Zynga's FarmVille Cows fan page asks us a very interesting question this evening - Would you like to see Cow Breeding in FarmVille change to be similar to Sheep and Pig breeding, or are you fine with the randomized system currently in place? They ask the question via a quick poll that you can answer on their official fan page. It's a yes or no question, and as of right now, the overwhelming majority of users are stating that yes, they would like to see Cow Breeding change.
Actually, it's a bit of an odd setup. It seems as though the Cows (err, Zynga) have forgotten that Cow Breeding exists in the first place. Sure, it's not a great system, as it relies solely on luck when having both Cows and a Bull inside a Dairy Farm, but you can receive calves through that manner. The question's wording here makes it seem as though Breeding is impossible in the game altogether, but we can only imagine, then, that the question refers to the Love Potion / Sheep Breeding method of Breeding, rather than anything more simplistic.
Am I reading too much into this? Perhaps, but if, at the end of the day, this poll allows me to manually breed as many pink and purple calves as I want, then over-dramatize events I will!
Would you like to see Cow Breeding change in FarmVille to a more manual process? What about Horse Breeding? Are there any other animals you would like to breed?
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
FarmVille: White Duckling available in new Spring theme
Just a few days ago, we gave you a sneak peek of the adorable White Duckling that we predicted would be coming to FarmVille in the near future. It was anyone's guess as to when the Duckling would launch in the game, but that time is now, as you can now purchase the White Duckling from the market for 16 Farm Cash.
The White Duckling is available in the new Spring theme of items that first launched in the game just this week, and it will only be available to purchase for a limited time - two weeks, to be exact. You'll gain 1600 experience points for purchasing the Duckling, which can be grown into an adult if you so choose, but really, why would you want to? The entire point of this Duckling being limited edition is because it won't be available anytime or anywhere else (at least in our foreseeable future). Would you really want to get rid of something you paid Farm Cash for, instead of keeping this cute little fella in your Duck Pond just as he is.. forever? Perhaps that's just me, but it's something to think about either way, before shelling out the real bucks for one.
Check out the rest of our Spring / Easter 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of the White Duckling? Is he cute enough to earn a permanent spot on your farm in his current form, or will you grow him up into an adult?
The White Duckling is available in the new Spring theme of items that first launched in the game just this week, and it will only be available to purchase for a limited time - two weeks, to be exact. You'll gain 1600 experience points for purchasing the Duckling, which can be grown into an adult if you so choose, but really, why would you want to? The entire point of this Duckling being limited edition is because it won't be available anytime or anywhere else (at least in our foreseeable future). Would you really want to get rid of something you paid Farm Cash for, instead of keeping this cute little fella in your Duck Pond just as he is.. forever? Perhaps that's just me, but it's something to think about either way, before shelling out the real bucks for one.
Check out the rest of our Spring / Easter 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of the White Duckling? Is he cute enough to earn a permanent spot on your farm in his current form, or will you grow him up into an adult?
Cafe World Spring is the Season Goals: Everything you need to know
Spring certainly is the season, at least for most Cafe World players, and Zynga is looking to celebrate the turn to better weather with a new series of goals to complete, and a new set of recipes to unlock in the game. The Spring is the Season goal set is eight parts long, meaning that you'll be spending quite a bit of time celebrating the change in seasons, unless you have some able-bodied friends, lots of stoves, or a lot of Cafe Cash to help you out.
The first goal is simple, and requires you to just cook two dishes and help in some of your friends' cafes.
Serve Pumpkin Pie 5 Times
Serve Super Chunk Fruit Salad 7 Times
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
If you're like me, you likely won't see these goals appear in your own game (in terms of seeing the icon appear on the right side of your screen), and you'll need to force it to appear by either serving one of the dishes, or by spicing a friend's stove and then immediately clicking on the black progress window that appears in the top left corner of your screen. Pumpkin Pie takes 12 hours to cook, while the Fruit Salad takes just 15 minutes. You can use the above method to force your quest window to appear at any time, and for any quest, so it's something to keep in mind should you ever have to ask for items (hint: like now) and can't find the window to do so on your own. Part II of VIII sees you doing just that, by replacing the stove spicing task with an item collection task.
Serve Caramel Apples 7 Times
Serve or Ask for Spaghetti and Meatballs 20 Times
Ask for 10 Bags of Asparagas
To be clear, you need to either serve Spaghetti and Meatballs (an 8-hour dish) 20 times, or ask your friends to send you 20 individual portions of the dish, meaning that you'd need to get up to 20 friends to help you in total. If you are lacking in very active friends, it might be smartest to simply wait the eight hours for your dishes to cook on your own. As for the Caramel Apples, they take just two hours to cook.
Moving on, Part III of VIII has the same setup as the second quest, although the recipes and collectibles are different. The prize is also something very worthwhile, all things considered.
Serve Jammin'n Jelly Donuts 15 Times
Serve Angel Fruit Cake 15 Times
Ask for 12 Cups of Almonds
The Donuts take just 20 minutes to cook, while the Angel Fruit Cake is ready to serve after eight hours. While you're waiting for your dishes to cook, you can ask your friends to send you the Almonds via individual gift requests. Once this goal is completed, you'll unlock the Asparagus Almondine dish, which is available to cook for 2200 coins and takes two hours to prepare.
Your first new recipe under your belt, you might think that you have to put it to good use, but alas, that is not the case. You'll instead take on three entirely unrelated tasks in Part IV of VIII.
Restock your Salad Bar 5 Times
Serve 18 Cups of Decaf Coffee
Ask for 10 Spring Flowers
Remember, use the 10 serving setting when restocking your Salad Bar, and you'll be able to run through this task much faster. The Decaf Coffee, meanwhile, can be found under the "Basics" setting in your Coffee Machine, and can be prepared for 35 energy. You'll receive eight servings to share with your customers, meaning that you'll have to prepare the coffee at least three times in order to pass that part of the mission. Completing this mission gives you a Sunshine Flower decoration, which has a painted on face - how cute!
Part V of VIII doesn't reward you with a new recipe, and it doesn't even require you to cook anything even relatively new. It's as if Zynga forgot they just gave you a new recipe, for all of the good it will do in helping you get here, but I guess that's not really a horrible thing. Either way, you'll need to complete three tasks, as usual.
Serve 12 Servings of Ginger Ale
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
Serve Clubhouse Sandwiches 20 Times
Clubhouse Sandwiches take 18 hours to prepare, so you'll have more than enough time to serve your Ginger Ale while you're waiting for them to cook. A single supply of Ginger Ale costs 22 energy to make, and you'll receive just six servings each time. Luckily, this divides evenly, so you'll only have to waste use energy on making the Ginger Ale twice.
Part VI of VIII starts to prepare you for the end of this mission series, which eventually rewards you with two additional new recipes by giving you a hint as to one of the ingredients therein. Can you guess what it is?
Serve 15 Servings of Triple Berry Cheesecake
Serve of ask for 15 Pizza Margherita
Ask for 10 Cups of Sliced Rhubarb
You guessed it - one of your eventual new recipes contains Rhubarb, so you'll need to prepare by collecting some from friends. While you're waiting, you can cook your Pizza Margherita and Triple Berry Cheesecakes, which take 30 minutes and 12 hours to cook, respectively.
Finally, with Part VII of VIII, we start to get to things that are a bit more interesting, even if only for the prize you'll receive at the end. You'll need to purchase two items from the store, and complete a catering order that was released quite a long time ago, which make save you any real effort in completing this mission now.
Have 1 Pink Egg Clock
Have 1 Bunny Hostess
Cater Sunday Brunch
First things first, the Sunday Brunch catering order launched in September, and if you haven't completed it yet, make sure to check out our complete guide to doing so. If you're like the many players that have already completed that order, however, you can simply head into the store, purchase the Pink Egg Clock for 150,000 coins and the Bunny Hostess for 80,000 coins and call this one done. Finishing this mission gives you a new recipe in the form of the Rhubarb Betty. This American dish can be cooked for 1,550 coins and will be ready to serve in eight hours.
All of this work brings us to the final part of this mission series. Part VIII of VIII flips the proverbial switch yet again, asking you to serve tons of pizza, and collect a single ingredient for a new pizza recipe you'll receive at the end.
Serve or Ask for 30 Pepperoni Pizza
Serve 30 Sausage Deep Dish Pizza
Ask for 25 Heads of Artichoke
Luckily, you can save your gift requests for the Heads of Artichoke, and can simply cook your own Pepperoni Pizzas, with a single pizza taking eight hours to cook. Sure, this would be much more quickly solved if you simply asked your friends to send you these pizzas instead, but another method is even better - don't forget to look inside your gift box for extra servings of the pizza that your friends have shared with you. Even if you've held onto them for weeks or months, simply serving them out of your gift box will help complete the task that much quicker, which is definitely something I can get behind. This final mission unlocks one final recipe in the form of the Garlic Artichoke Pizza, available to cook for just 120 coins and ready in five minutes.
All told, these missions aren't so complex as they are simply time-consuming. While many users will fly past Part VII with little to no effort, simply getting there is a long and arguably hard process, so get started now to make the most of your time before these goals eventually disappear (that is, while no expiration date has been announced, we can't imagine goals celebrating Spring could last after the season is over).
What do you think of these Spring goals? Are you ready to spring into Spring (sorry, bad pun) in your cafe, or are you holding onto winter for all that it's worth?
The first goal is simple, and requires you to just cook two dishes and help in some of your friends' cafes.
Serve Pumpkin Pie 5 Times
Serve Super Chunk Fruit Salad 7 Times
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
If you're like me, you likely won't see these goals appear in your own game (in terms of seeing the icon appear on the right side of your screen), and you'll need to force it to appear by either serving one of the dishes, or by spicing a friend's stove and then immediately clicking on the black progress window that appears in the top left corner of your screen. Pumpkin Pie takes 12 hours to cook, while the Fruit Salad takes just 15 minutes. You can use the above method to force your quest window to appear at any time, and for any quest, so it's something to keep in mind should you ever have to ask for items (hint: like now) and can't find the window to do so on your own. Part II of VIII sees you doing just that, by replacing the stove spicing task with an item collection task.
Serve Caramel Apples 7 Times
Serve or Ask for Spaghetti and Meatballs 20 Times
Ask for 10 Bags of Asparagas
To be clear, you need to either serve Spaghetti and Meatballs (an 8-hour dish) 20 times, or ask your friends to send you 20 individual portions of the dish, meaning that you'd need to get up to 20 friends to help you in total. If you are lacking in very active friends, it might be smartest to simply wait the eight hours for your dishes to cook on your own. As for the Caramel Apples, they take just two hours to cook.
Moving on, Part III of VIII has the same setup as the second quest, although the recipes and collectibles are different. The prize is also something very worthwhile, all things considered.
Serve Jammin'n Jelly Donuts 15 Times
Serve Angel Fruit Cake 15 Times
Ask for 12 Cups of Almonds
The Donuts take just 20 minutes to cook, while the Angel Fruit Cake is ready to serve after eight hours. While you're waiting for your dishes to cook, you can ask your friends to send you the Almonds via individual gift requests. Once this goal is completed, you'll unlock the Asparagus Almondine dish, which is available to cook for 2200 coins and takes two hours to prepare.
Your first new recipe under your belt, you might think that you have to put it to good use, but alas, that is not the case. You'll instead take on three entirely unrelated tasks in Part IV of VIII.
Restock your Salad Bar 5 Times
Serve 18 Cups of Decaf Coffee
Ask for 10 Spring Flowers
Remember, use the 10 serving setting when restocking your Salad Bar, and you'll be able to run through this task much faster. The Decaf Coffee, meanwhile, can be found under the "Basics" setting in your Coffee Machine, and can be prepared for 35 energy. You'll receive eight servings to share with your customers, meaning that you'll have to prepare the coffee at least three times in order to pass that part of the mission. Completing this mission gives you a Sunshine Flower decoration, which has a painted on face - how cute!
Part V of VIII doesn't reward you with a new recipe, and it doesn't even require you to cook anything even relatively new. It's as if Zynga forgot they just gave you a new recipe, for all of the good it will do in helping you get here, but I guess that's not really a horrible thing. Either way, you'll need to complete three tasks, as usual.
Serve 12 Servings of Ginger Ale
Spice 3 Neighbors' Stoves
Serve Clubhouse Sandwiches 20 Times
Clubhouse Sandwiches take 18 hours to prepare, so you'll have more than enough time to serve your Ginger Ale while you're waiting for them to cook. A single supply of Ginger Ale costs 22 energy to make, and you'll receive just six servings each time. Luckily, this divides evenly, so you'll only have to waste use energy on making the Ginger Ale twice.
Part VI of VIII starts to prepare you for the end of this mission series, which eventually rewards you with two additional new recipes by giving you a hint as to one of the ingredients therein. Can you guess what it is?
Serve 15 Servings of Triple Berry Cheesecake
Serve of ask for 15 Pizza Margherita
Ask for 10 Cups of Sliced Rhubarb
You guessed it - one of your eventual new recipes contains Rhubarb, so you'll need to prepare by collecting some from friends. While you're waiting, you can cook your Pizza Margherita and Triple Berry Cheesecakes, which take 30 minutes and 12 hours to cook, respectively.
Finally, with Part VII of VIII, we start to get to things that are a bit more interesting, even if only for the prize you'll receive at the end. You'll need to purchase two items from the store, and complete a catering order that was released quite a long time ago, which make save you any real effort in completing this mission now.
Have 1 Pink Egg Clock
Have 1 Bunny Hostess
Cater Sunday Brunch
First things first, the Sunday Brunch catering order launched in September, and if you haven't completed it yet, make sure to check out our complete guide to doing so. If you're like the many players that have already completed that order, however, you can simply head into the store, purchase the Pink Egg Clock for 150,000 coins and the Bunny Hostess for 80,000 coins and call this one done. Finishing this mission gives you a new recipe in the form of the Rhubarb Betty. This American dish can be cooked for 1,550 coins and will be ready to serve in eight hours.
All of this work brings us to the final part of this mission series. Part VIII of VIII flips the proverbial switch yet again, asking you to serve tons of pizza, and collect a single ingredient for a new pizza recipe you'll receive at the end.
Serve or Ask for 30 Pepperoni Pizza
Serve 30 Sausage Deep Dish Pizza
Ask for 25 Heads of Artichoke
Luckily, you can save your gift requests for the Heads of Artichoke, and can simply cook your own Pepperoni Pizzas, with a single pizza taking eight hours to cook. Sure, this would be much more quickly solved if you simply asked your friends to send you these pizzas instead, but another method is even better - don't forget to look inside your gift box for extra servings of the pizza that your friends have shared with you. Even if you've held onto them for weeks or months, simply serving them out of your gift box will help complete the task that much quicker, which is definitely something I can get behind. This final mission unlocks one final recipe in the form of the Garlic Artichoke Pizza, available to cook for just 120 coins and ready in five minutes.
All told, these missions aren't so complex as they are simply time-consuming. While many users will fly past Part VII with little to no effort, simply getting there is a long and arguably hard process, so get started now to make the most of your time before these goals eventually disappear (that is, while no expiration date has been announced, we can't imagine goals celebrating Spring could last after the season is over).
What do you think of these Spring goals? Are you ready to spring into Spring (sorry, bad pun) in your cafe, or are you holding onto winter for all that it's worth?
Playmatic's Shadow Government social game will use real world news and data, says CEO Margaret Wallace
Shadow Government is the brain-child of New York-based game developer Playmatics. According to Gamasutra, the game is "based on the gamification of real countries, systems, and worldwide events." To make Shadow Government a reality, the company has secured $1 million from a group of Swiss-based investors.
Shadow Government will allow players to build up, manage, and then destroy entire nations, virtually. With a set of simulation tools that have been designed to help test reactions to massive world-scale events, the game looks to offer a bit of educational content in addition to what may come across as an in-depth city-builder. While the game may sound violent, Playmatic's CEO Margaret Wallace claims that the game isn't really as "serious" as it may sound.
"It's not a 'serious game,' really, because we aim to design an entertainment experience. People can use Shadow Government to destroy their own little country, or to wreak havoc where they can."
To me, this sounds a heck of a lot like the original Sim City games, in that users could build their city, taking real world economics and the needs of their citizens into account, only to pillage everything with a tornado or earthquake, as examples. To a greater extent, it also sounds as though Playmatics might have been inspired by Jennifer Government: NationStates, which also gives players the power to completely form and run a self-created country by answering questions around what they would do given a certain political uproar or environmental crisis, as examples.
Of course, this is all speculation, as we've yet to see a final product come out of the Shadow Government idea, but it will be interesting to see how the developer balances what could become some nasty cultural and political disputes, should the game's focus on real-world events suddenly backfire.
What do you think of the idea of Shadow Government? Do you think you'd want to create a country bent on world-domination, or would you crush your enemies with a single blow?
Shadow Government will allow players to build up, manage, and then destroy entire nations, virtually. With a set of simulation tools that have been designed to help test reactions to massive world-scale events, the game looks to offer a bit of educational content in addition to what may come across as an in-depth city-builder. While the game may sound violent, Playmatic's CEO Margaret Wallace claims that the game isn't really as "serious" as it may sound.
"It's not a 'serious game,' really, because we aim to design an entertainment experience. People can use Shadow Government to destroy their own little country, or to wreak havoc where they can."
To me, this sounds a heck of a lot like the original Sim City games, in that users could build their city, taking real world economics and the needs of their citizens into account, only to pillage everything with a tornado or earthquake, as examples. To a greater extent, it also sounds as though Playmatics might have been inspired by Jennifer Government: NationStates, which also gives players the power to completely form and run a self-created country by answering questions around what they would do given a certain political uproar or environmental crisis, as examples.
