The context of what’s going on where they live, the context of what’s happening in the history of the world at this time: serious as a heart attack. They’re just really chill about it. This is no joke. This is not a throw-away silly-silly ha ha funny expansion set; it is absolutely the next vital chapter and as things ratchet up, they’re gonna get really gnarly.
It’s about as rich a kit as anything we’ve put out so far and it’s definitely got its intrigues and its dangers and its drama. It ain’t armies of the dead and it ain’t demons fallin’ out of the sky, but it’s definitely gonna have some flavor and some teeth.
Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 10, 2011
New Skyrim teaser does the live action thing
How was that, then? Funny, I hadn't realised how CG the CG dragons looked until they plopped one down in a film set. With a game as beautiful as Skyrim seems, you almost forget that graphics aren't actually at photo-realism yet.
Still, makes you think, right? Who are these live action trailers for? It's not like the old Atari days when if you didn't have the boxart you had no idea whether you were playing Red Square Castle defence or Green Square Squadron takes Flight. You only need a bare minimum of imagination to believe in today's sophisticated game worlds; do we really need male models flouncing about in historically-inaccurate armour to put us in the Mood for Love?
Oh maybe it's for those blokes down the pub who hear "video games" and think Space Invaders is the height of the art form. We have dragons now! What a future.
Still, makes you think, right? Who are these live action trailers for? It's not like the old Atari days when if you didn't have the boxart you had no idea whether you were playing Red Square Castle defence or Green Square Squadron takes Flight. You only need a bare minimum of imagination to believe in today's sophisticated game worlds; do we really need male models flouncing about in historically-inaccurate armour to put us in the Mood for Love?
Oh maybe it's for those blokes down the pub who hear "video games" and think Space Invaders is the height of the art form. We have dragons now! What a future.
Lavender Pink 3DS hits November 17
The notorious "for girls" 3DS is to get an Aussie airing next month. But we won't take Nintendo Japan's casual sexism lying down, will we? No my friends: I know I can trust you to dress as masculinely as possible and exude testosterone when you lay down your cash for this little beauty. Real men love pink.
Thứ Ba, 25 tháng 10, 2011
Some Guy Recreated A Country In SimCity
SimCity 4′s world creation suite is a wonderful thing, allowing players fine control over the hills, valleys and rivers of their virtual building plot. It’s so fine, in fact, people can try and recreate entire countries. In this case, Taiwan.
OK, so it’s a small country, but at 3,902 square miles and with a population of just under 25 million, it’s not exactly a small hamlet or fishing village.
This amazing creation was built by Reddit user sneakypanda86 over a period of around nine months, and while it doesn’t use any cheats, does use a mod or two, both for ease of creation and to get things looking a little more realistic.
Note that it’s not a literal copy – streets and city outlines aren’t exact – but considering the way the game generates plots of land it still looks great.
OK, so it’s a small country, but at 3,902 square miles and with a population of just under 25 million, it’s not exactly a small hamlet or fishing village.
This amazing creation was built by Reddit user sneakypanda86 over a period of around nine months, and while it doesn’t use any cheats, does use a mod or two, both for ease of creation and to get things looking a little more realistic.
Note that it’s not a literal copy – streets and city outlines aren’t exact – but considering the way the game generates plots of land it still looks great.
The Next Call Of Duty DLC Has…Muppets?
Oh, if only that were the case.
This fan art from poopbird, dropping the Muppets in as Call of Duty characters, certainly has me wishing.
Though, when you think about it, it’s not that crazy an idea. It’s not that far a leap to go from soldier dudes to zombies to Muppets. Is it?
This fan art from poopbird, dropping the Muppets in as Call of Duty characters, certainly has me wishing.
Though, when you think about it, it’s not that crazy an idea. It’s not that far a leap to go from soldier dudes to zombies to Muppets. Is it?
Chủ Nhật, 23 tháng 10, 2011
If I Never Write Another Review As Long As I Live, I’ll Die A Happy Man
Every now and then I’ll get an email, hidden in my inbox. Sometimes it’s just a comment, sitting amongst a horde of others in a story I’ve written. “Why doesn’t Kotaku Australia write its own reviews?” It’ll say.
Then sometimes I’ll get a different kind of email, saying roughly the same thing, only it doesn’t take the form of a question it’s more like a quasi statement. It’ll say something along the lines of, “oh, but you guys don’t really do reviews, do you?” Those ones are normally from the representatives of a games publisher.
Usually that statement will be a response to why Kotaku Australia didn’t get early access to a new game, or why we were last in the queue for a review copy. But that’s OK — I’m more than happy to wait until the game’s general release to play.
And if I never have to write another video game review as long as I live, I’ll die a happy man.
I’ve written hundreds of product reviews and the wide matrix of issues you have to navigate, particularly in video games, is nigh on unmanageable, to the point where you have to ask yourself: What is the purpose of this, and what do reviews even mean anymore? What are they for?
First you have the scale itself — do you risk going against the traditional video game scale in attempt to bring more legitimacy to your review, or focus attention on the content of the review itself? Do you succumb to pressure and the need to remain relevant by reviewing games like every other media outlet, or do you plough your own path? The idea of a 7 out of 10 or an 8 out of 10 is so engrained on our psyche after decades of reading reviews that stepping outside that lexicon is risky.
Then comes the process of writing your ‘opinion’ — a process fraught with more doubt, and more issues to tackle. Do you review your game like a product, is it a series of experiences that you should judge? Should you take into account your knowledge or lack of knowledge — do you review from a fan’s perspective? Should your review be objective or a written piece focusing on what is essentially a subjective experience?
And that’s just the beginning — do you consider your audience? You are writing for them after all. I have no personal interest in, say, Modern Warfare 3 — but thousands of Kotaku readers do. Is this review for them? Do I have to take my own dislike of war-based shooters into account?
Normally this sort of self-indulgent navel gazing should be of no consequence or interest to anyone, but in an environment where EA Norway sending a series of demanding questions to prospective reviewers of Battlefield 3 becomes the biggest games story of the day and inspires thousands of seething comments and retorts — it’s clear that people really do care.
And I care — I really do. Enough to honestly admit that my opinion of any game — shrink-wrapped and squeezed into a totemic number to be sacrificed at the altar of metacritic — is really of little value to anyone or anything. So why bother?
What do we do with these reviews? In an age where we can watch trailers the instant they’re released and drown in details of development from the minute a game is greenlit, what is the consequence of another review? Why does it need to exist; particularly in a place where reviews are so ubiquitous. Do I really want to add my voice to that mashed up chorus — simultaneously chaotic and synchronised — what would be the value of that? What would be the point? I’d like to trust that you’ve already made a relatively informed decision what games you want to buy — slapping a numerical score on a game and beating my chest like King Kong probably won’t change that.
Don’t get me wrong, I admire those who manage to navigate this whole minefield and come out intact, people like Adam Mathew over at Game Informer/OPS, or Junglist, or Joab Gilroy at Game Arena. I may not always agree with their opinions, but I want to read what they think, even if I disagree with them. In fact, that’s arguably what video game reviews need more of. Proper, well justified, dissenting voices where necessary.
I enjoy reading well-written reviews, particularly when I’ve already played a game and it feels like a chance to exchange notes. But I don’t want to participate in that dialogue anymore. Not if I don’t have to.
For me writing about video games is something different. It’s the chance to share experiences and make some sort of connection — it’s a chance to find common ground in a shared moment. It’s not about a product and whether or not you’ll buy it.
Then sometimes I’ll get a different kind of email, saying roughly the same thing, only it doesn’t take the form of a question it’s more like a quasi statement. It’ll say something along the lines of, “oh, but you guys don’t really do reviews, do you?” Those ones are normally from the representatives of a games publisher.
Usually that statement will be a response to why Kotaku Australia didn’t get early access to a new game, or why we were last in the queue for a review copy. But that’s OK — I’m more than happy to wait until the game’s general release to play.
And if I never have to write another video game review as long as I live, I’ll die a happy man.
I’ve written hundreds of product reviews and the wide matrix of issues you have to navigate, particularly in video games, is nigh on unmanageable, to the point where you have to ask yourself: What is the purpose of this, and what do reviews even mean anymore? What are they for?
First you have the scale itself — do you risk going against the traditional video game scale in attempt to bring more legitimacy to your review, or focus attention on the content of the review itself? Do you succumb to pressure and the need to remain relevant by reviewing games like every other media outlet, or do you plough your own path? The idea of a 7 out of 10 or an 8 out of 10 is so engrained on our psyche after decades of reading reviews that stepping outside that lexicon is risky.
Then comes the process of writing your ‘opinion’ — a process fraught with more doubt, and more issues to tackle. Do you review your game like a product, is it a series of experiences that you should judge? Should you take into account your knowledge or lack of knowledge — do you review from a fan’s perspective? Should your review be objective or a written piece focusing on what is essentially a subjective experience?
And that’s just the beginning — do you consider your audience? You are writing for them after all. I have no personal interest in, say, Modern Warfare 3 — but thousands of Kotaku readers do. Is this review for them? Do I have to take my own dislike of war-based shooters into account?
Normally this sort of self-indulgent navel gazing should be of no consequence or interest to anyone, but in an environment where EA Norway sending a series of demanding questions to prospective reviewers of Battlefield 3 becomes the biggest games story of the day and inspires thousands of seething comments and retorts — it’s clear that people really do care.
And I care — I really do. Enough to honestly admit that my opinion of any game — shrink-wrapped and squeezed into a totemic number to be sacrificed at the altar of metacritic — is really of little value to anyone or anything. So why bother?
What do we do with these reviews? In an age where we can watch trailers the instant they’re released and drown in details of development from the minute a game is greenlit, what is the consequence of another review? Why does it need to exist; particularly in a place where reviews are so ubiquitous. Do I really want to add my voice to that mashed up chorus — simultaneously chaotic and synchronised — what would be the value of that? What would be the point? I’d like to trust that you’ve already made a relatively informed decision what games you want to buy — slapping a numerical score on a game and beating my chest like King Kong probably won’t change that.
Don’t get me wrong, I admire those who manage to navigate this whole minefield and come out intact, people like Adam Mathew over at Game Informer/OPS, or Junglist, or Joab Gilroy at Game Arena. I may not always agree with their opinions, but I want to read what they think, even if I disagree with them. In fact, that’s arguably what video game reviews need more of. Proper, well justified, dissenting voices where necessary.
I enjoy reading well-written reviews, particularly when I’ve already played a game and it feels like a chance to exchange notes. But I don’t want to participate in that dialogue anymore. Not if I don’t have to.
For me writing about video games is something different. It’s the chance to share experiences and make some sort of connection — it’s a chance to find common ground in a shared moment. It’s not about a product and whether or not you’ll buy it.
This week’s best free PC games
Telling the tale of a young fisherman setting out to build his career, Fisher-Diver is an unusual fishing game that sees you – a strange, line-drawn eyeball character – diving below the water’s surface to blast various intricate sea creatures and collect their carcasses to sell back on the surface. Smashing them to smithereens won’t do much good, though, as keeping their bodies relatively intact will allow you to reap more money. As you progress through the game, earning cash allows you to unlock new fishing licenses and helpful items, drawing you on a journey deeper below the surface in search of diary entries dropped into the sea by the fisherman who came before you.
It’s a slow-paced game – agonisingly so at times – but the journey is an engaging one. And the story, sparse as it may be, is enough to keep things interesting as the in-game days tick by. There’s a wonderful sense of exploration, complemented by music whose mood changes the deeper underwater you go. The game ends on a surprising note, too: a nice, unexpected payoff for the time it’ll take you to get there.
It’s a slow-paced game – agonisingly so at times – but the journey is an engaging one. And the story, sparse as it may be, is enough to keep things interesting as the in-game days tick by. There’s a wonderful sense of exploration, complemented by music whose mood changes the deeper underwater you go. The game ends on a surprising note, too: a nice, unexpected payoff for the time it’ll take you to get there.
This week’s best free PC games
Games about fishing aren’t generally the most exciting ones around, nor are they the most artistic, but exploratory underwater shooter Fisher-Diver has an exceedingly good go at being both. If it’s still a little too calm for your liking, though, assaults on the senses such as one-button platformer Braindead and the complete mind-splurge that is Keyboard Drumset Fucking Werewolf should keep you entertained. Or how about playing as a scientist working through a zombie apocalypse? You can do that in Lab of the Dead. Read on for more details about this week’s best PC freebies.
Thứ Bảy, 22 tháng 10, 2011
Play the Scary Maze Game With Your Friends!
Have you ever played the Scary Maze Game 8 now? If not, brotha you haven’t lived!!! This maze game is the most awesome game on earth! But in order to play it you MUST have a partner in the room with you. So go find a friend, co-hort, or even an enemy – it doesn’t matter! Then match your wits and your mouse skills with the game and see if you’re awesome enough to win the BIG prize at the end!
