Star Light Fairy

Christmas Games

Star Light Fairy

Description

Have you seen a game with such a beautiful fairy? Well, we offer you the opportunity to make her even more beautiful by choosing the right accessories for her clothes and arranging them the way you want.

Instructions

Use mouse to play this game.

Spring Outing Girl

bubble shooter

Spring Outing Girl

Description

Dress this pretty girl in various outfits. Be creative and put together your own spring style, then easily print your results.

Instructions

Use the mouse to select clothes and accessories

Spring in the Country

friv

Spring in the Country

Description

Springtime is here and you are spending your free time in the countryside. Before you can go out and enjoy the lovely weather, you must dress up to suit the season!

Spring Fashion Girl

cubefield

Spring Fashion Girl

Description

Have fun dressing this cute girl in various spring clothes and accessories then print and share with your friends when you're done.

Instructions

Use the mouse to select clothes and accessories.
Keywords:

Speed Girl

free games online

Speed Girl

Description

Dress up the girl near the red car.

Johnny Rocketfingers 2

Game Info - Johnny steals drugs from the wrong dealer and has to get out of his bad situation.
Game controls - Mouse - Interaction

Tattoo Artist 2

Game Info - My body is a beautiful canvas, so I'm gonna cover it with art! Sharpen your needles and get to work - more clients and more wicked tats to ink!
Game controls - mouse to ink.

The Animal Zoo

Game Info - What's the problem with running a popular zoo? Too many visitors, who want to see everything too!
Game controls - Drag visitors to their requested enclosures. When a visitor has been to 3 attractions, a goal is achieved. Complete the required number of goals before time runs out to pass each level.
Don't leave visitors waiting, or they'll run out out of patience. Buy more time by giving them ice cream and popcorn.
When an enclosure needs to be cleaned or an animal fed, drag the right icon to that enclosure.
Hint: Take care of the visitors already in the zoo first to clear some space!

This is Madness

Game Info - A cool sidescrolling game set in the Madness universe. Dodge enemy fire, then kill them.
Game controls - W, A, S, D - Move.
Mouse - Aim / Shoot.
Scroll Wheel / Q, E - Change Weapon.

Gold Digger

Game Info - Dig as much gold as you can.
Game controls - Use mouse to play the game.

Pinch Hitter

Description

Start at the bottom and complete various challenges to make it to the Major League. Can you bring your team to glory in this arcade baseball game?

Instructions

Use the mouse to aim the bat, and click to hit the ball.

Naruto Boxing Game

Description

Even if he took a lot of punches, he is not easy to beat. No, Naruto is a strong guy and he will fight until he get the title of this competition. Join him in this boxing game, and help him win against each player. He already trained for this, so try to conserve his power.

Instructions

Use the mouse to play

MotoPuzz

Description

Assemble any bike you want

Instructions

Click on arrows-buttons

Jet Bunny

Description

Help the little bunny catch all the sweets in order to obtain energy and fly to the stars!

Instructions

Use your mouse to move Jet Bunny. Get the vacuum to attract all the sweets to you. Get the rocket to boost your speed and to become invulnerable to obstacles.

Harry potter Difference

Description

At this new game the major character is Harry Potter. Discover the differences at these game. We've 5 different for you personally. Try to locate them ahead of time is end. You are able to shot down the time exactly where you need.

Instructions

Use only the mouse to play this game.

Yura the Hair

Game Info - Style Yura's hair up to a hairstyle she wants.
 Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.

Dream Dancer Dressup

Game Info - Choose one of these fabulous costumes for the dancer.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.

Night At The Movies

Game Info - The movies are going to start soon. Its a perfect movie date that requires a perfect dress up.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.

Sue The Hairdresser

Game Info - Help Sue style her Boyfriend.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.

Fairy 6

Game Info - She may be the most beautiful fairy you could ever see but she could even be prettier if you could dress her up properly. Have fun!
Game controls - Mouse - To interact.

Overhaul

Description

Mine minerals on a hostile planet, a mix of Match-3 and Tower Defense.

Instructions

Protect your mining station by placing and combining the modules falling from the sky. Match three modules to create one higher level module. Click on a module to show information. Discover new abilities and modules as the game progresses, enhanche them and use all opportunities to win.

Outpost:Haven

Description

"The owl men are here, and they're so very hungry." Gary Mason, former head of security, Outpost:Haven. A distress call wakes you and your crew mate from C-Sleep. A suspected rad leak at the nearby Outpost space station needs investigating. Don't worry, it should just be a quick jump in, jump out job... Features: * 7 levels with varied mission types. * "Swarm" mode, no story, just five independent levels of shoot'em up action. * Multiple weapons, with multiple upgrades. * Uses the Nape physics engine for an extra level of immersion. * Over 200 challenges, increase your XP to unlock both your rank and weapons. Enjoy.

Instructions

WASD / Arrow keys to move. Mouse to aim / shoot. Space for actions / reload. Shift for weapon select. P to pause.

One Piece Gallant Fighter

Description

""Do you want my treasure? It will be yours as long as you can get it!"" Gold D. Roger's words made all the boys rush to the sea! Luffy is one of them. He has to go through many difficulties to become One Piece. His journey has just begun.

Instructions

WASD to move character;J to punch;K to jump;L to kick;U,I,O for special skills.

Oh No Cowboy Vampires

Description

Here's a strategy and defense game with interesting characters. Have fun.

Instructions

In the game. Use the mouse to play

Oblit 2

Description

You are an elite pilot with the most advanced space assault craft with the ability to adapt upgrades to your ship with ease. The combination of your technological upgrades will create the ultimate weapon!

Instructions

It's you and the enemy... The entire enemy fleet that is. You are the last line of defense show those alien scum who's boss! [W,A,S,D] or ARROW keys to move. [SpaceBar] to shoot.

Princess Abella Dress Up

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Dress this princess in gowns of different centuries.

How to Play:

Use the mouse to play this game.

Tortilla Dress Up

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Dress this tantalizing tortilla chip up before he gets devoured!

How to Play:

Click on the icons to change the clothing options. The "!" will adjust the color settings of the whole pic, and the "?" will produce a randomized outfit. Select DONE when you've finished to see what happens!

Alice in Dress Up Land

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It's a fashion wonderland!

How to Play:

Click the arrows of each category to see your options. For suggestions, click the magic wand (in the bottom-left corner). To start over, click the hanger (also in the bottom-left corner).

Hanbock Dress Up

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Choose one of those nice gowns for the Japanese girl.

How to Play:

Use the mouse to play this game.

Cute Pets Dress Up

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Cuddle up with a cute pet!

How to Play:

Click through the toy and dress-up icons to give your pet a playful look—or hit the question mark to give it a random outfit!

ROCKET MAN

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Blast your human target!

How to Play:

Click inside the circle around the rocket launcher and then guide the missile to the target before the fuel runs out.

CLOUDY

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Set your paper air-o-plane to sail with the wind!

How to Play:

Drag the green dot into place to set the paper airplane's trajectory. Aim to collect all the stars. Hit the play button and watch your airplane soar!

DRAG DROP

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Drag the white hand to the 'drop here' sign and avoid obstacles!

How to Play:

Mouse = Move & Drag

SHIP NAVIGATION

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Navigate your ship through the maze to get to the next level.

How to Play:

Up arrow = Move forward Left/Right arrows = Turn left/right

CLEAN MANIA

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This hard-core street sweeper is determined to clean up this filthy city...even if it kills him!

