If you didn't take advantage of the many shopping opportunities presented to you in CityVille this past Holiday season, Zynga is giving you one final chance to stock up on those decorations before they leave the store (for good), and to help sweeten the deal, they've discounted the prices on all items - most to 50% off the original price.
Both premium and standard items are part of this sale, so you can also pick up a load of themed decorations for cheaper City Cash prices than you would have found upon their initial release. Items like the Bunny Slope and Sled Hill, which used to cost 45 and 30 City Cash (respectively), now go for 23 and 15 City Cash each.
Basic, non-animated decorations are also a part of this sale, including the Holiday Tree Lot, Giraffe Ice Sculpture, Snow Angel, and even the Penguin animal. While the Kids Building Snowman item is still a bit of a splurge, at 10,000 coins, this is a 50% reduction of its original price of 20,000 coins. And that's just one example of all of the coins that can be saved here - but only for a limited time.
Remember, with the addition of storage (no matter how limited) to CityVille, you could always purchase these items and store them away until next year, when you can enjoy them even more when thinking about how little you paid.
[Image Credit: Zynga]
Do you plan on taking advantage of this sale to pick up reduced price items, or did you purchase all of these items back when they were full price? Do you think it's fair for Zynga to offer these items for cheaper now, rather than requiring everyone pay the same price or simply miss out?
Thứ Sáu, 6 tháng 1, 2012
Cafe World St. Patrick's Day Goals: Everything you need to know
In honor of the upcoming St. Patrick's Day holiday, Zynga has launched a massive, nine-part mission series in Cafe World set around new St. Patrick's Day decorations, general party "happenings," and a series of new St. Patrick's Day recipes, which can only be unlocked by completing these goals. This series of goals deals with a new character in the game - Peter O'Brien - who is homesick for Ireland. It's up to you to help bring the spirit of St. Patrick's Day to your cafe and cheer this poor fella up.
Let's jump right in, shall we? Part I is called Peter's Irish Wish, and it asks you to complete some fairly simple tasks, as a sort of preparation for what's ahead. These tasks are so simple, in fact, that most players will likely have two of the three completed even before they begin.
Unlock Coffee Machine Crate
Place the Drink Bar
Place the Leprechaun Fountain
The Leprechaun Fountain is a new mission-based item just like the Love Meter from the Valentine's Day event. As you complete the St. Patrick's Day missions, the fountain will be built automatically in stages, and you'll only see the final product upon completing the entire goal series. Your reward for finishing this first mission is a new recipe - Irish Stew. Irish Stew costs 1500 coins and takes 8 hours to cook. You'll receive 850 coins that can be sold for 5 coins each, giving you a return of 4,250 coins.
After completing Part I, you'll actually jump into a normal quest, requiring some effort on your part. Part II is called Patty's Parade, and it will ask you to put your new recipe to good use, but there's a catch here that works in your favor.
Cook 10 Irish Stews
Ask for 1 Flier
Have 1 Shamrock
Notice the wording above - "cook" means just that. All you have to do is set 10 Irish Stews to cook to pass this step - you don't actually have to wait and serve them eight hours later. As for the Flier and Shamrock, you'll be able to earn these via simple gift requests to friends, as you might expect. Finish this quest and you'll receive 1,000 coins and 500 Cafe Points.
Part III is called Post-Parade Punch, and it has you heading into the Drink Bar to serve one of a new series of St. Patrick's Day beverages that are available in the game for a limited time.
Serve Shamrock Punch 10 Times
Ask for 1 Corned Beef
Ask for 2 Cabbages
Shamrock Punch requires 30 energy to prepare, and you'll receive 6 servings to serve to your guests. Each serving is worth 10 Cafe Points and a 10 point Buzz Boost, so this is definitely one of the better drinks you can serve, even if it wasn't required for a mission. As for the Corned Beef and Cabbage, you likely know where this is going, as those ingredients work to unlock your mission goal - the Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe. Corned Beef and Cabbage costs 1500 coins to cook, and is ready after 12 hours. You'll receive 300 servings to serve for 15 coins each, giving you 4500 coins in return.
