The YoVille Centaur Statue collectible that can be built at the Widget Factory will be leaving soon. This collectible is currently labeled as " Item About To Expire". If you haven't built one of those yet, make sure to start now!
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
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Monday, February 13, 2012
YoVille: No more angry pets
Remember all the angry and upset pet faces that haunted you while playing YoVille? Well, you don't have to worry about them anymore. The " Feed" option has been removed from the pet interaction menu. You will still be able to play with your pets, but you don't have to feed them anymore.
No need to spend more coins on pet food. What do you think?
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
No need to spend more coins on pet food. What do you think?
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
YoVille: Seven days left to gift Silver Keys
yoville silver keys
YoVille has re-released the Silver Key! You can now again for just 7 days, gift and receive the precious key to unlock the Silver Mystery Chest.
Follow this link to send the Silver Key.
Send Silver Keys
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
YoVille has re-released the Silver Key! You can now again for just 7 days, gift and receive the precious key to unlock the Silver Mystery Chest.
Follow this link to send the Silver Key.
Send Silver Keys
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Wild Ones' terrifying Minigun is released for paying members
A new weapon is available to Wild Ones members: the Minigun. The Minigun can deal a huge amount of damage to multiple players in just one turn. In addition, like the laser weapons, the Minigun fires in a perfectly straight line, making it hard to miss your targets. Also, unlike other weapons, the player can change direction while firing allowing for multikills and heavier damage. The gun has a significant blow back effect, throwing the victims backwards as well as damaging them.
Unfortunately, as of late, all the cool new items in Wild Ones have been for members only, and just as expected the Minigun will only be purchasable for those paying the monthly fee.
Continue reading to see a video of the Minigun in action.
Click here to play Wild Ones>
Unfortunately, as of late, all the cool new items in Wild Ones have been for members only, and just as expected the Minigun will only be purchasable for those paying the monthly fee.
Continue reading to see a video of the Minigun in action.
Click here to play Wild Ones>
Farmville for iPhone hits New Zealand app Store
UPDATE (Midnight 6/23): FarmVille for iPhone is now available for download in the US iTunes store. See the announcement and our initial impressions of the portable version of the Facebook farming juggernaut.
Since Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference revealed the existence of an iPhone version of Farmville last month, we've been working hard to find out an exact date for the popular Facebook game's first official mobile release. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to pin down anything more concrete than the "late June" announced by Zynga CEO Mark Pincus at the show.
Well, apparently we can stop asking, because Zynga's official Farmville app is currently available on the New Zealand iTunes App Store. Why does New Zealand, of all places, get it first? Well, as of this writing, it's already June 24 in the land of the Kiwis, whereas it's still June 23 for most of the rest of the world.
Pocket Gamer UK says the New Zealand release implies that the game will hit the UK in the early morning hours and, presumably, other regions as morning comes around for them. Of course, if you create a new dummy New Zealand iTunes account you won't have to wait at all. But you didn't hear it from us *cough*
Source
Since Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference revealed the existence of an iPhone version of Farmville last month, we've been working hard to find out an exact date for the popular Facebook game's first official mobile release. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to pin down anything more concrete than the "late June" announced by Zynga CEO Mark Pincus at the show.
Well, apparently we can stop asking, because Zynga's official Farmville app is currently available on the New Zealand iTunes App Store. Why does New Zealand, of all places, get it first? Well, as of this writing, it's already June 24 in the land of the Kiwis, whereas it's still June 23 for most of the rest of the world.
Pocket Gamer UK says the New Zealand release implies that the game will hit the UK in the early morning hours and, presumably, other regions as morning comes around for them. Of course, if you create a new dummy New Zealand iTunes account you won't have to wait at all. But you didn't hear it from us *cough*
Source
Thursday, February 9, 2012
EA signs deal with Live Gamer; doubles down on microtransactions
Paying nickels and dimes to buy additional content in games isn't going away anytime soon, and, in fact, it looks like EA may be doubling down on microtransactions by announcing a new partnership with Live Gamer, which will run all of EA's "microtransaction projects" and will help "accelerate the company's online gaming strategy."
The press release doesn't mention any specific games, but just off the top of my head, this deal seems particularly relevant to EA's social gaming arm, Playfish, responsible for Pet Society and FIFA Superstars on Facebook, as well as its casual gaming portal Pogo, which has had microtransactions for a while now. EA has also started to integrate more microtransactions in its blockbuster console games as well: Madden NFL Football debuted microtransactions in the 2010 edition, Dragon Age and Dead Space (among other EA console games) also rolled out additional downloadable content.
A recent study says microtransactions will grow to $7 billion globally by 2015, so it's no surprise that Live Gamer's picking up new clients, which includes THQ and Real Networks' GameHouse. I'm sure we'll be hearing similar news from other traditional game publishers in the near future -- the success of selling virtual goods has everyone seeing dollar signs.
The press release doesn't mention any specific games, but just off the top of my head, this deal seems particularly relevant to EA's social gaming arm, Playfish, responsible for Pet Society and FIFA Superstars on Facebook, as well as its casual gaming portal Pogo, which has had microtransactions for a while now. EA has also started to integrate more microtransactions in its blockbuster console games as well: Madden NFL Football debuted microtransactions in the 2010 edition, Dragon Age and Dead Space (among other EA console games) also rolled out additional downloadable content.
A recent study says microtransactions will grow to $7 billion globally by 2015, so it's no surprise that Live Gamer's picking up new clients, which includes THQ and Real Networks' GameHouse. I'm sure we'll be hearing similar news from other traditional game publishers in the near future -- the success of selling virtual goods has everyone seeing dollar signs.
