Top Girl on Android
Android-admiring ladies, your game has arrived. It Girl creator CrowdStar has released its mobile version, Top Girl, to Android devices. However, you can only get it for free on Amazon's Appstore for the next two weeks. This makes CrowdStar's hugely popular girly game one of the first mobile social games to hit Amazon's new Kindle Fire tablet, according to the company.
The Android release of Top Girl looks to be the same game available to iPhone and iPad gamers, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In the game, players must amass new outfits and model them off for cash to climb the social ladder. Of course, ladies looking for love can find a virtual boyfriend that will lavish their characters with gifts. This is basically a Cosmo reader's dream in your Android phone or tablet.
Top Girl Kindle Fire
Top Girl on Android also marks the beginning of CrowdStar's quest for 1 billion players through its Project Trident initiative. "CrowdStar is entirely focused on Project Trident this year and Top Girl's Android launch is representative of that," CrowdStar studio head Blair Hamilton said in a release. "Now our 'Girl' social gaming franchise is thriving on Facebook, iOS, and Android."
And "thriving" might be a fine way of describing the "Girl" franchise: It has reportedly been downloaded over 4 million times on the iOS App Store. Players are apparently paying up, too, as CrowdStar said that Top Girl toppled both Angry Birds and Zynga Poker as the top-grossing game for iOS when launched earlier this spring. And who said girls don't play games?
Click here to download Top Girl for Android for Free Now >
Are you a Top Girl fan? Where would you like to see the franchise, or CrowdStar in general, go next?
Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 3, 2012
Nintendo's Wii U is for 'a different consumer,' as in a wealthier one?
Aside from what the thing looks like (and a teeny bit of what it plays like), Nintendo's Wii U is shrouded in mystery. We know that the console will embrace social features, will have HD graphics and will cost a helluva lot of money--wait, what? There has been much speculation on the upcoming console's pricing. But Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime alluded to Time what type of crowd the company expects to draw with the Wii U, at least at launch.
"The consumer buying Wii hardware today is going to be a different consumer than the one who will be buying Wii U in the future," Fils-Aime told Time. "This is the first holiday that the Wii is available at $149.99 or below, so its an expanded demographic we're reaching. These are consumers who have heard about Wii for the past couple years, but at $199 or $249 it was economically out of their reach."
Based on earlier comments made by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and now these words, it would be fair to guess that the Wii U is going to cost more than $250 in the US at launch. That figure was the launch price for the original Wii way back in 2006, and still that was cheaper than both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 at launch. Nintendo's bread and butter has been the casual audience, which one could argue includes those that wouldn't exactly leap at a $300 or $400 video game box.
Fils-Aime went on the reiterate that the Wii and Wii U will coexist for some (as he told us recently), but said, "you can definitely expect that pricing is going to be different and that the games are going to be different." In this case, "different" sounds like "more expensive" to us, and we can't help but wonder whether Nintendo's most lucrative audience will bite.
[Via IndustryGamers]
Would you consider purchasing the Wii U if it were more expensive than $250 at launch? What would be your breaking point: $300, $400?
"The consumer buying Wii hardware today is going to be a different consumer than the one who will be buying Wii U in the future," Fils-Aime told Time. "This is the first holiday that the Wii is available at $149.99 or below, so its an expanded demographic we're reaching. These are consumers who have heard about Wii for the past couple years, but at $199 or $249 it was economically out of their reach."
Based on earlier comments made by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata and now these words, it would be fair to guess that the Wii U is going to cost more than $250 in the US at launch. That figure was the launch price for the original Wii way back in 2006, and still that was cheaper than both Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 at launch. Nintendo's bread and butter has been the casual audience, which one could argue includes those that wouldn't exactly leap at a $300 or $400 video game box.
Fils-Aime went on the reiterate that the Wii and Wii U will coexist for some (as he told us recently), but said, "you can definitely expect that pricing is going to be different and that the games are going to be different." In this case, "different" sounds like "more expensive" to us, and we can't help but wonder whether Nintendo's most lucrative audience will bite.
[Via IndustryGamers]
Would you consider purchasing the Wii U if it were more expensive than $250 at launch? What would be your breaking point: $300, $400?
The Sims Social Winter Garden Mystery Box: Everything you need to know
For the twelve days of Christmas, The Sims Social has unleashed a dozen Winter Garden Mystery Boxes with a random item hiding in each one.
Mystery Boxes are always a pain when you don't know what you're going to get. They're an even greater pain when you have to shell out real money for them. Playfish is charging 15 Sim Cash for one box, 75 for five boxes, and 150 for ten boxes. Obviously, the best deal is to grab the ten boxes for 150 Sim Cash, but that would cost you $20.00 USD overall, and you're still left short of a dozen.
This is obviously deliberate, but Playfish aren't being complete jerks here, because they're giving away 2 FREE Winter Garden Mystery Boxes to everyone. You can find the first box here, and the second box here. This ensures you get a dozen, but it doesn't guarantee you'll get the item you want. Your chances at each item are divided as follows:
Six are Common, and these are Winter Lights Holiday Tree, Pine Cone with Holly, Winter Lights Bare Tree, Simple Winter Tree, Snowy Winter Berry Bush, and Blue Winter Bush.
Sims Social Winter Garden Mystery Box Common
Three are Uncommon -- Mr Robin's Mailbox Home, SparkleBear, and SparkleDeer.
Sim Social Winter Garden Mystery Box Uncommon
And the final three are Super Rare -- SparkleTree, Winter Lights Luxury Gazebo Bed, and Winter Lights Garden Bench.
Sims Social Winter Garden Mystery Box Super Rare
Each item can be sold for Simoleons, and the amount of Simoleons you get seems to correspond to its listed Sim Cash price. For example, the SparkleDeer costs 35 Sim Cash, so if you sell it, you'll earn 350 Simoleons. It's not a great exchange rate, but with the two free boxes offered by Playfish, you're actually getting free Simoleons.
Sims Social Winter Garden Mystery Box wall post
Also, each time you open a box, you get the chance to announce it on your Facebook wall, and your friends can claim a reward. And for my final heads-up, I know it says "Head in now and claim FREE simoleons, too!", but I clicked on four wall posts and I've only been able to grab 15 Social Points each time. Let us know if you manage to get something different.
[Items Screenshots Credit: The Sims Social Fansite]
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Do you think ten boxes are worth the twenty bucks? Are you happy with Playfish's compromise of 2 free Winter Garden Mystery Boxes?
Mystery Boxes are always a pain when you don't know what you're going to get. They're an even greater pain when you have to shell out real money for them. Playfish is charging 15 Sim Cash for one box, 75 for five boxes, and 150 for ten boxes. Obviously, the best deal is to grab the ten boxes for 150 Sim Cash, but that would cost you $20.00 USD overall, and you're still left short of a dozen.
This is obviously deliberate, but Playfish aren't being complete jerks here, because they're giving away 2 FREE Winter Garden Mystery Boxes to everyone. You can find the first box here, and the second box here. This ensures you get a dozen, but it doesn't guarantee you'll get the item you want. Your chances at each item are divided as follows:
Six are Common, and these are Winter Lights Holiday Tree, Pine Cone with Holly, Winter Lights Bare Tree, Simple Winter Tree, Snowy Winter Berry Bush, and Blue Winter Bush.
Sims Social Winter Garden Mystery Box Common
Three are Uncommon -- Mr Robin's Mailbox Home, SparkleBear, and SparkleDeer.
