Too bad Law & Order is on its way out, because this story is ready-made for a TV crime drama. Police in Finland have raided five homes while investigating theft of digital furniture and other items from online game Habbo Hotel.
Habbo Hotel is a teen social networking site where you create an avatar and create a home for them, which includes furniture and other items that are purchased using real-life cash. Members of the social network reported that around $1,200 worth of items have gone missing, thanks to a phishing scam that direct players to fake Web sites and tricks them into handing over their user names and passwords.
The game's publisher, Sulake, says that out several hundred users to have been targeted by the attacks. This isn't the first time that Habbo Hotel has been attacked. In 2007, at 17-year-old was arrested for stealing around $4,500 worth of virtual items from the game. Numerous World of Warcraft players have also reported hacked accounts. All online games, just by their nature of being online, are susceptible to phishing and other scams. Tips like these can help you play it safe, so you can avoid starring in your own virtual-meets-real-life drama.
Thứ Tư, 15 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille: New Free Fuel Popup
FarmVille Freak Eva16 and several others have reported receiving new fuel popups when fertilizing neighbors crops. When fertilizing farms, players receive free fuel, but not a popup to share with others, and the fuel is added to your overall amount. But now, when fertilizing a neighbor's farm, players can receive popups asking them to share free fuel directly with the neighbor whose farm they were fertilizing.
FarmVille free fuel pop-up window to share
After clicking the share option, a post goes directly to the farmers Facebook profile wall- not homefeed. The neighbor will be able to redeem one large can of fuel from clicking on the post.
FarmVille Freak Dave_NC's New Fuel Facebook Profile Wall Post
Note there are now 6 ways to get fuel:
1. Buying fuel for $FV in the market- You can purchase fuel in the FarmVille Market, 1 Refill for 3$FV, 10 Refills for 25$FV, 20 Refills for 40$FV, 30 Refills for 55$FV and 50 Refills for 65$FV
2. Free Fuel from plowing- Farmers randomly receive popups to share free fuel when plowing their farms. You can collect 1 large can and 9 small cans from neighbors per day.
3. Fertilizing neighbors crops- You can find free fuel when fertilizing your neighbors crops, this is at random and will be added to your overall fuel amount.
4. Completed Collection redemption reward- When trading in a completed collection you receive 5 Refills of fuel as a reward.
5. Farmers Market- When a neighbor shops at your Farmers Market stall, you have the option to redeem 15 units of fuel (this is one of 3 options).
5. Mystery Egg Prize- When opening Mystery Eggs you can find various amounts of fuel depending on the color egg. The current prizes available are 1/5 Refill, 1 Refill, 10 Refill and 20 Refills.
*6. When a neighbor fertilizes your crops and directly shares with you, as mentioned above. This may be in limited release.
FarmVille free fuel pop-up window to share
After clicking the share option, a post goes directly to the farmers Facebook profile wall- not homefeed. The neighbor will be able to redeem one large can of fuel from clicking on the post.
FarmVille Freak Dave_NC's New Fuel Facebook Profile Wall Post
Note there are now 6 ways to get fuel:
1. Buying fuel for $FV in the market- You can purchase fuel in the FarmVille Market, 1 Refill for 3$FV, 10 Refills for 25$FV, 20 Refills for 40$FV, 30 Refills for 55$FV and 50 Refills for 65$FV
2. Free Fuel from plowing- Farmers randomly receive popups to share free fuel when plowing their farms. You can collect 1 large can and 9 small cans from neighbors per day.
3. Fertilizing neighbors crops- You can find free fuel when fertilizing your neighbors crops, this is at random and will be added to your overall fuel amount.
4. Completed Collection redemption reward- When trading in a completed collection you receive 5 Refills of fuel as a reward.
5. Farmers Market- When a neighbor shops at your Farmers Market stall, you have the option to redeem 15 units of fuel (this is one of 3 options).
5. Mystery Egg Prize- When opening Mystery Eggs you can find various amounts of fuel depending on the color egg. The current prizes available are 1/5 Refill, 1 Refill, 10 Refill and 20 Refills.
*6. When a neighbor fertilizes your crops and directly shares with you, as mentioned above. This may be in limited release.
Restaurant City Now Allows 24 Hour Cooking
Restaurant City Select Opening Hours
As we told you in late May, Playfish has been hard at work bringing a feature to Restaurant City that many users have been clamoring for – 24 hour cooking. The time has arrived where such a feat is indeed possible, but this addition comes with much more complexity than simply allowing your restaurant to stay open for 24 hours.
First things first, to set your restaurant into motion, you'll need to click on the new sign in the lower left corner of the screen, where you'll be given eight options for how long you'd like to keep your restaurant open. If you are willing to come back every 30 minutes, you can keep your restaurant open for free, but for everyone else, the prices increase as you select more time.
Take note that if you choose a longer shift, you're actually spending more money than if you chose a shorter shift multiple times. As an example, if I wanted to open my restaurant for 24 hours, I could either choose the 24 hour option and pay 28,400 coins, or I could choose the 6 hour option four times (by logging in every six hours) and pay 20,400 coins instead, as just one alternative. In this way, shorter shifts actually save you money, which makes sense, as Playfish wants to encourage users to come back to the game sooner, rather than later.
Now that your restaurant will be open all day, Gourmet Points are obviously easier to earn (customers will now be constantly purchasing dishes after all), so Playfish has announced that they have increased the amount of points necessary to level up. Each user has been given a one-time point boost to keep them at their current level, so don't worry about losing progress.
To help you earn Gourmet Points and continue to level up, you'll be given bonuses for logging back into the game "on time," or at the end of the shift. The amount of time you have to login after a shift is the same amount of time the shift lasted – so, if your restaurant was open for six hours, you'd need to come back to the game within six hours after it closed to receive the bonus. Additionally, you'll earn more Gourmet Points for leveling up dishes and helping friends' restaurants.
Restaurant City Retro Arcade Machine changesOne feature that has been removed entirely is Resting. If you happened to employ the feature and there are beds in your restaurant, you'll not only see you staff sleeping when the restaurant is closed, but your staff will receive a speed boost of 0.5% for the Red Bed and 1% for the Gingerbread Bed (the speed boost does not stack). Should you not care about these bonuses, you can sell the beds for 4,500 and 12,000 coins, respectively.
Additionally, arcade machines have been tweaked to have a fixed capacity of coins, rather than simply breaking after a certain amount of uses. The coins will collect over time and you can cash out your profits when the machines are full. As examples, the Retro Arcade Machine collects 30 coins every 15 minutes, while the Crazy Planets Pinball machine collects 80 coins every hour. They'll even collect coins while you're away from the game, which is a new feature entirely.
Finally, in celebration of the launch of 24 hour cooking, Playfish is offering all members of the Restaurant City email club a free Pocketwatch Stove, which was first released in the Alice in Wonderland theme a few weeks ago. You'll receive the Pocketwatch Stove automatically when logging into the game – if you'd like to use it, you'll find it in your inventory. It cooks food 2% faster than a normal stove.
Restaurant City Pockewatch Stove
With so many changes implemented at once, this new feature might take some getting used to – head over to the game's page on Facebook to start becoming acclimated to the way things now work.
As we told you in late May, Playfish has been hard at work bringing a feature to Restaurant City that many users have been clamoring for – 24 hour cooking. The time has arrived where such a feat is indeed possible, but this addition comes with much more complexity than simply allowing your restaurant to stay open for 24 hours.
First things first, to set your restaurant into motion, you'll need to click on the new sign in the lower left corner of the screen, where you'll be given eight options for how long you'd like to keep your restaurant open. If you are willing to come back every 30 minutes, you can keep your restaurant open for free, but for everyone else, the prices increase as you select more time.
Take note that if you choose a longer shift, you're actually spending more money than if you chose a shorter shift multiple times. As an example, if I wanted to open my restaurant for 24 hours, I could either choose the 24 hour option and pay 28,400 coins, or I could choose the 6 hour option four times (by logging in every six hours) and pay 20,400 coins instead, as just one alternative. In this way, shorter shifts actually save you money, which makes sense, as Playfish wants to encourage users to come back to the game sooner, rather than later.
Now that your restaurant will be open all day, Gourmet Points are obviously easier to earn (customers will now be constantly purchasing dishes after all), so Playfish has announced that they have increased the amount of points necessary to level up. Each user has been given a one-time point boost to keep them at their current level, so don't worry about losing progress.
To help you earn Gourmet Points and continue to level up, you'll be given bonuses for logging back into the game "on time," or at the end of the shift. The amount of time you have to login after a shift is the same amount of time the shift lasted – so, if your restaurant was open for six hours, you'd need to come back to the game within six hours after it closed to receive the bonus. Additionally, you'll earn more Gourmet Points for leveling up dishes and helping friends' restaurants.
Restaurant City Retro Arcade Machine changesOne feature that has been removed entirely is Resting. If you happened to employ the feature and there are beds in your restaurant, you'll not only see you staff sleeping when the restaurant is closed, but your staff will receive a speed boost of 0.5% for the Red Bed and 1% for the Gingerbread Bed (the speed boost does not stack). Should you not care about these bonuses, you can sell the beds for 4,500 and 12,000 coins, respectively.
