Back in October, Kairosoft launched Game Dev Story on the iPhone, a simulation game that allows users to run their very own gaming studio, creating video games from the ground up, making sure they have great sound design, pleasing graphics, an instant fun factor and overall polish. The game was an instant hit among hardcore gaming fans, and with the blessing of Kairosoft, Drecom is hoping to find the same success with a Facebook version of the game, aimed at the social audience.
Drecom's Facebook version is entitled Game Studio Story, and we've taken some time to go hands-on with the game to let you know what to expect from this version of the formula.
Meet us behind the break for all of the details.
Thankfully, Game Studio Story plays very much like Game Dev Story on the iPhone. You'll start by choosing your own gender, and will then be introduced to gameplay by your personal secretary.
From there, you'll go through a tutorial laying out the basics of gameplay. Basically, you'll need to start development of each game individually, first choosing the console that they game will be released for, from options like the PC, and imitation versions of some of the industry's popular consoles, spanning the generations.
Next, you'll choose the genre and theme of the game, with different genres and themes adding to the time limit that you'll need to wait for the game to complete. In this is the biggest difference from the iPhone version, in that you'll likely need to come back to the game after a few hours to check on the status of your game, whereas in the original game, you can finish an entire game in a matter of minutes.
You'll be limited to the themes and genres you can choose based on the amount of money you currently have in your account, but you are more than welcome to create as outlandish or as safe a theme for a game as you'd like. For instance, you can make a Reversi Table game, which would be a logical choice, or you can create an Educational Robot game, which wouldn't fit as well.
In order to set the game's development into motion, you'll need to let your staff (your Facebook friends that you can hire into the shop) know how hard to work - whether they should just take the development casually, or go all out with research, etc. At certain intervals you'll also earn Direction Points, which affect the rest of your time with the Facebook game, and not just a particular title that you'll be creating. These Direction Points can go to help the originality of your titles, the details, the reality, the elaboration (the game's depth) and so on. It's a completely customizable set of stats, making your own experience unique.
As you play the game, your experience making each genre of game will increase as you create them repeatedly, and you'll be able to hire staff with better stats (better graphic design capabilities, better sound design abilities and so on), create higher quality games, and therefore earn more funds in the process.
It's entirely understandable if the gameplay sounds a bit complex, as there is a lot going on in the development process of each game, but just like Game Dev Story on the iPhone, Game Studio Story looks to offer the same intuitive user interface that makes the game very easy to dive into.
If you've ever wanted to try your hand at game development, head over to the Game Studio Story page and jump right in (note, the game is in Alpha, meaning bugs and a few English translation issues are present as of this writing).
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn FacebookGames. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn FacebookGames. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Thứ Tư, 1 tháng 2, 2012
Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 1, 2012
Mix Mafia Wars with an in-depth storyline and you have Chronicles of Herenvale on Facebook
An evil Lord is threatening to return to the land of Herenvale thanks to the Cult of Marras. A hero is needed to stop such a return, as the land will be overcome, and all goodness swept aside. You are that hero, if you'll answer the call of the Chronicles of Herenvale, a new game from the small Austin development studio Mososh, Inc.
The game is text based, with images as accompaniment, and would be perfect for those who use Facebook on a slower internet connection. For everyone else, the detailed storyline might be enough to draw one in for an extended period of time (as it has already worked to draw in more than 12,000 players in the short time the game has been available). Meet us behind the break to see if Chronicles of Herenvale is something you'd like to try.
chroi
The game offers some very (very) light character customization, in terms of allowing you to pick whether or not you are a girl or a boy, and to give yourself a name, but afterwards, you're quickly shoved into your first battle. You're told that you've come across a group of crows fighting some deadly worrocks. The worrocks are attempting to kill an innocent bystander, and you must turn the tide of the battle by jumping in on her behalf.
Attacks in battle are achieved by simply hitting the attack button. You'll use Energy for each attack you begin, and you'll receive experience points and gold (along with the occasional random loot drop) after you've successfully ended a conflict. Any loot items that can be equipped on your warrior are placed in your inventory, and you'll be able to equip these items from the Profile screen. Items have types, and your warrior's body is separated into zones, where only certain items can be equipped - one item in each particular zone.
