While Mafia Wars Atlantic City landed on iPhone browsers some time ago, Zynga recently announced that the new and improved mobile version of the gang busting game has finally arrived on Android, Blackberry and webOS browsers. While iPhone, Blackberry and webOS players can simply type "m.mafiawars.com" (iPhone users can even save it as a web app), Android users have the option to use GetJar to access the new game as well.
By following this link: "http://www.getjar.com/Mafia-Wars" you can specify your Android phone model and download the game. Mafia Wars Atlantic City, which makes liberal use of your mobile browser, was developed using HTML5, TechCrunch reports. And considering Apple's iOS devices do not support Flash, this must be how it works on the iPhone as well. The tech blog also reports that the recently announced Zynga Poker for Android will be here later this week as Live Poker. To get a better idea of what this new mobile edition of Mafia Wars might be like on the other platforms, check out our detailed look at Mafia Wars Atlantic City on the iPhone.
Great Site to earn Money Online
Friday, January 13, 2012
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash from Microsoft Office 2010 promotion
Just in time for some last-minute holiday shopping in FarmVille, Zynga has given users another activity to participate in, rewarding them with 2 free Farm Cash for doing so.
The activity is one that advertises Microsoft Office 2010, and you can take part in it by looking for the "Sponsored Link" window below the FarmVille gameplay area - just look for an image like that at the right of this post and you'll know you've found it. Here's the link for those that don't see the activity on their account, but note that we can not guarantee that it will work for you - you may need to wait for it to actually appear on your own game before you can claim the two free Farm Cash.
Once you click on the link, you'll be shown a trailer for the computer program in a new window, and will be asked how you will "Make it great." You'll be able to choose from a variety of responses, and your answer will be submitted even before the trailer ends (if you're quick enough). Once you see the "You've earned your Farm Cash" text appear in the top right corner of the screen, you'll be able to freely close this new window.
Head back to your FarmVille game and you'll see that your Farm Cash total will have gone up by 2 Farm Cash, for just a couple of minutes (at most) of your time. How great is that?
The activity is one that advertises Microsoft Office 2010, and you can take part in it by looking for the "Sponsored Link" window below the FarmVille gameplay area - just look for an image like that at the right of this post and you'll know you've found it. Here's the link for those that don't see the activity on their account, but note that we can not guarantee that it will work for you - you may need to wait for it to actually appear on your own game before you can claim the two free Farm Cash.
Once you click on the link, you'll be shown a trailer for the computer program in a new window, and will be asked how you will "Make it great." You'll be able to choose from a variety of responses, and your answer will be submitted even before the trailer ends (if you're quick enough). Once you see the "You've earned your Farm Cash" text appear in the top right corner of the screen, you'll be able to freely close this new window.
Head back to your FarmVille game and you'll see that your Farm Cash total will have gone up by 2 Farm Cash, for just a couple of minutes (at most) of your time. How great is that?
FarmVille: Zynga fixes Snowman event issues, considers compensation for the affected [UPDATE]
If you're one of the many FarmVille players that were having a difficult time completing their Snowman in the newly released Snowball Fight feature in FarmVille, you'll be happy to know that the FarmVille team at Zynga has been hard at work fixing the issues that were previously present, and all things should be back to normal by this point.
For those that weren't affected, users had been having trouble when asking users directly for items (buttons, scarves, and the like), in that they could ask their friends via wall posts, their friends could respond to said request, and yet no item was being sent. This issue has been fixed, along with a much-needed change in the selection of friends whose walls you can post on to begin with.
For many farmers (myself included), the list of three friends that I could ask for Snowballs was static and didn't change. This wasn't how the feature was supposed to work, as the users available to ask should be rotating once every 24 hours. Now, this part of the feature apparently works as it was intended, so feel free to start checking to see if you have any FarmVille players in that list of three that you can ask.
As a result of the inconvenience players have suffered as a result of these unforeseen glitches, Zynga is "evaluating" the possibility of offering some form of compensation to those players that were affected by the above Snowman issues, or any others that they have now fixed. There has been no statement as to what compensation users would receive exactly, if it actually comes to that, but it is promising to hear that the team is at least considering it.
[UPDATE: Users that were affected by the issue have now been given 20 free Farm Cash, as seen in the pop-up below. You'll see this pop-up the next time you load FarmVille, after this update has rolled out to your game]
For those that weren't affected, users had been having trouble when asking users directly for items (buttons, scarves, and the like), in that they could ask their friends via wall posts, their friends could respond to said request, and yet no item was being sent. This issue has been fixed, along with a much-needed change in the selection of friends whose walls you can post on to begin with.
For many farmers (myself included), the list of three friends that I could ask for Snowballs was static and didn't change. This wasn't how the feature was supposed to work, as the users available to ask should be rotating once every 24 hours. Now, this part of the feature apparently works as it was intended, so feel free to start checking to see if you have any FarmVille players in that list of three that you can ask.
As a result of the inconvenience players have suffered as a result of these unforeseen glitches, Zynga is "evaluating" the possibility of offering some form of compensation to those players that were affected by the above Snowman issues, or any others that they have now fixed. There has been no statement as to what compensation users would receive exactly, if it actually comes to that, but it is promising to hear that the team is at least considering it.
[UPDATE: Users that were affected by the issue have now been given 20 free Farm Cash, as seen in the pop-up below. You'll see this pop-up the next time you load FarmVille, after this update has rolled out to your game]
Mafia Wars: Earn a free gift daily through the New Year from official fan page
Zynga is looking to end the year of 2010 with a bang in Mafia Wars, as they have launched a new gifting event in Mafia Wars, that will see Zynga gifting fans of the game on Facebook with a single free gift, once per day, from now until the New Year.
Zynga didn't exactly announce the range of gift types that we'd be receiving, but they did already give us our gift for today - a single Health Point. Sure, this may not seem like a lot, but now, you won't have to spend one of your hard-earned Skill Points to raise your health another point, and can use that Skill Point elsewhere, thanks to this free boost. To be clear, this is a permanent addition to your maximum amount of Health Points in the game, not a simple 1-point refill, making it a bit more worthwhile to claim.
What will tomorrow's gift be? How about the gift after that? Will these be status updates, or in-game items like weapons or vehicles? All of that remains to be seen at this point, but what is clear is how easy it is to earn these new items.
Simply become a fan of the official Mafia Wars fan page on Facebook. From there, you'll see your daily free gift via fan page posts, and can click on links provided to head to the game and claim your free gift. Told you it was easy!
Zynga didn't exactly announce the range of gift types that we'd be receiving, but they did already give us our gift for today - a single Health Point. Sure, this may not seem like a lot, but now, you won't have to spend one of your hard-earned Skill Points to raise your health another point, and can use that Skill Point elsewhere, thanks to this free boost. To be clear, this is a permanent addition to your maximum amount of Health Points in the game, not a simple 1-point refill, making it a bit more worthwhile to claim.
What will tomorrow's gift be? How about the gift after that? Will these be status updates, or in-game items like weapons or vehicles? All of that remains to be seen at this point, but what is clear is how easy it is to earn these new items.
Simply become a fan of the official Mafia Wars fan page on Facebook. From there, you'll see your daily free gift via fan page posts, and can click on links provided to head to the game and claim your free gift. Told you it was easy!
Kingdom Saga on Facebook: FrontierVille meets a true city-builder in ancient times
With the load of similar titles being released after FrontierVille landed on the Facebook gaming scene earlier this year, it's no surprise that yet another "clone" title would be released. This time around, we see Koramgame hoping to latch onto the success found by titles like FrontierVille, and more recently Ravenwood Fair, by offering a new game called Kingdom Saga, that incorporates major gameplay elements from both of these games, but offers them in a setting that's 40,000 years in the past.
As the cave man or cave woman or your own design, you'll be able to build various structures in your kingdom, but only after you clear the land of debris (grasses, rocks and the like) first. From there, it's a bit of a city-building game, mixed in with basic quests, as items must be connected with roads in order to function.
For more information about Kingdom Saga, meet us behind the break.
Kingdom Saga resembles FrontierVille in the way that Bonus Pop-ups appear after collecting from buildings (which earn profits over time), and in the overall quest set-up that sees you purchasing certain items, completing the building of Wigwams and other buildings, and so on. Of course, an energy bar is also present here, so you'll need to wait for your energy to recharge once it empties to continue participating in most in-game actions.
For those that prefer Ravenwood Fair, there are elements of that game here as well, as you can only clear out debris that is closest to you. That is, you'll have to work your way outwards from the middle of your kingdom when you clear the land - you can't walk over one piece of grass to get to another.
As the game combines these elements with those from a city-building game, there is a bit of refreshing uniqueness here. When you build a home, for example, you'll be able to invite one of your real-world Facebook friends to live in that home. Oddly, they'll be given the standard avatar to represent them as they walk around the town, so boys in the real world could be presented as girls in the game, and vice versa. If you can get the friend to actually start playing the game, however, you can customize their appearance.
When not completing quests, the majority of your time early on will be spent clearing the land. This uses your energy, but also earns you experience points. As you level up using these points, you'll be able to unlock the ability to purchase more homes for your village, and therefore add more friends to your town. You'll also be able to add numerous decorative items to your town, including a slew of Christmas-themed items, if you choose to start playing the game before the holiday season ends.
Once you reach level 5, you'll be able to build Resource Buildings, allowing you to earn wood and stone which are gathered just like wood or food would be in something like FrontierVille. In addition to these structures, you can purchase actual businesses, like wineries and clothing markets that will earn "taxes," that need to be collected once full (think of collecting from an attraction in Tiki Resort or Happy Island, as examples, and you have the system here).
In terms of social elements, you can visit your neighbors' towns at will, and in doing so, will be given the opportunity to "Help Out" at a handful of businesses or shops, earning you additional coins and "Love," or reputation points (this is an exact replica of the system in FrontierVille). You can also choose from a number of free gift items to send to your friends if you'd like.
As with other "ancient" city-building games, Kingdom Saga will soon be given Wonders, presumably allowing you to build real historical items in your town.
All told, Kingdom Saga looks to be a solid offering in both the city-building genre, and in those games that can be respectfully called FarmVille clones. It seems to offer enough unique features to keep one interested over time, and with the mass amount of Facebook games anyone can choose to play, you can't really ask for anything more than that.
As the cave man or cave woman or your own design, you'll be able to build various structures in your kingdom, but only after you clear the land of debris (grasses, rocks and the like) first. From there, it's a bit of a city-building game, mixed in with basic quests, as items must be connected with roads in order to function.
For more information about Kingdom Saga, meet us behind the break.
Kingdom Saga resembles FrontierVille in the way that Bonus Pop-ups appear after collecting from buildings (which earn profits over time), and in the overall quest set-up that sees you purchasing certain items, completing the building of Wigwams and other buildings, and so on. Of course, an energy bar is also present here, so you'll need to wait for your energy to recharge once it empties to continue participating in most in-game actions.
