Games.com Blog: “PetVille: 6 free Pet Cash for watching Despicable Me and Best Buy promo” plus 16 more |  |
- PetVille: 6 free Pet Cash for watching Despicable Me and Best Buy promo
- Nintendo's management sees games for health
- FarmVille Mystery Game Updated with New Prizes
- FarmVille Loading Issues: Round Shaded Circles
- Quote of the moment: So simple, only a casual can do it
- FrontierVille Water Decorations make a summer splash
- Penny Drop: New Facebook 'social game' helps players save money
- Sorry, vamps, City of Eternals will be getting no more updates
- Big Fish's Everest: Hidden Expedition ascends to iPad
- Mafia Wars Las Vegas opens the velvet rope for VIPs only
- FarmVille Crafting Buildings Guide
- Pet Society: Ice Cream Stand churns out six kitty-covered summer treats
- FarmVille Limited Edition New England Decor: Marsh Pond, Rose Fence & White Lawn Chairs
- FarmVille Fan Sheep Changes Appearance
- Cow Clicker breaks down social games, misses the point
- OMGPOP fending off buyout offers for its 3 million users
- PoweRBrands: The Facebook marketing game about marketing
| PetVille: 6 free Pet Cash for watching Despicable Me and Best Buy promo Posted: 22 Jul 2010 09:00 AM PDT Filed under: PetVille  That all sounds a bit too pushy for an app. However, the best part is that the app comes with a translator that translates what the little yellow Minions in the film are saying. To get your 6 free Pet Cash, all you have to do is answer three simple questions. You don't have to pay attention to the video. You don't even have to get any of the questions right. For a preview of all the questions and results, see below.  Look at how cute that Minion is. And whoa, 23% of the people who took this either couldn't read or couldn't care.  This is probably as tricky as these questions will ever get. Minions are very disposable, but they're also indispensable for world conquest. This film isn't about them though, but their supervillain boss Gru (played by Steve Carrell).  Wow, 92%! It's like, by question 3, everyone's getting with the program.  Not too tough at all, was it? The Minion is too short to pat you on the back, but a thumbs up will do. And that's all you need for grabbing your 6 free Pet Cash.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments     | ||||||||||||
| Nintendo's management sees games for health Posted: 22 Jul 2010 08:50 AM PDT  She recalls talking to Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto, the Japanese company's chief executive and creative director, respectively. Their country had a society with an aging population, and busy people focused on careers. Kaplan describes the "whole pack of middle-aged folks," in Japan, and Miyamoto and Iwata saying they would continue to make games for the youth, but asking each other: "What kind of games are there for us to play?" Part of aging is keeping your mind sharp, says Kaplan. As the company explored options and business opportunities, BrainAge was create to appeal to that aging population in a society with less and less time. "Ultimately, Mr Miyamoto's dream was to have a controller that between you and TV would disappear," reveals Kaplin. Controllers had too many buttons, and people didn't want to try complex devices. "He was going the reverse way. He wanted just one button." "After many years, that came true," continues Kaplan, saying it "ultimately came down to this sleek Wiimote." Kaplan says that the Wii, the DS, and Microsoft's Kinect offering pick-up-and-play that makes them succeed. She recalls the time when Iwata wanted her to play tennis on the new controller but she didn't think she'd like it. Then she tried it. "I couldn't stop playing. It was precise. It was part of me. I knew at that time, we were on to something." Something beyond games. The purpose wasn't to walk away from the in-depth games, says Kaplin, but to keep people inspired. She says the marketing efforts for Wii revolved around the desire to appeal to all ages. Some promotional parties required children, parents, and grandparents. "We witnessed cases where there were tears, because it was bringing people together." Eventually, Nintendo was able to get Wii units into nursing homes. To Kaplan, that shows a nature to videogames that have real-world benefits for health and happiness - a cause Kaplan sees as both important, and growing.