Part IV of IX is called Cook of the Irish, and it, as you might expect, asks you to cook your new recipe, but in this case you will actually have to serve it.
Serve 15 Corned Beef and Cabbage
Own 2 Four Leaf Clovers
Own 2 Green Balloons
While you're waiting the 12 hours for your food to cook, you can go about purchasing these four new decorative items. The Four Leaf Clovers cost 50,000 coins each, while the Green Balloons cost 30,000 coins each. It's a pricey set of items, to be sure, but at least they don't require you to beg to your friends for more items. Finishing this quest will reward you with 2,500 coins and 750 Cafe Points.
Part V sees you heading back to the Drink Bar once again.
Serve Virgin Shillelagh 10 Times
Serve Chocolate Mint Shake 15 Times
Have 6 Shamrocks
Both of these drinks are part of the limited edition St. Patrick's Day menu. Virgin Shillelagh takes 45 energy to prepare and serves eight at a time, while the Chocolate Mint Shake is the most expensive of these new recipes in terms of energy, taking 55 energy to prepare. You'll be able to serve nine guests per preparation, so you'll need to do this at least twice. As for the Shamrocks, you can earn them by asking you friends in individual gift requests. Finishing this quest unlocks the Irish Pub Piano.
Part VI has you placing that prize into your cafe, along with collecting a few other items.
Place Irish Pub Piano
Have 3 Different Irish Stew Collection Pieces
Ask for 8 Sheet Musics
The Irish Stew is an interesting dish in this theme, as when you cook it, you have the potential to randomly receive one of five new collection items for your Collection Cabinet. In a perfect world, you would only have to cook Irish Stew three times to receive three different collection pieces, but it's unlikely that you'll be that lucky. Once you finish this quest, though, you'll receive 1,000 Cafe Points and 500 coins.
Part VII may be encroaching on the end of this mission series, but this might just be the most difficult quest we've hit yet (in this theme, that is).
Serve Green Mocktails 40 Times
Ask for 7 Pieces of Wood
Ask for 8 Darts
Green Mocktail is the fourth and final new drink recipe available for this holiday. It can be prepared with just 20 energy, and you'll receive 5 servings to share with guests. That means you'll need to prepare the drink eight times to hit the full 40, so keep the energy requirement in mind. If the Darts haven't given it away, your reward for this quest will be the Dartboard, which can be accessed in the Windows section of the store.
Moving onto Part VIII, you'll be heading back to the Drink Bar to serve a drink that we became familiar with earlier in this quest set.
Serve Shamrock Punch 50 Times
Place Your New Dartboard
Ask for 6 Darts
You can't play Darts without the darts themselves, so you'll need to ask your friends to help you outfit your game through gift requests. While you're waiting for the darts to arrive, you can serve the Shamrock Punch - remember, they take 30 energy to prepare, and you'll receive 6 servings each time you do so. Your final rewards before the finale of this mission series are 2500 Cafe Points and 10,000 coins.
Finally, Part IX will see you ending this mission series by cooking even more Irish Stew, if you haven't completed the Patty's Day collection before now.
Have 1 Pot O'Gold
Ask for 9 Jars of Mincemeat
Ask for 8 Large Eggs
The Pot O'Gold is the price you'll receive for turning in the Patty's Day collection, which, as a reminder, can only be completed by receiving items through cooking the Irish Stew. Collecting all of these ingredients will reward you with one final recipe in the St. Patrick's Day theme - the Mince Tartlets, which can be cooked for just 50 coins.
And there you have it - a lengthy, but seemingly worthwhile quest set that will likely only be available in the game for a limited time. Start now for your best chance at completing this mission set in time - and good luck!
Check out our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
Let's jump right in, shall we? Part I is called Peter's Irish Wish, and it asks you to complete some fairly simple tasks, as a sort of preparation for what's ahead. These tasks are so simple, in fact, that most players will likely have two of the three completed even before they begin.