Cafe World, Mafia Wars 4 Comments Cafe World: Free Grill Father Super Stove when you level up in Mafia Wars
Cafe World Grill Father
In Cafe World, Super Stoves streamline cooking in the game into a one-click process, but harnessing that convenience costs 32 Cafe Cash. There's also a suited up version, called the Grill Father, that goes for 35 Cafe Cash. This puts it somewhere around $4-5 per stove.
But you can get the Grill Father for free by leveling up 5 times in Mafia Wars. New players will have to make it to Level 15. To get started, look for the tiny icon of the Grill Father Super Stove on the left side of your Cafe World game screen. Click on the notice (image above) and answer "Yes" to be redirected to the Mafia Wars game.
In Cafe World, Super Stoves streamline cooking in the game into a one-click process, but harnessing that convenience costs 32 Cafe Cash. There's also a suited up version, called the Grill Father, that goes for 35 Cafe Cash. This puts it somewhere around $4-5 per stove.
But you can get the Grill Father for free by leveling up 5 times in Mafia Wars. New players will have to make it to Level 15. To get started, look for the tiny icon of the Grill Father Super Stove on the left side of your Cafe World game screen. Click on the notice (image above) and answer "Yes" to be redirected to the Mafia Wars game.
Cafe World: Dinner at Twilight Eclipse is a guys-only affair
Cafe World Twilight
We haven't seen a Twilight Eclipse release since Crowdstar's Happy Pets and Happy Aquarium sets earlier this month. But just when we thought the Twilight fever has passed, Zynga's Cafe World comes out with 27 new decor pieces for Team Edward and Team Jacob. And like the Crowdstar sets, Bella is strangely absent...
Cafe World Twilight Gifts
There's also three new giftable snacks: Garlic Necklace, Apple of Temptation, and Vampire Staked Steak. The last of which, is also a new cafe recipe which earns 2,010 Coins from 335 servings in one day.
Cafe World Vampire Staked Steak
For those who want to collect both Twilight hunks, Edward is listed as Twinkling Vampire, is animated to sparkle, and costs 15 Cafe Cash. Jacob is the shirtless, Transforming Werewolf and costs 16 Cafe Cash. The most expensive premium item is the Red Plasma Fountain, which costs 18 Cafe Cash. For regular currency, the honor goes to the Vamperial Throne, which costs 35,000 Coins.
Cafe World Twilight decor
And for a bit of a heads-up, while the Blood and Bats Entrance looks like it should be a blood-dripping doorway, it actually doesn't move. So if you're thristing for the red ooze effect, grab A Family Portrait for 3 Cafe Cash under the windows section instead.
We haven't seen a Twilight Eclipse release since Crowdstar's Happy Pets and Happy Aquarium sets earlier this month. But just when we thought the Twilight fever has passed, Zynga's Cafe World comes out with 27 new decor pieces for Team Edward and Team Jacob. And like the Crowdstar sets, Bella is strangely absent...
Cafe World Twilight Gifts
There's also three new giftable snacks: Garlic Necklace, Apple of Temptation, and Vampire Staked Steak. The last of which, is also a new cafe recipe which earns 2,010 Coins from 335 servings in one day.
Cafe World Vampire Staked Steak
For those who want to collect both Twilight hunks, Edward is listed as Twinkling Vampire, is animated to sparkle, and costs 15 Cafe Cash. Jacob is the shirtless, Transforming Werewolf and costs 16 Cafe Cash. The most expensive premium item is the Red Plasma Fountain, which costs 18 Cafe Cash. For regular currency, the honor goes to the Vamperial Throne, which costs 35,000 Coins.
Cafe World Twilight decor
And for a bit of a heads-up, while the Blood and Bats Entrance looks like it should be a blood-dripping doorway, it actually doesn't move. So if you're thristing for the red ooze effect, grab A Family Portrait for 3 Cafe Cash under the windows section instead.
FishVille bewitches players with new Bayou Items
FishVille Bayou Country Items
FishVille is certainly feeling educational with their new Bayou Items release, I mean, check out the PR for their Buildable Swamp Shack: "Bayou Country is most closely associated with Cajun and Creole cultural groups native to the Gulf Coast region."
FishVille Bayou Items Store
Or how about the description of their Bayou themed Bullfrog:
One of the so-called "true frogs", Bullfrogs are native to the eastern United States, ranging from as far north as Nova Scotia, all the way down to central Florida. They also live as far west as Wisconsin and the Rockies and were introduced widely throughout Colorado, British Columbia, California, and other western states.
We're not sure what voodoo possessed FishVille to put out a theme for the Bayou. One would expect them to have ridden the coattails of Disney's Frog and the Princess film. Or at least, had saved this for the fall season, sometime near Halloween. But instead, we've got eight new pieces of decor (one of which, the Bullfrog, expires within the next 24 hours), plus a new wallpaper and floor for the tanks.
FishVille Bayou Tank Wallpaper
Astute players will also notice there's a new Brown Mystery Egg on the Gifts page. Unfortunately, there's no special fish to be had there. Both times I got one, the fish turned out to be a Pajama Cardinal.
FishVille Bayou Gifts
FishVille is certainly feeling educational with their new Bayou Items release, I mean, check out the PR for their Buildable Swamp Shack: "Bayou Country is most closely associated with Cajun and Creole cultural groups native to the Gulf Coast region."
FishVille Bayou Items Store
Or how about the description of their Bayou themed Bullfrog:
One of the so-called "true frogs", Bullfrogs are native to the eastern United States, ranging from as far north as Nova Scotia, all the way down to central Florida. They also live as far west as Wisconsin and the Rockies and were introduced widely throughout Colorado, British Columbia, California, and other western states.
We're not sure what voodoo possessed FishVille to put out a theme for the Bayou. One would expect them to have ridden the coattails of Disney's Frog and the Princess film. Or at least, had saved this for the fall season, sometime near Halloween. But instead, we've got eight new pieces of decor (one of which, the Bullfrog, expires within the next 24 hours), plus a new wallpaper and floor for the tanks.
