YoVille items not only available in YoVille

If you love YoVille's 'Luxury Thin Shelves', you'll love Crate & Barrel's 'Alcove Wall Shelf'! Nine sheet metal ledges suspend and intersect mondrian style on steel rods to frame objects of interest. Raw look with powdercoated finish. This discovery was sent in from one of our readers, Thank You, Joan!

This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.

FarmVille, Mafia Wars and YoVille invade 7-Eleven: First images of Zynga Slurpee machines and more

Yup, that's what you think it is -- 7-Eleven Slurpee machines plastered with images from FarmVille, Mafia Wars and YoVille. This history-making campaign marks the first big real-world push for any Facebook game and will likely be a big driver of Slurpee sales (and other snacks) during the promotion's six-week run. Heck, we haven't had a Slurpee in over a decade, and this might break our dry spell. For all the details of this promotion, read this guide: 7-Eleven & Zynga Promotion: What You Need to Know.

Games.com - The Blog! friend Eric von Coelln snapped these pics at his local 7-Eleven, and it really looks like anything that doesn't move has been plastered with FarmVille logos.
In his blog he wrote:

    "I've been plenty busy lately (and thus blog-free for a while now) thanks to a new job with a game company here in New York City. But when I saw that Zynga was entering a partnership with 7-11 to promote its games, I knew I couldn't escape Zynga's grasp in my off-line world for long: They invaded the 7-11 around the corner from me."

farmville soda machine
farmville seven eleven sandwiches
Two FarmVille branded sandwiches: egg salad on cracked wheat and roasted chicken & cheese with ranch dressing
farmville seven eleven fresh goodies
A sign that reads "Fresh Goodies from FarmVille" above a fridge with yogurt, cheese and other healthy looking snacks.
farmville tuna salad
Another FarmVille Sandwich: Tuna Salad on a Kaiser Roll
farmville celery and strawberries
FarmVille snacks: Carrot & celery stick with bleu cheese dressing, FarmVille strawberries

All images courtesy of Eric von Coelln. Thanks Eric!

Games.com Game of the Day: Daily Jumble

The hits keep on coming with the Games.com Game of the Day. Today's game was brought to you by the letters F, M and the number 1. Why? F for FarmVille and M for Mafia Wars and number one? Well, Games.com The Blog is aiming for number one.

Today's game of the day is Daily Jumble. You know it. You've played it. You love it! Daily Jumble is now online with new puzzles six days a week. Unscramble a list of words to reveal the letters in the bonus word. Unscramble the bonus word to reveal the answer to the question posed in the cartoon.

Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official New Game of the Day hub.

Play Daily Jumble now >

FarmVille: New adoptable Mouflon Sheep

Tonight the FarmVille Mouflon Sheep started wandering onto farms! There is now a chance that this new lost and roaming animal will show up on your farm. If it does, you will have the option to share it with your neighbors. You will not be able to keep one for yourself. Lost and roaming animals are available by adoption only.

The Mouflon Sheep (male) most common characteristics are a short red/brown coat with large curbed horns horns. This species of goat was first seen about 7000 years ago in Europe. This breed of goat is endangered so has been studied quite a bit by the scientific world and was successfully cloned in 2001.

Have you adopted the Mouflon Sheep yet?

This article originally appeared on FarmVIlle Freak.

FarmVille Nursery: Calves and foals turn into totally new adult animals

    farmville cream clydesdale foal     farmville groovy cow     farmville groovy calf
Tonight the FarmVille Nursery became a true building with purpose. When harvesting the Nursery Barn there is now a chance for your calves or foals to grow up. However, your foal or calf will grow up into an all new adult animal. For example, a Pink Patch Calf does not grow into a Pink Patch Cow.

Click the link below for pictures of the rumored transformations.

::Spoilers::

These are the rumored transformations provided by FarmVille Freak Oliver:

    The Brown Foal, Gray Foal, Pinto Foal, White Foal, Appaloosa Foal will grow up into a Black Horse.
    The Clydesdale Foal and percheron foal will grow up into a Cream Draft Horse.
    The Pink Pony Foal, Purple Pony Foal and Brown Pony Foal will grow up into a Blue Pony Foal.
    Mustang Foal – ?
    The Pink Calf, BOV1NE- 09 Calf, Neapolitan Calf, Pink Patch Calf, Kelly Green Calf, Fan Calf will grow up into a Chocolate Cow.
    The Regular Cow Calf, Brown Calf, Longhorn Calf will grow up into a Holstein Cow.
    Tuscan Calf – ?

farmville holstein cow     farmville holstein calf     farmville blue pony     farmville blue pony foal
farmville black horse     farmville black foal     farmville chocolate brown cow     farmville chocolate brown calf
We were told quite sometime ago that the Nursery Barn would have a 'growing up' process. Is this how you imagined it would work?

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.

Playdom acquires social gaming startup Hive7

Hive 7 and Playdom
Playdom is on a roll with partnerships and acquisitions lately,and tonight a press release has revealed that they have acquired another social gaming startup. Hive7 is a San Francisco-based, True Ventures funded startup that has had small success on Facebook with applications such as Knighthood and Chivalry. This is the fifth acquisition this year for Playdom, following Three Melons (who developed Bola), Acclaim Games, Offbeat Creations, and Merscom.

According to Hive7's website, they have an upcoming game titled Zombie Chomp. They also claim to create social MMO experiences. Thus far, Playdom's games have not been grand in multiplayer scale, so it is possible that Hive7 will allow Playdom to venture into the synchronous virtual world arena.

It will be interesting to see how Hive7 help contribute to Playdom's battle against Zynga.

Wedding bells ring in the PetVille outdoor store

It's wedding season in Zynga games in June - first we saw the FarmVille Tuscan Wedding, and now a large collection of wedding items have hit the PetVille outdoor store. This unique set allows you to create a dream moment in your backyard, complete with food, entertainment, guests, and everything you need to create a truly magical wedding. Take a peek at the fairytale wedding items that are now available in PetVille.

Dove on Branch, Facing Right - 13 Pet Cash
Wedding Guests, Groom's Side - 17 Pet Cash
Sunkissed Castle Scene - 25 Pet Cash
Perfectly Cut Grass - 5,000 coins
Wedding Ceremony Table Up - 6,000 coins
Chicken Dinner Up Close - 3,000 coins
Glass of Red Up Close - 2,800 coins
Rosy Table Setting - 12 Pet Cash

Aisle of Cherry Blossoms - 24 Pet Cash
Wedding Candle Up Close - 2,200 Pet Cash
Bottle of Sparkling Red Up Close - 3,600 coins
Dove in Cage - 16 Pet Cash
Wedding Ceremony Table - 6,800 coins
Potted Flowers, Brides Mix - 14 Pet Cash
Left Border Bouquets - 8 Pet Cash
Carpet of Blossoms - 5 Pet Cash
Bride and Groom's Archway - 20,000 coins
The Wedding Aisle - 10 Pet Cash
Carpet of Blossoms - 5 Pet Cash
Wedding Ceremony Table - 6,800 coins
Wedding Cake Table - 5,200 coins
Triple Tiered Wedding Cake - 18 Pet Cash
Wedding Guests, Brides Side - 17 Pet Cash
Pretty Posey Bridesmaid Dress, Blue , Pink, and Purple- 8,000 coins
Pretty Posey Heels, Blue, Pink, and Purple- 3,000 coins
Pretty Pink Hair Rose - 5 Pet Cash
Something Blue Hair Bow - 4,200 coins
My Amore Dress - 7,800 coins
Blue Belle Wedding Dress - 27,000 coins
Blushing Bride Veil - 10 Pet Cash
Blushing Bride Wedding Dress - 15 Pet Cash
I Love You Heels - 4,000 coins
Onyx Hair Clips - 1,800 coins
Romantic Rose Bouquet - 10 Pet Cash
Vintage Layered Wedding Dress - 26 Pet Cash
Wedding Guest Table - 6,000 coins



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FarmVille Jacaranda Tree now Giftable

The FarmVille Jacaranda tree can only be gifted after you have reached level 100.

How many of these Jacaranda trees would you like to receive for your farm? Have any of you been lucky to receive one yet? Send a picture to editors@games.com.

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.


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New FarmVille Animal: Pheasant

A new pheasant was released in the FarmVille market. It can be purchased for 2,000,000 coins once you have reached level 85. The pheasant will sell for 92 coins and harvests in 2 days.

Do you think 2,000,000 coins is too much for this Pheasant? Send pictures of the Pheasant on your farm to editors@games.com.

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.


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FarmVille Adds New Levels: 90-999

FarmVille has now added new levels! The following levels have been added with the XP needed.

Continue reading to see a list of the new levels and the experience required for each.

Level 91 = 876,500 XP
Level 92 = 918,500 XP
Level 93 = 963,500 XP
Level 94 = 1,012,000 XP
Level 95 = 1,064,000 XP
Level 96 = 1,120,000 XP
Level 97 = 1,180,000 XP
Level 98 = 1,244,500 XP
Level 99 = 1,313,500 XP
Level 100 = 1,387,500 XP

Level 101 = 1,500,000 XP

Level 102-999 increase in increments of 100,000 XP to achieve next level.

It has been rumored that the levels go up to level 999! We will confirm shortly!

UPDATE: The FarmVille forum has confirmed the new levels.

    Levels 90+ have been unlocked! You can now level to 999. Please note that you will only receive 1 free farm cash per level until level 100.

Source: Official FarmVille Forum

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.

Facebook game tries to ignite Ty the Tasmanian Tiger revival

Hey kids! Ty the Tasmanian Tiger is now on Facebook! You remember Ty, don't you? He was in a trio of brightly colored, mediocre platform games during the PlayStation 2 era. Why, he was the Bubsy of his era! What? You don't remember Bubsy, either? How about Jazz Jackrabbit? Aero the Acrobat? Blasto? Really, kids, if you don't start humoring me I can keep naming forgotten gaming mascots all day.

Well, remembered or not, Ty is now part of the Facebook gaming universe via Krome Studios' Bush Rescue HQ, which launched earlier this month. So far all you can do in the app is dress up the titular Tasmanian Tiger in an impressive (and growing) variety of outfits. Soon, though, Krome promises you'll be able to "join the Bush Rescue effort and help your district" whatever that means. New updates come every Tuesday, so we'll keep an eye out to see when this Facebook game becomes an actual, um, game.

