We all know that when Zynga's not busy gobbling up games studios, the San Francisco-based social game behemoth is busy taking a bite out of other companies. The CityVille maker announced that Barry Cottle, entertainment veteran and most recently Electronic Art's EVP of its EA Interactive (EAi) division, has joined Zynga as EVP of business and corporate development.
"It's rare that you find someone who possesses a deep operational background and also has the vision to see where your business and your industry are headed," Zynga CEO Mark Pincus said in a release. "Barry is one of those executives, and I'm very excited to have him join the team. His skill set, combined with his deep understanding of the games, technology and entertainment spaces will help us accelerate our mission of connecting the world through games."
Recently, EA executives have left for other companies (usually social game makers) from other divisions within the veteran games publisher. But the kicker here is that, Cottle oversaw EA's Pogo flash games portal, EA Mobile and even The Sims Social creator Playfish as head of EAi. (Um, ouch?) Cottle also hails from the likes of Palm, Americast and Disney in his over 20 years of executive experience.
"I'm proud and thrilled to join the Zynga team, the pioneer and driving force behind the social games industry," Cottle said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to being part of building play for the world in a way that truly connects people and delights players everywhere, each and every day." Something tells us that this war between Zynga and EA is far from over.
What do you think EA will do to keep pace with Zynga in the social games space, especially now that it needs to find a new head to its EAi division? How will Zynga make use of Cottle?
Chủ Nhật, 11 tháng 3, 2012
Cafe World: Timers removed from Cook-a-Thon and VIP-a-Thon goals
Chefs rejoice! Zynga has bowed down to the many suggestions and complaints from Cafe World users, who were dissatisfied with the amount of time (or lack thereof) given in the Cook-a-Thon and VIP-a-Thon cooking events in the game. It may have taken a while for us to come to this point, but if you're still working on either feature, you can now do so at your leisure, as Zynga Community Manager Raijinn has confirmed (via the game's forums) that time limits on new goals in both of these events will be nonexistent.
"We've removed the timers for Cook-a-Thon and VIP-a-Thon quests, all new quests that you get from either of these questlines will not have a timer and you can finish them at your leisure. Enjoy!"
This change comes just as the Joe and Lisa wedding event launches in the game, and it also brings with it a boost to stove capacity for all users level 20 and above - if you're above level 20, you can now have three more stoves in your cafe! Remember, as stove slots unlock as you level up, this is actually a great boost, as you can now cook three more dishes at a time than before! Sure, unlimited stove slots would be great, but we'll take any improvement where we can get it. Happy cooking!
What do you think of these changes in Cafe World? Will you actually try to finish the Cook-a-Thon goals now that they have no timers?
"We've removed the timers for Cook-a-Thon and VIP-a-Thon quests, all new quests that you get from either of these questlines will not have a timer and you can finish them at your leisure. Enjoy!"
This change comes just as the Joe and Lisa wedding event launches in the game, and it also brings with it a boost to stove capacity for all users level 20 and above - if you're above level 20, you can now have three more stoves in your cafe! Remember, as stove slots unlock as you level up, this is actually a great boost, as you can now cook three more dishes at a time than before! Sure, unlimited stove slots would be great, but we'll take any improvement where we can get it. Happy cooking!
What do you think of these changes in Cafe World? Will you actually try to finish the Cook-a-Thon goals now that they have no timers?
CityVille: Help citizens in your town for instant rewards
A new feature has slowly started rolling out to CityVille, mayors. If you're scanning your town and happen to find a citizen with a question mark or exclamation point in a thought bubble over their head, you'll know this feature has now rolled out to you! This "helping citizens" feature allows you to receive instant goals from these individual citizens, which can then be completed for some experience points and coins.
For the most part, these tasks are incredibly simple, and have you simply harvesting or supplying a certain business / community building (a Post Office or Bakery, as examples), or ask you to harvest a single square of a particular crop. These crop tasks can take a bit longer, as you'll need to wait for the crop to grow in most cases, but this is still an easy way to keep yourself busy if you don't have many goals on your plate at the time.
Of course, you can also skip these goals entirely by simply clicking on the citizen and then clicking on skip in the tiny menu that appears over their head. You'll receive additional goals in the future, so don't feel pressured to complete each and every one that comes your way. If these goals receive any special rewards (that is, that make them a bit more worthwhile), we'll make sure to let you know.
What do you think of this helping citizens feature in CityVille?
For the most part, these tasks are incredibly simple, and have you simply harvesting or supplying a certain business / community building (a Post Office or Bakery, as examples), or ask you to harvest a single square of a particular crop. These crop tasks can take a bit longer, as you'll need to wait for the crop to grow in most cases, but this is still an easy way to keep yourself busy if you don't have many goals on your plate at the time.
Of course, you can also skip these goals entirely by simply clicking on the citizen and then clicking on skip in the tiny menu that appears over their head. You'll receive additional goals in the future, so don't feel pressured to complete each and every one that comes your way. If these goals receive any special rewards (that is, that make them a bit more worthwhile), we'll make sure to let you know.
What do you think of this helping citizens feature in CityVille?
CityVille Jail Museum: Everything you need to know
Veteran CityVille players have been treated to a new feature this week - the Jail Museum. You'll need to be at least Level 70 to have access to this feature, which actually comes in the form of a new goal that will require you to expand your city's borders out into the water to reach an island prison, that has been turned into a museum.
