While Adventure World has finally started seeing a push in its user base (to a current total of around 26 million players), that doesn't mean Zynga wants the growth to slow down. To help users discover its newest game, the developer has launched a cross-promotion between Adventure World and its largest game: CityVille. This promotion, like the FarmVille promotion that came before it, will give users some incentive to play AW by rewarding them with a prize back in CityVille at the end.
To be specific, a free Tunnel decoration (pictured at right) is up for grabs for all CityVille players that take the time to reach at least Level 7 in Adventure World. This is unfortunately two levels more than that required for the FarmVille cross-promotion, so you will need to keep chugging along until you level up two more times. To help you do that, we have guides on the game's starting Expeditions, along with the game's main story quests, so make sure to check out our guides to those events to help yourself level up as quickly as possible.
While you shouldn't have to, you should also remember to click on the "Play Now" button in the pop-up that appears in CityVille to activate this cross-promotion in your game. It's possible that Zynga will automatically track the players that have met both requirements (that is, those that play CityVille and are at least Level 7 in Adventure World), but clicking on this link should eliminate all doubt. Oh yeah, you'll need to do all of the above fairly quickly - your time limit for receiving your free Tunnel Decoration is October 6. On that date, all qualifying users will receive their prize, so don't worry if you don't receive it beforehand. Just make sure you meet the deadline if you want this free Tunnel in your town.
Will you play Adventure World to at least Level 7 to qualify for a free CityVille Tunnel? Sound off in the comments.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Adventure World Cave of Montezuma Expedition: Everything you need to know
If you've already made your way through Adventure World's "starter" Expeditions, you might be surprised when scrolling through the list today to find a new entry has been added. While we know that Expeditions are already available all of the way to Level 40, this entirely new Expedition sits in between Jungle Run and Mountain Pass, making it now the fourth Expedition on the list. If you're thorough and wish to complete all Expeditions at least once, we've got a guide to help you do just that.
This particular Expedition requires 175 Supplies and two each of Food, Fuel and Water. Your overall goal is to defeat a spider infestation and find Montezuma's Headdress, and you only have two days to accomplish it all. Let's get started!
Montezuma's Headdress
* Recover the Blue Feather
* Recover the Green Feather
* Recover the Red Feather
* Recover the Headdress
While the Professor has successfully located Montezuma's Headdress, you'll quickly learn that it's in pieces and must be gathered bit by bit before this Expedition can be completed. The pieces of the headdress are scattered throughout this fairly complex map, with some of the feathers being perched high atop pillars that must be lowered by activating statues, not entirely unlike the ending of the Treasure Trail Expedition.
Outsmarting Spiders
* Defeat 5 Spiders
* Clear 5 Spider Webs
* Ask friends for 10 Bat Houses
* Place Bat Houses on Gnarled Trees
Unfortunately, while a few Bat Houses can be found on this map, you won't be able to find all 10, so you do need to ask for your friends' help, and quickly! As for the Spiders, these guys may not immediately be visible on the map, as they fall down from the "ceiling" using lines of web. Spider Webs themselves can be found around the map like a normal piece of debris. As for the Gnarled Trees, these are also found on the map, which put your Bat Houses to good use. In the second picture below, you'll see a Gnarled Tree highlighted in red. By clicking on it when you have a Bat House in your inventory, the Bat House will be hung from the tree.
Montezuma Says
* Solve the First Puzzle
* Solve the Second Puzzle
* Solve the Third Puzzle
As I said above, two of the feathers to the headdress are blocked by puzzles, while a Ruby Vase sits at the end of the third. Even if you'd rather not, you will need to spend some energy going after this Ruby Vase to complete this particular quest, as you must complete all three puzzles. These puzzles give you a series of pillars that animate in order. You must then repeat the animation by clicking on the appropriate statues like in a game of "Simon Says." You'll be able to push a nearby button to see the puzzle repeatedly, if you can't remember the exact order to activate the statues in, so don't worry if you forget to pay attention. Once you complete each puzzle appropriate, its prize will lower so that you can collect it (note: you may not be able to walk directly up to it, but might have to go around, or even use a Grappling Hook to get there).
By finishing these three quests, you will have successfully complete the Cave of Montezuma Expedition. Remember though - even though this is a new addition to the game, it can still be mastered like all others, requiring multiple runs through the Expedition in its entirety. The more you master an Expedition, the higher the rewards become, so feel free to master them all for the best rewards in the end.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Cave of Montezuma Expedition? Do you think it's too difficult to be placed this early in the Expedition "timeline?" Sound off in the comments.
This particular Expedition requires 175 Supplies and two each of Food, Fuel and Water. Your overall goal is to defeat a spider infestation and find Montezuma's Headdress, and you only have two days to accomplish it all. Let's get started!
Montezuma's Headdress
* Recover the Blue Feather
* Recover the Green Feather
* Recover the Red Feather
* Recover the Headdress
While the Professor has successfully located Montezuma's Headdress, you'll quickly learn that it's in pieces and must be gathered bit by bit before this Expedition can be completed. The pieces of the headdress are scattered throughout this fairly complex map, with some of the feathers being perched high atop pillars that must be lowered by activating statues, not entirely unlike the ending of the Treasure Trail Expedition.
Outsmarting Spiders
* Defeat 5 Spiders
* Clear 5 Spider Webs
* Ask friends for 10 Bat Houses
* Place Bat Houses on Gnarled Trees
Unfortunately, while a few Bat Houses can be found on this map, you won't be able to find all 10, so you do need to ask for your friends' help, and quickly! As for the Spiders, these guys may not immediately be visible on the map, as they fall down from the "ceiling" using lines of web. Spider Webs themselves can be found around the map like a normal piece of debris. As for the Gnarled Trees, these are also found on the map, which put your Bat Houses to good use. In the second picture below, you'll see a Gnarled Tree highlighted in red. By clicking on it when you have a Bat House in your inventory, the Bat House will be hung from the tree.
Montezuma Says
* Solve the First Puzzle
* Solve the Second Puzzle
* Solve the Third Puzzle
As I said above, two of the feathers to the headdress are blocked by puzzles, while a Ruby Vase sits at the end of the third. Even if you'd rather not, you will need to spend some energy going after this Ruby Vase to complete this particular quest, as you must complete all three puzzles. These puzzles give you a series of pillars that animate in order. You must then repeat the animation by clicking on the appropriate statues like in a game of "Simon Says." You'll be able to push a nearby button to see the puzzle repeatedly, if you can't remember the exact order to activate the statues in, so don't worry if you forget to pay attention. Once you complete each puzzle appropriate, its prize will lower so that you can collect it (note: you may not be able to walk directly up to it, but might have to go around, or even use a Grappling Hook to get there).
By finishing these three quests, you will have successfully complete the Cave of Montezuma Expedition. Remember though - even though this is a new addition to the game, it can still be mastered like all others, requiring multiple runs through the Expedition in its entirety. The more you master an Expedition, the higher the rewards become, so feel free to master them all for the best rewards in the end.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Cave of Montezuma Expedition? Do you think it's too difficult to be placed this early in the Expedition "timeline?" Sound off in the comments.
CityVille Metropolis items take the fun to the big city
If all of the small-scale businesses and homes in CityVille just aren't doing it for you, and you want some larger skyscrapers to sit beside your (probably) large franchises, you're in luck with the release of new Metropolis items in the game today. These items will be available for 15 days, and you'll be able to purchase either a Mystery Crate to try your luck at receiving a random item, or purchase some of these items outright. Fair warning: these items cost City Cash, so I hope you're ready to bust out your wallet.
Infinite Towers II (Home)
* Costs: 110 City Cash
* Population: 4000 - 7000 citizens
* Rent: 532 coins every day
Destiny's Calling (Home)
* Costs: 55 City Cash
* Population: 1350 - 2650 population
* Rent: 150 coins every two hours
Oasis Apartments II (Home)
* Costs: 65 City Cash
* Population: 1850 - 3650 citizens
* Rent: 200 coins every four hours
Visual Art Academy (Community Building)
* Costs: 70 City Cash
* Raises maximum population cap by 5,000 citizens
In addition to these four items, the Metropolis Mystery Crate will give you a chance at one additional item - the Oasis Apartments I - along with three other items above (the Infinite Towers II, Destiny's Calling and Visual Art Academy). A single crate costs 55 City Cash, so unless you only win the Destiny's Calling, you'll really come out ahead over purchasing items individually. Keep in mind though, you might win duplicates in your quest to get all three at a "discount." As for the Oasis Apartments I, the exclusive item to this crate, it comes with a population of 2,000 - 4,000 citizens and provides 251 coins every eight hours in rent.
Again, these items, including the Mystery Crate are only available in the game for a limited time of around 15 days. We'll make sure to let you know if any themed decorations or businesses launch in this theme in the future, so keep checking back with us!
Will you purchase any of these Skyscrapers for use in your town, or will you try your hand with the Mystery Crate to see if you can walk away with an expensive item for "cheap?" Sound off in the comments.
Infinite Towers II (Home)
* Costs: 110 City Cash
* Population: 4000 - 7000 citizens
* Rent: 532 coins every day
Destiny's Calling (Home)
* Costs: 55 City Cash
* Population: 1350 - 2650 population
* Rent: 150 coins every two hours
Oasis Apartments II (Home)
* Costs: 65 City Cash
* Population: 1850 - 3650 citizens
* Rent: 200 coins every four hours
Visual Art Academy (Community Building)
* Costs: 70 City Cash
* Raises maximum population cap by 5,000 citizens
In addition to these four items, the Metropolis Mystery Crate will give you a chance at one additional item - the Oasis Apartments I - along with three other items above (the Infinite Towers II, Destiny's Calling and Visual Art Academy). A single crate costs 55 City Cash, so unless you only win the Destiny's Calling, you'll really come out ahead over purchasing items individually. Keep in mind though, you might win duplicates in your quest to get all three at a "discount." As for the Oasis Apartments I, the exclusive item to this crate, it comes with a population of 2,000 - 4,000 citizens and provides 251 coins every eight hours in rent.
