farmville cupcake bushel farmville cupcake mastery sign farmville market stall
Attention all Cupcake lovers! FarmVille Freak Martijin from FarmVille Code Hunters, just shared with us this exciting new unreleased Cupcake Crop.
Maybe this crop will be released just in time to celebrate FarmVille's upcoming birthday this weekend. I hope so because I can't wait to grow crops of Cupcakes on my farm!
Note: Unreleased items have no official release date or guarantee that they will make it to the FarmVille Market. Zynga is the sole owner of all their copyrighted images.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Game developers give Facebook Credits mixed marks
Now that Facebook game developers have been testing out Facebook Credits in their games for a while now, its about time we found out what those developers thought of the new payment option for in-game items. A recent story in the Wall Street Journal does just that, and the verdict on the Credits so far seems decidedly mixed.
On one side, you have developers like Gonzo Games' Robert Van Gool, who bristle at the idea of paying a 30% fee to Facebook for the privilege of selling items using their currency. "Thirty cents off of every dollar adds up," Van Gool told the Journal. Others quoted in the piece don't like how the portability of Credits could encourage players to easily take their money to other games.
On the other side, there are some developers who've seen the Credits greatly increase their in-game purchase rates. Crowdstar CEO Peter Relan said his company's item sales have doubled since the Credits were introduced, and Arkadium's Kenny Rosenblatt and Jessica Rovell said 10% of their users have bought items with Credits, more than triple the rate for any other payment method. "With Facebook Credits, when someone wants to buy on an impulse, they can do it immediately," Rosenblatt said. "They don't have to leave Facebook to go fill out a form on another site."
On one side, you have developers like Gonzo Games' Robert Van Gool, who bristle at the idea of paying a 30% fee to Facebook for the privilege of selling items using their currency. "Thirty cents off of every dollar adds up," Van Gool told the Journal. Others quoted in the piece don't like how the portability of Credits could encourage players to easily take their money to other games.
On the other side, there are some developers who've seen the Credits greatly increase their in-game purchase rates. Crowdstar CEO Peter Relan said his company's item sales have doubled since the Credits were introduced, and Arkadium's Kenny Rosenblatt and Jessica Rovell said 10% of their users have bought items with Credits, more than triple the rate for any other payment method. "With Facebook Credits, when someone wants to buy on an impulse, they can do it immediately," Rosenblatt said. "They don't have to leave Facebook to go fill out a form on another site."
Happy Aquarium Tree of Giving promises to deliver riches
CrowdStar has released another expensive idol for Happy Aquarium.
The Tree of Giving is available in Happy Aquarium's store for 90 Facebook Credits. This singular gold collector's item promises one Facebook Credit everyday for 14 days. Upon the fifteenth day, paying customers will be rewarded with an eqsuisite premium item. In addition, the Tree of Giving will reward players with coins every day.
Therefore, one could deduce that buying the Tree of Giving only costs 74 Facebook Credits (after the rebate) and offers an exclusive premium item and free coins forever.
Sounds like a fair deal and others seem to agree as there are only 5,000 left. Head to Happy Aquarium to check it out.
Click here to play Happy Aquarium>
The Tree of Giving is available in Happy Aquarium's store for 90 Facebook Credits. This singular gold collector's item promises one Facebook Credit everyday for 14 days. Upon the fifteenth day, paying customers will be rewarded with an eqsuisite premium item. In addition, the Tree of Giving will reward players with coins every day.
Therefore, one could deduce that buying the Tree of Giving only costs 74 Facebook Credits (after the rebate) and offers an exclusive premium item and free coins forever.
Sounds like a fair deal and others seem to agree as there are only 5,000 left. Head to Happy Aquarium to check it out.
Click here to play Happy Aquarium>
Quote of the Moment: Controlling your spending
"There is a misconception that the social gamer goes online to engage in a 'free' game, and then becomes 'tricked' or 'lured' by the developers into spending money. This implies that the social gamer has somehow less control over his expenditure than if he was to go and spend £40 upfront for a new title on the Playstation3.
I would argue that latter is a process whereby the customer is less in control. There is no negotiating how much of that £40 cake he would actually like to eat, or will even be able to eat; this is how it's packaged, like it or not. The payment system in social gaming provides more control, allowing the customer to more accurately get what he wants. It allows the less interested gamer to spend less, and the more interested to spend more."
-Clubv3's Ciaran O'Connor argues that social gamers aren't just profligate morons in his new white paper, entitled "What is the Appeal of Social Games"
I would argue that latter is a process whereby the customer is less in control. There is no negotiating how much of that £40 cake he would actually like to eat, or will even be able to eat; this is how it's packaged, like it or not. The payment system in social gaming provides more control, allowing the customer to more accurately get what he wants. It allows the less interested gamer to spend less, and the more interested to spend more."
-Clubv3's Ciaran O'Connor argues that social gamers aren't just profligate morons in his new white paper, entitled "What is the Appeal of Social Games"
Restaurant City: Chill out in the new Lounge Bar with a Coco Colada
restaurant city lounge bar
Restaurant City is allowing players to unlock a new Lounge Bar for their restaurants. Much like the Sushi Bar, to unlock this swanky addition to any eatery, the player must master a new menu item. The menu item is the new Coco Colada beverage and it must be leveled up 10 times to unlock the lounge.
restaurant city lounge bar
The Coco Colada is not an easy beverage to level. It requires three ingredients per level: pineapple, coconut, and cherry. Fortunately, there are many ways to get ingredients:
restaurant city lounge bar
restaurant city coco coladaCherry is an all new ingredient and you can expect to be seeing it in more menu items in the future. Playfish has been kind enough to start everyone off with a free cherry: click here to get your free ingredient.
Once unlocked, the Lounge Bar will need to be operated by a friend, appointed as bartender. Drinks that have been mastered will be displayed on its shelves. Head over to Restaurant City to get started on this excellent means of serving drinks.
Click here to play Restaurant City>
Restaurant City is allowing players to unlock a new Lounge Bar for their restaurants. Much like the Sushi Bar, to unlock this swanky addition to any eatery, the player must master a new menu item. The menu item is the new Coco Colada beverage and it must be leveled up 10 times to unlock the lounge.
restaurant city lounge bar
The Coco Colada is not an easy beverage to level. It requires three ingredients per level: pineapple, coconut, and cherry. Fortunately, there are many ways to get ingredients:
restaurant city lounge bar
restaurant city coco coladaCherry is an all new ingredient and you can expect to be seeing it in more menu items in the future. Playfish has been kind enough to start everyone off with a free cherry: click here to get your free ingredient.
Once unlocked, the Lounge Bar will need to be operated by a friend, appointed as bartender. Drinks that have been mastered will be displayed on its shelves. Head over to Restaurant City to get started on this excellent means of serving drinks.
Click here to play Restaurant City>
Friday, February 10, 2012
Virtual Villagers: A First Look at Playing God
With today's release of Virtual Villagers, everyone can now play god on Facebook. But official PR aside, how good is it?
Virtual Villagers Quest Clear the LandJohn Passfield, the Creative Director of 3 Blokes Studios, who helped make the game, says that Virtual Villagers "is building on games like FrontierVille." This is very obvious to players once the game's Quest icons appears, which work nearly identically to FrontierVille's Goals. The two games even share a Quest or Goal achievement called "Clear the Land." On top of that, crops need to be planted and harvested, buildings require wood to build, and the plant life takes over when you've been away for too long.
But plenty of differences allow Virtual Villagers to stand on its own. Unlike FrontierVille, arduous loads of clicking have been replaced with drag-and-drops. Your villagers also don't stay still, and each one comes with his or her own stats page, which will develop over time. And while you start off with one villager, you don't have to work your butt off getting hitched in order to have a second pair of hands to work the land. I got another villager just after hitting Level 3! But, the game warns, "Older villagers start to slow down."