This of course come with a goal that you'll have 20 days to complete. Once you reach the water expansion that contains the Jail Museum, and can actually complete the entire goal, you'll receive the Jail Museum as your reward, with the item going into your inventory. You can then take it out and place it back where you found the placeholder in your city, or you can sell it for just 1,000 coins. Of course, this is your only chance at having a Jail Museum, so that's likely not the best choice.
Again, this feature is only available for players level 70 or higher, but even though it comes with a time limit, it's likely that this is a permanent feature in the game. That is, once you reach Level 70 (if you're not there already), you will likely receive this goal and see the Jail Museum in your city the next time you login to the game. From there, the same 20 day time limit will apparently apply. We've reached out to Zynga for confirmation, and will let you know as soon as we hear back from them.
What do you think of this Jail Museum in CityVille? Will you expand your land specifically to reach it?
This of course come with a goal that you'll have 20 days to complete. Once you reach the water expansion that contains the Jail Museum, and can actually complete the entire goal, you'll receive the Jail Museum as your reward, with the item going into your inventory. You can then take it out and place it back where you found the placeholder in your city, or you can sell it for just 1,000 coins. Of course, this is your only chance at having a Jail Museum, so that's likely not the best choice.
Again, this feature is only available for players level 70 or higher, but even though it comes with a time limit, it's likely that this is a permanent feature in the game. That is, once you reach Level 70 (if you're not there already), you will likely receive this goal and see the Jail Museum in your city the next time you login to the game. From there, the same 20 day time limit will apparently apply. We've reached out to Zynga for confirmation, and will let you know as soon as we hear back from them.
What do you think of this Jail Museum in CityVille? Will you expand your land specifically to reach it?
International Game Technology acquires DoubleDown Casino maker for $500 million
Over the past year, social game developer Double Down Interactive watched its Facebook game DoubleDown Casino climb from the bottom of the ladder towards the top, ending the year as the #4 most popular Facebook game in Facebook's end of the year popularity list. The game currently sits at 4.7 million monthly active players (1.3 million daily players), with Double Down expecting that number to grow throughout this year, especially due to its new backing from International Game Technology (IGT), which today announced its acquisition of the developer for $500 million.
"Double Down and IGT share complementary cultures focused on innovation and creativity. Both companies are committed to providing unrivaled quality, service and entertainment to millions of players," said Greg Enell, CEO of Double Down via a company press release. "Leveraging IGT's Research and Development, global reach, and best-in-class content will provide our loyal player base with an even more robust experience and is expected to augment Double Down's growth trajectory."
Double Down's family of employees will grow from 70 to 80 after this acquisition, but will continue to operate fairly independently after the transition.
With these extra resources, it leaves us to wonder what's next for Double Down. Could we see additional games added to DoubleDown Casino (which already hosts blackjack, slots and video poker), or will the focus now shift to entirely new titles to further combat the biggest names on the service (IE: Zynga)? We'll make sure to keep track of things, and will let you know as we learn more of what the future holds for both Double Down and IGT.
Are you a fan of DoubleDown Casino on Facebook? Are there other casino games that you would like to see added to DoubleDown Casino?
"Double Down and IGT share complementary cultures focused on innovation and creativity. Both companies are committed to providing unrivaled quality, service and entertainment to millions of players," said Greg Enell, CEO of Double Down via a company press release. "Leveraging IGT's Research and Development, global reach, and best-in-class content will provide our loyal player base with an even more robust experience and is expected to augment Double Down's growth trajectory."
Double Down's family of employees will grow from 70 to 80 after this acquisition, but will continue to operate fairly independently after the transition.
With these extra resources, it leaves us to wonder what's next for Double Down. Could we see additional games added to DoubleDown Casino (which already hosts blackjack, slots and video poker), or will the focus now shift to entirely new titles to further combat the biggest names on the service (IE: Zynga)? We'll make sure to keep track of things, and will let you know as we learn more of what the future holds for both Double Down and IGT.
Are you a fan of DoubleDown Casino on Facebook? Are there other casino games that you would like to see added to DoubleDown Casino?
Thứ Sáu, 9 tháng 3, 2012
CityVille: Secure discounts on Halloween, Fall and San Francisco items and more
Do you have a few extra coins or City Cash to throw around in CityVille? Looking to purchase to some limited edition items to show off to your friends before it's too late? You might want to check out the Sale section of the game's store this week, as it's been updated with new items, including Skyscrapers and Community Buildings, along with items from the Halloween, Fall and Tiki themes, and more.
This sale is really a hodge-podge of items, so it's worth taking a glance at them. If you're not met with an in-game pop-up containing the image at right (which will take you to these items automatically), you can also find them manually in the store by looking under the Specials tab (the purple exclamation point) and then clicking on "Sale." You'll find items up to 40% off, like the Witch Rickety House, an item that has held on since Halloween, but can now be purchased for 39 City Cash.
Are any of these items actually bargains now? That depends on your viewpoint. While an item like the Fall-themed Agricultural Center (a Community Building) now only costs 12,000 coins, it takes up tons of land space, but only offers a population cap increase of 500 citizens. That's not a very good return, considering how much space in your city the building will occupy. Meanwhile, if you're an in-game millionaire, you can also pick up the Mint Mansion for 15% off. The new price? 4,462,500 coins (yes, that's 4.4 million coins).