Again, these items, including the Mystery Crate are only available in the game for a limited time of around 15 days. We'll make sure to let you know if any themed decorations or businesses launch in this theme in the future, so keep checking back with us!
Will you purchase any of these Skyscrapers for use in your town, or will you try your hand with the Mystery Crate to see if you can walk away with an expensive item for "cheap?" Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Chapter 2 Goals: Everything you need to know
Since Zynga has changed the layout of goals in FarmVille's newest Lighthouse Cove expansion, so that everyone is on the same page via quickly expiring goal series, you might be currently left with little to do (as the goals will disappear whether you've finished them or not). In order to make us all busy again, Zynga has launched a series of three new goals in the game which bring us to Chapter 2 in the overall Lighthouse Cove story. This chapter contains more of the same in terms of tasks. You'll need to collect some items, plant some crops and so on, so nothing should be overly difficult. You'll have a week to finish these three goals, so let's get started.
Get a Moove On
* Collect 3 Cow Treats
* Harvest 55 Hay
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
For this particular goal, it doesn't matter what level you've reached in the repair of your Lighthouse Cove, so long as you harvest it when it's "ready." Your opportunity comes around once per day (if you're routine in collecting from it), so at least you won't be too delayed if you've already harvested your Cove before these goals roll around to your account. As for the Cow Treats, they're earned though a general news post on your wall. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, a River Otter and 5,000 coins.
A Leash on Life
* Get 3 Cow Tethers
* Harvest 55 Kennebec Potatoes
* Improve the Cove to Level 2
If you've been working on repairing your Lighthouse Cove ever since you landed in the new farm, I would be incredibly surprised if you haven't already reached Level 2, but if not, here's our guide to upgrading so you can finish the task quickly. As for the Cow Tethers - you guessed it - they're earned through another general wall post. Complete this goal and you'll earn 200 XP, a Sailor Gnome and 2,500 coins.
A Spoonful of Sugar
* Get 3 Sugar Cubes
* Harvest 55 Butter & Sugar Corn
* Make Creamed Corn Two Times
The Sugar Cubes are earned through one final news feed post on your wall, while the Creamed Corn is a recipe inside your Restaurant. A single Creamed Corn preparation requires three Butter & Sugar Corn bushels, along with three Tarragon bushels and a Pepper bushel. Finishing this final goal gives you 300 XP, a Black Gum Tree and 2,500 coins.
While the rewards for these goals may not be overly exciting, at least the goals themselves are relatively easy to match. We'll make sure to let you know when Chapter 3 of these goals releases, so keep checking back with us!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Chapter 2 Lighthouse Cove goals in FarmVille? Sound off in the comments.
Get a Moove On
* Collect 3 Cow Treats
* Harvest 55 Hay
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
For this particular goal, it doesn't matter what level you've reached in the repair of your Lighthouse Cove, so long as you harvest it when it's "ready." Your opportunity comes around once per day (if you're routine in collecting from it), so at least you won't be too delayed if you've already harvested your Cove before these goals roll around to your account. As for the Cow Treats, they're earned though a general news post on your wall. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, a River Otter and 5,000 coins.
A Leash on Life
* Get 3 Cow Tethers
* Harvest 55 Kennebec Potatoes
* Improve the Cove to Level 2
If you've been working on repairing your Lighthouse Cove ever since you landed in the new farm, I would be incredibly surprised if you haven't already reached Level 2, but if not, here's our guide to upgrading so you can finish the task quickly. As for the Cow Tethers - you guessed it - they're earned through another general wall post. Complete this goal and you'll earn 200 XP, a Sailor Gnome and 2,500 coins.
A Spoonful of Sugar
* Get 3 Sugar Cubes
* Harvest 55 Butter & Sugar Corn
* Make Creamed Corn Two Times
The Sugar Cubes are earned through one final news feed post on your wall, while the Creamed Corn is a recipe inside your Restaurant. A single Creamed Corn preparation requires three Butter & Sugar Corn bushels, along with three Tarragon bushels and a Pepper bushel. Finishing this final goal gives you 300 XP, a Black Gum Tree and 2,500 coins.
While the rewards for these goals may not be overly exciting, at least the goals themselves are relatively easy to match. We'll make sure to let you know when Chapter 3 of these goals releases, so keep checking back with us!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Chapter 2 Lighthouse Cove goals in FarmVille? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Chapter 2 Bonus Goals: Everything you need to know
If you thought the original Bonus Challenge goals in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove were difficult, you may not be excited to hear that there is now a second set of goals that have also been given the "Bonus" treatment. These three goals appear alongside the goals from Chapter 2 in the Lighthouse Cove story. We'll tell you flat out - one goal requires you to expand your Lighthouse Cove farm, which is currently only available to do with Farm Cash. Keep that in mind when you decide whether or not to actively finish these goals.
Bonus Quest 4
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Harvest 55 Tarragon
* Complete 1 Orchard
While these tasks aren't incredibly difficult, they might be a bit time consuming depending on how big your Lighthouse Cove already is. That is, if you haven't already expanded your Lighthouse Cove, you won't be allowed to plant 55 crops at a time, so you'll need to do two plantings to reach the 55 total. If you finish this first Bonus Quest (the fourth overall for the farm - hence the name), you'll receive 500 XP, an Unwither, a Livestock Baby Animal and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Quest 5
* Harvest 70 Darrow Blackberries
* Make Blackberry Ice Cream Twice
* Expand your farm to an Inlet Garden
Blackberry Ice Cream is available to craft inside your Restaurant, and requires three Darrow Blackberry, two Chandler Blueberry and three Strawberry bushels. To finish this particular task, you'll not only have to set the recipe to craft twice, but will also have to wait the six hour period for them to finish. As for the Inlet Garden, here's the task that I warned you of earlier. As of this writing, an Inlet Garden farm is only available for 40 Farm Cash, and that's after you go through the Coastal Patch farm that costs 30 Farm Cash. That is, if you're looking to complete this particular goal, you'll need to shell out 70 Farm Cash with no option for coin-spending instead. If you decide to go through with this goal, and can finish it, you'll receive 1,000 XP, a Speckled Alder tree and 5,000 coins.
Bonus Quest 6
* Complete a Zoo
* Harvest 70 Red Clover
* Harvest 70 Chandler Blueberries
For this goal, the requirements are toned down a bit, at least in terms of the cost to your wallet. By the time you make it this far, you'll have the ability to plant more than the starting 35 plots of land on your farm, so the crop tasks will be easier by default. As for the Zoo, this is built using 30 ingredients that can gather from your friends. It's not an incredibly difficult building to complete, so check out our guide to doing so for details. If you can finish this final bonus goal for Chapter 2, you'll receive 500 XP, a Chimpanzee and 2,500 coins.
We've been told that additional goals will be launching in the game every week, so keep checking back with us as we'll bring you everything you need to know about the future Chapter 3 goals in Lighthouse Cove and beyond.
[Via: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this trio of Bonus Goals? Are they more difficult or easier than the first set? Will you purchase the farm expansions with Farm Cash or will you skip that goal entirely? Sound off in the comments.
Bonus Quest 4
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Harvest 55 Tarragon
* Complete 1 Orchard
While these tasks aren't incredibly difficult, they might be a bit time consuming depending on how big your Lighthouse Cove already is. That is, if you haven't already expanded your Lighthouse Cove, you won't be allowed to plant 55 crops at a time, so you'll need to do two plantings to reach the 55 total. If you finish this first Bonus Quest (the fourth overall for the farm - hence the name), you'll receive 500 XP, an Unwither, a Livestock Baby Animal and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Quest 5
* Harvest 70 Darrow Blackberries
* Make Blackberry Ice Cream Twice
* Expand your farm to an Inlet Garden
Blackberry Ice Cream is available to craft inside your Restaurant, and requires three Darrow Blackberry, two Chandler Blueberry and three Strawberry bushels. To finish this particular task, you'll not only have to set the recipe to craft twice, but will also have to wait the six hour period for them to finish. As for the Inlet Garden, here's the task that I warned you of earlier. As of this writing, an Inlet Garden farm is only available for 40 Farm Cash, and that's after you go through the Coastal Patch farm that costs 30 Farm Cash. That is, if you're looking to complete this particular goal, you'll need to shell out 70 Farm Cash with no option for coin-spending instead. If you decide to go through with this goal, and can finish it, you'll receive 1,000 XP, a Speckled Alder tree and 5,000 coins.
Bonus Quest 6
* Complete a Zoo
* Harvest 70 Red Clover
* Harvest 70 Chandler Blueberries
For this goal, the requirements are toned down a bit, at least in terms of the cost to your wallet. By the time you make it this far, you'll have the ability to plant more than the starting 35 plots of land on your farm, so the crop tasks will be easier by default. As for the Zoo, this is built using 30 ingredients that can gather from your friends. It's not an incredibly difficult building to complete, so check out our guide to doing so for details. If you can finish this final bonus goal for Chapter 2, you'll receive 500 XP, a Chimpanzee and 2,500 coins.
We've been told that additional goals will be launching in the game every week, so keep checking back with us as we'll bring you everything you need to know about the future Chapter 3 goals in Lighthouse Cove and beyond.
[Via: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this trio of Bonus Goals? Are they more difficult or easier than the first set? Will you purchase the farm expansions with Farm Cash or will you skip that goal entirely? Sound off in the comments.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
The Sims Social celebrates fans with a week of free stuff
Free stuff? Yes, please, I'll take some of that! With almost 61 million players (and climbing), the folks at EA / Playfish have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to the Sims Social on Facebook. As a way to thank their ever-growing player base for their support (even when the game suffered from some nagging loading and gameplay issues), the developers have launched a week long celebration involving free stuff that will be given away, apparently on a daily basis.
To start, we're given a gift of Social Points - a whopping 400 Social Points at that. Since your other methods of earning Social Points normally come in small increments (of 10 or less per action) when visiting friends, this really is a substantial prize. Remember, these Social Points work as a form of third currency in the game, and can be used to purchase exclusive decorations or other home items that aren't available through any other method or currency.
