Facebook has been going down, then coming back up and then down again -- for the second day in a row. There were reports of a similar outage yesterday, which was blamed on a "third party networking provider."
If you desperately need a FarmVille Fix, you can point your browser to FarmVille.com instead, which seems to be working just fine.
facvebook slow or unavailable twitter
Update (4:12 p.m.): Facebook Twitter post says the social network "maybe be slow or unavailable for some people because of site issues."
Update (5:45 p.m.): Facebook is back (for now) - you may resume your regular farming activities. For those of you worried about your virtual farms, crop withering and puppy hunger was turned off during the down time.
Earn Money from Home
Showing posts with label Facebook games. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Facebook games. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Warimals brings the browser-based war of cats vs dogs to Facebook
Rocket Pack, the creators of Warimals have brought what was once just a browser-based game detailing the "only war that ever mattered", the one between cats and dogs, to Facebook. You'll play the game by choosing your side - whether you'd like to be a Cat and fight the Dogs, or vice versa. Choice made, you'll be allowed to customize your in-game avatar, or "General" in your army from a selection of options, and will be able to jump head-first into the fight for dominance over the enemy species.
Gameplay itself begins by being informed that the enemy has stolen your backyard, and you need to reclaim it. For the sake of the argument, I chose to side with the Cats, so your own experience may look a bit different if you choose to play. This portion serves as the tutorial, getting you up to speed about the game, and ends with you reclaiming the backyard as your own home base.
As Warimals truly is about fighting a war against the enemy, you'll be able to enter into battles by choosing your units (up to four per battle to start) and then sending an all-out-attack on the enemy fortifications. Battles take energy to start, which refills over time. Once in a battle, you'll click on your units' pictures to send them into the battle.
Battles are waged in a "tower defense" fashion against other real world players, with most involving a set path that your troops can walk on, that the enemy has defended with various military equipment - in this case troops of their own, or even mouse traps or beehives (and other wacky items). They can even place buildings that spawn new troops over time. Once your army comes upon an enemy unit, or even just a building, they will automatically begin to attack, slowly draining the life bar of the item until the enemy is defeated.
You'll gain cookies for your victories, with cookies being the main currency in the game. You'll use these Cookies to add defensive and offensive items to your own backyard. In this way, you'll be required to continue fighting the enemy in order to earn supplies that can be used to defend your base.
There are also quests that you'll complete over time by simply playing the game. These can be anything from placing a certain defensive item in your backyard, or attacking a certain number of enemies. These quests will reward you typically with more cookies, experience points, and even items you can put in your backyard.
As you level up, you'll gain the ability to attack certain bosses, and if you win, you can claim their land for yourself (this land will have a different design, and a different path for your troops to defend). Of course, bosses will typically be a higher level than you are, and they won't just let you walk into their land without a fight, so you'll need to prepare for battle before sending your troops in. Once you move to a new Backyard, the items in your current base will be added to your inventory, so you don't lose anything in the process.
As Warimals is still in its Alpha state, you may have to fight some bugs, along with fighting either cats or dogs, but the game looks to have a lot of polish and replayability, which is something every Facebook game definitely needs.
If you'd like to start your own war against cats or dogs, head over to the Warimals page on Facebook.
Gameplay itself begins by being informed that the enemy has stolen your backyard, and you need to reclaim it. For the sake of the argument, I chose to side with the Cats, so your own experience may look a bit different if you choose to play. This portion serves as the tutorial, getting you up to speed about the game, and ends with you reclaiming the backyard as your own home base.
As Warimals truly is about fighting a war against the enemy, you'll be able to enter into battles by choosing your units (up to four per battle to start) and then sending an all-out-attack on the enemy fortifications. Battles take energy to start, which refills over time. Once in a battle, you'll click on your units' pictures to send them into the battle.
Battles are waged in a "tower defense" fashion against other real world players, with most involving a set path that your troops can walk on, that the enemy has defended with various military equipment - in this case troops of their own, or even mouse traps or beehives (and other wacky items). They can even place buildings that spawn new troops over time. Once your army comes upon an enemy unit, or even just a building, they will automatically begin to attack, slowly draining the life bar of the item until the enemy is defeated.
You'll gain cookies for your victories, with cookies being the main currency in the game. You'll use these Cookies to add defensive and offensive items to your own backyard. In this way, you'll be required to continue fighting the enemy in order to earn supplies that can be used to defend your base.
There are also quests that you'll complete over time by simply playing the game. These can be anything from placing a certain defensive item in your backyard, or attacking a certain number of enemies. These quests will reward you typically with more cookies, experience points, and even items you can put in your backyard.
As you level up, you'll gain the ability to attack certain bosses, and if you win, you can claim their land for yourself (this land will have a different design, and a different path for your troops to defend). Of course, bosses will typically be a higher level than you are, and they won't just let you walk into their land without a fight, so you'll need to prepare for battle before sending your troops in. Once you move to a new Backyard, the items in your current base will be added to your inventory, so you don't lose anything in the process.
As Warimals is still in its Alpha state, you may have to fight some bugs, along with fighting either cats or dogs, but the game looks to have a lot of polish and replayability, which is something every Facebook game definitely needs.
If you'd like to start your own war against cats or dogs, head over to the Warimals page on Facebook.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Lord of the Rings arrives on Facebook with Aragorn's Quest advergame
Lord of the Rings advergame
Before making the journey to various consoles and handheld gaming systems, Aragorn will take his quest to Facebook in a social adventure... of sorts. To help create some buzz of his next adventure in The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, Warner Bros. have created a small (alright, it's minuscule) Facebook game for fans to enter. Players can take four of their friends along for the ride, filling the roles of The Wizard, The Hobbit, The Dwarf and The Elf. (If you can't figure out who they represent, then you must be new to this.)
After choosing a friend for each role, well, that's it really. The only purpose this serves is to enter you and your friends into the various contests that will take place on the game's fan page. Though, you can make alternate teams with more of your friends to increase your chances of winning the grand prize, a massive prize pack including an HDTV, a Sony Playstation 3 with MOVE motion controller starter pack and a copy of The Lord of The Rings: Aragorn's Quest.
All in all, it's a pretty big let down and a horribly missed opportunity at crafting what could have been an epic Facebok adventure. What's even worse is this sweepstakes is only open to our friends across the pond in the U.K., but at least Lord of the Rings fans across the globe can play the advergame and mark their friends as either Gandalf, Samwise, Legolas or Gimli in weekly quests. (Though, it seems somewhat wasteful at that point, really.) Act quickly, our British friends, as your journey for the grand prize will end on Jan. 14.
Before making the journey to various consoles and handheld gaming systems, Aragorn will take his quest to Facebook in a social adventure... of sorts. To help create some buzz of his next adventure in The Lord of the Rings: Aragorn's Quest, Warner Bros. have created a small (alright, it's minuscule) Facebook game for fans to enter. Players can take four of their friends along for the ride, filling the roles of The Wizard, The Hobbit, The Dwarf and The Elf. (If you can't figure out who they represent, then you must be new to this.)