FishVille Bayou Tank Wallpaper
Astute players will also notice there's a new Brown Mystery Egg on the Gifts page. Unfortunately, there's no special fish to be had there. Both times I got one, the fish turned out to be a Pajama Cardinal.
FishVille Bayou Gifts
PetVille Daily Clean Pet Bonus leads to free weekly Pet Cash
PetVille Daily Clean Pet Bonus
First announced last week, players who consecutively log in for up to five days to clean their pet will be eligible to receive 1-3 free Pet Cash from PetVille. What do you think? Is it enough to make you play more regularly? Personally, I always like it when games give players alternate ways of obtaining premium money.
Currently, PetVille players can earn free Pet Cash from doing surveys, randomly finding 'em in the homes of other pets, or playing the Genie Gems mini-game.
First announced last week, players who consecutively log in for up to five days to clean their pet will be eligible to receive 1-3 free Pet Cash from PetVille. What do you think? Is it enough to make you play more regularly? Personally, I always like it when games give players alternate ways of obtaining premium money.
Currently, PetVille players can earn free Pet Cash from doing surveys, randomly finding 'em in the homes of other pets, or playing the Genie Gems mini-game.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
PetVille lets the pups out with a free Cockapoo named Trubble
PetVille Designer Dogs: Paul the Puggle
PetVille Designer Dogs: Trubble the Cockapoo Prior to the weekend, PetVille announced their first ever Designer Dogs Collection. Unlike other Limited Edition items, these pups are free offerings on the game's gifts page. You'll be relying on cooperative players to distribute these puppies. Friday's Designer Dog #1 was Paul the Puggle, and today's Designer Dog #2 is Trubble the Cockapoo.
For those of you snickering out there -- and don't think I can't hear you! -- a Cockapoo is a real dog breed. It's a cross between a Poodle and a Cocker Spaniel. It's also known as a Spoodle, Cockerdoo, or Cockerdoodle. (Fine, the snickering may resume now.)
Anyway, our Trubble here is a sad, lonely pup with a heavy brow, tilting head, and the occassionally swishing tail. So he's animated, if only in the literal sense of the word.
But if he's too depressing to have around, you've always the option to sell Trubble off for 150 Coins.
PetVille Designer Dogs: Trubble the Cockapoo Prior to the weekend, PetVille announced their first ever Designer Dogs Collection. Unlike other Limited Edition items, these pups are free offerings on the game's gifts page. You'll be relying on cooperative players to distribute these puppies. Friday's Designer Dog #1 was Paul the Puggle, and today's Designer Dog #2 is Trubble the Cockapoo.
For those of you snickering out there -- and don't think I can't hear you! -- a Cockapoo is a real dog breed. It's a cross between a Poodle and a Cocker Spaniel. It's also known as a Spoodle, Cockerdoo, or Cockerdoodle. (Fine, the snickering may resume now.)
Anyway, our Trubble here is a sad, lonely pup with a heavy brow, tilting head, and the occassionally swishing tail. So he's animated, if only in the literal sense of the word.
But if he's too depressing to have around, you've always the option to sell Trubble off for 150 Coins.
Germany's Wooga celebrates 10 million monthly active users
Just one year after launching it's first game on Facebook, German developer Wooga (a.k.a. World of Gaming) has already attracted 10 million monthly users across its catalog, according to AppData. Wooga is the ninth company to reach the eight-figure user milestone, and the only European company thus far to achieve this sort of scale (all the others are from the Western United States
The achievement is especially impressive when you consider Wooga's users are spread over only three games -- puzzle game Bubble Island, educational mini-game collection Brain Buddies and farming sim Monster World. The company didn't buy their way into market prominence either -- in a post on the official Wooga blog, CEO Jen Begemen trumpeted the fact that only three percent of Woog'as users came directly from paid advertising.
The company currently employs 50 people from 12 countries and is looking to expand further. If they can keep up this pace of cheap user acquisition, I can't imagine they will have much trouble with that.
Source
The achievement is especially impressive when you consider Wooga's users are spread over only three games -- puzzle game Bubble Island, educational mini-game collection Brain Buddies and farming sim Monster World. The company didn't buy their way into market prominence either -- in a post on the official Wooga blog, CEO Jen Begemen trumpeted the fact that only three percent of Woog'as users came directly from paid advertising.
The company currently employs 50 people from 12 countries and is looking to expand further. If they can keep up this pace of cheap user acquisition, I can't imagine they will have much trouble with that.
Source
Seniors flocking to social networks: Are they playing games?
The image of social networks as a place just for teens and college kids continues to fall away thanks to a new study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project showing older Americans using social networks in larger numbers than ever before.
Over 40 percent of American Internet users 50 and older now use social networking sites, according to the study, nearly doubling their proportion from only a year ago. While young people are still the most active social networkers (86% of 18-29 year olds are on a social network), older Americans represent the fastest growing demographic for the sites.
While the Pew study didn't break out game use among these older social network users, it stands to reason that some of the group's increase in numbers is being driven by the popularity of social games. A Popcap study from February found that 46 percent of social gamers in the US were at least 50 years old, far outpacing the 30 percent or so of total internet users in that age group.
Even if those older social networkers aren't gaming now, it's likely their rising numbers will lead to more and more social game developers targeting their games at this growing audience.
Over 40 percent of American Internet users 50 and older now use social networking sites, according to the study, nearly doubling their proportion from only a year ago. While young people are still the most active social networkers (86% of 18-29 year olds are on a social network), older Americans represent the fastest growing demographic for the sites.
While the Pew study didn't break out game use among these older social network users, it stands to reason that some of the group's increase in numbers is being driven by the popularity of social games. A Popcap study from February found that 46 percent of social gamers in the US were at least 50 years old, far outpacing the 30 percent or so of total internet users in that age group.
