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>
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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?
"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?
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?
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?
Friday, January 13, 2012
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
'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.
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.
"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.
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."
"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.
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.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
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?
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.
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.
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 >
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?
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?
Friday, January 6, 2012
'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.
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?
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.
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?
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?
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?
Thursday, January 5, 2012
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.
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?
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.
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?
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?
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?
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