With such a wide variety in the store, you owe it to yourself to check out these new sale items. Who knows? You just might find an item or two that you never knew you needed!
What do you think of the sale prices on these items? Will you pick any up since they've been discounted?
This sale is really a hodge-podge of items, so it's worth taking a glance at them. If you're not met with an in-game pop-up containing the image at right (which will take you to these items automatically), you can also find them manually in the store by looking under the Specials tab (the purple exclamation point) and then clicking on "Sale." You'll find items up to 40% off, like the Witch Rickety House, an item that has held on since Halloween, but can now be purchased for 39 City Cash.
Are any of these items actually bargains now? That depends on your viewpoint. While an item like the Fall-themed Agricultural Center (a Community Building) now only costs 12,000 coins, it takes up tons of land space, but only offers a population cap increase of 500 citizens. That's not a very good return, considering how much space in your city the building will occupy. Meanwhile, if you're an in-game millionaire, you can also pick up the Mint Mansion for 15% off. The new price? 4,462,500 coins (yes, that's 4.4 million coins).
With such a wide variety in the store, you owe it to yourself to check out these new sale items. Who knows? You just might find an item or two that you never knew you needed!
What do you think of the sale prices on these items? Will you pick any up since they've been discounted?
CityVille's Level Cap raised to 150: Keep building the city of your dreams
Back in September, veteran CityVille players were given more incentive to keep playing the game, via the introduction of an increased level cap, all of the way up to Level 125. Now just a few months later, those veteran players were calling out for more space to grow again, and Zynga has obliged. The new level cap, as of this weekend, is Level 150.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like much comes with this increase, other than the simple satisfaction that your experience points will continue to mean something after you reach Level 125 and beyond. Also, Reputation levels haven't been increased along with this, so you'll likely find yourself a bit "skewed" in that regard if you have already made it past Level 125. This is likely due to the fact that extra energy would be available to users daily who had a much higher reputation level, and we all know how the folks at Zynga feel about users having too much energy. If that happens to change in the future, we'll make sure to let you know, but for now, I wouldn't suggest holding your breath.
Are you a high-level player in CityVille? What level have you reached in your city? What other changes would you like to see made to the game?
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like much comes with this increase, other than the simple satisfaction that your experience points will continue to mean something after you reach Level 125 and beyond. Also, Reputation levels haven't been increased along with this, so you'll likely find yourself a bit "skewed" in that regard if you have already made it past Level 125. This is likely due to the fact that extra energy would be available to users daily who had a much higher reputation level, and we all know how the folks at Zynga feel about users having too much energy. If that happens to change in the future, we'll make sure to let you know, but for now, I wouldn't suggest holding your breath.
Are you a high-level player in CityVille? What level have you reached in your city? What other changes would you like to see made to the game?
Cafe World Nature Hike Catering Order: Everything you need to know
Were you a boy or girl scout as a kid? If so, you're probably no stranger to the occasional camping trip or hike. Bringing some of those memories (or even helping to make new ones) in Cafe World is a new catering order: Cater the Nature Hike. The Scout Leaders are taking their scouts up the mountain, and they're sure to be mighty hungry when they come back down. It's your job to make sure they have plenty of food to eat the end of the day, so let's get started.
For the cooking tasks, you'll need to serve Coffee Rubbed Burger (a four-hour dish) 999 times, Java Short Ribs (a 10-hour dish) 799 times, and Philly Cheesesteak (an 18-hour dish) 499 times. Now, I shouldn't have to tell you that those are some massive numbers, especially for an order that has just a three-day time limit for the best rewards. It seems that Catering Orders have just become more and more complicated as time goes by, instead of easier as so many users have requested. Still, if you're willing to take this challenge on, you'll be able to bring up to 12 of your neighbors in on it with you in an attempt to pass the cooking tasks around and make them more reasonable. Ah, who am I kidding? 2,300 dishes in a three-day period will never be reasonable.
Either way, you'll also need to collect 45 items from friends while your dishes are cooking. You'll have to collect 15 each of Merit Badges, Swimming Lessons and Bows and Arrows. All of these come from individual requests sent out to friends that you think will help.
If you can finish all of this within just three days, you'll receive the three-star rating, 15 Catering Points, 7,500 Cafe Points, 200,000 coins and the Roasted Marshmallows recipe. For finishing within the first five days, you'll receive two stars, 10 Catering Points, 5,000 Cafe Points and 125,000 coins, but remember, you must finish with the three star rating for the free recipe. Finally, finishing at any point after the first five days have passed gives you just one star, 5 Catering Points, 3,000 Cafe Points and 75,000 coins.
This is definitely one of the most labor intensive Catering Orders released so far, so I wish you all the best of luck if you're going for the three-star rating.
What do you think of this Nature Hike Catering Order? Are the requirements too much to ask for such a short period of time, or do you welcome such a tough challenge?
For the cooking tasks, you'll need to serve Coffee Rubbed Burger (a four-hour dish) 999 times, Java Short Ribs (a 10-hour dish) 799 times, and Philly Cheesesteak (an 18-hour dish) 499 times. Now, I shouldn't have to tell you that those are some massive numbers, especially for an order that has just a three-day time limit for the best rewards. It seems that Catering Orders have just become more and more complicated as time goes by, instead of easier as so many users have requested. Still, if you're willing to take this challenge on, you'll be able to bring up to 12 of your neighbors in on it with you in an attempt to pass the cooking tasks around and make them more reasonable. Ah, who am I kidding? 2,300 dishes in a three-day period will never be reasonable.
