facebook gaming update: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Top 10 Free iOS and Android Games - January 2012

![][1] The first month of the year has been a tumultuous one in the world of mobile games. Between a (still) ongoing back-and-forth between [Zynga][2] and [NimbleBit][3] over the [former's alleged copycatting][4] of the latter's Tiny Tower and [Spry Fox][5] outright slapping [6waves Lolapps][6] with a [copyright infringement lawsuit][7], January has been nothing short of busy.

But on the verge of a new month, it's time to detox and forget about all of that if for a moment. And what better way to do that than to cuddle up with some fresh, free iPhone or Android games beside the fire, space heater, whatever? Luckily, we've gathered the top 10 games for each platform (as of this writing) with our signature brief, pithy quips. Without further delay, here are this month's top 10 free iPhone, iPad and Android games of January:

## Top Free iOS Games

1. [Card Ace: Casino][8]
It would be easy to write this off as just another poker game, but you don't make it to the top for nothing. Self Aware Games' casino simulator now packs Roulette along with Texas Hold 'Em Poker, Blackjack, Slots and its own creation, Word Ace.

2. [Temple Run][9]
One of our favorites from 2011, Imangi Studios' endless runner returns to the iOS top 10 in what could end up as nearly an endless run as Angry Birds enjoyed back in the day. We'll be here all week--remember to tip your waitress.

3. [Where's My Water][10]
For all intents and purposes, this is Disney's answer to the Angry Birds and Fruit Ninjas of the world. However, the company takes a unique approach, providing water-based physics puzzles that are updated frequently.

4. [Scramble With Friends][11]
By our estimation, Zynga's revival of one of it's dead Facebook games (and a take on the classic word game Boggle) is worthy of its own SNL skit. Alec Baldwin's had his share of fun, so who's up next?

5. [Pet Town][12]
The next simulator game by Booyah asks, "what if pets were real?" Yeah, we don't get it either, but this game allows players to send their pets to the "Real-World" to interact with those physically around them.

6. [Checkers With Buddies][13]
If you dig Chess With Friends by Zynga, Stofle Designs hopes you'll be down with this mobile social take on the classic board game. And hey, it's checkers. Are there people out there that actually dislike checkers?

7. [My Country][14]
Whaddya know, it's another city building game. And, based on the description provided by developer Game Insight, My Country doesn't sound terribly different from the lot of them. Well, aside from the fact that it gets _Sim City deep_ ... fast.

8. [iMob 2][15]
According to creator Addmired, this is the first game of its kind (mobile social mobster game, we guess) to employ a live chat system. Now your friends will have something else to blow your phone up about when you're trying to work. Awesome.

9. [Tappily Ever After][16]
Pocket Gems' mobile take on the kingdom-builder sub genre (second cousin to farm-builder), Tappily Ever After sure seems to have a sense of humor. In case you were wondering: "No dragons were harmed in the making of this game," Pocket Gems says.

10. [Fluff Friends Rescue][17]
SGN turns the cute up to 11, nay, dare we say 12 with this mobile social pet park slash rescue simulator. The game has a partnership with The Humane Society, so you know the developer is serious about its cute critters.

## Top Free Android Games

1. [Angry Birds][18]
(Seriously, when is this going to end already?) Um, guess what? Rovio is bringing its money-printing machine to Facebook on Valentine's Day! Isn't that awesome?

2. [Words With Friends Free][19]
If you've yet to hear of this game, then you've either A. never read this blog or B. have not watched had access to any form of media conceivable for the past few years. Just download it already.

3. [Line Runner][20]
An endless runner that seems to cut the crap and get right to the point. With Line Rubber, creator Robert Szeleney strips the sub genre down to its bare elements: a game about a dude running along a line. That is all that matters.

4. [Zombie Dash][21]
Italy Games gives 3D Bowling a rest and looks to make a decidedly more action-packed adventure. Unfortunately its promotional screen shots contain neither action nor zombies, so who knows what to make of it?

5. [Roller Ball][22]
No, this is not a game based on the hardcore contact sport in a dystopian world. It's skeeball. We're not sure whether the term "skeeball" is trademarked or developer Words Mobile simply isn't very creative, but here we are.

6. [Drag Racing][23]
This racer by Creative Mobile just cannot get itself enough love from Android gamers. That said, it's not surprising that a Facebook version is in the works. Android-owning gear heads, do yourself a favor: Get on this hotness ... now.

7. [Fruit Ninja Free][24]
Halfbrick's flagship game is like a rite of passage for smartphones. They're just not complete without the ability to simulate the squishy sights and symphonies of slicing strawberries.

8. [Word Search][25]
Another returning champion, Melimots game is as self-explanatory as it gets. If you need an explanation, then you've never opened an activity book much less a newspaper.

9. [Angry Birds Rio][26]
Did you hear that the next Angry Birds games might use 3D graphics or physics? That's kind of neat-o.

10. [Angry Birds Seasons][27]
Oh yeah, and Kanye West is reportedly working with Rovio on ... something. We can't make this stuff up. (But we can make funny pictures about it.)

[Image Credits: [Apple][28], [Google][29], [Zazzle][30]]

** Which of these free games have you tried already? Are there new free games out this month that you think should have climbed up the charts? Tell us about them in the comments. [Add Comment.][31]**

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CityVille Storage Upgrade Goals: Everything you need to know

![][1] Over the weekend, [CityVille][2] players received the ability to [upgrade their Goods storage buildings][3] so that each individual building would store more Goods for use in your Businesses, Cruise Ship(s) or Hotels. If you've yet to start tackling these upgrades, you can do so while also completing a trio of new goals revolving around - you guessed it - upgrading your storage buildings. Here's a complete guide on doing just that.