How to Play:

Helmet = +1 Life
Bag o' Money = 200 Bonus Points
Flying Boot = Extra Speed

Section off parts of the street to clean by walking out and returning to the green perimeter. When standing on the green perimeter, you are safe. In the street, however, the bad guys can get you, so watch out!

KILL H1N1

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The way to a girl's heart is through her immune system...

How to Play:

Left/Right = Run
Up = Jump
Space = Protect People

When protecting people, control the blue cure droplets with your arrows to get them to the infected white blood cells without touching the organ walls, virus cells, or healthy blood cells.

ICE CREAM

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Use your hover-pack and rescue your teammates held in the ice cream factory!

How to Play:

Arrow key Up = move up.
Arrow key Down = move down.
Arrow key Left = move backward.
Arrow key Right = move forward.

GUN GAME

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You should never play with guns...unless they're online.

How to Play:

Mouse = Move & Shoot

Choose a campaign and level, and destroy the target. You can shoot only from the firing zone. When you see a ?, hold T for a tutorial hint.

DINO BLITZ

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Shoot Dino eggs at the bricks to remove them. Create levels and share with friends! Or complete the 40 levels.

How to Play:

- Use the mouse to aim the canon.
- Click to charge and shoot the Dino eggs.
- Clear all the bricks with a limited amount of eggs!
- Earn special eggs by clearing enough bricks.
- Make your own levels in the level editor.

HOTSEAT GUNNER

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Can you destroy the robot before he turns his laser beam on you?

How to Play:

Shoot around the obstacles to hit the robot. If you take too long, he will fry you!

Reindeer Bounce

A magical mishap is causing Santa's reindeer to blast out of control into the sky! It is your job to bounce all of the reindeer back to safety. Look out for special reindeer carrying power ups. Just make sure not to touch the bombs!

Reel Gold

Make your fortune in the Hills, clear your pitch before the time runs out and the Gold Rush begins!

Dream Dancer Dress Up

Mô tả game: Your doll is getting ready for her audition! she wants to take part in the stage musical Arabian Nights! Can you make her look the part?  
Điều khiển game: Use Mouse to interact.

Victory Girl Dressup

Mô tả game: Pick clothes and pompoms for this little cheerleader!
 Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Victory Girl Dressup

Mô tả game: Pick clothes and pompoms for this little cheerleader!  
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Girl Makeover 29

Mô tả game: Click on her hair and shirt to make her look pretty. Don't forget to use lipstick, dress her with necklaces.  
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Angel Garden Decor

Mô tả game: Drag items into the scene and make your own scene that you want. Multiple girls, creatures and items.  
Điều khiển game: Use Mouse to interact.

Flash Empires

Mô tả game: Flash Empire is a Turret Defense game in which you can drag and drop your weapons but also help them by killing attacking enemies.  
Điều khiển game: Use Mouse to interact.

Girl Dressup 6

Mô tả game: Design the perfect sweet look for this cute girl.
 Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Spring Couple Dress up

Mô tả game: Pick some spring clothes for this nice couple.  
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Welcome 2007

Mô tả game: Here are the latest winter fashion clothes for this year. Have fun trying them out!  
Điều khiển game: Mouse - To interact.

Red Dragon

Mô tả game: You are the red dragon and you must shoot up all different kinds of opponents before they bring you down. Choose from a wide array of weapons to use. Good luck and have fun!  
Điều khiển game: Mouse - Move, aim and shoot. 1,2,3,4,5,6 - Choose weapon.

Beef Noodle Bowl

Mô tả game: Learn how to cook the delicious meal Beef Noodle Bowl today! This dish is a healthy and tasty meal that is quite easy to prepare. In this game, you will go shopping for the ingredients, learn how to properly prepare them, and finally combine them to create the finished product. Beef Noodle Bowl is a meal that will be enjoyed by many!
 Điều khiển game: This game is played by mouse only.

New Mario Bros 2

Mô tả game: Play New Mario Bros 2 game, this Mario game series is a remake of New Mario Bros on PC, game graphics and sound effects was improved. Just try this small and colorful game on your PC.  
Điều khiển game: Arrow Keys - Move. Spacebar - Shoot.

Sweater Dressup

Mô tả game: Choose a nice sweater suited for a cold season for her to wear.
 Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Fall Brunch Dressup

Mô tả game: It's time for food and fashion with the Sky Breeze Games Fall Brunch game! Help the girls choose the perfect outfit for Sunday brunch at their favorite cafe. What would you wear if you were having brunch with your favorite friend?  
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Rage 3

Mô tả game: Get keys to unlock doors. New Level Up system - every time you level up you are granted a new power.
 Điều khiển game: Arrow Keys: Move. Double Tap Direction: Roll. A: Melee. S: Shoot. Q&E: Switch weapons. D: Rage .

Sleepyhead

Mô tả game: What this girl likes most is to sleep. She has loads of pajamas and it is hard for her to get up in the morning.  
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Casually Cropped Style Dressup

Mô tả game: Pick a casual or elegant dress and style for this cute woman.  
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

What Should I Wear 2

Mô tả game: Can you help her decide again which among the nice clothes to wear?
 Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Scooby Doo's Pirate Pie Toss

Mô tả game: Pirates are after Scooby-Doos secret snack treasure. Throw pies at the pirates and help Scooby and Shaggy keep them away. Be careful not to hit the rest of the gang.  
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

Coffee Shop Dress Up

Mô tả game: coffee shop is a nice place to be fashionable.  
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

GI-Joe

Mô tả game: Try to make a female soldier fashion trendy.
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

Justice League Training Academy - Superman

Mô tả game: Improve Superman's punching skills in this awesome game!
 Điều khiển game: Left / Right Arrow Keys - Move. Spacebar - Punch.

Surprise Party Decor

Mô tả game: Prepare a surprise birthday party for your friend Paris. Decorate the living room and prepare a delicious cake.  
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

Trendy Shopping Time Dress Up

Mô tả game: Lucy is spending her free day to the mall at shopping. She's planing to renew her wardrobe with new clothes and other cute stuff. Help her choose an outfit for today shopping trip. Make sure she would look trendy enogh but comfy at the same time.  
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

Racing Cartoon Differences

Mô tả game: Racing cartoon differences is a game for people who love racing games and puzzle games. You have to find the things who are not the same in both racing images.
 Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

Sara's Cooking Class - Meat Loaf

Mô tả game: Ever wanted to know how to cook the most delicious meat loaf ever. Now you can, follow these easy step by step cooking instructions so that you can serve up a delicious dinner for all of your closest friends and family.
 Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

Batman The Dark Ride

Mô tả game: Ride Batman to reach the target and you need to face many obstacles at different levels. Collect coins to get points. Extra points will be added for every flip.  
Điều khiển game: Up Arrow Key - Forward. Left / Right Arrow Keys - Lean. Down Arrow Key - Backward.

Robot Unicorn Attack

Mô tả game: The popular "Canabalt" and "Flood Runner" genre returns with rainbow power! Keep moving! Điều khiển game: Z to jump. X to dash

Spring Fashion Dress Up

Mô tả game: Spring is here and Mandy is stepping out in her trendiest of gear. She attracts so many eyes that she's sure to make the covers of magazines, make sure she's dressed for the occasion!
 Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

Cover Model Dress Up

Mô tả game: It's your fashion magazine, so you decide what's on the cover...and what's on the cover model! Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

RPG Dresses

Mô tả game: Help this two kids to get prepared in there Cosplay convention.
 Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Super Next Atumn

Mô tả game: Dress and prepare this girl for Autumn Season.
 Điều khiển game: Use Mouse to interact.

