So, we already told you that Zynga will be celebrating the Royal Wedding of Price William and Kate Middleton in FarmVille's English Countryside, but now we have more images to prove that this won't just be a passing glance at royalty - it will apparently be an entire theme. As you can see above, we have images of royal decorations, including the Wedding Swing, a Wedding Horse Carriage, a Wedding Cake, a Wedding Balloon Arch, and a Wedding Archway.
Sure, this is only a set of five items, but as we know, Zynga tends to do things big, so it's likely that we'll see more items released in this theme before all is said and done with the Royal Wedding in the real world. No word yet as to whether or not this will just be an item theme, leaving you to create a Royal Wedding of your own imagination, or whether or not this will be a grand feature with actual activities to complete, but we wouldn't be surprised if there were. We'll let you know either way.
What do you think of this royally inspired item theme? Will you create a Royal Wedding atmosphere on your own farm?
Thứ Năm, 29 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille Animal Sneak Peek: White Wolf Cub, White Stork, Royal Guard Duck & More
Five new animals will (apparently) be launching FarmVille as early as tomorrow evening, with this batch of animals looking to be split between those that will be part of the upcoming Mystery Game, and those that will continue in the English Countryside limited edition item theme. As is stands, we have a White Wolf Cub and a White Stork. Along with the White Shire Horse we brought you a sneak peek of earlier in the week, this gives us a pretty good indication that this week's Mystery Game will have a "white" theme, and will likely cost anywhere from 16 to 20 Farm Cash to play (or even more if Zynga is having a particularly "greedy" week... err, did I say that?).
The other animals are the Royal Guard Duck and the Royal Pied Horse and Foal. While it's pretty self-explanatory that these animals will be part of the English Countryside item theme, it's unknown right now if these animals have any direct connection with the Royal Wedding event set to launch in the game as well. We'll make sure to keep an eye on the game's store and free gifts page, and will let you know if any of these animals make an early appearance.
What do you think of a "white" Mystery Game? Would you prefer to see more color themes launch in the game?
The other animals are the Royal Guard Duck and the Royal Pied Horse and Foal. While it's pretty self-explanatory that these animals will be part of the English Countryside item theme, it's unknown right now if these animals have any direct connection with the Royal Wedding event set to launch in the game as well. We'll make sure to keep an eye on the game's store and free gifts page, and will let you know if any of these animals make an early appearance.
What do you think of a "white" Mystery Game? Would you prefer to see more color themes launch in the game?
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash from Kellogg's Promotion
Many of you FarmVille players likely start your days off with a bowl of Kellogg's cereal, and Zynga is looking to offer you a few free Farm Cash for being fans of not only FarmVille but Kellogg's itself with a new promotion circulating players' farms. As usual, you can find this promotion underneath the FarmVIlle gameplay area, but be fast! These promotions likely come and go quicker than you can blink! Ok, so maybe you can blink a few times before they disappear, but you get the idea.
This promotion is called "Share Your Breakfast," and it has you simply entering in the two letter abbreviation for your state and then choosing from a list of normal breakfast items that you may have had for breakfast this morning (or the particular morning that you're completing this promotion). It's that simple - just submit that information and voila! Your 2 free Farm Cash will automatically update to your in-game total, but if it doesn't, a quick refresh of the game should force them to appear.
Via this promotion, Kellogg's is looking to share breakfasts with children who may otherwise not have any, so not only will you receive something for completing it (free Farm Cash), but children in need will as well - it's a win-win!
Have you found the Kellogg's Share Your Breakfast promotion in your game?
This promotion is called "Share Your Breakfast," and it has you simply entering in the two letter abbreviation for your state and then choosing from a list of normal breakfast items that you may have had for breakfast this morning (or the particular morning that you're completing this promotion). It's that simple - just submit that information and voila! Your 2 free Farm Cash will automatically update to your in-game total, but if it doesn't, a quick refresh of the game should force them to appear.
Via this promotion, Kellogg's is looking to share breakfasts with children who may otherwise not have any, so not only will you receive something for completing it (free Farm Cash), but children in need will as well - it's a win-win!
Have you found the Kellogg's Share Your Breakfast promotion in your game?
Playfish's Tom Sarris defends decision to shut down Pirates Ahoy!, Gangster City and Poker Rivals
At the beginning of April, we brought you the sad news that Playfish has decided to close Pirates Ahoy!, Gangster City and Poker Rivals, there of their under-performing Facebook games, this June. Now, Playfish's Tom Sarris has spoken out about the decision with News10.
In an interview, Sarris defended the company's difficult decision to close (or "sunset") the three games by stating that: "We [Playfish] constantly evaluate all of our games during the duration of their life and three games in particular, their player numbers have dropped in such a way that it no longer made sense for us to support them. And, as such, we reallocate resourced to games that are currently, you know, doing very well and also for games that we are developing for future release."
All isn't lost for fans of those three games, however. If you do happen to have virtual currency saved up in those games, remember that Playfish has launched an opportunity to transfer that money into another of the company's games, and will eventually allow you to do so into EA's Monopoly Millionaires with a "player's pack," although specifics about what is included in that pack weren't made clear.
Sarris went on to state that all of Playfish's other games are "thriving," and that there are many other games that the company is looking to release over the next few months to fill in any gap left behind with the closure of these three games. We'll make sure to let you know what those new games turn out to be, but for now, you can check out the full interview with Sarris at the top of this post.
In an interview, Sarris defended the company's difficult decision to close (or "sunset") the three games by stating that: "We [Playfish] constantly evaluate all of our games during the duration of their life and three games in particular, their player numbers have dropped in such a way that it no longer made sense for us to support them. And, as such, we reallocate resourced to games that are currently, you know, doing very well and also for games that we are developing for future release."
All isn't lost for fans of those three games, however. If you do happen to have virtual currency saved up in those games, remember that Playfish has launched an opportunity to transfer that money into another of the company's games, and will eventually allow you to do so into EA's Monopoly Millionaires with a "player's pack," although specifics about what is included in that pack weren't made clear.
Sarris went on to state that all of Playfish's other games are "thriving," and that there are many other games that the company is looking to release over the next few months to fill in any gap left behind with the closure of these three games. We'll make sure to let you know what those new games turn out to be, but for now, you can check out the full interview with Sarris at the top of this post.
Hi5 gaining momentum among top online/social gaming sites; should Facebook be concerned?
While many would doubt Facebook's longevity in the entire social media sphere (including social games), it looks like all of that smack hi5 has been talking might actually be paying off. As reported by Gamezebo, ComScore Media Metrix recently released a list of the top 10 worldwide online gaming sites, and hi5 currently sits at number six, sitting amongst companies like EA Online and WildTangent Media.
"We're currently launching two to three social games per week, and we have over 400 games in the pipeline," said Alex St. John, President and CTO of hi5, in a company press release. Some recently released games include exclusives (Sega Play Football) as well as games that have already become popular on Facebook like Digital Chocolate's Millionaire City and DJArts Games' Bush Whacker.
While I personally doubt Facebook has anything to worry about in the long term, perhaps hi5 is onto something after all.
"We're currently launching two to three social games per week, and we have over 400 games in the pipeline," said Alex St. John, President and CTO of hi5, in a company press release. Some recently released games include exclusives (Sega Play Football) as well as games that have already become popular on Facebook like Digital Chocolate's Millionaire City and DJArts Games' Bush Whacker.
While I personally doubt Facebook has anything to worry about in the long term, perhaps hi5 is onto something after all.
Official CityVille Podcast (04/22/2011): Zoo and Mall coming to town soon
In this week's official CityVille podcast, Community Manager Clerk Casey gave us two sneak peeks at coming attractions in the game. The first deals with the zoo that we've known was coming for a few weeks now, since the first CityVille podcast. Now, though, we know that this building will apparently be much more than a simple community building or business, as we'll actually have to work to fill the zoo with animals.
Animals will apparently be separated by rarity, and we'll have to physically "track down animals" to give them a home in our zoos. It's unknown right now how you'll actually track down these animals - whether they'll be in your own city, in your friends' town, and so on, but it's a very interesting idea and I'm personally looking forward to see what it entails.
The other bit of news comes with the announcement that a local mall will be released in the game. From our very limited information, we know that you'll be able to choose the stores that we want to place inside. If this is what it sounds like (or what it should be, given the current state of the game), the mall may turn out to be an absolute life-saver (or at least land-saver), if we're allowed to place our businesses inside and then collect and supply them in bulk. I know I personally wouldn't care if I had to click on the Mall 15 times to supply all of the businesses within, if I knew that I would have all of that land free from where those businesses original stood.
While that's complete speculation on our part, it is something exciting to dream about, and we'll make sure to update you should that ever come to pass. In the meantime, check out the full podcast at the top of this post, which includes an interview with one of the game's animators.
Animals will apparently be separated by rarity, and we'll have to physically "track down animals" to give them a home in our zoos. It's unknown right now how you'll actually track down these animals - whether they'll be in your own city, in your friends' town, and so on, but it's a very interesting idea and I'm personally looking forward to see what it entails.
The other bit of news comes with the announcement that a local mall will be released in the game. From our very limited information, we know that you'll be able to choose the stores that we want to place inside. If this is what it sounds like (or what it should be, given the current state of the game), the mall may turn out to be an absolute life-saver (or at least land-saver), if we're allowed to place our businesses inside and then collect and supply them in bulk. I know I personally wouldn't care if I had to click on the Mall 15 times to supply all of the businesses within, if I knew that I would have all of that land free from where those businesses original stood.
While that's complete speculation on our part, it is something exciting to dream about, and we'll make sure to update you should that ever come to pass. In the meantime, check out the full podcast at the top of this post, which includes an interview with one of the game's animators.
FrontierVille: Strike water and build your own Water Well for boosts and critters
Why howdy pardners! There's water in them thar hills of FrontierVille! Yee-haw! Ahem, excuse the minor impersonation of Jack, but there is indeed water to be found on your Homestead, and you'll find it at random while clearing debris. To be specific, while clearing debris you have the chance to "strike water," in the form of a small Wellspring. Again, this happens at random, and at this point, there's nothing you can do to increase your chances.
Once you find a Wellspring, you'll unlock the ability to build an actual, structural Well on top of it. This is done by whacking the Wellspring three times, with each time costing nine wood. Once that's done, you'll have to collect seven different building ingredients, just as you would with any other proper building in the game. The seven ingredients are the Shovel, Rope and Bucket, Spigot, Hand Crank, Pulley, and Dowsing Rod. You'll need seven each of the Shovel, Rope and Bucket, and Spigots, and you'll earn each through individual requests from friends. Meanwhile, you can ask for the five each that you need of Hank Cranks, Pulleys, and Dowsing Rods via simple wall posts asking all of your friends at once.
After you've completed the structure of the Well, you'll be able to collect from it ten times before it goes dry. Doing so will allow you to receive all sorts of crop boosts, and even some animal boosts, along with two new (rare) critters: a Blue Frog and a Yellow Turtle, as seen below.
It's presumable that after your first Well "dries up," you'll be able to complete the process all over again, finding a Wellspring and then building another well, but we wouldn't be surprised if the requirements changed (ie: became more difficult) in the process, just as expanding the storage shed becomes ever more challenging each time you complete it. What we do know for sure is that yes, you can find a second Wellspring, and will even need to do so to finish the accompanying Water Well quests. It's just how difficult the second construction will be that's up in the air.
Sure, this Well is almost exactly like the Beehive, but with the chance at rare critters, I think it's worth a build, at least once - don't you?
Once you find a Wellspring, you'll unlock the ability to build an actual, structural Well on top of it. This is done by whacking the Wellspring three times, with each time costing nine wood. Once that's done, you'll have to collect seven different building ingredients, just as you would with any other proper building in the game. The seven ingredients are the Shovel, Rope and Bucket, Spigot, Hand Crank, Pulley, and Dowsing Rod. You'll need seven each of the Shovel, Rope and Bucket, and Spigots, and you'll earn each through individual requests from friends. Meanwhile, you can ask for the five each that you need of Hank Cranks, Pulleys, and Dowsing Rods via simple wall posts asking all of your friends at once.
After you've completed the structure of the Well, you'll be able to collect from it ten times before it goes dry. Doing so will allow you to receive all sorts of crop boosts, and even some animal boosts, along with two new (rare) critters: a Blue Frog and a Yellow Turtle, as seen below.
It's presumable that after your first Well "dries up," you'll be able to complete the process all over again, finding a Wellspring and then building another well, but we wouldn't be surprised if the requirements changed (ie: became more difficult) in the process, just as expanding the storage shed becomes ever more challenging each time you complete it. What we do know for sure is that yes, you can find a second Wellspring, and will even need to do so to finish the accompanying Water Well quests. It's just how difficult the second construction will be that's up in the air.
Sure, this Well is almost exactly like the Beehive, but with the chance at rare critters, I think it's worth a build, at least once - don't you?
FrontierVille Water Well Goals: Everything you need to know
This weekend, Zynga has launched the Water Well in FrontierVille. Along with an actual "building" (the Well) that you can place on your Homestead, and then use to collect crop and animal boosts, along with two new and rare critters (the Blue Frog and the Yellow Turtle), you'll also be able to complete a series of three goals associated with the Well. Remember, as these quests are incredibly new, they are subject to change at any time.
The first goal is called "May as well find a Spring!" and it asks you to complete three tasks:
Clear 20 Grass
Discover a Wellspring
Begin Building a Well
As we've told you before, the Wellspring can be found randomly while clearing debris. Simply whacking that wellspring (as though it were the base of a building frame) will allow you to "begin" the building of the actual well. Finishing this first quest rewards you with 100 XP, five Peanut Ready Boosts, and two Well Pulleys, which are used in the actual construction of the final Water Well. The second goal in this series asks you to harvest some crops, and help out on friends' Homesteads, along with collecting another item used in the construction of the Well (while you can ignore the Well altogether once you find the Wellspring, this proves that Zynga really wants you to go through with building it).
Harvest 10 Flax
Unwither Neighbors' Crops 15 Times
Collect 5 Dowsing Rods
For this mission, it looks like the Dowsing Rods will be collected via a general wall post asking your friends to give them to you, rather than individual gift requests. Finishing this mission gives you 150 XP and two Corn Ready Boosts.
Finally, for mission three, you'll need to complete the construction of your first Well, and move immediately into working on the second.
Complete the Well
Remove Two Stumps (on your own Homestead)
Find a second Wellspring
For a full look at completing the Well's construction, make sure to check out our guide. For finishing this final of the three missions, you'll receive 250 XP, five Unwither Crop Boosts, and a Bucket O' Duckies, a new decoration that's just overflowing with tiny rubber duckies (and is so cute!).
Remember, by completing your Well(s), you'll have a chance to collect crop and animal boosts, and maybe even a rare critter from the Well a full 10 times before it dries up and you'll need to move onto the next. These missions don't seem too terribly complicated either, so even if you only went into this looking to snag a couple of exclusive critters, you wouldn't really lose anything, other than time.
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
The first goal is called "May as well find a Spring!" and it asks you to complete three tasks:
Clear 20 Grass
Discover a Wellspring
Begin Building a Well
As we've told you before, the Wellspring can be found randomly while clearing debris. Simply whacking that wellspring (as though it were the base of a building frame) will allow you to "begin" the building of the actual well. Finishing this first quest rewards you with 100 XP, five Peanut Ready Boosts, and two Well Pulleys, which are used in the actual construction of the final Water Well. The second goal in this series asks you to harvest some crops, and help out on friends' Homesteads, along with collecting another item used in the construction of the Well (while you can ignore the Well altogether once you find the Wellspring, this proves that Zynga really wants you to go through with building it).
Harvest 10 Flax
Unwither Neighbors' Crops 15 Times
Collect 5 Dowsing Rods
For this mission, it looks like the Dowsing Rods will be collected via a general wall post asking your friends to give them to you, rather than individual gift requests. Finishing this mission gives you 150 XP and two Corn Ready Boosts.
Finally, for mission three, you'll need to complete the construction of your first Well, and move immediately into working on the second.
Complete the Well
Remove Two Stumps (on your own Homestead)
Find a second Wellspring
For a full look at completing the Well's construction, make sure to check out our guide. For finishing this final of the three missions, you'll receive 250 XP, five Unwither Crop Boosts, and a Bucket O' Duckies, a new decoration that's just overflowing with tiny rubber duckies (and is so cute!).
Remember, by completing your Well(s), you'll have a chance to collect crop and animal boosts, and maybe even a rare critter from the Well a full 10 times before it dries up and you'll need to move onto the next. These missions don't seem too terribly complicated either, so even if you only went into this looking to snag a couple of exclusive critters, you wouldn't really lose anything, other than time.
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 12, 2011
Hey, Android fans: Get Plants vs. Zombies for free on Amazon, May 31
We can all likely agree on two things: 1. Plants vs. Zombies is one awesome little game and 2. getting it for free is even cooler. That must be why Bejeweled Blitz creator PopCap and Amazon have joined forces to release the game for Android phones through the Amazon App Store for free on day one. Pocket Gamer reports that for two weeks starting May 31, the lawn-defending game will be exclusively available on the Amazon App Store for two weeks for $2.99 (after the freebie launch day, of course).
The Seattle-based casual games behemoth--who recently gobbled up Baking Life creator ZipZapPlay--will also release mobile puzzler Chuzzle exclusively through the Amazon App Store starting tomorrow, May 17, through May 30. Luckily, Chuzzle will also sell for zilch on day one and for $2.99 during the nearly two weeks after. However, it's unknown whether the games will be available elsewhere after their two-week tours on Amazon. Though, if PopCap likes money, we can't see why not.
[Image Credit: Games Radar]
Will you pick up the game on your Android phone on day one? What other PopCap games would you like to see on Android?
The Seattle-based casual games behemoth--who recently gobbled up Baking Life creator ZipZapPlay--will also release mobile puzzler Chuzzle exclusively through the Amazon App Store starting tomorrow, May 17, through May 30. Luckily, Chuzzle will also sell for zilch on day one and for $2.99 during the nearly two weeks after. However, it's unknown whether the games will be available elsewhere after their two-week tours on Amazon. Though, if PopCap likes money, we can't see why not.
[Image Credit: Games Radar]
Will you pick up the game on your Android phone on day one? What other PopCap games would you like to see on Android?
FarmVille-maker Zynga reveals its secret for success (Hint: it's in the clouds)
Contrary to popular belief, Zynga isn't making money by mistake. In fact, according to an in-depth feature on Information Week, the FarmVille pusher's success is thanks to an extremely calculated and technological process known as hybrid cloud computing. This method of storing user data on remote servers (special groups of computers designed to store and recall data, like your crop timers) is behind what keeps CityVille and the gang running.