Sim Social Winter Garden Mystery Box Uncommon
And the final three are Super Rare -- SparkleTree, Winter Lights Luxury Gazebo Bed, and Winter Lights Garden Bench.
Sims Social Winter Garden Mystery Box Super Rare
Each item can be sold for Simoleons, and the amount of Simoleons you get seems to correspond to its listed Sim Cash price. For example, the SparkleDeer costs 35 Sim Cash, so if you sell it, you'll earn 350 Simoleons. It's not a great exchange rate, but with the two free boxes offered by Playfish, you're actually getting free Simoleons.
Sims Social Winter Garden Mystery Box wall post
Also, each time you open a box, you get the chance to announce it on your Facebook wall, and your friends can claim a reward. And for my final heads-up, I know it says "Head in now and claim FREE simoleons, too!", but I clicked on four wall posts and I've only been able to grab 15 Social Points each time. Let us know if you manage to get something different.
[Items Screenshots Credit: The Sims Social Fansite]
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
Do you think ten boxes are worth the twenty bucks? Are you happy with Playfish's compromise of 2 free Winter Garden Mystery Boxes?
Zynga drops IPO valuation to $10B, but it's still more than EA [Report]
The big red dog looks like it's playing it safe. According to Reuters, FarmVille creator Zynga has lowered its valuation--what a company is expected to be worth based on various conditions--from $14 billion to $10 billion for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO). (Of course, the news outlet cites nameless sources in its report.) This would make Zynga worth less than gaming giant Activision Blizzard's $14.21 billion.
However, the CityVille maker would still be leaps and bounds beyond current second place company EA's $7.69 billion. According to market analysts, $14 billion would have been asking for too much in this shaky economic climate. "I think they must have realized that getting $14 billion or higher would be a tough thing in this market," Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia told Reuters. We were wondering how they would pull that off."
Other analysts suggest that Zynga wait to go public, as the company just released its fastest-growing game to date, CastleVille, and revenue from that game hasn't even been recorded yet. According to Reuters, the company still seeks to raise $900 million initially at $8 to $10 a share when it hits the Nasdaq as "ZNGA" on Dec. 16. Company CEO Mark Pincus and crew are also still expected to hit the road next week, showing their stuff to potential investors. And Zynga will have to fight tooth and nail against the media, other companies and its own numbers for those billions.
How do you think it would effect the games industry if Zynga became even the second most valuable game company in the West? Do you think social games are worth investing your money in?
However, the CityVille maker would still be leaps and bounds beyond current second place company EA's $7.69 billion. According to market analysts, $14 billion would have been asking for too much in this shaky economic climate. "I think they must have realized that getting $14 billion or higher would be a tough thing in this market," Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia told Reuters. We were wondering how they would pull that off."
Other analysts suggest that Zynga wait to go public, as the company just released its fastest-growing game to date, CastleVille, and revenue from that game hasn't even been recorded yet. According to Reuters, the company still seeks to raise $900 million initially at $8 to $10 a share when it hits the Nasdaq as "ZNGA" on Dec. 16. Company CEO Mark Pincus and crew are also still expected to hit the road next week, showing their stuff to potential investors. And Zynga will have to fight tooth and nail against the media, other companies and its own numbers for those billions.
How do you think it would effect the games industry if Zynga became even the second most valuable game company in the West? Do you think social games are worth investing your money in?
Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and that red thing just might get a social game
You know, that thing that looks like a walking, furry Valentine? Wait, that thing has a name, and it's "Gossamer?" (What kind of name is that?) Anyway, Fusible has tracked down a lengthy list of domain names registered by Warner Bros. Entertainment on Nov. 29, nearly all of which seeming to refer to an online game that could be in the works: Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe.
Of course, the game could be named anything. But it's a safe guess for now that domains like "CartoonUniversegame.com", "Playtheuniverse.com" and "Looneytunescu.com," refer to a game titled at least similarly to that. There are other domains that WB registered this week, like "Toontokens.com" and "Wbcash.com", that suggest the game would be supported by in-game purchases using a currency like Toon Tokens.
A Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe game would make a whole lot of sense both on Facebook and elsewhere. Disney is arguably WB's biggest competitor, and the company has already stated plans for its cast of characters to enter Facebook games through developer Playdom. The company has even release a console game titled "Disney Universe." Perhaps WB is eying up a piece of the same pie.
While this game--if it even is a game--could appear on any platform, it's also important to consider the audience. Looney Tunes have always been the more mature cartoon troupe, and the majority of Facebook gamers are adults. Who knows, maybe Bugs, Daffy (and Gossamer) can beat Mickey and crew to the punch.
Would you play a Looney Tunes game on Facebook or elsewhere? Who do you think would be more successful in Facebook games: Disney or Warner Bros.?
Of course, the game could be named anything. But it's a safe guess for now that domains like "CartoonUniversegame.com", "Playtheuniverse.com" and "Looneytunescu.com," refer to a game titled at least similarly to that. There are other domains that WB registered this week, like "Toontokens.com" and "Wbcash.com", that suggest the game would be supported by in-game purchases using a currency like Toon Tokens.
A Looney Tunes Cartoon Universe game would make a whole lot of sense both on Facebook and elsewhere. Disney is arguably WB's biggest competitor, and the company has already stated plans for its cast of characters to enter Facebook games through developer Playdom. The company has even release a console game titled "Disney Universe." Perhaps WB is eying up a piece of the same pie.
While this game--if it even is a game--could appear on any platform, it's also important to consider the audience. Looney Tunes have always been the more mature cartoon troupe, and the majority of Facebook gamers are adults. Who knows, maybe Bugs, Daffy (and Gossamer) can beat Mickey and crew to the punch.
Would you play a Looney Tunes game on Facebook or elsewhere? Who do you think would be more successful in Facebook games: Disney or Warner Bros.?
Chủ Nhật, 11 tháng 3, 2012
The Sims Social: Wonderland Topiary skill item now available for Simoleons
If you've already made your way down the rabbit hole in Sims Social, in honor of the game's newest Alice in Wonderland inspired theme, you'll want to take a look at an additional item that has been released in the game for Simoleons: the Wonderland Topiary. This is a skill item in the arts category, that is extremely limited edition - it will only be available for four more days, as of this writing.
If you're willing to shell out the 3,000 Simoleons to purchase it, the item itself has a House Value of $2,350, and can be used to build up your Art Mastery. You don't need any ingredients to actually construct the hedge in your game, but you will need parts to unlock each Skill level, just as is the case with other Skill items in the game.
All told, you can use the Wonderland Topiary to add over 20 points to your Art mastery skill level, but of course, we won't blame you if you just want to purchase one because it looks cool. In addition, if you're able to master a new skill within the topiary, you'll receive a free Lush Hatter Hedge (a topiary in the shape of the Mad Hatter's hat) as a reward. Remember, this item will only be around for four days, so make sure to save up those Simoleons and purchase one as soon as you can in order to not miss out - potentially forever!
Will you purchase a Wonderland Topiary for your home in Sims Social?
If you're willing to shell out the 3,000 Simoleons to purchase it, the item itself has a House Value of $2,350, and can be used to build up your Art Mastery. You don't need any ingredients to actually construct the hedge in your game, but you will need parts to unlock each Skill level, just as is the case with other Skill items in the game.