Now, if you're done playing dress up with Ty, come sit next to grandpa and I'll introduce you to a precocious little lizard named Gex.

Mafia Wars Vegas limited edition gifts arrive

While we were busy cracking heads and counting cards in Mafia Wars Vegas, the game has rolled out a handful of Sin City-themed limited edition gifts that you can send to the rest of your mafia for free.

mafia wars vegas free gifts


mafia wars vegas club owner, fat cat

The seven items include the following: Hardaway, Bix Six (weapons), Yo Eleven and Fat Cat (vehicles), Fear and Loathing (animal) and a martini-swilling Club Owner (bodyguard).

The Rack of Chips are, fortunately, also still available to send to your fellow mafiosos, and I'll argue that's one of the better gifts to send right now, since they can be turned into actual currency, along with casino building materials for those trying to turn their two-bit casinos into full-fledged gambling palaces.

Zynga breaks into Japanese market with $150M Softbank deal

Zynga has accepted a $150 million investment from Softbank, one of Japan's largest mobile networks. If this news sounds familiar, it's probably because it was first reported about six weeks ago. Nonetheless, Zynga confirmed the news just today, officially announcing a joint partnership called Zynga Japan.

This latest cash infusion for Zynga comes on top of $180 million from Russian investment group Digital Sky Technologies last year and a $100 to $200 million investment from Google that's rumored to be in the works. That's up to $530 million dumped into the company so far, which sounds like a lot until you consider Playdom just got bought by Disney for only a handful more, and Zynga is an order of magnitude bigger than Playdom, as far as regular players are concerned.

Besides likely bringing Zynga's lineup of social game to the Japanese mobile phones for the first time, the deal also frees Zynga somewhat from its reliance on Facebook's social network. By diversifying to independent networks internationally, the company gives itself more leverage over any one social network in future business dealings.

Google in talks with Zynga, Playfish/EA and Playdom

Following a big rumor that Google and Zynga will be working together in the future, there are new reports circulating that the Big G is in talks with Playfish/EA and Playdom as well to do, well, something with the Google Games offering that's expected later this year.

Even though Google Chief Exec Eric Schmidt denies anything about 'Google Me,' a social networking service comparable to Facebook ("the world doesn't need a copy of the same thing," he tells WSJ), the search giant is clearly making a move to get all of the big social gaming companies on board with Google Games. This rest is speculation (for now) but if Google Checkout enters the picture, and developers are charged a certain percentage to use the Google e-commerce system -- that would strike right at the heart of one of Facebook's big money makers.

Google higher ups can deny all they want -- but it's seems like they're sending a singular message to Facebook -- 'It's on!'

Social gaming boom great for social game company employees

Sure, we know the biggest social game companies are starting to attract millions of dollars in investments, and that the sector is expected to be worth over a billion dollars a year very soon. But how is all that money affecting the rank-and-file workers at these newly minted social gaming powerhouses?

Well, it's making them all pretty rich, unsurprisingly. In a recent interview with Inside Social Games, Katy Haddix, senior partner at social gaming recruiter VonCrunch, revealed that the social gaming labor market heavily favors employees over employers at this point.

It's simple supply and demand: the available supply of developers with the skills needed to make social games is currently much smaller than the demand for employees at companies that are sometimes planning to triple in size in a 6 to 9 month timeframe. The result is average annual salaries starting at $65,000 for social game artists and rising up to $150,000 for a Flash programmer with social gaming experience, according to VonCrunch's placements.

But the benefits don't stop at salary. A full 98 percent of VonChurch placements get some sort of equity in the company they work for, and many get perks like weeklong working vacations in Italy. Sounds pretty sweet, but social game makers should enjoy the ride while they can. Remember, web developers were in similar demand in the late '90s, before the dot-com bubble burst and sent all those stock options tumbling.

YoVille sneak peek of new Romantic Clothes and Bedroom

Check out this timeless and elegant bedroom furniture on it's way to YoVille! An official sneak peek of coming soon Romantic Bedroom items has been released on Yoville's Facebook page. Some of the Bedroom items include Room Dividers, an Armoire, Vanity, Rugs, Windows, and much more! Living Room furniture has been already released in YoVille, check them here. In addition, the new Romantic Home is one of the most lavish around. Take the tour of the newest house here.

Are you excited about the next release?

Be sure to continue reading and check out the new Romantic Clothing sneak peek.
yoville romantic clothes
Have you checked your email? The official YoVille Newsletter sent today shares a picture of a Romantic setting with two characters dressed up in this theme. Powdered wig and gown for ladies, suite and hat for gentlemen.

This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.

FarmVille Unreleased See Saw Pig, Owl Statue, Sheep Toys, & Cliffcorner Marvn

farmville see saw pig
"Hang on, did I read that correctly? Are my eyes fooling me? A See Saw Pig? What in tarnation? Are those ducks on the other end? Is that pig wearing a hula skirt?"

These are the questions I'm sure you've been asking yourself after first setting your gaze upon the wonder of engineering that is the See Saw Pig. Although they're all fitting questions, none of them is the right one. The question you should be asking is, "How can I see it in motion immediately?!"

The answer to that is simple my friends: click the continue reading button below.
cliff corner marvn
    farmville owl statue     farmville sheep toys
Thank you to Jack Hong for finding these unreleased FarmVille See Saw Pig, Owl Statue, Sheep Toys, & Cliffcorner Marvn!

Continue reading to see the Eighth Wonder of the World, the See Saw Pig, in action.
Woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh! Ho ho! Man! Take a gander at that pig!

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

FarmVille pigs with brown, black, white, & gold truffles coming soon

           
Pigs are hot right now! (At least in FarmVille.) First, Pig Pens were released and I'm sure you've heard about the Truffle Hunting Feature on the way. Well it seems there will be four types of truffles of increasing value and rarity. Pictured above are the pigs themselves in action. Awww don't they look quite cheerful and pleased with their successful truffle hunt?

Thank you to Rhys for find these unreleased FarmVille Pigs with Brown, Black, White, & Gold Truffles!

Be sure to check back in for more FarmVille pig and Truffle Hunting news.

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

PetVille: Winkz the Pomhuahua takes its cue from Paul the Puggle

PetVille Winkz the Pomhuahua
If you're looking for Wednesday's Limited Edition pooch, don't fret, cause you didn't miss it. Apparently, PetVille decided to take a break, and didn't release Designer Dog # 4 on its Gifts page 'til today.
PetVille Designer Dogs in a room
With Winkz the Pomhuahura, PetVille returns to their original concept of small, furry and cute. Its predecessor, Bleu the Saint-Dane, was a giant among dogs, being a mix of the Great Dane and the St. Bernard. Pomhuahua, as you could probably guess, is a hybrid of a Pomeranian and a Chihuahua, two of the most popular toy dogs in existence. There's really no telling what PetVille will try to crossbreed next! (Vampire Pomeranian, anyone?) Finally, like the other dogs, Winkz is animated and can be sold for 150 Coins.

Madden NFL Superstars: Everything you need to know

EA Sports released its second sports game on Facebook yesterday with developer Playfish, Madden NFL Superstars. With over 2,800 fans in just one day, let's just say that if you're a fan of football (or even fantasy football for that matter), you should give the game a shot. The title has a surprisingly high amount of depth and content as well as the classic aesthetic that captures the feel of Madden.
Join us behind the cut as we "go deep" into what Madden NFL Superstars is all about.
This is the home screen for Madden NFL Superstars
Logging into the game greets you with the same uplifting, intense Madden tunes that you're used to-complete with goofy guitar riffs. You're then tasked with creating your team name and logo by perusing through 46 different images with hundreds of color combinations. If you end up not liking the look or name of your team, you're allowed to change it at any time.

Madden NFL Superstars' tutorial is simple enough, taking you through the steps of team management and a few tips for how to stay on top. Managing an entire team seems overwhelming and, dare we say, boring. But once you get into the groove of playing games and training your team members, you'll be making touchdowns on kickoff returns with ease.

The Home Screen

After the tutorial, you'll reach the home screen that will greet you each time you log in from here on out. The home screen is essentially a snapshot of your stadium ( did we mention that you're an owner too?) with your options and team information such as your level, your team's practice level and rating as well as your coins and Playfish Cash. Here are your options:

    Play: Allows you to choose from four game modes including Season, NFL Pro League, Scrimmage and Predictor.
    Practice: Set your team through practice drills between games to accumulate practice points, which temporarily increase your team's rating.
    Team: Manage your team's offensive and defensive line ups. Each player is represented by a playing card, complete with stats and overall rating.
    Store: Purchase player packs, stadium upgrades, Game Changers, Game Day Tickets and Playfish Cash.
    Achievements: Displays your achievements thus far such as season trophies and Super Bowl rings from Pro League.


The team page for Madden NFL Superstars.
Managing Your Team

While appears daunting at first, getting your team into peak performance is easier than it looks. Each of your team members is actually a playing card that represents a real NFL player. These cards include statistics such as Strength, Speed and Awareness, but what truly matters is the player's overall rating. The average of both your offense's and defense's ratings amounts to your team rating.

However, to increase this rating you'll have to do a few things: purchase new player packs with either coins or Playfish Cash, practice, practice... and practice some more. While you can always save your coins to buy better player packs, keeping your practice level at 100 will always give you an edge on the competition (it accounts for 33 percent of your team rating!). Here's how the game breaks down player packs:

    Bronze Pack: Lowest-rated players for 10,000 coins or 8 Playfish Cash
    Silver pack: Lower level players for 20,000 coins at Level 5 or 18 Playfish Cash
    Gold Pack: Mid-range players are locked until Level 10 or cost 30 Playfish Cash
    Platinum Pack: High level players are locked until Level 15 or go for 55 Playfish Cash
    Ultimate Pack: The best players are locked until Level 20 or ask for 80 Playfish Cash


What makes this game appealing to casual football fans is that team management can be automated with the "Assign Best Players" button. This feature takes your highest-rated player cards and automatically puts them in position. As you buy high level players, you can always sell your lower-rated cards for extra coins, but always keep some second stringers-limited edition players have timers on them.
The practices page for Madden NFL Superstars.
Practice, Practice, Practice

This is essentially what will keep you winning games more than anything in Madden NFL Superstars. Currently, there are six drills available and only one can be in progress at any time. Each drill rewards a certain number of practice points and costs a relative amount of coins, but it's never an unreasonable amount.

