Branded Facebook game promotions are a dime a dozen these days, but turning a Facebook game into a store front? Now, that's something to twirl the mustache at. Cie Games announced that Car Town was the only place Fast Five fans could pre-order the Fast Five Blu-ray/DVD combo pack at Walmart. But since the movie released today in stores, fans can also take a trip to Walmart to score some in-game rewards.
Within Car Town, players could click on a giant Walmart-themed big rig to pre-order the pack through Walmart's online store, which would have scored them an exclusive in-game locker with a Fast Five-themed bullet-proof vest to display in their garages. Though, anyone who buys the game through Car Town or in stores will net themselves a virtual Armet Gurkha armored vehicle to race their friends with.
This is the culmination of a six month-long event made possible by Universal Partnerships & Licensing that displayed the movie's trailer within Car Town. And now players can complete missions inspired by the movie's storyline by racing cars directly taken from the film. And Car Town, which enjoys over 5.2 million monthly players, has had its branding throughout the Fast Five release.
"This program is one of the most extensive and successful efforts to date by a major film studio to leverage the nexus between real-world marketing and promotion via social gaming," said Cie Games CEO Justin Choi. "Since the program began in April 2011, Car Town players have completed more than 200 million races in the virtual Rio de Janeiro race environment modeled after the movie's key location."
In other words, this was one giant Facebook game branding event, and Cie Games is far from the only developer that's in on the action. Zynga has already begun to integrate Indiana Jones into its Adventure World completely, while other studios like Ecko|Code build their business entirely around branded Facebook games. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Branding is huge in Facebook games. Our concern, however, is whether the games can grow in terms of gameplay amidst the allure of branding.
Have you followed the Fast Five event in Car Town since it started? What do you think of branding in Facebook games--has it gone too far or are you digging it?
Thứ Tư, 22 tháng 2, 2012
FarmVille Express: Zynga working on mobile browser version? [Rumor]
According to this single image found by a FarmVille Freak tipster, that very well may be the case. A mobile browser-based version of FarmVille may be in the works at Zynga. The website reports that readers are reaching this screen when attempting to log into their mobile farm via the existing. However, those readers' claims strike us as odd considering what's displayed is clearly the Safari browser on an iPhone.
FarmVille Freak goes on to say that the app isn't completely functional at the moment. When we attempted to reach this same page through the native FarmVille app for iPhone, we simply arrived at our existing farms. But when trying to access FarmVille from Safari by typing in "www.farmville.com," we were redirected to "m.farmville.com/fx/" and a message that reads, "Howdy Partners! FarmVille is currently not available for this device."
The fact that we were redirected to that web address suggests that perhaps mobile web version of FarmVille really is in the works, but the release of this image was accidental. If you remember, Zynga approached players earlier this year with a survey asking players what they would want from a mobile web version of the game. Why Zynga would suddenly release a mobile web version of its flagship game after working so hard to bring the native FarmVille app up to speed is beyond us.
FarmVille Express full
This news follows the mild announcement of a new Mafia Wars game for iOS, Shakedown. More importantly, this news comes just after Zynga's mobile head David Ko told The Guardian that he thought HTML5, commonly used by game developers to make mobile web game like what FarmVille Express appears to be, is still too early. Though, there is Facebook's Project Spartan to consider. We've contacted Zynga for comment.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
What do you think this leaked image means? Would you rather play a mobile web version of FarmVille on your iPhone than the native app that's available now?
FarmVille Freak goes on to say that the app isn't completely functional at the moment. When we attempted to reach this same page through the native FarmVille app for iPhone, we simply arrived at our existing farms. But when trying to access FarmVille from Safari by typing in "www.farmville.com," we were redirected to "m.farmville.com/fx/" and a message that reads, "Howdy Partners! FarmVille is currently not available for this device."
The fact that we were redirected to that web address suggests that perhaps mobile web version of FarmVille really is in the works, but the release of this image was accidental. If you remember, Zynga approached players earlier this year with a survey asking players what they would want from a mobile web version of the game. Why Zynga would suddenly release a mobile web version of its flagship game after working so hard to bring the native FarmVille app up to speed is beyond us.
FarmVille Express full
This news follows the mild announcement of a new Mafia Wars game for iOS, Shakedown. More importantly, this news comes just after Zynga's mobile head David Ko told The Guardian that he thought HTML5, commonly used by game developers to make mobile web game like what FarmVille Express appears to be, is still too early. Though, there is Facebook's Project Spartan to consider. We've contacted Zynga for comment.
