' games are arena based and you uses skills by pressing the skills button and a direction and Star Oceans combat system started the same but changed to using 2 different attack button and the skills with 1 button but a different one depending on distance with Star Ocean: Til The End Of Time and in Star Ocean: The Last Hope the skills with 2 different buttons. Secret of Mana had an action combat system that was similar to the Legend Of Zelda series. Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadows uses a touch screen interface for using spells in a action combat setting and works well on the DS. Key of Heaven aka Kingdom of Paradise had an action combat system that was heavily customisable.
Now the final part the stories. Some of you have it in your head that all JRPGs follow the same cliche story of angsty teens saving the world from evil but that's not true of all JRPGs. None of the 'Tales Of' series is like that and none of the Atelier series is either. I could name a boat load of them that don't have angsty teen saving the world but I've already got 2 walls of text and don't really want another. Believe it or not it's easier to name the ones that do contain the angsty teens saving the world. Also in JRPGs there is this thing called character development where the characters overcome their flaws for the greater good but this isn't always emo angst like in Final Fantasy VII and XIII.
Some people will argue that JRPGs aren't RPGs at all and they are half right. The role playing experience of true role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons or Fallout isn't their but it's mechanics of leveling up, magic and large worlds are there. You can also argue that all video games are RPGs because your always taking on the role of a character but that's a whole other thing altogether.
Well this is as much as I'll give you since I could spend forever and a day talking about it but I have to stop at some point. Don't label the genre on Final Fantasy alone and give some JRPGs a go. I recommend Resonance Of Fate, Tales Of Vesperia, Lost Odyssey, Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Eternal Sonata, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, Chrono Trigger, Kingdom Hearts, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn and Persona 4 as must play JRPGs that you should be able to buy still but there are tons of classics if your willing to hunt them down. The JRPG genre isn't as bad as you think, I hate FPS and shooters period but there are some that have stood out that I'm glad I tried. If I'm willing to play some games in the genre I hate, then you should at least give half these recommended games a go.
First I'll start with the basic info that most should know and then I'll go in depth a little later. A JRPG is a video game genre made in Japan where you take the role of a predetermine character or characters in a heavily story driven experience. The JRPG genre is also known for it's similarity to the tabletop board game "Dungeons and Dragons" in terms of it's RPG influence through character development(leveling up), basic structure of narrative flow and occasionally combat.
Now to get into the in depth part. Like I said a lot of people think Final Fantasy and Square-Enix when they hear JRPG and stereo type it on that alone. This isn't true though. There have been various things done to the JRPG combat system over they years and the classic Dungeons and Dragons style was used when the genre started due to data limitations on the Famicom/NES cartridges. Sure there are a fair few JRPGs that use the classic turn based combat but that is due to what is easier to develop and appeasing fans but there are a lot of examples of JRPGs that have various tweaks to the system or are different.
I'll start with examples of the turn based combat being tweek and then go into the ones that are different. Some examples of variations/tweaks to the norm are Fire Emblem where the combat is strategic turn based where the teams take turns to fight and Valkyria Chronicles takes that up a notch by having stuff happen while moving your characters and using the environment to you advantage a lot better then other games in this sub genre. Shadow Hearts also tweaks the turn based combat system by using a thing called the judgement ring which has you performing a quick time event essentially to perform attacks and skills. The Judgement ring has multiple segments that you have to hit in order to perform the command and it has to sections in each segment, a orange section which will make the command work and a red section with is small and will improve the effectiveness of the command. You need to hit all the segments to get the command to work. Baten Kaitos tweaks the system with cards for your commands with varying values to shake up combat. Resonance Of Fate which made some serious changes to the system like using a special gauge to perform a running attack that you can attack as many times as you like until the time gauge runs out and giving you 2 different types of attacks depending on the weapon used and a variety of weapon types to use. Eternal Sonata is a hybrid turn based combat game that incorporates action combat during the turn of each character. There are tons more but these are just some great examples of variations of the turn based combat system.
Now on to the different type of combat system, the action combat system. There are a whole bunch of these that have come out in years and most of you can probably name more of these then turn based combat JRPGs. Kingdom Hearts is one a lot of people will know straight away but there are others. Star Ocean and the 'Tales of' series are 2 other examples of action JRPGs that have a cult following. The combat in these games is relatively the same but the thing is that some of the people who worked on Star Ocean worked on Tales of Phantasia. The combat systems of 'Tales of' games are arena based and you uses skills by pressing the skills button and a direction and Star Oceans combat system started the same but changed to using 2 different attack button and the skills with 1 button but a different one depending on distance with Star Ocean: Til The End Of Time and in Star Ocean: The Last Hope the skills with 2 different buttons. Secret of Mana had an action combat system that was similar to the Legend Of Zelda series. Blue Dragon: Awakened Shadows uses a touch screen interface for using spells in a action combat setting and works well on the DS. Key of Heaven aka Kingdom of Paradise had an action combat system that was heavily customisable.
Now the final part the stories. Some of you have it in your head that all JRPGs follow the same cliche story of angsty teens saving the world from evil but that's not true of all JRPGs. None of the 'Tales Of' series is like that and none of the Atelier series is either. I could name a boat load of them that don't have angsty teen saving the world but I've already got 2 walls of text and don't really want another. Believe it or not it's easier to name the ones that do contain the angsty teens saving the world. Also in JRPGs there is this thing called character development where the characters overcome their flaws for the greater good but this isn't always emo angst like in Final Fantasy VII and XIII.
Some people will argue that JRPGs aren't RPGs at all and they are half right. The role playing experience of true role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons or Fallout isn't their but it's mechanics of leveling up, magic and large worlds are there. You can also argue that all video games are RPGs because your always taking on the role of a character but that's a whole other thing altogether.
Well this is as much as I'll give you since I could spend forever and a day talking about it but I have to stop at some point. Don't label the genre on Final Fantasy alone and give some JRPGs a go. I recommend Resonance Of Fate, Tales Of Vesperia, Lost Odyssey, Star Ocean: The Last Hope, Eternal Sonata, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, Chrono Trigger, Kingdom Hearts, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn and Persona 4 as must play JRPGs that you should be able to buy still but there are tons of classics if your willing to hunt them down. The JRPG genre isn't as bad as you think, I hate FPS and shooters period but there are some that have stood out that I'm glad I tried. If I'm willing to play some games in the genre I hate, then you should at least give half these recommended games a go.
Angry Birds for PC
Finally, those birds that everybody likes has arrived on PC. After iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile versions, also iPhone cases and toys, Angry Birds has finally arrived on the PC thanks to the Intel App Up store. It’ll work fine and dandy on laptops and netbooks and will cost you only $4.99 to download. Nice price for this lovely game.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
angry birds for pc
activate free angry birds for pc
angry birds FLASH SCAM
angry-birds-online scam
free angry birds games full version for window xp
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
angry birds for pc
activate free angry birds for pc
angry birds FLASH SCAM
angry-birds-online scam
free angry birds games full version for window xp
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds.
Hackers Call Us Noobs?
Hackers, they tourmented us countless times in Call Of Duty, Halo, Battlefield, and most other FPS. Though i am mostly going to talk about the biggest problem which is in Call Of Duty Mw2/Black Ops...
Hackers... with their Aimbots, Hacked Ranks, God like health. They think they are better than us legit players who work hard getting our ranks, getting better at the game, and having an all around fun time. It's like they cry because they can't get any better that they resort to hacks so they can get their revenge.
It's not that they can't get better it's that they're just sore losers that can't take a loss like a good player.
Hacking is not as big of a deal right now in Call of Duty: Black Ops but it is in Modern Warfare 2. But that does not mean it won't get to the point where you will want to break your game in half. Seriously I think hackers need to get a reality check, have a Dr.Phil moment and wonder why they are doing it in the first place.
Hacking in call of duty modern warfare 2 is so big now you cannot get into a game without them unless you are in a private match. Start a match and you will start dieing endlessly. Infinite Ammo is another problem they can Noobtube nonstop or blow you away with their AA12 this is so jacked up.
Want to know whats the thing i hate the most about Hacking?
Trash talkers, they talk big and Call us Noobs. They talk alot of smack always trying to make them selves sound better than us.
Me: What the *#@% was that?
Hacker: It's My Godly Skills.
Really? Skills? No way since when was downloading some hacking program skills?
I want to hear what you have to say on this topic, This is my first blog so i would like to know what I've done wrong. :)
Hackers... with their Aimbots, Hacked Ranks, God like health. They think they are better than us legit players who work hard getting our ranks, getting better at the game, and having an all around fun time. It's like they cry because they can't get any better that they resort to hacks so they can get their revenge.
It's not that they can't get better it's that they're just sore losers that can't take a loss like a good player.
Hacking is not as big of a deal right now in Call of Duty: Black Ops but it is in Modern Warfare 2. But that does not mean it won't get to the point where you will want to break your game in half. Seriously I think hackers need to get a reality check, have a Dr.Phil moment and wonder why they are doing it in the first place.
Hacking in call of duty modern warfare 2 is so big now you cannot get into a game without them unless you are in a private match. Start a match and you will start dieing endlessly. Infinite Ammo is another problem they can Noobtube nonstop or blow you away with their AA12 this is so jacked up.
Want to know whats the thing i hate the most about Hacking?
Trash talkers, they talk big and Call us Noobs. They talk alot of smack always trying to make them selves sound better than us.
Me: What the *#@% was that?
Hacker: It's My Godly Skills.
Really? Skills? No way since when was downloading some hacking program skills?
I want to hear what you have to say on this topic, This is my first blog so i would like to know what I've done wrong. :)
Random Rant about: Gears of War 3, Mass Effect 3, and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Okay. So let me start off first by saying that this is not a troll blog aimed at the Xbox or it's games. This is just a collection of my thoughts on these specific games, and my worries about them. Computers are limited in the amount of power they can put out. This is a given. A computer cannot run anything that requires more power/hardware than it has available. The Xbox, Playstation, and Wii are all just computers specialized for the purpose of gaming. This leads to the question of what are the developers going to do with these games to make them run on the Xbox360?
Gears of War 3
When Gears of War 2 came out any one who did research, and was able to suffer past the innumerable Rick-rolls, probably found the article where Cliff B. talked about how Gears 2 was going to be the best looking game on the Xbox360,. He said that the pushed the Xbox to it's limits and that visually Gears 2 was going to be the best the Xbox would ever get. Bold words. And while Gears 2 did look exceptionally good this leads to the question of; are they going to be able to improve the graphics for Gears 3? Or is Gears 3 going to run the same Graphics engine and are they just going to try and improve the story? With the statement that Gears 2 pushed the xbox to the limit how are they going to improve Gears 3?
Mass Effect 3
When Mass Effect 2 was first showcased at E3 it pushed the Xbox further than it could handle causing a majority of the Demo Xboxs to overheat and power down. Mass Effect 2 was downgraded to make it operate without melting the Xbox, and even then it still suffered terrible load times and frame rate drops. Now Bioware has developed a new, more powerful engine, the Mass Effect 3 engine. If Mass Effect 2 caused problems with the Xbox running the ME2 engine what are they going to do with the ME3? Are they going to run ME3 using the ME2 engine?
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Going back once a gain to the previous game, Oblivion, we realize that Oblivion suffered terrible frame rate drops, texture pop-ins, lag, screen tearing, and distance issues on the xbox360 (I'm not sure if this was prevalent only to Xbox, I didn't have the PS3 version for long enough to do a full battery of tests, but I know it's not a problem on a high end computer). Oblivion pushed Xbox relentlessly and the overall performance of the game suffered for it. The screen shots (Gameinformer magazine) for Skyrim look amazing, but this leads to the question of what are they going to do with the Xbox version. Maybe the new engine they made will help the issues, but I'm curious to see how they combat the problems that hurt oblivion.
These three games all pushed the Xbox to it's limit and a little further, and all of them suffered for it. With direct squeals coming out and no new Xbox on the horizon it leads me to wonder how they are going to try and improve upon their previous efforts. Everyone wants new better graphics and the "professional" reviewing sites are quick to jump on established games that don't show improvements in graphics and performance. With these games coming out and their prequels reaching the limit of the Xbox's power it may be time for Microsoft to release an new console to compete.
