Games.com Blog: “Zynga's Snoop Dogg Mafia Wars stunt almost gets whacked” plus 19 more

Games.com Blog: “Zynga's Snoop Dogg Mafia Wars stunt almost gets whacked” plus 19 more

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Zynga's Snoop Dogg Mafia Wars stunt almost gets whacked

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 03:00 PM PDT

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snoop dog mafia wars

The massively hyped Mafia Wars stunt in which Zynga hired Snoop Dogg to blow up an armored truck during a live webcast nearly ended up sleeping with the fishes. A particularly notable outcome, as the event took place in the middle of the Nevada dessert.

To be fair, live broadcasts are always unpredictable, and what happened here should be a cautionary tale to all. The Zynga webcast started out with a few audio problems in the run-up to the big finale, but once Snoop Dogg showed up, shortly after 9:00pm ET, things seemed like they were going to go smoothly.

The rapper and a Zynga rep stood side by side, staring out at the distant armored truck, when a pyrotechnic expert handed Snoop the trigger device for the explosive-packed vehicle. As the countdown began, everything seemed to shift into slow motion.

The main camera focused on the truck, with Snoop standing off to the side. It sounded like a second camera was set up nearby, as -- just before setting off the explosion -- an off-screen voice told Snoop to move over, as he was blocking the other camera's view.

The roughly 300,000 viewers who had tuned in to see this live event must have been watching their monitors with their mouths agape, as Snoop stepped aside and directly into the path of the main camera as he pressed the button. The upshot -- the truck was completely blocked from view as the explosion was set off, with the massive fireball barely visible around the edges of the rapper's body.

Fortunately, a split-second later, someone on-site switched the live feed to the aforementioned second camera, and the Web audience was able to see most of the blast from that alternate view, literally saving the day for all involved. The effect was still impressive, but clearly the camera angles and talent staging were not blocked out properly beforehand.

Watch the video clip below for a pulse-pounding example on how a very expensive publicity stunt can potentially go horribly wrong at the last minute.

 

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Mafia Wars blows up armored truck: Before and after pics

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 02:23 PM PDT

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Tonight, Mafia Wars blew up an armored truck in a publicity stunt for the new Las Vegas expansion. Here are the before and after pics of the truck.

Before:




After:


mafia wars truck aftermath

Let's just say nobody's going to be driving this thing back out of the desert.

 

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Mafia Wars taps Snoop Dogg for explosive publicity stunt (Watch it live at 9 p.m. EST, right here!)

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 01:00 PM PDT

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Streaming live video by Ustream

Update (8 p.m.) Watch Snoop light up the armored truck LIVE at 9 p.m. EST, right here!


snoop dog blowin it up

It's official -- there's nothing rapper Snoop Dogg won't do. But seriously, August 19 (tonight) at 9 p.m. EST, the D-O-Double G will be on hand to light up the armored truck in honor of Mafia Wars Vegas reaching 10 million players. You will be able to watch the big bang streamed live from inside the game.

Fingers crossed that the truck will explode in a way that's worthy of Michael Bay, but even if it's a dud, this will easily go down as the hottest Facebook game publicity stunt in history.
snoop blowing it up

Are you planning to tune in to watch the armored truck go up in flames?

 

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FrontierVille storage shed coming soon to a homestead near you

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 11:30 AM PDT

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frontierville storage shed
Already got too much stuff cluttering your newly settled homestead? You'll soon be able to alleviate that with a new storage shed, that -- as implied in this teaser graphic -- you'll have to collect (or buy) materials to build.

Funny, looks like FrontierVille is taking lots of notes from FarmVille -- there's a buildable chicken coop, now storage -- how soon until we can harvest more crops at once using a team of high-powered mules?

Stay tuned for more details as soon as we got 'em.

 

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FarmVille Storage Cellar: Everything You Need to Know

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 11:10 AM PDT

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farmville cellar

FarmVille's Underground Storage has arrived! Please note, that this new feature is not yet available to all farmers. In the future everyone will have access to Storage Cellars. Storage Cellars will increase your storage space to a maximum of 500 items!!!

