If you're into sports - NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, NCAA Basketball, NHL or MLB - you might want to check out MyBookie, a new Facebook "game" from the folks at Psydian Interactive. The game combines the real with the imaginary, by allowing you to bet fake money on real world games.
Depending on the sport you choose, you'll be able to view upcoming games, the spreads, over-unders and other general betting information, just as if you were betting on the games in Vegas, but from the comfort and (and monetary safety) of your own home. In no way are you playing with real money, and that's something your imaginary bookie will make incredibly clear to you as your first step in gameplay. From there, the game is incredibly simple. Pick a sport, pick a particular game, choose your bet type, and then choose which team you think will win. What happens in the real world affects what happens in the game, so the more you know about the real-world sports, the better you'll likely do with these fake bets (that is, unless you're generally really lucky at guessing games).
You'll be able to alter your winnings by allowing MyBookie to automatically post your bets to your wall (a permission you have to grant the game upon sign-up, but which can be revoked just as easily), and you'll earn bonuses just for logging in. As you continue to play the game, your Reputation level will also rise, allowing you access to "Favor" items, which can also alter your winnings should you correctly place a bet.
MyBookie is both a simplistic and a complex sports-betting game that we're guessing most sports fans would appreciate, so if you'd like to take a look, make sure to play MyBookie on Facebook.
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn Facebook games. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn Facebook games. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Thứ Năm, 12 tháng 1, 2012
Thứ Ba, 10 tháng 1, 2012
Activision actively working on Facebook games, says CEO Bobby Kotick
At the end of June, Activision Blizzard Publishing head Eric Hirshberg gave off the impression that Activision would be focusing on Call of Duty: Elite and Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure as their main casual and social properties, but it turns out that the company's jump into Facebook might actually be coming sooner than we might have originally thought. As reported by Business Insider, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick confirms that "a lot of work is being done on Facebook games" within the company. The delay, he says, was due to the time required to build up a social games division after analyzing the particular kinds of talent needed to develop in the space.
Speaking with Forbes, Kotick explained: "[T]he skills that are required to do social games on a Facebook platform include analytical skills that are different than what we have in our business intelligence unit today. So we've had to go out and find people who have these unique kinds of skills –and there are very few of them that actually have proven their skills. So you have to find people who have the characteristics of being able to develop systems to analyze game play or game behavior."
As for what kind of games the company is currently developing, Kotick didn't say, although he did say that Activision has come to understand that many of the most popular Facebook games are ultimately resource management games, bringing back a genre that was incredibly popular a decade ago. Could this mean that Activision's Facebook games will include some form of resource management? Or, will they pull a 180 and take a risk to develop something never before seen on the platform? As more details of Activision's future social projects come to light, we'll make sure to let you know
Speaking with Forbes, Kotick explained: "[T]he skills that are required to do social games on a Facebook platform include analytical skills that are different than what we have in our business intelligence unit today. So we've had to go out and find people who have these unique kinds of skills –and there are very few of them that actually have proven their skills. So you have to find people who have the characteristics of being able to develop systems to analyze game play or game behavior."
As for what kind of games the company is currently developing, Kotick didn't say, although he did say that Activision has come to understand that many of the most popular Facebook games are ultimately resource management games, bringing back a genre that was incredibly popular a decade ago. Could this mean that Activision's Facebook games will include some form of resource management? Or, will they pull a 180 and take a risk to develop something never before seen on the platform? As more details of Activision's future social projects come to light, we'll make sure to let you know
Thứ Hai, 9 tháng 1, 2012
FarmVille's creator: Making a great game is 'like making a cake'
Wait, so this is the analogy behind making a multi-billion dollar game franchise? When asked what makes a great game by The Times of India during his first visit to the country, FarmVille maker Mark Skaggs said, "Think of it like making a cake. You have to get the right ingredients - in this case the art, the technology, the music and the game play. And like a chef, put it all together in the right way."
Skaggs, who serves as Zynga's head of product, is also credited as the mind behind CityVille. That said, the EA veteran is arguably the driving force behind the two best performing social games of all time. So, the guy has to be onto something, right?
"You need art that makes people feel it's inviting and attractive," Skaggs told Times of India. "Music and audio gives you the sense of space and reality. The game play (the rules of play, why something moves in a particular way, how interactions happen etc) determines whether you have fun playing it or whether you get bored." (So says the man behind the main source of inspiration for designer Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker.)
Skaggs went on to praise India for its talent, revealing that a whopping 200 of Zynga's employees are based in the country. Better yet, the man who birthed the 'Ville franchise said that original, global Zynga games developed in India are coming soon. Let's just hope those developers aren't taking Skaggs's analogy to heart--we already have enough of those games.
Skaggs, who serves as Zynga's head of product, is also credited as the mind behind CityVille. That said, the EA veteran is arguably the driving force behind the two best performing social games of all time. So, the guy has to be onto something, right?
"You need art that makes people feel it's inviting and attractive," Skaggs told Times of India. "Music and audio gives you the sense of space and reality. The game play (the rules of play, why something moves in a particular way, how interactions happen etc) determines whether you have fun playing it or whether you get bored." (So says the man behind the main source of inspiration for designer Ian Bogost's Cow Clicker.)
Skaggs went on to praise India for its talent, revealing that a whopping 200 of Zynga's employees are based in the country. Better yet, the man who birthed the 'Ville franchise said that original, global Zynga games developed in India are coming soon. Let's just hope those developers aren't taking Skaggs's analogy to heart--we already have enough of those games.
Say 'Happy Holidays' with $50 in digital dragons with Kabam gift cards
What rings in the holidays better than complete online pwnage? Social game domination without the need for a pesky credit card, that's what. Facebook strategy game maker Kabam announced that $25 and $50 gift cards are now available in GameStop and Best Buy locations across the U.S. Of course, players can use these cards to buy in-game boosts for an unfair competitive advantage.