Unlock Coffee Machine Crate
Place the Drink Bar
Place the Leprechaun Fountain
The Leprechaun Fountain is a new mission-based item just like the Love Meter from the Valentine's Day event. As you complete the St. Patrick's Day missions, the fountain will be built automatically in stages, and you'll only see the final product upon completing the entire goal series. Your reward for finishing this first mission is a new recipe - Irish Stew. Irish Stew costs 1500 coins and takes 8 hours to cook. You'll receive 850 coins that can be sold for 5 coins each, giving you a return of 4,250 coins.
After completing Part I, you'll actually jump into a normal quest, requiring some effort on your part. Part II is called Patty's Parade, and it will ask you to put your new recipe to good use, but there's a catch here that works in your favor.
Cook 10 Irish Stews
Ask for 1 Flier
Have 1 Shamrock
Notice the wording above - "cook" means just that. All you have to do is set 10 Irish Stews to cook to pass this step - you don't actually have to wait and serve them eight hours later. As for the Flier and Shamrock, you'll be able to earn these via simple gift requests to friends, as you might expect. Finish this quest and you'll receive 1,000 coins and 500 Cafe Points.
Part III is called Post-Parade Punch, and it has you heading into the Drink Bar to serve one of a new series of St. Patrick's Day beverages that are available in the game for a limited time.
Serve Shamrock Punch 10 Times
Ask for 1 Corned Beef
Ask for 2 Cabbages
Shamrock Punch requires 30 energy to prepare, and you'll receive 6 servings to serve to your guests. Each serving is worth 10 Cafe Points and a 10 point Buzz Boost, so this is definitely one of the better drinks you can serve, even if it wasn't required for a mission. As for the Corned Beef and Cabbage, you likely know where this is going, as those ingredients work to unlock your mission goal - the Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe. Corned Beef and Cabbage costs 1500 coins to cook, and is ready after 12 hours. You'll receive 300 servings to serve for 15 coins each, giving you 4500 coins in return.
Part IV of IX is called Cook of the Irish, and it, as you might expect, asks you to cook your new recipe, but in this case you will actually have to serve it.
Serve 15 Corned Beef and Cabbage
Own 2 Four Leaf Clovers
Own 2 Green Balloons
While you're waiting the 12 hours for your food to cook, you can go about purchasing these four new decorative items. The Four Leaf Clovers cost 50,000 coins each, while the Green Balloons cost 30,000 coins each. It's a pricey set of items, to be sure, but at least they don't require you to beg to your friends for more items. Finishing this quest will reward you with 2,500 coins and 750 Cafe Points.
Part V sees you heading back to the Drink Bar once again.
Serve Virgin Shillelagh 10 Times
Serve Chocolate Mint Shake 15 Times
Have 6 Shamrocks
Both of these drinks are part of the limited edition St. Patrick's Day menu. Virgin Shillelagh takes 45 energy to prepare and serves eight at a time, while the Chocolate Mint Shake is the most expensive of these new recipes in terms of energy, taking 55 energy to prepare. You'll be able to serve nine guests per preparation, so you'll need to do this at least twice. As for the Shamrocks, you can earn them by asking you friends in individual gift requests. Finishing this quest unlocks the Irish Pub Piano.
Part VI has you placing that prize into your cafe, along with collecting a few other items.
Place Irish Pub Piano
Have 3 Different Irish Stew Collection Pieces
Ask for 8 Sheet Musics
The Irish Stew is an interesting dish in this theme, as when you cook it, you have the potential to randomly receive one of five new collection items for your Collection Cabinet. In a perfect world, you would only have to cook Irish Stew three times to receive three different collection pieces, but it's unlikely that you'll be that lucky. Once you finish this quest, though, you'll receive 1,000 Cafe Points and 500 coins.
Part VII may be encroaching on the end of this mission series, but this might just be the most difficult quest we've hit yet (in this theme, that is).
Serve Green Mocktails 40 Times
Ask for 7 Pieces of Wood
Ask for 8 Darts
Green Mocktail is the fourth and final new drink recipe available for this holiday. It can be prepared with just 20 energy, and you'll receive 5 servings to share with guests. That means you'll need to prepare the drink eight times to hit the full 40, so keep the energy requirement in mind. If the Darts haven't given it away, your reward for this quest will be the Dartboard, which can be accessed in the Windows section of the store.