For those that prefer Ravenwood Fair, there are elements of that game here as well, as you can only clear out debris that is closest to you. That is, you'll have to work your way outwards from the middle of your kingdom when you clear the land - you can't walk over one piece of grass to get to another.
As the game combines these elements with those from a city-building game, there is a bit of refreshing uniqueness here. When you build a home, for example, you'll be able to invite one of your real-world Facebook friends to live in that home. Oddly, they'll be given the standard avatar to represent them as they walk around the town, so boys in the real world could be presented as girls in the game, and vice versa. If you can get the friend to actually start playing the game, however, you can customize their appearance.
When not completing quests, the majority of your time early on will be spent clearing the land. This uses your energy, but also earns you experience points. As you level up using these points, you'll be able to unlock the ability to purchase more homes for your village, and therefore add more friends to your town. You'll also be able to add numerous decorative items to your town, including a slew of Christmas-themed items, if you choose to start playing the game before the holiday season ends.
Once you reach level 5, you'll be able to build Resource Buildings, allowing you to earn wood and stone which are gathered just like wood or food would be in something like FrontierVille. In addition to these structures, you can purchase actual businesses, like wineries and clothing markets that will earn "taxes," that need to be collected once full (think of collecting from an attraction in Tiki Resort or Happy Island, as examples, and you have the system here).
In terms of social elements, you can visit your neighbors' towns at will, and in doing so, will be given the opportunity to "Help Out" at a handful of businesses or shops, earning you additional coins and "Love," or reputation points (this is an exact replica of the system in FrontierVille). You can also choose from a number of free gift items to send to your friends if you'd like.
As with other "ancient" city-building games, Kingdom Saga will soon be given Wonders, presumably allowing you to build real historical items in your town.
All told, Kingdom Saga looks to be a solid offering in both the city-building genre, and in those games that can be respectfully called FarmVille clones. It seems to offer enough unique features to keep one interested over time, and with the mass amount of Facebook games anyone can choose to play, you can't really ask for anything more than that.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
6waves Lolapps takes to the skies in Ravenskye City on Facebook
Ravenwood Fair has officially made it to the deluxe apartment in the sky, so to speak. The game's new duo of creators, 6waves Lolapps, announced the launch of the next episode in the Raven series of Facebook games today as a standalone app, Ravenskye City. In that regard, the game is quite similar to Zynga's recent Pioneer Trail, except for the fact that Ravenwood Fair still exists.
Jokes aside, 6waves Lolapps is employing a similar strategy to its top competitor, releasing a full-blown sequel to its mega hit Facebook game. The company's previous release was an expansion upon Ravenwood Fair with Ravenstone Mine. Unsurprisingly, the prefix "Raven" has become a brand for 6waves Lolapps, 6waves Lolapps co-founder Kavin Stewart told VentureBeat. Another game is in the works for the series, Ravenshire Castle, according to VentureBeat.
While Ravenskye City looks quite a lot like previous games in the series, 6waves Lolapps is looking to improve the series in more ways than just content. We punched up the storytelling," Lolapps VP of content Constantine Hantzopoulos told VentureBeat. "That's one of the things we learned from Ravenwood Fair."
Ravenskye City gameplay
The game, which throws players into the familiar situation of having to restore a ramshackle property (only this time ... it's in the sky), makes liberal use of the recently-acquired Fliso Engine. It's thanks to this technology that the game is reportedly smoother and features complex weather effects like rain and tornadoes. The city is comprised of bird-like creatures, a departure from the moles of Ravenstone Mine and the bears and woodland creatures of Ravenwood Fair.
Ravenskye City is said to launch today, though our attempts to get into the game have been unsuccessful thus far. During your exploits in Ravenskye, you'll restore an abandoned city to its former glory, customizing it along the way with several decorations. Of course, you're governed by an Energy system. To get a better idea of the game, check out the trailer below.
[Update: A 6waves Lolapps representative tells us that the game is scheduled to launch today at 4 p.m. PST.]
Jokes aside, 6waves Lolapps is employing a similar strategy to its top competitor, releasing a full-blown sequel to its mega hit Facebook game. The company's previous release was an expansion upon Ravenwood Fair with Ravenstone Mine. Unsurprisingly, the prefix "Raven" has become a brand for 6waves Lolapps, 6waves Lolapps co-founder Kavin Stewart told VentureBeat. Another game is in the works for the series, Ravenshire Castle, according to VentureBeat.
While Ravenskye City looks quite a lot like previous games in the series, 6waves Lolapps is looking to improve the series in more ways than just content. We punched up the storytelling," Lolapps VP of content Constantine Hantzopoulos told VentureBeat. "That's one of the things we learned from Ravenwood Fair."
Ravenskye City gameplay
The game, which throws players into the familiar situation of having to restore a ramshackle property (only this time ... it's in the sky), makes liberal use of the recently-acquired Fliso Engine. It's thanks to this technology that the game is reportedly smoother and features complex weather effects like rain and tornadoes. The city is comprised of bird-like creatures, a departure from the moles of Ravenstone Mine and the bears and woodland creatures of Ravenwood Fair.
Ravenskye City is said to launch today, though our attempts to get into the game have been unsuccessful thus far. During your exploits in Ravenskye, you'll restore an abandoned city to its former glory, customizing it along the way with several decorations. Of course, you're governed by an Energy system. To get a better idea of the game, check out the trailer below.
[Update: A 6waves Lolapps representative tells us that the game is scheduled to launch today at 4 p.m. PST.]
Zynga readies, aims and fires its live Mafia Wars 2 round at Facebook
The second salvo of digital death and destruction has been fired on Facebook. Zynga has officially launched Mafia Wars 2 in a slow roll-out (we imagine) on the social network. The game, developed by much of the same team that worked on the original, is the first direct sequel to a Zynga game, and it takes the series in a vastly different direction.
Mafia Wars 2, while it looks strikingly similar to competitors like Crime City, is essentially an animated, visual representation of the chaos you've reigned upon the world since way back in 2008. You'll build a brand new crime empire on the outskirts of Las Vegas, defending it from random thugs hailing from either storyline enemies or your enemies' friends' gangs. The isometric perspective of this new version of Mafia Wars puts an even more intense focus on the violence of mob life.
Peppered throughout your travels across seven areas of the city that never sleeps--Casino Row, Granite Square, Neon Strip, Downtown, Bluebird Meadows, Boxer Island and Westside Wharf--are heavy doses of player vs player combat (PvP). In addition to invading neighboring turf, players can take the fight to three PvP arenas: Bone Yard, Badlands and Area 51. It's here where players will fight asynchronously, rob one another and spark rivalries.
Gallery: Mafia Wars 2 on Facebook
Zynga's next take on Mafia Wars will allow players to customize nearly ad infinitum with over 300 types of weapons and armor as well as over 600 pieces of decorative clothing. And Mafia Wars 2 will be Zynga's first game available in 16 languages (including English): French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Turkish, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Japanese and Thai.
As the original Mafia Wars steadily loses monthly and daily players, according to AppData, it looks like Zynga hopes to revive the franchise with a full-blown sequel. However, we've been assured that the developer plans to keep the 3-year-old game alive as long as the players keep coming back. Though, after a look at this brand spankin' new version, we wonder how long that will last.
Mafia Wars 2, while it looks strikingly similar to competitors like Crime City, is essentially an animated, visual representation of the chaos you've reigned upon the world since way back in 2008. You'll build a brand new crime empire on the outskirts of Las Vegas, defending it from random thugs hailing from either storyline enemies or your enemies' friends' gangs. The isometric perspective of this new version of Mafia Wars puts an even more intense focus on the violence of mob life.
Peppered throughout your travels across seven areas of the city that never sleeps--Casino Row, Granite Square, Neon Strip, Downtown, Bluebird Meadows, Boxer Island and Westside Wharf--are heavy doses of player vs player combat (PvP). In addition to invading neighboring turf, players can take the fight to three PvP arenas: Bone Yard, Badlands and Area 51. It's here where players will fight asynchronously, rob one another and spark rivalries.
Gallery: Mafia Wars 2 on Facebook
Zynga's next take on Mafia Wars will allow players to customize nearly ad infinitum with over 300 types of weapons and armor as well as over 600 pieces of decorative clothing. And Mafia Wars 2 will be Zynga's first game available in 16 languages (including English): French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Indonesian, Turkish, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Japanese and Thai.
As the original Mafia Wars steadily loses monthly and daily players, according to AppData, it looks like Zynga hopes to revive the franchise with a full-blown sequel. However, we've been assured that the developer plans to keep the 3-year-old game alive as long as the players keep coming back. Though, after a look at this brand spankin' new version, we wonder how long that will last.
Playdom leads gamers into double life in Secret Agent X on Facebook
By day, you're a suburban soccer mom who brings dinner to the table for her kids. By night, you're a secret agent working for an undercover organization that keeps the world safe. This is the general premise for Playdom's next game since Disney's GnomeTown, Secret Agent X. The game, set to launch this fall, pits you against the evil organization known as SCAM.
All Things Digital reports that the game is available in some international markets in a closed beta test. The Disney-owned developer released a teaser trailer that reveals next to nothing about its gameplay, but we can always image what it'll be like. Based on what Playdom has told ATD, the game will send players on adventures using high-tech gadgets only to have them return home to the normal duties of suburban life.
It's easy to envision "home" being the hub of the game in which you customize a house, while you explore large maps on missions as a secret agent. (Again, this is speculation.) Playdom tells ATD that, starting with Secret Agent X, the company will release a dozen games within the next year. Up to three of those games--coming in January, March and August 2012--will revolve around Disney brands, according to ATD.
Playdom has been under fire from analysts for dragging its feet into the social games race since Disney bought it for a whopping $563.2 million over a year ago. How does the developer plan to catch up to the likes of wooga, Playfish and possibly Zynga: Explore new concepts and leverage the bevy of Disney mega brands. "A year after the acquisition, we are successfully transitioning into an operating division within Disney," Playdom COO Brad Serwin told ATD. "We are 100 percent back to work."
All Things Digital reports that the game is available in some international markets in a closed beta test. The Disney-owned developer released a teaser trailer that reveals next to nothing about its gameplay, but we can always image what it'll be like. Based on what Playdom has told ATD, the game will send players on adventures using high-tech gadgets only to have them return home to the normal duties of suburban life.
It's easy to envision "home" being the hub of the game in which you customize a house, while you explore large maps on missions as a secret agent. (Again, this is speculation.) Playdom tells ATD that, starting with Secret Agent X, the company will release a dozen games within the next year. Up to three of those games--coming in January, March and August 2012--will revolve around Disney brands, according to ATD.