We've also been told that we'll be able to increase our land size in the future, although that wasn't exactly announced in as many words. To be specific, we're asked if we "need more space to build your dream home" and that with that question comes a secret that the developers just couldn't hold in anymore. We're even asked "If you could expand your land, what is the first room you'd build on it?"
Put two and two together here, and you're left with the answer that land size will soon be increasing, although no particular release date was announced (unfortunately). If you're like me, your home has already filled most nooks and crannies of land in our admittedly small square, and is surrounded by outdoor goodies to boot. Being able to increase the size of our house plot is a huge deal, and we'll make sure to let you know when that feature / ability launches as soon as it does.
In the meantime, keep checking back with the game's Facebook fan page for additional links / announcements of free prizes, and click right here to claim your free 400 Social Points.
What sorts of prizes are you hoping to receive in this week-long event of free stuff? What will you purchase with your 400 free Social Points? Sound off in the comments.
To start, we're given a gift of Social Points - a whopping 400 Social Points at that. Since your other methods of earning Social Points normally come in small increments (of 10 or less per action) when visiting friends, this really is a substantial prize. Remember, these Social Points work as a form of third currency in the game, and can be used to purchase exclusive decorations or other home items that aren't available through any other method or currency.
We've also been told that we'll be able to increase our land size in the future, although that wasn't exactly announced in as many words. To be specific, we're asked if we "need more space to build your dream home" and that with that question comes a secret that the developers just couldn't hold in anymore. We're even asked "If you could expand your land, what is the first room you'd build on it?"
Put two and two together here, and you're left with the answer that land size will soon be increasing, although no particular release date was announced (unfortunately). If you're like me, your home has already filled most nooks and crannies of land in our admittedly small square, and is surrounded by outdoor goodies to boot. Being able to increase the size of our house plot is a huge deal, and we'll make sure to let you know when that feature / ability launches as soon as it does.
In the meantime, keep checking back with the game's Facebook fan page for additional links / announcements of free prizes, and click right here to claim your free 400 Social Points.
What sorts of prizes are you hoping to receive in this week-long event of free stuff? What will you purchase with your 400 free Social Points? Sound off in the comments.
Dress up a real turtle and win a trip to New York with Bravo's Turtle Time
Are you ready to help embarrass a turtle on cable TV and make life difficult for set designers on a weekly basis? If the answer is no, that's fine. I don't think most of us are ready for such a thing either. But for those of you who are, there's a new Facebook game that lets you do this called Turtle Time.
First announced last Thursday, Turtle Time is Bravo TV's little promotional stunt for Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live show. Cohen supposedly found the turtle, love blossomed and he decided to go steady by making her his show's mascot. Since the announcement, Bravo TV has launched a Facebook game for the turtle, given her a Twitter account (that now has 1,889 followers) and a name: "Tramona."
The game involves dressing up the turtle, and while the concept sounds innocuous, there might be some PG-13 material in the game, such as the presence of alcoholic items and profanity by the users. So I repeat, this is not a game targeted for kids. Right off the bat, when you try to play the game, it'll ask you for your birth date.
Gallery: Turtle Time
For the time being, players get 14 free items (nine Goods, three Costume pieces, and two Scenes) with 53 for sale at the store. Possibly the most outrageous item is "Gay Guys Holding Hands in Speedos," which surprisingly costs 150 Lettuce instead of Facebook Credits. Lettuce (a turtle's favorite food) is the in-game currency of Turtle Time, and you start off with 1,000 of it. But I managed to snag an extra 100 Lettuce, because I correctly answered a completely random, pop-up quiz question. And while there's no dedicated free gifts option yet, you can buy items and gift them to your friends.
Turtle Time Crowds Make Me Crabby
We can see this getting fun as more people play. Already, there's some killer entries, like surrounding the turtle with crabs or balancing the turtle on a pyramid of wine glasses or whiskey bottles--sorry, I can't rightly recall which. Overall, this is a simple game and the chance for a free trip to New York doesn't hurt either. This game has only been up for less than two days, and it's got 1,486 players. To follow the game, check out its official Facebook page.
Click here to play Turtle Time on Facebook now >
Are you playing for fun or for the free trip to New York? What's the wackiest costume and backdrop can you come up with for the turtle? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
First announced last Thursday, Turtle Time is Bravo TV's little promotional stunt for Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live show. Cohen supposedly found the turtle, love blossomed and he decided to go steady by making her his show's mascot. Since the announcement, Bravo TV has launched a Facebook game for the turtle, given her a Twitter account (that now has 1,889 followers) and a name: "Tramona."
The game involves dressing up the turtle, and while the concept sounds innocuous, there might be some PG-13 material in the game, such as the presence of alcoholic items and profanity by the users. So I repeat, this is not a game targeted for kids. Right off the bat, when you try to play the game, it'll ask you for your birth date.
Gallery: Turtle Time
For the time being, players get 14 free items (nine Goods, three Costume pieces, and two Scenes) with 53 for sale at the store. Possibly the most outrageous item is "Gay Guys Holding Hands in Speedos," which surprisingly costs 150 Lettuce instead of Facebook Credits. Lettuce (a turtle's favorite food) is the in-game currency of Turtle Time, and you start off with 1,000 of it. But I managed to snag an extra 100 Lettuce, because I correctly answered a completely random, pop-up quiz question. And while there's no dedicated free gifts option yet, you can buy items and gift them to your friends.
Turtle Time Crowds Make Me Crabby
We can see this getting fun as more people play. Already, there's some killer entries, like surrounding the turtle with crabs or balancing the turtle on a pyramid of wine glasses or whiskey bottles--sorry, I can't rightly recall which. Overall, this is a simple game and the chance for a free trip to New York doesn't hurt either. This game has only been up for less than two days, and it's got 1,486 players. To follow the game, check out its official Facebook page.
Click here to play Turtle Time on Facebook now >
Are you playing for fun or for the free trip to New York? What's the wackiest costume and backdrop can you come up with for the turtle? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Pioneer Trail Bug Report: Lost progress bug is being squashed
If you've been playing Pioneer Trail (even when it was FrontierVille) for any considerable amount of time, I'd be surprised if you hadn't suffered from a rollback issue or two, or some other form of game/fun-breaking bug. If not, you're liable to run into one now, as a widespread issue has broken out in the game, causing users to lose considerable amounts of progress on goals. This is apparently such a large issue that the majority of the game's official forums has been branded with posts and banners about the issue, but Zynga is here to let you know that help is on the way.
Specifically, we're told this by customer service:
"We have received a high number of inquiries about players losing progress in the game and seeing old missions come back. We apologize for the problem and have our developers looking at the problem now.
There's no need to submit a help ticket for this matter, as we plan on correcting this problem on our end for all affected players. We request if you are having this problem to try again in a few hours (or even later today) to see if your progress has been returned. If this problem has occurred for you, please simply click the "vote to fix" button, this will alert us that you were affected."
Essentially, what this means is that you don't need to contact Zynga Customer Support to fix this issue, as supposedly everything will be placed back to normal on Zynga's end without any input from us. That is, the "game knows" where you were when the bug first hit, and will revert you back to the proper state when the bug has been fixed. As for the time table, things aren't progressing as quickly as we would have hoped. As of yesterday morning, the issue was still being worked on by developers, but a proper fix hadn't actually been pushed out.
While you're waiting for the issue to be resolved, I'd suggest simply not playing the game (or doing anything significant, that you would be upset about having to repeat). Keep checking back with the game's official forums for updates as to the progress of the bug fix, and we'll make sure to let you know if anything significant happens between now and then.
Have you been hit by this "lost progress" bug? How far did it push you back? Let us know in the comments.
Specifically, we're told this by customer service:
"We have received a high number of inquiries about players losing progress in the game and seeing old missions come back. We apologize for the problem and have our developers looking at the problem now.
There's no need to submit a help ticket for this matter, as we plan on correcting this problem on our end for all affected players. We request if you are having this problem to try again in a few hours (or even later today) to see if your progress has been returned. If this problem has occurred for you, please simply click the "vote to fix" button, this will alert us that you were affected."
Essentially, what this means is that you don't need to contact Zynga Customer Support to fix this issue, as supposedly everything will be placed back to normal on Zynga's end without any input from us. That is, the "game knows" where you were when the bug first hit, and will revert you back to the proper state when the bug has been fixed. As for the time table, things aren't progressing as quickly as we would have hoped. As of yesterday morning, the issue was still being worked on by developers, but a proper fix hadn't actually been pushed out.
While you're waiting for the issue to be resolved, I'd suggest simply not playing the game (or doing anything significant, that you would be upset about having to repeat). Keep checking back with the game's official forums for updates as to the progress of the bug fix, and we'll make sure to let you know if anything significant happens between now and then.
Have you been hit by this "lost progress" bug? How far did it push you back? Let us know in the comments.
Cafe World Farmers Insurance promotion comes with Professor Burke Statue
If anything, the folks at Zynga definitely know how to setup a good cross-promotion. After Capital One recently set up shop in a slew of Zynga's games (and practically took over FarmVille), we now see a new promotion launching in Cafe World with another company: Farmers Insurance (remember, we were told that Farmers would be making an appearance in the game back in June). If you watch a lot of TV, you might recognize this promotion's mascot of sorts - Professor Burke - from recent Farmers Insurance commercials.
Now, Professor Burke has come to your cafe as a character and as a statue, plated in gold. This "Professor Burke Statue" has a limited time of effectiveness, but will "insure" your cafe, granting you spoil protection on all of the dishes you cook from now until October 2. Luckily, the statue is free, and it doesn't require any "building" to gain its effect. You can either simply place the statue from the in-game pop-up that appears, or you can head into the game's build menu manually to drag your free statue out and into your cafe.
If there's one thing to remember about this, it isn't that the statue itself comes with a time limit that can be turned on and off depending on when you place it in your cafe; rather, it's a case where you'll want to place it in your cafe as soon as possible as the overall countdown timer ticks down until October 2. If the Farmers Insurance promotion grows in Cafe World, we'll make sure to let you know.
Would you have liked the Professor Burke Statue to have another effect, rather than wither protection? Or, will you take advantage of this opportunity to cook some quickly cooking dishes while you're busy doing other things since they won't spoil? Sound off in the comments.
