The proverbial veil has been lifted, everyone. Google+ is finally open to the public, meaning anyone can join Google's social network regardless of whether they've been invited through a friend. More importantly, this means the service, which soft-launched back in August to a controlled amount of users through invites, is open to even more social gamers than before.
Granted, there are only 16 games so far on Google+ Games. But surely the company hopes, that with an influx of potential players, that developers will become even more interested in Google as a social gaming destination. However, there are several arguably basic social features that aren't yet a part of the Google+ developer API, or application programming interface.
Namely, the posts that players can push through to the Games Stream from a Google+ game are not interactive. This means that the viral nature of social gaming is severely hindered on the network--players cannot directly help one another through the Games Stream like the can through the Facebook News Feed. This essentially thwarts what is popularly believed to give social games their name.
At the moment, players can only post general updates such as, "I scored 5 bajillion points in Bejeweled Blitz!" However, Rovio played somewhat of a smarter game with Angry Birds on Google+ Games, and introduced a friend gate to most of its content, meaning players have to add so many friends to access new levels. Luckily, Google has already stated that it's working to introduce more robust features over time.
Regardless, omissions like this serve as proof that Google+ Games, while impressive in its scope, ambition and support, is still a nascent gaming platform when put up against competitors like Facebook. With this news, perhaps the race Google+ is running has changed track to whether Google+ Games can keep up with the demands and needs of its players, rather than its competitors.
[Via Inside Social Games]
Have you tried out Google+ Games yet? Do you think, after what you experienced, that Google has a chance at competing in the social games world? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Friday, September 30, 2011
Mobile social game taps into 700K player base for children's charity
Parallel Kingdom 700,000K players
What do you do when you're a well-respected mobile game with 700K players worldwide? You design a virtual soup can helmet and sell it to your players for charity! At least, that's what Per Blue's Parallel Kingdom is doing (with Playmob) for the SOS Children relief in North Kenya.
SOS Children's Villages is an independently operated, international organization that's been saving kids since 1949. Currently, funds are needed for emergency food and medical aid due to a severe drought in the area. Soup Can Helmets cost 550 Food each (the virtual currency of Parallel Kingdom), which is the equivalent of $5.50 USD and enough to feed three children. Since the helmet is priced with Food, it's possible for you to not spend any real money on the helmet for it to still count. (In fact, for those of you who haven't liked the game's Facebook page yet, there's a free 100 Food offer that you can use towards a helmet purchase.)
According to Per Blue, this charity drive is at its halfway point with only a week left to go. So far, 550 Soup Can Helmets have been sold, which means 1,650 children have been cared for. If you play the game, you can buy the Soup Can Helmet in the PK Swag section of your local Trade Post until September 29.
Parallel Kingdom Donate Food
If you're new to the game and feeling adventurous, then after the tutorial stage, click on the Food tab on the bottom of your game screen to reach the Get Food menu. You'll see the Donate Food option, but it's really just a notice for the charity drive. Instead, you need to go to Travel, click on a Trade Hub (the one in Madison, WI is one of the two biggest ones), and locate your Local Trade Post, which should be a white building with a red roof buried under a dozen other players who are represented as little heads. Finally, you need to be at Level 2 to be allowed to purchase the helmet. (If you get lost, fire up the in-game chat. Special thanks goes to MisMoon, MoldyBanana, and ZeroGr@vity for their help.)
Parallel Kingdom Trade Post
Parallel Kingdom is best described as FourSquare meets a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game). It surpassed a half million players in June, was voted 2009 Best Augmented Reality App Second Place (first place went to XMG Studio Inc.'s Pandemica) and 2009 Best MMO Game Third Place (beaten by ngmoco's Eliminate Pro, with Miraphonic's Epic Pet Wars in first place). Although Parallel Kingdom is not a true Facebook game (its Facebook game app simply links you to register on the website), it does possess Facebook Connect and can be played on your PC with a web browser.
Would you try out a game just to donate to charity? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
What do you do when you're a well-respected mobile game with 700K players worldwide? You design a virtual soup can helmet and sell it to your players for charity! At least, that's what Per Blue's Parallel Kingdom is doing (with Playmob) for the SOS Children relief in North Kenya.
SOS Children's Villages is an independently operated, international organization that's been saving kids since 1949. Currently, funds are needed for emergency food and medical aid due to a severe drought in the area. Soup Can Helmets cost 550 Food each (the virtual currency of Parallel Kingdom), which is the equivalent of $5.50 USD and enough to feed three children. Since the helmet is priced with Food, it's possible for you to not spend any real money on the helmet for it to still count. (In fact, for those of you who haven't liked the game's Facebook page yet, there's a free 100 Food offer that you can use towards a helmet purchase.)
According to Per Blue, this charity drive is at its halfway point with only a week left to go. So far, 550 Soup Can Helmets have been sold, which means 1,650 children have been cared for. If you play the game, you can buy the Soup Can Helmet in the PK Swag section of your local Trade Post until September 29.
Parallel Kingdom Donate Food
If you're new to the game and feeling adventurous, then after the tutorial stage, click on the Food tab on the bottom of your game screen to reach the Get Food menu. You'll see the Donate Food option, but it's really just a notice for the charity drive. Instead, you need to go to Travel, click on a Trade Hub (the one in Madison, WI is one of the two biggest ones), and locate your Local Trade Post, which should be a white building with a red roof buried under a dozen other players who are represented as little heads. Finally, you need to be at Level 2 to be allowed to purchase the helmet. (If you get lost, fire up the in-game chat. Special thanks goes to MisMoon, MoldyBanana, and ZeroGr@vity for their help.)
Parallel Kingdom Trade Post
Parallel Kingdom is best described as FourSquare meets a MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game). It surpassed a half million players in June, was voted 2009 Best Augmented Reality App Second Place (first place went to XMG Studio Inc.'s Pandemica) and 2009 Best MMO Game Third Place (beaten by ngmoco's Eliminate Pro, with Miraphonic's Epic Pet Wars in first place). Although Parallel Kingdom is not a true Facebook game (its Facebook game app simply links you to register on the website), it does possess Facebook Connect and can be played on your PC with a web browser.
Would you try out a game just to donate to charity? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Putting the 'face' in Facebook games: Arkadium and Image Metrics
Arkadium is likely best known on Facebook for games like Mahjongg Dimensions and Cooking Mama, but that's about to change. Thanks to a brand new partnership with Image Metrics, an animation studio best known for the facial capture technology it provides to traditional game developers, your own face could be the star of Arkadium's next Facebook game.
During an interview with Gamasutra, the new found duo revealed Portable You, a new toolset for Facebook game developers--starting with New York City-based Arkadium--to allow players to include their own face as the centerpiece of their avatars. Using a simple webcam, Portable You, embedded in any given Facebook, could create a 3D rendering of your head and face.
By the way, that picture to the right is a 3D reproduction of an actress's face done by Image Metrics--it's not real. But we doubt Portable You will be as powerful. This is especially considering the technology was bought through an acquisition of Big Stage earlier this year.
"Mostly we've been the user of our own technologies," Image Metrics CEO Robert Gehorsam said to Gamasutra. "But we've also really come to realize and believe there's a major shift going on in how people want to represent themselves, express themselves and communicate online, starting with creating your own character in a game."
"We work directly from video; we don't require any kind of markers, or the special makeup," Gehorsam told Gamasutra. "We can go directly from a video screen or from a single image to 3D animation... through a whole bunch of equations that recognize the face in a 2D context. It's not a photo; it's really 3D."
Sure, this has the potential to introduce a never-before-seen level of immersion to Facebook games. The idea of representing or expressing yourself more accurately than ever has plenty of charm. But the more pressing question I have for Image Metrics is: How well does Portable You render beards?
What do you think this type of technology means for Facebook games in the future? Would you ever place a 3D version of yourself into your favorite Facebook games? Sound off in the comments. Add CommentAdd Comment
During an interview with Gamasutra, the new found duo revealed Portable You, a new toolset for Facebook game developers--starting with New York City-based Arkadium--to allow players to include their own face as the centerpiece of their avatars. Using a simple webcam, Portable You, embedded in any given Facebook, could create a 3D rendering of your head and face.
By the way, that picture to the right is a 3D reproduction of an actress's face done by Image Metrics--it's not real. But we doubt Portable You will be as powerful. This is especially considering the technology was bought through an acquisition of Big Stage earlier this year.
"Mostly we've been the user of our own technologies," Image Metrics CEO Robert Gehorsam said to Gamasutra. "But we've also really come to realize and believe there's a major shift going on in how people want to represent themselves, express themselves and communicate online, starting with creating your own character in a game."
"We work directly from video; we don't require any kind of markers, or the special makeup," Gehorsam told Gamasutra. "We can go directly from a video screen or from a single image to 3D animation... through a whole bunch of equations that recognize the face in a 2D context. It's not a photo; it's really 3D."
Sure, this has the potential to introduce a never-before-seen level of immersion to Facebook games. The idea of representing or expressing yourself more accurately than ever has plenty of charm. But the more pressing question I have for Image Metrics is: How well does Portable You render beards?
What do you think this type of technology means for Facebook games in the future? Would you ever place a 3D version of yourself into your favorite Facebook games? Sound off in the comments. Add CommentAdd Comment
FarmVille: Free Crab Shack with any Farm Cash purchase
While the "free-gift-with-purchase" feature in FarmVille has continued to grow, giving users a way to stock up on extra animals that they may have missed in their original releases in the game, until recently, that's all the feature has been: a way to earn animals. Now, though, we're starting to see trees and even buildings come into the mix.
For example, the latest offering is the Crab Shack, which was originally released during the New England event way back in July of 2010, and then again in the Birthday Classics even earlier this year. Interestingly, this is one building that cost coins during its previous releases in the game, but if (for whatever reason) you never picked one up, here's a chance to earn one for as little as $1. For that price, remember you'll also earn 4 Farm Cash.
The reason this building is so significant is that it basically screams to be added to the Lighthouse Cove farm, which all players were given access to earlier this week. And since we can't (as of this writing) pull items out of storage from our others farms into the Lighthouse Cove, this is as close as you're going to get to having any of this theme on your land for the foreseeable future.
As usual, this free Crab Shack offer will only be around for a limited time, so make sure to login to your farm sooner, rather than later, if you want to take advantage of this deal.
Will you purchase a Farm Cash bundle as part of this free-gift-with-purchase giveaway? Would you pay Farm Cash to access your "other farm" storage in the Lighthouse Cove? Sound off in the comments.
For example, the latest offering is the Crab Shack, which was originally released during the New England event way back in July of 2010, and then again in the Birthday Classics even earlier this year. Interestingly, this is one building that cost coins during its previous releases in the game, but if (for whatever reason) you never picked one up, here's a chance to earn one for as little as $1. For that price, remember you'll also earn 4 Farm Cash.
The reason this building is so significant is that it basically screams to be added to the Lighthouse Cove farm, which all players were given access to earlier this week. And since we can't (as of this writing) pull items out of storage from our others farms into the Lighthouse Cove, this is as close as you're going to get to having any of this theme on your land for the foreseeable future.