Gears of War 3
When Gears of War 2 came out any one who did research, and was able to suffer past the innumerable Rick-rolls, probably found the article where Cliff B. talked about how Gears 2 was going to be the best looking game on the Xbox360,. He said that the pushed the Xbox to it's limits and that visually Gears 2 was going to be the best the Xbox would ever get. Bold words. And while Gears 2 did look exceptionally good this leads to the question of; are they going to be able to improve the graphics for Gears 3? Or is Gears 3 going to run the same Graphics engine and are they just going to try and improve the story? With the statement that Gears 2 pushed the xbox to the limit how are they going to improve Gears 3?
Mass Effect 3
When Mass Effect 2 was first showcased at E3 it pushed the Xbox further than it could handle causing a majority of the Demo Xboxs to overheat and power down. Mass Effect 2 was downgraded to make it operate without melting the Xbox, and even then it still suffered terrible load times and frame rate drops. Now Bioware has developed a new, more powerful engine, the Mass Effect 3 engine. If Mass Effect 2 caused problems with the Xbox running the ME2 engine what are they going to do with the ME3? Are they going to run ME3 using the ME2 engine?
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Going back once a gain to the previous game, Oblivion, we realize that Oblivion suffered terrible frame rate drops, texture pop-ins, lag, screen tearing, and distance issues on the xbox360 (I'm not sure if this was prevalent only to Xbox, I didn't have the PS3 version for long enough to do a full battery of tests, but I know it's not a problem on a high end computer). Oblivion pushed Xbox relentlessly and the overall performance of the game suffered for it. The screen shots (Gameinformer magazine) for Skyrim look amazing, but this leads to the question of what are they going to do with the Xbox version. Maybe the new engine they made will help the issues, but I'm curious to see how they combat the problems that hurt oblivion.
These three games all pushed the Xbox to it's limit and a little further, and all of them suffered for it. With direct squeals coming out and no new Xbox on the horizon it leads me to wonder how they are going to try and improve upon their previous efforts. Everyone wants new better graphics and the "professional" reviewing sites are quick to jump on established games that don't show improvements in graphics and performance. With these games coming out and their prequels reaching the limit of the Xbox's power it may be time for Microsoft to release an new console to compete.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Why are story-driven games so family-unfriendly?
The impending release of LA Noire and the recently announced-for-US Catherine got me thinking. I love to talk about how games are an art form and about the glories of interactive story-telling, especially to my parents and non-gaming family. So why are there so few of the shining examples I can play beginning-to-end in front of my family?
Think about the games you own that tell a great story. (not "by video game standards") Now remove the ones that are really violent (that bit of blood when an attack lands or a bullet hits is okay) Now the ones with nudity and sex. Now the ones where you're accompanied by female characters that were clearly designed for eye candy (looking at you, Morrigan) now the ones where they're swearing all the time. You're probably not left with much, are you?
Me, I'm left with three. Alan Wake, Beyond Good & Evil and, this may surprise you, Astro Boy Omega Factor. Epic Mickey and Uncharted almost squeeze their way in there, but Mickey is still very black-and-white in terms of its moral choices, and Uncharted is just kind of emulating the Indian Jones style action movies.
Right now, there isn't much in between the kiddy and the gritty in terms of story-telling. In more family-friendly games, you're doing a black-and-white, stop the bad guy save the world, get the girl plot. If the story actually tries to be good, then there has to be gore, hookers and/or swearing for some reason. Why?
Omega Factor's a great example of a quality plot in a kid-friendly game. Astro is pulled into the middle of a conflict between humans and robots and has to choose sides between his creators and his friends. Along the way, you learn that, while there was some evil puppet master behind all the events, most of the antagonists were good people (or robots) driven to do bad things to protect their freedom, their families or whatever was really important. In the end, good people are sacrificed, and those that did wrong face retribution for their actions, regardless of the reasons behind them. All this is done without one swear word, one drop of blood, or... okay, there's this one woman who is technically naked, but she was in surgery and you only see so much of her that the game's rated E. If you considered it fan service, you'd have to be really desperate. (and the game is pretty damn good too, track it down)
My question has two sides: 1: why is it that with such a large audience for DS, Wii, Kinect and Move, so few family games have any ambition for story-telling? When a family gathers around the television, it's not to watch something with the depth of Wii Party. Just because a person's a casual gamer doesn't mean they don't think there can be a good story. My mom doesn't play games at all, and she had some praise for the story bits she saw when I was playing Mafia 2. But she was pretty turned off by the constant swearing.
Which leads me to side 2: why are the games with good stories always so vulgar? There are plenty of instances where you could argue it's supposed to be realistic, but surely people can suspend their disbelief that nobody uses swear words worse than "ass." That, and I don't really see a woman wearing an assortment of belt straps as a shirt into battle as "realistic," Bioware.
Here's what I want to see: a family-friendly, story-driven game that can be played with family present, or maybe it's even meant to be played as a group. I came up with the idea of playing Heavy Rain in a group, and having people assigned to separate characters. Something like that, but a little less dark and a lot less showers and stripping. I also want to see more use of family filters in games. I don't want to have to stop playing Dragon Age in my living room because the next boss is a lust demon. Gears of War has language and gore filters. How the hell has this not caught on and been used in everything? All the other features from that game has!
My point is we're finally starting to reach the people who didn't play games before thanks to the casual market. Let's show them that games aren't just toys and give them a story to remember! without recording their shocked reactions and using them to fuel a marketing campaign that even the franchise's fans will hate. Okay, EA?!... and, um, everyone else?
DISCLAIMER: I'm not a moral crusader here, and by all means, am NOT telling you not to buy games with violent or sexual content. I'm just wishing the industry didn't think it needed those things to sell a good story.
Think about the games you own that tell a great story. (not "by video game standards") Now remove the ones that are really violent (that bit of blood when an attack lands or a bullet hits is okay) Now the ones with nudity and sex. Now the ones where you're accompanied by female characters that were clearly designed for eye candy (looking at you, Morrigan) now the ones where they're swearing all the time. You're probably not left with much, are you?
Me, I'm left with three. Alan Wake, Beyond Good & Evil and, this may surprise you, Astro Boy Omega Factor. Epic Mickey and Uncharted almost squeeze their way in there, but Mickey is still very black-and-white in terms of its moral choices, and Uncharted is just kind of emulating the Indian Jones style action movies.
Right now, there isn't much in between the kiddy and the gritty in terms of story-telling. In more family-friendly games, you're doing a black-and-white, stop the bad guy save the world, get the girl plot. If the story actually tries to be good, then there has to be gore, hookers and/or swearing for some reason. Why?
Omega Factor's a great example of a quality plot in a kid-friendly game. Astro is pulled into the middle of a conflict between humans and robots and has to choose sides between his creators and his friends. Along the way, you learn that, while there was some evil puppet master behind all the events, most of the antagonists were good people (or robots) driven to do bad things to protect their freedom, their families or whatever was really important. In the end, good people are sacrificed, and those that did wrong face retribution for their actions, regardless of the reasons behind them. All this is done without one swear word, one drop of blood, or... okay, there's this one woman who is technically naked, but she was in surgery and you only see so much of her that the game's rated E. If you considered it fan service, you'd have to be really desperate. (and the game is pretty damn good too, track it down)
My question has two sides: 1: why is it that with such a large audience for DS, Wii, Kinect and Move, so few family games have any ambition for story-telling? When a family gathers around the television, it's not to watch something with the depth of Wii Party. Just because a person's a casual gamer doesn't mean they don't think there can be a good story. My mom doesn't play games at all, and she had some praise for the story bits she saw when I was playing Mafia 2. But she was pretty turned off by the constant swearing.
Which leads me to side 2: why are the games with good stories always so vulgar? There are plenty of instances where you could argue it's supposed to be realistic, but surely people can suspend their disbelief that nobody uses swear words worse than "ass." That, and I don't really see a woman wearing an assortment of belt straps as a shirt into battle as "realistic," Bioware.
Here's what I want to see: a family-friendly, story-driven game that can be played with family present, or maybe it's even meant to be played as a group. I came up with the idea of playing Heavy Rain in a group, and having people assigned to separate characters. Something like that, but a little less dark and a lot less showers and stripping. I also want to see more use of family filters in games. I don't want to have to stop playing Dragon Age in my living room because the next boss is a lust demon. Gears of War has language and gore filters. How the hell has this not caught on and been used in everything? All the other features from that game has!
My point is we're finally starting to reach the people who didn't play games before thanks to the casual market. Let's show them that games aren't just toys and give them a story to remember! without recording their shocked reactions and using them to fuel a marketing campaign that even the franchise's fans will hate. Okay, EA?!... and, um, everyone else?
DISCLAIMER: I'm not a moral crusader here, and by all means, am NOT telling you not to buy games with violent or sexual content. I'm just wishing the industry didn't think it needed those things to sell a good story.
Win a Copy of PixelJunk Shooter 2
Hey PixelJunkies! I have a code for PixelJunk Shooter 2 (the full game) that can be all yours - on one condition: You need to create and share your own PixelJunk Survivor File. In video form.
You have until Midnight PST this Friday, March 4 to submit your entry.
1) Create a Survivor File and upload it to your favorite video hosting service
2) Post a link below to your video, or PM the link directly to me
If you need inspiration, embedded below is Survivor File 2 of 3.
(Winner will be chosen and awarded the game code on Saturday, March 5)
You have until Midnight PST this Friday, March 4 to submit your entry.
1) Create a Survivor File and upload it to your favorite video hosting service
2) Post a link below to your video, or PM the link directly to me
If you need inspiration, embedded below is Survivor File 2 of 3.
(Winner will be chosen and awarded the game code on Saturday, March 5)
Saturday, October 15, 2011
PSN Appreciation Program - What should you get?
With the recent news of the PlayStation Store going live this week I thought I'd help out my fellow man by giving out some advice on what to get. I have played/own most of these titles so I thought I could give my two cents for what they're worth. These are listed in the order of what I believe to be the best choices.
1. inFAMOUS: This is by far the best game they are offering. Superhero games didn't quite work until this beauty came around. The story is fantastic and gives you about 20 hours of gameplay per playthrough. Also, it might spark your interest for the sequel coming out next week.
2. Wipeout HD + Fury: This is a hardcore racing game. If you can barely control yourself at CTR or Mario Kart, this is not for you. However, the game is thrilling and beautiful. Just prepare your anus.
3. Super Stardust HD: This was the first game to have trophy support and that's the primary reason I got it. But as I played it I got hooked. The game's take on Asteroids is definitely one of the coolest out there. The best twin stick shooter on the system.
4. LittleBigPlanet: This would have been higher on list but due to the fact the LBP2 is out, can play all the old levels, and is a huge improvement over the original I'd say just go pick up the sequel. Don't get me wrong, LBP is a ton of fun but once you go to LBP2 there is no comparison.
5. Dead Nation: Housemarque makes another appearance on this list with another twin stick shooter. Dead Nation is a tough zombie shoot-fest. One of the better co-operative games on the PSN it provides a somewhat compelling story and tight gameplay.
PSP owners also get 2 free PSP games. Let me repeat the process.
1. Killzone: Liberation - This is no FPS. This is a tactical shooter brought to you by Guerrilla Games. The gameplay works perfectly for the PSP and the story is top notch(especially for the Killzone series). This is by far one of the coolest games I've played on the system.
2. LittleBigPlanet(PSP) - LittleBigPlanet shows up again and rightfully so. LBP for the PSP is a very entertaining platformer. It's a stripped down version of it's console counterpart but pulls of the feel fairly decently. It's not perfect by an stretch but there aren't many better platformers than this one on the PSP.
3. Modnation Racers(PSP) - A kart racer on the go sounds good right? Well how about a kart racer with an endless stream of new tracks and content. Similar to LBP(PSP) Modnation Racers is a stripped down version of it's console counterpart but does a decent job with everything. If you like some good fun kart racing and you have a creative itch to scratch then this might be the choice for you.
