If you're ready to celebrate the Holiday season in Treasure Isle, you'll be happy to know that Zynga has launched not one, but two holiday-themed events in the treasure-hunting game.
The first is a new buildable relic, in the form of a Gingerbread House. You'll be able to gather items like Gingerbread, Gumdrops and even Frosting to build the foundation and eventually the walls and roof of this Gingerbread House, but we'll get to more of that later. The other new event is the Holiday Tree event, similar to that launched in FarmVille, that will see you collecting presents to put underneath your tree, that can then be redeemed for all sorts of cool goodies.
Meet us behind the break for an in-depth look at both the Gingerbread House relic, and the Holiday Tree collection event.
First, let's look at the Gingerbread Relic. Every user will be given a free Gingerbread House base when they login to the game. You can either use this relic base right away, or, if you're like many users, and have run out of room on your Home Island for such a large item, you can store it in your gift box until you have done a bit of rearranging to have the room required to place it. Either way, you won't lose the item, so don't fret.
Once placed, you'll need to collect building ingredients, just like with all of the other relics. In this case, though, some of the items are holiday themed, as you'll be collecting not only Dye and Fire (presumably for the cooking needed to bake the Gingerbread House), but also Gingerbread, Gumdrops, and Frosting. The first levels of construction sees you building the foundation of the house, and requires just one of each item.
There are four stages of building in all, each one requiring more and more of each of the five ingredients. You can ask your friends for help in gathering these ingredients by clicking on the "Ask for More" button associated with each item, which allows you to post an item request to your wall, or you can simply buy the ingredients outright for 1 Island Cash each. Remember, if you want to ask your friends for help, the game allows you to have five active ingredient requests on your account at once, so if you want to ask for every ingredient at once, go right ahead.
As for the Holiday Tree, it will also be given to you for free when logging into the game. This is a smaller item, requiring just a small square of land on your Home Island. In a clever move, the tree starts out looking exactly like Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree - the famous branch with a red ornament causing it to sag.
Clicking on the Holiday Tree will allow you to view the internal menu of present collection event, where you'll see the six goodies that are available to earn by collecting presents. If you're at all familiar with the FarmVille Holiday Tree event, you'll know what to expect here.
You can click on the "Ask for Presents" button to be taken to a reverse of the game's free gifts page, where you can ask individual friends to send you a present, rather than posting a general plea on your wall (the current method is much preferable, believe me). You can also send presents to your friends voluntarily by choosing the Present from the game's free gifts page.
Once you start collecting presents, you'll be able to trade them in for fun decorations, or functional items that will help you progress in the game. You'll need just 6 presents to start earning items. Here are the full list of prizes, along with their costs:
Fruit Cake - 6 Presents
Street Lamp - 10 Presents
1 of Each Gem - 12 Presents
Building Materials - 20 Presents
McLovin' (a cute dog wearing a Santa hat) - 50 Presents
JD Turkleton - 75 Presents
It should be noted that the highest prize - the JD Turkleton is the same healable turkey that was released back in the Thanksgiving event (for free, mind you), so unless you missed out on the event entirely last month, you're better off saving your presents for other items.
If you don't have many Treasure Isle neighbors, or simply aren't earning presents quickly enough for your liking, you can buy them for Island Cash, at a rate of 2 Island Cash per one present, or 10 presents for 19 Island Cash, a 1 Island Cash discount on the bulk package. As you collect presents, no matter how you earn them, your tree will change shape, becoming more lush, taller, and elaborate, until it is eventually an entirely decorated tree, leaving the days of Charlie Brown's Christmas special in the dust.
As of this writing, this concludes the available Holiday activities in Treasure Isle, but one only need to look at the entire World Map to get a feeling for what's coming next. The North Pole section has been locked, with a "Coming Soon!" marking on it for weeks, nay, months now, and it would be more than disappointing if Zynga didn't capitalize on this downright perfect opportunity to unleash them on players. Santa, after all, lives at the North Pole - shouldn't we be able to visit him, and dig for holiday-themed treasures along the way? Hopefully Zynga has the same idea, and we'll be sure to let you know if that is indeed the case.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
FarmVille Mystery Game (12/12/10): Red & green items for the holidays!
It's Sunday, and during the holiday season in FarmVille, that means update time. Tonight's update sees the expiration of the former Mystery Game, and the launching of another. In keeping with the Holiday Season, which is now in full swing, this week's Mystery Game contains a series of red and green items. Not only are these items red and green, but of course they go with the holiday theme to boot - aren't we so lucky!
This week's Mystery Game brings us back to the standard price of 16 Farm Cash per dart, if you'd like to take a chance at receiving one of this week's prizes. The confirmed prizes in this week's Mystery Game are:
Holiday Sleigh
Winter Bridge
Holiday Dining Table
Elf Pig
Red Panda
Some of you may recognize the names of some of these items, as we've given you FarmVille Sneak Peeks of them in the past (most recently the Elf Pig, which we first brought you a look at just yesterday).
This week's Mystery Game will be active until next Sunday, when presumably another installment, filled with another set of exclusive items (that is, found only in the Mystery Game) will be made available. Check back with us then to see what's inside!
This week's Mystery Game brings us back to the standard price of 16 Farm Cash per dart, if you'd like to take a chance at receiving one of this week's prizes. The confirmed prizes in this week's Mystery Game are:
Holiday Sleigh
Winter Bridge
Holiday Dining Table
Elf Pig
Red Panda
Some of you may recognize the names of some of these items, as we've given you FarmVille Sneak Peeks of them in the past (most recently the Elf Pig, which we first brought you a look at just yesterday).
This week's Mystery Game will be active until next Sunday, when presumably another installment, filled with another set of exclusive items (that is, found only in the Mystery Game) will be made available. Check back with us then to see what's inside!
FarmVille Tree Update: Sugar Plum Tree now available, Mint Candy Tree fixed
If you're a tree-lover, you'll be happy to know that there are two items to report on with tonight's FarmVille update. The first bit of news comes in the form of the official release of the Sugar Plum tree as part of the Winter Holiday theme of items, while the second sees Zynga apparently fixing the many issues associated with the recently released Mint Candy Tree.
First things first, the Sugar Plum Tree is now available to purchase from the store for 5 Farm Cash. Considering that this is a limited time tree, only available for the next 35 days as part of the Winter Holiday theme of items, the price is actually quite low. You can harvest the tree every 2 days, and you'll receive 150 coins in the process of doing so. Finally, the tree can be mastered, with the first star of mastery being available after 75 harvests.
In trying to figure out why the price of the Sugar Plum Tree is so low, perhaps it could be because the price of our next tree, the Mint Candy Tree, is so high. How are the two connected? The Mint Candy Tree is a level 2 tree, available from mystery seedlings, and reportedly also available from specific seedlings received when harvesting from an orchard that contains a Sugar Plum Tree. That being the case, the 5 Farm Cash price for the Sugar Plum Tree could help ensure that all users eventually get their hands on a Mint Candy Tree through the Mystery Seedling system, rather than having to pay 30 Farm Cash for the tree outright.
Speaking of this Mint Candy Tree, the problems that we detailed yesterday, that saw the tree being displayed as other kinds of trees in the store image, and then becoming entirely invisible when placed on a players farm, have now been fixed with tonight's update. Feel free to spend the 30 Farm Cash, if you simply can't wait for a Mystery Seedling to appear that may end up growing into one.
Interestingly, even though the Mint Candy Tree seems like it should be listed as a Winter Holiday limited edition offering, it is currently entirely white in the store, so it's presumable that it is in fact a permanent addition to the store, rather than something you'll need to rush to purchase. That's good news for farmers, as the lack of a limited edition branding will allow you more time to save up the necessary Farm Cash to purchase it (if you can concede to spending that much on one tree in the first place - I don't think I could).
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Did you already purchase a Mint Candy Tree in FarmVille? Did you see a change in your tree after tonight's update, or are you still receiving problems?
First things first, the Sugar Plum Tree is now available to purchase from the store for 5 Farm Cash. Considering that this is a limited time tree, only available for the next 35 days as part of the Winter Holiday theme of items, the price is actually quite low. You can harvest the tree every 2 days, and you'll receive 150 coins in the process of doing so. Finally, the tree can be mastered, with the first star of mastery being available after 75 harvests.
In trying to figure out why the price of the Sugar Plum Tree is so low, perhaps it could be because the price of our next tree, the Mint Candy Tree, is so high. How are the two connected? The Mint Candy Tree is a level 2 tree, available from mystery seedlings, and reportedly also available from specific seedlings received when harvesting from an orchard that contains a Sugar Plum Tree. That being the case, the 5 Farm Cash price for the Sugar Plum Tree could help ensure that all users eventually get their hands on a Mint Candy Tree through the Mystery Seedling system, rather than having to pay 30 Farm Cash for the tree outright.
Speaking of this Mint Candy Tree, the problems that we detailed yesterday, that saw the tree being displayed as other kinds of trees in the store image, and then becoming entirely invisible when placed on a players farm, have now been fixed with tonight's update. Feel free to spend the 30 Farm Cash, if you simply can't wait for a Mystery Seedling to appear that may end up growing into one.
Interestingly, even though the Mint Candy Tree seems like it should be listed as a Winter Holiday limited edition offering, it is currently entirely white in the store, so it's presumable that it is in fact a permanent addition to the store, rather than something you'll need to rush to purchase. That's good news for farmers, as the lack of a limited edition branding will allow you more time to save up the necessary Farm Cash to purchase it (if you can concede to spending that much on one tree in the first place - I don't think I could).
Check out the rest of our Holiday 2010 coverage right here.
Did you already purchase a Mint Candy Tree in FarmVille? Did you see a change in your tree after tonight's update, or are you still receiving problems?
FarmVille Mini Candycane Pony & Mini Candycane Foal now available
This evening's FarmVille update brought with it some very interesting animal additions. Only one of these animals is actually available to purchase in the store, but horse lovers will know where to find the other.
Not to be confused with the Candy Cane Pony (or Candy Cane Foal) that first launched in the game last week, Zynga has launched the Mini Candycane Pony and the Mini Candycane Foal in FarmVille this evening. What's the difference between these two sets of animals, other than the fact that one is spelled "Candy Cane," and the other is spelled "Candycane" (we think it's odd too)? Simply put, the Mini Candycane Pony, and subsequently the Mini Candycane Foal are much smaller than their full-size counterparts that were released last week.
If you ask me, the miniature version of this red and white striped mammal is definitely cuter (look at that face!), but for that extra cuteness, you will find yourself paying two Farm Cash more than if you went with the full sized offering, bringing the mini pony to 26 Farm Cash. You'll gain a whopping 2600 experience points for purchasing the Mini Candycane Pony, and it can be harvested from every 3 days, offering you 84 coins each time.
Of course, you can place the Mini Candycane Pony inside your Horse Stable for a chance to spawn Mini Candycane Foal, which might just be one of the cutest things we've ever seen released in the game (it is pictured on the right in the image at the top of this post).
If you want to get your hands on a Mini Candycane Pony, you'll need to do so within the next 12 days, before the time limit in the store expires and you miss your chance at adding one of these cute animals to your farm.
Not to be confused with the Candy Cane Pony (or Candy Cane Foal) that first launched in the game last week, Zynga has launched the Mini Candycane Pony and the Mini Candycane Foal in FarmVille this evening. What's the difference between these two sets of animals, other than the fact that one is spelled "Candy Cane," and the other is spelled "Candycane" (we think it's odd too)? Simply put, the Mini Candycane Pony, and subsequently the Mini Candycane Foal are much smaller than their full-size counterparts that were released last week.
If you ask me, the miniature version of this red and white striped mammal is definitely cuter (look at that face!), but for that extra cuteness, you will find yourself paying two Farm Cash more than if you went with the full sized offering, bringing the mini pony to 26 Farm Cash. You'll gain a whopping 2600 experience points for purchasing the Mini Candycane Pony, and it can be harvested from every 3 days, offering you 84 coins each time.
Of course, you can place the Mini Candycane Pony inside your Horse Stable for a chance to spawn Mini Candycane Foal, which might just be one of the cutest things we've ever seen released in the game (it is pictured on the right in the image at the top of this post).
If you want to get your hands on a Mini Candycane Pony, you'll need to do so within the next 12 days, before the time limit in the store expires and you miss your chance at adding one of these cute animals to your farm.
FarmVille Holiday Avatar Costumes: Elf, Miss Santa, Penguin, Teddy Bears, & Ski Bunny
If you aren't satisfied with your avatar's current wardrobe in FarmVille, and want to make your farmer look a bit more seasonal, tonight's FarmVille update will allow you to do just that, with six (yes, six!) new options available to make your avatar as cute as can be through the holiday season and beyond.
The six new options all have something to do with either the Winter Holidays or just winter in general, but they interestingly come with a variety of expiration dates and even prices. Here are the list of newly available costumes:
Elf - 15 Farm Cash
Miss Santa - 15 Farm Cash
Penguin - 5 Farm Cash
Cream Teddy Bear - 5 Farm Cash
Tan Teddy Bear - 5 Farm Cash
Ski Bunny - 15 Farm Cash
As for how long they'll be available in the store, the Elf, Miss Santa, and Penguin costumes will expire from the store in just 12 days, while the two teddy bear options will be available for 19 days. The Ski Bunny costume will be available long after the holidays have passed (presumably due to the fact that it isn't exactly a holiday item), with an expiration date of 35 days from now.
