Have you already entered our giveaway for a free FarmVille Christmas Ornament Plush, complete with 10 Farm Cash and a virtual version of that animal for your farm? There's still time to enter our contest for one of ten animals, but if you want to increase your chances of walking away with one of these adorable plushies, why not also enter a contest being held by Zynga itself on the game's official forums?
There, you'll have the opportunity to simply fill in the blank on a themed sentence for a chance to randomly be named the winner. To be specific, your entry needs to complete this sentence: "I want a FV plushy for the holidays because..." On December 10, entries will be closed, and 50 random players (that followed the rules, that is) will walk away with a free FarmVille Christmas Ornament Plush, the 10 Farm Cash and virtual animal that come with it, plus an additional 75 Farm Cash for being a winner of the contest. A pretty neat deal, right?
Unfortunately, you won't be able to choose which of the eight animals you'll receive from the big Z if you are chosen as a winner, but if you end up with a duplicate of an animal you've already purchased in the real world, why not try to trade it to a friend for something you don't have? My guess is there are plenty of eager farmers that would be more than willing to help you out, even if it's only to trade the virtual codes for those animals within your farm(s). Good luck!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Will you enter FarmVille's Christmas Plush Giveaway? Which animal are you hoping to win in this contest?
Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 3, 2012
FarmVille Santa's Sleigh: Everything you need to know
Just yesterday, we brought you a sneak peek that Santa himself would be joining the Christmas festivities in FarmVille, and it has only taken him 24 hours to arrive! That's right, the big man in red has taken a break from his Christmas planning at the North Pole to make a visit to your farm via Santa's Sleigh... well, sort of. This is a new building project that's rolling out to users as we speak, and is available to build for free using parts from friends. Or, if you want to skip the technicalities, you can also purchase a complete Sleigh from the store for Farm Cash.
If you choose to go the free route, you'll be given a chance to place the frame for your Sleigh on the farm of your choosing for free. If you happen to load the game on a farm that you don't want the Sleigh to be on, just click on the Arrow tool in the bottom right corner of the screen before placing it. This places the Sleigh into your inventory so that you can freely switch farms and place Santa's Sleigh when and where you want.
As for finishing it, this Sleigh is comparable to the Polar Train Station within Winter Wonderland, as it comes with seven different levels, and can be upgraded by collecting more and more building materials. The first level requires the following:
8 GPS
8 Silver Bells
8 Holiday Lights
These items can either be purchased for a single Farm Cash each, or you can ask your friends to send them to you via individual requests. As you start to build your Sleigh, you'll be frequently prompted to share ingredients with friends, so make sure to click on similar posts made by your friends for truly free parts.
Once you reach Level 4, you'll need to collect some different items, starting with 18 each of Milk and Cookie, Reindeer Treats and Holiday Cheer. These items are earned in the same way as the others.
As you continue to upgrade Santa's Sleigh, eventually reaching Level 7, you're not just making this item look prettier, but are also ensuring that you'll be able to harvest more Gifts from it when this year's Holiday Tree launches in the game. This is the first official mention we've seen of a Christmas Holiday Tree for FarmVille this year, so we'll make sure to stay on top of things and will let you know when that Tree launches. It could be any day, so start building Santa's Sleigh today!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Are you excited to see Santa's Sleigh arrive in FarmVille, or are you more concerned with this year's Holiday Tree and the prizes you'll "win" in it?
If you choose to go the free route, you'll be given a chance to place the frame for your Sleigh on the farm of your choosing for free. If you happen to load the game on a farm that you don't want the Sleigh to be on, just click on the Arrow tool in the bottom right corner of the screen before placing it. This places the Sleigh into your inventory so that you can freely switch farms and place Santa's Sleigh when and where you want.
As for finishing it, this Sleigh is comparable to the Polar Train Station within Winter Wonderland, as it comes with seven different levels, and can be upgraded by collecting more and more building materials. The first level requires the following:
8 GPS
8 Silver Bells
8 Holiday Lights
These items can either be purchased for a single Farm Cash each, or you can ask your friends to send them to you via individual requests. As you start to build your Sleigh, you'll be frequently prompted to share ingredients with friends, so make sure to click on similar posts made by your friends for truly free parts.
Once you reach Level 4, you'll need to collect some different items, starting with 18 each of Milk and Cookie, Reindeer Treats and Holiday Cheer. These items are earned in the same way as the others.
As you continue to upgrade Santa's Sleigh, eventually reaching Level 7, you're not just making this item look prettier, but are also ensuring that you'll be able to harvest more Gifts from it when this year's Holiday Tree launches in the game. This is the first official mention we've seen of a Christmas Holiday Tree for FarmVille this year, so we'll make sure to stay on top of things and will let you know when that Tree launches. It could be any day, so start building Santa's Sleigh today!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Are you excited to see Santa's Sleigh arrive in FarmVille, or are you more concerned with this year's Holiday Tree and the prizes you'll "win" in it?
CityVille celebrates one year anniversary by taking a look back
While you may be busy celebrating CityVille's first birthday by building your City Center (so that it will eventually be able to store Community Buildings), the folks at Zynga proper have taken a look back at the year that was via a set of interesting stats, featuring accomplishments made by you - the players - in the past year.
Since being allowed to capture Bandits last March (those would-be felons that try to steal our profits when collecting from businesses), CityVille players have done just that, with over 4.5 billion bandits captured since then. And it's not just girls that are playing the game either, as we've learned that the game is composed of 41% male and 53% female players (we're assuming the missing 6% are users that don't have their gender listed on their Facebook profiles).
When compared to the real world, we see the size and scale of CityVille's reach really shine. For instance, Zynga has calculated that there are 45,300 McDonald's and Burger Kings (combined) in the entire world, while CityVille plays home to over 63 million burger joints in players towns. Similarly, Starbucks runs 17,000 restaurants in the real world, and there are even more Coffee Shops in CityVille - 89 milllion!
With such high figures for just its first year, is the sky really the limit for CityVille? Unfortunately, the game is on a decline, with AppData figures placing the game down 1.1 million players in just the last seven days. Still, with dedicated players creating these impressive one-year anniversary stats, I think it would be safe to say the game isn't going anywhere, anytime soon. You can check out the full infographic below.
Are you surprised to see such high numbers from CityVille's first year? How many times do you play CityVille each day or have you actually stopped?
Since being allowed to capture Bandits last March (those would-be felons that try to steal our profits when collecting from businesses), CityVille players have done just that, with over 4.5 billion bandits captured since then. And it's not just girls that are playing the game either, as we've learned that the game is composed of 41% male and 53% female players (we're assuming the missing 6% are users that don't have their gender listed on their Facebook profiles).
When compared to the real world, we see the size and scale of CityVille's reach really shine. For instance, Zynga has calculated that there are 45,300 McDonald's and Burger Kings (combined) in the entire world, while CityVille plays home to over 63 million burger joints in players towns. Similarly, Starbucks runs 17,000 restaurants in the real world, and there are even more Coffee Shops in CityVille - 89 milllion!
With such high figures for just its first year, is the sky really the limit for CityVille? Unfortunately, the game is on a decline, with AppData figures placing the game down 1.1 million players in just the last seven days. Still, with dedicated players creating these impressive one-year anniversary stats, I think it would be safe to say the game isn't going anywhere, anytime soon. You can check out the full infographic below.
Are you surprised to see such high numbers from CityVille's first year? How many times do you play CityVille each day or have you actually stopped?
Adventure World Mystery of the Moon Door Expedition: Everything you need to know
Part 2 of the new Indiana Jones mission series in Adventure World sees you and Indy making your way inside the Moon Temple to try and find a component for the Calendar of the Sun. You'll need to have at least started the Jungle Approach Expedition in your game (the first in the Calendar of the Sun series) before being able to access this one, although you can run them both at the same time. To start Mystery of the Moon Door, you'll need to have at least 150 Supplies and a single Food, Fuel and Water. You can bring up to five of your friends in on this Expedition with you, and you'll have five days to complete it in its entirety. Here's a look at how to do just that!
Let Me In!
