Wait for one new Zynga game and two come bouncing along, just like a cuddly animal would. Note the tenuous link? Yup, Zynga’s new title is all about taking care of exotic and zany animals in a zoo.
Dream Zoo is another first for Zynga. Their first zoo themed game to be exact, presumably ensuring that casual gamers with all types of interests will be hooked by at least one Zynga game at some time. Interestingly, it’s also the first Zynga title to offer bonuses and in-game rewards based upon playing in multiple different locations.
Players are given the opportunity to breed and collect thousands of different animal varieties in a way that’s bound to hook ‘gotta catch em all’ style addicts. A selection of mini-games give the player the chance to pet and tend to their animals with feeding and washing games simple yet fun to play.
All manners of animals are catered for from aardvarks to zebras. Going on safari enables players to discover these different species while also having plenty of fun along the way! Players can even breed different animals together to create all new and unique types of creatures. Along the way, players can also collect up other items on safari, thus boosting their zoo’s looks or finances. Once everything is arranged just how the player wants it, they can take photos of their animals to show off to others.
We all know and love what Zynga has to offer the freemium gaming world and it looks like the magic has transferred to the world of zoo keeping in Dream Zoo. Like other Zynga titles, it’s a free app with plenty of in-app purchase based options. Fortunately, it’s not essential to progression, it just speeds things up a little.
For those looking for a new free to play fix, Dream Zoo is out now.
Thanksgiving has only just passed yet already we’re looking to the future; Christmas, to be exact. It’s only a month until Santa hops down everyone’s chimneys and we revel in a day of present exchanging and eating huge quantities of food.
The season also brings with it a good dose of Christmas-themed gaming delights. One such game is that of Zynga’s CityVille Holidaytown, the company’s first Christmas-themed app.
I was quite a fan of CityVille Hometown when I looked at it in the summer. While deeply seated in freemium elements that actively encouraged in-app purchases, it offered a solid structure of fun ensuring that players felt like they were constantly achieving things.
CityVille Holidaytown looks set to offer a similar experience but with one crucial difference: everything is in order to save Christmas! Players must help Santa rebuild the North Pole after a terrible blizzard. Enticing elves back home is vital in order to rebuild workshops and make more toys for the children of the world. Fortunately, there are plenty of fun ways to do that.
A steady supply of objectives pop up as the player grows their economy by building new workshops and harvesting magical winter crops to use. Plenty of cute Christmas themed decorations can also be placed around the area. Players can also help their Facebook friends by visiting their towns.
It’s a cute idea and no doubt one that’s bound to entice families and children alike. Further incentive comes from the special prizes that can be earned each day, plus CityVille Hometown players get an added bonus. It should all keep players entertained in the run up to the big event.
To get into the Christmas spirit, why not download CityVille Holidaytown now? It’s a free and universal game with plenty of in-app purchases available, but none vital to progression.
We’ve seen partnerships between artists and apps before, but this one is news-making in its sheer scope. Lady Gaga has recently announced a partnership with Zynga to promote her new album, Born This Way, across a number of their games, including two of its biggest hits, Words With Friends and Farmville. Thought you could escape the pop idol? Sorry, she’ll be lurking in your virtual field now, too!
The promotion starts on May 17th. Farmville players will be able to visit “GagaVille,” a new, uniquely designed neighboring farm sporting unicorns and crystals, among other things. GagaVille will allow “little monsters” (as Gaga dubs her fans) worldwide to listen to unreleased tracks from the new album. And players who buy a $25 Zynga game card from Best Buy will also be treated to a free download of the new album.
Meanwhile, Words With Friends will feature a daily “Words with Gaga” contest, which will award real-life Gaga-themed prizes, ranging from concert tickets to a signed copy of “Born This Way. ” The contests have yet to be announced, but as an example Zynga says that players who play a special word (“UNICORN,” perhaps) might be entered in a sweepstakes. Finally, special edition virtual items will also be available across other Zynga games.
“I want to celebrate and share ‘Born This Way’ with my little monsters in a special way that’s never been done before,” said Lady Gaga in a statement on Zynga’s website. “Zynga has created a magical place in FarmVille where my fans can come play, and be the first to listen to the album.”
“We’re focused on creating cool new ways to entertain and surprise our players,” said Owen Van Natta, Zynga’s executive vice president of business. “Our partnership with Lady Gaga offers many new experiences…We want to thank Lady Gaga for working with us on this truly great surprise.”
This isn’t the first time that Lady Gaga and Zynga have teamed up, however. In March, the two combined their efforts to raise over $3 million for Japan relief. Whether or not this new venture will produce similar results (albeit this time profit) remains to be seen, but I suspect that “GagaVille” will be quite the hit. At the very least, Gaga fans should find a lot here to enjoy. For more information on this newest Gaga/Zynga promotion blitz, check out the website dedicated to the event.
Drop7 has been re-released by social gaming juggernaut Zynga, who purchased Drop7 developer Area/Code earlier this year and renamed them Zynga New York. The game has not undergone any major changes in this re-release besides graphical updates for Retina Display devices and the iPad. The game was universal before, but now looks a lot better on the iPad. The game has also been released as an ad-supported free version and a new paid version for $2.99 (which was free during the launch weekend). Apple doesn’t allow for apps to change publishers after they are released (unlike on the Android Market, where their version of Drop7 is now published by Zynga), but Zynga has a fair deal for previous Drop7 owners. The original Drop7 app got an update recently that prompts users to download the free version – by downloading the app through this link, the free version has its ads disabled. Given their limited options, this seems like the best possible move from Zynga to support their customers.