Seems easy enough, right? Well, there's always a catch. Each practice drill lasts for a set amount of time and to reap the benefits of the drill, you need to queue another session within a short time after the previous. In other words, if you miss the end of your practice drill, you won't get any points. Considering these points are vital to your team's success, you'll need to schedule your practice drills according to your availability. On the up side, there's no penalty to missing a drill aside from wasted time.

So, why should you keep up on practice aside from keeping your team's rating at maximum? Every game you play between practices reduces your team's rating by one point. While your rating can never drop past the average of your players' ratings, you'll want the best possible team rating to stay competitive.
More gameplay from Madden NFL Superstars.
Season Games

The first type of game you'll encounter is the season game. Each season must be completed before the next can be accessed and they increase in difficulty with each team's rating increasing gradually. However, playing games costs a resource known as Game Day Tickets. These tickets automatically replenish every two hours with a maximum of four free tickets available at any time. You're also awarded free tickets for leveling up. To increase the max amount of tickets at your disposal, you'll have to pay up-in cash.

They way games work within Madden NFL Superstars is when you decide to play a team you're able to size up the competition using the "Scout" button. But for the average player, simply comparing your team's overall rating to the opposition is usually enough to gauge a victory or defeat. A general rule of thumb is to never challenge a team that's within five points of your team rating if you want the best chance at victory.

Pressing the "Play" button activates a series of animations that seem to be randomized based off the two teams' ratings. The games cut out all of the boring stuff like penalties and first downs to get right to the goods: the scores. You could just sit back and enjoy the show, but every play and turnover counts. This is where your players' ratings come into play.
For example, there are times that when against teams of poor offense, you'll shut them down for a quarter. When two teams are evenly matched-generally around the end of a season-the games will definitely be closer and you won't see as many two-point conversions or kickoff touchdown returns.

If you're feeling adventurous, you're free to challenge teams that evenly match you, but we wouldn't recommend stepping onto the field without some Game Changers. These power plays cost either coins or Playfish cash and can be used at any time during a game to change the tide in your favor.

Each Game Changer shows its chance of success and the amount of points it will award you such as the Kickoff Touchdown Return, which at 2,500 coins or 3 Playfish Cash guarantees you seven points whenever you choose to activate it. While seven points right off the bat sounds useful, you should probably wait until around the third quarter to use one. This is because you either might not need it by then or it could put the ball in the opposing team's hands when you might need it most.

Pro League Games

Unlocked at Level 5, Pro League games pit you against the real NFL teams for the ultimate prize: a Super Bowl Ring. Each game requires two Game Day Tickets and other requirements such as stadium upgrades or a certain number of fans (which can be earned through gifts or purchased) as well as defeating the previous team. Aside from these requirements and what's at stake, Pro League games play exactly like regular Season games.

Scrimmage Games

These games are played with your friends in the same way you would a season game, but can only be played once every 24 hours and cost no Game Day Tickets.
Predictor mode within Madden NFL Superstars.
The Predictor

This feature allows players to predict the winners of each week's games in the real NFL season with point markers for each match up. If your predicted team wins, you'll win the same amount of points that you bet on the team ranging from one to 16 points.

Winners will receive prize packs ranging from coins to player cards and Game Day Tickets. However, each week the opportunity to predict the winnings will lock one hour before the first game of each week, so no cheaters allowed!

Madden NFL is Everywhere... Even on Facebook


It was pretty disappointing to find out that Madden NFL 11 was even on iOS before coming to Facebook, but EA Sports and Playfish had us fooled all along. What we got for our long wait is an extremely deep game with a surprisingly simple interface and impressive production value.

However, putting a 24 hour limit on free scrimmage games restricts the social play (isn't that what social gaming is all The official logo for Madden NFL Superstars.about?). It's a bit depressing to imagine the possibilities of player-driven leagues when we're limited to playing with our friends once daily. If EA Sports and Playfish want Madden NFL Superstars to remain competitive in the turbulent world of social gaming, they'll see the light.

While progressing through the game's seasons and Pro League might go at a snail's pace if you choose not to pay up, there is almost always something to do between daily scrimmage games and keeping up with practice. Madden NFL Superstars keeps things exciting while remaining grounded in reality by incorporating the league's real players and teams as well as including the quasi-fantasy football feature, Predictor. Come to think of it, this game seems like a ton more fun than spreadsheets and lost bets.

FarmVille Mystery Game Update: New rare prizes to win

FarmVille Mystery Game
Tonight, FarmVille has updated the Mystery Game with six brand new items that have never been seen before in the game. These games include two rare items, two uncommon items, and two common items. To play the game, it costs you 16 Farm Cash per dart, and you click on the balloons to uncover a special prize. Here are the possible items in the new Mystery Game:

Raccoon
Possum
Backyard Cottage
Backyard Deck
Backyard Pool
Trellis Swing
These Mystery Game items will only be available for one week, so log in today and check out the Decorations tab of the FarmVille Market to play the game.
What do you think of the prizes? Which ones are you hoping for?

Get a Mule in FarmVille for completing FrontierVille quest

Zynga have been cross-promoting in their games like crazy, and tonight there is a new mission available in FrontierVille that rewards players with an adorable mule for their FarmVille farm when completed. Titled, "The FarmVille Quest I", this mission is awfully easy one to complete. All you need to do is plant 20 crops, harvest 20 crops, and then buy 3 cows. The entire mission can also be completed by paying 43 Horseshoes.

The fastest way to do this quest would be to plant the short crop such as Clover, which only takes 5 minutes to mature. The cows cost 765 coins, so it doesn't cost too much to complete this quest.

FarmVille Avatar Upgrade Sneak Peek!

farmville customize farmer
Lexilicious mentioned in today's official FarmVille Podcast that we would soon be able to customize our farmer avatars even more by picking out clothes.

Lots of farmers are excited about this news as we've been asking for it a long time. Check out the sneak peek above! It looks like the menu for buying various avatar items. Note the Outfit Total box at the bottom right.

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

FarmVille asks for help as they approach 1 billion School Supplies for Haiti goal

farmville 1 billion haiti school supplies
Zynga is asking farmers for a little more help to reach the goal of 1 billion FarmVille School Supplies sent for Haiti.

Currently they are at around 900 million. Upon reaching 1 billion, Zynga will donate $200,000 to help build a new school in Haiti. You can help by sending a few extra giftable School Supplies today!

    "Your generous support for Haiti has been amazing but we still need your help! We are so very close to hitting our new goal of one BILLION school supplies collected–we're right at 900 million. If we hit this goal, Zynga will donate $200,000! Please gift a few more school supplies to your neighbors today! http://zyn.ga/1Ad"

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

FarmVille Halloween Candy, Wax Apple Tree & German Monopteros coming soon

Some more unreleased FarmVille items have been making the rounds -- a bucket of Halloween Candy, a Wax Apple Tree and a German Monopteros.

The most interesting of this trio is the Halloween Candy, mostly because it looks like we will soon be asking neighbors to send us candy to fill up our Halloween pumpkins (alongside asking them for materials to help us build a Haunted House). I just love Halloween -- don't you?

Also -- if you were thinking (like me), "What the heck is a German Monopteros?" -- here's the answer. In Munich, Germany, there is a big park called the Englisher Garten (which means 'English Garden'). In that park, sits a building called the Monopteros, a Greek-style temple that was completed in 1836. Soon you might be able to park one of these on your farm. And you thought playing FarmVille wasn't educational...

german montoperos munich, germany -- games.com

Disclaimer: Please note that these three items are unreleased, and there's no guarantee that they will be released in the game (though, let's face it, these unreleased items make their way in about 95% of the time).

FarmVille Halloween Costume Contest: Show off your scary duds for free Farm Cash and coins

Is your Halloween costume for this year something to behold? Are you planning on scaring your neighbors as a vampire or creepy monster? Or perhaps you're taking the more comical route, dressing as a clown or television personality. Either way, why not use your costume to your advantage and enter into Zynga's newly announced Halloween Costume Contest?

Zynga has posted all of the official details of the contest on the FarmVIlle forums, but here's the gist of what's up. From today until November 2, all you have to do is take a picture of yourself (or even yourself and some friends) in your Halloween costume(s). Make sure that you're a member of the FarmVille forums, and hold up a piece of paper with your forum name on it to ensure that it really is you entering (no stealing a picture from Google now).

After that, simply add your picture to the contest's thread on the forums, and you'll be entered for a chance to be one of the 10 winners who will receive 500 Farm Cash and 500,000 coins.

The more creative your pictures the better, so put your thinking caps on and take a chance at winning these free goodies!

My Vineyard experiments with multiplayer parties on Vine Street

Playdom's My Vineyard game has been truly outdoing itself for this Halloween. They released the Spooky Vineyard minigame last week that allowed players to seek out and discover spooky secrets and create special Halloween wine blends. Today, they released the Nightmare on Vine Street party.

One thing that is truly unique about My Vineyard is how multiplayer the game is. While you are tending your own vineyard, players can come in and see you there and you can actually chat with them and start a conversation. Most Facebook games don't allow you to stop in and visit friend's farms or bakeries. Nightmare on Vine Street takes this multiplayer social capability and creates a big party. This party is a week long event that costs 3 Wine Cash to enter.

Once you've entered the party, you can chat with everyone else there. There are small quests that enable you to seek out special characters for rewards. You can play a bobbing for apples minigame, and also a Halloween themed trivia game. There is even a Fortune Teller who will tell you one free fortune per day. All this happens in a space with other players joining in on the fun. It's great to see games embracing multiplayer capability to really make these games more social. My Vineyard is doing a great job of getting everyone in the mood for Halloween.

Cafe World Drink Bar Contest: Master recipes for massive rewards

Zynga seems to be in a fairly giving mood this month, as not only have they announced the FarmVille Halloween Costume Contest, but they've also announced a new Drink Bar Competition in Cafe World.

The details of the Drink Bar Competition are simple. From now until the end of the month (October 31), all users who complete the Drink Bar, master all recipes to level 3 and upgrade all items to level 3 will be entered to win some massive prizes.

