Find the Escape-Men 19: in the Karaoke Room is a new Room Escape game from Japanese site No1game.
You must collect 10 Escape-Men and then escape the room.
Just one ending here…
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Vehicles 2 – Municipality Unleashed
Vehicles 2 – Municipality Unleashed is the second installment in the Vehicles series created by Dmitriy Fyudorov and Dmitriy Zaletov.
“Bad vehicles are causing havoc on the streets. Use your vehicles to ram them off the screen and restore peace to the streets. “
“Bad vehicles are causing havoc on the streets. Use your vehicles to ram them off the screen and restore peace to the streets. “
Brilliant Crystals
Brilliant Crystals is a polished color match shooter a la Puzzle Bubble with a few twists.
“Help the magic Owl Wizard clear all of the crystals that are so closely surrounding him.
Watch his magic wand to see what color crystal he will be using and shoot it onto other crystal clusters of the same color. “
Have fun!
“Help the magic Owl Wizard clear all of the crystals that are so closely surrounding him.
Watch his magic wand to see what color crystal he will be using and shoot it onto other crystal clusters of the same color. “
Have fun!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
World Of Warcraft Mouse For More Mundane Hands
I’ve been rolling and scrolling with a SteelSeries World of Warcraft MMO Gaming Mouse on and off since 2008, scoffing at the baby hands of visitors that complained my pointing device was just too big. Turns out they might have been onto something.
SteelSeries recently introduced the Legendary Edition of their World of Warcraft MMO gaming mouse, a streamlined version of the WoW-centric pointer that foregoes the sculpted design of its predecessors and looses a few buttons in exchange for a lower price point: $US79.99 compared to $US99.99 for its Cataclysm-themed big brother.
Along with the button loss and sleek design, the Legendary Edition gaming mouse is also a great deal smaller than the two models that came before it, making it perfect for people that don’t have hands similar in size to my giant pumpkin juggling mitts.
Of course it’s not the size of the mouse but the way you use it that matters.
Stripped from it’s WoW-fan pleasing package and plugged into a convenient USB port, the Legendary Edition of the World of Warcraft MMO gaming mouse is nowhere near as impressive as the original model or last year’s Cataclysm edition. Where those more costly models featured plastic sculpted to resemble plate armour or the metal scales of the dread dragon Deathwing, the main surface of the Legendary Edition is one smooth piece of plastic with orange lightning arcing across its surface. It looks like someone took a normal mouse and attached a sticker to the top of it, creating a rather cheap look I’m not used to seeing in a SteelSeries product.
Of course it’s not the size of the mouse but the way you use it that matters.
Its gaudiness isn’t aiding by the circular window on the palm rest, where LEDs capable of generating 16 million different colours are used to illuminate a rune-encircled World of Warcraft logo. Fiddling with the light’s pulsing options and you get an effect not unlike the dice inside a Magic 8-Ball rising to the surface and then sinking, over and over again. On the previous model that logo felt like some sort of honour, signifying that these were special mice for a special people. The Legendary Edition has all the majesty of a neon bar sign.
But we don’t buy our gaming mice for the looks, right? Right? OK, some of us do, but when the laser hits the desktop, we’re not worrying about what mouse looks like. It’s about functionality and feel at that point, and SteelSeries has both of those elements covered quite nicely.
Once I adjusted to the mouse’s smaller size the Legendary provided a comfortable enough ride for my clicking hand, the soft rubber finished sides make a lovely contrast to the slick plastic top. The 11 buttons — four on the left side, one on the right, and six on top – -were all easily within my reach, and while developing an instinctual grasp of where each buttons was located took me a few days, it was definitely easier that figuring out the 14 buttons of the earlier model.
The one sticking point, pun slightly intended, was the primary face buttons, AKA mouse 1 and mouse 2. Designed as an extension of the mouse’s top shell, the left and right mouse buttons required a great deal more force to register a click than I am used to. This is both a negative and a positive; negative in that I’m used to more responsive buttons; positive because it’s the only one of three mice on my desk that I don’t start accidentally clicking when dozing off during a marathon gaming/writing session.
It’s about functionality and feel at that point, and SteelSeries has both of those elements covered quite nicely.
The real meat of the Legendary Edition gaming mouse is found in its World of Warcraft themed configuration utility, a toolbox for tailoring the pointing device to your specific character’s needs. With more than 130 preset game commands ready to be transformed into custom macros and 10 profile slots, even a novice player can easily up their game in a matter of minutes. Along with building macros (or creating them from scratch using WoW‘s in-game macro scripting language), the utility also allows users to adjust the sensitivity of the mouse (up to 3200 counts per inch) and, of course, change the colour of that stupid glowing circle. The three-button difference between this unit and the Cataclysm model didn’t cause me any headaches, but then I’m an Arcane Mage, and we only need five buttons tops to be effective.
Though its reduced button count and sensible design make it suited for any pointing task put before it, the SteelSeries Legendary Edition gaming is a product aimed squarely at World of Warcraft players, in case the glowing logo wasn’t enough of an indication. With so many veteran players complaining about how the game is slipping deeper and deeper into easy mode with each new patch, it makes sense they have an easy mode mouse to go along with it.
The Legendary Edition World of Warcraft gaming mouse is a nifty little device, packing most of the functionality of its forebears into a smaller and sleeker form factor more suited for people with smaller manipulators at the end of their arms. With only $US20 difference between this model and the much more striking Cataclysm unit, why not drop the extra dough on something truly legendary?
The SteelSeries World of Warcraft MMO Gaming: Legendary Edition is available now in the SteelSeries online shop for $US79.99.
SteelSeries recently introduced the Legendary Edition of their World of Warcraft MMO gaming mouse, a streamlined version of the WoW-centric pointer that foregoes the sculpted design of its predecessors and looses a few buttons in exchange for a lower price point: $US79.99 compared to $US99.99 for its Cataclysm-themed big brother.
Along with the button loss and sleek design, the Legendary Edition gaming mouse is also a great deal smaller than the two models that came before it, making it perfect for people that don’t have hands similar in size to my giant pumpkin juggling mitts.
Of course it’s not the size of the mouse but the way you use it that matters.
Stripped from it’s WoW-fan pleasing package and plugged into a convenient USB port, the Legendary Edition of the World of Warcraft MMO gaming mouse is nowhere near as impressive as the original model or last year’s Cataclysm edition. Where those more costly models featured plastic sculpted to resemble plate armour or the metal scales of the dread dragon Deathwing, the main surface of the Legendary Edition is one smooth piece of plastic with orange lightning arcing across its surface. It looks like someone took a normal mouse and attached a sticker to the top of it, creating a rather cheap look I’m not used to seeing in a SteelSeries product.
Of course it’s not the size of the mouse but the way you use it that matters.
Its gaudiness isn’t aiding by the circular window on the palm rest, where LEDs capable of generating 16 million different colours are used to illuminate a rune-encircled World of Warcraft logo. Fiddling with the light’s pulsing options and you get an effect not unlike the dice inside a Magic 8-Ball rising to the surface and then sinking, over and over again. On the previous model that logo felt like some sort of honour, signifying that these were special mice for a special people. The Legendary Edition has all the majesty of a neon bar sign.
But we don’t buy our gaming mice for the looks, right? Right? OK, some of us do, but when the laser hits the desktop, we’re not worrying about what mouse looks like. It’s about functionality and feel at that point, and SteelSeries has both of those elements covered quite nicely.
Once I adjusted to the mouse’s smaller size the Legendary provided a comfortable enough ride for my clicking hand, the soft rubber finished sides make a lovely contrast to the slick plastic top. The 11 buttons — four on the left side, one on the right, and six on top – -were all easily within my reach, and while developing an instinctual grasp of where each buttons was located took me a few days, it was definitely easier that figuring out the 14 buttons of the earlier model.
The one sticking point, pun slightly intended, was the primary face buttons, AKA mouse 1 and mouse 2. Designed as an extension of the mouse’s top shell, the left and right mouse buttons required a great deal more force to register a click than I am used to. This is both a negative and a positive; negative in that I’m used to more responsive buttons; positive because it’s the only one of three mice on my desk that I don’t start accidentally clicking when dozing off during a marathon gaming/writing session.
It’s about functionality and feel at that point, and SteelSeries has both of those elements covered quite nicely.
The real meat of the Legendary Edition gaming mouse is found in its World of Warcraft themed configuration utility, a toolbox for tailoring the pointing device to your specific character’s needs. With more than 130 preset game commands ready to be transformed into custom macros and 10 profile slots, even a novice player can easily up their game in a matter of minutes. Along with building macros (or creating them from scratch using WoW‘s in-game macro scripting language), the utility also allows users to adjust the sensitivity of the mouse (up to 3200 counts per inch) and, of course, change the colour of that stupid glowing circle. The three-button difference between this unit and the Cataclysm model didn’t cause me any headaches, but then I’m an Arcane Mage, and we only need five buttons tops to be effective.
Though its reduced button count and sensible design make it suited for any pointing task put before it, the SteelSeries Legendary Edition gaming is a product aimed squarely at World of Warcraft players, in case the glowing logo wasn’t enough of an indication. With so many veteran players complaining about how the game is slipping deeper and deeper into easy mode with each new patch, it makes sense they have an easy mode mouse to go along with it.
The Legendary Edition World of Warcraft gaming mouse is a nifty little device, packing most of the functionality of its forebears into a smaller and sleeker form factor more suited for people with smaller manipulators at the end of their arms. With only $US20 difference between this model and the much more striking Cataclysm unit, why not drop the extra dough on something truly legendary?
The SteelSeries World of Warcraft MMO Gaming: Legendary Edition is available now in the SteelSeries online shop for $US79.99.
Father Of PlayStation Gets To Launch A Game On PS Vita
We got Nintendogs + Cats, Pilotwings Resort and a few more for the launch of the Nintendo 3DS earlier this year. We got Lumines, an Ape Escape and more in 2005 for the launch of the PlayStation Portable.
The PlayStation Vita’s got… well, it’s got the return of Ken Kutaragi, people, the father of the PlayStation, an industry legend and a man who once suggested we take two jobs to buy a new PlayStation. He’s the driving force (that’s a pun) behind one of the first three games that are pegged for a US day one release.
After the PlayStation 3 had an awkward start and he began losing power at Sony, Kutaragi founded became CEO of a company called Cellius. The company, a joint effort by Sony and Namco were going to make games. Their first is Ridge Racer for the PS Vita.
Ridge Racer and two other games from Namco are now confirmed for the Vita’s North American launch on February 22 (Europe’s getting these three games, too).
The PlayStation Vita’s got… well, it’s got the return of Ken Kutaragi, people, the father of the PlayStation, an industry legend and a man who once suggested we take two jobs to buy a new PlayStation. He’s the driving force (that’s a pun) behind one of the first three games that are pegged for a US day one release.
After the PlayStation 3 had an awkward start and he began losing power at Sony, Kutaragi founded became CEO of a company called Cellius. The company, a joint effort by Sony and Namco were going to make games. Their first is Ridge Racer for the PS Vita.
Ridge Racer and two other games from Namco are now confirmed for the Vita’s North American launch on February 22 (Europe’s getting these three games, too).
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Raptr Launches BF3 vs MW3 Showdown
The exceedingly boring battle of Modern Warfare 3 versus Battlefield 3 found a fresh new combat zone today with the announcement that Raptr is launching a "Battlefield vs Call of Duty Showdown". The social networking system for gamers will determine the victor based on community voting, total hours played and achievements. While we're feeling a bit meh about the whole BF3 vs MW3 thing (personally, we're going to buy and enjoy both), there's at least one positive thing about this latest rage inducer; one lucky Raptr user will score themselves a ninja rig worth five grand at the end of the promotionThe exceedingly boring battle of Modern Warfare 3 versus Battlefield 3 found a fresh new combat zone today with the announcement that Raptr is launching a "Battlefield vs Call of Duty Showdown". The social networking system for gamers will determine the victor based on community voting, total hours played and achievements. While we're feeling a bit meh about the whole BF3 vs MW3 thing (personally, we're going to buy and enjoy both), there's at least one positive thing about this latest rage inducer; one lucky Raptr user will score themselves a ninja rig worth five grand at the end of the promotion
Friday, October 21, 2011
Disney-branded Facebook games coming in 2012, Playdom head says
Can we all just say, “finally?” During a panel named “The Rise of Social Games” at the f8 Facebook Developers Conference in San Francisco, Disney Interactive and Playdom head John Pleasants revealed that two to four Facebook games surrounding Disney xd brands will hit Facebook in 2012. The general topic of the panel was the fact that branded social games are taking off.
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we’ve come to love.
Honestly, we’re surprised this didn’t happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn’t get into why it’s taken this long for disney channel games to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer–and we enjoyed quite a bit–peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company’s name, according to Pleasants. “We think it’s an advantage, if you put game play first,” Pleasants said.
It’s comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam’s Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine.
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we’ve come to love.
Honestly, we’re surprised this didn’t happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn’t get into why it’s taken this long for disney channel games to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer–and we enjoyed quite a bit–peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company’s name, according to Pleasants. “We think it’s an advantage, if you put game play first,” Pleasants said.
It’s comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam’s Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine.
Phineas And Ferb 3D Game – Disney XD Games 63
New Disney Game – Phineas and Ferb
Disney released a new game. Phineas and Ferb 3D online game. Klick here to read the complete review.
The new game is available at the Disney XD discovery channel. Get ahead of the game before its officially released next week!
Disney is introducing the brand new DisneyXD game. Phineas and Ferb in: The Transport inators of Doooom!
Doofenschmitz is up to his old tricks again, and who has gone missing? Phineas! Help Ferb find his brother and try to help Agent P thwarth Doofenschmitz evil plans!
Check out this new exciting Disney XD online game before all others do at the Disney Cartoon network games website!
Check out Disney’s cartoon network to find a lot of amazing games and news. Disney offers a lot of cartoon games on their site. So head over to the Disney XD site and play the new Phineas and Ferb – The Transport-inators of Doooom! game!
Disney released a new game. Phineas and Ferb 3D online game. Klick here to read the complete review.
The new game is available at the Disney XD discovery channel. Get ahead of the game before its officially released next week!
Disney is introducing the brand new DisneyXD game. Phineas and Ferb in: The Transport inators of Doooom!
Doofenschmitz is up to his old tricks again, and who has gone missing? Phineas! Help Ferb find his brother and try to help Agent P thwarth Doofenschmitz evil plans!
Check out this new exciting Disney XD online game before all others do at the Disney Cartoon network games website!
