And to what do we owe this pleasure, Zynga? According to FarmVille Freak, players have been receiving the above pop-up in their FarmVille games. It tells them that there will be 5 free Farm Cash waiting for them in their e-mail the next day. This is an unannounced promotion and, frankly, we have no idea what its purpose is. Is Zynga just being nice? Sure, but we doubt that's all (nothing personal guys, but this is a business). Since players are receiving the Farm Cash in their e-mail inboxes, we're going to guess--an educated one, of course--that this is a viral promotion of Zynga's e-mail services. Alright, so if that's the case, we went and done exactly what Zynga wants: create buzz. What? Do you want us to not report the FarmVille news?
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen this promotion appear in your game? What do you think of Zynga's methods of playing up their e-mail service?
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 1, 2012
Thứ Tư, 4 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: Emperor's Hops sprout up
Zynga has wasted no time in releasing new crops, buildings and more to its FarmVille expansion, English Countryside. In fact, FarmVille Freak is finding hints at new crops in unexpected places like the game's Mastery charts. At this point, you have to think at least some of these leaks are intentional. (Very sneaky, Zynga.)
Players have reported finding a crop called Emperor's Hops in their Mastery charts within the game. There's no information given about the crop other than that it will take 780 harvests to reach the first Mastery tier. At the very least, it's safe to guess that Bushels from the Emperor's Hops will be used in future Pub recipes. Either way, we'll surely find out everything we need to know about these apparently superior hops soon enough.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen this unreleased crop in your Mastery charts yet? What type of beers do you think Emperor's Hops will create?
Players have reported finding a crop called Emperor's Hops in their Mastery charts within the game. There's no information given about the crop other than that it will take 780 harvests to reach the first Mastery tier. At the very least, it's safe to guess that Bushels from the Emperor's Hops will be used in future Pub recipes. Either way, we'll surely find out everything we need to know about these apparently superior hops soon enough.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have you seen this unreleased crop in your Mastery charts yet? What type of beers do you think Emperor's Hops will create?
Lady Gaga donates big bucks to Zynga's Japan relief efforts
There's no word on whether Lady Gaga actually likes and/or plays FarmVille, CityVille or the 20-some-odd other Facebook games by Zynga -- but the eccentric pop singer has donated $1.5 million dollars (from sales of her branded Japan Prayer Bracelets) to the company's Japan relief efforts in a partnership with the Red Cross and Save the Children. Other celebs, such as Ashton Kutcher and Britney Spears, have recently lent their star power to Zynga's charity efforts as well.
"I'm inspired that my little monsters banded together to help those affected by the terrible tragedy," Gaga says. "What Zynga's players have done for the cause is equally inspiring, and I'm thrilled to partner with them to raise money that will go to Save the Children and the American Red Cross."
In the last two weeks, dedicated Zynga players raised over $2 million dollars by spending real-life cash on items in CityVille, FarmVille, FrontierVille, Words with Friends and a handful of the company's other games. So -- all that adds up to a nice chunk of change for those affected by the disaster overseas.
All of this takes place through Zynga.org, the FarmVille creator's philanthropic branch, which has also raised millions for disaster relief in Haiti and to help animals through the National Audubon Society and ASPCA, among others -- a gesture emulated by other social gaming companies who know players are more than willing to spend a few dollars here and there to make a difference.
lady gaga farmville
"I'm inspired that my little monsters banded together to help those affected by the terrible tragedy," Gaga says. "What Zynga's players have done for the cause is equally inspiring, and I'm thrilled to partner with them to raise money that will go to Save the Children and the American Red Cross."
In the last two weeks, dedicated Zynga players raised over $2 million dollars by spending real-life cash on items in CityVille, FarmVille, FrontierVille, Words with Friends and a handful of the company's other games. So -- all that adds up to a nice chunk of change for those affected by the disaster overseas.
All of this takes place through Zynga.org, the FarmVille creator's philanthropic branch, which has also raised millions for disaster relief in Haiti and to help animals through the National Audubon Society and ASPCA, among others -- a gesture emulated by other social gaming companies who know players are more than willing to spend a few dollars here and there to make a difference.
lady gaga farmville
FarmVille English Countryside: The Pause feature saved FarmVille
Unless Zynga decides to change its mind and somehow makes the Pause feature in FarmVille an option, which would be a technological feat in itself, let's hope this will be the last you hear from this Games.com blogger about the dreaded Pause. Yes, the lot of players hate it, but with all due respect, many seem to misunderstand why it even exists. Regardless of why you think Zynga implemented this seemingly dastardly feature, here are three reasons why "Pause" saved FarmVille.
