Monday, October 24, 2011
One Of Comics’ Best Writers Wants To Turn His Newest Work Into A Game
When I saw Greg Rucka at the Oni Press booth during New York Comic-Con, I was just going to say how much I’m enjoying his run on the re-launch of The Punisher. (Oni’s published Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim comics, among others.) But, when I saw that he was wearing a N7 Mass Effect t-shirt, I remembered that he’s also a pretty avid gamer and wrote a Perfect Dark novel that coincided with the Perfect Dark Zero Xbox 360 launch title. So I had a quick chat with him about co-op coming to Mass Effect 3 and which of his creator-owned works he’d want turned into a video game. Sword-fighting on a giant zeppelin? Count me in.
Double Fine’s Iron Brigade Gets New Missions, Horde Mode
Double Fine’s Iron Brigade is getting a new campaign and horde-mode styled game mode, the game makers tell Kotaku.
The yet to be priced or dated downloadable content for Iron Brigade, the game formerly known as Trenched, is called Rise of the Martian Bear.
Iron Brigade recently had to change its name due to a copyright claim by the makers of a Portuguese game named Trench. Man, everyone seems to be having these sorts of conflicts lately, huh?
Given the recent release of Costume Quest on Steam, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Iron Brigade make a similar move. But that’s just me speculatin’. Regardless, it’s a super-fun game, and it’s great to hear we’ll be getting more content.
The yet to be priced or dated downloadable content for Iron Brigade, the game formerly known as Trenched, is called Rise of the Martian Bear.
Iron Brigade recently had to change its name due to a copyright claim by the makers of a Portuguese game named Trench. Man, everyone seems to be having these sorts of conflicts lately, huh?
Given the recent release of Costume Quest on Steam, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Iron Brigade make a similar move. But that’s just me speculatin’. Regardless, it’s a super-fun game, and it’s great to hear we’ll be getting more content.
Quick Impressions Of Kirby Wii, New Layton, Uncharted 3
I used to write a thing called the Game Diary each weekday. I did it for a previous employer. I did it for my own now-dormant blog. I briefly did it for my Facebook Fan Page (hmmm… maybe I should do something there).
I’m not ready to bring it back yet, but I am playing so many games this busy fall season that I need somewhere, besides Twitter, to share my thoughts on even a quarter of what I’m playing. So let’s see how this goes. Maybe it’s a one-day thing; maybe not…
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland (Wii): I played this maybe two weeks ago and then again a little over the weekend. It’s the new side-scrolling Wii Kirby game that eschews last year’s great yarn-art from Kirby’s Epic Yarn and uses more traditional, bright, squishy polygonal graphics. When I played it a couple of weeks ago it was during a meeting at Nintendo’s New York City offices that I was ostensibly attending to play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The Nintendo folks were pushing Kirby as an appetizer for my meeting and I consented to try a new level. The details of the level are not all that remarkable: standard side-scroller fare of running to the right while enemies waddle in from the left. Some jumping, some sliding down ramps, and so on. The notable thing was that, as was the case when I saw the game a previous time with Nintendo, Kirby has a ton of moves.
The game is very easy, but the simplicity of the combat is compensated by the range of Kirby’s arsenal. True to his roots, Kirby inhales enemies in the game and appropriates their powers. If he does that with a fire guy, an ice guy, a blade guy or whoever, he winds up getting much more than the one or two new moves I expected. He seems to get about six or eight moves per inhaled enemy. At first I thought the moves were hidden. The Nintendo rep kept calling out different combos for me to hit to make them happen–fireballs, tornadoes, aerial strikes and so on–but the move-sets are all laid out in the game’s pause screen. I’ve found that it’s fun to go in there and just zip through all the flashy moved. The varied arsenal is pretty cool and ensures that, as easy as this game may be, it still will offer lots of Kirby combat surprises.
Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS): I started this one on the subway this weekend while I was en route to the New York Comic-Con. I enjoyed the first Layton but didn’t find enough spare time for the next two. So I’m jumping back in with the fourth, which is weird, except that this one appears to be a prequel. The problem is that the game opens with long cutscenes, a mistake in handheld gaming that I thought was exclusive to to the PSP and, 17 minutes into my first session, I only found one puzzle. I’m not playing Layton for the story. I want more puzzles, and I wanted them right away.
In my second session with the game, going home from Comic-Con, I found five more puzzles in rapid succession, two of them jigsaws. That’s better. I like the game so far, but I’m surprised that, for the fourth in a series it feels so much like the first. I’ve yet to try the game’s London Life bonus role-playing game. Perhaps there are surprises in there. (Fun fact: I learned that Layton, in this game, is 34 years old.)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3): I recently tried the Subway-sponsored downloadable release of Uncharted 3‘s competitive multiplayer mode and proceeded to get mauled and sniped by the random strangers I was match-made with. I am not much of an online multiplayer person, but maybe I would be if I could find more online multiplayer that would be fun even with strangers. Yeah, this stuff is usually much more fun with friends. I know that’s the better way to play online, but my life just isn’t shaped right for getting friends to play. The only games I trust to not give me a miserable time if I play with strangers these days are Gears of War 3 Horde and Beast modes and Halo 3/Reach match-made multiplayer. At first glance, I didn’t see any sign that Uncharted 3 will join that list.
That’s all I’m allowed to tell you about what I’m playing for now (if only you knew what I was playing this weekend under embargo!). I’ll be back with more of this kind of thing… maybe.
I’m not ready to bring it back yet, but I am playing so many games this busy fall season that I need somewhere, besides Twitter, to share my thoughts on even a quarter of what I’m playing. So let’s see how this goes. Maybe it’s a one-day thing; maybe not…
Kirby’s Return to Dreamland (Wii): I played this maybe two weeks ago and then again a little over the weekend. It’s the new side-scrolling Wii Kirby game that eschews last year’s great yarn-art from Kirby’s Epic Yarn and uses more traditional, bright, squishy polygonal graphics. When I played it a couple of weeks ago it was during a meeting at Nintendo’s New York City offices that I was ostensibly attending to play The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. The Nintendo folks were pushing Kirby as an appetizer for my meeting and I consented to try a new level. The details of the level are not all that remarkable: standard side-scroller fare of running to the right while enemies waddle in from the left. Some jumping, some sliding down ramps, and so on. The notable thing was that, as was the case when I saw the game a previous time with Nintendo, Kirby has a ton of moves.
The game is very easy, but the simplicity of the combat is compensated by the range of Kirby’s arsenal. True to his roots, Kirby inhales enemies in the game and appropriates their powers. If he does that with a fire guy, an ice guy, a blade guy or whoever, he winds up getting much more than the one or two new moves I expected. He seems to get about six or eight moves per inhaled enemy. At first I thought the moves were hidden. The Nintendo rep kept calling out different combos for me to hit to make them happen–fireballs, tornadoes, aerial strikes and so on–but the move-sets are all laid out in the game’s pause screen. I’ve found that it’s fun to go in there and just zip through all the flashy moved. The varied arsenal is pretty cool and ensures that, as easy as this game may be, it still will offer lots of Kirby combat surprises.
Professor Layton and the Last Specter (DS): I started this one on the subway this weekend while I was en route to the New York Comic-Con. I enjoyed the first Layton but didn’t find enough spare time for the next two. So I’m jumping back in with the fourth, which is weird, except that this one appears to be a prequel. The problem is that the game opens with long cutscenes, a mistake in handheld gaming that I thought was exclusive to to the PSP and, 17 minutes into my first session, I only found one puzzle. I’m not playing Layton for the story. I want more puzzles, and I wanted them right away.
In my second session with the game, going home from Comic-Con, I found five more puzzles in rapid succession, two of them jigsaws. That’s better. I like the game so far, but I’m surprised that, for the fourth in a series it feels so much like the first. I’ve yet to try the game’s London Life bonus role-playing game. Perhaps there are surprises in there. (Fun fact: I learned that Layton, in this game, is 34 years old.)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (PS3): I recently tried the Subway-sponsored downloadable release of Uncharted 3‘s competitive multiplayer mode and proceeded to get mauled and sniped by the random strangers I was match-made with. I am not much of an online multiplayer person, but maybe I would be if I could find more online multiplayer that would be fun even with strangers. Yeah, this stuff is usually much more fun with friends. I know that’s the better way to play online, but my life just isn’t shaped right for getting friends to play. The only games I trust to not give me a miserable time if I play with strangers these days are Gears of War 3 Horde and Beast modes and Halo 3/Reach match-made multiplayer. At first glance, I didn’t see any sign that Uncharted 3 will join that list.
That’s all I’m allowed to tell you about what I’m playing for now (if only you knew what I was playing this weekend under embargo!). I’ll be back with more of this kind of thing… maybe.
Masters Of The Universe Getting ‘Classic’ Toys
Revealed during Mattel’s weekend panel at New York Comic-Con, here’s our first look at the upcoming Masters of the Universe 30th Anniversary Classics collection.
Among the batch figures are some interesting variants and one show exclusive. I was never really into He-Man and he crew, but these figures make me want to go back and reexamine that hole in my childhood.
Among the batch figures are some interesting variants and one show exclusive. I was never really into He-Man and he crew, but these figures make me want to go back and reexamine that hole in my childhood.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
What Animal Crossing Can Teach Us About The Anger Of Occupy Wall Street
Don’t get what’s motivating Occupy Wall Street, or any of the Occupy demonstrations worldwide? Look to a video game, writes one blogger. He believes Animal Crossing supplies an allegory for the protesters’ anger, and it involves being pressed into servitude by a debt you had little choice but to acquire.
“Animal Crossing was probably the first time I really understood the concept of not just debt, but being crushed by debt,” writes STFU Conservatives (their name, not mine), of the clever, cute Nintendo GameCube title in which players made friends with animals, built and decorated a house, and worked their asses off to pay back its cost.
One starts the game with a house, but that shit ain’t free. Local merchant Tom Nook gave it to you, and so you begin the thing with a debt of 100,000 bells, forcing you to work in Nook’s store “as an indentured servant.,” writes Joe on the STFU Conservatives Tumblr. After a few days of work you’re free to move on but your debt hasn’t vanished. “You do a bunch of random gathering to gain up money to pay back your loan and just when you think you’re finally free from the crushing weight of Tom Nook’s thumb–he adds a second story onto your house! And the cycle of debt begins again.”
The real-world allegory that STFU Conservatives seeks to draw is that, like your character in Animal Crossing, many have no choice but to go into massive debt just to participate in mainstream society: student loans for college are a great example. Home ownership is accomplished with this kind of leverage–a good thing–but a lot of banks exploited the hell out of the relationship. If there were people who had no business taking loans, there were also banks who had no business trying to sell them one.
Anyway, that’s the analogy. I’m sure we’re going to have a very robust, very informed, very polite and public spirited debate of all this below. Try to keep it to a dull roar.
“Animal Crossing was probably the first time I really understood the concept of not just debt, but being crushed by debt,” writes STFU Conservatives (their name, not mine), of the clever, cute Nintendo GameCube title in which players made friends with animals, built and decorated a house, and worked their asses off to pay back its cost.
One starts the game with a house, but that shit ain’t free. Local merchant Tom Nook gave it to you, and so you begin the thing with a debt of 100,000 bells, forcing you to work in Nook’s store “as an indentured servant.,” writes Joe on the STFU Conservatives Tumblr. After a few days of work you’re free to move on but your debt hasn’t vanished. “You do a bunch of random gathering to gain up money to pay back your loan and just when you think you’re finally free from the crushing weight of Tom Nook’s thumb–he adds a second story onto your house! And the cycle of debt begins again.”
The real-world allegory that STFU Conservatives seeks to draw is that, like your character in Animal Crossing, many have no choice but to go into massive debt just to participate in mainstream society: student loans for college are a great example. Home ownership is accomplished with this kind of leverage–a good thing–but a lot of banks exploited the hell out of the relationship. If there were people who had no business taking loans, there were also banks who had no business trying to sell them one.
Anyway, that’s the analogy. I’m sure we’re going to have a very robust, very informed, very polite and public spirited debate of all this below. Try to keep it to a dull roar.
Mini Tyrael Lords Over The BlizzCon 2011 Goodie Bag
Half the joy of attending Blizzard’s yearly celebration of all things Blizzard is opening up the sack of goodies they give you at registration and splaying them over your hotel room desk like a kid at Christmas. This year we might have to keep the jubilation to a dull roar; the mini Archangel of Justice is watching.
Mini Tyrael isn’t quite so mini, but I suppose compared to the real thing he’s a bit on the short side. Diablo‘s Archangel of Justice is indeed far less threatening in this form. You almost want to hug him. Oh screw it, I’mma hug him.
Ouch. He’s a bit pointy.
Check out the gallery for more shots of Tyrael, Mega Bloks Thrall, and whatever else Blizzard had laying around, and stay tuned all weekend for more from BlizzCon 2011, starting with tomorrow morning’s opening ceremonies and continuing until my laptop runs out of virtual ink.
Here’s the full haul, complete with my official BlizzCon 2011 press pass, which does not get me past the tiny security lady in the lobby so I can take photos of what’s for sale this year. She is my nemesis.
Mini Tyrael isn’t quite so mini, but I suppose compared to the real thing he’s a bit on the short side. Diablo‘s Archangel of Justice is indeed far less threatening in this form. You almost want to hug him. Oh screw it, I’mma hug him.
Ouch. He’s a bit pointy.
Check out the gallery for more shots of Tyrael, Mega Bloks Thrall, and whatever else Blizzard had laying around, and stay tuned all weekend for more from BlizzCon 2011, starting with tomorrow morning’s opening ceremonies and continuing until my laptop runs out of virtual ink.
Here’s the full haul, complete with my official BlizzCon 2011 press pass, which does not get me past the tiny security lady in the lobby so I can take photos of what’s for sale this year. She is my nemesis.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Previews Preview: War of the Worlds Looks, Sounds Great
Whenever Halloween comes around I always look forward to the re-broadcast of a significant radio drama. On October 30th, 1938, Orsen Wells directed and narrated an adaptation of the classic H.G. Wells novel, The War of the Worlds. Because the show itself was on a radio station that never ran commercial breaks during their broadcasts, many people thought -- for a short period of time -- that we really were being invaded by aliens from the planet Mars. Soon we'll be able to play through these events with Other Ocean's The War of the Worlds that's set to release on PC later this year (next week for XBLA).
News Battlefield 3 Launch Trailer
This time next week, you'll be knee deep in Battlefield 3. And as a reminder that DICE's anticipated shooter is right around the corner, the official launch trailer is here. See below for a healthy dose of Battlefield 3's single-player storyline.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Disney XD Games
Disney Friends for Change Games
To support the “Disney Friends for Change Games” on Disney Channel and Disney XD, Disneychannelgames.biz has launched an online destination at Disneyxd.biz, where kids and families can take part in the Games from home and help the planet — by making personal pledges of their own, playing online versions of the Games, and making art that matters! When kids play online versions of the Games at Disneyxd.biz, they can donate the points they earn to one of the four charities involved. At the end of the Games, the charity with the most points given by the Disney.com online community will receive $100K.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
In addition to playing online games for charity, kids can view exclusive video content and participate in a number of funonline activities. Kids can create online art on the Friends for Change Group Wall at Disneyxd.biz, where they can see the transformative power of friends everywhere pitching in to make a difference. The Disneyxd.biz site will also feature exclusive videos from the “Disney Friends for Change Games,” including a special wrap-up show hosted by Tiffany Thorntonand Jason Earles. Kids can also download the official 2011 Friends for Change anthem “We Can Change the World” featuring Bridgit Mendler on Disneyxd.biz
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
Over 30 Disney Channel Games and Disney XD Games stars from around the globe will compete in “Disney Friends for Change Games.” Four teams will play on behalf of a global charity — Fauna and Flora International, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy and UNICEF. For five weeks beginning Friday, June 24, Disney Channelwill present “Disney Friends for Change Games” in interstitials during its Friday, Saturday and Sunday primetime original series programming, and Disney XD will present a special episode from the games Monday nights beginning June 27 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT). The Games will culminate with a special half-hour episode Sunday, July 31 on Disney Channel.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
About Disney’s Friends for Change
Disney’s Friends for Change is a multi-platform initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). Through PSAs on-air and online tool-kits, the program aims to provide useful information to help kids make small changes that add up to big differences. As part of the program, Disney donates $1 million dollars annually to fund projects all around the globe and has funded over 41 projects that help the planet ranging from educational & community programs to species & habitat protection. Friends for Change currently has over 4 million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughoutthe United States, Europe, Latin America, Japan, India and China. For more information, please visit Disneyxd.biz.
