Zynga's FarmVille Cows fan page asks us a very interesting question this evening - Would you like to see Cow Breeding in FarmVille change to be similar to Sheep and Pig breeding, or are you fine with the randomized system currently in place? They ask the question via a quick poll that you can answer on their official fan page. It's a yes or no question, and as of right now, the overwhelming majority of users are stating that yes, they would like to see Cow Breeding change.
Actually, it's a bit of an odd setup. It seems as though the Cows (err, Zynga) have forgotten that Cow Breeding exists in the first place. Sure, it's not a great system, as it relies solely on luck when having both Cows and a Bull inside a Dairy Farm, but you can receive calves through that manner. The question's wording here makes it seem as though Breeding is impossible in the game altogether, but we can only imagine, then, that the question refers to the Love Potion / Sheep Breeding method of Breeding, rather than anything more simplistic.
Am I reading too much into this? Perhaps, but if, at the end of the day, this poll allows me to manually breed as many pink and purple calves as I want, then over-dramatize events I will!
Would you like to see Cow Breeding change in FarmVille to a more manual process? What about Horse Breeding? Are there any other animals you would like to breed?
Earn Money from Home
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
FarmVille: White Duckling available in new Spring theme
Just a few days ago, we gave you a sneak peek of the adorable White Duckling that we predicted would be coming to FarmVille in the near future. It was anyone's guess as to when the Duckling would launch in the game, but that time is now, as you can now purchase the White Duckling from the market for 16 Farm Cash.
The White Duckling is available in the new Spring theme of items that first launched in the game just this week, and it will only be available to purchase for a limited time - two weeks, to be exact. You'll gain 1600 experience points for purchasing the Duckling, which can be grown into an adult if you so choose, but really, why would you want to? The entire point of this Duckling being limited edition is because it won't be available anytime or anywhere else (at least in our foreseeable future). Would you really want to get rid of something you paid Farm Cash for, instead of keeping this cute little fella in your Duck Pond just as he is.. forever? Perhaps that's just me, but it's something to think about either way, before shelling out the real bucks for one.
Check out the rest of our Spring / Easter 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of the White Duckling? Is he cute enough to earn a permanent spot on your farm in his current form, or will you grow him up into an adult?
The White Duckling is available in the new Spring theme of items that first launched in the game just this week, and it will only be available to purchase for a limited time - two weeks, to be exact. You'll gain 1600 experience points for purchasing the Duckling, which can be grown into an adult if you so choose, but really, why would you want to? The entire point of this Duckling being limited edition is because it won't be available anytime or anywhere else (at least in our foreseeable future). Would you really want to get rid of something you paid Farm Cash for, instead of keeping this cute little fella in your Duck Pond just as he is.. forever? Perhaps that's just me, but it's something to think about either way, before shelling out the real bucks for one.
Check out the rest of our Spring / Easter 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of the White Duckling? Is he cute enough to earn a permanent spot on your farm in his current form, or will you grow him up into an adult?
Cafe World Spring is the Season Goals: Everything you need to know
Spring certainly is the season, at least for most Cafe World players, and Zynga is looking to celebrate the turn to better weather with a new series of goals to complete, and a new set of recipes to unlock in the game. The Spring is the Season goal set is eight parts long, meaning that you'll be spending quite a bit of time celebrating the change in seasons, unless you have some able-bodied friends, lots of stoves, or a lot of Cafe Cash to help you out.
The first goal is simple, and requires you to just cook two dishes and help in some of your friends' cafes.
Serve Pumpkin Pie 5 Times
Serve Super Chunk Fruit Salad 7 Times
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
If you're like me, you likely won't see these goals appear in your own game (in terms of seeing the icon appear on the right side of your screen), and you'll need to force it to appear by either serving one of the dishes, or by spicing a friend's stove and then immediately clicking on the black progress window that appears in the top left corner of your screen. Pumpkin Pie takes 12 hours to cook, while the Fruit Salad takes just 15 minutes. You can use the above method to force your quest window to appear at any time, and for any quest, so it's something to keep in mind should you ever have to ask for items (hint: like now) and can't find the window to do so on your own. Part II of VIII sees you doing just that, by replacing the stove spicing task with an item collection task.
Serve Caramel Apples 7 Times
Serve or Ask for Spaghetti and Meatballs 20 Times
Ask for 10 Bags of Asparagas
To be clear, you need to either serve Spaghetti and Meatballs (an 8-hour dish) 20 times, or ask your friends to send you 20 individual portions of the dish, meaning that you'd need to get up to 20 friends to help you in total. If you are lacking in very active friends, it might be smartest to simply wait the eight hours for your dishes to cook on your own. As for the Caramel Apples, they take just two hours to cook.
Moving on, Part III of VIII has the same setup as the second quest, although the recipes and collectibles are different. The prize is also something very worthwhile, all things considered.
Serve Jammin'n Jelly Donuts 15 Times
Serve Angel Fruit Cake 15 Times
Ask for 12 Cups of Almonds
The Donuts take just 20 minutes to cook, while the Angel Fruit Cake is ready to serve after eight hours. While you're waiting for your dishes to cook, you can ask your friends to send you the Almonds via individual gift requests. Once this goal is completed, you'll unlock the Asparagus Almondine dish, which is available to cook for 2200 coins and takes two hours to prepare.
Your first new recipe under your belt, you might think that you have to put it to good use, but alas, that is not the case. You'll instead take on three entirely unrelated tasks in Part IV of VIII.
Restock your Salad Bar 5 Times
Serve 18 Cups of Decaf Coffee
Ask for 10 Spring Flowers
Remember, use the 10 serving setting when restocking your Salad Bar, and you'll be able to run through this task much faster. The Decaf Coffee, meanwhile, can be found under the "Basics" setting in your Coffee Machine, and can be prepared for 35 energy. You'll receive eight servings to share with your customers, meaning that you'll have to prepare the coffee at least three times in order to pass that part of the mission. Completing this mission gives you a Sunshine Flower decoration, which has a painted on face - how cute!
Part V of VIII doesn't reward you with a new recipe, and it doesn't even require you to cook anything even relatively new. It's as if Zynga forgot they just gave you a new recipe, for all of the good it will do in helping you get here, but I guess that's not really a horrible thing. Either way, you'll need to complete three tasks, as usual.
Serve 12 Servings of Ginger Ale
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
Serve Clubhouse Sandwiches 20 Times
Clubhouse Sandwiches take 18 hours to prepare, so you'll have more than enough time to serve your Ginger Ale while you're waiting for them to cook. A single supply of Ginger Ale costs 22 energy to make, and you'll receive just six servings each time. Luckily, this divides evenly, so you'll only have to waste use energy on making the Ginger Ale twice.
Part VI of VIII starts to prepare you for the end of this mission series, which eventually rewards you with two additional new recipes by giving you a hint as to one of the ingredients therein. Can you guess what it is?
Serve 15 Servings of Triple Berry Cheesecake
Serve of ask for 15 Pizza Margherita
Ask for 10 Cups of Sliced Rhubarb
You guessed it - one of your eventual new recipes contains Rhubarb, so you'll need to prepare by collecting some from friends. While you're waiting, you can cook your Pizza Margherita and Triple Berry Cheesecakes, which take 30 minutes and 12 hours to cook, respectively.
Finally, with Part VII of VIII, we start to get to things that are a bit more interesting, even if only for the prize you'll receive at the end. You'll need to purchase two items from the store, and complete a catering order that was released quite a long time ago, which make save you any real effort in completing this mission now.
Have 1 Pink Egg Clock
Have 1 Bunny Hostess
Cater Sunday Brunch
First things first, the Sunday Brunch catering order launched in September, and if you haven't completed it yet, make sure to check out our complete guide to doing so. If you're like the many players that have already completed that order, however, you can simply head into the store, purchase the Pink Egg Clock for 150,000 coins and the Bunny Hostess for 80,000 coins and call this one done. Finishing this mission gives you a new recipe in the form of the Rhubarb Betty. This American dish can be cooked for 1,550 coins and will be ready to serve in eight hours.
All of this work brings us to the final part of this mission series. Part VIII of VIII flips the proverbial switch yet again, asking you to serve tons of pizza, and collect a single ingredient for a new pizza recipe you'll receive at the end.
Serve or Ask for 30 Pepperoni Pizza
Serve 30 Sausage Deep Dish Pizza
Ask for 25 Heads of Artichoke
Luckily, you can save your gift requests for the Heads of Artichoke, and can simply cook your own Pepperoni Pizzas, with a single pizza taking eight hours to cook. Sure, this would be much more quickly solved if you simply asked your friends to send you these pizzas instead, but another method is even better - don't forget to look inside your gift box for extra servings of the pizza that your friends have shared with you. Even if you've held onto them for weeks or months, simply serving them out of your gift box will help complete the task that much quicker, which is definitely something I can get behind. This final mission unlocks one final recipe in the form of the Garlic Artichoke Pizza, available to cook for just 120 coins and ready in five minutes.
All told, these missions aren't so complex as they are simply time-consuming. While many users will fly past Part VII with little to no effort, simply getting there is a long and arguably hard process, so get started now to make the most of your time before these goals eventually disappear (that is, while no expiration date has been announced, we can't imagine goals celebrating Spring could last after the season is over).
The first goal is simple, and requires you to just cook two dishes and help in some of your friends' cafes.
Serve Pumpkin Pie 5 Times
Serve Super Chunk Fruit Salad 7 Times
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
If you're like me, you likely won't see these goals appear in your own game (in terms of seeing the icon appear on the right side of your screen), and you'll need to force it to appear by either serving one of the dishes, or by spicing a friend's stove and then immediately clicking on the black progress window that appears in the top left corner of your screen. Pumpkin Pie takes 12 hours to cook, while the Fruit Salad takes just 15 minutes. You can use the above method to force your quest window to appear at any time, and for any quest, so it's something to keep in mind should you ever have to ask for items (hint: like now) and can't find the window to do so on your own. Part II of VIII sees you doing just that, by replacing the stove spicing task with an item collection task.
Serve Caramel Apples 7 Times
Serve or Ask for Spaghetti and Meatballs 20 Times
Ask for 10 Bags of Asparagas
To be clear, you need to either serve Spaghetti and Meatballs (an 8-hour dish) 20 times, or ask your friends to send you 20 individual portions of the dish, meaning that you'd need to get up to 20 friends to help you in total. If you are lacking in very active friends, it might be smartest to simply wait the eight hours for your dishes to cook on your own. As for the Caramel Apples, they take just two hours to cook.
Moving on, Part III of VIII has the same setup as the second quest, although the recipes and collectibles are different. The prize is also something very worthwhile, all things considered.
Serve Jammin'n Jelly Donuts 15 Times
Serve Angel Fruit Cake 15 Times
Ask for 12 Cups of Almonds
The Donuts take just 20 minutes to cook, while the Angel Fruit Cake is ready to serve after eight hours. While you're waiting for your dishes to cook, you can ask your friends to send you the Almonds via individual gift requests. Once this goal is completed, you'll unlock the Asparagus Almondine dish, which is available to cook for 2200 coins and takes two hours to prepare.
Your first new recipe under your belt, you might think that you have to put it to good use, but alas, that is not the case. You'll instead take on three entirely unrelated tasks in Part IV of VIII.
Restock your Salad Bar 5 Times
Serve 18 Cups of Decaf Coffee
Ask for 10 Spring Flowers
Remember, use the 10 serving setting when restocking your Salad Bar, and you'll be able to run through this task much faster. The Decaf Coffee, meanwhile, can be found under the "Basics" setting in your Coffee Machine, and can be prepared for 35 energy. You'll receive eight servings to share with your customers, meaning that you'll have to prepare the coffee at least three times in order to pass that part of the mission. Completing this mission gives you a Sunshine Flower decoration, which has a painted on face - how cute!
Part V of VIII doesn't reward you with a new recipe, and it doesn't even require you to cook anything even relatively new. It's as if Zynga forgot they just gave you a new recipe, for all of the good it will do in helping you get here, but I guess that's not really a horrible thing. Either way, you'll need to complete three tasks, as usual.
Serve 12 Servings of Ginger Ale
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
Serve Clubhouse Sandwiches 20 Times
Clubhouse Sandwiches take 18 hours to prepare, so you'll have more than enough time to serve your Ginger Ale while you're waiting for them to cook. A single supply of Ginger Ale costs 22 energy to make, and you'll receive just six servings each time. Luckily, this divides evenly, so you'll only have to waste use energy on making the Ginger Ale twice.
Part VI of VIII starts to prepare you for the end of this mission series, which eventually rewards you with two additional new recipes by giving you a hint as to one of the ingredients therein. Can you guess what it is?
Serve 15 Servings of Triple Berry Cheesecake
Serve of ask for 15 Pizza Margherita
Ask for 10 Cups of Sliced Rhubarb
You guessed it - one of your eventual new recipes contains Rhubarb, so you'll need to prepare by collecting some from friends. While you're waiting, you can cook your Pizza Margherita and Triple Berry Cheesecakes, which take 30 minutes and 12 hours to cook, respectively.
Finally, with Part VII of VIII, we start to get to things that are a bit more interesting, even if only for the prize you'll receive at the end. You'll need to purchase two items from the store, and complete a catering order that was released quite a long time ago, which make save you any real effort in completing this mission now.
Have 1 Pink Egg Clock
Have 1 Bunny Hostess
Cater Sunday Brunch
First things first, the Sunday Brunch catering order launched in September, and if you haven't completed it yet, make sure to check out our complete guide to doing so. If you're like the many players that have already completed that order, however, you can simply head into the store, purchase the Pink Egg Clock for 150,000 coins and the Bunny Hostess for 80,000 coins and call this one done. Finishing this mission gives you a new recipe in the form of the Rhubarb Betty. This American dish can be cooked for 1,550 coins and will be ready to serve in eight hours.
All of this work brings us to the final part of this mission series. Part VIII of VIII flips the proverbial switch yet again, asking you to serve tons of pizza, and collect a single ingredient for a new pizza recipe you'll receive at the end.
Serve or Ask for 30 Pepperoni Pizza
Serve 30 Sausage Deep Dish Pizza
Ask for 25 Heads of Artichoke
Luckily, you can save your gift requests for the Heads of Artichoke, and can simply cook your own Pepperoni Pizzas, with a single pizza taking eight hours to cook. Sure, this would be much more quickly solved if you simply asked your friends to send you these pizzas instead, but another method is even better - don't forget to look inside your gift box for extra servings of the pizza that your friends have shared with you. Even if you've held onto them for weeks or months, simply serving them out of your gift box will help complete the task that much quicker, which is definitely something I can get behind. This final mission unlocks one final recipe in the form of the Garlic Artichoke Pizza, available to cook for just 120 coins and ready in five minutes.
All told, these missions aren't so complex as they are simply time-consuming. While many users will fly past Part VII with little to no effort, simply getting there is a long and arguably hard process, so get started now to make the most of your time before these goals eventually disappear (that is, while no expiration date has been announced, we can't imagine goals celebrating Spring could last after the season is over).
Playmatic's Shadow Government social game will use real world news and data, says CEO Margaret Wallace
Shadow Government is the brain-child of New York-based game developer Playmatics. According to Gamasutra, the game is "based on the gamification of real countries, systems, and worldwide events." To make Shadow Government a reality, the company has secured $1 million from a group of Swiss-based investors.
Shadow Government will allow players to build up, manage, and then destroy entire nations, virtually. With a set of simulation tools that have been designed to help test reactions to massive world-scale events, the game looks to offer a bit of educational content in addition to what may come across as an in-depth city-builder. While the game may sound violent, Playmatic's CEO Margaret Wallace claims that the game isn't really as "serious" as it may sound.
"It's not a 'serious game,' really, because we aim to design an entertainment experience. People can use Shadow Government to destroy their own little country, or to wreak havoc where they can."
To me, this sounds a heck of a lot like the original Sim City games, in that users could build their city, taking real world economics and the needs of their citizens into account, only to pillage everything with a tornado or earthquake, as examples. To a greater extent, it also sounds as though Playmatics might have been inspired by Jennifer Government: NationStates, which also gives players the power to completely form and run a self-created country by answering questions around what they would do given a certain political uproar or environmental crisis, as examples.
Of course, this is all speculation, as we've yet to see a final product come out of the Shadow Government idea, but it will be interesting to see how the developer balances what could become some nasty cultural and political disputes, should the game's focus on real-world events suddenly backfire.
What do you think of the idea of Shadow Government? Do you think you'd want to create a country bent on world-domination, or would you crush your enemies with a single blow?
Shadow Government will allow players to build up, manage, and then destroy entire nations, virtually. With a set of simulation tools that have been designed to help test reactions to massive world-scale events, the game looks to offer a bit of educational content in addition to what may come across as an in-depth city-builder. While the game may sound violent, Playmatic's CEO Margaret Wallace claims that the game isn't really as "serious" as it may sound.
"It's not a 'serious game,' really, because we aim to design an entertainment experience. People can use Shadow Government to destroy their own little country, or to wreak havoc where they can."
To me, this sounds a heck of a lot like the original Sim City games, in that users could build their city, taking real world economics and the needs of their citizens into account, only to pillage everything with a tornado or earthquake, as examples. To a greater extent, it also sounds as though Playmatics might have been inspired by Jennifer Government: NationStates, which also gives players the power to completely form and run a self-created country by answering questions around what they would do given a certain political uproar or environmental crisis, as examples.
Of course, this is all speculation, as we've yet to see a final product come out of the Shadow Government idea, but it will be interesting to see how the developer balances what could become some nasty cultural and political disputes, should the game's focus on real-world events suddenly backfire.
What do you think of the idea of Shadow Government? Do you think you'd want to create a country bent on world-domination, or would you crush your enemies with a single blow?
FrontierVille: Tend trees to find a Spring Quail critter
A new critter has been added to FrontierVille today, as Zynga has officially launched the Spring Quail in the game. You'll be able to find this Spring Quail egg in the same was that you find the Spring Robin, by simply tending to your trees (whether fruit trees, oaks or pines).
Once you find a Spring Quail, you'll need to confirm that you want to help the animal via a pop-up like the one above. Then, you'll be tasked with collecting a whole slew of Fuzzy Blankets to warm up the Quail egg and help it hatch. This seems like one of the most difficult animals to "heal," as, while the Fuzzy Blankets are fairly easy to come by (just ask your friends to send them to you via wall posts), it will take a lot of Fuzzy Blankets to fill the Quail's meter to the point that the egg cracks and you have a true, ready-to-be-fed animal for your Homestead.