**Upgrade Your Storage**

* Upgrade one Sticks to Level 3
* Harvest 40 Crops
* Harvest 20 Neighbor Crops

Right out of the gate, we're left with a fairly time consuming goal, as upgrading a single Sticks building to Level 3 requires 78 individual building ingredients (as of this writing), with only one of the three kinds of building materials being available to collect on your own (from collecting crops). You can check out our complete [guide to upgrading your Sticks storage buildings][3] right here. For finishing this first goal, you'll receive 20 energy.

**Upgrade Your Silos!**

* Upgrade 2 Silos to Level 3
* Unload 40 Paris Parcel Ships
* Collect from 80 Businesses

Each Silo requires less parts than a Sticks to upgrade to Level 3 - 48 individual parts, to be exact. Of course, you'll need to complete that entire process twice, so this is actually a more time consuming goal than the first. When you do finally finish, you'll receive 200 XP as a prize.

**Upgrade Your Barns!**

* Upgrade 2 Barns to Level 3
* Harvest 60 Pumpkins
* Unwither 30 Neighbor Crops

As a general rule of thumb, you'll want to undertake this "Unwither" task by starting at the end of your friends list, rather than the front, as you'll be much more likely to find withered crops in the cities of friends who have stopped playing the game, rather than more dedicated veterans. As you complete that task, you can also wait for your friends to send you the ingredients to upgrade a single Silo to Level 3, with their being 63 ingredients required in all. Again, you'll need to collect this entire set of items twice (once for each individual Barn you upgrade), which, of course, makes this the most difficult goal yet. You'll be rewarded for your hard work not only with the ability to store a ton of additional Goods, but also with 50,000 coins.

There doesn't appear to be a time limit on these storage upgrade goals, so if you feel you already have enough Goods storage in your game (or simply want to finish other tasks before moving on), feel free to abandon them for now, as they'll likely be there when you do finally decide to take them on. Good luck in finishing all three!

**Are you ready to dive into these lengthy building upgrades, or will you put off completing these goals until another time? Let us know in the comments!**

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[2]: http://blog.games.com/category/cityville/
[3]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/29/cityville-storage-building-upgrades/
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FarmVille Valentine's Day Trees: Heart Balloon and Smoke Trees now available

![][1] The latest [FarmVille][2] item update came without trees, which is odd, to say the least (after all, trees are clearly a huge money-maker for [Zynga][3]). Now that a few days have passed, four new trees have launched in the store in an update all their own, filling in that gap, and also allowing you to further decorate your farms for the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday.

The four trees come in two pairs. First, the Heart Balloon Tree and Giant Heart Balloon Tree are basically duplicates of the various [other balloon trees][4] that have been launched in the game over the years, except their balloons are in the shapes of hearts, rather than being simply rounded. They are priced at 6 and 14 Farm Cash each, respectively.

The other two trees are much more unique, and are modeled after real-world trees. The White Smoke Tree costs 8 Farm Cash, while the Pink Smoke Tree costs 14 Farm Cash. Like the Giant Heart Balloon Tree above, you don't have to purchase the Pink Smoke Tree, even if you'd like one or more in your collection, as they can be earned for free by simply growing Mystery Seedlings in your game. Of course, to help yourself out in that endeavor, it never hurts to have more than one White Smoke Tree sitting around in orchards on your farms.

Either way, both of these pairs of trees will be available in the game for the next 12 days, giving you enough time to place them on your farms and truly enjoy them before the Valentine's Day holiday comes and goes for another year. I'm fairly sure more themed trees will be launched in the store between now and then, and you can be sure we'll bring you their details as well, as soon as we know more.
**
[Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day 2012 coverage right here.][5]

What do you think of these four Valentine's Day trees? Will you purchase the Level 1 versions of each pair, or will you jump straight to the Level 2 trees instead? Let us know in the comments.**

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Facebook Discloses Finances Of Political Committee

[![][1]][1]For the first time, Facebook filed financial reports with the Federal Election Commission today for its political action committee, known as[ fbPAC][2].

While a PAC enables a corporation to contribute to federal campaigns, what's notable about the fbPAC filing is the amount of collecting versus contributing the report reveals.

In fact, fbPAC hasn't made any contributions to political campaigns as of January 1, 2012. That might seem unusual since it's a politically charged election year.

Yet the company has been increasingly engaged in politics and policy making on several fronts since the platform [expanded][3] its presence in Washington, D.C.

Earlier this month, we told you that Facebook's [lobbying ][4]expenditures for 2011 reached the $1 million mark.

As of January 1, 2012, fbPAC has cash on hand of $167,280.29. The PAC includes receipts -- or donations -- that amount to $170,009.95 for the period of October 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011.

The majority of receipts, $168,750.00, were received through employee contributions. We share a few of the 44 employee names that contributed to the PAC below.

The only disbursements fbPAC made were in the form of operating expenditures that total $2,729.66. That amount represents mostly PayPal fees, which employees probably used to make their contributions.

The [formation][5] of fbPAC was announced in September, 2011.

As promised, here's [some of the][6] Facebook executives who contributed $5,000, which is probably the maximum contribution fbPAC will accept.

* Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer;
* Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer;
* Mark Andreeson, director;
* Erskine Bowles, director;
* Elliot Schrage, vice president, corporate communications and public policy;
* Joe Lockhart, vice president, corporate communications; and
* Joel Kaplan, vice president, U.S. public policy.

Other employees gave as little as $250. Whatever the amount, the PAC is a way for employees to participate in the political process and make sure the company's views are represented at the federal level.

As the 2012 election year rolls on, it will be interesting to see where the company wants its voice heard through its campaign contributions. We don't have that long to wait to find out-the next filing deadline is April 15, 2012.