Playdom has been under fire from analysts for dragging its feet into the social games race since Disney bought it for a whopping $563.2 million over a year ago. How does the developer plan to catch up to the likes of wooga, Playfish and possibly Zynga: Explore new concepts and leverage the bevy of Disney mega brands. "A year after the acquisition, we are successfully transitioning into an operating division within Disney," Playdom COO Brad Serwin told ATD. "We are 100 percent back to work."
Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots lets the fur fly on iPhone, iPad this month
Well, the fruit will fly, too, no? The fruity fur? The furry fruit--ah, whatever--Halfbrick has teamed up with Dreamworks and THQ to release Fruit Ninja: Puss in Boots, a brand new version of the hit mobile game for iPhone ($.99) and iPad ($1.99). The new game will release on Oct. 20, just eight days before Puss in Boots, the cat's self-titled big screen soirée, hits theaters.
Halfbrick has certainly been busy with Fruit Ninja, coming hot off the heels of Fruit Ninja Frenzy for Facebook. Sure, this is a branded game aimed at keeping the buzz for the upcoming film alive, but it sounds like the Halfbrick team has crafted a labor of love for the lithe feline. This new take on Fruit Ninja features two new modes--Desperado and Bandito--that look to seriously challenge veteran fruit ninjas.
Desperado is a new take on Classic Mode that packs new Magic Beans (an alternative to Bananas, we imagine) and new types of waves, while Bandito puts players through four tiers of unique, increasingly difficult slicing challenges. Judging from the game's trailer (seen below), we're looking at lots and lots ... and lots of bombs.
"The fun and adventure of the Puss in Boots world lends itself perfectly to the core gameplay of Fruit Ninja," Halfbrick CMO Phil Larsen said in a release. "We wanted to create something new and different for our fans while keeping the magic of Fruit Ninja intact, and we think Bandito Mode will keep even the most practiced players on their toes. It's totally rad!" Yup, that sounds like a guy from Halfbrick, alright.
Halfbrick has certainly been busy with Fruit Ninja, coming hot off the heels of Fruit Ninja Frenzy for Facebook. Sure, this is a branded game aimed at keeping the buzz for the upcoming film alive, but it sounds like the Halfbrick team has crafted a labor of love for the lithe feline. This new take on Fruit Ninja features two new modes--Desperado and Bandito--that look to seriously challenge veteran fruit ninjas.
Desperado is a new take on Classic Mode that packs new Magic Beans (an alternative to Bananas, we imagine) and new types of waves, while Bandito puts players through four tiers of unique, increasingly difficult slicing challenges. Judging from the game's trailer (seen below), we're looking at lots and lots ... and lots of bombs.
"The fun and adventure of the Puss in Boots world lends itself perfectly to the core gameplay of Fruit Ninja," Halfbrick CMO Phil Larsen said in a release. "We wanted to create something new and different for our fans while keeping the magic of Fruit Ninja intact, and we think Bandito Mode will keep even the most practiced players on their toes. It's totally rad!" Yup, that sounds like a guy from Halfbrick, alright.
Family Feud maker iWin hires Loot Drop's Laralyn McWilliams
Before the studio released even its first Facebook game, Cloudforest Expedition, social game exec Laralyn McWilliams has left Loot Drop and joined iWin as its VP of Creative, Inside Social Games reports. After mere months with seasoned designer John Romero's Loot Drop, McWilliams joins Dragons of Atlantis developer Nick Rush and mobile developer Randy Angle at iWin.
Best known for its social renditions of popular game shows like Family Feud and 1 vs 100, iWin looks to use these strategic hires to get its list of casual downloadable games onto social and mobile platforms. Before joining Loot Drop for a short time and now iWin, McWilliams worked with Sony Online Entertainment on Free Realms and a number of Facebook games that were unfortunately axed before release.
"I had a change of heart and wound up accepting at iWin," McWilliams explained to ISG. "There's a great gift with iWin's brands in that they've been tested [and] there's a wealth of content and learning. The greatest challenge is taking the brands an extending them into some of the new spaces - like [making] a Jewel Quest mobile game, for example. That's what appeals to me about this role. I'm always interested in new frontiers."
ISG reports that Rush and Angle will focus on social and mobile, respectively, and we imagine they will report to McWilliams in some capacity. McWilliams, while she couldn't confirm to the website whether iWin originals like Jewel Quest would come to Facebook, doubts that iWin will ignore them in its increased social and mobile efforts. You know, because we certainly don't have enough match-three games on Facebook already.
Best known for its social renditions of popular game shows like Family Feud and 1 vs 100, iWin looks to use these strategic hires to get its list of casual downloadable games onto social and mobile platforms. Before joining Loot Drop for a short time and now iWin, McWilliams worked with Sony Online Entertainment on Free Realms and a number of Facebook games that were unfortunately axed before release.
"I had a change of heart and wound up accepting at iWin," McWilliams explained to ISG. "There's a great gift with iWin's brands in that they've been tested [and] there's a wealth of content and learning. The greatest challenge is taking the brands an extending them into some of the new spaces - like [making] a Jewel Quest mobile game, for example. That's what appeals to me about this role. I'm always interested in new frontiers."
ISG reports that Rush and Angle will focus on social and mobile, respectively, and we imagine they will report to McWilliams in some capacity. McWilliams, while she couldn't confirm to the website whether iWin originals like Jewel Quest would come to Facebook, doubts that iWin will ignore them in its increased social and mobile efforts. You know, because we certainly don't have enough match-three games on Facebook already.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
FarmVille Valentine's Day Decorations: Valentine House, Cupid Gnome, Rose Bush & More
Tonight's FarmVille update saw the Valentine's Day theme being released in full force in the store, with not only a new building to purchase, but also quite a few new decorative items, most of which we'd given you a sneak preview of over the past week or so.
The new building is the Valentine House [pictured above], which can be purchased for 20 Farm Cash. As a limited edition building, it will be available to purchase for the next 13 days from the store. You'll receive 2,000 experience points as a bonus for purchasing it, and since this is the season of love, feel free to purchase and send one of these items to a loved-one in the game as a gift.
The rest of these items (save for one) have something in common - that being an overwhelming use of the color pink. If you're a girly girl, or a man that can take a bit of "lovey-dovey" emotion in your life, make sure to meet us behind the break for a complete look at the other newly available decorative Valentine's Day items.
As for the game's new decorative items, there are five to choose from. Four of these items are re-releases from last year, so unfortunately, if you stocked up on items last February like many veteran players, you may not find much to purchase this time around.
Either way, these items are still just as cute as ever, and come in the form of a Cupid Gnome, Love Arch, Rose Bush, and Swan Fountain. The Cupid Gnome and Swan Fountain are premium items, costing 18 and 20 Farm Cash, respectively. Meanwhile, the Love Arch costs 22,000 coins, and the Rose Bush costs 1,200 coins.
As it compares to last year, the Rose Bush actually decreased in price from last year, going from 1,500 coins to its current price of 1,200, while the Love Arch increased in price from last year's price of 2,200 coins. Another decrease is found in the Swan Fountain, which cost 24 Farm Cash last year. While 4 Farm Cash might not seem like a big change, with the current rate of exchange between real world currency and Farm Cash, that's actually a savings of over a dollar, so it's nothing to scoff at.
As for the completely new item, it comes in the form of the Heart Fence, which is available to purchase piece by piece for 10,000 coins each. You'll gain 100 experience points for each piece of the fence you purchase, and you can sell them for 500 coins each at the end of the season if you don't have a place to store them.
All of these items, whether new or old, will be available in the game's store for the next 13 days. Do the math on this, and these items will expire before Valentine's Day proper even arrives next month, so we will no doubt be seeing more Valentine's Day items released in the game in the future. We'll be sure to let you know what those items are when they are released.
How many of these items did you already own from last year? Did you sell items off and are now thankful that you have a second chance at them?
The new building is the Valentine House [pictured above], which can be purchased for 20 Farm Cash. As a limited edition building, it will be available to purchase for the next 13 days from the store. You'll receive 2,000 experience points as a bonus for purchasing it, and since this is the season of love, feel free to purchase and send one of these items to a loved-one in the game as a gift.
The rest of these items (save for one) have something in common - that being an overwhelming use of the color pink. If you're a girly girl, or a man that can take a bit of "lovey-dovey" emotion in your life, make sure to meet us behind the break for a complete look at the other newly available decorative Valentine's Day items.
As for the game's new decorative items, there are five to choose from. Four of these items are re-releases from last year, so unfortunately, if you stocked up on items last February like many veteran players, you may not find much to purchase this time around.
Either way, these items are still just as cute as ever, and come in the form of a Cupid Gnome, Love Arch, Rose Bush, and Swan Fountain. The Cupid Gnome and Swan Fountain are premium items, costing 18 and 20 Farm Cash, respectively. Meanwhile, the Love Arch costs 22,000 coins, and the Rose Bush costs 1,200 coins.
As it compares to last year, the Rose Bush actually decreased in price from last year, going from 1,500 coins to its current price of 1,200, while the Love Arch increased in price from last year's price of 2,200 coins. Another decrease is found in the Swan Fountain, which cost 24 Farm Cash last year. While 4 Farm Cash might not seem like a big change, with the current rate of exchange between real world currency and Farm Cash, that's actually a savings of over a dollar, so it's nothing to scoff at.
As for the completely new item, it comes in the form of the Heart Fence, which is available to purchase piece by piece for 10,000 coins each. You'll gain 100 experience points for each piece of the fence you purchase, and you can sell them for 500 coins each at the end of the season if you don't have a place to store them.
All of these items, whether new or old, will be available in the game's store for the next 13 days. Do the math on this, and these items will expire before Valentine's Day proper even arrives next month, so we will no doubt be seeing more Valentine's Day items released in the game in the future. We'll be sure to let you know what those items are when they are released.
How many of these items did you already own from last year? Did you sell items off and are now thankful that you have a second chance at them?
There can only be one 'Ville'; FarmVille maker Zynga sends cease and desist to Blingville
And Zynga came down to its people and said, "You shall worship no other 'Villes' beside me." Or something like that. Zynga has issued a cease and desist letter to W. Va.-based Blingville, a social game company with a game of the same name in the works. According to a letter sent by Blingville to W. Va. US District Court, Zynga asserts that Blingville is in violation of the Lanham Act with respect to the former in creating a game with the combination of the letters "ville" in its title.
Of course, Bingville denies the assertion. The document then goes on to read that Zynga's assertions give Blingville reason to believe that the social gaming titan will file a lawsuit against Blingville for trademark infringement. The company goes on to deny any accusations of trademark infringement and asks the court to order Zynga to pay Blingville's legal fees in dealing with the situation.
So, what's the big deal? Well, it's a big deal for Zynga considering a majority of its most popular games use the 'Ville' suffix, namely CityVille and FarmVille. The heart of the Lanham Act is really Sections 43a and 43b, which cover the possibility that the defendant, in this case Blingville, is either likely to cause confusion over the origins of the trademark in question (i.e. the "ville" suffix) or misrepresents the nature of the trademark in advertising.