Depending on the costume you purchase, you'll earn either 175 experience points or 525 experience points for purchasing one of these costumes - obviously the more the costume costs, the more experience points you'll earn.
I don't know about the rest of you, but some of these costumes are just too cute to bear (Get it? Bear? Bear costumes? Sorry...). I've already made my avatar look like the cutest little Penguin, and I think I'll go back for more costumes before everything is said and done. Will you join me?
The six new options all have something to do with either the Winter Holidays or just winter in general, but they interestingly come with a variety of expiration dates and even prices. Here are the list of newly available costumes:
Elf - 15 Farm Cash
Miss Santa - 15 Farm Cash
Penguin - 5 Farm Cash
Cream Teddy Bear - 5 Farm Cash
Tan Teddy Bear - 5 Farm Cash
Ski Bunny - 15 Farm Cash
As for how long they'll be available in the store, the Elf, Miss Santa, and Penguin costumes will expire from the store in just 12 days, while the two teddy bear options will be available for 19 days. The Ski Bunny costume will be available long after the holidays have passed (presumably due to the fact that it isn't exactly a holiday item), with an expiration date of 35 days from now.
Depending on the costume you purchase, you'll earn either 175 experience points or 525 experience points for purchasing one of these costumes - obviously the more the costume costs, the more experience points you'll earn.
I don't know about the rest of you, but some of these costumes are just too cute to bear (Get it? Bear? Bear costumes? Sorry...). I've already made my avatar look like the cutest little Penguin, and I think I'll go back for more costumes before everything is said and done. Will you join me?
Thursday, January 12, 2012
New Year's Guide: FarmVille, FrontierVille, Cafe World & more
farmville frontierville cafe world new years facebook
Happy New Year's to all players of FarmVille, CityVille, FrontierVille, Cafe World and other Facebook games! Pat yourselves on the back, you made it through the entire 2010 Holiday Season. You survived Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Holidays. Even more impressive is how you managed the bombardment of new Facebook game updates, features, and items that each holiday brought about. New Year's is no exception, there's new items and features in all of your favorite Facebook games, welcoming in the new year with style. So don't miss these 2011 New Year's Facebook game specials, they only come once a year.
Jump in to the 2011 New Year's Facebook game festivities below.
Jump to: FarmVille | FrontierVille | Cafe World
Note: The newest posts are at the bottom of each list. Posts in BOLD are the biggest New Year's updates.
farmville new years
FarmVille New Year's
FarmVille Party Barn / New Year's Ball Drop Event: Everything you need to know
FarmVille New Years Clothing: Tiaras, Top Hats, Party Dresses, and more!
FarmVille New Years Tree: Confetti Tree
FarmVille Winter Countdown: Everything you need to know
FarmVille New Years Items: New Year Horse, Party House, Cider Fountain & More
FarmVille Winter Countdown items revealed - here's what to expect over the next 11 days
FarmVille New Year Animal: Disco Ball Sheep
FarmVille Disco Ball Tree makes an appearance in the market
FarmVille New Years Items: Fireworks I, II, III, & New Year Gnome
FarmVille: Get ready for a New Years Double Mastery Weekend!
frontierville new years
FrontierVille New Year's
FrontierVille New Years Party Goals: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille Winter Collection: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille New Years RSVP Prizes: Everything you need to know
Cafe World New Year's
Cafe World New Years Party Goals: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Prep for the New Year Mission: Everything you need to know
Cafe World New Years Party Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Cafe World: The Saga of the New Years Goals continues, but this time with free iPads!
playfish new years
Playfish New Year's
Playfish's New Years Event Round-Up: Catch up with Restaurant City, Hotel City, Pet Society & More!
Happy New Year's to all players of FarmVille, CityVille, FrontierVille, Cafe World and other Facebook games! Pat yourselves on the back, you made it through the entire 2010 Holiday Season. You survived Halloween, Thanksgiving, and the Holidays. Even more impressive is how you managed the bombardment of new Facebook game updates, features, and items that each holiday brought about. New Year's is no exception, there's new items and features in all of your favorite Facebook games, welcoming in the new year with style. So don't miss these 2011 New Year's Facebook game specials, they only come once a year.
Jump in to the 2011 New Year's Facebook game festivities below.
Jump to: FarmVille | FrontierVille | Cafe World
Note: The newest posts are at the bottom of each list. Posts in BOLD are the biggest New Year's updates.
farmville new years
FarmVille New Year's
FarmVille Party Barn / New Year's Ball Drop Event: Everything you need to know
FarmVille New Years Clothing: Tiaras, Top Hats, Party Dresses, and more!
FarmVille New Years Tree: Confetti Tree
FarmVille Winter Countdown: Everything you need to know
FarmVille New Years Items: New Year Horse, Party House, Cider Fountain & More
FarmVille Winter Countdown items revealed - here's what to expect over the next 11 days
FarmVille New Year Animal: Disco Ball Sheep
FarmVille Disco Ball Tree makes an appearance in the market
FarmVille New Years Items: Fireworks I, II, III, & New Year Gnome
FarmVille: Get ready for a New Years Double Mastery Weekend!
frontierville new years
FrontierVille New Year's
FrontierVille New Years Party Goals: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille Winter Collection: Everything you need to know
FrontierVille New Years RSVP Prizes: Everything you need to know
Cafe World New Year's
Cafe World New Years Party Goals: Everything you need to know
Cafe World Prep for the New Year Mission: Everything you need to know
Cafe World New Years Party Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Cafe World: The Saga of the New Years Goals continues, but this time with free iPads!
playfish new years
Playfish New Year's
Playfish's New Years Event Round-Up: Catch up with Restaurant City, Hotel City, Pet Society & More!
FrontierVille 12 Days of Christmas Goals: Everything you need to know for Day One
Partridge in a Pear TreeThe day has finally arrived. The final Goal of FrontierVille's 12 Days of Christmas series is here. And it's refreshingly, shockingly simple. "On the First Day O' Christmas," all you lucky pioneers have to do is scare one Bear, plant one Pear Tree and collect 10 Letters to Santa.
Simply chop down fully grown Pine and Oak Trees to make Bears appear and work your magic to scare them off. Pear Trees can be purchased from the Market for 972 coins and all you need to do for the 10 Letters to Santa is ask around. I know, the begging continues, but just think of the 1,000 coins, Fruitcake and Frozen Bear that await you as reward.
And, if you've been keeping up with these Goals, a Partridge in a Pear Tree will serve as your final reward for putting up with nearly two weeks worth of Goals. This tree will soon become your resident Food machine, producing three units of the good stuff and 2 XP every two hours. And, get this, it will never wither! I'd say that's a mighty handsome prize for the work. Now, off to the New Year.
Simply chop down fully grown Pine and Oak Trees to make Bears appear and work your magic to scare them off. Pear Trees can be purchased from the Market for 972 coins and all you need to do for the 10 Letters to Santa is ask around. I know, the begging continues, but just think of the 1,000 coins, Fruitcake and Frozen Bear that await you as reward.
And, if you've been keeping up with these Goals, a Partridge in a Pear Tree will serve as your final reward for putting up with nearly two weeks worth of Goals. This tree will soon become your resident Food machine, producing three units of the good stuff and 2 XP every two hours. And, get this, it will never wither! I'd say that's a mighty handsome prize for the work. Now, off to the New Year.
Lunchtime Poll: Are third-party companion apps cheating?
Bonus Checker Cheating
Well, it depends on who you ask, really. Since Facebook games have surged in popularity, small-time developers have created several applications that, when used in conjunction with popular social games like FrontierVille and Mafia Wars, simplify certain aspects of said games. Take the infamous Bonus Checker, for instance. This app (at nearly 180,000 monthly users), which supports dozens of Facebook games but is most commonly known for use with FrontierVille, aggregates all of the bonuses that appear in your News Feed from friends. It then provides a quick link to reap the rewards, which eliminates plenty of time perusing through hours worth of bonus posts. But is that cheating?
One crowd seems to believe that applications like this oversimplify the game and give players who make use of them an unfair advantage over those who don't. Not to mention that many think these apps drain a primary social element from social games. The other group appears to feel that these applications only make the game easier for everyone to enjoy and that, because they're open to everyone, we all should use them liberally. Of course, some players won't care either way and continue their normal modes of play. But we want to hear your thoughts in the issue, which makes this the perfect opportunity for a lunchtime poll:
Well, it depends on who you ask, really. Since Facebook games have surged in popularity, small-time developers have created several applications that, when used in conjunction with popular social games like FrontierVille and Mafia Wars, simplify certain aspects of said games. Take the infamous Bonus Checker, for instance. This app (at nearly 180,000 monthly users), which supports dozens of Facebook games but is most commonly known for use with FrontierVille, aggregates all of the bonuses that appear in your News Feed from friends. It then provides a quick link to reap the rewards, which eliminates plenty of time perusing through hours worth of bonus posts. But is that cheating?
One crowd seems to believe that applications like this oversimplify the game and give players who make use of them an unfair advantage over those who don't. Not to mention that many think these apps drain a primary social element from social games. The other group appears to feel that these applications only make the game easier for everyone to enjoy and that, because they're open to everyone, we all should use them liberally. Of course, some players won't care either way and continue their normal modes of play. But we want to hear your thoughts in the issue, which makes this the perfect opportunity for a lunchtime poll:
Push on Facebook: Set (lots of) time aside for this puzzling battle of wits
If you hadn't noticed, Facebook games are steadily becoming more polished, for sure. But they're also growing to be more challenging, deep and visually appealing. Push on Facebook is one of those games, but it's not without a few minor flaws. This competitive puzzle game, developed by Social Spiel is a fresh take on games like Chinese Checkers and Peg Solitaire and takes a great deal of ingenuity to play well in. Push plays almost exactly how it sounds. Players are supplied with Pops, cutesy little balls with eyes that act as the playing pieces on a hexagonal board filled with holes.
To defeat your opponent you must push three of their Pops off the edge of the board using strategic movements and coordination with your team of Pops. If three of your Pops get pushed off the board, it's game over for you and those Pops are toast for good. Trust us, you'll soon enough see that it's not as easy as it might sound.
Join us after the break for more of our impressions of Push.
Push in Action
Throughout the beginning of the game, you'll be guided by Pon Du Bear, a strangely pear-shaped bear that has an affinity for post-modern furniture and high-heel boots. It's this odd creature that will tell you that you can move up to three Pops at a time either sideways or in a straight line by clicking on the Pops and then selecting their destination. It takes one more Pop than the amount of Pops you're trying to push in order to push them back one space in direction you're trying to move them. For instance, if you're trying to move one Pop, you'll need two of your own Pops to push it. If you want to move two of your opponent's Pops, you'll need three in a row to make it happen.
While the gameplay sounds simple enough, it's working against an opponent's wits that makes Push challenging. Opposing players and AI opponents alike are going to catch on to what you're up to rather quickly, forcing you to corner their Pops using feint moves and smart positioning. Unless you have a knack for puzzlers, you're going to use far more than just two Pops to push one enemy Pop off the edge.
Ranked matches, or games of Push with players in real time that contribute to a global leader board, are another beast entirely. This is because, in respect of the opposing player, you only have about 30 seconds to make each move. While you're given two time-outs, meaning you take longer than the 30 seconds to make a move (shifting the turn to your opponent), your third means game over. However, Pops double as the game's currency, which when bought in excess from the Pop Shop using Facebook Credits can be used for special powers in ranked matches.
Push Ranked Match
There are three powers to choose from: Teleport, Double Move, and Revive. Teleport allows you to move a Pop in danger to any location on the board while Double Move allows you to make two moves in one turn. Revive does just as it sounds: brings one pushed Pop back onto the playing field. Each runs on a cooldown, meaning you can't use them every turn, and cost 60 Pops each. While the game supplies players with 15 free Pops daily, big spenders could easily dominate games using these powers, somewhat trivializing the ranked system.
However, if you're just looking to add a few friends to play around with in real time and flex that thinking muscle a bit, this is a fine place to do just that. Just make sure you have a lot of time to put aside for a match as equally matched players could potential duke it out for hours, which isn't exactly what Facebook games are all about. Regardless, it's Facebook games like Push--you know, the ones that require thinking--that do well to give the genre a good name.
To defeat your opponent you must push three of their Pops off the edge of the board using strategic movements and coordination with your team of Pops. If three of your Pops get pushed off the board, it's game over for you and those Pops are toast for good. Trust us, you'll soon enough see that it's not as easy as it might sound.
Join us after the break for more of our impressions of Push.
Push in Action
Throughout the beginning of the game, you'll be guided by Pon Du Bear, a strangely pear-shaped bear that has an affinity for post-modern furniture and high-heel boots. It's this odd creature that will tell you that you can move up to three Pops at a time either sideways or in a straight line by clicking on the Pops and then selecting their destination. It takes one more Pop than the amount of Pops you're trying to push in order to push them back one space in direction you're trying to move them. For instance, if you're trying to move one Pop, you'll need two of your own Pops to push it. If you want to move two of your opponent's Pops, you'll need three in a row to make it happen.
