If you hadn't had enough of the Chinese New Year theme in FarmVille, you're in luck, as Zynga has updated this Mystery Game this evening to include six new items from the theme, some of which you may recognize from FarmVille Sneak Peeks we've offered you in the past.
This week's item release is four part animal to two part decoration, and it costs 16 Farm Cash to play (the "normal" Mystery Game cost). Here's a look at what's at stake this week:
Asian Pavilion
Lantern Sheep
Red Lantern Bridge
Kung Fu Duck
Mongolian Horse
New Year Cow
As you might expect, the Mongolian Horse and New Year Cow can both be bred in their respective animal buildings, for a chance to receive either a Mongolian Foal or a New Years Calf. The calf has to be one of the cutest foals we've seen in the game, as this little fella is completely overwhelmed by his New Year mask.
No matter which prize you'd like to receive, you'll need to play the game quickly, as these items will only be available for the next week, after which point a new set of six items will be added to the game. We'll be sure to let you know what those items are when the time comes, so keep checking back.
Which of these items do you hope to win from the Mystery Game?
Thứ Bảy, 7 tháng 1, 2012
Should FarmVille maker Zynga watch out for Richard Garriott?
The legendary creator of Ultima known to many fans as Lord British has founded a social game development company called Portalarium and is after Zynga's runaway success in the industry. Richard Garriott, who was right in the middle of the MMO movement back in the early 1990s with Ultima Online, hopes to catch up with the rest of the social gaming world through Portalarium, according to VentureBeat. In fact, Garriott has a detailed plan on how to do just that, which he teases in the video above.
It's interesting and entirely expected that Garriott would have his eyes fixated on Zynga immediately out the gate. If his previous endeavors in both game creation and space travel (yes, it's true) say anything, it's that Lord British aims astronomically high. In his talk with VentureBeat, the Ultima mastermind chronicles three major eras in video gaming: the single-player age, the massively multiplayer age and the social gaming age. According to Garriott, social games will take another three years to mature into something similar to MMO or single-player games.
Of course, this is a gamble just like his previous launch, Tabula Rasa, was. Not even Playfish, a studio backed by the ubiquitous EA, has been able to topple Zynga and its 250 million plus players. But if anyone can come into the game during the third quarter and come out on top, it's someone who has helped spurred two of gaming's major eras. Portalarium will launch its first game within a month's time, which according to Garriott will not be an act of "plagiarism"--an allusion to Zynga's oft-criticized practices.
After that, he plans to return the studio to his roots and release a Facebook game that is "Lord British's brave new world, or a spiritual successor to my previous work," VentureBeat reports. "This is a particularly exciting period for the game industry," he said. "We are about to begin a new time of invention."
Are you excited to see what Lord British can produce for social games? What do you think "Lord British's brave new world" will look like on Facebook?
It's interesting and entirely expected that Garriott would have his eyes fixated on Zynga immediately out the gate. If his previous endeavors in both game creation and space travel (yes, it's true) say anything, it's that Lord British aims astronomically high. In his talk with VentureBeat, the Ultima mastermind chronicles three major eras in video gaming: the single-player age, the massively multiplayer age and the social gaming age. According to Garriott, social games will take another three years to mature into something similar to MMO or single-player games.
Of course, this is a gamble just like his previous launch, Tabula Rasa, was. Not even Playfish, a studio backed by the ubiquitous EA, has been able to topple Zynga and its 250 million plus players. But if anyone can come into the game during the third quarter and come out on top, it's someone who has helped spurred two of gaming's major eras. Portalarium will launch its first game within a month's time, which according to Garriott will not be an act of "plagiarism"--an allusion to Zynga's oft-criticized practices.
After that, he plans to return the studio to his roots and release a Facebook game that is "Lord British's brave new world, or a spiritual successor to my previous work," VentureBeat reports. "This is a particularly exciting period for the game industry," he said. "We are about to begin a new time of invention."
Are you excited to see what Lord British can produce for social games? What do you think "Lord British's brave new world" will look like on Facebook?