[Image Credit: FarmVille Freak]
What do you think this leaked image means? Would you rather play a mobile web version of FarmVille on your iPhone than the native app that's available now?
Gundam's giant fighting robots even bigger on Japan's Gree, DeNA
Just in case you haven't noticed, Japan kind of has a thing for gargantuan fighting robots. The incredible growth of mobile social games based on the popular Gundam franchise reflects this, as Gundam Masters by Gree has reached over 1 million players just over a month since its Sept. 1 release on Japanese mobile phones. Serkan Toto reports that the number breaks down to 1,262 players registered per hour since its launch.
Even more impressive is that the Gundam game available through DeNA's Mobage network, Gundam Royal, reached 1 million players in just six days when it launched in December of last year. According to Serkan Toto, the game now enjoys around 3 million players on the Mobage network, which just launched in China and across the English-speaking world through Ngmoco.
While these numbers certainly pale in comparison to, say, CityVille's meteoric growth going into 2011, there's likely more Gundam where this came from. DeNA just embarked on a joint venture with Bandai Namco, the company that holds the Gundam license, to make a 100 million yen joint studio project called BDNA Inc. And Serkan Toto reports that Bandai Namco is also working with competitor Gree to release four more mobile social games this year.
Mobile social games are clearly far bigger across the Pacific than they are in the U.S., but they're gaining traction in the western world as well. Several secret Zynga projects have been cropping up like Mafia Wars Shakedown and FarmVille Express. Not to mention companies like Capcom making major moves in the space with its Smurfs games. If 2011 was the year of social games, 2012 will certainly be the year of mobile social games.
[Via and Image Credit: The Next Web, Gunjap.net]
Do you think mobile social games are going to take off in the U.S. and abroad like they have in Japan? What social game are you dying to get to play on your mobile phone?
Even more impressive is that the Gundam game available through DeNA's Mobage network, Gundam Royal, reached 1 million players in just six days when it launched in December of last year. According to Serkan Toto, the game now enjoys around 3 million players on the Mobage network, which just launched in China and across the English-speaking world through Ngmoco.
While these numbers certainly pale in comparison to, say, CityVille's meteoric growth going into 2011, there's likely more Gundam where this came from. DeNA just embarked on a joint venture with Bandai Namco, the company that holds the Gundam license, to make a 100 million yen joint studio project called BDNA Inc. And Serkan Toto reports that Bandai Namco is also working with competitor Gree to release four more mobile social games this year.
Mobile social games are clearly far bigger across the Pacific than they are in the U.S., but they're gaining traction in the western world as well. Several secret Zynga projects have been cropping up like Mafia Wars Shakedown and FarmVille Express. Not to mention companies like Capcom making major moves in the space with its Smurfs games. If 2011 was the year of social games, 2012 will certainly be the year of mobile social games.
[Via and Image Credit: The Next Web, Gunjap.net]
Do you think mobile social games are going to take off in the U.S. and abroad like they have in Japan? What social game are you dying to get to play on your mobile phone?
No More Heroes for Mobage to bring 'social assassin battle' to phones
Japanese developer Grasshopper Manufacture's Suda 51 clearly wasn't joking when he set out to make "the social game with the most blood." Joystiq reports that, according to a release by publisher Marvelous AQL, No More Heroes (working title) will release on iOS and Android devices through DeNA and Ngmoco's Mobage network as a "social assassin battle." This will be the first multiplayer game in the critically-acclaimed-but-commercially-lukewarm No More Heroes series.
Unfortunately, neither a release date nor more details on just how social this bloody mobile game will be were revealed. But judging from these first images of the game in action, it certainly looks to impress visually. (Frankly, these look a helluva lot like images from previous versions of the series on consoles like Nintendo Wii.)
This decidedly hardcore mobile social game will be released by Grasshopper Manufacture along with three more games in the same format. The first of which will most likely be Frog Minutes, an odd game that's already available in Japan through Mobage that has players capture various insects for a frog to eat.
No More Heroes Mobage 2
Nothing has been revealed of the studio's other two mobile social games in the works other than their titles, Humans vs Zombies and Alien Busters. Based on highly educated guess work, either of the games will feature at least one of the following things: blood, guts, swords and women scantily clad in school uniforms.