If Microsoft left the gaming industry...
Before crying "flamebait", try to remember how the market changed when the Dreamcast died and SEGA exited the market. In all honesty, not much changed (although SEGA was/is missed by many).
With Kinect as the final grasp of life for the 360 (disagree? Then where are all of Microsoft's studios churning out new games and new IPs?), rumors of the XBOX branch splitting, and several key execs either leaving the company or selling their stock like Balmer did, Microsoft's XBOX brand might not be around as long as we thought and hoped.
But think: what IPs does the 360 have that can't be done elsewhere? Former exclusives Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Ninja Gaiden can already be found on non-360 platforms. Someone else can easily buy RARE or Lionhead, and Bungie belongs to Activision now. Gears of War is EPIC's, Forza is Turn 10's, Left 4 Dead is Valve's, and Alan Wake is Remedy's. You'd be hard pressed to find many games actually made by Microsoft, and those IPs that Microsoft does own (Halo, Fable) could easily become multiplatform.
Impossible? Well, that's what SEGA fans said about many of the Dreamcast's exclusives, and now almost all of SEGA's biggest franchises are found on non-SEGA consoles.
With Kinect as the final grasp of life for the 360 (disagree? Then where are all of Microsoft's studios churning out new games and new IPs?), rumors of the XBOX branch splitting, and several key execs either leaving the company or selling their stock like Balmer did, Microsoft's XBOX brand might not be around as long as we thought and hoped.
But think: what IPs does the 360 have that can't be done elsewhere? Former exclusives Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Ninja Gaiden can already be found on non-360 platforms. Someone else can easily buy RARE or Lionhead, and Bungie belongs to Activision now. Gears of War is EPIC's, Forza is Turn 10's, Left 4 Dead is Valve's, and Alan Wake is Remedy's. You'd be hard pressed to find many games actually made by Microsoft, and those IPs that Microsoft does own (Halo, Fable) could easily become multiplatform.
Impossible? Well, that's what SEGA fans said about many of the Dreamcast's exclusives, and now almost all of SEGA's biggest franchises are found on non-SEGA consoles.
Chinese Couple Sells All Three Kids to Play Online Games
A young Chinese couple has sold all three of their children in exchange for money to play online Nick jr games at Internet cafes, reports a southern Chinese newspaper.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
M4ndat0ry_1nstall (User) Contributor 1 bubbles 5 in CRank Score: 9480 "" PM Add as friend Track Ignore Report Exposing Sony's lies, hypocrisy, spin etc...
It is a well known fact many diehard fans of the PS3 are not well informed and see SCE as a charity and not a business. This blog is dedicated to exposing the hypocrisy, lies, truth, "spin" and arrogance of SCE and proving that they are in fact a business.
1) ACHIEVEMENTS AND TROPHIES:
Many fans believe that the universal trophy system available on the PlayStation 3 was not influenced, based on or copied from Microsoft's "achievement" system on the Xbox 360. This is in fact false. In 2006 Sony were posed with the question "Will you be implementing an achievement system similar to the Xbox 360 on the PS3?" just before the PS3s launch. This was Sony's response: "The short answer: no"
http://www.wired.com/gameli...
Read the full interview in the link. Sony had no interest in implementing a universal achievement like system on the PS3. In my opinion, that was until achievements became the deciding factor for many multi-console owners when it came to multiplatform games. And relying on developers to implement them into their own games just wasn't working out.
2) NO "RUMBLE" IN THE "SIXAXIS" CONTROLLER:
Some fans are still completely unaware as to why the Sixaxis had no "rumble" feedback. I remember reading all kinds of "spin" to justify the complete lack of rumble feedback in the Sixaxis which was even present in ALL last-gen controllers, spin such as this:
"Vibration in the Sixaxis would screw up the motion sensor"
"I don't even notice the lack of vibration"
"I'd take the motion controls over rumble"
"Rumble is a last generation feature"
The last quote is actually a quote from SCE themselves: "I believe that the Sixaxis controller offers game designers and developers far more opportunity for future innovation than rumble ever did. Now, rumble I think was the last generation feature; it's not the next-generation feature."
http://www.1up.com/news/son...
The real reason the Sixaxis had no "rumble" and was later discontinued in favor of the DS3, was because Sony were being sued by the company Immersion over patent rights. Sony lost to the tune of about $90 million. Sony insisted [at the time] that the lawsuit had nothing to do with why the Sixaxis was lacking "rumble", something we now know was a lie as the DS3 was announced shortly after the lawsuit settlement.
http://www.engadget.com/200...
Sony's shady "BUSINESS" practices don't stop there though, read:
http://www.engadget.com/200...
3) SONY DOESN'T "PAY" FOR EXCLUSIVES:
This by far is the biggest load of BS being spewed out by Sony and it's fans alike. If you are one of those people that believe Sony didn't pay Konami for MGS4, Square Enix for FF13 to be a timed-exclusive in Japan and Rockstar for Agent, then you are sorely mistaken.
A quote from SCEA on losing GTAIV: "It's just a question of how deep into your pockets do you have to reach to secure [exclusivity]? Desperation breeds deep pockets. Confidence breeds the opposite. When it makes sense, you do the deal. When it doesn't, you pass."
http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...
Further proof of Sony paying for exclusives like MGS4 could be the fact that MGO uses Konami's own in store purchases, servers, online ID and registration process completely separate from the PSN. No other game, exclusive or multiplatform offers anything similar, a sacrifice Sony had to make to "do the deal".
This of course is only fiction, there is no concrete proof Sony paid for the above games like there is for M$ paying $50 million for DLC. However, take a look at this quote from Sony in 2007: "We have a very different approach to exclusives than some of our competitors," he continued. "We don't buy exclusivity. We don't fund development. We don't, for lack of a better term, bribe somebody to only do a game on our platform."
http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...
Now take a look at this from 2009 titled "Sony Will Pay Devs for PSN Exclusivity": "Sony has declared a willingness to back up its aspirations for exclusive content with cold, hard cash. Its Pub Fund, just announced today, will match developer funding for exclusive games headed to the PSN."
http://www.ps3informer.com/...
4) SONY'S "BLACKLISTING" OF KOTAKU:
I'm not sure if many of you are aware or even care that Sony has blacklisted Kotaku. Those of you who are aware and believe that Kotaku were blacklisted due to their "pro-360 and anti-PS3" stance, you would actually be wrong. According to Kotaku, Sony "blackballed" them for leaking info about Playstation Home which Kotaku labelled as a rumor, effectively trying to silence them.
http://kotaku.com/gaming/to...
1) ACHIEVEMENTS AND TROPHIES:
Many fans believe that the universal trophy system available on the PlayStation 3 was not influenced, based on or copied from Microsoft's "achievement" system on the Xbox 360. This is in fact false. In 2006 Sony were posed with the question "Will you be implementing an achievement system similar to the Xbox 360 on the PS3?" just before the PS3s launch. This was Sony's response: "The short answer: no"
http://www.wired.com/gameli...
Read the full interview in the link. Sony had no interest in implementing a universal achievement like system on the PS3. In my opinion, that was until achievements became the deciding factor for many multi-console owners when it came to multiplatform games. And relying on developers to implement them into their own games just wasn't working out.
2) NO "RUMBLE" IN THE "SIXAXIS" CONTROLLER:
Some fans are still completely unaware as to why the Sixaxis had no "rumble" feedback. I remember reading all kinds of "spin" to justify the complete lack of rumble feedback in the Sixaxis which was even present in ALL last-gen controllers, spin such as this:
"Vibration in the Sixaxis would screw up the motion sensor"
"I don't even notice the lack of vibration"
"I'd take the motion controls over rumble"
"Rumble is a last generation feature"
The last quote is actually a quote from SCE themselves: "I believe that the Sixaxis controller offers game designers and developers far more opportunity for future innovation than rumble ever did. Now, rumble I think was the last generation feature; it's not the next-generation feature."
http://www.1up.com/news/son...
The real reason the Sixaxis had no "rumble" and was later discontinued in favor of the DS3, was because Sony were being sued by the company Immersion over patent rights. Sony lost to the tune of about $90 million. Sony insisted [at the time] that the lawsuit had nothing to do with why the Sixaxis was lacking "rumble", something we now know was a lie as the DS3 was announced shortly after the lawsuit settlement.
http://www.engadget.com/200...
Sony's shady "BUSINESS" practices don't stop there though, read:
http://www.engadget.com/200...
3) SONY DOESN'T "PAY" FOR EXCLUSIVES:
This by far is the biggest load of BS being spewed out by Sony and it's fans alike. If you are one of those people that believe Sony didn't pay Konami for MGS4, Square Enix for FF13 to be a timed-exclusive in Japan and Rockstar for Agent, then you are sorely mistaken.
A quote from SCEA on losing GTAIV: "It's just a question of how deep into your pockets do you have to reach to secure [exclusivity]? Desperation breeds deep pockets. Confidence breeds the opposite. When it makes sense, you do the deal. When it doesn't, you pass."
http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...
Further proof of Sony paying for exclusives like MGS4 could be the fact that MGO uses Konami's own in store purchases, servers, online ID and registration process completely separate from the PSN. No other game, exclusive or multiplatform offers anything similar, a sacrifice Sony had to make to "do the deal".
This of course is only fiction, there is no concrete proof Sony paid for the above games like there is for M$ paying $50 million for DLC. However, take a look at this quote from Sony in 2007: "We have a very different approach to exclusives than some of our competitors," he continued. "We don't buy exclusivity. We don't fund development. We don't, for lack of a better term, bribe somebody to only do a game on our platform."
http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...
Now take a look at this from 2009 titled "Sony Will Pay Devs for PSN Exclusivity": "Sony has declared a willingness to back up its aspirations for exclusive content with cold, hard cash. Its Pub Fund, just announced today, will match developer funding for exclusive games headed to the PSN."
http://www.ps3informer.com/...
4) SONY'S "BLACKLISTING" OF KOTAKU:
I'm not sure if many of you are aware or even care that Sony has blacklisted Kotaku. Those of you who are aware and believe that Kotaku were blacklisted due to their "pro-360 and anti-PS3" stance, you would actually be wrong. According to Kotaku, Sony "blackballed" them for leaking info about Playstation Home which Kotaku labelled as a rumor, effectively trying to silence them.
http://kotaku.com/gaming/to...
Thứ Năm, 20 tháng 10, 2011
UnSelf (User) Contributor 4 bubbles 5 in CRank Score: 46630 "" PM Add as friend Track Ignore Report The Perfect Game
Does it exist? If not, then why not? Resources? Lack of technical skill? Laziness? Maybe its already here. What does it mean to you? We all have one. Usually one that someone else finds that couldn't be more imperfect. What does it even mean? Is it even definable? With a word thrown around so often as such, shouldn't it be? These questions and countless more, are amongst the firsts that should pop into our heads when asked what is the perfect game? We may not know, but fortunately, we clearly know what it isn't. Excuse my opinion, but I can tell you if you're looking for it, it is further from this current generation than any of the past or any to come. And here's why...
2005 introduced to the world the 7th generation of home consoles. Before we even knew what we were in stored for, rumors, predictions and just plain conjecture, plagued the information highways with more speculation and half-truths than any of us care to remember. The Xbox 360 entered and hit the ground hard, running. Sony and Nintendo followed the following year with their console entries. We didn't see the true fruits of the labor of any of these corporations, until about 4 years into the respective consoles lifespans. In inclusion with the PC, gaming consoles in 2011, holds the most promising hand in delivering a litany of unparalleled gaming software and hardware capabilities, never before seen in gaming. Boasting unprecedented processing power and innovative motion controlling, the gaming generation we currently reside in provides plenty of backed-up testament from its past to ascertain its place as making this era, the most exciting. With that evidence present, it would only make sense that a person with no prior gaming knowledge would choose this generation before any other if given the task to seek the perfect game.....and he would fail miserably.
Every time a veteran gamer is asked to name his favorite titles of all time, the list usually consists of games deriving from the Super Nintendo, Playstation 1, and PS2 eras....usually. Why is that? Is it because those who've been gaming longer have a natural tendency to lean towards the games of yesterday? Doubt it. Has the longevity of playing games over time tarnish and taint their judgement of what makes a game perfect in their eyes? Perhaps. Should we be even asking these guys, I mean what do they know? The truth is, there are too many variables to consider when trying to isolate a single reason as to why this consensus is so consistent. The only conclusion we can draw from THAT conclusion is that, those who've been gaming longer seem to be relatively dissatisfied with todays games on a general level. So what is it about last gen and the generations before, that was so good that is now absent from todays gaming generation? One word: Everything.