Additionally, arcade machines have been tweaked to have a fixed capacity of coins, rather than simply breaking after a certain amount of uses. The coins will collect over time and you can cash out your profits when the machines are full. As examples, the Retro Arcade Machine collects 30 coins every 15 minutes, while the Crazy Planets Pinball machine collects 80 coins every hour. They'll even collect coins while you're away from the game, which is a new feature entirely.
Finally, in celebration of the launch of 24 hour cooking, Playfish is offering all members of the Restaurant City email club a free Pocketwatch Stove, which was first released in the Alice in Wonderland theme a few weeks ago. You'll receive the Pocketwatch Stove automatically when logging into the game – if you'd like to use it, you'll find it in your inventory. It cooks food 2% faster than a normal stove.
Restaurant City Pockewatch Stove
With so many changes implemented at once, this new feature might take some getting used to – head over to the game's page on Facebook to start becoming acclimated to the way things now work.
FarmVille Cheats & Tips: Tuscan Wedding quick links
Hello, Facefolks! It's Mr. Cheats here to give you the down low on the things you shouldn't know.
By now, you know there's a big Tuscan Wedding happening in FarmVille and Nonna needs you to help supply olives, truffles, goat milk and eggs. Those items can be traded in for favors, which -- in turn -- can be traded in for rare items like a sheep with a bowl of spaghetti on its head or a leaning FarmVille Pisa building.
There are several ways to get these items - as a free gift or picked up from your Facebook wall. There's an extra catch, you'll only be able to send certain items on certain days, and, sorry folks, Mr. Cheats can't help you get past this one (not yet, at least). You'll have to check back on different days to be able to send all of these Tuscan Wedding items to your compadres.
Today's (June 3) special item is goat milk. Click on the image below and send bottles of the white stuff to your friends like you're some kind of old-timey milkman.
farmville tuscan wedding goat milk
On June 4 (tomorrow) eggs will be available to send as a free gift for two days. Mr. Cheats will activate the link for this as soon as it goes live.
farmville tuscan wedding 1 days
On June 6, Truffles will be giftable; the link will be activated then.
truffles wedding
On June 8, Olives will be available as a free gift; look for the link then.
farmville tuscan wedding quick links olives
In the meantime, the best advice Mr. Cheats has is to check your friends Facebook feeds not once, not twice, but three times to make sure you don't miss out on any freebies. Mr. Cheats hates nothing more than when a farmer misses out on something free.
By now, you know there's a big Tuscan Wedding happening in FarmVille and Nonna needs you to help supply olives, truffles, goat milk and eggs. Those items can be traded in for favors, which -- in turn -- can be traded in for rare items like a sheep with a bowl of spaghetti on its head or a leaning FarmVille Pisa building.
There are several ways to get these items - as a free gift or picked up from your Facebook wall. There's an extra catch, you'll only be able to send certain items on certain days, and, sorry folks, Mr. Cheats can't help you get past this one (not yet, at least). You'll have to check back on different days to be able to send all of these Tuscan Wedding items to your compadres.
Today's (June 3) special item is goat milk. Click on the image below and send bottles of the white stuff to your friends like you're some kind of old-timey milkman.
farmville tuscan wedding goat milk
On June 4 (tomorrow) eggs will be available to send as a free gift for two days. Mr. Cheats will activate the link for this as soon as it goes live.
farmville tuscan wedding 1 days
On June 6, Truffles will be giftable; the link will be activated then.
truffles wedding
On June 8, Olives will be available as a free gift; look for the link then.
farmville tuscan wedding quick links olives
In the meantime, the best advice Mr. Cheats has is to check your friends Facebook feeds not once, not twice, but three times to make sure you don't miss out on any freebies. Mr. Cheats hates nothing more than when a farmer misses out on something free.
Restaurant City celebrates new hours with a Limited Edition RC Polo Shirt
Restaurant City's new 24-hour schedule is a definite game-changer and involved tweaking everything from the arcade machines to the resting beds. To celebrate, there's a new uniform in the store to dress up your waiters in -- the RC Polo Shirt, costing 2,300 Coins. You can find it by clicking on one of your waiters for Employee Info, then Uniform, then Shirt.
Restaurant City Limited Edition RC Polo Shirt
But there's even a better way to get one. Players who start a shift will be awarded a RC Polo Shirt at the end of the shift for free!
Restaurant City Limited Edition RC Polo Shirt
But there's even a better way to get one. Players who start a shift will be awarded a RC Polo Shirt at the end of the shift for free!
Thứ Bảy, 11 tháng 2, 2012
Mafia Wars catches on to the 'Icing' trend
Looks like Mafia Wars has caught on the 'Icing' trend. Now, when you kill someone during a fight in the game, you get a new notification that says "You Iced Your Opponent." You also have the option to share your victory with friends, by offering them a Liquid Courage boost, which increases their attack skill by 44 during their next fight.
Though I'm sure Zynga would deny it, this is clearly a nod at Icing -- a silly prank that started in dorm rooms and has made its way to corporate America (which means it's already waaay past the point of being cool.) The prank/game/whatever works like this: If a person is presented with a Smirnoff Ice, they must drop on one knee and chug the entire thing. That is, unless the presentee happens to 'block' the Icing, by carrying a Smirnoff Ice of their own. Then the person who initiated the Icing has to drop and chug. To refuse will bring a pox upon your house or some other kind of karmic badness.
Icings have been well documented on brosicingbros.com (which has since been shut down by party poopers at Diageo, Smirnoff's parent company) and IceYou.com. I've also had the pleasure of getting Iced, and well, let's just say I won't be drinking any of Smirnoff's alco-pop, well, ever again.
Good to see that the bros behind the scenes at Mafia Wars are keeping their fingers on the pulse of America ... or at least wrapped around a cold bottle of a malt beverage.
Though I'm sure Zynga would deny it, this is clearly a nod at Icing -- a silly prank that started in dorm rooms and has made its way to corporate America (which means it's already waaay past the point of being cool.) The prank/game/whatever works like this: If a person is presented with a Smirnoff Ice, they must drop on one knee and chug the entire thing. That is, unless the presentee happens to 'block' the Icing, by carrying a Smirnoff Ice of their own. Then the person who initiated the Icing has to drop and chug. To refuse will bring a pox upon your house or some other kind of karmic badness.
Icings have been well documented on brosicingbros.com (which has since been shut down by party poopers at Diageo, Smirnoff's parent company) and IceYou.com. I've also had the pleasure of getting Iced, and well, let's just say I won't be drinking any of Smirnoff's alco-pop, well, ever again.
Good to see that the bros behind the scenes at Mafia Wars are keeping their fingers on the pulse of America ... or at least wrapped around a cold bottle of a malt beverage.
FarmVille iPhone's new exclusive items: Silver Pony, Rainbow Apple Cart, Rainbow Apple Barrel
Log into FarmVille on the iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad this evening, and you'll find a handful of exclusive new items to send to your fellow on-the-go farmers, including the Silver Pony, Rainbow Apple Cart and giftable Rainbow Apple Barrel.
New Permanent FarmVille Crop: Purple Pod Peas
Recently many permanent or masterable crops have been added to the FarmVille Market, tonight Purple Pod Peas are the 61st!
To grow Purple Pods you must have first mastered the Pea crop.
Purple Pod Peas:
Cost: 210 coins
Harvest Time: 1 Day
Xp: 3
To obtain the first star of Purple Pod Pea mastery you must harvest 525 plots.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
To grow Purple Pods you must have first mastered the Pea crop.
Purple Pod Peas:
Cost: 210 coins
Harvest Time: 1 Day
Xp: 3
To obtain the first star of Purple Pod Pea mastery you must harvest 525 plots.
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Brown and Blue Mystery Box (6/30): Find out what's inside *spoiler*
A new Mystery Box was released to the FarmVille Market on June 30, 2010.
This Mystery Box costs 16 FV$ and will be available in the FarmVille Market during the next 6 days only.This box is outdoor themed and contains "outdoor" themed prizes.
FarmVille Outdoor Mystery Crate
You may recognize this box as it was featured on FarmVille Freak as a previously unreleased item.
:::Spoiler Alert:::
The following are confirmed prizes for this Mystery Box:
* Wolf Cub, 250 XP
* Chipmunk, 150 XP
* Saloon, 450 XP
* Campsite, 500 XP
* Gold Rush Cabin, 500 XP
What prize did you receive in this Mystery Box (June 30th)? Send pics of your prizes to farmgoddess@farmvillefreak.com and we will feature them on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Freak Esteban's Forest Campsite, Wolf Cub, & Bear
FarmVille Freak Taylor's Chipmunks
FarmVille Freak Alex's Saloon
FarmVille Freak Faith's Gold Rush Cabin
* Wolf Cub, 250 XP
* Chipmunk, 150 XP
* Saloon, 450 XP
* Campsite, 500 XP
* Gold Rush Cabin, 500 XP
What prize did you receive in this Mystery Box (June 30th)? Send pics of your prizes to farmgoddess@farmvillefreak.com and we will feature them on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Freak Esteban's Forest Campsite, Wolf Cub, & Bear
FarmVille Freak Taylor's Chipmunks
FarmVille Freak Alex's Saloon
FarmVille Freak Faith's Gold Rush Cabin
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
This Mystery Box costs 16 FV$ and will be available in the FarmVille Market during the next 6 days only.This box is outdoor themed and contains "outdoor" themed prizes.
FarmVille Outdoor Mystery Crate
You may recognize this box as it was featured on FarmVille Freak as a previously unreleased item.