You'll automatically be entered into the contest upon completing these three stipulations. One first prize winner will receive a whopping 10,000 Cafe Cash (with the current sale rates on purchasing Cafe Cash, that's a value of more than $1000 real world dollars!).

The second prize will go to 50 users, who will each receive a 100 pack of Instant Thyme premium spices, while the third and final prize will go to 100 users who will receive a 20 pack of Instant Thyme.

As you can see, these prizes are nothing to scoff at. If you're having trouble finishing the build of your Drink Bar, remember to pass our handy quick-gifting links onto your friends, so that you can receive just the parts you need as quickly as possible.

Fashion World and Mall Dreams offer up free Halloween gifts

Metrogames have two excellent games on Facebook in Mall Dreams and Fashion World. Both of these games are whimsical, fun, simple, and quite enjoyable to play. While both games are featuring Halloween decorations for purchase, it's more notable that they have many Halloween gifts for players to share with friends.

Considering that sending gifts is all done right within the game, and you don't have to load another page to send them, it couldn't be easier to send gifts. Mall Dreams has a selection of spooky gifts including a couple of gravestones, a set of Jack-o-Lanterns, a scary with, and a creepy haunted house. In Fashion World, you can be the proud owner of a spiderweb purse, a Jack-o-Lantern hat, and a haunted mirror. Each game has eight different Halloween themed gifts that can be sent during this holiday season.

Do you enjoy playing either of these games? Which gifts do you hope to receive?

FrontierVille Tombstones: Dedicate a witty epitaph to friends

With one of FrontierVille's Halloween missions requiring users to purchase five Tombstones and place them on their Homestead, it's only fitting that Zynga has chosen to do more with the items than simply allowing them to clutter up everyone's land.

Now, when you load your Homestead and click on a Tombstone, you'll be given the option of customizing it with a clever epitaph or even just the name of the "deceased." This can be done on those Tombstones that you already own, as well as on those new purchases from the market. Zynga says this is a great way to dedicate an item on your Homestead to your friends, but wouldn't that be killing your friends virtually? Perhaps I'm just taking this too seriously, but there you have it.

Cafe Life: Get references and adopt your own Halloween Kitty

Cafe Life has a neat way to allowing you to adopt animals. Just like in real life, you need references from your friends in order to be eligible to purchase them. Of course, references are recieved by sending requests to your friends. It is a Facebook game, after all! The latest adoptable pet to wander into Cafe Life is the Halloween Kitty. This adorable little black cat comes with a cute witches hat and a Jack-o-Lantern by its side.

To get the Halloween Kitty, you have to get 5 friends to be references for you. Alternatively, you can also pay 50 Facebook Credits to simply unlock the ability to have this cat, or pay 10 Facebook Credits per friend. At around $5.00, that's a lot of money to pay for an animated cat that doesn't do much in your bakery but lay around. But hey, it's the Halloween season and we know how exciting it can be to decorate in your favorite game for the holiday.

Play Cafe Life on Facebook >

YoVille goes vroom vroom for Halloween with two new cars

YoVille's cars are one of the cooler items that have come to the game recently, at least in my personal opinion. And now, two new cars have been added to the game to make it easier (and more stylish) to get around Halloween-town. Of course these two cars are themed up for the Halloween holiday. The Skullmobile is a neat looking (and scary) car with a skull on the front of it to warn everyone to get out of its way. The Candy Corn Car is far cuter, and allows you to drive around while surrounded by everyone's favorite Halloween candies.

YoVille cars are viewable by other people when you go out into public spaces, so it makes it fun to show off your purchase. The Skullmobile is 35 YoCash, and the Candy Corn Car is 39 YoCash, so they're not cheap. Remember, your friends will not be able to drive your cars. That's probably a good thing, because you don't want them stolen! If you're not sure how to use the cars feature in YoVille, check out our handy guide.

Chocolatier: Sweet Society throws a big Halloween bash

Chocolatier: Sweet Society is one of the more original themes on Facebook. Players make their own chocolate shops and manufacture delicious morsels made of cocoa to make money. Chocolatier is throwing a big Halloween party, and we have all of the details! All players who log in between October 29th and October 31st will get a special Halloween Treat. Playfirst are giving out 2 PlayFunds to allow players to buy some of the new Halloween decorations that were released. All players will also get 500 limited edition Pumpkin Cream Truffles delivered right to their gift box.

Sounds like a pretty easy party doesn't it? There is an official event to RSVP to and invite your friends, and it also has all of the details about the event. You don't want to miss out on these treats and the fun of going to a Chocolatier Halloween party!

FrontierVille Italian Bust up for grabs in Mafia Wars Italy

For those of us that play more than one game from Zynga, it's always nice to be rewarded for our loyalty with free items for playing multiple games in the developer's catalog. We have yet another example of such a reward, as tonight Zynga has launched the FrontierVille Italian Bust cross-promotion with Mafia Wars.

Follow us behind the break to find out how to get yours.

The next time you login to FrontierVille, you'll be met with a pop-up like the one at the top of this post. From there, you can immediately load Mafia Wars in a new window and go about the business of earning said Italian Bust.

The Bust is earned for completing one particular job in Mafia Wars Italy, that being the "Find an Old Family Friend" mission, which happens to be the very first mission available in Region 2 of Italy, Palermo. If you've played the game long enough to unlock Italy, chances are you'll be able to easily complete this job and receive your reward. Just remember that in order to access Region 2 of Italy, you'll first need to complete all of Region 1's jobs and defeat the boss at the end.

Complete the mission and you'll be able to head back to FrontierVille where your brand new Italian Bust will be waiting for you in your inventory.

FarmVille Halloween Animals: Nightmare Horse and Clever Cub

Just yesterday, we were given a sneak peek of upcoming Halloween themed items in FarmVille via a showcase video that Zynga posted on the game's official YouTube channel. Tonight we see the official release of the items featured therein, starting with two new animals: Nightmare and Clever Cub.

Nightmare is a clever name for this miniature horse, which has animated fire for both its mane and tail. Meanwhile, the Clever Cub looks more cuddly than demonic, but we're guessing that since the animal is being released as part of the Halloween celebration that there's more to it than meets the eye.

Both animals cost Farm Cash, so I hope you have at least 20 on hand to be able to purchase at least the Clever Cub. You've only got five days to pick up either animal, so shop fast!

FrontierVille Cheats & Tips: Free Care Package gifting link

frontierville free care package gifting links
Update: Mr. Cheats is sorry to report that this link is no longer working. A new link will be posted when/if it is available. Sorry for the inconvenience, Frontier-folks.

Hello Frontier-folks, It's Mr. Cheats here with the down-low on the things you shouldn't know. Today's gifting link is for free FrontierVille Care Packages.

FrontierVille Care Packages have just arrived. These giftable items will contain items that are actually needed around your homestead. Click the image below to send free FrontierVille Care Packages to your friends. When you're done, share this page with your friends so they can send you your own free Care Packages in FrontierVille.

Hurry though, Zynga might fix the link and ruin our fun. So get started sending free Care Packages below:
frontierville free care packages
Click on the image to send the Care Package to your friends.
[Via FrontierVille Info]

Looking for more FrontierVille Care Packages? Use our Instant Gifts and Energy Cheat to get all the Care Packages you need.

EA Sports PGA Tour Golf Challenge tees off on Facebook this Dec.

PGA Tour Golf Challenge
Electronic Arts, the publisher behind Facebook sports game hits like Madden NFL Superstars and FIFA Superstars, is prepared to launch its next big sports game this December: PGA Tour Golf Challenge. EA Tiburon is working on the game, which strikes us as odd considering Playfish has handled the first two EA Sports games on Facebook. Oh, and did we mention that it will be in full 3D? Because it will, thanks to the Unity3D Engine.

Players will be able to fully customize their golfers and level them up individually as they perfect their game across six courses at launch like the original St. Andrews. To support Facebook's short-spurt gameplay, PGA Tour Golf Challenge will feature daily three-hole challenges to compete against your friends in for that quick fix. Not to mention that weekly champions will be named as a result of these mini competitions.

Of course, virtual goods will play a role in the game through the Pro Shop, where you'll deck out your golfer with new clubs, courses and gear. Though, since Playfish is out of the picture this time around, we imagine EA is going to make good on its promise to Facebook. Expect a full preview when this game launches in December. Until then, just continue ogling.

FrontierVille's Cute Teddy Bear is for e-mailers only

Cute Teddy BearZynga is set to launch yet another e-mail initiative in FrontierVille with the Cute Teddy Bear item. Players who sign up for e-mails from Zynga regarding FrontierVille game updates like requests and content releases will get this exclusive item. Included in those updates is a daily Food gift that has a random chance of being one of everything from a Light Snack to a Seven-Course Feast.

However, it's understandable that players would be more wary of sharing their e-mail with Zynga these days--it is facing a class-action lawsuit after the recent Facebook security breach. This isn't the first time Zynga has offered free gifts in its games for access to our e-mail. Previous e-mail Gifts in FrontierVille have included the Tree House and the free unlocking of Horses, according to FrontierVille Info. While that teddy bear sure is adorable, it's up to you whether it's cute enough to share your e-mail address.

FrontierVille Quests: Family Guide

So you've set out on a FrontierVille quest to the wild west: you've made your claim, you've tamed the wilderness, you've raised some crops and livestock, and you've built a log cabin. So what's next for such a brave FrontierVille pioneer? Perhaps the most challenging quest of them all: starting a family.

By doing specific FrontierVille quests, you can slowly build a family. Start with getting your spouse out west, then have a kid, maybe have another, perhaps have four more (at least you won't be lonely).

However, starting a family isn't easy, it's a lot of work. In addition to often losing your spouse in the woods, you'll have a ton of FrontierVille quests to do. So what are you waiting for? Use our FrontierVille Quests: Family Guide to get your family started today.

Continue reading to check out all our FrontierVille quests guides.

FrontierVille Quests: Family Guide
FrontierVille Quests: Get Married

    FrontierVille Cheats & Tips: How to Get Married
    FrontierVille Cheats & Tips: Spouse gone missing? Here's how to find 'em


FrontierVille Quests: Have a kid (or six)

    FrontierVille Second Kid Goals: Everything you need to know
    FrontierVille Third Kid Goals: Everything you need to know
    FrontierVille Fourth Kid Goals: Everything you need to know
    FrontierVille Fifth Kid Goals: Everything you need to know
    FrontierVille Sixth Kid Goals: Everything you need to know

frontierville quests family guide
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.