Either way, you'll also need to collect 45 items from friends while your dishes are cooking. You'll have to collect 15 each of Merit Badges, Swimming Lessons and Bows and Arrows. All of these come from individual requests sent out to friends that you think will help.
If you can finish all of this within just three days, you'll receive the three-star rating, 15 Catering Points, 7,500 Cafe Points, 200,000 coins and the Roasted Marshmallows recipe. For finishing within the first five days, you'll receive two stars, 10 Catering Points, 5,000 Cafe Points and 125,000 coins, but remember, you must finish with the three star rating for the free recipe. Finally, finishing at any point after the first five days have passed gives you just one star, 5 Catering Points, 3,000 Cafe Points and 75,000 coins.
This is definitely one of the most labor intensive Catering Orders released so far, so I wish you all the best of luck if you're going for the three-star rating.
What do you think of this Nature Hike Catering Order? Are the requirements too much to ask for such a short period of time, or do you welcome such a tough challenge?
Adventure World Riverfront Rescue Expedition: Everything you need to know
After months in the dense, wet jungle, we can now travel to the dry deserts of Egypt with Indiana Jones in Adventure World. There's a slew of new content available in this equally new territory, with one Expedition being called Riverfront Rescue. Indy's on hand, and you'll be able to travel around this new map-type to help rescue Indy's friend Sallah. As usual, we're here with a guide to help you do just that.
Rescue Sallah!
Recover Sallah's Old Shovel
Recover Sallah's Red Fez
Recover Sallah's Cummerbund
Speak to Sallah
This map is fairly lengthy, and contains new dust clouds that cover areas of the map from your view, which work the same as regular clouds on the Jungle maps. As most of the map is comprised of various shades of tan, feel free to hit the "Show Me" button within this quest menu to have the game pinpoint exactly where each item is.
Snakes and Scropians: Oh My!
Ask friends for 10 Venom Vials
Collect 5 Scorpion Tails
Collect 5 Cobra Teeth
As you interact with the items on this map, Scorpions will automatically appear to fight you, so don't worry if you don't see any at first glance. Meanwhile, Snakes can be spotted in little corners of the map - mostly areas that would wouldn't need to go to if you were just completing the main quest here. Finally, the Venom Vials are earned through a general request posted on your wall. Luckily, you have six days to finish this entire Expedition, if your friends don't help you out on your first time posting. It should also be noted that you need the Venom Vials before you can pick up the Tails and Teeth, as they're contain venom and you need a place to store them (the game physically won't let you pick them up without the vials).
Egyptian Treasure
Get 10 Emerald Scarabs
Get 10 Garnet Scarabs
Get 5 Lapis Pyramids
Enter a Treasure Cave
Instead of Jade and Ruby Vases, or even Azure Skulls as in previous maps, in Egypt, you'll instead be able to find different colors of Scarabs. Some of these are sitting out in the open, in plain view, while others are hidden in sand piles. You'll need a Shovel to dig these up, but don't bother trying to buy one from the store. Remember Sallah's shovel we have to recover for this Expedition? That's right, you'll be able to use it to dig these items out of the sand. Of course, once you remove the sand, you'll still have to spend another energy to pick the item up, so this map becomes pretty energy intensive rather quickly.
If you can finish this entire Expedition in the six days allotted, you'll have rescued Sallah and become even closer with our pal Indy. This is just the first of many adventures you'll have with Indy in Egypt, so keep checking back with us as we give you the details on completing even more of them!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this first Egyptian Expedition in Adventure World? Do you like the changes added to the map (the sand piles and scorpions)?
The Sims Social: Claim your free Hair Spa from Dove
Late last week, Dove and Playfish / EA launched a cross-promotion on Dove's Facebook fan page, offering players of the Sims Social a chance at a free Dove Hair Spa for their Sim's home. Unfortunately, the link to actually claim the item was broken. Skip ahead to today, and we see the link back up and fully functional, so we're here to tell you how to get your very own Dove Hair Spa for free!
If you wish to take part in the cross-promotion manually, you'll need to head over to Dove's Facebook page and click on the link at the bottom of the left-hand column that says "The Sims Social." From there, click on "Get Spa," and you'll be taken to Sims Social proper, where you'll receive your free prize. On the other hand, if you just want the Spa and don't want to go through the extra step, you can also click right here to get your own Dove Hair Spa.
If you do go to Dove's fan page, you'll also see that the Dove cross-promotion isn't stopping at just this. "Coming Soon" are an entire Dove Hair Suite line of items, along with something that will allow us to "Get Inspired with Dove Hair." We'll of course share more details about those two features as we learn them. In the meantime, make sure to claim your free Hair Spa before the link actually does expire for good!
Were you able to get the link to work to claim your free Dove Hair Spa? What sorts of items do you hope are released as part of the other two upcoming Dove cross-promotions?
If you wish to take part in the cross-promotion manually, you'll need to head over to Dove's Facebook page and click on the link at the bottom of the left-hand column that says "The Sims Social." From there, click on "Get Spa," and you'll be taken to Sims Social proper, where you'll receive your free prize. On the other hand, if you just want the Spa and don't want to go through the extra step, you can also click right here to get your own Dove Hair Spa.
