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.

Digital Chocolate's Galaxy Life on Facebook has quite a deceiving title

When you hear the words "Galaxy Life," what do you think? We don't know about you, but that sure sounds like living out life across the galaxy. No one ever said anything about epic intergalactic battles against friends and "the sinister dark forces." Nevertheless, that's what you'll be up to in Digital Chocolate's new strategy game game for Facebook and web, Galaxy Life.

The San Mateo, Calif.-based social game developer, best known for games like Millionaire City and Zombie Lane, launched the game simultaneously on Facebook and its own website in an effort to increase its reach. Galaxy Life lets players become leader of a colony of aliens called Starlings that look to create a peaceful planet amidst sinister (and ambiguous) dark forces. Players will vie for dominance over the new found territory amongst friends, or frenemies, both known and anonymous.

Of course, you'll do so by creating daunting armies and stalwart defensive structures with which to attack opposing colonies and defend your own. Players can also create alliances with fellow players--yup, this sounds like a strategy game, all right. Galaxy Life sounds like more of the same on paper, but its Facebook-connected social features are optional. If you decide to play on Digital Chocolate's website, you can build a network of friends without Facebook.
Galaxy Life in Action
"We've created a groundbreaking sci-fi game with great competitive and cooperative elements, along with fantastic characters," Digital Chocolate president Marc Metis said in a release. "Galaxy Life takes the best elements of the strategy and space genres to create an immersive game that players can engage with across different platforms."

At first glance, Galaxy Life has a ton of character, with smooth animations, fun tunes and sounds, and adorable artwork. However, the play hook doesn't seem all too different from games like Kabam's Edgeworld or Kixeye's War Commander. That said, this could change in due time. But give it a shot: This cartoon-like take on the genre could be your cup of tea.

Click here to play Galaxy Life on Facebook now >

Are you a fan of strategy games on Facebook? Do you think there's room for even more games in the genre?