There is something very peculiar about this generation that we haven't seen in a very long time. That thing is experimentation. Never before, has a generation been so plagued, so overwhelmed with test experimentation on hardware and software developments. In this gen alone, we have seen the mainstreaming of motion controls, controller-less hardware, online dominion, compatible hardware integration, achievement lists, battery operated controllers, multiple SKU's of a particular hardware, DLC, DRM, firmware updates, software updates, remote system shut-downs, HDD swaps, PC-intergration, HD resolution, "True" HD resolution, DDM, online services...the list goes on. All of these things in some part may have existed in the past but never as prevalent as it is today. Believe it or not, these things were created to make the gaming experience a heck of a lot more fun, and in some areas it actually did. However, with potential solutions comes potential problems, and now our video gaming experience is susceptible to more things going wrong then right....and that unfortunate trend is steadily increasing. However dismal the situation may seem, these issues aren't applied to the games themselves. So let's briefly talk about those.
At first glance, experimentation may seem like the right path to choose when developing for a market with an unquenchable thirst for innovation. Yet, never before has a generation suffered from more sequels, rehashes, remakes, reboots and reminders of bad games. Right now I lack the resources to create a chart, but I'm sure the total of all of the sequels, reboots and remakes of all the games in this gen, would make up for more than 85% of all the games out now versus new IP's. So you see, the perfect game can't exist today, because chances are, it already existed yesterday.
My point was to make clear why is it games today are the last things to be considered perfect. A lot of questions were asked in the beginning of this passage and perhaps none of them were answered. While writing this article, I discovered that neither I, nor any one can find the perfect game. However, I did discover what the perfect game isn't, or rather, where it isn't. Too many gems that have already done what so many games yearn to perfect today, exist in history as testaments of gaming/development perfection. Don't get me wrong, today, now more so than ever, is THE most exciting time to be a gamer. The potential, coupled with the technological breakthroughs, creates a concoction that generates inconceivable possibilities of what may come. Storytelling in gaming has never been better, and neither has gameplay. Graphics are more close to looking realer than ever and games are laced with orchestrated masterpieces. Its unfortunate though, that tomorrow and yesterday was and will be, much more engrossing than today can or will ever be. An unfortunate paradox, if we will ever have to see one.
2005 introduced to the world the 7th generation of home consoles. Before we even knew what we were in stored for, rumors, predictions and just plain conjecture, plagued the information highways with more speculation and half-truths than any of us care to remember. The Xbox 360 entered and hit the ground hard, running. Sony and Nintendo followed the following year with their console entries. We didn't see the true fruits of the labor of any of these corporations, until about 4 years into the respective consoles lifespans. In inclusion with the PC, gaming consoles in 2011, holds the most promising hand in delivering a litany of unparalleled gaming software and hardware capabilities, never before seen in gaming. Boasting unprecedented processing power and innovative motion controlling, the gaming generation we currently reside in provides plenty of backed-up testament from its past to ascertain its place as making this era, the most exciting. With that evidence present, it would only make sense that a person with no prior gaming knowledge would choose this generation before any other if given the task to seek the perfect game.....and he would fail miserably.
Every time a veteran gamer is asked to name his favorite titles of all time, the list usually consists of games deriving from the Super Nintendo, Playstation 1, and PS2 eras....usually. Why is that? Is it because those who've been gaming longer have a natural tendency to lean towards the games of yesterday? Doubt it. Has the longevity of playing games over time tarnish and taint their judgement of what makes a game perfect in their eyes? Perhaps. Should we be even asking these guys, I mean what do they know? The truth is, there are too many variables to consider when trying to isolate a single reason as to why this consensus is so consistent. The only conclusion we can draw from THAT conclusion is that, those who've been gaming longer seem to be relatively dissatisfied with todays games on a general level. So what is it about last gen and the generations before, that was so good that is now absent from todays gaming generation? One word: Everything.
There is something very peculiar about this generation that we haven't seen in a very long time. That thing is experimentation. Never before, has a generation been so plagued, so overwhelmed with test experimentation on hardware and software developments. In this gen alone, we have seen the mainstreaming of motion controls, controller-less hardware, online dominion, compatible hardware integration, achievement lists, battery operated controllers, multiple SKU's of a particular hardware, DLC, DRM, firmware updates, software updates, remote system shut-downs, HDD swaps, PC-intergration, HD resolution, "True" HD resolution, DDM, online services...the list goes on. All of these things in some part may have existed in the past but never as prevalent as it is today. Believe it or not, these things were created to make the gaming experience a heck of a lot more fun, and in some areas it actually did. However, with potential solutions comes potential problems, and now our video gaming experience is susceptible to more things going wrong then right....and that unfortunate trend is steadily increasing. However dismal the situation may seem, these issues aren't applied to the games themselves. So let's briefly talk about those.
At first glance, experimentation may seem like the right path to choose when developing for a market with an unquenchable thirst for innovation. Yet, never before has a generation suffered from more sequels, rehashes, remakes, reboots and reminders of bad games. Right now I lack the resources to create a chart, but I'm sure the total of all of the sequels, reboots and remakes of all the games in this gen, would make up for more than 85% of all the games out now versus new IP's. So you see, the perfect game can't exist today, because chances are, it already existed yesterday.
My point was to make clear why is it games today are the last things to be considered perfect. A lot of questions were asked in the beginning of this passage and perhaps none of them were answered. While writing this article, I discovered that neither I, nor any one can find the perfect game. However, I did discover what the perfect game isn't, or rather, where it isn't. Too many gems that have already done what so many games yearn to perfect today, exist in history as testaments of gaming/development perfection. Don't get me wrong, today, now more so than ever, is THE most exciting time to be a gamer. The potential, coupled with the technological breakthroughs, creates a concoction that generates inconceivable possibilities of what may come. Storytelling in gaming has never been better, and neither has gameplay. Graphics are more close to looking realer than ever and games are laced with orchestrated masterpieces. Its unfortunate though, that tomorrow and yesterday was and will be, much more engrossing than today can or will ever be. An unfortunate paradox, if we will ever have to see one.
The era of "World of Warcraft" is coming to an end
Surely, many of the almost 12 million players won't agree with me. But in a way, I sincerely hope that I am right.
World of Warcraft is surely great for the beginner, it is great for those who want to relax and do things randomly. One instance here, an easy raid there. Gather some materials for that, and so on.
World of Warcraft is great in many ways, but its biggest flaw is how repetitive it truly is and feels. I've been playing the game for over 5 years so I have been there through it all. I once got randomly stomped by a huge egyptian statue thingy in Silithus when the gates of Ahn'Qiraj was about to be opened. The ground started to tremble and then I died. I found that quite funny. My main character has over 100 days of played time. (Yes back then I had no life).
As I said, World of Warcraft is very repetitive. The game (Oh well, I should say blizzard, but I will say "the game") Re-uses game-play mechanics and graphical designs like theres no tomorrow. The classes of World of Warcraft (Which includes Mages, Rogues, Warriors, Hunters, Paladins, Warlocks, Shamans, Druids, Death Knights) are very similar if you are able to look past the names of the talents. A dot (Damage over time effect) for a warlock is the same as a dot for example a hunter, but it uses focus instead of mana. It does the same thing, and works in the same way, basically.
The gameplay mechanics in WoW simply aren't advanced enough for my taste. I want classes that actually matters. I want races that has truly unique and useful abilities that is required in certain raids or other challenges. Today, the races doesn't matter at all. There are so much that could be done, and I hate that the game focuses so much on simplicity. I want a complex game that challenges me intellectually and instigates a feeling in me that I am actually needed in a group. I mean sure, I heal on my main and the group wouldn't make it without me, but its more like a "meh" moment every time. They need to have more creative instances featuring game-play mechanics that simply isn't "Lets hit that until it dies". I mean, comon, whats the fun in that? And if u fail, you just die and have to try again. The mechanics are so simple, and feels so cheap.
I can understand that it is expensive to develop a game with
an actual depth to it (Both mechanic-wise and storywise), but I am looking for that, more and more. There are so many ways to create unique challenges and I can't understand why they don't do this. There are so much that could be done. I hope that the era of "World of Warcraft" is coming to an end. It's about time.
World of Warcraft is surely great for the beginner, it is great for those who want to relax and do things randomly. One instance here, an easy raid there. Gather some materials for that, and so on.
World of Warcraft is great in many ways, but its biggest flaw is how repetitive it truly is and feels. I've been playing the game for over 5 years so I have been there through it all. I once got randomly stomped by a huge egyptian statue thingy in Silithus when the gates of Ahn'Qiraj was about to be opened. The ground started to tremble and then I died. I found that quite funny. My main character has over 100 days of played time. (Yes back then I had no life).
As I said, World of Warcraft is very repetitive. The game (Oh well, I should say blizzard, but I will say "the game") Re-uses game-play mechanics and graphical designs like theres no tomorrow. The classes of World of Warcraft (Which includes Mages, Rogues, Warriors, Hunters, Paladins, Warlocks, Shamans, Druids, Death Knights) are very similar if you are able to look past the names of the talents. A dot (Damage over time effect) for a warlock is the same as a dot for example a hunter, but it uses focus instead of mana. It does the same thing, and works in the same way, basically.
The gameplay mechanics in WoW simply aren't advanced enough for my taste. I want classes that actually matters. I want races that has truly unique and useful abilities that is required in certain raids or other challenges. Today, the races doesn't matter at all. There are so much that could be done, and I hate that the game focuses so much on simplicity. I want a complex game that challenges me intellectually and instigates a feeling in me that I am actually needed in a group. I mean sure, I heal on my main and the group wouldn't make it without me, but its more like a "meh" moment every time. They need to have more creative instances featuring game-play mechanics that simply isn't "Lets hit that until it dies". I mean, comon, whats the fun in that? And if u fail, you just die and have to try again. The mechanics are so simple, and feels so cheap.
I can understand that it is expensive to develop a game with
an actual depth to it (Both mechanic-wise and storywise), but I am looking for that, more and more. There are so many ways to create unique challenges and I can't understand why they don't do this. There are so much that could be done. I hope that the era of "World of Warcraft" is coming to an end. It's about time.
Thứ Tư, 19 tháng 10, 2011
Disney XD News
DISNEY XD TO PREMIERE “FORT BOYARD – ULTIMATE CHALLENGE,” A REALITY ADVENTURE SERIES ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 17
Geno Segers (Disney XD’s “Pair of Kings”) and popular British television presenter Laura Hamilton (“Dancing On Ice”) host an exciting competition requiring brainpower, courage and teamwork, “Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge,” a 10-part series premiering MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET/PT), with a thrilling finale MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Based on the international game show phenomenon “Fort Boyard,” the series is set in a 19th century sea fort off the coast of France. It introduces six teams — 24 teens from the United States and the United Kingdom — who team up for a tournament where only one team will ultimately get the key to unlock the historic fort’s hidden treasures and win the honor of calling themselves “the conquerors of Fort Boyard.”
The reality adventure series marks the first kids’ version of the popular game show which premiered more than 20 years ago and has since been produced in over 38 countries worldwide.
In the premiere episode, team members from the Red Vipers and Yellow Scorpions compete in the first round of challenges to find out which team has what it takes to move on to become the conquerors of the fort.
“Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge” is produced by Zodiak Media Group’s production companies The Foundation and Adventure Line Productions, who created the concept for the original “Fort Boyard” and have been producing the series for 22 years.
The executive producers are Nigel Pickard and Ged Allen for The Foundation, Pierre Godde for Adventure Line Productions and Jamila Metran for CiTV. The producer is Steve Pinhay.
The series will be televised on Disney XD cable and satellite channels around the world (excluding France and the Nordics) and CiTV in the UK.
About “Fort Boyard”
“Fort Boyard” is the most successful adventure game show in the world, having sold to over 30 territories, while dominating France 2′s primetime summer schedule every year since 1990. The action takes place in an imposing fortress built in the middle of the ocean. This provides the perfect backdrop for strenuous, against-the-clock physical challenges and mind-boggling riddles, featuring strange characters and fearsome animals. All this and more awaits those attempting to reach the Treasure Room! Only the fittest and most intelligent contestants can hope to conquer Fort Boyard.
About Disney XD:
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. There are 22 other Disney XD Games channels around the world.
Geno Segers (Disney XD’s “Pair of Kings”) and popular British television presenter Laura Hamilton (“Dancing On Ice”) host an exciting competition requiring brainpower, courage and teamwork, “Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge,” a 10-part series premiering MONDAY, OCTOBER 17 (8:30-9:00 p.m., ET/PT), with a thrilling finale MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. Based on the international game show phenomenon “Fort Boyard,” the series is set in a 19th century sea fort off the coast of France. It introduces six teams — 24 teens from the United States and the United Kingdom — who team up for a tournament where only one team will ultimately get the key to unlock the historic fort’s hidden treasures and win the honor of calling themselves “the conquerors of Fort Boyard.”
The reality adventure series marks the first kids’ version of the popular game show which premiered more than 20 years ago and has since been produced in over 38 countries worldwide.