If you do go to Dove's fan page, you'll also see that the Dove cross-promotion isn't stopping at just this. "Coming Soon" are an entire Dove Hair Suite line of items, along with something that will allow us to "Get Inspired with Dove Hair." We'll of course share more details about those two features as we learn them. In the meantime, make sure to claim your free Hair Spa before the link actually does expire for good!
Were you able to get the link to work to claim your free Dove Hair Spa? What sorts of items do you hope are released as part of the other two upcoming Dove cross-promotions?
CastleVille Royal Inn and Out Quests: Everything you need to know
A new character has arrived in CastleVille: Kathleen the Shepherdess, who became trapped in the gloom and is now looking for shelter in your Kingdom. Kathleen won't just stay in any old house, however, as you'll need to build her a Royal Inn. This comes via a 13-part quest series in the game called "Inn and Out." There doesn't appear to be a time limit on these quests currently, so feel free to tackle them as you come to them. We'll help you out along the way.
Are You Inn?
Harvest 20 Grapes
Gather 10 Stone
Have 10 Sand
Sand is earned through fishing. Grapes, meanwhile, take just five minutes to grow. When you finish this quest, you'll be given 1,000 coins, 20 XP and the Inn itself.
Inn the Details
Place and Construct the Royal Inn
Have 10 Wood Logs
Collect 4 Bellows
Bellows are earned through a general news post shared with your friends. The Royal Inn, meanwhile, requires eight Wood Planks, five Stone Blocks, two Gold Bricks and three Empty Flasks to construct. Empty Flasks are earned by asking your friends to send them to you.
Once you finish this construction step, you'll need to ask five of your friends to come and work in your Inn to finish the project. When you finish this quest, you'll be rewarded with 1,000 coins and 20 XP.
Inn-Side
Craft an Oven
Provide a Complete Crew for the Royal Inn
Collect from the Inn
As we said above, the Royal Inn requires a crew of five people, so send out individual requests to your neighbors to see if they'll help you out. The Oven, meanwhile, is crafted using two Stone Blocks, two Wood Planks and five Reputation hearts each.
Shelter From the Storm
Tend 10 Flowers
Collect 4 Wash Basins
Have 10 Bottles of Milk
The Milk comes from tending adult cows, while you must tend flowers in your own Kingdom for this to count. When you finish this quest, you'll receive 1,750 coins and 35 XP.
Such Sweet Sorrow
Craft 4 Rope
Harvest 10 Carrots
Tend 20 Animals in Neighbors' Kingdoms
The Rope are crafted using five Flax each. Meanwhile, Carrots take just one hour to grow. While you're waiting for that hour to pass, you can head into your Neighbors' Kingdoms (at least four) and tend animals while there. For finishing this quest, you'll receive another 1,750 coins and 35 XP.
A Bit Sheepish
Banish Gloom Wolf
Tend 4 Sheep
Go Fishing 8 Times
For this quest, tending your friends' sheep does not count, but fishing in your friends' kingdoms does. Still, even if you don't have four sheep ready to feed in your own Kingdom, just buy the ones you need from the store for 1,000 coins each if you don't want to wait. They'll instantly be ready to feed. When you finish this quest, you'll receive 1,000 coins and 20 XP.
Penned In
Craft 8 Wood Fences
Tend Sheep 20 Times
Place 3 Grass from the Market
Grass costs just 100 coins each, while Sheep can be tended around once every hour, depending on how quickly you come back to tend them. Finally, the Wood Fence pieces are created using two Wood Logs each, and the recipe takes just five minutes to finish. That being the case, you could, in theory purchase 20 sheep (if you fed all of your sheep for the previous quests) for 20,000 coins to finish this one quickly, but that might not be worth it in the long run (unless you simply really like sheep). For finishing this quest, you'll receive 1,000 coins, 20 XP and a piece of Stone Wall.
Sleep Tight
Collect 4 Lamp Oil
Gather 10 Wood Logs
Clear 5 Grass or Dead Trees
The Lamp Oils are earned by posting a general news item on your wall. If you're having trouble actually claiming those in your game (that is, your friends are sending them to you, but they're not actually showing up in your game, I'd suggest contacting Zynga support). Finishing this quest gives you 1,750 coins, 35 XP and a Lantern decoration.
Wolves' Clothing
Have 10 Carrots
Collect 3 Wolf Hair
Ask friends for 6 Gloom Wolf Pelts
The Gloom Wolf Pelts can be earned by fishing or posting a general request on your wall. The Wolf Hair comes from attacking wolves, so you can purchase summoning potions in the store for eight Reputation Hearts each. Finally, Carrots take just one hour to grow. For finishing this quest, you'll receive 1,750 coins, 35 XP and an Energy potion.
On the Hunt
Banish 2 Gloom Wolves
Banish Wolf Pack Leader
Tend 4 Sheep
The Wolf Leader has a ton of hit points, so you'll want to craft some Clubs (or other beastie items) to make the process go by faster. You'll receive five energy back when defeating him, which is nice, and you'll also receive 1,000 coins, 20 XP and a Super Clobber item for finishing this quest.
As we said above, this is just part of a 13-part quest series. We'll make sure to bring you the details for finishing the final six quests just as soon as we can, so keep checking back!