Investigate the 3 Skeletons Outside the Door
Ask Friends for 16 Compass Rose Seeds
Use Fertile Soil to Plant 8 Compass Rose Seeds
Use 4 Compass Markers to Learn How to Build a Celestial Compass
When compared to Jungle Approach, this Expedition immediately becomes more complicated (and therefore more time consuming). First, you'll need to ask your friends for 16 Compass Rose Seeds, which is done via individual requests to each of your game-playing friends. As you first enter this Expedition, you'll see the skeletons placed on stakes - apparently, the tribes that were here before you set up plenty of traps for outsiders, and you'll need to investigate these poor souls' demise. When clicking on the first one, you'll learn that the key to opening the door is the Celestial Compass. You'll need to find the four Compass Markers around the map (don't worry - they're large and hard to miss) and use them to find out just how to build a Compass of your own. However, you'll need to plant flowers next to the markers to actually be able to interact with them, hence having to ask your friends for the seeds.
The Competition
Investigate the Abandoned Camp
Investigate the Campfire
Recover the Lost Book
Apparently, you and Indy aren't the only ones that know about the Calendar of the Sun, so you'll need to take this opportunity to learn more about your competition by studying what they left behind. Luckily, both the fire and tent are right next to each other, but they are guarded by a snake you'll have to take out. When you investigate the tent, the book will appear next to it automatically, making this one of the easiest quests to complete in all of Adventure World.
Out of Time
Investigate the Dodo Bird
Investigate the Red-Throated Wood Rail Bird
Investigate the Great Auk Bird
Just as with the Jungle Approach Expedition, you'll find some extinct (well, formerly believed to be extinct) wildlife on this map. Here, you're finding birds, where as before you found plants. Just locate these three birds on the map (feel free to click on "Show Me" for their exact locations) and click on them to investigate.
When you finish this Expedition, you'll have just three more Expeditions to complete to finish the entire Calendar of the Sun mission set. You'll need to continue going through each map in order, before you can unlock the next in the path, but with enough hard work (and a little help from friends), you should have no problem making it to this point. Happy adventuring!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Mystery of the Moon Door Expedition in Adventure World?
CityVille Meet the Parents Goals: Everything you need to know
If you're above Level 50 in CityVille, and aren't too busy completing your City Center as part of the game's first birthday celebration, you now have a completely new set of goals to work on, surrounding Louise and her parents. Louise's parents are on vacation in your city, and it's up to you to make sure they have a good time while they're there! This is a four-part goal series, but there doesn't look to be an expiration date for when you need to complete them, so feel free to take your time. Here's a guide to finishing them off.
Meet the Parents
Ask for 12 Rocking Chairs
Collect from Attractions 2 Times
Collect from Restaurants 30 Times
The Rocking Chairs are earned by asking your friends to send them to you via a general wall post. While you're waiting, you can put two of your attractions into action (the Ferris Wheel, Pirate Ship Ride, etc.) so that you can collect from them later. Finish this first goal and you'll receive 200 XP.
Bread Winner
Ask for 12 Family Recipes
Collect from Food Markets 30 Times
Harvest 80 Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes
The Food Markets are those buildings like the Corner Store, City Supermarket or Produce Paradise. You can collect from more than one of each of these, if you happen to have them in your city, or just repeatedly collect from the three of them until you reach 30. While tending to your businesses, you can also tend to your crops, with the Grapes being ready to harvest after one full day. Once you complete this goal, you'll receive a Spa, a business that you very well might already have in your town.
Mother's Nature
Ask for 15 Bathrobes
Collect from Spas 20 Times
Collect from Handbag Store 20 Times
Luckily, if you did already have the Spa in your city before being given one at the end of the last goal, then this goal is going to be twice as easy to complete. You just might find yourself stalled waiting for your friends to send you the Bathrobes. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20,000 coins.
Male Bonding
Ask for 20 Bags of Popcorn
Collect from Stadiums 4 Times
Collect from the Executive Driving Range 3 Times
The Stadium task allows you to collect from College Stadiums, Soccer Stadiums or Baseball Stadiums, so if you have all three in your town, you'll finish that much quicker. As for the Executive Driving Range, that's an attraction that you can find our guide to building right here. Finish this final goal in the Meet the Parents series and you'll receive a whopping 5,000 Goods.
Since this goal series is completely separate from any limited time event or building in the game, you'll also apparently have an unlimited amount of time to complete them. Still, we've seen some goals being retired after months of being available in the game, so you might want to do these eventually, even if only to say that you did.
[Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these Meet the Parents goals? Do you miss seeing more goals like these - that are completely self-contained and deal with already released content?
Meet the Parents
Ask for 12 Rocking Chairs
Collect from Attractions 2 Times
Collect from Restaurants 30 Times
The Rocking Chairs are earned by asking your friends to send them to you via a general wall post. While you're waiting, you can put two of your attractions into action (the Ferris Wheel, Pirate Ship Ride, etc.) so that you can collect from them later. Finish this first goal and you'll receive 200 XP.
Bread Winner
Ask for 12 Family Recipes
Collect from Food Markets 30 Times
Harvest 80 Cabernet Sauvignon Grapes
The Food Markets are those buildings like the Corner Store, City Supermarket or Produce Paradise. You can collect from more than one of each of these, if you happen to have them in your city, or just repeatedly collect from the three of them until you reach 30. While tending to your businesses, you can also tend to your crops, with the Grapes being ready to harvest after one full day. Once you complete this goal, you'll receive a Spa, a business that you very well might already have in your town.
Mother's Nature
Ask for 15 Bathrobes
Collect from Spas 20 Times
Collect from Handbag Store 20 Times
Luckily, if you did already have the Spa in your city before being given one at the end of the last goal, then this goal is going to be twice as easy to complete. You just might find yourself stalled waiting for your friends to send you the Bathrobes. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20,000 coins.
Male Bonding
Ask for 20 Bags of Popcorn
Collect from Stadiums 4 Times
Collect from the Executive Driving Range 3 Times
The Stadium task allows you to collect from College Stadiums, Soccer Stadiums or Baseball Stadiums, so if you have all three in your town, you'll finish that much quicker. As for the Executive Driving Range, that's an attraction that you can find our guide to building right here. Finish this final goal in the Meet the Parents series and you'll receive a whopping 5,000 Goods.
Since this goal series is completely separate from any limited time event or building in the game, you'll also apparently have an unlimited amount of time to complete them. Still, we've seen some goals being retired after months of being available in the game, so you might want to do these eventually, even if only to say that you did.
[Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of these Meet the Parents goals? Do you miss seeing more goals like these - that are completely self-contained and deal with already released content?
Chủ Nhật, 11 tháng 3, 2012
Final Fantasy unleashes an adorable Brigade on Japanese phones
If you we're looking for another reason to add "Visit Japan" to your bucket list, you just found it: the cutest Final Fantasy game to date. Square Enix, creator of the long-standing role-playing game (RPG) series, has released Final Fantasy Brigade for Japanese feature phones (i.e. not smartphones) on DeNA's Mobage mobile social game network.
And seriously, we have yet to see a more adorable flame demon. (He goes by "Ifrit", for the uninformed.) Serkan Toto reports that a version of the game to work in smartphone browsers is in the works, which we guess will employ HTML5. In Final Fantasy Brigade, players will form a squad of adventurers plucked from the common tropes of the series: the brawny warrior, the healing white mage and explosive black mage.
Players will command an airship--another Final Fantasy staple--and explore the world with friends, completing quests for gold, loot and experience points to level up. We take it that players will be able to summon ancient beasts, just like in Final Fantasy proper, to dispatch their enemies as well as duke it out with their friends.
There's no word on a U.S. release, but color us cautiously optimistic. The traditional entries in the Final Fantasy RPG series have performed historically well in the U.S. and abroad, but Final Fantasy-like social games, such as Knights of the Crystal, haven't done so hot around these here parts.
What do you think of the decidedly saccharine look of this Final Fantasy game? Do you hope Square Enix and DeNA will release it stateside?
And seriously, we have yet to see a more adorable flame demon. (He goes by "Ifrit", for the uninformed.) Serkan Toto reports that a version of the game to work in smartphone browsers is in the works, which we guess will employ HTML5. In Final Fantasy Brigade, players will form a squad of adventurers plucked from the common tropes of the series: the brawny warrior, the healing white mage and explosive black mage.
Players will command an airship--another Final Fantasy staple--and explore the world with friends, completing quests for gold, loot and experience points to level up. We take it that players will be able to summon ancient beasts, just like in Final Fantasy proper, to dispatch their enemies as well as duke it out with their friends.
There's no word on a U.S. release, but color us cautiously optimistic. The traditional entries in the Final Fantasy RPG series have performed historically well in the U.S. and abroad, but Final Fantasy-like social games, such as Knights of the Crystal, haven't done so hot around these here parts.