:::Spoiler Alert:::
The following are confirmed prizes for this Mystery Box:
* Wolf Cub, 250 XP
* Chipmunk, 150 XP
* Saloon, 450 XP
* Campsite, 500 XP
* Gold Rush Cabin, 500 XP
What prize did you receive in this Mystery Box (June 30th)? Send pics of your prizes to farmgoddess@farmvillefreak.com and we will feature them on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Freak Esteban's Forest Campsite, Wolf Cub, & Bear
FarmVille Freak Taylor's Chipmunks
FarmVille Freak Alex's Saloon
FarmVille Freak Faith's Gold Rush Cabin
* Wolf Cub, 250 XP
* Chipmunk, 150 XP
* Saloon, 450 XP
* Campsite, 500 XP
* Gold Rush Cabin, 500 XP
What prize did you receive in this Mystery Box (June 30th)? Send pics of your prizes to farmgoddess@farmvillefreak.com and we will feature them on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Freak Esteban's Forest Campsite, Wolf Cub, & Bear
FarmVille Freak Taylor's Chipmunks
FarmVille Freak Alex's Saloon
FarmVille Freak Faith's Gold Rush Cabin
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
New FarmVille Thank You Gift Option
In tonight's FarmVille updates a slight change was made to bonus accepting. You will now have the option to send a Thank You Gifts to your Neighbors after accepting, Adoptable Animals, Fuel, Free Xp, Foals and Calves among other items on from the Facebook homefeed.
This potentially could be a big improvement to the the game for those looking for or needing Free Gifts. For example, farmers could put a message in a Facebook bonus post letting their neighbors know what gift they are currently in need of, and with just a few clicks neighbors can receive a Foal (or whatever bonus it was) and help their neighbor out! In the end making all farmers happy.
What do you think of this new option? Will you now be asking for gifts via your Facebook bonus posts rather than with a FarmVille Wish list?
This potentially could be a big improvement to the the game for those looking for or needing Free Gifts. For example, farmers could put a message in a Facebook bonus post letting their neighbors know what gift they are currently in need of, and with just a few clicks neighbors can receive a Foal (or whatever bonus it was) and help their neighbor out! In the end making all farmers happy.
What do you think of this new option? Will you now be asking for gifts via your Facebook bonus posts rather than with a FarmVille Wish list?
Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille New England Decorations: Goldfinch Birds, Coastal Picnic, Hydrangea, Cord of Wood, & Cliff II
Tonight, FarmVille added more limited edition New England themed decorations including the Goldfinch Birds, Coastal Picnic, Hydrangea, Cord of Wood, and Cliff 2. The middle goldfinch even flies!
You can purchase these decorations in the FarmVille Market during the next 10 days only and afterwards they will retire. FarmVille Limited Edition New England Decorations (Released August 5, 2010):
Goldfinch Birds – 14 FV$ *decorative animal, is not harvestable and will not yield coins
Coastal Picnic -70,000 Coins
Hydrangea – 10,000 Coins *decorative flower, is not harvestable and will not yield coins
Cord of Wood – 2,000 Coins
Cliff II -
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
What do you think of these new limited edition New England Decorations ? Will you purchase any of them for your farm?
You can purchase these decorations in the FarmVille Market during the next 10 days only and afterwards they will retire. FarmVille Limited Edition New England Decorations (Released August 5, 2010):
Goldfinch Birds – 14 FV$ *decorative animal, is not harvestable and will not yield coins
Coastal Picnic -70,000 Coins
Hydrangea – 10,000 Coins *decorative flower, is not harvestable and will not yield coins
Cord of Wood – 2,000 Coins
Cliff II -
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
What do you think of these new limited edition New England Decorations ? Will you purchase any of them for your farm?
Where is our FarmVille Underground Storage?
Where is our FarmVille Underground Storage?
You may remember from a past official FarmVille Podcast (dated May 21st 2010) that FarmVille Community Manager, Lexilicious, mentioned that farmers would soon be introduced to a new FarmVille storage system. This new Underground Storage would provide a new method of storing all of our FarmVille decorations and buildings.
According to Lexilicious, the Underground Storage would be:
Coming Soon
Available through coins or farm cash as Cellars.
You can store up to 200 items in the same size area (footprint) of one plot of land.
You will start out with a smaller number of slots and will need your friends to help grow crops for them.
These crops will give you energy to dig underground and increase the size of your cellars.
You will be allowed a maximum of 2 Cellars.
Having 2 Cellars will mean that you have a storage capacity of 400 items for your combined Cellars! All in the space of 2 plots.
FarmVille Underground Storage
Status: "Coming Soon"
Function: Store up to 200 items per Cellar
Cost: ?
Release Date: ?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
You may remember from a past official FarmVille Podcast (dated May 21st 2010) that FarmVille Community Manager, Lexilicious, mentioned that farmers would soon be introduced to a new FarmVille storage system. This new Underground Storage would provide a new method of storing all of our FarmVille decorations and buildings.
According to Lexilicious, the Underground Storage would be:
Coming Soon
Available through coins or farm cash as Cellars.
You can store up to 200 items in the same size area (footprint) of one plot of land.
You will start out with a smaller number of slots and will need your friends to help grow crops for them.
These crops will give you energy to dig underground and increase the size of your cellars.
You will be allowed a maximum of 2 Cellars.
Having 2 Cellars will mean that you have a storage capacity of 400 items for your combined Cellars! All in the space of 2 plots.
FarmVille Underground Storage
Status: "Coming Soon"
Function: Store up to 200 items per Cellar
Cost: ?
Release Date: ?
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Social Gaming News Digest for the week ending Aug. 6, 2010
Google bought SuperPoke! Pets creator Slide this week, fueling more rumors of their impending social/gaming network.
Zynga shut down its long-running Street Racing game this week, prompting protests and also cold financial analysis.
Watercooler games got a new name, Kabam, and a new focus on "deeper" Facebook games this week.
Zynga's games still have a boatload of players.
Rumor has it that troubled social network Bebo may be making a gaming-fueled comeback.
A new service lets people buy Facebook Credits from their local 7-Eleven, and they're giving away freebies to new customers.
Nielsen reported this week that online games are now more popular than reading e-mail.
This week we took a look at new game Flutter and old Inception adver-game Mind Crime. They were both surprisingly good.
On the lighter side, What does this mean?
Zynga shut down its long-running Street Racing game this week, prompting protests and also cold financial analysis.
Watercooler games got a new name, Kabam, and a new focus on "deeper" Facebook games this week.
Zynga's games still have a boatload of players.
Rumor has it that troubled social network Bebo may be making a gaming-fueled comeback.
A new service lets people buy Facebook Credits from their local 7-Eleven, and they're giving away freebies to new customers.
Nielsen reported this week that online games are now more popular than reading e-mail.
This week we took a look at new game Flutter and old Inception adver-game Mind Crime. They were both surprisingly good.
On the lighter side, What does this mean?
Fountains, food & plush toys in YoVille, the final set of Moroccan Items is here
The YoVille Furniture Store got the final Moroccan update. Tons of new decorations, dishes and plush toys were added. You can now purchase more swords, plants and amazing fountains.
Food:
Dishes from the traditional Moroccan cuisine are now available for you to try. Dinner crepes, cherries, sweet potatoes, sweet rolls and more were added for coins!.
Plush Toys:
Rate thief, Moroccan princess and Moroccan Sultan plush toys are all avaialable for 8 YoCash each. If you are a plush collector, you should check them out!
Did you enjoy the Moroccan theme? Tell us in comments!
yoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan items
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Food:
Dishes from the traditional Moroccan cuisine are now available for you to try. Dinner crepes, cherries, sweet potatoes, sweet rolls and more were added for coins!.
Plush Toys:
Rate thief, Moroccan princess and Moroccan Sultan plush toys are all avaialable for 8 YoCash each. If you are a plush collector, you should check them out!
Did you enjoy the Moroccan theme? Tell us in comments!
yoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan itemsyoville moroccan items
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
YoVille show off your skills with the new Photo Booth
The new Photo Booth is now in YoVille. This new item allows you take pictures of your avatar surfing. Your friends who cannot afford to get one, can use your booth to take pictures too and you will win some coins.
This item is available for 12 YoCash ( Very reasonable price) in the Furniture Store.
Zynga's Platinum Ninja explains this new feature. Read more about it after the link.
yoville surfing
Want to get an item that is fun to play with and let's you brag to your friends?! Well the chance to do so will be coming very soon. We'll be releasing a Photo Booth in game that will allow you and your friends to interact with and post feeds to show off your wave riding skills. Let's check out a sneak peek of this Photo Booth and what you can do with it!
yoville photo booth
To interact with this item you will need to either have one yourself or go to a friend's home (who owns this item). To get a Photo Booth of your own you'll have to purchase it when it becomes available in game. Once you have a Photo Booth to interact with you will click on it and your avatar will jump on the surfboard. Then a picture will be taken of your avatar catching some waves. You'll then be prompted to "Share" your photo. Make sure to click share and show off your skills on your Facebook Wall.
yoville photo booth
If you are the lucky owners of a surfing Photo Booth you'll be able to have photo shoots any time you want! As an added bonus when your friends come by and use your Photo Booth and post a surfing feed you'll make some extra coins too! So not only can you play and brag with this item but can also make some coins even when you are not around!