1. That's a lot of data
Sure, part of the reason why players can only request help so often or send gifts so often is so you don't progress too quickly. However, requests also have to be processed through servers, or the computers whose sole purpose is to keep online games running. Every time you send or receive a request or item, that data has to be processed somewhere. Now, the information on how much game data Zynga's or Facebook's servers process daily isn't immediately accessible, but you can imagine that with 14 million daily players on average, it's a lot.
If both farms were active at all times, players would receive requests from both farms no matter what. Regardless of how many players are on one side or the other at any given moment, to treat each farm individually would result in an absolutely insane amount of data. FarmVille can barely handle 14 million players on any given day, but what if that number were to effectively double in almost an instant (thanks to a second farm for everyone)? FarmVille would fall to its knees for a very long time, that's what. So, the Pause feature is admittedly a harsh way of handling what would have probably crashed FarmVille on Day One of the English Countryside release, but I can't think of a better way. Can you?
FarmVille is huge
2. Where do I put all of this stuff?
Ask any veteran FarmVille player for their major complaints. They'll likely tell you that Zynga either releases stuff too frequently or there isn't enough room to put it all. Granted, most of it is Holiday buildings and items, but what about crafting buildings, animal housing and the like? Most of it is in either Storage or your Garage, isn't it? Or if you're like me, you just delete to make room. Sure, Zynga could expand our farms all we want, but how long before it just becomes unmanageable? It has reached a point for me where if a friend is above a certain level, visiting is out of the question as Flash will surely crash and burn.
It's a difficult conundrum for Zynga: Either continue to offer larger and larger farms to facilitate the deluge of features (Flash can only handle so much) or stop releasing content so often and risk losing interest from its daily players. And thus the expansion was born: A way to introduce new ideas and features while keeping farms manageable ... for now.
Travel to England
3. Things looked a little withered overall, no?
Admit it, FarmVille was getting stale. Bloggers, players and Zynga itself can blame the Facebook changes of 2010 all it wants for the game's fall from superiority, and they're partly right. But at some point we all must come clean and consider what FarmVille would have looked like six months from now if Zynga kept adding features to the original game. Players would continue to leave in droves because, frankly, looking at the same farm day in and day out was downright boring. Obviously Zynga was honest with itself, so now it's our turn.
When it comes down to it, looking back at all the work you've done for years can't be what ties you down. Even if you're still having fun (nothing's stopping you from staying, really), it will reach a breaking point eventually. The numbers show that's exactly what happened for almost 40 million players. Just look at the MMO scene: Games like World of Warcraft would have died out years ago if Blizzard, it's developer, didn't revamp its world every few years with new expansion packs. Think of it that way and the two worlds of gaming aren't so different.
The bottom line is that persistent games like FarmVille, ironically, can't last forever. Even if you're bummed about starting over--an argument I just don't buy, because you're the same level and could have prepared--sometimes you must accept change. Change is natural, and it's a good thing, trust me. And even if Zynga somehow makes the Pause feature optional, do you really want to maintain two farms at once? It's time to face the facts: This is the future of not just FarmVille, but the social gaming genre. Just look at the four corners of your FrontierVille homestead--Zynga is already prepared for change.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have your own thoughts on the FarmVille English Countryside and the Pause feature?
1. That's a lot of data
Sure, part of the reason why players can only request help so often or send gifts so often is so you don't progress too quickly. However, requests also have to be processed through servers, or the computers whose sole purpose is to keep online games running. Every time you send or receive a request or item, that data has to be processed somewhere. Now, the information on how much game data Zynga's or Facebook's servers process daily isn't immediately accessible, but you can imagine that with 14 million daily players on average, it's a lot.
If both farms were active at all times, players would receive requests from both farms no matter what. Regardless of how many players are on one side or the other at any given moment, to treat each farm individually would result in an absolutely insane amount of data. FarmVille can barely handle 14 million players on any given day, but what if that number were to effectively double in almost an instant (thanks to a second farm for everyone)? FarmVille would fall to its knees for a very long time, that's what. So, the Pause feature is admittedly a harsh way of handling what would have probably crashed FarmVille on Day One of the English Countryside release, but I can't think of a better way. Can you?