Picture of the Day: Tazzyjack's Valentine's Day Farm
Happy Valentine's Day folks! As you can see, today's featured farm is quite appropriate for the occasion. This FarmVille masterpiece, created by Donna (also known as Tazzyjack on the FarmVille Forums), features what is quite possibly the largest heart we've ever seen in FarmVille. From the leafy orchards that line the field, to the mountain scenery to the north, this gorgeous farm is full of love. Of course, the massive heart itself has "love" spelled out across it, but it's the package as a whole that makes this farm so wonderful.
Don't forget to enter our Free Farm Cash Valentine's Day Giveaway!
Continue reading to see what Tazzyjack had to say about her masterpiece farm.
"I can't seem to ever leave my farm just one way for some odd reason. When I started to build the orchards and place them, the heart just took shape. The hard part was the rounded corners, it requited a lot of placing and then placing again.
My decorating tip: the dead flowers are great to decorate with.
Overall, it took me about two hours to complete the heart and a couple of days for the flowers to grow. Thanks for your interest in my farm." -Donna
It seems many FarmVille artists employ the trial and error technique to craft their creations.
What do you think of Tazzyjack's farm?
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day 2011 coverage right here.
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to be considered for Pic of the Day, please email it to editors@games.com, Include the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Don't forget to enter our Free Farm Cash Valentine's Day Giveaway!
Continue reading to see what Tazzyjack had to say about her masterpiece farm.
"I can't seem to ever leave my farm just one way for some odd reason. When I started to build the orchards and place them, the heart just took shape. The hard part was the rounded corners, it requited a lot of placing and then placing again.
My decorating tip: the dead flowers are great to decorate with.
Overall, it took me about two hours to complete the heart and a couple of days for the flowers to grow. Thanks for your interest in my farm." -Donna
It seems many FarmVille artists employ the trial and error technique to craft their creations.
What do you think of Tazzyjack's farm?
Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day 2011 coverage right here.
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to be considered for Pic of the Day, please email it to editors@games.com, Include the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
FrontierVille Cheats and Tips: Reaching 'Insane' on the Bonus Bar
The Pony Express Goals in FrontierVille are some of the most challenging the game has seen yet. The most difficult, of course, is the final Goal in the series titled "Special Delivery." While the first requirement is simple, it's reaching "Insane" on the Bonus Bar that has proven impossible for many players, according to FrontierVille Info. Pioneers are reporting that even if they have reached that level, the game has not been counting it toward the Goal.
So, FrontierVille Info recommends this little trick to Firefox users: just clear your browser cache. While we haven't tried this out personally, it's worth a shot considering several issues in social games stem from hang-ups within your browser. That being said, go to the Tools menu, then click on Options and choose the Network tab. From there, click on the "Clear Now" button.
frontierville insane bonus
Finally, restart Firefox and attempt to get the Insane rating again on the Bonus Bar. The best way to make this happen is to harvest all of your animals or trees at once with full Energy. Bonus Tip: For Mac users, here's how to clear the cache. Click on the main Firefox menu next to the Apple icon, then choose Preferences. From there, go to Advanced, then the Network tab and click "Clear Now." Refresh the browser and give it another go.
[Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Did this trick work to get you an Insane bonus that counts? What have you done differently to make this requirement take?
So, FrontierVille Info recommends this little trick to Firefox users: just clear your browser cache. While we haven't tried this out personally, it's worth a shot considering several issues in social games stem from hang-ups within your browser. That being said, go to the Tools menu, then click on Options and choose the Network tab. From there, click on the "Clear Now" button.
frontierville insane bonus
Finally, restart Firefox and attempt to get the Insane rating again on the Bonus Bar. The best way to make this happen is to harvest all of your animals or trees at once with full Energy. Bonus Tip: For Mac users, here's how to clear the cache. Click on the main Firefox menu next to the Apple icon, then choose Preferences. From there, go to Advanced, then the Network tab and click "Clear Now." Refresh the browser and give it another go.
[Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
Did this trick work to get you an Insane bonus that counts? What have you done differently to make this requirement take?
