Playing Facebook games is a lot more fun when you have friends who are playing alongside you. Couple this with the fact that many games incentivize you for having more neighbors, and it can make for a pretty terrible gaming experience if none of your friends want to play. Facebook isn't really designed to allow you to meet new people; Facebook's core intentions were to connect you with the people and acquaintances that you already know. This can make it challenging to find new friends to game with on Facebook, so we have a few tips that will help you get more friends on Facebook to play games with you.
Official game message boards
One of the best places to find other people to game with is on the game's official message boards which are maintained by the developer. On these forums, you can register and post in "add me" threads where other players will find them. If you go this route, remember to include a link to your Facebook profile otherwise they will not be able to add you as a friend. You also should ask them to put in the friend request what game(s) they play, so that you know who they are when they add you as a friend. You should be able to look through the threads and find friends to add as well.
On the wall of the game's fan page
If you go to the fan page for the game that you wish to find friends for, you can comment on the status messages, wall, and review page with "add me". You will see many other people doing this as well, so you can feel free to add them as friends. This is probably the fastest way to find friends. Sometimes, simply clicking "like" on a game's wall post is enough to cause a barrage of friend requests to fly in from all angles.
In "Add Me" groups
Most games (at least the popular ones) on Facebook have various "Add Me" groups that you can join to find other people to play that game with. You will have to join the group, but once you have joined you have unlocked a ton of people who play the game game as you. It's a nice way to exchange tips and tricks on the games too. See FarmVilleAddMe for an example of this.
On Games.com!
Another perfect way to find friends to game with is by commenting on this post! Leave a comment with your Facebook profile link and tell others what games you play. There's a good chance you'll find plenty of friends this way!
General Tips and Warnings:
Remember that if you post on forums and external sites, you will have to delete your posts in the future if you want people to stop adding you as a friend.
When you're adding strangers, it's best to make a special Facebook list/group for them and do not share any personal information or non-gaming status messages with them.
It is possible that spammers will add you, so use careful consideration when accepting friend requests.
Do you have any other tips for finding friends on Facebook?
Friday, January 13, 2012
FarmVille Animals: Ornament Reindeer & a Partridge in a pear tree (sort of)
Ok, so maybe not IN a Pear Tree exactly, but a Partridge nonetheless... Wait, where was I? That's right - It's a Wednesday, and in the Holiday season in FarmVille, that means we've seen a new update hit the game, which has brought with it a couple of new animals!
The new animals are the Ornament Reindeer and the aforementioned Partridge. Unfortunately, both cost Farm Cash, so I hope you've been saving up for some new items, or that you aren't opposed to simply purchasing Cash outright so that you can enjoy their holiday festiveness on your own farm.
The Ornament Reindeer costs 16 Farm Cash, while the Partridge costs 12 Farm Cash. Both animals can be harvested from once every two days, and you'll receive 80 and 92 coins, respectively, every time you collect. If you're looking for a quick and easy boost to your experience point total in the game, you should also look into these two new animals, as the Reindeer rewards 1600 bonus XP while the Partridge offers 1200.
Both of these animals will be available in the game for the next nine days, at which point they will expire, and likely won't be seen again until the Winter Holiday celebration in 2011, if at all. Shop fast if you want to collect these new animals before it's too late!
The new animals are the Ornament Reindeer and the aforementioned Partridge. Unfortunately, both cost Farm Cash, so I hope you've been saving up for some new items, or that you aren't opposed to simply purchasing Cash outright so that you can enjoy their holiday festiveness on your own farm.
The Ornament Reindeer costs 16 Farm Cash, while the Partridge costs 12 Farm Cash. Both animals can be harvested from once every two days, and you'll receive 80 and 92 coins, respectively, every time you collect. If you're looking for a quick and easy boost to your experience point total in the game, you should also look into these two new animals, as the Reindeer rewards 1600 bonus XP while the Partridge offers 1200.
Both of these animals will be available in the game for the next nine days, at which point they will expire, and likely won't be seen again until the Winter Holiday celebration in 2011, if at all. Shop fast if you want to collect these new animals before it's too late!
FarmVille Icicle Cottage is hot and cold at the same time
If you've gotten into the recent Icy theme in FarmVille, that has been released as a sort of sub-theme in the Winter Holiday set of limited edition items (see our Holiday Tree coverage for more items made out of ice), you'll be happy to know that a new building has been released in tonight's FarmVille update that fits in with this chilly theme.
The building is the Icicle Cottage, but unfortunately for those users unwilling to purchase premium currency, the Icicle Cottage is premium, and will set you back 25 Farm Cash. For that price, you'll receive the fairly large house (much larger than your avatar), and 2,500 free experience points as a bonus.
For those users that have are interested in decorating all of their items with Lights and Snow (either by purchasing the decorations from the market, or earning them through the Winter Wonderland Quest Set), the Icicle Cottage has been programmed to allow for these extra decorations. Sure, it won't entirely cover up the fact that the cottage is made out of ice, but it will make things look a bit more festive, and we can't argue with that.
Interestingly, this item has an 18 day time limit in the store, while the other Winter Holiday buildings are down to just nine. This is presumably due to the fact that the building doesn't necessary scream "Holiday," so Zynga would want to allow users a longer time to purchase it for general Winter decorating. That's our theory anyway.
The building is the Icicle Cottage, but unfortunately for those users unwilling to purchase premium currency, the Icicle Cottage is premium, and will set you back 25 Farm Cash. For that price, you'll receive the fairly large house (much larger than your avatar), and 2,500 free experience points as a bonus.
For those users that have are interested in decorating all of their items with Lights and Snow (either by purchasing the decorations from the market, or earning them through the Winter Wonderland Quest Set), the Icicle Cottage has been programmed to allow for these extra decorations. Sure, it won't entirely cover up the fact that the cottage is made out of ice, but it will make things look a bit more festive, and we can't argue with that.
Interestingly, this item has an 18 day time limit in the store, while the other Winter Holiday buildings are down to just nine. This is presumably due to the fact that the building doesn't necessary scream "Holiday," so Zynga would want to allow users a longer time to purchase it for general Winter decorating. That's our theory anyway.
FarmVille Winter Holiday Decorations: Gingerbread Gnome, Tinsel Arch, Polar Bear Cave & More
In tonight's FarmVille update, we see the massive Winter Holiday theme growing by six new items, at least in terms of decorations. Most of these decorations are brand new to the game, for this year's celebration, but there is one that is a re-release from last year. We'll get to that in a minute.
First, let's take a look at the new items, shall we? First is the Gingerbread Gnomes, a premium item available for 18 Farm Cash. Is it just me, or does this guy look more creepy than cute? Perhaps if his eyes were more realistic, rather than just being hollow white dots I wouldn't get such a ghostly feeling from the Gnome, but alas. This gnome will provide you with 1800 experience points if you choose to splurge on him.
Other premium items are the Polar Bear Cave and White Animals statue, which cost 25 and 12 Farm Cash, respectively. The Polar Bear Cave seems to deserve its high price, as it is a highly detailed item, with trees and snowbanks and an animated bear that appears at the mouth of the cave. Meanwhile, the White Animals statue has a Polar Bear and two Penguins posed ever so cheerfully.
For the standard items, you can now pick up individual pieces of Tinsel Fencing (plain white fencing with tinsel garland draped on each piece) for 5,000 coins, or a full Tinsel Arch (what looks to be the Holly Arch with tinsel added) for 10,000 coins. As for the item that has made a return from the Winter Holiday celebration in 2009, it is the Happy Holidays sign, a very large sign that will be available seven days longer than these other new additions, at a full 16 days. In that time, you can purchase the sign for the interesting price of 4,800 coins, and we have to say that's definitely worth it.
Aside from the Happy Holiday sign, the rest of these decorations will only be around for the next nine days, which makes this farmer just a bit sad. I know I'm not alone when I say that I wouldn't mind if this theme went on longer than that, but I suppose we'll just have to enjoy the true Holiday time in FarmVille while we can.
First, let's take a look at the new items, shall we? First is the Gingerbread Gnomes, a premium item available for 18 Farm Cash. Is it just me, or does this guy look more creepy than cute? Perhaps if his eyes were more realistic, rather than just being hollow white dots I wouldn't get such a ghostly feeling from the Gnome, but alas. This gnome will provide you with 1800 experience points if you choose to splurge on him.
Other premium items are the Polar Bear Cave and White Animals statue, which cost 25 and 12 Farm Cash, respectively. The Polar Bear Cave seems to deserve its high price, as it is a highly detailed item, with trees and snowbanks and an animated bear that appears at the mouth of the cave. Meanwhile, the White Animals statue has a Polar Bear and two Penguins posed ever so cheerfully.
For the standard items, you can now pick up individual pieces of Tinsel Fencing (plain white fencing with tinsel garland draped on each piece) for 5,000 coins, or a full Tinsel Arch (what looks to be the Holly Arch with tinsel added) for 10,000 coins. As for the item that has made a return from the Winter Holiday celebration in 2009, it is the Happy Holidays sign, a very large sign that will be available seven days longer than these other new additions, at a full 16 days. In that time, you can purchase the sign for the interesting price of 4,800 coins, and we have to say that's definitely worth it.
Aside from the Happy Holiday sign, the rest of these decorations will only be around for the next nine days, which makes this farmer just a bit sad. I know I'm not alone when I say that I wouldn't mind if this theme went on longer than that, but I suppose we'll just have to enjoy the true Holiday time in FarmVille while we can.
FrontierVille and Water.org: Donate $5 and wrangle a Water Bison
Did you know that just $25 can bring one person on the planet clean water for a lifetime? Now, multiply that (roughly) by the 30.5 million FrontierVille players and we could provide fresh, clean water to millions. Zynga is teaming up with Water.org, an international non-profit founded by Matt Damon and Gary White, this Christmas to remind us spoiled Americans that a horribly large portion of the world's population doesn't have the same access to amenities we consider commonplace.
And to feel a little less like spoiled brats, you can donate $5 in the form of 50 Facebook Credits to Water.org to introduce an adorable, doe-eyed Water Bison to your stable on the homestead. And take comfort in knowing that 100 percent of all proceeds from this charity event will go directly to Water.org. That is, the nearly 1 billion people that lack what should be a birthright: clean water. And besides, how can you resist those big ole eyes and pink nose?
And to feel a little less like spoiled brats, you can donate $5 in the form of 50 Facebook Credits to Water.org to introduce an adorable, doe-eyed Water Bison to your stable on the homestead. And take comfort in knowing that 100 percent of all proceeds from this charity event will go directly to Water.org. That is, the nearly 1 billion people that lack what should be a birthright: clean water. And besides, how can you resist those big ole eyes and pink nose?
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
MapleStory Adventures hits over 3M players, new classes coming soon
You'd think an astronomical divorce rate would scare players away, but nay. Nexon announced today that its first crack at Facebook games, MapleStory Adventures, has touched the chibi-loving hearts of over 3.2 million monthly players. While this number pales in comparison to the 100 million players that have jumped into the original game, it's impressive considering.
But not necessarily surprising. First of all, have you ever met a MapleStory fan ... or should I say fanatic? Second, the "click things and cute things happen" approach could certainly keep players hooked. Now that the Facebook version has roped in a few million, we imagine the Korean studio looks to bring its 414,000 daily players, according to AppData, up closer to six digits.
And what do you know, the company just announced that new classes are coming to MapleStory Adventures to give players more variety to work with than merely "Magician" and "Warrior." (Admittedly, classes are a bit lean at the moment.) While Nexon didn't reveal any specifics, we hope the new classes somehow involve adorable dragons ... somehow.