[![][7]][8]
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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/capitol-hill.jpg
[2]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-political-action-committee-2011-09
[3]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-continues-to-expand-washington-d-c-team-2011-10
[4]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-lobbying-google-2011-10
[5]: http://www.fec.gov/finance/disclosure/efile_search.shtml
[6]: http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/dcdev/forms/C00502906/763464/sa/ALL
[7]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mQUb33Gy810Dvu2lEjusMYUh608/0/di
[8]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mQUb33Gy810Dvu2lEjusMYUh608/0/da
[9]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mQUb33Gy810Dvu2lEjusMYUh608/1/di
[10]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mQUb33Gy810Dvu2lEjusMYUh608/1/da
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=4ocT21q6I1Q:9j6y6GWn6fc:pnQdOprp5To
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=4ocT21q6I1Q:9j6y6GWn6fc:qj6IDK7rITs
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=4ocT21q6I1Q:9j6y6GWn6fc:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=4ocT21q6I1Q:9j6y6GWn6fc:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[17]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/4ocT21q6I1Q

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FarmVille Valentine's Day Countdown: New prizes will give you the warm and fuzzies

![][1] As part of [FarmVille][2]'s [Valentine's Day celebration][3], a new countdown of daily prizes has been launched in the game. This "Valentines Countdown" works as you might expect, asking you to post requests for items that your friends can send you (these requests can be posted once every six hours, if you need to post multiple times to get the job done). You'll need more collectibles for each day of the 12-day countdown, and once you've earned enough of an individual collectible, you'll receive that day's prize.

For instance, the first day of this Valentines Countdown asks you to collect Jelly Hearts, and by doing so, you'll receive the Flamingo Heart item as the first prize in this Countdown. For the record, the Flamingo Heart is actually a set of two Flamingos, whose necks and heads form the shape of a heart (can we say "Aww?").

If you'd like to purchase additional units of any of the prizes, you can do so with Farm Cash, and you can also unlock new slots in the Countdown for Farm Cash, if you don't want to wait until the clock strikes 12 on a new day to ask for items normally. If you can collect at least one of all 12 of the Countdown's prizes (either with your friends' help, or by purchasing them outright), you'll receive a special prize at the end of the event. If you can't wait for _that_ prize either, you can purchase it now for 260 Farm Cash (although, let's face it, that 260 Farm Cash would be much better spent on other things).

We'll make sure to let you know just as soon as we learn more about the individual prizes that will be available via this Valentines Countdown, so keep checking back with us for more.
[
][4]**[Check out the rest of our Valentine's Day 2012 coverage right here.][4]

Are you excited to win 12 themed items as part of FarmVille's Valentine's Day event, or have you never been a big fan of this love-centric holiday? Sound off in the comments.**

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[3]: http://blog.games.com/tag/farmville%20valentines%20day%202012/
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Tiny Tower drama continues as NimbleBit responds to Zynga's... response

![][1] And the war of words continues this week, as [NimbleBit][2] and [Zynga][3]'s battle over the similarities between the former's [Tiny Tower][4] and the latter's [Dream Heights][5] has set the industry ablaze with talks of what is and isn't appropriate in the world of design inspirations.

After calling out the Big Z via [illustrated letter last week][6], NimbleBit is now pointing a proverbial finger at Zynga CEO Mark Pincus, who today [warned companies][7] like NimbleBit against "throw[ing] stones when you live in glass towers." NimbleBit's Ian Marsh didn't take too kindly to his statement, and has issued one of his own. While speaking to [Touch Arcade][8], Marsh had this to say:

"_It is a smart idea for Mark Pincus and Zynga to try and lump all games with the name Tower together as an actual genre whose games borrow from each other. Unfortunately sharing a name or setting does not a genre make. The games Pincus mentions couldn't be more different. Sim Tower is a true "sim" with macroscopic management and fine tuning of a buildings facilities. Tower Bloxx is a timing based high score game.

If you take a quick look before "pulling the lens back" as Pincus suggests, you'll find an innumerable number of details in the game that were painstakingly crafted to be identical to Tiny Tower. These are core gameplay mechanics and rules, not similar settings or themes that games in the same genre might share.

Why are there 5 different business types like Tiny Tower? Why do 5 people fit in an apartment instead of 4 or 6? Why are there VIP elevator riders that perform the same functions as Tiny Tower? Why do businesses employ exactly 3 workers and produce exactly 3 products that are stocked in exactly the same way as Tiny Tower. Even the tutorials at the beginning of the game follow the exact same steps.

All of these things are poorly hidden underneath an uninspired veneer which has become Zynga's trademark_."

It doesn't take examination under a microscope to see the similarities between Dream Heights and Tiny Tower, and it also doesn't seem like either developer is going to back down anytime soon. If this ever becomes more than just a war of words, we'll make sure to let you know.
**
Which side do you take in this debate? Is Zynga guilty of "copycatting" Tiny Tower with Dream Heights, or are there enough differences to easily see that they're two different games? Share your opinions with us in the comments!**

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Glu's Lil' Dungeon asks you to build a tiny tower underground

![][1] While [Glu Mobile][2] may have already jumped on the [Tiny Tower][3] clone bandwagon with [Small Street][4], a horizontal take on the "tower-building genre," the developer isn't done just yet, as it has released another tower building game in the Canadian iTunes Store. This one, Lil' Dungeon, asks you to dig into the earth and create a medieval dungeon, instead of building high into the clouds. Along with the addition of some light quests, this "down, not up" mechanic is the only major thing that sets Lil' Dungeon apart from Tiny Tower.

The gameplay allows you to earn coins by employing up to three Denizens in each of your businesses, with five Denizens being allowed to live in each "Dwelling," or apartment. Each Denizen has a dream job or set of jobs that they're better at than others, with businesses being available in five basic categories (entertainment, service, food, crafting and kingdom). In addition, you can build a special Dragon layer with Gems, the game's premium currency, and you can spend Gems to upgrade your floating elevator, used to bring guests to the different floors farther and farther underground.

At ground level sits your castle, with a princess that you can name. She'll give you light quests as you play, like adding a certain number of Denizens to your dungeon, and she'll also be able to tell you which of the five business types your Dungeon needs most to keep your citizens happy. There are special Denizens that will arrive with power-ups (instantly stocking all Goods at a business, for one), and you can also upgrade your businesses (using Gems) to make them more profitable over time.