With more birds being released in the game, it almost makes me wonder if some sort of Aviary is in the works for the future. Sure, that's a complete speculation out of left field, but now that I think about it, it would make sense. Either way, keep stocking up on those pink Fuzzy Blankets, as you never know when one of these cute little eggs will drop from your trees.
Have you already found a Spring Quail egg on your Homestead? Will you heal as many as you find, or is one enough?
Once you find a Spring Quail, you'll need to confirm that you want to help the animal via a pop-up like the one above. Then, you'll be tasked with collecting a whole slew of Fuzzy Blankets to warm up the Quail egg and help it hatch. This seems like one of the most difficult animals to "heal," as, while the Fuzzy Blankets are fairly easy to come by (just ask your friends to send them to you via wall posts), it will take a lot of Fuzzy Blankets to fill the Quail's meter to the point that the egg cracks and you have a true, ready-to-be-fed animal for your Homestead.
With more birds being released in the game, it almost makes me wonder if some sort of Aviary is in the works for the future. Sure, that's a complete speculation out of left field, but now that I think about it, it would make sense. Either way, keep stocking up on those pink Fuzzy Blankets, as you never know when one of these cute little eggs will drop from your trees.
Have you already found a Spring Quail egg on your Homestead? Will you heal as many as you find, or is one enough?
Sunday, December 25, 2011
CityVille: Upgrade your Noodle Shop, or buy one if you haven't already
Zynga has added the ability to upgrade your Noodle Shop in CityVille. This Noodle Shop, if you're remember, was unlocked to users that finished the Lunar New Year goal back in February. But what if you never completed that goal? Do you still have to pay the 15 City Cash to unlock access to it? The answer is a resounding "NO" (thank goodness), as Zynga has unlocked access to the building for all users, regardless of whether or not they finished the Lunar New Year Goal, or, for that matter, if they weren't even playing the game back then.
While the Noodle Shop may seem like a weird follow up to the Bakery upgrades (ok, it doesn't just seem weird, it is weird), the process works in the same way. Each time you collect and supply your Noodle Shop (the basic Noodle Shop requires 90 Goods), you'll earn a point. When you reach 125 points, the Noodle Shop will hit level two, where it will then require 120 Good to open and will earn 600 coins in profit (more than the default 405 coins). To speed up the process, you can ask your friends to help you, with each friend adding five points to the upgrade process.
You can upgrade a third time by earning more points, or asking more friends to help you, eventually bringing you to level 3. This level requires 155 Goods to operate, and will reward you with 800 coins each time you collect your profits. Remember, your Noodle Shop will also change in size and design as it levels up, so if you like the quaint look of the starting building, you might ignore asking friend for help to slow down the process.
We'll make sure to let you know when additional buildings are given the chance to upgrade, so keep checking back with us.
Have you already upgraded your Bakery in CityVille? Have you started working on the Noodle Shop upgrade? Which business would you like to see given these options next?
While the Noodle Shop may seem like a weird follow up to the Bakery upgrades (ok, it doesn't just seem weird, it is weird), the process works in the same way. Each time you collect and supply your Noodle Shop (the basic Noodle Shop requires 90 Goods), you'll earn a point. When you reach 125 points, the Noodle Shop will hit level two, where it will then require 120 Good to open and will earn 600 coins in profit (more than the default 405 coins). To speed up the process, you can ask your friends to help you, with each friend adding five points to the upgrade process.
You can upgrade a third time by earning more points, or asking more friends to help you, eventually bringing you to level 3. This level requires 155 Goods to operate, and will reward you with 800 coins each time you collect your profits. Remember, your Noodle Shop will also change in size and design as it levels up, so if you like the quaint look of the starting building, you might ignore asking friend for help to slow down the process.
We'll make sure to let you know when additional buildings are given the chance to upgrade, so keep checking back with us.
Have you already upgraded your Bakery in CityVille? Have you started working on the Noodle Shop upgrade? Which business would you like to see given these options next?
FarmVille: Breed or adopt pigs to receive points and unlock new patterns
A huge update has been added to the Pig Pen and Pig Breeding feature in FarmVille. It's not a huge update in terms of changing how you breed pigs, as that has remained the same; rather, this upgrade adds a point system to the feature. As you breed pigs, or even adopt pigs from friends, you'll receive points. As you level yourself up as a "Pig Breeder," you'll unlock new patterns that could potentially be passed down to piglets. I guess now we know why all of those awesome patterns were recently added to the game.
Right now, it seems like there are just two ways to earn points: either by successfully breeding a Boar and Sow and raising a Piglet, or by sharing a Piglet with friends and having that Piglet adopted. While you might feel tempted to immediately start breeding your pigs, know that this feature is slowly rolling out to users, so you won't want to waste your Love Potions until you know you'll actually earn points.
Meet us behind the break to see what new patterns are available and to see just how much breeding you'll have to do to earn them. While the actual ability to earn points for breeding is still slowly rolling out, every user has access to the adoption points. You'll earn 3 points for simply adopting a Piglet, while your friends will also earn 3 points when you do. Remember, even if you put a Piglet up for adoption, no one earns any points if no one actually adopts the animal. As you work your way through the levels, you'll have access to new patterns:
Level 5: Checkered Pig Pattern
Level 10 Heart Pig Pattern
Level 15 Flower Pig Pattern
Level 20: Racing Stripe Pig Pattern
Level 25: Spiral Pattern
Level 30: Moon Pattern
Since this addition relies on lots and lots of breeding to earn points, and the easiest way to guarantee success is by using Love Potions, you can be sure that Zynga has added new ways to earn Love Potions as well. For one, you'll be able to unlock prizes in addition to the new patterns as you level up, with some prizes being free Love Potions. In addition, you'll be able to - wait for it - sacrifice pigs to the Pig Breeding altar to receive Love Potions as well. Ok, perhaps it isn't as sinister as all that, but you can "trade-in" existing pigs (say, if a Piglet didn't turn out looking as cute as you'd like) for Love Potions all the same.
To give you a better idea of how you'll level up, let's take a look at leveling from the first level to Level 2. You'll earn three points for each Piglet you breed on your land, and as you breed Piglets you'll earn either Love Potions or Bottles as prizes. For this example, you'll earn two bottles for the first two successfully breeding attempts you complete, and will then earn a Love Potion for making it to level 2. To be clear, you must breed three times (or earn nine points) to make it to level 2.
From there, it's more of the same, as you earn two Bottles and one Love Potion per level. That may not sound like much, but remember to trade in your excess pigs and you'll do just fine.
Have you received the update to Pig Breeding on your farm? Even if you haven't, will the addition of a points and level system make you want to breed more Pigs? Would you like a similar system to come to Sheep Breeding?
Right now, it seems like there are just two ways to earn points: either by successfully breeding a Boar and Sow and raising a Piglet, or by sharing a Piglet with friends and having that Piglet adopted. While you might feel tempted to immediately start breeding your pigs, know that this feature is slowly rolling out to users, so you won't want to waste your Love Potions until you know you'll actually earn points.
Meet us behind the break to see what new patterns are available and to see just how much breeding you'll have to do to earn them. While the actual ability to earn points for breeding is still slowly rolling out, every user has access to the adoption points. You'll earn 3 points for simply adopting a Piglet, while your friends will also earn 3 points when you do. Remember, even if you put a Piglet up for adoption, no one earns any points if no one actually adopts the animal. As you work your way through the levels, you'll have access to new patterns:
Level 5: Checkered Pig Pattern
Level 10 Heart Pig Pattern
Level 15 Flower Pig Pattern
Level 20: Racing Stripe Pig Pattern
Level 25: Spiral Pattern
Level 30: Moon Pattern
Since this addition relies on lots and lots of breeding to earn points, and the easiest way to guarantee success is by using Love Potions, you can be sure that Zynga has added new ways to earn Love Potions as well. For one, you'll be able to unlock prizes in addition to the new patterns as you level up, with some prizes being free Love Potions. In addition, you'll be able to - wait for it - sacrifice pigs to the Pig Breeding altar to receive Love Potions as well. Ok, perhaps it isn't as sinister as all that, but you can "trade-in" existing pigs (say, if a Piglet didn't turn out looking as cute as you'd like) for Love Potions all the same.
To give you a better idea of how you'll level up, let's take a look at leveling from the first level to Level 2. You'll earn three points for each Piglet you breed on your land, and as you breed Piglets you'll earn either Love Potions or Bottles as prizes. For this example, you'll earn two bottles for the first two successfully breeding attempts you complete, and will then earn a Love Potion for making it to level 2. To be clear, you must breed three times (or earn nine points) to make it to level 2.
From there, it's more of the same, as you earn two Bottles and one Love Potion per level. That may not sound like much, but remember to trade in your excess pigs and you'll do just fine.
Have you received the update to Pig Breeding on your farm? Even if you haven't, will the addition of a points and level system make you want to breed more Pigs? Would you like a similar system to come to Sheep Breeding?
FarmVille: Green Spots Boar and Yellow Spots Boar now available for Pig Breeding
In celebration of the changes currently rolling out in FarmVille's Pig Breeding feature, Zynga has released an unusual afternoon update to the market, which sees two new Boars added to the animals tab. You can now purchase either the Green Spots Boar or the Yellow Spots Boar for 30 Farm Cash. Oddly, the names of these creatures only tell half of the story, as your Green Spots Boar is actually predominately orange, and the Yellow Spots Boar is practically entirely purple (not that I'm complaining - just look at how cute they are!).
Both of these Boars will allow you to breed similar looking Piglets, and you have even more incentive to do so now, as you'll soon be able to earn points for each Piglet bred and kept on your farm. Remember, even if you happen to receive a rather nasty looking Piglet, you'll also be able to trade that "dud" in for Love Potions - not a bad deal.
Are these Boars worth 30 Farm Cash? You tell us - will you purchase of these for your farm, or are you more of a Sheep Breeder?
Both of these Boars will allow you to breed similar looking Piglets, and you have even more incentive to do so now, as you'll soon be able to earn points for each Piglet bred and kept on your farm. Remember, even if you happen to receive a rather nasty looking Piglet, you'll also be able to trade that "dud" in for Love Potions - not a bad deal.
Are these Boars worth 30 Farm Cash? You tell us - will you purchase of these for your farm, or are you more of a Sheep Breeder?
FarmVille Pig Pen / Pig Breeding Goals: Everything you need to know
Tonight's FarmVille update brought with it a three part goal series surrounding all things Pig - from the simple Pig Pen to Pig Breeding. Goal one is called "To Catch a Piglet," and is incredibly simple to complete:
Complete your Pig Pen
Visit 5 Neighbors
Plant an Apple Tree
Luckily, you don't have to actually do anything once you get to your neighbors' farms, so just visit five low-level players (as their farms will load faster) and move on. The Apple Tree can be purchased from the store for just 325 coins from the market. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive an Orange Tiger Boar, 200 XP and 1,500 coins. Excuse me for a moment while I squeal over how cute this little fella is.
Meet us behind the break for how to complete the next two goals in this series.
For the second goal, "A Few Piglets More," you'll need to help Angus learn more about pig breeding. You'll do this through breeding some pigs of your own. Remember, this is actually a fairly good requirement, even if it does require some Love Potions to finish quickly, as it will help you earn points and potentially unlock patterns via the new points system.
Breed 5 Piglets
Harvest 200 Spinach
Get 6 Piggy Toys
The Piggy Toys are earned through a general news post that you can post to your wall, asking all of your friends at once to help you. Meanwhile, notice that it doesn't say anything about actually growing the Piglets to adults, so you can just breed them and move on if you don't have enough Bottles on hand right now. For completing this second goal, you'll receive 200 XP, 5 Love Potions, 10 Bottles and 1,500 coins.
Finally, the third goal is called "Bringing Up Piggy," and it asks you to raise a few of those Piglets that you bred in the last quest.
Raise 3 Piglets
Buy 1 Pig Topiary
Harvest your Pig Pen
Hopefully, you haven't already harvested your Pig Pen for the day, as you'll need to wait until the next day for it to recharge. Either way, you'll need 30 Bottles in total to raise your three Piglets, while you'll need 1,700 coins to purchase a single Pig Topiary. For completing this final goal, you'll receive 200 XP, 1,500 coins, and a Pig playing in a mud pit.
All told, these are three fairly simple goals, if the final two are a bit time-consuming. Hopefully, breeding these five Piglets will help you get well on your way to unlocking new patterns for future breeding attempts, and you'll be able to fill your farm with cute little Pigs of all colors and patterns!
What do you think of tonight's goals? Have you already built a Pig Pen on both of your farms, or will you be stuck from the very first goal?
Complete your Pig Pen
Visit 5 Neighbors
Plant an Apple Tree
Luckily, you don't have to actually do anything once you get to your neighbors' farms, so just visit five low-level players (as their farms will load faster) and move on. The Apple Tree can be purchased from the store for just 325 coins from the market. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive an Orange Tiger Boar, 200 XP and 1,500 coins. Excuse me for a moment while I squeal over how cute this little fella is.
Meet us behind the break for how to complete the next two goals in this series.
For the second goal, "A Few Piglets More," you'll need to help Angus learn more about pig breeding. You'll do this through breeding some pigs of your own. Remember, this is actually a fairly good requirement, even if it does require some Love Potions to finish quickly, as it will help you earn points and potentially unlock patterns via the new points system.
Breed 5 Piglets
Harvest 200 Spinach
Get 6 Piggy Toys
The Piggy Toys are earned through a general news post that you can post to your wall, asking all of your friends at once to help you. Meanwhile, notice that it doesn't say anything about actually growing the Piglets to adults, so you can just breed them and move on if you don't have enough Bottles on hand right now. For completing this second goal, you'll receive 200 XP, 5 Love Potions, 10 Bottles and 1,500 coins.
Finally, the third goal is called "Bringing Up Piggy," and it asks you to raise a few of those Piglets that you bred in the last quest.
Raise 3 Piglets
Buy 1 Pig Topiary
Harvest your Pig Pen
Hopefully, you haven't already harvested your Pig Pen for the day, as you'll need to wait until the next day for it to recharge. Either way, you'll need 30 Bottles in total to raise your three Piglets, while you'll need 1,700 coins to purchase a single Pig Topiary. For completing this final goal, you'll receive 200 XP, 1,500 coins, and a Pig playing in a mud pit.
All told, these are three fairly simple goals, if the final two are a bit time-consuming. Hopefully, breeding these five Piglets will help you get well on your way to unlocking new patterns for future breeding attempts, and you'll be able to fill your farm with cute little Pigs of all colors and patterns!
What do you think of tonight's goals? Have you already built a Pig Pen on both of your farms, or will you be stuck from the very first goal?
FrontierVille: Take advantage of deep store discounts in Memorial Day sale
Leave it to Zynga to celebrate a holiday with a sale - that's just the case in FrontierVille this Memorial Day weekend, as you can now purchase a set of new Memorial Day decorations from the store, along with stocking up on Horseshoe items that have been discounted in price. Some of these discounts are fairly small, like the discount on Thorns, which takes off just one Horseshoe, but others are quite substantial - see the Jungle Gym decoration that used to cost 250 Horseshoes, but now sells for 95.
If you're not in the mood for a sale, you can now pick up four new Memorial Day-themed decorations from the specials tab in the store. There's an Uncle Sam Statue for 40 Horseshoes, a Soldier Statue, also for 40 Horseshoes, along with a Memorial Picnic and Memorial Flowers that both cost 10 Horseshoes each. You can see all of those items in the pop-up above.
For a complete look at the sale items and their prices, meet us behind the break.
Here's a full look at what's on sale.
Item Name - Original Price > Sale Price (in Horseshoes)
Decorations:
Jungle Gym - 250 > 95
18 Collectible Mystery Crate - 65 > 40
Huge Gold Font - 60 > 40
Banjo - 48 > 30
Duck Pond - 45 > 30
Huge Silver Font - 40 > 30
Large Tent - 30 > 20
6 Collectible Mystery Crate - 25 > 20
Double Rainbow - 25 > 15
Gazebo - 21 > 15
Dollhouse - 21 > 15
Checker Barrel - 12 > 5
Wishing Well - 10 > 5
Outhouse - 9 > 5
Items in the Specials tab:
Critter Milk x8 - 50 > 37
Chunky Chow X10 - 50 > 35
Blanket x8 - 50 > 37
Juicy Berries - 50> 37
All You Can Eat - 9 > 7
Beef Jerky 27 > 20
Cactus 7 > 5
Rocks 7 > 5
Skull 7 > 5
Thorns 4 > 3
Grass 5 > 3
Wildflowers 5 > 3
Corral Horses:
Arabian - 80 > 60
Silver - 100 > 75
Pet Store Dogs:
Grey Collie - 30 > 20
Brown Husky - 30 > 20
As a note, if you head into your Homestead right now, you might not see these sale prices reflected in your game. Like most updates, this sale is on a slow rollout to players, but I'd guess that everyone should be able to start shopping within the next 24 hours. You'll know if you have the green light when the image at the top of this post appears on your Homestead upon logging into the game. If all else fails, just check our list against the items in your store. If the prices are higher, you know to save those Horseshoes for another time!
What do you think of this large Memorial Day sale? Will you purchase either of the dogs or horses for their cheaper prices? Have you been saving you Horseshoes for sales on these decorative items, or will you just purchase a few Beef Jerky items and call it a day?
If you're not in the mood for a sale, you can now pick up four new Memorial Day-themed decorations from the specials tab in the store. There's an Uncle Sam Statue for 40 Horseshoes, a Soldier Statue, also for 40 Horseshoes, along with a Memorial Picnic and Memorial Flowers that both cost 10 Horseshoes each. You can see all of those items in the pop-up above.
For a complete look at the sale items and their prices, meet us behind the break.
Here's a full look at what's on sale.
Item Name - Original Price > Sale Price (in Horseshoes)
Decorations:
Jungle Gym - 250 > 95
18 Collectible Mystery Crate - 65 > 40
Huge Gold Font - 60 > 40
Banjo - 48 > 30
Duck Pond - 45 > 30
Huge Silver Font - 40 > 30
Large Tent - 30 > 20
6 Collectible Mystery Crate - 25 > 20
Double Rainbow - 25 > 15
Gazebo - 21 > 15
Dollhouse - 21 > 15
Checker Barrel - 12 > 5
Wishing Well - 10 > 5
Outhouse - 9 > 5
Items in the Specials tab:
Critter Milk x8 - 50 > 37
Chunky Chow X10 - 50 > 35
Blanket x8 - 50 > 37
Juicy Berries - 50> 37
All You Can Eat - 9 > 7
Beef Jerky 27 > 20
Cactus 7 > 5
Rocks 7 > 5
Skull 7 > 5
Thorns 4 > 3
Grass 5 > 3
Wildflowers 5 > 3
Corral Horses:
Arabian - 80 > 60
Silver - 100 > 75
Pet Store Dogs:
Grey Collie - 30 > 20
Brown Husky - 30 > 20
As a note, if you head into your Homestead right now, you might not see these sale prices reflected in your game. Like most updates, this sale is on a slow rollout to players, but I'd guess that everyone should be able to start shopping within the next 24 hours. You'll know if you have the green light when the image at the top of this post appears on your Homestead upon logging into the game. If all else fails, just check our list against the items in your store. If the prices are higher, you know to save those Horseshoes for another time!