Moving onto Part VIII, you'll be heading back to the Drink Bar to serve a drink that we became familiar with earlier in this quest set.
Serve Shamrock Punch 50 Times
Place Your New Dartboard
Ask for 6 Darts
You can't play Darts without the darts themselves, so you'll need to ask your friends to help you outfit your game through gift requests. While you're waiting for the darts to arrive, you can serve the Shamrock Punch - remember, they take 30 energy to prepare, and you'll receive 6 servings each time you do so. Your final rewards before the finale of this mission series are 2500 Cafe Points and 10,000 coins.
Finally, Part IX will see you ending this mission series by cooking even more Irish Stew, if you haven't completed the Patty's Day collection before now.
Have 1 Pot O'Gold
Ask for 9 Jars of Mincemeat
Ask for 8 Large Eggs
The Pot O'Gold is the price you'll receive for turning in the Patty's Day collection, which, as a reminder, can only be completed by receiving items through cooking the Irish Stew. Collecting all of these ingredients will reward you with one final recipe in the St. Patrick's Day theme - the Mince Tartlets, which can be cooked for just 50 coins.
And there you have it - a lengthy, but seemingly worthwhile quest set that will likely only be available in the game for a limited time. Start now for your best chance at completing this mission set in time - and good luck!
Check out our St. Patrick's Day coverage right here.
Thứ Tư, 4 tháng 1, 2012
Digital Chocolate's Trip Hawkins wins our 'Stay on Target' award
Forbes recently wrote a piece talking about how Digital Chocolate Founder and CEO Trip Hawkins owes a helluva lot of back taxes to the state of California (somewhere in the $20 million ballpark). Apparently this has something to do with money owed way back when Hawkins gaming company 3DO went bankrupt, and his efforts to get out of paying it have apparently not been going swimmingly.
If you're not familiar with Hawkins, the tenacious game exec founded 3DO in 1991, then went on to found Electronic Arts, which is currently one of the biggest gaming companies around,
If you're not familiar with Hawkins, the tenacious game exec founded 3DO in 1991, then went on to found Electronic Arts, which is currently one of the biggest gaming companies around,
Is rejection in FarmVille, Facebook games like getting dumped?
FarmVille rejection
Well, it's close enough. According to a recent study by Edward Smith, a cognitive neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York, being rejected in an online computer game could elicit "tepid feelings of rejection," Fox News reports. Though, the findings did help Smith find a link between romantic rejection and actual physical pain. Smith conducted a follow-up study using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. But did it trigger a similar response?
This technology visualized the pain receptors in the brains of 40 volunteers when looking at photographs of partners they had broke it off with. As a result, the fMRI lit up like Christmas tree when folks looked at photos of old flames. So when a FarmVille friend removes you, it might not sting as badly--or just stir some Internet rage. Regardless, the brain could still respond the same way as when rejected by a lover, though to a lesser degree. The next time you remove a friend from CityVille, try letting them down easy, eh?
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Game Casa]
Have you ever been rejected in a social game by another player?
Well, it's close enough. According to a recent study by Edward Smith, a cognitive neuroscientist at Columbia University in New York, being rejected in an online computer game could elicit "tepid feelings of rejection," Fox News reports. Though, the findings did help Smith find a link between romantic rejection and actual physical pain. Smith conducted a follow-up study using functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI. But did it trigger a similar response?
This technology visualized the pain receptors in the brains of 40 volunteers when looking at photographs of partners they had broke it off with. As a result, the fMRI lit up like Christmas tree when folks looked at photos of old flames. So when a FarmVille friend removes you, it might not sting as badly--or just stir some Internet rage. Regardless, the brain could still respond the same way as when rejected by a lover, though to a lesser degree. The next time you remove a friend from CityVille, try letting them down easy, eh?
[Via Kotaku]
[Image Credit: Game Casa]
Have you ever been rejected in a social game by another player?
March Madness Facebook Game Showdown: Final Four
Upsets galore in the second round of our March Madness Facebook Game Showdown, just like in the real NCAA Basketball tournament.