Have you started your FrontierVille family? How many kids do you have? Leave any family starting tips you have in the comments below.

FarmVille Candy Cane crops: Buy them and help support a children's hospital

Earlier this week, we gave FarmVille fans a sneak peek at a new Candy Cane crop for the holidays. Turns out, this candied crop will be part of another charity event in the game, much like the previous Seeds for Haiti campaigns. Starting December 1, virtual farmers will be able to buy the Candy Cane crop using Farm Cash and 100% of the proceeds will go to the San Francisco-based UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, which is currently under construction.

So far, Zynga has been able to raise around $3 million for charities in Haiti, so this could make for a major contribution for the UCSF project. This project made news in late October as well, when it launched a major fundraising campaign, challenging celebrities and others with influence to raise money by reaching out to their networks via Facebook and Twitter. Whichever team brings in the most money by December 16 will be able to name a wing of the new hospital. So if you want to help contribute to the cause (and maybe help create the 'Zynga' wing of the new hospital), keep your Farm Cash at the ready.

Based on images we've seen so far, the FarmVille Candy Cane crop will be masterable and, like the previous for-charity crops, they will never wither and will be available for a limited time, in this case December 1-15.

Tron: Legacy on Facebook puts you in the Light Cycle

You've seen the film and you've already beaten the games to a pulp, but now is your chance to become part of Tron just like our good friend Jeff Bridges, except with far less CGI. To help fuel the buzz of its upcoming sequel (as if it needs anymore), Tron: Legacy, Disney has created an interesting Facebook app titled "Get on the Grid" that will launch you into what appears to be one of the major scenes in the movie that releases Dec. 17.

Take a look at how the app works after the break.

Developed by Alfred and Adam Deo of Digital Outlook, the app uses face mapping technology to put your head into the helmet of a Light Cycle. And since this seems to be a scene ripped straight from the movie, it looks like you'll be taking Sam Flynn's place in getting beat down by the digitized version of his father. (Come to think of it, this is an interesting sneak peek at what might go down between the two in the film.)

Tron Legacy App in actin
How it works is simple. All you need to do once inside the app is click on the "Start" button, which will then give you a list of options for how to upload an image of your face. You can rip your Facebook profile picture using Facebook Connect, but make sure it follows the app's guidelines or you'll end up looking like me (see above). You can also upload an image from your computer or take one right then and there with a web cam, which would probably be the best option to make for the coolest video to share. And that's the beauty of it, Tron fans everywhere will be able to say, "Look guys, I just got beat up by Jeff Bridges!" And that's an honor we can only dream of having in the real world. For the time being (and while we were hoping for a full-featured Facebook game), a nifty Facebook app will have to do.

Click here to "Get on the Grid" with Tron on Facebook Now>

Zynga designed FarmVille as "a negative experience," says Braid creator

In a recent interview with Gamasutra, developer of hit Xbox Live Arcade game Braid Jonathan Blow claimed that Zynga's creation of FarmVille "is actually about designing something that's a negative experience." He made the statement when asked to return to his infamous stance on damaging design trends in video games. While Blow refrains from telling developers what games to create, he did have strong words for the 54.2 million-strong farming simulator.

"I still wouldn't tell people, 'Don't make that game' exactly, I would say, 'Think about what you're making and be careful when you make it and try not to exploit players,' Blow said to Gamasutra. "But I mean now that we've got FarmVille and stuff like that, I pretty much would say 'don't make that kind of game' because I don't see much value in it."

Not much value in it, eh? Well, how does millions in annual revenue sound for value? Unfortunately, that's not exactly what he meant. "It's about 'How do we make something that looks cute and that projects positivity' -- but it actually makes people worry about it when they're away from the computer and drains attention from their everyday life and brings them back into the game, Blow said.

Look after the break for more of what Blow had to say about games like FarmVille, but be warned: it's not pretty.

FarmVille Gifting Quests
Blow, who is in the midst of developing his second major game titled "The Witness," went on to say that games like FarmVille are designed for players to exploit their friendships into a mechanical means of game progression. We imagine he's referring to the issues with gifting quests (pictured) and possibly even the recent complaints that FarmVille might as well be named "BegVille."

As the independent developer continued, no one was safe. "And there's this kind of new way where people are, like Bryan Reynolds working on FrontierVille and stuff, making it supposedly deeper, but that kind of thing has been very token so far, Blow said. "And in fact, I would argue that the audience of that kind of game doesn't necessarily want a deeper game, or certainly that's not proven; it's very speculative."

His beef, apparently, is with developers like Zynga and not the Facebook platform, claiming that there is plenty of room for creative game ideas on Facebook. Unfortunately in his eyes, the FarmVille style is not the way to go.

What do you think of Jon Blow's stance on FarmVille? Do you have any more creative ideas for a Facebook game?

FrontierVille Update: General Store, Talior Shop, et al get reduced costs

In an update that surely many a player will appreciate, Zynga has reduced the cost to construct several buildings in FrontierVille. In fact, most of the cost have literally been cut in half. Check it out:

    General Store Upgrade
    The parts required to upgrade the General Store is now cut down from 10 to 5.
    The "Expand the General Store" quest task to collect Building Plans is also cut down from 10 to 5.

    Tailor Shop
    The parts required to finish the Tailor Ship is now cut down from 5 to 3.

    Horseshoe Pit
    The parts required to finish the HS Pit is now cut down from 10 to 5.

    Snowy Homestead
    The neighbor requirement is now reduced to 2 from 10.

We're going to go out on a limb and say that the last change to the Snow Homestead palette change is a typo. As of right now, it already takes 10 Neighbors to buy the "item." Man, if only these changes were around when I was struggling to build my General Store back in the day. Hopefully this trend of fewer requirements sticks as Zynga introduces new buildings to the game.

[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Forums]

What are your thoughts on Zynga reducing the building requirements to these items? What other things would you like to see Zynga ease up on a little?

Zynga looks to improve mobile version of FarmVille based on fan feedback

Ever since FarmVille was released on the iPhone back in June, there have been plenty of complaints to go around about the app's functionality, or lack thereof in most cases.

With a mobile version of any Facebook game, it would make sense to expect limited features and content, due to the simple fact that you're playing the game on your phone, and not your computer. However, in the case of FarmVille for iPhone, many of the game's most basic features, like simply using a tractor to plow land, or placing a decoration that you've found in your gift box, can be a nigh impossible task.

Update after update have been released for the game since June, with each claiming that it will fix the problems, and move the iPhone version of the game closer and closer to its browser-based brethren. However, even today, almost a full six months after the app has been released, there are still users (myself included) who cannot use the app at all - that is, they can't even get it to load without crashing, even after uninstalling and trying again (multiple times).

We understand that Zynga's primary concern is on the Facebook-centric version of the game, but it finally (mercifully) appears as though the developer will be improving the mobile version of FarmVille, at least in the foreseeable future, as they have launched an online survey (click the link to take the survey) for fans to give our feedback as to what works, what doesn't, and what we'd like to see happen to the mobile version of the massively popular farming game.

As part of this survey, users are asked to rank three possible gameplay scenarios, in terms of which they like most and the least, and why. These three options are for entire gameplay experiences; that is, if you could play FarmVille on iPhone with all of the features of the online version, with just a limited chunk of features, or, the most interesting option - would you like to have a mobile-only "expansion" of your original farm, where you could complete quests to gain rewards back in your original farm.

Each option is listed along with some pros and cons (obviously, the fully featured game would take longer to load, while the streamlined version would load more quickly, and so on), and you are then given a blank text entry box where you are asked to explain to Zynga why you chose the option that you did.

You receive no reward for completing this survey, but it does offer a bit of piece of mind for users that are sick of experiencing the app's many flaws. Whether or not these changes come quickly or slowly, however, will remain to be seen (hey Zynga - we're hoping for sooner, thanks).

Have you tried playing FarmVille on your iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch? Have you had as many problems getting the app to work as we have? If you took this survey, which option are you hoping that Zynga sticks with?

FrontierVille 12 Days of Christmas Goals: Everything you need to know for Day 4

On the Foruth Day O' Christmas
As the 12 Days of Christmas wind down in FrontierVille, it appears that things are getting slightly simpler. In "On the Fourth Day O' Christmas," it's all about those pink, corkscrew-tailed bacon machines: Pigs. In this Goal, all you need to do is tend to four Neighbor Pigs, sell four Adult Pigs and buy one Lunch from the Market. If you haven't four Adult Pigs to sell, this Goal will cost you a total of 1,460 coins and 165 Energy.

Though, if your friends are cool, Pigs are available as a free Gift, so feel free to ask around and save some dough. However, this Goal will take much longer if you're starting with baby Pigs--54 hours longer, to be exact. When you visit Neighbors, just remember to resist the temptation of harvesting their crops for extra Food. Pigs are your number one objective. Complete this Goal and you'll be 400 XP and one Pig richer.

Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.

CityVille Sneak Peek: DVD Shop, Jeans Shop and Lamp Shop

    Lamp Shop     Jeans Shop
CityVille's rise to Zynga stardom has already garnered the game scrutiny of several blogs (including the one you're reading right now), which has lead to the inevitable item leaks. So, thanks to CityVille Info, we bring you a CityVille sneak peek of a few Businesses that may or may not make it into the game.

First is the DVD Shop, a building adorned by a massive DVD that looks to be CityVille's rendition of Blockbuster (we'll see how long that business will last). Next up is the Jeans Shop, which looks exactly as it sounds: a shop with a massive pair of jeans in the window. And lastly we have the Lamp Shop that, in CityVille fashion, is signified by a giant Lamp on its roof. Doesn't anyone believe in signs anymore? Not every business is the Hard Rock Cafe. Don't be alarmed if these items don't end up in the game as they are unreleased.

Gamasutra names Zynga's FrontierVille Best Facebook Game of 2010

Are any of you surprised? We didn't think so. Among games like Millionaire City by Digital Chocolate, CrowdStar's It Girl, Zuma Blitz by PopCap and LOLapps' Ravenwood Fair, Gamasutra named FrontierVille the number one Facebook game of 2010. The article was written by Worlds in Motion editor Eric Caoili, who chose each game based on "compelling gameplay and metrics-based design" instead of viral strategies. As a result, some of the more robust Facebook games obviously made the cut.

