Mafia Wars Android
Right now if you're a user of an Android phone, your only option is to use the built-in browser to play Mafia Wars (which is slow and clunky) or play by SMS. However, by the end of the month you will be able to get the full Mafia Wars experience in an application made for Android phones.
At LeWeb '10, Senior Vice President of Mobile at Zynga David Ko has announced that Mafia Wars will be coming to mobile this month. Currently, the only Zynga game available in the Android Market is Zynga Poker. In addition, Ko let it slip that FarmVille will also be coming to Android in the future as well. This is pretty big news, although we were pretty certain this was going to happen. Having confirmation is always a good thing though!
At this point, we do not have a release date for Mafia Wars on Android. We're looking forward to giving it a try when it happens though!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monster Galaxy on Facebook: It's basically Pokemon, but with the zodiac
Ever wanted to play Pokemon on Facebook but were disappointed when you found out that you couldn't? Gaia Online solves this problem by releasing the Zodiac-inspired, pet filled game Monster Galaxy on Facebook. To give you an idea of just how much the game resembles Pokemon, the game's Facebook page advertises the title as: "Catch Them All! Collect wild monsters and battle to tame the zodiac and save the world!"
To see if this game stands up to the likes of such an established franchise, meet us behind the break.
You'll start the game by picking your first Moga, or monster. This is done by choosing the Zodiac symbol that you'd like your Moga to have, and then choosing from the three options that appear for each. Each zodiac symbol corresponds to different Attack, Defense, and overall Zodiac stats. Moga, like Pokemon, tend to look like customized forms of everyday animals, along with some completely new creatures. You can adopt red and yellow tigers, a dark red pig, a bright pink sheep, and so on.
Your first Moga chosen, you are then shown an introduction to the game's story. The world has fallen into chaos since it has been rocked by earthquakes. The stars begin falling from the sky, and your first Moga appears as one such falling star. You feel an instant connection to this creature (you should, since you just picked him/her), but you aren't given time to really grasp the situation, as a wild Moga attacks from the nearby bushes.
Battles play out as you would expect, if you've spent any amount of time with turn-based gameplay, regardless of whether it was Pokemon or not. Each Moga can choose an attack from two different types - a physical attack or a magical zodiac attack. You, as the Moga tamer, will be able to tell your Moga which attack to use, from a list of four. As all Mogas have zodiac signs, these attacks come into play as the "elemental" portion of gameplay. Certain signs are weaker or stronger against other signs, and you'll need to quickly learn which signs your pet is stronger against to make the most of your time in battle (that is, to be able to win quicker, or at least easier). For those that don't wish to memorize the chart of weaknesses and strengths, once you've entered into battle, a simple hover over the Elemental Attack will show you how well that attack will do against the current sign.
Through the game's tutorial, you'll learn how to add to your Moga collection, which is done by weakening the enemy Moga and then tossing a Starseed out to capture it. In future battles, if you simply defeat the enemy Moga(s), your battling Moga will earn experience points that work to level them up. A higher level Moga has more health and stronger attacks, as you might expect. Once you gain some experience with the game, you'll be able to take up to three Moga into battle at a time, and you can store an apparently unlimited supply of Moga for future use.
In order to give the game some progression, you're given a personal assistant named Tobi, who will keep track of your quests. You'll travel throughout the expansive game world completing these quests, with each location being represented on the overall map by a black dot. You get a preview of the location you're about to enter, which tells you how difficult the area's wild Moga will be to defeat, which is nice for lower level players that wouldn't has as much strength as a Master Tamer.
All told, you'll continue to unlock new areas on the map as you travel there, where you'll continue to complete quests, add to your Moga library, defeat enemies and unravel the story of why the Moga have suddenly turned violent. Yes, the gameplay is repetitive, but so is Pokemon, which, again, Monster Galaxy mimics in more ways than not.
Coming from Gaia Online, the game has some fantastic production values. The graphics are lovely, with most Moga being downright adorable. The game's soundtrack changes from and epic score during battle to a hard rock track when you've successfully captured a new Moga, and the entire game displays a real attention to detail and polish.
While Pokemon may have come first, Monster Galaxy looks to be a worthy alternative for those that like sticking close to the Facebook gaming world. To try your hand at Moga Taming, heading into the world of Monster Galaxy for yourself.
To see if this game stands up to the likes of such an established franchise, meet us behind the break.
You'll start the game by picking your first Moga, or monster. This is done by choosing the Zodiac symbol that you'd like your Moga to have, and then choosing from the three options that appear for each. Each zodiac symbol corresponds to different Attack, Defense, and overall Zodiac stats. Moga, like Pokemon, tend to look like customized forms of everyday animals, along with some completely new creatures. You can adopt red and yellow tigers, a dark red pig, a bright pink sheep, and so on.
Your first Moga chosen, you are then shown an introduction to the game's story. The world has fallen into chaos since it has been rocked by earthquakes. The stars begin falling from the sky, and your first Moga appears as one such falling star. You feel an instant connection to this creature (you should, since you just picked him/her), but you aren't given time to really grasp the situation, as a wild Moga attacks from the nearby bushes.
Battles play out as you would expect, if you've spent any amount of time with turn-based gameplay, regardless of whether it was Pokemon or not. Each Moga can choose an attack from two different types - a physical attack or a magical zodiac attack. You, as the Moga tamer, will be able to tell your Moga which attack to use, from a list of four. As all Mogas have zodiac signs, these attacks come into play as the "elemental" portion of gameplay. Certain signs are weaker or stronger against other signs, and you'll need to quickly learn which signs your pet is stronger against to make the most of your time in battle (that is, to be able to win quicker, or at least easier). For those that don't wish to memorize the chart of weaknesses and strengths, once you've entered into battle, a simple hover over the Elemental Attack will show you how well that attack will do against the current sign.
Through the game's tutorial, you'll learn how to add to your Moga collection, which is done by weakening the enemy Moga and then tossing a Starseed out to capture it. In future battles, if you simply defeat the enemy Moga(s), your battling Moga will earn experience points that work to level them up. A higher level Moga has more health and stronger attacks, as you might expect. Once you gain some experience with the game, you'll be able to take up to three Moga into battle at a time, and you can store an apparently unlimited supply of Moga for future use.
In order to give the game some progression, you're given a personal assistant named Tobi, who will keep track of your quests. You'll travel throughout the expansive game world completing these quests, with each location being represented on the overall map by a black dot. You get a preview of the location you're about to enter, which tells you how difficult the area's wild Moga will be to defeat, which is nice for lower level players that wouldn't has as much strength as a Master Tamer.
All told, you'll continue to unlock new areas on the map as you travel there, where you'll continue to complete quests, add to your Moga library, defeat enemies and unravel the story of why the Moga have suddenly turned violent. Yes, the gameplay is repetitive, but so is Pokemon, which, again, Monster Galaxy mimics in more ways than not.
Coming from Gaia Online, the game has some fantastic production values. The graphics are lovely, with most Moga being downright adorable. The game's soundtrack changes from and epic score during battle to a hard rock track when you've successfully captured a new Moga, and the entire game displays a real attention to detail and polish.
While Pokemon may have come first, Monster Galaxy looks to be a worthy alternative for those that like sticking close to the Facebook gaming world. To try your hand at Moga Taming, heading into the world of Monster Galaxy for yourself.
FarmVille isn't a chore for stay-at-home parents
It's a commonly known fact that the most popular demographic for FarmVille players is middle aged women. This doesn't necessarily mean that they're all stay-at-home parents, but there is a good chance that a large percentage of FarmVille players enjoy the game while their kids are taking a nap. A blogger and stay-at-home mom, Cynthia Gregory, wrote a cute post about why she enjoys playing FarmVille.
Not many accomplishments are measurable in real life when you are a stay-at-home mother. I get no awards or stars or extra cash for successfully cleaning toilets or washing dishes every day. If they had toilet cleaning and dish washing in Farmville, I would get points, coins and maybe a cute sign to display on my property.
When I plant a crop or place a building in Farmville, it stays there. No one walks behind me trampling my work or breaking stuff.
My little avatar doesn't talk back.
My puppy doesn't puke or poop on my pretend farm.
I can shop as much as I like, because I am rich in Farmville.
My avatar hair is exceptional and quickly changeable, there is no need for a baseball cap. She never needs a face wax either.
I can get more help from people on my pretend farm than I could ever get in real life.
When you help someone on Farmville, you are rewarded. Rewarded with pretend useable stuff, not just a sense of accomplishment.
There is so much truth in her statements. People might make fun of the 'pretend' rewards and sense of accomplishment, but they can be very fun and motivating for people. There is nothing wrong with enjoying playing FarmVille, and for someone who stays at home and has constant distractions - social games can be the perfect way to pass the time in short chunks.
Not many accomplishments are measurable in real life when you are a stay-at-home mother. I get no awards or stars or extra cash for successfully cleaning toilets or washing dishes every day. If they had toilet cleaning and dish washing in Farmville, I would get points, coins and maybe a cute sign to display on my property.
When I plant a crop or place a building in Farmville, it stays there. No one walks behind me trampling my work or breaking stuff.
My little avatar doesn't talk back.
My puppy doesn't puke or poop on my pretend farm.
I can shop as much as I like, because I am rich in Farmville.
My avatar hair is exceptional and quickly changeable, there is no need for a baseball cap. She never needs a face wax either.
I can get more help from people on my pretend farm than I could ever get in real life.
When you help someone on Farmville, you are rewarded. Rewarded with pretend useable stuff, not just a sense of accomplishment.
There is so much truth in her statements. People might make fun of the 'pretend' rewards and sense of accomplishment, but they can be very fun and motivating for people. There is nothing wrong with enjoying playing FarmVille, and for someone who stays at home and has constant distractions - social games can be the perfect way to pass the time in short chunks.
Like Zynga? Prove it and receive a free Holiday Cow in FarmVille
The Zynga Inc. Facebook fan page sits at just over 933,000 "Likes," as of this writing. With 1 million "likes" being the next big milestone, the folks at Facebook's biggest developer have decided to give the gaming community a little push, or incentive, if you will, that will hopefully cause that number to grow to 1 million and beyond in a short time frame.