%Gallery-146113%

By now, the gameplay mechanics here shouldn't be new to many of you, as, again, the only major differences come in the direction you're building your tower and the ability to speak to your castle's princess for light quests every now and again. If you're simply enamored with the tower-building genre, feel free to download this one, but don't expect true innovation.

**Have you tried Glu's Lil' Dungeon on your iOS device? How many tower buildings games is "too many?" Sound off in the comments.**

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[2]: http://blog.games.com/tag/glu+mobile
[3]: http://blog.games.com/tag/tiny+tower/
[4]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/27/small-street-iphone-tiny-tower-glu-mobile/
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Pioneer Trail Train Station / Railroad: Everything you need to know

![][1] Just a few days ago, we learned that a new [railroad system][2] would be coming to [Pioneer Trail][2] in the near future, but we haven't had to wait long for the feature to actually launch. The Railroad has finally come to our games, and along with it, we've met our in-game brother (Jasper) who has mysteriously been absent up until now. Either way, the in-game story goes that your brother is heading out west for the big Gold Rush and wants to bring you with him. Of course, before you can take off in a train, you'll need to build the Train Station first.

The Train Station (and in fact the Gold Rush itself) has been touted in the game via a directional sign ever since Pioneer Trail (then FrontierVille) launched back in 2010, and this large new feature has now taken up residence at the left side of your Homestead (similar to how the [Anniversary Extravaganza][3] is found on the right side).

Building the Train Station can be done in phases, and comes along with a series of goals.

**Dealing with the Neighbors**

* Unwither 5 Neighbor Crops
* Clear 12 Cactus
* Complete Phase 1 of the Train Station

Phase 1 has you getting rid of the Varmints that are in this top area of your Homestead, as there are Groundhogs in the way. You'll need to collect various building materials to finish this stage (and all further stages off), with one item being a Trojan Groundhog (it can be crafted using eight Sulfur Crystals and two Wooden Groundhogs (ask your friends for them). When you finish these three steps, you'll receive Jumpin Jack (an item used for constructing the railroad), 200 coins and 250 XP.

**Staying on Track**

* Clear 12 Wildflowers
* Craft 5 Iron Ingots
* Complete Phase Three of the Train Station

Iron Ingots are crafted out of two Coal and 10 Iron Ore, with Iron Ore being earned from friends, or by simply working around your Homestead. One of the items you'll need for this part of the train upgrade is Wet Cement, which is created using 10 Sticky Water (clear cactus or harvest melons) and five Limestone Sacks (ask friends). For finishing this goal, you'll receive 450 XP, Station Plans and the Rail Daily Bonus.

**Laying the Groundwork**

* Bake 5 Chocolate Chip Cookies
* Sell 50 Fully Grown Pomegranate Trees
* Complete Phase Four of the Train Station

Chocolate Chip Cookies are crafted out of Chocolate Chops and Whipped Yolks. Yolks are earned by asking your friends to send them to you, while Chocolate Chips are crafted with Double Boilers and Baking Chocolates, both of which can be earned by asking your friends to send them to you. When you finish this goal, you'll receive a letter from Jasper, along with 950 XP, a Rail Supply Crate and more Station Plans.

**Grand Frontier Station**

* Harvest 50 Peanuts
* Sell 100 Adult Goats
* Complete Phase Five of the Train Station

There's more item collecting here still, as you'll be able to collect items like Railroad Signs (those drop when collecting the Railroad Daily Bonus every 30 seconds, and you can also earn Steel Ingots at the same time. You'll need 10 Steel Ingots and seven logs of Canadian Spruce (ask friends to send them) to build the Train Platform to complete the Train station itself. For completing this Train Station, and finishing this final goal, you'll receive 1,125 XP, a Rail Supply Crate and a Train Conclucktor.

Along the way, you'll be able to collect items for the new Railroad Collection, which offers 300 XP and a Granny's Gut Punch from the Saloon when you turn it in. Hopefully, this will just be the first part of the new Gold Rush feature, and we'll make sure to let you know if that happens to be the case.

[Via and Image Credit: [Zynga][4]]

**Are you excited that we're finally seeing references to the Railroad in Pioneer Trail, or had you given up all hope of it ever actually launching in the game? Sound off in the comments.**

[Permalink][5] | [Email this][6] | [Linking Blogs][7] | [Comments][8]

[![][9]][10] [![][11]][12]

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[1]: http://o.aolcdn.com/dims/GAME/5/168/168/100/http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2012/01/railroad.jpg
[2]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/27/pioneer-trail-debris-spawner-railroad/
[3]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/27/pioneer-trail-anniversary-extravaganza/
[4]: http://forums.zynga.com/showthread.php?1337996-Guide-and-Conga-Railroad!
[5]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/pioneer-trail-train-station-railroad/ (Permanent link to this entry)
[6]: http://blog.games.com/forward/20161449/ (Send this entry to a friend via email)
[7]: http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&fc=1&url=http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/pioneer-trail-train-station-railroad/ (Linking Blogs)
[8]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/pioneer-trail-train-station-railroad/#comments (View reader comments on this entry)
[9]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[10]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=pIJaUBWYjvI:aAnT-EqF-Jo:qj6IDK7rITs
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=yIl2AUoC8zA
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=pIJaUBWYjvI:aAnT-EqF-Jo:yIl2AUoC8zA
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~4/pIJaUBWYjvI

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/pIJaUBWYjvI/

2012 London Olympics and Cadbury Creme Egg team up in Goo Games

![][1]

Only 177 days stand between us and this year's Summer Olympics in London. As an official Olympic sponsor, Cadbury Creme Egg has taken a head start in promoting itself with a Facebook game launch to complement its [TV ad campaign][2]. Five ads are planned, the [first][3] of which is an Opening Ceremony done as stop-motion animation of Creme Eggs all too eager to "get their goo out."