What do you think of the decidedly saccharine look of this Final Fantasy game? Do you hope Square Enix and DeNA will release it stateside?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Tuhoegurlz's winter extravaganza
Here at the Games.com HQ in New York City, we're quickly approaching the heart of the winter. Temperatures are dropping, snow is coming, and any FarmVille fan will tell you that 'tis the season for awesome winter farms. We've already seen a few snow covered farms featuring winter crops and items, but today's design by Tuhoegurlz is one of my favorites.
My goodness. Folks, you can't disagree that Tuhoegurlz's winter farm is a tremendous artistic achievement. This winter wonderland has it all: colossal towers topped with castles, a red carpet surrounded by toy soldiers, and a consistently chilly theme. Most impressive is that this farm has some winter classics, bringing back some of the past few years' items and putting them proudly on display. Best of all, with space for growing crops and raising animals, this farm is still profitable! I always award bonus points to farms that effectively combine function and form. Great job Tuhoegurlz, I hope to see more great designs from you in the future!
What do you think of Tuhoegurlz's epic winter 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.
Hidden Chronicles Cheats and Tips: Five easy ways to get ahead
Zynga's answer to the burgeoning hidden-object genre on Facebook, Hidden Chronicles, has finally arrive. You've been playing the game, training your keen eye to find the various items in the myriad of scenes. However, you've found yourself either so skilled you're without new scenes to tackle or sorely lagging behind your friends in the leader boards. Worry not, friend, for we have five easy ways for you to get ahead in Hidden Chronicles:
Hidden Chronicles visit
Be Friendly
Remember, this is a Facebook game, after all. One of the best ways to unlock new scenes to play in Hidden Chronicles is to interact with your friends. The tried and true way to ensure you give your friends some love is to visit them, which is done by clicking their names on the friend bar below. Leave them a Hidden Package, and you'll earn Reputation Points, which are crucial to unlocking new scenes.
Hidden Chronicles FastFind
Be a Frenemy
Hidden Chronicles Tree HouseWhile it sure is swell to give your friends free things, it's not exactly enthralling. So, why not kick it up a notch with a (somewhat) friendly challenge? FastFind is the more exciting social interaction in Hidden Chronicles, and its benefits are twofold. Sending a challenge to a friend gives you 60 seconds to find as many objects in a scene as possible, with your friend having to beat your score. Not only does this grant you with precious Reputation Points to unlock more scenes with, but it's another chance to both best your friends and better your game.
Focus, Focus, Focus
While in a scene, it's entirely too easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of objects in front of you, much less those you're tasked with finding. You'll find it much more manageable to focus on searching for one item at a time, rather than taking stock of all the items required of you and then looking for them all. However, if you find yourself spending too much time on a single item, forget about it and move on to something else. This is especially true for 60-second challenges.
Home Improvement
Don't forget that this hidden-object game isn't all about what's hiding in plain sight, but also your new home. It's vitally important to constantly add to your new estate, because Estate Points are also key in unlocking new scenes to complete. You'll also want to expand into the vast acreage left behind to you, as certain spots will hide even more scenes to take on. In short, remember to focus just as much on upping your game as upping your estate.
Hidden Chronicles Hint
It's All About Context
Remember when we said "focus"? Well, it's equally as important to focus on the right things. Generally speaking, all of the items in a given scene follow a theme put out by either the name of the scene or the general look and mood of the environment. For instance, this writer was looking for a "Hat" in one scene surrounded by what looked like artifacts and other effects from the 19th century.
When I read the word "Hat", I instantly thought of a baseball cap, and was looking for that. It wasn't until I was forced to use the Hint button that I realized what the game actually meant was "top hat." It would've helped if I kept my frame of mind within the general theme of the scene. This might help immensely in finding the more vaguely named objects in each scene.
Check out the rest of our Hidden Chronicles Cheats & Tips right here.
Do you happen to have any tips of your own for how to easily get ahead in Hidden Chronicles?
Hidden Chronicles visit
Be Friendly
Remember, this is a Facebook game, after all. One of the best ways to unlock new scenes to play in Hidden Chronicles is to interact with your friends. The tried and true way to ensure you give your friends some love is to visit them, which is done by clicking their names on the friend bar below. Leave them a Hidden Package, and you'll earn Reputation Points, which are crucial to unlocking new scenes.
Hidden Chronicles FastFind
Be a Frenemy
Hidden Chronicles Tree HouseWhile it sure is swell to give your friends free things, it's not exactly enthralling. So, why not kick it up a notch with a (somewhat) friendly challenge? FastFind is the more exciting social interaction in Hidden Chronicles, and its benefits are twofold. Sending a challenge to a friend gives you 60 seconds to find as many objects in a scene as possible, with your friend having to beat your score. Not only does this grant you with precious Reputation Points to unlock more scenes with, but it's another chance to both best your friends and better your game.
Focus, Focus, Focus
While in a scene, it's entirely too easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of objects in front of you, much less those you're tasked with finding. You'll find it much more manageable to focus on searching for one item at a time, rather than taking stock of all the items required of you and then looking for them all. However, if you find yourself spending too much time on a single item, forget about it and move on to something else. This is especially true for 60-second challenges.
Home Improvement
Don't forget that this hidden-object game isn't all about what's hiding in plain sight, but also your new home. It's vitally important to constantly add to your new estate, because Estate Points are also key in unlocking new scenes to complete. You'll also want to expand into the vast acreage left behind to you, as certain spots will hide even more scenes to take on. In short, remember to focus just as much on upping your game as upping your estate.
Hidden Chronicles Hint
It's All About Context
Remember when we said "focus"? Well, it's equally as important to focus on the right things. Generally speaking, all of the items in a given scene follow a theme put out by either the name of the scene or the general look and mood of the environment. For instance, this writer was looking for a "Hat" in one scene surrounded by what looked like artifacts and other effects from the 19th century.
When I read the word "Hat", I instantly thought of a baseball cap, and was looking for that. It wasn't until I was forced to use the Hint button that I realized what the game actually meant was "top hat." It would've helped if I kept my frame of mind within the general theme of the scene. This might help immensely in finding the more vaguely named objects in each scene.
Check out the rest of our Hidden Chronicles Cheats & Tips right here.
Do you happen to have any tips of your own for how to easily get ahead in Hidden Chronicles?
Kick old Facebook games to the curb ... for good
We're six days into 2012, and if you haven't picked a resolution yet, how about this one? Give old Facebook games you're not playing anymore the boot. Officially. That means not only do you stop playing them (and have the courtesy of letting your game pals know that it's 'over'), but also revoke their access to your personal information.
If you know how to do this already, you're ahead of the game. If you don't want to go through the hassle of hunting down the Facebook permissions page, a new web site called mypermissions.org makes it super simple to control who can see your info, and who can't.
To get started, visit the website and then click on the blue Facebook icon. That will take you directly to your Facebook permissions page, where you can see every app that you've given access to your account. (Yeah, I had 379 apps installed. Yikes!).
To delete an app, click on 'Edit' to the right of the app.
That will expand the listing to show you what info the app can access. To continue, click on 'Remove app.'
my permissions remove this app can
You'll see a pop-up box that confirms your removal. To continue, click the 'Remove' button.
remove app question
Then, another pop-up appears. Click the 'Okay' button, and then the game will finally, officially be removed from your Facebook account.
remove app
The nifty thing about mypermissions.org is that you can also use the site to clean up other accounts, including Twitter, Google and Flickr. So, what are you waiting for? Just do it. As far as resolutions are concerned, it's much easier to tidy up your social apps than try to organize that god-forsaken garage/attic/storage closet/junk drawer.
NimbleBit's Tiny Tower blows up 1 million smartphones every day
Tiny Tower
Seriously, we had to turn off the push notifications for this game a long, long time ago. NimbleBit's Ian Marsh tweeted that the studio's runaway hit Tiny Tower now welcomes 1 million daily players. Basically, that's more than most Facebook games can pull of. Better yet, the San Diego-based developer also mentioned that there are a whopping 10 million recorded Tiny Tower sessions a day.
"Tiny Tower is now seeing over 1 Million daily users with over 10 Million sessions a day," Marsh tweeted, "dang!" Dang is right, considering just three weeks ago, NimbleBit told Inside Mobile Apps (ISA) that Tiny Tower had 600,000 daily players. The number is impressive for a mobile game, especially when gaming giants like Zynga have garnered around 13 million daily players across all of its games.