- Disney XD gets its game on
Astral-owned Disney XD Canada is delving deeper into the gaming space in a month-long promotion that will see the multi-platform brand take viewers behind the scenes of June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), offer up two new games on DisneyXD.biz every week and give away five video game consoles to Disney XD viewers.
The Level Up contest runs through the month of September and is set to feature the star of What’s, Up Warthogs!, Eduard Witzke, reporting from this year’s E3 in eight short interstitial reports entitled Ed’s E3. New episodes of Ed’s E3 will premiere every Tuesday and Thursday from September 1 and will air throughout the Disney XD schedule. Additionally, a weekly entry word will appear in each episode, which can be used to enter the Level Up contest online to win one of five game consoles.
On top of entering the Level Up contest on DisneyXD.ca, viewers can explore a dedicated minisite to re-watch episodes of Ed’s E3 as well as test their skills on brand-new Disney XD games. Two new games will be unveiled each week with a bonus game available for those who can work out the special DisneyXD.biz game code.
To support the “Disney Friends for Change Games” on Disney Channel and Disney XD, Disneychannelgames.biz has launched an online destination at Disneyxd.biz, where kids and families can take part in the Games from home and help the planet — by making personal pledges of their own, playing online versions of the Games, and making art that matters! When kids play online versions of the Games at Disneyxd.biz, they can donate the points they earn to one of the four charities involved. At the end of the Games, the charity with the most points given by the Disney.com online community will receive $100K.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
In addition to playing online games for charity, kids can view exclusive video content and participate in a number of funonline activities. Kids can create online art on the Friends for Change Group Wall at Disneyxd.biz, where they can see the transformative power of friends everywhere pitching in to make a difference. The Disneyxd.biz site will also feature exclusive videos from the “Disney Friends for Change Games,” including a special wrap-up show hosted by Tiffany Thorntonand Jason Earles. Kids can also download the official 2011 Friends for Change anthem “We Can Change the World” featuring Bridgit Mendler on Disneyxd.biz
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
Over 30 Disney Channel Games and Disney XD Games stars from around the globe will compete in “Disney Friends for Change Games.” Four teams will play on behalf of a global charity — Fauna and Flora International, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy and UNICEF. For five weeks beginning Friday, June 24, Disney Channelwill present “Disney Friends for Change Games” in interstitials during its Friday, Saturday and Sunday primetime original series programming, and Disney XD will present a special episode from the games Monday nights beginning June 27 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT). The Games will culminate with a special half-hour episode Sunday, July 31 on Disney Channel.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
About Disney’s Friends for Change
Disney’s Friends for Change is a multi-platform initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). Through PSAs on-air and online tool-kits, the program aims to provide useful information to help kids make small changes that add up to big differences. As part of the program, Disney donates $1 million dollars annually to fund projects all around the globe and has funded over 41 projects that help the planet ranging from educational & community programs to species & habitat protection. Friends for Change currently has over 4 million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughoutthe United States, Europe, Latin America, Japan, India and China. For more information, please visit Disneyxd.biz.
- Disney XD gets its game on
Astral-owned Disney XD Canada is delving deeper into the gaming space in a month-long promotion that will see the multi-platform brand take viewers behind the scenes of June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), offer up two new games on DisneyXD.biz every week and give away five video game consoles to Disney XD viewers.
The Level Up contest runs through the month of September and is set to feature the star of What’s, Up Warthogs!, Eduard Witzke, reporting from this year’s E3 in eight short interstitial reports entitled Ed’s E3. New episodes of Ed’s E3 will premiere every Tuesday and Thursday from September 1 and will air throughout the Disney XD schedule. Additionally, a weekly entry word will appear in each episode, which can be used to enter the Level Up contest online to win one of five game consoles.
On top of entering the Level Up contest on DisneyXD.ca, viewers can explore a dedicated minisite to re-watch episodes of Ed’s E3 as well as test their skills on brand-new Disney XD games. Two new games will be unveiled each week with a bonus game available for those who can work out the special DisneyXD.biz game code.
Disney XD News
DISNEY XD TO PREMIERE “FORT BOYARD – ULTIMATE CHALLENGE,” A REALITY ADVENTURE SERIES ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 17
Geno Segers (Disney XD’s “Pair of Kings”) and popular British television presenter Laura Hamilton (“Dancing On Ice”) host an exciting competition requiring brainpower, courage and teamwork, “Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge,” a 10-part series premiering MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET/PT), with a thrilling finale MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Based on the international game show phenomenon “Fort Boyard,” the series is set in a 19th century sea fort off the coast of France. It introduces six teams — 24 teens from the United States and the United Kingdom — who team up for a tournament where only one team will ultimately get the key to unlock the historic fort’s hidden treasures and win the honor of calling themselves “the conquerors of Fort Boyard.”
The reality adventure series marks the first kids’ version of the popular game show which premiered more than 20 years ago and has since been produced in over 38 countries worldwide.
In the premiere episode, team members from the Red Vipers and Yellow Scorpions compete in the first round of challenges to find out which team has what it takes to move on to become the conquerors of the fort.
“Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge” is produced by Zodiak Media Group’s production companies The Foundation and Adventure Line Productions, who created the concept for the original “Fort Boyard” and have been producing the series for 22 years.
The executive producers are Nigel Pickard and Ged Allen for The Foundation, Pierre Godde for Adventure Line Productions and Jamila Metran for CiTV. The producer is Steve Pinhay.
The series will be televised on Disney XD cable and satellite channels around the world (excluding France and the Nordics) and CiTV in the UK.
About “Fort Boyard”
“Fort Boyard” is the most successful adventure game show in the world, having sold to over 30 territories, while dominating France 2′s primetime summer schedule every year since 1990. The action takes place in an imposing fortress built in the middle of the ocean. This provides the perfect backdrop for strenuous, against-the-clock physical challenges and mind-boggling riddles, featuring strange characters and fearsome animals. All this and more awaits those attempting to reach the Treasure Room! Only the fittest and most intelligent contestants can hope to conquer Fort Boyard.
About Disney XD:
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. There are 22 other Disney XD Games channels around the world.
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Geno Segers (Disney XD’s “Pair of Kings”) and popular British television presenter Laura Hamilton (“Dancing On Ice”) host an exciting competition requiring brainpower, courage and teamwork, “Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge,” a 10-part series premiering MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET/PT), with a thrilling finale MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Based on the international game show phenomenon “Fort Boyard,” the series is set in a 19th century sea fort off the coast of France. It introduces six teams — 24 teens from the United States and the United Kingdom — who team up for a tournament where only one team will ultimately get the key to unlock the historic fort’s hidden treasures and win the honor of calling themselves “the conquerors of Fort Boyard.”
The reality adventure series marks the first kids’ version of the popular game show which premiered more than 20 years ago and has since been produced in over 38 countries worldwide.
In the premiere episode, team members from the Red Vipers and Yellow Scorpions compete in the first round of challenges to find out which team has what it takes to move on to become the conquerors of the fort.
“Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge” is produced by Zodiak Media Group’s production companies The Foundation and Adventure Line Productions, who created the concept for the original “Fort Boyard” and have been producing the series for 22 years.
The executive producers are Nigel Pickard and Ged Allen for The Foundation, Pierre Godde for Adventure Line Productions and Jamila Metran for CiTV. The producer is Steve Pinhay.
The series will be televised on Disney XD cable and satellite channels around the world (excluding France and the Nordics) and CiTV in the UK.
About “Fort Boyard”
“Fort Boyard” is the most successful adventure game show in the world, having sold to over 30 territories, while dominating France 2′s primetime summer schedule every year since 1990. The action takes place in an imposing fortress built in the middle of the ocean. This provides the perfect backdrop for strenuous, against-the-clock physical challenges and mind-boggling riddles, featuring strange characters and fearsome animals. All this and more awaits those attempting to reach the Treasure Room! Only the fittest and most intelligent contestants can hope to conquer Fort Boyard.
About Disney XD:
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. There are 22 other Disney XD Games channels around the world.
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
L.A Noire delayed again.
Ok, I'm blogging this because no websites seem to have picked up on this. At the end of the new trailer released this week, and found at: http://www.youtube.com/watc...
is, once again a new release date of next Autumn.
Only a few days ago, we got a Spring 2011 release date.
is, once again a new release date of next Autumn.
Only a few days ago, we got a Spring 2011 release date.
If It's So Awful, Why Are We So Fascinated?
I just don't get it, I guess. We read articles on this site, and then we post comments accusing them of being either flamebait, or trolls, or fanboys.
Yet, not only does the flamebait fanboy troll article get approved, it gets some good heat. Here I am looking for well thought out, well written articles and the FTF (Flamebait Troll Fanboy) articles are getting more heat.
For the record I'm not referring to the stories that get hot because they're actually big news. I don't begrudge "Latest Uncharted 3 gameplay footage" or something similar hitting 500 degrees. What is bugging me is the articles that have 54 comments on them when 30 of those comments are calling the author a troll. You're giving hits to a story then complaining that the story was written to generate hits. Or saying "the author is obviously a ps3/360/wii fanboy"
Just so you know, COMMENTS GENERATE HEAT. So if you're looking for well written, reasonably fair articles, comment on one when you find it. Leave the FTF articles alone. If you can tell by the summary that the author is a troll, don't click on the "Read Full Story" link. If you're a contributor, there is a "Trolling" option in the Report menu. Don't let it get posted. Alternately you could refuse to submit an FTF article.
Yet, not only does the flamebait fanboy troll article get approved, it gets some good heat. Here I am looking for well thought out, well written articles and the FTF (Flamebait Troll Fanboy) articles are getting more heat.
For the record I'm not referring to the stories that get hot because they're actually big news. I don't begrudge "Latest Uncharted 3 gameplay footage" or something similar hitting 500 degrees. What is bugging me is the articles that have 54 comments on them when 30 of those comments are calling the author a troll. You're giving hits to a story then complaining that the story was written to generate hits. Or saying "the author is obviously a ps3/360/wii fanboy"
Just so you know, COMMENTS GENERATE HEAT. So if you're looking for well written, reasonably fair articles, comment on one when you find it. Leave the FTF articles alone. If you can tell by the summary that the author is a troll, don't click on the "Read Full Story" link. If you're a contributor, there is a "Trolling" option in the Report menu. Don't let it get posted. Alternately you could refuse to submit an FTF article.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Why I think 3DS should be Nintendo's next console
I picked up my 3DS last Friday and love it to bits. It lives up to the promises Nintendo made of it. It has a lot of good games to look forward to. And it meets all my media related needs as well.
Some of you may look at the title and think "what is this guy on about? Nintendo need a new console!" But give me a chance to explain here and you might understand where I am coming from. To start with a new console is certainly very likely to be revealed this year regardless of what Satoru Iwata says. So Nintendo are very likely moving on. But why would I put 3DS ahead of a new Nintendo console?
Looking at some 3DS games (for example Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil and even Dead or Alive) due to the small screen the visual quality seems to surpass anything on Wii. Resident Evil in particular looks very close to the HD versions, though this is likely down to the small screen. I haven't seen Metal Gear Solid in front of me so I can't say about the graphics on that.
Another reason is that Nintendo handhelds do not suffer the same as Wii. Its very likely that whatever Nintendo put out next it will do something daring in order to attract more customers. Since Wii attracted a lot of casuals developers were quick to throw any old game on there regardless of quality.
However, the DS is a different story. In the handheld market the main target for shovelware seems to be smart phones. DS kept strong sales even for third party titles. True gamers on Nintendo have a lot to look forward to on 3DS, easily more third party support then Nintendo have had since SNES.
Street Fighter has proven that third party games can sell on Nintendo platforms, and this will likely lead to more third parties jumping ship. There are potential profits for some third parties (particularly the Japanese developers). It certainly isn't capable of running Unreal Engine 3, but it can run Capcom's MT Framework. This is actually a big thing. They have already hinted at both MVC 3 and SF X T. Perhaps they will plan on sending most of their games to 3DS too.
So what is my prediction with a new Wii? It may have similar third party support at first (due to developers needing to go multiplatform) but if it keeps that support is another story. Nintendo will likely have a daring trick up their sleeve for unique experiences. If it is as cheap as the Wii was (unless Nintendo do something to improve their quality control) it could likely suffer the same fate as the Wii. In fact even Kinect has had shovelware sneak onto the shelves (and 360 is expensive to develop for anyway) so it probably won't stop shovelware developers.
Ultimately this is how I see it. No I don't think Nintendo should leave hardware, that is a silly idea. Nobody uses their hardware like they do. But 3DS is able to play some games of 360 quality. I seriously don't think Street Fighter is dumbed down on 3DS, in fact I think its better than the 360 version I have since it is the original not the super version. But if third parties don't suffer the same problem on Nintendo handhelds than they do on consoles then 3DS certainly has the brighter future ahead of it.
I believe that once again Nintendo has come out with something that proves they are the kind of handhelds. And case in point, you should stick to what you are good at. And nobody does handhelds like Nintendo. This is still a machine for their core fanbase, and due to what happened with Wii, I believe 3DS is the way to go. I look forward to whatever Nintendo is cooking but 3DS seems to have more on the game side then Wii.
Some of you may look at the title and think "what is this guy on about? Nintendo need a new console!" But give me a chance to explain here and you might understand where I am coming from. To start with a new console is certainly very likely to be revealed this year regardless of what Satoru Iwata says. So Nintendo are very likely moving on. But why would I put 3DS ahead of a new Nintendo console?
Looking at some 3DS games (for example Street Fighter IV, Resident Evil and even Dead or Alive) due to the small screen the visual quality seems to surpass anything on Wii. Resident Evil in particular looks very close to the HD versions, though this is likely down to the small screen. I haven't seen Metal Gear Solid in front of me so I can't say about the graphics on that.
Another reason is that Nintendo handhelds do not suffer the same as Wii. Its very likely that whatever Nintendo put out next it will do something daring in order to attract more customers. Since Wii attracted a lot of casuals developers were quick to throw any old game on there regardless of quality.
However, the DS is a different story. In the handheld market the main target for shovelware seems to be smart phones. DS kept strong sales even for third party titles. True gamers on Nintendo have a lot to look forward to on 3DS, easily more third party support then Nintendo have had since SNES.
Street Fighter has proven that third party games can sell on Nintendo platforms, and this will likely lead to more third parties jumping ship. There are potential profits for some third parties (particularly the Japanese developers). It certainly isn't capable of running Unreal Engine 3, but it can run Capcom's MT Framework. This is actually a big thing. They have already hinted at both MVC 3 and SF X T. Perhaps they will plan on sending most of their games to 3DS too.
So what is my prediction with a new Wii? It may have similar third party support at first (due to developers needing to go multiplatform) but if it keeps that support is another story. Nintendo will likely have a daring trick up their sleeve for unique experiences. If it is as cheap as the Wii was (unless Nintendo do something to improve their quality control) it could likely suffer the same fate as the Wii. In fact even Kinect has had shovelware sneak onto the shelves (and 360 is expensive to develop for anyway) so it probably won't stop shovelware developers.