All told, you can use the Wonderland Topiary to add over 20 points to your Art mastery skill level, but of course, we won't blame you if you just want to purchase one because it looks cool. In addition, if you're able to master a new skill within the topiary, you'll receive a free Lush Hatter Hedge (a topiary in the shape of the Mad Hatter's hat) as a reward. Remember, this item will only be around for four days, so make sure to save up those Simoleons and purchase one as soon as you can in order to not miss out - potentially forever!
Will you purchase a Wonderland Topiary for your home in Sims Social?
CastleVille: Meet Sonja and George in this new video
In an effort to keep CastleVille fresh in the minds of players, Zynga has created an animated short detailing two of the game's characters: Sonja and George. We aren't told why these two characters specifically are being focused on, but it's likely that they will be a part of some upcoming features within the game.
Sonja, the pirate, is always out for extra booty, while George, the Viking, looks to impress Sonja with his skills as a miner. From the video, it doesn't look like Sonja is interested in anything other than treasure, leaving poor George disappointed, until he finds chocolate, that is! Overall, this video looks to be more about pure entertainment value than anything resembling a "sneak peek," although we can start to speculate anyway.
Could the fact that George is digging up items lead to a feature in CastleVille that sees us mining deep into the underground? Or, could Sonja's lust for treasure mean that we'll be able to send her off on expeditions for long-lost booty? Either way, we'll make sure to stay on top of things in CastleVille, and will let you know if either of those things show up in-game. In the meantime, you can check out the full video below.
Are you excited to see CastleVille build on Sonja and George's personalities within the game?
Sonja, the pirate, is always out for extra booty, while George, the Viking, looks to impress Sonja with his skills as a miner. From the video, it doesn't look like Sonja is interested in anything other than treasure, leaving poor George disappointed, until he finds chocolate, that is! Overall, this video looks to be more about pure entertainment value than anything resembling a "sneak peek," although we can start to speculate anyway.
Could the fact that George is digging up items lead to a feature in CastleVille that sees us mining deep into the underground? Or, could Sonja's lust for treasure mean that we'll be able to send her off on expeditions for long-lost booty? Either way, we'll make sure to stay on top of things in CastleVille, and will let you know if either of those things show up in-game. In the meantime, you can check out the full video below.
Are you excited to see CastleVille build on Sonja and George's personalities within the game?
Hidden Chronicles Central Park: Our guide to finding every item
Making our way deeper into Zynga's Hidden Chronicles on Facebook, we can take a look at the second artifact in the Library chapter - the Italian Violin. This Violin has five scenes, one of which is premium, and the third scene is called Central Park. You'll need eight energy points each time you wish to play it, but you can play the scene an infinite number of times to earn mastery.
We're here with a guide showing you where to find the scene's many items, so if you're working on building up your combo points or just on the scene's individual mastery scale, make sure to check out our images below! Note: The items you'll receive will just be a selection of all of those pictured below.
If you're looking to find a particular item: Hit Ctrl +F (or Command + F if on a Mac) and type in the name of the object you're looking for. This will take you directly to its image.
Super Clue:
Paint Ball Yellow (Drag Paintbrush into Yellow Paint Can, then drag Paintbrush onto Volleyball)
Set 1:
Daisies
Angel Wings
Hopscotch
Stroller
Bluebird
Ants
Set 2:
Violin Case
Jump Rope
Beehive
Goose
Set 3:
Tennis Shoes
Picnic Basket
Football
Set 4:
Letter
Wheelbarrow
Brass Plaque
Set 5:
Lawn Chair
Koi
Patch
Set 6:
Tail
Mushrooms
Broom
Kite
Lamp
Shovel
Set 7:
Squirrel
Bench
Car
Flagpole
Set 8:
Flamingo
Crown
Tie
There are a handful of items not pictured above, as the game generates each set of items randomly. When we come across those missing items, we'll make sure to update this space with how you too can find them. In the meantime, feel free to start decorating your Manor and working on building up your own mastery of this scene or any other in the game!
Check out the rest of our Hidden Chronicles Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you finished every trophy of mastery for this Central Park scene? What do you think of Zynga's take on the hidden object genre thus far?
Chef Story on iOS: It's Cafe World, but with bears
Perhaps no other game has come so close to resembling Zynga's Cafe World as iBear Story's Chef Story, now available for free on iPhone and iPad. The game allows you to take over your own cartoon cafe, run by an inadvertently terrifying bear. There, you'll serve a wide variety of dishes in various categories: sushi, noodles, soup and the like, and can watch as costumed Lots-o-Huggin Bears (you might remember them from Toy Story 3) arrive at random to eat your dishes. I can't make this up...
To cook a dish, you'll tap on a stove and select dishes based on their price or cooking time, and will then need to tap repeatedly on the stove to prepare each ingredient. Once the dishes are ready, you'll tap on them again to serve them to individual serving counters. You're limited in the number of stoves you can own to your level in the game, with new cafe decorations (chairs, tables, wall decorations, flooring tiles, etc.) also unlocking as you earn experience points. Furthering the game's resemblance to Cafe World, you'll even earn a reputation level of sorts, based on the satisfaction of the bears visiting your cafe.
Via Facebook Connect, you can visit your real-world friends' cafes, or you can visit "community" players, leaving messages in each player's Guestbook, or in-game tips on tables that can be collected the next time your friend checks in with their cafe.
Gallery: Chef Story iOS
As your cafe becomes more popular, you can expand to have room for more tables, stoves and serving counters, but the rest of the game is pretty basic. Even though there are plenty of other cooking games to pass the time with, even on iOS, if you want to try one of a more... eccentric nature, then Chef Story just might be the perfect dish for you.
Click here to download Chef Story on iOS from iTunes -->
Have you tried Chef Story on iOS, or are you tired of the cooking simulation game?
To cook a dish, you'll tap on a stove and select dishes based on their price or cooking time, and will then need to tap repeatedly on the stove to prepare each ingredient. Once the dishes are ready, you'll tap on them again to serve them to individual serving counters. You're limited in the number of stoves you can own to your level in the game, with new cafe decorations (chairs, tables, wall decorations, flooring tiles, etc.) also unlocking as you earn experience points. Furthering the game's resemblance to Cafe World, you'll even earn a reputation level of sorts, based on the satisfaction of the bears visiting your cafe.
Via Facebook Connect, you can visit your real-world friends' cafes, or you can visit "community" players, leaving messages in each player's Guestbook, or in-game tips on tables that can be collected the next time your friend checks in with their cafe.
Gallery: Chef Story iOS
As your cafe becomes more popular, you can expand to have room for more tables, stoves and serving counters, but the rest of the game is pretty basic. Even though there are plenty of other cooking games to pass the time with, even on iOS, if you want to try one of a more... eccentric nature, then Chef Story just might be the perfect dish for you.
Click here to download Chef Story on iOS from iTunes -->
Have you tried Chef Story on iOS, or are you tired of the cooking simulation game?
Facebook launches option for in-app currency offers; more free spacebucks for you
Before the widespread launch of Facebook Credits on the social network's platform, many developers were given free reign for earning users' hard-earned dollars. Outside of the standard in-app purchases of premium items, many games offered promotions for digital currency that turned out to be scams in exchange for users' personally identifiable information, including credit card numbers. However, for the past year (since Facebook Credits became the widespread currency on the platform), only the biggest companies on the site (Zynga, Playfish, Playdom, etc.) were able to offer such deals, which were then of course regulated to be legitimate.