We're willing to bet the spike in daily players is thanks to it being one of both our favorite free iPhone and Android games of 2011 chosen as Apple's Game of the Year on the App Store. The game has garnered accolades all over the games media, and was just nominated for the Game Developers Choice Awards' Best Handheld/Mobile Game.
And surprisingly, both Ian and David Marsh (yes, they're brothers) told ISA before that business models have never been their focus, like so many free-to-play game makers are wont to do. Despite that, apparently 5 percent of Tiny Tower players have pumped $10 into the game. Now, if you'll excuse us, our Bitizens need more sushi on Floor 97.
Are you a Tiny Tower fan? Are you surprised at all by the numbers the game has garnered?
Seriously, we had to turn off the push notifications for this game a long, long time ago. NimbleBit's Ian Marsh tweeted that the studio's runaway hit Tiny Tower now welcomes 1 million daily players. Basically, that's more than most Facebook games can pull of. Better yet, the San Diego-based developer also mentioned that there are a whopping 10 million recorded Tiny Tower sessions a day.
"Tiny Tower is now seeing over 1 Million daily users with over 10 Million sessions a day," Marsh tweeted, "dang!" Dang is right, considering just three weeks ago, NimbleBit told Inside Mobile Apps (ISA) that Tiny Tower had 600,000 daily players. The number is impressive for a mobile game, especially when gaming giants like Zynga have garnered around 13 million daily players across all of its games.
We're willing to bet the spike in daily players is thanks to it being one of both our favorite free iPhone and Android games of 2011 chosen as Apple's Game of the Year on the App Store. The game has garnered accolades all over the games media, and was just nominated for the Game Developers Choice Awards' Best Handheld/Mobile Game.
And surprisingly, both Ian and David Marsh (yes, they're brothers) told ISA before that business models have never been their focus, like so many free-to-play game makers are wont to do. Despite that, apparently 5 percent of Tiny Tower players have pumped $10 into the game. Now, if you'll excuse us, our Bitizens need more sushi on Floor 97.
Are you a Tiny Tower fan? Are you surprised at all by the numbers the game has garnered?
Hidden Chronicles Cremona Workshop: Our guide to finding every item
Making our way deeper into Zynga's Hidden Chronicles on Facebook, we can take a look at the second artifact in the Library chapter - the Italian Violin. This Violin has five scenes, one of which is premium, and the first scene is called Cremona Workshop. You'll need eight energy points each time you wish to play it, but you can play the scene an infinite number of times to earn mastery.
We're here with a guide showing you where to find the scene's many items, so if you're working on building up your combo points or just on the scene's individual mastery scale, make sure to check out our images below! Note: The items you'll receive will just be a selection of all of those pictured below.
If you're looking to find a particular item: Hit Ctrl +F (or Command + F if on a Mac) and type in the name of the object you're looking for. This will take you directly to its image.
Super Clue:
Wine for Two (drag two wine glasses over to green wine bottle)
Set 1:
Bucket
Chest
Jewelry Box
Harp
Chest
Satchel
Pigeon
Set 2:
Barrel
Stack of Beams
Stack of Papers
Rag
Set 3:
Corks
Dish
Apron
Set 4:
Telescope
Pocketwatch
Cane
Bowl
Violin Strings
Set 5:
Violin Blueprint
Measuring Tape
Boots
Belt
Set 6:
Hinge
Wooden Dowels
Set 7:
Cheese
Cracked Egg
Clamp
Brown Mold
Set 8:
Smoking Pipe
Dog
Tweezers
Incense
There are a handful of items not pictured above, as the game generates each set of items randomly. When we come across those missing items, we'll make sure to update this space with how you too can find them. In the meantime, feel free to start decorating your Manor and working on building up your own mastery of this scene or any other in the game!
Check out the rest of our Hidden Chronicles Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you finished every trophy of mastery for this Cremona Workshop scene? What do you think of Zynga's take on the hidden object genre thus far?
We're here with a guide showing you where to find the scene's many items, so if you're working on building up your combo points or just on the scene's individual mastery scale, make sure to check out our images below! Note: The items you'll receive will just be a selection of all of those pictured below.
If you're looking to find a particular item: Hit Ctrl +F (or Command + F if on a Mac) and type in the name of the object you're looking for. This will take you directly to its image.
Super Clue:
Wine for Two (drag two wine glasses over to green wine bottle)
Set 1:
Bucket
Chest
Jewelry Box
Harp
Chest
Satchel
Pigeon
Set 2:
Barrel
Stack of Beams
Stack of Papers
Rag
Set 3:
Corks
Dish
Apron
Set 4:
Telescope
Pocketwatch
Cane
Bowl
Violin Strings
Set 5:
Violin Blueprint
Measuring Tape
Boots
Belt
Set 6:
Hinge
Wooden Dowels
Set 7:
Cheese
Cracked Egg
Clamp
Brown Mold
Set 8:
Smoking Pipe
Dog
Tweezers
Incense
There are a handful of items not pictured above, as the game generates each set of items randomly. When we come across those missing items, we'll make sure to update this space with how you too can find them. In the meantime, feel free to start decorating your Manor and working on building up your own mastery of this scene or any other in the game!
Check out the rest of our Hidden Chronicles Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you finished every trophy of mastery for this Cremona Workshop scene? What do you think of Zynga's take on the hidden object genre thus far?
CityVille Boat Community: Everything you need to know
Since land space has always been an issue in CityVille (or the lack thereof), it might have crossed your mind that the game should expand outwards into the water. After all, if people can live on house boats in the real world, or even in homes on stilts, why can't Zynga create the same in CityVille? After all of this time, that has finally happened with the launch of the Boat Community in the game. However, rather than opening up a world of possibilities for you, this feature is instead fairly limited and is overall time consuming.
The Boat Community comes by way of a goal called "Boat Community Bound." You'll see a square section of docks and homes that has appeared out in the water off the coast of your mainland, and it will be up to you to complete this goal to receive the Boat Community as an actual item in your game. Here are the requirements for the goal:
Ask friends for 24 Dinghies
Collect from Water Bottling Plant 3 Times
Expand to the Boat Community
Depending on how far you've expanded out into the water already, you may have to expand once or twice to actually hit the Boat Community. The same rules apply as with other expansions - you'll need to add population and collect Zoning Permits to purchase them - and when you finally do finish this goal, you'll receive the Boat Community in your inventory. For the other two tasks, you can check out our complete look at the Water Bottling Plant to learn how to build one, while the Dinghies come from general news posts you'll place on your wall.
You'll have 15 days to complete this entire goal, and if you can get it done in time, you'll be left with the community building that increases your population cap by 1,200 citizens and offers 300 coins every 24 hours. It can only be placed in the water, and you can only sell it for 1,000 coins (making that option pointless). You'll only have a single chance at this one, so if you earn it but aren't sure whether or not to keep it, your best bet is to leave it where it sits - in your inventory at the completion of the goal. You will have no way to purchase or earn another one if you decide to delete it and regret that later. Either way, we'll make sure to let you know if more worthwhile water expansions turn up in the future.
What do you think of this Boat Community goal and building itself? Will you spend the time and resources to expand out to this building, or will you simply skip its goal altogether?
The Boat Community comes by way of a goal called "Boat Community Bound." You'll see a square section of docks and homes that has appeared out in the water off the coast of your mainland, and it will be up to you to complete this goal to receive the Boat Community as an actual item in your game. Here are the requirements for the goal:
Ask friends for 24 Dinghies
Collect from Water Bottling Plant 3 Times
Expand to the Boat Community
Depending on how far you've expanded out into the water already, you may have to expand once or twice to actually hit the Boat Community. The same rules apply as with other expansions - you'll need to add population and collect Zoning Permits to purchase them - and when you finally do finish this goal, you'll receive the Boat Community in your inventory. For the other two tasks, you can check out our complete look at the Water Bottling Plant to learn how to build one, while the Dinghies come from general news posts you'll place on your wall.
You'll have 15 days to complete this entire goal, and if you can get it done in time, you'll be left with the community building that increases your population cap by 1,200 citizens and offers 300 coins every 24 hours. It can only be placed in the water, and you can only sell it for 1,000 coins (making that option pointless). You'll only have a single chance at this one, so if you earn it but aren't sure whether or not to keep it, your best bet is to leave it where it sits - in your inventory at the completion of the goal. You will have no way to purchase or earn another one if you decide to delete it and regret that later. Either way, we'll make sure to let you know if more worthwhile water expansions turn up in the future.
What do you think of this Boat Community goal and building itself? Will you spend the time and resources to expand out to this building, or will you simply skip its goal altogether?