Now, Professor Burke has come to your cafe as a character and as a statue, plated in gold. This "Professor Burke Statue" has a limited time of effectiveness, but will "insure" your cafe, granting you spoil protection on all of the dishes you cook from now until October 2. Luckily, the statue is free, and it doesn't require any "building" to gain its effect. You can either simply place the statue from the in-game pop-up that appears, or you can head into the game's build menu manually to drag your free statue out and into your cafe.
If there's one thing to remember about this, it isn't that the statue itself comes with a time limit that can be turned on and off depending on when you place it in your cafe; rather, it's a case where you'll want to place it in your cafe as soon as possible as the overall countdown timer ticks down until October 2. If the Farmers Insurance promotion grows in Cafe World, we'll make sure to let you know.
Would you have liked the Professor Burke Statue to have another effect, rather than wither protection? Or, will you take advantage of this opportunity to cook some quickly cooking dishes while you're busy doing other things since they won't spoil? Sound off in the comments.
Cafe World Manny's Mobile Meal Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Last week, we gave you a look at the second portion of the Cafe World two-year anniversary event, which takes us to the Philippines to help Manny on a Journey. While that may have been an already complex series of goals (and even a building project), Manny's story becomes even more in-depth today, as the accompanying catering order has finally launched. This order asks you to cook up a storm for a Filipino feast, and comes with the usual free recipe for completing this order with a three star rating.
Unfortunately, this is another order that will likely be impossible for some chefs to complete, unless they've already completed Manny's goals enough times to unlock all of the new Filipino recipes launched in this particular event. To be specific, you'll need to serve Lechon 475 times, Sisig 45 times and Filipino Paella 140 times. I suppose you could get lucky and have some really, really helpful friends do the cooking in these tasks for you (while you showered them with thanks, of course), or you could even pay your way through the goals with Cafe Cash to unlock the dishes more quickly that way. Either way, you're looking at some lengthy gameplay before you can even be eligible for completing this catering order on your own.
While you're cooking (or waiting on your friends to cook), you can ask your friends for the two collectible items in this order: 12 Monster Skewers and 16 Banana Leaves. Both of these are earned by sending out individual requests to friends, so earning all 28 may take you a few days, depending on the number of neighbors you have available to ask for help.
If you can complete this entire order within the first three days, you'll earn the three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 3,200 Cafe Points, 70,000 coins and the Cassava Cake recipe. In addition, since this order is technically part of the two-year anniversary event, finishing with the three star rating also gives you a bonus of 10,000 Travel Passes. If three days proves to be too short, but you can finish within five days, you'll receive two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2,300 Cafe Points and 50,000 coins. Finally, if you finish at any point after the first five days have passed, you'll receive just a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1,400 Cafe Points and 30,000 coins. Again, you must finish with the three star rating to unlock the new recipe and the extra Travel Passes, so feel free to "cancel" your order if you run out of time and start over for another try.
What do you think of this newest catering order? How many of these three required dishes have you already unlocked in your cafe? Let us know in the comments.
Unfortunately, this is another order that will likely be impossible for some chefs to complete, unless they've already completed Manny's goals enough times to unlock all of the new Filipino recipes launched in this particular event. To be specific, you'll need to serve Lechon 475 times, Sisig 45 times and Filipino Paella 140 times. I suppose you could get lucky and have some really, really helpful friends do the cooking in these tasks for you (while you showered them with thanks, of course), or you could even pay your way through the goals with Cafe Cash to unlock the dishes more quickly that way. Either way, you're looking at some lengthy gameplay before you can even be eligible for completing this catering order on your own.
While you're cooking (or waiting on your friends to cook), you can ask your friends for the two collectible items in this order: 12 Monster Skewers and 16 Banana Leaves. Both of these are earned by sending out individual requests to friends, so earning all 28 may take you a few days, depending on the number of neighbors you have available to ask for help.
If you can complete this entire order within the first three days, you'll earn the three-star rating, 12 Catering Points, 3,200 Cafe Points, 70,000 coins and the Cassava Cake recipe. In addition, since this order is technically part of the two-year anniversary event, finishing with the three star rating also gives you a bonus of 10,000 Travel Passes. If three days proves to be too short, but you can finish within five days, you'll receive two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2,300 Cafe Points and 50,000 coins. Finally, if you finish at any point after the first five days have passed, you'll receive just a single star, 4 Catering Points, 1,400 Cafe Points and 30,000 coins. Again, you must finish with the three star rating to unlock the new recipe and the extra Travel Passes, so feel free to "cancel" your order if you run out of time and start over for another try.
What do you think of this newest catering order? How many of these three required dishes have you already unlocked in your cafe? Let us know in the comments.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
FarmVille Friends feature finally launches; add neighbors without being Facebook buddies
For the past few weeks, we've been given you details about a then unreleased feature in FarmVille called "FarmVille Friends," which will - to put it simply - allow you to add new FarmVille neighbors without being Facebook friends. Finally, this feature has launched in the game, allowing you to browse through a list of possible neighbor suggestions to find just the right people for you.
You'll be greeted with this feature automatically once the update has rolled around to your game. From there, you'll have to take a trip to the "Add Neighbors" tab at the top of the FarmVille game page to see a list of five strangers at a time that you could add as FarmVille neighbors without actually adding them as Facebook friends. You'll see their first names, in-game levels, profile pictures (where available), locations and the last time they played. You'll then either have the option of sending them a neighbor request directly or visiting their farm to see if they have many of the game's newest features to be sure they're really an active player.
If you happen to have any mutual Facebook friends with that person, that information will be displayed as well, and you can tell who the mutual friend is by hovering over the orange banner, as seen above. If you don't wish to add any of those five strangers as FarmVille neighbors, you can click on the "See More" button at right to refresh your selection.
Keep in mind, as you're able to see others in this feature, so too can people see you. You may appear in players' groups of five, where others can add you as FarmvVille neighbors instead. You'll see these requests in the Zynga Messaging Center upon logging into the game, and can simply click to accept or ignore the request as you see fit.
If you'd rather remove yourself from this feature entirely (that is, remove yourself from the pool of possible neighbors, and not add any strangers as neighbors yourself), this is accomplished by scrolling all of the way down the Add Neighbors tab and unchecking the "FarmVille Friends" box, as seen below. Should you change your mind later, you can always check the box again to put yourself back in the pool.
Once you've become neighbors with these users, you'll be able to visit their farms and send them free gifts as normal, but it doesn't look like our interactions can spread much beyond that as of this writing. That makes this feature questionable in quality, but you can always try it out on a few neighbors to see if it positively changes your gameplay around the farm.
What do you think of this FarmVille Friends feature? Will you participate and add new players as neighbors? Sound off in the comments.
You'll be greeted with this feature automatically once the update has rolled around to your game. From there, you'll have to take a trip to the "Add Neighbors" tab at the top of the FarmVille game page to see a list of five strangers at a time that you could add as FarmVille neighbors without actually adding them as Facebook friends. You'll see their first names, in-game levels, profile pictures (where available), locations and the last time they played. You'll then either have the option of sending them a neighbor request directly or visiting their farm to see if they have many of the game's newest features to be sure they're really an active player.
If you happen to have any mutual Facebook friends with that person, that information will be displayed as well, and you can tell who the mutual friend is by hovering over the orange banner, as seen above. If you don't wish to add any of those five strangers as FarmVille neighbors, you can click on the "See More" button at right to refresh your selection.
Keep in mind, as you're able to see others in this feature, so too can people see you. You may appear in players' groups of five, where others can add you as FarmvVille neighbors instead. You'll see these requests in the Zynga Messaging Center upon logging into the game, and can simply click to accept or ignore the request as you see fit.
If you'd rather remove yourself from this feature entirely (that is, remove yourself from the pool of possible neighbors, and not add any strangers as neighbors yourself), this is accomplished by scrolling all of the way down the Add Neighbors tab and unchecking the "FarmVille Friends" box, as seen below. Should you change your mind later, you can always check the box again to put yourself back in the pool.
Once you've become neighbors with these users, you'll be able to visit their farms and send them free gifts as normal, but it doesn't look like our interactions can spread much beyond that as of this writing. That makes this feature questionable in quality, but you can always try it out on a few neighbors to see if it positively changes your gameplay around the farm.
What do you think of this FarmVille Friends feature? Will you participate and add new players as neighbors? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille: Double Mastery on for this weekend on trees and crops
Even though there's no real holiday going on, that hasn't stopped Zynga from celebrating this weekend in FarmVille by turning on double mastery. This double mastery event will take place from now until Monday evening at 9:00 PM PDT. Within that time, all of your crops and trees harvested will count for double the mastery points, so there's a great opportunity here for mastery sign earning!
A couple of things to keep in mind: If you're going for crop mastery, you can activate a bushel when harvesting to earn three points of mastery for each square with this bonus. For tree farmers, you can also employ the orchard rotation technique, while earning double mastery on each orchard you harvest as well. Also, if you happen to own a Platinum Mastery Statue or recently re-released 2X Mastery Statue on your farm, this bonus will not stack on either crops or trees - you'll simply miss out on this event on that particular farm, as it only applies to those without such statues.
As one final note, this event does not give you double mastery points on animals. Why the FarmVille team hasn't decided to include our (mostly) furry friends in these updates hasn't yet been revealed, but I'm sure Zynga has its reasons. Either way, remember - this event will only last for the next couple of days. If you've ever needed extra incentive to play FarmVille on the weekends, this is about as good as it gets.
What crops or trees will you try to mastery during this double mastery weekend? Tell us in the comments!
A couple of things to keep in mind: If you're going for crop mastery, you can activate a bushel when harvesting to earn three points of mastery for each square with this bonus. For tree farmers, you can also employ the orchard rotation technique, while earning double mastery on each orchard you harvest as well. Also, if you happen to own a Platinum Mastery Statue or recently re-released 2X Mastery Statue on your farm, this bonus will not stack on either crops or trees - you'll simply miss out on this event on that particular farm, as it only applies to those without such statues.