As usual, this free Crab Shack offer will only be around for a limited time, so make sure to login to your farm sooner, rather than later, if you want to take advantage of this deal.
Will you purchase a Farm Cash bundle as part of this free-gift-with-purchase giveaway? Would you pay Farm Cash to access your "other farm" storage in the Lighthouse Cove? Sound off in the comments.
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Yahoo promotion
It looks like we're seeing a change for the better in terms of free Farm Cash promotions in FarmVille, as there's another available this afternoon, from Yahoo. Technically, this promotion is encouraging users to add Yahoo! as their browser homepage, but as usual, there's a way around that (that still allows you your free Farm Cash)!
To start, you'll need to click on the sponsored link window displaying the Yahoo "Y" and then wait for the window to load (it might take a bit longer than normal, as the promotion has to decide which browser you're using to access it). From there, you're given instructions on how to make Yahoo! your homepage on that particular browser, but at the bottom of the window sits a countdown timer that starts at 30 seconds and slowly counts down (much more slowly than 30 seconds, that is). When it finally does run out, you can click on the "Finish" button to end the promotion and receive your two Farm Cash.
As usual, your Farm Cash should automatically update into your account upon closing this activity window, but if it doesn't, a simple refresh of the game should do the trick. Either way, make sure to complete this activity the very first time you see it appear under your FarmVille gameplay area, as these cross-promotions tend to be incredibly fast-moving, and may disappear even after refreshing the page.
Were you able to earn your free Farm Cash from Yahoo, or has the promotion not appeared for you yet? Sound off in the comments.
To start, you'll need to click on the sponsored link window displaying the Yahoo "Y" and then wait for the window to load (it might take a bit longer than normal, as the promotion has to decide which browser you're using to access it). From there, you're given instructions on how to make Yahoo! your homepage on that particular browser, but at the bottom of the window sits a countdown timer that starts at 30 seconds and slowly counts down (much more slowly than 30 seconds, that is). When it finally does run out, you can click on the "Finish" button to end the promotion and receive your two Farm Cash.
As usual, your Farm Cash should automatically update into your account upon closing this activity window, but if it doesn't, a simple refresh of the game should do the trick. Either way, make sure to complete this activity the very first time you see it appear under your FarmVille gameplay area, as these cross-promotions tend to be incredibly fast-moving, and may disappear even after refreshing the page.
Were you able to earn your free Farm Cash from Yahoo, or has the promotion not appeared for you yet? Sound off in the comments.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Sims Social: Country meets chic with Country Kitchen items
Is it just me, or is decorating our houses one of the best things to do in the Sims Social? I know I could personally spend plenty of time rearranging furniture in each room, only to ripe it all out and start over again, and to help us do that with even more themes is a new Country Kitchen theme that has launched in the game this week. These country kitchen items bring in all sorts of shades of brown and ivory, and it's one of the most complete themes we've seen released in the game yet. Here's a rundown of what to look out for in the store to make this theme complete in your own home.
Plate Collection
* Costs: 4 SimCash
* Value: $600
Perfecto Fruitbowl
* Costs: 4 SimCash
* Value $600
Vintage Wines
* Costs: 6 SimCash
* Value: $900
RuralU Deluxe C (Kitchen Counter Piece)
* Costs: 10 SimCash
* Value: $1500
RuralU Deluxe (Kitchen Counter Piece)
* Costs: 12 SimCash
* Value: $1750
Antiquitate Deco (Wall Sconce)
* Costs: 3 SimCash
* Value: $450
19th Century Lamp
* Costs: 10 SimCash
* Value: $1500
19th Century Pot (Flowers)
* Costs: 19 SimCash
* Value: $2800
Antiquitate Oil
* Costs: 325 Social Points
* Value: $700
Basinuate Marble (Sink)
* Costs: 12 SimCash
* Value: 1750
* Clean Stat: 5
FrancoFaux Chaise (Buildable item)
* Costs: 225 Social Points
* Value: $500
Cereal Shelf
* Costs: 250 Social Points
* Value: $550
19th Century Mat
* Costs: 19 SimCash
* Value: $2800
Clox Fruitful
* Costs: 350 Social Points
* Value: $800
RuralU Trove (Wall Cabinet Piece)
* Costs: 600 Social Points
* Value: $1450
RuralU Charm (Wall Cabinet Piece)
* Costs: 800 Social Points
* Value: $2050
FrancoFaux Tableau (Buildable item)
* Costs: 800 Social Points
* Value: $2050
RuralU Latch (Hutch - Buildable item)
* Costs: 1100 Social Points
* Value: $3100
G King Counter (Center Island - Buildable item)
* Costs: 15,000 Social Points
* Value: $21,250
* Happiness Stat: 3
Normanity Chair (Living Room Furniture - Buildable item)
* Costs: 450 Social Points
* Value: $1050
FrancoFaux Cafe (Living Room Furniture - Buildable item)
* Costs: 650 Social Points
* Value: $1600
Normanity Sofa (Living Room Furniture - Buildable item)
* Costs: 700 Social Points
* Value: $1750
* Sleep Stat: 3
In addition to all of these items, there's also a Cooking Skill vent hood called the SuxDelux that's available to users that have reached a Cooking Skill of 40 or higher. This item has a value of $3650.
In the Build Menu, you can also find a selection of new windows in the same matching dark wood color, ranging in price from 750 coins for the RealOak 2 Pane to 6,000 coins for the RealOak 5 Pane. If you want the window in the picture above, with the quaint ivory curtains, that will set you back a whopping 39 SimCash. Along with this, there are five new wallpapers and three new floor tiles to round out the theme.
There's no listed time limit on any of these items, so if you don't have enough Social Points or SimCash available to buy them now, you should be able to save up and purchase them well into the future. Still, if you want to get your hands on these items while they're fresh, I really couldn't blame you. I just hope your kitchen is big enough to hold them all!
[Final Image Credit: Playfish/EA]
What do you think of these Country Kitchen items? Are you more of a modern fan, or do you like country / southwestern items? Sound off in the comments.
Plate Collection
* Costs: 4 SimCash
* Value: $600
Perfecto Fruitbowl
* Costs: 4 SimCash
* Value $600
Vintage Wines
* Costs: 6 SimCash
* Value: $900
RuralU Deluxe C (Kitchen Counter Piece)
* Costs: 10 SimCash
* Value: $1500
RuralU Deluxe (Kitchen Counter Piece)
* Costs: 12 SimCash
* Value: $1750
Antiquitate Deco (Wall Sconce)
* Costs: 3 SimCash
* Value: $450
19th Century Lamp
* Costs: 10 SimCash
* Value: $1500
19th Century Pot (Flowers)
* Costs: 19 SimCash
* Value: $2800
Antiquitate Oil
* Costs: 325 Social Points
* Value: $700
Basinuate Marble (Sink)
* Costs: 12 SimCash
* Value: 1750
* Clean Stat: 5
FrancoFaux Chaise (Buildable item)
* Costs: 225 Social Points
* Value: $500
Cereal Shelf
* Costs: 250 Social Points
* Value: $550
19th Century Mat
* Costs: 19 SimCash
* Value: $2800
Clox Fruitful
* Costs: 350 Social Points
* Value: $800
RuralU Trove (Wall Cabinet Piece)
* Costs: 600 Social Points
* Value: $1450
RuralU Charm (Wall Cabinet Piece)
* Costs: 800 Social Points
* Value: $2050
FrancoFaux Tableau (Buildable item)
* Costs: 800 Social Points
* Value: $2050
RuralU Latch (Hutch - Buildable item)
* Costs: 1100 Social Points
* Value: $3100
G King Counter (Center Island - Buildable item)
* Costs: 15,000 Social Points
* Value: $21,250
* Happiness Stat: 3
Normanity Chair (Living Room Furniture - Buildable item)
* Costs: 450 Social Points
* Value: $1050
FrancoFaux Cafe (Living Room Furniture - Buildable item)
* Costs: 650 Social Points
* Value: $1600
Normanity Sofa (Living Room Furniture - Buildable item)
* Costs: 700 Social Points
* Value: $1750
* Sleep Stat: 3
In addition to all of these items, there's also a Cooking Skill vent hood called the SuxDelux that's available to users that have reached a Cooking Skill of 40 or higher. This item has a value of $3650.
In the Build Menu, you can also find a selection of new windows in the same matching dark wood color, ranging in price from 750 coins for the RealOak 2 Pane to 6,000 coins for the RealOak 5 Pane. If you want the window in the picture above, with the quaint ivory curtains, that will set you back a whopping 39 SimCash. Along with this, there are five new wallpapers and three new floor tiles to round out the theme.
There's no listed time limit on any of these items, so if you don't have enough Social Points or SimCash available to buy them now, you should be able to save up and purchase them well into the future. Still, if you want to get your hands on these items while they're fresh, I really couldn't blame you. I just hope your kitchen is big enough to hold them all!
[Final Image Credit: Playfish/EA]
What do you think of these Country Kitchen items? Are you more of a modern fan, or do you like country / southwestern items? Sound off in the comments.
The Sims Social: Claim your free Pogo Arcade Machine
While you may already be the proud owner of one or two Arcade Machines in the Sims Social, if you're like me, you'll always be ready for one more - especially if it's free. Such is the case with this new goodie, a Pogo branded Arcade Machine, spotted by BadgeHungry. The single link to claim your reward has apparently been going around for about a week, but hasn't been heavily advertised. It does, however, still work (as of this writing).
To claim your free Pogo Arcade Machine in the Sims Social just make sure you're logged into your Facebook account and click on this link right here. This will take you to Facebook, where you'll be told whether or not your claim attempt was successful. Once in your house, the Pogo Arcade Machine will go into your storage, where you can then freely place it anywhere in your house (or even outside).
As for interactivity, the machine allows you to do two things: Play Games (no energy required), and "Redeem Tokens at Pogo." This link will let you earn 25,000 free tokens on the site, but unfortunately, doesn't come with any free Simoleons back in the Sims Social. But hey, we've walked away with a free Arcade Machine; it's that all we could really ask for?
Have you already claimed your free Pogo Arcade Machine? What other sorts of goodies do you hope come to the Sims Social? Sound off in the comments.
To claim your free Pogo Arcade Machine in the Sims Social just make sure you're logged into your Facebook account and click on this link right here. This will take you to Facebook, where you'll be told whether or not your claim attempt was successful. Once in your house, the Pogo Arcade Machine will go into your storage, where you can then freely place it anywhere in your house (or even outside).
As for interactivity, the machine allows you to do two things: Play Games (no energy required), and "Redeem Tokens at Pogo." This link will let you earn 25,000 free tokens on the site, but unfortunately, doesn't come with any free Simoleons back in the Sims Social. But hey, we've walked away with a free Arcade Machine; it's that all we could really ask for?
Have you already claimed your free Pogo Arcade Machine? What other sorts of goodies do you hope come to the Sims Social? Sound off in the comments.
CityVille: Playa del Rey Apartments add plenty of population at a high price
As tends to be the case with limited edition item themes in CityVille, the current Mexican theme of items has received a new, limited edition residential building by the name of the Playa del Rey Apartments. These apartments cost a whopping 75 City Cash to add to your town, but are highly detailed, with tons of architectural interest, and even some palm trees (you know, if the way your town looks matters as much as the stats themselves).