If you don't have a Photo Booth but want to have a surfing session of your own you still can! Keep your eyes out for your friend's Surfing Feeds and click (in) to be taken to your friend's Photo Booth. Remember to share your photo so you can show off your surfing skills and get your friend some extra coins!
yoville surfboard
Well that's about all folks! We'll update you with more details when this feature is live in game but wanted to give you a little heads up on what to expect soon.
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
This item is available for 12 YoCash ( Very reasonable price) in the Furniture Store.
Zynga's Platinum Ninja explains this new feature. Read more about it after the link.
yoville surfing
Want to get an item that is fun to play with and let's you brag to your friends?! Well the chance to do so will be coming very soon. We'll be releasing a Photo Booth in game that will allow you and your friends to interact with and post feeds to show off your wave riding skills. Let's check out a sneak peek of this Photo Booth and what you can do with it!
yoville photo booth
To interact with this item you will need to either have one yourself or go to a friend's home (who owns this item). To get a Photo Booth of your own you'll have to purchase it when it becomes available in game. Once you have a Photo Booth to interact with you will click on it and your avatar will jump on the surfboard. Then a picture will be taken of your avatar catching some waves. You'll then be prompted to "Share" your photo. Make sure to click share and show off your skills on your Facebook Wall.
yoville photo booth
If you are the lucky owners of a surfing Photo Booth you'll be able to have photo shoots any time you want! As an added bonus when your friends come by and use your Photo Booth and post a surfing feed you'll make some extra coins too! So not only can you play and brag with this item but can also make some coins even when you are not around!
If you don't have a Photo Booth but want to have a surfing session of your own you still can! Keep your eyes out for your friend's Surfing Feeds and click (in) to be taken to your friend's Photo Booth. Remember to share your photo so you can show off your surfing skills and get your friend some extra coins!
yoville surfboard
Well that's about all folks! We'll update you with more details when this feature is live in game but wanted to give you a little heads up on what to expect soon.
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Thứ Hai, 6 tháng 2, 2012
Zynga CEO to employees: "I don't f***ing want innovation"
FarmVille creator Zynga is the most popular Facebook game publisher -- that's no debating that. Out of the top 10 most popular games on Facebook, Zynga created seven of them: FarmVille, Zynga Poker, Mafia Wars, FrontierVille, Cafe World, Treasure Isle and PetVille. And while these games are beloved by many, the company behind the game hasn't always garnered a 'friendly' reputation with players or the games industry as a whole.
In a new tell-all article, 'FarmVillains' in San Francisco's SF Weekly, former Zynga employees dish about what they witnessed behind the scenes, which gives credence to the company's less-than-savory reputation. Apparently, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus meant what he said in his now-famous quote, admitting that he "did every horrible thing in the book just to get revenues," and one of those things includes blatantly copying competitor's games.
The SF Weekly article is long and certainly worth reading in its entirety, but here are a few of the more memorable quotes from Zynga's exes:
"I don't fucking want innovation," the ex-employee recalls Pincus saying. "You're not smarter than your competitor. Just copy what they do and do it until you get their numbers."
One contractor says he was offered freelance work from Zynga, related to mimicking a competitor's application, with explicit instructions: "Copy that game."
"I was around meetings where things like that were being discussed, and the ramifications of things like that were being discussed - the fact that they'd probably be sued by the people who designed the game," he says. "And the thought was, 'Well, that's fine, we'll settle.' Our case wasn't really defensible." Psycho Monkey's suit was ultimately settled for an undisclosed amount.
The former senior employee who was present for Pincus' "No innovation" diatribe described Zynga's business model this way: "Steal somebody else's game, throw millions of dollars at it, and then, if it doesn't have it already, add virtual coins."
To be fair, there are hundreds of successful corporations that were built on a concept that was an iteration of an existing idea. That's what makes the business world go 'round. Facebook itself is an iteration of a dozen social networks before it -- but Mark Zuckerberg's version just happened to resonate with the general population more than, say, Orkut or Friendster did before it.
Some could argue that Zynga simply did the same, but Pincus and his company have also built up a sense of distrust over the past few years, something that needs to be changed if they want to give companies like Electronic Arts and Activision a run for their money, and more importantly, if they want to keep players from looking for new virtual fields to harvest.
In a new tell-all article, 'FarmVillains' in San Francisco's SF Weekly, former Zynga employees dish about what they witnessed behind the scenes, which gives credence to the company's less-than-savory reputation. Apparently, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus meant what he said in his now-famous quote, admitting that he "did every horrible thing in the book just to get revenues," and one of those things includes blatantly copying competitor's games.
The SF Weekly article is long and certainly worth reading in its entirety, but here are a few of the more memorable quotes from Zynga's exes:
"I don't fucking want innovation," the ex-employee recalls Pincus saying. "You're not smarter than your competitor. Just copy what they do and do it until you get their numbers."
One contractor says he was offered freelance work from Zynga, related to mimicking a competitor's application, with explicit instructions: "Copy that game."
"I was around meetings where things like that were being discussed, and the ramifications of things like that were being discussed - the fact that they'd probably be sued by the people who designed the game," he says. "And the thought was, 'Well, that's fine, we'll settle.' Our case wasn't really defensible." Psycho Monkey's suit was ultimately settled for an undisclosed amount.
The former senior employee who was present for Pincus' "No innovation" diatribe described Zynga's business model this way: "Steal somebody else's game, throw millions of dollars at it, and then, if it doesn't have it already, add virtual coins."
To be fair, there are hundreds of successful corporations that were built on a concept that was an iteration of an existing idea. That's what makes the business world go 'round. Facebook itself is an iteration of a dozen social networks before it -- but Mark Zuckerberg's version just happened to resonate with the general population more than, say, Orkut or Friendster did before it.
Some could argue that Zynga simply did the same, but Pincus and his company have also built up a sense of distrust over the past few years, something that needs to be changed if they want to give companies like Electronic Arts and Activision a run for their money, and more importantly, if they want to keep players from looking for new virtual fields to harvest.
Happy Pets: Encourage the shy pet in your room for a new Shadow Pet
Happy Pets Shadow Pets and Triceratops
Happy Pets creator Crowdstar just announced that the shy pet hiding in your room is actually an exclusive shadow pet, waiting for encouragement to reveal itself as one of seven Shadow Pets. Simply find the pet hiding in a picnic basket in your room and click on it to ask your friends for their blessing.
Check behind the cut for a list of what might be in your picnic basket.
Happy Pets Shy Pet Help Screen
Receive seven blessings and the scaredy Shadow Pet will finally reveal itself to be one of these seven pets:
Shadow Hamster
Shadow Parrot
Shadow Bunny
Shadow Guinea Pig
Shadow Ferret
Exclusive Shy Triceratops
Oddly enough, the Shy Triceratops doesn't seem to be much different from the normal one, according to the posting on the Happy Pets fan page. Let's hope this was just an error in posting the image and not an in-game bug. But hey, at least waiting for a Shy Triceratops is better than paying up for a Random Triceratops.
Happy Pets creator Crowdstar just announced that the shy pet hiding in your room is actually an exclusive shadow pet, waiting for encouragement to reveal itself as one of seven Shadow Pets. Simply find the pet hiding in a picnic basket in your room and click on it to ask your friends for their blessing.
Check behind the cut for a list of what might be in your picnic basket.
Happy Pets Shy Pet Help Screen
Receive seven blessings and the scaredy Shadow Pet will finally reveal itself to be one of these seven pets:
Shadow Hamster
Shadow Parrot
Shadow Bunny
Shadow Guinea Pig
Shadow Ferret
Exclusive Shy Triceratops
Oddly enough, the Shy Triceratops doesn't seem to be much different from the normal one, according to the posting on the Happy Pets fan page. Let's hope this was just an error in posting the image and not an in-game bug. But hey, at least waiting for a Shy Triceratops is better than paying up for a Random Triceratops.
Treasure Isle: These oh-so sad animals need your help ... soon
Why are all of these adorable animals crying? Because they're going to be the next wave of sad cuties that need you to save them in Treasure Isle.
I wanted to pick out one of these that I was really looking forward to saving -- but after I surveyed all of their little faces, I pretty much want to save them all. Guess I can look forward to adding a toucan, elephant, leopard, deer, giraffe, porcupine, panda and unicorn to my island coterie.
There's no additional info on when these animals will start to appear in Treasure Isle, but keep your eyes out for the saddest animals on Earth appearing in your Facebook feed in the near future.
I wanted to pick out one of these that I was really looking forward to saving -- but after I surveyed all of their little faces, I pretty much want to save them all. Guess I can look forward to adding a toucan, elephant, leopard, deer, giraffe, porcupine, panda and unicorn to my island coterie.
There's no additional info on when these animals will start to appear in Treasure Isle, but keep your eyes out for the saddest animals on Earth appearing in your Facebook feed in the near future.
Treasure Madness wants only the best in its Hall of Fame Competition
Think you deserved to be rewarded for all your time wasted hard work and dedication in Treasure Madness? Well, zSlide was thinking just the same thing when it started its first monthly Hall of Fame Competition in Treasure Madness this September. The developer is looking for the best and brightest treasure hunters to be named the top 10 players of each month.
To be recognized for your loyalty to Treasure Madness, you'll generally need to be level-capped and have explored every last piece of land containing treasure. Not an easy feat, we'd say. Check after the break for more information on what you could win and how to win.
