Aside from some new buildings and decorations, CityVille is celebrating the holidays by giving every player a free Christmas tree for a new game goal. The first part of the new Holiday Tree goal is called "Place the Holiday Tree" and it's really simple. Just go to the user panel on the bottom right, access the inventory, click on the Holiday Tree and drag it into your city to install it. This will pay you 50 Coins.
CityVille Growing the Tree
Part two is called "Growing the Tree" and to complete it, you'll either need 20 City Cash or have 10 friends willing to send you a "Present" each from the "Free Gifts" page.
CityVille Presents Holiday Tree wall post
You can notify your friends that you need presents by clicking on the "Growing the Tree" goal icon on the left hand side, then "Ask Your Friends" to post to your wall. But be careful -- if you cancel the wall post instead of allowing it to post, you'll lose the "Ask Your Friends" option, because that button will turn into the message "Waiting for your friends to respond", which means you won't be able to click it anymore. Friends who answer your wall post for gifts will get 50 Coins for helping you. As for you, the more presents you get, the bigger your tree will grow!
CityVille Holiday Tree
Friday, January 13, 2012
FrontierVille Toy Factory Contest: Win an iPad for Christmas
Toy Factory Christmas
The giving spirit has clearly overtaken Zynga as the company will be giving away an Apple iPad to one dedicated pioneer in FrontierVille this Christmas. From now through Jan. 3, 2011 the Zynga team will be watching us like Santa does the little girls and boys every year, but for a far different reason. The player who has hoarded the most Toys by Jan. 3 will be awarded a 16GB iPad in the FrontierVille Toy Factory Contest.
However, everyone who wants in will have to specifically register via e-mail including their Facebook profile link and other important information. This way, Zynga will be able to track your Toy-gathering prowess over the next two weeks and declare a winner on the FrontierVille fan page and forums that day. Thankfully, the team will also be counting Toys turned in the exclusive items that the Pioneer Toy Factory, so feel free to spend like normal. Though, you'll have to hoard if you want to keep track of your own progress and to be prepared to break a tie. Check out the forums for the official rules and how to enter. Now, get to sending those Toys if you want the toy of the Holidays.
The giving spirit has clearly overtaken Zynga as the company will be giving away an Apple iPad to one dedicated pioneer in FrontierVille this Christmas. From now through Jan. 3, 2011 the Zynga team will be watching us like Santa does the little girls and boys every year, but for a far different reason. The player who has hoarded the most Toys by Jan. 3 will be awarded a 16GB iPad in the FrontierVille Toy Factory Contest.
However, everyone who wants in will have to specifically register via e-mail including their Facebook profile link and other important information. This way, Zynga will be able to track your Toy-gathering prowess over the next two weeks and declare a winner on the FrontierVille fan page and forums that day. Thankfully, the team will also be counting Toys turned in the exclusive items that the Pioneer Toy Factory, so feel free to spend like normal. Though, you'll have to hoard if you want to keep track of your own progress and to be prepared to break a tie. Check out the forums for the official rules and how to enter. Now, get to sending those Toys if you want the toy of the Holidays.
FarmVille: Platinum Combine now available, but only for the Holidays
Couldn't get enough of the Silver and Gold theme of items released in the new FarmVille Mystery Game last night? You're in luck, as Zynga has added another shiny, regal item to the game in the form of the Platinum Combine - shop fast though, it will only be around for the holidays.
This Platinum Combine costs a whopping 110 Farm Cash, the equivalent of around $20 US, if you look at the current exchange rate on purchasing Farm Cash packages. As with other Combines (whether you built one, or purchased one from the store), this Platinum version allows you to Harvest, Plow, and Seed your land with a single click, saving you time, but not fuel in the process, as the Combine uses the same amount of fuel as if you had completed each of the three basic farming tasks separately.
As a nice incentive to purchase the Combine, it starts out allowing you to plow, plant, and harvest on nine squares at a time, rather than a smaller amount as seen with other Combines (specifically the Red Combine that many users chose to build back in September).
As part of the Winter Holiday series of limited edition items, this Platinum Combine will only be available for the next 42 days - sure, that's a heck of a lot longer than the other Winter Holiday items that are still available in the game, but you might want to purchase this item sooner, rather than later, so you don't forget and then miss out.
This Platinum Combine costs a whopping 110 Farm Cash, the equivalent of around $20 US, if you look at the current exchange rate on purchasing Farm Cash packages. As with other Combines (whether you built one, or purchased one from the store), this Platinum version allows you to Harvest, Plow, and Seed your land with a single click, saving you time, but not fuel in the process, as the Combine uses the same amount of fuel as if you had completed each of the three basic farming tasks separately.
As a nice incentive to purchase the Combine, it starts out allowing you to plow, plant, and harvest on nine squares at a time, rather than a smaller amount as seen with other Combines (specifically the Red Combine that many users chose to build back in September).
As part of the Winter Holiday series of limited edition items, this Platinum Combine will only be available for the next 42 days - sure, that's a heck of a lot longer than the other Winter Holiday items that are still available in the game, but you might want to purchase this item sooner, rather than later, so you don't forget and then miss out.
FarmVille Greeting Card Contest: Win 1,000 Farm Cash and riches galore!
FarmVille Community Manager Lexilicious gave users a sneak peek of this newest contest in the latest official FarmVille podcast, but for those that didn't listen, we now have all of the details on the recently launched FarmVille Winter Holiday Greeting Card Contest for 2010.
This contest calls to all aspiring artists and asks them to create a holiday greeting card that, of course, has FarmVille as its theme. These cards can be created either virtually, through Microsoft Paint, Photoshop or another image creation/editing program, or you can put your real-life artistic skills to good use and draw, paint, or otherwise create your own card in the real world and then photograph it for your entry.
Your entry needs to be posted on the FarmVille forums before December 31 in order to be considered for the many prizes you can win. After this point, the FarmVille team will select the top ten winners. What do you win? Why, only one of the best prizes ever - a whopping 1,000 Farm Cash, 1 million coins, and any limited edition FarmVille item of your choosing (so long as the item is either currently available in the game, or has been previously released - no unreleased items unfortunately).
What are you waiting for? Put those thinking caps on and come up with your own creative ideas that could be worth financial security in the game for weeks or even months to come (or just some shopping spree money - the choice is yours).
This contest calls to all aspiring artists and asks them to create a holiday greeting card that, of course, has FarmVille as its theme. These cards can be created either virtually, through Microsoft Paint, Photoshop or another image creation/editing program, or you can put your real-life artistic skills to good use and draw, paint, or otherwise create your own card in the real world and then photograph it for your entry.
Your entry needs to be posted on the FarmVille forums before December 31 in order to be considered for the many prizes you can win. After this point, the FarmVille team will select the top ten winners. What do you win? Why, only one of the best prizes ever - a whopping 1,000 Farm Cash, 1 million coins, and any limited edition FarmVille item of your choosing (so long as the item is either currently available in the game, or has been previously released - no unreleased items unfortunately).
What are you waiting for? Put those thinking caps on and come up with your own creative ideas that could be worth financial security in the game for weeks or even months to come (or just some shopping spree money - the choice is yours).
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Disco Pony & Disco Cow
With the new year quickly approaching in FarmVille, and therefore the current Winter Holiday theme soon to come to an end, one of the big questions on my mind is "What will be the next limited edition theme in the game?" According to some recently leaked unreleased item images, we may have found our answer.
Two new animals will apparently be coming to the game sometime in the future, and they know how to get down and party. They are the Disco (Elvis?) Pony and the Disco Cow. As Zynga is always willing to add a bit of whimsy in with the realism, both of these animals are decked out and ready to party. The Disco Cow has a black afro wig, bellbottom hoof sleeves, and purple sunglasses, while the Disco Pony is wearing an outfit that looks like a toned-down version of an Elvis costume. And of course, there's a Disco Pony Foal to match.
While these items might very well be coming along with a new theme in the game, there is another possibility, in that these items could be a part of the upcoming New Year's celebration in the game. We already know that we'll be throwing a huge party out by a new barn, but could these be a few of the animal participants? Only time will tell at this point.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually make appearances in the game, so keep that in mind.
Two new animals will apparently be coming to the game sometime in the future, and they know how to get down and party. They are the Disco (Elvis?) Pony and the Disco Cow. As Zynga is always willing to add a bit of whimsy in with the realism, both of these animals are decked out and ready to party. The Disco Cow has a black afro wig, bellbottom hoof sleeves, and purple sunglasses, while the Disco Pony is wearing an outfit that looks like a toned-down version of an Elvis costume. And of course, there's a Disco Pony Foal to match.
While these items might very well be coming along with a new theme in the game, there is another possibility, in that these items could be a part of the upcoming New Year's celebration in the game. We already know that we'll be throwing a huge party out by a new barn, but could these be a few of the animal participants? Only time will tell at this point.
As usual, there is no guarantee that these items will actually make appearances in the game, so keep that in mind.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Facebook games could get crazy good graphics with Unreal Engine 3
That's right, you supposed 80 million hardcore gamers on Facebook, Gears of War maker Epic Games announced that the upcoming Adobe Flash Player 11 will support its Unreal Engine 3. Considering the majority of Facebook games are created and played using Flash, we can't imagine it will be long before social game makers craft Facebook games in gorgeous 3D.
Kotaku reports that the Flash version of Epic Games's Unreal Engine 3, the technology through which numerous hardcore console game series like Unreal Tournament and Mass Effect are made, appears less powerful than on PCs and consoles. Regardless, this marks a huge step toward 3D gaming on Facebook, considering other methods like Unity have yet to catch on.
That's mainly because games that use the Unity Player requires an additional download, which could arguably scare less technologically-savvy players away. Flash requires no download, aside from the occasional update, though that's merely thanks to Flash's growing ubiquity. It's also important to note that Apple's iOS devices support Unreal Engine 3, meaning developers could create games that run similarly on both Facebook and iPhones or iPads. (Infinity Blade on Facebook, anyone?)
This type of cross-platform play is something social game makers have clamored for awhile now, many of which turning to HTML5 to make it happen. (Even Zynga mobile chief David Ko said that HTML5 is still too early.) But with the possibility for full 3D games that players could play between their iPhones and on Facebook, it's possible that developers could come running back to Flash. Check out what Unreal Engine 3 looks like on Flash Player 11, though not yet in motion, here.