Of course, this is all speculation, as we've yet to see a final product come out of the Shadow Government idea, but it will be interesting to see how the developer balances what could become some nasty cultural and political disputes, should the game's focus on real-world events suddenly backfire.
What do you think of the idea of Shadow Government? Do you think you'd want to create a country bent on world-domination, or would you crush your enemies with a single blow?
Monday, December 26, 2011
Hey, Android fans: Get Plants vs. Zombies for free on Amazon, May 31
Plants vs. Zombies Android
We can all likely agree on two things: 1. Plants vs. Zombies is one awesome little game and 2. getting it for free is even cooler. That must be why Bejeweled Blitz creator PopCap and Amazon have joined forces to release the game for Android phones through the Amazon App Store for free on day one. Pocket Gamer reports that for two weeks starting May 31, the lawn-defending game will be exclusively available on the Amazon App Store for two weeks for $2.99 (after the freebie launch day, of course).
The Seattle-based casual games behemoth--who recently gobbled up Baking Life creator ZipZapPlay--will also release mobile puzzler Chuzzle exclusively through the Amazon App Store starting tomorrow, May 17, through May 30. Luckily, Chuzzle will also sell for zilch on day one and for $2.99 during the nearly two weeks after. However, it's unknown whether the games will be available elsewhere after their two-week tours on Amazon. Though, if PopCap likes money, we can't see why not.
We can all likely agree on two things: 1. Plants vs. Zombies is one awesome little game and 2. getting it for free is even cooler. That must be why Bejeweled Blitz creator PopCap and Amazon have joined forces to release the game for Android phones through the Amazon App Store for free on day one. Pocket Gamer reports that for two weeks starting May 31, the lawn-defending game will be exclusively available on the Amazon App Store for two weeks for $2.99 (after the freebie launch day, of course).
The Seattle-based casual games behemoth--who recently gobbled up Baking Life creator ZipZapPlay--will also release mobile puzzler Chuzzle exclusively through the Amazon App Store starting tomorrow, May 17, through May 30. Luckily, Chuzzle will also sell for zilch on day one and for $2.99 during the nearly two weeks after. However, it's unknown whether the games will be available elsewhere after their two-week tours on Amazon. Though, if PopCap likes money, we can't see why not.
FarmVille-maker Zynga reveals its secret for success (Hint: it's in the clouds)
Contrary to popular belief, Zynga isn't making money by mistake. In fact, according to an in-depth feature on Information Week, the FarmVille pusher's success is thanks to an extremely calculated and technological process known as hybrid cloud computing. This method of storing user data on remote servers (special groups of computers designed to store and recall data, like your crop timers) is behind what keeps CityVille and the gang running.
In fact, Zynga CTO of infrastructure engineering Allan Leinwand says this process of using both internal server farms, or buildings that house hundreds of these data storage units, and public servers like Amazon's cloud computing service for businesses is the 'hidden jewel' of Zynga's rampant success.
I mean, how else did you think Zynga games could handle tens of millions of people logging into its games everyday? Using both Amazon's EC2, or Elastic Computer Cloud, and its own internal servers (known as the Z Cloud), Zynga can easily prepare for huge spikes in traffic by simply buying more public servers rather than building their own. And if a game flops, the company can just cancel those public servers. This especially comes in handy when new games release, like CityVille, which skyrocketed to over 100 million players in just over a month last year, could have just as easily failed. (Though, that was highly unlikely.)
If it weren't for Zynga's unique approach to handling traffic, relying more on Amazon's public service than its own internal network, the company could never support such huge numbers of players. Sometimes, it's not just viral marketing and advertising that makes a social game successful.
However, as Bloomberg reports, the Amazon EC2 service was used to launch the recent attacks on Sony's PSN and SOE networks. According to Pete Malcolm, CEO of Abiquo Inc., a Redwood City, Calif.-based company that helps clients manage data internally and in the cloud, it's easy for an individual to fudge business information long enough to launch an attack from Amazon's public service. As Zynga and other companies focus more attention on public cloud computing (and successfully), it might be time that both Amazon and Zynga ramp up their security efforts.
In fact, Zynga CTO of infrastructure engineering Allan Leinwand says this process of using both internal server farms, or buildings that house hundreds of these data storage units, and public servers like Amazon's cloud computing service for businesses is the 'hidden jewel' of Zynga's rampant success.
I mean, how else did you think Zynga games could handle tens of millions of people logging into its games everyday? Using both Amazon's EC2, or Elastic Computer Cloud, and its own internal servers (known as the Z Cloud), Zynga can easily prepare for huge spikes in traffic by simply buying more public servers rather than building their own. And if a game flops, the company can just cancel those public servers. This especially comes in handy when new games release, like CityVille, which skyrocketed to over 100 million players in just over a month last year, could have just as easily failed. (Though, that was highly unlikely.)
If it weren't for Zynga's unique approach to handling traffic, relying more on Amazon's public service than its own internal network, the company could never support such huge numbers of players. Sometimes, it's not just viral marketing and advertising that makes a social game successful.
However, as Bloomberg reports, the Amazon EC2 service was used to launch the recent attacks on Sony's PSN and SOE networks. According to Pete Malcolm, CEO of Abiquo Inc., a Redwood City, Calif.-based company that helps clients manage data internally and in the cloud, it's easy for an individual to fudge business information long enough to launch an attack from Amazon's public service. As Zynga and other companies focus more attention on public cloud computing (and successfully), it might be time that both Amazon and Zynga ramp up their security efforts.
CityVille players deliver a quarter million dollars for US tornado relief
After the huge charity drives that were Haiti and Japan, Zynga ran a noticeably less aggressive campaign in promoting relief efforts for the massive US tornado outbreak of late April. Six states were hit, the most affected being Alabama, and news outlets called it the worst natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina.
Only Zynga's CityVille and Mafia Wars had special virtual items made for player donations. CityVille offered Tornado Relief Fund Blueberries for a week and promised 100 percent of the funds to Save the Children; while Mafia Wars (after demands from fans) responded with a Disaster Relief Truck with 100 percent of the funds going to Direct Relief International.
Today, Zynga sent out a thank you email to their CityVille players, letting us know that they've managed to raise exactly $226,027 USD. There's no telling how much of this was from the precise sale of CityVille blueberries or direct donations via the charity's website (which Zynga promoted across all its games), but after watching Zynga raise $1 million USD for Japan within 36 hours, a quarter million dollars within a week pales in comparison. On the other hand, I think most of us are grateful they've done so, because they're certainly not obligated to try.
Only Zynga's CityVille and Mafia Wars had special virtual items made for player donations. CityVille offered Tornado Relief Fund Blueberries for a week and promised 100 percent of the funds to Save the Children; while Mafia Wars (after demands from fans) responded with a Disaster Relief Truck with 100 percent of the funds going to Direct Relief International.
Today, Zynga sent out a thank you email to their CityVille players, letting us know that they've managed to raise exactly $226,027 USD. There's no telling how much of this was from the precise sale of CityVille blueberries or direct donations via the charity's website (which Zynga promoted across all its games), but after watching Zynga raise $1 million USD for Japan within 36 hours, a quarter million dollars within a week pales in comparison. On the other hand, I think most of us are grateful they've done so, because they're certainly not obligated to try.
Zynga dominates social games market with 38 percent share
Surprised? If Zynga were a person, he'd probably be Daddy Warbucks, or maybe even Uncle Pennybags. IHS Screen Digest reports that Zynga, who brought in $554 million in revenue in 2010, now holds 38.1 percent of the overall social games market share. That's almost a 5 percent increase from the previous year's 33.9 percent. This means that not only is the creator of FarmVille and CityVille filthy rich (it's estimated to be worth $9 to $10 billion), it's also very, very powerful. At least when it comes to social games, anyway.
According to PCMag, the report goes on to reveal that EA, the second place social game publisher and owner of Playfish, recorded a mere estimated $90 million in revenue, or 6.5 percent of the market. And the third place publisher and developer team, Disney and Playdom, hold just 5.5 percent of the market with an estimated $77 million in revenue.
But Zynga's power isn't just it's money, but what that money allows it to do. When it wants to enter a new market, create a game with a new feature or on a new platform, it just buys companies with an existing presence or expertise there. Regardless of whether its methods are 'borrowed' from weaker companies, when Zynga introduces a relatively new feature to its games, the entire industry takes notes.
Just look at the questing system first released by Zynga through FrontierVille. Sure, it could have been picked up from another company, but look at every single social game you play now. (Does it have quests? We thought so.) While we're all looking for innovation from these smaller, more fearless social game companies, it's Zynga that will bring that innovation to the forefront regardless of where it comes from, legitimate or not.
According to PCMag, the report goes on to reveal that EA, the second place social game publisher and owner of Playfish, recorded a mere estimated $90 million in revenue, or 6.5 percent of the market. And the third place publisher and developer team, Disney and Playdom, hold just 5.5 percent of the market with an estimated $77 million in revenue.
But Zynga's power isn't just it's money, but what that money allows it to do. When it wants to enter a new market, create a game with a new feature or on a new platform, it just buys companies with an existing presence or expertise there. Regardless of whether its methods are 'borrowed' from weaker companies, when Zynga introduces a relatively new feature to its games, the entire industry takes notes.
Just look at the questing system first released by Zynga through FrontierVille. Sure, it could have been picked up from another company, but look at every single social game you play now. (Does it have quests? We thought so.) While we're all looking for innovation from these smaller, more fearless social game companies, it's Zynga that will bring that innovation to the forefront regardless of where it comes from, legitimate or not.
Zynga sends Mafia Wars on the warpath with 'Declare War' revamp
If there is one shining light in Mafia Wars' list of features, it's the focus on competitive collaboration. However, Zynga decided that its relatively new Declare War feature, sort of a mob-wide extension of standard fights, was in dire need of a upgrade. While the new Declare War operates much like the original, it's the little things that count. However, only a few of the imminent changes are live now, but let's take a look at what Zynga has in store for this fixer-upper.
These are all the features teased by Zynga as either in the game right now or coming soon:
Healing wounded friends (Coming Soon)
Splash damage effects
New Achievements
Live Chat (Coming Soon)
First of all, we should point out that not much has changed in the general flow of the Declare War feature--at least not yet. Wars still last eight hours or until one mob falls, and players still need to ask fellow mob members to attack individual players. But soon, players will be able to heal their wounded friends when in War, extending their survivability in combat.
However, Zynga added something called "Splash Damage" to balance that out. When you eliminate an enemy, some extra damage will be applied to an adjacent opponent, signified with a single line rather than an "X." This will make your friends' lives easier and, if your mob is fast, could create a potentially unstoppable chain effect of damage that your opponents might not be able to keep up with.
Mafia Wars Declare War Achievements
There are new Achievements to be hoarded in the new Declare War feature. And while they're all either hidden or not yet released, we do know how to get them: collect loot. It's that simple, really. There are 16 rewards in total, and some can only be acquired by leading a War or helping in one. So, to get the new Achievements you'll have to play multiple roles.
Last but most certainly not least, Zynga will soon add a Live Chat function to Mafia Wars. This will allow players who are online at the same time to, well, chat. But more importantly, it will make coordinating attacks or defense during War that much easier. Not to mention the implications it has for cooperative Missions, Jobs and Fights. Could it be that Mafia Wars is about to become truly social? We'll reserve our judgment for when it officially releases, but we sure as hell hope so.
These are all the features teased by Zynga as either in the game right now or coming soon:
Healing wounded friends (Coming Soon)
Splash damage effects
New Achievements
Live Chat (Coming Soon)
First of all, we should point out that not much has changed in the general flow of the Declare War feature--at least not yet. Wars still last eight hours or until one mob falls, and players still need to ask fellow mob members to attack individual players. But soon, players will be able to heal their wounded friends when in War, extending their survivability in combat.
However, Zynga added something called "Splash Damage" to balance that out. When you eliminate an enemy, some extra damage will be applied to an adjacent opponent, signified with a single line rather than an "X." This will make your friends' lives easier and, if your mob is fast, could create a potentially unstoppable chain effect of damage that your opponents might not be able to keep up with.
Mafia Wars Declare War Achievements
There are new Achievements to be hoarded in the new Declare War feature. And while they're all either hidden or not yet released, we do know how to get them: collect loot. It's that simple, really. There are 16 rewards in total, and some can only be acquired by leading a War or helping in one. So, to get the new Achievements you'll have to play multiple roles.
Last but most certainly not least, Zynga will soon add a Live Chat function to Mafia Wars. This will allow players who are online at the same time to, well, chat. But more importantly, it will make coordinating attacks or defense during War that much easier. Not to mention the implications it has for cooperative Missions, Jobs and Fights. Could it be that Mafia Wars is about to become truly social? We'll reserve our judgment for when it officially releases, but we sure as hell hope so.
HBO, Game of Thrones sing a Song of Ice and Fire on Facebook
We're starting to get the impression that fans of epic fantasy TV series just might like Facebook games too. At least major cable TV networks like HBO (and Starz) are making that gamble with Battle for the Iron Throne. The game, which will launch its levels in phases of mini games over the coming weeks as the show builds steam, is an adaptation of Game of Thrones, which is an adaptation of the popular novel series, A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R. R. Martin. So, consider this Facebook game an adaptation twice removed.
The first phase of the game contains three stages: Skill, Strategy and Knowledge. The first, Skill, involves a first-person encounter with a knight in training, as you strike him with your wooden sword as accurately and powerfully as possible. The next is Strategy, which a top-down army-building mini game tasks players with spending coins on the correct troops to take down the opposing captain and his squad.
Battle for the Iron Throne
The final mini game, Knowledge, tests exactly that: your knowledge of the Game of Thrones universe. Let's just say this game might be for fans only. Regardless, it's one of the more polished advergames we've seen in a long time, and we're hopeful to see how it shapes up in the coming weeks.
Click here to play Battle for the Iron Throne on Facebook Now >
Are you a fan of the TV show or novel series? What do you think of HBO turning the franchise into a social game?
The first phase of the game contains three stages: Skill, Strategy and Knowledge. The first, Skill, involves a first-person encounter with a knight in training, as you strike him with your wooden sword as accurately and powerfully as possible. The next is Strategy, which a top-down army-building mini game tasks players with spending coins on the correct troops to take down the opposing captain and his squad.
Battle for the Iron Throne
The final mini game, Knowledge, tests exactly that: your knowledge of the Game of Thrones universe. Let's just say this game might be for fans only. Regardless, it's one of the more polished advergames we've seen in a long time, and we're hopeful to see how it shapes up in the coming weeks.
Click here to play Battle for the Iron Throne on Facebook Now >
Are you a fan of the TV show or novel series? What do you think of HBO turning the franchise into a social game?
Civilization World on Facebook in two minutes [Video]
Now you can color us convinced: If anything, Sid Meier's Civilization World on Facebook is going to be massive. Firaxis and 2K Games have posted a two-minute long video describing the basics of the game, which is in alpha testing. The studio's Pete Murray does a fine job of describing the basics of the game, which seems to be grounded in having lots of friends. (Some things on Facebook never change.)
And while each session is persistent, players can contribute as little or as much as they like. You can pop in to harvest some crops or do some research on break, or you can stick around until you finish off that major development. This is the first footage most of you are seeing of the game, so enjoy the sneak peek.
Are you lucky enough to be part of the Civ World alpha test? What are you excited most about when it comes to this game?
And while each session is persistent, players can contribute as little or as much as they like. You can pop in to harvest some crops or do some research on break, or you can stick around until you finish off that major development. This is the first footage most of you are seeing of the game, so enjoy the sneak peek.
Are you lucky enough to be part of the Civ World alpha test? What are you excited most about when it comes to this game?
'RSPCA Rescue Shelter' sim game fails to let the dogs out
Maybe I'm a heartless monster, but I'm playing an animal shelter simulation game and I've gotten to the point where I'm so bored, I'm curious to see my animals die. If I can feel more attached to my FarmVille Pink Cows than the small furry creatures of "RSPCA Rescue Shelter", I'm guessing the problem is with the game and not me.
Created pro bono by 3RD sense for the RSPCA Australia (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), RSPCA Rescue Shelter mirrors Think Pig, another advocacy game that was commissioned by the United Kingdom's RSPCA last fall. (Both RSPCAs have no formal ties.) But Think Pig was a flop, presently eking out only 3 daily average users and an all-time high of merely 3,373 DAU. And while RSPCA Rescue Shelter just launched last week, I predict that unless it improves, it'll do a similarly poor job of maintaining interest.
RSPCA Rescue Shelter pop-ups
So what's wrong with it? First of all, the game really gets you into the habit of seeing these adorable shelter animals as 'goods' that you 'sell'. Because there's no shortage of animals coming into your shelter, but there's always a shortage of money. And there's no way to make money in this game except to dismiss these animals within an allotted time. Pocket Pets, such as rats and ferrets, can be ready for 'harvest' within a couple of minutes. Larger animals take longer. Without money, called 'Silver Paws', you can't do anything but sit and wait. Caring for the animals is no more than buying enclosures and basic necessities, followed by dropping the critters in until they 'ripen' a.k.a. become ready to be adopted.
RSPCA Rescue Shelter
Another laughable concept is that you get to name the animals. Except, what's the point of naming a rat that's only going to be in your possession for two minutes? Maybe the game understands this, because it does come equipped with a random name generator, which I end up clicking without even looking at the names anymore.