While the gameplay sounds simple enough, it's working against an opponent's wits that makes Push challenging. Opposing players and AI opponents alike are going to catch on to what you're up to rather quickly, forcing you to corner their Pops using feint moves and smart positioning. Unless you have a knack for puzzlers, you're going to use far more than just two Pops to push one enemy Pop off the edge.
Ranked matches, or games of Push with players in real time that contribute to a global leader board, are another beast entirely. This is because, in respect of the opposing player, you only have about 30 seconds to make each move. While you're given two time-outs, meaning you take longer than the 30 seconds to make a move (shifting the turn to your opponent), your third means game over. However, Pops double as the game's currency, which when bought in excess from the Pop Shop using Facebook Credits can be used for special powers in ranked matches.
Push Ranked Match
There are three powers to choose from: Teleport, Double Move, and Revive. Teleport allows you to move a Pop in danger to any location on the board while Double Move allows you to make two moves in one turn. Revive does just as it sounds: brings one pushed Pop back onto the playing field. Each runs on a cooldown, meaning you can't use them every turn, and cost 60 Pops each. While the game supplies players with 15 free Pops daily, big spenders could easily dominate games using these powers, somewhat trivializing the ranked system.
However, if you're just looking to add a few friends to play around with in real time and flex that thinking muscle a bit, this is a fine place to do just that. Just make sure you have a lot of time to put aside for a match as equally matched players could potential duke it out for hours, which isn't exactly what Facebook games are all about. Regardless, it's Facebook games like Push--you know, the ones that require thinking--that do well to give the genre a good name.
Games.com's Top 10 Facebook Games of 2010
top ten facebook games 2010 games.com
This year has been both a turbulent time and a renaissance for social gaming. The first half of 2010 showed immense growth and opportunity for almost everyone involved in this brave new world of gaming. There were multiple stories of buyouts and new development studios cropping up at least once a month for quite a while with new games being released twice as often. And even in the midst of drastic changes to the way we discover games, developers kept cranking out hits with tens of millions of players flocking to the social game of the week. While most of these games competed for the same audience using slightly perfected design each time, there were a few that dared to be different and tread new ground. And with that, we've present our back at our Top 10 Facebook Games of 2010.
top ten facebook games it girl
10. It Girl
Crowdstar
For girly girls who want to get their shop on without opening their wallet, It Girl from Crowdstar is the way to do it. Customize your very own It Girl and then take her shopping, doll her up and then flirt to find a boyfriend. Use your style prowess to win showdowns against other It Girls. It's The Hills meets the Kardashians meets a Facebook game (if you're into that sort of thing). Even if you're not a fashionista, you'll be surprised at how easily this game sucks you in.
top ten facebook games mighty pirates
9. Mighty Pirates
Crowdstar
Hunt for treasure by digging, chopping, and slashing your way through tropical islands, searching for goods and fighting off the undead. Deck out your ship with crew members, weapons, and decorations. Then take your deadly war vessel out on the high seas and do battle with the meanest pirates the world has to offer. There are a number of pirate games on Facebook, but Mighty Pirates distinguishes itself from the rest with its epic mixture of action and adventure.
top ten facebook games robot unicorn attack
8. Robot Unicorn Attack
Adult Swim Games
"Always, I wanna be with you, and make believe with you, and live in harmony, harmony oh love!" If you know the song, you certainly know the game. This addictive, simple, two-button platformer starring a unicorn that zaps enemies with rainbow beams made a seamless transition from Adult Swim Games to Facebook. With weekly tournaments, leaderboards, and of course the new Heavy Metal Version, Robot Unicorn Attack will continue to capture our imaginations and our free time for many moons to come.
top ten facebook games flutter
7. Flutter
Runaway
Reminiscent of high-concept video games like Flower and flOw, Flutter brings a refreshing approach to social gaming with a heavier focus on exploration rather than maintaining a farm, city or other type of property. Flutter's smooth animation, soothing music and extremely detailed visuals are a sight to behold as you guide butterflies through a rainforest interacting with wildlife and completing quests. In what might be a first for social games, there's no pressure to be the best in Flutter, just be.
top ten facebook games city of wonder
6. City of Wonder
Playdom
Until the recent release of CityVille, City of Wonder was our favorite 'city' game out there -- mostly because it's the closest a Facebook has come to recreating one of our all-time favorite PC games, Civilization. You start out building a city and, while keeping your population growing (and happy), you learn new skills that will enable you to trade with and/or go to battle with other civilizations. Make allies to fortify your city and be prepared for enemies attack -- you'll need might and mettle if you want to give it back.
top ten facebook games pocket god
5. Pocket God
Frima/Bolt
The game that made a name for itself on the iPhone got ported to Facebook and managed to keep its main premise in tact -- you play a vengeful god to an island of pygmies -- while adding in some clever social elements (like being able to turn friends into pygmies and kill them) and a slew of brand new powers. Let the pygmy torture commence.
top ten facebook games ravenwood fair
4. Ravenwood Fair
LOLApps
Deep within the mysterious, dark forest of Ravenwood, a fun fair is under construction. Build rides, decorate your world and build games to attract friendly animal folks to your fair. But be wary, evil lies in the forest. Abandon your fair for too long and those creepy trees you originally beat back will slowly reclaim their home. Though Ravenwood Fair was struck by controversy and shares a lot in common with FrontierVille and other Facebook games; its charm, simple features and cute fantasy setting make the world of Ravenwood one worth returning to again and again.
top ten facebook games cityville
3. CityVille
Zynga
We all knew that Zynga's last release for 2010 was going to be huge regardless, but to dethrone FarmVille in monthly players in less than a month? That, for lack of a better word, is insane. Though, CityVille sure does deserve it for taking the stale city-building game and making it fresh through more social features than you can shake a friend request at. While the game's Reputation system and Franchises are nothing new (see FrontierVille and Millionaire City, respectively), Zynga gave them their signature polish to attract close to 78 million monthly players in December alone.
top ten facebook games zuma blitz
2. Zuma Blitz
PopCap
Let's face it -- PopCap's "Blitz" approach to Facebook gaming just works. Zuma Blitz is no exception, bringing back the gameplay that folks on the run crave for combined with the lasting satisfaction of traditional social games. Being pressured into scoring as many points in 60 seconds as possible demands quick skill and critical thinking that most social games don't even bother making a crack at. Top it all off with weekly tournaments, leader boards and impressively smooth gameplay for one of Zynga's most formidable opponents.
top ten facebook games frontierville
1. FrontierVille
Zynga
Zynga's Wild West game FrontierVille took us off the farm and plopped us down in the middle of a wilderness that we had to tame and turn into a thriving frontier town. Aside from the fact that we love Fr'ville's setting, the real reason this rootin' tootin' game sits at the top of our list is because it was one of the first Facebook games to integrate a series of quests, introduced us to characters and reminded us how fun it is to pick up stars, coins and other loot that drops after performing an otherwise mundane task. Oh yeah, and then there's the game's racy Facebook wall messages that give us a good laugh (and always manage to raise an eyebrow or two). FrontierVille set a new standard in social gaming, and we're already starting to see other games (CityVille, Ravenwood Fair) follow the same trail that this pioneering game blazed before them.
This year has been both a turbulent time and a renaissance for social gaming. The first half of 2010 showed immense growth and opportunity for almost everyone involved in this brave new world of gaming. There were multiple stories of buyouts and new development studios cropping up at least once a month for quite a while with new games being released twice as often. And even in the midst of drastic changes to the way we discover games, developers kept cranking out hits with tens of millions of players flocking to the social game of the week. While most of these games competed for the same audience using slightly perfected design each time, there were a few that dared to be different and tread new ground. And with that, we've present our back at our Top 10 Facebook Games of 2010.
top ten facebook games it girl
10. It Girl
Crowdstar
For girly girls who want to get their shop on without opening their wallet, It Girl from Crowdstar is the way to do it. Customize your very own It Girl and then take her shopping, doll her up and then flirt to find a boyfriend. Use your style prowess to win showdowns against other It Girls. It's The Hills meets the Kardashians meets a Facebook game (if you're into that sort of thing). Even if you're not a fashionista, you'll be surprised at how easily this game sucks you in.
top ten facebook games mighty pirates
9. Mighty Pirates
Crowdstar
Hunt for treasure by digging, chopping, and slashing your way through tropical islands, searching for goods and fighting off the undead. Deck out your ship with crew members, weapons, and decorations. Then take your deadly war vessel out on the high seas and do battle with the meanest pirates the world has to offer. There are a number of pirate games on Facebook, but Mighty Pirates distinguishes itself from the rest with its epic mixture of action and adventure.
top ten facebook games robot unicorn attack
8. Robot Unicorn Attack
Adult Swim Games
"Always, I wanna be with you, and make believe with you, and live in harmony, harmony oh love!" If you know the song, you certainly know the game. This addictive, simple, two-button platformer starring a unicorn that zaps enemies with rainbow beams made a seamless transition from Adult Swim Games to Facebook. With weekly tournaments, leaderboards, and of course the new Heavy Metal Version, Robot Unicorn Attack will continue to capture our imaginations and our free time for many moons to come.
top ten facebook games flutter
7. Flutter
Runaway
Reminiscent of high-concept video games like Flower and flOw, Flutter brings a refreshing approach to social gaming with a heavier focus on exploration rather than maintaining a farm, city or other type of property. Flutter's smooth animation, soothing music and extremely detailed visuals are a sight to behold as you guide butterflies through a rainforest interacting with wildlife and completing quests. In what might be a first for social games, there's no pressure to be the best in Flutter, just be.
top ten facebook games city of wonder
6. City of Wonder
Playdom
Until the recent release of CityVille, City of Wonder was our favorite 'city' game out there -- mostly because it's the closest a Facebook has come to recreating one of our all-time favorite PC games, Civilization. You start out building a city and, while keeping your population growing (and happy), you learn new skills that will enable you to trade with and/or go to battle with other civilizations. Make allies to fortify your city and be prepared for enemies attack -- you'll need might and mettle if you want to give it back.
top ten facebook games pocket god
5. Pocket God
Frima/Bolt
The game that made a name for itself on the iPhone got ported to Facebook and managed to keep its main premise in tact -- you play a vengeful god to an island of pygmies -- while adding in some clever social elements (like being able to turn friends into pygmies and kill them) and a slew of brand new powers. Let the pygmy torture commence.
top ten facebook games ravenwood fair
4. Ravenwood Fair
LOLApps
Deep within the mysterious, dark forest of Ravenwood, a fun fair is under construction. Build rides, decorate your world and build games to attract friendly animal folks to your fair. But be wary, evil lies in the forest. Abandon your fair for too long and those creepy trees you originally beat back will slowly reclaim their home. Though Ravenwood Fair was struck by controversy and shares a lot in common with FrontierVille and other Facebook games; its charm, simple features and cute fantasy setting make the world of Ravenwood one worth returning to again and again.
top ten facebook games cityville
3. CityVille
Zynga
We all knew that Zynga's last release for 2010 was going to be huge regardless, but to dethrone FarmVille in monthly players in less than a month? That, for lack of a better word, is insane. Though, CityVille sure does deserve it for taking the stale city-building game and making it fresh through more social features than you can shake a friend request at. While the game's Reputation system and Franchises are nothing new (see FrontierVille and Millionaire City, respectively), Zynga gave them their signature polish to attract close to 78 million monthly players in December alone.
top ten facebook games zuma blitz
2. Zuma Blitz
PopCap
Let's face it -- PopCap's "Blitz" approach to Facebook gaming just works. Zuma Blitz is no exception, bringing back the gameplay that folks on the run crave for combined with the lasting satisfaction of traditional social games. Being pressured into scoring as many points in 60 seconds as possible demands quick skill and critical thinking that most social games don't even bother making a crack at. Top it all off with weekly tournaments, leader boards and impressively smooth gameplay for one of Zynga's most formidable opponents.
top ten facebook games frontierville
1. FrontierVille
Zynga
Zynga's Wild West game FrontierVille took us off the farm and plopped us down in the middle of a wilderness that we had to tame and turn into a thriving frontier town. Aside from the fact that we love Fr'ville's setting, the real reason this rootin' tootin' game sits at the top of our list is because it was one of the first Facebook games to integrate a series of quests, introduced us to characters and reminded us how fun it is to pick up stars, coins and other loot that drops after performing an otherwise mundane task. Oh yeah, and then there's the game's racy Facebook wall messages that give us a good laugh (and always manage to raise an eyebrow or two). FrontierVille set a new standard in social gaming, and we're already starting to see other games (CityVille, Ravenwood Fair) follow the same trail that this pioneering game blazed before them.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Unreal-powered mobile games could go social with Facebook Connect
Soon, it won't just be our tiny, cutesy farms that get all the attention on Facebook. (It'll be our tiny, axe-wielding warriors.) Epic Games has released the next version of its Unreal Development Kit for iOS, and it includes new iOS Facebook Connect features along with various visual enhancements. In other words, beautiful 3D mobile games with looks of Infinity Blade could very well go social in the future.