In fact, Zynga CTO of infrastructure engineering Allan Leinwand says this process of using both internal server farms, or buildings that house hundreds of these data storage units, and public servers like Amazon's cloud computing service for businesses is the 'hidden jewel' of Zynga's rampant success.
I mean, how else did you think Zynga games could handle tens of millions of people logging into its games everyday? Using both Amazon's EC2, or Elastic Computer Cloud, and its own internal servers (known as the Z Cloud), Zynga can easily prepare for huge spikes in traffic by simply buying more public servers rather than building their own. And if a game flops, the company can just cancel those public servers. This especially comes in handy when new games release, like CityVille, which skyrocketed to over 100 million players in just over a month last year, could have just as easily failed. (Though, that was highly unlikely.)
If it weren't for Zynga's unique approach to handling traffic, relying more on Amazon's public service than its own internal network, the company could never support such huge numbers of players. Sometimes, it's not just viral marketing and advertising that makes a social game successful.
However, as Bloomberg reports, the Amazon EC2 service was used to launch the recent attacks on Sony's PSN and SOE networks. According to Pete Malcolm, CEO of Abiquo Inc., a Redwood City, Calif.-based company that helps clients manage data internally and in the cloud, it's easy for an individual to fudge business information long enough to launch an attack from Amazon's public service. As Zynga and other companies focus more attention on public cloud computing (and successfully), it might be time that both Amazon and Zynga ramp up their security efforts.
In fact, Zynga CTO of infrastructure engineering Allan Leinwand says this process of using both internal server farms, or buildings that house hundreds of these data storage units, and public servers like Amazon's cloud computing service for businesses is the 'hidden jewel' of Zynga's rampant success.
I mean, how else did you think Zynga games could handle tens of millions of people logging into its games everyday? Using both Amazon's EC2, or Elastic Computer Cloud, and its own internal servers (known as the Z Cloud), Zynga can easily prepare for huge spikes in traffic by simply buying more public servers rather than building their own. And if a game flops, the company can just cancel those public servers. This especially comes in handy when new games release, like CityVille, which skyrocketed to over 100 million players in just over a month last year, could have just as easily failed. (Though, that was highly unlikely.)
If it weren't for Zynga's unique approach to handling traffic, relying more on Amazon's public service than its own internal network, the company could never support such huge numbers of players. Sometimes, it's not just viral marketing and advertising that makes a social game successful.
However, as Bloomberg reports, the Amazon EC2 service was used to launch the recent attacks on Sony's PSN and SOE networks. According to Pete Malcolm, CEO of Abiquo Inc., a Redwood City, Calif.-based company that helps clients manage data internally and in the cloud, it's easy for an individual to fudge business information long enough to launch an attack from Amazon's public service. As Zynga and other companies focus more attention on public cloud computing (and successfully), it might be time that both Amazon and Zynga ramp up their security efforts.
CityVille players deliver a quarter million dollars for US tornado relief
After the huge charity drives that were Haiti and Japan, Zynga ran a noticeably less aggressive campaign in promoting relief efforts for the massive US tornado outbreak of late April. Six states were hit, the most affected being Alabama, and news outlets called it the worst natural disaster since Hurricane Katrina.
Only Zynga's CityVille and Mafia Wars had special virtual items made for player donations. CityVille offered Tornado Relief Fund Blueberries for a week and promised 100 percent of the funds to Save the Children; while Mafia Wars (after demands from fans) responded with a Disaster Relief Truck with 100 percent of the funds going to Direct Relief International.
Today, Zynga sent out a thank you email to their CityVille players, letting us know that they've managed to raise exactly $226,027 USD. There's no telling how much of this was from the precise sale of CityVille blueberries or direct donations via the charity's website (which Zynga promoted across all its games), but after watching Zynga raise $1 million USD for Japan within 36 hours, a quarter million dollars within a week pales in comparison. On the other hand, I think most of us are grateful they've done so, because they're certainly not obligated to try.
Only Zynga's CityVille and Mafia Wars had special virtual items made for player donations. CityVille offered Tornado Relief Fund Blueberries for a week and promised 100 percent of the funds to Save the Children; while Mafia Wars (after demands from fans) responded with a Disaster Relief Truck with 100 percent of the funds going to Direct Relief International.
Today, Zynga sent out a thank you email to their CityVille players, letting us know that they've managed to raise exactly $226,027 USD. There's no telling how much of this was from the precise sale of CityVille blueberries or direct donations via the charity's website (which Zynga promoted across all its games), but after watching Zynga raise $1 million USD for Japan within 36 hours, a quarter million dollars within a week pales in comparison. On the other hand, I think most of us are grateful they've done so, because they're certainly not obligated to try.
Zynga dominates social games market with 38 percent share
Surprised? If Zynga were a person, he'd probably be Daddy Warbucks, or maybe even Uncle Pennybags. IHS Screen Digest reports that Zynga, who brought in $554 million in revenue in 2010, now holds 38.1 percent of the overall social games market share. That's almost a 5 percent increase from the previous year's 33.9 percent. This means that not only is the creator of FarmVille and CityVille filthy rich (it's estimated to be worth $9 to $10 billion), it's also very, very powerful. At least when it comes to social games, anyway.
According to PCMag, the report goes on to reveal that EA, the second place social game publisher and owner of Playfish, recorded a mere estimated $90 million in revenue, or 6.5 percent of the market. And the third place publisher and developer team, Disney and Playdom, hold just 5.5 percent of the market with an estimated $77 million in revenue.
But Zynga's power isn't just it's money, but what that money allows it to do. When it wants to enter a new market, create a game with a new feature or on a new platform, it just buys companies with an existing presence or expertise there. Regardless of whether its methods are 'borrowed' from weaker companies, when Zynga introduces a relatively new feature to its games, the entire industry takes notes.
Just look at the questing system first released by Zynga through FrontierVille. Sure, it could have been picked up from another company, but look at every single social game you play now. (Does it have quests? We thought so.) While we're all looking for innovation from these smaller, more fearless social game companies, it's Zynga that will bring that innovation to the forefront regardless of where it comes from, legitimate or not.
According to PCMag, the report goes on to reveal that EA, the second place social game publisher and owner of Playfish, recorded a mere estimated $90 million in revenue, or 6.5 percent of the market. And the third place publisher and developer team, Disney and Playdom, hold just 5.5 percent of the market with an estimated $77 million in revenue.
But Zynga's power isn't just it's money, but what that money allows it to do. When it wants to enter a new market, create a game with a new feature or on a new platform, it just buys companies with an existing presence or expertise there. Regardless of whether its methods are 'borrowed' from weaker companies, when Zynga introduces a relatively new feature to its games, the entire industry takes notes.
Just look at the questing system first released by Zynga through FrontierVille. Sure, it could have been picked up from another company, but look at every single social game you play now. (Does it have quests? We thought so.) While we're all looking for innovation from these smaller, more fearless social game companies, it's Zynga that will bring that innovation to the forefront regardless of where it comes from, legitimate or not.
Zynga sends Mafia Wars on the warpath with 'Declare War' revamp
If there is one shining light in Mafia Wars' list of features, it's the focus on competitive collaboration. However, Zynga decided that its relatively new Declare War feature, sort of a mob-wide extension of standard fights, was in dire need of a upgrade. While the new Declare War operates much like the original, it's the little things that count. However, only a few of the imminent changes are live now, but let's take a look at what Zynga has in store for this fixer-upper.
These are all the features teased by Zynga as either in the game right now or coming soon:
Healing wounded friends (Coming Soon)
Splash damage effects
New Achievements
Live Chat (Coming Soon)
First of all, we should point out that not much has changed in the general flow of the Declare War feature--at least not yet. Wars still last eight hours or until one mob falls, and players still need to ask fellow mob members to attack individual players. But soon, players will be able to heal their wounded friends when in War, extending their survivability in combat.
However, Zynga added something called "Splash Damage" to balance that out. When you eliminate an enemy, some extra damage will be applied to an adjacent opponent, signified with a single line rather than an "X." This will make your friends' lives easier and, if your mob is fast, could create a potentially unstoppable chain effect of damage that your opponents might not be able to keep up with.
Mafia Wars Declare War Achievements
There are new Achievements to be hoarded in the new Declare War feature. And while they're all either hidden or not yet released, we do know how to get them: collect loot. It's that simple, really. There are 16 rewards in total, and some can only be acquired by leading a War or helping in one. So, to get the new Achievements you'll have to play multiple roles.
Last but most certainly not least, Zynga will soon add a Live Chat function to Mafia Wars. This will allow players who are online at the same time to, well, chat. But more importantly, it will make coordinating attacks or defense during War that much easier. Not to mention the implications it has for cooperative Missions, Jobs and Fights. Could it be that Mafia Wars is about to become truly social? We'll reserve our judgment for when it officially releases, but we sure as hell hope so.
These are all the features teased by Zynga as either in the game right now or coming soon:
Healing wounded friends (Coming Soon)
Splash damage effects
New Achievements
Live Chat (Coming Soon)
First of all, we should point out that not much has changed in the general flow of the Declare War feature--at least not yet. Wars still last eight hours or until one mob falls, and players still need to ask fellow mob members to attack individual players. But soon, players will be able to heal their wounded friends when in War, extending their survivability in combat.
However, Zynga added something called "Splash Damage" to balance that out. When you eliminate an enemy, some extra damage will be applied to an adjacent opponent, signified with a single line rather than an "X." This will make your friends' lives easier and, if your mob is fast, could create a potentially unstoppable chain effect of damage that your opponents might not be able to keep up with.
Mafia Wars Declare War Achievements
There are new Achievements to be hoarded in the new Declare War feature. And while they're all either hidden or not yet released, we do know how to get them: collect loot. It's that simple, really. There are 16 rewards in total, and some can only be acquired by leading a War or helping in one. So, to get the new Achievements you'll have to play multiple roles.
Last but most certainly not least, Zynga will soon add a Live Chat function to Mafia Wars. This will allow players who are online at the same time to, well, chat. But more importantly, it will make coordinating attacks or defense during War that much easier. Not to mention the implications it has for cooperative Missions, Jobs and Fights. Could it be that Mafia Wars is about to become truly social? We'll reserve our judgment for when it officially releases, but we sure as hell hope so.
Chủ Nhật, 25 tháng 12, 2011
Empires & Allies receives first round of bug fixes and gameplay updates
Just as with their launch of CityVille, Zynga is taking to Empires & Allies with a fine-toothed comb, working out some initial bugs and glitches, and changing a few gameplay elements to make them easier on players. They've announced their first major changes on the game's forums, and compiled the ones that might affect you here:
There is now a profile picture on the right side of the screen allowing you to see which of your friends played recently and only send that group of friends free gifts. In this way, you avoid "spamming" your non-playing friends with gifts they'd likely never accept anyway.
You can now earn 20 energy per 24 hour period from visiting friends. Even if you visit more neighbors in a day, you will not receive any free energy after the first 20 points. The original limit was five energy, so this is a step in the right direction.
The exploit allowing players to invade their neighbors more than once in a row has been fixed.
Each neighbor on your neighbor bar now has an image displaying which type of Ore they can mine, meaning you can help out at their mines and potentially earn this Ore for yourself.
When building Military units, the buildings now show the most powerful units (of those currently unlocked to you) first.
The minimum level requirements for some Government Buildings have been reduced.
Missing quest icons should now appear as normal.
Less pop-ups!
I personally haven't noticed a lessening of the pop-ups appearing in my game, but perhaps I'm just not participating in the specific areas of gameplay from which they were removed. Either way, it's nice to see Zynga taking a firm stance on bugs this early in the game's life (and asking for fan feedback every step of the way), and we can only assume that more changes and bug patches will be released in the future. If they change the way we play the game, you can be sure we'll let you know about them, so keep checking back.
What do you think of this set of changes and updates? Have you noticed less pop-ups in your game? Would you prefer bonus energy from friends to be unlimited, or can you see where Zynga is coming from with the limit? What other items should they work on next?
There is now a profile picture on the right side of the screen allowing you to see which of your friends played recently and only send that group of friends free gifts. In this way, you avoid "spamming" your non-playing friends with gifts they'd likely never accept anyway.
You can now earn 20 energy per 24 hour period from visiting friends. Even if you visit more neighbors in a day, you will not receive any free energy after the first 20 points. The original limit was five energy, so this is a step in the right direction.
The exploit allowing players to invade their neighbors more than once in a row has been fixed.
Each neighbor on your neighbor bar now has an image displaying which type of Ore they can mine, meaning you can help out at their mines and potentially earn this Ore for yourself.
When building Military units, the buildings now show the most powerful units (of those currently unlocked to you) first.
The minimum level requirements for some Government Buildings have been reduced.
Missing quest icons should now appear as normal.
Less pop-ups!
I personally haven't noticed a lessening of the pop-ups appearing in my game, but perhaps I'm just not participating in the specific areas of gameplay from which they were removed. Either way, it's nice to see Zynga taking a firm stance on bugs this early in the game's life (and asking for fan feedback every step of the way), and we can only assume that more changes and bug patches will be released in the future. If they change the way we play the game, you can be sure we'll let you know about them, so keep checking back.
What do you think of this set of changes and updates? Have you noticed less pop-ups in your game? Would you prefer bonus energy from friends to be unlimited, or can you see where Zynga is coming from with the limit? What other items should they work on next?
Rumor: EA to buy PopCap for over $1 billion
Now, this is a last ditch effort if we've ever seen one. TechCrunch reports that, following up with yesterday's news that PopCap may sell for over $1 billion, EA may very well be the company at the checkout counter. The website cites two anonymous sources that point to the nearly 30-year-old games company as the buyer. And no, the asking price has not changed--it's still insane.
But EA, which has enjoyed a distant second to Zynga in the social space, just might be crazy enough to bid what TechCrunch reports is 13 percent of their $7 billion plus market cap. This could truly be the company's Hail Mary Pass to win the social and mobile race once and for all, especially considering how long it could take EA to make all that money back.
We thought it was crazy when EA bought Playfish in 2009 for a whopping $400 million, but this clearly blows that out of the water. Unfortunately, neither company has enjoyed the runaway success both likely had hoped for. (You don't spend $400 million, much less $1 billion for second place.) So we can only hope that, if this buyout goes down, EA doesn't repeat history with PopCap.
If this purchase happens, the Bejeweled creator will obviously put its imminent IPO (initial public offering) on hold. As of this writing, a source close to the matter tells us there's currently no internal information on the sale. We've contacted both for comment.
[Image Credit: Gamespy]
Do you really think PopCap will sell to EA? What could this mean for both company's futures?
But EA, which has enjoyed a distant second to Zynga in the social space, just might be crazy enough to bid what TechCrunch reports is 13 percent of their $7 billion plus market cap. This could truly be the company's Hail Mary Pass to win the social and mobile race once and for all, especially considering how long it could take EA to make all that money back.
We thought it was crazy when EA bought Playfish in 2009 for a whopping $400 million, but this clearly blows that out of the water. Unfortunately, neither company has enjoyed the runaway success both likely had hoped for. (You don't spend $400 million, much less $1 billion for second place.) So we can only hope that, if this buyout goes down, EA doesn't repeat history with PopCap.
If this purchase happens, the Bejeweled creator will obviously put its imminent IPO (initial public offering) on hold. As of this writing, a source close to the matter tells us there's currently no internal information on the sale. We've contacted both for comment.
[Image Credit: Gamespy]
Do you really think PopCap will sell to EA? What could this mean for both company's futures?
Game of the Day: Word Drop 2
word drop
The Game of the Day wants you to get your spelling cap on and play for high scores. Word Drop 2 is here. Click the tiles to create words and go for the high score. When you can't think of another word, submit your score. Form words by clicking the tiles. As words are eliminated remaining tiles fall into a new order, forming different words! Eliminate rows to get score multiples and win big!
Click --> Play Word Drop 2
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.
The Game of the Day wants you to get your spelling cap on and play for high scores. Word Drop 2 is here. Click the tiles to create words and go for the high score. When you can't think of another word, submit your score. Form words by clicking the tiles. As words are eliminated remaining tiles fall into a new order, forming different words! Eliminate rows to get score multiples and win big!
Click --> Play Word Drop 2
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.
CityVille Boat Race Goals: Everything you need to know
Soon enough, Boats in CityVille won't just be for shipping, but racing too. A new set of Goals has been revealed, titled simply for now as "Boat Race." There are six Goals in all, and the rewards are quite appealing--not to mention terribly fitting for a Boat Race between ornery sailors.
1. Rusty's Challenge
Visit 10 Neighbors
Send and Receive 5 Cargo Ships
Get 2 Popularity Votes
This first Goal is simple enough. Essentially, just do what you do best: Visit friends and make liberal use of the game's Goods shipment system. Then you must ask your friends for two Popularity Votes through the Goal menu. For completing this easy task, you'll receive Spinach as a brand new crop to plant.
2. Cruise Control
Collect from any City Dojo 8 times
Harvest 40 Spinach
Ask friends for 3 Racing Flags
If you don't already have a City Dojo, the building costs 4,250 Coins and runs through 110 Goods at a time. Unfortunately, these Goals haven't been released yet, so there are no details on Spinach. However, you will have to ask your friends for three Racing Flags, something we're all familiar with at this point. You'll receive a Junk Boat as a reward for finishing this Goal.
3. See Food Training
Send and Receive 10 Trains
Have 2 Crabs
Have 1 Lobster
Sending and Receiving 10 Trains is kid stuff at this point in CityVille. Both the Crabs and Lobster come from the Surf and Turf Collection, which can be completed by collecting from both the Tower Eats and the Seafood Restaurant. Of course, you're better off having both. If you own neither, the Tower Eats costs 1 million Coins and runs through 165 Goods, while the Seafood Restaurant costs 7,500 Coins, requires 15 neighbors to buy and consumes 140 Goods. For this Goal, you will be rewarded with the Boat Shop, likely a new business.
CityVille Shipping
4. Ready? Set? Race!
Send and Receive 20 San Francisco Supply Boats
Send and Receive 4 Cruise Ships
Have 2 Sports Drinks
You'll have to make liberal use of your Goods shipment Boats in this Goal. While you send out a whopping 24 Boats, you need to collect two Sports Drinks, part of the Fitness Collection. This can be accomplished by collecting from either the Bike Shop and the Extreme Sports Store. The former costs 2,500 Coins, requires nine neighbors and eats through 75 Goods, while the latter costs 33 City Cash, so you can already your best option. No information on this Goal's rewards is available at the moment.