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 1, 2012
Diamond Dash on Facebook: It smells like Bejeweled Blitz in here
Diamond Dash
Diamond Dash, Wooga's fifth Facebook game, is nearly a flawless puzzle game on the platform. It's too bad that it's already been done before, has millions of daily players and a mobile version to boot. While Diamond Dash is an impressive puzzle game, it has undoubtedly been "inspired" by Bejeweled Blitz, a PopCap game. Did we say inspired by? Sorry, we meant that aside from switching up the method through which you destroy shiny gems oh, so slightly, this is a Bejeweled clone.
Now don't you go all, "Take it easy, Joe. It's no big deal." While you would be absolutely right in saying that, do we really need another spin-off of an already popular game? The colored gems, 60-second timer, weekly tournaments, level system, Hearts, and power ups are all accounted for--just as they are in Blitz. However, instead of switching gems through either clicking-and-dragging or clicking two gems, players just have to click sections of three or more identical gems.
Level Up!
While that sounds simple enough, it actually turns out to be more difficult when your brain has been hardwired for switching rather than clicking. In fact, the clicking approach to bashing gems actually feels less rewarding than the tried-and-true method. Then again, that feeling could be a result of the nagging thought, "I've done this before ... on my phone." Simply clicking gems to destroy rather than the split-second thought process of switching gems is rather mindless, which could easily be the point of the game: Just turn off the brain for a few minutes and blow up some shiny stuff.
While that would have been a unique hook, it's sadly not the case due to the game's tournament system and focus on speed to maximize points. Worse even is that your Hearts, another game feature borrowed from PopCap, do not refill over time, but only after asking friends to help. Hearts are required to play 60-second Diamond Dash matches, but you're only given five Hearts to start. Sure, Facebook games are social, but literally forcing players to harass their friends to keep playing is just disruptive. Sadly, these are the types of games that keep the genre from escaping its stereotypes. But if what you're looking for is some good old mindless fun, give it a go.
Click here to play Diamond Dash on Facebook Now>
Have you tried Diamond Dash for Facebook yet? Which game do you think does gem-busting better?
Diamond Dash, Wooga's fifth Facebook game, is nearly a flawless puzzle game on the platform. It's too bad that it's already been done before, has millions of daily players and a mobile version to boot. While Diamond Dash is an impressive puzzle game, it has undoubtedly been "inspired" by Bejeweled Blitz, a PopCap game. Did we say inspired by? Sorry, we meant that aside from switching up the method through which you destroy shiny gems oh, so slightly, this is a Bejeweled clone.
Now don't you go all, "Take it easy, Joe. It's no big deal." While you would be absolutely right in saying that, do we really need another spin-off of an already popular game? The colored gems, 60-second timer, weekly tournaments, level system, Hearts, and power ups are all accounted for--just as they are in Blitz. However, instead of switching gems through either clicking-and-dragging or clicking two gems, players just have to click sections of three or more identical gems.
Level Up!
While that sounds simple enough, it actually turns out to be more difficult when your brain has been hardwired for switching rather than clicking. In fact, the clicking approach to bashing gems actually feels less rewarding than the tried-and-true method. Then again, that feeling could be a result of the nagging thought, "I've done this before ... on my phone." Simply clicking gems to destroy rather than the split-second thought process of switching gems is rather mindless, which could easily be the point of the game: Just turn off the brain for a few minutes and blow up some shiny stuff.
While that would have been a unique hook, it's sadly not the case due to the game's tournament system and focus on speed to maximize points. Worse even is that your Hearts, another game feature borrowed from PopCap, do not refill over time, but only after asking friends to help. Hearts are required to play 60-second Diamond Dash matches, but you're only given five Hearts to start. Sure, Facebook games are social, but literally forcing players to harass their friends to keep playing is just disruptive. Sadly, these are the types of games that keep the genre from escaping its stereotypes. But if what you're looking for is some good old mindless fun, give it a go.
Click here to play Diamond Dash on Facebook Now>
Have you tried Diamond Dash for Facebook yet? Which game do you think does gem-busting better?