As you go along, the story is played out through lots of text, and the world map is represented by various star markings on a stationary map. Impressive graphics, no, but the game's story seems to be a rather deep one, considering the nature of the title. As you earn experience points, you'll go up levels, increasing your maximum energy, allowing you to do more work in a single sitting. You'll also earn Stat Points that will increase your Energy even further, or can be manually assigned to a number of different traits, like Knowledge (increases your accuracy), Fortitude (health), or Strength, among others.
Just as Mafia Wars separates missions based on your progress in the game (chapters, regions, and so on), so too does Chronicles of Herenvale separate missions based on the storyline at the time. For a particular battle, it might be represented by a number of circular stars, with each stars representing a different stage of the battle. Only after you complete the steps necessary at each star within a particular cluster will you unlock the next step of the storyline.
Your quest will take you all through the land, with eight main cities, or areas, being represented as eventual travel points on the map, along with what appears to be a slew of other outcroppings where you can complete quests. You'll be able to purchase new equipment along the way, making your character even stronger, and giving you a better edge in battle.
As for social elements, you'll be able to add friends as "Allies," at which point you'll be given a better advantage in large battles, which increases depending on the number of Allies you happen to have at the time.
Chronciles of Herenvale will be incredibly familiar to those that have played Mafia Wars, or even (more specifically) Castle Age, as the fantasy storyline and unique monster races hearken back that particular title. Still, if you haven't tried a new text-based mission game in a while, Chronicles of Herenvale might be worth a shot.
Play Chronicles of Herenvale on Facebook -->
The game is text based, with images as accompaniment, and would be perfect for those who use Facebook on a slower internet connection. For everyone else, the detailed storyline might be enough to draw one in for an extended period of time (as it has already worked to draw in more than 12,000 players in the short time the game has been available). Meet us behind the break to see if Chronicles of Herenvale is something you'd like to try.
chroi
The game offers some very (very) light character customization, in terms of allowing you to pick whether or not you are a girl or a boy, and to give yourself a name, but afterwards, you're quickly shoved into your first battle. You're told that you've come across a group of crows fighting some deadly worrocks. The worrocks are attempting to kill an innocent bystander, and you must turn the tide of the battle by jumping in on her behalf.
Attacks in battle are achieved by simply hitting the attack button. You'll use Energy for each attack you begin, and you'll receive experience points and gold (along with the occasional random loot drop) after you've successfully ended a conflict. Any loot items that can be equipped on your warrior are placed in your inventory, and you'll be able to equip these items from the Profile screen. Items have types, and your warrior's body is separated into zones, where only certain items can be equipped - one item in each particular zone.
As you go along, the story is played out through lots of text, and the world map is represented by various star markings on a stationary map. Impressive graphics, no, but the game's story seems to be a rather deep one, considering the nature of the title. As you earn experience points, you'll go up levels, increasing your maximum energy, allowing you to do more work in a single sitting. You'll also earn Stat Points that will increase your Energy even further, or can be manually assigned to a number of different traits, like Knowledge (increases your accuracy), Fortitude (health), or Strength, among others.
Just as Mafia Wars separates missions based on your progress in the game (chapters, regions, and so on), so too does Chronicles of Herenvale separate missions based on the storyline at the time. For a particular battle, it might be represented by a number of circular stars, with each stars representing a different stage of the battle. Only after you complete the steps necessary at each star within a particular cluster will you unlock the next step of the storyline.
Your quest will take you all through the land, with eight main cities, or areas, being represented as eventual travel points on the map, along with what appears to be a slew of other outcroppings where you can complete quests. You'll be able to purchase new equipment along the way, making your character even stronger, and giving you a better edge in battle.
As for social elements, you'll be able to add friends as "Allies," at which point you'll be given a better advantage in large battles, which increases depending on the number of Allies you happen to have at the time.
Chronciles of Herenvale will be incredibly familiar to those that have played Mafia Wars, or even (more specifically) Castle Age, as the fantasy storyline and unique monster races hearken back that particular title. Still, if you haven't tried a new text-based mission game in a while, Chronicles of Herenvale might be worth a shot.