Thứ Năm, 8 tháng 3, 2012
Empires & Allies Mystery Units: Everything you need to know
On top of the many units you've already created in your Empires & Allies army, wouldn't it be great to receive even more units for free, by simply playing the game? Well, now you can purchase land expansions outside of your empire in order to receive Mystery Units along the way.
These Mystery Units will appear as shadows out in the water or land of islands outside of your currently owned empire. Unfortunately, the only way to figure out what these units are before you actually expand out to it will be to build the Surveillance Tower in your empire. This building will then do "scanner sweeps" around your empire to figure out what these units are. There's a time limit on units, so you'll need to expand within a week to get to this first wave of items.
Remember, just because the shadow of the unit looks like one particular kind of item, it could wind up being something altogether different. The only way you'll know is to either use the Surveillance Tower or simply expand out to the unit and receive it as normal. New units will appear each week, with there always being three available on your board at any one time. Good luck receiving the kinds of units you want!
Check out the rest of our Empires & Allies Cheats and Tips right here.
What do you think of this new Mystery Units feature in Empires & Allies? Will you expand your land into these areas to unlock new units, or will you stick with creating units or just purchasing them from the store?
FarmVille Fortune Wheel: Spin the wheel for discounts or free items
Are you feeling lucky? A new Fortune Wheel feature in FarmVille will give you a chance to test that luck through a slot machine mechanic. When you login to the game, you'll see the Fortune Machine on the right side of your gameplay area, and can click on it to see how many free spins you've received.
Just hit the big green Spin button and you'll see the wheels begin to turn. The items can be anything from animals and trees to experience point boosts and more, but that's not the important part here. The thing to look out for is the fourth screen at the far side of the wheel. This one rotates through various Farm Cash discount percentages (including a "Free" marker). Whatever it lands on when you spin the wheel will be the discount you'll receive on the three prizes that are up for grabs on each spin. For instance, you may spin the wheel to receive a Camel, Chrome Cherry Tree and Experience Point boost at a 25% off discount - all three items would then cost 34 Farm Cash, instead of their normal combined price of 45 Farm Cash.
If you like this discount, you'll need to take advantage of it immediately, as spinning the wheel another time will eliminate the three prizes (unless they happen to spin around again at random), and could change the discount percentage.
While you can feel free to stop playing with the Fortune Wheel entirely after you've run out of free spins, you can also use coins - yes, coins - to keep spinning the wheel after that. A single spin looks to cost 15,000 coins, as of this writing (coins are spent as soon as you click the Buy button, so make sure you really want another spin before clicking). It also looks like you'll only have a single chance at playing on the Fortune Wheel, as refreshing the game causes it to disappear. This could end up being a weekly event, or even a daily one, but for now, you'll just need to keep an eye out on the right side of your farm to see when (if ever) the Fortune Wheel will come back around. Good luck winning some great items!
What do you think of the Fortune Wheel in FarmVille? What sorts of discounts or prizes have you won through the Fortune Wheel?
Just hit the big green Spin button and you'll see the wheels begin to turn. The items can be anything from animals and trees to experience point boosts and more, but that's not the important part here. The thing to look out for is the fourth screen at the far side of the wheel. This one rotates through various Farm Cash discount percentages (including a "Free" marker). Whatever it lands on when you spin the wheel will be the discount you'll receive on the three prizes that are up for grabs on each spin. For instance, you may spin the wheel to receive a Camel, Chrome Cherry Tree and Experience Point boost at a 25% off discount - all three items would then cost 34 Farm Cash, instead of their normal combined price of 45 Farm Cash.
If you like this discount, you'll need to take advantage of it immediately, as spinning the wheel another time will eliminate the three prizes (unless they happen to spin around again at random), and could change the discount percentage.
While you can feel free to stop playing with the Fortune Wheel entirely after you've run out of free spins, you can also use coins - yes, coins - to keep spinning the wheel after that. A single spin looks to cost 15,000 coins, as of this writing (coins are spent as soon as you click the Buy button, so make sure you really want another spin before clicking). It also looks like you'll only have a single chance at playing on the Fortune Wheel, as refreshing the game causes it to disappear. This could end up being a weekly event, or even a daily one, but for now, you'll just need to keep an eye out on the right side of your farm to see when (if ever) the Fortune Wheel will come back around. Good luck winning some great items!
What do you think of the Fortune Wheel in FarmVille? What sorts of discounts or prizes have you won through the Fortune Wheel?
CityVille: Receive 30% more City Cash for Valentine's Day
As part of CityVille's Valentine's Day extravaganza, you can now earn a bonus on all Zynga Game Cards you redeem in the game. From now until February 14 (Valentine's Day proper), each Zynga Game Card or eCard redeemed into CityVille will give you 30% extra City Cash.
Be wary of Zynga's terminology here however. While it may say you're receiving a 30% sale on your City Cash purchase, all of the money you spent on a Game Card will be redeemed. You'll simply receive a bonus of 30% extra City Cash for your time. That is, if you redeemed a cad worth $10, it would be as though your card was worth $13 instead.
Remember, this sale will only last for a limited time, and is likely to be joined by similar sales in other games. Keep an eye on all of your favorite Zynga games this weekend and until Valentine's Day itself to make sure you don't miss out on a great deal or bonus!
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.
What do you think of this City Cash bonus? Will you purchase a Zynga Game Card to receive the 30% extra City Cash this week?
CastleVille: Win 200 Crowns in St. Patrick's Day contest
While St. Patrick's Day is still a ways off on the horizon, Zynga is already preparing for the holiday in CastleVille by offering a contest on the game's official forums. The contest asks you to create a design for either a Cow or Avatar Costume with St. Patrick's Day being the theme.
The CastleVille team will pick the top three entries (there's no guarantee how many of which item - a cow or avatar costume - will be chosen), and the player base will be able to choose the ultimate winner via a simple survey. The winning item will be created in the game, and the creator will receive 200 Crowns, along with that item for free, as a prize. Two other players will receive 40 Crowns each at random.
The great part about this contest, though, is the fact that Zynga is reserving the right to create more of these items in the game than the actual winning entrant. Who knows? If the community is creative enough, we might see the entire St. Patrick's Day theme being comprised of items created by the community! Sure, that's a long shot, but for each item created in the game, the creator will receive 150 Crowns for free.
It will be interesting to see just how many user-designed items actually appear in the game this St. Patrick's Day, so good luck in having your design end up in the game!
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Will you enter the St. Patrick's Day contest on the CastleVille forums?
CityVille: Add Valentine's Day cars to your roads
You might remember Dr. Shepard and Louise in CityVille - the the doctor and teacher that met and got married in your city. Now, Dr. Shepard is looking for the best gift he can find for Louise, and that apparently comes in the form of some Valentine's Day themed cards that you can add to your city.
There are four new cars that you can create in your Custom Car Shop: VIP Limo, Lazzari (sports car), Coaster (convertible) and Pink CV Bus. As you might expect, they all require you to collect various building materials before you'll actually see them driving around your town's roads. The CV Bus, for instance, requires you to collect five Car Radios and five Antenna Ornaments, along with six each of Decals, Custom Paint Jobs and Vanity Plates. The first two items come from asking your friends to send them to you, while the latter three are earned at random when collecting from cars already driving around your city's streets.
There doesn't appear to be a time limit for how long you have to build these cars, so feel free to put off working on them until your plate is a bit emptier with in-game goals.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.
What do you think of these Valentine's Day themed cars in CityVille?
There are four new cars that you can create in your Custom Car Shop: VIP Limo, Lazzari (sports car), Coaster (convertible) and Pink CV Bus. As you might expect, they all require you to collect various building materials before you'll actually see them driving around your town's roads. The CV Bus, for instance, requires you to collect five Car Radios and five Antenna Ornaments, along with six each of Decals, Custom Paint Jobs and Vanity Plates. The first two items come from asking your friends to send them to you, while the latter three are earned at random when collecting from cars already driving around your city's streets.
There doesn't appear to be a time limit for how long you have to build these cars, so feel free to put off working on them until your plate is a bit emptier with in-game goals.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.
What do you think of these Valentine's Day themed cars in CityVille?
CityVille Valentine's Day Hot Air Balloon: Everything you need to know
As part of CityVille's Valentine's Day event, you can now expand your land to receive a "free" Hot Air Balloon for your troubles. That's right, another forced expansion goal has launched in the game, requiring you to expand your land twice to receive this exclusive new items (the exact land expansions, and how many are required, may vary between players).
