Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 10, 2011
Developer Interview: Carrie Gouskous on Wrath of Heroes
Earlier this year, BioWare and EA announced a new, MOBA-style title set in the iconic Warhammer fantasy universe and bearing a new, action-romp ethos. Being a ridiculous Warhammer fan and owner of a massive neckbeard, I immediately fired off some questions about Wrath of Heroes - and here come those answers now, courtesy of Carrie Gouskous, the game's producer at BioWare.
Battlefield 3 is Available, Right Now
We've just received word that the street date has been broken for Battlefield 3.
Physical copies can now be picked up at many retailers, and owners of a digital copy on Origin will find their game available to be played this very second.
But where to play? How about on games.on.net's shiny new servers - more details of which you can find here and, of course, here also.
Physical copies can now be picked up at many retailers, and owners of a digital copy on Origin will find their game available to be played this very second.
But where to play? How about on games.on.net's shiny new servers - more details of which you can find here and, of course, here also.
Sitrep: Some FPS in Your RPG?
I might make my fortune [citation totally needed] scribing about shooters for the wonderfully calm and collected community [citation, for heaven’s sake, citation] here at games.on.net, but I love me some RPG. The invisible dice-rolling stuff, you know, epic dork-outs and everything. I like ‘em even more when they put you in the plundered leather boots of your own charrie(s). This gen, only Oblivion and the upcoming Skyrim have really gone there, but there was a time way back when, you could get loads of first-person sugar in your trad RPG tea.
Thứ Ba, 25 tháng 10, 2011
This Adorable Video Shows The Birth Of A Gamer
Before and after: What you’re seeing here is the moment when a person makes the leap from future suit to Gamer. You might want to turn your volume down.
You May Now Watch Grand Theft Auto III’s 10th Anniversary Trailer
Behold the 10th anniversary for Grand Theft Auto III, a game that came out on October 22, 2001, back before Halo existed (Halo came out a month later, and, man, we’re all so old!).
What version of the game is this? A Rockstar rep says it’s not the new mobile version, which is coming soon to iOS and Droid . (We have played that new version, and we like it.)
What version of the game is this? A Rockstar rep says it’s not the new mobile version, which is coming soon to iOS and Droid . (We have played that new version, and we like it.)
Chủ Nhật, 23 tháng 10, 2011
You’ll Probably Want To Avoid Battlefield 3′s "Standard-Def" Version
Those who don’t use that pack, well…you may want to find a way to make it work. Because Battlefield 3 producer Patrick Bach has given the vanilla version of the game a pretty plain nickname.
“The thing with the 360 is that you need to be able to give consumers a game where you don’t have to install it on a hard drive, because there are 360s without a hard drive. So we need to give you the option of installing it, rather than just demanding it. You could call it a ‘standard-def’ version for the 360 if you don’t have a hard-drive.”
Note that loads of Xbox 360 shooters technically run in “standard definition”, Halo 3 probably the most famous among them. But for one of the key men behind one of the year’s biggest games to come out and use the term so openly suggests that, yeah, it’s not going to look that great if you don’t install the textures on your HDD first.
Not that this should be a problem for, well, anyone. I can’t imagine the kind of consumer who in 2011 owns an Xbox 360 without a hard drive is the kind of person who will give a rat’s arse about the texture quality of a modern military shooter.
New info on Battlefield 3 360′s hi-res texture pack [Gamerzines]
“The thing with the 360 is that you need to be able to give consumers a game where you don’t have to install it on a hard drive, because there are 360s without a hard drive. So we need to give you the option of installing it, rather than just demanding it. You could call it a ‘standard-def’ version for the 360 if you don’t have a hard-drive.”
Note that loads of Xbox 360 shooters technically run in “standard definition”, Halo 3 probably the most famous among them. But for one of the key men behind one of the year’s biggest games to come out and use the term so openly suggests that, yeah, it’s not going to look that great if you don’t install the textures on your HDD first.
Not that this should be a problem for, well, anyone. I can’t imagine the kind of consumer who in 2011 owns an Xbox 360 without a hard drive is the kind of person who will give a rat’s arse about the texture quality of a modern military shooter.
New info on Battlefield 3 360′s hi-res texture pack [Gamerzines]
Thought Assassin’s Creed Revelations Couldn’t Get Any More Stabby? It Totally Can…
Sometimes I think I just watch Assassin’s Creed trailers for the music. Honestly, whoever’s job it is at Ubisoft to pick the music and do all the editing, you’re currently getting a vigorous round of applause from me. This new Assassin’s Creed trailer is mostly about the combat, but it shows off some of the new setting of Constantinople. As you might expect, it looks a bit spiffy. Can’t wait for this one.
Pokémon Gray Incoming?
Melbourne IT Digital Brand Services recently registered pokemongray.com. This is the same company that registered pokemonblackwhite.com, an official Nintendo site. When you mix black and white you get…gray. [IGN via Gimme Gimme Games!]
Thứ Bảy, 22 tháng 10, 2011
Imagining the next gen: tips
So many articles show up on N4G regarding the "next gen" -- usually they're "shooting for the moon", and miss by a wide margin.
Lets put this to rest: next-gen guesser journalists, take note. Start thinking like the companies that build the hardware, rather than pulling up a shopping list to build a gaming PC, and console-ifying it.
(Step 1) Set a price for the console, that the target consumer can be comfortable with, and that is justified, given the competition when the new hardware hits the shelves.
To Nintendo this means "price for families" and "make money from hardware". To Sony this means "premium user experience, that promotes other electronics sales", and to Microsoft this means "stop competitors for Windows/Office from making it into the livingroom".
In short, Nintendo won't make a cutting-edge console, and they won't make one until they can provide the Nintendo experience reasonable prices for the family, either. Mostly that means something akin to hitting the $299 price point upon release, and selling families the "Nintendo Experience" in a console that MS or Sony would sell for something closer to $250 (closer to "at cost").
For Sony, this means pushing the next generation of electronics hardware into the livingroom. Usually this equates to pushing the best TVs available at release, the best sound systems, and if there are any other new sources of income to push (like new disc formats), that goes in as well. A new Sony console might cost $499 upon release, but its guaranteed to be a substantial leap over the previous generation... it has to be, or the rest of Sony's business suffers.
For Microsoft, this means simply earning a place in the livingroom, and keeping the Office/Windows monopoly safe. Search with Bing. Browse with a MS product. Use Windows IM. Use Live. Most of all: keep the PC in the picture. US law states that operating systems are required for all new PC sales, practically ensuring Microsoft's continued PC monopoly -- but consoles threaten that, especially with today's modern browsers providing so much functionality that a PC used to be required for, and console input devices becoming dangerous close to the mouse/keyboard paradigm. Microsoft's next generation of hardware wants to be strong enough to compete with Sony for "hardcore" consumers, yet with wide enough appeal to threaten Nintendo, and place itself into the hands of children and families. They have to strike the middle ground to succeed.
(Step 2) Looks to the mistakes, and successes, of the last generation, in terms of *making money*, and use that example to build the future.
Already Microsoft and Sony are rushing to bring the Wii audience to their consoles. This will continue into the next generation, as the console market continues to expand into the "Blue Ocean", making Microsoft's PC defense strategy even more important to them, and the market richer, and more appealing, to Nintendo and Sony alike.
You can believe that all of the next generation will target the casual audience in a serious way. While competition is good for advancement, the three current hardware manufacturers will become nothing but more and more alike, despite differing goals.
(Step 3) Ensure 3rd party support, by making sure your platform will be embraced by them. All 3rd party software pays licensing fees to the hardware manufacturer, and this is the largest source of income for 1st parties, when done well.
Nintendo and Sony both failed, in this regard, this generation. Nintendo, with their "less is more" strategy, pitted the Wii against two consoles, which, in 3rd party eyes, share a common baseline -- making their astounding marketshare lead lose almost all meaning, especially in light of the strange, new demographics the Wii attracted. Sony with their "funky hardware is best... deal with it" strategy, turned off 3rd party developers to eeking out their console's potential, and gave their primary competition enough room to push Sony out of the top 3rd party spot early on. In the end, that strategy is paying off somewhat... but will it be enough? WIll it justify its expense? Likely not. Expect both Nintendo and Sony to change their tune next generation, ever so slightly. The Wii HD may not be so far behind. The PS4 may be much friendlier to harness.
Lets put this to rest: next-gen guesser journalists, take note. Start thinking like the companies that build the hardware, rather than pulling up a shopping list to build a gaming PC, and console-ifying it.
(Step 1) Set a price for the console, that the target consumer can be comfortable with, and that is justified, given the competition when the new hardware hits the shelves.
To Nintendo this means "price for families" and "make money from hardware". To Sony this means "premium user experience, that promotes other electronics sales", and to Microsoft this means "stop competitors for Windows/Office from making it into the livingroom".
In short, Nintendo won't make a cutting-edge console, and they won't make one until they can provide the Nintendo experience reasonable prices for the family, either. Mostly that means something akin to hitting the $299 price point upon release, and selling families the "Nintendo Experience" in a console that MS or Sony would sell for something closer to $250 (closer to "at cost").
For Sony, this means pushing the next generation of electronics hardware into the livingroom. Usually this equates to pushing the best TVs available at release, the best sound systems, and if there are any other new sources of income to push (like new disc formats), that goes in as well. A new Sony console might cost $499 upon release, but its guaranteed to be a substantial leap over the previous generation... it has to be, or the rest of Sony's business suffers.
For Microsoft, this means simply earning a place in the livingroom, and keeping the Office/Windows monopoly safe. Search with Bing. Browse with a MS product. Use Windows IM. Use Live. Most of all: keep the PC in the picture. US law states that operating systems are required for all new PC sales, practically ensuring Microsoft's continued PC monopoly -- but consoles threaten that, especially with today's modern browsers providing so much functionality that a PC used to be required for, and console input devices becoming dangerous close to the mouse/keyboard paradigm. Microsoft's next generation of hardware wants to be strong enough to compete with Sony for "hardcore" consumers, yet with wide enough appeal to threaten Nintendo, and place itself into the hands of children and families. They have to strike the middle ground to succeed.
(Step 2) Looks to the mistakes, and successes, of the last generation, in terms of *making money*, and use that example to build the future.
Already Microsoft and Sony are rushing to bring the Wii audience to their consoles. This will continue into the next generation, as the console market continues to expand into the "Blue Ocean", making Microsoft's PC defense strategy even more important to them, and the market richer, and more appealing, to Nintendo and Sony alike.
You can believe that all of the next generation will target the casual audience in a serious way. While competition is good for advancement, the three current hardware manufacturers will become nothing but more and more alike, despite differing goals.
(Step 3) Ensure 3rd party support, by making sure your platform will be embraced by them. All 3rd party software pays licensing fees to the hardware manufacturer, and this is the largest source of income for 1st parties, when done well.
Nintendo and Sony both failed, in this regard, this generation. Nintendo, with their "less is more" strategy, pitted the Wii against two consoles, which, in 3rd party eyes, share a common baseline -- making their astounding marketshare lead lose almost all meaning, especially in light of the strange, new demographics the Wii attracted. Sony with their "funky hardware is best... deal with it" strategy, turned off 3rd party developers to eeking out their console's potential, and gave their primary competition enough room to push Sony out of the top 3rd party spot early on. In the end, that strategy is paying off somewhat... but will it be enough? WIll it justify its expense? Likely not. Expect both Nintendo and Sony to change their tune next generation, ever so slightly. The Wii HD may not be so far behind. The PS4 may be much friendlier to harness.
Top cliches from gaming sites
Gaming journalism seems to be at an all time high. Thanks to the internet, anyone's able to voice anything from opinions to interviews with game developers. After being a member on n4g, I've noticed a few repeated "hot points" that are made so constantly that they've become cliched. If you'd like to, you may post other "cliches" you've noticed about gaming sites as well. So let us begin:
1. For comparisons sake
Lets face it, one of the most usual ways for people to describe almost anything is by relating it to something else. There comes a point when it's time to make a description in your own words however. When considering the likes of Ebert and Maltin are able to write a 2-ish page review on every movie they've seen WITHOUT ever having to list another movie, there comes a time where gaming journalists/reviewers should do the same. There comes a time when you need to know when to drop the italics and think critically about your piece using only your own words.
2. Top 10 lists (or the number 10 for that matter)
.....Yep. The number 10 is a huge draw to all people, gaming journalists are no exception. Hardly ever do we get to see an awesome "top 37" list, although we do see a few lists that aren't top 10 lists. Instead of veering towards cooler numbers, we see editors make up something random like "Top 10 sissy villians". You want to know what's always the same about these lists? #10
3. A slant towards the Star Wars prequels
With gaming comes nerds. With nerds comes Star Wars nerds. With Star Wars nerds comes Star Wars fanboys who are in a smaller group that dislike the Star Wars prequels. There's always something so tempting about mentioning Episode I when there's a game prequel on the way. The major repeating of this notion leaves me baffled, personally - if you must know I really enjoyed the prequels -. These 3 movies are so downtrodden by the average gaming editor, that it makes me wonder if he's/she's ever seen any other prequel. To all gaming editors, throw in a dumb and dumberer or Exorcist prequel slant to actually be different. Before I go into a rant about defending the SW prequels, I'll leave it there :P.
1. For comparisons sake
Lets face it, one of the most usual ways for people to describe almost anything is by relating it to something else. There comes a point when it's time to make a description in your own words however. When considering the likes of Ebert and Maltin are able to write a 2-ish page review on every movie they've seen WITHOUT ever having to list another movie, there comes a time where gaming journalists/reviewers should do the same. There comes a time when you need to know when to drop the italics and think critically about your piece using only your own words.
2. Top 10 lists (or the number 10 for that matter)
.....Yep. The number 10 is a huge draw to all people, gaming journalists are no exception. Hardly ever do we get to see an awesome "top 37" list, although we do see a few lists that aren't top 10 lists. Instead of veering towards cooler numbers, we see editors make up something random like "Top 10 sissy villians". You want to know what's always the same about these lists? #10
3. A slant towards the Star Wars prequels
With gaming comes nerds. With nerds comes Star Wars nerds. With Star Wars nerds comes Star Wars fanboys who are in a smaller group that dislike the Star Wars prequels. There's always something so tempting about mentioning Episode I when there's a game prequel on the way. The major repeating of this notion leaves me baffled, personally - if you must know I really enjoyed the prequels -. These 3 movies are so downtrodden by the average gaming editor, that it makes me wonder if he's/she's ever seen any other prequel. To all gaming editors, throw in a dumb and dumberer or Exorcist prequel slant to actually be different. Before I go into a rant about defending the SW prequels, I'll leave it there :P.
