A Note About The Recent Limited-Time-To-Request-Upgrade Parts NYC Property: Botanical Garden

In the course of preparing future limited-time-to-request-upgrade-parts New York City properties, we accidentally turned on the Botanical Garden this afternoon. We have since disabled the property, as it is not due for release until the beginning of December. When it is officially released, you will be able to request upgrade parts for 14 full days and any progress you may have made in the approximately 2 hours it was available today will already be in place. We apologize for the mix-up. Stay tuned for a different limited-time-to-request-upgrade-parts New York City property releasing next week!

- The Mafia Wars Team

 

 

 

Family Boss Fight: Jimmy Lechon

by Jimmy Lechon, the new Family Boss who thinks there's not enough room for the both of 'em. Use the collaborative strength of your family to show him that he's not as dangerous as he thinks he is, and be among the top contributors to the fight for a chance to recieve the Death Card (200/200) when your family beats him!

Family Boss Fights pit your entire family against an epic boss. In the case of Jimmy Lechon, you'll have 7 days to reduce his 1,125,000 health to zero. (You may have more or less time to take out future Family Bosses.) Whenever the timer runs out on a Family Boss Fight, the boss' health resets and you will have another chance to prove your family is in charge.

New Limited-Time-To-Request-Upgrade Parts NYC Property: Ciderhouse

The Ciderhouse is our newest limited-time-to-request-upgrade-parts New York City property! You have until 12:00 PM (Pacific Time) on Thursday 11/24 to upgrade it to its maximum potential through feeds/requests. The Ciderhouse will retain the level to which you are able to upgrade it by the time the countdown timer reaches 0:00:00, after which the only way to upgrade the property will be by purchasing the remaining parts you need with RP.

The Ciderhouse will allow you to craft some fermented loot, including the Cider Truck (100/75

Retro Gaming Crates

Running a mob empire is not a game, but, in this day and age, there's big money in those little pixels. with that in mind, we bring you ! Check out the 8 pixel-powered items we've boxed up in the Marketplace!

 

 

Retro Gaming Crate Loot Chance Table

Uncommon

New Mission Event: Family Gatherings

Rumors of the meeting of the Dons in Italy are flying like swallows in spring time. One Capo discovered a planned attack on the Dons Meeting and wound up dead. It's now up to you to prevent the attack, even if it means breaking into the Dons Meeting yourself. Complete Mission Event: Family Gatherings by 4:00 PM (Pacific Time) on 11/29 to earn the Chomp Rocket (92/159)!

 

HDSA Fundraising Item: Cane Sword

Mafia Wars and the Huntington’s Disease Society of America are working together to cut Huntington's Disease down to size. Buy a Cane Sword (148/90) by 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) on 11/24/2011 for $3 USD (or 6 for $15 USD), and 100% of the purchase price will go towards potential therapies to treat symptoms of Huntington's Disease and, eventually, the disease itself. We wish to extend a special thank you to the many compassionate Mafia Wars players who continue to write in to suggest that, together, we can make a positive impact.

 

Mission Event: Money on the Water Walkthrough

Yes, it has been a while since I have posted, but the drop-off of Mafia Wars players has led to a decrease in traffic at the site and I have been pondering how much time to put into a revamp.

For the time being though, let's get the new mission updated.

Mission Event: Family Gatherings Walkthrough

One mission ends, another begins.  Here comes a 9 part Italy based mission which is very very time consuming.  Use this walkthrough to time your property collects, level ups and wars and you should be able to finish on time, but it will be close.

Part 1:

Your Stats May Change (For The Better) With Henchmen Conversion

As was announced last week, the new Henchman category will be introduced to the inventory system very soon. Some players may notice that their total Armor stats will decrease when this happens. This is because many of the items previously listed in your Armor category will have been moved into the Henchmen group. Although this will primarily affect your Armor, there may be a few items from other categories that will be moved into the Henchmen group as well. If you notice a decrease in any of your original item categories, you should note an increase in your new Henchmen one, and your total combined score should actually be larger than when people items were categorized as Armor.

New NYC Property: Biker Clubhouse

Following last week's Tad's Gun Shop, the Biker Clubhouse is our fourth limited-time-to-upgrade New York City property. You have until 12:00 pm PDT on Thursday 10/6/2011 to upgrade it to its maximum potential through feeds/requests. The Biker Clubhouse will retain the level to which you are able to upgrade it by the time the countdown timer reaches 0:00:00.

The Biker Clubhouse will allow you to craft some cool biker-related items, including ones with skill points when you've upgraded the property to higher levels.

We will be releasing a new limited-time-to-upgrade NYC property each week for the next few weeks, so stay tuned and get your Mafia to help by sending you upgrade parts!

 

October Collector's Edition Items

We are excited to announce the October Collector's Edition Item Schedule, even if it is currently incomplete. (We'll be updating it early next week.) Two items will be added to the Marketplace each week, a 35RP one on Tuesdays and a 46RP one with skill points on Fridays. On each of these days, a count of 2,000 will be made available at 2:00am PDT and an additional 5,000 will be made available at 9:00am PDT. You will have only 24 hours to buy yours, but don't wait until the last minute, as these exclusive items tend to sell out quickly! Visit the Marketplace every Tuesday and Friday to try to nab one of the precious 7,000 of each Collector's Edition Item. Check out the schedule below!

October Collector's Edition Item ScheduleTuesday, 10/4:
Red Wolf Exo Suit
(143/85)

New Mission Event: You Iced My Father...

Family friend, Joe Castellano, wants to help you track down your father's killer. You can put up a fight, but this is a battle you cannot do alone. You'll need to find some extra help, weapons, and a vehicle to catch up to and exact revenge on "Noneck" - and earn the Turnstyle (158/87) for your efforts.

 

Family Boss Fight: Clyde Axworthy

by Clyde Axworthy, the new Family Boss outta Chicago who thinks there's not enough room in the town for both of 'em. Use the collaborative strength of your family to show him that he's not as sharp as he thinks he is!

Family Boss Fights pit your entire family against an epic boss. In the case of Clyde Axworthy, you'll have 7 days to reduce his 1.25 million health to zero. (You may have more or less time to take out future Family Bosses.) Whenever the timer runs out on a Family Boss Fight, the boss' health resets and you will have another chance to prove your family is in charge. For a limited time, you'll be able to take down Clyde Axworthy repeatedly (if you can even do it once) without a cool-down timer!

New NYC Property: Martial Arts Dojo

Following last week's Biker Clubhouse, the Martial Arts Dojo is our fifth limited-time-to-upgrade New York City property. You have until 12:00 pm PDT on Thursday 10/20/2011 to upgrade it to its maximum potential through feeds/requests. The Martial Arts Dojo will retain the level to which you are able to upgrade it by the time the countdown timer reaches 0:00:00.

The Martial Arts Dojo will allow you to craft some kick-butt martial-arts-related items, including ones with skill points when you've upgraded the property to higher levels.

We will be releasing a new limited-time-to-upgrade NYC property each week for the next few weeks, so stay tuned and get your Mafia to help by sending you upgrade parts!

 

 

Mafia Wars Insider: Episode 12 Delayed

Episode 12 of Mafia Wars Insider has been delayed until next week. We apologize for the inconvenience.

- The Mafia Wars Team

 

 

 

New Mission Event: La Casa Grande + Secret District: Leticia, Colombia

Imagine getting thrown in "The Big House." Now imagine getting thrown in the big house in Brazil! Escape from La Casa Grande in our latest Mission Event by 5:00pm PDT on 10/21 to earn the Jaguarundi (87/159).

Put 'Em On Ice Fighting Event

The newest event should make the fighters among us happy.  Rack up the ices and rack up the good loot.  This is actually a great event because fighters will get rewarded for what they already do - Icing other players.  For the top reward though you need 1000 ices in 11 days though, so it may take more fighting than usual.

Kassina Kunoichi Boss Fight WalkThrough

The 2nd in this series of Boss Fights is rolling out to everybody.  It goes along the same guidelines of the Roughhouse Rafael fights.  Nothing is used but the 4 consumables.  Health is taken from you, but no Stamina used or Experience given.

Get Satisfaction

A small group of players will notice that there is now a Feedback tab in your Account dropdown menu. This will give you direct access to Mafia Wars .   was launched in early November of last year and continues to grow.  It is a site that organizes player feedback and faciliates getting answers to questions and solutions to problems. To learn how to sign up and navigate the site go HERE.

Release Notes 3/4/2011

Game Updates

Events

Love Is Hard to Find

The Love Is Hard to Find Gifting Combo Event expired on Feb 22nd and redemption of Broken Hearts for loot items remained open for 3 more days.  For more details, visit the Customer Support Love Is Hard To Find 411 Page. 

Carnaval Brazil

Mafia Wars is taking part in this years Brazilian Carnaval and you are invited to join in the festivities! Prepare for the launch of our newest destination, Brazil, by collecting Carnaval Masks through Gifting, Jobs, Fights and Robbing. When you collect enough, redeem them for cool Brazilian themed loot items. Look for rare Golden Masks that are the equivalent of 5 Carnaval Masks.  Get a leg up on the competition by saving enough Carnaval Masks to gain early access to Brazil where new Jobs, Properties, and Loot await.  To be a part of the Brazil Beta group, you must redeem your Carnaval Masks for at least one Air Brazil loot item. For more details, visit the Customer Support  Combo Event Page.

St. Patrick's Day Mock War

will be begin on March 17th at 10:00 am PST and end on March 20th at 11:59 pm PST.  The Plastic Paddy's and the Killkenny Killers will battle it out to see who ices best. This is a second in a series of mock wars open to the public. You don't need to be in a clan/family to participate and all Mafia Wars players are welcome. If you haven't been a part of a war, now is the time to see what it's like. If you are a war veteran, you won't want to miss this one as the registration and fightlist spreadsheets are cutting edge.  The atmosphere is friendly and you can win cool prizes. Don't delay and sign up now.  For registration instructions go here. Once you register, you will be assigned to one of two teams. If you need more details on what happens during a war, go here.  Feel free to ask any questions you have on the discussion threads referenced above. 

A Tribute to Matty

The entire Mafia Wars team gives our heartfelt condolences to the Melton family. Little Matty touched many people in his short life. He brought the Mafia Wars Community together and demonstrated the strength of a true fighter. His father, Matt Melton, is a Mafia Wars player and a member of the family

Brazil: Early Access

The Mafia Wars Brazil Beta launch is NOW! and there are two options to gain early access. Collect 150 Carnaval Masks and redeem them for an Air Brazil and you will be one of the first to explore our newest destination. Short on masks? Don't worry, you can participate in the Mafia Wars/CityVill cross game promotion.  Just look for the link on your Home Page Module and follow the instructions. For information, visit this Customer Support Page.

 

Release Notes 3/17/2011

Game News

Welcome to BraZIL

Our newest destination, Brazil, was launched this week and new twists and turns await you. For more information on the lay out and access, visit the Customer Support Early Access and Brazil 411 and FAQ pages. 