Storage Cellar

  • Storage Space: 500 items
  • Level Requirement: Level 16 farmers and above
  • Cost: Everyone will receive 1 free Storage Cellar in your Gift Box or purchased for 10,000 Coins.
The Storage Cellars will require a building process that requires the help of your FarmVille neighbors. The Storage Cellar building will work similarly to other FarmVille events such as Spring Eggs and the most recent Tuscan Wedding Event, in that after you collect a certain amount of materials, in this case Shovels, you can redeem for exclusive prizes! (See prize spoilers below).

Start by placing your Cellar on your farm and begin by "Looking Inside" to view your progress, your friends' progress, and to also view your inventory or "Ask for More".

Shovels

You will need to collect Shovels to increase your Storage Cellar's capacity.
  • Each Shovel will count as one Storage space in your Storage Cellar.
FarmVille Storage Cellage and 10 Shovels
You can collect Shovels the following three ways:

  1. Neighbors send you Shovels via the Free Gifts Page.
  2. "Ask for More" Button, in which you ask specific FarmVille friends for Shovels.
  3. Purchase Shovels with Farm Cash.
FarmVille Storage Cellar Prizes

Confirmed Cellar Prizes:
  • Mole - 20 Points
  • Crystal Rock - 40 Points
  • Miner Sheep - 60 Points
  • Cave Gnome - 120 Points
  • Antique Tractor - 200 Points
FarmVille Underground Storage Cellar seen on farm
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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Rummikub: Another classic board game gets the Facebook treatment

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 11:00 AM PDT

rummikub on facebook

Scrabble has been out on Facebook for, well, what seems like forever and now another classic board game is getting the social gaming treatment. The game Rummikub (pronounced 'Rummy-cube') has made the jump to Facebook, bringing along with it the same tile-swapping madness with a few socialized elements like video chat and the ability to send animated virtual gifts to fellow players.rummikub on facebook


If the first thought after reading this is "Rummy-wha?" here's a general idea on how the game works. Each player gets a handful of tiles (each with colored numbers on them) and the goal is to be the person to get rid of them first by laying them down on the board in either numerical order or in sets of the same numbers. You can also swap tiles that have already been played to make new sets later in the game. For more details on the Rummikub rules, go here. It's actually a lot like Scrabble, but instead of making words on a board, you're creating sets of numbers.

rummikub virtual gifts

I gave the game a short test drive, and as a Rummikub virgin, it was a little difficult to get into the swing of things without being able to play against a computer opponent first. It looks like that will be an option at some point (there's a Play With Robots button in the main menu that's not active yet), but I was impressed how quickly you are matched with fellow players, and it was easy to send everyone at your table virtual gifts (a toast, good luck wishes, a kiss, if you're feeling sassy) in between turns.

rummikub on facebook

The game allows you to start and customize your own room and those customization options will be extended at an unspecified point in the future. Rummikub.com also offers an almost identical version of this game, so if you've played the game there, the Facebook version will be instantly familiar. You'll start the game out with a certain number of coins, called Joker Credits, which can be used to send certain gifts or buy a new background for the room you're playing in, and when you run out, you can purchase more using real-life cash. It's not clear if you can earn more Joker Credits by winning a game (I haven't won one yet!), so stay tuned.

rummikub joker credits

So, if you like Rummikub in real-life but don't have anyone to play it with or just want to try a game that doesn't involve planting and plowing crops on Facebook, give this classic game a whirl. But, I that recommendation comes with a warning. Before you play, make sure you can spare 15 minutes or so playing the game. Unlike FarmVille, you're pitted against live opponents, and quitting the game will spoil the tile-swapping fun for everyone.

Play Rummikub on Facebook now >

 

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FarmVille Underground Cellar Shovels Giftable

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 10:00 AM PDT

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FarmVille Cellar Shovels Gift
Looks like FarmVille will be releasing the underground Cellars very soon! Several FarmVille Freaks have reported being able to gift 2 Shovels as well as receive them. However, you can not use them at this time.
FarmVille 2 Shovels notice
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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Happy Aquarium spotlights the friendliest sharks you'll ever meet

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 09:30 AM PDT

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Happy Aquarium Wobbegong Shark, Whale Shark, Nurse Shark, and Zebra Shark
Four new Limited Edition fish landed in Happy Aquarium this week, and they're not only all sharks, but they're the nicest sharks you'll ever meet. They aren't made-up, like the Rare Rainbow Shark was, though you gotta admit, the Rainbow Shark is pretty awesome. And this isn't based on dumb PR copy to sell the creatures.