RSPCA Rescue Shelter
Perhaps the only way the game gets you to care is that pop-up window that appears when you've run out of space to house your animals, don't have money to build more enclosures, and there's so many broken pets knockin' at your door that you feel forced to send some away -- "Your rejection could be fatal for this animal!", the game warns. But the animals never die. They just get sent to another shelter. So you can keep stockpiling animals without consequence. I could go on...
RSPCA Rescue Shelter 'sent to another shelter'
Another problem is that the game's interface isn't immediately intuitive. For example, when you select an animal, a row of available enclosures are displayed. However, you have to exit the animal window and click on the enclosures on the field in order to house your animal. This game looks good and runs smooth, but the gameplay sucks, and as an advocacy tool, it actually does the opposite of what you want it to.
RSPCA Rescue Shelter enclosures
So what's the good news? Well, if you play this and bother to spend real money on it, that money will benefit RSPCA Australia's real efforts towards improving animal welfare. Also, 3RD sense is very open about player feedback. If you want to see this game do better (and it absolutely can, since it's still in beta), head to the Feedback tab on the top of the game and send them your comments and criticisms.
Created pro bono by 3RD sense for the RSPCA Australia (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), RSPCA Rescue Shelter mirrors Think Pig, another advocacy game that was commissioned by the United Kingdom's RSPCA last fall. (Both RSPCAs have no formal ties.) But Think Pig was a flop, presently eking out only 3 daily average users and an all-time high of merely 3,373 DAU. And while RSPCA Rescue Shelter just launched last week, I predict that unless it improves, it'll do a similarly poor job of maintaining interest.
RSPCA Rescue Shelter pop-ups
So what's wrong with it? First of all, the game really gets you into the habit of seeing these adorable shelter animals as 'goods' that you 'sell'. Because there's no shortage of animals coming into your shelter, but there's always a shortage of money. And there's no way to make money in this game except to dismiss these animals within an allotted time. Pocket Pets, such as rats and ferrets, can be ready for 'harvest' within a couple of minutes. Larger animals take longer. Without money, called 'Silver Paws', you can't do anything but sit and wait. Caring for the animals is no more than buying enclosures and basic necessities, followed by dropping the critters in until they 'ripen' a.k.a. become ready to be adopted.
RSPCA Rescue Shelter
Another laughable concept is that you get to name the animals. Except, what's the point of naming a rat that's only going to be in your possession for two minutes? Maybe the game understands this, because it does come equipped with a random name generator, which I end up clicking without even looking at the names anymore.
RSPCA Rescue Shelter
Perhaps the only way the game gets you to care is that pop-up window that appears when you've run out of space to house your animals, don't have money to build more enclosures, and there's so many broken pets knockin' at your door that you feel forced to send some away -- "Your rejection could be fatal for this animal!", the game warns. But the animals never die. They just get sent to another shelter. So you can keep stockpiling animals without consequence. I could go on...
RSPCA Rescue Shelter 'sent to another shelter'
Another problem is that the game's interface isn't immediately intuitive. For example, when you select an animal, a row of available enclosures are displayed. However, you have to exit the animal window and click on the enclosures on the field in order to house your animal. This game looks good and runs smooth, but the gameplay sucks, and as an advocacy tool, it actually does the opposite of what you want it to.
RSPCA Rescue Shelter enclosures
So what's the good news? Well, if you play this and bother to spend real money on it, that money will benefit RSPCA Australia's real efforts towards improving animal welfare. Also, 3RD sense is very open about player feedback. If you want to see this game do better (and it absolutely can, since it's still in beta), head to the Feedback tab on the top of the game and send them your comments and criticisms.
Cafe World Lake Party Picnic Catering Order: Everything you need to know
A new catering order has launched in Cafe World today, taking us straight into the summer fun at a lake. Appropriately, the order is called Lake Party Picnic, and it will see you unlocking a new seafood recipe for use in your cafe if you can finish the order with the three-star rating.
While this order may only have five of the six available tasks filled, none of them are exactly easy. You'll be able to bring 16 of your friends in on this job with you, as you cook three different dishes and collect a whopping 44 collectible items. Meet us behind the break for a complete look at how to finish this complex catering order.
For the cooking portion(s) of the order, you'll need to serve Seafood Paella (a 14-hour dish) 185 times, Spicy Devil Eggs (an 18-hour dish) 262 times, and Sirius Sorbet (a 30-minute dish) 88 times. It's unfortunate that the fastest cooking dish is required the least number of times, as these tend to be the easiest dishes to complete, simply due to the fact that you'll likely have one neighbor that can come back to their cafes that often and finish in less than a day.
As for the item collections, you'll need to collect 22 Water Skis and 22 Inner Tubes. This is done, as usual, through individual gift requests sent to your friends. You can also purchase an individual Water Ski or Inner Tube for 4 Cafe Cash each, if your friends stop helping you midway through.
If you can finish all of this within three days' time, you'll receive the three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 6,300 Cafe Points, 75,000 coins and the Nut Crusted Lake Trout recipe. The two-star rating allows you a full five days to finish the order, earning you eight Catering Points, 4,500 Cafe Points, and 50,000 coins. Finally, finishing the catering order at any point after the first five days have elapsed will earn you the single star rating, just four Catering Points, 2,700 Cafe Points, and 30,000 coins.
Ultimately, there have been more difficulty catering orders, but there are also quite a few that are much easier as well. You'll need to make sure to make use of as many friends as possible to make this order a bit less overwhelming, so remember to send those requests out to your friends to join your team!
What do you think of this Catering Order? Which order do you think is the hardest?
While this order may only have five of the six available tasks filled, none of them are exactly easy. You'll be able to bring 16 of your friends in on this job with you, as you cook three different dishes and collect a whopping 44 collectible items. Meet us behind the break for a complete look at how to finish this complex catering order.
For the cooking portion(s) of the order, you'll need to serve Seafood Paella (a 14-hour dish) 185 times, Spicy Devil Eggs (an 18-hour dish) 262 times, and Sirius Sorbet (a 30-minute dish) 88 times. It's unfortunate that the fastest cooking dish is required the least number of times, as these tend to be the easiest dishes to complete, simply due to the fact that you'll likely have one neighbor that can come back to their cafes that often and finish in less than a day.
As for the item collections, you'll need to collect 22 Water Skis and 22 Inner Tubes. This is done, as usual, through individual gift requests sent to your friends. You can also purchase an individual Water Ski or Inner Tube for 4 Cafe Cash each, if your friends stop helping you midway through.
If you can finish all of this within three days' time, you'll receive the three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 6,300 Cafe Points, 75,000 coins and the Nut Crusted Lake Trout recipe. The two-star rating allows you a full five days to finish the order, earning you eight Catering Points, 4,500 Cafe Points, and 50,000 coins. Finally, finishing the catering order at any point after the first five days have elapsed will earn you the single star rating, just four Catering Points, 2,700 Cafe Points, and 30,000 coins.
Ultimately, there have been more difficulty catering orders, but there are also quite a few that are much easier as well. You'll need to make sure to make use of as many friends as possible to make this order a bit less overwhelming, so remember to send those requests out to your friends to join your team!
What do you think of this Catering Order? Which order do you think is the hardest?
Cafe World Open Mic Night Goals: Everything you need to know
A set of five new goals has slowly started rolling out to Cafe World players today called "Open Mic Night." This set of goals coincides with the release of a new item theme in the game's store, which is long overdue (that is, any update is better than the drought we've had recently).
The first goal in this series sees you starting small, cooking just ten dishes, but then asks for a pretty high coin amount in the process.
Serve Atomic Buffalo Wings 5 Times
Serve BBQ Chicken 5 Times
Earn 50,000 coins
Atomic Buffalo Wings take three hours to cook, while BBQ Chicken takes five hours. Unfortunately, cooking just ten dishes isn't going to get you to the 50,000 coins barrier, so you'll either need to cook far more dishes (preferably those with high payouts), or simply sell items from your inventory to raise your in-game coin amount by 50,000 total. This first goal rewards you with the Microphone decoration for finishing.
Part II of V jumps back into the expected quest requirements, forcing you to ask your friends for items.
Serve Rackasaurus Ribs 45 Times
Ask for 5 Stage Lights
Ask for 5 Guitar Picks
Rackasaurus Ribs take 10 hours to cook, so remember to look in your Gift Box for any extra servings you can serve instantly to help move this task along. As for the other tasks, you'll need to ask your friends for help, or you can purchase each individual item with Cafe Cash if you'd rather not bug them. For finishing this second goal, you'll receive an Open Mic Guitarist decoration.
Part III of V doesn't slow down on either the cooking or the item collecting - in fact, it makes them worse.
Serve Tostada de Carne Asada 60 Times
Ask for 7 Chicken Breasts
Ask for 8 Rubber Chickens
Each serving of Tostada de Carne Asada takes eight hours to cook. While this is less time than for the Rackasaurus Ribs, the fact that you have to serve them 15 more times more than dissolves any time you might have saved otherwise. At least you'll have 15 collectible items to work on while you're waiting. Finishing this halfway point in the mission series gives you the Open Mic Comic decoration (hence the chickens).
For Part IV of V - you guessed it - it's more of the same, with more items required this time around.
Serve Tempura Udon 70 Times
Ask for 9 Bongo Drums
Ask for 9 Large Eggs
The Tempura Udon takes - wait for it - 22 hours to cook. I hope you're a fairly high level in the game, able to have tons of stoves cooking at once, or this goal is set to leave you waiting for quite some time before moving on. When you do finally finish, you'll receive an Open Mic Poet.
Finally, Part V of V ends the series by slightly increasing the items you need to collect, but also increasing the food - a lot.
Serve Chicken Gyro and Fries 50 Times
Serve Chicken Pot Pie 45 Times
Ask for 19 Frying Oil
Chicken Gyro and Fries is a 10 minute dish (thank goodness), while Chicken Pot Pie takes a full two days to cook. If you've been saving spices, now would definitely be the time to break them out, or you'll be waiting upwards of two or even four days (depending on how many stoves you have) to finish this one. Once you do, however, you'll receive the best prize of the entire set - the exclusive Chicken Fingers recipe.
All told, you'll earn quite a few new decorations, and of course a new recipe for finishing these goals, but they aren't easy to complete in the slightest. Hopefully, with enough help from your friends, you'll be able to finish this one sooner, rather than later.
[Source: Cafe World Times]
What do you think of the Open Mic Goals? Would you rather more variety be available in the goals, rather than just cooking and item collecting?
The first goal in this series sees you starting small, cooking just ten dishes, but then asks for a pretty high coin amount in the process.
Serve Atomic Buffalo Wings 5 Times
Serve BBQ Chicken 5 Times
Earn 50,000 coins
Atomic Buffalo Wings take three hours to cook, while BBQ Chicken takes five hours. Unfortunately, cooking just ten dishes isn't going to get you to the 50,000 coins barrier, so you'll either need to cook far more dishes (preferably those with high payouts), or simply sell items from your inventory to raise your in-game coin amount by 50,000 total. This first goal rewards you with the Microphone decoration for finishing.
Part II of V jumps back into the expected quest requirements, forcing you to ask your friends for items.
Serve Rackasaurus Ribs 45 Times
Ask for 5 Stage Lights
Ask for 5 Guitar Picks
Rackasaurus Ribs take 10 hours to cook, so remember to look in your Gift Box for any extra servings you can serve instantly to help move this task along. As for the other tasks, you'll need to ask your friends for help, or you can purchase each individual item with Cafe Cash if you'd rather not bug them. For finishing this second goal, you'll receive an Open Mic Guitarist decoration.
Part III of V doesn't slow down on either the cooking or the item collecting - in fact, it makes them worse.
Serve Tostada de Carne Asada 60 Times
Ask for 7 Chicken Breasts
Ask for 8 Rubber Chickens
Each serving of Tostada de Carne Asada takes eight hours to cook. While this is less time than for the Rackasaurus Ribs, the fact that you have to serve them 15 more times more than dissolves any time you might have saved otherwise. At least you'll have 15 collectible items to work on while you're waiting. Finishing this halfway point in the mission series gives you the Open Mic Comic decoration (hence the chickens).
For Part IV of V - you guessed it - it's more of the same, with more items required this time around.
Serve Tempura Udon 70 Times
Ask for 9 Bongo Drums
Ask for 9 Large Eggs
The Tempura Udon takes - wait for it - 22 hours to cook. I hope you're a fairly high level in the game, able to have tons of stoves cooking at once, or this goal is set to leave you waiting for quite some time before moving on. When you do finally finish, you'll receive an Open Mic Poet.
Finally, Part V of V ends the series by slightly increasing the items you need to collect, but also increasing the food - a lot.
Serve Chicken Gyro and Fries 50 Times
Serve Chicken Pot Pie 45 Times
Ask for 19 Frying Oil
Chicken Gyro and Fries is a 10 minute dish (thank goodness), while Chicken Pot Pie takes a full two days to cook. If you've been saving spices, now would definitely be the time to break them out, or you'll be waiting upwards of two or even four days (depending on how many stoves you have) to finish this one. Once you do, however, you'll receive the best prize of the entire set - the exclusive Chicken Fingers recipe.
All told, you'll earn quite a few new decorations, and of course a new recipe for finishing these goals, but they aren't easy to complete in the slightest. Hopefully, with enough help from your friends, you'll be able to finish this one sooner, rather than later.
[Source: Cafe World Times]
What do you think of the Open Mic Goals? Would you rather more variety be available in the goals, rather than just cooking and item collecting?
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Captain America promotion
Alright Zynga, you've piqued my interest. The next sponsored link in FarmVille is thanks to a promotion for the upcoming Captain America flick, which the fanboy in me simply cannot wait any longer for. (I've already made my shield.) Actually, the promotion is through Norton, the anti-virus software provider, but of course that takes a back seat to the Cap'n! Like all sponsored links, you'll find this one beneath the FarmVille game screen, and it will read, "Take the Captain America quiz..."
Click on the link for a pop-up to appear in yellow. As the Captain America promotional video plays above, just take the simple quiz and, when the video is through, you will find the familiar blue "X" in the upper right corner of the window. Click on it to close the window, and the 2 Farm Cash will be added to your total--not your inventory or anywhere else. Give it at least 30 minutes before you go calling Zynga customer support, and remember to refresh your game to see your updated Farm Cash.
Captain America sponsored link
If you've yet to see the sponsored link, do not panic. Some of these promotions take time, like all Zynga game features, to make it in front of every player. Not to mention that some promotions are only available in the US--sorry, international folks. Free Farm Cash or not, you'll find me in a theater somewhere at midnight July 22.
[Image Credit: ScreenRant]
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Have you seen this sponsored link in your game yet, and have you participated? How psyched are you for Captain America's imminent ass-kickery on the silver screen?
Click on the link for a pop-up to appear in yellow. As the Captain America promotional video plays above, just take the simple quiz and, when the video is through, you will find the familiar blue "X" in the upper right corner of the window. Click on it to close the window, and the 2 Farm Cash will be added to your total--not your inventory or anywhere else. Give it at least 30 minutes before you go calling Zynga customer support, and remember to refresh your game to see your updated Farm Cash.
Captain America sponsored link
If you've yet to see the sponsored link, do not panic. Some of these promotions take time, like all Zynga game features, to make it in front of every player. Not to mention that some promotions are only available in the US--sorry, international folks. Free Farm Cash or not, you'll find me in a theater somewhere at midnight July 22.
[Image Credit: ScreenRant]
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Have you seen this sponsored link in your game yet, and have you participated? How psyched are you for Captain America's imminent ass-kickery on the silver screen?
FrontierVille: Earn 7 free Horseshoes from MasterCard Marketplace
Check out the bottom of your FrontierVille game for a banner from MasterCard Marketplace and after answering two simple survey questions, you'll be rewarded with 7 free Horseshoes, which is the game's premium currency. While not a huge payout, 7 Horseshoes is still a hefty offer. This MasterCard promotion follows on the heels of last week's 5 free Farm Cash on FarmVille. Obviously, MasterCard is eager to get the word out on their new service.
So what is MasterCard Marketplace? Well, in the spirit of sites like GroupOn, LivingSocial, etc, MasterCard Marketplace is a coupon network and daily deals aggregator. Basically, you only need to visit one place to find out what's on sale at tons of other places. This one place will tell you how much you'll save and how long each sale will last. Currently, unique features with MasterCard Marketplace seems to be that they like showcasing 50% discounts, a reward points system, and many personalization options for signing up. But yeah, enough about that -- grab those 7 free horseshoes while you can!
FrontierVille 7 free horseshoes
MasterCard MarketPlace
So what is MasterCard Marketplace? Well, in the spirit of sites like GroupOn, LivingSocial, etc, MasterCard Marketplace is a coupon network and daily deals aggregator. Basically, you only need to visit one place to find out what's on sale at tons of other places. This one place will tell you how much you'll save and how long each sale will last. Currently, unique features with MasterCard Marketplace seems to be that they like showcasing 50% discounts, a reward points system, and many personalization options for signing up. But yeah, enough about that -- grab those 7 free horseshoes while you can!
FrontierVille 7 free horseshoes
MasterCard MarketPlace
Civilization World for Facebook reveals a crazy complex city [Video]
CivWorld Combat
You wanted complexity in your Facebook games, right? Firaxis Games plans to deliver enough of it to keep you interested for, well, ever in Civilization World. (And probably more than we could handle.) In Episode 2 of CivWorld's Gameplay Walkthrough, Pete Murray shows the nitty gritty of each of the game's primary resources: Food, Gold, Science, Culture and Production. And Sid Meier's social rendition of his hit strategy game looks to be deeper and more daunting than ever.
