It's been a month since the heated battle began between FrontierVille's Fanny Wildcat and Bess. Pioneers everywhere submitted their creative cases for either Fanny or Bess, and the Zynga community team has chosen their favorite submissions. The prize? The queendom over homesteads everywhere.
Really though, the winners receive a varying amount of Horseshoes and a FrontierVille t-shirt. And now the time has finally come to decide a finalist. Zynga has posted this survey on the FrontierVille fan page and it's up to you and your fellow pioneers to decide which is best.
Each of the 10 selections has a direct link to the submission itself, in case you forgot so soon. You're able to choose your three most beloved pieces of art or prose defending either Fanny or Bess. It's unknown how much time you have to participate, so you better do it quick if you want your favorite female to (and to make some pioneers very happy.)
Thứ Năm, 29 tháng 12, 2011
Mafia Wars: Catch up with triple mastery in Las Vegas and double loot from Fights
If you've fallen out of favor with Mafia Wars, and you aren't one of the "naughty" players that Zynga kicked from the game today, you'll be happy to know that Zynga wants you to catch up to your friends, or even pull ahead if you're a high-level player. They're allowing you to accomplish this over the next two days by offering two bonuses throughout the game. First, if you're a fan of the game's fighting mechanic, you'll earn double the loot from fights throughout this entire weekend.
The big news here though is the fact that until sometime next week (six days from now, to be exact), you'll be able to earn triple - yes, I said triple - the mastery points for completing a single mission in the Las Vegas portion of the game. Whether you've yet to step foot inside this virtual version of Sin City, or if you're just trying to finish off your last few missions, this triple mastery will have you doing so three times faster, meaning that you'll save tons of energy in the process! Who can argue with that?!
Have you already finished everything there is to accomplish in Mafia Wars: Las Vegas, or have you been waiting for such an event to catch up to your friends?
The big news here though is the fact that until sometime next week (six days from now, to be exact), you'll be able to earn triple - yes, I said triple - the mastery points for completing a single mission in the Las Vegas portion of the game. Whether you've yet to step foot inside this virtual version of Sin City, or if you're just trying to finish off your last few missions, this triple mastery will have you doing so three times faster, meaning that you'll save tons of energy in the process! Who can argue with that?!
Have you already finished everything there is to accomplish in Mafia Wars: Las Vegas, or have you been waiting for such an event to catch up to your friends?
FrontierVille Pee Collection: Don't eat the yellow snow
With the addition of a whole pack of puppies in FrontierVille, your land might start to become a bit cluttered with the... uh... wastes of those puppies. It seems Zynga is looking to celebrate this, however, rather than shun it, as they have quietly released the Pee Collection into the game.
This rather disgusting collection is full of five items that can be earned at random each time one of your puppies or dogs "makes wee-wee" on your land. In other words, you'll need to hurriedly finish the Pet Shop, and the accompanying Pet Shop goals to earn the right to have puppies on your land and then watch where you step! Here's what to keep an eye out for:
Yellow Snow
Damp Tree Trunk
Damp Bush
Damp Mailbox
Damp Leg
If we were still close enough to April Fool's Day, I would think that Zynga was playing a joke on us with this collection, but it seems entirely legit. For finding all five items, you'll earn a Yellow Snow Sign (a decoration made available at first last winter) and 50 XP. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go clean up after my puppies before their "business" stinks up the joint.
This rather disgusting collection is full of five items that can be earned at random each time one of your puppies or dogs "makes wee-wee" on your land. In other words, you'll need to hurriedly finish the Pet Shop, and the accompanying Pet Shop goals to earn the right to have puppies on your land and then watch where you step! Here's what to keep an eye out for:
Yellow Snow
Damp Tree Trunk
Damp Bush
Damp Mailbox
Damp Leg
If we were still close enough to April Fool's Day, I would think that Zynga was playing a joke on us with this collection, but it seems entirely legit. For finding all five items, you'll earn a Yellow Snow Sign (a decoration made available at first last winter) and 50 XP. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go clean up after my puppies before their "business" stinks up the joint.
Zynga launches Bingo on RewardVille: Play games for extra zPoints
While accepting my RewardVille gifts from Facebook just moments ago, I came across the RewardVille home page, where an interesting new development has launched in the form of RewardVille Bingo. When logging in, you'll see a miniaturized Bingo card of sorts at the top of the screen, where some of the participating Zynga games have been given their own squares. The point is to play a certain set of games within a 24 hour period to create a three-in-a-row pattern on your board, with the default RewardVille square acting as your "free space."
In the image above, I would need to play games like CityVille and Zynga Poker to create a vertical line, or play PetVille and FarmVille for a horizontal line. I suppose in that way, the game really resembles tic-tac-toe, rather than Bingo, but I digress. Once you earn a three-in-a-row line, you'll be rewarded with free zPoints. The first day, you'll earn 30 zPoints, the second day 40 and so on, until the end of the counter. Playing all five days in a row grants you a "Super Bingo Bonus" of 100 zPoints, making playing all of those days in a row definitely worth it.
To be clear, you won't have to login to RewardVille each time you play a new game, and for most players, you won't even need to try and complete a line on your card, as you might play enough games on your own to finish it automatically. In those cases, you can simply go about your business each day, and then add one last step of logging into RewardVille before signing off for the night. Your board updates with everything you've done that day and voila! Free zPoints are likely coming your way.
We'll make sure to keep an eye on this Bingo system, to ensure that other (non zPoint) prizes aren't added in the future.
In the image above, I would need to play games like CityVille and Zynga Poker to create a vertical line, or play PetVille and FarmVille for a horizontal line. I suppose in that way, the game really resembles tic-tac-toe, rather than Bingo, but I digress. Once you earn a three-in-a-row line, you'll be rewarded with free zPoints. The first day, you'll earn 30 zPoints, the second day 40 and so on, until the end of the counter. Playing all five days in a row grants you a "Super Bingo Bonus" of 100 zPoints, making playing all of those days in a row definitely worth it.
To be clear, you won't have to login to RewardVille each time you play a new game, and for most players, you won't even need to try and complete a line on your card, as you might play enough games on your own to finish it automatically. In those cases, you can simply go about your business each day, and then add one last step of logging into RewardVille before signing off for the night. Your board updates with everything you've done that day and voila! Free zPoints are likely coming your way.
We'll make sure to keep an eye on this Bingo system, to ensure that other (non zPoint) prizes aren't added in the future.
FarmVille: Crafting of Love Potions, Wooden Boards, Nails, and Bricks is here
Just today, we told you that there would soon be a way to craft Love Potions in FarmVille, allowing users to have more control over their Sheep and Pig Breeding. Apparently "soon" meant "this evening," as we've seen the release of not only a new Love Potion crafting recipe to the game, but also recipes that will let you craft Wooden Boards, Nails, and Bricks out of Bushels.
Sure, the idea of receiving wooden, or even metal items from crops is a bit outlandish, but if this is the only way Zynga could get it done, then we'll let go of reality. For the Potions, all users will be able to craft them inside the Pub in the English Countryside. A single Potion requires four Field Beans Bushels, 3 Pink Asters Bushels, and 5 English Peas Bushels. That's a heck of a lot of planting and farming for a single Love Potion, but I suppose if you're desperate to breed as many Sheep or Pigs as you can, it's something we'll have to accept.
As for the Wooden Board, Nail, and Brick recipes, these three are split between the three different kinds of general crafting buildings. That is, each type of building only has access to one recipe, so you'll only be able to craft one of the three items unless you shell out the Farm Cash to buy the other crafting buildings as well. The Spa, for instance, has access to crafting the Wooden Board, as you can see below. The Wooden Board takes four Morning Glory Bushels, five Lilac Bushels and three Sunflower Bushels.
If you have a Bakery, you'll be able to create Bricks, which require five Coffee Bushels, three Pepper Bushels, and four Ginger Bushels.
Finally, while we don't have an image of the Nail being crafted inside the Winery, we can tell you that it requires five White Grape Bushels, four Rice Bushels and three Grapes Bushels. We're working on bringing you an image of that recipe as soon as we can, but in the meantime, you can also spend your time stocking up on Love Potions, if you plan on breeding Sheep or Pigs in the near future.
What do you think of these interesting crafting recipes? Sure, it's great to be able to have access to these items, but does the fact that they're made out of crop Bushels bother you? What would you rather use instead?
Sure, the idea of receiving wooden, or even metal items from crops is a bit outlandish, but if this is the only way Zynga could get it done, then we'll let go of reality. For the Potions, all users will be able to craft them inside the Pub in the English Countryside. A single Potion requires four Field Beans Bushels, 3 Pink Asters Bushels, and 5 English Peas Bushels. That's a heck of a lot of planting and farming for a single Love Potion, but I suppose if you're desperate to breed as many Sheep or Pigs as you can, it's something we'll have to accept.
As for the Wooden Board, Nail, and Brick recipes, these three are split between the three different kinds of general crafting buildings. That is, each type of building only has access to one recipe, so you'll only be able to craft one of the three items unless you shell out the Farm Cash to buy the other crafting buildings as well. The Spa, for instance, has access to crafting the Wooden Board, as you can see below. The Wooden Board takes four Morning Glory Bushels, five Lilac Bushels and three Sunflower Bushels.
If you have a Bakery, you'll be able to create Bricks, which require five Coffee Bushels, three Pepper Bushels, and four Ginger Bushels.
Finally, while we don't have an image of the Nail being crafted inside the Winery, we can tell you that it requires five White Grape Bushels, four Rice Bushels and three Grapes Bushels. We're working on bringing you an image of that recipe as soon as we can, but in the meantime, you can also spend your time stocking up on Love Potions, if you plan on breeding Sheep or Pigs in the near future.
What do you think of these interesting crafting recipes? Sure, it's great to be able to have access to these items, but does the fact that they're made out of crop Bushels bother you? What would you rather use instead?
FarmVille: Giant Wedding Tree appearing from Mystery Seedlings
While I never seem to be lucky enough to receive one of these level 2 seedlings before they're released in the FarmVille marketplace, FVNation now has the news that a new tree is randomly appearing from Mystery Seedlings. The tree is the Giant Wedding Tree, which we first saw a glimpse of under a different name - the Crystal Trees - in a recent FarmVille Sneak Peek.
As usual, we expect that this Giant Wedding Tree will launch in the game's store officially in a matter of days - likely Sunday evening, when the entire store should receive an item update. For now though, be sure to be on the lookout for posts from your friends who've come across these trees and grown them, or for any Mystery Seedlings that they may share along the way.
[Image Credit: FVNation]
Have you received a Giant Wedding Tree from a Mystery Seedling? Let us know in the comments.
As usual, we expect that this Giant Wedding Tree will launch in the game's store officially in a matter of days - likely Sunday evening, when the entire store should receive an item update. For now though, be sure to be on the lookout for posts from your friends who've come across these trees and grown them, or for any Mystery Seedlings that they may share along the way.
[Image Credit: FVNation]
Have you received a Giant Wedding Tree from a Mystery Seedling? Let us know in the comments.
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 12, 2011
Live action Angry Birds! With real exploding green pigs! Watch it. [Video]
If you thought the Angry Birds cake was impressive, you ain't seen nothing yet. Rovio and Deutsche Telekom, a German television network, teamed up to create the largest, most ridiculously awesome game of Angry Birds you've ever seen. The game took place in a pavilion area in Terrassa, Spain, and Spanish news site Hasta los Juegos caught the game in action. The event was accompanied by a jazz band playing, of course, the Angry Birds theme song as green pigs exploded in tiny piglet bits. Now, where's my life sized Bejeweled Blitz?
[Via Pocket Gamer]
Were you there to see the Angry Birds game, by chance? Where would you like to see Angry Birds go next?
[Via Pocket Gamer]
Were you there to see the Angry Birds game, by chance? Where would you like to see Angry Birds go next?
A Mystical Land: Cartoony MMO bakes in Facebook sharing
The Facebook MMO (massively multiplayer game) fusion churns away with the release of A Mystical Land, a full-3D fantasy Facebook MMO by Berlin-based Neonga and Oregon-based Mad Otter Games. In A Mystical Land, players will journey through the land of Ardent, filled with monsters, magic and mighty warriors. You know, all that good stuff you can thank Tolkien and Dungeons and Dragons for. Unlike previous Facebook MMOs, this one in particular will soon bake Facebook right into the game, allowing players to post milestones to their Walls and add Facebook friends from within the game.
"A Mystical Land invites players to enter a world that has never been seen on Facebook before," says Neonga COO Markus Melching. "With its adorable look and feel, cheerful characters and charming setting, A Mystical Land provides the ideal game for Facebook users."
Because it's a 3D Facebook game, a plug-in called the Portalarium Player (remember what Richard Garriott was up to?) is required to play A Mystical Land. Though, if you're a big enough fantasy fanboy or girl, we're sure it'll be worth a shot.
Click here to play A Mystical Land on Facebook Now >
Have you already dove into A Mystical Land? What do you think of MMOs and Facebook games slowly fusing together?
"A Mystical Land invites players to enter a world that has never been seen on Facebook before," says Neonga COO Markus Melching. "With its adorable look and feel, cheerful characters and charming setting, A Mystical Land provides the ideal game for Facebook users."
Because it's a 3D Facebook game, a plug-in called the Portalarium Player (remember what Richard Garriott was up to?) is required to play A Mystical Land. Though, if you're a big enough fantasy fanboy or girl, we're sure it'll be worth a shot.
Click here to play A Mystical Land on Facebook Now >
Have you already dove into A Mystical Land? What do you think of MMOs and Facebook games slowly fusing together?
Tim Burton of video games plans to bring more 'twisted fairy tales' to a browser near you
If you 1. like filmmaker Tim Burton and 2. play video games, you're most likely familiar with American McGee, the quirky video game maker who, most recently, created 'Alice: Madness Returns' for Electronic Arts. This and the game's predecessor 'American McGee's Alice' (released way back in 2000), let players explore a dark and twisted version of the classic Alice in Wonderland story, complete with a blood-splattered heroine who wields a giant knife and uses an oversized pepper grinder like a Gatling gun.
Now that the new game is in stores, McGee says, in a recent blog post, that he and his studio, Spicy Horse, will be refocusing on creating free-to-play browser games, which will include some in the 'twisted fairy tale' genre (perhaps similar to the episodic American McGee's Grimm from 2008?), plus a new, not-yet-announced game created in collusion with Bejeweled maker PopCap. From McGee's blog:
Over the coming weeks and months we expect to announce more details about a range of exciting projects, including the collaboration with PopCap. For the "Alice" fans, we've got some twisted fairy tales being adapted into F2P format – very dark stuff. And the creative minds at the studio are also stretching out, building a diverse offering of IPs which we hope will capture audiences around the world.
