facebook gaming update: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

FarmVille St. Patrick's Day Items: Clover Tree, Shamrock Ram and more

![][1] With March now upon us (depending on your time zone), it's time for [FarmVille][2] to jump into a St. Patrick's Day celebration, and the game has done just that with the release of plenty of themed items in the game's store. These items will be around for the next two weeks, giving you plenty of time to purchase them and then enjoy them on your farms before St. Patrick's Day comes and goes for another year. Here's a complete rundown of the new items that were released this evening.

**Crops**

Bells of Ireland

* Costs: 25 coins per square
* Harvest Time: 1 Day
* Gain: 180 coins
* XP: 3 per square

**Trees**

Clover Tree - 6 Farm Cash
Giant Clover Tree - 12 Farm Cash
Celtic Knot Tree - 8 Farm Cash
Giant Celtic Knot Tree - 14 Farm Cash
**
Animals**

Giant Shamrock Dragon - 22 Farm Cash
Irish Hare - 6 Farm Cash
Cochin Chicken - 2.5 million coins
Shamrock Dragon - 20 Farm Cash
Kelly Green Cow - 14 Farm Cash
Shamrock Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Shamrock Ram - 16 Farm Cash

**Buildings**

Pot of Gold Home - 15 Farm Cash

**Decorations**

Clover Knoll - 20,000 coins
Shamrock Waterfall - 16 Farm Cash
Leprechaun Girl - 15 Farm Cash
Stone Wall - 10,000 coins

There are no avatar clothing items available in this theme thus far, but we'll make sure to let you know if that changes in the future. As we're likely to see plenty of additional decorations, animals, trees and more released in this St. Patrick's Day theme before all is said and done, make sure to keep checking back with us for a complete look at FarmVille's St. Patrick's Day celebration this year.

**What do you think of these new St. Patrick's Day items in FarmVille? Which ones will you purchase for your farms? Sound off in the comments.**

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FarmVille Hawaiian Paradise Items: Candle Nut Tree, Hibiscus Fence and more

![][1] [FarmVille][2]'s [Hawaiian Paradise][3] limited edition item theme has grown this week, with additional items being available across all of our farms, rather than being exclusive to the game's newest farm. This update includes new trees, animals and more, but if you don't have a lot of Coconuts (let's face it, they're pretty hard to earn at first), you might have to resort to spending Farm Cash on them if you're determined to have them on your newest farm. Here's a complete look at the new items in the store, which will be available for the next two weeks.

**Trees
**
Kamani Nut Tree - 6 Farm Cash
Candle Nut Tree - 7,000 Coconuts

**Animals**

Aloha Cat - 12 Farm Cash
Princess Horse - 26 Farm Cash
Hibiscus Ram - 16 Farm Cash
White Fronted Goose - 12 Farm Cash
Masked Booby - 9,000 Coconuts
Hawaiian Moorhen - 12,500 Coconuts
Lionfish - 10,000 Coconuts

**Buildings**

Hawaiian Manor - 25 Farm Cash

**Decorations**

Ukulele Gnome - 12 Farm Cash
Orchid Fountain - 10 Farm Cash
Palm Tree Island - 5,000 Coconuts
Hibiscus Fence - 50 Coconuts
**
Avatar Clothing**

Hawaii Shirt I - 2 Farm Cash
Hawaii Shirt II - 100,000 coins
Hawaii Shirt III - 2 Farm Cash

The FarmVille Hawaiian Paradise theme is likely to continue growing by leaps and bounds over the next few days and weeks, especially as more users gain access to the Hawaiian Paradise farm via free tickets (coming soon). We'll make sure to keep track of this theme, and will let you know when additional items launch in the store so you don't miss out. Keep checking back with us!

[**Check out the rest of our Hawaiian Paradise coverage right here.**][3]

**What do you think of these newest Hawaiian Paradise items? Will you save up Coconuts to buy these items, or will you splurge on them with Farm Cash instead? Sound off in the comments.**

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[3]: http://blog.games.com/2012/02/28/farmville-hawaiian-paradise-cheats-and-tips/
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Mark Pincus Says Online Gambling Is A 'Natural Fit' For Zynga's Games (ZNGA) - San Francisco Chronicle

[![][1]
Business Insider][2]

[**Mark Pincus Says Online **Gambling** Is A 'Natural Fit' For Zynga's **Games** (ZNGA)**][3]
**San Francisco Chronicle**
Online **gambling** represents at least a billion-dollar opportunity for the social **gaming** company. Some recent changes in laws could open the door for online **gambling games** on platforms like **Facebook**, which represents a golden opportunity for the **...**
[Zynga's Mark Pincus: Online **gambling** is a 'natural fit' for social **games**][4]Games.com News (blog)

[**all 11 news articles »**][5]

[1]: http://nt1.ggpht.com/news/tbn/lU6PuaJuKD-QJM/6.jpg
[2]: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHL5kFfUnrqA31DwEBOA50AuU1cbQ&url=http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-pincus-bought-his-watch-with-winnings-from-the-casino-at-the-wynn-2012-2
[3]: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHe9v-1S1zYSRyhJ2UCVpw-wte7vg&url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f%3D/g/a/2012/02/29/businessinsidermark-pincus-says-onl.DTL
[4]: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNF1gyLwOgFF0mJG5Ej7QFGZHT_HVQ&url=http://blog.games.com/2012/02/29/zynga-mark-pincus-online-gambling-natural-fit/
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CityVille: Celebrate America with new themed items

![][1] While there has been plenty of international travel in [CityVille][2] over the past few weeks, [Zynga][3] has decided to bring some of that celebration back to the US via a new USA theme in the game's store. This theme contains a few different community buildings, decorations, homes and businesses, most of which will only be available in the store for 21 days, or three weeks. Here's a complete look at these new items.