Even if those older social networkers aren't gaming now, it's likely their rising numbers will lead to more and more social game developers targeting their games at this growing audience.
Happy Pets: Albino Cat and Dog available when you add neighbors
Now in Happy Pets, new neighbors mean access to new pets -- specifically the Albino Doberman and Albino Siamese Cat. You can buy the Doberman if you have 9 neighbors, while the Cat requires 11 neighbors. Both animals cost 15,500 Coins.
Albino animals made their first appearance back in May, as Trapped Pets, or mystery animals in a locked kennel. That offering consisted of a free albino horse, ferret, parrot, guinea pig, and bunny. (There was also a mini dinosaur involved, but it wasn't an albino dino.)
Albino animals made their first appearance back in May, as Trapped Pets, or mystery animals in a locked kennel. That offering consisted of a free albino horse, ferret, parrot, guinea pig, and bunny. (There was also a mini dinosaur involved, but it wasn't an albino dino.)
Quote of the Moment: "My dog is in the pound"
"My grandmother-in-law, she is 83 years old, she wears thick glasses, she has curly grey hair, she's been about four years widowed now, she lives with my mother-in-law. My mother-in-law was recently returning from a trip out of town. As soon as she got home, my grandmother-in-law comes out to the back porch to meet her, she's very upset, she's distraught.
She says, 'Well, my dog is in the pound,' and my mother-in-law says "What do you mean your dog is in the pound?" She thought for a minute she was talking about her boston terrier. And she says 'No, my dog on Farmville. My dog's been thrown in the pound! You've got to go to the store and you've got to buy farm dollars for me.' The obvious answer was to drive 20 miles, to Target, buy the card for $30 then turn around and drive back home that very night so she could get her dog out of the pound."
Leigh Fransen, of Fort Mill South Carolina recounts the lengths he family has gone to for Farmville in a very entertaining NPR piece on the appeal of social games.
She says, 'Well, my dog is in the pound,' and my mother-in-law says "What do you mean your dog is in the pound?" She thought for a minute she was talking about her boston terrier. And she says 'No, my dog on Farmville. My dog's been thrown in the pound! You've got to go to the store and you've got to buy farm dollars for me.' The obvious answer was to drive 20 miles, to Target, buy the card for $30 then turn around and drive back home that very night so she could get her dog out of the pound."
Leigh Fransen, of Fort Mill South Carolina recounts the lengths he family has gone to for Farmville in a very entertaining NPR piece on the appeal of social games.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
FrontierVille: 'Enjoy Some Tasty French Fries' for a delicious Energy refill
A new goal appeared in FrontierVille on September 26 titled "Enjoy Some Tasty French Fries," and it looks delicious. This goal will reward you with the brand new food item, French Fries, which restores 20 Energy. The requirements of the mission are simple enough: harvest 10 Potatoes, collect 10 Elbow Grease and collect 10 Lard.
Harvesting the 10 Potatoes--which cost 90 coins and take four hours to ripen-- is easy. But to get a hold of the Lard and Elbow Grease you'll have to ask your friends to gift them to you. Remember to put them in your wishlist to make sure your friends notice that you need them (and remember where to find your gifts). Complete the goal to be rewarded with two orders of French Fries and 50 XP. As always, these requirements can be unlocked for Horseshoes, but honestly, we think you can wait for some stinkin' fries.
Harvesting the 10 Potatoes--which cost 90 coins and take four hours to ripen-- is easy. But to get a hold of the Lard and Elbow Grease you'll have to ask your friends to gift them to you. Remember to put them in your wishlist to make sure your friends notice that you need them (and remember where to find your gifts). Complete the goal to be rewarded with two orders of French Fries and 50 XP. As always, these requirements can be unlocked for Horseshoes, but honestly, we think you can wait for some stinkin' fries.
FarmVille Trellis Swing & Lamp Post soon to lighten up gardens
It seems there are a few surrealists on the FarmVille design team. While we often see very regular farm items, things you'd expect to find on a farm, once in a while they throw something completely bizarre our way. A previous example of this was the pig in a hula skirt on a see-saw with two ducks. It's crazy! Now the latest surrealist FarmVille item is the Trellis Swing.
Look at it! It's a sheep and a pig, on a romantic date! At first it seemed wrong, but the more I think about it, it's starting to appear totally cute. The pig and sheep make a great couple, and clearly they like each other. It's not easy to sit on a swing and chat endlessly with someone you don't really love. Hmm, I wonder what they're talking about...
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Atari GO to update classic games for social networks, bring on the nostalgia
Classic game publisher Atari, in a move to catch up after a shaky past couple of years, has set its sight on the social game world (who hasn't?). They're approach is Atari Games Online (GO), which Atari CEO Jeff Lapin announced is designed to help independent developers create, publish and rake in some dough on social games.
Thom Kozik, former executive of the K2 Network and Bigpoint, will spearhead the search for indie developers and distribution partners for Atari GO. While developers will be independent, the company is looking into updating their classic brands like Asteroids and Adventure for a social game audience.
"The programs, tools and support structures behind Atari GO allows developers to focus on making great games that can then be delivered globally," Kozik said. "Developers can already sign up for our programs and collaborate with us as we envision the future of cross-platform gaming."
Does this mean we'll be playing a Facebook connected Adventure on iPhone or Android? We can't imagine updates to games that are over 30-years-old being too much for either platform to handle, so it's a possibility.
Part of the plan is also to "cultivate new original games and games based on Atari's deep catalog of classic IP while supporting them with the strength of the Atari brand, marketing and platform support," according to Atari.
Have an idea for an awesome new game, but want it to have a better chance at getting buzz? Atari might have fallen from its former glory, but the name alone throws rosy-colored glasses right over the eyes of millions of classic gamers. Atari GO already has over a dozen developers with re-energized classics set to debut in the next few months, according to GameSpy. Just please, whatever you do Atari, don't bring over Pac-Man. Just leave the yellow guy to the pros.
