Gypsy HorseAs it turns out, the gifts currently in the FarmVille Holiday Tree won't be the only ones come next Thursday. That's right, the folks over at FarmVille Freak are at it again and have discovered seven unreleased items that are expected to be added to the Holiday Tree come Dec. 16. Check out what's to come and how many Gifts each will cost:
Sneezy Sheep: 75 Gifts
Winter Tinsel Tree: 100 Gifts
Frozen Pegasus: 125 Gifts
Ice House: 150 Gifts
Kodiak: 200 Gifts
Arctic Fox: 300 Gifts
Snow Stallion: 500 Gifts (available after breaking the Meter Limit)
If you were waiting for some better items to be featured in the Holiday Tree, well, here they are. You have a whole week to gather enough Gifts, so get to it if you'd rather have one of these items. Honestly, we'd rather wait for these bad boys. I mean, who wouldn't want a massive house made of ice on their farm? No one, that's who.
Find the rest of our Holiday coverage right here.
What do you think of these unreleased Holiday Tree items?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
FarmVille Festive Tree Missions: Everything you need to know
On top of today's release of this year's Holiday Tree in FarmVille, we also see Zynga launching a new series of holiday quests in the game. These quests are brought to us again by Zing the Elf. Now that you've made your farmland look festive for the holidays via the Winter Wonderland Quests, Zing is hoping that you'll take part in these new quests, which deal with your new Holiday Tree, along with the new limited edition crops that have been added to the game in celebration of the winter / holiday season.
Meet us behind the break for a look at these new missions.
The first quest in this set is called "A Festive Tree," and it comes with three goals:
Buy Holiday Tree
Harvest 200 Poinsettias
Add 10 Gifts to your Holiday Tree
As the Holiday Tree is being rolled out to users on a slow rollout, it's possible that you may not have access to completing this portion of the quest just yet. However, if you haven't received an in-game popup letting you know that the tree has arrived on your farm, but you have received wrapped presents from friends, you may be able to "force" the tree into our account, by attempting to "Use" one of these presents from your Gift Box. This should alert you to the fact that you have yet to place your Holiday Tree on your farm, and you'll be allowed to purchase the tree for a single coin. I can personally confirm that this method does work, as it was how I finally earned my tree, but you may need to be a bit lucky to have the "exploit" work for you. Either way, it's worth a shot, no?
The other portion of this quest - the harvesting of Poinsettias - can either be skipped by paying 15 Farm Cash, or you can go through with harvesting 200 of these flowers. Poinsettias are a 1 day crop, meaning that they take a full 24 hours to b available to harvest. They are planted for 45 coins per square, and are then harvested for 126 coins. You'll gain 3 experience points for each Poinsettia seed that you plant, making these 200 worth your while to plant.
After completing the Festive Tree quest, you'll receive 100 XP, 2,500 coins, and a Snow Angel decorative item as a reward. The Snow Angel decoration looks like a pile of snow that has a snow angel indentation in it.
After finishing this quest, you'll move onto the second in the line, which is called Wrapping Presents. This quest also has three steps associated with it:
Harvest 200 Peppermint
Get 6 Sheets of Wrapping Paper
Harvest 3 Gifts from the Winter Workshop
Now that the Holiday Tree has been released, and you now have a place to actually put Christmas presents, the Winter Workshop has been updated to randomly give away gifts when you "collect" from it. These gifts will go into your Gift Box after you "collect" them, and you can then add them to your Holiday Tree just like any other gift.
As for the Peppermint, this is a permanent crop that takes 1 full day to grow. You can plant it for 50 coins and then harvest it for 150 coins per square. You'll gain 1 experience point per seed of Peppermint that you plant. Finally, you can ask for Wrapping Paper from friends in the same way that you asked for Holiday Cookies back in the Winter Wonderland Quest set.
The rewards for this second step are 250 experience points, 5,000 coins, and a Winter Sheep. This Winter Sheep is a plain white sheep that has simply been given a red scarf to protect it from the cold.
Finally, the third quest looks to be the end of this Holiday Tree quest line, but this time, it only requires you to do two tasks to complete:
Add 30 Gifts to your Holiday Tree
Fertilize 25 Plots on your neighbors farm
You'll be able to finish the second step quite easily, as you can fertilize five plots on five different neighbors' land and have this step done in a jiffy. If you have a limited number of neighbors, or don't have many neighbors with land that will accept fertilization, it is presumable that you could work on the same friends' farm over multiple days to reach the same end, but that is unconfirmed as of this time.
Also, by the time you've unlocked this mission (unless you were already growing Poinsettias at the time of their launch), you will have likely already collected close to 30 gifts, or perhaps more, from your friends. All told, this seems like the easiest quest out of the three to complete, but it comes with some great rewards if you've made it this far. You'll earn 500 experience points, 7,500 coins, and a Frozen Pegasus statue for completing it.
As more images from this quest line become available, we'll be sure to update this space. In the meantime, start planting those Poinsettias so you can finish off this quest set before the holidays arrive in full!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
We understand that the community has been pretty shaken up by the introduction of quests into FarmVille. With these new quests being available, let us know if you plan on participating in them, or if you'll just go on as usual. Does FarmVille need quests to be entertaining?
Meet us behind the break for a look at these new missions.
The first quest in this set is called "A Festive Tree," and it comes with three goals:
Buy Holiday Tree
Harvest 200 Poinsettias
Add 10 Gifts to your Holiday Tree
As the Holiday Tree is being rolled out to users on a slow rollout, it's possible that you may not have access to completing this portion of the quest just yet. However, if you haven't received an in-game popup letting you know that the tree has arrived on your farm, but you have received wrapped presents from friends, you may be able to "force" the tree into our account, by attempting to "Use" one of these presents from your Gift Box. This should alert you to the fact that you have yet to place your Holiday Tree on your farm, and you'll be allowed to purchase the tree for a single coin. I can personally confirm that this method does work, as it was how I finally earned my tree, but you may need to be a bit lucky to have the "exploit" work for you. Either way, it's worth a shot, no?
The other portion of this quest - the harvesting of Poinsettias - can either be skipped by paying 15 Farm Cash, or you can go through with harvesting 200 of these flowers. Poinsettias are a 1 day crop, meaning that they take a full 24 hours to b available to harvest. They are planted for 45 coins per square, and are then harvested for 126 coins. You'll gain 3 experience points for each Poinsettia seed that you plant, making these 200 worth your while to plant.
After completing the Festive Tree quest, you'll receive 100 XP, 2,500 coins, and a Snow Angel decorative item as a reward. The Snow Angel decoration looks like a pile of snow that has a snow angel indentation in it.
After finishing this quest, you'll move onto the second in the line, which is called Wrapping Presents. This quest also has three steps associated with it:
Harvest 200 Peppermint
Get 6 Sheets of Wrapping Paper
Harvest 3 Gifts from the Winter Workshop
Now that the Holiday Tree has been released, and you now have a place to actually put Christmas presents, the Winter Workshop has been updated to randomly give away gifts when you "collect" from it. These gifts will go into your Gift Box after you "collect" them, and you can then add them to your Holiday Tree just like any other gift.
As for the Peppermint, this is a permanent crop that takes 1 full day to grow. You can plant it for 50 coins and then harvest it for 150 coins per square. You'll gain 1 experience point per seed of Peppermint that you plant. Finally, you can ask for Wrapping Paper from friends in the same way that you asked for Holiday Cookies back in the Winter Wonderland Quest set.
The rewards for this second step are 250 experience points, 5,000 coins, and a Winter Sheep. This Winter Sheep is a plain white sheep that has simply been given a red scarf to protect it from the cold.
Finally, the third quest looks to be the end of this Holiday Tree quest line, but this time, it only requires you to do two tasks to complete:
Add 30 Gifts to your Holiday Tree
Fertilize 25 Plots on your neighbors farm
You'll be able to finish the second step quite easily, as you can fertilize five plots on five different neighbors' land and have this step done in a jiffy. If you have a limited number of neighbors, or don't have many neighbors with land that will accept fertilization, it is presumable that you could work on the same friends' farm over multiple days to reach the same end, but that is unconfirmed as of this time.
Also, by the time you've unlocked this mission (unless you were already growing Poinsettias at the time of their launch), you will have likely already collected close to 30 gifts, or perhaps more, from your friends. All told, this seems like the easiest quest out of the three to complete, but it comes with some great rewards if you've made it this far. You'll earn 500 experience points, 7,500 coins, and a Frozen Pegasus statue for completing it.
As more images from this quest line become available, we'll be sure to update this space. In the meantime, start planting those Poinsettias so you can finish off this quest set before the holidays arrive in full!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
We understand that the community has been pretty shaken up by the introduction of quests into FarmVille. With these new quests being available, let us know if you plan on participating in them, or if you'll just go on as usual. Does FarmVille need quests to be entertaining?