More specifically, the new Unreal Engine for iOS will support Facebook wall posts, the ability to download friends lists and requests for additional Facebook permissions from a user. Yup, those sound like the classic trappings of a Facebook game, all right. This news marks just another move by Epic Games toward the mobile, social and casual games space.
Just recently, the developer/publisher/engine licensor brought a less visually intense version of the Unreal Engine 3 to Flash. In theory, this could result in Facebook games--most of which are created in Flash--taking on shiny new 3D graphics. Come to think of it, this news marks a shift for the industry in general. When a technology that has become nearly ubiquitous in the traditional games scene recognizes mobile, social and casual, so to will the creators. Are you ready for Facebook frag fests?
More specifically, the new Unreal Engine for iOS will support Facebook wall posts, the ability to download friends lists and requests for additional Facebook permissions from a user. Yup, those sound like the classic trappings of a Facebook game, all right. This news marks just another move by Epic Games toward the mobile, social and casual games space.
Just recently, the developer/publisher/engine licensor brought a less visually intense version of the Unreal Engine 3 to Flash. In theory, this could result in Facebook games--most of which are created in Flash--taking on shiny new 3D graphics. Come to think of it, this news marks a shift for the industry in general. When a technology that has become nearly ubiquitous in the traditional games scene recognizes mobile, social and casual, so to will the creators. Are you ready for Facebook frag fests?
Mystery Manor to puzzle iPad gamers, Resort World chills on Google+
Instead of excitedly prodding your laptop screen accidentally during that intense session of Mystery Manor, you'll soon be rewarded for that. (But you'll still have a smudgy screen.) Russian developer Game Insight has announced that Mystery Manor is coming to iPad later this month, Inside Social Games reports. Better yet, Resort World is available on Google+ Games, too.
While we'd expect the former to hit Google+ Games, considering the lack of hidden-object games on the platform, but Game Insight VP of Business Development Darya Trushkina told ISG that both Google+ and Android could be in the game's future. Resort World was chosen first for its Google+ Games expansion as a test of sorts. The developer will decide whether it will continue releasing games to Facebook's growing competitor within the next few weeks.
"From what I know, Google choose the games that will be the most complimentary to their platform," Trushkina told ISG. "We just pitched them with Resort World because there is no game like it there yet. It's actually perfect because we can test the social network and see how it actually performs."
Resort World marks the 21st game to launch on Google+ Games, which Trushkina hopes will grow in time. However, Trushkina's words are more revealing about Google's policy on how games arrive on its games platform. The company has been rather picky in which games its allows through Google+. Game Insight also revealed that a new game, Lords of Atlantis, may soon hit Facebook and other social networks.
While we'd expect the former to hit Google+ Games, considering the lack of hidden-object games on the platform, but Game Insight VP of Business Development Darya Trushkina told ISG that both Google+ and Android could be in the game's future. Resort World was chosen first for its Google+ Games expansion as a test of sorts. The developer will decide whether it will continue releasing games to Facebook's growing competitor within the next few weeks.
"From what I know, Google choose the games that will be the most complimentary to their platform," Trushkina told ISG. "We just pitched them with Resort World because there is no game like it there yet. It's actually perfect because we can test the social network and see how it actually performs."
Resort World marks the 21st game to launch on Google+ Games, which Trushkina hopes will grow in time. However, Trushkina's words are more revealing about Google's policy on how games arrive on its games platform. The company has been rather picky in which games its allows through Google+. Game Insight also revealed that a new game, Lords of Atlantis, may soon hit Facebook and other social networks.
PlayStation Home renovations make 'a true social game platform'
The idea of PlayStation Home was always an intriguing one: Rather than simply log into a service, go to a more literal destination to connect with your game friends. While Home has enjoyed 24 million users worldwide, Sony hasn't exactly capitalized on that healthy player base. Since its launch in 2008, the company has listened to feedback, and here we have the new Home, "a true social game platform," Sony says.
Now, wait a minute, we thought social games were reserved for social networks or at least connected to them. Well, consider this Sony ... redefining the term "social network." The new core of PlayStation Home is the aptly-named Hub, which serves as the main place for PS3 gamers to socialize in real time through their avatars.
This Hub also provides players with quests that span a number of new free-to-play games and community events through the Activity Board. The Hub, as its name implies, also connects players to the various districts of Home:
Action District: A gathering place for hardcore gamers, the Action District has a gritty, urban feel reminiscent of a first-person shooter level and provides a direct travel point to action and horror games.
Sportswalk: The Sportswalk has an exciting outside-the-stadium feel with instant major league sports scores, headlines and highlights and sports-themed games.
Adventure District: At the launch of the PlayStation Home redesign, the Adventure District will present the Uncharted 3: Fortune Hunter total game integration event, providing a third-person adventure experience including a partial recreation of the Yemen level from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception multiplayer mode and a cover-based shooting system complete with weapons and gameplay inspired by the hit series. Players can unlock content that can be used in the Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Blu-Ray Disc game as well as additional PlayStation Home rewards.
Pier Park: A waterfront boardwalk leads players to carnival, puzzle, outdoor and arcade games. Take a ride on the Pier Park Ferris wheel or visit the arcade for more games.
PlayStation Home Theater: The PlayStation Home Theater features an ultra-modern architectural design and hosts a wide range of videos programmed specifically for PlayStation gamers, including episodes of Pulse and Qore, trailers and interviews from the PlayStation Blog, and exclusive user-generated videos in the popular Community Theater.
PlayStation Home Mall: The PlayStation Home Mall is loaded with thousands of pieces of content from some of the most popular games and entertainment in the world. Shop for PlayStation Home games, extravagant personal spaces, costumes, clothing items and other avatar enhancements, and tons more in the redesigned Mall.
PlayStation Home Cogs
But what sounds most "social" to us are the several new free-to-play games strewn across the new Home. These new games are supported by microtransactions, much like the Facebook games you likely play daily. However, most of these games certainly cater more to the traditional gamer, and here's why:
Bootleggers '29: Set in the seedy underbelly of the Roaring Twenties, this PlayStation Home exclusive first-person shooter found in the Action District pits cops vs. criminals in a Prohibition-era game of Capture the Cask. Boasting real-time multiplayer action, a variety of vintage weapons and unlockable rewards, and the unique ability to play as your PlayStation Home avatar, Bootleggers '29 is a 100% free-to-play game that introduces a classic narrative to the modern shooter genre.
PlayStation Home Hold 'Em: A series of backroom poker tables hosted in the brand new Sportswalk district, PlayStation Home Hold 'Em squares players off in a no-holds-barred, winner-take-all battle of the bluffs. Only the best of the best will progress to the high stakes tables and collect all the prizes in this free version of the wildly-popular Texas Hold 'Em card game.
PlayStation Home Sports Trivia: Test your sports expertise against the PlayStation Home community and unlock a series of themed rewards in this massive sports trivia game, found in the Sportswalk. Packed with over 10,000 trivia questions, this game will challenge the memories of even the most die-hard sports fans.
RC Rally: Build and customize your own remote controlled car and race against friends over multiple courses, performing stunts and tricks and unlocking numerous upgrades along the way. This fast-paced PlayStation Home original game can be found in the new Pier Park.
Cogs: A 3D version of Lazy 8 Studios award-winning Steampunk puzzle game, Cogs can be found front-and-center in PlayStation Home's new Hub. Build a variety of machines from sliding tiles and unlock exclusive PlayStation Home rewards in this highly-addictive puzzler.
PlayStation Home RC Rally
The new focus for Sony's PlayStation Home is the games, according to PlayStation Home director Jack Buser. However, we're still hung up on this whole "social" thing. (And not only with Home, but with that PS Vita, too.) Whether Home will better connect players through its increased focus on games will be seen starting tomorrow. PlayStation Home launches on the PS3 on Nov. 3, but until then, tease yourself with this trailer.
Now, wait a minute, we thought social games were reserved for social networks or at least connected to them. Well, consider this Sony ... redefining the term "social network." The new core of PlayStation Home is the aptly-named Hub, which serves as the main place for PS3 gamers to socialize in real time through their avatars.
This Hub also provides players with quests that span a number of new free-to-play games and community events through the Activity Board. The Hub, as its name implies, also connects players to the various districts of Home:
Action District: A gathering place for hardcore gamers, the Action District has a gritty, urban feel reminiscent of a first-person shooter level and provides a direct travel point to action and horror games.
Sportswalk: The Sportswalk has an exciting outside-the-stadium feel with instant major league sports scores, headlines and highlights and sports-themed games.
Adventure District: At the launch of the PlayStation Home redesign, the Adventure District will present the Uncharted 3: Fortune Hunter total game integration event, providing a third-person adventure experience including a partial recreation of the Yemen level from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception multiplayer mode and a cover-based shooting system complete with weapons and gameplay inspired by the hit series. Players can unlock content that can be used in the Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Blu-Ray Disc game as well as additional PlayStation Home rewards.
Pier Park: A waterfront boardwalk leads players to carnival, puzzle, outdoor and arcade games. Take a ride on the Pier Park Ferris wheel or visit the arcade for more games.
PlayStation Home Theater: The PlayStation Home Theater features an ultra-modern architectural design and hosts a wide range of videos programmed specifically for PlayStation gamers, including episodes of Pulse and Qore, trailers and interviews from the PlayStation Blog, and exclusive user-generated videos in the popular Community Theater.
PlayStation Home Mall: The PlayStation Home Mall is loaded with thousands of pieces of content from some of the most popular games and entertainment in the world. Shop for PlayStation Home games, extravagant personal spaces, costumes, clothing items and other avatar enhancements, and tons more in the redesigned Mall.
PlayStation Home Cogs
But what sounds most "social" to us are the several new free-to-play games strewn across the new Home. These new games are supported by microtransactions, much like the Facebook games you likely play daily. However, most of these games certainly cater more to the traditional gamer, and here's why:
Bootleggers '29: Set in the seedy underbelly of the Roaring Twenties, this PlayStation Home exclusive first-person shooter found in the Action District pits cops vs. criminals in a Prohibition-era game of Capture the Cask. Boasting real-time multiplayer action, a variety of vintage weapons and unlockable rewards, and the unique ability to play as your PlayStation Home avatar, Bootleggers '29 is a 100% free-to-play game that introduces a classic narrative to the modern shooter genre.
PlayStation Home Hold 'Em: A series of backroom poker tables hosted in the brand new Sportswalk district, PlayStation Home Hold 'Em squares players off in a no-holds-barred, winner-take-all battle of the bluffs. Only the best of the best will progress to the high stakes tables and collect all the prizes in this free version of the wildly-popular Texas Hold 'Em card game.
PlayStation Home Sports Trivia: Test your sports expertise against the PlayStation Home community and unlock a series of themed rewards in this massive sports trivia game, found in the Sportswalk. Packed with over 10,000 trivia questions, this game will challenge the memories of even the most die-hard sports fans.
RC Rally: Build and customize your own remote controlled car and race against friends over multiple courses, performing stunts and tricks and unlocking numerous upgrades along the way. This fast-paced PlayStation Home original game can be found in the new Pier Park.
Cogs: A 3D version of Lazy 8 Studios award-winning Steampunk puzzle game, Cogs can be found front-and-center in PlayStation Home's new Hub. Build a variety of machines from sliding tiles and unlock exclusive PlayStation Home rewards in this highly-addictive puzzler.
PlayStation Home RC Rally
The new focus for Sony's PlayStation Home is the games, according to PlayStation Home director Jack Buser. However, we're still hung up on this whole "social" thing. (And not only with Home, but with that PS Vita, too.) Whether Home will better connect players through its increased focus on games will be seen starting tomorrow. PlayStation Home launches on the PS3 on Nov. 3, but until then, tease yourself with this trailer.
Gree vies for global takeover with mobile social game platform in 2012
Yeah, and so is everyone else. Gree announced its plans for a global mobile social game platform that is said to launch in mid-2012. The Japanese mobile social games giant plans to use OpenFeint to bridge the gap between Asian and Western gaming audiences in hopes of reaching 1 billion players. However, the company didn't say much of anything beyond that.
"This new platform allows our partners to focus on increasing engagement and revenue, while continuing to offer the most comprehensive free-to-play gaming experience," Gree International CEO Naoki Aoyagi said in a release. "The new platform will leverage OpenFeint and GREE assets and will bring together Western and Asian mobile social markets with a goal of reaching over one billion users."
Gree plans to release more details on the service this December, but said that its network in Japan grows at a rate of 3.8 new players per second. The company's main competitor is DeNA, the Japanese owner of ngmoco and the Mobage mobile social games network. Mobage is already available in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries on Android. However, both Zynga and EA--the largest social game makers in the nation--both already have a host of mobile games.
Let's not forget that the former has plans for a (somewhat) independent social games network, Project Z. We're almost certain that's going to extend to mobile devices, which would provide Gree and OpenFeint just one more competitor to worry about. We're not sure just what the duo is cooking up, but to come out on top of this healthy competition, it better be huge.