Virtual Villager Detail
Also, compared to the boxed homestead setup on FrontierVille, where you're constricted by walls of trees, the play area of Virtual Villagers is vast. You're on a huge freakin' island and your villagers have full run of the place. It'll take you a minute or two just to walk your characters around. But if you want to speed up the process, you're also allowed to use your mighty godfingers to pick 'em up and drop 'em willy-nilly.
Virtual Villagers: Huge Island
If you're waiting between energy refills in FrontierVille and want to try something new, claim your godhood in Virtual Villagers here. Your worshippers are waiting!
Virtual Villagers praying at Idol of Thunder
Virtual Villagers Quest Clear the LandJohn Passfield, the Creative Director of 3 Blokes Studios, who helped make the game, says that Virtual Villagers "is building on games like FrontierVille." This is very obvious to players once the game's Quest icons appears, which work nearly identically to FrontierVille's Goals. The two games even share a Quest or Goal achievement called "Clear the Land." On top of that, crops need to be planted and harvested, buildings require wood to build, and the plant life takes over when you've been away for too long.
But plenty of differences allow Virtual Villagers to stand on its own. Unlike FrontierVille, arduous loads of clicking have been replaced with drag-and-drops. Your villagers also don't stay still, and each one comes with his or her own stats page, which will develop over time. And while you start off with one villager, you don't have to work your butt off getting hitched in order to have a second pair of hands to work the land. I got another villager just after hitting Level 3! But, the game warns, "Older villagers start to slow down."
Virtual Villager Detail
Also, compared to the boxed homestead setup on FrontierVille, where you're constricted by walls of trees, the play area of Virtual Villagers is vast. You're on a huge freakin' island and your villagers have full run of the place. It'll take you a minute or two just to walk your characters around. But if you want to speed up the process, you're also allowed to use your mighty godfingers to pick 'em up and drop 'em willy-nilly.
Virtual Villagers: Huge Island
If you're waiting between energy refills in FrontierVille and want to try something new, claim your godhood in Virtual Villagers here. Your worshippers are waiting!
Virtual Villagers praying at Idol of Thunder
PopCap's Zuma's Revenge wins Great Game of the Year
PopCap's ball-breaker game Zuma's Revenge took home top honors in this year's Great Game Awards, sponsored by Game House. This is the second year for the event, and PopCap was arguably the star of the show, with nods for Game of the Year, Best Character Design, Most Innovative Game and Top Match-3 games.
2010 GREAT GAME AWARDS WINNERS:
GAME OF THE YEAR
Zuma's Revenge!(TM) - Adventure by PopCap Games
GAME OF THE YEAR - PLAYER'S CHOICE
Jewel Quest Mysteries -Trail of the Midnight Heart by iWin
BEST ART DESIGN
Mystery Legends(TM) - Sleepy Hollow by pixelStorm
BEST CHARACTER DESIGN
Plants vs. Zombies(TM) by PopCap Games
BEST NARRATIVE EXPERIENCE
Cate West - The Velvet Keys(TM) by Gamenauts
MOST INNOVATIVE GAME
Plants vs. Zombies(TM) by PopCap Games
MOST ADDICTIVE GAME
Faerie Solitaire(TM) by Subsoap
UP-AND-COMING DEVELOPER
Youda Games: Youda Farmer, Youda Marina, Youda Sushi Chef
TOP ADVENTURE GAME
Princess Isabella - A Witch's Curse by Gogii Games
TOP TIME MANAGEMENT GAME
Delicious - Emily's Taste of Fame by GameHouse
TOP HIDDEN OBJECT GAME
Mystery P.I.(TM) - The New York Fortune by PopCap Games
TOP MATCH-3
Zuma's Revenge!(TM) - Adventure by PopCap Games
TOP SIM / TYCOON
My Kingdom for the Princess by Nevosoft
The entire lineup of games are all excellent -- Youda Sushi Chef was a definite fave this year -- but there seems to be something missing from this list, social games. Looks like these Awards are limited to downloadable games, which is nice and all, but it would be even nicer to see all casual games included in next year's awards.
2010 GREAT GAME AWARDS WINNERS:
GAME OF THE YEAR
Zuma's Revenge!(TM) - Adventure by PopCap Games
GAME OF THE YEAR - PLAYER'S CHOICE
Jewel Quest Mysteries -Trail of the Midnight Heart by iWin
BEST ART DESIGN
Mystery Legends(TM) - Sleepy Hollow by pixelStorm
BEST CHARACTER DESIGN
Plants vs. Zombies(TM) by PopCap Games
BEST NARRATIVE EXPERIENCE
Cate West - The Velvet Keys(TM) by Gamenauts
MOST INNOVATIVE GAME
Plants vs. Zombies(TM) by PopCap Games
MOST ADDICTIVE GAME
Faerie Solitaire(TM) by Subsoap
UP-AND-COMING DEVELOPER
Youda Games: Youda Farmer, Youda Marina, Youda Sushi Chef
TOP ADVENTURE GAME
Princess Isabella - A Witch's Curse by Gogii Games
TOP TIME MANAGEMENT GAME
Delicious - Emily's Taste of Fame by GameHouse
TOP HIDDEN OBJECT GAME
Mystery P.I.(TM) - The New York Fortune by PopCap Games
TOP MATCH-3
Zuma's Revenge!(TM) - Adventure by PopCap Games
TOP SIM / TYCOON
My Kingdom for the Princess by Nevosoft
The entire lineup of games are all excellent -- Youda Sushi Chef was a definite fave this year -- but there seems to be something missing from this list, social games. Looks like these Awards are limited to downloadable games, which is nice and all, but it would be even nicer to see all casual games included in next year's awards.
Playstation Home sees real-estate boom
If you've ever worried about the size of your apartment, chances are Playstation Home offers a solution-a larger virtual apartment to accommodate all of your friends at once. According to senior manager of Sony's developer support group, Justin Cooney, "People are wanting to do things in Home – they're spending a lot of time in Home."
And a lot of people at that: Cooney reports some 14 million users of the virtual space, 85% of whom are repeat users. Personal spaces are one area of note, and Cooney says lots of people buy apartments for their very own Playstation Homes-by the hundreds of thousands.
The most popular is the Summer House. Says Cooney: "This apartment did over $350,000 in [North America] alone."
And a lot of people at that: Cooney reports some 14 million users of the virtual space, 85% of whom are repeat users. Personal spaces are one area of note, and Cooney says lots of people buy apartments for their very own Playstation Homes-by the hundreds of thousands.
The most popular is the Summer House. Says Cooney: "This apartment did over $350,000 in [North America] alone."
PlayFirst's Chocolatier: Sweet Society gives ladies what they crave
PlayFirst Chocolatier Sweet Society
Does the idea of building your own "grand chocolate empire" sound irresistibly delicious? And we're not talking Willy Wonka bars here, but something more classy and Victorian England, say, circa 1882? If so, then PlayFirst's "Chocolatier: Sweet Society" was made for you.
Chocolatier: Sweet Society Chocolate Recipes
We first covered this game last June, but on yesterday's Casual Connect Seattle, PlayFirst officially announced the game for the world. Since then, Playfirst has improved content by expanding chocolate recipes and incorporating elements from the PC version (originally released in 2007) such as the Factory Optimizer.
Chocolatier: Sweet Society Factory Optimizer
Judging by the core demographic of Facebook social games, where a majority of players are women, PlayFirst decided that their game was the perfect match for Facebook's audience.
According to PlayFirst CEO, Mari Baker, "In limited release, we've already reached over a quarter million players and we're confident this game will please the sweet tooth of Facebook gamers everywhere." Right now, the player statistics for daily and monthly usage on AppData are good, but pretty modest -- hovering around 74k and 390k, respectively.