What do you think of this large Memorial Day sale? Will you purchase either of the dogs or horses for their cheaper prices? Have you been saving you Horseshoes for sales on these decorative items, or will you just purchase a few Beef Jerky items and call it a day?
Friday, December 23, 2011
FarmVille July 4th Decorations: It's never too late to celebrate America
While it may already be July 4th in some time zones in the US, that hasn't stopped Zynga from releasing even more decorations in the current July 4th limited edition item theme in FarmVille. To be specific, a set of new decorations has been released that will allow you to add some real bulk to your landscaping with an actual building (themed, of course).
That particular building is the July Cottage, priced at 300,000 coins. That may be a high price tag, but this building is completely themed, even having a flag on the roof! Other decorations include a July Fountain for 15 Farm Cash, a July Firework for 3 Farm Cash. Take note about those fireworks - they're a single use item, that will disappear from your farm after you manually launch it. You'll be able to do this by first purchasing a July Firework, and then clicking on the item on your farm and choosing the launch option.
This trio of new decorations will be available for the next two weeks, so if you're too busy celebrating America in the real world this 4th of July, know that you'll still have plenty of time to do so after the fact on your farm.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
What do you think of this newest set of July 4th decorations? Will you purchase a July Cottage even with the item's high price tag?
That particular building is the July Cottage, priced at 300,000 coins. That may be a high price tag, but this building is completely themed, even having a flag on the roof! Other decorations include a July Fountain for 15 Farm Cash, a July Firework for 3 Farm Cash. Take note about those fireworks - they're a single use item, that will disappear from your farm after you manually launch it. You'll be able to do this by first purchasing a July Firework, and then clicking on the item on your farm and choosing the launch option.
This trio of new decorations will be available for the next two weeks, so if you're too busy celebrating America in the real world this 4th of July, know that you'll still have plenty of time to do so after the fact on your farm.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here. >
What do you think of this newest set of July 4th decorations? Will you purchase a July Cottage even with the item's high price tag?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Joelr's Fourth of July Flying Fortress
Click the image to make it larger.
Holy Toledo! FarmVille player, Joelr's, Fourth of July flying farm fortress can only be described with one word: epic. In this case, the design is so awesome, the fact that it also celebrates the Fourth of July is almost too much! But at the same time, I can't think of a better farm to feature on the day of America's Independence.
Joelr's farm features red white and blue decorations, a hay bale star, hordes of colorful barnyard animals, an incredible hill illusion, and of course, a massive floating castle (in case you missed it). Not only is there an optical illusion creating a sloped hill, there is even retaining walls made out of fences to further the appearance of an incline. Even more innovative is the shadow cast by the flying castle, which is created entirely out of black hay bales; another expert illusion. With both technical skill and creativity, Joelr has quite a talent for farm design.
Continue reading to see what Joelr had to say about her flying Fourth of July fortress:
What inspired your creative farm design?
Got interested in 3d farming, hay bale/fence stacking and it grew from there. Got some great ideas by looking at the forum pics.
Do you have any awesome decorating tips to share?
Search YouTube for how-to videos and check the Zynga Forums. Also Google different types of designs (i.e. FV fence stacking)
How did you create the wonderful crop and hay bale art? Was it difficult to create the floating castle illusion?
It was more fun than difficult, the hard part was dealing with storage limits and continuously working around other objects. Takes a bit of planning.
How long did it take you to complete the design?
Not sure how many hours, I worked on it over a 2 or 3 day period, it gets easier the more you do it though.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here.
What do you think of Joelr's festive flying Fourth of July fortress farm design?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Holy Toledo! FarmVille player, Joelr's, Fourth of July flying farm fortress can only be described with one word: epic. In this case, the design is so awesome, the fact that it also celebrates the Fourth of July is almost too much! But at the same time, I can't think of a better farm to feature on the day of America's Independence.
Joelr's farm features red white and blue decorations, a hay bale star, hordes of colorful barnyard animals, an incredible hill illusion, and of course, a massive floating castle (in case you missed it). Not only is there an optical illusion creating a sloped hill, there is even retaining walls made out of fences to further the appearance of an incline. Even more innovative is the shadow cast by the flying castle, which is created entirely out of black hay bales; another expert illusion. With both technical skill and creativity, Joelr has quite a talent for farm design.
Continue reading to see what Joelr had to say about her flying Fourth of July fortress:
What inspired your creative farm design?
Got interested in 3d farming, hay bale/fence stacking and it grew from there. Got some great ideas by looking at the forum pics.
Do you have any awesome decorating tips to share?
Search YouTube for how-to videos and check the Zynga Forums. Also Google different types of designs (i.e. FV fence stacking)
How did you create the wonderful crop and hay bale art? Was it difficult to create the floating castle illusion?
It was more fun than difficult, the hard part was dealing with storage limits and continuously working around other objects. Takes a bit of planning.
How long did it take you to complete the design?
Not sure how many hours, I worked on it over a 2 or 3 day period, it gets easier the more you do it though.
Check out the rest of our July 4th coverage right here.
What do you think of Joelr's festive flying Fourth of July fortress farm design?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
CityVille Coffee Shop Upgrades: Everything you need to know
Yet again, another of the starter-businesses in CityVille has been given the "upgrading" treatment, as you can now upgrade your Coffee Shop from its current, Level 1, state to Levels 2 and 3 - with a little work, of course. To start the upgrade process, you'll first need to collect the Coffee Shop's profits and then restock it with goods as normal.
From there, you can access the actual upgrade menu, where you'll see that you need to earn 50 points to upgrade from Level 1 to Level 2. You can either earn your own points slowly by simply repeatedly stocking and collecting from the Coffee Shop, you can also speed up the upgrade process by asking your friends to help you. Each friend that helps you earns you two additional points. At Level 2, your Coffee Shop will move to requiring 110 Goods, and supplying 410 coins in profit, which is a boost over the original stats of 100 Goods and 320 coins.
The same process can be completed all over again to reach Level 3, with your Coffee Shop's final stats being 640 coins earned for every 150 Goods you pour into it. Remember, you can boost your profits even more with bonus payout decorations, so make sure to place this business in a great place to really rack up the coins!
Have you been keeping up with these building upgrades in CityVille? Which Community Building or Business do you want to see upgraded next?
From there, you can access the actual upgrade menu, where you'll see that you need to earn 50 points to upgrade from Level 1 to Level 2. You can either earn your own points slowly by simply repeatedly stocking and collecting from the Coffee Shop, you can also speed up the upgrade process by asking your friends to help you. Each friend that helps you earns you two additional points. At Level 2, your Coffee Shop will move to requiring 110 Goods, and supplying 410 coins in profit, which is a boost over the original stats of 100 Goods and 320 coins.
The same process can be completed all over again to reach Level 3, with your Coffee Shop's final stats being 640 coins earned for every 150 Goods you pour into it. Remember, you can boost your profits even more with bonus payout decorations, so make sure to place this business in a great place to really rack up the coins!
Have you been keeping up with these building upgrades in CityVille? Which Community Building or Business do you want to see upgraded next?
Nintendo gives in to 'free' with new iPhone, Android Pokemon game
An official, free Pokémon app (created by Nintendo) is coming to iPhones and Android phones this summer, Kotaku reports. Read that sentence again, and if you know anything about Nintendo, you'll know that this is huge.
In essence, this will be the first Pokemon game (and perhaps the first Nintendo property) to release on a competitor's platform. The is roughly translated from Japanese as "Pokémon Say Tap? BW," and it will rely heavily on music in a Pokémon timing game.
And did we mention that the game will be free. As in, cost no money and probably have to rely on either advertisements or micro-transactions to be profitable?
Wait, didn't Nintendo president Satoru Iwata just finish denouncing free as a bad move for Nintendo (but social is okay)--so much so that he proverbially hammered the final nail in the coffin in saying, "There are great examples of advertising and doing the micro-transactions, and several companies who have come up with that kind of system. But on the other hand, if you ask me, is this the system that can be sustained for the long time?" Why yes, yes he did say that.
Pokemon Say Tap
[Source and Image Credit: Kotaku Japan]
Are you going to download the Pokémon game for your mobile phone when it launches this summer? Do you think Nintendo has already shifted its opinion, and what else would you like to see from the company on mobile, etc?
In essence, this will be the first Pokemon game (and perhaps the first Nintendo property) to release on a competitor's platform. The is roughly translated from Japanese as "Pokémon Say Tap? BW," and it will rely heavily on music in a Pokémon timing game.
And did we mention that the game will be free. As in, cost no money and probably have to rely on either advertisements or micro-transactions to be profitable?
Wait, didn't Nintendo president Satoru Iwata just finish denouncing free as a bad move for Nintendo (but social is okay)--so much so that he proverbially hammered the final nail in the coffin in saying, "There are great examples of advertising and doing the micro-transactions, and several companies who have come up with that kind of system. But on the other hand, if you ask me, is this the system that can be sustained for the long time?" Why yes, yes he did say that.
Pokemon Say Tap
[Source and Image Credit: Kotaku Japan]
Are you going to download the Pokémon game for your mobile phone when it launches this summer? Do you think Nintendo has already shifted its opinion, and what else would you like to see from the company on mobile, etc?
Zynga buys 12 companies for fraction of what Disney spent on Playdom
Has Disney been shopping in the wrong places? VentureBeat reports that Zynga spent a total of $123 million in cash and stock for 12 companies over the past year.
That number is about a seventh of what Disney paid--around $763 million--for a single company, Playdom. Not to mention that it's a third of what EA paid for Playfish in 2009: around $400 million.
Of course, Zynga has bought considerably smaller companies, but it's also a sign that Zynga has been far more savvy in its purchases (and its uses for them) than its competitors. The most it paid for a studio was $53 million for Newtoy, the creators of Words with Friends and now Hanging with Friends under the big red dog.
Zynga just filed for IPO last week, valuing the company at nearly $20 billion, which is far more than the two most valuable gaming companies in the world, EA and Activision Blizzard. These small time purchases-turned-big time hit machines is surely a lynch pin in Zynga's strategy--though snagging a few major league execs helps, too. Perhaps the competition should consider going small instead of, say, eying up PopCap for $1 billion.
[Image Credit: Mashable]
Do you think Zynga's strategy for acquiring companies is more sound than the competitions? How do you think EA and Disney will respond to Zynga's IPO?
That number is about a seventh of what Disney paid--around $763 million--for a single company, Playdom. Not to mention that it's a third of what EA paid for Playfish in 2009: around $400 million.
Of course, Zynga has bought considerably smaller companies, but it's also a sign that Zynga has been far more savvy in its purchases (and its uses for them) than its competitors. The most it paid for a studio was $53 million for Newtoy, the creators of Words with Friends and now Hanging with Friends under the big red dog.
Zynga just filed for IPO last week, valuing the company at nearly $20 billion, which is far more than the two most valuable gaming companies in the world, EA and Activision Blizzard. These small time purchases-turned-big time hit machines is surely a lynch pin in Zynga's strategy--though snagging a few major league execs helps, too. Perhaps the competition should consider going small instead of, say, eying up PopCap for $1 billion.
[Image Credit: Mashable]
Do you think Zynga's strategy for acquiring companies is more sound than the competitions? How do you think EA and Disney will respond to Zynga's IPO?
Top 25 Facebook Games - July 2011: Zynga's Empires & Allies conquers (almost) all
Hear ye, hear ye -- the numbers are in and it looks like Zynga's Empires & Allies has successfully arrived and conquered the competition since its launch last month, bumping its sibling FarmVille out of its #2 spot and possibly looking to overtake CityVille this summer.
Empires & Allies, often described as a combination of Risk and CityVille, seems to have struck a chord with social gamers who are hungry for something different. Instead of a standard simulation game where you tend a farm or build a city -- this new Zynga game adds a little more risk and competition than the usual Facebook fare, requiring players to grow their empires by building armies, managing resources, and then go to battle to keep their empires safe from invasion.
That, plus the fact that Empires & Allies launched simultaneously in 12 languages and Zynga's impressive cross-promotional marketing powers, have helped ensure that the game starts strong. Now it's most likely a matter of time until we see the empire builder's popularity peak and then -- if it follows the same trajectory as CityVille and FarmVille -- drop and level off after a few months for a more realistic picture of its success.
top 25 facebook games july 2011
Other big Facebook game winners for June 2011 include Gaia Online's Pokemon-inspired Monster Galaxy (gaining an awe-worthy 6.6 million players), Playdom's hidden object game Gardens of Time (up 1 million players) and Wooga's Bejeweled clone Diamond Dash (up 800k players).
Other Zynga games, in the meantime, did not have as spectacular a showing as Empires & Allies in June. FarmVille hemorrhaged another 6 million players, 1 million players went missing from Mafia Wars and YoVille has dropped off the top 25 list completely. This highlights the fact that social games need to innovate or die -- and it'll be interesting to see how upcoming brand-name games, such as Sid Meier's Civilization World and Playfish's Risk Factions, will shake things up in the next few months.
Empires & Allies, often described as a combination of Risk and CityVille, seems to have struck a chord with social gamers who are hungry for something different. Instead of a standard simulation game where you tend a farm or build a city -- this new Zynga game adds a little more risk and competition than the usual Facebook fare, requiring players to grow their empires by building armies, managing resources, and then go to battle to keep their empires safe from invasion.
That, plus the fact that Empires & Allies launched simultaneously in 12 languages and Zynga's impressive cross-promotional marketing powers, have helped ensure that the game starts strong. Now it's most likely a matter of time until we see the empire builder's popularity peak and then -- if it follows the same trajectory as CityVille and FarmVille -- drop and level off after a few months for a more realistic picture of its success.
top 25 facebook games july 2011
Other big Facebook game winners for June 2011 include Gaia Online's Pokemon-inspired Monster Galaxy (gaining an awe-worthy 6.6 million players), Playdom's hidden object game Gardens of Time (up 1 million players) and Wooga's Bejeweled clone Diamond Dash (up 800k players).
Other Zynga games, in the meantime, did not have as spectacular a showing as Empires & Allies in June. FarmVille hemorrhaged another 6 million players, 1 million players went missing from Mafia Wars and YoVille has dropped off the top 25 list completely. This highlights the fact that social games need to innovate or die -- and it'll be interesting to see how upcoming brand-name games, such as Sid Meier's Civilization World and Playfish's Risk Factions, will shake things up in the next few months.
Lunchtime Poll: Should adult-themed Facebook games be banned?
FarmVille and CityVille might be all sunshine and rainbows, but there are some dark horse Facebook games out there. (Mafia Wars, anyone?) Just last week, Mark Ecko's very own game design studio released a Facebook game surrounding Weeds, the hit Showtime show revolving around a pot-dealing soccer mom in Calif.
The game has players growing and selling their own marijuana, which is of course a controversial--and illegal--drug.When the news broke of the game's release, a similar game titled Pot Farm inexplicably shut down.
Our comments exploded with furious players assuming that Facebook had shut down the game for reference to illegal substances, but hours later it returned with no explanation. Of course, that scenario was unlikely considering the company just cleared a second pot-pushing Facebook game.
However, it's not out of Facebook's hands to remove a game due to its contents. In fact, its platform policy clearly states that developers must not promote a number of lewd and illegal activities. Some of which even Zynga has violated in games like Zynga Poker and Mafia Wars. And with up to five million underage Facebook users that have just barely hit double digits, it's rightfully a cause for concern. Many a player have already cried out in response to what Facebook allows on its platform, so we ask you:
Should adult-themed Facebook games be removed?
Absolutely! My kids don't need to be exposed to this filth.No way! That's threatening our right to expression.I'm indifferent, really.Maybe not, but at least instate some parental controls!
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
[Image Credit: Facebook Questions]
Have something unique to add to the discussion? Share with us in the comments. 2 Comments
The game has players growing and selling their own marijuana, which is of course a controversial--and illegal--drug.When the news broke of the game's release, a similar game titled Pot Farm inexplicably shut down.
Our comments exploded with furious players assuming that Facebook had shut down the game for reference to illegal substances, but hours later it returned with no explanation. Of course, that scenario was unlikely considering the company just cleared a second pot-pushing Facebook game.
However, it's not out of Facebook's hands to remove a game due to its contents. In fact, its platform policy clearly states that developers must not promote a number of lewd and illegal activities. Some of which even Zynga has violated in games like Zynga Poker and Mafia Wars. And with up to five million underage Facebook users that have just barely hit double digits, it's rightfully a cause for concern. Many a player have already cried out in response to what Facebook allows on its platform, so we ask you:
Should adult-themed Facebook games be removed?
Absolutely! My kids don't need to be exposed to this filth.No way! That's threatening our right to expression.I'm indifferent, really.Maybe not, but at least instate some parental controls!
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
[Image Credit: Facebook Questions]
Have something unique to add to the discussion? Share with us in the comments. 2 Comments
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Lou Martell's picture perfect farm
Though today's featured farm looks rather simple, artist Lou Martell's design contains an epic secret. Despite it's rather straightforward appearance, this farm is actually one of the most ridiculous arboricultural FarmVille undertakings I've ever seen. You can't disagree, the effect is breathtaking. And it certainly puts Tony1245's similar design to shame...sorry Tony :)
Folks, this picture perfect farm is even more impressive than last time's farm-eating dragon, and I'll explain why. Carefully look at the edges of the farm. That's right, those are orchards, as in the buildings you have to assemble out of parts you get from your friends. The trees in the middle? Look how closely stacked those are; they're in orchards too. Lou Martell's farm design incorporates hundreds of orchards to create the incredible effects visible here. And that's not even mentioning Lou Martell's massive, perfectly-organized tree collection. You may have thought this farm was pretty ordinary, but in reality this farm took far more work than even the most complex hay bale art.
Here's what farm artist Lou Martell had to say about this masterpiece:
What inspired your creative farm design?
I like designs and patterns. I really enjoy the trees from farmville and thought it would look cool to line them up in orchards to create the farm I now have.
.
Do you have any awesome decorating tips to share?