4. Pursuit Force - This is the only game I haven't really played. I cannot really render any form of judgement on this specific game but if you look into it an it tickles your fancy by all means go for it.
If you really want more bank for your buck, that you don't actually spend, then I say stick with the 3 choices above. And if you already own all those(which I doubt you guys do) then I guess you could check this out. Remember also that any game downloaded through the PSN will also be playable on the NGP/PSV or whatever it's going to be called.
1. inFAMOUS: This is by far the best game they are offering. Superhero games didn't quite work until this beauty came around. The story is fantastic and gives you about 20 hours of gameplay per playthrough. Also, it might spark your interest for the sequel coming out next week.
2. Wipeout HD + Fury: This is a hardcore racing game. If you can barely control yourself at CTR or Mario Kart, this is not for you. However, the game is thrilling and beautiful. Just prepare your anus.
3. Super Stardust HD: This was the first game to have trophy support and that's the primary reason I got it. But as I played it I got hooked. The game's take on Asteroids is definitely one of the coolest out there. The best twin stick shooter on the system.
4. LittleBigPlanet: This would have been higher on list but due to the fact the LBP2 is out, can play all the old levels, and is a huge improvement over the original I'd say just go pick up the sequel. Don't get me wrong, LBP is a ton of fun but once you go to LBP2 there is no comparison.
5. Dead Nation: Housemarque makes another appearance on this list with another twin stick shooter. Dead Nation is a tough zombie shoot-fest. One of the better co-operative games on the PSN it provides a somewhat compelling story and tight gameplay.
PSP owners also get 2 free PSP games. Let me repeat the process.
1. Killzone: Liberation - This is no FPS. This is a tactical shooter brought to you by Guerrilla Games. The gameplay works perfectly for the PSP and the story is top notch(especially for the Killzone series). This is by far one of the coolest games I've played on the system.
2. LittleBigPlanet(PSP) - LittleBigPlanet shows up again and rightfully so. LBP for the PSP is a very entertaining platformer. It's a stripped down version of it's console counterpart but pulls of the feel fairly decently. It's not perfect by an stretch but there aren't many better platformers than this one on the PSP.
3. Modnation Racers(PSP) - A kart racer on the go sounds good right? Well how about a kart racer with an endless stream of new tracks and content. Similar to LBP(PSP) Modnation Racers is a stripped down version of it's console counterpart but does a decent job with everything. If you like some good fun kart racing and you have a creative itch to scratch then this might be the choice for you.
4. Pursuit Force - This is the only game I haven't really played. I cannot really render any form of judgement on this specific game but if you look into it an it tickles your fancy by all means go for it.
If you really want more bank for your buck, that you don't actually spend, then I say stick with the 3 choices above. And if you already own all those(which I doubt you guys do) then I guess you could check this out. Remember also that any game downloaded through the PSN will also be playable on the NGP/PSV or whatever it's going to be called.
Adam Sessler " I pay for Xbox Live... you don't end you with the PSN debacle"
My excitement for E3 has me going back to visit some of the old podcast that I used to listen to for E3 predictions before I finally had enough BS from the people on them. G4 Feedback and IGN Beyond are the most notable but I refuse to go back to IGN so I checked out Feedback.
Now I am listing and the topic of COD Elite service comes up and as if the gods were trying to tell me to stay away, it happens again someone says something so off the wall stupid that I just want to turn it off and never come back.
What was said at about fourteen minutes was "I pay for Xbox Live and that's why you don't end you with the PSN debacle". I sat in my chair amazed at the level of stupidity of the comment a highly regarded figure in the gaming industry could make. See this is why I stopped listing to certain podcast in the first place. He has ZERO evidence to back his claim and no one calls him out on it.
The funny part is Adam catches himself after using "I" and then uses "you".
Sony made major mistake in security but it had nothing to do with money but more the simple bad coding of the system's security.
So how stupid is this comment you ask. Well G4 probably recorded that episode the same day the news broke that Michael Pachter Live account was hacked. Remember this headline Larry Hryb, Director of Programming for Microsoft's Xbox LIVE online gaming network, has had his Xbox LIVE profile hacked.
So what does this mean besides Adam is out of touch with how things actually work. It means that people can say anything they want and get away with it. Accountability is gone in the gaming industry and I am not sure it will return.
Just because you pay money for a service doesn't mean you get more or less security. Anything that is digital or electronic can be hacked not matter what measures are in place, ask you government they know. Google how many company get hacked and lose info in a weekly bases...GO ON I"LL WAIT.
You see companies get hacked all the time.
***************************** *****************************
What do you make of this and what do you think causes such mindless dribble.
Now I am listing and the topic of COD Elite service comes up and as if the gods were trying to tell me to stay away, it happens again someone says something so off the wall stupid that I just want to turn it off and never come back.
What was said at about fourteen minutes was "I pay for Xbox Live and that's why you don't end you with the PSN debacle". I sat in my chair amazed at the level of stupidity of the comment a highly regarded figure in the gaming industry could make. See this is why I stopped listing to certain podcast in the first place. He has ZERO evidence to back his claim and no one calls him out on it.
The funny part is Adam catches himself after using "I" and then uses "you".
Sony made major mistake in security but it had nothing to do with money but more the simple bad coding of the system's security.
So how stupid is this comment you ask. Well G4 probably recorded that episode the same day the news broke that Michael Pachter Live account was hacked. Remember this headline Larry Hryb, Director of Programming for Microsoft's Xbox LIVE online gaming network, has had his Xbox LIVE profile hacked.
So what does this mean besides Adam is out of touch with how things actually work. It means that people can say anything they want and get away with it. Accountability is gone in the gaming industry and I am not sure it will return.
Just because you pay money for a service doesn't mean you get more or less security. Anything that is digital or electronic can be hacked not matter what measures are in place, ask you government they know. Google how many company get hacked and lose info in a weekly bases...GO ON I"LL WAIT.
You see companies get hacked all the time.
***************************** *****************************
What do you make of this and what do you think causes such mindless dribble.
Crazy thought, Video Game ISP from the console companies!
Ok before I get chewed out by people for this radically crazy idea I'd like people to remember I'm not crazy... I've been tested. This is an idea I came up with a while ago while getting chewed out for lagging an online game because I'm Australian and the ping rate between Australia and America is pathetic.
Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft. Here's my proposed idea. Create your own exclusive internet connection that is worldwide and subscription based. Make it a lag free connection that even if you are on 1 side of the world and your playing with people on the other side of the world. Keep your current services you have but make it a separate but interconnected service so people choose their preferred service and price it reasonably. My full idea will be detailed properly below using Microsoft as my main target because they seem like the ones who could benefit the most with the least costs. Sony, Nintendo you can use the model I make too but it's easier for me to explain using Microsoft.
Ok my idea is either a 4G modem that has a proprietary connection or coding that only allows Xbox consoles to connect to it(preference) or a proper telecommunication service. Configure it so there is no lag between anyone on any game if they connect with other people using the same service. The device or connection can only work with the Xbox and nothing else and is dedicated to the Xbox Live service.
When it comes to the online play my lag free idea is that the service is configured so that only those who have the service can get the lag free play regardless of game they play and have an update to all the online games that has a search option specifically for people on the lag free service. Also allow you to still play with normal internet service users. Reason for this idea is because of people who use there internet while playing game who lag out matches with extreme bandwidth strangulation.
Now here's the part that gets a little annoying for the company but hear me out. Charge a subscription fee that is a little higher then normal Xbox Live for it and using the Australian cost as the example AU$89.95 for a year(current XBL cost here is AU$79.95 per year) , don't meter people and encourage people to jump on the service with discounts on the XBL content eg. 1200MS content for 1000MS. My idea for the service name is Xbox Live Premium. Sell the modem for AU$149.95 or installation for a dedicated telecom service at whatever a phone connection costs.
So what do you think? How many people like the idea of lag free console company run ISP specifically for online video game services? I give this idea to the console companies now to consider and iron out by the time the new console come out and all I ask is a discounted version of the services in exchange for the idea at like 40% or something. I'm not a very greed person but am compassionate about my gaming. Also sorry Sony and Nintendo for using Microsoft as my model for it, as I said it's easier to use them for it but still consider the idea.
Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft. Here's my proposed idea. Create your own exclusive internet connection that is worldwide and subscription based. Make it a lag free connection that even if you are on 1 side of the world and your playing with people on the other side of the world. Keep your current services you have but make it a separate but interconnected service so people choose their preferred service and price it reasonably. My full idea will be detailed properly below using Microsoft as my main target because they seem like the ones who could benefit the most with the least costs. Sony, Nintendo you can use the model I make too but it's easier for me to explain using Microsoft.
Ok my idea is either a 4G modem that has a proprietary connection or coding that only allows Xbox consoles to connect to it(preference) or a proper telecommunication service. Configure it so there is no lag between anyone on any game if they connect with other people using the same service. The device or connection can only work with the Xbox and nothing else and is dedicated to the Xbox Live service.
When it comes to the online play my lag free idea is that the service is configured so that only those who have the service can get the lag free play regardless of game they play and have an update to all the online games that has a search option specifically for people on the lag free service. Also allow you to still play with normal internet service users. Reason for this idea is because of people who use there internet while playing game who lag out matches with extreme bandwidth strangulation.
Now here's the part that gets a little annoying for the company but hear me out. Charge a subscription fee that is a little higher then normal Xbox Live for it and using the Australian cost as the example AU$89.95 for a year(current XBL cost here is AU$79.95 per year) , don't meter people and encourage people to jump on the service with discounts on the XBL content eg. 1200MS content for 1000MS. My idea for the service name is Xbox Live Premium. Sell the modem for AU$149.95 or installation for a dedicated telecom service at whatever a phone connection costs.
So what do you think? How many people like the idea of lag free console company run ISP specifically for online video game services? I give this idea to the console companies now to consider and iron out by the time the new console come out and all I ask is a discounted version of the services in exchange for the idea at like 40% or something. I'm not a very greed person but am compassionate about my gaming. Also sorry Sony and Nintendo for using Microsoft as my model for it, as I said it's easier to use them for it but still consider the idea.
Duke Nukem Forever Demo: The Death of a Classic?
After confirming difficulty and starting the demo I was met with a lengthy loading screen, a still image and a number of somewhat amusing tips. After waiting a number of minutes I was signalled to start the demo. Having been kept waiting for the demo for an inexcusable number of months, I was expecting a long, polished experience from the demo. Having heard a number of suggestions and rumours as to the contents of the demo, you can imagine my surprise seeing that the demo was in fact the same two levels previously previewed. I wasn't necessarily disappointed, as at this time I wasn't aware of the shortness of the demo.
And so I set about playing the demo, chuckling here and there at the amusing remarks by the Duke and members of the EDF, the first level of the demo was enjoyable, whilst the battle with the Cycloid was straight forward and simple, it did contribute to the sense of the return of a classic. Being only 17 I didn't grow up with the Duke, but I have had experience with his Video Games over the last few years. The graphics weren't phenomenal but, they were good, with the rain drenched locales of the stadium looking particularly great.
After completing the opening level of the demo I found myself yet again surprised by the following levels identity, another previously previewed level. The desert looked less beautiful, in fact, it looked down right ugly in places, which was a huge disappointment. However, my hopes for DNF weren't regarding it's visuals, it was regarding the gameplay and comedy value. Unfortunately, the latter seemed non-existent in this level, and my opinion of the first, mixed. The driving seemed like a tacked on aspect of the game and whilst sequences such as this featured in most contemporary video games are a great moment to highlight epic scale, showing huge numbers of enemies, huge explosions and set pieces, in DNF, or at least the demo, it only seemed to act as a breather from on foot gameplay. I found myself itching for some on foot shotgunning action. Fortunately, the vehicle soon ran out of fuel, an experience that came as somewhat a relief.