Kotaku reports that the Flash version of Epic Games's Unreal Engine 3, the technology through which numerous hardcore console game series like Unreal Tournament and Mass Effect are made, appears less powerful than on PCs and consoles. Regardless, this marks a huge step toward 3D gaming on Facebook, considering other methods like Unity have yet to catch on.
That's mainly because games that use the Unity Player requires an additional download, which could arguably scare less technologically-savvy players away. Flash requires no download, aside from the occasional update, though that's merely thanks to Flash's growing ubiquity. It's also important to note that Apple's iOS devices support Unreal Engine 3, meaning developers could create games that run similarly on both Facebook and iPhones or iPads. (Infinity Blade on Facebook, anyone?)
This type of cross-platform play is something social game makers have clamored for awhile now, many of which turning to HTML5 to make it happen. (Even Zynga mobile chief David Ko said that HTML5 is still too early.) But with the possibility for full 3D games that players could play between their iPhones and on Facebook, it's possible that developers could come running back to Flash. Check out what Unreal Engine 3 looks like on Flash Player 11, though not yet in motion, here.
Supernatural show, Being Human, gets Facebook game in time for Halloween
News has been circulating that Being Human--a popular British supernatural drama with an American remake about a vampire, ghost, and werewolf that share a flat--will finally get its own Facebook game. Televisual reports that it's "available globally." DigitalSpy claims the game has been "released" and even has a screenshot.
The same screenshot was used by SFX, though to its credit, it doesn't claim the game has launched. Instead, Broadcast claims that. I guess everyone was excited to tell folks about the game, but no one could provide a link to the actual game.
If you love this show and don't mind being teased beyond your sanity trying to figure out where this game is, then let us fill you in on what we do know. As of this writing, there's no official announcement about a game on either the Syfy or the BBC website. Neither is there any news on the official Syfy and BBC Facebook fan pages for either the American or British version of the show.
So, perhaps it's safe to say that the game is totally not launched and available yet. But given those involved in the game's creation, it's clear this game will be based on the original BBC show and won't be originating state-side on Syfy's budding games portal.
Being Human Facebook Game
Zodiak Active, which manages the rights to the BBC show, had partnered with developer Utinni Games to bring Being Human to Facebook. Zodiak Active senior VP Edward Humphrey has this to say about it:
The Being Human social game will build upon the creative inspiration of the TV drama and allow players to take the roles of vampire, werewolf and ghost in compelling new storylines that they will play, rather than watch. . . The game is a mix of exploration, combat and problem-solving that immerses users into an intriguing world of supernatural creatures that exist just beyond the surface of everyday life.
That definitely sounds like this will be a role-playing game. In fact, SFX also reported that you can "play as a ghost, werewolf or vampire." The game has got the blessing of Toby Whithouse, the BBC show's creator, and thumbs-up from the show's producer, Touchpaper Television. Enough screenwriters from the series have been brought in to make sure that the content and banter will be top-notch. Currently, the BBC version of Being Human just ended Season 3. Season 4 will premiere sometime next year. So this game will obviously be filling the void for the duration.
The same screenshot was used by SFX, though to its credit, it doesn't claim the game has launched. Instead, Broadcast claims that. I guess everyone was excited to tell folks about the game, but no one could provide a link to the actual game.
If you love this show and don't mind being teased beyond your sanity trying to figure out where this game is, then let us fill you in on what we do know. As of this writing, there's no official announcement about a game on either the Syfy or the BBC website. Neither is there any news on the official Syfy and BBC Facebook fan pages for either the American or British version of the show.
So, perhaps it's safe to say that the game is totally not launched and available yet. But given those involved in the game's creation, it's clear this game will be based on the original BBC show and won't be originating state-side on Syfy's budding games portal.
Being Human Facebook Game
Zodiak Active, which manages the rights to the BBC show, had partnered with developer Utinni Games to bring Being Human to Facebook. Zodiak Active senior VP Edward Humphrey has this to say about it:
The Being Human social game will build upon the creative inspiration of the TV drama and allow players to take the roles of vampire, werewolf and ghost in compelling new storylines that they will play, rather than watch. . . The game is a mix of exploration, combat and problem-solving that immerses users into an intriguing world of supernatural creatures that exist just beyond the surface of everyday life.
That definitely sounds like this will be a role-playing game. In fact, SFX also reported that you can "play as a ghost, werewolf or vampire." The game has got the blessing of Toby Whithouse, the BBC show's creator, and thumbs-up from the show's producer, Touchpaper Television. Enough screenwriters from the series have been brought in to make sure that the content and banter will be top-notch. Currently, the BBC version of Being Human just ended Season 3. Season 4 will premiere sometime next year. So this game will obviously be filling the void for the duration.
Apple's Game Center hits 67M users, new version hits Oct. 12 in iOS 5
Mark your calendars, proud iPhone owners. Apple announced today at its iPhone 4S event that the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 5, will launch Oct. 12 as a free update. And with it comes a brand new Game Center, Apple's answer to existing mobile social game networks like OpenFeint and Mobage (and before that, Ngmoco's Plus network). You see, the company has been dragging its feet somewhat into the mobile social games space.
Regardless, the existing version of Game Center has welcomes 67 million able-thumbed mobile gamers, Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event. (OpenFeint boasts 115 million users for comparison.) The service will be vastly improved next week with achievements, the ability to find new friends to play with and customizable profiles.
These features have been a part of Game Center's mobile competitors for some time, but despite being a latecomer, the service has managed to garner tens of millions of players. When Apple first revealed Game Center, it was already behind these independent services that have gone on to become, or rather be acquired by, major gaming companies.
Game Center, even with the advantage of being baked directly into iOS rather than individual games like Openfeint, has lots of work to do before it will trump its competitors. It proves that even if the iPod Touch is "the most popular portable game player in the world," according to Cook, it's still not the most popular social mobile game player in the world. That's gonna' take some time.
Regardless, the existing version of Game Center has welcomes 67 million able-thumbed mobile gamers, Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event. (OpenFeint boasts 115 million users for comparison.) The service will be vastly improved next week with achievements, the ability to find new friends to play with and customizable profiles.
These features have been a part of Game Center's mobile competitors for some time, but despite being a latecomer, the service has managed to garner tens of millions of players. When Apple first revealed Game Center, it was already behind these independent services that have gone on to become, or rather be acquired by, major gaming companies.
Game Center, even with the advantage of being baked directly into iOS rather than individual games like Openfeint, has lots of work to do before it will trump its competitors. It proves that even if the iPod Touch is "the most popular portable game player in the world," according to Cook, it's still not the most popular social mobile game player in the world. That's gonna' take some time.
To pick up Fast Five on Blu-ray, DVD at Walmart, better try Car Town
Car Town Fast Five
Branded Facebook game promotions are a dime a dozen these days, but turning a Facebook game into a store front? Now, that's something to twirl the mustache at. Cie Games announced that Car Town was the only place Fast Five fans could pre-order the Fast Five Blu-ray/DVD combo pack at Walmart. But since the movie released today in stores, fans can also take a trip to Walmart to score some in-game rewards.
Within Car Town, players could click on a giant Walmart-themed big rig to pre-order the pack through Walmart's online store, which would have scored them an exclusive in-game locker with a Fast Five-themed bullet-proof vest to display in their garages. Though, anyone who buys the game through Car Town or in stores will net themselves a virtual Armet Gurkha armored vehicle to race their friends with.
This is the culmination of a six month-long event made possible by Universal Partnerships & Licensing that displayed the movie's trailer within Car Town. And now players can complete missions inspired by the movie's storyline by racing cars directly taken from the film. And Car Town, which enjoys over 5.2 million monthly players, has had its branding throughout the Fast Five release.
"This program is one of the most extensive and successful efforts to date by a major film studio to leverage the nexus between real-world marketing and promotion via social gaming," said Cie Games CEO Justin Choi. "Since the program began in April 2011, Car Town players have completed more than 200 million races in the virtual Rio de Janeiro race environment modeled after the movie's key location."
In other words, this was one giant Facebook game branding event, and Cie Games is far from the only developer that's in on the action. Zynga has already begun to integrate Indiana Jones into its Adventure World completely, while other studios like Ecko|Code build their business entirely around branded Facebook games. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Branding is huge in Facebook games. Our concern, however, is whether the games can grow in terms of gameplay amidst the allure of branding.
Branded Facebook game promotions are a dime a dozen these days, but turning a Facebook game into a store front? Now, that's something to twirl the mustache at. Cie Games announced that Car Town was the only place Fast Five fans could pre-order the Fast Five Blu-ray/DVD combo pack at Walmart. But since the movie released today in stores, fans can also take a trip to Walmart to score some in-game rewards.
Within Car Town, players could click on a giant Walmart-themed big rig to pre-order the pack through Walmart's online store, which would have scored them an exclusive in-game locker with a Fast Five-themed bullet-proof vest to display in their garages. Though, anyone who buys the game through Car Town or in stores will net themselves a virtual Armet Gurkha armored vehicle to race their friends with.
This is the culmination of a six month-long event made possible by Universal Partnerships & Licensing that displayed the movie's trailer within Car Town. And now players can complete missions inspired by the movie's storyline by racing cars directly taken from the film. And Car Town, which enjoys over 5.2 million monthly players, has had its branding throughout the Fast Five release.
"This program is one of the most extensive and successful efforts to date by a major film studio to leverage the nexus between real-world marketing and promotion via social gaming," said Cie Games CEO Justin Choi. "Since the program began in April 2011, Car Town players have completed more than 200 million races in the virtual Rio de Janeiro race environment modeled after the movie's key location."
In other words, this was one giant Facebook game branding event, and Cie Games is far from the only developer that's in on the action. Zynga has already begun to integrate Indiana Jones into its Adventure World completely, while other studios like Ecko|Code build their business entirely around branded Facebook games. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Branding is huge in Facebook games. Our concern, however, is whether the games can grow in terms of gameplay amidst the allure of branding.
FarmVille Express: Zynga working on mobile browser version? [Rumor]
According to this single image found by a FarmVille Freak tipster, that very well may be the case. A mobile browser-based version of FarmVille may be in the works at Zynga. The website reports that readers are reaching this screen when attempting to log into their mobile farm via the existing. However, those readers' claims strike us as odd considering what's displayed is clearly the Safari browser on an iPhone.
FarmVille Freak goes on to say that the app isn't completely functional at the moment. When we attempted to reach this same page through the native FarmVille app for iPhone, we simply arrived at our existing farms. But when trying to access FarmVille from Safari by typing in "www.farmville.com," we were redirected to "m.farmville.com/fx/" and a message that reads, "Howdy Partners! FarmVille is currently not available for this device."