Release Notes 3/30/2011

Game News

Brazil Open To All

Brazil is now open to all players. Just use your travel menu and you're there. For all the details, visit the Customer Support Brazil 411 and FAQ page.

Mafia Wars Community Recruiting Challenge

Mafia Wars is hiring for engineers and game designers!  You know how to build a criminal empire in Mafia Wars, but do you have what it takes to design or code one?

We're looking for people to work with the best of the best in social gaming, and to create games played by millions. If you think this could be you, then take our GAME DESIGN or ENGINEERING challenge below.

 

 

Game Design Challenge: 

 

Design a board game version of Mafia Wars, and show us the game play through a video.   We’re looking for creative people who can express their ideas, so how you present your game in the video is as critical as your design.

Design Challenge Rules:

Videos must be less than 3 minutes in length.  Videos should be uploaded to YouTube, and the link emailed to MafiaRecruiting

Quick update on MWG

Hey everyone,

As many of you have noticed, there has not been any posts in awhile. Phil's Mafia Wars and paypal accounts were hacked. Someone traded off all his MW loot and racked up a bunch of charges on his paypal account. Since he didn't feel like starting over, he decided to throw in the towel on MW, at least to the best of my knowledge (feel free to chime in Phil if you happen to see this).

If anyone wants to take up the mantle, feel free to drop me an e-mail at mafiawarsguide _a t_ gmail dot com (naturally, replace the __a t__ and dot with an appropriate symbol). I offer a revenue share of advertising revenue, though it would not be much (75-100 a month-ish) with potential for more if you are able to restore the blog to its formal glory ;p.

Mafia Wars Meetup Day Event is April 8th

The first official "Mafia Wars Meetup Day" is coming up fast on Friday, April 8th.  There are currently over 1700 communities scheduled to participate worldwide.  If you are interested, make sure you head over to the Mafia Wars Main Page and sign-up for the event closest to you.  Any location with over 50 confirmed attendees will be sent a special "Mafia Meetup Starter Kit".  Currently among the top 10 most active include 2 from the Philippines, 4 from the U.S. and such Mafia Wars leaders as Kuala Lumpar and Mumbai.  This is a chance to get out and meet fellow Mafia Wars players, share your knowledge and gain the knowledge of your fellow players.  Still under 501?  This will be a great opportunity to add to your family in person.  Still stuck in Bangkok?  Find out from area leaders in one of the world's most popular games how to defeat the Yakuza and get closer to dominating your friends.  Sign-up today!

Daily Gift - Free Skill Point 3/27/2011

Region 1: Roma (update: Dec 1)Region 2: PalermoRegion 3: Venezia (update: Dec 5)Region 4: Milano (update: Nov 13)Region 5: Napoli (update: Nov 27)Region 6: Calabria (update: Jan 26)Region 7: Citta Del VaticanoRegion 8: The Eternal City

Daily Gift - Free Attack Point 3/28/2011

Region 1: Roma (update: Dec 1)Region 2: PalermoRegion 3: Venezia (update: Dec 5)Region 4: Milano (update: Nov 13)Region 5: Napoli (update: Nov 27)Region 6: Calabria (update: Jan 26)Region 7: Citta Del VaticanoRegion 8: The Eternal City

Free Attack Point

YTozOntpOjA7czo1OiJpbmRleCI7aToxO3M6OToiZmFuX2JsYXN0IjtpOjI7czoyMDc6IiZpZD0xNzEmaW5zdGFsbF9zb3VyY2U9ZW1haWwmc2VuZGtleT04OWIxMWUxZGU2MTMyNzhhYzc2OWRjNTI4MmVmOTExOSQkYjRQbDQwMi1mamJ6S1ouMXNyeE1GQlI2VXl2d2NjRXh3YXRiKGIyLi1kaHFZNzdQNGNjQXpBelVwMyF1X3EoeXlqQnNqRXNSVFVwQ0NyVSZ6eV9jcmVhdGl2ZT1ibGFzdF9hdHRhY2sgMV8wNC0wNS0yMDExJnp5X2FmZmlsaWF0ZT1lbWFpbCI7fQ%3D%3D

Daily Gift - Free Defense Point 3/29/2011

Region 1: Roma (update: Dec 1)Region 2: PalermoRegion 3: Venezia (update: Dec 5)Region 4: Milano (update: Nov 13)Region 5: Napoli (update: Nov 27)Region 6: Calabria (update: Jan 26)Region 7: Citta Del VaticanoRegion 8: The Eternal City

Daily Gift - Free Health Point 3/30/2011

Region 1: Roma (update: Dec 1)Region 2: PalermoRegion 3: Venezia (update: Dec 5)Region 4: Milano (update: Nov 13)Region 5: Napoli (update: Nov 27)Region 6: Calabria (update: Jan 26)Region 7: Citta Del VaticanoRegion 8: The Eternal City

Take Back the Street Mission Walkthrough

Here is the newest mission from Mafia Wars.  Once again, it is 6 parts and does require some time or some reward points.  It is a timed mission, so make sure you check the timer and get it done in time as there are some pretty good rewards!  Keep in mind that your experience earned from each is different due to your level.

Mini Energy Packs

So, I just noticed this new "Mini Energy Pack" feature. I personally am a fan of this. Before I could get 2 extra levels a day through energy packs (only 1 extra level in Brazil because of energy:experience ratio). But with 6 , you should be able to get up to 6 extra levels a day, which will make clearing Brazil much easier, but apparently this is only for a "limited time" so I would take advantage of this now and clear Brazil quickly.

Sunk cost fallacy: Economics claims FarmVille isn't fun

According to a blogger at YouAreNotSoSmart.com, FarmVille's mindblowing success has absolutely nothing to do with the game actually being fun. Zynga's farming titan owes all of its success to a little economic theory called Sunk Cost.

Sunk cost is based on the idea that people have stronger emotional ties to things they have lost (including intangible things such as time) than they do to things they have gained. It also claims that the psychological drive to get back things that you have lost will cause you to do some pretty wacky things. Such as pay for a virtual currency named Farm Cash. Or beg your friends to help your revive your crops.

FarmVille uses the ideas of loss aversion and sunk cost to drive many of its features. The game encourages players to plant a large farm full of seeds that take time to grow, start building structures, and plant some trees, and then sends you away to enjoy your life (or another game). It's the fact that you know your crops will wither, that your trees will be blossoming and ready for harvest, that your structures are waiting to be completed, that makes you want to come back. You don't want to lose out on your time investment (even though you can't get that time back). And of course, you can pay your precious real life cash to prevent bad things from happening to your crops.
Farmville players are mired in a pit of sunk costs. They can never get back the time or the money they've spent, but they keep playing to avoid feeling the pain of loss and the ugly sensation waste creates. Of course, this isn't the first time we've heard someone trying to completely dismiss our love of the game as a psychological addiction. However, what this article fails to recognize is that the game can still be fun despite a known economic theory driving much of the original game's design. I don't personally play FarmVille because I want to tend my cows and my crops and prevent losses or get back time that I've already spent. I play it because I like to decorate my farm. I like the collection aspect of the game. And other players enjoy FarmVille for completely different reasons.

Sunk cost may explain why FarmVille grew so fast, or why it continues to be a prime money maker in the social games space. But in my humble opinion, blanket statements such as "FarmVille isn't fun based on X fact or Y fact" are completely unjustified. Millions and millions of players enjoy FarmVille for a variety of reasons. Not every gamer is the same. I certainly don't feel like the game is exploiting my psychology, I just like making stupid decorations out of damn haybales.

FarmVille LE English Countryside Animals: Suffolk Horse, Devon Pig, Orange Ewe and more

Five new animals have officially launched in FarmVille this evening as part of the limited edition English Countryside theme. We brought you a sneak peek of two of these animals just this evening, proving our prediction that they would be launching "soon." They are the Suffolk Horse and the Suffolk Foal. Of course, you'll be able to purchase the Suffolk Horse from the store for 26 Farm Cash, while the foal can then be bred from a Suffolk Horse in the Horse Stable.

The Suffolk Horse can be purchased for either your Home Farm or your second farm in the English Countryside, as can the Devon Pig, which is available to purchase for 16 Farm Cash. Two other animals, the Orange and Yellow Ewes, are exclusive to the English Countryside, as they can be used for breeding. Both are available for 20 Farm Cash each.

The Suffolk Horse and Devon Pig will be in the store for the next two weeks, while the Orange and Yellow Ewes will be available to purchase for the next three weeks. Make sure to purchase them sooner, rather than later, if you'd like to start breeding Lambs in those two color families while you still can.

Check out the rest of our English Countryside coverage right here.

Will you purchase either the Suffolk Horse or the Devon Pig? How about adding one of these two Ewes to your Sheep Pen? Let us know in the comments.
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Filed under: Farmville

Tags: england, england expansion, english countryside, farmville, farmville animals, farmville england, farmville england expansion, farmville english countryside, farmville suffolk horse, suffolk horse, zyngaMore games news, tips and cheatsFarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: Suffolk Horse, Suffolk Foal, and Lop RabbitFarmVille LE English Countryside Animals: Shire Horse, Brown Dutch Rabbit & MoreFarmVille LE English Countryside Buildings: Garden Gazebo, Tudor Cottage & Oast HouseFarmVille: Sussex Chicken now in Chicken CoopFarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: Shetland Pony, Sussex Chicken, Bagot Goat & much moreFarmVille LE English Countryside Decorations: Flower Barrow, Garden Pond & MoreFarmVille English Countryside: Build and expand the Sheep PenFarmVille: English Countryside rollout "on hold" due to bugsFarmVille LE English Countryside Decorations: Tea Shop, Garden Bench, Tea Cup Ride & MoreFarmVille English Countryside Avatar Clothing: Tea Party Hat I, Tea Party Dress II, & morePlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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Game of the Day: Flip Words

The Game of the Day wants the word smith in you to come on a spell it up! Flip Words: You'll flip over our word game, 'Flip Words'! The first letter of each word you make will be revealed in the phrase you're trying to solve. Once you recognize the phrase, you can submit your guess or, try to reveal all the letters for a special bonus!
Click --> Play Flip Words
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.
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Filed under: Game of the Day

Tags: brain games, flip words, free games, free online games, game of the day, games.com, online games, word gamesMore games news, tips and cheatsGame of the Day: Letter LinkerGame of the Day: The Mystery of the Crystal PortalGame of the Day: My Word!Game of the Day: CubeHuntGame of the Day: Gold Miner VegasGame of the Day: Atlantis QuestGame of the Day: Aztec Mind 2Game of the Day: Vigor The Pizza BoyGame of the Day: TurboSpotGame of the Day: Jumble CrosswordsPlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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CityVille Higher Education Goals: Everything you need to know

According to Zynga, it's time to get edumacated in CityVille. Well, through a new set of "Higher Education" Goals, that is. Rolling in the new High Education theme, these seven--count 'em!--Goals will guide you along in acquiring some of this new content. Now, let's find out from this early information just how you're going to keep on the books.