Play Chronicles of Herenvale on Facebook -->
Godswar Online: Facebook game and MMO unite
Godswar Online
Since free-to-play massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) like Maple Story and Dungeons and Dragons Eberron Unlimited gained popularity in the U.S., their similarities with Facebook games became crystal clear. Each are free to play and download, both have item shops that deal in real world currency, and finally, most are playable on a wide range of computers. In short, it was only a matter of time before the two worlds merged, and Godswar Online, developed by Kalydo and IGG, aims to do just that.
The two companies have brought the Grecian-themed MMO to Facebook using Kalydo technology, which allows complex 3D games to run directly in the browser without a full download. However, a small Java applet download is required to play Godswar Online. Do that and soon enough you'll be in the thick of an ancient war between Athens and Sparta complete with wizards, minotaurs and walking tree creatures. Alright, so none of that really happened, but it makes for a pretty robust, entertaining Facebook game. Is it even a Facebook game?
See for yourself in our impressions after the break.
Character Creation
Through and through, Godswar Online is an MMO. With customizable, full-3D characters, four playable classes (warriors, champions, priests and wizards) and full quest and combat systems, this game could be described as nothing else. Frankly, this is going to be a shock for folks who have only played games like FarmVille or FrontierVille seriously. While seasoned MMO players will have no issue with navigating the game, fully aware of common MMO tropes and tendencies, those new to this type of game might go cross-eyed from looking at the walls of text, the littered icons and randomly moving shapes that resemble children in battle armor.
And that's exactly why the Newbie Guide is here to help. A series of pop ups that tell players exactly what to do and where to click, it's pretty tough to get lost in this game with the Newbie Guide around. The guide will hold your hand as you complete quests, which are visible at any time by pressing the scroll icon on the bottom right of the screen. Quests are the primary mode of advancement in Godswar Online like in most MMOs, granting players precious Experience Points along with new armor, weapons and skills. Those will be extremely useful if not vital in combat with the various monsters of Godswar Online.
Combat
Ranging from your standard deer to vicious tree creatures and quaint pixie fairies, there are a ton of mythical beasts to slay in the world of Ancient Greece. Fighting enemies is simple enough, requiring a double click of an enemy. Aside from clicking on your various combat skills mapped to the center area on the bottom of your screen, your character will take care of the rest. While the combat may sound a bit dry, things will spice up as you gain more abilities and when monsters become more difficult to defeat, requiring you to team up with fellow players to defeat them.
All of this probably sounds somewhat daunting, so IGG and Kalydo included a feature in the game known as the Search function. In the text of any given quest and through the Search menu beneath the mini map, players can click on highlighted portion of text to cause their character to walk in the direction of the item, place, person or monster it refers to. Think of it as effortless navigation to nearly anywhere in the game. Better yet is an AFK, or away from keyboard, option. This setting, activated by clicking on the small crossed swords icon above the action bar lining the bottom of the screen, will automatically cause your character to endlessly attack monsters if he or she is surrounded by them. Just set the skills you want your avatar to use, select healing and mana (a resource used for skills) potions for automated use, and press "Start." Go read a book, make a sandwich and watch the Experience Points flow in.
City Life in Godswar
Keep in mind that the entire game, including combat, occurs in real time. Just about everyone you see in the game is an actual player. However, this raises somewhat of a conundrum. Godswar Online, because it's successfully crossed genres, seems to be having trouble figuring out what it is. In the traditional sense of play time limitations, gifting and News Feed posts, this is not a social game. Though, with full blown guild (persistent groups of players with similar interests) support, the ability to add friends within the game and the need for adventuring parties to defeat larger monsters in real time, perhaps this is a social game in another sense.
In the sense that it allows for natural social connections through real time gameplay where players will face obstacles that require them to join forces. Players don't necessarily need friends to play Godswar Online, but at least they can make them on their own terms. Whether this type of game can survive on Facebook has yet to be seen, but Godswar Online certainly makes a strong first step in a potential new direction for social games--or whatever we're supposed to call them these days.
Click here to play Godswar Online on Facebook Now>
Have you tried Godswar Online yet? If so, what are your thoughts? What do you think of traditional gaming genres creeping up on Facebook?