The fact that we were redirected to that web address suggests that perhaps mobile web version of FarmVille really is in the works, but the release of this image was accidental. If you remember, Zynga approached players earlier this year with a survey asking players what they would want from a mobile web version of the game. Why Zynga would suddenly release a mobile web version of its flagship game after working so hard to bring the native FarmVille app up to speed is beyond us.
FarmVille Express full
This news follows the mild announcement of a new Mafia Wars game for iOS, Shakedown. More importantly, this news comes just after Zynga's mobile head David Ko told The Guardian that he thought HTML5, commonly used by game developers to make mobile web game like what FarmVille Express appears to be, is still too early. Though, there is Facebook's Project Spartan to consider.
FarmVille Freak goes on to say that the app isn't completely functional at the moment. When we attempted to reach this same page through the native FarmVille app for iPhone, we simply arrived at our existing farms. But when trying to access FarmVille from Safari by typing in "www.farmville.com," we were redirected to "m.farmville.com/fx/" and a message that reads, "Howdy Partners! FarmVille is currently not available for this device."
The fact that we were redirected to that web address suggests that perhaps mobile web version of FarmVille really is in the works, but the release of this image was accidental. If you remember, Zynga approached players earlier this year with a survey asking players what they would want from a mobile web version of the game. Why Zynga would suddenly release a mobile web version of its flagship game after working so hard to bring the native FarmVille app up to speed is beyond us.
FarmVille Express full
This news follows the mild announcement of a new Mafia Wars game for iOS, Shakedown. More importantly, this news comes just after Zynga's mobile head David Ko told The Guardian that he thought HTML5, commonly used by game developers to make mobile web game like what FarmVille Express appears to be, is still too early. Though, there is Facebook's Project Spartan to consider.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
New CityVille Buildings: Middle School, Modern Art Gallery, Appliances Store, & Laundromat
If you've reached the level cap in CityVille (and have run out of things to buy), or are perhaps just looking to for new things to build in your city, you'll be happy to know that Zynga has launched four new buildings in the game - two businesses and two community buildings.
The two businesses are the Appliances Store and Laundromat. The Appliances Store costs 25 City Cash, and earns 405 coins after being supplied with 90 goods. Meanwhile, the Laundromat costs just 5,000 coins, and earns 515 coins by default, after being stocked with 115 goods. As one final note, you must have at least 1,100 citizens in your town to unlock access to the Laundromat.
Meanwhile, the two community buildings are the Middle School and the Modern Art Gallery. Both of these are fortunately available for coins, but the Modern Art Gallery is only available to those who have reached level 60, while the Middle School is available at level 32. The prices reflect these differences in level requirements, as the Middle School costs 27,500 coins to build and adds 800 citizens to your total maximum population, while the Modern Art Gallery costs a whopping 200,000 coins. For that price, your population cap will increase by 1,900 - a nice investment piece, if you are a high enough level, and can actually afford it.
All of these new items can be found in the game's store, under the "New" section, and currently come with no time limit. Save those coins and those City Cash, and we're sure that you'll be able to afford all four of them in no time.
The two businesses are the Appliances Store and Laundromat. The Appliances Store costs 25 City Cash, and earns 405 coins after being supplied with 90 goods. Meanwhile, the Laundromat costs just 5,000 coins, and earns 515 coins by default, after being stocked with 115 goods. As one final note, you must have at least 1,100 citizens in your town to unlock access to the Laundromat.
Meanwhile, the two community buildings are the Middle School and the Modern Art Gallery. Both of these are fortunately available for coins, but the Modern Art Gallery is only available to those who have reached level 60, while the Middle School is available at level 32. The prices reflect these differences in level requirements, as the Middle School costs 27,500 coins to build and adds 800 citizens to your total maximum population, while the Modern Art Gallery costs a whopping 200,000 coins. For that price, your population cap will increase by 1,900 - a nice investment piece, if you are a high enough level, and can actually afford it.
All of these new items can be found in the game's store, under the "New" section, and currently come with no time limit. Save those coins and those City Cash, and we're sure that you'll be able to afford all four of them in no time.
Facebook game Evony saves man from fire in home
Most of the time, when we have a real-world news story to bring you about Facebook gaming, it deals with something negative - addiction to Facebook games, perhaps. Tonight, though, we have a heart-warming tale of how one particular Facebook game has actually saved a man's life.
51-year-old Robert Chambers, from Spokane Washington, was alone at home on Tuesday, playing Evony on Facebook with a group of online friends. A toaster strudel became lodged in his toaster, causing a fire which spread to the rest of the home. Chambers suffers from muscular dystrophy, and therefore can't move around his home easily. His telephone was out of reach, causing Chambers to call out to those friends he knows on line.
In the Evony game screen he typed "Help me, my house is on fire and I can't get out." He then typed his address, and Evony gamers from both Indiana and Texas proceeded to call the local fire department. Firemen arrived at Chambers' home within a matter of minutes, and he was saved.
Chambers' wife Patricia says she now has a better appreciation for the game, which she used to hate, due to Robert's dedication. "I hated this game because he doesn't pay attention to me or anything else in the house," she said. "Now I've got to bite my tongue because it saved his life quite possibly."
Luckily, this is one news story with a much happier ending than those we've seen in the past. Hopefully it's just the first of many that show the helpful nature of gamers all around the country, and even the world.
51-year-old Robert Chambers, from Spokane Washington, was alone at home on Tuesday, playing Evony on Facebook with a group of online friends. A toaster strudel became lodged in his toaster, causing a fire which spread to the rest of the home. Chambers suffers from muscular dystrophy, and therefore can't move around his home easily. His telephone was out of reach, causing Chambers to call out to those friends he knows on line.
In the Evony game screen he typed "Help me, my house is on fire and I can't get out." He then typed his address, and Evony gamers from both Indiana and Texas proceeded to call the local fire department. Firemen arrived at Chambers' home within a matter of minutes, and he was saved.
Chambers' wife Patricia says she now has a better appreciation for the game, which she used to hate, due to Robert's dedication. "I hated this game because he doesn't pay attention to me or anything else in the house," she said. "Now I've got to bite my tongue because it saved his life quite possibly."
Luckily, this is one news story with a much happier ending than those we've seen in the past. Hopefully it's just the first of many that show the helpful nature of gamers all around the country, and even the world.
CityVille New Fire Station Quest: Everything you need to know
A new quest has been launched in CityVille today called "New Fire Station." As you'd expect, this goal asks you to prepare your city for unexpected tragedy by ensuring that your citizens are safe in the event of a fire. You'll need to complete three tasks to finish this quest, and luckily, they are all pretty simple.
Have a Fire Station in Your City
Collect from the Fire Station
Ask friends for 12 Fire Axes
The most time consuming portion of this quest will likely be the collection of the Fire Axes, which can be done by posting a general wall post to your news feed, asking your friends for help.
As for the Fire Station, if you already have one in your city, don't worry as this mission doesn't ask you to "build" a new one, but rather simply "have" one in your town. If you haven't built one, though, it is available from the Community Buildings section of the store for 30,000 coins. It can be collected from once per day.
Like we said, this mission is actually pretty simple, but good luck to all of those who are trying to finish it!
Have a Fire Station in Your City
Collect from the Fire Station
Ask friends for 12 Fire Axes
The most time consuming portion of this quest will likely be the collection of the Fire Axes, which can be done by posting a general wall post to your news feed, asking your friends for help.
As for the Fire Station, if you already have one in your city, don't worry as this mission doesn't ask you to "build" a new one, but rather simply "have" one in your town. If you haven't built one, though, it is available from the Community Buildings section of the store for 30,000 coins. It can be collected from once per day.
Like we said, this mission is actually pretty simple, but good luck to all of those who are trying to finish it!
FarmVille introduces Citibank Citi Specials promotion - 30% off $50 Zynga eCard
If you're a Citibank credit card holder, you may be interested in learning more about Zynga's newest cross-promotional activity in FarmVille. The two companies have partnered to create "Citi Specials," a new activity that is available to find in the same area as free Farm Cash promotions - underneath the bottom right corner of the FarmVille gameplay area.
Clicking on the Sponsored Link [pictured] will launch the activity, where you will first have to prove your eligibility by entering the first 6 digits from your Citi Credit Card. As the promotion is only open to cardholders, you'll have the ability to snagging a $50 Zynga eCard (Game Card) for 30% off the normal price - or just $35 US.
This eCard will be delivered by email, and don't be afraid to send it to yourself. Once you receive the eCard as a gift, you'll be able to redeem it in-game for either 310 Farm Cash, or 92,000 coins (I think the choice is pretty obvious, don't you?). You'll also receive 3 Mystery Darts as a bonus, that can be used to take a stab at the latest installment of the Mystery Game in the store, for your chance at snagging perhaps three of the current limited edition animals (hang onto them until tomorrow and the items should cycle out into Valentine's Day items - or at least that's the rumor).
As we said before, if you aren't a Citibank credit card holder, unfortunately, you won't be able to participate in this activity, but we'll be sure to let you know if any other similar activities launch in the future.
Are you eligible for this Game Card discount? Will you take advantage of the offer to land yourself some discounted Farm Cash?
Clicking on the Sponsored Link [pictured] will launch the activity, where you will first have to prove your eligibility by entering the first 6 digits from your Citi Credit Card. As the promotion is only open to cardholders, you'll have the ability to snagging a $50 Zynga eCard (Game Card) for 30% off the normal price - or just $35 US.
This eCard will be delivered by email, and don't be afraid to send it to yourself. Once you receive the eCard as a gift, you'll be able to redeem it in-game for either 310 Farm Cash, or 92,000 coins (I think the choice is pretty obvious, don't you?). You'll also receive 3 Mystery Darts as a bonus, that can be used to take a stab at the latest installment of the Mystery Game in the store, for your chance at snagging perhaps three of the current limited edition animals (hang onto them until tomorrow and the items should cycle out into Valentine's Day items - or at least that's the rumor).
As we said before, if you aren't a Citibank credit card holder, unfortunately, you won't be able to participate in this activity, but we'll be sure to let you know if any other similar activities launch in the future.
Are you eligible for this Game Card discount? Will you take advantage of the offer to land yourself some discounted Farm Cash?