New FarmVille Ribbon: Looking Fresh
In an unannounced FarmVille update, Zynga has added a new ribbon to the popular farming game (bringing the current total to 40 ribbons), this one called "Looking Fresh." If the name doesn't give it away, this ribbon has to do with the relatively new ability to change your in-game avatar's clothing.
All you need to do to earn this ribbon is simply change your avatar's clothes. You can do this by clicking on your Avatar and then customizing their outfit from the menu that appears. However, you must do this "once per day" in order for it to count. We would say that this is a bit strict on Zynga's part, especially with the holidays coming up, and people spending more time with friends and family rather than playing on Facebook, but that's apparently the way it is.
As with all other ribbons, you'll be able to earn four different ribbons in this set: Yellow, White, Red and Blue. The Yellow Ribbon is earned after changing your clothes just 3 times, or in three days time. White is earned after a week's worth (7 days) of clothing changes, Red is awarded at 10 changes, and finally, the Blue ribbon is received after changing your avatar's clothing 20 times. Withe every new ribbon that you earn, you'll gain coins and experience points (the better ribbon, the more the reward, of course).
For daily players, the biggest problem with this ribbon will be actually remembering to take a few seconds to change your avatar's clothing.
Note: As of this writing, it doesn't appear as though simply swapping out clothing items in your inventory will do the trick to racking up "clothing changes," as we went through our stock inventory and never saw any progress. It was only after purchasing a 5,000 top from the store that we actually received one mark on our tally. We've contacted Zynga for confirmation, and we'll be sure to let you know if this changes, or if you really will have to purchase 20 pieces of clothing as soon as we hear back.
Will you take the time to change your avatar's clothing this much just to earn an in-game ribbon? What if you didn't have to pay coins to change their clothing?
All you need to do to earn this ribbon is simply change your avatar's clothes. You can do this by clicking on your Avatar and then customizing their outfit from the menu that appears. However, you must do this "once per day" in order for it to count. We would say that this is a bit strict on Zynga's part, especially with the holidays coming up, and people spending more time with friends and family rather than playing on Facebook, but that's apparently the way it is.
As with all other ribbons, you'll be able to earn four different ribbons in this set: Yellow, White, Red and Blue. The Yellow Ribbon is earned after changing your clothes just 3 times, or in three days time. White is earned after a week's worth (7 days) of clothing changes, Red is awarded at 10 changes, and finally, the Blue ribbon is received after changing your avatar's clothing 20 times. Withe every new ribbon that you earn, you'll gain coins and experience points (the better ribbon, the more the reward, of course).
For daily players, the biggest problem with this ribbon will be actually remembering to take a few seconds to change your avatar's clothing.
Note: As of this writing, it doesn't appear as though simply swapping out clothing items in your inventory will do the trick to racking up "clothing changes," as we went through our stock inventory and never saw any progress. It was only after purchasing a 5,000 top from the store that we actually received one mark on our tally. We've contacted Zynga for confirmation, and we'll be sure to let you know if this changes, or if you really will have to purchase 20 pieces of clothing as soon as we hear back.
Will you take the time to change your avatar's clothing this much just to earn an in-game ribbon? What if you didn't have to pay coins to change their clothing?
Magic Mall offers FrontierVille's technical elements, but not much else
While farming and restaurant games may be the most popular with players on Facebook, there is also a growing number of games available dealing with shopping, retail, and malls in general (Mall Dreams from Metrogames for one). It's no surprise, then, that we see the release of another mall-tycoon game, this one called Magic Mall, from the folk at Mob Science.
Magic Mall just launched on Facebook yesterday, and it has already claimed over 13,000 users. The game allows you to, you guessed it, build your very own shopping mall, store by store, until your heart is content. The game starts you off by asking you to build a Coffee Shop, in this case known as the Lava Java Store.
As computer controlled visitors shop eat at your cafes and restaurants or shop in your stores, each location's unique coin count will fill. This is similar to any number of Facebook games, in that you'll have to come back to the game every few hours to "cash out" those properties, adding your profits to your in-game total.
With that being said, meet us behind the break to see what else makes Magic Mall tick.
In addition to building your own mall, you'll be able to "shop" in your friends' malls, which is where elements from FrontierVille, of all games, start to come into play. Each of your friends' malls will show shopping carts over their stores and restaurants. You'll be able to click on these carts to "shop" in that particular store, earning you experience points or collectible items that can be used back in your own Mall. Here's the catch - these bonus items appear to the side of each store, just like Bonus items like experience points and coins appear in FrontierVille after doing just about anything in the game.
You can use these collectible items when it comes time to upgrade your stores. Upgraded stores will collect more coins for you before they stop (and wait for you to cash them out, that is). For instance, upgrading the Lava Java coffee shop (that I mentioned at the beginning of this post), will raise its coin capacity from 500 coins to 1000. However, you'll need to collect ingredients, or building parts, just like in FrontierVille in order to actually do any upgrading.
For the sake of the argument, the Lava Java upgrade requires eight each of five different items, so you'll need to add a lot of posts to your wall for your neighbors to respond to, or buy single ingredients for "Magic Cash," the game's premium currency.
One last comparison worth noting is the inclusion of an Energy Bar, that drains as you complete tasks other than building new stores in your mall.
After you've built a few stores, you'll have to wait for your stores to earn money so that you can earn experience points, but while you wait, you can purchase decorative items to customize your mall, including new flooring types, decorations like benches and potted plants, new wallpapers and new doors.
While the stores in Magic Mall are nice enough (jewelry stores, toy stores, play areas for children, a pretzel shop and even an arcade), there really aren't that many stores to choose from just yet - likely due to the fact that the game is so new. Still, if all buildings and eventual upgrades work as the Lava Java upgrade does, it seems like all of your progress will be slow coming, if it comes at all, as you won't be able to increase your profits unless you can somehow convince other people to play the game with you. With a lack of gameplay other than the aforementioned... well, good luck in that pursuit.
Where other Facebook games normally push you through a lengthy tutorial, and in the process force you to level up to level 3 or 4, your progress in Magic Mall can come to a stand still without even reaching the halfway point of level 1. Unless you want to flood your mall with the same types of stores ad nauseum in order to boost your experience point total, you'll likely find the game fairly boring. Hopefully with enough time, Mob Science will add more gameplay, or easier ways to upgrade buildings, as there just isn't that much to do in the game's current state.
Magic Mall just launched on Facebook yesterday, and it has already claimed over 13,000 users. The game allows you to, you guessed it, build your very own shopping mall, store by store, until your heart is content. The game starts you off by asking you to build a Coffee Shop, in this case known as the Lava Java Store.
As computer controlled visitors shop eat at your cafes and restaurants or shop in your stores, each location's unique coin count will fill. This is similar to any number of Facebook games, in that you'll have to come back to the game every few hours to "cash out" those properties, adding your profits to your in-game total.
With that being said, meet us behind the break to see what else makes Magic Mall tick.
In addition to building your own mall, you'll be able to "shop" in your friends' malls, which is where elements from FrontierVille, of all games, start to come into play. Each of your friends' malls will show shopping carts over their stores and restaurants. You'll be able to click on these carts to "shop" in that particular store, earning you experience points or collectible items that can be used back in your own Mall. Here's the catch - these bonus items appear to the side of each store, just like Bonus items like experience points and coins appear in FrontierVille after doing just about anything in the game.
You can use these collectible items when it comes time to upgrade your stores. Upgraded stores will collect more coins for you before they stop (and wait for you to cash them out, that is). For instance, upgrading the Lava Java coffee shop (that I mentioned at the beginning of this post), will raise its coin capacity from 500 coins to 1000. However, you'll need to collect ingredients, or building parts, just like in FrontierVille in order to actually do any upgrading.
For the sake of the argument, the Lava Java upgrade requires eight each of five different items, so you'll need to add a lot of posts to your wall for your neighbors to respond to, or buy single ingredients for "Magic Cash," the game's premium currency.
One last comparison worth noting is the inclusion of an Energy Bar, that drains as you complete tasks other than building new stores in your mall.
After you've built a few stores, you'll have to wait for your stores to earn money so that you can earn experience points, but while you wait, you can purchase decorative items to customize your mall, including new flooring types, decorations like benches and potted plants, new wallpapers and new doors.
While the stores in Magic Mall are nice enough (jewelry stores, toy stores, play areas for children, a pretzel shop and even an arcade), there really aren't that many stores to choose from just yet - likely due to the fact that the game is so new. Still, if all buildings and eventual upgrades work as the Lava Java upgrade does, it seems like all of your progress will be slow coming, if it comes at all, as you won't be able to increase your profits unless you can somehow convince other people to play the game with you. With a lack of gameplay other than the aforementioned... well, good luck in that pursuit.