In the premiere episode, team members from the Red Vipers and Yellow Scorpions compete in the first round of challenges to find out which team has what it takes to move on to become the conquerors of the fort.
“Fort Boyard – Ultimate Challenge” is produced by Zodiak Media Group’s production companies The Foundation and Adventure Line Productions, who created the concept for the original “Fort Boyard” and have been producing the series for 22 years.
The executive producers are Nigel Pickard and Ged Allen for The Foundation, Pierre Godde for Adventure Line Productions and Jamila Metran for CiTV. The producer is Steve Pinhay.
The series will be televised on Disney XD cable and satellite channels around the world (excluding France and the Nordics) and CiTV in the UK.
About “Fort Boyard”
“Fort Boyard” is the most successful adventure game show in the world, having sold to over 30 territories, while dominating France 2′s primetime summer schedule every year since 1990. The action takes place in an imposing fortress built in the middle of the ocean. This provides the perfect backdrop for strenuous, against-the-clock physical challenges and mind-boggling riddles, featuring strange characters and fearsome animals. All this and more awaits those attempting to reach the Treasure Room! Only the fittest and most intelligent contestants can hope to conquer Fort Boyard.
About Disney XD:
Disney XD is a basic cable channel and multi-platform brand showcasing a compelling mix of live-action and animated programming for Kids age 6-14, hyper-targeting boys and their quest for discovery, accomplishment, sports, adventure and humor. Disney XD branded content spans television, online, mobile and VOD platforms. The programming includes series, movies and short-form, as well as sports-themed programming developed with ESPN. In the U.S., Disney XD is seen on a 24-hour, advertiser supported network that reaches over 78 million households via its basic cable and satellite affiliates. There are 22 other Disney XD Games channels around the world.
Thứ Bảy, 15 tháng 10, 2011
Next gen, Are we ready yet ?
With speculations about Nintendo releasing their new console next year a very important question forces itself at us,Are We Ready yet ?!Well there are two answers for that: No & Yes. You probably wondering now( is this guy an idiot or what ) let me explain to you first why it is yes,For Nintendo fans it's absolutely necessary to release a new console as soon as possible.Let's face it the Wii became outdated and practically dying,And as we all know by now there are massive rumors about a new console might appear in less than a month from now on E3 that will be slightly powerful than the current Playstation & Xbox ( slightly is a very disappointing word as it was the same case for the Wii to the PS2 – Xbox and it got outdated very fast than PS3 – Xbox360, and this will happen again with it's successor ) with 6 inch screen integrated in the controller, those to be considered the main features up till now,So it's a big YES,We Are Ready for Nintendo.
But that's not the case when it comes to Playstation and Xbox next consoles,We still haven't had full of the current gen. yet, A lot of great games yet to come,the current services are great,online multi-player is great.And graphic wise the PS3 hasn't reached it's maximum yet. And we still yet to see big titles which will be released no sooner than Q3 2012 like: The last Guardian – Hitman 5 – MGS:Rising and others, Do we want this games to be the last good thing this gen? of course not. That was regarding the gamers,but what about the developers? Are they ready yet? NO they are not, they are not ready more than the gamers,Why?! Let's see, this current gen started in 2005-2006 but when did we really start to see good looking games with minor or almost not noticeable bugs-glitches? Games that made us drop our jaws when we first saw it and said WOW, it was in late 2009, 3-4 years after the start of this gen. and with games like: Uncharted 2 – Arkham Asylum , And then followed by some other brilliant games such as: BF:BC2 – Mass Effect 2 - Heavy Rain, and more, I know someone would ask: What about GTA4 – Modern Warfare – MGS4 ? yes they are great games and so successful but the question is: Did they really show what the current gen. consoles are capable of? The answer is: Not as much as we thought at the time, Not even half of the potentials this gen. capable of.
Every gen in my opinion walks through 3 phases: 1- The introduction phase 2- The Live phase 3- The dying phase. The introduction phase as i mentioned earlier took 3-4 years to appear, shouldn’t the Live phase which we currently on take at least 150% time more than that? Devs. have just started to master designing the games of this gen. let's give them some time to show us more incredible work and amaze us for a few more years,So I think a 2014 is a great date for next gen consoles to appear, that will give us more time to enjoy what we have and will give devs. more time to prepare for the next gen. and I assure you, We won't get bored of the current gen. before then.
But that's not the case when it comes to Playstation and Xbox next consoles,We still haven't had full of the current gen. yet, A lot of great games yet to come,the current services are great,online multi-player is great.And graphic wise the PS3 hasn't reached it's maximum yet. And we still yet to see big titles which will be released no sooner than Q3 2012 like: The last Guardian – Hitman 5 – MGS:Rising and others, Do we want this games to be the last good thing this gen? of course not. That was regarding the gamers,but what about the developers? Are they ready yet? NO they are not, they are not ready more than the gamers,Why?! Let's see, this current gen started in 2005-2006 but when did we really start to see good looking games with minor or almost not noticeable bugs-glitches? Games that made us drop our jaws when we first saw it and said WOW, it was in late 2009, 3-4 years after the start of this gen. and with games like: Uncharted 2 – Arkham Asylum , And then followed by some other brilliant games such as: BF:BC2 – Mass Effect 2 - Heavy Rain, and more, I know someone would ask: What about GTA4 – Modern Warfare – MGS4 ? yes they are great games and so successful but the question is: Did they really show what the current gen. consoles are capable of? The answer is: Not as much as we thought at the time, Not even half of the potentials this gen. capable of.
Every gen in my opinion walks through 3 phases: 1- The introduction phase 2- The Live phase 3- The dying phase. The introduction phase as i mentioned earlier took 3-4 years to appear, shouldn’t the Live phase which we currently on take at least 150% time more than that? Devs. have just started to master designing the games of this gen. let's give them some time to show us more incredible work and amaze us for a few more years,So I think a 2014 is a great date for next gen consoles to appear, that will give us more time to enjoy what we have and will give devs. more time to prepare for the next gen. and I assure you, We won't get bored of the current gen. before then.
A Gaming Freelancer's Thoughts
So, I've been a gamer for...what has it been now, nineteen years? Yeah. Nineteen years. Playing video games has always been number one or two on my hobbies list. Always competing with reading books.
Books, and now subsequently writing, have been a huge part of my life. I love words and I love imagining new places. Everything is left up to my mind. I don't think anybody can picture a world from a book in their mind quite the same as others. As such, each experience is unique and special.
While games deliver that world. They immerse you in it from the start and let you see everything in it's visual splendor. This is why I'm loving games more and more with each generation. I'm not one of those people who puts graphics above all else (it's fine if you do)...that's not my priority at all. I mean, my favorite games are the Dynasty Warriors. Which happens to be based off of my favorite book, Three Kingdoms, but I digress.
What was I talking about? Right, graphics.
Graphics these days are amazing because I'm able to be immersed into the world even more. I mean, did you SEE Enslaved (based off of my second favorite book, Journey to the West)? I didn't enjoy the game play...but OH MY WORD, THE SURROUNDINGS WERE ALMOST ORGASMIC.
Anyways. I've always been a pretty big failure due to my procrastination and desire to play games or read rather than take care of responsibilities. As such, I haven't entered college yet. I haven't known what I've wanted to do.
Recently, though, I decided. I want to do something in writing. Writing that involves the gaming industry. Why not take my two favorite hobbies and smash them together? I've written about games before, but never for money.
Now, thanks to my fiancé and doing some freelance work on the side, I feel encouraged to get into college and get myself a degree in creative writing or some crap.
I've finally decided what I want to do and I'm extremely happy knowing it's something I love. It's something I won't dread going to do.
And an explanation on the picture...I feel like I took the left path, then decided to cheat and now I'm starting to head towards the other one.
Books, and now subsequently writing, have been a huge part of my life. I love words and I love imagining new places. Everything is left up to my mind. I don't think anybody can picture a world from a book in their mind quite the same as others. As such, each experience is unique and special.
While games deliver that world. They immerse you in it from the start and let you see everything in it's visual splendor. This is why I'm loving games more and more with each generation. I'm not one of those people who puts graphics above all else (it's fine if you do)...that's not my priority at all. I mean, my favorite games are the Dynasty Warriors. Which happens to be based off of my favorite book, Three Kingdoms, but I digress.
What was I talking about? Right, graphics.
Graphics these days are amazing because I'm able to be immersed into the world even more. I mean, did you SEE Enslaved (based off of my second favorite book, Journey to the West)? I didn't enjoy the game play...but OH MY WORD, THE SURROUNDINGS WERE ALMOST ORGASMIC.
Anyways. I've always been a pretty big failure due to my procrastination and desire to play games or read rather than take care of responsibilities. As such, I haven't entered college yet. I haven't known what I've wanted to do.
Recently, though, I decided. I want to do something in writing. Writing that involves the gaming industry. Why not take my two favorite hobbies and smash them together? I've written about games before, but never for money.
Now, thanks to my fiancé and doing some freelance work on the side, I feel encouraged to get into college and get myself a degree in creative writing or some crap.
I've finally decided what I want to do and I'm extremely happy knowing it's something I love. It's something I won't dread going to do.
And an explanation on the picture...I feel like I took the left path, then decided to cheat and now I'm starting to head towards the other one.
Thứ Sáu, 14 tháng 10, 2011
October Contest Details!
All you Oktoberfest celebrants feeling okay this morning? Remember, if the game volume is giving you a headache...just use headphones? We know you guys need cash for your fall Collector's Editions, so here are the N4G contests for October! Winners from September will be announced in the coming days. We have some more contests coming (swag, beta codes) this month, so remember to stay tuned to this N4G blogspace for more goodies!
JOIN N4G AS WE GAME FOR KIDS
Hop over and check out what N4G staff and members are doing to help raise awareness and money for the Children's Miracle Network! See how you can be involved - and how you can enter to win a bunch of swag from GDC, E3 and PAX!
http://n4g.com/user/blogpos...
LOYAL READER LOTTERY:
We will continue our Loyal Reader Lottery! When you visit N4G at least once during every 24 hour period during the month of October you are entered into our Loyal Reader Lottery! If you want to keep track you can follow along with your Daily Visit score*, so if you want to make sure you've logged in during a 24 hour period check this score on your profile!
Prize: 3 Winners - $100 Amazon Gift Card each!
BEST USER BLOG: You must post a User Blog in the month of October! The top User Blog as voted by staff and the ten most active members of the month wins! There's no limit to how many wonderful User Blogs you can write and enter, anything you author here on N4G during the month of October will be eligible.
Prizes: One winner will be chosen and receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
BEST USER Review: You must post a User Review in the month of October! The top User Review as voted by staff and the ten most active members of the month wins! There's no limit to how many wonderful User Reviews you can write and enter, anything you author here on N4G during the month of October will be eligible.
Prizes: One winner will be chosen and receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
CONTRIBUTOR CONTEST: Submit news and get a top 2 News ranking in October and you can win up to three games!
The prizes are:
1st: 3 Games of Choice (standard edition)
2nd: 2 Games of Choice (standard edition)
FORUM LOTTERY:
Post on the forums during the month of October! Two winners will be chosen at random and will each receive $100 Amazon gift cards!
_____________________
*Just a note: I'm sorry the Daily Visit score isn't more 'every day' instead of its current 'every 24h1m', but that is just the front end tracking for you guys and when we run the lotto we pull from a more accurate list. So for those of you visiting every day diligently but not triggering the Daily Visit score reward, don't stress about it!
_________________
Some Terms and Conditions:
Terms and Conditions
1. Competition is open to all N4G users, except for employees of HAVAmedia and immediate relatives. Contests are not limited to the US/NA.
2. Closing date is 11:59 PM 31st October 2011.
3. In the event of unforeseen circumstances N4G/HAVAmedia reserves the right to substitute the prizes for alternatives of equal or greater value.
4. Prizes are not transferrable.
5. The winners of the competition will be notified by N4G ticket on or after November 7, 2011.
6. Failure to reply to ticket notification within fourteen (14) days results in forfeiture of prize.
__________________
More Info on the Forum Lottery (what follows ONLY applies to the Forum Lottery):
What it is -a monthly lottery contest where the winner(s) will receive various prizes.
How it works -Using a random generator engine we choose a forum, active thread and a winner. The finer details:
-Single post wonders, spammers, rude or offensive remarks all result in a DQ.
-The sub-forums located in the N4G related block (Announcements & Rules, contributor, etc) will not be eligible to win, nor will comments made within the Randomicity thread.
-You can only win the Forum Lottery once every six months.
__________________
As always, let me know if you have any questions!
JOIN N4G AS WE GAME FOR KIDS
Hop over and check out what N4G staff and members are doing to help raise awareness and money for the Children's Miracle Network! See how you can be involved - and how you can enter to win a bunch of swag from GDC, E3 and PAX!
http://n4g.com/user/blogpos...