CityVille Sneak Peek: First set of RewardVille items revealed
Over the past week, we've been keeping you up-to-date on Zynga's newest "RewardVille" website and promotion. As we've told you in the past, RewardVille will reward players of almost all of Zynga's games with zCoins / zPoints as they continue to play a selection of Zynga's titles on Facebook (including CityVille). These zCoins will be redeemable for prizes (both new and old) in your favorite games, giving incentive to the entire project.
While we've already discovered what the rewards will be for FarmVille players, CityVille Feed has uncovered some of the items that will apparently be coming to CityVille's portion of the rewards program, as they have discovered a new screenshot from the website.
There will apparently be at least eight items made available through RewardVille, all of which are unlocked at a series of increasing level intervals, with these particular items being unlocked from zLevel 40 - 70. Apparently, there are two other pages of rewards, as the screen above says that this is page "3 of 3", but here's the rundown of the items that we do know about:
Jeans Store - 120 zCoins
DVD Rental Store - 120 zCoins
Lamp Store - 110 zCoins
Clock Tower - 130 zCoins
Coastal Rowhouse - 120 zCoins
Downtown Flat - 140 zCoins
Skyrise Heights - 160 zCoins
Stepped Skyscraper - 200 zCoins
As usual, it's anyone's guess as to when these items will be made available to all CityVille players, but keep checking back with us, as we'll make sure you're the first to know - we'll also be back with all of the details on how to level up in RewardVille, and what other prizes will be made available in your other favorite Zynga games.
While we've already discovered what the rewards will be for FarmVille players, CityVille Feed has uncovered some of the items that will apparently be coming to CityVille's portion of the rewards program, as they have discovered a new screenshot from the website.
There will apparently be at least eight items made available through RewardVille, all of which are unlocked at a series of increasing level intervals, with these particular items being unlocked from zLevel 40 - 70. Apparently, there are two other pages of rewards, as the screen above says that this is page "3 of 3", but here's the rundown of the items that we do know about:
Jeans Store - 120 zCoins
DVD Rental Store - 120 zCoins
Lamp Store - 110 zCoins
Clock Tower - 130 zCoins
Coastal Rowhouse - 120 zCoins
Downtown Flat - 140 zCoins
Skyrise Heights - 160 zCoins
Stepped Skyscraper - 200 zCoins
As usual, it's anyone's guess as to when these items will be made available to all CityVille players, but keep checking back with us, as we'll make sure you're the first to know - we'll also be back with all of the details on how to level up in RewardVille, and what other prizes will be made available in your other favorite Zynga games.
Friday, January 6, 2012
FrontierVille: 37 x 37 land expansion coming March 1?
At the beginning of February, Zynga launched the 35 x 35 Land Expansion in FrontierVille. Along with that, all of the supposed details concerning the 37 x 37 Land Expansion were released as well, but the expansion itself was never made available to players, even those who had finished expanding to 35 x 35. So, when exactly will users be able to expand again?
Up until now, it's been anyone's guess, but we've come to learn that, according to FrontierVille Legend, the 37 x 37 Land Expansion will be made available on March 1. This seems to be more fact than fiction, as even the official FrontierVille forums users have decided upon that date as the release date. Is it 100% factual? Of course nothing can be known for certain until Zynga officially announces a date, and details are always changing up until the release of new features. It does get us to thinking, though...
If you believe the 37 x 37 Land Expansion will release on March 1, then make sure to check out our guide to the mission goals to complete the expansion, and start saving up on the required materials therein (lots of Pigs, Cacti, Groundhogs, Fire, Grass, and so on, all need to be tended, removed, crafted and more). If the details remain unchanged, this looks like it will be an even more difficult set of missions to complete than when we expanded to 35 x 35, so it never hurts to save up items either way, even if the land expansion turns out to be released a bit after the expected date.
Up until now, it's been anyone's guess, but we've come to learn that, according to FrontierVille Legend, the 37 x 37 Land Expansion will be made available on March 1. This seems to be more fact than fiction, as even the official FrontierVille forums users have decided upon that date as the release date. Is it 100% factual? Of course nothing can be known for certain until Zynga officially announces a date, and details are always changing up until the release of new features. It does get us to thinking, though...
If you believe the 37 x 37 Land Expansion will release on March 1, then make sure to check out our guide to the mission goals to complete the expansion, and start saving up on the required materials therein (lots of Pigs, Cacti, Groundhogs, Fire, Grass, and so on, all need to be tended, removed, crafted and more). If the details remain unchanged, this looks like it will be an even more difficult set of missions to complete than when we expanded to 35 x 35, so it never hurts to save up items either way, even if the land expansion turns out to be released a bit after the expected date.
FarmVille Rumor Mill: Posts about locked Dairy Barns / Stables are fake
While this might not fall into the category of a FarmVille scam, it is something to take note of all the same. Over the past few days, a new nasty rumor has been spreading to the status updates of many concerned FarmVille players, with the post warning against Dairy Barn and Horse Stable "stuffing." Stuffing, in this case, is the common term for the infinite breeding tips we've brought you in the past - the fact that you can place a ready Cow or Horse into an "unready" Dairy Barn or Horse Stable, and transfer that ready status to the entire building.
The Status Update looks something like this:
WARNING FV BREEDERS and Dairy Barn Stuffers: Zynga has decided these actions are a breach of the TOS despite the fact that the programming has allowed it, and are locking stables and dairys of players doing it. 1srt time 24 hours. 2nd time 3 days. 3rd time possible game and/or FB account removal. This will l...eave many of us with nothing to do.---- PLEASE REPOST THIS!!!!!!
Of course, as with any rumor, this issue was quickly brought to the official FarmVille forums, where moderators and community managers have jumped onto the rumor as being simply that. As "ItchieEye Sam" states, for instance, "This is a nasty rumor and not true at all."
I think that's one thing we can all be relieved about.
[Image Credit: Zynga Forums]
Do you practice these "stuffing" methods? Did you stop "stuffing" because you saw these status updates on your news feed?
The Status Update looks something like this:
WARNING FV BREEDERS and Dairy Barn Stuffers: Zynga has decided these actions are a breach of the TOS despite the fact that the programming has allowed it, and are locking stables and dairys of players doing it. 1srt time 24 hours. 2nd time 3 days. 3rd time possible game and/or FB account removal. This will l...eave many of us with nothing to do.---- PLEASE REPOST THIS!!!!!!
Of course, as with any rumor, this issue was quickly brought to the official FarmVille forums, where moderators and community managers have jumped onto the rumor as being simply that. As "ItchieEye Sam" states, for instance, "This is a nasty rumor and not true at all."
I think that's one thing we can all be relieved about.
[Image Credit: Zynga Forums]
Do you practice these "stuffing" methods? Did you stop "stuffing" because you saw these status updates on your news feed?
FarmVille billing system down for maintenance
Tonight FarmVille players encountered a yellow text banner above the game informing them about a maintenance downtime for the FarmVille billing system. This downtime means that no one will be able to buy Farm Cash or coins from Zynga beginning at 11pm Pacific Standard Time. The estimated downtime is only 45 minutes, however it has already been 50 minutes and the banner is still displayed above the game.
This billing downtime is only for FarmVille; all other Zynga games appear to be uninfected. If you were planning to get your hands on more Farm Cash or coins tonight, you're going to have to stay awake until the downtime is over or make your purchase tomorrow. It's nice when developers give us a heads up on downtime and maintenance so that we know what to expect.
This billing downtime is only for FarmVille; all other Zynga games appear to be uninfected. If you were planning to get your hands on more Farm Cash or coins tonight, you're going to have to stay awake until the downtime is over or make your purchase tomorrow. It's nice when developers give us a heads up on downtime and maintenance so that we know what to expect.
Most bizarre FarmVille crop ever: Watermelon babies
In one of the weirdest FarmVille crop photos ever, Gorbie from the official FarmVille forums has shown us the before and after of the Watermelon Baby Crop from FarmVille China. This isn't your typical watermelon - this crop actually makes a little odd looking baby pop out of it when it's ready for harvest. When it dies, the watermelon dies and turns brown, taking the baby down with it. The dead baby watermelon becomes less bright, but otherwise remains the same.
Needless to say, some players are finding it a bit disturbing that there is a "dead baby" in the game. Because the Watermelon Baby Crop is a 5 minute crop, players have to harvest it very quickly before they end up seeing it dead on their farm. This can be a little disturbing to players who are sensitive to that kind of imagery. Of course, it isn't a human baby (it looks more like a groundhog) and we're sure Zynga didn't intend for it to disturb players. This crop is only available in the Chinese version of FarmVille.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Baby Watermelon Crop? Disturbing, cute, or funny?
Needless to say, some players are finding it a bit disturbing that there is a "dead baby" in the game. Because the Watermelon Baby Crop is a 5 minute crop, players have to harvest it very quickly before they end up seeing it dead on their farm. This can be a little disturbing to players who are sensitive to that kind of imagery. Of course, it isn't a human baby (it looks more like a groundhog) and we're sure Zynga didn't intend for it to disturb players. This crop is only available in the Chinese version of FarmVille.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Baby Watermelon Crop? Disturbing, cute, or funny?
Game of the Day: Word Roundup
The Game of the Day needs your wordsmithing skills once more. Word Roundup: If you think word searches are too easy, or if you're a regular word search wrangler looking for a new wrinkle on an old favorite, give Word Roundup a try. Make sure you come back every day for a new puzzle.
Click --> Play Word Roundup
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Click --> Play Word Roundup
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
FrontierVille Detective Agency: Everything you need to know
Zynga must really be getting desperate for users to come back to FrontierVille (after leaving for any number of reasons), as they have created an entirely new building that is focused on the task. Making their current players work for them, the new building is Finkerton's Detective Agency, and it will have you, quite literally, searching for lost players.
This building, just as with all others, is on a slow rollout, so if you don't see it in your own game just yet, have patience as it will come to you with time. You'll know that this building is now available on your land when you see a screenshot like the one above appear at your next login.
Before you can track down lost players, you'll need to place your Detective Agency and then whack the frame 20 times in total, with each whack costing 7 Wood. From there, you'll need to collect six new items to complete the actual construction of the building, so meet us behind the break to see what those items are. The six new items are Desks, Curtains, Large Hings, Coat Racks, Frosted Glass, and Floorboards. The first three items (Desks, Curtains and Large Hinges) are earned through general news feed posts, asking all of your neighbors simultaneously to send you an item, while the other three (the Coat Racks, Frosted Glass and Floorboards) are earned through individual gift requests sent to those neighbors that you think will be most likely to help you.