Each month's top 10 players will have their player names laminated inTreasure Madness Chest platinum, gold, silver, bronze and so forth depending in rank for all to see in-game. The top three players each month will be granted "physical rewards," according to the event's forum post. We can only imagine this means either Game Cards or Museum Dollars, but anything is possible. Here's what we do know the top three players will win this month:
First Place
Three of the rarest treasures in the game including the Dragon's Footprint, Eve's Apple, Feline Adornment and more
300 HP worth of fruit
Second Place
One special edition collection such as Game Mascots, Hall of Mirrors Sican Figures, Negative Funerary Masks etc.
150 HP worth of fruit
Third Place
One unexpected collection like Christian Relics, Black Magic Artifacts, Historical Treasures and more
Treasure Madness Hall of Fame Points
How the contestants (and later winners) will be determined is through a point system that must be met within the first ten days of each month. The amount of points required will increase monthly along with new content, so things will always remain competitive (i.e. you won't be seeing any of competing). Here's a list of what every achievement is worth:
1,000 for every map completed
750 for every level acquired
500 for every collection secured
250 for every mini-game master rank obtained
If your total points add up to an insane total of 1,255,000 points, then you're in luck! You qualify to compete to in the Hall of Fame competition. Just remember to tell your friends and family where you'll be for the next month. Head over to the Treasure Madness forums for even more detailed set of rules.
To be recognized for your loyalty to Treasure Madness, you'll generally need to be level-capped and have explored every last piece of land containing treasure. Not an easy feat, we'd say. Check after the break for more information on what you could win and how to win.
Each month's top 10 players will have their player names laminated inTreasure Madness Chest platinum, gold, silver, bronze and so forth depending in rank for all to see in-game. The top three players each month will be granted "physical rewards," according to the event's forum post. We can only imagine this means either Game Cards or Museum Dollars, but anything is possible. Here's what we do know the top three players will win this month:
First Place
Three of the rarest treasures in the game including the Dragon's Footprint, Eve's Apple, Feline Adornment and more
300 HP worth of fruit
Second Place
One special edition collection such as Game Mascots, Hall of Mirrors Sican Figures, Negative Funerary Masks etc.
150 HP worth of fruit
Third Place
One unexpected collection like Christian Relics, Black Magic Artifacts, Historical Treasures and more
Treasure Madness Hall of Fame Points
How the contestants (and later winners) will be determined is through a point system that must be met within the first ten days of each month. The amount of points required will increase monthly along with new content, so things will always remain competitive (i.e. you won't be seeing any of competing). Here's a list of what every achievement is worth:
1,000 for every map completed
750 for every level acquired
500 for every collection secured
250 for every mini-game master rank obtained
If your total points add up to an insane total of 1,255,000 points, then you're in luck! You qualify to compete to in the Hall of Fame competition. Just remember to tell your friends and family where you'll be for the next month. Head over to the Treasure Madness forums for even more detailed set of rules.
FarmVille: Send a Special Delivery to a neighbor while visiting their farm!
FarmVille has been making changes (positive ones, IMHO) to the way you interact with neighbors. First, by allowing you to do more on a neighbors farm, and, now, by adding the ability to send a Special Delivery to a neighbor while visiting their farm.
farmville special delivery neighbors farm
The next time you head to a friend's farm, look at the icons on the left-hand side of the screen -- and you will see a Special Delivery box. Mouse over it and you will see a message that says "Send your friend just the gift they need!" Click on the box and you will be prompted to post a message to your friend's Facebook wall.
farmville special delivery to specific friends
While some people aren't crazy about the idea of getting more Facebook Wall Posts, this new feature could help you get items (and send items) that you really need for your farm vs. random gifts that may or may not relate to your current in-game tasks. Three cheers for helpful gifts!
What do you think of this new gifting feature?
farmville special delivery neighbors farm
The next time you head to a friend's farm, look at the icons on the left-hand side of the screen -- and you will see a Special Delivery box. Mouse over it and you will see a message that says "Send your friend just the gift they need!" Click on the box and you will be prompted to post a message to your friend's Facebook wall.
farmville special delivery to specific friends
While some people aren't crazy about the idea of getting more Facebook Wall Posts, this new feature could help you get items (and send items) that you really need for your farm vs. random gifts that may or may not relate to your current in-game tasks. Three cheers for helpful gifts!
What do you think of this new gifting feature?
Thứ Bảy, 4 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille LE Fall Animal: Autumn Horse & Autumn Foal
farmville autumn horse
Tonight FarmVille introduced a new Limited Edition animal, an Autumn Horse, as part of the Fall theme.
You can purchase this animal in the FarmVille Market during the next 14 days only. When placed in the Horse Stable, the Autumn Horse has a chance at yielding an Autumn Foal.
FarmVille LE Autumn Horse Animal (Released October 5, 2010):
Autumn Horse – 26 FV$
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Tonight FarmVille introduced a new Limited Edition animal, an Autumn Horse, as part of the Fall theme.
You can purchase this animal in the FarmVille Market during the next 14 days only. When placed in the Horse Stable, the Autumn Horse has a chance at yielding an Autumn Foal.
FarmVille LE Autumn Horse Animal (Released October 5, 2010):
Autumn Horse – 26 FV$
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
FarmVille Haunted House appears, then disappears from the game
Finish your Haunted House in no time with our FarmVille Cheats & Tips: Haunted House gifting links.
Or learn everything you need to know.
FarmVille rolled out the much-anticipated Haunted House -- an item that has been promoted in a teaser loading screen for the game and in the official FarmVille podcast in the past few weeks -- and as soon as the house appeared, it disappeared again due to some kind of bug. From the official FarmVille forums:
"Haunted Houses are currently deactivated. We are going to make sure everything is rock solid before we open them back up. Those of you who didn't get one yet will have a shot in the morning – we do sleep from time to time."
So if you didn't get a Haunted House last night, looks like you'll have to wait a little longer while the people behind the scenes get the kinks out. Seems like FarmVille is going to have a lot going on today, with the kick-off of the big in-game Halloween promotion and the whole McDonalds promotion as well.
Let's just say it's not going to be a dull week for virtual farmers, provided all of this stuff rolls out without any more hitches.
Image courtesy of mrr233, this year's haunted house is on the right (with animations!).
Or learn everything you need to know.
FarmVille rolled out the much-anticipated Haunted House -- an item that has been promoted in a teaser loading screen for the game and in the official FarmVille podcast in the past few weeks -- and as soon as the house appeared, it disappeared again due to some kind of bug. From the official FarmVille forums:
"Haunted Houses are currently deactivated. We are going to make sure everything is rock solid before we open them back up. Those of you who didn't get one yet will have a shot in the morning – we do sleep from time to time."
So if you didn't get a Haunted House last night, looks like you'll have to wait a little longer while the people behind the scenes get the kinks out. Seems like FarmVille is going to have a lot going on today, with the kick-off of the big in-game Halloween promotion and the whole McDonalds promotion as well.
Let's just say it's not going to be a dull week for virtual farmers, provided all of this stuff rolls out without any more hitches.
Image courtesy of mrr233, this year's haunted house is on the right (with animations!).
FarmVille LE Fall Buildings: Autumn Cottage & Autumn Gazebo
farmville autumn gazebo
It's finally Fall in FarmVille! Tonight FarmVille introduced two new Limited Edition buildings including an Autumn Cottage and Autumn Gazebo.
You can purchase these buildings in the FarmVille Market during the next 14 days only.
farmville autumn gazebo farmville autumn cottage
FarmVille LE Fall Buildings (Released October 5, 2010):
Autumn Cottage - 34 Farm Cash
Autumn Gazebo - 20 Farm Cash
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you purchase any of these buildings for your farm?
It's finally Fall in FarmVille! Tonight FarmVille introduced two new Limited Edition buildings including an Autumn Cottage and Autumn Gazebo.
You can purchase these buildings in the FarmVille Market during the next 14 days only.
farmville autumn gazebo farmville autumn cottage
FarmVille LE Fall Buildings (Released October 5, 2010):
Autumn Cottage - 34 Farm Cash
Autumn Gazebo - 20 Farm Cash
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Will you purchase any of these buildings for your farm?
FarmVille Haunted House: Everything you need to know
Complete your FarmVille Haunted House in no time with our FarmVille Cheats & Tips: Haunted House gifting links.
After playing FarmVille for over a year -- one thing's certain. The holidays are the best time of the year in the game because there are a slew of holiday themed items, and at least one of them will have you saying "I Gotta have it!" For me, this year, that item is the new FarmVille Haunted House, which was released to a few farmers before it was disabled due to a glitch.
If you did get the Haunted House, you know that this is a buildable item and you will need to collect building materials to complete your spooky mansion, which you will be able to purchase for Farm Cash or collect from your FarmVille neighbors. (Quick side note -- this building has a large footprint (3.5 x 2), so you'll need to clear out eight plots to make it fit on your farm.)
farmville haunted house
farmville haunted house - games.com farmville haunted house spine-chilling - blog.games.com
The Haunted House can be leveled up three times -- Eerie, Frightening, Spine-Chilling -- and you will need bricks, nails and wooden boards for each stage. Here's what you need for each stage:
Stage 1 (Eerie): 8 bricks, nails, boards
Stage 2 (Frightening): 10 bricks, nails, boards
Stage 3 (Spine-Chilling): 12 bricks nails boards
If you do some quick match that means you'll need 30 of each item -- so you best get collection. Another tip -- you can also use those Special Delivery packages you may have stockpiled to help you get the job done faster.