Returning to the first person perspective, I was met with a depressing sight, an up close view of the horrendous desert landscape graphics, I found myself almost reduced to tears, but carried on in the hopes that the detail was yet to load. I picked up the rail-gun, an unoriginal sniper requiring no skill what so ever, with it obtaining one shot kills even on the hardest difficulty available even on body shots. However, Duke Nukem was never about shooting from a long distance, and so I found a shotgun and a number of pipe bombs before continuing on. After shotgunning a number of pigs, I began to enjoy the demo slightly more, whilst finding the lack of a weapon wheel frustrating (some games suit a two weapon choice, Duke isn't one of those) I mowed through my opponents. Again, I found myself complaining, with dismemberment and gore lacking, sure you can shoot an enemies head off, but on most occasions this only occurred when executing an enemy or shooting an already dead enemy.
After a tedious fire and retreat fight against an airship I found Duke in the mines, pushing mine carts and riding them, crashing, platforming and then repeating the process with again riding a mine cart, the on rails moments of the game were, yet again, disappointing, having no control what so ever regarding the speed or direction of the cart and being unable to fire, the sequence was a boring ending to the mission, I wasn't even kept entertained whilst waiting with witty remarks. Again the cart crashed, I stood killed two pigs, refilled the monster truck and seated myself, preparing for my next driving sequence, however, the screen started to fade to black before the launch trailer was played, I almost screamed in anger and frustration. After months of waiting for the demo, repurchasing Borderlands having traded it in a year earlier I was rewarded with a short, disappointing demo. I know it may sound as though all I'm doing is complaining, but I expected more from Gearbox. Most likely the final game will redeem the franchise but I can't help but feel let down. Luckily Gearbox released a trailer for Alien Colonial Marines, a game I've been waiting since 2008 for, otherwise I'd have been even more angry at them... Perhaps it's due to my growing up with more innovative games, or the game being overhyped, but the final game has a lot to prove and I've lost trust and hope that it will do so.
And so I set about playing the demo, chuckling here and there at the amusing remarks by the Duke and members of the EDF, the first level of the demo was enjoyable, whilst the battle with the Cycloid was straight forward and simple, it did contribute to the sense of the return of a classic. Being only 17 I didn't grow up with the Duke, but I have had experience with his Video Games over the last few years. The graphics weren't phenomenal but, they were good, with the rain drenched locales of the stadium looking particularly great.
After completing the opening level of the demo I found myself yet again surprised by the following levels identity, another previously previewed level. The desert looked less beautiful, in fact, it looked down right ugly in places, which was a huge disappointment. However, my hopes for DNF weren't regarding it's visuals, it was regarding the gameplay and comedy value. Unfortunately, the latter seemed non-existent in this level, and my opinion of the first, mixed. The driving seemed like a tacked on aspect of the game and whilst sequences such as this featured in most contemporary video games are a great moment to highlight epic scale, showing huge numbers of enemies, huge explosions and set pieces, in DNF, or at least the demo, it only seemed to act as a breather from on foot gameplay. I found myself itching for some on foot shotgunning action. Fortunately, the vehicle soon ran out of fuel, an experience that came as somewhat a relief.
Returning to the first person perspective, I was met with a depressing sight, an up close view of the horrendous desert landscape graphics, I found myself almost reduced to tears, but carried on in the hopes that the detail was yet to load. I picked up the rail-gun, an unoriginal sniper requiring no skill what so ever, with it obtaining one shot kills even on the hardest difficulty available even on body shots. However, Duke Nukem was never about shooting from a long distance, and so I found a shotgun and a number of pipe bombs before continuing on. After shotgunning a number of pigs, I began to enjoy the demo slightly more, whilst finding the lack of a weapon wheel frustrating (some games suit a two weapon choice, Duke isn't one of those) I mowed through my opponents. Again, I found myself complaining, with dismemberment and gore lacking, sure you can shoot an enemies head off, but on most occasions this only occurred when executing an enemy or shooting an already dead enemy.
After a tedious fire and retreat fight against an airship I found Duke in the mines, pushing mine carts and riding them, crashing, platforming and then repeating the process with again riding a mine cart, the on rails moments of the game were, yet again, disappointing, having no control what so ever regarding the speed or direction of the cart and being unable to fire, the sequence was a boring ending to the mission, I wasn't even kept entertained whilst waiting with witty remarks. Again the cart crashed, I stood killed two pigs, refilled the monster truck and seated myself, preparing for my next driving sequence, however, the screen started to fade to black before the launch trailer was played, I almost screamed in anger and frustration. After months of waiting for the demo, repurchasing Borderlands having traded it in a year earlier I was rewarded with a short, disappointing demo. I know it may sound as though all I'm doing is complaining, but I expected more from Gearbox. Most likely the final game will redeem the franchise but I can't help but feel let down. Luckily Gearbox released a trailer for Alien Colonial Marines, a game I've been waiting since 2008 for, otherwise I'd have been even more angry at them... Perhaps it's due to my growing up with more innovative games, or the game being overhyped, but the final game has a lot to prove and I've lost trust and hope that it will do so.
Disney-branded Facebook games coming in 2012, Playdom head says
Can we all just say, “finally?” During a panel named “The Rise of Social Games” at the f8 Facebook Developers Conference in San Francisco, Disney Interactive and Playdom head John Pleasants revealed that two to four Facebook games surrounding Disney xd brands will hit Facebook in 2012. The general topic of the panel was the fact that branded social games are taking off.
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we’ve come to love.
Honestly, we’re surprised this didn’t happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn’t get into why it’s taken this long for disney channel games to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer–and we enjoyed quite a bit–peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company’s name, according to Pleasants. “We think it’s an advantage, if you put game play first,” Pleasants said.
It’s comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam’s Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we’ve come to love.
Honestly, we’re surprised this didn’t happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn’t get into why it’s taken this long for disney channel games to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer–and we enjoyed quite a bit–peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company’s name, according to Pleasants. “We think it’s an advantage, if you put game play first,” Pleasants said.
It’s comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam’s Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine
BBCW launches CBeebies games app
Games based on popular CBeebies Games series Charlie & Lola, Teletubbies, 3rd & Bird and Numberjacks are available through a new app launched by BBC Worldwide.
CBeebies On The Go is available for free on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad to pre-school children in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and South Korea.
Developed by Tag Apps, it includes matching pairs picture games for the Teletubbies and Charlie & Lola, a Kerwhizz jigsaw game and a 3rd & Bird tap-the-fruit challenge. It also holds a number of short video clips from popular shows.
Director of CBeebies investment at BBCW, Henrietta Hurford-Jones, said the team had “worked hard to build a product that upholds the core values of learning through play”.
She added: “This new kids’ app is a first for the Channels business, so the learnings from this pilot phase will help shape any future plans to roll CBeebies Games On The Go out to new territories and different devices.”
More than 53m homes have access to the CBeebies channel worldwide.
CBeebies On The Go is available for free on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad to pre-school children in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and South Korea.
Developed by Tag Apps, it includes matching pairs picture games for the Teletubbies and Charlie & Lola, a Kerwhizz jigsaw game and a 3rd & Bird tap-the-fruit challenge. It also holds a number of short video clips from popular shows.
Director of CBeebies investment at BBCW, Henrietta Hurford-Jones, said the team had “worked hard to build a product that upholds the core values of learning through play”.
She added: “This new kids’ app is a first for the Channels business, so the learnings from this pilot phase will help shape any future plans to roll CBeebies Games On The Go out to new territories and different devices.”
More than 53m homes have access to the CBeebies channel worldwide.
Angry Birds for PC
Finally, those birds that everybody likes has arrived on PC. After iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile versions, also iPhone cases and toys, Angry Birds has finally arrived on the PC thanks to the Intel App Up store. It’ll work fine and dandy on laptops and netbooks and will cost you only $4.99 to download. Nice price for this lovely game.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
* angry birds for pc
* activate free angry birds for pc
* angry birds FLASH SCAM
* angry-birds-online scam
* free angry birds games full version for window xp
*
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
* angry birds for pc
* activate free angry birds for pc
* angry birds FLASH SCAM
* angry-birds-online scam
* free angry birds games full version for window xp
*
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds
Friday, October 14, 2011
Chinese Couple Sells All Three Kids to Play Online Games
A young Chinese couple has sold all three of their children in exchange for money to play online Nick jr games at Internet cafes, reports a southern Chinese newspaper.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
Official Pokemon Game Coming To Smartphones
The Pokemon Company is set to bring an official Pokemon Online game to smartphone devices, marking the first time that an official Nintendo-copyrighted app will be available on the iOS and Android.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Nick Jr., MTVN expand in Asia
Rugrats and music fans in Singapore and Malaysia will be able to tune in to “Dora the Explorer” and 24-hour music videos, docus and concerts with the launch of Viacom’s Nick Jr. and MTVN HD in the territories in coming weeks.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Angry Birds for PC
Finally, those birds that everybody likes has arrived on PC. After iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile versions, also iPhone cases and toys, Angry Birds has finally arrived on the PC thanks to the Intel App Up store. It’ll work fine and dandy on laptops and netbooks and will cost you only $4.99 to download. Nice price for this lovely game.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
* angry birds for pc
* activate free angry birds for pc
* angry birds FLASH SCAM
* angry-birds-online scam
* free angry birds games full version for window xp
*
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.
Angry Birds for PC
Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7
Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds pc is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made. This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.
Incoming search terms:
* angry birds for pc
* activate free angry birds for pc
* angry birds FLASH SCAM
* angry-birds-online scam
* free angry birds games full version for window xp
*
- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
With Wall Street Game on Facebook, you can pretend everything's OK
What wonderful timing you have, Ender's Fund. (And yes, the game is simply titled Wall Street Game.) The developer, which has little to no web presence, recently released its free market trading game on Facebook, and it couldn't be more aptly titled. The game begins with a terribly dramatic intro about a man losing it all on the stock market, only for a legendary investor to swoop in and write him a $10 million check. That man is you, and it's time to make some money.
Wall Street Game, rather than simply present players with spreadsheets and mock Excel documents filled with numbers and foreign symbols, takes on the familiar isometric, avatar-driven play style of most Facebook games. (However, there are lots of numbers to translate if you've never invested in company stock before.)
There are a number of customization options for your wheelin' dealin' trader, but what's more important is the gameplay. The game uses real time data from the stock market to influence gameplay, which is basically gaming the market by buying and selling at the correct times.
Wall Street Game Facebook in action
However, it's made competitive through throw-downs, or challenges to your friends to see who can make the most market gains in a period of time. The developer says, "If you are winning in our game, you could be winning on the real Wall Street." Perhaps we just found the cure to the already-ailing stock market ... nah, but how about a nice alternate reality for the troubled trader to escape into? Wall Street Game has just 407 monthly players since its July release, so we hope would-be traders latch onto either motive, and fast.
Click here to play Wall Street Game on Facebook Now >
[Via Business Insider]
Would you ever play a game surrounding the stock market? Do you think there's a interest in Facebook gamers for true-to-life simulations in Facebook games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Wall Street Game, rather than simply present players with spreadsheets and mock Excel documents filled with numbers and foreign symbols, takes on the familiar isometric, avatar-driven play style of most Facebook games. (However, there are lots of numbers to translate if you've never invested in company stock before.)
There are a number of customization options for your wheelin' dealin' trader, but what's more important is the gameplay. The game uses real time data from the stock market to influence gameplay, which is basically gaming the market by buying and selling at the correct times.
Wall Street Game Facebook in action
However, it's made competitive through throw-downs, or challenges to your friends to see who can make the most market gains in a period of time. The developer says, "If you are winning in our game, you could be winning on the real Wall Street." Perhaps we just found the cure to the already-ailing stock market ... nah, but how about a nice alternate reality for the troubled trader to escape into? Wall Street Game has just 407 monthly players since its July release, so we hope would-be traders latch onto either motive, and fast.