In the Facebook game, aptly named "Goo Games", the Creme Eggs have their own version of the Olympics. Every sport is designed to smash them into splashy, chocolatey bits in one way or another. Three out of six eggy sports -- Goodles, High Splat, Triple Bump -- are currently available for play and are variations of real sports, such as Hurdles, Diving, and Long Jump. The other three -- Pummelled Egg, Pole Yolk, and Goo Throw -- are all listed as coming soon.

Built by [Preloaded][4], a Shoreditch-based, casual games developer in London, Goo Games comes off as a very sleek and enthusiastic game that doesn't fail to represent the product well. But playing the game is another thing entirely. Each sports event in the game requires an insane amount of keyboard-bashing of the Z and X keys, with a bit of Spacebar tossed in. Worst yet, the instructions make it look like you're suppose to alternate between repeatedly pressing the Z and the X, when you're better off pressing up-and-down on both. On top of destroying some virtual eggs, this game will seriously stress out the joints in your left fingers and your left wrist.

If you don't believe me, head over to the game's [official Facebook fan page][5] or click on the play link below to see for yourself.

[Click here to play Goo Games on Facebook now >][6]

Do you enjoying eating Cadbury Creme Eggs? **What did you think about the game? Sound off in the comments.** **[Add Comment][7]**

[Permalink][8] | [Email this][9] | [Linking Blogs][10] | [Comments][11]

[![][12]][13] [![][14]][15]

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[1]: http://o.aolcdn.com/dims/GAME/5/168/168/100/http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2012/01/cadbury-creme-egg-olympic-commercial.png
[2]: http://www.thedrum.co.uk/news/2012/01/06/creme-egg-celebrates-olympic-sponsorship-new-%E2%80%98-goo-games%E2%80%99-campaign-fallon
[3]: http://youtu.be/JXYrWUNb0ks
[4]: http://preloaded.com/work/goo-games/
[5]: https://www.facebook.com/cadburycremeegg?sk=app_117354748381900
[6]: https://apps.facebook.com/googames/
[7]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/olympics-cadbury-creme-egg-goo-games/#disqus_thread
[8]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/olympics-cadbury-creme-egg-goo-games/ (Permanent link to this entry)
[9]: http://blog.games.com/forward/20161457/ (Send this entry to a friend via email)
[10]: http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&fc=1&url=http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/olympics-cadbury-creme-egg-goo-games/ (Linking Blogs)
[11]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/olympics-cadbury-creme-egg-goo-games/#comments (View reader comments on this entry)
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=wAiETGZc98M:f-8rdVm7-fk:qj6IDK7rITs
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[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=wAiETGZc98M:f-8rdVm7-fk:yIl2AUoC8zA
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~4/wAiETGZc98M

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/wAiETGZc98M/

Farmerama maker Bigpoint amasses over 250 million registered players

![][1] By our wild, sarcastic speculation math, about a few thousand of those are [Battlestar Galactica][2] fans. (Ooh, doesn't that burn?) [Bigpoint][3], the Hamburg, Germany-based publisher and developer of free-to-play online games like Farmerama and Battlestar Galactica Online, announced that it has garnered more than 250 million registered players.

"Since 2002, we've strived to bring high-quality games and experiences to the widest possible audience," Bigpoint CEO and founder Heiko Hubertz said in a release. "With players hailing from every corner of the globe, today's milestone underscores our success - and we're not done. We'll continue to challenge the notion of what online games are and can be."

Keep in mind, however, that this figure specifically refers to "registered players," which may not equate to, say, monthly or daily players. Regardless of whether all of those registered are currently playing Bigpoint games, it's quite the feat. Bigpoint also claims to attract over 250,000 new players to its most popular games daily.

Bigpoint says that it introduced us Americans to what's now become a free-to-play craze in 2002 with a game developed personally by Hubertz, IceFighter. The company has since launched over 60 games ranging from casual releases like Farmerama to more "hardcore" games, such as sci-fi MMO (massively multiplayer online game) Dark Orbit. And Bigpoint plans to release even more games based on major Hollywood franchises in 2012. Between Bigpoint and the likes of [Spil Games][4], [wooga][5], and [King.com][6], it's clear that Western social gaming has swept both coasts of the Atlantic.

**Are you a fan of Bigpoint's games? What types of games would you like to see the company release more of: action-packed or casual? Sound off in the comments. [Add Comment.][7]**

[Permalink][8] | [Email this][9] | [Linking Blogs][10] | [Comments][11]

[![][12]][13] [![][14]][15]

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[1]: http://o.aolcdn.com/dims/GAME/5/168/168/100/http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2012/01/250mm-final-approved.jpg
[2]: http://blog.games.com/2011/05/17/top-five-free-to-play-browser-mmos/
[3]: http://blog.games.com/tag/bigpoint
[4]: http://blog.games.com/tag/spil+games
[5]: http://blog.games.com/tag/wooga
[6]: http://blog.games.com/tag/king.com
[7]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/farmerama-bigpoint-250-million-players/#disqus_thread
[8]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/farmerama-bigpoint-250-million-players/ (Permanent link to this entry)
[9]: http://blog.games.com/forward/20161369/ (Send this entry to a friend via email)
[10]: http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&fc=1&url=http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/farmerama-bigpoint-250-million-players/ (Linking Blogs)
[11]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/farmerama-bigpoint-250-million-players/#comments (View reader comments on this entry)
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=pBTsf3Gh-6M:2X7OTTBfp_I:qj6IDK7rITs
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=yIl2AUoC8zA
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=pBTsf3Gh-6M:2X7OTTBfp_I:yIl2AUoC8zA
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~4/pBTsf3Gh-6M

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/pBTsf3Gh-6M/

Valentine's Day Guide: FarmVille, CastleVille, The Sims Social, and more

![][1] Facebook games are gearing up for Valentine's Day with some surprising firsts in store. Extra special this year is that Rovio plans to [bring Angry Birds to Facebook][2] on that date. While we're not sure if Rovio will be sprucing up the launch with holiday appropriate themes (maybe they can bring in the [Love Birds edition][3] too), we do know that all the major Facebook games, such as [FarmVille][4], [CastleVille][5], and [The Sims Social][6], won't miss the opportunity to sell players some virtual love.