FarmVille feedback survey asks, 'Would you recommend me?'

We know you hate the Pause feature, but put the pitchforks down for a second--this news could help your farm down the line. According to FarmVille Freak, several FarmVille farmers have reported a link to a feedback survey located beneath the game screen. This is no sponsored link, folks. Clicking on the link will bring players to a separate web page containing a survey of seven questions. Among feedback on the English Countryside expansion, the most notable query is simple: "How likely are you to recommend FarmVille?"

The next, large question features several considerations that many players complain are what drove them away like "efficiency" and "technical issues." It looks like Zynga is trying to restore their former glory through--wait for it--changing the game itself. Check out the survey in full right here; this could change the game for the better later down the line.

Have you seen or taken the survey already? What change or upgrade to FarmVille would make you most likely recommend the game to someone? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
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Filed under: Farmville

Tags: analytics, changes, england, FarmVille, FarmVille English Countryside, FarmVille Freak, feedback, improvements, recommendations, survey, zyngaMore games news, tips and cheatsFarmVille English Countryside: Wildflowers blow in, give precious XPFarmVille English Countryside Mystery Gift prizes include vehiclesFarmVille English Countryside Animals, Broken Combine leak to iOSFarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: Meet Olivia the Pub KeeperFarmVille English Countryside trailer released (with Queen's permission)FarmVille English Countryside Cheats and Tips: Sheep Breeding 101FarmVille English Countryside Cheats and Tips: A new travelers guideFarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: Music to your earsFarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: Duke's AirshipFarmVille LE English Countryside Animals: Suffolk Horse, Devon Pig, Orange Ewe and morePlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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Quote of the Moment: 'Metrics ... help us make [social] games better'

he numbers give us an idea of roughly what kind of feature to do because there are some kinds of features that are more likely to drive people to pay or to drive people to stick and come back a lot or to invite their friends or things like that. So you can kind of aim a feature at different things or different combinations of things, but then you still have to have someone to be creative to make it cool and to make it fun and to make it fit into a long term story that makes sense to people. So I think that the metrics are something that help us make the games better. Zynga chief creative officer Brian Reynolds of FrontierVille fame said this to IndustryGamers in a recent interview. Essentially, this is Reynolds' defense against critics of the metrics-driven game design system. Many, most notably indie game designer Jon Blow, consider this approach to game design exploitative and devoid of fun and creativity. According to Reynolds' words, working within the constraints of metrics actually focus designers into making social games better based on feedback. We're no game designers, so we'll take your word for it, Brian.

CityVille Police Station Upgrades 5 and 6: Everything you need to know

While higher education doesn't normally lead to higher crime rates, that's exactly what it did in CityVille, oddly enough. Levels 5 and 6 of the Police Station released recently, which resulted in four new Bandits breaking out into the streets. Thankfully, you have a new Police Cruiser and Helicopter to combat them. Here's how to do it.

Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in Dr. Drew promotion

With everything you left behind on your way to the English Countryside, it might be a good idea to take advantage of every free Farm Cash opportunity you can. Zynga has released yet another FarmVille Sponsored Link, and this time Dr. Drew is here to dole out the dough. Once the link becomes available, find it beneath the game screen--it has a Dr. Drew logo on it. The star of Celebrity Rehab and Sober House has some questions about your own potential addiction.

Clicking on the link will take players to a pop-up survey, surrounded by the wooden-looking border (to remind you that it's official). Just answer Dr. Drew's nagging questions and one you're through the familiar "You've earned your Farm Cash" message should appear in the upper right. Click on the blue X to close the window correctly and your Farm Cash should post to your account within an hour. Now, you're 2 Farm Cash richer and one step closer to getting over your FarmVille addiction. One tiny step.

Poll: Would you ever remove a FarmVille, Facebook game friend?

FrontierVille forum contributor Purselamplady (how do folks come up with these names?) suffers a dilemma. One of her high-level friends, for all intents and purposes, is a load. For all of her request she responds to and Lunches she sends, this gal sends nothing, nor does she help at any point. She just reaps the benefits, as if she needs them more than anyone else. In other words, she's not the type of friend that ... works in FrontierVille. So, to leave or not to leave, that is the question:

Would you ever remove a neighbor?survey software
Have a unique answer? Then share with us in the comments. Add Comment.
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Filed under: Farmville, FrontierVille

Tags: defriend, Defriending, FarmVille, friend, friends, frontierville, lunchtime poll, neighborhood, neighbors, poll, unfriend, unfriending, zyngaMore games news, tips and cheatsLunchtime Poll: How is the FarmVille English Countryside music?Lunchtime Poll: After FarmVille English Countryside, will you go back?March Madness Facebook Game Showdown: Round 1Lunchtime Poll: Does Facebook game elitism exist?FrontierVille Update: Visit Neighbors who visit you the easy wayPoll: Should FrontierVille crops and animals have Mastery ratings?CityVille Cheats and Tips: How to be a good NeighborQuote of the Moment: 'Metrics ... help us make

Sony Online Entertainment closes three studios; social games suffer? [Updated]

(Update: SOE has provides an official response on the closure's effects on social games. Find the statement after the break.)

Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) has made an upsetting move today, closing its Denver, Seattle and Tuscon studios while laying off a total of 205 employees, Joystiq reports. While SOE has yet to make official confirmation, its social games could take a hit as both SOE Denver and Tucson worked on Facebook games. Sony's "strategic decision to reduce costs and streamline its global workforce" will result in the cancellation of development on The Agency, its awaited spy-combat MMO that SOE Seattle was working on.

The move was also made in favor of focusing development strength on the company's upcoming Planetside and Everquest MMOs. Unfortunately, the only studio left to create Facebook games is SOE headquarters in San Diego, Calif, which just released Catch A Killer on Facebook. Our best wishes go out to all those affected by the closures. SOE's full statement is after the break.

Here's the official statement from SOE provided to Joystiq:
As part of a strategic decision to reduce costs and streamline its global workforce, SOE announced today that it will eliminate 205 positions and close its Denver, Seattle and Tucson studios. As part of this restructuring, SOE is discontinuing production of The Agency so it can focus development resources on delivering two new MMOs based on its renowned PlanetSide and EverQuest properties, while also maintaining its current portfolio of online games. All possible steps are being taken to ensure team members affected by the transition are treated with appropriate concern.

This strategic decision will have no impact on SOE's current portfolio of live games; additionally SOE will transition development efforts for the Denver and Tucson studios' suite of products to its San Diego headquarters. This strategic alignment of development resources better positions SOE to remain a global leader in online gaming and deliver on its promise of creating entertaining games for players of all ages, and servicing the 20 million players that visited SOE servers in just the past year. SOE Seattle also developed and released a Facebook companion game for the The Agency called The Agency: Covert Ops. As for SOE Tucson, some of its team created PoxNora for Facebook last year. While it's yet to be confirmed, these projects could very well be shuttered right along with The Agency. We've contacted SOE for comment.

Official comment from SOE regarding its effect on social games:
Our free-to-play, casual games and all other live titles will continue on being supported. This strategic decision will have no impact on SOE's current portfolio of games and will better position SOE to deliver on its promise of developing entertaining games for players of all ages and remaining a global leader in online gaming.
What do you think of SOE's decision to close three studios that created social games? What does this spell for the future of SOE in the social games space? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Cafe World Supreme Cuisine Event: Choose a side, cook its delicacies

Comments by Joe Osborne, Posted Mar 31st 2011 4:55PM Tweet
A major event, Zynga's "Iron Chef," if you will, is about to begin in Cafe World. It's called Supreme Cuisine, and it will pit diametrically opposed, cultural culinary traditions against one another in a massive cook-off. The event will be organized into an elimination round-style tournament with the winner crowned the world's Supreme Cuisine. According to the video, players will have to choose between either Hearty Italian chef Piero and Classic French chef Raquel (you can even follow their progress on Twitter) in the first round of this competition. As players cook limited edition recipes from the culinary school of their choosing, they can earn new recipes and collectible trophies. It's unknown exactly when this event will release, though I can bet that it will be a slow roll-out. We're done fueling the hype, so let the above video do the rest.

Have you seen this feature appear in your Cafe World yet? Which side would you choose in the first round? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
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Filed under: Cafe World

Tags: cafe, cafe world, cuisine, event, french, italian, supreme, supreme cuisine, twitter, world food, zyngaMore games news, tips and cheatsCafe World Supreme Cuisine Goals: Everything you need to knowCafe World OK Karaoke Catering Order: Everything you need to knowZynga posts strange Cafe World survey; new contest in the works?Zynga raises $2.2 million for Japan relief effort (with a li'l help from Ashton and Britney)Cafe World Early Access Goals: Everything you need to knowCityVille Lorenzo's Family Goals: Everything you need to knowCityVille Italian Theme brings out the foodie in youCafe World gets new Cookbook in scrumptious updateCafe World 7th Inning Snacks Catering Order: Everything you need to knowMarch Madness Facebook Game Showdown: Round 1Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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EA fields MLB Facebook game, World Series Superstars

Admittedly, you could have seen this one coming from a mile away. EA has launched its fourth sports game on Facebook, World Series Superstars, a pro baseball social game, Gamasutra reports. And according to CNBC, it's the company's first baseball game in six years thanks to Take Two Interactive owning the rights to MLB-based games since 2005. However, that agreement did not cover Facebook games, and how could it have? The genre has only been around for three years at most. Very sneaky, EA.

Regardless, the game was developed by the company's social gaming arm, Playfish, as was Madden NFL Superstars and FIFA Superstars before it, which are home to 1.5 million and 3.5 million monthly players respectively, according to Gamasutra. World Series Superstars allows players to create their own dream team and compete in a single-player league as well as with their Facebook friends. Through successful games, players can increase their team's strengths and deck out their stadiums. And considering everyone is just about back from Clearwater at this point, EA could not have better timing.

Have you tried World Series Superstars on Facebook yet? How do you think this game will fare compared to previous sports games on Facebook? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.
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Tags: baseball, cnbc, ea, Electronic-Arts, fifa, Gamasutra, madden, major league baseball, mlb, Playfish, world series, world series superstarsMore games news, tips and cheatsNBA Legend social game alley-oops onto Facebook this weekEA, Playfish sip on Florida Orange Juice in Pet Society, Restaurant CityEA offers indie Facebook game creators helping hand with EA PartnersMadden Super Bowl Showdown on Facebook offers 1 million coinsWhy core gamers hate social gamers: Is it all about the money?Zynga is the second most valuable game company in the worldShould FarmVille maker Zynga watch out for Richard Garriott?Former Tecmo Koei CEO joins Zynga Japan sans vegetable hatMarch Madness Facebook Game Showdown: Final FourSyfy Channel beaming up to social games businessPlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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FrontierVille April Missions: Everything you need to know

To celebrate the beginning of April tomorrow, Zynga has launched a five-part mission series in FrontierVille called simply the "April Missions." Each mission has something to do with a task normally undertaken during the month in the real world, such as April Fools' Day, tax season, and so on.