After choosing a friend for each role, well, that's it really. The only purpose this serves is to enter you and your friends into the various contests that will take place on the game's fan page. Though, you can make alternate teams with more of your friends to increase your chances of winning the grand prize, a massive prize pack including an HDTV, a Sony Playstation 3 with MOVE motion controller starter pack and a copy of The Lord of The Rings: Aragorn's Quest.
All in all, it's a pretty big let down and a horribly missed opportunity at crafting what could have been an epic Facebok adventure. What's even worse is this sweepstakes is only open to our friends across the pond in the U.K., but at least Lord of the Rings fans across the globe can play the advergame and mark their friends as either Gandalf, Samwise, Legolas or Gimli in weekly quests. (Though, it seems somewhat wasteful at that point, really.) Act quickly, our British friends, as your journey for the grand prize will end on Jan. 14.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Facebook games move to Requests 2.0, or one-click requests, next year
The FarmVille fans are just gonna' love this one. Facebook announced that Requests 2.0, a feature that will allow users to opt into one-click requests in their favorite Facebook games with specific friends, will become the standard starting Jan. 1, 2012. The upcoming change was announced on the Facebook Developers Blog, but don't fret just yet, privacy watchdogs.
Actually, this feature already exists on Facebook in games like EA and Playfish's The Sims Social. We're all familiar with the pop-ups that require us to click "Share" in order to send direct requests to our friends, but you may have noticed some with a checked box and a message that reads, "Don't ask again before sending requests to Joe Shmoe from this app." While perhaps the box shouldn't already be checked, removing the check will force Facebook to continue requesting for your permission.
Honestly, after Facebooks' Mark Zuckerberg revealed at the annual f8 Conference that games will automatically post certain data to the new universal Ticker, it's hard not to wonder why players would be scared of a feature like this. This change is much different than Zynga's approach, which essentially makes all sharing automatic and barred players from choosing who to send what items. Requests 2.0 gives players to option to activate automatic sharing with whomever they want on an individual basis.
Facebook Games Platform developer Derek Brandao then revealed how this new change--that will remove support for the old requests model come Jan. 1, 2012--could make Facebook game requests much faster for players. Brandao then starts speaking developer, to which many of your eyes (including mine) will begin to glaze over.
This change doesn't seem to affect public game shares like "I need 17 pickles in FarmVille," but could make sharing between friends much smoother. Giving players the choice to opt out of the feature protects Facebook somewhat from anti-privacy claims, but there's still something about Facebook reporting on every game we play that's just a tiny bit disconcerting.
Actually, this feature already exists on Facebook in games like EA and Playfish's The Sims Social. We're all familiar with the pop-ups that require us to click "Share" in order to send direct requests to our friends, but you may have noticed some with a checked box and a message that reads, "Don't ask again before sending requests to Joe Shmoe from this app." While perhaps the box shouldn't already be checked, removing the check will force Facebook to continue requesting for your permission.
Honestly, after Facebooks' Mark Zuckerberg revealed at the annual f8 Conference that games will automatically post certain data to the new universal Ticker, it's hard not to wonder why players would be scared of a feature like this. This change is much different than Zynga's approach, which essentially makes all sharing automatic and barred players from choosing who to send what items. Requests 2.0 gives players to option to activate automatic sharing with whomever they want on an individual basis.
Facebook Games Platform developer Derek Brandao then revealed how this new change--that will remove support for the old requests model come Jan. 1, 2012--could make Facebook game requests much faster for players. Brandao then starts speaking developer, to which many of your eyes (including mine) will begin to glaze over.
This change doesn't seem to affect public game shares like "I need 17 pickles in FarmVille," but could make sharing between friends much smoother. Giving players the choice to opt out of the feature protects Facebook somewhat from anti-privacy claims, but there's still something about Facebook reporting on every game we play that's just a tiny bit disconcerting.
Scott Steinberg: Facebook could be in music games' future [Interview]
"It was too many games in too short a time, playing to too niche of an audience at too high a price--in the middle of the worst recession possible." According to technology analyst and public speaker Scott Steinberg, this was what essentially killed the enormous music gaming franchises, Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The age of sitting around your living room with three friends, plucking and fiddling with plastic instruments to Rush's Tom Sawyer is all but over ... for now.
Well, at least those exorbitant pieces of plastic are through. Steinberg details the rise, fall, and imminent resurrection of music-based video games in his new novel, "Music Games Rock: Rhythm Gaming's Greatest Hits of All Time," which you can read for free right here. (If you're so inclined to support the guy, it's also available on iBooks, Kindle and in paperback.)
According to Steinberg, music games inspired by Guitar Hero and Rock Band's wild success will get their second shot in the limelight on Facebook and in your smartphones. We recently sat down with Steinberg to hear his thoughts on just how Facebook games can take advantage of this golden opportunity, why it hasn't happened just yet and what the killer Facebook music game might be like.
What advantages would you say social games have to capitalize on the downfall of music games?
There's a number of advantages, right? Free-to-play and incredibly low barriers to entry. You certainly don't have high-end system requirements, and you don't have to buy pricey plastic peripherals. They can tap into your existing music collection or stream it live, and you have millions of players connected to a platform that's uniform.
You don't have to worry, for the most part, about bugs or errors, because everybody is playing the same thing at the same time. So, what you have is a ready made audience, say, on Facebook alone of 800 million people who are incredibly connected. [They] used to playing with one another and are taking part in a platform that's uniquely tailor-made to take advantage of digital music--and oh, by the way, it's completely free to play.
When you take it in this context, coupled with the fact that every human being on this planet is hardwired to enjoy music, that really is the common unifier. Social games really are uniquely poised to take the genre to the next level.
Music Games RockIn your book, you mention that the music genre has enjoyed a revival on social networks through Facebook games like Nightclub City and Dirty Dancing--largely simulator games. But what about games that more closely resemble the now-defunct rhythm games like Pump It? Which of the two do you think has a better chance at thriving on Facebook?
Actually, I would argue that some of the better ones that have a chance of surviving may not even be traditional games at all. Look at a service like Turntable.fm: Wouldn't consider it a game per se, except it's powered completely by gamification elements. You're creating custom play lists, you're interacting with other players in a social environment and ultimately you're competing for the approval of other users by liking the songs.
Or, if you look at other games like YooStar Playground or apps like VidRhythm--these are the titles that are to do particularly well. That said, simulation titles [have a] strong audience for them and proven capability, and certainly because that's where so many games got their roots [on Facebook]. There's likely to be a lot of people interested. I've even seen a number of unreleased games that are in prototype that essentially allow you to take on the role of managing or performing in a rock band--I think they're uniquely well-suited.
I think what's not going to translate over well is simply the standard tap in time with the on-screen indicator type games. Though, these can continue to succeed on mobile platforms, because in the mobile context you're typically looking to play maybe with one hand in a span of five or six minutes. Whereas social games may only be a 15-minute spurt, you're sitting down in front of a PC and you're typically more engaged.