Where other Facebook games normally push you through a lengthy tutorial, and in the process force you to level up to level 3 or 4, your progress in Magic Mall can come to a stand still without even reaching the halfway point of level 1. Unless you want to flood your mall with the same types of stores ad nauseum in order to boost your experience point total, you'll likely find the game fairly boring. Hopefully with enough time, Mob Science will add more gameplay, or easier ways to upgrade buildings, as there just isn't that much to do in the game's current state.
Hey Facebook, there's a Game Request in my Notifications Bar!
One of the biggest areas of scrutiny with games on Facebook is just what happens to gift requests when they are sent from user to user to be redeemed in a specific game. The Gift Requests page has long been the standard, regardless of its positioning on the site, allowing users to pick and choose which request they'd like to respond to at any one time, but at one time, users were also notified about game requests and activities via their Notifications bar.
For the past months, the Notification bar has been reserved solely for Facebook-specific "news" related to your account, alerting you when you've had a comment on your status, photos or wall posts, whether someone has written on your wall (even if this was for a game), accepted your friend request and so on. Over the last 24 hours, however, something very different has started to appear in this same space.
While playing your favorite Facebook games, you've likely come across a situation where you've received a notification bubble dealing specifically with in-game gift requests. These notifications are released after you've received a block of game requests, and show you one specific notification for just one game.
You'll see something along the lines of "John Doe, Jane Doe, and 3 other friends sent you requests in FarmVille," replacing "FarmVille" with any game you happen to have received requests from. The image above shows you what you can expect to see, but we have removed user names and profile images for the sake of their privacy.
The folks at Inside Facebook have been able to confirm that this is a test being performed by Facebook proper, in an effort to analyze the effects of these notifications on users. Facebook hopes that with these changes in notifications, they may be able to help developers with general app discovery and the retention of players. We can see how the latter purpose would easily come into play, as users would be able to receive frequent reminders that they have requests waiting for them in games, which would hopefully make them check back in more often than they would have otherwise.
Either way, this is definitely something to keep an eye on, as figuring out how to sustain the viral nature of app installations and keep players logging into their games are two issues that developers have been highly focused on since the removal of third-party notifications back in March.
Since this is sure to be a heavily discussed topic in the coming weeks, we'd like to know what you think about game notifications in general. Have you started receiving these test notifications for your games yet? Do you like the change, or do you think that you will quickly be overwhelmed with notifications?
For the past months, the Notification bar has been reserved solely for Facebook-specific "news" related to your account, alerting you when you've had a comment on your status, photos or wall posts, whether someone has written on your wall (even if this was for a game), accepted your friend request and so on. Over the last 24 hours, however, something very different has started to appear in this same space.
While playing your favorite Facebook games, you've likely come across a situation where you've received a notification bubble dealing specifically with in-game gift requests. These notifications are released after you've received a block of game requests, and show you one specific notification for just one game.
You'll see something along the lines of "John Doe, Jane Doe, and 3 other friends sent you requests in FarmVille," replacing "FarmVille" with any game you happen to have received requests from. The image above shows you what you can expect to see, but we have removed user names and profile images for the sake of their privacy.
The folks at Inside Facebook have been able to confirm that this is a test being performed by Facebook proper, in an effort to analyze the effects of these notifications on users. Facebook hopes that with these changes in notifications, they may be able to help developers with general app discovery and the retention of players. We can see how the latter purpose would easily come into play, as users would be able to receive frequent reminders that they have requests waiting for them in games, which would hopefully make them check back in more often than they would have otherwise.
Either way, this is definitely something to keep an eye on, as figuring out how to sustain the viral nature of app installations and keep players logging into their games are two issues that developers have been highly focused on since the removal of third-party notifications back in March.
Since this is sure to be a heavily discussed topic in the coming weeks, we'd like to know what you think about game notifications in general. Have you started receiving these test notifications for your games yet? Do you like the change, or do you think that you will quickly be overwhelmed with notifications?
Thursday, January 12, 2012
FarmVille New Year Animal: Disco Ball Sheep
If you're like me, and like anything bright, shiny, or animated in FarmVille, you'll be just as thrilled as I am to know that Zynga has launched an item that fits into all three of those categories. The Disco Ball Sheep is now available in the FarmVille marketplace as part of the limited edition New Year item theme.
What makes this item so great isn't just its shiny "wool" that makes the sheep look like it's a disco ball - it's the fact that you can... wait for it... purchase it for coins! Yes, after releasing animal after animal to the game's store that could only be purchased for Farm Cash, Zynga has mercifully priced this item for coins. Sure, its price tag of 140,000 coins isn't necessarily a bargain, but if you're a player that simply refuses to spend premium / real currency in FarmVille, this will definitely allow you to celebrate the New Year in style.
The Disco Ball Sheep can be harvested from every three days, and you'll receive 28 coins each time you do so. You'll receive 1,400 bonus experience points for purchasing the sheep, which will be available in the game for just 10 days.
What makes this item so great isn't just its shiny "wool" that makes the sheep look like it's a disco ball - it's the fact that you can... wait for it... purchase it for coins! Yes, after releasing animal after animal to the game's store that could only be purchased for Farm Cash, Zynga has mercifully priced this item for coins. Sure, its price tag of 140,000 coins isn't necessarily a bargain, but if you're a player that simply refuses to spend premium / real currency in FarmVille, this will definitely allow you to celebrate the New Year in style.
The Disco Ball Sheep can be harvested from every three days, and you'll receive 28 coins each time you do so. You'll receive 1,400 bonus experience points for purchasing the sheep, which will be available in the game for just 10 days.
FarmVille Disco Ball Tree makes an appearance in the market
For quite some time now, we've been investigating the appearance of the mysterious Disco Ball Tree in FarmVille. We had seed reports of the tree showing up randomly as a Mystery Seedling, even before any other New Years themed trees had been released, and we were then put under the assumption that the Disco Ball Tree is the level 2 tree from the Confetti Tree, which was released at the beginning of the week. But what if someone didn't want to wait for their Confetti Tree to spawn a Disco Ball Tree Mystery Seedling?
Luckily, there is now a solid answer for that, as the Disco Ball Tree has finally been released as a standalone item in the FarmVille marketplace. Unfortunately, if you'd like to add this lovely tree to your land, you'll need to be willing to pay 15 Farm Cash. Once purchased, however, you can harvest the tree every two days, and you'll receive 150 coins for doing so. You'll gain just 15 experience points for purchasing the tree, but as any tree-lover in FarmVille can tell you - you don't purchase the trees for the experience point bonuses.
The Disco Ball Tree will be available in the game's store for the next 15 days, but luckily, will be available as Mystery Seedlings long after if you choose to hand onto your Farm Cash for the time being. One final note - the tree can be mastered, with the first star of mastery being available after 75 harvests, if that's something that will sway your decision in purchasing one.
Luckily, there is now a solid answer for that, as the Disco Ball Tree has finally been released as a standalone item in the FarmVille marketplace. Unfortunately, if you'd like to add this lovely tree to your land, you'll need to be willing to pay 15 Farm Cash. Once purchased, however, you can harvest the tree every two days, and you'll receive 150 coins for doing so. You'll gain just 15 experience points for purchasing the tree, but as any tree-lover in FarmVille can tell you - you don't purchase the trees for the experience point bonuses.
The Disco Ball Tree will be available in the game's store for the next 15 days, but luckily, will be available as Mystery Seedlings long after if you choose to hand onto your Farm Cash for the time being. One final note - the tree can be mastered, with the first star of mastery being available after 75 harvests, if that's something that will sway your decision in purchasing one.
FarmVille New Years Items: Fireworks I, II, III, & New Year Gnome
As part of tonight's FarmVille update, we've seen the release of four new decorative items in the game. All four of these items fit into the current New Year theme of limited edition items, but unfortunately for those that like to save their Farm Cash, all of these items are premium.
What's more, three of the four items are Fireworks, meaning that they are one-time use items that will disappear from your farm once launched, after showing you a pretty virtual fireworks show in your game. The Fireworks are labeled as Fireworks I, II, and III, and all three cost 3 Farm Cash each. It seems a bit unreasonable for Zynga to charge Farm Cash for a one-time use item, but luckily, there are ways to receive free Fireworks this year, as friends can post them on their wall as they complete stages in the New Years Party Barn event.
