Thứ Sáu, 30 tháng 9, 2011

Vostu goes for Goooaaal with GolMania on Facebook, Orkut [Video]

And boy, does it look intense. Vostu--you know, the Brazilian social game maker trading legal blows with Zynga--has released what is likely its most ambitious social game yet with GolMania. Available now on Facebook and Orkut in English, Portuguese and Spanish, this social soccer game touts real-time, directly-controlled soccer matches between friends in a cute art style.

And, according to a Vostu representative, "real-time" means live, arcade-style gameplay between two friends over Facebook or Orkut, Google's wildly popular social network in South America. The game pits players against one another on the field, but has friends cooperate off of the green to build up each other's stadiums and to gain energy and money for more matches.

As player progress in GolMania by mastering its keyboard controls and dominating opponents live, they will unlock special maneuvers. You will also be able to organize private tournaments between friends and participate in global cups amongst the game's top players--you can even play soccer in low gravity on the moon. And Vostu already has even bigger plans for its now flagship social soccer game.
Gallery: GolMania on Facebook
Vostu's Mystery Fantasy Game on Facebook
"GolMania brings Vostu's fun social experience to a casual sports game," Vostu Chief Scientist Mario Schlosser said in a release. "We look forward to our millions of users getting to play GolMania and like with all of our games, we will then quickly react to their feedback and our deep analytics about player behavior to unveil new features that take into account how users make the game their own."

The game was developed Vostu's recent acquisition MP Studio, and employs the publisher's Vostu Game Network, meaning friends can play with one another in real time across social networks. Vostu also teased to us an unnamed social game (found in the gallery above) with a deep, cartoonish fantasy setting that's set to launch this fall as well. But until then, check out GolMania below and see if it gives your fingers a real challenge.


Click here to play GolMania on Facebook Now >

What do you think of Vostu's first real-time action sports social game? Do you see these types of games taking off on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment

Gree's OpenFeint hires ex-Glu Mobile exec, more social games coming?

The mobile social game wars are heating up, as OpenFeint just took on former Glu Mobile executive Sarah Thompson (pictured) as its director of developer relations, SocialTimes reports. In other words, OpenFeint, owned by Japanese mobile social gaming powerhouse Gree, hired Thomson to strategically acquire build relationships with independent developers.

Namely, SocialTimes's Azam Khan guesses those developers will be primarily social and mobile social game creators, given Thomson's past exploits in the industry with Glu Mobile and IUGO Entertainment before that. And frankly, we couldn't agree more. Considering OpenFeint is a social network for mobile games at heart, and Gree's existing status, it simply makes sense.

"OpenFeint is going through an exciting phase of growth right now and Sarah is exactly the kind of person we need to keep up the momentum," OpenFeint SVP Marketing and Developer Relations Eros Resmini said in a release. "Sarah's deep history in mobile gaming paired with her connections to the developer community made her a great fit for OpenFeint."

We can't help but recall what just went down between OpenFeint and Gree: The former's co-founder and CEO Jason Citron resigned, and Gree CFO Naoki Aoyagi took his place. (Though, VentureBeat reckons the move was less ... cut-and-dry.) But back to Gree and OpenFeint's future plans, the simple fact is mobile social games are growing at an exponential rate on iOS and Android devices.

"I've always admired OpenFeint for its constant innovation in the mobile gaming space," Thomson said in a release. "As the company continues to change with the market, I'm excited to help OpenFeint continue growing." And we think we have an idea of just where Thomson would like go. It starts with an "S" and--oh, forget it. You get the point already.

Do you think this puts OpenFeint in a better place to compete with opponents like DeNA and Zynga in mobile games? Don't you wish you could have rockin' tattoos and a big time exec gig? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment

Thứ Năm, 29 tháng 9, 2011

FarmVille Horse Paddock: Everything you need to know

Back in the middle of August, FarmVille saw the launch of the Wildlife Habitat breeding building, and at the time we were told that six (and then seven) new buildings would be released in all. We didn't know when those buildings would eventually release, but as time passed we've been led to here. The final animal breeding building has launched in FarmVille, the Horse Paddock.

Similar to the Cow Pasture, this Horse Paddock is specifically for Horses, and it gives you an opportunity to store those horses and randomly breed those that are inside. You'll only need to have a single "type" of each Horse for it to be possible to breed a matching Foal when harvesting the building, but as of right now, a few Horses or Unicorns may not be able to be stored. (This is probably because either they're coded differently, or Zynga just forgot.)

Of course, before you can actually use your Horse Paddock, you need to build it. You'll need three building materials, two of which are new: 10 each of Logs, Saddles and Bridles. These Logs are the same logs that are used to repair/upgrade the Lighthouse Cove on your new farm, so it will be up to you to decide when exactly to divert your efforts there into building this Horse Paddock. As for gathering these ingredients, you can do so by asking friends through individual gift requests, or you can purchase them outright for 1 Farm Cash each.

Once its construction is complete, you'll be given a free Cream Draft Horse. You can store up to 20 Horses in total inside your new building, and you can have as many Paddocks as you like, provided you collect the building materials to build each on individually. With this feature also comes the ability to grow individual Foals into adults with Farm Cash. You can keep them as babies forever (as before), but if you've received a free Foal from a friend and can't wait for the Nursery Barn to grow it into an adult, you can now pay to do so outright.

Remember, both Foal and Calf mastery are coming soon to the game, if you need any extra incentive to build one of these buildings--and fast! Also, with the release of the Horse Paddock, the Horse Stable is now unavailable to buy/build from the market. You can keep your existing Horse Stable(s), but you'll also be given the option to trade in all of your Horse Stables to receive exclusive Horses and Animal Feed. Then again, as so many users lost their Cows entirely when doing the same for the new Cow Pasture building, I'd suggest holding off on that for now ... or forever.

Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.

What do you think of the Horse Paddock? Do you prefer it over the Horse Stable, even though it has less storage capacity? Sound off in the comments.

FarmVille Horse Paddock Goals: Everything you need to know

With the launch of the Horse Paddock in FarmVille, many farmers are probably wondering just when the matching set of goals will arrive. If you're like most, you probably don't have them in your game yet, as they are on a very slow rollout. For those that do have them, however, you'll see that this set of six goals has a 16-day time limit (perhaps less by the time these roll around to everyone), and will reward you some Horses for completing them. Here's a guide for doing just that:

Horsing Around

    * Get 6 Horse Combs
    * Place 1 Horse Paddock
    * Buy 3 Orange Hay Bales


The Horse Combs are earned through a general news feed post. The full six people can click on this post to actually send you rewards, so you shouldn't have to ask for it twice. As for the Horse Paddock, note that this goal doesn't require you to have completed the construction on the building - just place its base. Finally, the Orange Hay Bales are available from the store for 125 coins each. Finishing this first goal, no matter how simple it might seem, actually gives you some great rewards: 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Pink Saddled Horse. To be specific, the horse's body is white, but the saddle is pink.

There She Is, Miss Equestrian...

    * Get 6 Horse Tiaras
    * Buy 2 Horse Topiaries
    * Harvest 10 Horses


For this one, we're not sure if Horses placed inside your Horse Paddock (or previously owned Horse Stables will count), so if you try it once and they don't, just pull some Horses out of storage and wait for them to become ready to harvest on their own. To collect the Tiaras, you'll post another item to your news feed asking all friends to help at once. You can then finish this goal off by purchasing the Horse Topiaries, which cost just 100 coins each in the store. For completing this second goal, you're given 50 XP, 2,500 coins, a single Animal Feed and a Fancy Hitching Post decoration.