In addition to the recently-introduced Sky Scraper area, Nexon plans to add multi-character slots, personal spaces that players can customize and to localize MapleStory Adventures in Spanish, French, German, Chinese and more. In short, this is Nexon's way of saying: Stay tuned, because there is plenty more to come. We guess some 400,000 of you have no issue with that.
But not necessarily surprising. First of all, have you ever met a MapleStory fan ... or should I say fanatic? Second, the "click things and cute things happen" approach could certainly keep players hooked. Now that the Facebook version has roped in a few million, we imagine the Korean studio looks to bring its 414,000 daily players, according to AppData, up closer to six digits.
And what do you know, the company just announced that new classes are coming to MapleStory Adventures to give players more variety to work with than merely "Magician" and "Warrior." (Admittedly, classes are a bit lean at the moment.) While Nexon didn't reveal any specifics, we hope the new classes somehow involve adorable dragons ... somehow.
In addition to the recently-introduced Sky Scraper area, Nexon plans to add multi-character slots, personal spaces that players can customize and to localize MapleStory Adventures in Spanish, French, German, Chinese and more. In short, this is Nexon's way of saying: Stay tuned, because there is plenty more to come. We guess some 400,000 of you have no issue with that.
New study finds Facebook games might do the economy good
The Facebook Economy
The success of Facebook gaming goes beyond Facebook. Based on an economic impact study released today (courtesy of the University of Maryland), Facebook games, applications, and social plugins (e.g. "Like" buttons, fan pages, Facebook Connect, etc.) are responsible for adding somewhere from 182,744 to 235,644 full-time jobs, and $12.19 billion to $15.71 billion into the US economy.
Seeing that the Facebook platform has only been around since May 2007, the growth has been tremendous. The study cites Zynga as an example as the most successful venture on the Facebook platform, primarily thanks to hits like FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and Words With Friends. Zynga itself has 2,000 employees with the company valued at $15 to $20 billion. Whereas, Playfish was bought by EA for $300 million, and Playdom was bought by Disney for $763.2 million.
The study, created by professors of the Center for Digital Innovation, Technology, and Strategy at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, moves on from counting the numbers of direct employment to uncovering jobs indirectly created by Facebook apps. It then estimates the economic value of all those jobs, which means analyzing salaries and benefits. Still skeptical? They're calling it the "Facebook App Economy" and you can read all about it here.
The success of Facebook gaming goes beyond Facebook. Based on an economic impact study released today (courtesy of the University of Maryland), Facebook games, applications, and social plugins (e.g. "Like" buttons, fan pages, Facebook Connect, etc.) are responsible for adding somewhere from 182,744 to 235,644 full-time jobs, and $12.19 billion to $15.71 billion into the US economy.
Seeing that the Facebook platform has only been around since May 2007, the growth has been tremendous. The study cites Zynga as an example as the most successful venture on the Facebook platform, primarily thanks to hits like FarmVille, Mafia Wars, and Words With Friends. Zynga itself has 2,000 employees with the company valued at $15 to $20 billion. Whereas, Playfish was bought by EA for $300 million, and Playdom was bought by Disney for $763.2 million.
The study, created by professors of the Center for Digital Innovation, Technology, and Strategy at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, moves on from counting the numbers of direct employment to uncovering jobs indirectly created by Facebook apps. It then estimates the economic value of all those jobs, which means analyzing salaries and benefits. Still skeptical? They're calling it the "Facebook App Economy" and you can read all about it here.
DC Universe Online: Pound on bad guys for free starting next month
If you've always wanted to try out Sony Online Entertainment's DC Universe online (on either PS3 or PC), but didn't want to pay actual money to do so, you'll be happy to know that you'll soon be able to access "the entire game" for free starting next month. As reported by PCWorld, this switch to a freemium pricing plan will still allow users to purchase premium content, but all of the open world gameplay, missions, game updates and patches will be free.
To be specific, DC Universe Online will have three different levels of access. The first and completely free level, gives players access to create just two characters and join a league with other players. From there, the Premium level of users requires that a player spend at least $5 in real money in the game's store to be given that Premium player status for life. This gives them access to larger inventory space, the ability to create more characters and the ability to trade items with others. Finally, if you still want the subscription plan, you can be a Legendary player, paying around $15 a month for access to even more character and inventory slots, along with access to the game's DLC packages at no additional cost. There are plenty of other differences between the three gameplay levels; head over here to check them out.
DC Universe Online is just the latest of many once entirely paid-sub games to go free-to-play in some form. While the most noteworthy case has arguably been World of Warcraft's free-to-play setup for users up to level 20, this is just another case where social and casual players are given an opportunity to break away from Facebook simulators and jump into the world of true MMOs. While the two worlds are (for the most part) entirely different, a bigger selection is definitely not a bad thing.
To be specific, DC Universe Online will have three different levels of access. The first and completely free level, gives players access to create just two characters and join a league with other players. From there, the Premium level of users requires that a player spend at least $5 in real money in the game's store to be given that Premium player status for life. This gives them access to larger inventory space, the ability to create more characters and the ability to trade items with others. Finally, if you still want the subscription plan, you can be a Legendary player, paying around $15 a month for access to even more character and inventory slots, along with access to the game's DLC packages at no additional cost. There are plenty of other differences between the three gameplay levels; head over here to check them out.
DC Universe Online is just the latest of many once entirely paid-sub games to go free-to-play in some form. While the most noteworthy case has arguably been World of Warcraft's free-to-play setup for users up to level 20, this is just another case where social and casual players are given an opportunity to break away from Facebook simulators and jump into the world of true MMOs. While the two worlds are (for the most part) entirely different, a bigger selection is definitely not a bad thing.
Zynga gives free rides to FarmVille Lighthouse Cove starting today
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove screen
Oh, you patient ones. Now is finally the time to see if waiting in the freebie line was worth it. For those FarmVille players that declined to fork up 55 Farm Cash ($10 USD, to be exact), the Lighthouse Cove expansion will be available to all starting today. We assume, as with all changes or major releases by Zynga, that this release will be a slow roll-out.
Just like players did early last week, they will hop on a sail boat to a New England-esque coastal farming village. Unfortunately, the area has been ravaged by a brutal storm, and Brenda--the town's resident widow--has enlisted you to help restore it. You'll slowly level up your Lighthouse by repairing the lighthouse, dock and more through quests.
However, free players will not receive the exclusive quests and items given to those who put up the dough. Regardless there looks to be a ton of content here with a larger focus on building a village than simply farming crops. For instance, you'll have fewer plots to farm on that unlock over time in Lighthouse Cove, though those crops yield far more coins, XP and Mastery.
In addition to farming, you can harvest the Cove once its restored for ingredients to use in Restaurant recipes like clams and lobster for dishes like New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Rolls. Another interesting change with FarmVille LC in comparison to its first expansion, English Countryside, is that all quests will be timed this time around.
Gallery: FarmVille Lighthouse Cove
And that includes the bonus quests, courtesy of Brenda. Because quests were persistent throughout FarmVille EC, it was easy for friends to speed ahead or slip behind one another in their progress. "It was harder for players to work on the same thing in English Countryside," FarmVille GM Nate Etter explains.
FarmVille Sailor CalfDuring an early look of the game, Etter told us that the team was going for "a FarmVille meets Martha's Vineyard style." "Players seem to love water, which was a major source of inspiration for Lighthouse Cove," Etter recalls. "I think we're constantly listening to players, [and] that will govern where FarmVille will go."
So, while you're enjoying the serene orange glow and brisk autumn breeze of Lighthouse Cove (imagination, people), try to think up where you would like to go next, and take it to the Facebook page or forums--they're all ears. As for why the second expansion was released early to players who paid Farm Cash, a Zynga representative told us, "We have so many passionate players, that we wanted to offer them a first look at the game."
Well, patience has its payoffs, my friends. Namely, it saves you money. So, enjoy that peace of mind, and increase that peace in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove. Good things come to those who (choose to) wait--that's especially because we have a bevy of content to get you through your first several hours in FarmVille LC. Enjoy.
Oh, you patient ones. Now is finally the time to see if waiting in the freebie line was worth it. For those FarmVille players that declined to fork up 55 Farm Cash ($10 USD, to be exact), the Lighthouse Cove expansion will be available to all starting today. We assume, as with all changes or major releases by Zynga, that this release will be a slow roll-out.
Just like players did early last week, they will hop on a sail boat to a New England-esque coastal farming village. Unfortunately, the area has been ravaged by a brutal storm, and Brenda--the town's resident widow--has enlisted you to help restore it. You'll slowly level up your Lighthouse by repairing the lighthouse, dock and more through quests.
However, free players will not receive the exclusive quests and items given to those who put up the dough. Regardless there looks to be a ton of content here with a larger focus on building a village than simply farming crops. For instance, you'll have fewer plots to farm on that unlock over time in Lighthouse Cove, though those crops yield far more coins, XP and Mastery.
In addition to farming, you can harvest the Cove once its restored for ingredients to use in Restaurant recipes like clams and lobster for dishes like New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Rolls. Another interesting change with FarmVille LC in comparison to its first expansion, English Countryside, is that all quests will be timed this time around.
Gallery: FarmVille Lighthouse Cove
And that includes the bonus quests, courtesy of Brenda. Because quests were persistent throughout FarmVille EC, it was easy for friends to speed ahead or slip behind one another in their progress. "It was harder for players to work on the same thing in English Countryside," FarmVille GM Nate Etter explains.
FarmVille Sailor CalfDuring an early look of the game, Etter told us that the team was going for "a FarmVille meets Martha's Vineyard style." "Players seem to love water, which was a major source of inspiration for Lighthouse Cove," Etter recalls. "I think we're constantly listening to players, [and] that will govern where FarmVille will go."
So, while you're enjoying the serene orange glow and brisk autumn breeze of Lighthouse Cove (imagination, people), try to think up where you would like to go next, and take it to the Facebook page or forums--they're all ears. As for why the second expansion was released early to players who paid Farm Cash, a Zynga representative told us, "We have so many passionate players, that we wanted to offer them a first look at the game."
Well, patience has its payoffs, my friends. Namely, it saves you money. So, enjoy that peace of mind, and increase that peace in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove. Good things come to those who (choose to) wait--that's especially because we have a bevy of content to get you through your first several hours in FarmVille LC. Enjoy.
Baseball Superstars: The League goes for a grand slam on Facebook
Just in time for the playoff season in the states (Philadelphia NL East Champs! ... sorry), Gamevil has released its very own baseball simulator on Facebook, Baseball Superstars: The League. The Korean and Los Angeles-based developer best known for the Zenonia series of RPGs (role-playing games) on the iPhone released this social version of its hit baseball sims on iOS.
Of course, EA Sports and Playfish have already staked their claim to the sub genre on Facebook with World Series Superstars, but already Gamevil has one thing going for it: global multiplayer. That's right, once you choose your team's name, logo and specialty between Power, Accuracy and Speed, you can jump into games immediately with anyone playing the game.
While you will certainly need Facebook friends to play in Exhibition games, those looking for a fast and easy Quick Play game, the world's digital baseball managers await you. There's also a Home Run Derby mode as well as full-blown tournaments, which are coming soon. And the gameplay is surprisingly interactive, having players actually swing at pitches with clicks.
Baseball Superstars Logo
Baseball Superstars features a full-blown pitching system as well, in which players select from a variety of pitches and choose exactly where they land in or around the strike zone. There are also a number of commands you can give to base runners to attempt to steal bases. All in all, this looks like an impressively full-featured baseball game on Facebook at launch.