Click here to play Wall Street Game on Facebook Now >
[Via Business Insider]
Would you ever play a game surrounding the stock market? Do you think there's a interest in Facebook gamers for true-to-life simulations in Facebook games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
EA social games exec ditches for the top dog, Zynga [Rumor]
And, no, this would certainly not be the first. Develop reports that Jeff Karp, an executive heavily involved with EA's social games efforts, is leaving for number one competitor Zynga. More specifically, Karp was executive VP of EA Play, the company's family-friendly games division, as of six months ago.
The website cites an anonymous US source that "engages with EA at senior levels," and said that Karp has made his intention to leave known. Karp, after an 11-year stint with the veteran games publisher, joins former EA CCO John Schappert in his reported move to Zynga.
In fact, Karp would join a number of former high-level EA employees in his move to another social games company. Just recently, it's been rumored that creator of NBA Jam and former senior creative director at EA Sports Mark Turmell left for Zynga in July. And way back in June, we know that Ben Cousins, GM of EA casual game developer Easy Studios, left to head Ngmoco's Sweden studio. Of course, who could forget former EA CCO Bing Gordon, who is now an investor in the creator of CityVille? (And the list goes on, really.)
The news comes as EA shifts its leadership structure to include existing high-level EA employees Peter Moore, Andrew Wilson and Frank Gibeau in even more senior roles. Amidst losing several execs, EA just released The Sims Social to Facebook. While it suffered performance issues on its first day out of the gate, it's certainly an ambitious effort on the platform, and one that could help make EA a viable competitor in the social games space. We've contacted both EA and Zynga for comment.
Do you think Karp, if true, made a good decision in joining Zynga? How do you think EA is going to handle losing this many of its high-level employees, namely in its casual and social sectors? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
The website cites an anonymous US source that "engages with EA at senior levels," and said that Karp has made his intention to leave known. Karp, after an 11-year stint with the veteran games publisher, joins former EA CCO John Schappert in his reported move to Zynga.
In fact, Karp would join a number of former high-level EA employees in his move to another social games company. Just recently, it's been rumored that creator of NBA Jam and former senior creative director at EA Sports Mark Turmell left for Zynga in July. And way back in June, we know that Ben Cousins, GM of EA casual game developer Easy Studios, left to head Ngmoco's Sweden studio. Of course, who could forget former EA CCO Bing Gordon, who is now an investor in the creator of CityVille? (And the list goes on, really.)
The news comes as EA shifts its leadership structure to include existing high-level EA employees Peter Moore, Andrew Wilson and Frank Gibeau in even more senior roles. Amidst losing several execs, EA just released The Sims Social to Facebook. While it suffered performance issues on its first day out of the gate, it's certainly an ambitious effort on the platform, and one that could help make EA a viable competitor in the social games space. We've contacted both EA and Zynga for comment.
Do you think Karp, if true, made a good decision in joining Zynga? How do you think EA is going to handle losing this many of its high-level employees, namely in its casual and social sectors? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
EA takes The Sims Social down, puts 'Coming Soon' sign up
It looks like the town of Littlehaven is having a power outage. Since around 2 a.m. Aug. 10, The Sims Social, EA's brand new ambitious attempt to bring its mega hit casual franchise to Facebook, has been out of commission.
When players head to the app through Facebook, they're greeted with an admittedly misleading sign that reads, "Coming Soon! Undergoing beta testing." However, The Sims Social is clearly already here, and is, according to EA, in its open beta. (Or, if you ask us, its release.)
EA and Playfish have clarified on The Sims Social forums that the game is currently down for repairs, and that it will not reset players' progress, as many fans already fear. Here's the full statement from Playfish Community Manager Lady Coconut:
"The Sims Social is currently in Open Beta, which means we're calibrating and fine-tuning to ensure you will have the best playing experience possible. Please bear with us while we fix some of the issues that some of you have been having, during which time the game may be unavailable from time-to-time. Rest assured that we will not be resetting the game during this maintenance period, so you won't lose any progress, SimCash or relationships that you have built up so far."
We're sure that The Sims Social would prove to be an impressive addition to the company's Facebook catalog, if we could just play it already. (Based on my brief, brief experience with the game, I'm actually enjoying it, mind you.) Yesterday, the game suffered a number of issues regarding performance, and our guess is that this is the result of those frequent crashes, freeze-ups and other errors players have been struggling to play the game through. No ETA has been given on The Sims Social's return, so I guess you could go play the original Sims games while you wait. Just remember to check back ... eventually. We've contacted EA for comment.
What do you think of EA taking its brand new game down already just after mere hours of its launch? Do you think the game will recover from the setback? Sound off in the comments. 4 Comments
When players head to the app through Facebook, they're greeted with an admittedly misleading sign that reads, "Coming Soon! Undergoing beta testing." However, The Sims Social is clearly already here, and is, according to EA, in its open beta. (Or, if you ask us, its release.)
EA and Playfish have clarified on The Sims Social forums that the game is currently down for repairs, and that it will not reset players' progress, as many fans already fear. Here's the full statement from Playfish Community Manager Lady Coconut:
"The Sims Social is currently in Open Beta, which means we're calibrating and fine-tuning to ensure you will have the best playing experience possible. Please bear with us while we fix some of the issues that some of you have been having, during which time the game may be unavailable from time-to-time. Rest assured that we will not be resetting the game during this maintenance period, so you won't lose any progress, SimCash or relationships that you have built up so far."
We're sure that The Sims Social would prove to be an impressive addition to the company's Facebook catalog, if we could just play it already. (Based on my brief, brief experience with the game, I'm actually enjoying it, mind you.) Yesterday, the game suffered a number of issues regarding performance, and our guess is that this is the result of those frequent crashes, freeze-ups and other errors players have been struggling to play the game through. No ETA has been given on The Sims Social's return, so I guess you could go play the original Sims games while you wait. Just remember to check back ... eventually. We've contacted EA for comment.
What do you think of EA taking its brand new game down already just after mere hours of its launch? Do you think the game will recover from the setback? Sound off in the comments. 4 Comments
Kixeye CEO: 'CityVille is a good game,' but its 'exact opposite audience'
The real question is, however, is would Kixeye CEO Will Harbin (pictured) call Empires & Allies, the number one strategy game on Facebook, a good strategy game? During an interview with Gamasutra, Harbin got into his company's struggles to prove that Facebook truly is a legitimate gaming platform. He mentioned that, based on his first interactions with FarmVille that he "wouldn't call it a game." However, when CityVille released in late 2010, Harbin was visibly impressed.
"When more of the traditional game guys came into Zynga, you started seeing more original titles," Harbin told Gamasutra. "CityVille is a good app, it's a good game! They kind of took like the interesting parts of, say SimCity, combining with the harvesting mechanics of FarmVille. I was pretty surprised when Zynga launched that game; it was a lot better than I expected of what they could do."
It's interesting that Harbin makes this point considering Zynga's CityVille has under fire from companies like Brazilian developer Vostu, which claims that the big time creator has copied other games while designing its own city-builder. But more importantly, Harbin makes a distinction between his audience and the FarmVille crowd: They're not the same at all. Harbin has no interest in catering to this audience, and that approach has apparently done Kixeye quite well. (And the company likely hopes it will do even better with its upcoming game, War Commander.)
"... Battle Pirates launched about a little while ago, and it's doing super well, it's very sticky in terms the users that are playing," Harbin gushed to Gamasutra. "That game was really driven by us wanting to make cool games that we wanted to play that aren't on Facebook. That's the bottom line. I'm on Facebook hours a day, and all these people are playing games are putting stupid crap on my wall. There's something to this, but there's no content that appeals specifically to me."
While Harbin goes on to elaborate, which you can read here, the main takeaway is this: Harbin and Kixeye claim to attract an audience that is not your average social gamer, and they're doing quite well at it. In fact, players of games like Kixeye's Battle Pirates--the company's most recent real-time strategy game--are coming from their Starcraft's and Call of Duty's for a hardcore experience on Facebook, according to Harbin. So, will the existing nearly 80 million hardcore Facebook gamers grow? If Harbin and Kixeye have anything to do about, then absolutely.
[Image Credit: Kixeye]
Do you think Kixeye is smart in approaching an entirely different audience from Zynga? Do you see more hardcore game genres coming to Facebook than simply strategy games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
"When more of the traditional game guys came into Zynga, you started seeing more original titles," Harbin told Gamasutra. "CityVille is a good app, it's a good game! They kind of took like the interesting parts of, say SimCity, combining with the harvesting mechanics of FarmVille. I was pretty surprised when Zynga launched that game; it was a lot better than I expected of what they could do."
It's interesting that Harbin makes this point considering Zynga's CityVille has under fire from companies like Brazilian developer Vostu, which claims that the big time creator has copied other games while designing its own city-builder. But more importantly, Harbin makes a distinction between his audience and the FarmVille crowd: They're not the same at all. Harbin has no interest in catering to this audience, and that approach has apparently done Kixeye quite well. (And the company likely hopes it will do even better with its upcoming game, War Commander.)
"... Battle Pirates launched about a little while ago, and it's doing super well, it's very sticky in terms the users that are playing," Harbin gushed to Gamasutra. "That game was really driven by us wanting to make cool games that we wanted to play that aren't on Facebook. That's the bottom line. I'm on Facebook hours a day, and all these people are playing games are putting stupid crap on my wall. There's something to this, but there's no content that appeals specifically to me."
While Harbin goes on to elaborate, which you can read here, the main takeaway is this: Harbin and Kixeye claim to attract an audience that is not your average social gamer, and they're doing quite well at it. In fact, players of games like Kixeye's Battle Pirates--the company's most recent real-time strategy game--are coming from their Starcraft's and Call of Duty's for a hardcore experience on Facebook, according to Harbin. So, will the existing nearly 80 million hardcore Facebook gamers grow? If Harbin and Kixeye have anything to do about, then absolutely.
[Image Credit: Kixeye]
Do you think Kixeye is smart in approaching an entirely different audience from Zynga? Do you see more hardcore game genres coming to Facebook than simply strategy games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
Portal creator takes hint from Zynga, updates Steam with game, item gifting
Well, imitation is the finest form of flattery. GamePro reports that Valve, the creator of hit shooters like Portal, Team Fortress 2 (TF2) and the popular online game store slash community Steam, has introduced out-of-game hat trading to TF2. Better yet, Steam users can trade and gift full games with one another, though they must be brand new, never-before-played copies.
Now, a little background: As players bust a cap into numerous enemies in TF2 they accumulate or buy hats, cosmetic items that change their characters' headdress into slightly more unique designs (usually in humorous ways like so). Before today, players could only trade hats within the game, but now players can trade and gift these items from Steam client. The feature is called Steam Trading, and it sure sounds a lot like gifting in games like FarmVille and Empires & Allies.
In Facebook games, gifting can be done both in an outside of the game through either each game's gifting page or by responding to News Feed posts that friends provide. Since this Steam Trading system works within its Group Chat and Steam Friends list, we're gonna go out on a limb and say that this is less coincidence and more ... adaptation.
While trading full games to other players is certainly new regardless, it's the fact that Steam is opening itself up to this new layer of friend interaction normally reserved for social games that's interesting. This is far from the first move Valve has made with its Steam platform toward social game-like tendencies. First, the company brought in free-to-play games like Spiral Knights--of course, social games are free-to-play as well. Then, Valve introduced a free component to TF2, allowing players to enjoy a somewhat limited version of the game for no upfront cost, though it was sure to keep those micro-transactions open.
Now, players can send each other gifts without even opening TF2, and can send each other full games from the Steam client (as long as they're brand new copies, like leftovers from a bundle purchase). And Valve has even introduced Friend Tagging to the service to more easily organize and search for your friends--likely those who gift often.
Steam Trading is currently in beta testing--and we all know what sometime implies--but this feature won't stop here. According to GamePro, Steam Trading will cross over into Portal 2 and later the developer's third-party game offerings. Valve games like Team Fortress 2 are tightrope-walking the line between hardcore and Facebook game, and we have a good feeling of which way they're going to fall in the future. To learn more about Steam Trading, check out the FAQ here.