FarmVille is huge
2. Where do I put all of this stuff?
Ask any veteran FarmVille player for their major complaints. They'll likely tell you that Zynga either releases stuff too frequently or there isn't enough room to put it all. Granted, most of it is Holiday buildings and items, but what about crafting buildings, animal housing and the like? Most of it is in either Storage or your Garage, isn't it? Or if you're like me, you just delete to make room. Sure, Zynga could expand our farms all we want, but how long before it just becomes unmanageable? It has reached a point for me where if a friend is above a certain level, visiting is out of the question as Flash will surely crash and burn.
It's a difficult conundrum for Zynga: Either continue to offer larger and larger farms to facilitate the deluge of features (Flash can only handle so much) or stop releasing content so often and risk losing interest from its daily players. And thus the expansion was born: A way to introduce new ideas and features while keeping farms manageable ... for now.
Travel to England
3. Things looked a little withered overall, no?
Admit it, FarmVille was getting stale. Bloggers, players and Zynga itself can blame the Facebook changes of 2010 all it wants for the game's fall from superiority, and they're partly right. But at some point we all must come clean and consider what FarmVille would have looked like six months from now if Zynga kept adding features to the original game. Players would continue to leave in droves because, frankly, looking at the same farm day in and day out was downright boring. Obviously Zynga was honest with itself, so now it's our turn.
When it comes down to it, looking back at all the work you've done for years can't be what ties you down. Even if you're still having fun (nothing's stopping you from staying, really), it will reach a breaking point eventually. The numbers show that's exactly what happened for almost 40 million players. Just look at the MMO scene: Games like World of Warcraft would have died out years ago if Blizzard, it's developer, didn't revamp its world every few years with new expansion packs. Think of it that way and the two worlds of gaming aren't so different.
The bottom line is that persistent games like FarmVille, ironically, can't last forever. Even if you're bummed about starting over--an argument I just don't buy, because you're the same level and could have prepared--sometimes you must accept change. Change is natural, and it's a good thing, trust me. And even if Zynga somehow makes the Pause feature optional, do you really want to maintain two farms at once? It's time to face the facts: This is the future of not just FarmVille, but the social gaming genre. Just look at the four corners of your FrontierVille homestead--Zynga is already prepared for change.
Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.
Have your own thoughts on the FarmVille English Countryside and the Pause feature?
Deep Realms on Facebook: Depth that's both delightful and detrimental
Deep Realms, for all intents and purposes, is an attempt to get the lot of social gamers into a genre that has largely been dominated by fans of the Final Fantasy series or Dungeons and Dragons. (Full disclosure: You're lookin' at one.) Developed and published by Playdom of Social City fame, Deep Realms nails the classic role-playing game (RPG) shtick while introducing a plethora of social elements to keep players coming back and connecting with one another. Folks who know what a d20 is or can tell you the difference between Cloud Strife and Squall Leonhart will feel right at home with Deep Realms, but will the average FarmVille player dig this much complexity?
Playdom does a wonderful job of easing players into the game's travel system and battle mechanics. Even the six classes and their ability trees should be simple enough to understand for your standard Facebook gamer. You are a humble farmer (sound familiar?) who out of nowhere is thrown into a quest to find your estranged brother who went off into a miscellaneous cave after giant rats attack your homestead. The standard framework of an RPG storyline is there, which is enough to train you how to navigate the world.
Deep Realms Map
Each map is littered with tiles, which each cost one Energy point to move to, so it's easy to see where the gameplay hook stems from. While the whole Energy bit is admittedly getting old, at least this is an inventive method. Tiles have a seemingly random chance of hiding a monster inside, so to speak. This will launch players into battle, which is a turn-based affair of players and monsters trading blows. While the battle system is easy enough to understand--your options are to either attack, drink a health potion or run away--the way in which attacks are assigned is something to be left up to Playdom to explain. (To break the fourth wall for a moment: Explaining exactly how Deep Realms works would take thousands of words.)