There are some music creation social games on the fringe already, like BreakOutBand, that rely on players to share content to succeed. How important would that be in a social game centered around music?
I think user-created content, as it relates to social games, is massively important, because at the end of the day the developers can only take a game so far. And it's the players' ability to interact with and reshape that music or related content that really creates a sense of community, and allows a title to constantly keep feeling fresh and people coming back for more.
It's essentially a win-win, because for the developer it's a very affordable way to keep adding content to the game and keep people talking about it, and coming back after weeks and weeks. Players aren't constrained by office politics, licensing issues, and--to be frank--everybody loves to mix and mash creations.
But how much of that is going to be super-high quality, or chart-topping hits shall we say, versus underground little diddies? This is social interaction at its core, right? So, if you don't have that level of user interactivity, at the end of the day what you have is essentially a game with a bunch of canned content. And not much reason--unless it's saying you need to recruit other players to earn money for your band or unlock new stuff--there's not much incentive to pass it along.
A good amount of music games already exist on Facebook, but none are taking off like music games did before the turn of the decade. What do you think it would take for a music-based social game to enjoy success and notoriety like Guitar Hero?
You need to have a concept with extremely wide appeal that allows players to enjoy rock star wish fulfillment in a matter of minutes without the painful side effects. What also is important is to have recognizable band scenarios, you know, licensed music. But also the ability for players to put their own spin on it and a reason for them to engage with one another.
The problem is, to succeed on social networks where you literally have thousands of titles competing, dozens of them coming out every single week--all of which are completely free to play versus Guitar Hero, which was completely brand new. To have that success on Facebook or another social network, I almost think what you're going to see is a title that's going to have to align itself with Spotify or another one of these streaming services to tap into a massive database of real-world artists and then finds new ways for you to interact with that music.
Dirty Dancing Facebook game
Back to the branded music games like Dirty Dancing (pictured). As you know, they're reaching critical mass, so what do you think is the likelihood of a monster brand like Guitar Hero or Rock Band appearing on Facebook?
Oh, it's a certainty. It's not a question of 'if,' but just a question of 'when.' I think a lot of that is because the game makers aren't unawares. Activision, Harmonix, Mad Catz: They understand the power of social networks as a platform. The problem is that their business has been thus far founded in either selling peripherals--good mark up on those plastic guitars--or selling software for 60 bucks a pop.
They haven't had as much incentive to scurry and think, 'How do we make a free-to-play platform where we're probably going to make a lot less money in the immediate?' But slowly and surely, as so many game players are migrating to these platforms, convenience is winning. It's almost as if they're being forced to acknowledge it. It's a completely new approach to game design--Wal-Mart's not going to order a million units. They'll embrace it; it's just a question of 'when.'
Try to describe your dream music-based Facebook game to me. In other words, what do you think would be the ultimate approach to a music game on Facebook?
The ultimate Facebook music game would not only be able to tap into your full library of digital music, but also stream millions of songs on demand. [It would] allow you to set up on stage custom concerts for your friends, featuring this music or original music you created. [You would] style your avatars, build your own bands, create your own followings, sell your own virtual merchandise and connect over shared love of music with millions of players across the world.
It would effectively recreate the rock and recording industry experience, only in a virtual setting. What I mean is a combo listening service, social network, slash simulation game that effectively allows you to build a rock band and recording industry career from the ground up. I don't see any reason why you couldn't create avatars for your band--it's own look, logo, virtual stickers, t-shirts. You could buy branded gear like Gibson's or Marshall's, earn cash from touring, build your own virtual labels. I don't see any reason why a platform wouldn't be able to break new artists.
Well, at least those exorbitant pieces of plastic are through. Steinberg details the rise, fall, and imminent resurrection of music-based video games in his new novel, "Music Games Rock: Rhythm Gaming's Greatest Hits of All Time," which you can read for free right here. (If you're so inclined to support the guy, it's also available on iBooks, Kindle and in paperback.)
According to Steinberg, music games inspired by Guitar Hero and Rock Band's wild success will get their second shot in the limelight on Facebook and in your smartphones. We recently sat down with Steinberg to hear his thoughts on just how Facebook games can take advantage of this golden opportunity, why it hasn't happened just yet and what the killer Facebook music game might be like.
What advantages would you say social games have to capitalize on the downfall of music games?
There's a number of advantages, right? Free-to-play and incredibly low barriers to entry. You certainly don't have high-end system requirements, and you don't have to buy pricey plastic peripherals. They can tap into your existing music collection or stream it live, and you have millions of players connected to a platform that's uniform.
You don't have to worry, for the most part, about bugs or errors, because everybody is playing the same thing at the same time. So, what you have is a ready made audience, say, on Facebook alone of 800 million people who are incredibly connected. [They] used to playing with one another and are taking part in a platform that's uniquely tailor-made to take advantage of digital music--and oh, by the way, it's completely free to play.
When you take it in this context, coupled with the fact that every human being on this planet is hardwired to enjoy music, that really is the common unifier. Social games really are uniquely poised to take the genre to the next level.
Music Games RockIn your book, you mention that the music genre has enjoyed a revival on social networks through Facebook games like Nightclub City and Dirty Dancing--largely simulator games. But what about games that more closely resemble the now-defunct rhythm games like Pump It? Which of the two do you think has a better chance at thriving on Facebook?
Actually, I would argue that some of the better ones that have a chance of surviving may not even be traditional games at all. Look at a service like Turntable.fm: Wouldn't consider it a game per se, except it's powered completely by gamification elements. You're creating custom play lists, you're interacting with other players in a social environment and ultimately you're competing for the approval of other users by liking the songs.
Or, if you look at other games like YooStar Playground or apps like VidRhythm--these are the titles that are to do particularly well. That said, simulation titles [have a] strong audience for them and proven capability, and certainly because that's where so many games got their roots [on Facebook]. There's likely to be a lot of people interested. I've even seen a number of unreleased games that are in prototype that essentially allow you to take on the role of managing or performing in a rock band--I think they're uniquely well-suited.
I think what's not going to translate over well is simply the standard tap in time with the on-screen indicator type games. Though, these can continue to succeed on mobile platforms, because in the mobile context you're typically looking to play maybe with one hand in a span of five or six minutes. Whereas social games may only be a 15-minute spurt, you're sitting down in front of a PC and you're typically more engaged.
There are some music creation social games on the fringe already, like BreakOutBand, that rely on players to share content to succeed. How important would that be in a social game centered around music?
I think user-created content, as it relates to social games, is massively important, because at the end of the day the developers can only take a game so far. And it's the players' ability to interact with and reshape that music or related content that really creates a sense of community, and allows a title to constantly keep feeling fresh and people coming back for more.
It's essentially a win-win, because for the developer it's a very affordable way to keep adding content to the game and keep people talking about it, and coming back after weeks and weeks. Players aren't constrained by office politics, licensing issues, and--to be frank--everybody loves to mix and mash creations.