Thứ Năm, 20 tháng 10, 2011
The Most Revolutionary Gameplay Aspects to Fighting GamesMaybe i'm just being Cynical
E.A. shut servers down, this much we know.
E.A. now require you to have the code from your brand new copy of whichever game to access the online multi-player side of things, or if you’ve bought pre-owned to then buy access to the online multi-player.
Both of these policies are wrong, but together they spell big money for E.A. at the expense of us gamers.
First off, surely if a game is packaged and sold advertising online multi-player, said game should contain online multi-player. Even if only a handful of gamers still populate the online game it should be kept running. Now, as someone that regularly browses games news sites and forums I find out about E.A. closing the servers but, there must be a whole lot of people that don’t frequent these sites and therefore have no inkling that a game is no longer playable online, get home pop in the game and ‘Bam!’ no online play, it says online on the box, but no, not any more. Enjoy your game, well the half you’ve got anyway.
Secondly, charging for the online access, this is just wrong. I recently bought FIFA11 brand new, happy days, or so I thought. Then realising I had to input the code for the multi-player I also realised that where i’d normally have also let my son play online FIFA in his room on his 360 i’d now have to purchase points to download the access to his console. Nice. £40 for a game I then can’t share properly with another member of the household.
Ah well, he can still play his mates on FIFA10. Oh, well he can for a year or so anyway before E.A. announce that they’re the next servers to be shut down.
Then what are we gamers left with, the last of the free, already unlocked multi-player E.A. titles are gone and we have 2 choices, buy brand new copies of all E.A. games (but it’ll cost you if you want to share it) or buy pre-owned and then pay for the extras, and this then continues in a cycle as new games release and old servers close, E.A. wins big and gamers lose out, paying more money for the same product, or, we stop buying these yearly updates to our favourite franchises, now there’s a thought.
E.A. now require you to have the code from your brand new copy of whichever game to access the online multi-player side of things, or if you’ve bought pre-owned to then buy access to the online multi-player.
Both of these policies are wrong, but together they spell big money for E.A. at the expense of us gamers.
First off, surely if a game is packaged and sold advertising online multi-player, said game should contain online multi-player. Even if only a handful of gamers still populate the online game it should be kept running. Now, as someone that regularly browses games news sites and forums I find out about E.A. closing the servers but, there must be a whole lot of people that don’t frequent these sites and therefore have no inkling that a game is no longer playable online, get home pop in the game and ‘Bam!’ no online play, it says online on the box, but no, not any more. Enjoy your game, well the half you’ve got anyway.
Secondly, charging for the online access, this is just wrong. I recently bought FIFA11 brand new, happy days, or so I thought. Then realising I had to input the code for the multi-player I also realised that where i’d normally have also let my son play online FIFA in his room on his 360 i’d now have to purchase points to download the access to his console. Nice. £40 for a game I then can’t share properly with another member of the household.
Ah well, he can still play his mates on FIFA10. Oh, well he can for a year or so anyway before E.A. announce that they’re the next servers to be shut down.
Then what are we gamers left with, the last of the free, already unlocked multi-player E.A. titles are gone and we have 2 choices, buy brand new copies of all E.A. games (but it’ll cost you if you want to share it) or buy pre-owned and then pay for the extras, and this then continues in a cycle as new games release and old servers close, E.A. wins big and gamers lose out, paying more money for the same product, or, we stop buying these yearly updates to our favourite franchises, now there’s a thought.
A Look At Music in Fighting Games
Music has always been around long before the first video game was ever created. Music is something that people will always be aware of no matter what form of media they expose themselves to. In the realm of video games, music is a means for allowing the gamer to become immersed within the world/realm of the game they are playing. People will always be attached to the music that they hear when playing a video game.
For fighting games, different music that is played allows the players to become immersed within a match. In most fighting games today, there is an abundance of heavy metal or rock style of music. This is considered the general standard today because it is a common belief that rock music is considered “fight music”. However, not all games conform to this common practice and belief, there are plenty of fighting games that have original soundtracks that lean towards the techno or rave style of music, usually when trying to express a feeling of “graceful” or “mystical” fighting between characters. Whatever the style of music within a fighting game, the main purpose of it is essentially the same. To set the stage and mood for the battle to be fought.
Music within a fighting game can also allow players to identify with a particular character. This means that the player will gain an emotional attachment to a fighter through the music that plays over the course of the battle. Most of the cross-over and mash-up fighting games almost always have music tracks that are meant to be character specific. This means that when a character enters the rings/stage, their music will start playing, signifying the moment of that characters arrival and a possible change of momentum in the match. The best example of this would be the Japanese version of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. The soundtrack for that game consisted of re-mixed versions of characters’ theme music from the different Tatsunoko and Capcom franchises. Each character’s track has his/her own flare and intensity for when they would enter the ring.
Of all the fighting games ever released, no music is more popular then that of Street Fighter 2. It is easily the most recognizable, most re-used, and re-mixed music from a fighting game. Besides making gamers get pumped up during a match, what makes the music from Street Fighter 2 so popular is how people are easily players are able to associate the different music tracks with the characters of the game’s roster. Each of the original twelve World Warriors has a piece of music that is played on their home stage. This allows players to associate the music not only with the stage they are fighting on, but the specific character as well. The soundtrack to Street Fighter 2 is so well created and popular, that many sequel and spin-off games use the tracks for characters from the original Street Fighter 2. The music tracks are usually re-mixed and remade to give a contemporary sound to the character’s theme, so it may blend well with the rest of the game‘s soundtrack.
The music of a fighting game is an over-looked part of the package. As gamers, we get caught up in the heat of the battle and not realize that something taken for granted is what enables us to fully experience great moments within a game. Music within fighting games will always hype up a crowd and it’s competitors. The sound we hear behind the many punches and broken bones will always set the stage and emotion of the fights that go on. The music we hear during a match makes us appreciate the last minute comebacks and dire moments of a battle fought, even when the outcome is not always what we may have wanted. The music within fighting games will always resonate with gamers and will continue to allow them to identify with their favorite brawlers.
For fighting games, different music that is played allows the players to become immersed within a match. In most fighting games today, there is an abundance of heavy metal or rock style of music. This is considered the general standard today because it is a common belief that rock music is considered “fight music”. However, not all games conform to this common practice and belief, there are plenty of fighting games that have original soundtracks that lean towards the techno or rave style of music, usually when trying to express a feeling of “graceful” or “mystical” fighting between characters. Whatever the style of music within a fighting game, the main purpose of it is essentially the same. To set the stage and mood for the battle to be fought.
Music within a fighting game can also allow players to identify with a particular character. This means that the player will gain an emotional attachment to a fighter through the music that plays over the course of the battle. Most of the cross-over and mash-up fighting games almost always have music tracks that are meant to be character specific. This means that when a character enters the rings/stage, their music will start playing, signifying the moment of that characters arrival and a possible change of momentum in the match. The best example of this would be the Japanese version of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. The soundtrack for that game consisted of re-mixed versions of characters’ theme music from the different Tatsunoko and Capcom franchises. Each character’s track has his/her own flare and intensity for when they would enter the ring.
Of all the fighting games ever released, no music is more popular then that of Street Fighter 2. It is easily the most recognizable, most re-used, and re-mixed music from a fighting game. Besides making gamers get pumped up during a match, what makes the music from Street Fighter 2 so popular is how people are easily players are able to associate the different music tracks with the characters of the game’s roster. Each of the original twelve World Warriors has a piece of music that is played on their home stage. This allows players to associate the music not only with the stage they are fighting on, but the specific character as well. The soundtrack to Street Fighter 2 is so well created and popular, that many sequel and spin-off games use the tracks for characters from the original Street Fighter 2. The music tracks are usually re-mixed and remade to give a contemporary sound to the character’s theme, so it may blend well with the rest of the game‘s soundtrack.
The music of a fighting game is an over-looked part of the package. As gamers, we get caught up in the heat of the battle and not realize that something taken for granted is what enables us to fully experience great moments within a game. Music within fighting games will always hype up a crowd and it’s competitors. The sound we hear behind the many punches and broken bones will always set the stage and emotion of the fights that go on. The music we hear during a match makes us appreciate the last minute comebacks and dire moments of a battle fought, even when the outcome is not always what we may have wanted. The music within fighting games will always resonate with gamers and will continue to allow them to identify with their favorite brawlers.
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
Nick Jr., MTVN expand in Asia
Rugrats and music fans in Singapore and Malaysia will be able to tune in to “Dora the Explorer” and 24-hour music videos, docus and concerts with the launch of Viacom’s Nick Jr. and MTVN HD in the territories in coming weeks.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
We shouldn't stop people from jailbreaking if it doesn't infringe our own rights!
I think we are at a sort of impasse: how to respond to such things as piracy and jailbreaking and such.
I’ve been called every derogatory thing because of pure speculation as to where my stance actually is on this issue. If you care about little else than to defend your favorite gaming company like some kind of blind fanboy, then I suggest that you turn back now, because I’m not going to validate anyone’s POV just because they want me to. I’ve never done that before, and I am not about to. I meant what I said back in 2008 about Microsoft, and I’ve done so now.
What I will do, however, is to clarify as to what my stance is on this. This may be a little long, so those that are going to do the TL;DR spiel can leave now, too.
For one, what sparked this is someone complaining about an ad that appeared on N4G that had something to do with pirated PS3 games. As I have ABP installed on Firefox, I have yet to see this ad, but while N4G is responsible for a lot of the bad things that happen on this site (with the whole “kill all the hackers” being one of them), they are not here. This is because the advertising agency responsible for the ads is a third party. They choose what to run. Of course, once found, N4G can tell them not to, but they cannot be aware of every single ad. That’s outside their immediate control.
As for the ad itself, I understand the site’s general stance on piracy. That goes without saying. However, those that take an anti-piracy stance just because of blind fanboyism (or those that side with those like Hotz and Anonymous for the same reason) are doing it wrong.
I took Hotz’ side on the CFW issue, and did not regret it in the slightest. Hell, I was even one of them that donated to him (five bucks). This is because of my stance.
What is it? It is that, as long as it does not infringe on anyone else’s ability to enjoy their system the way they want to, and as long as you don’t hurt their right, they should be able to enjoy their system however they please. If you want to install CFW onto your PS3 to play homebrew games (whatever your definition of that may be), then be my guest. You’re not stopping me from playing Gran Turismo 5 in any way. Hell, if you find a good HB game that you think I should play, then by all means, convince me to convert to the dark side for that one. There SHOULD be competition in the gaming industry, and Sony should not be scared of the homebrew community (and yes, PS3 homebrew games do exist. Just use Google and stop being lazy). Hell, even if it is a SNES emulator you’re playing with, I don’t care (hell, who HASN’T used SNES9x or MAME?). As long as you’re not infringing on my right to do what I want to do, and as long as I’m not trying to stop you from having your fun, then why should I stop you?
It’s obvious that homebrew has not hurt Nintendo’s bottom dollar, so I’m not sure why one site claimed that Sony SHOULD stop people from playing homebrew games on the PS3. If you are allowed to play them on the PC, then why should you stop them from playing them on the PS3?
I’m not saying you should be allowed to cheat online and screw up player rankings, or that someone should be allowed to access personal information about you that can be used for identity theft, or anything like that. People try to equate one with the other because they know that if they do that, they have the excuse to blindly follow whoever it is that is saying that you shouldn’t be allowed to do such things. They would never have to actually explain what is so wrong. All you have to do is scream “piracy”, and they will rush to your defense before they even know what the subject actually is. Hell, why should they care? They’re only blind fanboys! Why do they even NEED a reason to follow you?
But not everyone who is anti-piracy is so because they are blind fanboys. That’s another way of confusing the issue to benefit their point of view because of their insecurity of being able to validate their POV with actual facts. If you call out either them or their savior company, you’re playing for the other side, and no opposing POV is safe, civil or otherwise. Neither are those that would support Hotz’ POV. You think he was trying to enable piracy and cheating? How do you know that he was or wasn’t? He said he wasn’t, and there was nothing actually proven one way or another.
So this is where I am at on this issue: if I were to install CFW on my PS3 and never again take it online at all, and then install something from PS3 Homebrew on my PS3 (or, GASP, install Linux on my PS3), but never touch PSN on that PS3 again, does that stop you from doing anything you want to do on your PS3? Does that constitute piracy on my end? How does that hurt you or Sony? I’m not trying to be a smart ass. I’m just asking legitimate questions that the blind fanboys seem unwilling to answer in a civil way, if in any way. Hell, even IF I install SNES9x on it and play Super Mario World on it, is that something that stops you from enjoying your games in any way (and think about how you answer that, too)?
I ask this because this site is getting things completely confused. The blind fanboys are trying to confuse things because they WANT us to think the way they do, and the rest of the site seems to just go with it. I wouldn’t be as upset about it if it wasn’t so many of us doing this, but unfortunately, there is that many unwilling to stop taking things so personally.
I disapproved of HipHopGamer’s way of showing that he disagreed with Hotz’. Seriously, HHG, you resort to a rap like THAT just because Sony was the target? I thought of you better than to resort to cheap…oh, wait: “Uncharted 3 coming to 360!” My bad, you WOULD resort to cheap shots against Hotz (after all, that’s how you’ve built most of your career). Then again, you weren’t alone: the name calling started here, as well as the “kill that f**k” BS began there, too. So why am I just blaming you for acting like some hysteric, blind fanboy?
A day or so ago, there was a Bitmob parody article saying that the author was who brought down PSN because he accidently slept on the PS button on his controller. Of course, it was meant as a joke to be funny. However, the amount of people willing to bash it because they didn’t find it funny was outlandish. It was as if the article hurt their feelings. They took it too seriously and/or too personally, and went so far as to judge the type of people that WOULD find it funny. The Bitmob article did one thing successfully, if nothing else: shown us just how much we have been overreacting about anything regarding the PSN issue. The reactions to it on this site prove to me that they were hurt that they got exposed. Of course, they were exposed before when they cheered Anonymous being hacked! That showed me the real reason they were against Anonymous and Hotz: they drank Sony’s milkshake!
Note that while I don’t condone how Anonymous went about proving their point (anyone who thinks I did is an idiot), I can see what their reasons were: to show Sony that they were upset about their stubborn stance on whatever it is they are trying to prevent. To be honest, I’m not sure if I would want Anonymous’ help, but seeing as how they’ve been on the right side of certain fights (their fight on Fred Phelps comes to mind), it’s hard to not at least consider the offer if you're with a similar stance as mine.