**Potato Chip Factory** (Community Building)

* Costs: 50 City Cash
* Allows: 1,780 citizens

**Pendleton Place** (Home)

* Costs: 25 City Cash
* Population: 250 - 490
* Rent: 143 coins every two hours

**Roswell Hotel **(Decoration)

* Costs: 22 City Cash
* Payout Bonus: 25% to surrounding homes and businesses; extra 25% to USA themed items

**Rockwell Cottage** (Home)

* Costs: 60,000 coins
* Population: 270 - 540
* Rent: 191 coins every four hours

**Trusty Trailer **(Home)

* Costs: 45,000 coins
* Population: 240 - 480
* Rent: 95 coins every hour

**The Handle Bar **(Business)

* Costs: 40,000 coins
* Requires: 280 Goods
* Earnings: 1,536 coins

**Farmer Rita** (Decoration)

* Costs: 30,000 coins
* Payout Bonus: 11% to surrounding homes and businesses; extra 11% to USA themed items

Like we said, this is unfortunately a rather small theme as of this writing. Still, there are quite a few items available for coins, if you're looking to boost your population, or even add a fun new business to your town. We'll make sure to let you know if additional USA themed items launch in the game's store, so stick with us!

**What do you think of these USA items? Does the game really need a USA theme, or do you like that there are specific decorations for these new items? Sound off in the comments.**

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Zynga cracks down on cheaters in Empires & Allies

![][1] Over the past few weeks, a number of [Empires & Allies][2] players discovered an exploit within the game's coding that allowed them to spawn high level units (read: powerful units) in their Empires without actually paying for them, or otherwise completing the steps necessary to earn them fairly. Whether or not you've ever used this exploit (or one like it) yourself, [Zynga][3] has finally found the exact problem that allowed these players to cheat and it has stopped it in its tracks.

Putting it simply, the exploit no longer works. If you were a player that had spawned some of these high level units in your account, you'll find that over the next week, every illegally generated unit will be removed from the game. Apparently, this exploit left a lot of identifiable characters within these units, so Zynga knows exactly which ones to remove, and which to leave alone (in theory). Unfortunately, some users may have unknowingly received some illegal units in their own games, as free gifts or wall bonuses from other players. Those too will be removed, but Zynga makes a point on the [game's official forums][4] that those particular users will not have any further action taken against their accounts.

What will happen to the actual cheaters? Aside from losing their fake units, it's not really known whether Zynga will actually ban them or not. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see if those players who tried to trick the system are allowed to continue playing along with the rest of us. Either way, it raises a valid question - should someone who is caught cheating or manipulating a Facebook game be allowed to continue playing?

**Well, what do you think? If you found out some of your enemies in World Domination (or another player-vs-player feature) were using illegally created units to defeat you, what sort of punishment would you give them? Should they be allowed to play the game, or should they be banned for their actions? Sound off in the comments.**

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The Sims Social: Celebrate summer with a free Utopian Floral Bush

![][1] To go along with the release of [Vacation Homes][2] in the [Sims Social][3], EA and [Playfish][4] are giving away a tropical new item on the game's official Facebook fan page. For a limited time, you can now collect your very own Utopian Floral Bush for free by simply [clicking right here][5].

Unfortunately, this is a one-per-person prize, but once you collect yours, you'll find that this outdoor decoration is worth $900 in House Value and 400 Social Points. If you decide that you don't want to keep it, you can sell it from your inventory for 400 Simoleons, but hopefully you'll be able to decide against that. After all, this is a really pretty flower that will help bring a touch of summer to your Sim's home, even if you don't plan on going on an in-game vacation any time soon.

It should also be noted that this Utopian Floral Bush offers an interaction for your Sim in the form of "Water Plants." If you're ever given a quest that asks you to water or otherwise interact with plants, you'll now have one more option available to complete it, without having to resort to tracking down plants in your friends' games.

Just remember, this Utopian Floral Bush will only be given away for a short time, so don't miss your chance at it! We'll make sure to let you know when any other interesting or exclusive prizes are given away for your home in the Sims Social, so keep checking back with us!

**What do you think of this free floral bush in the Sims Social? Did you claim one for your own game? What other sorts of tropical items do you home Playfish gives away for your Sim's house? Sound off in the comments.**

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[3]: http://blog.games.com/category/the-sims-social/
[4]: http://blog.games.com/tag/Playfish/
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CastleVille Carnival Items: Deck out your kingdom with additional party items

![][1]

Carnival is still going on in [CastleVille][2], and to stop the party from ending too soon, [Zynga][3] has released additional items in the game's store. There are new outfits for your avatar, along with new animals and decorations with which to decorate your kingdom. Here's a complete look at these new items.

Carnival Feather Headdress - 5 Crowns
Carnival Feather Headdress - 4 Crowns
Carnival Mask - 6 Crowns
Exotic Mask - 6 Crowns
Flamenco Dress - 10 Crowns
Flamenco Pants - 6 Crowns
Flamenco Shirt - 5,000 coins
Flamenco Top - 9 Crowns

Giant Bird Head - 6 Crowns
Giant Goblin Head - 20 Reputation Hearts
Giant Monster Head - 5,000 coins
Giant Unicorn Head - 6 Crowns
Gold Tile - 10 Reputation Hearts
Merengue Swan - 18 Crowns
Samba Swan - 18 Crowns
Carnival Fence - 500 coins

Carnival Peacock - 25 Crowns
Equestrian Float - 25 Crowns
Samba Drums - 50 Reputation Hearts
Sunflower Bouquet - 250 coins

These items will only be available for a limited amount of time, but we don't have a specific countdown available for them just yet. Your safest bet would be to purchase these items now, rather than waiting until later, just to make sure you end up with all of the items you really want.