Ultimately this is how I see it. No I don't think Nintendo should leave hardware, that is a silly idea. Nobody uses their hardware like they do. But 3DS is able to play some games of 360 quality. I seriously don't think Street Fighter is dumbed down on 3DS, in fact I think its better than the 360 version I have since it is the original not the super version. But if third parties don't suffer the same problem on Nintendo handhelds than they do on consoles then 3DS certainly has the brighter future ahead of it.
I believe that once again Nintendo has come out with something that proves they are the kind of handhelds. And case in point, you should stick to what you are good at. And nobody does handhelds like Nintendo. This is still a machine for their core fanbase, and due to what happened with Wii, I believe 3DS is the way to go. I look forward to whatever Nintendo is cooking but 3DS seems to have more on the game side then Wii.
Crysis 2 PC : First Impressions
I was not hyped about Crysis 2, deep down inside me I was concerned about it`s success as I thought expanding into consoles won`t do anything good for the series other than increasing sales numbers. Also I was concerned about the game not making the same impact as it did in the previous game as the game takes place in a city rather than an island which would make it seem less visually impressive. Unfortunately - i say unfortunately because i really wished I was wrong and the game was perfect - , I was right about my concerns and there is more to it.
1- Graphic settings is a joke on PC. There is no advanced setttings tab, you can only select your resolution and graphics detail. This is a big minus to a game studio which is proud of being the technology leader of FPS games. Crytek you think you develop the best engine visually and you do not allow me to adjust my antialiasing setting? Are you kidding me ?
2- Why we can not play the game on dx 11 on pc as you promised ? What happened to the PC friendly game studio Crytek ? $$$ happened I guess.
3- I can not select the game language, there is no such option. The only way to change the game language is to go to game directory, change the english.pak file into something else. It`s 2011 Crytek, you can not put an option in the game for it ?
4- I bought the game originally and yet when I try to log on to servers , I occasionally get a message like ; ` serial is in use ` . Serial in use ? ...
5- Let`s switch to game itself. Crysis was known for smart enemies in single player. They had pretty decent AI in the past. In this game, I only played an hour but the AI is terrible, just terrible ! Even a blind monkey would react to it if his friend is getting killed 3 meters away from him, but some soldiers in the game don`t. It is so frustrating , even though I play the game on 3rd difficulty, AI is still pretty stupid. I prefer to play FPS games online mostly but I thought Crysis 2`s single player would be strong as well.
6- The game does not have a `wow` factor, not the game itself, not the scenario and yes not technically. Crysis had a `wow` factor in the first game with its stunning visuals, now not.
To wrap up, I`m going to spend more time on single and multiplayer of Crysis 2 but my first impressions are pretty poor and I am disappointed about it. Hopefully multiplayer would be much more fun and the game would justify it`s price tag.
1- Graphic settings is a joke on PC. There is no advanced setttings tab, you can only select your resolution and graphics detail. This is a big minus to a game studio which is proud of being the technology leader of FPS games. Crytek you think you develop the best engine visually and you do not allow me to adjust my antialiasing setting? Are you kidding me ?
2- Why we can not play the game on dx 11 on pc as you promised ? What happened to the PC friendly game studio Crytek ? $$$ happened I guess.
3- I can not select the game language, there is no such option. The only way to change the game language is to go to game directory, change the english.pak file into something else. It`s 2011 Crytek, you can not put an option in the game for it ?
4- I bought the game originally and yet when I try to log on to servers , I occasionally get a message like ; ` serial is in use ` . Serial in use ? ...
5- Let`s switch to game itself. Crysis was known for smart enemies in single player. They had pretty decent AI in the past. In this game, I only played an hour but the AI is terrible, just terrible ! Even a blind monkey would react to it if his friend is getting killed 3 meters away from him, but some soldiers in the game don`t. It is so frustrating , even though I play the game on 3rd difficulty, AI is still pretty stupid. I prefer to play FPS games online mostly but I thought Crysis 2`s single player would be strong as well.
6- The game does not have a `wow` factor, not the game itself, not the scenario and yes not technically. Crysis had a `wow` factor in the first game with its stunning visuals, now not.
To wrap up, I`m going to spend more time on single and multiplayer of Crysis 2 but my first impressions are pretty poor and I am disappointed about it. Hopefully multiplayer would be much more fun and the game would justify it`s price tag.
Crysis 2 single player impressions: PS3
Graphical multiplat wunderkind Crysis 2 has been out barely a week and I've managed to play it a bit since getting hands on my PS3 copy on Sunday. Seeing as it's one of the biggest releases of the year so far, and definitely the biggest multiplatform release in this gamer's humble opinion since Red Dead: Redemption, I thought I'd offer my impressions on the games' campaign mode so far, including it's lauded graphics.
From the outset I'll say about Crysis is I'm really enjoying it so far. Forget about it's graphics- the gameplay definitely offers something I haven't experienced from a shooter since the likes of Far Cry 2; and that's freedom.
Every shooter that comes out these days- in single player modes at least, seems excessively linear. Not so Crysis. I've only done the first few levels however I've already found myself replaying them to approach them from a different angle. The combination of the nanosuit and the open nature of many levels means that there's numerous ways to tackle each one. When I say numerous, it really boils down to either stealth or frontal assault, but the variety comes from level design, such as where to spawn your attack, who you'll need to tactically eliminate first and so on. In short, mission and level design, thus far, are top notch.
Graphically the game is superior to any multiplat release I've ever played- but it's kind of a mixed bag type story. The game indeed has had it's moments but there are a few nagging issues I'm noticing claw back the experience.
Firstly it's buggy as hell. I've noticed some major bugs in pretty much every play session, and enough to become distracting. These seem to revolve around mainly NPC's AI and some collision issues with their environments. It's hard to explain exactly what these bugs are without actually seeing them. For example, in one section where I was stealthily making my way through a warehouse, I had an enemy on patrol warp through a wall then just die for no reason. A few minutes later enemies on a walkway that were supposed to be rappelling from it simply fell through the map. I've had enemies spawn in front of me stuck in the environment who then simply drop dead. Regarding the AI I've had enemies throw grenades at their cover to kill themselves, and others just running into walls and in circles. I've also had enemies spot me through walls and attempt to shoot me only to be firing at a solid wall for minutes on end.
The gameplay is hampered sometimes as well in hectic firefights by the frame rate, which can slow down quite noticeably. Anything with multiple explosions or enemies on screen can be a enough to slow the game down quite noticeably, and it is disappointing. I sometimes found myself wondering what the point of making Crysis 2 so pretty on console was if it didn't actually run smoothly? Finally regarding graphics, not being sure whether its purposeful or as a result of slower frame rate, but the blur effect seems to be overdone. If you stand still for example and turn 360 degrees, take a look at your environment and your gun to see what I mean.
From the outset I'll say about Crysis is I'm really enjoying it so far. Forget about it's graphics- the gameplay definitely offers something I haven't experienced from a shooter since the likes of Far Cry 2; and that's freedom.
Every shooter that comes out these days- in single player modes at least, seems excessively linear. Not so Crysis. I've only done the first few levels however I've already found myself replaying them to approach them from a different angle. The combination of the nanosuit and the open nature of many levels means that there's numerous ways to tackle each one. When I say numerous, it really boils down to either stealth or frontal assault, but the variety comes from level design, such as where to spawn your attack, who you'll need to tactically eliminate first and so on. In short, mission and level design, thus far, are top notch.
Graphically the game is superior to any multiplat release I've ever played- but it's kind of a mixed bag type story. The game indeed has had it's moments but there are a few nagging issues I'm noticing claw back the experience.
Firstly it's buggy as hell. I've noticed some major bugs in pretty much every play session, and enough to become distracting. These seem to revolve around mainly NPC's AI and some collision issues with their environments. It's hard to explain exactly what these bugs are without actually seeing them. For example, in one section where I was stealthily making my way through a warehouse, I had an enemy on patrol warp through a wall then just die for no reason. A few minutes later enemies on a walkway that were supposed to be rappelling from it simply fell through the map. I've had enemies spawn in front of me stuck in the environment who then simply drop dead. Regarding the AI I've had enemies throw grenades at their cover to kill themselves, and others just running into walls and in circles. I've also had enemies spot me through walls and attempt to shoot me only to be firing at a solid wall for minutes on end.
The gameplay is hampered sometimes as well in hectic firefights by the frame rate, which can slow down quite noticeably. Anything with multiple explosions or enemies on screen can be a enough to slow the game down quite noticeably, and it is disappointing. I sometimes found myself wondering what the point of making Crysis 2 so pretty on console was if it didn't actually run smoothly? Finally regarding graphics, not being sure whether its purposeful or as a result of slower frame rate, but the blur effect seems to be overdone. If you stand still for example and turn 360 degrees, take a look at your environment and your gun to see what I mean.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Nick Jr., MTVN expand in Asia
Rugrats and music fans in Singapore and Malaysia will be able to tune in to “Dora the Explorer” and 24-hour music videos, docus and concerts with the launch of Viacom’s Nick Jr. and MTVN HD in the territories in coming weeks.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Crunch Time: The Necessary Evil
With the past overtime policies of EA and the recent turmoil at Team Bondi, there has been a lot of uproarious discussion regarding overtime in the game industry. If you are familiar with the industry you know that overtime has even been given its own name of “Crunch”. Crunch happens when developers are approaching a milestone in the development of a project but are unable to achieve the goals of that milestone during a normal 40 hour work week.
Crunch is a difficult thing to endure. There are times where the lines of legality regarding work hours are blurred. Sometimes the developer will say “This is the deadline, get it done.” and it is up to the individual to effectively use their time to complete the tasks with overtime becoming mandated if they do not close to their goal as the deadline approaches. Publishers also want to ensure that the millions of dollars they spent on a games development result in a marketable product. Something outsiders need to realize before they judge the “poor working conditions” of the game industry is that many times the developer’s hands are tied. They don’t want to work these poor people to death. There is a project, and there is a deadline. It’s as simple as that.
It seems like when reports come out about crunch that they neglect to mention all of the great perks that usually come with working at a game studio. There is often times free snacks, bonuses, giveaways, free soda and even free meals provided during crunch. One could argue that the reason the studio offers these things is to keep the development team at their desk working rather than having to leave for a meal. Even if that is the case, the many perks that come with working at a game developer are definitely greater than the sum of their parts.
Many gamers are unsure what stance to take on the issue of heavy crunch. While everyone can agree that is it uncomfortable, some see how crunch is necessary. Fewer still realize that the negative effects of crunch are not limited to just developers and their families. When a game slips past its release date and gets delayed, that is a considerable about of cash that is added to the game’s budget. If a 50 developer team making 60k a year gets delayed by six months that adds 1.5 million dollars to labor ALONE. That’s not to mentioning all the other costs that are accrued over the course of a regular development period. Who do you think is going to pay that additional cost in the end? Not the corporate big wigs who balance the budget. It will be us gamers that paying the cost. Be it through increased game prices next generation or having to pay for game services (Multiplayer, CoD Elite, ETC), gamers are paying the bill.
Nobody likes that crunch is happening but the reality of it is that overtime will always be present in a deadline based industry. The main concern is how MUCH crunch there is and how the issue is being addressed. Publishers and developers are consistently looking for ways to alleviate the problem but it is not a black and white issue. How do you motivate salaried employees to do their job on time? There has been many instances of a game being delayed simply because a few select developers were too lazy to do their jobs efficiently. While is it becoming a rarity, many times developers are laid off after a major project ships. What incentive do they have to finish as quickly as they can?
The only thing we can hope for out of this whole Team Bondi situation is a clearer understanding of why crunch happens and maybe slowly work our way towards a solution. Anybody have any ideas?
Crunch is a difficult thing to endure. There are times where the lines of legality regarding work hours are blurred. Sometimes the developer will say “This is the deadline, get it done.” and it is up to the individual to effectively use their time to complete the tasks with overtime becoming mandated if they do not close to their goal as the deadline approaches. Publishers also want to ensure that the millions of dollars they spent on a games development result in a marketable product. Something outsiders need to realize before they judge the “poor working conditions” of the game industry is that many times the developer’s hands are tied. They don’t want to work these poor people to death. There is a project, and there is a deadline. It’s as simple as that.
It seems like when reports come out about crunch that they neglect to mention all of the great perks that usually come with working at a game studio. There is often times free snacks, bonuses, giveaways, free soda and even free meals provided during crunch. One could argue that the reason the studio offers these things is to keep the development team at their desk working rather than having to leave for a meal. Even if that is the case, the many perks that come with working at a game developer are definitely greater than the sum of their parts.
Many gamers are unsure what stance to take on the issue of heavy crunch. While everyone can agree that is it uncomfortable, some see how crunch is necessary. Fewer still realize that the negative effects of crunch are not limited to just developers and their families. When a game slips past its release date and gets delayed, that is a considerable about of cash that is added to the game’s budget. If a 50 developer team making 60k a year gets delayed by six months that adds 1.5 million dollars to labor ALONE. That’s not to mentioning all the other costs that are accrued over the course of a regular development period. Who do you think is going to pay that additional cost in the end? Not the corporate big wigs who balance the budget. It will be us gamers that paying the cost. Be it through increased game prices next generation or having to pay for game services (Multiplayer, CoD Elite, ETC), gamers are paying the bill.
Nobody likes that crunch is happening but the reality of it is that overtime will always be present in a deadline based industry. The main concern is how MUCH crunch there is and how the issue is being addressed. Publishers and developers are consistently looking for ways to alleviate the problem but it is not a black and white issue. How do you motivate salaried employees to do their job on time? There has been many instances of a game being delayed simply because a few select developers were too lazy to do their jobs efficiently. While is it becoming a rarity, many times developers are laid off after a major project ships. What incentive do they have to finish as quickly as they can?
The only thing we can hope for out of this whole Team Bondi situation is a clearer understanding of why crunch happens and maybe slowly work our way towards a solution. Anybody have any ideas?
Rusty Hearts Limited Prize Pack Giveaway
Earlier today, Perfect World Entertainment announced that they will be showcasing Rusty Hearts at Anime Expo this weekend. In celebration, they are hosting a special Rusty Hearts Limited Prize Pack giveaway valued at $170 USD.
Beginning on July 1 and ending on July 3, 11:59 pm PT, all players who redeem a Rusty Hearts closed beta key - or who have already redeemed a key will be entered to win one of three limited prize packs that include 1 Logitech G510 keyboard ($119.99), 1 Logitech F710 gamepad ($49.99) and 1 Limited Edition Rusty Hearts bear. For the info: http://rustyhearts.perfectw...
Beginning on July 1 and ending on July 3, 11:59 pm PT, all players who redeem a Rusty Hearts closed beta key - or who have already redeemed a key will be entered to win one of three limited prize packs that include 1 Logitech G510 keyboard ($119.99), 1 Logitech F710 gamepad ($49.99) and 1 Limited Edition Rusty Hearts bear. For the info: http://rustyhearts.perfectw...
We are yet to experience true next gen
Games based on popular CBeebies Games series Charlie & Lola, Teletubbies, 3rd & Bird and Numberjacks are available through a new app launched by BBC Worldwide.
CBeebies On The Go is available for free on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad to pre-school children in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and South Korea.
Developed by Tag Apps, it includes matching pairs picture games for the Teletubbies and Charlie & Lola, a Kerwhizz jigsaw game and a 3rd & Bird tap-the-fruit challenge. It also holds a number of short video clips from popular shows.
Director of CBeebies investment at BBCW, Henrietta Hurford-Jones, said the team had “worked hard to build a product that upholds the core values of learning through play”.
She added: “This new kids’ app is a first for the Channels business, so the learnings from this pilot phase will help shape any future plans to roll CBeebies Games On The Go out to new territories and different devices.”
More than 53m homes have access to the CBeebies channel worldwide.
CBeebies On The Go is available for free on the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad to pre-school children in Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and South Korea.
Developed by Tag Apps, it includes matching pairs picture games for the Teletubbies and Charlie & Lola, a Kerwhizz jigsaw game and a 3rd & Bird tap-the-fruit challenge. It also holds a number of short video clips from popular shows.