Thom Kozik, former executive of the K2 Network and Bigpoint, will spearhead the search for indie developers and distribution partners for Atari GO. While developers will be independent, the company is looking into updating their classic brands like Asteroids and Adventure for a social game audience.
"The programs, tools and support structures behind Atari GO allows developers to focus on making great games that can then be delivered globally," Kozik said. "Developers can already sign up for our programs and collaborate with us as we envision the future of cross-platform gaming."
Does this mean we'll be playing a Facebook connected Adventure on iPhone or Android? We can't imagine updates to games that are over 30-years-old being too much for either platform to handle, so it's a possibility.
Part of the plan is also to "cultivate new original games and games based on Atari's deep catalog of classic IP while supporting them with the strength of the Atari brand, marketing and platform support," according to Atari.
Have an idea for an awesome new game, but want it to have a better chance at getting buzz? Atari might have fallen from its former glory, but the name alone throws rosy-colored glasses right over the eyes of millions of classic gamers. Atari GO already has over a dozen developers with re-energized classics set to debut in the next few months, according to GameSpy. Just please, whatever you do Atari, don't bring over Pac-Man. Just leave the yellow guy to the pros.
FarmVille freak of the week: Harold's Birthday!
farmville birthday
Happy Birthday FarmVille freak Harold!
This week's FarmVille freak of the week is FarmVille fan, Harold, who celebrated his birthday with an awesome FarmVille inspired cake. Harold gets extra points for rocking our FarmVille T-shirt, that he received as a gift.
farmville birthdayfarmville birthday cake
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Happy Birthday FarmVille freak Harold!
This week's FarmVille freak of the week is FarmVille fan, Harold, who celebrated his birthday with an awesome FarmVille inspired cake. Harold gets extra points for rocking our FarmVille T-shirt, that he received as a gift.
farmville birthdayfarmville birthday cake
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FrontierVille Jack-in-the-box gift has Frontier Jack jumping for joy
A new free gift has appeared in FrontierVille called the Jack-in-the-box. Zynga added this little guy in an unannounced update for players to find themselves, and who else could it be but FroniterVille Jack?
That one is just too easy. This item doesn't seem to have a limited time, but that isn't any reason to take your sweet old time in getting this cool new item. Gift the item to your friends and once they send one back (if they're nice) this animated decoration will be yours. Click on the box for a little Jack to pop out and surprise you. Well, not so much; with an item like "Jack-in-the-box," who wouldn't see this coming from a mile away?
That one is just too easy. This item doesn't seem to have a limited time, but that isn't any reason to take your sweet old time in getting this cool new item. Gift the item to your friends and once they send one back (if they're nice) this animated decoration will be yours. Click on the box for a little Jack to pop out and surprise you. Well, not so much; with an item like "Jack-in-the-box," who wouldn't see this coming from a mile away?
Friday, February 3, 2012
Mafia Wars' 'Take Out a Rival Operation' Secret Mission calls for seven mobsters
Secret Mission Take Out a Rival Operation
Time to start calling up the family. A new Secret Mission (new name) was recently added to Mafia Wars titled "Take Out a Rival Operation," according to Mafia Wars Maniac, that requires seven extra helpers to complete. Considered a Hard mission, the three-day job asks for both Stamina and Energy users--with one role requiring both--and will pay in Lira. There are a slew of common, uncommon and rare items to win in addition to some extra cash.
Find more information on the possible item rewards after the break.
Secret Mission Items
Common:
Death Dealer Minigun: 48 Attack, 64 Defense
Z4 Night Prowler: 57 Attack, 35 Defense
Armed Doorman: 51 Attack, 24 Defense
Reef Shark: 55 Attack, 24 Defense
Uncommon:
Fatima: Collection Item
Mountain Lion: Collection Item
Four of a Kind: Collection Item
Turkey Vulture: 62 Attack, 50 Defense
Rare:
Alpine: 35 Attack, 57 Defense
Sumatra Tiger: 60 Attack, 30 Defense
Players are complaining about some of the potential items being those from collections in much older locations and thus offering little to no help for players currently in Italy. While there still are some impressive rare items to win like the Sumatra Tiger, hopefully Zynga addresses this issue and replaces these otherwise useless items with some that are slightly more valuable to players at this moment.
Time to start calling up the family. A new Secret Mission (new name) was recently added to Mafia Wars titled "Take Out a Rival Operation," according to Mafia Wars Maniac, that requires seven extra helpers to complete. Considered a Hard mission, the three-day job asks for both Stamina and Energy users--with one role requiring both--and will pay in Lira. There are a slew of common, uncommon and rare items to win in addition to some extra cash.
Find more information on the possible item rewards after the break.
Secret Mission Items
Common:
Death Dealer Minigun: 48 Attack, 64 Defense
Z4 Night Prowler: 57 Attack, 35 Defense
Armed Doorman: 51 Attack, 24 Defense
Reef Shark: 55 Attack, 24 Defense
Uncommon:
Fatima: Collection Item
Mountain Lion: Collection Item
Four of a Kind: Collection Item
Turkey Vulture: 62 Attack, 50 Defense
Rare:
Alpine: 35 Attack, 57 Defense
Sumatra Tiger: 60 Attack, 30 Defense
Players are complaining about some of the potential items being those from collections in much older locations and thus offering little to no help for players currently in Italy. While there still are some impressive rare items to win like the Sumatra Tiger, hopefully Zynga addresses this issue and replaces these otherwise useless items with some that are slightly more valuable to players at this moment.