The Hot Air Balloon comes with a goal called the Perfect Date Idea, which has three tasks:
Ask friends for 25 Propane Tanks
Collect from Level 3 Weather Station 5 Times
Expand to the Hot Air Balloon
Even though you'll go through the same process of expanding your land as usual (collect Zoning Permits and add new citizens to your land), you'll be able to place the Hot Air Balloon wherever you'd like after you complete this goal as a whole. It will simply pop into your inventory, where you can use it like any other item. What you'll end up doing with those new land expansions you were forced to purchase to reach it, however, is all up to you.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.
Will you go out of your way to expand out to the Hot Air Balloon in CityVille, or will you simply continue playing and expanding your game as normal?
The Hot Air Balloon comes with a goal called the Perfect Date Idea, which has three tasks:
Ask friends for 25 Propane Tanks
Collect from Level 3 Weather Station 5 Times
Expand to the Hot Air Balloon
Even though you'll go through the same process of expanding your land as usual (collect Zoning Permits and add new citizens to your land), you'll be able to place the Hot Air Balloon wherever you'd like after you complete this goal as a whole. It will simply pop into your inventory, where you can use it like any other item. What you'll end up doing with those new land expansions you were forced to purchase to reach it, however, is all up to you.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.
Will you go out of your way to expand out to the Hot Air Balloon in CityVille, or will you simply continue playing and expanding your game as normal?
CityVille Super Greenhouse: Everything you need to know
For a few days now, Zynga has been touting a new Super Greenhouse in CityVille - a greenhouse that will allow you to plant all kinds of crops within a single building, rather than being limited to only certain kinds of crops as in items like the Late Bloomer Greenhouse (as one example). However, this Super Greenhouse is on a super slow rollout, meaning that you may not have received it yet in your game. Still, we're here with a look at this new greenhouse, and what you can expect from it when it finally does launch in your city.
The Super Greenhouse's base requires 10 energy to construct, and from there you're left gathering 25 materials to finish its first basic Level.
5 Earthworms
5 Garden Frogs
5 Bat Houses
5 Garden Turtles
5 Berry Baskets
As you'd expect, these items are earned through a combination of general news posts on your wall and sending individual requests to friends. Once you finish this first state of the Super Greenhouse, you'll have a fully functional building, capable of growing up to 8 plots of crops at once; however, that must be all of the same kind of crop, since you can't mix and match.
You can also upgrade the Super Greenhouse to two additional Levels. This requires you to collect more and more of five different building ingredients. For instance, Level 2 requires you to collect seven each of Flat Garden Hoses, Garden Gnomes, Garden Hoses, Greenhouse Heated Mats and Greenhouse Shutters, while Level 3 requires 10 each of five other items. Each upgrade allows you to plant more individual plots within the Super Greenhouse, but again, they all have to be the same crop.
If you're tired of the restrictions placed on your by other Greenhouses, but still like the space-saving options that they provide, this is definitely the Greenhouse for you. Be sure to keep an eye out on your game, so that you can start building one just as soon as this update rolls around to you.
[Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of this Super Greenhouse? Will you immediately start building one in your city, or do you have enough Greenhouses now as it is?
The Super Greenhouse's base requires 10 energy to construct, and from there you're left gathering 25 materials to finish its first basic Level.
5 Earthworms
5 Garden Frogs
5 Bat Houses
5 Garden Turtles
5 Berry Baskets
As you'd expect, these items are earned through a combination of general news posts on your wall and sending individual requests to friends. Once you finish this first state of the Super Greenhouse, you'll have a fully functional building, capable of growing up to 8 plots of crops at once; however, that must be all of the same kind of crop, since you can't mix and match.
You can also upgrade the Super Greenhouse to two additional Levels. This requires you to collect more and more of five different building ingredients. For instance, Level 2 requires you to collect seven each of Flat Garden Hoses, Garden Gnomes, Garden Hoses, Greenhouse Heated Mats and Greenhouse Shutters, while Level 3 requires 10 each of five other items. Each upgrade allows you to plant more individual plots within the Super Greenhouse, but again, they all have to be the same crop.
If you're tired of the restrictions placed on your by other Greenhouses, but still like the space-saving options that they provide, this is definitely the Greenhouse for you. Be sure to keep an eye out on your game, so that you can start building one just as soon as this update rolls around to you.
[Via CityVille Wiki]
What do you think of this Super Greenhouse? Will you immediately start building one in your city, or do you have enough Greenhouses now as it is?
Thứ Bảy, 3 tháng 3, 2012
RockYou seeking skilled recruits ... to play Galactic Allies [Video]
Look, RockYou knows that you're not an architect by trade, and you're certainly no cook. So, why not stop pretending to do things real people do and pretend to be something completely fictional, like a galactic fleet commander? With developer 3 Blokes, the Facebook game publisher recently released Galactic Allies to Facebook, the studio's second strategy game.
The game enlists players as commanders of their very own fleet of star ships in a battle to protect their end of the galaxy from alien enemies. In a more casual approach to the growing sub genre of hardcore strategy games on Facebook, Galactic Allies lets players directly control their space-faring units to avoid enemy fire in real-time combat. (Of course, battles are exchanged between players asynchronously.)
While it's not marketed as such, the game looks a lot like the spiritual successor to 3 Blokes's first game on Facebook, Galactic Trader. But this time around, the developer has resources from a major publisher, which can only mean one thing: a goofy trailer displaying almost everything the game has to offer in a 60-second nutshell.
Gallery: Galactic Allies on Facebook
Also, the game wasn't exactly live when we first revealed it to you, so check out the fun trailer down there. And when you're done with that, click on the link below to hop into Galactic Allies. That is, if you think you can answer the call--come on, even the narrator wants in.
Click here to play Galactic Allies on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Galactic Allies on Facebook yet? What do you think of where hardcore strategy games on Facebook are at right now?
The game enlists players as commanders of their very own fleet of star ships in a battle to protect their end of the galaxy from alien enemies. In a more casual approach to the growing sub genre of hardcore strategy games on Facebook, Galactic Allies lets players directly control their space-faring units to avoid enemy fire in real-time combat. (Of course, battles are exchanged between players asynchronously.)
While it's not marketed as such, the game looks a lot like the spiritual successor to 3 Blokes's first game on Facebook, Galactic Trader. But this time around, the developer has resources from a major publisher, which can only mean one thing: a goofy trailer displaying almost everything the game has to offer in a 60-second nutshell.
Gallery: Galactic Allies on Facebook
Also, the game wasn't exactly live when we first revealed it to you, so check out the fun trailer down there. And when you're done with that, click on the link below to hop into Galactic Allies. That is, if you think you can answer the call--come on, even the narrator wants in.
Click here to play Galactic Allies on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Galactic Allies on Facebook yet? What do you think of where hardcore strategy games on Facebook are at right now?
A Bit Lucky goes all in on hardcore Facebook games with Lucky Space
We know you're all thinking it, so we'll just come out and say it: Sci-fi is huge in Facebook games right now. (Like, crazy big.) The next developer to take a crack at the theme is A Bit Lucky with Lucky Space. The San Mateo, Calif.-based developer's second social game launches today, and it's light years away from Lucky Train.
In Lucky Space, players inherit a lifeless, barren alien planet purchased by Dr. X in his final days in search of the riches he was so sure are buried deep beneath its purple crust. You'll establish a thriving space colony with one mission: strip mine the planet for all its worth in rare gems and resources. Of course, it won't be long before you discover that Dr. X was onto more than just shiny rocks and black gold.
As you expand your colony and upgrade its buildings with unique components like the Force Field Dome and Ultra-Power Laser Extractor, you'll slowly uncover the remnants of an alien civilization. Through a series a quests and the help of your friends, you will dig out alien ruins while protecting your colony from a series of natural (to this world, maybe) disasters like meteor strikes. While the game is dubbed "hardcore," it doesn't look or sound as if combat is a focus in Lucky Space.
Gallery: Lucky Space on Facebook
Exclusive 1Exclusive 2Exclusive 3Exclusive 4
"Lucky Space was inspired by our love of the sci-fi genre and the desire to innovate within the social gaming space," A Bit Lucky CCO Jordan Maynard said in a release. "We've been able to blend social gaming with hardcore PC gameplay mechanics to create a new and engaging experience."