"The introduction of Kabam Game Cards is an important step forward in our continuous search for new and better ways to serve our audience of core gamers," Kabam COO Chris Carvalho said in a release. "The availability of pre-paid Kabam Game Cards at these two leading game retailers validates the rise of hardcore social gaming as a mainstream activity and allows more players to enrich their game experience with powerful in-game items."
By "enrich their game experience" we assume Kabam means "crush their weaker, non-paying foes." But really, the point of the Kabam gift cards is to allow a new portion of social gamers the chance to pay up: those without bank accounts or credit cards. The gift cards are usable through the developer's games hosted on Facebook and Kabam.com, but not Google+.
That said, every Kabam game supports the new gift cards at least somewhere, including the brand new The Godfather: Five Families. Attention stubborn free players: Prepare to have your butt handed to you this winter--Happy Holidays.
"The introduction of Kabam Game Cards is an important step forward in our continuous search for new and better ways to serve our audience of core gamers," Kabam COO Chris Carvalho said in a release. "The availability of pre-paid Kabam Game Cards at these two leading game retailers validates the rise of hardcore social gaming as a mainstream activity and allows more players to enrich their game experience with powerful in-game items."
By "enrich their game experience" we assume Kabam means "crush their weaker, non-paying foes." But really, the point of the Kabam gift cards is to allow a new portion of social gamers the chance to pay up: those without bank accounts or credit cards. The gift cards are usable through the developer's games hosted on Facebook and Kabam.com, but not Google+.
That said, every Kabam game supports the new gift cards at least somewhere, including the brand new The Godfather: Five Families. Attention stubborn free players: Prepare to have your butt handed to you this winter--Happy Holidays.
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 1, 2012
Harrison Ford is making a Facebook game, and it's eco-friendly
No, that is not a typo--Indiana Jones is making a Facebook game with Los-Angeles-based developer Talkie and Conservation International to promote the health of the environment. It's called Ecotopia, and it is a city-building game scheduled to launch this spring, according to the Hollywood Reporter. As vice chairman of Conservation International, Harrison Ford said, "I'm excited to be involved with Ecotopia because I see it as a great way to engage millions of people in our fight to protect our planet by taking action online and in our daily lives."
This game will pit players with the task of taking their initially disgusting city and turn it around through in-game missions and their friends' help. Like in most social games, you will be able to send your friends gifts and help their cities out. Environmental villains--which of course you will need to defeat--will be introduced to Ecotopia as the storyline progresses.
But here's the hook you've been waiting for: Players will be rewarded with in-game rewards for broadcasting their real-world green efforts through the game. While the rewards won't be huge, according to Talkie CEO Chris Swain, posting them along with a picture and having friends verify the contribution will result in huge paybacks. Video will be integrated as well through Ecotopia TV, which will allow players to view and create their own videos relevant to Conservation International's efforts.
Ford believes that his first Facebook game will spur involvement in and awareness of the movement toward a healthier planet. While we doubt Mr. Solo is behind the computer writing code, he is serving as a consultant on the game, pointing at how key environmental issues could be introduced into Ecotopia, Talkie chairman Larry Bond said to Hollywood Reporter. Ultimately, the game will serve as another way for Fords' organization to spread its message. As for the game's enjoyability, we remain cautiously optimistic. Hey, if the guy can survive a 747 crash and look good in a man purse, Ford can do anything.
[Image Credit: Lucasfilm]
[Homepage Image Credit: Accidental Mommies]
Would you play this game just to see what Harrison Ford can do for a Facebook game? How deeply do you think his involvement will shine through?
This game will pit players with the task of taking their initially disgusting city and turn it around through in-game missions and their friends' help. Like in most social games, you will be able to send your friends gifts and help their cities out. Environmental villains--which of course you will need to defeat--will be introduced to Ecotopia as the storyline progresses.
But here's the hook you've been waiting for: Players will be rewarded with in-game rewards for broadcasting their real-world green efforts through the game. While the rewards won't be huge, according to Talkie CEO Chris Swain, posting them along with a picture and having friends verify the contribution will result in huge paybacks. Video will be integrated as well through Ecotopia TV, which will allow players to view and create their own videos relevant to Conservation International's efforts.
Ford believes that his first Facebook game will spur involvement in and awareness of the movement toward a healthier planet. While we doubt Mr. Solo is behind the computer writing code, he is serving as a consultant on the game, pointing at how key environmental issues could be introduced into Ecotopia, Talkie chairman Larry Bond said to Hollywood Reporter. Ultimately, the game will serve as another way for Fords' organization to spread its message. As for the game's enjoyability, we remain cautiously optimistic. Hey, if the guy can survive a 747 crash and look good in a man purse, Ford can do anything.
[Image Credit: Lucasfilm]
[Homepage Image Credit: Accidental Mommies]
Would you play this game just to see what Harrison Ford can do for a Facebook game? How deeply do you think his involvement will shine through?
Thứ Tư, 4 tháng 1, 2012
Producer on anticipated PS3 game ditches Sony for Facebook games
The Last Guardian
One the most anticipated PS3 games of 2012, The Last Guardian (pictured), just lost its executive producer to Facebook games. And in other news, the sky is falling. Jokes aside, former Sony Computer Entertainment president and executive producer on The Last Guardian Yoshifusa Hayama has left Sony for UK-based social games studio Bossa Studios, Eurogamer reports.
Hayama, who previously worked on the popular Final Fantasy series and cult classic Ico, will serve as creative director at Monstermind creator Bossa and work to bring the studio's first 3D Facebook game to life. The game is set to launch this year, according to Eurogamer, which we imagine means within the next 365 days. Hayama sounds exceedingly confident (refreshingly so even) in 3D Facebook games.
"The future of gaming is definitely online and thanks to recent developments with Flash 11, there is no reason why a social game can no longer be as visually stunning and as compelling as the big console titles," Hayama told Eurogamer. "Together at Bossa we have plans to bring a plethora of games to Facebook and eventually other appropriate social media channels, which include 3D elements and can be enjoyed by all age and interest groups."