The other new item is the New Year Gnome, which will be a big hit with Gnome collectors. He's a cheerful little fella that's ready to party, as he comes equipped with a noise-maker and confetti, and a price tag of 18 Farm Cash. You'll receive 1,800 bonus experience points for purchasing the Gnome, if that makes you more likely to purchase him.
All four of these items will be available in the game's store for the next 10 days, so if you can't play FarmVille on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day proper, you'll be able to throw a post-holiday Fireworks show within your game to keep the party going.
What's more, three of the four items are Fireworks, meaning that they are one-time use items that will disappear from your farm once launched, after showing you a pretty virtual fireworks show in your game. The Fireworks are labeled as Fireworks I, II, and III, and all three cost 3 Farm Cash each. It seems a bit unreasonable for Zynga to charge Farm Cash for a one-time use item, but luckily, there are ways to receive free Fireworks this year, as friends can post them on their wall as they complete stages in the New Years Party Barn event.
The other new item is the New Year Gnome, which will be a big hit with Gnome collectors. He's a cheerful little fella that's ready to party, as he comes equipped with a noise-maker and confetti, and a price tag of 18 Farm Cash. You'll receive 1,800 bonus experience points for purchasing the Gnome, if that makes you more likely to purchase him.
All four of these items will be available in the game's store for the next 10 days, so if you can't play FarmVille on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day proper, you'll be able to throw a post-holiday Fireworks show within your game to keep the party going.
FrontierVille 12 Days of Christmas Goals: Everything you need to know for Day Two
On the Second Day O' Christmas
Just two days remain in FrontierVille's 12 Days of Christmas Goal series and, oddly enough, things are getting progressively easier. "On the Second Day O' Christmas" requires three simple, almost menial tasks, of pioneers. First, you're to visit two Neighbors. While you're there, tend two of your Neighbors' Pigs and clean up two Debris while you're at it.
And that's it. No, we're not kidding. This could very well be one of the easiest Goals in the game, which is odd considering we're one Goal away from being done with Christmas once and for all in FrontierVille. Come to think of it, you could probably finish this Goal in five minutes. You'd imagine that Zynga would start to end the holiday with a bang, but a break from gift requests and cross promotions never hurt anyone. Complete this Goal and a not-so-well earned 1,000 XP, one "Tend Here" Sign and one Fruitcake are all yours. But we're not out of the woods yet. Check back tomorrow to find out what the final Goal of this series has in store for the frontier.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Just two days remain in FrontierVille's 12 Days of Christmas Goal series and, oddly enough, things are getting progressively easier. "On the Second Day O' Christmas" requires three simple, almost menial tasks, of pioneers. First, you're to visit two Neighbors. While you're there, tend two of your Neighbors' Pigs and clean up two Debris while you're at it.
And that's it. No, we're not kidding. This could very well be one of the easiest Goals in the game, which is odd considering we're one Goal away from being done with Christmas once and for all in FrontierVille. Come to think of it, you could probably finish this Goal in five minutes. You'd imagine that Zynga would start to end the holiday with a bang, but a break from gift requests and cross promotions never hurt anyone. Complete this Goal and a not-so-well earned 1,000 XP, one "Tend Here" Sign and one Fruitcake are all yours. But we're not out of the woods yet. Check back tomorrow to find out what the final Goal of this series has in store for the frontier.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Create on Facebook: This fun physics game forgot you have friends
Create in motion
Most Facebook games are littered with suggestions, pop ups and missions to guide you along in your progress, which certainly serve their purpose well. But not Create. The most recent Facebook game launch by EA, Create is a modified release of the puzzler with the same name currently available for all major consoles, PC and Mac. Tailored specifically for Facebook, this physics-based puzzle game provides players with the tools required to complete each level, but it's hands-off after that. While achieving real time physics on Facebook is certainly impressive, leaving the guesswork to the player soon becomes a double-edged sword.
Find more of our impressions of Create after the break.
Create Dashboard
Essentially, Create is a Rube Goldberg machine on Facebook. Your goal in each level is to, using the tools you're given, guide a soccer ball so that it hits its bulls eye target, making its way through hula hoops along the way for bonus points. However, getting into the meat of the game is rather confusing as Create will always load in sort of a hub world called the Dashboard. It's here that players can create as many soccer balls as they wish to play around with, check their best times and high scores and see how their friends are doing with their own creations. There is also a global list where creators can put others' balls through their own solutions to the game's puzzles. To start, you're given one ball, so just click "Go!" and choose any of the four puzzles.
This is where the fun begins... sort of. In each puzzle, there is a general path players will have to take to reach the target, but it is entirely up to them on how to approach it using the game's five tools. (In other words, this is a thinker.) These items include balloons, which will not float until an object, preferably the ball, make contact with its string. Players can also make use of orange bumpers which will repel any object that comes in contact with them at a high speed in the opposite direction. Suspended fans can also be used to propel the ball while boxes and see-saws serve of malleable platforms, though the see-saws somehow defy gravity. There's no limit to the amount of tools that can be used in any given puzzle, but clutter will be your worst enemy.
Create in motion again
Designed specifically to take advantage of Intel processors, the physics in Create are surprisingly smooth considering it's all happening in real time on Facebook. However, they can easily be broken. So far, I've found that certain items won't respond to gravity if placed in strange places, but who knows what other ways there are to break the system.
While the game's physics are certainly impressive--not to mention that it's refreshing to see a social game that requires critical thought--it's tough to call Create a social game. There seems to be little reason that this game is on Facebook other than the fact that it's a popular platform at the moment. Having friends in the game doesn't effect any portion of gameplay nor is there an incentive to continue logging in, which is something social games in their current state need to thrive. Though, it's doubtful that EA had that in mind to begin with when porting Create to the platform.
And perhaps I'm somewhat rusty when it comes to puzzle games, but Create doesn't exactly lend itself to the instantly gratifying gameplay of most social games. If your experience is anything like mine, you're going to be cracking at some puzzles for quite a while, which one could imagine the average social gamer just doesn't have time for on their lunch break. But if you have an extra minute, try something a little different than your average 'Ville and give that brain some exercise.
Most Facebook games are littered with suggestions, pop ups and missions to guide you along in your progress, which certainly serve their purpose well. But not Create. The most recent Facebook game launch by EA, Create is a modified release of the puzzler with the same name currently available for all major consoles, PC and Mac. Tailored specifically for Facebook, this physics-based puzzle game provides players with the tools required to complete each level, but it's hands-off after that. While achieving real time physics on Facebook is certainly impressive, leaving the guesswork to the player soon becomes a double-edged sword.
Find more of our impressions of Create after the break.
Create Dashboard
Essentially, Create is a Rube Goldberg machine on Facebook. Your goal in each level is to, using the tools you're given, guide a soccer ball so that it hits its bulls eye target, making its way through hula hoops along the way for bonus points. However, getting into the meat of the game is rather confusing as Create will always load in sort of a hub world called the Dashboard. It's here that players can create as many soccer balls as they wish to play around with, check their best times and high scores and see how their friends are doing with their own creations. There is also a global list where creators can put others' balls through their own solutions to the game's puzzles. To start, you're given one ball, so just click "Go!" and choose any of the four puzzles.
This is where the fun begins... sort of. In each puzzle, there is a general path players will have to take to reach the target, but it is entirely up to them on how to approach it using the game's five tools. (In other words, this is a thinker.) These items include balloons, which will not float until an object, preferably the ball, make contact with its string. Players can also make use of orange bumpers which will repel any object that comes in contact with them at a high speed in the opposite direction. Suspended fans can also be used to propel the ball while boxes and see-saws serve of malleable platforms, though the see-saws somehow defy gravity. There's no limit to the amount of tools that can be used in any given puzzle, but clutter will be your worst enemy.
Create in motion again
Designed specifically to take advantage of Intel processors, the physics in Create are surprisingly smooth considering it's all happening in real time on Facebook. However, they can easily be broken. So far, I've found that certain items won't respond to gravity if placed in strange places, but who knows what other ways there are to break the system.
While the game's physics are certainly impressive--not to mention that it's refreshing to see a social game that requires critical thought--it's tough to call Create a social game. There seems to be little reason that this game is on Facebook other than the fact that it's a popular platform at the moment. Having friends in the game doesn't effect any portion of gameplay nor is there an incentive to continue logging in, which is something social games in their current state need to thrive. Though, it's doubtful that EA had that in mind to begin with when porting Create to the platform.
And perhaps I'm somewhat rusty when it comes to puzzle games, but Create doesn't exactly lend itself to the instantly gratifying gameplay of most social games. If your experience is anything like mine, you're going to be cracking at some puzzles for quite a while, which one could imagine the average social gamer just doesn't have time for on their lunch break. But if you have an extra minute, try something a little different than your average 'Ville and give that brain some exercise.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
House, CSI: Miami and NCIS games to air on Facebook this winter
Social gamers are naturally very meta people. Come one, who else would watch an episode of CSI, only to play an episode of CSI: Crime City either during the show or afterward? Ubisoft seems to have struck gold with Facebook games based on TV properties, so the company has announced three more: CSI: Miami, House, M.D.: Critical Cases and NCIS: Major Crimes.