Are you interested in TF2 now that you can trade items with your friends? Do you think Valve is headed in the right direction with these and past changes to its games offerings? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Now, a little background: As players bust a cap into numerous enemies in TF2 they accumulate or buy hats, cosmetic items that change their characters' headdress into slightly more unique designs (usually in humorous ways like so). Before today, players could only trade hats within the game, but now players can trade and gift these items from Steam client. The feature is called Steam Trading, and it sure sounds a lot like gifting in games like FarmVille and Empires & Allies.
In Facebook games, gifting can be done both in an outside of the game through either each game's gifting page or by responding to News Feed posts that friends provide. Since this Steam Trading system works within its Group Chat and Steam Friends list, we're gonna go out on a limb and say that this is less coincidence and more ... adaptation.
While trading full games to other players is certainly new regardless, it's the fact that Steam is opening itself up to this new layer of friend interaction normally reserved for social games that's interesting. This is far from the first move Valve has made with its Steam platform toward social game-like tendencies. First, the company brought in free-to-play games like Spiral Knights--of course, social games are free-to-play as well. Then, Valve introduced a free component to TF2, allowing players to enjoy a somewhat limited version of the game for no upfront cost, though it was sure to keep those micro-transactions open.
Now, players can send each other gifts without even opening TF2, and can send each other full games from the Steam client (as long as they're brand new copies, like leftovers from a bundle purchase). And Valve has even introduced Friend Tagging to the service to more easily organize and search for your friends--likely those who gift often.
Steam Trading is currently in beta testing--and we all know what sometime implies--but this feature won't stop here. According to GamePro, Steam Trading will cross over into Portal 2 and later the developer's third-party game offerings. Valve games like Team Fortress 2 are tightrope-walking the line between hardcore and Facebook game, and we have a good feeling of which way they're going to fall in the future. To learn more about Steam Trading, check out the FAQ here.
Are you interested in TF2 now that you can trade items with your friends? Do you think Valve is headed in the right direction with these and past changes to its games offerings? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Game of the Day: WHATword?
Half match-3, half word game, WHATword? is an addictive word-making challenge. Line up letters to form words and knock them off the screen. But be careful because as soon as you clear a word, new balls will drop in to fill the gap. Line up various words, make an extra-long word, or use a special bonus letter; and you'll get heaps extra points. To advance to the next level, complete all the WHATwords!
See how far you can get before the WHATwords become too difficult!
Click here to play WHATword?!
whatword what word game of the day whatword what word game of the day
Pro Tips:
* When in trouble, mash the "Blast" button to rearrange the letters on the board.
* When you're lining up a WHATword, be careful not to create any other combos by accident. It might be a long time before the letters you need arrive in unison again.
Click here to play WHATword?!
How many levels did you clear in WHATwords?
See how far you can get before the WHATwords become too difficult!
Click here to play WHATword?!
whatword what word game of the day whatword what word game of the day
Pro Tips:
* When in trouble, mash the "Blast" button to rearrange the letters on the board.
* When you're lining up a WHATword, be careful not to create any other combos by accident. It might be a long time before the letters you need arrive in unison again.
Click here to play WHATword?!
How many levels did you clear in WHATwords?
6waves Lolapps puts up $10 million for indie social game developers
Is 6waves Lolapps looking to find the next FarmVille? It's possible, but what's more important is that the new found publisher-meets-developer duo is looking to give the little guy a chance. The company just announced that it has raised $10 million in what it calls the 6L Fund. With it, the publisher will grant independent social and mobile game creators the financial resources and support they need to (hopefully) create the next big thing on Facebook or elsewhere.
"There are game teams at all stages in the creative process that have fresh and potentially groundbreaking ideas," said SVP of Publishing at 6waves Lolapps Jim Ying in a statement. "With the capital and the resources that only 6waves Lolapps can deliver, they could help shape the future of social gaming."
The resources Ying referred to include cross promotion, funded user acquisition (essentially paying for more players through advertising), product management, localization, hosting, and the FLISO Game Engine. The latter is enhanced Flash--software game developers commonly use to create Facebook games--technology acquired by 6waves earlier this year.
Independent developers might want to bite, considering that 6waves Lolapps reaches about 38 million collective monthly players, according to AppData--that technically puts the company just under Diamond Dash maker wooga's over 41 million monthly players. Most importantly, this potentially gives indie social game makers a chance on Facebook, which some argue has otherwise all but dried up.
Starting Sept. 27, developers can submit their applications for the 6L Fund, and hopefully we'll see the fruits of their labor sometime next year. Who knows, maybe it's time for another indie developer to enjoy wild success. Just think, what was Rovio before Angry Birds?
What do you think of 6waves Lolapps looking to indie game creators for the next social or mobile hit? Do you think this strategy could result in the next big Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"There are game teams at all stages in the creative process that have fresh and potentially groundbreaking ideas," said SVP of Publishing at 6waves Lolapps Jim Ying in a statement. "With the capital and the resources that only 6waves Lolapps can deliver, they could help shape the future of social gaming."
The resources Ying referred to include cross promotion, funded user acquisition (essentially paying for more players through advertising), product management, localization, hosting, and the FLISO Game Engine. The latter is enhanced Flash--software game developers commonly use to create Facebook games--technology acquired by 6waves earlier this year.
Independent developers might want to bite, considering that 6waves Lolapps reaches about 38 million collective monthly players, according to AppData--that technically puts the company just under Diamond Dash maker wooga's over 41 million monthly players. Most importantly, this potentially gives indie social game makers a chance on Facebook, which some argue has otherwise all but dried up.
Starting Sept. 27, developers can submit their applications for the 6L Fund, and hopefully we'll see the fruits of their labor sometime next year. Who knows, maybe it's time for another indie developer to enjoy wild success. Just think, what was Rovio before Angry Birds?
What do you think of 6waves Lolapps looking to indie game creators for the next social or mobile hit? Do you think this strategy could result in the next big Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Angry Birds creator wants to publish indie games, Rovio exec says
It makes you wonder: Could Rovio be just a little bit scared that it might not strike gold again? Chief marketing officer for the creator of Angry Birds Peter Vesterbacka (pictured) said to Develop in an interview that the developer is planning to open a publishing label.
"We have some plans for this area, but not ready to announce yet," Vesterbacka told Develop. "If we do something in the publishing area, you can expect it to be a bit different."
However, it seems as if the maker of your favorite annoyed avians wants to keep things 1.) indie (independently developed) and 2.) mobile. According to Develop, Rovio has already approached several mobile game studios to form a foundation for the new business. While the Finnish company's other ventures have arguably been leaps of faith--cookbooks ... seriously?--it certainly has experience in the publishing business.
Well, at least from the other end. Angry Birds made it to the US in 2009 though Chillingo, a mobile games publisher that is now owned by EA. Of course, Rovio was able to back out of deal once the acquisition occurred, but the company is currently in another publisher relationship with Twentieth Century Fox, through which it nabbed the rights to create Angry Birds Rio.
And honestly, it would be a no-brainer for an indie game developer to team up with Rovio. For one, if the company claims to be worth at least as much as Zynga, it at least has considerable resources to offer. And seriously, could you go wrong with a team that has somehow successfully hyped up slingshotting birds into pigs for two years running? I think not.
[Via TouchArcade]
What do you think of Rovio potentially becoming an indie games publisher? Would you try a new iPhone game just knowing it was published by the creator of Angry Birds? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"We have some plans for this area, but not ready to announce yet," Vesterbacka told Develop. "If we do something in the publishing area, you can expect it to be a bit different."
However, it seems as if the maker of your favorite annoyed avians wants to keep things 1.) indie (independently developed) and 2.) mobile. According to Develop, Rovio has already approached several mobile game studios to form a foundation for the new business. While the Finnish company's other ventures have arguably been leaps of faith--cookbooks ... seriously?--it certainly has experience in the publishing business.
Well, at least from the other end. Angry Birds made it to the US in 2009 though Chillingo, a mobile games publisher that is now owned by EA. Of course, Rovio was able to back out of deal once the acquisition occurred, but the company is currently in another publisher relationship with Twentieth Century Fox, through which it nabbed the rights to create Angry Birds Rio.
And honestly, it would be a no-brainer for an indie game developer to team up with Rovio. For one, if the company claims to be worth at least as much as Zynga, it at least has considerable resources to offer. And seriously, could you go wrong with a team that has somehow successfully hyped up slingshotting birds into pigs for two years running? I think not.
[Via TouchArcade]
What do you think of Rovio potentially becoming an indie games publisher? Would you try a new iPhone game just knowing it was published by the creator of Angry Birds? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Myhomefarm23's angular English countryside
Today's featured farm was created by FarmVille Forums member, Myhomefarm23. This FarmVille English Countryside plot is a great example of intelligent farm design. Sure it's a farm art masterpiece, but it's also functional!
Myhomefarm23 went about creating this absurd tree design without a single orchard, laughing at anyone who squishes their beautiful trees into storage bins. Breathtaking rows of fruit trees line the path leading up to the Eiffel Tower located at the center of the farm, creating a truly spectacular effect. Not only that, but if you look closely, where there isn't trees, the farm is full of animals! This, folks, is an exceptional sheep and pig breeding design. If harvested consistantly, this farm could turn a huge profit! Just looking at this excellent farm makes me wish I was Myhomefarm23's neighbor, just so I could reap some of the rewards :)
I just hope Myhomefarm23 has plenty of Farm Hands and Arborists saved up or they're in for a lot of clicking!
What do you think of this great English Countryside design?
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!
Myhomefarm23 went about creating this absurd tree design without a single orchard, laughing at anyone who squishes their beautiful trees into storage bins. Breathtaking rows of fruit trees line the path leading up to the Eiffel Tower located at the center of the farm, creating a truly spectacular effect. Not only that, but if you look closely, where there isn't trees, the farm is full of animals! This, folks, is an exceptional sheep and pig breeding design. If harvested consistantly, this farm could turn a huge profit! Just looking at this excellent farm makes me wish I was Myhomefarm23's neighbor, just so I could reap some of the rewards :)
I just hope Myhomefarm23 has plenty of Farm Hands and Arborists saved up or they're in for a lot of clicking!
What do you think of this great English Countryside design?
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!
Tagged bulks up for a bout with Facebook, acquires WeGame
The imminent battle between Facebook and Google+ over social games domination has a potential, scrappy third contender. People often forget about Tagged, the San Francisco-based social network with a considerable 100 million plus users. Video games, our favorite thing to talk about, might change all that, as the company announced that it has purchased WeGame.
WeGame is a cross between a social network for gamers in vein of services like Raptr and an online store with digital copies of games. Of course, terms of the deal weren't disclosed, and it's unclear exactly how the social network will make use of its new gaming network-meets-game store.
This news is especially striking considering the fact that Tagged already offers social games to its users. In fact, the company hired former Pogo VP Andrew Pederson to oversee its social gaming efforts. Perhaps that venture hasn't produced results, or Tagged simply looks to further bolster its social gaming efforts. Unfortunately, we currently haven't a clue.
According to TechCrunch, Tagged will reveal the details of how WeGame's technology will be incorporated "in the coming months." The company in question is run by a mere four employees, so we imagine there is a good amount of automation going on there, something Tagged could be looking to take advantage of.
It's also worth noting that WeGame is heavily skewed toward the hardcore crowd, offering a number of games for sale that only fans of franchises like World of WarCraft might recognize. That said--and this is pure speculation--Tagged could be looking in a completely different direction than Facebook is and Google+ appears to be: the proverbial Call of Duty player. Hey, if the social network has found strong enough of a niche to thrive in the shadow of Facebook, perhaps it has found another.
Are you either a Tagged or WeGame user? What do you think of Tagged picking up another games service when it already offers games? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
WeGame is a cross between a social network for gamers in vein of services like Raptr and an online store with digital copies of games. Of course, terms of the deal weren't disclosed, and it's unclear exactly how the social network will make use of its new gaming network-meets-game store.
This news is especially striking considering the fact that Tagged already offers social games to its users. In fact, the company hired former Pogo VP Andrew Pederson to oversee its social gaming efforts. Perhaps that venture hasn't produced results, or Tagged simply looks to further bolster its social gaming efforts. Unfortunately, we currently haven't a clue.