Translated roughly from legalese, Zynga claims to believe that Blingville is using the "ville" suffix to somehow gain from it--likely because the most popular games on Facebook end in "Ville." Do they have a case? We shall see, but until then, try not to screw with Zynga's methods for success.
Of course, Bingville denies the assertion. The document then goes on to read that Zynga's assertions give Blingville reason to believe that the social gaming titan will file a lawsuit against Blingville for trademark infringement. The company goes on to deny any accusations of trademark infringement and asks the court to order Zynga to pay Blingville's legal fees in dealing with the situation.
So, what's the big deal? Well, it's a big deal for Zynga considering a majority of its most popular games use the 'Ville' suffix, namely CityVille and FarmVille. The heart of the Lanham Act is really Sections 43a and 43b, which cover the possibility that the defendant, in this case Blingville, is either likely to cause confusion over the origins of the trademark in question (i.e. the "ville" suffix) or misrepresents the nature of the trademark in advertising.
Translated roughly from legalese, Zynga claims to believe that Blingville is using the "ville" suffix to somehow gain from it--likely because the most popular games on Facebook end in "Ville." Do they have a case? We shall see, but until then, try not to screw with Zynga's methods for success.
FarmVille Holiday Tree now a Free Gift; harvest the holidays again
You heard right, folks. If you missed out on the elusive Holiday Tree in FarmVille when it was around during the Christmas season, Zynga is giving you another chance. The Holiday Tree was originally a gift available through FarmVille.com, which suffered several acceptance issues and not many players even saw one. So, now you can spread the cheer all over again.
The Holiday Tree takes three days to harvest for 33 coins. To master it, you'll need to harvest it 450 times total, which means owning just would take years to master. Literally. So, take this chance to make an Orchard of Holiday Trees and get that thing mastered. How could you pass this up--it's basically free money.
The Holiday Tree takes three days to harvest for 33 coins. To master it, you'll need to harvest it 450 times total, which means owning just would take years to master. Literally. So, take this chance to make an Orchard of Holiday Trees and get that thing mastered. How could you pass this up--it's basically free money.
Lunchtime Poll: Are you a lucky social gamer?
Mystery Game
Have you ever had that day in FarmVille when everything just went... right? How about any social game, for that mater? For instance, FarmVille player VickietheVampireSlayer just had an incredible day on the farm in which she won two of the most rare Mystery Game prizes (currently) in one shot each. Not to mention her wishes for new or re-released rose-themed crops came true among other extremely lucky occurrences.
Maybe you've struck gold with the Horseshoe Pit in FrontierVille or are simply lucky enough to have great friends in your social game of choice. Perhaps you're not lucky at all in Facebook games or feel that luck isn't even a factor. Regardless, we want to know.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Market]
Are you a lucky social gamer?
Are you kidding? Just look at my massive collection of Mystery Game items!100 Horseshoes thrown into the Horseshoe Pit and I currently have five. You tell me.Luck? I don't believe in fairy tales.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Have you ever had that day in FarmVille when everything just went... right? How about any social game, for that mater? For instance, FarmVille player VickietheVampireSlayer just had an incredible day on the farm in which she won two of the most rare Mystery Game prizes (currently) in one shot each. Not to mention her wishes for new or re-released rose-themed crops came true among other extremely lucky occurrences.
Maybe you've struck gold with the Horseshoe Pit in FrontierVille or are simply lucky enough to have great friends in your social game of choice. Perhaps you're not lucky at all in Facebook games or feel that luck isn't even a factor. Regardless, we want to know.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Market]
Are you a lucky social gamer?
Are you kidding? Just look at my massive collection of Mystery Game items!100 Horseshoes thrown into the Horseshoe Pit and I currently have five. You tell me.Luck? I don't believe in fairy tales.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Rumor Alert: Facebook Credits soon mandatory for game developers
Hey, Facebook's gotta' keep that hand strong, you know. TechCrunch reports that, from an anonymous source, Facebook is telling game developers that soon Facebook Credits will be mandatory for all games on the platform. The blog went on to say, "Our understanding is that it will be the exclusive currency as well."
As you know, Facebook has been pushing its currency for over a year now and has signed contracts with major developers including Zynga, Playfish and Playdom to use the currency exclusively for five years. However, this change would make Facebook Credits the currency for Facebook, meaning that all credit, debit or Pay Pal purchases might only be allowed to be made for Facebook Credits and then a game's respective currency like FarmVille's Farm Cash. But this is purely speculation.
More importantly, this would give Facebook a 30 percent cut of all purchases made in all social games on Facebook, similar to Apple's policy in its App Store. TechCrunch also reports that another anonymous source says Facebook scores $30 million a month from Zynga alone. Facebook Credits sure make life easier for us gamers to understand how much money we're spending thanks to its easy transfer rate ($.10 is equal to 1 Facebook Credit). But new and veteran developers alike will likely be less than pleased with this change. We've contacted Facebook for comment, so sit tight.
Update: Facebook has made an official statement in a blog post that reads, "Starting July 1st, we will require all social game developers on the Facebook canvas platform to process payments through Facebook Credits. All developers keep 70% of the revenue from virtual goods transactions using Facebook Credits." Check out the full post for more details.
How would a mandatory shift to Facebook Credits change the way you play social games or buy virtual goods? How do you think developers will react to the change if it turns out to be true?
As you know, Facebook has been pushing its currency for over a year now and has signed contracts with major developers including Zynga, Playfish and Playdom to use the currency exclusively for five years. However, this change would make Facebook Credits the currency for Facebook, meaning that all credit, debit or Pay Pal purchases might only be allowed to be made for Facebook Credits and then a game's respective currency like FarmVille's Farm Cash. But this is purely speculation.
More importantly, this would give Facebook a 30 percent cut of all purchases made in all social games on Facebook, similar to Apple's policy in its App Store. TechCrunch also reports that another anonymous source says Facebook scores $30 million a month from Zynga alone. Facebook Credits sure make life easier for us gamers to understand how much money we're spending thanks to its easy transfer rate ($.10 is equal to 1 Facebook Credit). But new and veteran developers alike will likely be less than pleased with this change. We've contacted Facebook for comment, so sit tight.
Update: Facebook has made an official statement in a blog post that reads, "Starting July 1st, we will require all social game developers on the Facebook canvas platform to process payments through Facebook Credits. All developers keep 70% of the revenue from virtual goods transactions using Facebook Credits." Check out the full post for more details.
How would a mandatory shift to Facebook Credits change the way you play social games or buy virtual goods? How do you think developers will react to the change if it turns out to be true?
Friday, January 6, 2012
Cafe World Pizza Oven: Everything you need to know
If you've still got some space left in your cafe for new appliances, Zynga has launched another new piece of "machinery/cookware" in Cafe World this week, in the form of a traditional brick Pizza Oven. Of course, you won't be able to simply buy one of these Pizza Ovens for coins - you'll need to build one in your cafe, with a little help (ok, a lot of help) from friends. Once you do this, you'll be able to interact with a new in-game character named Chef Piero, who will share with you his famous pizza recipes that you can cook for your customers in your own cafe.
The Pizza Oven requires you to collect four different building materials: 2 Pizza Peels, 3 Cooking Racks, 10 Pizza Platters, and 10 Pizza Hickory Logs. The quicker you can build this item, the quicker you can start cooking all sorts of new dishes for your cafe, so meet us behind the break for the details on how to get it done.
To collect any of these items, you'll need to click on the "Ask for More" button for the item you'd like, and then send individual gift requests to your Cafe World neighbors, asking them to send you that item. Again, this is currently the case for all four of these ingredients, making the weird number requirements on the Pizza Peels and Cooking Racks just that - weird. Normally, this is the time when I tell you that the reason you have to collect so few of these items is because you have to have new, non-game-playing friends send them to you, but after sending requests out to current players, that simply doesn't seem to be the case (not that I'm complaining, mind you).
As usual, if you're having difficulty sending out requests to your neighbors, even those that you know you've not sent a request to today, keep in mind that most new activities are so popular with players that Zynga experiences technical issues on their end when sending out ingredient requests. Our suggestion would be to come back later and try again, or to just keep refreshing and hoping to get lucky.
Chef Piero will apparently be dropping by our cafes sometime in the future, so once you finish this Pizza Oven, you'll be able to serve him up a slice of pizza worthy of such a master chef. The Pizza Oven works similarly to the Deep Fryer, in that you'll only be able to cook pizza dishes in the Pizza Oven (obviously), and those pizza dishes (Pizza Margherita, Sausage Deep Dish Pizza, etc.) can only be cooked inside the Pizza Oven, and not on a regular stove.
To go along with the release of the Pizza Oven, there is also a new seven part quest set available to complete, which will allow you unlock more new recipes that are exclusive to the Pizza Oven. We'll make sure to bring that quest guide to you very, very soon. Check out our complete guide to this quest set right here.
What do you think of the Pizza Oven in Cafe World? Are you running out of room for "appliances" in your cafe, or do you welcome a new building project?
The Pizza Oven requires you to collect four different building materials: 2 Pizza Peels, 3 Cooking Racks, 10 Pizza Platters, and 10 Pizza Hickory Logs. The quicker you can build this item, the quicker you can start cooking all sorts of new dishes for your cafe, so meet us behind the break for the details on how to get it done.
To collect any of these items, you'll need to click on the "Ask for More" button for the item you'd like, and then send individual gift requests to your Cafe World neighbors, asking them to send you that item. Again, this is currently the case for all four of these ingredients, making the weird number requirements on the Pizza Peels and Cooking Racks just that - weird. Normally, this is the time when I tell you that the reason you have to collect so few of these items is because you have to have new, non-game-playing friends send them to you, but after sending requests out to current players, that simply doesn't seem to be the case (not that I'm complaining, mind you).
As usual, if you're having difficulty sending out requests to your neighbors, even those that you know you've not sent a request to today, keep in mind that most new activities are so popular with players that Zynga experiences technical issues on their end when sending out ingredient requests. Our suggestion would be to come back later and try again, or to just keep refreshing and hoping to get lucky.
Chef Piero will apparently be dropping by our cafes sometime in the future, so once you finish this Pizza Oven, you'll be able to serve him up a slice of pizza worthy of such a master chef. The Pizza Oven works similarly to the Deep Fryer, in that you'll only be able to cook pizza dishes in the Pizza Oven (obviously), and those pizza dishes (Pizza Margherita, Sausage Deep Dish Pizza, etc.) can only be cooked inside the Pizza Oven, and not on a regular stove.
To go along with the release of the Pizza Oven, there is also a new seven part quest set available to complete, which will allow you unlock more new recipes that are exclusive to the Pizza Oven. We'll make sure to bring that quest guide to you very, very soon. Check out our complete guide to this quest set right here.