Some of the more interesting picks, or lack thereof, include Ravenwood Fair, which, in the number 3 spot, suffered a roller coaster of issues as a result of a certain Wall Street Journal investigation only to bounce back as one of the top Facebook games out there. Another intriguing choice is It Girl, second only to FrontierVille on this list and one of the most successful Facebook games to date geared specifically toward women (social games' largest demographic) with 6.6 million monthly players. While it hasn't even been around for a month, CityVille still managed to snag an honorable mention, which is most likely due to its insanely rapid growth.

And, of course, who could forget FrontierVille, now Zynga's third most successful game and arguably the most advanced in many ways. The game launched at a time when it was uncertain whether another game could emulate the success of FarmVille given the since debilitated modes of discovery on Facebook, but once again Zynga proved the naysayers wrong. Caoili claims that through veteran game designer Brian Reynolds, Zynga released a game that evolved the traditional farming sim with a largely different, quest-heavy focus, neighbors to visit and more features including several playable and non-playable characters, badges to earn and enemies to defeat. Don't forget the hilarious if lecherous News Feed messages, guys.

CityVille Sneak Peek: Skyscraper Residences are massively mysterious

Skyscraper
Believe it or not, but there are more unreleased CityVille items where today's first batch came from. CityVille Info recently found three gargantuan skyscrapers that it believes will serve as new Residences. It's unknown how much it will take to build these items or how we'll get a hold of them, but a bit of speculation never hurt anyone, right?

Skyscraper 2     Skyscraper 3
If you look closely, the two largest Buildings have rooftop access, meaning that they're almost surely apartments. But the smallest Building has no glaring indicators that it is, in fact, a Residence, so we'll just have to wait and see. As more people nab that Skyscraper gift in the Daily Bonus, it could very well be updated to offer one of these three new Buildings. But perhaps that's wishful thinking as I'd rather not see these gems be offered for City Cash. Though, upwards 500 thousand coins isn't necessarily ideal either, if the current Skyscraper Condos is any indication of what's to come of these items.

CityVille Sneak Peek: CityVille Billboard, Water Tower and lots more

CityVille unreleased decorations
Recently, CityVille Info found even more unreleased items in CityVille. All of these items appear to be decorations of sorts, though none of their names or payout percentages are known at this point. Though, we can likely deduce that the Christmas-themed decorations probably won't be making it in this year.

However, there are plenty more opportunities for potentially cool new items like the clock tower, water tower and CityVille billboard. We'll soon also have new walls, panda-shaped bushes and unfinished houses to enjoy. (Who thinks this stuff up?) Rounding out the list of hopefully incoming items are what appear to be a pretzel cart, a palm tree, a black cat, spotted cow, news stand, lamp posts and a modern-looking sculpture. However, it's the water tower and clock tower that are most interesting to us--they're simply too big for decorations. Perhaps they'll be new community Buildings? Who knows, but we hope to find out soon enough.

'Zynga is making games for accidental gamers,' studio VP says

Look, nobody gets hooked on FarmVille by accident--there's always that friend. Zynga studio VP Bill Mooney (pictured) recently spoke to students at The University of California at Santa Cruz during its Research Review Day about the company's design philosophy. During his talk, titled "Social Games: An Overview and Exploration," Mooney said, "Zynga is making games for accidental gamers," according to IndustryGamers.

The studio head was implying that Zynga doesn't create video games for hardcore or traditional gamers. Sure, that's stating the obvious, but it's vitally important to remember when looking at Zynga's games. They're not exactly technological marvels, accessible to those who just don't get the complexity of controllers and traversing 3D space. But as players progress, they become well-versed in increasingly complex interfaces, thus becoming, well, gamers.

Regardless, social gamers still aren't the same as traditional game fans, and probably never will be. (At least until another friend introduces them to something new.) And because of these "accidental gamers" have a different understanding of what a game should be, Zynga says it caters to that understanding. "You're not shipping a product, you're running an amusement park," Mooney told the students.

And traditional game companies are trying to keep up with that philosophy, wary that even hardcore gamers might yearn for that experience. (Just look at Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty Elite.) "Don't be like work, don't ask too much, be social, help me connect," Mooney said. That, ironically enough, might be the burgeoning industry's greatest challenge, if you ask the right folks.

Zynga studio VP Lou Castle leaves for Las Vegas casino games maker

Hey, look on the bright side, Zynga: At least the guy didn't leave for a competitor. IndustryGamers reports that former Zynga studio VP Lou Castle (pictured) left for Shuffle Master, a Las Vegas-based creator of various casino game products like shufflers. According to IndustryGamers, Castle's move was purely for personal reasons, just months after joining the social game giant.

"The Zynga gig was clearly a 5 day a week, 24/7 requirement," Castle told IndustryGamers. "[I have] twins in senior year of high school and [Shuffle Master's] a local job. Life's too short, so I couldn't resist." Quite the noble move, eh? Well, Castle had already served on Shuffle Master's board of directors for six years before becoming the company's CSO, or chief strategy officer. Castle opted to resign from his position on the board as Chairman of the Audit Committee before taking on the job.

Castle is best known for his contributions in creating the famed strategy game series, Command & Conquer, as co-founder of Westwood Studios. The former Zynga executive most recently joins Treasure Isle GM Jeremy Verba in leaving the company. Verba also entered a completely different industry, becoming the CEO of famous (or infamous?) online dating website eHarmony.

These recent departures from Zynga aren't to other game companies, but away from the games industry entirely. Whether Zynga proves to be the video game swan song for industry veterans has yet to be seen. But the San Francisco-based social games maker presses on, with almost too many games announced recently.

You might be able to invest in Zynga just in time for Turkey Day

The fabled Zynga initial public offering (IPO) of legend draws near, the prophets of Mt. Reuters foretell. Jokes aside, the San Francisco-based social games maker could go public--meaning you and I could buy Zynga stock--the week before Thanksgiving. At least that's what two anonymous sources told Reuters on Monday, but these plans, of course, could change.

You know, like they've changed several times before? Since its original announcement in July, the exact date of the FarmVille maker's IPO has been pushed back more times than the company would likely care for. According to most reports, the IPO is set to inject another $1 billion into the already filthy rich company. Recent valuations mentioned in filings with the Security and Exchange Commission set Zynga at around $11.5 billion, which is more than what competitor EA is said to be worth.

The company has delayed its IPO in fear of a shaky market, but recently held Zynga Unleashed, a press event that announced a number of new games and initiatives like Project Z. While this was certainly to show off what the company had in store for its fans (and to show off its spiffy new offices), we're sure Zynga was looking to impress investors and analysts. If successful, this move could set the big red dog on the track to becoming the most valuable game company around. And with 70 times voting power on his share of the company, you can be sure that CEO Mark Pincus (pictured) will be at the reins.

Facebook has more gamers than Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo combined?

Facebook games are big, but they might not be that huge just yet. At the company's London edition of the F8 conference, Facebook director of partnerships Ethan Beard said that it has more gamers than Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft combined, TechRadar reports. We're not exactly certain what measure Beard was referring to, because our math adds up a bit differently.

"Social design inside social gaming has driven fantastic growth," Beard told F8 conference-goers. "It's revolutionising gaming. We have over 200 million social gamers on Facebook every month; that's more Facebook gamers than the Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo combined."

But after looking at the number of units sold by each company, compared to Facebook's reported 200 million monthly players, we're not 100 percent on board with that call. Nintendo has shipped over 87 million Wii units and over 147 million Nintendo DS systems to date, as of June 30. And Microsoft has sold over 57 million Xbox 360 consoles as of Sept. 30, while Sony sold nearly 52 million PlayStation 3 rigs as of July 31.

Social games have no doubt garnered more players in such a short amount of time than any gaming platform to date. But, if you look at the amount of consoles shipped and sold by all three major manufacturers, Beard's claim appears to fall a bit short. That is, unless Beard is talking online gamers. Then Facebook just might have the big three beat, to which Beard said, "These aren't games with friends sprinkled on top; it's more about social interactions with gaming on top."

'Like' CastleVille by Zynga if you like donating to charity, in-game items

Zynga's spurring its horse-drawn wagon with CastleVille in tow, as the company announced a new Zynga.org initiative. The first charitable promotion attached to a Zynga game that isn't even out yet, the San Francisco-based social game maker will donate some hefty chunks of cash to Direct Relief, Save the Children and Water.org. But only if enough of you "Like" CastleVille.

When five million players click the "Like" button on the official CastleVille fan page right here, Zynga will donate $40,000, $30,000 and $20,000 to the three organizations. However, the company will leave it up to the players to decide which organization receives the largest sum of the three. As more fans "Like" the fan page, more in-game items will unlock for release when CastleVille finally launches. (See the CastleVille Like Meter below.)

But don't worry if you don't reach the 5 million "Likes" in time, as Zynga plans to donate $10,000 to Direct Relief's Community Health Clinic in Dallas, Tex. to celebrate CastleVille, the debut game from Zynga Dallas. With promises of an engaging fantasy storyline with playful and memorable characters that, detailed art and animation and an original music score recorded with a 75-piece orchestra and full choir, you can at least "Like" CastleVille for how it sounds on paper.

FrontierVille receives CityVille-like icons for visiting neighbors

In a strange hot fix update to FrontierVille last night, Zynga introduced icons that appear over visiting neighbors' heads. Just like in CityVille, when a visitor appears on your farm a small icon will hover above their heads featuring their Facebook profile photo. While in CityVille this is done purely because players do not have avatars, its use in FrontierVille has a different purpose.

Because of all the junk, tress and debris lying around on most players' homesteads (i.e. mine), visiting friends were sometimes impossible to find for most pioneers. With a fancy icon floating above your friends' heads--and everything else--it's now far easier to just click on the icon and accept the help.

Not to mention it lets you know exactly who visited your property, which allows you to easily return the favor to the right player. I don't know about you, but I haven't memorized the appearance of my friends' avatars. If you have, maybe it's time for a break?

FarmVille Sneak Peek: Chinese New Year Rabbit, Dragon and Pagoda

    Chinese Pagoda     New Year Rabbit
Believe it or not, there is another holiday to consider other than Valentine's Day for nearly 20 percent of world's people: the Chinese New Year. And Zynga will be celebrating it in FarmVille with a few new items that we expect will be released soon to the game (it is only a few days away). FarmVille Freak has uncovered three new items, some of which have already been featured in the FarmVille Showcase.