To start, the first missions of five is called "April Fools," and it asks you to collect a single item from the new April Fools collection, along with completing two other tasks.

Have 500 Wood
Collect one Snake in a Can
Tend 30 Neighbors' Oxen

To collect this Snake in a Can, all you'll need to do is complete tasks around your Homestead, as they will drop at random throughout the entire month of April (and presumably the rest of this evening as well). Your rewards for completing this first mission aren't a joke - 500 XP and 1 Tool Box, which contains a handful of valuable building items for use on your Homestead.

FrontierVille April Fools Collection available for one month only

Just like the St. Patrick's Day collection in FrontierVille, which contains collectible items that can be found by completing all manner of tasks on your Homestead, from feeding animals to harvesting crops and trees, a new collection has launched that will celebrate the month of April. This new collection is called the April Fools Collection, and it asks you collect five "prank" items around your land.

Snake in a Can
Fake Vomit
Finger Trap
Dribble Glass
Itching Powder

Once you complete this collection (which, if it's anything like the St. Patrick's Day collection, you'll be doing many, many times over), you'll be able to turn it in for 200 XP and a Cactus. Even if you didn't need the Cactus, the 200 XP is nothing to scoff at, making this arguably a much more valuable collection than most of those that have come before.

It's presumable that you'll be able to turn in this collection after April itself has passed, but the items themselves will apparently only be available as drops during that time frame. Play fast and play a lot to make sure you earn as many free experience points as you can, while you can.

What do you think of the items in this April Fools Collection? Will you play any virtual pranks on your neighbors? Let us know in the comments.
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Tags: april, april collection, april fools day, collections, frontierville, frontierville collections, zyngaMore games news, tips and cheatsFrontierVille April Missions: Everything you need to knowFrontierVille Corral Collection offers Carrot Treat for your HorsesFrontierVille St. Patrick's Day Collection has a Pot of Gold at the endFrontierVille Coyote and Chickens Eaten Collections arrive earlyFrontierVille Blacksmith Collection arrives with Sharp Axes in towNew FrontierVille Collections: Flower Shop & Flower GardeningFrontierVille: Peppermint available to grow; collection now availableFrontierVille Doctor's Office collection now availableFrontierVille Injured Animal Mission coming soon; Collection now availableFrontierVille Kissing Tree Collection now availablePlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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Cafe World Supreme Cuisine Goals: Everything you need to know

The Supreme Cuisine event has officially launched in Cafe World, allowing you to choose between either Chef Piero's hearty Italian dishes, or classic French chef Raquel. Before you can really get into the meat of this event, which sees you cooking special limited time dishes for one side or the other, you'll need to complete a series of goals in the game. The first goal is called Qualify First, and it appears as though these goals are the same regardless of if you choose Italian or French as your own cuisine type.

Qualify First has three tasks:

Serve 10 French Onion Soup
Serve 5 Tony's Classic Pizza
Get 6 Supreme Cuisine Chef Coats

The Chef Coats can be earned by asking your friends to send you the item via individual gift requests. While you're waiting for them to arrive, you can wait for your dishes to cook. French Onion Soup takes four hours to prepare, while Tony's Classic Pizza is ready after five hours.

Cafe World OK Karaoke Catering Order: Everything you need to know

While you're not busy cooking dishes for the new Supreme Cuisine event in Cafe World, why not save a few stoves for the game's newest catering order: OK Karaoke. This catering order sees you "grabbing the mic" and catering a party at Klub Karaoke, with an animated Karaoke Machine being available as the ultimate prize, along with varying amounts of Cafe Points and coins, as usual.

Meet us behind the break for a full look at this six-part catering mission, which you'll have five days to complete with friends for the big prizes.

Applifier opens game discovery portal on Facebook

Back in the fall of 2010, Applifier became one of the best ways for developers to increase their user numbers via a bar that could be installed on top of a Facebook game, increasing exposure to players of other games. That is, as players enjoyed MMA Pro Fighter, as one example, they would be able to see links to other games that also use the Applifier bar as a way to cross-promote.

Now, though, you need not be relegated to finding new games just through this bar, as a new "Games on Applifier" portal has launched on Facebook itself. This new application must be installed as any other app on your account, and can be used to discover some of the hundreds or even thousands of Facebook games that are otherwise overshadowed by the big names in the industry (ie: Zynga).
The app, which also goes by the name "Play with Friends!" shows you a constantly updating list of apps that are currently being played, along with some of the hottest games in the system. The biggest draw here however seems to be the "For You" section, which has you filling out your gender and your age, only to be shown a list of applications which are recommended for you based on the age groups and genders of other players who play those games. For a 25 year old female, for instance, you might be told to try SuperFun Town, Baking Life or Cooking Mama. A bit stereotypical, yes, but you never know - you might find your next favorite game via this app, when you otherwise would have never known it existed.

To find some of the games that Applifier thinks you should be playing, check out the Play with Friends app on Facebook.

Have you found any great apps via the new Applifier portal? Let us know in the comments.
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Mafia Wars New Game Updates

Love Is Hard to Find

The Love Is Hard to Find Gifting Combo Event expired on Feb 22nd and redemption of Broken Hearts for loot items remained open for 3 more days.  For more details, visit the Customer Support Love Is Hard To Find 411 Page.

Mafia Wars Carnaval Brazil

Mafia Wars is taking part in this years Brazilian Carnaval and you are invited to join in the festivities! Prepare for the launch of our newest destination, Brazil, by collecting Carnaval Masks through Gifting, Jobs, Fights and Robbing. When you collect enough, redeem them for cool Brazilian themed loot items. Look for rare Golden Masks that are the equivalent of 5 Carnaval Masks.  Get a leg up on the competition by saving enough Carnaval Masks to gain early access to Brazil where new Jobs, Properties, and Loot await.
To be a part of the Brazil Beta group, you must redeem your Carnaval Masks for at least one Air Brazil loot item.
via Official Mafia Wars BlogEmail ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Google BuzzPosted byRosana Olalde

Miami Vice

 To celebrate the movie '', Mafia Wars will be unleashing four brand new themed items to the Marketplace! Already available is Sonny's Suit, an armor item with 42 attack and 81 defense. You'll have to keep a lookout for the other 3 items coming out soon. We'll be bringing you the vehicle item, Go Fast Boat (82 attack, 45 defense), along with the weapon item, Rico's Revenge (81 attack, 37 defense). Last but not least, another vehicle item, (51 attack, 82 defense).

Don't miss your chance to get your hands on these limited edition items as they become available - they won't be around forever! Click here to shop at the Marketplace and play Mafia Wars: http://zyn.ga/1rv

Meet the Mafia Wars Family

The '' fan gathering held in San Fransisco was a huge success.  As a long time fan of Mafia Wars, I was overwhelmed with excitement.  Just like the announcement promised, there were Mafia Wars players, Developers, games, prizes, photo opportunities, SWAG, inside scoops and much more!

Governor's Run

Get your friends to rig the election for you in the upcoming Governor's Run! If you want to rise to power quickly, you'll need the help of your mafia members. Send out special invites to your mafia and make sure 9 people cast their vote for you. When you get 9 to show their support, you'll receive the limited edition item, 2nd Amendment, as your reward. With 52 attack and 80 defense, this weapon is sure to come in handy if you're ever in a jam. Remember to return the favor and accept invitations from your mafia as well. Keep an eye out for the Governor's Run, and click here to play Mafia Wars: http://zyn.ga/1wp

Private Zoo

A new property is coming to New York - we'll soon be introducing the ! Here, you'll be able to produce new animals and unleash their power in your fights. Similar to the Chop Shop, Weapons Depot, and Armory, the will produce animals and will unlock a new animal each time you upgrade it one level.

Each day when you go to your zoo, you'll be able to collect "Animal Feed" that you'll use to build animals. You can collect your Animal Feed every 18 hours, and the amount of feed produced at your zoo will increase with its level. Not to mention, the more you upgrade your Zoo, the stronger the animals you’ll carry in fights, so there's lots of incentive to keep it growing. You'll need 5 different construction parts to set up your zoo - Terrarium, Animal Pen, Aquarium, Bird Cage, and Feeding Trough -  which you can get by sending requests and feeds to your mafia to help out or by directly purchasing.

The will have all this and much more! Be on the lookout for the release, coming soon. In the meantime, click here and head over to Mafia Wars to check on your other properties: http://zyn.ga/1xu

New Home Page Layout

The new Mafia Wars home page layout has arrived and will gradually roll out to all players! The home page is now organized into modules and the Player Updates section has been moved to the My Mafia page.

Hustle To WIN!

Good things come to those who hustle. Collect all the Dr. Dre items in Hustlin’ wit Dre to earn special Dre-themed mastery items to celebrate Dr. Dre's highly anticipated album, "Detox" coming out early next year. Collect all of Dr. Dre's gifts to win the Dr. Dre themed mastery items! Launching this weekend!

BUT WAIT

Zynga Headquarters

Before attending the Mafia Wars Meet the Family Event in San Fransisco, I was given a tour of .  This was really cool and something I've always been curious about.   is located in the Potrero Hill neighborhood of San Fransisco, California.  It's a beautiful building with lots of windows.  Here is a view from the back entrance.

Mafia Wars On Yahoo

Mafia Wars has gone Beta on Yahoo Pulse, the social network found on yahoo.com.  Yahoo Pulse has applications just like Facebook and the most exciting one is the game Mafia Wars.  Don't wait any longer, sign up today and start showing everybody you have what it takes to be one of the best Mafia Wars players on Yahoo. You will receive 4 Exclusive Limited Edition loot items for your inventory just for playing.  To learn more about Yahoo Pulse and how it works, click HERE.  Find answers to all your questions about , by visiting these links on The Zynga Forum Boards and Zynga Customer Support.  Please note that is separate from Mafia Wars on Facebook. To sign up and start playing now, go to this link http://zyn.ga/1fI.

Italy Region 6: CALABRIA

Italy Regions 6, 7, and 8 are LIVE!  





Hope you saved up your LIRA as the first job in Calabria is expensive.  I also hope you saved some Smart Phones, because Gate Loot is needed in Calabria...

Two FREE Reward Points

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Italy Region 7: Citta Del Vaticano

After completing the Bronze level of Calabria, you can move on to Italy Region 7: Citta Del Vattiacano



Don't forget to grab the two free Reward Points being offered as a promo for the debut of the new Italy Regions.





Citta Del Vaticano will require more Gate Loot - Cooked Books

Italy Region 8: THE ETERNAL CITY

You've finished Citta Del Vaticano to reach the final Italy Region: The Eternal City.  At least 6 different job loot items here, including an Animal with better Attack stats than anything you can get in the Italy Port or through Fight Club.