Do you plan on playing this game when it releases to Mobage? How well do you think a game like this will do with mobile social game fans?
Unfortunately, neither a release date nor more details on just how social this bloody mobile game will be were revealed. But judging from these first images of the game in action, it certainly looks to impress visually. (Frankly, these look a helluva lot like images from previous versions of the series on consoles like Nintendo Wii.)
This decidedly hardcore mobile social game will be released by Grasshopper Manufacture along with three more games in the same format. The first of which will most likely be Frog Minutes, an odd game that's already available in Japan through Mobage that has players capture various insects for a frog to eat.
No More Heroes Mobage 2
Nothing has been revealed of the studio's other two mobile social games in the works other than their titles, Humans vs Zombies and Alien Busters. Based on highly educated guess work, either of the games will feature at least one of the following things: blood, guts, swords and women scantily clad in school uniforms.
Do you plan on playing this game when it releases to Mobage? How well do you think a game like this will do with mobile social game fans?
Analyst: The last three years was the 'first generation of social games'
It's statements like this that make you hopeful for what the next three years will bring. Speaking to IndustryGamers, Eedar analyst Jesse Divnich concluded a talk with, "If anything, what I am suggesting is that what we've seen over the last 3 years should be classified as the 'first generation' of social games." What Divnich is referring to is the property and time-management sub genre of social games on Facebook and other networks that have arguably hit critical mass since they hit the scene way back in 2008.
According to Divnich, social gamers are getting their fill from new releases in a fraction of the time it took before. This means players are bouncing from one game to the next more quickly, and those games left by the wayside are reaching their peak in monthly and daily players far sooner than ever before. You can blame the sheer volume of high-quality time-management games for this--think about it: What are the top three games on Facebook right now?
Divnich goes on to compare this form of social gaming to the Guitar Hero franchise (how timely) in that innovation is quickly running dry in this sub genre. "New technology breeds innovation and while I am confident that both Facebook and Google are beginning to expand their social offerings, I think it may be safe to say that the current time-based management genre, as we know it today, will have to rapidly evolve beyond the traditional 'sprite clicking' mechanics to sustain consumer interest," Divnich told IndustryGamers.
With technologies like Unreal Engine 3 coming to Flash (and as a result Facebook games) and HTML5 slowly gaining traction, Divnich might be onto something here. The analyst goes on to cite the upcoming Mafia Wars 2 by Zynga as a harbinger of the second generation of social games, but let's not get ahead of ourselves now. Check out the interview in full right here.
[Via VG 24/7]
Do you think this form of social gaming has reached it peak? Where would like to see the industry go next in terms of gameplay, graphics and social features?
According to Divnich, social gamers are getting their fill from new releases in a fraction of the time it took before. This means players are bouncing from one game to the next more quickly, and those games left by the wayside are reaching their peak in monthly and daily players far sooner than ever before. You can blame the sheer volume of high-quality time-management games for this--think about it: What are the top three games on Facebook right now?
Divnich goes on to compare this form of social gaming to the Guitar Hero franchise (how timely) in that innovation is quickly running dry in this sub genre. "New technology breeds innovation and while I am confident that both Facebook and Google are beginning to expand their social offerings, I think it may be safe to say that the current time-based management genre, as we know it today, will have to rapidly evolve beyond the traditional 'sprite clicking' mechanics to sustain consumer interest," Divnich told IndustryGamers.
With technologies like Unreal Engine 3 coming to Flash (and as a result Facebook games) and HTML5 slowly gaining traction, Divnich might be onto something here. The analyst goes on to cite the upcoming Mafia Wars 2 by Zynga as a harbinger of the second generation of social games, but let's not get ahead of ourselves now. Check out the interview in full right here.
[Via VG 24/7]
Do you think this form of social gaming has reached it peak? Where would like to see the industry go next in terms of gameplay, graphics and social features?
Rift maker Trion wants Red Door to be Facebook for hardcore games
If you still think Facebook games haven't made a visible impact on traditional games, then look no further than Trion Worlds. The creator of hit MMO (massively multiplayer online game) Rift announced Red Door, an upcoming game development and distribution platform that looks to do for the traditional games industry what Facebook has done for social games. And, at least on paper, it sounds pretty brilliant.