Inside Social Games reports that the games will launch either at the end of this year or early in 2012. In other words, they're coming this winter. The games will play out procedurally, like episodes of their television inspirations. Players will search for clues after identifying victims, patients or suspects and solve cases with the help of friends and non-player characters.
The French game publisher also announced a deal with Loot Drop, designer John Romero's studio that has yet to release its first game, Cloudforest Expedition. No details were given regarding the game, but this marks the third game set to come out of Loot Drop, its first two with publisher RockYou. Ubisoft will also release Ghost Recon Commander for Facebook.
The game will serve as a companion to the publisher's two upcoming Ghost Recon games: Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for console and Ghost Recon: Online for PCs. According to ISG, players will be able to advance in either core game through the Facebook companion and vice versa. We've seen how high-profile companion games do already, but House is poised to be a winner--have you seen how many "Likes" it has on Facebook?
Inside Social Games reports that the games will launch either at the end of this year or early in 2012. In other words, they're coming this winter. The games will play out procedurally, like episodes of their television inspirations. Players will search for clues after identifying victims, patients or suspects and solve cases with the help of friends and non-player characters.
The French game publisher also announced a deal with Loot Drop, designer John Romero's studio that has yet to release its first game, Cloudforest Expedition. No details were given regarding the game, but this marks the third game set to come out of Loot Drop, its first two with publisher RockYou. Ubisoft will also release Ghost Recon Commander for Facebook.
The game will serve as a companion to the publisher's two upcoming Ghost Recon games: Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for console and Ghost Recon: Online for PCs. According to ISG, players will be able to advance in either core game through the Facebook companion and vice versa. We've seen how high-profile companion games do already, but House is poised to be a winner--have you seen how many "Likes" it has on Facebook?
Jurassic Park to (hopefully) bring Mr. DNA to mobile, Facebook in 2012
It's just not Jurassic Park without the little guy. Ludia, the Vancouver-based creator of branded Facebook and mobile games like Family Feud and Who Wants to be a Millionaire, has announced that it will bring a Jurassic Park social game to mobile devices in 2012. This deal with Universal Studios marks the company's move into the movie industry through branded games.
"This exciting license is our gateway to the movie industry and reinforces our strategy of turning high-profile brands into successful interactive entertainment experiences," Ludia CEO Alex Thabet said in a release, according to Inside Social Games. But it sounds as if the game will be far less about dinosaurs wreaking havoc than about keeping dinosaurs in check.
In other words, it's going to be another property management game. (Ugh.) Ludia will throw players onto the ill-fated island shortly after the events of the first movie, and they'll be able to help rebuild Jurassic Park into a thriving, money printing machine. What sounds most interesting is the ability to breed dinosaurs using new DNA strands discovered in pieces of amber. See? There's no way Ludia can leave out Mr. DNA now.
Of course, players will need to seek the help of their Facebook friends to keep dino-related disasters from happening and more tourists forking over the cash. The game has yet to receive an official title, and will release on mobile devices before hitting social networks like Facebook.
"This exciting license is our gateway to the movie industry and reinforces our strategy of turning high-profile brands into successful interactive entertainment experiences," Ludia CEO Alex Thabet said in a release, according to Inside Social Games. But it sounds as if the game will be far less about dinosaurs wreaking havoc than about keeping dinosaurs in check.
In other words, it's going to be another property management game. (Ugh.) Ludia will throw players onto the ill-fated island shortly after the events of the first movie, and they'll be able to help rebuild Jurassic Park into a thriving, money printing machine. What sounds most interesting is the ability to breed dinosaurs using new DNA strands discovered in pieces of amber. See? There's no way Ludia can leave out Mr. DNA now.
Of course, players will need to seek the help of their Facebook friends to keep dino-related disasters from happening and more tourists forking over the cash. The game has yet to receive an official title, and will release on mobile devices before hitting social networks like Facebook.
The Peanut Gallery runs Snoopy's Street Fair on iOS Nov. 17 [Video]
We're not usually the type to fawn over game trailers, but after hearing that lovely piano tune it's hard not to. Capcom and Beeline Interactive's Snoopy's Street Fair is set to launch on the App Store for free Nov. 17, TouchGen reports. At first glance, the game looks a lot like Beeline's Smurfs' Village. And, in theory, it probably is. But what's important here is the authenticity.
Seeing the game in motion looks like the strip come to life. (You know, aside from the TV specials.) Everything from the hand drawn graphics to the interface looks as if the venerable Mr. Schulz drew the artwork himself for the game. Players will help Chuck and the gang throw their own street fair, complete with attractions like Lucy's Psychiatric Help and lemonade stands.
The game looks like just another property management underneath the layer of nostalgia, but Beeline has mixed things up with a slew of mini games. Players will get to roast marshmallows, mix watercolors and squeeze lemons for lemonade in unique, timed romps for the high score. It looks like the game will have a number of collectible draws as well.
Capcom made a smart move getting into the branded games biz when it did, as IndustryGamers reports the Japanese publisher suffered a 28.1 percent loss in revenue year over year. Despite this, the company hailed mobile social game Smurfs' Village as the "driving force" behind an 89 percent jump in net sales since last year. Hey, if that means more adorable nostalgia fests like this, then count us in.
Seeing the game in motion looks like the strip come to life. (You know, aside from the TV specials.) Everything from the hand drawn graphics to the interface looks as if the venerable Mr. Schulz drew the artwork himself for the game. Players will help Chuck and the gang throw their own street fair, complete with attractions like Lucy's Psychiatric Help and lemonade stands.
The game looks like just another property management underneath the layer of nostalgia, but Beeline has mixed things up with a slew of mini games. Players will get to roast marshmallows, mix watercolors and squeeze lemons for lemonade in unique, timed romps for the high score. It looks like the game will have a number of collectible draws as well.
Capcom made a smart move getting into the branded games biz when it did, as IndustryGamers reports the Japanese publisher suffered a 28.1 percent loss in revenue year over year. Despite this, the company hailed mobile social game Smurfs' Village as the "driving force" behind an 89 percent jump in net sales since last year. Hey, if that means more adorable nostalgia fests like this, then count us in.
Ultima creator Richard Garriott runs social game studio with ... a robot?
At this point, with a guy who flew into space and once ran the craziest haunted house in the nation within his house, I guess you should expect these things. The Huffington Post reports that Richard Garriott, creator of the famed Ultima PC game series and co-founder of social game studio Portalarium, manages his Austin, Texas-based studio remotely ... with a robot. Seriously.
Since July of this year, Garriott has conversed with Portalarium's 25 employees in meetings and casually (the robot is a mobile, remote-controlled machine equipped with cameras and microphones) from his New York home. According to The Huffington Post, all he needs is a broadband connection, his laptop, a microphone and two cameras to make it work.
"When I'm up north, I log in in the morning and can meander over to anyone's desk and really be a part of the casual conversations that are so essential to our work," Garriott told The Huffington Post. "Sometimes I feel like a spy, but fundamentally it feels like I am really there." But the game industry veteran didn't buy the $15,000 Anybot QB solely for this job.
When Garriott married his wife earlier this year in the spring, he purchased the robot to ensure that his mother could participate in the ceremony and reception, which took place in Paris. The game designer strapped a cardboard cut-out of his elderly mother to the robot, gave her the controls from her Las Vegas home and it was as if she was there. Hey, at least we now know how dedicated Garriott is to Portalarium's upcoming crown jewel, Lord British's New Britannia (and his mum).
Since July of this year, Garriott has conversed with Portalarium's 25 employees in meetings and casually (the robot is a mobile, remote-controlled machine equipped with cameras and microphones) from his New York home. According to The Huffington Post, all he needs is a broadband connection, his laptop, a microphone and two cameras to make it work.
"When I'm up north, I log in in the morning and can meander over to anyone's desk and really be a part of the casual conversations that are so essential to our work," Garriott told The Huffington Post. "Sometimes I feel like a spy, but fundamentally it feels like I am really there." But the game industry veteran didn't buy the $15,000 Anybot QB solely for this job.
When Garriott married his wife earlier this year in the spring, he purchased the robot to ensure that his mother could participate in the ceremony and reception, which took place in Paris. The game designer strapped a cardboard cut-out of his elderly mother to the robot, gave her the controls from her Las Vegas home and it was as if she was there. Hey, at least we now know how dedicated Garriott is to Portalarium's upcoming crown jewel, Lord British's New Britannia (and his mum).
