Just about anyone who watched The Oscars this year would agree the funniest part of the evening was as Anne Hathaway and James Franco frolicked through scenes of Oscar-nominated flicks. With Yoostar 2 for Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Eye by Blitz Games and Yoostar Entertainment Group, players can insert themselves into scenes from classic movies like 300 and The Godfather and ad lib like the pros. But it's only through Yoostar Playground on Facebook that your 30-second clips have the potential to go viral.
Yoostar Playground video gallery
Your ProgressYoostar Playground, developed internally by its publisher, allows players of the console games to upload their ad libbed video clips to the web application and share them with the existing player base. Then, the audience can browse the litany of videos by several different parameters like "Most Popular" or "Top Awarded," and watch away. However, you can then rate those videos through a star system and grant them awards like "Best Script Flip" and of course "Best Actor."
As these videos get rated, they can gain notoriety throughout the community on the full-screen app's home page in the "Featured Videos" section. Players can also share these videos through Facebook and Twitter for friends outside of Yoostar Playground, giving them the potential to go viral. As users view, rate and award videos, their level will increase (pictured right), which increases their renown and their stash of Yoobucks. This in-game currency isn't available for use yet nor can it be bought, but it allows players to gain levels more quickly and boost their notoriety on Yoostar.
Many of the videos on Yoostar Playground are available for public use, meaning other users can take their friends' videos and create a series of scenes through the Video Mashup tool. Say you want to make a "Best of" compilation of the greatest King Leonidas impressions on Yoostar--this is exactly what Video Mashup is for. Users can then take those Mashups and share them for their fellow players to rate and award.
While we've yet to play Yoostar 2 for consoles (or the PC or Mac), the Yoostar Playground companion app is definitely a blast. Players can use the app right now to view and share videos, but we'd imagine creating your own and sharing them through the console games would be far more entertaining.
Click here to check out Yoostar Playground on Facebook Now>
Have you played Yoostar on either Facebook or the consoles? What do you think of the viral potential behind Yoostar videos through Yoostar Playground?
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
FarmVille yucks it up with April Fools animals and decorations
A bunch of new items have arrived in FarmVille today along with a fancy loading screen gag. This lot of April Fools Day items aren't so much jokes as they are just ... weird. Anyway, they're available in the Market for you to enjoy the second greatest holiday of the year, April Fools. (Christmas trumps all, sorry folks.) Most of the items expectantly go for Farm Cash, but a few cost coins for the more economic crowd. The coolest in this lot? Um, the Robot Dino Ninja, as if you needed to ask.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVIlle Blog]
Have you picked up any of these items yet? If so, which would you grab first?
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVIlle Blog]
Have you picked up any of these items yet? If so, which would you grab first?
Zynga, well, drops Drop7 Free on iOS, ad-free $2.99 version available
Since Zynga acquired NewToy in late 2010, the developer behind Words with Friends, it has been serious about mobile gaming. This is the company's next major release, and its not FrontierVille Mobile--it's Drop7. Both a color and number-matching puzzler, Drop7 lives in a strange world where Tetris and Bejeweled are just best friends. The game features three difficulty levels, public leader boards and automatically saves your state when closed through the Home button. The free version, of course, contains ads, though the company offers an ad-free version for $2.99. Does this mean a future in original, (possibly non-social) mobile games from Zynga? If that depends on this critically-acclaimed title, then yes, most likely.
[Image Credit: iTunes; Zynga]
Have you played Drop7 on your iOS device yet? What do you think about Zynga's mobile efforts thus far?
[Image Credit: iTunes; Zynga]
Have you played Drop7 on your iOS device yet? What do you think about Zynga's mobile efforts thus far?
Zynga lures retired FarmVille farmers with 20 free Farm Cash, English Hen
FarmVille retired player offer
First, Zynga is asking us those awkward questions as if it was your insecure girlfriend. ("Would you recommend me?") Now, the company is trying to buy you back after you left her high and dry. Players who have returned to FarmVille after extended hiatuses are now greeted with a message offering them 20 free Farm Cash and an English Hen. No, she hasn't found someone else, and you're her one and only. Well you and another few million players. Did Zynga ever think that's why you left her, huh? Not enough time for you when she was catering to 80 million more players. What's that, you say? You're giving up 20 Free Farm Cash? Alright, we'll come back ... for now.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you been greeted with this offer or heard of someone who has? What do you think of Zynga almost rewarding disloyal players?
First, Zynga is asking us those awkward questions as if it was your insecure girlfriend. ("Would you recommend me?") Now, the company is trying to buy you back after you left her high and dry. Players who have returned to FarmVille after extended hiatuses are now greeted with a message offering them 20 free Farm Cash and an English Hen. No, she hasn't found someone else, and you're her one and only. Well you and another few million players. Did Zynga ever think that's why you left her, huh? Not enough time for you when she was catering to 80 million more players. What's that, you say? You're giving up 20 Free Farm Cash? Alright, we'll come back ... for now.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you been greeted with this offer or heard of someone who has? What do you think of Zynga almost rewarding disloyal players?