Director of CBeebies investment at BBCW, Henrietta Hurford-Jones, said the team had “worked hard to build a product that upholds the core values of learning through play”.
She added: “This new kids’ app is a first for the Channels business, so the learnings from this pilot phase will help shape any future plans to roll CBeebies Games On The Go out to new territories and different devices.”
More than 53m homes have access to the CBeebies channel worldwide.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Play the Scary Maze Game With Your Friends!
Have you ever played the Scary Maze Game 8 now? If not, brotha you haven’t lived!!! This maze game is the most awesome game on earth! But in order to play it you MUST have a partner in the room with you. So go find a friend, co-hort, or even an enemy – it doesn’t matter! Then match your wits and your mouse skills with the game and see if you’re awesome enough to win the BIG prize at the end!
Chinese Couple Sells All Three Kids to Play Online Games
A young Chinese couple has sold all three of their children in exchange for money to play online Nick jr games at Internet cafes, reports a southern Chinese newspaper.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
Official Pokemon Game Coming To Smartphones
The Pokemon Company is set to bring an official Pokemon Online game to smartphone devices, marking the first time that an official Nintendo-copyrighted app will be available on the iOS and Android.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Nick Jr., MTVN expand in Asia
Rugrats and music fans in Singapore and Malaysia will be able to tune in to “Dora the Explorer” and 24-hour music videos, docus and concerts with the launch of Viacom’s Nick Jr. and MTVN HD in the territories in coming weeks.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Noah's Ark hits Port Facebook, social games go crazy for Christians
When Sean Ryan said that Christians were an untapped audience for Facebook games, developers listened. And thus, we have the third biblical Facebook game to hit in the past two months: Noah's Ark.
VentureBeat reports that Making Fun--News Corp's social gaming arm--and Detonator Games have officially released the game to Facebook. However, the FarmVille-meets-Genesis social game looks have hit the platform earlier in August, according to its fan page.
Noah's Ark is the second game launched by Making Fun since it was acquired by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp last year, and looks to cater to a woefully untapped audience that happens to be one of Facebook's largest. The game tasks players with creating--you guessed it--a farm of sorts to attract new animals to Noah's build site. Then, players must build their own Ark to prepare for the imminent worldwide flood.
Of course, players are governed by Energy and can buy boosts and other items with Facebook Credits. Noah's Ark will also test your knowledge of the story through trivia questions provided by Zondervan, a Christian publisher and News Corp subsidiary. (Finally, that Catholic education comes in handy!) And regardless of whether the game takes off--it sits now at over 260,000 monthly players and is growing steadily--Making Fun is committed to releasing games regularly.
Noah's Ark gameplay
"It's part of our plan to bring new and different games to the market that no one else is doing," Making Fun CEO John Welch told VentureBeat. "Our aim is to put out really high-quality titles in partnership with a variety of developers." Welch also said that the publisher will continue to release games through outside developers like Detonator Games, and that includes iPhone games, one of which will be a sports game.
Noah's Ark plays much like the FarmVilles and FrontierVilles of yore, but with a far smoother presentation and an interesting end goal: The Ark. As players gather new animals and materials, they will contribute to building the Ark throughout 10 stages. And there is an unbelievable amount of animals to collect across seven wildlife habitats. As players reach out beyond the limits of their small farmland, which is all visible on screen--but grayed out--they will learn how to attract new animals.
The game is a bit too biblically-charged for my tastes, and it doesn't do quite enough to differentiate itself from the "FarmVille meets the Bible" comparisons. Regardless, kudos to Making Fun and Detonator Games for exploring a relatively new subject matter in Facebook games. And considering 42 percent of Facebook users are Christian, the audience is certainly there.
Click here to play Noah's Ark on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this biblical Facebook game yet? What do you think of the influx of religious social games as of late? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
VentureBeat reports that Making Fun--News Corp's social gaming arm--and Detonator Games have officially released the game to Facebook. However, the FarmVille-meets-Genesis social game looks have hit the platform earlier in August, according to its fan page.
Noah's Ark is the second game launched by Making Fun since it was acquired by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp last year, and looks to cater to a woefully untapped audience that happens to be one of Facebook's largest. The game tasks players with creating--you guessed it--a farm of sorts to attract new animals to Noah's build site. Then, players must build their own Ark to prepare for the imminent worldwide flood.
Of course, players are governed by Energy and can buy boosts and other items with Facebook Credits. Noah's Ark will also test your knowledge of the story through trivia questions provided by Zondervan, a Christian publisher and News Corp subsidiary. (Finally, that Catholic education comes in handy!) And regardless of whether the game takes off--it sits now at over 260,000 monthly players and is growing steadily--Making Fun is committed to releasing games regularly.
Noah's Ark gameplay
"It's part of our plan to bring new and different games to the market that no one else is doing," Making Fun CEO John Welch told VentureBeat. "Our aim is to put out really high-quality titles in partnership with a variety of developers." Welch also said that the publisher will continue to release games through outside developers like Detonator Games, and that includes iPhone games, one of which will be a sports game.
Noah's Ark plays much like the FarmVilles and FrontierVilles of yore, but with a far smoother presentation and an interesting end goal: The Ark. As players gather new animals and materials, they will contribute to building the Ark throughout 10 stages. And there is an unbelievable amount of animals to collect across seven wildlife habitats. As players reach out beyond the limits of their small farmland, which is all visible on screen--but grayed out--they will learn how to attract new animals.
The game is a bit too biblically-charged for my tastes, and it doesn't do quite enough to differentiate itself from the "FarmVille meets the Bible" comparisons. Regardless, kudos to Making Fun and Detonator Games for exploring a relatively new subject matter in Facebook games. And considering 42 percent of Facebook users are Christian, the audience is certainly there.
Click here to play Noah's Ark on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this biblical Facebook game yet? What do you think of the influx of religious social games as of late? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
Habbo Hotel maker names ex-Playdom exec CEO in social games push
You might have heard of the mega popular social network slash social game Habbo Hotel (pictured), but Finnish developer Sulake wants to turn "might" into "absolutely." The company just announced that it has hired former Playdom VP of global distribution Paul LaFontaine as CEO, Reuters reports. Sulake made the hire in an ambitious attempt to help the company break into the world of social gaming, and who would know the space better than a guy who was there from the beginning?
LaFontaine, who was largely responsible for publishing Playdom's--now owned by entertainment behemoth Disney--games will replace Timo Soininen as CEO of Sulake. "We have been turning that direction for two years and are now accelerating it with this new CEO," Sulake chairman Mika Salmi told Reuters.
Habbo Hotel, for the uninformed, is a social network-meets-social game in which about 10 million monthly visitors interact in a world designed to hearken back to the good old days of 8-bit gaming. Players create their own rooms in collective hotels normally restricted to countries of origin or native language, and play mini games, decorate and share gifts with other hotel denizens. Of course, like any social game, players can buy premium items using real money.
Judging from the fact that prospective players can already connect to Habbo Hotel through Facebook Connect, and that Sulake has made their interest in traditional social games clear, Sulake making games for Facebook is certainly a possibility. Alright, with the crazy money everyone seems to be raking in on Facebook, this is most likely exactly where the company is headed. And LaFontaine will lead the charge--watch out, Zynga and EA, Habbo is looking hinder your hottest games.
Have you ever played Habbo Hotel before--what do you think of it? Do you think Sulake and Habbo Hotel will make waves in the Facebook gaming world with LaFontaine? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
LaFontaine, who was largely responsible for publishing Playdom's--now owned by entertainment behemoth Disney--games will replace Timo Soininen as CEO of Sulake. "We have been turning that direction for two years and are now accelerating it with this new CEO," Sulake chairman Mika Salmi told Reuters.
Habbo Hotel, for the uninformed, is a social network-meets-social game in which about 10 million monthly visitors interact in a world designed to hearken back to the good old days of 8-bit gaming. Players create their own rooms in collective hotels normally restricted to countries of origin or native language, and play mini games, decorate and share gifts with other hotel denizens. Of course, like any social game, players can buy premium items using real money.
Judging from the fact that prospective players can already connect to Habbo Hotel through Facebook Connect, and that Sulake has made their interest in traditional social games clear, Sulake making games for Facebook is certainly a possibility. Alright, with the crazy money everyone seems to be raking in on Facebook, this is most likely exactly where the company is headed. And LaFontaine will lead the charge--watch out, Zynga and EA, Habbo is looking hinder your hottest games.
Have you ever played Habbo Hotel before--what do you think of it? Do you think Sulake and Habbo Hotel will make waves in the Facebook gaming world with LaFontaine? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
Amazon gets serious about social games, calls out for developers
The Facebook gaming arena is about to welcome a new gladiator: Amazon. The household name of online retailers (and e-readers) is officially pulling out all the stops for its inevitable entrance into the space, openly and internally calling out for a team of designers and developers.
Since taking on veteran tabletop RPG (roleplaying game) designer Jonathan Tweet for a mysterious project, Reuters reports that signs have appeared in the kitchen of Amazon's Seattle campus that unveil a "Social Games Group." A poster in the kitchen area of the office reads, "The Group is growing fast! We're actively looking," according to Reuters.
It seems that Amazon is primarily looking for software engineers and Flash developers, most likely referring to Adobe Flash, the software through which almost all Facebook games are created. Amazon has reportedly been eying up social gaming since May of this year, calling out for senior level game designers.
Since Amazon hired Tweet for a mysterious project, that's all we knew about the upcoming social games effort from the company. Unfortunately, we still know very little, which leaves us with wild speculation (how lovely). While Amazon is looking strictly for software engineers and Flash developers, we have a feeling this project will be much larger than just pumping out a few games.
Amazon didn't become one of the largest Internet companies in the world without thinking big, so who's to say the company doesn't have equally lofty ambitions for its social gaming efforts? I mean, this is a company has enjoyed success and ubiquity that even the biggest name in social gaming aspires to. That said, it's entirely possible that Amazon looks to create a platform of its very own, complete with games developed in house. Call that an educated guess, or my wild dreams of slaying dragons attached to awesome deals on otherwise pricey cell phone cases and magazine subscriptions.
[Image Credit: Slacktory]
Are you excited to hear what Amazon is up to in social games? Do you think the company is working on its own platform to compete with Facebook and Google+, or just some good old games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Since taking on veteran tabletop RPG (roleplaying game) designer Jonathan Tweet for a mysterious project, Reuters reports that signs have appeared in the kitchen of Amazon's Seattle campus that unveil a "Social Games Group." A poster in the kitchen area of the office reads, "The Group is growing fast! We're actively looking," according to Reuters.
It seems that Amazon is primarily looking for software engineers and Flash developers, most likely referring to Adobe Flash, the software through which almost all Facebook games are created. Amazon has reportedly been eying up social gaming since May of this year, calling out for senior level game designers.
Since Amazon hired Tweet for a mysterious project, that's all we knew about the upcoming social games effort from the company. Unfortunately, we still know very little, which leaves us with wild speculation (how lovely). While Amazon is looking strictly for software engineers and Flash developers, we have a feeling this project will be much larger than just pumping out a few games.
Amazon didn't become one of the largest Internet companies in the world without thinking big, so who's to say the company doesn't have equally lofty ambitions for its social gaming efforts? I mean, this is a company has enjoyed success and ubiquity that even the biggest name in social gaming aspires to. That said, it's entirely possible that Amazon looks to create a platform of its very own, complete with games developed in house. Call that an educated guess, or my wild dreams of slaying dragons attached to awesome deals on otherwise pricey cell phone cases and magazine subscriptions.
[Image Credit: Slacktory]
Are you excited to hear what Amazon is up to in social games? Do you think the company is working on its own platform to compete with Facebook and Google+, or just some good old games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
MapleStory maker Nexon sets sail on Facebook with Wonder Cruise
Clicking cute creatures in MapleStory Adventures sure was fun, but Korean MMO (massively multiplayer online game) developer Nexon is ready to tread new water on Facebook. (Well, at least new water for Nexon.) The global studio based in South Korea has released Wonder Cruise, its second Facebook game tasking players with creating a world-class cruise ship.
While Gamasutra reports that the game will launch after testing with a small audience later this month, it appears that Wonder Cruise is live now for all. So, consider this the open beta for Wonder Cruise, or as we see it: The game is live. The game comes hot off of the heels of MapleStory Adventures, a Facebook rendition of the hugely successful free-to-play MMO that has already amassed over 2.8 million monthly players.
Wonder Cruise looks an awful lot like Perfect World Entertainment's recent Perfect Getaway, but plays a bit differently. Yes, you're still stuck on the same old cruise ship while your customers see the best of what the world has to offer. But this time around, the cruises, well, actually mean something. Each cruise is timed, and once you leave port after customizing and upgrading your ship with decorations and whatnot from the money that guests throw your way, you must help as many patrons have a good time before your ETA by clicking on them.
Wonder Cruise gameplay
Then, you'll be graded on how many guests you satisfied in the time limit, which matches up with a leaderboard spanning your friends. However, each time you help a guest, it consumes Energy that refills at a slow rate, like all Facebook games. This would be fine if you weren't graded on how many guests you help on a given timed cruise. Unfortunately, if you want those coveted S ranks for each trip, you'll have to either buy Energy or bug your friends.
Wonder Cruise is expected to "officially" launch on Sept. 12, Gamasutra reports. When the game releases from an open beta to most likely yet another open beta, Nexon will introduce more content (and hopefully a fix to this Energy system). As the game is testing, Nexon urges players to take a survey. Until then, keep clicking away on those guests ... at least for a minute or two.
Click here to play Wonder Cruise on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Wonder Cruise out yet on Facebook? What do you think of Nexon's approach to Facebook gaming thus far? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
While Gamasutra reports that the game will launch after testing with a small audience later this month, it appears that Wonder Cruise is live now for all. So, consider this the open beta for Wonder Cruise, or as we see it: The game is live. The game comes hot off of the heels of MapleStory Adventures, a Facebook rendition of the hugely successful free-to-play MMO that has already amassed over 2.8 million monthly players.
Wonder Cruise looks an awful lot like Perfect World Entertainment's recent Perfect Getaway, but plays a bit differently. Yes, you're still stuck on the same old cruise ship while your customers see the best of what the world has to offer. But this time around, the cruises, well, actually mean something. Each cruise is timed, and once you leave port after customizing and upgrading your ship with decorations and whatnot from the money that guests throw your way, you must help as many patrons have a good time before your ETA by clicking on them.
Wonder Cruise gameplay
Then, you'll be graded on how many guests you satisfied in the time limit, which matches up with a leaderboard spanning your friends. However, each time you help a guest, it consumes Energy that refills at a slow rate, like all Facebook games. This would be fine if you weren't graded on how many guests you help on a given timed cruise. Unfortunately, if you want those coveted S ranks for each trip, you'll have to either buy Energy or bug your friends.
Wonder Cruise is expected to "officially" launch on Sept. 12, Gamasutra reports. When the game releases from an open beta to most likely yet another open beta, Nexon will introduce more content (and hopefully a fix to this Energy system). As the game is testing, Nexon urges players to take a survey. Until then, keep clicking away on those guests ... at least for a minute or two.
Click here to play Wonder Cruise on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Wonder Cruise out yet on Facebook? What do you think of Nexon's approach to Facebook gaming thus far? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
MapleStory maker Nexon sets sail on Facebook with Wonder Cruise
Clicking cute creatures in MapleStory Adventures sure was fun, but Korean MMO (massively multiplayer online game) developer Nexon is ready to tread new water on Facebook. (Well, at least new water for Nexon.) The global studio based in South Korea has released Wonder Cruise, its second Facebook game tasking players with creating a world-class cruise ship.
While Gamasutra reports that the game will launch after testing with a small audience later this month, it appears that Wonder Cruise is live now for all. So, consider this the open beta for Wonder Cruise, or as we see it: The game is live. The game comes hot off of the heels of MapleStory Adventures, a Facebook rendition of the hugely successful free-to-play MMO that has already amassed over 2.8 million monthly players.