In CivWorld, you can change your workers' tasks at any time to fill gaps in any particular resource. Have some Farmers producing Food, but you need more culture progression? Then just switch them over and they'll start gathering the Culture resource. Scientific progression can be automated using the Job system, but can be micromanaged as well. The most exciting aspect of city progression in CivWorld, however, is the mini games.
For each resource, there is a mini game that you can play for extra boosts to that stat. For more science points and faster progression, you can work on a vast, sprawling maze mini game. To increase your Culture, you must collaborate with your friends to complete artifacts and acquire Great People before the opposition does, which can be sped along through a picture-swap game.
Most intriguing of all is the first footage of the combat system we recently heard about, which amounts to a card battle game that uses your Civilization's collective units. So, it pays to--you guessed it--collaborate. If anything, CivWorld is looking to be a seriously deep game, and we can't wait to dive in.
[Video and Image Credit: Firaxis Games]
Are you even more psyched now for Civilization World to flex your brain muscles? Do you think the game is looking to be too complex, or is this exactly what you're looking for?
You wanted complexity in your Facebook games, right? Firaxis Games plans to deliver enough of it to keep you interested for, well, ever in Civilization World. (And probably more than we could handle.) In Episode 2 of CivWorld's Gameplay Walkthrough, Pete Murray shows the nitty gritty of each of the game's primary resources: Food, Gold, Science, Culture and Production. And Sid Meier's social rendition of his hit strategy game looks to be deeper and more daunting than ever.
In CivWorld, you can change your workers' tasks at any time to fill gaps in any particular resource. Have some Farmers producing Food, but you need more culture progression? Then just switch them over and they'll start gathering the Culture resource. Scientific progression can be automated using the Job system, but can be micromanaged as well. The most exciting aspect of city progression in CivWorld, however, is the mini games.
For each resource, there is a mini game that you can play for extra boosts to that stat. For more science points and faster progression, you can work on a vast, sprawling maze mini game. To increase your Culture, you must collaborate with your friends to complete artifacts and acquire Great People before the opposition does, which can be sped along through a picture-swap game.
Most intriguing of all is the first footage of the combat system we recently heard about, which amounts to a card battle game that uses your Civilization's collective units. So, it pays to--you guessed it--collaborate. If anything, CivWorld is looking to be a seriously deep game, and we can't wait to dive in.
[Video and Image Credit: Firaxis Games]
Are you even more psyched now for Civilization World to flex your brain muscles? Do you think the game is looking to be too complex, or is this exactly what you're looking for?
FrontierVille Rodeo Goals: Everything you need to know
It's finally time to take a seat on a more serious saddle in FrontierVille, as Zynga has released the Rodeo Goals to the game. In this series of four Goals, players will have lots to do on Horseback, so make sure you've already completed the Horse Corral Goals before getting into these. (In fact, these might not even appear to those who haven't completed those prior Goals.) At any rate, here is everything you need to know to complete the Rodeo Goals.
Saddle Up
1. Saddle Up!
Tend 25 Animals on Horseback
Plant 20 Corn
Harvest 20 Apples
Considering there have already been Goals in which you complete tasks on Horseback, we'll jump right ahead. Planting 20 Corn will cost you 4,500 Coins, while Apple Trees go for 800 Coins a piece, if you don't already have a few. Completing this Goal rewards players with 250 Coins, 250 XP and a Sugar Cube.
Mysterious Stranger
2. A Mysterious Stranger!
Clobber 3 Gophers on horseback
Clear 10 Grass (yours or a neighbor's)
Have 10 Rodeo Posters
The only tips we can give for this Goal would be to not harvest that planted Corn until you take on this Goal. Groundhogs are found by harvesting crops, and Corn just so happens to be one of their favorites. The 10 Rodeo Posters are sourced from friends through the Goal menu. Finish these simple tasks and you will score another 250 XP, 250 Coins and a Carrot Treat.
How Bout Them Cowgirls
3. How 'Bout Them Cowgirls?
Collect 10 Go Bess Go Flags
Harvest 20 Flax
Mix a Concoction
The "Go Bess Go" Flags are found through even more help requests from friends. Harvesting 20 Flax will cost 3,000 Coins and take at least eight hours. Then, all you need to do is mix any Concoction in the Saloon to finish this Goal (however, most drinks in the Saloon require the help of friends), which will reward you with yet another 250 XP and 250 Coins.
Giddyap
4. Giddyap!
Compete in 5 Barrel Races
Feed 5 Neighbor Horses
Collect 3 Rodeo Arena Bonuses
In order to finish this Goal, you must complete the Rodeo Arena, which is a new building that released with this set of Goals. Though, you also must visit your friends and feed five of their Horses. Completing this fourth and final Goal will reward you with--surprise!--250 Coins, 250 XP and a Midnight Bronco, a new Horse to ride in the Rodeo Arena.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started these new Goals yet? What do you think of the Rodeo Arena feature, and what tips do you have to complete these Goals even faster?
Saddle Up
1. Saddle Up!
Tend 25 Animals on Horseback
Plant 20 Corn
Harvest 20 Apples
Considering there have already been Goals in which you complete tasks on Horseback, we'll jump right ahead. Planting 20 Corn will cost you 4,500 Coins, while Apple Trees go for 800 Coins a piece, if you don't already have a few. Completing this Goal rewards players with 250 Coins, 250 XP and a Sugar Cube.
Mysterious Stranger
2. A Mysterious Stranger!
Clobber 3 Gophers on horseback
Clear 10 Grass (yours or a neighbor's)
Have 10 Rodeo Posters
The only tips we can give for this Goal would be to not harvest that planted Corn until you take on this Goal. Groundhogs are found by harvesting crops, and Corn just so happens to be one of their favorites. The 10 Rodeo Posters are sourced from friends through the Goal menu. Finish these simple tasks and you will score another 250 XP, 250 Coins and a Carrot Treat.
How Bout Them Cowgirls
3. How 'Bout Them Cowgirls?
Collect 10 Go Bess Go Flags
Harvest 20 Flax
Mix a Concoction
The "Go Bess Go" Flags are found through even more help requests from friends. Harvesting 20 Flax will cost 3,000 Coins and take at least eight hours. Then, all you need to do is mix any Concoction in the Saloon to finish this Goal (however, most drinks in the Saloon require the help of friends), which will reward you with yet another 250 XP and 250 Coins.
Giddyap
4. Giddyap!
Compete in 5 Barrel Races
Feed 5 Neighbor Horses
Collect 3 Rodeo Arena Bonuses
In order to finish this Goal, you must complete the Rodeo Arena, which is a new building that released with this set of Goals. Though, you also must visit your friends and feed five of their Horses. Completing this fourth and final Goal will reward you with--surprise!--250 Coins, 250 XP and a Midnight Bronco, a new Horse to ride in the Rodeo Arena.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started these new Goals yet? What do you think of the Rodeo Arena feature, and what tips do you have to complete these Goals even faster?
Building the FrontierVille Rodeo Arena: Everything you need to know
If there were any situation where it was most appropriate to let out a "yee-haw!" over a Facebook game, it'd be right now. The Rodeo Arena has landed in FrontierVille, and along with it a series of Rodeo Goals.
However, those Goals won't help you build the Rodeo Arena in the slightest, so allow us to help, thanks to FrontierVille Info. Not only that, but how's about a primer on how the new racing feature works? OK, we're done teasing--let's get right into it.
Building the Rodeo Arena isn't a far cry from other feature-rich buildings in the game, meaning you will need to ask your friends for lots of items. This building in particular requires:
12 Round Pens
1 Rodeo Lariat
8 Clown Chaps
8 Rodeo Dirts
8 Bronco Chutes
8 Racing Barrels
That's a whopping 45 items in all, which is especially daunting considering they all must be found through friends. To break it down, the top three items must be requested from friends directly, while the bottom three will be found by posting News Feeds on your friends' Walls. That single Rodeo Lariat has us guessing, however, that it may require you to add a new player to the game, which is quite the feat. (If that's the case, you could always make a phony Facebook account solely for this item and delete it later, but you didn't hear that from me.)
Building the Rodeo Arena
Anyway, once the Rodeo Arena is complete you can click it and select "Race" to dive right into this new mini game. A menu will appear, displaying your own Horses and their skills, which finally have a purpose--to race! Choose your best Horse, and pick a friend to race against based on their difficulty level. This is decided by either your Horses skills compared to the opponents, or simply by a basic metric like the opponents' skills.
However, a feature called "Cheers" can turn the tables. This allows players to request Cheers from their friends, which increase their Horse's chances of winning a race and last for 12 hours. However, it's unsure how heavily Cheers are weighed in races, as it would be pretty disappointing to have your hard-working Horse beat down by a cheering crowd rather than honest competition.
Rodeo Arena Menu
Unfortunately, Horses can only race so often, and require rest between races. If you're willing to cough up the 8 Horseshoes, your Horses can be revived with a Bronco Tonic. So, it helps to have more than one Horse leveled up, if you want to compete multiple times daily.
[Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started racing in the Rodeo Arena yet? What do you think of this new competitive feature, and how do you plan on coming out on top?
However, those Goals won't help you build the Rodeo Arena in the slightest, so allow us to help, thanks to FrontierVille Info. Not only that, but how's about a primer on how the new racing feature works? OK, we're done teasing--let's get right into it.
Building the Rodeo Arena isn't a far cry from other feature-rich buildings in the game, meaning you will need to ask your friends for lots of items. This building in particular requires:
12 Round Pens
1 Rodeo Lariat
8 Clown Chaps
8 Rodeo Dirts
8 Bronco Chutes
8 Racing Barrels
That's a whopping 45 items in all, which is especially daunting considering they all must be found through friends. To break it down, the top three items must be requested from friends directly, while the bottom three will be found by posting News Feeds on your friends' Walls. That single Rodeo Lariat has us guessing, however, that it may require you to add a new player to the game, which is quite the feat. (If that's the case, you could always make a phony Facebook account solely for this item and delete it later, but you didn't hear that from me.)
Building the Rodeo Arena
Anyway, once the Rodeo Arena is complete you can click it and select "Race" to dive right into this new mini game. A menu will appear, displaying your own Horses and their skills, which finally have a purpose--to race! Choose your best Horse, and pick a friend to race against based on their difficulty level. This is decided by either your Horses skills compared to the opponents, or simply by a basic metric like the opponents' skills.
However, a feature called "Cheers" can turn the tables. This allows players to request Cheers from their friends, which increase their Horse's chances of winning a race and last for 12 hours. However, it's unsure how heavily Cheers are weighed in races, as it would be pretty disappointing to have your hard-working Horse beat down by a cheering crowd rather than honest competition.
Rodeo Arena Menu
Unfortunately, Horses can only race so often, and require rest between races. If you're willing to cough up the 8 Horseshoes, your Horses can be revived with a Bronco Tonic. So, it helps to have more than one Horse leveled up, if you want to compete multiple times daily.
[Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started racing in the Rodeo Arena yet? What do you think of this new competitive feature, and how do you plan on coming out on top?
Empires & Allies receives first round of bug fixes and gameplay updates
Just as with their launch of CityVille, Zynga is taking to Empires & Allies with a fine-toothed comb, working out some initial bugs and glitches, and changing a few gameplay elements to make them easier on players. They've announced their first major changes on the game's forums, and compiled the ones that might affect you here:
There is now a profile picture on the right side of the screen allowing you to see which of your friends played recently and only send that group of friends free gifts. In this way, you avoid "spamming" your non-playing friends with gifts they'd likely never accept anyway.
You can now earn 20 energy per 24 hour period from visiting friends. Even if you visit more neighbors in a day, you will not receive any free energy after the first 20 points. The original limit was five energy, so this is a step in the right direction.
The exploit allowing players to invade their neighbors more than once in a row has been fixed.
Each neighbor on your neighbor bar now has an image displaying which type of Ore they can mine, meaning you can help out at their mines and potentially earn this Ore for yourself.
When building Military units, the buildings now show the most powerful units (of those currently unlocked to you) first.
The minimum level requirements for some Government Buildings have been reduced.
Missing quest icons should now appear as normal.
Less pop-ups!
I personally haven't noticed a lessening of the pop-ups appearing in my game, but perhaps I'm just not participating in the specific areas of gameplay from which they were removed. Either way, it's nice to see Zynga taking a firm stance on bugs this early in the game's life (and asking for fan feedback every step of the way), and we can only assume that more changes and bug patches will be released in the future. If they change the way we play the game, you can be sure we'll let you know about them, so keep checking back.
What do you think of this set of changes and updates? Have you noticed less pop-ups in your game? Would you prefer bonus energy from friends to be unlimited, or can you see where Zynga is coming from with the limit? What other items should they work on next?
There is now a profile picture on the right side of the screen allowing you to see which of your friends played recently and only send that group of friends free gifts. In this way, you avoid "spamming" your non-playing friends with gifts they'd likely never accept anyway.
You can now earn 20 energy per 24 hour period from visiting friends. Even if you visit more neighbors in a day, you will not receive any free energy after the first 20 points. The original limit was five energy, so this is a step in the right direction.
The exploit allowing players to invade their neighbors more than once in a row has been fixed.
Each neighbor on your neighbor bar now has an image displaying which type of Ore they can mine, meaning you can help out at their mines and potentially earn this Ore for yourself.
When building Military units, the buildings now show the most powerful units (of those currently unlocked to you) first.
The minimum level requirements for some Government Buildings have been reduced.
Missing quest icons should now appear as normal.
Less pop-ups!
I personally haven't noticed a lessening of the pop-ups appearing in my game, but perhaps I'm just not participating in the specific areas of gameplay from which they were removed. Either way, it's nice to see Zynga taking a firm stance on bugs this early in the game's life (and asking for fan feedback every step of the way), and we can only assume that more changes and bug patches will be released in the future. If they change the way we play the game, you can be sure we'll let you know about them, so keep checking back.
What do you think of this set of changes and updates? Have you noticed less pop-ups in your game? Would you prefer bonus energy from friends to be unlimited, or can you see where Zynga is coming from with the limit? What other items should they work on next?
Rumor: EA to buy PopCap for over $1 billion
Now, this is a last ditch effort if we've ever seen one. TechCrunch reports that, following up with yesterday's news that PopCap may sell for over $1 billion, EA may very well be the company at the checkout counter. The website cites two anonymous sources that point to the nearly 30-year-old games company as the buyer. And no, the asking price has not changed--it's still insane.
But EA, which has enjoyed a distant second to Zynga in the social space, just might be crazy enough to bid what TechCrunch reports is 13 percent of their $7 billion plus market cap. This could truly be the company's Hail Mary Pass to win the social and mobile race once and for all, especially considering how long it could take EA to make all that money back.
We thought it was crazy when EA bought Playfish in 2009 for a whopping $400 million, but this clearly blows that out of the water. Unfortunately, neither company has enjoyed the runaway success both likely had hoped for. (You don't spend $400 million, much less $1 billion for second place.) So we can only hope that, if this buyout goes down, EA doesn't repeat history with PopCap.
If this purchase happens, the Bejeweled creator will obviously put its imminent IPO (initial public offering) on hold. As of this writing, a source close to the matter tells us there's currently no internal information on the sale. We've contacted both for comment.
[Image Credit: Gamespy]
Do you really think PopCap will sell to EA? What could this mean for both company's futures?
But EA, which has enjoyed a distant second to Zynga in the social space, just might be crazy enough to bid what TechCrunch reports is 13 percent of their $7 billion plus market cap. This could truly be the company's Hail Mary Pass to win the social and mobile race once and for all, especially considering how long it could take EA to make all that money back.
We thought it was crazy when EA bought Playfish in 2009 for a whopping $400 million, but this clearly blows that out of the water. Unfortunately, neither company has enjoyed the runaway success both likely had hoped for. (You don't spend $400 million, much less $1 billion for second place.) So we can only hope that, if this buyout goes down, EA doesn't repeat history with PopCap.
If this purchase happens, the Bejeweled creator will obviously put its imminent IPO (initial public offering) on hold. As of this writing, a source close to the matter tells us there's currently no internal information on the sale. We've contacted both for comment.
[Image Credit: Gamespy]
Do you really think PopCap will sell to EA? What could this mean for both company's futures?
Game of the Day: Word Drop 2
word drop
The Game of the Day wants you to get your spelling cap on and play for high scores. Word Drop 2 is here. Click the tiles to create words and go for the high score. When you can't think of another word, submit your score. Form words by clicking the tiles. As words are eliminated remaining tiles fall into a new order, forming different words! Eliminate rows to get score multiples and win big!
Click --> Play Word Drop 2
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
The Game of the Day wants you to get your spelling cap on and play for high scores. Word Drop 2 is here. Click the tiles to create words and go for the high score. When you can't think of another word, submit your score. Form words by clicking the tiles. As words are eliminated remaining tiles fall into a new order, forming different words! Eliminate rows to get score multiples and win big!
Click --> Play Word Drop 2
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Building the CityVille Go Karts Attraction: Everything you need to know
Anyone who tells you that they went on summer vacation, and go karts weren't involved, didn't really go on vacation. Zynga has released Attractions to CityVille, a feature within a feature of sorts.
These unique businesses benefit the most when operating just after you release Hotel guests or welcome Cruise Ships. The first of what we expect to be a series of attractions are the Go Karts.
Check the Build menu under the Businesses tab to find the Go Karts which cost a whopping 25 thousand Coins. Once you scrounge up enough cash for it, build the foundation using a few Energy, and then click on the building to finish it. The Go Karts, like many businesses and community buildings, requires special materials found through friends to complete.