Sugar High

    * Get 6 Sugar Cubes
    * Complete a Horse Paddock
    * Harvest 100 Vegetables


It doesn't matter which vegetable crop you harvest, so long as you harvest 100 individual squares of them. While you wait for those crops to grow, you can collect the Sugar Cubes via a general news feed post, and can complete the Horse Paddock by collecting its 30 required building ingredients. Check out our guide to the Horse Paddock to see exactly what we mean. Finishing this goal gives you 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Cream Stallion.

Horseplay

    * Get 9 Carrots on Sticks
    * Harvest a Horse Paddock
    * Harvest 75 Wheat


Each Horse Paddock is available to harvest once every 24 hours, so if you happen to collect from one right before you receive this goal, just wait until the next day to finish this one off. In the meantime, you can post a general news post asking for the Carrots on Sticks and can harvest the wheat as well. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins, five units of Animal Feed and a Blingy Water Trough decoration. Apparently, these horses are fairly high maintenance.

Giddy Up!

    * Get 9 Stylish Horse Shoes
    * Master Cream Stallion to Level 1
    * Harvest 50 Mint


The fastest way to master any Horse will be to make sure they're in storage, so that they can be collected from once per day (rather than once every few days when they're outside of buildings). Just place the Cream Stallion into either Horse building on your farm (that is, if you didn't trade in your Horse Stable for feed and prizes) and collect from it routinely to reach Level 1 before this goal series expires. Oh, and you guessed it--the Stylish Horse Shoes come from a general news post on your wall. Finish off this goal and you'll receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins, five units of Animal Feed and something for your avatar: a Jockey Outfit.

Saddle Up!

    * Get 9 Horse Saddles
    * Place 10 Horses in a Horse Paddock
    * Harvest 50 Spinach


If you already have 10 or more Horses in a Horse Paddock and this step doesn't automatically complete for you, just pull them back out and replace them in the building. That should clear up any "bugs." One final news feed post will help you earn the Horse Saddles, which you can collect while waiting for your Spinach to grow, which takes 14 hours. When finishing this goal, you will have completed the Horse Paddock goal series in its entirety, and will receive 50 XP, 2,500 coins and a Chestnut Mini Stallion (a dark brown miniature horse) as your final rewards.

Just remember--these goals are on a time limit, so if you like these prizes more than those, say, for completing the Chapter 2 Goals in the Lighthouse Cove farm, feel free to prioritize any way you'd like to receive the best prizes in your eyes. Happy farming!

[Source and image credit: Zynga]

Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.

What do you think of these Horse Paddock goals or the prizes therein? Have you received these goals on your farm(s) yet? Sound off in the comments.

Chủ Nhật, 25 tháng 9, 2011

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)

Pioneer Trail Shaman Lodge Goals: Everything you need to know

Finally, Halloween approaches. Zynga is already preparing its in-game festivities with the release of the Shaman Lodge to Pioneer Trail. Laughing Bear the Shaman has arrived on the Homestead, and he foresees a terrible spookiness on your land. It's up to you (if you're at least Level 17) to help Laughing Bear build his lodge to collect as many charms as possible in preparation for a seriously spooky event.

Once you complete the Lodge, you will be able to collect shiny charms from it daily. We assume these will come in handy in this year's Halloween event in Pioneer Trail, so it's in your best interest to get started on this new building right away. Since we know the suspense is killing you, here's everything you need to know to build the Shaman Lodge:

Clearin' the Ground

    * Place the Shaman Lodge
    * Clear 12 Skulls
    * Harvest 30 Sunflowers


When the even appears in your game, it will present you with the option to place the Lodge in a pop-up. Select "Build Lodge" to get started. Then, simply search your Homestead for Skulls--they're also a reward for completing the Cow and Graveyard Collections. Harvesting 30 Sunflowers will cost a total of 9,300 Coins and take at least 18 hours to grow. Your reward for completing this Goal includes one Mystery Animal Crate, 500 XP and 500 Coins.
Staffin' Up

    * Chop 30 Oak Trees on a Neighbor's Homestead
    * Collect Two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge
    * Collect 15 Eerie Gems


By this point, the Goals assume you've already completed the Shaman Lodge, so give the foundation a few whacks (which we imagine will cost Energy and Wood). Once that's complete, a window will appear with what's needed to complete the building, pictured below. Based on previous Goals, we imagine the first three items are requested through News Feed posts, while the latter three are found by asking your friends directly.
Finish your Shaman Lodge
After that's through, visit at least six friends to chop 30 Oak Trees. Collecting two Daily Bonuses from the Shaman Lodge will take at least two days. The 15 Eerie Gems will, again, come from your friends. Your rewards for this Goal include a welcome nod to the popular Internet video, the Double Rainbow, 500 XP and 500 Coins.

Final Preparations

    * Clobber six Snakes
    * Harvest 30 Peppermint
    * Collect 15 Monsterbane Arrows


Snakes appear most frequently beneath Skulls and Rocks, so try to avoid clobbering any Snakes from collecting Skulls in the first Goal. Peppermint acts more like a fruit tree than a crop, so you can choose to buy all 30, but I wouldn't recommend that. Regardless, this portion of the Goal will take you at least four hours at the very least. The Monsterbane Arrows are sourced from your friends like the Eerie Gems before them. Enjoy a Mystical Charm Totem, 700 XP and 700 Coins for completing this Goal.

[Source and Image Credit: Zynga]

Have you started your Shaman Lodge yet? What do you think these Charms will be used for this Halloween? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Thứ Sáu, 23 tháng 9, 2011

Earn 4 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Capital One promotion

At this rate, perhaps we should just rename FarmVille "Capital OneVille." Why? Yet another cross-promotional activity has launched in the game, allowing users to walk away with 4 free Farm Cash. Unlike the Capital One farm and goat, or even the Capital One free gift that can be sent to friends, this promotion is found where most other free Farm Cash promotions are located: underneath the FarmVille gameplay area.

This promotion is a fairly lengthy one. Once you launch the activity window, you'll need to watch a full Capital One trailer, and can then answer some quiz and survey about what you've seen or the Capital One brand in general. Don't worry - these "quiz" questions are incredibly easy, and if I had to make a guess, it likely wouldn't matter which way you answered; you'd still likely get the Farm Cash at the end.

After manually answering one fill-in-the-blank question, the activity will finally be complete, and you'll be the proud owner of 4 free Farm Cash. This is double the amount of Farm Cash we normally see released in such promotions, so at least it excuses a bit of the additional time it takes to complete this particular activity. As usual, you'll want to complete this promotion as soon as you see it pop-up underneath your game; there's no telling when it will expire, and you will have missed your chance.


Have you seen the Capital One promotion appear under your gameplay area in FarmVille? What will you do with your four free Farm Cash? Sound off in the comments.

FarmVille Lighthouse Cove: Splurge on an Unwither Ring for your new farm

Even though the actual act of farming isn't the main focus of FarmVille's third farm the Lighthouse Cove (rather, the focus is on creating a resort village with buildings, trees or even animals), if you really don't want to have to worry about farming (specifically, losing your crops) ever again, you can purchase an Unwither Ring specifically for your new farm so that your new crops will never wither... ever. Even if you happen to forget you've planted crops in your new farm, or plant short-growing crops that happen to wither quicker than you imagined, this Unwither Ring will prevent all that.