One thing that McGee says the studio main focus is merging casual games with a top-notch 3D video game experience. "My belief is that this combination will be the next big wave in the casual online space," McGee says in the blog post. "Where audiences have had their fun with great 2D Facebook games, the market demands evolution, and we hope we've got the secret formula."
peggle bjorn unicorn american mcgee
Details on McGee's PopCap project are slim at the moment. All we know, thanks to Gamasutra, is that his studio is working on an online 3D version of one of PopCap's games, which will initially launch in Asia. I'm placing my bets on a new game based in the world of Peggle. That's complete speculation on my part, but you have to admit -- the Pachinko-style game's wacky mascots, such as Bjorn the Unicorn and Kat Tut, seem to fit right in with McGee's idiosyncratic sensibilities.
Now that the new game is in stores, McGee says, in a recent blog post, that he and his studio, Spicy Horse, will be refocusing on creating free-to-play browser games, which will include some in the 'twisted fairy tale' genre (perhaps similar to the episodic American McGee's Grimm from 2008?), plus a new, not-yet-announced game created in collusion with Bejeweled maker PopCap. From McGee's blog:
Over the coming weeks and months we expect to announce more details about a range of exciting projects, including the collaboration with PopCap. For the "Alice" fans, we've got some twisted fairy tales being adapted into F2P format – very dark stuff. And the creative minds at the studio are also stretching out, building a diverse offering of IPs which we hope will capture audiences around the world.
One thing that McGee says the studio main focus is merging casual games with a top-notch 3D video game experience. "My belief is that this combination will be the next big wave in the casual online space," McGee says in the blog post. "Where audiences have had their fun with great 2D Facebook games, the market demands evolution, and we hope we've got the secret formula."
peggle bjorn unicorn american mcgee
Details on McGee's PopCap project are slim at the moment. All we know, thanks to Gamasutra, is that his studio is working on an online 3D version of one of PopCap's games, which will initially launch in Asia. I'm placing my bets on a new game based in the world of Peggle. That's complete speculation on my part, but you have to admit -- the Pachinko-style game's wacky mascots, such as Bjorn the Unicorn and Kat Tut, seem to fit right in with McGee's idiosyncratic sensibilities.
Zynga Game Cards from Best Buy get Gaga-fied
Let's just face it: No one escapes the Gaga. Even electronics retailer Best Buy has been caught in Zynga's imminent Lady Gaga explosion in FarmVille. Effective immediately, players who buy $25 Zynga Game Cards from Best Buy can look forward to a bunch of digital goodies in addition to 145 Farm Cash.
We all know Lady Gaga does everything 200 percent (if you've ever seen her live performances), and this promotion with Zynga and Best Buy is no exception. When redeeming the game card, you will also receive a full download of Lady Gaga's upcoming album, Born This Way, with two exclusive bonus tracks as soon as it releases May 23.
But wait, there's more. In addition to two free Mystery Game Darts, Zynga has also included an item that can be found nowhere else: Lady Gaga's Unicorn. This most sparkly of horses is only available through this promotion, so get to it if you want this exclusive item. Honestly, this Zynga Game Card promotion is seriously impressive--just look at all the stuff you're getting. So, if you've yet to break the seal on buying Farm Cash, this would probably be a good time to do it.
We all know Lady Gaga does everything 200 percent (if you've ever seen her live performances), and this promotion with Zynga and Best Buy is no exception. When redeeming the game card, you will also receive a full download of Lady Gaga's upcoming album, Born This Way, with two exclusive bonus tracks as soon as it releases May 23.
But wait, there's more. In addition to two free Mystery Game Darts, Zynga has also included an item that can be found nowhere else: Lady Gaga's Unicorn. This most sparkly of horses is only available through this promotion, so get to it if you want this exclusive item. Honestly, this Zynga Game Card promotion is seriously impressive--just look at all the stuff you're getting. So, if you've yet to break the seal on buying Farm Cash, this would probably be a good time to do it.
FarmVille's 'unreleased' items: Do you sneak a peek or look the other way? [Poll]
FarmVille 'unreleased' items or FarmVille sneak peeks have been a staple of Games.com - The Blog! since, well, we started writing about Zynga's Facebook farm game waay back in 2009 (Can you believe the game's only been around for two years? I can't.). These articles give you a first look at features and special items that might be coming soon in the game, such as the Lady Gaga Gem Tree and Crystal Sheep.
My question to you is: Do you like getting the scoop on what's coming next in FarmVille? Or, do you prefer to avoid spoilers and keep the next big update a surprise? Sound off in today's lunchtime poll:
FarmVille unreleased items: Do you dig em?
Yes, I want to know everything as soon as possibleSometimes I like 'em, sometimes I don'tNo, they're total spoilersDon't play FarmVille
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
My question to you is: Do you like getting the scoop on what's coming next in FarmVille? Or, do you prefer to avoid spoilers and keep the next big update a surprise? Sound off in today's lunchtime poll:
FarmVille unreleased items: Do you dig em?
Yes, I want to know everything as soon as possibleSometimes I like 'em, sometimes I don'tNo, they're total spoilersDon't play FarmVille
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Chủ Nhật, 25 tháng 12, 2011
Mahjongg Dimensions sees addition of power-ups and bonus tiles in our exclusive first look
Attention all Mahjongg Dimensions fans! The folks at Arkadium have given us an exclusive first look at a major game update that will enhance your ability to make tile matches like never before! While the ultimate goal of creating as many tile matches and earning as many points in each 60-second gameplay segment has been retained, you'll soon have access to new bonus tiles that will have you earning more points than ever before.
After the update beta launches on June 30, we'll have access to at least three new types of tiles, along with all of the regular symbol tiles on the board: Yellow Tiles, Bomb Tiles, and Time Tiles. While we'll have to wait until the beta actually begins to find out exactly what these bonus tiles do, we can only assume that the Bomb Tiles will wipe out sections of the board or at least offer us bonus points, while Time Tiles will likely either freeze time or add more time to your clock.
In addition, instead of being able to activate only a single Boost at the beginning of a game as is the case now, we'll be able to choose up to three to combine at once. The combination you choose (score multipliers, elemental bonuses, time bonuses, etc.) will have a great impact on your game's result, so you'll need to use strategy and a bit of practice to determine the best combination for the highest scores possible. After all, while these new features may add more to the gameplay experience, they don't deter from the overall goal of climbing as high as you can on that friend leaderboard!
Finally, a new XP and level system will allow you to earn experience points for playing, which work towards unlocking some new features. What new features? Well, for one, we know that you'll need to level up quite a bit to unlock all three Boost slots, as you can see in these images, but we're sure the folks at Arkadium have tons more up their sleeves.
All of these changes have been inspired by feedback Arkadium has received from fans. With over 800,000 monthly players, that's a ton of heads to scratch for new ideas, and it seems that Arkadium is implementing plenty of them to make the game even better than before.
Could these changes help Mahjongg Dimensions once again climb the leaderboards to take on 60-second gameplay mainstays like Bejeweled Blitz and Zuma Blitz? With more information about the beta coming at a later date, we'll make sure to let you know if that ends up being the case.
Are you a long-time Mahjongg Dimensions fan? Are these changes those that you've hoped would be added? Will you come back to the game after an absence due to these changes?
After the update beta launches on June 30, we'll have access to at least three new types of tiles, along with all of the regular symbol tiles on the board: Yellow Tiles, Bomb Tiles, and Time Tiles. While we'll have to wait until the beta actually begins to find out exactly what these bonus tiles do, we can only assume that the Bomb Tiles will wipe out sections of the board or at least offer us bonus points, while Time Tiles will likely either freeze time or add more time to your clock.
In addition, instead of being able to activate only a single Boost at the beginning of a game as is the case now, we'll be able to choose up to three to combine at once. The combination you choose (score multipliers, elemental bonuses, time bonuses, etc.) will have a great impact on your game's result, so you'll need to use strategy and a bit of practice to determine the best combination for the highest scores possible. After all, while these new features may add more to the gameplay experience, they don't deter from the overall goal of climbing as high as you can on that friend leaderboard!
Finally, a new XP and level system will allow you to earn experience points for playing, which work towards unlocking some new features. What new features? Well, for one, we know that you'll need to level up quite a bit to unlock all three Boost slots, as you can see in these images, but we're sure the folks at Arkadium have tons more up their sleeves.
All of these changes have been inspired by feedback Arkadium has received from fans. With over 800,000 monthly players, that's a ton of heads to scratch for new ideas, and it seems that Arkadium is implementing plenty of them to make the game even better than before.
Could these changes help Mahjongg Dimensions once again climb the leaderboards to take on 60-second gameplay mainstays like Bejeweled Blitz and Zuma Blitz? With more information about the beta coming at a later date, we'll make sure to let you know if that ends up being the case.
Are you a long-time Mahjongg Dimensions fan? Are these changes those that you've hoped would be added? Will you come back to the game after an absence due to these changes?
FrontierVille Pioneer Trail: Catch crawdads in scenic Beaver Valley
Two new pieces of information have been released about FrontierVille's Pioneer Trail this week, with Zynga releasing images showing what Beaver Valley itself will look like on the FrontierVille fan page (remember, we knew of Beaver Valley's existence via the Trail Map image that has also been released), and giving us a bit of information about what our carpenter and hunter will spend their time doing on the trail.
The image above shows us beautiful Beaver Valley, while the image below shows us a set of crawdad traps. We've been told that "the creeks in Beaver Valley are burstin' with crawdads! Yer hunter can rustle up meat fer bait, and yer handy carpenter can build a trap to nab 'em! Be sure to get plenty o' hot sauce and invite yer friends to squeeze the tails and suck the heads."
While we're left with that lovely thought, we can also take some time to further speculate as to what all of this means. Will we need to collect building supplies from friends to actually construct crawdad nets like we do other buildings? Will we have to hunt for our own bait, or do we really have to leave that up to the hunter? All of these questions will be answered in time, and I know I for one simply can't wait to find out the answers. Come on Zynga!
What do you think of these two new pieces of information about the Pioneer Trail? Are you excited about the idea of actually hunting these wild animals virtually, or would you rather leave that task to friends?
The image above shows us beautiful Beaver Valley, while the image below shows us a set of crawdad traps. We've been told that "the creeks in Beaver Valley are burstin' with crawdads! Yer hunter can rustle up meat fer bait, and yer handy carpenter can build a trap to nab 'em! Be sure to get plenty o' hot sauce and invite yer friends to squeeze the tails and suck the heads."
While we're left with that lovely thought, we can also take some time to further speculate as to what all of this means. Will we need to collect building supplies from friends to actually construct crawdad nets like we do other buildings? Will we have to hunt for our own bait, or do we really have to leave that up to the hunter? All of these questions will be answered in time, and I know I for one simply can't wait to find out the answers. Come on Zynga!
What do you think of these two new pieces of information about the Pioneer Trail? Are you excited about the idea of actually hunting these wild animals virtually, or would you rather leave that task to friends?
FarmVille: Farmers Insurance returns to the farm for round two
While we've known that Farmers Insurance would be making a comeback to FarmVille this month, we didn't have an exact date for its return. Turns out that the return day was today, as you can now visit Farmer Bob's farm and help it recover from a "terrible disaster" by simply clicking on the picture of Prof. Burke from the University of Farmers in your friends list, as seen above.
You see, Farmer Bob's farm seems to have been the victim of a terrible dust storm, which has also brought out all sorts of vile varmints and withered all of his crops. A simple click of this button brings in the Farmers Insurance blimp, which restores everything to its former glory. But of course, you probably don't care about the stability of Bob's farm - you just want your prizes, which is perfectly understandable. For helping out, you'll receive two Unwither applications and another Farmers Airship, which can both be found in your Gift Box back on your own farm.
It should be noted that there might be a problem with this promotion as of this writing, as I personally received two Unwither applications in my inventory, while other players have only received one. Refreshing the game didn't make this extra Unwither go away, so did I just get extremely lucky, or is the amount of Unwithers random? We'll make sure to let you know if we figure that one out. In the meantime, the Blimp itself doesn't appear to serve any purpose as of this writing, although one could be added in the future (if there is, we'll make sure to let you know).
What do you think of this newest Farmers Insurance promotion in FarmVille? Would you rather the Blimp served a purpose, or are you a fan of new sponsored decorations?
You see, Farmer Bob's farm seems to have been the victim of a terrible dust storm, which has also brought out all sorts of vile varmints and withered all of his crops. A simple click of this button brings in the Farmers Insurance blimp, which restores everything to its former glory. But of course, you probably don't care about the stability of Bob's farm - you just want your prizes, which is perfectly understandable. For helping out, you'll receive two Unwither applications and another Farmers Airship, which can both be found in your Gift Box back on your own farm.
It should be noted that there might be a problem with this promotion as of this writing, as I personally received two Unwither applications in my inventory, while other players have only received one. Refreshing the game didn't make this extra Unwither go away, so did I just get extremely lucky, or is the amount of Unwithers random? We'll make sure to let you know if we figure that one out. In the meantime, the Blimp itself doesn't appear to serve any purpose as of this writing, although one could be added in the future (if there is, we'll make sure to let you know).
What do you think of this newest Farmers Insurance promotion in FarmVille? Would you rather the Blimp served a purpose, or are you a fan of new sponsored decorations?
FarmVille: Returning UFO items are out of this world
Tonight's FarmVille update sees a temporary re-release of one of the rarest items themes in the game (and also one of the smallest) - the UFO or alien theme. As part of Zynga's second birthday celebration for the game, you can now pick up UFO themed animals and decorations, along with a new vehicle. Here's a full look at what's once again available (I hope you've been saving your Farm Cash):
Animals:
E-QUESTR10N (Horse) - 24 Farm Cash
B0V1NE-09 (Cow) - 20 Farm Cash
Decorations:
Crop Circle Finale - 20 Farm Cash
Crashed UFO - 30 Farm Cash
Alien Outpost - 14 Farm Cash
Vehicles:
UFO (Biplane) - 40 Farm Cash
See? I told you this theme was small. Still, the novelty and rarity of many of these items explains much of their high price tag, and could also justify a purchase, in at least this farmer's eyes. Will you join me in finally spending some Farm Cash on these items, or do you already have them on your farm? Either way, you only have a single day to make up your mind, as these items will float back up into outer space after that point, perhaps never to be seen again.
Let us know what you think of these items in the comments. Would you purchase them if available for coins, or are you fine with paying Farm Cash for items that are this rarely seen in the game?
Animals:
E-QUESTR10N (Horse) - 24 Farm Cash
B0V1NE-09 (Cow) - 20 Farm Cash
Decorations:
Crop Circle Finale - 20 Farm Cash
Crashed UFO - 30 Farm Cash
Alien Outpost - 14 Farm Cash
Vehicles:
UFO (Biplane) - 40 Farm Cash
See? I told you this theme was small. Still, the novelty and rarity of many of these items explains much of their high price tag, and could also justify a purchase, in at least this farmer's eyes. Will you join me in finally spending some Farm Cash on these items, or do you already have them on your farm? Either way, you only have a single day to make up your mind, as these items will float back up into outer space after that point, perhaps never to be seen again.