As one final note, this event does not give you double mastery points on animals. Why the FarmVille team hasn't decided to include our (mostly) furry friends in these updates hasn't yet been revealed, but I'm sure Zynga has its reasons. Either way, remember - this event will only last for the next couple of days. If you've ever needed extra incentive to play FarmVille on the weekends, this is about as good as it gets.
What crops or trees will you try to mastery during this double mastery weekend? Tell us in the comments!
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Model Farm rewards free items daily
While the Model Farm has long been a fairly useless feature in FarmVille, that merely lets you look at limited edition items currently available in the store in all of their "life-size" and (sometimes) animated glory, it seems that the FarmVille team really wants you to pay attention to this "neighbor" on your friends list, as they've taken to rewarding you for doing so. In this newest case, we see the Model Farm taking on a Lighthouse Cove theme, with plenty of trees, animals and buildings giving off that "resort town" feeling.
For visiting the Model Farm, you should receive 1,000 coins for free. Don't worry if the window doesn't pop up right away; there are simply tons of items to load (and plenty of price-tags as well), so it might take the game a few seconds longer than normal to reward you with your prize. We're not sure if the 1,000 coin prize is static across the game just for today's visits, or for your first visit to the Model Farm, so make sure to take advantage of the daily prize giveaways on this farm while you can.
We're told that we can "come back tomorrow to win again," and while the prize may just be more coins, free is free, right?
What sorts of prizes would make you want to visit the Model Farm, or are some free coins enough to do the trick? Sound off in the comments.
For visiting the Model Farm, you should receive 1,000 coins for free. Don't worry if the window doesn't pop up right away; there are simply tons of items to load (and plenty of price-tags as well), so it might take the game a few seconds longer than normal to reward you with your prize. We're not sure if the 1,000 coin prize is static across the game just for today's visits, or for your first visit to the Model Farm, so make sure to take advantage of the daily prize giveaways on this farm while you can.
We're told that we can "come back tomorrow to win again," and while the prize may just be more coins, free is free, right?
What sorts of prizes would make you want to visit the Model Farm, or are some free coins enough to do the trick? Sound off in the comments.
Adventure World Level Up Giveaway gives more prizes for fan page 'Likes'
Leave it to Zynga to release yet another giveaway in one of its games requiring players to Like that game's particular Facebook fan page. Such is the case now with Adventure World, as a "Level Up Giveaway" has now launched, giving players a chance to walk away with either 100, 200 or 300 Adventure Cash (the game's premium currency) as the page gains more and more "Likes."
As of this writing, the fan page has around 600,000 Likes, but when it reaches three milestones: 1, 2 and 3 millions fans each, a giveaway will be held between all people that currently Like the fan page, and also enter the contest specifically via email. Don't worry - you'll only have to send them your name and Facebook ID so they know who exactly to reward.
Again, there will be three giveaways in all, with the first giving 25 people 100 Adventure Cash each. The second will reward 25 players 200 Adventure Cash each, and finally, the third giveaway will reward 25 fans a whopping 300 Adventure Cash each. As energy is such a valuable commodity in Adventure World, this Adventure Cash would give you plenty of room to purchase Energy Packs to really push yourself along further in the story of unlocking El Dorado. For a complete look at the rules and how to send in your email entry, check out the game's official forums.
What would you do with 100, 200 or 300 Adventure Cash? Would you spend it on Energy, or would you purchase building supplies? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
As of this writing, the fan page has around 600,000 Likes, but when it reaches three milestones: 1, 2 and 3 millions fans each, a giveaway will be held between all people that currently Like the fan page, and also enter the contest specifically via email. Don't worry - you'll only have to send them your name and Facebook ID so they know who exactly to reward.
Again, there will be three giveaways in all, with the first giving 25 people 100 Adventure Cash each. The second will reward 25 players 200 Adventure Cash each, and finally, the third giveaway will reward 25 fans a whopping 300 Adventure Cash each. As energy is such a valuable commodity in Adventure World, this Adventure Cash would give you plenty of room to purchase Energy Packs to really push yourself along further in the story of unlocking El Dorado. For a complete look at the rules and how to send in your email entry, check out the game's official forums.
What would you do with 100, 200 or 300 Adventure Cash? Would you spend it on Energy, or would you purchase building supplies? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Adventure World: New chapters revealed after El Dorado
While we all know that Zynga's newest game, Adventure World, starts out as a quest to solve the mystery of El Dorado by gathering the Mastery Key and four totems, did you know that the game is far from over after this first mission is complete? That's right, after solving the mystery of El Dorado, Zynga announced that we'll be taken through Chapters 2 and 3 of the game (each likely as lengthy as the first - or longer).
While there's no way to guarantee when each user will make their way to these newest chapters individually, we do know their locations, thanks to a screenshot posted by the big Z on the game's Facebook fan page. Chapter 2 takes us to Egypt, where we'll solve the "Riddle of the Sphinx." Meanwhile, Chapter 3 is set in Tibet, where the "Mystery of the Yeti" waits to be solved.
Unfortunately, while we also know that Indiana Jones will showing up in the game next month, we haven't been told how great of an impact he will have on these two Chapters, if at all. It could be that we'll need to wait until Chapter 4 and beyond to see Indy come into the actual story of the game, depending on how far ahead the team at Zynga had developed the game before making this announcement.
Either way, we'll make sure to bring you continued coverage on the quests, expeditions and story missions in Adventure World, so keep checking back with us for more.
Are you excited to travel to Egypt and Tibet in Adventure World? How far have you made it in the story so far? Sound off in the comments.
While there's no way to guarantee when each user will make their way to these newest chapters individually, we do know their locations, thanks to a screenshot posted by the big Z on the game's Facebook fan page. Chapter 2 takes us to Egypt, where we'll solve the "Riddle of the Sphinx." Meanwhile, Chapter 3 is set in Tibet, where the "Mystery of the Yeti" waits to be solved.
Unfortunately, while we also know that Indiana Jones will showing up in the game next month, we haven't been told how great of an impact he will have on these two Chapters, if at all. It could be that we'll need to wait until Chapter 4 and beyond to see Indy come into the actual story of the game, depending on how far ahead the team at Zynga had developed the game before making this announcement.
Either way, we'll make sure to bring you continued coverage on the quests, expeditions and story missions in Adventure World, so keep checking back with us for more.
Are you excited to travel to Egypt and Tibet in Adventure World? How far have you made it in the story so far? Sound off in the comments.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
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? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
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? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
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? Sound off in the comments.
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? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Dairy Mystery Box brings re-released Cows to pasture Even if you're dissatisfied with the release of the Cow Pasture animal habitat in FarmVille, that has, more or less, replaced the Dairy Farm on our farms, you still might be interested in adding some previously released cows to your collection for the sake of Animal Mastery. You're now allowed to do just that with the release of the Dairy Mystery Box in the game's store. This box contains six different cows, but remember - the cow you receive upon opening each box is random, and very well could give you duplicates if you purchase more than one. For 20 Farm Cash, you'll be able to purchase a single Dairy Mystery Box containing one of the following: Black Yak Jersey Cow New Year Cow Panda Cow Vineyard Cow Welsh Black Cow While it's great to see these cows make a comeback, they won't be here forever; you'll have just a week to purchase as many of these boxes as you like before these cows go back into retirement. Then again, it's always possible these cows will release yet again sometime in the future, so you'll just have to decide for yourself how important it is to have each one right now. Good luck with receiving the cow(s) you want most! Which of these cows do you hope to win from the Dairy Mystery Box? Do you already have enough of these cows that it would make purchasing one of these boxes too big of a risk? Sound off in the comments.
Even if you're dissatisfied with the release of the Cow Pasture animal habitat in FarmVille, that has, more or less, replaced the Dairy Farm on our farms, you still might be interested in adding some previously released cows to your collection for the sake of Animal Mastery. You're now allowed to do just that with the release of the Dairy Mystery Box in the game's store. This box contains six different cows, but remember - the cow you receive upon opening each box is random, and very well could give you duplicates if you purchase more than one.
For 20 Farm Cash, you'll be able to purchase a single Dairy Mystery Box containing one of the following:
Black Yak
Jersey Cow
New Year Cow
Panda Cow
Vineyard Cow
Welsh Black Cow
While it's great to see these cows make a comeback, they won't be here forever; you'll have just a week to purchase as many of these boxes as you like before these cows go back into retirement. Then again, it's always possible these cows will release yet again sometime in the future, so you'll just have to decide for yourself how important it is to have each one right now. Good luck with receiving the cow(s) you want most!
Which of these cows do you hope to win from the Dairy Mystery Box? Do you already have enough of these cows that it would make purchasing one of these boxes too big of a risk? Sound off in the comments.
For 20 Farm Cash, you'll be able to purchase a single Dairy Mystery Box containing one of the following:
Black Yak
Jersey Cow
New Year Cow
Panda Cow
Vineyard Cow
Welsh Black Cow
While it's great to see these cows make a comeback, they won't be here forever; you'll have just a week to purchase as many of these boxes as you like before these cows go back into retirement. Then again, it's always possible these cows will release yet again sometime in the future, so you'll just have to decide for yourself how important it is to have each one right now. Good luck with receiving the cow(s) you want most!
Which of these cows do you hope to win from the Dairy Mystery Box? Do you already have enough of these cows that it would make purchasing one of these boxes too big of a risk? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille: 2x Mastery Statue comes back for 12 days only
While many users voiced their concerns upon the initial release of the 2x Mastery Statue in FarmVille (that Zynga had created the ultimate money-grabber), that didn't stop many other farmers from purchasing one for their farms. Apparently, the initial release was so successful that they've decided to bring the statue back around for another go. That's right, the 2x Mastery Statue is once again available to purchase in the store, but only for a limited time (12 days, to be exact).
As a reminder, this 2x Mastery Statue gives you double the amount of mastery points on all crops and trees harvested during a two-day period. A single statue costs 25 Farm Cash, and if you're already the owner of a Platinum Mastery Statue (which has the same effect, but permanently), you'll want to skip out on buying these re-released statues as the status effect doesn't stack.