Once you complete the construction of the Detective Agency, you'll be able to actually use the building to help bring missing players back to the frontier. Before this goes any further - yes, this building has been created with the goal of asking you to get your friends who have stopped playing the game to log back in, even if just for a moment. You will be rewarded for each friend you get to come back to the game (via a request), with different friends being worth different amounts of money.
FrontierVille Legend has an image of the interior of the completed Detective Agency, and we can see that you'll have three tabs - Missing, Open Cases, and Claim Rewards. Missing lists all of the players that you're friends with that have quit playing the game, with different amounts of Dollar Signs representing their worth if you can bring them back. Open Cases shows which ones you have attempted to bring back (but have yet to respond), while Claim Rewards allows you to claim your reward for successfully bringing back players. You'll be able to track your score for "finding missing players" on a leaderboard of your friends.
It doesn't take a FrontierVille veteran to know that this building will likely be the cause of a lot of controversy. While there are new quests available to complete along with this new building, I doubt many players will want to go through with either constructing this building or finishing the quests since it will undoubtedly work its way into the "spamming" of friends with unwanted requests to come back to the game. After all, if your friends no longer play, there has to be a reason for them to have left in the first place, and we doubt that a single request is suddenly going to make them forget about whatever issue they had with the game that causes them to leave.
As usual, though, whether or not you go through with building this new structure, or even completing the goals associated with it will be entirely voluntary. We can see pros and cons to completing most of these missions, even if you don't use the building for its intended purpose afterwards, but I'm not sure that many others will think the same. For a complete walkthrough to the five new Detective Agency missions, check out our guide.
[Missing Persons Image Credit: FrontierVille Legend]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this new building? Will you work to earn rewards for bringing back "missing" players, or will you leave your friends alone, regardless of how blatantly Zynga is begging you to "spam" them?
This building, just as with all others, is on a slow rollout, so if you don't see it in your own game just yet, have patience as it will come to you with time. You'll know that this building is now available on your land when you see a screenshot like the one above appear at your next login.
Before you can track down lost players, you'll need to place your Detective Agency and then whack the frame 20 times in total, with each whack costing 7 Wood. From there, you'll need to collect six new items to complete the actual construction of the building, so meet us behind the break to see what those items are. The six new items are Desks, Curtains, Large Hings, Coat Racks, Frosted Glass, and Floorboards. The first three items (Desks, Curtains and Large Hinges) are earned through general news feed posts, asking all of your neighbors simultaneously to send you an item, while the other three (the Coat Racks, Frosted Glass and Floorboards) are earned through individual gift requests sent to those neighbors that you think will be most likely to help you.
Once you complete the construction of the Detective Agency, you'll be able to actually use the building to help bring missing players back to the frontier. Before this goes any further - yes, this building has been created with the goal of asking you to get your friends who have stopped playing the game to log back in, even if just for a moment. You will be rewarded for each friend you get to come back to the game (via a request), with different friends being worth different amounts of money.
FrontierVille Legend has an image of the interior of the completed Detective Agency, and we can see that you'll have three tabs - Missing, Open Cases, and Claim Rewards. Missing lists all of the players that you're friends with that have quit playing the game, with different amounts of Dollar Signs representing their worth if you can bring them back. Open Cases shows which ones you have attempted to bring back (but have yet to respond), while Claim Rewards allows you to claim your reward for successfully bringing back players. You'll be able to track your score for "finding missing players" on a leaderboard of your friends.
It doesn't take a FrontierVille veteran to know that this building will likely be the cause of a lot of controversy. While there are new quests available to complete along with this new building, I doubt many players will want to go through with either constructing this building or finishing the quests since it will undoubtedly work its way into the "spamming" of friends with unwanted requests to come back to the game. After all, if your friends no longer play, there has to be a reason for them to have left in the first place, and we doubt that a single request is suddenly going to make them forget about whatever issue they had with the game that causes them to leave.
As usual, though, whether or not you go through with building this new structure, or even completing the goals associated with it will be entirely voluntary. We can see pros and cons to completing most of these missions, even if you don't use the building for its intended purpose afterwards, but I'm not sure that many others will think the same. For a complete walkthrough to the five new Detective Agency missions, check out our guide.
[Missing Persons Image Credit: FrontierVille Legend]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this new building? Will you work to earn rewards for bringing back "missing" players, or will you leave your friends alone, regardless of how blatantly Zynga is begging you to "spam" them?
FrontierVille Detective Agency Quests: Everything you need to know
Along with the release of the already controversial new Detective Agency in FrontierVille comes a series of five new missions that can also be completed. Just as with the Detective Agency building itself, these missions are on a slow rollout to users. While you may receive these quests within a few hours, you may also have to wait until tomorrow or later, so if you don't see them in your game, please be patient. Also keep in mind that as these missions are incredibly new, these details are subject to change at any time.
The first of these missions is called simply "Finkerton's Detective Agency," and it has you placing the new building on your Homestead.
Purchase Finkerton's Detective Agency from the Market
Clear Ten Grass on Your Homestead
Harvest 15 Apple Trees
FrontierVille Forums user Thanisa has an image showing off this first quest, which gives us a sneak preview of what the completed Detective Agency will look like, if you don't already have it on your land. Remember, if you don't have 15 Apple Trees on your land, simply harvest the ones you do have and come back to finish this step 30 minutes later. Your rewards for finishing this quest are 250 XP and 250 coins.
From there, you'll unlock Part II of V, which has you collecting some new items that are themed quite well to this new building.
Tend Ten Adult Pigs
Collect the Detective Agency Bonus
Get Ten Missing Person Posters
You'll receive the Missing Person Posters by asking your friends to send you the ten you need. At this time, we believe the request is a general wall post, but this is subject to change to individual gift requests in the future, if Zynga so chooses. Your rewards for this mission are 500 XP and a Trackin' Pig, which is a themed animal, all dressed up to search for the missing players.
Part III of V has you completing similar tasks, in terms of animal tending and item collecting.
Tend 15 Sheep
Have 25 Cloth
Have 15 False Mustaches
The False Mustaches are another item you'll have to ask your friends to send you. Completing this mission gives you a reward of a Sheep and 750 XP.
From there, you'll move onto Part IV of V, which primarily asks you to collect two new items.
Visit 10 Neighbors
Have 3 Invisible Ink
Collect 15 Decoder Rings
As you might have guessed, you'll need to ask your friends for the Decoder Rings, while the Invisible Ink is a new collection item in the Detective Agency collection, and can be earned either when whacking the frame of the building, or by collecting the Daily Bonus as it drops at random. Your rewards before the finale of this mission series are an Old Time Camera and 850 XP.
Finally, Part V of V will unfortunately force you to use your Detective Agency to bring back missing friends, so I hope this is a time when you're willing to ask friends personally to come back to the game long enough to help you out. Either that, or have some Horseshoes on hand to skip this step altogether.
Buy 3 Breakfasts
Have 3,000 coins
Recover Two Lost Settlers
For finishing this mission, you'll receive 1,000 XP and Finkerton's Detective Suit for your in-game avatar.
We can understand if users wouldn't want to work their way through the first four goals only to have to resort to begging their friends to come back to the game, but if you're picky about completing things, at least you know what to expect before going in.
[Top Image Credit: Thanisa]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these new goals? Will you complete these goals and never use the Detective Agency for its intended purpose afterwards, just to receive the coins, XP and other rewards, or will you skip both the missions and the new building entirely?
The first of these missions is called simply "Finkerton's Detective Agency," and it has you placing the new building on your Homestead.
Purchase Finkerton's Detective Agency from the Market
Clear Ten Grass on Your Homestead
Harvest 15 Apple Trees
FrontierVille Forums user Thanisa has an image showing off this first quest, which gives us a sneak preview of what the completed Detective Agency will look like, if you don't already have it on your land. Remember, if you don't have 15 Apple Trees on your land, simply harvest the ones you do have and come back to finish this step 30 minutes later. Your rewards for finishing this quest are 250 XP and 250 coins.
From there, you'll unlock Part II of V, which has you collecting some new items that are themed quite well to this new building.
Tend Ten Adult Pigs
Collect the Detective Agency Bonus
Get Ten Missing Person Posters
You'll receive the Missing Person Posters by asking your friends to send you the ten you need. At this time, we believe the request is a general wall post, but this is subject to change to individual gift requests in the future, if Zynga so chooses. Your rewards for this mission are 500 XP and a Trackin' Pig, which is a themed animal, all dressed up to search for the missing players.
Part III of V has you completing similar tasks, in terms of animal tending and item collecting.
Tend 15 Sheep
Have 25 Cloth
Have 15 False Mustaches
The False Mustaches are another item you'll have to ask your friends to send you. Completing this mission gives you a reward of a Sheep and 750 XP.
From there, you'll move onto Part IV of V, which primarily asks you to collect two new items.
Visit 10 Neighbors
Have 3 Invisible Ink
Collect 15 Decoder Rings
As you might have guessed, you'll need to ask your friends for the Decoder Rings, while the Invisible Ink is a new collection item in the Detective Agency collection, and can be earned either when whacking the frame of the building, or by collecting the Daily Bonus as it drops at random. Your rewards before the finale of this mission series are an Old Time Camera and 850 XP.
Finally, Part V of V will unfortunately force you to use your Detective Agency to bring back missing friends, so I hope this is a time when you're willing to ask friends personally to come back to the game long enough to help you out. Either that, or have some Horseshoes on hand to skip this step altogether.
Buy 3 Breakfasts
Have 3,000 coins
Recover Two Lost Settlers
For finishing this mission, you'll receive 1,000 XP and Finkerton's Detective Suit for your in-game avatar.
We can understand if users wouldn't want to work their way through the first four goals only to have to resort to begging their friends to come back to the game, but if you're picky about completing things, at least you know what to expect before going in.
[Top Image Credit: Thanisa]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of these new goals? Will you complete these goals and never use the Detective Agency for its intended purpose afterwards, just to receive the coins, XP and other rewards, or will you skip both the missions and the new building entirely?
FrontierVille: Detective Agency Collection rewards muddy Footprints as prize
As usual, along with the release of a new building in FrontierVille comes a new Collection that can be completed by earning the appropriate items when whacking the frame of the new building, or when collecting that building's Daily Bonus. Such is the case with the new Detective Agency, and this new Detective Agency Collection.
There are five new items to keep an eye out for:
Badge
Invisible Ink
Walkin' Shoes
Notebook
Handcuffs
Once you complete this collection, you can trade it in for a set of Footprints, as seen below. This item is purely decorative, and would make a perfect accompaniment beside your new Detective Agency building. Check out our full guide to building the Detective Agency, if you've yet to do so already.