The incentive comes to us as news from the FarmVille Sheep fan page, which tonight writes that if Zynga Inc.'s fan page on Facebook reaches over 1 million Likes, we will receive a "special present... for this holiday season." The present is a lovely Holiday Cow in FarmVille, and who doesn't love cows?
This free cow (we're calling it the Holiday Cow, but the final name has yet to be revealed) is a brown and white bovine with a lovely green wreath hanging around it's neck. It's presumed that once (if) the Zynga Inc. fan page breaks the 1 million Like mark, that the developer would simply post a link for all interested users to claim their free cow, as that seems to be the method employed by most other games in such "giveaway" circumstances, but it may very well turn out to be a more complicated system than that.
Email delivery? Redeemable codes? All of that remains to be seen, but we'd be willing to place a wager on Zynga reaching their 1 million Like goal, mostly because, hey, who doesn't like free things? Besides, in just the time it's taken us to put this post together, the Like count has risen by over 1,000 - we'd say the Holiday Cow is in the bag for the lot of us.
If you'd like to help make sure that the cow is indeed handed out to users, make sure to like the Zynga Inc. fan page on Facebook. Remember, you can always "Un-Like" the page after the promotion is over - we won't tattle.
The incentive comes to us as news from the FarmVille Sheep fan page, which tonight writes that if Zynga Inc.'s fan page on Facebook reaches over 1 million Likes, we will receive a "special present... for this holiday season." The present is a lovely Holiday Cow in FarmVille, and who doesn't love cows?
This free cow (we're calling it the Holiday Cow, but the final name has yet to be revealed) is a brown and white bovine with a lovely green wreath hanging around it's neck. It's presumed that once (if) the Zynga Inc. fan page breaks the 1 million Like mark, that the developer would simply post a link for all interested users to claim their free cow, as that seems to be the method employed by most other games in such "giveaway" circumstances, but it may very well turn out to be a more complicated system than that.
Email delivery? Redeemable codes? All of that remains to be seen, but we'd be willing to place a wager on Zynga reaching their 1 million Like goal, mostly because, hey, who doesn't like free things? Besides, in just the time it's taken us to put this post together, the Like count has risen by over 1,000 - we'd say the Holiday Cow is in the bag for the lot of us.
If you'd like to help make sure that the cow is indeed handed out to users, make sure to like the Zynga Inc. fan page on Facebook. Remember, you can always "Un-Like" the page after the promotion is over - we won't tattle.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Winter Bridge, Frozen Pond, Stocking Arch, Holiday Trees & More
A new batch of unreleased images have leaked from the world of FarmVille, and we've gotten our hands on the lot of them, allowing us to bring you another edition of the FarmVille Sneak Peek, where we show off these images, along with our thoughts on these unreleased new items, which may or may not be launching in the game in the near future.
This time, we have five new decorative items to show off, all of which fit in the current Winter Holiday theme of limited edition items. They are the Winter Bridge, Winter Fireplace (this looks an awful lot like the Fireplace just released in Cafe World as part of their holiday theme), a Winter Home, Frozen Pond, and Stocking Arch.
For those familiar with the Holly Arch, which was first released in the game for last year's holiday celebration, and was then re-released in this year's Winter Wonderland quest set, the Stocking Arch looks to be an exact replica of that item, except this one has brick columns and a few stockings attached to the front and sides. Meanwhile, for those that like the look of running water on their farms, the Winter Bridge unfortunately looks to offer a self-contained pool of water, so if you have a group of blue Hay Bales that you're waiting to connect to this item to continue an imaginary stream or river, there will be some continuity issues to be aware of.
In addition to these decorations, there are also two new holiday trees that will apparently be coming to the game, in the form of a Sugar Plum Tree and a Peppermint Tree. The Sugar Plum tree is a very pretty lavender and pink tree that looks like it came right out of a Dr. Seuss story, while the Peppermint Tree resembles the Bubble Gum Tree, except the bubblegums have been replaced with red and green striped peppermint candies. Both of these trees will apparently be masterable, as you can see the signs associated with each tree in the image above.
We can't wait for these items to release in the game, but remember, there is no actual guarantee that we'll see these items in the game, so keep that in mind.
This time, we have five new decorative items to show off, all of which fit in the current Winter Holiday theme of limited edition items. They are the Winter Bridge, Winter Fireplace (this looks an awful lot like the Fireplace just released in Cafe World as part of their holiday theme), a Winter Home, Frozen Pond, and Stocking Arch.
For those familiar with the Holly Arch, which was first released in the game for last year's holiday celebration, and was then re-released in this year's Winter Wonderland quest set, the Stocking Arch looks to be an exact replica of that item, except this one has brick columns and a few stockings attached to the front and sides. Meanwhile, for those that like the look of running water on their farms, the Winter Bridge unfortunately looks to offer a self-contained pool of water, so if you have a group of blue Hay Bales that you're waiting to connect to this item to continue an imaginary stream or river, there will be some continuity issues to be aware of.
In addition to these decorations, there are also two new holiday trees that will apparently be coming to the game, in the form of a Sugar Plum Tree and a Peppermint Tree. The Sugar Plum tree is a very pretty lavender and pink tree that looks like it came right out of a Dr. Seuss story, while the Peppermint Tree resembles the Bubble Gum Tree, except the bubblegums have been replaced with red and green striped peppermint candies. Both of these trees will apparently be masterable, as you can see the signs associated with each tree in the image above.
We can't wait for these items to release in the game, but remember, there is no actual guarantee that we'll see these items in the game, so keep that in mind.
Wishful Features: Automatic neighbor additions in FarmVille
I've been playing FarmVille since around the time of the Halloween celebration in 2009. During that time, I've accumulated around 80 neighbors, which is a respectable number, but nowhere near the mass amounts of some of my friends. Regardless, one of the biggest technical issues concerning FarmVille neighbors, in my mind, is simply what a hassle it is to add those neighbors to your in-game account in the first place.
Other games, from other developers, seem to have figured out that users who are adding a game probably want to play that game with friends, and have since incorporated an automatic neighbor addition tool that will show you each and every friend that has installed the game on your neighbor bar, even if they stopped playing the game months ago. Why can't FarmVille do the same?
One could argue that Zynga refrains from adding such a feature because it would throw off the items in the store that require you to add a certain amount of neighbors to unlock access to purchase them, but this just doesn't seem fair.
As I look at my in-game neighbors page, I see seven people that actively play FarmVille, but technically aren't my neighbors. I can send them gifts via Facebook news feed items, and we can send free gifts between one another, but I can't visit their farm. The most basic of social interactions in FarmVille and I have to go through special steps to activate it. Sure, it doesn't take much for a neighbor request to be sent or accepted, as it is done through a basic "gift request" scenario, but the fact that we have to do it in the first place just seems a bit silly.
For now, though, I guess I'm stuck with trying to remind myself to frequently check on my Neighbors page to find those farmers that I've left out in the cold. Hopefully that won't be the case for much longer.
Do you regularly check your Neighbors page to find those neighbors that you may have forgotten to add? Which other Facebook games would you like to see automatic neighbor addition added to?
Other games, from other developers, seem to have figured out that users who are adding a game probably want to play that game with friends, and have since incorporated an automatic neighbor addition tool that will show you each and every friend that has installed the game on your neighbor bar, even if they stopped playing the game months ago. Why can't FarmVille do the same?
One could argue that Zynga refrains from adding such a feature because it would throw off the items in the store that require you to add a certain amount of neighbors to unlock access to purchase them, but this just doesn't seem fair.
As I look at my in-game neighbors page, I see seven people that actively play FarmVille, but technically aren't my neighbors. I can send them gifts via Facebook news feed items, and we can send free gifts between one another, but I can't visit their farm. The most basic of social interactions in FarmVille and I have to go through special steps to activate it. Sure, it doesn't take much for a neighbor request to be sent or accepted, as it is done through a basic "gift request" scenario, but the fact that we have to do it in the first place just seems a bit silly.
For now, though, I guess I'm stuck with trying to remind myself to frequently check on my Neighbors page to find those farmers that I've left out in the cold. Hopefully that won't be the case for much longer.
Do you regularly check your Neighbors page to find those neighbors that you may have forgotten to add? Which other Facebook games would you like to see automatic neighbor addition added to?
Friday, January 13, 2012
Zynga releases Chinese FarmVille with surprisingly few changes
It was only a matter of time before Zynga introduced China to the farm. It was reported recently that a Chinese FarmVille has appeared on Facebook, already roping in over 300 thousand players, according to Inside Social. While previous Zynga localizations like Zynga Texas Poker, a Chinese version of Zynga Poker, were mere translations, this rendition of FarmVille was built from the ground up for its audience.
However, not much has changed aside from the language, if images like this are any indication. Animals and farmers generally look the same, but the FarmVille interface has received some changes to its color palette and the plots of farmland appear to be much larger than in the U.S. version. If anything, this is a sure sign that Zynga's focus has gone global. Especially considering a Japanese version of FarmVille, known as Farm Village, is on the way. And don't forget that CityVille launched in five languages earlier this month. As CityVille inches closer to FarmVille's former peak with 69.8 million monthly players, it might not be long before the city reaches across the Pacific.
However, not much has changed aside from the language, if images like this are any indication. Animals and farmers generally look the same, but the FarmVille interface has received some changes to its color palette and the plots of farmland appear to be much larger than in the U.S. version. If anything, this is a sure sign that Zynga's focus has gone global. Especially considering a Japanese version of FarmVille, known as Farm Village, is on the way. And don't forget that CityVille launched in five languages earlier this month. As CityVille inches closer to FarmVille's former peak with 69.8 million monthly players, it might not be long before the city reaches across the Pacific.
FrontierVille Cattle Drive Timed Mission now available
Back in the middle of the month, we brought you news concerning the then-unreleased Cattle Drive Timed Mission in FrontierVille. Now, just in time for the launch of a new year, Zynga has released the Timed Mission to the public. As we told you then, you'll need to complete three tasks to finish this mission: Sell 20 Adult Cows, Collect 20 Rodeo Hats and Collect 20 Feed Bags.