LOYAL READER LOTTERY:
We will continue our Loyal Reader Lottery! When you visit N4G at least once during every 24 hour period during the month of October you are entered into our Loyal Reader Lottery! If you want to keep track you can follow along with your Daily Visit score*, so if you want to make sure you've logged in during a 24 hour period check this score on your profile!
Prize: 3 Winners - $100 Amazon Gift Card each!
BEST USER BLOG: You must post a User Blog in the month of October! The top User Blog as voted by staff and the ten most active members of the month wins! There's no limit to how many wonderful User Blogs you can write and enter, anything you author here on N4G during the month of October will be eligible.
Prizes: One winner will be chosen and receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
BEST USER Review: You must post a User Review in the month of October! The top User Review as voted by staff and the ten most active members of the month wins! There's no limit to how many wonderful User Reviews you can write and enter, anything you author here on N4G during the month of October will be eligible.
Prizes: One winner will be chosen and receive a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
CONTRIBUTOR CONTEST: Submit news and get a top 2 News ranking in October and you can win up to three games!
The prizes are:
1st: 3 Games of Choice (standard edition)
2nd: 2 Games of Choice (standard edition)
FORUM LOTTERY:
Post on the forums during the month of October! Two winners will be chosen at random and will each receive $100 Amazon gift cards!
_____________________
*Just a note: I'm sorry the Daily Visit score isn't more 'every day' instead of its current 'every 24h1m', but that is just the front end tracking for you guys and when we run the lotto we pull from a more accurate list. So for those of you visiting every day diligently but not triggering the Daily Visit score reward, don't stress about it!
_________________
Some Terms and Conditions:
Terms and Conditions
1. Competition is open to all N4G users, except for employees of HAVAmedia and immediate relatives. Contests are not limited to the US/NA.
2. Closing date is 11:59 PM 31st October 2011.
3. In the event of unforeseen circumstances N4G/HAVAmedia reserves the right to substitute the prizes for alternatives of equal or greater value.
4. Prizes are not transferrable.
5. The winners of the competition will be notified by N4G ticket on or after November 7, 2011.
6. Failure to reply to ticket notification within fourteen (14) days results in forfeiture of prize.
__________________
More Info on the Forum Lottery (what follows ONLY applies to the Forum Lottery):
What it is -a monthly lottery contest where the winner(s) will receive various prizes.
How it works -Using a random generator engine we choose a forum, active thread and a winner. The finer details:
-Single post wonders, spammers, rude or offensive remarks all result in a DQ.
-The sub-forums located in the N4G related block (Announcements & Rules, contributor, etc) will not be eligible to win, nor will comments made within the Randomicity thread.
-You can only win the Forum Lottery once every six months.
__________________
As always, let me know if you have any questions!
Why Video Games Should Stay a Sport
So why should games be considered a sport?
If kicking, smacking, throwing, a ball into a hole, goal, etc.. to score a point is considered a sport then why not games?
Running in a straight line for 100m, speed reading, board games, etc... are sports as well so why shouldnt gaming not be considered a sport?
A average person would not think games should be a sport but there are very skilled gamers and there are also very skilled football players that seperate an average player from a pro.
It is harder for those to see skill in gaming because they do not know what is going on or are used to big sports like football, basketball, golf, hockey, track and field, etc... to see that sports do not have to be like that.
In many sports there are many different things going on that each player has to think about and do. There is no difference with that and gaming.
What skilled gamers think about in a short amount of time and then having to do it is harder to see if you do not understand the game unlike in many popular sports you can see what they are trying to do very fast.
I have no idea how korean's play star craft the way they do but because I can understand what they are doing it is impressive. If someone that does not know anything about it sees them play then they would think that they are just pressing random keys on the keyboard.
For us to see if games should be considered a sport lets see what sport means
Sport:
1.An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.
2. Entertainment; fun
3.A source of amusement or entertainment
Now I will prove how gaming can meet all of those three things.
1.Chess is a sport and it has almost zero physical exertion. Gaming has more physical exertion then chess so if chess is considered a sport then why shouldnt games?
2.Many people find gaming entertaining and fun
3.Same reason as #2
Here is a quote from wiki(I know, not the best source)
"Electronic sports, abbreviated e-sports is used as a general term to describe the play of video games competitively. Other terms include competitive gaming, professional gaming, cybersports and v-sports. One of the founding fathers of electronic sports leagues is Angel Munoz, founder of the Cyberathlete Professional League)."
There are many that have their own views on what should be a sport or not so you can have many different opinions. How I see it is that if this sport can be considered a sport then why can't this be also?
If kicking, smacking, throwing, a ball into a hole, goal, etc.. to score a point is considered a sport then why not games?
Running in a straight line for 100m, speed reading, board games, etc... are sports as well so why shouldnt gaming not be considered a sport?
A average person would not think games should be a sport but there are very skilled gamers and there are also very skilled football players that seperate an average player from a pro.
It is harder for those to see skill in gaming because they do not know what is going on or are used to big sports like football, basketball, golf, hockey, track and field, etc... to see that sports do not have to be like that.
In many sports there are many different things going on that each player has to think about and do. There is no difference with that and gaming.
What skilled gamers think about in a short amount of time and then having to do it is harder to see if you do not understand the game unlike in many popular sports you can see what they are trying to do very fast.
I have no idea how korean's play star craft the way they do but because I can understand what they are doing it is impressive. If someone that does not know anything about it sees them play then they would think that they are just pressing random keys on the keyboard.
For us to see if games should be considered a sport lets see what sport means
Sport:
1.An activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others.
2. Entertainment; fun
3.A source of amusement or entertainment
Now I will prove how gaming can meet all of those three things.
1.Chess is a sport and it has almost zero physical exertion. Gaming has more physical exertion then chess so if chess is considered a sport then why shouldnt games?
2.Many people find gaming entertaining and fun
3.Same reason as #2
Here is a quote from wiki(I know, not the best source)
"Electronic sports, abbreviated e-sports is used as a general term to describe the play of video games competitively. Other terms include competitive gaming, professional gaming, cybersports and v-sports. One of the founding fathers of electronic sports leagues is Angel Munoz, founder of the Cyberathlete Professional League)."
There are many that have their own views on what should be a sport or not so you can have many different opinions. How I see it is that if this sport can be considered a sport then why can't this be also?
Phineas And Ferb 3D Game – Disney XD Games 63
New Disney Game – Phineas and Ferb
Disney released a new game. Phineas and Ferb 3D online game. Klick here to read the complete review.
The new game is available at the Disney XD discovery channel. Get ahead of the game before its officially released next week!
Disney is introducing the brand new DisneyXD game. Phineas and Ferb in: The Transport inators of Doooom!
Doofenschmitz is up to his old tricks again, and who has gone missing? Phineas! Help Ferb find his brother and try to help Agent P thwarth Doofenschmitz evil plans!
Check out this new exciting Disney XD online game before all others do at the Disney Cartoon network games website!
Check out Disney’s cartoon network to find a lot of amazing games and news. Disney offers a lot of cartoon games on their site. So head over to the Disney XD site and play the new Phineas and Ferb – The Transport-inators of Doooom! game!
Have Fun!
Disney released a new game. Phineas and Ferb 3D online game. Klick here to read the complete review.
The new game is available at the Disney XD discovery channel. Get ahead of the game before its officially released next week!
Disney is introducing the brand new DisneyXD game. Phineas and Ferb in: The Transport inators of Doooom!
Doofenschmitz is up to his old tricks again, and who has gone missing? Phineas! Help Ferb find his brother and try to help Agent P thwarth Doofenschmitz evil plans!
Check out this new exciting Disney XD online game before all others do at the Disney Cartoon network games website!
Check out Disney’s cartoon network to find a lot of amazing games and news. Disney offers a lot of cartoon games on their site. So head over to the Disney XD site and play the new Phineas and Ferb – The Transport-inators of Doooom! game!
Have Fun!
Disney-branded Facebook games coming in 2012, Playdom head says
Can we all just say, “finally?” During a panel named “The Rise of Social Games” at the f8 Facebook Developers Conference in San Francisco, Disney Interactive and Playdom head John Pleasants revealed that two to four Facebook games surrounding Disney xd brands will hit Facebook in 2012. The general topic of the panel was the fact that branded social games are taking off.
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we’ve come to love.
Honestly, we’re surprised this didn’t happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn’t get into why it’s taken this long for disney channel games to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer–and we enjoyed quite a bit–peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company’s name, according to Pleasants. “We think it’s an advantage, if you put game play first,” Pleasants said.
It’s comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam’s Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine.
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we’ve come to love.
Honestly, we’re surprised this didn’t happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn’t get into why it’s taken this long for disney channel games to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer–and we enjoyed quite a bit–peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company’s name, according to Pleasants. “We think it’s an advantage, if you put game play first,” Pleasants said.
It’s comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam’s Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine.
Thứ Ba, 11 tháng 10, 2011
Facebook soccer sim Top Eleven gets even more serious in Version 2.0
Top Eleven Version 2.0
Seriously, if you're looking for a soccer (football, sorry) simulator that considers nearly every possibility, it seriously doesn't more serious than Top Eleven. If we've yet to drive home that this game by Serbian developer Nordeus is seriously deep, just check out some of the features that will hit Top Eleven when Version 2.0 hits on Oct. 10 ... seriously. In addition to already covering every tiny detail:
* Training – the complete overhaul of the training mode now lets managers control every aspect of coaching their team. Decisions need to be made about which skills to focus a player on developing, how to balance the intensity of training with players physical condition, and whether to change a players career and train them for a new position
* Club Finances – managers can now win more premium currency for free than ever before by strategically choosing sponsorships deals. They can sign a riskier deal linked the results of the team, or play it safe and gain tokens on a daily basis
* New Interface – Top Eleven's sleek new look makes the game even easier to navigate and is built to update with new features in the future
"We've been working really hard over the last six months to get these new features built into the game," Nordeus CEO Branko Milutinović said in a release. "The early feedback we've got from our loyal BETA testers has been fantastic and helped us fine-tune the new features, ready for our millions of players. These changes make Top Eleven even more life-like by bringing in more decisions to keep managers thinking and on their toes."
Top Eleven training
With a game that takes such minute considerations (for fans, at least) and turns them into pivotal gameplay hooks, we can only imagine Top Eleven became the most popular sports game on Facebook because soccer fans are insanely meticulous at heart(?). Well, that and the fact that the game is available in about 27 languages. Oh, and soccer (well, football) is huge.
Click here to check out the Top Eleven changes come Oct. 10 >
Are you a fan of Top Eleven on Facebook? Which type of sports game do you prefer on social networks: action-packed arcade style romps or stat-crunching, serious simulators? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
Seriously, if you're looking for a soccer (football, sorry) simulator that considers nearly every possibility, it seriously doesn't more serious than Top Eleven. If we've yet to drive home that this game by Serbian developer Nordeus is seriously deep, just check out some of the features that will hit Top Eleven when Version 2.0 hits on Oct. 10 ... seriously. In addition to already covering every tiny detail:
* Training – the complete overhaul of the training mode now lets managers control every aspect of coaching their team. Decisions need to be made about which skills to focus a player on developing, how to balance the intensity of training with players physical condition, and whether to change a players career and train them for a new position
* Club Finances – managers can now win more premium currency for free than ever before by strategically choosing sponsorships deals. They can sign a riskier deal linked the results of the team, or play it safe and gain tokens on a daily basis
* New Interface – Top Eleven's sleek new look makes the game even easier to navigate and is built to update with new features in the future
"We've been working really hard over the last six months to get these new features built into the game," Nordeus CEO Branko Milutinović said in a release. "The early feedback we've got from our loyal BETA testers has been fantastic and helped us fine-tune the new features, ready for our millions of players. These changes make Top Eleven even more life-like by bringing in more decisions to keep managers thinking and on their toes."
Top Eleven training
With a game that takes such minute considerations (for fans, at least) and turns them into pivotal gameplay hooks, we can only imagine Top Eleven became the most popular sports game on Facebook because soccer fans are insanely meticulous at heart(?). Well, that and the fact that the game is available in about 27 languages. Oh, and soccer (well, football) is huge.
Click here to check out the Top Eleven changes come Oct. 10 >
Are you a fan of Top Eleven on Facebook? Which type of sports game do you prefer on social networks: action-packed arcade style romps or stat-crunching, serious simulators? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
Masters of Mystery hits Facebook as, yes, another hidden-object game
Masters of Mystery Online
At this point, we're surprised I Spy hasn't hit Facebook yet. Canadian developer Big Blue Bubble announced that its Masters of Mystery series has hit Facebook in a brand new, aptly-named game, Masters of Mystery: Online. The game takes a look at the stereotypical gritty world of a beat cop-turned-private investigator as he attempts to uncover the truth behind a murder case.