Not only does this news follow the unfortunate reports of Ico creator Fumito Ueda had left Sony, but the increasing rate at which big time Japanese game creators are hopping on the social games bandwagon. This year alone saw the folks behind Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog and games like No More Heroes break onto the scene. At least where "compelling" social games are concerned, let's hope they're all onto something.
[Via Gamasutra]
Why are more and more Japanese game makers entering the social games space? Are you waiting for more "compelling" 3D social games?
One the most anticipated PS3 games of 2012, The Last Guardian (pictured), just lost its executive producer to Facebook games. And in other news, the sky is falling. Jokes aside, former Sony Computer Entertainment president and executive producer on The Last Guardian Yoshifusa Hayama has left Sony for UK-based social games studio Bossa Studios, Eurogamer reports.
Hayama, who previously worked on the popular Final Fantasy series and cult classic Ico, will serve as creative director at Monstermind creator Bossa and work to bring the studio's first 3D Facebook game to life. The game is set to launch this year, according to Eurogamer, which we imagine means within the next 365 days. Hayama sounds exceedingly confident (refreshingly so even) in 3D Facebook games.
"The future of gaming is definitely online and thanks to recent developments with Flash 11, there is no reason why a social game can no longer be as visually stunning and as compelling as the big console titles," Hayama told Eurogamer. "Together at Bossa we have plans to bring a plethora of games to Facebook and eventually other appropriate social media channels, which include 3D elements and can be enjoyed by all age and interest groups."
Not only does this news follow the unfortunate reports of Ico creator Fumito Ueda had left Sony, but the increasing rate at which big time Japanese game creators are hopping on the social games bandwagon. This year alone saw the folks behind Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog and games like No More Heroes break onto the scene. At least where "compelling" social games are concerned, let's hope they're all onto something.
[Via Gamasutra]
Why are more and more Japanese game makers entering the social games space? Are you waiting for more "compelling" 3D social games?
Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 12, 2011
Hardcore Facebook games could grow five-fold by 2013
While I would consider FarmVille as hardcore an experience as they come for dedication's sake, that's not what this study by Social Times Pro has in mind. All Facebook reports that the market for games like Kabam's Kingdom's of Camelot and Backyard Monsters by Casual Collective will increase five times in just the next two years. As of right now, the total hardcore social game player base is about 20 million--by 2013 that number could soar to 100 million. And according to Casual Collective CEO Will Harbin, making it happen is as easy as making games that hardcore gamers want to play.
"[We] just need to make games they're not embarrassed to play," Harbin said to All Facebook. "As quality of the content increases... we'll see a lot of growth in the male gaming market." Ah-ha, so that's who you're looking at? If this is the case across the board, you can probably expect more stereotypically violent social games in the future. And while Harbin admits that these types of games have player bases that are dwarfed by the likes of FarmVille and CityVille, he claims that the hardcore audience is more likely to spend than your average digital farmer.
Social Times Pro study
According to All Facebook, Casual Collective's Backyard Monsters raked $30 thousand more a day after the company announced and released weapon upgrade. He expects that by 2013, 30 percent of the top monthly Facebook game charts will be male dominated games. That is entirely possible due to the expected increases in daily players, which would boost monthly numbers by default. But what's more interesting is Harbin's estimation that Zynga will not enter the hardcore social game market. You better hope that you're right about that, Harbin, because Zynga has quite a few studios with hardcore backgrounds, probably just waiting to make Facebook's proverbial StarCraft.
[Image Credits: Denuology and Social Times Pro]
Are you a hardcore social gamer? Do you see the sub genre growing by this much in just two years?
"[We] just need to make games they're not embarrassed to play," Harbin said to All Facebook. "As quality of the content increases... we'll see a lot of growth in the male gaming market." Ah-ha, so that's who you're looking at? If this is the case across the board, you can probably expect more stereotypically violent social games in the future. And while Harbin admits that these types of games have player bases that are dwarfed by the likes of FarmVille and CityVille, he claims that the hardcore audience is more likely to spend than your average digital farmer.
Social Times Pro study
According to All Facebook, Casual Collective's Backyard Monsters raked $30 thousand more a day after the company announced and released weapon upgrade. He expects that by 2013, 30 percent of the top monthly Facebook game charts will be male dominated games. That is entirely possible due to the expected increases in daily players, which would boost monthly numbers by default. But what's more interesting is Harbin's estimation that Zynga will not enter the hardcore social game market. You better hope that you're right about that, Harbin, because Zynga has quite a few studios with hardcore backgrounds, probably just waiting to make Facebook's proverbial StarCraft.
[Image Credits: Denuology and Social Times Pro]
Are you a hardcore social gamer? Do you see the sub genre growing by this much in just two years?
Fighting games are Facebook-bound, says Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono
The man behind Street Fighter 4 3D Edition for the Nintendo 3DS sees Facebook as the future home of fighting games, Siliconera reports. Finally, Facebook users can duke it out in a game rather than publicly through News Feeds. After a CVG reporter mentioned the lack of fighting games on Facebook to Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono, he replied, "I can't say much but I will say there will be. I can't say why - but I do think there will be." In other words, Ono knows something we don't.
According to Siliconera, Ono believes that Facebook and fighting games are a natural fit, thanks to the improved communications options through the 3DS version of the game and the reply modes on consoles. "I think the framework of social networking and fighting games, or the amalgamation of fighting games, have already started," Ono said. "So, when I say something will happen I'm just going to add a little bit more on top of the framework we have now and once that is done I think we will get there."
In short, it looks like Capcom is working on bringing fighting games to Facebook one way or another. Considering Capcom already has experience with Facebook-connected games like Smurf's Village, it's not exactly a leap to bring Street Fighter to Facebook. Come to think of it, a Street Fighter game on Facebook would likely not be short of ... awesome.
[Image Credit: Next Gadget]
Would you play a traditional fighting game on Facebook? How successful do you think they would be on Facebook?