To top it off, since The Sims Social debuted [last fall][7], that means this year will be its first Valentine's Day. If there was ever a holiday made for the Sims, this day is it. With so much out there, we've rounded all the relevant posts into one place just so you can keep track of it all.

Visit this guide over the next two weeks for more as we play on.

**
Note: **The newest Valentine's Day game updates are at the top of each game list.

**

Jump to:
**[**FarmVille**][8]** | **CastleVille | CityVille | [**Pioneer Trail**][9] | The Sims Social

## FarmVille Valentine's Day

* [FarmVille Mystery Game (01/29/12): Valentine's Day animals share the love
][10]
* [FarmVille Valentine's Day Items: Valentine Bear, Heart Ram and more
][11]
* [FarmVille Model Farm shows off Valentine's Day items, offers free prizes][12]
* [FarmVille Anti-Valentine's Day Items: For when you aren't feeling the love][13]
* [FarmVille Valentine's Day Items: Intertwined Tree, Romantic Tower and more][14]
* [FarmVille Cupid's Garden: Everything you need to know][15]
* [FarmVille Valentine's Day Items: Red Heart Cow, Twilight Crape Tree and more][16]
* [FarmVille Valentine's Day Items: Love Strawberries, Heart Tree and more][17]
* [FarmVille Romantic Carriage: Everything you need to know][18]
* [FarmVille Valentine's Day Items: Chocolate Heart Tree, Chocolate Waterfall and more][19]
* [FarmVille Sneak Peek: Valentine's Day animals coming soon][20]
* [FarmVille Valentine's Day Items: Cinnamon Heart Tree, Rose Unicorn and more][21]

## Pioneer Trail Valentine's Day

* [**Pioneer Trail Tunnel of Love: Everything you need to know**][22]

**
What's the best Valentine Day offer in your favorite Facebook game so far? Leave a comment below. [Add Comments][23]**

[Permalink][24] | [Email this][25] | [Linking Blogs][26] | [Comments][27]

[![][28]][29] [![][30]][31]

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URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/wHtacfl5_HA/

Facebook’s F8 Changes Boost Traffic To Media Sites

[Media companies][1] are seeing even more traffic coming to them from Facebook since the social network's raft of changes began in September.

[Wetpaint][2] Co-Founder and Vice President of Technology and Product Michael Howell shared the following data with us:

* The percentage of traffic coming from Facebook increased at 48 of the top 50 web publishers in December compared with November, showing average gains of 2.1 percent, which Howell believes is a strong indicator that publishers have adopted to the [changes Facebook introduced][3] in September.
* Aggregate Facebook traffic to the top 50 publishers rose 17 percent in December versus November, totaling 385 million visits. In addition, the four publishers in the top 50 that are using social readers saw their share of traffic from Facebook leap 70 percent.

[![][4]][5]

* Facebook continued to make progress against [Google][6], with seven of the top 50 web publishers receiving more traffic from Facebook than from Google in December -- an average of 36 percent more -- compared with just two in November.

[![][7]][8]

* Twitter is also experiencing growth, but not on the scale of Facebook, as it accounted for 3.4 percent of social traffic to the top 50 publishers in December, up from 2.2 percent in September.
* Wetpaint itself took advantage of these trends, seeing its traffic from social networks double to 20.8 percent in December from 10.4 percent in October, putting it atop the list of the top 50 web publishers in terms of traffic from social media.

[![][9]][10]

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[![][15]][16] [![][17]][18] [![][19]][20]

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-social-readers-amass-millions-of-users-2011-11 (Facebook 'Social Readers' Amass Millions Of Users)
[2]: http://www.wetpaint.com/ (Wetpaint Entertainment)
[3]: http://www.allfacebook.com/highlight-of-facebooks-f8-keynotes-the-timeline-ticker-news-feed-and-apps-2011-09 (F8?s Big Facebook Changes: Timeline, Ticker, News Feed, Apps)
[4]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Top50WebPublishersMonthlyFB.jpg (Top50WebPublishersMonthlyFB)
[5]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Top50WebPublishersMonthlyFB.jpg
[6]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-google-search-2012-01 (Facebook And Google Tussled Over Search Results)
[7]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Top50FacebookVsGoogle.jpg (Top50FacebookVsGoogle)
[8]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Top50FacebookVsGoogle.jpg
[9]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/comScoreMediaTop25.jpg (comScoreMediaTop25)
[10]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/comScoreMediaTop25.jpg
[11]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/aQplUKsgl9Cq0BbYr9r0ybDJ9A8/0/di
[12]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/aQplUKsgl9Cq0BbYr9r0ybDJ9A8/0/da
[13]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/aQplUKsgl9Cq0BbYr9r0ybDJ9A8/1/di
[14]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/aQplUKsgl9Cq0BbYr9r0ybDJ9A8/1/da
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=g7yayUVagow:ZeMF9ZjlL4E:pnQdOprp5To
[17]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[18]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=g7yayUVagow:ZeMF9ZjlL4E:qj6IDK7rITs
[19]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=g7yayUVagow:ZeMF9ZjlL4E:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[20]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=g7yayUVagow:ZeMF9ZjlL4E:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[21]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/g7yayUVagow

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/g7yayUVagow/wetpaint-media-data-2012-01

This adorable 100-year-old woman loves her Nintendo DS [Video]

![][1]

If you need to be reminded why the [DS Lite][2]--[Nintendo][3]'s money-printing handheld gaming console--was so successful, then look no further. Meet Kathleen "Kit" Connell, a 100-year-old woman that claims her DS Lite helps her keep her mind sharp. In the video below, Kit says that she plays with her DS Lite for two hours every night before bed. "I can't speak highly enough of it," she says.