Since free-to-play massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) like Maple Story and Dungeons and Dragons Eberron Unlimited gained popularity in the U.S., their similarities with Facebook games became crystal clear. Each are free to play and download, both have item shops that deal in real world currency, and finally, most are playable on a wide range of computers. In short, it was only a matter of time before the two worlds merged, and Godswar Online, developed by Kalydo and IGG, aims to do just that.
The two companies have brought the Grecian-themed MMO to Facebook using Kalydo technology, which allows complex 3D games to run directly in the browser without a full download. However, a small Java applet download is required to play Godswar Online. Do that and soon enough you'll be in the thick of an ancient war between Athens and Sparta complete with wizards, minotaurs and walking tree creatures. Alright, so none of that really happened, but it makes for a pretty robust, entertaining Facebook game. Is it even a Facebook game?
See for yourself in our impressions after the break.
Character Creation
Through and through, Godswar Online is an MMO. With customizable, full-3D characters, four playable classes (warriors, champions, priests and wizards) and full quest and combat systems, this game could be described as nothing else. Frankly, this is going to be a shock for folks who have only played games like FarmVille or FrontierVille seriously. While seasoned MMO players will have no issue with navigating the game, fully aware of common MMO tropes and tendencies, those new to this type of game might go cross-eyed from looking at the walls of text, the littered icons and randomly moving shapes that resemble children in battle armor.
And that's exactly why the Newbie Guide is here to help. A series of pop ups that tell players exactly what to do and where to click, it's pretty tough to get lost in this game with the Newbie Guide around. The guide will hold your hand as you complete quests, which are visible at any time by pressing the scroll icon on the bottom right of the screen. Quests are the primary mode of advancement in Godswar Online like in most MMOs, granting players precious Experience Points along with new armor, weapons and skills. Those will be extremely useful if not vital in combat with the various monsters of Godswar Online.
Combat
Ranging from your standard deer to vicious tree creatures and quaint pixie fairies, there are a ton of mythical beasts to slay in the world of Ancient Greece. Fighting enemies is simple enough, requiring a double click of an enemy. Aside from clicking on your various combat skills mapped to the center area on the bottom of your screen, your character will take care of the rest. While the combat may sound a bit dry, things will spice up as you gain more abilities and when monsters become more difficult to defeat, requiring you to team up with fellow players to defeat them.
All of this probably sounds somewhat daunting, so IGG and Kalydo included a feature in the game known as the Search function. In the text of any given quest and through the Search menu beneath the mini map, players can click on highlighted portion of text to cause their character to walk in the direction of the item, place, person or monster it refers to. Think of it as effortless navigation to nearly anywhere in the game. Better yet is an AFK, or away from keyboard, option. This setting, activated by clicking on the small crossed swords icon above the action bar lining the bottom of the screen, will automatically cause your character to endlessly attack monsters if he or she is surrounded by them. Just set the skills you want your avatar to use, select healing and mana (a resource used for skills) potions for automated use, and press "Start." Go read a book, make a sandwich and watch the Experience Points flow in.
City Life in Godswar
Keep in mind that the entire game, including combat, occurs in real time. Just about everyone you see in the game is an actual player. However, this raises somewhat of a conundrum. Godswar Online, because it's successfully crossed genres, seems to be having trouble figuring out what it is. In the traditional sense of play time limitations, gifting and News Feed posts, this is not a social game. Though, with full blown guild (persistent groups of players with similar interests) support, the ability to add friends within the game and the need for adventuring parties to defeat larger monsters in real time, perhaps this is a social game in another sense.
In the sense that it allows for natural social connections through real time gameplay where players will face obstacles that require them to join forces. Players don't necessarily need friends to play Godswar Online, but at least they can make them on their own terms. Whether this type of game can survive on Facebook has yet to be seen, but Godswar Online certainly makes a strong first step in a potential new direction for social games--or whatever we're supposed to call them these days.
Click here to play Godswar Online on Facebook Now>
Have you tried Godswar Online yet? If so, what are your thoughts? What do you think of traditional gaming genres creeping up on Facebook?