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| FarmVille Mystery Game Updated with New Prizes Posted: 22 Jul 2010 07:30 AM PDT Filed under: Farmville  Last week, the first Mystery Game prizes had various degrees of rarity. For example, the Black Stallion was the most rare prize. However, this time the most rare prize will yield not just one, but TWO animals! Meaning, if you win, ___ the most rare animal, you will be rewarded with two for one balloon pop! The following are confirmed current Mystery Game Prizes (07.22.10): Parrot Swing, Crane, African Gray Bird, and Bird Fountain. You can play a Mystery Game for 20 FV$ by accessing it through the FarmVille Market. This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| FarmVille Loading Issues: Round Shaded Circles Posted: 22 Jul 2010 07:15 AM PDT Filed under: Farmville   Has this happened to you or is your farm loading up just fine? This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| Quote of the moment: So simple, only a casual can do it Posted: 22 Jul 2010 07:00 AM PDT Filed under: FrontierVille  "This game is too casual for us hardcore gamers. It's probably so obvious how to accept a request, but hell if I can figure it out. I sent you a goat, though."-Destructoid's Nick Chester comments on he and his co-workers' inability to accept a simple neighbor request in Zynga's Frontierville. As fellow Destructoid player Jim Sterling added later: "As hardcore gamers, we don't expect to be shunted around an archaic menu system, waiting for a brand new screen to load every single time we want to interact with someone or something. It's frustrating and it's a waste of time, and as you've seen here, it's such an alien concept to us that we actually didn't understand how to deal with it."
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| FrontierVille Water Decorations make a summer splash Posted: 22 Jul 2010 06:43 AM PDT Filed under: FrontierVille  Unfortunately, the most desirable items cost Horseshoes leaving us non-spenders with little to work with. Nonetheless, the water decorations are pretty cool, so continue reading to see a complete listing of the update.
 Watering Can - 500 Coins, 5 XPSwimmin' Hole - 2000 Coins, 20 XP Ducky Hot Tub - 18 Horseshoes, 108 XP Geyser - 15 Horseshoes, 90 XP Frontier Fountain - 20 Horseshoes, 120 XP Bird Bath - 750 Coins, 7 XP White Bird Bath - 750 Coins, 7 XP Waterfall - 55 Horseshoes, 330 XP White Frog Pond - 25 Horseshoes, 150 XP Iron Fountain - 200 Coins, 2 XP Hot Tub - 18 Horseshoes, 108 XP Frog Pond - 25 Horseshoes, 150 XP Many of the water decorations are only available for a limited time so head over to FrontierVille soon to check them out. My personal favorite is the waterfall, the rainbow in the back is an excellent touch. Plus, all the tall grass and dried out animal carcasses make my frontier town feel extremely dry and arid. Any one of these water decorations would do wonders to remedy the situation, but the waterfall does it the most beautifully. Click here to play FrontierVille>
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| Penny Drop: New Facebook 'social game' helps players save money Posted: 22 Jul 2010 06:30 AM PDT      
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| Sorry, vamps, City of Eternals will be getting no more updates Posted: 22 Jul 2010 06:00 AM PDT  City of Eternals, the vampire-themed role-playing game on Facebook, isn't exactly getting the stake, but in a talk at Casual Connect conference in Seattle, ohai founder Susan Wu says the MMO won't be getting any more updates. Wu says the game, which has roughly 4K users according to its Facebook page, is serving as a "test case" for the company's next projects, including the already announced Project Unicorn Parade. Looks like there haven't been updates to the game for some time, and players seem to be catching on. On the City of Eternals Facebook fan page, Daniela La Dan writes: Another player, Samantha Ohrman, writes: Here's a longer rant from CoE player Calan on the game's official message boards. This highlights the importance thinking before opening your wallet to buy virtual items in a game that might not be around for long. It's also a call to game developers to do a better job of communicating these changes to devoted players and possibly consider giving some form of compensation to big spenders, also called 'whales,' so they don't feel ripped off, pissed off and swear off social games altogether.