Now that the mission has launched, we know that you'll have until January 7 to accept the mission on your account, and you'll need to complete it within a four day time limit in order to receive your reward of a single Horse and 250 XP.
As for collecting the items themselves, the Rodeo Hats are collected through individual gift requests that you send to your friends, while the Bags of Feed are collected through general wall posts, where your friends receive a Feed Bag every time they help by giving you one.
Remember, you don't need to actually start the mission until January 7, so if you know you don't have 20 Adult Cows on your Homestead, feel free to take a few days to grow your cows to adulthood before starting the mission. In this way, you won't have to worry about whether or not you can make it to 20 Adult Cows within a four day time limit!
As we get closer to the new year, we'll make sure to let you know if Zynga releases any other missions, or even a themed mission to celebrate.
Now that the mission has launched, we know that you'll have until January 7 to accept the mission on your account, and you'll need to complete it within a four day time limit in order to receive your reward of a single Horse and 250 XP.
As for collecting the items themselves, the Rodeo Hats are collected through individual gift requests that you send to your friends, while the Bags of Feed are collected through general wall posts, where your friends receive a Feed Bag every time they help by giving you one.
Remember, you don't need to actually start the mission until January 7, so if you know you don't have 20 Adult Cows on your Homestead, feel free to take a few days to grow your cows to adulthood before starting the mission. In this way, you won't have to worry about whether or not you can make it to 20 Adult Cows within a four day time limit!
As we get closer to the new year, we'll make sure to let you know if Zynga releases any other missions, or even a themed mission to celebrate.
Cafe World Rock Concert Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Just in time for their in-game New Years celebration, Zynga has launched a new party-themed Catering Order in Cafe World entitled simply "Rock Concert!" This Rock Concert Catering Order will have you cooking a very special meal for some hard rockers, for a backstage party, so you'll need to bring a lot of food, and collection items in order to make the party a success.
The Rock Concert catering order will have you cooking three meals, along with collecting three different items to finish off the order. You'll have just three days to earn a three-star rating for this order, so make sure to meet us behind the break to find out everything you need to know about this new order before time runs out!
First and foremost, you'll have to cook three dishes for this Rock Concert order. You'll need to cook Vegas Buffet (a 9 hour dish) 138 times, Blood Sausage (a 6 hour dish) 100 times, and Overstuffed Peppers (a 12 hour dish) 138 times. You'll be able to bring 10 other people into this mission with you, bringing the total Catering Crew to 11 members. While 11 people may sound like a lot, if you only have one or two active members, you'll probably have a hard time finishing this mission within the three day time limit for the 3-star rating.
Aside from cooking, you'll also need to collect three items with the help of your friends. You'll need to ask them for 5 Concert Tickets, 9 Foam Rocker Hands, and 9 Guitar Picks. You can do so by clicking on the "Ask" button next to a particular item, and then sending individual gift requests to those friends that you think would be most likely to help you.
If you and your Crew can cook the required dishes, and collect the required items within three days, you'll receive the 3-star rating for the job, 9 Catering Points, 6,300 Cafe Points, 141,750 coins, and a Rock Concert Guitar decorative item. If you finish within three to five days, you'll receive 2 stars, 6 Catering Points, 4,500 Cafe Points, and 101,250 Coins. Finally, if you simply finish the mission at any point after the first five days, you'll receive 1 star, 3 Catering Points, 2,700 Cafe Points, and 60,750 coins.
If after a few days you find that your progress won't let you earn the star-rating that you'd like, you can instantly finish any of these tasks using Cafe Cash - 10 or 22 Cafe Cash for each of the dishes you'd like to complete, and then single amounts of Cafe Cash for each collectible you need to earn - 1 Cafe Cash for each Concert Ticket, and 4 Cafe Cash for each Foam Rocker Hand or Guitar Pick. Altogether, that would result in spending a pretty penny in premium currency, but if you're like us, and think that these missions have gotten harder over time, rather than easier, it might be a nice idea to consider.
As a final reminder, you don't have to start the Catering Order before starting dishes to cook. To make the most out of your three day time limit, make sure to cook a full round of food (we'd suggest the Stuffed Peppers, since they take the longest to cook) before starting the mission, so that you can instantly serve them and get a head-start on your overall progress.
The Rock Concert catering order will have you cooking three meals, along with collecting three different items to finish off the order. You'll have just three days to earn a three-star rating for this order, so make sure to meet us behind the break to find out everything you need to know about this new order before time runs out!
First and foremost, you'll have to cook three dishes for this Rock Concert order. You'll need to cook Vegas Buffet (a 9 hour dish) 138 times, Blood Sausage (a 6 hour dish) 100 times, and Overstuffed Peppers (a 12 hour dish) 138 times. You'll be able to bring 10 other people into this mission with you, bringing the total Catering Crew to 11 members. While 11 people may sound like a lot, if you only have one or two active members, you'll probably have a hard time finishing this mission within the three day time limit for the 3-star rating.
Aside from cooking, you'll also need to collect three items with the help of your friends. You'll need to ask them for 5 Concert Tickets, 9 Foam Rocker Hands, and 9 Guitar Picks. You can do so by clicking on the "Ask" button next to a particular item, and then sending individual gift requests to those friends that you think would be most likely to help you.
If you and your Crew can cook the required dishes, and collect the required items within three days, you'll receive the 3-star rating for the job, 9 Catering Points, 6,300 Cafe Points, 141,750 coins, and a Rock Concert Guitar decorative item. If you finish within three to five days, you'll receive 2 stars, 6 Catering Points, 4,500 Cafe Points, and 101,250 Coins. Finally, if you simply finish the mission at any point after the first five days, you'll receive 1 star, 3 Catering Points, 2,700 Cafe Points, and 60,750 coins.
If after a few days you find that your progress won't let you earn the star-rating that you'd like, you can instantly finish any of these tasks using Cafe Cash - 10 or 22 Cafe Cash for each of the dishes you'd like to complete, and then single amounts of Cafe Cash for each collectible you need to earn - 1 Cafe Cash for each Concert Ticket, and 4 Cafe Cash for each Foam Rocker Hand or Guitar Pick. Altogether, that would result in spending a pretty penny in premium currency, but if you're like us, and think that these missions have gotten harder over time, rather than easier, it might be a nice idea to consider.
As a final reminder, you don't have to start the Catering Order before starting dishes to cook. To make the most out of your three day time limit, make sure to cook a full round of food (we'd suggest the Stuffed Peppers, since they take the longest to cook) before starting the mission, so that you can instantly serve them and get a head-start on your overall progress.
CityVille: Dubai Shipping mission now available
If you're a CityVille player that takes advantage of shipping missions in order to earn extra Goods for your town, you'll be happy to know that Zynga has added yet another option for you when it comes to sending your ships out to sea.
The new mission is called the "Dubai Direct," and it will allow you to send a ship to Dubai on a journey that takes 12 hours and costs 76 coins to launch. For doing so, you'll earn 100 Goods for each boat that makes the trip. This is an especially great thing to have added to CityVille, as formerly the game was without a 12 Hour Shipping mission. This gives users a chance to have missions going twice per day, constantly, without any wasted time, so long as they are around the game once every twelve hours to collect their shipments.
In addition to this new Shipping Mission, Zynga has also announced that they have changed the appearance of the coin Bonus Items, and have fixed and Out of Sync error that appears when players attempt to collect from a franchise without having any energy.
With the game now having almost 70 million installed players, it's great to see Zynga continually updating the title with bug fixes, as well as new content, and we'll be sure to let you know when more is added.
The new mission is called the "Dubai Direct," and it will allow you to send a ship to Dubai on a journey that takes 12 hours and costs 76 coins to launch. For doing so, you'll earn 100 Goods for each boat that makes the trip. This is an especially great thing to have added to CityVille, as formerly the game was without a 12 Hour Shipping mission. This gives users a chance to have missions going twice per day, constantly, without any wasted time, so long as they are around the game once every twelve hours to collect their shipments.
In addition to this new Shipping Mission, Zynga has also announced that they have changed the appearance of the coin Bonus Items, and have fixed and Out of Sync error that appears when players attempt to collect from a franchise without having any energy.
With the game now having almost 70 million installed players, it's great to see Zynga continually updating the title with bug fixes, as well as new content, and we'll be sure to let you know when more is added.
CityVille Sneak Peek: Bank, Pharmacy, Factory, Quick Stop, Gas Station
Earlier today, we found a slew of unreleased item images of new Businesses, Homes, and decorations that are likely to come to CityVille in the near future, but it turns out that the folks at CityVille Info haven't stopped there, as they have released images of even more as-of-now unreleased Businesses in the game.
The new Businesses are a Bank, Pharmacy, Factory (complete with smokestack), Quick Stop, and Gas Station. The Quick Stop appears to be some sort of a convenience store, while the Gas Station is a very cute little building with a single gas pump sitting outside. As for the Pharmacy, there are two supposed images available for the building, and we're not exactly sure which (if either) will be released as the final product in the game.
As usual with unreleased images, there are no guarantees that any of these items will officially launch in the game, or how you'll earn them. They could be available to purchase for coins or City Cash in the market; they could be available as rewards for Collections, or they could even be free gifts. We'll make sure to let you know all of the details around these new items if they do officially make it to the game.
The new Businesses are a Bank, Pharmacy, Factory (complete with smokestack), Quick Stop, and Gas Station. The Quick Stop appears to be some sort of a convenience store, while the Gas Station is a very cute little building with a single gas pump sitting outside. As for the Pharmacy, there are two supposed images available for the building, and we're not exactly sure which (if either) will be released as the final product in the game.
As usual with unreleased images, there are no guarantees that any of these items will officially launch in the game, or how you'll earn them. They could be available to purchase for coins or City Cash in the market; they could be available as rewards for Collections, or they could even be free gifts. We'll make sure to let you know all of the details around these new items if they do officially make it to the game.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Dick Clark stars in Retro World, a social game featuring Elvis, Belushi
Just when you thought it couldn't get any more studded with stars (or weirder), Dick Clark revealed his video game debut in Retro World, Entertainment Games' upcoming Facebook game, according to Hollywood Reporter. You know, the same social game that looks to somehow bring Elvis, John Belushi and classic cars to Facebook, Google+ and smartphones?