Just go with what your eye see and what you like. Play around with different arrangements of shapes and colors. In the end, it's your farm and should be something that you like and enjoy!
How long did it take you to complete the design?
Months and months!! I had to build over 600 orchards, as well as gather and harvest thousands of different trees. And then FarmVille is always coming out with new trees, so I'm always thinking about changing a row of trees to one of the new trees to give it a different look; so in a sense it's still not finished :D
Wow. You heard it here folks, months of work and the farm still isn't done. Keep up the good work Lou Martell!
What do you think of Lou Martell's picture perfect farm?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Folks, this picture perfect farm is even more impressive than last time's farm-eating dragon, and I'll explain why. Carefully look at the edges of the farm. That's right, those are orchards, as in the buildings you have to assemble out of parts you get from your friends. The trees in the middle? Look how closely stacked those are; they're in orchards too. Lou Martell's farm design incorporates hundreds of orchards to create the incredible effects visible here. And that's not even mentioning Lou Martell's massive, perfectly-organized tree collection. You may have thought this farm was pretty ordinary, but in reality this farm took far more work than even the most complex hay bale art.
Here's what farm artist Lou Martell had to say about this masterpiece:
What inspired your creative farm design?
I like designs and patterns. I really enjoy the trees from farmville and thought it would look cool to line them up in orchards to create the farm I now have.
.
Do you have any awesome decorating tips to share?
Just go with what your eye see and what you like. Play around with different arrangements of shapes and colors. In the end, it's your farm and should be something that you like and enjoy!
How long did it take you to complete the design?
Months and months!! I had to build over 600 orchards, as well as gather and harvest thousands of different trees. And then FarmVille is always coming out with new trees, so I'm always thinking about changing a row of trees to one of the new trees to give it a different look; so in a sense it's still not finished :D
Wow. You heard it here folks, months of work and the farm still isn't done. Keep up the good work Lou Martell!
What do you think of Lou Martell's picture perfect farm?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Empires & Allies Sneak Peek: Defense Towers become Attack Towers?
It looks like Defense Towers might be more interesting of an Empires & Allies feature than previously thought. New images of the recently-revealed towers have surfaced, and show that there will be a variety of towers. The reason we say "Attack Towers" is because these varieties in particular sport some deadly-looking weapons.
While the images are incredibly small, and almost look like Goal icons, they reveal quite a bit about at least what this feature will be packaged as. In addition to the standard tower, there is a wooden one with a soldier atop it wielding a Gatling gun, a stone-looking one with a unit brandishing a rifle of sorts and an alternate version of the original with someone ready to fire what looks like a laser weapon. (Or not, but let us have our wild dreams.)
These could easily be decorative versions of the same tower, but why would Zynga waste the time drawing them up? Our most educated hopeful guess is that these other towers will function differently. It would be interesting if the Attack Towers did damage to your invading enemies, no? Blew them to smithereens? Totally.
Defense Tower varieties
[Source and Image Credit: Empires & Allies Base]
Are you more excited about the Defense Towers now that there might be new functions attached to them? What do you hope these new towers will do, specifically?
While the images are incredibly small, and almost look like Goal icons, they reveal quite a bit about at least what this feature will be packaged as. In addition to the standard tower, there is a wooden one with a soldier atop it wielding a Gatling gun, a stone-looking one with a unit brandishing a rifle of sorts and an alternate version of the original with someone ready to fire what looks like a laser weapon. (Or not, but let us have our wild dreams.)
These could easily be decorative versions of the same tower, but why would Zynga waste the time drawing them up? Our most educated hopeful guess is that these other towers will function differently. It would be interesting if the Attack Towers did damage to your invading enemies, no? Blew them to smithereens? Totally.
Defense Tower varieties
[Source and Image Credit: Empires & Allies Base]
Are you more excited about the Defense Towers now that there might be new functions attached to them? What do you hope these new towers will do, specifically?
CityVille Sailboat Hotel: Everything you need to know, Wonders revealed
Arguably the most awaited feature in all of CityVille has arrived ... almost. The Eiffel Tower, the first Wonder in the game, has revealed itself in the next CityVille Goal, titled "Room and Starboard." The requirements for this Goal are pretty steep. And this is just the first of three steps toward unlocking the Eiffel Tower, which will provide triple payout bonuses to Hotels, double payouts to Restaurants and 25 percent more payout to surrounding Businesses.
If you're Level 30 or above, the following Goal will appear, requiring you to place the Sailboat Hotel, an advanced Hotel, on your land. The Hotel will, of course, appear unfinished, but you must click on it to continue. Then, a building upgrade window will appear, displaying the three things you must do to complete your Sailboat Hotel:
Gather parts for your Hotel
Upgrade one Summer Business to Level 2
Master one Summer Crop to Level 2
Eiffel Tower
Sailboat HotelTo gather parts for your Hotel, just use the "Ask for Parts" button on the upgrade screen. The Businesses that qualify for upgrades are the Ice Cream Parlor, the Sunglasses Store and the Bike Shop. Just click on the Business when it doesn't need to be collected from, and choose "Upgrade" to access the upgrade window and find out more. The Summer Crops that qualify are Corn, Eggplant and Watermelon, so just plant and harvest the hell out of one of them to get this done and over with.
Zynga also points out that you might need to refresh your game after upgrading the Business to Level 2 for it to take effect. Also, Crop Mastery has been reduced to help with this Goal. Once you complete those three tasks, your Sailboat Hotel will be complete. It operates just like your other Hotel, but sports a higher payout and requires more Goods to function. You've made the first step to the greatness of Wonders, congratulations? I was kind of hoping for something more ... dynamic myself.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you psyched about Wonders now the the first step toward them has been revealed? What other tasks do you expect we'll need to do to unlock this new feature?
If you're Level 30 or above, the following Goal will appear, requiring you to place the Sailboat Hotel, an advanced Hotel, on your land. The Hotel will, of course, appear unfinished, but you must click on it to continue. Then, a building upgrade window will appear, displaying the three things you must do to complete your Sailboat Hotel:
Gather parts for your Hotel
Upgrade one Summer Business to Level 2
Master one Summer Crop to Level 2
Eiffel Tower
Sailboat HotelTo gather parts for your Hotel, just use the "Ask for Parts" button on the upgrade screen. The Businesses that qualify for upgrades are the Ice Cream Parlor, the Sunglasses Store and the Bike Shop. Just click on the Business when it doesn't need to be collected from, and choose "Upgrade" to access the upgrade window and find out more. The Summer Crops that qualify are Corn, Eggplant and Watermelon, so just plant and harvest the hell out of one of them to get this done and over with.
Zynga also points out that you might need to refresh your game after upgrading the Business to Level 2 for it to take effect. Also, Crop Mastery has been reduced to help with this Goal. Once you complete those three tasks, your Sailboat Hotel will be complete. It operates just like your other Hotel, but sports a higher payout and requires more Goods to function. You've made the first step to the greatness of Wonders, congratulations? I was kind of hoping for something more ... dynamic myself.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you psyched about Wonders now the the first step toward them has been revealed? What other tasks do you expect we'll need to do to unlock this new feature?
Empires & Allies Battlefield Bonanza event launches in two parts this week
As the folks at Zynga like to say: "Ten-HUT!" It's time for a new update to launch in Empires & Allies, with this new event being called Battlefield Bonanza. If you're really in the mood for additional content, this event should please you, as it is being rolled out over two full days, as there's simply too much to release at once.
Today's initial update sees the launch of military units called "Thumper Artillery," which are basically super-charged tanks that also have a combat bonus against Tanks themselves. Talk about a heavy-hitter! Unfortunately, both of these Thumper Artillery units cost Empire Points, with two options being available for each, depending on whether you'd like to purchase just a single unit, or unlock the ability to build future items inside your Barracks forever.
Thumper Artillery - 100 Strength - Costs 5 Empire Points for a single unit; 40 Empire Points to unlock production
Elite Thumper Artillery - 200 Strength - Costs 15 Empire Points for a single unit; 120 Empire Points to unlock production
Phew! That's a lot to take in all at once, but essentially all you have to keep in mind is the fact that both of these units are incredibly powerful, but that "elite" status definitely doesn't come cheap. In addition to these military units, you can now also purchase a Growler Statue limited edition decoration from the store. It costs 10,000 coins, but (as of this writing) doesn't look to provide any special function other than looking pretty.
As for additional items, we've been told that some "experimental aircraft" will come out tomorrow, but one of them will launch through some form of mission. We'll make sure to look out for that mission and will let you know all about the aircraft once they officially launch, so keep checking back! You're dismissed!
Will you purchase either of these Thumper Artillery units? Will you unlock the ability to build them for life, or will you just purchase one or two of each?
Today's initial update sees the launch of military units called "Thumper Artillery," which are basically super-charged tanks that also have a combat bonus against Tanks themselves. Talk about a heavy-hitter! Unfortunately, both of these Thumper Artillery units cost Empire Points, with two options being available for each, depending on whether you'd like to purchase just a single unit, or unlock the ability to build future items inside your Barracks forever.
Thumper Artillery - 100 Strength - Costs 5 Empire Points for a single unit; 40 Empire Points to unlock production
Elite Thumper Artillery - 200 Strength - Costs 15 Empire Points for a single unit; 120 Empire Points to unlock production
Phew! That's a lot to take in all at once, but essentially all you have to keep in mind is the fact that both of these units are incredibly powerful, but that "elite" status definitely doesn't come cheap. In addition to these military units, you can now also purchase a Growler Statue limited edition decoration from the store. It costs 10,000 coins, but (as of this writing) doesn't look to provide any special function other than looking pretty.
As for additional items, we've been told that some "experimental aircraft" will come out tomorrow, but one of them will launch through some form of mission. We'll make sure to look out for that mission and will let you know all about the aircraft once they officially launch, so keep checking back! You're dismissed!
Will you purchase either of these Thumper Artillery units? Will you unlock the ability to build them for life, or will you just purchase one or two of each?
Theme Park coming to iPhone, iPad this year: Get your tickets ready
Here's a piece of news from this year's gamescom convention that I'm genuinely excited about: Theme Park (you know, the classic mid-90's amusement park simulator) is coming to iPhone and iPad later this year! The game is being rebuilt from the ground up and will be released by Electronic Arts as a freemium (free-to-play) title with some premium extras.
Digital Spy has captured some details about the new game, which will allow you to build new rides and attractions with their construction (and profit intake) taking place in real time. You'll have a "Park Rank" that serves as your level, with new rides being unlocked as you level up, or you can use a premium currency (we suspect they'll be called "Tickets") to unlock items and complete other tasks without waiting.
Similar to a city-builder, Theme Park will allow you to expand your amusement park by purchasing additional plots of land, and will then let you style the entire park in a number of themes: pirate, futuristic, and natural/organic being just a few of the announced examples.
While you'll eventually be able to let your park earn money over time without interaction, you can also use your device's touch controls to interact with items like the bouncy castle (by poking it) or the swinging ship by flicking the ship with your finger. To add more flair to the game, EA will use its many franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Dead Space to inspire new rides or perhaps even themed areas in your park that will be available to build or otherwise purchase. We can only imagine that those sorts of items would cost premium currency, but a girl can hope for a free dragon statue, right?
As more news launches about Theme Park (including any details about its assumed social features), we'll make sure to let you know. For now, I'll just keep myself busy with my other versions of Theme Park while dreaming of new park ideas for this one!
[Source and Image Credit: Digital Spy]
Are you excited about Theme Park for iPhone / iPad? What sorts of rides or themes do you hope EA adds to the games? Are there other EA games you'd like to see integrated into an amusement park?
Digital Spy has captured some details about the new game, which will allow you to build new rides and attractions with their construction (and profit intake) taking place in real time. You'll have a "Park Rank" that serves as your level, with new rides being unlocked as you level up, or you can use a premium currency (we suspect they'll be called "Tickets") to unlock items and complete other tasks without waiting.
Similar to a city-builder, Theme Park will allow you to expand your amusement park by purchasing additional plots of land, and will then let you style the entire park in a number of themes: pirate, futuristic, and natural/organic being just a few of the announced examples.
While you'll eventually be able to let your park earn money over time without interaction, you can also use your device's touch controls to interact with items like the bouncy castle (by poking it) or the swinging ship by flicking the ship with your finger. To add more flair to the game, EA will use its many franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age and Dead Space to inspire new rides or perhaps even themed areas in your park that will be available to build or otherwise purchase. We can only imagine that those sorts of items would cost premium currency, but a girl can hope for a free dragon statue, right?
As more news launches about Theme Park (including any details about its assumed social features), we'll make sure to let you know. For now, I'll just keep myself busy with my other versions of Theme Park while dreaming of new park ideas for this one!
[Source and Image Credit: Digital Spy]
Are you excited about Theme Park for iPhone / iPad? What sorts of rides or themes do you hope EA adds to the games? Are there other EA games you'd like to see integrated into an amusement park?
Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes moves the franchise to the free-to-play arena
Electronic Arts has announced a new installment in the Warhammer Online franchise that brings the series into the free-to-play landscape. Under their Play4Free heading, BioWare and Electronic Arts have announced Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes at Gamescom, which will launch sometime this fall.
Taking the PvP (Player vs Player) arena combat from Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Wrath of Heroes will allow players to mix and match the game's many heroes, forming combinations that best fit each player's style and each individual encounter you may face.
With the main focus being on the PvP Arenas, you'll find plenty of them when the game launches. For one, you can enter into three-team combat of up to 18 players (six players per team), as players are separated between three different races. We'd assume that at some point, you'll be able to use real money to better outfit your characters, or perhaps even purchase new heroes, but for now, all we've been told is that the game will be free to play and that you can sign up for access into the game's beta on its official website.
We can't promise that everything in Warhammer: Wrath of Heroes will be free, but if you're like me, you're up for trying anything "free" at least once. We'll make sure to let you know when you'll have that chance later this year.
Are you a big Warhammer Online fan? Will you try to get your friends to play this new game with you now that the experience will technically be free?
Taking the PvP (Player vs Player) arena combat from Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, Wrath of Heroes will allow players to mix and match the game's many heroes, forming combinations that best fit each player's style and each individual encounter you may face.
With the main focus being on the PvP Arenas, you'll find plenty of them when the game launches. For one, you can enter into three-team combat of up to 18 players (six players per team), as players are separated between three different races. We'd assume that at some point, you'll be able to use real money to better outfit your characters, or perhaps even purchase new heroes, but for now, all we've been told is that the game will be free to play and that you can sign up for access into the game's beta on its official website.
We can't promise that everything in Warhammer: Wrath of Heroes will be free, but if you're like me, you're up for trying anything "free" at least once. We'll make sure to let you know when you'll have that chance later this year.
Are you a big Warhammer Online fan? Will you try to get your friends to play this new game with you now that the experience will technically be free?
FarmVille: 20% off Farm Cash for a limited time
If you've spent all of your remaining FarmVille Farm Cash on Wildlife Habitat ingredients or items in the Fairy Garden item theme, you'll be happy to know that your opportunity to earn some discounted Farm Cash has now arrived. For the next few days, you'll be able to take 20% off the cost of any of the Farm Cash packages, except for the $1 for 4 Farm Cash package that's always available.
While 20% may not actually make any of these packages a bargain (and it also should be noted that this sale doesn't apply to coin packages), you can still save some real-world dough, which is always a good thing. Here are the stats for the available packages:
25 Farm Cash - $4 (normally $5)
55 Farm Cash - $8 (normally $10)
115 Farm Cash - $16 (normally $20)
310 Farm Cash - $40 (normally $50)
650 Farm Cash - $80 (normally $100)
According to an in-game pop-up advertising the sale, we don't earn any special item with our purchase, but the discounted price itself seems to be the prize here. Remember, your own time limit on your farm may be shorter or longer than mine (which sits at 6 days), so make sure to login sooner, rather than later, to make sure there's still time on the clock for you!
Will you take advantage of this sale to purchase any Farm Cash, or do you like waiting for free prizes to be given away before you make a purchase?
While 20% may not actually make any of these packages a bargain (and it also should be noted that this sale doesn't apply to coin packages), you can still save some real-world dough, which is always a good thing. Here are the stats for the available packages:
25 Farm Cash - $4 (normally $5)
55 Farm Cash - $8 (normally $10)
115 Farm Cash - $16 (normally $20)
310 Farm Cash - $40 (normally $50)
650 Farm Cash - $80 (normally $100)
According to an in-game pop-up advertising the sale, we don't earn any special item with our purchase, but the discounted price itself seems to be the prize here. Remember, your own time limit on your farm may be shorter or longer than mine (which sits at 6 days), so make sure to login sooner, rather than later, to make sure there's still time on the clock for you!
Will you take advantage of this sale to purchase any Farm Cash, or do you like waiting for free prizes to be given away before you make a purchase?
FarmVille: Flying Squirrel available for Farm Cash
A new animal has been quietly released to the FarmVille marketplace, with this animal actually looking to be a permanent addition to the game's store, coming without any sort of branding or limited edition time limit. The Flying Squirrel costs 16 Farm Cash, which isn't exactly cheap, but remember: if it's available for life, you'll have plenty of time to save up enough cash to purchase one (or ten - just look at that face!).
As for the Squirrel's stats, you'll be able to harvest from them once every four days, which makes mastery a slow process. Luckily, the first star of mastery comes after just two harvests, so at least it seems like the FarmVille development team has taken the long harvest time into account here. Additionally, you'll receive 1600 experience points for purchasing the Flying Squirrel, as if we needed any extra incentive to actually purchase one.
Again, this animal looks to be a permanent add-on to the store, but you can find it front and center on the first page of the Animals section of the store when it is set to its default sorting. While this makes me think it might be a mistake that it isn't branded as limited edition, we'll just chalk that up to a deliberate design choice for now. I'll let you know if that changes in the future.
Will you purchase a Flying Squirrel for your farm(s)? Have you started spending more Farm Cash on animals now that Animal Mastery has been launched?
As for the Squirrel's stats, you'll be able to harvest from them once every four days, which makes mastery a slow process. Luckily, the first star of mastery comes after just two harvests, so at least it seems like the FarmVille development team has taken the long harvest time into account here. Additionally, you'll receive 1600 experience points for purchasing the Flying Squirrel, as if we needed any extra incentive to actually purchase one.
Again, this animal looks to be a permanent add-on to the store, but you can find it front and center on the first page of the Animals section of the store when it is set to its default sorting. While this makes me think it might be a mistake that it isn't branded as limited edition, we'll just chalk that up to a deliberate design choice for now. I'll let you know if that changes in the future.
Will you purchase a Flying Squirrel for your farm(s)? Have you started spending more Farm Cash on animals now that Animal Mastery has been launched?
