CityVille might have just scored a much-needed shot in the arm, as Zynga's most popular Facebook game has launched on Google+. Zynga announced the move today, and the game is already playable on the platform. Unfortunately, folks who decide to take the plunge into CityVille on Google+ Games will have to start all over again.
But considering its top game has been in decline in both monthly and daily players for some time, it's clear that Zynga is looking for new users with this move. Before today, CityVille was exclusive to Facebook for Western audiences, though the developer will soon expand the game to Asian audiences on the Tencent social network.
It was previously understood that Zynga had an agreement with Facebook that prevented the company from launching its games on directly-competing platforms. It looks like there is some fine print in that exclusivity deal that allows Zynga to do just that. This is especially evident considering Zynga has already released Zynga Poker to Google+ Games. With the largest Facebook game now on Google+ Games, Facebook's competitor just received reinforcements in its battle for social gaming dominance. (Now, Google+ has a whopping 18 social games!)
However, this move also speaks to Zynga's growing understanding that it needs to expand to grow its thriving business. With games like EA's The Sims Social gaining fast on the red dog's top spot with now over 60 million monthly players, competition is growing for the developer on Facebook.
Zynga is also hopeful that diversification will help the company grow and increase revenues ahead of its planned $1 billion IPO (initial public offering), the prospects of which have become shaky lately. Hopefully for Google, the presence of a huge name like CityVille will instill confidence in developers to bring new game ideas to Google+.
[Via VentureBeat]
Do you plan to try out CityVille on Google+ Games? Do you think CityVille has seen its best days, or will this expansion help the game find its second wind? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 9, 2011
CityVille Baseball and Soccer Stadiums: Everything you need to know
ust in time for the upcoming MLB playoff season, Zynga has released Baseball Stadiums to CityVille to honor America's favorite pastime. Oh, and the developer added Soccer Stadiums, too. (Though, Zynga might have been better off naming them "Football" Stadiums, if it was going for the international nod.)
At any rate, these two new community buildings will give a huge boost to your allowed population and earn you some major coin. When you reach Level 11, the new stadiums will become available to you. So, here's everything you need to know about the Baseball ... and Soccer Stadium Goals:
Alive and Kicking
* Place the Soccer Stadium
* Compete the Soccer Stadium
Both Goals for these new buildings are painfully simple. Once you reach Level 11 (or log into the game at a level above that), a Goal icon will appear. Click on it to open a window that will allow you to place the foundation for the Soccer Stadium. Once that's done, whack the building eight times, costing you an equal amount of Energy. Click on the unfinished Soccer Stadium to reveal what's needed to complete the building.
Finish your Soccer Stadium
Unfortunately, that amounts to asking your friends for a lot of items. You must ask your friends for nine of each of the above items. That amounts to a total of 45 items you will have to collect. Luckily, it seems as if you can add those items to your Wish List once you acquire one of each. Your reward for completing the Soccer Stadium is a massive 20,000 Coins. The Soccer Stadium will boost your allowed Population by 5,000.
Root for the Home Team
* Place the Baseball Stadium
* Complete the Baseball Stadium
Again, these are some pretty simple Goals, but the challenge comes in actually completing the buildings. Just like before, a Goal icon will appear if you're above Level 11. Click on the icon to open a Goal window that will allow you to place the foundation for your Baseball Stadium. After placing the foundation and clicking it eight times at the cost of 8 Energy, click it once more to reveal what you'll need to complete the Baseball Stadium.
Staff your Baseball Stadium
This time, things are slightly different from the Soccer Stadium. Rather than requesting items, you will need to ask friends to staff your new community building. You will have to get a whopping 12 friends to fill positions in your Baseball Stadium. Sure, that's far less than the Soccer Stadium requires in items, but these positions need to be filled by 12 individual friends. Once that's through, you will be rewarded with another heaping 20,000 Coins for your effort. The Baseball Stadium boosts your allowed Population by 3,000.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you started on your new sports stadiums yet? What tips or tricks do you have to complete these new buildings? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
At any rate, these two new community buildings will give a huge boost to your allowed population and earn you some major coin. When you reach Level 11, the new stadiums will become available to you. So, here's everything you need to know about the Baseball ... and Soccer Stadium Goals:
Alive and Kicking
* Place the Soccer Stadium
* Compete the Soccer Stadium
Both Goals for these new buildings are painfully simple. Once you reach Level 11 (or log into the game at a level above that), a Goal icon will appear. Click on it to open a window that will allow you to place the foundation for the Soccer Stadium. Once that's done, whack the building eight times, costing you an equal amount of Energy. Click on the unfinished Soccer Stadium to reveal what's needed to complete the building.
Finish your Soccer Stadium
Unfortunately, that amounts to asking your friends for a lot of items. You must ask your friends for nine of each of the above items. That amounts to a total of 45 items you will have to collect. Luckily, it seems as if you can add those items to your Wish List once you acquire one of each. Your reward for completing the Soccer Stadium is a massive 20,000 Coins. The Soccer Stadium will boost your allowed Population by 5,000.
Root for the Home Team
* Place the Baseball Stadium
* Complete the Baseball Stadium
Again, these are some pretty simple Goals, but the challenge comes in actually completing the buildings. Just like before, a Goal icon will appear if you're above Level 11. Click on the icon to open a Goal window that will allow you to place the foundation for your Baseball Stadium. After placing the foundation and clicking it eight times at the cost of 8 Energy, click it once more to reveal what you'll need to complete the Baseball Stadium.
Staff your Baseball Stadium
This time, things are slightly different from the Soccer Stadium. Rather than requesting items, you will need to ask friends to staff your new community building. You will have to get a whopping 12 friends to fill positions in your Baseball Stadium. Sure, that's far less than the Soccer Stadium requires in items, but these positions need to be filled by 12 individual friends. Once that's through, you will be rewarded with another heaping 20,000 Coins for your effort. The Baseball Stadium boosts your allowed Population by 3,000.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you started on your new sports stadiums yet? What tips or tricks do you have to complete these new buildings? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Is EA's PopCap working on casino-style Facebook games? [Rumor]
Is PopCap looking to go toe to toe with Zynga and DoubleDown Interactive's casino Facebook games? According to GeekWire, a bunch of rather specific domain purchases by the recently-acquired company certainly suggest that's the case. Well, that and a recent trademark application ... and a Facebook page created with that very same trademark. Alright, PopCap has been terrible at keeping this whole thing a secret.
Lucky Gem CasinoThe game in question might be titled "Lucky Gem Casino," as Fusible points out that the Bejeweled creator recently changed a Facebook page it owns to reflect the new title. The Info tab on the page reads, "Thanks for visiting! PopCap Casino is the future home of some amazing, casino-style social games from PopCap, the worldwide leader in casual gaming."
With wording like that, it sounds as if Lucky Gem Casino will be a suite of casino games from the developer, much like DoubleDown Casino. And if you take a peak at the page's Wall, a message can be found there, presumably from the company, that reads, "Keep an eye out to experience casino-style gaming from PopCap Games!" A week later, a poll was posted asking fans about their favorite type of casino games--unsurprisingly, the "Slot Machines" category won by a landslide.
GeekWire points out that this might be because PopCap is now owned by EA, which likely has a vested interested in directly competing with Facebook game champ Zynga at every turn. However, it's also important to keep in mind that a majority of PopCap's games (not including Plants vs Zombies) are visibly influenced by a casino approach to gameplay albeit with a far heavier focus on skill rather than luck.
[Via Financial Times]
[Image Credit: Destructoid]
What do you think PopCap might be up to with this trademark, Facebook page and domain registries? Would you play a stable of casino games from the creator of Bejeweled and Zuma Blitz? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments.
Lucky Gem CasinoThe game in question might be titled "Lucky Gem Casino," as Fusible points out that the Bejeweled creator recently changed a Facebook page it owns to reflect the new title. The Info tab on the page reads, "Thanks for visiting! PopCap Casino is the future home of some amazing, casino-style social games from PopCap, the worldwide leader in casual gaming."
With wording like that, it sounds as if Lucky Gem Casino will be a suite of casino games from the developer, much like DoubleDown Casino. And if you take a peak at the page's Wall, a message can be found there, presumably from the company, that reads, "Keep an eye out to experience casino-style gaming from PopCap Games!" A week later, a poll was posted asking fans about their favorite type of casino games--unsurprisingly, the "Slot Machines" category won by a landslide.
GeekWire points out that this might be because PopCap is now owned by EA, which likely has a vested interested in directly competing with Facebook game champ Zynga at every turn. However, it's also important to keep in mind that a majority of PopCap's games (not including Plants vs Zombies) are visibly influenced by a casino approach to gameplay albeit with a far heavier focus on skill rather than luck.
[Via Financial Times]
[Image Credit: Destructoid]
What do you think PopCap might be up to with this trademark, Facebook page and domain registries? Would you play a stable of casino games from the creator of Bejeweled and Zuma Blitz? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments.
Thứ Năm, 29 tháng 9, 2011
Adventure World Ram Runner Expedition: Everything you need to know
After tackling the perils of the Mountains to retrieve the Bird Idol in Adventure World, you might be ready to take on even more Rams in the next Expedition: Ram Runner. This one requires quite a few Supplies to get started, along with other tools, and it comes with the shortest time limit we've seen on an Expedition yet: just four hours. As for the requirements, you need to have 700 Supplies, and two each of Food, Fuel and Water before you can begin. As usual, we're here to give you a complete guide on what you need to do to finish this Expedition, so read on for more!
Claim the Ram Stein!
* Get the Ram Stein
For this particular Expedition, your goal will be to make it from one end of the linear trail to the other, while defeating Rams in the process. From the starting gate, you're met with two sets of traps, allowing two sets of Rams (with eight hit points each) to come after you when disarmed. You'll have to set the Rams free, however, as the traps block your path to continue. The truly unfortunate thing about this is that if you don't have a very highly upgraded Whip, you'll likely spend most if not all of your energy in just defeating the four of them. Luckily, you can bring five neighbors into this Expedition with you, giving you three bonus energy each (once they accept your request for help, that is), so you should be able to continue slightly onward after fighting these Rams with their help. The Stein itself is located on the last "island," as seen below.
Collect Ruby Vases
* Get 2 Ruby Vases
As usual, these Ruby Vases are scattered along the path, with most being blocked by some sort of obstacle, whether that be a rock, bush, thorn or otherwise. You only need to collect two, and you can find two on one of the central islands, as seen below (note: the empty square is the location of a Ruby Vase - I had just already picked it up).
Collect Jade Vases
* Get 5 Jade Vases
These Jade Vases are far more common on the map, as you'll simply need to collect more of them. You'll find them behind bushes, near Rams or by other obstacles. It should be pointed out that there are more than five Jade Vases on the map for you to collect, giving you the chance to use some strategy in your choices. If you see a Ram directly nearby a Vase, or tons of obstacles standing between you and a Vase, it might be better to skip it and save your energy points for Vases later in the Expedition.