Regardless of the game being deemed "hardcore" with a lack of combat, a tenant of most Facebook games given the silly adjective, Lucky Space sounds like it might have players depend on their friends more than in most social games. You will need friends not just to visit your colony for a few boosts, but to trade rare components and identify mysterious alien artifacts. One thing we know for sure is that the game looks like a vibrant, even jolly take on Facebook games skewed for the hardcore crowd. But don't just take our word for it, check out the trailer below and see for yourself.
Click here to play Lucky Space on Facebook Now >
What do you think of A Bit Lucky's second Facebook game so far? Do you think there's still room for Facebook games within the sci-fi genre, or are you on the lookout for something new?
In Lucky Space, players inherit a lifeless, barren alien planet purchased by Dr. X in his final days in search of the riches he was so sure are buried deep beneath its purple crust. You'll establish a thriving space colony with one mission: strip mine the planet for all its worth in rare gems and resources. Of course, it won't be long before you discover that Dr. X was onto more than just shiny rocks and black gold.
As you expand your colony and upgrade its buildings with unique components like the Force Field Dome and Ultra-Power Laser Extractor, you'll slowly uncover the remnants of an alien civilization. Through a series a quests and the help of your friends, you will dig out alien ruins while protecting your colony from a series of natural (to this world, maybe) disasters like meteor strikes. While the game is dubbed "hardcore," it doesn't look or sound as if combat is a focus in Lucky Space.
Gallery: Lucky Space on Facebook
Exclusive 1Exclusive 2Exclusive 3Exclusive 4
"Lucky Space was inspired by our love of the sci-fi genre and the desire to innovate within the social gaming space," A Bit Lucky CCO Jordan Maynard said in a release. "We've been able to blend social gaming with hardcore PC gameplay mechanics to create a new and engaging experience."
Regardless of the game being deemed "hardcore" with a lack of combat, a tenant of most Facebook games given the silly adjective, Lucky Space sounds like it might have players depend on their friends more than in most social games. You will need friends not just to visit your colony for a few boosts, but to trade rare components and identify mysterious alien artifacts. One thing we know for sure is that the game looks like a vibrant, even jolly take on Facebook games skewed for the hardcore crowd. But don't just take our word for it, check out the trailer below and see for yourself.
Click here to play Lucky Space on Facebook Now >
What do you think of A Bit Lucky's second Facebook game so far? Do you think there's still room for Facebook games within the sci-fi genre, or are you on the lookout for something new?
Glitch, the weirdest Facebook-connected MMO yet, goes live today
Glitch on Facebook
(Editors Note: Glitch is not a Facebook game, but a Facebook-connected social MMO that exists in its own space on Glitch.com. Changes were made in this article to reflect this correction.)
And by weird we mean, "Just what the heck do I do in this game?" weird. When we first heard that Flickr co-creator Stewart Butterfield was working on a new breed of social game called Glitch earlier this year, we were excited to see what was in store. Starting today at 1 p.m. eastern, you can experience the goofy first release from Butterfield's Canada-based Tiny Speck.
Glitch, announced way back in November of last year, is Butterfield's attempt at putting the tools for expression in the players' hands. "Our vision for Glitch is to bring a new level of creativity, beauty and social engagement to players who expect more from their online social gaming experience – an experience that has value beyond traditional forms of entertainment," Butterfield told Kotaku. "Glitch is an experiment in culture building. We provide raw materials and a stimulating environment, but it's the players who bring the infinite world alive, shaping it with their imagination."
Based on an early look at the game co-created by Butterfield and Keita Takahashi--the man behind the equally- strange Katamari Damacy series of games--I can confidently say that the game will fill your daily quota of quirkiness. For instance, I recall during my time with an early build of the game entering a building you would normally find in Washington. Inside, I was to apply for an arbitrary license, and was told by an in-game character to sit and wait for my turn.
Growing confused and impatient from waiting for the green-faced clerk to return from behind the desk to call my name, I left the building. When I returned, I was forced to restart the process. So, I reapplied for the license, and literally waited for 10 minutes for the garish desk clerk to return with my new card for whatever purpose. That's when it hit me: Through Glitch, Butterfield was making a statement on the hilarity of bureaucracy. And you know what? I literally laughed out loud in front of my laptop.
However, what's worrying is that the average FarmVille fan isn't concerned with lofty if humorous statements or open-ended gameplay with nearly infinite methods of expression. They just want to feel accomplished within five minutes and get back to work from their lunch break. Since my look at the game, however, Tiny Speck has made major changes to Glitch to appeal to that crowd, Kotaku reports. That said, why not give Glitch a try--it might be the first social game to make you laugh out loud.
Click here to try out Glitch through Facebook Now >
Are you looking for a new kind of social game experience? Do you think lofty games like Glitch can find success in the world of CityVille and The Sims Social?
(Editors Note: Glitch is not a Facebook game, but a Facebook-connected social MMO that exists in its own space on Glitch.com. Changes were made in this article to reflect this correction.)
And by weird we mean, "Just what the heck do I do in this game?" weird. When we first heard that Flickr co-creator Stewart Butterfield was working on a new breed of social game called Glitch earlier this year, we were excited to see what was in store. Starting today at 1 p.m. eastern, you can experience the goofy first release from Butterfield's Canada-based Tiny Speck.
Glitch, announced way back in November of last year, is Butterfield's attempt at putting the tools for expression in the players' hands. "Our vision for Glitch is to bring a new level of creativity, beauty and social engagement to players who expect more from their online social gaming experience – an experience that has value beyond traditional forms of entertainment," Butterfield told Kotaku. "Glitch is an experiment in culture building. We provide raw materials and a stimulating environment, but it's the players who bring the infinite world alive, shaping it with their imagination."
Based on an early look at the game co-created by Butterfield and Keita Takahashi--the man behind the equally- strange Katamari Damacy series of games--I can confidently say that the game will fill your daily quota of quirkiness. For instance, I recall during my time with an early build of the game entering a building you would normally find in Washington. Inside, I was to apply for an arbitrary license, and was told by an in-game character to sit and wait for my turn.
Growing confused and impatient from waiting for the green-faced clerk to return from behind the desk to call my name, I left the building. When I returned, I was forced to restart the process. So, I reapplied for the license, and literally waited for 10 minutes for the garish desk clerk to return with my new card for whatever purpose. That's when it hit me: Through Glitch, Butterfield was making a statement on the hilarity of bureaucracy. And you know what? I literally laughed out loud in front of my laptop.
However, what's worrying is that the average FarmVille fan isn't concerned with lofty if humorous statements or open-ended gameplay with nearly infinite methods of expression. They just want to feel accomplished within five minutes and get back to work from their lunch break. Since my look at the game, however, Tiny Speck has made major changes to Glitch to appeal to that crowd, Kotaku reports. That said, why not give Glitch a try--it might be the first social game to make you laugh out loud.
Click here to try out Glitch through Facebook Now >
Are you looking for a new kind of social game experience? Do you think lofty games like Glitch can find success in the world of CityVille and The Sims Social?
Raptr report: Gamers play Zynga's 'Ville games almost as much as Halo
Wait a second, that's not possible. Zynga games are for casual players, aren't they? Well, maybe not as much as previously though. A report issued by Raptr, the social network for gamers, reveals that the 265 million fans of games like CityVille and FarmVille are playing those games almost as much as Halo players. More importantly, Raptr users are playing said games more than "core" game franchises like Grand Theft Auto, Assassin's Creed and Gears of War combined.
Raptr's report breaks down the top game franchises on the social network by time spent playing, as the service tracks whenever users enter a game and for how long they play. Zynga's stable of games tails top hardcore franchises like Call of Duty's massive 43 percent time share and Halo's 14 percent with 13 percent. The remaining 12 percent is reserved for other hardcore games.
According to the report, big time hardcore games like CoD and WoW are played for longer sessions at a time, but Zynga Facebook games such as Empires & Allies or Pioneer Trail are played more frequently. In fact, Raptr goes on to say that about 12 to 20 percent of CityVille players are also deep into games like StarCraft 2 and Call of Duty Black Ops. And the percentage of Xbox 360 owners that have played a Zynga game increased by 50 percent to a total of 30 percent, the report claims.
Top Franchises by Share Time Spent
The data goes on to show that Zynga controls 60 percent of the market in social games, at least judging from Raptr's 10 million users. And before The Sims Social came along, the massive company's top games racked up three times as many hours as the rest of the top 10 Facebook games combined. Not to mention that Zynga fans are loyal: 90 percent of FrontierVille, Treasure Isle, CityVille, and Empires & Allies players were pulled from existing Zynga games.