Chocolatier: Sweet Society Chocolates Gifts
To start playing, or if you just feel like oogling all the yummy artwork, log into Facebook and click here.
Does the idea of building your own "grand chocolate empire" sound irresistibly delicious? And we're not talking Willy Wonka bars here, but something more classy and Victorian England, say, circa 1882? If so, then PlayFirst's "Chocolatier: Sweet Society" was made for you.
Chocolatier: Sweet Society Chocolate Recipes
We first covered this game last June, but on yesterday's Casual Connect Seattle, PlayFirst officially announced the game for the world. Since then, Playfirst has improved content by expanding chocolate recipes and incorporating elements from the PC version (originally released in 2007) such as the Factory Optimizer.
Chocolatier: Sweet Society Factory Optimizer
Judging by the core demographic of Facebook social games, where a majority of players are women, PlayFirst decided that their game was the perfect match for Facebook's audience.
According to PlayFirst CEO, Mari Baker, "In limited release, we've already reached over a quarter million players and we're confident this game will please the sweet tooth of Facebook gamers everywhere." Right now, the player statistics for daily and monthly usage on AppData are good, but pretty modest -- hovering around 74k and 390k, respectively.
Chocolatier: Sweet Society Chocolates Gifts
To start playing, or if you just feel like oogling all the yummy artwork, log into Facebook and click here.
More million-sellers for Xbox Live
Xbox Live Arcade has come a long way since Geometry Wars. According to Scott Austin, the director of marketplace games for the Microsoft service, arcade experiences are getting higher and higher quality to remain competitive. "Some of these titles are competing with retail for share-of-wallet."
He also said that since the announcement of Uno as the first million-seller, a number of other titles have followed, including Castle Crashers and Battlefield 1943. With those numbers, reports Austin, "the upside revenue potential is well over $15 million."
Getting into Xbox Live Arcade can be most competitive, and Austin states that the new Xbox Indie Games "are a much lower bar to entry." With indie games, he tells the audience of developers at the Casual Connect conference in Seattle, "the quality bar is not as competitive." Which leads Austin to make a suggestion to publishers and developers: "It can also be a great platform to test out games."
When asked about Microsoft's plans to offer pre-order for Xbox Live titles, Austin responds: "Theoretically, you don't need pre-orders in the world of digital distribution. When there's unlimited supply, in theory, they don't need pre-orders."
But our customers, he says, really love pre-orders. "We'll be investigating that," he says, and releasing some solutions in the coming months. "Our consumers really love the latest and greatest content."
He also said that since the announcement of Uno as the first million-seller, a number of other titles have followed, including Castle Crashers and Battlefield 1943. With those numbers, reports Austin, "the upside revenue potential is well over $15 million."
Getting into Xbox Live Arcade can be most competitive, and Austin states that the new Xbox Indie Games "are a much lower bar to entry." With indie games, he tells the audience of developers at the Casual Connect conference in Seattle, "the quality bar is not as competitive." Which leads Austin to make a suggestion to publishers and developers: "It can also be a great platform to test out games."
When asked about Microsoft's plans to offer pre-order for Xbox Live titles, Austin responds: "Theoretically, you don't need pre-orders in the world of digital distribution. When there's unlimited supply, in theory, they don't need pre-orders."
But our customers, he says, really love pre-orders. "We'll be investigating that," he says, and releasing some solutions in the coming months. "Our consumers really love the latest and greatest content."
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
The Social Network movie trailer pops up in Social City
A trailer of The Social Network has landed on the front page of Social City's The New City Gazette, an in-game newsletter where Playdom makes its game announcements. If you haven't heard about it now, "The Social Network" is a movie about the founding of Facebook, directed by David Fincher, and starring Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. The film hits theaters on October 1.
the social network movie trailer
Usually, players get a treat for subjecting themselves to surveys and promo videos, so I was hoping that viewing this would net me some of Social City's premium currency -- City Bucks. But nope, there's no freebies to be had here. In the end, the trailer stops and you're merely given the option to "Learn More," which takes you directly to the film's official website. Boo.
This is still an intriguing film with a well-crafted trailer. Case in point, the song used in the trailer is a cover of Radiohead's "Creep," which seems to set the tone of the film perfectly. If you like playing Facebook games, you should give this trailer a peek -- it might offer some insight on your favorite gaming platform's murky origins.
the social network movie trailer
Usually, players get a treat for subjecting themselves to surveys and promo videos, so I was hoping that viewing this would net me some of Social City's premium currency -- City Bucks. But nope, there's no freebies to be had here. In the end, the trailer stops and you're merely given the option to "Learn More," which takes you directly to the film's official website. Boo.
This is still an intriguing film with a well-crafted trailer. Case in point, the song used in the trailer is a cover of Radiohead's "Creep," which seems to set the tone of the film perfectly. If you like playing Facebook games, you should give this trailer a peek -- it might offer some insight on your favorite gaming platform's murky origins.
FarmVille winery restrictions limited to underage players only
We previously reported that some FarmVille players' wineries have been producing alcohol-free juice drinks instead of wine. Sources tell us that the FarmVille Prohibition will not be a universal change, and will affect underage players only. So, if you're 'legal,' your FarmVille winery will still keep producing bottles of sake, sangria and wine. Guess those of us who are 21+ (emphasis on the '+') can stop whining about our missing wine now.
farmville winery with wine and without winery
farmville winery with wine and without winery
Mafia Wars Mumbai Challenge Mission opens for business
Mafia Wars Mumbai Challenge Mission Chapter 1: Hooray for Hollywood is officially open for business. So far Mumbai seems to be a pretty standard Challenge Mission, much like London and Africa. You have about two weeks to complete the jobs in each Chapter, and you'll need to collect lots of Bollywood Film Reels to get 'em all done.
Reels can be collected in Mumbai every 24 hours, and they can also be earned while doing jobs, fighting or robbing, as free gifts sent from friends, and by recruiting new members to your mafia.
mafia wars my crew
As usual, the omnipresent Heat Meter makes an appearance, and after doing a few jobs the meter will fill up, turn red, and you'll be forced lay low for 8 hours until the 'heat' loses your scent. You can wait it out, or kill time by going back to finish what you've started in New York, Cuba, Thailand or Las Vegas. Just make sure you don't exhaust that daily energy supply.
mafia wars chapter 1 jobs
Mumbai Chapter 1 consists of four jobs: Steal a Bollywood Script, Re-Write the Film's Villain, Get the Script Greenlit, Put Out A Casting Call. Once you're done with all of these jobs you will be able to move on to Chapter 2, which unlocks in about a week, and then Chapter 3, which unlocks in 12 days.
mafia wars mumbai rewards
Of course, you will be rewarded for your hard work after completing each chapter -- with these exclusive items.
Chapter 1: Bambaiyya Rahah (Vehicle), A 60, D 55
Chapter 2: Bollywood Superhit (Weapon), A 47, D 81
Chapter 3: Slumdog Billionaire (Bodyguard) A 86, D 115
The first two rewards aren't really over-the-top in terms of stats, but couldn't hurt to have that Slumdog Billionaire in your corner. After all, nobody said becoming the new king of Bollywood was gonna be easy.
Reels can be collected in Mumbai every 24 hours, and they can also be earned while doing jobs, fighting or robbing, as free gifts sent from friends, and by recruiting new members to your mafia.
mafia wars my crew
As usual, the omnipresent Heat Meter makes an appearance, and after doing a few jobs the meter will fill up, turn red, and you'll be forced lay low for 8 hours until the 'heat' loses your scent. You can wait it out, or kill time by going back to finish what you've started in New York, Cuba, Thailand or Las Vegas. Just make sure you don't exhaust that daily energy supply.
mafia wars chapter 1 jobs
Mumbai Chapter 1 consists of four jobs: Steal a Bollywood Script, Re-Write the Film's Villain, Get the Script Greenlit, Put Out A Casting Call. Once you're done with all of these jobs you will be able to move on to Chapter 2, which unlocks in about a week, and then Chapter 3, which unlocks in 12 days.
mafia wars mumbai rewards
Of course, you will be rewarded for your hard work after completing each chapter -- with these exclusive items.