Trion CEO Dr. Lars Buttler said to Kotaku, "Facebook catalyzed a ton of new experiences and we want to do that for premium AAA games. We want make them more live and more dynamic than the current model of social games where months go by and nothing changes." Red Door, which will be available to third-party game creators in spring 2012, will offer them a server infrastructure with support for billing, customer support and content management, according to Kotaku.
In other words, Trion looks to be the Zynga of the hardcore games industry through Red Door, a platform that sounds a whole lot like Facebook. Combining the HD graphics and complex gameplay capabilities of hardcore game engines with the ability to constantly and continually update games with new content a' la Facebook games, Trion looks to usher in the future of hardcore game creation. According to Kotaku, Red Door could be the end of $60 traditional game sequels like, say, Gears of War 3.
If anything, Trion Worlds is certainly onto something. As companies make millions (and see valuations in the billions) from free-to-play social gaming, traditional game creators have to do something to survive. And just as Unreal Engine 3, a widely-used traditional game creation technology, comes to Flash Facebook, Trion hopes to lure game makers through its big Red Door.
Do you think the future of hardcore gaming looks a lot like how Facebook games are distributed and curated today? Is Trion Worlds onto something visionary?
Trion CEO Dr. Lars Buttler said to Kotaku, "Facebook catalyzed a ton of new experiences and we want to do that for premium AAA games. We want make them more live and more dynamic than the current model of social games where months go by and nothing changes." Red Door, which will be available to third-party game creators in spring 2012, will offer them a server infrastructure with support for billing, customer support and content management, according to Kotaku.
In other words, Trion looks to be the Zynga of the hardcore games industry through Red Door, a platform that sounds a whole lot like Facebook. Combining the HD graphics and complex gameplay capabilities of hardcore game engines with the ability to constantly and continually update games with new content a' la Facebook games, Trion looks to usher in the future of hardcore game creation. According to Kotaku, Red Door could be the end of $60 traditional game sequels like, say, Gears of War 3.
If anything, Trion Worlds is certainly onto something. As companies make millions (and see valuations in the billions) from free-to-play social gaming, traditional game creators have to do something to survive. And just as Unreal Engine 3, a widely-used traditional game creation technology, comes to Flash Facebook, Trion hopes to lure game makers through its big Red Door.
Do you think the future of hardcore gaming looks a lot like how Facebook games are distributed and curated today? Is Trion Worlds onto something visionary?
CityVille Hometown Halloween update gives your city the spooky touch
Look, we all know Christmas trumps Halloween every time. That said, Halloween is a very, very close second. So, I'll take a mobile game update in tribute to yet another holiday that has lost all meaning, thanks Zynga. The company pushed out Version 1.023 of CityVille Hometown, and it's chock-full of goodies that will turn your quaint little down into a mini, digital Salem.
Of course, there are a number of Halloween-themed decorations to place in the game now, but players can also decorate buildings and businesses to give them that "haunted house" look. (Gee, if only decoration my own house was this simple.) The update also brings a bevy of Halloween-centric Goals, and a new building that's said to offer unique rewards, The Graveyard.
And luckily for you, Zynga threw in a few much-needed fixes like better inventory presentation to make using Energy simpler and a fix to the Energy out-of-sync issues. And when it comes to enhancements, CV Hometown now has improved animations and increased expansion space for your town. And with the amount of content that seems to be packed into this update, you might need the room sooner than you think.
CV Hometown Halloween theme
Click here to download CityVille Hometown for Free on the App Store Now >
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Have you seen all of the new stuff in the CV Hometown Halloween update? What do you think of the new content, and what else do you hope makes it into the game later on?
Of course, there are a number of Halloween-themed decorations to place in the game now, but players can also decorate buildings and businesses to give them that "haunted house" look. (Gee, if only decoration my own house was this simple.) The update also brings a bevy of Halloween-centric Goals, and a new building that's said to offer unique rewards, The Graveyard.
And luckily for you, Zynga threw in a few much-needed fixes like better inventory presentation to make using Energy simpler and a fix to the Energy out-of-sync issues. And when it comes to enhancements, CV Hometown now has improved animations and increased expansion space for your town. And with the amount of content that seems to be packed into this update, you might need the room sooner than you think.
CV Hometown Halloween theme
Click here to download CityVille Hometown for Free on the App Store Now >
Check out the rest of our Halloween coverage right here.
Have you seen all of the new stuff in the CV Hometown Halloween update? What do you think of the new content, and what else do you hope makes it into the game later on?