The fact of the matter is that the Wobbegong Shark, Whale Shark, Nurse Shark, and the Zebra Shark are some of the most harmless shark species on Earth. In Australia, they make fish and chips out of the Wobbegong! The Whale Shark isn't a whale, but it certainly acts and eats like one. The Nurse Shark swims slow as a slug and prefers chowing on shellfish and stingrays. And the Zebra Shark only grow to a maximum of 8 feet; they're also used to being doted on by underwater tourists. All this proves that Crowdstar did their research when they chose these sharks for the game.

That said, the Wobbegong and Zebra Shark are both 79 Pearls or 66 Facebook Credits ($6.60 USD). Whale Shark costs 60 Pearls or 50 FB Credits ($5 FB Credits), while the Nurse Shark goes for 68 Pearls or 57 FB Credits ($5.70 USD).

 

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Happy Aquarium: Heart-Shaped Blowfish Parents spawn in multiple colors

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 09:00 AM PDT

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Happy Aquarium Heart-Shaped Blowfish Babies
Breeding Happy Aquarium's latest premium Heart-Shaped Blowfish can lead to five gorgeous animated and colored offspring, as seen above. But there's a catch, both parents -- Pink and Blue -- can only be mated using Pearls (the game hasn't said how much) which is the game's premium currency.
Happy Aquarium Pink and Blue Heart-Shaped Blowfish
Moreover, the parents themselves are premium fish that each require 69 Pearls or 58 Facebook Credits ($5.80 USD) to buy. It's also important to note that unlike Happy Pets, you're not mixing-and-matching colors. Instead, you're breeding to collect the set of five colors that are available.

Are the blowfish worth it? Well, the addition of multiple colors is certainly a great idea. FYI, the Pink Heart-Shaped Blowfish was originally released as a Limited Edition item, so it's nice to see it make a comeback as a breedable. But it all comes down to what you're willing to pay. I know one thing though, a lot of players think that if you've gotta pay Pearls for the parents and pay Pearls to mate for babies, it's only fair that players get to sell off the parents and babies for Pearls!

 

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FarmVille: First look at the new Crafting Mastery Signs

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 08:30 AM PDT

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FarmVille Crafting Mastery Information
Thank you to FarmVille Freak BobSmith007 at FVNation for sending us these unreleased FarmVille Crafting Mastery Signs! We have all 45 of them plus the stars associated with them, but we decided just to post a few!
FarmVille Crafting Mastery Signs
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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What should be the next FarmVille Dog?

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 08:00 AM PDT

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FarmVille Freak Daremek Dobermans
Since the release of the FarmVille Dog, several breeds have been added, but farmers are still asking for more. Everyone wants their favorite breed to be represented in FarmVille.

Currently you can choose from:
  • Border Collie
  • Terrier
  • Golden Retriever
  • Heeler
  • St. Bernard

According to a recent unreleased item that surfaced, we know that Pitbulls could be coming soon. FarmVille Freak Daremek is hopeful that Dobermans will one day be released and took it upon himself to edit his own rendering of Dobermans in FarmVille just to see what they could look like on the farm! Note, the Doberman as seen in the picture is not an unreleased item. They are for creative purposes only.

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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Get Playfish Cash and a deal at Gap with Groupon

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:57 AM PDT

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Through their third party offer partner, TrialPay, all EA/Playfish games are currently offering a fantastic Groupon deal that will not only earn you $25 off any Gap apparel, but will also give 35 Playfish Cash. According to TechCrunch, this national deal has been spreading like wildfire, expecting to sell over 700,000 Groupons by the end of the day. If you log in to your favorite Playfish game such as Hotel City or FIFA Superstars, you can make the purchase and get a bonus of 35 Playfish Cash. This isn't a bad deal at all, especially since Groupon is known for being a legitimate place to take part in daily deals and get major discounts on services and retail stores.

This is an example of how marketing on the web has a real place within the social games space. Playfish get a cut of the purchase, TrialPay gets a cut of the purchase, Groupon gets a cut, and Gap gets a cut - meanwhile you, the consumer, get discounted Gap goods and a bonus of Playfish Cash to spend in Playfish games on Facebook. Everyone wins!