While much of the game has players tweaking their stadiums like most sports games on Facebook, it's the actually Quick Plays and Exhibition games that are the meat and potatoes of Baseball Superstars, and what could make this game a competitor to existing social sports games. "It builds upon our years of strategic advances in the global games market, and shows that we can adapt and offer a unique yet competitive social games experience," VP and head of Gamevil USA Kyu Lee said in a release.
Baseball Superstars gameplay
Baseball Superstars is just Gamevil's second release on Facebook after Train City, which didn't do so hot, according to AppData. Considering the hype train that is US baseball in September and October, baseball fans (the closet Facebook game-loving ones, at least) are going to be on the hunt for a new experience on Facebook.
And it looks like Gamevil will be there to meet them with a Facebook game that actually focuses on, you know, the baseball? Hey, the second time can still be a charm, too, right?
Of course, EA Sports and Playfish have already staked their claim to the sub genre on Facebook with World Series Superstars, but already Gamevil has one thing going for it: global multiplayer. That's right, once you choose your team's name, logo and specialty between Power, Accuracy and Speed, you can jump into games immediately with anyone playing the game.
While you will certainly need Facebook friends to play in Exhibition games, those looking for a fast and easy Quick Play game, the world's digital baseball managers await you. There's also a Home Run Derby mode as well as full-blown tournaments, which are coming soon. And the gameplay is surprisingly interactive, having players actually swing at pitches with clicks.
Baseball Superstars Logo
Baseball Superstars features a full-blown pitching system as well, in which players select from a variety of pitches and choose exactly where they land in or around the strike zone. There are also a number of commands you can give to base runners to attempt to steal bases. All in all, this looks like an impressively full-featured baseball game on Facebook at launch.
While much of the game has players tweaking their stadiums like most sports games on Facebook, it's the actually Quick Plays and Exhibition games that are the meat and potatoes of Baseball Superstars, and what could make this game a competitor to existing social sports games. "It builds upon our years of strategic advances in the global games market, and shows that we can adapt and offer a unique yet competitive social games experience," VP and head of Gamevil USA Kyu Lee said in a release.
Baseball Superstars gameplay
Baseball Superstars is just Gamevil's second release on Facebook after Train City, which didn't do so hot, according to AppData. Considering the hype train that is US baseball in September and October, baseball fans (the closet Facebook game-loving ones, at least) are going to be on the hunt for a new experience on Facebook.
And it looks like Gamevil will be there to meet them with a Facebook game that actually focuses on, you know, the baseball? Hey, the second time can still be a charm, too, right?
Monday, January 9, 2012
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in AT&T U-verse promotion
A new free Farm Cash promotion has started appearing on some farms of US-based FarmVille players today, with this newest promotion being from AT&T U-verse. As usual, you'll be able to activate this activity by clicking on the Sponsored Link [pictured] that will appear below your FarmVille gameplay area. Note: if you don't see the promotion, it's likely that it is not live on your own account yet, so keep checking back.
The promotion itself will launch in a new window, where you'll be asked what your favorite AT&T U-verse feature is (from a selection of five choices). As usual, answer any way you'd like and hit the "Next" button to complete the activity and be given your 2 free Farm Cash.
After earning your reward and closing this window, you should see your Farm Cash total automatically increase by two, but if not, a simple refresh of the game should force the new Farm Cash to load into your game.
The Iced Cliff released yesterday costs only 2 Farm Cash - will you use this prize to purchase that item, or do you have something else in mind for your free premium currency?
The promotion itself will launch in a new window, where you'll be asked what your favorite AT&T U-verse feature is (from a selection of five choices). As usual, answer any way you'd like and hit the "Next" button to complete the activity and be given your 2 free Farm Cash.
After earning your reward and closing this window, you should see your Farm Cash total automatically increase by two, but if not, a simple refresh of the game should force the new Farm Cash to load into your game.
The Iced Cliff released yesterday costs only 2 Farm Cash - will you use this prize to purchase that item, or do you have something else in mind for your free premium currency?
Cafe World Honors Goals: Everything you need to know
While we knew that a new set of Graduation goals had been released in Cafe World at the end of last week, apparently a set of two more goals also slipped into the "active" category as well. With all of the missions one user could currently have going on their account, it's easy for even us to get overwhelmed (my cafe is a mess, let me tell you).
Regardless, we now know that the "Graduate With Honors" goal released last week, upon completion, spawns two new "Honors" goals for you to complete. We have all of the information about how you'll be able to finish these goals (and perhaps even why you would want to) behind the break, so meet us there to get started.
The first of these two goals is the Teacher's Pet goal. It requires you to complete three tasks:
Serve 75 dishes
Earn 250,000 coins
Visit 10 friends
Depending on your level in the game, this mission could be either incredibly easy or incredibly difficult. Over time though, all of these tasks are completable, with unfortunate no real work-arounds being available. Once you complete this mission, you'll earn 500 Cafe Points and 1,000 coins.
This unlocks the second and final task in the Honor goal series, which is called "Honors Pastry Practice." This mission requires you to do just two things. I feel now would be a good time to remind you guys that I'm just the messenger.
Ask for 20 Puff Pastries
Serve 200 Puff Pastries from the Gift Box
Yes, you read that right - ask for 20 Puff Pastries - another item in the game that you must ask your friends for. Whether you're sick of bugging your friends for items, or whether you have tons of active neighbors that you can easily ask, this isn't so much the issue here. As we've spoke of in the past, the new issue with Cafe World goals seems to be the fact that there are simply so darn many of them to complete, that it's almost impossible to ask for these items, as you can't get the goal menu to appear in the first place!
If you're suffering from this problem (it's not a glitch; rather a design choice that is now catching up with Zynga), the only real suggestion we can offer is to clear out other missions that are "covering" this one up, so that you can get to the "ask" button to ask for those Puff Pastries.
Mission completed, you'll receive the Honors Diploma, another decorative item that will show off your now honors-graduate status to your friends.
We'll make sure you're the first to know complete details about the Specialty Cookbook (available after completing the entirety of the Cooking Academy goals) once it has been opened in full. In the meantime, let us know what you think of these new missions in Cafe World? Have you given up on the Cooking Academy until you can clear out other goals?
Regardless, we now know that the "Graduate With Honors" goal released last week, upon completion, spawns two new "Honors" goals for you to complete. We have all of the information about how you'll be able to finish these goals (and perhaps even why you would want to) behind the break, so meet us there to get started.
The first of these two goals is the Teacher's Pet goal. It requires you to complete three tasks:
Serve 75 dishes
Earn 250,000 coins
Visit 10 friends
Depending on your level in the game, this mission could be either incredibly easy or incredibly difficult. Over time though, all of these tasks are completable, with unfortunate no real work-arounds being available. Once you complete this mission, you'll earn 500 Cafe Points and 1,000 coins.
This unlocks the second and final task in the Honor goal series, which is called "Honors Pastry Practice." This mission requires you to do just two things. I feel now would be a good time to remind you guys that I'm just the messenger.
Ask for 20 Puff Pastries
Serve 200 Puff Pastries from the Gift Box
Yes, you read that right - ask for 20 Puff Pastries - another item in the game that you must ask your friends for. Whether you're sick of bugging your friends for items, or whether you have tons of active neighbors that you can easily ask, this isn't so much the issue here. As we've spoke of in the past, the new issue with Cafe World goals seems to be the fact that there are simply so darn many of them to complete, that it's almost impossible to ask for these items, as you can't get the goal menu to appear in the first place!
If you're suffering from this problem (it's not a glitch; rather a design choice that is now catching up with Zynga), the only real suggestion we can offer is to clear out other missions that are "covering" this one up, so that you can get to the "ask" button to ask for those Puff Pastries.
Mission completed, you'll receive the Honors Diploma, another decorative item that will show off your now honors-graduate status to your friends.
We'll make sure you're the first to know complete details about the Specialty Cookbook (available after completing the entirety of the Cooking Academy goals) once it has been opened in full. In the meantime, let us know what you think of these new missions in Cafe World? Have you given up on the Cooking Academy until you can clear out other goals?
Wishful Features: A mission select screen in Cafe World
We've done quite a few Wishful Features now, and even a few in Cafe World, but perhaps no feature is more wanted - nay, necessary - in the game at this point than a mission / goal selection menu.
With new goals launching in the game on a weekly, or even daily basis in some instances, along with new Catering Jobs, building projects, decorations and the like - well, it can get pretty hectic in the kitchen, trying to keep track of which mission to complete next, or even what tasks are required for those goals.
This problem really comes about by the fact that you can have a slew of missions active on your account at once (that is, goals that you have yet to complete), but can only see the icons for three or four of them along the right-hand side of your screen. What if you have more than five goals, or what if you wanted to complete the game's newest goals, but literally couldn't see them because they were covered up by the set of goals that the game automatically displays to you.
Sure, there is a bit of a workaround for this in some cases - if the mission that is hidden contains a portion that you can complete in your own cafe, you can quickly click on the black box that appears in the top left corner of the screen, showing you your progress in that mission, which will effectively force the quest window to pop up for you to view, but if the goal in question contains nothing but collection events, where you'll need to collect items from friends, there is no way currently to make that window pop up. That being the case, there is then no way to complete that mission, as you'll never get to the "ask" button to be able to ask for the items that you need. It's a vicious cycle, as I hope I've made clear.
This entire situation screams for a solution from Zynga, in the form of a mission select screen - a screen that would show you the icons for every single goal you have active on your game, allowing you to click on a particular icon and see that quest's goals. FrontierVille suffered from the same sort of issue earlier this year, and the developer launched a mission select screen in that game, so why can't they add one here? Users have been voicing their opinions on the game's fan page, on the official Cafe World forums, and even right here on Games.com - The Blog! Has all of this attention finally caused Zynga to give us something that is so desperately wanted, and in fact needed in the game? Only time will tell, but we hope that that's the case.
With new goals launching in the game on a weekly, or even daily basis in some instances, along with new Catering Jobs, building projects, decorations and the like - well, it can get pretty hectic in the kitchen, trying to keep track of which mission to complete next, or even what tasks are required for those goals.
This problem really comes about by the fact that you can have a slew of missions active on your account at once (that is, goals that you have yet to complete), but can only see the icons for three or four of them along the right-hand side of your screen. What if you have more than five goals, or what if you wanted to complete the game's newest goals, but literally couldn't see them because they were covered up by the set of goals that the game automatically displays to you.
Sure, there is a bit of a workaround for this in some cases - if the mission that is hidden contains a portion that you can complete in your own cafe, you can quickly click on the black box that appears in the top left corner of the screen, showing you your progress in that mission, which will effectively force the quest window to pop up for you to view, but if the goal in question contains nothing but collection events, where you'll need to collect items from friends, there is no way currently to make that window pop up. That being the case, there is then no way to complete that mission, as you'll never get to the "ask" button to be able to ask for the items that you need. It's a vicious cycle, as I hope I've made clear.
This entire situation screams for a solution from Zynga, in the form of a mission select screen - a screen that would show you the icons for every single goal you have active on your game, allowing you to click on a particular icon and see that quest's goals. FrontierVille suffered from the same sort of issue earlier this year, and the developer launched a mission select screen in that game, so why can't they add one here? Users have been voicing their opinions on the game's fan page, on the official Cafe World forums, and even right here on Games.com - The Blog! Has all of this attention finally caused Zynga to give us something that is so desperately wanted, and in fact needed in the game? Only time will tell, but we hope that that's the case.
Facebook gives game developers your home address and phone number
No, this isn't a scam - yes, this is something that might seem relatively bizzarre and completely fake, but is unfortunately 100% true. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in a recent Facebook update (revealed on the official Facebook Developer Blog), all app developers (that's every single developer - not just a few) now have the ability to access your current address and mobile phone number when you add a new third-party application to your account on Facebook.