That has the potential to change forever now though, as TechCrunch is reporting that Facebook has opened up a channel for any developer to run third-party advertising offers through its games, with those offers rewarding participants with each game's native currency. One example might be an offer in 6waves Lolapps' Ravenskye City, where a user can earn 4 Skye Credits (the game's native premium currency), just by signing up for a free account with Flixster (a movie discovery / rating network).
Since this isn't a mandatory feature, it might take some time for your favorite Facebook games to implement these offers, but once they do, you'll want to look for a large "Earn X Currency" button above your game, where X Currency is the name of that game's specific "cash." From there, you should spot a list that looks similar to the one below. Clicking on "Categories" will allow you to sort out only the free offers, like surveys and site registrations. Sure, you won't earn as much virtual currency for these offers as you would for, say, signing up for Netflix (a common offer currently seen across games), but it's all free - isn't that incentive enough?
Will you fill out free surveys or sign up for various social networks to earn free premium currency across your favorite Facebook games?
That has the potential to change forever now though, as TechCrunch is reporting that Facebook has opened up a channel for any developer to run third-party advertising offers through its games, with those offers rewarding participants with each game's native currency. One example might be an offer in 6waves Lolapps' Ravenskye City, where a user can earn 4 Skye Credits (the game's native premium currency), just by signing up for a free account with Flixster (a movie discovery / rating network).
Since this isn't a mandatory feature, it might take some time for your favorite Facebook games to implement these offers, but once they do, you'll want to look for a large "Earn X Currency" button above your game, where X Currency is the name of that game's specific "cash." From there, you should spot a list that looks similar to the one below. Clicking on "Categories" will allow you to sort out only the free offers, like surveys and site registrations. Sure, you won't earn as much virtual currency for these offers as you would for, say, signing up for Netflix (a common offer currently seen across games), but it's all free - isn't that incentive enough?
Will you fill out free surveys or sign up for various social networks to earn free premium currency across your favorite Facebook games?
CityVille Government Center: Everything you need to know
As the CityVille City Center event finally draws to a close, if you're worried about land space because you didn't manage to upgrade that particular building to Level 7 (and therefore didn't receive the full 12 storage spaces for community buildings), there's hope yet! While the City Center event will apparently stay concluded, a new building has been added to the game with the same effect: the Government Center.
The Government Center will be given to you the next time you login to the game. It looks like a very large government building, and it starts out at Level 1, but can be upgraded through Level 7 by collecting three different building ingredients for each level. The first upgrade, for instance, requires four each of Computer Mice, Security Cameras and Wall Clocks. For each upgrade, you'll need to rely on both general news posts and individual requests sent to friends to earn these items.
As you upgrade the Government Center, the item in itself will offer you a population cap boost, but each upgrade will also allow you to store more and more community building inside the finished product, up to the maximum of 12 community buildings. You'll have 20 full days to finish the upgrades, up to Level 7, but if you happen to finish early, you can start storing community buildings as soon as you finish that final upgrade. If you can't finish all of the upgrades, you'll still receive storage for community buildings, but the amount of individual items you can store depends on just how many times you upgraded (for instance, a Level 3 Government Center would hold four community buildings).
Unfortunately, you can only have one Government Center in your town, so the community building storage isn't unlimited. However, since we've already seen a replacement for the City Center come out so quickly, it's likely that we'll see more and more of these kinds of items released in the future. We'll make sure to let you know if that does end up being the case.
Are you excited to see another community building storage project released in CityVille?
The Government Center will be given to you the next time you login to the game. It looks like a very large government building, and it starts out at Level 1, but can be upgraded through Level 7 by collecting three different building ingredients for each level. The first upgrade, for instance, requires four each of Computer Mice, Security Cameras and Wall Clocks. For each upgrade, you'll need to rely on both general news posts and individual requests sent to friends to earn these items.
As you upgrade the Government Center, the item in itself will offer you a population cap boost, but each upgrade will also allow you to store more and more community building inside the finished product, up to the maximum of 12 community buildings. You'll have 20 full days to finish the upgrades, up to Level 7, but if you happen to finish early, you can start storing community buildings as soon as you finish that final upgrade. If you can't finish all of the upgrades, you'll still receive storage for community buildings, but the amount of individual items you can store depends on just how many times you upgraded (for instance, a Level 3 Government Center would hold four community buildings).
Unfortunately, you can only have one Government Center in your town, so the community building storage isn't unlimited. However, since we've already seen a replacement for the City Center come out so quickly, it's likely that we'll see more and more of these kinds of items released in the future. We'll make sure to let you know if that does end up being the case.
Are you excited to see another community building storage project released in CityVille?
Pioneer Trail Player Appreciation Week starts with free Cocoa Cow
It was only last November that Zynga launched Player Appreciation Week in Pioneer Trail, offering players a variety of rewards as a way to say thank you for their patience (and apologize for the game's many issues). Apparently, the developer still doesn't feel that users are being appreciated enough, as another Player Appreciation Week has launched in the game.
While we're not sure just how many rewards will come this week, we do know that the first reward is a free Cocoa Cow. However, you'll need to actually claim it manually, as it won't simply show up in your inventory. Luckily, we have the link for you to claim your very own Cocoa Cow! All you'll need to do is click on this link right here.
Once you get into your game, you'll find the Cocoa Cow in your inventory. We'll make sure to let you know if any other exciting items show up during this week, or if the game itself receives any changes to say thanks to players. Keep checking back with us!
Are you excited to receive your free Cocoa Cow in Pioneer Trail? What other items do you hope Zynga gives away to players this week?
While we're not sure just how many rewards will come this week, we do know that the first reward is a free Cocoa Cow. However, you'll need to actually claim it manually, as it won't simply show up in your inventory. Luckily, we have the link for you to claim your very own Cocoa Cow! All you'll need to do is click on this link right here.
Once you get into your game, you'll find the Cocoa Cow in your inventory. We'll make sure to let you know if any other exciting items show up during this week, or if the game itself receives any changes to say thanks to players. Keep checking back with us!
Are you excited to receive your free Cocoa Cow in Pioneer Trail? What other items do you hope Zynga gives away to players this week?
Thứ Năm, 8 tháng 3, 2012
FarmVille: Calves and Foals finally receive animal mastery
The day has finally arrived, farmers! Calves and Foals, along with other baby animals, are now finally masterable in FarmVille! If you have a large collection of calves, foals, baby turkeys and so on, you'll now be able to earn mastery signs for each kind of animal, just as you can for each kind of adult animal on your farms. That is, a Holstein Calf has a different mastery sign than a Pink Calf, as but one of the many examples.
If you've been saving up plenty of calves or foals in anticipation of this launch, you may think that you'll instantly master these animals with one harvest, but that's not necessarily the case, as the mastery stars for most calves (for instance) can require upwards of 400 harvest per star. Still, as most of these baby animals can be harvested once per day, you'll still be able to master these animals fairly quickly, earning signs in the process that can be placed inside your equally new Animal Mastery Billboard.
With the launch of this baby animal mastery, we've finally seen the fulfillment of a promise made by Zynga some months ago. Better late than never, right?
What do you think of the launch of baby animal mastery in FarmVille? Have you saved up baby animals for when this eventually did arrive?