Check out Disney’s cartoon network to find a lot of amazing games and news. Disney offers a lot of cartoon games on their site. So head over to the Disney XD site and play the new Phineas and Ferb – The Transport-inators of Doooom! game!
Play the Scary Maze Game With Your Friends!
Have you ever played the Scary Maze Game 8 now? If not, brotha you haven’t lived!!! This maze game is the most awesome game on earth! But in order to play it you MUST have a partner in the room with you. So go find a friend, co-hort, or even an enemy – it doesn’t matter! Then match your wits and your mouse skills with the game and see if you’re awesome enough to win the BIG prize at the end!
Chinese Couple Sells All Three Kids to Play Online Games
A young Chinese couple has sold all three of their children in exchange for money to play online Nick jr games at Internet cafes, reports a southern Chinese newspaper.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Official Pokemon Game Coming To Smartphones
The Pokemon Company is set to bring an official Pokemon Online game to smartphone devices, marking the first time that an official Nintendo-copyrighted app will be available on the iOS and Android.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Submissions for the 2011 Into the Pixel Collection Now Open
Things have been a little crazy and pushed back the posting of the remaining GDC hands-on/eyes-on goodies, here's an unrelated item with a look toward E3:
This week the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) opened the submission process for the Into the Pixel (ITP) 2011 exhibit.
Around since 2004 the ITP collection features the art of video games and is curated by a panel of jurors. Works chosen by the jury from the submissions are printed by a master printer and then professionally framed and hung. A worldwide touring exhibit, the 20 selected pieces will debut at E3 2011 with a cocktail reception.
Those interested in submitting have until April 15, 2011 and can find more information at http://www.intothepixel.com and
http://www.intothepixel.com...
This week the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) and the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) opened the submission process for the Into the Pixel (ITP) 2011 exhibit.
Around since 2004 the ITP collection features the art of video games and is curated by a panel of jurors. Works chosen by the jury from the submissions are printed by a master printer and then professionally framed and hung. A worldwide touring exhibit, the 20 selected pieces will debut at E3 2011 with a cocktail reception.
Those interested in submitting have until April 15, 2011 and can find more information at http://www.intothepixel.com and
http://www.intothepixel.com...
Yes I said "we" in reference Sony
I have caught a lot of heat for my use of the word we when referring to a producer and us the consumer. Now I wan to be clear I am not saying that I am apart of the company but rater we need each other. I am not going to give you a lesson in economics but they provide entertainment and we buy it. Thus "WE" as in the company and the consumer are dependent on each other. If one hurts the other feels it.
The analogy I use is on football and sports we say things like "my team". Why is it taboo to say it in another form of entertainment. I mean why do people act as if gaming is not another form of entertainment. It is just like music, movies,TV, sports and so on but in gaming you can't have a favorite because your a fanboys yet people pay hundreds of dollars and stand in the snow for a football team.
I am trying to change the culture and I am being fought the whole way. First I tried to take back the word fanboy from the media and bring it back to meaning you just really like some form of entertainment. Now fanboy means troll or something negative but it was turned in to that and I want it back the way it was.
to
I want people to treat gaming like any other form of entertainment but it seem some would rather keep this bubble over it. Do you hear people saying you need to like all 31 NFL teams if you like football, no you don't so why do we need own all console.
This is the thinking that I am trying to change and I know some are like minded but many more are not. Lets try to change.
The analogy I use is on football and sports we say things like "my team". Why is it taboo to say it in another form of entertainment. I mean why do people act as if gaming is not another form of entertainment. It is just like music, movies,TV, sports and so on but in gaming you can't have a favorite because your a fanboys yet people pay hundreds of dollars and stand in the snow for a football team.
I am trying to change the culture and I am being fought the whole way. First I tried to take back the word fanboy from the media and bring it back to meaning you just really like some form of entertainment. Now fanboy means troll or something negative but it was turned in to that and I want it back the way it was.
to
I want people to treat gaming like any other form of entertainment but it seem some would rather keep this bubble over it. Do you hear people saying you need to like all 31 NFL teams if you like football, no you don't so why do we need own all console.
This is the thinking that I am trying to change and I know some are like minded but many more are not. Lets try to change.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
E3 2011 Nintendo Press Conference
I have extremely mixed feelings about Nintendo's press conference. While I'm over the moon with the 3DS games for the most part, the Wii U line up screams the "Hardcore" focus to an embarrassing degree. Extremely disappointed at the Wii U controller design as well. Here's my responses to the announcements.
- Legend Of Zelda's for all consoles! Link's Awakening on eShop available today for 3DS, Ocarina Of Time on 3DS, 4 Swords on DSI Ware and Skyward Sword around Christmas. Exclusive gold Wiimote to be released as well. Also for those who register their OOT on Club Nintendo you can get OOT soundtrack.
- Mario Kart 3DS... finally getting a release. Ok. Customising seems cool.
- Starfox 64 3DS. Cool. Uses it's motion controls as expected. September release.
- Super Mario 3D. Awesome! Seriously awesome! TANOOKI MARIO! MUST BUY!
- Kid Icarus. Cool. Does seem pretty good too. Playing AR cards that fight.
- Luigi's Mansion 2. Cool I guess.
- Resident Evil Mercenaries 3D, Mario & Sonic At the Olympics: London 2012, Ace Combat 3D, Cave Story 3D, Tetris, Resident Evil Revelations, Driver Renegade, Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions,
Tekken 3D, Metal Gear Snake Eater 3D announced. Impressive list.
- New firmware update will have an enhanced web browser. Also the 3DS getting it's own Virtual Console.
- Pokedex 3D encourages Street Passing to finish it. Ok...
- The new console is called Wii U. New controller looks like half a 3DS. The controller is the screen if you want! It's a touch screen you can use a stylus on and it's a motion controller. Will use Wii accessories. The controller has a camera. It can be used for lots of uses. The controller can work with the games using it's touch screen and it can also be played with on it's own. The Wii U controller seems like the PS Vita in essence.
- New Smash Bros that works with Both Wii U and 3DS and work together in some way. Cool.
- Lego City Stories for Wii U and 3DS. Not big on Lego games.
- Darksiders 2 for Wii U. Cool but buying PS3 version.
- Dirt for Wii U. meh..
- Aliens: Colonial Marines for Wii U. Meh again.
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online for Wii U... meh...
- Metro Last Light for Wii U... more meh
- Tekken for Wii U. Awesomeness.
- Ninja Gaiden 3 for Wii U. Ok that's cool.
Wii U is a name I can get behind but it's controller is to big and ugly looking! Seriously the controller looks like it's roughly 10 inches in size. Way to big for most of the casual demo graphic and the positioning of the buttons and analog nubs is badly chosen, also analog nubs? Why? What happened to analog sticks? I know the odds of them change it is about the same as proving Gods exists scientifically but it's... so... horribly designed! UGLY! Also the line up the showed that's coming to it are probably not going to give a crap if it's on a Nintendo console so why the focus on them? Well next E3 will iron out some details and clear up some of the fog around Wii U so I won't be angry at the console... just it's UGLY controller.
- Legend Of Zelda's for all consoles! Link's Awakening on eShop available today for 3DS, Ocarina Of Time on 3DS, 4 Swords on DSI Ware and Skyward Sword around Christmas. Exclusive gold Wiimote to be released as well. Also for those who register their OOT on Club Nintendo you can get OOT soundtrack.
- Mario Kart 3DS... finally getting a release. Ok. Customising seems cool.
- Starfox 64 3DS. Cool. Uses it's motion controls as expected. September release.
- Super Mario 3D. Awesome! Seriously awesome! TANOOKI MARIO! MUST BUY!
- Kid Icarus. Cool. Does seem pretty good too. Playing AR cards that fight.
- Luigi's Mansion 2. Cool I guess.
- Resident Evil Mercenaries 3D, Mario & Sonic At the Olympics: London 2012, Ace Combat 3D, Cave Story 3D, Tetris, Resident Evil Revelations, Driver Renegade, Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions,
Tekken 3D, Metal Gear Snake Eater 3D announced. Impressive list.
- New firmware update will have an enhanced web browser. Also the 3DS getting it's own Virtual Console.
- Pokedex 3D encourages Street Passing to finish it. Ok...
- The new console is called Wii U. New controller looks like half a 3DS. The controller is the screen if you want! It's a touch screen you can use a stylus on and it's a motion controller. Will use Wii accessories. The controller has a camera. It can be used for lots of uses. The controller can work with the games using it's touch screen and it can also be played with on it's own. The Wii U controller seems like the PS Vita in essence.
- New Smash Bros that works with Both Wii U and 3DS and work together in some way. Cool.
- Lego City Stories for Wii U and 3DS. Not big on Lego games.
- Darksiders 2 for Wii U. Cool but buying PS3 version.
- Dirt for Wii U. meh..
- Aliens: Colonial Marines for Wii U. Meh again.
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online for Wii U... meh...
- Metro Last Light for Wii U... more meh
- Tekken for Wii U. Awesomeness.
- Ninja Gaiden 3 for Wii U. Ok that's cool.
Wii U is a name I can get behind but it's controller is to big and ugly looking! Seriously the controller looks like it's roughly 10 inches in size. Way to big for most of the casual demo graphic and the positioning of the buttons and analog nubs is badly chosen, also analog nubs? Why? What happened to analog sticks? I know the odds of them change it is about the same as proving Gods exists scientifically but it's... so... horribly designed! UGLY! Also the line up the showed that's coming to it are probably not going to give a crap if it's on a Nintendo console so why the focus on them? Well next E3 will iron out some details and clear up some of the fog around Wii U so I won't be angry at the console... just it's UGLY controller.
Here we go again
Well I have now watched the big three's events and i'm happy unlike most of the so called gamers on this site, apparently Microsoft had the worst event in the history of the world and as usual Sony is god and had the best E3 the universe has ever seen. I saw it differently, for me Microsoft had a very good event. Not perfect but very good none the less, I loved seeing kingdoms(RYSE) being showcased although we didn't see much and I also enjoyed the gears 3 single player reveal. The big one for me was Halo 4, I love halo. Not the multi player but the single player. I was fully immersed in the halo universe and I loved finishing the fight, but I always felt Halo had much more to offer with the chiefs involvement. Heres hoping 343 can carry on the same standards set by Bungie who I feel will not just stand by and let there beloved franchise go down the pan, i'm sure they will pop in from time to time to see how the chief is doing. Obviously I am super excited about the Halo CE remake, that game was the reason I traded my PS2 to in after many years of joy out of the play station brand of which I didn't return until 2 years ago when I finally bought a PS3. I remember my jaw hitting the floor when you first step out of your stricken ship and stand looking at the grass, amazed about how detailed it is and how the sun distorted when moving behind objects. Few other games have had that effect on me. I'd happily pay full retail price for that game again, even more so with Xbox live integration. Forza 4 is another game i'm really looking forward to, iv'e used up all of forza 3's charm so i'm ready for the new one. The new lighting engine looks beautiful, there was never anything wrong with the models themselves but they had a plastic look to them which gave it a cartoon like look. Now though they are using image based lighting and it looks fantastic, they seem to have added a lot more detail to the interiour of the cars which was really needed. I am a GT5 fan so i'm not going to compare but forza has some big GT5 shoes to fill.
Sony,s press conference was a strange one, not bad but strange. It seemed they were too scared to show there full force incase of over shadowing the NGP reveal, I wanted some news on GT5 DLC and maybe something on God of War 4 but they stayed very low key on the PS3 front and mainly showcased the PSvita which I think is a great name. There were some good games shown for move but i'm not really a fan to be honest. I did like the humility of there apology though, it seemed very sincere. I am more than happy with the welcome back pack as well, it really does show Sony to be a very consumer driven company. There were no new announcements regarding new exclusives so it was a strange event for Sony, usually they have 1.2 million new exclusives to announce but there was only dust which i'm not really interested in. I'm not a fan of massive multi player online games so i'll look at this one from a distance.
Having just watched Nintendo's conference, I have too say i'm baffled on how they insisted on talking about every man and his dog and not the new console. Yes we saw the controller but where were the specs, official photos or videos of the console itself. I am optimistic about the new Nintendo console but having not owned anything by Nintendo since the 64 i'm keeping an eye open but I can't see myself buying it.
There have been a lot of comments regarding Microsoft's event and how they have changed to a casual company. The 360 has no games apparently, it only has Gears 3, Forza 4, MW3, BF3, RYSE, Mass effect 3, fifa 12, pro evo 12, dirt 3, la noire and countless other 3rd and first party games. Yes its really going down hill lol
Sony,s press conference was a strange one, not bad but strange. It seemed they were too scared to show there full force incase of over shadowing the NGP reveal, I wanted some news on GT5 DLC and maybe something on God of War 4 but they stayed very low key on the PS3 front and mainly showcased the PSvita which I think is a great name. There were some good games shown for move but i'm not really a fan to be honest. I did like the humility of there apology though, it seemed very sincere. I am more than happy with the welcome back pack as well, it really does show Sony to be a very consumer driven company. There were no new announcements regarding new exclusives so it was a strange event for Sony, usually they have 1.2 million new exclusives to announce but there was only dust which i'm not really interested in. I'm not a fan of massive multi player online games so i'll look at this one from a distance.
Having just watched Nintendo's conference, I have too say i'm baffled on how they insisted on talking about every man and his dog and not the new console. Yes we saw the controller but where were the specs, official photos or videos of the console itself. I am optimistic about the new Nintendo console but having not owned anything by Nintendo since the 64 i'm keeping an eye open but I can't see myself buying it.
There have been a lot of comments regarding Microsoft's event and how they have changed to a casual company. The 360 has no games apparently, it only has Gears 3, Forza 4, MW3, BF3, RYSE, Mass effect 3, fifa 12, pro evo 12, dirt 3, la noire and countless other 3rd and first party games. Yes its really going down hill lol
My E3 2011 Impressions - Microsoft
Let me just start by saying this is my first Blog post so please excuse me if there are grammar mistakes or other problems and feedback is appreciated :)
Okay guys let's start with Microsoft as they kicked off E3 this year, In my opinon, Microsoft's Conference was disappointing, admittedly I am a bit of a Playstation fanboy but I wanted Microsoft to show something that would make me want go to buy a preowned 360, but this didn't happen at at all...
They started the Conference with Some call of duty: Modern warfare 3 gameplay,The gameplay as always for a COD title looks smooth and the graphics look sharp, but it is still more of the same. I don't understand though why Microsoft keep treating this game as if it's an Xbox exclusive just because they have a one month exclusive DLC deal with them. They also showed some Gears of War 3 gameplay, arguably Gears has the best graphics on the system yet, this does look like it could be the best game on the Xbox 360 this year. I would love to see this on the PS3 at some point but of course it will never happen.