Once you purchase the Playa del Rey Apartments, you'll have a house with a starting population of 2,350 residents, that can be expanded through random boosts all of the way up to 4,350 citizens. You'll earn 451 coins in rent every day, if you remember to collect from it, and you might even be able to place this one in your apartment-centric Neighborhood, if the folks at Zynga remembered to program that option in (we're working on discovering if that's the case).
Remember, as this one is limited edition, your opportunity to purchase one will only be around for the next 11 days. After that point, it's likely we'll see a new limited edition item theme launch in the store, with its own set of expensive housing units, and we may never see this one again. Shop now if you really want it.
Will you purchase a Playa del Rey Apartments for your town? How much is too much for a business or residence in CityVille? Sound off in the comments.
Once you purchase the Playa del Rey Apartments, you'll have a house with a starting population of 2,350 residents, that can be expanded through random boosts all of the way up to 4,350 citizens. You'll earn 451 coins in rent every day, if you remember to collect from it, and you might even be able to place this one in your apartment-centric Neighborhood, if the folks at Zynga remembered to program that option in (we're working on discovering if that's the case).
Remember, as this one is limited edition, your opportunity to purchase one will only be around for the next 11 days. After that point, it's likely we'll see a new limited edition item theme launch in the store, with its own set of expensive housing units, and we may never see this one again. Shop now if you really want it.
Will you purchase a Playa del Rey Apartments for your town? How much is too much for a business or residence in CityVille? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Mystery Game (09/18/11): Livestock animals come to the farm
In tonight's FarmVille update, we see a new round of animals hit the Mystery Game, with this week's theme (understandably) revolving around the new Livestock Pen released just last week. That means that for the price of 20 Farm Cash per dart, you can play this week's game to walk away with six (potentially seven) animals that can be stored, and subsequently bred (if you're lucky) inside that very Livestock Pen.
Here's the rundown of this week's animals:
Arapawa Island Pig
Barbados Sheep
Berkshire Pig
Dutch Landrace Goat
Girgentana Goat
Valais Goat
While you're not guaranteed to receive all six of these animals in the first six darts you throw, keep in mind that if you can manage to "win" all six during this week's game (again, that will be an incredibly pricey endeavor, even if you're really lucky), you'll walk away with a seventh, free prize: the Clun Forest Sheep.
Remember, these animals will only be around a single week. Whether or not they'll ever be re-released is anyone's guess (although, I will admit the possibility is likely), so if you don't want to wait to see if that possibility comes true, make sure to try your hand at this week's Mystery Game while you can.
Which of these prizes would you most want to win by playing this week's Mystery Game? What animals did you actually win? Share with us in the comments!
Here's the rundown of this week's animals:
Arapawa Island Pig
Barbados Sheep
Berkshire Pig
Dutch Landrace Goat
Girgentana Goat
Valais Goat
While you're not guaranteed to receive all six of these animals in the first six darts you throw, keep in mind that if you can manage to "win" all six during this week's game (again, that will be an incredibly pricey endeavor, even if you're really lucky), you'll walk away with a seventh, free prize: the Clun Forest Sheep.
Remember, these animals will only be around a single week. Whether or not they'll ever be re-released is anyone's guess (although, I will admit the possibility is likely), so if you don't want to wait to see if that possibility comes true, make sure to try your hand at this week's Mystery Game while you can.
Which of these prizes would you most want to win by playing this week's Mystery Game? What animals did you actually win? Share with us in the comments!
FarmVille Raffle Booth (09/18/11): Black Corgi and Gazebo up for grabs
It's Sunday night again farmers, which means that it's time for the FarmVille Raffle Booth to update with new prizes. I hope you walked away with plenty of prizes from last week's drawing, but if not, you've got a chance for even more prizes this week. Sure, three of the most basic prizes are basic and expected, but the top two prizes are pretty nice and come with even better odds. Here's the lineup:
* 10 Special Delivery Boxes: 1:5
* 3 Farmhands: 1:20
* 5 Love Potions: 1:50
* Gazebo: 1:200
* Black Corgi: 1:500
While the Black Corgi is really cute, keep in mind that this dog isn't a "pet" in the game, that can be fed or trained; instead, it's a "normal" animal that can simply be kept and harvested from every few days. As usual, you'll at least one chance of winning all of these items, as you'll receive one Raffle Ticker for free. To earn extras, you'll either be able to purchase them with Farm Cash or receive them from friends as gifts. Once next Sunday rolls around, the drawing for these items will take place, and hopefully you'll walk away with the full set!
Have you ever won the top two prizes in any FarmVille Raffle Booth drawing? Which item are you most hoping to win in this week's drawing? Sound off in the comments.
* 10 Special Delivery Boxes: 1:5
* 3 Farmhands: 1:20
* 5 Love Potions: 1:50
* Gazebo: 1:200
* Black Corgi: 1:500
While the Black Corgi is really cute, keep in mind that this dog isn't a "pet" in the game, that can be fed or trained; instead, it's a "normal" animal that can simply be kept and harvested from every few days. As usual, you'll at least one chance of winning all of these items, as you'll receive one Raffle Ticker for free. To earn extras, you'll either be able to purchase them with Farm Cash or receive them from friends as gifts. Once next Sunday rolls around, the drawing for these items will take place, and hopefully you'll walk away with the full set!
Have you ever won the top two prizes in any FarmVille Raffle Booth drawing? Which item are you most hoping to win in this week's drawing? Sound off in the comments.
Wednesday, September 28, 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
FarmVille meets Indiana Jones for real in Adventure World soon
Since Adventure World's release last week, many media outlets dubbed it "FarmVille meets Indiana Jones." It seems that Zynga took those allusions to heart, as the company has teamed up with Lucasfilm to make good on those hit-generating remarks. Zynga just announced that Indiana Jones will soon make his way into Adventure World this October.
In fact, it appears that the game will be completely rebranded with the Indiana Jones name, according to the above image. The teaser depicts the familiar Adventure World logo, but now reads, "Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game." To us at least, this implies that Zynga Boston's debut game will incorporate the Indiana Jones brand throughout (and perhaps permanently). The wording of Zynga's announcement certainly steers us toward this conclusion:
Zynga is proud to announce that we're teaming up with Lucasfilm to bring Indiana Jones - the KING of lost idol hunting, bull whipping, holy grail-ing and flying (but not landing) - to your favorite adventure game. Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game will be coming soon to a browser near you.
If this is, in fact, the case, Adventure World would be the first Zynga game built entirely around a single brand, rather than the one-off promotions we see from brands like McDonald's in FarmVille and recently Best Buy in CityVille. Considering the massively ambitious game hasn't been doing so hot its first week out of the gate, this could be second wind it needs.
Is the Indy Jones fan in you excited by this announcement? What do you think of Adventure World so far? Sound off in the comments. 5 Comments
In fact, it appears that the game will be completely rebranded with the Indiana Jones name, according to the above image. The teaser depicts the familiar Adventure World logo, but now reads, "Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game." To us at least, this implies that Zynga Boston's debut game will incorporate the Indiana Jones brand throughout (and perhaps permanently). The wording of Zynga's announcement certainly steers us toward this conclusion:
Zynga is proud to announce that we're teaming up with Lucasfilm to bring Indiana Jones - the KING of lost idol hunting, bull whipping, holy grail-ing and flying (but not landing) - to your favorite adventure game. Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game will be coming soon to a browser near you.
If this is, in fact, the case, Adventure World would be the first Zynga game built entirely around a single brand, rather than the one-off promotions we see from brands like McDonald's in FarmVille and recently Best Buy in CityVille. Considering the massively ambitious game hasn't been doing so hot its first week out of the gate, this could be second wind it needs.
Is the Indy Jones fan in you excited by this announcement? What do you think of Adventure World so far? Sound off in the comments. 5 Comments
Game of the Day: Pop & Drop
pop and drop game of the dayA herd of colored balls is headed your way, and unless you act quickly, they'll drop right on top of you! Pop all the colored balls before they reach you by creating sets of three or more.
Pop & Drop features two awesome game modes: action mode and the strategy-based perpetual mode. I promise you though, you'll be kept on your toes regardless of what mode you play. Make sure to use the special power pieces to help you rack up the big points.
Click here to play Pop & Drop!
pop and drop game of the day pop and drop game of the day
Pro Tips:
* Pop & Drop shows you where your next shot is going to land. This is an invaluable tool! With it you can line up insanely tight shots through gaps, enabling you to hit those huge combos.
* Bank balls off the walls. As I said before, Pop & Drop shows you where your next ball will land, even for banked shots. Use it to access those hard to reach places.
* Be precise! When the balls are closing in, don't fire wildly. Calm down and make sure you hit an intelligent shot. For example, don't just shoot the ball onto the first level, or you'll need two more balls of the same color to knock it off. Instead, stack it onto another color so when you knock that set off, both colors will pop.
* When all hope is lost, and the colored ball armada is knocking on your door, don't forget to use your arsenal of destructive grenades.
Click here to play Pop & Drop!
What level were you able to get to in Pop & Drop?
Pop & Drop features two awesome game modes: action mode and the strategy-based perpetual mode. I promise you though, you'll be kept on your toes regardless of what mode you play. Make sure to use the special power pieces to help you rack up the big points.
Click here to play Pop & Drop!
pop and drop game of the day pop and drop game of the day
Pro Tips:
* Pop & Drop shows you where your next shot is going to land. This is an invaluable tool! With it you can line up insanely tight shots through gaps, enabling you to hit those huge combos.
* Bank balls off the walls. As I said before, Pop & Drop shows you where your next ball will land, even for banked shots. Use it to access those hard to reach places.
* Be precise! When the balls are closing in, don't fire wildly. Calm down and make sure you hit an intelligent shot. For example, don't just shoot the ball onto the first level, or you'll need two more balls of the same color to knock it off. Instead, stack it onto another color so when you knock that set off, both colors will pop.
* When all hope is lost, and the colored ball armada is knocking on your door, don't forget to use your arsenal of destructive grenades.
Click here to play Pop & Drop!
What level were you able to get to in Pop & Drop?
Diamond Dash maker: Social games 'will evolve again in the next years'
Frankly, they kind of have no choice. That's general idea Wooga studio head Henric Suuronen (pictured) seems to have put forward in an in-depth interview with Gamasutra. And it would be wise to listen--the Berlin, Germany-based Facebook game creator is third behind Zynga and EA (now that PopCap's numbers have been integrated), according to AppData.
During the interview, Suuronen gave Gamasutra a detailed explanation of where Facebook games have been, what it takes to create them from a design perspective and, most importantly, where they're going. Specifically speaking to social mechanics in Facebook games, Suuronen said to Gamasutra:
"Now moving four years forward, you have games like CityVille, Pioneer Trail from Zynga, Kabam games, Digital Chocolate games, and Zombie Lane -- great game -- and now Magic Land," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "So it has really evolved. So why would the progression stop here? So I think it will evolve, as it has done from four years ago with Jetman and Scrabulous and Tower Bloxx. So it will evolve again in the next years."