**Which of these Carnival items will you purchase for your Kingdom in CastleVille? Are there any that you'll pay the Crown price for? Sound off in the comments.**

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What games you can play on Google+ - Straight.com

[![][1]
Los Angeles Times][2]

[**What **games** you can play on Google+**][3]
**Straight.com**
By Blaine Kyllo, February 29, 2012 Much like the **games** that are found on **Facebook**, the 39 titles that are currently playable on Google+ are designed to have you share scores and encourage friends to play. Inviting those in your circles to play the same **...**
[Google+ Users Log On Just 5 Minutes Per Month][4]RedOrbit
[Google+ Lags Far Behind **Facebook**, Twitter and **MySpace** in Latest Study][5]Reuters
[Google+ users' attention span waning][6]TechRadar UK
[Examiner.com][7] -[StreetInsider.com (subscription)][8]
[**all 146 news articles »**][9]

URL: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFZVjnE8UjYFzgQIo09VrCJmjqM4Q&url=http://www.straight.com/article-620456/vancouver/what-games-you-can-play-google

CastleVille Lamont Swamp Quests: Everything you need to know

![][1]

After finishing the [Swamped quests][2] in [CastleVille][3], you'll be challenging with completing an even longer series - the Lamont Swamp - which contains eight different quests to complete in all. Here, we'll apparently meet Lamont, an evil talking tree that lives in the Gloom Swamp. Of course, the entirety of these quests work towards cleansing your Kingdom of the Gloom once and for all, and you'll need the help of friends, along with a lot of your own work to actually finish them all off. Here's a guide on how to do just that.
**
Root of the Problem**

* Craft 1 Purity Talisman
* Cleanse 1 Swamp Root
* Have 3 Swamp Boots

The Purity Talisman is an item crafted inside the Studio, while the Swamp Boots are earned by posting a general news item on your wall. For finishing this quest, you'll receive 750 coins, 15 XP and a Firefly Bush.

**Shrine Time**

* Banish 3 of Lamont's Minions
* Rebuild the Ancient Shrine
* Gather from the Ancient Shrine 1 Time

If your game doesn't spawn the Minions, you can use potions to make them spawn manually. When you complete this quest, you'll earn 500 coins and 10 XP.

**Old Faithful**

* Craft 3 Wood Planks
* Place 5 Nature items
* Place and Build a Cleansing Spring

The Wood Planks are crafted in your Workshop, while Nature items include those items like flowers, which cost a relatively small amount in the store. For completing this quest, you'll earn 500 coins, 10 XP and five Swamp Water. Technically, the Swamp Water is a decoration, like the River, but whether or not you actually place it in your kingdom will be up to you.

**Preparation**

* Harvest 10 Cabbage
* Cleanse 3 Swamp Roots
* Craft 4 Exploration Crystals

Completing this quest gives you 750 coins and 15 XP.

**Finding Lamont**

* Explore the Gloom Swamp to find Lamont
* Banish 4 Beasties
* Cleanse 3 Swamp Roots

The Beasties can be any kind of Beastie in the game, so feel free to use some spawning potions to bring some Gloom Rats out as they can be quickly removed with a few energy each. Lamont, meanwhile, is the evil tree with a face that you'll find on the outskirts of your Kingdom. Completing this quest gives you 500 coins and 10 XP.
**
Odd Pod**

* Craft 3 Purity Wands
* Use 3 Purity Wands on Gloom Pods
* Visit 10 Neighbors

Completing this quest gives you 500 coins, 10 XP and a Gargoyle Fountain. This is a decoration that will go into your inventory.

**Lamont's Demise**

* Have 4 Purity Wands
* Use the Purity Wands to Banish Lamont

Just clicking on Lamont will use the Purity Wands that you have in your inventory to banish him. You'll receive 500 coins, 10 XP and a Flower of Life for completing this quest.

**Free at Last!**

* Use 3 Super Chops
* Free the Trapped Boy
* Gain 150 XP

It turns out that a boy has been trapped inside of Lamont, so you'll need to rescue him to complete this quest. For finishing this final quest in the Lamont Swamp quest line, you'll receive 500 coins and 10 XP.

These quests don't have a time limit, so you can feel free to complete other quests in the game if you'd like to clear them off of your plate before diving into these. Good luck defeating the evil Lamont once and for all!