If you've been saving up plenty of calves or foals in anticipation of this launch, you may think that you'll instantly master these animals with one harvest, but that's not necessarily the case, as the mastery stars for most calves (for instance) can require upwards of 400 harvest per star. Still, as most of these baby animals can be harvested once per day, you'll still be able to master these animals fairly quickly, earning signs in the process that can be placed inside your equally new Animal Mastery Billboard.
With the launch of this baby animal mastery, we've finally seen the fulfillment of a promise made by Zynga some months ago. Better late than never, right?
What do you think of the launch of baby animal mastery in FarmVille? Have you saved up baby animals for when this eventually did arrive?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Zynga Bingo promotion coming soon
Zynga Bingo may not yet be available on Facebook, but we already know that Zynga is planning a cross-promotional train for the game across its other Facebook properties. For example, FVNation has found a promotional image for the upcoming Zynga Bingo promotion in FarmVille, as players will be asked to reach at least Level 6 in Zynga Bingo in order to receive a prize package back on their farm.
The prize? A pack of 10 free branded Unwithers. It seems this is now the go-to prize in FarmVille cross-promotions, as we've seen Unwithers given away from playing games like CastleVille and Hidden Chronicles in the past. It's likely this will just be the first of many games to receive promotions in association with Zynga Bingo, as the developer always looks to its established player base to try out its newest games.
We'll make sure to let you know as Zynga Bingo launches on Facebook, along with any other promotions that happen to come out along the way.
[Image Credit: FVNation]
Are you excited to receive more free unwithers in this upcoming Zynga Bingo promotion?
The Sims Social takes Interactive Achievement Award to Littlehaven
In the minds of the games industry's best, Playfish was certainly on onto something with The Sims Social. Its most popular Facebook game won the Interactive Achievement Award (IAA) for Social Networking Game of the Year at last night's 15th annual IAAs during the D.I.C.E. Summit. The game was joined other impressive nominees like Triple Town, CastleVille, Gardens of Time and Army Attack.
"Each year the Interactive Achievement Awards sees the top minds and personas of our industry coming together to not only celebrate, but recognize one another for the achievements of the year," Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences president Martin Rae said, according to IndustryGamers. "2011 produced an outstanding number of fantastic games in all areas of the industry – console, PC, social and mobile – we are truly witnessing a new golden age of gaming. Bravo to our winners!"
Of course, Bethesda's sword swinging and spell slinging adventure Skyrim took home the coveted Game of the Year award. (And four others last night.) As for best casual game, it also went to a Facebook game, at least in proxy. Fruit Ninja Kinect received the honor, which has been released on Facebook as Fruit Ninja Frenzy. As for The Sims Social, EA COO Peter Moore recently mused about what he wished the game could do, and if Playfish can pull it off, their game could be back next year.
Are you surprised that The Sims Social took home the IAA? If so, which game do you think deserved it?
"Each year the Interactive Achievement Awards sees the top minds and personas of our industry coming together to not only celebrate, but recognize one another for the achievements of the year," Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences president Martin Rae said, according to IndustryGamers. "2011 produced an outstanding number of fantastic games in all areas of the industry – console, PC, social and mobile – we are truly witnessing a new golden age of gaming. Bravo to our winners!"
Of course, Bethesda's sword swinging and spell slinging adventure Skyrim took home the coveted Game of the Year award. (And four others last night.) As for best casual game, it also went to a Facebook game, at least in proxy. Fruit Ninja Kinect received the honor, which has been released on Facebook as Fruit Ninja Frenzy. As for The Sims Social, EA COO Peter Moore recently mused about what he wished the game could do, and if Playfish can pull it off, their game could be back next year.
Are you surprised that The Sims Social took home the IAA? If so, which game do you think deserved it?
Google's wary of turning Google+ into a digital cow market with games
There's a very deliberate reason why games exist in their own little corner of Google+, you know. During the Inside Social Apps in San Francsico, Google+ engineering director David Glazer made just that known to a room of folks in the social gaming industry. "We've seen communities ruined by games," Glazer said, according to VentureBeat. "How do we find that balance between people who are interested in games... without having the problem of more spam?"
It's an important question to ask, especially considering Facebook had to face that question when it turned into a problem, and somewhat suffered for it. While Facebook scrambles to fix its mistakes with a whole team of engineers dedicated to games on the network, Google looks to nip that issue in the bud before it has a chance to harm any potential perception of the network. Sure, that means Google+ is moving at a snail's pace in the games world, but Glazer thinks it better that way.
"We saw equal amounts of anticipation and... people who hoped we never allowed games on Google+," Glazer said on a stage with Facebook product manager Carl Sjogreen. "It's critically important to us that games are successful... There are some people who would find their Timeline incomplete without a lot of games activity," Sjogreen said.
However, as for whether games for Google+ will always be segregated to their own little world, Glazer says don't count it out just yet, though the company's main concern is the user: "Always is a big word. Maybe. It will always be distributed in a way that respects the entire community."
Are you a fan of games on Google+? Do you like the direction it might be headed in?
It's an important question to ask, especially considering Facebook had to face that question when it turned into a problem, and somewhat suffered for it. While Facebook scrambles to fix its mistakes with a whole team of engineers dedicated to games on the network, Google looks to nip that issue in the bud before it has a chance to harm any potential perception of the network. Sure, that means Google+ is moving at a snail's pace in the games world, but Glazer thinks it better that way.
"We saw equal amounts of anticipation and... people who hoped we never allowed games on Google+," Glazer said on a stage with Facebook product manager Carl Sjogreen. "It's critically important to us that games are successful... There are some people who would find their Timeline incomplete without a lot of games activity," Sjogreen said.
However, as for whether games for Google+ will always be segregated to their own little world, Glazer says don't count it out just yet, though the company's main concern is the user: "Always is a big word. Maybe. It will always be distributed in a way that respects the entire community."
Are you a fan of games on Google+? Do you like the direction it might be headed in?
Game of the Day: Canasta
Today's Game of the Day is a Games.com classic: Canasta. The object of this matching card game is to create melds of cards of the same rank and then go out by playing or discarding all the cards in your hand. This online version of Canasta is a four player game, but you have the option of playing multiplayer with others or single player against the computer.
Canasta is one of those games that everyone has a great time playing. Once you've grasped the rules, jump into a game with three strangers. You'll soon find that people are super friendly and talkative in the chat, so get in there and make some friends. Treat yourself this Friday, and have a little fun playing some Canasta. Check it out below.
Click here to play Canasta!
canasta game of the day canasta game of the day
What do you think of Games.com's Canasta?
Canasta is one of those games that everyone has a great time playing. Once you've grasped the rules, jump into a game with three strangers. You'll soon find that people are super friendly and talkative in the chat, so get in there and make some friends. Treat yourself this Friday, and have a little fun playing some Canasta. Check it out below.
Click here to play Canasta!
canasta game of the day canasta game of the day
What do you think of Games.com's Canasta?
With Bingo, Zoo World's maker falls back on its publishing roots
You won't see as many games created by RockYou proper--the developer behind Zoo World, its sequel and recently Hooked--in 2012. RockYou has gone publisher-turned-developer-turned-publisher again (with a small focus on development), starting with a publishing agreement between RockYou Studio Partners and Bingo by Ryzing. And RockYou appears confident in its decision.
"We've been interested in Bingo as a genre and gameplay mechanic for over a year now. We're really impressed with the team at Ryzing, both in terms of the numbers they were generating currently and their road map," RockYou Studio Partners GM Josh Grant tells us. "It's also very complimentary with some of our existing original IPs [intellectual properties]."