A big part of the conference like last year was Kinect, This time though the games were slightly more core than the games announced last year, these are a few of the games they showed; Fable:The journey which is a sort of rail shooter game where you cast magic at enemies, Ryse, a game made by crytek set in rome, where you use your hands as swords and shields.They also announced Minecraft for Kinect as well, now I'm a PC minecraft player so I don't like this idea, this game WORKS on PC, I think it will be clunky and won't be the same on xbox. Along with these Kinect games there is Disneyland adventures, star wars: Kinect,sesame street: Once a upon a monster, kinect fun labs, dance central 2 and kinect sports season 2.
Fear not though core gamers, there were some normal games, but nothing new, just existing IP's I'm afraid, They showed some Mass effect 3 gameplay, which of course looks great but is also on PS3. Also Ghost recon: future soldier was shown off which I believe is also on PS3 so nothing exclusive yet. Microsoft officially announced the Halo: combat evolved remake which should be good as I loved the original when I had the original Xbox, this was already known to gamers though but this wasn't.The new Halo trilogy starting with Halo 4 next year, so basically microsoft announced 4 Halo games this year, make of that what you will. I think they should of left Halo alone, it was a great trilogy of games but now it has the oppurtinuty to go downhill, especially now Bungie are no longer making the games. Of course with E3, there was Forza, forza 4 to be exact, they showed a trailer that was basically the same as every other racing game trailer out there, music,close up of cars, cars racing and the features in it such as community car clubs,Kinect head tracking and 16 player races online.I'm not a big racing game fan so no impressions here.
That was basically it for the games, all that's left is the new services for Xbox.Live tv,youtube,bing and live UFC paperview. Now these are all good services but I do just feel like Microsoft tried to hide the lack of exclusive games recently behind these services. So all in all, Microsoft showed their usual triple a games, kinect games and new services for the Xbox 360.
Okay guys let's start with Microsoft as they kicked off E3 this year, In my opinon, Microsoft's Conference was disappointing, admittedly I am a bit of a Playstation fanboy but I wanted Microsoft to show something that would make me want go to buy a preowned 360, but this didn't happen at at all...
They started the Conference with Some call of duty: Modern warfare 3 gameplay,The gameplay as always for a COD title looks smooth and the graphics look sharp, but it is still more of the same. I don't understand though why Microsoft keep treating this game as if it's an Xbox exclusive just because they have a one month exclusive DLC deal with them. They also showed some Gears of War 3 gameplay, arguably Gears has the best graphics on the system yet, this does look like it could be the best game on the Xbox 360 this year. I would love to see this on the PS3 at some point but of course it will never happen.
A big part of the conference like last year was Kinect, This time though the games were slightly more core than the games announced last year, these are a few of the games they showed; Fable:The journey which is a sort of rail shooter game where you cast magic at enemies, Ryse, a game made by crytek set in rome, where you use your hands as swords and shields.They also announced Minecraft for Kinect as well, now I'm a PC minecraft player so I don't like this idea, this game WORKS on PC, I think it will be clunky and won't be the same on xbox. Along with these Kinect games there is Disneyland adventures, star wars: Kinect,sesame street: Once a upon a monster, kinect fun labs, dance central 2 and kinect sports season 2.
Fear not though core gamers, there were some normal games, but nothing new, just existing IP's I'm afraid, They showed some Mass effect 3 gameplay, which of course looks great but is also on PS3. Also Ghost recon: future soldier was shown off which I believe is also on PS3 so nothing exclusive yet. Microsoft officially announced the Halo: combat evolved remake which should be good as I loved the original when I had the original Xbox, this was already known to gamers though but this wasn't.The new Halo trilogy starting with Halo 4 next year, so basically microsoft announced 4 Halo games this year, make of that what you will. I think they should of left Halo alone, it was a great trilogy of games but now it has the oppurtinuty to go downhill, especially now Bungie are no longer making the games. Of course with E3, there was Forza, forza 4 to be exact, they showed a trailer that was basically the same as every other racing game trailer out there, music,close up of cars, cars racing and the features in it such as community car clubs,Kinect head tracking and 16 player races online.I'm not a big racing game fan so no impressions here.
That was basically it for the games, all that's left is the new services for Xbox.Live tv,youtube,bing and live UFC paperview. Now these are all good services but I do just feel like Microsoft tried to hide the lack of exclusive games recently behind these services. So all in all, Microsoft showed their usual triple a games, kinect games and new services for the Xbox 360.
Hitman Absolution: Another perfect hit or a messy ending?
I'll reserve full judgement until gameplay is released but I've been reading all the previews I can find and this doesn't sound like the Hitman I or any other fans were hoping for.
While I agree the graphics look amazing and new additions like better melee and climbing, cover and updated shooting sound great, everything else sounds...off
Hiding in the dark, picking off cops one-by-one? Getting chased by helicopter, stopping occasionally to shoot back and slow-mo jump across rooftops? Seemingly action-focused? This does not sound like Hitman.
What I always loved about the series, that seperated it from MGS or Splinter Cell or even that other "social-stealth" game Assassins Creed is
1)There are tons of choices of how to complete levels
2)It's not just you against the world.
Guards, police, civilians, your targets: it's up to you to figure out how to use that to your advantage or if you want to engage in a shootout or want to leave no traces. You're not hiding in the shadows like Fisher or Batman,; you're in plain sight in broad daylight. You don't have to kill if you don't want to. That's what made the series unique
It sounds like they're making Hitman more action-focused. At least that Instinct mode is turned off on higher difficulties. If the entire game is like this, I just might have to turn my back on Hitman.
In my opinion, I believe this is the opening tutorial for the game. It would be a hell of way to start off. I could just see it: that last shot of him disappearing into the crowd, the camera rising up and up then BOOM...Hitman Absolution logo, real game starts. Perhaps the guy he throws through the window at the beginning is an assassin hired to kill him, which then sets off the whole plot. Each "hit" could be 47 taking out different Organization members as he moves up to ladder to those behind the "dark conspiracy" at the center of the story.
(I'm just speculating, but that's the only reason I could think the gameplay would be so action-heavy: start the game with a bang)
While I agree the graphics look amazing and new additions like better melee and climbing, cover and updated shooting sound great, everything else sounds...off
Hiding in the dark, picking off cops one-by-one? Getting chased by helicopter, stopping occasionally to shoot back and slow-mo jump across rooftops? Seemingly action-focused? This does not sound like Hitman.
What I always loved about the series, that seperated it from MGS or Splinter Cell or even that other "social-stealth" game Assassins Creed is
1)There are tons of choices of how to complete levels
2)It's not just you against the world.
Guards, police, civilians, your targets: it's up to you to figure out how to use that to your advantage or if you want to engage in a shootout or want to leave no traces. You're not hiding in the shadows like Fisher or Batman,; you're in plain sight in broad daylight. You don't have to kill if you don't want to. That's what made the series unique
It sounds like they're making Hitman more action-focused. At least that Instinct mode is turned off on higher difficulties. If the entire game is like this, I just might have to turn my back on Hitman.
In my opinion, I believe this is the opening tutorial for the game. It would be a hell of way to start off. I could just see it: that last shot of him disappearing into the crowd, the camera rising up and up then BOOM...Hitman Absolution logo, real game starts. Perhaps the guy he throws through the window at the beginning is an assassin hired to kill him, which then sets off the whole plot. Each "hit" could be 47 taking out different Organization members as he moves up to ladder to those behind the "dark conspiracy" at the center of the story.
(I'm just speculating, but that's the only reason I could think the gameplay would be so action-heavy: start the game with a bang)
Play the Scary Maze Game With Your Friends!
Have you ever played the Scary Maze Game 8 now? If not, brotha you haven’t lived!!! This maze game is the most awesome game on earth! But in order to play it you MUST have a partner in the room with you. So go find a friend, co-hort, or even an enemy – it doesn’t matter! Then match your wits and your mouse skills with the game and see if you’re awesome enough to win the BIG prize at the end!
Chinese Couple Sells All Three Kids to Play Online Games
A young Chinese couple has sold all three of their children in exchange for money to play online Nick jr games at Internet cafes, reports a southern Chinese newspaper.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Official Pokemon Game Coming To Smartphones
The Pokemon Company is set to bring an official Pokemon Online game to smartphone devices, marking the first time that an official Nintendo-copyrighted app will be available on the iOS and Android.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Called Pokemon Iie Tap (rougly Pokemon: Say Tap?), the app appears to be a rhythm game where players “tap on Pokemon indigo trading cards to the beat of a song from the anime,” according to a translation by consumer video game site GamesRadar.
According to the game’s official announcement, it will be available for most iOS devices, as well as Android devices running version 2.1 of the platform.
Though this is the first iOS or Android application to carry an official Nintendo copyright, it is not the first mobile app of any kind: a Pokemon mobile phone game called Pokemate was released in Japan in 2006.
Though it is a rarity, Nintendo does have a history of releasing official games on platforms that are not its own, including a promotional Flash game to promote its Tingle character.
A release outside of Japan has not been announced.
Nick Jr., MTVN expand in Asia
Rugrats and music fans in Singapore and Malaysia will be able to tune in to “Dora the Explorer” and 24-hour music videos, docus and concerts with the launch of Viacom’s Nick Jr. and MTVN HD in the territories in coming weeks.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Nick Jr Games. will bow on Singapore’s Starhub from May 18, while MTVN HD will air on Telekom Malaysia Berhad’s HyppTV in Malaysia from June 1.
Nick Jr. will be available on the StarHub TV’s Kids Basic Upsize Group, while MTVNHD will be available to existing StarHub TV’s Entertainment Basic Group customers who are subscribed to the Basic HD Upsize group.
TM will offer the two channels a la carte to its subscribers on HyppTV, Malaysia’s newest pay TV service.
The services will roll out to the rest of the region at a date to be announced.
Chinese Couple Sells All Three Kids to Play Online Games
A young Chinese couple has sold all three of their children in exchange for money to play online Nick jr games at Internet cafes, reports a southern Chinese newspaper.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
According to Sanxiang City News, the couple met in an Internet cafe back in 2007 and bonded over their obsession with online video games. A year later, the parents — who are both under 21 — welcomed their first child, a son. Days after his birth, they left him home alone while they went to play online agame at an Internet cafe 30 km away.
In 2009, Li Lin and Li Juan welcomed their second child, a baby girl, and came up with the idea to sell her for money to fund their online game obsession. They did so, receiving RMB 3,000 (less than $500), which they spent entirely shortly after. The couple then proceeded to sell their first child and got 10 times as much for him — RMB 30,000, or about $4600.
Upon having their third child — another boy — the parents followed in their previous footsteps and also got RMB 30,000 for him.
They were finally turned into authorities when Li Lin’s mother found out what her son and his girlfriend had done.
When asked if they missed their children, the parents answered, “We don’t want to raise them, we just want to sell them for some money.”
Sanxiang City Newsreports the couple didn’t know they were breaking the law.
Play the Scary Maze Game With Your Friends!
Have you ever played the Scary Maze Game 8 now? If not, brotha you haven’t lived!!! This maze game is the most awesome game on earth! But in order to play it you MUST have a partner in the room with you. So go find a friend, co-hort, or even an enemy – it doesn’t matter! Then match your wits and your mouse skills with the game and see if you’re awesome enough to win the BIG prize at the end!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Turkish bank earns 500k fans by offering Facebook games
These days, many companies are turning to Facebook games as a way of connecting with and building their audience (e.g. Channel 4's Beauty Town). But one pioneering company, a Turkish bank called Akbank, is really throwing themselves into their official Facebook page.
As of this writing, Akbank's Facebook page has 508,397 fans. The bank itself has 913 branches serving 8 million customers, and they've been managing a total of 15 social media accounts between Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. They've also created 5 Facebook applications, some of which, are games promoting their brand.
One of these games, Kur Yönet, which translates into "Manage the Exchange Rate", allows users to build a virtual factory that involves everything from production to marketing to R&D. All banking, of course, is handled by the Akbank branch within the game.
Akbank Kur Yönet Facebook game
Another game, Kırmızı'nın Peşinde or "The Pursuit of the Red", is based on Pac-Man and comes with a super dramatic game trailer (shown below). Your characters run around each level collecting personal needs (e.g. education, vacation, home renovations). Ads are shown in-between level changes.
Aside from these two, there's also been a music trivia page offering free concert tickets that was targeted at the youth, a gift cards giveaway page on applying for personal loans, and another trivia game involving current events in Turkish history that later tells players how much money they could've made if only they opened a Cumulative Mutual Fund account on a certain date. These are all a bit of a stretch, but Akbank seems completely devoted to pushing their brand, wherever, whenever, and however possible. Moreover, it appears that all their efforts have paid off.
[Source: The Financial Brand]
As of this writing, Akbank's Facebook page has 508,397 fans. The bank itself has 913 branches serving 8 million customers, and they've been managing a total of 15 social media accounts between Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. They've also created 5 Facebook applications, some of which, are games promoting their brand.
One of these games, Kur Yönet, which translates into "Manage the Exchange Rate", allows users to build a virtual factory that involves everything from production to marketing to R&D. All banking, of course, is handled by the Akbank branch within the game.
Akbank Kur Yönet Facebook game
Another game, Kırmızı'nın Peşinde or "The Pursuit of the Red", is based on Pac-Man and comes with a super dramatic game trailer (shown below). Your characters run around each level collecting personal needs (e.g. education, vacation, home renovations). Ads are shown in-between level changes.
Aside from these two, there's also been a music trivia page offering free concert tickets that was targeted at the youth, a gift cards giveaway page on applying for personal loans, and another trivia game involving current events in Turkish history that later tells players how much money they could've made if only they opened a Cumulative Mutual Fund account on a certain date. These are all a bit of a stretch, but Akbank seems completely devoted to pushing their brand, wherever, whenever, and however possible. Moreover, it appears that all their efforts have paid off.
[Source: The Financial Brand]
Market Street becomes the seventh Playdom game to shut down
Players who attempt to log into Playdom's game Market Street right now will be greeted with a message stating that the game has been removed for good. This colorful and lively simulation game puts the player in charge of running their own virtual store. While the game was polished and relatively fun, it didn't bring anything new to the crowded world of Facebook sim games. Players could decorate their isometric shop and send away for shipments so that they could please the customers that come inside to purchase wares. Market Street launched approximately one year ago.