In our quest to determine the best Facebook game, most of our match-ups have been cruising along without any major upsets. No longer! In the second round of our Showdown, things went haywire with several favorites finding themselves on the outs, including three of Zynga's most popular games.
Pet Society by Playfish continued its unlikely run as its fans backed it all the way through to the Final Four. Pet Society defeated Zynga Poker 57% to 43% in a close match-up. Pet Society has now defeated two higher seeded Zynga produced opponents in Cafe World and Zynga Poker.
In what is likely the biggest upset this side of VCU over Kansas, Treasure Isle defeated the heavily favored FarmVille. The two Zynga made games went head to head and in unbelievable turn of events, Treasure Isle squeaked by FarmVille 52% to 48%. Unreal, considering how much Games.com -- The Blog! readers favor FarmVille over all else.
The last in our upset trifecta is the defeat of staff favorite FrontierVille by Pop Cap's plucky arcade classic Bejeweled Blitz. In what has to be the triumph of the name brand, Bejeweled over the newer FrontierVille, Bejeweled Blitz won 54% to 45%.
Rounding out our final match up of the second round and last Final Four participant CityVille, the number one seed in the tournament defeated Mafia Wars. CityVille is the only top seeded game to advance to the Final Four trounced Mafia Wars handily 66% to 33%
Here the Final Four match-ups for the March Madness Facebook Game Showdown:
In our quest to determine the best Facebook game, most of our match-ups have been cruising along without any major upsets. No longer! In the second round of our Showdown, things went haywire with several favorites finding themselves on the outs, including three of Zynga's most popular games.
Pet Society by Playfish continued its unlikely run as its fans backed it all the way through to the Final Four. Pet Society defeated Zynga Poker 57% to 43% in a close match-up. Pet Society has now defeated two higher seeded Zynga produced opponents in Cafe World and Zynga Poker.
In what is likely the biggest upset this side of VCU over Kansas, Treasure Isle defeated the heavily favored FarmVille. The two Zynga made games went head to head and in unbelievable turn of events, Treasure Isle squeaked by FarmVille 52% to 48%. Unreal, considering how much Games.com -- The Blog! readers favor FarmVille over all else.
The last in our upset trifecta is the defeat of staff favorite FrontierVille by Pop Cap's plucky arcade classic Bejeweled Blitz. In what has to be the triumph of the name brand, Bejeweled over the newer FrontierVille, Bejeweled Blitz won 54% to 45%.
Rounding out our final match up of the second round and last Final Four participant CityVille, the number one seed in the tournament defeated Mafia Wars. CityVille is the only top seeded game to advance to the Final Four trounced Mafia Wars handily 66% to 33%
Here the Final Four match-ups for the March Madness Facebook Game Showdown:
Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Dove Soap promotion
Dove Sponsored Link
News flash: People like free things. Zynga knows it (to a point), which is why its released another FarmVille Sponsored Link. While we've yet to see it under our game screens, FarmVille Freak has all the details for the folks that do. Just click on the link with the Dove icon beneath your game and a pop-up will appear. Within is a short question next to a Dove advertisement video that reads, "What do you do to keep your skin beautiful?" Just type in a response, hit the "Next" button and the 2 Farm Cash should post to your account within an hour or so. Just remember not to close the pop-up window until you see the familiar confirmation in the upper right corner of the screen.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen this Sponsored Link beneath your game screen? Do you participate in these promotions or do you avoid Farm Cash promotions altogether?
News flash: People like free things. Zynga knows it (to a point), which is why its released another FarmVille Sponsored Link. While we've yet to see it under our game screens, FarmVille Freak has all the details for the folks that do. Just click on the link with the Dove icon beneath your game and a pop-up will appear. Within is a short question next to a Dove advertisement video that reads, "What do you do to keep your skin beautiful?" Just type in a response, hit the "Next" button and the 2 Farm Cash should post to your account within an hour or so. Just remember not to close the pop-up window until you see the familiar confirmation in the upper right corner of the screen.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
Have you seen this Sponsored Link beneath your game screen? Do you participate in these promotions or do you avoid Farm Cash promotions altogether?