This publishing partnership between Philadelphia, Penn.-based Ryzing and Redwood City, Calif.-based RockYou marks a shift for the latter. Since the publisher was forced to lay off about 100 of its staff, sell Gourmet Ranch creator Playdemic (and its game) back to its original founders and call it quits with Cloudforest Expedition maker Loot Drop, RockYou looks to return to its strengths.
"Look, a rift is always hard," RockYou CEO Lisa Marino admits. "I think what we did was as a leadership and management team is that we committed to a media model, and we very much went back to our roots We understand monetization and distribution in games incredibly well, and you'll see that in our history since 2006. The piece that we also are working on is partnering with really strong content whether we publish it or create it."
RockYou's "media model," according to Marino, has two pillars: "One is dual monetization: whether we publish the game or it's an owned and operated property, has advertising and digital goods inside of it. The other piece is that we have over 500 million installs, given our history and previous applications we still own, and nobody has that base of installs outside of Zynga."
RockYou
With that outlook, Marino tells us that RockYou expects to produce about one third of its content internally in 2012. The company will instead focus on bringing more gamers (and more money) to games created by teams focused on just that: games. As for Bingo by Ryzing, there's another reason why it chose to publish the game rather than create its own.
"Talking about publishing specifically, I don't want another Bingo game in my portfolio," Marino (pictured) says, referring to the current hot topic in social games: copycatting. "We're really excited about Bingo by Ryzing. We're super committed to that game. We're putting ad spend on it, [and] we're actively growing it. For us, it's very much about looking at titles that round out the offering that we have from an advertising and digital goods perspective in addition to complimenting our existing demographic."
Despite the new RockYou, so to speak, having a clearer outlook on how it thrive in the future, the company still faces serious challenges. Frankly, every social game company out there does. (Yes, even Zynga.) The fact of the matter is, launching a game on Facebook is just the beginning. (A glance out how some of Facebook's most popular games are in decline speaks volumes to that.)
RockYou CEO Lisa Marino
"I think the hardest thing that people don't talk a lot about in the social game space is that launching a title isn't very hard. It's taking that title from launch to a profitable business that's very difficult," Marino admits. "And frankly, RockYou is a company that has been challenged by that in the past. And many game developers are, in fact, challenged by that. Zynga does it incredibly well. But it's that migration from launch into a profitable business that we're really working and focusing on with things like Bingo, Hooked and Galactic Allies."
Now that Bingo by Ryzing is more like Bingo by Ryzing (and RockYou), what can fans expect for the rest of 2012? "We've got two to three more published games coming out this year," Marino tells us. "And we're actively working on publishing Bingo and Galactic Allies, and seeing whether we can build profitable businesses around those games."
[Image Credit: Add Comment]
Are you a fan of Bingo by Ryzing? What other game genres do you hope RockYou gets into in the future?
"We've been interested in Bingo as a genre and gameplay mechanic for over a year now. We're really impressed with the team at Ryzing, both in terms of the numbers they were generating currently and their road map," RockYou Studio Partners GM Josh Grant tells us. "It's also very complimentary with some of our existing original IPs [intellectual properties]."
This publishing partnership between Philadelphia, Penn.-based Ryzing and Redwood City, Calif.-based RockYou marks a shift for the latter. Since the publisher was forced to lay off about 100 of its staff, sell Gourmet Ranch creator Playdemic (and its game) back to its original founders and call it quits with Cloudforest Expedition maker Loot Drop, RockYou looks to return to its strengths.
"Look, a rift is always hard," RockYou CEO Lisa Marino admits. "I think what we did was as a leadership and management team is that we committed to a media model, and we very much went back to our roots We understand monetization and distribution in games incredibly well, and you'll see that in our history since 2006. The piece that we also are working on is partnering with really strong content whether we publish it or create it."
RockYou's "media model," according to Marino, has two pillars: "One is dual monetization: whether we publish the game or it's an owned and operated property, has advertising and digital goods inside of it. The other piece is that we have over 500 million installs, given our history and previous applications we still own, and nobody has that base of installs outside of Zynga."
RockYou
With that outlook, Marino tells us that RockYou expects to produce about one third of its content internally in 2012. The company will instead focus on bringing more gamers (and more money) to games created by teams focused on just that: games. As for Bingo by Ryzing, there's another reason why it chose to publish the game rather than create its own.
"Talking about publishing specifically, I don't want another Bingo game in my portfolio," Marino (pictured) says, referring to the current hot topic in social games: copycatting. "We're really excited about Bingo by Ryzing. We're super committed to that game. We're putting ad spend on it, [and] we're actively growing it. For us, it's very much about looking at titles that round out the offering that we have from an advertising and digital goods perspective in addition to complimenting our existing demographic."
Despite the new RockYou, so to speak, having a clearer outlook on how it thrive in the future, the company still faces serious challenges. Frankly, every social game company out there does. (Yes, even Zynga.) The fact of the matter is, launching a game on Facebook is just the beginning. (A glance out how some of Facebook's most popular games are in decline speaks volumes to that.)
RockYou CEO Lisa Marino
"I think the hardest thing that people don't talk a lot about in the social game space is that launching a title isn't very hard. It's taking that title from launch to a profitable business that's very difficult," Marino admits. "And frankly, RockYou is a company that has been challenged by that in the past. And many game developers are, in fact, challenged by that. Zynga does it incredibly well. But it's that migration from launch into a profitable business that we're really working and focusing on with things like Bingo, Hooked and Galactic Allies."
Now that Bingo by Ryzing is more like Bingo by Ryzing (and RockYou), what can fans expect for the rest of 2012? "We've got two to three more published games coming out this year," Marino tells us. "And we're actively working on publishing Bingo and Galactic Allies, and seeing whether we can build profitable businesses around those games."
[Image Credit: Add Comment]
Are you a fan of Bingo by Ryzing? What other game genres do you hope RockYou gets into in the future?
Watch a New York subway transform into Super Mario Land
Ah, the power of music. At times, it truly can take your mind elsewhere, and only the best video games tunes do it well. You know, like the many creative and catchy tunes of Super Mario Brothers. From the "doo doo doop, doo doop de doop" to the "dunna dunna dunna" of Mario's first adventure on a Nintendo system in 1985 to its empowering Super Star tune, this guitar and bass duo nail it all.
And they manage to irritate an entire car on Manhattan's uptown R train in the process. We say "manage," because with skills like these used to play some of gaming's greatest music, we simply don't understand how anyone would resist the urge to throw their money at them so they can make that EP already. Enjoy your Friday after it's been taken hostage by the infectiously catchy tunes of composer Koji Kondo's most famous work.
[Via Kotaku]
Are you still a fan of the original Super Mario after nearly 27 years? Admit it, you listen to retro game music all the time, don't you?
And they manage to irritate an entire car on Manhattan's uptown R train in the process. We say "manage," because with skills like these used to play some of gaming's greatest music, we simply don't understand how anyone would resist the urge to throw their money at them so they can make that EP already. Enjoy your Friday after it's been taken hostage by the infectiously catchy tunes of composer Koji Kondo's most famous work.
[Via Kotaku]
Are you still a fan of the original Super Mario after nearly 27 years? Admit it, you listen to retro game music all the time, don't you?