According to Siliconera, Ono believes that Facebook and fighting games are a natural fit, thanks to the improved communications options through the 3DS version of the game and the reply modes on consoles. "I think the framework of social networking and fighting games, or the amalgamation of fighting games, have already started," Ono said. "So, when I say something will happen I'm just going to add a little bit more on top of the framework we have now and once that is done I think we will get there."
In short, it looks like Capcom is working on bringing fighting games to Facebook one way or another. Considering Capcom already has experience with Facebook-connected games like Smurf's Village, it's not exactly a leap to bring Street Fighter to Facebook. Come to think of it, a Street Fighter game on Facebook would likely not be short of ... awesome.
[Image Credit: Next Gadget]
Would you play a traditional fighting game on Facebook? How successful do you think they would be on Facebook?
Toyota Prius parks in EA's Monopoly Millionaires for one year
Toyota Prius Monopoly Millionaires
Your next free gift in Monopoly Millionaires could be ... a new car! More specifically, a digital Toyota Prius thanks a 12-month partnership between Toyota, EA and the game's developer, Playfish. Both the ubiquitous green car and the Toyota Prius Eco-Greenhouse, re-imaginations of two original Monopoly pieces, will be available as free gifts in Monopoly Millionaires for the next year. Players can then use these items on their own game boards.
"Monoply and Toyota are two iconic brands and I'm delighted to help bring them together," said Joy Taylor, EA's Global Director of Marketing Solutions. "Toyota, and Prius in particular, has a huge, devoted following that will get genuine value out of this partnership. We're connecting one of the world's most loved cars, with one of the world's most loved games, on the world's largest social media platform. It's very exciting."
They sure got the huge following thing right. The Prius is arguably the most popular hybrid out there and has been featured in every TV show imaginable, including South Park with its scathing if lude wit. Well, enjoy being eco-conscious for the next 12 months. This promotion might not make players rush out to buy the $23 thousand car, but maybe it will remind you to turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth or turn off a light every once in a while.
Have you decorated your game board in eco-friendly items yet? What do you think of this in-game promotion lasting for 12 months?
Your next free gift in Monopoly Millionaires could be ... a new car! More specifically, a digital Toyota Prius thanks a 12-month partnership between Toyota, EA and the game's developer, Playfish. Both the ubiquitous green car and the Toyota Prius Eco-Greenhouse, re-imaginations of two original Monopoly pieces, will be available as free gifts in Monopoly Millionaires for the next year. Players can then use these items on their own game boards.
"Monoply and Toyota are two iconic brands and I'm delighted to help bring them together," said Joy Taylor, EA's Global Director of Marketing Solutions. "Toyota, and Prius in particular, has a huge, devoted following that will get genuine value out of this partnership. We're connecting one of the world's most loved cars, with one of the world's most loved games, on the world's largest social media platform. It's very exciting."
They sure got the huge following thing right. The Prius is arguably the most popular hybrid out there and has been featured in every TV show imaginable, including South Park with its scathing if lude wit. Well, enjoy being eco-conscious for the next 12 months. This promotion might not make players rush out to buy the $23 thousand car, but maybe it will remind you to turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth or turn off a light every once in a while.
Have you decorated your game board in eco-friendly items yet? What do you think of this in-game promotion lasting for 12 months?
Thứ Sáu, 23 tháng 12, 2011
Facebook How-To: Play your games in peace by deactivating Facebook Chat
If you're an active Facebook gamer, or just an active Facebook user, you've likely been greeted by the new Facebook Chat setup, that sees an incredibly large window popping up at will (spanning the vertical height of the entire browser window in some cases), almost each and every time you navigate to a new page (or, say, a new Facebook game). Needless to say, this can get quite annoying very quickly, especially if you're not a fan of the Facebook chat service in the first place, or you'd just like to have some peace and quiet away from the chat requests and "online" status.
Luckily, there is a way to shut Facebook Chat up, and while it's not a permanent solution (allowing you to switch back and forth at your leisure), it will make your life a heck of a lot easier in the future. Please note that the Facebook Chat window has changed in design over the original chat, so the steps for turning it off have also changed. First, the next time the new chat window appears in your way, click on the small gear in the top right corner of the Chat menu, as seen below.
Here, you'll see two options: "Available to Chat," and "Chat Sounds." Unfortunately, both of these are active by default, but while they may not appear to be actual buttons, you can toggle each by simply clicking on them. Say you'd rather be invisible to your currently online friends. Just remove the check next to "Available to Chat," and you'll be sent offline. That's right - no more automatically refreshing friends list, no more chat sounds, and no more annoying window popping up in your face every five seconds (that one's the kicker).
If you would like to hide your online presence to only a specific portion of your Facebook friends list, you can also click on the "Limit Availability" option to see a menu where you can "hide" yourself from particular groups of friends (based on the groups that you've manually created).
After going offline, your games should play as normal, without the possibility for accidentally clicking on a friend to start a chat because it has popped up in your way. The entire chat menu will minimize, giving you peace and quiet at last. Any time you'd like to go back online, just click on the "Chat (Offline)" text in the bottom right corner (where your chat menu is minimized) and you'll automatically go "online" to chat with any of your available friends.
For now, there doesn't seem to be a way to entirely remove the Facebook Chat menu from your account, but at least with these steps, you'll be able to play your games privately, without the sometimes unwanted interference of friends.
[Image Credit: Yoga.am]
Have you been having trouble with the new Facebook Chat? Does the window pop-up on its own when you're online, or have you already set yourself to be offline to avoid any possible annoyances?
Luckily, there is a way to shut Facebook Chat up, and while it's not a permanent solution (allowing you to switch back and forth at your leisure), it will make your life a heck of a lot easier in the future. Please note that the Facebook Chat window has changed in design over the original chat, so the steps for turning it off have also changed. First, the next time the new chat window appears in your way, click on the small gear in the top right corner of the Chat menu, as seen below.