Virtual City Playground for iOS looks like HD CityVille ... on your phone
So, CityVille Hometown is great, but I get the feeling some fans were looking for something more like the actual web game. It looks like G5, a Stockholm, Sweden-based developer of mobile games for iOS, might bring the goods. Virtual City Playground, a free version of the original with a much more social twist, is set to hit the App Store this Aug. 25, Pocket Gamer reports.
The game will allow players to create and cultivate their own city on an enormous scale in pseudo-3D, isometric graphics. The game will guide players much like Zynga's city-builder does, but offers support for far more friend interaction through Game Center Support and Facebook friend challenges.
Your job, essentially, is to grow your city by populating it with homes and businesses that grow off of one another all the while being supplied by agriculture, like any old city game. This updated version also brings an in-game currency, completing that old quarter pit feeling. That's right, Virtual City Playground is 100 percent free to play.
Virtual City Playground
However, to speed things up, players will have the option to purchase 85 of the game's quests, if they really can't wait. The game could be the city-builder of scale you've been looking for, but check the trailer below to see what we mean:
[Image Credit: Pocket Gamer]
Do you think that you'll pick this up for your mobile city fix when it releases? How do you think this game will do in the face of CityVille Hometown?
The game will allow players to create and cultivate their own city on an enormous scale in pseudo-3D, isometric graphics. The game will guide players much like Zynga's city-builder does, but offers support for far more friend interaction through Game Center Support and Facebook friend challenges.
Your job, essentially, is to grow your city by populating it with homes and businesses that grow off of one another all the while being supplied by agriculture, like any old city game. This updated version also brings an in-game currency, completing that old quarter pit feeling. That's right, Virtual City Playground is 100 percent free to play.
Virtual City Playground
However, to speed things up, players will have the option to purchase 85 of the game's quests, if they really can't wait. The game could be the city-builder of scale you've been looking for, but check the trailer below to see what we mean:
[Image Credit: Pocket Gamer]
Do you think that you'll pick this up for your mobile city fix when it releases? How do you think this game will do in the face of CityVille Hometown?
Pioneer Trail Cheats and Tips: Where them thar Hidden Missions at?
Shoooot, so we finally found them Hidden Mission locations. Goodie, 'cause I been hankerin' for some more challenges! (Alright, I'm done. How did they keep up that accent back in the day?) The Pioneer Trail in FrontierVille (sort of) is an adventure filled with all sorts of secrets to keep you playing over and over again.
The Hidden Missions appear after certain Goals are completed, and on specific areas on each map, though they may change position with each playthrough. However, we're here to ruin the adventure make sure you hit every single piece of content made available to you with this guide for where and how to find every Hidden Mission in the game, thanks to CE Gamers. Enjoy being spoiled immensely:
Beaver Valley
Case of the Curious Torticoon
Must complete Travails of a Travellin' Trader Goal
Appears over a Torticoon (usually near the first river)
Blackberry Pickin'
Must complete Travails of a Travellin' Trader Goal
Appears over a Blackberry Bush (usually seen up north on the map)
Beavery Valley Hidden Mission
Purdy Purdy Pignuts
Must complete Blazin' Campfire Goal
Appears over an Owl Tree (usually found past the first bridge)
Missin Home
Must complete Dysentery Danger! Goal
Appears over a Wild Lupine (Plains grass with purple flowers)
Turkeys Gone Wild
Must complete Who Wants Gumbo Stew Goal
Appears over a Turkey (use your Hunter to make one appear)
Who Wants Pie
Must complete Dysentery Danger! Goal
Appears over a Pecan Tree (found clustered near rocks and other trees)
Lost Lil' Bucky
Must complete Dysentery Danger! Goal
Appears over a "Baby" Beaver by the river (likely appears near the second river)
High PlainsHigh Plains
Wild Rice and Persimmon Puddin'
Must complete Pickin' Up The Pieces Goal
Appears over a Persimmon Tree (trees with orange fruits)
Prairie Doggin'
Must complete Pickin' up the Pieces Goal
Appears over a Prairie Dog Burrow (appear as half-submerged and very angry)
Stocking the Root Cellar
Must complete Giant Raging Inferno
Appears over Wild Rice (appears as yellow stalks on the Trail)
Stockin Up The McBaggins Homestead
Must complete the McBaggins Well
Appears over a Lavender (look somewhat like Wild Lupine from Beaver Valley)
Gifts for Back Home
Must complete Giant Ragin' Inferno
Appears over a Wild Strawberry (think Blackberry Bushes with red berries)
Skunkadillo Rumors
Must complete Not the Sheep Pa! Goal
Appears over a Skunkadillo (could you really mess a black and white, shelled skunk?)
Avalanche PassAvalanche Pass
Gonner Pass Dinner Party
Must complete Avalanche! Goal
Appears over a Red Trillium (a small, almost poinsettia-like flower)
Apple Squeezins
Must Complete Busted Wagon Goal
Appears over a Crab Apple Tree (grow near other trees, stand out easily)
Missin' Home
Must complete Fixin' The Storm Shelter Goal
Appears over a Blueberry Bush (Blackberry Bushes with, again, another different color)
Missing Lynx
Must complete Build a Plunger Goal
Appears over a Snowy Rock
What Big Feet You Have
Must complete Trail Feast Goal
Appears over the Manzanita (short, almost bonsai-like, green-leafed tree)
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Now that you know where every Hidden Mission is in the game, are you ready to take them head on? Did we spoil any big surprises for you?
The Hidden Missions appear after certain Goals are completed, and on specific areas on each map, though they may change position with each playthrough. However, we're here to ruin the adventure make sure you hit every single piece of content made available to you with this guide for where and how to find every Hidden Mission in the game, thanks to CE Gamers. Enjoy being spoiled immensely:
Beaver Valley
Case of the Curious Torticoon
Must complete Travails of a Travellin' Trader Goal
Appears over a Torticoon (usually near the first river)
Blackberry Pickin'
Must complete Travails of a Travellin' Trader Goal
Appears over a Blackberry Bush (usually seen up north on the map)
Beavery Valley Hidden Mission
Purdy Purdy Pignuts
Must complete Blazin' Campfire Goal
Appears over an Owl Tree (usually found past the first bridge)
Missin Home
Must complete Dysentery Danger! Goal
Appears over a Wild Lupine (Plains grass with purple flowers)
Turkeys Gone Wild
Must complete Who Wants Gumbo Stew Goal
Appears over a Turkey (use your Hunter to make one appear)
Who Wants Pie
Must complete Dysentery Danger! Goal
Appears over a Pecan Tree (found clustered near rocks and other trees)
Lost Lil' Bucky
Must complete Dysentery Danger! Goal
Appears over a "Baby" Beaver by the river (likely appears near the second river)
High PlainsHigh Plains
Wild Rice and Persimmon Puddin'
Must complete Pickin' Up The Pieces Goal
Appears over a Persimmon Tree (trees with orange fruits)
Prairie Doggin'
Must complete Pickin' up the Pieces Goal
Appears over a Prairie Dog Burrow (appear as half-submerged and very angry)
Stocking the Root Cellar
Must complete Giant Raging Inferno
Appears over Wild Rice (appears as yellow stalks on the Trail)
Stockin Up The McBaggins Homestead
Must complete the McBaggins Well
Appears over a Lavender (look somewhat like Wild Lupine from Beaver Valley)
Gifts for Back Home
Must complete Giant Ragin' Inferno
Appears over a Wild Strawberry (think Blackberry Bushes with red berries)
Skunkadillo Rumors
Must complete Not the Sheep Pa! Goal
Appears over a Skunkadillo (could you really mess a black and white, shelled skunk?)
Avalanche PassAvalanche Pass
Gonner Pass Dinner Party
Must complete Avalanche! Goal
Appears over a Red Trillium (a small, almost poinsettia-like flower)
Apple Squeezins
Must Complete Busted Wagon Goal
Appears over a Crab Apple Tree (grow near other trees, stand out easily)
Missin' Home
Must complete Fixin' The Storm Shelter Goal
Appears over a Blueberry Bush (Blackberry Bushes with, again, another different color)
Missing Lynx
Must complete Build a Plunger Goal
Appears over a Snowy Rock
What Big Feet You Have
Must complete Trail Feast Goal
Appears over the Manzanita (short, almost bonsai-like, green-leafed tree)
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Now that you know where every Hidden Mission is in the game, are you ready to take them head on? Did we spoil any big surprises for you?
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Zynga CEO's memo to employees: 'We have nothing to hide in our past'
The big red dog bites back. FarmVille maker Zynga came under fire recently from a Wall Street Journal report that claims CEO Mark Pincus and other executives asked early employees for their unvested stock or face termination. Now, Pincus has responded. Well, not directly, but to his employees. Fortune acquired the Zynga chief's memo to his staff of 2,000 plus.
"The wall street journal posted a story last night (copied below) which paints our meritocracy in a false and skewed light," the memo reads. "The story is based on hearsay and innuendo which is disappointing but is to be expected as we move towards becoming a public company."
The guy has a point: The media has employed a laser focus on Zynga since it revealed its intent to file for its initial public offering (IPO), but this report is by far the most ... unfortunate. Before receiving the memo, Fortune issued its own response to the WSJ report, looking to downplay the severity of the issue.
As the memo reads on, Pincus reminds his employees of Zynga's core values. More importantly, the Zynga chief says that Zynga has "nothing to hide." (But we're reminded of a certain TechCrunch story and video.) Read the memo in full below:
Team,
The wall street journal posted a story last night (copied below) which paints our meritocracy in a false and skewed light. The story is based on hearsay and innuendo which is disappointing but is to be expected as we move towards becoming a public company.
We have nothing to hide in our past and present policies and I am proud of the ethical and fair way that we've built this company. As many of you have heard me say -- we're building a house that we want to live in.
Being a meritocracy is one of our core values and it's on our walls. We believe that every employee deserves the same opportunity to lead. Its not about where or when you enter zynga its how far you can grow. This is what our culture of leveling up is all about and its one of our coolest features.
we want everyone to put zynga first and contribute to the overall success of our company and all of you have.
thanks,
mark
What are your thoughts on the WSJ report? How about Pincus's response?
"The wall street journal posted a story last night (copied below) which paints our meritocracy in a false and skewed light," the memo reads. "The story is based on hearsay and innuendo which is disappointing but is to be expected as we move towards becoming a public company."
The guy has a point: The media has employed a laser focus on Zynga since it revealed its intent to file for its initial public offering (IPO), but this report is by far the most ... unfortunate. Before receiving the memo, Fortune issued its own response to the WSJ report, looking to downplay the severity of the issue.
As the memo reads on, Pincus reminds his employees of Zynga's core values. More importantly, the Zynga chief says that Zynga has "nothing to hide." (But we're reminded of a certain TechCrunch story and video.) Read the memo in full below:
Team,
The wall street journal posted a story last night (copied below) which paints our meritocracy in a false and skewed light. The story is based on hearsay and innuendo which is disappointing but is to be expected as we move towards becoming a public company.
We have nothing to hide in our past and present policies and I am proud of the ethical and fair way that we've built this company. As many of you have heard me say -- we're building a house that we want to live in.
Being a meritocracy is one of our core values and it's on our walls. We believe that every employee deserves the same opportunity to lead. Its not about where or when you enter zynga its how far you can grow. This is what our culture of leveling up is all about and its one of our coolest features.
we want everyone to put zynga first and contribute to the overall success of our company and all of you have.
thanks,
mark
What are your thoughts on the WSJ report? How about Pincus's response?
Does the Call of Duty maker hope to rock the world of social games?
Activision Blizzard, the publisher of hit shooter series Call of Duty, appears to have a love-hate relationship with Facebook gaming. But that scale appears to slowly be tipping in the lovey-dovey direction. During a recent interview with Bloomberg, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick hinted that the company's next move could be a social one, and in a big, big way.
"The exciting thing about Zynga or Facebook as a platform, is they're bringing new audiences to gaming that have never been gamers before," Kotick told Bloomberg. "When you think about that target of a 50 or 55-year-old woman that has never really experienced a game, or someone who's coming in for the first time to play a game with their friends on Facebook, that is a fantastic new platform."
These comments are far more enthusiastic about social gaming than Activision has ever been. While strides have been made to capitalize on the benefits of social gaming with the Call of Duty Elite service, other execs within the company appear even threatened by the prospects of Facebook games. But recently, CFO Thomas Tippl revealed that the shooter king is "methodically investing in mobile and social gaming projects."
"Now, we're never gonna be first guys into those markets, but we usually are the best," Kotick said, closing the interview with Bloomberg on a high note. We'll just have to see how Zynga and EA respond to that. In the video interview below, skip to about 4:30 to hear Kotick's thoughts on Facebook games.
Is there still time for Activision Blizzard to make waves in social gaming similar to EA and Playfish? Which Activision franchise do you think could do well on Facebook?
"The exciting thing about Zynga or Facebook as a platform, is they're bringing new audiences to gaming that have never been gamers before," Kotick told Bloomberg. "When you think about that target of a 50 or 55-year-old woman that has never really experienced a game, or someone who's coming in for the first time to play a game with their friends on Facebook, that is a fantastic new platform."
These comments are far more enthusiastic about social gaming than Activision has ever been. While strides have been made to capitalize on the benefits of social gaming with the Call of Duty Elite service, other execs within the company appear even threatened by the prospects of Facebook games. But recently, CFO Thomas Tippl revealed that the shooter king is "methodically investing in mobile and social gaming projects."
"Now, we're never gonna be first guys into those markets, but we usually are the best," Kotick said, closing the interview with Bloomberg on a high note. We'll just have to see how Zynga and EA respond to that. In the video interview below, skip to about 4:30 to hear Kotick's thoughts on Facebook games.
Is there still time for Activision Blizzard to make waves in social gaming similar to EA and Playfish? Which Activision franchise do you think could do well on Facebook?
Three lessons social games can learn from Skyrim
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the mother of all go-anywhere, do-anything role-playing games, arrives on store shelves today, and you can bet there are a more than a few people ditching work due to a sudden bout of the Skyrim flu. With all of the buzz surrounding this new game (and the fact that not too many people seem willing to skip work to play a new Facebook game), here's a few lessons social game makers can adopt.
1. Let the players pick their own style
One of the things Skyrim does best is throw away boundaries found in most games and let the player dictate their own experience. That includes everything from your avatar's physical details (right down to nose length and chin width) to what type of player they want to be. Do you want to rush into battle wielding an axe? Shoot magic spells from your hands? Both? You can do it all. There's also the option to jump headfirst into the main action or dabble with alchemy, which involves collecting plants and other items, mixing them together and watch the results. It would be interesting to see more social games give players more freedom to craft the entire experience. Imagine being able to mix a purple cow with a certain type of tractor in FarmVille for some interesting results.
2. Make the game feel expansive
Skyrim offers players a big expansive world to play in, and that's one of the biggest selling points in the game. You can literally walk dozens of square miles in the game, while taking in the vast landscape around you. There's something about being given a wide-open playground that lends to the fun, as if anything can happen at any given moment. Games like FarmVille, CityVille and The Sims Social tend to take place in a small, confined area that the player can claim as his/her own. There's the option to visit your friends' homes/farms/cities, but that is also in the same confined area and there's nothing connecting the various locations, taking away from that go-anywhere, do-anything sense of adventure.
skyrim dragon
3. Don't ignore the story
Story is an essential element in Skyrim and helps you pull you into the game from the very beginning. And, as any good game storytelling should, it keeps you playing just to see what happens next. In social games, story is still mostly an afterthought. FrontierVille/Pioneer Trail was the first big social game to take a stab at having a central story to back up the action -- and other games, such as Playdom's Deep Realms, have followed suit -- but there is still plenty of room for social games that take storytelling seriously.
What other lessons can social games take from more traditional video games? What would you like to see?
1. Let the players pick their own style
One of the things Skyrim does best is throw away boundaries found in most games and let the player dictate their own experience. That includes everything from your avatar's physical details (right down to nose length and chin width) to what type of player they want to be. Do you want to rush into battle wielding an axe? Shoot magic spells from your hands? Both? You can do it all. There's also the option to jump headfirst into the main action or dabble with alchemy, which involves collecting plants and other items, mixing them together and watch the results. It would be interesting to see more social games give players more freedom to craft the entire experience. Imagine being able to mix a purple cow with a certain type of tractor in FarmVille for some interesting results.
2. Make the game feel expansive
Skyrim offers players a big expansive world to play in, and that's one of the biggest selling points in the game. You can literally walk dozens of square miles in the game, while taking in the vast landscape around you. There's something about being given a wide-open playground that lends to the fun, as if anything can happen at any given moment. Games like FarmVille, CityVille and The Sims Social tend to take place in a small, confined area that the player can claim as his/her own. There's the option to visit your friends' homes/farms/cities, but that is also in the same confined area and there's nothing connecting the various locations, taking away from that go-anywhere, do-anything sense of adventure.
skyrim dragon
3. Don't ignore the story
Story is an essential element in Skyrim and helps you pull you into the game from the very beginning. And, as any good game storytelling should, it keeps you playing just to see what happens next. In social games, story is still mostly an afterthought. FrontierVille/Pioneer Trail was the first big social game to take a stab at having a central story to back up the action -- and other games, such as Playdom's Deep Realms, have followed suit -- but there is still plenty of room for social games that take storytelling seriously.
What other lessons can social games take from more traditional video games? What would you like to see?
Survey: Nearly 20 percent of social game fans are brand new gamers
And you claim to "dabble" in FarmVille and the like--we're onto you. A new survey by Bejeweled Blitz maker PopCap and Information Solutions Group found that 68 percent of social gamers play said games at least once daily. That amounts to 81 million players, while a still-impressive 49 million (41 percent) report playing social games multiple times daily.
The survey was completed by 1,201 people (801 in the U.S. and 400 in the UK) who reported playing social games more than 15 minutes a week. All in all, according to this survey, social games are on the rise, but you already knew that. What's important to note is that 17 percent of all social gamers have never played a video game before. (According to the survey, they're mostly 50 plus women.) While much smaller than you might have imagined, it's without a doubt that the genre has literally created a new breed of gamer.
As these new social gamers continue to invest themselves in their favorite Facebook games more traditional companies will undoubtedly attempt to garner their attention. Of course, these folks will have different expectations of what a video game actually is, and therefore change how games are made ... perhaps across the board.
And, according to the survey, more folks between 18 and 29 years old are playing social games, who have more likely than not played video games before. When new demographics crop up in any industry, they're almost immediately targeted. The social games movement will be no different, and color us intrigued to see the results. Click here to see the full survey.