Thứ Bảy, 3 tháng 3, 2012
Google+ Games Stream now real time, updates mimic Facebook
Google+ Games just got a little bit better ... or just more like Facebook games. (Zing!) Google+ Product Manager Satyajeet Salgar just announced that the Google+ Games Stream has gone real time. This means that, rather than having to refresh the Stream to see gaming updates from your friends, they'll appear before you as they happen. For speedier reading, keyboard shortcuts work when perusing the Games Stream, too.
Frankly, this sounds an awful lot like the recent Games Ticker addition to the Facebook games Canvas. The second update to Google+ Games is the brand new ability to add your own personalized comments to updates you share with friends. Again, this is something players could in Facebook games for awhile now.
Finally, game notifications will appear in the Google+ Bar lining the top of users' web pages just below the address bar. Bonus: If they're annoying, you can just mute them. (Double Bonus: Google added Kabam's Global Warfare to Google+ Games in addition to Zynga's CityVille earlier this week.)
Granted, these changes are likely welcome by Google+ gamers with open arms, but their Facebook counterparts either have existed for quite some time or were recently added. In defense of Google+, however, Facebook arguably made a lot of its recent changes to the games Canvas in response to its new arch nemesis. And something tell us this slap battle is far from over. Check out Salgar detail the changes below.
[Via The Next Web]
What do you think of the recent changes to Google+ Games? Where do you see the fight between Facebook and Google in the games space going?
Frankly, this sounds an awful lot like the recent Games Ticker addition to the Facebook games Canvas. The second update to Google+ Games is the brand new ability to add your own personalized comments to updates you share with friends. Again, this is something players could in Facebook games for awhile now.
Finally, game notifications will appear in the Google+ Bar lining the top of users' web pages just below the address bar. Bonus: If they're annoying, you can just mute them. (Double Bonus: Google added Kabam's Global Warfare to Google+ Games in addition to Zynga's CityVille earlier this week.)
Granted, these changes are likely welcome by Google+ gamers with open arms, but their Facebook counterparts either have existed for quite some time or were recently added. In defense of Google+, however, Facebook arguably made a lot of its recent changes to the games Canvas in response to its new arch nemesis. And something tell us this slap battle is far from over. Check out Salgar detail the changes below.
[Via The Next Web]
What do you think of the recent changes to Google+ Games? Where do you see the fight between Facebook and Google in the games space going?
PopCap feels the power of 'free,' more freemium games incoming
Perhaps "PopCap feels the power of Facebook" is more like it. During an interview with PocketGamer.biz, PopCap senior director of mobile product and business strategy Giordano Contestabile revealed that the Bejeweled Blitz creator has plenty more plans for freemium mobile games. That's especially since its recent Plants vs Zombies freemium-inspired update.
"While we typically don't disclose much about our future plans, I can say that you're in for a lot of surprises for us in the coming months, and that in-app transactions and the freemium model are going to feature prominently," Contestabile told PocketGamer.biz. The PopCap exec believes that the play first, (maybe) pay later model of mobile games will likely take over.
"I think that, one year from now, 95 percent or more of iOS game downloads might come from freemium games, and 80 percent or more of the revenue could be associated with them," Contestabile told the website. "The freemium model is extremely powerful because it allows developers to reach the biggest possible audience, and it allows players to choose if and how to pay for content, after having tried it out."
While Contestabile did say that there's still a place for premium game experiences, or pay-to-play games, that approach is losing its luster for most games. It wouldn't be terribly inaccurate to call this "The Facebook Effect." The fact that companies like Zynga and EA (which now owns PopCap) have made serious dough with free-to-play Facebook games has certainly had a visible impact on mobile gaming, which has a distribution model fairly similar to social networks. Almost Free is here to stay, and it looks like PopCap wants to lead the charge.
Are you excited to hear that more free-to-play games are coming from PopCap? Which property do you hope gets the free treatment next, or are you hoping for more original games?
"While we typically don't disclose much about our future plans, I can say that you're in for a lot of surprises for us in the coming months, and that in-app transactions and the freemium model are going to feature prominently," Contestabile told PocketGamer.biz. The PopCap exec believes that the play first, (maybe) pay later model of mobile games will likely take over.
"I think that, one year from now, 95 percent or more of iOS game downloads might come from freemium games, and 80 percent or more of the revenue could be associated with them," Contestabile told the website. "The freemium model is extremely powerful because it allows developers to reach the biggest possible audience, and it allows players to choose if and how to pay for content, after having tried it out."
While Contestabile did say that there's still a place for premium game experiences, or pay-to-play games, that approach is losing its luster for most games. It wouldn't be terribly inaccurate to call this "The Facebook Effect." The fact that companies like Zynga and EA (which now owns PopCap) have made serious dough with free-to-play Facebook games has certainly had a visible impact on mobile gaming, which has a distribution model fairly similar to social networks. Almost Free is here to stay, and it looks like PopCap wants to lead the charge.
Are you excited to hear that more free-to-play games are coming from PopCap? Which property do you hope gets the free treatment next, or are you hoping for more original games?
Enrique Iglesias says, 'I Like How It Feels' in CityVille, visits next week
CityVille Enrique Iglesias
Man, why can't an act like Metallica crash CityVille? Oh, excuse my inner metal head, but you ladies out there are gonna' love this one: Zynga has announced that Grammy-winning pop star Enrique Iglesias is coming to its top Facebook game. Starting next week on Oct. 4, players will get the chance to help Mr. Iglesias kick off his recently-launched Euphoria Tour in-game.
Once Enrique lands in CityVille--and if you're over Level 6--you will be graced by his digitized presence in the game. But there' far more to this promotion than just clicking on the guy to hear witty sayings: Players will be able to collect various items fond to Enrique to score a thematic speed boat and Miami high-rise to place in their cities. The event will run through Oct. 10, and there is a grand finale in store for Enrique fans.
Enrique Iglesias in CityVille
Toward the end of the event, you will have the chance to build Enrique his very own Euphoria Arena in-game. Once you do, the guy will be so nice as to show you a sneak preview of his brand new music video, "I Like How It Feels" (featuring Pitbull and The WAVs). Of course, this is far from the first time a Zynga game has enjoyed celebrity exposure.
Just recently, the company announced that Indiana Jones will swoop into Adventure World through its work with Lucasfilm, and who can forget when Lady Gaga ran FarmVille for a few weeks earlier this spring? Even before that, both Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg had their fun with Mafia Wars. Are you sensing a trend yet? Good, because we doubt this is the last time a celeb will hit Zynga with a touch of fame. In fact, if you ask Facebook's major game creators, branded games are on the up and up.
Are you psyched to see that Enrique will hit up CityVille on his Euphoria Tour? Which celebrity or artist do you hope makes their way into a Zynga game next?
Man, why can't an act like Metallica crash CityVille? Oh, excuse my inner metal head, but you ladies out there are gonna' love this one: Zynga has announced that Grammy-winning pop star Enrique Iglesias is coming to its top Facebook game. Starting next week on Oct. 4, players will get the chance to help Mr. Iglesias kick off his recently-launched Euphoria Tour in-game.
Once Enrique lands in CityVille--and if you're over Level 6--you will be graced by his digitized presence in the game. But there' far more to this promotion than just clicking on the guy to hear witty sayings: Players will be able to collect various items fond to Enrique to score a thematic speed boat and Miami high-rise to place in their cities. The event will run through Oct. 10, and there is a grand finale in store for Enrique fans.