What do you think of this Royal Inn Quests so far? Which quest have you made it to?
Are You Inn?
Harvest 20 Grapes
Gather 10 Stone
Have 10 Sand
Sand is earned through fishing. Grapes, meanwhile, take just five minutes to grow. When you finish this quest, you'll be given 1,000 coins, 20 XP and the Inn itself.
Inn the Details
Place and Construct the Royal Inn
Have 10 Wood Logs
Collect 4 Bellows
Bellows are earned through a general news post shared with your friends. The Royal Inn, meanwhile, requires eight Wood Planks, five Stone Blocks, two Gold Bricks and three Empty Flasks to construct. Empty Flasks are earned by asking your friends to send them to you.
Once you finish this construction step, you'll need to ask five of your friends to come and work in your Inn to finish the project. When you finish this quest, you'll be rewarded with 1,000 coins and 20 XP.
Inn-Side
Craft an Oven
Provide a Complete Crew for the Royal Inn
Collect from the Inn
As we said above, the Royal Inn requires a crew of five people, so send out individual requests to your neighbors to see if they'll help you out. The Oven, meanwhile, is crafted using two Stone Blocks, two Wood Planks and five Reputation hearts each.
Shelter From the Storm
Tend 10 Flowers
Collect 4 Wash Basins
Have 10 Bottles of Milk
The Milk comes from tending adult cows, while you must tend flowers in your own Kingdom for this to count. When you finish this quest, you'll receive 1,750 coins and 35 XP.
Such Sweet Sorrow
Craft 4 Rope
Harvest 10 Carrots
Tend 20 Animals in Neighbors' Kingdoms
The Rope are crafted using five Flax each. Meanwhile, Carrots take just one hour to grow. While you're waiting for that hour to pass, you can head into your Neighbors' Kingdoms (at least four) and tend animals while there. For finishing this quest, you'll receive another 1,750 coins and 35 XP.
A Bit Sheepish
Banish Gloom Wolf
Tend 4 Sheep
Go Fishing 8 Times
For this quest, tending your friends' sheep does not count, but fishing in your friends' kingdoms does. Still, even if you don't have four sheep ready to feed in your own Kingdom, just buy the ones you need from the store for 1,000 coins each if you don't want to wait. They'll instantly be ready to feed. When you finish this quest, you'll receive 1,000 coins and 20 XP.
Penned In
Craft 8 Wood Fences
Tend Sheep 20 Times
Place 3 Grass from the Market
Grass costs just 100 coins each, while Sheep can be tended around once every hour, depending on how quickly you come back to tend them. Finally, the Wood Fence pieces are created using two Wood Logs each, and the recipe takes just five minutes to finish. That being the case, you could, in theory purchase 20 sheep (if you fed all of your sheep for the previous quests) for 20,000 coins to finish this one quickly, but that might not be worth it in the long run (unless you simply really like sheep). For finishing this quest, you'll receive 1,000 coins, 20 XP and a piece of Stone Wall.
Sleep Tight
Collect 4 Lamp Oil
Gather 10 Wood Logs
Clear 5 Grass or Dead Trees
The Lamp Oils are earned by posting a general news item on your wall. If you're having trouble actually claiming those in your game (that is, your friends are sending them to you, but they're not actually showing up in your game, I'd suggest contacting Zynga support). Finishing this quest gives you 1,750 coins, 35 XP and a Lantern decoration.
Wolves' Clothing
Have 10 Carrots
Collect 3 Wolf Hair
Ask friends for 6 Gloom Wolf Pelts
The Gloom Wolf Pelts can be earned by fishing or posting a general request on your wall. The Wolf Hair comes from attacking wolves, so you can purchase summoning potions in the store for eight Reputation Hearts each. Finally, Carrots take just one hour to grow. For finishing this quest, you'll receive 1,750 coins, 35 XP and an Energy potion.
On the Hunt
Banish 2 Gloom Wolves
Banish Wolf Pack Leader
Tend 4 Sheep
The Wolf Leader has a ton of hit points, so you'll want to craft some Clubs (or other beastie items) to make the process go by faster. You'll receive five energy back when defeating him, which is nice, and you'll also receive 1,000 coins, 20 XP and a Super Clobber item for finishing this quest.
As we said above, this is just part of a 13-part quest series. We'll make sure to bring you the details for finishing the final six quests just as soon as we can, so keep checking back!
What do you think of this Royal Inn Quests so far? Which quest have you made it to?
CastleVille Chinese New Year contest offers 200 free Crowns
As there are just a few days left to purchase the Chinese New Year themed items in CastleVille's store, what better way to encourage users to purchase them than by offering a contest that will see the first prize winner walking away with 200 Crowns and some in-game fame? That's exactly what's happening on the CastleVille forums this week, as the Chinese New Year Kingdom Contest is going on now, asking you to decorate your Kingdom using Chinese New Year themed items, along with other items that you feel really make your Kingdom "pop."
The CastleVille development team will choose the top ten, and then users will receive a survey to vote for their absolute favorite. The Winner, announced around February 5, will receive 200 Crowns (the game's premium currency), and will have their image posted on the game's fan page for all to see (and admire, of course). Two additional winners (that is, two more players of the top ten) will be picked at random to receive 40 Crowns, so there is no traditional "Second" or "Third" place here.