CityVille Cruise5. New Friends In China
Harvest 30 Eggplant
Collect from 4 Noodle Shops
Ask friends for 5 Chinese Kites
Harvesting 30 Eggplant will cost a tiny 840 Coins and take at least one hour to complete. Then, you must collect from the Noodle Shop four times, a business that costs 4,000 Coins and runs through 90 Goods. Then, just ask your friends for five Chinese Kites from the Goal menu, and you're on your way to a brand new Export Port as reward.
6. Click It And Ticket
Place Ticket Booth
Collect 3 Carnival Tickets
The Ticket Booth unlocks as a reward for completing the Zoo, so place that wherever if you hadn't already. Then, you must collect three Carnival Tickets, which we imagine are again sourced from friends through the Goal menu. Unfortunately, reward information isn't available for this Goal either.
[Editor's Note: This content is not yet released in CityVille, details may change before it goes live.]
[Source and Image Credit: CityVille Info]
Have you seen these Goals appear in your game yet? What tips might you have for completing them even more quickly?
1. Rusty's Challenge
Visit 10 Neighbors
Send and Receive 5 Cargo Ships
Get 2 Popularity Votes
This first Goal is simple enough. Essentially, just do what you do best: Visit friends and make liberal use of the game's Goods shipment system. Then you must ask your friends for two Popularity Votes through the Goal menu. For completing this easy task, you'll receive Spinach as a brand new crop to plant.
2. Cruise Control
Collect from any City Dojo 8 times
Harvest 40 Spinach
Ask friends for 3 Racing Flags
If you don't already have a City Dojo, the building costs 4,250 Coins and runs through 110 Goods at a time. Unfortunately, these Goals haven't been released yet, so there are no details on Spinach. However, you will have to ask your friends for three Racing Flags, something we're all familiar with at this point. You'll receive a Junk Boat as a reward for finishing this Goal.
3. See Food Training
Send and Receive 10 Trains
Have 2 Crabs
Have 1 Lobster
Sending and Receiving 10 Trains is kid stuff at this point in CityVille. Both the Crabs and Lobster come from the Surf and Turf Collection, which can be completed by collecting from both the Tower Eats and the Seafood Restaurant. Of course, you're better off having both. If you own neither, the Tower Eats costs 1 million Coins and runs through 165 Goods, while the Seafood Restaurant costs 7,500 Coins, requires 15 neighbors to buy and consumes 140 Goods. For this Goal, you will be rewarded with the Boat Shop, likely a new business.
CityVille Shipping
4. Ready? Set? Race!
Send and Receive 20 San Francisco Supply Boats
Send and Receive 4 Cruise Ships
Have 2 Sports Drinks
You'll have to make liberal use of your Goods shipment Boats in this Goal. While you send out a whopping 24 Boats, you need to collect two Sports Drinks, part of the Fitness Collection. This can be accomplished by collecting from either the Bike Shop and the Extreme Sports Store. The former costs 2,500 Coins, requires nine neighbors and eats through 75 Goods, while the latter costs 33 City Cash, so you can already your best option. No information on this Goal's rewards is available at the moment.
CityVille Cruise5. New Friends In China
Harvest 30 Eggplant
Collect from 4 Noodle Shops
Ask friends for 5 Chinese Kites
Harvesting 30 Eggplant will cost a tiny 840 Coins and take at least one hour to complete. Then, you must collect from the Noodle Shop four times, a business that costs 4,000 Coins and runs through 90 Goods. Then, just ask your friends for five Chinese Kites from the Goal menu, and you're on your way to a brand new Export Port as reward.
6. Click It And Ticket
Place Ticket Booth
Collect 3 Carnival Tickets
The Ticket Booth unlocks as a reward for completing the Zoo, so place that wherever if you hadn't already. Then, you must collect three Carnival Tickets, which we imagine are again sourced from friends through the Goal menu. Unfortunately, reward information isn't available for this Goal either.
[Editor's Note: This content is not yet released in CityVille, details may change before it goes live.]
[Source and Image Credit: CityVille Info]
Have you seen these Goals appear in your game yet? What tips might you have for completing them even more quickly?
Scrubs will live on in iPhone, Android game this summer
Scrubs mobile game
So what if the hit medical sitcom was canceled last year. Scrubs ain't goin' nowhere, thanks to a mobile game that developer Herocraft plans to release this summer. Pocket Gamer reports that the game will be available for iPhone, Android, Symbian and Windows Phone devices.
Scrubs mobile game 2
In this pocket edition of Scrubs, players will assume the role of a new intern at Sacred Hearts in a brand new storyline that will feature the show's lovable and laughable characters like Dr. Cox and The Janitor. Judging from the screen shots provided by Pocket Gamer, it looks like Herocraft is making a hidden object game like the wildly popular Gardens of Time on Facebook. Since the show's major characters will appear in the game, you can (hopefully) expect some one-liners dashed amongst the puzzles.
[Image Credit: Pocket Gamer]
Are you psyched to see Scrubs get a much-needed revival on mobile devices? How do you think this game will stack up against existing hidden object hits like Gardens of Time?
So what if the hit medical sitcom was canceled last year. Scrubs ain't goin' nowhere, thanks to a mobile game that developer Herocraft plans to release this summer. Pocket Gamer reports that the game will be available for iPhone, Android, Symbian and Windows Phone devices.
Scrubs mobile game 2
In this pocket edition of Scrubs, players will assume the role of a new intern at Sacred Hearts in a brand new storyline that will feature the show's lovable and laughable characters like Dr. Cox and The Janitor. Judging from the screen shots provided by Pocket Gamer, it looks like Herocraft is making a hidden object game like the wildly popular Gardens of Time on Facebook. Since the show's major characters will appear in the game, you can (hopefully) expect some one-liners dashed amongst the puzzles.
[Image Credit: Pocket Gamer]
Are you psyched to see Scrubs get a much-needed revival on mobile devices? How do you think this game will stack up against existing hidden object hits like Gardens of Time?
Thứ Năm, 22 tháng 12, 2011
Building the CityVille Go Karts Attraction: Everything you need to know
Anyone who tells you that they went on summer vacation, and go karts weren't involved, didn't really go on vacation. Zynga has released Attractions to CityVille, a feature within a feature of sorts.
These unique businesses benefit the most when operating just after you release Hotel guests or welcome Cruise Ships. The first of what we expect to be a series of attractions are the Go Karts.
Check the Build menu under the Businesses tab to find the Go Karts which cost a whopping 25 thousand Coins. Once you scrounge up enough cash for it, build the foundation using a few Energy, and then click on the building to finish it. The Go Karts, like many businesses and community buildings, requires special materials found through friends to complete.
CityVille Go Karts build menu
Go Kart Wrench IconWhen the Go Karts are ready for business, it's up to you to decide when it is ready for customers. However, attractions also require repairs in between the times they're open for business. Here's a breakdown of how the Go Karts--and all attractions, really--operate:
Release Hotel Resort guests and Cruise Ship Tourists
Click on the Go Karts in order to open it to customers. (Go Karts are only open for three minutes at a time.)
Hover over the Go Karts to see how much time is left and how many customers have visited.
When the money bag icon appears, click it to collect your earnings. (Go Karts earn between 800 and 3,000.)
After collecting, click on the wrench icon to begin the repairs process.
Rinse and repeat until filthy rich.
Maintenance Go Karts
Like we said, attractions need regular maintenance. Players can simply wait for the timer, which in this case is a whopping 24 hours, before reopening the gates. However, you can also ask your friends for Wrenches, which will allow your attraction to reopen instantly when three are collected--at least in the Go Karts' case--and increase your payouts next time. We hope this is the first of many attractions, as they add a much-welcomed albeit thin layer of strategy to making money in-game.
These unique businesses benefit the most when operating just after you release Hotel guests or welcome Cruise Ships. The first of what we expect to be a series of attractions are the Go Karts.
Check the Build menu under the Businesses tab to find the Go Karts which cost a whopping 25 thousand Coins. Once you scrounge up enough cash for it, build the foundation using a few Energy, and then click on the building to finish it. The Go Karts, like many businesses and community buildings, requires special materials found through friends to complete.
CityVille Go Karts build menu
Go Kart Wrench IconWhen the Go Karts are ready for business, it's up to you to decide when it is ready for customers. However, attractions also require repairs in between the times they're open for business. Here's a breakdown of how the Go Karts--and all attractions, really--operate:
Release Hotel Resort guests and Cruise Ship Tourists
Click on the Go Karts in order to open it to customers. (Go Karts are only open for three minutes at a time.)
Hover over the Go Karts to see how much time is left and how many customers have visited.
When the money bag icon appears, click it to collect your earnings. (Go Karts earn between 800 and 3,000.)
After collecting, click on the wrench icon to begin the repairs process.
Rinse and repeat until filthy rich.
Maintenance Go Karts
Like we said, attractions need regular maintenance. Players can simply wait for the timer, which in this case is a whopping 24 hours, before reopening the gates. However, you can also ask your friends for Wrenches, which will allow your attraction to reopen instantly when three are collected--at least in the Go Karts' case--and increase your payouts next time. We hope this is the first of many attractions, as they add a much-welcomed albeit thin layer of strategy to making money in-game.
Penny Arcade: When free games aren't really free
Popular video game-centric comic Penny Arcade exposes the dark underbelly of 'free-to-play' games, such as League of Legends and FarmVille. Yup, this pretty much says it all.
How much money have you spent in 'free' games?
How much money have you spent in 'free' games?
CityVille Havering Manor: Add citizens to your town the expensive way
While I would like to tell you that CityVille's newest limited edition home is affordable, I unfortunately can't. No, the Havering Manor costs a whopping 70 City Cash, and that's just for a single building! Granted, this estate is quite large, taking up a lot of space on your land, but isn't that also another negative? With expansions and land space going for high costs now, is it worth building this large of a structure, especially when it costs this much to do?
Perhaps I'm reading too much into this. Either way, if you're interested in purchasing the Havering Manor, you'll receive a starting population of 1750 citizens, which can be expanded to a huge number - 4,500 citizens - over time (by randomly receiving population boosts when you or your friends collect the Manor's rent).
To add a bit of a complication to the Havering Manor, even if the price tag isn't too high for you, but you do need to save up some City Cash, you unfortunately don't have that luxury. The Havering Manor will only be available in the store for the next day, and whether it will ever be re-released after this initial launch is anyone's guess. Who knows? It may come back, but at an even higher price (don't put it past Zynga). Ultimately, purchasing one will be up to you, but I wouldn't blame you for turning your nose up at the idea and moving on.
Will you / have you purchase(d) the Havering Manor before it expires in CityVille? Do you think 70 City Cash is an acceptable price, considering the large boost in population this one provides?
Perhaps I'm reading too much into this. Either way, if you're interested in purchasing the Havering Manor, you'll receive a starting population of 1750 citizens, which can be expanded to a huge number - 4,500 citizens - over time (by randomly receiving population boosts when you or your friends collect the Manor's rent).
To add a bit of a complication to the Havering Manor, even if the price tag isn't too high for you, but you do need to save up some City Cash, you unfortunately don't have that luxury. The Havering Manor will only be available in the store for the next day, and whether it will ever be re-released after this initial launch is anyone's guess. Who knows? It may come back, but at an even higher price (don't put it past Zynga). Ultimately, purchasing one will be up to you, but I wouldn't blame you for turning your nose up at the idea and moving on.
Will you / have you purchase(d) the Havering Manor before it expires in CityVille? Do you think 70 City Cash is an acceptable price, considering the large boost in population this one provides?
Puppy lovers unite as OMGPop pulls in $20k daily from Puppy World
That's a heck of a lot of doggy biscuits... Released in late July, OMGPop's Puppy World on iPhone / iPod Touch has been downloaded over one million times, and currently sits at #54 on the iTunes Top Free Apps chart. While not one of the most social-heavy games on the App Store (although the app claims you can share puppies with your Facebook friends), that doesn't mean it's not a profitable setup. In fact, players are apparently so in love with puppies that they're paying $20,000 per day on the game's virtual goods.
As reported by TechCrunch, OMGPop's CEO Dan Porter has offered some stats about the game's progress so far (unfortunately, there's no infographic to go with them - we love infographics). Of the game's 1 million downloads, a quarter of those have resulted in daily active users returning to the game. What's more, when taking all users into account, each user spends an average of eight cents per day on virtual goods that are available within the Puppy World app (players can purchase premium decorations, or can even buy their way out of quests with premium currency). While it wasn't revealed in exact detail, Puppy World has many players that spend sometimes more than $50 on premium currency packages, with all spending adding up to over $20,000 a day.
To bring in those users, Porter claims that 20 percent of users are downloading the game based on adds they've seen on OMGPop's website and on Facebook app pages, while viral sharing and exposure on the iTunes app charts accounts for a larger portion: 60%. The final 20% is comprised of users that responded to paid advertising. Do the math, and Porter states that "For every user we pay to acquire we are seeing 6 more users for free." That's pretty impressive, all things considered.
Of course, many would argue that in the world of social and mobile games, success is found over the course of a marathon, and not a sprint. Sure, OMGPop may have a hit on their hands now, but how long will it last? Porter admits that the game isn't without flaws, especially when playing on older iPhones. "If we had to do it all over again, we would have only supported iPhone 4," he says. He attributes many of the app's one-star reviews to the app crashing on older phones.
With such simplistic gameplay as waiting for puppies to grow before giving them over to happy children, mixed with some light animal care-taking tasks, could Puppy World even have enough content to sustain a port to Facebook? I know I'd be interested in these adorable puppies making the switch, and with profits like these just on the iPhone, we're excited to learn if that becomes OMGPop's next logical step. We'll make sure to let you know if it is.
Have you tried Puppy World on iPhone? Would you like to see Puppy World make the switch to Facebook, or do you think the gameplay is more suited to a mobile experience / audience? Have you spent any money in free-to-play mobile games?
As reported by TechCrunch, OMGPop's CEO Dan Porter has offered some stats about the game's progress so far (unfortunately, there's no infographic to go with them - we love infographics). Of the game's 1 million downloads, a quarter of those have resulted in daily active users returning to the game. What's more, when taking all users into account, each user spends an average of eight cents per day on virtual goods that are available within the Puppy World app (players can purchase premium decorations, or can even buy their way out of quests with premium currency). While it wasn't revealed in exact detail, Puppy World has many players that spend sometimes more than $50 on premium currency packages, with all spending adding up to over $20,000 a day.
To bring in those users, Porter claims that 20 percent of users are downloading the game based on adds they've seen on OMGPop's website and on Facebook app pages, while viral sharing and exposure on the iTunes app charts accounts for a larger portion: 60%. The final 20% is comprised of users that responded to paid advertising. Do the math, and Porter states that "For every user we pay to acquire we are seeing 6 more users for free." That's pretty impressive, all things considered.
Of course, many would argue that in the world of social and mobile games, success is found over the course of a marathon, and not a sprint. Sure, OMGPop may have a hit on their hands now, but how long will it last? Porter admits that the game isn't without flaws, especially when playing on older iPhones. "If we had to do it all over again, we would have only supported iPhone 4," he says. He attributes many of the app's one-star reviews to the app crashing on older phones.
With such simplistic gameplay as waiting for puppies to grow before giving them over to happy children, mixed with some light animal care-taking tasks, could Puppy World even have enough content to sustain a port to Facebook? I know I'd be interested in these adorable puppies making the switch, and with profits like these just on the iPhone, we're excited to learn if that becomes OMGPop's next logical step. We'll make sure to let you know if it is.
Have you tried Puppy World on iPhone? Would you like to see Puppy World make the switch to Facebook, or do you think the gameplay is more suited to a mobile experience / audience? Have you spent any money in free-to-play mobile games?
Cafe World Full Screen Mode now live to all chefs (it's about time)
It only took them two years to do it, but full screen gameplay has finally, mercifully come to Cafe World. While the feature has been available for some chefs for about a month now (you know, those chefs that had the patience to complete the Go Full Screen Goals), if you never got around to completing those goals, you can now access the full screen toggle anyway, as it's been added to the menu area at the bottom right-hand corner of the gameplay screen.
If you're wondering why this matters, just think of how nice it will be to redecorate or even use your cafe now that you can see the entirety of it without scrolling around. Have stoves at both ends of your cafe? Is your Salad Bar in the corner, away from all of your other appliances? You can now access everything with less hassle, simply by being in full screen.
The interesting thing now will be determining whether or not this was all too little, too late. The lack of a full screen option was really just a single problem in the game's long line of issues, so will its addition actually help matters, or will it only place more focus on the worse problems we're arguably left with (short completion time limits, never-ending friend requests for materials, etc.)? Either way, I suppose all that's left to do now is enjoy the full screen option while we can, hoping that something doesn't come along in the future to ruin the fun (you never know, stranger things have happened).
If you're wondering why this matters, just think of how nice it will be to redecorate or even use your cafe now that you can see the entirety of it without scrolling around. Have stoves at both ends of your cafe? Is your Salad Bar in the corner, away from all of your other appliances? You can now access everything with less hassle, simply by being in full screen.
The interesting thing now will be determining whether or not this was all too little, too late. The lack of a full screen option was really just a single problem in the game's long line of issues, so will its addition actually help matters, or will it only place more focus on the worse problems we're arguably left with (short completion time limits, never-ending friend requests for materials, etc.)? Either way, I suppose all that's left to do now is enjoy the full screen option while we can, hoping that something doesn't come along in the future to ruin the fun (you never know, stranger things have happened).
Thứ Sáu, 16 tháng 12, 2011
CityVille Baseball and Soccer Stadiums: Everything you need to know
Just in time for the upcoming MLB playoff season, Zynga has released Baseball Stadiums to CityVille to honor America's favorite pastime. Oh, and the developer added Soccer Stadiums, too. (Though, Zynga might have been better off naming them "Football" Stadiums, if it was going for the international nod.)
At any rate, these two new community buildings will give a huge boost to your allowed population and earn you some major coin. When you reach Level 11, the new stadiums will become available to you. So, here's everything you need to know about the Baseball ... and Soccer Stadium Goals:
Alive and Kicking
Place the Soccer Stadium
Compete the Soccer Stadium
Both Goals for these new buildings are painfully simple. Once you reach Level 11 (or log into the game at a level above that), a Goal icon will appear. Click on it to open a window that will allow you to place the foundation for the Soccer Stadium. Once that's done, whack the building eight times, costing you an equal amount of Energy. Click on the unfinished Soccer Stadium to reveal what's needed to complete the building.