Thứ Tư, 11 tháng 1, 2012
Like playing games on Facebook? Try playing on your Samsung TV
The final frontier for social games might be what you sit in front of all night long: your television. (Do people still call it that?) GamePro reports that PlayJam, a social gaming company that specializes in TVs as its platform(s), has signed a deal with Samsung. This partnership will bring PlayJam's stable of casual games to web-enabled Samsung TVs through Smart TV software.
More specifically, London-based PlayJam games will be found through Samsung Apps, reportedly the first app store on an HDTV. While specific games weren't mentioned, a statement said that players will have access to a variety of "in-house and leading brand titles" and "thousands of casual games at the touch of a button on the remote control."
PlayJam's system has full support for social games including leader boards, cross-network tournaments, and--most importantly for some--virtual currencies. It's a brilliant idea, in theory. Where do most casual or non-gamers spend a bigger chunk of their leisure time than anywhere else? You guessed it.
GamePro guesses that social games for TV could grow even larger than Facebook games, but that all depends on the quality of the games, which we've yet to see. Regardless, the potential for growth and notoriety is certainly there, according to PlayJam CEO Jasper Smith:
I have a fundamental belief that games on TV will evolve into a huge commercial opportunity, and our combined aim is simply to provide the best games experience possible to our customers. To help make that a reality, we offer great game developers simple access to our global games network -- so that they can monetize their IP and make their games famous. TV has some extraordinary advantages over the Web and mobile, and the ability to make standout formats has never been greater.
And thanks to Facebook's recent ... rewording of its Facebook Credits terms, Facebook game developers are allowed to place their games elsewhere as long as pricing is identical. Empires & Allies on the old 55-inch, anyone? We've contacted PlayJam for more details.
More specifically, London-based PlayJam games will be found through Samsung Apps, reportedly the first app store on an HDTV. While specific games weren't mentioned, a statement said that players will have access to a variety of "in-house and leading brand titles" and "thousands of casual games at the touch of a button on the remote control."
PlayJam's system has full support for social games including leader boards, cross-network tournaments, and--most importantly for some--virtual currencies. It's a brilliant idea, in theory. Where do most casual or non-gamers spend a bigger chunk of their leisure time than anywhere else? You guessed it.
GamePro guesses that social games for TV could grow even larger than Facebook games, but that all depends on the quality of the games, which we've yet to see. Regardless, the potential for growth and notoriety is certainly there, according to PlayJam CEO Jasper Smith:
I have a fundamental belief that games on TV will evolve into a huge commercial opportunity, and our combined aim is simply to provide the best games experience possible to our customers. To help make that a reality, we offer great game developers simple access to our global games network -- so that they can monetize their IP and make their games famous. TV has some extraordinary advantages over the Web and mobile, and the ability to make standout formats has never been greater.
And thanks to Facebook's recent ... rewording of its Facebook Credits terms, Facebook game developers are allowed to place their games elsewhere as long as pricing is identical. Empires & Allies on the old 55-inch, anyone? We've contacted PlayJam for more details.
Thứ Bảy, 7 tháng 1, 2012
Step off the train into Wild West Town on Facebook
While many games have tried to take on FrontierVille's gameplay style, but have failed to overcome Zynga's massive popularity, it looks like Wild West Town from Clipwire Games might actually have the gameplay necessary to put at least a dent into FrontierVille's player base. Released just four days ago, the game has already amassed over 100,000 players.
While the gameplay here is the established mold created by FrontierVille, having you clear debris and collect supplies for your ever-growing town, there is a wide range of characters here (even a few villains), and a railroad mechanic that do give the game its own identity. To start, you'll create your avatar, and will be given a small plot of land in the middle of the desert - an area called Deadman's Hollow. From there, you'll be greeted by one of the more colorful in-game characters, a bully who won't leave until you've fed him food (for free, mind you).
More friendly characters quickly take his place, along with Ranger Chip (think Frontier Jack), who will show you the ropes of surviving in the desert. New characters will travel in on a train, and you'll need to click on an icon above their head to see what they'll be able to add to your game's story. Meet us behind the break more details about building your own town in the wild west.