Wonder Cruise looks an awful lot like Perfect World Entertainment's recent Perfect Getaway, but plays a bit differently. Yes, you're still stuck on the same old cruise ship while your customers see the best of what the world has to offer. But this time around, the cruises, well, actually mean something. Each cruise is timed, and once you leave port after customizing and upgrading your ship with decorations and whatnot from the money that guests throw your way, you must help as many patrons have a good time before your ETA by clicking on them.
Wonder Cruise gameplay
Then, you'll be graded on how many guests you satisfied in the time limit, which matches up with a leaderboard spanning your friends. However, each time you help a guest, it consumes Energy that refills at a slow rate, like all Facebook games. This would be fine if you weren't graded on how many guests you help on a given timed cruise. Unfortunately, if you want those coveted S ranks for each trip, you'll have to either buy Energy or bug your friends.
Wonder Cruise is expected to "officially" launch on Sept. 12, Gamasutra reports. When the game releases from an open beta to most likely yet another open beta, Nexon will introduce more content (and hopefully a fix to this Energy system). As the game is testing, Nexon urges players to take a survey. Until then, keep clicking away on those guests ... at least for a minute or two.
Click here to play Wonder Cruise on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Wonder Cruise out yet on Facebook? What do you think of Nexon's approach to Facebook gaming thus far? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
While Gamasutra reports that the game will launch after testing with a small audience later this month, it appears that Wonder Cruise is live now for all. So, consider this the open beta for Wonder Cruise, or as we see it: The game is live. The game comes hot off of the heels of MapleStory Adventures, a Facebook rendition of the hugely successful free-to-play MMO that has already amassed over 2.8 million monthly players.
Wonder Cruise looks an awful lot like Perfect World Entertainment's recent Perfect Getaway, but plays a bit differently. Yes, you're still stuck on the same old cruise ship while your customers see the best of what the world has to offer. But this time around, the cruises, well, actually mean something. Each cruise is timed, and once you leave port after customizing and upgrading your ship with decorations and whatnot from the money that guests throw your way, you must help as many patrons have a good time before your ETA by clicking on them.
Wonder Cruise gameplay
Then, you'll be graded on how many guests you satisfied in the time limit, which matches up with a leaderboard spanning your friends. However, each time you help a guest, it consumes Energy that refills at a slow rate, like all Facebook games. This would be fine if you weren't graded on how many guests you help on a given timed cruise. Unfortunately, if you want those coveted S ranks for each trip, you'll have to either buy Energy or bug your friends.
Wonder Cruise is expected to "officially" launch on Sept. 12, Gamasutra reports. When the game releases from an open beta to most likely yet another open beta, Nexon will introduce more content (and hopefully a fix to this Energy system). As the game is testing, Nexon urges players to take a survey. Until then, keep clicking away on those guests ... at least for a minute or two.
Click here to play Wonder Cruise on Facebook Now >
Have you tried Wonder Cruise out yet on Facebook? What do you think of Nexon's approach to Facebook gaming thus far? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Thursday, October 6, 2011
FarmVille Halloween Model Farm offers free Arborists and more
While I know I've expressed my problems with the Model Farm in FarmVille in the past, with the new Halloween Model Farm that launched this evening, I might have to eat my words. Not only is it great to see Halloween-themed items (from one of my favorite holidays) in all of their "life-size glory," but this particular Model Farm also combines these Halloween items with Lighthouse Cove items so that we can see how that looks without spending our own money beforehand.
To add to this, you're even given free prizes just for visiting, giving us even more incentive to do so. Tonight's free prize, for example, is an Arborist. While it's unclear as to whether or not that prize is static just for today's date on the calendar or for each user's first visit to the Model Farm, but either way, it doesn't hurt to just spend a few seconds allowing the farm to load each day to receive your free prize. It could be anything from functional items to coins and beyond so isn't the mystery alone enough reason to check it out?
No? Well, also remember that you can purchase items directly from the farm if you happen to see something you like but that the store never gave you enough detail to before. I suppose that's the real purpose of the Model Farm, after all, so feel free to put it to good use.
What prizes have you received from the new Halloween Model Farm? Do you find the Model Farm feature useful, or is it just wasted space in your eyes? Let us know in the comments!
To add to this, you're even given free prizes just for visiting, giving us even more incentive to do so. Tonight's free prize, for example, is an Arborist. While it's unclear as to whether or not that prize is static just for today's date on the calendar or for each user's first visit to the Model Farm, but either way, it doesn't hurt to just spend a few seconds allowing the farm to load each day to receive your free prize. It could be anything from functional items to coins and beyond so isn't the mystery alone enough reason to check it out?
No? Well, also remember that you can purchase items directly from the farm if you happen to see something you like but that the store never gave you enough detail to before. I suppose that's the real purpose of the Model Farm, after all, so feel free to put it to good use.
What prizes have you received from the new Halloween Model Farm? Do you find the Model Farm feature useful, or is it just wasted space in your eyes? Let us know in the comments!
PopCap feels the power of 'free,' more freemium games incoming
Perhaps "PopCap feels the power of Facebook" is more like it. During an interview with PocketGamer.biz, PopCap senior director of mobile product and business strategy Giordano Contestabile revealed that the Bejeweled Blitz creator has plenty more plans for freemium mobile games. That's especially since its recent Plants vs Zombies freemium-inspired update.
"While we typically don't disclose much about our future plans, I can say that you're in for a lot of surprises for us in the coming months, and that in-app transactions and the freemium model are going to feature prominently," Contestabile told PocketGamer.biz. The PopCap exec believes that the play first, (maybe) pay later model of mobile games will likely take over.
"I think that, one year from now, 95 percent or more of iOS game downloads might come from freemium games, and 80 percent or more of the revenue could be associated with them," Contestabile told the website. "The freemium model is extremely powerful because it allows developers to reach the biggest possible audience, and it allows players to choose if and how to pay for content, after having tried it out."
While Contestabile did say that there's still a place for premium game experiences, or pay-to-play games, that approach is losing its luster for most games. It wouldn't be terribly inaccurate to call this "The Facebook Effect." The fact that companies like Zynga and EA (which now owns PopCap) have made serious dough with free-to-play Facebook games has certainly had a visible impact on mobile gaming, which has a distribution model fairly similar to social networks. Almost Free is here to stay, and it looks like PopCap wants to lead the charge.
Are you excited to hear that more free-to-play games are coming from PopCap? Which property do you hope gets the free treatment next, or are you hoping for more original games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"While we typically don't disclose much about our future plans, I can say that you're in for a lot of surprises for us in the coming months, and that in-app transactions and the freemium model are going to feature prominently," Contestabile told PocketGamer.biz. The PopCap exec believes that the play first, (maybe) pay later model of mobile games will likely take over.
"I think that, one year from now, 95 percent or more of iOS game downloads might come from freemium games, and 80 percent or more of the revenue could be associated with them," Contestabile told the website. "The freemium model is extremely powerful because it allows developers to reach the biggest possible audience, and it allows players to choose if and how to pay for content, after having tried it out."
While Contestabile did say that there's still a place for premium game experiences, or pay-to-play games, that approach is losing its luster for most games. It wouldn't be terribly inaccurate to call this "The Facebook Effect." The fact that companies like Zynga and EA (which now owns PopCap) have made serious dough with free-to-play Facebook games has certainly had a visible impact on mobile gaming, which has a distribution model fairly similar to social networks. Almost Free is here to stay, and it looks like PopCap wants to lead the charge.
Are you excited to hear that more free-to-play games are coming from PopCap? Which property do you hope gets the free treatment next, or are you hoping for more original games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
The Sims Social Summer Blowout Week decor shows its pearly whites
With a freebie frenzy of sorts and a new feature in Land Expansions, Playfish has been rather busy with The Sims Social. Just recently, the team released a number of new summer-themed items in its Summer Blowout Week to ring out the brightest season ... again.
At any rate, there are quite a few items to check out both for Simoleons and SimCash. But we're going to focus on the decorations, so moving right along:
LuxLite Wonder
* Costs: 8 SimCash
* House Value: 1,200
Sunflower
* Costs: 9 SimCash
* House Value: 1,500
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Lemonade For All
* Level 13 Required
* House Value: 350
Contempo Chair
* Costs: 14 SimCash
* House Value: 2,050
Basix Lounger
* Costs: 450 Simoleons
* House Value: 300
* Sleep: 11
* Bladder: -1
Twisted Topiary
* Costs: 15 SimCash
* House Value: 2,200
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Heart Topiary SolTrain Gazebo LuxLite Lamp
Contempo Table
* Costs: 19 SimCash
* House Value: 2,800
Stunning Palm
* Costs: 19 SimCash
* House Value: 2,800
* Fun: 3
* Social: 3
ArchPine Chair
* Level 12 Required
* House Value: 650
Star Parasol Rose/Pale
* Level 13 Required
* House Value: 650
Heart Topiary
* Costs: 25 SimCash
* House Value: 3,700
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Contempo Bench
* Costs: 25 SimCash
* House Value: 3,700
Lizard Lounger
* Costs: 800 Simoleons
* House Value: 700
* Sleep: 11
* Bladder: -1
SolTrain Lounger
* Costs: 29 SimCash
* House Value: 4,300
* Sleep: 11
* Bladder: -1
ArchPine Table
* Level 12 Required
* House Value: 1,100
Contempo Lux
* Costs: 35 SimCash
* House Value: 5,150
Sunflower Font of all Awesome Pale Star Parasol
ArchPine Bench
* Level 12 Required
* House Value: 1,300
Mini Palm
* Costs: 1,350 Simoleons
* House Value: 1,450
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Aquatix Thrill
* Costs: 55 SimCash
* House Value: 8,150
Atlas Fountain
* Costs: 1,750 Simoleons
* House Value: 1,650
Font of All Awesome
* Costs: 2,250 Simoleons
* House Value: 1,800
Spheres Topiary
* Level 23 Required
* House Value: 3,250
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Dolphin Topiary
* Costs: 4,500 Simoleons
* House Value: 3,400
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Elephant Topiary
* Costs: 6,500 Simoleons
* House Value: 4,650
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Air and Air Pool
* Level 12 Required
* House Value: 9,500
* Fun: 19
* Sleep: 11
While a majority of these item unfortunately cost SimCash, a good amount of them go for Simoleons. The best bang for your buck? I'd recommend going for any of the topiaries to give your House Value an instant boost. Also, keep in mind that a number of new wall and floor patterns were added, too, most of which cost Social Points. So, keep visiting your friends if you want to change the overall palette of your Sim's home.
[Image Credit: Playfish]
Have you snapped up any of these summer items? What type of decor are you hoping for next in The Sims Social? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
At any rate, there are quite a few items to check out both for Simoleons and SimCash. But we're going to focus on the decorations, so moving right along:
LuxLite Wonder
* Costs: 8 SimCash
* House Value: 1,200
Sunflower
* Costs: 9 SimCash
* House Value: 1,500
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Lemonade For All
* Level 13 Required
* House Value: 350
Contempo Chair
* Costs: 14 SimCash
* House Value: 2,050
Basix Lounger
* Costs: 450 Simoleons
* House Value: 300
* Sleep: 11
* Bladder: -1
Twisted Topiary
* Costs: 15 SimCash
* House Value: 2,200
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Heart Topiary SolTrain Gazebo LuxLite Lamp
Contempo Table
* Costs: 19 SimCash
* House Value: 2,800
Stunning Palm
* Costs: 19 SimCash
* House Value: 2,800
* Fun: 3
* Social: 3
ArchPine Chair
* Level 12 Required
* House Value: 650
Star Parasol Rose/Pale
* Level 13 Required
* House Value: 650
Heart Topiary
* Costs: 25 SimCash
* House Value: 3,700
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Contempo Bench
* Costs: 25 SimCash
* House Value: 3,700
Lizard Lounger
* Costs: 800 Simoleons
* House Value: 700
* Sleep: 11
* Bladder: -1
SolTrain Lounger
* Costs: 29 SimCash
* House Value: 4,300
* Sleep: 11
* Bladder: -1
ArchPine Table
* Level 12 Required
* House Value: 1,100
Contempo Lux
* Costs: 35 SimCash
* House Value: 5,150
Sunflower Font of all Awesome Pale Star Parasol
ArchPine Bench
* Level 12 Required
* House Value: 1,300
Mini Palm
* Costs: 1,350 Simoleons
* House Value: 1,450
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Aquatix Thrill
* Costs: 55 SimCash
* House Value: 8,150
Atlas Fountain
* Costs: 1,750 Simoleons
* House Value: 1,650
Font of All Awesome
* Costs: 2,250 Simoleons
* House Value: 1,800
Spheres Topiary
* Level 23 Required
* House Value: 3,250
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Dolphin Topiary
* Costs: 4,500 Simoleons
* House Value: 3,400
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Elephant Topiary
* Costs: 6,500 Simoleons
* House Value: 4,650
* Bladder: 9
* Fun: 3
Air and Air Pool
* Level 12 Required
* House Value: 9,500
* Fun: 19
* Sleep: 11
While a majority of these item unfortunately cost SimCash, a good amount of them go for Simoleons. The best bang for your buck? I'd recommend going for any of the topiaries to give your House Value an instant boost. Also, keep in mind that a number of new wall and floor patterns were added, too, most of which cost Social Points. So, keep visiting your friends if you want to change the overall palette of your Sim's home.
[Image Credit: Playfish]
Have you snapped up any of these summer items? What type of decor are you hoping for next in The Sims Social? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
Enrique Iglesias says, 'I Like How It Feels' in CityVille, visits next week
Man, why can't an act like Metallica crash CityVille? Oh, excuse my inner metal head, but you ladies out there are gonna' love this one: Zynga has announced that Grammy-winning pop star Enrique Iglesias is coming to its top Facebook game. Starting next week on Oct. 4, players will get the chance to help Mr. Iglesias kick off his recently-launched Euphoria Tour in-game.
Once Enrique lands in CityVille--and if you're over Level 6--you will be graced by his digitized presence in the game. But there' far more to this promotion than just clicking on the guy to hear witty sayings: Players will be able to collect various items fond to Enrique to score a thematic speed boat and Miami high-rise to place in their cities. The event will run through Oct. 10, and there is a grand finale in store for Enrique fans.
Enrique Iglesias in CityVille
Toward the end of the event, you will have the chance to build Enrique his very own Euphoria Arena in-game. Once you do, the guy will be so nice as to show you a sneak preview of his brand new music video, "I Like How It Feels" (featuring Pitbull and The WAVs). Of course, this is far from the first time a Zynga game has enjoyed celebrity exposure.
Just recently, the company announced that Indiana Jones will swoop into Adventure World through its work with Lucasfilm, and who can forget when Lady Gaga ran FarmVille for a few weeks earlier this spring? Even before that, both Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg had their fun with Mafia Wars. Are you sensing a trend yet? Good, because we doubt this is the last time a celeb will hit Zynga with a touch of fame. In fact, if you ask Facebook's major game creators, branded games are on the up and up.
Are you psyched to see that Enrique will hit up CityVille on his Euphoria Tour? Which celebrity or artist do you hope makes their way into a Zynga game next? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
Once Enrique lands in CityVille--and if you're over Level 6--you will be graced by his digitized presence in the game. But there' far more to this promotion than just clicking on the guy to hear witty sayings: Players will be able to collect various items fond to Enrique to score a thematic speed boat and Miami high-rise to place in their cities. The event will run through Oct. 10, and there is a grand finale in store for Enrique fans.
Enrique Iglesias in CityVille
Toward the end of the event, you will have the chance to build Enrique his very own Euphoria Arena in-game. Once you do, the guy will be so nice as to show you a sneak preview of his brand new music video, "I Like How It Feels" (featuring Pitbull and The WAVs). Of course, this is far from the first time a Zynga game has enjoyed celebrity exposure.