Once the Haunted House is complete, you will be able to collect candy from it every 24 hours AND you will be able to collect candy from your neighbor's haunted houses every 24 hours as well. The amount of candy you loot will depend on the level of the house.
Eerie: 1 Candy
Frightening: 2 Candy
Spine-Chilling: 3 Candy
As of this writing, the Haunted House is still disabled in the game and only the lucky few who snagged it early have been able to get to work. However, don't let that stop you from collecting all of the nails, boards and bricks you need -- then once the Haunted House shows up again, you'll be ready.
After playing FarmVille for over a year -- one thing's certain. The holidays are the best time of the year in the game because there are a slew of holiday themed items, and at least one of them will have you saying "I Gotta have it!" For me, this year, that item is the new FarmVille Haunted House, which was released to a few farmers before it was disabled due to a glitch.
If you did get the Haunted House, you know that this is a buildable item and you will need to collect building materials to complete your spooky mansion, which you will be able to purchase for Farm Cash or collect from your FarmVille neighbors. (Quick side note -- this building has a large footprint (3.5 x 2), so you'll need to clear out eight plots to make it fit on your farm.)
farmville haunted house
farmville haunted house - games.com farmville haunted house spine-chilling - blog.games.com
The Haunted House can be leveled up three times -- Eerie, Frightening, Spine-Chilling -- and you will need bricks, nails and wooden boards for each stage. Here's what you need for each stage:
Stage 1 (Eerie): 8 bricks, nails, boards
Stage 2 (Frightening): 10 bricks, nails, boards
Stage 3 (Spine-Chilling): 12 bricks nails boards
If you do some quick match that means you'll need 30 of each item -- so you best get collection. Another tip -- you can also use those Special Delivery packages you may have stockpiled to help you get the job done faster.
Once the Haunted House is complete, you will be able to collect candy from it every 24 hours AND you will be able to collect candy from your neighbor's haunted houses every 24 hours as well. The amount of candy you loot will depend on the level of the house.
Eerie: 1 Candy
Frightening: 2 Candy
Spine-Chilling: 3 Candy
As of this writing, the Haunted House is still disabled in the game and only the lucky few who snagged it early have been able to get to work. However, don't let that stop you from collecting all of the nails, boards and bricks you need -- then once the Haunted House shows up again, you'll be ready.
FarmVille Feed Trough Menu: What to expect from this mysterious feature
FarmVille Unreleased Feed Trough Menu
The digital farm gurus at FarmVille Freak have done it again, but this time they've uncovered an entirely new feature yet to grace FarmVille, the Feed Trough Menu. I know that you're thinking, "Joe, you idiot, the Feed Trough is already a decoration used for pig slop. Get back to covering the real news."
Ah-ha! Since some of you imaginary dissenters failed to read carefully, I'll explain. This is a brand new menu feature that will either be placed over top of the existing Feed Trough decoration or have a new version of the item attached to it. We do know, however, that this change will bring about at least six new animals to adopt. Since it is unreleased, we have no clue what these animals might be, but expect them to probably be unavailable through other means. Well, aside from Farm Cash; everyone knows you can buy almost anything with the green stuff.
Judging from the image above, it's possible that you'll be able to change the type of feed in order to attract different animals to your farm. More importantly, doesn't the backside of that animal hidden behind the menu tabs look strikingly similar to an elephant's? Don't be silly, this is a farm we're talking about here.
The digital farm gurus at FarmVille Freak have done it again, but this time they've uncovered an entirely new feature yet to grace FarmVille, the Feed Trough Menu. I know that you're thinking, "Joe, you idiot, the Feed Trough is already a decoration used for pig slop. Get back to covering the real news."
Ah-ha! Since some of you imaginary dissenters failed to read carefully, I'll explain. This is a brand new menu feature that will either be placed over top of the existing Feed Trough decoration or have a new version of the item attached to it. We do know, however, that this change will bring about at least six new animals to adopt. Since it is unreleased, we have no clue what these animals might be, but expect them to probably be unavailable through other means. Well, aside from Farm Cash; everyone knows you can buy almost anything with the green stuff.
Judging from the image above, it's possible that you'll be able to change the type of feed in order to attract different animals to your farm. More importantly, doesn't the backside of that animal hidden behind the menu tabs look strikingly similar to an elephant's? Don't be silly, this is a farm we're talking about here.
Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 2, 2012
Playdom is offering $50 for playtesters -- are you man enough for the job?
Playdom Mountain View Map Headquarters
Last Friday morning, Playdom made a post on the gigs section of Craigslist, asking for folks who'd be willing to come into their San Francisco headquarters to play "a recently released game" for $50 USD. To be qualified for the action, you'll need to allow them to videotape you playing, must sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, be an experienced social gamer, and lastly, (sorry ladies!) be a guy between the age of 18-35. Now we don't know why they specifically want guys, or why they want to film you playing, but we're pretty sure they're not out to start a playtesters reality TV show for casual games. (But they do have a dorky video podcast on YouTube.)
There's also no saying how many guys they want, but the Playdom Usability Research Group does have a screening process, which will involve answering a survey through email. If they think you're the man for the job, they'll get back to you, but they're sure to be swamped with replies. As for the authenticity of this ad, we've yet to verify this. (The last time we saw something like this, Playfish was offering select players an $80 Amazon gift card to host a phone interview while folks played.) But if you have any concerns, you can contact Playdom here.
Judging by these details, we're betting this is a playtest session for their hit game ESPNU College Town, which debuted on Facebook this September. The session is scheduled to take place this coming Thursday, November 4th, during normal business hours and is expected to take an hour.
Last Friday morning, Playdom made a post on the gigs section of Craigslist, asking for folks who'd be willing to come into their San Francisco headquarters to play "a recently released game" for $50 USD. To be qualified for the action, you'll need to allow them to videotape you playing, must sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement, be an experienced social gamer, and lastly, (sorry ladies!) be a guy between the age of 18-35. Now we don't know why they specifically want guys, or why they want to film you playing, but we're pretty sure they're not out to start a playtesters reality TV show for casual games. (But they do have a dorky video podcast on YouTube.)
There's also no saying how many guys they want, but the Playdom Usability Research Group does have a screening process, which will involve answering a survey through email. If they think you're the man for the job, they'll get back to you, but they're sure to be swamped with replies. As for the authenticity of this ad, we've yet to verify this. (The last time we saw something like this, Playfish was offering select players an $80 Amazon gift card to host a phone interview while folks played.) But if you have any concerns, you can contact Playdom here.
Judging by these details, we're betting this is a playtest session for their hit game ESPNU College Town, which debuted on Facebook this September. The session is scheduled to take place this coming Thursday, November 4th, during normal business hours and is expected to take an hour.
Star Wars brings the Force to Facebook with Escape From Kamino
Escape From Kamino
Let the nerd squeals commence. To promote the sequel to one of the best selling Star Wars games of all time, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Lucas Arts has brought the franchise to Facebook with Escape From Kamino. Players can either assume the role of the console game's protagonist--if you want to call him that--a Starkiller clone as he escapes the Empire-ridden planet Kamino or hunt him down with the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett.
Find out more about Starkiller's social adventures--and Boba Fett's attempts to ruin them--after the break.
Starkiller or Boba Fett?
While Lucas Arts claims that the game is reminiscent of classics on the SNES like Super Star Wars, I was more reminded of a recent Flash and iPhone hit called Canabalt. For anyone familiar, this game will come secondhand. Your chosen character will run automatically in this 16-bit-style platformer while clicking or pressing the space bar causes him to jump (hold either button down longer to jump higher and vise versa). Whether you're Starkiller or Boba Fett, your mission is simple: don't fall into the raging waters, avoid as many obstacles like boxes and unleash either your Force powers or jet pack to look as cool as possible. (Double-click to activate either ability when the meter in the upper right-hand corner fills.)
However, each character does serve a specific purpose. Players are able to post their high scores to Twitter and Facebook through playing as a Starkiller clone while playing Boba Fett allows you to hunt down your friends' high-scoring clones to destroy their score. To be honest, it's considerably harder to play as Boba Fett than it is Starkiller; blowing everything on screen to high hell is slightly more useful than a jet pack in most cases. Not to mention the Sith-turned-Jedi-turned-clone can jump much higher.
Starkiller's Force Powers
All in all, Escape from Kamino is one of the most action-packed and challenging games I've played on Facebook in some time. While the game does bite a bit off from games like Canabalt, Escape from Kamino's jump-right-in gameplay and respect for the source material (the game explores a key moment in the console version's plot) make me want to come back for more. If you'll excuse me, I'll be back here in 1992, deflecting lasers and blowing storm troopers away just like the old days.
Play Escape From Kamino on Facebook Now >
Let the nerd squeals commence. To promote the sequel to one of the best selling Star Wars games of all time, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Lucas Arts has brought the franchise to Facebook with Escape From Kamino. Players can either assume the role of the console game's protagonist--if you want to call him that--a Starkiller clone as he escapes the Empire-ridden planet Kamino or hunt him down with the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett.
Find out more about Starkiller's social adventures--and Boba Fett's attempts to ruin them--after the break.
Starkiller or Boba Fett?