All told, this isn't an incredibly difficult Expedition in terms of the quests you're required to beat; instead, it's simply one of the most energy intensive tasks we've seen to date due to all of the Rams (and their eight hit points each) standing in your way. You can avoid some Rams altogether, if you plan your moves ahead of time, and your friends can come in and help you out with their free three energy. Still, you'll need to be vigilant if you want to finish this Expedition in the short four-hour time limit you've been given, so make sure you're fully prepared (with a full energy bar) before you ever begin!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Ram Runner Expedition? Is it one of the most difficult Expeditions you've encountered so far, or are your tools upgraded enough to make this one simple? Sound off in the comments.
Claim the Ram Stein!
* Get the Ram Stein
For this particular Expedition, your goal will be to make it from one end of the linear trail to the other, while defeating Rams in the process. From the starting gate, you're met with two sets of traps, allowing two sets of Rams (with eight hit points each) to come after you when disarmed. You'll have to set the Rams free, however, as the traps block your path to continue. The truly unfortunate thing about this is that if you don't have a very highly upgraded Whip, you'll likely spend most if not all of your energy in just defeating the four of them. Luckily, you can bring five neighbors into this Expedition with you, giving you three bonus energy each (once they accept your request for help, that is), so you should be able to continue slightly onward after fighting these Rams with their help. The Stein itself is located on the last "island," as seen below.
Collect Ruby Vases
* Get 2 Ruby Vases
As usual, these Ruby Vases are scattered along the path, with most being blocked by some sort of obstacle, whether that be a rock, bush, thorn or otherwise. You only need to collect two, and you can find two on one of the central islands, as seen below (note: the empty square is the location of a Ruby Vase - I had just already picked it up).
Collect Jade Vases
* Get 5 Jade Vases
These Jade Vases are far more common on the map, as you'll simply need to collect more of them. You'll find them behind bushes, near Rams or by other obstacles. It should be pointed out that there are more than five Jade Vases on the map for you to collect, giving you the chance to use some strategy in your choices. If you see a Ram directly nearby a Vase, or tons of obstacles standing between you and a Vase, it might be better to skip it and save your energy points for Vases later in the Expedition.
All told, this isn't an incredibly difficult Expedition in terms of the quests you're required to beat; instead, it's simply one of the most energy intensive tasks we've seen to date due to all of the Rams (and their eight hit points each) standing in your way. You can avoid some Rams altogether, if you plan your moves ahead of time, and your friends can come in and help you out with their free three energy. Still, you'll need to be vigilant if you want to finish this Expedition in the short four-hour time limit you've been given, so make sure you're fully prepared (with a full energy bar) before you ever begin!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Ram Runner Expedition? Is it one of the most difficult Expeditions you've encountered so far, or are your tools upgraded enough to make this one simple? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille: Earn a free Monkey for playing Adventure World
Apparently, the 19 million people already playing Adventure World isn't enough for Zynga, as the two teams behind FarmVille and Adventure World have teamed up in a new cross-promotion, aiming to get people to try out the company's newest game for more than just a few minutes. To be specific, the next time you login to FarmVille, you'll likely receive a pop-up letting you know of the new promotion. Note: the pop-up will likely have a broken image on it; apparently the FarmVille team didn't test the pop-up before pushing it live. The text, however, is intact.
The rules of this cross-promotion are simple: you'll just need to follow the in-game link to Adventure World and reach Level 5 before October 5. If you can accomplish that, you'll receive a free FarmVille Monkey. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned broken image, we can't see exactly what this (hopefully cute) monkey looks like, but the fact that he's available for free makes me want him either way (I'd imagine I'm not alone).
If you've yet to try Adventure World, make sure to check out our many guides for the game's Expeditions and story quests, so that you can level up to that Level 5 milestone as quickly as possible. For everyone else, who is already a Level 5 Adventurer, you'll only need to sit tight and wait for your prize to arrive next month.
Will you play Adventure World just to receive a free FarmVille Monkey? Let us know in the comments.
The rules of this cross-promotion are simple: you'll just need to follow the in-game link to Adventure World and reach Level 5 before October 5. If you can accomplish that, you'll receive a free FarmVille Monkey. Unfortunately, due to the aforementioned broken image, we can't see exactly what this (hopefully cute) monkey looks like, but the fact that he's available for free makes me want him either way (I'd imagine I'm not alone).
If you've yet to try Adventure World, make sure to check out our many guides for the game's Expeditions and story quests, so that you can level up to that Level 5 milestone as quickly as possible. For everyone else, who is already a Level 5 Adventurer, you'll only need to sit tight and wait for your prize to arrive next month.
Will you play Adventure World just to receive a free FarmVille Monkey? Let us know in the comments.
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 9, 2011
Adventure World rockets to over 9 million players, thanks to promotions
Adventure World Mafia Wars promo
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
Chủ Nhật, 25 tháng 9, 2011
Game of the Day: Pop & Drop
pop and drop game of the dayA herd of colored balls is headed your way, and unless you act quickly, they'll drop right on top of you! Pop all the colored balls before they reach you by creating sets of three or more.
Pop & Drop features two awesome game modes: action mode and the strategy-based perpetual mode. I promise you though, you'll be kept on your toes regardless of what mode you play. Make sure to use the special power pieces to help you rack up the big points.
Click here to play Pop & Drop!
pop and drop game of the day pop and drop game of the day
Pro Tips:
* Pop & Drop shows you where your next shot is going to land. This is an invaluable tool! With it you can line up insanely tight shots through gaps, enabling you to hit those huge combos.
* Bank balls off the walls. As I said before, Pop & Drop shows you where your next ball will land, even for banked shots. Use it to access those hard to reach places.
* Be precise! When the balls are closing in, don't fire wildly. Calm down and make sure you hit an intelligent shot. For example, don't just shoot the ball onto the first level, or you'll need two more balls of the same color to knock it off. Instead, stack it onto another color so when you knock that set off, both colors will pop.
* When all hope is lost, and the colored ball armada is knocking on your door, don't forget to use your arsenal of destructive grenades.
Click here to play Pop & Drop!
What level were you able to get to in Pop & Drop?
Pop & Drop features two awesome game modes: action mode and the strategy-based perpetual mode. I promise you though, you'll be kept on your toes regardless of what mode you play. Make sure to use the special power pieces to help you rack up the big points.
Click here to play Pop & Drop!
pop and drop game of the day pop and drop game of the day
Pro Tips:
* Pop & Drop shows you where your next shot is going to land. This is an invaluable tool! With it you can line up insanely tight shots through gaps, enabling you to hit those huge combos.
* Bank balls off the walls. As I said before, Pop & Drop shows you where your next ball will land, even for banked shots. Use it to access those hard to reach places.
* Be precise! When the balls are closing in, don't fire wildly. Calm down and make sure you hit an intelligent shot. For example, don't just shoot the ball onto the first level, or you'll need two more balls of the same color to knock it off. Instead, stack it onto another color so when you knock that set off, both colors will pop.
* When all hope is lost, and the colored ball armada is knocking on your door, don't forget to use your arsenal of destructive grenades.
Click here to play Pop & Drop!
What level were you able to get to in Pop & Drop?
Diamond Dash maker: Social games 'will evolve again in the next years'
Frankly, they kind of have no choice. That's general idea Wooga studio head Henric Suuronen (pictured) seems to have put forward in an in-depth interview with Gamasutra. And it would be wise to listen--the Berlin, Germany-based Facebook game creator is third behind Zynga and EA (now that PopCap's numbers have been integrated), according to AppData.
During the interview, Suuronen gave Gamasutra a detailed explanation of where Facebook games have been, what it takes to create them from a design perspective and, most importantly, where they're going. Specifically speaking to social mechanics in Facebook games, Suuronen said to Gamasutra:
"Now moving four years forward, you have games like CityVille, Pioneer Trail from Zynga, Kabam games, Digital Chocolate games, and Zombie Lane -- great game -- and now Magic Land," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "So it has really evolved. So why would the progression stop here? So I think it will evolve, as it has done from four years ago with Jetman and Scrabulous and Tower Bloxx. So it will evolve again in the next years."
The hit maker behind Diamond Dash recently released its seventh game on Facebook, Magic Land, which enjoys a healthy 3.4 million monthly players and over 330,000 daily players. According to Suuronen, Wooga's latest game had the most man hours thrown into it, a trend he seems to believe will continue. "The whole myth of the minimum viable product -- it's gone," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "It's something that you say to investors to sound cool."
Sure, Suuronen believes that players will eventually get tired of the standard social gaming mechanics of sharing gifts and helping asynchronously. However, the Wooga studio head also points out that the harsh reality of designing Facebook games to get players to pay up isn't going anywhere, and some traditional designers have trouble coming to grips with that.
Considering social games are expected to make $1 billion this year alone (and cash in even more from there), traditional designers and companies better wise up quick if they want to fit in the next big money machine. Read Suuronen's full interview with Gamasutra here, in which he predicts how you might be enticed to pay up in the future.
Do you agree that Facebook games can only grow into more robust entertainment options from here? Where would you like to see the industry go from today's CityVille's and other life simulators? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
During the interview, Suuronen gave Gamasutra a detailed explanation of where Facebook games have been, what it takes to create them from a design perspective and, most importantly, where they're going. Specifically speaking to social mechanics in Facebook games, Suuronen said to Gamasutra:
"Now moving four years forward, you have games like CityVille, Pioneer Trail from Zynga, Kabam games, Digital Chocolate games, and Zombie Lane -- great game -- and now Magic Land," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "So it has really evolved. So why would the progression stop here? So I think it will evolve, as it has done from four years ago with Jetman and Scrabulous and Tower Bloxx. So it will evolve again in the next years."
The hit maker behind Diamond Dash recently released its seventh game on Facebook, Magic Land, which enjoys a healthy 3.4 million monthly players and over 330,000 daily players. According to Suuronen, Wooga's latest game had the most man hours thrown into it, a trend he seems to believe will continue. "The whole myth of the minimum viable product -- it's gone," Suuronen told Gamasutra. "It's something that you say to investors to sound cool."
Sure, Suuronen believes that players will eventually get tired of the standard social gaming mechanics of sharing gifts and helping asynchronously. However, the Wooga studio head also points out that the harsh reality of designing Facebook games to get players to pay up isn't going anywhere, and some traditional designers have trouble coming to grips with that.
Considering social games are expected to make $1 billion this year alone (and cash in even more from there), traditional designers and companies better wise up quick if they want to fit in the next big money machine. Read Suuronen's full interview with Gamasutra here, in which he predicts how you might be enticed to pay up in the future.
Do you agree that Facebook games can only grow into more robust entertainment options from here? Where would you like to see the industry go from today's CityVille's and other life simulators? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Edrenee's farm has a little bit of everything
Click the image to make it larger!
Previously this week, you folks had a couple complaints about Hemi 426's featured zoo farm. Though you agreed it was a huge FarmVille achievement, many of you folks thought it was just too cluttered and disorderly. In response, I present to you Edrenee's extremely organized farm.
While Edrenee's farm doesn't do anything incredibly artistic, you can't disagree that the orderly rows of crops and trees create a remarkable effect. It almost looks like a gardening enthusiast's back yard, with all kinds of crops neatly planted in rows. It's certainly a nice break from what we usually see: endless plantation-sized fields of the same crop. So even though it's not as creative as say, the dragon farm we featured a few weeks ago, it is a very nice FarmVille design that is certainly unique in its own right.