CW's The Vampire Diaries series now a 'fang-tastic' Facebook game
Launched today, The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In follows the heels of BBC's announcement for Being Human, another popular supernatural drama set to become a Facebook role-playing game.
The CW's The Vampire Diaries (adapted from a novel series by L.J. Smith of the same name) is a show about a female high schooler's romantic entanglements with two vampire brothers and the mysterious events surrounding their town.
Fans of the show can now visit Mystic Falls anytime instead of just Thursday nights, thanks to developer Arkadium and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Though Arkadium is best known for creating Mahjongg Dimensions and bringing Cooking Mama to Facebook, they've done work for The CW before, producing a Facebook game for the hit teen drama, Gossip Girl.
Gallery: The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In
Promising to draw upon "key plot lines," the game is currently divided into chapters, with eager fans having already completed chapter one and are now impatiently awaiting chapter two. When you begin, you're dropped into a fog in the middle of a dream, where you meet two of the show's three major characters--Elena and Damon. You get two item-fetching missions that are essentially a tutorial, then wake up to your first day at the Mystic Falls High School. An interactive map allows you to navigate the key parts of campus, your home, and the town, including the Mystic Grill restaurant. And while there's no voice acting, there's plenty of readable dialog and the music absolutely works to enhance the mood. It's all a very immersive experience.
The Vampire Diaries game map
Arkadium has clearly done its research. While I've not seen the series, the developer has created a game that completely indulges and rewards the most loyal fans while crafting enough intrigue to not alienate the random player who wanders in. The ultimate indulgence for fans is the mini-game "Mystic Trivia," which you can only pass if you have arcane knowledge of events in the show, such as, "Who is the warlock Bonnie flirts with, then messes with in Season 2?" or "What is the color of Damon's eyes?" This Facebook rendition of Vampire Diaries is clearly aimed at the lovestruck fan girls out there.
And speaking of fan girls, the game will know if you're male or female and tailor certain missions to you accordingly. In one mission, female players are sent to the cheerleading squad tryouts, while male players are sent to the football team. Though when you begin, no one asks what your gender is nor does the game ask you for a name. You're basically a cipher, and the characters in the game treat you as a student or a peer.
That the developers would allow such ambiguity is certainly worthy of notice. It'll be interesting, if there's more to it further down the road. Aside from trivia, there's a simple hidden object mechanic that takes up the bulk of the gameplay, followed by the "Mystic Pix" mini-game, which has you compare two screenshots of the show side-by-side.
Click here to play The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In on Facebook now >
[Hat-tip: BuzzFocus]
Will you play a Facebook game for TV series you've never seen before?
The CW's The Vampire Diaries (adapted from a novel series by L.J. Smith of the same name) is a show about a female high schooler's romantic entanglements with two vampire brothers and the mysterious events surrounding their town.
Fans of the show can now visit Mystic Falls anytime instead of just Thursday nights, thanks to developer Arkadium and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. Though Arkadium is best known for creating Mahjongg Dimensions and bringing Cooking Mama to Facebook, they've done work for The CW before, producing a Facebook game for the hit teen drama, Gossip Girl.
Gallery: The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In
Promising to draw upon "key plot lines," the game is currently divided into chapters, with eager fans having already completed chapter one and are now impatiently awaiting chapter two. When you begin, you're dropped into a fog in the middle of a dream, where you meet two of the show's three major characters--Elena and Damon. You get two item-fetching missions that are essentially a tutorial, then wake up to your first day at the Mystic Falls High School. An interactive map allows you to navigate the key parts of campus, your home, and the town, including the Mystic Grill restaurant. And while there's no voice acting, there's plenty of readable dialog and the music absolutely works to enhance the mood. It's all a very immersive experience.
The Vampire Diaries game map
Arkadium has clearly done its research. While I've not seen the series, the developer has created a game that completely indulges and rewards the most loyal fans while crafting enough intrigue to not alienate the random player who wanders in. The ultimate indulgence for fans is the mini-game "Mystic Trivia," which you can only pass if you have arcane knowledge of events in the show, such as, "Who is the warlock Bonnie flirts with, then messes with in Season 2?" or "What is the color of Damon's eyes?" This Facebook rendition of Vampire Diaries is clearly aimed at the lovestruck fan girls out there.