Enrique Iglesias in CityVille
Toward the end of the event, you will have the chance to build Enrique his very own Euphoria Arena in-game. Once you do, the guy will be so nice as to show you a sneak preview of his brand new music video, "I Like How It Feels" (featuring Pitbull and The WAVs). Of course, this is far from the first time a Zynga game has enjoyed celebrity exposure.
Just recently, the company announced that Indiana Jones will swoop into Adventure World through its work with Lucasfilm, and who can forget when Lady Gaga ran FarmVille for a few weeks earlier this spring? Even before that, both Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg had their fun with Mafia Wars. Are you sensing a trend yet? Good, because we doubt this is the last time a celeb will hit Zynga with a touch of fame. In fact, if you ask Facebook's major game creators, branded games are on the up and up.
Are you psyched to see that Enrique will hit up CityVille on his Euphoria Tour? Which celebrity or artist do you hope makes their way into a Zynga game next?
Vostu goes for Goooaaal with GolMania on Facebook, Orkut [Video]
And boy, does it look intense. Vostu--you know, the Brazilian social game maker trading legal blows with Zynga--has released what is likely its most ambitious social game yet with GolMania. Available now on Facebook and Orkut in English, Portuguese and Spanish, this social soccer game touts real-time, directly-controlled soccer matches between friends in a cute art style.
And, according to a Vostu representative, "real-time" means live, arcade-style gameplay between two friends over Facebook or Orkut, Google's wildly popular social network in South America. The game pits players against one another on the field, but has friends cooperate off of the green to build up each other's stadiums and to gain energy and money for more matches.
As player progress in GolMania by mastering its keyboard controls and dominating opponents live, they will unlock special maneuvers. You will also be able to organize private tournaments between friends and participate in global cups amongst the game's top players--you can even play soccer in low gravity on the moon. And Vostu already has even bigger plans for its now flagship social soccer game.
Gallery: GolMania on Facebook
Vostu's Mystery Fantasy Game on Facebook
"GolMania brings Vostu's fun social experience to a casual sports game," Vostu Chief Scientist Mario Schlosser said in a release. "We look forward to our millions of users getting to play GolMania and like with all of our games, we will then quickly react to their feedback and our deep analytics about player behavior to unveil new features that take into account how users make the game their own."
The game was developed Vostu's recent acquisition MP Studio, and employs the publisher's Vostu Game Network, meaning friends can play with one another in real time across social networks. Vostu also teased to us an unnamed social game (found in the gallery above) with a deep, cartoonish fantasy setting that's set to launch this fall as well. But until then, check out GolMania below and see if it gives your fingers a real challenge.
Click here to play GolMania on Facebook Now >
What do you think of Vostu's first real-time action sports social game? Do you see these types of games taking off on Facebook?
And, according to a Vostu representative, "real-time" means live, arcade-style gameplay between two friends over Facebook or Orkut, Google's wildly popular social network in South America. The game pits players against one another on the field, but has friends cooperate off of the green to build up each other's stadiums and to gain energy and money for more matches.
As player progress in GolMania by mastering its keyboard controls and dominating opponents live, they will unlock special maneuvers. You will also be able to organize private tournaments between friends and participate in global cups amongst the game's top players--you can even play soccer in low gravity on the moon. And Vostu already has even bigger plans for its now flagship social soccer game.
Gallery: GolMania on Facebook
Vostu's Mystery Fantasy Game on Facebook
"GolMania brings Vostu's fun social experience to a casual sports game," Vostu Chief Scientist Mario Schlosser said in a release. "We look forward to our millions of users getting to play GolMania and like with all of our games, we will then quickly react to their feedback and our deep analytics about player behavior to unveil new features that take into account how users make the game their own."
The game was developed Vostu's recent acquisition MP Studio, and employs the publisher's Vostu Game Network, meaning friends can play with one another in real time across social networks. Vostu also teased to us an unnamed social game (found in the gallery above) with a deep, cartoonish fantasy setting that's set to launch this fall as well. But until then, check out GolMania below and see if it gives your fingers a real challenge.
Click here to play GolMania on Facebook Now >
What do you think of Vostu's first real-time action sports social game? Do you see these types of games taking off on Facebook?
Gree's OpenFeint hires ex-Glu Mobile exec, more social games coming?
The mobile social game wars are heating up, as OpenFeint just took on former Glu Mobile executive Sarah Thompson (pictured) as its director of developer relations, SocialTimes reports. In other words, OpenFeint, owned by Japanese mobile social gaming powerhouse Gree, hired Thomson to strategically acquire build relationships with independent developers.
Namely, SocialTimes's Azam Khan guesses those developers will be primarily social and mobile social game creators, given Thomson's past exploits in the industry with Glu Mobile and IUGO Entertainment before that. And frankly, we couldn't agree more. Considering OpenFeint is a social network for mobile games at heart, and Gree's existing status, it simply makes sense.
"OpenFeint is going through an exciting phase of growth right now and Sarah is exactly the kind of person we need to keep up the momentum," OpenFeint SVP Marketing and Developer Relations Eros Resmini said in a release. "Sarah's deep history in mobile gaming paired with her connections to the developer community made her a great fit for OpenFeint."
We can't help but recall what just went down between OpenFeint and Gree: The former's co-founder and CEO Jason Citron resigned, and Gree CFO Naoki Aoyagi took his place. (Though, VentureBeat reckons the move was less ... cut-and-dry.) But back to Gree and OpenFeint's future plans, the simple fact is mobile social games are growing at an exponential rate on iOS and Android devices.
"I've always admired OpenFeint for its constant innovation in the mobile gaming space," Thomson said in a release. "As the company continues to change with the market, I'm excited to help OpenFeint continue growing." And we think we have an idea of just where Thomson would like to go. It starts with an "S" and--oh, forget it. You get the point already.
Do you think this puts OpenFeint in a better place to compete with opponents like DeNA and Zynga in mobile games? Don't you wish you could have rockin' tattoos and a big time exec gig?
Namely, SocialTimes's Azam Khan guesses those developers will be primarily social and mobile social game creators, given Thomson's past exploits in the industry with Glu Mobile and IUGO Entertainment before that. And frankly, we couldn't agree more. Considering OpenFeint is a social network for mobile games at heart, and Gree's existing status, it simply makes sense.
"OpenFeint is going through an exciting phase of growth right now and Sarah is exactly the kind of person we need to keep up the momentum," OpenFeint SVP Marketing and Developer Relations Eros Resmini said in a release. "Sarah's deep history in mobile gaming paired with her connections to the developer community made her a great fit for OpenFeint."
We can't help but recall what just went down between OpenFeint and Gree: The former's co-founder and CEO Jason Citron resigned, and Gree CFO Naoki Aoyagi took his place. (Though, VentureBeat reckons the move was less ... cut-and-dry.) But back to Gree and OpenFeint's future plans, the simple fact is mobile social games are growing at an exponential rate on iOS and Android devices.
"I've always admired OpenFeint for its constant innovation in the mobile gaming space," Thomson said in a release. "As the company continues to change with the market, I'm excited to help OpenFeint continue growing." And we think we have an idea of just where Thomson would like to go. It starts with an "S" and--oh, forget it. You get the point already.
Do you think this puts OpenFeint in a better place to compete with opponents like DeNA and Zynga in mobile games? Don't you wish you could have rockin' tattoos and a big time exec gig?
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