Also, let me once again point out that this double mastery boost doesn't apply to animals, so if you've really taken to Animal Mastery, there's no reason to waste your Farm Cash on these statues either. Perhaps one day we'll see a double mastery statue released just for animals, but that still doesn't solve the conundrum of whether or not these items should exist to begin with. With enough hard work and some patience, you'll be able to earn dozens, if not hundreds of mastery signs for your farm. Do we really need to pay Farm Cash to speed up the process? We'll leave that up to you, farmers.
Will you purchase a 2x Mastery Statue? Did you purchase one of these statues upon their initial release, or did you splurge on the Platinum Mastery Statue instead? Sound off in the comments.
As a reminder, this 2x Mastery Statue gives you double the amount of mastery points on all crops and trees harvested during a two-day period. A single statue costs 25 Farm Cash, and if you're already the owner of a Platinum Mastery Statue (which has the same effect, but permanently), you'll want to skip out on buying these re-released statues as the status effect doesn't stack.
Also, let me once again point out that this double mastery boost doesn't apply to animals, so if you've really taken to Animal Mastery, there's no reason to waste your Farm Cash on these statues either. Perhaps one day we'll see a double mastery statue released just for animals, but that still doesn't solve the conundrum of whether or not these items should exist to begin with. With enough hard work and some patience, you'll be able to earn dozens, if not hundreds of mastery signs for your farm. Do we really need to pay Farm Cash to speed up the process? We'll leave that up to you, farmers.
Will you purchase a 2x Mastery Statue? Did you purchase one of these statues upon their initial release, or did you splurge on the Platinum Mastery Statue instead? Sound off in the comments.
Cafe World 2 Year Anniversary Manny's Journey Goals: Everything you need to know
After spending a few days in Great Britain, the Cafe World two-year anniversary extravaganza has moved onto the Philippines, where we'll meet Master Chef Manny in a new set of goals called "Manny's Journey." Through these goals, we'll be introduced to four new dishes, but of course, they won't simply be handed to you. You'll need to finish the Manny's Journey goals multiple times in order to unlock all of the prizes, which include a 50% Lightning Stove (that would reduce the time it takes your dishes to cook by 50%). Here's a complete guide to these new goals.
As a note, we weren't told by Zynga whether or not these goals contain the same dishes for all users across the entire game, or if they vary as in past goal sets. If you notice any differences in your own game, this will likely be the cause.
Manny's Journey 1
* Ask for 3 Old Filipino Recipe Cards
* Place the Roasting Pit
* Serve 20 Fish n Chips
You'll start this goal series out serving Fish n Chips which takes two hours to prepare. You can wait for those to cook while asking your friends to send you the Old Filipino Recipe Cards, and can finish off this goal by placing the base to your new Roasting Pit. Yes, there's a building project to go along with these goals, and we'll bring you a guide to building the Roasting Pit as soon as we can you can check out our guide to building the Roasting Pit right here. Finishing this first goal gives you 15 Travel Passes. As a reminder, these Travel Passes work as contest entries of sorts, giving you a chance to win in-game prizes, along with real world trips to exotic locations.
Manny's Journey 2
* Ask for 6 Filipino Postcards
* Spice 6 Neighbors Dishes
* Serve 20 Gnocchi Gianna
The Gnocchi Gianna takes six hours to prepare, and is unlocked while completing the Pasta Maker goals. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 3
* Ask for 10 New Filipino Recipe Cards
* Collect 4 Anniversary Collection items
* Serve 30 Broiled Rainbow Trout
Anniversary Collection items are earned by using spices on your dishes, while Broiled Rainbow Trout takes 12 hours to cook (at the very least, this gives you plenty of time to collect spices if you don't earn the four Anniversary Collection items after running through your supply). Finish this goal to receive 25 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 4
* Ask for 8 Filipino Postcards
* Serve 12 Cafe Bombon
* Serve 30 Osso Bucco
Osso Bucco takes 18 hours to prepare, giving you plenty of time to collect these Postcards from friends. As for the Cafe Bombon, this is a Specialty Coffee Drink that can only be served after you've hired Becky the Barista to work in your cafe. It costs 55 Energy for 10 Servings, so you'll need to prepare it twice in order to reach the total required number of 12 servings. You've almost reached the finale at this point, and finishing this particular goal gives you 30 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 5
* Ask for 12 Dirty Filipino Recipe Cards
* Serve 18 Acai Blueberry Juice
* Complete the Roasting Pit
Once again, the Acai Blueberry Juice must be served from a machine - this time the Drink Bar. It's not available until after you've hired Beverly Bartender. Once you finish this goal, you'll have finished off Manny's Journey, and will receive 500 Travel Passes. You'll also receive one of four new dishes, from a selection of Beef Mechado, Filipino Paella, Lechon and Sisig.
To be especially clear, completing this goal series the first time only gives you a single recipe, and it looks like you'll need to complete the entirety of these goals another three times to unlock the remaining three recipes. These goals (along with your chance to repeat the British goals) will expire in 10 days, so you'll want to make sure and complete as many goals as quickly as possible to stand the biggest chance of unlocking everything in time.
What do you think of these Manny's Journey goals? Do you think they're easier, or more difficult than Winston's Royals goals? Sound off in the comments.
As a note, we weren't told by Zynga whether or not these goals contain the same dishes for all users across the entire game, or if they vary as in past goal sets. If you notice any differences in your own game, this will likely be the cause.
Manny's Journey 1
* Ask for 3 Old Filipino Recipe Cards
* Place the Roasting Pit
* Serve 20 Fish n Chips
You'll start this goal series out serving Fish n Chips which takes two hours to prepare. You can wait for those to cook while asking your friends to send you the Old Filipino Recipe Cards, and can finish off this goal by placing the base to your new Roasting Pit. Yes, there's a building project to go along with these goals, and we'll bring you a guide to building the Roasting Pit as soon as we can you can check out our guide to building the Roasting Pit right here. Finishing this first goal gives you 15 Travel Passes. As a reminder, these Travel Passes work as contest entries of sorts, giving you a chance to win in-game prizes, along with real world trips to exotic locations.
Manny's Journey 2
* Ask for 6 Filipino Postcards
* Spice 6 Neighbors Dishes
* Serve 20 Gnocchi Gianna
The Gnocchi Gianna takes six hours to prepare, and is unlocked while completing the Pasta Maker goals. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 3
* Ask for 10 New Filipino Recipe Cards
* Collect 4 Anniversary Collection items
* Serve 30 Broiled Rainbow Trout
Anniversary Collection items are earned by using spices on your dishes, while Broiled Rainbow Trout takes 12 hours to cook (at the very least, this gives you plenty of time to collect spices if you don't earn the four Anniversary Collection items after running through your supply). Finish this goal to receive 25 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 4
* Ask for 8 Filipino Postcards
* Serve 12 Cafe Bombon
* Serve 30 Osso Bucco
Osso Bucco takes 18 hours to prepare, giving you plenty of time to collect these Postcards from friends. As for the Cafe Bombon, this is a Specialty Coffee Drink that can only be served after you've hired Becky the Barista to work in your cafe. It costs 55 Energy for 10 Servings, so you'll need to prepare it twice in order to reach the total required number of 12 servings. You've almost reached the finale at this point, and finishing this particular goal gives you 30 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 5
* Ask for 12 Dirty Filipino Recipe Cards
* Serve 18 Acai Blueberry Juice
* Complete the Roasting Pit
Once again, the Acai Blueberry Juice must be served from a machine - this time the Drink Bar. It's not available until after you've hired Beverly Bartender. Once you finish this goal, you'll have finished off Manny's Journey, and will receive 500 Travel Passes. You'll also receive one of four new dishes, from a selection of Beef Mechado, Filipino Paella, Lechon and Sisig.
To be especially clear, completing this goal series the first time only gives you a single recipe, and it looks like you'll need to complete the entirety of these goals another three times to unlock the remaining three recipes. These goals (along with your chance to repeat the British goals) will expire in 10 days, so you'll want to make sure and complete as many goals as quickly as possible to stand the biggest chance of unlocking everything in time.
What do you think of these Manny's Journey goals? Do you think they're easier, or more difficult than Winston's Royals goals? Sound off in the comments.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Go on a Buddy Rush between Facebook, iPhone and now Android
Now, that's what I call cross-platform. Budang, South Korea-based Team Sollmo announced that Buddy Rush, its RPG (role-playing game) in which players can use the same adventurer between Facebook and iOS devices, has hit Android devices. What this means is that now, you can access the very same game with your very same character across all three platforms.
"We've been truly honored by the reception Buddy Rush has received thus far, reaching hundreds of thousands of users on Facebook and the Apple App Store," said Company100 (the game's publisher) President Jin Cheon Kim in a release. "With the launch on Android, we're proud to offer Buddy Rush to the vast majority of smartphone owners and establish ourselves as the first to offer an RPG with true cross-platform capabilities across these popular gaming channels."
If Buddy Rush for Android is anything like it is on both Facebook and iOS devices, which we assume it is given Kim's wording, then this is essentially the same game offered across all three modes of play.
Players can take the character they're used to dungeon crawling with on Facebook, play with it a bit on their Android phone, conquer some more monsters on, say, their iPod Touch and proceed to enter yet another battle with the baddies back on Facebook.
Gallery: Buddy Rush
While it's largely a single player experience, Buddy Rush allows players to take their friends' characters asynchronously on adventures like in most Facebook games of its kind. (The main draw, of course, being that you can do so across three platforms with the same character, and arguably whenever.) So, it pays to have lots of friends in this game that I likened to a saccharine take on Blizzard's popular if terribly dark Diablo RPGs. And now that it's on yet another gaming platform, you have no excuse.
Click here to download Buddy Rush for Android Now >
Have you tried Buddy Rush on either Facebook or iOS? What do you think of Sollmo's take on asynchronous, cross-platform gameplay? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"We've been truly honored by the reception Buddy Rush has received thus far, reaching hundreds of thousands of users on Facebook and the Apple App Store," said Company100 (the game's publisher) President Jin Cheon Kim in a release. "With the launch on Android, we're proud to offer Buddy Rush to the vast majority of smartphone owners and establish ourselves as the first to offer an RPG with true cross-platform capabilities across these popular gaming channels."
