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?
Thursday, December 22, 2011
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?
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