Again, I’m not saying that we should suddenly condone piracy and cheating. I’m saying that as long as it doesn’t hurt me or you, then why should I be that concerned about stopping you from doing whatever it is with your system you want to do? YOU bought it, and it’s in YOUR house, hooked up to YOUR television set. Why should I care if you want to play that homebrew game on your PS3? I’m able to separate the good from the bad. I don’t know why no one else on this site can, but I am able to do so.
Hell, I’m not even sure why people are bitching about the OtherOS lawsuit. Sony told those people that they wouldn’t touch it, but they did, and then possibly lied about why they did it (playing the piracy card in the means of garnering support for the removal when that was not the real reason). There are people on this site that are saying “well, no one used it”. Sony felt enough people used it to make such a guarantee, and plus, if you didn’t care about it, then why do you care enough to make the proclamation that it shouldn’t be reinstated. You didn’t care that it was on there before, yet you’re damn sure wanting Sony to fight to make sure it stays off your system. Again, “I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE”!
So yeah, that’s my stance. The TL;DR version of it is this: I am not against fighting piracy as long as we know that there are several interpretations as to what piracy even is, I am against stopping people from doing things that they do in the privacy of their homes when it does nothing to infringe on our right to do anything we want to do, I don’t know why we have to prove everyone right about this site’s “fanboy cess pool”, why we didn’t care before but we do now, or why we are constantly unable to separate one argument from the other, or why we have to take everything so personally and fuel the hysteria constantly.
I’ve been called every derogatory thing because of pure speculation as to where my stance actually is on this issue. If you care about little else than to defend your favorite gaming company like some kind of blind fanboy, then I suggest that you turn back now, because I’m not going to validate anyone’s POV just because they want me to. I’ve never done that before, and I am not about to. I meant what I said back in 2008 about Microsoft, and I’ve done so now.
What I will do, however, is to clarify as to what my stance is on this. This may be a little long, so those that are going to do the TL;DR spiel can leave now, too.
For one, what sparked this is someone complaining about an ad that appeared on N4G that had something to do with pirated PS3 games. As I have ABP installed on Firefox, I have yet to see this ad, but while N4G is responsible for a lot of the bad things that happen on this site (with the whole “kill all the hackers” being one of them), they are not here. This is because the advertising agency responsible for the ads is a third party. They choose what to run. Of course, once found, N4G can tell them not to, but they cannot be aware of every single ad. That’s outside their immediate control.
As for the ad itself, I understand the site’s general stance on piracy. That goes without saying. However, those that take an anti-piracy stance just because of blind fanboyism (or those that side with those like Hotz and Anonymous for the same reason) are doing it wrong.
I took Hotz’ side on the CFW issue, and did not regret it in the slightest. Hell, I was even one of them that donated to him (five bucks). This is because of my stance.
What is it? It is that, as long as it does not infringe on anyone else’s ability to enjoy their system the way they want to, and as long as you don’t hurt their right, they should be able to enjoy their system however they please. If you want to install CFW onto your PS3 to play homebrew games (whatever your definition of that may be), then be my guest. You’re not stopping me from playing Gran Turismo 5 in any way. Hell, if you find a good HB game that you think I should play, then by all means, convince me to convert to the dark side for that one. There SHOULD be competition in the gaming industry, and Sony should not be scared of the homebrew community (and yes, PS3 homebrew games do exist. Just use Google and stop being lazy). Hell, even if it is a SNES emulator you’re playing with, I don’t care (hell, who HASN’T used SNES9x or MAME?). As long as you’re not infringing on my right to do what I want to do, and as long as I’m not trying to stop you from having your fun, then why should I stop you?
It’s obvious that homebrew has not hurt Nintendo’s bottom dollar, so I’m not sure why one site claimed that Sony SHOULD stop people from playing homebrew games on the PS3. If you are allowed to play them on the PC, then why should you stop them from playing them on the PS3?
I’m not saying you should be allowed to cheat online and screw up player rankings, or that someone should be allowed to access personal information about you that can be used for identity theft, or anything like that. People try to equate one with the other because they know that if they do that, they have the excuse to blindly follow whoever it is that is saying that you shouldn’t be allowed to do such things. They would never have to actually explain what is so wrong. All you have to do is scream “piracy”, and they will rush to your defense before they even know what the subject actually is. Hell, why should they care? They’re only blind fanboys! Why do they even NEED a reason to follow you?
But not everyone who is anti-piracy is so because they are blind fanboys. That’s another way of confusing the issue to benefit their point of view because of their insecurity of being able to validate their POV with actual facts. If you call out either them or their savior company, you’re playing for the other side, and no opposing POV is safe, civil or otherwise. Neither are those that would support Hotz’ POV. You think he was trying to enable piracy and cheating? How do you know that he was or wasn’t? He said he wasn’t, and there was nothing actually proven one way or another.
So this is where I am at on this issue: if I were to install CFW on my PS3 and never again take it online at all, and then install something from PS3 Homebrew on my PS3 (or, GASP, install Linux on my PS3), but never touch PSN on that PS3 again, does that stop you from doing anything you want to do on your PS3? Does that constitute piracy on my end? How does that hurt you or Sony? I’m not trying to be a smart ass. I’m just asking legitimate questions that the blind fanboys seem unwilling to answer in a civil way, if in any way. Hell, even IF I install SNES9x on it and play Super Mario World on it, is that something that stops you from enjoying your games in any way (and think about how you answer that, too)?
I ask this because this site is getting things completely confused. The blind fanboys are trying to confuse things because they WANT us to think the way they do, and the rest of the site seems to just go with it. I wouldn’t be as upset about it if it wasn’t so many of us doing this, but unfortunately, there is that many unwilling to stop taking things so personally.
I disapproved of HipHopGamer’s way of showing that he disagreed with Hotz’. Seriously, HHG, you resort to a rap like THAT just because Sony was the target? I thought of you better than to resort to cheap…oh, wait: “Uncharted 3 coming to 360!” My bad, you WOULD resort to cheap shots against Hotz (after all, that’s how you’ve built most of your career). Then again, you weren’t alone: the name calling started here, as well as the “kill that f**k” BS began there, too. So why am I just blaming you for acting like some hysteric, blind fanboy?
A day or so ago, there was a Bitmob parody article saying that the author was who brought down PSN because he accidently slept on the PS button on his controller. Of course, it was meant as a joke to be funny. However, the amount of people willing to bash it because they didn’t find it funny was outlandish. It was as if the article hurt their feelings. They took it too seriously and/or too personally, and went so far as to judge the type of people that WOULD find it funny. The Bitmob article did one thing successfully, if nothing else: shown us just how much we have been overreacting about anything regarding the PSN issue. The reactions to it on this site prove to me that they were hurt that they got exposed. Of course, they were exposed before when they cheered Anonymous being hacked! That showed me the real reason they were against Anonymous and Hotz: they drank Sony’s milkshake!
Note that while I don’t condone how Anonymous went about proving their point (anyone who thinks I did is an idiot), I can see what their reasons were: to show Sony that they were upset about their stubborn stance on whatever it is they are trying to prevent. To be honest, I’m not sure if I would want Anonymous’ help, but seeing as how they’ve been on the right side of certain fights (their fight on Fred Phelps comes to mind), it’s hard to not at least consider the offer if you're with a similar stance as mine.
Again, I’m not saying that we should suddenly condone piracy and cheating. I’m saying that as long as it doesn’t hurt me or you, then why should I be that concerned about stopping you from doing whatever it is with your system you want to do? YOU bought it, and it’s in YOUR house, hooked up to YOUR television set. Why should I care if you want to play that homebrew game on your PS3? I’m able to separate the good from the bad. I don’t know why no one else on this site can, but I am able to do so.
Hell, I’m not even sure why people are bitching about the OtherOS lawsuit. Sony told those people that they wouldn’t touch it, but they did, and then possibly lied about why they did it (playing the piracy card in the means of garnering support for the removal when that was not the real reason). There are people on this site that are saying “well, no one used it”. Sony felt enough people used it to make such a guarantee, and plus, if you didn’t care about it, then why do you care enough to make the proclamation that it shouldn’t be reinstated. You didn’t care that it was on there before, yet you’re damn sure wanting Sony to fight to make sure it stays off your system. Again, “I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE”!
So yeah, that’s my stance. The TL;DR version of it is this: I am not against fighting piracy as long as we know that there are several interpretations as to what piracy even is, I am against stopping people from doing things that they do in the privacy of their homes when it does nothing to infringe on our right to do anything we want to do, I don’t know why we have to prove everyone right about this site’s “fanboy cess pool”, why we didn’t care before but we do now, or why we are constantly unable to separate one argument from the other, or why we have to take everything so personally and fuel the hysteria constantly.
E3 2011: Predictions
After cherry picking the internet for gossip and rumours regarding the upcoming E3 event, the biggest in the video game calendar, E3 2011 could be the best ever produced or give gamers the greatest underwhelming experience since the Panasonic 3D0.
Personal feelings regarding hype always involve a note of caution, in that way I never feel a overwhelming sense of frustration although I admit at times it's hard to control depending on the subject matter. E3 is a personal favourite of mine, one I look forward to every year, however giving the recent examples of people in the industry over hyping announcements these days I keep my thoughts low key, therefore any news which excites me feels all the better.
The big three are hoping to steal the limelight off each other once again and here is what I think could possibly happen:
Sony:
Sony's press conference will come under intense scrutiny after the Playstation Network was invaded by hackers. Many will hope new features are introduced to improve the service, not just from a security standpoint but from a user interface view also. The Japanese company also has the matter of the Next Generation Portable, which excited many when it was first announced earlier in the year. Here is a list of what I think Sony will announce:
*NGP will cost $279.99 for basic model, 3G model will cost $329.99
*Kevin Butler will once again appear on stage, hopefully talking about gaming rather than appeasing to fanboy garbage.
*Twisted Metal will see a release date of January 2012
*Rockstar bring the Grand Theft Auto franchise to NGP in a new exclusive story, not a port of any console game.
*Sony confirm new firmware update that adds better and more gamer orientated dashboard including more in depth PSN ID's and slicker Trophy comparing/synching.
*Batman Arkham City will have exclusive DLC on PS3
*Eight Days will rise from the dead to see a targeted release timeframe of 2012
----------------------------- ------------------------------- -----
Nintendo have a very interesting E3 ahead, although the 3DS has potential it has yet to storm the charts from a hardware and software standpoint. Their current home console the Wii, has seen software become stagnant with a price drop included which has caused Nintendo to announce the arrival of Project Cafe, which will be properly announced and presented to gamers in playable form from June 7th onwards. Here is my Nintendo predicitions:
*Project Cafe will have a pricepoint of $349.99.
*It will only be slightly more powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3, which I predict will sadden many gamers.
*Nintendo will spend time trying to justify the price point with the design of the controller.
*Nintendo will announce an all new online service, Nintendo-On or something similar. Friend codes are ditched for a more user friendly user name template.
* Mario will be teased with no gameplay along with the return of StarFox.
*A new first party exclusive is announced for Cafe that is designed to appeal to older gamers.
*The 3DS will see a Wii Sports type package announced based on Nintendo characters.
----------------------------- ------------------------------- -----
Microsoft are attracting a growing number of negative feedback from gamers, mainly regarding their first party exclusive portfolio and continuing focus on their so far successful motion gaming add on Kinect. While sales of the console and software are very steady at the moment, the negativity seems to focus on Microsoft not being able to balance motion gaming for Kinect and traditional controller based gaming into their exclusive line up.Here is my Microsoft predictions:
*$50 off 250gb model, 250gb Kinect bundle and $20 off the 4gb model.
*Kinect software will be around 75% of the gaming announcements, which could disappoint many.
*Star Wars Kinect sees a release time frame around the same time as the Blu Ray box sets
*Codename Kingdoms will have traditional controller and Kinect forms of play. Probably Crytek's answer to the Elder Scrolls series.
*YouTube comes to Xbox Live.
----------------------------- ------------------------------- -----
Apart from the big three, we have the third party announcements to look forward to, some of which I think could be made are:
*A new Monkey Island game from LucasArts (they seem intent on ignoring pleas for Star Wars Battlefront 3)
*Transformers War for Cybertron 2
*Battlefield 3 to have exclusive DLC on one of the consoles
*Konami bring the Zone of the Enders series multiplatform
*A Simpsons PSN/XBLA title
*Metal Gear Solid Rising release time targeted for Q1 2012
----------------------------- ------------------------------- -----
Well, that's it for my predictions, we will all find out soon enough if they are complete trash or if some have been guessed wisely.
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Personal feelings regarding hype always involve a note of caution, in that way I never feel a overwhelming sense of frustration although I admit at times it's hard to control depending on the subject matter. E3 is a personal favourite of mine, one I look forward to every year, however giving the recent examples of people in the industry over hyping announcements these days I keep my thoughts low key, therefore any news which excites me feels all the better.
The big three are hoping to steal the limelight off each other once again and here is what I think could possibly happen:
Sony:
Sony's press conference will come under intense scrutiny after the Playstation Network was invaded by hackers. Many will hope new features are introduced to improve the service, not just from a security standpoint but from a user interface view also. The Japanese company also has the matter of the Next Generation Portable, which excited many when it was first announced earlier in the year. Here is a list of what I think Sony will announce:
*NGP will cost $279.99 for basic model, 3G model will cost $329.99
*Kevin Butler will once again appear on stage, hopefully talking about gaming rather than appeasing to fanboy garbage.
*Twisted Metal will see a release date of January 2012
*Rockstar bring the Grand Theft Auto franchise to NGP in a new exclusive story, not a port of any console game.
*Sony confirm new firmware update that adds better and more gamer orientated dashboard including more in depth PSN ID's and slicker Trophy comparing/synching.
*Batman Arkham City will have exclusive DLC on PS3
*Eight Days will rise from the dead to see a targeted release timeframe of 2012
----------------------------- ------------------------------- -----
Nintendo have a very interesting E3 ahead, although the 3DS has potential it has yet to storm the charts from a hardware and software standpoint. Their current home console the Wii, has seen software become stagnant with a price drop included which has caused Nintendo to announce the arrival of Project Cafe, which will be properly announced and presented to gamers in playable form from June 7th onwards. Here is my Nintendo predicitions:
*Project Cafe will have a pricepoint of $349.99.
*It will only be slightly more powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3, which I predict will sadden many gamers.
*Nintendo will spend time trying to justify the price point with the design of the controller.
*Nintendo will announce an all new online service, Nintendo-On or something similar. Friend codes are ditched for a more user friendly user name template.
