Google's Chrome Web Store launched today, and with it came the release of a FarmVille by Zynga Chrome web app. In an effort to keep you as up-to-date as possible concerning all things FarmVille, we took this app for a spin.
Technically, the app is incredibly easy to install on your Chrome web browser. Just sign into your Google Account, head over to the Chrome Web Store, and search for FarmVille. This shows you a page where you click on "Install" to, you guessed it, install the "app." From there, every time you open a new tab in Chrome, you'll see the FarmVille logo presented under the new "Apps" heading, like in the screenshot at the right of this post.
Clicking on this button - wait for it - takes you to FarmVille.com. No, that's not a joke. All this "application" does is add a much larger bookmark to your new tab (where you normally see links to your most visited websites). However, since it had been awhile since we've actually played the game on FarmVille.com, we did notice one nice thing, that being the launch of Widescreen Farming.
Where the true Facebook experience is limited to the small gameplay window shared by the vast majority of Facebook apps, this Widescreen Farming on FarmVille.com allows you to view a screen that is about 1/3 wider than normal. This means that those farmers that like to view their farms up-close-and-personal, rather than being zoomed out, will have an easier time scrolling around their land, as you can simply see more land at once.
Ultimately, is the App worth installing? We'd have to say no. Unless you have too many bookmarks in your Chrome Bookmarks Bar (the one underneath the address bar), and you want to free some space, you're better off just skipping this one.
Is Google Chrome your primary browser? If so, have you checked out the Web Store? Will you download the FarmVille app for its new bookmark?
Simple Earning -Good Site to join
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
FarmVille Beekeeper Update: Bountiful Beekeeper Ribbon & Fertilize All Boosts
Remember when everyone was busy building Beehives in FarmVille? Back in July, it seemed like the entire game was focused on these buzzing bees, but since then, the only real purpose they've had in the game is ...well, they haven't really had an in-depth purpose, now that I think about it.
That all changes with an impromptu FarmVille update tonight, however, as Zynga has added a new Bee-themed ribbon to the game called Bountiful Beekeeper. This ribbon works similarly to the "Egg-cellent Discovery" ribbon, which was rewarded upon randomly receiving Mystery Eggs from your Chicken Coop, but in this case is rewarded after you've found a certain number of Fertilize All items when harvesting your Beehive.
That's right - there is now an even better reason to harvest your Beehives, in addition to just earning a certain number of coins for doing so. Not only can you earn Fertilize All items (they automatically appear in your Gift Box, and can be used to fertilize every crop currently growing on your farm, making them worth XP when harvested), but these Fertilize Alls will allow you to earn Ribbons, or the game's achievements, resulting in even more coins and experience points for your account.
Like all others, the Bountiful Beekeeper ribbon has four levels, with each requiring more and more Fertilize Alls to be found. The Yellow Ribbon requires that you find just five Fertilize All Boosts, and if you're lucky, you'll have this step finished in as many days.
The Bountiful Beekeeper Ribbon now brings the current total of all available ribbons to 39. How many of the others have you been able to complete to the Blue Ribbon level, and will you work on finishing this one as well?
That all changes with an impromptu FarmVille update tonight, however, as Zynga has added a new Bee-themed ribbon to the game called Bountiful Beekeeper. This ribbon works similarly to the "Egg-cellent Discovery" ribbon, which was rewarded upon randomly receiving Mystery Eggs from your Chicken Coop, but in this case is rewarded after you've found a certain number of Fertilize All items when harvesting your Beehive.
That's right - there is now an even better reason to harvest your Beehives, in addition to just earning a certain number of coins for doing so. Not only can you earn Fertilize All items (they automatically appear in your Gift Box, and can be used to fertilize every crop currently growing on your farm, making them worth XP when harvested), but these Fertilize Alls will allow you to earn Ribbons, or the game's achievements, resulting in even more coins and experience points for your account.
Like all others, the Bountiful Beekeeper ribbon has four levels, with each requiring more and more Fertilize Alls to be found. The Yellow Ribbon requires that you find just five Fertilize All Boosts, and if you're lucky, you'll have this step finished in as many days.
The Bountiful Beekeeper Ribbon now brings the current total of all available ribbons to 39. How many of the others have you been able to complete to the Blue Ribbon level, and will you work on finishing this one as well?
CityVille: Bug Fixes, Feed Rewards and Bonus Meter improved
If you're like me, you likely jumped straight into Zynga's newest title CityVille with great anticipation of building your own city from scratch, becoming a star mayor and earning the adoration of thousands of virtual little citizens. But if you're like me, playing the game as regularly as the staff here at Games.com - The Blog have been, you've also likely realized that no game is perfect, including Zynga's newest.
Luckily, the CityVille team looks to be jumping into the fray with full force, as the game has already undergone a fairly large game update, offering bug fixes, and some additions or improvements that should make your path to city-building that much easier (including a way to earn coins a bit faster than originally).
We have the full list of enhancements and changes behind the break, so meet us there!
First and foremost, the amount of news feed rewards has been changed, based on the category of the reward you're claiming. Instead of pulling from one overall pool of requests available for the day (like in FrontierVille), you can now claim 5 Rewards for each time of wall post. This means that you can claim 5 rewards that offer Goods, 5 rewards that offer energy, and 5 rewards that offer coins, etc. Basically, so long as your friends don't post every single thing that they come across, you should be able to now claim everything in sight without running out too quickly.
Next, the Bonus Meter (the meter that fills as you click on the reward items that appear as you complete tasks) has been altered greatly, with the pay outs for each level, and the number of clicks required to reach each level being adjusted. Zynga didn't say whether or not they adjusted this to allow quicker meter filling or slower meter filling, but after jumping into the game and collecting from our businesses this evening, we can definitely say that the meter has been altered for the better. As an example, I personally collected from just 9 businesses, and collected the bonus items that appeared without letting the Bonus Meter reset, and I received over 4,000 coins in the process!
This should definitely help users add expansions and build the more expensive buildings and decorations that are already available in the game.
As for bug fixes, the full list is posted on the official CityVille forums, and is as follows:
Pier Storage- Pier storage is now being added to the total storage.
Friends Filters - Gift/Invite page now has the appropriate friends filters
Daily Bonus - Day 5 of the daily bonus is now fixed
Negative cash/coins - City Cash and coins will no longer appear to have a negative value.
Quest Items and Inventory - Quest items will be added to inventory regardless of whether or not the inventory is full.
Blank Inventory - Inventory will no longer appear blank when it's full.
"Clear Trees" Goal - There is now an option to skip the quest for 1 City Cash.
Deleted HQ Building - If you accidentally delete your HQ building you receive another one after refresh.
One item in particular stands out to us on this list - that being the "Clear Trees" Goal update. We've heard complaints from many users that had already cleared out their entire city of trees, only to receive this quest and then be stuck, due to the fact that there town simply had no trees to cut down. While we would have preferred to see Zynga offer a better solution than forcing users to pay premium currency to move on (even if it is just 1 City Cash), I guess a solution is better than no solution.
Zynga says that this is just the first batch of upgrades and bug fixes that will hit the game in the coming days and weeks, so keep checking back with us as we bring you coverage of these game updates, as the CityVille community continues to grow.
Which of these enhancements or improvements are you most excited about seeing in CityVille? Are there any bugs or problems that you'd like Zynga to tackle next?
Luckily, the CityVille team looks to be jumping into the fray with full force, as the game has already undergone a fairly large game update, offering bug fixes, and some additions or improvements that should make your path to city-building that much easier (including a way to earn coins a bit faster than originally).
We have the full list of enhancements and changes behind the break, so meet us there!
First and foremost, the amount of news feed rewards has been changed, based on the category of the reward you're claiming. Instead of pulling from one overall pool of requests available for the day (like in FrontierVille), you can now claim 5 Rewards for each time of wall post. This means that you can claim 5 rewards that offer Goods, 5 rewards that offer energy, and 5 rewards that offer coins, etc. Basically, so long as your friends don't post every single thing that they come across, you should be able to now claim everything in sight without running out too quickly.
Next, the Bonus Meter (the meter that fills as you click on the reward items that appear as you complete tasks) has been altered greatly, with the pay outs for each level, and the number of clicks required to reach each level being adjusted. Zynga didn't say whether or not they adjusted this to allow quicker meter filling or slower meter filling, but after jumping into the game and collecting from our businesses this evening, we can definitely say that the meter has been altered for the better. As an example, I personally collected from just 9 businesses, and collected the bonus items that appeared without letting the Bonus Meter reset, and I received over 4,000 coins in the process!
This should definitely help users add expansions and build the more expensive buildings and decorations that are already available in the game.
As for bug fixes, the full list is posted on the official CityVille forums, and is as follows:
Pier Storage- Pier storage is now being added to the total storage.
Friends Filters - Gift/Invite page now has the appropriate friends filters
Daily Bonus - Day 5 of the daily bonus is now fixed
Negative cash/coins - City Cash and coins will no longer appear to have a negative value.
Quest Items and Inventory - Quest items will be added to inventory regardless of whether or not the inventory is full.
Blank Inventory - Inventory will no longer appear blank when it's full.
"Clear Trees" Goal - There is now an option to skip the quest for 1 City Cash.
Deleted HQ Building - If you accidentally delete your HQ building you receive another one after refresh.
One item in particular stands out to us on this list - that being the "Clear Trees" Goal update. We've heard complaints from many users that had already cleared out their entire city of trees, only to receive this quest and then be stuck, due to the fact that there town simply had no trees to cut down. While we would have preferred to see Zynga offer a better solution than forcing users to pay premium currency to move on (even if it is just 1 City Cash), I guess a solution is better than no solution.
Zynga says that this is just the first batch of upgrades and bug fixes that will hit the game in the coming days and weeks, so keep checking back with us as we bring you coverage of these game updates, as the CityVille community continues to grow.
Which of these enhancements or improvements are you most excited about seeing in CityVille? Are there any bugs or problems that you'd like Zynga to tackle next?
FarmVille loading problems: Farmers able to load find their crops withered
Today, many are finding that loading FarmVille has been no easy task. As FarmVille loading problems and issues continue into the afternoon, many farmers are beginning to lose their patience.
Some of the farmers that were plagued with FarmVille loading issues this morning, have been able to return to their farms. Yet, the frustration continues even for those able to load the game and play. Upon loading up their farms, players discovered that their carefully timed crops had withered!
While we can maybe understand the loading issues due to FarmVille being updated, allowing our crops to wither after blocking us from the game is just unfair. Usually while updating FarmVille, Zynga pauses in-game time or turns off withering, so that none of our crops are affected at their expense. Unfortunately, that was not the case this time. Some players with whole fields of carefully scheduled crops lost thousands of Coins due to the FarmVille loading problems.
Fans are demanding a statement from Zynga, who as of yet has not said anything about the FarmVille loading issues. The only response has been a notice in FarmVille (despite many not being able to load the game):
"FarmVille is currently experiencing some loading issues. "
I suppose we should be grateful that we were able to load FarmVIlle at all without any more loading issues or problems, but I really do hope FarmVille helps out those with withered crops somehow.
Hopefully this is resolved soon.