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| Big Fish's Everest: Hidden Expedition ascends to iPad Posted: 22 Jul 2010 05:00 AM PDT  Hidden object games, generally adventure games with puzzles that require you to find objects hidden in an environment (think Where's Waldo, but with lush environments and relaxing music) is one of the most popular casual game genres on the market. And Big Fish Games makes some of the best hidden object games out there, with brands like Mystery Case Files and Hidden Expedition under its belt. Today, Big Fish announces the release of Everest: Hidden Expedition for iPad. In the game, which has already been released for PC and iPhone, you tackle a virtual version of Mount Everest by making your way through 30-some-odd hidden object games as you climb to the top. Mountaineer Ed Viesturs (remember the Everest IMAX movie? he was in that), doles out advice along the way, and as a bonus, the game includes real-life photos from Viesturs' Everest climb. There's a single-player mode and a competitive multiplayer mode where you can flick snowballs across the screen to slow down your opponent's progress. Everest: Hidden Expedition HD is available for $6.99 starting today on the iTunes App store. Race ya to the top! Note: Image above is from the PC version of the game.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| Mafia Wars Las Vegas opens the velvet rope for VIPs only Posted: 22 Jul 2010 04:30 AM PDT Filed under: Mafia Wars  Mafia Wars Las Vegas is officially open for business for VIP players, i.e. virtual mobsters who scored early access to the game by collecting Chip Racks as gifts from friends and then trying their luck to get in. If you are a VIP, then it's time to head to Vegas, baby! Developing... Did you get into Mafia Wars Vegas yet? What do you think? If you got 'em, send pictures to libe@games.com, and they'll be featured here.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| FarmVille Crafting Buildings Guide Posted: 22 Jul 2010 04:15 AM PDT Filed under: Farmville  NOTE: FarmVille is slowly rolling out this feature for everyone over the next few days. Not everyone will be able to access Crafting Buildings at this point.FarmVille Freak Crafting Building Guide Previous to their official release, FarmVille and FarmVille Freak referred to Crafting Buildings as "Crafting Cottages". The name was changed to Crafting Buildings upon their release. Crafting Buildings are accessible to Level 25 Farmers. Level 25 farmers and above will be albe to turn their Bushels into Crafted Goods to use with the Crafting Building. Upon logging into FarmVille, you will see a pop-up that alerts you that Crafting Buildings have arrived and if you did not participate in the "Crafting Cottage Preview," you will have a new opportunity to pick your building. Step 1: Pick your profession by choosing the coordinating Crafting Building.You have three choices: 1. The Winery - Make Wine 2. Bakery - Make Baked Goods 3. Spa - Make Perfume * Each building has its own unique set of recipes you can use to create crafted goods. * You can view how many of your FarmVille neighbors picked each specific building (as shown below).  For those who have already chosen a Crafting Building by participating in the Preview, you will be prompted with a different pop-up. At this point you will have the chance to change the Crafting Building you initially selected or keep the one you already chose. Step 2: Placing your Crafting Building on your Farm. Upon placing your building, you can share a FaceBook newsfeed that will inform your friends of your new business and give them the opportunity to adopt some supplies. The first 5 neighbors who click on this feed within 24 hours will receive 1 of the following items: (Note: Item depends on the Craft you have chosen). * Baker : Level 10 Triple Berry Pie * Spa Host: Level 10 Relaxation Candle * Wine Maker: Level 10 Tropical Wine Your Buildings Recipe menu will automatically appear after posting the newsfeed notice.  * Everyone will start with one Level 10 Good that is 1 minute from completion. * Clicking on "Make a good" will bring you to your recipes menu. * Your recipe to make a Good will depend on the profession you selected. * Click "Make it" from the bottom of the menu to create your Good. Recipes will require you to have Goods. Goods will require you to collect Bushels from your friends, because Bushels are the key ingredients for Goods. Remember, that you can obtain Bushels the following ways: How to Obtain Bushels: 1. Harvesting your own Bushels from crops you have planted. 2. Visiting your neighbors' Market Stalls. 