Finish your Soccer Stadium
Unfortunately, that amounts to asking your friends for a lot of items. You must ask your friends for nine of each of the above items. That amounts to a total of 45 items you will have to collect. Luckily, it seems as if you can add those items to your Wish List once you acquire one of each. Your reward for completing the Soccer Stadium is a massive 20,000 Coins. The Soccer Stadium will boost your allowed Population by 5,000.
Root for the Home Team
Place the Baseball Stadium
Complete the Baseball Stadium
Again, these are some pretty simple Goals, but the challenge comes in actually completing the buildings. Just like before, a Goal icon will appear if you're above Level 11. Click on the icon to open a Goal window that will allow you to place the foundation for your Baseball Stadium. After placing the foundation and clicking it eight times at the cost of 8 Energy, click it once more to reveal what you'll need to complete the Baseball Stadium.
Staff your Baseball Stadium
This time, things are slightly different from the Soccer Stadium. Rather than requesting items, you will need to ask friends to staff your new community building. You will have to get a whopping 12 friends to fill positions in your Baseball Stadium. Sure, that's far less than the Soccer Stadium requires in items, but these positions need to be filled by 12 individual friends. Once that's through, you will be rewarded with another heaping 20,000 Coins for your effort. The Baseball Stadium boosts your allowed Population by 3,000.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started on your new sports stadiums yet? What tips or tricks do you have to complete these new buildings?
At any rate, these two new community buildings will give a huge boost to your allowed population and earn you some major coin. When you reach Level 11, the new stadiums will become available to you. So, here's everything you need to know about the Baseball ... and Soccer Stadium Goals:
Alive and Kicking
Place the Soccer Stadium
Compete the Soccer Stadium
Both Goals for these new buildings are painfully simple. Once you reach Level 11 (or log into the game at a level above that), a Goal icon will appear. Click on it to open a window that will allow you to place the foundation for the Soccer Stadium. Once that's done, whack the building eight times, costing you an equal amount of Energy. Click on the unfinished Soccer Stadium to reveal what's needed to complete the building.
Finish your Soccer Stadium
Unfortunately, that amounts to asking your friends for a lot of items. You must ask your friends for nine of each of the above items. That amounts to a total of 45 items you will have to collect. Luckily, it seems as if you can add those items to your Wish List once you acquire one of each. Your reward for completing the Soccer Stadium is a massive 20,000 Coins. The Soccer Stadium will boost your allowed Population by 5,000.
Root for the Home Team
Place the Baseball Stadium
Complete the Baseball Stadium
Again, these are some pretty simple Goals, but the challenge comes in actually completing the buildings. Just like before, a Goal icon will appear if you're above Level 11. Click on the icon to open a Goal window that will allow you to place the foundation for your Baseball Stadium. After placing the foundation and clicking it eight times at the cost of 8 Energy, click it once more to reveal what you'll need to complete the Baseball Stadium.
Staff your Baseball Stadium
This time, things are slightly different from the Soccer Stadium. Rather than requesting items, you will need to ask friends to staff your new community building. You will have to get a whopping 12 friends to fill positions in your Baseball Stadium. Sure, that's far less than the Soccer Stadium requires in items, but these positions need to be filled by 12 individual friends. Once that's through, you will be rewarded with another heaping 20,000 Coins for your effort. The Baseball Stadium boosts your allowed Population by 3,000.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you started on your new sports stadiums yet? What tips or tricks do you have to complete these new buildings?
Is EA's PopCap working on casino-style Facebook games? [Rumor]
Is PopCap looking to go toe to toe with Zynga and DoubleDown Interactive's casino Facebook games? According to GeekWire, a bunch of rather specific domain purchases by the recently-acquired company certainly suggest that's the case. Well, that and a recent trademark application ... and a Facebook page created with that very same trademark. Alright, PopCap has been terrible at keeping this whole thing a secret.
Lucky Gem CasinoThe game in question might be titled "Lucky Gem Casino," as Fusible points out that the Bejeweled creator recently changed a Facebook page it owns to reflect the new title. The Info tab on the page reads, "Thanks for visiting! PopCap Casino is the future home of some amazing, casino-style social games from PopCap, the worldwide leader in casual gaming."
With wording like that, it sounds as if Lucky Gem Casino will be a suite of casino games from the developer, much like DoubleDown Casino. And if you take a peak at the page's Wall, a message can be found there, presumably from the company, that reads, "Keep an eye out to experience casino-style gaming from PopCap Games!" A week later, a poll was posted asking fans about their favorite type of casino games--unsurprisingly, the "Slot Machines" category won by a landslide.
GeekWire points out that this might be because PopCap is now owned by EA, which likely has a vested interested in directly competing with Facebook game champ Zynga at every turn. However, it's also important to keep in mind that a majority of PopCap's games (not including Plants vs Zombies) are visibly influenced by a casino approach to gameplay albeit with a far heavier focus on skill rather than luck.
[Via Financial Times]
[Image Credit: Destructoid]
What do you think PopCap might be up to with this trademark, Facebook page and domain registries? Would you play a stable of casino games from the creator of Bejeweled and Zuma Blitz?
Lucky Gem CasinoThe game in question might be titled "Lucky Gem Casino," as Fusible points out that the Bejeweled creator recently changed a Facebook page it owns to reflect the new title. The Info tab on the page reads, "Thanks for visiting! PopCap Casino is the future home of some amazing, casino-style social games from PopCap, the worldwide leader in casual gaming."
With wording like that, it sounds as if Lucky Gem Casino will be a suite of casino games from the developer, much like DoubleDown Casino. And if you take a peak at the page's Wall, a message can be found there, presumably from the company, that reads, "Keep an eye out to experience casino-style gaming from PopCap Games!" A week later, a poll was posted asking fans about their favorite type of casino games--unsurprisingly, the "Slot Machines" category won by a landslide.
GeekWire points out that this might be because PopCap is now owned by EA, which likely has a vested interested in directly competing with Facebook game champ Zynga at every turn. However, it's also important to keep in mind that a majority of PopCap's games (not including Plants vs Zombies) are visibly influenced by a casino approach to gameplay albeit with a far heavier focus on skill rather than luck.
[Via Financial Times]
[Image Credit: Destructoid]
What do you think PopCap might be up to with this trademark, Facebook page and domain registries? Would you play a stable of casino games from the creator of Bejeweled and Zuma Blitz?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Hop on a train to Onisuka057's fall oasis
Even though we're in the end of September, the leaves are still green in New York City. But Onisuka057's FarmVille farm is clearly headed for autumn with the yellows and reds of what appears to be the Autumn Ginkgo Tree, Maple Tree, Red Maple Tree, Sugar Maple Tree, and Rowan Tree. On top of that, there's also a Maple orchard below, though that seems to have been thrown in at the last minute. Maybe he can build up the bottom of his farm once Halloween comes around. But he has already dipped into the recently released Lighthouse Cove decor with several Tree Arches, Autumn Creeks, and Outdoor Picnics. So yeah, there's a lot of premium Farm Cash goods going on in this one.
Beyond the colors, the next most striking aspect of Onisuka057's farm are the train tracks bordering it, which are actually two-dimensional, but some massive fence-stacking and blue hay bales have fooled your eyes into seeing an elevated "bridge" hanging over "water." That's the sort of low-cost ingenuity farm designers love to see. But while building a bridge out of fences was a bit of improvisation on the creator's part, limited edition railroad decor did come out in FarmVille last fall as part of the Wild West package, so those are real tracks you're looking at there.
Onisuka057 FarmVille farm closeup
Finally, hidden in the top corner is a plume of smoke that's actually another limited edition special--an Old Faithful geyser eruption from the Yellowstone collection.
Have the trees changed colors in your town yet? Does the use of lots of Farm Cash items in a farm bug you? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Beyond the colors, the next most striking aspect of Onisuka057's farm are the train tracks bordering it, which are actually two-dimensional, but some massive fence-stacking and blue hay bales have fooled your eyes into seeing an elevated "bridge" hanging over "water." That's the sort of low-cost ingenuity farm designers love to see. But while building a bridge out of fences was a bit of improvisation on the creator's part, limited edition railroad decor did come out in FarmVille last fall as part of the Wild West package, so those are real tracks you're looking at there.
Onisuka057 FarmVille farm closeup
Finally, hidden in the top corner is a plume of smoke that's actually another limited edition special--an Old Faithful geyser eruption from the Yellowstone collection.
Have the trees changed colors in your town yet? Does the use of lots of Farm Cash items in a farm bug you? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Microsoft Research releases Facebook game for 'research'
Sure you are, guys--we're onto you. The Research division at Microsoft has released its first Facebook games, Project Waterloo, in order to find out how people interact and negotiate with one another across social networks. The game is a turn-based combat simulator in which players allocate 100 generic troops across five locations. In a way, Project Waterloo works a lot like Zynga's Words With Friends.
Of course, we're referring to the one-on-one, turn-based gameplay, not the words. Players challenge friends with allocations of 100 troops either using a slider or directly entering a number in each location on the battlefield. Said friends can then respond with their own strategic positioning using 100 troops, and if they don't currently play the game, they will be invited prior to responding.
So, it might help to think of Project Waterloo as a cross between games like Words With Friends and the classic board game Battleship. Players can also start games with random players, regardless of whether they're Facebook friends. Project Waterloo, according to a post on the Microsoft Research website, is the start of the "Facebook Game Theory Lab." This will serve as a platform through which Microsoft Research explores concepts of strategic human interaction within "resource allocation and negotiation games." The team of four researchers wrote:
The goal of the project is to test the behaviour of real people in game theoretic interactions, and especially those that take place in social networks. Some example questions are: how do people negotiate with one another? How does such negotiation take place in social networks? How can we aggregate opinions of individuals to arrive at high quality decisions? In what ways do people reciprocate other people's actions?
Project Waterloo in action
While it doesn't appear that Project Waterloo will be a source of revenue for Microsoft Research's parent company, the team does use words like "viral marketing" to explain how it will reach new players. Ultimately, we don't see a game like this taking off commercially, but it is another step in that direction, as Microsoft has already expressed interest in entering the space. Just recently, the company began to offer support to developers through its Windows Azure service. Perhaps Project Waterloo and the Facebook Game Theory Lab represent Microsoft further testing the waters.
Click here to play Project Waterloo on Facebook Now >
[Via ZDNet]
What do you think of Microsoft's very scientific foray into Facebook games? Do you think the company would ever dive into the industry like Google or Facebook has?
Of course, we're referring to the one-on-one, turn-based gameplay, not the words. Players challenge friends with allocations of 100 troops either using a slider or directly entering a number in each location on the battlefield. Said friends can then respond with their own strategic positioning using 100 troops, and if they don't currently play the game, they will be invited prior to responding.
So, it might help to think of Project Waterloo as a cross between games like Words With Friends and the classic board game Battleship. Players can also start games with random players, regardless of whether they're Facebook friends. Project Waterloo, according to a post on the Microsoft Research website, is the start of the "Facebook Game Theory Lab." This will serve as a platform through which Microsoft Research explores concepts of strategic human interaction within "resource allocation and negotiation games." The team of four researchers wrote:
The goal of the project is to test the behaviour of real people in game theoretic interactions, and especially those that take place in social networks. Some example questions are: how do people negotiate with one another? How does such negotiation take place in social networks? How can we aggregate opinions of individuals to arrive at high quality decisions? In what ways do people reciprocate other people's actions?
Project Waterloo in action
While it doesn't appear that Project Waterloo will be a source of revenue for Microsoft Research's parent company, the team does use words like "viral marketing" to explain how it will reach new players. Ultimately, we don't see a game like this taking off commercially, but it is another step in that direction, as Microsoft has already expressed interest in entering the space. Just recently, the company began to offer support to developers through its Windows Azure service. Perhaps Project Waterloo and the Facebook Game Theory Lab represent Microsoft further testing the waters.
Click here to play Project Waterloo on Facebook Now >
[Via ZDNet]
What do you think of Microsoft's very scientific foray into Facebook games? Do you think the company would ever dive into the industry like Google or Facebook has?
Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille Dairy Mystery Box brings re-released Cows to pasture
Even if you're dissatisfied with the release of the Cow Pasture animal habitat in FarmVille, that has, more or less, replaced the Dairy Farm on our farms, you still might be interested in adding some previously released cows to your collection for the sake of Animal Mastery. You're now allowed to do just that with the release of the Dairy Mystery Box in the game's store. This box contains six different cows, but remember - the cow you receive upon opening each box is random, and very well could give you duplicates if you purchase more than one.
For 20 Farm Cash, you'll be able to purchase a single Dairy Mystery Box containing one of the following:
Black Yak
Jersey Cow
New Year Cow
Panda Cow
Vineyard Cow
Welsh Black Cow
While it's great to see these cows make a comeback, they won't be here forever; you'll have just a week to purchase as many of these boxes as you like before these cows go back into retirement. Then again, it's always possible these cows will release yet again sometime in the future, so you'll just have to decide for yourself how important it is to have each one right now. Good luck with receiving the cow(s) you want most!
Which of these cows do you hope to win from the Dairy Mystery Box? Do you already have enough of these cows that it would make purchasing one of these boxes too big of a risk?
For 20 Farm Cash, you'll be able to purchase a single Dairy Mystery Box containing one of the following:
Black Yak
Jersey Cow
New Year Cow
Panda Cow
Vineyard Cow
Welsh Black Cow
While it's great to see these cows make a comeback, they won't be here forever; you'll have just a week to purchase as many of these boxes as you like before these cows go back into retirement. Then again, it's always possible these cows will release yet again sometime in the future, so you'll just have to decide for yourself how important it is to have each one right now. Good luck with receiving the cow(s) you want most!
Which of these cows do you hope to win from the Dairy Mystery Box? Do you already have enough of these cows that it would make purchasing one of these boxes too big of a risk?
FarmVille: 2x Mastery Statue comes back for 12 days only
While many users voiced their concerns upon the initial release of the 2x Mastery Statue in FarmVille (that Zynga had created the ultimate money-grabber), that didn't stop many other farmers from purchasing one for their farms. Apparently, the initial release was so successful that they've decided to bring the statue back around for another go. That's right, the 2x Mastery Statue is once again available to purchase in the store, but only for a limited time (12 days, to be exact).
As a reminder, this 2x Mastery Statue gives you double the amount of mastery points on all crops and trees harvested during a two-day period. A single statue costs 25 Farm Cash, and if you're already the owner of a Platinum Mastery Statue (which has the same effect, but permanently), you'll want to skip out on buying these re-released statues as the status effect doesn't stack.
Also, let me once again point out that this double mastery boost doesn't apply to animals, so if you've really taken to Animal Mastery, there's no reason to waste your Farm Cash on these statues either. Perhaps one day we'll see a double mastery statue released just for animals, but that still doesn't solve the conundrum of whether or not these items should exist to begin with. With enough hard work and some patience, you'll be able to earn dozens, if not hundreds of mastery signs for your farm. Do we really need to pay Farm Cash to speed up the process? We'll leave that up to you, farmers.
Will you purchase a 2x Mastery Statue? Did you purchase one of these statues upon their initial release, or did you splurge on the Platinum Mastery Statue instead?
As a reminder, this 2x Mastery Statue gives you double the amount of mastery points on all crops and trees harvested during a two-day period. A single statue costs 25 Farm Cash, and if you're already the owner of a Platinum Mastery Statue (which has the same effect, but permanently), you'll want to skip out on buying these re-released statues as the status effect doesn't stack.
Also, let me once again point out that this double mastery boost doesn't apply to animals, so if you've really taken to Animal Mastery, there's no reason to waste your Farm Cash on these statues either. Perhaps one day we'll see a double mastery statue released just for animals, but that still doesn't solve the conundrum of whether or not these items should exist to begin with. With enough hard work and some patience, you'll be able to earn dozens, if not hundreds of mastery signs for your farm. Do we really need to pay Farm Cash to speed up the process? We'll leave that up to you, farmers.
Will you purchase a 2x Mastery Statue? Did you purchase one of these statues upon their initial release, or did you splurge on the Platinum Mastery Statue instead?
Cafe World 2 Year Anniversary Manny's Journey Goals: Everything you need to know
After spending a few days in Great Britain, the Cafe World two-year anniversary extravaganza has moved onto the Philippines, where we'll meet Master Chef Manny in a new set of goals called "Manny's Journey." Through these goals, we'll be introduced to four new dishes, but of course, they won't simply be handed to you. You'll need to finish the Manny's Journey goals multiple times in order to unlock all of the prizes, which include a 50% Lightning Stove (that would reduce the time it takes your dishes to cook by 50%). Here's a complete guide to these new goals.
As a note, we weren't told by Zynga whether or not these goals contain the same dishes for all users across the entire game, or if they vary as in past goal sets. If you notice any differences in your own game, this will likely be the cause.
Manny's Journey 1
Ask for 3 Old Filipino Recipe Cards
Place the Roasting Pit
Serve 20 Fish n Chips
You'll start this goal series out serving Fish n Chips which takes two hours to prepare. You can wait for those to cook while asking your friends to send you the Old Filipino Recipe Cards, and can finish off this goal by placing the base to your new Roasting Pit. Yes, there's a building project to go along with these goals, and we'll bring you a guide to building the Roasting Pit as soon as we can you can check out our guide to building the Roasting Pit right here. Finishing this first goal gives you 15 Travel Passes. As a reminder, these Travel Passes work as contest entries of sorts, giving you a chance to win in-game prizes, along with real world trips to exotic locations.
Manny's Journey 2
Ask for 6 Filipino Postcards
Spice 6 Neighbors Dishes
Serve 20 Gnocchi Gianna
The Gnocchi Gianna takes six hours to prepare, and is unlocked while completing the Pasta Maker goals. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 3
Ask for 10 New Filipino Recipe Cards
Collect 4 Anniversary Collection items
Serve 30 Broiled Rainbow Trout
Anniversary Collection items are earned by using spices on your dishes, while Broiled Rainbow Trout takes 12 hours to cook (at the very least, this gives you plenty of time to collect spices if you don't earn the four Anniversary Collection items after running through your supply). Finish this goal to receive 25 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 4
Ask for 8 Filipino Postcards
Serve 12 Cafe Bombon
Serve 30 Osso Bucco
Osso Bucco takes 18 hours to prepare, giving you plenty of time to collect these Postcards from friends. As for the Cafe Bombon, this is a Specialty Coffee Drink that can only be served after you've hired Becky the Barista to work in your cafe. It costs 55 Energy for 10 Servings, so you'll need to prepare it twice in order to reach the total required number of 12 servings. You've almost reached the finale at this point, and finishing this particular goal gives you 30 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 5
Ask for 12 Dirty Filipino Recipe Cards
Serve 18 Acai Blueberry Juice
Complete the Roasting Pit
Once again, the Acai Blueberry Juice must be served from a machine - this time the Drink Bar. It's not available until after you've hired Beverly Bartender. Once you finish this goal, you'll have finished off Manny's Journey, and will receive 500 Travel Passes. You'll also receive one of four new dishes, from a selection of Beef Mechado, Filipino Paella, Lechon and Sisig.