Chapter 1: Bambaiyya Rahah (Vehicle), A 60, D 55
Chapter 2: Bollywood Superhit (Weapon), A 47, D 81
Chapter 3: Slumdog Billionaire (Bodyguard) A 86, D 115
The first two rewards aren't really over-the-top in terms of stats, but couldn't hurt to have that Slumdog Billionaire in your corner. After all, nobody said becoming the new king of Bollywood was gonna be easy.
FarmVille: The New York Times can suck it -- a green thumb, that is
FarmVille Freak JS' FarmVille Garden I
Last week, we reported on a crotchety New York Times editorial that expressed shock and dismay over the growth of the social games industry, took its turn bashing FarmVille, and ended by telling "60-some-million FarmVille players to consider growing some actual plants."
FarmVille Freak JS' FarmVille Garden II
With such a flagrant putdown by a paper of record, we can't help but give it the finger. And not the digitus tertius of disdain, because what would that prove? But these two photos of FarmVille Freak JS' home garden should deliver a strong pair of two green thumbs-down.
Last week, we reported on a crotchety New York Times editorial that expressed shock and dismay over the growth of the social games industry, took its turn bashing FarmVille, and ended by telling "60-some-million FarmVille players to consider growing some actual plants."
FarmVille Freak JS' FarmVille Garden II
With such a flagrant putdown by a paper of record, we can't help but give it the finger. And not the digitus tertius of disdain, because what would that prove? But these two photos of FarmVille Freak JS' home garden should deliver a strong pair of two green thumbs-down.
PetVille Enchanted Kingdom: Fairytales power a new Magic Door set
Magic Doors in PetVille tend to be a mixed blessing, because players have two hurdles to face. First, you have to be at Level 10 to even access your attic, where the doors are. And secondly, you need to collect enough keys to unlock all the colorful padlocks that keep you from even clicking on the themed goods available. But you are allowed to 'look, but not buy' the items by way of the World icon and going to the Outdoors store.
PetVille Frog Prince smooch
Players hoping to see a comeback of the Enchanted Crates from April will be disappointed. What we've got instead is a very generic assortment of fairytales-inspired decor, ranging from lots of roadside flowers to some classic princess gowns. The most interesting items are the transforming Frog Prince and a Limited Edition, flying and fire-breathing baby lavender dragon.
PetVille Enchanted Kingdom
Though the game does promise more items are "Coming Soon", the Enchanted Kingdom really doesn't hold a candle to the Fairy Meadows outdoors set in terms of cuteness or creative whimsy. Here are more pics below:
PetVille Knight Armor, beanstalk, and flowers
PetVille Shoe house and Fairy Godmother
PetVille Princess gowns PetVille Limited Time Only Purple Dragon
PetVille Frog Prince smooch
Players hoping to see a comeback of the Enchanted Crates from April will be disappointed. What we've got instead is a very generic assortment of fairytales-inspired decor, ranging from lots of roadside flowers to some classic princess gowns. The most interesting items are the transforming Frog Prince and a Limited Edition, flying and fire-breathing baby lavender dragon.
PetVille Enchanted Kingdom
Though the game does promise more items are "Coming Soon", the Enchanted Kingdom really doesn't hold a candle to the Fairy Meadows outdoors set in terms of cuteness or creative whimsy. Here are more pics below:
PetVille Knight Armor, beanstalk, and flowers
PetVille Shoe house and Fairy Godmother
PetVille Princess gowns PetVille Limited Time Only Purple Dragon
Monday, February 6, 2012
Zynga Combo Cards now available at GameStop, Walgreens
FarmVille, Mafia Wars and other Zynga game gift cards have been available since February, but now Zynga combo cards have started to arrive at select retailers -- possibly a move on Zynga's part to stay competitive with the new Facebook Credits gift cards that arrived in Target in earlier this month.
Zynga combo cards can be purchased for $10 and $25 at Walgreens and GameStop in the US, and they can apparently be used for a variety of Zynga games, including Zynga Poker, even though the game is not featured on the cards. After cards are activated at the cash register, you can redeem them by entering the PIN number on the back into the according game.
zynga game cards
Pet Society Bunny Dispenser: Collect six bunny toys from the comfort of your home
Playfish has added one of the weirder items to grace our presence in Pet Society, the Bunny Dispenser. For 8 Playfish Cash, or about $2, you'll get this goofy gadget containing six collectible bunny toys, straight from your home (hey, at least it's not as weird as what Crowdstar is up to).
Each use of the dispenser seems to cost 250 coins and it's unknown whether you're guaranteed a new bunny every time. The bunnies come in six varieties: blue, green, pink, yellow, purple and light blue. However, we're kind of in the dark on why we couldn't just go to the market and buy each bunny ourselves for 1 Playfish Cash a piece. Don't question a cute thing?
Each use of the dispenser seems to cost 250 coins and it's unknown whether you're guaranteed a new bunny every time. The bunnies come in six varieties: blue, green, pink, yellow, purple and light blue. However, we're kind of in the dark on why we couldn't just go to the market and buy each bunny ourselves for 1 Playfish Cash a piece. Don't question a cute thing?
Sorority Life: Shake your booty with these American Apparel shorts
Debuting today in the official Playdom Gear shop are the new Sorority Life running shorts. Just in case you SL fans want to advertise publicly on your rear end that you play the game, of course.
These shorts are American Apparel (of course), are 100% ring-spun cotton, and come in sizes from XS to XL. They'll set you back about $23.99 plus shipping, but who could resist these little short-shorts? They only come in this blue color, so if you're picky you'll have to settle with this color scheme.
Have you ever bought any clothing or gear for your favorite Facebook game? Would you?
These shorts are American Apparel (of course), are 100% ring-spun cotton, and come in sizes from XS to XL. They'll set you back about $23.99 plus shipping, but who could resist these little short-shorts? They only come in this blue color, so if you're picky you'll have to settle with this color scheme.
Have you ever bought any clothing or gear for your favorite Facebook game? Would you?
Happy Aquarium: Leaf Collection and limited edition Sharks begin the search for leaves and Pearls
Crowdstar has released a new collection to Happy Aquarium called the Leaf Collection as well as new, limited edition sharks for players to buy with either Pearls or Facebook Credits (but will they ever compare to the new queen of the tank?).
First things first, this new Leaf Collection is open to players Level 21 and above, tasking them with finding nine different leaves in tribute to the fall. Find all nine by visiting your friends and perusing through their treasure chests and you'll be rewarded with the Leaf Fish. However, some leaves are rarer than others, so don't expect this to be a cakewalk.
More on the new updates after the break.
Happy Aquarium Chompers Happy Aquarium Nurse Shark Happy Aquarium Pink Shark Happy Aquarium Tiger Shark Happy Aquarium Whale Shark
In other news, five new shark pets are available in the store. Here are the five new pets, each with only about 6000 left a piece as of this writing:
Whale Shark: 60 Pearls or 50 Facebook Credits ($5 USD)
Pink Shark: 79 Pearls or 66 Facebook Credits ($6.60 USD)
Chompers: 79 Pearls or 66 Facebook Credits ($6.60 USD)
Tiger Shark: 79 Pearls or 66 Facebook Credits ($6.60 USD)
Nurse Shark: 66 Pearls or 57 Facebook Credits ($5.70 USD)
Each of these fish will reach adulthood, if fed regularly, in 32 hours. Again, like most fish in Happy Aquarium, there are only a limited amount of these available. So, get to saving now if you want to turn your tank into a complete shark's den.