The Chinese New Year Dragon, the New Year Rabbit and Chinese Pagoda have all been found. The dragon is a common theme in the Lunar New Year celebration and this year marks the Year of the Rabbit, thus the adorable bunny donned in traditional garb. The Chinese Pagoda will likely just be for decoration. While it should go without saying that non of these items have been confirmed for release, showing at least one of the items in the Showcase is enough confirmation for us.

FarmVille Valentine's Day Goals: Everything you need to know

Valentine's Day is officially underway in FarmVille with two new buildings to master, but more importantly a brand new set of Goals to complete. Just to make sure you have the loveliest time performing these heart-filled tasks, we have everything you need to know right here.

The first Goal in this series of three, "Love is in the Air," requires players to buy the Valentine's Mailbox. However, logging into the game should automatically put the item in your hands to place on the farm, so don't even bother going to the Market. Well, scratch that. You'll need to go to the Market to buy and plant 200 Lilacs. This will cost you 7,000 coins total, but will result in 15 thousand coins in return after 10 hours. Finally, you'll need to fill your Mailbox with 10 Valentines, which can be done through asking friends, buying them in the Market or collecting them from Cupid's Castle. Complete this Goal for 100 XP, 2,500 coins and two Valentines.

Join us after the break for a how-to on the next two Goals in the series.

Unite the Lovers!
To "Unite the Lovers" in the second Goal of this series is pretty simple. Just buy and plant 200 Strawberries, which will cost 2,000 coins and after four hours will result in a 7,000 coin-payout. Meanwhile, ask your friends for six sticks of Cotton Candy and collect three Valentine's from the Cupid's Castle. Finishing this Goal will reward you with 250 XP, 5,000 coins and one Pig.

Sailing into the Sunset
Lastly, "Sailing into the Sunset" tasks players with adding 30 Valentines to the Mailbox via the three possible methods. Then, you must fertilize 30 of your neighbors' crops. Finally, just ask your friends for six Bouquets of Roses and you'll be done with this set of Goals and ready to focus on raking in the Valentines. Also, you'll be 500 XP and 7,500 coins richer.

Games.com's Game of the Day makes a triumphant return

The Game of the Day is back and will be running for the REST OF THE YEAR! That's right, every day a new or featured game from Games.com will be promoted on the Games.com home page. Just by playing the Game of the Day you receive a monthly ticket that automatically enters you in our monthly contest to win an awesome UltraFlipHD Camcorder.

Today's game is Word Roundup - Hollywood Edition >

FarmVille Sneak Peek: Greenhouse menu and Seed Packets unearthed

Green House Menu
I'll even admit, this looks pretty darn cool. FarmVille Freak has uncovered a few images of the upcoming Greenhouse feature in FarmVille. Zynga community manager Lexilicious even confirmed its impending release in this week's FarmVille podcast. So, don't even start to get skeptical, though there is still plenty of room for speculation.

According to the images that FarmVille Freak dug up, this new feature will allow players to create their own crops by breeding seeds together. However, it seems like it will days for the seeds to create a new crop. Each seed packet looks to cost 30 thousand coins, but it's currently unknown how you will find these seed packets.

Green House Seed Packets
The Greenhouse looks like it will be an extension of the existing Nursery Barn and will include a leader board of sorts. Will players compete for the best hybrid crops? This Glass House has the potential to be one of more interesting buildings to grace the game since the Co-Op Jobs. In other words, we're as excited as you are.

[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]

What do you think of scarce details concerning the Glass House so far? What do you think the end result will become?

'FarmVille for Dummies' is ready for harvest, but is it ripe for the picking?

Following up on last November's announcement, FarmVille for Dummies is now done with pre-orders and ready for the picking and perusal of the aspiring virtual farmer. The paperback and Kindle version of this book came out on Amazon last week, at a respective $19.99 USD and $9.99 USD, though Amazon currently has the paperback on sale for $12.35 USD.

The book is the culmination of the hard work and good humor of FarmVilleFreak.com's Angela Morales and our colleague Kyle Orland, so expect some bias when I tell you that this book is an A+ job, and even fun for those who don't play FarmVille. Aside from teaching you how to play, offering advice on the best ways to play, and general troubleshooting of the game, the book also has a chapter on how to recognize scams and tips to avoid addiction. Moreover, the book's final section offers the publisher Wiley's classic "Part of Tens", and for this, the authors have decided to go with "Ten Farming Personalities", "Ten Most Wanted FarmVille Items", and "Ten Go-To Crops". And it does all this while being, as the cover says, "IN FULL COLOR!"

While there's always the initial concern that a book on a social game could be outdated since the medium moves so quickly, Wiley's series of 'for Dummies' books are aimed for beginners, so if you're starting from scratch, FarmVIlle for Dummies has all the fundamentals you're looking for, plus more.

But like Levar Burton always said, you don't have to take my word for it. FarmVilleFreak.com has a PDF sample of the book where you get to read the Introduction and look at the Table of Contents. Additionally, you can preview it through the "Search inside this book" feature on its Amazon page where you'll also find the index. And if you ever do need more info about FarmVille or the workings of another social game (and you most certainly will if you play) that's what FarmVille online guides and the upcoming CityVille for Dummies book are for.

Currently, the book is rockin' 6th place in the "Internet Games" category under "Books" at the Amazon store. If you need an offline alternative, you can also purchase the book off a real shelf at a Barnes & Noble.

Zynga avoided a FarmVille disaster by ... making more games?

Don't worry, it sounds weird to us too. Seasoned game designer and editor of The Game Prodigy Brice Morrison put Zynga and FarmVille under the scope recently in what we'd normally call a postmortem, but nothing really died. In fact, Morrison spends his words analyzing how the company avoided just that, and we'd say he's right on the money.

As you all likely know, FarmVille reached a peak of over 80 million monthly players in early 2010, just six months after its launch. It shocked, awed and infuriated industry folks everywhere, mostly because they were on the outside looking in. However, the game quickly lost steam (and fell victim to several crippling changes to the Facebook viral channels) and it hemorrhaged players to around where it has been for several months: around 50 million monthly players. But what stopped it from going down the tubes entirely?

Well first, Zynga introduced several new features and gameplay mechanics to the game that catered to its hardcore (did I just say that?) audience, according to Morrison. All the while, it tweaked and optimized what was wrong with the game to appease the dedicated masses. The game has since built complexity upon complexity to make the farmers happy with new things to do, but this couldn't be kept up for long. Zynga fans grew bored, so the company did something strange.

CityVille farm
It made more games. According to Morrison, the releases of FrontierVille and CityVille did more to keep FarmVille alive than many know. By introducing new gameplay hooks in new environments with similar features like farming, Zynga could train its farmers in new approaches to its games. Better yet, the company could rope its players back into FarmVille through cross promotions (you know what I'm talking about). Zynga even did this with older games like Mafia Wars. Somehow, focusing attention elsewhere did wonders to keep FarmVille pressing on.

You see, while CityVille is on top now and FrontierVille might be a more robust game all-around, FarmVille has always been the crux of Zynga's lineup. In fact, Morrison argues that every Zynga release to date since has been with the livelihood of its baby in mind. Why do you think both games have farming in them? Because I'm willing to bet that the majority of players of both games got their start on the farm. Morrison points out that FarmVille still has one of the highest percentages of daily players, 30 percent of monthly farmers play daily--of any social game.

And what do you know, the FarmVille renaissance is nigh with the English Countryside. When you've added all the complexity you can to the current game, what do you do? You chop it all off at the top and grow all over again. MMOs like World of WarCraft have done it multiple times, and each time its player base has multiplied. It's interesting how one genre is learning from the other to stay alive, but how long until there's nothing left to learn?

FarmVille: Stock up on Gold from Leprechaun's Cottage - Pot of Gold coming soon?

For these past few days since the release of the Leprechaun's Cottage in FarmVille, we've known that we would be able to harvest Gold from the building (in anticipation of this year's Pot of Gold event), but we haven't actually been able to do so, until now that is.

Zynga has officially "flipped the switch," if you will, turning on the Gold formation from the Leprechaun's Cottage, so that now, when your tree is "ready" for the picking, you'll find Gold inside. You'll be able to celebrate this discovery by sharing some free Gold on your wall. Unfortunately, unlike with the Wishing Well, this isn't a case where you can force the Pot of Gold to spawn into your game by trying to use the Gold from your Gift Box - you'll actually have to hold onto all of your Gold pieces for just a while longer, until the real thing launches officially.

This does make us wonder - will the Pot of Gold be released sometime this week, or is Zynga just offering us a taste of the Gold to keep us waiting patiently for the Pot of Gold event to start? We'll be sure to give you all of the details about that event as it becomes available, so keep checking back.

Check out our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.

FarmVille English Countryside: A Sheep of every color; plus, meet Duke!

With the upcoming release of the FarmVille English Countryside, more information keeps flowing from all directions, with two new updates coming to us from the official FarmVille English Countryside Facebook fan page. The first shows us a closer look at the upcoming Sheep Pen, and the many, many different patterns and color combinations of sheep we'll be able to create.

As we can see from the image above, we can see not only the plain, new colors of sheep (like a yellow and dark red sheep), but we can also view ones with polka dots, a camouflage pattern, a stripe down the belly, and even stars! There are little details known about how we'll actually go about creating sheep with these different patterns or in particular colors that we'd like, but we're getting more excited about this new feature by the second.

Next, it looks as though we've finally met the man that will take us to the English Countryside once it launches, as Zynga has introduced us to a man named Duke, a pilot that has come out in search of a new farmer for village that "has no farmer." Of course, we'll be able to take on the job at some point, and apparently, Duke will be the man to fly us to our second home.

With more details being released on what seems to be a daily basis, we can only imagine that the English Countryside expansion is nearly (finally) upon us. Make sure to keep checking back with us, as we'll bring you continued coverage of this game-changing event, and we'll make sure you're the first to know when we can finally make the journey overseas.

Which of these patterns / colors of sheep are the best? Will you try to create every single combination of sheep available, or will you stick with a specific color theme?