Yeah, that one. Now that Entertainment Games's first social endeavor is out in the open, Clark said that his likeness from the '70s and '80s will serve as the game's tutorial. Of course, Retro World is looking to hit the growing 40 plus demographic of social gamers.
"The idea of using past images of myself to guide players through a current online social game is a very innovative approach that I found intriguing," Clark said. "I look forward to serving as your host on this nostalgic and ground-breaking gaming experience."
According to Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Games president Gene Mauro said Clark might even become a playable character in the game along with Elvis, Belushi and more retro celebrities down the line. Because this was made possible through a licensing deal with Dick Clark productions, the company will sell Dick Clark-themed items to players within the game. We've certainly heard of social games centering around a single brand or even a single celebrity, but a project that looks to capture the power of numerous celebs from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s at least gets points for originality on paper.
Yeah, that one. Now that Entertainment Games's first social endeavor is out in the open, Clark said that his likeness from the '70s and '80s will serve as the game's tutorial. Of course, Retro World is looking to hit the growing 40 plus demographic of social gamers.
"The idea of using past images of myself to guide players through a current online social game is a very innovative approach that I found intriguing," Clark said. "I look forward to serving as your host on this nostalgic and ground-breaking gaming experience."
According to Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Games president Gene Mauro said Clark might even become a playable character in the game along with Elvis, Belushi and more retro celebrities down the line. Because this was made possible through a licensing deal with Dick Clark productions, the company will sell Dick Clark-themed items to players within the game. We've certainly heard of social games centering around a single brand or even a single celebrity, but a project that looks to capture the power of numerous celebs from the '50s, '60s, '70s, and '80s at least gets points for originality on paper.
With PlayJam, Flash-based social games could hit your HDTV in 2012
Games like Zynga's Adventure World and Vostu's GolMania sure look nice in full screen, but how about in a really full screen? That's what London, England-based PlayJam looks to make possible. The company just announced an agreement with Adobe, the creator of Flash (the most common technology behind social games), to bring Flash-based social games to Internet-connected HDTVs.
PlayJam, which works with social game developers to bring social games to HDTVs from Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Sony, will bring both 2D and 3D-based Flash games to said flat screens. "Features such as billing, leader-boards, tournaments and integration with third party social networks and TV programming can be seamlessly integrated via PlayJam's SDK," PlayJam said in a release.
The developer tools are said to release in the second quarter of 2012, so between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2012. PlayJam currently has deals with developers like Relentless--the studio behind console quiz game series Buzz--but these tools will be up for grabs from any developer. And the fact that the company just scored another $5 million funding from investors like GameStop Digital Ventures and Adobe Ventures should nudge social game makers along.
With social game makers including Zynga looking to branch off of Facebook and onto new platforms, it's easy to see a day when we could manage our metropolises in CityVille on the old 55-inch plasma. And when you consider the imminent advent of 3D graphics through Flash, thanks to Unreal, (in theory) PlayJam offers an intriguing prospect. Well, at least the potential end of click-and-drag navigation.
PlayJam, which works with social game developers to bring social games to HDTVs from Samsung, LG, Panasonic and Sony, will bring both 2D and 3D-based Flash games to said flat screens. "Features such as billing, leader-boards, tournaments and integration with third party social networks and TV programming can be seamlessly integrated via PlayJam's SDK," PlayJam said in a release.
The developer tools are said to release in the second quarter of 2012, so between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2012. PlayJam currently has deals with developers like Relentless--the studio behind console quiz game series Buzz--but these tools will be up for grabs from any developer. And the fact that the company just scored another $5 million funding from investors like GameStop Digital Ventures and Adobe Ventures should nudge social game makers along.
With social game makers including Zynga looking to branch off of Facebook and onto new platforms, it's easy to see a day when we could manage our metropolises in CityVille on the old 55-inch plasma. And when you consider the imminent advent of 3D graphics through Flash, thanks to Unreal, (in theory) PlayJam offers an intriguing prospect. Well, at least the potential end of click-and-drag navigation.
King.com hits top 10 Facebook developers, 1B games played a month
But wait, there's more: the company has also opened offices in San Francisco and Romania. King.com, London, England-based creator of hit Facebook games like Bubble Saga, announced it is now a top 10 Facebook app developer, according to AppData. The social game maker and games portal chalks the accomplishment up to reaching 1 billion games played monthly.
While that measure is across all King.com game platforms, the developer welcomes 17.6 million monthly and 4.2 million daily players on Facebook. Of course, the top performing King.com game is Bubble Saga. The company's Romania office will handle its mobile efforts, while North American business development will be led by former Gamelab president Jong Woo, King.com's new senior business development director in San Francisco.
"We are ecstatic to have not only reached a billion monthly gameplays, but to also become a top 10 Facebook developer. It's rewarding to see our games gain so much interest and excitement among our players–across all platforms," King.com CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are taking this recent momentum and expanding our reach through North America by adding an office in San Francisco and new employees to that region so we can more closely connect with our partners and gamers there."
Most recently, King.com released Bubble Witch Saga to Facebook, which boasts more daily players than the company's top game at 1.7 million. Perhaps most importantly, this news confirms King.com's plans to strengthen its mobile presence, as social game makers are so wont to do these days. And something tells us those bubble-loving witches might get the treatment next.
While that measure is across all King.com game platforms, the developer welcomes 17.6 million monthly and 4.2 million daily players on Facebook. Of course, the top performing King.com game is Bubble Saga. The company's Romania office will handle its mobile efforts, while North American business development will be led by former Gamelab president Jong Woo, King.com's new senior business development director in San Francisco.
"We are ecstatic to have not only reached a billion monthly gameplays, but to also become a top 10 Facebook developer. It's rewarding to see our games gain so much interest and excitement among our players–across all platforms," King.com CEO Riccardo Zacconi said in a release. "We are taking this recent momentum and expanding our reach through North America by adding an office in San Francisco and new employees to that region so we can more closely connect with our partners and gamers there."
Most recently, King.com released Bubble Witch Saga to Facebook, which boasts more daily players than the company's top game at 1.7 million. Perhaps most importantly, this news confirms King.com's plans to strengthen its mobile presence, as social game makers are so wont to do these days. And something tells us those bubble-loving witches might get the treatment next.
Free Team Fortress 2 turns 20 to 30 percent of players into payers
Show me the mon--wait, scratch that. Valve has already seen it, and co-founder Gabe Newell is interested. During a conference in Seattle, the overseer of hit hardcore game franchises like Portal said that Team Fortress 2--its popular multilplayer shooter that recently went free-to-play--has seen incredible results in how many paying customers it has created.
"And then the conversion rate, when we talk to partners who do free-to-play, a lot of people see about a 2 to 3 percent conversion rate of the people in their audience who actually buy something, and then with Team Fortress 2, which looks more like Arkham Asylum in terms of the user profile and the content, we see about a 20 to 30 percent conversion rate of people who are playing those games who buy something," Newell revealed, according to Geekwire.
Newell alluded to the average number of social gamers that pay for in-game items and boosts. Calling it a fairly recent statistic, the Valve CEO said that's far larger than games like, say, FarmVille experience. "We don't understand what's going on," Newell said. "All we know is we're going to keep running these experiments to try and understand better what it is that our customers are telling us."
So, expect more of Valve's game franchises to go free-to-play for its 35 million plus Steam (its popular games distribution service) users. But consider the ripple effect Newell's words might have on other traditional game companies. Other than Valve's games, more hardcore games will undoubtedly go free-to-play. And they'll all have those blasted social games to thank.
"And then the conversion rate, when we talk to partners who do free-to-play, a lot of people see about a 2 to 3 percent conversion rate of the people in their audience who actually buy something, and then with Team Fortress 2, which looks more like Arkham Asylum in terms of the user profile and the content, we see about a 20 to 30 percent conversion rate of people who are playing those games who buy something," Newell revealed, according to Geekwire.
Newell alluded to the average number of social gamers that pay for in-game items and boosts. Calling it a fairly recent statistic, the Valve CEO said that's far larger than games like, say, FarmVille experience. "We don't understand what's going on," Newell said. "All we know is we're going to keep running these experiments to try and understand better what it is that our customers are telling us."
So, expect more of Valve's game franchises to go free-to-play for its 35 million plus Steam (its popular games distribution service) users. But consider the ripple effect Newell's words might have on other traditional game companies. Other than Valve's games, more hardcore games will undoubtedly go free-to-play. And they'll all have those blasted social games to thank.
Planet Cazmo: Monster Battles enters MocoSpace's orbit on HTML5
Planet Cazmo: Monster Battles
HTML5 gaming is about to (hopefully) nail yet another landing. Boston, Mass.-based social game platform MocoSpace announced that developer Planet Cazmo will release its first HTML5-based social game, Monster Battles, this December. The game will debut to the 22 million gamers on the MocoSpace games platform with a bevy of unique creatures to enter the ring.
In Planet Cazmo: Monster Battles, players will capture, collect, trade and, most importantly, pit different creatures against one another in brutal (but probably adorable) combat with flashy powers. "We are thrilled to be working with MocoSpace and creating a new HTML5 mobile game title especially for their users," Planet Cazmo CEO Michael Levine said in a release."We believe that HTML5 is a great way to reach large numbers of gamers."
Of course, Planet Cazmo is far from alone. Zynga just made a big bet on HTML5-based social games with mobile web versions of FarmVille, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker. CrowdStar CEO Peter Relan made clear his goal of launching the first game to reach 1 billion players through the mobile web, and Wooga released an HTML5 version of its new Magic Land.
Mobile gaming is undoubtedly huge, but HTML5 games in mobile browsers have yet to reach the caliber of native mobile games. MocoSpace's confidence in Planet Cazmo's ability to put out a graphically-rich HTML5 is promising. But really, we just want to see the flashy powers in action.