First things first, this new Leaf Collection is open to players Level 21 and above, tasking them with finding nine different leaves in tribute to the fall. Find all nine by visiting your friends and perusing through their treasure chests and you'll be rewarded with the Leaf Fish. However, some leaves are rarer than others, so don't expect this to be a cakewalk.
More on the new updates after the break.
Happy Aquarium Chompers Happy Aquarium Nurse Shark Happy Aquarium Pink Shark Happy Aquarium Tiger Shark Happy Aquarium Whale Shark
In other news, five new shark pets are available in the store. Here are the five new pets, each with only about 6000 left a piece as of this writing:
Whale Shark: 60 Pearls or 50 Facebook Credits ($5 USD)
Pink Shark: 79 Pearls or 66 Facebook Credits ($6.60 USD)
Chompers: 79 Pearls or 66 Facebook Credits ($6.60 USD)
Tiger Shark: 79 Pearls or 66 Facebook Credits ($6.60 USD)
Nurse Shark: 66 Pearls or 57 Facebook Credits ($5.70 USD)
Each of these fish will reach adulthood, if fed regularly, in 32 hours. Again, like most fish in Happy Aquarium, there are only a limited amount of these available. So, get to saving now if you want to turn your tank into a complete shark's den.
Happy Pets' new Discounted Dragons are Ready to Fire and Fly
Happy Pets Release the Dragons event
After five days of waiting, the Dragon Release Event is here! Already, we've learned plenty of important and exciting things about Happy Pets' newest permanent additions to the pet shop. Keep reading to learn more!
Happy Pets discounted dragons
Happy Pets Green Mythic Dragon shooting fireFirst of all, there are six dragons at the store: White Fable Dragon, Blue Legend Dragon, Red Legend Dragon, Brown Fable Dragon, Green Mythic Dragon, and the Black Mythic Dragon.
After today's 30% discount (which is only available for 6 hours), their prices will go up from 46 Facebook Credits (or $4.60 USD) to 66 FB Credits (or $6.60 USD). Secondly, the dragons require completion of the Dino Den before purchase! This means that players who have yet to build their Dino Dens are probably not going to complete them in time to take advantage of this discount.
Thirdly, Dragons can breed with the T-Rex Dinosaur to produce offspring. Horns and wings are part of the dragon traits, and these six new dragons sport three kinds of horns.
And finally, as you can tell from the image on the right, these dragon babies are definitely of the fire-breathing variety. But it'll take putting one in a room for us to know whether those wings of theirs can rival those of the Parrot.
After five days of waiting, the Dragon Release Event is here! Already, we've learned plenty of important and exciting things about Happy Pets' newest permanent additions to the pet shop. Keep reading to learn more!
Happy Pets discounted dragons
Happy Pets Green Mythic Dragon shooting fireFirst of all, there are six dragons at the store: White Fable Dragon, Blue Legend Dragon, Red Legend Dragon, Brown Fable Dragon, Green Mythic Dragon, and the Black Mythic Dragon.
After today's 30% discount (which is only available for 6 hours), their prices will go up from 46 Facebook Credits (or $4.60 USD) to 66 FB Credits (or $6.60 USD). Secondly, the dragons require completion of the Dino Den before purchase! This means that players who have yet to build their Dino Dens are probably not going to complete them in time to take advantage of this discount.
Thirdly, Dragons can breed with the T-Rex Dinosaur to produce offspring. Horns and wings are part of the dragon traits, and these six new dragons sport three kinds of horns.
And finally, as you can tell from the image on the right, these dragon babies are definitely of the fire-breathing variety. But it'll take putting one in a room for us to know whether those wings of theirs can rival those of the Parrot.
Friday, February 3, 2012
FameTown on Facebook: New fame game from former Disney exec launches Nov. 1
Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner plans to make his mark on Facebook with a new game called FameTown, which will launch on November 1.
The game, created by Los Angeles-based developer Diversion, lets you pick a make-believe movie star and then take them from the D-list to the A-list by earning points doing jobs (like meeting the cast and director) and improving their social standing by attending parties or charity events and hiring publicists, agents and assistants to help their career.
Like FarmVIlle and the rest of the lot, FameTown will be free to play but will offer virtual goods that can be purchased using real-life cash.
Napster founder Shawn Fanning is involved in this project, and Eisner is the sole investor in Diversion, giving the company $300,000 to get this project off the ground.
Eisner says FameTown isn't far off from real-life Hollywood, and while that might be the case, but the description sounds like umpteen other games we've been playing on Facebook for a year already. Unless Eisner and friends plan to put a lot of marketing muscle behind this game (much like ESPN is doing with ESPNU), this Tinsel Town simulator sounds like it will have a difficult time breaking into the Facebook gaming A-list.
The game, created by Los Angeles-based developer Diversion, lets you pick a make-believe movie star and then take them from the D-list to the A-list by earning points doing jobs (like meeting the cast and director) and improving their social standing by attending parties or charity events and hiring publicists, agents and assistants to help their career.
Like FarmVIlle and the rest of the lot, FameTown will be free to play but will offer virtual goods that can be purchased using real-life cash.
Napster founder Shawn Fanning is involved in this project, and Eisner is the sole investor in Diversion, giving the company $300,000 to get this project off the ground.
Eisner says FameTown isn't far off from real-life Hollywood, and while that might be the case, but the description sounds like umpteen other games we've been playing on Facebook for a year already. Unless Eisner and friends plan to put a lot of marketing muscle behind this game (much like ESPN is doing with ESPNU), this Tinsel Town simulator sounds like it will have a difficult time breaking into the Facebook gaming A-list.
FarmVille Windows Phone Demo for 2 Free Farm Cash
farmville windows phone free farm cash
A new FarmVille sponsored link it out, this time sponsored by the new Windows Phone.
You can earn 2 free farm cash for participating in this offer, "watching the new Windows Phone become your phone". The offer has you watch a demo of the Windows Phone using your Facebook's profile information.
Farmers are reporting that you can still earn the free farm cash by "not allowing" permission to your Facebook info. This sponsored link seems appropriate with all of yesterday's Facebook recent uproar of selling out users including FarmVille users personal information.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
A new FarmVille sponsored link it out, this time sponsored by the new Windows Phone.
You can earn 2 free farm cash for participating in this offer, "watching the new Windows Phone become your phone". The offer has you watch a demo of the Windows Phone using your Facebook's profile information.
Farmers are reporting that you can still earn the free farm cash by "not allowing" permission to your Facebook info. This sponsored link seems appropriate with all of yesterday's Facebook recent uproar of selling out users including FarmVille users personal information.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Doom creator John Romero launches Ravenwood Fair on Facebook
If you play video games and don't know John Romero, you're most likely familiar with his creations, Doom and Quake. These two games set the tone for all first-person shooters, mixing fast-paced action with lots of guns and lots of gore.
Now the man whose previous games launched a million PTA meetings is exploring his softer side with a new Facebook game called Ravenwood Fair. Not only are there no guns or blood in this new game, but it stars a cast of cuddly woodsy animals who smile, say hello and make adorable 'ooh' and 'ahh' noises.
ravenswood fair facebook
The goal of the game is to build a fair, while earning FUN points to level up and coins which can be used to purchase items, decorations, et al in the in-game store. Facebook Credits can be purchased to buy more exclusive items and -- like most of the other games on Facebook -- your neighbors will play a part in your experience. Visit friends' fairs daily to earn extra coins and other bonuses.
Overall the game has a bit of a Renaissance Fair Vibe, with jaunty music and animals dressed up in peasant garb -- all you need is a live action role playing pit and you might be able to charge admission.
