If you're still with us at this late hour, you'll probably be thrilled to learn that Zynga has finally launched CityVille on Facebook!
We've been keeping tabs on the game over the last few weeks, and are expecting Zynga's version of the city-building game to take off pretty quickly. If you'd like more information about what to expect from the game, check out our hands-on preview (including a video preview) or simply dive head first into the game by heading over to the game's page on Facebook.
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn Facebook games. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn Facebook games. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Thứ Tư, 1 tháng 2, 2012
Thứ Hai, 30 tháng 1, 2012
CityVille social features fueled by selfish interests, game designer says
CityVille is fueled by selfishness
The incredibly rapid growth and potential success of CityVille has not only piqued the interest of the media, but folks in the field as well. Game designer Tadhg Kelly, in the second half of a two-part feature on Gamasutra, claims to have discovered the secret to the game's success. And it's not exactly pretty.
According to Kelly, the social features in CityVille are "all incentive driven." He goes on to say that at every turn, the game prompts players to make use of their friends with the incentive of Energy, coins, experience points and more. "In each case, the dynamics exist to tantalise a player with a tangible reward," Kelly asserts. "If you visit your friend, you get a prize. If you send them a free gift that costs you nothing, they might send you one back. If you set up a bakery in their town, you will both gain from that. If you harvest their crops for them, you will gain reputation points."
Because of this, the designer claims that social games aren't actually social. That type of interaction is useless to the developer, so instead these social interactions are built as amusements, Kelly claims. "Socialising in amusements is more akin to having spare Poker chips at the table that you give to someone else, and maybe they'll give you some back later," Kelly says. "It is reciprocal trade, assistance for incentive, not charity. While this does not preclude the possibility that some players will engage in acts of charity for personal reasons, the social dynamics are not created with that in mind. They are built to work with self-interest."
The poignant feature goes on to explore CityVille's financial model and how it works, but more importantly, it goes on to explain why social game developers have little hope of combating Zynga in the social games race. In his eyes, Zynga won a long time ago. Comparing Zynga to Google, he finishes with the claim that social game developers aren't going to beat Zynga at its own game, advising them to utilize different strategies for personal success.
"Hearing a social game company talk about how they are going to spend $300k on development, making their own cheap knock-off games, and then become The Next Zynga is like listening to small startups convincing themselves that they just need to make a better search engine to take down Google."
Do you agree with what Kelly has to say about CityVille? Do you think it's possible for social games to succeed on a level comparable to Zynga using a different strategy?
The incredibly rapid growth and potential success of CityVille has not only piqued the interest of the media, but folks in the field as well. Game designer Tadhg Kelly, in the second half of a two-part feature on Gamasutra, claims to have discovered the secret to the game's success. And it's not exactly pretty.
According to Kelly, the social features in CityVille are "all incentive driven." He goes on to say that at every turn, the game prompts players to make use of their friends with the incentive of Energy, coins, experience points and more. "In each case, the dynamics exist to tantalise a player with a tangible reward," Kelly asserts. "If you visit your friend, you get a prize. If you send them a free gift that costs you nothing, they might send you one back. If you set up a bakery in their town, you will both gain from that. If you harvest their crops for them, you will gain reputation points."
Because of this, the designer claims that social games aren't actually social. That type of interaction is useless to the developer, so instead these social interactions are built as amusements, Kelly claims. "Socialising in amusements is more akin to having spare Poker chips at the table that you give to someone else, and maybe they'll give you some back later," Kelly says. "It is reciprocal trade, assistance for incentive, not charity. While this does not preclude the possibility that some players will engage in acts of charity for personal reasons, the social dynamics are not created with that in mind. They are built to work with self-interest."
The poignant feature goes on to explore CityVille's financial model and how it works, but more importantly, it goes on to explain why social game developers have little hope of combating Zynga in the social games race. In his eyes, Zynga won a long time ago. Comparing Zynga to Google, he finishes with the claim that social game developers aren't going to beat Zynga at its own game, advising them to utilize different strategies for personal success.