Finally, make sure you realize just how difficult it would be to coordinate all the crop grow times to take this photo. Very impressive Edrenee.
What do you think of Edrenee's farm?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Previously this week, you folks had a couple complaints about Hemi 426's featured zoo farm. Though you agreed it was a huge FarmVille achievement, many of you folks thought it was just too cluttered and disorderly. In response, I present to you Edrenee's extremely organized farm.
While Edrenee's farm doesn't do anything incredibly artistic, you can't disagree that the orderly rows of crops and trees create a remarkable effect. It almost looks like a gardening enthusiast's back yard, with all kinds of crops neatly planted in rows. It's certainly a nice break from what we usually see: endless plantation-sized fields of the same crop. So even though it's not as creative as say, the dragon farm we featured a few weeks ago, it is a very nice FarmVille design that is certainly unique in its own right.
Finally, make sure you realize just how difficult it would be to coordinate all the crop grow times to take this photo. Very impressive Edrenee.
What do you think of Edrenee's farm?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Playfish founder: We have redefined social games with The Sims Social
The Sims Social is just an arm's reach from being the number one game on Facebook, so this kind of logic is expected. In an interview with MCV, Playfish founder and co-GM Kristian Segerstrale said, "In bringing one of EA's most popular game franchises to Facebook, Playfish and The Sims team have redefined the meaning of social in video games."
While The Sims Social certainly treads some new ground in how Facebook gamers interact, it's important to remember to chalk up much of the game's runaway success to the brand it's attached to. In just over a month since its release, The Sims Social has skyrocketed to become the second most popular Facebook game to date in both daily and monthly players, AppData reports.
Just last week, EA's (which owns Playfish) proverbial secret weapon ousted Zynga's iconic and ubiquitous FarmVille in daily players, but now the game has even more monthly players than the household name farming simulator with over 43.8 million and counting. The Sims Social has dipped a bit in daily players, but is just about 2.9 million fans away from beating out the might CityVille as the most played Facebook game daily.
"By combining Playfish's expertise and passion for social play with the deep creative heritage of The Sims franchise and the insights of its creators, we feel we've brought something very special to life – and tens of millions of players around the world have responded with extraordinary enthusiasm over the last few weeks," Segerstrale said to MCV.
The founder went on to say that new features to The Sims Social will land in the coming months. And we're sure that if EA wants to host the top Facebook game overall, that those features will have to be even more groundbreaking than before. How's about in-game marriages, eh? (Because we all know how well that's worked elsewhere.)
Have you been a part of The Sims Social craze on Facebook? Do you think it's incredible growth is due to its reportedly groundbreaking social features, or is more thanks to its name (it could always be both)? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
While The Sims Social certainly treads some new ground in how Facebook gamers interact, it's important to remember to chalk up much of the game's runaway success to the brand it's attached to. In just over a month since its release, The Sims Social has skyrocketed to become the second most popular Facebook game to date in both daily and monthly players, AppData reports.
Just last week, EA's (which owns Playfish) proverbial secret weapon ousted Zynga's iconic and ubiquitous FarmVille in daily players, but now the game has even more monthly players than the household name farming simulator with over 43.8 million and counting. The Sims Social has dipped a bit in daily players, but is just about 2.9 million fans away from beating out the might CityVille as the most played Facebook game daily.
"By combining Playfish's expertise and passion for social play with the deep creative heritage of The Sims franchise and the insights of its creators, we feel we've brought something very special to life – and tens of millions of players around the world have responded with extraordinary enthusiasm over the last few weeks," Segerstrale said to MCV.
The founder went on to say that new features to The Sims Social will land in the coming months. And we're sure that if EA wants to host the top Facebook game overall, that those features will have to be even more groundbreaking than before. How's about in-game marriages, eh? (Because we all know how well that's worked elsewhere.)
Have you been a part of The Sims Social craze on Facebook? Do you think it's incredible growth is due to its reportedly groundbreaking social features, or is more thanks to its name (it could always be both)? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Empires & Allies Battle Blitz launches global PvP (and special prizes)
Finally, Zynga's answer to the growing legion of hardcore strategy games on Facebook, Empires & Allies, puts on the brass knuckles, so to speak. The developer has released Battle Blitz to the game, a feature that essentially allows you to invade (or be invaded by) any opposing Empire in the game. In other words, E&A finally has its own global PvP (player vs player) mode.
The feature appears on your tool bar to the bottom right of the screen with an icon that looks like two heads butting each other. Click on it to open the Battle Blitz menu. This replaces your Neighbor Bar for the time being with portraits of players that may or (most likely) may not be your Facebook friends. However, you must fight these players in succession--more on that later.
Once you click on the player, you will be taken to their Empire. Then, it's clobbering time as per usual. Click on a site to invade, and proceed to bring it to the ground. Once you successfully invade an opposing Empire, the Prize Machine will appear. Successfully invading Empires through Battle Blitz earns you Tokens to use in this feature for rewards like resources.
E&A Prize Machine
The reason you must invade Battle Blitz players in succession is that the higher you climb on the Battle Blitz ladder, the better your rewards will be from the Prize Machine. And just like normal invasions between friends, players can easily opt out of Battle Blitz by using your Immunity Tower or click on the white flag icon found to the left of the Battle Blitz bar. But look, this is war--why would you want to do that? What are you ... chicken?
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you participated in the Battle Blitz feature yet--what do you think? Is this the feature you've been waiting for in E&A, or what else do you think the game needs? Sound off in the comments. 25 Comments
The feature appears on your tool bar to the bottom right of the screen with an icon that looks like two heads butting each other. Click on it to open the Battle Blitz menu. This replaces your Neighbor Bar for the time being with portraits of players that may or (most likely) may not be your Facebook friends. However, you must fight these players in succession--more on that later.
Once you click on the player, you will be taken to their Empire. Then, it's clobbering time as per usual. Click on a site to invade, and proceed to bring it to the ground. Once you successfully invade an opposing Empire, the Prize Machine will appear. Successfully invading Empires through Battle Blitz earns you Tokens to use in this feature for rewards like resources.
E&A Prize Machine
The reason you must invade Battle Blitz players in succession is that the higher you climb on the Battle Blitz ladder, the better your rewards will be from the Prize Machine. And just like normal invasions between friends, players can easily opt out of Battle Blitz by using your Immunity Tower or click on the white flag icon found to the left of the Battle Blitz bar. But look, this is war--why would you want to do that? What are you ... chicken?
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you participated in the Battle Blitz feature yet--what do you think? Is this the feature you've been waiting for in E&A, or what else do you think the game needs? Sound off in the comments. 25 Comments
Thứ Bảy, 24 tháng 9, 2011
FarmVille Livestock Pen Animals re-released to fill your habitats
If you're looking for a slew of new (ok, re-released) animals to fill your new Livestock Pen in FarmVille, you'll want to check out the game's store within the next five days, as you can choose from a selection of re-released pigs, sheep and goats for a limited time. Here's the full lineup of re-released animals, along with their prices for your reference.
Black Pied Pig - 18 Farm Cash
Alpine Goat - 14 Farm Cash
Latxa Sheep - 20 Farm Cash
Biker Goat - 14 Farm Cash
Fame Sheep - 20 Farm Cash
Chamois Goat - 14 Farm Cash
Island Pig - 16 Farm Cash
Devon Pig - 16 Farm Cash
Again, these animals have been released previously; for instance, the Black Pied Pig was released previously in the German event in 2010 and then again in the Birthday Classics even earlier this year. You'll want to make sure you don't already have these animals on your farm before shelling out the Farm Cash, so you don't run into unnecessary duplicates. Just make sure you shop fast - these little fellas (and ladies) won't be around forever.
Are you going to purchase any of these animals during their brief re-release in the store, or do you already have the best ones on your farm? Sound off in the comments.
Black Pied Pig - 18 Farm Cash
Alpine Goat - 14 Farm Cash
Latxa Sheep - 20 Farm Cash
Biker Goat - 14 Farm Cash
Fame Sheep - 20 Farm Cash
Chamois Goat - 14 Farm Cash
Island Pig - 16 Farm Cash
Devon Pig - 16 Farm Cash
Again, these animals have been released previously; for instance, the Black Pied Pig was released previously in the German event in 2010 and then again in the Birthday Classics even earlier this year. You'll want to make sure you don't already have these animals on your farm before shelling out the Farm Cash, so you don't run into unnecessary duplicates. Just make sure you shop fast - these little fellas (and ladies) won't be around forever.
Are you going to purchase any of these animals during their brief re-release in the store, or do you already have the best ones on your farm? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Livestock Mystery Crate: What's inside?
As part of Zynga's attempt to make people care about the Livestock Pen in FarmVille, which, admittedly is a little hard (don't we already have dedicated storage buildings for both pigs and sheep?), it has released a Livestock Mystery Crate in the game's store containing six animals that can be stored inside your new pen. Now, the Livestock Pen can also store animals like goats or llamas, but unfortunately, only two items of these six re-released animals isn't some form of Pig or Sheep. Here's a full list so you see what I mean:
Alpaca
Babydoll Sheep
Miniature Goat
Teacup Pig
Welsh Mountain Sheep
White Ram
Each of these crates costs 20 Farm Cash, and they can be purchased from within the Decorations tab of the marketplace, instead of the Animals tab like you might expect. Remember, while you are guaranteed to receive one of these animals when you purchase a crate, you aren't guaranteed that you won't receive duplicates the next time you purchase one. That being the case, you'll want to really make sure you don't already have some of these animals already on your land before making a purchase, to ward off any unneeded extras. If you do want one of these crates, shop fast, as they'll only be around for five days.
Do you already have all of the animals inside the Livestock Mystery Crate, or will you purchase some for your farm this week? Which of these animals are you hoping to find inside? Let us know in the comments.
Alpaca
Babydoll Sheep
Miniature Goat
Teacup Pig
Welsh Mountain Sheep
White Ram
Each of these crates costs 20 Farm Cash, and they can be purchased from within the Decorations tab of the marketplace, instead of the Animals tab like you might expect. Remember, while you are guaranteed to receive one of these animals when you purchase a crate, you aren't guaranteed that you won't receive duplicates the next time you purchase one. That being the case, you'll want to really make sure you don't already have some of these animals already on your land before making a purchase, to ward off any unneeded extras. If you do want one of these crates, shop fast, as they'll only be around for five days.
Do you already have all of the animals inside the Livestock Mystery Crate, or will you purchase some for your farm this week? Which of these animals are you hoping to find inside? Let us know in the comments.
FarmVille: New Craftshop recipes use Lighthouse Cove crops
f you thought your Lighthouse Cove crops in FarmVille were only going to be good for completing goals or earning new mastery signs, think again. Zynga has released a series of new Craftshop recipes using these new crops which will see you combining "old" crops with these new bushels. Here's a complete rundown of the new crops so you know exactly what to grow (and what to stock up on) should you wish to craft any of these items in bulk.