HTML5 gaming is about to (hopefully) nail yet another landing. Boston, Mass.-based social game platform MocoSpace announced that developer Planet Cazmo will release its first HTML5-based social game, Monster Battles, this December. The game will debut to the 22 million gamers on the MocoSpace games platform with a bevy of unique creatures to enter the ring.
In Planet Cazmo: Monster Battles, players will capture, collect, trade and, most importantly, pit different creatures against one another in brutal (but probably adorable) combat with flashy powers. "We are thrilled to be working with MocoSpace and creating a new HTML5 mobile game title especially for their users," Planet Cazmo CEO Michael Levine said in a release."We believe that HTML5 is a great way to reach large numbers of gamers."
Of course, Planet Cazmo is far from alone. Zynga just made a big bet on HTML5-based social games with mobile web versions of FarmVille, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker. CrowdStar CEO Peter Relan made clear his goal of launching the first game to reach 1 billion players through the mobile web, and Wooga released an HTML5 version of its new Magic Land.
Mobile gaming is undoubtedly huge, but HTML5 games in mobile browsers have yet to reach the caliber of native mobile games. MocoSpace's confidence in Planet Cazmo's ability to put out a graphically-rich HTML5 is promising. But really, we just want to see the flashy powers in action.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Babies Everywhere on Facebook: If only raising a real-life baby was this easy
It's one thing to take care of adorable virtual animals, but what happens when you replace a furry, four-legged critter with a ... baby? If the new Facebook game Babies Everywhere is any indication, then you get a game that's plenty cute, but somehow still manages to feel like work. Seems hard to imagine ladies playing this to relax and escape from it all when they might, in fact, be spending their days tending to a real-life baby. (Then again, maybe that's just me.)
babies everywhere on facebook
In this baby sim game from Sixits, the goal is to custom create your own little nugget, name it and then teach it the ways of the world. You do this by teaching it to crawl and then to talk, etc by playing with a variety of toys available in the in-game store. Each toy can only be played with once in a certain amount of time, so you'll have to wait to play again. You'll also be tasked with keeping the nursery tidy, and every time you log into the game, there will be something that needs to be cleaned or straightened.
Every action in the game requires energy and once completed, yields you some type of reward, whether its cash (used to buy items in the store), hearts (used to build toys), food (used to buy more energy) and "smiles" (yes, smiles), experience points which level up your baby. As you reach higher levels, you will have access to more furniture, clothes and toys for your little tot.
babies everywhere on facebook
The game's other form of currency is 'Teddies,' which can buy using real-life cash. So between the Teddies, cash, hearts, food and smiles -- there's actually a lot to keep up with in the game. So far, I've had plenty of everything but the hearts -- so I find myself continually clicking on the baby to 'play' and earn extras.
Babies Everywhere employs a simple quest system, encouraging you to do things like teach the baby to say 'mama' and buy a certain type of toy, decoration, etc. The toys require you to spend energy and then ask friends for materials -- and considering that a handful of people are playing the game right now, it's a little difficult to pull off without spending Teddies.
So far, that's pretty much the breadth and depth of Babies Everywhere. It's only fair to point out that this is an Alpha version of the game, so that might explain the lack of things to do overall. Basically, once you cleaned up spilled milk and other debris, played with a few toys -- there's not much else to do for the next few hours. You don't actually have to feed the baby or change its diaper, it just kinda hangs out in a giant nursery by itself. We'll see if this baby's got what it takes as it continues to develop over the next few months.
babies everywhere on facebook
In this baby sim game from Sixits, the goal is to custom create your own little nugget, name it and then teach it the ways of the world. You do this by teaching it to crawl and then to talk, etc by playing with a variety of toys available in the in-game store. Each toy can only be played with once in a certain amount of time, so you'll have to wait to play again. You'll also be tasked with keeping the nursery tidy, and every time you log into the game, there will be something that needs to be cleaned or straightened.
Every action in the game requires energy and once completed, yields you some type of reward, whether its cash (used to buy items in the store), hearts (used to build toys), food (used to buy more energy) and "smiles" (yes, smiles), experience points which level up your baby. As you reach higher levels, you will have access to more furniture, clothes and toys for your little tot.
babies everywhere on facebook
The game's other form of currency is 'Teddies,' which can buy using real-life cash. So between the Teddies, cash, hearts, food and smiles -- there's actually a lot to keep up with in the game. So far, I've had plenty of everything but the hearts -- so I find myself continually clicking on the baby to 'play' and earn extras.
Babies Everywhere employs a simple quest system, encouraging you to do things like teach the baby to say 'mama' and buy a certain type of toy, decoration, etc. The toys require you to spend energy and then ask friends for materials -- and considering that a handful of people are playing the game right now, it's a little difficult to pull off without spending Teddies.
So far, that's pretty much the breadth and depth of Babies Everywhere. It's only fair to point out that this is an Alpha version of the game, so that might explain the lack of things to do overall. Basically, once you cleaned up spilled milk and other debris, played with a few toys -- there's not much else to do for the next few hours. You don't actually have to feed the baby or change its diaper, it just kinda hangs out in a giant nursery by itself. We'll see if this baby's got what it takes as it continues to develop over the next few months.
Gossip Girl on Facebook: Social games and high society don't mix
Just to save all of you some time, let's just get right to. Arkadium's Gossip Girl: Social Climb for Facebook is downright confusing. Based on the hit TV series on the CW Network surrounding rich 20-somethings living in Manhattan, Gossip Girl inundates you with text and question from the moment you log in. First, it's a series of profile questions to determine your nickname. Then, it's a list of mundane questions based on hoity-toity events you'll attend in the Big Apple.
And this is the majority of Gossip Girl: pressing miscellaneous buttons and answering questions based on your own morality (if you want to call it that). The game is deeper than that, but not by much. Find out why after the break.
Social Dashboards
While the game certainly looks gorgeous, I'd imagine that's not difficult when there are few actual pieces of artwork in the game aside from the intro upon logging in. After creating your profile, you will be invited to your first event and given your first mission. But really, neither are important--it's the process of the event itself that matters. Once you're at an event found on one of the four quadrants of the Manhattan mini map, you will be given access to a series of abilities that will raise a "Scandal Bar" in reference to an event progress bar. If you fill the Scandal Bar before the event is over, you will fail at socializing at this event. The goal is to keep the bar with in the sparkly box for the duration of the event, which is done by waiting for the bar's progress to decrease over time.
Do this correctly and you'll be presented with morally challenging scenarios that will affect your progress. Well, if you call the choice between taking advantage of a drunk girl at a party or giving her a glass of water morally challenging, then this game is absolutely for you! Frankly, choosing the options that most sane individuals would consider humane scores you less Spotted Points to buy new outfits with. Basically, the goal of the game appears to be as belligerent, catty and asinine as possible to score the most "Scandal Points" to climb up the social ladder.
Events
Oh, and the game runs on real time, meaning you can only attend events that match your time in the real world. It's basically Arkadium's answer to Energy in most social games, but this system will likely inspire you to crawl right back to the Energy mechanic. There are several achievements to collect for leaning towards different ends of the social and moral spectrum in events and ways to compete with friends. But generally speaking, this game is downright confusing and, if socialites truly act like this, terrifying for all of us. (And given Arkadium's pedigree, this does not hold up to their modus operandi.)
Then again, I'm likely not included in its target demographic. Gossip Girl, from as objective a viewpoint as possible, is a functional social game with an attractive presentation. From a perspective littered with disdain for this type of behavior in the real world, no. Just no. If you happen to be one of the millions of fans of the series, then give it go for sure. Just don't expect much praise for your taste in social gaming.
And this is the majority of Gossip Girl: pressing miscellaneous buttons and answering questions based on your own morality (if you want to call it that). The game is deeper than that, but not by much. Find out why after the break.
Social Dashboards
While the game certainly looks gorgeous, I'd imagine that's not difficult when there are few actual pieces of artwork in the game aside from the intro upon logging in. After creating your profile, you will be invited to your first event and given your first mission. But really, neither are important--it's the process of the event itself that matters. Once you're at an event found on one of the four quadrants of the Manhattan mini map, you will be given access to a series of abilities that will raise a "Scandal Bar" in reference to an event progress bar. If you fill the Scandal Bar before the event is over, you will fail at socializing at this event. The goal is to keep the bar with in the sparkly box for the duration of the event, which is done by waiting for the bar's progress to decrease over time.
Do this correctly and you'll be presented with morally challenging scenarios that will affect your progress. Well, if you call the choice between taking advantage of a drunk girl at a party or giving her a glass of water morally challenging, then this game is absolutely for you! Frankly, choosing the options that most sane individuals would consider humane scores you less Spotted Points to buy new outfits with. Basically, the goal of the game appears to be as belligerent, catty and asinine as possible to score the most "Scandal Points" to climb up the social ladder.
Events
Oh, and the game runs on real time, meaning you can only attend events that match your time in the real world. It's basically Arkadium's answer to Energy in most social games, but this system will likely inspire you to crawl right back to the Energy mechanic. There are several achievements to collect for leaning towards different ends of the social and moral spectrum in events and ways to compete with friends. But generally speaking, this game is downright confusing and, if socialites truly act like this, terrifying for all of us. (And given Arkadium's pedigree, this does not hold up to their modus operandi.)
Then again, I'm likely not included in its target demographic. Gossip Girl, from as objective a viewpoint as possible, is a functional social game with an attractive presentation. From a perspective littered with disdain for this type of behavior in the real world, no. Just no. If you happen to be one of the millions of fans of the series, then give it go for sure. Just don't expect much praise for your taste in social gaming.
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Visit England Sign hints at European expansion
Just like Lexilicious said, we'll soon be traveling to a faraway land in FarmVille. The folks at FarmVille Freak have stumbled upon an image of a sign that reads "Visit England Soon." It actually looks very similar to the recent sign promoting CityVille in the game, so perhaps this will be a portal into another location in FarmVille.