CityVille Go Karts build menu
Go Kart Wrench IconWhen the Go Karts are ready for business, it's up to you to decide when it is ready for customers. However, attractions also require repairs in between the times they're open for business. Here's a breakdown of how the Go Karts--and all attractions, really--operate:
Release Hotel Resort guests and Cruise Ship Tourists
Click on the Go Karts in order to open it to customers. (Go Karts are only open for three minutes at a time.)
Hover over the Go Karts to see how much time is left and how many customers have visited.
When the money bag icon appears, click it to collect your earnings. (Go Karts earn between 800 and 3,000.)
After collecting, click on the wrench icon to begin the repairs process.
Rinse and repeat until filthy rich.
Maintenance Go Karts
Like we said, attractions need regular maintenance. Players can simply wait for the timer, which in this case is a whopping 24 hours, before reopening the gates. However, you can also ask your friends for Wrenches, which will allow your attraction to reopen instantly when three are collected--at least in the Go Karts' case--and increase your payouts next time. We hope this is the first of many attractions, as they add a much-welcomed albeit thin layer of strategy to making money in-game.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started your Go Karts yet in CityVille? What do you think of these new types of businesses in the game?
These unique businesses benefit the most when operating just after you release Hotel guests or welcome Cruise Ships. The first of what we expect to be a series of attractions are the Go Karts.
Check the Build menu under the Businesses tab to find the Go Karts which cost a whopping 25 thousand Coins. Once you scrounge up enough cash for it, build the foundation using a few Energy, and then click on the building to finish it. The Go Karts, like many businesses and community buildings, requires special materials found through friends to complete.
CityVille Go Karts build menu
Go Kart Wrench IconWhen the Go Karts are ready for business, it's up to you to decide when it is ready for customers. However, attractions also require repairs in between the times they're open for business. Here's a breakdown of how the Go Karts--and all attractions, really--operate:
Release Hotel Resort guests and Cruise Ship Tourists
Click on the Go Karts in order to open it to customers. (Go Karts are only open for three minutes at a time.)
Hover over the Go Karts to see how much time is left and how many customers have visited.
When the money bag icon appears, click it to collect your earnings. (Go Karts earn between 800 and 3,000.)
After collecting, click on the wrench icon to begin the repairs process.
Rinse and repeat until filthy rich.
Maintenance Go Karts
Like we said, attractions need regular maintenance. Players can simply wait for the timer, which in this case is a whopping 24 hours, before reopening the gates. However, you can also ask your friends for Wrenches, which will allow your attraction to reopen instantly when three are collected--at least in the Go Karts' case--and increase your payouts next time. We hope this is the first of many attractions, as they add a much-welcomed albeit thin layer of strategy to making money in-game.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started your Go Karts yet in CityVille? What do you think of these new types of businesses in the game?
Penny Arcade: When free games aren't really free
Popular video game-centric comic Penny Arcade exposes the dark underbelly of 'free-to-play' games, such as League of Legends and FarmVille. Yup, this pretty much says it all.
How much money have you spent in 'free' games?
How much money have you spent in 'free' games?
CityVille Havering Manor: Add citizens to your town the expensive way
While I would like to tell you that CityVille's newest limited edition home is affordable, I unfortunately can't. No, the Havering Manor costs a whopping 70 City Cash, and that's just for a single building! Granted, this estate is quite large, taking up a lot of space on your land, but isn't that also another negative? With expansions and land space going for high costs now, is it worth building this large of a structure, especially when it costs this much to do?
Perhaps I'm reading too much into this. Either way, if you're interested in purchasing the Havering Manor, you'll receive a starting population of 1750 citizens, which can be expanded to a huge number - 4,500 citizens - over time (by randomly receiving population boosts when you or your friends collect the Manor's rent).
To add a bit of a complication to the Havering Manor, even if the price tag isn't too high for you, but you do need to save up some City Cash, you unfortunately don't have that luxury. The Havering Manor will only be available in the store for the next day, and whether it will ever be re-released after this initial launch is anyone's guess. Who knows? It may come back, but at an even higher price (don't put it past Zynga). Ultimately, purchasing one will be up to you, but I wouldn't blame you for turning your nose up at the idea and moving on.
Will you / have you purchase(d) the Havering Manor before it expires in CityVille? Do you think 70 City Cash is an acceptable price, considering the large boost in population this one provides?
Perhaps I'm reading too much into this. Either way, if you're interested in purchasing the Havering Manor, you'll receive a starting population of 1750 citizens, which can be expanded to a huge number - 4,500 citizens - over time (by randomly receiving population boosts when you or your friends collect the Manor's rent).
To add a bit of a complication to the Havering Manor, even if the price tag isn't too high for you, but you do need to save up some City Cash, you unfortunately don't have that luxury. The Havering Manor will only be available in the store for the next day, and whether it will ever be re-released after this initial launch is anyone's guess. Who knows? It may come back, but at an even higher price (don't put it past Zynga). Ultimately, purchasing one will be up to you, but I wouldn't blame you for turning your nose up at the idea and moving on.
Will you / have you purchase(d) the Havering Manor before it expires in CityVille? Do you think 70 City Cash is an acceptable price, considering the large boost in population this one provides?
Puppy lovers unite as OMGPop pulls in $20k daily from Puppy World
That's a heck of a lot of doggy biscuits... Released in late July, OMGPop's Puppy World on iPhone / iPod Touch has been downloaded over one million times, and currently sits at #54 on the iTunes Top Free Apps chart. While not one of the most social-heavy games on the App Store (although the app claims you can share puppies with your Facebook friends), that doesn't mean it's not a profitable setup. In fact, players are apparently so in love with puppies that they're paying $20,000 per day on the game's virtual goods.
As reported by TechCrunch, OMGPop's CEO Dan Porter has offered some stats about the game's progress so far (unfortunately, there's no infographic to go with them - we love infographics). Of the game's 1 million downloads, a quarter of those have resulted in daily active users returning to the game. What's more, when taking all users into account, each user spends an average of eight cents per day on virtual goods that are available within the Puppy World app (players can purchase premium decorations, or can even buy their way out of quests with premium currency). While it wasn't revealed in exact detail, Puppy World has many players that spend sometimes more than $50 on premium currency packages, with all spending adding up to over $20,000 a day.
To bring in those users, Porter claims that 20 percent of users are downloading the game based on adds they've seen on OMGPop's website and on Facebook app pages, while viral sharing and exposure on the iTunes app charts accounts for a larger portion: 60%. The final 20% is comprised of users that responded to paid advertising. Do the math, and Porter states that "For every user we pay to acquire we are seeing 6 more users for free." That's pretty impressive, all things considered.
Of course, many would argue that in the world of social and mobile games, success is found over the course of a marathon, and not a sprint. Sure, OMGPop may have a hit on their hands now, but how long will it last? Porter admits that the game isn't without flaws, especially when playing on older iPhones. "If we had to do it all over again, we would have only supported iPhone 4," he says. He attributes many of the app's one-star reviews to the app crashing on older phones.
With such simplistic gameplay as waiting for puppies to grow before giving them over to happy children, mixed with some light animal care-taking tasks, could Puppy World even have enough content to sustain a port to Facebook? I know I'd be interested in these adorable puppies making the switch, and with profits like these just on the iPhone, we're excited to learn if that becomes OMGPop's next logical step. We'll make sure to let you know if it is.
Have you tried Puppy World on iPhone? Would you like to see Puppy World make the switch to Facebook, or do you think the gameplay is more suited to a mobile experience / audience? Have you spent any money in free-to-play mobile games?
As reported by TechCrunch, OMGPop's CEO Dan Porter has offered some stats about the game's progress so far (unfortunately, there's no infographic to go with them - we love infographics). Of the game's 1 million downloads, a quarter of those have resulted in daily active users returning to the game. What's more, when taking all users into account, each user spends an average of eight cents per day on virtual goods that are available within the Puppy World app (players can purchase premium decorations, or can even buy their way out of quests with premium currency). While it wasn't revealed in exact detail, Puppy World has many players that spend sometimes more than $50 on premium currency packages, with all spending adding up to over $20,000 a day.
To bring in those users, Porter claims that 20 percent of users are downloading the game based on adds they've seen on OMGPop's website and on Facebook app pages, while viral sharing and exposure on the iTunes app charts accounts for a larger portion: 60%. The final 20% is comprised of users that responded to paid advertising. Do the math, and Porter states that "For every user we pay to acquire we are seeing 6 more users for free." That's pretty impressive, all things considered.
Of course, many would argue that in the world of social and mobile games, success is found over the course of a marathon, and not a sprint. Sure, OMGPop may have a hit on their hands now, but how long will it last? Porter admits that the game isn't without flaws, especially when playing on older iPhones. "If we had to do it all over again, we would have only supported iPhone 4," he says. He attributes many of the app's one-star reviews to the app crashing on older phones.
With such simplistic gameplay as waiting for puppies to grow before giving them over to happy children, mixed with some light animal care-taking tasks, could Puppy World even have enough content to sustain a port to Facebook? I know I'd be interested in these adorable puppies making the switch, and with profits like these just on the iPhone, we're excited to learn if that becomes OMGPop's next logical step. We'll make sure to let you know if it is.
Have you tried Puppy World on iPhone? Would you like to see Puppy World make the switch to Facebook, or do you think the gameplay is more suited to a mobile experience / audience? Have you spent any money in free-to-play mobile games?
Cafe World Full Screen Mode now live to all chefs (it's about time)
It only took them two years to do it, but full screen gameplay has finally, mercifully come to Cafe World. While the feature has been available for some chefs for about a month now (you know, those chefs that had the patience to complete the Go Full Screen Goals), if you never got around to completing those goals, you can now access the full screen toggle anyway, as it's been added to the menu area at the bottom right-hand corner of the gameplay screen.
If you're wondering why this matters, just think of how nice it will be to redecorate or even use your cafe now that you can see the entirety of it without scrolling around. Have stoves at both ends of your cafe? Is your Salad Bar in the corner, away from all of your other appliances? You can now access everything with less hassle, simply by being in full screen.
The interesting thing now will be determining whether or not this was all too little, too late. The lack of a full screen option was really just a single problem in the game's long line of issues, so will its addition actually help matters, or will it only place more focus on the worse problems we're arguably left with (short completion time limits, never-ending friend requests for materials, etc.)? Either way, I suppose all that's left to do now is enjoy the full screen option while we can, hoping that something doesn't come along in the future to ruin the fun (you never know, stranger things have happened).
Did you unlock the full screen option by completing the Go Full Screen Goals, or are you just getting your first taste of full screen gameplay now?
If you're wondering why this matters, just think of how nice it will be to redecorate or even use your cafe now that you can see the entirety of it without scrolling around. Have stoves at both ends of your cafe? Is your Salad Bar in the corner, away from all of your other appliances? You can now access everything with less hassle, simply by being in full screen.
The interesting thing now will be determining whether or not this was all too little, too late. The lack of a full screen option was really just a single problem in the game's long line of issues, so will its addition actually help matters, or will it only place more focus on the worse problems we're arguably left with (short completion time limits, never-ending friend requests for materials, etc.)? Either way, I suppose all that's left to do now is enjoy the full screen option while we can, hoping that something doesn't come along in the future to ruin the fun (you never know, stranger things have happened).
Did you unlock the full screen option by completing the Go Full Screen Goals, or are you just getting your first taste of full screen gameplay now?
FrontierVille Newlywed Newbies Timed Goal: Everything you need to know
As if FrontierVille wasn't already filled with enough wedding talk to last most of us a lifetime, a new timed goal has been added to the game that takes life after the wedding into account, as a pair of Newlyweds (Kit and Connie) have made a pit-stop on your Homestead on their way through to the Pioneer Trail. The Newlywed Newbies goal should be available to most pioneers as of this writing, and you'll find its icon along with the rest of your goals on the left-hand side of the screen.
This timed goal must be started by August 31. Once you start it, you'll have seven days to complete it, and if you do, you'll earn some Wedding Gifts that can be used towards special wedding decorations, if you're still trying to complete your collection of those. As you might have expected, this goal comes with three tasks:
Harvest 30 Potatoes
Collect 10 Spare Harnesses
Collect 10 Water Canteens
Apparently, Kit and Connie have found themselves in a spot of trouble, and you'll need to help them make up for the poor planning by rounding up some supplies. The Spare Harnesses are earned through individual requests sent to friends, while the Water Canteens are earned through a general wall post. As for Potatoes, they take just four hours to grow, so you'll likely finish that step first.
For completing this goal, you'll walk away with the aforementioned 10 Wedding Gifts, but will also earn 300 XP and 200 coins. Those prizes aren't huge, but the requirements here aren't too terribly difficult either. Just make sure to have some free space on your land to plant those crops, and the rest should come to you way before your seven day time limit is up. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here. >
Will you immediately start the Newlywed Newbies Timed Goal, or are you going to hold off on this timed goal until you have a chance to finish the other items on your plate?
This timed goal must be started by August 31. Once you start it, you'll have seven days to complete it, and if you do, you'll earn some Wedding Gifts that can be used towards special wedding decorations, if you're still trying to complete your collection of those. As you might have expected, this goal comes with three tasks:
Harvest 30 Potatoes
Collect 10 Spare Harnesses
Collect 10 Water Canteens
Apparently, Kit and Connie have found themselves in a spot of trouble, and you'll need to help them make up for the poor planning by rounding up some supplies. The Spare Harnesses are earned through individual requests sent to friends, while the Water Canteens are earned through a general wall post. As for Potatoes, they take just four hours to grow, so you'll likely finish that step first.
For completing this goal, you'll walk away with the aforementioned 10 Wedding Gifts, but will also earn 300 XP and 200 coins. Those prizes aren't huge, but the requirements here aren't too terribly difficult either. Just make sure to have some free space on your land to plant those crops, and the rest should come to you way before your seven day time limit is up. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here. >
Will you immediately start the Newlywed Newbies Timed Goal, or are you going to hold off on this timed goal until you have a chance to finish the other items on your plate?
Meteor Games wants to be the Nintendo of Facebook games, not just "for moms"
While Meteor Games may be a name that's foreign to most Facebook gamers, with just 1.1 million monthly active users across their entire catalog of Facebook games, that doesn't mean their games aren't successful. Just ask CEO Zac Brandenburg. According to Forbes, Meteor finds success in their Facebook games (including their most popular - Island Paradise) because they're more focused on the long-term when designing a game, rather than on instant success.
"The feature set is much more than a simple compulsion loop," says Brandenberg, "You need to have different things for players to do, centered around what the plot is going to be." In an upcoming branded game, released with Viacom, we'll apparently see that ideology in full effect. Meteor is currently working on three games that are "close to launch," but Brandenburg didn't reveal specific details about any of them, other than the fact that they may be "fantasy-themed."
We do know the company's end goal, however: to focus on the middle section of gamers. "We don't think like Kabam with hard core games and we are also not just casual games for moms. There is a middle ground - like with Nintendo. There's a huge audience in the middle. We're going to draw from the hard core elements and the super casual side." Brandenburg says that games don't need massive audiences to be successful, so long as you've given players a high quality experience that engages them over the long term. Of course, high-paying users don't hurt either.
While Brandenburg refrained from using the term "whales," Meteor apparently does have them, and in droves. In Meteor's case, whales are gamers that spend over $1,000 a year on their games, while a handful of Super Whales in each game spend over $10,000 - that's a lot of premium currency!
Even with all of that being said, Brandenburg made it clear that the company's focus isn't so much on a game's social aspects, but on making an individual user want to come back to the experience just to play the game. "You only play if you actually want to not because your friends want you to. Then you have a smaller audience but the audience may spend 50 times what another gamer (on a different game) spends. You can have a lot of success there."
When Meteor Games announces more details about their three upcoming titles (including the branded game with Viacom), we'll make sure to let you know.
Are you an active player of Meteor's games like Island Paradise and Ranch Town? Would you have more fun in a Facebook game if there was more focus on your own experience with the story, rather than on always asking for help from your friends?
"The feature set is much more than a simple compulsion loop," says Brandenberg, "You need to have different things for players to do, centered around what the plot is going to be." In an upcoming branded game, released with Viacom, we'll apparently see that ideology in full effect. Meteor is currently working on three games that are "close to launch," but Brandenburg didn't reveal specific details about any of them, other than the fact that they may be "fantasy-themed."
We do know the company's end goal, however: to focus on the middle section of gamers. "We don't think like Kabam with hard core games and we are also not just casual games for moms. There is a middle ground - like with Nintendo. There's a huge audience in the middle. We're going to draw from the hard core elements and the super casual side." Brandenburg says that games don't need massive audiences to be successful, so long as you've given players a high quality experience that engages them over the long term. Of course, high-paying users don't hurt either.
While Brandenburg refrained from using the term "whales," Meteor apparently does have them, and in droves. In Meteor's case, whales are gamers that spend over $1,000 a year on their games, while a handful of Super Whales in each game spend over $10,000 - that's a lot of premium currency!
Even with all of that being said, Brandenburg made it clear that the company's focus isn't so much on a game's social aspects, but on making an individual user want to come back to the experience just to play the game. "You only play if you actually want to not because your friends want you to. Then you have a smaller audience but the audience may spend 50 times what another gamer (on a different game) spends. You can have a lot of success there."
When Meteor Games announces more details about their three upcoming titles (including the branded game with Viacom), we'll make sure to let you know.
Are you an active player of Meteor's games like Island Paradise and Ranch Town? Would you have more fun in a Facebook game if there was more focus on your own experience with the story, rather than on always asking for help from your friends?