Ireland Town on Facebook: Score a trip to the Emerald Isle
In honor of the best holiday this side of June (even in the Irish in me can't trump Christmas), Tourism Ireland has launched its very own social game, Ireland Town. According to Tnooz, players can create their own quaint Irish town complete with shops, pubs and farms. A virtual tour guide is also in the game to introduce players to everything Ireland has to offer. (The game was created by a tourism agency, you know.) There are 32 different locations in Ireland Town and nine tasks to complete for points and other goodies at each landmark. In an effort to get folks excited about the land of green pastures--as if folks needed any more reason--the company is offering a trip to Ireland ... for real.
Click here to play Ireland Town on Facebook Now>
Is this reason enough to play Ireland Town? Do you see other tourism groups creating Facebook games?
Click here to play Ireland Town on Facebook Now>
Is this reason enough to play Ireland Town? Do you see other tourism groups creating Facebook games?
Gamesville puzzler 'Super Chef Full Boil' offers cash and prizes
One look at that name, "Gamesville", and it's hard not to ask yourself if it's got something to do with Zynga. After all, Zynga has so many 'villes on Facebook -- FarmVille, FrontierVille, CityVille, and that Zynga Lotto usuper, RewardVille, which isn't even a game! But Gamesville is actually a company that was born long before the world had heard of Zynga. Even its motto, "Wasting your time since 1996", proudly brandishes its seniority, and now, Gamesville has arrived on Facebook.
Gamesville Super Chef Full Boil
Super Chef Full Boil is Gamesville's first Facebook game and despite its looks, I can tell you it's not another Bejeweled Blitz clone. If you like puzzlers, I guarantee that this game is going to entice and frustrate you because you're going to see it as Bejeweled Blitz, but if you play it as Bejeweled Blitz, you'll lose. I thought I was going to be a natural, but my mind isn't properly mapped for it. Basically, the goal of the game is to eliminate blocks on the board, but the method's tricky. You have to selectively click on an area, where all four corners of the grid you've picked out, all have the same symbol. Do that, and the area is eliminated.
But aside from that novelty and decent background music, this game lacked serious 'oomph' in the graphics and animations department. Where's the passion? The roaring crescendo of cascading blocks? The nearly seizure-inducing bursts of lightning and color? Thematically, it's an odd game with an odd title because everything that isn't screaming Bejeweled Blitz is screaming that it's a cooking game. The playing field really needs to get a bit more lively to sucker in those of us who like eye-candy and explosions. In the meanwhile, Gamesville has something else that'll make you stay.
Gamesville Prizes
Since the beginning of its creation, Gameville's deal was to be an online casual games portal that offered real cash or tangible prizes to dedicated players. Right now, there are daily, weekly, and monthly drawings on the site for up to $100. You can also get money by accumulating GV Rewards and trading those in for goods, but you'll need to register as a member of Gamesville to do that. As a Facebook player, you can send your questions and comments on their official Facebook page or their blog.
Gamesville Super Chef Full Boil
Super Chef Full Boil is Gamesville's first Facebook game and despite its looks, I can tell you it's not another Bejeweled Blitz clone. If you like puzzlers, I guarantee that this game is going to entice and frustrate you because you're going to see it as Bejeweled Blitz, but if you play it as Bejeweled Blitz, you'll lose. I thought I was going to be a natural, but my mind isn't properly mapped for it. Basically, the goal of the game is to eliminate blocks on the board, but the method's tricky. You have to selectively click on an area, where all four corners of the grid you've picked out, all have the same symbol. Do that, and the area is eliminated.
But aside from that novelty and decent background music, this game lacked serious 'oomph' in the graphics and animations department. Where's the passion? The roaring crescendo of cascading blocks? The nearly seizure-inducing bursts of lightning and color? Thematically, it's an odd game with an odd title because everything that isn't screaming Bejeweled Blitz is screaming that it's a cooking game. The playing field really needs to get a bit more lively to sucker in those of us who like eye-candy and explosions. In the meanwhile, Gamesville has something else that'll make you stay.
Gamesville Prizes
Since the beginning of its creation, Gameville's deal was to be an online casual games portal that offered real cash or tangible prizes to dedicated players. Right now, there are daily, weekly, and monthly drawings on the site for up to $100. You can also get money by accumulating GV Rewards and trading those in for goods, but you'll need to register as a member of Gamesville to do that. As a Facebook player, you can send your questions and comments on their official Facebook page or their blog.
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