3. "Adopting" Bushels via the Facebook newsfeed from your friends. After "Making your Good" it will need time to Cook. Clicking the "Finish it" button will complete the Level 10 Good. It is now ready to use for your Recipe.   * Clicking on "Goods I am selling" from the crafting menu displays the goods you currently have for sale. * Selling goods improves existing Recipes and unlocks new ones! * Each time you sell a good to your Neighbors, you will receive 1 Recipe XP. * Access your "Sales Report"at the bottom of the menu. This report shows you what Goods you have sold and how many were purchased. * If neighbors purchased from your store while you were away, a bouncing arrow will appear over your building. Clicking on this will show the following menu:  * The Daily Sales Report will display the amount of total coins and experience earned in your absence. Leveling Your Crafting Building If you wish to make a successful and thriving business, you must Level-Up your Crafting Building. * The level of your Building determines the number of crafting spots you have available for use. * Leveling your building will also unlock new recipes. * You can level your Building with Farm Cash or coins by unlocking the option. * To unlock the coin option, you have to level a certain amount of recipes. (See requirements below): Amount of Recipes Required for Crafting Building * 1 Star: Level up recipes 6 times + 50,000 coins * 2 Star: Level up recipes 18 times + 100,000 coins * 3 Star: Level up recipes 27 times + 400,000 coins * 4 Star: Level up recipes 36 times + 1,000,000 coins Recipes are leveled up by fulfilling the requirements above. Basically each time you make a recipe it will count towards your level up progression. Continue making the required Goods your Recipe requires. * The higher level your Recipe is, the better your crafted Goods will be. * There is no limit on how high you can level your recipes! * Currently Crafting Building can only be upgraded to 5 Stars. Once you have a 5 star Building, the buttons to level with coins or cash will disappear. When you level your Building, you will receive a pop-up below and the opportunity to share a FaceBook newsfeed with your friends that will allow the first three neighbors who click this feed within 24 hours to receive a level 3 crafted good.  In addition to selling your crafted Goods to your friends, they can also be traded for rewards. To access Goods that you have in your inventory, click "Use" from the crafting menu and select "Goods".  * You can only have 200 Crafted Goods in your inventory at a time. * This capacity limit only pertains to your Crafted Goods. * Your Bushel inventory does not count towards this capacity. If you click the "use" button underneath a good, you will trade it for fuel. * The higher the level of the crafted good you use, the more fuel you will get. * You can see your fuel gauge increase within the inventory menu.  You can purchase or sell Goods from your FarmVille neighbors. You can purchase/sell by visiting your neighbors by two ways: 1. From the Crafting menu, click "Buy". You will then see the option to select "Shop for Goods" or "Shop for Bushels". Clicking "Shop for Goods" will bring up the following menu.  * Clicking "select" underneath a good triggers another menu that automatically displays the highest level goods for sale first. * Select the good you want to purchase and you will be brought to the following screen:  * Simply click on their Crafting Building to see what they have available for you to buy. * Upon purchasing an item from your Neighbor's store, you will receive a pop-up allowing you to post a feed to their wall informing them of your actions. * The first 3 Neighbors to click this feed within 24 hours will receive 1 good of the same type as the one you purchased. (see below)  Deleting Your Crafting Building and Buying a New Crafting Building: If for some reason you wish to delete your Crafting Building or purchase a new one... * All progress on the level of the Building and Recipes will be saved. * You will lose all Goods that are being sold in your store at the time. * If you wish to purchase a new Crafting Building, it can be purchased from the "Buildings" section of the Market for 100,000 coins, provided it is the same building you initially signed up for. * If you wish to purchase the two Buildings you did not sign up for, they can be bought for 80 FV$ Farm Cash each. * You may only own one of each type of Building at a time. * Facts were sourced directly from the Official FarmVille Forum. So what do you think? Do you like this new Crafting Building feature in FarmVille? Do you invite new complex features like this or do you find yourself wishing for the simplicity of the beginning FarmVille days? This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| Pet Society: Ice Cream Stand churns out six kitty-covered summer treats Posted: 22 Jul 2010 03:45 AM PDT Filed under: Pet Society   Decisions, decisions! These cones look so dee-lish, we can't decide which one to eat first. Thank goodness our pets can't gain weight, otherwise we'd be busting out of our bikinis!The flavors are: 1. Tropical Ice Cream Cone 2. Ice Cream Cookie 3. Sorbet Cone 4. Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cone 5. Ice Cream Ultimate 6. Fruity Ice Cream Cone These cones cost 80 coins from the Ice Cream Stand. If you've got a friend with one, you're in luck. If not, you can buy a stand at the Outdoor or Food shop for 2000 coins. We think for that amount, it should come with a couple of free sundaes. This article originally appeared on Pet Society Anonymous.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| FarmVille Limited Edition New England Decor: Marsh Pond, Rose Fence & White Lawn Chairs Posted: 22 Jul 2010 03:30 AM PDT Filed under: Farmville 
This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| FarmVille Fan Sheep Changes Appearance Posted: 22 Jul 2010 03:15 AM PDT Filed under: Farmville  Note: The sheep in the market still shows the older Fan Sheep. This article originally appeared on FarmVille Freak.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| Cow Clicker breaks down social games, misses the point Posted: 22 Jul 2010 03:00 AM PDT Filed under: Farmville, Mafia Wars  "You get a cow. You can click on it. In six hours, you can click it again. Clicking earns you clicks." Such is the basic description of Cow Clicker, a new Facebook game that definitely delivers what its title promises -- the ability to click on a cow. Yes, there are a few other social game trappings thrown in there -- you can invite neighbors whose cow clicks count towards your total, and you can purchase prettier cows with in-game "mooney" -- but there's really little besides the titular cow clicking to this simple parody game. Cow Clicker Creator and Georgia Tech professor Ian Bogost describes Cow Clicker as "Facebook games distilled to their essence" and in a way he's right. Read that description from the first paragraph again. Replace "a cow" with "crops," and "clicks" at the end with "coins" and you have a bare bones description of the basic gameplay in Facebook mega-hit Farmville. The same process can be applied to describe countless other popular social games. Cow Clicker even lets you spend mooney to skip the six-hour wait for more click opportunities, mimicking the way many other social games let you spend in-game money to avoid having to wait for rewards. But Bogost's simple parody utterly misses the point of social gaming in some major ways. Sure, in strict gameplay terms, there's little to differentiate Cow Clicker from countless popular social games. But for million of players, the appeal of social games isn't in the gameplay, but in the opportunity for world building and role-playing. Most people don't play Farmville just to mindlessly collect coins. They play so they can build a farm to their exact specifications -- a barn over here, a chicken coop over there, a hay bale picture of Mario over there. They play these social games to escape their dreary work-a-day lives and spend some time constructing simple worlds from scratch, and to share those worlds with like-minded friends. Even text-based games like Mafia Wars build an fantasy world filled with imaginative items and fantastic locations and (arguably) interesting virtual tasks to perform. The coins and the crops and thousands of other gameplay trappings in these games are just a means to an end -- a way to earn more toys for some vibrant virtual dollhouses. Cow Clicker offers none of these creative opportunities. All it offers is a static picture of a cow. This may seem like a cosmetic difference to some, but I think this difference is key to understanding the popularity of social gaming. Cow Clicker captures the heart of many social games, but not the soul. It mimics the gameplay responsibilities without bothering to copy the social and aesthetic rewards that truly drive most social game players. Most people play social games to play a role they can't play in real life. In Cow Clicker, the only role to play is that of a person clicking on a cow. What kind of an escape is that?