While it almost goes without saying, Zynga is still killing it. More importantly for the company, however, is that reports like this will help instill confidence in its upcoming $1 billion initial public offering. With recent news that the company's profits plummeted 90 percent--and that The Sims Social has gobbled up most of its top games--made those prospects shaky.
[Via VentureBeat]
Do you happen to be a "hardcore gamer" that dabbles in Zynga games? Are you surprised at all by Raptr's findings?
Raptr's report breaks down the top game franchises on the social network by time spent playing, as the service tracks whenever users enter a game and for how long they play. Zynga's stable of games tails top hardcore franchises like Call of Duty's massive 43 percent time share and Halo's 14 percent with 13 percent. The remaining 12 percent is reserved for other hardcore games.
According to the report, big time hardcore games like CoD and WoW are played for longer sessions at a time, but Zynga Facebook games such as Empires & Allies or Pioneer Trail are played more frequently. In fact, Raptr goes on to say that about 12 to 20 percent of CityVille players are also deep into games like StarCraft 2 and Call of Duty Black Ops. And the percentage of Xbox 360 owners that have played a Zynga game increased by 50 percent to a total of 30 percent, the report claims.
Top Franchises by Share Time Spent
The data goes on to show that Zynga controls 60 percent of the market in social games, at least judging from Raptr's 10 million users. And before The Sims Social came along, the massive company's top games racked up three times as many hours as the rest of the top 10 Facebook games combined. Not to mention that Zynga fans are loyal: 90 percent of FrontierVille, Treasure Isle, CityVille, and Empires & Allies players were pulled from existing Zynga games.
While it almost goes without saying, Zynga is still killing it. More importantly for the company, however, is that reports like this will help instill confidence in its upcoming $1 billion initial public offering. With recent news that the company's profits plummeted 90 percent--and that The Sims Social has gobbled up most of its top games--made those prospects shaky.
[Via VentureBeat]
Do you happen to be a "hardcore gamer" that dabbles in Zynga games? Are you surprised at all by Raptr's findings?
Android gaming gets smurfalicious, Smurfs' Village launches Sept. 28
The Smurfs Village
Android owners, did you really think you could survive the blue wave for long? Capcom's Beeline Interactive announced that Smurfs' Village will launch on select Android devices for free on Sept. 28. Originally released for the iPhone and iPad in late 2010, the mobile social game skyrocketed in popularity and even resulted in one hilarious lesson in child rearing in 2011.
The game plays out much like mobile Zynga games like CityVille Hometown in that players are tasked (by Papa Smurf) to build up their very own--you guessed it--village. But this time, it's for the Smurfs to dwell in as the evil Gargamel seeks them out. During your time expanding the Smurfs' miniature empire, you'll gain access to some of the more popular Smurfs and their special abilities.
Namely, many of these blue buggers will unlock mini games for you to enjoy and find additional resources with like Greedy Smurf's Baking Game or Papa Smurf's Potion Mixing Game. Of course, players can also share their experiences with their friends on Facebook through Facebook Connect. According to Capcom, Smurfs' Village consistently ranks as a top grossing app worldwide. (We think we have an idea of how that happened back in the day.)
Most recently, Capcom and Beeline released Smurfs' Grabber to iPhone and iPad, which will soon integrate directly with Smurfs' Village. (Not to mention that Ubisoft released a full-blown Smurfs game for Facebook.) We imagine that, with the heaping gold mine that the Smurfs property has proven to be for Capcom, it won't be long before you're grabbing for goodies in Smurfs' Village with Smurfs' Grabber on Android devices, too. Until then, just focus on building your blue buddies some comfy mushroom houses.
Click here to find The Smurfs' Village on the Android Market >
Are you a fan of the recent mobile and social takes on the Smurfs in smartphones and on Facebook? Will we ever get enough of the smurfing?
Android owners, did you really think you could survive the blue wave for long? Capcom's Beeline Interactive announced that Smurfs' Village will launch on select Android devices for free on Sept. 28. Originally released for the iPhone and iPad in late 2010, the mobile social game skyrocketed in popularity and even resulted in one hilarious lesson in child rearing in 2011.
The game plays out much like mobile Zynga games like CityVille Hometown in that players are tasked (by Papa Smurf) to build up their very own--you guessed it--village. But this time, it's for the Smurfs to dwell in as the evil Gargamel seeks them out. During your time expanding the Smurfs' miniature empire, you'll gain access to some of the more popular Smurfs and their special abilities.
Namely, many of these blue buggers will unlock mini games for you to enjoy and find additional resources with like Greedy Smurf's Baking Game or Papa Smurf's Potion Mixing Game. Of course, players can also share their experiences with their friends on Facebook through Facebook Connect. According to Capcom, Smurfs' Village consistently ranks as a top grossing app worldwide. (We think we have an idea of how that happened back in the day.)
Most recently, Capcom and Beeline released Smurfs' Grabber to iPhone and iPad, which will soon integrate directly with Smurfs' Village. (Not to mention that Ubisoft released a full-blown Smurfs game for Facebook.) We imagine that, with the heaping gold mine that the Smurfs property has proven to be for Capcom, it won't be long before you're grabbing for goodies in Smurfs' Village with Smurfs' Grabber on Android devices, too. Until then, just focus on building your blue buddies some comfy mushroom houses.
Click here to find The Smurfs' Village on the Android Market >
Are you a fan of the recent mobile and social takes on the Smurfs in smartphones and on Facebook? Will we ever get enough of the smurfing?
Zynga publishes Mafia Wars 2 comic, sets the stage for Las Vegas intrigue
Mafia Wars 2 has remained a mystery since the word leaked in January. The only follow-up the public has gotten from Zynga is last week's 'badass' trailer. But the game's official fan page announced a Mafia Wars 2 digital comic last night, titled with the game's much bandied about tagline, "Being Bad Never Felt So Good". The comic presents the glamorous yet dangerous world of the game, which is set in Las Vegas, and drops just enough exposition for the reader to meet the cast -- including whose shoes players will be stepping into once the game launches.
This eight-page comic was created by UDON Entertainment, a Canadian comics studio that specializes in Asian-inspired art, lending the story a manga flair in the character designs and paneling layout. UDON (named after the Japanese noodle) isn't a new entrant in games comics either. They're best known for their work with major Japanese games maker Capcom, drawing and publishing comics and artbooks for the Street Fighter series.
Mafia Wars 2 characters
So far, Zynga seems intent on keeping quiet about Mafia Wars 2's gameplay (except for the fact that it'll be a "vast 3-D world"), but they've been very big on establishing the game's world and its characters, the latter of which actually have detailed backstories available on the official website. A focus on characters and narratives is a rare thing in Facebook games. The last time this was done, and to a much greater extent, was Qunify's CLASH: Rise of the Heroes, which is heavily based on superhero comics. One of Zynga's developers, Mike Humphrey, has said that "I'm really looking forward to finally seeing how Mafia Wars 2 is received; it's unlike most games on Facebook right now, and I think it pushes the envelope of what people can expect from games on the platform." Let's hope they keep pushing until the day of the launch.
To check out the comic yourself, click here and follow the directions to 'Like' the game's official Facebook fan page.
How do you like the comic so far? Are you enjoying what appears to be Zynga's move towards more in-depth, story-driven Facebook games?
This eight-page comic was created by UDON Entertainment, a Canadian comics studio that specializes in Asian-inspired art, lending the story a manga flair in the character designs and paneling layout. UDON (named after the Japanese noodle) isn't a new entrant in games comics either. They're best known for their work with major Japanese games maker Capcom, drawing and publishing comics and artbooks for the Street Fighter series.
Mafia Wars 2 characters
So far, Zynga seems intent on keeping quiet about Mafia Wars 2's gameplay (except for the fact that it'll be a "vast 3-D world"), but they've been very big on establishing the game's world and its characters, the latter of which actually have detailed backstories available on the official website. A focus on characters and narratives is a rare thing in Facebook games. The last time this was done, and to a much greater extent, was Qunify's CLASH: Rise of the Heroes, which is heavily based on superhero comics. One of Zynga's developers, Mike Humphrey, has said that "I'm really looking forward to finally seeing how Mafia Wars 2 is received; it's unlike most games on Facebook right now, and I think it pushes the envelope of what people can expect from games on the platform." Let's hope they keep pushing until the day of the launch.
To check out the comic yourself, click here and follow the directions to 'Like' the game's official Facebook fan page.
How do you like the comic so far? Are you enjoying what appears to be Zynga's move towards more in-depth, story-driven Facebook games?
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