FarmVille scams are out of control; Zynga can stop them with Goals
It seems that at least once a day a new FarmVille scammer emerges, and we're always here to report the news, spread the word in warning. Unfortunately, that's about where our powers of prevention stop. Admittedly, I am no security expert, so suggesting methods for either Zynga or Facebook to track and thwart these scam artists is beyond my knowledge. However, the creators of FarmVille have one tool to impede the scammers' progress: the game itself.
Thanks to the release of FrontierVille, there has not been a more powerful feature at the hands of Zynga: Goals. In fact, these series of requirements guiding players into new content have been incorporated into every one of its games since. Even the original FarmVille has seen its fair share of Goals. These Goals make themselves known before the player can even resume their daily routine of farming or city management.
FarmVille Scam
It's been said that the ultimate prevention is education, and considering that stopping these scammers would be a job in itself, this is likely the best method to bring their impact to a screeching halt. Isn't this exactly what Goals do? They educate players in new ways to interact with features and content, most times without the player even realizing it. It's a brilliant method, really.
Zynga could easily create Goals detailing the dangers of News Feed scams and the like through all of its games. Of course, the Goals would have to be available to all players regardless of their progress. More importantly, they would have to be included in the first few levels of each for brand new players months from now to learn of the dangers of News Feed scams. Sure, some players are likely asking their computer screens, "How does fit in with the overall theme of the game?"
FrontierVille Goals
It doesn't nor does it have to. When is the last time the words "This doesn't fit with our theme" stop Zynga from introducing McDonald's to FarmVille? It sure didn't stop the company from adding a new building surrounding Intuit, the business website builder service to the game. (Not to mention a bear using a laptop within the loading screen.) So, somehow simulating a scam situation and tasking players with making the right moves to prevent its effects--and later spread--doesn't sound unreasonable.
How the Goals would look and play is entirely up to Zynga. In fact, this would be in the company's best interest, no? Surely the FarmVille scams have scared plenty of players away. Better yet, this would likely reduce call after call into Zynga customer support for something that's generally out of their control. But it doesn't have to be. Instead of releasing the next big feature, push it back and release some educational Goals--this is far more important than the next Crafting Building.
[Image Credit: Virus Removal Support]
Have you fallen victim to a FarmVille scam before? Do you think this would be helpful in preventing future successful scams?
Thanks to the release of FrontierVille, there has not been a more powerful feature at the hands of Zynga: Goals. In fact, these series of requirements guiding players into new content have been incorporated into every one of its games since. Even the original FarmVille has seen its fair share of Goals. These Goals make themselves known before the player can even resume their daily routine of farming or city management.
FarmVille Scam
It's been said that the ultimate prevention is education, and considering that stopping these scammers would be a job in itself, this is likely the best method to bring their impact to a screeching halt. Isn't this exactly what Goals do? They educate players in new ways to interact with features and content, most times without the player even realizing it. It's a brilliant method, really.
Zynga could easily create Goals detailing the dangers of News Feed scams and the like through all of its games. Of course, the Goals would have to be available to all players regardless of their progress. More importantly, they would have to be included in the first few levels of each for brand new players months from now to learn of the dangers of News Feed scams. Sure, some players are likely asking their computer screens, "How does fit in with the overall theme of the game?"
FrontierVille Goals
It doesn't nor does it have to. When is the last time the words "This doesn't fit with our theme" stop Zynga from introducing McDonald's to FarmVille? It sure didn't stop the company from adding a new building surrounding Intuit, the business website builder service to the game. (Not to mention a bear using a laptop within the loading screen.) So, somehow simulating a scam situation and tasking players with making the right moves to prevent its effects--and later spread--doesn't sound unreasonable.
How the Goals would look and play is entirely up to Zynga. In fact, this would be in the company's best interest, no? Surely the FarmVille scams have scared plenty of players away. Better yet, this would likely reduce call after call into Zynga customer support for something that's generally out of their control. But it doesn't have to be. Instead of releasing the next big feature, push it back and release some educational Goals--this is far more important than the next Crafting Building.
[Image Credit: Virus Removal Support]
Have you fallen victim to a FarmVille scam before? Do you think this would be helpful in preventing future successful scams?
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