NEW Top 4 Fight Loot Items

With the high energy and stamina costs - and endless need for Gate Loot - for jobs in Calabria, Citta Del Vaticano, and The Eternal City, four recent Fight Loot items came as a pleasant surprise.  

Calabria Boss Fights

Here are the screenshots and stats of the Boss Fights from Italy Region 6: Calabria



BOSS: Don Vittorio Messino

Four Gold Treasure Chests Opened...

If you collect(ed) baseball cards, you've probably seen  websites where people open random packs and show you what cards they got.  In a sense, it feels like you have absolutely nothing better to look at on the Internet are opening the packs yourself.



In that spirit, realizing I had 4 Gold Treasure Chest keys, I popped the treasure chests tonight and thought I'd share the "AWESOME STUFF" I received.

Free Stamina Point - February 6

Anonymoussaid...

please keep updating till end of march, we have our exams and we want to see whats going on MW without going into it...

February 8, 2011 1:51 AM

2 FREE Reward Points Through Feb 15

Anonymoussaid...

Hi,

Do you have any idea how many Loyalty Points we need to collect in order to get to a higher tire?

Thanks for your excellent blog!
John

February 9, 2011 10:30 PM

February FREE Points Calendar

The blog is alive and well and will be back to full steam shortly - but in the meantime, don't miss Mafia Wars' February calendar of FREE POINTS from February 16th to 28th.

Atlantic City 4 - CAMDEN COUNTY

Mafia Wars recently released Chapter 4 of ATLANTIC CITY - the "mobile" Mafia Wars location (though you can play on your desktop or laptop).

The new location is CAMDEN COUNTY, which is a major geographical error.  While I took issue with the overbroad geographical labeling of Atlantic City 3: SOUTH JERSEY, at least Atlantic City is IN South Jersey.  But more on that later - let's check out the new location.

Five Gold Treasure Chests Opened...

A couple weeks ago, I posted the results as I opened four Gold Treasure Chests.

Having come across five more Golden Keys since then, I thought I'd take another run at finding something useful.

Judge for yourself...

Saturday's FREE Reward Point

Click here for FREE Reward Point

This one comes from Zynga - if you haven't already "LIKED" its Facebook page, click "Like" at the top of the page, and then click on the Free Reward Point picture (shown below)

ALL FIVE Private Zoo Upgrade Gift Links

The new Private Zoo property is all the rage this week. The difficulty in upgrading it is that your Free Gift window only has 2 of the 5 upgrade parts. Thus, you end up with 23 Bird Cages, 21 Feeding Troughs, but no Aquariums, Big Cages, or Terrariums - making it harder to get complete upgrade sets (one of each part).


And you'll need 71 Private Zoo upgrade SETS - 355 pieces - to fully upgrade your property to its current highest level. What to do?


The links below let you send your Mafia EACH of the five Private Zoo upgrade parts. And then your Mafia can send the same part back to you. This way, you're not limited by your own Free Gift window to sending - and receiving back - a certain part.


These links work like the popular Terracotta Tile/Stone Column links and Italian Hardwood/Marble Slab links - they will send you into Mafia Wars to a screen where you can send the chosen Private Zoo upgrade to whatever Mafia members you select:

Hustlin' Wit Dre

Mafia Wars has a new social event up tonight called . You're familiar with these events, where you collect three items and get rewards at three tiers, and eventually a grand prize, and can do the event three times.


If this doesn't sound familiar, you either have a life or are new to Mafia Wars. Think of the recent Cake Jailbreak and Serial Assassins events. This is the same deal. You've probably missed collecting bees and cupcakes, so luckily we have another social event before you go into withdrawal.


Other than an interesting Dr. Dre video previewing a new song, the setup is the same as the other social events. These have come up so frequently lately that I bet I can give readers all the information necessary JUST by posting pictures. So I'm going to try:

Updated Daily Chance Lotto Prizes

Mafia Wars has updated its Daily Chance prizes. In case you happen to have already finished New York (say, 18 months ago), you'll be pleased with the updated Loot/prizes. This week, mine included Italy Village Parts, Weapons Depot Parts... and the very elusive Armory Parts.

Mafia Wars Italy Collections

The four collections in Italy are noteworthy for their good bonuses, which can be seen on the Collections page itself and are discussed below. You can also see them with a microscope and this screenshot:

Rendezvous at the Pentagon UPDATE + More Loot

But more notable than the name change is the fact that you can get MULTIPLE Mastery Rewards from the Army, Navy, and Air Force challenges once you obtain the Grand Prize from the Rendezvous at the Pentagon challenge (Government Secrets)...

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE

If you act now, once you obtain a second set of Gold Mastery items (all 3), you can get a SECOND grand prize - another Government Secrets, with its 103/132 stats!

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

If you call within the next 15 minutes, we'll throw in a Mafia Wars Achievement for collecting 100 uniforms (collectively from the Army, Navy, and Air Force)

Vegas Jackpot Weekend

So, as many of you have pointed, our new Mafia Wars Las Vegas "Jackpot Weekend" is actually the same thing as our previous Las Vegas loot weekend!

You can collect 7 items between fighting and doing jobs (the same items as before):


Stage Show Tiger (animal; 28 attack, 50 defense)

Casino Guard (armor; 48 attack, 28 defense)

Suit of Suits (armor; 46 attack, 24 defense)

High Roller (vehicle; 46 attack, 23 defense)

Royal Flush (weapon; 48 attack, 25 defense)

Big Blind (weapon; 52 attack, 25 defense)

Viva Las Vegas (weapon; 27 attack, 50 defense)

and the reward for collecting the 7 items:

Jackpot (weapon; 30 attack, 54 defense)

----

You can only get 10 of each item it seems, so if you hit the Las Vegas loot item cap before, you cannot collect new items.. foiled again!

In other news, this weekend for the third weekend in a row is a double fighting loot / double job mastery weekend. Players will earn twice as much loot in fights and they will earn twice as much mastery on jobs.

---

In another news note, Mafia Wars South Africa has been extended by a day. Players now have 2 more days to finish up.

Lunchtime Poll: Should kids' social gaming behavior be chaperoned?

Media Chaperone, a Chicago-based web-monitoring company, has raised $1 million to help launch and fund Piggyback, its brand new Facebook app. VentureBeat reports that the new, free application is designed to allow parents to monitor their children's' behavior online with a heavy focus on social gaming and virtual goods purchases.

Through their own Facebook profiles, parents will know everything about their kids' progress in games like from achievements to level-ups to when they buy items and for how much. Sure, parents can reward them for good behavior with Facebook Credits, but we imagine they can punish them as well. While there have been horror stories of kids running amok on their parents' gaming devices and accounts, is this really the way to stop it? What happened to good old instillment of values? Is this the only insurance policy parents have left on their kids' Internet use?

Should kids' social gaming behavior be chaperoned?online survey

FarmVille English Countryside Sneak Peek: New buildings and crops

Zynga has released a snapshot of what looks to be its biggest FarmVille release to date, the English Countryside expansion. From what we can gather in this screen shot, there will be plenty of flowers to master including pink and white daisies along with two other flowers I can't name from looks alone. (What do you want from me? I'm no real gardener!) However, what we can guess is that there will be a slew of new buildings to construct, namely a new Chicken Coop and Stable. As a side note, is it just me or do those graphics look a little sharper than standard FarmVille fare? If Zynga is at the point of releasing screen shots, we'll find out for ourselves sooner rather than later.

What else do you think lies in store for us with the English Countryside? Are you prepared to build a second farm? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment. Bookmark this site!

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Tags: chicken coop, ChickenCoop, daisies, england, english, English Countryside, EnglishCountryside, expansion, FarmVille, FarmVille English Countryside, FarmvilleEnglishCountryside, stable, ZyngaEmail ThisRelated StoriesLOLapps digs deep with Ravenwood Fair expansion: Ravenstone MineFarmVille English Countryside Delivery: Save your building materialsFarmVille: Could the English Countryside launch at the beginning of March?Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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FrontierVille crops glitch not giving up Food or Coins, players report

Are your crops not giving up the goods when harvested in FrontierVille? Then just refresh the browser, according to a few folks on the FrontierVille forums like JaneTheFarmer. A disgruntled forum user named luvHI asked her fellow players, "Usually when I plant crops I get coins and food. When I planted corn for the chicken mission no coins no food anyone know anything about that?" A good amount of forum users responded, claiming that the cause of the issue is a glitch that has gone unfixed for some time.

However, luvHI mentions only planting crops and not getting coins or Food in return. This is 100 percent normal, which is why we're lead to believe that it was merely a typo based on several responses in the forum thread. According to JaneTheFarmer, all you need to do is refresh the game and harvest the crops once more, but the same issue happens to her two to three times a week.

Frankly, who has the time to do this on a regular basis when I'd most FrontierVille players are sneaking that time in on their lunch break or before bed. FrontierVille officials have yet to respond to the thread nor does this appear to be a known issue in the Bugs and Bug Reporting section. Regardless, we imagine the team will be on it shortly for A. It's been far too long and B. At least the community team is normally quick to respond.

Playable Angry Birds cake makes a kid's birthday seriously awesome

by Joe Osborne, Posted Feb 24th 2011 5:15PM Tweet
If you watch this video and aren't touched by the end of it, there's something wrong with the Dawww lobe in your brain. Mike, arguably the coolest British dad in the world, made his now 6-year-old son Ben a playable Angry Birds birthday cake. The video goes through the entire creation process sans the baking--kind of boring, you know? (Even the birds and pigs are iced!) The video's adorable factor goes through the roof when Ben is surprised with the most badass birthday cake in existence. He then goes on to give those pigs hell with pop's help. What, Dad, couldn't make iced cluster birds separate? What gives?

Zuma Blitz player scores 1.4 million points with no powers

Comments by Joe Osborne, Posted Feb 24th 2011 6:10PM Tweet
Sure, even 2 million points in Zuma Blitz is totally possible--when you have powers. YouTube user SLiangHsu posted a video today of his arduous and impressive achievement in PopCap's ball-blasting game. With no powers at all, he scored over 1.4 million points on this week's Crossroads board. How did he do it? Frankly, he shot the balls really fast. Well, extremely rapid and accurate gap shots helped too; not to mention hitting every Chrono Ball on the field. In fact, it appears as if the player intentionally wasted his Hot Frog shots just to show off. Cocky? Absolutely. Justified? You try to score a million points with just your wits (and your wrist).

FarmVille: Be a Princess without a crown with new avatar dress

It seems as though Zynga might have forgotten to release a FarmVille avatar clothing item in the Fairy Tale theme last Sunday, as a new dress for girl avatars has silently appeared in the game. This item is almost identical to the Princess costume released before, but where that costume came with not only a dress and shoes, but also a tiara, this "Princess Dress" is just that - the pink dress with a nice pair of shoes.

There is a slight color difference in the bodice of these two dresses, with the solitary dress being more of an orange-shade, and you'll pay a heck of a lot less if you go for the no-crown option, as this Princess Dress costs just 30,000 coins. For the record, the Princess costume costs 100,000 coins.

It's still interesting to see that only one avatar clothing item has been released strictly for male characters (that being the Knight costume), but we'll make sure to let you know if that changes in the future. In the meantime, you have two weeks to purchase this new solo dress, while the Princess costume will leave the game in ten days.

Let us know what you think of this cheaper Princess Dress in the comments. Will you save 70,000 coins, or is the addition of the tiara worth the extra money?

FarmVille Sneak Peek: Black Beauty Horse and Black Beauty Foal

If you liked the dark look of the Anti-Valentine's Day items in FarmVille, you'll also love the look of this new as-of-now unreleased horse. The new horse, we believe will be called the Black Beauty Horse, and it of course comes with a Foal to match.

With a name like "Black Beauty," Zynga has really lived up to that with the design of the animal, as you can see in the screenshot at right, and in the animation below. Rumor has it that new animals will be coming to this week's Mystery Game, but whether or not this will be included remains to be seen. The Black Beauty could also possibly be released as a general addition to the game's store, as we doubt it would fit in with the current limited edition Fairy Tale theme of items. As most players know, however, stranger things have happened.



Remember, unreleased items have no guarantee of officially launching in the game, and details about their pricing and availability are unknown as of this writing. We'll be sure to bring you all of the details about these horses should they officially launch in the game, so keep checking back.

What do you think of these two new horses in the comments. Would you pay Farm Cash to add the Black Beauty to your collection? Let us know in the comments.

FarmVille Sneak Peek: St. Patrick's Day Clover Rabbit and Clover Sheep

If you're looking forward to the next holiday in FarmVille, that being St. Patrick's Day, as much as this farmer, you'll want to know all about these two new St. Patrick's Day animals that we believe will be coming to the game as part of this year's celebration.

The two animals are the Clover Chicken and the Clover Sheep, with both being lovely shades of pale green, along with some clover accents in a darker green color. If green is your favorite color, you'll simply love these cute little fellas, let's put it that way.

As of right now, there's no known details as to how these animals will be released in the game, but with the Clover Rabbit being released as part of the Wishing Well feature, the likelihood that this pair will join it is rather high. Perhaps these items will be prizes in the (what we assume is) upcoming Pot of Gold feature? Or maybe they'll simply be available to purchase from the game's store for coins or Farm Cash.


Whatever the case, we'll make sure to let you know all of the details about these animals as soon as we have them, but for now, check out their animations above.

What do you think of these two St. Patrick's Day animals? Do you like holiday-themed animals, or would you appreciate more realism in FarmVille? Let us know in the comments.

FarmVille Sneak Peek: Knight Gnome, Gumdrop Cluster, and More

Today has been absolutely golden for unreleased items in FarmVille, as we've come across two more items that will apparently be released shortly in the Fairy Tale limited edition item theme, along with a little visual proof that Zynga is working on a 30 x 30 land expansion in the game.

The two Fairy Tale items are the Knight Gnome and Gumdrop Cluster. While there's no guarantee that either of these items will be released officially, after the launch of the Princess Gnome just a few days ago, his arrival is all but guaranteed. We'd guess that both of these items will be released as single purchase items in the store, but it is also possible that they make their way into a new Mystery Game (rumor has it, another Mystery Game containing the Pink Unicorn is in our future).

As for the 30 x 30 Land Expansion, we don't have many details just yet, but we have started to hear rumblings about an expansion in the works, since this would be the most logical advancement in the game, after the 28 x 28 land expansion that was released late last year. Zynga hasn't officially announced that they are working on the land expansion, but we can only hope that there is some truth to the rumor.

As usual, we'll make sure to give you all of the details about these new items when they officially launch in the game, so keep checking back.

What do you think of this new set of FarmVille unreleased items? Do you already need more room on your farm after upgrading to 28 x 28? Let us know in the comments.

FarmVille Leprechaun Cottage: Everything you need to know

For some time now, we've been bringing you FarmVille sneak peeks of the new St. Patrick's Day Leprechaun's Cottage / treehouse that was then just an unreleased set of images. Via tonight's FarmVille update, however, the Leprechaun's Cottage became a reality as the building is now available to build on your farm!

As we expected, this building will function in a manner comparable to that of the Haunted House or the Cupid's Castle, from the Halloween and Valentine's Day events, respectively. That is, the Cottage will start at one size, and can then be upgraded three more times, each time causing the Cottage to become larger and more elaborate, changing from a simple cottage sitting on the ground to one perched high in a tree, surrounded mostly by the treetop. The larger your Leprechaun Cottage, the more Gold you'll be able to collect from the building each day, with that Gold presumably being used in a Pot of Gold that has yet to be released. As such, a completed Leprechaun Cottage won't give off Gold just yet, but that doesn't mean you can't have a head start in building the Cottage to completion! The first stage of construction on the Leprechaun's Cottage will require just four each of Bricks, Nails, and Wooden Boards. You'll start with one ingredient for free, so you should be able to blow through this stage fairly quickly. As you move to the next stage, you'll need 16 of each item.

FarmVille: Zynga boosts News Feed collection limit to 200

After releasing a new item collection limit in FarmVille to stop those players who choose to use automatic bonus collection applications, Zynga faced a lot of heat from its userbase, with both players that use said automatic collectors, and even those that don't, stating that the limit simply wasn't fair. The general consensus was: Why punish the entire group for the acts of just a few? This was only exacerbated by the fact that a new throttle was also introduced, slowing all players (even those who were playing the game entirely on their own) in their bonus collection, so that we now have to wait a few seconds before collecting another item, for fear of being hit with the throttle for the rest of the day (which slows you down even further, potentially causing you to miss free items altogether).

At the time, the item limit was placed at 125 items per day, but due to player suggestions ("outrage" seems like a more appropriate word), Zynga has announced a change to the limit on the official FarmVille forums, to increase the number of bonuses players can claim each day. No, this doesn't get rid of the limit entirely, but we are now able to claim 200 items, rather than the original 125.
Community Manager Stumpgrinder posted:
Based on your feedback we've made multiple adjustments to the throttling and item limit systems and we will continue to do so as we examine the data. A further adjustment we've decided to make is that we have increased the maximum number of items that can be collected from the feed on a daily basis from 125 to 200, effective immediately. With this increase we believe we have achieved a very good balance for all of our players from this point onward.Stumpgrinder adds that if users who aren't using automated programs still feel they are being unfairly limited in their item collection, they should post their continued feedback on the forums.

It seems like it was only a matter of time before Zynga simply had to increase the limit on users, for fear of losing agitated players altogether. Whether you use an automated collection program or not, the simple idea of not being able to take advantage of all of the free items that Zynga highly encourages, or even sometimes forces you to post simply doesn't make sense. We can understand Zynga's frustration, though, and hope that they continue to take this matter seriously into the future.

What do you think of the increased item limit? Have you already reached it, or does this finally give you a chance to collect each and every item your friends post? Let us know in the comments.
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Tags: farmville, farmville item limit, FarmvilleItemLimit, news feed, NewsFeed, zyngaEmail ThisRelated StoriesFarmVille Scam Alert! Do not click on 'Teacup Pig' News Feed PostsFarmVille Scam Alert: Stay away from 'Kung Fu Duck' Facebook postsFacebook Game Cheats and Tips: How to master the new News FeedPlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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Game of the Day: TextTwist

The Game of the Day is going to test those old spelling skills . TextTwist: Are you word wise? Do you love SCRABBLE? Take the Text Twist challenge! Win points when you unscramble the letters to make new words. TextTwist a classic on Games.com and people play it for hours. Join the craze.
Click --> play TextTwist
Important side note: Just by playing The Game of the Day you will be entered into a monthly drawing to win a FlipCam HD. You don't need to do anything else, just play! The more you play, the more chances you have to win. For more information on the Game of Day check out the official Game of the Day hub.Bookmark this site! Email ThisPlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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FrontierVille Update: Visit Neighbors who visit you the easy way

A new feature has launched in FrontierVille. Hold you horses--it's nothing huge. When a friend visits you in the game and their avatar appears on your homestead, you now have the option to visit them right back before accepting the help. It's no big deal, but it's a much welcomed change over here. Come to think of it, Zynga probably should have included this a long time ago. It seems only natural that we'd want to return the favor, right? Well, be thankful now that it's easier than ever to do just that.

Saints Row on Facebook: Beating Mafia Wars at a different game

When I noticed that Saints Row, the Grand Theft Auto-inspired gang busters game for consoles, was on Facebook, assumptions ran wild. Though, the one rang most loudly was, "Here comes another Mafia Wars." THQ and Punch Entertainment threw us a curve ball with Saints Row: Total Control on Facebook. Admittedly, it looks strikingly similar to Crime City, but what's more surprising the developer didn't play it safe and copy the most popular mobster social game out there. And it makes for a refreshing and mildly fun experience, even if the graphics look like something out of a late '90s flash game.

Let's just address the elephant in the room right away: This game does not look good. The artwork lacks detail much less style and the animations are far from smooth. In fact, there is little motion in this social edition of Saints Row to begin with. Worse off, the music becomes a bother minutes after logging in. Shoddy graphics and animations? Check. Annoying sounds and music? Check. That leaves one hopefully redeeming quality: gameplay.

Zynga to shut down Mafia Wars: Cuba on March 3 in new story arc

No, we didn't stutter. Mafia Wars: Cuba is going for good in less than a week, so clear out everything you can from there now before it's all gone. According to Zynga, the game's storyline is headed in a new direction and its oldest locale will be the center of it all ... sort of. It's where a new global criminal organization will begin its conquest to become to world's largest drug trafficker, and no one will be safe come March 3.

In fact, you'll be downright kicked out. There is a new set of missions for players Level 18 and above available now with Cuba that involve combating this threat, but we doubt your mobs will succeed. If you need a hint, here is one wearing a chicken suit painted in red:

"A shadowy organization called the Neo-Imperium is secretly working to destabilize the current world order and control all criminal activities throughout the planet. The Neo-Imperium are attempting to overthrow the government and install a puppet leader to establish one of the biggest drug trafficking centers in the world. This is a warning to all Mafia crime bosses that Cuba is no longer safe."

You hear that? That means have fun with these missions now, but come March 2 you better collect from every property and empty your vaults and banks before the Neo-Imperium takes over. In fact, Zynga is hosting 5x Job Mastery right up until the city becomes grayed out in the travel options.

Not to mention a new loot item will drop from now through March 2 that might come in handy against these bullies. Oh, and you'll get an extra 10 percent cash payout if you complete the missions on time. Is that enough of a kick in the butt for you? Before you jump the gun, check out Zynga's full FAQ.

Zynga's CityVille is flawed (and brilliant): The issue of roads

Ever visited a friend's city in CityVille and notice something odd. It doesn't look like a city at all. There are rows upon rows of sushi bars on one end of the town while there is a slew of expensive chateaus on the other. (If everyone is living in $1 million homes and eating sushi all day, who is working at the banks and post offices much less the sushi bars?) But continue to suspend your disbelief for a moment and look between these fine, unrealistically placed establishments surrounded by elaborate bushes. Where did all the roads go?