* Mario will be teased with no gameplay along with the return of StarFox.
*A new first party exclusive is announced for Cafe that is designed to appeal to older gamers.
*The 3DS will see a Wii Sports type package announced based on Nintendo characters.
----------------------------- ------------------------------- -----
Microsoft are attracting a growing number of negative feedback from gamers, mainly regarding their first party exclusive portfolio and continuing focus on their so far successful motion gaming add on Kinect. While sales of the console and software are very steady at the moment, the negativity seems to focus on Microsoft not being able to balance motion gaming for Kinect and traditional controller based gaming into their exclusive line up.Here is my Microsoft predictions:
*$50 off 250gb model, 250gb Kinect bundle and $20 off the 4gb model.
*Kinect software will be around 75% of the gaming announcements, which could disappoint many.
*Star Wars Kinect sees a release time frame around the same time as the Blu Ray box sets
*Codename Kingdoms will have traditional controller and Kinect forms of play. Probably Crytek's answer to the Elder Scrolls series.
*YouTube comes to Xbox Live.
----------------------------- ------------------------------- -----
Apart from the big three, we have the third party announcements to look forward to, some of which I think could be made are:
*A new Monkey Island game from LucasArts (they seem intent on ignoring pleas for Star Wars Battlefront 3)
*Transformers War for Cybertron 2
*Battlefield 3 to have exclusive DLC on one of the consoles
*Konami bring the Zone of the Enders series multiplatform
*A Simpsons PSN/XBLA title
*Metal Gear Solid Rising release time targeted for Q1 2012
----------------------------- ------------------------------- -----
Well, that's it for my predictions, we will all find out soon enough if they are complete trash or if some have been guessed wisely.
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Thứ Sáu, 14 tháng 10, 2011
No love for Gears 3 as GOTY contender?
Lately, I've been reading quite a few forum posts and comments debating about which game deserves to be Game of the Year(GOTY). All off the big name games see their titles thrown around; Batman: AA, Portal 2, BattleField 3, Modern Warfare 2, Skyrim, Zelda: Skyword Sword, Uncharted 3. While most of these titles haven't been released and haven't proven their quality yet, we constantly forget about one game that is already out and that was praised by most critics. Throning at the top of metacritic Gears of War 3 seems to have been forgotten by it's fans.
So what happened there? there are a few explanations to this. We might think that, as the game has been recently released, gears fans are to busy playing rather than debating on gaming websites, but that sounds rather contrived. The two other reasons I have, are more plausible. People seem to get more exited for games that aren't released yet and once they are released, the hype dies down. This would explain the fact that all "GOTY contenders" aren't on the market yet. Portal 2 is the only released game of that list, but it also is non-coincidentally the only game topping Gears 3 on metacritic as of now.
The last point questions the quality of Gears 3, sure, it's a great game with a loads of content, but did the critics get carried away in their scoring? Up to now, I've been thinking that gears was over-rated, but kept it to myself thinking I was in a minority. Now, the lack of support for Gears 3 has pushed me in believing that people, after all, don't Love Gears 3 as much as would suggest the critics.
This is my first blog, any feedback would be appreciated. What do you think about the subject?
So what happened there? there are a few explanations to this. We might think that, as the game has been recently released, gears fans are to busy playing rather than debating on gaming websites, but that sounds rather contrived. The two other reasons I have, are more plausible. People seem to get more exited for games that aren't released yet and once they are released, the hype dies down. This would explain the fact that all "GOTY contenders" aren't on the market yet. Portal 2 is the only released game of that list, but it also is non-coincidentally the only game topping Gears 3 on metacritic as of now.
The last point questions the quality of Gears 3, sure, it's a great game with a loads of content, but did the critics get carried away in their scoring? Up to now, I've been thinking that gears was over-rated, but kept it to myself thinking I was in a minority. Now, the lack of support for Gears 3 has pushed me in believing that people, after all, don't Love Gears 3 as much as would suggest the critics.
This is my first blog, any feedback would be appreciated. What do you think about the subject?
ME3 Multiplayer Brings up a New Issue
So, we've all heard by now, right? Mass Effect 3 will have multiplayer! (it's okay, I'll wait for you to all calm down)
I think most of us knew this was coming. From the not so coy "oh, we're not commenting at this time on multiplayer" at E3 to the decision to push it back more than a few months from its original release date. Now that it's here, all we have to do is just see where it goes and how it plays out.
But, as I am wont to do, I have decided to get an early jump on the bandwagon to bicker about one possible fault with the multiplayer experience as a whole. I know, you're probably thinking it's the usual "OMG, bad Online Pass is bad!" It's not. I really don't care about it as I don't really play games online and I buy my BioWare games new... well... so far at least. Yes, I'm looking at you, possible Dragon Age 3.
My issue with the multiplayer deals with the, currently understood to be, limitation to playing as a completely different race in the game. If you haven't watched the latest BioWare TV episode where they go over this, please do so now:
http://n4g.com/news/864090/...
Welcome back! Now, did you hear that? When you play with your friends, you'll be able to take control over and play as many of the races you've seen in the game, including classes specific to them.
Wait... one of the biggest desires people have asked for in the single player game... is limited to the multiplayer game? Why?
I mean, I get it, the single player game is Shepard's story and is important. Gotcha. Don't want to ruin that or put a confusing spin on it. Leave that alone and don't touch it. But... why is it multiplayer only for these optional game elements that many have wanted?
It may seem petty asking this, but we're really talking about a series that has been single player up until now. Many of us were thinking that if multiplayer was implemented, it wouldn't matter much as long as it doesn't affect the single player game. And, it doesn't... but it kind of is a slap in the face at the same time by offering something so unique as the opportunity to play as races that require us to play with others in order to experience it.
I'm hoping that they are not limiting the co-op games to just those who are able to find a friend to game with them and that an individual can take the time to do it on their own. I don't think it right that they finally implement a feature that many Mass Effect fans have been asking for since the first game, and then limit it to those who play with others.
Anyway, as always, thanks for reading my rant over the small stuff.
I think most of us knew this was coming. From the not so coy "oh, we're not commenting at this time on multiplayer" at E3 to the decision to push it back more than a few months from its original release date. Now that it's here, all we have to do is just see where it goes and how it plays out.
But, as I am wont to do, I have decided to get an early jump on the bandwagon to bicker about one possible fault with the multiplayer experience as a whole. I know, you're probably thinking it's the usual "OMG, bad Online Pass is bad!" It's not. I really don't care about it as I don't really play games online and I buy my BioWare games new... well... so far at least. Yes, I'm looking at you, possible Dragon Age 3.
My issue with the multiplayer deals with the, currently understood to be, limitation to playing as a completely different race in the game. If you haven't watched the latest BioWare TV episode where they go over this, please do so now:
http://n4g.com/news/864090/...
Welcome back! Now, did you hear that? When you play with your friends, you'll be able to take control over and play as many of the races you've seen in the game, including classes specific to them.
Wait... one of the biggest desires people have asked for in the single player game... is limited to the multiplayer game? Why?
I mean, I get it, the single player game is Shepard's story and is important. Gotcha. Don't want to ruin that or put a confusing spin on it. Leave that alone and don't touch it. But... why is it multiplayer only for these optional game elements that many have wanted?
It may seem petty asking this, but we're really talking about a series that has been single player up until now. Many of us were thinking that if multiplayer was implemented, it wouldn't matter much as long as it doesn't affect the single player game. And, it doesn't... but it kind of is a slap in the face at the same time by offering something so unique as the opportunity to play as races that require us to play with others in order to experience it.
I'm hoping that they are not limiting the co-op games to just those who are able to find a friend to game with them and that an individual can take the time to do it on their own. I don't think it right that they finally implement a feature that many Mass Effect fans have been asking for since the first game, and then limit it to those who play with others.
Anyway, as always, thanks for reading my rant over the small stuff.
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!
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.
Official Pokemon Game Coming To Smartphones
The Pokemon Company is set to bring an official Pokemon Online game to smartphone devices, marking the first time that an official Nintendo-copyrighted app will be available on the iOS and Android.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Nick Jr., MTVN expand in Asia
Rugrats and music fans in Singapore and Malaysia will be able to tune in to “Dora the Explorer” and 24-hour music videos, docus and concerts with the launch of Viacom’s Nick Jr. and MTVN HD in the territories in coming weeks.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Thứ Ba, 11 tháng 10, 2011
Playdom co-founder: Facebook farming games aren't social games
Rick Thompson, co-founder of Disney-owned social game studio Playdom, is not happy with the lot of social games. During an interview with All Things Digital (ATD), Thompson was asked if he finds many Facebook games enjoyable. "I think they are fairly scarce," Thompson told ATD. While he did shout out to games like Kixeye's Backyard Monsters and Gardens of Time by his own former company, Thompson said that the established powers in social games are having a hard time raising the bar.
"I tend to think that those will not be very interesting in another two years, and they aren't social games," Thompson said to ATD, referring specifically to the myriad of Facebook games that insist on farming mechanics. "They are single-player games with the possibility of visiting your friend's aquarium – that's not social." (And you should already know just where Thompson is pointing.)
Despite this, Thompson says that the maturity of Facebook games is leaps and bounds beyond what it was just three years ago, mostly because of how much it costs developers to acquire new users ever since Facebook changed things up. But Thompson--now a social gaming veteran that has invested in companies like Funzio of Crime City fame to Idle Games--still sees companies that focus primarily on increasing players numbers as, well, doing it wrong.
Thompson isn't alone here, either. A number of analysts and designers alike are calling the industry out. Most recently, Eedar analyst Jesse Divnich claimed that we're on the verge of the next generation of social games. Designers like Braid creator Jonathan Blow, however, simply see the current lot of Facebook games as exploitative and not much more. (And we all know how Ian Bogost feels about the games.) Sadly, it likely won't be until arguably forward-thinking games like IdleWorship become as profitable as, say, FarmVille that Facebook games begin to agree with Thompson's sentiments on a wide scale.
Do you agree that the current lot of top Facebook games lack real social gameplay? What do you think it will take until that becomes a reality in the top 10? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"I tend to think that those will not be very interesting in another two years, and they aren't social games," Thompson said to ATD, referring specifically to the myriad of Facebook games that insist on farming mechanics. "They are single-player games with the possibility of visiting your friend's aquarium – that's not social." (And you should already know just where Thompson is pointing.)
Despite this, Thompson says that the maturity of Facebook games is leaps and bounds beyond what it was just three years ago, mostly because of how much it costs developers to acquire new users ever since Facebook changed things up. But Thompson--now a social gaming veteran that has invested in companies like Funzio of Crime City fame to Idle Games--still sees companies that focus primarily on increasing players numbers as, well, doing it wrong.
Thompson isn't alone here, either. A number of analysts and designers alike are calling the industry out. Most recently, Eedar analyst Jesse Divnich claimed that we're on the verge of the next generation of social games. Designers like Braid creator Jonathan Blow, however, simply see the current lot of Facebook games as exploitative and not much more. (And we all know how Ian Bogost feels about the games.) Sadly, it likely won't be until arguably forward-thinking games like IdleWorship become as profitable as, say, FarmVille that Facebook games begin to agree with Thompson's sentiments on a wide scale.
Do you agree that the current lot of top Facebook games lack real social gameplay? What do you think it will take until that becomes a reality in the top 10? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
CBS comedy 2 Broke Girls gets Diner Dash-style Facebook game
More and more, TV networks are turning to games to promote new and existing shows. "Smack talk hipsters, serve coffee to loners and rack up tips!" is the hook of a new Facebook game launched by CBS last month to promote their new fall comedy TV series, 2 Broke Girls, about a pair of waitresses at a Brooklyn diner saving up for the chance to run their own cupcake shop someday.
2 Broke Girls diner game
Created by GameSalad (the generous hosts of the political Angry Birds homage, Angry Anna) and CBS Interactive, the 2 Broke Girls game is also available for iOS devices at the App Store as well as GameSalad's website. It's also not the first time a CBS show has made it as a Facebook game. Just last month, a fake collectible card game from CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, got turned into a real collectible card game for Facebook called "Mystic Worlds of Ka'a".
2 Broke Girls menu
2 Broke Girls is a Facebook game very similar in play to Playfirst's phenomenally popular Diner Dash. The latter had made a home for itself on Facebook until poor traffic forced Playfirst to announce its shutdown back in July. Seeing how 2 Broke Girls is definitely more barebones and less Facebook integrated than Diner Dash was, I doubt it'll take off as a game alone. But if the show is good enough, they could always deepen the game's development.
Click here to play 2 Broke Girls on Facebook Now >
[Hat-tip: ClickZ]
Are Facebook games about a show enough to make you want to check out the show? Have you ever played Diner Dash before? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
2 Broke Girls diner game
Created by GameSalad (the generous hosts of the political Angry Birds homage, Angry Anna) and CBS Interactive, the 2 Broke Girls game is also available for iOS devices at the App Store as well as GameSalad's website. It's also not the first time a CBS show has made it as a Facebook game. Just last month, a fake collectible card game from CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, got turned into a real collectible card game for Facebook called "Mystic Worlds of Ka'a".
2 Broke Girls menu
2 Broke Girls is a Facebook game very similar in play to Playfirst's phenomenally popular Diner Dash. The latter had made a home for itself on Facebook until poor traffic forced Playfirst to announce its shutdown back in July. Seeing how 2 Broke Girls is definitely more barebones and less Facebook integrated than Diner Dash was, I doubt it'll take off as a game alone. But if the show is good enough, they could always deepen the game's development.
Click here to play 2 Broke Girls on Facebook Now >
[Hat-tip: ClickZ]
Are Facebook games about a show enough to make you want to check out the show? Have you ever played Diner Dash before? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Study: Social games will make $5.6 billion outside Facebook by 2014
Maybe there's a future for social games beyond Facebook, after all. That is, of course, if you ask the right people. A study by SuperData Research and commissioned by Viximo, a leading social games platform, estimates that social games that exist outside of Facebook's grubby paws will reel in a whopping $5.6 billion in revenue by 2014. Non-Facebook social games are expected to reach $3.2 billion in revenue this year alone.
While it's important to keep in mind just who commissioned this study, we should at least consider that social games do exist on other platforms around the globe. In fact, the study reports to have found that Asia is the largest market for social games, and that Facebook accounts for a third of all social network traffic around the world. The SuperData study made these estimations based on 774,158 unique transactions by 152,159 individuals in the six-month period ending on June 1, 2011.