"This new platform allows our partners to focus on increasing engagement and revenue, while continuing to offer the most comprehensive free-to-play gaming experience," Gree International CEO Naoki Aoyagi said in a release. "The new platform will leverage OpenFeint and GREE assets and will bring together Western and Asian mobile social markets with a goal of reaching over one billion users."
Gree plans to release more details on the service this December, but said that its network in Japan grows at a rate of 3.8 new players per second. The company's main competitor is DeNA, the Japanese owner of ngmoco and the Mobage mobile social games network. Mobage is already available in the U.S. and other English-speaking countries on Android. However, both Zynga and EA--the largest social game makers in the nation--both already have a host of mobile games.
Let's not forget that the former has plans for a (somewhat) independent social games network, Project Z. We're almost certain that's going to extend to mobile devices, which would provide Gree and OpenFeint just one more competitor to worry about. We're not sure just what the duo is cooking up, but to come out on top of this healthy competition, it better be huge.
Ultima's Garriott: Zynga only exists because EA, Blizzard didn't step in
On the streets, we call that "finders keepers." Richard Garriott, creator of classic PC RPG (role-playing game) series Ultima and co-founder of social game maker Portalarium, said that Zynga merely beat the big time game creators to the punch. Speaking to IndustryGamers, Garriott said, "The only reason Zynga exists is because people like EA, people like Blizzard, failed to step in."
Well, we're sure the 200 million player-strong company sees this as a compliment to its industrial skills. Garriott believes that the creator of World of Warcraft--the most successful massively multiplayer game, um, ever--faces a greater threat from "the Zyngas of the world." And while Portalarium has since created casual casino games, Garriott says that its next game, Lord British's New Britannia (working title) will go straight for that audience.
"I think you'll see that the quality level that comes up through the casual games will rival the quality of traditional massively multiplayer games and then, because it's not something you have to subscribe to, because it's something that virally spreads, and especially because, as people churn out of a big MMO they've got to go somewhere," Garriott told IndustryGamers.
While that may turn out to be true, we've seen RPGs that target the core gamer flop again and again on Facebook. (Unless you're Kabam or Kixeye.) Garriott told IndustryGamers that he sees Blizzard as direct competition, which we imagine means he sees Zynga and EA in the same light. That said, it'll be interesting to see how Portalarium's first major game attracts an audience at such a scale.
Well, we're sure the 200 million player-strong company sees this as a compliment to its industrial skills. Garriott believes that the creator of World of Warcraft--the most successful massively multiplayer game, um, ever--faces a greater threat from "the Zyngas of the world." And while Portalarium has since created casual casino games, Garriott says that its next game, Lord British's New Britannia (working title) will go straight for that audience.
"I think you'll see that the quality level that comes up through the casual games will rival the quality of traditional massively multiplayer games and then, because it's not something you have to subscribe to, because it's something that virally spreads, and especially because, as people churn out of a big MMO they've got to go somewhere," Garriott told IndustryGamers.
While that may turn out to be true, we've seen RPGs that target the core gamer flop again and again on Facebook. (Unless you're Kabam or Kixeye.) Garriott told IndustryGamers that he sees Blizzard as direct competition, which we imagine means he sees Zynga and EA in the same light. That said, it'll be interesting to see how Portalarium's first major game attracts an audience at such a scale.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Earn 2 FarmVille Farm Cash free from Gnomeo & Juliet promo
Here's an interesting way to get some free Farm Cash. Just open FarmVille and scroll below the game screen and click on the link that reads "Earn 2 Farm Cash. Play the Gnomeo and Juliet 'Find the Gnomes' game and get Farm Cash!" After that, a pop-up window will appear and take you into a simple poll accompanied by the film trailer, but it doesn't end there. Then, you'll need to find the seven gnomes featured in the movie on a FarmVille farm within just 20 seconds to earn your keep.
Don't worry, it's simple. Though, it did take me 14 seconds--I wonder what that's saying. And fret not, you do not have to reserve tickets for the movie to score your Farm Cash. You'll notice above that after finding the gnomes the page reads, "You've earned your Farm Cash." Just refresh the game every once in a while and your account should be awarded the free dough in a few minutes. And remember, this is the only safe way to earn free Farm Cash from a third party.
Don't worry, it's simple. Though, it did take me 14 seconds--I wonder what that's saying. And fret not, you do not have to reserve tickets for the movie to score your Farm Cash. You'll notice above that after finding the gnomes the page reads, "You've earned your Farm Cash." Just refresh the game every once in a while and your account should be awarded the free dough in a few minutes. And remember, this is the only safe way to earn free Farm Cash from a third party.
FrontierVille Chapel: Everything you need to know
Just when we started to think that we'd hit another drought in missions after completing the Groundhog Day missions in FrontierVille, Zynga has decided to officially kickstart the game's Valentine's Day event by launching a new, fairly romantic building in the game in the form of a Chapel.
The Chapel is a new constructable building that can be purchased from the store for around 500 coins (depending on whether or not you have the store discount activated in your game). You'll also need 100 woord to place its base on your Frontier. From there, you'll need to whack the base nine times, with each whack costing 5 wood (that's a total of 45 wood spent, on top of the base 100 purchase price).
The base completed, you'll need to collect a whopping 60 items, all of which are new to the game, in order to complete the construction on the Chapel. These items can be requested from friends in two different ways - meet us behind the break to see what those are.
You'll need to collect six different items in quantities of ten each. Three of these items - the Limestone, Stained Glass windows and Pews - can be collected by clicking on the "Ask Friends" button and then sending individual gift requests to your FrontierVille neighbors, while the other three items - Hope posters, Dreams and Wishes - can be requested by posting a general news item to your wall that you friends can click on in limited quantities.
Unfortunately, this isn't a case where you'll be able to ask for the latter three items all at once, so your best bet to a quick completion would be to look out for your friends' wall posts, when they ask for items that you currently haven't in order to fill in the gap of progress. As it stands, you should be able to post your first two requests within an hour of one another, so this gives you something to look out for in the meantime.
Once you complete the Chapel, you'll be able to craft new items inside (like a Choir Outfit and Pamphlet), with these items being used in the equally new set of FrontierVille Chapel Goals that were also released this afternoon. For a complete overview on how to complete those goals, including the prizes you'll receive for doing so, check out our guide.
The Chapel is a new constructable building that can be purchased from the store for around 500 coins (depending on whether or not you have the store discount activated in your game). You'll also need 100 woord to place its base on your Frontier. From there, you'll need to whack the base nine times, with each whack costing 5 wood (that's a total of 45 wood spent, on top of the base 100 purchase price).
The base completed, you'll need to collect a whopping 60 items, all of which are new to the game, in order to complete the construction on the Chapel. These items can be requested from friends in two different ways - meet us behind the break to see what those are.
You'll need to collect six different items in quantities of ten each. Three of these items - the Limestone, Stained Glass windows and Pews - can be collected by clicking on the "Ask Friends" button and then sending individual gift requests to your FrontierVille neighbors, while the other three items - Hope posters, Dreams and Wishes - can be requested by posting a general news item to your wall that you friends can click on in limited quantities.
Unfortunately, this isn't a case where you'll be able to ask for the latter three items all at once, so your best bet to a quick completion would be to look out for your friends' wall posts, when they ask for items that you currently haven't in order to fill in the gap of progress. As it stands, you should be able to post your first two requests within an hour of one another, so this gives you something to look out for in the meantime.
Once you complete the Chapel, you'll be able to craft new items inside (like a Choir Outfit and Pamphlet), with these items being used in the equally new set of FrontierVille Chapel Goals that were also released this afternoon. For a complete overview on how to complete those goals, including the prizes you'll receive for doing so, check out our guide.
FrontierVille Chapel of Love Goals: Everything you need to know
Along with the release of the new Chapel building project in FrontierVille comes a four-part goal series, appropriately titled "Goin' to the Chapel of Love." Apparently, the love that Miss Fanny Wildcat and Bess have started to feel for our man at the General Store, Hank, has culminated in a need for a church on our Homesteads, but who exactly will be getting hitched inside? Let's take a look at this four-part mission series to see if we can find some clues.
The first step of this goal series will show up for users automatically when logging into the game. As you'd expect, your first action should be to set the construction of your Chapel into full swing, and that is appropriately one of the tasks required for part one of four of this set.
Place Chapel on Homestead
Harvest 25 Squash
Have 25 Cloth
Earlier today, we gave you a complete rundown on the requirements you'll need to fulfill to build the Chapel - a complete set of 60 items - so check out our guide to its construction to learn more. As for the Squash, this is a six hour crop, but remember, you don't have to actually wait to harvest your ready crops to pass this task - simply have some of your FrontierVille neighbors visit your Homestead and water your Squash. This will count in the same way as if you had harvested the Squash after the full 6 hours.
Your rewards for completing part one are 100 XP and 100 coins. You'll be able to share a bonus of 25 XP with friends.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the rest of these missions.
Part II will require you to first complete the entire construction of your Chapel, even though that isn't technically a stipulation of the goal's completion. You'll also need to break out the hoe and watering cans once more (figuratively of course) and plant some more crops.
Customize the Chapel
Harvest 25 Cotton
Get 10 Paving Stones
Paving Stones can be received by asking your friends to send them to you, while the Cotton can be grown in the same way as any other crop, and completed just as quickly despite the fact that they technically take three days to grow. This is, more than ever, a real example of when using your friends to water your crops becomes a truly valuable gameplay strategy. Otherwise, you'll be stuck waiting for Cotton to grow for three days, or paying Horseshoes to more quickly complete the task, and who wants that?
Finish Part II and you'll be rewarded with 50 coins and 200 Food. You'll be able to share a Pamphlet item with your friends as a bonus (this item is one of the new constructable items inside the Chapel).
Part III puts that free Pamphlet from the last mission to good use, as you'll need to craft 10 Pamphlets inside the Chapel in order to complete the mission.
Craft 10 Pamphlets
Craft 10 Batter
Sell 10 Adult Pigs
Hopefully you still have some pigs around after completing the New Years Resolution goals (one of which required you to sell off 50 of them), as you'll need to have at least 10 Adult Pigs on hand to finish this step. Hopefully, if you read our guide before going into the Chapel goals, you'll be able to kickstart some Baby Pigs into a growth spurt before you even have this goal active on your Homestead. Meanwhile, the Batter can be crafted inside the Inn, with each Batter costing 20 Food and 900 coins.
These tasks completed, you'll receive a reward of 300 XP, and you'll be able to share 50 coins with your friends on you wall. You'll also be able to move onto the final goal in this mission series, which will turn your attention from the Chapel's grand opening to the supporting of the local choir.
Have 2 Bouquets
Craft 5 Choir Outfits
Have 10 Triangles
The Choir Outfits can be crafted inside the Church, while you'll be able to click on the "Ask" button to ask your friends for the ten Triangles. Most everyone should already have Bouquets on-hand, but if you don't, you can receive a single Bouquet from turning in the Wildflower Collection. Simply do this twice, and voila - the step is finished.
Finishing this final mission will give you 400 XP and 10 Cloth as a reward, and you'll be able to share a Chapel Hymnal with your friends. This is an item in the new Chapel Collection, and while it hasn't been made clear as to whether or not it will be needed in the future, it might be nice to have on hand all the same.
And there you have it - a fairly simple (all things considered) set of goals that most of you should be able to finish well before Valentine's Day proper rolls around. It still doesn't answer our question though - just who will be getting married? We can only assume that building this Chapel has been for some overarching purpose, and we can only hope that our assumption was correct. We'll make sure to let you know what ultimately ends up happening in our new Chapels as soon as we know more, so keep checking back.
The first step of this goal series will show up for users automatically when logging into the game. As you'd expect, your first action should be to set the construction of your Chapel into full swing, and that is appropriately one of the tasks required for part one of four of this set.
Place Chapel on Homestead
Harvest 25 Squash
Have 25 Cloth
Earlier today, we gave you a complete rundown on the requirements you'll need to fulfill to build the Chapel - a complete set of 60 items - so check out our guide to its construction to learn more. As for the Squash, this is a six hour crop, but remember, you don't have to actually wait to harvest your ready crops to pass this task - simply have some of your FrontierVille neighbors visit your Homestead and water your Squash. This will count in the same way as if you had harvested the Squash after the full 6 hours.
Your rewards for completing part one are 100 XP and 100 coins. You'll be able to share a bonus of 25 XP with friends.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the rest of these missions.
Part II will require you to first complete the entire construction of your Chapel, even though that isn't technically a stipulation of the goal's completion. You'll also need to break out the hoe and watering cans once more (figuratively of course) and plant some more crops.
Customize the Chapel
Harvest 25 Cotton
Get 10 Paving Stones
Paving Stones can be received by asking your friends to send them to you, while the Cotton can be grown in the same way as any other crop, and completed just as quickly despite the fact that they technically take three days to grow. This is, more than ever, a real example of when using your friends to water your crops becomes a truly valuable gameplay strategy. Otherwise, you'll be stuck waiting for Cotton to grow for three days, or paying Horseshoes to more quickly complete the task, and who wants that?