According to TechCrunch, Tagged will reveal the details of how WeGame's technology will be incorporated "in the coming months." The company in question is run by a mere four employees, so we imagine there is a good amount of automation going on there, something Tagged could be looking to take advantage of.
It's also worth noting that WeGame is heavily skewed toward the hardcore crowd, offering a number of games for sale that only fans of franchises like World of WarCraft might recognize. That said--and this is pure speculation--Tagged could be looking in a completely different direction than Facebook is and Google+ appears to be: the proverbial Call of Duty player. Hey, if the social network has found strong enough of a niche to thrive in the shadow of Facebook, perhaps it has found another.
Are you either a Tagged or WeGame user? What do you think of Tagged picking up another games service when it already offers games? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Social game network Hi5 suffers 'significant' layoffs, pushes onward
Hopefully not sounding too crass, but this is one of the unfortunate if efficient advantages of technology. TechCrunch reports that Hi5, a social game network looking to compete with Google+ Games and Facebook in 2012, has laid off 28 employees. The decision, confirmed by infamous pundit and Hi5 president and CTO Alex St. John, was made in response to new tech:
"We have also been building the next generation site in a new architecture, .NET framework, and have moved away from Open Source and Java technology," St. John told TechCrunch. "As we have recently turned the corner on our technology migration efforts we have been able to significantly reduce the number of positions required to support the older hi5 site and are in the process of re-organizing the company to focus entirely on the development and deployment of our next generation social play site."
Simply put, technological advances in how the future Hi5 website will work has led to automation in web support that was before handled by multiple employees. Since the new website can handle much of those tasks on its own, 28 of those full-time and contract workers were deemed no longer necessary. TechCrunch recalls this is far from the first time Hi5 has trimmed the fat, so to speak.
The company, originally a general-use social network, has since pivoted toward capitalizing on social gaming. Early next year, it will unveil its next generation social gaming network with 28 fewer people to celebrate, sadly. "The departing folks were very talented and we hated to let them go but our business is changing rapidly now," St. John said to TechCrunch. "We hope that other great companies in this area snap them up quickly."
Even with its automated enhancements, it will be interesting to see just whether Hi5 can hop into the ring with the big league players, Facebook and Google. Its strategy doesn't seem to be one of scale, so we're intrigued to see what's up St. John's sleeve. Regardless, best wishes to those 28 unfortunate folks--may you find super awesome gigs elsewhere.
What do you think of this news just as Hi5 prepares to enter its next phase of social gaming? Do you think the company could become a viable competitor to Facebook and Google in social games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"We have also been building the next generation site in a new architecture, .NET framework, and have moved away from Open Source and Java technology," St. John told TechCrunch. "As we have recently turned the corner on our technology migration efforts we have been able to significantly reduce the number of positions required to support the older hi5 site and are in the process of re-organizing the company to focus entirely on the development and deployment of our next generation social play site."
Simply put, technological advances in how the future Hi5 website will work has led to automation in web support that was before handled by multiple employees. Since the new website can handle much of those tasks on its own, 28 of those full-time and contract workers were deemed no longer necessary. TechCrunch recalls this is far from the first time Hi5 has trimmed the fat, so to speak.
The company, originally a general-use social network, has since pivoted toward capitalizing on social gaming. Early next year, it will unveil its next generation social gaming network with 28 fewer people to celebrate, sadly. "The departing folks were very talented and we hated to let them go but our business is changing rapidly now," St. John said to TechCrunch. "We hope that other great companies in this area snap them up quickly."
Even with its automated enhancements, it will be interesting to see just whether Hi5 can hop into the ring with the big league players, Facebook and Google. Its strategy doesn't seem to be one of scale, so we're intrigued to see what's up St. John's sleeve. Regardless, best wishes to those 28 unfortunate folks--may you find super awesome gigs elsewhere.
What do you think of this news just as Hi5 prepares to enter its next phase of social gaming? Do you think the company could become a viable competitor to Facebook and Google in social games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Zynga reveals Mafia Wars 2, to be a 'badass' Facebook game [Video]
To most, Facebook gaming is nothing but farmland, cows and rainbows with a dash of brand endorsement. Zynga, one of the stereotype's main offenders, hopes to set the record straight with Mafia Wars 2. A full-blown sequel to the original text-based Facebook RPG (role-playing game), Mafia Wars 2 will bring the franchise into "a vast 3D world where being bad never felt so good."
Judging from this early artwork and the ... interesting trailer below, it seems as if Zynga could make good on previous speculation that its next Mafia Wars game would take a more literal approach in paying homage to its inspirations.
The trailer is set to Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song," you know, so its badassery really sets in. Jokes (about the narration) aside, the video is impressively-edited with its stylistic, "golden" approach to blood and gore.
Unfortunately, all we know about Mafia Wars 2 is apparently how badass it's going to be. While that may be all some need to get psyched, you can check out and "Like" the game's official Facebook fan page to find out more about the game.
Oh, and you'll score some early items for the game by hopping on board early like some accessories for your character and decorations. These already tell us a great deal about the game--fully customizable 3D avatars, anyone? Alright, now we know you're hyped.
[Video and Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you excited to get your clickers on some fresh gang bustin' in Mafia Wars 2? What did you think of the announcement trailer? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
Judging from this early artwork and the ... interesting trailer below, it seems as if Zynga could make good on previous speculation that its next Mafia Wars game would take a more literal approach in paying homage to its inspirations.
The trailer is set to Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song," you know, so its badassery really sets in. Jokes (about the narration) aside, the video is impressively-edited with its stylistic, "golden" approach to blood and gore.
Unfortunately, all we know about Mafia Wars 2 is apparently how badass it's going to be. While that may be all some need to get psyched, you can check out and "Like" the game's official Facebook fan page to find out more about the game.
Oh, and you'll score some early items for the game by hopping on board early like some accessories for your character and decorations. These already tell us a great deal about the game--fully customizable 3D avatars, anyone? Alright, now we know you're hyped.
[Video and Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you excited to get your clickers on some fresh gang bustin' in Mafia Wars 2? What did you think of the announcement trailer? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
Finally, hang out with your Android buddies in Hanging With Friends
It looks like Tuesday is unofficially Zynga Game Day, as the company just announced that Hanging With Friends is now available for free on the Android Market. Keep in mind, this comes just minutes after the company revealed Mafia Wars 2. Even better news than the fact that Android players can get in on Zynga With Friends's second mobile game is that it's now cross-platform ready.
Yes, now you can play both your iPhone-toting friends and your best Android-owning enemies buds in this crazy take on the classic pen and paper game of Hangman. In case you're unfamiliar, Hanging With Friends takes the popular turn-based exchange of the wildly popular Words With Friends and applies that to a wacky game of Hangman, but with some twists.
For one, players who choose their word for an opponent are limited by the letters provided to them. Then, that challenge is sent to a player who must guess the word with a limited amount of guesses. This exchange of posing challenges and guesses continues asynchronously until one player loses all of their balloons and falls into a pit of lava or other various deathtraps.
Luckily, you have a series of power-ups at your disposal that can restore some of your guesses or reveal letters that may or may not be part of the word your friend chose in secret. Of course, these boosts cost Coins, which you can accumulate over time by winning Hanging With Friends matches or purchasing them outright in-game.
Gallery: Hanging With Friends on Android
Of course, the Android version contains all of the features that its iOS counterpart sports, like the ability to play up to 20 games at a time, in-game chat and push notifications. Finally, you can add friends via your existing With Friends account, or just connect to Facebook (like everyone else) to find more folks to crush with your wordsmithery. Have at thee, Fandroids.
Click here to download Hanging With Friends on the Android Market Now >
Are you psyched that Hanging With Friends has finally come to Android? What other Zynga games do you hope to see on Android phones on the future? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Yes, now you can play both your iPhone-toting friends and your best Android-owning enemies buds in this crazy take on the classic pen and paper game of Hangman. In case you're unfamiliar, Hanging With Friends takes the popular turn-based exchange of the wildly popular Words With Friends and applies that to a wacky game of Hangman, but with some twists.
For one, players who choose their word for an opponent are limited by the letters provided to them. Then, that challenge is sent to a player who must guess the word with a limited amount of guesses. This exchange of posing challenges and guesses continues asynchronously until one player loses all of their balloons and falls into a pit of lava or other various deathtraps.
Luckily, you have a series of power-ups at your disposal that can restore some of your guesses or reveal letters that may or may not be part of the word your friend chose in secret. Of course, these boosts cost Coins, which you can accumulate over time by winning Hanging With Friends matches or purchasing them outright in-game.
Gallery: Hanging With Friends on Android
Of course, the Android version contains all of the features that its iOS counterpart sports, like the ability to play up to 20 games at a time, in-game chat and push notifications. Finally, you can add friends via your existing With Friends account, or just connect to Facebook (like everyone else) to find more folks to crush with your wordsmithery. Have at thee, Fandroids.
Click here to download Hanging With Friends on the Android Market Now >
Are you psyched that Hanging With Friends has finally come to Android? What other Zynga games do you hope to see on Android phones on the future? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Game of the Day: Alchemy
alchemy game of the dayAlchemy is a game of strategy and wit. Carefully place runes and turn the entire board to gold. You can only place runes next to pieces of the same color or shape. However, you can place a rune of any color or shape next to a grey stone. If you can't place the rune, you may discard it. But be careful, discard four runes in a row and it'll be game over! If you fill a row or column with runes, they'll all disappear, opening up the board. Similarly, a skull will let you destroy any rune on the board.
Alchemy may seem complicated at first, but once you grasp the basics, you'll be hooked on its addictive gameplay. Good luck!
Click here to play Alchemy!
alchemy game of the day alchemy game of the day
What did you think of Alchemy? Where you able to turn lead into gold?
Alchemy may seem complicated at first, but once you grasp the basics, you'll be hooked on its addictive gameplay. Good luck!
Click here to play Alchemy!
alchemy game of the day alchemy game of the day
What did you think of Alchemy? Where you able to turn lead into gold?
Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski is awfully addicted to Angry Birds
Another falls to the power of casual games. Just as actress Emma Stone had to go cold turkey on FarmVille, Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski has admitted to Collider an acute Angry Birds addiction. The actress (and voice of Miranda Lawson in Bioware's Mass Effect series) told the website she's not just hopelessly addicted to the game, but has some serious bird-slinging game.
"I don't know if this classifies as a video game, but I have a terrible obsession with Angry Birds," Strahovski admitted to Collider. "I have 3 stared every single level that has ever come out ever except for this one in this moon thing that just came out." Well, she already has me beat, it seems, and likely many of you.
When asked whether she used YouTube or something else to cheat, the Australian starlet replied, "No. I am legitimate. The only thing I looked up is that I could't find the last two golden watermelons in the Rio version. I could't find them. I was like, 'Where are the watermelons?!' So I had to go online and find out where they were." Alright, we get it, so you know your stuff.
Her next mission? Clear every level in the game with 100 percent using the Mighty Eagle. Well, I guess that's about the only challenge she has left, considering she's obliterated every last level. After that, maybe she might consider voice over work for the upcoming Angry Birds movie when it goes into production in oh, I don't know, two years? And who knows, maybe you'll catch her in a Starbucks, flicking away to destroy your high score sometime soon.
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Collider]
Are you still addicted to Angry Birds after all this time? Have you accomplished more in the game than lovely Yvonne? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"I don't know if this classifies as a video game, but I have a terrible obsession with Angry Birds," Strahovski admitted to Collider. "I have 3 stared every single level that has ever come out ever except for this one in this moon thing that just came out." Well, she already has me beat, it seems, and likely many of you.
When asked whether she used YouTube or something else to cheat, the Australian starlet replied, "No. I am legitimate. The only thing I looked up is that I could't find the last two golden watermelons in the Rio version. I could't find them. I was like, 'Where are the watermelons?!' So I had to go online and find out where they were." Alright, we get it, so you know your stuff.