At its peak, Market Street hit over 9 million monthly active users and over 1 million daily players, however that was in 2010 and the Facebook game landscape has grown much more crowded since its heyday. Playdom has a history of closing down games that aren't faring so well, such as Treetopia, Tiki Farm, Tiki Resort, Verdonia, Fanglies, and Lil' Farm Life. In fact, Playdom have closed more games than most developers will ever launch. With the release of Gnome Town, it is clear that Playdom are now focusing on richer and more innovative titles to set them apart from the competition.
The sad thing about games closing down is that the players not only lose any progress, coins, or hard currency that they purchased, but they also lose all their hard work decorating their space. Many players become quite attached to these spaces and it is quite sad to have to say goodbye to something you worked so hard on. It's too bad that Playdom and other developers cannot keep the games up but cease to update them. Unfortunately, the operating costs are too high to keep a game running that isn't showing much traction.
Are you sad to see Market Street go?
At its peak, Market Street hit over 9 million monthly active users and over 1 million daily players, however that was in 2010 and the Facebook game landscape has grown much more crowded since its heyday. Playdom has a history of closing down games that aren't faring so well, such as Treetopia, Tiki Farm, Tiki Resort, Verdonia, Fanglies, and Lil' Farm Life. In fact, Playdom have closed more games than most developers will ever launch. With the release of Gnome Town, it is clear that Playdom are now focusing on richer and more innovative titles to set them apart from the competition.
The sad thing about games closing down is that the players not only lose any progress, coins, or hard currency that they purchased, but they also lose all their hard work decorating their space. Many players become quite attached to these spaces and it is quite sad to have to say goodbye to something you worked so hard on. It's too bad that Playdom and other developers cannot keep the games up but cease to update them. Unfortunately, the operating costs are too high to keep a game running that isn't showing much traction.
Are you sad to see Market Street go?
Zynga goes bananas for Astro Ape, potential buyout in action [Rumor]
Can we finally give Zynga an ominous title ... like the Ape Assimilator? (It just rolls off the tongue.) Business Insider reports that Zynga, most recently creator of Pioneer Trail, has purchased self-proclaimed mobile social game competitor Astro Ape, most recently known for Monsterz Revenge for iPhone. And no "anonymous sources" even needed to be cited--just look at Linkedin.
Astro Ape CEO Chieh Huang, along with a number of his colleagues, have changed their profile information to positions within Zynga NY, one of the global companies few east coast studios. Specifically, Business Insider cites Astro Ape's director of engineering, who has taken the exact same title within Zynga's New York office.
So, the website deduces that Zynga has more than likely acquired Astro Ape. And what an interesting turn of events. Just recently, Huang called out Zynga, claiming that his studio was better than the omnipresent Facebook games creator.
"It sounds like a basic concept, but I think it's getting lost a bit today in social gaming. Our users come into our apps because they want to play our games, not because we spam them with invites, requests and other offers," Huang said months ago, indirectly referring to Zynga.
Monsterz Revenge
Has Astro Ape bended its stance in the name of the mighty dollar, or does it plan to bring a new breed of mobile game to Zynga? Who knows, but if this turns out to be true, Zynga just employed a brilliant strategy, sway the naysayers.
[Via VentureBeat]
Do you think this is enough proof that Zynga has bought Astro Ape? What do you think Astro Ape would bring to Zynga, and will it involve its existing games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Astro Ape CEO Chieh Huang, along with a number of his colleagues, have changed their profile information to positions within Zynga NY, one of the global companies few east coast studios. Specifically, Business Insider cites Astro Ape's director of engineering, who has taken the exact same title within Zynga's New York office.
So, the website deduces that Zynga has more than likely acquired Astro Ape. And what an interesting turn of events. Just recently, Huang called out Zynga, claiming that his studio was better than the omnipresent Facebook games creator.
"It sounds like a basic concept, but I think it's getting lost a bit today in social gaming. Our users come into our apps because they want to play our games, not because we spam them with invites, requests and other offers," Huang said months ago, indirectly referring to Zynga.
Monsterz Revenge
Has Astro Ape bended its stance in the name of the mighty dollar, or does it plan to bring a new breed of mobile game to Zynga? Who knows, but if this turns out to be true, Zynga just employed a brilliant strategy, sway the naysayers.
[Via VentureBeat]
Do you think this is enough proof that Zynga has bought Astro Ape? What do you think Astro Ape would bring to Zynga, and will it involve its existing games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Zynga slapped with yet another patent infringement suit over its games
Zynga is officially the proverbial guy who wins the lottery and suddenly "reunites" with hundreds of long-lost friends. Only those old friends are angry, money-hungry companies and the "reunions" have been swapped for nasty lawsuits. Zynga faces yet another patent infringement lawsuit, this time from Agincourt Gaming, seemingly the publisher of Pantheon, a greco-roman combat game on Facebook (pictured below).
Sun Herald reports that, according to allegations made by Agincourt Gaming, Zynga has violated two patents held by the company regarding credits-based online gaming since 1996. (You know, the model used by every Facebook game ever?) The company, who just recently entered the Facebook games biz, seeks monetary damages and a permanent injunction against Zynga that shut down several of its games.
More specifically, Agincourt Gaming named FarmVille, FishVille, PetVille, YoVille, Zynga Poker, Empires & Allies, Mafia Wars, Treasure Isle, FrontierVille, CityVille, Cafe World and Vampire Wars. In other words, all of Zynga's games (that matter) have been put under fire. According to Sun Herald the lawsuit also alleges that Zynga has a history of copying smaller developers' game ideas.
Pantheon on Facebook
Zynga knows the issue rather intimately, considering the company has been smacked with multiple infringement lawsuits over the past few months. Companies like Vostu, SocialApps and even The Learning Company have approached Zynga, which is said to be worth over $11.5 billion. Clearly this has become a growing trend for the global developer, but when or if Zynga will finally bite the bullet and respond to these claims is what we're all really waiting for.
Do you think Agincourt has a case against Zynga with its patents? Do you think Zynga will ever directly respond to the claims made that it copies game ideas? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Sun Herald reports that, according to allegations made by Agincourt Gaming, Zynga has violated two patents held by the company regarding credits-based online gaming since 1996. (You know, the model used by every Facebook game ever?) The company, who just recently entered the Facebook games biz, seeks monetary damages and a permanent injunction against Zynga that shut down several of its games.
More specifically, Agincourt Gaming named FarmVille, FishVille, PetVille, YoVille, Zynga Poker, Empires & Allies, Mafia Wars, Treasure Isle, FrontierVille, CityVille, Cafe World and Vampire Wars. In other words, all of Zynga's games (that matter) have been put under fire. According to Sun Herald the lawsuit also alleges that Zynga has a history of copying smaller developers' game ideas.
Pantheon on Facebook
Zynga knows the issue rather intimately, considering the company has been smacked with multiple infringement lawsuits over the past few months. Companies like Vostu, SocialApps and even The Learning Company have approached Zynga, which is said to be worth over $11.5 billion. Clearly this has become a growing trend for the global developer, but when or if Zynga will finally bite the bullet and respond to these claims is what we're all really waiting for.
Do you think Agincourt has a case against Zynga with its patents? Do you think Zynga will ever directly respond to the claims made that it copies game ideas? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Dustbin Bieber will see double in Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo for DS
And so will the little ones, we'd imagine. Mind Candy, creator of the hyper popular social game franchise Moshi Monsters, has announced Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo for the Nintendo DS. With the help of global publisher Activision, Mind Candy looks to put the adorable little creatures right in every kid's pocket this fall. (Because, seriously, what kid doesn't own a DS by now?)
The game sounds like it will expand upon the existing Moshi Monsters hook: Moshlings are pets that players collect for their pet monsters. Pet monsters with pets of their own--this is a little too meta for my taste already.
According to a release, the game will feature 52 Moshlings to collect including a brand new one that has yet tot be announced. The game will also feature new mini games that are, of course, educational, as well as trophies for players to collect.
Gallery: Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo
This is just one of the many ways Moshi Monsters will and has occupied the time of over 50 million kids worldwide since 2008 like the Moshi Monsters toys, books, trading cards and even a magazine. Being able to interact with your Moshi Monsters in new ways and in new places sounds cool and all, but we just hope Mind Candy cures our Dustbin Bieber fever while on the go. Something tells us we're not the only ones. Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo, is due out globally this fall.
Are you psyched (at least for the tikes) that Moshi Monsters are coming to Nintendo DS? Do you think this was the logical next step for the Moshi Monsters? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
The game sounds like it will expand upon the existing Moshi Monsters hook: Moshlings are pets that players collect for their pet monsters. Pet monsters with pets of their own--this is a little too meta for my taste already.
According to a release, the game will feature 52 Moshlings to collect including a brand new one that has yet tot be announced. The game will also feature new mini games that are, of course, educational, as well as trophies for players to collect.
Gallery: Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo
This is just one of the many ways Moshi Monsters will and has occupied the time of over 50 million kids worldwide since 2008 like the Moshi Monsters toys, books, trading cards and even a magazine. Being able to interact with your Moshi Monsters in new ways and in new places sounds cool and all, but we just hope Mind Candy cures our Dustbin Bieber fever while on the go. Something tells us we're not the only ones. Moshi Monsters: Moshling Zoo, is due out globally this fall.
Are you psyched (at least for the tikes) that Moshi Monsters are coming to Nintendo DS? Do you think this was the logical next step for the Moshi Monsters? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Disney-branded Facebook games coming in 2012, Playdom head says
Can we all just say, "finally?" During a panel named "The Rise of Social Games" at the f8 Facebook Developers Conference in San Francisco, Disney Interactive and Playdom head John Pleasants revealed that two to four Facebook games surrounding Disney brands will hit Facebook in 2012. The general topic of the panel was the fact that branded social games are taking off.
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we've come to love.
Honestly, we're surprised this didn't happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn't get into why it's taken this long for Disney to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer--and we enjoyed quite a bit--peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company's name, according to Pleasants. "We think it's an advantage, if you put game play first," Pleasants said.
It's comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam's Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine.
[Source and Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Are you on board with the growing trend of branded games on Facebook? Do you think developers will maintain integrity as the focus on branded content in their games intensifies? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Pleasants was joined on the panel by Kabam CEO Kevin Chou, EA Interactive head Barry Cottle and Zynga CBO Owen Van Natta. Facebook director of games partnerships Sean Ryan moderated the panel with the preface that branded games will take over the Facebook platform. And he might be right: EA just released The Sims Social, Zynga will soon re-brand its new Adventure World with Indiana Jones and Kabam recently announced The Godfather: Five Families.
Playdom, which Disney acquired in July 2010 for a whopping $740 million, is ahead of the pack with two branded games on Facebook: ESPNU College Town and ESPN Sports Bar & Grill. Both games performed well, thanks to advertising through the ESPN TV network. While Disney owns the ESPN brand, notice how neither of those actually involve the insanely popular Disney characters we've come to love.
Honestly, we're surprised this didn't happen sooner. Consider this: Disney has its own cable TV channel through which it could, in theory, advertise whatever it wants. Pleasants didn't get into why it's taken this long for Disney to throw its cast of characters into Facebook games, but did reveal the power of the Disney name.
Gnome Town, which Playdom launched in the summer--and we enjoyed quite a bit--peaked at 530,000 daily players. But just plopping the Disney logo on top of the existing one made users more likely to spend in the game just through trust of the company's name, according to Pleasants. "We think it's an advantage, if you put game play first," Pleasants said.
It's comforting to hear this emphasized by these developers. (Kabam's Chou shared the same sentiment.) Branded games on Facebook are OK in my book, but the last thing anyone wants to see is the genre become a branding machine.
[Source and Image Credit: VentureBeat]
Are you on board with the growing trend of branded games on Facebook? Do you think developers will maintain integrity as the focus on branded content in their games intensifies? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
New Pioneer Trail World Map: Are four more expansions on the way?
Pioneer Trail World Map
That's the logical guess, at least. Zynga recently updated The Pioneer Trail with a brand new World Map that hints at four unreleased areas. Instead of showing the four areas on the Pioneer Trail, the "Travel" button now shows a condensed icon representing the recently-released expansion in a larger map. What's more important, however, is what surrounds it.
Considering this is all we have right now, prepare for some wild speculation. The Pioneer Trail icon is surrounded by four grayed out icons. Moving from most left to right, what first appears is either a castle or a fort, with no trail marks leading to it. Perhaps this is a new area for players to tend to much like the Homestead (maybe players claim Fort Courage for themselves.) To the bottom left is a canyon, which is most likely the long-teased Rattlesnake Canyon.
Directly below The Pioneer Trail icon is what appears to be a Gold Mine, likely alluding to the Gold Rush expansion that has been hinted at since almost day one. (You know, way back when this game was still known as FrontierVille?) Finally, a haunted graveyard of sorts is featured. We seriously doubt Zynga would create an entire expansion's worth of content with a Halloween theme, so maybe this will be the home of future season-specific events.
At this point, who knows what the developer is up to. What we do know, however, is that Zynga has big plans for Pioneer Trail well into 2012. And considering the game has lost the majority of its daily players since it was re-branded in August, we're not surprised Zynga would be working hard to keep the major content releases flowing.
What do you make of this brand new World Map in Pioneer Trail? Do you think Zynga can recover its lost fans with a flurry of major expansions in 2012? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
That's the logical guess, at least. Zynga recently updated The Pioneer Trail with a brand new World Map that hints at four unreleased areas. Instead of showing the four areas on the Pioneer Trail, the "Travel" button now shows a condensed icon representing the recently-released expansion in a larger map. What's more important, however, is what surrounds it.
Considering this is all we have right now, prepare for some wild speculation. The Pioneer Trail icon is surrounded by four grayed out icons. Moving from most left to right, what first appears is either a castle or a fort, with no trail marks leading to it. Perhaps this is a new area for players to tend to much like the Homestead (maybe players claim Fort Courage for themselves.) To the bottom left is a canyon, which is most likely the long-teased Rattlesnake Canyon.
Directly below The Pioneer Trail icon is what appears to be a Gold Mine, likely alluding to the Gold Rush expansion that has been hinted at since almost day one. (You know, way back when this game was still known as FrontierVille?) Finally, a haunted graveyard of sorts is featured. We seriously doubt Zynga would create an entire expansion's worth of content with a Halloween theme, so maybe this will be the home of future season-specific events.
At this point, who knows what the developer is up to. What we do know, however, is that Zynga has big plans for Pioneer Trail well into 2012. And considering the game has lost the majority of its daily players since it was re-branded in August, we're not surprised Zynga would be working hard to keep the major content releases flowing.