While Lucas Arts claims that the game is reminiscent of classics on the SNES like Super Star Wars, I was more reminded of a recent Flash and iPhone hit called Canabalt. For anyone familiar, this game will come secondhand. Your chosen character will run automatically in this 16-bit-style platformer while clicking or pressing the space bar causes him to jump (hold either button down longer to jump higher and vise versa). Whether you're Starkiller or Boba Fett, your mission is simple: don't fall into the raging waters, avoid as many obstacles like boxes and unleash either your Force powers or jet pack to look as cool as possible. (Double-click to activate either ability when the meter in the upper right-hand corner fills.)
However, each character does serve a specific purpose. Players are able to post their high scores to Twitter and Facebook through playing as a Starkiller clone while playing Boba Fett allows you to hunt down your friends' high-scoring clones to destroy their score. To be honest, it's considerably harder to play as Boba Fett than it is Starkiller; blowing everything on screen to high hell is slightly more useful than a jet pack in most cases. Not to mention the Sith-turned-Jedi-turned-clone can jump much higher.
Starkiller's Force Powers
All in all, Escape from Kamino is one of the most action-packed and challenging games I've played on Facebook in some time. While the game does bite a bit off from games like Canabalt, Escape from Kamino's jump-right-in gameplay and respect for the source material (the game explores a key moment in the console version's plot) make me want to come back for more. If you'll excuse me, I'll be back here in 1992, deflecting lasers and blowing storm troopers away just like the old days.
Play Escape From Kamino on Facebook Now >
Mafia Wars offers triple mastery for New York, Cuba, Moscow, & Bangkok
One of the biggest draws to Mafia Wars is the sheer amount of content available at one's disposal when playing the game. You can make your way through numerous complete cities at your leisure, each containing multiple chapters, property layouts and more. That being the case however, can often mean that newer players find themselves stuck in older cities/locations (perhaps Mafia Wars New York or Cuba), as all of their friends have moved on to bigger and better cities.
Zynga is hoping to eliminate this, by giving those newer players, or even those who have just skipped some of the older missions as newer content is released, a chance to catch up, by upping the job mastery in the old cities to triple the original amount (in addition to the bonus funds you can earn by completing jobs in these same cities). That's right, for jobs in Mafia Wars New York, Cuba, Moscow and Bangkok, jobs can be now completed three times as quickly as before, saving you time and energy, and moving you one step closer to Mafia Wars Italy.
Just to be clear, this now means that a job that normally provides 5% job mastery per click will now offer 15%, as just one example. Zynga hasn't stated whether or not this is a permanent change or if it will only last for a short time, so make the most of this boost while you can!
Zynga is hoping to eliminate this, by giving those newer players, or even those who have just skipped some of the older missions as newer content is released, a chance to catch up, by upping the job mastery in the old cities to triple the original amount (in addition to the bonus funds you can earn by completing jobs in these same cities). That's right, for jobs in Mafia Wars New York, Cuba, Moscow and Bangkok, jobs can be now completed three times as quickly as before, saving you time and energy, and moving you one step closer to Mafia Wars Italy.
Just to be clear, this now means that a job that normally provides 5% job mastery per click will now offer 15%, as just one example. Zynga hasn't stated whether or not this is a permanent change or if it will only last for a short time, so make the most of this boost while you can!
FarmVille Sneak Peek: Baby Giraffe, Scarlet Ibis, Pirate Swing, & Andean
Coming soon to the stores of FarmVille are four new items, three animals and one decorative item.
The three animals are a Baby Giraffe, Scarlet Ibis, and an Andean. It seems possible that the Andean might turn out to just be a decorative item (the bird leaves its perch on the branch and flies similarly to the Carrier Pigeon and other like-birds), but we'll only know for sure if and when the items make it into the game proper.
As for the decorative item, it comes in the form of a Pirate Swing, complete with a calf, sheep and pig as riders on the swing. It seems highly unlikely that Zynga would release just a single pirate-themed item into the store at once, so it leaves one to wonder whether or not this could be the next big theme that comes to the game (that being either Pirates or something Amusement Park based).
Note: It isn't guaranteed whether these items will actually make it into the final game, so keep that in mind.
The three animals are a Baby Giraffe, Scarlet Ibis, and an Andean. It seems possible that the Andean might turn out to just be a decorative item (the bird leaves its perch on the branch and flies similarly to the Carrier Pigeon and other like-birds), but we'll only know for sure if and when the items make it into the game proper.
As for the decorative item, it comes in the form of a Pirate Swing, complete with a calf, sheep and pig as riders on the swing. It seems highly unlikely that Zynga would release just a single pirate-themed item into the store at once, so it leaves one to wonder whether or not this could be the next big theme that comes to the game (that being either Pirates or something Amusement Park based).
Note: It isn't guaranteed whether these items will actually make it into the final game, so keep that in mind.
Digital Chocolate launches Hollywood City on Facebook - Live it up as a movie mogul
Today, Digital Chocolate, the makers of Millionaire City (the current #16 app on the whole of Facebook, according to AppData), launched a new title on Facebook called Hollywood City.
For those who have played Millionaire City, the game will immediately strike you as similar, at the very least. You'll choose from one of two advisors for your game - Dean Donson, the "rich and experienced" male character, or Jillian Jones, the "brilliant and hardworking" female character.
Meet us behind the break to learn more about Digital Chocolate's newest offering on Facebook.
The story goes that your grandfather has fallen ill at the hands of Ruth Less, a dirty player in the movie business. As your grandfather is unable to handle the family business by himself, you'll be charged with taking his place. You'll build a new business Headquarters, studio lots and so on, all in the same way that you would in Millionaire City.
Basically, the gameplay is a copy-and-paste of that seen in Millionaire City, right down to the necessity of "clearing" out plots of land on which you'll place your buildings. Homes and businesses are replaced by backlots and studios; trees and gardens are replaced by actors' trailers and media agencies - you get the idea.
The entire goal of the game is to earn as much profit as you can by running your movie studio, with each backlot you purchase corresponding to a certain type of film, which allows you to theme your projects to your choosing. Contracts allow you to earn money over time, from the short 3 minute Commercial shoot, to a Trilogy shoot that lasts a full 3 days.
Accessory items like the aforementioned actors' trailers or various offices give off the same bonuses that fountains and the like do in Millionaire City, and you'll need to use these items to your advantage when fulfilling the series of quests that the game sets out for you, like producing a certain kind of film in your documentary studio, purchasing a movie theater, and so on. Not to beat a dead horse, but if you've played Millionaire City even for just a few minutes, you will know exactly what to do here, and in theory, how to succeed.
We will say that the one thing the game has going for it over its "predecessor" is a killer soundtrack, in addition to the inclusion of Ruth Less herself, a character that will make her power known at various intervals during gameplay, as she blackmails you, threatens you, or is an all-around meanie, allowing you to choose various actions that will either boost your experience points or add money to your virtual bank account in response. One such example shows Ruth Less blackmailing you over an embarrassing, yet stolen, video tape that could ruin your reputation. You can either sue her or reveal the tape, with either your bank total or experience points being changed, depending on your choice (respectively).
For all of its comparisons to Millionaire City, if you've yet to play that title, or if you simply want a game with a Hollywood or theatrical twist, be sure to give this one a go by heading over to the Hollywood City page on Facebook.
For those who have played Millionaire City, the game will immediately strike you as similar, at the very least. You'll choose from one of two advisors for your game - Dean Donson, the "rich and experienced" male character, or Jillian Jones, the "brilliant and hardworking" female character.
Meet us behind the break to learn more about Digital Chocolate's newest offering on Facebook.
The story goes that your grandfather has fallen ill at the hands of Ruth Less, a dirty player in the movie business. As your grandfather is unable to handle the family business by himself, you'll be charged with taking his place. You'll build a new business Headquarters, studio lots and so on, all in the same way that you would in Millionaire City.
Basically, the gameplay is a copy-and-paste of that seen in Millionaire City, right down to the necessity of "clearing" out plots of land on which you'll place your buildings. Homes and businesses are replaced by backlots and studios; trees and gardens are replaced by actors' trailers and media agencies - you get the idea.
The entire goal of the game is to earn as much profit as you can by running your movie studio, with each backlot you purchase corresponding to a certain type of film, which allows you to theme your projects to your choosing. Contracts allow you to earn money over time, from the short 3 minute Commercial shoot, to a Trilogy shoot that lasts a full 3 days.
Accessory items like the aforementioned actors' trailers or various offices give off the same bonuses that fountains and the like do in Millionaire City, and you'll need to use these items to your advantage when fulfilling the series of quests that the game sets out for you, like producing a certain kind of film in your documentary studio, purchasing a movie theater, and so on. Not to beat a dead horse, but if you've played Millionaire City even for just a few minutes, you will know exactly what to do here, and in theory, how to succeed.
We will say that the one thing the game has going for it over its "predecessor" is a killer soundtrack, in addition to the inclusion of Ruth Less herself, a character that will make her power known at various intervals during gameplay, as she blackmails you, threatens you, or is an all-around meanie, allowing you to choose various actions that will either boost your experience points or add money to your virtual bank account in response. One such example shows Ruth Less blackmailing you over an embarrassing, yet stolen, video tape that could ruin your reputation. You can either sue her or reveal the tape, with either your bank total or experience points being changed, depending on your choice (respectively).
For all of its comparisons to Millionaire City, if you've yet to play that title, or if you simply want a game with a Hollywood or theatrical twist, be sure to give this one a go by heading over to the Hollywood City page on Facebook.