Sumon is Tetris-meets-math class on Facebook, Chrome and mobile
If there is one game genre that will likely survive them all, it's puzzlers. San Francisco-based Ludei claims to be one of the first social game developers to launch a game on Facebook, Chrome, HTML5, iOS and Android. The game is called Sumon, a puzzle game that evokes feelings of Tetris, but with math-centric gameplay that's said to serve well as a mind sharpening tool.
The game combines simple math problems through addition with spatial reasoning. Players are presented with a series of blocks, each with specific numbers on them, and a goal number. It's up to players to string blocks together to reach that goal number. Of course, the game sets players against the clock, adding numbered blocks until each level is cleared.
"Sumon is the first in a series of titles that is going to take advantage of bleeding edge innovation in mobile entertainment as we plan for a bigger footprint in the U.S. and worldwide," Ludei CEO Eneko Knorr said in a release. "By launching on HTML5, iOS and Android, we're able to bring Sumon to the largest possible audience, a sentiment that is often discussed but rarely executed-until now."
It's certainly a novel strategy in the social games world where the pressure to go multiplatform or go home is increasing. There are three modes of play in Sumon: classic, progressive and respawn. But generally, the more numbered blocks you use to reach a given goal number, the higher your score will go. But really, we're just digging the paper mache art style--so pretty.
The game combines simple math problems through addition with spatial reasoning. Players are presented with a series of blocks, each with specific numbers on them, and a goal number. It's up to players to string blocks together to reach that goal number. Of course, the game sets players against the clock, adding numbered blocks until each level is cleared.
"Sumon is the first in a series of titles that is going to take advantage of bleeding edge innovation in mobile entertainment as we plan for a bigger footprint in the U.S. and worldwide," Ludei CEO Eneko Knorr said in a release. "By launching on HTML5, iOS and Android, we're able to bring Sumon to the largest possible audience, a sentiment that is often discussed but rarely executed-until now."
It's certainly a novel strategy in the social games world where the pressure to go multiplatform or go home is increasing. There are three modes of play in Sumon: classic, progressive and respawn. But generally, the more numbered blocks you use to reach a given goal number, the higher your score will go. But really, we're just digging the paper mache art style--so pretty.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
TicBits brings iAssociate 2 iPhone game to Facebook
I'll admit - one of my favorite iPhone games ever is iAssociate 2 from TicBits. Imagine, then, my delight when I found out that the developer had launched the game on Facebook. For those unfamiliar with the iPhone game, iAssociate 2 is a word association game that is very simple in concept, but easily addictive.
Each level is comprised of a web of words. You'll be given one or perhaps two words to start (based on the web's design), and you'll be able to see all of the words directly related to your starting word via word bubbles. Of course, you'll have to come up with this associated words yourself, but you will be given the number of letters that the word contains.
Your starting level, for instance, gives you the word "Breakfast." From there, you'll need to think of all of the things associated with breakfast (toast, eggs, cereal, and so on) and enter those into the game to see if they match. Once you find a word, more branches stem off of it, until the entire web is one grand and complex setup, filling the screen.
Due to the idea of word association though, you won't necessarily always be talking about breakfast (in keeping with our example). Early on, you'll have the word Bacon, for instance. Bacon comes from Pigs, and sure enough, that word is in the web as well. Just as easy as that, you've transitioned from talking about breakfast and food to talking about barnyard animals. Know of a movie that contains a pig as the main character? There's another branch in the association - now moving you into the world of cinema and Hollywood.
You'll earn points for each correct word you guess, and certain bonus words will be available that grant you even more points. Once you complete a web, you'll be able to play another level, with another starting theme (Around the House, Comics & Cartoons, etc.). You are given just three levels to start the game, while the others require you to spend cash, a premium currency of sorts.
You can either buy cash with real money, or you can complete offers (surveys, purchase rewards, etc.) to earn them. Aside from that, you'll earn a single coin for each correct word you fill into a web. Additionally, you can simply invite your friends to play the game with you, and for each friend that accepts you'll earn 500 coins. Levels cost 790 coins and up (you start with 1,000 coins), so you'll likely need to invite quite a few friends before unlocking them all.
Once you finish the tutorial level, you'll be able to use hints to reveal one letter of a word of your choice. Hints are limited though, so you'll want to save those hints for when you need them most.
Your overall score will be counted across all levels, allowing you to be compared to your friends on the in-game leaderboard. And if you run out of hints, or simply want to get your friends in on the fun, you can click on the "Help" button in a level to pick a word that you need help with and then post a help request on your wall, asking your friends if they can figure out the word for you.
Social features aside, iAssociate is a pretty addictive package even when played solo. If you don't have an iPhone, I highly suggest trying this one out on Facebook.
Each level is comprised of a web of words. You'll be given one or perhaps two words to start (based on the web's design), and you'll be able to see all of the words directly related to your starting word via word bubbles. Of course, you'll have to come up with this associated words yourself, but you will be given the number of letters that the word contains.
Your starting level, for instance, gives you the word "Breakfast." From there, you'll need to think of all of the things associated with breakfast (toast, eggs, cereal, and so on) and enter those into the game to see if they match. Once you find a word, more branches stem off of it, until the entire web is one grand and complex setup, filling the screen.
Due to the idea of word association though, you won't necessarily always be talking about breakfast (in keeping with our example). Early on, you'll have the word Bacon, for instance. Bacon comes from Pigs, and sure enough, that word is in the web as well. Just as easy as that, you've transitioned from talking about breakfast and food to talking about barnyard animals. Know of a movie that contains a pig as the main character? There's another branch in the association - now moving you into the world of cinema and Hollywood.
You'll earn points for each correct word you guess, and certain bonus words will be available that grant you even more points. Once you complete a web, you'll be able to play another level, with another starting theme (Around the House, Comics & Cartoons, etc.). You are given just three levels to start the game, while the others require you to spend cash, a premium currency of sorts.
You can either buy cash with real money, or you can complete offers (surveys, purchase rewards, etc.) to earn them. Aside from that, you'll earn a single coin for each correct word you fill into a web. Additionally, you can simply invite your friends to play the game with you, and for each friend that accepts you'll earn 500 coins. Levels cost 790 coins and up (you start with 1,000 coins), so you'll likely need to invite quite a few friends before unlocking them all.
Once you finish the tutorial level, you'll be able to use hints to reveal one letter of a word of your choice. Hints are limited though, so you'll want to save those hints for when you need them most.
Your overall score will be counted across all levels, allowing you to be compared to your friends on the in-game leaderboard. And if you run out of hints, or simply want to get your friends in on the fun, you can click on the "Help" button in a level to pick a word that you need help with and then post a help request on your wall, asking your friends if they can figure out the word for you.
Social features aside, iAssociate is a pretty addictive package even when played solo. If you don't have an iPhone, I highly suggest trying this one out on Facebook.
FrontierVille: Trap Groundhogs Phil or Fred and keep them on your Homestead as pets
While I'm sure most of us are familiar with the new Groundhog Day goals in FrontierVille, two of which reward us with a single Frontier Phil and Frontier Fred (friendly Groundhogs that stay on your Homestead as pets), did you know that you can actually capture MORE of these two friendly groundhogs just by playing the game?
These groundhogs are appearing on users' farms, just as regular groundhogs do. You'll need to arm your Groundhog Trap in the same way as if you were catching normal, disappearing groundhogs, but here once you capture either Phil or Fred, you'll see a new pop-up in your game, asking you whether or not you'd like to keep your new friend on your own Homestead, or if you'd like to share these friendly groundhogs with your friends by posting a news item on your wall.
Regardless of which choice you decide, this definitely gives the idea of building the Groundhog Trap more merit outside of simply finishing these goals. You might even want to build more than one to increase your trapping area to have a better chance at finding one or both of these new critters yourself.
These groundhogs are appearing on users' farms, just as regular groundhogs do. You'll need to arm your Groundhog Trap in the same way as if you were catching normal, disappearing groundhogs, but here once you capture either Phil or Fred, you'll see a new pop-up in your game, asking you whether or not you'd like to keep your new friend on your own Homestead, or if you'd like to share these friendly groundhogs with your friends by posting a news item on your wall.
Regardless of which choice you decide, this definitely gives the idea of building the Groundhog Trap more merit outside of simply finishing these goals. You might even want to build more than one to increase your trapping area to have a better chance at finding one or both of these new critters yourself.
FarmVille: Brown Lamb & Sheep being given away at random
Oh my! The game of the day is one of the probably one of best games ever. Peggle online is a game where the rules are simple but the addiction is immediate. Just get ready, aim ... bounce! In Peggle, on every level you have to try and hit 25 orange pegs with 10 metal balls. Sounds silly but is wonder to play - Go ahead, click play to achieve EXTREME FEVER!