What do you make of this brand new World Map in Pioneer Trail? Do you think Zynga can recover its lost fans with a flurry of major expansions in 2012? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
The CityVille French Riviera Casino: Everything you need to know
Nearly a year after the game's release, it's finally time to unlock the first CityVille Wonder: The Eiffel Tower. We've guided you through building both the Sailboat Hotel and the Tonga Tower, and now Zynga has released the French Riviera Casino to the game. It's the third and final building required to access CityVille's first Wonder, and follows about the same pattern as its predecessors. But that doesn't make it any simpler of a task, so here's everything you need to know:
Players must be at least Level 30 to access the French Riviera Casino. Once you reach that point, you'll come across a new Goal from Edgar. It simply asks that you place the foundation for the building, and rewards you 2 XP for doing so. Keep in mind that you don't have to complete the Sailboat Hotel and Tonga Tower to access this Goal.
However, you will have to finish all three to access the Eiffel Tower. Once you place the new building, it will appear complete with massive tarps, scaffolding and a giant crane. Click on it again to reveal the next giant steps in constructing this massive building in a window featuring three tasks.
Unlock French Riviera Casino
Unlock the French Riviera Casino
* Gather parts to Unlock
* Upgrade one French Business to Level 2
* Master one French Crop to Level 2
Like most buildings in CityVille, you must ask your friends for a list of items, though this time that list is more like a litany. You must ask friends for 12 of each of these items: Roulette Wheel, Dice, Slot Machine, Deck of Cards and Poker Chip. Once you receive one of each, you can place them on your Wish List to possibly make this part pass by more quickly.
Of the French Businesses listed in the Goal, we recommend upgrading the French Restaurant, as it costs the least at 4,500 Coins and holds just 110 Goods, meaning it will be open for collection more often and thus more upgrade points. Choosing the best French crop to upgrade is easy: Go with what's cheapest. That would be the Sun Flowers, which cost just 51 Coins and take 15 hours to harvest.
Inside French Riviera Casino
Once you completed all three daunting tasks, click "Finish Building" to unveil the French Riviera Casino. Of course, the building is functional, but operates much like a standard Hotel. Click on the building to supply it with a whopping 500 Goods. Click it again, and a menu similar to the Hotels will appear. While your city's residents will populate the French Riviera Casino, you can invite friends to boost the building's payout up to three times the normal value.
You can even invite friends as VIP guests after the Casino is ready to be collected. Just click on the hovering VIP icon to select five VIP friends. This is the final building to unlock the Eiffel Tower, so go on and build the first Wonder ever to hit CityVille.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you finished all three buildings to unlock the Eiffel Tower yet? What do you think of how Zynga has handled this new set of buildings? Sound off in the comments. 4 Comments
Players must be at least Level 30 to access the French Riviera Casino. Once you reach that point, you'll come across a new Goal from Edgar. It simply asks that you place the foundation for the building, and rewards you 2 XP for doing so. Keep in mind that you don't have to complete the Sailboat Hotel and Tonga Tower to access this Goal.
However, you will have to finish all three to access the Eiffel Tower. Once you place the new building, it will appear complete with massive tarps, scaffolding and a giant crane. Click on it again to reveal the next giant steps in constructing this massive building in a window featuring three tasks.
Unlock French Riviera Casino
Unlock the French Riviera Casino
* Gather parts to Unlock
* Upgrade one French Business to Level 2
* Master one French Crop to Level 2
Like most buildings in CityVille, you must ask your friends for a list of items, though this time that list is more like a litany. You must ask friends for 12 of each of these items: Roulette Wheel, Dice, Slot Machine, Deck of Cards and Poker Chip. Once you receive one of each, you can place them on your Wish List to possibly make this part pass by more quickly.
Of the French Businesses listed in the Goal, we recommend upgrading the French Restaurant, as it costs the least at 4,500 Coins and holds just 110 Goods, meaning it will be open for collection more often and thus more upgrade points. Choosing the best French crop to upgrade is easy: Go with what's cheapest. That would be the Sun Flowers, which cost just 51 Coins and take 15 hours to harvest.
Inside French Riviera Casino
Once you completed all three daunting tasks, click "Finish Building" to unveil the French Riviera Casino. Of course, the building is functional, but operates much like a standard Hotel. Click on the building to supply it with a whopping 500 Goods. Click it again, and a menu similar to the Hotels will appear. While your city's residents will populate the French Riviera Casino, you can invite friends to boost the building's payout up to three times the normal value.
You can even invite friends as VIP guests after the Casino is ready to be collected. Just click on the hovering VIP icon to select five VIP friends. This is the final building to unlock the Eiffel Tower, so go on and build the first Wonder ever to hit CityVille.
[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]
Have you finished all three buildings to unlock the Eiffel Tower yet? What do you think of how Zynga has handled this new set of buildings? Sound off in the comments. 4 Comments
Game of the Day: Sudoku X
sudoku x game of the daySudoku X is a challenging rendition of the classic puzzle game. It's everything you're used to in Sudoku, but with one mine-bending twist. The object of Sudoku is to completely fill the grid with numbers. You aren't allowed to repeat the same number in any row, column, or 3 by 3 box. In Sudoku X you also aren't allowed to repeat a number in either of the purple diagonals running from corner to corner.
If you manage to finish today's puzzle, try attempting some of the other ones by clicking through the archive at the top!
Click here to play Sudoku X!
sudoku x game of the day sudoku x game of the day
Were you able to complete today's puzzle?
If you manage to finish today's puzzle, try attempting some of the other ones by clicking through the archive at the top!
Click here to play Sudoku X!
sudoku x game of the day sudoku x game of the day
Were you able to complete today's puzzle?
Video Game Roundup: Gears of War 3, Star Fox 64 3D, The Gunstringer
Gears of War 3 has only had, let's say, a billion of advertisements all over the airwaves, so we figured we'd kick off this edition of the Video Game Roundup with a look at the the final game in the popular Xbox 360 trilogy. Then we'll delve into the outer space adventures of Fox McCloud in Star Fox 64 3D, and finish up with a look at the Kinect-only The Gunstringer on Xbox 360.
gears of war 3
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 continues the trilogy as you play Marcus Fenix, head of a team of super soldiers known as "Gears" who are intent on combating the various plagues that are infesting the planet Sera (got that?). Human resistance to the hostile enemies known as the Locust have all but wiped civilization out, but that's sooooo previous-game-in-the-series. In Gears of War 2, you made a dent in their forces, but they're still around, and now are joined by some crazy zombie aliens called the Lambent.
If this sounds confusing, we assure you, it isn't, mainly because you'll be way too busy blowing up stuff to care! The action is almost non-stop, and while we were able to complete the game in about a week, it always keeps you guessing with what they'll throw at you next. Our favorite part is... well, we won't spoil it!
The greatest thing about Gears is the fact that this is definitely not meant to be played just by one person. The real draw is when you get a group of buddies together to play through the story at the same time. Instead of protecting some computer-controlled player, having your friends in the roles of these characters makes the game a lot more dramatic!
Of course, instead of saving them, you may just want to throw a grenade at their feet, so the famous competitive modes are also in this version of Gears, and one play is definitely not enough. This game will have you hooked as you score medals and experience to unlock new weapons and characters.
Overall, Gears of War 3 is the best in the series, and our contender so far for video game of the year. Visually, it's a stunner, and while the story does try to add depth, the action is what it's all about. Amazing stuff.
Games.com Score: Five zombie aliens (out of five)
star fox 3d
Star Fox 64 3D
Star Fox 64 3D is the second Nintendo 64 title to get the Nintendo 3DS treatment (the first being the amazing The Legend if Zelda: Ocarina of Time), and in a lot of ways, it's a better fit for the 3D portable. You take control of Fox McCloud as he leads his cohorts (my personal favorite is Slippy) into some very cool space adventures, both in space and on land, and all of which uses the Nintendo 3DS in some pretty innovative ways.
For example, you can use the gyroscope in the Nintendo 3DS to tilt your ship any which way you want, so leaning into turns actually makes a difference. It feels very natural, and when used with the analog controls, you're able to get out of some pretty hair-raising situations. All that moving the system around makes the 3D fuzzy, but you can just turn the 3D slider down all the way for a clear view of the action.
Or you can play without the gyroscope and crank that 3D effect because the game is gorgeous. The stars and backgrounds have a great layering effect that makes this one of the best looking Nintendo 3DS games to come out. It's just a shame you almost have to choose either the gyro controls or the 3D effect, as both don't work too well at the same time.
Still this is a great game that is worth a purchase even if you have played the Nintendo 64 original. And if you haven't? You're in for a treat, as the story takes you from battle to battle, with a few variations that keeps things fresh. The main style of play will have you flying straight ahead as enemies come at you, and you just have to move the target around the screen to fire your lasers and bombs. This happens during many flying missions, although you'll hop in a tank for a very cool diversion a bit later in the game. There's also a free roam style that has you dogfighting against different enemies, including a few characters from the original game that are back to make life a pain for Fox.
The hardware shows off a great experience, although it's not perfect. It's still a lot of fun though (wait until you play against some of your friends in a very cool multiplayer mode) and worth a look!
Games.com Score: Four old rabbits in space (out of five)
the gunstringer
The Gunstringer
The Gunstringer is another Xbox 360 title worthy of a closer look. Made by the guys behind the indie sensation 'Splosion Man on Xbox Live, The Gunstringer uses the Xbox Kinect to bring to life the story of a cowboy with a sordid past out for revenge. And he happens to be an undead puppet. So, yeah, there's that.
Controlling the cowboy puppet is as simple as using your left hand to move him around like a marionette, while using your right hand to point like a pistol and shoot. This is as simple as it gets, folks, but it is a very fun time.
The story is full of laughs (just take a look at some of the audience members in your play), and the game changes it up quite a bit. One chapter will have you swinging your arm from side to side while avoiding boulders, while another will have you swiping at ninja enemies with your very own samurai blades.
Simple to pick up and play (since you're not actually picking up anything) and a great sense of humor make The Gunstringer a must-play game.
Games.com Score: Five wavy tube men -- you'll see (out of five)
gears of war 3
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 continues the trilogy as you play Marcus Fenix, head of a team of super soldiers known as "Gears" who are intent on combating the various plagues that are infesting the planet Sera (got that?). Human resistance to the hostile enemies known as the Locust have all but wiped civilization out, but that's sooooo previous-game-in-the-series. In Gears of War 2, you made a dent in their forces, but they're still around, and now are joined by some crazy zombie aliens called the Lambent.
If this sounds confusing, we assure you, it isn't, mainly because you'll be way too busy blowing up stuff to care! The action is almost non-stop, and while we were able to complete the game in about a week, it always keeps you guessing with what they'll throw at you next. Our favorite part is... well, we won't spoil it!
The greatest thing about Gears is the fact that this is definitely not meant to be played just by one person. The real draw is when you get a group of buddies together to play through the story at the same time. Instead of protecting some computer-controlled player, having your friends in the roles of these characters makes the game a lot more dramatic!
Of course, instead of saving them, you may just want to throw a grenade at their feet, so the famous competitive modes are also in this version of Gears, and one play is definitely not enough. This game will have you hooked as you score medals and experience to unlock new weapons and characters.
Overall, Gears of War 3 is the best in the series, and our contender so far for video game of the year. Visually, it's a stunner, and while the story does try to add depth, the action is what it's all about. Amazing stuff.
Games.com Score: Five zombie aliens (out of five)
star fox 3d
Star Fox 64 3D
Star Fox 64 3D is the second Nintendo 64 title to get the Nintendo 3DS treatment (the first being the amazing The Legend if Zelda: Ocarina of Time), and in a lot of ways, it's a better fit for the 3D portable. You take control of Fox McCloud as he leads his cohorts (my personal favorite is Slippy) into some very cool space adventures, both in space and on land, and all of which uses the Nintendo 3DS in some pretty innovative ways.
For example, you can use the gyroscope in the Nintendo 3DS to tilt your ship any which way you want, so leaning into turns actually makes a difference. It feels very natural, and when used with the analog controls, you're able to get out of some pretty hair-raising situations. All that moving the system around makes the 3D fuzzy, but you can just turn the 3D slider down all the way for a clear view of the action.
Or you can play without the gyroscope and crank that 3D effect because the game is gorgeous. The stars and backgrounds have a great layering effect that makes this one of the best looking Nintendo 3DS games to come out. It's just a shame you almost have to choose either the gyro controls or the 3D effect, as both don't work too well at the same time.
Still this is a great game that is worth a purchase even if you have played the Nintendo 64 original. And if you haven't? You're in for a treat, as the story takes you from battle to battle, with a few variations that keeps things fresh. The main style of play will have you flying straight ahead as enemies come at you, and you just have to move the target around the screen to fire your lasers and bombs. This happens during many flying missions, although you'll hop in a tank for a very cool diversion a bit later in the game. There's also a free roam style that has you dogfighting against different enemies, including a few characters from the original game that are back to make life a pain for Fox.
The hardware shows off a great experience, although it's not perfect. It's still a lot of fun though (wait until you play against some of your friends in a very cool multiplayer mode) and worth a look!
Games.com Score: Four old rabbits in space (out of five)
the gunstringer
The Gunstringer
The Gunstringer is another Xbox 360 title worthy of a closer look. Made by the guys behind the indie sensation 'Splosion Man on Xbox Live, The Gunstringer uses the Xbox Kinect to bring to life the story of a cowboy with a sordid past out for revenge. And he happens to be an undead puppet. So, yeah, there's that.
Controlling the cowboy puppet is as simple as using your left hand to move him around like a marionette, while using your right hand to point like a pistol and shoot. This is as simple as it gets, folks, but it is a very fun time.
The story is full of laughs (just take a look at some of the audience members in your play), and the game changes it up quite a bit. One chapter will have you swinging your arm from side to side while avoiding boulders, while another will have you swiping at ninja enemies with your very own samurai blades.
Simple to pick up and play (since you're not actually picking up anything) and a great sense of humor make The Gunstringer a must-play game.
Games.com Score: Five wavy tube men -- you'll see (out of five)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Kabam study suggests hardcore gamers are flocking to Facebook
hardcore gamers
Have the tables finally turned? Not quite just yet, but slowly and surely they are, a study released by Kabam suggests. The Redwood City-Calif.-based creator of Facebook games like Dragons of Atlantis and Edgeworld recently commissioned a survey of 1,412 "hardcore" gamers to find just how their behavior has changed since the dawn of Facebook games.
Dubbed the "Social Gamer Study," Kabam found that the demographics of the average social game fan are slowly changing--more young to middle-aged men are playing Facebook games. And a whopping 82 percent of them come from the console game space, which is terribly important. This is because 27 percent of those surveyed report playing console games less often.