Do you consider yourself a new breed of gamer, or one that's simply taken an interest to social games? How do you think social games will continue to change video games across the board?
The survey was completed by 1,201 people (801 in the U.S. and 400 in the UK) who reported playing social games more than 15 minutes a week. All in all, according to this survey, social games are on the rise, but you already knew that. What's important to note is that 17 percent of all social gamers have never played a video game before. (According to the survey, they're mostly 50 plus women.) While much smaller than you might have imagined, it's without a doubt that the genre has literally created a new breed of gamer.
As these new social gamers continue to invest themselves in their favorite Facebook games more traditional companies will undoubtedly attempt to garner their attention. Of course, these folks will have different expectations of what a video game actually is, and therefore change how games are made ... perhaps across the board.
And, according to the survey, more folks between 18 and 29 years old are playing social games, who have more likely than not played video games before. When new demographics crop up in any industry, they're almost immediately targeted. The social games movement will be no different, and color us intrigued to see the results. Click here to see the full survey.
Do you consider yourself a new breed of gamer, or one that's simply taken an interest to social games? How do you think social games will continue to change video games across the board?
CastleVille: Zynga's next 'Ville' is now live on Facebook
FarmVille and CityVille-maker Zynga's next new game, CastleVille, is now live on Facebook. The game is best described as FrontierVille meets Medieval Times, and the goal of the game is to build your kingdom by completing missions, exploring new territories and helping friends do the same. If you've played other Zynga games, this will feel instantly familiar, save for a few new enhanced features. Whether that's enough new stuff to get (and keep) Facebook gamers interested remains to be seen.
Click here to play CastleVille now & stay tuned for our first impressions and getting started guides.
Psst! Want to make new friends to play CastleVille with? Head over to our new CastleVille "Add Me" page for details on how to do just that.
Click here to play CastleVille now & stay tuned for our first impressions and getting started guides.
Psst! Want to make new friends to play CastleVille with? Head over to our new CastleVille "Add Me" page for details on how to do just that.
You'll only find Ford's 2013 Escape through a sweet triple-word score
The next thing we think of when thinking SUVs certainly isn't word games, but we'll bite. Zynga has announced that Ford Motor Company will reveal its 2013 Ford Escape through Words With Friends starting tomorrow, Nov. 15, on Facebook. Social wordsmiths in the U.S. will get to play a larger version of the game along with actress Jenny McCarthy live.
Again, not seeing the connection, but we'll humor it. From what's gathered in the announcement, Jenny will play Words With Friends on a giant game board in Los Angeles tomorrow from 8 to 9 p.m. EST at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Players from around the country can tune into the live game as an online broadcast through the Ford Escape Facebook page and Ford's Livestream page, and submit their own word choices to Jenny.
"We're always looking for fun ways to celebrate and give back to our players," Zynga With Friends GM Paul Bettner said in a release. "Creating a huge, live game, and pitting our players against Jenny on a single day is going to be a lot of fun, and we're excited Ford has helped put our game up in lights."
The whole promotion is reminiscent of Toyota's recent Social Network Racer, which was designed to unveil the company's new concept car. It's still unclear how exactly playing Words With Friends will ultimately reveal the brand new compact SUV in just an hour (not to mention what Jenny McCarthy has to do with it), but you'll just have to play along tomorrow to find out.
Do you plan on tuning in to the see the brand new 2013 Ford Escape through a life-sized Words With Friends session? What do you think of Zynga and Ford's method of revealing the car?
Again, not seeing the connection, but we'll humor it. From what's gathered in the announcement, Jenny will play Words With Friends on a giant game board in Los Angeles tomorrow from 8 to 9 p.m. EST at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Players from around the country can tune into the live game as an online broadcast through the Ford Escape Facebook page and Ford's Livestream page, and submit their own word choices to Jenny.
"We're always looking for fun ways to celebrate and give back to our players," Zynga With Friends GM Paul Bettner said in a release. "Creating a huge, live game, and pitting our players against Jenny on a single day is going to be a lot of fun, and we're excited Ford has helped put our game up in lights."
The whole promotion is reminiscent of Toyota's recent Social Network Racer, which was designed to unveil the company's new concept car. It's still unclear how exactly playing Words With Friends will ultimately reveal the brand new compact SUV in just an hour (not to mention what Jenny McCarthy has to do with it), but you'll just have to play along tomorrow to find out.
Do you plan on tuning in to the see the brand new 2013 Ford Escape through a life-sized Words With Friends session? What do you think of Zynga and Ford's method of revealing the car?
Simplehuman Facebook game delivers squeaky clean fun and prizes
If brushed nickel sensor pumps and liquid soap refills rock your world, then you need to check out "Made for Each Other", a Facebook advergame created by Hello Design to promote Simplehuman's latest soap products. Best known for their stainless steel, foot-activated trash cans, Simplehuman is a Canadian maker of household goods, designed to live up to their company motto of "tools for efficient living".
Launched today, Made for Each Other is a memory game where you click to match tiles in the quickest time possible. Examples of winning matches are ketchup and french fries, a bear and honey, needle and thread, salt and pepper, et al.
A timer at the top right of the game lets you know how long you've been playing. When you've matched everything, you have the option to share your score with friends.
Simplehuman prizes
Twenty-five exclusive prizes are being offered for the 25 fastest players. You can see the leading 25 players on the game's leaderboard, along with how fast they are. As of this writing, Ryan Skipple holds an amazing lead time of 8 seconds and 43 milliseconds. The slowest players average about 12 seconds each. (My fastest time so far has been 18 seconds.)
Simplehuman Leaderboard
While there's no telling how long the game will stick around, the giveaway contest will only last until November 21. Players still on the leaderboard by 9:00 p.m. PT of that date will be declared the winners. For the full details of this promotion, click here. To play, you must first 'Like' the Simplehuman Facebook page.
Click here to play Simplehuman: Made for Each Other on Facebook now >
Have you ever won anything from a Facebook game before?
Launched today, Made for Each Other is a memory game where you click to match tiles in the quickest time possible. Examples of winning matches are ketchup and french fries, a bear and honey, needle and thread, salt and pepper, et al.
A timer at the top right of the game lets you know how long you've been playing. When you've matched everything, you have the option to share your score with friends.
Simplehuman prizes
Twenty-five exclusive prizes are being offered for the 25 fastest players. You can see the leading 25 players on the game's leaderboard, along with how fast they are. As of this writing, Ryan Skipple holds an amazing lead time of 8 seconds and 43 milliseconds. The slowest players average about 12 seconds each. (My fastest time so far has been 18 seconds.)
Simplehuman Leaderboard
While there's no telling how long the game will stick around, the giveaway contest will only last until November 21. Players still on the leaderboard by 9:00 p.m. PT of that date will be declared the winners. For the full details of this promotion, click here. To play, you must first 'Like' the Simplehuman Facebook page.
Click here to play Simplehuman: Made for Each Other on Facebook now >
Have you ever won anything from a Facebook game before?
Could games like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft work on Facebook?
Who knows (and definitely not at the moment), but Facebook's European head of gaming partnerships Julien Codorniou hopes "every successful game that exists on PC, consoles, should come on the Facebook platform at some point." According to PocketGamer.biz, Codorniou made the forward-looking remark during this year's Social Gaming Summit in London.
The European mirror to Facebook's Sean Ryan did, however, point out what's keeping the industry from getting to that point. Simply put, the rampant copycatting needs to stop. As PocketGamer.biz's Will Wilson put it: 'Please stop making FarmVille-style games, we've already got enough, thanks.' Codorniou went on to praise games like Social Point's Social Empires for sourcing its inspirations elsewhere, like the popular Age of Empires PC strategy franchise.
And while Codorniou wishes for the best games on consoles to also hit Facebook, he knows where the immediate future is. "We believe the mobile web platform is the future for the gaming industry," Codorniou concluded. "Bet on mobile, HTML5. This is really the future of gaming for us."
Alright, so you know that already. But let's stop and think for a second: Could the best of traditional gaming really make it to Facebook? Well, we're certainly getting there. From advancements in the Unity Player and Flash Player (the primary tool for making Facebook games) to the Unreal Engine arriving on Facebook, we're inching ever closer to that reality. These types of games on the web are simply an eventuality--the audience for them, however, is far from that.
Do you agree that mobile is the future of social gaming? Will hardcore or traditional games ever have a place on Facebook?
The European mirror to Facebook's Sean Ryan did, however, point out what's keeping the industry from getting to that point. Simply put, the rampant copycatting needs to stop. As PocketGamer.biz's Will Wilson put it: 'Please stop making FarmVille-style games, we've already got enough, thanks.' Codorniou went on to praise games like Social Point's Social Empires for sourcing its inspirations elsewhere, like the popular Age of Empires PC strategy franchise.
And while Codorniou wishes for the best games on consoles to also hit Facebook, he knows where the immediate future is. "We believe the mobile web platform is the future for the gaming industry," Codorniou concluded. "Bet on mobile, HTML5. This is really the future of gaming for us."
Alright, so you know that already. But let's stop and think for a second: Could the best of traditional gaming really make it to Facebook? Well, we're certainly getting there. From advancements in the Unity Player and Flash Player (the primary tool for making Facebook games) to the Unreal Engine arriving on Facebook, we're inching ever closer to that reality. These types of games on the web are simply an eventuality--the audience for them, however, is far from that.
Do you agree that mobile is the future of social gaming? Will hardcore or traditional games ever have a place on Facebook?
Monday, December 12, 2011
Zynga Unleashed: CEO Mark Pincus reveals Zynga Direct platform
Zynga broke big news about where the developer is headed today in San Francisco at its Unleashed news event. First, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus approached the stage and almost immediately said that 10 products will be announced today. The most notable of which is Zynga Direct, "a platform for a direct relationship with consumers," according to Pincus. This is likely what Pincus was referring to when he first uttered the words "dog-connected world."
Zynga later elaborated on what the company CEO called "Zynga Direct" with the announcement of Project Z, an "instant social" platform that is said to be the company's attempt at independence from Facebook. The codenamed project looks to connect players immediately through zTags, usernames for Zynga game players made possible through Facebook Connect.
Starting today, players can connect to Project Z through Facebook and reserve their zTags for when the service goes live officially. After claiming your zTag, you're rewarded with zCoins, implying that this service will integrate with Zynga's RewardVille program somehow.
Project Z
Nothing more was revealed about the service, but we're going to bet Zynga made this move in response to investors' fears that the company might be too reliant on Facebook. The service is still tethered to Facebook, but at least this is a step in that direction, especially ahead of Zynga's imminent initial public offering. In fact, Pincus even said, "We're committed to one vision, one mission that hasn't changed, it won't change. We want to be the biggest macro bet on social gaming."
[Source: Zynga (Twitter); Zynga (Blog)]
[Image Credit: Harry McCracken]
Have you signed up for your zTag yet through Project Z? What do you think this service will eventually do for independence from Facebook when it comes to Zynga games?
Zynga later elaborated on what the company CEO called "Zynga Direct" with the announcement of Project Z, an "instant social" platform that is said to be the company's attempt at independence from Facebook. The codenamed project looks to connect players immediately through zTags, usernames for Zynga game players made possible through Facebook Connect.
Starting today, players can connect to Project Z through Facebook and reserve their zTags for when the service goes live officially. After claiming your zTag, you're rewarded with zCoins, implying that this service will integrate with Zynga's RewardVille program somehow.
Project Z
Nothing more was revealed about the service, but we're going to bet Zynga made this move in response to investors' fears that the company might be too reliant on Facebook. The service is still tethered to Facebook, but at least this is a step in that direction, especially ahead of Zynga's imminent initial public offering. In fact, Pincus even said, "We're committed to one vision, one mission that hasn't changed, it won't change. We want to be the biggest macro bet on social gaming."
[Source: Zynga (Twitter); Zynga (Blog)]
[Image Credit: Harry McCracken]
Have you signed up for your zTag yet through Project Z? What do you think this service will eventually do for independence from Facebook when it comes to Zynga games?
Zynga Unleashed: CastleVille, Hidden Chronicles, Zynga Casino shown
Wow, Zynga's not messing around anymore, huh? The company's Unleashed event is going down as of this writing, and Zynga has announced a number of new games already including CastleVille, Hidden Chronicles and Zynga Casino among others. The first of which carries the torch for the 'Ville' franchise, according to Zynga Dallas creative director Bill Jackson.
Zynga later elaborated on the news of the three games on the company blog. CastleVille will feature a character known as Antonio, and is the first Zynga and first social game with a score recorded by a 75-piece orchestra, according to Jackson. The game, which doesn't yet have a release date, will take place in a medieval world that is, according to the developer, "the most beautiful game we've ever made."
CastleVille is said to adapt to the decisions you make and the characters you meet throughout the game. According to the announcement, players will uncover different items than their friends by simply making different decisions in the game. We've contacted Zynga to confirm whether this is the realization of the recently-revealed Kingdoms & Quests, or a new game entirely.
Hidden Chronicles
Hidden Chronicles, on the other hand, is Zynga's take on the growing hidden-object genre on Facebook that will "leverage social connections, and combine that with memory and skill," Zynga GM Roy Sehgal said. Players will uncover the mysteries of Ramsey Manor in this hidden-object game, and as they discover thousands of items they will be able to decorate and customize the manor. As for the game's social features, Zynga says players will be able to send each other challenge levels, gifts within levels and compare scores.
Zynga Bingo revealed
Zynga revealed Zynga Casino, which will be a collection of casino-style games within a single app, starting with Zynga Bingo, which Zynga Poker GM Lo Toney (pictured) displayed during the event. Eventually, players will find Zynga Poker within the overarching Zynga Casino Facebook app, and players will able to use chips earned in both games across either (sound familiar?). In addition to exchangeable currency between games, players will sit in themed rooms, and the company promises that it will be easier to find friends while they're playing.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga (Twitter); Zynga (Blog)]
Which of these three games are you most excited about playing? What type of news were you hoping to hear from Zynga today?
Zynga later elaborated on the news of the three games on the company blog. CastleVille will feature a character known as Antonio, and is the first Zynga and first social game with a score recorded by a 75-piece orchestra, according to Jackson. The game, which doesn't yet have a release date, will take place in a medieval world that is, according to the developer, "the most beautiful game we've ever made."
CastleVille is said to adapt to the decisions you make and the characters you meet throughout the game. According to the announcement, players will uncover different items than their friends by simply making different decisions in the game. We've contacted Zynga to confirm whether this is the realization of the recently-revealed Kingdoms & Quests, or a new game entirely.
Hidden Chronicles
Hidden Chronicles, on the other hand, is Zynga's take on the growing hidden-object genre on Facebook that will "leverage social connections, and combine that with memory and skill," Zynga GM Roy Sehgal said. Players will uncover the mysteries of Ramsey Manor in this hidden-object game, and as they discover thousands of items they will be able to decorate and customize the manor. As for the game's social features, Zynga says players will be able to send each other challenge levels, gifts within levels and compare scores.
Zynga Bingo revealed
Zynga revealed Zynga Casino, which will be a collection of casino-style games within a single app, starting with Zynga Bingo, which Zynga Poker GM Lo Toney (pictured) displayed during the event. Eventually, players will find Zynga Poker within the overarching Zynga Casino Facebook app, and players will able to use chips earned in both games across either (sound familiar?). In addition to exchangeable currency between games, players will sit in themed rooms, and the company promises that it will be easier to find friends while they're playing.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga (Twitter); Zynga (Blog)]
Which of these three games are you most excited about playing? What type of news were you hoping to hear from Zynga today?
Zynga Unleashed: Dream Zoo for iOS, three HTML5 games confirmed
Seriously, who doesn't a cherry giraffe with lemon swirls? During its Unleashed news event today, Zynga's mobile head David Ko announced Dream Zoo for iOS devices, a brand new mobile game that's surprisingly not part of the rampant 'Ville' franchise. Dream Zoo is the company's first zoo-themed game in which players to maintain their own zoo and head out on safaris to find new species of weird critters.
According to the game's release trailer on Facebook, there will be over 1,000 animals to collect in Dream Zoo at launch, and players will be able to breed "champion" animals ... whatever that means. It appears that the game will at least allow players to feed and clean their friends' animals, but nothing more of the social features within Dream Zoo have been revealed. Of course, no pricing or release date has been announced yet. (Not even the studio working on the game has been mentioned.)
Zynga also confirmed that FarmVille Express, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker are available on Facebook through the mobile browser. Powered by HTML5, a relatively new web-development tool, the three games can be accessed through either of Facebook's mobile apps or through the mobile web version of the social network. Just in case there was any doubt, Zynga wrote in the announcement on the company blog, "To be clear, we're serious about mobile, and zoos."
[Source Zynga (Twitter); Zynga (Blog)]
Are you excited by Dream Zoo or the new HTML5 Zynga games at all? Which direction do you think Zynga should focus more on, or do you agree with its seemingly balanced approach?
According to the game's release trailer on Facebook, there will be over 1,000 animals to collect in Dream Zoo at launch, and players will be able to breed "champion" animals ... whatever that means. It appears that the game will at least allow players to feed and clean their friends' animals, but nothing more of the social features within Dream Zoo have been revealed. Of course, no pricing or release date has been announced yet. (Not even the studio working on the game has been mentioned.)
Zynga also confirmed that FarmVille Express, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker are available on Facebook through the mobile browser. Powered by HTML5, a relatively new web-development tool, the three games can be accessed through either of Facebook's mobile apps or through the mobile web version of the social network. Just in case there was any doubt, Zynga wrote in the announcement on the company blog, "To be clear, we're serious about mobile, and zoos."
[Source Zynga (Twitter); Zynga (Blog)]
Are you excited by Dream Zoo or the new HTML5 Zynga games at all? Which direction do you think Zynga should focus more on, or do you agree with its seemingly balanced approach?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Onisuka057's fall oasis goes Halloween
With Halloween coming our way, lots of FarmVille players are dusting off last year's decorations and buying up this year's new ones. Onisuka057's farm brought us a fall oasis last month just as the weather was getting colder, and as I predicted, he's swapped out some of his various types of Maple Trees and planted, not just one, but what looks like nearly all of the Halloween trees released this year: Halloween Tree (it's dark pink with glowing Jack O' Lanterns), Jack O' Lantern Tree (it's dark purple with lavender Jack O' Lanterns), Dark Apple Tree (dark purple with apples), Spider Tree (teal blue with small purple spiders), Fire Peach Tree (dark purple with fireballs), Halloween Candy Tree (lavender with candy growing), and Candy Corn Trees (they're not orange yet cause they're still maturing).
Click the image to make it larger.