Mafia Wars Italy Rail Ticket: Where to find them
mafia wars italy rail ticket
If there's one thing that's likely to stand in your way of making progress in Mafia Wars, it's those darn consumable items required to complete jobs and defeat bosses. Just when you thought you were done with hunting down consumables, Mafia Wars Italy arrives and everyone's been on the hunt for severed pinkies and other new consumable items to get the job done.
mafia wars rail ticket
You'll need Rail Tickets to complete the 'Bug the Don's Train Car' job in Mafia Wars Italy Region 3 Venezia.
You'll need a total of 65 Mafia Wars Rail Tickets to master all four levels of the 'Bug the Don's Train Car' job. That breaks down into the following per mastery level:
Bronze - 10 Rail Ticket
Silver - 13 Rail Ticket
Gold - 17 Rail Ticket
Ruby - 25 Rail Ticket
Mafia Wars Rail Tickets are not available as gifts and cannot be traded. There is just one way to find these train slips:
1. Complete the 'Track Down Don Adriano' job in Region 2: Palermo. This job will yield Rail Tickets as loot.
If there's one thing that's likely to stand in your way of making progress in Mafia Wars, it's those darn consumable items required to complete jobs and defeat bosses. Just when you thought you were done with hunting down consumables, Mafia Wars Italy arrives and everyone's been on the hunt for severed pinkies and other new consumable items to get the job done.
mafia wars rail ticket
You'll need Rail Tickets to complete the 'Bug the Don's Train Car' job in Mafia Wars Italy Region 3 Venezia.
You'll need a total of 65 Mafia Wars Rail Tickets to master all four levels of the 'Bug the Don's Train Car' job. That breaks down into the following per mastery level:
Bronze - 10 Rail Ticket
Silver - 13 Rail Ticket
Gold - 17 Rail Ticket
Ruby - 25 Rail Ticket
Mafia Wars Rail Tickets are not available as gifts and cannot be traded. There is just one way to find these train slips:
1. Complete the 'Track Down Don Adriano' job in Region 2: Palermo. This job will yield Rail Tickets as loot.
Bejeweled Blitz tricks out your screen with new Halloween wallpapers
Bejeweled Blitz Halloween Wallpaper: Zombie Squad
If you loved the recent Halloween makeover that PopCap gave Bejeweled Blitz, then you'll be happy to hear that the new, spooky game background, "Haunted Blitz Mansion", can now be used to decorate your computer desktop.
Two other versions, "Here Come the Bats" and "Zombie Squad", are later designs based on the first one. "Zombie Squad" is actually a shoutout to PopCap's other widely popular title, Plants vs. Zombies, which unfortunately, isn't on Facebook, but folks can buy it for the PC, Mac, iPhone, and the Xbox Live Arcade. Plus, there's a Nintendo DS version set for next January.
To see the full-sized wallpapers, click on each of the following thumbnails, then right-click each image with "Set As Desktop Background":
If you loved the recent Halloween makeover that PopCap gave Bejeweled Blitz, then you'll be happy to hear that the new, spooky game background, "Haunted Blitz Mansion", can now be used to decorate your computer desktop.
Two other versions, "Here Come the Bats" and "Zombie Squad", are later designs based on the first one. "Zombie Squad" is actually a shoutout to PopCap's other widely popular title, Plants vs. Zombies, which unfortunately, isn't on Facebook, but folks can buy it for the PC, Mac, iPhone, and the Xbox Live Arcade. Plus, there's a Nintendo DS version set for next January.
To see the full-sized wallpapers, click on each of the following thumbnails, then right-click each image with "Set As Desktop Background":
Mafia Wars Italy Smart Phone: How to find this elusive gadget
mafia wars italy smart phone
If there's one thing that's likely to stand in your way of making progress in Mafia Wars, it's those darn consumable items required to complete jobs and defeat bosses. Just when you thought you were done with hunting down consumables, Mafia Wars Italy arrives and everyone's been on the hunt for severed pinkies and other new consumables to get the job done.
You'll need Smart Phones to complete a variety of different jobs depending on what path you take. In Mafia Wars Italy Region 4 Milano, you need Smart Phones for the 'Bug A Confessional' or 'Infiltrate A Seven Star Hotel' jobs. In Mafia Wars Italy Region 5 Napoli, you need Smart Phones for the 'Take Out a Troublesome Carabinieri', 'Break Out an Incarcerated Lieutenant', or 'Link the Camorra to The Police'.
mafia wars italy smart phone
You'll need a total of 65 Smart Phones to master all four levels of the 'Bug A Confessional' job. That breaks down into the following per mastery level:
Bronze : 10 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 13 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 17 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 25 Smart Phone needed
For the 'Infiltrate a Seven Star Hotel' job you need a total of 91 Smart Phones:
Bronze : 15 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 17 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 25 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 34 Smart Phone needed
'Take Out a Troublesome Carabinieri' also requires a total of 91 Smart Phones:
Bronze : 15 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 17 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 25 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 34 Smart Phone needed
'Break Out an Incarcerated Lieutenant' requires 112 Smart Phones:
Bronze : 17 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 20 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 25 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 50 Smart Phone needed
Finally, the 'Link the Camorra to the Police' job requires 112:
Bronze : 17 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 20 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 25 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 50 Smart Phone needed
Smart Phones are not available as gifts and cannot be traded. There is only one way to find the missing cellular phone:
If there's one thing that's likely to stand in your way of making progress in Mafia Wars, it's those darn consumable items required to complete jobs and defeat bosses. Just when you thought you were done with hunting down consumables, Mafia Wars Italy arrives and everyone's been on the hunt for severed pinkies and other new consumables to get the job done.