Purple Butterfly Dress up

Mô tả game: Dress up this lovely purple butterfly girl in one of those gowns.
 Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Dancing Star Dress up

Mô tả game: This young star needs some fashionable clothes.  
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Fairy 9

Mô tả game: What's not to love about fairies? They have the magic power that we dream for, the looks we envy and the wings that are not only accessories. So bring on the magic power and give this fairy the look she deserves.  
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Legend of the Dragon Fist 1

Mô tả game: Defeat your opponents with combinations of punck and kicks and some special moves to win the game. You will be awarded with extra points if you manage to hit your opponents several times. Good luck! Điều khiển game: Left Player - WASD - Move. T - Punch. Y - Kick. Right Player - Arrow Keys - Move. Num 4 - Punch. Num 5 - Kick.

Hillary vs Obama

Mô tả game: A quick match between Hillary and Obama. Quickly punch them as many times as possible! Điều khiển game: Use Mouse to interact.

TG Motocross 3

Mô tả game: 3 progressively harder levels of balancing your motorcycle and make it over the mountain openings.
Điều khiển game: Up Arrow Key - Throttle. Down Arrow Key - Brake. Left / Right Arrow Keys - Lean. Z, X, C, V, B - Tricks.

Rollercoaster Creator

Mô tả game: Are you a thrill seaker? Build a sensational roller coaster that will deeply impress your public. Collect all the coins and earn thrill coins by making your track more sensational!  
Điều khiển game: - Select your drawing tool at the bottom of the screen. - Use the mouse to draw the track. - Press "PLAY" to test your track.

Bleach Training

Mô tả game: This game will take you to the world of bleach. You'll be a bleach and make yourself stronger! Điều khiển game: Move Around WASD Keys Attack J,K,L Keys Skills Q,U Keys

Talladega Nights

Mô tả game: You have to win the race by going as fast as you can!  
Điều khiển game: ARROW keys to drive

Prom Party

Mô tả game: Megan has waited all year for the prom! She is so excited to pick out a beautiful gown and hit the dance floor with her friends. She's going stag this year, no date for her. She has decided to spend the night partying with her BFF's. Help her pick out a sparkly, glamorous gown for her Senior Prom Party!
 Điều khiển game: This game is played by mouse only.

Mario Starcatcher

Mô tả game: Try to catch the star in every level.
 Điều khiển game: Play with arrow keys, and spacebar to jump.

Lamp Of Aladdin

Mô tả game: Part hidden object, part match 3 game. Both with great graphics and innovative gameplay mechanics.
 Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.

The Party Night

Mô tả game: Want to walk in the party and impress the guys? Pick one dress and be the most beautiful lady of the night.  
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to interact.

Stick Figure Penalty

Mô tả game: This stick's fate lies in your hands. Choose however you want to kill him and witness how he dies! Enjoy!  
Điều khiển game: Mouse - To interact.

Club Penguin

Mô tả game: Create your own penguin character, with your own igloo that you can decorate. Dress-up your penguin, go to coffee shop or disco, sociabilize with other players and more! This game is massively multiplayer and safe for children to play because it uses advanced protection methods.
 Điều khiển game: Played with mouse.

Beach Volleyball

Mô tả game: Enjoy the sand and sun while still competing a very high class volley ball game.  
Điều khiển game: Player 1: Arrow keys to move. ; to jump. ' to hit the ball. Player 2: TFGH to move. A to jump. S to hit the ball.

Zynga has more people working on new games than existing ones

So, that's what happened to Mafia Wars 2, eh? Let's not jump ahead of ourselves, but that's what Zynga COO John Schappert is telling potential investors as the company begins its IPO (initial public offering) road show. The company posted a video of the same presentation it is putting on for investors across the country--all 30 minutes of 51 mind-numbingly boring slides.

But there are some juicy bits to the talk provided by Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, Schappert and CFO David Wehner. (The video, which you can find here, is worth watching to see Mark Pincus talking to a teleprompter alone.) For one, five of the FarmVille maker's top executives come from second place competitor EA. And that doesn't even include former EA CCO Bing Gordon, who now serves on the social game giant's board.

After Pincus talked up his company's top games, Schappert took the stage and revealed that Zynga's games are only about one-quarter finished before they launch. This may be common knowledge to some players (ahem, FarmVille's beta period), but to hear that releasing technically unfinished games is part of the developer's core strategy is nevertheless surprising.

Later, Schappert dropped this bomb: The company has more people working on new games than existing ones. In other words, the developer has more staff focusing on games like CastleVille and upcoming games like Zynga Casino and Hidden Chronicles than, say, FarmVille and Mafia Wars and Zynga Poker.
Zynga execs
Granted, the company has nearly 3,000 employees, but it's odd to hear that the company is more worried about its new games than it is the games that have historically made it the most money--$1.5 billion in revenue in the past four years, to be exact. With games like Pioneer Trail and Mafia Wars 2 in decline, it makes one wonder exactly where the line between "new game" and "existing game" is drawn within Zynga.

Do you think this is where Zynga should be focusing the majority of its attention? Could this be the reason why games like Pioneer Trail are suffering?

Pocket God players have sacrificed 129,770,223 pygmies on Facebook

To put that into perspective, that's over a third of the population of the United States. Pocket God has welcomed its 1 millionth player, and Canadian social game developer Frima Studio has decided to celebrate by putting together an infographic displaying the game's quirkier milestones. (Though, we're sure the team had a party.) What did you expect from a developer that throws a unicorn that farts destructive rainbows into its game?

Since the game's release around this time last year, one third of all sacrifices in the game ended up with pygmies drowning, while lightning has struck 12,963,796 pygmies. The volcano, however, has only erupted about 3 million times. Considering how fun it is to launch pygmies to their certain, fiery death, we thought that figure would be much larger. At any rate, you people have killed a lot of pygmies.

And the majority of you hail from the good ol' US of A, according to Frima Studio. While the game has opened its realm of pygmy-pulverizing possibilities to 1 million players, Pocket God has just 180,000 monthly players. It strikes us as odd (and infuriating, really), because Frima Studio's take on the hit iOS game is one of the more inventive Facebook games out there. So, to you 20,000 some daily players: Keep on doing what you do, and check out your accomplishments below.

Are you still digging Pocket God a year later? Do you think the game deserves to serve, say, 1 million daily players?

Sims Medieval for iPhone: Now available for the low price of free

It's time get Medieval, Sims-style, and, today, you can do it for free. The Sims Medieval for iPhone lets you create a virtual hero and then take on a series of medieval era quests, like dueling or... wizardry! The game normally costs $4.99 and until midnight (EST) tonight, you can snag it for free. As in nada, zilch, zip.

This deal is the first of many EA Mobile's new Daily Deals program, which kicks off today through January 2, and iOS and Android games will be offered for free or at a steep discount. Deals change daily and run from 9 a.m. PST 12 p.m. EST, and you can check EA's Daily Deals site, well, daily to see what other deep discounts await.

In addition to this Sims game aimed at renaissance fair regulars, the driving game Shift 2 Unleashed for iPhone and iPad are also free today. Battlefield Bad Company 2 for iPad is 50% off and NBA Jam for iPad is 60% off. It's not a bad way to build your mobile phone gaming library without breaking the bank.