Just recently, the company announced that Indiana Jones will swoop into Adventure World through its work with Lucasfilm, and who can forget when Lady Gaga ran FarmVille for a few weeks earlier this spring? Even before that, both Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg had their fun with Mafia Wars. Are you sensing a trend yet? Good, because we doubt this is the last time a celeb will hit Zynga with a touch of fame. In fact, if you ask Facebook's major game creators, branded games are on the up and up.
Are you psyched to see that Enrique will hit up CityVille on his Euphoria Tour? Which celebrity or artist do you hope makes their way into a Zynga game next? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
Vostu goes for Goooaaal with GolMania on Facebook, Orkut [Video]
And boy, does it look intense. Vostu--you know, the Brazilian social game maker trading legal blows with Zynga--has released what is likely its most ambitious social game yet with GolMania. Available now on Facebook and Orkut in English, Portuguese and Spanish, this social soccer game touts real-time, directly-controlled soccer matches between friends in a cute art style.
And, according to a Vostu representative, "real-time" means live, arcade-style gameplay between two friends over Facebook or Orkut, Google's wildly popular social network in South America. The game pits players against one another on the field, but has friends cooperate off of the green to build up each other's stadiums and to gain energy and money for more matches.
As player progress in GolMania by mastering its keyboard controls and dominating opponents live, they will unlock special maneuvers. You will also be able to organize private tournaments between friends and participate in global cups amongst the game's top players--you can even play soccer in low gravity on the moon. And Vostu already has even bigger plans for its now flagship social soccer game.
Gallery: GolMania on Facebook
Vostu's Mystery Fantasy Game on Facebook
"GolMania brings Vostu's fun social experience to a casual sports game," Vostu Chief Scientist Mario Schlosser said in a release. "We look forward to our millions of users getting to play GolMania and like with all of our games, we will then quickly react to their feedback and our deep analytics about player behavior to unveil new features that take into account how users make the game their own."
The game was developed Vostu's recent acquisition MP Studio, and employs the publisher's Vostu Game Network, meaning friends can play with one another in real time across social networks. Vostu also teased to us an unnamed social game (found in the gallery above) with a deep, cartoonish fantasy setting that's set to launch this fall as well. But until then, check out GolMania below and see if it gives your fingers a real challenge.
Click here to play GolMania on Facebook Now >
What do you think of Vostu's first real-time action sports social game? Do you see these types of games taking off on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
And, according to a Vostu representative, "real-time" means live, arcade-style gameplay between two friends over Facebook or Orkut, Google's wildly popular social network in South America. The game pits players against one another on the field, but has friends cooperate off of the green to build up each other's stadiums and to gain energy and money for more matches.
As player progress in GolMania by mastering its keyboard controls and dominating opponents live, they will unlock special maneuvers. You will also be able to organize private tournaments between friends and participate in global cups amongst the game's top players--you can even play soccer in low gravity on the moon. And Vostu already has even bigger plans for its now flagship social soccer game.
Gallery: GolMania on Facebook
Vostu's Mystery Fantasy Game on Facebook
"GolMania brings Vostu's fun social experience to a casual sports game," Vostu Chief Scientist Mario Schlosser said in a release. "We look forward to our millions of users getting to play GolMania and like with all of our games, we will then quickly react to their feedback and our deep analytics about player behavior to unveil new features that take into account how users make the game their own."
The game was developed Vostu's recent acquisition MP Studio, and employs the publisher's Vostu Game Network, meaning friends can play with one another in real time across social networks. Vostu also teased to us an unnamed social game (found in the gallery above) with a deep, cartoonish fantasy setting that's set to launch this fall as well. But until then, check out GolMania below and see if it gives your fingers a real challenge.
Click here to play GolMania on Facebook Now >
What do you think of Vostu's first real-time action sports social game? Do you see these types of games taking off on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
CityVille: Earn a free Tunnel decoration for playing Adventure World
While Adventure World has finally started seeing a push in its user base (to a current total of around 26 million players), that doesn't mean Zynga wants the growth to slow down. To help users discover its newest game, the developer has launched a cross-promotion between Adventure World and its largest game: CityVille. This promotion, like the FarmVille promotion that came before it, will give users some incentive to play AW by rewarding them with a prize back in CityVille at the end.
To be specific, a free Tunnel decoration (pictured at right) is up for grabs for all CityVille players that take the time to reach at least Level 7 in Adventure World. This is unfortunately two levels more than that required for the FarmVille cross-promotion, so you will need to keep chugging along until you level up two more times. To help you do that, we have guides on the game's starting Expeditions, along with the game's main story quests, so make sure to check out our guides to those events to help yourself level up as quickly as possible.
While you shouldn't have to, you should also remember to click on the "Play Now" button in the pop-up that appears in CityVille to activate this cross-promotion in your game. It's possible that Zynga will automatically track the players that have met both requirements (that is, those that play CityVille and are at least Level 7 in Adventure World), but clicking on this link should eliminate all doubt. Oh yeah, you'll need to do all of the above fairly quickly - your time limit for receiving your free Tunnel Decoration is October 6. On that date, all qualifying users will receive their prize, so don't worry if you don't receive it beforehand. Just make sure you meet the deadline if you want this free Tunnel in your town.
Will you play Adventure World to at least Level 7 to qualify for a free CityVille Tunnel? Sound off in the comments.
To be specific, a free Tunnel decoration (pictured at right) is up for grabs for all CityVille players that take the time to reach at least Level 7 in Adventure World. This is unfortunately two levels more than that required for the FarmVille cross-promotion, so you will need to keep chugging along until you level up two more times. To help you do that, we have guides on the game's starting Expeditions, along with the game's main story quests, so make sure to check out our guides to those events to help yourself level up as quickly as possible.
While you shouldn't have to, you should also remember to click on the "Play Now" button in the pop-up that appears in CityVille to activate this cross-promotion in your game. It's possible that Zynga will automatically track the players that have met both requirements (that is, those that play CityVille and are at least Level 7 in Adventure World), but clicking on this link should eliminate all doubt. Oh yeah, you'll need to do all of the above fairly quickly - your time limit for receiving your free Tunnel Decoration is October 6. On that date, all qualifying users will receive their prize, so don't worry if you don't receive it beforehand. Just make sure you meet the deadline if you want this free Tunnel in your town.
Will you play Adventure World to at least Level 7 to qualify for a free CityVille Tunnel? Sound off in the comments.
Adventure World Cave of Montezuma Expedition: Everything you need to know
If you've already made your way through Adventure World's "starter" Expeditions, you might be surprised when scrolling through the list today to find a new entry has been added. While we know that Expeditions are already available all of the way to Level 40, this entirely new Expedition sits in between Jungle Run and Mountain Pass, making it now the fourth Expedition on the list. If you're thorough and wish to complete all Expeditions at least once, we've got a guide to help you do just that.
This particular Expedition requires 175 Supplies and two each of Food, Fuel and Water. Your overall goal is to defeat a spider infestation and find Montezuma's Headdress, and you only have two days to accomplish it all. Let's get started!
Montezuma's Headdress
* Recover the Blue Feather
* Recover the Green Feather
* Recover the Red Feather
* Recover the Headdress
While the Professor has successfully located Montezuma's Headdress, you'll quickly learn that it's in pieces and must be gathered bit by bit before this Expedition can be completed. The pieces of the headdress are scattered throughout this fairly complex map, with some of the feathers being perched high atop pillars that must be lowered by activating statues, not entirely unlike the ending of the Treasure Trail Expedition.
Outsmarting Spiders
* Defeat 5 Spiders
* Clear 5 Spider Webs
* Ask friends for 10 Bat Houses
* Place Bat Houses on Gnarled Trees
Unfortunately, while a few Bat Houses can be found on this map, you won't be able to find all 10, so you do need to ask for your friends' help, and quickly! As for the Spiders, these guys may not immediately be visible on the map, as they fall down from the "ceiling" using lines of web. Spider Webs themselves can be found around the map like a normal piece of debris. As for the Gnarled Trees, these are also found on the map, which put your Bat Houses to good use. In the second picture below, you'll see a Gnarled Tree highlighted in red. By clicking on it when you have a Bat House in your inventory, the Bat House will be hung from the tree.
Montezuma Says
* Solve the First Puzzle
* Solve the Second Puzzle
* Solve the Third Puzzle
As I said above, two of the feathers to the headdress are blocked by puzzles, while a Ruby Vase sits at the end of the third. Even if you'd rather not, you will need to spend some energy going after this Ruby Vase to complete this particular quest, as you must complete all three puzzles. These puzzles give you a series of pillars that animate in order. You must then repeat the animation by clicking on the appropriate statues like in a game of "Simon Says." You'll be able to push a nearby button to see the puzzle repeatedly, if you can't remember the exact order to activate the statues in, so don't worry if you forget to pay attention. Once you complete each puzzle appropriate, its prize will lower so that you can collect it (note: you may not be able to walk directly up to it, but might have to go around, or even use a Grappling Hook to get there).
By finishing these three quests, you will have successfully complete the Cave of Montezuma Expedition. Remember though - even though this is a new addition to the game, it can still be mastered like all others, requiring multiple runs through the Expedition in its entirety. The more you master an Expedition, the higher the rewards become, so feel free to master them all for the best rewards in the end.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Cave of Montezuma Expedition? Do you think it's too difficult to be placed this early in the Expedition "timeline?" Sound off in the comments.
This particular Expedition requires 175 Supplies and two each of Food, Fuel and Water. Your overall goal is to defeat a spider infestation and find Montezuma's Headdress, and you only have two days to accomplish it all. Let's get started!
Montezuma's Headdress
* Recover the Blue Feather
* Recover the Green Feather
* Recover the Red Feather
* Recover the Headdress
While the Professor has successfully located Montezuma's Headdress, you'll quickly learn that it's in pieces and must be gathered bit by bit before this Expedition can be completed. The pieces of the headdress are scattered throughout this fairly complex map, with some of the feathers being perched high atop pillars that must be lowered by activating statues, not entirely unlike the ending of the Treasure Trail Expedition.
Outsmarting Spiders
* Defeat 5 Spiders
* Clear 5 Spider Webs
* Ask friends for 10 Bat Houses
* Place Bat Houses on Gnarled Trees
Unfortunately, while a few Bat Houses can be found on this map, you won't be able to find all 10, so you do need to ask for your friends' help, and quickly! As for the Spiders, these guys may not immediately be visible on the map, as they fall down from the "ceiling" using lines of web. Spider Webs themselves can be found around the map like a normal piece of debris. As for the Gnarled Trees, these are also found on the map, which put your Bat Houses to good use. In the second picture below, you'll see a Gnarled Tree highlighted in red. By clicking on it when you have a Bat House in your inventory, the Bat House will be hung from the tree.
Montezuma Says
* Solve the First Puzzle
* Solve the Second Puzzle
* Solve the Third Puzzle
As I said above, two of the feathers to the headdress are blocked by puzzles, while a Ruby Vase sits at the end of the third. Even if you'd rather not, you will need to spend some energy going after this Ruby Vase to complete this particular quest, as you must complete all three puzzles. These puzzles give you a series of pillars that animate in order. You must then repeat the animation by clicking on the appropriate statues like in a game of "Simon Says." You'll be able to push a nearby button to see the puzzle repeatedly, if you can't remember the exact order to activate the statues in, so don't worry if you forget to pay attention. Once you complete each puzzle appropriate, its prize will lower so that you can collect it (note: you may not be able to walk directly up to it, but might have to go around, or even use a Grappling Hook to get there).
By finishing these three quests, you will have successfully complete the Cave of Montezuma Expedition. Remember though - even though this is a new addition to the game, it can still be mastered like all others, requiring multiple runs through the Expedition in its entirety. The more you master an Expedition, the higher the rewards become, so feel free to master them all for the best rewards in the end.
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Cave of Montezuma Expedition? Do you think it's too difficult to be placed this early in the Expedition "timeline?" Sound off in the comments.
CityVille Metropolis items take the fun to the big city
If all of the small-scale businesses and homes in CityVille just aren't doing it for you, and you want some larger skyscrapers to sit beside your (probably) large franchises, you're in luck with the release of new Metropolis items in the game today. These items will be available for 15 days, and you'll be able to purchase either a Mystery Crate to try your luck at receiving a random item, or purchase some of these items outright. Fair warning: these items cost City Cash, so I hope you're ready to bust out your wallet.
Infinite Towers II (Home)
* Costs: 110 City Cash
* Population: 4000 - 7000 citizens
* Rent: 532 coins every day
Destiny's Calling (Home)
* Costs: 55 City Cash
* Population: 1350 - 2650 population
* Rent: 150 coins every two hours
Oasis Apartments II (Home)
* Costs: 65 City Cash
* Population: 1850 - 3650 citizens
* Rent: 200 coins every four hours
Visual Art Academy (Community Building)
* Costs: 70 City Cash
* Raises maximum population cap by 5,000 citizens
In addition to these four items, the Metropolis Mystery Crate will give you a chance at one additional item - the Oasis Apartments I - along with three other items above (the Infinite Towers II, Destiny's Calling and Visual Art Academy). A single crate costs 55 City Cash, so unless you only win the Destiny's Calling, you'll really come out ahead over purchasing items individually. Keep in mind though, you might win duplicates in your quest to get all three at a "discount." As for the Oasis Apartments I, the exclusive item to this crate, it comes with a population of 2,000 - 4,000 citizens and provides 251 coins every eight hours in rent.
Again, these items, including the Mystery Crate are only available in the game for a limited time of around 15 days. We'll make sure to let you know if any themed decorations or businesses launch in this theme in the future, so keep checking back with us!
Will you purchase any of these Skyscrapers for use in your town, or will you try your hand with the Mystery Crate to see if you can walk away with an expensive item for "cheap?" Sound off in the comments.
Infinite Towers II (Home)
* Costs: 110 City Cash
* Population: 4000 - 7000 citizens
* Rent: 532 coins every day
Destiny's Calling (Home)
* Costs: 55 City Cash
* Population: 1350 - 2650 population
* Rent: 150 coins every two hours
Oasis Apartments II (Home)
* Costs: 65 City Cash
* Population: 1850 - 3650 citizens
* Rent: 200 coins every four hours
Visual Art Academy (Community Building)
* Costs: 70 City Cash
* Raises maximum population cap by 5,000 citizens
In addition to these four items, the Metropolis Mystery Crate will give you a chance at one additional item - the Oasis Apartments I - along with three other items above (the Infinite Towers II, Destiny's Calling and Visual Art Academy). A single crate costs 55 City Cash, so unless you only win the Destiny's Calling, you'll really come out ahead over purchasing items individually. Keep in mind though, you might win duplicates in your quest to get all three at a "discount." As for the Oasis Apartments I, the exclusive item to this crate, it comes with a population of 2,000 - 4,000 citizens and provides 251 coins every eight hours in rent.
Again, these items, including the Mystery Crate are only available in the game for a limited time of around 15 days. We'll make sure to let you know if any themed decorations or businesses launch in this theme in the future, so keep checking back with us!
Will you purchase any of these Skyscrapers for use in your town, or will you try your hand with the Mystery Crate to see if you can walk away with an expensive item for "cheap?" Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Chapter 2 Goals: Everything you need to know
Since Zynga has changed the layout of goals in FarmVille's newest Lighthouse Cove expansion, so that everyone is on the same page via quickly expiring goal series, you might be currently left with little to do (as the goals will disappear whether you've finished them or not). In order to make us all busy again, Zynga has launched a series of three new goals in the game which bring us to Chapter 2 in the overall Lighthouse Cove story. This chapter contains more of the same in terms of tasks. You'll need to collect some items, plant some crops and so on, so nothing should be overly difficult. You'll have a week to finish these three goals, so let's get started.
Get a Moove On
* Collect 3 Cow Treats
* Harvest 55 Hay
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
For this particular goal, it doesn't matter what level you've reached in the repair of your Lighthouse Cove, so long as you harvest it when it's "ready." Your opportunity comes around once per day (if you're routine in collecting from it), so at least you won't be too delayed if you've already harvested your Cove before these goals roll around to your account. As for the Cow Treats, they're earned though a general news post on your wall. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, a River Otter and 5,000 coins.