The hit maker behind Diamond Dash recently released its seventh game on Facebook, Magic Land, which enjoys a healthy 3.4 million monthly players and over 330,000 daily players. According to Suuronen, Wooga's latest game had the most man hours thrown into it, a trend he seems to believe will continue. "The whole myth of the minimum viable product -- it's gone," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "It's something that you say to investors to sound cool."
Sure, Suuronen believes that players will eventually get tired of the standard social gaming mechanics of sharing gifts and helping asynchronously. However, the Wooga studio head also points out that the harsh reality of designing Facebook games to get players to pay up isn't going anywhere, and some traditional designers have trouble coming to grips with that.
Considering social games are expected to make $1 billion this year alone (and cash in even more from there), traditional designers and companies better wise up quick if they want to fit in the next big money machine. Read Suuronen's full interview with Gamasutra here, in which he predicts how you might be enticed to pay up in the future.
Do you agree that Facebook games can only grow into more robust entertainment options from here? Where would you like to see the industry go from today's CityVille's and other life simulators? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
During the interview, Suuronen gave Gamasutra a detailed explanation of where Facebook games have been, what it takes to create them from a design perspective and, most importantly, where they're going. Specifically speaking to social mechanics in Facebook games, Suuronen said to Gamasutra:
"Now moving four years forward, you have games like CityVille, Pioneer Trail from Zynga, Kabam games, Digital Chocolate games, and Zombie Lane -- great game -- and now Magic Land," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "So it has really evolved. So why would the progression stop here? So I think it will evolve, as it has done from four years ago with Jetman and Scrabulous and Tower Bloxx. So it will evolve again in the next years."
The hit maker behind Diamond Dash recently released its seventh game on Facebook, Magic Land, which enjoys a healthy 3.4 million monthly players and over 330,000 daily players. According to Suuronen, Wooga's latest game had the most man hours thrown into it, a trend he seems to believe will continue. "The whole myth of the minimum viable product -- it's gone," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "It's something that you say to investors to sound cool."
Sure, Suuronen believes that players will eventually get tired of the standard social gaming mechanics of sharing gifts and helping asynchronously. However, the Wooga studio head also points out that the harsh reality of designing Facebook games to get players to pay up isn't going anywhere, and some traditional designers have trouble coming to grips with that.
Considering social games are expected to make $1 billion this year alone (and cash in even more from there), traditional designers and companies better wise up quick if they want to fit in the next big money machine. Read Suuronen's full interview with Gamasutra here, in which he predicts how you might be enticed to pay up in the future.
Do you agree that Facebook games can only grow into more robust entertainment options from here? Where would you like to see the industry go from today's CityVille's and other life simulators? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Edrenee's farm has a little bit of everything
Previously this week, you folks had a couple complaints about Hemi 426's featured zoo farm. Though you agreed it was a huge FarmVille achievement, many of you folks thought it was just too cluttered and disorderly. In response, I present to you Edrenee's extremely organized farm.
While Edrenee's farm doesn't do anything incredibly artistic, you can't disagree that the orderly rows of crops and trees create a remarkable effect. It almost looks like a gardening enthusiast's back yard, with all kinds of crops neatly planted in rows. It's certainly a nice break from what we usually see: endless plantation-sized fields of the same crop. So even though it's not as creative as say, the dragon farm we featured a few weeks ago, it is a very nice FarmVille design that is certainly unique in its own right.
Finally, make sure you realize just how difficult it would be to coordinate all the crop grow times to take this photo. Very impressive Edrenee.
What do you think of Edrenee's 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!
While Edrenee's farm doesn't do anything incredibly artistic, you can't disagree that the orderly rows of crops and trees create a remarkable effect. It almost looks like a gardening enthusiast's back yard, with all kinds of crops neatly planted in rows. It's certainly a nice break from what we usually see: endless plantation-sized fields of the same crop. So even though it's not as creative as say, the dragon farm we featured a few weeks ago, it is a very nice FarmVille design that is certainly unique in its own right.
Finally, make sure you realize just how difficult it would be to coordinate all the crop grow times to take this photo. Very impressive Edrenee.
What do you think of Edrenee's 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!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
FarmVille Animal Sanctuary & Lighthouse Cove Buildings: Asian Gazebo, Seaside Cottage and more
Continuing in the double-item update in FarmVille, tonight's release brought us new buildings not only in the previous Animal Sanctuary item theme, but also in the Lighthouse Cove theme. These Lighthouse Cove items are available to purchase in other farms, so keep an eye out for them in the store when hanging out at Home or in the English Countryside as well.
Lighthouse Cove
Seaside Cottage - 25 Farm Cash
Village Store - 25 Farm Cash
Coastal Farmhouse - 25 Farm Cash
Coastal Restaurant - 30 Farm Cash
As usual, buildings in FarmVille are some of the most expensive things you can purchase, and these are no exception to that rule. The Seaside Cottage and Village Store have shorter time limits at 11 days, while the Coastal Farmhouse and Coastal Restaurant (not to be confused with the Restaurant Crafting Cottage you can purchase on your new farm for coins) will be around for the next two week.
Animal Sanctuary
Asian Gazebo - 10 Farm Cash
This building is fairly small, looking more like a lawn ornament than a full sized building, but I suppose that helps explain the cheaper price tag. If you're interested in purchasing this one, you'll need to do so within the next two weeks, before it expires form the store.
Will we see these items again after they expire? It's likely, but in the off chance that they don't, make sure to purchase any you feel you just can't live without during this first release.
Which of these new buildings is your favorite? Are you more of a fan of the Lighthouse Cove theme or the pre-existing Animal Sanctuary theme? Sound off in the comments.
Lighthouse Cove
Seaside Cottage - 25 Farm Cash
Village Store - 25 Farm Cash
Coastal Farmhouse - 25 Farm Cash
Coastal Restaurant - 30 Farm Cash
As usual, buildings in FarmVille are some of the most expensive things you can purchase, and these are no exception to that rule. The Seaside Cottage and Village Store have shorter time limits at 11 days, while the Coastal Farmhouse and Coastal Restaurant (not to be confused with the Restaurant Crafting Cottage you can purchase on your new farm for coins) will be around for the next two week.
Animal Sanctuary
Asian Gazebo - 10 Farm Cash
This building is fairly small, looking more like a lawn ornament than a full sized building, but I suppose that helps explain the cheaper price tag. If you're interested in purchasing this one, you'll need to do so within the next two weeks, before it expires form the store.
Will we see these items again after they expire? It's likely, but in the off chance that they don't, make sure to purchase any you feel you just can't live without during this first release.
Which of these new buildings is your favorite? Are you more of a fan of the Lighthouse Cove theme or the pre-existing Animal Sanctuary theme? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Animal Sanctuary & Lighthouse Cove Decorations: Sea Lavender, Panda Arch and more
While decorations may be the last items we've discussed in tonight's FarmVille update, that doesn't mean they're the least important. These decorative items come from both the Animal Sanctuary and Lighthouse Cove themes, and there are actually quite a few coin items in this set for those shopping on a budget. As a note, these Lighthouse Cove items are available not just in your Lighthouse Cove farm, so if you chose not to buy your way in, you don't have to worry about missing out (on these items, anyway).
Lighthouse Cove
Beach Tent - 2 Farm Cash
Beach Grass - 4,000 coins
Beach Chair Set - 20,000 coins
Coastal Planter - 8,000 coins
Dark Wood Fence - 5,000 coins
Field Stone Bridge - 15 Farm Cash
Nelly Moser - 50,000 coins
Boreal Owl - 18 Farm Cash
Sea Lavender - 5,000 coins
Maple Leaf Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
You'll need to pay special attention to these items in the store, as some of them expire in 11 days, while others are around for two weeks. Overall, there are a surprisingly large amount of coin-only items here, so if you've already spent all of your Farm Cash in simply getting into Lighthouse Cove, you'll receive a break there.
Animal Sanctuary
Panda Arch - 2 Farm Cash
Cockatiel - 10 Farm Cash
As you can see, the Lighthouse Cove side of the store definitely has more items, but you can still splurge a bit of Farm Cash on these two items if you choose. They'll both be available in the store for the next two weeks.
What do you think of this pile of new items? Have you already created a retreat on your farm with these Lighthouse Cove items, or are you just starting to decorate with them this evening? Sound off in the comments.
Lighthouse Cove
Beach Tent - 2 Farm Cash
Beach Grass - 4,000 coins
Beach Chair Set - 20,000 coins
Coastal Planter - 8,000 coins
Dark Wood Fence - 5,000 coins
Field Stone Bridge - 15 Farm Cash
Nelly Moser - 50,000 coins
Boreal Owl - 18 Farm Cash
Sea Lavender - 5,000 coins
Maple Leaf Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
You'll need to pay special attention to these items in the store, as some of them expire in 11 days, while others are around for two weeks. Overall, there are a surprisingly large amount of coin-only items here, so if you've already spent all of your Farm Cash in simply getting into Lighthouse Cove, you'll receive a break there.
Animal Sanctuary
Panda Arch - 2 Farm Cash
Cockatiel - 10 Farm Cash
As you can see, the Lighthouse Cove side of the store definitely has more items, but you can still splurge a bit of Farm Cash on these two items if you choose. They'll both be available in the store for the next two weeks.
What do you think of this pile of new items? Have you already created a retreat on your farm with these Lighthouse Cove items, or are you just starting to decorate with them this evening? Sound off in the comments.
Bubble Witch Saga pops on Facebook, King.com hits 900M gameplays
If games like Bubble Bobble have taught us anything, it's that sometimes there's nothing more relaxing than popping bubbles. Casual and social game developer King.com knows this all too well, and has released its second bubble-bursting game on Facebook, Bubble Witch Saga. This new game is a socially-enhanced port of one of the top five most popular games ever on King.com (the casual games website of the same name), King.com Director of Product Performance, Social and Mobile, Lars Jornow told us.
The game features more levels than ever with 70 unique stages, new booster power-ups available for Facebook Credits and a deeper storyline than before. Players assume the role of an aspiring witch who wishes to join the proverbial circle of three. In order to impress the witches, you must burst the bubbles by matching three of the same color to fill their cauldron with magic goop. I mean, who knows what witches put in those things?
Bursting the bubbles will get the cauldron below bubbling, as witches are so wont to do. Each successful match causes spiders to drop from the ceiling. The more spiders you have when you burst enough bubbles, the more points you'll get (and hopefully stars), as the spiders will act as bumpers for the remaining bubbles and increase your chances of scoring big.
Buggle Witch Saga concept art
Completing each level with the most stars possible will help you reach new uncharted parts of a vast forest in your quest to become the fourth witch of the circle. Players can invite their friends to the game to help restore their lives if they fail to clear a difficult level, and later in the game they will need more friends to unlock new levels to play.
Bubble Witch Saga takes an interesting spin on the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual and social games, with its semi-realistic art style that's delightfully reminiscent of the unforgettable Halloween flick Hocus-Pocus. While the game already has six episodes (with about 10 levels each) of content, Jornow tells us that more content is already in the works.