Kit claims that her "brain age" in an unnamed game (take _a wild guess_) is 64. According to the video's description, Kit lives on her own and is a grandmother of one. She also supposedly ran her first DS Lite ragged from playing it so much. It's not clear whether this is a Nintendo ad or just someone looking to prove the power of the DS Lite over old folk. Regardless, you'll wish your granny was this cool.

[Via [Kotaku][4], [Reddit][5]]

**Do either of your grandparents play with handheld game consoles, like the DS Lite? Do you think the 3DS will eventually see the same success with older gamers? Sound off in the comments. [Add Comment.][6]**

[Permalink][7] | [Email this][8] | [Linking Blogs][9] | [Comments][10]

[![][11]][12] [![][13]][14]

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[1]: http://o.aolcdn.com/dims/GAME/5/168/168/100/http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2012/01/screen-shot-2012-01-31-at-4.53.35-pm.png
[2]: http://blog.games.com/tag/ds
[3]: http://blog.games.com/tag/nintendo
[4]: http://kotaku.com/5880896/this-awesome-lady-is-100-years-old-and-a-nintendo-ds-fanatic
[5]: http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/p4fjz/100_year_old_explains_how_using_a_nintendo_ds_is/
[6]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/nintendo-ds-lite-grandmom-kit-connell/#disqus_thread
[7]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/nintendo-ds-lite-grandmom-kit-connell/ (Permanent link to this entry)
[8]: http://blog.games.com/forward/20161337/ (Send this entry to a friend via email)
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[10]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/nintendo-ds-lite-grandmom-kit-connell/#comments (View reader comments on this entry)
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=WR31oyBBFW0:wabAi9YVoSA:qj6IDK7rITs
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[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=WR31oyBBFW0:wabAi9YVoSA:yIl2AUoC8zA
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~4/WR31oyBBFW0

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/WR31oyBBFW0/

Zynga CEO Dispels Facebook Game Copying Accusations

[![][1]][2]"We're not copycats, you are. Besides, everyone copies." That sums up [Zynga][3] Chief Executive Officer Mark Pincus' response to accusations that his company's upcoming Bingo release for Facebook was a copy of Bingo Blitz, from Buffalo Studios (see infographic below).

As reported by VentureBeat's [GamesBeat][4], Pincus attempted to flip the script by claiming that Bingo Blitz, which has some three [million average monthly users][5][][6], was actually a copy of Zynga's Poker Blitz, which averages just [4,000 monthly users][7].

Aside from the counter-accusation, Pincus also used a music industry-type defense, basically hinting that most games are influenced by older games, and as long as the new developer improves upon the game, there is no harm done. He told VentureBeat:

You can go back to (Zynga's) FarmVille. Look at Farm Town and say, "Those pictures are troubling. They look too similar." But you pull the lens back again, and you see Farm Town next to My Farm, and next to Happy Farm, and next to (Zynga's) YoVille. What you see is a series of games innovating on top of each other. You see Farm Town had a very similar avatar to YoVille.

We think there is a massive body of work in the video-game industry that is going to be reimagined for decades to come in a way that is free, accessible, and social. That's what we're doing. I don't think anyone should be surprised when they see us come out with games that they've seen before, a decade or more ago. I don't think there are a lot of totally new games that are invented. We always try. But to us, they are like the crew mechanic in our games. They give you a new way to interact with your friends.

Zynga was also accused last week of copying elements from Nimblebit's Tiny Tower iPhone game for its upcoming Dream Heights mobile game, according to VentureBeat, and Pincus told the blog:

You should be careful not to throw stones when you live in glass towers. When you pull the lens back, you saw that their tower game looked similar to five other tower games going all the way back to SimTower in the early 1990s.

Pincus sent a memo to all Zynga employees addressing the allegations. Highlights follow, courtesy of VentureBeat:

Google didn't create the first search engine. Apple didn't create the first mp3 player or tablet. And Facebook didn't create the first social network. But these companies have evolved products and categories in revolutionary ways. They are all Internet treasures because they all have specific and broad missions to change the world.

We don't need to be first to market. We need to be the best in market. There are genres that we're going to enter because we know our players are interested in them, and because we want and need to be where players are. We evolve genres by making games free, social, accessible, and highest-quality.

And this has always been the case for our company and the rest of the industry. Zynga Poker, FarmVille, CityVille, and Words with Friends -- none of these games was the first to market in its category, but we made them the most fun and social, and the most popular.

Our teams continue to build and improve these games every week, which has been an important part of our success model. We run our games as a live service, and we continue to iterate, innovate, and improve on them to give our players the best possible experience.

Readers: Do you agree or disagree with Pincus? Does he make some valid points?

[![][8]][9]

[![][10]][11]
[![][12]][13]

[![][14]][15] [![][16]][17] [![][18]][19]

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BingoSideBySide.jpg (BingoSideBySide)
[2]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BingoSideBySide.jpg
[3]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-comments-2012-01 (New Guinness World Record For Facebook Comments)
[4]: http://venturebeat.com/2012/01/31/zynga-mark-pincus-copycat-interview/ (Zynga CEO: We aren't the copycats on Bingo social game (exclusive interview))
[5]: http://www.appdata.com/apps/facebook/108854979142742-bingo-blitz (BINGO Blitz AppData)
[6]: http://www.appdata.com/apps/facebook/108854979142742-bingo-blitz
[7]: http://www.appdata.com/apps/facebook/188875041752-poker-blitz (Poker Blitz AppData)
[8]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BuffaloStudiosInfographic.jpg (BuffaloStudiosInfographic)
[9]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/BuffaloStudiosInfographic.jpg
[10]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4b30Edo6TbowByuN2VwPdeBBCvQ/0/di
[11]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4b30Edo6TbowByuN2VwPdeBBCvQ/0/da
[12]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4b30Edo6TbowByuN2VwPdeBBCvQ/1/di
[13]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4b30Edo6TbowByuN2VwPdeBBCvQ/1/da
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=ze7t-wZYvH8:XsBxFNOoUao:pnQdOprp5To
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[17]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=ze7t-wZYvH8:XsBxFNOoUao:qj6IDK7rITs
[18]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=ze7t-wZYvH8:XsBxFNOoUao:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[19]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=ze7t-wZYvH8:XsBxFNOoUao:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[20]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/ze7t-wZYvH8