This situation is actually a bit complicated, so bear with us. From now on, the "Request for Permission" box that all users see when adding new third-party applications will have a new section entitled "Access my contact information," which lists specifically your current address and mobile phone number. Not every game will have this information being requested - the change here is that application developers can now add that stipulation in. That being the case, when you click "Allow," you are actually giving the developer the right to have this information, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Currently, there doesn't seem to be a way to avoid granting this permission to developers, as Facebook has been the one to grant them access in the first place, however, if you remove this personally identifiable information from your account, then all these developers will have access to is a blank line.
If you're worried that you have this sort of information on your account, which is now free for the taking (who knows what kind of sinister things they could do?), meet us behind the break for a guide on how to find it, and remove it.
First, let's tackle the phone number, as it's likely the one that most users would have. The biggest area of concern will be on your Facebook Account Settings. You can browse there by clicking on Account in the top right corner of the screen and then clicking on "Account Settings" from the drop down menu.
From there, click on the "Mobile" tab at the top of the screen.
Whether or not you have your phone number activated will be pretty obvious, as you will see your phone number, and your cell phone provider listed at the top of this tab. If you've activated this service (receiving text messages when you receive friend requests, wall posts, and the like), removing this phone number will unfortunately remove those text messages as well, but in the interest of your privacy, this is probably a good idea to do. Simply click to remove the number from your account. It would also be smart to refresh the page, just to make sure it saved.
However, if you've never activated a cell phone on your Facebook account, you'll see a line saying "Activate a Phone." You're good to go to the next step.
Your phone number can also be displayed on your public profile, if you've chosen to add it there for your friends to see. Sure, this is convenient for your friends to be able to contact you easily, even outside of Facebook, but again, privacy should come first, should it not?
This phone number and your address can be found and removed in the same location. First, click on the Facebook logo in the top left corner of any screen on Facebook to be taken to the home page (where you read your News Feed). Click on "Edit My Profile," which is underneath your name and beside your small profile picture in the top left corner of the screen.
From there, click on Contact information in the side-menu.
Your home address and mobile phone number (along with any other number) would be shown here, if you have added it to your profile. Simply clear these fields completely, and click "Save Changes" to remove them from your account entirely.
And there you have it! A few simple steps that will remove you from this new threat to your privacy on Facebook. With the backlash that is sure to erupt from this change, we're hoping Facebook will reconsider offering up such important and personal information to developers, but for now, make sure to keep your account safe by following the steps we outlined above.
Do you think it's acceptable for Facebook to be offering this personal information to app developers? Will you stop adding new games to avoid it?
This situation is actually a bit complicated, so bear with us. From now on, the "Request for Permission" box that all users see when adding new third-party applications will have a new section entitled "Access my contact information," which lists specifically your current address and mobile phone number. Not every game will have this information being requested - the change here is that application developers can now add that stipulation in. That being the case, when you click "Allow," you are actually giving the developer the right to have this information, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Currently, there doesn't seem to be a way to avoid granting this permission to developers, as Facebook has been the one to grant them access in the first place, however, if you remove this personally identifiable information from your account, then all these developers will have access to is a blank line.
If you're worried that you have this sort of information on your account, which is now free for the taking (who knows what kind of sinister things they could do?), meet us behind the break for a guide on how to find it, and remove it.
First, let's tackle the phone number, as it's likely the one that most users would have. The biggest area of concern will be on your Facebook Account Settings. You can browse there by clicking on Account in the top right corner of the screen and then clicking on "Account Settings" from the drop down menu.
From there, click on the "Mobile" tab at the top of the screen.
Whether or not you have your phone number activated will be pretty obvious, as you will see your phone number, and your cell phone provider listed at the top of this tab. If you've activated this service (receiving text messages when you receive friend requests, wall posts, and the like), removing this phone number will unfortunately remove those text messages as well, but in the interest of your privacy, this is probably a good idea to do. Simply click to remove the number from your account. It would also be smart to refresh the page, just to make sure it saved.
However, if you've never activated a cell phone on your Facebook account, you'll see a line saying "Activate a Phone." You're good to go to the next step.
Your phone number can also be displayed on your public profile, if you've chosen to add it there for your friends to see. Sure, this is convenient for your friends to be able to contact you easily, even outside of Facebook, but again, privacy should come first, should it not?
This phone number and your address can be found and removed in the same location. First, click on the Facebook logo in the top left corner of any screen on Facebook to be taken to the home page (where you read your News Feed). Click on "Edit My Profile," which is underneath your name and beside your small profile picture in the top left corner of the screen.
From there, click on Contact information in the side-menu.
Your home address and mobile phone number (along with any other number) would be shown here, if you have added it to your profile. Simply clear these fields completely, and click "Save Changes" to remove them from your account entirely.
And there you have it! A few simple steps that will remove you from this new threat to your privacy on Facebook. With the backlash that is sure to erupt from this change, we're hoping Facebook will reconsider offering up such important and personal information to developers, but for now, make sure to keep your account safe by following the steps we outlined above.
Do you think it's acceptable for Facebook to be offering this personal information to app developers? Will you stop adding new games to avoid it?
Train City: It's like CityVille ... with more trains
Train City. The name basically sums up the entirety of what you'll find in LIFO Interactive and Gamevil's Facebook game Train City. The title is your run-of-the-mill city-building simulator, but with a major focus on the train track that runs through the center of your town.
Building the city itself is your basic arrangement - you'll purchase homes, offices, community buildings and the like to give your citizens a place to eat, sleep and have fun. Your businesses will earn "taxes" for your city overtime, which must be collected by clicking on the building when it has a symbol of coins above it. As you level up, you'll unlock new items to add to your town, with larger houses adding more population to your town, and more expensive businesses offering up more tax over time.
Where the gameplay tries to be unique is in the inclusion of your city's train. Your train track can be customized in any way you'd like, to take either a completely scenic route around your businesses and homes, or to take a direct, square root around the city - the choice is yours. Whatever the case, you'll need to set your train into motion by hiring a conductor, with conductors lasting different amounts of time (ranging from three minutes to two days), depending on how long you'd like to leave the game before coming back to collect the profits from your train's many passengers.
Other in-game elements are fairly light (as is the whole game, really), and include a quest system that sees you collecting taxes from specific businesses, purchasing particular buildings before others, and so on, as well as both collection and achievement features. Collection items appear when collecting taxes from your businesses, while achievements are earned based on your overall activities in the game - complete any one task enough times, and you're likely to earn them all.
For social features, you can visit your friends' cities as a "Tourist," allowing you to choose from earning either bonus happiness for the citizens of your town, or bonus population for your town. The opposite of your choice is what your friend will receive in return. You can also send your friends free gifts, like new businesses, homes, and decorative items.
All in all, Train City isthe kind of li ght game that might suit someone who is fine with only playing a game for one or two minutes at a time.
Building the city itself is your basic arrangement - you'll purchase homes, offices, community buildings and the like to give your citizens a place to eat, sleep and have fun. Your businesses will earn "taxes" for your city overtime, which must be collected by clicking on the building when it has a symbol of coins above it. As you level up, you'll unlock new items to add to your town, with larger houses adding more population to your town, and more expensive businesses offering up more tax over time.
Where the gameplay tries to be unique is in the inclusion of your city's train. Your train track can be customized in any way you'd like, to take either a completely scenic route around your businesses and homes, or to take a direct, square root around the city - the choice is yours. Whatever the case, you'll need to set your train into motion by hiring a conductor, with conductors lasting different amounts of time (ranging from three minutes to two days), depending on how long you'd like to leave the game before coming back to collect the profits from your train's many passengers.
Other in-game elements are fairly light (as is the whole game, really), and include a quest system that sees you collecting taxes from specific businesses, purchasing particular buildings before others, and so on, as well as both collection and achievement features. Collection items appear when collecting taxes from your businesses, while achievements are earned based on your overall activities in the game - complete any one task enough times, and you're likely to earn them all.
For social features, you can visit your friends' cities as a "Tourist," allowing you to choose from earning either bonus happiness for the citizens of your town, or bonus population for your town. The opposite of your choice is what your friend will receive in return. You can also send your friends free gifts, like new businesses, homes, and decorative items.
All in all, Train City isthe kind of li ght game that might suit someone who is fine with only playing a game for one or two minutes at a time.
Friday, January 6, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Unreleased Dexter Cow and Dexter Calf
Tonight's FarmVille update brought along another unreleased animal, and we have the exclusive information for you about this adorable little critter. The Dexter Cow and Dexter Calf are the latest two breeds of cow to be eventually coming to FarmVille. Dexter Cattle are a real breed, they are a small European breed of cow. They originated in Ireland, and were considered a rare breed of cow until recently.
The Dexter Cow and Dexter Calf are not guaranteed to make it into FarmVille, however there is a pretty good chance we'll be seeing them wander into the game within the next week or so.
What other breeds of cattle would you like to see in FarmVille? What do you think happens when they run out of cows to add?
The Dexter Cow and Dexter Calf are not guaranteed to make it into FarmVille, however there is a pretty good chance we'll be seeing them wander into the game within the next week or so.
What other breeds of cattle would you like to see in FarmVille? What do you think happens when they run out of cows to add?
Game of the Day: Sudoku Mega
The game of the day wants to help keep your gray matter mutting along. Sudoku Mega is sudoku on steroids! The popular puzzle gets an exciting twist that ups the challenge ante. Complete the grid so that each column, row, and 4x4 square contains the numbers 1-9 and the letters A-G. Featuring a new puzzle every day, in-game hints, and the ability to save your progress, Sudoku Mega is the biggest, baddest Sudoku of them all! Come back everyday for a new puzzle!
Click--> play Sudoku Mega
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click--> play Sudoku Mega
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Zynga is the second most valuable game company in the world
Big Money
OK, Zynga, we get it. You're insanely huge and popular and worth (wait ... seriously?) $10 billion. All Things Digital reports that as it ends a $500 million funding spree, sources claim that the mastermind behind CityVille is worth way more than the ubiquitous EA. You know, the guys who own Playfish and created Madden? They're only worth $6.2 billion, according to TechCrunch. Valuation is nothing more than an educated guessing game by big name investors as to how profitable a company is. Regardless, this number makes Zynga only second to Activision Blizzard as the most valuable games company in the world. You can cue the maniacal laughter now, thanks.
Gaming's current monolith, Activision Blizzard, is worth somewhere around $13 billion according to several news outlets. So, you can bet the traditional gaming industry is losing its mind at this point. It looks like the age of blockbuster triple-A games that cost tens of millions of dollars to develop--much less market--is coming to a close. Sure, games like Call of Duty and World of WarCraft can rake in billions, but look at the costs.
Especially when a seemingly unassuming game like FarmVille can bring in the same cash and cost a fraction of what a WoW expansion does to develop, market and release. It's only a matter of time before Zynga becomes the most valuable game company on the planet. It's sad to say, but the traditional gaming companies will likely adapt rather than stand and fight. This means even more designers like Brian Reynolds, John Romero and Richard Garriott will rush onto the scene. While there will always be room for Azeroth and the Mushroom Kingdom, you can bet that these types of games slow down in favor of cheaper, more profitable social games. Regardless of whether you're in agreement, social gaming is taking over in more ways than one.
[Image Credit: The Equity Kicker]
How long do you think before Zynga reaches the top? How do you think traditional game companies will respond?
OK, Zynga, we get it. You're insanely huge and popular and worth (wait ... seriously?) $10 billion. All Things Digital reports that as it ends a $500 million funding spree, sources claim that the mastermind behind CityVille is worth way more than the ubiquitous EA. You know, the guys who own Playfish and created Madden? They're only worth $6.2 billion, according to TechCrunch. Valuation is nothing more than an educated guessing game by big name investors as to how profitable a company is. Regardless, this number makes Zynga only second to Activision Blizzard as the most valuable games company in the world. You can cue the maniacal laughter now, thanks.