And speaking of fan girls, the game will know if you're male or female and tailor certain missions to you accordingly. In one mission, female players are sent to the cheerleading squad tryouts, while male players are sent to the football team. Though when you begin, no one asks what your gender is nor does the game ask you for a name. You're basically a cipher, and the characters in the game treat you as a student or a peer.
That the developers would allow such ambiguity is certainly worthy of notice. It'll be interesting, if there's more to it further down the road. Aside from trivia, there's a simple hidden object mechanic that takes up the bulk of the gameplay, followed by the "Mystic Pix" mini-game, which has you compare two screenshots of the show side-by-side.
Click here to play The Vampire Diaries: Get Sucked In on Facebook now >
[Hat-tip: BuzzFocus]
Will you play a Facebook game for TV series you've never seen before?
Chủ Nhật, 19 tháng 2, 2012
Take-Two CEO sips on the haterade, says Zynga's 'metrics are sketchy'
You'd think gunning for a sweet $1 billion and the top spot among video games' largest publishers would be fun. Well, not for FarmVille maker Zynga: Not only is the media after the 4-year-old company, but so is everyone else. The next big timer to "be hype"--as the cool kids say-- is Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two Interactive. During the Reuters Media Summit in New York, Zelnick openly questioned Zynga's business model, casting doubt over whether it can make good on investor expectations as it quickly approaches an initial public offering (IPO).
"I would argue being the No. 1 player in (social gaming) is complicated, which is why Zynga hasn't gone public yet because their metrics are sketchy," Zelnick said to Reuters during a talk. "I think they have disclosure issues, I think you are seeing their acquisition costs go up, marketing costs go up and they have very high churn."
Zelnick was likely referring to the company's frequent amendments to its S-1 filing with the US Security and Exchanges Commission since it filed for IPO early this summer. His words also seem to allude to the 14 some companies Zynga purchased in a single year, which helped it amass nearly 3,000 employees worldwide. Finally, Zelnick could have been talking about how quickly the CityVille creator has lost daily players recently. (What a loaded statement, huh?) We can't wait to see who else gets "jelly"--that's cool now too, right?
"I would argue being the No. 1 player in (social gaming) is complicated, which is why Zynga hasn't gone public yet because their metrics are sketchy," Zelnick said to Reuters during a talk. "I think they have disclosure issues, I think you are seeing their acquisition costs go up, marketing costs go up and they have very high churn."
Zelnick was likely referring to the company's frequent amendments to its S-1 filing with the US Security and Exchanges Commission since it filed for IPO early this summer. His words also seem to allude to the 14 some companies Zynga purchased in a single year, which helped it amass nearly 3,000 employees worldwide. Finally, Zelnick could have been talking about how quickly the CityVille creator has lost daily players recently. (What a loaded statement, huh?) We can't wait to see who else gets "jelly"--that's cool now too, right?
UK Facebook users could soon gamble their earnings away (for real)
As in, gamble their real cash away with the chance of actually winning money in return. According to eGaming Review (eGR) [paywall link], Facebook is talking with a number of UK operators to possibly open up its platform to real-money gambling. And the change could happen as soon as the first quarter in 2012. We can almost hear the sobs of British men in the gutter already from bad Zynga Poker matches.
eGR reports, citing anonymous sources (of course), that Facebook is considering providing eight licenses to UK operators looking to get into a market that developers are already trying to crack. According to the website, Facebook is already staffing up in preparation for the initiative. This type of thing is likely years away from happening in the US, where online gambling is, for all intents and purposes, illegal.
The UK-based online gambling companies in question reportedly include Gamesys and 888 Holdings. However, more details on how age gates, payment solutions or revenue splits between Facebook and the companies would work aren't available. The website speculates that Facebook could be using the UK as a testbed for similar efforts in other countries.
The news comes as particularly striking considering the number of mock-casino and betting games that have hit Facebook in recent months from DoubleDown Casino to Yazino's games and Bet Tycoon, to name a few. In fact, Yazino CEO Hussein Chahine thinks that the social gaming market would be vastly different today if not for how the US handled online gambling prior to the rise of the genre. Well, it looks like those floodgates are about to open--at least elsewhere in the world.
[Via TechCrunch]
[Image Credit: Gabriel Not]
eGR reports, citing anonymous sources (of course), that Facebook is considering providing eight licenses to UK operators looking to get into a market that developers are already trying to crack. According to the website, Facebook is already staffing up in preparation for the initiative. This type of thing is likely years away from happening in the US, where online gambling is, for all intents and purposes, illegal.