Here, you'll see two options: "Available to Chat," and "Chat Sounds." Unfortunately, both of these are active by default, but while they may not appear to be actual buttons, you can toggle each by simply clicking on them. Say you'd rather be invisible to your currently online friends. Just remove the check next to "Available to Chat," and you'll be sent offline. That's right - no more automatically refreshing friends list, no more chat sounds, and no more annoying window popping up in your face every five seconds (that one's the kicker).
If you would like to hide your online presence to only a specific portion of your Facebook friends list, you can also click on the "Limit Availability" option to see a menu where you can "hide" yourself from particular groups of friends (based on the groups that you've manually created).
After going offline, your games should play as normal, without the possibility for accidentally clicking on a friend to start a chat because it has popped up in your way. The entire chat menu will minimize, giving you peace and quiet at last. Any time you'd like to go back online, just click on the "Chat (Offline)" text in the bottom right corner (where your chat menu is minimized) and you'll automatically go "online" to chat with any of your available friends.
For now, there doesn't seem to be a way to entirely remove the Facebook Chat menu from your account, but at least with these steps, you'll be able to play your games privately, without the sometimes unwanted interference of friends.
[Image Credit: Yoga.am]
Have you been having trouble with the new Facebook Chat? Does the window pop-up on its own when you're online, or have you already set yourself to be offline to avoid any possible annoyances?
Thứ Ba, 20 tháng 12, 2011
Bubble Witch Saga pops on Facebook, King.com hits 900M gameplays
If games like Bubble Bobble have taught us anything, it's that sometimes there's nothing more relaxing than popping bubbles. Casual and social game developer King.com knows this all too well, and has released its second bubble-bursting game on Facebook, Bubble Witch Saga. This new game is a socially-enhanced port of one of the top five most popular games ever on King.com (the casual games website of the same name), King.com Director of Product Performance, Social and Mobile, Lars Jornow told us.
The game features more levels than ever with 70 unique stages, new booster power-ups available for Facebook Credits and a deeper storyline than before. Players assume the role of an aspiring witch who wishes to join the proverbial circle of three. In order to impress the witches, you must burst the bubbles by matching three of the same color to fill their cauldron with magic goop. I mean, who knows what witches put in those things?
Bursting the bubbles will get the cauldron below bubbling, as witches are so wont to do. Each successful match causes spiders to drop from the ceiling. The more spiders you have when you burst enough bubbles, the more points you'll get (and hopefully stars), as the spiders will act as bumpers for the remaining bubbles and increase your chances of scoring big.
Buggle Witch Saga concept art
Completing each level with the most stars possible will help you reach new uncharted parts of a vast forest in your quest to become the fourth witch of the circle. Players can invite their friends to the game to help restore their lives if they fail to clear a difficult level, and later in the game they will need more friends to unlock new levels to play.
Bubble Witch Saga takes an interesting spin on the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual and social games, with its semi-realistic art style that's delightfully reminiscent of the unforgettable Halloween flick Hocus-Pocus. While the game already has six episodes (with about 10 levels each) of content, Jornow tells us that more content is already in the works.
Bubble Witch Saga gameplay
Not to mention that the game will hit mobile devices later this year. King.com also announced that it has surpassed 900 million monthly gameplay sessions across all of its platforms. Granted, that's thanks to its over 200 games total, but an impressive feat nonetheless--though, the company does say that it has beat PopCap in monthly players on Facebook, according to AppData. Bubble Witch is available for play now on Facebook, so have at those bubbles, my pretties. (I promise that's the last time I say "my pretties" here ... whoops, done it again!)
Click here to play Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook Now >
Are you excited to kick back and blow up some bubbles once again? What do you think of this game so far, and the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual or social games?
The game features more levels than ever with 70 unique stages, new booster power-ups available for Facebook Credits and a deeper storyline than before. Players assume the role of an aspiring witch who wishes to join the proverbial circle of three. In order to impress the witches, you must burst the bubbles by matching three of the same color to fill their cauldron with magic goop. I mean, who knows what witches put in those things?
Bursting the bubbles will get the cauldron below bubbling, as witches are so wont to do. Each successful match causes spiders to drop from the ceiling. The more spiders you have when you burst enough bubbles, the more points you'll get (and hopefully stars), as the spiders will act as bumpers for the remaining bubbles and increase your chances of scoring big.
Buggle Witch Saga concept art
Completing each level with the most stars possible will help you reach new uncharted parts of a vast forest in your quest to become the fourth witch of the circle. Players can invite their friends to the game to help restore their lives if they fail to clear a difficult level, and later in the game they will need more friends to unlock new levels to play.
Bubble Witch Saga takes an interesting spin on the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual and social games, with its semi-realistic art style that's delightfully reminiscent of the unforgettable Halloween flick Hocus-Pocus. While the game already has six episodes (with about 10 levels each) of content, Jornow tells us that more content is already in the works.
Bubble Witch Saga gameplay
Not to mention that the game will hit mobile devices later this year. King.com also announced that it has surpassed 900 million monthly gameplay sessions across all of its platforms. Granted, that's thanks to its over 200 games total, but an impressive feat nonetheless--though, the company does say that it has beat PopCap in monthly players on Facebook, according to AppData. Bubble Witch is available for play now on Facebook, so have at those bubbles, my pretties. (I promise that's the last time I say "my pretties" here ... whoops, done it again!)
Click here to play Bubble Witch Saga on Facebook Now >
Are you excited to kick back and blow up some bubbles once again? What do you think of this game so far, and the bubble-bursting sub genre of casual or social games?
Thứ Tư, 14 tháng 12, 2011
The Top 10 Most Influential People in Facebook and Social Games
Facebook games have attracted some of the most popular figures in the game industry since their dawn about four years ago. The past two years alone saw more video game veterans than we care to count leave the world of shooters and strategy games behind for Facebook. That said, we decided it was about time to see how these game design and business juggernauts sized up against one another after PeekYou approached us with a way to do so.
PeekYou, a search company focused on indexing the web around people, also runs PeekScore. This service ranks people on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their influence across the Internet. The score takes active and passive content creation into account, the former being social media use and blogging, and the latter being mentions in online news outlets, archives and databases.