**What do you think of these Lamont Swamp quests? Sound off in the comments.**

[Permalink][4] | [Email this][5] | [Linking Blogs][6] | [Comments][7]

[![][8]][9] [![][10]][11]

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[1]: http://o.aolcdn.com/dims/GAME/5/168/168/100/http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2012/02/castleville-lamont.jpg
[2]: http://blog.games.com/2012/02/29/castleville-swamped-quests/
[3]: http://blog.games.com/category/castleville/
[4]: http://blog.games.com/2012/02/29/castleville-lamont-swamp-quests/ (Permanent link to this entry)
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[6]: http://www.technorati.com/cosmos/search.html?rank=&fc=1&url=http://blog.games.com/2012/02/29/castleville-lamont-swamp-quests/ (Linking Blogs)
[7]: http://blog.games.com/2012/02/29/castleville-lamont-swamp-quests/#comments (View reader comments on this entry)
[8]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[9]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=5y33hF0lip8:vOhc-dPokLg:qj6IDK7rITs
[10]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=yIl2AUoC8zA
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=5y33hF0lip8:vOhc-dPokLg:yIl2AUoC8zA
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~4/5y33hF0lip8

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/5y33hF0lip8/

Pioneer Trail Building a Train: Everything you need to know

![][1]

What good is a [Train Station][2] without an actual train on the tracks? [Pioneer Trail][3] won't let us question that for much longer, as we can now build our very own train in the game. If you're above level 12, you can now jump into this new feature, and can start building a train with your in-game brother Jasper. Of course, this feature has goals to complete, so let's jump into those right now.

**Making the Engine Work**

* Craft 3 Wet Cement
* Clear 50 Stumps
* Build the Engine Works

Like so many other recent building projects, building the Engine Works requires you to collect items from friends, and even craft some of your own. You'll need eight Massive Crucibles, 4 Wooden Flatbeds, 5 Traincar Frames and 2 Crane Shafts, all of which can be earned by asking friends to send them to you, while a single Steel Axle needs to be crafted using Train Bearings, Molding Waxes, and Steel Ingots. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 250 XP, 200 coins and 5 Steel Forges.

**Pampered Passengers**

* Harvest 20 Steel Forges
* Harvest 100 Cotton
* Build the Passenger Sleeper and Caboose Cars

Building these three cars is a similar process to building the Engine Works, but you'll need to collect different materials in larger quantities along the way. This does constitute three completely different building steps though, so this particular goal will likely take you quite a while to finish, of course depending on the number of active neighbors you have or willingness to spend Horseshoes. As for the Steel Forges, you can find more of these on the game's free gifts page. Finishing this goal gives you 450 XP, 400 coins and 5 Blazing Star Crops.

**Cargo Carriers**

* Collect 40 Nova Buds
* Tend 15 Green Apple Saplings
* Build the Fright Cars

Nova Buds drop when tending Blazing Star Crops, which you just received five of for completing the above goal. Others can be purchased in the store for 350 coins each in the store. Green Apple Saplings can also be found on the game's free gifts page, along with the Steel Forges above, so make sure to ask your friends to send you some to finish this goal off. For completing it, you'll receive 950 XP, 800 coins and 4 Pronghorns.

**End with the Start**

* Tend 30 Adult Pronghorns
* Clear 30 Cacti
* Fix up the Engine Car

The engine car is one last crafting project, requiring a few dozen items in all, most of which can be earned by simply asking your friends to send them to you. As for the Cacti, remember to utilize your Debris Generator, if you've managed to build one on your Homestead, as it can offer you free Cacti at random. When you complete this final goal, you'll have not only completed the construction of the train, but will also receive 1,125 XP, 1,000 coins and 5 Beautyberry Crops.

This feature is still currently rolling out to users, so if you don't have it just yet, just wait a few hours and you should be able to start building your very own train as well!

[Via and image credit: [Zynga][4]]
**
What do you think of the train-building process in Pioneer Trail? Were you expecting something so time consuming, or are you disappointed in this feature's complexity? 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/2012/02/pioneertrail-1330569077.png
[2]: http://blog.games.com/2012/01/31/pioneer-trail-train-station-railroad/
[3]: http://blog.games.com/tag/pioneer+trail/
[4]: http://forums.zynga.com/showthread.php?1375364-Guide-and-Conga-Build-a-Train
[5]: http://blog.games.com/2012/02/29/pioneer-trail-building-a-train/ (Permanent link to this entry)
[6]: http://blog.games.com/forward/20183326/ (Send this entry to a friend via email)
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[8]: http://blog.games.com/2012/02/29/pioneer-trail-building-a-train/#comments (View reader comments on this entry)
[9]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[10]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=dser_LozCVA:uH8I1tUoacw:qj6IDK7rITs
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=yIl2AUoC8zA
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=dser_LozCVA:uH8I1tUoacw:yIl2AUoC8zA
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~4/dser_LozCVA

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

Facebook’s Two New Promos: Reach Generator, Logouts

[![][1]][2]Want to promote a post [from your page][3] and pay on an ongoing basis instead of paying per click or view?

You'll be able to do that with [Reach Generator,][3] which Facebook guarantees to show to 75 percent of a page's fans over the course of the month.

That contrasts with 16 percent of a page's fans that see posts that don't have any [ads on Facebook][4].

Facebook announced another premium promotional tool today: a "logout experience" page that Facebook will show people immediately after they sign off on a computer.

This will differ from the current prompt to log back on or sign up for a new account. Instead, Facebook will show a premium ad spanning the greater portion of the page.

Like our esteemed sibling blog [Inside Facebook][5] said about log-off promotions:

Though many Facebook users stay logged in for long periods, this potentially represents monetization of hundreds of millions of monthly pageviews that previously display advertising. The addition of premium ads to the logout page will help Facebook generate enough impressions to reach the 75 percent of fans that it guarantees through its [Reach Generator][3] solution for premium advertisers, also announced today.

Any premium page post ad is eligible to be shown on the logout screen. This includes videos, photos, offers, events and questions. A user does not have to be connected to a page in order to see this type of ad.

Our take: This type of ad might work best if it happened to relate to whatever the user had just looked at immediately before signing off. Also, we wonder how much play this type of promotion would get since most people click away from Facebook without logging off, although that might be changing with people's increased concerns about security.

[![][6]][7]
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[![][10]][11] [![][12]][13] [![][14]][15]

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/logoutpage1-300x227.jpg (logoutpage)
[2]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/logoutpage1.jpg
[3]: http://www.insidefacebook.com/2012/02/29/facebook-introduces-new-reach-generator-packaged-advertising-solution/
[4]: http://www.allfacebook.com/premium-ads-facebook-2012-02
[5]: http://www.insidefacebook.com/2012/02/29/facebook-monetizes-users-logging-out-with-logout-experience-premium-ad-placement/
[6]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0ixY0MOSAIl7AQoGXYtswxVZWMI/0/di
[7]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0ixY0MOSAIl7AQoGXYtswxVZWMI/0/da
[8]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0ixY0MOSAIl7AQoGXYtswxVZWMI/1/di
[9]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0ixY0MOSAIl7AQoGXYtswxVZWMI/1/da
[10]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=0_UaNX_gWUA:eYgnZlzohyw:pnQdOprp5To
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=0_UaNX_gWUA:eYgnZlzohyw:qj6IDK7rITs
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=0_UaNX_gWUA:eYgnZlzohyw:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=0_UaNX_gWUA:eYgnZlzohyw:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/0_UaNX_gWUA

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/0_UaNX_gWUA/facebook-reach-logout-2012-02

CastleVille Swamped Quests: Everything you need to know

![][1] A new quartet of quests has launched in [CastleVille][2], working as a way to introduce you to Lamont and tackle the Gloom in a huge way! These quests are called the "Swamped" quests, and they'll be given to you by Duke to start.

**Be Prepared**

* Feed 3 Animals in your Kingdom
* Clear 2 Nature Items
* Change your Clothes

You don't need to buy a new clothing item; just change your avatar's clothing to something you already own to finish that task. The nature items, meanwhile, are items like grass which you likely already have growing in your kingdom. When you finish this quest, you'll receive 750 coins and 15 XP.

**Stocking Up**

* Craft 1 Rope
* Have 2 Traveler's Pouches
* Buy 2 Torches

Traveler's Pouches are earned by posting a general news item to your friend. The Torches, meanwhile, cost 2,000 coins each. For finishing this quest, you'll earn another 750 coins and 15 XP.

**One Small Step**

* Have 170 Castle Level
* Have 5 Clothespins
* Explore the Gloom Swamp

You'll need to ask your friends to send you the Clothespins. For completing this quest, you'll receive yet another bundle of 750 coins and 15 XP.

**Into the Dark**

* Have 3 Wooden Clubs
* Have 10 Berries
* Explore the Gloom Swamp

You'll need more coins, exploration crystals and Castle Level to expand into this section of the Gloom, so just keep crafting and collecting as many coins as possible to get it done. For finishing this final quest, you'll receive one final amount of 750 coins and 15 XP.

After completing these four quests, you'll go further into the Swamp, meeting an evil tree named Lamont that offers another set of quests to complete. We'll bring you a guide to completing those just as soon as we can, so stay tuned!

**What do you think of these four quests? Are you disappointed in the prizes being given away? Sound off in the comments.**

[Permalink][3] | [Email this][4] | [Linking Blogs][5] | [Comments][6]

[![][7]][8] [![][9]][10]

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[1]: http://o.aolcdn.com/dims/GAME/5/168/168/100/http://www.blogcdn.com/blog.games.com/media/2012/02/2-castleville-on-facebook-1330564585.jpg
[2]: http://blog.games.com/category/castleville/
[3]: http://blog.games.com/2012/02/29/castleville-swamped-quests/ (Permanent link to this entry)
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[6]: http://blog.games.com/2012/02/29/castleville-swamped-quests/#comments (View reader comments on this entry)
[7]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[8]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=OeAr9ZTWcZM:7RU4I5hqGMo:qj6IDK7rITs
[9]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?d=yIl2AUoC8zA
[10]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/LarrysCorner?a=OeAr9ZTWcZM:7RU4I5hqGMo:yIl2AUoC8zA
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~4/OeAr9ZTWcZM

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/OeAr9ZTWcZM/

Angry Birds owner Rovio plans new games, retail stores in China - Baltimore Sun

[![][1]
Baltimore Sun][2]

[**Angry Birds owner Rovio plans new **games**, retail stores in China**][2]
**Baltimore Sun**
Finnish **gaming** firm Rovio expects to boost growth for months to come, with expansion in Asia, to **Facebook** and with the launch of Angry Birds Spaces, its marketing chief said in an interview. Angry Birds, in which players use a slingshot to attack pigs **...**
[Angry Birds fly to **Facebook**, Asia and ... Space][3]WHTC

[**all 26 news articles »**][4]

[1]: http://nt1.ggpht.com/news/tbn/xQELB4_dUtETiM/6.jpg
[2]: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGP0Ev9poPl60oRsLh_POgFRYOv6A&url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/game-cache/chi-angry-birds-owner-rovio-plans-new-games-retail-stores-in-china-20120229,0,5329437.story?track%3Drss
[3]: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHDbhKQAp18-M5U3a2oyGpNYp1vTQ&url=http://whtc.com/news/articles/2012/feb/29/angry-birds-fly-to-facebook-asia-and-space/
[4]: http://news.google.com/news/more?gl=us&pz=1&ned=us&ncl=diQ3enUJyKes8iMGTpf6mBY_f_b9M

URL: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGP0Ev9poPl60oRsLh_POgFRYOv6A&url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/bthesite/game-cache/chi-angry-birds-owner-rovio-plans-new-games-retail-stores-in-china-20120229,0,5329437.story?track%3Drss

Facebook Launches Offers, Scraps Check-In Deals

![][1]Out with the old and in with the new: Goodbye, check-in deals, hello offers.