Of course, just because you're purchasing one for a new farm doesn't mean the price of this luxury / convenience has gone down. A single Unwither Ring costs 250 Farm Cash, and you can either keep one for yourself, or purchase one to send to a friend (a very, very lucky friend). If the color matters, this new version of the Unwither Ring comes in a lovely purple box.

As usual, this Unwither Ring release isn't permanent, as you'll only have 12 days to purchase one for your Lighthouse Cove. While the item will permanently function on that farm, your ability to purchase is fading fast. Still, is the current equivalent of over $45 US worth the convenience of never having to worry about your crops' time limit? We'll leave that up to you to decide.

Will you purchase an Unwither Ring for your Lighthouse Cove farm? Do you have a ring on your other farms? If so, were they worth the purchase? Sound off in the comments.

FarmVille Lighthouse Cove: New items come with sale prices for a limited time

On top of releasing new items in the FarmVille marketplace this evening, Zynga has also given us an extra incentive to go shopping by placing (most of these) new items on sale, but only for a limited time. These items come in the Lighthouse Cove theme, which, as you'll recall means that you can either place them on your Lighthouse Cove proper, or can place them on other farms as well. Just remember that if you purchase them on your Home or English farm and then want to move them to the Lighthouse Cove, you won't be able to move them back and forth until we've been given the ability to access storage across all three farms. Without further ado, here's a look at this week's available items.

Trees

Autumn Cherry Tree - 5 Farm Cash (down from 8)
Bradford Pear Tree - 10 Farm Cash (down from 14)

The Autumn Cherry Tree is the level one tree in this equation, meaning you can earn Bradford Pear Trees for free from Mystery Seedlings. These sale prices bring the trees back down to the prices we used to see trees priced at normally, so make sure to snag one (some) if those cheaper prices are acceptable to you.

Animals

Brown Maine Coon - 8 Farm Cash (down from 10)
Brown Pinto Mini - 22 Farm Cash (down from 26)

The Brown Maine Coon is simply a brown version of the original Maine Coon that's available for 200,000 coins, permanently. It does, however, come with its own mastery sign, so you'll need to splurge on at least one if you want to be eligible to earn it. As for the Brown Pinto Mini, this is a new horse that gives you 2,600 experience points upon purchasing it.

Buildings

Fisherman's Shack - 16 Farm Cash (down from 20)
New England Inn - 30 Farm Cash

If you're taking the supposed "purpose" of Lighthouse Cove seriously (that being to create a building-centric resort town), you'll be happy to see that this Fisherman's Shack placed on sale, as you'll be able to further flesh out that building with this "home" for even cheaper than before. Interestingly, the New England Inn isn't on sale, but it's not the only one that's not been given the sale price treatment.

Decorations

Autumn Creek - 12 Farm Cash (down from 15)
October Picnic - 3 Farm Cash
Flowery Picket - 5,000 coins
Porch Swing - 50,000 coins
Tree Arch - 10,000 coins

As I said before, here's another set of items that haven't been given sale prices. While this is expected with coin items, as coins are free to come by, I am surprised that the October Picnic hasn't been priced at 1 or 2 Farm Cash instead of 3, just so it too could be "on sale." Either way, make sure to check your storage for a Tree Arch, as it's been released before in previous events. Also, while an item called the "Porch Swing" has been released before, please note that this item is different.

As usual, all of these items are on a time limit, and will only be around for the the next 13 days. Happy farming!

Which of these items will you purchase for your farms? Have you been using these Lighthouse Cove items on other farms as simply decorations, or are you keeping them on your new farm? Sound off in the comments.

FarmVille: Limited edition Cows come back to the barnyard (again)

No, you're not experiencing deja vu farmers, Zynga has yet again re-released a set of cows into FarmVille, giving you guys a chance to fill your collections in anticipation of what looks to be a Cow-centric breeding habitat coming to the farm. We last saw some of these Cows back in August, when Animal Mastery hit the farm, but there are some different options for your shopping pleasure this time around.

As usual, you'll only have a week to do any shopping associated with this re-release of Cows, so here's a complete look at those that have been re-released:

Autumn Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Blue Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Robot Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Western Longhorn - 20 Farm Cash
Devon Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Mohawk Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Fairy Cow - 24 Farm Cash
Hereford Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Highland Cow - 22 Farm Cash
Chrome Cow - 24 Farm Cash

Unfortunately, there aren't any coin-only Cows in this update, so you'll have to spend some of your hard-earned Farm Cash to stock up on any of these animals. Unlike previous animal habitats, the upcoming Cow building will allow you to breed Calves, rather that duplicates of these Cows, so if you don't want to waste time waiting for those Calves to grow inside your Nursery Barn, you might want to buy these Cows as is.

We'll make sure to let you know when the next animal habitat launches in the game, and hopefully we'll be able to bring you the news very, very soon.

Will you purchase any of these Cows for your farms, even if you don't place them in a storage building? Which ones are your favorites? Sound off in the comments.

FarmVille Cow Pasture: Everything you need to know

A fifth breeding building has started rolling out in FarmVille, and this newest animal habitat comes in the form of the Cow Pasture. Yes, I know we all probably have plenty of Dairy Farms on our farms to store cows (note: with the launch of this feature, Dairy Farms are no longer available for purchase in the market), but with these new buildings, we'll have a chance to store and breed cows even without bulls, by simply having one of a particular animal inside it. Of course, you'll need to first build your Cow Pasture before you can use it, so let's get straight into the guide.

The Cow Pasture requires 30 ingredients: 10 each of Hay Bundles, Stones and Tin Sheets. Unfortunately, these Stones are the same items you'll need to continue to repair the cove in Lighthouse Cove, so you'll need to once again decide which item is more important at the time: building this Cow Pasture, or repairing the Cove. Once the Cow Pasture is built, you'll be able to store 20 different Cows inside (perhaps you'd like to fill it with some cows that were re-released this evening). You'll also receive a free Irish Moiled Cow for completing it.

What makes this Cow Pasture different than other animal habitats is that you'll breed calves, rather than duplicate animals of those placed inside your Cow Pasture. With this comes the announcement that Calf and Foal mastery is "coming soon," so you'll want to have as many of these calves appear on your land as possible to prepare for that. While that may not give you a chance to easily stock up on fully grown Cows, I suppose you could place these extra calves in your Nursery Barn in the hopes that they eventually grow up.

Alternatively, you can click on the "Grow Up" button on your new Calves to grow them manually into adults by paying Farm Cash. Yes, this feature only costs Farm Cash and is currently unavailable for coins. The only positive that comes with this is that you won't need to collect Animal Feed, and can then use your excess Feed on the many, many babies you probably already have on your land.

For the record, it doesn't look like this Cow Pasture will do anything to your existing Dairy Farms, so feel free to keep those on your farm for easy storage of existing Cows on your farm(s).

Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.

What do you think of the Cow Pasture feature? Are you looking forward to calf and foal mastery? Sound off in the comments.

Thứ Năm, 22 tháng 9, 2011

FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Come Ashore Goals: Everything you need to know

As part of today's launch of the Lighthouse Cove farm in FarmVille to every farmer that's interested (whether they paid for admittance or not), a new goal series has been launched in the game, allowing even those new players a chance to become acquainted with their new farm, while also earning prizes. There are six goals in this new series, and they're limited edition, being available for the next seven days (or just a week).

Come Ashore!

    * Get 3 Piles of Hay
    * Harvest 10 Chandler Blueberries
    * Improve the Cove to Level 1


You'll need to earn the Piles of Hay by asking your friends to send them to you. As for the Chandler Blueberries, they take eight hours to grow, so even though you're not required to grow very many, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll be done with this one quickly. As for the Lighthouse Cove, you can repair it by collecting Logs, Stones and Steel Beams. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 100 XP, the Restaurant, a Red Tractor and 2,500 coins. Hopefully you haven't already purchased a Restaurant for your new farm, as this will of course be worthless.