However, we had to populate the list with 10 names. In an attempt at fairness, we took to AppData's developer leaderboard, but also peppered the list with industry transplants of note. We're certain we've glossed over some video game veterans, but did you really want a list of 30 people? So, feel free to give us your two cents in the comments. (We've put on our flame-retardant suits already.) Here are the top 10 most influential people in Facebook and social games:
PeekYou, a search company focused on indexing the web around people, also runs PeekScore. This service ranks people on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their influence across the Internet. The score takes active and passive content creation into account, the former being social media use and blogging, and the latter being mentions in online news outlets, archives and databases.
However, we had to populate the list with 10 names. In an attempt at fairness, we took to AppData's developer leaderboard, but also peppered the list with industry transplants of note. We're certain we've glossed over some video game veterans, but did you really want a list of 30 people? So, feel free to give us your two cents in the comments. (We've put on our flame-retardant suits already.) Here are the top 10 most influential people in Facebook and social games:
Nexon's next social game, Zombie Misfits, looks for brains on Facebook
Alright, we thought it too: "Another zombie game?" But hold on just a second there, naysayers. Nexon's new Facebook game, Zombie Misfits, takes the whole zombie craze in a decidedly different direction. Co-developed by Canadian studio Antic Entertainment, this social take on what's quickly becoming a tired trend turns is a side-scrolling tower defense game.
Wait, according to a release, it's a "cartoon-style apocalyptic tower defense game with an RPG flare." Does that sound different enough for you? And if you ask us, the game's art style looks like something you'd easily find on Cartoon Network.
Ever since Nexon struck gold with MapleStory Adventures, the company has been bullish on Facebook games, but has taken its sweet time. (The publisher likely could have thrown its name on a number of Facebook games this year, but didn't.)
But back to the brain bustin'. Zombie Misfits has players defend survivors of the zombie apocalypse in two-dimensional zones against wave after wave of walking cadavers. To do so, you must place Defenders in key, predefined points in each level to kill off the walkers (thanks, The Walking Dead) before they reach the hovel of "breathers", as tutorial character Slim calls them.
The game features a number of different defenders like the Biker, a club-wielding badass type, and the pistol-toting Trooper--all of which can be modified and upgraded. Of course, you'll need to strategize which Defenders to place as you unlock them to fight the numerous types of zombies. And players can enlist the help of their friends, as per usual. But really, nothing beats the feeling of taking a giant chain saw to a morose mob of undead mouth-breathers.
Click here to play Zombie Misfits on Facebook Now >
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Do you think there's room for another zombie game on Facebook? What do you think of the zombie craze overall--is it just a fad?
Wait, according to a release, it's a "cartoon-style apocalyptic tower defense game with an RPG flare." Does that sound different enough for you? And if you ask us, the game's art style looks like something you'd easily find on Cartoon Network.
Ever since Nexon struck gold with MapleStory Adventures, the company has been bullish on Facebook games, but has taken its sweet time. (The publisher likely could have thrown its name on a number of Facebook games this year, but didn't.)
But back to the brain bustin'. Zombie Misfits has players defend survivors of the zombie apocalypse in two-dimensional zones against wave after wave of walking cadavers. To do so, you must place Defenders in key, predefined points in each level to kill off the walkers (thanks, The Walking Dead) before they reach the hovel of "breathers", as tutorial character Slim calls them.
The game features a number of different defenders like the Biker, a club-wielding badass type, and the pistol-toting Trooper--all of which can be modified and upgraded. Of course, you'll need to strategize which Defenders to place as you unlock them to fight the numerous types of zombies. And players can enlist the help of their friends, as per usual. But really, nothing beats the feeling of taking a giant chain saw to a morose mob of undead mouth-breathers.
Click here to play Zombie Misfits on Facebook Now >
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Do you think there's room for another zombie game on Facebook? What do you think of the zombie craze overall--is it just a fad?
House, CSI: Miami and NCIS games to air on Facebook this winter
Social gamers are naturally very meta people. Come one, who else would watch an episode of CSI, only to play an episode of CSI: Crime City either during the show or afterward? Ubisoft seems to have struck gold with Facebook games based on TV properties, so the company has announced three more: CSI: Miami, House, M.D.: Critical Cases and NCIS: Major Crimes.
Inside Social Games reports that the games will launch either at the end of this year or early in 2012. In other words, they're coming this winter. The games will play out procedurally, like episodes of their television inspirations. Players will search for clues after identifying victims, patients or suspects and solve cases with the help of friends and non-player characters.
The French game publisher also announced a deal with Loot Drop, designer John Romero's studio that has yet to release its first game, Cloudforest Expedition. No details were given regarding the game, but this marks the third game set to come out of Loot Drop, its first two with publisher RockYou. Ubisoft will also release Ghost Recon Commander for Facebook.
The game will serve as a companion to the publisher's two upcoming Ghost Recon games: Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for console and Ghost Recon: Online for PCs. According to ISG, players will be able to advance in either core game through the Facebook companion and vice versa. We've seen how high-profile companion games do already, but House is poised to be a winner--have you seen how many "Likes" it has on Facebook?
Are you excited by any of these announcements by Ubisoft? Which of these games do you think will do best on Facebook?
Inside Social Games reports that the games will launch either at the end of this year or early in 2012. In other words, they're coming this winter. The games will play out procedurally, like episodes of their television inspirations. Players will search for clues after identifying victims, patients or suspects and solve cases with the help of friends and non-player characters.
The French game publisher also announced a deal with Loot Drop, designer John Romero's studio that has yet to release its first game, Cloudforest Expedition. No details were given regarding the game, but this marks the third game set to come out of Loot Drop, its first two with publisher RockYou. Ubisoft will also release Ghost Recon Commander for Facebook.
The game will serve as a companion to the publisher's two upcoming Ghost Recon games: Ghost Recon: Future Soldier for console and Ghost Recon: Online for PCs. According to ISG, players will be able to advance in either core game through the Facebook companion and vice versa. We've seen how high-profile companion games do already, but House is poised to be a winner--have you seen how many "Likes" it has on Facebook?