Bright Yellow Tractor: 4 Clam, 10 Tarragon and 6 Elderberry Bushels
Mechanic Scarecrow: 3 Hay Bushels, 3 Apple Wood Baskets and 4 Wheat Bushels
Sheep Topiary: 4 Tarragon Bushels, 2 Wool Bundles and 5 Green Tea Bushels
Apple Red Seeder: 4 Seafood, 10 Dill and 6 Onion Bushels
Bonsai: 3 Kennebec Potato, 2 Cherry and 4 Basil Bushels
Tree House: 4 Lady Slipper Bushels, 2 Apple Wood Baskets and 4 Chandler Blueberry Bushels
Apple Red Harvester: 4 Lobster, 10 Daylily and 6 Basil Bushels
Post Office: 10 Cove Cranberry Bushels, 4 Poplar Wood Baskets and 6 Cauliflower Bushels
Evergreen Train: 10 Red Clover Bushels, 4 Poplar Wood Baskets and 6 Hay Bushels
Keep in mind, farmers, that if you're new to crafting these items, you won't be able to craft many of them until you earn mastery stars by crafting other things. Luckily, ones like the Bright Yellow Tractor and Sheep Topiary recipes are open by default, so at least you can earn some mastery stars while completing these new recipes. Also, keep track of how long each of these recipes take to complete, as some of them aren't exactly fast (the Harvester, for instance).
We'll make sure to let you know if additional Craftshop recipes are released in the future, along with what you'll take to actually craft them. Keep checking back with us for more.
What do you think of these new Craftshop recipes? Which items would you like to have more of on your farm? Sound off in the comments.
Bright Yellow Tractor: 4 Clam, 10 Tarragon and 6 Elderberry Bushels
Mechanic Scarecrow: 3 Hay Bushels, 3 Apple Wood Baskets and 4 Wheat Bushels
Sheep Topiary: 4 Tarragon Bushels, 2 Wool Bundles and 5 Green Tea Bushels
Apple Red Seeder: 4 Seafood, 10 Dill and 6 Onion Bushels
Bonsai: 3 Kennebec Potato, 2 Cherry and 4 Basil Bushels
Tree House: 4 Lady Slipper Bushels, 2 Apple Wood Baskets and 4 Chandler Blueberry Bushels
Apple Red Harvester: 4 Lobster, 10 Daylily and 6 Basil Bushels
Post Office: 10 Cove Cranberry Bushels, 4 Poplar Wood Baskets and 6 Cauliflower Bushels
Evergreen Train: 10 Red Clover Bushels, 4 Poplar Wood Baskets and 6 Hay Bushels
Keep in mind, farmers, that if you're new to crafting these items, you won't be able to craft many of them until you earn mastery stars by crafting other things. Luckily, ones like the Bright Yellow Tractor and Sheep Topiary recipes are open by default, so at least you can earn some mastery stars while completing these new recipes. Also, keep track of how long each of these recipes take to complete, as some of them aren't exactly fast (the Harvester, for instance).
We'll make sure to let you know if additional Craftshop recipes are released in the future, along with what you'll take to actually craft them. Keep checking back with us for more.
What do you think of these new Craftshop recipes? Which items would you like to have more of on your farm? Sound off in the comments.
Sims Social survey lets you sound off on item prices, favorite features and more
It's that time folks - time to let your collective voices be heard! EA wants to know how much fun (or not) you're having with the Sims Social on Facebook, and they've released a fairly long survey to help you tell them. This survey contains all sorts of questions, ranging from the basics of how often you play the game, to allowing you to rate your opinion on item pricing (are they too cheap? too expensive?) and what some of your favorite features are in the game.
Of course, the point of all of this is to gather enough opinions to actually sway the way the game develops in the future. Hopefully, with questions dealing with how much we like to "build" items with parts (bookcases, double beds, etc.), and the option to say that you don't like it at all, we may actually see a lessening in those kinds of items, if enough users agree. You can even rank various gameplay features (decorating your house, visiting friends, customizing your Sim, etc.) in the order that you like them. In this way, perhaps we'll see more focus being placed on the most (overall) liked feature, and you'll be able to say you helped to make that happen.
Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of survey that will allow you to give your opinion on future item sets, but there are plenty of blank text boxes for you to say exactly what you want to the developers in a place that you know they'll see it. Again, this survey is prety lengthy (when compared to other Facebook game surveys anyway), so you'll want to make sure you have around 5-10 minutes to set aside to take it.
We've taken this survey as well, and if we start to notice any gameplay changes arising because of options listed here, we'll make sure to let you know. In the meantime, head over to this link right here to take the survey for yourself.
Of course, the point of all of this is to gather enough opinions to actually sway the way the game develops in the future. Hopefully, with questions dealing with how much we like to "build" items with parts (bookcases, double beds, etc.), and the option to say that you don't like it at all, we may actually see a lessening in those kinds of items, if enough users agree. You can even rank various gameplay features (decorating your house, visiting friends, customizing your Sim, etc.) in the order that you like them. In this way, perhaps we'll see more focus being placed on the most (overall) liked feature, and you'll be able to say you helped to make that happen.
Unfortunately, this isn't the kind of survey that will allow you to give your opinion on future item sets, but there are plenty of blank text boxes for you to say exactly what you want to the developers in a place that you know they'll see it. Again, this survey is prety lengthy (when compared to other Facebook game surveys anyway), so you'll want to make sure you have around 5-10 minutes to set aside to take it.
We've taken this survey as well, and if we start to notice any gameplay changes arising because of options listed here, we'll make sure to let you know. In the meantime, head over to this link right here to take the survey for yourself.
FarmVille: 24x24 and under land expansions 50% off this weekend
If you're a new(er) player to FarmVille that hasn't had a chance to expand their Home or English Countryside farms, or, if you've just held off until expanding your farms until now, Zynga is offering some major incentive to doing so this weekend. All expansions in both the Home Farm and the English Countryside farm that are 24x24 and smaller are now 50% off. This sale will last until Sunday evening at 9PM PST.
Let's put this into perspective. The two most recent expansions to the Home Farm are for 30x30 and 32x32. While the 32x32 land expansion is technically still on "sale" for 5 days only, it still goes for 180 Farm Cash. Both of these expansions, then, wouldn't be part of this weekend sale. As for English Countryside expansions, there are four that many farmers have likely not unlocked: starting with 26x26 and up, simply because of their prices (2.5 million coins, 5 million coins, 195 Farm Cash and 195/215 Farm Cash respectively). This, again, takes us to the 32x32 sized farm, but none of these are included in the sale.
What's even more disappointing about this sale is the fact that Lighthouse Cove expansions aren't included. As we're limited (in Lighthouse Cove only) to a certain number of crops based on how big our farm is, and since these early expansions start out costing 30 Farm Cash each, it would have been great to see them included in this sale. Whether this means the prices will soon turn to coins instead is anyone's guess, but for now, I suppose this is one sale that most of us will simply have to miss out on.
Are you a farmer that can take advantage of this sale? Will you purchase any expansions for your farms this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
Let's put this into perspective. The two most recent expansions to the Home Farm are for 30x30 and 32x32. While the 32x32 land expansion is technically still on "sale" for 5 days only, it still goes for 180 Farm Cash. Both of these expansions, then, wouldn't be part of this weekend sale. As for English Countryside expansions, there are four that many farmers have likely not unlocked: starting with 26x26 and up, simply because of their prices (2.5 million coins, 5 million coins, 195 Farm Cash and 195/215 Farm Cash respectively). This, again, takes us to the 32x32 sized farm, but none of these are included in the sale.
What's even more disappointing about this sale is the fact that Lighthouse Cove expansions aren't included. As we're limited (in Lighthouse Cove only) to a certain number of crops based on how big our farm is, and since these early expansions start out costing 30 Farm Cash each, it would have been great to see them included in this sale. Whether this means the prices will soon turn to coins instead is anyone's guess, but for now, I suppose this is one sale that most of us will simply have to miss out on.
Are you a farmer that can take advantage of this sale? Will you purchase any expansions for your farms this weekend? Let us know in the comments.
Playfish founder: We have redefined social games with The Sims Social
The Sims Social is just an arm's reach from being the number one game on Facebook, so this kind of logic is expected. In an interview with MCV, Playfish founder and co-GM Kristian Segerstrale said, "In bringing one of EA's most popular game franchises to Facebook, Playfish and The Sims team have redefined the meaning of social in video games."
While The Sims Social certainly treads some new ground in how Facebook gamers interact, it's important to remember to chalk up much of the game's runaway success to the brand it's attached to. In just over a month since its release, The Sims Social has skyrocketed to become the second most popular Facebook game to date in both daily and monthly players, AppData reports.
Just last week, EA's (which owns Playfish) proverbial secret weapon ousted Zynga's iconic and ubiquitous FarmVille in daily players, but now the game has even more monthly players than the household name farming simulator with over 43.8 million and counting. The Sims Social has dipped a bit in daily players, but is just about 2.9 million fans away from beating out the might CityVille as the most played Facebook game daily.
"By combining Playfish's expertise and passion for social play with the deep creative heritage of The Sims franchise and the insights of its creators, we feel we've brought something very special to life – and tens of millions of players around the world have responded with extraordinary enthusiasm over the last few weeks," Segerstrale said to MCV.
The founder went on to say that new features to The Sims Social will land in the coming months. And we're sure that if EA wants to host the top Facebook game overall, that those features will have to be even more groundbreaking than before. How's about in-game marriages, eh? (Because we all know how well that's worked elsewhere.)
Have you been a part of The Sims Social craze on Facebook? Do you think it's incredible growth is due to its reportedly groundbreaking social features, or is more thanks to its name (it could always be both)? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
While The Sims Social certainly treads some new ground in how Facebook gamers interact, it's important to remember to chalk up much of the game's runaway success to the brand it's attached to. In just over a month since its release, The Sims Social has skyrocketed to become the second most popular Facebook game to date in both daily and monthly players, AppData reports.
Just last week, EA's (which owns Playfish) proverbial secret weapon ousted Zynga's iconic and ubiquitous FarmVille in daily players, but now the game has even more monthly players than the household name farming simulator with over 43.8 million and counting. The Sims Social has dipped a bit in daily players, but is just about 2.9 million fans away from beating out the might CityVille as the most played Facebook game daily.
"By combining Playfish's expertise and passion for social play with the deep creative heritage of The Sims franchise and the insights of its creators, we feel we've brought something very special to life – and tens of millions of players around the world have responded with extraordinary enthusiasm over the last few weeks," Segerstrale said to MCV.
The founder went on to say that new features to The Sims Social will land in the coming months. And we're sure that if EA wants to host the top Facebook game overall, that those features will have to be even more groundbreaking than before. How's about in-game marriages, eh? (Because we all know how well that's worked elsewhere.)
Have you been a part of The Sims Social craze on Facebook? Do you think it's incredible growth is due to its reportedly groundbreaking social features, or is more thanks to its name (it could always be both)? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
Thứ Năm, 22 tháng 9, 2011
Karma Kingdom looks to combine social good, social fun on Facebook
A Facebook game that can score us some good karma points--where do we sign up? We've seen games like FarmVille and CityVille run social good campaigns, but Singapore-based developer Asvathaa has a made an entire game of the idea. The developer just released Karma Kingdom on Facebook, a quest-driven game that looks to help you "Create Your Better World," according to its tag line.
Karma Kingdom integrates Indian mythology into modern lessons of doing good for others. It does this by allowing players to curate an island nation and maintain their citizens' happiness using the three tenants of happiness: health, community and knowledge. You will be guided by several Indian gods and goddesses in your efforts to keep the people happy through quests.