What do you think of this new collection? Will you build the Detective Agency in FrontierVille, even after you learn what it's used for (that being recruiting past players to come back to the game)?
There are five new items to keep an eye out for:
Badge
Invisible Ink
Walkin' Shoes
Notebook
Handcuffs
Once you complete this collection, you can trade it in for a set of Footprints, as seen below. This item is purely decorative, and would make a perfect accompaniment beside your new Detective Agency building. Check out our full guide to building the Detective Agency, if you've yet to do so already.
What do you think of this new collection? Will you build the Detective Agency in FrontierVille, even after you learn what it's used for (that being recruiting past players to come back to the game)?
FrontierVille: Detective Agency Badges offer free Fast Hand Boosts
If you're one of the (presumably few) players that go through with finding "lost settlers" in FrontierVille's new Detective Agency - that is, you use the building to ask your non-playing FrontierVille friends to come back to the game and are successful at doing so - you'll be rewarded with one of four new Badges in the game depending on just how many players you can bring back to the game.
This new Badge starts at the Private Eye level, which asks you to find 10 "Lost Homesteaders." Your rewards for doing so are 250 XP, 200 coins, and 1 Fast Hands Boost. Of course, this badge has three other levels, and they are as follows:
Super Sleuth: Find 25 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 500 XP, 500 coins and 3 Fast Hand Boosts
Incredible Investigator: Find 60 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 1,000 XP, 1,000 coins and 6 Fast Hand Boosts
Dashing Detective: Find 100 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 2,000 XP, 2,000 coins and 10 Fast Hand Boosts
I'd imagine that it would take an incredibly persuasive individual to convince the full 100 people to come back to the game, although it is unclear right now as to whether or not you could find the same person more than once; that is, find them once, wait for them to leave the game long enough to be considered missing again, and then bring them back a second time and so on.
Good luck if you attempt this Badge - I have a feeling you're going to need it (that and lots of understanding, helpful Facebook friends).
What do you think of this new Badge's requirements? Will you try to bring lost players back to the game, or will you respect your friends' decision to leave the game?
This new Badge starts at the Private Eye level, which asks you to find 10 "Lost Homesteaders." Your rewards for doing so are 250 XP, 200 coins, and 1 Fast Hands Boost. Of course, this badge has three other levels, and they are as follows:
Super Sleuth: Find 25 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 500 XP, 500 coins and 3 Fast Hand Boosts
Incredible Investigator: Find 60 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 1,000 XP, 1,000 coins and 6 Fast Hand Boosts
Dashing Detective: Find 100 Lost Homesteaders - Rewards 2,000 XP, 2,000 coins and 10 Fast Hand Boosts
I'd imagine that it would take an incredibly persuasive individual to convince the full 100 people to come back to the game, although it is unclear right now as to whether or not you could find the same person more than once; that is, find them once, wait for them to leave the game long enough to be considered missing again, and then bring them back a second time and so on.
Good luck if you attempt this Badge - I have a feeling you're going to need it (that and lots of understanding, helpful Facebook friends).
What do you think of this new Badge's requirements? Will you try to bring lost players back to the game, or will you respect your friends' decision to leave the game?
FarmVille Scam Alert: Union Jack Mystery Egg posts are fake
Just this week, we brought you an early sneak peek of a new kind of Mystery Egg that will be available when FarmVille launches the English Countryside expansion next week. This egg is the Union Jack Mystery Egg, and it will presumably come from an also unreleased Union Jack Chicken.
Imagine my surprise then, when I started seeing free Union Jack Mystery Egg posts appearing in my news feed, looking very much like an official post from FarmVille. Of course these posts are fake, and we're here to stop you from falling victim yourself. If you see a post like the one above, avoid it at all costs. While it doesn't seem to try to get you to install any new apps, it does take you to a never-ending loop of pop-ups, that can apparently only be stopped by posting the same wall post to your own feed, or simply closing out the window altogether.
We'll make sure to bring you news about any other scams we see popping up, regardless of the items they supposedly give away, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen any of these Union Jack Mystery Egg posts?
Imagine my surprise then, when I started seeing free Union Jack Mystery Egg posts appearing in my news feed, looking very much like an official post from FarmVille. Of course these posts are fake, and we're here to stop you from falling victim yourself. If you see a post like the one above, avoid it at all costs. While it doesn't seem to try to get you to install any new apps, it does take you to a never-ending loop of pop-ups, that can apparently only be stopped by posting the same wall post to your own feed, or simply closing out the window altogether.
We'll make sure to bring you news about any other scams we see popping up, regardless of the items they supposedly give away, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our FarmVille English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen any of these Union Jack Mystery Egg posts?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Sims Social Cheats and Tips: How to Build Your Own Ponds, Lakes, etc
Want to design your own amazing, custom pond in The Sims Social? How about a castle moat, a river house, or even a beach? Then get ready to love rocks and rugs!
Recently, we covered a popular workaround invented by players called "stacking". But decorative waterways require a trick called "grouping" or "merging", something the game isn't designed to let you do. But as always, gamers are an innovative bunch.
Basically, every item in the game takes up tile space. One item would take up one tile space no matter how small or skinny it is. For example, a scrawny bamboo tree would take up as much space as a big fat boulder. But "grouping" allows you to pack items more closely together. Sometimes, you can pack them so close, they even overlap. For example, you can have a whole field of flowers clustered together, instead of being forced into spaced out rows. This gives you more natural-looking designs. And the secret of grouping or merging is rugs. Lots and lots of rugs. If you put down rugs, then put stuff on top of the rugs, then stuff can be placed closer together.
Pond Building Supplies:
(Note: How much you need of the following depends on the size of the pond you want to make.)
The best rug for the job is any of the circular 2x2 ones in the Decorations section of the game store: Aqua Rug, Cream Rug, or Scarlet Rug for 125 Simoleons each. You're going to need a lot of them and they're cheap. Next up for purchase are a handful of large 3x2 rugs. I've got several Fiesta Rugs for this, but you'll have to get something similar, as they're no longer in the game store. A good substitute is the Walk-On Soviet (it's bright red) which costs only 250 Simoleons each and is also in Decorations.
Now, you'll need rocks. More rocks than rugs. The game used to have a wonderful variety of rocks for this, particularly the Big Basalt Rock, Rock of Ages, and Limestone Boulder. But during a recent store clean-up, Playfish took the rocks away, so now we're down to (oh, irony) a rock called "Rock and Hard Place", priced for 60 Simoleons each in the Outdoor section of the store. Because of this, round plants, such as bushes and Lithodora (150 Simoleons) are valued as a good substitute, as well as being a great way to brighten up your pond's borders.
The last essential are Aqua Carpet tiles, which you can find in the Build tab within the store for 20 Simoleons each. It's the most realistic item for mimicking water in the game.
Sims Social Aqua Carpet
This last bit is entirely up to you, but most people like to decorate the inside of their water. Clover (costs 80 Simoleons, found in Outdoors section) is extremely popular, as is the Pink Flamingo (100 Simoleons; Outdoors). For something more high-end, there's the Dolphin Topiary (4,500 Simoleons; Outdoors buildable) or a Font Of All Awesome (2,250 Simoleons; Outdoors buildable).
If that seems like a lot to you, don't fret. If you're ready, I'm going to tell you what to do with all that stuff. With stacking, building is as hard as preparing. Lucky for us, after you've gathered your supplies, making the ponds are a snap.
Sims Social make a pond
Step 1: Start putting down rugs so that you've got a big body and then a bunch of little ones surround it. (See the above screenshot for an example.) Make sure you have the rugs right where you want the boulders. Don't overlap the bigger rugs or you'll have issues. Plug gaps and round out edges using the smaller rugs. Lumpy borders look more natural than straight edges.
Step 2: Add the bushes, flowers, and/or rocks to build the edges of your pond. Rotate some of the rocks so they won't look totally identical. Keep the items on the edge sitting on the carpet. Make sure to arrange the edge in a way that plugs all the empty spaces -- you won't want your 'water' to look like it's leaking out.
Step 3: Start laying down decorations inside your pond, such as the Clover or Blossom Fall (costs 400 Social Points; Outdoors). I bought a Skelemingo during the Halloween event, so I used that too. When you're done, you should have something that looks like the screenshot below.
Sims Social Build a Pond
Step 4: Go to the Tiles section in the Build tab and select the Aqua Carpet tile. Drag your mouse to highlight the areas of your pond you want the tiles to fill. If you planned this right, the unevenly placed rocks and bushes should hide the even edges of the carpet tiles.
Sims Social pond
Step 5: Remove the rugs and you're done! (Also, notice that I added a Pink Rose Trellis? If you want to do that too, do it before you take the rugs away. It's because the rugs are there that allow you to place the trellis so close to the pond.)
Special thanks to zoobeast for the original idea. For more inspiration, I highly recommend visiting the "Show off your ponds!" thread in The Sims Social official forum. You'll be drooling over how pretty everything is.
[Top Image Credit: HanHen]
Have you mastered pond building yet? What other water-based ideas can you think up for decorating a home in The Sims Social?
Recently, we covered a popular workaround invented by players called "stacking". But decorative waterways require a trick called "grouping" or "merging", something the game isn't designed to let you do. But as always, gamers are an innovative bunch.
Basically, every item in the game takes up tile space. One item would take up one tile space no matter how small or skinny it is. For example, a scrawny bamboo tree would take up as much space as a big fat boulder. But "grouping" allows you to pack items more closely together. Sometimes, you can pack them so close, they even overlap. For example, you can have a whole field of flowers clustered together, instead of being forced into spaced out rows. This gives you more natural-looking designs. And the secret of grouping or merging is rugs. Lots and lots of rugs. If you put down rugs, then put stuff on top of the rugs, then stuff can be placed closer together.
Pond Building Supplies:
(Note: How much you need of the following depends on the size of the pond you want to make.)
The best rug for the job is any of the circular 2x2 ones in the Decorations section of the game store: Aqua Rug, Cream Rug, or Scarlet Rug for 125 Simoleons each. You're going to need a lot of them and they're cheap. Next up for purchase are a handful of large 3x2 rugs. I've got several Fiesta Rugs for this, but you'll have to get something similar, as they're no longer in the game store. A good substitute is the Walk-On Soviet (it's bright red) which costs only 250 Simoleons each and is also in Decorations.