A Beach to Walk on

    * Get 6 Supply Boxes
    * Harvest 45 Darrow Blueberries
    * Place the Restaurant


Hopefully, if you are one of those users that placed the Restaurant before receiving these goals, it will automatically detect that it's present on your farm and complete this task for you. As for the Supply Boxes - you guessed it - just have your friends send you some. Darrow Blueberries, meanwhile, take just four hours to grow. Finish this goal and you'll receive 200 XP, a Sailor Cow (a cow in an adorable little sailor's hat and "tie"), a Yellow Seeder and 2,500 coins.

A Quick Tour

    * Harvest Lighthouse Cove
    * Complete 1 Wildlife Habitat
    * Make the Creamed Corn Recipe 1 Time


The Creamed Corn recipe is made inside the Restaurant, and it requires three Butter & Sugar Corn, three Tarragon and one Pepper Bushels. The Butter & Sugar Corn and Tarragon crops are new to the Lighthouse Cove farm, while you might already have some Pepper bushels on hand from your other farms. As for the Wildlife Habitat, you're given the frame of one for free when landing in the cove, and can then complete it by gathering Fence Posts, Shrubs and Grazing Grasses. Check out our complete guide to the Wildlife Habitat right here. Once you finish this third goal, you'll receive 300 XP, a White Cedar Tree, a Blue Harvester and 2,500 coins.

After finishing these first three goals, you will have walked away with a complete farm vehicle set (save for the Combine) that will allow you to complete all of the farming tasks required on your new farm. Of course, you can always purchase a Combine Chassis from the store for that three-in-one farming convenience, but at least you'll have these vehicles to rely on while you're waiting for the Vehicle Parts to pour in.

Check out the rest of our FarmVille Cheats & Tips right here.

What do you think of these Lighthouse Cove goals? How far have you made it into the trio? Sound off in the comments.

DC Universe Online: Pound on bad guys for free starting next month

If you've always wanted to try out Sony Online Entertainment's DC Universe online (on either PS3 or PC), but didn't want to pay actual money to do so, you'll be happy to know that you'll soon be able to access "the entire game" for free starting next month. As reported by PCWorld, this switch to a freemium pricing plan will still allow users to purchase premium content, but all of the open world gameplay, missions, game updates and patches will be free.

To be specific, DC Universe Online will have three different levels of access. The first and completely free level, gives players access to create just two characters and join a league with other players. From there, the Premium level of users requires that a player spend at least $5 in real money in the game's store to be given that Premium player status for life. This gives them access to larger inventory space, the ability to create more characters and the ability to trade items with others. Finally, if you still want the subscription plan, you can be a Legendary player, paying around $15 a month for access to even more character and inventory slots, along with access to the game's DLC packages at no additional cost. There are plenty of other differences between the three gameplay levels; head over here to check them out.

DC Universe Online is just the latest of many once entirely paid-sub games to go free-to-play in some form. While the most noteworthy case has arguably been World of Warcraft's free-to-play setup for users up to level 20, this is just another case where social and casual players are given an opportunity to break away from Facebook simulators and jump into the world of true MMOs. While the two worlds are (for the most part) entirely different, a bigger selection is definitely not a bad thing.

Will you try out DC Universe Online when it goes free-to-play next month? Let us know in the comments.

CityVille Rose Garden Goals: Everything you need to know

While summer may quickly be drawing to a close, CityVille hopes to keep the summer fun alive by letting us have a place to grow beautiful flowers. Appropriately enough, this new "building" is called the Rose Garden, and you'll place it in your city when completing the first of four new goals that go along with it.

Garden State

    * Place Rose Garden
    * Plant a Rose in the Garden


The Rose Garden is a 4x4 structure that works similarly to the Zoo, in that you'll only be able to display three flowers on the outside of the garden, but can actually leave more of them inside. To start, you'll receive a single flower for free (that's right - this one doesn't need to be built at all after placing it in your town): a White Wild Rose. Once you look inside the building, just click on the Plant button and you'll be able to "feature" that rose as one of the three that show up on the outside. Once you finish these two (simple) steps, you'll receive 160 coins as your reward.

A Late Bloomer

    * Ask friends for 3 Shovels
    * Have 3 Gardens in your City
    * Water your Gardens 5 Times


Gardens can be watered once every 18 hours, and yes, you can have more than one in your city. In fact, you'll need to have three before you can finish this goal. Your second and third Rose Gardens would cost 50,000 coins in the store, but luckily, you can also purchase Small Rose Gardens (a smaller version of the regular Rose Garden) for just 8,000 coins. These do count for the completion of this goal. As for the shovels, you'll be able to post a general news item to your wall asking for three. Finishing this goal gives you Sculpted Tree.

It's Showtime!

    * Get 10 Rose Bushes
    * Have 1 Rose Collection item from the Garden Collection
    * Place one Rose Garden Gate in your city


To earn additional bushes, you'll go into your gardens (as seen above) and then click on "Ask for flowers" to ask your friends to send you some bushes. Finishing this goal gives you 32 experience points.

Comin' Up Roses

    * Ask friends for 4 Vases
    * Have 7 Roses Planted in your Gardens
    * Have an upgraded Flower Kiosk


As it looks like each garden can only display three flowers, you'll need to have flowers in at least three Gardens to reach seven. As for updating your Flower Kiosk, you can find our guide for doing just that right here. Finishing this final goal gives you a Roses Fountain.

We'll make sure to let you know if other kinds of gardens are made available in the build menu in the future, but for now - have fun growing and displaying all of those roses!

Check out the rest of our CityVille Cheats & Tips right here.

What do you think of the Rose Garden feature in CityVille? What do you think of these goals? Sound off in the comments.

Zynga gives free rides to FarmVille Lighthouse Cove starting today

Oh, you patient ones. Now is finally the time to see if waiting in the freebie line was worth it. For those FarmVille players that declined to fork up 55 Farm Cash ($10 USD, to be exact), the Lighthouse Cove expansion will be available to all starting today. We assume, as with all changes or major releases by Zynga, that this release will be a slow roll-out.

Just like players did early last week, they will hop on a sail boat to a New England-esque coastal farming village. Unfortunately, the area has been ravaged by a brutal storm, and Brenda--the town's resident widow--has enlisted you to help restore it. You'll slowly level up your Lighthouse by repairing the lighthouse, dock and more through quests.

However, free players will not receive the exclusive quests and items given to those who put up the dough. Regardless there looks to be a ton of content here with a larger focus on building a village than simply farming crops. For instance, you'll have fewer plots to farm on that unlock over time in Lighthouse Cove, though those crops yield far more coins, XP and Mastery.

In addition to farming, you can harvest the Cove once its restored for ingredients to use in Restaurant recipes like clams and lobster for dishes like New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Rolls. Another interesting change with FarmVille LC in comparison to its first expansion, English Countryside, is that all quests will be timed this time around.

Gallery: FarmVille Lighthouse Cove
And that includes the bonus quests, courtesy of Brenda. Because quests were persistent throughout FarmVille EC, it was easy for friends to speed ahead or slip behind one another in their progress. "It was harder for players to work on the same thing in English Countryside," FarmVille GM Nate Etter explains.

FarmVille Sailor CalfDuring an early look of the game, Etter told us that the team was going for "a FarmVille meets Martha's Vineyard style." "Players seem to love water, which was a major source of inspiration for Lighthouse Cove," Etter recalls. "I think we're constantly listening to players, [and] that will govern where FarmVille will go."

So, while you're enjoying the serene orange glow and brisk autumn breeze of Lighthouse Cove (imagination, people), try to think up where you would like to go next, and take it to the Facebook page or forums--they're all ears. As for why the second expansion was released early to players who paid Farm Cash, a Zynga representative told us, "We have so many passionate players, that we wanted to offer them a first look at the game."

Well, patience has its payoffs, my friends. Namely, it saves you money. So, enjoy that peace of mind, and increase that peace in FarmVille's Lighthouse Cove. Good things come to those who (choose to) wait--that's especially because we have a bevy of content to get you through your first several hours in FarmVille LC. Enjoy.

Did you pay to get into the FarmVille Lighthouse Cove Early? What do you think of all the new content so far? Sound off in the comments. 2 Comments

FarmVille: Visit the Capital One farm for a free Capital One Goat

We can almost hear the 3 Blokes team in Australia screaming "Fire everything!" as they hit the proverbial "Launch" button on its first Facebook game under publisher RockYou, Galactic Allies. (It would be most appropriate, no?) Real-time strategy fans can jump in on the thrill of space-faring, asynchronous player vs player combat, complete with 3D visuals.

Essentially, Galactic Allies is RockYou and 3 Blokes's answer to the growing trend of hardcore strategy games on Facebook. However, the duo make a point of mentioning that this is a more casual approach to the burgeoning sub genre, and that the game features a heavy focus on an episodic storyline. And in keeping with current trends sparked by developers like Kixeye in War Commander, players can control units individually.
Gallery: Galactic Allies on Facebook
This means you'll likely be able to maneuver your starships around enemy fire, adding another layer of strategy to combat in the game. "Galactic Allies alters expectations for what a Facebook game can be," said 3 Blokes VP and GM George Fidler in a release. "It's a deep and compelling strategy game, but with the accessibility of a browser game." (It also looks like it takes the general idea behind Galactic Trader, one of 3 Blokes's first games, and blows it wide open using some familiar art assets.)

Hopefully this accessible approach will apply to the litany of upgrades players will accumulate across various missions and episodes. Judging from these early screen shots, it looks like Galactic Allies will focus heavily on dialog, but more importantly: Battles will take place both on the surface of alien planets and far above them in the infinite void. In other words, there will be plenty of things high and low to make go boom in Galactic Allies.

Click here to learn more about Galactic Allies on Facebook >

Are you a fan of strategy games on Facebook? How do you think Galactic Allies might size up against its competition? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment

To go along with the Animal Mastery feature released in Pioneer Trail this weekend, you can now also complete one of three new collections in the game. Two of these collections go with the new animals that have also been released: the Badger and Moose, while the third goes with the 4F Mastery Club itself.

4F Collection

    * Rewards Spring Water and 80 XP


Badger Collection

    * Rewards Free Critter Milk and 120 XP


Moose Collection

    * Free Carrot Juice and 100 XP


As you might expect, you can earn each of these collections' items by tending to the appropriate animals (that is, you'll earn Badger Collection items for tending Badgers, and Moose Collection items for tending Moose), or by collecting the 4F Mastery Club's daily bonus. You'll also have a chance to earn these specific collectibles during the construction of the Mastery Club itself, although I wouldn't expect to receive the full set unless you're really lucky. By the way, if you're that lucky, would you mind letting some of that luck rub off on me?

Are you a fan of the collections in Pioneer Trail and actively try to complete them, or do you just let yourself complete these Collections casually? Let us know in the comments.

Thứ Tư, 21 tháng 9, 2011

Playfish founder: We have redefined social games with The Sims Social

he Sims Social is just an arm's reach from being the number one game on Facebook, so this kind of logic is expected. In an interview with MCV, Playfish founder and co-GM Kristian Segerstrale said, "In bringing one of EA's most popular game franchises to Facebook, Playfish and The Sims team have redefined the meaning of social in video games."

While The Sims Social certainly treads some new ground in how Facebook gamers interact, it's important to remember to chalk up much of the game's runaway success to the brand it's attached to. In just over a month since its release, The Sims Social has skyrocketed to become the second most popular Facebook game to date in both daily and monthly players, AppData reports.

Just last week, EA's (which owns Playfish) proverbial secret weapon ousted Zynga's iconic and ubiquitous FarmVille in daily players, but now the game has even more monthly players than the household name farming simulator with over 43.8 million and counting. The Sims Social has dipped a bit in daily players, but is just about 2.9 million fans away from beating out the might CityVille as the most played Facebook game daily.

"By combining Playfish's expertise and passion for social play with the deep creative heritage of The Sims franchise and the insights of its creators, we feel we've brought something very special to life – and tens of millions of players around the world have responded with extraordinary enthusiasm over the last few weeks," Segerstrale said to MCV.

The founder went on to say that new features to The Sims Social will land in the coming months. And we're sure that if EA wants to host the top Facebook game overall, that those features will have to be even more groundbreaking than before. How's about in-game marriages, eh? (Because we all know how well that's worked elsewhere.)

Have you been a part of The Sims Social craze on Facebook? Do you think it's incredible growth is due to its reportedly groundbreaking social features, or is more thanks to its name (it could always be both)? Sound off in the comments. 1 Comment

Bossa Studios's Facebook debut, Monstermind, will crush your dreams

But in a good way, we promise. Like the U.S., folks in the UK are super cereal (isn't that what kids are saying these days?) about the social games movement. The Guardian reports that Shine TV has acquired London-based social game startup Bossa Studios for an undisclosed amount.

Elisabeth Murdoch's TV production company (recently bought out by daddy's News Corp) has reportedly been eying social gaming for a long time. And what do you know--her timing could not have been better.

According to The Guardian, 11-month-old Bossa Studios looks to unveil its first project, Monstermind (pictured), next week on Facebook. However, it looks like the game is available now on Facebook, though in an "open beta." (For all intents and purposes, the game is live and available for all to play.)

"We have long identified social gaming as a critical component to this strategy, and in Bossa Studios we discovered an entrepreneurial, creative team that shared our passion for creative excellence," Miss Murdoch told The Guardian. "They have bold ideas for this space which we naturally welcome and will be a significant addition to the Shine Group."

Monstermind looks to be a fresh take on the city-building genre that CityVille has done so well to popularize. Well, fresh in the sense that, in addition to building cities, you can sic giant monsters to crush your friends' towns. The game features nearly full 3D visuals and an art style that screams "The Blob meets Sim City." Check out the game's trailer below to see what we mean.



Click here to play Monstermind on Facebook Now >

Were you waiting for a new approach to city-builders on Facebook? What do you think so far of this new studio's first contribution to Facebook gaming? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment

Thứ Ba, 20 tháng 9, 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.

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.

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.

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

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. 1 Comment

Thứ Tư, 14 tháng 9, 2011

Angry Birds for PC

Angry Birds for PC

Finally, those birds that everybody likes has arrived on PC. After iPhone, iPad, Android and other mobile versions, also iPhone cases and toys, Angry Birds has finally arrived on the PC thanks to the Intel App Up store. It’ll work fine and dandy on laptops and netbooks and will cost you only $4.99 to download. Nice price for this lovely game.
Angry Birds is a global phenomenon in mobile gaming and the top grossing iPhone app of 2010. So if you’re not a smart-phone wielding hipster, you no longer have an excuse not to be part of this franchise.
Overall it’s pretty much an identical game play experience to the iPhone app, with some minor differences. It’s snappy, gorgeous, and it sounds amazing. On the netbook version you use a mouse or trackpad instead of touch. There is an open hand icon when the mouse is in hover state, and a closed hand icon when you are clicking or dragging. This visible clue when pulling the slingshot is a nice aid. It allows you to fine tune shots more than just observing the angle of the slingshot band.

Angry Birds for PC
  Larger screen means more visibility in the game. On many levels you can see the target that can’t be seen on the iPhone. The previous shot trail is more easily seen, allowing fine tuning of your next shot. Overall the animations and physics seem to have more fluidity.
In terms of features, options, menu etc it’s pretty close to the original. On the netbook the replay level icon has been added to the game space. So you don’t need to pause first then replay. If you start off with bad shot, just click the replay icon, then you can start over. Saving a click is nice. There is a Menu button in the Pause menu that gets you back to the Start screen. There are some things not in play on the netbook version. The leader board and achievements are not available in the main menu. The Golden Eggs are there.
Angry Birds strikes an interesting balance of repetitive, simple tasks and challenging game play working for the many scenarios. So, if you liked this game on your iPhone or Android phone, you’ll sure like it on your big PC screen. If you are new player, don’t hesitate and join the fun now.
You must know and recognize the game from the Rovio, Angry Birds.
This game consists of seven birds with super abilities are different. By using slingshots, you can control the jump and the height of ill-tempered birds to tear down the building where the collection of green pork fat is shelter.
Where is a funny collection of birds swelled, turned into a grumpy group of birds which destroy the kingdom of lustful pigs these cunning thieves.
Angry Birds now not only for the iPhone, Android OS, PS3 and PSP. even Angry Birds has been available in Ovi Store for Nokia. And now Angry Birds have been available for Windows XP and Windows 7

Free Angry Birds for PC
Plenty of dodgy website owners want to rip off Google and push traffic towards their sites on the bogus promise of the free version of Angry Birds for PC. This is only a scam but in fact there exists a download free Angry Birds for PC nevertheless, you will need to move quickly to take advantage of that offer
Finland games producer Rovio Mobile has produced their very 1st version of Angry Birds Game for the Apple iPhone. This particular game was immediately caught by the iPhonesters, and Rovio understood that they will become successful. That has been fine. However, Rovio needed to get going by recoding Angry Birds Games for several programs, which become easier for small companies to get done.
Several weeks went by and finally, the Nokia and Android users could get themselves the Angry Birds Game. After that, the RovioMobile switched their attentions to the huge users of the PSP or the Play Station Portable and the PS3. That has been an additional huge porting project for Rovio operations.
During that time, the PC users have been reading and hearing rumors regarding Angry Birds for PC. Ultimately, in January, Angry Birds for PC was released, and downloading is not for free. However, not everybody is willing to pay for $5 for just a game, even if they will enjoy playing with it. These days, several users have grown to be familiar of getting some thing for free, so there are many who are on the lookout for a totally free Angry Birds for PC download. It can be downloaded via Windows 7 and Windows XP and Vista, or Mac support. But downloading can only be downloaded if you have an internet connection for the process to activate successfully.
Angry Birds Game is one of the well-known games that have taken the popularity with over 200 million downloads. The availability of this game is taking place in almost all of the popular platforms. In addition to playing the game online in the browser you can now download it on your laptop and take it wherever you may go to enjoy the amazing games, enabling you to play whenever, wherever you go. Take it to your workplace or even in the park, while resting and basting under the sun. Probably launching the Angry Birds for PC the wisest and the best move the game maker ever made.  This availability made for the millions of platform owners, even made the popularity of Angry Birds known to more video-gaming enthusiasts more than over.

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- Angry Birds PC Updated
The PC version was updated last week which we talked about in this post. This update will finally include all episodes of Ham ‘Em High and the two chapters of Mine and Dine. I’m sure this is welcome news for all the PC players who have been feeling left out. It shouldn’t have taken this long to get all the episodes out but that’s in the past now so lets just get to playing. Since all the chapters are available you also have access to all of the golden eggs. You can finally complete your collection!
As a side note because I didn’t want to do an entire post about the subject, have you all seen the Angry Birds bra? It’s available over on etsy  you should go check it out. I personally don’t know anyone who would wear it but i’m sure there is someone out there  who would. I don’t recommend buying this for you girlfriend or wife unless she really loves angry birds.

Angry Birds Game Online

In this present technology, almost everyone have Apple iPhone plus they most likely hear about Angry Birds Game, for that reason, it’s not so shocking that the Angry Birds game is regarded as probably the most popular application that’s readily available for all of the SmartPhone system including iOS and Androids.
Angry Birds Online is produced by Rovio Mobiles which is a puzzle game in which the gamers can launch the wingless birds while using Physics-based demolition ways of destroying every obstacle that comes in between the Angry Birds flight of taking back what was taken from them, their eggs. They have to fight for them, the eggs are their last chance of continuing their line of species. Choosing the only weapon and the best there is for them to use, the sling shot using their own self as ammunition for striking the green pigs and also the structures that shelters the evil Green Pigs.
The structures from every level are created from materials such as rocks, ice, bricks and woods. The goal of the Angry Birds Game Online would be to get rid of the pigs and the structures, using direct hit and inflect as much damage as you can to the structure with just a single blow or with the allotted number of birds in each level. Saving as much firepower as you can, they will be adding to your score at 10,000 points a piece Establishing of a high scoring game will help you get through the level with an award of three stars.
Look for all the possibilities of destructive inputs that could be of value to you when playing Angry Birds Game online. There will be tips provided for you for the effective outcome of your game. This way you well defeat the game faster.The game features stimulating physics-based action and numerous hours of fun if you seem like feeling a bit under the weather  focusing on your trajectory abilities give yourself a chance to relax, just load up and begin popping pigs. Each one of the 195 levels requires logic, skills and precision to resolve.
In every level of the game, the special objects like explosive crates are going to be found that you could take advantage to eliminate the structures and also the pigs. The very first event of Angry Birds Game Online will be the Poached Eggs in which the birds began their mission to chase the evil Green Pigs which have stolen their valuable eggs. Help the Angry Birds fight for their survival, play now!

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Angry Birds Game Free on the Web

Great news for those who have boring desk jobs with spare time on their hands. Angry Birds game is not available to play free on the web thanks to a partnership with Google and Rovio. The game that has taken the mobile world by storm, with over 200 million downloads and is available in almost every mobile platform is now venturing onto the world wide web. Soon Angry Birds game will be playable from any device that has internet capabilities.
On May 11 at Google’s conference Peter Vesterbacka, Rovio’s head honcho, accounced that Angry Birds game will be available in Chrome’s Web Store for free download and play. At first it sounded as though only Chrome users will be able to play the game, but to many fans benefit it is actually playable in any browser. All you have to do is go to http://angry-birds.biz/ and you’ll be on your way to the delightful world of pig popping. Although, we should comment that the web based game was specially made for Chrome and you can expect some imperfections with other browsers. For example, IE ran well, but FireFox and Opera ran it a bit laggy. Also the new Chrome levels will only be available through the Chrome browser. Another great feature of running it through Chrome is the ability to install the app in the browser through the Chrome Web Store giving it the ability to play Angry Birds game fully offline.
Angry Birds game on the web can be played with HD quality or Standard Definition that way more sluggish computers can enjoy smooth game play. All in all we are very impressed with the performance and feel of the game. Rovio’s CEO stated that he was very pleased with the way Google does business and the fact that they only asked for five percent of generated revenue, a fair and generous offer. So now you can play Angry Birds game anywhere, just make it look like you are browsing through files or something.
Keep in touch with us here at Angry Birds Game, the #1 Angry Birds fan site, we’ll keep you up to speed with all the latest info and Angry Birds Game for those tough levels.

Angry Birds Game Released for Windows Phone 7

It’s about time, Angry Birds Games has finally been released for the Windows Phone 7. You can download and purchase it from the Windows Phone Marketplace for $2.99. Which is relatively high priced compared to the fact that Angry Birds game is free for the Android and only $.99 in the Apple App Store.
For those who haven’t already been hypnotized by the eighth wonder of the world, mobile world that is, here is the scoop. The Angry Birds game has you slingshot angry birds of different colors with different special abilities at structures providing cover for the green pigs who have stolen the birds eggs, hence why they are so angry.
Back in April at Microsoft’s Mix 11 conference they mentioned that the Angry Birds game will be released for Windows Phone 7 and gave a date of May 25th. Well that day came and went with no word of Angry Birds game. So what caused the delay? Speculation suggests that the delay was due to a controversy that Microsoft had with Rovio by using the Angry Birds logo without permission back in 2010 in an advertisement for the Windows Phone 7. This was way before the Angry Birds game was even planned for Windows Phone. But anyway, good news, it seems they have mended their disagreement and luckily for Microsoft and Windows Phone 7 users the game is finally available. With over 200 million downloads now, Angry Birds game is sure to help boost Windows Phone sales.
Stay tuned here at Angry Birds Game to get your fill of the latest and greatest about your favorite game Angry Birds and its creator Rovio. We are constantly updating our Angry Birds walkthrough section to help you get three stars on all levels. And check out our FanWear page for some fun Angry Birds merchandise.

Angry Birds Game for Chrome Already Hacked

On May 11th, 2011 Rovio’s CEO, Peter Vesterbacka, announced that Angry Birds game was released to the web to play for free. Another big step for both Rovio and Google. Although Angry Birds game was already available for almost all mobile platforms it is now available on practically any device that has internet capabilities.
Now on to the main reason for this post. Just hours after the release of Angry Birds Chrome the game has already been hacked. A Web developer from Toronoto who specializes in HTML5 and Javascript figured out how to unlock all levels including the new exclusive Chrome levels. He was able to take advantage of the unencrypted local storage that the game uses to save your progress. He then posted his cheat on his website for all to see.
All you have to do is load the game in your browser and then copy paste the following line of code in your browsers address bar and press enter or click Go and all levels will be unlocked: javascript: var i = 0; while (i<=69) { localStorage.setItem(‘level_star_’+i,’3′); i++; } window.location.reload();
If you want to reverse the cheat and lock all the levels again, just place the following code: javascript: var i = 1; while (i<=69) { localStorage.setItem(‘level_star_’+i,’-1′); i++; } window.location.reload();
So for those who don’t want to replay all the mobile levels and just get to the Chrome levels or if you’re just lazy this cheat code hack will definately come in handy.
For a little programming insight, here is why this hack works. When Rovio announced the Angry Birds game for Chrome at the Google Conference they mentioned that they are using HTML5 LocalStorage. LocalStorage is unencrypted and unprotected locally. Looking at the code through Chrome’s Web Inspector you can see that your score and stars are saved using LocalStorage. And so lucky for us, that allows us to use setitem() function to set all levels to three and thus unlock them all. What is this world coming to when a little game like Angry Birds game is not even safe from hacking!?

Angry Birds Game Now Available for the BalckBerry


With the popularity of the Angry Birds game today, no mobile platform will be successful with out it. Now that may sound like an exaggeration but incredibly it is not far from the truth. Luckily for BlackBerry and its users, RIM has finally announced that Angry Birds will soon be released for the PlayBook, their new tablet.
Research in Motion announced today at the BlackBerry World that their new tablet, the PlayBook, will be blessed with the Angry Birds Game. We are not sure yet when this will happen but we suspect that some where around two months is a good prediction. We also do not know if the PlayBook version will receive any unique stages or special extras. Looking at the fact that the versions released for the Android, PC, and Windows did not really recieve any exclusive extras, unfortunately the BlackBerry Playbook version will most likely not either.
BlackBerry is trailing behind Microsoft as Microsoft announced it’s upcoming release of Angry Birds game to the Windows Phone 7 back in February. By this time typically a games spark would be diminishing, espcially if the game is relatively the same from one episode to the next, but Angry Birds game popularity just keeps rising at an incredible constant rate. One would think that a game like this will eventually lose its thunder, but we could be wrong, could this game be the next tetris. Rovio has surely come a long way from its original games like the game US Marine Corps Scout Sniper for the Razor phones back in 2006. We could only hope that Rovio can pull another gem out of their hat, though with this much success they might not need to.

Angry Birds Game Flying To Windows Phone 7 And 3D


It is official the Angry Birds game will soon be released to Windows Phone 7, and if that wasn’t enough, Rovio’s Peter Vesterbaka says that a 3D version of the game is also in the works! Yes you heard, or read, right, a 3D version of Angry Birds!
The Angry Birds game coming out for Windows Phone 7 was of course obviously expected, but a 3D version…Rovio is certainly pulling out all the stops and not wasting anytime doing it. As one might imagine the 3D version will more than likely be released for the Nintendo 3DS as well as it will probably eventually be released for the new 3D smartphones in production such as the LG Optimus 3D.
The transformation of the Angry Birds game to a 3D version should not be too big of a deal for Rovio as they have produced 3D games in the past. But it sure is exciting to think how the game will turn out. Maybe there will be like a first person point of view (Angry Bird Point of View) where you’re looking through the birds eyes as he flies through 3D sky blue space and comes crashing down on the greedy green pigs, or also maybe even a “Piggy Point of View” as he watches inevitability come for him, ooooo. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Rovio has yet to announce a release date for neither Windows Phone 7 nor a 3D version, but I am sure it will be sooner than later, Rovio never seems to disappoint. With their hard work, dedication, and fan appreciation, Rovio has sure shown themselves to be a force to be recon with. It’s good to see a deserving company do well, and we can hope that this will be a wake up to other companies in the industry as well as a sign for things to come; quality not quantity, though Rovio seems to have been able to supply both.
Remember to check back with us, Angry Birds Game online, for the latest and greatest news and updates about Angry Birds and their developer Rovio.

Angry Birds Game About To Surpass 100 Million Downloads


The #1 mobile app Angry Birds game is continuing to broaden its lead over the competition! Angry Birds game is at the verge of surpassing 100 million downloads, as announced by Rovio at the Game Developer’s Conference in San Francisco. The Angry Birds game has only been out for less than a year and yet it’s stomping on the competition. Rovio, Angry Birds game developer, announced at the conference that it will be surpassing the 100 million download mark in the very near future. Peter Vesterbaka, Rovio’s executive, spoke at the conference and graciously thanked the iPhone for making their success possible. Peter Vesterbaka went on about how Apple allowed for this change in the business and that the iPhone took developers away from the old soviet style of games and giving them so many more fun and exciting avenues for the development. He also mentioned that it’s forcing more and more developers to create good quality games, which has been the legacy of the App Store. He then continued about positive future of the mobile gaming industry boosting that new consoles are making games based on mobile games where up until recently it was always the other way around. And also mentioning that companies that are just porting console games over to mobile doesn’t always work.
With the success of the Angry Birds game through the iPhone it has since been ported over to other platforms such as Android, PC, and iPad, and soon to be available for Windows 7 phones as well as various video game consoles and hand helds.
The fact that Angry Birds game is about to surpass 100 million downloads in less than a year is quite an amazing feat. Of course it’s success is mostly due to its brilliant gameplay, fun theme, and replay value; it’s not to say that Rovio has not put in hard work for its success. Since its original release in December of 2009, Rovio has released several new versions for their fans through the Angry Birds game Seasons package, including Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day (Hogs and Kisses), and soon to be released St. Patrick’s Day theme, and probably an Easter theme! Also, can’t fail to mention the special Angry Birds game Rio version, which is planned to hit the stores sometime this month (March 2011).
With Rovio continuing to work hard and release new content for their Angry Birds game online and as the population of smartphone users grow it’s not hard to imagine that Angry Birds game can reach the 200 million download mark!
Stay tuned with us, Angry Birds Game online, for the latest Angry Birds walkthrough.
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Angry Birds Game Golden Eggs Walkthrough


Here you go all, Angry Birds game golden eggs walkthrough!

1 The egg is in the White Bird instruction screen. You can access it by pausing the game and going to the help menu.
2 – Mighty Hoax level 5-19: the egg is located all the way to the right side of the level and you can only see it if you shoot a bird as far as you can to the right. The best way to get the egg is by shooting a Yellow bird and activating it at the right time in order to reach the egg.
3 – Poached Eggs level 2-2: destroy the beach ball and you’ll get the egg.
4 Get three stars in all levels of Poached Eggs.
5 – From the main screen press the “I” button; you’ll have to watch the credits to the end and you’ll see the egg under the White Bird.

6 - Poached Eggs level 1-8: tap the treasure chest; you might have to tap it a few times for it to come out. If you are playing on a Mac or PC you’ll have to left click the treasure chest and then type “open”.
7 Get three stars in all levels of Mighty Hoax.
8 In the episode selection screen double tap the sun.
9 – Mighty Hoax level 4-7: The egg is on top of the cliff all the way to the right, use the Yellow Bird to reach it.
10 – Danger Above level 6-14: bounce the Yellow Bird off the tree or use the Green Bird to boomerang back and explode the yellow balloon under the tree house.
11 – In the level selection screen of Danger Above, scroll all the way to the right and you’ll get the egg.

12 Get three stars in all levels of Danger Above.
13 – Danger Above level 8-15: the egg is underneath the slingshot. You can get it by either bouncing a Yellow Bird off the trampoline or just use a Green Bird to boomerang back and get the egg.
14 – The Big Setup level 9-14: the egg is at the bottom right wearing a hard hat; use the Green Bird to get it.
15 – The Big Setup level 10-3: break the yellow ducky underneath the bridge.
16 – The Big Setup level 11-15: the egg is to the left below the slingshot, use the Green Bird to get it.
17 Get three stars in all the levels of The Big Setup.
18 – Ham ‘Em High level 12-12: this one is tough, you’ll have to break the trophy at the bottom middle of the stage.
19 – Ham ‘Em High level 13-10: the egg is hanging at the top right of the stage, sling a White Bird in that direction and tap the screen at the right time to send him flying up to hit the egg.
Super Bowl/Rio Egg – Ham ‘Em High level 13-12: sling a White Bird backwards and drop the egg on the backside of the hill.
Keep in touch here at Angry Birds Game online for the latest angry birds walkthrough!
- Angry Birds Game Available In Intel AppUp Center and Mac App Stor
Hurray for all netbook and laptop owners. Rovio has announced the release of the Angry Birds game to the Intel AppUp center!

The Angry Birds game will cost $9.99 to download from the Intel AppUp center. If you want to get the Angry Birds game you can go to www.appup.com and download the Intel AppUp center. You Angry Birds game fans better act fast because Rovio is offering a special promotional offer for a limited time…half off the Angry Birds game!Rovio has included 195 levels with the initial download, and promises to offer new additional features and levels via updates to the Angry Birds game. The game will also include additional speacial features that are not found in the original mobile version of the game. The Intel AppUp center is a program that will allow users to look through catalogues of games and various applications that they can choose to purchase, download and install to their PCs. First you will need to download the AppUp center client and install it to your PC, then you can browse the market. If you want to purchase a game then you will have to create an account in order to make the purchase. The Intel AppUp center accepts most major credit cards. Another great feature of the Intel AppUp center is that it offers a 24 hour refund period for all purchases.
Now if that news wasn’t exciting enough, you can now also get the Angry Birds game for your Mac computers from the new Mac App Store!
The Angry Birds game will cost $9.99, and if you act fast you can take advantage of the limited time offer of half off! To get the Mac App Store just go into System Preferences and install the latest Software Update and then you can open the App Store. Just as the release for the Intel AppUp center this version of Angry Birds game will initially include 195 levels of greedy green pig popping fun, allowing for hours and hours of fun. There will also be new free special features that are not in the original mobile version along with free updates with additional levels and features when available.
Don’t miss out on the fun and excitement of these new Angry Birds game. You can have it with you every where you go. From your Mac Book at home to your cell phone on the road and to your PC at work…hehe! Get those eggs back!

What is Angry Birds Game All About


The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the greedy green pigs who stole the Angry Birds’ eggs. Use the distinctive powers of each bird to wipeout the green pigs castles. Angry Birds game online features stimulating physics-based gameplay and countless hours of fun whenever you feel like winding down and working on your trajectory skills just load it up and start popping pigs. Each of the 195 levels requires skill, logic, and force to solve.Keep in mind these aren’t your typical birds. They are each specialized fighters equipped with unique techniques to help in the struggle of conquering the pigs and getting their poor eggs back, they are not holding anything back. First you will meet the Red angry birds. This bird is like the clans mercenary they pack an average punch and can destroy many of the pigs fortress pieces. Next you will meet the Yellow angry birds. These guys are my favorite and can travel at high speeds when activated plowing through most any obstacle as well as multiple obstacles. Next, you meet the small Blue angry birds. Now these guys on their own won’t do much but once activated a the single bird turns into three angry birds able to hit multiple targets and cover more ground. Next, you will get acquainted with the White angry birds. These are the bombers of the clan and drop egg bombs which do massive damage. The next bird you will meet is the Black angry birds. Now these guys are awesome. They are basically suicide bombers and explode upon contact and does the most damage of the game. Finally, you will then meet the final warrior which is the Green angry birds. They have a long beak like toucan. This beak allows them to boomerang backwards and they also pack quite a punch. The Angry Birds game is a very addicting game and one can easily spend hours playing it without even realizing it. One of the intriguing parts of the game that entices you to keep playing is the star ranking for each level. Depending how well you passed the level you can get either one two or three stars. Usually the best way to get three stars is to use the least amount of Angry Birds possible to pass the level. You can also acquire more points if needed by destroying as many of the pigs castle pieces as you can. As well as destroying certain special pieces that some levels have. There are also treasure chests to keep an eye out for and grab. Now there are special golden eggs to keep a look out for and whenever you see one do your best to get it, but pay close attention because they are very well hidden throughout the stages. One of the main goals of the game is to collect all the golden eggs.
If you are having trouble passing all the levels or maybe you are trying to achieve three stars on every level but just can’t seem to figure some levels out. Then you can search the web for guides and walkthroughs to help you out. Here at Angry Birds Game online we plan to update the site with full guides and walkthroughs. We also plan to provide walkthroughs to help you angry birds with finding all the golden eggs and of course tips on grabbing them.