To be especially clear, completing this goal series the first time only gives you a single recipe, and it looks like you'll need to complete the entirety of these goals another three times to unlock the remaining three recipes. These goals (along with your chance to repeat the British goals) will expire in 10 days, so you'll want to make sure and complete as many goals as quickly as possible to stand the biggest chance of unlocking everything in time.
What do you think of these Manny's Journey goals? Do you think they're easier, or more difficult than Winston's Royals goals?
As a note, we weren't told by Zynga whether or not these goals contain the same dishes for all users across the entire game, or if they vary as in past goal sets. If you notice any differences in your own game, this will likely be the cause.
Manny's Journey 1
Ask for 3 Old Filipino Recipe Cards
Place the Roasting Pit
Serve 20 Fish n Chips
You'll start this goal series out serving Fish n Chips which takes two hours to prepare. You can wait for those to cook while asking your friends to send you the Old Filipino Recipe Cards, and can finish off this goal by placing the base to your new Roasting Pit. Yes, there's a building project to go along with these goals, and we'll bring you a guide to building the Roasting Pit as soon as we can you can check out our guide to building the Roasting Pit right here. Finishing this first goal gives you 15 Travel Passes. As a reminder, these Travel Passes work as contest entries of sorts, giving you a chance to win in-game prizes, along with real world trips to exotic locations.
Manny's Journey 2
Ask for 6 Filipino Postcards
Spice 6 Neighbors Dishes
Serve 20 Gnocchi Gianna
The Gnocchi Gianna takes six hours to prepare, and is unlocked while completing the Pasta Maker goals. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 20 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 3
Ask for 10 New Filipino Recipe Cards
Collect 4 Anniversary Collection items
Serve 30 Broiled Rainbow Trout
Anniversary Collection items are earned by using spices on your dishes, while Broiled Rainbow Trout takes 12 hours to cook (at the very least, this gives you plenty of time to collect spices if you don't earn the four Anniversary Collection items after running through your supply). Finish this goal to receive 25 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 4
Ask for 8 Filipino Postcards
Serve 12 Cafe Bombon
Serve 30 Osso Bucco
Osso Bucco takes 18 hours to prepare, giving you plenty of time to collect these Postcards from friends. As for the Cafe Bombon, this is a Specialty Coffee Drink that can only be served after you've hired Becky the Barista to work in your cafe. It costs 55 Energy for 10 Servings, so you'll need to prepare it twice in order to reach the total required number of 12 servings. You've almost reached the finale at this point, and finishing this particular goal gives you 30 Travel Passes.
Manny's Journey 5
Ask for 12 Dirty Filipino Recipe Cards
Serve 18 Acai Blueberry Juice
Complete the Roasting Pit
Once again, the Acai Blueberry Juice must be served from a machine - this time the Drink Bar. It's not available until after you've hired Beverly Bartender. Once you finish this goal, you'll have finished off Manny's Journey, and will receive 500 Travel Passes. You'll also receive one of four new dishes, from a selection of Beef Mechado, Filipino Paella, Lechon and Sisig.
To be especially clear, completing this goal series the first time only gives you a single recipe, and it looks like you'll need to complete the entirety of these goals another three times to unlock the remaining three recipes. These goals (along with your chance to repeat the British goals) will expire in 10 days, so you'll want to make sure and complete as many goals as quickly as possible to stand the biggest chance of unlocking everything in time.
What do you think of these Manny's Journey goals? Do you think they're easier, or more difficult than Winston's Royals goals?
Cafe World Roasting Pit: Everything you need to know
On top of being required to complete five new goals in Cafe World's Manny's Journey set, the game's two-year anniversary event has received another building project as well. This "buildable" is the Roasting Pit, the base of which will be given to you for free when you start these Manny's Journeys goals. While you may think you can simply place the base and then forget about it, if you're interested in completing these goals, and subsequently unlocking any of the four recipes associated with them, you'll be required to complete its construction.
Once you place the Roasting Pit, you'll be able to begin the process of asking your friends for building materials. You'll need to collect eight Bags of Coal, 10 Steel Plates, six Roasting Sticks and six Roasting Pit Stones. The Bags of Coal are the only items you'll be able to ask for via a general post to your news feed / wall, while the other three items are earned via individual gift requests sent to those friends that you think would be the most likely to help you.
Once you finish this Roasting Pit, you'll not only have a new "decorative" machine in your cafe, but you'll also be able to earn a single bonus mastery point for each Filipino dish you serve while the Roasting Pit is displayed and therefore "active" in your cafe. That is, instead of earning a single point for each Filipino dish, this Roasting Pit will cause you to earn two points with every serving, well, served. Also, even if you don't manage to unlock all four recipes in the Manny's Journey goal set, this Roasting Pit will still have a purpose, as a single, pre-existing dish falls under the Filipino heading: Chicken Adobo.
Again, this machine must be built in order to complete the Manny's Journey goal set in Cafe World, so check out our guide to doing just that to have the best shot of earning some new dishes - and fast!
What do you think of the Roasting Pit? Do you like items like this that allow you to earn bonus dish mastery points?
Once you place the Roasting Pit, you'll be able to begin the process of asking your friends for building materials. You'll need to collect eight Bags of Coal, 10 Steel Plates, six Roasting Sticks and six Roasting Pit Stones. The Bags of Coal are the only items you'll be able to ask for via a general post to your news feed / wall, while the other three items are earned via individual gift requests sent to those friends that you think would be the most likely to help you.
Once you finish this Roasting Pit, you'll not only have a new "decorative" machine in your cafe, but you'll also be able to earn a single bonus mastery point for each Filipino dish you serve while the Roasting Pit is displayed and therefore "active" in your cafe. That is, instead of earning a single point for each Filipino dish, this Roasting Pit will cause you to earn two points with every serving, well, served. Also, even if you don't manage to unlock all four recipes in the Manny's Journey goal set, this Roasting Pit will still have a purpose, as a single, pre-existing dish falls under the Filipino heading: Chicken Adobo.
Again, this machine must be built in order to complete the Manny's Journey goal set in Cafe World, so check out our guide to doing just that to have the best shot of earning some new dishes - and fast!
What do you think of the Roasting Pit? Do you like items like this that allow you to earn bonus dish mastery points?
CityVille Executive Driving Range Attraction: Everything you need to know
It seems that just as quickly as we can finish the construction on an Attraction in CityVille, another one is released. Such is the case this week, as the Ferris Wheel has been followed up by the Executive Driving Range, or a golf range, if you prefer.
The base of the Executive Driving Range costs 10,000 coins, and it must be whacked eight times before the base is complete. From there, you'll need to collect various building materials, as you might have expected:
5 City Seals
5 Golf Balls
5 Buckets
5 Netting
5 Targets
If you're lucky, you'll already have the City Seals in your account waiting for you, and can then concentrate on gathering the other four items instead. Golf Balls and Buckets can be earned by posting a general news item to your wall, while Netting and Targets are earned via individual gift requests sent to friends.
Once the Executive Driving Range is complete, you can put it into operation for five minutes at a time. Once the five minutes has passed, you'll collect your profits just as you would any other business (your income ranges from 1,400 to 6,000 coins each cycle), but you can't restock it with Goods. Instead, you'll need to wait for a countdown timer to hit zero before you can restart it. You can collect Wrenches from your friends to speed up this timer, but remember - you can only post a single request for Wrenches, which are shared among all of the four available Attractions, so you won't be able to stock up as greatly as you might like.
Of course, building the Executive Driving Range is entirely voluntary, but if you like features such as this, why not give it a swing? Note: you must be at least level 25 to access the Executive Driving Range.
Will you build the Executive Driving Range in your town, or are three attractions enough?
The base of the Executive Driving Range costs 10,000 coins, and it must be whacked eight times before the base is complete. From there, you'll need to collect various building materials, as you might have expected:
5 City Seals
5 Golf Balls
5 Buckets
5 Netting
5 Targets
If you're lucky, you'll already have the City Seals in your account waiting for you, and can then concentrate on gathering the other four items instead. Golf Balls and Buckets can be earned by posting a general news item to your wall, while Netting and Targets are earned via individual gift requests sent to friends.
Once the Executive Driving Range is complete, you can put it into operation for five minutes at a time. Once the five minutes has passed, you'll collect your profits just as you would any other business (your income ranges from 1,400 to 6,000 coins each cycle), but you can't restock it with Goods. Instead, you'll need to wait for a countdown timer to hit zero before you can restart it. You can collect Wrenches from your friends to speed up this timer, but remember - you can only post a single request for Wrenches, which are shared among all of the four available Attractions, so you won't be able to stock up as greatly as you might like.
Of course, building the Executive Driving Range is entirely voluntary, but if you like features such as this, why not give it a swing? Note: you must be at least level 25 to access the Executive Driving Range.
Will you build the Executive Driving Range in your town, or are three attractions enough?
Chủ Nhật, 11 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille: 20% off Farm Cash with Halloween Game Card promotion
From now until Halloween - October 31 - you can get an extra 20% of Farm Cash when you redeem a Zynga Game Card in FarmVille. According to a new loading screen you'll see when entering your farm, this promotion doesn't seem to require you to purchase your Zynga Game Card from any particular retailer; it's just a setup that will see you (in Zynga's words) having 20% off Farm Cash when redeeming a card.
As I've said before, the language in these kinds of promotions is a bit misleading. It shouldn't say "20% off" at all. Instead, it should say that you'll earn 20% more Farm Cash when redeeming a card. After all, it's not like GameStop (or any other retailer that sells the cards) can give you a discount on actually purchasing the card in the store. You're going to end up paying the same amount of real-world money either way. You'll just receive more Farm Cash in the end than originally.
Still, this isn't to say the promotion is bad, as you're going to end up with more Farm Cash than you expected by taking advantage of it. Just keep in mind that your out-of-pocket expenses will be the same, and keep in mind that you only have until the end of the day on October 31 to take advantage of this deal if it sounds interesting to you.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Will you purchase a Zynga Game Card to take advantage of this extra 20% promotion? What will you spend your new Farm Cash on?
As I've said before, the language in these kinds of promotions is a bit misleading. It shouldn't say "20% off" at all. Instead, it should say that you'll earn 20% more Farm Cash when redeeming a card. After all, it's not like GameStop (or any other retailer that sells the cards) can give you a discount on actually purchasing the card in the store. You're going to end up paying the same amount of real-world money either way. You'll just receive more Farm Cash in the end than originally.
Still, this isn't to say the promotion is bad, as you're going to end up with more Farm Cash than you expected by taking advantage of it. Just keep in mind that your out-of-pocket expenses will be the same, and keep in mind that you only have until the end of the day on October 31 to take advantage of this deal if it sounds interesting to you.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Will you purchase a Zynga Game Card to take advantage of this extra 20% promotion? What will you spend your new Farm Cash on?
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove: Oceanside Farm land expansion now available for coins
Looking to add more room to your third FarmVille farm, the Lighthouse Cove, but don't want to spend Farm Cash to do it? If that's the case, you'll be happy to know that yet another land expansion has been given the coin treatment. Specifically, we're talking about the Oceanside Farm expansion, which brings your farm to the 20x20 size.
Of course, in order to unlock this Oceanside Farm, you'll have to do a few things in advance. First and foremost, you'll need to unlock all of the previous expansions, which have been released for coins over the past few weeks as well. Once you've unlocked the 18x18 Harbor Homestead, you'll then likely need to add an arbitrary amount of new neighbors to your game to unlock the coin option for the Oceanside, 20x20 farm. I say arbitrary as there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how many neighbors each user has to add, if they have to add any at all.
In my case, for instance, I'll have to add 11 neighbors, bringing my total to 128. That's not a nice, round number, so why was it chosen? Why would "11" be the magic number for me to unlock this new expansion? Like I said, it doesn't make much sense, but it's unfortunately what we're stuck dealing with as of this writing. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones that only has to add one or two neighbors, or even none at all. For your sake, I genuinely hope that's the case. Regardless, once you finally reach your required neighbor total, the expansion can then be purchased for 1.5 million coins. You'll gain access to planting more individual crop squares on your farm after that point, but whether or not that will make any of the upcoming Lighthouse Cove goals any easier (or just continue in the same difficulty) remains to be seen.
Have you already reached the 18x18 expansion, and are ready to move on to 20x20? Do you actively farm on all of the squares allotted to your in your Lighthouse Cove farm?
Of course, in order to unlock this Oceanside Farm, you'll have to do a few things in advance. First and foremost, you'll need to unlock all of the previous expansions, which have been released for coins over the past few weeks as well. Once you've unlocked the 18x18 Harbor Homestead, you'll then likely need to add an arbitrary amount of new neighbors to your game to unlock the coin option for the Oceanside, 20x20 farm. I say arbitrary as there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how many neighbors each user has to add, if they have to add any at all.
In my case, for instance, I'll have to add 11 neighbors, bringing my total to 128. That's not a nice, round number, so why was it chosen? Why would "11" be the magic number for me to unlock this new expansion? Like I said, it doesn't make much sense, but it's unfortunately what we're stuck dealing with as of this writing. Maybe you'll be one of the lucky ones that only has to add one or two neighbors, or even none at all. For your sake, I genuinely hope that's the case. Regardless, once you finally reach your required neighbor total, the expansion can then be purchased for 1.5 million coins. You'll gain access to planting more individual crop squares on your farm after that point, but whether or not that will make any of the upcoming Lighthouse Cove goals any easier (or just continue in the same difficulty) remains to be seen.
Have you already reached the 18x18 expansion, and are ready to move on to 20x20? Do you actively farm on all of the squares allotted to your in your Lighthouse Cove farm?
CityVille Halloween Sale sees items marked up to 50% off
If you'd like to purchase some of the Monster-themed goodies in CityVille's Halloween store, but aren't willing to pay the high prices expected of you, you'll be happy to know that some of them have been discounted in price in anticipation of the quickly approaching Halloween holiday, and that some are even marked at 50% off.
Here's a rundown of the items that are on sale, along with their new prices.
Dead Man Cave (Home)
Costs: 30 City Cash - 25% off
Gnome Dome (Community Building)
Costs: 60 City Cash - 20% off
Grooving Mummies (Decoration)
Costs: 12 City Cash - 20% off
Atrocious Apartments (Home)
Costs: 52 City Cash - 20% off
Troll Tree House (Home)
Costs: 40 City Cash - 20% off
Poltergeist House (Home)
Costs: 189,000 coins - 30% off
Fairy Ponderosa (Home)
Costs: 975,000 coins - 25% off
Haunted Library (Community Building)
Costs: 14,000 coins - 50% off
Ominous Estate (Home)
Costs: 600,000 coins - 20% off
Spooky House (Home)
Costs: 13,875 coins - 25% off
Witchwart Academy (Community Building)
Costs: 13,800 coins - 40% off
Frankenstein's Lab (Home)
Costs: 45 City Cash - 25% off
Transylvania Station (Community Building)
Costs: 53 City Cash - 25% off
Forsaken Fortress (Home)
Costs: 68 City Cash - 20% off
Ghost Ship (Decoration)
Costs: 51,000 coins - 40% off
Jack-O-Lantern (Crop)
Costs: 3 City Cash per square - 40% off
Ok, so only one of these items is actually priced at 50% off, and if you've been trying to reach the total 8,000 Monsters you need living in your city before Halloween, you likely already have a Haunted Library in your town anyway. Still, if you've been looking for some extra incentive to purchase some of these premium Community Buildings and homes, and the simple fact that they're expiring soon wasn't enough, here's another reason to bust out the premium currency.
Furthermore, from now until the end of the day on Halloween, if you redeem a Zynga Game Card within CityVille, you'll receive 20% extra City Cash when you do so. That is, if you redeem a card worth $25, you'll receive the full dollar amount of $25 in City Cash, plus 20% extra. Zynga may call this a "sale," but it's more like a "bonus," as you're not really saving any money on your end. Even with that being the case, it's still something to keep in mind if you were contemplating redeeming a Zynga Game Card in CityVille in the near future anyway.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Will you splurge on any of these items while they're on sale, or will you redeem a Zynga Game Card and then save your extra City Cash for later use?
Here's a rundown of the items that are on sale, along with their new prices.
Dead Man Cave (Home)
Costs: 30 City Cash - 25% off
Gnome Dome (Community Building)
Costs: 60 City Cash - 20% off
Grooving Mummies (Decoration)
Costs: 12 City Cash - 20% off
Atrocious Apartments (Home)
Costs: 52 City Cash - 20% off
Troll Tree House (Home)
Costs: 40 City Cash - 20% off
Poltergeist House (Home)
Costs: 189,000 coins - 30% off
Fairy Ponderosa (Home)
Costs: 975,000 coins - 25% off
Haunted Library (Community Building)
Costs: 14,000 coins - 50% off
Ominous Estate (Home)
Costs: 600,000 coins - 20% off
Spooky House (Home)
Costs: 13,875 coins - 25% off
Witchwart Academy (Community Building)
Costs: 13,800 coins - 40% off
Frankenstein's Lab (Home)
Costs: 45 City Cash - 25% off
Transylvania Station (Community Building)
Costs: 53 City Cash - 25% off
Forsaken Fortress (Home)
Costs: 68 City Cash - 20% off
Ghost Ship (Decoration)
Costs: 51,000 coins - 40% off
Jack-O-Lantern (Crop)
Costs: 3 City Cash per square - 40% off
Ok, so only one of these items is actually priced at 50% off, and if you've been trying to reach the total 8,000 Monsters you need living in your city before Halloween, you likely already have a Haunted Library in your town anyway. Still, if you've been looking for some extra incentive to purchase some of these premium Community Buildings and homes, and the simple fact that they're expiring soon wasn't enough, here's another reason to bust out the premium currency.
Furthermore, from now until the end of the day on Halloween, if you redeem a Zynga Game Card within CityVille, you'll receive 20% extra City Cash when you do so. That is, if you redeem a card worth $25, you'll receive the full dollar amount of $25 in City Cash, plus 20% extra. Zynga may call this a "sale," but it's more like a "bonus," as you're not really saving any money on your end. Even with that being the case, it's still something to keep in mind if you were contemplating redeeming a Zynga Game Card in CityVille in the near future anyway.