FarmVille Platinum Mastery Statue offers double mastery for life
First there was the 2X Mastery Statue in FarmVille, at its high price of 25 Farm Cash. Now, there's an even more ridicul --err, pricier version available in the store. The Platinum Mastery statue won't just offer you double mastery on all crops and trees for a few days - this one's for life. For the whopping price of 300 Farm Cash (more than $50 US), you'll be able to permanently double all mastery points you earn within the game, at least when it comes to trees and crops. Whether or not the eventual Animal Mastery points will be doubled as well remains to be seen.
Actually, a lot about this statue can be considered confusing. We know for a fact that you can only have one Platinum Mastery statue active on your farm, and that purchasing multiple will only result in a massive waste of Farm Cash. However, whether or not you can combine a 2X Mastery Statue with a Platinum Mastery Statue wasn't made clear. That is, would combining the two give you 4X mastery? With the 2X Mastery Statue expiring from the store in just a few hours, there will only be a short time for that confusion to remain, but here's something else to think about - what happens when Zynga has a double mastery weekend for holidays and other events?
Will those users with the Platinum Mastery statue earn three points for all crops and trees, or will they earn four? Or, worse yet, will the double mastery event skip them by entirely? We've reached out to Zynga for clarification, and hope to be able to straighten things out for you soon. UPDATE: A FarmVIlle community manager clarifies the situation a little for us: "If we run a double mastery event it will not stack with the Platinum Mastery statue. If a Farmer were to buy and place one during the event, there would be no change on the mastery point gain." So, there you go.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of this statue in the comments. Will you purchase one for your farm(s)? Will you wait for a Farm Cash sale to purchase the 300 Farm Cash necessary to buy the statue, or do you think the price is reasonable for a permanent alteration to your game?
Actually, a lot about this statue can be considered confusing. We know for a fact that you can only have one Platinum Mastery statue active on your farm, and that purchasing multiple will only result in a massive waste of Farm Cash. However, whether or not you can combine a 2X Mastery Statue with a Platinum Mastery Statue wasn't made clear. That is, would combining the two give you 4X mastery? With the 2X Mastery Statue expiring from the store in just a few hours, there will only be a short time for that confusion to remain, but here's something else to think about - what happens when Zynga has a double mastery weekend for holidays and other events?
Will those users with the Platinum Mastery statue earn three points for all crops and trees, or will they earn four? Or, worse yet, will the double mastery event skip them by entirely? We've reached out to Zynga for clarification, and hope to be able to straighten things out for you soon. UPDATE: A FarmVIlle community manager clarifies the situation a little for us: "If we run a double mastery event it will not stack with the Platinum Mastery statue. If a Farmer were to buy and place one during the event, there would be no change on the mastery point gain." So, there you go.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of this statue in the comments. Will you purchase one for your farm(s)? Will you wait for a Farm Cash sale to purchase the 300 Farm Cash necessary to buy the statue, or do you think the price is reasonable for a permanent alteration to your game?
Top 25 Facebook Games - August 2011: Gardens of Time hits the big time
Gardens of Time
For all of the Playdom and Disney nay saying lately, the duo seems to be proving everyone wrong with a single game. Gardens of Time has been on a steady climb since its release, and this month it's the fifth largest Facebook game at nearly 16 million monthly players. Just last month alone, the game garnered another 1.7 million players, which is impressive for any game that wasn't made by You Know Who. (Has Zynga reached Voldemort-like proportions yet? We like to think so.)
Of course, Zynga maintains the same top four spots it did last month, even as CityVille lost over 8.5 million monthly players and Empires & Allies lost over half a million. Even FarmVille lost another 3.4 million monthly players, though it'll take a lot more than this for Zynga to lose its reign.
And oddly enough, Monster Galaxy lost a whopping 8.4 million monthly players last month just after gaining over 6 million the month prior. This caused the game to fall back from the mighty top five to now eighth place at 10.6 million players. In fact, loss is somewhat of a trend this month, with 18 of 25 games losing monthly players. This could be attributed to a list of factors, but we're gonna' go with: It's summer, and most folks would rather be outside than in front of the computer.
AppData top 25 Facebook Games August
New additions to the Top 25 are Mall World, which comes in at number 24 with 5.3 million monthly players, and Zoo World 2 in the 20 spot with 6.4 million monthly players and a gain of nearly 3 million. However, publisher RockYou, according to Inside Social Games, uses the same app ID for the sequel to Zoo World as the original, meaning RockYou has not separate the traffic from both games.
Unfortunately, Ravenwood Fair was knocked off the leader boards this month, as was MindJolt Games from the rise of Mall World and It Girl's far leap from 21st place in June to the 14 spot this time around. Gardens of Time has hit the coveted top five because, while there are hidden object games out there, it seems that Playdom hit the previously untapped genre at just the right time. It speaks volumes to Facebook games partnership director Sean Ryan's plea for developers to experiment with new genres (at least to Facebook). At this point, it just might be the only way to reach at least fifth place.
[Source and Image Credit: AppData]
How do you think Playdom reached the top five with Gardens of Time? What new genres would you like to see appear in Facebook games?
For all of the Playdom and Disney nay saying lately, the duo seems to be proving everyone wrong with a single game. Gardens of Time has been on a steady climb since its release, and this month it's the fifth largest Facebook game at nearly 16 million monthly players. Just last month alone, the game garnered another 1.7 million players, which is impressive for any game that wasn't made by You Know Who. (Has Zynga reached Voldemort-like proportions yet? We like to think so.)
Of course, Zynga maintains the same top four spots it did last month, even as CityVille lost over 8.5 million monthly players and Empires & Allies lost over half a million. Even FarmVille lost another 3.4 million monthly players, though it'll take a lot more than this for Zynga to lose its reign.
And oddly enough, Monster Galaxy lost a whopping 8.4 million monthly players last month just after gaining over 6 million the month prior. This caused the game to fall back from the mighty top five to now eighth place at 10.6 million players. In fact, loss is somewhat of a trend this month, with 18 of 25 games losing monthly players. This could be attributed to a list of factors, but we're gonna' go with: It's summer, and most folks would rather be outside than in front of the computer.
AppData top 25 Facebook Games August
New additions to the Top 25 are Mall World, which comes in at number 24 with 5.3 million monthly players, and Zoo World 2 in the 20 spot with 6.4 million monthly players and a gain of nearly 3 million. However, publisher RockYou, according to Inside Social Games, uses the same app ID for the sequel to Zoo World as the original, meaning RockYou has not separate the traffic from both games.
Unfortunately, Ravenwood Fair was knocked off the leader boards this month, as was MindJolt Games from the rise of Mall World and It Girl's far leap from 21st place in June to the 14 spot this time around. Gardens of Time has hit the coveted top five because, while there are hidden object games out there, it seems that Playdom hit the previously untapped genre at just the right time. It speaks volumes to Facebook games partnership director Sean Ryan's plea for developers to experiment with new genres (at least to Facebook). At this point, it just might be the only way to reach at least fifth place.
[Source and Image Credit: AppData]
How do you think Playdom reached the top five with Gardens of Time? What new genres would you like to see appear in Facebook games?
Cut the Rope 2 has a mysterious new character and plenty more rope
If I learned anything from the Boondock Saints, it's that you can never have enough rope. Chillingo, publisher of Angry Birds in the U.S. and now with EA, has released the first images of Cut the Rope 2 by Zepto Lab.
IGN expects the game to be a full-blown sequel to the original hit iOS game in which players cut a series of ropes that hold candy for Om Nom, the game's adorably green protagonist. At the moment, all we're riding on is three new images, none of which include gameplay, but are quite telling of what's in store for Om Nom.
Aside from a logo for the new game, the released media includes a storyboard for what will likely be an introductory cut scene. It seems that Om Nom is heading to a new home, and judging from the second screenshot, finally free from his box (the entire first game is played from inside it).
Cut the Rope 2 storyboard
However, a brand new character has been revealed for the game known only as "The Professor." This mysterious new character could be who players now cut the rope as. But one thing is for certain: With a name like "The Professor," I would expect some wacky new ways of delivering tasty sweets to our beloved green friend.
IGN says that Cut the Rope 2 will hit the App Store "soon," and that it might focus more heavily on story than the original. I don't think we've ever been this excited about cutting ropes. We blame the green thing.
Cut the Rope 2 The Professor
[Via Touch Arcade]
[Source and Image Credit: IGN]
What other hints do you see in these first-ever images of Cut the Rope 2? How do you hope this sequel will improve upon the original?
IGN expects the game to be a full-blown sequel to the original hit iOS game in which players cut a series of ropes that hold candy for Om Nom, the game's adorably green protagonist. At the moment, all we're riding on is three new images, none of which include gameplay, but are quite telling of what's in store for Om Nom.
Aside from a logo for the new game, the released media includes a storyboard for what will likely be an introductory cut scene. It seems that Om Nom is heading to a new home, and judging from the second screenshot, finally free from his box (the entire first game is played from inside it).
Cut the Rope 2 storyboard
However, a brand new character has been revealed for the game known only as "The Professor." This mysterious new character could be who players now cut the rope as. But one thing is for certain: With a name like "The Professor," I would expect some wacky new ways of delivering tasty sweets to our beloved green friend.
IGN says that Cut the Rope 2 will hit the App Store "soon," and that it might focus more heavily on story than the original. I don't think we've ever been this excited about cutting ropes. We blame the green thing.
Cut the Rope 2 The Professor
[Via Touch Arcade]
[Source and Image Credit: IGN]
What other hints do you see in these first-ever images of Cut the Rope 2? How do you hope this sequel will improve upon the original?
Friday, December 16, 2011
Cafe World Farmers Insurance promotion comes with Professor Burke Statue
If anything, the folks at Zynga definitely know how to setup a good cross-promotion. After Capital One recently set up shop in a slew of Zynga's games (and practically took over FarmVille), we now see a new promotion launching in Cafe World with another company: Farmers Insurance (remember, we were told that Farmers would be making an appearance in the game back in June). If you watch a lot of TV, you might recognize this promotion's mascot of sorts - Professor Burke - from recent Farmers Insurance commercials.
Now, Professor Burke has come to your cafe as a character and as a statue, plated in gold. This "Professor Burke Statue" has a limited time of effectiveness, but will "insure" your cafe, granting you spoil protection on all of the dishes you cook from now until October 2. Luckily, the statue is free, and it doesn't require any "building" to gain its effect. You can either simply place the statue from the in-game pop-up that appears, or you can head into the game's build menu manually to drag your free statue out and into your cafe.
If there's one thing to remember about this, it isn't that the statue itself comes with a time limit that can be turned on and off depending on when you place it in your cafe; rather, it's a case where you'll want to place it in your cafe as soon as possible as the overall countdown timer ticks down until October 2. If the Farmers Insurance promotion grows in Cafe World, we'll make sure to let you know.
Would you have liked the Professor Burke Statue to have another effect, rather than wither protection? Or, will you take advantage of this opportunity to cook some quickly cooking dishes while you're busy doing other things since they won't spoil?
Now, Professor Burke has come to your cafe as a character and as a statue, plated in gold. This "Professor Burke Statue" has a limited time of effectiveness, but will "insure" your cafe, granting you spoil protection on all of the dishes you cook from now until October 2. Luckily, the statue is free, and it doesn't require any "building" to gain its effect. You can either simply place the statue from the in-game pop-up that appears, or you can head into the game's build menu manually to drag your free statue out and into your cafe.
If there's one thing to remember about this, it isn't that the statue itself comes with a time limit that can be turned on and off depending on when you place it in your cafe; rather, it's a case where you'll want to place it in your cafe as soon as possible as the overall countdown timer ticks down until October 2. If the Farmers Insurance promotion grows in Cafe World, we'll make sure to let you know.
Would you have liked the Professor Burke Statue to have another effect, rather than wither protection? Or, will you take advantage of this opportunity to cook some quickly cooking dishes while you're busy doing other things since they won't spoil?
Cafe World Manny's Mobile Meal Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Last week, we gave you a look at the second portion of the Cafe World two-year anniversary event, which takes us to the Philippines to help Manny on a Journey. While that may have been an already complex series of goals (and even a building project), Manny's story becomes even more in-depth today, as the accompanying catering order has finally launched. This order asks you to cook up a storm for a Filipino feast, and comes with the usual free recipe for completing this order with a three star rating.
Unfortunately, this is another order that will likely be impossible for some chefs to complete, unless they've already completed Manny's goals enough times to unlock all of the new Filipino recipes launched in this particular event. To be specific, you'll need to serve Lechon 475 times, Sisig 45 times and Filipino Paella 140 times. I suppose you could get lucky and have some really, really helpful friends do the cooking in these tasks for you (while you showered them with thanks, of course), or you could even pay your way through the goals with Cafe Cash to unlock the dishes more quickly that way. Either way, you're looking at some lengthy gameplay before you can even be eligible for completing this catering order on your own.
While you're cooking (or waiting on your friends to cook), you can ask your friends for the two collectible items in this order: 12 Monster Skewers and 16 Banana Leaves. Both of these are earned by sending out individual requests to friends, so earning all 28 may take you a few days, depending on the number of neighbors you have available to ask for help.
If you can complete this entire order within the first three days, you'll earn the three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 3,200 Cafe Points, 70,000 coins and the Cassava Cake recipe. In addition, since this order is technically part of the two-year anniversary event, finishing with the three star rating also gives you a bonus of 10,000 Travel Passes. If three days proves to be too short, but you can finish within five days, you'll receive two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2,300 Cafe Points and 50,000 coins. Finally, if you finish at any point after the first five days have passed, you'll receive just a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1,400 Cafe Points and 30,000 coins. Again, you must finish with the three star rating to unlock the new recipe and the extra Travel Passes, so feel free to "cancel" your order if you run out of time and start over for another try.
What do you think of this newest catering order? How many of these three required dishes have you already unlocked in your cafe?
Unfortunately, this is another order that will likely be impossible for some chefs to complete, unless they've already completed Manny's goals enough times to unlock all of the new Filipino recipes launched in this particular event. To be specific, you'll need to serve Lechon 475 times, Sisig 45 times and Filipino Paella 140 times. I suppose you could get lucky and have some really, really helpful friends do the cooking in these tasks for you (while you showered them with thanks, of course), or you could even pay your way through the goals with Cafe Cash to unlock the dishes more quickly that way. Either way, you're looking at some lengthy gameplay before you can even be eligible for completing this catering order on your own.
While you're cooking (or waiting on your friends to cook), you can ask your friends for the two collectible items in this order: 12 Monster Skewers and 16 Banana Leaves. Both of these are earned by sending out individual requests to friends, so earning all 28 may take you a few days, depending on the number of neighbors you have available to ask for help.
If you can complete this entire order within the first three days, you'll earn the three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 3,200 Cafe Points, 70,000 coins and the Cassava Cake recipe. In addition, since this order is technically part of the two-year anniversary event, finishing with the three star rating also gives you a bonus of 10,000 Travel Passes. If three days proves to be too short, but you can finish within five days, you'll receive two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2,300 Cafe Points and 50,000 coins. Finally, if you finish at any point after the first five days have passed, you'll receive just a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1,400 Cafe Points and 30,000 coins. Again, you must finish with the three star rating to unlock the new recipe and the extra Travel Passes, so feel free to "cancel" your order if you run out of time and start over for another try.
What do you think of this newest catering order? How many of these three required dishes have you already unlocked in your cafe?
CityVille: Finish your Bridge, Dam and more with discounted materials
If you've been putting off building one of the larger structures in CityVille (like the Bridge or Dam, as examples), because you didn't want to gather the required building materials from friends, or simply didn't want to pay the high prices to purchase those materials with City Cash, the team at Zynga is hoping that buy putting these items on sale (well, some of these items anyway), it might be enough to persuade you to open your wallet.
To be specific, a sale is now being held for up to 40% off building materials in the game. The materials are unfortunately limited to a specific set of buildings: the Bridge, Sailboat Hotel, Dam, Mall, Mall 2, Pirate Ship Attraction and Go Kart Attraction, and the rest of the game's many, many buildings are left unaffected. To make matters worse - between the two of us - the sale really isn't that good.
For example, let's say you wanted to finish your Pirate Ship Attraction. This one's building materials still cost 3 City Cash each. Perhaps if that were three City Cash in total for all of a particular ingredient I needed (say, two Ship's Prows or five Overhead Bars), that might be an acceptable price, but in our particular example, we're still looking at six City Cash for the Ship Prows and 15 City Cash for the Overhead Bars. Wouldn't it still be smarter (if not more time consuming) to ask friends for these items instead?
I suppose if you're looking for an easier way of completing these specific buildings, then you'll want to take advantage of this apparently limited time opportunity. Just don't feel any unneeded pressure to purchase building materials; the free way is still available, and doesn't look to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Will you spend City Cash on any of these discounted building materials, or have you already completed the construction on all of these buildings?
To be specific, a sale is now being held for up to 40% off building materials in the game. The materials are unfortunately limited to a specific set of buildings: the Bridge, Sailboat Hotel, Dam, Mall, Mall 2, Pirate Ship Attraction and Go Kart Attraction, and the rest of the game's many, many buildings are left unaffected. To make matters worse - between the two of us - the sale really isn't that good.
For example, let's say you wanted to finish your Pirate Ship Attraction. This one's building materials still cost 3 City Cash each. Perhaps if that were three City Cash in total for all of a particular ingredient I needed (say, two Ship's Prows or five Overhead Bars), that might be an acceptable price, but in our particular example, we're still looking at six City Cash for the Ship Prows and 15 City Cash for the Overhead Bars. Wouldn't it still be smarter (if not more time consuming) to ask friends for these items instead?