Are you excited by any of these announcements by Ubisoft? Which of these games do you think will do best on Facebook?
Thứ Sáu, 9 tháng 12, 2011
Finally, all future Facebook privacy changes will be opt-in, not opt-out
Facebook games and privacy have been something of, well, we'll just say it: a pain in the ass more times than not. Even as recently as this summer, changes to the games platform had players scrambling to protect their privacy. And while we almost always find workarounds, it simply shouldn't have to be that way. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally (if reluctantly) agrees with that.
From this day forward, all changes to Facebook that might affect users' privacy will be opt-in, meaning users will have to agree to the change before it can take place within their profile or an app. According to a statement made by the US Federal Trade Commission, Facebook is "required to obtain consumers' affirmative express consent before enacting changes that override their privacy preferences."
This settlement is the result of charges issued against Facebook by the FTC that the company "deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public." Now, the company must be audited by third-party privacy firms every two years to ensure that Facebook holds a privacy program that meets the FTC's order.
Of course, this means that it will be much more difficult for Facebook to push changes like, say, the Facebook Games Ticker, which blasts in-game activities without the player so much as clicking a "Share" button. Sure, this likely means that no future Facebook change will ever reach 100 percent of its users. But we also don't like it when everyone and their mother knows exactly when we log into CastleVille every day.
[Via TechCrunch]
Are you behind these changes to Facebook? Have you ever been a victim to Facebook's changes to your privacy when it comes to gaming?
From this day forward, all changes to Facebook that might affect users' privacy will be opt-in, meaning users will have to agree to the change before it can take place within their profile or an app. According to a statement made by the US Federal Trade Commission, Facebook is "required to obtain consumers' affirmative express consent before enacting changes that override their privacy preferences."
This settlement is the result of charges issued against Facebook by the FTC that the company "deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowing it to be shared and made public." Now, the company must be audited by third-party privacy firms every two years to ensure that Facebook holds a privacy program that meets the FTC's order.
Of course, this means that it will be much more difficult for Facebook to push changes like, say, the Facebook Games Ticker, which blasts in-game activities without the player so much as clicking a "Share" button. Sure, this likely means that no future Facebook change will ever reach 100 percent of its users. But we also don't like it when everyone and their mother knows exactly when we log into CastleVille every day.
[Via TechCrunch]
Are you behind these changes to Facebook? Have you ever been a victim to Facebook's changes to your privacy when it comes to gaming?
Thứ Tư, 26 tháng 10, 2011
Kixeye's War Commander blasts onto Facebook for all to conquer
Players can finally control individual units on the battle field in real time as they slaughter enemy units and demolish buildings. Clearly inspired by traditional strategy staples like Command and Conquer on the PC, War Commander continues the developer's tradition of real time gameplay with asynchronous interaction between friends ... or enemies.
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 9, 2011
Facebook game lets you solve anagrams to save Canada's forests
True to its name, in order to play Donate2Play Media's first new game, Wordraiser, you're going to have to pony up some change. Wordraiser is an anagram game that has players make as many words as possible out of one word.
If you manage to guess the key word, you get to level up. After leveling up a few times, you'll be asked to buy "Karma Points" that enable you to play more games.
Donation packages range from $1 to $20 USD, where $1 USD equals 10 Karma Points, which is good for buying one game. But right now, it seems that there's nothing stopping you from playing as much as you want. We're not sure if this is a bug, as the game just launched during the previous weekend.
While Wordraiser is supposedly free-to-play, it's also the offspring of Donate2Play's partnership with The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), a Canadian grassroots organization devoted to finding the balance between forestry jobs and preserving British Columbia's ancient woodlands (defined as tree populations that are over 120 years old). So half of the money given to Wordraiser will be split between AFA and Donate2Play.
Gallery: Wordraiser
Lastly, there's a top ten high scores leaderboard that displays players' names followed by their levels, and two of AFA's founders, TJ Watts and Ken Wu, are currently on the board in ninth and third place, respectively. According to its Facebook page, Wordraiser currently has 202 monthly users.
Keep in mind, though, that Donate2Play is doing all the heavy lifting here, with no risk or prior investment from AFA. Outreach for the game is done via automatic Facebook wall posts. Players will also receive facts about British Columbian forests during load screens and photos of these forests by TJ Watt.
[Hat-tip: Times Colonist]
Click here to play Wordraiser on Facebook now >
Would you rather donate to a charity directly than through a Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
If you manage to guess the key word, you get to level up. After leveling up a few times, you'll be asked to buy "Karma Points" that enable you to play more games.
Donation packages range from $1 to $20 USD, where $1 USD equals 10 Karma Points, which is good for buying one game. But right now, it seems that there's nothing stopping you from playing as much as you want. We're not sure if this is a bug, as the game just launched during the previous weekend.
While Wordraiser is supposedly free-to-play, it's also the offspring of Donate2Play's partnership with The Ancient Forest Alliance (AFA), a Canadian grassroots organization devoted to finding the balance between forestry jobs and preserving British Columbia's ancient woodlands (defined as tree populations that are over 120 years old). So half of the money given to Wordraiser will be split between AFA and Donate2Play.
Gallery: Wordraiser
Lastly, there's a top ten high scores leaderboard that displays players' names followed by their levels, and two of AFA's founders, TJ Watts and Ken Wu, are currently on the board in ninth and third place, respectively. According to its Facebook page, Wordraiser currently has 202 monthly users.
Keep in mind, though, that Donate2Play is doing all the heavy lifting here, with no risk or prior investment from AFA. Outreach for the game is done via automatic Facebook wall posts. Players will also receive facts about British Columbian forests during load screens and photos of these forests by TJ Watt.