Watch your back, Nintendo: GREE doesn't want just a piece of your pie

The Japan-based mobile social games company wants all of it. That's essentially what the company's founder and CEO, Yoshikazu Tanaka, told TechCrunch during its Disrupt event in Tokyo recently. The GREE chief told TechCrunch that most of the company's revenue comes from its Japanese audience, but that it hopes to follow Nintendo's example in creating a massive global audience.

But Tanaka isn't happy with just following Nintendo, he looks to displace the veteran games maker. He told the news outlet that he wouldn't surprised to see GREE's revenue in the West jump to four to five times of what it is in Asian within the next five years. "We definitely feel positive, and our goal is to make sure our brand is just as successful, if not better than Nintendo."

Nintendo is infamous for its unwillingness to enter the mobile games market through iOS or Android. While the company does plan to release an iOS version of its eShop (the downloadable games store on the 3DS), it simply refuses to create games for mobile phones. This is despite numerous studies suggesting otherwise and even investors clamoring for Nintendo games on iPhone.

Nintendo did, however, manage to sell more 3DS consoles in its first eight months on the market than the original DS system sold in one year. Perhaps there's still interest in a handheld device dedicated to gaming, but you could also chalk these immense sales up to the devices' price cut over the summer and a terribly strong Black Friday. Regardless, the mobile gaming world is after Nintendo, which leaves us wondering whether its stern strategy can withstand the onslaught.

Could GREE eventually overtake Nintendo through its mobile social games network? Can Nintendo continue to dominate the mobile gaming space with its current strategy?

Poll: Would you pay a subscription fee to boost your Tetris game?

EA seems to have done the impossible: make Tetris, one of the most iconic, beautifully simple games of all time, better. It's true--at least according to some news outlets, like TouchArcade--but could the publisher have just taken two steps back? The brand new Tetris is available now on the App Store, and despite costing players a buck, EA wants to milk Tetris for all it's worth.

Within the game, players will find the option to subscribe to a service known as "T-Club". For either a silly $2.99 a month or $29.99 a year, players will earn 15 percent more T-Coins to buy power-ups with when they play and gain access to vague "exclusive discounts and content," according to EA. Of course, players can also buy more T-Coins directly for $.99 to $99.99.

This type of money-making scheme is common in free-to-play iPhone and Android games, but for a game that already costs money to download it's a little more bold rare. TouchArcade seems to have a problem with the mere fact that things like "T-Coins" and "leveling up" exist in this take on the classic game.

While that seems a bit "get off my lawn," it's easy to see the point. Our only question is: How could a game as beautifully simple as Tetris benefit from a subscription service? Would even the most hardcore of Tetris fan benefit from such a thing? Well, tell us what you think:

Would you subscribe to boost your Tetris game?
If it means more Tetris stuff, then count me in!What could this possibly bring to the table? Never!It depends on what that "content" is exactly.I'm still baffled by the thought of "T-Coins".
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Humane Society enlists Fluff Friends on the iOS to save real pets

Back in 2008, Mike Sego's Fluff Friends was one of the most popular games on Facebook. It changed hands several times, passing to Social Gaming Network, and then Mindjolt when the latter acquired SGN last April. It was Mindjolt SGN's decision to finally close Fluff Friends last month, citing technical issues with Facebook code changes that made it impossible for the game to run without "an entire rebuild from the ground up."

Before they shut it down, however, Inside Social Games reported that Mindjolt SGN planned to port Fluff Friends to the iOS. Now the popular Facebook game is back from the dead, but with a makeover and a new purpose -- to aid the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) in their fight for animal welfare as "Fluff Friends Rescue".

This isn't the first time an animal advocacy group is enabling charity with a social game. Australia's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) commissioned a game called RSPCA Animal Shelter last May with a very similar concept. In Fluff Friends Rescue, if you buy a HSUS-branded item with real money, you can guarantee that all of it will go towards HSUS' Animal Rescue Team.

You can grab Fluff Friends Rescue for free at the App Store, and according to AppAdvice, it's a lot of fun. (The only downside is there's a major bug that can cause the game to crash every 30 seconds for the 4th generation iPod Touch.) Mindjolt SGN also plans to make the game available on the Android and other social networks, which means Fluff Friends Rescue might just appear on Facebook. Final plans for the game will include Petfinder, a feature that will allow players to search for pet adoptions and buy real world pet merchandise.

Are you one of hundreds mad that Mindjolt SGN gave up on Fluff Friends on Facebook to focus on an iOS version? Does it make you feel better to hear that this new iOS game promotes a good cause?

Will copycats run the Facebook games industry into the ground?

We sure as hell hope not. (We like having a job, thank you very much.) It's a common complaint lobbed at the social games industry: It's all the same games. If you ask this writer, the complaint isn't entirely unfounded, but does it spell the end of what would be a short-lived genre? Gamasutra posed that question to a few notables in the social games world recently.

"Part of why we're not attracting the hearts and minds of the core gamer on Facebook is that a lot of these games are kind of the same," Kixeye founder and CEO Will Harbin told Gamasutra. "There are a ton of strategy games, there are a lot of city building games, there are now a ton of mafia games again. It's just kind of more and more of the same."

Harbin recently defended his company from accusations by new studio Rumble Games that all of Kixeye's games are the same as well as Kabam and Zynga's. "You criticize us for that, then you can criticize EA, Blizzard, Activision and all of the guys for the same thing," Harbin told us. "There are only so many genres that have proven to work time and time again, and it's based on what consumers want."

Other executives echoed Harbin's sentiments, like Pocket Gems COO Ben Liu, but said that there's only one way to prevent copycatting from effectively destroying the industry. "Emotionally it bothers us [when we see copycats] but we feel like our best defense is to continue to be innovative," Liu said to Gamasutra.

A number of start-ups have promised a new era, a renaissance of Facebook games in 2012 that will not only bring new types of games to the social network, but new types of gamers, to boot. The question is, however, when the most guilty culprits are those with the most pull, how much good will that do? Check out the in-depth feature in full right here.

Are you tired of seeing copycat social games on Facebook and elsewhere? Do you think, if it continues, that it could mean the end for the industry?

Hidden Chronicles Paris Bistro: Our guide to finding every item

As you make your way through Zynga's newest Facebook game Hidden Chronicles, the second scene you'll come across in the Library chapter (the first chapter in the game) is called Paris Bistro. This one is set outside a lovely Parisian cafe, but it looks as though a tornado has come through and scattered all manner of items around the tables. You'll need eight energy points each time you wish to play this scene.

We're here with a guide showing you where to find the scene's many items, so if you're working on building up your combo points or just on the scene's individual mastery scale, make sure to check out our images below! Note: The items you'll receive will just be a selection of all of those pictured below.

If you're looking to find a particular item: Hit Ctrl +F (or Command + F if on a Mac) and type in the name of the object you're looking for. This will take you directly to its image.
Set 1:

    Light the Candle (drag candle to the candlestick)
    Suitcase
    Ladder
    Gramophone
    Coffee Cup
    Record

Set 2:

    Ice Skate (now white)
    Menu
    Chest
    Frog
    Blue Ribbon

Set 3:

    Broom
    Croissant
    Bicycle (now further to the left)
    Picnic Basket
    Scarf
    Watering Can

Set 4:

    Pitcher
    Russel Terrier
    Boot
    Hawk
    Manhole
    Wineglass

Set 5:

    Woman
    Poodle
    Umbrella

Set 6:

    Kiss (now on right side of chalkboard)
    Coins
    Caterpillar

Set 7:

    Jade Button
    Champagne
    Egg
    Crayfish

Set 8:

    Skis
    Stiletto Shoe
    Measuring Tape
    Butterfly
    Thread

Set 9:

    Roses
    Creme Brulee
    Shopping Bags

Set 10:

    Star
    Cigarette
    Mannequin

Set 11:

    Bell
    Sunglasses
    Binoculars

Set 12:

    Heart
    Folding Fan

Set 13:

    Coin Purse
    Beret
    Baguette




There are a handful of items not pictured above, as the game generates each set of items randomly. When we come across those missing items, we'll make sure to update this space with how you too can find them. In the meantime, feel free to start decorating your Manor and working on building up your own mastery of this scene or any other in the game!