Now, you'll need rocks. More rocks than rugs. The game used to have a wonderful variety of rocks for this, particularly the Big Basalt Rock, Rock of Ages, and Limestone Boulder. But during a recent store clean-up, Playfish took the rocks away, so now we're down to (oh, irony) a rock called "Rock and Hard Place", priced for 60 Simoleons each in the Outdoor section of the store. Because of this, round plants, such as bushes and Lithodora (150 Simoleons) are valued as a good substitute, as well as being a great way to brighten up your pond's borders.
The last essential are Aqua Carpet tiles, which you can find in the Build tab within the store for 20 Simoleons each. It's the most realistic item for mimicking water in the game.
Sims Social Aqua Carpet
This last bit is entirely up to you, but most people like to decorate the inside of their water. Clover (costs 80 Simoleons, found in Outdoors section) is extremely popular, as is the Pink Flamingo (100 Simoleons; Outdoors). For something more high-end, there's the Dolphin Topiary (4,500 Simoleons; Outdoors buildable) or a Font Of All Awesome (2,250 Simoleons; Outdoors buildable).
If that seems like a lot to you, don't fret. If you're ready, I'm going to tell you what to do with all that stuff. With stacking, building is as hard as preparing. Lucky for us, after you've gathered your supplies, making the ponds are a snap.
Sims Social make a pond
Step 1: Start putting down rugs so that you've got a big body and then a bunch of little ones surround it. (See the above screenshot for an example.) Make sure you have the rugs right where you want the boulders. Don't overlap the bigger rugs or you'll have issues. Plug gaps and round out edges using the smaller rugs. Lumpy borders look more natural than straight edges.
Step 2: Add the bushes, flowers, and/or rocks to build the edges of your pond. Rotate some of the rocks so they won't look totally identical. Keep the items on the edge sitting on the carpet. Make sure to arrange the edge in a way that plugs all the empty spaces -- you won't want your 'water' to look like it's leaking out.
Step 3: Start laying down decorations inside your pond, such as the Clover or Blossom Fall (costs 400 Social Points; Outdoors). I bought a Skelemingo during the Halloween event, so I used that too. When you're done, you should have something that looks like the screenshot below.
Sims Social Build a Pond
Step 4: Go to the Tiles section in the Build tab and select the Aqua Carpet tile. Drag your mouse to highlight the areas of your pond you want the tiles to fill. If you planned this right, the unevenly placed rocks and bushes should hide the even edges of the carpet tiles.
Sims Social pond
Step 5: Remove the rugs and you're done! (Also, notice that I added a Pink Rose Trellis? If you want to do that too, do it before you take the rugs away. It's because the rugs are there that allow you to place the trellis so close to the pond.)
Special thanks to zoobeast for the original idea. For more inspiration, I highly recommend visiting the "Show off your ponds!" thread in The Sims Social official forum. You'll be drooling over how pretty everything is.
[Top Image Credit: HanHen]
Have you mastered pond building yet? What other water-based ideas can you think up for decorating a home in The Sims Social?
The Sims Social enjoys the holidays in style in Festive Chic Week
Another week, another update to Playfish's The Sims Social. This fourth and final holiday-themed weekly update, Festive Chic Week, is all about looking your absolute best in time for Christmas. Lots of modern-style outfits and furniture has appeared in the game, painting Little Haven in the most cheery shade of red. Along with the usual myriad of goodies to buy are some quests.
However, not exactly in the same way they're normally presented. Rather than create some overarching storyline for this week's series of quests, Playfish went ahead and added different quests to complete each day throughout the week. (However, as of this writing, none of said quests have appeared in The Sims Social for this writer.) Each quest is promised to grant players fantastic rewards.
In addition to the slew of new items to collect (most of which for SimCash, sadly), Playfish has introduced a new Daily Bonus. On top of winning up to 10 SimCash every five days, players have the chance of winning up to two Mystery Boxes for logging in five days consecutively. In short, you'll be up to your knees in things to do this weekend in The Sims Social ... just remember this Sunday is family time.
[Image Credit: Playfish]
Are you psyched to dive into this new holiday content in The iIms Social, or have you grown bored of the updates?
However, not exactly in the same way they're normally presented. Rather than create some overarching storyline for this week's series of quests, Playfish went ahead and added different quests to complete each day throughout the week. (However, as of this writing, none of said quests have appeared in The Sims Social for this writer.) Each quest is promised to grant players fantastic rewards.
In addition to the slew of new items to collect (most of which for SimCash, sadly), Playfish has introduced a new Daily Bonus. On top of winning up to 10 SimCash every five days, players have the chance of winning up to two Mystery Boxes for logging in five days consecutively. In short, you'll be up to your knees in things to do this weekend in The Sims Social ... just remember this Sunday is family time.
[Image Credit: Playfish]
Are you psyched to dive into this new holiday content in The iIms Social, or have you grown bored of the updates?
The Sims Social: 40% off SimCash for a limited time
If you're looking to deck the halls of your Sim's virtual abode in the Sims Social on Facebook, you can now do so for a bit cheaper, at least when it comes to spending SimCash, the game's premium currency. From now until December 26, all SimCash packages are 40% off their normal prices, in honor of the Christmas holiday.
This Christmas sale sees the cheapest SimCash package now being just $3, but if 35 SimCash isn't enough for you, here's a look at the other packages that are available:
$3 (normally $5) - 35 SimCash
$6 (normally $10) - 72 SimCash
$12 (normally $20) - 150 SimCash
$24 (normally $40) - 320 SimCash
$60 (normally $100) - 900 SimCash
Again, this deal expires on December 26, so if you want to get your hands on some of the new "Festive Chic" items just released in the store, there's really no better way to do it than this.
As an aside, if you happen to purchase a Playfish Cash Card and wish to redeem it within the Sims Social, you won't receive 40% extra SimCash, but you will receive 25% extra for free, through a separate promotion currently being help on the Playfish website. This particular promotion lasts all of the way up to January 10 of 2012, so if you receive a Cash Card for Christmas this weekend, make sure to redeem it in time for extra premium currency in the game of your choice!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Will you purchase SimCash in Sims Social while it's 40% off, or do you already have enough SimCash to last you into the new year and beyond?
This Christmas sale sees the cheapest SimCash package now being just $3, but if 35 SimCash isn't enough for you, here's a look at the other packages that are available:
$3 (normally $5) - 35 SimCash
$6 (normally $10) - 72 SimCash
$12 (normally $20) - 150 SimCash
$24 (normally $40) - 320 SimCash
$60 (normally $100) - 900 SimCash
Again, this deal expires on December 26, so if you want to get your hands on some of the new "Festive Chic" items just released in the store, there's really no better way to do it than this.
As an aside, if you happen to purchase a Playfish Cash Card and wish to redeem it within the Sims Social, you won't receive 40% extra SimCash, but you will receive 25% extra for free, through a separate promotion currently being help on the Playfish website. This particular promotion lasts all of the way up to January 10 of 2012, so if you receive a Cash Card for Christmas this weekend, make sure to redeem it in time for extra premium currency in the game of your choice!
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Will you purchase SimCash in Sims Social while it's 40% off, or do you already have enough SimCash to last you into the new year and beyond?
Nothing says The Sims Social like a creepy pink deer head, huh?
Looks like 27 million monthly players aren't enough to assuage Playfish's desire for more fans on their Facebook page for The Sims Social.
It's been a half-year since Playfish has attempted a fan counter boost by luring in folks with free items. Currently, the Facebook game's page has 7.2 million fans, but Playfish would like to see it close the breach to 8 million.
As an incentive, they've been running a banner ad for pink deer head wall mount above The Sims Social game, announcing that everyone will get a free deer head when the game's page reaches 8 million 'Likes'. Another reminder popped up on the Facebook page during the weekend, only this time, they specify it's a "FREE FAKE REINDEER" instead.
Frankly, they can call it whatever they want. Nothing changes the fact that it's pink, it's a head of a deer, it's looks very much dead, and it's one of the most bizarre giveaway items ever conceived, if not downright freakish. I can't imagine many people wanting this, even if it's free. They better make this deer head sing -- something completely within their power to do so -- to make it worthwhile.
Do you think that whoever came up with this free pink deer head idea is bonkers? What should a Facebook game page offer to get you to 'Like' it and follow it?
It's been a half-year since Playfish has attempted a fan counter boost by luring in folks with free items. Currently, the Facebook game's page has 7.2 million fans, but Playfish would like to see it close the breach to 8 million.
As an incentive, they've been running a banner ad for pink deer head wall mount above The Sims Social game, announcing that everyone will get a free deer head when the game's page reaches 8 million 'Likes'. Another reminder popped up on the Facebook page during the weekend, only this time, they specify it's a "FREE FAKE REINDEER" instead.
Frankly, they can call it whatever they want. Nothing changes the fact that it's pink, it's a head of a deer, it's looks very much dead, and it's one of the most bizarre giveaway items ever conceived, if not downright freakish. I can't imagine many people wanting this, even if it's free. They better make this deer head sing -- something completely within their power to do so -- to make it worthwhile.
Do you think that whoever came up with this free pink deer head idea is bonkers? What should a Facebook game page offer to get you to 'Like' it and follow it?
Three ways for The Sims Social to give CityVille the boot
The Sims Social is still a top five game on Facebook, according to AppData, but it was so damn close to fulfilling one of our predictions for 2011. EA and Playfish's incredibly strong answer to Zynga threatened to topple CityVille's ivory tower just months ago, but failed. So, where did the momentum go? Is The Sims Social simply a victim of the common decline almost all social games suffer over time, or can something be done to reverse the damage and take the fight back to Zynga?
Sure, EA could increase cross-promotion of The Sims Social across its existing Playfish and PopCap-made social games (not to mention increase advertisement efforts in EA properties across the board). But we think there are changes to be made within the game that could draw former players back in. Here are three ways to The Sims Social could take the fight back to CityVille:
Time to Go Mobile
And no, not just because all the cool kids are doing it. The Sims Social once had an incredible amount of daily players, and we're sure more daily players would have stuck around if they could somehow access their "Little Me in Little Haven" through their iPhone or Android phone. How great would it be to tend to the more boring aspects of The Sims Social, like leveling up your Sim's writing or music skills, while in a meeting or in line at the grocery store?