What do you think of the Pizza Oven in Cafe World? Are you running out of room for "appliances" in your cafe, or do you welcome a new building project?
Cafe World Pizza Oven Goals: Everything you need to know
As we told you earlier today, Zynga has launched a new appliance of sorts in Cafe World in the form of a Pizza Oven. While the Pizza Oven can be constructed via the help of friends, these accompanying seven quests can be started on your own, giving you something to do while you wait for your friends to send you the parts you need for the Oven's construction.
The first step in the Pizza Oven goal series is called "Pie in the Sky" and it asks you to accept your free base to the Pizza Oven, along with cooking a few random dishes.
Place Your Pizza Oven
Serve 3 Cheeseburgers
Serve 3 Clubhouse Sandwiches
This set of tasks is interesting. On the one hand, you'll be able to finish the first two tasks within a matter of five or six minutes, as that's how long the [Bacon] Cheeseburgers take to cook. On the other hand, Clubhouse Sandwiches take 18 hours to cook, so unless you have some servings stocked up in your Gift Box, ready to serve (which does count as part of the requirement), or spices you're willing to use to prepare those Sandwiches, your progress will be slowed for the better part of a day.
Either way, we're told that these missions could allow us the chance to "add your own pizza recipe to Cafe World," so meet us behind the break for the details on how to complete the rest of them. Moving on, Part II of VII asks you to complete the construction on your Pizza Oven, and collect a few items (emphasis on few).
Complete the Pizza Oven
Collect 3 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
Some simple tasks, all things considered, as most users would work to complete the Pizza Oven as quickly as possible anyway, just to have it off of their to-do list. To learn more about building the Pizza Oven, make sure to check out our complete guide.
Part III of VII moves onto something a bit more complicated, as you must put your new Pizza Oven to good use by cooking your first new dish.
Get 5 Party Hats
Cook Pizza Margherita 5 Times
Serve Ginger Ale 15 Times
Remember the Drink Bar? I hope you've already built it in your cafe, as you'll need to use the Drink Bar to serve the Ginger Ale. Luckily, it's found under the Basics category, costing 22 Energy to serve. You'll only prepare 6 servings of the drink each time you spend the energy, so you'll need to do this three times to meet the overall requirement. Meanwhile, Pizza Margherita [sic] is available to cook for 1300 coins, and is ready to serve after just 30 minutes. You'll earn 175 servings that can be sold for 10 coins each, for a return of 1750 coins. This definitely isn't the most profitable recipe, make no mistake.
This is unfortunate, as you'll have to spend more money cooking Pizza Margherita in Part IV of VII.
Cook Pizza Margherita 2 Times
Collect 5 Tomatoes
Collect 8 Sausages
It's in this step that we really start getting into the new recipes in the game, as this mission will unlock the Sausage Deep Dish Pizza in your game, which can be cooked at a cost of 1000 coins. You'll need to send individual requests to your friends to gain the 13 necessary ingredients though, so this particular mission might take you some time.
Moving on, Part V of VII sees you cooking this new recipe in your Pizza Oven, along with collecting more ingredients to unlock your third new dish so far.
Cook Sausage Deep Dish Pizza 5 Times
Collect 5 Tomatoes
Collect 10 Sticks of Pepperoni
If you haven't guessed by the requirements, your recipe rewarded at the end of this mission is the Pepperoni Pizza, which can be cooked for 1500 coins. With this mission, as with all others, keep a special eye on the wording of the cooking requirements. Since (as of this writing) the mission only says "cook" the pizza, you could, presumably, simply set the pizzas to cooking in your Pizza Oven, throw them away, and then cook them immediately thereafter to more quickly complete the task. This has worked in the past, but we haven't been able to confirm that this strategy works in this mission series yet.
Either way, once you've made it to Part VI of VII, you'll almost be at the finale, but not before passing what can easily be called a "filler" mission.
Cook Pepperoni Pizza 5 Times
Cook Sausage Deep Dish Pizza 5 Times
Cook Pizza Margherita 5 Times
Those 15 pizzas served, you'll be able to move onto the final mission in this quest, which will unlock one final recipe in your game upon completion.
Part VII of VII asks you to collect the ingredients necessary to unlock this final dish, along with cooking some more pizza in your cafe for good measure.
Collect 12 Sausages
Collect 12 Mozzarellas
Cook Sausage Deep Dish Pizza 5 Times
Your final pizza reward, and in fact the final reward for this entire mission set is the Meat Craver's Pizza, which also happens to be tied with the Pepperoni Pizza for the most expensive new dish, at 1500 coins to cook.
Will these Pizza Oven goals just be the first release of multiple? In the past, we've seen Zynga release two sets of goals released for a similar item, the Deep Fryer, so it's possible that this may just be the first set of goals and recipes released for the Pizza Oven. If and when more missions / recipes are added, we'll make sure to let you know, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these Pizza Oven goals? All things considered, are they too difficult to pass, or do they provide just the right amount of challenge?
The first step in the Pizza Oven goal series is called "Pie in the Sky" and it asks you to accept your free base to the Pizza Oven, along with cooking a few random dishes.
Place Your Pizza Oven
Serve 3 Cheeseburgers
Serve 3 Clubhouse Sandwiches
This set of tasks is interesting. On the one hand, you'll be able to finish the first two tasks within a matter of five or six minutes, as that's how long the [Bacon] Cheeseburgers take to cook. On the other hand, Clubhouse Sandwiches take 18 hours to cook, so unless you have some servings stocked up in your Gift Box, ready to serve (which does count as part of the requirement), or spices you're willing to use to prepare those Sandwiches, your progress will be slowed for the better part of a day.
Either way, we're told that these missions could allow us the chance to "add your own pizza recipe to Cafe World," so meet us behind the break for the details on how to complete the rest of them. Moving on, Part II of VII asks you to complete the construction on your Pizza Oven, and collect a few items (emphasis on few).
Complete the Pizza Oven
Collect 3 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
Some simple tasks, all things considered, as most users would work to complete the Pizza Oven as quickly as possible anyway, just to have it off of their to-do list. To learn more about building the Pizza Oven, make sure to check out our complete guide.
Part III of VII moves onto something a bit more complicated, as you must put your new Pizza Oven to good use by cooking your first new dish.
Get 5 Party Hats
Cook Pizza Margherita 5 Times
Serve Ginger Ale 15 Times
Remember the Drink Bar? I hope you've already built it in your cafe, as you'll need to use the Drink Bar to serve the Ginger Ale. Luckily, it's found under the Basics category, costing 22 Energy to serve. You'll only prepare 6 servings of the drink each time you spend the energy, so you'll need to do this three times to meet the overall requirement. Meanwhile, Pizza Margherita [sic] is available to cook for 1300 coins, and is ready to serve after just 30 minutes. You'll earn 175 servings that can be sold for 10 coins each, for a return of 1750 coins. This definitely isn't the most profitable recipe, make no mistake.
This is unfortunate, as you'll have to spend more money cooking Pizza Margherita in Part IV of VII.
Cook Pizza Margherita 2 Times
Collect 5 Tomatoes
Collect 8 Sausages
It's in this step that we really start getting into the new recipes in the game, as this mission will unlock the Sausage Deep Dish Pizza in your game, which can be cooked at a cost of 1000 coins. You'll need to send individual requests to your friends to gain the 13 necessary ingredients though, so this particular mission might take you some time.
Moving on, Part V of VII sees you cooking this new recipe in your Pizza Oven, along with collecting more ingredients to unlock your third new dish so far.
Cook Sausage Deep Dish Pizza 5 Times
Collect 5 Tomatoes
Collect 10 Sticks of Pepperoni
If you haven't guessed by the requirements, your recipe rewarded at the end of this mission is the Pepperoni Pizza, which can be cooked for 1500 coins. With this mission, as with all others, keep a special eye on the wording of the cooking requirements. Since (as of this writing) the mission only says "cook" the pizza, you could, presumably, simply set the pizzas to cooking in your Pizza Oven, throw them away, and then cook them immediately thereafter to more quickly complete the task. This has worked in the past, but we haven't been able to confirm that this strategy works in this mission series yet.
Either way, once you've made it to Part VI of VII, you'll almost be at the finale, but not before passing what can easily be called a "filler" mission.
Cook Pepperoni Pizza 5 Times
Cook Sausage Deep Dish Pizza 5 Times
Cook Pizza Margherita 5 Times
Those 15 pizzas served, you'll be able to move onto the final mission in this quest, which will unlock one final recipe in your game upon completion.
Part VII of VII asks you to collect the ingredients necessary to unlock this final dish, along with cooking some more pizza in your cafe for good measure.
Collect 12 Sausages
Collect 12 Mozzarellas
Cook Sausage Deep Dish Pizza 5 Times
Your final pizza reward, and in fact the final reward for this entire mission set is the Meat Craver's Pizza, which also happens to be tied with the Pepperoni Pizza for the most expensive new dish, at 1500 coins to cook.
Will these Pizza Oven goals just be the first release of multiple? In the past, we've seen Zynga release two sets of goals released for a similar item, the Deep Fryer, so it's possible that this may just be the first set of goals and recipes released for the Pizza Oven. If and when more missions / recipes are added, we'll make sure to let you know, so keep checking back.
What do you think of these Pizza Oven goals? All things considered, are they too difficult to pass, or do they provide just the right amount of challenge?
FrontierVille: Coyotes are coming - Protect your chickens with Chicken Coop storage
Oh no! Did you hear that?! I think that might be the howl of a Coyote I hear over yonder in FrontierVille! We have to save the chickens! What do we do?! Luckily, Zynga has come up with the proper solution, as they have released the ability to now store Chickens inside the Chicken Coop. While this is something that FarmVille has allowed for some time now, FrontierVille is just now adding the ability, so that you can protect your poor chickens from ending up as a Coyote's dinner.
By default, each Chicken Coop you own can hold and protect just 10 adult (they must be fully grown) chickens. You'll be able to add chickens to your Coop(s) by simply choosing the Move tool and then moving your chickens onto the Chicken Coop to store them. If you'd like to protect more than 10 Chickens, you can do so by upgrading your Chicken Coop to hold more chickens, with each new level offering a different amount of storage, up to the maximum of 100 chickens.
When you click on the Chicken Coop, you'll see a whole host of new options, including the ability to look at all of the chickens inside, or simply feed chickens, but you'll also see the "Upgrade" button, which shows you the menu below. If you've been saving up Hammers, Nails, Bricks, Hand Drills, and Paint Buckets, you'll be able to put those items to good use, as you'll need 15 of each, along with 15 of the new Chicken Wire item, to upgrade your Chicken Coop.
Chicken Wire is earned by posting a general request to your news feed, where friends can receive a Chicken Wire in exchange for sending you one. Your first expansion will turn your basic Chicken Coop into one that holds 25 chickens. You can upgrade three more times, adding 25 slots each time, until you reach the total of 100. You can either hover over your Chicken Coop to see how many chickens you currently have stored, or simply keep an eye on the weather vane on top, as it will fill with color as you fill your Chicken Coop to capacity.