Gaming's current monolith, Activision Blizzard, is worth somewhere around $13 billion according to several news outlets. So, you can bet the traditional gaming industry is losing its mind at this point. It looks like the age of blockbuster triple-A games that cost tens of millions of dollars to develop--much less market--is coming to a close. Sure, games like Call of Duty and World of WarCraft can rake in billions, but look at the costs.
Especially when a seemingly unassuming game like FarmVille can bring in the same cash and cost a fraction of what a WoW expansion does to develop, market and release. It's only a matter of time before Zynga becomes the most valuable game company on the planet. It's sad to say, but the traditional gaming companies will likely adapt rather than stand and fight. This means even more designers like Brian Reynolds, John Romero and Richard Garriott will rush onto the scene. While there will always be room for Azeroth and the Mushroom Kingdom, you can bet that these types of games slow down in favor of cheaper, more profitable social games. Regardless of whether you're in agreement, social gaming is taking over in more ways than one.
[Image Credit: The Equity Kicker]
How long do you think before Zynga reaches the top? How do you think traditional game companies will respond?
Why Facebook games don't look like Call of Duty
This very article was going to be a preview of Konami's new Viva! Mall social game (pictured above). That was before it was revealed that the Facebook game did not support Mac OS yet. As a new Mac user, this writer is willing to put up with most traditional computer games being exclusive to Windows, but social games? Upon further inspection of the game's FAQ, you'll notice that Viva! Mall has system requirements. And lofty requirements at that for a game on Facebook. Social games don't look like your Call of Duty's or Final Fantasy's because the technology isn't there yet, but there are far more important reasons for this.
These are the system requirements for Konami's Viva! Mall, according to its FAQ:
Minimum specs for Viva! Mall are:
OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
CPU: Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz or higher
RAM: 1 GB or higher
Video Card: GeForce 4 Ti 4200/Radeon 9000 or higher
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c or higher
Recommended specs are:
OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.1 Ghz or higher
RAM: 2 GB or higher
Video Card: GeForce 7950GT/Radeon X1800 or higher
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c or higher
Viva! Mall is compatible with Internet Explorer 8, Mozilla Firefox 3.6 and higher, and Google Chrome Stable.
While there aren't hard numbers on this, we're willing to bet that the majority of social gamers--middle-aged mothers as many studies have shown--run Facebook games on computers that don't even come close to this. Hell, there is probably a huge portion of gamers that play FarmVille on netbooks. The processor in this MacBook Pro just sneaks over the recommended level for Viva! Mall. Regardless of how amazing your Facebook game is, social gamers do not care (and shouldn't have to) enough to check whether their computer is compatible.
Viva Mall Customization
It's tough enough for many Facebook gamers to keep up with updates to the Flash player much less see if their 3-year-old Dell PC has at least a "GeForce 4 Ti 4200/Radeon 9000 or higher." Nor do many of you care, and rightfully so. Konami is approaching the social game audience as if it's comprised of seasoned PC gamers. If most hardcore PC players resonate with John Blow, then they generally stay away from Facebook games.
Getting into a Facebook game is supposed to be simple. Most developers have it down to one click before you're into a new game and it loads (preferably) seconds later. But that doesn't mean the play hook has to be terribly simplistic--just look at games like Zuma Blitz. Loading Zuma Blitz takes mere seconds and the core mechanic is as elementary as it gets. But take a look at the amount of strategy and technique players employ to master it. Complex or deep play in Facebook games does not have to mean complex or deep technology.
Viva Mall graphics
What's even more baffling is that Konami expects the audience who digs mall simulators to be the same people that rock even remotely up-to-date PCs. (Not to mention that Viva! Mall isn't compatible with a growing operating system.) Why waste this beautiful tech on an audience that, frankly, doesn't give a hoot about it? I'm sure there is a dedicated niche out there just waiting for a truly awesome 3D game on Facebook. And if Konami requires these kind of computers just to run a damned mall, surely it could deliver to those players.
We're all patiently waiting for social games to evolve into deeper and more rewarding experiences, but this is most definitely not the road to take. Your thousands of players have to get into your revolutionary game before they decide whether they like it.
Click here to see how well Viva! Mall runs on your PC >
[Image Credits: Super Cheats, Latest Screens and Mena Gamer]
What do you think of Konami's approach to social games? Do you think there will ever be an audience for social games that include system requirements?
These are the system requirements for Konami's Viva! Mall, according to its FAQ:
Minimum specs for Viva! Mall are:
OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
CPU: Pentium 4 2.4 Ghz or higher
RAM: 1 GB or higher
Video Card: GeForce 4 Ti 4200/Radeon 9000 or higher
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c or higher
Recommended specs are:
OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.1 Ghz or higher
RAM: 2 GB or higher
Video Card: GeForce 7950GT/Radeon X1800 or higher
DirectX: DirectX 9.0c or higher
Viva! Mall is compatible with Internet Explorer 8, Mozilla Firefox 3.6 and higher, and Google Chrome Stable.
While there aren't hard numbers on this, we're willing to bet that the majority of social gamers--middle-aged mothers as many studies have shown--run Facebook games on computers that don't even come close to this. Hell, there is probably a huge portion of gamers that play FarmVille on netbooks. The processor in this MacBook Pro just sneaks over the recommended level for Viva! Mall. Regardless of how amazing your Facebook game is, social gamers do not care (and shouldn't have to) enough to check whether their computer is compatible.
Viva Mall Customization
It's tough enough for many Facebook gamers to keep up with updates to the Flash player much less see if their 3-year-old Dell PC has at least a "GeForce 4 Ti 4200/Radeon 9000 or higher." Nor do many of you care, and rightfully so. Konami is approaching the social game audience as if it's comprised of seasoned PC gamers. If most hardcore PC players resonate with John Blow, then they generally stay away from Facebook games.
Getting into a Facebook game is supposed to be simple. Most developers have it down to one click before you're into a new game and it loads (preferably) seconds later. But that doesn't mean the play hook has to be terribly simplistic--just look at games like Zuma Blitz. Loading Zuma Blitz takes mere seconds and the core mechanic is as elementary as it gets. But take a look at the amount of strategy and technique players employ to master it. Complex or deep play in Facebook games does not have to mean complex or deep technology.
Viva Mall graphics
What's even more baffling is that Konami expects the audience who digs mall simulators to be the same people that rock even remotely up-to-date PCs. (Not to mention that Viva! Mall isn't compatible with a growing operating system.) Why waste this beautiful tech on an audience that, frankly, doesn't give a hoot about it? I'm sure there is a dedicated niche out there just waiting for a truly awesome 3D game on Facebook. And if Konami requires these kind of computers just to run a damned mall, surely it could deliver to those players.
We're all patiently waiting for social games to evolve into deeper and more rewarding experiences, but this is most definitely not the road to take. Your thousands of players have to get into your revolutionary game before they decide whether they like it.
Click here to see how well Viva! Mall runs on your PC >
[Image Credits: Super Cheats, Latest Screens and Mena Gamer]
What do you think of Konami's approach to social games? Do you think there will ever be an audience for social games that include system requirements?
FrontierVille Fanny 'n Bess mission turns up the heat on same sex romance
FrontierVille made history as one of the first Facebook games that offered players the option of having same-sex marriages. And now, in a series of missions that were released for Valentine's Day, players have the option of igniting the flames between two lady characters -- Fanny the sassy schoolmarm and Bess the friendly farmhand.
frontierville kissing treeThis Fanny n' Bess match-up is part of a series of Kissing Tree missions, where you have the option of pairing Fanny and/or Bess with Hank, or just take Hank out the equation and bring these two gals together. We have extensive coverage on these missions here, if you're interested.
It's refreshing to see that FrontierVille is giving players a variety of options (even though there was no option to pair Hank with another male character from the game), and I'm surprised that this, frankly, groundbreaking mission didn't elicit more attention when it rolled out about a week ago.
I remember people raising a fuss about the ability to have same-sex partners (and relations) in the popular PC game The Sims way back when, and in later versions of the game, Sims of the same sex could get married and have babies. More recently, eyebrows were raised by the girl-on-girl action in the hit game Mass Effect as well as the girl/girl and boy/boy action in Dragon Age. Maybe there's been no real buzz about this FrontierVille pairing because it's completely G-rated. There's no action to see here other than the implied: Fanny 'n Bess, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
I've reached out to Zynga for additional comment. Stay tuned.
frontierville kissing treeThis Fanny n' Bess match-up is part of a series of Kissing Tree missions, where you have the option of pairing Fanny and/or Bess with Hank, or just take Hank out the equation and bring these two gals together. We have extensive coverage on these missions here, if you're interested.
It's refreshing to see that FrontierVille is giving players a variety of options (even though there was no option to pair Hank with another male character from the game), and I'm surprised that this, frankly, groundbreaking mission didn't elicit more attention when it rolled out about a week ago.
I remember people raising a fuss about the ability to have same-sex partners (and relations) in the popular PC game The Sims way back when, and in later versions of the game, Sims of the same sex could get married and have babies. More recently, eyebrows were raised by the girl-on-girl action in the hit game Mass Effect as well as the girl/girl and boy/boy action in Dragon Age. Maybe there's been no real buzz about this FrontierVille pairing because it's completely G-rated. There's no action to see here other than the implied: Fanny 'n Bess, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.
I've reached out to Zynga for additional comment. Stay tuned.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
FrontierVille Fanny versus Bess decorations appear; the heat is on
So, which team are you on? In an obvious (and almost painful) nod to Twilight, Zynga has released both the two Mystery Crates found yesterday and a slew of decorations to FrontierVille in honor of a mini-event of sorts. Except instead of sparkly vampires against eternally shirtless werewolves, it's Fanny versus Bess. It's your job to take a side--if you're willing to put some Horseshoes behind your decision.
Here are all the decorations that were added in light of this strange event:
Bess' Lasso – 4 Horseshoes
Bess' Diorama – 3,800 coins
Bess' Flower – 2,850 coins
Fanny's Desk – 4 Horseshoes
Fanny's books – 3,800 coins
Fanny's flowers – 2,850 coins
Luckily, only two of these items cost Horseshoes. While there isn't any major event tied to these decorations, I'd imagine that something much bigger is cooking. A cage fight? A triathlon, perhaps? Well, whatever is, we'll be all over it.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you picked any of these decorations in the game yet? Which side are you on--Fanny or Bess?
Here are all the decorations that were added in light of this strange event:
Bess' Lasso – 4 Horseshoes
Bess' Diorama – 3,800 coins
Bess' Flower – 2,850 coins
Fanny's Desk – 4 Horseshoes
Fanny's books – 3,800 coins
Fanny's flowers – 2,850 coins
Luckily, only two of these items cost Horseshoes. While there isn't any major event tied to these decorations, I'd imagine that something much bigger is cooking. A cage fight? A triathlon, perhaps? Well, whatever is, we'll be all over it.
[Source and Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you picked any of these decorations in the game yet? Which side are you on--Fanny or Bess?
FarmVille English Countryside hits Times Square, nowhere near a farm
We already know that Zynga is taking its FarmVille expansion, English Countryside, seriously, but this is just hardcore. FarmVille Feed has found a 50-foot tall poster promoting the imminent game smack in the middle of Times Square in New York City. In fact, they seem to capture images as it was still being put up. Zynga might have its lips sealed on a release date, but we can't be far off when the company is advertising with posters bigger than some houses.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Do you live in NYC and have seen this poster? What do you think of Zynga's rigorous ad campaign for English Countryside?