Not much has changed on the mainland though. The Old Faithful geyser eruption from the Yellowstone collection is still there. He's kept the recently released Lighthouse Cove decor with several Tree Arches, Autumn Creeks, and Outdoor Picnics. The amount of premium Farm Cash goods going on in this one continues to be staggering. But he's shrunk the water levels and added what looks like a school of ducks on his blue hay bale river.
If Onisuka057's willing to open his wallet even further, swapping out the English Countryside buildings for the Werewolf Shack and Dilapidated House can really spookify things.
Do you like Onisuka057's redecorated farm? Have you begun decorating your own farm for Halloween yet? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Click the image to make it larger.
Not much has changed on the mainland though. The Old Faithful geyser eruption from the Yellowstone collection is still there. He's kept the recently released Lighthouse Cove decor with several Tree Arches, Autumn Creeks, and Outdoor Picnics. The amount of premium Farm Cash goods going on in this one continues to be staggering. But he's shrunk the water levels and added what looks like a school of ducks on his blue hay bale river.
If Onisuka057's willing to open his wallet even further, swapping out the English Countryside buildings for the Werewolf Shack and Dilapidated House can really spookify things.
Do you like Onisuka057's redecorated farm? Have you begun decorating your own farm for Halloween yet? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Zynga Unleashed: Mafia Wars 2 busts a cap in Google+ Games
Given the intimate relationship between Zynga and Facebook, could this be considered cheating? During the company's Unleashed news event today in San Francisco, Mafia Wars 2 GM Erik Bethke announced that the game has launched on Google+ Games just a day after hitting Facebook. In addition to already being the first direct sequel to a Zynga game, this is the third Zynga game to be released on Facebook's new nemesis.
The game plays exactly as it does on Facebook ... only without your stable of Facebook friends to back up your turf. A move like this certainly attests to the legitimacy of Google+ as a social game platform, but it still lacks the scale that social gamers enjoy on Facebook. It seems that this dual-release approach could become a trend for Zynga, if only to shut up wary investors that question whether the company can grow beyond Facebook ahead of its initial public offering.
Gallery: Mafia Wars 2 on Facebook
Just weeks before this, Zynga released its most popular social game, CityVille, to Google+ Games. Now with three games on the competing platform, we can assume Zynga has found a loophole of sorts in its seemingly-exclusive deal with Facebook. Despite even the support of the largest social game creator in the world, we wonder whether Google+ Games can hang. It all boils down to one question: What does Google+ Games have that Facebook doesn't? Alright, aside from a lack of banner ads?
[Source: Zynga (Twitter); Zynga (Blog)]
Would you rather play Mafia Wars 2 on Facebook or on Google+ Games? Do you think the support of major developers like Zynga will help Google's gaming platform take off?
The game plays exactly as it does on Facebook ... only without your stable of Facebook friends to back up your turf. A move like this certainly attests to the legitimacy of Google+ as a social game platform, but it still lacks the scale that social gamers enjoy on Facebook. It seems that this dual-release approach could become a trend for Zynga, if only to shut up wary investors that question whether the company can grow beyond Facebook ahead of its initial public offering.
Gallery: Mafia Wars 2 on Facebook
Just weeks before this, Zynga released its most popular social game, CityVille, to Google+ Games. Now with three games on the competing platform, we can assume Zynga has found a loophole of sorts in its seemingly-exclusive deal with Facebook. Despite even the support of the largest social game creator in the world, we wonder whether Google+ Games can hang. It all boils down to one question: What does Google+ Games have that Facebook doesn't? Alright, aside from a lack of banner ads?
[Source: Zynga (Twitter); Zynga (Blog)]
Would you rather play Mafia Wars 2 on Facebook or on Google+ Games? Do you think the support of major developers like Zynga will help Google's gaming platform take off?
Soaps, Elvis and old cars to make for Facebook game nostalgia bomb
Alright, Entertainment Games, we're interested--just what in the world are you cooking up? The Langhorne, Penn.-based casual games portal and developer has hired toy car designer Mike Andrews to help out with its upcoming social game for Facebook, Google+, mobile devices and the open web. Still nothing has been directly revealed about Entertainment Games's upcoming social game project.
"It is invigorating to focus my lifelong passion for cars and hot rods in an entirely new direction by designing an innovative customization and social game experience," Andrews said in a release. "Players will be enthralled, amused, and hopefully addicted to the eternal quest for the ultimate dream car."
Andrews is best known for his 26 years of work with Mattel on the Hot Wheels line of toy cars, and it's that type of extensive experience the game creator hopes to use in its mysterious social game. Before this, Entertainment Games acquired rights to the Elvis Presley license, who will be featured prominently throughout the game. And prior to that, the company took on soap opera specialist Michael Fairman for his ability to attract the coveted 25 to 54-year-old women demographic.
So, now we know that this "retro-based social game" will make liberal use of classic cars in addition to The King and possibly some soap opera-like themes. References to the effect social games has had on the soap opera industry or how nostalgia might be a brilliant hook to bring more baby boomers into Facebook gaming, now we just want to what the hell this game is.
[Image Credit: Jasohill]
Given the deluge of hints at what Entertainment Games's first social game will be like, are you excited about it yet? Would you ever play a social game purely for nostalgia's sake?
"It is invigorating to focus my lifelong passion for cars and hot rods in an entirely new direction by designing an innovative customization and social game experience," Andrews said in a release. "Players will be enthralled, amused, and hopefully addicted to the eternal quest for the ultimate dream car."
Andrews is best known for his 26 years of work with Mattel on the Hot Wheels line of toy cars, and it's that type of extensive experience the game creator hopes to use in its mysterious social game. Before this, Entertainment Games acquired rights to the Elvis Presley license, who will be featured prominently throughout the game. And prior to that, the company took on soap opera specialist Michael Fairman for his ability to attract the coveted 25 to 54-year-old women demographic.
So, now we know that this "retro-based social game" will make liberal use of classic cars in addition to The King and possibly some soap opera-like themes. References to the effect social games has had on the soap opera industry or how nostalgia might be a brilliant hook to bring more baby boomers into Facebook gaming, now we just want to what the hell this game is.
[Image Credit: Jasohill]
Given the deluge of hints at what Entertainment Games's first social game will be like, are you excited about it yet? Would you ever play a social game purely for nostalgia's sake?
Poll: Do FarmVille's abnormally sized animals ruin the fun?
If there's one negative trend that has become a bit too prevalent in FarmVille, it's in the unusual animal sizing and footprints exhibited by many animals. Whether it's a foal that's the same size (or even larger) than its adult form, a calf that is so small that you can barely see it, or small animals that have massive footprints (the green square of land they take up when you place them), there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for why this is occurring.
After all, with so many of the game's animals, regardless of type (cow, calf, horse, sheep, etc.) being simple re-colorings of previously released animals, shouldn't they all have the same base and design, aside from the color? It's almost as though the developers at Zynga have decided to play a joke on farmers with these mutant animals (you can see a few examples at right).
Of course, not all is lost. Some of the miniature animals (or even the larger ones) are still rather cute, or collectable simply because of the novelty / absurdity of their size. And they function like other animals as well, giving you all of the profits (and eventually mastery points) you deserve. When it comes to organizing them, however, any plan for straight, organized rows kind of goes out the window.
That leaves us to ask you what you think of these oddly shaped animals:
Do the oddly shaped animals in FarmVille stop you from collecting them?
Yes! Why can't Zynga make everything the same size!?No! I love the larger variety we're seeing now!I don't like it, but I collect them anyway.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Have an opinion not listed above? Just want to share your examples of oddly shaped animals with other farmers?
After all, with so many of the game's animals, regardless of type (cow, calf, horse, sheep, etc.) being simple re-colorings of previously released animals, shouldn't they all have the same base and design, aside from the color? It's almost as though the developers at Zynga have decided to play a joke on farmers with these mutant animals (you can see a few examples at right).
Of course, not all is lost. Some of the miniature animals (or even the larger ones) are still rather cute, or collectable simply because of the novelty / absurdity of their size. And they function like other animals as well, giving you all of the profits (and eventually mastery points) you deserve. When it comes to organizing them, however, any plan for straight, organized rows kind of goes out the window.
That leaves us to ask you what you think of these oddly shaped animals:
Do the oddly shaped animals in FarmVille stop you from collecting them?
Yes! Why can't Zynga make everything the same size!?No! I love the larger variety we're seeing now!I don't like it, but I collect them anyway.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Have an opinion not listed above? Just want to share your examples of oddly shaped animals with other farmers?
CityVille Doggie Rescue Center: Everything you need to know
If you're above level 50 in CityVille, you now have access to a new feature that's started rolling out to Mayors: the Doggie Rescue Center. This feature allows you to rescue dogs and then be rewarded for it, but wait... Didn't we do this already? Via the Lost Brown Puppy goal released at the beginning of the year, Zynga proceeded to alienate lots of players (or at least annoy them greatly) with never-ending gift requests and spam. Did the company learn its lesson with this release? Let's find out.
First things first, this Doggie Rescue Center is an entirely new building that needs to be placed in your town. You'll receive it for free, and can then spend seven energy building up the frame. At that point, you'll need to collect quite a few building ingredients:
10 Dog Sweaters
10 Dog Brushes
10 Dog Toys
10 Dog Leashes
10 Dog Bowls
As of this writing, the Dog Sweaters must be gathered via individual gift requests sent to friends, while the other four items can be earned by using general news posts on your wall. This seems skewed, so we'll make sure to let you know if Zynga increases the difficulty in the future. Either way, once the building is complete, you'll see new characters walking around your town. These are your dog lovers that will help you out for the rest of this feature.
By opening the Rescue Center's menu (just click on the building), you'll see all of the workers you have available to track down lost dogs, and can look at the different dogs that can possibly be rescued. Each dog gives you a different reward when found (including a decoration, building and business for some), and you'll be able to level up your Doggie Rescue Center by rescuing more and more dogs. If this sounds familiar, it's because this feature highly resembles the Police Station / robbery feature that allows you to stop criminals and level up your Police Station as a result.
In fact, the dogs appear in almost the same way as criminals. They'll appear at random when collecting your rent from homes (whereas criminals appear when collecting from businesses). And like the Police Station feature, once your dog lovers have rescued dogs, they'll need to take some time to recharge. You can allow this to happen naturally over time, or you can collect Treats (think Donuts) with the help of friends to have them rescuing dogs again in no time. As you level up your Doggie Rescue Center, you'll gain access to more helpers, which will allow you to level you level up even more quickly than before. The building also changes in size and complexity as a result of your efforts.
So, does this lost dog feature come across as something entertaining (or, at least more entertaining than the lost Brown Puppy from the beginning of the year)? You tell us.
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Will you build a Doggie Rescue Center in your town, or are you going to stick with playing cops and robbers in your town for the meantime?
First things first, this Doggie Rescue Center is an entirely new building that needs to be placed in your town. You'll receive it for free, and can then spend seven energy building up the frame. At that point, you'll need to collect quite a few building ingredients:
10 Dog Sweaters
10 Dog Brushes
10 Dog Toys
10 Dog Leashes
10 Dog Bowls
As of this writing, the Dog Sweaters must be gathered via individual gift requests sent to friends, while the other four items can be earned by using general news posts on your wall. This seems skewed, so we'll make sure to let you know if Zynga increases the difficulty in the future. Either way, once the building is complete, you'll see new characters walking around your town. These are your dog lovers that will help you out for the rest of this feature.
By opening the Rescue Center's menu (just click on the building), you'll see all of the workers you have available to track down lost dogs, and can look at the different dogs that can possibly be rescued. Each dog gives you a different reward when found (including a decoration, building and business for some), and you'll be able to level up your Doggie Rescue Center by rescuing more and more dogs. If this sounds familiar, it's because this feature highly resembles the Police Station / robbery feature that allows you to stop criminals and level up your Police Station as a result.
In fact, the dogs appear in almost the same way as criminals. They'll appear at random when collecting your rent from homes (whereas criminals appear when collecting from businesses). And like the Police Station feature, once your dog lovers have rescued dogs, they'll need to take some time to recharge. You can allow this to happen naturally over time, or you can collect Treats (think Donuts) with the help of friends to have them rescuing dogs again in no time. As you level up your Doggie Rescue Center, you'll gain access to more helpers, which will allow you to level you level up even more quickly than before. The building also changes in size and complexity as a result of your efforts.
So, does this lost dog feature come across as something entertaining (or, at least more entertaining than the lost Brown Puppy from the beginning of the year)? You tell us.
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Will you build a Doggie Rescue Center in your town, or are you going to stick with playing cops and robbers in your town for the meantime?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
CastleVille 'Add Me' Page: Make new friends fast!
Looking for new friends to play CastleVille on Facebook with? Write 'ADD ME' in the comments below.
Note: Be sure to include a link to your Facebook page, so people can friend you.
Click this link to get started > 987
Note: Be sure to include a link to your Facebook page, so people can friend you.
Click this link to get started > 987
You'll only find Ford's 2013 Escape through a sweet triple-word score
The next thing we think of when thinking SUVs certainly isn't word games, but we'll bite. Zynga has announced that Ford Motor Company will reveal its 2013 Ford Escape through Words With Friends starting tomorrow, Nov. 15, on Facebook. Social wordsmiths in the U.S. will get to play a larger version of the game along with actress Jenny McCarthy live.
Again, not seeing the connection, but we'll humor it. From what's gathered in the announcement, Jenny will play Words With Friends on a giant game board in Los Angeles tomorrow from 8 to 9 p.m. EST at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Players from around the country can tune into the live game as an online broadcast through the Ford Escape Facebook page and Ford's Livestream page, and submit their own word choices to Jenny.
"We're always looking for fun ways to celebrate and give back to our players," Zynga With Friends GM Paul Bettner said in a release. "Creating a huge, live game, and pitting our players against Jenny on a single day is going to be a lot of fun, and we're excited Ford has helped put our game up in lights."
The whole promotion is reminiscent of Toyota's recent Social Network Racer, which was designed to unveil the company's new concept car. It's still unclear how exactly playing Words With Friends will ultimately reveal the brand new compact SUV in just an hour (not to mention what Jenny McCarthy has to do with it), but you'll just have to play along tomorrow to find out.
Do you plan on tuning in to the see the brand new 2013 Ford Escape through a life-sized Words With Friends session? What do you think of Zynga and Ford's method of revealing the car?
Again, not seeing the connection, but we'll humor it. From what's gathered in the announcement, Jenny will play Words With Friends on a giant game board in Los Angeles tomorrow from 8 to 9 p.m. EST at the Hollywood & Highland Center. Players from around the country can tune into the live game as an online broadcast through the Ford Escape Facebook page and Ford's Livestream page, and submit their own word choices to Jenny.
"We're always looking for fun ways to celebrate and give back to our players," Zynga With Friends GM Paul Bettner said in a release. "Creating a huge, live game, and pitting our players against Jenny on a single day is going to be a lot of fun, and we're excited Ford has helped put our game up in lights."
The whole promotion is reminiscent of Toyota's recent Social Network Racer, which was designed to unveil the company's new concept car. It's still unclear how exactly playing Words With Friends will ultimately reveal the brand new compact SUV in just an hour (not to mention what Jenny McCarthy has to do with it), but you'll just have to play along tomorrow to find out.
Do you plan on tuning in to the see the brand new 2013 Ford Escape through a life-sized Words With Friends session? What do you think of Zynga and Ford's method of revealing the car?
Simplehuman Facebook game delivers squeaky clean fun and prizes
If brushed nickel sensor pumps and liquid soap refills rock your world, then you need to check out "Made for Each Other", a Facebook advergame created by Hello Design to promote Simplehuman's latest soap products. Best known for their stainless steel, foot-activated trash cans, Simplehuman is a Canadian maker of household goods, designed to live up to their company motto of "tools for efficient living".
Launched today, Made for Each Other is a memory game where you click to match tiles in the quickest time possible. Examples of winning matches are ketchup and french fries, a bear and honey, needle and thread, salt and pepper, et al.
A timer at the top right of the game lets you know how long you've been playing. When you've matched everything, you have the option to share your score with friends.
Simplehuman prizes
Twenty-five exclusive prizes are being offered for the 25 fastest players. You can see the leading 25 players on the game's leaderboard, along with how fast they are. As of this writing, Ryan Skipple holds an amazing lead time of 8 seconds and 43 milliseconds. The slowest players average about 12 seconds each. (My fastest time so far has been 18 seconds.)
Simplehuman Leaderboard
While there's no telling how long the game will stick around, the giveaway contest will only last until November 21. Players still on the leaderboard by 9:00 p.m. PT of that date will be declared the winners. For the full details of this promotion, click here. To play, you must first 'Like' the Simplehuman Facebook page.
Click here to play Simplehuman: Made for Each Other on Facebook now >
Have you ever won anything from a Facebook game before?
Launched today, Made for Each Other is a memory game where you click to match tiles in the quickest time possible. Examples of winning matches are ketchup and french fries, a bear and honey, needle and thread, salt and pepper, et al.
A timer at the top right of the game lets you know how long you've been playing. When you've matched everything, you have the option to share your score with friends.
Simplehuman prizes
Twenty-five exclusive prizes are being offered for the 25 fastest players. You can see the leading 25 players on the game's leaderboard, along with how fast they are. As of this writing, Ryan Skipple holds an amazing lead time of 8 seconds and 43 milliseconds. The slowest players average about 12 seconds each. (My fastest time so far has been 18 seconds.)
Simplehuman Leaderboard
While there's no telling how long the game will stick around, the giveaway contest will only last until November 21. Players still on the leaderboard by 9:00 p.m. PT of that date will be declared the winners. For the full details of this promotion, click here. To play, you must first 'Like' the Simplehuman Facebook page.
Click here to play Simplehuman: Made for Each Other on Facebook now >
Have you ever won anything from a Facebook game before?
Could games like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft work on Facebook?
Who knows (and definitely not at the moment), but Facebook's European head of gaming partnerships Julien Codorniou hopes "every successful game that exists on PC, consoles, should come on the Facebook platform at some point." According to PocketGamer.biz, Codorniou made the forward-looking remark during this year's Social Gaming Summit in London.
The European mirror to Facebook's Sean Ryan did, however, point out what's keeping the industry from getting to that point. Simply put, the rampant copycatting needs to stop. As PocketGamer.biz's Will Wilson put it: 'Please stop making FarmVille-style games, we've already got enough, thanks.' Codorniou went on to praise games like Social Point's Social Empires for sourcing its inspirations elsewhere, like the popular Age of Empires PC strategy franchise.