Bubble Witch Saga gameplay
Not to mention that the game will hit mobile devices later this year. King.com also announced that it has surpassed 900 million monthly gameplay sessions across all of its platforms. Granted, that's thanks to its over 200 games total, but an impressive feat nonetheless--though, the company does say that it has beat PopCap in monthly players on Facebook, according to AppData. Bubble Witch is available for play now on Facebook, so have at those bubbles, my pretties. (I promise that's the last time I say "my pretties" here ... whoops, done it again!)
Click here to play Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook Now >
Are you excited to kick back and blow up some bubbles once again? What do you think of this game so far, and the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual or social games? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
The game features more levels than ever with 70 unique stages, new booster power-ups available for Facebook Credits and a deeper storyline than before. Players assume the role of an aspiring witch who wishes to join the proverbial circle of three. In order to impress the witches, you must burst the bubbles by matching three of the same color to fill their cauldron with magic goop. I mean, who knows what witches put in those things?
Bursting the bubbles will get the cauldron below bubbling, as witches are so wont to do. Each successful match causes spiders to drop from the ceiling. The more spiders you have when you burst enough bubbles, the more points you'll get (and hopefully stars), as the spiders will act as bumpers for the remaining bubbles and increase your chances of scoring big.
Buggle Witch Saga concept art
Completing each level with the most stars possible will help you reach new uncharted parts of a vast forest in your quest to become the fourth witch of the circle. Players can invite their friends to the game to help restore their lives if they fail to clear a difficult level, and later in the game they will need more friends to unlock new levels to play.
Bubble Witch Saga takes an interesting spin on the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual and social games, with its semi-realistic art style that's delightfully reminiscent of the unforgettable Halloween flick Hocus-Pocus. While the game already has six episodes (with about 10 levels each) of content, Jornow tells us that more content is already in the works.
Bubble Witch Saga gameplay
Not to mention that the game will hit mobile devices later this year. King.com also announced that it has surpassed 900 million monthly gameplay sessions across all of its platforms. Granted, that's thanks to its over 200 games total, but an impressive feat nonetheless--though, the company does say that it has beat PopCap in monthly players on Facebook, according to AppData. Bubble Witch is available for play now on Facebook, so have at those bubbles, my pretties. (I promise that's the last time I say "my pretties" here ... whoops, done it again!)
Click here to play Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook Now >
Are you excited to kick back and blow up some bubbles once again? What do you think of this game so far, and the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual or social games? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
OpenFeint co-founder leaves, Gree International head becomes CEO
Well, that sure was quick. Just months after Japanese social game network Gree acquired OpenFeint (for a cool $104 million, mind you), the latter's co-founder and CEO has left the company, VentureBeat reports. The Burlingame, Calif.-based mobile social game network's 26-year-old co-founder Jason Citron has moved on to new opportunities, and has been replaced by Gree's head of international operations Naoki Aoyagi (pictured).
"In just over 24 months, OpenFeint has grown to over 120 million users across 7,000 games," Aoyagi said in a release. "I thank Jason for his leadership growing the company and wish him well in his new adventures." But, according to VentureBeat, the old switcheroo might not have been so cut and dry.
VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi reports hearing rumors that Citron had been fired from the company before contacting OpenFeint and Citron, both of which declined to comment on the news until Aoyagi made the above statement in a release. However, both companies aim to announce their plans for integration between the U.S. operations of both companies in the coming weeks.
In other words, Gree's westward expansion into the U.S. through OpenFeint is imminent, and Gree will likely have even more of a say in how OpenFeint handles things now with a former Gree executive at the reins. Gree hopes to turn U.S. mobile gamers into the apparently wild spenders that Japanese mobile gamers tend to be.
However, direct Japanese competitor DeNA has already launched its Mobage mobile social games platform in the U.S. through recent acquisition ngmoco, and already has support of major U.S. carrier AT&T (though, it is AT&T). It looks like this holiday season will prove whether Gree and OpenFeint can catch up to their new rivals, not to mention existing western competitors like Zynga and EA, both of which have global and mobile ambitions. At any rate, it's going to be a very merry Christmas for mobile gamers.
[Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Do you think Gree and OpenFeint can catch up to DeNA under its new management? What do you hope to see from Citron now that he's freed himself from the company he helped bring up to this point? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"In just over 24 months, OpenFeint has grown to over 120 million users across 7,000 games," Aoyagi said in a release. "I thank Jason for his leadership growing the company and wish him well in his new adventures." But, according to VentureBeat, the old switcheroo might not have been so cut and dry.
VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi reports hearing rumors that Citron had been fired from the company before contacting OpenFeint and Citron, both of which declined to comment on the news until Aoyagi made the above statement in a release. However, both companies aim to announce their plans for integration between the U.S. operations of both companies in the coming weeks.
In other words, Gree's westward expansion into the U.S. through OpenFeint is imminent, and Gree will likely have even more of a say in how OpenFeint handles things now with a former Gree executive at the reins. Gree hopes to turn U.S. mobile gamers into the apparently wild spenders that Japanese mobile gamers tend to be.
However, direct Japanese competitor DeNA has already launched its Mobage mobile social games platform in the U.S. through recent acquisition ngmoco, and already has support of major U.S. carrier AT&T (though, it is AT&T). It looks like this holiday season will prove whether Gree and OpenFeint can catch up to their new rivals, not to mention existing western competitors like Zynga and EA, both of which have global and mobile ambitions. At any rate, it's going to be a very merry Christmas for mobile gamers.
[Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Do you think Gree and OpenFeint can catch up to DeNA under its new management? What do you hope to see from Citron now that he's freed himself from the company he helped bring up to this point? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Scrabble gets ridiculously meta in Scrabble Showdown [Video]
Scrabble Showdown
We think it's official: Scrabble is now available on every game platform ever--even cable TV. What if we told you that, while playing Scrabble on Facebook against your friends playing on their smartphones, you could watch folks play on TV? (Now, if that's not meta, we don't know what is.) Scrabble Showdown, a new game show on The Hub cable TV network produced by Hasbro Studios, will debut this Saturday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m. EST. (Check here to see where it will play in your area.)
In the half-hour long game show, families compete in a variety of Scrabble games including Scrabble Babble, Slam, Flash and the Final Lightning Round (you know, because it wouldn't be a game show without one of those). Of course, there are major prizes at stake like vacations to "anywhere in the world," according to a release. At this point, you really will have zero excuse to not own your friends in Scrabble on Facebook.
This show, hosted by Justin Willman of The Food Network's Cake Wars, is bound to get intense. I mean, have you seen professional Scrabble players? They'll be flocking to this new battlefield in no time. Check out a preview of the show below, and if you tune in this weekend--who knows--you might learn a trick or two to school your friends with on Facebook.
Do you plan on tuning into Scrabble Showdown this weekend? What other Facebook or casual games do you think would make a fun game show? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
We think it's official: Scrabble is now available on every game platform ever--even cable TV. What if we told you that, while playing Scrabble on Facebook against your friends playing on their smartphones, you could watch folks play on TV? (Now, if that's not meta, we don't know what is.) Scrabble Showdown, a new game show on The Hub cable TV network produced by Hasbro Studios, will debut this Saturday, Sept. 17, at 6:30 p.m. EST. (Check here to see where it will play in your area.)
In the half-hour long game show, families compete in a variety of Scrabble games including Scrabble Babble, Slam, Flash and the Final Lightning Round (you know, because it wouldn't be a game show without one of those). Of course, there are major prizes at stake like vacations to "anywhere in the world," according to a release. At this point, you really will have zero excuse to not own your friends in Scrabble on Facebook.
This show, hosted by Justin Willman of The Food Network's Cake Wars, is bound to get intense. I mean, have you seen professional Scrabble players? They'll be flocking to this new battlefield in no time. Check out a preview of the show below, and if you tune in this weekend--who knows--you might learn a trick or two to school your friends with on Facebook.
Do you plan on tuning into Scrabble Showdown this weekend? What other Facebook or casual games do you think would make a fun game show? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Monday, September 26, 2011
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Hemi 426's zoo takes animal collecting to the next level
With recent FarmVille releases such as the Aviary Habitat, Zoo Habitat, Pet Run, and Wildlife Habitat, it was only a matter of time before awesome zoo farms came flooding in. But, after browsing through a few, there was no question that Hemi 426's zoo was the most impressive of them all. Folks, prepare yourselves, because this farm will blow you away.
Hemi 426's zoo spares no expense; there is a ridiculous amount of content for just one farm. The most impressive part is, the farm is all so well organized. Usually, this type of farm would look like a total mess, with animals, and buildings thrown all over the place. On the other hand, Hemi 426's zoo farm is beautifully designed, with areas for each exhibit. It even incorporates hay bale walkways and staircases to the petting zoo and lower levels. And of course, you have to respect the ridiculous amount of mastery signs Hemi 426 has accumulated. But words can't possibly do this epic creation justice, so take a look at the close up pictures below:
Click the images to see them larger.
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Trapped Area
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Petting Zoo
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Masteries farmville zoo Hemi 426 Foals
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Exotic Creatures
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Sheep
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Zoo Area
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Atrium
What do you think of Hemi 426's zoo farm? Which is your favorite exhibit?
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!
Hemi 426's zoo spares no expense; there is a ridiculous amount of content for just one farm. The most impressive part is, the farm is all so well organized. Usually, this type of farm would look like a total mess, with animals, and buildings thrown all over the place. On the other hand, Hemi 426's zoo farm is beautifully designed, with areas for each exhibit. It even incorporates hay bale walkways and staircases to the petting zoo and lower levels. And of course, you have to respect the ridiculous amount of mastery signs Hemi 426 has accumulated. But words can't possibly do this epic creation justice, so take a look at the close up pictures below:
Click the images to see them larger.
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Trapped Area
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Petting Zoo
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Masteries farmville zoo Hemi 426 Foals
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Exotic Creatures
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Sheep
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Zoo Area
farmville zoo Hemi 426 Atrium
What do you think of Hemi 426's zoo farm? Which is your favorite exhibit?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
The Sims Social: Grab free fan gifts with our links roundup
Update: On 9/19 at 1:19 p.m., the Sims Social official fan page announced that the following links will be expiring soon, but didn't specify when. For more freebies, you can also try grabbing the exclusive Dunkin' Donuts Lawn Chair (announced 9/15) and the Pogo Arcade Machine (discovered yesterday).
After a botched attempt at granting free fan freebies for The Sims Social last month, Playfish and EA have begun rolling out free fan gifts again so players can get a second chance.
Also, if you were one of the lucky players who did manage to grab those free gifts the first time around, you're still eligible to grab more! (Hey, you can always sell them to make some Simoleons.)
Anyway, these gifts were released one at a time, spaced over several consecutive days, so to make it easier for you guys, we've rounded up the links in one post.
Here's what you need to do:
Step 1: Log into Facebook.
Step 2: You still have to 'Like' the official fan page in order for these to work.
Step 3: Click on the item you want in the chart below. (Note: Each link will open a New Window.)
Below is a list of what's been given out so far, and when they did it. This page will be updated as the freebies continue.