And perhaps more importantly to those looking to make cash from hardcore games, those surveyed reported spending 50 percent less on console games. Of course, Kabam threw in that players of its games are even more dedicated to Facebook games than console games: 55 percent reported playing console games less and spending 65 percent on the games.
Social Gamer Study findings
According to the study conducted by Information Solutions Group, 72 percent of these hardcore social gamers are playing two or more games at once, and 47 percent are playing three or more. If you've ever played a game like Kingdoms of Camelot or Kixeye's Backyard Monsters, you know that this is quite a lot to keep up with--much more so than, say, FarmVille.
Not to mention that this growing sub culture of Facebook gamers plays far longer game sessions than the 30 minutes or so your average Bejeweled Blitz player sits down for on lunch break. A massive 68 percent reported playing social strategy games for three hours or longer a day, and 30 percent said they play for longer than an hour per session.
Of course, it's important to keep in mind who commissioned this study: a developer and publisher of hardcore Facebook games. Vested interests aside, it's undeniable that a new breed of Facebook game fan is emerging, and fast. And you have to assume, with advances like download-free 3D gaming on the horizon, these numbers will only grow. Check out the study in full here.
Are you part of this growing portion of Facebook gamers? Do you think social game creators like Zynga, EA and wooga have anything to worry about? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
Have the tables finally turned? Not quite just yet, but slowly and surely they are, a study released by Kabam suggests. The Redwood City-Calif.-based creator of Facebook games like Dragons of Atlantis and Edgeworld recently commissioned a survey of 1,412 "hardcore" gamers to find just how their behavior has changed since the dawn of Facebook games.
Dubbed the "Social Gamer Study," Kabam found that the demographics of the average social game fan are slowly changing--more young to middle-aged men are playing Facebook games. And a whopping 82 percent of them come from the console game space, which is terribly important. This is because 27 percent of those surveyed report playing console games less often.
And perhaps more importantly to those looking to make cash from hardcore games, those surveyed reported spending 50 percent less on console games. Of course, Kabam threw in that players of its games are even more dedicated to Facebook games than console games: 55 percent reported playing console games less and spending 65 percent on the games.
Social Gamer Study findings
According to the study conducted by Information Solutions Group, 72 percent of these hardcore social gamers are playing two or more games at once, and 47 percent are playing three or more. If you've ever played a game like Kingdoms of Camelot or Kixeye's Backyard Monsters, you know that this is quite a lot to keep up with--much more so than, say, FarmVille.
Not to mention that this growing sub culture of Facebook gamers plays far longer game sessions than the 30 minutes or so your average Bejeweled Blitz player sits down for on lunch break. A massive 68 percent reported playing social strategy games for three hours or longer a day, and 30 percent said they play for longer than an hour per session.
Of course, it's important to keep in mind who commissioned this study: a developer and publisher of hardcore Facebook games. Vested interests aside, it's undeniable that a new breed of Facebook game fan is emerging, and fast. And you have to assume, with advances like download-free 3D gaming on the horizon, these numbers will only grow. Check out the study in full here.
Are you part of this growing portion of Facebook gamers? Do you think social game creators like Zynga, EA and wooga have anything to worry about? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
GameHouse hopes to build buzz on Facebook with Bayou Blast
This might be the first and last time you see these words from me: I cannot wait to hit the bayou. GameHouse just announced that its next Facebook game, Bayou Blast, is scheduled to hit the platform this October. Keeping with the recurring "Blast" theme started with Collapse! Blast, this game tasks players with matching gems to make them explode. Sound familiar?
Of course it does, but judging from an early look at the game courtesy of GameHouse CEO Matt Hulett, Bayou Blast brings a fresh twist to the sub genre. You are Bayou, the last remaining firefly of the swamp who must save his friends from a voodoo frog that has captured them in various gems. But rather than simply matching them à la Bejeweled Blitz, you must draw lines of lightning through as many identical gems as you can to destroy them.
Bayou Blast takes this hook and crams it into 60-second game sessions in a race for the high score. Much like its competitors and previous offerings from GameHouse on Facebook, Bayou Blast features weekly tournaments between friends and power-ups that unlock over time and can be bought using either in-game currency or Facebook Credits. These include staples like time extensions, exploding gems and score multipliers.
Bayou Blast gameplay
The game takes on a charming, cartoonish art style, and rewards players for blowing up gems with greater speed. In fact, match fast enough and the game board will burst into flame, which we assume means much more points. "We've really focused on the quality of the game," Hulett tells us. "I've got people outside my office who are constantly looking at different art effects. Like, 'Is the lightning looking the right way when [players] drag the mouse cursor?' The amount of detail they're putting into this game is really great."
According to Hulett, games like Collapse! Blast and soon Bayou Blast mark a significant shift in where the company is headed. About 50 percent of the GameHouse staff is now focused on creating social games for Facebook and mobile devices. (GameHouse was originally focused on downloadable casual games.) Speaking of which, both of these games will receive Facebook-connected versions for the iPhone and iPad early next year. And Hulett is confident that GameHouse's new direction will pay off.
"We have a good shot of being in the Top 10," Hulett gushes. "I think we've gotten really good at Facebook games over the past three to five months. Maybe Bayou Blast will be our first game [with 1 million daily players]." We'll see if Bayou Blast lives up to Hulett's ambitions this October. Until then, check out the trailer below.
Are you psyched to play Bayou Blast on Facebook? What do you think of GameHouse's approach the world of Facebook games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Of course it does, but judging from an early look at the game courtesy of GameHouse CEO Matt Hulett, Bayou Blast brings a fresh twist to the sub genre. You are Bayou, the last remaining firefly of the swamp who must save his friends from a voodoo frog that has captured them in various gems. But rather than simply matching them à la Bejeweled Blitz, you must draw lines of lightning through as many identical gems as you can to destroy them.
Bayou Blast takes this hook and crams it into 60-second game sessions in a race for the high score. Much like its competitors and previous offerings from GameHouse on Facebook, Bayou Blast features weekly tournaments between friends and power-ups that unlock over time and can be bought using either in-game currency or Facebook Credits. These include staples like time extensions, exploding gems and score multipliers.
Bayou Blast gameplay
The game takes on a charming, cartoonish art style, and rewards players for blowing up gems with greater speed. In fact, match fast enough and the game board will burst into flame, which we assume means much more points. "We've really focused on the quality of the game," Hulett tells us. "I've got people outside my office who are constantly looking at different art effects. Like, 'Is the lightning looking the right way when [players] drag the mouse cursor?' The amount of detail they're putting into this game is really great."
According to Hulett, games like Collapse! Blast and soon Bayou Blast mark a significant shift in where the company is headed. About 50 percent of the GameHouse staff is now focused on creating social games for Facebook and mobile devices. (GameHouse was originally focused on downloadable casual games.) Speaking of which, both of these games will receive Facebook-connected versions for the iPhone and iPad early next year. And Hulett is confident that GameHouse's new direction will pay off.
"We have a good shot of being in the Top 10," Hulett gushes. "I think we've gotten really good at Facebook games over the past three to five months. Maybe Bayou Blast will be our first game [with 1 million daily players]." We'll see if Bayou Blast lives up to Hulett's ambitions this October. Until then, check out the trailer below.
Are you psyched to play Bayou Blast on Facebook? What do you think of GameHouse's approach the world of Facebook games? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
FarmVille iOS Update: Sail to Lighthouse Cove on iPhone, iPad
FarmVille for iOS is keeping up with the Joneses. Zynga just released Version 2.3 of FarmVille for iPhone and iPad, a major update that grants access to the brand new Lighthouse Cove expansion. Now, you can take your coastal farming village with you on your iPhone and iPad. The update doesn't contain much else, but let's not look too ungrateful--these updates are rare.
The update also includes "a barn-full of bug fixes and crash fixes," but what's more important is now we can finally hit up Lighthouse Cove on our tiny, touchy screens. To access the new content, just touch options button on the bottom right hand corner of the screen, and then "Travel to..." and Lighthouse Cove. The transition is surprisingly smooth.
However, you need to have already visited Lighthouse Cove on FarmVille for Facebook before you can check it out on your iOS device of choice. The mobile version of Lighthouse Cove even comes with a brand new theme song that sounds decidedly western, oddly enough.
FarmVille iPhone Lighthouse Cove
While you can access all the new crops, animals and trees the expansion has to offer, you won't be able to fix the place up while playing from your iPhone or iPad. Hey, at least you can keep up with things while in line at the grocery store, you know, buying real fruits and vegetables.
Click here to download FarmVille for iOS Version 2.3 Now >
Have you visited Lighthouse Cove through your iPhone or iPad yet? What do you think of how Zynga handles the mobile version of FarmVille? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
The update also includes "a barn-full of bug fixes and crash fixes," but what's more important is now we can finally hit up Lighthouse Cove on our tiny, touchy screens. To access the new content, just touch options button on the bottom right hand corner of the screen, and then "Travel to..." and Lighthouse Cove. The transition is surprisingly smooth.
However, you need to have already visited Lighthouse Cove on FarmVille for Facebook before you can check it out on your iOS device of choice. The mobile version of Lighthouse Cove even comes with a brand new theme song that sounds decidedly western, oddly enough.
FarmVille iPhone Lighthouse Cove
While you can access all the new crops, animals and trees the expansion has to offer, you won't be able to fix the place up while playing from your iPhone or iPad. Hey, at least you can keep up with things while in line at the grocery store, you know, buying real fruits and vegetables.
Click here to download FarmVille for iOS Version 2.3 Now >
Have you visited Lighthouse Cove through your iPhone or iPad yet? What do you think of how Zynga handles the mobile version of FarmVille? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
Adventure World rockets to over 9 million players, thanks to promotions
Adventure World Mafia Wars promo
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.
Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.
In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.
So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.
Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)
Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.
What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again? Sound off in the comments. 3 Comments
f8 Developers Conference: Facebook game shares move to the Ticker
Super Mario Facebook Share
You know those annoying pop-ups Facebook displays whenever you try to share something in FarmVille or what have you? Soon, those might be a thing of the past, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook boss announced the change in brief during the f8 Facebook Developers Conference, referring to a particularly hilarious Internet meme.
This change applies to Facebook apps across the board, but, of course, we're concerned with the games. According to Zuckerberg, sharing activity will be directly and automatically published to the News Feed or the Games Ticker, depending on what exactly it is you're sharing. And with that comes the privacy concerns.
Judging from Zuckerberg's brief mention of the change, this would cause apps to inform users upon installation exactly what activity they will automatically share. This information is extremely early, but we imagine that, if developers like Zynga were to implement this change, that players would have the be informed of those changes.
Later in the presentation, Zuckerberg mentioned that games will take even more advantage of the Games Ticker, which launched earlier this summer. The Facebook chief showed an instance in which a friend played the word "TEXT" against another in Words With Friends, which was displayed on the Games Ticker. He then proceeded to mouse over that Ticker notification, and it displayed a snapshot of the game board.
Words with Friends Share
Of course, you could then jump into the game and start a match with either player. In short, the day of the game-stopping share notification will soon be over. In its place, much of the viral sharing in Facebook games seems as if it will take place in the Games Ticker. It appears that these changes have already taken place in Words With Friends.
When these specific changes will take place has yet to be announced, though we imagine much of them will be up to the developers. And if FarmVille players' reactions to when Zynga made similar changes to its flagship game is any indication, we're opinons will be ... mixed. We'll keep you posted.
What do you think of Facebook doing away with the game share notifications, automating them and moving them into the Games Ticker? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
You know those annoying pop-ups Facebook displays whenever you try to share something in FarmVille or what have you? Soon, those might be a thing of the past, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook boss announced the change in brief during the f8 Facebook Developers Conference, referring to a particularly hilarious Internet meme.
This change applies to Facebook apps across the board, but, of course, we're concerned with the games. According to Zuckerberg, sharing activity will be directly and automatically published to the News Feed or the Games Ticker, depending on what exactly it is you're sharing. And with that comes the privacy concerns.
Judging from Zuckerberg's brief mention of the change, this would cause apps to inform users upon installation exactly what activity they will automatically share. This information is extremely early, but we imagine that, if developers like Zynga were to implement this change, that players would have the be informed of those changes.
Later in the presentation, Zuckerberg mentioned that games will take even more advantage of the Games Ticker, which launched earlier this summer. The Facebook chief showed an instance in which a friend played the word "TEXT" against another in Words With Friends, which was displayed on the Games Ticker. He then proceeded to mouse over that Ticker notification, and it displayed a snapshot of the game board.
Words with Friends Share
Of course, you could then jump into the game and start a match with either player. In short, the day of the game-stopping share notification will soon be over. In its place, much of the viral sharing in Facebook games seems as if it will take place in the Games Ticker. It appears that these changes have already taken place in Words With Friends.
When these specific changes will take place has yet to be announced, though we imagine much of them will be up to the developers. And if FarmVille players' reactions to when Zynga made similar changes to its flagship game is any indication, we're opinons will be ... mixed. We'll keep you posted.
What do you think of Facebook doing away with the game share notifications, automating them and moving them into the Games Ticker? Share with us in the comments. 1 Comment
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Angry Birds creator wants to publish indie games, Rovio exec says
It makes you wonder: Could Rovio be just a little bit scared that it might not strike gold again? Chief marketing officer for the creator of Angry Birds Peter Vesterbacka (pictured) said to Develop in an interview that the developer is planning to open a publishing label.
"We have some plans for this area, but not ready to announce yet," Vesterbacka told Develop. "If we do something in the publishing area, you can expect it to be a bit different."
However, it seems as if the maker of your favorite annoyed avians wants to keep things 1.) indie (independently developed) and 2.) mobile. According to Develop, Rovio has already approached several mobile game studios to form a foundation for the new business. While the Finnish company's other ventures have arguably been leaps of faith--cookbooks ... seriously?--it certainly has experience in the publishing business.
Well, at least from the other end. Angry Birds made it to the US in 2009 though Chillingo, a mobile games publisher that is now owned by EA. Of course, Rovio was able to back out of deal once the acquisition occurred, but the company is currently in another publisher relationship with Twentieth Century Fox, through which it nabbed the rights to create Angry Birds Rio.
And honestly, it would be a no-brainer for an indie game developer to team up with Rovio. For one, if the company claims to be worth at least as much as Zynga, it at least has considerable resources to offer. And seriously, could you go wrong with a team that has somehow successfully hyped up slingshotting birds into pigs for two years running? I think not.