[Image Credit: FarmVille Feed]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Do you live in NYC and have seen this poster? What do you think of Zynga's rigorous ad campaign for English Countryside?
Zynga, Britney Spears tweet for Japan relief with more celebrities
In just 36 hours, Zynga raised $1 million in its partnership with Save the Children, and has used its mighty PR skills to spread the word. The creator of FarmVille has several promotions across six of its games, and looks to Twitter to get that number to $2 million in donations. More specifically, the company has projected a single tweet through celebrities' Twitter feeds including Britney Spears, Ashton Kutcher, Nicki Minaj, Enrique Iglesias, John Legend, Questlove and Matisyahu. With these Twitter stars alone, the company has reached tens of millions of players and, more importantly, the uninitiated. With massive celebrity support like this, Zynga will nab $2 million in donations in no time at all.
What other celebrities have you seen tweeting on Zynga's behalf? How well do you think Zynga is handling its contributions to the Japan relief effort?
What other celebrities have you seen tweeting on Zynga's behalf? How well do you think Zynga is handling its contributions to the Japan relief effort?
Ultima creator Richard Garriott announces Lord British social game
Richard Garriott, game designer by day and astronaut by night, has revealed his first two social games: Lord British's New Britannia (working title) and Ultimate Collector, Gamasutra reports. Garriott recently called out Zynga, claiming that it should watch out for Portalarium, his new social game development company. The mind behind the Ultima series unveiled the two games at South by Southwest in Austin, Tx.
The first game will obviously revolve around Garriott's famous alter-ego, Lord British, but he said that the game will be more than simply a lighter MMO on Facebook. "The virtual world game is not just an ultra-light MMO shopped on social media," Garriott said to a room of potential investors and fans. "I think that would be a failure."
The eminent game designer and his team at Portalarium are participating in Accelerator, a SXSW competition for technology start-ups that has served as a launchpad for services like Foursquare in the past. Through this, the company is looking for $3.8 million in funding for both its Lord British game and Ultimate Collector. The latter is set to release first in the second quarter.
This first game out of gate is an ambitious effort, combining social gameplay with a TV game show. Surprisingly, Garriott himself is hosting the show, whose pilot has already been filmed. Other than these slivers, details are scarce on the two games. It's comforting to see that Garriott is taking this seriously, but whether Portalarium can reach an audience suitable for the big leagues will likely be its greatest challenge.
[Image Credit: Giant Bomb]
Which of Garriott's games are you more excited about? Do you think Portalarium has a chance to become notable among companies like Zynga?
The first game will obviously revolve around Garriott's famous alter-ego, Lord British, but he said that the game will be more than simply a lighter MMO on Facebook. "The virtual world game is not just an ultra-light MMO shopped on social media," Garriott said to a room of potential investors and fans. "I think that would be a failure."
The eminent game designer and his team at Portalarium are participating in Accelerator, a SXSW competition for technology start-ups that has served as a launchpad for services like Foursquare in the past. Through this, the company is looking for $3.8 million in funding for both its Lord British game and Ultimate Collector. The latter is set to release first in the second quarter.
This first game out of gate is an ambitious effort, combining social gameplay with a TV game show. Surprisingly, Garriott himself is hosting the show, whose pilot has already been filmed. Other than these slivers, details are scarce on the two games. It's comforting to see that Garriott is taking this seriously, but whether Portalarium can reach an audience suitable for the big leagues will likely be its greatest challenge.
[Image Credit: Giant Bomb]
Which of Garriott's games are you more excited about? Do you think Portalarium has a chance to become notable among companies like Zynga?
FrontierVille Leprechaun Hunt Goals: Everything you need to know
Leprechaun
Finally, FrontierVille is ready to spread the green fever rather than the girl fever. Leprechauns are coming to your homestead in two new Goals that task you with trapping these little gnomes. Why we're even hunting the Leprechauns is beyond me, but first you'll have to lure them in and, in the second Goal, go for the capture. Keep in mind that this is all early information, so images are unavailable at the moment and specifics are subject to change.
Leprechaun Hunt (Part 1):
Plant 10 Clover (5 Horseshoes to unlock)
Plant 15 Potatoes (5 Horseshoes to unlock)
Plant 20 Cabbages (5 Horseshoes to unlock)
This Goal is as straightforward as they come. Clovers cost 10 coins a piece and are ready for harvest in just five minutes. However, Potatoes grow in four hours and cost 90 coins, while Cabbages cost 265 coins each and take a long 16 hours to harvest. You can plant all of them at the same time to minimize the total time this Goal will take, but it'll still put you 6,750 coins in the hole. You'll at least be rewarded with 75 XP and 100 coins, but do not, under any circumstances, harvest them yet.
Leprechaun Hunt (Part 2):
Find 4 Leprechauns
Collect 10 Leprechaun Traps
Now, it's time to hunt them! The purpose for planting all those crops is these are the exact crops that attract Leprechauns (how cute). Like Groundhogs, Leprechauns will appear when crops are harvested, but only these specific crops. That said, you'll need Leprechaun Traps to catch them, which you can ask your friends for the old fashioned way. You'll have to use these traps to catch four Leprechauns, but we doubt this will be the end for the Leprechauns. Complete this Goal and you'll be rewarded with 200 XP and 200 coins. If you want to catch more Leprechauns than the Goal requires, just plant a field of Clovers!
[Source: FrontierVille Info]
[Image Credit: Lionsgate Films]
Check out the rest of our St. Patrick's Day 2011 coverage right here.
Have you seen Leprechauns in your homestead yet? Can you think of a faster way to trap these Leprechauns?
Finally, FrontierVille is ready to spread the green fever rather than the girl fever. Leprechauns are coming to your homestead in two new Goals that task you with trapping these little gnomes. Why we're even hunting the Leprechauns is beyond me, but first you'll have to lure them in and, in the second Goal, go for the capture. Keep in mind that this is all early information, so images are unavailable at the moment and specifics are subject to change.
Leprechaun Hunt (Part 1):
Plant 10 Clover (5 Horseshoes to unlock)
Plant 15 Potatoes (5 Horseshoes to unlock)
Plant 20 Cabbages (5 Horseshoes to unlock)
This Goal is as straightforward as they come. Clovers cost 10 coins a piece and are ready for harvest in just five minutes. However, Potatoes grow in four hours and cost 90 coins, while Cabbages cost 265 coins each and take a long 16 hours to harvest. You can plant all of them at the same time to minimize the total time this Goal will take, but it'll still put you 6,750 coins in the hole. You'll at least be rewarded with 75 XP and 100 coins, but do not, under any circumstances, harvest them yet.
Leprechaun Hunt (Part 2):
Find 4 Leprechauns
Collect 10 Leprechaun Traps
Now, it's time to hunt them! The purpose for planting all those crops is these are the exact crops that attract Leprechauns (how cute). Like Groundhogs, Leprechauns will appear when crops are harvested, but only these specific crops. That said, you'll need Leprechaun Traps to catch them, which you can ask your friends for the old fashioned way. You'll have to use these traps to catch four Leprechauns, but we doubt this will be the end for the Leprechauns. Complete this Goal and you'll be rewarded with 200 XP and 200 coins. If you want to catch more Leprechauns than the Goal requires, just plant a field of Clovers!
[Source: FrontierVille Info]
[Image Credit: Lionsgate Films]
Check out the rest of our St. Patrick's Day 2011 coverage right here.
Have you seen Leprechauns in your homestead yet? Can you think of a faster way to trap these Leprechauns?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Sims Social: Grab your free Plumbob Hoodies while you still can!
While we knew that the Sims Social would be celebrating fans this week with a series of freebies (including Simoleons, collectibles and the like), here's a gift that tops them all - a free Plumbob Hoodie for both girl and boy Sims! For those that don't know, the Plumbob is the name of the Gem that appears over each Sims' head, and lets the owner know of their status based on its color. This particular Hoodie displays a bright green Plumbob, and it's yours for the taking, but only for a limited time.
To be clear, there are two links available to claim this Hoodie, and therefore two Hoodies available for all users: one for male Sims and one for female Sims. Even if you are fairly certain you'll never change the gender of your Sim, why not grab both? They're both absolutely free, after all. Here are the links to claim both (found on the game's Facebook fan page):
Female Sim Plumbob Hoodie
Male Sim Plumbob Hoodie
While you're on the game's fan page, make sure to grab the extra Simoleons and Hope items that are also being given away. Now's a great time to be a fan of the game, with daily giveaways like these, but we'll make sure to let you know when the more noteworthy prizes come along if you don't want to fan the page yourself.
What do you think of these Sims Plumbob Hoodies? Did you claim both, or just the one for your Sim's current gender?
To be clear, there are two links available to claim this Hoodie, and therefore two Hoodies available for all users: one for male Sims and one for female Sims. Even if you are fairly certain you'll never change the gender of your Sim, why not grab both? They're both absolutely free, after all. Here are the links to claim both (found on the game's Facebook fan page):
Female Sim Plumbob Hoodie
Male Sim Plumbob Hoodie
While you're on the game's fan page, make sure to grab the extra Simoleons and Hope items that are also being given away. Now's a great time to be a fan of the game, with daily giveaways like these, but we'll make sure to let you know when the more noteworthy prizes come along if you don't want to fan the page yourself.
What do you think of these Sims Plumbob Hoodies? Did you claim both, or just the one for your Sim's current gender?
The Sims Social celebrates Halloween with Werewolves vs Vampires week
Halloween has finally come to the Sims Social, but it comes with both good and bad news, all revolving around a single word: Twilight. If you love the Twilight series, vampires or werewolves in general, you'll probably love these new items. However, if you'd prefer more traditional Halloween decorations, like cute pumpkins, mummies or Frankenstein monsters, you'll be left hoping that EA/Playfish will add more items before Halloween comes and goes.
As for those items that are currently available, they come in a "Werewolves vs Vampires" theme. To start, you can choose from various clothing items to make your avatar look like one of the three main characters from the Twilight films, or you can stick to decorating your home. Here's a complete rundown of the new items in the game's store - I hope you've saved your Simoleons and SimCash for the occasion!
Note: These basic furniture items (tables, cabinets, chairs, etc.) are available in two color themes, but the items' designs and prices are the same. We'll only list one of each pair of items for your reference.