I suppose if you're looking for an easier way of completing these specific buildings, then you'll want to take advantage of this apparently limited time opportunity. Just don't feel any unneeded pressure to purchase building materials; the free way is still available, and doesn't look to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Will you spend City Cash on any of these discounted building materials, or have you already completed the construction on all of these buildings?
Monday, December 12, 2011
Bravo gifts turtle with instant cable TV fame and a Facebook game
Just when we thought we've seen everything, US cable TV network Bravo is launching a Facebook game where you get to dress up their latest celebrity -- she's a turtle. I don't mean she's reclusive or anything. I mean that literally: She is a turtle, but she's not just any turtle. This is a turtle that caught the eye of Bravo's Executive Vice President of Original Programming, also known as Andy Cohen, and host of Bravo TV's Watch What Happens: Live.
The turle has been selected as the show's new mascot and will make her first appearance on Sept. 25. Her Facebook game will be called "Turtle Time", named after a TV episode of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York, where one of the drunk stars made a toast at "Fat Turtle", a bar and dance club in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
The Facebook game's objective is to design the turtle's tank and dress her up each week. There will be options to gift decorations to friends in the game, or to use Facebook Credits to buy special items. Results will be posted online, voting will commence, winners will be chosen and live versions of these designs will then be used on the show. Finally, when the season ends in December, Cohen will choose a past winner to fly to New York for a live taping and chance to meet the turtle.
What does the turtle have to say about all this? Here's a quote from Bravo's cheeky press release:
"Ever since I landed on the shores of Sag Harbor, I have been searching for my big break in show biz. When Andy Cohen came walking down those golden sands, I knew my dreams were coming true," Divulged Yet-To-Be-Named Turtle. "I can't wait to move into the Bravo Clubhouse and to be dressed in the latest fashions."
Oh, and before anyone runs to the nearest phone to alert PETA, Bravo has contacted the American Humane Association for an animal safety monitor who'll oversee the tapings according to the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals In Filmed Media. There's no word if there's someone to monitor the turtle's dignity, but I think that's irretrievable at this point.
[Hat-tip: The Hollywood Reporter]
Is this cruel and/or unusual treatment of animals? Or just some harmless and wacky fun? Have you lost your faith in humanity yet?
The turle has been selected as the show's new mascot and will make her first appearance on Sept. 25. Her Facebook game will be called "Turtle Time", named after a TV episode of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York, where one of the drunk stars made a toast at "Fat Turtle", a bar and dance club in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
The Facebook game's objective is to design the turtle's tank and dress her up each week. There will be options to gift decorations to friends in the game, or to use Facebook Credits to buy special items. Results will be posted online, voting will commence, winners will be chosen and live versions of these designs will then be used on the show. Finally, when the season ends in December, Cohen will choose a past winner to fly to New York for a live taping and chance to meet the turtle.
What does the turtle have to say about all this? Here's a quote from Bravo's cheeky press release:
"Ever since I landed on the shores of Sag Harbor, I have been searching for my big break in show biz. When Andy Cohen came walking down those golden sands, I knew my dreams were coming true," Divulged Yet-To-Be-Named Turtle. "I can't wait to move into the Bravo Clubhouse and to be dressed in the latest fashions."
Oh, and before anyone runs to the nearest phone to alert PETA, Bravo has contacted the American Humane Association for an animal safety monitor who'll oversee the tapings according to the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals In Filmed Media. There's no word if there's someone to monitor the turtle's dignity, but I think that's irretrievable at this point.
[Hat-tip: The Hollywood Reporter]
Is this cruel and/or unusual treatment of animals? Or just some harmless and wacky fun? Have you lost your faith in humanity yet?
Zynga profits plummet 90 percent, raises questions about imminent IPO
Will the big show still go on? That's what many wonder, as Zynga just revealed in an updated regulatory filing that its profits dipped by 90 percent in the June quarter, thanks to increased spending and a lack of major game releases earlier this year, Reuters reports. According to the news service, this raises questions as to whether the company can sustain growth ahead of its long-awaited IPO (initial public offering).
Zynga's net income took a nose dive to $1.4 million from $14 million a year earlier, and its net profit plummeted over 90 percent in three months from $16.8 million in March of this year. Reuters chalks this up to the fact that the filing shows that the FarmVille maker's expenses rose $149 million compared to a year earlier, and $59 million alone from the previous financial quarter.
We'd imagine a major chunk of those expenses are thanks to the 14 companies Zynga gobbled up in the past year. It's also worth noting that the developer didn't really release any major Facebook games in 2011 prior to Empires & Allies. (And no, we're not counting FarmVille English Countryside.) Since then, however, the company has been on a frenzy, launching three more Facebook games this summer: Words With Friends, Pioneer Trail and recently Adventure World.
This news speaks volumes to the fact that Zynga has reached a point where it constantly needs to produce in order to sustain its meteoric growth, and more importantly for them right now, the faith of investors. Since the company's last filing, Zynga conducted a third-party analysis that estimated the probability of an IPO at 75 percent. This is down from the 80 percent probability reported in Zynga's previous filing.
In other words, it looks like the anticipated Zynga IPO could be delayed, just as previous reports suggested, to wait for improved market conditions. However, EA is gaining on the company with The Sims Social, and fast. According to AppData, EA and Playfish's game has just about 1.6 million fewer daily players than CityVille's 12.9 million.
Do you think Zynga has anything to worry about, given the news? Would you ever invest in Zynga if given the chance?
Zynga's net income took a nose dive to $1.4 million from $14 million a year earlier, and its net profit plummeted over 90 percent in three months from $16.8 million in March of this year. Reuters chalks this up to the fact that the filing shows that the FarmVille maker's expenses rose $149 million compared to a year earlier, and $59 million alone from the previous financial quarter.
We'd imagine a major chunk of those expenses are thanks to the 14 companies Zynga gobbled up in the past year. It's also worth noting that the developer didn't really release any major Facebook games in 2011 prior to Empires & Allies. (And no, we're not counting FarmVille English Countryside.) Since then, however, the company has been on a frenzy, launching three more Facebook games this summer: Words With Friends, Pioneer Trail and recently Adventure World.
This news speaks volumes to the fact that Zynga has reached a point where it constantly needs to produce in order to sustain its meteoric growth, and more importantly for them right now, the faith of investors. Since the company's last filing, Zynga conducted a third-party analysis that estimated the probability of an IPO at 75 percent. This is down from the 80 percent probability reported in Zynga's previous filing.
In other words, it looks like the anticipated Zynga IPO could be delayed, just as previous reports suggested, to wait for improved market conditions. However, EA is gaining on the company with The Sims Social, and fast. According to AppData, EA and Playfish's game has just about 1.6 million fewer daily players than CityVille's 12.9 million.
Do you think Zynga has anything to worry about, given the news? Would you ever invest in Zynga if given the chance?
FarmVille Dairy Mystery Box brings re-released Cows to pasture
Even if you're dissatisfied with the release of the Cow Pasture animal habitat in FarmVille, that has, more or less, replaced the Dairy Farm on our farms, you still might be interested in adding some previously released cows to your collection for the sake of Animal Mastery. You're now allowed to do just that with the release of the Dairy Mystery Box in the game's store. This box contains six different cows, but remember - the cow you receive upon opening each box is random, and very well could give you duplicates if you purchase more than one.
For 20 Farm Cash, you'll be able to purchase a single Dairy Mystery Box containing one of the following:
Black Yak
Jersey Cow
New Year Cow
Panda Cow
Vineyard Cow
Welsh Black Cow
While it's great to see these cows make a comeback, they won't be here forever; you'll have just a week to purchase as many of these boxes as you like before these cows go back into retirement. Then again, it's always possible these cows will release yet again sometime in the future, so you'll just have to decide for yourself how important it is to have each one right now. Good luck with receiving the cow(s) you want most!
Which of these cows do you hope to win from the Dairy Mystery Box? Do you already have enough of these cows that it would make purchasing one of these boxes too big of a risk?
For 20 Farm Cash, you'll be able to purchase a single Dairy Mystery Box containing one of the following:
Black Yak
Jersey Cow
New Year Cow
Panda Cow
Vineyard Cow
Welsh Black Cow
While it's great to see these cows make a comeback, they won't be here forever; you'll have just a week to purchase as many of these boxes as you like before these cows go back into retirement. Then again, it's always possible these cows will release yet again sometime in the future, so you'll just have to decide for yourself how important it is to have each one right now. Good luck with receiving the cow(s) you want most!
Which of these cows do you hope to win from the Dairy Mystery Box? Do you already have enough of these cows that it would make purchasing one of these boxes too big of a risk?
FarmVille: 2x Mastery Statue comes back for 12 days only
While many users voiced their concerns upon the initial release of the 2x Mastery Statue in FarmVille (that Zynga had created the ultimate money-grabber), that didn't stop many other farmers from purchasing one for their farms. Apparently, the initial release was so successful that they've decided to bring the statue back around for another go. That's right, the 2x Mastery Statue is once again available to purchase in the store, but only for a limited time (12 days, to be exact).
As a reminder, this 2x Mastery Statue gives you double the amount of mastery points on all crops and trees harvested during a two-day period. A single statue costs 25 Farm Cash, and if you're already the owner of a Platinum Mastery Statue (which has the same effect, but permanently), you'll want to skip out on buying these re-released statues as the status effect doesn't stack.
Also, let me once again point out that this double mastery boost doesn't apply to animals, so if you've really taken to Animal Mastery, there's no reason to waste your Farm Cash on these statues either. Perhaps one day we'll see a double mastery statue released just for animals, but that still doesn't solve the conundrum of whether or not these items should exist to begin with. With enough hard work and some patience, you'll be able to earn dozens, if not hundreds of mastery signs for your farm. Do we really need to pay Farm Cash to speed up the process? We'll leave that up to you, farmers.
Will you purchase a 2x Mastery Statue? Did you purchase one of these statues upon their initial release, or did you splurge on the Platinum Mastery Statue instead?
As a reminder, this 2x Mastery Statue gives you double the amount of mastery points on all crops and trees harvested during a two-day period. A single statue costs 25 Farm Cash, and if you're already the owner of a Platinum Mastery Statue (which has the same effect, but permanently), you'll want to skip out on buying these re-released statues as the status effect doesn't stack.
Also, let me once again point out that this double mastery boost doesn't apply to animals, so if you've really taken to Animal Mastery, there's no reason to waste your Farm Cash on these statues either. Perhaps one day we'll see a double mastery statue released just for animals, but that still doesn't solve the conundrum of whether or not these items should exist to begin with. With enough hard work and some patience, you'll be able to earn dozens, if not hundreds of mastery signs for your farm. Do we really need to pay Farm Cash to speed up the process? We'll leave that up to you, farmers.
Will you purchase a 2x Mastery Statue? Did you purchase one of these statues upon their initial release, or did you splurge on the Platinum Mastery Statue instead?
Cafe World 2 Year Anniversary Manny's Journey Goals: Everything you need to know
After spending a few days in Great Britain, the Cafe World two-year anniversary extravaganza has moved onto the Philippines, where we'll meet Master Chef Manny in a new set of goals called "Manny's Journey." Through these goals, we'll be introduced to four new dishes, but of course, they won't simply be handed to you. You'll need to finish the Manny's Journey goals multiple times in order to unlock all of the prizes, which include a 50% Lightning Stove (that would reduce the time it takes your dishes to cook by 50%). Here's a complete guide to these new goals.
As a note, we weren't told by Zynga whether or not these goals contain the same dishes for all users across the entire game, or if they vary as in past goal sets. If you notice any differences in your own game, this will likely be the cause.
Manny's Journey 1
Ask for 3 Old Filipino Recipe Cards
Place the Roasting Pit
Serve 20 Fish n Chips
You'll start this goal series out serving Fish n Chips which takes two hours to prepare. You can wait for those to cook while asking your friends to send you the Old Filipino Recipe Cards, and can finish off this goal by placing the base to your new Roasting Pit. Yes, there's a building project to go along with these goals, and we'll bring you a guide to building the Roasting Pit as soon as we can you can check out our guide to building the Roasting Pit right here. Finishing this first goal gives you 15 Travel Passes. As a reminder, these Travel Passes work as contest entries of sorts, giving you a chance to win in-game prizes, along with real world trips to exotic locations.
Manny's Journey 2
Ask for 6 Filipino Postcards
Spice 6 Neighbors Dishes
Serve 20 Gnocchi Gianna
The Gnocchi Gianna takes six hours to prepare, and is unlocked while completing the Pasta Maker goals. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 3
Ask for 10 New Filipino Recipe Cards
Collect 4 Anniversary Collection items
Serve 30 Broiled Rainbow Trout
Anniversary Collection items are earned by using spices on your dishes, while Broiled Rainbow Trout takes 12 hours to cook (at the very least, this gives you plenty of time to collect spices if you don't earn the four Anniversary Collection items after running through your supply). Finish this goal to receive 25 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 4
Ask for 8 Filipino Postcards
Serve 12 Cafe Bombon
Serve 30 Osso Bucco
Osso Bucco takes 18 hours to prepare, giving you plenty of time to collect these Postcards from friends. As for the Cafe Bombon, this is a Specialty Coffee Drink that can only be served after you've hired Becky the Barista to work in your cafe. It costs 55 Energy for 10 Servings, so you'll need to prepare it twice in order to reach the total required number of 12 servings. You've almost reached the finale at this point, and finishing this particular goal gives you 30 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 5
Ask for 12 Dirty Filipino Recipe Cards
Serve 18 Acai Blueberry Juice
Complete the Roasting Pit
Once again, the Acai Blueberry Juice must be served from a machine - this time the Drink Bar. It's not available until after you've hired Beverly Bartender. Once you finish this goal, you'll have finished off Manny's Journey, and will receive 500 Travel Passes. You'll also receive one of four new dishes, from a selection of Beef Mechado, Filipino Paella, Lechon and Sisig.
To be especially clear, completing this goal series the first time only gives you a single recipe, and it looks like you'll need to complete the entirety of these goals another three times to unlock the remaining three recipes. These goals (along with your chance to repeat the British goals) will expire in 10 days, so you'll want to make sure and complete as many goals as quickly as possible to stand the biggest chance of unlocking everything in time.
What do you think of these Manny's Journey goals? Do you think they're easier, or more difficult than Winston's Royals goals?
As a note, we weren't told by Zynga whether or not these goals contain the same dishes for all users across the entire game, or if they vary as in past goal sets. If you notice any differences in your own game, this will likely be the cause.
Manny's Journey 1
Ask for 3 Old Filipino Recipe Cards
Place the Roasting Pit
Serve 20 Fish n Chips
You'll start this goal series out serving Fish n Chips which takes two hours to prepare. You can wait for those to cook while asking your friends to send you the Old Filipino Recipe Cards, and can finish off this goal by placing the base to your new Roasting Pit. Yes, there's a building project to go along with these goals, and we'll bring you a guide to building the Roasting Pit as soon as we can you can check out our guide to building the Roasting Pit right here. Finishing this first goal gives you 15 Travel Passes. As a reminder, these Travel Passes work as contest entries of sorts, giving you a chance to win in-game prizes, along with real world trips to exotic locations.
Manny's Journey 2
Ask for 6 Filipino Postcards
Spice 6 Neighbors Dishes
Serve 20 Gnocchi Gianna
The Gnocchi Gianna takes six hours to prepare, and is unlocked while completing the Pasta Maker goals. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 3
Ask for 10 New Filipino Recipe Cards
Collect 4 Anniversary Collection items
Serve 30 Broiled Rainbow Trout
Anniversary Collection items are earned by using spices on your dishes, while Broiled Rainbow Trout takes 12 hours to cook (at the very least, this gives you plenty of time to collect spices if you don't earn the four Anniversary Collection items after running through your supply). Finish this goal to receive 25 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 4
Ask for 8 Filipino Postcards
Serve 12 Cafe Bombon
Serve 30 Osso Bucco
Osso Bucco takes 18 hours to prepare, giving you plenty of time to collect these Postcards from friends. As for the Cafe Bombon, this is a Specialty Coffee Drink that can only be served after you've hired Becky the Barista to work in your cafe. It costs 55 Energy for 10 Servings, so you'll need to prepare it twice in order to reach the total required number of 12 servings. You've almost reached the finale at this point, and finishing this particular goal gives you 30 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 5
Ask for 12 Dirty Filipino Recipe Cards
Serve 18 Acai Blueberry Juice
Complete the Roasting Pit
Once again, the Acai Blueberry Juice must be served from a machine - this time the Drink Bar. It's not available until after you've hired Beverly Bartender. Once you finish this goal, you'll have finished off Manny's Journey, and will receive 500 Travel Passes. You'll also receive one of four new dishes, from a selection of Beef Mechado, Filipino Paella, Lechon and Sisig.
To be especially clear, completing this goal series the first time only gives you a single recipe, and it looks like you'll need to complete the entirety of these goals another three times to unlock the remaining three recipes. These goals (along with your chance to repeat the British goals) will expire in 10 days, so you'll want to make sure and complete as many goals as quickly as possible to stand the biggest chance of unlocking everything in time.
What do you think of these Manny's Journey goals? Do you think they're easier, or more difficult than Winston's Royals goals?
Cafe World Roasting Pit: Everything you need to know
On top of being required to complete five new goals in Cafe World's Manny's Journey set, the game's two-year anniversary event has received another building project as well. This "buildable" is the Roasting Pit, the base of which will be given to you for free when you start these Manny's Journeys goals. While you may think you can simply place the base and then forget about it, if you're interested in completing these goals, and subsequently unlocking any of the four recipes associated with them, you'll be required to complete its construction.