Finish Part II and you'll be rewarded with 50 coins and 200 Food. You'll be able to share a Pamphlet item with your friends as a bonus (this item is one of the new constructable items inside the Chapel).
Part III puts that free Pamphlet from the last mission to good use, as you'll need to craft 10 Pamphlets inside the Chapel in order to complete the mission.
Craft 10 Pamphlets
Craft 10 Batter
Sell 10 Adult Pigs
Hopefully you still have some pigs around after completing the New Years Resolution goals (one of which required you to sell off 50 of them), as you'll need to have at least 10 Adult Pigs on hand to finish this step. Hopefully, if you read our guide before going into the Chapel goals, you'll be able to kickstart some Baby Pigs into a growth spurt before you even have this goal active on your Homestead. Meanwhile, the Batter can be crafted inside the Inn, with each Batter costing 20 Food and 900 coins.
These tasks completed, you'll receive a reward of 300 XP, and you'll be able to share 50 coins with your friends on you wall. You'll also be able to move onto the final goal in this mission series, which will turn your attention from the Chapel's grand opening to the supporting of the local choir.
Have 2 Bouquets
Craft 5 Choir Outfits
Have 10 Triangles
The Choir Outfits can be crafted inside the Church, while you'll be able to click on the "Ask" button to ask your friends for the ten Triangles. Most everyone should already have Bouquets on-hand, but if you don't, you can receive a single Bouquet from turning in the Wildflower Collection. Simply do this twice, and voila - the step is finished.
Finishing this final mission will give you 400 XP and 10 Cloth as a reward, and you'll be able to share a Chapel Hymnal with your friends. This is an item in the new Chapel Collection, and while it hasn't been made clear as to whether or not it will be needed in the future, it might be nice to have on hand all the same.
And there you have it - a fairly simple (all things considered) set of goals that most of you should be able to finish well before Valentine's Day proper rolls around. It still doesn't answer our question though - just who will be getting married? We can only assume that building this Chapel has been for some overarching purpose, and we can only hope that our assumption was correct. We'll make sure to let you know what ultimately ends up happening in our new Chapels as soon as we know more, so keep checking back.
FrontierVille Chapel Collection now available
As has become a tradition in FrontierVille, whenever a new building is released, Zynga has now taken to releasing an accompanying collection to coincide with it. This holds true for today's release of the Chapel in game, as you can now complete a Chapel Collection by finding a set of five themed items while completing appropriate tasks on your Homestead.
In this case, the "appropriate tasks" are simply constructing the Chapel in the first place (whacking its frame) and then proceeding to collect the Daily Bonus from the Chapel once it has been built. You'll need to find five items in total to complete this collection - here's a rundown of what to look out for:
Chapel Pulpit
Chapel Bingo Chips
Chapel Hymnal
Chapel Candles
Chapel Incense
It should be noted that if you are having trouble randomly receiving a Chapel Hymnal, you'll be able to receive one for free by keeping an eye out for your friends' wall posts, when your friends finish the final mission of the new Chapel Goal series, as that is the prize they are allowed to share with their friends (ie: you).
The prizes for completing this collection are a Chapel Bell decoration and 25 XP. As usual, you aren't required to turn in the collection once you complete it, so feel free to hold onto these items in case they are used in a quest released sometime in the future.
In this case, the "appropriate tasks" are simply constructing the Chapel in the first place (whacking its frame) and then proceeding to collect the Daily Bonus from the Chapel once it has been built. You'll need to find five items in total to complete this collection - here's a rundown of what to look out for:
Chapel Pulpit
Chapel Bingo Chips
Chapel Hymnal
Chapel Candles
Chapel Incense
It should be noted that if you are having trouble randomly receiving a Chapel Hymnal, you'll be able to receive one for free by keeping an eye out for your friends' wall posts, when your friends finish the final mission of the new Chapel Goal series, as that is the prize they are allowed to share with their friends (ie: you).
The prizes for completing this collection are a Chapel Bell decoration and 25 XP. As usual, you aren't required to turn in the collection once you complete it, so feel free to hold onto these items in case they are used in a quest released sometime in the future.
FrontierVille Red, Pink, White Rose Crops now available
It's been quite a while since we've seen any new items being released in FrontierVille's market, and even longer since we've seen new crops added to the game. This all has changed this afternoon, however, as we've been given not one, not two, but a whopping three new crops to grow in the game. All three of these crops coincide with the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday, as you'll now be able to grow three varieties of romantic, and lovely, roses on your Homestead.
The roses are the Red Rose, Pink Rose, and White Rose. The possibilities for creating shapes and designs with these flowers are basically endless, but if you're just looking to make a profit, you'll be able to plant all three roses for 400 coins, 300 coins, or 200 coins per plot, respectively for red, pink, or white (Note: You will receive a discount off of these prices if you have the store discount active on your account).
You'll receive 800 coins when harvesting Red Roses, 500 when harvesting Pink Roses, and and 335 for harvesting White Roses. Of course, these profits relate to how long the crops take to grow, as the Red Roses will only be ready to harvest after 1 Day and 12 Hours, while the Pink and White roses grow to maturity in 14 hours and 10 hours, respectively.
Luckily, even though these seem to have been released with a holiday in mind, none of these crops are listed as limited edition. Hopefully this means they'll be around to plant and harvest even into the spring and summer, which would make for quite the lovely picture, with three colors of roses growing against a once again lush grassy background. If Zynga does decide to expire these crops, however, we'll be sure to let you know.
The roses are the Red Rose, Pink Rose, and White Rose. The possibilities for creating shapes and designs with these flowers are basically endless, but if you're just looking to make a profit, you'll be able to plant all three roses for 400 coins, 300 coins, or 200 coins per plot, respectively for red, pink, or white (Note: You will receive a discount off of these prices if you have the store discount active on your account).
You'll receive 800 coins when harvesting Red Roses, 500 when harvesting Pink Roses, and and 335 for harvesting White Roses. Of course, these profits relate to how long the crops take to grow, as the Red Roses will only be ready to harvest after 1 Day and 12 Hours, while the Pink and White roses grow to maturity in 14 hours and 10 hours, respectively.
Luckily, even though these seem to have been released with a holiday in mind, none of these crops are listed as limited edition. Hopefully this means they'll be around to plant and harvest even into the spring and summer, which would make for quite the lovely picture, with three colors of roses growing against a once again lush grassy background. If Zynga does decide to expire these crops, however, we'll be sure to let you know.
Friday, January 6, 2012
FarmVille Fairy Tale Decorations: Castle Ruin, Black Swan Lake, Enchanted Tree & More
As part of tonight's FarmVille update, we see the release of five new decorative items in the limited edition Fairy Tale theme. In this update, we have one new building and four new decorations, one of which in particular you might recognize from the second Fairy Tale Showcase video.
As for the new building, it's the Castle Ruin, and it's surprisingly available for coins (albeit, a lot of coins) - 350,000 coins, to be exact. This new building is literally in ruins, as it is nothing but crumbling stone towers and walls, which have been overgrown with moss, a large tree, some flowers and bushes. It's actually a lovely item, such as it is, made even more so by the lack of a Farm Cash price tag.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the other new decorative items released this evening.
For the new decorations, the four new items are split evenly between those that are available for Farm Cash, and those that can be purchased with coins (this seems to be a new running theme with Zynga - that being the availability of an equal amount of coin decorations - and we hope it continues).
The two Farm Cash decorations are the Black Swan Lake, and the Enchanted Tree. The Black Swan Lake is the more expensive of the two items, costing 20 Farm Cash, and it's also the larger item, taking up quite a bit of space, as a small Gazebo accompanies the lake itself. The Enchanted Tree, meanwhile, costs just 5 Farm Cash, which is a downright bargain, all things considered. The tree is one that has a face, and is accompanied by a lovely sparkle and twinkle in its leaves.
Meanwhile, the two coin decorations are the Magic Fairy Ring and the Magic Mirror. The Magic Fairy Ring is a small circle of mushrooms with what appears to be green fireflies flying around the top. A large beam of light shines into the ring, adding to its size. You can add one to your farm for 100,000 coins. The Magic Mirror is an equally impressive item (at least visually), as it floats off of the ground, and can be yours for the bargain price of 30,000 coins. The Mirror's glass swirls as though trying to open a visual portal, which is a pretty cool touch in my humble opinion.
All five of these items will be available in the game for the next two weeks, giving you plenty of time yet to decide that you'd like to start decorating with this entire theme if you have yet to up until now. Do it fast though, as some items will be expiring from the store rather quickly, and you won't want to miss out.
What do you think of these new items? Do you like the coin or Farm Cash items better
As for the new building, it's the Castle Ruin, and it's surprisingly available for coins (albeit, a lot of coins) - 350,000 coins, to be exact. This new building is literally in ruins, as it is nothing but crumbling stone towers and walls, which have been overgrown with moss, a large tree, some flowers and bushes. It's actually a lovely item, such as it is, made even more so by the lack of a Farm Cash price tag.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the other new decorative items released this evening.
For the new decorations, the four new items are split evenly between those that are available for Farm Cash, and those that can be purchased with coins (this seems to be a new running theme with Zynga - that being the availability of an equal amount of coin decorations - and we hope it continues).
The two Farm Cash decorations are the Black Swan Lake, and the Enchanted Tree. The Black Swan Lake is the more expensive of the two items, costing 20 Farm Cash, and it's also the larger item, taking up quite a bit of space, as a small Gazebo accompanies the lake itself. The Enchanted Tree, meanwhile, costs just 5 Farm Cash, which is a downright bargain, all things considered. The tree is one that has a face, and is accompanied by a lovely sparkle and twinkle in its leaves.
Meanwhile, the two coin decorations are the Magic Fairy Ring and the Magic Mirror. The Magic Fairy Ring is a small circle of mushrooms with what appears to be green fireflies flying around the top. A large beam of light shines into the ring, adding to its size. You can add one to your farm for 100,000 coins. The Magic Mirror is an equally impressive item (at least visually), as it floats off of the ground, and can be yours for the bargain price of 30,000 coins. The Mirror's glass swirls as though trying to open a visual portal, which is a pretty cool touch in my humble opinion.
All five of these items will be available in the game for the next two weeks, giving you plenty of time yet to decide that you'd like to start decorating with this entire theme if you have yet to up until now. Do it fast though, as some items will be expiring from the store rather quickly, and you won't want to miss out.
What do you think of these new items? Do you like the coin or Farm Cash items better
FarmVille Pot of Gold: Everything you need to know
We've been saying it for a few weeks now, and the time has finally arrived - the Pot of Gold is now officially starting to roll out to players in FarmVille. If you were playing FarmVille at this time last year, this event will likely look pretty familiar to you, and it is slowly rolling out to players, so if you don't have a notice about receiving the Pot of Gold on your own land, please be patient.
Note: You can try to force the Pot of Gold to spawn on your land by trying to use a piece of Gold that you have in your inventory. Simply hit Use, wait for the store to pop up, click on "Preview" on the Pot of Gold item in the store, and then you may be able to purchase the Pot of Gold for 1 coin. This is currently locked for most users, but you are more than welcome to try.
For those that have received the pop-up like the one above, the Pot of Gold is then officially available on your account, and you'll be able to click on "Place Now" to automatically be placed into Placement Mode, where you can place your free Pot of Gold on your land. Once that's done, you'll be able to clear your inventory of all of the excess Gold pieces that you've claimed from your Leprechaun Cottage, and go about earning more Gold for six prizes that are available inside.
Meet us behind the break for all of the details about this exciting new collection event. This year's prizes include many items that we've brought you in FarmVille Sneak Peeks over the past few weeks, and these prizes look to greatly make up for any disappointment you might have had with other events over the past few months.
The six prizes are:
Kelly Green Hay (re-release from last year) - 1 Gold
Clover Gnome - 10 Gold
Clover Sheep - 20 Gold
Clover Chicken - 50 Gold
Lucky Fountain - 100 Gold
Green Lighthouse - 200 Gold
At this time, it is unknown whether a second page of prizes will be made available in the future, but at least these items give you something exciting to work towards for the time being.
As usual, there are a number of different ways you can go about accumulating Gold. Here's a quick rundown of some of them:
Enter the Pot of Gold by clicking on it and then clicking "Look Inside." Then click on the Ask for More button to send individual requests to neighbors for pieces of Gold.
Have your friends head to their free gifts page and send you one of the five Gold items available there (all count as one, so it's more about which one they think is prettiest)
Purchase Gold outright from the store. Packs of five Gold Pieces cost 5 Farm Cash
Look out for bonus Gold pieces being shared by your friends as they add Gold to their own Pot of Gold, or as they "Re-Gift" them from their Gift Box, as rare of a case as that might be
Harvest from your Leprechaun Cottage once per day
Harvest your friends' Leprechaun Cottages once per day
If more options for accumulating Gold are released in the future, we'll make sure to let you know what they are. We'll also let you know if more prizes are added to the Pot of Gold in the coming days and weeks, so keep checking back.
Check out our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
What do you think of these new prizes for this year's Pot of Gold? Are they better than the prizes that were available last year, or does Zynga still have some room for improvement?