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.
Click to play Peggle free online
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.
Click to play Peggle free online
Game of the Day: Peggle
Oh my! The game of the day is one of the probably one of best games ever. Peggle online is a game where the rules are simple but the addiction is immediate. Just get ready, aim ... bounce! In Peggle, on every level you have to try and hit 25 orange pegs with 10 metal balls. Sounds silly but is wonder to play - Go ahead, click play to achieve EXTREME FEVER!
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.
Click to play Peggle free online
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.
Click to play Peggle free online
LOLapps gives Critter Island the axe this month
Back in November, LOLapps started a desperate attempt to restore the viral channels in their game Critter Island. After launching the game in August, and then being denied access to social features (by Facebook) after a privacy debacle, LOLapps attempted to regain access to their viral channels in Critter Island (neighbor invites, gift requests, and wall posts), but to no avail.
The developer remained fairly quiet on the issue after creating the Restore Critter Island page on Facebook, but we now know that all efforts were apparently in vain. Thanks to a letter received by a concerned player from LOLapps itself, we now know that the entire development team has been transitioned from Critter Island to Ravenwood Fair, and that Critter Island itself will be shutting down alongside Supermodel: The Game on January 31.
That's right, after the end of the month, Critter Island will no longer be accessible. Supermodel: The Game will be closing on the same date. I guess we can only say it was fun while it lasted... or, at least until November when the controversy erupted. Hopefully this will be the last game closure we see from the company in the near future.
The developer remained fairly quiet on the issue after creating the Restore Critter Island page on Facebook, but we now know that all efforts were apparently in vain. Thanks to a letter received by a concerned player from LOLapps itself, we now know that the entire development team has been transitioned from Critter Island to Ravenwood Fair, and that Critter Island itself will be shutting down alongside Supermodel: The Game on January 31.
That's right, after the end of the month, Critter Island will no longer be accessible. Supermodel: The Game will be closing on the same date. I guess we can only say it was fun while it lasted... or, at least until November when the controversy erupted. Hopefully this will be the last game closure we see from the company in the near future.
Friday, January 6, 2012
New FrontierVille Collections: Flower Shop & Flower Gardening
Along with the release of the Flower Shop in FrontierVille today, we also see the game updated with two new collections to match. As usual, as with the release of any new building, we see a new collection released specifically for that building, but we also have a new collection dealing with raising the new flowers that are now available to plant and grow in the game.
The first collection is the Flower Shop collection, and this is the general collection that will be filled either when whacking the frame of the Flower Shop while building it, or when collecting your Daily Bonus from the Flower Shop once per day. The five items to be on the lookout for are:
Vase
Floral Wire
Bouquet Bow
Floral Foam
Gift Card
Collecting all five of these items will allow you to trade in the collection to receive 50 coins and a Flower Shop Sign decorative item which is only available (currently) through turning in the collection.
Meet us behind the break for details on the Flower Gardening collection, which is earned in an entirely different way.
As for the Flower Gardening collection, you'll earn these five items by tending to your flowers that you purchase after finishing the Flower Shop building on your land. Your flowers grow over time, like crops and trees do, and when you come back to tend to your flowers, you'll be able to randomly receive the following five items:
Gardening Apron
Pruning Shears
Flower Food
Potting Soil
Flower Bucket
The reward for this collection is a new kind of flower that is currently unavailable to purchase in the game (even if you have a completed Flower Shop on your land) - Irises. You'll receive 2 Irises, to be exact, along with 25 XP.
And there you have it - two collections to work on while completing your normal gameplay activities in FrontierVille. Will these new collections have an impact on how many flowers you'll purchase and grow in the game?
The first collection is the Flower Shop collection, and this is the general collection that will be filled either when whacking the frame of the Flower Shop while building it, or when collecting your Daily Bonus from the Flower Shop once per day. The five items to be on the lookout for are:
Vase
Floral Wire
Bouquet Bow
Floral Foam
Gift Card
Collecting all five of these items will allow you to trade in the collection to receive 50 coins and a Flower Shop Sign decorative item which is only available (currently) through turning in the collection.
Meet us behind the break for details on the Flower Gardening collection, which is earned in an entirely different way.
As for the Flower Gardening collection, you'll earn these five items by tending to your flowers that you purchase after finishing the Flower Shop building on your land. Your flowers grow over time, like crops and trees do, and when you come back to tend to your flowers, you'll be able to randomly receive the following five items:
Gardening Apron
Pruning Shears
Flower Food
Potting Soil
Flower Bucket
The reward for this collection is a new kind of flower that is currently unavailable to purchase in the game (even if you have a completed Flower Shop on your land) - Irises. You'll receive 2 Irises, to be exact, along with 25 XP.
And there you have it - two collections to work on while completing your normal gameplay activities in FrontierVille. Will these new collections have an impact on how many flowers you'll purchase and grow in the game?
New FrontierVille Badges: Florist & Gardener
Along with the release of the Flower Shop in FrontierVille today, we also see the launch of two new badges (achievements) to unlock related to the Flower Shop and the flowers you'll purchase/grow thereafter. The first badge is called the Florist badge, and it deals with the Flower Missions that are available to complete and repeat as many times as you'd like - in fact, that's how you earn this badge. It doesn't matter which of the four Flower missions you complete over and over again, so long as you do complete it.
The four badges in this series are rewarded after completing 4 Flower missions (it's easy to say "complete each of the four quests once"), 10 Flower missions, 20 Flower missions, and finally, after completing a whopping 50 Flower missions. If you have the patience to complete the same series of tasks over and over again, then congrats on eventually earning these badges. As you do, you'll be rewarded with Lilies, a flower that isn't available to purchase or plant directly.
Meanwhile, the Gardner badge is earned after tending to different numbers of flowers, so it's an entirely separate process from the Florist badge. You'll earn the four stages of the Gardener badge after tending to 25, 100, 250, and eventually 500 flowers. You'll receive the Flowering Cactus plant item as you go along. Just as with the Lilies, this Flowering Cactus is unavailable elsewhere in the game (as of this writing).
With so much to work on in terms of flowers in FrontierVille, you'll have plenty to keep you busy from now and a bit into the future.
The four badges in this series are rewarded after completing 4 Flower missions (it's easy to say "complete each of the four quests once"), 10 Flower missions, 20 Flower missions, and finally, after completing a whopping 50 Flower missions. If you have the patience to complete the same series of tasks over and over again, then congrats on eventually earning these badges. As you do, you'll be rewarded with Lilies, a flower that isn't available to purchase or plant directly.
Meanwhile, the Gardner badge is earned after tending to different numbers of flowers, so it's an entirely separate process from the Florist badge. You'll earn the four stages of the Gardener badge after tending to 25, 100, 250, and eventually 500 flowers. You'll receive the Flowering Cactus plant item as you go along. Just as with the Lilies, this Flowering Cactus is unavailable elsewhere in the game (as of this writing).
With so much to work on in terms of flowers in FrontierVille, you'll have plenty to keep you busy from now and a bit into the future.
FarmVille: Free Fuel and Double Mastery Events going on now
Two small updates launched in FarmVille this evening, but both will be greatly appreciated by long-time fans. First, the rest of this week (starting with Tuesday) will be called Free Fuel Week, where all users that login to the game consistently will be rewarded with free fuel just for doing so.
This first prize for the first day of Free Fuel week is a single can of fuel. Login tomorrow and you'll likely receive two cans. Login on Thursday and you'll receive three and so on. It's definitely a great prize for those that login consistently anyway, so make sure to do so for the rest of this week to claim your free black gold.
The second update will see you putting your free fuel to good use, as a 48-hour Double Mastery event has been launched in the game. As with all double mastery events, this will allow you to earn up to three points of mastery for every single square of a crop that you harvest, if you combine this automatic double mastery bonus with an activated bushel. You only have 48 hours to make the most of this event however, so make sure to plant as many crops as you can in that time. As for me, I think I have some two and four hour crops that are just screaming to be planted during this time. How about you?
Which of these events do you appreciate more - the free fuel, or the double mastery event?
This first prize for the first day of Free Fuel week is a single can of fuel. Login tomorrow and you'll likely receive two cans. Login on Thursday and you'll receive three and so on. It's definitely a great prize for those that login consistently anyway, so make sure to do so for the rest of this week to claim your free black gold.