However, it could just as easily be a new theme of items that will release. But I would hope with a build up like this--between what sounded like a British man teasing the feature on the FarmVille podcast and now a promotional sign--that England in FarmVille would be much deeper than that. And unlike most of FarmVille Freak's findings, this is, in fact, confirmed. Stay tuned for when the time comes to journey across the pond.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
What do you think the new England expansion will turn out to be? When do you think it will be released to the game?
However, it could just as easily be a new theme of items that will release. But I would hope with a build up like this--between what sounded like a British man teasing the feature on the FarmVille podcast and now a promotional sign--that England in FarmVille would be much deeper than that. And unlike most of FarmVille Freak's findings, this is, in fact, confirmed. Stay tuned for when the time comes to journey across the pond.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
What do you think the new England expansion will turn out to be? When do you think it will be released to the game?
FarmVille Valentine Costumes: Dress your avatar as Cupid or a Pink Rabbit
Since Zynga has released a slew of new Valentine's Day decorations in FarmVille, many users began to wonder if we'd soon be able to dress up our in-game avatars in new themed costumes, as well as decorating our farms. We receive our answer this week, as Zynga has released three new Valentine's Day limited edition costumes to the store.
These three costumes actually come in only two varieties - Cupid Costumes, and a Bunny Costume. There is a completely different Cupid Costume available for either boy or girl avatars (the girl costume is a dress with pink wings and red tights, while the boy costume is a white suit with white wings), but both costumes cost the same at 15 Farm Cash each You'll receive 525 experience points for purchasing either one.
The Pink Rabbit costume however, is unisex. While males might scoff at the thought of dressing their avatar as a fluffy pink bunny, I personally think it would be downright adorable. Maybe that's just me though. Regardless, anyone interested can pick up this costume for 10 Farm Cash. You'll receive 350 experience points as a bonus.
All told, these costumes will be available in the game for the next 17 days, bringing us right up to Valentine's Day proper. It's unknown as of now whether or not more costumes will be released in the future, but you'll be the first to know if there are.
These three costumes actually come in only two varieties - Cupid Costumes, and a Bunny Costume. There is a completely different Cupid Costume available for either boy or girl avatars (the girl costume is a dress with pink wings and red tights, while the boy costume is a white suit with white wings), but both costumes cost the same at 15 Farm Cash each You'll receive 525 experience points for purchasing either one.
The Pink Rabbit costume however, is unisex. While males might scoff at the thought of dressing their avatar as a fluffy pink bunny, I personally think it would be downright adorable. Maybe that's just me though. Regardless, anyone interested can pick up this costume for 10 Farm Cash. You'll receive 350 experience points as a bonus.
All told, these costumes will be available in the game for the next 17 days, bringing us right up to Valentine's Day proper. It's unknown as of now whether or not more costumes will be released in the future, but you'll be the first to know if there are.
FarmVille: Unintentional(?) update brings Red Pagoda and New Year Rabbit to market early
Earlier today, we brought you a sneak peek of some unreleased Chinese New Year items that we believe will be coming to FarmVille in the near future. This afternoon, we've received confirmation that at least two of those items will in fact be released officially, as they have - get this - already appeared in many users' games.
That's right, two particular items - the Red Pagoda, and the New Year Rabbit - have been spotted on many users' farms, at the very back of the Building and Animal tabs of the store. I personally have the Red Pagoda in my own store, and have purchased one of these buildings for myself, confirming that it works. It is available to purchase for 40,000 coins. While you can purchase the building early if you'd like - one word of warning. The building is... well, it's rather blurry, as if Zynga hasn't put all of the finishing touches on it quite yet. This makes sense, as we didn't expect these items to be released until at least next month as part of an eventual Chinese New Year theme in the game. I've added a full-size screenshot of the item on my farm to show you just how big this item is, and its current state.
As for the New Year Rabbit, it is a much more costly item, priced at 250,000 coins. It also further explains the unintentional nature of this weird update, as it is invisible. It's position is found in the store, and the animal itself can be purchased, but it will show up as an invisible spot on your farm, that is, if you can find the item in the store before Zynga catches to their accident and removes both it and the Pagoda.
Whether or not you want to take a risk on purchasing either of these items will be up to you. Either way, though, it is nice to get a heads-up on what these items will eventually cost, so it might be worth looking into.
That's right, two particular items - the Red Pagoda, and the New Year Rabbit - have been spotted on many users' farms, at the very back of the Building and Animal tabs of the store. I personally have the Red Pagoda in my own store, and have purchased one of these buildings for myself, confirming that it works. It is available to purchase for 40,000 coins. While you can purchase the building early if you'd like - one word of warning. The building is... well, it's rather blurry, as if Zynga hasn't put all of the finishing touches on it quite yet. This makes sense, as we didn't expect these items to be released until at least next month as part of an eventual Chinese New Year theme in the game. I've added a full-size screenshot of the item on my farm to show you just how big this item is, and its current state.
As for the New Year Rabbit, it is a much more costly item, priced at 250,000 coins. It also further explains the unintentional nature of this weird update, as it is invisible. It's position is found in the store, and the animal itself can be purchased, but it will show up as an invisible spot on your farm, that is, if you can find the item in the store before Zynga catches to their accident and removes both it and the Pagoda.
Whether or not you want to take a risk on purchasing either of these items will be up to you. Either way, though, it is nice to get a heads-up on what these items will eventually cost, so it might be worth looking into.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Lunchtime Poll: FarmVille News Feeds: 'Like' 'em or leave 'em?
Like Button
The FarmVille forums have been buzzing for some time about News Feed posts and the infamous "Like" button. Apparently, players hold several different codes of ethics when it comes to the "Like" button and taking something from the News Feed. So much so that the thread is 21 pages long. Some interpret it as an abstract aspect of Facebook, "Liking" things because, hey, they genuinely like them. Others use it to notify others when an item is already taken, while some hate the button altogether as it muddles up their Feed and confuses them. The problem stems from the fact that "Like" is not a Zynga feature, but a Facebook one, meaning it truly is an interpretive practice when it comes to social games. So, we ask you, fine digital farmers:
FarmVille News Feeds: "Like" 'em or leave 'em?
Like 'em, because I generally "Like" things I... like.Leave 'em! I'm so sick of them messing up my feed.They're a good way to avoid defunct News Feeds. Like 'em!Who cares? I use a bonus collector anyway. Doesn't everyone?
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
The FarmVille forums have been buzzing for some time about News Feed posts and the infamous "Like" button. Apparently, players hold several different codes of ethics when it comes to the "Like" button and taking something from the News Feed. So much so that the thread is 21 pages long. Some interpret it as an abstract aspect of Facebook, "Liking" things because, hey, they genuinely like them. Others use it to notify others when an item is already taken, while some hate the button altogether as it muddles up their Feed and confuses them. The problem stems from the fact that "Like" is not a Zynga feature, but a Facebook one, meaning it truly is an interpretive practice when it comes to social games. So, we ask you, fine digital farmers:
FarmVille News Feeds: "Like" 'em or leave 'em?
Like 'em, because I generally "Like" things I... like.Leave 'em! I'm so sick of them messing up my feed.They're a good way to avoid defunct News Feeds. Like 'em!Who cares? I use a bonus collector anyway. Doesn't everyone?
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
CityVille and Leveling Up: What's the point?
Simply put, who knows. A large number of CityVille's players have reached the maximum level of 100 in Zynga's city-builder. What's worse is since Level 63, there has been nothing waiting for them but new titles. Energy doesn't even increase after Level 28 and Community Buildings have stopped coming in for the veterans since Level 60. CityVille forum user SirDadHellfire questions, "What is the purpose of leveling?"
Sure, millions play the game out of simple enjoyment, but as forum user PanALF says, "I like to be on top, so I'm pushing my level up. [The] only benefit I think is unlocking some buildings, but there is no other point to level up over 63." There you have it, folks. It's an issue that a litany of players is suffering: What's the point of leveling up anymore?
Levels for everyone!Honestly, there doesn't seem to be one yet. Leveling up in any videogame should mean something, especially those with a persistent element like social games. Achieving a level should feel like reaching a new height in the game with added features and powers. At the moment, leveling up in CityVille is just another number. Thankfully, Zynga realizes this and is likely working to fix it, but it will take time to make 37 levels of content worthwhile.
An ideal temporary fix would be to add small rewards (in addition to the Energy refill) to each level beyond 63. For instance, Level 64 rewards players with a free Tower Eats. Reach Level 65 and you're rewarded with an Expansion. (Side note: Expansions shouldn't have been tied to cash reserves at all. Wouldn't it feel that much better to receive an even bigger city each time you grew as a mayor? [Logistically speaking, maybe every other level?])
However, this doesn't solve the problem of leveling up too quickly. Frankly, too many tasks reward XP. Everything from harvesting crops to collecting from Residencies to collecting from Businesses rewards XP. One of two things needs to happen to slow this process down: Either fewer things reward XP or the XP required to level increases. The best route to solve the issue while maintaining that feeling of accomplishment? Replace XP in some places with more tangible rewards. How about allowing Businesses to randomly provide new decorations relevant to that type of business rather than XP when collected?
Either way, something must be done to improve the endgame experience past Level 63. If not, Zynga could soon lose a major portion of its 20 million plus daily players. It won't be much longer before these folks head elsewhere, and there's no guarantee that it will be the English Countryside.
Sure, millions play the game out of simple enjoyment, but as forum user PanALF says, "I like to be on top, so I'm pushing my level up. [The] only benefit I think is unlocking some buildings, but there is no other point to level up over 63." There you have it, folks. It's an issue that a litany of players is suffering: What's the point of leveling up anymore?
Levels for everyone!Honestly, there doesn't seem to be one yet. Leveling up in any videogame should mean something, especially those with a persistent element like social games. Achieving a level should feel like reaching a new height in the game with added features and powers. At the moment, leveling up in CityVille is just another number. Thankfully, Zynga realizes this and is likely working to fix it, but it will take time to make 37 levels of content worthwhile.
An ideal temporary fix would be to add small rewards (in addition to the Energy refill) to each level beyond 63. For instance, Level 64 rewards players with a free Tower Eats. Reach Level 65 and you're rewarded with an Expansion. (Side note: Expansions shouldn't have been tied to cash reserves at all. Wouldn't it feel that much better to receive an even bigger city each time you grew as a mayor? [Logistically speaking, maybe every other level?])
However, this doesn't solve the problem of leveling up too quickly. Frankly, too many tasks reward XP. Everything from harvesting crops to collecting from Residencies to collecting from Businesses rewards XP. One of two things needs to happen to slow this process down: Either fewer things reward XP or the XP required to level increases. The best route to solve the issue while maintaining that feeling of accomplishment? Replace XP in some places with more tangible rewards. How about allowing Businesses to randomly provide new decorations relevant to that type of business rather than XP when collected?
Either way, something must be done to improve the endgame experience past Level 63. If not, Zynga could soon lose a major portion of its 20 million plus daily players. It won't be much longer before these folks head elsewhere, and there's no guarantee that it will be the English Countryside.
Facebook games will access your address and number (again)
That wasn't long, was it? Facebook games will once again have access to more of your personal information, Mashable reports. Just over a month ago, Facebook retracted its change to third-party applications (i.e. games) that would allow them to access your home address and mobile number due to feedback. Then, members of Congress brought the change into question, leading to a lengthy exchange between Facebook and US representatives Edward Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Joe Barton (R-Texas).
Facebook responded to the questioning with, "We have not yet decided when or in what manner we will re-deploy the permission for mobile numbers and addresses," Facebook Vice President of Global Public Policy Marne Levine said. "As noted above, we are evaluating whether and how we can increase the visibility of applications' requests for permission to access user contact information. We are also considering whether additional user education would be helpful."
New Permissions window
In other words, Facebook has every intention of bringing the change back. However, how clear the website will make it within that initial "Request for Permission" window is up in the air. According to Mashable, the above image wasn't enough for the disgruntled users. Later in its response to the representatives, Facebook noted adding another pop-up notifying users of this increased access could reduce click-through rates by as much as 3 percent, Mashable reports. Well, duh.
Mass. representative Markey reports that he will continue to watch Facebook, all the while the website recently released a new draft of its privacy policy that's far more legible than before. Yet this doesn't change the fact that games are about to get a lot more personal with your data.
[Image Credits: Masalai and Mashable]
What do you think of this change coming back to Facebook games? Will this cause you to stop playing them or play them differently?
Facebook responded to the questioning with, "We have not yet decided when or in what manner we will re-deploy the permission for mobile numbers and addresses," Facebook Vice President of Global Public Policy Marne Levine said. "As noted above, we are evaluating whether and how we can increase the visibility of applications' requests for permission to access user contact information. We are also considering whether additional user education would be helpful."
New Permissions window
In other words, Facebook has every intention of bringing the change back. However, how clear the website will make it within that initial "Request for Permission" window is up in the air. According to Mashable, the above image wasn't enough for the disgruntled users. Later in its response to the representatives, Facebook noted adding another pop-up notifying users of this increased access could reduce click-through rates by as much as 3 percent, Mashable reports. Well, duh.
Mass. representative Markey reports that he will continue to watch Facebook, all the while the website recently released a new draft of its privacy policy that's far more legible than before. Yet this doesn't change the fact that games are about to get a lot more personal with your data.
[Image Credits: Masalai and Mashable]
What do you think of this change coming back to Facebook games? Will this cause you to stop playing them or play them differently?
EA offers indie Facebook game creators helping hand with EA Partners
Indie game developers always have great ideas, right? So, why not throw a bunch of them at Zynga the market and see what happens? EA announced that its EA Partners group will now provide funding and its resources to independent Facebook and mobile game developers, Social Times reports. Of course, EA will take a cut of said developers' profits for using the company's publishing prowess.
Developers who take EA on will have access to both Playfish and Chillingo, the publisher of Angry Birds stateside, for assistance. No one knows how big of a cut EA is talking, but surely developers will consider it plenty worthwhile to have a massive publishers vouch for them. Here's what CJ Prober, VP of Publishing and Product Management for Playfish, had to say of the news:
As a social gaming pioneer, Playfish helped shape the face of the Facebook platform through original titles and classic EA franchises such as Pet Society, FIFA Superstars and MONOPOLY Millionaires. Playfish is looking forward to continuing a tradition of innovation and quality by extending our publishing framework to a select group of independent game developers. Partners will be able to leverage Playfish's deep experience and expertise – as well as EA's vast third-party publishing resources – to enable them to achieve unprecedented success for their games on Facebook.
However, this move can't help but be seen as a last ditch attempt to put a dent in Zynga. (In their defense, who wouldn't at this point?) By odds alone, one of these indie social games has to catch on, right? Right? We'll see just that in a few months.
[Image Credit: John Lund]
What do you think of this move by EA? Do you think the company can finally compete with Zynga this way?
Developers who take EA on will have access to both Playfish and Chillingo, the publisher of Angry Birds stateside, for assistance. No one knows how big of a cut EA is talking, but surely developers will consider it plenty worthwhile to have a massive publishers vouch for them. Here's what CJ Prober, VP of Publishing and Product Management for Playfish, had to say of the news:
As a social gaming pioneer, Playfish helped shape the face of the Facebook platform through original titles and classic EA franchises such as Pet Society, FIFA Superstars and MONOPOLY Millionaires. Playfish is looking forward to continuing a tradition of innovation and quality by extending our publishing framework to a select group of independent game developers. Partners will be able to leverage Playfish's deep experience and expertise – as well as EA's vast third-party publishing resources – to enable them to achieve unprecedented success for their games on Facebook.
However, this move can't help but be seen as a last ditch attempt to put a dent in Zynga. (In their defense, who wouldn't at this point?) By odds alone, one of these indie social games has to catch on, right? Right? We'll see just that in a few months.
[Image Credit: John Lund]
What do you think of this move by EA? Do you think the company can finally compete with Zynga this way?
Bejeweled Blitz OK'ed by Australian politician for his employees
Caroline Beinke, an employee for liberal, Australian politician Victor Dominello has been given permission by her boss to play Bejeweled Blitz while on the job. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Beinke needs a distraction to pass the time while taking long phone calls. How much do you want him for a boss?
"When I have long conversations on the phone to constituents it is my version of doodling, a mental chewing gum of sorts," Beinke said. That's odd, because PopCap's gem-buster gets pretty intense in my sessions. Regardless, Dominello said that it is alright with him if it's alright with the Speaker. "My staff work very very hard," Dominello said. "If they are sitting at their desk on hold to a department for 15 minutes, I do not have a problem with it."
Unfortunately, Legislative Assembly Speaker Richard Torbay said he would deny the approval, though he has yet to see it, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. "I put filters in place to stop staff accessing inappropriate websites in the Parliament and I do not think we should be paying people to play games, " Torbay said. Oh, lighten up, guy. We all need a break once in a while, right?
Not to mention this isn't the first time social games have crept their way into the political world, either. Bulgarian politician Dimitar Kerin was removed from his party last year for playing too much FarmVille. His defense? "He said he had reached only Level 40, whereas Daniela Zhelyazkova, a councilor from the rightist Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party, was already at Level 46."
[Via Kill Screen Magazine Twitter]
[Image Credit: We Interrupt]
Do you play social games at work or have you ever asked permission? How do you feel about social games in the workplace?
"When I have long conversations on the phone to constituents it is my version of doodling, a mental chewing gum of sorts," Beinke said. That's odd, because PopCap's gem-buster gets pretty intense in my sessions. Regardless, Dominello said that it is alright with him if it's alright with the Speaker. "My staff work very very hard," Dominello said. "If they are sitting at their desk on hold to a department for 15 minutes, I do not have a problem with it."
Unfortunately, Legislative Assembly Speaker Richard Torbay said he would deny the approval, though he has yet to see it, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. "I put filters in place to stop staff accessing inappropriate websites in the Parliament and I do not think we should be paying people to play games, " Torbay said. Oh, lighten up, guy. We all need a break once in a while, right?
Not to mention this isn't the first time social games have crept their way into the political world, either. Bulgarian politician Dimitar Kerin was removed from his party last year for playing too much FarmVille. His defense? "He said he had reached only Level 40, whereas Daniela Zhelyazkova, a councilor from the rightist Democrats for Strong Bulgaria party, was already at Level 46."
[Via Kill Screen Magazine Twitter]
[Image Credit: We Interrupt]
Do you play social games at work or have you ever asked permission? How do you feel about social games in the workplace?
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Cafe World gets new Cookbook in scrumptious update
Finally, Zynga has taken it upon itself to update the unnavigable horror that once was the Cafe World Cookbook. It seems the company has applied many of the same principles in its Catering redesign to the new menu. At last, you can sort the list of recipes by cuisine, name, level requirement and more. Mousing over recipes will reveal cooking statistics like Cafe Points yielded and servings created. It's unsure when the update will be released or whether it's slowly rolling out to players now, but keep your eyes peeled as you work on that 7th Inning Snacks Order. Hopefully this is just a taste of future interface updates across Zynga games. (If only Flash had a spell checker--take a close look five seconds in.)
Have you seen the new Cookbook make way into your game? What do you think of the redesign and what else do you think could use a second look?
Have you seen the new Cookbook make way into your game? What do you think of the redesign and what else do you think could use a second look?
Playdom's Deep Realms launches on Facebook
Several weeks ago, Games.com - The Blog! got a sneak peek at a new casual role-playing game from Playdom called Deep Realms -- and today the game officially launches on Facebook.
"We wanted to make a social game for core players, a game that we, as developers, would want to play," says Deep Realms Executive Producer Alex Ou. "Deep Realms introduces the depth of console RPGs to social gamers with elements of interaction that go beyond those in the current generation of social games."
To start the game, you create an avatar and then take off on a journey that will have you finding hidden treasure and fighting big monsters -- growing your skills as you progress. Even though this game is designed to be "a game for gamers" -- it will still have to be casual enough to appeal to the people more likely to play games on Facebook.
We'll be taking a closer look at this game in the next couple of days to see if it achieves that balance. In the meantime, you can check it out for yourself at http://apps.facebook.com/deeprealms/.