Let us know what you think of these items in the comments. Would you purchase them if available for coins, or are you fine with paying Farm Cash for items that are this rarely seen in the game?
CityVille: Grow Pineapples to give your city a tropical touch
A new limited edition crop has been added to CityVille that looks to help the game continue in its recent summer theme. However, don't get too excited about this one, as it will cost you City Cash for each individual square you plant. The crop is the Pineapple, and it is available from the regular Crops section of the game's store.
You can plant a single square of Pineapples for 3 City Cash, and while the growth time is instant, you'll only receive 95 Goods per square planted. Sure, that's a great turnaround on an instantly growing crop, but if you instead decide to save your City Cash and grow regular crops, you can each just as many Goods, if not more, by waiting a day and planting Corn, for instance.
Still, if you have plenty of City Cash to throw around, and simply don't want to wait for your crops to grow, this is definitely an option - but only a limited one, as these Pineapples won't be around forever.
Will you plant a field full of Pineapples in your city, or are you sticking with crops that won't cost you any real world money to plant?
You can plant a single square of Pineapples for 3 City Cash, and while the growth time is instant, you'll only receive 95 Goods per square planted. Sure, that's a great turnaround on an instantly growing crop, but if you instead decide to save your City Cash and grow regular crops, you can each just as many Goods, if not more, by waiting a day and planting Corn, for instance.
Still, if you have plenty of City Cash to throw around, and simply don't want to wait for your crops to grow, this is definitely an option - but only a limited one, as these Pineapples won't be around forever.
Will you plant a field full of Pineapples in your city, or are you sticking with crops that won't cost you any real world money to plant?
Thứ Năm, 22 tháng 12, 2011
There are 12M monthly paying Facebook gamers in the U.S.
When compared to the 700 million total Facebook users, this seems minuscule. But remember that under 12 million World of Warcraft players pay $15 every month. PayPal says in a new infographic that 12 million monthly Facebook gamers in the U.S. pay for content in their favorite games. And here's something else: Of those 12 million monthly players, 58 percent of them spend between $10 and $50 on games like FarmVille.
But a tiny 9 percent of that 12 million, just over 1 million, spend $50 or more on Facebook games every month. It was previously estimated that anywhere from 1 to 3 percent of all Facebook gamers pay big every month for new goodies in their games. Then according to PayPal, U.S. Facebook gamers make up just about two-fifths of a percent of the globe's "whales," a casino term that's been applied to these big social spenders.
However, this number was sourced from U.S. social gamers alone, and Facebook games are a global industry. So, you can imagine that the percentage of paying players worldwide is even larger. The oft-sputtered and mystical "1 to 3 percent" has been demystified, at least in the U.S. (judging from PayPal's findings). As the number paying Facebook gamers increases, it'll be interesting to see not only how (or if at all) prices change for Farm Cash, but how pricing changes for hardcore games.
But a tiny 9 percent of that 12 million, just over 1 million, spend $50 or more on Facebook games every month. It was previously estimated that anywhere from 1 to 3 percent of all Facebook gamers pay big every month for new goodies in their games. Then according to PayPal, U.S. Facebook gamers make up just about two-fifths of a percent of the globe's "whales," a casino term that's been applied to these big social spenders.
However, this number was sourced from U.S. social gamers alone, and Facebook games are a global industry. So, you can imagine that the percentage of paying players worldwide is even larger. The oft-sputtered and mystical "1 to 3 percent" has been demystified, at least in the U.S. (judging from PayPal's findings). As the number paying Facebook gamers increases, it'll be interesting to see not only how (or if at all) prices change for Farm Cash, but how pricing changes for hardcore games.
Bejeweled Blitz Cheats & Tips: 'Elite Technique' flicks your way to high scores
Every Bejeweled Blitz player should know the name "Kirbbard" cause he's the guy who discovered the 'Elite Technique' and shared it with the world (via YouTube) before his retirement from blitzing last May.
The Elite Technique allows players to merge gems that wouldn't otherwise be possible. Without power-ups or any kind of boosts, Kirbbard was able to score within the 800K range (the highest recognized score bracket is 500K). That's because merging gems lets you create Power Gems (these explode) and Hypercubes (these destroy all gems of the same color on the grid at your discretion).
While there's no guarantee that you'll score higher than the Blitz Bot, the Elite Technique is a valuable tactic in player strategy. It's also perfectly legit, so you're not cheating. On top of that, it takes a bit of skill to master as you're still relying on your own eyes and speed to spot the best clusters to use this technique on.
Here's a video with great examples of Elite Technique in action. For newbies who need to take this slow, here's a video tutorial for beginners that gives you the simple lowdown, how-to in both English and Chinese. Once you're done with the basics, move on to the advanced tutorial here.
The Elite Technique allows players to merge gems that wouldn't otherwise be possible. Without power-ups or any kind of boosts, Kirbbard was able to score within the 800K range (the highest recognized score bracket is 500K). That's because merging gems lets you create Power Gems (these explode) and Hypercubes (these destroy all gems of the same color on the grid at your discretion).
While there's no guarantee that you'll score higher than the Blitz Bot, the Elite Technique is a valuable tactic in player strategy. It's also perfectly legit, so you're not cheating. On top of that, it takes a bit of skill to master as you're still relying on your own eyes and speed to spot the best clusters to use this technique on.
Here's a video with great examples of Elite Technique in action. For newbies who need to take this slow, here's a video tutorial for beginners that gives you the simple lowdown, how-to in both English and Chinese. Once you're done with the basics, move on to the advanced tutorial here.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Raffle Booth raffles off Fuel, Farm Aides et al
"You mean we're getting an alternative to that blasted Mystery Game," players excitedly asked as they read the news. Unfortunately, it's not looking that way, but color us excited regardless. The Raffle Booth has been discovered in FarmVille, and it looks like a brand new building and feature.
Judging from these leaked images, the Raffle Booth will provide players with three different varieties of Raffle Tickets (red, yellow and blue) that can be turned in for enhancements like Turbo Boosts or resources like Fuel.
The Raffle Booth seems to operate much like a real raffle. Items will populate the screen, and random tickets will be drawn. The more tickets you have, the higher chance you have of your number being called and winning a prize.
Players will be able to either ask their friends for more tickets, or buy them with Farm Cash. However, we still don't know what each color implies. (Could each color stand for a certain grade of prizes?)
FarmVille Raffle Booth dude Red Raffle Booth Ticket Yellow Raffle Booth Ticket Blue Raffle Booth Ticket
A new character will be introduced to the game as well with a beard that makes me jealous. He'll be your guide across at least three quests that will introduce you to the new feature and likely the building's three stages. I wouldn't expect super rare animals or decorations to come out of this feature like they do in the Mystery Game.
FarmVille Raffle Booth inside
Luckily, there are a ton of sought-after resources--that cost lots of Farm Cash otherwise, mind you--and Boosts that will be available for free. Well, with a lot of work and a little luck, of course. Don't worry, you'll learn more as soon as we do, so stay tuned.
Raffle Booth Ticket Fuel Raffle Booth Ticket Farmhand Raffle Booth Ticket Vehicle Part Raffle Booth Ticket Love Potion
[Source and Image Credits: FarmVille Pro, FarmVile Cool]
Are you excited for the arrival of the Raffle Booth in FarmVille? Which of these displayed items are you most interested in grabbing for free?
Judging from these leaked images, the Raffle Booth will provide players with three different varieties of Raffle Tickets (red, yellow and blue) that can be turned in for enhancements like Turbo Boosts or resources like Fuel.
The Raffle Booth seems to operate much like a real raffle. Items will populate the screen, and random tickets will be drawn. The more tickets you have, the higher chance you have of your number being called and winning a prize.
Players will be able to either ask their friends for more tickets, or buy them with Farm Cash. However, we still don't know what each color implies. (Could each color stand for a certain grade of prizes?)
FarmVille Raffle Booth dude Red Raffle Booth Ticket Yellow Raffle Booth Ticket Blue Raffle Booth Ticket
A new character will be introduced to the game as well with a beard that makes me jealous. He'll be your guide across at least three quests that will introduce you to the new feature and likely the building's three stages. I wouldn't expect super rare animals or decorations to come out of this feature like they do in the Mystery Game.
FarmVille Raffle Booth inside
Luckily, there are a ton of sought-after resources--that cost lots of Farm Cash otherwise, mind you--and Boosts that will be available for free. Well, with a lot of work and a little luck, of course. Don't worry, you'll learn more as soon as we do, so stay tuned.
Raffle Booth Ticket Fuel Raffle Booth Ticket Farmhand Raffle Booth Ticket Vehicle Part Raffle Booth Ticket Love Potion
[Source and Image Credits: FarmVille Pro, FarmVile Cool]
Are you excited for the arrival of the Raffle Booth in FarmVille? Which of these displayed items are you most interested in grabbing for free?
Building the CityVille Go Karts Attraction: Everything you need to know
Anyone who tells you that they went on summer vacation, and go karts weren't involved, didn't really go on vacation. Zynga has released Attractions to CityVille, a feature within a feature of sorts.
These unique businesses benefit the most when operating just after you release Hotel guests or welcome Cruise Ships. The first of what we expect to be a series of attractions are the Go Karts.
Check the Build menu under the Businesses tab to find the Go Karts which cost a whopping 25 thousand Coins. Once you scrounge up enough cash for it, build the foundation using a few Energy, and then click on the building to finish it. The Go Karts, like many businesses and community buildings, requires special materials found through friends to complete.
CityVille Go Karts build menu
Go Kart Wrench IconWhen the Go Karts are ready for business, it's up to you to decide when it is ready for customers. However, attractions also require repairs in between the times they're open for business. Here's a breakdown of how the Go Karts--and all attractions, really--operate:
Release Hotel Resort guests and Cruise Ship Tourists
Click on the Go Karts in order to open it to customers. (Go Karts are only open for three minutes at a time.)
Hover over the Go Karts to see how much time is left and how many customers have visited.
When the money bag icon appears, click it to collect your earnings. (Go Karts earn between 800 and 3,000.)
After collecting, click on the wrench icon to begin the repairs process.
Rinse and repeat until filthy rich.
Maintenance Go Karts
Like we said, attractions need regular maintenance. Players can simply wait for the timer, which in this case is a whopping 24 hours, before reopening the gates. However, you can also ask your friends for Wrenches, which will allow your attraction to reopen instantly when three are collected--at least in the Go Karts' case--and increase your payouts next time. We hope this is the first of many attractions, as they add a much-welcomed albeit thin layer of strategy to making money in-game.
These unique businesses benefit the most when operating just after you release Hotel guests or welcome Cruise Ships. The first of what we expect to be a series of attractions are the Go Karts.
Check the Build menu under the Businesses tab to find the Go Karts which cost a whopping 25 thousand Coins. Once you scrounge up enough cash for it, build the foundation using a few Energy, and then click on the building to finish it. The Go Karts, like many businesses and community buildings, requires special materials found through friends to complete.
CityVille Go Karts build menu
Go Kart Wrench IconWhen the Go Karts are ready for business, it's up to you to decide when it is ready for customers. However, attractions also require repairs in between the times they're open for business. Here's a breakdown of how the Go Karts--and all attractions, really--operate:
Release Hotel Resort guests and Cruise Ship Tourists
Click on the Go Karts in order to open it to customers. (Go Karts are only open for three minutes at a time.)
Hover over the Go Karts to see how much time is left and how many customers have visited.
When the money bag icon appears, click it to collect your earnings. (Go Karts earn between 800 and 3,000.)
After collecting, click on the wrench icon to begin the repairs process.
Rinse and repeat until filthy rich.
Maintenance Go Karts
Like we said, attractions need regular maintenance. Players can simply wait for the timer, which in this case is a whopping 24 hours, before reopening the gates. However, you can also ask your friends for Wrenches, which will allow your attraction to reopen instantly when three are collected--at least in the Go Karts' case--and increase your payouts next time. We hope this is the first of many attractions, as they add a much-welcomed albeit thin layer of strategy to making money in-game.
Penny Arcade: When free games aren't really free
Popular video game-centric comic Penny Arcade exposes the dark underbelly of 'free-to-play' games, such as League of Legends and FarmVille. Yup, this pretty much says it all.
How much money have you spent in 'free' games?
How much money have you spent in 'free' games?
Thứ Sáu, 16 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille Mystery Game (09/25/11): Dairy animals take the spotlight
Last week, the FarmVille Mystery Game contained Livestock animals to go along with the Livestock Pen animal habitat that had recently been released. Well, you might be able to guess what this week's game would contain then, in response. With the launch of the Cow Pasture last week, this week's Mystery Game is full of cows and bulls that will help you earn all sorts of calves.
This week's Mystery Game costs 20 Farm Cash per dart, but remember that you may end up with duplicates in the process of going for them all. There are six basic prizes available in this week's game, along with the expected bonus prize that we'll get to later. For now, here are the six animals you can win by popping balloons:
Ayrshire Cow
Black Angus Bull
Brown Swiss Cow
Canadienne Cow
Guernsey Cow
Norwegian Red Cow
If you can manage to win all six of these (through either luck or pure determination - and tons of Farm Cash), you'll receive a Randall Bull as a free gift. Although, when it really comes down to it, you will have spent so many Farm Cash on these first six animals, I'm not sure if "free" is the appropriate word here.
Either way, you'll have just a single week to earn these six (potentially seven dairy animals) before they go into retirement with no guarantee that they'll be re-released. Good luck if you're going for all seven!
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Will you take a stab at this week's Mystery Game in FarmVille? Which of the six animals would you most hope to win? Which ones did you receive?
This week's Mystery Game costs 20 Farm Cash per dart, but remember that you may end up with duplicates in the process of going for them all. There are six basic prizes available in this week's game, along with the expected bonus prize that we'll get to later. For now, here are the six animals you can win by popping balloons:
Ayrshire Cow
Black Angus Bull
Brown Swiss Cow
Canadienne Cow
Guernsey Cow
Norwegian Red Cow
If you can manage to win all six of these (through either luck or pure determination - and tons of Farm Cash), you'll receive a Randall Bull as a free gift. Although, when it really comes down to it, you will have spent so many Farm Cash on these first six animals, I'm not sure if "free" is the appropriate word here.
Either way, you'll have just a single week to earn these six (potentially seven dairy animals) before they go into retirement with no guarantee that they'll be re-released. Good luck if you're going for all seven!
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Will you take a stab at this week's Mystery Game in FarmVille? Which of the six animals would you most hope to win? Which ones did you receive?
FarmVille Raffle Booth (09/25/11): Win a Lily Pond or Summer House
The FarmVille Raffle Booth has been updated once again this evening, with three prizes being those you'd expect, and two that are far better, if not entirely original. Remember, if you don't see these items in your Raffle Booth right away, it's likely due to the fact that you haven't traded in last week's Raffle Tickets, so you'll need to do that (and see if you won any of last week's prizes) before you can see these new prizes and start gathering tickets all over again. Here's the set of prizes for this week's raffle, along with your odds of winning them.
10 Special Delivery Boxes - 1:5
3 Farmhands - 1:20
5 Love Potions - 1:50
Summer House - 1:200
Lily Pond - 1:500
Remember, these odds simply mean that you'll have a 1 in 500 chance of winning the Lily Pond, as a particular example. Of course, that means you'll have a far better chance of winning the first two prizes, or even the third prize (the Love Potions) before you'll walk away with the top two prizes for this week. Still, Raffle Tickets are free, so long as your friends send them to you (they can also be purchased with Farm Cash), so there's no harm in trying and hoping to win them all!
Which of this week's prizes are you most hoping to win with your Raffle Tickets? Did you walk away with the top prize last week
10 Special Delivery Boxes - 1:5
3 Farmhands - 1:20
5 Love Potions - 1:50
Summer House - 1:200
Lily Pond - 1:500
Remember, these odds simply mean that you'll have a 1 in 500 chance of winning the Lily Pond, as a particular example. Of course, that means you'll have a far better chance of winning the first two prizes, or even the third prize (the Love Potions) before you'll walk away with the top two prizes for this week. Still, Raffle Tickets are free, so long as your friends send them to you (they can also be purchased with Farm Cash), so there's no harm in trying and hoping to win them all!
Which of this week's prizes are you most hoping to win with your Raffle Tickets? Did you walk away with the top prize last week
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Items: American Aspen Tree, Draft Horse, Anchor Statue and more
With tonight's FarmVille update, we see a continuation of the Lighthouse Cove limited edition item theme in the game's store. As a reminder, these items may be in the new Lighthouse Cove theme (corresponding with the game's newest farm), but they can be purchased and used on other farms. As of right now, however, there's no way to get items from the Lighthouse Cove and onto other farms, so you'll have to purchase more than one of each item for each farm until the FarmVille team fixes that issue. That all being said, here's a complete look at the newly available items!
Trees
American Aspen Tree - 8 Farm Cash
European Aspen Tree - 14 Farm Cash
Unfortunately, these items don't come with sale prices like those released in the last Lighthouse Cove release, so you'll be stuck paying the full (high) price for these trees. Of course, you only ever should purchase the Level 1 tree in these pairings, with this one being the American Aspen Tree. You'll be able to earn the European Aspen Tree for free (eventually) by growing Mystery Seedlings.
Animals
Draft Horse - 26 Farm Cash
American Buff - 8 Farm Cash
The American Buff is a kind of Goose, so you'll (in theory) be able to breed it inside your Aviary animal habitats. Either way, just purchasing a single American Buff gives you access to the animal's animal mastery sign, so you'll earn it eventually (if that's what you're interested in). As for the Draft Horse, this one rewards you with 2,600 experience points for purchasing it.
Buildings
Clock Tower - 20 Farm Cash
This Clock Tower is unfortunately the only new building released this week, but that just makes it all the more special. It's an incredibly tall building, so you'll likely want to place it on the outskirts of your farm (towards the top of the screen) so that it doesn't block your view of anything resting "behind" it.
Decorations
Pumpkin Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Anchor Statue - 40,000 coins
Sunflower Pot - 8,000 coins
Autumn Fall - 30 Farm Cash
Trawler Gnome - 18 Farm Cash
Hayride Wagon - 80,000 coins
As fall is now officially upon us, it's not surprising to see a return of items like the Autumn Fall and Hayride Wagon to the game. Just make sure to check your storage before purchasing these re-released items to make sure you're not needlessly purchasing duplicates.
While there's no word when this "theme" of items will officially end, I am starting to wonder when exactly we'll see the game switch from Lighthouse Cove to Halloween in overall theme. Regardless of when it happens, you can be sure we'll be there every step of the way to help you prepare for the beginning of FarmVille's lengthy in-game holiday season.
What do you think of this newest set of Lighthouse Cove items?
Trees
American Aspen Tree - 8 Farm Cash
European Aspen Tree - 14 Farm Cash
Unfortunately, these items don't come with sale prices like those released in the last Lighthouse Cove release, so you'll be stuck paying the full (high) price for these trees. Of course, you only ever should purchase the Level 1 tree in these pairings, with this one being the American Aspen Tree. You'll be able to earn the European Aspen Tree for free (eventually) by growing Mystery Seedlings.
Animals
Draft Horse - 26 Farm Cash
American Buff - 8 Farm Cash
The American Buff is a kind of Goose, so you'll (in theory) be able to breed it inside your Aviary animal habitats. Either way, just purchasing a single American Buff gives you access to the animal's animal mastery sign, so you'll earn it eventually (if that's what you're interested in). As for the Draft Horse, this one rewards you with 2,600 experience points for purchasing it.
Buildings
Clock Tower - 20 Farm Cash
This Clock Tower is unfortunately the only new building released this week, but that just makes it all the more special. It's an incredibly tall building, so you'll likely want to place it on the outskirts of your farm (towards the top of the screen) so that it doesn't block your view of anything resting "behind" it.
Decorations
Pumpkin Gnome - 15 Farm Cash
Anchor Statue - 40,000 coins
Sunflower Pot - 8,000 coins
Autumn Fall - 30 Farm Cash
Trawler Gnome - 18 Farm Cash
Hayride Wagon - 80,000 coins
As fall is now officially upon us, it's not surprising to see a return of items like the Autumn Fall and Hayride Wagon to the game. Just make sure to check your storage before purchasing these re-released items to make sure you're not needlessly purchasing duplicates.
While there's no word when this "theme" of items will officially end, I am starting to wonder when exactly we'll see the game switch from Lighthouse Cove to Halloween in overall theme. Regardless of when it happens, you can be sure we'll be there every step of the way to help you prepare for the beginning of FarmVille's lengthy in-game holiday season.
What do you think of this newest set of Lighthouse Cove items?
FarmVille farmers might endorse presidential candidates in-game
Soon, you might be able to show your red (or blue) colors on your digital lawn. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that social media consulting firm Campaign Solutions is working to bring political campaigns into Facebook games, namely Zynga's FarmVille. Michael Hendrix, a consultant for the firm working on Rep. Michele Bachmann's, R-Minn., presidential ad campaign, is at the helm.
"We'll throw out four or five different messages targeting different demographics," Hendrix told the San Francisco Chronicle. "You're trying to figure out which message will drive a higher response." After working with advertising tools created by Facebook to directly target Bachmann's (a Tea Party supporter) demographic, his next message is said to hit FarmVille later this year.
The consultant has "written software" that will allow players to campaign for their candidate of choice by visiting their friends' farms spreading the message. FarmVille players will also be able to place yard signs on their farms, showing support for their favorite candidate. "The majority of social gamers are stay-at-home moms over 38," said Hendrix to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The consultant hopes to use FarmVille "to target soccer moms again." According to the report, Hendrix is looking squarely at Republican supporters in his campaign. However, nothing is said of whether Campaign Solutions's efforts will include support for Democratic candidates.
We'd imagine that, if this campaign were to actually happen in FarmVille, it would have to appeal to both sides of the political spectrum. Otherwise, players might get the impression that Zynga itself is expressing its support one way or the other. Zynga has yet to mention any collaboration with this firm, so we've contacted the company for comment.
[Image Credit: Kevin Bondelli]
Would you campaign for your favorite presidential candidate in FarmVille? How do you feel about Zynga potentially allowing players to express their political opinions in-game?
"We'll throw out four or five different messages targeting different demographics," Hendrix told the San Francisco Chronicle. "You're trying to figure out which message will drive a higher response." After working with advertising tools created by Facebook to directly target Bachmann's (a Tea Party supporter) demographic, his next message is said to hit FarmVille later this year.
The consultant has "written software" that will allow players to campaign for their candidate of choice by visiting their friends' farms spreading the message. FarmVille players will also be able to place yard signs on their farms, showing support for their favorite candidate. "The majority of social gamers are stay-at-home moms over 38," said Hendrix to the San Francisco Chronicle.
The consultant hopes to use FarmVille "to target soccer moms again." According to the report, Hendrix is looking squarely at Republican supporters in his campaign. However, nothing is said of whether Campaign Solutions's efforts will include support for Democratic candidates.
We'd imagine that, if this campaign were to actually happen in FarmVille, it would have to appeal to both sides of the political spectrum. Otherwise, players might get the impression that Zynga itself is expressing its support one way or the other. Zynga has yet to mention any collaboration with this firm, so we've contacted the company for comment.
[Image Credit: Kevin Bondelli]
Would you campaign for your favorite presidential candidate in FarmVille? How do you feel about Zynga potentially allowing players to express their political opinions in-game?
Zynga looks to give CityVille a boost, launches on Google+ Games
CityVille might have just scored a much-needed shot in the arm, as Zynga's most popular Facebook game has launched on Google+. Zynga announced the move today, and the game is already playable on the platform. Unfortunately, folks who decide to take the plunge into CityVille on Google+ Games will have to start all over again.
But considering its top game has been in decline in both monthly and daily players for some time, it's clear that Zynga is looking for new users with this move. Before today, CityVille was exclusive to Facebook for Western audiences, though the developer will soon expand the game to Asian audiences on the Tencent social network.
It was previously understood that Zynga had an agreement with Facebook that prevented the company from launching its games on directly-competing platforms. It looks like there is some fine print in that exclusivity deal that allows Zynga to do just that. This is especially evident considering Zynga has already released Zynga Poker to Google+ Games. With the largest Facebook game now on Google+ Games, Facebook's competitor just received reinforcements in its battle for social gaming dominance. (Now, Google+ has a whopping 18 social games!)
However, this move also speaks to Zynga's growing understanding that it needs to expand to grow its thriving business. With games like EA's The Sims Social gaining fast on the red dog's top spot with now over 60 million monthly players, competition is growing for the developer on Facebook.
Zynga is also hopeful that diversification will help the company grow and increase revenues ahead of its planned $1 billion IPO (initial public offering), the prospects of which have become shaky lately. Hopefully for Google, the presence of a huge name like CityVille will instill confidence in developers to bring new game ideas to Google+.
[Via VentureBeat]
Do you plan to try out CityVille on Google+ Games? Do you think CityVille has seen its best days, or will this expansion help the game find its second wind?
But considering its top game has been in decline in both monthly and daily players for some time, it's clear that Zynga is looking for new users with this move. Before today, CityVille was exclusive to Facebook for Western audiences, though the developer will soon expand the game to Asian audiences on the Tencent social network.
It was previously understood that Zynga had an agreement with Facebook that prevented the company from launching its games on directly-competing platforms. It looks like there is some fine print in that exclusivity deal that allows Zynga to do just that. This is especially evident considering Zynga has already released Zynga Poker to Google+ Games. With the largest Facebook game now on Google+ Games, Facebook's competitor just received reinforcements in its battle for social gaming dominance. (Now, Google+ has a whopping 18 social games!)
However, this move also speaks to Zynga's growing understanding that it needs to expand to grow its thriving business. With games like EA's The Sims Social gaining fast on the red dog's top spot with now over 60 million monthly players, competition is growing for the developer on Facebook.
Zynga is also hopeful that diversification will help the company grow and increase revenues ahead of its planned $1 billion IPO (initial public offering), the prospects of which have become shaky lately. Hopefully for Google, the presence of a huge name like CityVille will instill confidence in developers to bring new game ideas to Google+.
[Via VentureBeat]
Do you plan to try out CityVille on Google+ Games? Do you think CityVille has seen its best days, or will this expansion help the game find its second wind?
Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Have fun getting lost in Aliciafay03's farm maze
Don't let the look of this farm fool you. Because the first thing someone would notice about Aliciafay03's FarmVille farm is that she's got "FARM VILLE" spelled out in an outline of red, orange, and blue hay bales, which I know isn't a big whoop. Hay bales as a design element have gotten pretty stale in the landscaping community. Bales are good for spelling out visual shout-outs, portraits, and the occasional fun art (care for a whopper?), but there's rarely any impressive ones anymore. But look closer at Aliciafay03's farm, and you'll realize that it's an interactive maze.
Originally designed to be a cornfield maze, Aliciafay03 was eager to debut her farm for Zynga's official Farm of the Week contest, so she released her entry before the corn had a chance to grow. This is probably better, cause a cornfield would've obscured all the clever lettering. What we know about hay bales is that there's a cheat for players to harvest crops faster by trapping your FarmVille farming avatar in hay bales -- now here's where the interactive part comes in -- so if you click one end of this farm, your avatar can't go anywhere but to run through the maze!
Have you ever played in a real cornfield maze? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
Originally designed to be a cornfield maze, Aliciafay03 was eager to debut her farm for Zynga's official Farm of the Week contest, so she released her entry before the corn had a chance to grow. This is probably better, cause a cornfield would've obscured all the clever lettering. What we know about hay bales is that there's a cheat for players to harvest crops faster by trapping your FarmVille farming avatar in hay bales -- now here's where the interactive part comes in -- so if you click one end of this farm, your avatar can't go anywhere but to run through the maze!
Have you ever played in a real cornfield maze? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist.
Stadiums full of people become Angry Birds players with Uplause
Could the Angry Birds replace the proverbial demands of "Make Some Noise" at your next baseball game? Maybe not your next one, but soon you could be cheering to fling the irate winged beasts into their plump green enemies. Pocket Gamer reports that Uplause, a Finnish developer of crowd-based games, has rebuilt Angry Birds with its creator, Rovio, into a version controlled by noise.
The self-proclaimed "social game maker for big crowds" has created similar games for use in stadiums for ice hockey games, soccer matches and even music festivals. Over the past summer, Uplause worked with Rovio to create a version of Angry Birds that is controlled using noise as an input device. (Namely, cheering, clapping, stomping and perhaps even booing, we assume.)
"As in the original, there's about a four second period before firing," Uplause CEO Veli-Pekka Marin explained to Pocket Gamer. "For live events, we'd expect each gaming session to take a few minutes." But in that time, thousands of folks will play at the same time. If anything, it's terribly efficient.
While all we know about this seriously social version of Angry Birds is that noise generates power for the game's slingshot, Pocket Gamer guesses that aiming is done automatically. Rovio and Uplause will first test this massive version of Angry Birds at a Formula 1 race taking place in Singapore this weekend, and the company's CMO Peter Vesterbacka sounds excited for its imminent global expansion.
"Through social participation, our fans will get to interact with the Angry Birds in an entirely new way," Vesterbacka said to Pocket Gamer. "We think this new form of gaming will give fans a great opportunity to form a strong emotional connection with the characters." I think Vesterbacka is confusing "emotional connection" with "drunken, crowd-fueled stupor." Check out the video below to get an idea of how it might work. Who knows you might be doing the same thing at the next World Series.
What do you imagine a noise-controlled version of Angry Birds would be like? What other games come to mind when you think of this approach?
The self-proclaimed "social game maker for big crowds" has created similar games for use in stadiums for ice hockey games, soccer matches and even music festivals. Over the past summer, Uplause worked with Rovio to create a version of Angry Birds that is controlled using noise as an input device. (Namely, cheering, clapping, stomping and perhaps even booing, we assume.)
"As in the original, there's about a four second period before firing," Uplause CEO Veli-Pekka Marin explained to Pocket Gamer. "For live events, we'd expect each gaming session to take a few minutes." But in that time, thousands of folks will play at the same time. If anything, it's terribly efficient.
While all we know about this seriously social version of Angry Birds is that noise generates power for the game's slingshot, Pocket Gamer guesses that aiming is done automatically. Rovio and Uplause will first test this massive version of Angry Birds at a Formula 1 race taking place in Singapore this weekend, and the company's CMO Peter Vesterbacka sounds excited for its imminent global expansion.
"Through social participation, our fans will get to interact with the Angry Birds in an entirely new way," Vesterbacka said to Pocket Gamer. "We think this new form of gaming will give fans a great opportunity to form a strong emotional connection with the characters." I think Vesterbacka is confusing "emotional connection" with "drunken, crowd-fueled stupor." Check out the video below to get an idea of how it might work. Who knows you might be doing the same thing at the next World Series.
What do you imagine a noise-controlled version of Angry Birds would be like? What other games come to mind when you think of this approach?
Bravo gifts turtle with instant cable TV fame and a Facebook game
Just when we thought we've seen everything, US cable TV network Bravo is launching a Facebook game where you get to dress up their latest celebrity -- she's a turtle. I don't mean she's reclusive or anything. I mean that literally: She is a turtle, but she's not just any turtle. This is a turtle that caught the eye of Bravo's Executive Vice President of Original Programming, also known as Andy Cohen, and host of Bravo TV's Watch What Happens: Live.
The turle has been selected as the show's new mascot and will make her first appearance on Sept. 25. Her Facebook game will be called "Turtle Time", named after a TV episode of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York, where one of the drunk stars made a toast at "Fat Turtle", a bar and dance club in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
The Facebook game's objective is to design the turtle's tank and dress her up each week. There will be options to gift decorations to friends in the game, or to use Facebook Credits to buy special items. Results will be posted online, voting will commence, winners will be chosen and live versions of these designs will then be used on the show. Finally, when the season ends in December, Cohen will choose a past winner to fly to New York for a live taping and chance to meet the turtle.
What does the turtle have to say about all this? Here's a quote from Bravo's cheeky press release:
"Ever since I landed on the shores of Sag Harbor, I have been searching for my big break in show biz. When Andy Cohen came walking down those golden sands, I knew my dreams were coming true," Divulged Yet-To-Be-Named Turtle. "I can't wait to move into the Bravo Clubhouse and to be dressed in the latest fashions."
Oh, and before anyone runs to the nearest phone to alert PETA, Bravo has contacted the American Humane Association for an animal safety monitor who'll oversee the tapings according to the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals In Filmed Media. There's no word if there's someone to monitor the turtle's dignity, but I think that's irretrievable at this point.
[Hat-tip: The Hollywood Reporter]
Is this cruel and/or unusual treatment of animals? Or just some harmless and wacky fun? Have you lost your faith in humanity yet?
The turle has been selected as the show's new mascot and will make her first appearance on Sept. 25. Her Facebook game will be called "Turtle Time", named after a TV episode of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York, where one of the drunk stars made a toast at "Fat Turtle", a bar and dance club in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
The Facebook game's objective is to design the turtle's tank and dress her up each week. There will be options to gift decorations to friends in the game, or to use Facebook Credits to buy special items. Results will be posted online, voting will commence, winners will be chosen and live versions of these designs will then be used on the show. Finally, when the season ends in December, Cohen will choose a past winner to fly to New York for a live taping and chance to meet the turtle.
What does the turtle have to say about all this? Here's a quote from Bravo's cheeky press release:
"Ever since I landed on the shores of Sag Harbor, I have been searching for my big break in show biz. When Andy Cohen came walking down those golden sands, I knew my dreams were coming true," Divulged Yet-To-Be-Named Turtle. "I can't wait to move into the Bravo Clubhouse and to be dressed in the latest fashions."
Oh, and before anyone runs to the nearest phone to alert PETA, Bravo has contacted the American Humane Association for an animal safety monitor who'll oversee the tapings according to the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals In Filmed Media. There's no word if there's someone to monitor the turtle's dignity, but I think that's irretrievable at this point.
[Hat-tip: The Hollywood Reporter]
Is this cruel and/or unusual treatment of animals? Or just some harmless and wacky fun? Have you lost your faith in humanity yet?
Zynga profits plummet 90 percent, raises questions about imminent IPO
Will the big show still go on? That's what many wonder, as Zynga just revealed in an updated regulatory filing that its profits dipped by 90 percent in the June quarter, thanks to increased spending and a lack of major game releases earlier this year, Reuters reports. According to the news service, this raises questions as to whether the company can sustain growth ahead of its long-awaited IPO (initial public offering).
Zynga's net income took a nose dive to $1.4 million from $14 million a year earlier, and its net profit plummeted over 90 percent in three months from $16.8 million in March of this year. Reuters chalks this up to the fact that the filing shows that the FarmVille maker's expenses rose $149 million compared to a year earlier, and $59 million alone from the previous financial quarter.
We'd imagine a major chunk of those expenses are thanks to the 14 companies Zynga gobbled up in the past year. It's also worth noting that the developer didn't really release any major Facebook games in 2011 prior to Empires & Allies. (And no, we're not counting FarmVille English Countryside.) Since then, however, the company has been on a frenzy, launching three more Facebook games this summer: Words With Friends, Pioneer Trail and recently Adventure World.
This news speaks volumes to the fact that Zynga has reached a point where it constantly needs to produce in order to sustain its meteoric growth, and more importantly for them right now, the faith of investors. Since the company's last filing, Zynga conducted a third-party analysis that estimated the probability of an IPO at 75 percent. This is down from the 80 percent probability reported in Zynga's previous filing.
In other words, it looks like the anticipated Zynga IPO could be delayed, just as previous reports suggested, to wait for improved market conditions. However, EA is gaining on the company with The Sims Social, and fast. According to AppData, EA and Playfish's game has just about 1.6 million fewer daily players than CityVille's 12.9 million.
Do you think Zynga has anything to worry about, given the news? Would you ever invest in Zynga if given the chance?
Zynga's net income took a nose dive to $1.4 million from $14 million a year earlier, and its net profit plummeted over 90 percent in three months from $16.8 million in March of this year. Reuters chalks this up to the fact that the filing shows that the FarmVille maker's expenses rose $149 million compared to a year earlier, and $59 million alone from the previous financial quarter.
We'd imagine a major chunk of those expenses are thanks to the 14 companies Zynga gobbled up in the past year. It's also worth noting that the developer didn't really release any major Facebook games in 2011 prior to Empires & Allies. (And no, we're not counting FarmVille English Countryside.) Since then, however, the company has been on a frenzy, launching three more Facebook games this summer: Words With Friends, Pioneer Trail and recently Adventure World.
This news speaks volumes to the fact that Zynga has reached a point where it constantly needs to produce in order to sustain its meteoric growth, and more importantly for them right now, the faith of investors. Since the company's last filing, Zynga conducted a third-party analysis that estimated the probability of an IPO at 75 percent. This is down from the 80 percent probability reported in Zynga's previous filing.
In other words, it looks like the anticipated Zynga IPO could be delayed, just as previous reports suggested, to wait for improved market conditions. However, EA is gaining on the company with The Sims Social, and fast. According to AppData, EA and Playfish's game has just about 1.6 million fewer daily players than CityVille's 12.9 million.
Do you think Zynga has anything to worry about, given the news? Would you ever invest in Zynga if given the chance?
FarmVille Cow Pasture Goals: Everything you need to know
Even though last night's FarmVille update brought with it the new Cow Pasture animal habitat, the corresponding goal series didn't appear for many users (myself included) until today. Luckily, we don't seem to have lost any time in the process, as these goals give us a full two weeks to complete them. Interestingly, with the launch of these goals, some users have lost access to previous habitat goal series, so we can only hope that Zynga will sort things out with time. In the meantime, however, here's a look at these Cow Pasture goals, so you'll know what to expect as you move through them.
Cow Cookies
Get 6 Cow Treats
Place 1 Cow Pasture
Harvest 100 Grain Crops
If you're having trouble deciding which crops fit the "Grain" distinction, just head into the store's crops section and click on the "Grains" tab to automatically sort the store to show you just grain crops. Pick the one you like most (perhaps one that takes the shortest time to grow) and plant away. Finishing this first goal gives you 50 XP, a Red Heart Cow and 2,500 coins.
The Tethered Heifer
Get 6 Cow Tethers
Buy 2 Cow Topiaries
Harvest 30 Plain Cows
Just ask your friends for these Cow Tethers and then buy two Cow Topiaries from the store - they cost just 300 coins each. After that, you'll need to harvest 30 original, regular cows (of the brown and white variety) to finish this last step. If you've long outgrown such "normal" animals and need to buy some in the store, you can also do that for 300 coins each. They can be harvested once per day, so make sure you have enough on hand to not slow yourself down too greatly while waiting for them to become ready to harvest. Finish this goal and you'll earn 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Grey Yak.
Lickety Split!
Get 6 Salt Licks
Complete the Cow Pasture
Place 3 Green Hay Bales
To see what you'll need to complete the construction of a Cow Pasture, check out our guide. The Salt Licks can be earned by posting a general help request on your feed, while Green Hay Bales cost 125 coins each in the store. For making it past this goal, you'll receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Black Shorthorn Cow.
Born and Grazed
Get 9 Cow Collars
Achieve Level 1 Mastery of Cow
Harvest 125 Strawberries
If you're into animal mastery, you'll likely already have the Cow mastered to this point, but if not, just keep those 30 cows you had (or purchased) earlier and harvest them until you reach that point. As for the Cow Collars, they are also earned via a general request posted on your news feed. As for the Strawberries, please note that Super Strawberries do not count, and you'll simply waste your time by planting them. These must be the original Strawberries only. After completing this goal, you will have cross the halfway mark and will receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and five units of Animal Feed.
Milk Master
Get 9 Milk Buckets
Harvest one Cow Pasture
Harvest 150 Vegetables
It doesn't matter which kind of vegetable you choose to harvest here, so feel free to plant something you need bushels for, or just something you've yet to master to complete two tasks in one. The Milk Bucket request is a general one to your news feed, while harvesting the Cow Pasture can happen once every day. Finish off this goal and you'll earn 50 XP, one Grey Jersey Cow and 2,500 coins.
Moovin' In
Get 9 Brass Cow Bells
Place 10 Cows in a Cow Pasture
Harvest 150 Fruit Crops
If you haven't removed your Dairy Barns from your farm (which is a voluntary process, mind you), you can simply pull cows out of them and place them into the Cow Pasture until you've reached ten (don't worry - you can always put them back later). Finally, to collect the Brass Cow Bells, you'll need to - you guessed it - post a general request on your news feed for all of your friends to help. Finishing this final goal in the series gives you 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a B0v1n3-11 - a very pretty two-toned red alien cow.
Again, these goals, as so many others in the game, are time limited, so you'll have two weeks to finish them off and earn all of the prizes therein. Good luck completing everything in time!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you received the Cow Pasture goals on your farm? Are you going to keep the Dairy Farms as normal, or are you going to swap them all out for Cow Pastures?
Cow Cookies
Get 6 Cow Treats
Place 1 Cow Pasture
Harvest 100 Grain Crops
If you're having trouble deciding which crops fit the "Grain" distinction, just head into the store's crops section and click on the "Grains" tab to automatically sort the store to show you just grain crops. Pick the one you like most (perhaps one that takes the shortest time to grow) and plant away. Finishing this first goal gives you 50 XP, a Red Heart Cow and 2,500 coins.
The Tethered Heifer
Get 6 Cow Tethers
Buy 2 Cow Topiaries
Harvest 30 Plain Cows
Just ask your friends for these Cow Tethers and then buy two Cow Topiaries from the store - they cost just 300 coins each. After that, you'll need to harvest 30 original, regular cows (of the brown and white variety) to finish this last step. If you've long outgrown such "normal" animals and need to buy some in the store, you can also do that for 300 coins each. They can be harvested once per day, so make sure you have enough on hand to not slow yourself down too greatly while waiting for them to become ready to harvest. Finish this goal and you'll earn 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Grey Yak.
Lickety Split!
Get 6 Salt Licks
Complete the Cow Pasture
Place 3 Green Hay Bales
To see what you'll need to complete the construction of a Cow Pasture, check out our guide. The Salt Licks can be earned by posting a general help request on your feed, while Green Hay Bales cost 125 coins each in the store. For making it past this goal, you'll receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Black Shorthorn Cow.
Born and Grazed
Get 9 Cow Collars
Achieve Level 1 Mastery of Cow
Harvest 125 Strawberries
If you're into animal mastery, you'll likely already have the Cow mastered to this point, but if not, just keep those 30 cows you had (or purchased) earlier and harvest them until you reach that point. As for the Cow Collars, they are also earned via a general request posted on your news feed. As for the Strawberries, please note that Super Strawberries do not count, and you'll simply waste your time by planting them. These must be the original Strawberries only. After completing this goal, you will have cross the halfway mark and will receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and five units of Animal Feed.
Milk Master
Get 9 Milk Buckets
Harvest one Cow Pasture
Harvest 150 Vegetables
It doesn't matter which kind of vegetable you choose to harvest here, so feel free to plant something you need bushels for, or just something you've yet to master to complete two tasks in one. The Milk Bucket request is a general one to your news feed, while harvesting the Cow Pasture can happen once every day. Finish off this goal and you'll earn 50 XP, one Grey Jersey Cow and 2,500 coins.
Moovin' In
Get 9 Brass Cow Bells
Place 10 Cows in a Cow Pasture
Harvest 150 Fruit Crops
If you haven't removed your Dairy Barns from your farm (which is a voluntary process, mind you), you can simply pull cows out of them and place them into the Cow Pasture until you've reached ten (don't worry - you can always put them back later). Finally, to collect the Brass Cow Bells, you'll need to - you guessed it - post a general request on your news feed for all of your friends to help. Finishing this final goal in the series gives you 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a B0v1n3-11 - a very pretty two-toned red alien cow.
Again, these goals, as so many others in the game, are time limited, so you'll have two weeks to finish them off and earn all of the prizes therein. Good luck completing everything in time!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you received the Cow Pasture goals on your farm? Are you going to keep the Dairy Farms as normal, or are you going to swap them all out for Cow Pastures?
Chủ Nhật, 11 tháng 12, 2011
Adventure World Haunted Village Expedition: Everything you need to know
Just in time for Halloween, some themed content has finally appeared in Adventure World. Specifically, a new Expedition called Haunted Village is now available to complete from the basic Expeditions menu. The Haunted Village requires you to have 250 Supplies in your inventory, along with two each of Foods, Fuel and Water. You can bring five crew members in on this Expedition with you, giving a bonus of 15 energy as you go along. Once you begin this particular Expedition, you'll have four days to finish it, so let's get started!