Trans-Van Lucy (Chair - Buildable)
Costs: 500 Simoleons
House Value: $350
UndyingClassics BC (Bookshelf)
Costs: 19 SimCash
House Value: $2800
Fun Stat: 3
UndyingClassics Bl (Chair)
Costs: 19 SimCash
House Value: $2800
UndyingClassics BT (Side-table)
Costs: 25 SimCash
House Value: $3700
Trans-Van Banquet (Dinner Table - Buildable)
Costs: 700 Social Points
House Value: $1900
Trans-Van Fang (Armchair - Buildable)
Costs: 1650 Simoleons
House Value: $1600
Trans-Van Type O (Sofa - Buildable)
Costs: 900 Social Points
House Value: $2650
Sleep Stat: 3
Trans-Van Rest (Nightstand - Buildable)
Costs: 200 Social Points
House Value: $450
Trans-Van Vlad (Round Table - Buildable)
Costs: 600 Simoleons
House Value: $450
Cthulu's Mirror (Buildable)
Costs: 900 Simoleons
House Value: $800
Trans-Van Harker (Armoire - Buildable)
Costs: 850 Social Points
House Value: $2450
AfterLifestyle (Coffin Bed - Buildable)
Costs: 1750 Simoleons
House Value: $1650
Sleep Stat: 11
AfterLifestyle +1 (Coffin Double Bed)
Costs: 79 SimCash
House Value: $11,700
Sleep Stat: 11
Wallpaper Tear
Costs: 75 Social Points
House Value: $150
Bloody Bouquet
Costs: 175 Simoleons
House Value: $100
Deathly Bouquet
Costs: 175 Simoleons
House Value: $100
Trans-Van Lamp
Costs: 6 SimCash
House Value: $900
Vampire Ward 1/2
Costs: 166 Social Points
House Value: $350
Vampire Ward 2/2
Costs: 125 Social Points
House Value: $250
Bottle O' Blood
Costs: 175 Social Points
House Value: $400
Ancient Tomes
Costs: 175 Social Points
House Value: $400
Garlic Still Life (Painting)
Costs: 1,250 Simoleons
House Value: $1350
Blood-Soaked Rug
Costs: 675 Social Points
House Value: $1850
AfterLifestyle Ember (Fireplace)
Costs: 49 SimCash
House Value: $7250
Trans-Van Desklamp (Buildable)
Costs: 1,900 Simoleons
House Value: $1700
The Poison Thorn (Painting)
Costs: 1,150 Social Points
House Value: $3,300
Trans-Van Standing (Floor Lamp - Buildable)
Costs: 2,900 Simoleons
House Value: $2,300
Numica RIP C (Kitchen Counter - Buildable)
Costs: 350 Simoeons
House Value: $250
Numica Stake (Kitchen Counter - Buildable)
Costs: 350 Simoleons
House Value: $250
It's For Awoooo (Phone)
Costs: 9 SimCash
House Value: $1350
Fun Stat: 3
Social Stat: 3
In addition to all of these items, there's also a Haunted Easel that costs 750 Social Points and must be built with friends. This particular item does allow you to raise a Haunted Easel painting skill, and as you earn more and more Skill Points, you'll unlock access to various themed paintings in the store.
What's more, the outdoor section of this theme is absolutely massive, containing various sections of metal fencing, shrubs, broken wooden fences, gargoyles, tombstones, dead trees and more. Items go for Social Points, Simoleons or even SimCash, so make sure to browse through this lengthy selection of items to find things you might enjoy having outside.
Finally, remember to look in the Build menu as well, as this theme contains a few window and door items, plus four wallpaper tiles and a treasure trove of floor tiles. Again, there are items there for any budget, so keep browsing long enough and you'll likely find something that will interest you.
Unfortunately, that's the entirety of the Halloween-themed items in the Sims Social thus far. I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed we're not seeing Jack-O'-Lanterns, cute flying ghosts or anything else that might be considered happier than scary, but hopefully, with a few weeks left before Halloween, we'll receive that sort of a theme as well. You can be sure we'll let you know if we do.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
What do you think of these Twilight-inspired Werewolves vs. Vampires items? Would you be satisfied if this was all of the Halloween items we see released, or do you want more classic items as well?
As for those items that are currently available, they come in a "Werewolves vs Vampires" theme. To start, you can choose from various clothing items to make your avatar look like one of the three main characters from the Twilight films, or you can stick to decorating your home. Here's a complete rundown of the new items in the game's store - I hope you've saved your Simoleons and SimCash for the occasion!
Note: These basic furniture items (tables, cabinets, chairs, etc.) are available in two color themes, but the items' designs and prices are the same. We'll only list one of each pair of items for your reference.
Trans-Van Lucy (Chair - Buildable)
Costs: 500 Simoleons
House Value: $350
UndyingClassics BC (Bookshelf)
Costs: 19 SimCash
House Value: $2800
Fun Stat: 3
UndyingClassics Bl (Chair)
Costs: 19 SimCash
House Value: $2800
UndyingClassics BT (Side-table)
Costs: 25 SimCash
House Value: $3700
Trans-Van Banquet (Dinner Table - Buildable)
Costs: 700 Social Points
House Value: $1900
Trans-Van Fang (Armchair - Buildable)
Costs: 1650 Simoleons
House Value: $1600
Trans-Van Type O (Sofa - Buildable)
Costs: 900 Social Points
House Value: $2650
Sleep Stat: 3
Trans-Van Rest (Nightstand - Buildable)
Costs: 200 Social Points
House Value: $450
Trans-Van Vlad (Round Table - Buildable)
Costs: 600 Simoleons
House Value: $450
Cthulu's Mirror (Buildable)
Costs: 900 Simoleons
House Value: $800
Trans-Van Harker (Armoire - Buildable)
Costs: 850 Social Points
House Value: $2450
AfterLifestyle (Coffin Bed - Buildable)
Costs: 1750 Simoleons
House Value: $1650
Sleep Stat: 11
AfterLifestyle +1 (Coffin Double Bed)
Costs: 79 SimCash
House Value: $11,700
Sleep Stat: 11
Wallpaper Tear
Costs: 75 Social Points
House Value: $150
Bloody Bouquet
Costs: 175 Simoleons
House Value: $100
Deathly Bouquet
Costs: 175 Simoleons
House Value: $100
Trans-Van Lamp
Costs: 6 SimCash
House Value: $900
Vampire Ward 1/2
Costs: 166 Social Points
House Value: $350
Vampire Ward 2/2
Costs: 125 Social Points
House Value: $250
Bottle O' Blood
Costs: 175 Social Points
House Value: $400
Ancient Tomes
Costs: 175 Social Points
House Value: $400
Garlic Still Life (Painting)
Costs: 1,250 Simoleons
House Value: $1350
Blood-Soaked Rug
Costs: 675 Social Points
House Value: $1850
AfterLifestyle Ember (Fireplace)
Costs: 49 SimCash
House Value: $7250
Trans-Van Desklamp (Buildable)
Costs: 1,900 Simoleons
House Value: $1700
The Poison Thorn (Painting)
Costs: 1,150 Social Points
House Value: $3,300
Trans-Van Standing (Floor Lamp - Buildable)
Costs: 2,900 Simoleons
House Value: $2,300
Numica RIP C (Kitchen Counter - Buildable)
Costs: 350 Simoeons
House Value: $250
Numica Stake (Kitchen Counter - Buildable)
Costs: 350 Simoleons
House Value: $250
It's For Awoooo (Phone)
Costs: 9 SimCash
House Value: $1350
Fun Stat: 3
Social Stat: 3
In addition to all of these items, there's also a Haunted Easel that costs 750 Social Points and must be built with friends. This particular item does allow you to raise a Haunted Easel painting skill, and as you earn more and more Skill Points, you'll unlock access to various themed paintings in the store.
What's more, the outdoor section of this theme is absolutely massive, containing various sections of metal fencing, shrubs, broken wooden fences, gargoyles, tombstones, dead trees and more. Items go for Social Points, Simoleons or even SimCash, so make sure to browse through this lengthy selection of items to find things you might enjoy having outside.
Finally, remember to look in the Build menu as well, as this theme contains a few window and door items, plus four wallpaper tiles and a treasure trove of floor tiles. Again, there are items there for any budget, so keep browsing long enough and you'll likely find something that will interest you.
Unfortunately, that's the entirety of the Halloween-themed items in the Sims Social thus far. I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed we're not seeing Jack-O'-Lanterns, cute flying ghosts or anything else that might be considered happier than scary, but hopefully, with a few weeks left before Halloween, we'll receive that sort of a theme as well. You can be sure we'll let you know if we do.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
What do you think of these Twilight-inspired Werewolves vs. Vampires items? Would you be satisfied if this was all of the Halloween items we see released, or do you want more classic items as well?
The Sims Social: Buy a Cozy Crypt for Halloween, watch your Sim get down to the music [Video]
A few days ago, we brought you an in-depth look at the many, many items in Sim Social's Werewolves vs Vampires theme. Even if you don't like Twilight (the clear inspiration for this theme), there are so many items available that it would be unlikely you can't find something to add to your home. That being the case, EA / Playfish are hoping that the one item that catches your eye is the Cozy Crypt, as they've released a video incentive to get users to open their pocketbooks.
First things first, the Cozy Crypt is a very expensive item at 149 SimCash. If you're interested in massively boosting your home's value, you'll get the job done here, as a single Cozy Crypt raises your house's value by $22,000. It also comes with a Happiness and Social stat of 19 points. However, one final perk is something that we can barely put into words. No matter how dreary or creepy a crypt is supposed to be, if you place one on your land, your Sim will be simply inspired... to dance!
On the game's official fan page, the developer has shown off a video of what the dancing animation looks like. If you don't recognize the moves, they're from Michael Jackson's Thriller, arguably one of the greatest music videos of all time. The video is short, but persuasive, so make sure to check it out to see if the Cozy Crypt would be everything you ever wanted before spending the Cash.
Will you purchase the Cozy Crypt just to see your Sim dance to "Thriller?" Would you purchase the item if it simply cost thousands of coins, rather than SimCash, or would blowing all of your coin savings on a single item still be too much?
First things first, the Cozy Crypt is a very expensive item at 149 SimCash. If you're interested in massively boosting your home's value, you'll get the job done here, as a single Cozy Crypt raises your house's value by $22,000. It also comes with a Happiness and Social stat of 19 points. However, one final perk is something that we can barely put into words. No matter how dreary or creepy a crypt is supposed to be, if you place one on your land, your Sim will be simply inspired... to dance!
On the game's official fan page, the developer has shown off a video of what the dancing animation looks like. If you don't recognize the moves, they're from Michael Jackson's Thriller, arguably one of the greatest music videos of all time. The video is short, but persuasive, so make sure to check it out to see if the Cozy Crypt would be everything you ever wanted before spending the Cash.
Will you purchase the Cozy Crypt just to see your Sim dance to "Thriller?" Would you purchase the item if it simply cost thousands of coins, rather than SimCash, or would blowing all of your coin savings on a single item still be too much?
Halloween Guide for FarmVille, The Sims Social, CityVille & more
Folks, Halloween is so underrated. Not only does it kick off the holiday season, but Halloween is an excuse for all of us to dress up, eat tons of candy, carve pumpkins, and watch scary movies. In addition, Halloween has infiltrated all our favorite Facebook games. FarmVille, The Sims Social, and CityVille have all received special Halloween promotions, Halloween items, and new Halloween features.
And that's just the beginning. Expect to see more Halloween-themed goodies from the other Facebook games right here. Check out our entire Halloween Guide below.
More recent Halloween updates appear at the top of each game list.