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/ze7t-wZYvH8/facebook-zynga-ceo-2012-01

FrontierVille creator Brian Reynolds: Copycatting hasn't been a problem

![][1] The issue of copycatting in social games has been put under the microscope this month, thanks to accusations thrown at [Zynga][2] for copying both [NimbleBit][3]'s Tiny Tower and [Buffalo Studio][4]'s Bingo Blitz. (Let's not forget that [6waves Lolapps][5] is looking at an infringement suit from [Triple Town's maker][6].) Who better to address the arguable plague of the social gaming world than Brian Reynolds, one the visionary designers behind the classic [Civilization][7] and, more importantly in this case, [FrontierVille][8]?

"So the thing is, in the course of the industry, it doesn't feel like to me that it's usually been a problem, that basically the people that add stuff and innovate and make the best games are usually the ones that succeed," [Reynolds told Gamasutra][9], referring to rampant copycatting in social games. "I can't think of an obvious example where somebody made a worse game, and profoundly beat out somebody who made a better game. Can you think of an example?"

To which Gamasutra's Kris Graft responded, "I'm sure once I quote you on that in the article, I'll get a whole bunch of comments answering that question." And judging from what's visible on the website's comment section of as this writing, Graft was about on the money. Does anyone else get the feeling that this is far, far from over?

[Image Credit: [FrontierVille Express][10]]

**Based on his interview with Gamasutra, did Reynolds effectively defend Zynga on the issue of copycatting? Do you see an end to this ageless argument? Sound off in the comments. [Add Comment.][11]**

[Permalink][12] | [Email this][13] | [Linking Blogs][14] | [Comments][15]

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URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/HzjSyAixsfI/

The Bluegrass State is home to a lot of U.S. social gamers [Infographic]

![][1] [Spil Games][2], one of the biggest social game publishers this side of [Zynga][3], found that the largest portion of its U.S. gamers live down south. According to an infographic created by the Hilversum, Netherlands-based company, Kentucky is home to the most Spil Games players in the U.S, which collectively spends an average of 85 minutes per month playing its games.

Among the [publisher's 170 million monthly players][4] that start 350 games every second on average, Brazil takes up the largest chunk of the number, followed by the U.S. of A, France, Poland and Indonesia. In 2011, Bubble Shooter was Spil Games' most popular game worldwide, which resulted in 5.3 billion bubbles blasted. In the U.S, however, Pet Party was most popular.

Unsurprisingly, Saturday is the most busy day of the week for Spil Games, but what's strange is that the busiest day of 2011 for the games company was Dec. 17. According to Spil Games, some of its paying players, which in some areas make up as much as 4 percent of the player base, pay up to $60 a month.

[Spil Games CEO Peter Driessen][5] expects each of its social games to make at least $5 million in 2012 alone. Considering the company has games across 40 some websites worldwide, Spil Games stands to make some serious coin this year. (However, the company didn't mention exactly how many games that is.) Check out the full infographic below.

**Are you a fan of Spil Games' offerings in the social game world? Are you surprised to find that Kentucky may be home to the most social gamers in the U.S.? Sound off in the comments. [Add Comment. ][6]

[][7]

[Permalink][8] | [Email this][9] | [Linking Blogs][10] | [Comments][11]

[![][12]][13] [![][14]][15]

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URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/RWjBpfnRCas/

New Guinness World Record For Facebook Comments

![][1]Should a [Guinness World Record][2] count when it was exclusively the result of an initiative to break the previous record? That question could be asked about the new mark for most comments on a Facebook status update.

Tracey Hodgson of the United Kingdom, a fan of Zynga game [Frontierville][3][][4], created a Facebook, group, Ffgpioneers, where 107 Frontierville aficionados began commenting on an October 30 post, leaving an average of 9,358 comments apiece.

At the time of this post, the total number of comments on the Facebook post exceeded one million.

Hodgson told [_Guinness World Record_s][5]:

I started to get into Frontierville after my daughter started playing it using my Facebook account. I began to play myself, and then got involved in helping with the game's community groups as an administrator.

My friend Nattie Murphy saw the previous record and suggested that I try to break it -- it sounded like a great idea for our group to show what we are capable of when we work together. We had over 107 help, but many left the record group because of the constant notifications. There was a core group of four people, including Nattie, adding comments.

It feels fantastic to have been able to break the world record for our community. While I don't actually play Frontierville anymore, I've met some great people through playing it and love to be able to help them enjoy the game still.

Our take: We'd be a lot more interested to see a Guinness World Record for actual comments to a meaningful Facebook status update, rather than an unabashed attempt to break a record. Readers: Do you agree?

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/guinneasstease.jpg (guinneasstease)
[2]: http://www.allfacebook.com/the-guinness-world-record-for-facebook-likes-is%E2%80%A6-2011-06 (The Guinness World Record For Facebook Likes Is…)
[3]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-zynga-castleville-2011-11 (Zynga's CastleVille Game Goes Live On Facebook)
[4]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/../../facebook-zynga-castleville-2011-11
[5]: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2012/1/frontierville-fan-sets-facebook-record-for-most-comments/ (Frontierville fan sets Facebook record for most comments)
[6]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/GuinnessCommentRecord.jpg (GuinnessCommentRecord)
[7]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/GuinnessCommentRecord.jpg
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[11]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/5kPDQULSxur6fW9lZbe4RwuOlw0/1/da
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[18]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/ZaW85ZUs3Gc

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/ZaW85ZUs3Gc/facebook-comments-2012-01