If Buddy Rush for Android is anything like it is on both Facebook and iOS devices, which we assume it is given Kim's wording, then this is essentially the same game offered across all three modes of play.
Players can take the character they're used to dungeon crawling with on Facebook, play with it a bit on their Android phone, conquer some more monsters on, say, their iPod Touch and proceed to enter yet another battle with the baddies back on Facebook.
Gallery: Buddy Rush
While it's largely a single player experience, Buddy Rush allows players to take their friends' characters asynchronously on adventures like in most Facebook games of its kind. (The main draw, of course, being that you can do so across three platforms with the same character, and arguably whenever.) So, it pays to have lots of friends in this game that I likened to a saccharine take on Blizzard's popular if terribly dark Diablo RPGs. And now that it's on yet another gaming platform, you have no excuse.
Click here to download Buddy Rush for Android Now >
Have you tried Buddy Rush on either Facebook or iOS? What do you think of Sollmo's take on asynchronous, cross-platform gameplay? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Game of the Day: WHATword?
whatword what word game of the dayHalf match-3, half word game, WHATword? is an addictive word-making challenge. Line up letters to form words and knock them off the screen. But be careful because as soon as you clear a word, new balls will drop in to fill the gap. Line up various words, make an extra-long word, or use a special bonus letter; and you'll get heaps extra points. To advance to the next level, complete all the WHATwords!
See how far you can get before the WHATwords become too difficult!
Click here to play WHATword?!
whatword what word game of the day whatword what word game of the day
Pro Tips:
* When in trouble, mash the "Blast" button to rearrange the letters on the board.
* When you're lining up a WHATword, be careful not to create any other combos by accident. It might be a long time before the letters you need arrive in unison again.
See how far you can get before the WHATwords become too difficult!
Click here to play WHATword?!
whatword what word game of the day whatword what word game of the day
Pro Tips:
* When in trouble, mash the "Blast" button to rearrange the letters on the board.
* When you're lining up a WHATword, be careful not to create any other combos by accident. It might be a long time before the letters you need arrive in unison again.
6waves Lolapps puts up $10 million for indie social game developers
Is 6waves Lolapps looking to find the next FarmVille? It's possible, but what's more important is that the new found publisher-meets-developer duo is looking to give the little guy a chance. The company just announced that it has raised $10 million in what it calls the 6L Fund. With it, the publisher will grant independent social and mobile game creators the financial resources and support they need to (hopefully) create the next big thing on Facebook or elsewhere.
"There are game teams at all stages in the creative process that have fresh and potentially groundbreaking ideas," said SVP of Publishing at 6waves Lolapps Jim Ying in a statement. "With the capital and the resources that only 6waves Lolapps can deliver, they could help shape the future of social gaming."
The resources Ying referred to include cross promotion, funded user acquisition (essentially paying for more players through advertising), product management, localization, hosting, and the FLISO Game Engine. The latter is enhanced Flash--software game developers commonly use to create Facebook games--technology acquired by 6waves earlier this year.
Independent developers might want to bite, considering that 6waves Lolapps reaches about 38 million collective monthly players, according to AppData--that technically puts the company just under Diamond Dash maker wooga's over 41 million monthly players. Most importantly, this potentially gives indie social game makers a chance on Facebook, which some argue has otherwise all but dried up.
Starting Sept. 27, developers can submit their applications for the 6L Fund, and hopefully we'll see the fruits of their labor sometime next year. Who knows, maybe it's time for another indie developer to enjoy wild success. Just think, what was Rovio before Angry Birds?
What do you think of 6waves Lolapps looking to indie game creators for the next social or mobile hit? Do you think this strategy could result in the next big Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"There are game teams at all stages in the creative process that have fresh and potentially groundbreaking ideas," said SVP of Publishing at 6waves Lolapps Jim Ying in a statement. "With the capital and the resources that only 6waves Lolapps can deliver, they could help shape the future of social gaming."
The resources Ying referred to include cross promotion, funded user acquisition (essentially paying for more players through advertising), product management, localization, hosting, and the FLISO Game Engine. The latter is enhanced Flash--software game developers commonly use to create Facebook games--technology acquired by 6waves earlier this year.
Independent developers might want to bite, considering that 6waves Lolapps reaches about 38 million collective monthly players, according to AppData--that technically puts the company just under Diamond Dash maker wooga's over 41 million monthly players. Most importantly, this potentially gives indie social game makers a chance on Facebook, which some argue has otherwise all but dried up.
Starting Sept. 27, developers can submit their applications for the 6L Fund, and hopefully we'll see the fruits of their labor sometime next year. Who knows, maybe it's time for another indie developer to enjoy wild success. Just think, what was Rovio before Angry Birds?
What do you think of 6waves Lolapps looking to indie game creators for the next social or mobile hit? Do you think this strategy could result in the next big Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Angry Birds creator wants to publish indie games, Rovio exec says
t makes you wonder: Could Rovio be just a little bit scared that it might not strike gold again? Chief marketing officer for the creator of Angry Birds Peter Vesterbacka (pictured) said to Develop in an interview that the developer is planning to open a publishing label.
"We have some plans for this area, but not ready to announce yet," Vesterbacka told Develop. "If we do something in the publishing area, you can expect it to be a bit different."
However, it seems as if the maker of your favorite annoyed avians wants to keep things 1.) indie (independently developed) and 2.) mobile. According to Develop, Rovio has already approached several mobile game studios to form a foundation for the new business. While the Finnish company's other ventures have arguably been leaps of faith--cookbooks ... seriously?--it certainly has experience in the publishing business.
Well, at least from the other end. Angry Birds made it to the US in 2009 though Chillingo, a mobile games publisher that is now owned by EA. Of course, Rovio was able to back out of deal once the acquisition occurred, but the company is currently in another publisher relationship with Twentieth Century Fox, through which it nabbed the rights to create Angry Birds Rio.
And honestly, it would be a no-brainer for an indie game developer to team up with Rovio. For one, if the company claims to be worth at least as much as Zynga, it at least has considerable resources to offer. And seriously, could you go wrong with a team that has somehow successfully hyped up slingshotting birds into pigs for two years running? I think not.
[Via TouchArcade]
What do you think of Rovio potentially becoming an indie games publisher? Would you try a new iPhone game just knowing it was published by the creator of Angry Birds? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"We have some plans for this area, but not ready to announce yet," Vesterbacka told Develop. "If we do something in the publishing area, you can expect it to be a bit different."
However, it seems as if the maker of your favorite annoyed avians wants to keep things 1.) indie (independently developed) and 2.) mobile. According to Develop, Rovio has already approached several mobile game studios to form a foundation for the new business. While the Finnish company's other ventures have arguably been leaps of faith--cookbooks ... seriously?--it certainly has experience in the publishing business.
Well, at least from the other end. Angry Birds made it to the US in 2009 though Chillingo, a mobile games publisher that is now owned by EA. Of course, Rovio was able to back out of deal once the acquisition occurred, but the company is currently in another publisher relationship with Twentieth Century Fox, through which it nabbed the rights to create Angry Birds Rio.
And honestly, it would be a no-brainer for an indie game developer to team up with Rovio. For one, if the company claims to be worth at least as much as Zynga, it at least has considerable resources to offer. And seriously, could you go wrong with a team that has somehow successfully hyped up slingshotting birds into pigs for two years running? I think not.
[Via TouchArcade]
What do you think of Rovio potentially becoming an indie games publisher? Would you try a new iPhone game just knowing it was published by the creator of Angry Birds? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Myhomefarm23's angular English countryside
Today's featured farm was created by FarmVille Forums member, Myhomefarm23. This FarmVille English Countryside plot is a great example of intelligent farm design. Sure it's a farm art masterpiece, but it's also functional!
Myhomefarm23 went about creating this absurd tree design without a single orchard, laughing at anyone who squishes their beautiful trees into storage bins. Breathtaking rows of fruit trees line the path leading up to the Eiffel Tower located at the center of the farm, creating a truly spectacular effect. Not only that, but if you look closely, where there isn't trees, the farm is full of animals! This, folks, is an exceptional sheep and pig breeding design. If harvested consistantly, this farm could turn a huge profit! Just looking at this excellent farm makes me wish I was Myhomefarm23's neighbor, just so I could reap some of the rewards :)
I just hope Myhomefarm23 has plenty of Farm Hands and Arborists saved up or they're in for a lot of clicking!
What do you think of this great English Countryside design?
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!
Myhomefarm23 went about creating this absurd tree design without a single orchard, laughing at anyone who squishes their beautiful trees into storage bins. Breathtaking rows of fruit trees line the path leading up to the Eiffel Tower located at the center of the farm, creating a truly spectacular effect. Not only that, but if you look closely, where there isn't trees, the farm is full of animals! This, folks, is an exceptional sheep and pig breeding design. If harvested consistantly, this farm could turn a huge profit! Just looking at this excellent farm makes me wish I was Myhomefarm23's neighbor, just so I could reap some of the rewards :)
I just hope Myhomefarm23 has plenty of Farm Hands and Arborists saved up or they're in for a lot of clicking!
What do you think of this great English Countryside design?
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!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
FarmVille Pic of the Day: AlexisSkrull's petting zoo
Click the image to make it larger.
A few days ago, I featured a massive FarmVille zoo. However, plenty of folks complained that it was just too crowded and busy. While it was a super detailed zoo, the jumbled appearance diminished its aesthetic appeal. Today's featured zoo farm resolves many of the issues present in the old farm, by attempting a simpler approach to the FarmVille zoo.
Today's featured farm, created by AlexisSkrull, is in many ways quite humble. For instance, it doesn't even fill the whole farm plot and there are no fancy complex illusions to be found. However, the simplicity of the fenced in pens full of animals is charming. It reminds me of the early days of FarmVille and FrontierVille, when all I had was a few animals, crops, and some decorations that I was forced to buy in order to complete goals.