"Hearing a social game company talk about how they are going to spend $300k on development, making their own cheap knock-off games, and then become The Next Zynga is like listening to small startups convincing themselves that they just need to make a better search engine to take down Google."
Do you agree with what Kelly has to say about CityVille? Do you think it's possible for social games to succeed on a level comparable to Zynga using a different strategy?
Thứ Ba, 10 tháng 1, 2012
Facebook games are 'not where our interests lie,' Fallout 3 maker says
So, no post-apoc mutant murder fests on Facebook then, huh? During an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Fallout 3 creator Bethesda's Pete Hines said, "That's not where our interests lie," referring to Facebook and mobile games. "That's not what we're known for and it's not the kind of stuff we've traditionally done."
Bethesda, which recently acquired Doom creator--and Loot Drop founder John Romero's original stomping ground--id Software, is currently working to release the fifth Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim (pictured). The game looks like it will certainly grab several Game of the Year nods when it releases to consoles Nov. 11. But even as future Game of the Year contenders like Mass Effect 3 could be getting the Facebook treatment, Bethesda simply doesn't see the connection.
"I guess I would put it this way: I want to make the kind of games that somebody who likes Rage would want to play, and who likes Skyrim would want to play, and there's a much clearer path from the guy who likes Rage is also probably going to like Skyrim also probably likes Prey 2 also probably likes Dishonored, or at least there's a much bigger chance of moving an audience from one to the next," Hines said to GamesIndustry.biz.
Basically, despite the fact that hardcore social gamers near 80 million, Hines doesn't see Bethesda effectively reaching its audience through Facebook. Well, it's either that or Hines doesn't buy that a large enough portion of its audience could be there.
While Hine said that he wouldn't want to "go off and do something that is completely different that we don't have a lot of expertise and knowledge of," he fails to mention how most of its competitors got into this at all: buying out folks that do know. Fine Bethesda, I didn't want Skyrim on Facebook anyway (still totally buying it)!
Bethesda, which recently acquired Doom creator--and Loot Drop founder John Romero's original stomping ground--id Software, is currently working to release the fifth Elder Scrolls game, Skyrim (pictured). The game looks like it will certainly grab several Game of the Year nods when it releases to consoles Nov. 11. But even as future Game of the Year contenders like Mass Effect 3 could be getting the Facebook treatment, Bethesda simply doesn't see the connection.
"I guess I would put it this way: I want to make the kind of games that somebody who likes Rage would want to play, and who likes Skyrim would want to play, and there's a much clearer path from the guy who likes Rage is also probably going to like Skyrim also probably likes Prey 2 also probably likes Dishonored, or at least there's a much bigger chance of moving an audience from one to the next," Hines said to GamesIndustry.biz.
Basically, despite the fact that hardcore social gamers near 80 million, Hines doesn't see Bethesda effectively reaching its audience through Facebook. Well, it's either that or Hines doesn't buy that a large enough portion of its audience could be there.
While Hine said that he wouldn't want to "go off and do something that is completely different that we don't have a lot of expertise and knowledge of," he fails to mention how most of its competitors got into this at all: buying out folks that do know. Fine Bethesda, I didn't want Skyrim on Facebook anyway (still totally buying it)!
Thứ Năm, 5 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille-maker Zynga buys Floodgate Entertainment for Boston studio
Let the flood, floodgate, dam and other liquid-related puns ensue. Zynga has made its 10th acquisition in just 10 months with Floodgate Entertainment, TechCrunch reports. The deal, whose terms were not disclosed, will bring the Floodgate team into Zynga Boston, which was created when Zynga bought Boston-based Conduit Labs. Floodgate founder Paul Neurath will join his new overlords as Creative Director for Zynga Boston.
Floodgate is already well-versed in the mobile games space with releases like a mobile adaptation of Civilization and Flowerz, a Windows Phone 7 game, under its belt. Not to mention the company developed some of the PC adaptations for the Madden and Nascar franchises. If you hadn't noticed, Zynga is buying more and more developers with mobile game experience. So, you can pretty much guess where the company's focus is for 2011. Since Zynga most recently bought New York-based Area/Code, its presence on the East Coast only gets stronger.