A Leash on Life
* Get 3 Cow Tethers
* Harvest 55 Kennebec Potatoes
* Improve the Cove to Level 2
If you've been working on repairing your Lighthouse Cove ever since you landed in the new farm, I would be incredibly surprised if you haven't already reached Level 2, but if not, here's our guide to upgrading so you can finish the task quickly. As for the Cow Tethers - you guessed it - they're earned through another general wall post. Complete this goal and you'll earn 200 XP, a Sailor Gnome and 2,500 coins.
A Spoonful of Sugar
* Get 3 Sugar Cubes
* Harvest 55 Butter & Sugar Corn
* Make Creamed Corn Two Times
The Sugar Cubes are earned through one final news feed post on your wall, while the Creamed Corn is a recipe inside your Restaurant. A single Creamed Corn preparation requires three Butter & Sugar Corn bushels, along with three Tarragon bushels and a Pepper bushel. Finishing this final goal gives you 300 XP, a Black Gum Tree and 2,500 coins.
While the rewards for these goals may not be overly exciting, at least the goals themselves are relatively easy to match. We'll make sure to let you know when Chapter 3 of these goals releases, so keep checking back with us!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Chapter 2 Lighthouse Cove goals in FarmVille? Sound off in the comments.
Get a Moove On
* Collect 3 Cow Treats
* Harvest 55 Hay
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
For this particular goal, it doesn't matter what level you've reached in the repair of your Lighthouse Cove, so long as you harvest it when it's "ready." Your opportunity comes around once per day (if you're routine in collecting from it), so at least you won't be too delayed if you've already harvested your Cove before these goals roll around to your account. As for the Cow Treats, they're earned though a general news post on your wall. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, a River Otter and 5,000 coins.
A Leash on Life
* Get 3 Cow Tethers
* Harvest 55 Kennebec Potatoes
* Improve the Cove to Level 2
If you've been working on repairing your Lighthouse Cove ever since you landed in the new farm, I would be incredibly surprised if you haven't already reached Level 2, but if not, here's our guide to upgrading so you can finish the task quickly. As for the Cow Tethers - you guessed it - they're earned through another general wall post. Complete this goal and you'll earn 200 XP, a Sailor Gnome and 2,500 coins.
A Spoonful of Sugar
* Get 3 Sugar Cubes
* Harvest 55 Butter & Sugar Corn
* Make Creamed Corn Two Times
The Sugar Cubes are earned through one final news feed post on your wall, while the Creamed Corn is a recipe inside your Restaurant. A single Creamed Corn preparation requires three Butter & Sugar Corn bushels, along with three Tarragon bushels and a Pepper bushel. Finishing this final goal gives you 300 XP, a Black Gum Tree and 2,500 coins.
While the rewards for these goals may not be overly exciting, at least the goals themselves are relatively easy to match. We'll make sure to let you know when Chapter 3 of these goals releases, so keep checking back with us!
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these Chapter 2 Lighthouse Cove goals in FarmVille? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Chapter 2 Bonus Goals: Everything you need to know
If you thought the original Bonus Challenge goals in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove were difficult, you may not be excited to hear that there is now a second set of goals that have also been given the "Bonus" treatment. These three goals appear alongside the goals from Chapter 2 in the Lighthouse Cove story. We'll tell you flat out - one goal requires you to expand your Lighthouse Cove farm, which is currently only available to do with Farm Cash. Keep that in mind when you decide whether or not to actively finish these goals.
Bonus Quest 4
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Harvest 55 Tarragon
* Complete 1 Orchard
While these tasks aren't incredibly difficult, they might be a bit time consuming depending on how big your Lighthouse Cove already is. That is, if you haven't already expanded your Lighthouse Cove, you won't be allowed to plant 55 crops at a time, so you'll need to do two plantings to reach the 55 total. If you finish this first Bonus Quest (the fourth overall for the farm - hence the name), you'll receive 500 XP, an Unwither, a Livestock Baby Animal and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Quest 5
* Harvest 70 Darrow Blackberries
* Make Blackberry Ice Cream Twice
* Expand your farm to an Inlet Garden
Blackberry Ice Cream is available to craft inside your Restaurant, and requires three Darrow Blackberry, two Chandler Blueberry and three Strawberry bushels. To finish this particular task, you'll not only have to set the recipe to craft twice, but will also have to wait the six hour period for them to finish. As for the Inlet Garden, here's the task that I warned you of earlier. As of this writing, an Inlet Garden farm is only available for 40 Farm Cash, and that's after you go through the Coastal Patch farm that costs 30 Farm Cash. That is, if you're looking to complete this particular goal, you'll need to shell out 70 Farm Cash with no option for coin-spending instead. If you decide to go through with this goal, and can finish it, you'll receive 1,000 XP, a Speckled Alder tree and 5,000 coins.
Bonus Quest 6
* Complete a Zoo
* Harvest 70 Red Clover
* Harvest 70 Chandler Blueberries
For this goal, the requirements are toned down a bit, at least in terms of the cost to your wallet. By the time you make it this far, you'll have the ability to plant more than the starting 35 plots of land on your farm, so the crop tasks will be easier by default. As for the Zoo, this is built using 30 ingredients that can gather from your friends. It's not an incredibly difficult building to complete, so check out our guide to doing so for details. If you can finish this final bonus goal for Chapter 2, you'll receive 500 XP, a Chimpanzee and 2,500 coins.
We've been told that additional goals will be launching in the game every week, so keep checking back with us as we'll bring you everything you need to know about the future Chapter 3 goals in Lighthouse Cove and beyond.
[Via: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this trio of Bonus Goals? Are they more difficult or easier than the first set? Will you purchase the farm expansions with Farm Cash or will you skip that goal entirely? Sound off in the comments.
Bonus Quest 4
* Harvest Lighthouse Cove
* Harvest 55 Tarragon
* Complete 1 Orchard
While these tasks aren't incredibly difficult, they might be a bit time consuming depending on how big your Lighthouse Cove already is. That is, if you haven't already expanded your Lighthouse Cove, you won't be allowed to plant 55 crops at a time, so you'll need to do two plantings to reach the 55 total. If you finish this first Bonus Quest (the fourth overall for the farm - hence the name), you'll receive 500 XP, an Unwither, a Livestock Baby Animal and 2,500 coins.
Bonus Quest 5
* Harvest 70 Darrow Blackberries
* Make Blackberry Ice Cream Twice
* Expand your farm to an Inlet Garden
Blackberry Ice Cream is available to craft inside your Restaurant, and requires three Darrow Blackberry, two Chandler Blueberry and three Strawberry bushels. To finish this particular task, you'll not only have to set the recipe to craft twice, but will also have to wait the six hour period for them to finish. As for the Inlet Garden, here's the task that I warned you of earlier. As of this writing, an Inlet Garden farm is only available for 40 Farm Cash, and that's after you go through the Coastal Patch farm that costs 30 Farm Cash. That is, if you're looking to complete this particular goal, you'll need to shell out 70 Farm Cash with no option for coin-spending instead. If you decide to go through with this goal, and can finish it, you'll receive 1,000 XP, a Speckled Alder tree and 5,000 coins.
Bonus Quest 6
* Complete a Zoo
* Harvest 70 Red Clover
* Harvest 70 Chandler Blueberries
For this goal, the requirements are toned down a bit, at least in terms of the cost to your wallet. By the time you make it this far, you'll have the ability to plant more than the starting 35 plots of land on your farm, so the crop tasks will be easier by default. As for the Zoo, this is built using 30 ingredients that can gather from your friends. It's not an incredibly difficult building to complete, so check out our guide to doing so for details. If you can finish this final bonus goal for Chapter 2, you'll receive 500 XP, a Chimpanzee and 2,500 coins.
We've been told that additional goals will be launching in the game every week, so keep checking back with us as we'll bring you everything you need to know about the future Chapter 3 goals in Lighthouse Cove and beyond.
[Via: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this trio of Bonus Goals? Are they more difficult or easier than the first set? Will you purchase the farm expansions with Farm Cash or will you skip that goal entirely? Sound off in the comments.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Microsoft Research releases Facebook game for 'research'
Sure you are, guys--we're onto you. The Research division at Microsoft has released its first Facebook games, Project Waterloo, in order to find out how people interact and negotiate with one another across social networks. The game is a turn-based combat simulator in which players allocate 100 generic troops across five locations. In a way, Project Waterloo works a lot like Zynga's Words With Friends.
Of course, we're referring to the one-on-one, turn-based gameplay, not the words. Players challenge friends with allocations of 100 troops either using a slider or directly entering a number in each location on the battlefield. Said friends can then respond with their own strategic positioning using 100 troops, and if they don't currently play the game, they will be invited prior to responding.
So, it might help to think of Project Waterloo as a cross between games like Words With Friends and the classic board game Battleship. Players can also start games with random players, regardless of whether they're Facebook friends. Project Waterloo, according to a post on the Microsoft Research website, is the start of the "Facebook Game Theory Lab." This will serve as a platform through which Microsoft Research explores concepts of strategic human interaction within "resource allocation and negotiation games." The team of four researchers wrote:
The goal of the project is to test the behaviour of real people in game theoretic interactions, and especially those that take place in social networks. Some example questions are: how do people negotiate with one another? How does such negotiation take place in social networks? How can we aggregate opinions of individuals to arrive at high quality decisions? In what ways do people reciprocate other people's actions?
Project Waterloo in action
While it doesn't appear that Project Waterloo will be a source of revenue for Microsoft Research's parent company, the team does use words like "viral marketing" to explain how it will reach new players. Ultimately, we don't see a game like this taking off commercially, but it is another step in that direction, as Microsoft has already expressed interest in entering the space. Just recently, the company began to offer support to developers through its Windows Azure service. Perhaps Project Waterloo and the Facebook Game Theory Lab represent Microsoft further testing the waters.
Click here to play Project Waterloo on Facebook Now >
[Via ZDNet]
What do you think of Microsoft's very scientific foray into Facebook games? Do you think the company would ever dive into the industry like Google or Facebook has? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
Of course, we're referring to the one-on-one, turn-based gameplay, not the words. Players challenge friends with allocations of 100 troops either using a slider or directly entering a number in each location on the battlefield. Said friends can then respond with their own strategic positioning using 100 troops, and if they don't currently play the game, they will be invited prior to responding.
So, it might help to think of Project Waterloo as a cross between games like Words With Friends and the classic board game Battleship. Players can also start games with random players, regardless of whether they're Facebook friends. Project Waterloo, according to a post on the Microsoft Research website, is the start of the "Facebook Game Theory Lab." This will serve as a platform through which Microsoft Research explores concepts of strategic human interaction within "resource allocation and negotiation games." The team of four researchers wrote:
The goal of the project is to test the behaviour of real people in game theoretic interactions, and especially those that take place in social networks. Some example questions are: how do people negotiate with one another? How does such negotiation take place in social networks? How can we aggregate opinions of individuals to arrive at high quality decisions? In what ways do people reciprocate other people's actions?
Project Waterloo in action
While it doesn't appear that Project Waterloo will be a source of revenue for Microsoft Research's parent company, the team does use words like "viral marketing" to explain how it will reach new players. Ultimately, we don't see a game like this taking off commercially, but it is another step in that direction, as Microsoft has already expressed interest in entering the space. Just recently, the company began to offer support to developers through its Windows Azure service. Perhaps Project Waterloo and the Facebook Game Theory Lab represent Microsoft further testing the waters.
Click here to play Project Waterloo on Facebook Now >
[Via ZDNet]
What do you think of Microsoft's very scientific foray into Facebook games? Do you think the company would ever dive into the industry like Google or Facebook has? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
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? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
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? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
The Sims Social celebrates fans with a week of free stuff
Free stuff? Yes, please, I'll take some of that! With almost 61 million players (and climbing), the folks at EA / Playfish have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to the Sims Social on Facebook. As a way to thank their ever-growing player base for their support (even when the game suffered from some nagging loading and gameplay issues), the developers have launched a week long celebration involving free stuff that will be given away, apparently on a daily basis.
To start, we're given a gift of Social Points - a whopping 400 Social Points at that. Since your other methods of earning Social Points normally come in small increments (of 10 or less per action) when visiting friends, this really is a substantial prize. Remember, these Social Points work as a form of third currency in the game, and can be used to purchase exclusive decorations or other home items that aren't available through any other method or currency.
We've also been told that we'll be able to increase our land size in the future, although that wasn't exactly announced in as many words. To be specific, we're asked if we "need more space to build your dream home" and that with that question comes a secret that the developers just couldn't hold in anymore. We're even asked "If you could expand your land, what is the first room you'd build on it?"
Put two and two together here, and you're left with the answer that land size will soon be increasing, although no particular release date was announced (unfortunately). If you're like me, your home has already filled most nooks and crannies of land in our admittedly small square, and is surrounded by outdoor goodies to boot. Being able to increase the size of our house plot is a huge deal, and we'll make sure to let you know when that feature / ability launches as soon as it does.
In the meantime, keep checking back with the game's Facebook fan page for additional links / announcements of free prizes, and click right here to claim your free 400 Social Points.
What sorts of prizes are you hoping to receive in this week-long event of free stuff? What will you purchase with your 400 free Social Points? Sound off in the comments.
To start, we're given a gift of Social Points - a whopping 400 Social Points at that. Since your other methods of earning Social Points normally come in small increments (of 10 or less per action) when visiting friends, this really is a substantial prize. Remember, these Social Points work as a form of third currency in the game, and can be used to purchase exclusive decorations or other home items that aren't available through any other method or currency.
We've also been told that we'll be able to increase our land size in the future, although that wasn't exactly announced in as many words. To be specific, we're asked if we "need more space to build your dream home" and that with that question comes a secret that the developers just couldn't hold in anymore. We're even asked "If you could expand your land, what is the first room you'd build on it?"
Put two and two together here, and you're left with the answer that land size will soon be increasing, although no particular release date was announced (unfortunately). If you're like me, your home has already filled most nooks and crannies of land in our admittedly small square, and is surrounded by outdoor goodies to boot. Being able to increase the size of our house plot is a huge deal, and we'll make sure to let you know when that feature / ability launches as soon as it does.
In the meantime, keep checking back with the game's Facebook fan page for additional links / announcements of free prizes, and click right here to claim your free 400 Social Points.
What sorts of prizes are you hoping to receive in this week-long event of free stuff? What will you purchase with your 400 free Social Points? Sound off in the comments.
Dress up a real turtle and win a trip to New York with Bravo's Turtle Time
Are you ready to help embarrass a turtle on cable TV and make life difficult for set designers on a weekly basis? If the answer is no, that's fine. I don't think most of us are ready for such a thing either. But for those of you who are, there's a new Facebook game that lets you do this called Turtle Time.
First announced last Thursday, Turtle Time is Bravo TV's little promotional stunt for Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live show. Cohen supposedly found the turtle, love blossomed and he decided to go steady by making her his show's mascot. Since the announcement, Bravo TV has launched a Facebook game for the turtle, given her a Twitter account (that now has 1,889 followers) and a name: "Tramona."
The game involves dressing up the turtle, and while the concept sounds innocuous, there might be some PG-13 material in the game, such as the presence of alcoholic items and profanity by the users. So I repeat, this is not a game targeted for kids. Right off the bat, when you try to play the game, it'll ask you for your birth date.
Gallery: Turtle Time
For the time being, players get 14 free items (nine Goods, three Costume pieces, and two Scenes) with 53 for sale at the store. Possibly the most outrageous item is "Gay Guys Holding Hands in Speedos," which surprisingly costs 150 Lettuce instead of Facebook Credits. Lettuce (a turtle's favorite food) is the in-game currency of Turtle Time, and you start off with 1,000 of it. But I managed to snag an extra 100 Lettuce, because I correctly answered a completely random, pop-up quiz question. And while there's no dedicated free gifts option yet, you can buy items and gift them to your friends.