Note: You can try to force the Pot of Gold to spawn on your land by trying to use a piece of Gold that you have in your inventory. Simply hit Use, wait for the store to pop up, click on "Preview" on the Pot of Gold item in the store, and then you may be able to purchase the Pot of Gold for 1 coin. This is currently locked for most users, but you are more than welcome to try.
For those that have received the pop-up like the one above, the Pot of Gold is then officially available on your account, and you'll be able to click on "Place Now" to automatically be placed into Placement Mode, where you can place your free Pot of Gold on your land. Once that's done, you'll be able to clear your inventory of all of the excess Gold pieces that you've claimed from your Leprechaun Cottage, and go about earning more Gold for six prizes that are available inside.
Meet us behind the break for all of the details about this exciting new collection event. This year's prizes include many items that we've brought you in FarmVille Sneak Peeks over the past few weeks, and these prizes look to greatly make up for any disappointment you might have had with other events over the past few months.
The six prizes are:
Kelly Green Hay (re-release from last year) - 1 Gold
Clover Gnome - 10 Gold
Clover Sheep - 20 Gold
Clover Chicken - 50 Gold
Lucky Fountain - 100 Gold
Green Lighthouse - 200 Gold
At this time, it is unknown whether a second page of prizes will be made available in the future, but at least these items give you something exciting to work towards for the time being.
As usual, there are a number of different ways you can go about accumulating Gold. Here's a quick rundown of some of them:
Enter the Pot of Gold by clicking on it and then clicking "Look Inside." Then click on the Ask for More button to send individual requests to neighbors for pieces of Gold.
Have your friends head to their free gifts page and send you one of the five Gold items available there (all count as one, so it's more about which one they think is prettiest)
Purchase Gold outright from the store. Packs of five Gold Pieces cost 5 Farm Cash
Look out for bonus Gold pieces being shared by your friends as they add Gold to their own Pot of Gold, or as they "Re-Gift" them from their Gift Box, as rare of a case as that might be
Harvest from your Leprechaun Cottage once per day
Harvest your friends' Leprechaun Cottages once per day
If more options for accumulating Gold are released in the future, we'll make sure to let you know what they are. We'll also let you know if more prizes are added to the Pot of Gold in the coming days and weeks, so keep checking back.
Check out our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
What do you think of these new prizes for this year's Pot of Gold? Are they better than the prizes that were available last year, or does Zynga still have some room for improvement?
FarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: Duke's Airship
The English Countryside is looking better every time we scrounge up more details. FarmVille Freak has found an item called "Duke Airship" in its searches. According to them, Duke will crash land in FarmVille on this torn-up airship. Then, it will be up to us to repair the ship so that he can whisk us away to the English Countryside.
According to FarmVille Freak, the quest text will read, "The Duke's airship had a rough landing! Who put that blasted barn there, anyway? Help him with repairs so you can lift off for the English Countryside!" How does Zynga see the British, anyway? I mean, I'm fairly certain they mastered commercial flight right along with the US. Anyway, this expansion is looking to be a blast, so make sure you reach Level 20 in time.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
What do you think of this development regarding the next expansion? Are you excited to know that this version will have a story?
According to FarmVille Freak, the quest text will read, "The Duke's airship had a rough landing! Who put that blasted barn there, anyway? Help him with repairs so you can lift off for the English Countryside!" How does Zynga see the British, anyway? I mean, I'm fairly certain they mastered commercial flight right along with the US. Anyway, this expansion is looking to be a blast, so make sure you reach Level 20 in time.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
What do you think of this development regarding the next expansion? Are you excited to know that this version will have a story?
FrontierVille scams happen too, you know
FrontierVille scams
With all of the buzz surrounding scams in FarmVille, don't think that other Zynga games are any safer. FrontierVIlle Info reminds us that scammers are on the homestead too in FrontierVille. However, they appear far less clever than their farming friends. The first giveaway is the lack of any FrontierVille art or logos. The second is the style of the messages--they look far from professional. Third, and most importantly, they're not from Zynga. Be on the lookout for messages like those above, and be proactive. Who knows when the scammers will wise up and create more believable tricks. Warn your friends.
[Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you fallen victim to a scam in FrontierVille? What other scam posts have you seen in Zynga games?
With all of the buzz surrounding scams in FarmVille, don't think that other Zynga games are any safer. FrontierVIlle Info reminds us that scammers are on the homestead too in FrontierVille. However, they appear far less clever than their farming friends. The first giveaway is the lack of any FrontierVille art or logos. The second is the style of the messages--they look far from professional. Third, and most importantly, they're not from Zynga. Be on the lookout for messages like those above, and be proactive. Who knows when the scammers will wise up and create more believable tricks. Warn your friends.
[Image Credit: FrontierVille Info]
Have you fallen victim to a scam in FrontierVille? What other scam posts have you seen in Zynga games?
Social games are over 5 thousand years old, infographic says
No, social games didn't begin with FarmVille and Maifa Wars. At least according to author Jon Radoff, who takes a more abstract look at social games in this infographic. Radoff believes that social games are, literally speaking, games played with one another. That said, social games have been around since before the ancient civilizations of Persia and Egypt. It all started with dice games, and everything went downhill after that.
According to Radoff, social games are any activity involving game mechanics and social interaction. And, when you think about, he's right (when approached literally). The only differences between the social games of today and those of yesteryear are the media through which we play them and the level of interaction.
Some of the more interesting milestones in the evolution of social games include Senet, an ancient Egyptian board game, Chess (which originated in 16th century India) and the ultimate social game: Dungeons and Dragons in 1974. Considering human beings have been "social gamers" for thousands of years, I can't wait to see what we think up next.
Brief History of social games
Click here to see full size.
[Image Credit: Jon Radoff]
Do you agree that social games have been around for this long? What was the first social game you ever played, according to this chart?
According to Radoff, social games are any activity involving game mechanics and social interaction. And, when you think about, he's right (when approached literally). The only differences between the social games of today and those of yesteryear are the media through which we play them and the level of interaction.
Some of the more interesting milestones in the evolution of social games include Senet, an ancient Egyptian board game, Chess (which originated in 16th century India) and the ultimate social game: Dungeons and Dragons in 1974. Considering human beings have been "social gamers" for thousands of years, I can't wait to see what we think up next.
Brief History of social games
Click here to see full size.
[Image Credit: Jon Radoff]
Do you agree that social games have been around for this long? What was the first social game you ever played, according to this chart?
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
FarmVille LE English Countryside Decorations: Flower Barrow, Garden Pond & More
Looking to add even more of a British charm to both your FarmVille Home Farm and your second farm in the English Countryside? You'll be happy to know that Zynga has released some new decorative items in the current English Countryside limited edition item theme this afternoon that will allow you to do just that.
Some of these items, like the Garden Pond, Stone Bridge, and Flower Barrow can be purchased on both your Home Farm or your second farm in England, while a group of other items (that we'll get to in a moment) are only available to purchase in the English Countryside. The Garden Pond costs 15 Farm Cash, the Stone Bridge costs 250,000 coins, and the Flower Barrow goes for 120,000 coins.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the England-specific new decorative items.
If you don't mind spending money on items that have to be placed on your English Countryside farm, you can purchase a Queen's Guard gnome (cute little fella, isn't he?) for 15 Farm Cash, a Drystone Wall (fencing) for 5,000 coins per piece, and two items called the Spring Meadow and Lush Grass for 2,000 and 1,000 coins each, respectively.
While the images of these two items might make them seem like new landscape options to change the look of your grass, these are instead simply square decorative items about the size of a crop plot that can be placed up against one another to create larger areas that take on that overall appearance [see below]. As such, while you can freely place as many of these items on your land as you'd like, know that you can't place any other item on top of them, so this could definitely limit your overall space on your land.
No matter which item(s) you choose to purchase, you'll only have the next two weeks to do so, after which these items will be removed from the store.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Will you purchase any of these items for your English Countryside farm, or would you rather decorate your Home Farm instead?
Some of these items, like the Garden Pond, Stone Bridge, and Flower Barrow can be purchased on both your Home Farm or your second farm in England, while a group of other items (that we'll get to in a moment) are only available to purchase in the English Countryside. The Garden Pond costs 15 Farm Cash, the Stone Bridge costs 250,000 coins, and the Flower Barrow goes for 120,000 coins.
Meet us behind the break for a look at the England-specific new decorative items.
If you don't mind spending money on items that have to be placed on your English Countryside farm, you can purchase a Queen's Guard gnome (cute little fella, isn't he?) for 15 Farm Cash, a Drystone Wall (fencing) for 5,000 coins per piece, and two items called the Spring Meadow and Lush Grass for 2,000 and 1,000 coins each, respectively.
While the images of these two items might make them seem like new landscape options to change the look of your grass, these are instead simply square decorative items about the size of a crop plot that can be placed up against one another to create larger areas that take on that overall appearance [see below]. As such, while you can freely place as many of these items on your land as you'd like, know that you can't place any other item on top of them, so this could definitely limit your overall space on your land.
No matter which item(s) you choose to purchase, you'll only have the next two weeks to do so, after which these items will be removed from the store.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Will you purchase any of these items for your English Countryside farm, or would you rather decorate your Home Farm instead?
Cafe World Early Access Goals: Everything you need to know
Just yesterday, we brought you a sneak peek as to what the new and revamped cookbook would look like in Cafe World, via a preview video released by Zynga. This new cookbook will allow you to sort the dishes that you'd like to see based on type of cuisine, name or level requirement, and will apparently be an all-around streamlined process. This new cookbook will be available to users come April 11, if everything goes according to Zynga's announced plan, but why wait until then to get your hands on this new and improved cookbook?
If you'd like early access to the new cookbook in Cafe World, you'll have to complete an eight-part set of goals called just that - Early Access. These goals are automatically available to you, and will likely show up as one of the four goal logos along the right side of your screen (unlike being buried).
These goals will allow you to not only unlock the improved cookbook, but will also give you access to three limited-time dishes. Meet us behind the break for a full look at these eight goals, and what you'll need to do to finish them yourself.
Early Access I starts off quite simply, asking you to cook two dishes just nine times.
Serve Dino Drumstick 3 Times
Serve Bacon and Eggs 6 Times
Earn 30,000 Coins
Dino Drumstick can be cooked for 800 coins and is ready to serve after 13 hours, while Bacon and Eggs takes nine hours to cook, but costs more at 1,000 coins each. Remember, if you have any of these servings saved in your Gift Box, now is the time to bring them out and skip the cooking altogether. Finishing this first goal rewards you with 3,000 coins and 300 Cafe Points.
Early Access II asks you to serve more dishes, but also rewards you with a free dish when you're done.
Serve Spaghetti and Meatballs 5 Times
Get 6 Onions
Get 7 Cartons of Eggs
Spaghetti and Meatballs costs 450 coins to cook, and is ready after eight hours. Meanwhile, you'll need to ask your friends to send your ingredients for your new recipe by sending out individual gift requests. Your reward for this mission is the Pancit and Lumpia recipe, which costs 1500 coins to cook, is ready after 14 hours, and offers 810 servings. These servings are sold for 8 coins per serving, giving you 6480 coins in return.
Early Access III asks you to put that new recipe to use by cooking it a few times.
Serve Pancit and Lumpia 3 Times
Serve Pumpkin Pie 6 Times
Spice 5 Neighbors' Stoves
Pumpkin Pie can be served after 12 hours, and can be cooked for 200 coins each.
Early Access IV offers you a chance at your second of three new dishes, but you'll need to earn it by collecting even more ingredients this time around.
Cook Loco Moco 8 Times
Get 8 Cartons of Eggs
Get 10 Olive Oil
Loco Moco can be cooked for 800 coins and is ready after 20 hours. Finishing this mission gives you the Bountiful Breakfast recipe, which takes just two hours to prepare, but costs 2,200 coins to cook.
As you might expect, Early Access V asks you to cook your new Bountiful Breakfast Dish, so I hope you have a lot of coins on-hand to do so.
Serve Bountiful Breakfast 8 Times
Get 8 Sacks of Potatoes
Earn 20,000 Coins
When you cook Bountiful Breakfasts, you'll receive 310 servings that can be cooked for 10 coins per serving, resulting in a return of 3100 coins.
Early Access VI is another quest that asks you collect ingredients, so get ready to ask your friends for more help.
Cook Belgian Waffles 12 Times
Get 8 Heads of Lettuce
Get 10 Cucumbers
Belgian Waffles are available to cook for 200 coins, and are ready in just two hours. You won't get a new recipe for completing this quest, but these ingredients do technically belong inside it (giving you a hint of what to expect).
Early Access VII also doesn't reward a new recipe, but it does see you collecting more ingredients for the dish you'll earn at the end of this entire quest set.
Serve Caramel Apples 5 Times
Get 3 Baby Carrots
Get 3 Olive Oil
Caramel Apples cost just 90 coins to cook, but you'll need to wait two hours to serve them.
Finally, Early Access VIII brings you to the point that you've been waiting for - the unlocking of your third new dish, and the ability to access the game's new and improved cookbook.