[Via TouchArcade]
What do you think of Rovio potentially becoming an indie games publisher? Would you try a new iPhone game just knowing it was published by the creator of Angry Birds? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
"We have some plans for this area, but not ready to announce yet," Vesterbacka told Develop. "If we do something in the publishing area, you can expect it to be a bit different."
However, it seems as if the maker of your favorite annoyed avians wants to keep things 1.) indie (independently developed) and 2.) mobile. According to Develop, Rovio has already approached several mobile game studios to form a foundation for the new business. While the Finnish company's other ventures have arguably been leaps of faith--cookbooks ... seriously?--it certainly has experience in the publishing business.
Well, at least from the other end. Angry Birds made it to the US in 2009 though Chillingo, a mobile games publisher that is now owned by EA. Of course, Rovio was able to back out of deal once the acquisition occurred, but the company is currently in another publisher relationship with Twentieth Century Fox, through which it nabbed the rights to create Angry Birds Rio.
And honestly, it would be a no-brainer for an indie game developer to team up with Rovio. For one, if the company claims to be worth at least as much as Zynga, it at least has considerable resources to offer. And seriously, could you go wrong with a team that has somehow successfully hyped up slingshotting birds into pigs for two years running? I think not.
[Via TouchArcade]
What do you think of Rovio potentially becoming an indie games publisher? Would you try a new iPhone game just knowing it was published by the creator of Angry Birds? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
FarmVille Pic of the Day: Myhomefarm23's angular English countryside
Today's featured farm was created by FarmVille Forums member, Myhomefarm23. This FarmVille English Countryside plot is a great example of intelligent farm design. Sure it's a farm art masterpiece, but it's also functional!
Myhomefarm23 went about creating this absurd tree design without a single orchard, laughing at anyone who squishes their beautiful trees into storage bins. Breathtaking rows of fruit trees line the path leading up to the Eiffel Tower located at the center of the farm, creating a truly spectacular effect. Not only that, but if you look closely, where there isn't trees, the farm is full of animals! This, folks, is an exceptional sheep and pig breeding design. If harvested consistantly, this farm could turn a huge profit! Just looking at this excellent farm makes me wish I was Myhomefarm23's neighbor, just so I could reap some of the rewards :)
I just hope Myhomefarm23 has plenty of Farm Hands and Arborists saved up or they're in for a lot of clicking!
What do you think of this great English Countryside design?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Myhomefarm23 went about creating this absurd tree design without a single orchard, laughing at anyone who squishes their beautiful trees into storage bins. Breathtaking rows of fruit trees line the path leading up to the Eiffel Tower located at the center of the farm, creating a truly spectacular effect. Not only that, but if you look closely, where there isn't trees, the farm is full of animals! This, folks, is an exceptional sheep and pig breeding design. If harvested consistantly, this farm could turn a huge profit! Just looking at this excellent farm makes me wish I was Myhomefarm23's neighbor, just so I could reap some of the rewards :)
I just hope Myhomefarm23 has plenty of Farm Hands and Arborists saved up or they're in for a lot of clicking!
What do you think of this great English Countryside design?
If you have an AWESOME FarmVille farm that you want to see featured on Games.com, please email a picture to editors@games.com, Include a few words about the inspiration for your design and maybe a few tips for people who need an assist!
Tagged bulks up for a bout with Facebook, acquires WeGame
The imminent battle between Facebook and Google+ over social games domination has a potential, scrappy third contender. People often forget about Tagged, the San Francisco-based social network with a considerable 100 million plus users. Video games, our favorite thing to talk about, might change all that, as the company announced that it has purchased WeGame.
WeGame is a cross between a social network for gamers in vein of services like Raptr and an online store with digital copies of games. Of course, terms of the deal weren't disclosed, and it's unclear exactly how the social network will make use of its new gaming network-meets-game store.
This news is especially striking considering the fact that Tagged already offers social games to its users. In fact, the company hired former Pogo VP Andrew Pederson to oversee its social gaming efforts. Perhaps that venture hasn't produced results, or Tagged simply looks to further bolster its social gaming efforts. Unfortunately, we currently haven't a clue.
According to TechCrunch, Tagged will reveal the details of how WeGame's technology will be incorporated "in the coming months." The company in question is run by a mere four employees, so we imagine there is a good amount of automation going on there, something Tagged could be looking to take advantage of.
It's also worth noting that WeGame is heavily skewed toward the hardcore crowd, offering a number of games for sale that only fans of franchises like World of WarCraft might recognize. That said--and this is pure speculation--Tagged could be looking in a completely different direction than Facebook is and Google+ appears to be: the proverbial Call of Duty player. Hey, if the social network has found strong enough of a niche to thrive in the shadow of Facebook, perhaps it has found another.
Are you either a Tagged or WeGame user? What do you think of Tagged picking up another games service when it already offers games? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
WeGame is a cross between a social network for gamers in vein of services like Raptr and an online store with digital copies of games. Of course, terms of the deal weren't disclosed, and it's unclear exactly how the social network will make use of its new gaming network-meets-game store.
This news is especially striking considering the fact that Tagged already offers social games to its users. In fact, the company hired former Pogo VP Andrew Pederson to oversee its social gaming efforts. Perhaps that venture hasn't produced results, or Tagged simply looks to further bolster its social gaming efforts. Unfortunately, we currently haven't a clue.
According to TechCrunch, Tagged will reveal the details of how WeGame's technology will be incorporated "in the coming months." The company in question is run by a mere four employees, so we imagine there is a good amount of automation going on there, something Tagged could be looking to take advantage of.
It's also worth noting that WeGame is heavily skewed toward the hardcore crowd, offering a number of games for sale that only fans of franchises like World of WarCraft might recognize. That said--and this is pure speculation--Tagged could be looking in a completely different direction than Facebook is and Google+ appears to be: the proverbial Call of Duty player. Hey, if the social network has found strong enough of a niche to thrive in the shadow of Facebook, perhaps it has found another.
Are you either a Tagged or WeGame user? What do you think of Tagged picking up another games service when it already offers games? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment
CrowdStar, others dock in Sibblingz Spaceport for mobile social games
If we haven't driven home yet that mobile will be massive in the future of social games, we clearly haven't done our job. Luckily, news like the fact that Sibblingz has signed on It Girl creator CrowdStar and a number of other developers to use its Spaceport service helps us make good on that.
TechCrunch reports that--in addition to CrowdStar--BitRhymes, IKIGames, LuckyLabs, Fortune Planet and DeezGames have signed on to use Spaceport to create mobile versions of their Facebook games. Spaceport is Sibblingz's cloud-based game development platform that allows developers like CrowdStar to create mobile games that work on both iOS and Android devices.
Essentially, it allows developers to create a mobile game once and have it run on multiple mobile devices. The platform makes use of coding languages like Javascript and HTML5, but neither of which are known for making robust or fully-featured games on iPhones or Android phones. However, Sibblingz claims that games built on Spaceport feature an app-like experience.
What Sibblingz means is that, while these games are built using simpler code languages, they will perform like, say CityVille Hometown by Zynga. That game was built using tools specifically for iOS devices and is thus more visually impressive and feature-rich than mobile browser games. However, according to TechCrunch, developers can even create games specifically for iPhones and iPads through Spaceport.
Sibblingz also says that developers can make games for Facebook's worst-kept secret, Project Spartan--an initiative to bring Facebook to mobile devices through browsers using HTML5 complete with full-featured apps and games--through Spaceport. Jeez, on paper it sounds like Spaceport can do anything but make the cash flow.
Regardless, what's important to take away here is that social game developers realize that mobile is where it's at. Frankly, it's one area where clear winners have yet to be defined, much unlike Facebook (ahem, Zynga and EA). At this point, anyone could come out a winner on mobile, and perhaps the companies that embrace cross-platform game creation like CrowdStar will have the upper hand.
Do you think these developers have a chance at winning the mobile race these social game creators are running with Spaceport? Who do you think will ultimately win the mobile social gaming war? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
TechCrunch reports that--in addition to CrowdStar--BitRhymes, IKIGames, LuckyLabs, Fortune Planet and DeezGames have signed on to use Spaceport to create mobile versions of their Facebook games. Spaceport is Sibblingz's cloud-based game development platform that allows developers like CrowdStar to create mobile games that work on both iOS and Android devices.
Essentially, it allows developers to create a mobile game once and have it run on multiple mobile devices. The platform makes use of coding languages like Javascript and HTML5, but neither of which are known for making robust or fully-featured games on iPhones or Android phones. However, Sibblingz claims that games built on Spaceport feature an app-like experience.
What Sibblingz means is that, while these games are built using simpler code languages, they will perform like, say CityVille Hometown by Zynga. That game was built using tools specifically for iOS devices and is thus more visually impressive and feature-rich than mobile browser games. However, according to TechCrunch, developers can even create games specifically for iPhones and iPads through Spaceport.
Sibblingz also says that developers can make games for Facebook's worst-kept secret, Project Spartan--an initiative to bring Facebook to mobile devices through browsers using HTML5 complete with full-featured apps and games--through Spaceport. Jeez, on paper it sounds like Spaceport can do anything but make the cash flow.
Regardless, what's important to take away here is that social game developers realize that mobile is where it's at. Frankly, it's one area where clear winners have yet to be defined, much unlike Facebook (ahem, Zynga and EA). At this point, anyone could come out a winner on mobile, and perhaps the companies that embrace cross-platform game creation like CrowdStar will have the upper hand.
Do you think these developers have a chance at winning the mobile race these social game creators are running with Spaceport? Who do you think will ultimately win the mobile social gaming war? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Mafia Wars 2: Like Facebook fan page to unlock prizes in final game
While little is known about Mafia Wars 2 in terms of it's actual gameplay, we do know that prizes are being offered for users that Like the game's Facebook fan page. If this entire promotion looks familiar, it's because EA/Playfish pulled this one during the Sims Social pre-launch hype, and now we're seeing it again here.
Either way, we know that there will eventually be nine prizes available to unlock, although only seven of them have been revealed. These prizes are limited to varying (increasing) amounts of Likes, and will be unlocked in the final game upon launch if we reach those milestones in time. Here's the complete rundown:
Black Mohawk Hair - 20,000 Likes
Casino Row T-Shirt - 50,000 Likes
Graffiti Wall - 100,000 Likes
Skull Bandana - 250,000 Likes
Animated Lions - 500,000 Likes
Tribal Tattoo - 1 million Likes
Stripes Baseball Cap - 1.5 million Likes
Two additional prizes have yet to be revealed. So far, the fan page has only gained 70,000 Likes, so we've only managed to unlock the Black Mohawk Hair and Casino Row T-Shirt as prizes. Since the game's announcement is so new, and the hype train has barely left the station, I'd imagine we'll see that number climb slowly at first, and then monumentally as the game comes closer and closer to launch. And once we find out what those final two prizes are, we'll make sure to let you know.
Are you excited about Mafia Wars 2? If the game doesn't offer any incentive for users to switch from the original to this new version, will you? Sound off in the comments.
Either way, we know that there will eventually be nine prizes available to unlock, although only seven of them have been revealed. These prizes are limited to varying (increasing) amounts of Likes, and will be unlocked in the final game upon launch if we reach those milestones in time. Here's the complete rundown:
Black Mohawk Hair - 20,000 Likes
Casino Row T-Shirt - 50,000 Likes
Graffiti Wall - 100,000 Likes
Skull Bandana - 250,000 Likes
Animated Lions - 500,000 Likes
Tribal Tattoo - 1 million Likes
Stripes Baseball Cap - 1.5 million Likes
Two additional prizes have yet to be revealed. So far, the fan page has only gained 70,000 Likes, so we've only managed to unlock the Black Mohawk Hair and Casino Row T-Shirt as prizes. Since the game's announcement is so new, and the hype train has barely left the station, I'd imagine we'll see that number climb slowly at first, and then monumentally as the game comes closer and closer to launch. And once we find out what those final two prizes are, we'll make sure to let you know.
Are you excited about Mafia Wars 2? If the game doesn't offer any incentive for users to switch from the original to this new version, will you? Sound off in the comments.
Monday, October 3, 2011
FarmVille Raffle Booth (09/18/11): Black Corgi and Gazebo up for grabs
It's Sunday night again farmers, which means that it's time for the FarmVille Raffle Booth to update with new prizes. I hope you walked away with plenty of prizes from last week's drawing, but if not, you've got a chance for even more prizes this week. Sure, three of the most basic prizes are basic and expected, but the top two prizes are pretty nice and come with even better odds. Here's the lineup:
* 10 Special Delivery Boxes: 1:5
* 3 Farmhands: 1:20
* 5 Love Potions: 1:50
* Gazebo: 1:200
* Black Corgi: 1:500
While the Black Corgi is really cute, keep in mind that this dog isn't a "pet" in the game, that can be fed or trained; instead, it's a "normal" animal that can simply be kept and harvested from every few days. As usual, you'll at least one chance of winning all of these items, as you'll receive one Raffle Ticker for free. To earn extras, you'll either be able to purchase them with Farm Cash or receive them from friends as gifts. Once next Sunday rolls around, the drawing for these items will take place, and hopefully you'll walk away with the full set!
Have you ever won the top two prizes in any FarmVille Raffle Booth drawing? Which item are you most hoping to win in this week's drawing? Sound off in the comments.
* 10 Special Delivery Boxes: 1:5
* 3 Farmhands: 1:20
* 5 Love Potions: 1:50
* Gazebo: 1:200
* Black Corgi: 1:500
While the Black Corgi is really cute, keep in mind that this dog isn't a "pet" in the game, that can be fed or trained; instead, it's a "normal" animal that can simply be kept and harvested from every few days. As usual, you'll at least one chance of winning all of these items, as you'll receive one Raffle Ticker for free. To earn extras, you'll either be able to purchase them with Farm Cash or receive them from friends as gifts. Once next Sunday rolls around, the drawing for these items will take place, and hopefully you'll walk away with the full set!
Have you ever won the top two prizes in any FarmVille Raffle Booth drawing? Which item are you most hoping to win in this week's drawing? Sound off in the comments.
FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Items: Autumn Birch Tree, Walking Pony, Meadow Sage and more
With tonight's FarmVille update, we see a continuation of the new Lighthouse Cove item theme in the game's store. Just as a reminder, it doesn't matter if you paid your way into Lighthouse Cove early, or if you're waiting for free tickets to arrive (starting tomorrow), as these items can be purchased even when you're not on the Lighthouse Cove farm itself. That means you can take a little piece of the Cove with you back to your Home Farm, if that's where you spend most of your time, as an example. Here's a complete lineup of the newly available items.