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| OMGPOP fending off buyout offers for its 3 million users Posted: 22 Jul 2010 02:00 AM PDT  The San Francisco Chronicle reports that flash-based social gaming site OMGPOP has quietly crossed the 3 million user threshold in the last month. Those players reportedly spend over one million minutes a day playing games on the site, which sounds impressive until you realize that's only a little over 16,500 hours. Actually, that still sounds kind of impressive. It sounds even more impressive if you call it 60,000,000 seconds per day. Look at all those zeroes!Yet despite the success, OMGPOP CEO Dan Porter says he's not quite ready to cash out his business just yet. "A number of the large social game companies have talked to us," he told the Chronicle "[but] we've not been interested in trading our stock for their stock or being another acquisition in a series of acquisitions, especially as things are going great for us." Porter said he's spurned media company buyout requests as well, instead focusing on an upcoming launch on Facebook, which he worries is "a crowded market." Since launching in late 2006 as the awkwardly named "I'm in like with you" OMGPOP has slowly but surely carved out a niche for arcade-style action games with some polished interfaces and well-integrated social networking features. Here's hoping it keeps that spirit even as it grows to mega-hub proportions.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   | ||||||||||||
| PoweRBrands: The Facebook marketing game about marketing Posted: 22 Jul 2010 01:00 AM PDT  Advergames on Facebook are nothing new -- there are Facebook games marketing everything from cars to the distrubingly wholesome power of milk, and practically everything in between. But so far there hasn't been a Facebook advergame that markets the field of marketing itself. Until now!PoweRBrands is a creation of Reckitt Benckiser -- the parent company of brands like Clearasil, Lysol and Woolite -- that invites you to "use your innovative sales skills and marketing ideas to outperform your rivals, and work your way up to be President of the company." Along the way, you're told you'll learn to "think and act like an RB person" and "learn something about global FMCG along the way" (that's "fast-moving consumer goods" for those of you who aren't already marketing professionals) At first glance, PoweRBrands resembles countless other room-decorating Facebook games. Completing tasks from your inbox earns you money to decorate your Spartan office and experience points to move you up the virtual corporate ladder. It's only when you actually try to complete one of those tasks that the proceedings take on a weird, corporate-training-video quality. A typical inbox task might ask you to make a music video for a VEET campaign, or evaluate ad spending on a Clearasil campaign. Seems like good fodder for some fun, simple mini-games, but instead poweRBrands gives you a colorful slider and asks you to "allocate resources" to various areas of campaign development. In the video task, for instance, you have to decide whether to star in the video yourself or outsource the talent to an outside agency. At first I thought this might be a fun way to show my creativity and roleplay how I would run a real marketing campaign. But the game had other ideas, presenting me with a very strict idea of the "ideal" allocation and a disturbingly precise percentage score evaluating my resource allocation. Sliders set too far off the accepted standard earn harsh admonishment from the boss and much less money and experience for the task. Successful allocation (which for me usually meant leaving the sliders in their default positions) earns praises and rewards, of course. The creep-factor is illustrated quite well by a typical task in which a co-worker calls and asks whether you'll be able to finish a project in time to join her for a run. A slider gives you the option to say you'll be "done on time" or that the project will "take all night." With no other knowledge about the project, it's hard to know the right answer. Should you rush to finish promptly, meeting your deadline but possibly doing a sloppy job in the process? Should you burn the midnight oil, ensuring a quality result that might be too late to be useful? What to choose? The game is not worried by such dilemmas -- the result screen simply says that finishing quickly and going for a run is "the ideal answer." As the game plainly puts it: "At RB, we work hard and we play hard." It's lines like this that make me think of poweRBrands as an fun and innovative way to train actual marketing professionals on corporate policy. It's definitely a heck of a lot more engaging than watching hours of training videos, for instance. As a game for people who just want to pretend to be marketing executives, though, poweRBrands is a bit too heavy-handed and buttoned-down. For a field that's supposed to be about fostering creativity, powerBrands manages to make marketing feel like a chore.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments   |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Blog.games.com To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |