Thứ Ba, 6 tháng 3, 2012
Adventure World Heart of the Queen Expedition: Everything you need to know
The third and final portion of the Cleopatra event in Adventure World is called Heart of the Queen, and it sees you collecting keys along one of the longest maps in the game. There are three quests to complete along the way, and you'll have six days to complete the entire Expedition. Let's get started!
Keys to Her Heart
Ask friends for 12 Lock Looseners
Collect 3 Vault Keys
Use 3 Keystones to Unlock the Vault
Recover Heart of Cleopatra
The Lock Looseners come from a general news item that you'll share on your wall. Meanwhile, the Keys are found at random locations around the map, so if you're having trouble finding them, just click on the "Show Me" button within the menu.
Prime the Pumps
Collect 25 Pump Parts
Repair Ancient Pumps to Fill 5 Baths
The Pump Parts are Valves that can either be earned by asking your friends to send them to you, or you can collect a few that are scattered around the map. The Ancient Pumps, meanwhile, are dark gray, and are found near paths that currently can't be crossed. After filling the baths, the paths will rise and you can move on to the rest of the map.
Zoey's Love Bug
Ask friends for 15 Zoey's Love Letters
Speak to Ken or Trip to Give Love Letters
As with the other Cleopatra maps, you can collect one free Love Letter from the Mailbag at the beginning of this map every 12 hours. The rest come from asking your friends to send them to you.
When you finish this third Expedition, you'll have finished the current series of Cleopatra Expeditions in Adventure World. If we're ever asked to return to the depths of Cleopatra's "lairs," we'll make sure to let you know, but in the meantime, just work on finishing these three! Good luck!
Check out the rest of our Adventure World Cheats & Tips right here.
What do you think of this Heart of the Queen Expedition? Have you finished all three Cleopatra Expeditions, or are you waiting until you've finished some other things in the game before diving into these?
The Simpsons: Tapped Out offers fan service and loads of self-awareness on iOS
Just this week, we learned that EA's the Simpsons: Tapped Out on iOS would allow series fans the chance to rebuild Springfield after Homer causes (another) massive accident at the nuclear power plant. Now, the Simpsons: Tapped Out is available on the Canadian iTunes App Store for free, and we've had a chance to go hands-on with this entirely self-aware city-builder.
From the get-go, the Simpsons: Tapped Out is the farthest thing from a serious experience. It offers plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor, with the game beginning with Homer becoming distracted at work by playing an elf village game on his "myPad." While buying premium currency, the nuclear plant (the safety of which he is supposed to be caring for) melts down, causing the entirety of Springfield to be destroyed. It will then be up to you to help Homer rebuild Springfield and return all of its famous citizens to their rightful places.
At its core, the gameplay here is a basic city-builder, allowing you to construct homes and businesses that you've likely seen on the show's many episodes. You can move items around the map, if you'd like to really recreate Springfield in the most accurate way possible, but otherwise, you can simply place items where you'd like and can then collect taxes from homes and profits from businesses every few minutes or hours.
As you build new homes or businesses, Springfield will regain the citizens normally associated with them. For instance, building the Kwik-E-Mart triggers the reappearance of Apu, with each character being a part of a collection in the game. Returning the entirety of the Simpsons family finishes the Simpsons Family collection, for example. The more citizens your town has, the more tasks you can complete to earn experience points and cash. These jobs take varying amounts of time to complete and offer varying rewards accordingly, but most of them are fairly funny, and can harken back to different elements from specific episodes in the Simpsons television series.
Gallery: The Simpsons: Tapped Out iOS
In terms of social features, you can add friends via a number of ways: Facebook Connect, your Gmail address book, your device's contact list, or EA's Origin social network. When you've added some friends, you can visit their versions of Springfield to complete three tasks each day, earning more rewards for yourself in the process. You may need to visit friends for quests, or you can just do so to help yourself level up more quickly.
Ultimately, the Simpsons: Tapped Out is definitely a game full of fan service, with lots of voice-acting and references to the Simpsons canon. That being said, the gameplay here isn't anything we haven't seen before, so if you're not an already established fan of the cartoon, you may have a hard time becoming hooked here. If you are a fan, however, get ready for a funny, enjoyable experience on either iPhone or iPad, all available for free.
Are you excited to play with your own version of Springfield in the Simpsons: Tapped Out on iOS? Have you had a chance to play the game?
FarmVille Baby Bunny Hutch: Everything you need to know
Earlier this month, we saw the launch of some baby bunnies in the FarmVille marketplace, giving players a chance to purchase some adorable, fluffy animals for their farms. Now, you'll have a place to store those bunnies, or even earn more in the new Baby Bunny Hutch. The Baby Bunny Hutch is a new animal storage building, but you'll need to collect some building materials before you can actually use it.
The Baby Bunny Hutch requires 10 each of Baby Carrot Bunches, Wood Blocks and Hutch Wires. These items are earned either by asking your friends to send them to you, or by purchasing them with Farm Cash. Baby Bunnies that are stored inside the Bunny Hutch will give you a chance at earning Bunny Eggs when you harvest from the building once daily. You'll receive one bunny for free when completing the Hutch, and the others can be earned with the help of friends, or can be purchased from the store with Farm Cash.
The Baby Bunny Hutch can be upgraded to store more than the base amount of 20 bunnies, and of course you'll need to collect additional building materials to get that upgrade done. Feel free to build a Bunny Hutch (or more than one) on each of your farms and form the largest baby bunny collection you can!
What do you think of the Baby Bunny Hutch in FarmVille? Do your farms have room for such a specialized animal building?
The Baby Bunny Hutch requires 10 each of Baby Carrot Bunches, Wood Blocks and Hutch Wires. These items are earned either by asking your friends to send them to you, or by purchasing them with Farm Cash. Baby Bunnies that are stored inside the Bunny Hutch will give you a chance at earning Bunny Eggs when you harvest from the building once daily. You'll receive one bunny for free when completing the Hutch, and the others can be earned with the help of friends, or can be purchased from the store with Farm Cash.
The Baby Bunny Hutch can be upgraded to store more than the base amount of 20 bunnies, and of course you'll need to collect additional building materials to get that upgrade done. Feel free to build a Bunny Hutch (or more than one) on each of your farms and form the largest baby bunny collection you can!
What do you think of the Baby Bunny Hutch in FarmVille? Do your farms have room for such a specialized animal building?
FarmVille Hawaiian Paradise farm is definitely coming!
Way back at the beginning of December, Zynga launched a survey revealing details about a proposed new farm in FarmVille - a fifth farm that would be set in tropical Hawaii. Now that some time has passed, we've learned that this wasn't just a idea hunt, as Zynga has officially placed the Hawaiian Paradise farm into motion. As of right now, we know the farm is coming via a new loading screen and a postcard that will appear in the game at the farm's launch.
FVNation has discovered both of these items, letting us know that we'll be able to "discover a new world of aquatic plants and animals" along with being able to "uncover treasures on the land and sea." As usual, it looks like players will be able to pay Farm Cash - anywhere from 45 to 55 Farm Cash, or around $10 - to get into Hawaiian Paradise early, and we'll likely receive some bonus items in the process.
We'll make sure to bring you all of the details concerning the Hawaiian Paradise farm as we learn more, so keep checking back with us!
[Via and Image Credit: FVNation]
Check out the rest of our Hawaiian Paradise coverage right here.
What do you think of this reveal that Hawaiian Paradise is definitely coming to FarmVille?
Marvel: Avengers Alliance on Facebook packs a wham and a thwhack
In Facebook games--or all of entertainment, for that matter--it's easy to rest on the laurels of a brand. But those games usually fall by the wayside faster than the ink dried on the contract. Luckily for comic book (or action movie) lovers, Marvel: Avengers Alliance on Facebook is not one of those games. Disney-owned developer Playdom has teamed up with Marvel and wielded the brand like Thor's mighty hammer. (Before the nerds assault us in the comments: Yes, we know its name is Mjölnir.)
That's the most impressive feature in Avengers Alliance: its dedication to accuracy and story. You have to imagine that Playdom and Marvel treated this game as if it were the next feature film, fretting over how the legions of Iron Man fans would react to how he fires his Repulsor Rays or whether the game references the Kree in one of Ms. Marvel's attacks. (Don't ask.) And the duo has done so flawlessly throughout all 28 available Marvel characters at launch.
Gallery: Marvel: Avengers Alliance on Facebook
And yes, each and every one comes with a detailed bio page. Just how players come across these characters is through the story in Avengers Alliance. While it's one of the most fleshed out (across 10 chapters and myriad missions) stories we've seen in a social game, we'll keep it brief. An anomaly known as The Pulse has stricken New York City, which has managed to attract every super villain team from Hydra to The Hand to its mysterious power.
As a new recruit of S.H.I.E.L.D., the organization that rallies the world's superheroes, you must stop the baddies and find out just what the hell this Pulse is all about. And how do superheroes solve problems? Beat the living pulp out of the opposition, that's how. Those familiar with turn-based role-playing games like Final Fantasy will feel right at home in this superhero simulator's combat system.
Doctor Strange
Players trade blows with various enemies using weapons they gather for their agent and with their various superheroes' abilities. But it's far from that simple. With a five-way, rock-paper-scissors-style way of handling character classes, numerous status effects that can turn the tide of battle in an instant and oodles of weapons, equipment and abilities to consider, it's clear that Marvel and Playdom are going for a more "core" audience. While that makes sense given that the average comic book reader is probably a big time gamer, the duo is doing a fine job of alienating the majority of social gamers.
Potential audiences aside, Avengers Alliance is one of the most impressive social games we've seen to date. From its beautifully balanced battle system to its slick presentation and exciting animation, Avengers Alliance serves the Marvel fan well. And the dedication to crafting an interesting story shines through almost instantly. The story in Avengers Alliance is largely optional for those who don't give a hoot, but thanks to the words of comic book author Alex Irvine, you might give at least one.
Marvel Avengers Alliance preview
Sure, the story isn't as robust as one you might find on the comic book shelf in the nearest Barnes & Noble, but when stacked up against almost every other core Facebook game out there, it truly stands out. Where Avengers Alliance fails to stand out, however, is in its social features, which amount to visiting friends daily and collecting bonuses. The PvP (player vs. player) system sure is a lot of fun and extends your sessions beyond the energy required to play through the story. Despite employing the game's gorgeous battle system with the extra depth of a leaderboard and PvP statistics, it's solely an asynchronous affair that core gamers will likely turn a blind eye to.
All in all, Avengers Alliance is one stunning Facebook game. From its glistening presentation and story that actually turns out to be interesting as far as Facebook games are concerned, Playdom and Marvel have a potential hit on their hands. And judging from the amount of content already in the game, it's clear they're ready for the long haul. However, the only thing in the way of Avengers Alliance becoming Playdom's next hit is finding a large enough audience. Consider this writer sold, but here's to hoping the rest of Marvel fandom will be too. Marvel: Avengers Alliance is coming soon.
Are you interested in checking out Avengers Alliance when it launches? Do you think the game will stick with the majority of Marvel fans?
That's the most impressive feature in Avengers Alliance: its dedication to accuracy and story. You have to imagine that Playdom and Marvel treated this game as if it were the next feature film, fretting over how the legions of Iron Man fans would react to how he fires his Repulsor Rays or whether the game references the Kree in one of Ms. Marvel's attacks. (Don't ask.) And the duo has done so flawlessly throughout all 28 available Marvel characters at launch.
Gallery: Marvel: Avengers Alliance on Facebook
And yes, each and every one comes with a detailed bio page. Just how players come across these characters is through the story in Avengers Alliance. While it's one of the most fleshed out (across 10 chapters and myriad missions) stories we've seen in a social game, we'll keep it brief. An anomaly known as The Pulse has stricken New York City, which has managed to attract every super villain team from Hydra to The Hand to its mysterious power.
As a new recruit of S.H.I.E.L.D., the organization that rallies the world's superheroes, you must stop the baddies and find out just what the hell this Pulse is all about. And how do superheroes solve problems? Beat the living pulp out of the opposition, that's how. Those familiar with turn-based role-playing games like Final Fantasy will feel right at home in this superhero simulator's combat system.
Doctor Strange
Players trade blows with various enemies using weapons they gather for their agent and with their various superheroes' abilities. But it's far from that simple. With a five-way, rock-paper-scissors-style way of handling character classes, numerous status effects that can turn the tide of battle in an instant and oodles of weapons, equipment and abilities to consider, it's clear that Marvel and Playdom are going for a more "core" audience. While that makes sense given that the average comic book reader is probably a big time gamer, the duo is doing a fine job of alienating the majority of social gamers.
Potential audiences aside, Avengers Alliance is one of the most impressive social games we've seen to date. From its beautifully balanced battle system to its slick presentation and exciting animation, Avengers Alliance serves the Marvel fan well. And the dedication to crafting an interesting story shines through almost instantly. The story in Avengers Alliance is largely optional for those who don't give a hoot, but thanks to the words of comic book author Alex Irvine, you might give at least one.
Marvel Avengers Alliance preview
Sure, the story isn't as robust as one you might find on the comic book shelf in the nearest Barnes & Noble, but when stacked up against almost every other core Facebook game out there, it truly stands out. Where Avengers Alliance fails to stand out, however, is in its social features, which amount to visiting friends daily and collecting bonuses. The PvP (player vs. player) system sure is a lot of fun and extends your sessions beyond the energy required to play through the story. Despite employing the game's gorgeous battle system with the extra depth of a leaderboard and PvP statistics, it's solely an asynchronous affair that core gamers will likely turn a blind eye to.
All in all, Avengers Alliance is one stunning Facebook game. From its glistening presentation and story that actually turns out to be interesting as far as Facebook games are concerned, Playdom and Marvel have a potential hit on their hands. And judging from the amount of content already in the game, it's clear they're ready for the long haul. However, the only thing in the way of Avengers Alliance becoming Playdom's next hit is finding a large enough audience. Consider this writer sold, but here's to hoping the rest of Marvel fandom will be too. Marvel: Avengers Alliance is coming soon.
Are you interested in checking out Avengers Alliance when it launches? Do you think the game will stick with the majority of Marvel fans?
Nintendo's new 3DS brain training game will be devilishly difficult
You probably had already guessed that Nintendo would release at least one brain training game for its new 3DS. (They're to thank for the original DS console's popularity with older folks.) But did you call that it would involve demons? (Don't worry, neither did we.) During the Japanese rendition of the Nintendo Direct online broadcast, company president Satoru Iwata revealed the tentatively-titled "Oni Training," or "Demon Training."
According to a translation by Andriasang, the game will feature much more difficult brain training, hence the name. Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima has returned to help with the game's creation, and Nintendo even created a devilish avatar of the doctor-turned-Brain-Age-host to demonstrate the game's supposed difficulty.
There's no word yet of a Western release just yet for "Oni Training," but Nintendo would be remiss not to. However, we bet that Kawashima loses the red face and horns in his travel out west--American casual gamers might not take well to that. Andriasang reports that the game will "power up your working memory and concentration."
Nintendo didn't reveal much else in the pipeline for casual gamers on the 3DS or Wii, though a new Mario Tennis, titled Mario Tennis Open, is slated for a May 25 release on 3DS. Brainy gamers would be smart to boot up their copies of Brain Age and start training now to face a (hopefully less) demon-like doctor on 3DS.
[Via Gamasutra]
Are you excited for a new brain training game to hit 3DS? Would you play the game even if it were called "Demon Training" in the U.S. and abroad?
According to a translation by Andriasang, the game will feature much more difficult brain training, hence the name. Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima has returned to help with the game's creation, and Nintendo even created a devilish avatar of the doctor-turned-Brain-Age-host to demonstrate the game's supposed difficulty.
There's no word yet of a Western release just yet for "Oni Training," but Nintendo would be remiss not to. However, we bet that Kawashima loses the red face and horns in his travel out west--American casual gamers might not take well to that. Andriasang reports that the game will "power up your working memory and concentration."
Nintendo didn't reveal much else in the pipeline for casual gamers on the 3DS or Wii, though a new Mario Tennis, titled Mario Tennis Open, is slated for a May 25 release on 3DS. Brainy gamers would be smart to boot up their copies of Brain Age and start training now to face a (hopefully less) demon-like doctor on 3DS.
[Via Gamasutra]
Are you excited for a new brain training game to hit 3DS? Would you play the game even if it were called "Demon Training" in the U.S. and abroad?
Thứ Bảy, 3 tháng 3, 2012
A Nintendo 3DS revamp is in the works with ... less 3D? [Rumor]
First, Nintendo cuts the price of its new handheld nearly in half. Now, the company is reportedly looking to cut the thing that makes its 3DS unique ... the 3D. French gaming news website 01Net reports, citing insider sources, that the Big N is working on an overhaul to the 3DS that "radically tones down" the system's 3D capabilities, according to Eurogamer. Like all reports citing anonymous sources, this news deserves a certain amount of skepticism, though Eurogamer points out 01Net's track record.
According to Eurogamer, 01Net broke the news of Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PS Vita hardware specifications before either console was even announced. The French website also reports that the company is regretful that it never added a second analog joystick to the 3DS, and that it will soon release a detachable one for about $10. Furthermore, Nintendo has reportedly asked a number of developers to work on games to make use of the upcoming peripheral.
The 01Net report goes on to say that this new version of the 3DS will release sometime in 2012, and could dramatically rebrand the handheld console entirely. According to the report, the recent $80 price cut made by Nintendo was not only in response to poor sales, but to clear stock of the original 3DS to make way for this new model.
However, we're not 100 percent sure 3D is what held the Nintendo 3DS back from being the absolute hit its predecessor was. For one, the system launched with little support from Nintendo staples like Mario and Link much less other games. Second, Nintendo has yet to introduce an online gaming network as robust as those you'll find even in modern day smartphones.
The price drop might turn out to be a brilliant move for Nintendo moving forward, but a complete rebranding sounds too rash of a decision for a company like Nintendo. We've contacted Nintendo for comment.
Do you believe that Nintendo could be working to rebrand the 3DS entirely? Do you think this would be a smart move for the company to make?
According to Eurogamer, 01Net broke the news of Nintendo's Wii U and Sony's PS Vita hardware specifications before either console was even announced. The French website also reports that the company is regretful that it never added a second analog joystick to the 3DS, and that it will soon release a detachable one for about $10. Furthermore, Nintendo has reportedly asked a number of developers to work on games to make use of the upcoming peripheral.
The 01Net report goes on to say that this new version of the 3DS will release sometime in 2012, and could dramatically rebrand the handheld console entirely. According to the report, the recent $80 price cut made by Nintendo was not only in response to poor sales, but to clear stock of the original 3DS to make way for this new model.
However, we're not 100 percent sure 3D is what held the Nintendo 3DS back from being the absolute hit its predecessor was. For one, the system launched with little support from Nintendo staples like Mario and Link much less other games. Second, Nintendo has yet to introduce an online gaming network as robust as those you'll find even in modern day smartphones.
The price drop might turn out to be a brilliant move for Nintendo moving forward, but a complete rebranding sounds too rash of a decision for a company like Nintendo. We've contacted Nintendo for comment.
Do you believe that Nintendo could be working to rebrand the 3DS entirely? Do you think this would be a smart move for the company to make?
Infographic: Almost 60 percent of social gamers play with their friends
And the other 40 percent play with complete strangers. Alright, that's not true, but any update on the FarmVille fan page says otherwise. According to an infographic thrown together by Rounds, a Facebook video chat app, and research firm Column Five Media, nearly 60 percent of North American social gamers play with their friends. From there, just 33 percent play with their siblings and 25 percent play with parents and spouses.
You could infer from this data that a large percentage of social gamers either play with others they've met through games on Facebook or another social network, or that they play alone. But considering that would cost an enormous amount of money, we're going with the former. Ultimately, this data speaks to either players making friends out of necessity or that true connections are forming through social games.
The infographic goes on to say that there are 100 million social gamers in North America, which sounds about right given recent estimates. (That's about a third of everyone in the U.S.) A fraction of that, 26 million, are playing mobile social games. Though, that can easily be attributed to smartphones still perceived and priced as luxury devices.
Citing sources such as The New York Times and and MIT, this infographic drives one major point home: Social gaming is the fastest growing and evolving genre in the history of video games, and we're just getting started. Check out the whole infographic below:
[Via SocialTimes]
Do you believe social games will become the mode of gaming going forward? Do you play social games more with real-life friends or acquaintances found through playing?
You could infer from this data that a large percentage of social gamers either play with others they've met through games on Facebook or another social network, or that they play alone. But considering that would cost an enormous amount of money, we're going with the former. Ultimately, this data speaks to either players making friends out of necessity or that true connections are forming through social games.
The infographic goes on to say that there are 100 million social gamers in North America, which sounds about right given recent estimates. (That's about a third of everyone in the U.S.) A fraction of that, 26 million, are playing mobile social games. Though, that can easily be attributed to smartphones still perceived and priced as luxury devices.
Citing sources such as The New York Times and and MIT, this infographic drives one major point home: Social gaming is the fastest growing and evolving genre in the history of video games, and we're just getting started. Check out the whole infographic below:
[Via SocialTimes]
Do you believe social games will become the mode of gaming going forward? Do you play social games more with real-life friends or acquaintances found through playing?
Farm Cash Goes Global: Zynga Game Cards invade Europe, Turkey
Zynga Game Cards
It's not just language that's been a barrier to Zynga's global domination (which as of late it seems to have mastered). International digital farmers need a way to pay, too. This is exactly why the company has announced partnerships with distributors in Europe and Turkey to dole out Zynga Game Cards to the masses, VentureBeat reports.
Euronet Worldwide's epay division will distribute the game cards across 18 European countries. More specifically, European fans looking for an in-game boost can find the cards in 276,000 retail spots and 588,000 kiosks spanning the U.K., France, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia, according to VentureBeat. Those who buy a Zynga Game Card from these locations will also score a free in-game gift.
In Turkey, mobile payment provider Mikro Ödeme will offer the prepaid cards for smaller increments of Turkish Lira. However, players can also pay through their mobile phones through services TurkCell and Turk Telekom. This is far from the first place Zynga has expanded its game cards. Most recently, Zynga Game Cards entered the Middle East and North Africa through Gate2Play, touched India through MOL and into Latin America through Mentez.
The FarmVille creator's quest to be the number one games company in the world takes more than just localization through language support, but allowing international players to pay up, too. According to VentureBeat, Zynga already has 12 games in 50 countries--only 146 countries to go.
Where do you think Zynga will expand to next both in games and payment platforms? Are you an international Zynga game fan without the option to buy things in-game yet?
It's not just language that's been a barrier to Zynga's global domination (which as of late it seems to have mastered). International digital farmers need a way to pay, too. This is exactly why the company has announced partnerships with distributors in Europe and Turkey to dole out Zynga Game Cards to the masses, VentureBeat reports.
Euronet Worldwide's epay division will distribute the game cards across 18 European countries. More specifically, European fans looking for an in-game boost can find the cards in 276,000 retail spots and 588,000 kiosks spanning the U.K., France, Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic and Croatia, according to VentureBeat. Those who buy a Zynga Game Card from these locations will also score a free in-game gift.
In Turkey, mobile payment provider Mikro Ödeme will offer the prepaid cards for smaller increments of Turkish Lira. However, players can also pay through their mobile phones through services TurkCell and Turk Telekom. This is far from the first place Zynga has expanded its game cards. Most recently, Zynga Game Cards entered the Middle East and North Africa through Gate2Play, touched India through MOL and into Latin America through Mentez.
The FarmVille creator's quest to be the number one games company in the world takes more than just localization through language support, but allowing international players to pay up, too. According to VentureBeat, Zynga already has 12 games in 50 countries--only 146 countries to go.
Where do you think Zynga will expand to next both in games and payment platforms? Are you an international Zynga game fan without the option to buy things in-game yet?
FrontierVille, Ravenwood Fair score multiple GDC Online Awards nominations
It's almost that time of year again when the social games industry comes together for one collective pat on the back: The Game Developers Choice Online Awards. The second annual ceremony will be held during the GDC Online event in Austin, Texas this October. This year's GDC Online Awards nominations include a litany of hot online games, but are largely dominated by two Facebook games: Zynga's FrontierVille and Ravenwood Fair by Lolapps.
Each of the two games came away with three nominations, bested only by Spiral Knights, a free-to-play MMO (massively multiplayer game) by SEGA and recently released on Steam. Chosen by a committee of 400 industry professionals, FrontierVille earned nominations for Best Social Network Game, Best Online Game Design and Best Audio For An Online Game. Ravenwood Fair scored nods in the exact same categories.
Both FrontierVille and Ravenwood Fair made it onto our list of the Top Facebook Games of 2010, so we're not terribly surprised by the two games possibly cleaning house at the awards. Speaking of which, the GDC Online Awards will be held Oct. 12, smack dab in the middle of the three-day long conference celebrating all things social games. Take a look at the full list of nominees:
Best Online Visual Arts
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Best Social Network Game
CityVille (Zynga)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Best Online Game Design
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zuma Blitz (Popcap)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Online Innovation
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Shadow Cities (Grey Area)
Empire Avenue (Empire Avenue)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zombie Lane (Digital Chocolate)
Best Online Technology
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
CityVille (Zynga)
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Lego Universe Online (The LEGO Group/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Best Community Relations
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
Minecraft (Mojang)
EA Sports FIFA Superstars (Playfish/EA)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Best Audio For An Online Game
Clone Wars Adventures (Sony Online Entertainment)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Best New Online Game
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Monster Galaxy (Gaia Online)
Best Live Game
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
Moshi Monsters (Mind Candy)
League Of Legends (Riot Games)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Minecraft (Mojang)
[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]
Which of the two most nominated Facebook do you hope will win? Are you hoping on a sleeper hit like Monster Galaxy to take the cake?
Each of the two games came away with three nominations, bested only by Spiral Knights, a free-to-play MMO (massively multiplayer game) by SEGA and recently released on Steam. Chosen by a committee of 400 industry professionals, FrontierVille earned nominations for Best Social Network Game, Best Online Game Design and Best Audio For An Online Game. Ravenwood Fair scored nods in the exact same categories.
Both FrontierVille and Ravenwood Fair made it onto our list of the Top Facebook Games of 2010, so we're not terribly surprised by the two games possibly cleaning house at the awards. Speaking of which, the GDC Online Awards will be held Oct. 12, smack dab in the middle of the three-day long conference celebrating all things social games. Take a look at the full list of nominees:
Best Online Visual Arts
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Best Social Network Game
CityVille (Zynga)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Dragons Of Atlantis (Kabam)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Best Online Game Design
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zuma Blitz (Popcap)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Online Innovation
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Shadow Cities (Grey Area)
Empire Avenue (Empire Avenue)
Pocket Frogs (NimbleBit)
Zombie Lane (Digital Chocolate)
Best Online Technology
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
CityVille (Zynga)
DC Universe Online (Sony Online Entertainment)
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Lego Universe Online (The LEGO Group/Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment)
Best Community Relations
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
World of Tanks (Wargaming)
Minecraft (Mojang)
EA Sports FIFA Superstars (Playfish/EA)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Best Audio For An Online Game
Clone Wars Adventures (Sony Online Entertainment)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Ravenwood Fair (Lolapps)
FrontierVille (Zynga)
Dragon Age Legends (EA2D)
Best New Online Game
Rift (Trion Worlds)
Gardens Of Time (Playdom)
Vindictus (devCAT/Nexon)
Spiral Knights (Three Rings Design/Sega)
Monster Galaxy (Gaia Online)
Best Live Game
Wizard101 (KingsIsle Entertainment)
Moshi Monsters (Mind Candy)
League Of Legends (Riot Games)
World Of Warcraft (Blizzard Entertainment)
Minecraft (Mojang)
[Source: GamesIndustry.biz]
Which of the two most nominated Facebook do you hope will win? Are you hoping on a sleeper hit like Monster Galaxy to take the cake?
Orbitz 50 Faves Facebook 'game' offers luxury vacations giveaway
Is Orbitz 50 Faves really a game? Every press release out there certainly says so, but I beg to differ. What we've got instead is a Facebook app that has you coming back daily, making you nag your friends to help out so you can unlock new areas and gain points for bids. I know what you're thinking -- that does sound suspiciously like a Facebook game, doesn't it? But Orbitz 50 Faves isn't so much a game as it is a glorious raffle board.
Social games are so huge right now that even banks and TV broadcasters are adding Facebook games to their official fan pages and creating games portals. So, it's understandable if they want to bring more attention to an app by labeling it as a "game". Moreover, this approach works, because it's certainly caught our attention.
Orbitz Games Hovernaut
Before we turn away, it seems this internet travel company does indulge in social games. Orbitz.com launched Orbitz Games in 2001, before making it a standalone website in 2005. Now it comes complete with Facebook integration and carries a large selection of simple games. Currently, the top 5 games on the site are Shuffleboard (on a cruise ship background), Orbuku (a travel-themed Sudoku), Home Run Hero (a baseball game), 8-Ball (a pool game), and Air Dog (snowboarding). But you've also got weirder titles such as Hovernaut (pilot a hovercraft), Where's My Hotel? (a spatial game), and Shove Your Love ("Give family members a loving shove down the street and try to outscore your opponent!").
Orbitz Games Where's My Hotel?
But none of these Orbitz Games are going to let you win up to a $15,000 luxury dream vacation to places like Dubai, Cancun, Rome, Fiji, and the list goes on. Given this, I think most of us could care less about Orbitz calling their app a "game."
Orbitz 50 Faves destinations on Facebook
Click here to start 'playing' Orbitz 50 Faves and get your shot at one of 50 dream vacations! This "game" will last until Sept 18.
[Source: Orbitz Blog]
Are you going to participate in Orbitz's 50 Faves game? Have you ever played through an advergame on Facebook?
Social games are so huge right now that even banks and TV broadcasters are adding Facebook games to their official fan pages and creating games portals. So, it's understandable if they want to bring more attention to an app by labeling it as a "game". Moreover, this approach works, because it's certainly caught our attention.
Orbitz Games Hovernaut
Before we turn away, it seems this internet travel company does indulge in social games. Orbitz.com launched Orbitz Games in 2001, before making it a standalone website in 2005. Now it comes complete with Facebook integration and carries a large selection of simple games. Currently, the top 5 games on the site are Shuffleboard (on a cruise ship background), Orbuku (a travel-themed Sudoku), Home Run Hero (a baseball game), 8-Ball (a pool game), and Air Dog (snowboarding). But you've also got weirder titles such as Hovernaut (pilot a hovercraft), Where's My Hotel? (a spatial game), and Shove Your Love ("Give family members a loving shove down the street and try to outscore your opponent!").
Orbitz Games Where's My Hotel?
But none of these Orbitz Games are going to let you win up to a $15,000 luxury dream vacation to places like Dubai, Cancun, Rome, Fiji, and the list goes on. Given this, I think most of us could care less about Orbitz calling their app a "game."
Orbitz 50 Faves destinations on Facebook
Click here to start 'playing' Orbitz 50 Faves and get your shot at one of 50 dream vacations! This "game" will last until Sept 18.
[Source: Orbitz Blog]
Are you going to participate in Orbitz's 50 Faves game? Have you ever played through an advergame on Facebook?
PopCap looks to cure its Extreme Fever with Peggle HD for iPad
Still waiting with bated breath for PopCap to bring Peggle to Facebook? (Keep holding it, then.) So are we, but until then, perhaps Peggle in HD will hold you over. The creator of Bejeweled announced that its mega hit pachinko-meets-Breakout game is now available for the iPad under the title--what else?--Peggle HD.
The game, which has already been downloaded 30 million times since its original release on the PC in March 2007, is available now in the App Store for an introductory price of $2.99. Once in the game, players can purchase Peggle Nights, the full-blown expansion to the original, for $.99. Of course, the prices will hike up once this promotion ends (which we imagine will be soon) to $4.99 and $1.99, respectively.
While this is essentially the same Peggle about 30 million of you have played before, this version comes with Game Center support at launch. And yes, that means this "HD" edition of the ultimate pachinko also features Achievements--29 of them, to be exact.
Extreme Fever Peggle
So, not only can you witness Extreme Fever--when every last peg is destroyed in a level--on your purrty 10-inch touchscreen, but brag about it to your friends. Yep, that just might keep me occupied until, you know, I can score free balls like a champ on Facebook.
Might you be one of the few who has yet to play Peggle? If so, do you have an aversion to awesome? Those in the know: Do you agree that Facebook needs some Peggle action?
The game, which has already been downloaded 30 million times since its original release on the PC in March 2007, is available now in the App Store for an introductory price of $2.99. Once in the game, players can purchase Peggle Nights, the full-blown expansion to the original, for $.99. Of course, the prices will hike up once this promotion ends (which we imagine will be soon) to $4.99 and $1.99, respectively.
While this is essentially the same Peggle about 30 million of you have played before, this version comes with Game Center support at launch. And yes, that means this "HD" edition of the ultimate pachinko also features Achievements--29 of them, to be exact.
Extreme Fever Peggle
So, not only can you witness Extreme Fever--when every last peg is destroyed in a level--on your purrty 10-inch touchscreen, but brag about it to your friends. Yep, that just might keep me occupied until, you know, I can score free balls like a champ on Facebook.
Might you be one of the few who has yet to play Peggle? If so, do you have an aversion to awesome? Those in the know: Do you agree that Facebook needs some Peggle action?
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