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

Have you completely mastered the Paris Bistro scene in Hidden Chronicles? Can't find a particular item?

Hidden Chronicles Thief's Lair: Our guide to finding every item

As you make your way through Zynga's newest Facebook game Hidden Chronicles, the third scene you'll come across in the Library chapter (the first chapter in the game) is called Thief's Lair. This one is set inside what looks to be an old, abandoned shed where a thief keeps all of their stolen goods. You'll need eight energy points each time you wish to play this scene.

We're here with a guide showing you where to find the scene's many items, so if you're working on building up your combo points or just on the scene's individual mastery scale, make sure to check out our images below! Note: The items you'll receive will just be a selection of all of those pictured below.

If you're looking to find a particular item: Hit Ctrl +F (or Command + F if on a Mac) and type in the name of the object you're looking for. This will take you directly to its image.
Super Clue:

    Level the Scale (drag the three weights to the scale in the image)

Set 1:

    Camera
    Piggy Bank
    World Map
    Knife
    Axe

Set 2:

    Chisel
    Record
    Magazine
    Pistol
    Binoculars
    Magazine
    Military Boots

Set 3:

    Tweezers
    Bandit Mask
    Drill
    Ashtray
    Wanted Poster
    Pigeon

Set 4:

    Bullets
    Leather Jacket
    Drill Bit
    Hacksaw
    Duffel Bag

Set 5:

    Bow Tie
    Crumb Brush
    Cane

Set 6:

    Pen
    Roll of Tape
    Tape Recorder

Set 7:

    Chalk
    Mustache
    Bomb



There are a handful of items not pictured above, as the game generates each set of items randomly. When we come across those missing items, we'll make sure to update this space with how you too can find them. In the meantime, feel free to start decorating your Manor and working on building up your own mastery of this scene or any other in the game!

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

Have you finished every trophy of mastery for this Thief's Lair scene? What do you think of Zynga's take on the hidden object genre thus far?

Building the Cafe World Dutch Oven: Everything you need to know

While Cafe World has never been at a loss for cooking appliances, we've received yet another option to add to our cafes this week: The Dutch Oven. While it may not traditionally be a good idea to have a massive, open flame in your restaurant, here you're encouraged to do so, as you can use it to cook new recipes - Wild Game recipes, to be specific - once you've actually completed its construction.

To build the Dutch Oven, you'll need to collect four groups of building materials:

    7 Firewood
    7 Charcoal
    8 Cooking Tools
    8 Cast Iron Pans


The Firewood and Cooking Tools are earned through general news items you'll place on your wall, while the Charcoal and Cast Iron Pans are earned through individual requests sent out to neighbors.

Completing the Dutch Oven is part of the new Dutch Oven goal series, which contains 13 different goals for you to complete, as of this writing. You can only have one Dutch Oven in your cafe for right now (although that might change in the future), and unfortunately, you won't be able to earn parts to build the Dutch Oven from Special Delivery Boxes (again, this might change). You can only cook dishes unlocked through the Wild Game goal series, so make sure you start on those as soon as you can to actually give your Dutch Oven a purpose! Good luck!

Are you excited to get started building your Dutch Oven in Cafe World? What other appliances or cooking tools is the game still missing that you would like to see added?

CityVille New Year's Resolutions: Everything you need to know

While we've reached the point in the new year where many folks have already given up on their New Year's Resolutions, your citizens in CityVille are just now getting around to making some. For roughly the next two months, you'll have the opportunity to complete three sets of resolutions goals in the game, surrounding common themes (losing weight or going green, for instance). This feature has a setup similar to that of the Halloween Monsters or Save the Holiday events, in that each set of resolutions constitutes an "act," with each act having three goals.

Resolution 1: To Help Others

This resolution features the Boys and Girls Center community building, but you must complete the three goals one at a time.

Kids' Fun

    Place Boys and Girls Center
    Complete Boys and Girls Center
    Ask for 6 Hammers


The Hammers come from a general news item on your wall. The Boys and Girls Center requires 12 energy to complete the frame, and from there you'll need to collect buildings ingredients to finish it off. You'll need four each of Activity Schedules, Colored Fencing, Rope Ladders, Tire Swings and Pet Rabbits, with all of these items being available through either general news items on your wall, or through individual requests sent to friends.

When you finish this community building, you town's maximum population allowance will increase by 4,500, but it can be upgraded from there. For finishing the overall Kids' Fun goal, you'll receive the ability to upgrade your Boys and Girls Center to Level 2 by simply clicking on it.

Help Your Neighbors!

    Send 40 Tour Buses to Neighbors' Businesses
    Collect Rent from 40 Neighbor Houses
    Ask for 12 Power Drills


You'll need to visit at least 16 neighbors to finish off these two tasks, but the only thing stopping you from doing that in a single day is whether or not you actually have that many neighbors. When you finish this goal - no matter how long it takes you - you'll receive an upgrade taking your Boys and Girls Center to Level 3.

Help Wanted!

    Harvest Goods 15 Times in Neighbor Cities
    Revive or Water 15 Neighbor Crops
    Ask for 20 Paint Rollers


The Harvesting Goods task counts for harvesting both crops or unloading your friends' ships. For finishing this final goal in the Helping Others resolution set, you'll receive the final upgrade to the Boys and Girls Center, taking it to Level 4.
Resolution 2: To Live Healthier

This resolution features the Health Complex, a business that can be upgraded.

Let's Live Healthier!

    Place Health Complex
    Complete Health Complex
    Ask for 6 Exercise Bikes


You'll need to earn the Exercise Bikes from friends. Meanwhile, the Health Complex is a large business with a frame that takes eight energy to construct. You'll need to collect parts to completely finish this one: four each of Climbing Harnesses, Trampolines, Jump Ropes, Medicine Balls and Pool Filters.

When the Health Complex is done, you'll be able to operate the business for 500 Goods (to receive a minimum of 2,500 coins each time those Goods are used). When you complete this overall goal, you'll need to make sure your Health Complex is currently supplied, and can then click on the building to upgrade it to Level 2 as your reward.

Improve Your Diet

    Harvest 40 Cranberries
    Harvest 40 Carrots
    Ask for 12 Swim Goggles


Again, the reward for finishing this goal is another automatic upgrade of the Health Complex (this time to Level 3). You'll need to make sure your business is currently operating and can then click on the building to upgrade it.

Get Some Rest

    Collect from 60 Residences
    Collect from 60 Businesses
    Ask for 20 Tennis Balls


These can be any kind of home or business, so feel free to collect from those that generate rent or profits quicker than others if you'd like to finish this goal sooner, rather than later. When you do finally finish this goal (and the entire "Live Healthier" resolution line), you'll receive the final upgrade to your Health Complex, bringing it to a Level 4 business.