* Liebefunkenmann SS-10 Keyboard (Sept. 6)
* CharKoohl Black BBQ (Sept. 7)
* Still Life Easel (Sept. 8)
* Basix Bookshelves (Sept. 9)
* Neukum Classic Guitar (Sept. 10)
* Llamark Chillblast Fall (Sept. 11)
* PerpetuLux-Sable (Sept. 12)
* Rub-A-Dub-Tub (Sept. 13)
* Pompeii Fireplace (Sept. 14)
Which is your favorite free gift? Did you know that aside from looking pretty, some of these are important to completing certain missions in the game? Sound off in the comments. 7 Comments
After a botched attempt at granting free fan freebies for The Sims Social last month, Playfish and EA have begun rolling out free fan gifts again so players can get a second chance.
Also, if you were one of the lucky players who did manage to grab those free gifts the first time around, you're still eligible to grab more! (Hey, you can always sell them to make some Simoleons.)
Anyway, these gifts were released one at a time, spaced over several consecutive days, so to make it easier for you guys, we've rounded up the links in one post.
Here's what you need to do:
Step 1: Log into Facebook.
Step 2: You still have to 'Like' the official fan page in order for these to work.
Step 3: Click on the item you want in the chart below. (Note: Each link will open a New Window.)
Below is a list of what's been given out so far, and when they did it. This page will be updated as the freebies continue.
* Liebefunkenmann SS-10 Keyboard (Sept. 6)
* CharKoohl Black BBQ (Sept. 7)
* Still Life Easel (Sept. 8)
* Basix Bookshelves (Sept. 9)
* Neukum Classic Guitar (Sept. 10)
* Llamark Chillblast Fall (Sept. 11)
* PerpetuLux-Sable (Sept. 12)
* Rub-A-Dub-Tub (Sept. 13)
* Pompeii Fireplace (Sept. 14)
Which is your favorite free gift? Did you know that aside from looking pretty, some of these are important to completing certain missions in the game? Sound off in the comments. 7 Comments
Angry Birds is the top game on Google+ Games, Rovio exec says
Where else will the Angry Birds crash land into and dominate? Nintendo 3DS? Xbox 360? Your scientific calculator? Who knows, but according to All Things Digital, Rovio SVP of brand advertising and analytics Wibe Wagemans said yesterday at the Mobile Future Forward conference in Seattle, Wash. that Angry Birds is the number on game on Google+ Games.
Granted, that's out of all 16 games on the platform right now, but some of those games were put there by the likes of major social game creators like Zynga, Wooga, EA and Playdom. Wagemans, formerly an executive on Microsoft's Bing team, went on to say that Rovio has grown faster in the past two years than companies like MySpace, YouTube, Amazon and Skype. He also said, "We are now the fastest-growing consumer brand in history," ATD reports.
When you think about it, though: Not only is the Angry Birds game on nearly every gaming platform under the sun, but the little wingless cartoons and their amorphous green piglet enemies have been transformed into plush toys, t-shirts, board games, cook books, a feature film--need I go on?
During his talk in Seattle, Wageman revealed that Rovio welcomes over 120 million monthly Angry Birds players across the myriad of platforms the game is available on. Simply put, the western world is hooked on Angry Birds (it's science, remember?) and soon so will the East, if Rovio has any say in it. Sure, that's less than half of the 273 million or so monthly players Zynga caters to on Facebook alone, to which Wageman said, "We haven't even launched on Facebook yet." Oh ... oh, no.
[Image Credit: FuckYeahAlbuquerque]
Are you one of the 120 million or more devoted Angry Birds fans? Do you think Rovio could compete directly with Zynga when Angry Birds launches on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Granted, that's out of all 16 games on the platform right now, but some of those games were put there by the likes of major social game creators like Zynga, Wooga, EA and Playdom. Wagemans, formerly an executive on Microsoft's Bing team, went on to say that Rovio has grown faster in the past two years than companies like MySpace, YouTube, Amazon and Skype. He also said, "We are now the fastest-growing consumer brand in history," ATD reports.
When you think about it, though: Not only is the Angry Birds game on nearly every gaming platform under the sun, but the little wingless cartoons and their amorphous green piglet enemies have been transformed into plush toys, t-shirts, board games, cook books, a feature film--need I go on?
During his talk in Seattle, Wageman revealed that Rovio welcomes over 120 million monthly Angry Birds players across the myriad of platforms the game is available on. Simply put, the western world is hooked on Angry Birds (it's science, remember?) and soon so will the East, if Rovio has any say in it. Sure, that's less than half of the 273 million or so monthly players Zynga caters to on Facebook alone, to which Wageman said, "We haven't even launched on Facebook yet." Oh ... oh, no.
[Image Credit: FuckYeahAlbuquerque]
Are you one of the 120 million or more devoted Angry Birds fans? Do you think Rovio could compete directly with Zynga when Angry Birds launches on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Survey: Bejeweled Blitz could sharpen old noggin in baby boomers
For the young, and now the old, it looks like PopCap games are good for everyone. In a survey of over 10,000 U.S. residents conducted by researcher Susan K. Whitbourne, Ph.D., 47 percent of older adults who play Bejeweled Blitz regularly reported feeling sharper while performing tasks.
Whitbourne, a psychology researcher at University of Massachusetts Amherst, presented her findings at this year's American Psychological Association's (APA) convention in Washington D.C. According to PopCap, Whitbourne believes that Bejeweled Blitz could be a viable platform for improving cognitive skills in older adults because it involves several of the skills that have been shown the be improved after playing video games.
Designed to see whether Whitbourne's inklings checked out, the survey found that 22.4 percent of participants aged 65 and over found their ability to see patterns improved. A small 23.9 percent of the same group reported that they could perform timed tasks more quickly after playing the game regularly. While the survey consisted of 10,331 adults aged 18 to 80-years-old, 41 percent of those were 50-years-old and over (and 83 percent total were women). And it's worth nothing that over 78 percent of participants reported to have a college degree.
Nearly half (47.5 percent) of adults aged 50 and older said that they paid no attention to the 60-second countdown timer in Bejeweled Blitz, and 52.9 percent of those 65-years-old and over reported the same reaction. Both groups of older folks were less likely than those 18 to 24-years-old to report feeling anxious because of the timer. Overall, a whopping 66.4 percent said that the game's multiplier gems were positively motivating.
Whitbourne's findings were well-received by some at the convention, like Dr. Walter Boot, director of the Attention and Training Lab of the Department of Psychology at Florida State University. "I believe the work Dr. Whitbourne and her colleagues are doing, using Bejeweled Blitz, is both critical and exciting, and that more research like this needs to be done exploring not only the types of games that bring about cognitive benefits, but also the types of games older adults are willing to play and why," Boot said. "The best cognitive aging intervention in the world is useless if older adults aren't willing and able to engage in it."
Of course, PopCap has a vested interested in the various applications of its hit games. But these findings are interesting, nevertheless. Well, there you have it: It looks like PopCap games like Bejeweled have become the proverbial Coca-Cola of the games industry--not only are they delicious fun, but they're good for you, too!
Do you believe that games like Bejeweled could be good for your cognitive health? What games do you or older folks in your life play to keep the brain in tip-top shape? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Whitbourne, a psychology researcher at University of Massachusetts Amherst, presented her findings at this year's American Psychological Association's (APA) convention in Washington D.C. According to PopCap, Whitbourne believes that Bejeweled Blitz could be a viable platform for improving cognitive skills in older adults because it involves several of the skills that have been shown the be improved after playing video games.
Designed to see whether Whitbourne's inklings checked out, the survey found that 22.4 percent of participants aged 65 and over found their ability to see patterns improved. A small 23.9 percent of the same group reported that they could perform timed tasks more quickly after playing the game regularly. While the survey consisted of 10,331 adults aged 18 to 80-years-old, 41 percent of those were 50-years-old and over (and 83 percent total were women). And it's worth nothing that over 78 percent of participants reported to have a college degree.
Nearly half (47.5 percent) of adults aged 50 and older said that they paid no attention to the 60-second countdown timer in Bejeweled Blitz, and 52.9 percent of those 65-years-old and over reported the same reaction. Both groups of older folks were less likely than those 18 to 24-years-old to report feeling anxious because of the timer. Overall, a whopping 66.4 percent said that the game's multiplier gems were positively motivating.
Whitbourne's findings were well-received by some at the convention, like Dr. Walter Boot, director of the Attention and Training Lab of the Department of Psychology at Florida State University. "I believe the work Dr. Whitbourne and her colleagues are doing, using Bejeweled Blitz, is both critical and exciting, and that more research like this needs to be done exploring not only the types of games that bring about cognitive benefits, but also the types of games older adults are willing to play and why," Boot said. "The best cognitive aging intervention in the world is useless if older adults aren't willing and able to engage in it."
Of course, PopCap has a vested interested in the various applications of its hit games. But these findings are interesting, nevertheless. Well, there you have it: It looks like PopCap games like Bejeweled have become the proverbial Coca-Cola of the games industry--not only are they delicious fun, but they're good for you, too!
Do you believe that games like Bejeweled could be good for your cognitive health? What games do you or older folks in your life play to keep the brain in tip-top shape? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Adult Swim Games Arcade brings some shock and awe to Facebook
Robot Unicorn Attack -- the most magical game of all time -- and its darker twin, Heavy Metal, now have company as their developer, Adult Swim Games, has finally decided to launch a stable of their games on Facebook yesterday.
Adult Swim, a cable network (on the same channel as the Cartoon Network) known for dozens of high-quality absurdist and shock comedy shows, runs a games portal that houses over a hundred absurdist and shock comedy online games. (However, there's no overlap between the two in terms of content. That is, you're not going to get a Robot Unicorn Attack show, or a Venture Bros. game, no matter how badly you want one.) Now a fraction of that portal is accessible via Facebook.
To give you an idea of what you'll be walking into, they've got titles like "Five Minutes to Kill Yourself Wedding Day", "Amateur Surgeon", "Pole Dance Party", "Death Row Diner", and "Radioactive Teddy Bear Zombies". Of course, Robot Unicorn Attack is also there, but it's only linked there, since it was released last September as a separate app.
Adult Swim Games Arcade view all games
This new arcade app currently contains 21 games categorized along 6 genres: Action, Adventure, Twitchy, Shooter, Puzzle, and Classic. If you're wondering what "Twitchy" means, it describes games where reaction time is of utmost importance.
Adult Swim Games arcade
Unlike your usual new Facebook game launch, all of these games have stood the test of time on the Adult Swim Games website. However, the arcade app itself is currently in beta, so if something breaks or you've got a kerfuffle, shoot them an email at games@adultswim.com.
Click here to play Adult Swim Games Arcade on Facebook now >
Do you find Adult Swim Games disturbing or awesome? Have you ever seen an Adult Swim show? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
Adult Swim, a cable network (on the same channel as the Cartoon Network) known for dozens of high-quality absurdist and shock comedy shows, runs a games portal that houses over a hundred absurdist and shock comedy online games. (However, there's no overlap between the two in terms of content. That is, you're not going to get a Robot Unicorn Attack show, or a Venture Bros. game, no matter how badly you want one.) Now a fraction of that portal is accessible via Facebook.