If you'd like to feed the chickens inside your Chicken Coop, you can still do so, at a cost of one energy per one chicken fed.
To be clear, this idea of "protecting chickens" seem to be a very real concern in the game, as Coyotes are coming to the land in FrontierVille, and they apparently will run off with your chickens if they are not protected. We haven't received exact details as to what will happen to unprotected chickens (we shutter to think), but do you really want to be the one who finds out because they didn't protect them?
By default, each Chicken Coop you own can hold and protect just 10 adult (they must be fully grown) chickens. You'll be able to add chickens to your Coop(s) by simply choosing the Move tool and then moving your chickens onto the Chicken Coop to store them. If you'd like to protect more than 10 Chickens, you can do so by upgrading your Chicken Coop to hold more chickens, with each new level offering a different amount of storage, up to the maximum of 100 chickens.
When you click on the Chicken Coop, you'll see a whole host of new options, including the ability to look at all of the chickens inside, or simply feed chickens, but you'll also see the "Upgrade" button, which shows you the menu below. If you've been saving up Hammers, Nails, Bricks, Hand Drills, and Paint Buckets, you'll be able to put those items to good use, as you'll need 15 of each, along with 15 of the new Chicken Wire item, to upgrade your Chicken Coop.
Chicken Wire is earned by posting a general request to your news feed, where friends can receive a Chicken Wire in exchange for sending you one. Your first expansion will turn your basic Chicken Coop into one that holds 25 chickens. You can upgrade three more times, adding 25 slots each time, until you reach the total of 100. You can either hover over your Chicken Coop to see how many chickens you currently have stored, or simply keep an eye on the weather vane on top, as it will fill with color as you fill your Chicken Coop to capacity.
If you'd like to feed the chickens inside your Chicken Coop, you can still do so, at a cost of one energy per one chicken fed.
To be clear, this idea of "protecting chickens" seem to be a very real concern in the game, as Coyotes are coming to the land in FrontierVille, and they apparently will run off with your chickens if they are not protected. We haven't received exact details as to what will happen to unprotected chickens (we shutter to think), but do you really want to be the one who finds out because they didn't protect them?
FrontierVille Howls on the Horizon Goals: Everything you need to know
Earlier today, we brought you the news that chickens will soon be at risk in FrontierVille from an onslaught of Coyotes in the game. Apparently, coyote sightings are on a sharp incline of late, and you'll need to be prepared in order to fight off the expected horde. Luckily, you can not only now store chickens inside the Chicken Coop to protect them, but you can also complete a duo of new missions (called Howls on the Horizon) to help prepare yourself, your chickens, and your land even further.
The first mission is called Trouble in Them Thar Hills, and it has you altering the townspeople by hanging up posters, showing us what a Coyote will look like in the game.
Have or Collect Ten Coyote Posters
Harvest 50 Corn
Tend Ten Chickens
The Coyote Posters are earned by posting a general request to your wall, that your friends can click on to earn a Coyote Poster for themselves in exchange. Corn, meanwhile can be harvested after 12 hours, or, remember, you can have your friends come over and water the Corn for it to count as harvests when you accept their help. For finishing this quest, you'll receive 50 XP and 1 Canvas item, which is part of the Flax Collection. This first quest completed, you'll move onto the second of this two-part quest set, which contains an even easier set of goals than the first.
Visit 10 Neighbors
Buy One Breakfast
Tend 50 Adult Chickens
This unfortunately does seem to be a time when you'll need to purchase the Breakfast, and not simply use one you may have stored from your inventory, but luckily that will only cost 115 of your stored Food. Finishing this second and final quest (as we said, there are currently only two "coyote" goals available), you'll receive most of that Food back - 100 Food, to be exact, along with 100 XP.
Those preparations made, we'd be surprised if more quests weren't released dealing with Coyotes in the future, and we'll make sure to let you know if and when such a thing happens. For now, get to work on expanding your Chicken Coop(s) and save those chickens!
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this small mission set? Do you think more coyote missions are coming? How do you think Coyotes will act on our Homesteads?
The first mission is called Trouble in Them Thar Hills, and it has you altering the townspeople by hanging up posters, showing us what a Coyote will look like in the game.
Have or Collect Ten Coyote Posters
Harvest 50 Corn
Tend Ten Chickens
The Coyote Posters are earned by posting a general request to your wall, that your friends can click on to earn a Coyote Poster for themselves in exchange. Corn, meanwhile can be harvested after 12 hours, or, remember, you can have your friends come over and water the Corn for it to count as harvests when you accept their help. For finishing this quest, you'll receive 50 XP and 1 Canvas item, which is part of the Flax Collection. This first quest completed, you'll move onto the second of this two-part quest set, which contains an even easier set of goals than the first.
Visit 10 Neighbors
Buy One Breakfast
Tend 50 Adult Chickens
This unfortunately does seem to be a time when you'll need to purchase the Breakfast, and not simply use one you may have stored from your inventory, but luckily that will only cost 115 of your stored Food. Finishing this second and final quest (as we said, there are currently only two "coyote" goals available), you'll receive most of that Food back - 100 Food, to be exact, along with 100 XP.
Those preparations made, we'd be surprised if more quests weren't released dealing with Coyotes in the future, and we'll make sure to let you know if and when such a thing happens. For now, get to work on expanding your Chicken Coop(s) and save those chickens!
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this small mission set? Do you think more coyote missions are coming? How do you think Coyotes will act on our Homesteads?
FarmVille Greenhouse Goals: Everything you need to know
Remember back in the latest FarmVille podcast, that we were told that the Greenhouse would soon have a new feature? Well, it seems that this new feature comes in the form of three new quests that are now available to complete in the game. Mostly, this quest set seems like a way to get users to actually use the feature, if they've found it to be too expensive or time consuming in the past.
The first quest is called Mixing it Up, and it will require you to complete just the first stage of construction on your Greenhouse, if you've chosen not to build one until now.
Complete 1 Greenhouse
Plant 50 Fire Peppers
Fertilize plots of neighbors' farms 25 times
Completing the first stage of the Greenhouse's construction takes just four each of Bricks, Wooden Boards, and Nails. Then, you can create Fire Peppers using Pepper and Jalapeno seeds. Of course, you'll have to wait the full three days for these crops to hybridize, if you choose not to ask your friends to help you speed up the process. Conversely, you could skip creating the seeds altogether and simply wait for your friends to do so and post free seeds to the news feed for you to claim, but this is of course a more risky endeavor (what if your friends never post any seeds?). Completing this first quest will earn you a set of basic prizes - 100 XP, 2500 coins, and 5 Fertilize Alls.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the next two missions. Part II is called "Farmer Under Glass" and asks you to harvest those Fire Peppers, so remember to finish the first quest first, in order to not have to plant another 50 Fire Peppers.
Harvest 50 Fire Peppers
Get 6 Grow Lights
Harvest Your Cows and Sheep 10 Times
By now, everyone should have at least 10 cows and sheep on their land, so we don't imagine this will be a very difficult task to complete. As for the Grow Lights, you'll need to click on the accompanying "Ask Friends" button to post a request for these items on your wall. We presume this will be the same as with other FarmVille quests, where you will receive a like item for helping.
For completing this quest, you'll earn 250 XP, 5,000 coins, and a White Treehouse decorative item.
Finally, the third and final part of this new Greenhouse mission series asks you to plant and harvest another hybrid crop, this time a flower.
Harvest 100 Lilac Daffy
Get 6 Sprinklers
Again, the item collection task will require you to ask your friends to send you the items necessary, while Lilac Daffy can be created in the Greenhouse using Lilac and Daffodil seeds. This is one of the prettiest crops in the game, in my very humble opinion, so I can't wait to have a field full of them on my farm.
Finishing this quest trio rewards you with 500 XP, 7,500 coins, and a Persian Cat.
And there you have it! A relatively simple (all things considered) quest set in FarmVille that many users may already have the seeds to complete right away.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Are you one of those farmers? Have you already started or even completed some of these quests?
The first quest is called Mixing it Up, and it will require you to complete just the first stage of construction on your Greenhouse, if you've chosen not to build one until now.
Complete 1 Greenhouse
Plant 50 Fire Peppers
Fertilize plots of neighbors' farms 25 times
Completing the first stage of the Greenhouse's construction takes just four each of Bricks, Wooden Boards, and Nails. Then, you can create Fire Peppers using Pepper and Jalapeno seeds. Of course, you'll have to wait the full three days for these crops to hybridize, if you choose not to ask your friends to help you speed up the process. Conversely, you could skip creating the seeds altogether and simply wait for your friends to do so and post free seeds to the news feed for you to claim, but this is of course a more risky endeavor (what if your friends never post any seeds?). Completing this first quest will earn you a set of basic prizes - 100 XP, 2500 coins, and 5 Fertilize Alls.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the next two missions. Part II is called "Farmer Under Glass" and asks you to harvest those Fire Peppers, so remember to finish the first quest first, in order to not have to plant another 50 Fire Peppers.
Harvest 50 Fire Peppers
Get 6 Grow Lights
Harvest Your Cows and Sheep 10 Times
By now, everyone should have at least 10 cows and sheep on their land, so we don't imagine this will be a very difficult task to complete. As for the Grow Lights, you'll need to click on the accompanying "Ask Friends" button to post a request for these items on your wall. We presume this will be the same as with other FarmVille quests, where you will receive a like item for helping.
For completing this quest, you'll earn 250 XP, 5,000 coins, and a White Treehouse decorative item.
Finally, the third and final part of this new Greenhouse mission series asks you to plant and harvest another hybrid crop, this time a flower.
Harvest 100 Lilac Daffy
Get 6 Sprinklers
Again, the item collection task will require you to ask your friends to send you the items necessary, while Lilac Daffy can be created in the Greenhouse using Lilac and Daffodil seeds. This is one of the prettiest crops in the game, in my very humble opinion, so I can't wait to have a field full of them on my farm.
Finishing this quest trio rewards you with 500 XP, 7,500 coins, and a Persian Cat.
And there you have it! A relatively simple (all things considered) quest set in FarmVille that many users may already have the seeds to complete right away.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Are you one of those farmers? Have you already started or even completed some of these quests?
Thursday, January 5, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Jersey Cow, Thoroughbred Horse, & Mole
A trio of new animals (well, make that five) will be launching in FarmVille in the near future, or so says a recent set of unreleased images. The three main animals are the Jersey Cow, Thoroughbred Horse and the Mole.
Of course, both the Jersey Cow and the Thoroughbred Horse will be capable of breeding in their respective animal buildings, which brings the grand total of animals in this unreleased set to five. The Jersey Calf and Thoroughbred Foal can also be seen in the image at the top of this post.