And while Codorniou wishes for the best games on consoles to also hit Facebook, he knows where the immediate future is. "We believe the mobile web platform is the future for the gaming industry," Codorniou concluded. "Bet on mobile, HTML5. This is really the future of gaming for us."
Alright, so you know that already. But let's stop and think for a second: Could the best of traditional gaming really make it to Facebook? Well, we're certainly getting there. From advancements in the Unity Player and Flash Player (the primary tool for making Facebook games) to the Unreal Engine arriving on Facebook, we're inching ever closer to that reality. These types of games on the web are simply an eventuality--the audience for them, however, is far from that.
Do you agree that mobile is the future of social gaming? Will hardcore or traditional games ever have a place on Facebook?
The European mirror to Facebook's Sean Ryan did, however, point out what's keeping the industry from getting to that point. Simply put, the rampant copycatting needs to stop. As PocketGamer.biz's Will Wilson put it: 'Please stop making FarmVille-style games, we've already got enough, thanks.' Codorniou went on to praise games like Social Point's Social Empires for sourcing its inspirations elsewhere, like the popular Age of Empires PC strategy franchise.
And while Codorniou wishes for the best games on consoles to also hit Facebook, he knows where the immediate future is. "We believe the mobile web platform is the future for the gaming industry," Codorniou concluded. "Bet on mobile, HTML5. This is really the future of gaming for us."
Alright, so you know that already. But let's stop and think for a second: Could the best of traditional gaming really make it to Facebook? Well, we're certainly getting there. From advancements in the Unity Player and Flash Player (the primary tool for making Facebook games) to the Unreal Engine arriving on Facebook, we're inching ever closer to that reality. These types of games on the web are simply an eventuality--the audience for them, however, is far from that.
Do you agree that mobile is the future of social gaming? Will hardcore or traditional games ever have a place on Facebook?
PETA wags the finger at Nintendo for Mario's taste in furry power-ups
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, has chosen a peculiar target for its next pro-animal campaign. You all likely know him quite well: Super Mario. The organization has created a highly suggestive Flash game that essentially calls developer Nintendo out for what it claims is a message that says it's OK to skin animals and wear them as suits.
You could also say this for Mario's less popular Frog Suit, but that just wouldn't have the same sting as "Mario Kills Tanooki." That's the title of the game, which throws players behind the controls of--literally--a skinned tanuki. You can probably already guess the game's objective: Capture Mario ... who happens to be flying away with your fur coat. So much for subtleties.
"Tanooki may be just a 'suit' in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur," the PETA game's website reads. "By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur."
The timing of Mario Kills Tanooki is spot on, as Nintendo just released Super Mario 3D Land in which the plumber's famous Tanooki Suit is a prominent feature. Frankly, we've never seen a more menacing Mario than within PETA's interactive call to arms in defense of the tanuki. Now, you gotta' wonder how the organization would feel about this guy.
[Via Kotaku]
Have you played the Mario Kills Tanooki game? Do you think Mario's famous Tanooki Suit might send the wrong message to Nintendo fans?
You could also say this for Mario's less popular Frog Suit, but that just wouldn't have the same sting as "Mario Kills Tanooki." That's the title of the game, which throws players behind the controls of--literally--a skinned tanuki. You can probably already guess the game's objective: Capture Mario ... who happens to be flying away with your fur coat. So much for subtleties.
"Tanooki may be just a 'suit' in Mario games, but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur," the PETA game's website reads. "By wearing Tanooki, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur."
The timing of Mario Kills Tanooki is spot on, as Nintendo just released Super Mario 3D Land in which the plumber's famous Tanooki Suit is a prominent feature. Frankly, we've never seen a more menacing Mario than within PETA's interactive call to arms in defense of the tanuki. Now, you gotta' wonder how the organization would feel about this guy.
[Via Kotaku]
Have you played the Mario Kills Tanooki game? Do you think Mario's famous Tanooki Suit might send the wrong message to Nintendo fans?
CastleVille Cheats & Tips: First 10 Quests Guide
As we told you earlier today, CastleVille is now live on Facebook, but before you head straight into Zynga's newest Facebook game in this medieval land of castles, make sure to check out our getting started guide below, bringing you a preview of the first 10 Quests you'll encounter in the game. Through it, you'll be able to learn the in's and out's of CastleVille's basic gameplay mechanics, and will be ready to venture off into the Gloom by yourself!
CastleVille starts with you being allowed to customize your avatar (choosing gender, facial / hair features, clothing and color) and then introduces you to Duke, your computer-controlled neighbor, and Yvette, your kingdom's first citizen. They're being attacked by Gloom Rats, a kind of Beastie that has become a drain on the land. Duke rules the kingdom next to yours, and he offers you this spot of land to create your own kingdom. First things first, Yvette wants to actually place some roots in your town, so you'll need to give her a place to live. And so begins your first quest in CastleVille.
Raise the Roof
Find a good location and place Yvette's House
Gather materials to build the house
Build Yvette's house to add her to your kingdom
Yvette's House (well, the base of it anyway) is found in your inventory, the small rucksack in the bottom right corner of the gameplay screen. For this quest, the game will automatically highlight the item in your inventory, but all other buildings will be found manually in the "Buildings" tab of your inventory proper. Once you've placed the base, you'll need to collect five each of Stones and Wood Logs to build it. Stones come from mining the various rocks or rock piles that sit on your land, while Wood Logs come from chopping trees. Note that there is no requirement to ask your friends for anything here; the 10 items can be gathered by yourself. Gather those 10 items and you'll complete Yvette's House, thus completing this quest and opening up the ability to claim coins in taxes every so often from the home. You'll also receive 500 gold (coins) and 4 experience points for finishing the quest.
Sticks and Stones
Gather 5 Wood Logs by chopping Trees
Gather 5 Stones by mining Rocks
As soon as you receive the quest above, to build Yvette's house, Duke will come around with a quest of his own, which is a redundant one, asking you to collect the same building materials for Yvette's house as you were already planning to. To be specific, you'll complete both this quest and Yvette's home with the same 10 materials, so this just serves as a bonus opportunity for experience points. You'll receive 250 gold and 3 experience points for finishing this quest.
Penny Pinching
Tax Yvette's House for coins
As soon as you finish building Yvette's home, it will instantly be ready to be taxed - how convenient! Click on it to receive some coins in tax, and to finish this quest, giving you 250 coins and 3 XP. You can tax Yvette's House once every 30 minutes from there on in.
Get Plucky
Buy 4 Chickens
Feed 4 Chickens
This quest must be activated manually by clicking on Yvette. Chickens are available in the game's market (the cornucopia symbol in the bottom right corner of the gameplay screen), under the Nature tab (the evergreen tree). Each chicken costs 250 coins, and they're relatively free roaming, once you place them on your land. A yellow arrow will appear above an animal's head when they're ready to be fed (think of the system in Pioneer Trail), and you can simply click on these four chickens immediately after you've purchased them to feed them. You'll earn 500 coins and 4 XP for finishing this quest.
Visiting Heirs
Visit your new neighbor the Duke
Banish the invading Beastie
Earn 5 Reputation by helping your new neighbor
You'll be forced to Duke's kingdom as part of the in-game tutorial, and once there, will need to kill a Gloom Rat that has invaded. You'll be able to spend five friend-visit energy in your neighbors' kingdoms each time you visit to earn reputation hearts, so while you're here, go ahead and click on some animals or buildings to earn five hearts for this quest. You'll receive 500 coins and 4XP for finishing this quest. At this point, if you've followed our guide and haven't strayed, you should reach Level 3.
No Bull
Buy 2 Cows
Feed 2 Cows in your Kingdom
Spend Reputation Hearts to buy a Large Trough for your thirsty animals
Cows can be purchased from the market in the same way that you purchased the Chickens above. Each cow costs 750 coins, but so long as you haven't ventured away from the guide and spent everything, you'll have more than enough coins at this point to purchase two. Again, these animals are ready to feed instantly, so look for the yellow arrows on their heads, and click on them to feed. For the Large Trough, you'll be introduced to the fact that Reputation Hearts don't just serve as another form of XP, but also act as a currency, allowing you to purchase some exclusive items in the store (think Social Points in the Sims Social). The Large Trough costs 5 Reputation Hearts, which you earned from visiting Duke above. You'll receive 500 coins, 4 XP and a bag of Animal Treats for finishing this quest.
A Noble Beginning
Place 5 Rubble Walls to enhance your Castle
Get your Castle to Level 10 so you can explore
As you build your castle, you'll need to venture out into the Gloom, or the dark gray areas that surround your kingdom. Exploring the gloom is the same thing as "land expansions" here, but you'll need to level up your castle itself (not your in-game character) to be able to explore further and further out into the Gloom. As the Gloom is inhabited by all sorts of nasty Beasties, you'll need more and more defenses in your kingdom to allow for further exploration. While your kingdom starts at a level of 6, purchasing those 5 Rubble Walls from the store (each costs 200 coins, and is found under the "Decor" section) will get you up to level 11. You'll receive 250 coins and 3 XP for finishing this quest.
Into the Gloom
Rescue Rafael from the Gloom
You will have already been shown Rafael's location on the map, as you can see his silhouette on the right side of your Kingdom. To explore that section of the Gloom, or expand your land, you'll need to simply click on this square to see a pop-up showing you the requirements to do so. You'll need the aforementioned Level 10 castle, along with two Crystals and 1000 coins, which you already have on hand. You'll receive 250 coins, 3 XP and another Crystal for completing this quest. You'll also receive that new chunk of land to expand your kingdom into automatically. Rafael will also become a potential citizen in your kingdom.
From Gloom to Bloom
Place 5 Flowers
Feed 3 Animals
Clear 2 Rocks
This quest is pretty straightforward, and will likely be representative of further quests we'll receive in the game. Flowers can be purchased from the game's store (Passion Flowers, for instance, cost 200 coins each), while, again, you'll just need to wait for the yellow arrows to appear above animals' heads to know that they're ready to be fed. Chickens are ready to be fed once every nine minutes, for the sake of argument, or you could also purchase new animals from the store for instant progress (but more expense). For the rock requirement, some rocks take eight energy to remove, while others require just four. Keep that in mind if you're looking to save energy. you'll earn 500 coins and 4 XP for finishing off this quest.
Good Foundations
Place the house foundation for your new subject
Build Rafael's House to add him to your kingdom
Tax Rafael's House
As we said above, once you venture out into the Gloom for the first time, you'll come back with a new character - Rafael, the Romancer - who needs a place to live. You've been given his home, just as you were given Yvette's, and can place the base where you'd like. You'll need eight each of Stones and Wood Logs to finish his home, so just go mine some rocks and chop into enough trees to be able to finish its construction. After you've completed Rafael's Home, you'll be able to immediately collect its taxes, thus finishing this 10th quest in the game, and giving you 500 coins and 4 XP. For the record, you can collect further taxes from Rafael's House every 30 minutes.
And there you have it! A complete guide to what to expect from the first 10 quests, and the first three levels of Zynga's new Facebook game CastleVille. From this point, you'll be introduced to even more characters - like Alistair, a powerful wizard - and more Beasties like wild wolves. You'll be able to continue to build up your castle in size and defenses, and visit your friends to share in on the fun. Make sure to keep checking back with us as we bright you continued coverage surrounding Zynga's new game, but for now, why not try out CastleVille for yourself? Also, if you need neighbors, remember to add yourself on our Add Me page to find new friends fast!
Play CastleVille on Facebook -->
Have you tried CastleVille on Facebook yet? What do you think of Zynga's newest Facebook game?
CastleVille starts with you being allowed to customize your avatar (choosing gender, facial / hair features, clothing and color) and then introduces you to Duke, your computer-controlled neighbor, and Yvette, your kingdom's first citizen. They're being attacked by Gloom Rats, a kind of Beastie that has become a drain on the land. Duke rules the kingdom next to yours, and he offers you this spot of land to create your own kingdom. First things first, Yvette wants to actually place some roots in your town, so you'll need to give her a place to live. And so begins your first quest in CastleVille.
Raise the Roof
Find a good location and place Yvette's House
Gather materials to build the house
Build Yvette's house to add her to your kingdom
Yvette's House (well, the base of it anyway) is found in your inventory, the small rucksack in the bottom right corner of the gameplay screen. For this quest, the game will automatically highlight the item in your inventory, but all other buildings will be found manually in the "Buildings" tab of your inventory proper. Once you've placed the base, you'll need to collect five each of Stones and Wood Logs to build it. Stones come from mining the various rocks or rock piles that sit on your land, while Wood Logs come from chopping trees. Note that there is no requirement to ask your friends for anything here; the 10 items can be gathered by yourself. Gather those 10 items and you'll complete Yvette's House, thus completing this quest and opening up the ability to claim coins in taxes every so often from the home. You'll also receive 500 gold (coins) and 4 experience points for finishing the quest.
Sticks and Stones
Gather 5 Wood Logs by chopping Trees
Gather 5 Stones by mining Rocks
As soon as you receive the quest above, to build Yvette's house, Duke will come around with a quest of his own, which is a redundant one, asking you to collect the same building materials for Yvette's house as you were already planning to. To be specific, you'll complete both this quest and Yvette's home with the same 10 materials, so this just serves as a bonus opportunity for experience points. You'll receive 250 gold and 3 experience points for finishing this quest.
Penny Pinching
Tax Yvette's House for coins
As soon as you finish building Yvette's home, it will instantly be ready to be taxed - how convenient! Click on it to receive some coins in tax, and to finish this quest, giving you 250 coins and 3 XP. You can tax Yvette's House once every 30 minutes from there on in.
Get Plucky
Buy 4 Chickens
Feed 4 Chickens
This quest must be activated manually by clicking on Yvette. Chickens are available in the game's market (the cornucopia symbol in the bottom right corner of the gameplay screen), under the Nature tab (the evergreen tree). Each chicken costs 250 coins, and they're relatively free roaming, once you place them on your land. A yellow arrow will appear above an animal's head when they're ready to be fed (think of the system in Pioneer Trail), and you can simply click on these four chickens immediately after you've purchased them to feed them. You'll earn 500 coins and 4 XP for finishing this quest.
Visiting Heirs
Visit your new neighbor the Duke
Banish the invading Beastie
Earn 5 Reputation by helping your new neighbor
You'll be forced to Duke's kingdom as part of the in-game tutorial, and once there, will need to kill a Gloom Rat that has invaded. You'll be able to spend five friend-visit energy in your neighbors' kingdoms each time you visit to earn reputation hearts, so while you're here, go ahead and click on some animals or buildings to earn five hearts for this quest. You'll receive 500 coins and 4XP for finishing this quest. At this point, if you've followed our guide and haven't strayed, you should reach Level 3.
No Bull
Buy 2 Cows
Feed 2 Cows in your Kingdom
Spend Reputation Hearts to buy a Large Trough for your thirsty animals
Cows can be purchased from the market in the same way that you purchased the Chickens above. Each cow costs 750 coins, but so long as you haven't ventured away from the guide and spent everything, you'll have more than enough coins at this point to purchase two. Again, these animals are ready to feed instantly, so look for the yellow arrows on their heads, and click on them to feed. For the Large Trough, you'll be introduced to the fact that Reputation Hearts don't just serve as another form of XP, but also act as a currency, allowing you to purchase some exclusive items in the store (think Social Points in the Sims Social). The Large Trough costs 5 Reputation Hearts, which you earned from visiting Duke above. You'll receive 500 coins, 4 XP and a bag of Animal Treats for finishing this quest.
A Noble Beginning
Place 5 Rubble Walls to enhance your Castle
Get your Castle to Level 10 so you can explore
As you build your castle, you'll need to venture out into the Gloom, or the dark gray areas that surround your kingdom. Exploring the gloom is the same thing as "land expansions" here, but you'll need to level up your castle itself (not your in-game character) to be able to explore further and further out into the Gloom. As the Gloom is inhabited by all sorts of nasty Beasties, you'll need more and more defenses in your kingdom to allow for further exploration. While your kingdom starts at a level of 6, purchasing those 5 Rubble Walls from the store (each costs 200 coins, and is found under the "Decor" section) will get you up to level 11. You'll receive 250 coins and 3 XP for finishing this quest.
Into the Gloom
Rescue Rafael from the Gloom
You will have already been shown Rafael's location on the map, as you can see his silhouette on the right side of your Kingdom. To explore that section of the Gloom, or expand your land, you'll need to simply click on this square to see a pop-up showing you the requirements to do so. You'll need the aforementioned Level 10 castle, along with two Crystals and 1000 coins, which you already have on hand. You'll receive 250 coins, 3 XP and another Crystal for completing this quest. You'll also receive that new chunk of land to expand your kingdom into automatically. Rafael will also become a potential citizen in your kingdom.
From Gloom to Bloom
Place 5 Flowers
Feed 3 Animals
Clear 2 Rocks
This quest is pretty straightforward, and will likely be representative of further quests we'll receive in the game. Flowers can be purchased from the game's store (Passion Flowers, for instance, cost 200 coins each), while, again, you'll just need to wait for the yellow arrows to appear above animals' heads to know that they're ready to be fed. Chickens are ready to be fed once every nine minutes, for the sake of argument, or you could also purchase new animals from the store for instant progress (but more expense). For the rock requirement, some rocks take eight energy to remove, while others require just four. Keep that in mind if you're looking to save energy. you'll earn 500 coins and 4 XP for finishing off this quest.
Good Foundations
Place the house foundation for your new subject
Build Rafael's House to add him to your kingdom
Tax Rafael's House
As we said above, once you venture out into the Gloom for the first time, you'll come back with a new character - Rafael, the Romancer - who needs a place to live. You've been given his home, just as you were given Yvette's, and can place the base where you'd like. You'll need eight each of Stones and Wood Logs to finish his home, so just go mine some rocks and chop into enough trees to be able to finish its construction. After you've completed Rafael's Home, you'll be able to immediately collect its taxes, thus finishing this 10th quest in the game, and giving you 500 coins and 4 XP. For the record, you can collect further taxes from Rafael's House every 30 minutes.
And there you have it! A complete guide to what to expect from the first 10 quests, and the first three levels of Zynga's new Facebook game CastleVille. From this point, you'll be introduced to even more characters - like Alistair, a powerful wizard - and more Beasties like wild wolves. You'll be able to continue to build up your castle in size and defenses, and visit your friends to share in on the fun. Make sure to keep checking back with us as we bright you continued coverage surrounding Zynga's new game, but for now, why not try out CastleVille for yourself? Also, if you need neighbors, remember to add yourself on our Add Me page to find new friends fast!
Play CastleVille on Facebook -->
Have you tried CastleVille on Facebook yet? What do you think of Zynga's newest Facebook game?
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