[Image Credit: Business Week]
How do you think this acquisition will effect Zynga's strategy for 2011? Will we see more mobile games from the company this year as a result of the company's recent purchases?
Floodgate is already well-versed in the mobile games space with releases like a mobile adaptation of Civilization and Flowerz, a Windows Phone 7 game, under its belt. Not to mention the company developed some of the PC adaptations for the Madden and Nascar franchises. If you hadn't noticed, Zynga is buying more and more developers with mobile game experience. So, you can pretty much guess where the company's focus is for 2011. Since Zynga most recently bought New York-based Area/Code, its presence on the East Coast only gets stronger.
[Image Credit: Business Week]
How do you think this acquisition will effect Zynga's strategy for 2011? Will we see more mobile games from the company this year as a result of the company's recent purchases?
Thứ Năm, 29 tháng 12, 2011
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.
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 12, 2011
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.
Thứ Sáu, 16 tháng 12, 2011
Microsoft Research releases Facebook game for 'research'
Sure you are, guys--we're onto you. The Research division at Microsoft has released its first Facebook games, Project Waterloo, in order to find out how people interact and negotiate with one another across social networks. The game is a turn-based combat simulator in which players allocate 100 generic troops across five locations. In a way, Project Waterloo works a lot like Zynga's Words With Friends.
Of course, we're referring to the one-on-one, turn-based gameplay, not the words. Players challenge friends with allocations of 100 troops either using a slider or directly entering a number in each location on the battlefield. Said friends can then respond with their own strategic positioning using 100 troops, and if they don't currently play the game, they will be invited prior to responding.
So, it might help to think of Project Waterloo as a cross between games like Words With Friends and the classic board game Battleship. Players can also start games with random players, regardless of whether they're Facebook friends. Project Waterloo, according to a post on the Microsoft Research website, is the start of the "Facebook Game Theory Lab." This will serve as a platform through which Microsoft Research explores concepts of strategic human interaction within "resource allocation and negotiation games." The team of four researchers wrote:
The goal of the project is to test the behaviour of real people in game theoretic interactions, and especially those that take place in social networks. Some example questions are: how do people negotiate with one another? How does such negotiation take place in social networks? How can we aggregate opinions of individuals to arrive at high quality decisions? In what ways do people reciprocate other people's actions?
Project Waterloo in action
While it doesn't appear that Project Waterloo will be a source of revenue for Microsoft Research's parent company, the team does use words like "viral marketing" to explain how it will reach new players. Ultimately, we don't see a game like this taking off commercially, but it is another step in that direction, as Microsoft has already expressed interest in entering the space. Just recently, the company began to offer support to developers through its Windows Azure service. Perhaps Project Waterloo and the Facebook Game Theory Lab represent Microsoft further testing the waters.
Click here to play Project Waterloo on Facebook Now >
[Via ZDNet]
What do you think of Microsoft's very scientific foray into Facebook games? Do you think the company would ever dive into the industry like Google or Facebook has?
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, 11 tháng 10, 2011
Family Feud maker iWin hires Loot Drop's Laralyn McWilliams
Before the studio released even its first Facebook game, Cloudforest Expedition, social game exec Laralyn McWilliams has left Loot Drop and joined iWin as its VP of Creative, Inside Social Games reports. After mere months with seasoned designer John Romero's Loot Drop, McWilliams joins Dragons of Atlantis developer Nick Rush and mobile developer Randy Angle at iWin.
Best known for its social renditions of popular game shows like Family Feud and 1 vs 100, iWin looks to use these strategic hires to get its list of casual downloadable games onto social and mobile platforms. Before joining Loot Drop for a short time and now iWin, McWilliams worked with Sony Online Entertainment on Free Realms and a number of Facebook games that were unfortunately axed before release.