To give you an idea of what you'll be walking into, they've got titles like "Five Minutes to Kill Yourself Wedding Day", "Amateur Surgeon", "Pole Dance Party", "Death Row Diner", and "Radioactive Teddy Bear Zombies". Of course, Robot Unicorn Attack is also there, but it's only linked there, since it was released last September as a separate app.
Adult Swim Games Arcade view all games
This new arcade app currently contains 21 games categorized along 6 genres: Action, Adventure, Twitchy, Shooter, Puzzle, and Classic. If you're wondering what "Twitchy" means, it describes games where reaction time is of utmost importance.
Adult Swim Games arcade
Unlike your usual new Facebook game launch, all of these games have stood the test of time on the Adult Swim Games website. However, the arcade app itself is currently in beta, so if something breaks or you've got a kerfuffle, shoot them an email at games@adultswim.com.
Click here to play Adult Swim Games Arcade on Facebook now >
Do you find Adult Swim Games disturbing or awesome? Have you ever seen an Adult Swim show? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
Sunday, September 25, 2011
FarmVille: Lighthouse Cove takes over the travel screen [UPDATE]
UPDATE: Apparently, my "week" prediction was even too long, as users on the FarmVille forums have reported gaining access for 55 Farm Cash. If this turns out to be legitimate, we'll make sure to give you a complete rundown of how you too can access Lighthouse Cove as soon as possible. Check out our complete guide to getting early access into Lighthouse Cove (and what you can expect once your boat hits shore) right here.
If there wasn't already enough indication that Lighthouse Cove will be launching in FarmVille very, very soon, there's this. The game's travel screen animation has been blown up and replaced with this massive banner (again, it's animated, with the boat riding the waves), showing us a bit of Lighthouse Cove in the distance (well, the Lighthouse and some grass, anyway). We already know that we'll be traveling to Lighthouse Cove via boat, so this will likely be the sight we'll see when traveling for quite a while.
Does this matter? Yes, it most certainly does, as it gives us a better time table of when to expect the launch of this third farm (and when we'll apparently need to shell out 45 Farm Cash to travel there). After the launch of new crafting recipes in-game that deal with unreleased crops that (we can only assume) are part of Lighthouse Cove, and after the many teaser images Zynga has laid out for us over the last week or so, I'd wager some pretty serious (virtual) money that we'll be seeing Lighthouse Cove launch within the next week - two at most.
The FarmVille team doesn't normally release this much in-game content weeks or months before that content is ready (aside from screenshots that may be posted on Facebook fan pages, which, again, isn't live in the game), so I'd grab some Farm Cash, people. It looks like we'll be heading off to Lighthouse Cove a lot sooner than anyone imagined.
Have you spotted any other Lighthouse Cove content in your own game? Are you ready to tackle a third farm, or will you stick with the two you already have for the foreseeable future? Sound off in the comments.
If there wasn't already enough indication that Lighthouse Cove will be launching in FarmVille very, very soon, there's this. The game's travel screen animation has been blown up and replaced with this massive banner (again, it's animated, with the boat riding the waves), showing us a bit of Lighthouse Cove in the distance (well, the Lighthouse and some grass, anyway). We already know that we'll be traveling to Lighthouse Cove via boat, so this will likely be the sight we'll see when traveling for quite a while.
Does this matter? Yes, it most certainly does, as it gives us a better time table of when to expect the launch of this third farm (and when we'll apparently need to shell out 45 Farm Cash to travel there). After the launch of new crafting recipes in-game that deal with unreleased crops that (we can only assume) are part of Lighthouse Cove, and after the many teaser images Zynga has laid out for us over the last week or so, I'd wager some pretty serious (virtual) money that we'll be seeing Lighthouse Cove launch within the next week - two at most.
The FarmVille team doesn't normally release this much in-game content weeks or months before that content is ready (aside from screenshots that may be posted on Facebook fan pages, which, again, isn't live in the game), so I'd grab some Farm Cash, people. It looks like we'll be heading off to Lighthouse Cove a lot sooner than anyone imagined.
Have you spotted any other Lighthouse Cove content in your own game? Are you ready to tackle a third farm, or will you stick with the two you already have for the foreseeable future? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille: Take a trip to Lighthouse Cove tonight (for 55 Farm Cash)
The time we've been waiting for has arrived, farmers! Lighthouse Cove has officially started its rollout in FarmVille, allowing "VIP Farmers" (ie: those that are willing to pay Farm Cash) access to this third farm via a one-time purchase of 55 Farm Cash. Everyone else will have to wait until September 19, when "free boat departures" start taking off.
If you're willing to make a purchase, you'll know that you can when you see a set of pop-ups like the ones below. If you don't have the 55 Farm Cash on your account currently, you'll be prompted to purchase it, with the 55 Farm Cash being available for $10 (conveniently in a single package).
Once you've paid for your ticket, you'll see a cutscene where Brenda will remember the beauty of the Lighthouse Cove, before a terrible storm came and swept it all away. The boat dock has been struck by lightning and the buildings (save for a few) have been destroyed.
After that point, you'll be set on your way with a series of new quests, where Brenda will introduce you to your new farm. The rules here are actually a bit different from other farms; specifically, as this is a resort town, farmland is limited, and you'll be limited to a specific amount of farm plots for the size of your farm. That is, as you expand your Lighthouse Cove, you'll gain access to plowing more plots. To start, you'll have room for just 35 farm plots, although you don't have to plow that many if you don't want to.
Other than that, things are as you'd expect - you can plant chicken coops, raise animals and other general farm tasks, and can build the Wildlife Habitat or Orchard that you've been given as free frames. You'll even be given a Mountain Lion for free in your inventory if you purchased your way in. As for repairing the Lighthouse Cove itself, you can check out our guide to repairing it right here.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you received your ticket to enter Lighthouse Cove, or will you wait until September 19, when you can get in for free? Sound off in the comments.
If you're willing to make a purchase, you'll know that you can when you see a set of pop-ups like the ones below. If you don't have the 55 Farm Cash on your account currently, you'll be prompted to purchase it, with the 55 Farm Cash being available for $10 (conveniently in a single package).
Once you've paid for your ticket, you'll see a cutscene where Brenda will remember the beauty of the Lighthouse Cove, before a terrible storm came and swept it all away. The boat dock has been struck by lightning and the buildings (save for a few) have been destroyed.
After that point, you'll be set on your way with a series of new quests, where Brenda will introduce you to your new farm. The rules here are actually a bit different from other farms; specifically, as this is a resort town, farmland is limited, and you'll be limited to a specific amount of farm plots for the size of your farm. That is, as you expand your Lighthouse Cove, you'll gain access to plowing more plots. To start, you'll have room for just 35 farm plots, although you don't have to plow that many if you don't want to.
Other than that, things are as you'd expect - you can plant chicken coops, raise animals and other general farm tasks, and can build the Wildlife Habitat or Orchard that you've been given as free frames. You'll even be given a Mountain Lion for free in your inventory if you purchased your way in. As for repairing the Lighthouse Cove itself, you can check out our guide to repairing it right here.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you received your ticket to enter Lighthouse Cove, or will you wait until September 19, when you can get in for free? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Items: Outfit your new farm with these goodies
With tonight's launch of the Lighthouse Cove in FarmVille, we're given an opportunity to stock that farm with all sorts of new goodies! There are new trees, animals, buildings and of course plenty of decorations to choose from in this initial launch, some of which even go for coins! Here's a complete rundown of these items, along with a bit of a visual sneak peek for those that decide to wait until "free" Lighthouse Cove tickets launch next week.
Trees:
Eastern Red Cedar - 7 Farm Cash
Tulip Poplar - 7 Farm Cash
Lombardy Poplar - 15 Farm Cash
White Ash Tree - 5,000 coins
Black Gum Tree - 7 Farm Cash
Speckled Alder - 15 Farm Cash
White Cedar Tree - 15 Farm Cash
In this scenario, we're stuck with seven trees, which doesn't seem to make sense in the "Level 1 / Level 2 tree pairing setup," but we can confirm that Eastern Red Cedar Trees will produce White Cedar Trees when placed in an Orchard. You're given one of each as free gifts just for landing in Lighthouse Cove, however, so keep that in mind.
Animals:
Milking Shorthorn - 100,000 coins
Pine Marten - 100,000 coins
Main Coon - 200,000 coins
Loon Duck - 18 Farm Cash
Buttercup Chicken - 20 Farm Cash
Chinook - 20 Farm Cash
Dorset Sheep - 20 Farm Cash
Duroc Pig - 20 Farm Cash
Pineywoods Cow - 24 Farm Cash
New England Pinto - 26 Farm Cash
Sailor Cow - 24 Farm Cash
Canadian Goose - 20 Farm Cash
Quarter Pony - 24 Farm Cash
Eastern Moose - 22 Farm Cash
Mountain Lion - 20 Farm Cash
River Otter - 20 Farm Cash
Painted Turtle - 20 Farm Cash
Take particular notice of the Mountain Lion. If you purchased your way into Lighthouse Cove for 55 Farm Cash, you will have one of these big cats waiting for you in your Gift Box as a free gift for purchasing your ticket. Your farm will also have a River Otter waiting for you, for free, so feel free to skip on purchasing it if you don't care about having only one.
Buildings:
Chicken Coop - 5,000 coins
Garden Shed - 30,000 coins
Restaurant - 100,000 coins
Cove B&B - 30 Farm Cash
Garage (fully constructed) - 50 Farm Cash
Garage (frame) - 50,000 coins
Orchard (fully constructed) - 30 Farm Cash
Orchard (base) - 1,000 coins
Coastal Tool Shed - 22 Farm Cash
Coastal Barn - 30 Farm Cash
Cape House - 500,000 coins
Cottage - 20 Farm Cash
Cape Mansion - 50 Farm Cash
Post Office - 15 Farm Cash
Village Center - 50,000 coins
With these buildings, keep in mind that you'll receive a free base of an Orchard, and will also receive the Cove B&B on your land when you first arrive in Lighthouse Cove. As for the garage and restaurant, these are the vehicle storage and crafting buildings, respectively. We'll bring you a complete guide to the Restaurant feature in the Lighthouse Cove as soon as we can.
Decorations:
Beached Rowboat - 20 Farm Cash
Red Clover Pot - 1,000 coins
Ladyslipper Flower - 2 Farm Cash
Horse-Drawn Wagon - 10 Farm Cash
Inkeeper Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Sailor Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Fountain - 15 Farm Cash
Haystack - 10,000 coins
Pond - 15 Farm Cash
Stone Fence Gate - 50,000 coins
Picket Fence Gate - 2 Farm Cash
Daylily Flowerbed - 5,000 coins
Picket Fence - 5,000 coins
Stone Fence - 5,000 coins
Bench - 30,000 coins
Lamppost - 1 Farm Cash
You'll be given a few pieces of the Stone Fence for free when starting in Lighthouse Cove, but for the other decorations, it looks like you're on your own.
And there you have it! A complete look at what are (as of this writing) not-time-limited items available in the Lighthouse Cove farm. We'll bring you continued coverage about this new farm, so keep checking back with us for more!