April Fools! CityVille Energy Bandits Goal: Everything you need to know
Even CityVille is taking part in the tomfoolery of April 1 with a new mini-goal of sorts, "Energy Bandits." In addition to your everyday Bandits, Energy thieves have appeared in CityVille, and it's your job to capture them personally. Upon logging into the game and collecting from a few properties, Sam will appear exclaiming, "The energy bandits have been seen in your town!" Clicking OK will present you a treat.
Save Energy!
Catch as many Bandits as you can in 30 seconds
As soon as you press that "OK" button, Sam will ready you to click on as many Energy Bandits as possible. When you accept, you'll have 30 seconds to catch as many Bandits as possible. The Bandits will then literally appear in the street and you must click as many as possible to get that much Energy in return as a reward.
ENergy Bandits on the loose
When you complete the shortest Goal in the game ever, a message appears reading, "April Fools!" A happy April Fools it has been, as you'll find that Energy posted to your total for being a quick clicker. Let's hope Zynga gets into more skill-based Goals and, better yet, games down the line.
Have you seen this Goal in your city yet? How many Bandit did you capture at once?
Save Energy!
Catch as many Bandits as you can in 30 seconds
As soon as you press that "OK" button, Sam will ready you to click on as many Energy Bandits as possible. When you accept, you'll have 30 seconds to catch as many Bandits as possible. The Bandits will then literally appear in the street and you must click as many as possible to get that much Energy in return as a reward.
ENergy Bandits on the loose
When you complete the shortest Goal in the game ever, a message appears reading, "April Fools!" A happy April Fools it has been, as you'll find that Energy posted to your total for being a quick clicker. Let's hope Zynga gets into more skill-based Goals and, better yet, games down the line.
Have you seen this Goal in your city yet? How many Bandit did you capture at once?
FrontierVille: See building progress and ask for items before loading the game
While FrontierVille may be adored by many, there is one widespread complaint amongst even the most diehard fans - that the game takes quite a bit of time to load, which is especially true the higher the level that you reach. Zynga is attempting to help ease the burden on some players, who may only login to check on their building project status, as they have added a new progress window that now appears seemingly every time you play the game.
Instead of forcing the game to load in its entirety, you're shown a list of three building materials that you currently need, and are given the option of asking friends for that particular item via its own button. You never have to enter the game, as you're told how many you still need for your current task, so you know just how many friends to send requests to. Of course, this isn't mandatory, as you can always click the "Maybe Later. Play FrontierVille!" button to access the game as normal, but it is a nice new option all the same.
Have you seen this new item progress screen show up when you try to load FrontierVille?
Instead of forcing the game to load in its entirety, you're shown a list of three building materials that you currently need, and are given the option of asking friends for that particular item via its own button. You never have to enter the game, as you're told how many you still need for your current task, so you know just how many friends to send requests to. Of course, this isn't mandatory, as you can always click the "Maybe Later. Play FrontierVille!" button to access the game as normal, but it is a nice new option all the same.
Have you seen this new item progress screen show up when you try to load FrontierVille?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: European Pear & Cherry Plum Trees
It looks as though two new trees will be coming to FarmVille as early as this weekend, as we've come across unreleased images of both trees in their harvest-ready state, along with mastery signs proving that Zynga is in fact working on them for future release.
The trees are the European Pear Tree and the Cherry Plum Tree. It should be noted that as these trees are so different from each other visually, we doubt that one will be the Mystery Seedling of the other, so could there be two other trees waiting to be discovered out there? Perhaps a giant version of both?
While it's presumable that at least the European Pear Tree will be in the current English Countryside limited edition theme, anything is possible at this point, so make sure to keep checking back with us, as we let you know whether you'll be able to place these trees on your Home Farm, your English Countryside farm, or both.
In the meantime, let us know how much you'd be willing to pay for these trees in the comments. 5 Farm Cash? 10 Farm Cash? Or, would you rather they be available for coins?
The trees are the European Pear Tree and the Cherry Plum Tree. It should be noted that as these trees are so different from each other visually, we doubt that one will be the Mystery Seedling of the other, so could there be two other trees waiting to be discovered out there? Perhaps a giant version of both?
While it's presumable that at least the European Pear Tree will be in the current English Countryside limited edition theme, anything is possible at this point, so make sure to keep checking back with us, as we let you know whether you'll be able to place these trees on your Home Farm, your English Countryside farm, or both.
In the meantime, let us know how much you'd be willing to pay for these trees in the comments. 5 Farm Cash? 10 Farm Cash? Or, would you rather they be available for coins?
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