It's unknown right now as to whether or not these will be animals released in the generic FarmVille store, or if these will be released as part of the English Countryside, but we'll make sure to let you know just as soon as we find out which is the case.
Which of these three animals is your favorite? Are you looking forward to adding these Foals and Calves to your collection?
Of course, both the Jersey Cow and the Thoroughbred Horse will be capable of breeding in their respective animal buildings, which brings the grand total of animals in this unreleased set to five. The Jersey Calf and Thoroughbred Foal can also be seen in the image at the top of this post.
It's unknown right now as to whether or not these will be animals released in the generic FarmVille store, or if these will be released as part of the English Countryside, but we'll make sure to let you know just as soon as we find out which is the case.
Which of these three animals is your favorite? Are you looking forward to adding these Foals and Calves to your collection?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Dogwood, Candy Apple Tree, Giant Candy Apple Tree
Three new trees are going to be launching in FarmVille in the near future, if this set of unreleased images is anything to go by. While we know that a Pink Dogwood Tree will be launching in the game, we now also know that a regular Dogwood Tree will be releasing as well - that being a tree that's white, rather than pink.
In addition to the normal Dogwood Tree, we know that a new pair of whimsical trees will be launching as well - those being the Candy Apple Tree and the Giant Candy Apple Tree. As with other trees in FarmVille, these three will be masterable, as you can see from their mastery signs above (although the Candy Apple signs do look incomplete).
If we had to guess, all three of them will be released for Farm Cash in the game's store, or the Giant Candy Apple Tree will be available from Candy Apple Tree Mystery Seedlings in the Orchard. We'll be sure to bring you the full details about these three trees when we know more.
Do you like the Dogwood Tree more than these two Candy Apple trees?
In addition to the normal Dogwood Tree, we know that a new pair of whimsical trees will be launching as well - those being the Candy Apple Tree and the Giant Candy Apple Tree. As with other trees in FarmVille, these three will be masterable, as you can see from their mastery signs above (although the Candy Apple signs do look incomplete).
If we had to guess, all three of them will be released for Farm Cash in the game's store, or the Giant Candy Apple Tree will be available from Candy Apple Tree Mystery Seedlings in the Orchard. We'll be sure to bring you the full details about these three trees when we know more.
Do you like the Dogwood Tree more than these two Candy Apple trees?
Game of the Day: Zilch
The Game of the Day wants to know if you have the stones to roll the dice .Zilch is a super fun, Yahtzee like dice game where the first player to 10,000 points wins. You'll need a little bit of luck, a little bit a strategy and a ton of guts. Play the computer or against a friend. Please play this game! It's a personal favorite.
Click --> play Zilch
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click --> play Zilch
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
FarmVille English Countryside launches this week: What are you doing to get ready?
OK, so you're guess is as good as ours as to what exact day the FarmVille English Countryside expansion will launch -- all we know at this point is that it's expected to arrive this week, as per this EC Facebook fan page update from last week:
FarmVille English Countryside will be launching NEXT WEEK, so make sure you're ready for travel! If you are not level 20, start leveling up today (Hint: Strawberries and Aloe Vera are especially great for gaining XP!) Make sure to send your friends special delivery gifts so their gift boxes are full when they land in the English Countryside. Cheers!
Since FarmVille updates tend to take place on Tuesdays and then Thursdays/Fridays -- so on those days in particular, we'll be keeping a close eye out for the appearance of the mustachioed Duke and his fancy airship.
Here's a few tips on how to prep for your trip to the English Countryside:
1. Make sure you reach level 20, anyone below that level will not gain access to the expansion.
2. Make sure you stock up on plenty of special delivery boxes beforehand to help you finish the required missions (fix the Duke's airship and throw a Bon Voyage party) before you head out.
3. Use this opportunity to find more FarmVille friends to help you out with your new farm.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
What are you doing to prep for your big trip to the English Countryside? Looking for new friends to help you with the new game?
FarmVille English Countryside will be launching NEXT WEEK, so make sure you're ready for travel! If you are not level 20, start leveling up today (Hint: Strawberries and Aloe Vera are especially great for gaining XP!) Make sure to send your friends special delivery gifts so their gift boxes are full when they land in the English Countryside. Cheers!
Since FarmVille updates tend to take place on Tuesdays and then Thursdays/Fridays -- so on those days in particular, we'll be keeping a close eye out for the appearance of the mustachioed Duke and his fancy airship.
Here's a few tips on how to prep for your trip to the English Countryside:
1. Make sure you reach level 20, anyone below that level will not gain access to the expansion.
2. Make sure you stock up on plenty of special delivery boxes beforehand to help you finish the required missions (fix the Duke's airship and throw a Bon Voyage party) before you head out.
3. Use this opportunity to find more FarmVille friends to help you out with your new farm.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
What are you doing to prep for your big trip to the English Countryside? Looking for new friends to help you with the new game?
FarmVille Red Mums: Send 'em to friends while they're still around
Log into FarmVille today, and you might notice that you are able to send Red Mums to friends as a Free Gift for a limited time. To send them, click on the Red Mum icon on the left hand side of the screen, which launches the friend selector. Choose which friends you want to send these flowers to and voila! you are done. Red Mums have been available as a limited time gift periodically, so if you miss them this go-round, you'll likely get another chance to send them in the not-too-distant future.
Also -- a fun fact about mums in real life. 'Mum' is short for Chrysanthemum, and these flowers were first cultivated in China in 15th century BC, and then these blooms made their way to Europe several centuries later. In the United States, mums are usually seen as positive and cheerful, while other countries use these flowers to represent honesty or a symbol of grief.
So -- on that oh-so positive note -- if you have used Red Mums to decorate your farm, send a screenshot to editors@games.com, and we'll feature it here.
Also -- a fun fact about mums in real life. 'Mum' is short for Chrysanthemum, and these flowers were first cultivated in China in 15th century BC, and then these blooms made their way to Europe several centuries later. In the United States, mums are usually seen as positive and cheerful, while other countries use these flowers to represent honesty or a symbol of grief.
So -- on that oh-so positive note -- if you have used Red Mums to decorate your farm, send a screenshot to editors@games.com, and we'll feature it here.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Zynga wants Mafia Wars designers, coders; creates contest for you
Zynga seems to be taking the "Real World" approach to crowd sourcing its potential hire base for new designers and programmers. The company is looking for new talent to join its Mafia Wars team, and it has created a contest for both designers and programmers to partake in and prove their worth. Design contestants are tasked with creating a Mafia Wars-themed puzzle game and filming the experience creatively. A free-spirited effort, for sure, but programmers must take a multiple choice test to gauge their engineering skills. (Software engineers, now you know where to look.)
However, Zynga is requiring no experience, no resumes--just a display of your creative or technical talents. (At least at first.) This goes to show what Zynga values above all else: skill. That's a comforting approach coming from a multi-billion dollar company, but it's also indicative of what Zynga might be working on. The company is looking for designers to create a board game, and the next Mafia Wars has been said to employ a lot of features seen in Crime City (namely the isometric perspective and world). These two pieces of information fit together rather nicely, no? Surely, this is speculation, but that will be confirmed or denied in due time.
Are you entering Zynga's game design hiring contest? What do you think of the company's approach to finding it's new talent?
However, Zynga is requiring no experience, no resumes--just a display of your creative or technical talents. (At least at first.) This goes to show what Zynga values above all else: skill. That's a comforting approach coming from a multi-billion dollar company, but it's also indicative of what Zynga might be working on. The company is looking for designers to create a board game, and the next Mafia Wars has been said to employ a lot of features seen in Crime City (namely the isometric perspective and world). These two pieces of information fit together rather nicely, no? Surely, this is speculation, but that will be confirmed or denied in due time.
Are you entering Zynga's game design hiring contest? What do you think of the company's approach to finding it's new talent?
Is Zynga's RewardVille annoying? Shut it off then, silly
Finally, my friends, the most universal Zynga pop-up ad, RewardVille, can go away forever. Well, at least if you choose for it to disappear. Mafia Wars Maniac found this page in the Zynga Customer Support website explaining how to remove RewardVille for those who just aren't digging it anymore. Check out the link right here, but find the full description after the break as well.
Here are Zynga's insctructions exactly:
If you feel you still want to disable RewardVille functionality, go to www.RewardVille.com. Make sure you are logged in. (If you see your photo, name, and RewardVille statistics on the top right of the RewardVille screen, you are logged in; if you don't see them, click the "Log in with Facebook" icon in the upper right to log in.) After logging in, at the bottom of the page, you will see an option for "Preferences". Click that, then check the box that says, "Turn off RewardVille on my game bar." The next time you restart your game, RewardVille will be removed from the top of your games. Should you want to rejoin the RewardVille program, you can re-activate the zPoints bar at any time by reversing this process.
Have you removed RewardVille yet from your Zynga games? If not, what do you like about the system?
Here are Zynga's insctructions exactly:
If you feel you still want to disable RewardVille functionality, go to www.RewardVille.com. Make sure you are logged in. (If you see your photo, name, and RewardVille statistics on the top right of the RewardVille screen, you are logged in; if you don't see them, click the "Log in with Facebook" icon in the upper right to log in.) After logging in, at the bottom of the page, you will see an option for "Preferences". Click that, then check the box that says, "Turn off RewardVille on my game bar." The next time you restart your game, RewardVille will be removed from the top of your games. Should you want to rejoin the RewardVille program, you can re-activate the zPoints bar at any time by reversing this process.
Have you removed RewardVille yet from your Zynga games? If not, what do you like about the system?
World Series Superstars on Facebook: Baseball strategy done right
Players of EA's previous sports offerings on Facebook might take one look at World Series Superstars and scoff. Give the game an honest shot before you begin scoffing, you scoffers, you. This is one deep baseball game for Facebook, but that's exactly the audience that EA is trying to market to, no? While logistically speaking that might not be the best route considering the size of the niche, but boy does EA and Playfish fit that niche like a glove. Essentially a fantasy baseball simulator, World Series Superstars delivers where stat crunchers--a potentially nonexistent and severely under-served subculture on Facebook--want.
In other words, it's doubtful that this game will take off given its complexity, but it will serve that small group of super fans well. The general flow of this game is almost exactly like its predecessors, yet tweaks have been made at nearly every turn. And those tweaks aren't just for the sake of them; they make sense with how the sport of baseball is handled. Baseball is both one of the most team-oriented sports and one of personal best simultaneously, and World Series Superstars emphasizes this through its rating system.
World Series Superstars gameplay
Like the Madden and Fifa Facebook games before it, your team's rating will decrease with each game played. Thus, you must practice your team almost constantly to keep your players in tip-top shape. Think of it as this game's "crop factor," as in the hook that brings you back--the benefits of Practice must be collected in time or they will disappear. However, rating has now become Rating Points. These points are added to a bank upon collection, and can be assigned to individual players. For instance, say you bought a rare, powerful player card like Ryan Howard (biases aside, of course). Instead of spreading the Rating Points all around, spend more on Howard to increase his performance drastically on the field. If you spend all your points on him for the time you have him, you can bet he'll hit more homers with more Rating Points than everyone else.