They're gone, because they are worthless in CityVille. Roads cost 10 coins per square and serve no other purpose than to give pedestrians a place to walk between Businesses. However, Sidewalks cost double that, but take up less space and are much, much longer. So, what reason would an illustrious mayor have to place roads in their city rather than sidewalks. That's valuable space wasted that could be used by more homes and businesses. This is a fundamental flaw to CityVille and one of several reasons why players have reached such astronomical levels so quickly.

CityVille Suitable for Edgar Quest: Everything you need to know

As we told you earlier today, Zynga has launched a new quest set in CityVille surrounding Ruth and Edgar, along with Ruth's dear pigeons! While the first quest had us helping to prepare a meal for Ruth and Edgar, this second quest, called Suitable for Edgar, will have you helping Edgar find "parking for his expensive car."

You'll only be able to complete this quest after completing the "Edgar & Ruth Dine" quest, so make sure to take a look at our complete guide to finishing that quest if you need help. You'll need to be level 13 to access both of these quests in your game (they simply won't appear for you until that time). To complete this quest for Edgar, you'll need to ask your friends to send you 6 Coupons, by clicking on the "Ask your Friends" button and then posting a general news item on your feed asking for help.

The other two tasks in this quest involve new items that have recently been added to the game. The first is the Department Store, which is the prize for completing the Edgar & Ruth Dine quest. You'll still need to purchase this building from the store for 8,000 coins, but you won't be able to add one to your town until you unlock it at the end of said quest. Once you build the Department Store, you'll need to collect profits from it three times. It takes 135 Goods to stock the Department Store.
The final task has you simply purchasing one new decoration from the store - a Parking Lot, that costs just 10 coins.

For completing this second of the two new retail quests, you'll unlock the TV Terrace home, a building that costs 10,500 coins to build from the store, and will add 190 citizens to your town's population. It's a quick-earning building, offering you 11 coins every five minutes, which makes it great for those quests that ask you to collect from Residential buildings numerous times to move on.

We'll be sure to let you know if more retail quests are added in the future, so keep checking back.

What do you think of this new quest in CityVille? Will you work through this second quest to unlock a new home type in the store? Let us know in the comments.

FrontierVille Badges: Learn how to earn every stinkin' badge right here

After you complete FrontierVille's Jackalope Society Missions, you will be able to access the new Badge system in the game. Right now, there are 13 badges in the game and they can be earned by going about your daily in-game tasks -- visiting 15 neighbors, spending 10,000 coins -- to deliberate badges that require extra effort on your part -- like spending 500 Energy in a Day (which means you'll have to have lots of meals gifted from friends or buy 'em yourself) and scoring 5 points in the Horseshoe Pit (which will require you to actually build your own pit).

I'm sure these badges are just the beginning -- so, if you're an overachiever like me -- try to secure all of these badges before the new ones start showing up. See all 13 badges, what you need to do to earn them and what rewards you get for completing them after the jump.

FarmVille iPhone App Update v. 1.07 to fix stabiility issues

Zynga has pushed yet another update to its infamous FarmVille iPhone app. This time around, in Version 1.07 (much smaller than before), the only changes made were, "Bug fixes to improve loading and resolve crashes," according to the iTunes page. As always, the update is free, but does it really improve anything?

In my experience since the update, loading times are still excruciatingly slow (even on WiFi) and, most importantly, push notifications still refuse to work. Is that not the number one reason players use the iPhone app?

What are your experiences with the FarmVille iPhone app since 1.07 was pushed out? Are you satisfied with the improvements Zynga claims it has made to the app? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

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Email ThisRelated StoriesFarmVille maker Zynga sets its sights on Android phonesFarmVille iPhone App Updated v. 1.06FarmVille iPhone App Updated v.1.05Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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A Mafia Wars Wedding: John Sweeney and Joanne Doane find love in their favorite game [Interview]

Love can be found in the most unexpected of places. For John Sweeney and Joanne Doane, it was in the type of place most go to escape from everyday life, but within Zynga's Mafia Wars the two found themselves in a relationship that went above and beyond digital clan wars and leveling up. These lovestruck gamers from two opposite ends of a state soon united and on September 17 at Central Station in Treasure Isle, Florida, it was official -- John and Joan became the first husband and wife who met in Mafia Wars.

So, what's it like finding love in your favorite social game and running both a clan and a podcast together? More importantly, how does it all change the way you play? As it turns out for these mafia dons-turned-mafia lovers, not much.

I think this is the first question on a lot of peoples' minds: Where are you going for your honeymoon?
We are thinking of either going to New York as we have family there or maybe just a nice relaxing trip to Hawaii.

Aside from your mob-themed cake, what other elements of Mafia Wars made their way into the ceremony?
We gave everyone toy water guns and knives and everyone had fun attacking each other. They even attacked the bad karaoke singers as that was the going. All in all, good clean fun.

FarmVille German Animals and Buildings: Gelbvieh Cow, Mountain Tavern and more

Joining the FarmVille German Theme are more animals, buildings and decorations than you can shake a hiking stick at. Zynga has introduced two new animals, two buildings and four decorations. Here's what was made available in the market recently:

Animals

Gelbvieh Cow: 22 Farm Cash, Harvest in 1 day Lynx: 18 Farm Cash, Harvest in 2 days
Buildings

Mountain Tavern: 34 Farm Cash, 800 XP Moss Cabin: 300,000 coins, 3,000 XP
Decorations

Forest Waterfall: 34 Farm Cash, 720 XP Black Forest: 22 Farm Cash, 275 XP Tree Arch: 10,000 coins, 100 XP Flower Bed: 3,000 coins, 30 XP
All of these items will be gone in just 11 days and ask for a combined 130 Farm Cash, or just over $20 USD.

Excited to get your hands on these new items? Let us know in the comments. Add Comment.

Filed under: Farmville

Email ThisRelated StoriesFarmVille German Limited Edition buildings: German Barn, German Flower Cafe, German Tool ShedFarmVille German Themed Crop: Dog RoseFarmVille: Wash up the Bathtub Sheep in the Barrel Tub

Pet Society Paw Paw Revolution Game: Build or buy your own dance machine

Playfish might be taking the hardcore game references a bit too far with Paw Paw Revolution, the newest decoration to grace Pet Society with its rhythmic presence. What's great about this decoration is that it gives you options.

If you want it right now, you can buy the whole darned thing outright for 26 Playfish Cash, or about $5 USD. However, patience is a virtue and for those of you who can 18 days, this dance machine will be yours to make a fool of your digital self with. Paw Paw Revolution, like the Space Rocket and Playhouse before it, can be built by asking friends for parts. The item requires 18 parts and players can only ask for one part daily, unfortunately. Can you resist the allure of instant gratification?

Will you be building or buying your Paw Paw Revolution? Need friends to help you out? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Filed under: Pet Society

Email ThisRelated StoriesPet Society: Hideeni returns with moody fruit plushies, find them all for a prize!Pet Society Bunny Dispenser: Collect six bunny toys from the comfort of your homePet Society Halloween Competition 2010: Design spooky items for Playfish CashPlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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PetVille Design-A-Pumpkin Contest: Carve your spookiest pumpkin for 100 Pet Cash

In PetVille, the Halloween festivities have officially begun with Zynga's Design-a-Pumpkin Contest. Running through October 10, players have been asked to design their own pumpkin to be included in the game as a giftable decoration that will be sold for coins in the PetVille store. Speaking of coinage, the three winners chosen by the Zynga community team--who will also receive the three winning designs--will be rewarded handsomely with a sweet 100 Pet Cash.

What's most interesting about this contest (yes, more interesting than free money) is that the team is accepting all designs, whether they be digital from a program like PhotoShop or, if you're an experienced carver, photos of your own work. How the PetVille designers will work that out is uncertain, but it'll be interesting to see the interpretive work they come up with. Check out the official rules over at the PetVille forums.

Green Hornet Loot Event

Here comes a challenge for the Green Hornet, his aide Kato, and their rolling arsenal, the Black Beauty! Are you ready to be a masked vigilante to protect the rights and lives of decent citizens?

Mafia Wars Pawn Shop

Time to clean out your closet and pay a visit to the new Mafia Wars Pawnshop! Want to trade in some of your old items for awesome new LE loot? Just head over to Trader Goh's and get the best deals in town!
 
If you're at least at level 20 in Mafia Wars, you'll be able to unlock the Pawnshop feature. Each loot item Trader Goh has will be color-coded with the items quality type and will show you exactly what's needed to complete the trade. Simply choose the new item you want and you'll have the option to either purchase it using only Reward Points, or trade in some of your old loot along with a small transaction fee.
 
If you don't have the Pawnshop feature yet, hang tight - we're slowly rolling it out to all of our users so everyone can take advantage of the great deals and steals. Come visit Trader Goh's and see what he can offer you!
 
Click here and head to Mafia Wars: http://zyn.ga/2MI

The Green Hornet

Movie hit theaters this Friday in 3D and it's all the "buzz". Check out the Official Green Hornet Fan Page on Facebook.  Be your own masked vigilante by participating in the Mafia Wars Green Hornet Loot Drop Event going on now.  You need to hurry because the event ends Friday.  Seth Rogen who wrote and stars in will tell you all about it in this video.  Click HERE to view it.

Giftable Hired Guns

Hired Guns For Sale Free!  You read it right! Hired Guns will soon appear on the Free Gift page and this is great news for Mafia Wars players who haven't acquired a mafia of 501. Each Free Gift will contain 2 Hired Guns and every player with a mafia of less than 501 will be able to accept 5 a day for a total of 10 Hired Guns.  If your mafia is 501 or greater, gifts of Hired Guns will convert to Mystery Shipments. Hired Guns will enable you to compete with a wider variety of players on the PvP Fight List until you build your mafia.  Now is the time to let your mafia know that you are not at the 501 mark and to help those players in need of more mafia members.  To make this goal even more exciting, a new Mission will be added soon.  If you're new to the game and not sure why you need 500 additional mafia members, keep reading and learn the best way to go about attaining this ultimate goal!

In Mafia Wars, you can't be the best until you have a mafia of 501.  The rules of fighting seem simple but they are very complex.  Your mafia can contain an unlimited amount of players but only 501 will be used in the combat formula.  The 3 variables used to determine if you are the winner or loser of any fight are your skills, equipment, and mafia members (up to 501).

New Languages for Mafia Wars

French, Italian, German, and Spanish!

To switch your language preference, go to the Account tab on the top right-hand corner of your Mafia Wars homepage. From there, select Language. Then choose the language of your choice, and you’ll be ready to play the entire game in your preferred language. We hope everyone enjoys this latest feature. Go check it out today!