Ravenwood Fair also seems to be borrowing heavily from one of its peers -- FrontierVille. Not that that's a bad thing, in fact, it's quite the opposite. When you perform an activity, you're rewarded with a shower of bonuses that you must click before they disappear. The game also directs your experience with a series of missions that show up on the left hand side of the screen and an energy bar determines just how much you'll be able to get done in a single sitting.
Facebook developer LOLApps is the official company behind the game, which was initially set to launch last week, but delayed by Facebook because several of the companies existing games, including Critter Island, were violating Facebook's terms and sending player's personal information to advertisers and data mining companies.
"We learned that we were in violation of Facebook's policies relating to sharing information with third-parites. We have worked closely with the Facebook team to ensure that our applications and games are in compliance with their policies and look forward to continuing to partner with them to bring the safest possible experience to our users," says LOLApps in an official statement.
If you're not spooked by LOLApps and other Facebook games' recent privacy gaffes, then you should consider taking a trip to Ravenwood Fair. Much like FrontierVille, this is a charming game created with video game sensibilities that hopefully will lead the way to more sophisticated (or, to use Romero's words, "more gamed up") Facebook games.
Now the man whose previous games launched a million PTA meetings is exploring his softer side with a new Facebook game called Ravenwood Fair. Not only are there no guns or blood in this new game, but it stars a cast of cuddly woodsy animals who smile, say hello and make adorable 'ooh' and 'ahh' noises.
ravenswood fair facebook
The goal of the game is to build a fair, while earning FUN points to level up and coins which can be used to purchase items, decorations, et al in the in-game store. Facebook Credits can be purchased to buy more exclusive items and -- like most of the other games on Facebook -- your neighbors will play a part in your experience. Visit friends' fairs daily to earn extra coins and other bonuses.
Overall the game has a bit of a Renaissance Fair Vibe, with jaunty music and animals dressed up in peasant garb -- all you need is a live action role playing pit and you might be able to charge admission.
Ravenwood Fair also seems to be borrowing heavily from one of its peers -- FrontierVille. Not that that's a bad thing, in fact, it's quite the opposite. When you perform an activity, you're rewarded with a shower of bonuses that you must click before they disappear. The game also directs your experience with a series of missions that show up on the left hand side of the screen and an energy bar determines just how much you'll be able to get done in a single sitting.
Facebook developer LOLApps is the official company behind the game, which was initially set to launch last week, but delayed by Facebook because several of the companies existing games, including Critter Island, were violating Facebook's terms and sending player's personal information to advertisers and data mining companies.
"We learned that we were in violation of Facebook's policies relating to sharing information with third-parites. We have worked closely with the Facebook team to ensure that our applications and games are in compliance with their policies and look forward to continuing to partner with them to bring the safest possible experience to our users," says LOLApps in an official statement.
If you're not spooked by LOLApps and other Facebook games' recent privacy gaffes, then you should consider taking a trip to Ravenwood Fair. Much like FrontierVille, this is a charming game created with video game sensibilities that hopefully will lead the way to more sophisticated (or, to use Romero's words, "more gamed up") Facebook games.
FarmVille Tree Orchard coming soon
FarmVille is planning to release a new Orchard. Like the Chicken Coop, Pig Pen, Nursery, and other special buildings, the Orchard will allow you to house and breed your precious fruit-bearing trees. Stay tuned for more details.
farmville orchard trees
Thank you to Rhys for finding this unreleased FarmVille Orchard with menu!
[Via FarmVille Freak]
farmville orchard trees
Thank you to Rhys for finding this unreleased FarmVille Orchard with menu!
[Via FarmVille Freak]
FarmVille Ossabaw Pig Giftable for a limited time
For a limited time only the Ossabaw Pig is available to send to your FarmVille neighbors as a free gift! Send them now because they will surely be taken off the free gift page soon.
farmville ossabaw pig gift
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you send the Ossabaw Pug to your neighbors?
farmville ossabaw pig gift
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you send the Ossabaw Pug to your neighbors?
Thursday, February 2, 2012
FarmVille Turkey Roost: Everything you need to know
FarmVille Turkey Roost
Just in time for Thanksgiving, FarmVille has rolled out the Turkey Roost to all players! This new buildable is exactly the same as the barns and chicken coops in that you can store your turkeys within the roost and harvest them all as one. When you log in to FarmVille right now, you'll be prompted to place the roost. You can click anywhere on your farm, as long as you have room for the fairly large building.
How to Build Your Turkey Roost
The Turkey Roost requires 10 Wooden Boards, 10 Nails, and 10 Bricks, or a total of 30 materials. You can get these by requesting them on your wall from your friends, or receiving them in Special Deliveries. If you're too impatient to wait, you can also purchase the entire Turkey Roost for 29 Farm Cash.
FarmVille turkey roost building
Harvesting the Roost
Once you finish your Turkey Roost, you can look inside it and collect turkeys. They need turkeys to work, but thankfully you can ask for turkeys specifically after you look inside the Turkey Roost. You can harvest your Turkey Roost every 24 hours, and from it, you can find coins, baby turkeys to share with your friends (not for yourself), and Fruit Cake. The Fruit Cake will supposedly be needed in a short time, so it's important to collect these. The more turkeys you have, the higher the chance you have to get baby turkeys for friends and Fruit Cake.
FarmVille Turkey Roost
Upgrading the Turkey Roost
The Turkey Roost can be upgraded two times. Here are the stages, their requirements, and how many turkeys each stage can hold:
Stage 1 - 10 boards, 10 nails, 10 bricks (20 turkeys)
Stage 2 - 15 boards, 15 nails, 15 bricks (30 turkeys)
Stage 3 - 20 boards, 20 nails, 20 bridges (40 turkeys)
The Turkey Roost will only be available to purchase in the Market until December 1st. Beyond that, you will be able to complete any roost in construction, but you will not be able to start a new one.
Is the Turkey Roost what you had hoped it would be, or were you wishing for something different?
Just in time for Thanksgiving, FarmVille has rolled out the Turkey Roost to all players! This new buildable is exactly the same as the barns and chicken coops in that you can store your turkeys within the roost and harvest them all as one. When you log in to FarmVille right now, you'll be prompted to place the roost. You can click anywhere on your farm, as long as you have room for the fairly large building.
How to Build Your Turkey Roost
The Turkey Roost requires 10 Wooden Boards, 10 Nails, and 10 Bricks, or a total of 30 materials. You can get these by requesting them on your wall from your friends, or receiving them in Special Deliveries. If you're too impatient to wait, you can also purchase the entire Turkey Roost for 29 Farm Cash.
FarmVille turkey roost building
Harvesting the Roost
Once you finish your Turkey Roost, you can look inside it and collect turkeys. They need turkeys to work, but thankfully you can ask for turkeys specifically after you look inside the Turkey Roost. You can harvest your Turkey Roost every 24 hours, and from it, you can find coins, baby turkeys to share with your friends (not for yourself), and Fruit Cake. The Fruit Cake will supposedly be needed in a short time, so it's important to collect these. The more turkeys you have, the higher the chance you have to get baby turkeys for friends and Fruit Cake.
FarmVille Turkey Roost
Upgrading the Turkey Roost
The Turkey Roost can be upgraded two times. Here are the stages, their requirements, and how many turkeys each stage can hold:
Stage 1 - 10 boards, 10 nails, 10 bricks (20 turkeys)
Stage 2 - 15 boards, 15 nails, 15 bricks (30 turkeys)
Stage 3 - 20 boards, 20 nails, 20 bridges (40 turkeys)
The Turkey Roost will only be available to purchase in the Market until December 1st. Beyond that, you will be able to complete any roost in construction, but you will not be able to start a new one.
Is the Turkey Roost what you had hoped it would be, or were you wishing for something different?
FarmVille Unreleased Unicorn, Thanksgiving Animals, and more
Check out these unreleased animals that could be coming soon to FarmVille! There is a new beautiful white Unicorn, a Spotted Pot Belly Pig, and a Long Eared Owl. There are also two Thanksgiving animals, the Thanksgiving Horse and the Thanksgiving Sheep. At this time, there is no evidence of a Unicorn Foal or a Thanksgiving Foal, which is disappointing.
Like all unreleased items, these may or may not actually make it into the game. We're certainly hoping they are, because the game could definitely use a Unicorn, and the Thanksgiving holiday is coming up quickly.
Are you excited for these unreleased items? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Find more stories on our 2010 Thanksgiving Guide for FarmVille, Mafia Wars & more.
Like all unreleased items, these may or may not actually make it into the game. We're certainly hoping they are, because the game could definitely use a Unicorn, and the Thanksgiving holiday is coming up quickly.
Are you excited for these unreleased items? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Find more stories on our 2010 Thanksgiving Guide for FarmVille, Mafia Wars & more.
FarmVille Unreleased UFO Ride, Mayflower, and Harvest Fountain
Three more unreleased FarmVille items have come to our attention tonight, two of which are Thanksgiving themed, and one which is an extension of the Country Fair theme. The Mayflower is the original ship that brought the Pilgrims to America in 1620. While it might look silly perched on the grass on your farm, it's the perfect decoration to really get into the Thanksgiving spirit. The Harvest Fountain has a turkey on top spouting water down into a floral basin. Finally, the new UFO ride is a fun carnival ride that spins around while animated, excellent for your country fair.
Like usual, these unreleased items may not make it into the game, but it seems likely they will. We want to make sure you have the latest scoop on any possible new FarmVille items!
Like usual, these unreleased items may not make it into the game, but it seems likely they will. We want to make sure you have the latest scoop on any possible new FarmVille items!
City of Wonder releases Lake Palace hotel for India Week
India Week is under way in City of Wonder, and today's new release is a large luxury hotel named Lake Palace. This is a small replica of the real life 83-room hotel in Udaipur, India. This large hotel piece is white and sprinkled with the occasional greenery.
The Lake Palace costs 39 gold, which definitely isn't a steal by any means. It does give out 390 XP, 2680 Happiness, and 360 Culture, so it is a sufficient buy for the money. It is a limited item, but there are still 18,000 left as of this writing and we don't see them going away too quickly. The Victoria Terminus, which was released a few days ago still has over 14,000 left, so these India buildings are not flying off the shelf too quickly.
So far, we haven't seen a ton of new items for India Week. It seems as if the theme is smaller and more subdued than others, but these items are definitely intricate and highly detailed.
The Lake Palace costs 39 gold, which definitely isn't a steal by any means. It does give out 390 XP, 2680 Happiness, and 360 Culture, so it is a sufficient buy for the money. It is a limited item, but there are still 18,000 left as of this writing and we don't see them going away too quickly. The Victoria Terminus, which was released a few days ago still has over 14,000 left, so these India buildings are not flying off the shelf too quickly.
So far, we haven't seen a ton of new items for India Week. It seems as if the theme is smaller and more subdued than others, but these items are definitely intricate and highly detailed.
Treasure Isle: New backpack options make our lives easier
Treasure Isle released an update today that is making players extremely happy. The backpack has now gotten an major upgrade - the ability to sell multiple items at once!
If you play Treasure Isle at all, you know just how unruly it can be to store up all the fruit, collections, and decorations that you get while digging. Especially spoiled rotten fruit, which store up in your backpack and previously had to be deleted one by one. Deleting items individually was a huge chore that took a long time to do, and at times I would log off in frustration rather than attempt to clear out my backpack.
Now, when you click on "Sell" on any item in your backpack, you can page through and sell them all in one swoop instead of individually. The players on the forums have already created a thank you thread in the forums to Zynga for hearing their complaints and reacting with this great feature addition.
If you play Treasure Isle at all, you know just how unruly it can be to store up all the fruit, collections, and decorations that you get while digging. Especially spoiled rotten fruit, which store up in your backpack and previously had to be deleted one by one. Deleting items individually was a huge chore that took a long time to do, and at times I would log off in frustration rather than attempt to clear out my backpack.
Now, when you click on "Sell" on any item in your backpack, you can page through and sell them all in one swoop instead of individually. The players on the forums have already created a thank you thread in the forums to Zynga for hearing their complaints and reacting with this great feature addition.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Restaurant City Candy Factory Week feeds the sweet tooth
Been hankering for something sugary since spending all your coins shopping? Well, Playfish might be able to help with through Restaurant City's Candy Factory Week going on right now. This week-long theme brings a slew of sweet decorations, recipes and even a Challenge for us to complete.
Since this is Restaurant City, let's start with the new recipes: Sugar Rush and Snowflake Cake. The former requires three Candy ingredients and one lone Sugar to learn, but mastering it will reward players with the Candy Maker functional item. Only available through Dec. 13, the Candy Maker will net you 1,800 coins every four hours. The latter is a simpler dish, only requiring one Vanilla, Cream and Egg and doesn't reward anything other than being delicious. (Though, it does have a particularly important purpose.)
Check behind the break for a look at the new items, decorations and Challenges in this week's theme.
Restaurant City Candy Week updates
There are several other functional items and decorations to collect like the Super Sweet Drink Dispenser, which serves drinks 18 percent faster than other machines, and the Bubble Gum Stove, an stove that cooks four percent faster and blows bubbles in the process. As for the decorations, everything is included to turn your restaurant into the next Wonka Chocolate Factory from Lollipop Trees to Candy Kings and Candy Pixie Workers that all look awfully inspired by the classic movie.
Restaurant City Challenge Elf Service
The first new Challenge in this week's theme, "Elf Service," involves helping a group of hungry elves who have had all their Snowflake Cake stolen from them. What you need to do is master the Snowflake Cake, feed 100 of these starving present engineers and find out who stole all of the Snowflake Cakes. Head Chef Maggie will be helping you out in the forums daily, so be sure to check back in for clues.
Restaurant City Challenge Present Hunt
Your second mission, titled "Present Hunt!," tasks you with finding 100 presents on Gourmet Street and in your friends' restaurants. After that, you'll have to find out who was up to such as dastardly deed as to slow Santa's mission down, which of course Maggie will available to help out with. Both Challenges should be available by clicking their relevant icons on the home screen, which are an elf and a snow globe, respectively.
Restaurant City Presents
That's quite a lot of content to truck through, so you better get started before it all goes away in preparation for a predictably chillier theme. Find more details on all of the changes and updates this week on the Restaurant City Blog.
Since this is Restaurant City, let's start with the new recipes: Sugar Rush and Snowflake Cake. The former requires three Candy ingredients and one lone Sugar to learn, but mastering it will reward players with the Candy Maker functional item. Only available through Dec. 13, the Candy Maker will net you 1,800 coins every four hours. The latter is a simpler dish, only requiring one Vanilla, Cream and Egg and doesn't reward anything other than being delicious. (Though, it does have a particularly important purpose.)
Check behind the break for a look at the new items, decorations and Challenges in this week's theme.
Restaurant City Candy Week updates
There are several other functional items and decorations to collect like the Super Sweet Drink Dispenser, which serves drinks 18 percent faster than other machines, and the Bubble Gum Stove, an stove that cooks four percent faster and blows bubbles in the process. As for the decorations, everything is included to turn your restaurant into the next Wonka Chocolate Factory from Lollipop Trees to Candy Kings and Candy Pixie Workers that all look awfully inspired by the classic movie.
Restaurant City Challenge Elf Service
The first new Challenge in this week's theme, "Elf Service," involves helping a group of hungry elves who have had all their Snowflake Cake stolen from them. What you need to do is master the Snowflake Cake, feed 100 of these starving present engineers and find out who stole all of the Snowflake Cakes. Head Chef Maggie will be helping you out in the forums daily, so be sure to check back in for clues.
Restaurant City Challenge Present Hunt
Your second mission, titled "Present Hunt!," tasks you with finding 100 presents on Gourmet Street and in your friends' restaurants. After that, you'll have to find out who was up to such as dastardly deed as to slow Santa's mission down, which of course Maggie will available to help out with. Both Challenges should be available by clicking their relevant icons on the home screen, which are an elf and a snow globe, respectively.
Restaurant City Presents
That's quite a lot of content to truck through, so you better get started before it all goes away in preparation for a predictably chillier theme. Find more details on all of the changes and updates this week on the Restaurant City Blog.
Restaurant City Challenges: Everything you need to know
Restaurant City Challenges
Just in time for everyone's favorite season of the year (yes, I'm speaking for all of you because it is that awesome), there's a brand new feature available in Restaurant City called Challenges. Much like Goals in Cafe World and FrontierVille, these are specific missions that will reward players with items, coins and more once completed.
As new Challenges become available they'll appear in the sidebar of your game while a trophy icon on the task bar will take you directly to the new Challenge Menu (pictured). But what's most unique about these Challenges is that they'll reset at midnight daily, making every new Challenge another reason to log in daily (as if you needed any more). As you progress through these daily tasks you'll frequently be notified of your progress through mini notifications--the Challenge Menu will also update in real time.
Another interesting feature to Playfish's take on Challenges is that it'll be making heavy use of its forums to guide you along in your various quests through hints and free gifts. Currently there are two holiday-themed Challenges in the game, which were added as part of the game's sweetest (literally) theme, Candy Factory Week. Check out this post to find out more about Restaurant City's first two Challenges and get to solving those mysteries.
Just in time for everyone's favorite season of the year (yes, I'm speaking for all of you because it is that awesome), there's a brand new feature available in Restaurant City called Challenges. Much like Goals in Cafe World and FrontierVille, these are specific missions that will reward players with items, coins and more once completed.
As new Challenges become available they'll appear in the sidebar of your game while a trophy icon on the task bar will take you directly to the new Challenge Menu (pictured). But what's most unique about these Challenges is that they'll reset at midnight daily, making every new Challenge another reason to log in daily (as if you needed any more). As you progress through these daily tasks you'll frequently be notified of your progress through mini notifications--the Challenge Menu will also update in real time.
Another interesting feature to Playfish's take on Challenges is that it'll be making heavy use of its forums to guide you along in your various quests through hints and free gifts. Currently there are two holiday-themed Challenges in the game, which were added as part of the game's sweetest (literally) theme, Candy Factory Week. Check out this post to find out more about Restaurant City's first two Challenges and get to solving those mysteries.
ESPNU College Town: ESPN Arcade Skeeball brings Carniball to school
ESPN Arcade Carniball
While arcades can only be found in random malls and shore towns since their downfall in the 90s, Playdom and ESPN are trying their damnedest to keep the arcade spirit alive. Well, at least on Facebook with the new ESPN Arcade Skeeball item in ESPNU College Town. The second in a series of three ESPN Arcade items, this Skeeball game is absolutely free and can be obtained through the news section your game by clicking the button below the news story.
From there, you'll be taken to a new page, asking you to click a link to redeem your brand spankin' new arcade game. Do this and you'll be launched back into ESPNU College Town with a confirmation message. Just click "Continue" and you can find the item in your gift inventory, ready to join QB Assault in an arcade pool party.
But don't think that's all there is to this item. Like QB Assault, clicking on the Skeeball item gives players the option of playing Carniball on ESPN Arcade. Another game of precision, Carniball tasks players with "throwing" the wooden balls by clicking to grab the ball and releasing at just the right time and speed to ensure points. Now, you have ESPN Arcade to thank for not one, but two ways to kill time while waiting around to collect from those properties and maintain those venues.
While arcades can only be found in random malls and shore towns since their downfall in the 90s, Playdom and ESPN are trying their damnedest to keep the arcade spirit alive. Well, at least on Facebook with the new ESPN Arcade Skeeball item in ESPNU College Town. The second in a series of three ESPN Arcade items, this Skeeball game is absolutely free and can be obtained through the news section your game by clicking the button below the news story.
From there, you'll be taken to a new page, asking you to click a link to redeem your brand spankin' new arcade game. Do this and you'll be launched back into ESPNU College Town with a confirmation message. Just click "Continue" and you can find the item in your gift inventory, ready to join QB Assault in an arcade pool party.
But don't think that's all there is to this item. Like QB Assault, clicking on the Skeeball item gives players the option of playing Carniball on ESPN Arcade. Another game of precision, Carniball tasks players with "throwing" the wooden balls by clicking to grab the ball and releasing at just the right time and speed to ensure points. Now, you have ESPN Arcade to thank for not one, but two ways to kill time while waiting around to collect from those properties and maintain those venues.
Mafia Wars Cake Jailbreak Event will break from the slammer soon
With the Serial Assassins gifting event soon to end and everyone stuffed from Thanksgiving dinner, Zynga will soon be adding an extra sweet gifting event Mafia Wars. Titled "Cake Jailbreak," this event will operate just like those before it. Players will have three cakes--a Birthday Cake, Wedding Cake and Cupcakes--stuffed with escape tools to gift between their friends that will most likely be released over a week's time.
Each cake will have three levels of Mastery and an item attached to it that will grow as you gain Mastery in each given cake. Gifting each cake will be as easy as sending them out from the Free Gifts page. Master all three pastries completely and you'll win Mugshot, a pump shotgun with a beastly 95 Attack and 136 Defense. Stay tuned to Mafia Wars for when this new event releases and right here for more details.
Each cake will have three levels of Mastery and an item attached to it that will grow as you gain Mastery in each given cake. Gifting each cake will be as easy as sending them out from the Free Gifts page. Master all three pastries completely and you'll win Mugshot, a pump shotgun with a beastly 95 Attack and 136 Defense. Stay tuned to Mafia Wars for when this new event releases and right here for more details.
Treasure Isle: Garden-building bonus quest lets you grow more fruit
Many of Zynga's games depend on "Energy" to play, and you're always going to hear fans wishing they had more of it. But Treasure Isle has a feature that lets you grow your own Energy -- the Small Garden. Everyone gets two of these at the start of the game. You use them to grow fruit from seeds you buy at the store, then you can harvest the fruit for Energy. Normally, you can buy another Garden Plot for 70 Island Cash, but now there's a way to get one for free!
Treasure Isle Build Garden Bonus Quest
The latest bonus quest, called "Build Garden", has three tasks for you to earn you a free, extra plot. First, you buy a Plough, which you'll find in the Store under "Decorations" for 500 Coins. Secondly, you need to make a hundred digs anywhere you like. Finally, you'll need to get five people to click on your Facebook posts to "Get Some Field Hands" (a.k.a. your fellow Treasue Isle players) to complete the quest.
You can also finish the quest by paying 112 Island Cash, but since you can buy a plot for 70 Island Cash, it's obviously better to do the work yourself. The "Build Garden" bonus quest is set expire on December 6th, so finish it while you can.
Treasure Isle Build Garden Bonus Quest
The latest bonus quest, called "Build Garden", has three tasks for you to earn you a free, extra plot. First, you buy a Plough, which you'll find in the Store under "Decorations" for 500 Coins. Secondly, you need to make a hundred digs anywhere you like. Finally, you'll need to get five people to click on your Facebook posts to "Get Some Field Hands" (a.k.a. your fellow Treasue Isle players) to complete the quest.
You can also finish the quest by paying 112 Island Cash, but since you can buy a plot for 70 Island Cash, it's obviously better to do the work yourself. The "Build Garden" bonus quest is set expire on December 6th, so finish it while you can.
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