But how would you make use of an individual player in gameplay that's largely animated? News flash: It isn't anymore. World Series Superstars features turn-based gameplay that can drawn out for all nine or so innings. Players only control batters and pitchers, obviously, though your choices are far beyond what was optional in, say, Madden NFL Superstars. Though, if you just want the results, you can easily skip an inning or an entire game at no penalty. But this is the beauty of this baseball compared to others on Facebook: you have direct control over your players' individual performance and your team's success. Surely, sports fans will much prefer this over the automated cut scenes in previous EA sports games gone social.
World Series team page
Players have the option to play their friends, not to mention all the staples have returned for this game. You will have to improve your stadium through winnings money in order to progress in the Major Leagues. To get new players, you must either earn or pay for Baseball Cash, the game's paid currency. Coin options are also there, but are severely expensive. Goals will guide you along in your progress through the Minors and Majors, a trope borrowed from several recent games. Despite this, World Series Superstars is worth the attention of super baseball fans that happen to be on Facebook (i.e. a lot of folks). Poring over stats, numbers plays, this game will keep the Facebooking baseball fan occupied for some time.
Click here to play World Series Superstars for Facebook Now>
Have you tried this game yet? What do you think of EA's granular approach to baseball on Facebook?
In other words, it's doubtful that this game will take off given its complexity, but it will serve that small group of super fans well. The general flow of this game is almost exactly like its predecessors, yet tweaks have been made at nearly every turn. And those tweaks aren't just for the sake of them; they make sense with how the sport of baseball is handled. Baseball is both one of the most team-oriented sports and one of personal best simultaneously, and World Series Superstars emphasizes this through its rating system.
World Series Superstars gameplay
Like the Madden and Fifa Facebook games before it, your team's rating will decrease with each game played. Thus, you must practice your team almost constantly to keep your players in tip-top shape. Think of it as this game's "crop factor," as in the hook that brings you back--the benefits of Practice must be collected in time or they will disappear. However, rating has now become Rating Points. These points are added to a bank upon collection, and can be assigned to individual players. For instance, say you bought a rare, powerful player card like Ryan Howard (biases aside, of course). Instead of spreading the Rating Points all around, spend more on Howard to increase his performance drastically on the field. If you spend all your points on him for the time you have him, you can bet he'll hit more homers with more Rating Points than everyone else.
But how would you make use of an individual player in gameplay that's largely animated? News flash: It isn't anymore. World Series Superstars features turn-based gameplay that can drawn out for all nine or so innings. Players only control batters and pitchers, obviously, though your choices are far beyond what was optional in, say, Madden NFL Superstars. Though, if you just want the results, you can easily skip an inning or an entire game at no penalty. But this is the beauty of this baseball compared to others on Facebook: you have direct control over your players' individual performance and your team's success. Surely, sports fans will much prefer this over the automated cut scenes in previous EA sports games gone social.
World Series team page
Players have the option to play their friends, not to mention all the staples have returned for this game. You will have to improve your stadium through winnings money in order to progress in the Major Leagues. To get new players, you must either earn or pay for Baseball Cash, the game's paid currency. Coin options are also there, but are severely expensive. Goals will guide you along in your progress through the Minors and Majors, a trope borrowed from several recent games. Despite this, World Series Superstars is worth the attention of super baseball fans that happen to be on Facebook (i.e. a lot of folks). Poring over stats, numbers plays, this game will keep the Facebooking baseball fan occupied for some time.
Click here to play World Series Superstars for Facebook Now>
Have you tried this game yet? What do you think of EA's granular approach to baseball on Facebook?
Zynga elects DreamWorks CEO to board of directors; don't Shrek it up
A new bigwig has joined the, well, other bigwigs at Zynga. Jeffrey Katzenberg is his name, and movies like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda are his game. The DreamWorks CEO has joined the likes of Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman, Kleiner Perkins partner Bing Gordon, investor Brad Feld and Zynga COO Owen Van Natta to become its sixth member, Mashable reports. Mark Pincus, whose company is said to be worth $10 billion, praised Katzenberg in his company blog.
I see a lot of similarities between DreamWorks Animation and Zynga, far beyond our love of animals. DreamWorks Animation is a revolutionary technology company, a recognized consumer brand, and at its core, a media company. It's easy to see the value that Jeffrey will add to Zynga as we grow and look for more ways to delight our players."
So, what will this mean for Zynga. Well, there will probably be more Megamind-esque promotions in games . Many more of those. However, it's doubtful that Katzenberg would join the board if something wasn't in it for him, like licensing deals that could make DreamWorks lots of money.
With a partnership like this, Zynga could very well create its own companion games for upcoming DreamWorks releases. However, this is purely guesswork--what happens between these six men behind closed doors is something we'll never know. Though, it's always fun to guess the results like who is the father on any given episode of Maury Povich.
[Image Credit: SF Gate]
Why do you think Zynga took on a DreamWorks CEO? How will this effect the future of the company?
I see a lot of similarities between DreamWorks Animation and Zynga, far beyond our love of animals. DreamWorks Animation is a revolutionary technology company, a recognized consumer brand, and at its core, a media company. It's easy to see the value that Jeffrey will add to Zynga as we grow and look for more ways to delight our players."
So, what will this mean for Zynga. Well, there will probably be more Megamind-esque promotions in games . Many more of those. However, it's doubtful that Katzenberg would join the board if something wasn't in it for him, like licensing deals that could make DreamWorks lots of money.
With a partnership like this, Zynga could very well create its own companion games for upcoming DreamWorks releases. However, this is purely guesswork--what happens between these six men behind closed doors is something we'll never know. Though, it's always fun to guess the results like who is the father on any given episode of Maury Povich.
[Image Credit: SF Gate]
Why do you think Zynga took on a DreamWorks CEO? How will this effect the future of the company?
Dragon Age Legends got me hooked on Facebook companion games
Before we begin, I must make a confession: I haven't touched my English Countryside farm extensively for almost a week. In fact, I haven't been playing any Facebook games in lieu of one: Dragon Age Legends. Sure, your eyes could trail on as I droll about how surprisingly impressive the game is and lie that it was the story or gameplay that kept me hungry for more. This just isn't the case. It was the Unlockables that hooked me, or the items I unlocked within the game for use in my adventures in Dragon Age 2 for Xbox 360. But now that I've collected them all, why am I still playing?
The draw of granting my band of stalwart adventurers with rare and powerful relics was hugely appealing in Dragon Age Legends (DAL). After playing in the closed beta of the game with the rest of the fine Games.com editorial staff, I lost interest in the game quickly. This was mostly because of the disconnect: I had never played a Dragon Age game before, and there simply weren't enough people to play. (Alright, the Unlockables were nowhere to be found because the official game had yet to release.)
But after popping in Dragon Age 2 and seeing the things I could get my mitts on by just clicking around for a bit, I gave the live build of DAL a go, and now I'm here. Still questing with my lowly Level 6 Mage, which happens to have over 50 friends after a small adding spree this weekend. At first, my only concern was to get as many friends as possible so I could wait as little time as possible to get the next item. Yet now, I just want to see what happens. And who wouldn't after watching an intro like that?
So, would I have invested this much time in the game had I not been playing the console game? Admittedly, probably not. So, this must be the power of companion Facebook games. You know, the games that companies release just to stir hype for a more elaborate/expensive/impressive project? Well, by golly, it works ... if done right. Sure, it works, but can they make for a good game? That's a subjective matter, but in EA2D's case (the EA studio behind DAL), yes they certainly can.
Dragon Age Legends map
This isn't of course without good design. Dragon Age Legends is, for all intents and purposes, a fantastic example of what's possible on Facebook right now. However, this could probably be the greatest Flash or Facebook game of all time and I still wouldn't play it if not for the collectible items. And I think I can speak for a lot of players in saying that this is also the case. However, how many of the game's measly 713 thousand monthly players are dedicated Bioware or Dragon Age fans? Probably a large majority, which is likely the point.
Companion games serve an extremely specific (if seemingly nefarious) purpose, but that goal can be worked around to create a truly engaging experience. Their work is an example that not all advergames have to be terrible. EA2D took the goal of hooking as many fans as possible through enticing items and turned it into a game that's both beautiful and can stand on its own well into the console games' lifespan. Through more Unlockables, of course. (These are starting to get rusty in Kirkwall.)
Have you ever been roped in by a companion game or advergame and enjoy it? What are your thoughts on advergames and companion Facebook games, generally speaking?
The draw of granting my band of stalwart adventurers with rare and powerful relics was hugely appealing in Dragon Age Legends (DAL). After playing in the closed beta of the game with the rest of the fine Games.com editorial staff, I lost interest in the game quickly. This was mostly because of the disconnect: I had never played a Dragon Age game before, and there simply weren't enough people to play. (Alright, the Unlockables were nowhere to be found because the official game had yet to release.)
But after popping in Dragon Age 2 and seeing the things I could get my mitts on by just clicking around for a bit, I gave the live build of DAL a go, and now I'm here. Still questing with my lowly Level 6 Mage, which happens to have over 50 friends after a small adding spree this weekend. At first, my only concern was to get as many friends as possible so I could wait as little time as possible to get the next item. Yet now, I just want to see what happens. And who wouldn't after watching an intro like that?
So, would I have invested this much time in the game had I not been playing the console game? Admittedly, probably not. So, this must be the power of companion Facebook games. You know, the games that companies release just to stir hype for a more elaborate/expensive/impressive project? Well, by golly, it works ... if done right. Sure, it works, but can they make for a good game? That's a subjective matter, but in EA2D's case (the EA studio behind DAL), yes they certainly can.
Dragon Age Legends map
This isn't of course without good design. Dragon Age Legends is, for all intents and purposes, a fantastic example of what's possible on Facebook right now. However, this could probably be the greatest Flash or Facebook game of all time and I still wouldn't play it if not for the collectible items. And I think I can speak for a lot of players in saying that this is also the case. However, how many of the game's measly 713 thousand monthly players are dedicated Bioware or Dragon Age fans? Probably a large majority, which is likely the point.
Companion games serve an extremely specific (if seemingly nefarious) purpose, but that goal can be worked around to create a truly engaging experience. Their work is an example that not all advergames have to be terrible. EA2D took the goal of hooking as many fans as possible through enticing items and turned it into a game that's both beautiful and can stand on its own well into the console games' lifespan. Through more Unlockables, of course. (These are starting to get rusty in Kirkwall.)
Have you ever been roped in by a companion game or advergame and enjoy it? What are your thoughts on advergames and companion Facebook games, generally speaking?
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