Resolution 3: Let's Go Green

This final resolution deals with lessening your citizens' impact on their virtual environment, and introduces the Common Green community building to the game.

Let's Go Green

    Place Common Green
    Complete Common Green
    Ask for 6 Swings


The Common Green is a community building with a base that takes 12 energy to construct. You'll need to collect building materials to finish it off: four each of Plumbing Pipes, Gazebo Roofs, Lawn Mowers, Park Tiles and Butterfly Feeders.

As with the other two buildings, these come from your friends (either through individual gift requests or general news items on your wall. When you finish the Common Green, your maximum population cap will go up by 4,500 citizens. For finishing this entire goal, you'll automatically earn an upgrade to Level 2 of the community building.

Take Out the Trash

    Collect 20 Scraps of Paper
    Collect 10 Empty Cans
    Ask for 12 Park Benches


The Scraps of Paper can be earned at random when collecting from businesses, while the Empty Cans can be earned randomly when collecting profits from community buildings. The Park Benches can be earned from friends. Finishing this goal gives you the upgrade to a Level 3 Common Green item.

Put Down Roots

    Collect 30 Bags of Soil
    Collect 30 Piles of Compost
    Ask for 20 Seedlings


The Seedlings come from friends, while the Bags of Soil and Piles of Compost can be earned at random from either harvesting crops or collecting rent from residences (respectively). Finishing this final goal in the Go Green resolution series pushes your Common Green to the Level 4 upgrade.
Again, these goals will only be available in the game until the end of February. That should give you plenty of time to complete all nine, but if not, keep in mind that there is no overall reward for finishing all three sets. Unless you're concerned with upgrading each of the three buildings to Level 4, don't feel the need to overwhelm yourself in order to get it done in time.

[Via: CityVille Wiki]

What do you think of these New Year's Resolutions goals in CityVille? Will you work on completing all three, or will you only finish one or two sets instead?

Pioneer Trail: Start the new year with promises of change from Zynga

As we start a new year both in the real world and in Pioneer Trail on Facebook, we've received some reassurance from Zynga about how the game will continue to grow and even improve this year. The news comes by way of a letter posted by Pioneer Trail Community Manager Stumpgrinder on the game's official forums.

The letter is a bit lengthy, so we'll give you the most important bits here:

    Starting today, Gears in Holiday Hollow should be much easier to earn
    New items are being given away on the game's Facebook fan page, and that will soon include free Gears
    The maps to Fort Courage will remain open until the end of January, giving users a bit of an extension
    Hank and Fanny will return in a "big" way with new goals involving the Newlyweds
    Monumental Homestead goals are coming soon


In addition to these tidbits, we've learned that Homestead space (or a lack thereof) won't be as large of a concern in the coming months, thanks to another building that is being released in the game. We're being assured that this building is worth constructing, as you'll be able to store your other buildings inside it. Here's the full explanation:

"Before you start groaning about yet another new building, let me explain: it'll let you store certain kinds of buildings inside of it--many of which you weren't able to store before. In addition, you can interact with those buildings inside of this new building. Crafting menus, bonus collection, etc. It'll all be available for you, stored away inside the new building."

In other words, it sounds like this will simply give us a way to free up space on our homesteads without having to drag buildings back out of storage to actually interact with them. That's a pretty big convenience, so I wouldn't expect it to be the easiest building to complete, but we'll look out for it all the same.

Are you excited by the announcements made by Zynga this week, or is this all too little, too late in your opinion? Have you stuck with the game through all of its ups and downs, or did you quit playing the game a long time ago?

The Sims Social: EA, Tencent will make a Littlehaven in China

The Sims Social China
Playfish's number one social game on Facebook, The Sims Social, is headed east ... far east. Lame jokes aside, EA has signed an agreement with Chinese social network Tencent to release The Sims Social to Chinese audiences. Tencent is the leading social network in China, and The Sims Social will be known as Mo Ni Shi Guang on the network.

The Sims Social is currently the sixth most popular Facebook game, trailing behind five Zynga games with just under 21 million monthly players, according to AppData. EA's idea with this move is obviously increasing the game's overall audience, and thus revenue. And what better place than one of the most densely-populated countries in the world? That could do the trick.

This news follows The Sims Social receiving the 2011 Interactive Achievement Award for Best Social Game amidst steep declines in player numbers since its release in August. This move will certainly help its audience grow, but The Sims Social could be improved upon a lot, if you ask COO Peter Moore.

[Via All Things D]

Are you surprised that EA would launch in China in such a big way? What do you think the game needs domestically, so to speak, to survive?

Game of the Day: Poker - Five Card Draw

five card draw game of the day
Today's Game of the Day is the classic game of Poker: Five Card Draw. Five Card Draw Poker is a game of betting. You'll place bets, call, check, and bluff your way to a tall stack of chips. Once you begin betting, you'll be dealt five cards and have one opportunity to swap out up to three of them. With your five cards, you'll have to create hands that beat your opponents' and earn your chips.

Poker: Five Card Draw is one of those Games.com gems. Like our other Poker games, Five Card Draw uses the same avatar and chat system that makes playing with strangers way more fun. Be sure to participate in the chat and make some friends. So if you're in the mood to win (or lose) some quick cash and have a great time doing it, check out Poker: Five Card Draw below.

This Valentine's Day: Would you choose sex or social media?

A new survey says that moms would rather give up .... wait for it ... Facebook for Valentine's Day. Seventy-six percent of the roughly 800 respondents to a Socialmoms.com poll say they'd rather get cozy in the bedroom than make connections over social media.

That's just a fictional scenario, of course, and survey participants say they still plan to use social media to wish friends and family a Happy V-Day on Facebook and Twitter (37 %), mention the holiday in a blog post or status update (28%) and check out Pinterest for romantic inspiration and ideas (20%).

Another fun, but not too surprising, finding culled from the survey: A majority of the respondents wanted a romantic night on the town with their partners (57%), rather than a Apple iPad (28%) or Kindle Fire (12%).

Just goes to show -- as popular as socializing over Facebook, Twitter and other outlets might be -- there's still nothing quite like the real thing.

> Social Media Moms Choose Sex Over Facebook This Valentine's Day [Yahoo! Finance]

Image credit: Someecards

Hidden Haunts goes hunting for hidden objects on Facebook

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp is in the social games war now, didn't you hear? Anyway, the company's gaming division, Making Fun, has launched its first Facebook game today, Hidden Haunts. It looks about what you'd expect from a hidden object game. Well, aside from the characters with abnormally large heads and and equally large eyes.

"These games have been successful and confirmed our thesis," Making Fun CEO John Welch told VentureBeat. "We knew we had to get to market quickly or else there would be 20 of these games out there." So, Hidden Haunts is Making Fun's answer to the trend, a hidden-object game with enhanced, photo-realistic scenes. That's what Making Fun hopes will differentiate Hidden Haunts from other hidden-object games.

"We shot the photographs on location and added about a third of the objects in post production," Welch told VentureBeat. "In one scene with a kitchen, there was a real turkey. After taking the photo, the team ate the turkey. We get a better sense of realism that balances lighting and place. It looks more natural. It's a very complicated process, but one that results in higher quality. It's like watching sports in high definition. Once you see this, you can't go back."

Hidden Haunts is firmly situated to compete with the likes of Hidden Chronicles and Gardens of Time, both of which welcome millions of daily players. Is there room for another in the ring, enhanced environments or not? See for yourself in the game now.