But how much of that is going to be super-high quality, or chart-topping hits shall we say, versus underground little diddies? This is social interaction at its core, right? So, if you don't have that level of user interactivity, at the end of the day what you have is essentially a game with a bunch of canned content. And not much reason--unless it's saying you need to recruit other players to earn money for your band or unlock new stuff--there's not much incentive to pass it along.
A good amount of music games already exist on Facebook, but none are taking off like music games did before the turn of the decade. What do you think it would take for a music-based social game to enjoy success and notoriety like Guitar Hero?
You need to have a concept with extremely wide appeal that allows players to enjoy rock star wish fulfillment in a matter of minutes without the painful side effects. What also is important is to have recognizable band scenarios, you know, licensed music. But also the ability for players to put their own spin on it and a reason for them to engage with one another.
The problem is, to succeed on social networks where you literally have thousands of titles competing, dozens of them coming out every single week--all of which are completely free to play versus Guitar Hero, which was completely brand new. To have that success on Facebook or another social network, I almost think what you're going to see is a title that's going to have to align itself with Spotify or another one of these streaming services to tap into a massive database of real-world artists and then finds new ways for you to interact with that music.
Dirty Dancing Facebook game
Back to the branded music games like Dirty Dancing (pictured). As you know, they're reaching critical mass, so what do you think is the likelihood of a monster brand like Guitar Hero or Rock Band appearing on Facebook?
Oh, it's a certainty. It's not a question of 'if,' but just a question of 'when.' I think a lot of that is because the game makers aren't unawares. Activision, Harmonix, Mad Catz: They understand the power of social networks as a platform. The problem is that their business has been thus far founded in either selling peripherals--good mark up on those plastic guitars--or selling software for 60 bucks a pop.
They haven't had as much incentive to scurry and think, 'How do we make a free-to-play platform where we're probably going to make a lot less money in the immediate?' But slowly and surely, as so many game players are migrating to these platforms, convenience is winning. It's almost as if they're being forced to acknowledge it. It's a completely new approach to game design--Wal-Mart's not going to order a million units. They'll embrace it; it's just a question of 'when.'
Try to describe your dream music-based Facebook game to me. In other words, what do you think would be the ultimate approach to a music game on Facebook?
The ultimate Facebook music game would not only be able to tap into your full library of digital music, but also stream millions of songs on demand. [It would] allow you to set up on stage custom concerts for your friends, featuring this music or original music you created. [You would] style your avatars, build your own bands, create your own followings, sell your own virtual merchandise and connect over shared love of music with millions of players across the world.
It would effectively recreate the rock and recording industry experience, only in a virtual setting. What I mean is a combo listening service, social network, slash simulation game that effectively allows you to build a rock band and recording industry career from the ground up. I don't see any reason why you couldn't create avatars for your band--it's own look, logo, virtual stickers, t-shirts. You could buy branded gear like Gibson's or Marshall's, earn cash from touring, build your own virtual labels. I don't see any reason why a platform wouldn't be able to break new artists.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Chess Attack on Facebook: Refreshing, but rushed approach to a classic
Chess Attack
Classic board games are so easy to create on Facebook. I can't imagine how many renditions of tic-tac-toe, checkers and Mahjong there are on the website much less chess. That's why developer Sweet Robot and publisher Funcom decided to mix things up a bit with Chess Attack on Facebook. By shrinking the playing field from an 8x8 to a 6x6 grid, Sweet Robot has made for a much faster-paced version of the iconic board game. However, games tend to feel too rushed for such a thinker as chess--games will automatically end in a draw if a checkmate isn't reached in enough time.
Find out of Chess Attack makes the right moves after the break.
Aside from the change to the game board, Chess Attack is essentially chess on Facebook, so there's no need to get into all of the rules. Admittedly, it must be tough to make a game of chess interesting in a social game format, but Sweet Robot pulls it off with smooth animations and a slew of cosmetic features. Note the word "cosmetic." Thankfully, the developer didn't get too crazy with paid transactions and limited them to new chess sets and game boards.
Chess Attack gameplay
While players can practice with the AI opponent set to "Easy" "Standard" and "Difficult," the core of Chess Attack is competing with other players in real time. Unfortunately, the game launched today, so it's going to be a rough time finding opponents for a little while. (As of this writing, the game has just over 600 users.) From playing both against the AI and real players, you will advance in level and earn coins for every move made on the board. Your level doesn't serve much of a purpose aside from making proper matchmaking simple. The coins, of course, will be used to buy new items in the shop. There is also a list of achievements, or "Medals," to considering when playing Chess Attack, which also unlock new items in the shop.
Chess Master for Facebook is one fine social game. Thanks to real time gameplay and a 6x6 game board, this game is an interesting take on what could have been a yawn-inducing, standard chess game. However, the game tends to rush players through in respect of time, which is not good new for amateurs like myself. Not to mention that finding real people to play with at the moment is a challenge given the fact that Chess Attack just launched. If you want to see an inventive take on chess take off on Facebook, spread the word and give that AI opponent a whipping for me in the meantime. Seriously, it beats me every time.
Classic board games are so easy to create on Facebook. I can't imagine how many renditions of tic-tac-toe, checkers and Mahjong there are on the website much less chess. That's why developer Sweet Robot and publisher Funcom decided to mix things up a bit with Chess Attack on Facebook. By shrinking the playing field from an 8x8 to a 6x6 grid, Sweet Robot has made for a much faster-paced version of the iconic board game. However, games tend to feel too rushed for such a thinker as chess--games will automatically end in a draw if a checkmate isn't reached in enough time.
Find out of Chess Attack makes the right moves after the break.
Aside from the change to the game board, Chess Attack is essentially chess on Facebook, so there's no need to get into all of the rules. Admittedly, it must be tough to make a game of chess interesting in a social game format, but Sweet Robot pulls it off with smooth animations and a slew of cosmetic features. Note the word "cosmetic." Thankfully, the developer didn't get too crazy with paid transactions and limited them to new chess sets and game boards.
Chess Attack gameplay
While players can practice with the AI opponent set to "Easy" "Standard" and "Difficult," the core of Chess Attack is competing with other players in real time. Unfortunately, the game launched today, so it's going to be a rough time finding opponents for a little while. (As of this writing, the game has just over 600 users.) From playing both against the AI and real players, you will advance in level and earn coins for every move made on the board. Your level doesn't serve much of a purpose aside from making proper matchmaking simple. The coins, of course, will be used to buy new items in the shop. There is also a list of achievements, or "Medals," to considering when playing Chess Attack, which also unlock new items in the shop.
Chess Master for Facebook is one fine social game. Thanks to real time gameplay and a 6x6 game board, this game is an interesting take on what could have been a yawn-inducing, standard chess game. However, the game tends to rush players through in respect of time, which is not good new for amateurs like myself. Not to mention that finding real people to play with at the moment is a challenge given the fact that Chess Attack just launched. If you want to see an inventive take on chess take off on Facebook, spread the word and give that AI opponent a whipping for me in the meantime. Seriously, it beats me every time.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Take on the T.O.O.L. with Gun Bros on Facebook
Hit Point Studios and Glu Games' have officially launched Gun Bros on Facebook. For those that are unfamiliar, the Gun Bros are a pair of soliders with super powers and attitudes, and their outing on iOS has been viewed pretty favorably by both critics and with the general public). With this Facebook version, you'll get to jump into the established game world, where you'll need to combat the evil "Tyrannical Opressors of Life," or T.O.O.L. for short (clever, that).