The UK-based online gambling companies in question reportedly include Gamesys and 888 Holdings. However, more details on how age gates, payment solutions or revenue splits between Facebook and the companies would work aren't available. The website speculates that Facebook could be using the UK as a testbed for similar efforts in other countries.
The news comes as particularly striking considering the number of mock-casino and betting games that have hit Facebook in recent months from DoubleDown Casino to Yazino's games and Bet Tycoon, to name a few. In fact, Yazino CEO Hussein Chahine thinks that the social gaming market would be vastly different today if not for how the US handled online gambling prior to the rise of the genre. Well, it looks like those floodgates are about to open--at least elsewhere in the world.
[Via TechCrunch]
[Image Credit: Gabriel Not]
Everybody, start your engines: Zynga will go public on Dec. 16 [Report]
Did you remember your enormous salt shaker? Good, because Reuters reports that Zynga, everybody's favorite social game maker, will make its stock market debut on Dec. 16. According to Reuters, the CityVille creator will look to raise $900 million, a hair down from the almost unanimously-reported $1 billion that will bring its valuation to $14 billion.
But hey, that's still right on par with the most valuable games company in the West, Activision Blizzard. (Of course, Reuters cites "a source involved in the process.") Zynga will reportedly ask between $8 and $10 a share on the Nasdaq under the ticker ZNGA--a fairly noticeable one, no? However, Reuters does confirm that Zynga will start its roadshow next week to spur investor interest.
That is, if investors can look past the recent torrent of reports and quips that don't paint the prettiest picture of the company behind FarmVille. The New York Times allegedly revealed that Angry Birds maker Rovio turned down a $2.25 billion offer from the company, while a recent Wall Street Journal report seems to have exposed quite the stock scandal within Zynga. Worse yet, players are apparently leaving in droves. It's time for Zynga to shift into third gear: That $900 million is atop one giant hill.
Would you ever invest in Zynga at such a price? Do you think the company could at least become the second most valuable games company in the US?
But hey, that's still right on par with the most valuable games company in the West, Activision Blizzard. (Of course, Reuters cites "a source involved in the process.") Zynga will reportedly ask between $8 and $10 a share on the Nasdaq under the ticker ZNGA--a fairly noticeable one, no? However, Reuters does confirm that Zynga will start its roadshow next week to spur investor interest.
That is, if investors can look past the recent torrent of reports and quips that don't paint the prettiest picture of the company behind FarmVille. The New York Times allegedly revealed that Angry Birds maker Rovio turned down a $2.25 billion offer from the company, while a recent Wall Street Journal report seems to have exposed quite the stock scandal within Zynga. Worse yet, players are apparently leaving in droves. It's time for Zynga to shift into third gear: That $900 million is atop one giant hill.
Would you ever invest in Zynga at such a price? Do you think the company could at least become the second most valuable games company in the US?
Food Force on Facebook: It's FarmVille for do-gooders
Two of the biggest reasons people play social games are distraction and relaxation, but a new Facebook game hopes to add another reason -- to do good in real life.
Food Force, a game created by Konami and the World Food Programme, puts players at the head of a virtual humanitarian aid agency with the goal of getting rid of hunger in different parts of the world. To complete this monumental task, players will need to grow crops a la FarmVille, turn them into expendable goods and ship them off to countries in need. As per most social games, friends are required to get the job done, and you'll be able to visit neighbors' agencies for bonuses.
The game itself isn't exactly groundbreaking (and a tad confusing), but the main selling point is that you can use Facebook Credits to buy power-ups in the in-game store and the proceeds go to the World Food Programme school meal initiative (which helps feed 20 million children every year). So, basically, if you use Facebook Credits to buy a tractor or some kind of fertilizer, you'll help feed a certain number of children. A 'real-life impact" tracker in the game lets you know how many kids you've helped.
food force real world impact
It's worth noting that this is the second debut for Food Force. The first was back in 2005 when Konami released another game with the same name, in which players executed emergency operations on a fictional island. The new Food Force on Facebook game is a little broader in scope than the original and takes advantage of Facebook's social features.
"Through this title, we hope that people in Japan and across the globe not only strengthen their understanding of WFP's work but also support their worldwide efforts against hunger while enjoying an accessible social game," says Konami Senior Vice President Kazuhiko Uehara.