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Will you splurge on any of these items while they're on sale, or will you redeem a Zynga Game Card and then save your extra City Cash for later use?
CityVille Spy Agency: Everything you need to know
I never really knew that our CityVille cities were full of secrets, but apparently they are. Not only that, but people also apparently want those secrets, forcing us to now have a need to protect them. What this all boils down to is the introduction of the Spy Agency into the game, along with a goal that will introduce you to the building.
The goal, "The Spy Who Loved Me," requires the following:
Place the Spy Agency
Complete the Spy Agency
Ok, that's pretty self-explanatory, but just what does it take to finish this Spy Agency to begin with? Well, first and foremost, you'll need to whack the frame five times to build up the foundation of your new building. Then, you'll need to collect five different building ingredients:
5 Decoder Rings
5 Secret Files
5 Spy Sunglasses
5 Spy Watches
5 Spy Ties
The Secret Files, Spy Watches and Spy Ties are earned through general requests posted on your wall, while the Decoder Rings and Spy Sunglasses are earned through individual requests sent to your friends. Once the building is finished, you'll find that the Spy Agency is a Community Building that allows for 1,700 citizens to live in your town.
As for the Spy Who Loved Me goal above? You'll receive 20,000 coins for finishing it.
Whether or not this Spy Agency will turn into some bigger feature, actually allowing us to send out or catch spies to / from neighboring towns remains to be seen. As it stands, it looks like the building itself is suffering from some technical difficulties (according to Zynga), so you might not even see it in your game yet. However, once we learn more about the building, and any extra function it might contain, we'll make sure to let you know.
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you received the Spy Agency in your town? What do you think of this newest Community Building? Will you build one in your town, or do you have a high enough population cap as it is?
The goal, "The Spy Who Loved Me," requires the following:
Place the Spy Agency
Complete the Spy Agency
Ok, that's pretty self-explanatory, but just what does it take to finish this Spy Agency to begin with? Well, first and foremost, you'll need to whack the frame five times to build up the foundation of your new building. Then, you'll need to collect five different building ingredients:
5 Decoder Rings
5 Secret Files
5 Spy Sunglasses
5 Spy Watches
5 Spy Ties
The Secret Files, Spy Watches and Spy Ties are earned through general requests posted on your wall, while the Decoder Rings and Spy Sunglasses are earned through individual requests sent to your friends. Once the building is finished, you'll find that the Spy Agency is a Community Building that allows for 1,700 citizens to live in your town.
As for the Spy Who Loved Me goal above? You'll receive 20,000 coins for finishing it.
Whether or not this Spy Agency will turn into some bigger feature, actually allowing us to send out or catch spies to / from neighboring towns remains to be seen. As it stands, it looks like the building itself is suffering from some technical difficulties (according to Zynga), so you might not even see it in your game yet. However, once we learn more about the building, and any extra function it might contain, we'll make sure to let you know.
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Have you received the Spy Agency in your town? What do you think of this newest Community Building? Will you build one in your town, or do you have a high enough population cap as it is?
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Butterfly theme coming soon?
While the holiday season is a fast and furious time both in the real world and in FarmVille, it looks like Zynga will take a short break between Halloween and Thanksgiving to give us a theme concerning either fairies, butterflies or both. With a new batch of unreleased animals, trees, and even a building, we see this theme starting to take shape. With these newest images spotted by FarmVilleFreak, it looks like this theme might be one of the prettiest yet. Here's what we expect to launch soon.
Golden Fairy Tree
Giant Golden Fairy Tree
Fairy Mill
Butterfly Dog
Butterfly Pig
Butterfly Sheep
Butterfly Lop-Eared Rabbit
Butterfly Horse
Butterfly Foal
With these specific Butterfly animals (not including the Foal, which would come from breeding the Horse), this almost looks like it could be part of a future Mystery Game grouping. If not, we'll need to expect to spend plenty of Farm Cash in the store purchasing these animals piece by piece.
As for the Fairy Mill, this could very well be an item given away in the FarmVille Raffle Booth, or as a final prize in the aforementioned Mystery Game, on top of potentially just being an in-store item. With these unreleased items, there a quite a few possibilities for how we'll go about collecting them all, but I'd confidently wager that all of them will detail Farm Cash in some form. I hope you've saved up plenty just in case!
[Image Credit: FarmVilleFreak]
What do you think of these Butterfly / Fairy themed items? Can you see these Butterfly animals being released in a Mystery Game, or do you think they'll all launch separately in the store?
Golden Fairy Tree
Giant Golden Fairy Tree
Fairy Mill
Butterfly Dog
Butterfly Pig
Butterfly Sheep
Butterfly Lop-Eared Rabbit
Butterfly Horse
Butterfly Foal
With these specific Butterfly animals (not including the Foal, which would come from breeding the Horse), this almost looks like it could be part of a future Mystery Game grouping. If not, we'll need to expect to spend plenty of Farm Cash in the store purchasing these animals piece by piece.
As for the Fairy Mill, this could very well be an item given away in the FarmVille Raffle Booth, or as a final prize in the aforementioned Mystery Game, on top of potentially just being an in-store item. With these unreleased items, there a quite a few possibilities for how we'll go about collecting them all, but I'd confidently wager that all of them will detail Farm Cash in some form. I hope you've saved up plenty just in case!
[Image Credit: FarmVilleFreak]
What do you think of these Butterfly / Fairy themed items? Can you see these Butterfly animals being released in a Mystery Game, or do you think they'll all launch separately in the store?
Thứ Sáu, 9 tháng 12, 2011
Where did your share of SimCash every five days go? Playfish explains
So, you heard that Playfish is making it rain on The Sims Social players every five days, and you want a piece of that pie. We get it. But the Daily Bonus timer in the game mysteriously resets itself every once in awhile--a total bummer. Well, according to Playfish, there's nothing terribly mysterious about the The Sims Social Daily Bonus. Simply put, it's all about timing.
In order to qualify for the Daily Bonus consecutively each day, you must log into The Sims Social at least once within each 24 hour period. For instance, if you logged into the game today at 3:30 p.m., you would need to log into the game at or after 3:30 p.m. on Friday to qualify for the second Daily Bonus.
However, you can log in before 48 hours have hit since your last log-in to receive credit for a consecutive Daily Bonus. For example, say that you logged in today at 3:30 p.m., starting the Daily Bonus timer. If you log in anytime after 3:30 p.m. on Friday, but before 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, you'll qualify for the next Daily Bonus.
That said, keep in mind that to qualify for what would be the third Daily Bonus, you must log in between 24 and 47 hours and 59 minutes from when you logged in previously. Confused yet? Here's a detailed description from Playfish, inspired by commenter Aude06:
PERSON A:
Weds log-in at 5 p.m. (timer starts from zero)
Thurs log-in at 5:15 p.m. (counts as day 1)
Friday log-in at 5:30 p.m. (counts as day 2)
Saturday log-in at 5:45 p.m. (counts as day 3)
Sunday log-in at 6 p.m. (counts as day 4)
Monday log-in at 6:15 p.m. (counts as day 5)
Person A will get their 5 day log-in SimCash bonus.
PERSON B:
Weds log-in at 6 p.m. (timer starts from zero)
Thurs log-in at 7 p.m. (counts as day 1)
Fri log-in at 2 p.m. (doesn't count)
Sat log-in at 8 p.m. (it's been over 48 hours, so the timer resets to zero)
Sun log-in at 5 p.m. (doesn't count)
Mon log-in at 6 p.m. (counts as day 1)
Person B will NOT get their 5 day log-in SimCash bonus.
In other words, just make sure you log into the game daily--at around the same time or later--and you'll always get your 10 free SimCash on Day 5. Well, that is if you don't encounter any bugs, as players on the forums seem so wont to do.
Does this answer the question of why you're not getting your SimCash every five days in The Sims Social? Are you still having issues getting the good stuff?
In order to qualify for the Daily Bonus consecutively each day, you must log into The Sims Social at least once within each 24 hour period. For instance, if you logged into the game today at 3:30 p.m., you would need to log into the game at or after 3:30 p.m. on Friday to qualify for the second Daily Bonus.
However, you can log in before 48 hours have hit since your last log-in to receive credit for a consecutive Daily Bonus. For example, say that you logged in today at 3:30 p.m., starting the Daily Bonus timer. If you log in anytime after 3:30 p.m. on Friday, but before 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, you'll qualify for the next Daily Bonus.
That said, keep in mind that to qualify for what would be the third Daily Bonus, you must log in between 24 and 47 hours and 59 minutes from when you logged in previously. Confused yet? Here's a detailed description from Playfish, inspired by commenter Aude06:
PERSON A:
Weds log-in at 5 p.m. (timer starts from zero)
Thurs log-in at 5:15 p.m. (counts as day 1)
Friday log-in at 5:30 p.m. (counts as day 2)
Saturday log-in at 5:45 p.m. (counts as day 3)
Sunday log-in at 6 p.m. (counts as day 4)
Monday log-in at 6:15 p.m. (counts as day 5)
Person A will get their 5 day log-in SimCash bonus.
PERSON B:
Weds log-in at 6 p.m. (timer starts from zero)
Thurs log-in at 7 p.m. (counts as day 1)
Fri log-in at 2 p.m. (doesn't count)
Sat log-in at 8 p.m. (it's been over 48 hours, so the timer resets to zero)
Sun log-in at 5 p.m. (doesn't count)
Mon log-in at 6 p.m. (counts as day 1)
Person B will NOT get their 5 day log-in SimCash bonus.
In other words, just make sure you log into the game daily--at around the same time or later--and you'll always get your 10 free SimCash on Day 5. Well, that is if you don't encounter any bugs, as players on the forums seem so wont to do.
Does this answer the question of why you're not getting your SimCash every five days in The Sims Social? Are you still having issues getting the good stuff?
FarmVille Pic of the Day: IrisMagick's Christmas Tree O' Crops
Nothing says "Christmas" like a giant, decorated tree on your FarmVille farm. Two of the most amazing holiday farms we've seen both featured farm-sized 'trees' made of trees, down the the trimming. Brayzdin's fantastical Christmas wonderland was the first we've posted about here. His was followed by Faustino's, who was silly enough to use Stouffer's Mac & Cheese Trees as ornaments.
Today's special tree is the work of IrisMagick, and her approach isn't trees, but crops and bushels. And it's not just any crops that were used to build her tree -- it's Super Crops.
Click the image to make it larger.
Specifically, eighty-four plots of Super Cranberries lend their reds and greens to the body of the tree. The tree is outlined with what appears to be bushels of White Poinsettias, though it's easy to mistaken them for hay bales. The bushels also make up the base of the tree, where IrisMagick has placed Caroling Gnomes, two completed Santa's Sleighs, and two piles of holiday presents. While the poinsettias are a festive choice, the heavy outline it gives the tree does make me think of frosted cookies.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
What's your favorite method for building a giant FarmVille Christmas tree -- trees or crops? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Today's special tree is the work of IrisMagick, and her approach isn't trees, but crops and bushels. And it's not just any crops that were used to build her tree -- it's Super Crops.
Click the image to make it larger.
Specifically, eighty-four plots of Super Cranberries lend their reds and greens to the body of the tree. The tree is outlined with what appears to be bushels of White Poinsettias, though it's easy to mistaken them for hay bales. The bushels also make up the base of the tree, where IrisMagick has placed Caroling Gnomes, two completed Santa's Sleighs, and two piles of holiday presents. While the poinsettias are a festive choice, the heavy outline it gives the tree does make me think of frosted cookies.
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2011 coverage right here.
What's your favorite method for building a giant FarmVille Christmas tree -- trees or crops? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Android gets with the times, new Facebook brings FarmVille Express
Android just got caught up with the Joneses. Facebook announced recently that the new Facebook Mobile platform has hit Android devices everywhere, meaning fans of Google's smartphone operating system can access all the mobile web apps Facebook Mobile has to offer. Most importantly (of course), that includes HTML5 games like Zynga's FarmVille Express.
In fact, that means a number of HTML5-based social games are now available through Facebook Mobile for Android, including wooga's Magic Land, Moblyng's Word Racer Live, Storm8's World War and more. That's according to Facebook's announcement, which doesn't include games like the HTML5-based Words With Friends and Zynga Poker.
However, HTML5--a web application development method used commonly for games played in mobile web browsers--is largely available on both iPhone, iPad and Android devices, it's a safe bet that these games are accessible through Facebook on Android. (Before the Facebook update, Android users could simply visit "m.farmville.com" to access FarmVille Express.) HTML5 is making big strides in becoming a viable method for making and playing social games.
In fact, Happy Aquarium maker CrowdStar's CEO Peter Relan thinks that HTML5 is the path to 1 billion players of a single game. However, if you ask folks like Zynga Germany's Paul Bakaus, we're a long way from that kind of reach through HTML5. If game makers want to beat Rovio's Angry Birds to the coveted 1 billion fans, they might have to do it the old-fashioned (?) way: get on every game platform you can possibly imagine.
How do you prefer to play games like FarmVille while on the go: mobile web or mobile app? How long will it be before HTML5 games look like their standard app counterparts?
In fact, that means a number of HTML5-based social games are now available through Facebook Mobile for Android, including wooga's Magic Land, Moblyng's Word Racer Live, Storm8's World War and more. That's according to Facebook's announcement, which doesn't include games like the HTML5-based Words With Friends and Zynga Poker.
However, HTML5--a web application development method used commonly for games played in mobile web browsers--is largely available on both iPhone, iPad and Android devices, it's a safe bet that these games are accessible through Facebook on Android. (Before the Facebook update, Android users could simply visit "m.farmville.com" to access FarmVille Express.) HTML5 is making big strides in becoming a viable method for making and playing social games.
In fact, Happy Aquarium maker CrowdStar's CEO Peter Relan thinks that HTML5 is the path to 1 billion players of a single game. However, if you ask folks like Zynga Germany's Paul Bakaus, we're a long way from that kind of reach through HTML5. If game makers want to beat Rovio's Angry Birds to the coveted 1 billion fans, they might have to do it the old-fashioned (?) way: get on every game platform you can possibly imagine.
How do you prefer to play games like FarmVille while on the go: mobile web or mobile app? How long will it be before HTML5 games look like their standard app counterparts?
Sims Social Revenge of the Simch walkthrough: How to finish it fast
The Simch is back and grouchier than ever. That's why, in the new Sims Social holiday-themed quest -- The Revenge of the Simch -- has you doing off the wall things like blowing on icy furniture and checking in fellow Sims' fridges for the cranky blue creature.
This quest is comprised of five parts and is one of the easier holiday-themed quests that have appeared in the game so far. The good news: You aren't required to spend oodles of Simoleons buying a bunch of holiday-themed items to complete this quest, but you will have to visit and perform action at quite a few friends' houses. (My advice? Visit your lower level friends who don't have big houses -- they tend to load much faster than those with sprawling estates).
Here's an overview of what you'll need to get the Revenge of the Simch Quest done quickly (and ride your way to fun and relaxation on a brand new Rockadeer).
2 Fury
8 Goodwill
Six Holly Wreaths
At least 5 Sims Social neighbors
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 1
sim social simch goal 1
- Check 3 frozen furniture for anything unusual
-Waft warm air on 3 ice furniture to melt it back
Head straight to Bella's house, which is decked out with all of the new ice furniture. Click on frozen funiture and select 'Waft Warm Air' action three times and the 'Check Anything Unusual' action three times. This takes six energy, but you'll only really use one energy unit from your own bar.
- Have 2 Fury
If you don't have Fury, you can get them by performing mean actions to other Sims. They don't appear every time you perform a mean action, so you might have to be a bigger meanie than you want to be to get them (Note: Your Sim can always apologize and make up for it later).
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 2
sims social simch 2
Ask 3 different Sims where the Simch is
Research Simch homes on computer 5 times
Check 3 different fridges for Simches
Pro tip: When you visit friends to ask them where the Simch is, also be sure to check their fridges for Simches as well. It'll save you some time.
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 3
sims social revenge of the simch
- Be inspired
Fulfill all of your Sim's needs to be inspired (I like to do that in the following order: feed, relieve, shower, sleep + fun, if sleep doesn't also fill your fun meter).
- Thank about nice holiday gifts on 3 different sofas or armchairs
Thinking about nice holiday gifts can be done at home or at friends' homes. Click on sofas or chairs with arms (hence, armchairs) and select the "Think about... " option. Chairs without arms will not give you the option to sit and think, so consider yourself warned.
- Deliver gifts to 5 different fridges
Gifts must be delivered to five different friends' fridges. Visit friends' homes, click on their refrigerator and select the 'Deliver Gifts' action.
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 4
sims social revenge of the simch 4
- Deliver a nice letter to Simch from 5 mailboxes
Visit 5 different friends' mailboxes, click on them and select the 'Delivery Letter to Simch' action.
- Phone the Simch to make him feel wanted
This can be done on your home phone or on friends' phones.
- Have 8 Goodwill
If you don't have enough goodwill, you can earn some by performing 'nice' actions to friends. You won't score Goodwill every time you perform a nice action, so prepare to do lots of nice things to get the job done.
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 5
sims social revenge of the simch 5
Give gifts to 4 different sims
Visit four different friends, click on them and select the 'A gift from the Simch!" action
Spread the Simch's season's greetings to 1 friend
Select the 'Ask Friends' button, which will post a request in your Facebook news feed. Only one person needs click the feed post to help.
Have 6 Holly Wreaths
Holly wreaths can be found by taking pictures of snow rabbits, cardinals and clearing pine cones in your own yard. You can also request them from others via the friend selector.
Revenge of the Simch: Final
sims social revenge of the simch final
Once you're done with the quest, you will be rewarded with a shiny, new Rockadeer -- a reindeer rocking horse
that's worth 3,500 Simoleons and will increase the value of your Sims' home by 2,700 Simoleons.
sims social revenge of the simch rockadeer
Once you place the Rockadeer on your property, you can perform two actions by clicking on it: Reindeer rock, which will increase your Sims' fun meter and Gentle Rock, which will increase your Sims' sleep meter.
sims social revenge of the simch rockadeer in action
Got any other tips on how to finish the Revenge of the Simch quest in record time?
This quest is comprised of five parts and is one of the easier holiday-themed quests that have appeared in the game so far. The good news: You aren't required to spend oodles of Simoleons buying a bunch of holiday-themed items to complete this quest, but you will have to visit and perform action at quite a few friends' houses. (My advice? Visit your lower level friends who don't have big houses -- they tend to load much faster than those with sprawling estates).