Playfish Cash is valid in all Playfish games, and this deal is only available today.

 

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FarmVille Unreleased White Appaloosa, Mole, Gold Truffle, & Black Truffle

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:54 AM PDT

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Thank you to FarmVille Freak Teresa for finding these unreleased FarmVille White Appaloosa, Mole, Gold Truffle, & Black Truffle items!
White Appaloosa, Mole, Gold Truffle, & Black Truffle
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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FarmVille Unreleased Adoptable Brown Longhorn Calf

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:52 AM PDT

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Thank you to FarmVille Freak Teresa for finding this unreleased FarmVille Adoptable Brown Longhorn Calf!
FarmVille Unreleased Adoptable Brown Longhorn Calf
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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FarmVille Unreleased Wild West Hotel, Poolhouse, Vintage Tractor V2, & Crystal Rock

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:50 AM PDT

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Thank you to FarmVille Freak Teresa for finding these unreleased FarmVille Wild West Hotel, Poolhouse, Vintage Tractor V2, & Crystal Rock items!
FarmVille Unreleased Wild West Hotel, Poolhouse, Vintage Tractor V2, & Crystal Rock
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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Zynga Launched 'Zynga Poker' in Asia Today

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:45 AM PDT

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Zynga, the developers of FarmVille, launched their version of Texas Hold 'Em game titled Zynga Poker across Asia for Asian Facebook users today.

The game will be available in Mandarin. While the game will be accessible in Taiwan and Hong Kong tomorrow, residents living in mainland China will be left out because of the Chinese government's ban and censorship on Facebook.

Zynga Poker has over "25 million players monthly"reaching users world wide. Since the "number eight is considered to be lucky in Chinese culture," Zynga has customized Zynga Poker for its Asian audience by making jackpots "$880,000, and any player signing up for a new account will start with $8,888″. Even today's launch date of 8/18 was calculated by Zynga.

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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Zoo Paradise releases Nine Tailed Foxes with growable tails

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:43 AM PDT

Zoo Paradise Nine Tailed Foxes
Crowdstar's hit Zoo Paradise released a pair of sly foxes today in two different colors, and they're not just any regular fox. These foxes start out with just one tail and as you feed them and care for them every day, they grow additional tails! Not exactly realistic, but definitely an interesting concept that players might actually be fond of. They also become more valuable the more tails they have, as each additional tail provides more XP and coins when you feed them. To feed them, you simply have to come back every day and click on them to make sure they're satisfied.

The Nine Tailed Fox costs a whopping 99 Facebook Credits, and the White Nine Tailed Fox costs 89 Facebook Credits. We happen to think the white one is cuter, so we're surprised it is the cheaper one! There are only 5500 white foxes available as of this writing, and the regular brown fox has no limit to the amount available.

 

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FarmVille Unreleased: Gnome Caveman, Vintage Tractor, Pigpen Phase I, & Pigpen Phase II

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:30 AM PDT

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Thank you to FarmVille Freak Teresa for finding these Unreleased FarmVille Gnome Caveman, Vintage Tractor, Pigpen Phase I, & Pigpen Phase II!
FarmVille Unreleased: Gnome Caveman, Vintage Tractor, Pigpen Phase I, & Pigpen Phase II
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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FarmVille: Latest unreleased items show Underground Storage is coming

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:15 AM PDT

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Thank you to FarmVille Freak Teresa for finding these unreleased FarmVille Underground Storage Phase 1/2/3, Shovel, Locked Cellar, & Cellar Shovel!
FarmVille Unreleased Underground Storage Phase 1/2/3, Shovel, Locked Cellar, & Cellar Shovel
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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FarmVille Unreleased: Armadillo, Longhorn Brown, & Pitbull Puppy

Posted: 19 Aug 2010 07:10 AM PDT

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Thank you to FarmVille Freak Teresa for finding these unreleased FarmVille Armadillo, Longhorn Brown, & Pitbull Puppy!
FarmVille Unreleased: Armadillo, Longhorn Brown, & Pitbull Puppy
Sure to be a FarmGoddess' favorite, could the Pitbull Puppy be a representation of Zynga's mascot?

This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.

 

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