FrontierVille reverts to original visiting neighbor window

Just last week, Zynga launched a new change in FrontierVille that added a "Visit" option to the menu that appears when you click on visiting neighbors on your Homestead. While this seemed like a good idea in theory, as it allowed you to quickly visit those neighbors who had helped you to return the favor, the problem lied in the "Visit" option's location, as it was placed at the top of the window, in the same spot that the "Accept Help" option formerly resided.

You can see where this is going - players were so used to clicking on neighbors and rapidly clicking on the first option available to accept help that they became frustrated when they were instead taken to that neighbors' homestead. At least, I know I became frustrated, and apparently I wasn't alone, as just as quickly and quietly as it launched, this change has been removed entirely. No longer will the "Visit" option appear first on the list; in fact, it's nowhere to be seen, taking us back to the basic menu we all know and apparently love.

It's possible that this option will return (make the most of its disappearance while you can), but somewhere underneath the Accept Help option, but even then it all seems rather moot. After all, how could you visit a neighbor's homestead after you have already accepted their help on your land (as they disappear afterwards)? At least this is one situation where Zynga seemed to learn that the phrase "if it isn't broken, don't fix it" sometimes really is all that needs to be said.

What do you think of Zynga's decision to remove the Visit option? Is it for the better? Should Zynga stop messing with this menu entirely, or do you think the Visit option should be in place?

FarmVille slashes Farm Cash prices in half for one hour only

Amidst the hoopla surrounding FarmVille's latest expansion, English Countryside, is a countdown timer on the top of the game window advertising a 40 percent discount on Farm Cash. As of this writing, there's still 25 hours left before the count goes to zero.
FarmVille Farm Cash 40 percent discount countdown
But another deal you won't see ticking away is the 50 percent off discount for Farm Cash and Coins that's only going to be around for the next hour. For a limited time only, all the Farm Cash and Coins packages will be half off, along with the special offer to purchase 4 Farm Cash for $1 USD.
FarmVille Farm Cash and Coins 50% off
To quickly take advantage of this deal, head straight to the Get Farm Cash tab.

CityVille Lorenzo's Family Goals: Everything you need to know

It's been a long time since you helped Lorenzo open his Pizza Shop in CityVille. However, he's now brought his family into your city from Italy and needs to welcome them and ensure they have a new home. With that, Zynga has released four new Goals to the game titled "Lorenzo's Family" so you can make sure your city is [insert Italian word for awesome here]. Keep in mind that the information you'll find behind the break is early, so rewards are not included and the specifics are subject to change.

1. Lorenzo's Family

    Harvest 20 Eggplants
    Ask friends for 3 Welcome Gifts
    Send tour buses to 4 neighbor's Bakeries


Stylish ContemporaryEggplants cost 28 coins a piece, so the total cost for this Goal will be 560 coins. You'll also have to ask for Welcome Gifts from friends via the usual method: through the Goal window. Finally, you'll have to send tour buses to four Bakeries, which could get tricky if many of your friends play for maximum profits and left behind Bakeries a long time ago.

2. House the Family

    Collect from 6 neighbors' Terraced Brownstone Houses
    Place 1 Stylish Contemporary House
    Collect from any 2 Banks


The first requirement is another tricky one if your friends happen to be savvy to what I call "gaming the game," as mentioned above. The Stylish Contemporary House can be found in the Housing menu for 3,500 coins. Finally, collecting form 2 Banks is exactly as it sounds, and is especially easy if you own more than one.

3. Family Value

    Collect from any Panini Shop 5 times
    Have 4 Street Flags
    Find 1 Fried Tomatoes


Panini ShopThe Panini Shop was recently added to the game, and can be found in the Businesses menu for 6,300 coins. If you want this Goal to pass by even faster, just build five of them and collect from all of them at once. The Street Flags are also a recent addition--find them in the Decorations menu for 200 coins. The Fried Tomato is part of the Tomato Collection, so plant a bunch of the fruit-vegetable hybrids until one hopefully drops.

4. Sneezy Niece

    Collect from Emergency Clinic 2 times
    Collect from Toy Stores 6 times
    Acquire 8 Get Well Cards


Most cities should have at least one Emergency Clinic, so just collect its Daily Bonus twice. If you don't have more than one Toy Store, this second requirement is going to take a while. Finally, the eight Get Well Cards are found through asking friends in the Goal's window. Overall, these Goals have some fairly difficult and extremely specific requirements like the Fried Tomatoes. But if you're willing to jump through the hoops, well, I'm sure Lorenzo will be pleased (if that's any consolation).

[Source and Image Credit: CityVille Info]

Have you seen these Goals appear in your game yet? What tips do you have for completing them even faster?

FarmVille English Countryside Orchard Goals: Everything you need to know

Once you've made it into the FarmVille English Countryside, you'll find yourself quickly setting up everything from a garage, horse barn, pub and... an orchard. There are two relatively easy missions that you're required to complete to get your new, English orchard up and running, and here's everything you need to know:



First you'll get a the message from Agnes above. Then, when you hit 'Continue' you'll launch the first of the two orchard missions, called 'Trees of Green.'

farmville english countryside trees of green

The mission consists of the following:

Get 10 Trees
You can click 'Get Trees' to buy some in the market, which is pretty much limited to apple, orange, lemon and lime if you don't want to spend Farm Cash for some of the more exotic trees.

Pro Tip: Trees in your gift box can be used on your Home farm or in your English Countryside farm. So, if you have some hanging around in your gift box, that will help you reach 10 trees without having to spend extra coins.

Buy 1 Orchard

Click 'Get Orchard' and you'll be whisked away to the Market where you can buy an Orchard for 1,000 coins.

Pro Tip: Be sure to check your gift box before you spend the 1,000 coins to buy one. FarmVille passed out free orchards to farmers before English Countryside launched, so you might already have one ready to go in your inventory.



Once these goals are complete, you'll receive a nice reward of 100 XP, 1,500 coins, and five each of nails, bricks and boards.
farmville english countryside


farmville english countryside orchard

Once the first mission if done, Agnes pops in for another chat and the second orchard mission -- 'Out on a Limb' -- launches. The goals of this mission are, again, pretty simple:

1. Complete the Orchard

To complete the Orchard (this will all seem very familiar if you created an orchard on your Home farm), you will need 10 nails, 10 bricks and 10 boards.

Since you received 5 of each of these building materials as a reward for finishing the first orchard goal, you'll already be halfway there. To get more building materials, you can ask your friends to send them to you or you can buy some.

Pro Tip: If you stocked up on Special Delivery boxes before heading to England, this would be a good time to make use of them. Open 'em up, and there's a good chance you'll get all of the supplies you need.

2. Place 10 Trees in the Orchard

Once the orchard is done, then move the 10 trees you collected before into the orchard.

Pro Tip: Place trees that you want to see the most into the orchard last. Those will be the trees that show up in the front of the orchard. Less attractive trees should go in first, that way they'll be in back of the more attractive trees.

Once these two things are done, that completes the 'Out on a Limb' mission and all of the orchard missions. You'll again get a pretty decent reward, which consists of 100 XP, 1,500 coins, 6 Two Shovels and 6 Watering Cans (shovels and watering cans will be used for the next mission -- building a duck pond!)

farmville english countryside orchard goals rewards

Ta-dah! Now you're the proud owner of a new English orchard. Every 48 hours, you will be able to harvest your new orchard for extra coins and a possible mystery seedling.

Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.

FarmVille English Countryside Unwither Clock: Don't be fooled

Sad that your Unwither Ring from your original FarmVille won't be coming with you to English Countryside? Have no fear, for the Unwither Clock is here ... for English farms. This item provide wither protection for just 55 Farm Cash, but too bad it only lasts 30 days. That's right, for $10 you can have one whole month of crops that never die. But wait, doesn't switching to another farm freeze the entire farm completely?

That's absolutely right. So, why would anyone buy a second wither protection item that has a time limit? We haven't an idea in the slightest. For someone who has all but spent all of his time on his English farm, simply switching over to my original farm would protect my English crops from dying. And for someone who already owns an Unwither Ring for their original farm, the same applies, really. In short, think twice before you drop $10 on an item that's otherwise useless--throw it in your iPad 2 jar (we know you have one) or go to the movies.

[Via FarmVille Freak]

Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.

Have you seen the Unwither Clock in your FarmVille Market? What use can you come up with for this item and why do you think Zynga released it at all?

CityVille Italian Theme brings out the foodie in you

CityVille Italian Theme
Along with the Goals to bring Lorenzo's Family to CityVille, Zynga has also released an entire Italian theme to the game. While there is a new apartment building and a beautiful Tuscan home to gawk at, the update almost solely surrounds what any say the Italians do best: cook. Every Business introduced with this update is a restaurant or food market and even the Community Building is a Culinary School. Even one of the decorations has the word "pizza" in it. Let's just say if you weren't a foodie by now (doesn't everyone love food to an extent?), you could be after snagging these items.

Here's a full breakdown of all the items included in this update:

Businesses:

    Pizzeria: costs 6,700 coins; earns 630 coins; requires 140 Goods
    Cheese Market: costs 7,200 coins; earns 690 coins; requires 150 goods
    Panini Shop: costs 6,300 coins; earns 528 coins; requires 120 goods
    Italian Ice Parlor: costs 25 City Cash; earns 715 coins; requires 130 goods


Houses:

    Milan Apartments: costs 7,000 coins; Population 100; rent 215 coins/day
    Tuscan Villa: costs 9,500 coins; Population 110; rent 80 coins/2 hours


Community Buildings:

    Cooking School: costs 19,500 coins; allows 470 population


Decorations:

    Street Flag (200 coins, 1% payout)
    Soccer Dribbler (8 City cash, 2% payout)
    Piazza Pylon (1,000 coins, 4% payout)
    Chess Corner (28 City Cash, 8% payout)
    Piazza Bikes (150 coins, 1% payout)
    Piazza Sidewalk (25 coins)
    Bocce Ballers (28 City Cash, 16% payout)
    Piazza Eatery (2,500 coins, 8% payout)
    Bike Rack (free gift, 1% bonus)
    Piazza Guardrail (free gift, 1% bonus)
    Alleyway (8,000 coins, 6% payout)
    Alley (10,000 coins, 8% payout)


[Source and Image Credit: CityVille Info]

Have you seen these items appear in your CityVille game yet? Which of these items or buildings is most appealing to you?