You'll need Smart Phones to complete a variety of different jobs depending on what path you take. In Mafia Wars Italy Region 4 Milano, you need Smart Phones for the 'Bug A Confessional' or 'Infiltrate A Seven Star Hotel' jobs. In Mafia Wars Italy Region 5 Napoli, you need Smart Phones for the 'Take Out a Troublesome Carabinieri', 'Break Out an Incarcerated Lieutenant', or 'Link the Camorra to The Police'.
mafia wars italy smart phone
You'll need a total of 65 Smart Phones to master all four levels of the 'Bug A Confessional' job. That breaks down into the following per mastery level:
Bronze : 10 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 13 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 17 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 25 Smart Phone needed
For the 'Infiltrate a Seven Star Hotel' job you need a total of 91 Smart Phones:
Bronze : 15 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 17 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 25 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 34 Smart Phone needed
'Take Out a Troublesome Carabinieri' also requires a total of 91 Smart Phones:
Bronze : 15 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 17 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 25 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 34 Smart Phone needed
'Break Out an Incarcerated Lieutenant' requires 112 Smart Phones:
Bronze : 17 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 20 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 25 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 50 Smart Phone needed
Finally, the 'Link the Camorra to the Police' job requires 112:
Bronze : 17 Smart Phone needed
Silver : 20 Smart Phone needed
Gold : 25 Smart Phone needed
Ruby : 50 Smart Phone needed
Smart Phones are not available as gifts and cannot be traded. There is only one way to find the missing cellular phone:
Lunchtime poll: Has Facebook's privacy leaks changed the way you play?
Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that FarmVille and a slew of other Facebook games were leaking your information to advertisers and data mining companies. Numerous other reports about other networks leaking consumers private information (Myspace included) have followed and you can't help but acknowledge the fact that if you play games on a social network, your information is there for the taking. For now, at least.
So the big question is -- since you've learned that your private Facebook info may have been passed along to outside companies, has that affected how much you play your favorite Facebook games?
So the big question is -- since you've learned that your private Facebook info may have been passed along to outside companies, has that affected how much you play your favorite Facebook games?
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Go shopping in My Vineyard with player-run stores
My Vineyard has always been on the bleeding edge of innovation, being one of the first games to bring multiplayer as a standard across the game and having some of the best opportunities for creativity available in social games. The winemaking game has now released a brand new feature - the ability to sell items to other players by way of a General Store.
This new General Store is purchasable from the Market for 20 Wine Cash. Once you purchase a store, you can then click on it to begin pricing items in your store as you wish. You can sell items for coins or Wine Cash, and My Vineyard will take a 10% cut (or a minimum of 1 WC or 100 coins). At any time, you can click on the shopping bag icon on the left side of your screen to see a list of stores that you can visit, and you can click on them to go shopping.
Shopping is done by visiting friend's vineyards with stores, and clicking the shopping cart at the bottom of the game. Any item that is for sale will then have a price tag on it so that you can click on it and buy it directly from that store. The difference between this, and say, PetVille, is that when you buy the item it will actually leave your friend's vineyard and go to yours. The seller will also get the profit. This is a really neat way for players to get rid of old premium items that they no longer want, and for newer players to have access to items that are no longer available for purchase in the game.
Player can also pay 1 Wine Cash to have their store listed in the Featured List so that more players will see their store. This means that players who aren't neighbors can still see the stores and go shopping. When you're visiting a friend's vineyard, you will see other players there and you can actually chat with them, which is a feature of My Vineyard.
This new General Store is purchasable from the Market for 20 Wine Cash. Once you purchase a store, you can then click on it to begin pricing items in your store as you wish. You can sell items for coins or Wine Cash, and My Vineyard will take a 10% cut (or a minimum of 1 WC or 100 coins). At any time, you can click on the shopping bag icon on the left side of your screen to see a list of stores that you can visit, and you can click on them to go shopping.
Shopping is done by visiting friend's vineyards with stores, and clicking the shopping cart at the bottom of the game. Any item that is for sale will then have a price tag on it so that you can click on it and buy it directly from that store. The difference between this, and say, PetVille, is that when you buy the item it will actually leave your friend's vineyard and go to yours. The seller will also get the profit. This is a really neat way for players to get rid of old premium items that they no longer want, and for newer players to have access to items that are no longer available for purchase in the game.
Player can also pay 1 Wine Cash to have their store listed in the Featured List so that more players will see their store. This means that players who aren't neighbors can still see the stores and go shopping. When you're visiting a friend's vineyard, you will see other players there and you can actually chat with them, which is a feature of My Vineyard.
Celebrate the Top Chef: Just Desserts finale in Cupcake Corner
OMGpop's first Facebook game Cupcake Corner is proving to be quite successful with 1.4 million monthly players as of right now. Now, the game has nailed a partnership promotional deal with Bravo's Top Chef: Just Desserts series and is offering a special recipe to celebrate this week's finale of the show.
The new available Top Chef recipe is the Frozen Key Lime Bar, which takes only 8 minutes to bake and creates 28 servings. The recipe gives out 140 total coins and 16 XP for baking.
This is a pretty neat promotion because it couldn't really be any more relevant to the Cupcake Corner players. This kind of in-game advertising is done in a way that doesn't detract from the overall feel of the game and take players out of the immersion. The Top Chef: Just Desserts show is a very popular show and there is likely a great deal of crossover between its viewers and the players of Cupcake Corner.
The new available Top Chef recipe is the Frozen Key Lime Bar, which takes only 8 minutes to bake and creates 28 servings. The recipe gives out 140 total coins and 16 XP for baking.
This is a pretty neat promotion because it couldn't really be any more relevant to the Cupcake Corner players. This kind of in-game advertising is done in a way that doesn't detract from the overall feel of the game and take players out of the immersion. The Top Chef: Just Desserts show is a very popular show and there is likely a great deal of crossover between its viewers and the players of Cupcake Corner.
Ravenwood Fair hacks are malicious, says LOLapps
Ravenwood Fair hacks
Ravenwood Fair is back in commission and is crawling back up the charts fast, gaining users with rapid speed. This means that players are already scouring the internet for Ravenwood Fair cheats and hacks, and some people have been releasing supposed hacks that LOLapps are now stating are 'malicious'.