From that, the study found that the largest western nations for social gaming aren't even in North America, but are Russia and Brazil with 35 million and 32.6 million players, respectively. "The social web beyond Facebook is often overlooked when it comes to games and applications," Viximo CEO Dale Strang said in a release. As it turns out, social networks beyond Facebook represent a non-trivial--in fact, significant--and fertile ground for games and apps."
With global competitors like Google+, the Mobage network and whatever in the world Gree is cooking up with OpenFeint, Strang certainly has a point. And let's not forget the number of developers and publisher across the globe that are quickly gaining notoriety like wooga, Nordeus and Spil Games. Facebook, it looks like you're surrounded.
Do you think Facebook will become less important for social game creators as competitors rise? How do you think Facebook will adapt to the growing competition? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
While it's important to keep in mind just who commissioned this study, we should at least consider that social games do exist on other platforms around the globe. In fact, the study reports to have found that Asia is the largest market for social games, and that Facebook accounts for a third of all social network traffic around the world. The SuperData study made these estimations based on 774,158 unique transactions by 152,159 individuals in the six-month period ending on June 1, 2011.
From that, the study found that the largest western nations for social gaming aren't even in North America, but are Russia and Brazil with 35 million and 32.6 million players, respectively. "The social web beyond Facebook is often overlooked when it comes to games and applications," Viximo CEO Dale Strang said in a release. As it turns out, social networks beyond Facebook represent a non-trivial--in fact, significant--and fertile ground for games and apps."
With global competitors like Google+, the Mobage network and whatever in the world Gree is cooking up with OpenFeint, Strang certainly has a point. And let's not forget the number of developers and publisher across the globe that are quickly gaining notoriety like wooga, Nordeus and Spil Games. Facebook, it looks like you're surrounded.
Do you think Facebook will become less important for social game creators as competitors rise? How do you think Facebook will adapt to the growing competition? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
FarmVille Express, Words with Friends et al, to hit Facebook Mobile
Now, why wasn't Gerard Butler hired to make this announcement? It seems as if the first phase of Facebook's Project Spartan is underway, as several HTML5--a relatively new coding language for the web--games and apps were announced on the Facebook Developer's Blog today. Zynga will launch FarmVille Express, Texas HoldEm Poker and Words with Friends to Facebook for mobile browsers tomorrow, but is joined by a number of games by big time developers.
Joining Zynga are Wooga with Magic Land: Island (a mobile extension of its most recent Facebook game), Moblyng with Social Poker Live and Word Racer Live and Storm8 with three releases: World War, iMobsters and Vampires Live. While the three Zynga games will be playable tomorrow, these six games are playable through Facebook on mobile browsers like Safari for iPhone or iPad right now.
We imagine Zynga will formally announce these three HTML5-powered games tomorrow at its Zynga Unleashed news event. Facebook just let one big cat out of the bag, revealing that EA too plans on releasing mobile browser games through the social network. (According to All Things Digital, that will start with an HTML5 version of The Sims Social.) All of these games support Facebook Credits, confirming earlier rumors, as well as all app-related Facebook Social Channels like Bookmarks, Requests and interactive News Feed posts.
Magic Land: Island
This means that users can answer both direct and News Feed requests for their favorite Facebook games through either the mobile web version of Facebook or the native Facebook app for iPhone and iPad (which launched today). Clicking on a Game Request or Bookmark through either form of Facebook will launch the relevant app should it exist and you have it installed.
This is a huge step forward for HTML5-based social games, especially considering Zynga's mobile head recently seemed not-so-bullish on the HTML5 movement in social games. And based on some brief time with Magic Land: Island, I can say that mobile browser-based gaming seems to have come a long way in the blink of an eye. Stay tuned tomorrow for more news from Zynga that will likely revolve around this huge if inadvertent announcement.
Are you excited at the chance to play lighter versions or companions to your favorite Facebook games through your phone's browser? What do you think of the HTML5 game movement generally? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Joining Zynga are Wooga with Magic Land: Island (a mobile extension of its most recent Facebook game), Moblyng with Social Poker Live and Word Racer Live and Storm8 with three releases: World War, iMobsters and Vampires Live. While the three Zynga games will be playable tomorrow, these six games are playable through Facebook on mobile browsers like Safari for iPhone or iPad right now.
We imagine Zynga will formally announce these three HTML5-powered games tomorrow at its Zynga Unleashed news event. Facebook just let one big cat out of the bag, revealing that EA too plans on releasing mobile browser games through the social network. (According to All Things Digital, that will start with an HTML5 version of The Sims Social.) All of these games support Facebook Credits, confirming earlier rumors, as well as all app-related Facebook Social Channels like Bookmarks, Requests and interactive News Feed posts.
Magic Land: Island
This means that users can answer both direct and News Feed requests for their favorite Facebook games through either the mobile web version of Facebook or the native Facebook app for iPhone and iPad (which launched today). Clicking on a Game Request or Bookmark through either form of Facebook will launch the relevant app should it exist and you have it installed.
This is a huge step forward for HTML5-based social games, especially considering Zynga's mobile head recently seemed not-so-bullish on the HTML5 movement in social games. And based on some brief time with Magic Land: Island, I can say that mobile browser-based gaming seems to have come a long way in the blink of an eye. Stay tuned tomorrow for more news from Zynga that will likely revolve around this huge if inadvertent announcement.
Are you excited at the chance to play lighter versions or companions to your favorite Facebook games through your phone's browser? What do you think of the HTML5 game movement generally? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Top 25 Facebook Games - October 2011: FarmVille falls even further
FarmVille I Quit
Things are just not looking up in the world of digital agriculture. This month, FarmVille gets knocked down yet another spot to fourth place with nearly 35.4 million monthly players, ousted by Zynga's brand new Adventure World. Admittedly, we were afraid of what would happen to the Zynga Boston debut given its terribly slow start, but it has amassed 35.7 million monthly players. (Keep in mind that FarmVille still has more daily players than Adventure World.)
The massive developer's two most popular Facebook games are now CityVille--still at number one with 74.6 million monthly players--and Adventure World in third place. That leaves The Sims Social, arguably the biggest upset in Facebook gaming since, well, Zynga first beat itself at its own game, trailing close behind at number two with 66.5 million monthly players. Many wonder whether EA's wildly successful Facebook game can completely beat Zynga, and at the moment it seems to have peaked, according to AppData.
Top 25 Facebook Games October
Aside from FarmVille seemingly nearing the end of its life on top despite even a new expansion, Lighthouse Cove, it looks like Zynga's most threatening competitors are solidifying their positions. As games like Gaia Online's Monster Galaxy drop over 10 places from the list completely and Cie Games's Car Town are knocked from the list one a few of the little guys remain. Ninja Saga hangs tight on the list, dropping one spot to 23rd place with 5.9 million players, while Social Point makes a major dent in the charts with Social Empires gaining over 2 million players to hit the 18 spot.
Other than Playtika's Slotomania at number 19 and King.com even bumping one spot up to 20th place with Bubble Saga, it's important to notice what's happening here. Aside from a few strong and likely savvy smaller developers, the Top 25 is slowly becoming dominated by the biggest names in social gaming. The giants of Facebook gaming are asserting their supremacy just as they did in the traditional games space, and it's likely only going to get harder for indie creators to find this level of success on Facebook. Hey, there's always Google+ Games, right?
[Source and Image Credit: Inside Social Games]
Do you think FarmVille has seen it's best days already? Do you think new independent developers still have a chance at hitting the Top 25? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Things are just not looking up in the world of digital agriculture. This month, FarmVille gets knocked down yet another spot to fourth place with nearly 35.4 million monthly players, ousted by Zynga's brand new Adventure World. Admittedly, we were afraid of what would happen to the Zynga Boston debut given its terribly slow start, but it has amassed 35.7 million monthly players. (Keep in mind that FarmVille still has more daily players than Adventure World.)
The massive developer's two most popular Facebook games are now CityVille--still at number one with 74.6 million monthly players--and Adventure World in third place. That leaves The Sims Social, arguably the biggest upset in Facebook gaming since, well, Zynga first beat itself at its own game, trailing close behind at number two with 66.5 million monthly players. Many wonder whether EA's wildly successful Facebook game can completely beat Zynga, and at the moment it seems to have peaked, according to AppData.
Top 25 Facebook Games October
Aside from FarmVille seemingly nearing the end of its life on top despite even a new expansion, Lighthouse Cove, it looks like Zynga's most threatening competitors are solidifying their positions. As games like Gaia Online's Monster Galaxy drop over 10 places from the list completely and Cie Games's Car Town are knocked from the list one a few of the little guys remain. Ninja Saga hangs tight on the list, dropping one spot to 23rd place with 5.9 million players, while Social Point makes a major dent in the charts with Social Empires gaining over 2 million players to hit the 18 spot.
Other than Playtika's Slotomania at number 19 and King.com even bumping one spot up to 20th place with Bubble Saga, it's important to notice what's happening here. Aside from a few strong and likely savvy smaller developers, the Top 25 is slowly becoming dominated by the biggest names in social gaming. The giants of Facebook gaming are asserting their supremacy just as they did in the traditional games space, and it's likely only going to get harder for indie creators to find this level of success on Facebook. Hey, there's always Google+ Games, right?
[Source and Image Credit: Inside Social Games]
Do you think FarmVille has seen it's best days already? Do you think new independent developers still have a chance at hitting the Top 25? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Scott Steinberg: Facebook could be in music games' future [Interview]
"It was too many games in too short a time, playing to too niche of an audience at too high a price--in the middle of the worst recession possible." According to technology analyst and public speaker Scott Steinberg, this was what essentially killed the enormous music gaming franchises, Guitar Hero and Rock Band. The age of sitting around your living room with three friends, plucking and fiddling with plastic instruments to Rush's Tom Sawyer is all but over ... for now.
Well, at least those exorbitant pieces of plastic are through. Steinberg details the rise, fall, and imminent resurrection of music-based video games in his new novel, "Music Games Rock: Rhythm Gaming's Greatest Hits of All Time," which you can read for free right here. (If you're so inclined to support the guy, it's also available on iBooks, Kindle and in paperback.)
According to Steinberg, music games inspired by Guitar Hero and Rock Band's wild success will get their second shot in the limelight on Facebook and in your smartphones. We recently sat down with Steinberg to hear his thoughts on just how Facebook games can take advantage of this golden opportunity, why it hasn't happened just yet and what the killer Facebook music game might be like.
What advantages would you say social games have to capitalize on the downfall of music games?
There's a number of advantages, right? Free-to-play and incredibly low barriers to entry. You certainly don't have high-end system requirements, and you don't have to buy pricey plastic peripherals. They can tap into your existing music collection or stream it live, and you have millions of players connected to a platform that's uniform.
You don't have to worry, for the most part, about bugs or errors, because everybody is playing the same thing at the same time. So, what you have is a ready made audience, say, on Facebook alone of 800 million people who are incredibly connected. [They] used to playing with one another and are taking part in a platform that's uniquely tailor-made to take advantage of digital music--and oh, by the way, it's completely free to play.
When you take it in this context, coupled with the fact that every human being on this planet is hardwired to enjoy music, that really is the common unifier. Social games really are uniquely poised to take the genre to the next level.
Music Games RockIn your book, you mention that the music genre has enjoyed a revival on social networks through Facebook games like Nightclub City and Dirty Dancing--largely simulator games. But what about games that more closely resemble the now-defunct rhythm games like Pump It? Which of the two do you think has a better chance at thriving on Facebook?
Actually, I would argue that some of the better ones that have a chance of surviving may not even be traditional games at all. Look at a service like Turntable.fm: Wouldn't consider it a game per se, except it's powered completely by gamification elements. You're creating custom play lists, you're interacting with other players in a social environment and ultimately you're competing for the approval of other users by liking the songs.
Or, if you look at other games like YooStar Playground or apps like VidRhythm--these are the titles that are to do particularly well. That said, simulation titles [have a] strong audience for them and proven capability, and certainly because that's where so many games got their roots [on Facebook]. There's likely to be a lot of people interested. I've even seen a number of unreleased games that are in prototype that essentially allow you to take on the role of managing or performing in a rock band--I think they're uniquely well-suited.
I think what's not going to translate over well is simply the standard tap in time with the on-screen indicator type games. Though, these can continue to succeed on mobile platforms, because in the mobile context you're typically looking to play maybe with one hand in a span of five or six minutes. Whereas social games may only be a 15-minute spurt, you're sitting down in front of a PC and you're typically more engaged.
There are some music creation social games on the fringe already, like BreakOutBand, that rely on players to share content to succeed. How important would that be in a social game centered around music?
I think user-created content, as it relates to social games, is massively important, because at the end of the day the developers can only take a game so far. And it's the players' ability to interact with and reshape that music or related content that really creates a sense of community, and allows a title to constantly keep feeling fresh and people coming back for more.
It's essentially a win-win, because for the developer it's a very affordable way to keep adding content to the game and keep people talking about it, and coming back after weeks and weeks. Players aren't constrained by office politics, licensing issues, and--to be frank--everybody loves to mix and mash creations.
But how much of that is going to be super-high quality, or chart-topping hits shall we say, versus underground little diddies? This is social interaction at its core, right? So, if you don't have that level of user interactivity, at the end of the day what you have is essentially a game with a bunch of canned content. And not much reason--unless it's saying you need to recruit other players to earn money for your band or unlock new stuff--there's not much incentive to pass it along.
A good amount of music games already exist on Facebook, but none are taking off like music games did before the turn of the decade. What do you think it would take for a music-based social game to enjoy success and notoriety like Guitar Hero?
You need to have a concept with extremely wide appeal that allows players to enjoy rock star wish fulfillment in a matter of minutes without the painful side effects. What also is important is to have recognizable band scenarios, you know, licensed music. But also the ability for players to put their own spin on it and a reason for them to engage with one another.
The problem is, to succeed on social networks where you literally have thousands of titles competing, dozens of them coming out every single week--all of which are completely free to play versus Guitar Hero, which was completely brand new. To have that success on Facebook or another social network, I almost think what you're going to see is a title that's going to have to align itself with Spotify or another one of these streaming services to tap into a massive database of real-world artists and then finds new ways for you to interact with that music.
Dirty Dancing Facebook game
Back to the branded music games like Dirty Dancing (pictured). As you know, they're reaching critical mass, so what do you think is the likelihood of a monster brand like Guitar Hero or Rock Band appearing on Facebook?
Oh, it's a certainty. It's not a question of 'if,' but just a question of 'when.' I think a lot of that is because the game makers aren't unawares. Activision, Harmonix, Mad Catz: They understand the power of social networks as a platform. The problem is that their business has been thus far founded in either selling peripherals--good mark up on those plastic guitars--or selling software for 60 bucks a pop.