Once you place the Roasting Pit, you'll be able to begin the process of asking your friends for building materials. You'll need to collect eight Bags of Coal, 10 Steel Plates, six Roasting Sticks and six Roasting Pit Stones. The Bags of Coal are the only items you'll be able to ask for via a general post to your news feed / wall, while the other three items are earned via individual gift requests sent to those friends that you think would be the most likely to help you.
Once you finish this Roasting Pit, you'll not only have a new "decorative" machine in your cafe, but you'll also be able to earn a single bonus mastery point for each Filipino dish you serve while the Roasting Pit is displayed and therefore "active" in your cafe. That is, instead of earning a single point for each Filipino dish, this Roasting Pit will cause you to earn two points with every serving, well, served. Also, even if you don't manage to unlock all four recipes in the Manny's Journey goal set, this Roasting Pit will still have a purpose, as a single, pre-existing dish falls under the Filipino heading: Chicken Adobo.
Again, this machine must be built in order to complete the Manny's Journey goal set in Cafe World, so check out our guide to doing just that to have the best shot of earning some new dishes - and fast!
What do you think of the Roasting Pit? Do you like items like this that allow you to earn bonus dish mastery points?
Once you place the Roasting Pit, you'll be able to begin the process of asking your friends for building materials. You'll need to collect eight Bags of Coal, 10 Steel Plates, six Roasting Sticks and six Roasting Pit Stones. The Bags of Coal are the only items you'll be able to ask for via a general post to your news feed / wall, while the other three items are earned via individual gift requests sent to those friends that you think would be the most likely to help you.
Once you finish this Roasting Pit, you'll not only have a new "decorative" machine in your cafe, but you'll also be able to earn a single bonus mastery point for each Filipino dish you serve while the Roasting Pit is displayed and therefore "active" in your cafe. That is, instead of earning a single point for each Filipino dish, this Roasting Pit will cause you to earn two points with every serving, well, served. Also, even if you don't manage to unlock all four recipes in the Manny's Journey goal set, this Roasting Pit will still have a purpose, as a single, pre-existing dish falls under the Filipino heading: Chicken Adobo.
Again, this machine must be built in order to complete the Manny's Journey goal set in Cafe World, so check out our guide to doing just that to have the best shot of earning some new dishes - and fast!
What do you think of the Roasting Pit? Do you like items like this that allow you to earn bonus dish mastery points?
CityVille Executive Driving Range Attraction: Everything you need to know
It seems that just as quickly as we can finish the construction on an Attraction in CityVille, another one is released. Such is the case this week, as the Ferris Wheel has been followed up by the Executive Driving Range, or a golf range, if you prefer.
The base of the Executive Driving Range costs 10,000 coins, and it must be whacked eight times before the base is complete. From there, you'll need to collect various building materials, as you might have expected:
5 City Seals
5 Golf Balls
5 Buckets
5 Netting
5 Targets
If you're lucky, you'll already have the City Seals in your account waiting for you, and can then concentrate on gathering the other four items instead. Golf Balls and Buckets can be earned by posting a general news item to your wall, while Netting and Targets are earned via individual gift requests sent to friends.
Once the Executive Driving Range is complete, you can put it into operation for five minutes at a time. Once the five minutes has passed, you'll collect your profits just as you would any other business (your income ranges from 1,400 to 6,000 coins each cycle), but you can't restock it with Goods. Instead, you'll need to wait for a countdown timer to hit zero before you can restart it. You can collect Wrenches from your friends to speed up this timer, but remember - you can only post a single request for Wrenches, which are shared among all of the four available Attractions, so you won't be able to stock up as greatly as you might like.
Of course, building the Executive Driving Range is entirely voluntary, but if you like features such as this, why not give it a swing? Note: you must be at least level 25 to access the Executive Driving Range.
Will you build the Executive Driving Range in your town, or are three attractions enough?
The base of the Executive Driving Range costs 10,000 coins, and it must be whacked eight times before the base is complete. From there, you'll need to collect various building materials, as you might have expected:
5 City Seals
5 Golf Balls
5 Buckets
5 Netting
5 Targets
If you're lucky, you'll already have the City Seals in your account waiting for you, and can then concentrate on gathering the other four items instead. Golf Balls and Buckets can be earned by posting a general news item to your wall, while Netting and Targets are earned via individual gift requests sent to friends.
Once the Executive Driving Range is complete, you can put it into operation for five minutes at a time. Once the five minutes has passed, you'll collect your profits just as you would any other business (your income ranges from 1,400 to 6,000 coins each cycle), but you can't restock it with Goods. Instead, you'll need to wait for a countdown timer to hit zero before you can restart it. You can collect Wrenches from your friends to speed up this timer, but remember - you can only post a single request for Wrenches, which are shared among all of the four available Attractions, so you won't be able to stock up as greatly as you might like.
Of course, building the Executive Driving Range is entirely voluntary, but if you like features such as this, why not give it a swing? Note: you must be at least level 25 to access the Executive Driving Range.
Will you build the Executive Driving Range in your town, or are three attractions enough?
CityVille Reel World Timed Goal: Everything you need to know
A new timed goal has launched in CityVille this week, taking us back to the great outdoors for some fishing. If you're level 35 or above, you'll have access to this goal, which can be started at any point in your game - it's up to you when exactly you'll begin. Using our guide to the goal, you should be able to prepare yourself as much as possible before actually starting the goal, and that way you'll have a better chance of earning the gold trophy and the prizes that come with it.
The Reel World
Get 10 Fishing Lures
Harvest 30 Pumpkins
Collect 8 Times from a Seafood Restaurant
A Seafood Restaurant costs just 7,500 coins to purchase from the store, and if you're a veteran player in the game, it's highly unlikely that you don't already have at least one sitting in your town. It requires 140 Goods to operate, so your best bet to completing this particular task quickly would be to make it the only business that currently has Goods, so all citizens will flock to it, causing it to sell out much faster than normal. Pumpkins, meanwhile, take 18 hours to harvest, so unless you follow our suggestion of having pumpkins already to harvest before starting this goal, that's some serious time you'll spend (waste), waiting for them to grow.
If you can complete these three tasks within the first 24 hours of starting the goal, you'll receive the Gold Trophy, a Sailboat, 2,300 coins and 1,200 Goods. Unfortunately, you must complete this goal at this top level to receive the Sailboat. If you don't finish within the first day, but can complete the goal before the 72-hour mark has passed, you'll receive the Silver Trophy, 2,600 coins and 1,200 Goods, while finishing at any point after that cutoff gives you the Bronze Trophy and 1,200 Goods.
Luckily, it seems that these timed goals are becoming a bit easier with each one that's released. So long as you plan ahead with the pumpkin task, you should have no real trouble finishing this one off in 24 hours, but we still wish you good luck in your attempt!
What do you think of this latest timed goal? Have you received the Gold Trophy on any timed goals in the past?
The Reel World
Get 10 Fishing Lures
Harvest 30 Pumpkins
Collect 8 Times from a Seafood Restaurant
A Seafood Restaurant costs just 7,500 coins to purchase from the store, and if you're a veteran player in the game, it's highly unlikely that you don't already have at least one sitting in your town. It requires 140 Goods to operate, so your best bet to completing this particular task quickly would be to make it the only business that currently has Goods, so all citizens will flock to it, causing it to sell out much faster than normal. Pumpkins, meanwhile, take 18 hours to harvest, so unless you follow our suggestion of having pumpkins already to harvest before starting this goal, that's some serious time you'll spend (waste), waiting for them to grow.
If you can complete these three tasks within the first 24 hours of starting the goal, you'll receive the Gold Trophy, a Sailboat, 2,300 coins and 1,200 Goods. Unfortunately, you must complete this goal at this top level to receive the Sailboat. If you don't finish within the first day, but can complete the goal before the 72-hour mark has passed, you'll receive the Silver Trophy, 2,600 coins and 1,200 Goods, while finishing at any point after that cutoff gives you the Bronze Trophy and 1,200 Goods.
Luckily, it seems that these timed goals are becoming a bit easier with each one that's released. So long as you plan ahead with the pumpkin task, you should have no real trouble finishing this one off in 24 hours, but we still wish you good luck in your attempt!
What do you think of this latest timed goal? Have you received the Gold Trophy on any timed goals in the past?
CityVille Campaign Committee Goal: Everything you need to know
If you're looking for a way to earn extra coins, XP and Zoning Permits in CityVille, and you have a lot of friends that are always willing to help you out, you might be interested in the new "Campaign Committee" goal that was launched this week in the game. This feature is open to users that are at least level 15 and have at least one City Hall building in their town. As of right now, this is a one-time only feature, and instead of showing up on the left-hand side of your screen as other goals appear, this one must be activated by you by collecting from your City Hall when it's ready.
The next time you collect your profits from your City Hall, you'll see a new menu, asking you whether or not you'd like to start this new goal. You'll have just 24 hours to collect as much help from your City Hall staff members as you plan your campaign for your run for Governor. There are three levels of prizes associated with this goal, with more upgraded City Halls unlocking better prizes, and the amount of friends that ultimately help you also affecting your rewards. For a Level 2 City Hall, the three level of rewards are 10,000 coins, 40 XP and 3 Zoning Permits.
Once you start the goal (remember, it's a manual start - you can choose to do so whenever you're ready), you'll be able to post wall posts to your friends' walls asking them to come help you out. If you happen to have many spaces filled by Samantha or just blank staff positions, you can fill those by asking friends as well. When a friend responds to your call for help, you'll see a green check mark appear next to their name on the list. After the 24 hour period has passed, you'll receive whatever prizes you've received for your current level (note: you can track your current status on prizes by looking inside the goal's menu, as seen below).
Again, this Campaign Committee goal is a one-time-only activity for your town. Perhaps if it goes over well enough with users, we'll see another opportunity to ask our friends for help with campaign "donations," but for now, just focus all of your efforts on earning the most rewards from this feature while you can.
What do you think of the Campaign Committee feature in CityVille? Would you like to see this be an ongoing feature in your town?
The next time you collect your profits from your City Hall, you'll see a new menu, asking you whether or not you'd like to start this new goal. You'll have just 24 hours to collect as much help from your City Hall staff members as you plan your campaign for your run for Governor. There are three levels of prizes associated with this goal, with more upgraded City Halls unlocking better prizes, and the amount of friends that ultimately help you also affecting your rewards. For a Level 2 City Hall, the three level of rewards are 10,000 coins, 40 XP and 3 Zoning Permits.
Once you start the goal (remember, it's a manual start - you can choose to do so whenever you're ready), you'll be able to post wall posts to your friends' walls asking them to come help you out. If you happen to have many spaces filled by Samantha or just blank staff positions, you can fill those by asking friends as well. When a friend responds to your call for help, you'll see a green check mark appear next to their name on the list. After the 24 hour period has passed, you'll receive whatever prizes you've received for your current level (note: you can track your current status on prizes by looking inside the goal's menu, as seen below).
Again, this Campaign Committee goal is a one-time-only activity for your town. Perhaps if it goes over well enough with users, we'll see another opportunity to ask our friends for help with campaign "donations," but for now, just focus all of your efforts on earning the most rewards from this feature while you can.
What do you think of the Campaign Committee feature in CityVille? Would you like to see this be an ongoing feature in your town?
Clarins looks to beautify Facebook with Spa Life, its first social game
Is it only a matter time now before mom pants get their own Facebook game? Clarins, a well-known French brand of beauty products, recently released its own Facebook game, Spa Life. The game doesn't stray far away from games like Cafe World or Restaurant City, but applies the same principles to managing a spa rather than an eatery. Developed by Freshplanet, Spa Life has players managing an influx of customers looking for everything from a "mani-pedi" to facials and more.
Of course, just like its inspirations, players can decorate, upgrade and add new services to their spa. But players can only do this if they serve their terribly impatient customers in time to make the most cash from them. And in true Facebook game fashion, players can always buy their way out of waiting for the next upgrade with Facebook Credits.
According to Mashable, Clarins's North American CEO Jonathan Zrihen saw Facebook as a golden opportunity to reach its audience. And considering we all know by now that the average Facebook gamer is a middle-aged mother, he's probably right on the money. "I knew about the craziness of Zynga games, but I didn't realize the demographic was so much in line with the demographics of our products," Zrihen told Mashable. "I was also impressed by the level of engagement these games create."
Yes, this is yet another branded game, though it's odd that players aren't inundated with the brand until much later in the game. Another interesting nod is that Spa Life attempts to use your friends' names as customers to add more social awareness to the game. Building off of that, you'll need plenty more friends to run your various services, just like you need them to staff buildings in CityVille.
Spa Life in action
Branded games are exploding on Facebook. In fact, studios like Ecko|Code are focusing all of their efforts on creating games for brands such as Showtime shows like Weeds and Dexter. Facebook game developers like Zynga and Playdom have integrated brands into their games for awhile through promotions, it's only recently that they've begun to build games around a single brand.
For instance, it looks as if Adventure World will become Zynga's first game to completely embrace a brand. In October, the game will become "Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game" with the help of Lucasfilm. Sure, original games will continue to release, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see less of them moving forward.
Click here to Play Spa Life on Facebook Now >
Are you a Clarins fan--enough to check out this Facebook game? What do you think of branded games on Facebook and the fact that they're growing?
Of course, just like its inspirations, players can decorate, upgrade and add new services to their spa. But players can only do this if they serve their terribly impatient customers in time to make the most cash from them. And in true Facebook game fashion, players can always buy their way out of waiting for the next upgrade with Facebook Credits.
According to Mashable, Clarins's North American CEO Jonathan Zrihen saw Facebook as a golden opportunity to reach its audience. And considering we all know by now that the average Facebook gamer is a middle-aged mother, he's probably right on the money. "I knew about the craziness of Zynga games, but I didn't realize the demographic was so much in line with the demographics of our products," Zrihen told Mashable. "I was also impressed by the level of engagement these games create."
Yes, this is yet another branded game, though it's odd that players aren't inundated with the brand until much later in the game. Another interesting nod is that Spa Life attempts to use your friends' names as customers to add more social awareness to the game. Building off of that, you'll need plenty more friends to run your various services, just like you need them to staff buildings in CityVille.
Spa Life in action
Branded games are exploding on Facebook. In fact, studios like Ecko|Code are focusing all of their efforts on creating games for brands such as Showtime shows like Weeds and Dexter. Facebook game developers like Zynga and Playdom have integrated brands into their games for awhile through promotions, it's only recently that they've begun to build games around a single brand.
For instance, it looks as if Adventure World will become Zynga's first game to completely embrace a brand. In October, the game will become "Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game" with the help of Lucasfilm. Sure, original games will continue to release, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see less of them moving forward.
Click here to Play Spa Life on Facebook Now >
Are you a Clarins fan--enough to check out this Facebook game? What do you think of branded games on Facebook and the fact that they're growing?
Saturday, December 10, 2011
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove: Oceanside Farm land expansion now available for coins
Looking to add more room to your third FarmVille farm, the Lighthouse Cove, but don't want to spend Farm Cash to do it? If that's the case, you'll be happy to know that yet another land expansion has been given the coin treatment. Specifically, we're talking about the Oceanside Farm expansion, which brings your farm to the 20x20 size.
Of course, in order to unlock this Oceanside Farm, you'll have to do a few things in advance. First and foremost, you'll need to unlock all of the previous expansions, which have been released for coins over the past few weeks as well. Once you've unlocked the 18x18 Harbor Homestead, you'll then likely need to add an arbitrary amount of new neighbors to your game to unlock the coin option for the Oceanside, 20x20 farm. I say arbitrary as there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how many neighbors each user has to add, if they have to add any at all.
In my case, for instance, I'll have to add 11 neighbors, bringing my total to 128. That's not a nice, round number, so why was it chosen? Why would "11" be the magic number for me to unlock this new expansion? Like I said, it doesn't make much sense, but it's unfortunately what we're stuck dealing with as of this writing. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones that only has to add one or two neighbors, or even none at all. For your sake, I genuinely hope that's the case. Regardless, once you finally reach your required neighbor total, the expansion can then be purchased for 1.5 million coins. You'll gain access to planting more individual crop squares on your farm after that point, but whether or not that will make any of the upcoming Lighthouse Cove goals any easier (or just continue in the same difficulty) remains to be seen.
Have you already reached the 18x18 expansion, and are ready to move on to 20x20? Do you actively farm on all of the squares allotted to your in your Lighthouse Cove farm?
Of course, in order to unlock this Oceanside Farm, you'll have to do a few things in advance. First and foremost, you'll need to unlock all of the previous expansions, which have been released for coins over the past few weeks as well. Once you've unlocked the 18x18 Harbor Homestead, you'll then likely need to add an arbitrary amount of new neighbors to your game to unlock the coin option for the Oceanside, 20x20 farm. I say arbitrary as there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how many neighbors each user has to add, if they have to add any at all.
In my case, for instance, I'll have to add 11 neighbors, bringing my total to 128. That's not a nice, round number, so why was it chosen? Why would "11" be the magic number for me to unlock this new expansion? Like I said, it doesn't make much sense, but it's unfortunately what we're stuck dealing with as of this writing. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones that only has to add one or two neighbors, or even none at all. For your sake, I genuinely hope that's the case. Regardless, once you finally reach your required neighbor total, the expansion can then be purchased for 1.5 million coins. You'll gain access to planting more individual crop squares on your farm after that point, but whether or not that will make any of the upcoming Lighthouse Cove goals any easier (or just continue in the same difficulty) remains to be seen.
Have you already reached the 18x18 expansion, and are ready to move on to 20x20? Do you actively farm on all of the squares allotted to your in your Lighthouse Cove farm?
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