Thứ Tư, 1 tháng 2, 2012
Mafia Wars Game Cards offer more Reward Points than ever
Maybe it's the giving spirit of the holidays (or more likely a preparation for Black Friday), but no matter what inspired it Zynga has increased the amount of Reward Points you'll find in Mafia Wars Game Cards. Unfortunately, Zynga hasn't revealed by exactly how much the cards have increased in value, though they do remain at the same price as before. So, either way this is a deal.
Included in the update are new price points for the Game Cards to coincide with the Zynga Game Cards with $10 and $15 options. Before, Mafia Wars Game Cards were only offered for $25 and $50. And if you want to avoid the ravenous crowds this Friday morning, you can gift any Zynga Game Card through e-mail using Zynga's service. Besides, everyone knows that Cyber Monday is way cooler than Black Friday.
Included in the update are new price points for the Game Cards to coincide with the Zynga Game Cards with $10 and $15 options. Before, Mafia Wars Game Cards were only offered for $25 and $50. And if you want to avoid the ravenous crowds this Friday morning, you can gift any Zynga Game Card through e-mail using Zynga's service. Besides, everyone knows that Cyber Monday is way cooler than Black Friday.
FarmVille creator Zynga is 'not for sale,' CEO says
Mark Pincus
But going public is a likely possibility. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus (pictured) revealed his intentions for the $5.5 billion social game company. For starters, "Zynga is not for sale. That is not my goal," Pincus said. "I want to build an international treasure; an entity which lasts in people's live for a long time."
While Zynga, soon to release CityVille--its seventh game--has partnered with several companies including its largest investor, Google, giving all that up for a massive wad of cash apparently isn't on Pincus' agenda. Besides, most of the greatest companies in the world didn't get where they are by selling out, right? However, selling hasn't been ruled out entirely, though IPO might be his next move for Zynga.
"I cannot say Zynga will never be up for sale but we are more likely to IPO [go public] rather than be sold. Being sold is not my ambition," Pincus said. "Going public makes it easier for investors to monetize your product." A horribly brief description of IPO, or initial public offering, would be that it's when a company releases extra shares for anyone and everyone to gobble up (including other corporations)... or scoff at and look toward the next big thing. In other words, it's extremely risky as the company in question could lose millions.
Though, it might be Zynga's only option if it wants to grow into the next Internet buzz word, which is exactly what Pincus has in mind. "I want 'Zynga' to be become to a verb, like 'to Google' has," said Pincus. "I want people to 'Zynga' each other and for the word to become completely aligned with gaming."
But going public is a likely possibility. In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Zynga CEO Mark Pincus (pictured) revealed his intentions for the $5.5 billion social game company. For starters, "Zynga is not for sale. That is not my goal," Pincus said. "I want to build an international treasure; an entity which lasts in people's live for a long time."
While Zynga, soon to release CityVille--its seventh game--has partnered with several companies including its largest investor, Google, giving all that up for a massive wad of cash apparently isn't on Pincus' agenda. Besides, most of the greatest companies in the world didn't get where they are by selling out, right? However, selling hasn't been ruled out entirely, though IPO might be his next move for Zynga.
"I cannot say Zynga will never be up for sale but we are more likely to IPO [go public] rather than be sold. Being sold is not my ambition," Pincus said. "Going public makes it easier for investors to monetize your product." A horribly brief description of IPO, or initial public offering, would be that it's when a company releases extra shares for anyone and everyone to gobble up (including other corporations)... or scoff at and look toward the next big thing. In other words, it's extremely risky as the company in question could lose millions.
Though, it might be Zynga's only option if it wants to grow into the next Internet buzz word, which is exactly what Pincus has in mind. "I want 'Zynga' to be become to a verb, like 'to Google' has," said Pincus. "I want people to 'Zynga' each other and for the word to become completely aligned with gaming."
YoVille offers a FarmVille experience for Thanksgiving
FarmVille in YoVille: Zion's veggie patch has everything you need for the winter!
Check out how YoVille players can have their own farms without playing FarmVille! From vegetable crops to pumpkin patches, from horses stables to sheep pastures, YoVille has it all. And the easy part is that we don't have to ask other YoVille players to pick our crops. :) A Farmville experience right here in YoVille! Let's see some of these FarmVille creations! YoVille farming pumpkins
You want to make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving? Spiralda's pumpkin patch is just the right place for pumpkins!
YoVille farming meats and vegetables
Yoangel has all organic vegetables and meats for Thanksgiving dinner!
YoVille Samwise Farm
Samwise's farm offers home delivery all year round!
YoVille horse ranch
At Jersee Dee's ranch the horses are trained for the incoming horse race!
YoVille pumpkin patch
Sugar Sweet's pumpkin patch just hosted a party and looks like everybody had fun!
YoVille turkey farm
You can hand pick your turkey at Bruno's farm!
YoVille sheep ranch
Spiralda is making sure we will all have good quality wool for our sweaters for the incoming Yowinter!
Check out the rest of our Thanksgiving 2010 coverage right here.
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
Check out how YoVille players can have their own farms without playing FarmVille! From vegetable crops to pumpkin patches, from horses stables to sheep pastures, YoVille has it all. And the easy part is that we don't have to ask other YoVille players to pick our crops. :) A Farmville experience right here in YoVille! Let's see some of these FarmVille creations! YoVille farming pumpkins
You want to make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving? Spiralda's pumpkin patch is just the right place for pumpkins!
YoVille farming meats and vegetables
Yoangel has all organic vegetables and meats for Thanksgiving dinner!
YoVille Samwise Farm
Samwise's farm offers home delivery all year round!
YoVille horse ranch
At Jersee Dee's ranch the horses are trained for the incoming horse race!
YoVille pumpkin patch
Sugar Sweet's pumpkin patch just hosted a party and looks like everybody had fun!
YoVille turkey farm
You can hand pick your turkey at Bruno's farm!
YoVille sheep ranch
Spiralda is making sure we will all have good quality wool for our sweaters for the incoming Yowinter!
Check out the rest of our Thanksgiving 2010 coverage right here.
This article originally appeared on YoVille Lounge.
FrontierVille Flash Mob Party will test your homestead trivia skills
For the first time ever, FrontierVille is the location of the next big flash mob. Well, not literally, but at least on the forums. Players can log into Zynga's community forums as of this writing and partake in the FrontierVille Flash Mob Party within this thread. It's there that players will be asked five sets of 10 questions and the first to answer each set correctly will win 50 Horseshoes.
This is a new community event that the Zynga community team is testing and considering the thread already have 86 pages to its name, we're going to take an educated guess and say that it's fairly successful. Be sure to jump as soon as you can for a chance at some Horseshoes and bragging rights for the whole FrontierVille community to see. Do you think you know everything about FrontierVille? Then name five different Mystery Animals... go! Not here, in the forums, silly. Hopefully, this means future Flash Mob community events for more Zynga games to come as I know we could school you folks in FarmVille trivia. C'mon, it's our job to know this stuff.
This is a new community event that the Zynga community team is testing and considering the thread already have 86 pages to its name, we're going to take an educated guess and say that it's fairly successful. Be sure to jump as soon as you can for a chance at some Horseshoes and bragging rights for the whole FrontierVille community to see. Do you think you know everything about FrontierVille? Then name five different Mystery Animals... go! Not here, in the forums, silly. Hopefully, this means future Flash Mob community events for more Zynga games to come as I know we could school you folks in FarmVille trivia. C'mon, it's our job to know this stuff.
Social City creator Playdom accepts Facebook Credits exclusively across all games
Just like that, the final domino falls. Playdom is the next company to submit to Facebook's demands for social game and app developers to accept only its virtual currency. As of today, Playdom will only be accepting Facebook Credits as its virtual currency. Fortunately, the company will, of course, still accept credit and debit cards as well as PayPal payments.
If this deal is anything like Facebook's previous three, we imagine Playdom will have to deposit 30 percent of all Facebook Credits sales into the social network's bank account. It also bears mentioning that the unique currencies to Playdom's games like City Bucks in Social City and Campus Cash in ESPNU College Town aren't going anywhere; it's the third-party payment methods that are officially kaput. And thankfully the free offers from Playdom's ad partners for in-game money don't seem to be going anywhere either.
This isn't the first time Facebook has coerced social game companies into using its new currency, which is now available at GameStop and Radio Shack in addition to nearly all major department stores. With CrowdStar the first to go and later Zynga giving in, it was only a matter of time before EA and Playfish accepted the offer too. Finally for Facebook, the company will be reeling in 30 percent of the top four social gaming companies' profits via Facebook Credits. Let that one sink in for a while and you'll understand why Zynga might want out.
If this deal is anything like Facebook's previous three, we imagine Playdom will have to deposit 30 percent of all Facebook Credits sales into the social network's bank account. It also bears mentioning that the unique currencies to Playdom's games like City Bucks in Social City and Campus Cash in ESPNU College Town aren't going anywhere; it's the third-party payment methods that are officially kaput. And thankfully the free offers from Playdom's ad partners for in-game money don't seem to be going anywhere either.
This isn't the first time Facebook has coerced social game companies into using its new currency, which is now available at GameStop and Radio Shack in addition to nearly all major department stores. With CrowdStar the first to go and later Zynga giving in, it was only a matter of time before EA and Playfish accepted the offer too. Finally for Facebook, the company will be reeling in 30 percent of the top four social gaming companies' profits via Facebook Credits. Let that one sink in for a while and you'll understand why Zynga might want out.
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