Of course, in reality this farm is far more detailed than my boring starter farm. There are unique habitats and exhibitions built for various animals. So make sure to look closely at the images below to get the full effect of AlexisSkrull's farm.
Click the images to make them larger.
farmville featured alexisskrull zoo farm farmville featured alexisskrull zoo farm
farmville featured alexisskrull zoo farm farmville featured alexisskrull zoo farm
What do you think of AlexisSkrull's zoo farm? Which zoo farm do you prefer?
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!
A few days ago, I featured a massive FarmVille zoo. However, plenty of folks complained that it was just too crowded and busy. While it was a super detailed zoo, the jumbled appearance diminished its aesthetic appeal. Today's featured zoo farm resolves many of the issues present in the old farm, by attempting a simpler approach to the FarmVille zoo.
Today's featured farm, created by AlexisSkrull, is in many ways quite humble. For instance, it doesn't even fill the whole farm plot and there are no fancy complex illusions to be found. However, the simplicity of the fenced in pens full of animals is charming. It reminds me of the early days of FarmVille and FrontierVille, when all I had was a few animals, crops, and some decorations that I was forced to buy in order to complete goals.
Of course, in reality this farm is far more detailed than my boring starter farm. There are unique habitats and exhibitions built for various animals. So make sure to look closely at the images below to get the full effect of AlexisSkrull's farm.
Click the images to make them larger.
farmville featured alexisskrull zoo farm farmville featured alexisskrull zoo farm
farmville featured alexisskrull zoo farm farmville featured alexisskrull zoo farm
What do you think of AlexisSkrull's zoo farm? Which zoo farm do you prefer?
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!
Zynga reveals Mafia Wars 2, to be a 'badass' Facebook game [Video]
To most, Facebook gaming is nothing but farmland, cows and rainbows with a dash of brand endorsement. Zynga, one of the stereotype's main offenders, hopes to set the record straight with Mafia Wars 2. A full-blown sequel to the original text-based Facebook RPG (role-playing game), Mafia Wars 2 will bring the franchise into "a vast 3D world where being bad never felt so good."
Judging from this early artwork and the ... interesting trailer below, it seems as if Zynga could make good on previous speculation that its next Mafia Wars game would take a more literal approach in paying homage to its inspirations.
The trailer is set to Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song," you know, so its badassery really sets in. Jokes (about the narration) aside, the video is impressively-edited with its stylistic, "golden" approach to blood and gore.
Unfortunately, all we know about Mafia Wars 2 is apparently how badass it's going to be. While that may be all some need to get psyched, you can check out and "Like" the game's official Facebook fan page to find out more about the game.
Oh, and you'll score some early items for the game by hopping on board early like some accessories for your character and decorations. These already tell us a great deal about the game--fully customizable 3D avatars, anyone? Alright, now we know you're hyped.
[Video and Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you excited to get your clickers on some fresh gang bustin' in Mafia Wars 2? What did you think of the announcement trailer? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
Judging from this early artwork and the ... interesting trailer below, it seems as if Zynga could make good on previous speculation that its next Mafia Wars game would take a more literal approach in paying homage to its inspirations.
The trailer is set to Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song," you know, so its badassery really sets in. Jokes (about the narration) aside, the video is impressively-edited with its stylistic, "golden" approach to blood and gore.
Unfortunately, all we know about Mafia Wars 2 is apparently how badass it's going to be. While that may be all some need to get psyched, you can check out and "Like" the game's official Facebook fan page to find out more about the game.
Oh, and you'll score some early items for the game by hopping on board early like some accessories for your character and decorations. These already tell us a great deal about the game--fully customizable 3D avatars, anyone? Alright, now we know you're hyped.
[Video and Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you excited to get your clickers on some fresh gang bustin' in Mafia Wars 2? What did you think of the announcement trailer? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
Finally, hang out with your Android buddies in Hanging With Friends
It looks like Tuesday is unofficially Zynga Game Day, as the company just announced that Hanging With Friends is now available for free on the Android Market. Keep in mind, this comes just minutes after the company revealed Mafia Wars 2. Even better news than the fact that Android players can get in on Zynga With Friends's second mobile game is that it's now cross-platform ready.
Yes, now you can play both your iPhone-toting friends and your best Android-owning enemies buds in this crazy take on the classic pen and paper game of Hangman. In case you're unfamiliar, Hanging With Friends takes the popular turn-based exchange of the wildly popular Words With Friends and applies that to a wacky game of Hangman, but with some twists.
For one, players who choose their word for an opponent are limited by the letters provided to them. Then, that challenge is sent to a player who must guess the word with a limited amount of guesses. This exchange of posing challenges and guesses continues asynchronously until one player loses all of their balloons and falls into a pit of lava or other various deathtraps.
Luckily, you have a series of power-ups at your disposal that can restore some of your guesses or reveal letters that may or may not be part of the word your friend chose in secret. Of course, these boosts cost Coins, which you can accumulate over time by winning Hanging With Friends matches or purchasing them outright in-game.
Gallery: Hanging With Friends on Android
Of course, the Android version contains all of the features that its iOS counterpart sports, like the ability to play up to 20 games at a time, in-game chat and push notifications. Finally, you can add friends via your existing With Friends account, or just connect to Facebook (like everyone else) to find more folks to crush with your wordsmithery. Have at thee, Fandroids.
Click here to download Hanging With Friends on the Android Market Now >
Are you psyched that Hanging With Friends has finally come to Android? What other Zynga games do you hope to see on Android phones on the future? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Yes, now you can play both your iPhone-toting friends and your best Android-owning enemies buds in this crazy take on the classic pen and paper game of Hangman. In case you're unfamiliar, Hanging With Friends takes the popular turn-based exchange of the wildly popular Words With Friends and applies that to a wacky game of Hangman, but with some twists.
For one, players who choose their word for an opponent are limited by the letters provided to them. Then, that challenge is sent to a player who must guess the word with a limited amount of guesses. This exchange of posing challenges and guesses continues asynchronously until one player loses all of their balloons and falls into a pit of lava or other various deathtraps.
Luckily, you have a series of power-ups at your disposal that can restore some of your guesses or reveal letters that may or may not be part of the word your friend chose in secret. Of course, these boosts cost Coins, which you can accumulate over time by winning Hanging With Friends matches or purchasing them outright in-game.
Gallery: Hanging With Friends on Android
Of course, the Android version contains all of the features that its iOS counterpart sports, like the ability to play up to 20 games at a time, in-game chat and push notifications. Finally, you can add friends via your existing With Friends account, or just connect to Facebook (like everyone else) to find more folks to crush with your wordsmithery. Have at thee, Fandroids.
Click here to download Hanging With Friends on the Android Market Now >
Are you psyched that Hanging With Friends has finally come to Android? What other Zynga games do you hope to see on Android phones on the future? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Game of the Day: Alchemy
alchemy game of the dayAlchemy is a game of strategy and wit. Carefully place runes and turn the entire board to gold. You can only place runes next to pieces of the same color or shape. However, you can place a rune of any color or shape next to a grey stone. If you can't place the rune, you may discard it. But be careful, discard four runes in a row and it'll be game over! If you fill a row or column with runes, they'll all disappear, opening up the board. Similarly, a skull will let you destroy any rune on the board.
Alchemy may seem complicated at first, but once you grasp the basics, you'll be hooked on its addictive gameplay. Good luck!
Click here to play Alchemy!
alchemy game of the day alchemy game of the day
What did you think of Alchemy? Where you able to turn lead into gold?
Alchemy may seem complicated at first, but once you grasp the basics, you'll be hooked on its addictive gameplay. Good luck!
Click here to play Alchemy!
alchemy game of the day alchemy game of the day
What did you think of Alchemy? Where you able to turn lead into gold?
Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski is awfully addicted to Angry Birds
Another falls to the power of casual games. Just as actress Emma Stone had to go cold turkey on FarmVille, Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski has admitted to Collider an acute Angry Birds addiction. The actress (and voice of Miranda Lawson in Bioware's Mass Effect series) told the website she's not just hopelessly addicted to the game, but has some serious bird-slinging game.
"I don't know if this classifies as a video game, but I have a terrible obsession with Angry Birds," Strahovski admitted to Collider. "I have 3 stared every single level that has ever come out ever except for this one in this moon thing that just came out." Well, she already has me beat, it seems, and likely many of you.
When asked whether she used YouTube or something else to cheat, the Australian starlet replied, "No. I am legitimate. The only thing I looked up is that I could't find the last two golden watermelons in the Rio version. I could't find them. I was like, 'Where are the watermelons?!' So I had to go online and find out where they were." Alright, we get it, so you know your stuff.
Her next mission? Clear every level in the game with 100 percent using the Mighty Eagle. Well, I guess that's about the only challenge she has left, considering she's obliterated every last level. After that, maybe she might consider voice over work for the upcoming Angry Birds movie when it goes into production in oh, I don't know, two years? And who knows, maybe you'll catch her in a Starbucks, flicking away to destroy your high score sometime soon.
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Collider]
Are you still addicted to Angry Birds after all this time? Have you accomplished more in the game than lovely Yvonne? Sound off in the comments.
"I don't know if this classifies as a video game, but I have a terrible obsession with Angry Birds," Strahovski admitted to Collider. "I have 3 stared every single level that has ever come out ever except for this one in this moon thing that just came out." Well, she already has me beat, it seems, and likely many of you.
When asked whether she used YouTube or something else to cheat, the Australian starlet replied, "No. I am legitimate. The only thing I looked up is that I could't find the last two golden watermelons in the Rio version. I could't find them. I was like, 'Where are the watermelons?!' So I had to go online and find out where they were." Alright, we get it, so you know your stuff.
Her next mission? Clear every level in the game with 100 percent using the Mighty Eagle. Well, I guess that's about the only challenge she has left, considering she's obliterated every last level. After that, maybe she might consider voice over work for the upcoming Angry Birds movie when it goes into production in oh, I don't know, two years? And who knows, maybe you'll catch her in a Starbucks, flicking away to destroy your high score sometime soon.
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Collider]
Are you still addicted to Angry Birds after all this time? Have you accomplished more in the game than lovely Yvonne? Sound off in the comments.
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