Serve Eggs Benedict 12 Times
Get 14 Mushrooms
Get 12 Tomatoes
As you can see, you'll have to collect quite a few ingredients to finally finish off this quest set, but while you're waiting for them to arrive, you can work on serving your Eggs Benedict which take 6 hours to prepare. Completing this final quest will reward you with the Chef Salad recipe, which cooks in just 30 minutes.
If you're a dedicated, or even just a fairly high level chef, you will likely be able to finish these eight goals before the April 11 debut of the cookbook. Whether or not these goals will disappear after that time remains to be seen, so if you're the cautious type, it might be smart to skip everything and start on these missions right away.
Have you unlocked the new cookbook in Cafe World yet?
If you'd like early access to the new cookbook in Cafe World, you'll have to complete an eight-part set of goals called just that - Early Access. These goals are automatically available to you, and will likely show up as one of the four goal logos along the right side of your screen (unlike being buried).
These goals will allow you to not only unlock the improved cookbook, but will also give you access to three limited-time dishes. Meet us behind the break for a full look at these eight goals, and what you'll need to do to finish them yourself.
Early Access I starts off quite simply, asking you to cook two dishes just nine times.
Serve Dino Drumstick 3 Times
Serve Bacon and Eggs 6 Times
Earn 30,000 Coins
Dino Drumstick can be cooked for 800 coins and is ready to serve after 13 hours, while Bacon and Eggs takes nine hours to cook, but costs more at 1,000 coins each. Remember, if you have any of these servings saved in your Gift Box, now is the time to bring them out and skip the cooking altogether. Finishing this first goal rewards you with 3,000 coins and 300 Cafe Points.
Early Access II asks you to serve more dishes, but also rewards you with a free dish when you're done.
Serve Spaghetti and Meatballs 5 Times
Get 6 Onions
Get 7 Cartons of Eggs
Spaghetti and Meatballs costs 450 coins to cook, and is ready after eight hours. Meanwhile, you'll need to ask your friends to send your ingredients for your new recipe by sending out individual gift requests. Your reward for this mission is the Pancit and Lumpia recipe, which costs 1500 coins to cook, is ready after 14 hours, and offers 810 servings. These servings are sold for 8 coins per serving, giving you 6480 coins in return.
Early Access III asks you to put that new recipe to use by cooking it a few times.
Serve Pancit and Lumpia 3 Times
Serve Pumpkin Pie 6 Times
Spice 5 Neighbors' Stoves
Pumpkin Pie can be served after 12 hours, and can be cooked for 200 coins each.
Early Access IV offers you a chance at your second of three new dishes, but you'll need to earn it by collecting even more ingredients this time around.
Cook Loco Moco 8 Times
Get 8 Cartons of Eggs
Get 10 Olive Oil
Loco Moco can be cooked for 800 coins and is ready after 20 hours. Finishing this mission gives you the Bountiful Breakfast recipe, which takes just two hours to prepare, but costs 2,200 coins to cook.
As you might expect, Early Access V asks you to cook your new Bountiful Breakfast Dish, so I hope you have a lot of coins on-hand to do so.
Serve Bountiful Breakfast 8 Times
Get 8 Sacks of Potatoes
Earn 20,000 Coins
When you cook Bountiful Breakfasts, you'll receive 310 servings that can be cooked for 10 coins per serving, resulting in a return of 3100 coins.
Early Access VI is another quest that asks you collect ingredients, so get ready to ask your friends for more help.
Cook Belgian Waffles 12 Times
Get 8 Heads of Lettuce
Get 10 Cucumbers
Belgian Waffles are available to cook for 200 coins, and are ready in just two hours. You won't get a new recipe for completing this quest, but these ingredients do technically belong inside it (giving you a hint of what to expect).
Early Access VII also doesn't reward a new recipe, but it does see you collecting more ingredients for the dish you'll earn at the end of this entire quest set.
Serve Caramel Apples 5 Times
Get 3 Baby Carrots
Get 3 Olive Oil
Caramel Apples cost just 90 coins to cook, but you'll need to wait two hours to serve them.
Finally, Early Access VIII brings you to the point that you've been waiting for - the unlocking of your third new dish, and the ability to access the game's new and improved cookbook.
Serve Eggs Benedict 12 Times
Get 14 Mushrooms
Get 12 Tomatoes
As you can see, you'll have to collect quite a few ingredients to finally finish off this quest set, but while you're waiting for them to arrive, you can work on serving your Eggs Benedict which take 6 hours to prepare. Completing this final quest will reward you with the Chef Salad recipe, which cooks in just 30 minutes.
If you're a dedicated, or even just a fairly high level chef, you will likely be able to finish these eight goals before the April 11 debut of the cookbook. Whether or not these goals will disappear after that time remains to be seen, so if you're the cautious type, it might be smart to skip everything and start on these missions right away.
Have you unlocked the new cookbook in Cafe World yet?
FarmVille English Countryside: What's inside the English Mystery Egg?
With the release of the English Countryside in FarmVille came the official release of a new type of Mystery Egg available to find at random from both the Old English Hen or the Dorking Chicken when placed inside a Chicken Coop. The big question on everyone's mind (or at least the minds of those who have found these new Mystery Eggs) is "what's inside?"
We've found the answer to that question, with a list of ten prizes that are currently known to be given away via the Mystery Egg. Remember, these prizes are given out at random, and it's likely that some prizes are much more rare than others, so your own experience will likely vary.
Meet us behind the break for a complete look at the list of prizes, which include exclusive items not available in the store, and even an item that was only available for Farm Cash in the past.
The list of known prizes is as follows:
- Old English Hen
- Dorking Chicken
- Silkie Chicken
- Clover Chicken
- Scots Grey Chicken
- Cornish Chicken
- Butler Gnome
- Town Fountain
- English Bench
- Fuel Refill (no particular size)
The Silkie Chicken is, in my opinion, the most noteworthy item that's available to earn from an English Mystery Egg, as this chicken was first released in the game back during the Thanksgiving event last fall, but was only available to purchase for 20 Farm Cash. This makes for one heck of a great prize, if you chose to save your Farm Cash in the past, but still wanted one of these adorable chickens on your farm. For those that actually purchased the Chicken last fall, however, this might not be such exciting news (if anything, it might be a bit annoying).
[Via FV Nation]
Either way, we'll let you know if more prizes are discovered from these English Mystery Eggs in the future.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you received any different prizes from the English Mystery Egg?
We've found the answer to that question, with a list of ten prizes that are currently known to be given away via the Mystery Egg. Remember, these prizes are given out at random, and it's likely that some prizes are much more rare than others, so your own experience will likely vary.
Meet us behind the break for a complete look at the list of prizes, which include exclusive items not available in the store, and even an item that was only available for Farm Cash in the past.
The list of known prizes is as follows:
- Old English Hen
- Dorking Chicken
- Silkie Chicken
- Clover Chicken
- Scots Grey Chicken
- Cornish Chicken
- Butler Gnome
- Town Fountain
- English Bench
- Fuel Refill (no particular size)
The Silkie Chicken is, in my opinion, the most noteworthy item that's available to earn from an English Mystery Egg, as this chicken was first released in the game back during the Thanksgiving event last fall, but was only available to purchase for 20 Farm Cash. This makes for one heck of a great prize, if you chose to save your Farm Cash in the past, but still wanted one of these adorable chickens on your farm. For those that actually purchased the Chicken last fall, however, this might not be such exciting news (if anything, it might be a bit annoying).
[Via FV Nation]
Either way, we'll let you know if more prizes are discovered from these English Mystery Eggs in the future.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you received any different prizes from the English Mystery Egg?
FrontierVille: Chop trees to earn Robin or Black Turtle animals
Similar to the injured critter setup in FrontierVille, that sees you spawning injured White Buffalo or Black Deer from clearing debris, you can now find two more kinds of animals on your Homestead by chopping down trees. These animals are the Robin and the Black Turtle, and they function just a bit differently than Injured animals once you are lucky enough to receive one.
Once you find either a Robin Egg or a Black Turtle Egg, you'll see a pop-up like the one above, asking whether or not you'd like to help the animal hatch. Instead of Critter Milk, as required for the Injured Animals, you'll have to find "Fuzzy Blankets" that can be used to keep the eggs warm and help them to hatch. You can purchase Fuzzy Blankets in packs of nine for 50 Horseshoes, or you can ask your friends to send you some by posting a general news item to your wall.
Finding either a Robin Egg or a Black Turtle Egg will also spawn a new series of missions in your game called Spring has Sprung, and we'll bring you all of the coverage on those missions in the very near future, so keep checking back. we have a complete look at these goals available in our guide.
Have you found either a Robin or Black Turtle Egg on your land? What do you think of these new animals?
Once you find either a Robin Egg or a Black Turtle Egg, you'll see a pop-up like the one above, asking whether or not you'd like to help the animal hatch. Instead of Critter Milk, as required for the Injured Animals, you'll have to find "Fuzzy Blankets" that can be used to keep the eggs warm and help them to hatch. You can purchase Fuzzy Blankets in packs of nine for 50 Horseshoes, or you can ask your friends to send you some by posting a general news item to your wall.
Finding either a Robin Egg or a Black Turtle Egg will also spawn a new series of missions in your game called Spring has Sprung, and we'll bring you all of the coverage on those missions in the very near future, so keep checking back. we have a complete look at these goals available in our guide.
Have you found either a Robin or Black Turtle Egg on your land? What do you think of these new animals?
FrontierVille Spring has Sprung Goals: Everything you need to know
A series of three new quests are available to complete in FrontierVille, which are triggered on your land by finding either a Black Turtle Egg or a Robin Egg on your land (chop down trees to find one). Once you decide to help one of these poor animals, you'll be asked to complete the Spring has Sprung goal set, getting you in the true mood of Spring, and taking us out of winter for the year.
The first mission is called Search High, and it has three requirements:
Rustle up a Critter Rescue Crew
Chop Trees 20 Times
Harvest 20 Fruit Trees
To be clear, this is a case where you just have to chop trees 20 times. It doesn't mean that you have to completely chop down 20 trees, so if you have some full-grown trees on your land, feel free to clear them entirely to finish the majority of this task with one tree. As for the Critter Crew, you'll need to have five friends join you, which is done via a general wall post you'll put on your news feed. Finishing this first mission gives off quite a bit of experience points at 800 XP and 800 coins.
Once you complete this first goal, you'll move onto Spring has Sprung II, which requires you to plant a crop and clear some debris, which tend to be counter-intuitive tasks. After all, how can you have room on your land to grow debris if you've already covered it in growing crops? Either way, here's what to expect:
Plant 20 Peas
Clear 10 Grass
Tend 2 Injured Animals
The Injured Animal task might also be to simply tend an injured animal two times, but as these missions are so new, that exact detail is unknown at this time. Either way, with the high spawn rate of White Buffalo, you should be able to get this one pretty quickly. Completing this mission offers you even better rewards than the first - 1200 XP and 1200 coins.
Finally, you'll move onto Spring has Sprung III which has you tending to your poor Robin Egg, should you have lucked into receiving that animal from chopping trees, rather than a Black Turtle.
Tend Robin Egg
Collect 10 Potty Papers
Harvest 20 Cotton
You'll be able to ask your friends to send you the Potty Papers we suspect through a general wall post on the news feed. Either way, finishing this mission rewards you with a Spring Butterfly decoration, which those of you that love bright colors are sure to adore.
We'll make sure to let you know if more Spring missions are added to the game in the future.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of these first missions - do you like having two new "injured" animals available on your land?
The first mission is called Search High, and it has three requirements:
Rustle up a Critter Rescue Crew
Chop Trees 20 Times
Harvest 20 Fruit Trees
To be clear, this is a case where you just have to chop trees 20 times. It doesn't mean that you have to completely chop down 20 trees, so if you have some full-grown trees on your land, feel free to clear them entirely to finish the majority of this task with one tree. As for the Critter Crew, you'll need to have five friends join you, which is done via a general wall post you'll put on your news feed. Finishing this first mission gives off quite a bit of experience points at 800 XP and 800 coins.
Once you complete this first goal, you'll move onto Spring has Sprung II, which requires you to plant a crop and clear some debris, which tend to be counter-intuitive tasks. After all, how can you have room on your land to grow debris if you've already covered it in growing crops? Either way, here's what to expect:
Plant 20 Peas
Clear 10 Grass
Tend 2 Injured Animals
The Injured Animal task might also be to simply tend an injured animal two times, but as these missions are so new, that exact detail is unknown at this time. Either way, with the high spawn rate of White Buffalo, you should be able to get this one pretty quickly. Completing this mission offers you even better rewards than the first - 1200 XP and 1200 coins.
Finally, you'll move onto Spring has Sprung III which has you tending to your poor Robin Egg, should you have lucked into receiving that animal from chopping trees, rather than a Black Turtle.
Tend Robin Egg
Collect 10 Potty Papers
Harvest 20 Cotton
You'll be able to ask your friends to send you the Potty Papers we suspect through a general wall post on the news feed. Either way, finishing this mission rewards you with a Spring Butterfly decoration, which those of you that love bright colors are sure to adore.
We'll make sure to let you know if more Spring missions are added to the game in the future.
In the meantime, let us know what you think of these first missions - do you like having two new "injured" animals available on your land?
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