"I had a change of heart and wound up accepting at iWin," McWilliams explained to ISG. "There's a great gift with iWin's brands in that they've been tested [and] there's a wealth of content and learning. The greatest challenge is taking the brands an extending them into some of the new spaces - like [making] a Jewel Quest mobile game, for example. That's what appeals to me about this role. I'm always interested in new frontiers."
ISG reports that Rush and Angle will focus on social and mobile, respectively, and we imagine they will report to McWilliams in some capacity. McWilliams, while she couldn't confirm to the website whether iWin originals like Jewel Quest would come to Facebook, doubts that iWin will ignore them in its increased social and mobile efforts. You know, because we certainly don't have enough match-three games on Facebook already.
Do you think iWin could become a worthy competitor to the standing Facebook game giants with its game show offerings and upcoming original properties? How do you think this move might affect Loot Drop as it tries to get its first game out the gate? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Best known for its social renditions of popular game shows like Family Feud and 1 vs 100, iWin looks to use these strategic hires to get its list of casual downloadable games onto social and mobile platforms. Before joining Loot Drop for a short time and now iWin, McWilliams worked with Sony Online Entertainment on Free Realms and a number of Facebook games that were unfortunately axed before release.
"I had a change of heart and wound up accepting at iWin," McWilliams explained to ISG. "There's a great gift with iWin's brands in that they've been tested [and] there's a wealth of content and learning. The greatest challenge is taking the brands an extending them into some of the new spaces - like [making] a Jewel Quest mobile game, for example. That's what appeals to me about this role. I'm always interested in new frontiers."
ISG reports that Rush and Angle will focus on social and mobile, respectively, and we imagine they will report to McWilliams in some capacity. McWilliams, while she couldn't confirm to the website whether iWin originals like Jewel Quest would come to Facebook, doubts that iWin will ignore them in its increased social and mobile efforts. You know, because we certainly don't have enough match-three games on Facebook already.
Do you think iWin could become a worthy competitor to the standing Facebook game giants with its game show offerings and upcoming original properties? How do you think this move might affect Loot Drop as it tries to get its first game out the gate? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes of Neverwinter goes live on Facebook
Released previously only in a private beta, Dungeons & Dragons Heroes of Neverwinter has now officially gone live on Facebook. Developed by Atari and set in the Neverwinter realm, the game already has 166,000 monthly players from its time in beta, but if you'd like to join them, here's a taste of what you can expect.
When first starting Heroes of Neverwinter, you'll be allowed to create a character using either set templates of a Fighter, Wizard, Cleric or Rogue (each with their own stats and specialties), or can create a custom character to customize your gender, stats, class, race and more. In this, the game can immediately start out being as complex or as straightforward as you like.
Upon launching into the game proper, you're met with a story of amnesia and will be introduced to Edrick, a scout that was guiding you on your way to Neverwinter before a pack of Goblins knocked you unconscious. Through this introduction, you're told of Neverwinter, a place of hope and civilization that has survived the Ruining, and that you had originally wanted to travel there to purchase a home and earn your fortune. With this as a base, you're sent on your way.
Movement is achieved on a grid, with this turn-based game automatically allowing you to move at the beginning of each turn. When commanding a party, you'll be able to complete multiple actions, including attacking or opening your inventory with each character before needing to manually end their turn and start over with the next character. Once each "adventure" in the game is complete, you'll receive experience points for the battles you won and the tasks you completed in the process. For immediate prizes, you'll sometimes be able to loot your fallen enemies, selecting a prize from a list of ten. You can choose randomly from ten cards, or can use a potion to reveal items before you choose.
In terms of actual combat, you'll have a wide variety of options, depending on the classes of characters in your party. You might be able to attack an enemy from far away, eliminating them before they ever become a threat, or surround an enemy with multiple characters, giving everyone a combat advantage. There's enough strategy here to keep more hardcore players satisfied, but the initial sections of gameplay are incredibly simple and work well to help an unfamiliar player get up to speed.