Once players hit a certain level, they must choose to enlist in a certain school of combat from six options like Sorcerer, Warrior, Archer and more. You know, the same few roles some of you have been dealing with since the 1970s, which somehow never get old. Regardless, this adds a layer of depth not found in most social games, but it is just the beginning. Once your lowly farmer-turned-sorcerer (at least in my case) reaches Level 5, you're ripped right out of the cave you were exploring. Why?
Deep Realms Town
Because Playdom has something(s) to show you, that's why. You know that adventure you were busy embarking on? Well there is a litany of features and options that, if you're used to playing with friends, supersede your quest. Without getting too bogged down in the details, there's an Arena to fight friends in, a Tavern to rally friends to fight giant monsters with, a Bazaar to buy items in, Elixirs to trade between friends, Spirits to conjure for bonuses when fighting friends, Collections to watch out for when questing, Gifts to send to friends ... you get the idea.
Deep Realms, for all of its beautiful, seemingly hand-drawn graphics, smooth animations and engrossing music, is an incredibly complex game. Especially when at one point you're simply clicking around a cave and another you're bombarded with a list of other things to do that have nothing to do with your brother. If it turns out that he was eaten by bipedal rats wearing vests (you'll see) in the end, it'll be no wonder why considering you were too busy hanging out in Town. The game's myriad features should be introduced slowly, not when you haven't even left the first dungeon. Deep Realms, while borrowing features from several games we've already covered, adds a layer of beautiful, shiny polish that's undeniable. This game deserves your attention, but just be ready for Level 5--it's a doozy.
Click here to play Deep Realms on Facebook Now>
Have you tried Deep Realms yet? What do you think of the game's complexity and how it's presented?
Playdom does a wonderful job of easing players into the game's travel system and battle mechanics. Even the six classes and their ability trees should be simple enough to understand for your standard Facebook gamer. You are a humble farmer (sound familiar?) who out of nowhere is thrown into a quest to find your estranged brother who went off into a miscellaneous cave after giant rats attack your homestead. The standard framework of an RPG storyline is there, which is enough to train you how to navigate the world.
Deep Realms Map
Each map is littered with tiles, which each cost one Energy point to move to, so it's easy to see where the gameplay hook stems from. While the whole Energy bit is admittedly getting old, at least this is an inventive method. Tiles have a seemingly random chance of hiding a monster inside, so to speak. This will launch players into battle, which is a turn-based affair of players and monsters trading blows. While the battle system is easy enough to understand--your options are to either attack, drink a health potion or run away--the way in which attacks are assigned is something to be left up to Playdom to explain. (To break the fourth wall for a moment: Explaining exactly how Deep Realms works would take thousands of words.)
Once players hit a certain level, they must choose to enlist in a certain school of combat from six options like Sorcerer, Warrior, Archer and more. You know, the same few roles some of you have been dealing with since the 1970s, which somehow never get old. Regardless, this adds a layer of depth not found in most social games, but it is just the beginning. Once your lowly farmer-turned-sorcerer (at least in my case) reaches Level 5, you're ripped right out of the cave you were exploring. Why?
Deep Realms Town
Because Playdom has something(s) to show you, that's why. You know that adventure you were busy embarking on? Well there is a litany of features and options that, if you're used to playing with friends, supersede your quest. Without getting too bogged down in the details, there's an Arena to fight friends in, a Tavern to rally friends to fight giant monsters with, a Bazaar to buy items in, Elixirs to trade between friends, Spirits to conjure for bonuses when fighting friends, Collections to watch out for when questing, Gifts to send to friends ... you get the idea.
Deep Realms, for all of its beautiful, seemingly hand-drawn graphics, smooth animations and engrossing music, is an incredibly complex game. Especially when at one point you're simply clicking around a cave and another you're bombarded with a list of other things to do that have nothing to do with your brother. If it turns out that he was eaten by bipedal rats wearing vests (you'll see) in the end, it'll be no wonder why considering you were too busy hanging out in Town. The game's myriad features should be introduced slowly, not when you haven't even left the first dungeon. Deep Realms, while borrowing features from several games we've already covered, adds a layer of beautiful, shiny polish that's undeniable. This game deserves your attention, but just be ready for Level 5--it's a doozy.
Click here to play Deep Realms on Facebook Now>
Have you tried Deep Realms yet? What do you think of the game's complexity and how it's presented?