Click here to play Hidden Haunts on Facebook Now >

Are you excited to see another hidden-object game on Facebook? Do you think the sub genre is over-saturated on Facebook already?

Dream Heights takes on Tiny Tower on iPhone in the U.S. App Store

Not deliberately, of course. We sure know of at least two folks that aren't terribly thrilled about this news. Amidst claims of copycatting, cloning, what have you, Dream Heights has made it to the U.S. iOS App Store. And according Zynga, it's certainly not the first game in its category, but it's most definitely the most social.

Whether that makes it cool or not depends on who you ask. While East Side Games' Jason Bailey thinks "cloning" is a natural thing to entertainment, Double Fine's Tim Schafer thinks people who say that are liars. (So, take your side already, eh?) At any rate, the game allows players to socialize via a Sky Bridge to visit friends and shop in their towers.

Players can out-build real-life monuments while mixing and matching up to 50 different stores. We had a look at Dream Heights when it landed on the Canadian App Store a few weeks back, and this release looks largely the same. To check out our full impressions of Dream Heights, click here. If you're ready to give it a go when it launches, click on the link below:

Click here to play Dream Heights on iPhone, iPad for Free Now >

Are you interested in Dream Heights given the recent claims by NimbleBit? Thoughts on the whole copycatting issue in Facebook and mobile games?

FarmVille Pic of the Day: If Georgia O'Keeffe played FarmVille...

...her FarmVille farm would probably look like Siren465's (a 5-year player at Level 143 and counting). For an art history refresher, Georgia O'Keeffe is a famous American artist from the early 20th century whose paintings, mostly the ones of flowers, often made people think of things other than flowers. She always denied that this was intentional and it's easy to believe that this upset her because she refused to work with people who promoted her work that way. But her paintings had a very sensual quality, so most people found it impossible not to go Freudian over them.
Georgia O'Keeffe
I'm not sure what you're seeing, but this Valentine's Day farm -- with its rolling hills, soft dips, curves and crannies -- totally has me seeing pink. But that might also be due to all the English poetry I was forced to read in high school. Pastoral poetry was insanely popular in the olden days, and the ones that waxed romantic had a tendency to compare women to farmland and men as the happy deer frolicking across it.

Don't believe me? Have some Shakespeare:

    I'll be a park, and thou shalt be my deer;
    Feed where thou wilt, on mountain or in dale:
    Graze on my lips; and if those hills be dry,
    Stray lower, where the pleasant fountains lie.

Can you say "sexy time"? If you think FarmVille is big now, I'm scared to say how popular it would've been in 15th and 16th centuries.

Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day 2012 coverage here.

If your favorite artist played FarmVille, what kind of farm would it look like? Do you see flowers or... something else when you look at O'Keeffe's flower paintings?

Go Fishing (not the card game) on the iPad today, thanks to Go Games

Though, if it were the card game, we might have been more excited. Alas, Go Games has unleashed Go Fishing, its fishing Facebook game of the same name, on iPad today. The game allows players to experience whatever thrill there is in fishing right within their iPad. Players will digitally fish in the best spots around the globe and complete multi-level quests to improve.

Go Fishing touts realistic graphics, animations and sounds to create a "real fishing ambiance," according to a release. The game will also offer real-time multiplayer tournaments as well as leaderboards for the competitive players. Of course, Go Fishing has Facebook Connect loaded in, as well as hundreds of fish, tackle and bait options.

If you're one of those guys or gals that covers their 6-foot pickup truck with fishing stickers, then this free-to-play game is certainly worth a shot. Judging by how early screen shots look and how its descriptions sound, the mobile version of Go Fishing doesn't seem terribly different from its predecessor, and most social fishing games around, at that. But if you're looking for a new scratch for that fishing itch however brief, this looks like a fine alternative.

Click here to download Go Fishing on iPad for Free Now >

Are you psyched for a new fishing game on iPad? What do you think of fishing games as a genre?

Adventure World rockets to over 9 million players, thanks to promotions

And it did so in just under five days. According to Appdata, Zynga's newest release, Adventure World, has finally found its second wind, gaining over 8 million players in almost five days. If you remember, Zynga Boston's debut game sat stagnant at under 500,000 players for over a week after its release. This wild growth is likely thanks to one thing: cross promotions.

Zynga has finally taken advantage of (some of) its 267 million players to give Adventure World some much needed exposure. During its first week on Facebook, the game enjoyed little to no cross promotion between the company's existing games aside from banner ads and the like. But now, Adventure World can be found in games like Mafia Wars through special promotions.

In this particular case, Mafia Wars players have until Sept. 30 to reach Level 5 in Adventure World and receive a special item for their digital mafia don, an Ancient Hammer. While the item won't exactly wow veteran Mafia Wars players, it at least has value to collectors. Before that, we saw hints of Adventure World being advertised within FarmVille, which has yet to happen.

So, you can only imagine how far Adventure World would go if such involved promotions were featured in FarmVille, CityVille, Pioneer Trail and Empires & Allies. However, we were under the impression that this type of cross promotion was through with the release of RewardVille, Zynga's cross-game achievement system that rewards players for using all of its games daily.

Unfortunately, it seems as if the developer can't avoid such arguably invasive practices if it wants all of its games to succeed. And that could ultimately rekindle the ire of its players, many of which are already fed up with resurgent demands to enter new games for items within their favorite games. (Hence the creation of RewardVille.)

Zynga looks like it's more dependent than ever on its swath of existing players, but the developer might want to cook up a more elegant solution of getting those players to play its new games. If not, Zynga might run the risk of losing its most powerful method of growth: the players it already has.

What do you think of Adventure World so far? Do you think players would up and leave if Zynga turned up the heat on its in-game cross promotions once again?

f8 Developers Conference: Facebook game shares move to the Ticker

You know those annoying pop-ups Facebook displays whenever you try to share something in FarmVille or what have you? Soon, those might be a thing of the past, according to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook boss announced the change in brief during the f8 Facebook Developers Conference, referring to a particularly hilarious Internet meme.

This change applies to Facebook apps across the board, but, of course, we're concerned with the games. According to Zuckerberg, sharing activity will be directly and automatically published to the News Feed or the Games Ticker, depending on what exactly it is you're sharing. And with that comes the privacy concerns.

Judging from Zuckerberg's brief mention of the change, this would cause apps to inform users upon installation exactly what activity they will automatically share. This information is extremely early, but we imagine that, if developers like Zynga were to implement this change, that players would have the be informed of those changes.

Later in the presentation, Zuckerberg mentioned that games will take even more advantage of the Games Ticker, which launched earlier this summer. The Facebook chief showed an instance in which a friend played the word "TEXT" against another in Words With Friends, which was displayed on the Games Ticker. He then proceeded to mouse over that Ticker notification, and it displayed a snapshot of the game board.
Words with Friends Share
Of course, you could then jump into the game and start a match with either player. In short, the day of the game-stopping share notification will soon be over. In its place, much of the viral sharing in Facebook games seems as if it will take place in the Games Ticker. It appears that these changes have already taken place in Words With Friends.

When these specific changes will take place has yet to be announced, though we imagine much of them will be up to the developers. And if FarmVille players' reactions to when Zynga made similar changes to its flagship game is any indication, we're opinons will be ... mixed. We'll keep you posted.

What do you think of Facebook doing away with the game share notifications, automating them and moving them into the Games Ticker?