Some of the farmers that were plagued with FarmVille loading issues this morning, have been able to return to their farms. Yet, the frustration continues even for those able to load the game and play. Upon loading up their farms, players discovered that their carefully timed crops had withered!
While we can maybe understand the loading issues due to FarmVille being updated, allowing our crops to wither after blocking us from the game is just unfair. Usually while updating FarmVille, Zynga pauses in-game time or turns off withering, so that none of our crops are affected at their expense. Unfortunately, that was not the case this time. Some players with whole fields of carefully scheduled crops lost thousands of Coins due to the FarmVille loading problems.
Fans are demanding a statement from Zynga, who as of yet has not said anything about the FarmVille loading issues. The only response has been a notice in FarmVille (despite many not being able to load the game):
"FarmVille is currently experiencing some loading issues. "
I suppose we should be grateful that we were able to load FarmVIlle at all without any more loading issues or problems, but I really do hope FarmVille helps out those with withered crops somehow.
Hopefully this is resolved soon.
FrontierVille Cheats and Tips: Victory Gardens
Victory Garden
Sitting in your post-Level 100 ivory tree house in FrontierVille with nothing left to do? Well, if you've already exhausted all of your resources for extra XP for the day, here's something productive that will help pass the time: Victory Gardens. Shockingly enough, Zynga didn't think of it first--you pioneers did. Creating your own Victory Garden doesn't have any rigid rules or rewards. This is purely something born of the creativity and generosity of high-level pioneers everywhere (i.e. these are the type you want to be friends with).
Find out how to cultivate your own Victory Garden and help out those more commonly known as 'noobs' after the break.
Wither Protection BoostPlainly speaking, Victory Gardens are tracks of farmland meant only for your lower-level neighbors to harvest. Making one is simple, but there are a few brief prerequisites. First, you're going to need room... a lot of it. This is because the standard Victory Garden contains five of each crop at all times for friends to harvest. In fact, some Victory Gardens even contain five of each animal for harvest, but that's only if you're feeling extra generous. If you'd like, you could even hold just say, a Victory Ranch, if you'd rather not worry about the upkeep.
Which is exactly the second requirement. In order for Victory Gardens to operate effectively they need to be stocked with crops at all times. This way, your newbie friends will always have something to harvest when they drop in for a visit. If you're rolling in dough and would rather not worry about your Victory Garden too much, you could always throw some Wither Protection Boosts on your crops. These Boosts keep any crops currently planted from withering and can be found through turning in the Peas Collection or paying up 40 Horseshoes, or $5.
While this might seem obvious, the last prerequisite is to never harvest from your own or your friends' Victory Gardens. Since tTend Herehe whole point of Victory Gardens is to help our fellow new players out, this would defeat the purpose. That being said, make sure to plant crops and animals for your own use in a spot both far away from your Victory Garden and obviously much smaller than it. Something that can help new players know where to tend and where to steer clear of are the "Tend Here" and "Hands Off" Signs. Buy these from the Market for 2 Horseshoes a piece and put them in the appropriate spots on your homestead to let players know what's OK to touch.
And that's about it. Follow these simple steps and you'll be well on your way to being the most beloved pioneer out there. Well, at least to your newbie entourage.
Sitting in your post-Level 100 ivory tree house in FrontierVille with nothing left to do? Well, if you've already exhausted all of your resources for extra XP for the day, here's something productive that will help pass the time: Victory Gardens. Shockingly enough, Zynga didn't think of it first--you pioneers did. Creating your own Victory Garden doesn't have any rigid rules or rewards. This is purely something born of the creativity and generosity of high-level pioneers everywhere (i.e. these are the type you want to be friends with).
Find out how to cultivate your own Victory Garden and help out those more commonly known as 'noobs' after the break.
Wither Protection BoostPlainly speaking, Victory Gardens are tracks of farmland meant only for your lower-level neighbors to harvest. Making one is simple, but there are a few brief prerequisites. First, you're going to need room... a lot of it. This is because the standard Victory Garden contains five of each crop at all times for friends to harvest. In fact, some Victory Gardens even contain five of each animal for harvest, but that's only if you're feeling extra generous. If you'd like, you could even hold just say, a Victory Ranch, if you'd rather not worry about the upkeep.
Which is exactly the second requirement. In order for Victory Gardens to operate effectively they need to be stocked with crops at all times. This way, your newbie friends will always have something to harvest when they drop in for a visit. If you're rolling in dough and would rather not worry about your Victory Garden too much, you could always throw some Wither Protection Boosts on your crops. These Boosts keep any crops currently planted from withering and can be found through turning in the Peas Collection or paying up 40 Horseshoes, or $5.
While this might seem obvious, the last prerequisite is to never harvest from your own or your friends' Victory Gardens. Since tTend Herehe whole point of Victory Gardens is to help our fellow new players out, this would defeat the purpose. That being said, make sure to plant crops and animals for your own use in a spot both far away from your Victory Garden and obviously much smaller than it. Something that can help new players know where to tend and where to steer clear of are the "Tend Here" and "Hands Off" Signs. Buy these from the Market for 2 Horseshoes a piece and put them in the appropriate spots on your homestead to let players know what's OK to touch.
And that's about it. Follow these simple steps and you'll be well on your way to being the most beloved pioneer out there. Well, at least to your newbie entourage.
Friday, January 13, 2012
FrontierVille Gingerbread Man Goals: Everything you need to know
If you thought you were done with the scrumptious-looking Gingerbread House in FrontierVille, think again. As it turns out, the Gingerbread Man's stay on the homestead is part of a series of three Goals starting with "Building the Gingerbread Man a Home." And if you followed our guide on how to build it, you've already got the hardest part of this Goal out of the way.
As for the other two requirements, you've been asked to plant five Fruit Trees. This means that you can plant five fruit-bearing trees of any kind to fulfill this portion of the Goal. So, if you're living on the cheap, just go with five Cherry Trees. That will only cost you a total of 3,100 coins and will be ready harvest in the least amount of time, which leads us to the final requirement. All you need to do is harvest or water 20 fruit trees on your homestead. If you don't have 20 trees already, this will take some extra cash and time, but for those with bigger homesteads this should be easy pickings. Enjoy the 150 XP, 250 coins and Light Snack as a reward for your hard work.
Find out how to best complete Part II and III of the Gingerbread Man Goals after the break.
Eaten Gingerbread HousePart II of the Gingerbread Man Goals requires the unthinkable (and, if the forums are any indication, annoying): you must eat the Gingerbread House. I guess your pioneer, after witnessing its sweet, cavity-inducing glory, decided that they just could not resist. Well, that's my suspension of disbelief, anyway. And to go with that delicious Gingerbread House, you'll need two Milk from the Cow Collection and 15 Cloth (napkins... get it?). As always, Cloth comes from visiting friends, but if you don't have any Milk saved you'll have to try your luck at finding it at random from tending Cows. Once this is completed, 200 XP, 500 coins and 75 Food await you.
Brace yourselves, Part III is somewhat of a doozie. You're going to have to rebuild that Gingerbread House you just gorged. Let that sink in a little bit before we move on. You're good? Great. Now, this means that you'll need to do the same three cross-game Goals again and ask for the same three items from friends, according to several forum members whose posts have since been removed. But that's not all. In addition to rebuilding the little guy's crib, you will also have to harvest any crop 150 times and harvest 50 of your friends' fruit trees. While you don't have to harvest the same 150 crops, you're probably better off just picking one crop and sticking to it like the Clovers or Tomatoes, the cheapest, fastest crops in the game. Either way, this Goal is going to be time consuming for most, to say the least. You're reward for getting there and back again will be 450 XP, 2,500 coins and a Mini Gingerbread House. Now that you know what to do, go on and make that Gingerbread Man one happy cookie.
As for the other two requirements, you've been asked to plant five Fruit Trees. This means that you can plant five fruit-bearing trees of any kind to fulfill this portion of the Goal. So, if you're living on the cheap, just go with five Cherry Trees. That will only cost you a total of 3,100 coins and will be ready harvest in the least amount of time, which leads us to the final requirement. All you need to do is harvest or water 20 fruit trees on your homestead. If you don't have 20 trees already, this will take some extra cash and time, but for those with bigger homesteads this should be easy pickings. Enjoy the 150 XP, 250 coins and Light Snack as a reward for your hard work.
Find out how to best complete Part II and III of the Gingerbread Man Goals after the break.
Eaten Gingerbread HousePart II of the Gingerbread Man Goals requires the unthinkable (and, if the forums are any indication, annoying): you must eat the Gingerbread House. I guess your pioneer, after witnessing its sweet, cavity-inducing glory, decided that they just could not resist. Well, that's my suspension of disbelief, anyway. And to go with that delicious Gingerbread House, you'll need two Milk from the Cow Collection and 15 Cloth (napkins... get it?). As always, Cloth comes from visiting friends, but if you don't have any Milk saved you'll have to try your luck at finding it at random from tending Cows. Once this is completed, 200 XP, 500 coins and 75 Food await you.
Brace yourselves, Part III is somewhat of a doozie. You're going to have to rebuild that Gingerbread House you just gorged. Let that sink in a little bit before we move on. You're good? Great. Now, this means that you'll need to do the same three cross-game Goals again and ask for the same three items from friends, according to several forum members whose posts have since been removed. But that's not all. In addition to rebuilding the little guy's crib, you will also have to harvest any crop 150 times and harvest 50 of your friends' fruit trees. While you don't have to harvest the same 150 crops, you're probably better off just picking one crop and sticking to it like the Clovers or Tomatoes, the cheapest, fastest crops in the game. Either way, this Goal is going to be time consuming for most, to say the least. You're reward for getting there and back again will be 450 XP, 2,500 coins and a Mini Gingerbread House. Now that you know what to do, go on and make that Gingerbread Man one happy cookie.
Game of the Day: Frosty Flips
The game of the day is in the Christmas spirit! Frosty Flips is fun, flipping snowboard ride with Santa Claus. In Frosty Flips help Snowboarding Santa stock up on goodies for Christmas! Flip and spin your way to highest scores. Frosty Flips is fast, funky and there is nothing better than landing a great trick or bailing hard with Santa.
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win aFlipCam 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
Play Frosty Flips now -->
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win aFlipCam 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
Play Frosty Flips now -->
FarmVille Holiday Avatar Costumes: Polar Bear & Snowman
Still looking for that perfect holiday costume for your avatar in FarmVille? How about a costume that will last you through the holiday season and the rest of winter to boot? If you've said yes, then you might be interested in the two newest offerings that have been added to FarmVille this week.
The costumes are the Polar Bear and Snowman costumes. Both of these costumes are limited edition, and are part of the Winter Holiday theme of items, giving them a time limit of 17 days remaining in the game's store. They are both premium, costing 10 Farm Cash each. For purchasing either costume, you'll gain 350 experience points as a reward.
If you've spent most of your Farm Cash on other items this holiday season, remember that Zynga has offered compensation to those users affected by the many glitches in the Snowman event, which we told you about earlier this week, so you may have 20 free Farm Cash on hand and not even know it. Conveniently enough, that's just what these costumes would cost to add to your wardrobe. Whether or not you do in fact purchase them, though, is of course up to you.