You do this through creating homes for your people to live in, and then surrounding those homes with decorations that promote Health, Community and Knowledge. It seems as if it's important to keep that balance in the decorations you place. Otherwise, your citizens will quickly become unhappy and provide less Goodwill, the resource you need to provide for your people.
Players can plant crops to provide more Goodwill, and the game doesn't seem to be governed by any energy system. (Now, that's something fresh.) But what's more important is the real goodwill Asvathaa aims to create with Karma Kingdom. The Singapore developer has promised to donate a 10 percent of its income through Facebook Credits to non-profit charities. (However, Asvathaa doesn't say which charities it will donate to exactly.)
Karma Kingdom in action
The more happiness-generating decorations you buy in the game using Facebook Credits, the more Asvathaa will donate ... somewhere. "We want to offer a personal CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) platform for every individual as the desire to give back exists in each one of us," Asvathaa CEO and founder Ashok Desai said in a release. If anything, the game looks to be a fresh take on the genre given that it doesn't limit your play time through energy, and maybe it will do some good, too.
Click here to play Karma Kingdom on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this new Facebook game yet, and what do you think of the fact that it doesn't limit you via energy? Would you ever pay up in the game, not knowing exactly where your Facebook Credits are going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Karma Kingdom integrates Indian mythology into modern lessons of doing good for others. It does this by allowing players to curate an island nation and maintain their citizens' happiness using the three tenants of happiness: health, community and knowledge. You will be guided by several Indian gods and goddesses in your efforts to keep the people happy through quests.
You do this through creating homes for your people to live in, and then surrounding those homes with decorations that promote Health, Community and Knowledge. It seems as if it's important to keep that balance in the decorations you place. Otherwise, your citizens will quickly become unhappy and provide less Goodwill, the resource you need to provide for your people.
Players can plant crops to provide more Goodwill, and the game doesn't seem to be governed by any energy system. (Now, that's something fresh.) But what's more important is the real goodwill Asvathaa aims to create with Karma Kingdom. The Singapore developer has promised to donate a 10 percent of its income through Facebook Credits to non-profit charities. (However, Asvathaa doesn't say which charities it will donate to exactly.)
Karma Kingdom in action
The more happiness-generating decorations you buy in the game using Facebook Credits, the more Asvathaa will donate ... somewhere. "We want to offer a personal CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) platform for every individual as the desire to give back exists in each one of us," Asvathaa CEO and founder Ashok Desai said in a release. If anything, the game looks to be a fresh take on the genre given that it doesn't limit your play time through energy, and maybe it will do some good, too.
Click here to play Karma Kingdom on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this new Facebook game yet, and what do you think of the fact that it doesn't limit you via energy? Would you ever pay up in the game, not knowing exactly where your Facebook Credits are going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Game of the Day: Madpet Half-Pipe
mad pet half pipe game of the dayHelp the Madpets tear up the half-pipe in this cute skateboarding game. Choose between cute foxes, pigs, bunnies, and more. Then select between Free Ride, Challenge, or Big Air; and you're ready to hit the pipe. Think you've mastered the half-pipe and have what it takes to be a pro skater? Then open up the combo list and attempt some of the more advanced tricks. Complete them all and you've earned yourself a place amongst the best of the Madpet skaters.
Click here to play Madpet Half-Pipe!
madpet half pipe game of the day madpet half pipe game of the day
Pro Tips:
* To execute the harder tricks, press the combo buttons at the same time, that way your pet won't preemptively do a different trick.
* Practice in free mode before attempting challenge and big air. That way you can learn some of the higher scoring tricks before taking them to competition.
* Even if your trick looks as though it has completed by the time you land, if you cut it close, often your pet will fall and lose all momentum. Play it safe and finish your tricks well before the landing.
Click here to play Madpet Half-Pipe!
What did you think of Madpet Half-Pipe? Were you able to execute all the tricks?
Click here to play Madpet Half-Pipe!
madpet half pipe game of the day madpet half pipe game of the day
Pro Tips:
* To execute the harder tricks, press the combo buttons at the same time, that way your pet won't preemptively do a different trick.
* Practice in free mode before attempting challenge and big air. That way you can learn some of the higher scoring tricks before taking them to competition.
* Even if your trick looks as though it has completed by the time you land, if you cut it close, often your pet will fall and lose all momentum. Play it safe and finish your tricks well before the landing.
Click here to play Madpet Half-Pipe!
What did you think of Madpet Half-Pipe? Were you able to execute all the tricks?
art, farmville, farmville featured farm, farmville pic of the day, featured farm, pic of the day, picture of the day, zynga
Parents, secure the iPhones and iPads. If Club Penguin isn't going to slide onto Facebook anytime soon, we'll take the next best thing: the iPhone. Puffle Launch, first released as a mini game within the kids world of Club Penguin over a year ago, launches onto iPhone tomorrow, Sept. 15. The game, which will be available for the paltry price of $.99, puts players in control of Daredevil, one of the many Puffles available in the existing Disney-owned web game.
Just like in Club Penguin, kids can fire Daredevil from a cannon, careening into obstacles and collecting Coins. Better yet, those Coins can be transferred to kids' existing Club Penguin accounts to buy new items from the web game's store. As players advance through the game's many daring and dangerous aerial courses, they will eventually have to face the Crab Boss.
According to a Club Penguin representative, Puffle Launch is already played by 150,000 kids daily, and a new Puffle is adopted every second in the kid-friendly virtual world. (That amounts to more than 20 million of the little balls of love adopted in 2011 already!) With statistics like that, color us baffled as to why Club Penguin has yet to hit Facebook, especially considering the amount of preteens that are already active on the social network.
Hopefully, this is just the beginning of Club Penguin's expansion beyond its little home on the web and onto new platforms (aside from Nintendo's stable of consoles). Check out the game's trailer below, but you might not want to show the kids just yet, unless you're willing to buy it on every iOS device in the house.
Are you excited that Club Penguin has finally made it to iOS? Where or how else would you like to see the Club Penguin franchise go? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Just like in Club Penguin, kids can fire Daredevil from a cannon, careening into obstacles and collecting Coins. Better yet, those Coins can be transferred to kids' existing Club Penguin accounts to buy new items from the web game's store. As players advance through the game's many daring and dangerous aerial courses, they will eventually have to face the Crab Boss.
According to a Club Penguin representative, Puffle Launch is already played by 150,000 kids daily, and a new Puffle is adopted every second in the kid-friendly virtual world. (That amounts to more than 20 million of the little balls of love adopted in 2011 already!) With statistics like that, color us baffled as to why Club Penguin has yet to hit Facebook, especially considering the amount of preteens that are already active on the social network.
Hopefully, this is just the beginning of Club Penguin's expansion beyond its little home on the web and onto new platforms (aside from Nintendo's stable of consoles). Check out the game's trailer below, but you might not want to show the kids just yet, unless you're willing to buy it on every iOS device in the house.
Are you excited that Club Penguin has finally made it to iOS? Where or how else would you like to see the Club Penguin franchise go? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Yesn's flower bouquet forest
After featuring Hemi 426's zoo farm yesterday, I decided to feature something a bit more abstract today. Yesn's FarmVille tree bouquet is exactly that. Yesn seems to have thrown out the structure, thrown out the organization, and settled with a very organic, fun, and ultimately beautiful design.
If you've ever read any of my FarmVille Pic of the Day posts, you know I love seeing art created with items other than the usual hay bales. I'm especially fond of tree art, and this is an excellent example of how to flawlessly execute it. I'd say this FarmVille design is on the same level as the fire-breathing dragon and giant Lady Gaga, two tree art masterpieces. In addition to the wild design, the arrangement of flowers itself is very nice. Yesn seems to have worked hard to ensure the bouquet doesn't feature any flower repeats, each one is unique.
Great job Yesn, and here's to hoping you have plenty of arborists!
What do you think of Yesn's FarmVille flower arrangement?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
If you've ever read any of my FarmVille Pic of the Day posts, you know I love seeing art created with items other than the usual hay bales. I'm especially fond of tree art, and this is an excellent example of how to flawlessly execute it. I'd say this FarmVille design is on the same level as the fire-breathing dragon and giant Lady Gaga, two tree art masterpieces. In addition to the wild design, the arrangement of flowers itself is very nice. Yesn seems to have worked hard to ensure the bouquet doesn't feature any flower repeats, each one is unique.
Great job Yesn, and here's to hoping you have plenty of arborists!
What do you think of Yesn's FarmVille flower arrangement?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Kinect Sports: Season Two ready to win big this holiday season
Last year's enjoyable launch game, Kinect Sports, was a critically acclaimed showpiece for Microsoft's motion sensing camera. It was so good, that consumers snatched up over three million copies, prompting the billion dollar company to green light a sequel.
The result, Kinect Sports: Season Two, appears to be every bit as good as its predecessor.
Rare's latest features six new sports to enjoy, each one more addictive than the last.
The game's most impressive activity, Darts, almost perfectly mimics the real deal, minus the occasional finger prick and the numerous holes in the wall.
Players stand in front of their televisions, hold an imaginary dart and watch as an on-screen hand appears. From there, it's as simple as making a throwing motion to send that dart to its intended location.
Matches support up to four players offline and one-versus-one via Xbox Live. From there, everyone competes to reduce their individual scores from 501 to zero.
More interesting, though, is Pop Darts, one of Season Two's three Challenge Play Modes that let users send high scores to friends via Xbox Live. Here, the object is to pop as many balloons as possible before time expires, where destroying said balloons adds precious seconds to the clock.
Another sport, Skiing, provides a more intense workout, as players pull into a tuck position and lean right or left to pass through gates. Similarly, they can fire up this event's Challenge Mode, Downhill Dodge, and tackle progressively difficult courses, jumping and ducking over obstacles to outscore their opponents.
Baseball, meanwhile, has a Challenge Mode all its own in the form of Homerun Hero, allowing gamers to blast pitches out of the park. On top of that, they can compete against the computer/other players in a more traditional three-inning game.
As for Golf, players should expect to retire their Wii Remotes, as the Kinect Sports: Season Two iteration is without question superior. Up to four players can hit the links, choosing between different clubs and taking practice swings before sending their golf balls into orbit.
The coolest feature is the ability to place one's hand over his or her eyes, prompting the game to offer a bird's eye view of the course.
Rare also put Nintendo's Wii Tennis to shame with a more advanced offering, where wannabe stars step into balls (on offense and defense) before hitting them with imaginary rackets, instead of just standing still the whole time.
Finally, there's American football. Although we don't expect it to replace Electronic Arts' Madden NFL anytime soon, Rare has done a great job capturing the thrill of being a quarterback and throwing a long bomb to a wide open receiver, or running in place to take the ball 100 yards to pay dirt. Quarters end too quickly, but at the very least, it's cool kicking field goals and dodging defensemen.
To compliment this impressive package, Rare included more mascots as well as 300 plus voice commands that put further distance between players and those plastic controllers. In fact, they can control much of the experience without pressing a single button.
Although there's still work to do (we encountered a couple minor glitches), Kinect Sports: Season Two should not only compliment its prequel, but surpass it. Most importantly, the game's a lot of fun, and further proof that Microsoft's Kinect has a bright future.