You'll be quickly taught how to plant crops and then find water to help those crops grow. This is done by digging for a geyser with your shovel, and then placing a water well on top of your newly discovered geyser. The game's initial portions play out through text-based dialog sessions, and a few simple quests that have you complete construction on your land's dilapidated cabin, build a Bank, and so on. The Bank introduces the concept of premium currency to the game, with one free Bank Note being available each and every day you play the game, just for collecting from your Bank daily.
Quests will last long after the game's introduction, and contain the expected tasks - clear a certain amount of debris, purchase certain animals or decorations, plant specific crops and so on. Most actions you'll complete will cost energy, save for some like watering crops, which is a free action. Some types of debris also take more than one click to remove, but you'll be able to see how many are required before starting to clear them.
As you go along, your inventory will start to fill with your harvested crops and items that you'll receive from your livestock (eggs from chickens, etc.), and you'll be able to sell these items for additional profits. This money can then be used to purchase various buildings for your town, like a Saloon, Sheriff Station, Vegetable Stand, and even an Oil Derrick. While some of your first buildings are completed after simply whacking the frame, eventually, you'll need to gain the help of friends to be staff in your buildings before they'll be open for business.
Technically, Wild West Town has a lot going for it. You'll be able to level up extremely fast as the beginning of the game, constantly raising your maximum amount of energy. On the other hand, there is no bonus meter present, which negates any incentive to click on the many bonus items that appear when completing actions on your land. Additionally, there is no button available to stop your character's cue of actions should you change your mind.
All told, the game's technical differences from FrontierVille add both positives and negatives to the experience. With a clever art style, and a seeming boom in users in such a short time, we can see this one being worth trying at least once, especially if you find yourself stuck on a particular mission in FrontierVille, but you'd still like to play the same type of game.
While the gameplay here is the established mold created by FrontierVille, having you clear debris and collect supplies for your ever-growing town, there is a wide range of characters here (even a few villains), and a railroad mechanic that do give the game its own identity. To start, you'll create your avatar, and will be given a small plot of land in the middle of the desert - an area called Deadman's Hollow. From there, you'll be greeted by one of the more colorful in-game characters, a bully who won't leave until you've fed him food (for free, mind you).
More friendly characters quickly take his place, along with Ranger Chip (think Frontier Jack), who will show you the ropes of surviving in the desert. New characters will travel in on a train, and you'll need to click on an icon above their head to see what they'll be able to add to your game's story. Meet us behind the break more details about building your own town in the wild west.
You'll be quickly taught how to plant crops and then find water to help those crops grow. This is done by digging for a geyser with your shovel, and then placing a water well on top of your newly discovered geyser. The game's initial portions play out through text-based dialog sessions, and a few simple quests that have you complete construction on your land's dilapidated cabin, build a Bank, and so on. The Bank introduces the concept of premium currency to the game, with one free Bank Note being available each and every day you play the game, just for collecting from your Bank daily.
Quests will last long after the game's introduction, and contain the expected tasks - clear a certain amount of debris, purchase certain animals or decorations, plant specific crops and so on. Most actions you'll complete will cost energy, save for some like watering crops, which is a free action. Some types of debris also take more than one click to remove, but you'll be able to see how many are required before starting to clear them.
As you go along, your inventory will start to fill with your harvested crops and items that you'll receive from your livestock (eggs from chickens, etc.), and you'll be able to sell these items for additional profits. This money can then be used to purchase various buildings for your town, like a Saloon, Sheriff Station, Vegetable Stand, and even an Oil Derrick. While some of your first buildings are completed after simply whacking the frame, eventually, you'll need to gain the help of friends to be staff in your buildings before they'll be open for business.
Technically, Wild West Town has a lot going for it. You'll be able to level up extremely fast as the beginning of the game, constantly raising your maximum amount of energy. On the other hand, there is no bonus meter present, which negates any incentive to click on the many bonus items that appear when completing actions on your land. Additionally, there is no button available to stop your character's cue of actions should you change your mind.
All told, the game's technical differences from FrontierVille add both positives and negatives to the experience. With a clever art style, and a seeming boom in users in such a short time, we can see this one being worth trying at least once, especially if you find yourself stuck on a particular mission in FrontierVille, but you'd still like to play the same type of game.
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