They haven't had as much incentive to scurry and think, 'How do we make a free-to-play platform where we're probably going to make a lot less money in the immediate?' But slowly and surely, as so many game players are migrating to these platforms, convenience is winning. It's almost as if they're being forced to acknowledge it. It's a completely new approach to game design--Wal-Mart's not going to order a million units. They'll embrace it; it's just a question of 'when.'
Try to describe your dream music-based Facebook game to me. In other words, what do you think would be the ultimate approach to a music game on Facebook?
The ultimate Facebook music game would not only be able to tap into your full library of digital music, but also stream millions of songs on demand. [It would] allow you to set up on stage custom concerts for your friends, featuring this music or original music you created. [You would] style your avatars, build your own bands, create your own followings, sell your own virtual merchandise and connect over shared love of music with millions of players across the world.
It would effectively recreate the rock and recording industry experience, only in a virtual setting. What I mean is a combo listening service, social network, slash simulation game that effectively allows you to build a rock band and recording industry career from the ground up. I don't see any reason why you couldn't create avatars for your band--it's own look, logo, virtual stickers, t-shirts. You could buy branded gear like Gibson's or Marshall's, earn cash from touring, build your own virtual labels. I don't see any reason why a platform wouldn't be able to break new artists.
Wow, I think it's time for you to call the patent office. Thanks for taking the time to chat, Scott.
What do you think of the prospects of a wildly successful music game hitting Facebook? Who do you think could be the first to create the ultimate music game on Facebook? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Well, at least those exorbitant pieces of plastic are through. Steinberg details the rise, fall, and imminent resurrection of music-based video games in his new novel, "Music Games Rock: Rhythm Gaming's Greatest Hits of All Time," which you can read for free right here. (If you're so inclined to support the guy, it's also available on iBooks, Kindle and in paperback.)
According to Steinberg, music games inspired by Guitar Hero and Rock Band's wild success will get their second shot in the limelight on Facebook and in your smartphones. We recently sat down with Steinberg to hear his thoughts on just how Facebook games can take advantage of this golden opportunity, why it hasn't happened just yet and what the killer Facebook music game might be like.
What advantages would you say social games have to capitalize on the downfall of music games?
There's a number of advantages, right? Free-to-play and incredibly low barriers to entry. You certainly don't have high-end system requirements, and you don't have to buy pricey plastic peripherals. They can tap into your existing music collection or stream it live, and you have millions of players connected to a platform that's uniform.
You don't have to worry, for the most part, about bugs or errors, because everybody is playing the same thing at the same time. So, what you have is a ready made audience, say, on Facebook alone of 800 million people who are incredibly connected. [They] used to playing with one another and are taking part in a platform that's uniquely tailor-made to take advantage of digital music--and oh, by the way, it's completely free to play.
When you take it in this context, coupled with the fact that every human being on this planet is hardwired to enjoy music, that really is the common unifier. Social games really are uniquely poised to take the genre to the next level.
Music Games RockIn your book, you mention that the music genre has enjoyed a revival on social networks through Facebook games like Nightclub City and Dirty Dancing--largely simulator games. But what about games that more closely resemble the now-defunct rhythm games like Pump It? Which of the two do you think has a better chance at thriving on Facebook?
Actually, I would argue that some of the better ones that have a chance of surviving may not even be traditional games at all. Look at a service like Turntable.fm: Wouldn't consider it a game per se, except it's powered completely by gamification elements. You're creating custom play lists, you're interacting with other players in a social environment and ultimately you're competing for the approval of other users by liking the songs.
Or, if you look at other games like YooStar Playground or apps like VidRhythm--these are the titles that are to do particularly well. That said, simulation titles [have a] strong audience for them and proven capability, and certainly because that's where so many games got their roots [on Facebook]. There's likely to be a lot of people interested. I've even seen a number of unreleased games that are in prototype that essentially allow you to take on the role of managing or performing in a rock band--I think they're uniquely well-suited.
I think what's not going to translate over well is simply the standard tap in time with the on-screen indicator type games. Though, these can continue to succeed on mobile platforms, because in the mobile context you're typically looking to play maybe with one hand in a span of five or six minutes. Whereas social games may only be a 15-minute spurt, you're sitting down in front of a PC and you're typically more engaged.
There are some music creation social games on the fringe already, like BreakOutBand, that rely on players to share content to succeed. How important would that be in a social game centered around music?
I think user-created content, as it relates to social games, is massively important, because at the end of the day the developers can only take a game so far. And it's the players' ability to interact with and reshape that music or related content that really creates a sense of community, and allows a title to constantly keep feeling fresh and people coming back for more.
It's essentially a win-win, because for the developer it's a very affordable way to keep adding content to the game and keep people talking about it, and coming back after weeks and weeks. Players aren't constrained by office politics, licensing issues, and--to be frank--everybody loves to mix and mash creations.
But how much of that is going to be super-high quality, or chart-topping hits shall we say, versus underground little diddies? This is social interaction at its core, right? So, if you don't have that level of user interactivity, at the end of the day what you have is essentially a game with a bunch of canned content. And not much reason--unless it's saying you need to recruit other players to earn money for your band or unlock new stuff--there's not much incentive to pass it along.
A good amount of music games already exist on Facebook, but none are taking off like music games did before the turn of the decade. What do you think it would take for a music-based social game to enjoy success and notoriety like Guitar Hero?
You need to have a concept with extremely wide appeal that allows players to enjoy rock star wish fulfillment in a matter of minutes without the painful side effects. What also is important is to have recognizable band scenarios, you know, licensed music. But also the ability for players to put their own spin on it and a reason for them to engage with one another.
The problem is, to succeed on social networks where you literally have thousands of titles competing, dozens of them coming out every single week--all of which are completely free to play versus Guitar Hero, which was completely brand new. To have that success on Facebook or another social network, I almost think what you're going to see is a title that's going to have to align itself with Spotify or another one of these streaming services to tap into a massive database of real-world artists and then finds new ways for you to interact with that music.
Dirty Dancing Facebook game
Back to the branded music games like Dirty Dancing (pictured). As you know, they're reaching critical mass, so what do you think is the likelihood of a monster brand like Guitar Hero or Rock Band appearing on Facebook?
Oh, it's a certainty. It's not a question of 'if,' but just a question of 'when.' I think a lot of that is because the game makers aren't unawares. Activision, Harmonix, Mad Catz: They understand the power of social networks as a platform. The problem is that their business has been thus far founded in either selling peripherals--good mark up on those plastic guitars--or selling software for 60 bucks a pop.
They haven't had as much incentive to scurry and think, 'How do we make a free-to-play platform where we're probably going to make a lot less money in the immediate?' But slowly and surely, as so many game players are migrating to these platforms, convenience is winning. It's almost as if they're being forced to acknowledge it. It's a completely new approach to game design--Wal-Mart's not going to order a million units. They'll embrace it; it's just a question of 'when.'
Try to describe your dream music-based Facebook game to me. In other words, what do you think would be the ultimate approach to a music game on Facebook?
The ultimate Facebook music game would not only be able to tap into your full library of digital music, but also stream millions of songs on demand. [It would] allow you to set up on stage custom concerts for your friends, featuring this music or original music you created. [You would] style your avatars, build your own bands, create your own followings, sell your own virtual merchandise and connect over shared love of music with millions of players across the world.
It would effectively recreate the rock and recording industry experience, only in a virtual setting. What I mean is a combo listening service, social network, slash simulation game that effectively allows you to build a rock band and recording industry career from the ground up. I don't see any reason why you couldn't create avatars for your band--it's own look, logo, virtual stickers, t-shirts. You could buy branded gear like Gibson's or Marshall's, earn cash from touring, build your own virtual labels. I don't see any reason why a platform wouldn't be able to break new artists.
Wow, I think it's time for you to call the patent office. Thanks for taking the time to chat, Scott.
What do you think of the prospects of a wildly successful music game hitting Facebook? Who do you think could be the first to create the ultimate music game on Facebook? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
There may not be another Zynga game in which Energy is more important than in Adventure World. Every switch thrown, every puzzle solved and beastie whacked costs you the Facebook game juice. Players often find themselves without Energy minutes into an Expedition. But this isn't the time for whining--it's time to show you the value of upgrading your Tools and how to do it.
Tools: The Game Changer
If you noticed, each piece of debris and monster has a life bar, and normally take multiple hits with your Whip or Machete to whittle down. This, of course, quickly becomes a waste in later Expeditions purely due to the amount of obstacles in your path. But increasing the amount of damage your various Tools inflict against said baddies could considerably reduce the Energy spend in-game.
For instance, say a Snake has three hit points and is Level 5. Since monsters can hit back in this game, it could take three to five Energy before an enemy goes down. Now, imagine if you had upgraded your Whip to Level 2. Offing that Snake would take just two to four Energy with a beefier Whip. The same situation applies to Tools like the Machete.
Adventure World Tool Shop inside
And Now For Your How-To
Adventure World Tool Shop outsideUpgrading your Tools in Adventure World is simple. All you need to do is head back to Base Camp from an Expedition, and look for a makeshift hut that should already be in place in your headquarters. When you click on the Tool Shop, a window will appear featuring all the Tools you've found thus far on your journeys. Click on the Tool you wish to upgrade.
Once you click on a Tool to upgrade, you'll notice that each Tool costs Coins to upgrade. That's it--no asking friends to help you out with materials or farming certain crops for special items. Just the goods you find during your travels in search of El Dorado. However, Coins are actually quite rare in this game, so you'll need to save and spend wisely.
When you have enough Coins for an upgrade, just click on the appropriate icon to pay up. Tool upgrades are also level-locked, meaning you must reach a certain level for most Tools before being able to upgrade them using Coins. If you're feeling impatient, you could always unlock access to those higher level Tools early using Adventure Cash.
Just One Small Catch...
However, some Tool upgrades do require an extra boost: your Tool Shop. Yes, the building itself can be upgraded, too. And this time, you will need items from your friends. (Just think of how things work in CityVille.) Luckily, you only have to do this about twice to unlock access to all of the game's Tools. Then, it's back onto leveling up to access new upgrades for Coins.
Adventure World Tool Shop Upgrade
Upgraded Tools are hands-down the way to go, if you want to save precious Energy for the good stuff, that is. You know, exploring ... uncovering the secrets of El Dorado? That kind of stuff. Your wallet might thank us later.
Click here to find all of our Adventure World Tips in one spot >
[Source: Zynga]
Have you upgraded your Tools in Adventure World yet? What other Energy-saving tips might you have for your fellow adventurers? Sound off in the comments. 1 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.
Angry Birds Walkthrough
The angry birds really are a game which includes created has built a good deal noise in the industry of games within the last year. This post will work as the angry birds walkthrough and give you information that explains why it is creating this type of fuss in the gaming market. Firstly, the game is made for simplicity and thus it could be played simply by people associated with different age brackets and regarding different words. One thing that certain ought to know is that will as this individual advances to another location stage, the overall game becomes a lttle bit complicated, thus slightly harder. The reason as to why it becomes harder is really because with really stage, there is often a new trick which should be uncovered which is the point that creates the sport interesting.
By means of this angry birds walkthrough, you will recognize that the additional reason why the game happens to be much popular is because of its cost. Even though there exists the free of charge version in the game, many people have made a decision to buy the complete version due to extra features as well as the enjoyment which it brings coupled. In addition fot it, when one is playing the action, he or she becomes emotionally engaged in the game producing him a lot more concentrative inside the game thus allowing him to make wise choices. It could be because of this really reason that the game is recognized as very educative specifically people of the younger age bracket.
The a lot more you study different angry birds walkthrough over the web, you will recognize that they most say exactly the same thing meaning the game is sold with vibrant graphics which can be designed so that you will be quite definitely excited to relish the sport. For case in point the games’ backdrop carries a scene from the desert along with the necessity from the dessert making the whole game more exciting for you to play. There is also the enticement part, and that is meant to keep the participant glued on the game. When one particular passes a specific level, she or he gets a lot of winnings that means it is easier regarding him for you to advance to another location stage.
Good angry chickens walkthrough, this game is found on many websites but it’s also possible to download it also. However when you buy the game, ensure that you have gone by means of several internet sites and evaluate the features the site provides, where you obtain one containing more features you can go on and purchase that. Besides in which, it is usually essential that you choose an internet site that lets you advance to a higher stage giving you straightforward hints. The explanation for this, would be to allow a person get more hooked to the game. Otherwise if there are no ideas, then a lot of people will fight to play and they will end up stopping. In addition fot it, read the fine print of playing the game so that you are not really caught in a compromise circumstance.
By means of this angry birds walkthrough, you will recognize that the additional reason why the game happens to be much popular is because of its cost. Even though there exists the free of charge version in the game, many people have made a decision to buy the complete version due to extra features as well as the enjoyment which it brings coupled. In addition fot it, when one is playing the action, he or she becomes emotionally engaged in the game producing him a lot more concentrative inside the game thus allowing him to make wise choices. It could be because of this really reason that the game is recognized as very educative specifically people of the younger age bracket.
The a lot more you study different angry birds walkthrough over the web, you will recognize that they most say exactly the same thing meaning the game is sold with vibrant graphics which can be designed so that you will be quite definitely excited to relish the sport. For case in point the games’ backdrop carries a scene from the desert along with the necessity from the dessert making the whole game more exciting for you to play. There is also the enticement part, and that is meant to keep the participant glued on the game. When one particular passes a specific level, she or he gets a lot of winnings that means it is easier regarding him for you to advance to another location stage.
Good angry chickens walkthrough, this game is found on many websites but it’s also possible to download it also. However when you buy the game, ensure that you have gone by means of several internet sites and evaluate the features the site provides, where you obtain one containing more features you can go on and purchase that. Besides in which, it is usually essential that you choose an internet site that lets you advance to a higher stage giving you straightforward hints. The explanation for this, would be to allow a person get more hooked to the game. Otherwise if there are no ideas, then a lot of people will fight to play and they will end up stopping. In addition fot it, read the fine print of playing the game so that you are not really caught in a compromise circumstance.
Mafia Wars 2: Like Facebook fan page to unlock prizes in final game
While little is known about Mafia Wars 2 in terms of it's actual gameplay, we do know that prizes are being offered for users that Like the game's Facebook fan page. If this entire promotion looks familiar, it's because EA/Playfish pulled this one during the Sims Social pre-launch hype, and now we're seeing it again here.
Either way, we know that there will eventually be nine prizes available to unlock, although only seven of them have been revealed. These prizes are limited to varying (increasing) amounts of Likes, and will be unlocked in the final game upon launch if we reach those milestones in time. Here's the complete rundown:
Black Mohawk Hair - 20,000 Likes
Casino Row T-Shirt - 50,000 Likes
Graffiti Wall - 100,000 Likes
Skull Bandana - 250,000 Likes
Animated Lions - 500,000 Likes
Tribal Tattoo - 1 million Likes
Stripes Baseball Cap - 1.5 million Likes
Two additional prizes have yet to be revealed. So far, the fan page has only gained 70,000 Likes, so we've only managed to unlock the Black Mohawk Hair and Casino Row T-Shirt as prizes. Since the game's announcement is so new, and the hype train has barely left the station, I'd imagine we'll see that number climb slowly at first, and then monumentally as the game comes closer and closer to launch. And once we find out what those final two prizes are, we'll make sure to let you know.
Are you excited about Mafia Wars 2? If the game doesn't offer any incentive for users to switch from the original to this new version, will you? Sound off in the comments.
Either way, we know that there will eventually be nine prizes available to unlock, although only seven of them have been revealed. These prizes are limited to varying (increasing) amounts of Likes, and will be unlocked in the final game upon launch if we reach those milestones in time. Here's the complete rundown:
Black Mohawk Hair - 20,000 Likes
Casino Row T-Shirt - 50,000 Likes
Graffiti Wall - 100,000 Likes
Skull Bandana - 250,000 Likes
Animated Lions - 500,000 Likes
Tribal Tattoo - 1 million Likes
Stripes Baseball Cap - 1.5 million Likes
Two additional prizes have yet to be revealed. So far, the fan page has only gained 70,000 Likes, so we've only managed to unlock the Black Mohawk Hair and Casino Row T-Shirt as prizes. Since the game's announcement is so new, and the hype train has barely left the station, I'd imagine we'll see that number climb slowly at first, and then monumentally as the game comes closer and closer to launch. And once we find out what those final two prizes are, we'll make sure to let you know.
Are you excited about Mafia Wars 2? If the game doesn't offer any incentive for users to switch from the original to this new version, will you? Sound off in the comments.
Earn 4 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Capital One promotion
At this rate, perhaps we should just rename FarmVille "Capital OneVille." Why? Yet another cross-promotional activity has launched in the game, allowing users to walk away with 4 free Farm Cash. Unlike the Capital One farm and goat, or even the Capital One free gift that can be sent to friends, this promotion is found where most other free Farm Cash promotions are located: underneath the FarmVille gameplay area.
This promotion is a fairly lengthy one. Once you launch the activity window, you'll need to watch a full Capital One trailer, and can then answer some quiz and survey about what you've seen or the Capital One brand in general. Don't worry - these "quiz" questions are incredibly easy, and if I had to make a guess, it likely wouldn't matter which way you answered; you'd still likely get the Farm Cash at the end.
After manually answering one fill-in-the-blank question, the activity will finally be complete, and you'll be the proud owner of 4 free Farm Cash. This is double the amount of Farm Cash we normally see released in such promotions, so at least it excuses a bit of the additional time it takes to complete this particular activity. As usual, you'll want to complete this promotion as soon as you see it pop-up underneath your game; there's no telling when it will expire, and you will have missed your chance.
Have you seen the Capital One promotion appear under your gameplay area in FarmVille? What will you do with your four free Farm Cash? Sound off in the comments.
This promotion is a fairly lengthy one. Once you launch the activity window, you'll need to watch a full Capital One trailer, and can then answer some quiz and survey about what you've seen or the Capital One brand in general. Don't worry - these "quiz" questions are incredibly easy, and if I had to make a guess, it likely wouldn't matter which way you answered; you'd still likely get the Farm Cash at the end.
After manually answering one fill-in-the-blank question, the activity will finally be complete, and you'll be the proud owner of 4 free Farm Cash. This is double the amount of Farm Cash we normally see released in such promotions, so at least it excuses a bit of the additional time it takes to complete this particular activity. As usual, you'll want to complete this promotion as soon as you see it pop-up underneath your game; there's no telling when it will expire, and you will have missed your chance.
Have you seen the Capital One promotion appear under your gameplay area in FarmVille? What will you do with your four free Farm Cash? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove: Splurge on an Unwither Ring for your new farm
Even though the actual act of farming isn't the main focus of FarmVille's third farm the Lighthouse Cove (rather, the focus is on creating a resort village with buildings, trees or even animals), if you really don't want to have to worry about farming (specifically, losing your crops) ever again, you can purchase an Unwither Ring specifically for your new farm so that your new crops will never wither... ever. Even if you happen to forget you've planted crops in your new farm, or plant short-growing crops that happen to wither quicker than you imagined, this Unwither Ring will prevent all that.
Of course, just because you're purchasing one for a new farm doesn't mean the price of this luxury / convenience has gone down. A single Unwither Ring costs 250 Farm Cash, and you can either keep one for yourself, or purchase one to send to a friend (a very, very lucky friend). If the color matters, this new version of the Unwither Ring comes in a lovely purple box.
As usual, this Unwither Ring release isn't permanent, as you'll only have 12 days to purchase one for your Lighthouse Cove. While the item will permanently function on that farm, your ability to purchase is fading fast. Still, is the current equivalent of over $45 US worth the convenience of never having to worry about your crops' time limit? We'll leave that up to you to decide.
Will you purchase an Unwither Ring for your Lighthouse Cove farm? Do you have a ring on your other farms? If so, were they worth the purchase? Sound off in the comments.
Of course, just because you're purchasing one for a new farm doesn't mean the price of this luxury / convenience has gone down. A single Unwither Ring costs 250 Farm Cash, and you can either keep one for yourself, or purchase one to send to a friend (a very, very lucky friend). If the color matters, this new version of the Unwither Ring comes in a lovely purple box.
As usual, this Unwither Ring release isn't permanent, as you'll only have 12 days to purchase one for your Lighthouse Cove. While the item will permanently function on that farm, your ability to purchase is fading fast. Still, is the current equivalent of over $45 US worth the convenience of never having to worry about your crops' time limit? We'll leave that up to you to decide.
Will you purchase an Unwither Ring for your Lighthouse Cove farm? Do you have a ring on your other farms? If so, were they worth the purchase? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove: New items come with sale prices for a limited time
On top of releasing new items in the FarmVille marketplace this evening, Zynga has also given us an extra incentive to go shopping by placing (most of these) new items on sale, but only for a limited time. These items come in the Lighthouse Cove theme, which, as you'll recall means that you can either place them on your Lighthouse Cove proper, or can place them on other farms as well. Just remember that if you purchase them on your Home or English farm and then want to move them to the Lighthouse Cove, you won't be able to move them back and forth until we've been given the ability to access storage across all three farms. Without further ado, here's a look at this week's available items.
Trees
Autumn Cherry Tree - 5 Farm Cash (down from 8)
Bradford Pear Tree - 10 Farm Cash (down from 14)
The Autumn Cherry Tree is the level one tree in this equation, meaning you can earn Bradford Pear Trees for free from Mystery Seedlings. These sale prices bring the trees back down to the prices we used to see trees priced at normally, so make sure to snag one (some) if those cheaper prices are acceptable to you.
Animals
Brown Maine Coon - 8 Farm Cash (down from 10)
Brown Pinto Mini - 22 Farm Cash (down from 26)
The Brown Maine Coon is simply a brown version of the original Maine Coon that's available for 200,000 coins, permanently. It does, however, come with its own mastery sign, so you'll need to splurge on at least one if you want to be eligible to earn it. As for the Brown Pinto Mini, this is a new horse that gives you 2,600 experience points upon purchasing it.
Buildings
Fisherman's Shack - 16 Farm Cash (down from 20)
New England Inn - 30 Farm Cash
If you're taking the supposed "purpose" of Lighthouse Cove seriously (that being to create a building-centric resort town), you'll be happy to see that this Fisherman's Shack placed on sale, as you'll be able to further flesh out that building with this "home" for even cheaper than before. Interestingly, the New England Inn isn't on sale, but it's not the only one that's not been given the sale price treatment.
Decorations
Autumn Creek - 12 Farm Cash (down from 15)
October Picnic - 3 Farm Cash
Flowery Picket - 5,000 coins
Porch Swing - 50,000 coins
Tree Arch - 10,000 coins
As I said before, here's another set of items that haven't been given sale prices. While this is expected with coin items, as coins are free to come by, I am surprised that the October Picnic hasn't been priced at 1 or 2 Farm Cash instead of 3, just so it too could be "on sale." Either way, make sure to check your storage for a Tree Arch, as it's been released before in previous events. Also, while an item called the "Porch Swing" has been released before, please note that this item is different.
As usual, all of these items are on a time limit, and will only be around for the the next 13 days. Happy farming!
Which of these items will you purchase for your farms? Have you been using these Lighthouse Cove items on other farms as simply decorations, or are you keeping them on your new farm? Sound off in the comments.
Trees
Autumn Cherry Tree - 5 Farm Cash (down from 8)
Bradford Pear Tree - 10 Farm Cash (down from 14)
The Autumn Cherry Tree is the level one tree in this equation, meaning you can earn Bradford Pear Trees for free from Mystery Seedlings. These sale prices bring the trees back down to the prices we used to see trees priced at normally, so make sure to snag one (some) if those cheaper prices are acceptable to you.
Animals
Brown Maine Coon - 8 Farm Cash (down from 10)
Brown Pinto Mini - 22 Farm Cash (down from 26)
The Brown Maine Coon is simply a brown version of the original Maine Coon that's available for 200,000 coins, permanently. It does, however, come with its own mastery sign, so you'll need to splurge on at least one if you want to be eligible to earn it. As for the Brown Pinto Mini, this is a new horse that gives you 2,600 experience points upon purchasing it.
Buildings
Fisherman's Shack - 16 Farm Cash (down from 20)
New England Inn - 30 Farm Cash
If you're taking the supposed "purpose" of Lighthouse Cove seriously (that being to create a building-centric resort town), you'll be happy to see that this Fisherman's Shack placed on sale, as you'll be able to further flesh out that building with this "home" for even cheaper than before. Interestingly, the New England Inn isn't on sale, but it's not the only one that's not been given the sale price treatment.
Decorations
Autumn Creek - 12 Farm Cash (down from 15)
October Picnic - 3 Farm Cash
Flowery Picket - 5,000 coins
Porch Swing - 50,000 coins
Tree Arch - 10,000 coins
As I said before, here's another set of items that haven't been given sale prices. While this is expected with coin items, as coins are free to come by, I am surprised that the October Picnic hasn't been priced at 1 or 2 Farm Cash instead of 3, just so it too could be "on sale." Either way, make sure to check your storage for a Tree Arch, as it's been released before in previous events. Also, while an item called the "Porch Swing" has been released before, please note that this item is different.
As usual, all of these items are on a time limit, and will only be around for the the next 13 days. Happy farming!
Which of these items will you purchase for your farms? Have you been using these Lighthouse Cove items on other farms as simply decorations, or are you keeping them on your new farm? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille: Limited edition Cows come back to the barnyard (again)
No, you're not experiencing deja vu farmers, Zynga has yet again re-released a set of cows into FarmVille, giving you guys a chance to fill your collections in anticipation of what looks to be a Cow-centric breeding habitat coming to the farm. We last saw some of these Cows back in August, when Animal Mastery hit the farm, but there are some different options for your shopping pleasure this time around.
As usual, you'll only have a week to do any shopping associated with this re-release of Cows, so here's a complete look at those that have been re-released:
Autumn Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Blue Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Robot Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Western Longhorn - 20 Farm Cash
Devon Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Mohawk Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Fairy Cow - 24 Farm Cash
Hereford Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Highland Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Chrome Cow - 24 Farm Cash
Unfortunately, there aren't any coin-only Cows in this update, so you'll have to spend some of your hard-earned Farm Cash to stock up on any of these animals. Unlike previous animal habitats, the upcoming Cow building will allow you to breed Calves, rather that duplicates of these Cows, so if you don't want to waste time waiting for those Calves to grow inside your Nursery Barn, you might want to buy these Cows as is.
We'll make sure to let you know when the next animal habitat launches in the game, and hopefully we'll be able to bring you the news very, very soon.
Will you purchase any of these Cows for your farms, even if you don't place them in a storage building? Which ones are your favorites? Sound off in the comments.
As usual, you'll only have a week to do any shopping associated with this re-release of Cows, so here's a complete look at those that have been re-released:
Autumn Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Blue Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Robot Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Western Longhorn - 20 Farm Cash
Devon Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Mohawk Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Fairy Cow - 24 Farm Cash
Hereford Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Highland Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Chrome Cow - 24 Farm Cash
Unfortunately, there aren't any coin-only Cows in this update, so you'll have to spend some of your hard-earned Farm Cash to stock up on any of these animals. Unlike previous animal habitats, the upcoming Cow building will allow you to breed Calves, rather that duplicates of these Cows, so if you don't want to waste time waiting for those Calves to grow inside your Nursery Barn, you might want to buy these Cows as is.
We'll make sure to let you know when the next animal habitat launches in the game, and hopefully we'll be able to bring you the news very, very soon.
Will you purchase any of these Cows for your farms, even if you don't place them in a storage building? Which ones are your favorites? Sound off in the comments.
Thứ Ba, 4 tháng 10, 2011
Zynga gives free rides to FarmVille Lighthouse Cove starting today
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove screen
Oh, you patient ones. Now is finally the time to see if waiting in the freebie line was worth it. For those FarmVille players that declined to fork up 55 Farm Cash ($10 USD, to be exact), the Lighthouse Cove expansion will be available to all starting today. We assume, as with all changes or major releases by Zynga, that this release will be a slow roll-out.
Just like players did early last week, they will hop on a sail boat to a New England-esque coastal farming village. Unfortunately, the area has been ravaged by a brutal storm, and Brenda--the town's resident widow--has enlisted you to help restore it. You'll slowly level up your Lighthouse by repairing the lighthouse, dock and more through quests.
However, free players will not receive the exclusive quests and items given to those who put up the dough. Regardless there looks to be a ton of content here with a larger focus on building a village than simply farming crops. For instance, you'll have fewer plots to farm on that unlock over time in Lighthouse Cove, though those crops yield far more coins, XP and Mastery.
In addition to farming, you can harvest the Cove once its restored for ingredients to use in Restaurant recipes like clams and lobster for dishes like New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Rolls. Another interesting change with FarmVille LC in comparison to its first expansion, English Countryside, is that all quests will be timed this time around.
Gallery: FarmVille Lighthouse Cove
And that includes the bonus quests, courtesy of Brenda. Because quests were persistent throughout FarmVille EC, it was easy for friends to speed ahead or slip behind one another in their progress. "It was harder for players to work on the same thing in English Countryside," FarmVille GM Nate Etter explains.
FarmVille Sailor CalfDuring an early look of the game, Etter told us that the team was going for "a FarmVille meets Martha's Vineyard style." "Players seem to love water, which was a major source of inspiration for Lighthouse Cove," Etter recalls. "I think we're constantly listening to players, [and] that will govern where FarmVille will go."
So, while you're enjoying the serene orange glow and brisk autumn breeze of Lighthouse Cove (imagination, people), try to think up where you would like to go next, and take it to the Facebook page or forums--they're all ears. As for why the second expansion was released early to players who paid Farm Cash, a Zynga representative told us, "We have so many passionate players, that we wanted to offer them a first look at the game."
Well, patience has its payoffs, my friends. Namely, it saves you money. So, enjoy that peace of mind, and increase that peace in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove. Good things come to those who (choose to) wait--that's especially because we have a bevy of content to get you through your first several hours in FarmVille LC. Enjoy.
Did you pay to get into the FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Early? What do you think of all the new content so far? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
Oh, you patient ones. Now is finally the time to see if waiting in the freebie line was worth it. For those FarmVille players that declined to fork up 55 Farm Cash ($10 USD, to be exact), the Lighthouse Cove expansion will be available to all starting today. We assume, as with all changes or major releases by Zynga, that this release will be a slow roll-out.
Just like players did early last week, they will hop on a sail boat to a New England-esque coastal farming village. Unfortunately, the area has been ravaged by a brutal storm, and Brenda--the town's resident widow--has enlisted you to help restore it. You'll slowly level up your Lighthouse by repairing the lighthouse, dock and more through quests.
However, free players will not receive the exclusive quests and items given to those who put up the dough. Regardless there looks to be a ton of content here with a larger focus on building a village than simply farming crops. For instance, you'll have fewer plots to farm on that unlock over time in Lighthouse Cove, though those crops yield far more coins, XP and Mastery.
In addition to farming, you can harvest the Cove once its restored for ingredients to use in Restaurant recipes like clams and lobster for dishes like New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Rolls. Another interesting change with FarmVille LC in comparison to its first expansion, English Countryside, is that all quests will be timed this time around.
Gallery: FarmVille Lighthouse Cove
And that includes the bonus quests, courtesy of Brenda. Because quests were persistent throughout FarmVille EC, it was easy for friends to speed ahead or slip behind one another in their progress. "It was harder for players to work on the same thing in English Countryside," FarmVille GM Nate Etter explains.
FarmVille Sailor CalfDuring an early look of the game, Etter told us that the team was going for "a FarmVille meets Martha's Vineyard style." "Players seem to love water, which was a major source of inspiration for Lighthouse Cove," Etter recalls. "I think we're constantly listening to players, [and] that will govern where FarmVille will go."
So, while you're enjoying the serene orange glow and brisk autumn breeze of Lighthouse Cove (imagination, people), try to think up where you would like to go next, and take it to the Facebook page or forums--they're all ears. As for why the second expansion was released early to players who paid Farm Cash, a Zynga representative told us, "We have so many passionate players, that we wanted to offer them a first look at the game."
Well, patience has its payoffs, my friends. Namely, it saves you money. So, enjoy that peace of mind, and increase that peace in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove. Good things come to those who (choose to) wait--that's especially because we have a bevy of content to get you through your first several hours in FarmVille LC. Enjoy.
Did you pay to get into the FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Early? What do you think of all the new content so far? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
FarmVille: Visit the Capital One farm for a free Capital One Goat
As we told you earlier this week, Zynga has officially launched a three-part cross-promotion with Capital One that sees the brand returning to FarmVille (and also making an appearance in CityVille and the Pioneer Trail). For FarmVille, we see the Capital One farm being added to our neighbor bars, and an incentive being offered for actually visiting said farm.
Once you visit the Capital One farm (don't worry if it doesn't show up in your friends list; an in-game prompt will appear allowing you to access it), you'll find that you don't really need to do anything here, except take in the scenery and click on the "Help Out" button that quickly appears. This sees the Capital One Goat (you'll know it's him as he's wearing sunglasses) harvesting crops and boosting animal storage buildings before being given to you as a gift.
What's more, if you agree to visit the Capital One Facebook Page, and then "Like" it, you'll receive one free application of "Capital One Grow," or instant grow for your farm. On top of this, there's also a Capital One Gift available to send to your friends on the FarmVille free gifts page, that can contain all sorts of goodies, so make sure to send some while you can. It will only be available to send for the next nine days.
Any and all of these prizes will appear in your Gift Box when you return to your farm, so make sure to check them out!
What do you think of this newest Capital One promotion? Will you save your Capital One grow for a Double Mastery event, or will you use it right away? Sound off in the comments.
Once you visit the Capital One farm (don't worry if it doesn't show up in your friends list; an in-game prompt will appear allowing you to access it), you'll find that you don't really need to do anything here, except take in the scenery and click on the "Help Out" button that quickly appears. This sees the Capital One Goat (you'll know it's him as he's wearing sunglasses) harvesting crops and boosting animal storage buildings before being given to you as a gift.
What's more, if you agree to visit the Capital One Facebook Page, and then "Like" it, you'll receive one free application of "Capital One Grow," or instant grow for your farm. On top of this, there's also a Capital One Gift available to send to your friends on the FarmVille free gifts page, that can contain all sorts of goodies, so make sure to send some while you can. It will only be available to send for the next nine days.
Any and all of these prizes will appear in your Gift Box when you return to your farm, so make sure to check them out!
What do you think of this newest Capital One promotion? Will you save your Capital One grow for a Double Mastery event, or will you use it right away? Sound off in the comments.
CityVille Capital One Bank: Everything you need to know
While we already knew that Capital One would be appearing via a new bank building in CityVille, we didn't know the exact details until now. That's right - the promotion has launched in the game this evening, bringing with it the "branded business" in the form of the Capital One Bank. This bank looks like a fairly modern building, and has Capital One written along the top corner, but overall isn't overly "advertising." It costs 5,000 coins to add to your town, and must be built using four energy to build the frame.
From there, you won't be able to actually name your building, but you can operate it using Goods like other businesses. Specifically, the Bank requires 100 Goods to put into service and will reward you with 500 coins once those Goods are used. What makes this particular business special however is that it introduces "branded business mastery" to the game.
While this doesn't give us any sort of indication as to what other "branded" businesses will be coming to the game, we do know that we have just over a month to master this one. As with upgrading businesses, mastering the Capital One Bank will require you to continually stock and collect from the business whenever possible, with each round giving you a single point. Once you reach 50 points, you'll receive your reward, which we know is some form of decoration (probably a statue), but don't have the specific name as of this writing.
As for purchasing the building, it has a different time limit than that for actually earning your decorative reward. You can only purchase the Capital One Bank from the store for the next 28 days, giving you around a week to earn the decoration even after that point. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Capital One Bank and the new branded business mastery feature? What sorts of branded businesses do you hope Zynga releases in the future? Sound off in the comments.
From there, you won't be able to actually name your building, but you can operate it using Goods like other businesses. Specifically, the Bank requires 100 Goods to put into service and will reward you with 500 coins once those Goods are used. What makes this particular business special however is that it introduces "branded business mastery" to the game.
While this doesn't give us any sort of indication as to what other "branded" businesses will be coming to the game, we do know that we have just over a month to master this one. As with upgrading businesses, mastering the Capital One Bank will require you to continually stock and collect from the business whenever possible, with each round giving you a single point. Once you reach 50 points, you'll receive your reward, which we know is some form of decoration (probably a statue), but don't have the specific name as of this writing.
As for purchasing the building, it has a different time limit than that for actually earning your decorative reward. You can only purchase the Capital One Bank from the store for the next 28 days, giving you around a week to earn the decoration even after that point. Good luck!
Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Capital One Bank and the new branded business mastery feature? What sorts of branded businesses do you hope Zynga releases in the future? Sound off in the comments.
Pioneer Trail Capital One Goals: Everything you need to know
While we've already taken a look at the Capital One cross-promotions in FarmVille and CityVille, Pioneer Trail's version of the promotion is definitely the most complex, taking four goals to complete. The first of these goals introduces you to the Capital One Goat, who hopes that you can help him find his lost band mates, and bring their bandstand to life on your Homestead. That's right - there's a new building to create as part of this cross-promotion, along with the four goals. Here's a complete rundown of the event.
Sterling the Bloodhound
* Collect one Bandstand Upgrade Part
* Visit Capital One Facebook Page
* Craft Sterling's Guitar in the Bandstand
First things first, the Bandstand can be purchased inside the store for under 10 coins if you have the discount enabled in your game. You won't have to whack a frame or collect items to create a functioning Bandstand; however, you will have to collect these parts to upgrade the building. This is done by clicking on the Bandstand and then clicking "Upgrade" on the menu that appears. From here, it's the familiar process of asking your friends for items.
You'll need to collect 10 each of Stage Lights, pieces of Band Merchandise and Concert Wristbands, all of which are earned through general news posts, while 15 each of Sandbags and Scaffolding are earned by sending out individual requests to your friends for help. The final item - the five Band Groupies - are earned by completing these new goals, as they'll be earned automatically. That being the case, you don't have to be in too great of a rush to collect the rest of the ingredients, as you literally can't complete it anyway.
As for finishing this first goal, you'll need to head inside your Bandstand to craft items as you would in other buildings. From there, you'll need three Guitar Fretboards and five Guitar Strings to actually craft the guitar. These are both new items, requiring you to tend goats or simply ask your friends to help you earn them, among other tasks. Finishing the entirety of this first goal will give you 250 XP, Sterling the Bloodhound and 250 coins.
Toonie the Bear
* Chop 10 Trees on your Neighbors' Homesteads
* Feed 30 Goats on your Homestead
* Craft Toonie's Upright Bass in the Bandstand
Again, you'll need to head inside the Bandstand to craft Toonie's Upright Base, which requires three Tailpieces and five Bass Strings. Again, you can ask your friends to send you the Bass Strings, and can craft the Tailpieces, also inside the Bandstand.
Once you finish this second goal, you'll receive 500 XP, Toonie the Bear and 500 coins.
Penny the Bullfrog
* Feed 30 Geese on your Homestead
* Have or Collect 3 Termites
* Craft Penny's Banjo in the Bandstand
Again, just head inside the Bandstand to see the parts you need to craft Penny's Banjo (in this case the Banjo Pot and Banjo Pick), and then make sure you have three termites from the Oak Tree collection to finish this one off. For doing so, you'll receive 750 XP, Goat and Penny (the two remaining band members) and 5 Band Groupies. Remember those Groupies that you needed to complete the upgrade of the Bandstand? There you go.
Entertainment, Not Food
* Collect the Upgraded Bandstand Bonus Once
* Collect 10 Wildberries
* Harvest 50 Corn
Like a regular building, the Bandstand has a daily bonus that can be collected, so complete that and these other simple (albeit time-consuming) tasks and you'll be golden. You'll receive 1,000 XP, a Rockin Horse (a new mount for your avatar that wears sunglasses) and 1,000 coins for finishing this final goal.
All told, we're not given an expiration date for when this cross-promotion and these goals will leave the game, but your best bet would be to finish everything off as soon as possible just to make sure you don't miss out on anything. Have fun!
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this entire Capital One promotion in Pioneer Trail? Are you going to make your avatar ride this horse-with-shades? Sound off in the comments.
Sterling the Bloodhound
* Collect one Bandstand Upgrade Part
* Visit Capital One Facebook Page
* Craft Sterling's Guitar in the Bandstand
First things first, the Bandstand can be purchased inside the store for under 10 coins if you have the discount enabled in your game. You won't have to whack a frame or collect items to create a functioning Bandstand; however, you will have to collect these parts to upgrade the building. This is done by clicking on the Bandstand and then clicking "Upgrade" on the menu that appears. From here, it's the familiar process of asking your friends for items.
You'll need to collect 10 each of Stage Lights, pieces of Band Merchandise and Concert Wristbands, all of which are earned through general news posts, while 15 each of Sandbags and Scaffolding are earned by sending out individual requests to your friends for help. The final item - the five Band Groupies - are earned by completing these new goals, as they'll be earned automatically. That being the case, you don't have to be in too great of a rush to collect the rest of the ingredients, as you literally can't complete it anyway.
As for finishing this first goal, you'll need to head inside your Bandstand to craft items as you would in other buildings. From there, you'll need three Guitar Fretboards and five Guitar Strings to actually craft the guitar. These are both new items, requiring you to tend goats or simply ask your friends to help you earn them, among other tasks. Finishing the entirety of this first goal will give you 250 XP, Sterling the Bloodhound and 250 coins.
Toonie the Bear
* Chop 10 Trees on your Neighbors' Homesteads
* Feed 30 Goats on your Homestead
* Craft Toonie's Upright Bass in the Bandstand
Again, you'll need to head inside the Bandstand to craft Toonie's Upright Base, which requires three Tailpieces and five Bass Strings. Again, you can ask your friends to send you the Bass Strings, and can craft the Tailpieces, also inside the Bandstand.
Once you finish this second goal, you'll receive 500 XP, Toonie the Bear and 500 coins.
Penny the Bullfrog
* Feed 30 Geese on your Homestead
* Have or Collect 3 Termites
* Craft Penny's Banjo in the Bandstand
Again, just head inside the Bandstand to see the parts you need to craft Penny's Banjo (in this case the Banjo Pot and Banjo Pick), and then make sure you have three termites from the Oak Tree collection to finish this one off. For doing so, you'll receive 750 XP, Goat and Penny (the two remaining band members) and 5 Band Groupies. Remember those Groupies that you needed to complete the upgrade of the Bandstand? There you go.
Entertainment, Not Food
* Collect the Upgraded Bandstand Bonus Once
* Collect 10 Wildberries
* Harvest 50 Corn
Like a regular building, the Bandstand has a daily bonus that can be collected, so complete that and these other simple (albeit time-consuming) tasks and you'll be golden. You'll receive 1,000 XP, a Rockin Horse (a new mount for your avatar that wears sunglasses) and 1,000 coins for finishing this final goal.
All told, we're not given an expiration date for when this cross-promotion and these goals will leave the game, but your best bet would be to finish everything off as soon as possible just to make sure you don't miss out on anything. Have fun!
Check out the rest of our FrontierVille Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this entire Capital One promotion in Pioneer Trail? Are you going to make your avatar ride this horse-with-shades? Sound off in the comments.
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