Stadiums full of people become Angry Birds players with Uplause

Could the Angry Birds replace the proverbial demands of "Make Some Noise" at your next baseball game? Maybe not your next one, but soon you could be cheering to fling the irate winged beasts into their plump green enemies. Pocket Gamer reports that Uplause, a Finnish developer of crowd-based games, has rebuilt Angry Birds with its creator, Rovio, into a version controlled by noise.

The self-proclaimed "social game maker for big crowds" has created similar games for use in stadiums for ice hockey games, soccer matches and even music festivals. Over the past summer, Uplause worked with Rovio to create a version of Angry Birds that is controlled using noise as an input device. (Namely, cheering, clapping, stomping and perhaps even booing, we assume.)

"As in the original, there's about a four second period before firing," Uplause CEO Veli-Pekka Marin explained to Pocket Gamer. "For live events, we'd expect each gaming session to take a few minutes." But in that time, thousands of folks will play at the same time. If anything, it's terribly efficient.

While all we know about this seriously social version of Angry Birds is that noise generates power for the game's slingshot, Pocket Gamer guesses that aiming is done automatically. Rovio and Uplause will first test this massive version of Angry Birds at a Formula 1 race taking place in Singapore this weekend, and the company's CMO Peter Vesterbacka sounds excited for its imminent global expansion.

"Through social participation, our fans will get to interact with the Angry Birds in an entirely new way," Vesterbacka said to Pocket Gamer. "We think this new form of gaming will give fans a great opportunity to form a strong emotional connection with the characters." I think Vesterbacka is confusing "emotional connection" with "drunken, crowd-fueled stupor." Check out the video below to get an idea of how it might work. Who knows you might be doing the same thing at the next World Series.


What do you imagine a noise-controlled version of Angry Birds would be like? What other games come to mind when you think of this approach?

Bravo gifts turtle with instant cable TV fame and a Facebook game

Andy Cohen Watch What Happens Live turtle mascot eating
Just when we thought we've seen everything, US cable TV network Bravo is launching a Facebook game where you get to dress up their latest celebrity -- she's a turtle. I don't mean she's reclusive or anything. I mean that literally: She is a turtle, but she's not just any turtle. This is a turtle that caught the eye of Bravo's Executive Vice President of Original Programming, also known as Andy Cohen, and host of Bravo TV's Watch What Happens: Live.

The turle has been selected as the show's new mascot and will make her first appearance on Sept. 25. Her Facebook game will be called "Turtle Time", named after a TV episode of Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York, where one of the drunk stars made a toast at "Fat Turtle", a bar and dance club in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

The Facebook game's objective is to design the turtle's tank and dress her up each week. There will be options to gift decorations to friends in the game, or to use Facebook Credits to buy special items. Results will be posted online, voting will commence, winners will be chosen and live versions of these designs will then be used on the show. Finally, when the season ends in December, Cohen will choose a past winner to fly to New York for a live taping and chance to meet the turtle.

What does the turtle have to say about all this? Here's a quote from Bravo's cheeky press release:

    "Ever since I landed on the shores of Sag Harbor, I have been searching for my big break in show biz. When Andy Cohen came walking down those golden sands, I knew my dreams were coming true," Divulged Yet-To-Be-Named Turtle. "I can't wait to move into the Bravo Clubhouse and to be dressed in the latest fashions."

Oh, and before anyone runs to the nearest phone to alert PETA, Bravo has contacted the American Humane Association for an animal safety monitor who'll oversee the tapings according to the Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals In Filmed Media. There's no word if there's someone to monitor the turtle's dignity, but I think that's irretrievable at this point.

[Hat-tip: The Hollywood Reporter]

Is this cruel and/or unusual treatment of animals? Or just some harmless and wacky fun? Have you lost your faith in humanity yet?

Zynga profits plummet 90 percent, raises questions about imminent IPO

Will the big show still go on? That's what many wonder, as Zynga just revealed in an updated regulatory filing that its profits dipped by 90 percent in the June quarter, thanks to increased spending and a lack of major game releases earlier this year, Reuters reports. According to the news service, this raises questions as to whether the company can sustain growth ahead of its long-awaited IPO (initial public offering).

Zynga's net income took a nose dive to $1.4 million from $14 million a year earlier, and its net profit plummeted over 90 percent in three months from $16.8 million in March of this year. Reuters chalks this up to the fact that the filing shows that the FarmVille maker's expenses rose $149 million compared to a year earlier, and $59 million alone from the previous financial quarter.

We'd imagine a major chunk of those expenses are thanks to the 14 companies Zynga gobbled up in the past year. It's also worth noting that the developer didn't really release any major Facebook games in 2011 prior to Empires & Allies. (And no, we're not counting FarmVille English Countryside.) Since then, however, the company has been on a frenzy, launching three more Facebook games this summer: Words With Friends, Pioneer Trail and recently Adventure World.

This news speaks volumes to the fact that Zynga has reached a point where it constantly needs to produce in order to sustain its meteoric growth, and more importantly for them right now, the faith of investors. Since the company's last filing, Zynga conducted a third-party analysis that estimated the probability of an IPO at 75 percent. This is down from the 80 percent probability reported in Zynga's previous filing.

In other words, it looks like the anticipated Zynga IPO could be delayed, just as previous reports suggested, to wait for improved market conditions. However, EA is gaining on the company with The Sims Social, and fast. According to AppData, EA and Playfish's game has just about 1.6 million fewer daily players than CityVille's 12.9 million.

Do you think Zynga has anything to worry about, given the news? Would you ever invest in Zynga if given the chance?

Clarins looks to beautify Facebook with Spa Life, its first social game

Is it only a matter time now before mom pants get their own Facebook game? Clarins, a well-known French brand of beauty products, recently released its own Facebook game, Spa Life. The game doesn't stray far away from games like Cafe World or Restaurant City, but applies the same principles to managing a spa rather than an eatery. Developed by Freshplanet, Spa Life has players managing an influx of customers looking for everything from a "mani-pedi" to facials and more.

Of course, just like its inspirations, players can decorate, upgrade and add new services to their spa. But players can only do this if they serve their terribly impatient customers in time to make the most cash from them. And in true Facebook game fashion, players can always buy their way out of waiting for the next upgrade with Facebook Credits.

According to Mashable, Clarins's North American CEO Jonathan Zrihen saw Facebook as a golden opportunity to reach its audience. And considering we all know by now that the average Facebook gamer is a middle-aged mother, he's probably right on the money. "I knew about the craziness of Zynga games, but I didn't realize the demographic was so much in line with the demographics of our products," Zrihen told Mashable. "I was also impressed by the level of engagement these games create."

Yes, this is yet another branded game, though it's odd that players aren't inundated with the brand until much later in the game. Another interesting nod is that Spa Life attempts to use your friends' names as customers to add more social awareness to the game. Building off of that, you'll need plenty more friends to run your various services, just like you need them to staff buildings in CityVille.
Spa Life in action
Branded games are exploding on Facebook. In fact, studios like Ecko|Code are focusing all of their efforts on creating games for brands such as Showtime shows like Weeds and Dexter. Facebook game developers like Zynga and Playdom have integrated brands into their games for awhile through promotions, it's only recently that they've begun to build games around a single brand.

For instance, it looks as if Adventure World will become Zynga's first game to completely embrace a brand. In October, the game will become "Adventure World: An Indiana Jones Game" with the help of Lucasfilm. Sure, original games will continue to release, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see less of them moving forward.

Click here to Play Spa Life on Facebook Now >

Are you a Clarins fan--enough to check out this Facebook game? What do you think of branded games on Facebook and the fact that they're growing?