Gallery: Kinect Sports: Season Two (Xbox 360)
The result, Kinect Sports: Season Two, appears to be every bit as good as its predecessor.
Rare's latest features six new sports to enjoy, each one more addictive than the last.
The game's most impressive activity, Darts, almost perfectly mimics the real deal, minus the occasional finger prick and the numerous holes in the wall.
Players stand in front of their televisions, hold an imaginary dart and watch as an on-screen hand appears. From there, it's as simple as making a throwing motion to send that dart to its intended location.
Matches support up to four players offline and one-versus-one via Xbox Live. From there, everyone competes to reduce their individual scores from 501 to zero.
More interesting, though, is Pop Darts, one of Season Two's three Challenge Play Modes that let users send high scores to friends via Xbox Live. Here, the object is to pop as many balloons as possible before time expires, where destroying said balloons adds precious seconds to the clock.
Another sport, Skiing, provides a more intense workout, as players pull into a tuck position and lean right or left to pass through gates. Similarly, they can fire up this event's Challenge Mode, Downhill Dodge, and tackle progressively difficult courses, jumping and ducking over obstacles to outscore their opponents.
Baseball, meanwhile, has a Challenge Mode all its own in the form of Homerun Hero, allowing gamers to blast pitches out of the park. On top of that, they can compete against the computer/other players in a more traditional three-inning game.
As for Golf, players should expect to retire their Wii Remotes, as the Kinect Sports: Season Two iteration is without question superior. Up to four players can hit the links, choosing between different clubs and taking practice swings before sending their golf balls into orbit.
The coolest feature is the ability to place one's hand over his or her eyes, prompting the game to offer a bird's eye view of the course.
Rare also put Nintendo's Wii Tennis to shame with a more advanced offering, where wannabe stars step into balls (on offense and defense) before hitting them with imaginary rackets, instead of just standing still the whole time.
Finally, there's American football. Although we don't expect it to replace Electronic Arts' Madden NFL anytime soon, Rare has done a great job capturing the thrill of being a quarterback and throwing a long bomb to a wide open receiver, or running in place to take the ball 100 yards to pay dirt. Quarters end too quickly, but at the very least, it's cool kicking field goals and dodging defensemen.
To compliment this impressive package, Rare included more mascots as well as 300 plus voice commands that put further distance between players and those plastic controllers. In fact, they can control much of the experience without pressing a single button.
Although there's still work to do (we encountered a couple minor glitches), Kinect Sports: Season Two should not only compliment its prequel, but surpass it. Most importantly, the game's a lot of fun, and further proof that Microsoft's Kinect has a bright future.
Gallery: Kinect Sports: Season Two (Xbox 360)
Thứ Tư, 21 tháng 9, 2011
Contra creator Konami welcomes over 10 million social gamers
Does this mean we'll get to blast alien scum with giant guns on Facebook anytime soon? Probably not, but Konami sounds quite proud of itself, regardless. Siliconera reports that the creator of hit franchises like Contra and Castlevania welcomed its 10 millionth social gamer just this past August, thanks to its games on smartphones and Japanese social networks like Gree.
Specifically, Konami cited games like Dragon Collection, a game available over Gree and on smartphones that has over 4 million players collecting Dragon Cards and battling their friends with them. The game has been so successful that it has been inducted into the Gree Hall of Fame for apps, and has its very own weekly manga (Japanese take on comic books) serialization.
Other social hits published by Konami include Sengoku Collection, which sounds similar to Dragon Collection only set during Japan's Warring States period, with over 2 million registered players. Another, according to Siliconera, is Professional Dream Baseball Nine, a game that has held the number 2 spot on Gree's app rankings for 17 weeks running with over 1 million players. According to Siliconera, the game is even licensed by Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League.
This is pretty stellar news for Konami, who, like many Western game companies including EA, THQ and Ubisoft, has social gaming in its cross hairs more so than ever. In fact, Konami even recently reworked Hudson Soft, its subsidiary responsible for popular franchises like Bomberman, into a social games division for the publisher. (This 10 million players mark could include games the company has already released on Facebook like Viva Mall!.) Imagining the amount of yen being thrown at the company in games like Dragon Collection, we doubt this will be the last we hear of Konami's social soirée.
[Image Credit: Konami Digital Entertainment]
Do you think Konami was smart in focusing this much attention on social games? Which of the publishers famous franchises do you wish were interpreted for Facebook or other social platforms? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Specifically, Konami cited games like Dragon Collection, a game available over Gree and on smartphones that has over 4 million players collecting Dragon Cards and battling their friends with them. The game has been so successful that it has been inducted into the Gree Hall of Fame for apps, and has its very own weekly manga (Japanese take on comic books) serialization.
Other social hits published by Konami include Sengoku Collection, which sounds similar to Dragon Collection only set during Japan's Warring States period, with over 2 million registered players. Another, according to Siliconera, is Professional Dream Baseball Nine, a game that has held the number 2 spot on Gree's app rankings for 17 weeks running with over 1 million players. According to Siliconera, the game is even licensed by Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball League.
This is pretty stellar news for Konami, who, like many Western game companies including EA, THQ and Ubisoft, has social gaming in its cross hairs more so than ever. In fact, Konami even recently reworked Hudson Soft, its subsidiary responsible for popular franchises like Bomberman, into a social games division for the publisher. (This 10 million players mark could include games the company has already released on Facebook like Viva Mall!.) Imagining the amount of yen being thrown at the company in games like Dragon Collection, we doubt this will be the last we hear of Konami's social soirée.
[Image Credit: Konami Digital Entertainment]
Do you think Konami was smart in focusing this much attention on social games? Which of the publishers famous franchises do you wish were interpreted for Facebook or other social platforms? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Social game makers Gree, DeNA to take spotlight at Tokyo Game Show
Social games will go toe to toe with the hardcore scene at this year's Tokyo Game Show, Reuters reports. Gree, the 26 million player-strong mobile and social games creator hailing from Japan, will have one of the largest booths at Japan's equivalent of E3 this year, according to Reuters. In fact, both Gree and its competitor DeNA will conduct keynote addresses at the event, which runs Sept. 15 through 18.
Reuters reports that several game companies aside from DeNA and Gree, including famed creator of games like Contra and Castlevania (some of the most hardcore franchises around) Konami, are shifting resources toward social games. While the biggest Japanese games company, Nintendo, lags behind as it continues to focus on games created deliberately to take advantage of its hardware. Unfortunately, that hasn't been working out so well for the company as of late.
"Nintendo has done some pretty awful things - no software, poor pricing, poor PR, no sign of a sustainable turnaround, software support dropping like flies," JP Morgan analyst Hiroshi Kamide told Reuters, referring to the failed 3DS launch (and resultant massive price drop).
On the other hand, competitor Konami recently welcomed over 10 million players to its social games. "You can make serious returns with social games in Japan if done well - and that is exactly what they have done," Kamide said to Reuters about Konami.
Both DeNA (which enjoys 3 million more monthly players than its rival) and Gree have major ambitions of becoming global competitors in the social games space to companies like Zynga and EA, which have blazed the trail for Facebook and mobile social game in the western world. Just this past year, both Gree and DeNA made huge purchases to make global headway in the space with mobile social game network OpenFeint and mobile games developer Ngmoco, respectively.
Just as some social game makers invaded this year's E3 event in the states, it looks like the ballooning sub genre will fill up the streets of Tokyo this week, too. Whether the two companies will fill the conference halls with hot air has yet to be seen. But considering Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley analyst Masato Araki expects Japan's social games industry to grow to about 400 billion yen ($5.1 billion) by 2013 from 106 billion yen in 2011, according to Reuters, you can bet everyone will be all ears.
Do you think Gree and DeNA will have some new, interesting things to say about social games at this year's TGS? How do you think traditional Japanese gaming companies will respond? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Reuters reports that several game companies aside from DeNA and Gree, including famed creator of games like Contra and Castlevania (some of the most hardcore franchises around) Konami, are shifting resources toward social games. While the biggest Japanese games company, Nintendo, lags behind as it continues to focus on games created deliberately to take advantage of its hardware. Unfortunately, that hasn't been working out so well for the company as of late.
"Nintendo has done some pretty awful things - no software, poor pricing, poor PR, no sign of a sustainable turnaround, software support dropping like flies," JP Morgan analyst Hiroshi Kamide told Reuters, referring to the failed 3DS launch (and resultant massive price drop).
On the other hand, competitor Konami recently welcomed over 10 million players to its social games. "You can make serious returns with social games in Japan if done well - and that is exactly what they have done," Kamide said to Reuters about Konami.
Both DeNA (which enjoys 3 million more monthly players than its rival) and Gree have major ambitions of becoming global competitors in the social games space to companies like Zynga and EA, which have blazed the trail for Facebook and mobile social game in the western world. Just this past year, both Gree and DeNA made huge purchases to make global headway in the space with mobile social game network OpenFeint and mobile games developer Ngmoco, respectively.
Just as some social game makers invaded this year's E3 event in the states, it looks like the ballooning sub genre will fill up the streets of Tokyo this week, too. Whether the two companies will fill the conference halls with hot air has yet to be seen. But considering Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley analyst Masato Araki expects Japan's social games industry to grow to about 400 billion yen ($5.1 billion) by 2013 from 106 billion yen in 2011, according to Reuters, you can bet everyone will be all ears.
Do you think Gree and DeNA will have some new, interesting things to say about social games at this year's TGS? How do you think traditional Japanese gaming companies will respond? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Thứ Ba, 20 tháng 9, 2011
Empires & Allies Red Tide Rising Goals: Everything you need to know
It looks like our very own little Cold War is about to erupt in Empires & Allies, as Zynga has introduced new Goals to the game to coincide with the Red Tide Rising item event. This long, limited edition series of a whopping seven Goals will send you on a hunt for the mysterious Element Z that ... doesn't seem to go much of anywhere. Hey, at least you'll score a sweet Tank and other rewards for your hard work. Here's everything you need to know about the Red Tide Rising Goals in E&A:
Come Together
* Harvest from 8 Neighbor Farms
* Revive 6 Neighbor Farms
* Collect from 20 Neighbor Houses
This is all about visiting friends. In fact, considering each friend visit grants you five friendly actions, it will take at least six visitations to complete this Goal. And once you do, an EMP power-up awaits as your reward.
Come Together
Capture Evidence
* Collect 5 Defecting Scientists
In this simple Goal, all you need to do is ask your friends for this item, which we'd imagine you're all familiar with by now. Once you do, enjoy a free 1,000 Coins.
The More the Merrier
* Have 2 New Friends Play E&A
Alright, now this is just downright mean. Apparently, it's up to you to be an ambassador for Zynga's strategy game. You must invite two friends who have yet to play E&A, so have fun with that. Hey, you could always just make two mock accounts, have them befriend your real one, install the game via an invite from the real account and finally delete them. But you didn't hear that from us. Your reward for this Goal is a limited edition Sputnik Statue.
Red Tide Rising items
Tooling Up
* Have 10 Army Upgrades
* Build 8 Army Units
* Place 8 Army Units
To upgrade your Army or Land units, use the Army Research Lab (find out how in our guide right here). Then, the next two Goals are simple: Just build some throwaway units like Cadet Soldiers, which cost 100 Coins apiece, and place them. For completing these tasks, enjoy a free 100 Oil.