WARNING: It's come to our attention that several 3rd party "Hacks" have been released for Ravenwood Fair. Upon testing, these apps were found to contain malicious software and didn't even work. Sorry for the scare, but we want your Ravenwood Fair experience to be as pleasant as possible.
While LOLapps could certainly be lying about this, we don't think so. If there were legitimate working hacks out there for Ravenwood Fair, it would be in LOLapps' best interest to not even mention them to the community to avoid attracting interest. It appears that the game's developers have indeed tested these supposed 'hacks' in order to see if they needed to revise their game code to prevent the hacks, and instead found that these hacks were instead spyware or viruses.
As always, it's best to avoid downloading anything from sources that you do not trust. When you are searching for ways to cheat in Facebook games, there is always a really good chance that whatever you are downloading actually contains spyware or some other form of malicious content. Besides, what fun is there in cheating in a game on Facebook anyway? We don't think your friends would appreciate that much. Keep yourself safe, avoid downloading any hacks or cheats, and enjoy Ravenwood Fair!
Ravenwood Fair is back in commission and is crawling back up the charts fast, gaining users with rapid speed. This means that players are already scouring the internet for Ravenwood Fair cheats and hacks, and some people have been releasing supposed hacks that LOLapps are now stating are 'malicious'.
WARNING: It's come to our attention that several 3rd party "Hacks" have been released for Ravenwood Fair. Upon testing, these apps were found to contain malicious software and didn't even work. Sorry for the scare, but we want your Ravenwood Fair experience to be as pleasant as possible.
While LOLapps could certainly be lying about this, we don't think so. If there were legitimate working hacks out there for Ravenwood Fair, it would be in LOLapps' best interest to not even mention them to the community to avoid attracting interest. It appears that the game's developers have indeed tested these supposed 'hacks' in order to see if they needed to revise their game code to prevent the hacks, and instead found that these hacks were instead spyware or viruses.
As always, it's best to avoid downloading anything from sources that you do not trust. When you are searching for ways to cheat in Facebook games, there is always a really good chance that whatever you are downloading actually contains spyware or some other form of malicious content. Besides, what fun is there in cheating in a game on Facebook anyway? We don't think your friends would appreciate that much. Keep yourself safe, avoid downloading any hacks or cheats, and enjoy Ravenwood Fair!
Happy Aquarium dives underwater and emerges with fall items
Crowdstar has just released a decent sized set of Fall and Thanksgiving themed items in Happy Aquarium, and given you just about everything you could possibly need to turn your tank into a autumn extravaganza. This set includes a few items for coins, but the majority of the new decorations will require you to shell out Facebook Credits or pearls in order to get your fins on them.
For an overall new look, there is a new tank wallpaper available for 40 pearls or 33 Facebook Credits. This wallpaper looks like a big fall tree, and is perfectly complemented by the new Fall Leaves gravel which will cost you an additional 40 pearls. A nice Fall Wreath for 1,000 coins will hang nicely in your tank, and there is also an animated Fall Tree in which the leaves drift to the floor slowly for 26 pearls.
If decoration isn't your thing and you'd prefer to have an animal, there is a new Colorful Scuba Turkey for 36 Pearls. There are only 11,304 available as of this writing but we're sure they'll be around for quite some time.
Lastly, if you like to gamble away your money, there is a Fall Mystery Box which contains common, rare, and exclusive fall items. These will cost you 12 pearls or 10 Facebook Credits each, so expect to spend a lot to get what you're looking for.
For an overall new look, there is a new tank wallpaper available for 40 pearls or 33 Facebook Credits. This wallpaper looks like a big fall tree, and is perfectly complemented by the new Fall Leaves gravel which will cost you an additional 40 pearls. A nice Fall Wreath for 1,000 coins will hang nicely in your tank, and there is also an animated Fall Tree in which the leaves drift to the floor slowly for 26 pearls.
If decoration isn't your thing and you'd prefer to have an animal, there is a new Colorful Scuba Turkey for 36 Pearls. There are only 11,304 available as of this writing but we're sure they'll be around for quite some time.
Lastly, if you like to gamble away your money, there is a Fall Mystery Box which contains common, rare, and exclusive fall items. These will cost you 12 pearls or 10 Facebook Credits each, so expect to spend a lot to get what you're looking for.
FarmVille: An autumn of magic's in store with Griffin and pals
FarmVille Griffin, Pegasus, Unicorn, Dragon, and Phoenix
When these sweet, magical critters were first leaked mid-October (with the Unicorn as last week's latecomer), players expected them to make their FarmVille debut in time for Halloween. Even though we know that there's no guarantee that unreleased items will ever hit the market, it was still a huge disappointment when that didn't happen.
But last night, FarmVille declared on its blog that "magic is in the autumn air" and that "Soon items like this Griffin will be available in the FarmVille Marketplace." So instead of Halloween, it's most likely that the Griffin, Pegasus, Unicorn, Dragon, and Phoenix will be making their appearance at the same time as the Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows (Part 1) movie, which will premiere internationally on November 18th, and in US theaters on November 19th.
When these sweet, magical critters were first leaked mid-October (with the Unicorn as last week's latecomer), players expected them to make their FarmVille debut in time for Halloween. Even though we know that there's no guarantee that unreleased items will ever hit the market, it was still a huge disappointment when that didn't happen.
But last night, FarmVille declared on its blog that "magic is in the autumn air" and that "Soon items like this Griffin will be available in the FarmVille Marketplace." So instead of Halloween, it's most likely that the Griffin, Pegasus, Unicorn, Dragon, and Phoenix will be making their appearance at the same time as the Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows (Part 1) movie, which will premiere internationally on November 18th, and in US theaters on November 19th.
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