Turtle Time Crowds Make Me Crabby
We can see this getting fun as more people play. Already, there's some killer entries, like surrounding the turtle with crabs or balancing the turtle on a pyramid of wine glasses or whiskey bottles--sorry, I can't rightly recall which. Overall, this is a simple game and the chance for a free trip to New York doesn't hurt either. This game has only been up for less than two days, and it's got 1,486 players. To follow the game, check out its official Facebook page.
Click here to play Turtle Time on Facebook now >
Are you playing for fun or for the free trip to New York? What's the wackiest costume and backdrop can you come up with for the turtle? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
First announced last Thursday, Turtle Time is Bravo TV's little promotional stunt for Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live show. Cohen supposedly found the turtle, love blossomed and he decided to go steady by making her his show's mascot. Since the announcement, Bravo TV has launched a Facebook game for the turtle, given her a Twitter account (that now has 1,889 followers) and a name: "Tramona."
The game involves dressing up the turtle, and while the concept sounds innocuous, there might be some PG-13 material in the game, such as the presence of alcoholic items and profanity by the users. So I repeat, this is not a game targeted for kids. Right off the bat, when you try to play the game, it'll ask you for your birth date.
Gallery: Turtle Time
For the time being, players get 14 free items (nine Goods, three Costume pieces, and two Scenes) with 53 for sale at the store. Possibly the most outrageous item is "Gay Guys Holding Hands in Speedos," which surprisingly costs 150 Lettuce instead of Facebook Credits. Lettuce (a turtle's favorite food) is the in-game currency of Turtle Time, and you start off with 1,000 of it. But I managed to snag an extra 100 Lettuce, because I correctly answered a completely random, pop-up quiz question. And while there's no dedicated free gifts option yet, you can buy items and gift them to your friends.
Turtle Time Crowds Make Me Crabby
We can see this getting fun as more people play. Already, there's some killer entries, like surrounding the turtle with crabs or balancing the turtle on a pyramid of wine glasses or whiskey bottles--sorry, I can't rightly recall which. Overall, this is a simple game and the chance for a free trip to New York doesn't hurt either. This game has only been up for less than two days, and it's got 1,486 players. To follow the game, check out its official Facebook page.
Click here to play Turtle Time on Facebook now >
Are you playing for fun or for the free trip to New York? What's the wackiest costume and backdrop can you come up with for the turtle? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
Pioneer Trail Bug Report: Lost progress bug is being squashed
If you've been playing Pioneer Trail (even when it was FrontierVille) for any considerable amount of time, I'd be surprised if you hadn't suffered from a rollback issue or two, or some other form of game/fun-breaking bug. If not, you're liable to run into one now, as a widespread issue has broken out in the game, causing users to lose considerable amounts of progress on goals. This is apparently such a large issue that the majority of the game's official forums has been branded with posts and banners about the issue, but Zynga is here to let you know that help is on the way.
Specifically, we're told this by customer service:
"We have received a high number of inquiries about players losing progress in the game and seeing old missions come back. We apologize for the problem and have our developers looking at the problem now.
There's no need to submit a help ticket for this matter, as we plan on correcting this problem on our end for all affected players. We request if you are having this problem to try again in a few hours (or even later today) to see if your progress has been returned. If this problem has occurred for you, please simply click the "vote to fix" button, this will alert us that you were affected."
Essentially, what this means is that you don't need to contact Zynga Customer Support to fix this issue, as supposedly everything will be placed back to normal on Zynga's end without any input from us. That is, the "game knows" where you were when the bug first hit, and will revert you back to the proper state when the bug has been fixed. As for the time table, things aren't progressing as quickly as we would have hoped. As of yesterday morning, the issue was still being worked on by developers, but a proper fix hadn't actually been pushed out.
While you're waiting for the issue to be resolved, I'd suggest simply not playing the game (or doing anything significant, that you would be upset about having to repeat). Keep checking back with the game's official forums for updates as to the progress of the bug fix, and we'll make sure to let you know if anything significant happens between now and then.
Have you been hit by this "lost progress" bug? How far did it push you back? Let us know in the comments.
Specifically, we're told this by customer service:
"We have received a high number of inquiries about players losing progress in the game and seeing old missions come back. We apologize for the problem and have our developers looking at the problem now.
There's no need to submit a help ticket for this matter, as we plan on correcting this problem on our end for all affected players. We request if you are having this problem to try again in a few hours (or even later today) to see if your progress has been returned. If this problem has occurred for you, please simply click the "vote to fix" button, this will alert us that you were affected."
Essentially, what this means is that you don't need to contact Zynga Customer Support to fix this issue, as supposedly everything will be placed back to normal on Zynga's end without any input from us. That is, the "game knows" where you were when the bug first hit, and will revert you back to the proper state when the bug has been fixed. As for the time table, things aren't progressing as quickly as we would have hoped. As of yesterday morning, the issue was still being worked on by developers, but a proper fix hadn't actually been pushed out.
While you're waiting for the issue to be resolved, I'd suggest simply not playing the game (or doing anything significant, that you would be upset about having to repeat). Keep checking back with the game's official forums for updates as to the progress of the bug fix, and we'll make sure to let you know if anything significant happens between now and then.
Have you been hit by this "lost progress" bug? How far did it push you back? Let us know in the comments.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Pioneer Trail Shaman Lodge Goals: Everything you need to know
Finally, Halloween approaches. Zynga is already preparing its in-game festivities with the release of the Shaman Lodge to Pioneer Trail. Laughing Bear the Shaman has arrived on the Homestead, and he foresees a terrible spookiness on your land. It's up to you (if you're at least Level 17) to help Laughing Bear build his lodge to collect as many charms as possible in preparation for a seriously spooky event.
Once you complete the Lodge, you will be able to collect shiny charms from it daily. We assume these will come in handy in this year's Halloween event in Pioneer Trail, so it's in your best interest to get started on this new building right away. Since we know the suspense is killing you, here's everything you need to know to build the Shaman Lodge:
Clearin' the Ground
* Place the Shaman Lodge
* Clear 12 Skulls
* Harvest 30 Sunflowers
When the even appears in your game, it will present you with the option to place the Lodge in a pop-up. Select "Build Lodge" to get started. Then, simply search your Homestead for Skulls--they're also a reward for completing the Cow and Graveyard Collections. Harvesting 30 Sunflowers will cost a total of 9,300 Coins and take at least 18 hours to grow. Your reward for completing this Goal includes one Mystery Animal Crate, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Staffin' Up
* Chop 30 Oak Trees on a Neighbor's Homestead
* Collect Two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge
* Collect 15 Eerie Gems
By this point, the Goals assume you've already completed the Shaman Lodge, so give the foundation a few whacks (which we imagine will cost Energy and Wood). Once that's complete, a window will appear with what's needed to complete the building, pictured below. Based on previous Goals, we imagine the first three items are requested through News Feed posts, while the latter three are found by asking your friends directly.
Finish your Shaman Lodge
After that's through, visit at least six friends to chop 30 Oak Trees. Collecting two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge will take at least two days. The 15 Eerie Gems will, again, come from your friends. Your rewards for this Goal include a welcome nod to the popular Internet video, the Double Rainbow, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Final Preparations
* Clobber six Snakes
* Harvest 30 Peppermint
* Collect 15 Monsterbane Arrows
Snakes appear most frequently beneath Skulls and Rocks, so try to avoid clobbering any Snakes from collecting Skulls in the first Goal. Peppermint acts more like a fruit tree than a crop, so you can choose to buy all 30, but I wouldn't recommend that. Regardless, this portion of the Goal will take you at least four hours at the very least. The Monsterbane Arrows are sourced from your friends like the Eerie Gems before them. Enjoy a Mystical Charm Totem, 700 XP and 700 Coins for completing this Goal.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you started your Shaman Lodge yet? What do you think these Charms will be used for this Halloween? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Once you complete the Lodge, you will be able to collect shiny charms from it daily. We assume these will come in handy in this year's Halloween event in Pioneer Trail, so it's in your best interest to get started on this new building right away. Since we know the suspense is killing you, here's everything you need to know to build the Shaman Lodge:
Clearin' the Ground
* Place the Shaman Lodge
* Clear 12 Skulls
* Harvest 30 Sunflowers
When the even appears in your game, it will present you with the option to place the Lodge in a pop-up. Select "Build Lodge" to get started. Then, simply search your Homestead for Skulls--they're also a reward for completing the Cow and Graveyard Collections. Harvesting 30 Sunflowers will cost a total of 9,300 Coins and take at least 18 hours to grow. Your reward for completing this Goal includes one Mystery Animal Crate, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Staffin' Up
* Chop 30 Oak Trees on a Neighbor's Homestead
* Collect Two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge
* Collect 15 Eerie Gems
By this point, the Goals assume you've already completed the Shaman Lodge, so give the foundation a few whacks (which we imagine will cost Energy and Wood). Once that's complete, a window will appear with what's needed to complete the building, pictured below. Based on previous Goals, we imagine the first three items are requested through News Feed posts, while the latter three are found by asking your friends directly.
Finish your Shaman Lodge
After that's through, visit at least six friends to chop 30 Oak Trees. Collecting two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge will take at least two days. The 15 Eerie Gems will, again, come from your friends. Your rewards for this Goal include a welcome nod to the popular Internet video, the Double Rainbow, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Final Preparations
* Clobber six Snakes
* Harvest 30 Peppermint
* Collect 15 Monsterbane Arrows
Snakes appear most frequently beneath Skulls and Rocks, so try to avoid clobbering any Snakes from collecting Skulls in the first Goal. Peppermint acts more like a fruit tree than a crop, so you can choose to buy all 30, but I wouldn't recommend that. Regardless, this portion of the Goal will take you at least four hours at the very least. The Monsterbane Arrows are sourced from your friends like the Eerie Gems before them. Enjoy a Mystical Charm Totem, 700 XP and 700 Coins for completing this Goal.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you started your Shaman Lodge yet? What do you think these Charms will be used for this Halloween? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
FarmVille Pic(s) of the Day: Master farm artist Nicky Tran
Click the image to make it larger.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're probably wondering why there are so many handsome farms all in one FarmVille Pic of the Day post. Well folks, today is a special day devoted to one very talented farm artist: Nicky Tran. As you can immediately tell, Nicky Tran is a farm artist of the highest caliber. There was no way I was going to be able to choose just one of Nicky's amazing farms to feature. So, I decided to feature them all!
farmville featured farm nicky tranFarmVille designer Nicky Tran is a master of item optical illusions, creating unbelievable 3D surfaces and structures. Not only that, but Nicky carefully selects item themes to prevent their farms from looking to disorderly. However, if I were to go into detail about what makes each one of these such a fantastic farm design, this post would be far too long. So I'm going to let you explore Nicky Tran's farms on your own. Look closely though, there's a lot to see and a lot to appreciate!
Click the images to make them larger!
farmville featured farm of the day nicky tran farmville pic nicky tran
Here's what Nicky Tran had to say about their farms:
First, I'd like to thank you for your compliments! My farms were all inspired by passion. It was that passion that gave me all these ideas for farm designs.
The advice I would give to other upcoming farm artists is to do what's in your mind courageously and boldly. Always do whatever it is you feel like! It was the passion and that understanding that helped me complete these very difficult designs. Once again, I thank you very much. - Nicky Tran
What do you like best about Nicky Tran's farms? Add Comment
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.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! You're probably wondering why there are so many handsome farms all in one FarmVille Pic of the Day post. Well folks, today is a special day devoted to one very talented farm artist: Nicky Tran. As you can immediately tell, Nicky Tran is a farm artist of the highest caliber. There was no way I was going to be able to choose just one of Nicky's amazing farms to feature. So, I decided to feature them all!
farmville featured farm nicky tranFarmVille designer Nicky Tran is a master of item optical illusions, creating unbelievable 3D surfaces and structures. Not only that, but Nicky carefully selects item themes to prevent their farms from looking to disorderly. However, if I were to go into detail about what makes each one of these such a fantastic farm design, this post would be far too long. So I'm going to let you explore Nicky Tran's farms on your own. Look closely though, there's a lot to see and a lot to appreciate!
Click the images to make them larger!
farmville featured farm of the day nicky tran farmville pic nicky tran
Here's what Nicky Tran had to say about their farms:
First, I'd like to thank you for your compliments! My farms were all inspired by passion. It was that passion that gave me all these ideas for farm designs.
The advice I would give to other upcoming farm artists is to do what's in your mind courageously and boldly. Always do whatever it is you feel like! It was the passion and that understanding that helped me complete these very difficult designs. Once again, I thank you very much. - Nicky Tran
What do you like best about Nicky Tran's farms? Add Comment
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Using the CityVille Eiffel Tower: Everything you need to know
So, you've finally completed all three CityVille Landmarks required to unlock the Eiffel Tower: The Sailboat Hotel, the Tonga Tower and the French Riviera Casino. Now that the game's first Wonder is yours, just what do you do with it? More importantly, how does it work? Luckily for you, we have the answers. Here's everything you need to know about the Eiffel Tower:
What's This Thing Do?
Once you unlock the Eiffel Tower, building it is as simple as placing it, and then clicking on its foundation to finish it. What the building does essentially is power-up the payouts of all Restaurants, Hotels and other Businesses in your city. More specifically, Wonders triple the payout of Hotels, double the payout of Restaurants and boost other Businesses by 25 percent. However, this effect only lasts for a limited time. In that respect, Wonders are similar to Attractions in the game.
Giving the Shine Treatment
There's no range on the Eiffel Tower--it's bonuses are city-wide. So, place the building wherever you please. Then, click on the building to get it started. Each time you use the Eiffel Tower, it costs you 3 Energy, and the effect lasts for three minutes. You can extend this time with City Cash, which at least grants you with bonus Energy. During that three minutes, any relevant buildings surrounding the Wonder will sparkle, and you must collect from those buildings while the bonuses are in effect.
Eiffel Tower Maitenance
Pushing the Restart Button
After the three minutes are up, your Eiffel Tower will shut down, so to speak. An icon with a key inside will hover above the building. Click it to open a new window in which displays two options. If you want to use the Wonder again immediately, you can ask your friends for six Keys to start it up again, but if you're willing to wait, the Eiffel Tower recharges in 72 hours. In essence, the Eiffel Tower is one massive Attraction, so push the power button and reap the rewards.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you unlocked the Eiffel Tower yet in CityVille? What do you think of Zynga's approach to Wonders? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
What's This Thing Do?
Once you unlock the Eiffel Tower, building it is as simple as placing it, and then clicking on its foundation to finish it. What the building does essentially is power-up the payouts of all Restaurants, Hotels and other Businesses in your city. More specifically, Wonders triple the payout of Hotels, double the payout of Restaurants and boost other Businesses by 25 percent. However, this effect only lasts for a limited time. In that respect, Wonders are similar to Attractions in the game.
Giving the Shine Treatment
There's no range on the Eiffel Tower--it's bonuses are city-wide. So, place the building wherever you please. Then, click on the building to get it started. Each time you use the Eiffel Tower, it costs you 3 Energy, and the effect lasts for three minutes. You can extend this time with City Cash, which at least grants you with bonus Energy. During that three minutes, any relevant buildings surrounding the Wonder will sparkle, and you must collect from those buildings while the bonuses are in effect.
Eiffel Tower Maitenance
Pushing the Restart Button
After the three minutes are up, your Eiffel Tower will shut down, so to speak. An icon with a key inside will hover above the building. Click it to open a new window in which displays two options. If you want to use the Wonder again immediately, you can ask your friends for six Keys to start it up again, but if you're willing to wait, the Eiffel Tower recharges in 72 hours. In essence, the Eiffel Tower is one massive Attraction, so push the power button and reap the rewards.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you unlocked the Eiffel Tower yet in CityVille? What do you think of Zynga's approach to Wonders? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
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