The costumes are the Polar Bear and Snowman costumes. Both of these costumes are limited edition, and are part of the Winter Holiday theme of items, giving them a time limit of 17 days remaining in the game's store. They are both premium, costing 10 Farm Cash each. For purchasing either costume, you'll gain 350 experience points as a reward.
If you've spent most of your Farm Cash on other items this holiday season, remember that Zynga has offered compensation to those users affected by the many glitches in the Snowman event, which we told you about earlier this week, so you may have 20 free Farm Cash on hand and not even know it. Conveniently enough, that's just what these costumes would cost to add to your wardrobe. Whether or not you do in fact purchase them, though, is of course up to you.
CityVille: Inventory Limit raised to 500 - keep collecting those presents!
By now, most CityVille players are probably knee-deep in presents, snow, and holiday lights as they try to decorate their land for the holidays, and build their very own Holiday Tree to celebrate. However, with the addition of the Holiday Tree quests came a very real concern on the part of users concerning the current inventory limit of 250 individual items.
As those participating in the Holiday Tree quests can tell you, sending presents back and forth, to and from friends can fill up your inventory, and fast, especially when taking all of the other items a user might have in their inventory into account. All you need is a group of very active players sending each other presents, free gifts, and the like daily, or even two or three times per day (where applicable), and suddenly that 250 item limit isn't nearly enough. Redeem a few collections here, send a few energy bonuses there... you get the idea.
Zynga had already increased the limit from the initial cap of 100 items to 250 about a week ago, but that clearly hasn't been enough to satisfy users, so the team has doubled the inventory cap - bringing the current cap to 500 items. Surely, this will be more than enough space to at least give users a chance to collect all of their bonuses and free gifts, even if they choose to sell most of those items therein in order to free up some space.
What does this mean for the Holiday Tree quests? It means you can now send free gifts until your heart is content, resting easy that your friends will (most likely) now have the room to hold them, and that's a great feeling indeed.
As those participating in the Holiday Tree quests can tell you, sending presents back and forth, to and from friends can fill up your inventory, and fast, especially when taking all of the other items a user might have in their inventory into account. All you need is a group of very active players sending each other presents, free gifts, and the like daily, or even two or three times per day (where applicable), and suddenly that 250 item limit isn't nearly enough. Redeem a few collections here, send a few energy bonuses there... you get the idea.
Zynga had already increased the limit from the initial cap of 100 items to 250 about a week ago, but that clearly hasn't been enough to satisfy users, so the team has doubled the inventory cap - bringing the current cap to 500 items. Surely, this will be more than enough space to at least give users a chance to collect all of their bonuses and free gifts, even if they choose to sell most of those items therein in order to free up some space.
What does this mean for the Holiday Tree quests? It means you can now send free gifts until your heart is content, resting easy that your friends will (most likely) now have the room to hold them, and that's a great feeling indeed.
FarmVille New Years Sneak Peek: Sign, Band, Confetti Tree, Disco Sheep, Horse & More
If you thought the Party Barn / New Year's Ball Drop event would be the one and only set of New Years items that we'd see released in FarmVille, think again, as we have come across a slew of new New Year's Eve themed items that are currently unreleased, but we're expecting to be added to the game in the very near future (perhaps in an update this weekend, if things go as scheduled in the world of FarmVille updates).
The items are as pictured, from left to right at the top of this post: New Year Horse, New Year Foal, Confetti Tree, Disco Ball Tree, Disco Sheep, Cider Fountain, New Year's Eve Sign, New Year's Eve Band, Glitter Palm Fireworks, Dahlia Fireworks.
The names of these items are subject to change at any time, and remember that there is no guarantee as to whether or not we'll actually see these items officially released in the game, so keep in that mind (however, we would be surprised if they all didn't show up in one form or another).
Also, we've read on the official FarmVille forums that some users are receiving Discoball Trees already from Mystery Seedlings. We are working to confirm, and will let you know if they are indeed already available in the game. Keep checking back with us for more.
The items are as pictured, from left to right at the top of this post: New Year Horse, New Year Foal, Confetti Tree, Disco Ball Tree, Disco Sheep, Cider Fountain, New Year's Eve Sign, New Year's Eve Band, Glitter Palm Fireworks, Dahlia Fireworks.
The names of these items are subject to change at any time, and remember that there is no guarantee as to whether or not we'll actually see these items officially released in the game, so keep in that mind (however, we would be surprised if they all didn't show up in one form or another).
Also, we've read on the official FarmVille forums that some users are receiving Discoball Trees already from Mystery Seedlings. We are working to confirm, and will let you know if they are indeed already available in the game. Keep checking back with us for more.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
RockYou to cast Hooked into Facebook's waters next week [Exclusive]
Between Zoo World and Gourmet Ranch (among other titles), Facebook developer RockYou lays claim to over five million monthly active players. Hoping to add to that player base, we've received exclusive info from developers on the company's newest title--Hooked--set to launch in beta sometime next week.
Hooked is the first title from RockYou's new studio in Redwood City, California, and it offers casino-style video poker and slots in the popular 60-second "blitz" gameplay format. The game's theme is an "undersea fantasy world" (just check out those adorable card fish in the logo), and it will offer various gameplay modes depending on each user's desired play style.
You'll be able to play in synchronous multiplayer, along with a solo mode. Both modes offer a variety of weekly leaderboards that will compare your stats to your friends. When the game launches in beta next week, early adopters will be given extra incentive to come back through "Tickets," which seem to be a type of currency that we'll be able to use on a variety of different features that won't yet be available at launch, but will come soon after release.
One feature we do know of however will be cross-platform capabilities, as a mobile version of Hooked will launch shortly after the launch of Hooked on Facebook. The specific mobile platforms weren't made clear to us, but we'll make sure to follow up with that as we know more. Looking forward to playing Hooked when it launches on Facebook? Check back with us next week as we'll hopefully be able to take a look at RockYou's new title in all of its underwater, animated glory.
Hooked is the first title from RockYou's new studio in Redwood City, California, and it offers casino-style video poker and slots in the popular 60-second "blitz" gameplay format. The game's theme is an "undersea fantasy world" (just check out those adorable card fish in the logo), and it will offer various gameplay modes depending on each user's desired play style.
You'll be able to play in synchronous multiplayer, along with a solo mode. Both modes offer a variety of weekly leaderboards that will compare your stats to your friends. When the game launches in beta next week, early adopters will be given extra incentive to come back through "Tickets," which seem to be a type of currency that we'll be able to use on a variety of different features that won't yet be available at launch, but will come soon after release.
One feature we do know of however will be cross-platform capabilities, as a mobile version of Hooked will launch shortly after the launch of Hooked on Facebook. The specific mobile platforms weren't made clear to us, but we'll make sure to follow up with that as we know more. Looking forward to playing Hooked when it launches on Facebook? Check back with us next week as we'll hopefully be able to take a look at RockYou's new title in all of its underwater, animated glory.
Woodland Heroes hits Facebook with furiously furry (and cute) strategy
Facebook games (and their developers) kind of have a thing for cute, furry creatures. Well, it seems more like an obsession at this point, and while start up studio Orlando, Fla.-based Row Sham Bow isn't exactly helping the situation with Woodland Heroes on Facebook. Though, at least its debut social game takes the furriness in a decidedly new direction ... one that involves catapulting pigs.
Woodland Heroes pits players against the evil King Bear as he tears across the raccoons' treasured forest land with massive armies. The game has you fighting back enemy forces with giant weapons made of sticks and stones (get it?) that launch everything from pigs to acorns in a modern if adorable take on Battleship meets Risk. (Players have to defend captured territories.)
The game, which seems to have launched in early October, looks to straddle the ground between hardcore strategy social games with its combat system and progression and casual games with its approachable characters. According to the company's website, Row Sham Bow is comprised largely of industry veterans, namely from EA Sports.
"Fascinated by the free-to-play space," the company looks to bring fun to social games. Well, raccoons facing bears in epic battles, flinging pigs and boulders at one another is certainly a step in the right direction. Now, all Row Sham Bow needs is to approach Trey Parker and Matt Stone for what would make for an awesome Facebook game.
Woodland Heroes pits players against the evil King Bear as he tears across the raccoons' treasured forest land with massive armies. The game has you fighting back enemy forces with giant weapons made of sticks and stones (get it?) that launch everything from pigs to acorns in a modern if adorable take on Battleship meets Risk. (Players have to defend captured territories.)
The game, which seems to have launched in early October, looks to straddle the ground between hardcore strategy social games with its combat system and progression and casual games with its approachable characters. According to the company's website, Row Sham Bow is comprised largely of industry veterans, namely from EA Sports.
"Fascinated by the free-to-play space," the company looks to bring fun to social games. Well, raccoons facing bears in epic battles, flinging pigs and boulders at one another is certainly a step in the right direction. Now, all Row Sham Bow needs is to approach Trey Parker and Matt Stone for what would make for an awesome Facebook game.
Something is a brewin' for the Angry Birds this Halloween [Video]
These days, the Angry Birds are almost always up to something. Coming hot off of their tour on the big screen (not that big screen), Rovio has released a teaser trailer for an upcoming update to its mega popular casual game. While we're given no gameplay footage or even a hint as to what version this update will arrive at, we can certainly deduce a lot from this trailer.
The clip sees three tiny blue birds dressed up to trick-or-treat (likely the largely useless cluster birds) come across a spooky camp ground and a bucket with, well, something inside of it. Since the update is undoubtedly Halloween-themed, we're going to guess that this is an update to Angry Birds Seasons. And it almost seems as if a new bird or enemy will join the peeved off little birds.
Remember, this would mark the first anniversary of the Seasons spin-off game, which almost randomly launched as Angry Birds Halloween in 2010. Considering how close we are to the joyous day of gorging on candy and dressing up like idiots, expect Rovio to release more details on this new Angry Birds content shortly.
The clip sees three tiny blue birds dressed up to trick-or-treat (likely the largely useless cluster birds) come across a spooky camp ground and a bucket with, well, something inside of it. Since the update is undoubtedly Halloween-themed, we're going to guess that this is an update to Angry Birds Seasons. And it almost seems as if a new bird or enemy will join the peeved off little birds.
Remember, this would mark the first anniversary of the Seasons spin-off game, which almost randomly launched as Angry Birds Halloween in 2010. Considering how close we are to the joyous day of gorging on candy and dressing up like idiots, expect Rovio to release more details on this new Angry Birds content shortly.
Gardens of Time nabs Best Social Network Game at GDC Online 2011
Playdom has apparently spotted a hit in Gardens of Time on Facebook. The hidden-object game was awarded Best Social Network Game at this year's Game Developers Choice Online Awards last week. Gardens of Time ran against strong competitors like CityVille (Zynga), Dragons of Atlantis (Kabam), FrontierVille (Zynga) and Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps).
According to Playdom, "the award honors the best game launched on a social network, judged in terms of overall depth, execution and quality." While hidden-object games certainly aren't a new genre, but they are new to Facebook, with Gardens of Time being one of the first to hit the platform and garner a healthy 11.1 million monthly players. And Playdom is celebrating.
As a token of thanks to its loyal object finders, the developer is giving all Gardens of Time players an exclusive Fireworks Wagon decoration. (Click here to receive the gift.) Gardens of Time blazed the trail for hidden-object Facebook games in April 2011 to a peak of 14 million monthly players speaking 14 languages.
Of course, the game has, well, inspired other developers to get in on the action. To combat Playdom's head start in the hidden-object sub genre on Facebook, Zynga just announced Hidden Chronicles, though no release date has been given yet. Here's to Playdom hopefully bringing more untapped genres to Facebook (like secret agents?).
According to Playdom, "the award honors the best game launched on a social network, judged in terms of overall depth, execution and quality." While hidden-object games certainly aren't a new genre, but they are new to Facebook, with Gardens of Time being one of the first to hit the platform and garner a healthy 11.1 million monthly players. And Playdom is celebrating.
As a token of thanks to its loyal object finders, the developer is giving all Gardens of Time players an exclusive Fireworks Wagon decoration. (Click here to receive the gift.) Gardens of Time blazed the trail for hidden-object Facebook games in April 2011 to a peak of 14 million monthly players speaking 14 languages.
Of course, the game has, well, inspired other developers to get in on the action. To combat Playdom's head start in the hidden-object sub genre on Facebook, Zynga just announced Hidden Chronicles, though no release date has been given yet. Here's to Playdom hopefully bringing more untapped genres to Facebook (like secret agents?).
Snooki, Apps Genius to class it up with eight Facebook, mobile games
Known (by me) as this generation's Jerry Springer without the audience, Jersey Shore has already inspired a Facebook game to mild success. Now, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi has teamed up with Apps Genius to develop, sell and distribute up to eight social games and mobile applications on Facebook, Google+, Android and iOS.
The first app, still shrouded in mystery, is set to land this November, while three more games are planned for release throughout the following year. We've certainly heard of games branded around TV shows, but this many games surrounding a single celebrity is certainly setting a precedent.
"These games and applications are my new favorite accessories, and I love them to death," Snooki said in a release. "Having worked on these from the beginning, I know Jersey Shore viewers and my other fans will love them. I can't wait to release the first one that we have been working on with Apps Genius."
That sounds like Snooki all right. The Jersey Shore star and New York Times bestselling author (wait, seriously?) will essentially spearhead Apps Genius's new Celebrity Entertainment division. The Red Bank, New Jersey-based company hopes this will inspire new celebs to hop on board. Well, after the stable of Pauly D games releases, of course.
The first app, still shrouded in mystery, is set to land this November, while three more games are planned for release throughout the following year. We've certainly heard of games branded around TV shows, but this many games surrounding a single celebrity is certainly setting a precedent.
"These games and applications are my new favorite accessories, and I love them to death," Snooki said in a release. "Having worked on these from the beginning, I know Jersey Shore viewers and my other fans will love them. I can't wait to release the first one that we have been working on with Apps Genius."
That sounds like Snooki all right. The Jersey Shore star and New York Times bestselling author (wait, seriously?) will essentially spearhead Apps Genius's new Celebrity Entertainment division. The Red Bank, New Jersey-based company hopes this will inspire new celebs to hop on board. Well, after the stable of Pauly D games releases, of course.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Valentine's Basket gift event to spread the love
Valentine's Basket
They're at it again. FarmVille Freak discovered yet another unreleased image of a feature yet to see the light of the FarmVille live servers. If the Cupid's Castle wasn't enough, players will soon have to fill a Valentine's Basket with delicious chocolate hearts. We imagine this will be a freely giftable item just like those before it. The Holiday Tree is still fresh in your memory, no?
Players will likely receive special rewards at certain milestones for collecting up to 150 Valentine's gifts. After amassing 150 of the treats, players will be rewarded with a special bonus item, but can continue to collect gifts beyond the limit. Also, FarmVille Freak reports that Cupid's Castle can now be harvested for these gifts as well. Of course, this could just as easily not be released, but why would Zynga let us all down like that?
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.
What items do you think we will be rewarded from the Valentine's Basket? Why would Zynga allow players to pass the limit of 150 gifts?
They're at it again. FarmVille Freak discovered yet another unreleased image of a feature yet to see the light of the FarmVille live servers. If the Cupid's Castle wasn't enough, players will soon have to fill a Valentine's Basket with delicious chocolate hearts. We imagine this will be a freely giftable item just like those before it. The Holiday Tree is still fresh in your memory, no?
Players will likely receive special rewards at certain milestones for collecting up to 150 Valentine's gifts. After amassing 150 of the treats, players will be rewarded with a special bonus item, but can continue to collect gifts beyond the limit. Also, FarmVille Freak reports that Cupid's Castle can now be harvested for these gifts as well. Of course, this could just as easily not be released, but why would Zynga let us all down like that?
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.
What items do you think we will be rewarded from the Valentine's Basket? Why would Zynga allow players to pass the limit of 150 gifts?
FrontierVille: Toy Factory leaves with one final gift for some Pioneers
The holiday season is now long gone, and the Toy Factory has finally left the homesteads of FrontierVille, but before it left, Frontier Jack and the Elves made sure to help those users who still had presents left to redeem inside. For all users that still had enough presents to purchase at least one of the items available from the Toy Shop, Zynga went ahead and used those presents to purchase the most expensive item that you could afford on your behalf by rounding up your current total of presents to the next available gift.
This prize can be found inside your gift box. Unfortunately, this does mean that you won't be able to save those gifts to use in a similar event this year, but it will likely be just as easy to earn then as it was this time.
We can understand that some users might be upset that these presents were used against their will, but we've been given quite a bit of warning that the Toy Factory was leaving the game, so if you simply forgot to trade in your excess presents, I guess this is a "better than nothing" extension of the olive branch on Zynga's behalf. We can't say that we necessary disagree with their decision, as any free item is better than simply losing your presents, and receiving nothing whatsoever in return.
This prize can be found inside your gift box. Unfortunately, this does mean that you won't be able to save those gifts to use in a similar event this year, but it will likely be just as easy to earn then as it was this time.
We can understand that some users might be upset that these presents were used against their will, but we've been given quite a bit of warning that the Toy Factory was leaving the game, so if you simply forgot to trade in your excess presents, I guess this is a "better than nothing" extension of the olive branch on Zynga's behalf. We can't say that we necessary disagree with their decision, as any free item is better than simply losing your presents, and receiving nothing whatsoever in return.
CityVille's FarmVille Promo Quest: Everything you need to know
For some time now, we've known that Zynga would be launching a cross-promotion between their two biggest games, FarmVille and CityVille. However, the details have been shaky at best concerning this new promotion, as some users have reported seeing a CityVille branded item being available in the FarmVille marketplace, that will supposedly launch a specific quest for you in CityVille, but the users spotting this were very few in number, and the information has been unreliable at best.
Now, though, we have some very concrete details about this new quest, as you can actually activate it on your farm (or rather, in your city). Click on this link to activate the FarmVille Promo quest in CityVille.
Upon entering CityVille (using the link above), you'll be greeted by the pop-up pictured at the top of this post. It tells entirely new CityVille players that you'll first need to complete the entire tutorial, along with naming your city in order to be eligible for the FarmVille quest. If you've never played CityVille, you'll earn a free item - the Farmgineers [pictured] - back in FarmVille for completing this quest, so it definitely is worth it.
Meet us behind the break for complete details as to how to complete this simple goal and claim your reward.
Once you activate this quest in your city, you'll see the large FV logo resting alongside the left portion of the CityVille gameplay window, in line with the other active quests on your account. This quest is fairly simple, so long as you have a few active neighbors playing CityVille (or a few active farmers that have also started playing CityVille just to complete this quest), as it only requires you to complete one task:
Ask friends to help find Rare Seedlings for Rita
As you might have guessed, finding these rare seeds is a process that requires you to click on the "Ask your Friends" button in the quest window and then post a general news item to your feed asking your friends for help. You can also skip this step and simply pay 8 City Cash to finish the mission instantly.
Once you complete this quest, you'll see another FarmVille logo appear in the quest line. Clicking on this window brings up a pop-up with a link to click on to claim your reward back in FarmVille. Click on this button and voila - you are told by Zynga that you've successfully earned the Farmgineers item for completing the mission. The Farmgineers can be found in your Gift Box, and then used as any other decorative item in the game can be used.
Now, though, we have some very concrete details about this new quest, as you can actually activate it on your farm (or rather, in your city). Click on this link to activate the FarmVille Promo quest in CityVille.
Upon entering CityVille (using the link above), you'll be greeted by the pop-up pictured at the top of this post. It tells entirely new CityVille players that you'll first need to complete the entire tutorial, along with naming your city in order to be eligible for the FarmVille quest. If you've never played CityVille, you'll earn a free item - the Farmgineers [pictured] - back in FarmVille for completing this quest, so it definitely is worth it.
Meet us behind the break for complete details as to how to complete this simple goal and claim your reward.
Once you activate this quest in your city, you'll see the large FV logo resting alongside the left portion of the CityVille gameplay window, in line with the other active quests on your account. This quest is fairly simple, so long as you have a few active neighbors playing CityVille (or a few active farmers that have also started playing CityVille just to complete this quest), as it only requires you to complete one task:
Ask friends to help find Rare Seedlings for Rita
As you might have guessed, finding these rare seeds is a process that requires you to click on the "Ask your Friends" button in the quest window and then post a general news item to your feed asking your friends for help. You can also skip this step and simply pay 8 City Cash to finish the mission instantly.
Once you complete this quest, you'll see another FarmVille logo appear in the quest line. Clicking on this window brings up a pop-up with a link to click on to claim your reward back in FarmVille. Click on this button and voila - you are told by Zynga that you've successfully earned the Farmgineers item for completing the mission. The Farmgineers can be found in your Gift Box, and then used as any other decorative item in the game can be used.
Cafe World Fire-Cracking Feast Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Brace yourselves - Zynga has released yet another Catering Order in Cafe World, with this newest job dealing with the upcoming Chinese New Year Holiday. Appropriately, the catering order will reward you with a Lucky Rabbit Waiter for your cafe, and is otherwise themed to match the holiday, with an avatar in a dragon costume representing the order in your Catering Business menu.
The overall catering order asks you to "help the Li family celebrate the New Year with a bang," and you'll need to cook three different dishes and collect groups of three different items in order to achieve that task. Luckily, all three of these dishes are already available to cook in your cookbook (depending on your level in the game), so you won't have to go through any sort of quest or mission set before tackling this order, like you did with the Graduation Party order that was released just a few days ago.
Meet us behind the break for a complete look at how to pass this newest catering order.
First and foremost, you'll need to start the cooking process quickly if you want to be able to finish this mission within the time allotted for the three star rating (that being five days in total). You'll need to cook White Radish Cake (a 24 hour dish) 100 times, Crackling Peking Duck (an 18 hour dish) 40 times, and Kung Pao Stir Fry (a 4-hour dish) 55 times.
As the White Radish Cake takes so long to cook, Zynga has at least given users the ability to add more than the normal amount of users to their catering crew to help out. This time around, you'll be able to bring in 15 players (in addition to yourself) to create a 16 person Catering Crew. That, along with the longer, 5 day time limit for a three star rating should help some users achieve this goal, and receive the Lucky Rabbit Waiter item at the end, but this is still an incredibly difficult mission.
This is only compacted by the fact that cooking is only the beginning of this mission's tasks, as you'll also need to collect three different items - five each of New Year Fireworks, New Year Drums, and New Year Lanterns. You can buy each individual item for 3 Cafe Cash, or you can click on the "Ask" button to send individual requests to each of your Cafe World neighbors - or at least the neighbors that you think would be most likely to help you complete this order.
If you can complete the entire order in under five days, you'll receive, as we said, the three star rating and the Lucky Waiter Rabbit item (a decorative rabbit, signifying the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese culture), but you'll also receive 12 Catering Points, 3,150 Cafe Points, and 70,875 coins.
If you take longer than five days, but can still finish within a full week, you'll receive two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2,250 Cafe Points, and 50,625 coins, and finally, if you simply finish the mission at any point after a week has passed, you'll receive the single-star rating, 4 Catering Points, 1,350 Cafe Points, and 30,375 coins. As usual, you can repeat this order for a better score, if you choose to.
Now more than ever is a time to coordinate with your friends as to which mission you will complete next. The more people you can bring into this mission with you, the better, so make sure to cooperate with your friends to have the best chance of success (or simply purchase a lot of Cafe Cash, so you can complete these tasks instantly - the choice is yours).
The overall catering order asks you to "help the Li family celebrate the New Year with a bang," and you'll need to cook three different dishes and collect groups of three different items in order to achieve that task. Luckily, all three of these dishes are already available to cook in your cookbook (depending on your level in the game), so you won't have to go through any sort of quest or mission set before tackling this order, like you did with the Graduation Party order that was released just a few days ago.
Meet us behind the break for a complete look at how to pass this newest catering order.
First and foremost, you'll need to start the cooking process quickly if you want to be able to finish this mission within the time allotted for the three star rating (that being five days in total). You'll need to cook White Radish Cake (a 24 hour dish) 100 times, Crackling Peking Duck (an 18 hour dish) 40 times, and Kung Pao Stir Fry (a 4-hour dish) 55 times.
As the White Radish Cake takes so long to cook, Zynga has at least given users the ability to add more than the normal amount of users to their catering crew to help out. This time around, you'll be able to bring in 15 players (in addition to yourself) to create a 16 person Catering Crew. That, along with the longer, 5 day time limit for a three star rating should help some users achieve this goal, and receive the Lucky Rabbit Waiter item at the end, but this is still an incredibly difficult mission.
This is only compacted by the fact that cooking is only the beginning of this mission's tasks, as you'll also need to collect three different items - five each of New Year Fireworks, New Year Drums, and New Year Lanterns. You can buy each individual item for 3 Cafe Cash, or you can click on the "Ask" button to send individual requests to each of your Cafe World neighbors - or at least the neighbors that you think would be most likely to help you complete this order.
If you can complete the entire order in under five days, you'll receive, as we said, the three star rating and the Lucky Waiter Rabbit item (a decorative rabbit, signifying the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese culture), but you'll also receive 12 Catering Points, 3,150 Cafe Points, and 70,875 coins.
If you take longer than five days, but can still finish within a full week, you'll receive two stars, 8 Catering Points, 2,250 Cafe Points, and 50,625 coins, and finally, if you simply finish the mission at any point after a week has passed, you'll receive the single-star rating, 4 Catering Points, 1,350 Cafe Points, and 30,375 coins. As usual, you can repeat this order for a better score, if you choose to.
Now more than ever is a time to coordinate with your friends as to which mission you will complete next. The more people you can bring into this mission with you, the better, so make sure to cooperate with your friends to have the best chance of success (or simply purchase a lot of Cafe Cash, so you can complete these tasks instantly - the choice is yours).
FarmVille Valentine's Sneak Peek: Valentine Teddy, Heart Rabbit, Love Shack & More
The unreleased items just keep coming today, as we've uncovered another batch of Valentine's Day items that will most likely be coming to FarmVille in the near future. There are at least nine more items that will likely be released in the game's Valentine's Day theme is all said and done, if these newest leaked images are to be believed.
Starting from left to right in the above post, we have a Venus Gnome (Venus as in the Roman goddess of Love, not the planet), a Heart Rabbit, Rose Vase, Flowers Ram, Romantic Gazebo, Romantic Coach, Love Shack, Valentine Teddy Bear and Valentine Snowman.
As of right now, it's unclear as to how all of these will eventually make their presence known in the game. Some of these items could be those found to purchase in the store, while others could be Mystery Game prizes, or even prizes in the upcoming Valentine's Day collection event, that we've been keeping track of as well.
Also, the Valentine Snowman is one item that is particularly interesting. After seeing the release of a plain, white Snowman in the middle of December, could this be a Valentine's Day version of that same feature? Another buildable snowman that we'll have to construct with pink snowballs, scarves, and the like?
Anything is possible at this point, and we'll be sure to share all of the details concerning these new items if and when they are officially released in the game, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.
What do you think of this set of Valentine's Day FarmVille items? Which ones would you be willing to pay Farm Cash for, and which should remain as strictly coin items?
Starting from left to right in the above post, we have a Venus Gnome (Venus as in the Roman goddess of Love, not the planet), a Heart Rabbit, Rose Vase, Flowers Ram, Romantic Gazebo, Romantic Coach, Love Shack, Valentine Teddy Bear and Valentine Snowman.
As of right now, it's unclear as to how all of these will eventually make their presence known in the game. Some of these items could be those found to purchase in the store, while others could be Mystery Game prizes, or even prizes in the upcoming Valentine's Day collection event, that we've been keeping track of as well.
Also, the Valentine Snowman is one item that is particularly interesting. After seeing the release of a plain, white Snowman in the middle of December, could this be a Valentine's Day version of that same feature? Another buildable snowman that we'll have to construct with pink snowballs, scarves, and the like?
Anything is possible at this point, and we'll be sure to share all of the details concerning these new items if and when they are officially released in the game, so keep checking back.
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day coverage right here.
What do you think of this set of Valentine's Day FarmVille items? Which ones would you be willing to pay Farm Cash for, and which should remain as strictly coin items?
Friday, January 6, 2012
FarmVille Sneak Peek: St. Patrick's Day Clover Chicken and Clover Sheep
If you're looking forward to the next holiday in FarmVille, that being St. Patrick's Day, as much as this farmer, you'll want to know all about these two new St. Patrick's Day animals that we believe will be coming to the game as part of this year's celebration.
The two animals are the Clover Chicken and the Clover Sheep, with both being lovely shades of pale green, along with some clover accents in a darker green color. If green is your favorite color, you'll simply love these cute little fellas, let's put it that way.
As of right now, there's no known details as to how these animals will be released in the game, but with the Clover Rabbit being released as part of the Wishing Well feature, the likelihood that this pair will join it is rather high. Perhaps these items will be prizes in the (what we assume is) upcoming Pot of Gold feature? Or maybe they'll simply be available to purchase from the game's store for coins or Farm Cash.
Whatever the case, we'll make sure to let you know all of the details about these animals as soon as we have them, but for now, check out their animations above.
What do you think of these two St. Patrick's Day animals? Do you like holiday-themed animals, or would you appreciate more realism in FarmVille?
The two animals are the Clover Chicken and the Clover Sheep, with both being lovely shades of pale green, along with some clover accents in a darker green color. If green is your favorite color, you'll simply love these cute little fellas, let's put it that way.
As of right now, there's no known details as to how these animals will be released in the game, but with the Clover Rabbit being released as part of the Wishing Well feature, the likelihood that this pair will join it is rather high. Perhaps these items will be prizes in the (what we assume is) upcoming Pot of Gold feature? Or maybe they'll simply be available to purchase from the game's store for coins or Farm Cash.
Whatever the case, we'll make sure to let you know all of the details about these animals as soon as we have them, but for now, check out their animations above.
What do you think of these two St. Patrick's Day animals? Do you like holiday-themed animals, or would you appreciate more realism in FarmVille?
FarmVille St. Patrick's Day Sneak Peek: Clover Gnome, Clover Fountain & Harp
Along with the newest set of unreleased animals we've found in FarmVille, we've also come across a trio of new decorative items that we believe will be launched in the game, which will come as part of the St. Patrick's Day celebration (that should be kicking off strong any day now - perhaps this weekend?).
There are three decorative items to take a look at here: the Harp, Clover Gnome, and Clover Fountain. With Zynga's love of Gnomes (and players' love to collect them), the release of this one seems like a given in the game, while there is no guarantee officially that any of them will see the light of day. The Harp, meanwhile, seems like the perfect decorative item to include in the upcoming Pot of Gold collection feature, but again, that is all speculation as well. For all that is known about these items as of this writing, they could very well be released as free gifts or as part of an upcoming Mystery Game, although the former possibility is incredibly unlikely.
While there is no official release date for these items, we do have a fun animation of the Clover Fountain in motion, as green water cascades over the themed tiers. You can check that out below.
While we wait for these items to officially release in the game, let us know how much you'd be willing to pay for them in comments. Just coins?
There are three decorative items to take a look at here: the Harp, Clover Gnome, and Clover Fountain. With Zynga's love of Gnomes (and players' love to collect them), the release of this one seems like a given in the game, while there is no guarantee officially that any of them will see the light of day. The Harp, meanwhile, seems like the perfect decorative item to include in the upcoming Pot of Gold collection feature, but again, that is all speculation as well. For all that is known about these items as of this writing, they could very well be released as free gifts or as part of an upcoming Mystery Game, although the former possibility is incredibly unlikely.
While there is no official release date for these items, we do have a fun animation of the Clover Fountain in motion, as green water cascades over the themed tiers. You can check that out below.
While we wait for these items to officially release in the game, let us know how much you'd be willing to pay for them in comments. Just coins?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Knight Gnome, Gumdrop Cluster, and More
Today has been absolutely golden for unreleased items in FarmVille, as we've come across two more items that will apparently be released shortly in the Fairy Tale limited edition item theme, along with a little visual proof that Zynga is working on a 30 x 30 land expansion in the game.
The two Fairy Tale items are the Knight Gnome and Gumdrop Cluster. While there's no guarantee that either of these items will be released officially, after the launch of the Princess Gnome just a few days ago, his arrival is all but guaranteed. We'd guess that both of these items will be released as single purchase items in the store, but it is also possible that they make their way into a new Mystery Game (rumor has it, another Mystery Game containing the Pink Unicorn is in our future).
As for the 30 x 30 Land Expansion, we don't have many details just yet, but we have started to hear rumblings about an expansion in the works, since this would be the most logical advancement in the game, after the 28 x 28 land expansion that was released late last year. Zynga hasn't officially announced that they are working on the land expansion, but we can only hope that there is some truth to the rumor.
As usual, we'll make sure to give you all of the details about these new items when they officially launch in the game, so keep checking back.
What do you think of this new set of FarmVille unreleased items?
The two Fairy Tale items are the Knight Gnome and Gumdrop Cluster. While there's no guarantee that either of these items will be released officially, after the launch of the Princess Gnome just a few days ago, his arrival is all but guaranteed. We'd guess that both of these items will be released as single purchase items in the store, but it is also possible that they make their way into a new Mystery Game (rumor has it, another Mystery Game containing the Pink Unicorn is in our future).
As for the 30 x 30 Land Expansion, we don't have many details just yet, but we have started to hear rumblings about an expansion in the works, since this would be the most logical advancement in the game, after the 28 x 28 land expansion that was released late last year. Zynga hasn't officially announced that they are working on the land expansion, but we can only hope that there is some truth to the rumor.
As usual, we'll make sure to give you all of the details about these new items when they officially launch in the game, so keep checking back.
What do you think of this new set of FarmVille unreleased items?
FarmVille Leprechaun Cottage: Everything you need to know
Use our Leprechaun Cottage gifting links to finish your cottage by St. Patrick's Day.
For some time now, we've been bringing you FarmVille sneak peeks of the new St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun's Cottage / treehouse that was then just an unreleased set of images. Via tonight's FarmVille update, however, the Leprechaun's Cottage became a reality as the building is now available to build on your farm!
As we expected, this building will function in a manner comparable to that of the Haunted House or the Cupid's Castle, from the Halloween and Valentine's Day events, respectively. That is, the Cottage will start at one size, and can then be upgraded three more times, each time causing the Cottage to become larger and more elaborate, changing from a simple cottage sitting on the ground to one perched high in a tree, surrounded mostly by the treetop. The larger your Leprechaun Cottage, the more Gold you'll be able to collect from the building each day, with that Gold presumably being used in a Pot of Gold that has yet to be released. As such, a completed Leprechaun Cottage won't give off Gold just yet, but that doesn't mean you can't have a head start in building the Cottage to completion! The first stage of construction on the Leprechaun's Cottage will require just four each of Bricks, Nails, and Wooden Boards. You'll start with one ingredient for free, so you should be able to blow through this stage fairly quickly. As you move to the next stage, you'll need 16 of each item.
The final stage of the Leprechaun Cottage requires more parts still, at 30 of each of these items. As you add building materials to your Cottage, you'll be able to share free Bricks, Nails, and Wooden Boards at various stages - either when completing the collection of a particular ingredient in full, or when reaching the halfway point of an expansion, and so on.
As for collecting the building materials themselves, remember that you have quite a few ways to go about that. You can either click on the "Ask for More" button associated with any ingredient to send out individual gift requests to your friends, asking them to send you the parts you need, or you can simply purchase them outright for 1 Farm Cash each. You can also open Special Delivery Boxes to receive the ingredients you need for free, or you can initiate the sending of these items from the free gifts page, in the hopes that your friend(s) reciprocate. Finally, always remember that your friends will likely be posting tons of these ingredients for free on their wall as they build their own Cottages, so you should feel free to take advantage of that generosity.
It should be noted that if you don't like the massive size of the Leprechaun Cottage, or simply want to store it until the Pot of Gold has been released (thus giving the building an actual purpose), Zynga has built the ability to store the item in already, so you won't have to wait to do so (unlike with such buildings in the past).
All told, building the Leprechaun Cottage should at least give you something to work on for a little while, while waiting for the rest of the St. Patrick's Day theme to hit FarmVille in full. Or, it should least give you a way to clear out your excess of Special Delivery boxes, if you've been hanging onto them for such a purpose.
For some time now, we've been bringing you FarmVille sneak peeks of the new St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun's Cottage / treehouse that was then just an unreleased set of images. Via tonight's FarmVille update, however, the Leprechaun's Cottage became a reality as the building is now available to build on your farm!
As we expected, this building will function in a manner comparable to that of the Haunted House or the Cupid's Castle, from the Halloween and Valentine's Day events, respectively. That is, the Cottage will start at one size, and can then be upgraded three more times, each time causing the Cottage to become larger and more elaborate, changing from a simple cottage sitting on the ground to one perched high in a tree, surrounded mostly by the treetop. The larger your Leprechaun Cottage, the more Gold you'll be able to collect from the building each day, with that Gold presumably being used in a Pot of Gold that has yet to be released. As such, a completed Leprechaun Cottage won't give off Gold just yet, but that doesn't mean you can't have a head start in building the Cottage to completion! The first stage of construction on the Leprechaun's Cottage will require just four each of Bricks, Nails, and Wooden Boards. You'll start with one ingredient for free, so you should be able to blow through this stage fairly quickly. As you move to the next stage, you'll need 16 of each item.
The final stage of the Leprechaun Cottage requires more parts still, at 30 of each of these items. As you add building materials to your Cottage, you'll be able to share free Bricks, Nails, and Wooden Boards at various stages - either when completing the collection of a particular ingredient in full, or when reaching the halfway point of an expansion, and so on.
As for collecting the building materials themselves, remember that you have quite a few ways to go about that. You can either click on the "Ask for More" button associated with any ingredient to send out individual gift requests to your friends, asking them to send you the parts you need, or you can simply purchase them outright for 1 Farm Cash each. You can also open Special Delivery Boxes to receive the ingredients you need for free, or you can initiate the sending of these items from the free gifts page, in the hopes that your friend(s) reciprocate. Finally, always remember that your friends will likely be posting tons of these ingredients for free on their wall as they build their own Cottages, so you should feel free to take advantage of that generosity.
It should be noted that if you don't like the massive size of the Leprechaun Cottage, or simply want to store it until the Pot of Gold has been released (thus giving the building an actual purpose), Zynga has built the ability to store the item in already, so you won't have to wait to do so (unlike with such buildings in the past).
All told, building the Leprechaun Cottage should at least give you something to work on for a little while, while waiting for the rest of the St. Patrick's Day theme to hit FarmVille in full. Or, it should least give you a way to clear out your excess of Special Delivery boxes, if you've been hanging onto them for such a purpose.
FarmVille: Zynga boosts News Feed collection limit to 200
After releasing a new item collection limit in FarmVille to stop those players who choose to use automatic bonus collection applications, Zynga faced a lot of heat from its userbase, with both players that use said automatic collectors, and even those that don't, stating that the limit simply wasn't fair. The general consensus was: Why punish the entire group for the acts of just a few? This was only exacerbated by the fact that a new throttle was also introduced, slowing all players (even those who were playing the game entirely on their own) in their bonus collection, so that we now have to wait a few seconds before collecting another item, for fear of being hit with the throttle for the rest of the day (which slows you down even further, potentially causing you to miss free items altogether).
At the time, the item limit was placed at 125 items per day, but due to player suggestions ("outrage" seems like a more appropriate word), Zynga has announced a change to the limit on the official FarmVille forums, to increase the number of bonuses players can claim each day. No, this doesn't get rid of the limit entirely, but we are now able to claim 200 items, rather than the original 125.
Community Manager Stumpgrinder posted:
Based on your feedback we've made multiple adjustments to the throttling and item limit systems and we will continue to do so as we examine the data. A further adjustment we've decided to make is that we have increased the maximum number of items that can be collected from the feed on a daily basis from 125 to 200, effective immediately. With this increase we believe we have achieved a very good balance for all of our players from this point onward.
Stumpgrinder adds that if users who aren't using automated programs still feel they are being unfairly limited in their item collection, they should post their continued feedback on the forums.
It seems like it was only a matter of time before Zynga simply had to increase the limit on users, for fear of losing agitated players altogether. Whether you use an automated collection program or not, the simple idea of not being able to take advantage of all of the free items that Zynga highly encourages, or even sometimes forces you to post simply doesn't make sense. We can understand Zynga's frustration, though, and hope that they continue to take this matter seriously into the future.
At the time, the item limit was placed at 125 items per day, but due to player suggestions ("outrage" seems like a more appropriate word), Zynga has announced a change to the limit on the official FarmVille forums, to increase the number of bonuses players can claim each day. No, this doesn't get rid of the limit entirely, but we are now able to claim 200 items, rather than the original 125.
Community Manager Stumpgrinder posted:
Based on your feedback we've made multiple adjustments to the throttling and item limit systems and we will continue to do so as we examine the data. A further adjustment we've decided to make is that we have increased the maximum number of items that can be collected from the feed on a daily basis from 125 to 200, effective immediately. With this increase we believe we have achieved a very good balance for all of our players from this point onward.
Stumpgrinder adds that if users who aren't using automated programs still feel they are being unfairly limited in their item collection, they should post their continued feedback on the forums.
It seems like it was only a matter of time before Zynga simply had to increase the limit on users, for fear of losing agitated players altogether. Whether you use an automated collection program or not, the simple idea of not being able to take advantage of all of the free items that Zynga highly encourages, or even sometimes forces you to post simply doesn't make sense. We can understand Zynga's frustration, though, and hope that they continue to take this matter seriously into the future.
Game of the Day: TextTwist
The Game of the Day is going to test those old spelling skills . TextTwist: Are you word wise? Do you love SCRABBLE? Take the Text Twist challenge! Win points when you unscramble the letters to make new words. TextTwist a classic on Games.com and people play it for hours. Join the craze.
Click --> play TextTwist
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 TextTwist
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
Syfy Channel beaming up to social games business
Syfy channel
Soon, the omni-nerds--you know, the folks who watched Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in its entirety and enjoyed it--will flock to Facebook to see what SyFy is up to in social games. According to Gamesindustry.biz, the NBC-owned network will create games based off of its own programs (ahem, Battlestar Galactica, anyone?) and original content. Of course, the games will launch on Facebook, but the company has plans to release them to other platforms.
"This bold business expansion into games publishing secures a key foundation for the powerful Syfy brand in the burgeoning social games space," said Syfy president Dave Howe. "By providing our fans on social networks and other platforms with a distinctive, premium gaming experience, we are creating a perfect complement to our existing Syfy Games portfolio."
All of the Syfy Facebook games will be open to sponsors like Zynga's and Playfish's games are, but no official promotions have been announced much less the games themselves. Syfy already has experience releasing browser-based games surrounding its franchises like Battlestar Galactica Online through Bigpoint, so chances are these will be quality social games. Just leave the Deep Space Nine be, will ya?
[Source: Broadcasting and Cable]
What Syfy franchise do you hope to see transformed into a social game first?
Soon, the omni-nerds--you know, the folks who watched Star Trek: Deep Space Nine in its entirety and enjoyed it--will flock to Facebook to see what SyFy is up to in social games. According to Gamesindustry.biz, the NBC-owned network will create games based off of its own programs (ahem, Battlestar Galactica, anyone?) and original content. Of course, the games will launch on Facebook, but the company has plans to release them to other platforms.
"This bold business expansion into games publishing secures a key foundation for the powerful Syfy brand in the burgeoning social games space," said Syfy president Dave Howe. "By providing our fans on social networks and other platforms with a distinctive, premium gaming experience, we are creating a perfect complement to our existing Syfy Games portfolio."
All of the Syfy Facebook games will be open to sponsors like Zynga's and Playfish's games are, but no official promotions have been announced much less the games themselves. Syfy already has experience releasing browser-based games surrounding its franchises like Battlestar Galactica Online through Bigpoint, so chances are these will be quality social games. Just leave the Deep Space Nine be, will ya?
[Source: Broadcasting and Cable]
What Syfy franchise do you hope to see transformed into a social game first?
March Madness Facebook Game Showdown: Round 2
Games.com The Blog is having it's own March Madness tournament. Instead of college basketball teams going head to head, we're pitting the top sixteen Facebook games against each other. Over the weekend we ran our first round of the tournament. Games were seeded one through sixteen based on the number of daily active users on March 17th (St. Patrick's Day!) The top seeded games had the most daily players with the lowest seeded games having the least.
The March Madness Facebook Game Showdown is on to round two! In the first round the higher seeded games (the games with more players) easily trounced their lesser seeded opponents, except for one! One of our match ups there was an upset!
The fading Facebook game super star game Pet Society by Playfish, was able to narrowly defeat Zynga's Cafe World. Pet Society one by the narrow margin of 54% to 46% .
The second round match ups are set! And this time it will be brother against brother as many second round match ups involve Zynga games verses Zynga games. I wonder if the developers will be able to chose between their babies.
The first match up is a biggie. Number one contender CityVille verses old time favorite Mafia Wars. This one should be very close.
(1) CityVille vs. (8) Mafia Wars
(8) Mafia Wars(1) CityVille
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The tough battles continue in the four verse five match up. FrontierVille and Bejeweled Blitz bring two different types of players to the table. Who's style will win out? Will it be the frontier or the arcade explosions who win out?
(4) FrontierVille vs. (5) Bejeweled Blitz
(4) FrontierVille(5) Bejeweled Blitz
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The battle for Zynga supremacy rolls on. The super heavy weight FarmVille goes up against the scappy Treasure Isle. FarmVille has a huge advantage in experience and players but Treasure Isle is a unique game that has a loyal following. Can Treasure Isle pull off the upset?
(2) FarmVille vs. (7) Treasure Isle
(7) Treasure Isle(2) FarmVille
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The cinderralla story of the tournament so far is Pet Society. The eleven seeded Pet Society goes up against the war horse of Zynga Poker. Can the cute Pets upset the poker faced Zynga Poker? Vote early and vote often to see who comes out on top.
(3) Zynga Poker vs. (11) Pet Society
11) Pet Society(3) Zynga Poker
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Please vote early and vote often. Share this page with your friends and vote your favorite game to victory!
The March Madness Facebook Game Showdown is on to round two! In the first round the higher seeded games (the games with more players) easily trounced their lesser seeded opponents, except for one! One of our match ups there was an upset!
The fading Facebook game super star game Pet Society by Playfish, was able to narrowly defeat Zynga's Cafe World. Pet Society one by the narrow margin of 54% to 46% .
The second round match ups are set! And this time it will be brother against brother as many second round match ups involve Zynga games verses Zynga games. I wonder if the developers will be able to chose between their babies.
The first match up is a biggie. Number one contender CityVille verses old time favorite Mafia Wars. This one should be very close.
(1) CityVille vs. (8) Mafia Wars
(8) Mafia Wars(1) CityVille
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
The tough battles continue in the four verse five match up. FrontierVille and Bejeweled Blitz bring two different types of players to the table. Who's style will win out? Will it be the frontier or the arcade explosions who win out?
(4) FrontierVille vs. (5) Bejeweled Blitz
(4) FrontierVille(5) Bejeweled Blitz
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
The battle for Zynga supremacy rolls on. The super heavy weight FarmVille goes up against the scappy Treasure Isle. FarmVille has a huge advantage in experience and players but Treasure Isle is a unique game that has a loyal following. Can Treasure Isle pull off the upset?
(2) FarmVille vs. (7) Treasure Isle
(7) Treasure Isle(2) FarmVille
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
The cinderralla story of the tournament so far is Pet Society. The eleven seeded Pet Society goes up against the war horse of Zynga Poker. Can the cute Pets upset the poker faced Zynga Poker? Vote early and vote often to see who comes out on top.
(3) Zynga Poker vs. (11) Pet Society
11) Pet Society(3) Zynga Poker
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
Please vote early and vote often. Share this page with your friends and vote your favorite game to victory!
FarmVille English Countryside Duke's Airship Goals: Everything you need to know
The Duke has finally arrived in FarmVille, but his landing wasn't exactly smooth. In fact, his airship is in tatters, so it's up to you to fix it and accept his offer of your very own farm in the English Countryside. This introductory set of Goals isn't terribly difficult, but to ensure you're ready to get to England as quickly as possible, join us behind the break for a detailed guide.
Duke's AirshipWhen the content becomes available to you in-game, a boy will point out something in the distance that's approaching fast. The game will then play a short cutscene displaying Duke's graceful entrance. Afterward, he'll offer you a deed to your new farm (how did these people find out about you?), but needs you to fix his airship if you're to make the trek across the pond. You'll immediately be put into placement mode, so place the airship down and begin tackling the first Goal:
1. Drop Anchor!:
Buy 3 Crates from the Market and place them
Easy enough, right? Crates cost just 150 coins and yield 5 XP when placed. Once you purchase one Crate, you will remain in placement mode, meaning you don't have to access the Market to buy the next two Crates--just place two more. Once this Goal is complete, you'll earn a whopping 100 XP, 5 Farm Cash and 2500 coins. Zynga's being mighty generous for being on your out of the farm.
2. Cotton to It:
Plant 50 Cotton
That's it, really. Just throw down 50 Cotton plants and, without even harvesting them, you'll have completed this Goal. However, this one will cost you 3,750 coins. Finish planting and you'll be rewarded with 100 XP, 1 Flag and another 2,500 coins.
3. Nice Supplies:
Purchase 1 Cow from the Market
Couldn't these just be condensed into one Goal? Just buy the Cow from the Market and you will be rewarded with 250 XP, an Aviator's Cap and yet another 2,500 coins.
Duke's Airship Party
4. Bon Voyage Party:
0-3 neighbors: Unable to travel to England
4-14 neighbors: Depart in 4 days
15-34 neighbors: Depart in 2 days
35 neighbors: Depart right now
Finally, it's time to say goodbye to your old farm, but not without a send-off party. This could potentially be the biggest snag for people itching to get into FarmVille English Countryside. This Goal acts similar to the New Years party in that you'll need to add friends to your party for a meter to fill to the top. However, the time in which you'll have to wait for access to England is at stake. Add only up to three friends, and you won't even be able to go; add 4 to 14 and the wait time for your flight will be four days, and so on.
And yes, those days are in real time, meaning you'll have to wait another four days to enter the English Countryside expansion if you don't have more than 14 friends. Unfortunately, this is the only way to access this new content, so get into the forums, the FarmVille Facebook page or even the comments below to find more friends to colaborate with.
Once the timer reaches zero, a pop-up will appear guiding you to your new farm. Follow the instructions and you'll be in England in no time. To switch between farms, click on the small airship or home-shaped icons (depending on which farm you're currently in) on the upper righthand corner of the game screen. Now, you're ready to farm in England.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you found this series of Goals in your game yet? What do you think of Zynga's essential friend requirement to enter English Countryside?
Duke's AirshipWhen the content becomes available to you in-game, a boy will point out something in the distance that's approaching fast. The game will then play a short cutscene displaying Duke's graceful entrance. Afterward, he'll offer you a deed to your new farm (how did these people find out about you?), but needs you to fix his airship if you're to make the trek across the pond. You'll immediately be put into placement mode, so place the airship down and begin tackling the first Goal:
1. Drop Anchor!:
Buy 3 Crates from the Market and place them
Easy enough, right? Crates cost just 150 coins and yield 5 XP when placed. Once you purchase one Crate, you will remain in placement mode, meaning you don't have to access the Market to buy the next two Crates--just place two more. Once this Goal is complete, you'll earn a whopping 100 XP, 5 Farm Cash and 2500 coins. Zynga's being mighty generous for being on your out of the farm.
2. Cotton to It:
Plant 50 Cotton
That's it, really. Just throw down 50 Cotton plants and, without even harvesting them, you'll have completed this Goal. However, this one will cost you 3,750 coins. Finish planting and you'll be rewarded with 100 XP, 1 Flag and another 2,500 coins.
3. Nice Supplies:
Purchase 1 Cow from the Market
Couldn't these just be condensed into one Goal? Just buy the Cow from the Market and you will be rewarded with 250 XP, an Aviator's Cap and yet another 2,500 coins.
Duke's Airship Party
4. Bon Voyage Party:
0-3 neighbors: Unable to travel to England
4-14 neighbors: Depart in 4 days
15-34 neighbors: Depart in 2 days
35 neighbors: Depart right now
Finally, it's time to say goodbye to your old farm, but not without a send-off party. This could potentially be the biggest snag for people itching to get into FarmVille English Countryside. This Goal acts similar to the New Years party in that you'll need to add friends to your party for a meter to fill to the top. However, the time in which you'll have to wait for access to England is at stake. Add only up to three friends, and you won't even be able to go; add 4 to 14 and the wait time for your flight will be four days, and so on.
And yes, those days are in real time, meaning you'll have to wait another four days to enter the English Countryside expansion if you don't have more than 14 friends. Unfortunately, this is the only way to access this new content, so get into the forums, the FarmVille Facebook page or even the comments below to find more friends to colaborate with.
Once the timer reaches zero, a pop-up will appear guiding you to your new farm. Follow the instructions and you'll be in England in no time. To switch between farms, click on the small airship or home-shaped icons (depending on which farm you're currently in) on the upper righthand corner of the game screen. Now, you're ready to farm in England.
[Source and Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you found this series of Goals in your game yet? What do you think of Zynga's essential friend requirement to enter English Countryside?
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Acqua for Life promotion
A second free Farm Cash promotion has been launched in FarmVille this week, with Giorgio Armani's Acqua for Life project teaming with Zynga to raise awareness about the importance of clean drinking water, especially for children.
The promotion can be found as you access all others - underneath the FarmVille gameplay window in a Sponsored Link [pictured]. This link will open a new window, where you'll see a trailer for the Acqua for Life / UNICEF Tap Project. You'll need to answer a series of survey questions to receive your Farm Cash, mostly introducing you to the fact that only $1 can provide 40 days of safe drinking water for a single child.
While the promotion ends after you've answered these survey questions, and you'll see your two free Farm Cash added automatically to your total, you can go one step further and "Like" the project's fan page. Each Like on the page sponsors $1 to the project, absolutely free. Again, you don't have to do this, but it only takes a second, and is at least for a great cause.
Have you seen this Farm Cash promotion appearing in your game? Did you Like the fan page to help the Acqua for Life campaign?
The promotion can be found as you access all others - underneath the FarmVille gameplay window in a Sponsored Link [pictured]. This link will open a new window, where you'll see a trailer for the Acqua for Life / UNICEF Tap Project. You'll need to answer a series of survey questions to receive your Farm Cash, mostly introducing you to the fact that only $1 can provide 40 days of safe drinking water for a single child.
While the promotion ends after you've answered these survey questions, and you'll see your two free Farm Cash added automatically to your total, you can go one step further and "Like" the project's fan page. Each Like on the page sponsors $1 to the project, absolutely free. Again, you don't have to do this, but it only takes a second, and is at least for a great cause.
Have you seen this Farm Cash promotion appearing in your game? Did you Like the fan page to help the Acqua for Life campaign?
FarmVille Scam Alert: Candy Apple Tree posts are fake
Last week, we saw the launch of a new FarmVille scam offering Union Jack Mystery Eggs through wall posts. Via that post, you were supposedly allowed to receive a free Union Jack Mystery Egg, but that item hasn't even been released in FarmVille, and we warned you that the posts were fake.
It appears as though the group behind the posts haven't given up, though, as today another post started circulating, this time offering a supposed "free Candy Apple Tree." While we know that the Candy Apple Tree does exist (although it hasn't been released in the game yet), these posts claim to give one away for free. These posts are 100% fake, no matter how convincing they look, and we're here to once again help you from falling victim.
The post is like that seen above. Clicking on the link to "claim" this tree will take you to a page that does look remarkably realistic, but forces you to post the same news item to your wall. You can click on the "Skip" button all you'd like, but it refreshes, trapping you in a loop. If you accidentally click on one of these links, your best bet is to close the browser window altogether.
We'll make sure to let you know when the Candy Apple Tree does officially launch in the game, but for now, avoid these posts no matter what.
It appears as though the group behind the posts haven't given up, though, as today another post started circulating, this time offering a supposed "free Candy Apple Tree." While we know that the Candy Apple Tree does exist (although it hasn't been released in the game yet), these posts claim to give one away for free. These posts are 100% fake, no matter how convincing they look, and we're here to once again help you from falling victim.
The post is like that seen above. Clicking on the link to "claim" this tree will take you to a page that does look remarkably realistic, but forces you to post the same news item to your wall. You can click on the "Skip" button all you'd like, but it refreshes, trapping you in a loop. If you accidentally click on one of these links, your best bet is to close the browser window altogether.
We'll make sure to let you know when the Candy Apple Tree does officially launch in the game, but for now, avoid these posts no matter what.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
PopCap launches 4th & Battery games label for Facebook, iPhone, & PC games
While PopCap may be known as the developer behind some of the most polished (and popular) PC, mobile, and Facebook games released to date (just take a look at Bejeweled Blitz for one example, which is in the finals of our March Madness Facebook game showdown), all of that time spent fine-tuning just a few games leaves the company's employees with a need to blow off some creative steam.
In come Ed Allard, Executive Vice President of Studios at PopCap to announce 4th & Battery, the company's new small games label that will be creating games for all manner of platforms, including PC, iPhone, and even Facebook games. The label's first announced game is Unpleasant Horse, and while it might be a mobile game, it does give us an idea of just how much "weirdness" (that's a quote) we can expect from this new division. Unpleasant Horse follows, you guessed it, a very unpleasant horse that has wings and destroys small birds or lands on other horses, sending them into the ground into a meat grinder. Doing this will reward you with extra points and "special bonuses." Obviously, the game will be meant for mature audiences, but it will be released for free later this month on the Apple App Store for all who are interested.
Jason Kapalka, CCO at PopCap, gives more of an explanation as to what to expect from 4th & Battery, via a company press release.
"4th & Battery is a purely experimental, creative label with none of the typical concerns like schedules, profitability, or even target audience. It's kind of the video game equivalent of B-sides or short films. Expect weirdness."
While no announcements have been made as to when an "experimental" new game will be coming to Facebook, we'll make sure to stay on top of things and let you know when that changes.
What do you think of the concept of the 4th & Battery games label? Are you looking forward to seeing what outlandish, creative titles these normally reserved developers can come up with?
In come Ed Allard, Executive Vice President of Studios at PopCap to announce 4th & Battery, the company's new small games label that will be creating games for all manner of platforms, including PC, iPhone, and even Facebook games. The label's first announced game is Unpleasant Horse, and while it might be a mobile game, it does give us an idea of just how much "weirdness" (that's a quote) we can expect from this new division. Unpleasant Horse follows, you guessed it, a very unpleasant horse that has wings and destroys small birds or lands on other horses, sending them into the ground into a meat grinder. Doing this will reward you with extra points and "special bonuses." Obviously, the game will be meant for mature audiences, but it will be released for free later this month on the Apple App Store for all who are interested.
Jason Kapalka, CCO at PopCap, gives more of an explanation as to what to expect from 4th & Battery, via a company press release.
"4th & Battery is a purely experimental, creative label with none of the typical concerns like schedules, profitability, or even target audience. It's kind of the video game equivalent of B-sides or short films. Expect weirdness."
While no announcements have been made as to when an "experimental" new game will be coming to Facebook, we'll make sure to stay on top of things and let you know when that changes.
What do you think of the concept of the 4th & Battery games label? Are you looking forward to seeing what outlandish, creative titles these normally reserved developers can come up with?
Crowdstar Cares campaign aids Japan relief through AmeriCares
It seems like every year, there's at least one disaster somewhere in the world that gets all the major social games companies in the giving mood. So far, on the current crisis in Japan, we've reported that Playfish has partnered with Mercy Corps, while Zynga has engaged in a massive outreach of their fans for donations going to Save the Children. On a smaller scale, there's Crowdstar, whose previous relief effort was teaming up with the National Wildlife Foundation to fight the BP oil spill.
To help Japan, Crowdstar is offering special Limited Edition virtual items in three of its Facebook games: Happy Aquarium, It Girl, and Happy Pets. Each item costs 88 Facebook Credits (roughly $9 USD) and Crowdstar has promised that all proceeds will go to AmeriCares, which has thanked Crowdstar for the help on their Facebook page. This campaign will end by April 8th. Take a look at all three items below:
Happy Pets Mini Purple Crowdstar Cat
Mini purple crowdstar cat from Happy Pets
It Girl Japanese Kimono
It Girl Japanese Kimono
Happy Aquarium Japanese Ranchu Goldfish Happy Aquarium Japanese Ranchu Goldfish
To help Japan, Crowdstar is offering special Limited Edition virtual items in three of its Facebook games: Happy Aquarium, It Girl, and Happy Pets. Each item costs 88 Facebook Credits (roughly $9 USD) and Crowdstar has promised that all proceeds will go to AmeriCares, which has thanked Crowdstar for the help on their Facebook page. This campaign will end by April 8th. Take a look at all three items below:
Happy Pets Mini Purple Crowdstar Cat
Mini purple crowdstar cat from Happy Pets
It Girl Japanese Kimono
It Girl Japanese Kimono
Happy Aquarium Japanese Ranchu Goldfish Happy Aquarium Japanese Ranchu Goldfish
FarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: Sebright Chicken, Red Phone Booth, & More
Don't worry if your English Countryside is still looking a little empty in FarmVille, as Zynga is apparently planning to release even more new items in the current English Countryside limited edition theme, if these newest unreleased images are to be believed (which they should).
There's a bit of a variety in this newest set of items, as we have one animal, one building, and one decoration to show you. The animal is the Sebright Chicken, and while it will likely be able to be placed in a Chicken Coop, we wouldn't be surprised if this is one item that is locked to only being placed on your second farm in England, rather than on your Home Farm.
As for the other two items, they are the English Bed & Breakfast building, or the English B&B for short, and the Red Phone Booth. If you aren't a fan of the mysterious Blue Police Box which we believe was released as a nod to Dr. Who fans, this will be your chance to add a similar item in another color to your farm instead.
We'll make sure to let you know when these items are released in the game, along with their prices or other details about how they can be obtained so keep checking back.
Which of these three items would you most like to add to your farm, or do you want them all?
There's a bit of a variety in this newest set of items, as we have one animal, one building, and one decoration to show you. The animal is the Sebright Chicken, and while it will likely be able to be placed in a Chicken Coop, we wouldn't be surprised if this is one item that is locked to only being placed on your second farm in England, rather than on your Home Farm.
As for the other two items, they are the English Bed & Breakfast building, or the English B&B for short, and the Red Phone Booth. If you aren't a fan of the mysterious Blue Police Box which we believe was released as a nod to Dr. Who fans, this will be your chance to add a similar item in another color to your farm instead.
We'll make sure to let you know when these items are released in the game, along with their prices or other details about how they can be obtained so keep checking back.
Which of these three items would you most like to add to your farm, or do you want them all?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Cricket, Polo and Equestrian items coming soon
Are any of you Cricket or Polo players/fans? Do you spend time in Equestrian activities? It looks like Zynga will be releasing a few items in FarmVille that are just for you (or anyone that decides to purchase them), as we've come across images of not only new Cricket decorations, but also a Polo outfit for your FarmVille avatar, and an equestrian fence.
The new items are (from left to right in the image above) the Cricket Garden, the Cricket Gnome, a Horse Jumping Fence, and a Polo Outfit or costume for your avatar. As of right now, we're not sure if there will be more items in each of these three sporting themes (we're fairly confident at least a cricket outfit will be released), but we can only assume that Zynga will eventually create outfits for the other two sports, or even some more decorative items for those that want to turn their farms into a sport zone.
We'll make sure to let you know when these items are released, along with whether or not they are alone.
Which of these three sports is your favorite? Will you decorate your farm to show off that you're a fan?
The new items are (from left to right in the image above) the Cricket Garden, the Cricket Gnome, a Horse Jumping Fence, and a Polo Outfit or costume for your avatar. As of right now, we're not sure if there will be more items in each of these three sporting themes (we're fairly confident at least a cricket outfit will be released), but we can only assume that Zynga will eventually create outfits for the other two sports, or even some more decorative items for those that want to turn their farms into a sport zone.
We'll make sure to let you know when these items are released, along with whether or not they are alone.
Which of these three sports is your favorite? Will you decorate your farm to show off that you're a fan?
FrontierVille: Clear debris to find a Spring Chinchilla shy critter
A new "injured critter" is now available to discover in FrontierVille, but like the Spring Bear Cub, this new animal isn't so much injured as it is shy. Perhaps we'll start calling them Shy Critters. At any rate, this new Shy Critter is the Spring Chinchilla, and also like the Spring Bear Cub, you'll be able to discover one while clearing debris on your own Homestead.
The Chinchilla will be hiding in a mound of dirt, and you'll need to lure her our using Juicy Berries. So, yes, this is exactly the setup of the Bear Cub, but you receive a different (arguably cuter) animal at the end. You'll need to first click on the dirt mound to confirm that you'd like to help the Chinchilla, and afterwards, will need to fill the green bar above it by feeding it Juicy Berries that you'll earn by asking your friends to send them to you via a general wall post. It seems that this is one animal you don't have to wait to repeatedly feed, as I was able to feed the Chinchilla four times in the matter of a few seconds (rather than waiting five minutes between feedings), before I finally ran out of Juicy Berries. It's unknown whether this was intentional, or whether this is a bug that will be fixed in the future, so keep that in mind.
Have you received a Chinchilla on your land yet? Do you like the animal's pink color, or would you have preferred something more realistic?
The Chinchilla will be hiding in a mound of dirt, and you'll need to lure her our using Juicy Berries. So, yes, this is exactly the setup of the Bear Cub, but you receive a different (arguably cuter) animal at the end. You'll need to first click on the dirt mound to confirm that you'd like to help the Chinchilla, and afterwards, will need to fill the green bar above it by feeding it Juicy Berries that you'll earn by asking your friends to send them to you via a general wall post. It seems that this is one animal you don't have to wait to repeatedly feed, as I was able to feed the Chinchilla four times in the matter of a few seconds (rather than waiting five minutes between feedings), before I finally ran out of Juicy Berries. It's unknown whether this was intentional, or whether this is a bug that will be fixed in the future, so keep that in mind.
Have you received a Chinchilla on your land yet? Do you like the animal's pink color, or would you have preferred something more realistic?
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