More specifically, a model is found killed in the apartment of a prominent fashion designer, and it's up to you to figure out, well, whodunnit' through--what else?--hidden object gameplay. According to a release, the plot will only unfurl as you add more friends to your list of helpers, and for fans of the franchise, some familiar characters will return to help you.
Masters of Mystery Online Gameplay
Players are scored for how quickly they find the objects listed across four chapters and 24 levels. From the currency you'll earn by performing well in the game's several stages, you can outfit your office with decorations for friends to check out. Of course, there will be daily rewards to collect and weekly content updates of new quests, as well as achievements for special milestones.
Sure, it's another hidden-object game, but that genre is arguably new on Facebook, surprisingly enough. If you've had your fill of the ornate, historic scenery of Facebook's top hidden-object game, Gardens of Time, then maybe it's time to put your police cap on. The game currently welcomes a whopping 47 players, but give it a break--it's 100 percent fresh.
Click here to play Masters of Mystery: Online on Facebook Now >
Are you psyched to hop into a new hidden-object game on Facebook? Are you a fan of the genre, and what's your favorite hidden-object game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
At this point, we're surprised I Spy hasn't hit Facebook yet. Canadian developer Big Blue Bubble announced that its Masters of Mystery series has hit Facebook in a brand new, aptly-named game, Masters of Mystery: Online. The game takes a look at the stereotypical gritty world of a beat cop-turned-private investigator as he attempts to uncover the truth behind a murder case.
More specifically, a model is found killed in the apartment of a prominent fashion designer, and it's up to you to figure out, well, whodunnit' through--what else?--hidden object gameplay. According to a release, the plot will only unfurl as you add more friends to your list of helpers, and for fans of the franchise, some familiar characters will return to help you.
Masters of Mystery Online Gameplay
Players are scored for how quickly they find the objects listed across four chapters and 24 levels. From the currency you'll earn by performing well in the game's several stages, you can outfit your office with decorations for friends to check out. Of course, there will be daily rewards to collect and weekly content updates of new quests, as well as achievements for special milestones.
Sure, it's another hidden-object game, but that genre is arguably new on Facebook, surprisingly enough. If you've had your fill of the ornate, historic scenery of Facebook's top hidden-object game, Gardens of Time, then maybe it's time to put your police cap on. The game currently welcomes a whopping 47 players, but give it a break--it's 100 percent fresh.
Click here to play Masters of Mystery: Online on Facebook Now >
Are you psyched to hop into a new hidden-object game on Facebook? Are you a fan of the genre, and what's your favorite hidden-object game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Thứ Năm, 6 tháng 10, 2011
Alright, So What Do You Realize About Angry Birds?
I’m fairly certain you’ve previously heard of Angry Birds Game and also Angry Birds Seasons. You actually don’t simply learn about this through your childhood friends, buddies, or relatives. You actually see it through movies and TV shows likewise. People all around the globe speak about it, that it must be difficult to not be intrigued by what this really is all about.
Angry Birds is actually a video game produced by the company Rovio Mobile situated in Finland. After its very first launch, more than twelve million copies have been sold. This particular overpowering result caused the designers to generate other versions of the video game to appeal to specific devices such as Symbian as well as Android devices. This permits millions of users all over the world have fun with the game and become amazed about its fantastic and fascinating levels.
The overall game involves having a slingshot to release different types of birds at pigs which are on or within certain structures. The goal is to hit all the pigs using the birds without leaving any pig before the available birds run out. The particular constructions when the pigs are stationed are tough to eliminate on occasion. Thus, you might need to launch a number of birds before you get to eliminate all of them. When you proceed to the next levels in the game, different kinds of birds appear with absolutely new unique capabilities. Their expertise will help you eradicate the constructions as well as the pigs much more quickly.
There are 3 special versions in the game namely the Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio, and Angry Birds Magic. Angry Birds Seasons was created to fit the different occasions of the season for example Halloween night, Christmas, as well as Valentine’s. Angry Birds Rio is really a stand-alone release in which the characters happens to be in Rio de Janeiro and interact with characters in the film. The actual response of this edition has been very positive. It’s been purchased by millions since its very first launch. New comers immediately created an Angry Birds Rio to help beginners understand the new edition of the game. These kinds of cheats have become popular.
Angry Birds is actually a video game produced by the company Rovio Mobile situated in Finland. After its very first launch, more than twelve million copies have been sold. This particular overpowering result caused the designers to generate other versions of the video game to appeal to specific devices such as Symbian as well as Android devices. This permits millions of users all over the world have fun with the game and become amazed about its fantastic and fascinating levels.
The overall game involves having a slingshot to release different types of birds at pigs which are on or within certain structures. The goal is to hit all the pigs using the birds without leaving any pig before the available birds run out. The particular constructions when the pigs are stationed are tough to eliminate on occasion. Thus, you might need to launch a number of birds before you get to eliminate all of them. When you proceed to the next levels in the game, different kinds of birds appear with absolutely new unique capabilities. Their expertise will help you eradicate the constructions as well as the pigs much more quickly.
There are 3 special versions in the game namely the Angry Birds Seasons, Angry Birds Rio, and Angry Birds Magic. Angry Birds Seasons was created to fit the different occasions of the season for example Halloween night, Christmas, as well as Valentine’s. Angry Birds Rio is really a stand-alone release in which the characters happens to be in Rio de Janeiro and interact with characters in the film. The actual response of this edition has been very positive. It’s been purchased by millions since its very first launch. New comers immediately created an Angry Birds Rio to help beginners understand the new edition of the game. These kinds of cheats have become popular.
FarmVille Cow Pasture: Everything you need to know
A fifth breeding building has started rolling out in FarmVille, and this newest animal habitat comes in the form of the Cow Pasture. Yes, I know we all probably have plenty of Dairy Farms on our farms to store cows (note: with the launch of this feature, Dairy Farms are no longer available for purchase in the market), but with these new buildings, we'll have a chance to store and breed cows even without bulls, by simply having one of a particular animal inside it. Of course, you'll need to first build your Cow Pasture before you can use it, so let's get straight into the guide.
The Cow Pasture requires 30 ingredients: 10 each of Hay Bundles, Stones and Tin Sheets. Unfortunately, these Stones are the same items you'll need to continue to repair the cove in Lighthouse Cove, so you'll need to once again decide which item is more important at the time: building this Cow Pasture, or repairing the Cove. Once the Cow Pasture is built, you'll be able to store 20 different Cows inside (perhaps you'd like to fill it with some cows that were re-released this evening). You'll also receive a free Irish Moiled Cow for completing it.
What makes this Cow Pasture different than other animal habitats is that you'll breed calves, rather than duplicate animals of those placed inside your Cow Pasture. With this comes the announcement that Calf and Foal mastery is "coming soon," so you'll want to have as many of these calves appear on your land as possible to prepare for that. While that may not give you a chance to easily stock up on fully grown Cows, I suppose you could place these extra calves in your Nursery Barn in the hopes that they eventually grow up.
Alternatively, you can click on the "Grow Up" button on your new Calves to grow them manually into adults by paying Farm Cash. Yes, this feature only costs Farm Cash and is currently unavailable for coins. The only positive that comes with this is that you won't need to collect Animal Feed, and can then use your excess Feed on the many, many babies you probably already have on your land.
For the record, it doesn't look like this Cow Pasture will do anything to your existing Dairy Farms, so feel free to keep those on your farm for easy storage of existing Cows on your farm(s).
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Cow Pasture feature? Are you looking forward to calf and foal mastery? Sound off in the comments.
The Cow Pasture requires 30 ingredients: 10 each of Hay Bundles, Stones and Tin Sheets. Unfortunately, these Stones are the same items you'll need to continue to repair the cove in Lighthouse Cove, so you'll need to once again decide which item is more important at the time: building this Cow Pasture, or repairing the Cove. Once the Cow Pasture is built, you'll be able to store 20 different Cows inside (perhaps you'd like to fill it with some cows that were re-released this evening). You'll also receive a free Irish Moiled Cow for completing it.
What makes this Cow Pasture different than other animal habitats is that you'll breed calves, rather than duplicate animals of those placed inside your Cow Pasture. With this comes the announcement that Calf and Foal mastery is "coming soon," so you'll want to have as many of these calves appear on your land as possible to prepare for that. While that may not give you a chance to easily stock up on fully grown Cows, I suppose you could place these extra calves in your Nursery Barn in the hopes that they eventually grow up.
Alternatively, you can click on the "Grow Up" button on your new Calves to grow them manually into adults by paying Farm Cash. Yes, this feature only costs Farm Cash and is currently unavailable for coins. The only positive that comes with this is that you won't need to collect Animal Feed, and can then use your excess Feed on the many, many babies you probably already have on your land.
For the record, it doesn't look like this Cow Pasture will do anything to your existing Dairy Farms, so feel free to keep those on your farm for easy storage of existing Cows on your farm(s).
Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of the Cow Pasture feature? Are you looking forward to calf and foal mastery? Sound off in the comments.
Kabam study suggests hardcore gamers are flocking to Facebook
Have the tables finally turned? Not quite just yet, but slowly and surely they are, a study released by Kabam suggests. The Redwood City-Calif.-based creator of Facebook games like Dragons of Atlantis and Edgeworld recently commissioned a survey of 1,412 "hardcore" gamers to find just how their behavior has changed since the dawn of Facebook games.
Dubbed the "Social Gamer Study," Kabam found that the demographics of the average social game fan are slowly changing--more young to middle-aged men are playing Facebook games. And a whopping 82 percent of them come from the console game space, which is terribly important. This is because 27 percent of those surveyed report playing console games less often.
And perhaps more importantly to those looking to make cash from hardcore games, those surveyed reported spending 50 percent less on console games. Of course, Kabam threw in that players of its games are even more dedicated to Facebook games than console games: 55 percent reported playing console games less and spending 65 percent on the games.
Social Gamer Study findings
According to the study conducted by Information Solutions Group, 72 percent of these hardcore social gamers are playing two or more games at once, and 47 percent are playing three or more. If you've ever played a game like Kingdoms of Camelot or Kixeye's Backyard Monsters, you know that this is quite a lot to keep up with--much more so than, say, FarmVille.
Not to mention that this growing sub culture of Facebook gamers plays far longer game sessions than the 30 minutes or so your average Bejeweled Blitz player sits down for on lunch break. A massive 68 percent reported playing social strategy games for three hours or longer a day, and 30 percent said they play for longer than an hour per session.
Of course, it's important to keep in mind who commissioned this study: a developer and publisher of hardcore Facebook games. Vested interests aside, it's undeniable that a new breed of Facebook game fan is emerging, and fast. And you have to assume, with advances like download-free 3D gaming on the horizon, these numbers will only grow. Check out the study in full here.
Are you part of this growing portion of Facebook gamers? Do you think social game creators like Zynga, EA and wooga have anything to worry about? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Dubbed the "Social Gamer Study," Kabam found that the demographics of the average social game fan are slowly changing--more young to middle-aged men are playing Facebook games. And a whopping 82 percent of them come from the console game space, which is terribly important. This is because 27 percent of those surveyed report playing console games less often.
And perhaps more importantly to those looking to make cash from hardcore games, those surveyed reported spending 50 percent less on console games. Of course, Kabam threw in that players of its games are even more dedicated to Facebook games than console games: 55 percent reported playing console games less and spending 65 percent on the games.
Social Gamer Study findings
According to the study conducted by Information Solutions Group, 72 percent of these hardcore social gamers are playing two or more games at once, and 47 percent are playing three or more. If you've ever played a game like Kingdoms of Camelot or Kixeye's Backyard Monsters, you know that this is quite a lot to keep up with--much more so than, say, FarmVille.
Not to mention that this growing sub culture of Facebook gamers plays far longer game sessions than the 30 minutes or so your average Bejeweled Blitz player sits down for on lunch break. A massive 68 percent reported playing social strategy games for three hours or longer a day, and 30 percent said they play for longer than an hour per session.
Of course, it's important to keep in mind who commissioned this study: a developer and publisher of hardcore Facebook games. Vested interests aside, it's undeniable that a new breed of Facebook game fan is emerging, and fast. And you have to assume, with advances like download-free 3D gaming on the horizon, these numbers will only grow. Check out the study in full here.
Are you part of this growing portion of Facebook gamers? Do you think social game creators like Zynga, EA and wooga have anything to worry about? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
GameHouse hopes to build buzz on Facebook with Bayou Blast
This might be the first and last time you see these words from me: I cannot wait to hit the bayou. GameHouse just announced that its next Facebook game, Bayou Blast, is scheduled to hit the platform this October. Keeping with the recurring "Blast" theme started with Collapse! Blast, this game tasks players with matching gems to make them explode. Sound familiar?