The Facebook game drops you onto a mission map in outer space, where there is currently only one planet to explore (more will be added in the future; in fact, there are already place-holders for at least four more planets). This first planet is Cerberus Prime, a T.O.O.L. stronghold. You'll need to start a revolution on the planet, with each individual revolution being comprised of different levels or waves.
Once you start a level, you'll find that this isn't any ordinary Facebook game, as it's as action-oriented as they come. You'll have two control configurations to choose from, either moving your Gun Bros with the arrow keys or the WASD keys, as in many popular PC games. The mouse is used to fire your gun, and you can even use the Space Bar to auto-aim your weapon, if you're not used to this type of potentially hectic gameplay.
You'll be able to walk freely around the map, either shooting all manner of enemies directly, or shooting explosive canisters, causing large blasts that take out (or at least highly damage) anything in the surrounding area. Each kill earns you experience points and an element called "Xplodium," which is converted into coins after each level. As you level up, your Gun Bros will become stronger, receiving health boosts, and you'll also be able to unlock new items in the store.
For each wave, there will only be a certain number of enemies to defeat on the map. You might have to walk around the entire map to find them, though, as their spawn locations appear to be random. You'll earn more coins the longer you stay alive, via the Xplodium multiplier. Again, Xplodium is converted to coins, so you want as much as you can get. You can increase your rate of coin production even further at the actual Xplodium conversion screen, as you can either trade all Xplodium for the mineral's exact value in coins, or you can purchase better conversion pods, giving you, say, 120% of 150% in coins.
Items in the store include health refills, new guns, armor and power-ups (shields, instant damage items, etc.). Guns have damage ratings, while different pieces of armor (helmets, pants, vests and so on), each come with different defense stats, and can also have an affect on your attack and speed stats, either raising or lowering them. It's in finding the right balance of different stats that you'll have the best chance of surviving. Unfortunately, however, there seems to be a heavy reliance on Facebook Credits as a premium currency, as many of the most worthwhile armor items and guns cost real-world money to purchase.
In terms of social features, you can track your progress against your friends via the provided leaderboard, which shows off your overall level, and which wave you've reached in which particular Revolution. As of right now, there doesn't appear to be many other ways to interact with friends, other than simply inviting them to play the game altogether, but it will be interesting to see if a sort of co-op mode is added in the future, replacing the AI controlled Bros on screen with a real friend, or at least giving you a boost if you partner is represented by a real friend.
All told, the game's high production values show that Glu is serious about making Gun Bros. a success not only on iOS, but on Facebook as well. If you'd like to help them out, give this one a shot.
The Facebook game drops you onto a mission map in outer space, where there is currently only one planet to explore (more will be added in the future; in fact, there are already place-holders for at least four more planets). This first planet is Cerberus Prime, a T.O.O.L. stronghold. You'll need to start a revolution on the planet, with each individual revolution being comprised of different levels or waves.
Once you start a level, you'll find that this isn't any ordinary Facebook game, as it's as action-oriented as they come. You'll have two control configurations to choose from, either moving your Gun Bros with the arrow keys or the WASD keys, as in many popular PC games. The mouse is used to fire your gun, and you can even use the Space Bar to auto-aim your weapon, if you're not used to this type of potentially hectic gameplay.
You'll be able to walk freely around the map, either shooting all manner of enemies directly, or shooting explosive canisters, causing large blasts that take out (or at least highly damage) anything in the surrounding area. Each kill earns you experience points and an element called "Xplodium," which is converted into coins after each level. As you level up, your Gun Bros will become stronger, receiving health boosts, and you'll also be able to unlock new items in the store.
For each wave, there will only be a certain number of enemies to defeat on the map. You might have to walk around the entire map to find them, though, as their spawn locations appear to be random. You'll earn more coins the longer you stay alive, via the Xplodium multiplier. Again, Xplodium is converted to coins, so you want as much as you can get. You can increase your rate of coin production even further at the actual Xplodium conversion screen, as you can either trade all Xplodium for the mineral's exact value in coins, or you can purchase better conversion pods, giving you, say, 120% of 150% in coins.
Items in the store include health refills, new guns, armor and power-ups (shields, instant damage items, etc.). Guns have damage ratings, while different pieces of armor (helmets, pants, vests and so on), each come with different defense stats, and can also have an affect on your attack and speed stats, either raising or lowering them. It's in finding the right balance of different stats that you'll have the best chance of surviving. Unfortunately, however, there seems to be a heavy reliance on Facebook Credits as a premium currency, as many of the most worthwhile armor items and guns cost real-world money to purchase.
In terms of social features, you can track your progress against your friends via the provided leaderboard, which shows off your overall level, and which wave you've reached in which particular Revolution. As of right now, there doesn't appear to be many other ways to interact with friends, other than simply inviting them to play the game altogether, but it will be interesting to see if a sort of co-op mode is added in the future, replacing the AI controlled Bros on screen with a real friend, or at least giving you a boost if you partner is represented by a real friend.
All told, the game's high production values show that Glu is serious about making Gun Bros. a success not only on iOS, but on Facebook as well. If you'd like to help them out, give this one a shot.
Gnome-centric Facebook game Odd Manor coming soon - register for advance access
KingX Studios have announced that they will be bringing a new game to Facebook called Odd Manor. Seemingly inspired by the recent film Gnomio and Juliet (which sees garden gnomes taking on lives of their own, growing gardens, and causing all sorts of mischief), the game is called Odd Manor, and it will see players working their way through (to start) five "magical gardens filled with faeries, charmed plants, and mystical creatures."
According to a company press release, the game will ask players to solve the mystery of a missing uncle (whether this is an Uncle Gnome or a human that owns these Gnomes wasn't made clear) by creating their gardens and becoming masters of something called "botanical alchemy," a process that will apparently involve chemical reactions and imagination to create new plants.
What makes Odd Manor worth looking forward to, according to KingX Studios, is the fact that the game will apparently provide a "console game experience in a social media environment." Does this mean we'll navigate through a fully 3D environment, using the arrow keys to navigate and interact with other gnomes and plants? Or, will the game be more like an MMO, offering more menus than freedom of movement?
If you're looking to learn more about Odd Manor before it launches this Spring (an exact release date is unknown as of this writing), you can do so by heading over to the game's official website, where you can register for updates. This will also grant you access to exclusive items in the game and "other unique benefits."
We'll make sure to give you a full rundown of Odd Manor's final product, when the game launches on Facebook later this year, so keep checking back.
Is Odd Manor something that intrigues you enough to give it a try once it launches later this year? What do you think of a Gnome-themed Facebook game?