Looking for friends to play Deep Realms with?
"We wanted to make a social game for core players, a game that we, as developers, would want to play," says Deep Realms Executive Producer Alex Ou. "Deep Realms introduces the depth of console RPGs to social gamers with elements of interaction that go beyond those in the current generation of social games."
To start the game, you create an avatar and then take off on a journey that will have you finding hidden treasure and fighting big monsters -- growing your skills as you progress. Even though this game is designed to be "a game for gamers" -- it will still have to be casual enough to appeal to the people more likely to play games on Facebook.
We'll be taking a closer look at this game in the next couple of days to see if it achieves that balance. In the meantime, you can check it out for yourself at http://apps.facebook.com/deeprealms/.
Looking for friends to play Deep Realms with?
FarmVille English Countryside Cheats and Tips: A Characters Guide
One of the most touted features of English Countryside, the first ever expansion to FarmVille, is its focus on characters and storyline. Sure, it's a feature that's seen liberal use in both FrontierVille and CityVille, but does that fact make it any less exciting? Not really. To finally have one of the biggest improvements in Zynga's game design come full circle is certainly something to be psyched about, especially with the implications for the future. But since the expansion is only one day old, let's focus on the now and take a detailed look at the game's current cast of characters.
Duke
Duke, The Airship Pilot
This is the bloke who started it all. It's Duke who swoops--more like crashes--in to tell you that he and his friends in the English Countryside need your farming expertise to bring their farmland back to its former glory. So, it's your job to fix his airship and follow him back to England and get started on your second farm. It wouldn't be wrong to consider Duke the proverbial Frontier Jack of this game, guiding you along in Goals and introducing you to new characters. Now, does Duke have any single nieces?
Angus
Angus, The Sheep Breeder
This little fellow knows more than you think about running a farm, especially when it comes to livestock. Angus is the local sheep breeder, and is ready to pass his limitless knowledge of the woolly creatures to you. This bugger is the guy who will narrate and guide all of your Sheep Breeding quests until you get the hang of it. He even gives you a few of his own prized ram and ewe to start. But this all gets us thinking, where are his parents?
Agnes
Agnes, The Arborist
This lady sure knows how to grow an apple tree or two. Agnes will reintroduce you to the world of Orchards and will guide you along in building your very own. She also has a stash of supplies, and if you complete the Goals she provides, she'll throw you a couple shovels and watering cans. Aw, isn't she just special?
Olivia
Olivia, The Pub Keeper
This tanned maiden runs the local pub, but is on the brink of leaving it all behind, according to Duke. She has a serious rat problem in her fine establishment that's literally driving the customers away. So, she's asked for your help to keep the rodentia at bay while you provide her with more ingredients to brew her famous beers and wines. Olivia will guide you through the process of using Bushels to create new recipes in this brand new Crafting Building.
Lily
Lily, The Dairy Farmer
While she's yet to make an appearance in the English Countryside for most players, Lily is a cheese master. We first heard word of her from a postcard she sent to us on our old farms, declaring her excitement to finally meet you. We imagine that Lily will introduce us to the Dairy Farm, a new building that will double as a stable for Cows and a Crafting Building in which we'll make--what else?--cheese!
Professor Milton
Professor Milton, The Archaeologist
Don't ask us what a fossil nut is doing on a farm, but Professor Milton is your go-to guy for all things old and underground. We doubt many players have seen him in the game as of yet, but he's around here somewhere. All we can guess is that old Prof will introduce us to a brand new, unique feature.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
What do you think of Zynga's new focus on character development in FarmVille? Are there any characters that you've met which we have yet to mention?
Duke
Duke, The Airship Pilot
This is the bloke who started it all. It's Duke who swoops--more like crashes--in to tell you that he and his friends in the English Countryside need your farming expertise to bring their farmland back to its former glory. So, it's your job to fix his airship and follow him back to England and get started on your second farm. It wouldn't be wrong to consider Duke the proverbial Frontier Jack of this game, guiding you along in Goals and introducing you to new characters. Now, does Duke have any single nieces?
Angus
Angus, The Sheep Breeder
This little fellow knows more than you think about running a farm, especially when it comes to livestock. Angus is the local sheep breeder, and is ready to pass his limitless knowledge of the woolly creatures to you. This bugger is the guy who will narrate and guide all of your Sheep Breeding quests until you get the hang of it. He even gives you a few of his own prized ram and ewe to start. But this all gets us thinking, where are his parents?
Agnes
Agnes, The Arborist
This lady sure knows how to grow an apple tree or two. Agnes will reintroduce you to the world of Orchards and will guide you along in building your very own. She also has a stash of supplies, and if you complete the Goals she provides, she'll throw you a couple shovels and watering cans. Aw, isn't she just special?
Olivia
Olivia, The Pub Keeper
This tanned maiden runs the local pub, but is on the brink of leaving it all behind, according to Duke. She has a serious rat problem in her fine establishment that's literally driving the customers away. So, she's asked for your help to keep the rodentia at bay while you provide her with more ingredients to brew her famous beers and wines. Olivia will guide you through the process of using Bushels to create new recipes in this brand new Crafting Building.
Lily
Lily, The Dairy Farmer
While she's yet to make an appearance in the English Countryside for most players, Lily is a cheese master. We first heard word of her from a postcard she sent to us on our old farms, declaring her excitement to finally meet you. We imagine that Lily will introduce us to the Dairy Farm, a new building that will double as a stable for Cows and a Crafting Building in which we'll make--what else?--cheese!
Professor Milton
Professor Milton, The Archaeologist
Don't ask us what a fossil nut is doing on a farm, but Professor Milton is your go-to guy for all things old and underground. We doubt many players have seen him in the game as of yet, but he's around here somewhere. All we can guess is that old Prof will introduce us to a brand new, unique feature.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
What do you think of Zynga's new focus on character development in FarmVille? Are there any characters that you've met which we have yet to mention?
FarmVille Mystery Game receives English animal update
In honor of the launch of the English Countryside in FarmVille, Zynga has updated the Mystery Game with a full set of English animals. This Mystery Game udpated later than usual this week, rather than the Sunday night update that became the norm during the Winter Holiday season. We're not sure if this means that FarmVille is back to its original Tues/Thursday update scheme, but it is something to think about.
As for the Mystery Game itself, it will cost you 20 Farm Cash per dart, which is more than the normal price tag of 16 Farm Cash. For that price, you'll have a chance of receiving one of six animals:
Hedgehog
Jersey Cow
Mole
Red Fox
Short Hair Cat
Thoroughbred Horse
Of course, if you receive either the Jersey Cow or the Thoroughbred Horse, these two do come with the possibility of offspring. Place the Jersey Cow in the Dairy Farm and you'll have a chance at a Jersey Calf, while placing the Thoroughbred Horse in the Horse Stable will give you a chance to breed a Thoroughbred Foal that can be shared with friends.
You'll only have a few more days to win these exclusive items, so play fast to not miss your chance.
Which animal did you win from this week's Mystery Game?
As for the Mystery Game itself, it will cost you 20 Farm Cash per dart, which is more than the normal price tag of 16 Farm Cash. For that price, you'll have a chance of receiving one of six animals:
Hedgehog
Jersey Cow
Mole
Red Fox
Short Hair Cat
Thoroughbred Horse
Of course, if you receive either the Jersey Cow or the Thoroughbred Horse, these two do come with the possibility of offspring. Place the Jersey Cow in the Dairy Farm and you'll have a chance at a Jersey Calf, while placing the Thoroughbred Horse in the Horse Stable will give you a chance to breed a Thoroughbred Foal that can be shared with friends.
You'll only have a few more days to win these exclusive items, so play fast to not miss your chance.
Which animal did you win from this week's Mystery Game?
FarmVille English Countryside Sweepstakes: Head to England in the real world too!
With the launch of the English Countryside in FarmVille comes the launch of the official English Countryside Sweepstakes, being thrown by Zynga. Zynga has been previewing this sweepstakes for a couple of weeks now, alerting players that some very lucky farmers are going to win free, real-world trips to England via the contest.
You'll see that the contest is now available to enter via a new bar that has appeared underneath the FarmVille gameplay window (whether you're playing on your Home Farm or in your new English Farm). You will need to have completed the Bon Voyage Party, or have simply bought your way into England in order to enter this contest.
The rules are simple: Once you've unlocked your second farm, simply travel to that farm to earn an entry into the sweepstakes. You'll be eligible to earn three more entries everyday of the contest by harvesting crops in the English Countryside, up to a maximum of 64 total entries per person during the contest's run, that ends on April 12.
Five Grand Prize winners will receive a 5 night trip for two to England, a mini HD video camera, and $5,000 in spending cash. 25 First Prizes offer 1,000 Farm Cash and a real-world FarmVille hoodie, and finally, 500 Second Prize winners will receive 150 Farm Cash.
What are you waiting for? If you haven't made your way to England make sure to check out our complete guide on how to reach your second farm the fastest, so you can start racking up entries to the contest! Good luck!
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you entered the English Countryside sweepstakes yet, or are you still trying to make your way over the pond?
You'll see that the contest is now available to enter via a new bar that has appeared underneath the FarmVille gameplay window (whether you're playing on your Home Farm or in your new English Farm). You will need to have completed the Bon Voyage Party, or have simply bought your way into England in order to enter this contest.
The rules are simple: Once you've unlocked your second farm, simply travel to that farm to earn an entry into the sweepstakes. You'll be eligible to earn three more entries everyday of the contest by harvesting crops in the English Countryside, up to a maximum of 64 total entries per person during the contest's run, that ends on April 12.
Five Grand Prize winners will receive a 5 night trip for two to England, a mini HD video camera, and $5,000 in spending cash. 25 First Prizes offer 1,000 Farm Cash and a real-world FarmVille hoodie, and finally, 500 Second Prize winners will receive 150 Farm Cash.
What are you waiting for? If you haven't made your way to England make sure to check out our complete guide on how to reach your second farm the fastest, so you can start racking up entries to the contest! Good luck!
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you entered the English Countryside sweepstakes yet, or are you still trying to make your way over the pond?
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