Release the Hounds
* Use Upgraded Army Units to Destroy 22 Enemy Units
* Use Upgrade Army Units to Inflict 1,000 Damage
This Goal doesn't dictate where exactly you have to destroy or damage said units, so try just entering a low-level Campaign battle and wreaking havoc on Captain Krunsch. You can also retreat from battles to avoid losing any of your precious upgraded Army units. This Goal, once completed, will reward you with 100 Wood.
Red Tide Rising items 2
Disposal!
* Collect 5 Bomb Disposal Robots
This simple Goal requires that you ask friends for the Robots, so ask away and be done with it. You'll score another 1,000 Coins for completing this Goal.
Shared Meal!
* Harvest 24 Red Onions
* Harvest 12 Neighbors' Farms
* Collect 250 Oil
To harvest 24 Red Onions, you will need a total of 9,216 Coins, and each crop takes 1 day and eight hours to complete. To harvest 12 Neighbor Farms, you will have to visit at least three friends. Your reward for completing this Goal is a limited edition Tank, the SU-122 with an impressive 200 Health.
[Source: Empires and Allies Base]
Have you started these new Russian-themed Goals yet? What do you think of the rewards at stake, and what tips might you have for completing these Goals even faster? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Come Together
* Harvest from 8 Neighbor Farms
* Revive 6 Neighbor Farms
* Collect from 20 Neighbor Houses
This is all about visiting friends. In fact, considering each friend visit grants you five friendly actions, it will take at least six visitations to complete this Goal. And once you do, an EMP power-up awaits as your reward.
Come Together
Capture Evidence
* Collect 5 Defecting Scientists
In this simple Goal, all you need to do is ask your friends for this item, which we'd imagine you're all familiar with by now. Once you do, enjoy a free 1,000 Coins.
The More the Merrier
* Have 2 New Friends Play E&A
Alright, now this is just downright mean. Apparently, it's up to you to be an ambassador for Zynga's strategy game. You must invite two friends who have yet to play E&A, so have fun with that. Hey, you could always just make two mock accounts, have them befriend your real one, install the game via an invite from the real account and finally delete them. But you didn't hear that from us. Your reward for this Goal is a limited edition Sputnik Statue.
Red Tide Rising items
Tooling Up
* Have 10 Army Upgrades
* Build 8 Army Units
* Place 8 Army Units
To upgrade your Army or Land units, use the Army Research Lab (find out how in our guide right here). Then, the next two Goals are simple: Just build some throwaway units like Cadet Soldiers, which cost 100 Coins apiece, and place them. For completing these tasks, enjoy a free 100 Oil.
Release the Hounds
* Use Upgraded Army Units to Destroy 22 Enemy Units
* Use Upgrade Army Units to Inflict 1,000 Damage
This Goal doesn't dictate where exactly you have to destroy or damage said units, so try just entering a low-level Campaign battle and wreaking havoc on Captain Krunsch. You can also retreat from battles to avoid losing any of your precious upgraded Army units. This Goal, once completed, will reward you with 100 Wood.
Red Tide Rising items 2
Disposal!
* Collect 5 Bomb Disposal Robots
This simple Goal requires that you ask friends for the Robots, so ask away and be done with it. You'll score another 1,000 Coins for completing this Goal.
Shared Meal!
* Harvest 24 Red Onions
* Harvest 12 Neighbors' Farms
* Collect 250 Oil
To harvest 24 Red Onions, you will need a total of 9,216 Coins, and each crop takes 1 day and eight hours to complete. To harvest 12 Neighbor Farms, you will have to visit at least three friends. Your reward for completing this Goal is a limited edition Tank, the SU-122 with an impressive 200 Health.
[Source: Empires and Allies Base]
Have you started these new Russian-themed Goals yet? What do you think of the rewards at stake, and what tips might you have for completing these Goals even faster? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
No More Heroes creator to spit out three more Mobage social games
And only one of which will actually involve grasshoppers. Grasshopper Manufacture, the Japanese developer responsible for stylish, gory hardcore games like No More Heroes, revealed just before the Tokyo Game Show that it will release three mobile social games through the now-global Mobage network, Kotaku reports.
The first game to be released internationally under this new deal between the developer and DeNA, which runs the Mobage network with recent acquisition ngmoco, is Frog Minutes. The game already released in Japan back in March, so this will likely just be a localized version for Mobage on Android phones in the U.S. and abroad.
In Frog Minutes, players disturb parts of a forest scene to stir up various insects and feed them to frogs. The more quickly players do this, the higher their score will climb, it seems. Ribbeting, isn't it? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Not much was revealed about Grasshopper Manufacture's other two Mobage projects other than their titles: Humans vs Zombies and Alien Busters.
The developer plans to show more of those games at a later date, according to Kotaku. Grasshopper Manufacture is placing big bets on social games with a mobile social version of No More Heroes, which designer Suda 51 said he hopes it will be bloodiest social game around.
While it's interesting to see a Japanese developer known for taking risks with unique games major consoles that (unfortunately) sell poorly hop into the low-risk, high-profit world of social gaming, it wasn't hard to see this one coming. And considering the effect social games has had on traditional American developers, we doubt this is the last news like this we'll hear from Japan.
Are you excited to see Grasshopper Manufacture go full-bore into social gaming? What other Japanese developers do you expect to see enter the space? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
The first game to be released internationally under this new deal between the developer and DeNA, which runs the Mobage network with recent acquisition ngmoco, is Frog Minutes. The game already released in Japan back in March, so this will likely just be a localized version for Mobage on Android phones in the U.S. and abroad.
In Frog Minutes, players disturb parts of a forest scene to stir up various insects and feed them to frogs. The more quickly players do this, the higher their score will climb, it seems. Ribbeting, isn't it? (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Not much was revealed about Grasshopper Manufacture's other two Mobage projects other than their titles: Humans vs Zombies and Alien Busters.
The developer plans to show more of those games at a later date, according to Kotaku. Grasshopper Manufacture is placing big bets on social games with a mobile social version of No More Heroes, which designer Suda 51 said he hopes it will be bloodiest social game around.
While it's interesting to see a Japanese developer known for taking risks with unique games major consoles that (unfortunately) sell poorly hop into the low-risk, high-profit world of social gaming, it wasn't hard to see this one coming. And considering the effect social games has had on traditional American developers, we doubt this is the last news like this we'll hear from Japan.
Are you excited to see Grasshopper Manufacture go full-bore into social gaming? What other Japanese developers do you expect to see enter the space? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Karma Kingdom looks to combine social good, social fun on Facebook
A Facebook game that can score us some good karma points--where do we sign up? We've seen games like FarmVille and CityVille run social good campaigns, but Singapore-based developer Asvathaa has a made an entire game of the idea. The developer just released Karma Kingdom on Facebook, a quest-driven game that looks to help you "Create Your Better World," according to its tag line.
Karma Kingdom integrates Indian mythology into modern lessons of doing good for others. It does this by allowing players to curate an island nation and maintain their citizens' happiness using the three tenants of happiness: health, community and knowledge. You will be guided by several Indian gods and goddesses in your efforts to keep the people happy through quests.
You do this through creating homes for your people to live in, and then surrounding those homes with decorations that promote Health, Community and Knowledge. It seems as if it's important to keep that balance in the decorations you place. Otherwise, your citizens will quickly become unhappy and provide less Goodwill, the resource you need to provide for your people.
Players can plant crops to provide more Goodwill, and the game doesn't seem to be governed by any energy system. (Now, that's something fresh.) But what's more important is the real goodwill Asvathaa aims to create with Karma Kingdom. The Singapore developer has promised to donate a 10 percent of its income through Facebook Credits to non-profit charities. (However, Asvathaa doesn't say which charities it will donate to exactly.)
Karma Kingdom in action
The more happiness-generating decorations you buy in the game using Facebook Credits, the more Asvathaa will donate ... somewhere. "We want to offer a personal CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) platform for every individual as the desire to give back exists in each one of us," Asvathaa CEO and founder Ashok Desai said in a release. If anything, the game looks to be a fresh take on the genre given that it doesn't limit your play time through energy, and maybe it will do some good, too.
Click here to play Karma Kingdom on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this new Facebook game yet, and what do you think of the fact that it doesn't limit you via energy? Would you ever pay up in the game, not knowing exactly where your Facebook Credits are going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Karma Kingdom integrates Indian mythology into modern lessons of doing good for others. It does this by allowing players to curate an island nation and maintain their citizens' happiness using the three tenants of happiness: health, community and knowledge. You will be guided by several Indian gods and goddesses in your efforts to keep the people happy through quests.
You do this through creating homes for your people to live in, and then surrounding those homes with decorations that promote Health, Community and Knowledge. It seems as if it's important to keep that balance in the decorations you place. Otherwise, your citizens will quickly become unhappy and provide less Goodwill, the resource you need to provide for your people.
Players can plant crops to provide more Goodwill, and the game doesn't seem to be governed by any energy system. (Now, that's something fresh.) But what's more important is the real goodwill Asvathaa aims to create with Karma Kingdom. The Singapore developer has promised to donate a 10 percent of its income through Facebook Credits to non-profit charities. (However, Asvathaa doesn't say which charities it will donate to exactly.)
Karma Kingdom in action
The more happiness-generating decorations you buy in the game using Facebook Credits, the more Asvathaa will donate ... somewhere. "We want to offer a personal CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) platform for every individual as the desire to give back exists in each one of us," Asvathaa CEO and founder Ashok Desai said in a release. If anything, the game looks to be a fresh take on the genre given that it doesn't limit your play time through energy, and maybe it will do some good, too.
Click here to play Karma Kingdom on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this new Facebook game yet, and what do you think of the fact that it doesn't limit you via energy? Would you ever pay up in the game, not knowing exactly where your Facebook Credits are going? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Game of the Day: Madpet Half-Pipe
mad pet half pipe game of the dayHelp the Madpets tear up the half-pipe in this cute skateboarding game. Choose between cute foxes, pigs, bunnies, and more. Then select between Free Ride, Challenge, or Big Air; and you're ready to hit the pipe. Think you've mastered the half-pipe and have what it takes to be a pro skater? Then open up the combo list and attempt some of the more advanced tricks. Complete them all and you've earned yourself a place amongst the best of the Madpet skaters.
Click here to play Madpet Half-Pipe!
madpet half pipe game of the day madpet half pipe game of the day
Pro Tips:
* To execute the harder tricks, press the combo buttons at the same time, that way your pet won't preemptively do a different trick.
* Practice in free mode before attempting challenge and big air. That way you can learn some of the higher scoring tricks before taking them to competition.
* Even if your trick looks as though it has completed by the time you land, if you cut it close, often your pet will fall and lose all momentum. Play it safe and finish your tricks well before the landing.
Click here to play Madpet Half-Pipe!
What did you think of Madpet Half-Pipe? Were you able to execute all the tricks?
Click here to play Madpet Half-Pipe!
madpet half pipe game of the day madpet half pipe game of the day
Pro Tips:
* To execute the harder tricks, press the combo buttons at the same time, that way your pet won't preemptively do a different trick.