Facebook developers are taking over the world. There, I said it. With developers like Zynga recently getting valued at over ten billion dollars, and numerous others rapidly building and expanding on their stable of social friendly games, it was only a matter of time before we started to see the growth bleed over to the iOS. One such developer looking to make further inroads on Apple’s baby is Booyah, the team behind the immensely successful MyTown.
Booyah’s next foray is actually an attempt to build on an audience that they have developed in their Facebook franchise, Nightclub City. Instead of invading the platform with their existing game, they have decided to just use Nightclub City as a backdrop for a new and interesting game genre: Rhythm-based Role Playing Games. I know it sounds kind of farfetched, but the upcoming Nightclub City DJ Rivals will attempt to turn this unholy hybrid into a reality.
Playing as a newcomer to the DJ battling scene, you will get the chance to face off against some of the biggest names in Nightclub City’s apparently budding underground. As you succeed in sticking it to the man as much as musically possible, your notoriety will grow, eventually making you one of the biggest names in the city. This is just the beginning, however, as there is an well flushed out multiplayer system that will also encourage you to show off superior scratching skills to win perks, unlock items, and even leave an impact across the city.
Keep an eye out for more details on the game, which is scheduled to launch in the March/April window of this year. Until then, check out this trailer below and see if it makes you want to indulge your inner spinster.
In the least clever pun we could think of Zynga has got themselves a new toy by announcing today that they have acquired Newtoy Studios. Newtoy is most famous for producing Words with Friends, Chess with Friends, and We Rule for ngmoco:). While Zynga is of course the company which brought us Farmville. Newtoy has been rebranded Zynga with Friends and will continue working out of their Texas-based headquarters.
The new entity will also retain the same management, with Newtoy CEO and co-founder Paul Bettner assuming the role of VP and GM of the Zynga With Friends studio. “We’re reinventing the way people are social on their mobile devices,” Bettner. “The Zynga With Friends studio will build on the Newtoy legacy of creating approachable, highly social games that are accessible to anyone from anywhere.” His brother and co-founder, David will be working as studio director, and Michael Chow will continue his role as director of operations. So it would seem that the day-to-day work around the office will remain pretty much in place and all the familiar faces will stay in place, all that’s changing is the sign on the door. That’s all probably for the best, as there’s no reason to mess up a good thing.
So what is Zynga planning to do with the new Zynga with Friends studio? No specific plans were set but Mark Pincus, founder and CEO said, “The Games With Friends franchise is the best social game experience available on mobile today and we are excited to welcome the Newtoy team to the Zynga family. The Zynga With Friends Studio will continue to invent great mobile social game experiences for Zynga users everywhere.”
Of course we’ll keep you posted of any news coming out of the Zynga with Friends studio, but for now we’ll just say congrats to both companies and best of luck.
The social farming genre has been dominated as of late by ngmoco:) and their trilogy of “We” games (We Farm, WeRule, WeCity), but the genre leader Zynga isn’t conceding the iOS wars. Today, Zynga launched the iPad version of their international super hit, Farmville that is entirely cross compatible with their iPhone and Facebook versions. Now you can start a farm in the morning, tend to it while sitting in traffic, and watch it grow at work… all without missing a beat! (Warning: Don’t drive and play Farmville.)
“We want to reach people wherever they want to play the games they love, and deliver the most fun and social experience on every platform,” said Steven Chiang, president of studios, Zynga. “The iPad is a spectacular gaming device, and the new FarmVille app leverages its larger touch screen interface and enhanced graphics. FarmVille on the iPhone was an instant hit and now we are giving people another Apple device to play on.”
According to Zynga, the iPhone version has been a huge success since its launch. It spent more than 50 days in the top 25 and is played in 85 countries around the world. They also estimate that over 60 million people play Farmville on all of its different platforms, accounting for 1% of the global population.
Is it slightly disgusting to think that 1 out of every 100 people around the world plays Farmville? Absolutely, but it does show the huge growth potential of the casual gaming industry. If 60 million people will tend to a farm every day, who’s to say that 70 million people wouldn’t do something a bit more entertaining?
Anyways, be sure to pick up the iPad compatible version of Farville today for the cool price of free. It may suck all of your time away, but you’re not one of those folks who thinks that time is money, right?
iPhone App - Designed for the iPhone, compatible with the iPad
Posted June 29th, 2010 by Brian Hudson Our Rating: :: FAITHFUL TRANSLATION
Farmville finally makes it to the iPhone. This app is exactly the sort of tool Farmville fans need to keep tending their virtual plots while on the go. If you're not into Farmville on Facebook, however, you can give this app a pass.
Evernote now comes with reminders to ensure that you never forget an important note. You can pin a note to the top of the list and add a due date to receive in-app and email notifications. It will also mark a note as done when you complete your task. Now we shall never forget to [...]
Dream Zoo is another first for Zynga. Their first zoo themed game to be exact, presumably ensuring that casual gamers with all types of interests will be hooked by at least one Zynga game at some time. Interestingly, it’s also the first Zynga title to offer bonuses and in-game rewards based upon playing in multiple different locations.
The season also brings with it a good dose of Christmas-themed gaming delights. One such game is that of Zynga’s CityVille Holidaytown, the company’s first Christmas-themed app.
:: DRESSED-UP
:: EXCELLENT
We’ve seen partnerships between artists and apps before, but this one is news-making in its sheer scope. Lady Gaga has recently announced a partnership with Zynga to promote her new album, Born This Way, across a number of their games, including two of its biggest hits, Words With Friends and Farmville. Thought you could escape the pop idol? Sorry, she’ll be lurking in your virtual field now, too!
The social farming genre has been dominated as of late by ngmoco:) and their trilogy of “We” games (
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