Also, be sure to 'like' the new language fan pages on Facebook, and stay up-to-date for all the happenings in Mafia Wars:
  
French Fan Page
 
Italian Fan Page
 
German Fan Page

Spanish Fan Page

 

Click here and head to Mafia Wars: http://zyn.ga/2ZM

 

Release Notes 1-20-2011

Free Hired Guns
Send and receive two hired guns to your Mafia from the free gifts page. You can get up to 10 free hired guns each day. If you’re not part of the elite 501 Club, it’s time to join up now.

Italy regions 6, 7, and 8 are coming soon!
Get ready to head to the newest regions in Italy and wreak havoc. New jobs and new bosses await.

Mafia Wars is now available in French, Italian, German and Spanish!
Se habla Español? Parlez-vous Français? Mafia Wars is going international. We now offer Mafia Wars in four new languages -  French, Italian, German, and Spanish. Play today in your language of choice!

Feature Voting
Cast a vote for your favorite up and coming mafia wars features!  Votes will be considered for Mafia Wars feature planning

Fight List Update

Head's up, Mafia Wars fans - We're updating our fight lists! What this means for you is that you’ll now be put into fight groups with players who are at a closer level with you, so you can be more competitive in fighting. This revamp of the fight lists will mostly affect higher level players. Take a look at the sample of the updated fight groups and see who you’ll be up against:

Italy Regions 6 , 7, 8 -- NEW LOOT PREVIEW?

will appear when Mafia Wars releases Italy Regions 6, 7, and 8.  Rumors are growing that the new Regions may go live any day.
(Some readers believe the items below are from recruiting and special events, so this is not a certainty).  The attack and defense stats on some of these items are incredible...
Items with an (RP) designation supposedly can be purchased in the Marketplace with Reward Points.  But there are so many good items that will be dropping, why waste your RPs?

Green Hornet Loot

It appears that all future Mafia Wars collections and challenges will be part of a corporate promotional tie in.  Hey, Zynga's got shareholders to please.  So we have Dr. Dre's new album, the TV show Southland, and now the Green Hornet movie.

FREE Skill Points-January 7

tomdabom89said...

Thought you might be interested Phil - I just cleared a robbing board 9-0 and picked up a pickpocket (that loot that was available to buy in vegas for 2 days a short while ago). Makes sense he should be called that and be a robbing loot item. Shame I already bought 500 so it makes no difference.

January 7, 2011 7:29 PM

Free Gift Links Creators 2: NEW Group

A few weeks back, we introduced the Mafia Wars Free Gift Links Creators Group, a Facebook community page that allowed members to get dozens of Free Gifts a day from members of your Mafia (who were also members of the group) through the use of Tiny URL links and Link-a-Nator.


You could literally get over a hundred Mystery Bags, Armory Parts, special event items, or ANY Free Gift - EACH DAY - by joining the group, adding other group members to your Mafia, and posting and clicking on links.


The Free Gift Link Creators group skyrocketed from 500 to nearly 2,400 members during Christmas week.  Eventually, the Administrators stopped accepting new members.  This made sense: having that many Mafia Wars players in one group made it nearly impossible for some one to find his or her 50, 100, or 200 Mafia members' posts and links on the group's feed.


Fortunately, the Administrators have opened a sequel Facebook page: Mafia Wars Free Gift Link Creators 2.  I encourage those of you who did not get to join the original group to head there.


Mafia Wars Free Gift Link Creators 2 has just over 300 members as I post this.  Let's see if you all can push it over 1,000 this weekend!

FREE Attack Points-January 8

Mafia Wars Strategy & Leveling Guide NavbarPrivate Zoo Upgrade Links!

Challenges & Collections:
No Crime Like the Present (Dec)Hustlin' Wit Dre (Dec)Governor's Run (Dec)Cake Jailbreak (Dec)Serial Assassins (Nov)Mission Collection (Nov)Rumble in Russia (Nov)Rendezvous at the Pentagon (Nov)Masked Robbery (Oct)Silence Don Romo Collection (Oct)Challenge Mission Paris

FREE Energy Point - January 9th

CLICK HERE
For a free Energy Point

Please click SHARE if your Mafia would also benefit from this link.

Is Mafia Wars 2 Coming Soon?

In December, Zynga featured a survey for Mafia Wars players that suggested the upcoming release of a sequel game, Mafia Wars 2: Shadow Nation.

ITALY Regions 6 7 8 Property: Nightclub + DJ

Last October, we featured a glimpse into the future of Italy Village properties, highlighting the Nightclub.  The assumption has been that the Nightclub will be available when Mafia Wars releases Italy Regions 6, 7, and 8.  New information from Zynga confirms that theory.

Each Italy Village property requires 4 parts in common (Italian Wood, Marble Slab, Terracotta Tiles, and Stone Columns) - plus a "unique part" - to upgrade.  For example, the Football Stadium required the Football Player, found in NAPOLI, while the Winery required you to stock up on Wine Barrels in PALERMO.

The unique part for the Nightclub will be the DJ.

5 FREE Reward Points from the Assassin

Hurry with this one...
...and hats off to Lex the Assassin
CLICK HERE
for 5  Reward Points
No idea how long this link will work so HURRY!
If you think YOUR Mafia would benefit from this link, please click SHARE.

Join Even MORE Operations Now!

We recently highlighted three Facebook groups featuring Operations with available spots, that allow you to click on a link and join an Operation, or post Operations that you have joined but that have incomplete spots.  (Sadly, one of the groups has since retired).


Today, I am proud to highlight - and recommend that you check out - a new Facebook Operations group,

FREE Attack Points-January 11

Anonymoussaid...

the link did not work.
but the zynga fb page seems to offer this bonus.
what TAB are they talking about?

January 14, 2011 4:47 AM

FREE Skill Points-January 15

Click here for Saturday's
FREE SKILL POINT

Please SHARE with your Mafia if they would benefit from this link

FREE Energy Point - January 16th

Click here for a...
FREE ENERGY POINT
Sunday January 16
If YOUR Mafia would benefit from this link, please click SHARE

Mission Loot Finally Pays Off

I've been doing all of the Missions as they come up, just to pass the time while awaiting the arrival of Italy Regions 6, 7 & 8.

Missions are useful because completing them gives you enough extra XP to level up after using all of your Energy and Stamina.  I think of this as the "nerf offset."

Of course, sometimes it take a couple days to complete a Mission (unless you want to spend Reward Points), like when you have to buy two items from your Italy Port - something you can only do once a day.

The Mission Loot, to date, has been mostly items with stats in the high 50s.  This can be a nice addition to a newer player, but won't help you out if you've played for awhile.

But suddenly I found a Mission that not only gave a nice XP bump for leveling purposes, but also a piece of Mission Loot that actually made my top 501.  The job was "Burn Down Wong's Warehouse: Part 3."

FREE Skill Points-January 22

Anonymoussaid...

Come on! Seriously, can you stop truncating your blog posts? Putting the full post through RSS is a simple change.

January 23, 2011 7:36 AM

Zynga now speaks 'Mafia Wars' in Spanish, French, Italian and German

Sie habe vereist, Narr! That's "You just got iced, fool!" in German (roughly) and finally, Mafia Wars players from around the world can trash talk one another in their native tongue. Isn't the Internet beautiful? Zynga has introduced language support for Spanish, French, Italian and German to Mafia Wars. Taking a cue from the explosive CityVille, opening up the game to more languages could increase the game's player base considerably.

Well, Western languages at least. While I'm no developer, I'd imagine it's far easier to localize a game for Western language audiences than it is for Eastern language players. It all comes down to cultural differences and tolerances. While Europe is far different from the US culturally, its tolerance for violence, language and other cultural nuances are more similar to the US than, say, China. In fact, Zynga has specifically localized both FarmVille and Zynga Poker for Chinese audiences in the past year. With yet another game featuring multilingual support, it wouldn't be a terrible guess to predict this will become a growing trend in Zynga's future game development.

The Dating Game: Will the groovy game show find new life on Facebook? [Interview]

This week, we learned that the classic 1960s game show The Dating Game is going to be revived in the form of a new social game on Facebook as well as other big social networks in the next few months. If you're, ahem, old enough to remember the show, than this game will seem all-too-familiar, right down to the groovy clothing and Flower Power graphics. Oh yeah, and those cheeky questions that always made contestants blush? Those are back too -- the only thing missing is the game's original host, Jim Lange. (For more details, read our Dating Game on Facebook preview.)

We chatted with 3G Studios CEO James Kosta to see what's in store for what's certain to be one of the more unique TV game show spinoffs on Facebook.

What made you decide to revive The Dating Game as a Facebook game? Are you trying to start a dating service for Facebook of sorts? Or, since you can create avatars that might not look like you, is this just a clever way to flirt?

On Facebook and other social sites, most of the lengthy conversations that take place are about relationships. People love to share their views on who their friends should be with, how their friends can improve their relationships and even when their friends have unrealistic expectations. If we're in a relationship, we may want to learn more about what makes our partner happy. The Dating Game is a fun way for friends to learn about each other and explore their preferences and quirks.

Facebook games parody spreads with Cow Clicker Blitz

Famed game scholar and designer (and satirist) Ian Bogost has taken the next logical step with the Cow Clicker franchise and released the Cow Clicker API. According to Bogost, developers can now use the Cow Clicker platform to add "cowclickification" for seamless bovine integration into their mobile applications, web apps and software products. Because every website could use more cows.

Bogost, claiming that cowclickification is the future of branding, says," Leverage the intrinsic motivation of cow clicking to improve user experience and retention! Anything you can click you can cow click. It's free and easy like all the other useless crap you can do online." Just like in the original game, players can earn one click every six hours across their favorite cowclickified (whatever that means) websites, but can earn cow clicks faster by paying up in "Mooney" using Facebook Credits.

To demonstrate the power of the Cow Clicker API, Bogost has launched Cow Clicker Blitz, an obvious goof on Bejeweled Blitz. I guess he just thought it could use more... cows. In fact, clicking the gems in Cow Clicker Blitz ends the one-minute long game instantly. Click cows in rapid succession to increase your score, but watch out for those dastardly gems. But alas, you can only submit your score once every six hours unless you want to pay up in Mooney.

Kotaku reports that this was the natural progression for the trend in clicking virtual cows. "People don't just want one chance to click a cow every six hours," he said. "They want as many opportunities as possible to click a cow every six hours."

What do you think of Bogost's apparent opinion of social games? Is everything really better with more cows? Sound off in the comments. Add Comment.

Filed under: Other Games

Tags: bejeweled blitz, BejeweledBlitz, cow clicker, cow clicker api, cow clicker blitz, CowClicker, CowClickerApi, CowClickerBlitz, ian bogost, IanBogost, kotakuEmail ThisRelated StoriesBejeweled Blitz Live for Xbox thrives on speed & competitonBejeweled Blitz Live coming to Xbox Live Arcade soonZuma Blitz producer teases trophy rooms, powers as potential updatesPlease enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.blog comments powered by DisqusAdvertisementSearch The Blog

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