According to a company press release, the game will ask players to solve the mystery of a missing uncle (whether this is an Uncle Gnome or a human that owns these Gnomes wasn't made clear) by creating their gardens and becoming masters of something called "botanical alchemy," a process that will apparently involve chemical reactions and imagination to create new plants.
What makes Odd Manor worth looking forward to, according to KingX Studios, is the fact that the game will apparently provide a "console game experience in a social media environment." Does this mean we'll navigate through a fully 3D environment, using the arrow keys to navigate and interact with other gnomes and plants? Or, will the game be more like an MMO, offering more menus than freedom of movement?
If you're looking to learn more about Odd Manor before it launches this Spring (an exact release date is unknown as of this writing), you can do so by heading over to the game's official website, where you can register for updates. This will also grant you access to exclusive items in the game and "other unique benefits."
We'll make sure to give you a full rundown of Odd Manor's final product, when the game launches on Facebook later this year, so keep checking back.
Is Odd Manor something that intrigues you enough to give it a try once it launches later this year? What do you think of a Gnome-themed Facebook game?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Sims Social Tile Art: Just in case you didn't know that was R2D2
We'd say that looks like the beepin' boopin' droid if it were ever in an 8-bit game, wouldn't you? Well, it's not: It's in The Sims Social, and player SamRi has created R2D2 from the classic film we shouldn't even have to name Star Wars. In case you haven't been following, it's called Tile Art, and all the rage in EA and Playfish's hit Facebook game. Rather than craft a retro video game character from the social simulator's myriad tiles, as so many are wont to do, SamRi opted to pay homage to a retro film character.
In fact, perhaps one of the most cherished retro movie characters of all time. And just in case you might not recognize it, the creator went ahead and labeled his or her creation for you. (Do people that haven't seen Star Wars exist?) What's most amazing about SamRi's creation is that it's both terribly accurate and interpretive at the same time.
Sims Social Tile Art Link
Next up is Link from the Legend of Zelda series, and tile for tile (or pixel for pixel), player Yngven93's rendition is picture perfect. This version of Link looks like it comes from one of the Zelda games released on the original Game Boy, but with some holiday chic. While this piece is brilliantly accurate to the original, it could probably do without the outline of black tiles. Regardless, we're suddenly wishing we had never traded in that old Game Boy to Funcoland. There we go aging ourselves again.
[Via The Sims Social Fansite]
[Image Credits: SamRi, Yngven93]
Are you impressed by these pieces of The Sims Social Tile Art? What's the most incredible piece of player-made artwork you've seen in a Facebook game?
In fact, perhaps one of the most cherished retro movie characters of all time. And just in case you might not recognize it, the creator went ahead and labeled his or her creation for you. (Do people that haven't seen Star Wars exist?) What's most amazing about SamRi's creation is that it's both terribly accurate and interpretive at the same time.
Sims Social Tile Art Link
Next up is Link from the Legend of Zelda series, and tile for tile (or pixel for pixel), player Yngven93's rendition is picture perfect. This version of Link looks like it comes from one of the Zelda games released on the original Game Boy, but with some holiday chic. While this piece is brilliantly accurate to the original, it could probably do without the outline of black tiles. Regardless, we're suddenly wishing we had never traded in that old Game Boy to Funcoland. There we go aging ourselves again.
[Via The Sims Social Fansite]
[Image Credits: SamRi, Yngven93]
Are you impressed by these pieces of The Sims Social Tile Art? What's the most incredible piece of player-made artwork you've seen in a Facebook game?
Friday, December 23, 2011
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
Thursday, December 15, 2011
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?
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?
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?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
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?
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?
If Pawn Stars works on Facebook, Storage Wars will feel right at home
What the hey, let's throw Parking Wars on their too while we're at it--oh, never mind. It's official, folks: Now that Storage Wars has made it to Facebook after just a single season on A&E, reality TV has staked its claim in social gaming. The game based on the popular--though, we can't understand why--TV show hits Facebook today as the second season premieres tonight on A&E. (With Pawn Stars still kicking, this is A&E's second Facebook game.)
In Storage Wars on Facebook, players join animated versions of characters from the show in high-stakes bidding wars on things in folks' storage units. Players travel around the world in-game to bid on various relics with virtual cash in order to earn more digital bucks to bid on more things. It sounds like a boring vicious cycle, but ultimately players will go all-in for Wanted Treasures that come with huge profits.
"Storage Wars fans have shown that they are eager to get in on the bidding action themselves and our new game for Facebook lets them do just that," said A+E Networks SVP of Games Kris Soumas in a release. "We've put the same emphasis on developing a fun and addictive game experience that A&E brings to its program development."
Gallery: Storage Wars on Facebook
Based on these first screen shots, the game looks to pack numerous storage units with items to bid for inside. More importantly, however, players are guided through the game with none other than quests, or folks craving for Wanted Treasures. But what about our Wanted Treasure, Mario Kart on Facebook?
Click here to play Storage Wars on Facebook Now >
Are you a fan of Storage Wars on A&E? What do you think of the rampant growth of branded games on Facebook?
In Storage Wars on Facebook, players join animated versions of characters from the show in high-stakes bidding wars on things in folks' storage units. Players travel around the world in-game to bid on various relics with virtual cash in order to earn more digital bucks to bid on more things. It sounds like a boring vicious cycle, but ultimately players will go all-in for Wanted Treasures that come with huge profits.
"Storage Wars fans have shown that they are eager to get in on the bidding action themselves and our new game for Facebook lets them do just that," said A+E Networks SVP of Games Kris Soumas in a release. "We've put the same emphasis on developing a fun and addictive game experience that A&E brings to its program development."
Gallery: Storage Wars on Facebook
Based on these first screen shots, the game looks to pack numerous storage units with items to bid for inside. More importantly, however, players are guided through the game with none other than quests, or folks craving for Wanted Treasures. But what about our Wanted Treasure, Mario Kart on Facebook?
Click here to play Storage Wars on Facebook Now >
Are you a fan of Storage Wars on A&E? What do you think of the rampant growth of branded games on Facebook?
Social game startup Pangalore makes HTML5 games look good
Let's just get something out of the way: HTML5 gaming on Facebook and mobile hasn't exploded because, frankly, most of the early HTML5 games look like high school programming class projects. Pangalore, a startup based in Seoul, South Korea and San Jose, Calif., looks to change that with HTML5-based social games that both work across platforms and are actually a treat to look at.
Today, the company launches its first two HTML5 games--ArtFit and Wild West Solitaire--for Facebook, iOS and Android devices simultaneously. (Players can also play these games from their smartphone's web browser.)
The former of which is a puzzler presented in colorful, semi-realistic crayon and paper mache-style artwork. Players must use predetermined colored blocks in various shapes to fit them inside of a larger shape, like, say, a giraffe. Of course, players are scored for how long it takes them to fit the pieces within the larger shape, and for how many changes made before it's complete.