Gallery: Dungeons & Dragons Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook
Back in Neverwinter proper, you can access a variety of buildings including the Adventure Board where you'll accept new Adventures (Adventures require energy and have multiple difficulty levels), the Tavern where you can purchase energy potions or Adventure boosts to your stats, the Trade house where you'll purchase similar potions or new equipment items, and even your own home, which you'll be able to fill with treasures as you complete different achievements or tasks within the game (collecting a certain amount of gold, for instance).
That being said, the main focus here (understandably) is in the Adventures themselves. There are plenty of them to undertake, each with an additional focus on bringing your friends in to help you (early on, it's entirely possible to fail even the most basic of Adventures by simply going it alone). The lore within the game is presented through text boxes at the beginning and end of most scenes and encounters, and will likely satisfy current D&D fans. Still, this isn't the first game of its kind of Facebook, so hopefully the D&D name alone will help draw more followers into the fray.
Will D&D Heroes of Neverwinter win over the "Zynga" crowd with its fairly in-depth, and somewhat slow-going gameplay? Likely not, but there's plenty of content here for fans who go out specifically in search for it.
Play Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook -->
Have you tried Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook? What did you think of it? Sound off in the comments.
When first starting Heroes of Neverwinter, you'll be allowed to create a character using either set templates of a Fighter, Wizard, Cleric or Rogue (each with their own stats and specialties), or can create a custom character to customize your gender, stats, class, race and more. In this, the game can immediately start out being as complex or as straightforward as you like.
Upon launching into the game proper, you're met with a story of amnesia and will be introduced to Edrick, a scout that was guiding you on your way to Neverwinter before a pack of Goblins knocked you unconscious. Through this introduction, you're told of Neverwinter, a place of hope and civilization that has survived the Ruining, and that you had originally wanted to travel there to purchase a home and earn your fortune. With this as a base, you're sent on your way.
Movement is achieved on a grid, with this turn-based game automatically allowing you to move at the beginning of each turn. When commanding a party, you'll be able to complete multiple actions, including attacking or opening your inventory with each character before needing to manually end their turn and start over with the next character. Once each "adventure" in the game is complete, you'll receive experience points for the battles you won and the tasks you completed in the process. For immediate prizes, you'll sometimes be able to loot your fallen enemies, selecting a prize from a list of ten. You can choose randomly from ten cards, or can use a potion to reveal items before you choose.
In terms of actual combat, you'll have a wide variety of options, depending on the classes of characters in your party. You might be able to attack an enemy from far away, eliminating them before they ever become a threat, or surround an enemy with multiple characters, giving everyone a combat advantage. There's enough strategy here to keep more hardcore players satisfied, but the initial sections of gameplay are incredibly simple and work well to help an unfamiliar player get up to speed.
Gallery: Dungeons & Dragons Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook
Back in Neverwinter proper, you can access a variety of buildings including the Adventure Board where you'll accept new Adventures (Adventures require energy and have multiple difficulty levels), the Tavern where you can purchase energy potions or Adventure boosts to your stats, the Trade house where you'll purchase similar potions or new equipment items, and even your own home, which you'll be able to fill with treasures as you complete different achievements or tasks within the game (collecting a certain amount of gold, for instance).
That being said, the main focus here (understandably) is in the Adventures themselves. There are plenty of them to undertake, each with an additional focus on bringing your friends in to help you (early on, it's entirely possible to fail even the most basic of Adventures by simply going it alone). The lore within the game is presented through text boxes at the beginning and end of most scenes and encounters, and will likely satisfy current D&D fans. Still, this isn't the first game of its kind of Facebook, so hopefully the D&D name alone will help draw more followers into the fray.
Will D&D Heroes of Neverwinter win over the "Zynga" crowd with its fairly in-depth, and somewhat slow-going gameplay? Likely not, but there's plenty of content here for fans who go out specifically in search for it.
Play Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook -->
Have you tried Heroes of Neverwinter on Facebook? What did you think of it? Sound off in the comments.