Trees
Autumn Birch - 7 Farm Cash
Weeping Birch - 15 Farm Cash
If it's not obvious, the Autumn Birch is the level one tree here, while the Weeping Birch is the level two tree, available either by purchasing it here, or by waiting for one to appear as a Mystery Seedling (your best bet is the latter option). Both of these trees are available to harvest every two days, and their first stars of mastery come at 75 harvests each.
Animals
New Hampshire Red - 20 Farm Cash
Walking Pony - 24 Farm Cash
The New Hampshire Red is a chicken that can be mastered. Its first star of mastery comes at eight harvests, and as a chicken, it can be harvested once per day, making this a fairly quick procedure (that is, in cases where you only have a single animal to pull from). As for the Walking Pony, this one will generate a foal when randomly bred in your Horse Stable, with the Walking Pony Foal being available to share with your friends.
Buildings
Coastal Sweet Store - 300,000 coins
Coastal Antique - 20 Farm Cash
Gingerbread (Cottage?) - 30 Farm Cash
Don't lose it on me now farmers, but yes, you're looking at a coin building being released in a limited edition item theme. Hopefully, this is just the first of many, as the previous few themes were incredibly lacking in coin items altogether, let alone buildings. As for the Gingerbread building, it comes with no other name besides "Gingerbread," so it's up to you to determine what kind of home/cottage/hostel it really is. We'll go with "Cottage," for the sake of argument.
Decorations
Autumn Waterfall - 20 Farm Cash
Horse Rider Statue - 30,000 coins
Town Sign - 20,000 coins
Dolphin Fountain - 12 Farm Cash
Meadow Sage - 5,000 coins
Surprisingly, more of these new decorations cost coins than Farm Cash, with the Horse Rider Statue being a fairly large item in and of itself. The Town Sign contains a miniature picture of the Lighthouse Cove lighthouse, while the Meadow Sage is a long and narrow plant, rather than something in a square shape.
All of these items will be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, so while you can shop leisurely without the fear of them expiring, don't wait too long; I wouldn't want you to forget about them entirely and then regret missing out on your favorites.
Which of these items is your favorite? Are you happy to see coin-buildings released, or are you more of a tree or animal fan? Let us know in the comments.
Trees
Autumn Birch - 7 Farm Cash
Weeping Birch - 15 Farm Cash
If it's not obvious, the Autumn Birch is the level one tree here, while the Weeping Birch is the level two tree, available either by purchasing it here, or by waiting for one to appear as a Mystery Seedling (your best bet is the latter option). Both of these trees are available to harvest every two days, and their first stars of mastery come at 75 harvests each.
Animals
New Hampshire Red - 20 Farm Cash
Walking Pony - 24 Farm Cash
The New Hampshire Red is a chicken that can be mastered. Its first star of mastery comes at eight harvests, and as a chicken, it can be harvested once per day, making this a fairly quick procedure (that is, in cases where you only have a single animal to pull from). As for the Walking Pony, this one will generate a foal when randomly bred in your Horse Stable, with the Walking Pony Foal being available to share with your friends.
Buildings
Coastal Sweet Store - 300,000 coins
Coastal Antique - 20 Farm Cash
Gingerbread (Cottage?) - 30 Farm Cash
Don't lose it on me now farmers, but yes, you're looking at a coin building being released in a limited edition item theme. Hopefully, this is just the first of many, as the previous few themes were incredibly lacking in coin items altogether, let alone buildings. As for the Gingerbread building, it comes with no other name besides "Gingerbread," so it's up to you to determine what kind of home/cottage/hostel it really is. We'll go with "Cottage," for the sake of argument.
Decorations
Autumn Waterfall - 20 Farm Cash
Horse Rider Statue - 30,000 coins
Town Sign - 20,000 coins
Dolphin Fountain - 12 Farm Cash
Meadow Sage - 5,000 coins
Surprisingly, more of these new decorations cost coins than Farm Cash, with the Horse Rider Statue being a fairly large item in and of itself. The Town Sign contains a miniature picture of the Lighthouse Cove lighthouse, while the Meadow Sage is a long and narrow plant, rather than something in a square shape.
All of these items will be available in the game's store for the next two weeks, so while you can shop leisurely without the fear of them expiring, don't wait too long; I wouldn't want you to forget about them entirely and then regret missing out on your favorites.
Which of these items is your favorite? Are you happy to see coin-buildings released, or are you more of a tree or animal fan? Let us know in the comments.
CityVille: Casa del Sol offers fun-in-the-sun living for a huge price
If you thought the Playa del Rey Apartments in CityVille were expensive, costing 75 City Cash for a population boost of 2,350 citizens (at least), try this newest building on for size. The Casa del Sol home is priced at 90 City Cash, and is also in the Mexican item theme, making it limited edition. Specifically, the Casa del Sol home will be in the game for 10 days (note that that's also one day less than the Playa del Rey Apartments).
Once you purchase the Casa del Sol, you'll have a home that starts with a whopping population of 3,000 citizens, and can be upgraded by collecting from the building (or your friends can collect from them as well; all upgrades drop randomly) to a staggering figure of 5,500 citizens. If you're looking for a quick way (albeit expensive way) to unlock that next expansion by reaching your next population goal without adding multiple homes to your town, this would definitely be an easy way to get that done. However, at a price this high, even I'm not sure it's worth it.
Still, I suppose the building's rent potential could raise its value. You'll receive 156 coins every hour if you're prompt enough to routinely collect your earnings, which would give you upwards of 3,000 coins daily, if you were really on top of things. Still, does that justify the current cost of over $11 US for this single building? I'll leave you to be the judge of that.
What do you think of the Casa del Sol in CityVille? Will you purchase one of the expensive homes for your city, or would you rather purchase multiple, cheaper buildings instead? Let us know in the comments.
Once you purchase the Casa del Sol, you'll have a home that starts with a whopping population of 3,000 citizens, and can be upgraded by collecting from the building (or your friends can collect from them as well; all upgrades drop randomly) to a staggering figure of 5,500 citizens. If you're looking for a quick way (albeit expensive way) to unlock that next expansion by reaching your next population goal without adding multiple homes to your town, this would definitely be an easy way to get that done. However, at a price this high, even I'm not sure it's worth it.
Still, I suppose the building's rent potential could raise its value. You'll receive 156 coins every hour if you're prompt enough to routinely collect your earnings, which would give you upwards of 3,000 coins daily, if you were really on top of things. Still, does that justify the current cost of over $11 US for this single building? I'll leave you to be the judge of that.
What do you think of the Casa del Sol in CityVille? Will you purchase one of the expensive homes for your city, or would you rather purchase multiple, cheaper buildings instead? Let us know in the comments.
Google+ releases API to developers, more social games incoming
Google+ Games is cool with its no-nonsense interface and all, but the sad fact is that it only has 16 games. Compare that to the thousands of Facebook games out there, and it's clear that Google has to do something to compete with that selection. Enter the Google+ API, which was just recently released to developers, and could lead to a plethora of more Google+ Games.
The acronym API is short for Application Programming Interface, meaning it contains the tools for developers to create new applications within a given framework--in this case being Google+. Wired reports that Google will steadily release its developer API, meaning that it will be some time before it's feature-complete. And the features not yet included are, well, kinda vital.
For instance, at the moment developers can only create apps that publish read-only public posts. For instance, if a developer like Zynga released a new social game today on Google+ Games, your friends would not be able to interact with the News Feed posts you create. You all already likely know that this is essentially the bread and butter of Facebook games. It's how things get done in-game aside from directly requesting help from friends.
The reasoning for the omission? According to PC World, Google's Eric Chabot explains that this is because the company would rather improve Google+ over time, rather open up a "vacuum" with too many features at once. I'm not sure adding simple post-sharing interactivity would create a vacuum for the platform, but it's a first step nonetheless. What Google+ Games has to deal with more in its competition with Facebook's wide offering of games is scale. The bell rings on Round 2.
[Source: Google+ Platform Blog]
Do you think developers will flock to Google+ Games, even with a limited API at launch? Does Google+ Games have a chance against Facebook's Canvas platform for games? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
The acronym API is short for Application Programming Interface, meaning it contains the tools for developers to create new applications within a given framework--in this case being Google+. Wired reports that Google will steadily release its developer API, meaning that it will be some time before it's feature-complete. And the features not yet included are, well, kinda vital.
For instance, at the moment developers can only create apps that publish read-only public posts. For instance, if a developer like Zynga released a new social game today on Google+ Games, your friends would not be able to interact with the News Feed posts you create. You all already likely know that this is essentially the bread and butter of Facebook games. It's how things get done in-game aside from directly requesting help from friends.
The reasoning for the omission? According to PC World, Google's Eric Chabot explains that this is because the company would rather improve Google+ over time, rather open up a "vacuum" with too many features at once. I'm not sure adding simple post-sharing interactivity would create a vacuum for the platform, but it's a first step nonetheless. What Google+ Games has to deal with more in its competition with Facebook's wide offering of games is scale. The bell rings on Round 2.
[Source: Google+ Platform Blog]
Do you think developers will flock to Google+ Games, even with a limited API at launch? Does Google+ Games have a chance against Facebook's Canvas platform for games? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
It's Talk Like a Pirate Day: Play our Top Five pirate Facebook games
Is there any other way to being this feature than with a hearty "Yarrgg?" Probably not. (In fact, let's use this entire introduction to talk like pirates, eh?) In case ye hadn't noticed, mate, today be International Talk Like a Pirate Day. So, I ask ye landlubbers, what better way to honor this joyous, silly holiday than with five of the best pirate games around on Facebook?
Avast, ye swabs! Look no further than right here for the five best seafarin' and land lootin' games on Facebook. Oh, right, and remember to click on the headers to jump off the plank right into each Facebook game:
Mighty Pirates
This release (pictured below) by CrowdStar explores the two most important things in a pirate's life: exploring and fighting. Players create, maintain and upgrade their very own vessel of piracy. And it's all in the name of surviving your next fight with your fellow pirate.
Mighty Pirates handles battles in turn-based affairs that add a bit of strategy to burning your enemies to the blue depths. In your off time, explore islands to dig up buried treasure and other resources to boost your ship with.
Mighty Pirates
Treasure Isle
While it may not directly involve pirates, the swashbucklers have invaded the shores of Zynga's island exploration game more times than not. In fact, players can even embark on Voyages with their own vessels, though simply to explore even more. Treasure Isle has players aiming to complete island maps by digging and digging ... and digging. But judging from more experienced players' islands, it certainly pays off. (In other words, there's lots and lots of treasure in it for you.)
Battle Pirates
Want a more ... serious approach to high seas fighting and looting? Then Kixeye certainly has that in spades with Battle Pirates, its strategy Facebook game centered around modern day piracy. (You know, like those bad dudes off the coast of Somalia?) The game plays much like the developer's previous strategy offerings, giving you a week to prepare your base for incoming attack from anyone playing the game. If you want a pirate game that puts the battle first, then look no further.
Battle Pirates
Pirates Saga
In this take on everyone's favorite sea-faring antiheroes, Can't Stop Games focuses almost entirely on your ship. More importantly, it's concerned with how you navigate it through the deep blue sea ... and away from enemy gunfire. Another battle-focused pirates game, Pirates Saga allows players to interact with each other in real time. As you transport cargo and fight back the forces of the infamous Blackbeard, be wary at all times of opposing ships that may or may not be fellow players.
Pirates Saga
Pirate Legacy
A somewhat smaller game than the rest in terms of monthly players, this game by 6waves and Paprika Lab throws a heavy RPG (role-playing game) layer onto the pirate game aesthetic. Pirate Legacy enlists you, a new corsair, to explore the ocean around your home port and hunt for monsters like giant serpents and ghost ships to acquire materials for contractors. Everything about the game is turn-based, giving it an impressive layer of strategy that's a little lighter on the action.
Pirate Legacy
[Lead Image Credit: Disney]
How are you honoring this most awesome Talk Like a Pirate Day? Which of these pirate-themed Facebook games do you like most, and do you know of any you'd personally recommend? Share with us in the comments. 2 Comments
Avast, ye swabs! Look no further than right here for the five best seafarin' and land lootin' games on Facebook. Oh, right, and remember to click on the headers to jump off the plank right into each Facebook game:
Mighty Pirates
This release (pictured below) by CrowdStar explores the two most important things in a pirate's life: exploring and fighting. Players create, maintain and upgrade their very own vessel of piracy. And it's all in the name of surviving your next fight with your fellow pirate.
Mighty Pirates handles battles in turn-based affairs that add a bit of strategy to burning your enemies to the blue depths. In your off time, explore islands to dig up buried treasure and other resources to boost your ship with.
Mighty Pirates
Treasure Isle
While it may not directly involve pirates, the swashbucklers have invaded the shores of Zynga's island exploration game more times than not. In fact, players can even embark on Voyages with their own vessels, though simply to explore even more. Treasure Isle has players aiming to complete island maps by digging and digging ... and digging. But judging from more experienced players' islands, it certainly pays off. (In other words, there's lots and lots of treasure in it for you.)
Battle Pirates
Want a more ... serious approach to high seas fighting and looting? Then Kixeye certainly has that in spades with Battle Pirates, its strategy Facebook game centered around modern day piracy. (You know, like those bad dudes off the coast of Somalia?) The game plays much like the developer's previous strategy offerings, giving you a week to prepare your base for incoming attack from anyone playing the game. If you want a pirate game that puts the battle first, then look no further.
Battle Pirates
Pirates Saga
In this take on everyone's favorite sea-faring antiheroes, Can't Stop Games focuses almost entirely on your ship. More importantly, it's concerned with how you navigate it through the deep blue sea ... and away from enemy gunfire. Another battle-focused pirates game, Pirates Saga allows players to interact with each other in real time. As you transport cargo and fight back the forces of the infamous Blackbeard, be wary at all times of opposing ships that may or may not be fellow players.
Pirates Saga
Pirate Legacy
A somewhat smaller game than the rest in terms of monthly players, this game by 6waves and Paprika Lab throws a heavy RPG (role-playing game) layer onto the pirate game aesthetic. Pirate Legacy enlists you, a new corsair, to explore the ocean around your home port and hunt for monsters like giant serpents and ghost ships to acquire materials for contractors. Everything about the game is turn-based, giving it an impressive layer of strategy that's a little lighter on the action.
Pirate Legacy
[Lead Image Credit: Disney]
How are you honoring this most awesome Talk Like a Pirate Day? Which of these pirate-themed Facebook games do you like most, and do you know of any you'd personally recommend? Share with us in the comments. 2 Comments
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