Everything from the music to the textured artwork in ArtFit is top notch, which is surprising for an HTML5 game. (However, it's important to note that animation isn't a particularly impressive component to neither this game nor Wild West Solitaire.) Players can invite their friends to compare scores with and source hints for tough puzzles from, which you'll incessantly be reminded of.
Gallery: Pangalore Games on Facebook
While the latter, Wild West Solitaire, looks wonderful, its animation is rather choppy, a likely limitation of HTML5 games. (Not to mention its artwork is terribly reminiscent of Blue Fang's take on The Learning Company's The Oregon Trail.) The game is a variation on Solitaire in which players must clear numerous stages of cards by clicking them in either standard or reverse numerical order. Doing so quickly and without fail earns combo points, and each stage is a representation of the Oregon Trail.
ArtFit in action
Each stage in the game culminates with a target practice of sorts in which players click badges in succession similar to the Solitaire portion of the game. The more badges you can put a dent into before the dynamite goes off, the more badges you'll collect, which are needed to access the next stage. Players can compete Wild West Solitaire's weekly tournaments as well, which rank players based on their scores. Of course, you also need friends to provide you with more cards to play with in story mode.
Aside from the annoying, constant requests to add friends and somewhat unnatural animations, ArtFit and Wild West Solitaire are two of the most visually impressive HTML5-based Facebook games we've seen to date. More importantly in Pangalore's case, however, is that these games are linked via Facebook. This means players can pick up where they left off on in, say, ArtFit on Facebook through their iPhone, and later continue their progress made on the iPhone back on Facebook.
Wild West Solitaire
Pangalore calls this "Universal Play," and during a demo of the two games, CPO Doyon Kim tells us that it's the developer's core mission. While Kim admits that the games are asynchronous, like nearly all social games, Pangalore is more concerned with allowing its players to enjoy games like ArtFit everywhere they are. Two more HTML5-based social games, Pop Candy and Bubble Prince, are due out before the end of the year, according to Kim.
But Kim also took the time to show us another game built using the Unity Player for decidedly more hardcore or traditional audiences. The game, which has yet to even receive an official title, is essentially a more visually robust FarmVille, but set in a medieval world. Players will create their own farming village, which is to support their character's quests slaying monsters and rescuing damsels. While we were only shown a knight class, Kim tell us that more character options that fit into the high fantasy theme will be available when the game launches simultaneously on Facebook, iOS and Android in early 2012.
Wild West Solitaire in action
Pangalore's strategy is twofold: Make games for the average Facebook gamer through HTML5, and hit up the supposedly growing hardcore gaming audience on Facebook with more visually robust games through Unity. (Notice how Flash--the normal method of creating social games--is avoided altogether.) Then again, Pangalore's approach comes back to a single motivation: Make games that people can play from wherever they are.
Click here to play both ArtFit and Wild West Solitaire on Facebook Now >
What do you think of the growing movement toward HTML5 games? Are you the type of gamer that wants to have their favorite games wherever they are
Today, the company launches its first two HTML5 games--ArtFit and Wild West Solitaire--for Facebook, iOS and Android devices simultaneously. (Players can also play these games from their smartphone's web browser.)
The former of which is a puzzler presented in colorful, semi-realistic crayon and paper mache-style artwork. Players must use predetermined colored blocks in various shapes to fit them inside of a larger shape, like, say, a giraffe. Of course, players are scored for how long it takes them to fit the pieces within the larger shape, and for how many changes made before it's complete.
Everything from the music to the textured artwork in ArtFit is top notch, which is surprising for an HTML5 game. (However, it's important to note that animation isn't a particularly impressive component to neither this game nor Wild West Solitaire.) Players can invite their friends to compare scores with and source hints for tough puzzles from, which you'll incessantly be reminded of.
Gallery: Pangalore Games on Facebook
While the latter, Wild West Solitaire, looks wonderful, its animation is rather choppy, a likely limitation of HTML5 games. (Not to mention its artwork is terribly reminiscent of Blue Fang's take on The Learning Company's The Oregon Trail.) The game is a variation on Solitaire in which players must clear numerous stages of cards by clicking them in either standard or reverse numerical order. Doing so quickly and without fail earns combo points, and each stage is a representation of the Oregon Trail.
ArtFit in action
Each stage in the game culminates with a target practice of sorts in which players click badges in succession similar to the Solitaire portion of the game. The more badges you can put a dent into before the dynamite goes off, the more badges you'll collect, which are needed to access the next stage. Players can compete Wild West Solitaire's weekly tournaments as well, which rank players based on their scores. Of course, you also need friends to provide you with more cards to play with in story mode.
Aside from the annoying, constant requests to add friends and somewhat unnatural animations, ArtFit and Wild West Solitaire are two of the most visually impressive HTML5-based Facebook games we've seen to date. More importantly in Pangalore's case, however, is that these games are linked via Facebook. This means players can pick up where they left off on in, say, ArtFit on Facebook through their iPhone, and later continue their progress made on the iPhone back on Facebook.
Wild West Solitaire
Pangalore calls this "Universal Play," and during a demo of the two games, CPO Doyon Kim tells us that it's the developer's core mission. While Kim admits that the games are asynchronous, like nearly all social games, Pangalore is more concerned with allowing its players to enjoy games like ArtFit everywhere they are. Two more HTML5-based social games, Pop Candy and Bubble Prince, are due out before the end of the year, according to Kim.
But Kim also took the time to show us another game built using the Unity Player for decidedly more hardcore or traditional audiences. The game, which has yet to even receive an official title, is essentially a more visually robust FarmVille, but set in a medieval world. Players will create their own farming village, which is to support their character's quests slaying monsters and rescuing damsels. While we were only shown a knight class, Kim tell us that more character options that fit into the high fantasy theme will be available when the game launches simultaneously on Facebook, iOS and Android in early 2012.
Wild West Solitaire in action
Pangalore's strategy is twofold: Make games for the average Facebook gamer through HTML5, and hit up the supposedly growing hardcore gaming audience on Facebook with more visually robust games through Unity. (Notice how Flash--the normal method of creating social games--is avoided altogether.) Then again, Pangalore's approach comes back to a single motivation: Make games that people can play from wherever they are.
Click here to play both ArtFit and Wild West Solitaire on Facebook Now >
What do you think of the growing movement toward HTML5 games? Are you the type of gamer that wants to have their favorite games wherever they are
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
More Like 'Team FarmVille 2': Portal creator sets Steam Trading loose
Steam Trading
If you hadn't noticed, Portal creator Valve's Steam service and store is slowly becoming more and more like ... FarmVille. I know, it sounds strange, but true. The maker of some of the most hardcore, intense shooter games of all time like Half Life and Team Fortress has released the final version of Steam Trading. This new feature was released in a beta test last month, but now is ready for everyone. Better yet, the feature is available for two more games, at that: Portal 2 and Sega's Spiral Knights.
This feature allows Steam users to trade and gift items to their friends regardless of whether they're logged into their game of choice. Now, players can trade items or (new, never-played) games with friends for whatever they feel is an equal exchange. For instance, a Team Fortress 2 player can trade the hat she found while playing with a friend who has a nifty shield that she wants for her Spiral Knight.
However, players must be friends over Steam (or be in a Group Chat) to trade or give items to one another. Hmm, that sounds vaguely familiar, no? From offering free-to-play multiplayer games earlier this year like Spiral Knights to now allowing players to give each other items through a friends list, Steam has slowly become more and more like Facebook as a games platform. While its far from Facebook and its games, and likely always will be, the influence is undeniable. All we're waiting for is the day it takes Energy to fire bullets in Team Fortress 2. (Fat chance ... we hope.)
[Via Kotaku]
Are you excited to be able to trade with friends in some of your Steam games? Do you think Steam is showing its affinity for the Facebook style of gaming? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you hadn't noticed, Portal creator Valve's Steam service and store is slowly becoming more and more like ... FarmVille. I know, it sounds strange, but true. The maker of some of the most hardcore, intense shooter games of all time like Half Life and Team Fortress has released the final version of Steam Trading. This new feature was released in a beta test last month, but now is ready for everyone. Better yet, the feature is available for two more games, at that: Portal 2 and Sega's Spiral Knights.
This feature allows Steam users to trade and gift items to their friends regardless of whether they're logged into their game of choice. Now, players can trade items or (new, never-played) games with friends for whatever they feel is an equal exchange. For instance, a Team Fortress 2 player can trade the hat she found while playing with a friend who has a nifty shield that she wants for her Spiral Knight.
However, players must be friends over Steam (or be in a Group Chat) to trade or give items to one another. Hmm, that sounds vaguely familiar, no? From offering free-to-play multiplayer games earlier this year like Spiral Knights to now allowing players to give each other items through a friends list, Steam has slowly become more and more like Facebook as a games platform. While its far from Facebook and its games, and likely always will be, the influence is undeniable. All we're waiting for is the day it takes Energy to fire bullets in Team Fortress 2. (Fat chance ... we hope.)
[Via Kotaku]
Are you excited to be able to trade with friends in some of your Steam games? Do you think Steam is showing its affinity for the Facebook style of gaming? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Bubble Saga maker King.com hires Microsoft exec as marketing head
Can none resist the dollar signs allure of Facebook games? King.com, maker of Facebook game ports like Bubble Saga, announced that it has hired ex-Microsoft exec Alex Dale as its chief marketing officer. Dale joins King.com after overseeing Microsoft's marketing efforts on products including Bing, Internet Explorer and Windows Phone.
"We have made several strategic hires recently in an effort continue this growth and even take it one step further, becoming a clear leader in the space," King.com co-fonder and CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are confident that Alex will be instrumental in helping us further grow our global user- and partnership-base and are thrilled to have him on board."
Dale joins a list of executives that have found themselves in the social games space. Sean Ryan, director of Facebook games partnerships, was at one time the CEO of now-defunct social network LiveJournal. Zynga head of mobile games David Ko comes from Yahoo, and most recently Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield moved on to make his own social game, Glitch.
King.com, which most recently launched Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook, now joins the ranks of companies like Zynga in its willingness to source talent from other industries. And King.com says in the announcement that Dale will be at helm of the companies global expansion. It seems that the company is looking abroad to reach the top five game makers on AppData--it sits pretty at number seven with just over 17 million monthly players.
Do you think King.com, making hires like this, can become an even bigger competitor in Facebook games? What do you think of games like Bubble Witch Saga? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
"We have made several strategic hires recently in an effort continue this growth and even take it one step further, becoming a clear leader in the space," King.com co-fonder and CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are confident that Alex will be instrumental in helping us further grow our global user- and partnership-base and are thrilled to have him on board."
Dale joins a list of executives that have found themselves in the social games space. Sean Ryan, director of Facebook games partnerships, was at one time the CEO of now-defunct social network LiveJournal. Zynga head of mobile games David Ko comes from Yahoo, and most recently Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield moved on to make his own social game, Glitch.
King.com, which most recently launched Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook, now joins the ranks of companies like Zynga in its willingness to source talent from other industries. And King.com says in the announcement that Dale will be at helm of the companies global expansion. It seems that the company is looking abroad to reach the top five game makers on AppData--it sits pretty at number seven with just over 17 million monthly players.
Do you think King.com, making hires like this, can become an even bigger competitor in Facebook games? What do you think of games like Bubble Witch Saga? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Bossa Studios's Facebook debut, Monstermind, will crush your dreams
But in a good way, we promise. Like the U.S., folks in the UK are super cereal (isn't that what kids are saying these days?) about the social games movement. The Guardian reports that Shine TV has acquired London-based social game startup Bossa Studios for an undisclosed amount.
Elisabeth Murdoch's TV production company (recently bought out by daddy's News Corp) has reportedly been eying social gaming for a long time. And what do you know--her timing could not have been better.
According to The Guardian, 11-month-old Bossa Studios looks to unveil its first project, Monstermind (pictured), next week on Facebook. However, it looks like the game is available now on Facebook, though in an "open beta." (For all intents and purposes, the game is live and available for all to play.)
"We have long identified social gaming as a critical component to this strategy, and in Bossa Studios we discovered an entrepreneurial, creative team that shared our passion for creative excellence," Miss Murdoch told The Guardian. "They have bold ideas for this space which we naturally welcome and will be a significant addition to the Shine Group."
Monstermind looks to be a fresh take on the city-building genre that CityVille has done so well to popularize. Well, fresh in the sense that, in addition to building cities, you can sic giant monsters to crush your friends' towns. The game features nearly full 3D visuals and an art style that screams "The Blob meets Sim City." Check out the game's trailer below to see what we mean.
Click here to play Monstermind on Facebook Now >
Were you waiting for a new approach to city-builders on Facebook? What do you think so far of this new studio's first contribution to Facebook gaming? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Elisabeth Murdoch's TV production company (recently bought out by daddy's News Corp) has reportedly been eying social gaming for a long time. And what do you know--her timing could not have been better.
According to The Guardian, 11-month-old Bossa Studios looks to unveil its first project, Monstermind (pictured), next week on Facebook. However, it looks like the game is available now on Facebook, though in an "open beta." (For all intents and purposes, the game is live and available for all to play.)
"We have long identified social gaming as a critical component to this strategy, and in Bossa Studios we discovered an entrepreneurial, creative team that shared our passion for creative excellence," Miss Murdoch told The Guardian. "They have bold ideas for this space which we naturally welcome and will be a significant addition to the Shine Group."
Monstermind looks to be a fresh take on the city-building genre that CityVille has done so well to popularize. Well, fresh in the sense that, in addition to building cities, you can sic giant monsters to crush your friends' towns. The game features nearly full 3D visuals and an art style that screams "The Blob meets Sim City." Check out the game's trailer below to see what we mean.
Click here to play Monstermind on Facebook Now >
Were you waiting for a new approach to city-builders on Facebook? What do you think so far of this new studio's first contribution to Facebook gaming? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
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