Why core gamers hate social gamers: Is it all about the money?
Isn't it always about the Benji's? GamesBrief seems to think so in its short and sweet estimation of why exactly core gamers--i.e. those who wouldn't dare put the controller down for FarmVille--hate social gamers. First of all, the post draws a line between what a core and a casual audience is, while doing the same for core and casual gamers.
According to GamesBrief, 90 percent of "core gamers" don't even finish the games they buy, which cost $40 on average, while the dedicated 10 percent reaps the benefits. How, do you say? "In the core games market, the casual or non-dedicated player subsidizes the gaming enjoyment of the core gamer," GamesBrief says. In other words, traditional games would be nothing without the majority that wastes money on games they'll never finish, thus funding future releases for dedicated fans to play.
However, because social games are free to play, 90 percent of players will never pay to play though virtual goods purchases. This is because they don't have to--the remaining 10 percent that is willing to pay is what keeps companies like Zynga afloat. In short, it's the paying minority that allows social games to support casual audiences who will never pay a dime. So, what does this leave us with?
"So what we are seeing in the social games market is that the players who love the game are actually paying for the amount of enjoyment they are getting; in the core market, the people who getting lots of enjoyment are doing so at the expense of others," GamesBrief says. So, the bitterness that core gamers feel for social gamers stems from fear that more casual gamers will give up on spending $40 or more for games they'll never finish in favor of free, Facebook games. Whether this is subconscious or exactly what publishers like EA or Activision discuss in board room meetings (or entirely false) is unknown. Regardless, the song still remains: Haters gon' hate.
Do you think this is real reason why core gamers hate on social gamers? Are hardcore games in danger for this very reason?
According to GamesBrief, 90 percent of "core gamers" don't even finish the games they buy, which cost $40 on average, while the dedicated 10 percent reaps the benefits. How, do you say? "In the core games market, the casual or non-dedicated player subsidizes the gaming enjoyment of the core gamer," GamesBrief says. In other words, traditional games would be nothing without the majority that wastes money on games they'll never finish, thus funding future releases for dedicated fans to play.
However, because social games are free to play, 90 percent of players will never pay to play though virtual goods purchases. This is because they don't have to--the remaining 10 percent that is willing to pay is what keeps companies like Zynga afloat. In short, it's the paying minority that allows social games to support casual audiences who will never pay a dime. So, what does this leave us with?
"So what we are seeing in the social games market is that the players who love the game are actually paying for the amount of enjoyment they are getting; in the core market, the people who getting lots of enjoyment are doing so at the expense of others," GamesBrief says. So, the bitterness that core gamers feel for social gamers stems from fear that more casual gamers will give up on spending $40 or more for games they'll never finish in favor of free, Facebook games. Whether this is subconscious or exactly what publishers like EA or Activision discuss in board room meetings (or entirely false) is unknown. Regardless, the song still remains: Haters gon' hate.
Do you think this is real reason why core gamers hate on social gamers? Are hardcore games in danger for this very reason?
Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 12, 2011
FarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: Downy Birch Tree & Silver Birch Tree
Two new trees will apparently be coming to the English Countryside theme in FarmVille in the very near future, or so say this newest set of unreleased images. We've found pictures of both a Downy Birch Tree (also called the European White Birch Tree) and the Silver Birch Tree (a European ornamental tree), along with their mastery signs.
These two trees have no office release date, although we expect them to show up in the game as early as Sunday evening, when FarmVille is expected to update in full next. As they are both Birch trees, it's likely that one will be the Mystery Seedling of the other, and if history tells us anything, they'll be priced at 5 and 10 Farm Cash, although we don't know which tree will be the more expensive one.
We'll make sure to give you all of the details about these trees as they officially become available in the game.
Which of these two trees do you hope is the cheaper of the two, or do you like them enough to buy both?
These two trees have no office release date, although we expect them to show up in the game as early as Sunday evening, when FarmVille is expected to update in full next. As they are both Birch trees, it's likely that one will be the Mystery Seedling of the other, and if history tells us anything, they'll be priced at 5 and 10 Farm Cash, although we don't know which tree will be the more expensive one.
We'll make sure to give you all of the details about these trees as they officially become available in the game.
Which of these two trees do you hope is the cheaper of the two, or do you like them enough to buy both?
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