Here's an overview of what you'll need to get the Revenge of the Simch Quest done quickly (and ride your way to fun and relaxation on a brand new Rockadeer).
2 Fury
8 Goodwill
Six Holly Wreaths
At least 5 Sims Social neighbors
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 1
sim social simch goal 1
- Check 3 frozen furniture for anything unusual
-Waft warm air on 3 ice furniture to melt it back
Head straight to Bella's house, which is decked out with all of the new ice furniture. Click on frozen funiture and select 'Waft Warm Air' action three times and the 'Check Anything Unusual' action three times. This takes six energy, but you'll only really use one energy unit from your own bar.
- Have 2 Fury
If you don't have Fury, you can get them by performing mean actions to other Sims. They don't appear every time you perform a mean action, so you might have to be a bigger meanie than you want to be to get them (Note: Your Sim can always apologize and make up for it later).
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 2
sims social simch 2
Ask 3 different Sims where the Simch is
Research Simch homes on computer 5 times
Check 3 different fridges for Simches
Pro tip: When you visit friends to ask them where the Simch is, also be sure to check their fridges for Simches as well. It'll save you some time.
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 3
sims social revenge of the simch
- Be inspired
Fulfill all of your Sim's needs to be inspired (I like to do that in the following order: feed, relieve, shower, sleep + fun, if sleep doesn't also fill your fun meter).
- Thank about nice holiday gifts on 3 different sofas or armchairs
Thinking about nice holiday gifts can be done at home or at friends' homes. Click on sofas or chairs with arms (hence, armchairs) and select the "Think about... " option. Chairs without arms will not give you the option to sit and think, so consider yourself warned.
- Deliver gifts to 5 different fridges
Gifts must be delivered to five different friends' fridges. Visit friends' homes, click on their refrigerator and select the 'Deliver Gifts' action.
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 4
sims social revenge of the simch 4
- Deliver a nice letter to Simch from 5 mailboxes
Visit 5 different friends' mailboxes, click on them and select the 'Delivery Letter to Simch' action.
- Phone the Simch to make him feel wanted
This can be done on your home phone or on friends' phones.
- Have 8 Goodwill
If you don't have enough goodwill, you can earn some by performing 'nice' actions to friends. You won't score Goodwill every time you perform a nice action, so prepare to do lots of nice things to get the job done.
Revenge of the Simch: Quest 5
sims social revenge of the simch 5
Give gifts to 4 different sims
Visit four different friends, click on them and select the 'A gift from the Simch!" action
Spread the Simch's season's greetings to 1 friend
Select the 'Ask Friends' button, which will post a request in your Facebook news feed. Only one person needs click the feed post to help.
Have 6 Holly Wreaths
Holly wreaths can be found by taking pictures of snow rabbits, cardinals and clearing pine cones in your own yard. You can also request them from others via the friend selector.
Revenge of the Simch: Final
sims social revenge of the simch final
Once you're done with the quest, you will be rewarded with a shiny, new Rockadeer -- a reindeer rocking horse
that's worth 3,500 Simoleons and will increase the value of your Sims' home by 2,700 Simoleons.
sims social revenge of the simch rockadeer
Once you place the Rockadeer on your property, you can perform two actions by clicking on it: Reindeer rock, which will increase your Sims' fun meter and Gentle Rock, which will increase your Sims' sleep meter.
sims social revenge of the simch rockadeer in action
Got any other tips on how to finish the Revenge of the Simch quest in record time?
Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 10, 2011
Diablo III a No-Mods Land
If Blizzard have their way, Diablo III won’t be moddable in the slightest. Not only are they not supporting user-created mods – ostensibly due to the game’s requirement for an persistent internet connection – but they’re also actively discouraging the idea. Why? Because they just don’t them around. Chatting away with GameFront out of BlizzCon, technical artist Julian Love was adamant that the dev has other goals in mind that will “supersede modding.”
Skyrim Bonanza: New Gameplay Footage + System Reqs
Today, I think, we shalt christen Toby Spoils Ya Wednesday. Pity this didn’t go down on Tuesday because I love me a bit of alliteration, but to make up for my noticeable absence the day before (you did notice, right? Right? Someone…?) I bring to you double the Skyrim, with double the good news: This new gameplay footage rules, and it definitely looks like your humble hunk of junk will be able to play this game. Let’s ride.
Kinect Finally Learns How to Speak Australian
When Kinect launched in Australia, it didn’t come packing the same voice recognition that our American counterparts have been enjoying [citation needed] since November 2010. Why? Essentially, it couldn’t understand our funny little accents. It’s been taking a few lessons in local larrikinism, though, and Microsoft Australia have just announced that Kinect voice recognition will finally be available Down Under around the middle of December.
At least they’re delivering on their vague promises. Microsoft’s local product marketing manager Steve Blackburn did say we’d be getting the update “before December 31st” this year, and here it comes. Thing is, I don’t know anyone with a Kinect. Sure the price dropped off by about $50 in September, but there seems to be a distinct lack of decent gaming on offer for the fancy all-body motion device. I thought Rise of Nightmares looked alright, but our own Matt Williams put paid to those girlish hopes and dreams.
At least they’re delivering on their vague promises. Microsoft’s local product marketing manager Steve Blackburn did say we’d be getting the update “before December 31st” this year, and here it comes. Thing is, I don’t know anyone with a Kinect. Sure the price dropped off by about $50 in September, but there seems to be a distinct lack of decent gaming on offer for the fancy all-body motion device. I thought Rise of Nightmares looked alright, but our own Matt Williams put paid to those girlish hopes and dreams.
Virtual Vinyl: World of Goo
Look, I’m going to be honest with you: Your cologne smells like pure gasoline. Also, I’ve never played World of Goo. I just think it has a funny name. Yes, yes, I’m wildly immature and I should know better, but come on: I was raised in the digital wilds by the internet, a perverse maternal guide if ever there was one. Pleasingly, World of Goo has quite the quirky little soundtrack – and it’s free. That’s pretty goo-d. Haha, you like that one? No? Okay.
Thứ Ba, 25 tháng 10, 2011
Virgin Admits They’re Not The Best For Online Gaming
Virgin Media was told it can no longer run broadband ads claiming that their UK internet service is the best for online gaming.
The Advertising Standards Authority said in their censure that the Virgin ads were likely going to lead gamers to think that Virgin’s broadband service was better than other UK internet services for gaming. But even the company admitted that wasn’t the case.
“The ASA noted Virgin’s comments that the “best for online gaming” claims had been included in ad (a) in error and would not be included in future ads,” according to the judgement.
The investigation was spurred by a complaint that Virgin’s service suffered from “significant jitter” which caused gaming issues.
This is just the latest in a series of rulings by different government agencies holding broadband providers accountable for how they handle online access for gaming.
The Advertising Standards Authority said in their censure that the Virgin ads were likely going to lead gamers to think that Virgin’s broadband service was better than other UK internet services for gaming. But even the company admitted that wasn’t the case.
“The ASA noted Virgin’s comments that the “best for online gaming” claims had been included in ad (a) in error and would not be included in future ads,” according to the judgement.
The investigation was spurred by a complaint that Virgin’s service suffered from “significant jitter” which caused gaming issues.
This is just the latest in a series of rulings by different government agencies holding broadband providers accountable for how they handle online access for gaming.
Star Wars Machinima A Clone Apart Returns
What a wretched, wonderful fictional construct the Star Wars universe has become. While many people hate how George Lucas’s fiddling continues to dilute the memories of the folks who love it most, the Skywalker saga remains a rich playground for all
Three years ago, the crew at Illusive Entertainment created A Clone Apart, centered on the adventures of hapless clone trooper Danson Delta-40 I was sceptical about this trailer machinima at first, but the line about what happened to all the Jedi made me laugh. To go from thousands of Jedi to nearly none must seem weird if you’re time-traveling.
A Clone Apart uses the Battlefront Engine to make its magic, which just reminds me that I’d really like to be fighting in a giant Star Wars battle.
Three years ago, the crew at Illusive Entertainment created A Clone Apart, centered on the adventures of hapless clone trooper Danson Delta-40 I was sceptical about this trailer machinima at first, but the line about what happened to all the Jedi made me laugh. To go from thousands of Jedi to nearly none must seem weird if you’re time-traveling.
A Clone Apart uses the Battlefront Engine to make its magic, which just reminds me that I’d really like to be fighting in a giant Star Wars battle.
The Spies And Sexy Ladies Of Splinter Cell: Conviction
Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell: Conviction lived two very public lives. The first had Sam Fisher looking like the sexiest homeless man on the planet. That version was binned. The second version, the one that was actually released, was more “traditional”.
This art, from Ubisoft’s Bruno Gauthier Leblanc, is of this second Sam Fisher. And loads of the people he either helps of shoots along his travels.
Leblanc spent 10 months working on the project, during which time he did mostly character art, though you’ll see a few objects and installations sprinkled through the gallery as well.
To see more of Bruno’s work, head to his personal site.
Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists.
This art, from Ubisoft’s Bruno Gauthier Leblanc, is of this second Sam Fisher. And loads of the people he either helps of shoots along his travels.
Leblanc spent 10 months working on the project, during which time he did mostly character art, though you’ll see a few objects and installations sprinkled through the gallery as well.
To see more of Bruno’s work, head to his personal site.
Fine Art is a celebration of the work of video game artists.
Chủ Nhật, 23 tháng 10, 2011
When Street Fighter Met GI Joe, The World Suffered
The year was 1993. Street Fighter was one of the biggest things on the planet, and venerable toy franchise GI Joe…wasn’t. In an effort to boost Joe’s sales, Hasbro figured creating action figures based on Street Fighter would be a really good idea!
It wasn’t.
Between 1993 and 1994, Capcom and Hasbro teamed up to release a couple of lines of GI Joe figures that were branded, and sculpted, to look like Street Fighter characters.
While this seems like a bizarre coupling today, you’ve got to remember, Street Fighter was everywhere in the early 90s. It had cartoons, a movie, rap songs, t-shirts, anime adaptations, comics, the works. So a series of action figures, even ones sitting uncomfortably within the universe of the Great American Hero, seemed totally normal. At the time.
It wasn’t.
Between 1993 and 1994, Capcom and Hasbro teamed up to release a couple of lines of GI Joe figures that were branded, and sculpted, to look like Street Fighter characters.
While this seems like a bizarre coupling today, you’ve got to remember, Street Fighter was everywhere in the early 90s. It had cartoons, a movie, rap songs, t-shirts, anime adaptations, comics, the works. So a series of action figures, even ones sitting uncomfortably within the universe of the Great American Hero, seemed totally normal. At the time.
Arkham City Is (Maybe) Mark Hamill’s Last Performance As The Joker
Arkham City is pretty damn special, so the fact it’s out this week is good news. That good news has been tempered with a little sadness, though, as it could be the last time we’ll ever hear Mark Hamill lend his voice to The Joker.
The star of General Hospital and The Big Red One (oh, and Star Wars) first played the part of the Dark Knight’s arch enemy in the 1992 Batman animated series, and has been popping up to reprise the role ever since. He, along with many of the cartoon’s other cast members, was involved in Batman: Arkham Asylum, leading to his wonderful performance in Arkham City as the very ill, very tired Joker.
While the above tweet reads very much like a farewell, Hamill played it coy a few months back when he seemingly retired from the role – again, over Twitter – only to later step back from the abyss.
Here’s hoping he’s just fucking with us. Again. A Joker without Mark Hamill is, to many fans under the age of 40, just a strange man in a fancy suit.
Mark Hamill [Twitter]
The star of General Hospital and The Big Red One (oh, and Star Wars) first played the part of the Dark Knight’s arch enemy in the 1992 Batman animated series, and has been popping up to reprise the role ever since. He, along with many of the cartoon’s other cast members, was involved in Batman: Arkham Asylum, leading to his wonderful performance in Arkham City as the very ill, very tired Joker.
While the above tweet reads very much like a farewell, Hamill played it coy a few months back when he seemingly retired from the role – again, over Twitter – only to later step back from the abyss.
Here’s hoping he’s just fucking with us. Again. A Joker without Mark Hamill is, to many fans under the age of 40, just a strange man in a fancy suit.
Mark Hamill [Twitter]
Games Masters Heading To Melbourne
This one is for folks who claim that all the good game stuff is in Sydney. Games Masters is a new exhibition focusing on the history of video games and its most influential titles, and it’s set to take place next year at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.
The exhibition will feature over 150 playable games dotted throughout the extensive timeline of gaming, reports Screenplay, and profiles 40 of gaming’s most influential designers, such as Fumito Ueda, Warren Spector, and Tim Schafer. Firemint’s Rob Murray will be amongst the developers profiled.
Peter Molyneux (sadly not Peter Molydeux) is also set to attend the launch next year. The exhibition will remain on display from June 28 until October 28, 2012.
Games Masters coming to Australia [Screenplay]
The exhibition will feature over 150 playable games dotted throughout the extensive timeline of gaming, reports Screenplay, and profiles 40 of gaming’s most influential designers, such as Fumito Ueda, Warren Spector, and Tim Schafer. Firemint’s Rob Murray will be amongst the developers profiled.
Peter Molyneux (sadly not Peter Molydeux) is also set to attend the launch next year. The exhibition will remain on display from June 28 until October 28, 2012.
Games Masters coming to Australia [Screenplay]
Thứ Bảy, 22 tháng 10, 2011
Disney XD Games
Disney Friends for Change Games
To support the “Disney Friends for Change Games” on Disney Channel and Disney XD, Disneychannelgames.biz has launched an online destination at Disneyxd.biz, where kids and families can take part in the Games from home and help the planet — by making personal pledges of their own, playing online versions of the Games, and making art that matters! When kids play online versions of the Games at Disneyxd.biz, they can donate the points they earn to one of the four charities involved. At the end of the Games, the charity with the most points given by the Disney.com online community will receive $100K.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
In addition to playing online games for charity, kids can view exclusive video content and participate in a number of funonline activities. Kids can create online art on the Friends for Change Group Wall at Disneyxd.biz, where they can see the transformative power of friends everywhere pitching in to make a difference. The Disneyxd.biz site will also feature exclusive videos from the “Disney Friends for Change Games,” including a special wrap-up show hosted by Tiffany Thorntonand Jason Earles. Kids can also download the official 2011 Friends for Change anthem “We Can Change the World” featuring Bridgit Mendler on Disneyxd.biz
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
Over 30 Disney Channel Games and Disney XD Games stars from around the globe will compete in “Disney Friends for Change Games.” Four teams will play on behalf of a global charity — Fauna and Flora International, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy and UNICEF. For five weeks beginning Friday, June 24, Disney Channelwill present “Disney Friends for Change Games” in interstitials during its Friday, Saturday and Sunday primetime original series programming, and Disney XD will present a special episode from the games Monday nights beginning June 27 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT). The Games will culminate with a special half-hour episode Sunday, July 31 on Disney Channel.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
About Disney’s Friends for Change
Disney’s Friends for Change is a multi-platform initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). Through PSAs on-air and online tool-kits, the program aims to provide useful information to help kids make small changes that add up to big differences. As part of the program, Disney donates $1 million dollars annually to fund projects all around the globe and has funded over 41 projects that help the planet ranging from educational & community programs to species & habitat protection. Friends for Change currently has over 4 million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughoutthe United States, Europe, Latin America, Japan, India and China. For more information, please visit Disneyxd.biz.
- Disney XD gets its game on
Astral-owned Disney XD Canada is delving deeper into the gaming space in a month-long promotion that will see the multi-platform brand take viewers behind the scenes of June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), offer up two new games on DisneyXD.biz every week and give away five video game consoles to Disney XD viewers.
The Level Up contest runs through the month of September and is set to feature the star of What’s, Up Warthogs!, Eduard Witzke, reporting from this year’s E3 in eight short interstitial reports entitled Ed’s E3. New episodes of Ed’s E3 will premiere every Tuesday and Thursday from September 1 and will air throughout the Disney XD schedule. Additionally, a weekly entry word will appear in each episode, which can be used to enter the Level Up contest online to win one of five game consoles.
On top of entering the Level Up contest on DisneyXD.ca, viewers can explore a dedicated minisite to re-watch episodes of Ed’s E3 as well as test their skills on brand-new Disney XD games. Two new games will be unveiled each week with a bonus game available for those who can work out the special DisneyXD.biz game code.
To support the “Disney Friends for Change Games” on Disney Channel and Disney XD, Disneychannelgames.biz has launched an online destination at Disneyxd.biz, where kids and families can take part in the Games from home and help the planet — by making personal pledges of their own, playing online versions of the Games, and making art that matters! When kids play online versions of the Games at Disneyxd.biz, they can donate the points they earn to one of the four charities involved. At the end of the Games, the charity with the most points given by the Disney.com online community will receive $100K.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
In addition to playing online games for charity, kids can view exclusive video content and participate in a number of funonline activities. Kids can create online art on the Friends for Change Group Wall at Disneyxd.biz, where they can see the transformative power of friends everywhere pitching in to make a difference. The Disneyxd.biz site will also feature exclusive videos from the “Disney Friends for Change Games,” including a special wrap-up show hosted by Tiffany Thorntonand Jason Earles. Kids can also download the official 2011 Friends for Change anthem “We Can Change the World” featuring Bridgit Mendler on Disneyxd.biz
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
Over 30 Disney Channel Games and Disney XD Games stars from around the globe will compete in “Disney Friends for Change Games.” Four teams will play on behalf of a global charity — Fauna and Flora International, World Wildlife Fund, Ocean Conservancy and UNICEF. For five weeks beginning Friday, June 24, Disney Channelwill present “Disney Friends for Change Games” in interstitials during its Friday, Saturday and Sunday primetime original series programming, and Disney XD will present a special episode from the games Monday nights beginning June 27 (9:30 p.m., ET/PT). The Games will culminate with a special half-hour episode Sunday, July 31 on Disney Channel.
Friends for Change
Courtesy of Disney
About Disney’s Friends for Change
Disney’s Friends for Change is a multi-platform initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world (and the people and animals that live there). Through PSAs on-air and online tool-kits, the program aims to provide useful information to help kids make small changes that add up to big differences. As part of the program, Disney donates $1 million dollars annually to fund projects all around the globe and has funded over 41 projects that help the planet ranging from educational & community programs to species & habitat protection. Friends for Change currently has over 4 million actions taking place from kids in 33 countries throughoutthe United States, Europe, Latin America, Japan, India and China. For more information, please visit Disneyxd.biz.