The new offers differ from check-in deals, which required mobile devices and visits to physical store locations.

Facebook has been phasing out check-in deals, won't approve any more new ones as of today, and will have them completely gone from the site within a few weeks, says our sibling blog, [Inside Facebook][2].

Offers, by contrast, are self-serve, like other Facebook advertisements.

Administrators will be able to post post offers for free on their own pages without having to get approval by Facebook beforehand.

However, putting an offer elsewhere on the site would cost money; administrators would pay Facebook to boost offers into sponsored stories or premium homepage ads.

Regardless of where the offers appear, redeeming them is seamless: tapping on the linked words sends the offer to the individual's email account for use at a retailer's physical location or website.

Redeeming an offer puts a story about the claim into news feeds along with the user's timeline, depending on whether their settings allow it.

Facebook began testing offers in December, calling them coupons at the time.

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/OFFER1.bmp (OFFER1)
[2]: http://www.insidefacebook.com/2012/02/29/facebook-to-give-pages-new-offers-posts-scrap-check-in-deals/
[3]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/offers.png (offers)
[4]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0_Rqx67G9iP7u48OLpK_Ghvqkj8/0/di
[5]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0_Rqx67G9iP7u48OLpK_Ghvqkj8/0/da
[6]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0_Rqx67G9iP7u48OLpK_Ghvqkj8/1/di
[7]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0_Rqx67G9iP7u48OLpK_Ghvqkj8/1/da
[8]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[9]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=zprZHIR7Mug:QepqJUcVhm0:pnQdOprp5To
[10]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=zprZHIR7Mug:QepqJUcVhm0:qj6IDK7rITs
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=zprZHIR7Mug:QepqJUcVhm0:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=zprZHIR7Mug:QepqJUcVhm0:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/zprZHIR7Mug

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/zprZHIR7Mug/facebook-offers-deals-2012-02

The Public Can See Facebook Timeline Page Insights

![][1]Pages that have [upgraded to timeline][2] also have more publicly visible metrics, accessible by clicking on the likes box.

Don't confuse this with the singular version the verb nor the thumbs-up icon you click to join a page's fans, but rather the plural form, referring to the total fan count -- pointed out in our first screenshot here.

If you click on the "likes" box on a page that has timeline enabled, you get to see **_some_** of Facebook's native [analytics known as insights][3].

While the aggregate total likes and number of people talking about the page had been publicly visible before, they are now displayed in a much larger font.

Additionally, other data has only become public today: Most popular week, most popular city, most popular age group, new likes per week and weekly number of people talking about the page.

All of this is best appreciated by looking at an an example, like the one beneath this post that we grabbed from Starbucks' page on Facebook, which [upgraded to timeline][4] today.

We asked power-tipster Eti Suruzon, vice president of media at Blink, whether making this data publicly visible will encourage more people to like a page, since we'd expected that to result from Facebook having made the [the "talking about this" metric visible in October][5]. She replied:

No, I don't believe that's that's the case. If so, only because marketers will invest more money in buying ads or premium ads because of the competition. I'll explain -I mostly think it's going to drive marketers crazy.

People talking about this helped marketers compare their page activity, and therefore quality of engagement, to other brands.Now they can also see who are they talking with, how fast they're growing and what are they doing right or wrong.

Now Facebook is giving marketers even more tools [for comparing pages] plus live data. Timeline is all about the story and the content. New premium ads is all about the story. To make a good story and understand what stories work for you and for other brands, this seems to be a very small yet useful tool.

Personally I can't wait for analytics companys (like PageLever, SocialBakers) to have this public data on their systems.

Readers, what effect might the increased visibility of this data have upon pages and brands on Facebook?

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[![][11]][12] [![][13]][14] [![][15]][16]

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/likes.png (likes)
[2]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-page-timeline-now-2012-02
[3]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-page-insights-realtime-2012-02
[4]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-pages-timeline-7-2012-02
[5]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-pages-talk-2011-10
[6]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/starbucks.png (starbucks)
[7]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/PesdUzNtmg-W3MFRmVyagtyucjE/0/di
[8]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/PesdUzNtmg-W3MFRmVyagtyucjE/0/da
[9]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/PesdUzNtmg-W3MFRmVyagtyucjE/1/di
[10]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/PesdUzNtmg-W3MFRmVyagtyucjE/1/da
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=6b8828FW64c:lZMxruxjoek:pnQdOprp5To
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=6b8828FW64c:lZMxruxjoek:qj6IDK7rITs
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=6b8828FW64c:lZMxruxjoek:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=6b8828FW64c:lZMxruxjoek:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[17]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/6b8828FW64c

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/6b8828FW64c/facebook-timeline-page-metrics-2012-02

Raptr ranks users on how dedicated they are to their favorite games

![][1] If you happen to have a [Raptr][2] account, you're probably pretty into video games. The social network for gamers already knew this, but today it launched a method to measure how dedicated you are to your favorite games. Raptr can now track the gaming habits of its 12 million users even more deeply through a number of features, and size up them up against their friends for bragging rights and some lucrative rewards.