FarmVille Halloween | CityVille Halloween | The Sims Social Halloween
Pioneer Trail Halloween | Empires & Allies Halloween | Angry Birds Halloween
Cafe World Halloween | Other Halloween Updates
farmville halloween
FarmVille Halloween
FarmVille Mystery Game (10/30/11): Halloween items take a final stand
FarmVille Trick or Treat Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Trick or Treat: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Witch Costume, Halloween Candle Tree and more
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Pirate Bonus Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Black Cat Fence, Pumpkin Fountain and more
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Halloween Pirate Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Huge Jack-O'Lantern Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Dark Peach Tree, Black Guinea Pig and more
FarmVille Huge Jack-O'Lantern: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Ghost Bonus Challenges: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Black Mini Unicorn, Haunted Farm House and more
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Ghost Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille: Plant Black Tulips for Halloween
FarmVille Count Duckula's Castle Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Cookie Tree, Pumpkin Snowman, Mad Scientist Lab and more
FarmVille Count Duckula's Castle: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Zombie Gnome, Bat Dog, Mossy Tree and more
FarmVille: Free Skeleton Cow making the rounds
FarmVille Halloween Items: Dark Apple Tree, Batwing Horse, Bat Pumpkin and more
FarmVille Halloween Items: Nightmare Unicorn, Fire Peach Tree and more
FarmVille: Halloween Black Belgian horse available for coins
FarmVille Halloween Model Farm offers free Arborists and more
FarmVille Halloween items: Candy Corn Tree, Halloween Cottage, Jack-O'-Lantern and more
cityville halloween
CityVille Halloween
CityVille Energy Ghosts: Everything you need to know
CityVille Plagued Playground Community Building: Everything you need to know
CityVille Haunted Library Community Building: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Monsters Act 3 Goals: Everything you need to know
CityVille: More Halloween homes, decorations and community buildings hit the store
CityVille Halloween Sweet Tooth Goal: Everything you need to know
CityVille Demented Dentist Community Building: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Act 2 Goals made easier with smaller requirements
CityVille: Crypt Keeper's Crib added to Halloween extravaganza
CityVille Treats 'N Sweets Booth: Everything you need to know
CityVille Zombie ER: Everything you need to know
CityVille Tree of Enchantment: Everything you need to know
CityVille Haunted Hotel: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Monster Mystery Game: Everything you need to know
CityVille Forsaken Fortress helps you finish goals for a price
CityVille's Halloween Decorating Contest offers big rewards for big scares
CityVille Mausoleum Community Building: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Meet the Monsters Goals: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Monsters: Everything you need to know
CityVille Governor's Run Vampire Goals: Everything you need to know
CityVille: Halloween Monster Ship shows up in city waters
CityVille Hometown Halloween update gives your city the spooky touch
the sims social halloween
The Sims Social Halloween
The Sims Social sets a spine-chilling scene with new Halloween images
The Sims Social Haunted House Week items punish friends' pranks
The Sims Social finally gets spooky in The Ultimate Horror Movie Week
The Sims Social celebrates Halloween with Werewolves vs Vampires week
frontierville pioneer trail halloween
FrontierVille Pioneer Trail Halloween
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town: Purchase limited edition items for a free Ghostly Horse
Pioneer Trail Halloween on the Homestead Contest: Walk away with 2,000 Horseshoes!
Pioneer Trail Trick or Treat Goals: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Spook Shack: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Haunted Homestead: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Family Secret Goals: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Halloween Store: Stock up on scary supplies in one place
Pioneer Trail Halloween Hutch: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town Haunted Garden: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town Giant Cauldron: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town Goals: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town feature coming soon [Video]
empires allies halloween
Empires & Allies Halloween
Empires & Allies: Halloween items now available in the store
angry birds halloween
Angry Birds Halloween
Angry Birds Halloween horror movie spoof channels Hitchcock [Video]
Angry Birds Seasons Halloween update means a new bird is in town
Something is a brewin' for the Angry Birds this Halloween [Video]
cafe world halloween
Cafe World Halloween
Cafe World Trick or Treat Party Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Witch's Cauldron: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Halloween Siggy's Tricks Goals: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Halloween Amelia's Treats Goals: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Halloween Candy Bowl - Everything you need to know
Other Halloween Game Updates
The Top Five Spooky Facebook Games to Play Halloween Night
Adventure World Creepy Crypt Expedition: Everything you need to know
Adventure World Halloween Sneak Peek: Halloween Volcano coming soon
Nexon's next social game, Zombie Misfits, looks for brains on Facebook
Meteor Games makes Island Paradise an island terror for Halloween
PopCap says 'Happy Halloween' with pumpkins, zombies and ... a rave?
The Killer Pumpkin assaults Pocket God on Facebook this Halloween
Make sure to check back for more Halloween Facebook game updates! Which Halloween update was your favorite? Vote here!
And that's just the beginning. Expect to see more Halloween-themed goodies from the other Facebook games right here. Check out our entire Halloween Guide below.
More recent Halloween updates appear at the top of each game list.
FarmVille Halloween | CityVille Halloween | The Sims Social Halloween
Pioneer Trail Halloween | Empires & Allies Halloween | Angry Birds Halloween
Cafe World Halloween | Other Halloween Updates
farmville halloween
FarmVille Halloween
FarmVille Mystery Game (10/30/11): Halloween items take a final stand
FarmVille Trick or Treat Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Trick or Treat: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Witch Costume, Halloween Candle Tree and more
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Pirate Bonus Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Black Cat Fence, Pumpkin Fountain and more
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Halloween Pirate Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Huge Jack-O'Lantern Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Dark Peach Tree, Black Guinea Pig and more
FarmVille Huge Jack-O'Lantern: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Ghost Bonus Challenges: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Black Mini Unicorn, Haunted Farm House and more
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Ghost Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille: Plant Black Tulips for Halloween
FarmVille Count Duckula's Castle Goals: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Cookie Tree, Pumpkin Snowman, Mad Scientist Lab and more
FarmVille Count Duckula's Castle: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Halloween Items: Zombie Gnome, Bat Dog, Mossy Tree and more
FarmVille: Free Skeleton Cow making the rounds
FarmVille Halloween Items: Dark Apple Tree, Batwing Horse, Bat Pumpkin and more
FarmVille Halloween Items: Nightmare Unicorn, Fire Peach Tree and more
FarmVille: Halloween Black Belgian horse available for coins
FarmVille Halloween Model Farm offers free Arborists and more
FarmVille Halloween items: Candy Corn Tree, Halloween Cottage, Jack-O'-Lantern and more
cityville halloween
CityVille Halloween
CityVille Energy Ghosts: Everything you need to know
CityVille Plagued Playground Community Building: Everything you need to know
CityVille Haunted Library Community Building: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Monsters Act 3 Goals: Everything you need to know
CityVille: More Halloween homes, decorations and community buildings hit the store
CityVille Halloween Sweet Tooth Goal: Everything you need to know
CityVille Demented Dentist Community Building: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Act 2 Goals made easier with smaller requirements
CityVille: Crypt Keeper's Crib added to Halloween extravaganza
CityVille Treats 'N Sweets Booth: Everything you need to know
CityVille Zombie ER: Everything you need to know
CityVille Tree of Enchantment: Everything you need to know
CityVille Haunted Hotel: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Monster Mystery Game: Everything you need to know
CityVille Forsaken Fortress helps you finish goals for a price
CityVille's Halloween Decorating Contest offers big rewards for big scares
CityVille Mausoleum Community Building: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Meet the Monsters Goals: Everything you need to know
CityVille Halloween Monsters: Everything you need to know
CityVille Governor's Run Vampire Goals: Everything you need to know
CityVille: Halloween Monster Ship shows up in city waters
CityVille Hometown Halloween update gives your city the spooky touch
the sims social halloween
The Sims Social Halloween
The Sims Social sets a spine-chilling scene with new Halloween images
The Sims Social Haunted House Week items punish friends' pranks
The Sims Social finally gets spooky in The Ultimate Horror Movie Week
The Sims Social celebrates Halloween with Werewolves vs Vampires week
frontierville pioneer trail halloween
FrontierVille Pioneer Trail Halloween
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town: Purchase limited edition items for a free Ghostly Horse
Pioneer Trail Halloween on the Homestead Contest: Walk away with 2,000 Horseshoes!
Pioneer Trail Trick or Treat Goals: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Spook Shack: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Haunted Homestead: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Family Secret Goals: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Halloween Store: Stock up on scary supplies in one place
Pioneer Trail Halloween Hutch: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town Haunted Garden: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town Giant Cauldron: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town Goals: Everything you need to know
Pioneer Trail Ghost Town feature coming soon [Video]
empires allies halloween
Empires & Allies Halloween
Empires & Allies: Halloween items now available in the store
angry birds halloween
Angry Birds Halloween
Angry Birds Halloween horror movie spoof channels Hitchcock [Video]
Angry Birds Seasons Halloween update means a new bird is in town
Something is a brewin' for the Angry Birds this Halloween [Video]
cafe world halloween
Cafe World Halloween
Cafe World Trick or Treat Party Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Witch's Cauldron: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Halloween Siggy's Tricks Goals: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Halloween Amelia's Treats Goals: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Halloween Candy Bowl - Everything you need to know
Other Halloween Game Updates
The Top Five Spooky Facebook Games to Play Halloween Night
Adventure World Creepy Crypt Expedition: Everything you need to know
Adventure World Halloween Sneak Peek: Halloween Volcano coming soon
Nexon's next social game, Zombie Misfits, looks for brains on Facebook
Meteor Games makes Island Paradise an island terror for Halloween
PopCap says 'Happy Halloween' with pumpkins, zombies and ... a rave?
The Killer Pumpkin assaults Pocket God on Facebook this Halloween
Make sure to check back for more Halloween Facebook game updates! Which Halloween update was your favorite? Vote here!
The Sims Social yanked millions of Zynga players, Raptr report suggests
With over 66 million monthly players, we all know that The Sims Social is killing it. But EA and Playfish's flagship social game might be killing more than just it --the game is rapidly killing off Zynga's player base, if you ask Raptr. The 10 million-strong social network for gamers has issued another report based on the data it gathers from its users, and it doesn't look pretty.
Well, it's not looking pretty for Zynga, at least. Raptr found that a whopping 50 percent of The Sims Social players are also playing Zynga's games. More importantly, play time for both FarmVille and Empires & Allies has dropped 25 percent since EA launched its secret weapon, while CityVille dipped just 10 percent in play time. The latter is thanks to a number of promotions and major content additions like the recent Enrique Iglesias event and the ongoing Governor's Run goals.
Still, that means 33 million Zynga fans are playing both The Sims Social and the top Zynga games. (Keep in mind, this study was conducted before Adventure World surpassed FarmVille.) So, how did EA do it? Well, aside from attracting a swath of Zynga game players, the company marketed heavily to its existing social game players and even the 10 million remaining The Sims 3 fans on the PC. As a result, The Sims Social has effectively cannibalized EA's own player base, according to Raptr.
Raptr Report The Sims Social
As for how EA can strike gold again on Facebook, Raptr suggests the company looks at its most recent buy: PopCap. According to the study, social versions of the publisher's core franchises like Dragon Age Legends didn't do so hot. (Who woulda' thunk it?) But the social network finds that anywhere from around 58 to 75 percent of those who enjoy PopCap casual games also play social games.
In other words, EA is sitting on the weapons cache of a lifetime, but after Zynga Unleashed, it's clear that Zynga plans to return fire. Find the full report from Raptr right here in PDF form.
Are you a Zynga game player that has also been sucked into The Sims Social? Do you think EA will attract even more Zynga fans through PopCap and Playfish?
Well, it's not looking pretty for Zynga, at least. Raptr found that a whopping 50 percent of The Sims Social players are also playing Zynga's games. More importantly, play time for both FarmVille and Empires & Allies has dropped 25 percent since EA launched its secret weapon, while CityVille dipped just 10 percent in play time. The latter is thanks to a number of promotions and major content additions like the recent Enrique Iglesias event and the ongoing Governor's Run goals.
Still, that means 33 million Zynga fans are playing both The Sims Social and the top Zynga games. (Keep in mind, this study was conducted before Adventure World surpassed FarmVille.) So, how did EA do it? Well, aside from attracting a swath of Zynga game players, the company marketed heavily to its existing social game players and even the 10 million remaining The Sims 3 fans on the PC. As a result, The Sims Social has effectively cannibalized EA's own player base, according to Raptr.
Raptr Report The Sims Social
As for how EA can strike gold again on Facebook, Raptr suggests the company looks at its most recent buy: PopCap. According to the study, social versions of the publisher's core franchises like Dragon Age Legends didn't do so hot. (Who woulda' thunk it?) But the social network finds that anywhere from around 58 to 75 percent of those who enjoy PopCap casual games also play social games.
In other words, EA is sitting on the weapons cache of a lifetime, but after Zynga Unleashed, it's clear that Zynga plans to return fire. Find the full report from Raptr right here in PDF form.
Are you a Zynga game player that has also been sucked into The Sims Social? Do you think EA will attract even more Zynga fans through PopCap and Playfish?
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