The Sims FreePlay came dangerously close to this, and frankly we're surprised this version was released before a FarmVille mobile-esque version of The Sims Social hit the iPhone. The fact that The Sims FreePlay, while obviously not created by Playfish, has no connection to the Facebook game whatsoever is a sorely missed opportunity to both keep existing players interested and perhaps rekindle old flames.
The Sims artist
Support Your Artists
Most successful social games tend to have an inspiring effect on their players, and The Sims Social is no exception. Just take a look at the vibrant tile art and stacking communities, and you'll see what we mean. Now, this isn't to say that Playfish doesn't recognize its more creative players at all--a glance at the game's many forum contests will attest to that. But we're talking about something far more integrated and unprecedented in simulator-style social games.
If Playfish were to introduce game mechanics to The Sims Social that helped recognize these artists game-wide--not just on the forums or the game's Facebook fan page--that would set The Sims Social leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. For instance, imagine being able to take snapshots of your own stacking or tile artwork in the game and submit them to a weekly contest. All of the submissions would be viewable from within the game through, say, a Sim's TV and voted upon. The winners would then have their work featured on a daily bulletin for all to see. Inspire players to keep creating, competing and thus playing.
The Sims car
Boredom Busters
To that end, players simply need more things to do in The Sims Social. Since the game's launch, new quests and items have been introduced almost every week, but it's sad to say that's not enough. Players need drastic change to remain interested, and by "drastic" we mean game-changing content.
If your Sim could work a job, drive a car to new places and own a vacation home, would that not get you excited to play The Sims Social again? Playfish's social life simulator brought new ideas to the table when it came to intimate, asynchronous interaction between friends. Perhaps some sort of public asynchronous interaction is in order. What if Sims could hit up the bar or club and somehow asynchronously interact with multiple friends at the same time?
The long and short of it is this: We're obviously no game designers, but we are players of social games, and we know what (at least some of) the players might want. While a lot of these issues are those of scale when compared to the mighty Zynga, The Sims Social made it this far. And if Playfish wants to continue to compete on that level, it needs to provide content and features of that scale.
What do you think The Sims Social needs to thrive in the high end of the top five again? Does Playfish's best game yet have a chance of challenging CityVille again?
Sure, EA could increase cross-promotion of The Sims Social across its existing Playfish and PopCap-made social games (not to mention increase advertisement efforts in EA properties across the board). But we think there are changes to be made within the game that could draw former players back in. Here are three ways to The Sims Social could take the fight back to CityVille:
Time to Go Mobile
And no, not just because all the cool kids are doing it. The Sims Social once had an incredible amount of daily players, and we're sure more daily players would have stuck around if they could somehow access their "Little Me in Little Haven" through their iPhone or Android phone. How great would it be to tend to the more boring aspects of The Sims Social, like leveling up your Sim's writing or music skills, while in a meeting or in line at the grocery store?
The Sims FreePlay came dangerously close to this, and frankly we're surprised this version was released before a FarmVille mobile-esque version of The Sims Social hit the iPhone. The fact that The Sims FreePlay, while obviously not created by Playfish, has no connection to the Facebook game whatsoever is a sorely missed opportunity to both keep existing players interested and perhaps rekindle old flames.
The Sims artist
Support Your Artists
Most successful social games tend to have an inspiring effect on their players, and The Sims Social is no exception. Just take a look at the vibrant tile art and stacking communities, and you'll see what we mean. Now, this isn't to say that Playfish doesn't recognize its more creative players at all--a glance at the game's many forum contests will attest to that. But we're talking about something far more integrated and unprecedented in simulator-style social games.
If Playfish were to introduce game mechanics to The Sims Social that helped recognize these artists game-wide--not just on the forums or the game's Facebook fan page--that would set The Sims Social leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. For instance, imagine being able to take snapshots of your own stacking or tile artwork in the game and submit them to a weekly contest. All of the submissions would be viewable from within the game through, say, a Sim's TV and voted upon. The winners would then have their work featured on a daily bulletin for all to see. Inspire players to keep creating, competing and thus playing.
The Sims car
Boredom Busters
To that end, players simply need more things to do in The Sims Social. Since the game's launch, new quests and items have been introduced almost every week, but it's sad to say that's not enough. Players need drastic change to remain interested, and by "drastic" we mean game-changing content.
If your Sim could work a job, drive a car to new places and own a vacation home, would that not get you excited to play The Sims Social again? Playfish's social life simulator brought new ideas to the table when it came to intimate, asynchronous interaction between friends. Perhaps some sort of public asynchronous interaction is in order. What if Sims could hit up the bar or club and somehow asynchronously interact with multiple friends at the same time?
The long and short of it is this: We're obviously no game designers, but we are players of social games, and we know what (at least some of) the players might want. While a lot of these issues are those of scale when compared to the mighty Zynga, The Sims Social made it this far. And if Playfish wants to continue to compete on that level, it needs to provide content and features of that scale.
What do you think The Sims Social needs to thrive in the high end of the top five again? Does Playfish's best game yet have a chance of challenging CityVille again?
The Sims Social Happy New Year Walkthrough: How to finish it fast
It's time to raise your glasses a tad early in The Sims Social. New Year's Eve approaches, and Playfish has, of course, chose to celebrate in no other way than with a themed quest series. Simply titled "Happy New Year," this series contains five smaller quests for players to complete within the next week.
However, this quest might be a bit more challenging than you're used to. You'll need at least four friends, 4 Social Points, 8 Goodwill, a PC, a Karate Mat and your Mail Box. Already, the requirements sound a bit ... weird. (What in the world could a Karate Mat have to do with this?) The carrot on the stick? A SupaHapiTime Disco Globe for your Sim.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 1
Happy New Year Part One
Email a Sim
Find 5 Sims' Lost Items
To email a Sim, use your Sim's PC and choose the option "Email About Lost Things." For the second requirement, visit five friends' houses and choose the "Find Lost Items" option when clicking on various objects.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 2
Happy New Year Part Two
Become Inspired
Mail a Resolution out to a Friend
Tell 2 Different Sims about Resolution
To become inspired, all you need to do is completely fulfill all of your Sim's basic needs. Then, send your Sim to its Mailbox and choose to pick a resolution and send out the News Feed. Finally, visit two of your friends' Sims and choose the option "Tell About Resolution" while talking to them.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 3
Happy New Year Part Three
Pick 5 Different Healthy Food Options
Use the Karate Mat 3 Times
Tell 4 Sims That You Work Out
To pick the five different Healthy Food Options, interact with any fridge or food item and choose the relevant option--these could be either yours or your friends'. The Karate Mat was available in a previous theme, but Bella has one at her house that you can use to complete this task. Telling four different Sims that you work out is as simple as visiting them and choosing the option. Save time by completing the first and third tasks while in the same Sims' houses.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 4
Happy New Year Part Four
Have 8 Goodwill
Send E-Cards
Do Friendly Things for 5 Sims
To get the Goodwill, all you need to do is perform friendly actions, such as repairing broken items or perform friendly interactions when talking to other Sims. Sending the e-Cards is as simple as choosing the option on your Sim's PC. That final goal ties in with the first rather nicely, so try to complete them both at once.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 5
Happy New Year Part Five
Play Prank on 4 Different Sims
Get 8 Greasy Food
Have or Equip Slob Trait
To prank four different Sims, you'll have to visit them and choose the negative options on their various items within their house. However, you may need to be in a neutral or negative relationship with these friends to make it happen. The eight Greasy Food comes from friend help requests.
The Slob Trait, if you don't already have it, requires 170 Lifetime Points. Access the Traits menu from the bottom right corner of your game screen. If you don't have room for it, spend 20 Lifetime Points to deactivate one and replace it. For your troubles, enjoy a nifty disco ball, which we're gonna guess is a dance item. Let your Sim dance into 2012, but remember to do some dancing yourself.
[Source: The Sims Social Fansite]
Have you started the Happy New Year quest in The Sims Social yet? What tips do you have to complete the series even faster?
However, this quest might be a bit more challenging than you're used to. You'll need at least four friends, 4 Social Points, 8 Goodwill, a PC, a Karate Mat and your Mail Box. Already, the requirements sound a bit ... weird. (What in the world could a Karate Mat have to do with this?) The carrot on the stick? A SupaHapiTime Disco Globe for your Sim.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 1
Happy New Year Part One
Email a Sim
Find 5 Sims' Lost Items
To email a Sim, use your Sim's PC and choose the option "Email About Lost Things." For the second requirement, visit five friends' houses and choose the "Find Lost Items" option when clicking on various objects.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 2
Happy New Year Part Two
Become Inspired
Mail a Resolution out to a Friend
Tell 2 Different Sims about Resolution
To become inspired, all you need to do is completely fulfill all of your Sim's basic needs. Then, send your Sim to its Mailbox and choose to pick a resolution and send out the News Feed. Finally, visit two of your friends' Sims and choose the option "Tell About Resolution" while talking to them.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 3
Happy New Year Part Three
Pick 5 Different Healthy Food Options
Use the Karate Mat 3 Times
Tell 4 Sims That You Work Out
To pick the five different Healthy Food Options, interact with any fridge or food item and choose the relevant option--these could be either yours or your friends'. The Karate Mat was available in a previous theme, but Bella has one at her house that you can use to complete this task. Telling four different Sims that you work out is as simple as visiting them and choosing the option. Save time by completing the first and third tasks while in the same Sims' houses.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 4
Happy New Year Part Four
Have 8 Goodwill
Send E-Cards
Do Friendly Things for 5 Sims
To get the Goodwill, all you need to do is perform friendly actions, such as repairing broken items or perform friendly interactions when talking to other Sims. Sending the e-Cards is as simple as choosing the option on your Sim's PC. That final goal ties in with the first rather nicely, so try to complete them both at once.
The Sims Social Happy New Year 5
Happy New Year Part Five
Play Prank on 4 Different Sims
Get 8 Greasy Food
Have or Equip Slob Trait
To prank four different Sims, you'll have to visit them and choose the negative options on their various items within their house. However, you may need to be in a neutral or negative relationship with these friends to make it happen. The eight Greasy Food comes from friend help requests.
The Slob Trait, if you don't already have it, requires 170 Lifetime Points. Access the Traits menu from the bottom right corner of your game screen. If you don't have room for it, spend 20 Lifetime Points to deactivate one and replace it. For your troubles, enjoy a nifty disco ball, which we're gonna guess is a dance item. Let your Sim dance into 2012, but remember to do some dancing yourself.
[Source: The Sims Social Fansite]
Have you started the Happy New Year quest in The Sims Social yet? What tips do you have to complete the series even faster?
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