[Hat-tip: Times Colonist]
Click here to play Wordraiser on Facebook now >
Would you rather donate to a charity directly than through a Facebook game? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment
Adventure World: Redeem a Zynga Game Card for 15 free energy packs
If you've become a fan of Zynga's newest Facebook game Adventure World (now Adventure World - An Indiana Jones Game), and are ready to lay down some real-world money in the game, you now have some extra incentive to do so. For every Game Card redeemed in the game, you'll receive 15 Energy Packs.
Unfortunately, we're not sure exactly what that means. We'd love for it to mean 15 full energy refills, but if you look inside the game, a 30 Energy pot of coffee costs a whopping 30 Adventure Cash. Now, I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like something Zynga would just give away for free, especially in bulk. This leaves us with another option, the single cup of coffee, which gives you just five energy points. This would be a decent boost, since we're talking about a "free" prize after all, but even then, it still likely won't take you long to burn through all of those bonus energy points.
What's worse, there's yet another option for energy refills: a Bolt that gives you just one energy point. Surely this isn't the "Energy Packs" Zynga is talking about, but it's something to keep in mind all the same. We're working on discovering just which kind of "Energy Pack" you'll receive when redeeming a Zynga Game Card, but for now, why not take a look at our tools upgrade guide, so you'll be able to upgrade your tools to do more work for less energy to make all of your points go that much further.
Will you redeem a Zynga Game Card to earn 15 free Energy Packs? If you have, which specific kind of pack did you receive? Sound off in the comments.
Unfortunately, we're not sure exactly what that means. We'd love for it to mean 15 full energy refills, but if you look inside the game, a 30 Energy pot of coffee costs a whopping 30 Adventure Cash. Now, I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like something Zynga would just give away for free, especially in bulk. This leaves us with another option, the single cup of coffee, which gives you just five energy points. This would be a decent boost, since we're talking about a "free" prize after all, but even then, it still likely won't take you long to burn through all of those bonus energy points.
What's worse, there's yet another option for energy refills: a Bolt that gives you just one energy point. Surely this isn't the "Energy Packs" Zynga is talking about, but it's something to keep in mind all the same. We're working on discovering just which kind of "Energy Pack" you'll receive when redeeming a Zynga Game Card, but for now, why not take a look at our tools upgrade guide, so you'll be able to upgrade your tools to do more work for less energy to make all of your points go that much further.
Will you redeem a Zynga Game Card to earn 15 free Energy Packs? If you have, which specific kind of pack did you receive? Sound off in the comments.
Thứ Sáu, 23 tháng 9, 2011
BringIt puts games in your Facebook games, so you can ... gamble?
If you're the type who enjoys wasting their money gambling, have we got some news for you. In select Facebook games by CrowdStar, East Side Games, Sometrics and Mall World, you can wager your hard-earned, paid game currency with your friends in custom mini games by BringIt. A real-time transactional platform for social games, BringIt announced that its head-to-head competitions for virtual currency are now available in games from these developers.
According to BringIt, 8 million players have participated in these mini games within their favorite social games, and the asynchronous, head-to-head competitions will increase their number of daily players to 2.1 million. Players can wager any amount of virtual currency they choose, and post challenges to multiple friends at once. These challenges are sent to players who then can respond with their own wagers and post their scores in said games--the winner takes all.
For instance, Happy Aquarium fans can now challenge each other in a game of match-three, Aqua Blast, which is strikingly similar to Bejeweled. Using speed and various power ups, players must score as many points as possible in 60 seconds after wagering so many Pearls (the game's paid currency). Then, players can post that score to whomever's News Feed that they challenged.
If a friend responds with a wager of Pearls and a score that beats the challenger's score, they win whatever the challenger wagered. If the friend happens to score less than what the challenger did, then whoever posted the challenge wins whatever amount of Pearls that the loser wagered.
Payments are said to be posted automatically, but as of Sept. 11, there have been issues with the speed of payment, though BringIt is cataloging all payments to ensure that all winnings are met with payments. (At least this applies to Happy Aquarium.) Other BringIt partners like East Side Games, have different BringIt-powered mini games such as Gold Rush in Pot Farm.
Developers like East Side Games hope to make lots of dough from this form of in-game gambling. BringIt claims that the novelty of wagering paid currency could turn more freeloading social gamers into ones that pay up to play. And we guess it's all kosher, because the money at stake isn't "real" money. Though, if you paid for it with real cash originally, it kind of is, no?
Would you ever gamble wager your hard-earned Pearls or other paid currency in these mini games by BringIt? What are your thoughts on online wagering, generally speaking? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
According to BringIt, 8 million players have participated in these mini games within their favorite social games, and the asynchronous, head-to-head competitions will increase their number of daily players to 2.1 million. Players can wager any amount of virtual currency they choose, and post challenges to multiple friends at once. These challenges are sent to players who then can respond with their own wagers and post their scores in said games--the winner takes all.
For instance, Happy Aquarium fans can now challenge each other in a game of match-three, Aqua Blast, which is strikingly similar to Bejeweled. Using speed and various power ups, players must score as many points as possible in 60 seconds after wagering so many Pearls (the game's paid currency). Then, players can post that score to whomever's News Feed that they challenged.
If a friend responds with a wager of Pearls and a score that beats the challenger's score, they win whatever the challenger wagered. If the friend happens to score less than what the challenger did, then whoever posted the challenge wins whatever amount of Pearls that the loser wagered.
Payments are said to be posted automatically, but as of Sept. 11, there have been issues with the speed of payment, though BringIt is cataloging all payments to ensure that all winnings are met with payments. (At least this applies to Happy Aquarium.) Other BringIt partners like East Side Games, have different BringIt-powered mini games such as Gold Rush in Pot Farm.
Developers like East Side Games hope to make lots of dough from this form of in-game gambling. BringIt claims that the novelty of wagering paid currency could turn more freeloading social gamers into ones that pay up to play. And we guess it's all kosher, because the money at stake isn't "real" money. Though, if you paid for it with real cash originally, it kind of is, no?
Would you ever gamble wager your hard-earned Pearls or other paid currency in these mini games by BringIt? What are your thoughts on online wagering, generally speaking? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments
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