Her next mission? Clear every level in the game with 100 percent using the Mighty Eagle. Well, I guess that's about the only challenge she has left, considering she's obliterated every last level. After that, maybe she might consider voice over work for the upcoming Angry Birds movie when it goes into production in oh, I don't know, two years? And who knows, maybe you'll catch her in a Starbucks, flicking away to destroy your high score sometime soon.
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Collider]
Are you still addicted to Angry Birds after all this time? Have you accomplished more in the game than lovely Yvonne? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Come Ashore Goals: Everything you need to know
As part of today's launch of the Lighthouse Cove farm in FarmVille to every farmer that's interested (whether they paid for admittance or not), a new goal series has been launched in the game, allowing even those new players a chance to become acquainted with their new farm, while also earning prizes. There are six goals in this new series, and they're limited edition, being available for the next seven days (or just a week).
Come Ashore!
* Get 3 Piles of Hay
* Harvest 10 Chandler Blueberries
* Improve the Cove to Level 1
You'll need to earn the Piles of Hay by asking your friends to send them to you. As for the Chandler Blueberries, they take eight hours to grow, so even though you're not required to grow very many, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be done with this one quickly. As for the Lighthouse Cove, you can repair it by collecting Logs, Stones and Steel Beams. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 100 XP, the Restaurant, a Red Tractor and 2,500 coins. Hopefully you haven't already purchased a Restaurant for your new farm, as this will of course be worthless.
A Beach to Walk on
* Get 6 Supply Boxes
* Harvest 45 Darrow Blueberries
* Place the Restaurant
Hopefully, if you are one of those users that placed the Restaurant before receiving these goals, it will automatically detect that it's present on your farm and complete this task for you. As for the Supply Boxes - you guessed it - just have your friends send you some. Darrow Blueberries, meanwhile, take just four hours to grow. Finish this goal and you'll receive 200 XP, a Sailor Cow (a cow in an adorable little sailor's hat and "tie"), a Yellow Seeder and 2,500 coins.
A Quick Tour
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Complete 1 Wildlife Habitat
* Make the Creamed Corn Recipe 1 Time
The Creamed Corn recipe is made inside the Restaurant, and it requires three Butter & Sugar Corn, three Tarragon and one Pepper Bushels. The Butter & Sugar Corn and Tarragon crops are new to the Lighthouse Cove farm, while you might already have some Pepper bushels on hand from your other farms. As for the Wildlife Habitat, you're given the frame of one for free when landing in the cove, and can then complete it by gathering Fence Posts, Shrubs and Grazing Grasses. Check out our complete guide to the Wildlife Habitat right here. Once you finish this third goal, you'll receive 300 XP, a White Cedar Tree, a Blue Harvester and 2,500 coins.
After finishing these first three goals, you will have walked away with a complete farm vehicle set (save for the Combine) that will allow you to complete all of the farming tasks required on your new farm. Of course, you can always purchase a Combine Chassis from the store for that three-in-one farming convenience, but at least you'll have these vehicles to rely on while you're waiting for the Vehicle Parts to pour in.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Lighthouse Cove goals? How far have you made it into the trio? Sound off in the comments.
Come Ashore!
* Get 3 Piles of Hay
* Harvest 10 Chandler Blueberries
* Improve the Cove to Level 1
You'll need to earn the Piles of Hay by asking your friends to send them to you. As for the Chandler Blueberries, they take eight hours to grow, so even though you're not required to grow very many, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be done with this one quickly. As for the Lighthouse Cove, you can repair it by collecting Logs, Stones and Steel Beams. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 100 XP, the Restaurant, a Red Tractor and 2,500 coins. Hopefully you haven't already purchased a Restaurant for your new farm, as this will of course be worthless.
A Beach to Walk on
* Get 6 Supply Boxes
* Harvest 45 Darrow Blueberries
* Place the Restaurant
Hopefully, if you are one of those users that placed the Restaurant before receiving these goals, it will automatically detect that it's present on your farm and complete this task for you. As for the Supply Boxes - you guessed it - just have your friends send you some. Darrow Blueberries, meanwhile, take just four hours to grow. Finish this goal and you'll receive 200 XP, a Sailor Cow (a cow in an adorable little sailor's hat and "tie"), a Yellow Seeder and 2,500 coins.
A Quick Tour
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Complete 1 Wildlife Habitat
* Make the Creamed Corn Recipe 1 Time
The Creamed Corn recipe is made inside the Restaurant, and it requires three Butter & Sugar Corn, three Tarragon and one Pepper Bushels. The Butter & Sugar Corn and Tarragon crops are new to the Lighthouse Cove farm, while you might already have some Pepper bushels on hand from your other farms. As for the Wildlife Habitat, you're given the frame of one for free when landing in the cove, and can then complete it by gathering Fence Posts, Shrubs and Grazing Grasses. Check out our complete guide to the Wildlife Habitat right here. Once you finish this third goal, you'll receive 300 XP, a White Cedar Tree, a Blue Harvester and 2,500 coins.
After finishing these first three goals, you will have walked away with a complete farm vehicle set (save for the Combine) that will allow you to complete all of the farming tasks required on your new farm. Of course, you can always purchase a Combine Chassis from the store for that three-in-one farming convenience, but at least you'll have these vehicles to rely on while you're waiting for the Vehicle Parts to pour in.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Lighthouse Cove goals? How far have you made it into the trio? Sound off in the comments.
DC Universe Online: Pound on bad guys for free starting next month
If you've always wanted to try out Sony Online Entertainment's DC Universe online (on either PS3 or PC), but didn't want to pay actual money to do so, you'll be happy to know that you'll soon be able to access "the entire game" for free starting next month. As reported by PCWorld, this switch to a freemium pricing plan will still allow users to purchase premium content, but all of the open world gameplay, missions, game updates and patches will be free.
To be specific, DC Universe Online will have three different levels of access. The first and completely free level, gives players access to create just two characters and join a league with other players. From there, the Premium level of users requires that a player spend at least $5 in real money in the game's store to be given that Premium player status for life. This gives them access to larger inventory space, the ability to create more characters and the ability to trade items with others. Finally, if you still want the subscription plan, you can be a Legendary player, paying around $15 a month for access to even more character and inventory slots, along with access to the game's DLC packages at no additional cost. There are plenty of other differences between the three gameplay levels; head over here to check them out.
DC Universe Online is just the latest of many once entirely paid-sub games to go free-to-play in some form. While the most noteworthy case has arguably been World of Warcraft's free-to-play setup for users up to level 20, this is just another case where social and casual players are given an opportunity to break away from Facebook simulators and jump into the world of true MMOs. While the two worlds are (for the most part) entirely different, a bigger selection is definitely not a bad thing.
Will you try out DC Universe Online when it goes free-to-play next month? Let us know in the comments.
To be specific, DC Universe Online will have three different levels of access. The first and completely free level, gives players access to create just two characters and join a league with other players. From there, the Premium level of users requires that a player spend at least $5 in real money in the game's store to be given that Premium player status for life. This gives them access to larger inventory space, the ability to create more characters and the ability to trade items with others. Finally, if you still want the subscription plan, you can be a Legendary player, paying around $15 a month for access to even more character and inventory slots, along with access to the game's DLC packages at no additional cost. There are plenty of other differences between the three gameplay levels; head over here to check them out.
DC Universe Online is just the latest of many once entirely paid-sub games to go free-to-play in some form. While the most noteworthy case has arguably been World of Warcraft's free-to-play setup for users up to level 20, this is just another case where social and casual players are given an opportunity to break away from Facebook simulators and jump into the world of true MMOs. While the two worlds are (for the most part) entirely different, a bigger selection is definitely not a bad thing.
Will you try out DC Universe Online when it goes free-to-play next month? Let us know in the comments.
CityVille Rose Garden Goals: Everything you need to know
While summer may quickly be drawing to a close, CityVille hopes to keep the summer fun alive by letting us have a place to grow beautiful flowers. Appropriately enough, this new "building" is called the Rose Garden, and you'll place it in your city when completing the first of four new goals that go along with it.
Garden State
* Place Rose Garden
* Plant a Rose in the Garden
The Rose Garden is a 4x4 structure that works similarly to the Zoo, in that you'll only be able to display three flowers on the outside of the garden, but can actually leave more of them inside. To start, you'll receive a single flower for free (that's right - this one doesn't need to be built at all after placing it in your town): a White Wild Rose. Once you look inside the building, just click on the Plant button and you'll be able to "feature" that rose as one of the three that show up on the outside. Once you finish these two (simple) steps, you'll receive 160 coins as your reward.
A Late Bloomer
* Ask friends for 3 Shovels
* Have 3 Gardens in your City
* Water your Gardens 5 Times
Gardens can be watered once every 18 hours, and yes, you can have more than one in your city. In fact, you'll need to have three before you can finish this goal. Your second and third Rose Gardens would cost 50,000 coins in the store, but luckily, you can also purchase Small Rose Gardens (a smaller version of the regular Rose Garden) for just 8,000 coins. These do count for the completion of this goal. As for the shovels, you'll be able to post a general news item to your wall asking for three. Finishing this goal gives you Sculpted Tree.
It's Showtime!
* Get 10 Rose Bushes
* Have 1 Rose Collection item from the Garden Collection
* Place one Rose Garden Gate in your city
To earn additional bushes, you'll go into your gardens (as seen above) and then click on "Ask for flowers" to ask your friends to send you some bushes. Finishing this goal gives you 32 experience points.
Comin' Up Roses
* Ask friends for 4 Vases
* Have 7 Roses Planted in your Gardens
* Have an upgraded Flower Kiosk
As it looks like each garden can only display three flowers, you'll need to have flowers in at least three Gardens to reach seven. As for updating your Flower Kiosk, you can find our guide for doing just that right here. Finishing this final goal gives you a Roses Fountain.
We'll make sure to let you know if other kinds of gardens are made available in the build menu in the future, but for now - have fun growing and displaying all of those roses!
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Rose Garden feature in CityVille? What do you think of these goals? Sound off in the comments.
Garden State
* Place Rose Garden
* Plant a Rose in the Garden
The Rose Garden is a 4x4 structure that works similarly to the Zoo, in that you'll only be able to display three flowers on the outside of the garden, but can actually leave more of them inside. To start, you'll receive a single flower for free (that's right - this one doesn't need to be built at all after placing it in your town): a White Wild Rose. Once you look inside the building, just click on the Plant button and you'll be able to "feature" that rose as one of the three that show up on the outside. Once you finish these two (simple) steps, you'll receive 160 coins as your reward.
A Late Bloomer
* Ask friends for 3 Shovels
* Have 3 Gardens in your City
* Water your Gardens 5 Times
Gardens can be watered once every 18 hours, and yes, you can have more than one in your city. In fact, you'll need to have three before you can finish this goal. Your second and third Rose Gardens would cost 50,000 coins in the store, but luckily, you can also purchase Small Rose Gardens (a smaller version of the regular Rose Garden) for just 8,000 coins. These do count for the completion of this goal. As for the shovels, you'll be able to post a general news item to your wall asking for three. Finishing this goal gives you Sculpted Tree.
It's Showtime!
* Get 10 Rose Bushes
* Have 1 Rose Collection item from the Garden Collection
* Place one Rose Garden Gate in your city
To earn additional bushes, you'll go into your gardens (as seen above) and then click on "Ask for flowers" to ask your friends to send you some bushes. Finishing this goal gives you 32 experience points.
Comin' Up Roses
* Ask friends for 4 Vases
* Have 7 Roses Planted in your Gardens
* Have an upgraded Flower Kiosk
As it looks like each garden can only display three flowers, you'll need to have flowers in at least three Gardens to reach seven. As for updating your Flower Kiosk, you can find our guide for doing just that right here. Finishing this final goal gives you a Roses Fountain.
We'll make sure to let you know if other kinds of gardens are made available in the build menu in the future, but for now - have fun growing and displaying all of those roses!
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Rose Garden feature in CityVille? What do you think of these goals? Sound off in the comments.
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