Investigate the Haunted Village
Collect 6 Missing Gravestone Pieces from Spiders
Repair 6 Gravestones
Investigate the Mausoleum
For this Expedition, you'll be in charge of investigating villagers' claims of missing persons and items. This village happens to be near a graveyard and a mausoleum, so of course strange things have started occurring there! To find these Gravestone Pieces, you'll need to travel around the map, finding (and fighting) green spiders that are scattered around the map. The problem with this particular map is that most of it is covered in fog, so you'll just need to navigate to the various areas around the map hoping to find spiders there, rather than being able to plan everything in advance. You do have one hint though - the spiders that are carrying the gravestone pieces move more slowly than the others (they're being weighed down by the pieces, after all), so you can use that to figure out exactly which ones to target, once you see them.
As for the Gravestones that you'll need to repair, these are located at the far end of the map, but luckily, they're all in the same general area, so once you've found one, you'll find the others. Finally, the Mausoleum is at the very top of the map.
Undead Spiders!
Defeat 35 Undead Spiders
Clear 5 Webs
Your main enemy in this Expedition will be the green spiders I mentioned earlier. It turns out, these spiders are green for a reason - they're dead (or, undead, as the case may be)! Most of them require just a single whack to kill, so feel free to whack each one you see (they'll come after you too, in many cases, making your search easier). As for the webs, these look different than the webs you've seen before, as they may be perched up against a building, rather than being placed strictly between two sticks.
Something Spooked the Villagers!
Ask for 10 Smelly Socks
Use two Pairs of Smelly Socks on 5 Villagers
Apparently, the undead spiders were so terrifying, that a group of villagers have been paralyzed with fear on the outside of the village. You'll need to ask your friends to send you the smelly socks (you'll receive two for free by speaking with one of the villagers that greets you at the beginning of the Expedition), and then use two socks on each of the five villagers that are frozen with fear. For the record, your request is a general wall post that all of your neighbors can respond to, rather than individual requests as you may have expected.
Once you finish this particular Expedition, the Halloween fun won't be over in Adventure World, and we'll make sure to bring you coverage of the game's next Halloween-themed event just as soon as we can.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
What do you think of this Haunted Village Expedition? Should it be easier to complete, since it's based around a holiday?
Investigate the Haunted Village
Collect 6 Missing Gravestone Pieces from Spiders
Repair 6 Gravestones
Investigate the Mausoleum
For this Expedition, you'll be in charge of investigating villagers' claims of missing persons and items. This village happens to be near a graveyard and a mausoleum, so of course strange things have started occurring there! To find these Gravestone Pieces, you'll need to travel around the map, finding (and fighting) green spiders that are scattered around the map. The problem with this particular map is that most of it is covered in fog, so you'll just need to navigate to the various areas around the map hoping to find spiders there, rather than being able to plan everything in advance. You do have one hint though - the spiders that are carrying the gravestone pieces move more slowly than the others (they're being weighed down by the pieces, after all), so you can use that to figure out exactly which ones to target, once you see them.
As for the Gravestones that you'll need to repair, these are located at the far end of the map, but luckily, they're all in the same general area, so once you've found one, you'll find the others. Finally, the Mausoleum is at the very top of the map.
Undead Spiders!
Defeat 35 Undead Spiders
Clear 5 Webs
Your main enemy in this Expedition will be the green spiders I mentioned earlier. It turns out, these spiders are green for a reason - they're dead (or, undead, as the case may be)! Most of them require just a single whack to kill, so feel free to whack each one you see (they'll come after you too, in many cases, making your search easier). As for the webs, these look different than the webs you've seen before, as they may be perched up against a building, rather than being placed strictly between two sticks.
Something Spooked the Villagers!
Ask for 10 Smelly Socks
Use two Pairs of Smelly Socks on 5 Villagers
Apparently, the undead spiders were so terrifying, that a group of villagers have been paralyzed with fear on the outside of the village. You'll need to ask your friends to send you the smelly socks (you'll receive two for free by speaking with one of the villagers that greets you at the beginning of the Expedition), and then use two socks on each of the five villagers that are frozen with fear. For the record, your request is a general wall post that all of your neighbors can respond to, rather than individual requests as you may have expected.
Once you finish this particular Expedition, the Halloween fun won't be over in Adventure World, and we'll make sure to bring you coverage of the game's next Halloween-themed event just as soon as we can.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
What do you think of this Haunted Village Expedition? Should it be easier to complete, since it's based around a holiday?
Piooner Trail Halloween Sale: Pick up spooky supplies for 30-40% off
Similar to the "End of Summer Sale" that took place in Pioneer Trail at the end of October, the game has seen a sale launch yet again to celebrate Halloween; however, the discounts here aren't as great. For this Halloween Sale, you'll see specific items marked 30-40% off their normal prices, and will also see a Horseshoe sale of 40% off, if you're interested in purchasing some premium currency.
For the sale items themselves, they can be found in both the normal and Halloween stores (mainly in the former). You'll be able to save 40% on Carrot Juice, Poker Card and Fuzzy Blanket packs (now priced at 12, 24 and 30 Horseshoes each, respectively), along with saving on items like Beef Jerky (now 16 Horseshoes) and All You Can Eat meals (4 Horseshoes each). Animal Mastery boosts, and even some animals themselves are on sale too. For instance, the Black Moose and Badger are each 40% off, now being priced at 30 Horseshoes or 3 Horseshoes, respectively.
As for Halloween-specific items in this sale, you can save 30% on the Halloween Animal Mystery Crate (priced at 21 Horseshoes), along with a Ballerina Cow that is now priced at 7 Horseshoes - 30% off as well. A few other decorations or themed items are on sale, but unfortunately, all of the premium Halloween items haven't been given the same treatment.
If you're in the mood to purchase just Horseshoes, you can do that as well, for the aforementioned sale price of 40% off. That makes 170 Horseshoes cost $12, down from $20, and 1,000 Horseshoes cost $60, down from $100. Of course, there are other Horseshoe packs you could purchase instead, but that gives you an idea as to the savings that can be found here.
The Horseshoe offer looks to expire within just a matter of hours, while we'd expect the store sale to last at least until Halloween proper, if not later. Still, with no official end date released, you'll want to go shopping as soon as you can to make sure you don't miss out on these discounts.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Which of these goodies will you splurge on during the Pioneer Trail Halloween sale? Which items do you wish were on sale but aren't?
For the sale items themselves, they can be found in both the normal and Halloween stores (mainly in the former). You'll be able to save 40% on Carrot Juice, Poker Card and Fuzzy Blanket packs (now priced at 12, 24 and 30 Horseshoes each, respectively), along with saving on items like Beef Jerky (now 16 Horseshoes) and All You Can Eat meals (4 Horseshoes each). Animal Mastery boosts, and even some animals themselves are on sale too. For instance, the Black Moose and Badger are each 40% off, now being priced at 30 Horseshoes or 3 Horseshoes, respectively.
As for Halloween-specific items in this sale, you can save 30% on the Halloween Animal Mystery Crate (priced at 21 Horseshoes), along with a Ballerina Cow that is now priced at 7 Horseshoes - 30% off as well. A few other decorations or themed items are on sale, but unfortunately, all of the premium Halloween items haven't been given the same treatment.
If you're in the mood to purchase just Horseshoes, you can do that as well, for the aforementioned sale price of 40% off. That makes 170 Horseshoes cost $12, down from $20, and 1,000 Horseshoes cost $60, down from $100. Of course, there are other Horseshoe packs you could purchase instead, but that gives you an idea as to the savings that can be found here.
The Horseshoe offer looks to expire within just a matter of hours, while we'd expect the store sale to last at least until Halloween proper, if not later. Still, with no official end date released, you'll want to go shopping as soon as you can to make sure you don't miss out on these discounts.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Which of these goodies will you splurge on during the Pioneer Trail Halloween sale? Which items do you wish were on sale but aren't?
Pioneer Trail Crafting Workshop Goals: Everything you need to know
As we told you earlier this week, the newest building to launch in Pioneer Trail is the Crafting Workshop, with the building itself being available to purchase in the market for 95 coins and 10 Wood. The base itself must be whacked five times, with each whack costing two Wood. From there, you're left to collect six different building materials: Metal Clamps, Large Nails and Metal Brackets (wall post items) and Hacksaws, Crafting Gloves and Crafting Goggles (individual request items). Of course, to go along with most new buildings in the Pioneer Trail, there are also goals to complete for the Crafting Workshop. Here's a guide to completing them!
Home Ren-O-Vation
Sell 15 Adult Cows
Collect 10 Zoning Permits
Clear 10 Rocks
The Zoning Permits are earned by sending out individual requests to your friends. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive a Rock Arch, 400 XP and 500 coins.
Sprucin' Up the Homestead
Collect Daily Bonus from the Crafting Workshop
Chop Down 5 Oak or Pine Trees
Clear 20 Debris on your Homestead
It doesn't appear to matter which kind of debris you remove, so feel free to turn in some collections to earn Skulls or Wildflowers, place them on your Homestead, and then quickly clear them to finish that task with ease. As for building the Crafting Workshop itself, make sure to check out our look at the building for more on how to do that.
Master Craftsman
Craft an Ivy Picket Fence from the Crafting Workshop
Collect 2 General Store Daily Bonuses
Collect 15 Construction Permits
Once you have completed the construction on the Crafting Workshop, you'll be able to start crafting items inside it. However, it's a bit more complicated than just that. You see, you'll first need to craft the materials used to make the final products. As of this writing, the Crafting Workshop only allows you to craft four final items for your Homestead. Every other "recipe" is a recipe to craft an ingredient for one of those four items. In this particular example, the Picket Fence is crafted after you've made Picket Boards and Fencin Tools, as seen below. You'll then be able to combine those two items with some Ivy Starters (that you can earn from your friends) to actually craft the Picket Fences. It sounds complicated in writing, but in practice is actually fairly simple (if not over-done and time consuming).
For finishing this third goal, you'll receive one Chicken Fertilizer, one Cow Fertilizer and 500 XP.
Expert Craftsman
Clear 15 Wildflowers
Harvest 20 Corn
Craft a Grass Stone Path from the Crafting Workshop
Here's as good of a time as any to point out that instead of being able to craft each item at your leisure within the Crafting Workshop, you'll instead have to craft items one at a time to unlock new recipes. Not only that, but you must "master" the crafted items to unlock something else. Back in our Picket Fence example, you'll need to have crafted Picket Boards four times to unlock the Fencin' Tools recipe. The same thing can be said here for the Grass Stone Path. With enough work (and help from friends), though, you'll eventually finish it off. For completing this final goal, you'll receive a Rock Fountain, 500 XP and 500 coins.
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Crafting Workshop in Pioneer Trail? Do the "recipe mastery" requirements cause you to dislike this feature more than you would otherwise? Will you try to craft all four of the items that are available here for your Homestead?
Home Ren-O-Vation
Sell 15 Adult Cows
Collect 10 Zoning Permits
Clear 10 Rocks
The Zoning Permits are earned by sending out individual requests to your friends. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive a Rock Arch, 400 XP and 500 coins.
Sprucin' Up the Homestead
Collect Daily Bonus from the Crafting Workshop
Chop Down 5 Oak or Pine Trees
Clear 20 Debris on your Homestead
It doesn't appear to matter which kind of debris you remove, so feel free to turn in some collections to earn Skulls or Wildflowers, place them on your Homestead, and then quickly clear them to finish that task with ease. As for building the Crafting Workshop itself, make sure to check out our look at the building for more on how to do that.
Master Craftsman
Craft an Ivy Picket Fence from the Crafting Workshop
Collect 2 General Store Daily Bonuses
Collect 15 Construction Permits
Once you have completed the construction on the Crafting Workshop, you'll be able to start crafting items inside it. However, it's a bit more complicated than just that. You see, you'll first need to craft the materials used to make the final products. As of this writing, the Crafting Workshop only allows you to craft four final items for your Homestead. Every other "recipe" is a recipe to craft an ingredient for one of those four items. In this particular example, the Picket Fence is crafted after you've made Picket Boards and Fencin Tools, as seen below. You'll then be able to combine those two items with some Ivy Starters (that you can earn from your friends) to actually craft the Picket Fences. It sounds complicated in writing, but in practice is actually fairly simple (if not over-done and time consuming).
For finishing this third goal, you'll receive one Chicken Fertilizer, one Cow Fertilizer and 500 XP.
Expert Craftsman
Clear 15 Wildflowers
Harvest 20 Corn
Craft a Grass Stone Path from the Crafting Workshop
Here's as good of a time as any to point out that instead of being able to craft each item at your leisure within the Crafting Workshop, you'll instead have to craft items one at a time to unlock new recipes. Not only that, but you must "master" the crafted items to unlock something else. Back in our Picket Fence example, you'll need to have crafted Picket Boards four times to unlock the Fencin' Tools recipe. The same thing can be said here for the Grass Stone Path. With enough work (and help from friends), though, you'll eventually finish it off. For completing this final goal, you'll receive a Rock Fountain, 500 XP and 500 coins.
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Crafting Workshop in Pioneer Trail? Do the "recipe mastery" requirements cause you to dislike this feature more than you would otherwise? Will you try to craft all four of the items that are available here for your Homestead?
CityVille Trick or Treat House: Everything you need to know
Earlier this month, we brought you a look at the Treats N Sweets Booth in CityVille, which would allow you to earn candy for an "upcoming feature." Well, we've learned more about that feature today, as the Trick or Treat House is now available to build in the store! The Trick or Treat House is given to you for free as part of Act 3 in the game's Halloween goal event (more on that later), and it requires six energy to build.
From there, you can click on your built Trick or Treat house to bring up a menu similar to that seen during the summer Carnival Ticket event. You'll see a selection of six prizes that are available to earn by collecting more and more pieces of candy. Here's the rundown:
Trick or Treaters (3% bonus payout) - 5 pieces of candy
Lake Eerie (25% bonus payout) - 15 pieces of candy
Halloween Costume Shop (265 Goods; 1,468 coins) - 30 pieces of candy
Pranked House (1,100 Monsters) - 75 pieces of candy
Halloween Party House (2,100 Monsters) - 125 pieces of candy
Franken Battery (430 Goods; 2,198 coins) - 200 pieces of candy
Since earning all of these items (or, rather earning enough candy to unlock them all) would be incredibly difficult if you could only rely on the Treats N Sweets Booth for candy, you can also post wall posts asking all of your friends to send you candy, and you'll also randomly earn pieces of candy as you work in your town. There are tons of ways to earn candy for free (in addition to being able to purchase it outright for City Cash) - here are a few of them:
Harvest Crops / Boats
Collect Rent (including Neighborhoods)
Collect from Businesses
Collect from Community Buildings
Chop Trees
During Building Construction ("whacking" the frame)
Claim from friends' feed posts
As a final note, you don't have to build the Treats N Sweets booth at all to have access to the Trick or Treat House, so if you're in the middle of building / upgrading it, but haven't finished, don't worry - you will still have access to the overall collection event. However, you also won't have access to the free daily supply of (guaranteed) candy that it provides. Either way, the Treats N Sweets shop will close in just 10 days, so you'll want to make sure to claim as much candy as you can from it before it closes to have a better chance at earning all six of these Trick or Treat House prizes. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of this Trick or Treat House and the prizes you can earn from it?