Of course it does, but judging from an early look at the game courtesy of GameHouse CEO Matt Hulett, Bayou Blast brings a fresh twist to the sub genre. You are Bayou, the last remaining firefly of the swamp who must save his friends from a voodoo frog that has captured them in various gems. But rather than simply matching them à la Bejeweled Blitz, you must draw lines of lightning through as many identical gems as you can to destroy them.
Bayou Blast takes this hook and crams it into 60-second game sessions in a race for the high score. Much like its competitors and previous offerings from GameHouse on Facebook, Bayou Blast features weekly tournaments between friends and power-ups that unlock over time and can be bought using either in-game currency or Facebook Credits. These include staples like time extensions, exploding gems and score multipliers.
Bayou Blast gameplay
The game takes on a charming, cartoonish art style, and rewards players for blowing up gems with greater speed. In fact, match fast enough and the game board will burst into flame, which we assume means much more points. "We've really focused on the quality of the game," Hulett tells us. "I've got people outside my office who are constantly looking at different art effects. Like, 'Is the lightning looking the right way when [players] drag the mouse cursor?' The amount of detail they're putting into this game is really great."
According to Hulett, games like Collapse! Blast and soon Bayou Blast mark a significant shift in where the company is headed. About 50 percent of the GameHouse staff is now focused on creating social games for Facebook and mobile devices. (GameHouse was originally focused on downloadable casual games.) Speaking of which, both of these games will receive Facebook-connected versions for the iPhone and iPad early next year. And Hulett is confident that GameHouse's new direction will pay off.
"We have a good shot of being in the Top 10," Hulett gushes. "I think we've gotten really good at Facebook games over the past three to five months. Maybe Bayou Blast will be our first game [with 1 million daily players]." We'll see if Bayou Blast lives up to Hulett's ambitions this October. Until then, check out the trailer below.
Are you psyched to play Bayou Blast on Facebook? What do you think of GameHouse's approach the world of Facebook games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Of course it does, but judging from an early look at the game courtesy of GameHouse CEO Matt Hulett, Bayou Blast brings a fresh twist to the sub genre. You are Bayou, the last remaining firefly of the swamp who must save his friends from a voodoo frog that has captured them in various gems. But rather than simply matching them à la Bejeweled Blitz, you must draw lines of lightning through as many identical gems as you can to destroy them.
Bayou Blast takes this hook and crams it into 60-second game sessions in a race for the high score. Much like its competitors and previous offerings from GameHouse on Facebook, Bayou Blast features weekly tournaments between friends and power-ups that unlock over time and can be bought using either in-game currency or Facebook Credits. These include staples like time extensions, exploding gems and score multipliers.
Bayou Blast gameplay
The game takes on a charming, cartoonish art style, and rewards players for blowing up gems with greater speed. In fact, match fast enough and the game board will burst into flame, which we assume means much more points. "We've really focused on the quality of the game," Hulett tells us. "I've got people outside my office who are constantly looking at different art effects. Like, 'Is the lightning looking the right way when [players] drag the mouse cursor?' The amount of detail they're putting into this game is really great."
According to Hulett, games like Collapse! Blast and soon Bayou Blast mark a significant shift in where the company is headed. About 50 percent of the GameHouse staff is now focused on creating social games for Facebook and mobile devices. (GameHouse was originally focused on downloadable casual games.) Speaking of which, both of these games will receive Facebook-connected versions for the iPhone and iPad early next year. And Hulett is confident that GameHouse's new direction will pay off.
"We have a good shot of being in the Top 10," Hulett gushes. "I think we've gotten really good at Facebook games over the past three to five months. Maybe Bayou Blast will be our first game [with 1 million daily players]." We'll see if Bayou Blast lives up to Hulett's ambitions this October. Until then, check out the trailer below.
Are you psyched to play Bayou Blast on Facebook? What do you think of GameHouse's approach the world of Facebook games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
FarmVille iOS Update: Sail to Lighthouse Cove on iPhone, iPad
FarmVille for iOS is keeping up with the Joneses. Zynga just released Version 2.3 of FarmVille for iPhone and iPad, a major update that grants access to the brand new Lighthouse Cove expansion. Now, you can take your coastal farming village with you on your iPhone and iPad. The update doesn't contain much else, but let's not look too ungrateful--these updates are rare.
The update also includes "a barn-full of bug fixes and crash fixes," but what's more important is now we can finally hit up Lighthouse Cove on our tiny, touchy screens. To access the new content, just touch options button on the bottom right hand corner of the screen, and then "Travel to..." and Lighthouse Cove. The transition is surprisingly smooth.
However, you need to have already visited Lighthouse Cove on FarmVille for Facebook before you can check it out on your iOS device of choice. The mobile version of Lighthouse Cove even comes with a brand new theme song that sounds decidedly western, oddly enough.
FarmVille iPhone Lighthouse Cove
While you can access all the new crops, animals and trees the expansion has to offer, you won't be able to fix the place up while playing from your iPhone or iPad. Hey, at least you can keep up with things while in line at the grocery store, you know, buying real fruits and vegetables.
Click here to download FarmVille for iOS Version 2.3 Now >
Have you visited Lighthouse Cove through your iPhone or iPad yet? What do you think of how Zynga handles the mobile version of FarmVille? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
The update also includes "a barn-full of bug fixes and crash fixes," but what's more important is now we can finally hit up Lighthouse Cove on our tiny, touchy screens. To access the new content, just touch options button on the bottom right hand corner of the screen, and then "Travel to..." and Lighthouse Cove. The transition is surprisingly smooth.
However, you need to have already visited Lighthouse Cove on FarmVille for Facebook before you can check it out on your iOS device of choice. The mobile version of Lighthouse Cove even comes with a brand new theme song that sounds decidedly western, oddly enough.
FarmVille iPhone Lighthouse Cove
While you can access all the new crops, animals and trees the expansion has to offer, you won't be able to fix the place up while playing from your iPhone or iPad. Hey, at least you can keep up with things while in line at the grocery store, you know, buying real fruits and vegetables.
Click here to download FarmVille for iOS Version 2.3 Now >
Have you visited Lighthouse Cove through your iPhone or iPad yet? What do you think of how Zynga handles the mobile version of FarmVille? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
Adventure World rockets to over 9 million players, thanks to promotions
Adventure World Mafia Wars promo
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
Thứ Ba, 4 tháng 10, 2011
NHL Superstars coming to Facebook in October
Adding to its popular brand of "Superstars" titles on Facebook, Electronic Arts has announced the production of NHL Superstars for Facebook. This new game, as reported by ShackNews, comes on the heels of EA's NHL 12 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 breaking franchise records for the biggest launch week in the franchise's history.
As for the franchise's jump onto the Facebook ice, we're told this: "NHL Superstars will bring an all-new NHL experience to millions of hockey fans by enabling players to build and manage their ultimate team of professional hockey players. With dynamic and accessible gameplay, fans can compete head-to-head in games against their Facebook friends from around the world."
While specific details are still lacking as to what we can exactly expect from NHL Superstars, we can't imagine EA / Playfish breaking the mold. We'll likely be able to collect cards that contain professional hockey players, and then trade those cards out to create the best team possible. Each player will likely have stats, and we'll be able to use those players in virtual hockey games against others for supremacy.
We don't have a specific release date for NHL Superstars, although the game is set to take to the ice sometime in October. We'll make sure to give you a complete look at the game when we know more.
Are you excited to see NHL Superstars come to Facebook? Which players will you look for to create your perfect team? Sound off in the comments.
As for the franchise's jump onto the Facebook ice, we're told this: "NHL Superstars will bring an all-new NHL experience to millions of hockey fans by enabling players to build and manage their ultimate team of professional hockey players. With dynamic and accessible gameplay, fans can compete head-to-head in games against their Facebook friends from around the world."
While specific details are still lacking as to what we can exactly expect from NHL Superstars, we can't imagine EA / Playfish breaking the mold. We'll likely be able to collect cards that contain professional hockey players, and then trade those cards out to create the best team possible. Each player will likely have stats, and we'll be able to use those players in virtual hockey games against others for supremacy.
We don't have a specific release date for NHL Superstars, although the game is set to take to the ice sometime in October. We'll make sure to give you a complete look at the game when we know more.
Are you excited to see NHL Superstars come to Facebook? Which players will you look for to create your perfect team? Sound off in the comments.
Soon, you might score some Angry Birds with that Starbucks macchiato
Angry Birds Starbucks
"Hey, I'll take a grande caramel cappuccino ... with an Angry Bird on top? Yeah, that works." We doubt most Starbucks baristas would do this nonsense just for you, but you might at least be playing a lot more Angry Birds in Starbucks locations soon. In fact, according to Bloomberg, you may soon take trips to Starbucks specifically to play Rovio's wildly successful game.
During an interview with Bloomberg, Rovio SVP Wibe Wagemans said that his company is in talks with the Seattle-based coffee company to set up virtual goods offers and perhaps even digital scoreboards in Starbucks locations. Keep in mind, however, that this is the same guy who made lofty claims like, "We are now the fastest-growing consumer brand in history."
But what honestly leads us to believe that this isn't merely poppycock is that the Finnish game developer has conducted similar partnerships with national companies in the past. Take Barnes and Noble bookstores, for instance, which offered Nook e-reader owners a free Mighty Eagle download earlier this year--just for visiting with their device in tow.
And don't forget that you can already find a bunch of Angry Birds-themed retail items like plush dolls and t-shirts in the book seller's stores. More importantly, who runs the in-house Barnes and Noble cafes? Yup, Starbucks. So, despite Starbucks's refusal to comment on or acknowledge whether it's talking to Rovio, all signs are pointing at least to a dash of Mighty Eagle with your mocha macchiato.
And Starbucks would be kind of dumb not at least dip one toe into the Angry Birds nest. With toys, cook books and a feature film in the works, Rovio's flagship brand is huge. Not to mention that a Facebook version of the game is in the works, according to Wagemans, which would all but blow this franchise wide open. It's a good time for Angry Birds, and they're looking to share the wealth ... anywhere, really.
[Image Credit: Food Beast]
Would you go to Starbucks just to keep your high score above your fellow coffee snobs lovers'? What do you think of Rovio's immense push into the retail world with Angry Birds? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
"Hey, I'll take a grande caramel cappuccino ... with an Angry Bird on top? Yeah, that works." We doubt most Starbucks baristas would do this nonsense just for you, but you might at least be playing a lot more Angry Birds in Starbucks locations soon. In fact, according to Bloomberg, you may soon take trips to Starbucks specifically to play Rovio's wildly successful game.
During an interview with Bloomberg, Rovio SVP Wibe Wagemans said that his company is in talks with the Seattle-based coffee company to set up virtual goods offers and perhaps even digital scoreboards in Starbucks locations. Keep in mind, however, that this is the same guy who made lofty claims like, "We are now the fastest-growing consumer brand in history."
But what honestly leads us to believe that this isn't merely poppycock is that the Finnish game developer has conducted similar partnerships with national companies in the past. Take Barnes and Noble bookstores, for instance, which offered Nook e-reader owners a free Mighty Eagle download earlier this year--just for visiting with their device in tow.
And don't forget that you can already find a bunch of Angry Birds-themed retail items like plush dolls and t-shirts in the book seller's stores. More importantly, who runs the in-house Barnes and Noble cafes? Yup, Starbucks. So, despite Starbucks's refusal to comment on or acknowledge whether it's talking to Rovio, all signs are pointing at least to a dash of Mighty Eagle with your mocha macchiato.
And Starbucks would be kind of dumb not at least dip one toe into the Angry Birds nest. With toys, cook books and a feature film in the works, Rovio's flagship brand is huge. Not to mention that a Facebook version of the game is in the works, according to Wagemans, which would all but blow this franchise wide open. It's a good time for Angry Birds, and they're looking to share the wealth ... anywhere, really.
[Image Credit: Food Beast]
Would you go to Starbucks just to keep your high score above your fellow coffee snobs lovers'? What do you think of Rovio's immense push into the retail world with Angry Birds? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Social game network Hi5 suffers 'significant' layoffs, pushes onward
Hopefully not sounding too crass, but this is one of the unfortunate if efficient advantages of technology. TechCrunch reports that Hi5, a social game network looking to compete with Google+ Games and Facebook in 2012, has laid off 28 employees. The decision, confirmed by infamous pundit and Hi5 president and CTO Alex St. John, was made in response to new tech:
"We have also been building the next generation site in a new architecture, .NET framework, and have moved away from Open Source and Java technology," St. John told TechCrunch. "As we have recently turned the corner on our technology migration efforts we have been able to significantly reduce the number of positions required to support the older hi5 site and are in the process of re-organizing the company to focus entirely on the development and deployment of our next generation social play site."