* Practice in free mode before attempting challenge and big air. That way you can learn some of the higher scoring tricks before taking them to competition.
* Even if your trick looks as though it has completed by the time you land, if you cut it close, often your pet will fall and lose all momentum. Play it safe and finish your tricks well before the landing.
Click here to play Madpet Half-Pipe!
What did you think of Madpet Half-Pipe? Were you able to execute all the tricks?
Club Penguin fires a salvo of fun with Puffle Launch for iPhone [Video]
Parents, secure the iPhones and iPads. If Club Penguin isn't going to slide onto Facebook anytime soon, we'll take the next best thing: the iPhone. Puffle Launch, first released as a mini game within the kids world of Club Penguin over a year ago, launches onto iPhone tomorrow, Sept. 15. The game, which will be available for the paltry price of $.99, puts players in control of Daredevil, one of the many Puffles available in the existing Disney-owned web game.
Just like in Club Penguin, kids can fire Daredevil from a cannon, careening into obstacles and collecting Coins. Better yet, those Coins can be transferred to kids' existing Club Penguin accounts to buy new items from the web game's store. As players advance through the game's many daring and dangerous aerial courses, they will eventually have to face the Crab Boss.
According to a Club Penguin representative, Puffle Launch is already played by 150,000 kids daily, and a new Puffle is adopted every second in the kid-friendly virtual world. (That amounts to more than 20 million of the little balls of love adopted in 2011 already!) With statistics like that, color us baffled as to why Club Penguin has yet to hit Facebook, especially considering the amount of preteens that are already active on the social network.
Hopefully, this is just the beginning of Club Penguin's expansion beyond its little home on the web and onto new platforms (aside from Nintendo's stable of consoles). Check out the game's trailer below, but you might not want to show the kids just yet, unless you're willing to buy it on every iOS device in the house.
Are you excited that Club Penguin has finally made it to iOS? Where or how else would you like to see the Club Penguin franchise go? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Just like in Club Penguin, kids can fire Daredevil from a cannon, careening into obstacles and collecting Coins. Better yet, those Coins can be transferred to kids' existing Club Penguin accounts to buy new items from the web game's store. As players advance through the game's many daring and dangerous aerial courses, they will eventually have to face the Crab Boss.
According to a Club Penguin representative, Puffle Launch is already played by 150,000 kids daily, and a new Puffle is adopted every second in the kid-friendly virtual world. (That amounts to more than 20 million of the little balls of love adopted in 2011 already!) With statistics like that, color us baffled as to why Club Penguin has yet to hit Facebook, especially considering the amount of preteens that are already active on the social network.
Hopefully, this is just the beginning of Club Penguin's expansion beyond its little home on the web and onto new platforms (aside from Nintendo's stable of consoles). Check out the game's trailer below, but you might not want to show the kids just yet, unless you're willing to buy it on every iOS device in the house.
Are you excited that Club Penguin has finally made it to iOS? Where or how else would you like to see the Club Penguin franchise go? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Thứ Hai, 12 tháng 9, 2011
Splitter
Splitter
Slice wood and joints with your knife in order to move the smiley face to the exit. Try to collect the stars in every level.How to Play:
Use your mouse to interact.Max Damage 2
Max Damage 2
Destructive Max is back! Help him cause as much damage as possible by aiming his cannon and launching various projectiles at expensive objects.How to Play:
Use your mouse to playBuilding Blaster 2
Building Blaster 2
Place and detonate your explosives to topple structures and clear the red areas. Make sure you don’t harm civilians!How to Play:
Use your mouse to playMushroom Cannon
Mushroom Cannon
Mushroom Cannon is a physics-based shooting game, your goal is to get mushrooms into the bucket. You need to get at least one mushroom to each bucket.Use your mouse to aim the cannon and left mouse click to fire the cannon. You can shoot the cannon as many times as you need to hit the buckets.
How to Play:
Use your mouse to aim the cannon and left mouse click to fire the cannon. You can shoot the cannon as many times as you need to hit the buckets.Pyoro Angry Birds
Free Angry Birds PC Online Games : Catch the falling plants with your tongue but avoid to be hit by them. Move with the left and right arrow key and use space bar to extend your tongue.
http://www.angry-birds.biz/play/pyoro-angry-birds/
How to Play:
Move with the left and right arrow key and use space bar to extend your tonguehttp://www.angry-birds.biz/play/pyoro-angry-birds/
Learn To Fly Little Bird
The world is a tuff place for a small bird like this one. This bird just started to fly and now it needs your help in order to survive. Help the little bird to avoid the attacks from the eagles flying in the sky and the piranhas jumping from the water. You also need to stay away from the water because you are just a little bird that doesn’t know to swim yet. Try to collect as many worm coins as you can while struggling for survivor. The golden worm coin gives you 15 points, the silver one 10 points and the bronze one only 5 points. From time to time you will get a speed bonus and a life bonus. Be sure to collect them because they can make a difference between life and death.
More Game Angry Birds : angrybirdspc.biz
http://www.angry-birds.biz/play/learn-to-fly-little-bird/
More Game Angry Birds : angrybirdspc.biz
How to Play
This game is played by the mouse.http://www.angry-birds.biz/play/learn-to-fly-little-bird/
Chickenboy Chucky
Angry Birds PC : Help Chucky the chicken to move across the water.
http://www.angry-birds.biz/play/chickenboy-chucky/
How to Play:
Move the ice paddle with your mouse and keep him bouncing all the wayto the safety.http://www.angry-birds.biz/play/chickenboy-chucky/
Angry Birds Chrome
Angry Birds is a Trademark of Rovio Mobile LTD. We’re fans of this game. We made this website to help you play Angry Birds on PC, Mac and in any browsers (all free and legal). We hope you’re enjoying these games. Please bookmark and share to your friends. Thank you !
How to Play:
play free angry birds chrome from angrybirdsgame.bizPlay Angry Birds Game
Fire your Angry Birds at those naughty piglets and get buildings to collapse on them.
How to Play:
Free play Angry Birds Game Online.Roly Poly Cannon
Shoot as few exploding cannon balls as possible as you kill the bad smileys and save the good.
How to Play:
Use your mouse to aim the cannon to kill the bad smileys without hitting the bad smileys.Paper Canon
Imagine that you have a simple paper cannon and you live in a paper world invaded by pink critters. You have to save the world. The paper world.
How to Play:
Use your Mouse to playCrusade
Crusade
Physics “Break castle” game! Clear Europe from the invasion of monsters… Beautiful graphycs. Many cannon types, enemys, achievents, elements for build own levels … and others!How to Play:
Use your mouse to shootSieger
Sieger
The goal of each level of Sieger to win a level as the Siege commander you have to kill all the castle defenders and keep the hostages safe from harm by carefully choosing what supporting blocks of the castle to smash with your cannon fire. You can earn one of the three medals (Gold, Silver and Bronze) and you can also loot each castle by breaking a treasure chest. The fewer shots fired at the castle the better. The Level Editor allows you to create and share your own custom levels. Check out the People’s Empire to play the user submitted levels. The bonus level unlocks at the end when all the previous castles are taken.How to Play:
Sieger Game Controls: Point at a castle block and click to fire with your mouse.Cannibal Casserole
Cannibal Casserole
Castaways are edible, but require thorough cooking. Use your catapult skills to toss wayward humans into your giant cooking pot. Obstacles abound: aim carefully, monkey!How to Play:
Use Mouse to controlChicken House
Chicken House
Use your mouse as an AXE to cut and break objects. Pop various blue, red & yellow chickens, eggs and gems to earn the highest score!How to Play:
Solve puzzles with angry chickens in the house!Da Vinci Cannon
Da Vinci Cannon
Similar to Crush the Castle, but your weapon is a cannon instead of a trebuchet. Adjust the angle and power of the cannon, and then fire away to knock over structures and kill your foes.Leonardo Da Vinci was a genius. Many great inventions, but one in particular was lost to time: The Da Vinci Cannon. Control this machination and decimate those who would stand against you. How dare they underestimate the genius of Da Vinci!
How to Play:
Use mouse onlyCrush the Castle 2
Crush the Castle 2
Even after crushing and capturing Arcturia, the Redvonian King was still longing for more castles to crush. Rumor has it that King Blutias has built sturdier castles in his cluster of islands known as Crushtania the Redvonian King wants them crushed. The King has sent you, his Seige Master, and Halgrim his finest mason, to assemble the greatest minds in the land to destroy Blutias’s empire.How to Play:
Mouse to Fire, Release, and Reload Arrow Keys to View CastleBloons
Bloons
With the darts given, pop the target number of balloons to pass each level. Some balloons have unique effects when they are popped; try to figure out how to use these special balloons to your advantage (hint: Pacman balloons can be moved using the arrow keys once popped).How to Play:
Move the mouse to aim. Click and hold the left mouse button to set the power, and release to throw the dart.Max Damage
Max Damage
Shoot cannonballs at stacks of fridges, tvs, and microwaves and cause maximum damage to pass each level. Bash, bounce, explode, and burn your way through 49 challenging levels. Aim for targets that are worth more money in order to meet the level damage goals.How to Play:
Shoot cannonballs at stacks of fridges, tvs, and microwaves and cause maximum damage to pass each level. Bash, bounce, explode, and burn your way through 49 challenging levels. Aim for targets that are worth more money in order to meet the level damage goals.Old Canon
Old Canon
Use this rusty old cannon to destroy all the wobbly and unstable castles. Only 3 shots in each level and you have to take down the right amount and correct building blocks. Discover how its done while playing. Can you complete all 18 levels?How to Play:
Aim and fire - Use mouse to aim, left click to fireSandcastle
Sandcastle
Mix of strategy and shooting in medieval defense game. Defend your city from the invading ships. Use different types of cannons and ammo to sunk them!How to Play:
Click with the mouse to shoot, hold the mouse button down longer for more power. Press spacebar after shoot to cancel it. Win 7 battles and defend Your Kingdom! Control Scheme: * Space: cancels shoot * fire: left mouseCool West
Cool West
Launch various animals with your slingshot as you attempt to kill the penguins inside and on top of structures.How to Play:
Use your mouse to play.Demolition City 2
Demolition City 2
Put your explosives in the right spots to make buildings topple below the specified height. Boom goes the dynamite!How to Play:
Use your mouse to interact.Splitter
Splitter
Slice wood and joints with your knife in order to move the smiley face to the exit. Try to collect the stars in every level.How to Play:
Use your mouse to interact.Max Damage 2
Max Damage 2
Destructive Max is back! Help him cause as much damage as possible by aiming his cannon and launching various projectiles at expensive objects.How to Play:
Use your mouse to playBuilding Blaster 2
Building Blaster 2
Place and detonate your explosives to topple structures and clear the red areas. Make sure you don’t harm civilians!How to Play:
Use your mouse to playMushroom Cannon
Mushroom Cannon
Mushroom Cannon is a physics-based shooting game, your goal is to get mushrooms into the bucket. You need to get at least one mushroom to each bucket.Use your mouse to aim the cannon and left mouse click to fire the cannon. You can shoot the cannon as many times as you need to hit the buckets.
How to Play:
Use your mouse to aim the cannon and left mouse click to fire the cannon. You can shoot the cannon as many times as you need to hit the buckets.
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