The second update will see you putting your free fuel to good use, as a 48-hour Double Mastery event has been launched in the game. As with all double mastery events, this will allow you to earn up to three points of mastery for every single square of a crop that you harvest, if you combine this automatic double mastery bonus with an activated bushel. You only have 48 hours to make the most of this event however, so make sure to plant as many crops as you can in that time. As for me, I think I have some two and four hour crops that are just screaming to be planted during this time. How about you?
Which of these events do you appreciate more - the free fuel, or the double mastery event?
FarmVille Scam Alert! Avoid English Stars Sheep News Feed posts
The scammers have returned to the farm. According to FarmVille Freak, another illegitimate News Feed post is circulating Facebook. This time, it offers FarmVille players a free English Stars Sheep. This is not an official Zynga offer, so do not click on it, notify whomever supplied the feed and delete the post from your own News Feed. That is, if you couldn't tell already from the poor punctuation and pixelated image. Not to mention, this expansion pack hasn't even been released yet.
If you unfortunately did click on the offer and the subsequent pop-up page, which itself mentions that this "English Stars Sheep" has not been officially released yet, scan your computer for malware and change your passwords immediately. Also, keep in mind that accounts affected by scammers can be suspended by Zynga. So, be careful of the offers you accept and only accept those officially from Zynga.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen this scam floating around the News Feeds? How do you think Zynga should handle the issue?
If you unfortunately did click on the offer and the subsequent pop-up page, which itself mentions that this "English Stars Sheep" has not been officially released yet, scan your computer for malware and change your passwords immediately. Also, keep in mind that accounts affected by scammers can be suspended by Zynga. So, be careful of the offers you accept and only accept those officially from Zynga.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen this scam floating around the News Feeds? How do you think Zynga should handle the issue?
Zynga Poker deals in on Jimmy Kimmel Live, stumps his relatives
Zynga Poker appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to remind us that the Zynga Poker Con is just around the corner this March 18 and 19. Jimmy announced that players who win in the third round of Shoot Outs are eligible to win a set at the final table in the tournament. However, he realizes that not everyone is a poker pro, so Jimmy Kimmel thought he'd let his Aunt and Uncle teach the uninitiated how to play some Texas Hold 'Em. Let's just say it doesn't go over well. If you're this late to the poker scene, you might not want to learn at a tournament in Las Vegas with $100 thousand on the line. But if you do, we'd imagine there are still tickets available if Zynga is doing spots on late night TV. Considering the tournament is a little over two weeks away, we hope this isn't a bad sign.
[Via Zynga]
Have you signed up for the tournament in Vegas yet? What do you think this TV spot means ultimately for the convention?
[Via Zynga]
Have you signed up for the tournament in Vegas yet? What do you think this TV spot means ultimately for the convention?
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
FarmVille English Countryside: Exclusive decorations in the store
While you may have found yourself all caught up in the many quests and buildings to construct on your second farm in the FarmVille English Countryside, don't lose sight of the fact that there are a set of new and exclusive decorative items available to purchase for your new land in the game's store.
Like the Country Fence that was standing next to your Horse Stable? You can purchase that and two other items that are exclusive to the English Countryside expansion by heading to the Decorations tab of the store and clicking on "Them" under the Sort By drop down menu.
The Country Fence mentioned above costs 300 coins per piece, while a Dilapidated Fence is a lighter shade of brown (or even a dark tan color) that also costs 300 coins per section, but is a bit broken (on purpose of course). Finally, you can purchase a low Country Hedge to create all manner of mazes or just more naturally divided areas on your farm for 600 coins per piece.
There is no time limit associated with these items, so we expect them to be available permanently on your new farm.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Will you fill your second farm with these exclusive fence types?
Like the Country Fence that was standing next to your Horse Stable? You can purchase that and two other items that are exclusive to the English Countryside expansion by heading to the Decorations tab of the store and clicking on "Them" under the Sort By drop down menu.
The Country Fence mentioned above costs 300 coins per piece, while a Dilapidated Fence is a lighter shade of brown (or even a dark tan color) that also costs 300 coins per section, but is a bit broken (on purpose of course). Finally, you can purchase a low Country Hedge to create all manner of mazes or just more naturally divided areas on your farm for 600 coins per piece.
There is no time limit associated with these items, so we expect them to be available permanently on your new farm.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Will you fill your second farm with these exclusive fence types?
Game of the Day: Jumble Crosswords
Today's Game of the Day rocks it old school with a classic newspaper game, Jumble Crosswords. It's a combo of word scramble and crossword -- the goal is to unscramble a list of words using crossword-like clues to complete the crossword puzzle. Then use the circled letters in the puzzle to unscramble the bonus solution. Play today, then come back again every day for a brand new challenge.
Play Jumble Crosswords now >
Important side note: 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.
Play Jumble Crosswords now >
Important side note: 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.
Zynga raises $2.2 million for Japan relief effort (with a li'l help from Ashton and Britney)
Zynga Japan Relief
Twitter and social gaming yet again prove their worth (so, you can stop defending them now) as Zynga told the Hollywood Reporter that it has $2.2 million for the Japan earthquake relief effort. Within just over 24 hours of the disaster, the company launched a donation campaign with Save the Children that spanned several of its games including FarmVille, FroniterVille and more. With that alone the company raised over $1 million in matched donations through purchased in-game items, but it wasn't until Zynga enlisted the massive Twitter followings of stars like Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears that donations soared. Many of the in-game promotions have ended, but if you've yet to donate the link tweeted by Nicki Minaj and other miscellaneous superstars still seems to be in working condition. So, what are you waiting for?
[Image Credit: CityVille Games]
Have you donated to the Japan relief effort yet through Zynga? What do you think of Zynga's approach to helping Japan?
Twitter and social gaming yet again prove their worth (so, you can stop defending them now) as Zynga told the Hollywood Reporter that it has $2.2 million for the Japan earthquake relief effort. Within just over 24 hours of the disaster, the company launched a donation campaign with Save the Children that spanned several of its games including FarmVille, FroniterVille and more. With that alone the company raised over $1 million in matched donations through purchased in-game items, but it wasn't until Zynga enlisted the massive Twitter followings of stars like Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears that donations soared. Many of the in-game promotions have ended, but if you've yet to donate the link tweeted by Nicki Minaj and other miscellaneous superstars still seems to be in working condition. So, what are you waiting for?
[Image Credit: CityVille Games]
Have you donated to the Japan relief effort yet through Zynga? What do you think of Zynga's approach to helping Japan?
FrontierVille Bess Vs. Fanny Contest: Take a side, win Horseshoes
Despite the fact that FrontierVille's two leading ladies have already shacked up in several players' homesteads, Zynga is still pushing the Bess-Fanny rivalry. In fact, the company is throwing a contest to decide who gets to be Queen of the Homestead. All you need to do is express your vote for Queen in this FrontierVille forum thread through words, picture or another art form by April 5 to qualify.
If you decide to write in a response, be sure to make your case in 30 sentences or less; artful responses are asked to be under 10 images. The grand prize winner will receive a whopping 500 Horseshoes and a FrontierVille t-shirt, while second and third runners up will earn 250 and 125 Horseshoes, respectively (and a t-shirt). Another 47 runners up will get a FrontierVille shirt as well. Just don't rock the new threads to any major gaming conventions: You're subject to the wrath of the haters.
Have you entered the contest yet? Who do you should reign as Queen of the Homestead?
If you decide to write in a response, be sure to make your case in 30 sentences or less; artful responses are asked to be under 10 images. The grand prize winner will receive a whopping 500 Horseshoes and a FrontierVille t-shirt, while second and third runners up will earn 250 and 125 Horseshoes, respectively (and a t-shirt). Another 47 runners up will get a FrontierVille shirt as well. Just don't rock the new threads to any major gaming conventions: You're subject to the wrath of the haters.
Have you entered the contest yet? Who do you should reign as Queen of the Homestead?
Lunchtime Poll: How is the FarmVille English Countryside music?
The English Countryside, Zynga's first ever expansion to any of its games much less FarmVille, has been out for a few days now. As many of you likely agree, music in a videogame--even a Facebook game--can make it or break it. As with all of its games, Zynga composed a new theme song that plays on loop as you farm in England. So, we here at the office played a little game recently we call "How Long Until You Mute It." (We've already pitched it to GSN, so don't even try it.) Let's just say the winner lasted about 10 minutes, which is good for a 30-second track that endlessly loops. But we want to know what you think.
Do you like the English Countryside music?
I love it! It sounds so classically regalIt's good, but I turned it off after a few loops.I don't listen to game music as it is, so I wouldn't know.It's awful. Who could listen to that for even five minutes?
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Do you like the English Countryside music?
I love it! It sounds so classically regalIt's good, but I turned it off after a few loops.I don't listen to game music as it is, so I wouldn't know.It's awful. Who could listen to that for even five minutes?
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