From there, you can click on your built Trick or Treat house to bring up a menu similar to that seen during the summer Carnival Ticket event. You'll see a selection of six prizes that are available to earn by collecting more and more pieces of candy. Here's the rundown:
Trick or Treaters (3% bonus payout) - 5 pieces of candy
Lake Eerie (25% bonus payout) - 15 pieces of candy
Halloween Costume Shop (265 Goods; 1,468 coins) - 30 pieces of candy
Pranked House (1,100 Monsters) - 75 pieces of candy
Halloween Party House (2,100 Monsters) - 125 pieces of candy
Franken Battery (430 Goods; 2,198 coins) - 200 pieces of candy
Since earning all of these items (or, rather earning enough candy to unlock them all) would be incredibly difficult if you could only rely on the Treats N Sweets Booth for candy, you can also post wall posts asking all of your friends to send you candy, and you'll also randomly earn pieces of candy as you work in your town. There are tons of ways to earn candy for free (in addition to being able to purchase it outright for City Cash) - here are a few of them:
Harvest Crops / Boats
Collect Rent (including Neighborhoods)
Collect from Businesses
Collect from Community Buildings
Chop Trees
During Building Construction ("whacking" the frame)
Claim from friends' feed posts
As a final note, you don't have to build the Treats N Sweets booth at all to have access to the Trick or Treat House, so if you're in the middle of building / upgrading it, but haven't finished, don't worry - you will still have access to the overall collection event. However, you also won't have access to the free daily supply of (guaranteed) candy that it provides. Either way, the Treats N Sweets shop will close in just 10 days, so you'll want to make sure to claim as much candy as you can from it before it closes to have a better chance at earning all six of these Trick or Treat House prizes. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of this Trick or Treat House and the prizes you can earn from it?
CityVille Halloween Monsters Act 3 Goals: Everything you need to know
With just a few days left before Halloween (time sure flew this month, if you ask me), CityVille has finally received the final Act of Halloween goals in the Halloween Monster event. Act 3, like the others, is filled with three individual goals, each with their own prizes, that all work together to help you earn the ultimate prize of the Dracula's Castle at the end of the event. As usual, we're here to give you a guide on completing these three goals, so let's get started.
Sweet Spot
Place Trick or Treat House
Place a Prize Purchased with Candy
As we told you earlier this evening, the Trick or Treat House can (as of this writing) only be earned by clicking on this particular goal to access it. From there, the cheapest item inside costs five pieces of candy, so complete enough tasks around your city to earn those five and you'll complete this goal with ease. The prize? You'll unlock the Witches Hat Shop in the store. This shop costs 9,000 coins to purchase, requires 180 Goods to operate, and gives you 1,242 coins by default.
Frightening Friends
Ask friends for 15 Cob Webs
Collect from 30 Residences
Have 50 Candies
As we've told you before, these candies can be earned in a variety of ways by simply playing the game. You'll earn them when collecting from residences, businesses and community buildings, or even when harvesting crops or collecting goods from boat shipments. You can also purchase them with City Cash, or ask your friends to send them to you via wall posts. As for the Cob Webs, these too are earned through a wall post sent out to all of your friends at once. For finishing this second goal, you'll unlock the Treacherous Trailer in the store. The Trailer then costs 9,500 coins to purchase, and offers 150 Monsters in population.
Dressed to Kill
Ask friends for 30 Witch Hats
Place five Prizes Purchased with Candy
Reach a Monster Population of 8,000
After Act 2's 9,000 Monster requirement was changed to 6,000, I predicted something like this would happen. To be fair, I said that the third Act might require us to get to 9,000 Monsters instead, so I was 1,000 Monsters off, but that still doesn't make this requirement any less ridiculous. Yes, I said it - ridiculous. While you try to find the room to house that many Monsters in your town (not to mention Community Buildings), you can post general news items to your wall asking for the Witch Hats, and can purchase even more items from the Trick or Treat House using your collected candy. These items will go into your inventory, so just pull them out and place them in your town proper to finish that task. For completing this particular goal, you'll unlock the Warlock House in the store, which costs 1 million coins and offers 1,500 Monsters to your town.
For completing this entire trio of goals (remember, you can now work on all nine Halloween Monster goals simultaneously), you'll receive the Pumpkin Palace item, and for finishing the entirety of this event, you'll walk away with Dracula's Castle. Considering the difficulty level of these goals (that is, difficult unless you are willing to spend a lot of City Cash), this Dracula's Castle will likely end up being one of the most rare items in the game, unless it is released in some other fashion. If it is, we'll make sure to let you know, but in the meantime, good luck finishing these goals on your own!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of these Halloween Act 3 Goals? Will you make it to 8,000 Monsters before Halloween?
Sweet Spot
Place Trick or Treat House
Place a Prize Purchased with Candy
As we told you earlier this evening, the Trick or Treat House can (as of this writing) only be earned by clicking on this particular goal to access it. From there, the cheapest item inside costs five pieces of candy, so complete enough tasks around your city to earn those five and you'll complete this goal with ease. The prize? You'll unlock the Witches Hat Shop in the store. This shop costs 9,000 coins to purchase, requires 180 Goods to operate, and gives you 1,242 coins by default.
Frightening Friends
Ask friends for 15 Cob Webs
Collect from 30 Residences
Have 50 Candies
As we've told you before, these candies can be earned in a variety of ways by simply playing the game. You'll earn them when collecting from residences, businesses and community buildings, or even when harvesting crops or collecting goods from boat shipments. You can also purchase them with City Cash, or ask your friends to send them to you via wall posts. As for the Cob Webs, these too are earned through a wall post sent out to all of your friends at once. For finishing this second goal, you'll unlock the Treacherous Trailer in the store. The Trailer then costs 9,500 coins to purchase, and offers 150 Monsters in population.
Dressed to Kill
Ask friends for 30 Witch Hats
Place five Prizes Purchased with Candy
Reach a Monster Population of 8,000
After Act 2's 9,000 Monster requirement was changed to 6,000, I predicted something like this would happen. To be fair, I said that the third Act might require us to get to 9,000 Monsters instead, so I was 1,000 Monsters off, but that still doesn't make this requirement any less ridiculous. Yes, I said it - ridiculous. While you try to find the room to house that many Monsters in your town (not to mention Community Buildings), you can post general news items to your wall asking for the Witch Hats, and can purchase even more items from the Trick or Treat House using your collected candy. These items will go into your inventory, so just pull them out and place them in your town proper to finish that task. For completing this particular goal, you'll unlock the Warlock House in the store, which costs 1 million coins and offers 1,500 Monsters to your town.
For completing this entire trio of goals (remember, you can now work on all nine Halloween Monster goals simultaneously), you'll receive the Pumpkin Palace item, and for finishing the entirety of this event, you'll walk away with Dracula's Castle. Considering the difficulty level of these goals (that is, difficult unless you are willing to spend a lot of City Cash), this Dracula's Castle will likely end up being one of the most rare items in the game, unless it is released in some other fashion. If it is, we'll make sure to let you know, but in the meantime, good luck finishing these goals on your own!
Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here.
What do you think of these Halloween Act 3 Goals? Will you make it to 8,000 Monsters before Halloween?
CityVille Haunted Library Community Building: Everything you need to know
In an effort to help everyone finish the Halloween Monster goals in CityVille - the third Act of which requires you to have a whopping 8,000 Monsters living in your city at once - we'll continue to bring you a look at how to most easily raise your population cap to an acceptable level, and then fill it with Monsters. Of course, to raise your population cap, you'll need to first build Monster-themed Community Buildings in your town.
While items like the Demented Dentist, Zombie ER and Tree of Enchantment require parts to complete, there are a few Community Buildings that rely on staff to finish. Depending on how many active neighbors you have playing the game with you, these can be infinitely easier (and quicker) to complete, so let's take a look at another right now.
The Haunted Library is one such Community Building, being available in the store for 28,000 coins. For that price, you'll receive a building that needs to be "whacked" eight times to completely construct the frame. This building ends up looking more like a bank tower than a library, with the gargoyles on the top, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Once you build up the frame of the Haunted Library, you'll need to ask your friends to come be the staff. For this particular building, you'll need 10 different friends to come help out, but you may already have one or more staff positions filled by Samantha as a bonus, making this even easier.
To gather your friends, just click on the "Hire Friends" button at the bottom of the window and you'll be able to send out individual requests to your friends to help you out. That's all there is to it. If you have plenty of active neighbors, you could construct the frame, send out the requests and then come back to a completed building just a few hours later.
When the building is done, it will support 600 more Monsters living in your town. That may not be near enough to get you to the 8,000 Monster requirement for the Halloween Monster goals, but every little bit helps, especially when it's this easy to earn. Good luck making it the rest of the way!
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Will you build the Haunted Library in your town, or have you paid City Cash to reach the 8,000 Monster mark instead?
While items like the Demented Dentist, Zombie ER and Tree of Enchantment require parts to complete, there are a few Community Buildings that rely on staff to finish. Depending on how many active neighbors you have playing the game with you, these can be infinitely easier (and quicker) to complete, so let's take a look at another right now.
The Haunted Library is one such Community Building, being available in the store for 28,000 coins. For that price, you'll receive a building that needs to be "whacked" eight times to completely construct the frame. This building ends up looking more like a bank tower than a library, with the gargoyles on the top, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Once you build up the frame of the Haunted Library, you'll need to ask your friends to come be the staff. For this particular building, you'll need 10 different friends to come help out, but you may already have one or more staff positions filled by Samantha as a bonus, making this even easier.
To gather your friends, just click on the "Hire Friends" button at the bottom of the window and you'll be able to send out individual requests to your friends to help you out. That's all there is to it. If you have plenty of active neighbors, you could construct the frame, send out the requests and then come back to a completed building just a few hours later.
When the building is done, it will support 600 more Monsters living in your town. That may not be near enough to get you to the 8,000 Monster requirement for the Halloween Monster goals, but every little bit helps, especially when it's this easy to earn. Good luck making it the rest of the way!
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Will you build the Haunted Library in your town, or have you paid City Cash to reach the 8,000 Monster mark instead?
Adventure World Creepy Crypt Expedition: Everything you need to know
While you're waiting for your friends to send you smelly socks in Adventure World's Haunted Village Expedition, why not consider double-timing it with the Creepy Crypt Expedition, which has also been released just in time for Halloween? This Creepy Crypt Expedition has you tracking down lost spirits and restoring graves. You'll need 250 Supplies to start this one, along with two each of Food, Fuel and Water. You'll have four full days to complete this Expedition, which can reward up to 3,150 coins and one Fuel, should you complete and clear everything on the map. You can bring five friends in on this Expedition with you for extra energy, but even if you choose to go it alone, here's a guide to help you through.
Foggy Frights
Deactivate the 5 Fog Machines
Deactivate the 5 Film Projectors
Ask friends for 5 Planks
Use five Planks to Cross the Chasm
The Aztecs apparently used this cave as a burial ground for their most celebrated warriors, and now the place is supposedly haunted by the souls of Spanish Conquistadors that came and pillaged the place looking for buried treasures (literally). For this Expedition, your main goal will be to investigate whether or not these ghost stories are true. As you go along, you'll find Fog Machines and Film Projectors that someone has set up to scare any visitors, creating the appearance of ghosts. For this map, even though you're underground, "clouds" will still cover some areas of the map, but the clouds are black instead of white. Once you clear out some "clouds" though, you'll find the Fog Machines and Film Projectors relatively close to one another, making your search a bit easier.
As for the Planks, these are earned by asking your friends to send them to you via a generic wall post. Once you have five, you can use them in the bottom left-side of the map, to cross pillars that otherwise have no path, as seen below.
Grave Intentions
Collect the 3 Skulls from their Plinths
Place the Gold Skull on its Grave
Place the Jade Skull on its Grave
Place the Turquoise Skull on its Grave
The Skulls are found on pillars scattered around the map, normally blocked by debris or spiders that will try to stop you. Once you collect them, you'll need to head to the Grave nearby that matches each Skull's color. For instance, the Gold Skull is seen in the picture below, while its matching Grave is found just to the left, blocked by a boulder that can only be removed with Dynamite (available for 1,000 coins back in your Tool Shop at Base Camp).
Grim Glyphs
Ask friends for 10 Translation Scrolls
Investigate the Aztec Hieroglyphs
Once you cross the chasm, you'll come across a pyramid-shaped structure that has a mysterious statue on the top. There are hieroglyphs surrounding it, but you'll need to gather 10 Translation Scrolls by sending out individual requests to friends in order to finish this particular quest. Only after you've gathered these scrolls can you start to interact with the statue / pillar, which has 10 hit points, and must be investigated 10 times to match.
The hardest part of this Expedition won't be in finding the Fog Machines or Film Projectors, but rather will be in the time and energy-consuming spider fights and waiting for your friends to send you items (both Planks and Translation Scrolls). Luckily, with four full days to complete these three quests, you should be able to finish everything in time to earn your rewards. If additional Halloween content launches in the game, we'll make sure to let you know.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Creepy Crypt Expedition? Do you like being required to ask your friends for help in Expeditions, or would you rather just go it alone?
Foggy Frights
Deactivate the 5 Fog Machines
Deactivate the 5 Film Projectors
Ask friends for 5 Planks
Use five Planks to Cross the Chasm
The Aztecs apparently used this cave as a burial ground for their most celebrated warriors, and now the place is supposedly haunted by the souls of Spanish Conquistadors that came and pillaged the place looking for buried treasures (literally). For this Expedition, your main goal will be to investigate whether or not these ghost stories are true. As you go along, you'll find Fog Machines and Film Projectors that someone has set up to scare any visitors, creating the appearance of ghosts. For this map, even though you're underground, "clouds" will still cover some areas of the map, but the clouds are black instead of white. Once you clear out some "clouds" though, you'll find the Fog Machines and Film Projectors relatively close to one another, making your search a bit easier.
As for the Planks, these are earned by asking your friends to send them to you via a generic wall post. Once you have five, you can use them in the bottom left-side of the map, to cross pillars that otherwise have no path, as seen below.
Grave Intentions
Collect the 3 Skulls from their Plinths
Place the Gold Skull on its Grave
Place the Jade Skull on its Grave
Place the Turquoise Skull on its Grave
The Skulls are found on pillars scattered around the map, normally blocked by debris or spiders that will try to stop you. Once you collect them, you'll need to head to the Grave nearby that matches each Skull's color. For instance, the Gold Skull is seen in the picture below, while its matching Grave is found just to the left, blocked by a boulder that can only be removed with Dynamite (available for 1,000 coins back in your Tool Shop at Base Camp).