Thứ Tư, 21 tháng 9, 2011
Baseball Superstars: The League goes for a grand slam on Facebook
Just in time for the playoff season in the states (Philadelphia NL East Champs! ... sorry), Gamevil has released its very own baseball simulator on Facebook, Baseball Superstars: The League. The Korean and Los Angeles-based developer best known for the Zenonia series of RPGs (role-playing games) on the iPhone released this social version of its hit baseball sims on iOS.
Of course, EA Sports and Playfish have already staked their claim to the sub genre on Facebook with World Series Superstars, but already Gamevil has one thing going for it: global multiplayer. That's right, once you choose your team's name, logo and specialty between Power, Accuracy and Speed, you can jump into games immediately with anyone playing the game.
While you will certainly need Facebook friends to play in Exhibition games, those looking for a fast and easy Quick Play game, the world's digital baseball managers await you. There's also a Home Run Derby mode as well as full-blown tournaments, which are coming soon. And the gameplay is surprisingly interactive, having players actually swing at pitches with clicks.
Baseball Superstars Logo
Baseball Superstars features a full-blown pitching system as well, in which players select from a variety of pitches and choose exactly where they land in or around the strike zone. There are also a number of commands you can give to base runners to attempt to steal bases. All in all, this looks like an impressively full-featured baseball game on Facebook at launch.
While much of the game has players tweaking their stadiums like most sports games on Facebook, it's the actually Quick Plays and Exhibition games that are the meat and potatoes of Baseball Superstars, and what could make this game a competitor to existing social sports games. "It builds upon our years of strategic advances in the global games market, and shows that we can adapt and offer a unique yet competitive social games experience," VP and head of Gamevil USA Kyu Lee said in a release.
Baseball Superstars gameplay
Baseball Superstars is just Gamevil's second release on Facebook after Train City, which didn't do so hot, according to AppData. Considering the hype train that is US baseball in September and October, baseball fans (the closet Facebook game-loving ones, at least) are going to be on the hunt for a new experience on Facebook.
And it looks like Gamevil will be there to meet them with a Facebook game that actually focuses on, you know, the baseball? Hey, the second time can still be a charm, too, right?
Click here to play Baseball Superstars: The League on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this new baseball Facebook game yet? What do you think of Gamevil's second entry into the Facebook game space, and what about their existing iOS games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Of course, EA Sports and Playfish have already staked their claim to the sub genre on Facebook with World Series Superstars, but already Gamevil has one thing going for it: global multiplayer. That's right, once you choose your team's name, logo and specialty between Power, Accuracy and Speed, you can jump into games immediately with anyone playing the game.
While you will certainly need Facebook friends to play in Exhibition games, those looking for a fast and easy Quick Play game, the world's digital baseball managers await you. There's also a Home Run Derby mode as well as full-blown tournaments, which are coming soon. And the gameplay is surprisingly interactive, having players actually swing at pitches with clicks.
Baseball Superstars Logo
Baseball Superstars features a full-blown pitching system as well, in which players select from a variety of pitches and choose exactly where they land in or around the strike zone. There are also a number of commands you can give to base runners to attempt to steal bases. All in all, this looks like an impressively full-featured baseball game on Facebook at launch.
While much of the game has players tweaking their stadiums like most sports games on Facebook, it's the actually Quick Plays and Exhibition games that are the meat and potatoes of Baseball Superstars, and what could make this game a competitor to existing social sports games. "It builds upon our years of strategic advances in the global games market, and shows that we can adapt and offer a unique yet competitive social games experience," VP and head of Gamevil USA Kyu Lee said in a release.
Baseball Superstars gameplay
Baseball Superstars is just Gamevil's second release on Facebook after Train City, which didn't do so hot, according to AppData. Considering the hype train that is US baseball in September and October, baseball fans (the closet Facebook game-loving ones, at least) are going to be on the hunt for a new experience on Facebook.
And it looks like Gamevil will be there to meet them with a Facebook game that actually focuses on, you know, the baseball? Hey, the second time can still be a charm, too, right?
Click here to play Baseball Superstars: The League on Facebook Now >
Have you tried this new baseball Facebook game yet? What do you think of Gamevil's second entry into the Facebook game space, and what about their existing iOS games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
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