Unfortunately, many users have claimed that these sorts of contests are popularity contests among the entrants, rather than true tests of each entrant's entry, but perhaps CastleVille is still so new that any sort of mob mentality hasn't broken through yet. Either way, the contest is free to enter, and with that many Crowns at stake, I think it's worth taking a shot at it, don't you?
Will you enter the Chinese New Year Kingdom Contest in CastleVille, or did you already store all of your themed goodies and move on to something else?
The CastleVille development team will choose the top ten, and then users will receive a survey to vote for their absolute favorite. The Winner, announced around February 5, will receive 200 Crowns (the game's premium currency), and will have their image posted on the game's fan page for all to see (and admire, of course). Two additional winners (that is, two more players of the top ten) will be picked at random to receive 40 Crowns, so there is no traditional "Second" or "Third" place here.
Unfortunately, many users have claimed that these sorts of contests are popularity contests among the entrants, rather than true tests of each entrant's entry, but perhaps CastleVille is still so new that any sort of mob mentality hasn't broken through yet. Either way, the contest is free to enter, and with that many Crowns at stake, I think it's worth taking a shot at it, don't you?
Will you enter the Chinese New Year Kingdom Contest in CastleVille, or did you already store all of your themed goodies and move on to something else?
Chủ Nhật, 4 tháng 3, 2012
Get schooled in Scrabble on Facebook, iOS and Android this summer
Now your vocabulary can be dwarfed by, well, everyone. Scrabble by EA has been on iPhone and Facebook for some time, but as two separate experiences. Now, as VentureBeat reports, players from either game can compete against one another in real time, thanks to some Internet alchemy that EA likely wouldn't dare reveal. (Alright, it's probably just a form of Facebook Connect.)
Revealed at EA's Summer Showcase in San Francisco, Scrabble is headed to Android phones next week, meaning word nerds can compete in real time across iOS, Android and Facebook. The company also revealed that Restaurant City is coming to iOS devices as well.
Another interesting bit that EA unveiled is real-time multiplayer in FIFA 2012 for iOS using two iPhones as controllers and an iPad as the game screen. You know, for when gaming on a single expensive device just isn't enough. Check out the video below to see how Scrabble works across platforms in real time.
[Image Credit: Moshe Jacobson]
Are you excited to test your friends' wordsmithery from both Facebook and your smartphone in real time? What other EA mobile games shown at the Showcase are you psyched about?
Revealed at EA's Summer Showcase in San Francisco, Scrabble is headed to Android phones next week, meaning word nerds can compete in real time across iOS, Android and Facebook. The company also revealed that Restaurant City is coming to iOS devices as well.
Another interesting bit that EA unveiled is real-time multiplayer in FIFA 2012 for iOS using two iPhones as controllers and an iPad as the game screen. You know, for when gaming on a single expensive device just isn't enough. Check out the video below to see how Scrabble works across platforms in real time.
[Image Credit: Moshe Jacobson]
Are you excited to test your friends' wordsmithery from both Facebook and your smartphone in real time? What other EA mobile games shown at the Showcase are you psyched about?
Zynga buys Five Mobile, crosses the border to create Zynga Toronto
You heard that right: Zynga has purchased its 15th company in just 13 months, Toronto-based Five Mobile. The Canadian mobile app developer will now be known as Zynga Toronto, and will bring a number of its assets and intellectual property into the FarmVille maker's stable of games. While financial details of the deal haven't been disclosed, what we do know is that the new studio will be led by Five Mobile founders Ameet Shah, Jeff Zakrzewski, Oliver Tabay, and Troy Hubman.
Shah, likely the manager of Zynga Toronto, will report to Zynga mobile team head David Ko. Zynga has been all about mobile recently with the releases of Hanging with Friends and CityVille Hometown, and rightfully so. Mobile games were just found to be the most popular type of app.
Zynga buys Five Mobile
Not to mention how many competitors it has in mobile already from Playdom to EA and Japanese companies like Gree and DeNA. And if these Canadian developers are capable of anything like what Frima Studio did with Pocket God on Facebook, color us very, very excited for Zynga Toronto's work.
[Image Credit: Travels]
What do you hope Zynga plans to do with Five Mobile specifically? Does Zynga have a chance of winning the mobile race?
Shah, likely the manager of Zynga Toronto, will report to Zynga mobile team head David Ko. Zynga has been all about mobile recently with the releases of Hanging with Friends and CityVille Hometown, and rightfully so. Mobile games were just found to be the most popular type of app.
Zynga buys Five Mobile
Not to mention how many competitors it has in mobile already from Playdom to EA and Japanese companies like Gree and DeNA. And if these Canadian developers are capable of anything like what Frima Studio did with Pocket God on Facebook, color us very, very excited for Zynga Toronto's work.
[Image Credit: Travels]
What do you hope Zynga plans to do with Five Mobile specifically? Does Zynga have a chance of winning the mobile race?
Is Zynga shaking in its boots yet? Probably not, but the next major move by Japanese competitor DeNA might make the San Francisco-based red dog snarl. DeNA, who recently acquired American developer Ngmoco for $400 million to help with the global expansion of its Mobage mobile social games platform, will initiate phase one this month. Reuters reports that the game publisher will soon go global with a Mobage app for Android devices everywhere.
In an interview recently, DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu revealed plans to expand into Europe and other parts of Asia through acquisitions, though the company is also in talks with overseas mobile carriers to provide easier access to and payment support for DeNA games. A Chinese version of the Mobage Android app is coming this summer as well.