Grim Glyphs
Ask friends for 10 Translation Scrolls
Investigate the Aztec Hieroglyphs
Once you cross the chasm, you'll come across a pyramid-shaped structure that has a mysterious statue on the top. There are hieroglyphs surrounding it, but you'll need to gather 10 Translation Scrolls by sending out individual requests to friends in order to finish this particular quest. Only after you've gathered these scrolls can you start to interact with the statue / pillar, which has 10 hit points, and must be investigated 10 times to match.
The hardest part of this Expedition won't be in finding the Fog Machines or Film Projectors, but rather will be in the time and energy-consuming spider fights and waiting for your friends to send you items (both Planks and Translation Scrolls). Luckily, with four full days to complete these three quests, you should be able to finish everything in time to earn your rewards. If additional Halloween content launches in the game, we'll make sure to let you know.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Creepy Crypt Expedition? Do you like being required to ask your friends for help in Expeditions, or would you rather just go it alone?
Thứ Sáu, 9 tháng 12, 2011
Raptr users fell in love with The Sims Social in every way this year
Who saw this one coming? (Not us, based on AppData numbers.) Raptr, the social network and tracking service for gamers, issued a report detailing its First Annual Playtime Awards, recognizing the most played games across several genres. When it comes to social games, EA and Playfish's The Sims Social dominated, accumulating more playtime in its first month than any social game released this year did in its first 30 days.
The report goes on to reveal that the average Sims Social player logged 1.37 hours in the first week, which is 16 percent more than Zynga's two best games released this year. Breaking it down even further, The Sims' debut on Facebook also garnered five times the playtime of Zynga's Mafia Wars 2, 18 percent more than CastleVille, and 33 percent more than Empires & Allies. (However, CastleVille garnered longer average play sessions than its competitor.)
Finally, Raptr points out that, when The Sims Social launched this summer, playtime in FarmVille and E&A dropped by 25 percent. In other words, The Sims killed it this year on Facebook--at least where Raptr users are concerned. This is undoubtedly an achievement for Playfish's most successful game, but it's story plays out rather differently on services like AppData. You could argue that Raptr users are generally more "hardcore" gamers, so we can't wait to see their response when (or if) SimCity lands. Check out the full report, including the winners of all of the other genres, right here.
Are you surprised that The Sims Social won Raptr users over this year? Who do you think should have won?
The report goes on to reveal that the average Sims Social player logged 1.37 hours in the first week, which is 16 percent more than Zynga's two best games released this year. Breaking it down even further, The Sims' debut on Facebook also garnered five times the playtime of Zynga's Mafia Wars 2, 18 percent more than CastleVille, and 33 percent more than Empires & Allies. (However, CastleVille garnered longer average play sessions than its competitor.)
Finally, Raptr points out that, when The Sims Social launched this summer, playtime in FarmVille and E&A dropped by 25 percent. In other words, The Sims killed it this year on Facebook--at least where Raptr users are concerned. This is undoubtedly an achievement for Playfish's most successful game, but it's story plays out rather differently on services like AppData. You could argue that Raptr users are generally more "hardcore" gamers, so we can't wait to see their response when (or if) SimCity lands. Check out the full report, including the winners of all of the other genres, right here.
Are you surprised that The Sims Social won Raptr users over this year? Who do you think should have won?
The father of Super Mario is retiring, but not according to Nintendo
Is this the end of an era? Not quite, but it's pretty darn close. Shigeru Miyamoto, creator of legendary video game franchises like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, revealed to Wired that he will retire from his current position at Nintendo. While the designer made a point to say that he will remain with the company, working on smaller projects with younger teams, Nintendo has denied Miyamoto's words, saying "this is absolutely not true," to Reuters.
"Inside our office, I've been recently declaring, 'I'm going to retire, I'm going to retire,'" Miyamoto told Wired through an interpreter. "I'm not saying that I'm going to retire from game development altogether. What I mean by retiring is, retiring from my current position."
The creator of the Mushroom Kingdom went on to say that he wishes to return to being hands-on with the game design process within Nintendo, working on smaller projects with younger game developers. According to Wired, Miyamoto made the decision in confidence of the staff that worked on acclaimed games like Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii. Nintendo has denied what the developer said in the interview completely.
"There seems to have been a misunderstanding," a Nintendo spokeswoman told Reuters. "He has said all along that he wants to train the younger generation. He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned." Miymoto told Kotaku a few years back that he had no intention of retiring entirely. Rest easy, Nintendo fans.
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Giant Bomb]
Are you surprised that Miyamoto plans to step down from his big-time role at Nintendo? Does this necessarily spell doom for the age-old game company?
"Inside our office, I've been recently declaring, 'I'm going to retire, I'm going to retire,'" Miyamoto told Wired through an interpreter. "I'm not saying that I'm going to retire from game development altogether. What I mean by retiring is, retiring from my current position."
The creator of the Mushroom Kingdom went on to say that he wishes to return to being hands-on with the game design process within Nintendo, working on smaller projects with younger game developers. According to Wired, Miyamoto made the decision in confidence of the staff that worked on acclaimed games like Super Mario 3D Land for the 3DS and The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii. Nintendo has denied what the developer said in the interview completely.
"There seems to have been a misunderstanding," a Nintendo spokeswoman told Reuters. "He has said all along that he wants to train the younger generation. He has no intention of stepping down. Please do not be concerned." Miymoto told Kotaku a few years back that he had no intention of retiring entirely. Rest easy, Nintendo fans.
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Giant Bomb]
Are you surprised that Miyamoto plans to step down from his big-time role at Nintendo? Does this necessarily spell doom for the age-old game company?
Zynga tells American Airlines to 'LET ALEC PLAY' (in word tiles)
Behold, the mighty power of celebrity. After actor Alec Baldwin was removed from an American Airlines plane sitting at the gate in Los Angeles International Airport, allegedly while playing Words With Friends, Zynga took the opportunity to chime in. On the company's Twitter account, Zynga wrote, "Hey @AmericanAir, don't ground @AlecBaldwin for playing. A.B.S.U.R.D. is worth *at least* 11 points in @WordsWFriends #LetAlecPlay."
Zynga then articulated its tongue-in-cheek response with the image you see to the right in another tweet, part of which reads, "Alec 1. @AmericanAir 0." Get it? Zynga strung the words "LET ALEC PLAY" together using word tiles in Words With Friends. That's just plain cute.
Perhaps as a result of the incident, which Baldwin explained in detail in a piece on The Huffington Post, Words With Friends gained 100,000 players today on Facebook alone, according to AppData. And, based on AppData's readings on the iOS version of Words With Friends, the game's ranking experienced major spikes in all categories. Again, behold the power of celebrity.
This is far from the first time a celebrity has ... candidly expressed their love of social games. Actresses Emma Stone and Mila Kunis have both admitted to FarmVille addictions, while folks like John Mayer and Eliza Dushku are known to be fans, according to Boston Herald. We like the game as much as the next couple million people, but it looks like this is becoming more about Words With Friends than it really is, no?
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you still a fan of Words With Friends, and do you support Mr. Baldwin? What other celebrities do you suspect are social game fanatics?
Zynga then articulated its tongue-in-cheek response with the image you see to the right in another tweet, part of which reads, "Alec 1. @AmericanAir 0." Get it? Zynga strung the words "LET ALEC PLAY" together using word tiles in Words With Friends. That's just plain cute.
Perhaps as a result of the incident, which Baldwin explained in detail in a piece on The Huffington Post, Words With Friends gained 100,000 players today on Facebook alone, according to AppData. And, based on AppData's readings on the iOS version of Words With Friends, the game's ranking experienced major spikes in all categories. Again, behold the power of celebrity.
This is far from the first time a celebrity has ... candidly expressed their love of social games. Actresses Emma Stone and Mila Kunis have both admitted to FarmVille addictions, while folks like John Mayer and Eliza Dushku are known to be fans, according to Boston Herald. We like the game as much as the next couple million people, but it looks like this is becoming more about Words With Friends than it really is, no?
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you still a fan of Words With Friends, and do you support Mr. Baldwin? What other celebrities do you suspect are social game fanatics?
Flutter on Facebook flits into the sunset on December 23
It's no secret that Facebook games don't have the best reputation when it comes to doing things differently. So it's especially sad to see one of the more unique games -- Flutter by Runaway Play -- prepare for its last flight. The game, in which you take on the role of a butterfly flitting around lush environments, will be no more as of December 23.
For the 30,000 of you who are still playing the game -- you'll be able to partake in the game's final flight with a new quest, a few freebies and more. Those include:
- Premium items (except potions, power-ups, and WWF items) can be purchased with HD instead of Facebook Credits
- Play a final quest that involves a "magical mishap" with an owl.
- A free free flower pack or two
Right now, the game's main forest has a new sunset background and, during the last week, will go into nighttime mode before "going to sleep." My god, it's all so sad, isn't it?
But wait! Before you get all misty eyed, there's some positive news, too. The Runaway Play blog says that, while this version of Flutter is going away, its using the down time to rebuild the game from scratch and will eventually launch a new, improved Flutter at a later time. From the post:
"We are a lot more experienced now than we were when we first designed the game, and have been working very very hard to design an approach for the next version of Flutter which is a far better core experience. So from 23rd December we will be going into our chrysalis, putting our heads down, and emerging with a much more spectacular creature."
There, there. Don't you feel better? Stay tuned for more details on the new and improved Flutter as it emerges.
For the 30,000 of you who are still playing the game -- you'll be able to partake in the game's final flight with a new quest, a few freebies and more. Those include:
- Premium items (except potions, power-ups, and WWF items) can be purchased with HD instead of Facebook Credits
- Play a final quest that involves a "magical mishap" with an owl.
- A free free flower pack or two
Right now, the game's main forest has a new sunset background and, during the last week, will go into nighttime mode before "going to sleep." My god, it's all so sad, isn't it?
But wait! Before you get all misty eyed, there's some positive news, too. The Runaway Play blog says that, while this version of Flutter is going away, its using the down time to rebuild the game from scratch and will eventually launch a new, improved Flutter at a later time. From the post:
"We are a lot more experienced now than we were when we first designed the game, and have been working very very hard to design an approach for the next version of Flutter which is a far better core experience. So from 23rd December we will be going into our chrysalis, putting our heads down, and emerging with a much more spectacular creature."
There, there. Don't you feel better? Stay tuned for more details on the new and improved Flutter as it emerges.
Want to come clean about your FarmVille addiction to all of New York?
If that intrigues you, then Zynga is certainly the place to do it. The FarmVille maker is running a contest on its fan page, calling for players to proclaim their love of Zynga's games to the world. Well, "the world" being Times Square in New York City through New Year's Eve. (So ... pretty much the world.) Zynga's calling it the "I Love Play" contest, and it's actually an app for players to install.
Once players click on the "Get Started" button, they'll be asked to install an app on their Facebook profile. Then, it's time to complete a somewhat lengthy form asking for your name, images of yourself and the game board from your favorite game, and a quote to go along with your entry. Finally, you'll be asked to give a shout-out to a friend. Hit "Submit" and you might find yourself on a billboard in Times Square through New Year's Eve.
And ... that's about it. There's no real prize to be won in this contest. Well, some might consider giving the world the ultimate "Hey, look at my farm, dammit!" a prize in and of itself. All this contest reminds us of is the fact that, back in the day, social gamers made separate Facebook accounts for a reason. Wait, why was that again? Oh, right.
[Image Credit: Good To Go Tees]
Will you enter this contest and attempt to proclaim your love of Zynga games to the world? Do you think this is a silly contest?
Once players click on the "Get Started" button, they'll be asked to install an app on their Facebook profile. Then, it's time to complete a somewhat lengthy form asking for your name, images of yourself and the game board from your favorite game, and a quote to go along with your entry. Finally, you'll be asked to give a shout-out to a friend. Hit "Submit" and you might find yourself on a billboard in Times Square through New Year's Eve.
And ... that's about it. There's no real prize to be won in this contest. Well, some might consider giving the world the ultimate "Hey, look at my farm, dammit!" a prize in and of itself. All this contest reminds us of is the fact that, back in the day, social gamers made separate Facebook accounts for a reason. Wait, why was that again? Oh, right.
[Image Credit: Good To Go Tees]
Will you enter this contest and attempt to proclaim your love of Zynga games to the world? Do you think this is a silly contest?
Farmerama's Bigpoint knows how badly Zynga wants out of Facebook
"Oh they desperately want to," Bigpoint chief games officer Philip Resiberger told GamesIndustry.biz. "They have plans, they've had plans for the last two years. Everyone wants to reduce their dependence on Facebook I think." That's what everyone has said, but even the FarmVille maker's upcoming Project Z is tied rather intrinsically to Facebook, so what gives?
"Eventually it will come, but as some attempts have shown in the past, it's not as easy to understand the world outside Facebook because it's a totally different world," Reisberger elaborated during an interview with GI.biz "That's why Bigpoint is in a very good position: we're not just the ones developing, we've mastered, to a certain degree, the distribution."
But Bigpoint's (known best for Facebook-less social games like Farmerama and Skyrama) Resiberger goes on to compliment Zynga on its innovations in social games. Of course, it's safe to take Reisberger's earlier comments with a grain of salt: He works with a company that creates social games outside of Facebook--crazy, we know. And that company is doing quite well for itself, with 250 million registered players on Bigpoint, according to Reisberger.
It makes you wonder, however, is Zynga really drawing in new players, or are meteoric launches like CastleVille more thanks to its existing players than new ones? Most would go with the former, at least for the time being. Will Project Z and zTags finally help the CityVille creator bring in new players from throughout the web? Stay tuned for 2012.
Do you think Zynga relies too much on its existing player base for successful games? Would you rather play social games on Facebook or elsewhere?
"Eventually it will come, but as some attempts have shown in the past, it's not as easy to understand the world outside Facebook because it's a totally different world," Reisberger elaborated during an interview with GI.biz "That's why Bigpoint is in a very good position: we're not just the ones developing, we've mastered, to a certain degree, the distribution."
But Bigpoint's (known best for Facebook-less social games like Farmerama and Skyrama) Resiberger goes on to compliment Zynga on its innovations in social games. Of course, it's safe to take Reisberger's earlier comments with a grain of salt: He works with a company that creates social games outside of Facebook--crazy, we know. And that company is doing quite well for itself, with 250 million registered players on Bigpoint, according to Reisberger.
It makes you wonder, however, is Zynga really drawing in new players, or are meteoric launches like CastleVille more thanks to its existing players than new ones? Most would go with the former, at least for the time being. Will Project Z and zTags finally help the CityVille creator bring in new players from throughout the web? Stay tuned for 2012.
Do you think Zynga relies too much on its existing player base for successful games? Would you rather play social games on Facebook or elsewhere?
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