Simply put, technological advances in how the future Hi5 website will work has led to automation in web support that was before handled by multiple employees. Since the new website can handle much of those tasks on its own, 28 of those full-time and contract workers were deemed no longer necessary. TechCrunch recalls this is far from the first time Hi5 has trimmed the fat, so to speak.
The company, originally a general-use social network, has since pivoted toward capitalizing on social gaming. Early next year, it will unveil its next generation social gaming network with 28 fewer people to celebrate, sadly. "The departing folks were very talented and we hated to let them go but our business is changing rapidly now," St. John said to TechCrunch. "We hope that other great companies in this area snap them up quickly."
Even with its automated enhancements, it will be interesting to see just whether Hi5 can hop into the ring with the big league players, Facebook and Google. Its strategy doesn't seem to be one of scale, so we're intrigued to see what's up St. John's sleeve. Regardless, best wishes to those 28 unfortunate folks--may you find super awesome gigs elsewhere.
What do you think of this news just as Hi5 prepares to enter its next phase of social gaming? Do you think the company could become a viable competitor to Facebook and Google in social games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"We have also been building the next generation site in a new architecture, .NET framework, and have moved away from Open Source and Java technology," St. John told TechCrunch. "As we have recently turned the corner on our technology migration efforts we have been able to significantly reduce the number of positions required to support the older hi5 site and are in the process of re-organizing the company to focus entirely on the development and deployment of our next generation social play site."
Simply put, technological advances in how the future Hi5 website will work has led to automation in web support that was before handled by multiple employees. Since the new website can handle much of those tasks on its own, 28 of those full-time and contract workers were deemed no longer necessary. TechCrunch recalls this is far from the first time Hi5 has trimmed the fat, so to speak.
The company, originally a general-use social network, has since pivoted toward capitalizing on social gaming. Early next year, it will unveil its next generation social gaming network with 28 fewer people to celebrate, sadly. "The departing folks were very talented and we hated to let them go but our business is changing rapidly now," St. John said to TechCrunch. "We hope that other great companies in this area snap them up quickly."
Even with its automated enhancements, it will be interesting to see just whether Hi5 can hop into the ring with the big league players, Facebook and Google. Its strategy doesn't seem to be one of scale, so we're intrigued to see what's up St. John's sleeve. Regardless, best wishes to those 28 unfortunate folks--may you find super awesome gigs elsewhere.
What do you think of this news just as Hi5 prepares to enter its next phase of social gaming? Do you think the company could become a viable competitor to Facebook and Google in social games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Zynga reveals Mafia Wars 2, to be a 'badass' Facebook game [Video]
To most, Facebook gaming is nothing but farmland, cows and rainbows with a dash of brand endorsement. Zynga, one of the stereotype's main offenders, hopes to set the record straight with Mafia Wars 2. A full-blown sequel to the original text-based Facebook RPG (role-playing game), Mafia Wars 2 will bring the franchise into "a vast 3D world where being bad never felt so good."
Judging from this early artwork and the ... interesting trailer below, it seems as if Zynga could make good on previous speculation that its next Mafia Wars game would take a more literal approach in paying homage to its inspirations.
The trailer is set to Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song," you know, so its badassery really sets in. Jokes (about the narration) aside, the video is impressively-edited with its stylistic, "golden" approach to blood and gore.
Unfortunately, all we know about Mafia Wars 2 is apparently how badass it's going to be. While that may be all some need to get psyched, you can check out and "Like" the game's official Facebook fan page to find out more about the game.
Oh, and you'll score some early items for the game by hopping on board early like some accessories for your character and decorations. These already tell us a great deal about the game--fully customizable 3D avatars, anyone? Alright, now we know you're hyped.
[Video and Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you excited to get your clickers on some fresh gang bustin' in Mafia Wars 2? What did you think of the announcement trailer? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
Judging from this early artwork and the ... interesting trailer below, it seems as if Zynga could make good on previous speculation that its next Mafia Wars game would take a more literal approach in paying homage to its inspirations.
The trailer is set to Jane's Addiction's "Mountain Song," you know, so its badassery really sets in. Jokes (about the narration) aside, the video is impressively-edited with its stylistic, "golden" approach to blood and gore.
Unfortunately, all we know about Mafia Wars 2 is apparently how badass it's going to be. While that may be all some need to get psyched, you can check out and "Like" the game's official Facebook fan page to find out more about the game.
Oh, and you'll score some early items for the game by hopping on board early like some accessories for your character and decorations. These already tell us a great deal about the game--fully customizable 3D avatars, anyone? Alright, now we know you're hyped.
[Video and Image Credit: Zynga]
Are you excited to get your clickers on some fresh gang bustin' in Mafia Wars 2? What did you think of the announcement trailer? Share with us in the comments. Add Comment
Finally, hang out with your Android buddies in Hanging With Friends
It looks like Tuesday is unofficially Zynga Game Day, as the company just announced that Hanging With Friends is now available for free on the Android Market. Keep in mind, this comes just minutes after the company revealed Mafia Wars 2. Even better news than the fact that Android players can get in on Zynga With Friends's second mobile game is that it's now cross-platform ready.
Yes, now you can play both your iPhone-toting friends and your best Android-owning enemies buds in this crazy take on the classic pen and paper game of Hangman. In case you're unfamiliar, Hanging With Friends takes the popular turn-based exchange of the wildly popular Words With Friends and applies that to a wacky game of Hangman, but with some twists.
For one, players who choose their word for an opponent are limited by the letters provided to them. Then, that challenge is sent to a player who must guess the word with a limited amount of guesses. This exchange of posing challenges and guesses continues asynchronously until one player loses all of their balloons and falls into a pit of lava or other various deathtraps.
Luckily, you have a series of power-ups at your disposal that can restore some of your guesses or reveal letters that may or may not be part of the word your friend chose in secret. Of course, these boosts cost Coins, which you can accumulate over time by winning Hanging With Friends matches or purchasing them outright in-game.
Gallery: Hanging With Friends on Android
Of course, the Android version contains all of the features that its iOS counterpart sports, like the ability to play up to 20 games at a time, in-game chat and push notifications. Finally, you can add friends via your existing With Friends account, or just connect to Facebook (like everyone else) to find more folks to crush with your wordsmithery. Have at thee, Fandroids.
Click here to download Hanging With Friends on the Android Market Now >
Are you psyched that Hanging With Friends has finally come to Android? What other Zynga games do you hope to see on Android phones on the future? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Yes, now you can play both your iPhone-toting friends and your best Android-owning enemies buds in this crazy take on the classic pen and paper game of Hangman. In case you're unfamiliar, Hanging With Friends takes the popular turn-based exchange of the wildly popular Words With Friends and applies that to a wacky game of Hangman, but with some twists.
For one, players who choose their word for an opponent are limited by the letters provided to them. Then, that challenge is sent to a player who must guess the word with a limited amount of guesses. This exchange of posing challenges and guesses continues asynchronously until one player loses all of their balloons and falls into a pit of lava or other various deathtraps.
Luckily, you have a series of power-ups at your disposal that can restore some of your guesses or reveal letters that may or may not be part of the word your friend chose in secret. Of course, these boosts cost Coins, which you can accumulate over time by winning Hanging With Friends matches or purchasing them outright in-game.
Gallery: Hanging With Friends on Android
Of course, the Android version contains all of the features that its iOS counterpart sports, like the ability to play up to 20 games at a time, in-game chat and push notifications. Finally, you can add friends via your existing With Friends account, or just connect to Facebook (like everyone else) to find more folks to crush with your wordsmithery. Have at thee, Fandroids.
Click here to download Hanging With Friends on the Android Market Now >
Are you psyched that Hanging With Friends has finally come to Android? What other Zynga games do you hope to see on Android phones on the future? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Chủ Nhật, 2 tháng 10, 2011
Facebook game lets you solve anagrams to save Canada's forests
True to its name, in order to play Donate2Play Media's first new game, Wordraiser, you're going to have to pony up some change. Wordraiser is an anagram game that has players make as many words as possible out of one word.
If you manage to guess the key word, you get to level up. After leveling up a few times, you'll be asked to buy "Karma Points" that enable you to play more games.
Donation packages range from $1 to $20 USD, where $1 USD equals 10 Karma Points, which is good for buying one game. But right now, it seems that there's nothing stopping you from playing as much as you want. We're not sure if this is a bug, as the game just launched during the previous weekend.
While Wordraiser is supposedly free-to-play, it's also the offspring of Donate2Play's partnership with The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), a Canadian grassroots organization devoted to finding the balance between forestry jobs and preserving British Columbia's ancient woodlands (defined as tree populations that are over 120 years old). So half of the money given to Wordraiser will be split between AFA and Donate2Play.
Gallery: Wordraiser
Lastly, there's a top ten high scores leaderboard that displays players' names followed by their levels, and two of AFA's founders, TJ Watts and Ken Wu, are currently on the board in ninth and third place, respectively. According to its Facebook page, Wordraiser currently has 202 monthly users.
Keep in mind, though, that Donate2Play is doing all the heavy lifting here, with no risk or prior investment from AFA. Outreach for the game is done via automatic Facebook wall posts. Players will also receive facts about British Columbian forests during load screens and photos of these forests by TJ Watt.
[Hat-tip: Times Colonist]
Click here to play Wordraiser on Facebook now >
Would you rather donate to a charity directly than through a Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you manage to guess the key word, you get to level up. After leveling up a few times, you'll be asked to buy "Karma Points" that enable you to play more games.
Donation packages range from $1 to $20 USD, where $1 USD equals 10 Karma Points, which is good for buying one game. But right now, it seems that there's nothing stopping you from playing as much as you want. We're not sure if this is a bug, as the game just launched during the previous weekend.
While Wordraiser is supposedly free-to-play, it's also the offspring of Donate2Play's partnership with The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), a Canadian grassroots organization devoted to finding the balance between forestry jobs and preserving British Columbia's ancient woodlands (defined as tree populations that are over 120 years old). So half of the money given to Wordraiser will be split between AFA and Donate2Play.
Gallery: Wordraiser
Lastly, there's a top ten high scores leaderboard that displays players' names followed by their levels, and two of AFA's founders, TJ Watts and Ken Wu, are currently on the board in ninth and third place, respectively. According to its Facebook page, Wordraiser currently has 202 monthly users.
Keep in mind, though, that Donate2Play is doing all the heavy lifting here, with no risk or prior investment from AFA. Outreach for the game is done via automatic Facebook wall posts. Players will also receive facts about British Columbian forests during load screens and photos of these forests by TJ Watt.
[Hat-tip: Times Colonist]
Click here to play Wordraiser on Facebook now >
Would you rather donate to a charity directly than through a Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Adventure World: Redeem a Zynga Game Card for 15 free energy packs
If you've become a fan of Zynga's newest Facebook game Adventure World (now Adventure World - An Indiana Jones Game), and are ready to lay down some real-world money in the game, you now have some extra incentive to do so. For every Game Card redeemed in the game, you'll receive 15 Energy Packs.
Unfortunately, we're not sure exactly what that means. We'd love for it to mean 15 full energy refills, but if you look inside the game, a 30 Energy pot of coffee costs a whopping 30 Adventure Cash. Now, I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like something Zynga would just give away for free, especially in bulk. This leaves us with another option, the single cup of coffee, which gives you just five energy points. This would be a decent boost, since we're talking about a "free" prize after all, but even then, it still likely won't take you long to burn through all of those bonus energy points.
What's worse, there's yet another option for energy refills: a Bolt that gives you just one energy point. Surely this isn't the "Energy Packs" Zynga is talking about, but it's something to keep in mind all the same. We're working on discovering just which kind of "Energy Pack" you'll receive when redeeming a Zynga Game Card, but for now, why not take a look at our tools upgrade guide, so you'll be able to upgrade your tools to do more work for less energy to make all of your points go that much further.
Will you redeem a Zynga Game Card to earn 15 free Energy Packs? If you have, which specific kind of pack did you receive? Sound off in the comments.
Unfortunately, we're not sure exactly what that means. We'd love for it to mean 15 full energy refills, but if you look inside the game, a 30 Energy pot of coffee costs a whopping 30 Adventure Cash. Now, I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like something Zynga would just give away for free, especially in bulk. This leaves us with another option, the single cup of coffee, which gives you just five energy points. This would be a decent boost, since we're talking about a "free" prize after all, but even then, it still likely won't take you long to burn through all of those bonus energy points.
What's worse, there's yet another option for energy refills: a Bolt that gives you just one energy point. Surely this isn't the "Energy Packs" Zynga is talking about, but it's something to keep in mind all the same. We're working on discovering just which kind of "Energy Pack" you'll receive when redeeming a Zynga Game Card, but for now, why not take a look at our tools upgrade guide, so you'll be able to upgrade your tools to do more work for less energy to make all of your points go that much further.
Will you redeem a Zynga Game Card to earn 15 free Energy Packs? If you have, which specific kind of pack did you receive? Sound off in the comments.
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