What do you think of the many items made available to newcomers to the Lighthouse Cove? How many of these items will you stock up on? Sound off in the comments.
Trees:
Eastern Red Cedar - 7 Farm Cash
Tulip Poplar - 7 Farm Cash
Lombardy Poplar - 15 Farm Cash
White Ash Tree - 5,000 coins
Black Gum Tree - 7 Farm Cash
Speckled Alder - 15 Farm Cash
White Cedar Tree - 15 Farm Cash
In this scenario, we're stuck with seven trees, which doesn't seem to make sense in the "Level 1 / Level 2 tree pairing setup," but we can confirm that Eastern Red Cedar Trees will produce White Cedar Trees when placed in an Orchard. You're given one of each as free gifts just for landing in Lighthouse Cove, however, so keep that in mind.
Animals:
Milking Shorthorn - 100,000 coins
Pine Marten - 100,000 coins
Main Coon - 200,000 coins
Loon Duck - 18 Farm Cash
Buttercup Chicken - 20 Farm Cash
Chinook - 20 Farm Cash
Dorset Sheep - 20 Farm Cash
Duroc Pig - 20 Farm Cash
Pineywoods Cow - 24 Farm Cash
New England Pinto - 26 Farm Cash
Sailor Cow - 24 Farm Cash
Canadian Goose - 20 Farm Cash
Quarter Pony - 24 Farm Cash
Eastern Moose - 22 Farm Cash
Mountain Lion - 20 Farm Cash
River Otter - 20 Farm Cash
Painted Turtle - 20 Farm Cash
Take particular notice of the Mountain Lion. If you purchased your way into Lighthouse Cove for 55 Farm Cash, you will have one of these big cats waiting for you in your Gift Box as a free gift for purchasing your ticket. Your farm will also have a River Otter waiting for you, for free, so feel free to skip on purchasing it if you don't care about having only one.
Buildings:
Chicken Coop - 5,000 coins
Garden Shed - 30,000 coins
Restaurant - 100,000 coins
Cove B&B - 30 Farm Cash
Garage (fully constructed) - 50 Farm Cash
Garage (frame) - 50,000 coins
Orchard (fully constructed) - 30 Farm Cash
Orchard (base) - 1,000 coins
Coastal Tool Shed - 22 Farm Cash
Coastal Barn - 30 Farm Cash
Cape House - 500,000 coins
Cottage - 20 Farm Cash
Cape Mansion - 50 Farm Cash
Post Office - 15 Farm Cash
Village Center - 50,000 coins
With these buildings, keep in mind that you'll receive a free base of an Orchard, and will also receive the Cove B&B on your land when you first arrive in Lighthouse Cove. As for the garage and restaurant, these are the vehicle storage and crafting buildings, respectively. We'll bring you a complete guide to the Restaurant feature in the Lighthouse Cove as soon as we can.
Decorations:
Beached Rowboat - 20 Farm Cash
Red Clover Pot - 1,000 coins
Ladyslipper Flower - 2 Farm Cash
Horse-Drawn Wagon - 10 Farm Cash
Inkeeper Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Sailor Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Fountain - 15 Farm Cash
Haystack - 10,000 coins
Pond - 15 Farm Cash
Stone Fence Gate - 50,000 coins
Picket Fence Gate - 2 Farm Cash
Daylily Flowerbed - 5,000 coins
Picket Fence - 5,000 coins
Stone Fence - 5,000 coins
Bench - 30,000 coins
Lamppost - 1 Farm Cash
You'll be given a few pieces of the Stone Fence for free when starting in Lighthouse Cove, but for the other decorations, it looks like you're on your own.
And there you have it! A complete look at what are (as of this writing) not-time-limited items available in the Lighthouse Cove farm. We'll bring you continued coverage about this new farm, so keep checking back with us for more!
What do you think of the many items made available to newcomers to the Lighthouse Cove? How many of these items will you stock up on? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Restaurant: Everything you need to know
As we told you earlier, one of the biggest themed items farmers can expect from FarmVille's new Lighthouse Cove would be the Restaurant, which serves as this third farm's Crafting Cottage. The base Restaurant, with just two Crafting tables, can be purchased from the game's store for 100,000 coins, and as of this writing, you're only allowed to have one Restaurant in your Lighthouse Cove farm.
With this starter Restaurant, you'll have an item that is far less impressive than that of the game's preview image, but will still have access to a few recipes. Here's a rundown of those, including the crops you'll need to grow to craft them.
Cheddar Cheese - 2 Red Clover, 1 Hay and 2 Rhubarb Bushels
Blackberry Ice Cream - 3 Darrow Blackberry, 2 Chandler Blueberry and 3 Strawberry Bushels
Creamed Corn - 3 Butter & Sugar Corn, 3 Tarragon and 1 Pepper Bushels
Once you level up recipes six times, you'll be able to upgrade your restaurant to level 2 (which also changes it visually). At that point, you'll unlock three Level 2 recipes:
Wild Blueberry Pie - 2 Chandler Blueberry, 3 Wheat and 2 Rhubarb Bushels
Black Raspberry Wine - 3 Raspberry, 2 White Grape and 3 Chandler Blueberry Bushels
Fruit Cider - 2 Cove Cranberry, 3 Red Currant and 3 Lady Slipper Bushels
As you might expect, there are far more recipes to unlock than this, as you level up your Restaurant and unlock new ones to craft. We'll make sure to update you when we know what those recipes are, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the look of the Restaurant in FarmVille? Are you going to focus on crafting just to level up its appearance to that of the teaser image, or will you craft casually and let the upgrades happen along the way? Sound off in the comments.
With this starter Restaurant, you'll have an item that is far less impressive than that of the game's preview image, but will still have access to a few recipes. Here's a rundown of those, including the crops you'll need to grow to craft them.
Cheddar Cheese - 2 Red Clover, 1 Hay and 2 Rhubarb Bushels
Blackberry Ice Cream - 3 Darrow Blackberry, 2 Chandler Blueberry and 3 Strawberry Bushels
Creamed Corn - 3 Butter & Sugar Corn, 3 Tarragon and 1 Pepper Bushels
Once you level up recipes six times, you'll be able to upgrade your restaurant to level 2 (which also changes it visually). At that point, you'll unlock three Level 2 recipes:
Wild Blueberry Pie - 2 Chandler Blueberry, 3 Wheat and 2 Rhubarb Bushels
Black Raspberry Wine - 3 Raspberry, 2 White Grape and 3 Chandler Blueberry Bushels
Fruit Cider - 2 Cove Cranberry, 3 Red Currant and 3 Lady Slipper Bushels
As you might expect, there are far more recipes to unlock than this, as you level up your Restaurant and unlock new ones to craft. We'll make sure to update you when we know what those recipes are, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the look of the Restaurant in FarmVille? Are you going to focus on crafting just to level up its appearance to that of the teaser image, or will you craft casually and let the upgrades happen along the way? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Introduction Goals: Everything you need to know
After you've made your way into the Lighthouse Cove in FarmVille, you'll be met with a series of introductory goals, that serve to introduce you to some crops, and the crop growth limit. We'll start with Welcome to Lighthouse Cove.
* Plow 3 Plots
* Plant 10 Chandler Blueberries
As you can see, we're given a very easy goal to get us started in the game's third farm. Just finish these two tasks, and you'll receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and two each of Logs, Steel Beams and Stones, the building materials native to Lighthouse Cove.
After this introductory goal, you'll launch straight into another trio, this time of limited time goals that will only be around for a week. The first is called Ahead of Schedule.
* Get 3 Wool Blankets
* Harvest 10 Chandler Blueberries
* Complete 1 Pet Run
The Wool Blankets are earned through a general news item posted to your wall. Unfortunately, it does look like you'll have to build another Pet Run from scratch for this goal, as traveling to a farm with a completed Pet Run removes your access to these goals, as of this writing. Finishing this goal gives you 100 XP, a Tourist Gnome and 2,500 coins.
Pick It Up
* Get 6 Oat Sacks
* Harvest 45 Daylilies
* Buy 1 Storage Cellar
Storage Cellars cost just one coin from the store. Meanwhile, Daylilies are a new crop that take 16 hours to grow. Finally, the Oat Sacks are earned through a general news feed item. Finish this goal and you'll earn 200 XP, one Scottie dog and 2,500 coins.
Happy Trees
* Get 6 Tree Fertilizers
* Harvest 45 Butter & Sugar Corns
* Store 20 Trees in an Orchard
Luckily, you can purchase trees that aren't native to the Lighthouse Cove - like old fruit trees that cost just a few hundred coins each, so feel free to fill an Orchard with those. The Fertilizers, meanwhile, are earned through another news feed item. Once you finish this goal, you'll earn 300 XP, 1 Red Oak Tree and 2,500 coins.
Once you finish this trio of goals, you'll have finished the first "Chapter" in the Lighthouse Cove goal series. We're told that new "tasks" will be released in Lighthouse Cove every week, for an undisclosed amount of weeks, however, so we'll make sure to give you a look at every new set of guys just as soon as they're released.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these new Lighthouse Cove goals? Do they serve their purpose of introducing you to this new farm, or should they be more difficult? Sound off in the comments.
* Plow 3 Plots
* Plant 10 Chandler Blueberries
As you can see, we're given a very easy goal to get us started in the game's third farm. Just finish these two tasks, and you'll receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and two each of Logs, Steel Beams and Stones, the building materials native to Lighthouse Cove.
After this introductory goal, you'll launch straight into another trio, this time of limited time goals that will only be around for a week. The first is called Ahead of Schedule.
* Get 3 Wool Blankets
* Harvest 10 Chandler Blueberries
* Complete 1 Pet Run
The Wool Blankets are earned through a general news item posted to your wall. Unfortunately, it does look like you'll have to build another Pet Run from scratch for this goal, as traveling to a farm with a completed Pet Run removes your access to these goals, as of this writing. Finishing this goal gives you 100 XP, a Tourist Gnome and 2,500 coins.
Pick It Up
* Get 6 Oat Sacks
* Harvest 45 Daylilies
* Buy 1 Storage Cellar
Storage Cellars cost just one coin from the store. Meanwhile, Daylilies are a new crop that take 16 hours to grow. Finally, the Oat Sacks are earned through a general news feed item. Finish this goal and you'll earn 200 XP, one Scottie dog and 2,500 coins.
Happy Trees
* Get 6 Tree Fertilizers
* Harvest 45 Butter & Sugar Corns
* Store 20 Trees in an Orchard
Luckily, you can purchase trees that aren't native to the Lighthouse Cove - like old fruit trees that cost just a few hundred coins each, so feel free to fill an Orchard with those. The Fertilizers, meanwhile, are earned through another news feed item. Once you finish this goal, you'll earn 300 XP, 1 Red Oak Tree and 2,500 coins.
Once you finish this trio of goals, you'll have finished the first "Chapter" in the Lighthouse Cove goal series. We're told that new "tasks" will be released in Lighthouse Cove every week, for an undisclosed amount of weeks, however, so we'll make sure to give you a look at every new set of guys just as soon as they're released.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these new Lighthouse Cove goals? Do they serve their purpose of introducing you to this new farm, or should they be more difficult? Sound off in the comments.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)