It might be a smart move to go for a wider platform like Android to start a global mobile games network, but it's only a matter of time before Mobage must head to iPhones and iPads. When it comes to mobile gaming, we all know that the App Store is where the action is. And if DeNA can swoop in and provide games that knock the likes of Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja off of their thrones, then more power to them.
[Image Credit: Octoba]
Are you going to try Mobage for you mobile gaming fix when it releases around the world? Do you think Mobage has a chance of beating Zynga to the punch in mobile games?
In an interview recently, DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu revealed plans to expand into Europe and other parts of Asia through acquisitions, though the company is also in talks with overseas mobile carriers to provide easier access to and payment support for DeNA games. A Chinese version of the Mobage Android app is coming this summer as well.
It might be a smart move to go for a wider platform like Android to start a global mobile games network, but it's only a matter of time before Mobage must head to iPhones and iPads. When it comes to mobile gaming, we all know that the App Store is where the action is. And if DeNA can swoop in and provide games that knock the likes of Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja off of their thrones, then more power to them.
[Image Credit: Octoba]
Are you going to try Mobage for you mobile gaming fix when it releases around the world? Do you think Mobage has a chance of beating Zynga to the punch in mobile games?
DeNA prepares global (mobile games) domination with Mobage Android
Is Zynga shaking in its boots yet? Probably not, but the next major move by Japanese competitor DeNA might make the San Francisco-based red dog snarl. DeNA, who recently acquired American developer Ngmoco for $400 million to help with the global expansion of its Mobage mobile social games platform, will initiate phase one this month. Reuters reports that the game publisher will soon go global with a Mobage app for Android devices everywhere.
In an interview recently, DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu revealed plans to expand into Europe and other parts of Asia through acquisitions, though the company is also in talks with overseas mobile carriers to provide easier access to and payment support for DeNA games. A Chinese version of the Mobage Android app is coming this summer as well.
It might be a smart move to go for a wider platform like Android to start a global mobile games network, but it's only a matter of time before Mobage must head to iPhones and iPads. When it comes to mobile gaming, we all know that the App Store is where the action is. And if DeNA can swoop in and provide games that knock the likes of Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja off of their thrones, then more power to them.
[Image Credit: Octoba]
Are you going to try Mobage for you mobile gaming fix when it releases around the world? Do you think Mobage has a chance of beating Zynga to the punch in mobile games?
In an interview recently, DeNA CEO Isao Moriyasu revealed plans to expand into Europe and other parts of Asia through acquisitions, though the company is also in talks with overseas mobile carriers to provide easier access to and payment support for DeNA games. A Chinese version of the Mobage Android app is coming this summer as well.
It might be a smart move to go for a wider platform like Android to start a global mobile games network, but it's only a matter of time before Mobage must head to iPhones and iPads. When it comes to mobile gaming, we all know that the App Store is where the action is. And if DeNA can swoop in and provide games that knock the likes of Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja off of their thrones, then more power to them.
[Image Credit: Octoba]
Are you going to try Mobage for you mobile gaming fix when it releases around the world? Do you think Mobage has a chance of beating Zynga to the punch in mobile games?
Bigpoint, Spil Games try the Facebook alternative: The Buddy System
Facebook is the largest social game platform out there, so what do you do when you can't beat 'em? Shack up with somebody else, that's what. And that's exactly what Bigpoint, the developer behind hit MMOs like Battlestar Galactica Online and most recently RamaCity (a blatant competitor to CityVille by Zynga), has opted for. The Hamburg, Germany-based developer has joined forces with Spil Games, based in the Netherlands, to increase its potential player base to 130 million players.
"We're thrilled to bring our already hugely successful game ZooMumba to Spil's platform," Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz said in a release. "Spil's audience of like-minded gamers is unique in the industry. We're certain this collaboration will ensure high amounts of exposure to ZooMumba and more of our games in the future."
Bigpoint will first take a dive on the deal with ZooMumba, its hit zoo-keeping social game, though there are other Bigpoint games headed for Spil Games' collection of European and Asian social gaming websites, according to a release. Considering Facebook's arguable stranglehold on game developers with its new Credits initiative, it's tough to blame companies for making partnerships to avoid it (and its 30 percent cut). It makes one wonder what Zynga might do ... in five years.
[Image Credit: Bigpoint]
Have you ever played ZooMumba? Do you think this strategy will work for developers looking to avoid that cut Facebook is taking from developers on sales?
"We're thrilled to bring our already hugely successful game ZooMumba to Spil's platform," Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz said in a release. "Spil's audience of like-minded gamers is unique in the industry. We're certain this collaboration will ensure high amounts of exposure to ZooMumba and more of our games in the future."
Bigpoint will first take a dive on the deal with ZooMumba, its hit zoo-keeping social game, though there are other Bigpoint games headed for Spil Games' collection of European and Asian social gaming websites, according to a release. Considering Facebook's arguable stranglehold on game developers with its new Credits initiative, it's tough to blame companies for making partnerships to avoid it (and its 30 percent cut). It makes one wonder what Zynga might do ... in five years.
[Image Credit: Bigpoint]
Have you ever played ZooMumba? Do you think this strategy will work for developers looking to avoid that cut Facebook is taking from developers on sales?
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