This [new reputation system][3] ranks every Raptr user between "Newbie" and "Elite" based on factors like time played, achievements unlocked and more in the games that players choose to include in their profile. The network will also display news in its relatively new news feed that's more relevant to each, user based on their rank, progress and how recently they've played a given game.

This means that players ranked "Newbie" might be presented with more helpful content in the news feed, like strategy guides and FAQs, while "Elite" players will see more news and cultural content, like player-made tribute videos. The new Raptr offers users several ways to see their own performance from interactive charts and social leaderboards to a percentile ranking system.

In short, Raptr now tells users just how much "gamer cred" they have based on everything the service tracks. The best, or most dedicated, players will earn real rewards for their time spent gaming, though the specifics of which will be revealed later. Everything about this move just screams "hardcore gamer," but based on [recent reports][4] issued [by Raptr][5], don't count casual and social games out just yet.

**Are you digging the new Raptr, or have you yet to sign up? Do features like these make you more interested in signing up? 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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URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/2FDKzumSoUY/

Facebook's Social Games Are Declining, Report Says - The Epoch Times

[![][1]
The Epoch Times][2]

[****Facebook's** Social **Games** Are Declining, Report Says**][2]
**The Epoch Times**
By Joshua Philipp **Facebook** CEO Mark Zuckerberg prepares to speak at a news conference at **Facebook** headquarters July 6, 2011, in Palo Alto, Calif. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Developers have flocked to social **games** where players use real money to buy **...**

[**and more »**][3]

[1]: http://nt3.ggpht.com/news/tbn/RyedzG14LsOZ0M/6.jpg
[2]: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHmxGgI_BGoEcaebs8m155QW_Quyw&url=http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/technology/facebook-s-social-games-are-declining-report-says-197300.html
[3]: http://news.google.com/news/more?gl=us&pz=1&ned=us&ncl=dk7FUKsZ2bh9vcM

URL: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHmxGgI_BGoEcaebs8m155QW_Quyw&url=http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/technology/facebook-s-social-games-are-declining-report-says-197300.html

Zynga's Mark Pincus: Online gambling is a 'natural fit' for social games

![][1] In short, don't be surprised to soon see the real consequences of going "all in" on a hand of [Zynga Poker][2]. [Business Insider reports][3] that [Zynga][4] CEO Mark Pincus said today at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media and Telecom conference that he thinks [online gambling][5] is a "natural fit" for Zynga's games. This echoes sentiments that a [Zynga representative revealed to All Things D][6].

"I think it's a good natural fit," Pincus said, according to Business Insider. "I think, philosophically, the part people haven't noticed yet, real money gaming is the perfect with virtual goods and social games. We're interested, but you should expect to see us do a lot more than what you've seen in offshore casinos."

What Pincus seems to have meant here is that Zynga will do more with its online gambling plans than slots and blackjack. It's unknown whether Zynga intends to incorporate gambling mechanics into its existing popular games, but we wouldn't rule that out. However, at least in the U.S., this all rides on whether the individual states open the gates, thanks to a [recent Department of Justice decision][7].

Zynga is joined by a number of other companies, including recent partner [Slingo][8], in this increased interest in online gambling via social games. While 2012 might not be the year that we can bet away our hard-earned Facebook Credits, it will see every social game maker from Zynga to [EA][9] and everyone in between work toward it.

**Are you excited about or dreading the arrival of online gambling in Facebook games? Which company do you see coming out on top in online gambling on social networks? Sound off in the comments. [Add Comment.][10]**

[Permalink][11] | [Email this][12] | [Linking Blogs][13] | [Comments][14]

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URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LarrysCorner/~3/tdH7tDRBeGk/

Facebook Mobile Sponsored Stories Template: Wildfire

[![][1]][2]Social media marketing software provider [Wildfire][3] announced the release of new design templates to take advantage of Facebook's addition of sponsored stories for mobile, as well as a free webinar about the launch of timeline for pages.

On the [mobile][4] front, Wildfire said its new templates will allow advertisers to build campaigns and pages that display well on desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones.

The company also announced that global entertainment brand Cirque du Soleil will be one of the first clients to use its new templates, which automatically select display formats to conform to the devices being used to view the content.

[![][5]][6]

Wildfire will also host a free webinar on best practices for brands making the transaction to Facebook's new [timeline for pages][7].

The webinar is scheduled for Friday, March 2, at 1 p.m. Eastern Time, and interested readers can [register here][8], receiving a free white paper on the topic after completing the registration.

Topics slated to be covered include:

* The six major changes every marketer needs to know when updating their brand profiles to timeline;
* How best to capture visitors' attention on your page after its timeline makeover;
* Ways to feature important content and tell the story of your brand; and
* How to rethink engagement applications within the new layout without losing everything you've built.

Chief Executive Officer Victoria Ransom said:

With more than one half of Facebook's users accessing the site through a mobile device, and mobile usage growing at twice that of desktop, brands are actively searching for a complete social marketing solution that enables them to leverage the mobile channel.

Wildfire is the only social marketing platform that automatically optimizes presentation of brand content across all channels, allowing consumers to seamlessly engage with brands on any device they choose.

Timeline for brand pages opens exciting new avenues for brands to engage with consumers, but the change requires brands to adopt some new ways of approaching and curating content. As an early Facebook preferred developer, Wildfire is moving in lockstep with the recent changes to Facebook.

The Wildfire platform, along with our team's expert knowledge about best practices for the new timeline format, provides a complete solution for brands to keep pace with the fast-moving changes in social media.