We've seen this trend of doing good in other social games, like the popular FarmVille's Sweet Seeds for Haiti promotions, but this is one of the few games entirely devoted to building awareness and raising money for a cause. While the idea behind the game is, well, admirable, one can't help but wonder -- is the game going to get enough people to play to really make a difference? An existing game like FarmVille, with 20-some-odd millions of engaged players, might be a better vehicle for organizations that want to make a difference.
Rovio goes nuts for branding: Angry Birds new pistachio-peddling game
Yet somehow ... it just feels right. Rovio and Wonderful Pistachios have joined forces to release The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio, a branded Angry Birds game playable on the nut-seller's website through Google's Chrome browser. Rovio calls this the developer's first fully-branded Angry Birds game, as it was built from the ground up with Wonderful Pistachios in mind.
Rovio told Mashable that this is different from Angry Birds Rio, which just received its final update, since characters were integrated into that game. We still don't really see the difference, but moving right along. In this web version of Angry Birds, players must crack open pistachios and crush enemy pigs across five new levels available through Dec. 31.
But there's more incentive to play this variety of Angry Birds than to simply feed the need. By playing The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio, players have the chance of winning a total of $300,000 in prizes. The goodies range from a year's supply of Wonderful Pistachios to Angry Birds plush toys and $25,000 in cash, but you need to get to at least Level 3 to qualify. From then on, you can invite your friends on Facebook to get extra attempts at each level, and more chances at prizes.
Angry Birds Pistachio game
This all started when the Angry Birds were featured in a Wonderful Pistachios commercial. But Rovio is certainly no stranger to branding: The company has released everything from Angry Birds t-shirts to a cookbook, and plans to release a feature-length film by 2014. Making sure everyone and their mother has heard of you is certainly a fine strategy to soar past 500 million downloads.
Click here to play Angry Birds: The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio (Chrome Users Only) Now >
Are you still and Angry Birds fan after all this time? What do you think of these five new Angry Birds levels?
Rovio told Mashable that this is different from Angry Birds Rio, which just received its final update, since characters were integrated into that game. We still don't really see the difference, but moving right along. In this web version of Angry Birds, players must crack open pistachios and crush enemy pigs across five new levels available through Dec. 31.
But there's more incentive to play this variety of Angry Birds than to simply feed the need. By playing The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio, players have the chance of winning a total of $300,000 in prizes. The goodies range from a year's supply of Wonderful Pistachios to Angry Birds plush toys and $25,000 in cash, but you need to get to at least Level 3 to qualify. From then on, you can invite your friends on Facebook to get extra attempts at each level, and more chances at prizes.
Angry Birds Pistachio game
This all started when the Angry Birds were featured in a Wonderful Pistachios commercial. But Rovio is certainly no stranger to branding: The company has released everything from Angry Birds t-shirts to a cookbook, and plans to release a feature-length film by 2014. Making sure everyone and their mother has heard of you is certainly a fine strategy to soar past 500 million downloads.
Click here to play Angry Birds: The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio (Chrome Users Only) Now >
Are you still and Angry Birds fan after all this time? What do you think of these five new Angry Birds levels?
CityVille Hometown is here, your miniature mobile metropolis awaits
Well, it's about time. After going live on the Canadian App Store weeks ago, CityVille Hometown is finally here in the US and globally for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
The game marks a list of firsts for Zynga in that it's the company's first game to release on all iOS platforms simultaneously, not to mention its first mobile game to release in five languages.
The game allows players to import their existing Facebook and CityVille friends into a new, but separate mobile experience in the franchise. (Note: This is not a mobile extension of your CityVille web game, but a brand new one.)
However, the game will allow CityVille Hometown players to exchange gifts and resources to one another to lend a helping hand. And don't worry, you can visit their towns, too. For lucky iPhone 4 users out there, the game has fancy Retina Display graphics to boot. See for yourself in the trailer below.
The game marks a list of firsts for Zynga in that it's the company's first game to release on all iOS platforms simultaneously, not to mention its first mobile game to release in five languages.
The game allows players to import their existing Facebook and CityVille friends into a new, but separate mobile experience in the franchise. (Note: This is not a mobile extension of your CityVille web game, but a brand new one.)
However, the game will allow CityVille Hometown players to exchange gifts and resources to one another to lend a helping hand. And don't worry, you can visit their towns, too. For lucky iPhone 4 users out there, the game has fancy Retina Display graphics to boot. See for yourself in the trailer below.
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