- Disney XD gets its game on
Astral-owned Disney XD Canada is delving deeper into the gaming space in a month-long promotion that will see the multi-platform brand take viewers behind the scenes of June’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), offer up two new games on DisneyXD.biz every week and give away five video game consoles to Disney XD viewers.
The Level Up contest runs through the month of September and is set to feature the star of What’s, Up Warthogs!, Eduard Witzke, reporting from this year’s E3 in eight short interstitial reports entitled Ed’s E3. New episodes of Ed’s E3 will premiere every Tuesday and Thursday from September 1 and will air throughout the Disney XD schedule. Additionally, a weekly entry word will appear in each episode, which can be used to enter the Level Up contest online to win one of five game consoles.
On top of entering the Level Up contest on DisneyXD.ca, viewers can explore a dedicated minisite to re-watch episodes of Ed’s E3 as well as test their skills on brand-new Disney XD games. Two new games will be unveiled each week with a bonus game available for those who can work out the special DisneyXD.biz game code.
The Internet's Top 5 JRPG Gripes
Following on from a post I made a few weeks ago defending the turn based element of JRPGs and why I feel they should never die ( http://dontteasetheoctopus.... I started to read articles pertaining mainly to the downfall of JRPGs and why they are losing favour in the West. Many writers and forum contributors have hypothesised over why and how they need to be fixed and how pretty much every other genre in gaming, particularly WRPGs, have left the JRPG floundering in their wake for a last gasp phoenix down, in an attempt to prevent them from being totally wiped out by the BioBethehemoth.
There are stats and commentary to back these claims up. PSM3 posted an article on Gamesradar back in March ( http://www.gamesradar.com/p... which told us that the Japanese software market has slumped a staggering 40% from 537 billion yen (£4 billion) to 326 billion yen (£2.5 billion) between 1997 and 2009. Whether this slump is solely down to one genre of Japanese games or the growth of the gaming market in other areas of the world is debatable. I lean towards the latter personally.
At one point the Japanese gaming market represented 50% of the global gaming market and enjoyed what many observers describe as a 'Golden Age' during the PS1 era. The thing is, Japanese developers, particularly JRPG developers, have for the most part, only ever made games they thought Japanese people would enjoy, a notion backed up by Hirokazu Hamamura, president of Enterbrain, the publisher of Famitsu, in a recent interview with Mark Cieslak of the BBC ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/...
"The Japanese don't like shooting and war games very much. They prefer playing in fantasy worlds and battling with swords. I think there is very little interest in fighting with guns and this sort of combat game."
Catering to the Western market has only recently become a major concern for Japanese publishers as gamers and critics alike round on the JRPG genre with accusations of 'Galapagosization', and undoubtedly, some of them haven't gone about making their Western move in the best way. Square Enix being a case in point. Acquiring Eidos was hypothetically, a masterstroke as they inherited two of the most recognisable brands in the Western gaming market in Tomb Raider and Hitman. Combining Square Enix's expertise in the cinematic and emotionally attached gaming experience with Eidos' successful IPs , on paper, was a fantastic match which would allow the Japanese publisher to gain a foothold in the Western gaming market. Mixing JRPGs and Western developers together though is a tricky balancing act.
Front Mission Evolved, a treasured Squaresoft licence from back in the day was handed over to Double Helix Games for development, why? Double Helix are an amalgamation of Shiny Entertainment and The Collective, Inc. who between them are responsible for some of my favourite games: Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Xbox, Earthworm Jim on SNES and MDK. However, were they well placed to take a traditional JRPG IP like Front Mission and er...evolve it? Well, despite good intentions and some nice ideas the reviewers would say no...( http://www.metacritic.com/g...
GRIN were also left out in the cold, allegedly, from this hybridisation of the lauded Square Enix IP and the Western development studio. They were rumoured to be working on a Final Fantasy XII spinoff called Fortress, as reported by Kotaku ( http://kotaku.com/5341365/g... and numerous other reputable sources shortly after GRIN went out of business in 2009. Again, allegedly, I must stress this because to my knowledge this speculation is nothing more than internet fodder and CV snooping, they were expecting a large sum of money for the development of this title but that it was taken back in house due to Square Enix issues with the quality. Why a Final Fantasy licence was given to anyone outside of the core SE development studio is anyone's guess, especially since it's one of the most successful Japanese titles in the West anyway.
Sufficed to say, it doens't make any sense to me as a fan of Japanese games, to have a Western studio develop titles which fall into that category of IP and it doens't ring true for the fans either, this is gripe #1. Look at the backlash Ninja Theory received ( http://www.escapistmagazine... when it came to light they would be developing the new Devil May Cry game. Great studio, one of the few that could probably pull this off but the fans remain extremely sceptical. This is one of the internet's few JRPG gripes I can get on board with, I wouldn't want Square Enix developing Mass Effect 3 and I wouldn't want BioWare developing FFXV. Fans of JRPGs and WRPGs appreciate the differences and enjoy each for their respective strengths. There's absolutely no need to mix them up.
Another thing that seems to piss gamers off about JRPGs are their 'cliched' storylines, gripe #2. The reluctant hero is apparently all of a sudden an alien concept to some people who presumably have grown up watching Terminator 2 on repeat to be deluded into thinking that all heroes love what they do. In many JRPG cases, you're a reluctant hero, thrown into the fray by circumstances outside of your control. A giantbomb.com blog post bemoaned this at length earlier this year ( http://www.giantbomb.com/pr... I think the thing people forget, all too often, is that this isn't a narrative device limited only to JRPGs. A reluctant hero is part and parcel of the monomyth and common to all kinds of narrative from various cultures all over the world since, well, forever.
Amnesia has become a dirty word in the JRPG despite the fact that Fallout: New Vegas uses it as a plot device as does Shadowrun from Australian developers, Beam Software for the SNES way back in 1993.
The hero's family being killed at an early age or the hero being the last of his kind for some reason in some JRPGs never happens in WRPGs because they're so cutting edge and fresh. *cough* Baldur's Gate *cough* Divinity 2.
Waking up one morning to discover you've come of age all of a sudden and were special for some reason with a duty to save the world never happened in Neverwinter Nights, or Dragon Age, or Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or countless other WRPGs of the same ilk did it? Actually it did so I get frustrated when I hear that JRPG storylines are cliched. Most game storylines are cliched to some extent, so sorry internet, but you're going to have to come up with a better reason for hating JRPG storylines. Here's a tip: they're too melodramatic. I'll give you that one.
So what else, ah yes, gripe #3: 'uh, how cum i can juz wlk in2 sum1s house and steal dere stuff an no1 says nuffin dats juz dumb. jprgs suck lolz lolz lolz lolz. wrpgs ftw.' I'm not going to dwell on the looting point too much because it's so ludicrous but FALLOUT! ELDER SCROLLS! NEVERWINTER! BALDUR'S GATE! ETC ETC ETC ETC to INFINITY! Not only will you nick people's stuff but you will become encumbered with some of the most pointless loot EVER seen in videogames! I loved all the above games, loved them, but would frequently have to clear my inventory of cups, plates, goblets and other pointless things that I had found in chests or people's houses.
Gripe #4 is a pretty obvious one and probably the only one I'm going to categorically agree with. Random battles. They're tired, they're annoying and dozens of JRPGs have shown us a better way of doing things by having the enemies on the map for you to engage and avoid at your leisure. Some would argue that without random battles, players won't be ready to engage some challenges further down the line as they won't be levelled up enough but I think games like Demon's Souls have shown us that gamers learn through dying. It's fairly obvious that if something wipes you easily, you'll need to go and level up before trying again.
Silly haircuts. This is gripe #5. Ignoring the fact that Commander Shepherd wears pyjamas with shoulder pads in them or that everyone in Dragon Age has exactly the same pants on, I guess I can see why the Japanese aesthetic catering towards Japanese people is something that needs to be fixed in Japanese games...
This goes back to what I was saying earlier regarding Japanese developers making games for Japanese people. We are dealing with two essentially, very different cultures with a different idea of everyday entertainment.
Ryoei Mikage, president of breakaway Tales development studio, Imageepoch, sums this up nicely in a recent interview with Famitsu summarised on 1up.com ( http://www.1up.com/news/ima... regarding his new ventures and his plans to bring the JRPG up to date without losing or fixing the things that make JRPGs, JRPGs:
"Lately you see a lot of overseas gamers write on the net about the 'weird aspects' of JRPGs, but would 'fixing' those aspects make Japanese users happy? Not necessarily, no. I think you only see real quality in JRPGs when they're created by Japanese people, for Japanese people. People overseas talk about the 'Galapagosization' of the Japanese game industry, but they've been saying that for the past decade about every aspect of entertainment. Instead of getting into a panic about that, we want to lay the groundwork for what we need to grow in the future."
"We want to be in a perfect position to make JRPGs for Japan, and once we achieve that, then we can look for ways to get foreigners interested in JRPGs as well. Level-5's Professor Layton series is well-regarded worldwide for being an innovative new adventure. By several years from now, I want to see a JRPG from us that similarly breaks the mold and shows both Japan and the world that JRPGs don't have to all be fantasy RPGs."
Essentially, I think what Mikage is saying, is that JRPGs need to go back to basics before being welcomed back into the consoles of a wider Western audience and that is what he wants to do. Go back to making JRPGs without being overly concerned by catering to Western audiences. This notion is perhaps backed up by the critical and commercial success of DQIX, a JRPG that at no point pretends it's anything other than just that.
I'm inclined to agree with him. As a long time fan of the genre I, and many others like me, will continue to consume JRPGs with the same fervour I would consume any WRPG, and in fact the more traditional (read cliched to critics) they are, the better. Providing a RPG has a well told story, interesting characters and a good combat system then it will be enjoyed regardless of the cliches and inconsistencies which run riot in both genres. I think it's just strange at the moment to see how people are rounding on JRPGs. I often see gamers say that all JRPGs are either medieval fantasy or steampunk based. I'll take that and raise you this: all FPSs are set during a 20th century war or in space. All WRPGs are set in a medieval fantasy world except Mass Effect. None of these statements are true (actually, I'm wracking my brains here...the last one might be!?).
There are stats and commentary to back these claims up. PSM3 posted an article on Gamesradar back in March ( http://www.gamesradar.com/p... which told us that the Japanese software market has slumped a staggering 40% from 537 billion yen (£4 billion) to 326 billion yen (£2.5 billion) between 1997 and 2009. Whether this slump is solely down to one genre of Japanese games or the growth of the gaming market in other areas of the world is debatable. I lean towards the latter personally.
At one point the Japanese gaming market represented 50% of the global gaming market and enjoyed what many observers describe as a 'Golden Age' during the PS1 era. The thing is, Japanese developers, particularly JRPG developers, have for the most part, only ever made games they thought Japanese people would enjoy, a notion backed up by Hirokazu Hamamura, president of Enterbrain, the publisher of Famitsu, in a recent interview with Mark Cieslak of the BBC ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/...
"The Japanese don't like shooting and war games very much. They prefer playing in fantasy worlds and battling with swords. I think there is very little interest in fighting with guns and this sort of combat game."
Catering to the Western market has only recently become a major concern for Japanese publishers as gamers and critics alike round on the JRPG genre with accusations of 'Galapagosization', and undoubtedly, some of them haven't gone about making their Western move in the best way. Square Enix being a case in point. Acquiring Eidos was hypothetically, a masterstroke as they inherited two of the most recognisable brands in the Western gaming market in Tomb Raider and Hitman. Combining Square Enix's expertise in the cinematic and emotionally attached gaming experience with Eidos' successful IPs , on paper, was a fantastic match which would allow the Japanese publisher to gain a foothold in the Western gaming market. Mixing JRPGs and Western developers together though is a tricky balancing act.
Front Mission Evolved, a treasured Squaresoft licence from back in the day was handed over to Double Helix Games for development, why? Double Helix are an amalgamation of Shiny Entertainment and The Collective, Inc. who between them are responsible for some of my favourite games: Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Xbox, Earthworm Jim on SNES and MDK. However, were they well placed to take a traditional JRPG IP like Front Mission and er...evolve it? Well, despite good intentions and some nice ideas the reviewers would say no...( http://www.metacritic.com/g...
GRIN were also left out in the cold, allegedly, from this hybridisation of the lauded Square Enix IP and the Western development studio. They were rumoured to be working on a Final Fantasy XII spinoff called Fortress, as reported by Kotaku ( http://kotaku.com/5341365/g... and numerous other reputable sources shortly after GRIN went out of business in 2009. Again, allegedly, I must stress this because to my knowledge this speculation is nothing more than internet fodder and CV snooping, they were expecting a large sum of money for the development of this title but that it was taken back in house due to Square Enix issues with the quality. Why a Final Fantasy licence was given to anyone outside of the core SE development studio is anyone's guess, especially since it's one of the most successful Japanese titles in the West anyway.
Sufficed to say, it doens't make any sense to me as a fan of Japanese games, to have a Western studio develop titles which fall into that category of IP and it doens't ring true for the fans either, this is gripe #1. Look at the backlash Ninja Theory received ( http://www.escapistmagazine... when it came to light they would be developing the new Devil May Cry game. Great studio, one of the few that could probably pull this off but the fans remain extremely sceptical. This is one of the internet's few JRPG gripes I can get on board with, I wouldn't want Square Enix developing Mass Effect 3 and I wouldn't want BioWare developing FFXV. Fans of JRPGs and WRPGs appreciate the differences and enjoy each for their respective strengths. There's absolutely no need to mix them up.
Another thing that seems to piss gamers off about JRPGs are their 'cliched' storylines, gripe #2. The reluctant hero is apparently all of a sudden an alien concept to some people who presumably have grown up watching Terminator 2 on repeat to be deluded into thinking that all heroes love what they do. In many JRPG cases, you're a reluctant hero, thrown into the fray by circumstances outside of your control. A giantbomb.com blog post bemoaned this at length earlier this year ( http://www.giantbomb.com/pr... I think the thing people forget, all too often, is that this isn't a narrative device limited only to JRPGs. A reluctant hero is part and parcel of the monomyth and common to all kinds of narrative from various cultures all over the world since, well, forever.
Amnesia has become a dirty word in the JRPG despite the fact that Fallout: New Vegas uses it as a plot device as does Shadowrun from Australian developers, Beam Software for the SNES way back in 1993.
The hero's family being killed at an early age or the hero being the last of his kind for some reason in some JRPGs never happens in WRPGs because they're so cutting edge and fresh. *cough* Baldur's Gate *cough* Divinity 2.
Waking up one morning to discover you've come of age all of a sudden and were special for some reason with a duty to save the world never happened in Neverwinter Nights, or Dragon Age, or Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or countless other WRPGs of the same ilk did it? Actually it did so I get frustrated when I hear that JRPG storylines are cliched. Most game storylines are cliched to some extent, so sorry internet, but you're going to have to come up with a better reason for hating JRPG storylines. Here's a tip: they're too melodramatic. I'll give you that one.
So what else, ah yes, gripe #3: 'uh, how cum i can juz wlk in2 sum1s house and steal dere stuff an no1 says nuffin dats juz dumb. jprgs suck lolz lolz lolz lolz. wrpgs ftw.' I'm not going to dwell on the looting point too much because it's so ludicrous but FALLOUT! ELDER SCROLLS! NEVERWINTER! BALDUR'S GATE! ETC ETC ETC ETC to INFINITY! Not only will you nick people's stuff but you will become encumbered with some of the most pointless loot EVER seen in videogames! I loved all the above games, loved them, but would frequently have to clear my inventory of cups, plates, goblets and other pointless things that I had found in chests or people's houses.
Gripe #4 is a pretty obvious one and probably the only one I'm going to categorically agree with. Random battles. They're tired, they're annoying and dozens of JRPGs have shown us a better way of doing things by having the enemies on the map for you to engage and avoid at your leisure. Some would argue that without random battles, players won't be ready to engage some challenges further down the line as they won't be levelled up enough but I think games like Demon's Souls have shown us that gamers learn through dying. It's fairly obvious that if something wipes you easily, you'll need to go and level up before trying again.
Silly haircuts. This is gripe #5. Ignoring the fact that Commander Shepherd wears pyjamas with shoulder pads in them or that everyone in Dragon Age has exactly the same pants on, I guess I can see why the Japanese aesthetic catering towards Japanese people is something that needs to be fixed in Japanese games...
This goes back to what I was saying earlier regarding Japanese developers making games for Japanese people. We are dealing with two essentially, very different cultures with a different idea of everyday entertainment.
Ryoei Mikage, president of breakaway Tales development studio, Imageepoch, sums this up nicely in a recent interview with Famitsu summarised on 1up.com ( http://www.1up.com/news/ima... regarding his new ventures and his plans to bring the JRPG up to date without losing or fixing the things that make JRPGs, JRPGs:
"Lately you see a lot of overseas gamers write on the net about the 'weird aspects' of JRPGs, but would 'fixing' those aspects make Japanese users happy? Not necessarily, no. I think you only see real quality in JRPGs when they're created by Japanese people, for Japanese people. People overseas talk about the 'Galapagosization' of the Japanese game industry, but they've been saying that for the past decade about every aspect of entertainment. Instead of getting into a panic about that, we want to lay the groundwork for what we need to grow in the future."
"We want to be in a perfect position to make JRPGs for Japan, and once we achieve that, then we can look for ways to get foreigners interested in JRPGs as well. Level-5's Professor Layton series is well-regarded worldwide for being an innovative new adventure. By several years from now, I want to see a JRPG from us that similarly breaks the mold and shows both Japan and the world that JRPGs don't have to all be fantasy RPGs."
Essentially, I think what Mikage is saying, is that JRPGs need to go back to basics before being welcomed back into the consoles of a wider Western audience and that is what he wants to do. Go back to making JRPGs without being overly concerned by catering to Western audiences. This notion is perhaps backed up by the critical and commercial success of DQIX, a JRPG that at no point pretends it's anything other than just that.
I'm inclined to agree with him. As a long time fan of the genre I, and many others like me, will continue to consume JRPGs with the same fervour I would consume any WRPG, and in fact the more traditional (read cliched to critics) they are, the better. Providing a RPG has a well told story, interesting characters and a good combat system then it will be enjoyed regardless of the cliches and inconsistencies which run riot in both genres. I think it's just strange at the moment to see how people are rounding on JRPGs. I often see gamers say that all JRPGs are either medieval fantasy or steampunk based. I'll take that and raise you this: all FPSs are set during a 20th century war or in space. All WRPGs are set in a medieval fantasy world except Mass Effect. None of these statements are true (actually, I'm wracking my brains here...the last one might be!?).
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