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/WildfireInteractiveLogo.jpg (WildfireInteractiveLogo)
[2]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/WildfireInteractiveLogo.jpg
[3]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-wildfire-adaptly-2012-02 (Wildfire Integrates Adaptly's Facebook Ad Technology)
[4]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-officially-debuts-offers-premium-ad-placement-2012-02 (Facebook Officially Debuts Offers, Premium Ad Placement, Sponsored Stories For Mobile Devices)
[5]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/WildfireMobileTemplates.jpg (WildfireMobileTemplates)
[6]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/WildfireMobileTemplates.jpg
[7]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-timeline-pages-pinning-2012-02 (TOUR: Facebook's Timeline For Pages Is Here, With Pinning)
[8]: http://lp.wildfireapp.com/WildfireBreakingWebinarTimelineForBrandsMarch2012.html (Timeline for Brands)
[9]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2QmlwhIYh_Gp1Wky4x3G6AmhDLs/0/di
[10]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2QmlwhIYh_Gp1Wky4x3G6AmhDLs/0/da
[11]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2QmlwhIYh_Gp1Wky4x3G6AmhDLs/1/di
[12]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/2QmlwhIYh_Gp1Wky4x3G6AmhDLs/1/da
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=SHDs55MXSe0:yP7zbPyiJiE:pnQdOprp5To
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=SHDs55MXSe0:yP7zbPyiJiE:qj6IDK7rITs
[17]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=SHDs55MXSe0:yP7zbPyiJiE:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[18]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=SHDs55MXSe0:yP7zbPyiJiE:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[19]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/SHDs55MXSe0

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/SHDs55MXSe0/wildfire-templates-webinar-2012-02

Facebook Confirms Real-Time Page Insights Debuting

![][1]Facebook confirmed that it is indeed making [page insights data][2] available in real time, a change that will become visible within the next few weeks.

That's what Page Insights Product Manager [David Baser][3] said during his presentation at the Facebook Marketing Conference in New York today.

This would speed up the native [analytics tool's][4] data on impressions, reach, negative feedback, people talking about this, and user demographics.

The update would also soup up the data made available through the application programming interface used by third party applications for analyzing page data.

Since these improvements are promised upgrades rather than live, we can only wait and see whether the real thing lives up to the [pitch we've seen today][5].

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/fmcLOGO.png (fmcLOGO)
[2]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebookinsights-near-real-time-2012-02
[3]: https://www.facebook.com/jackieofletters#!/david.baser
[4]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-insights-3-2012-02
[5]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-marketing-conference-live-2012-02
[6]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oDF-UFRaR6U1McHsMBzNCYd92SI/0/di
[7]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oDF-UFRaR6U1McHsMBzNCYd92SI/0/da
[8]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oDF-UFRaR6U1McHsMBzNCYd92SI/1/di
[9]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/oDF-UFRaR6U1McHsMBzNCYd92SI/1/da
[10]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=PeJ7zkuSJio:P66XDzsJcgg:pnQdOprp5To
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=PeJ7zkuSJio:P66XDzsJcgg:qj6IDK7rITs
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=PeJ7zkuSJio:P66XDzsJcgg:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[15]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=PeJ7zkuSJio:P66XDzsJcgg:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[16]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/PeJ7zkuSJio

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/PeJ7zkuSJio/facebook-page-insights-realtime-2012-02

New Report Shows That 87 Percent of Americans Now Play Casual Games Online - Hollywood Reporter

[![][1]
Hollywood Reporter][2]

[**New Report Shows That 87 Percent of Americans Now Play Casual **Games** Online**][2]
**Hollywood Reporter**
Consumers watch television while texting on mobile devices or playing CityVille on **Facebook**. All of this time devoted to casual **games** resulted in a $4.5 billion global haul for **game** companies in 2011. According to a new trend report focusing on online **...**
[Report Shows **Facebook** Dominating Online Casual, Social **Gaming**][3]Cinema Blend

[**all 2 news articles »**][4]

[1]: http://nt3.ggpht.com/news/tbn/By3ncldp14NgNM/6.jpg
[2]: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGKftIVFP55hAh4keCo_6Db5b1PUA&url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/video-games-facebook-addictinggames-295720
[3]: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNE6bunESJ9dJE7F-9TvIdlqqGqExA&url=http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Report-Shows-Facebook-Dominating-Online-Casual-Social-Gaming-39982.html
[4]: http://news.google.com/news/more?gl=us&pz=1&ned=us&ncl=duHdbDOawBtADmMBQEDtgnTJF0ruM

URL: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGKftIVFP55hAh4keCo_6Db5b1PUA&url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/video-games-facebook-addictinggames-295720

Facebook Officially Debuts Offers, Premium Ad Placement, Sponsored Stories For Mobile Devices

![][1]Facebook formally announced a couple of [advertising developments][2] that most of the media has already covered: premium ad placement and offers.

Like the social network's communications team [summarized][3] these announcements:

Premium ads and sponsored stories on Facebook can now appear in two new places: on the Facebook log-out page and mobile news feed.

Sponsored stories for mobile news feed increase the visibility of stories related to a business or organization to help pages share their fans' activities.

Offers are a free and easy way for businesses to share special discounts and promotions to their community through Facebook. Offers let a business share a discount or promotion directly from a Facebook page.

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[1]: http://www.allfacebook.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/MEGAPHONEtease.jpg (MEGAPHONEtease)
[2]: http://www.allfacebook.com/premium-ads-facebook-2012-02
[3]: http://www.allfacebook.com/facebook-advertisers-survey-2012-02
[4]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6JRCxLgQS0PwdU5mggqdsDOpM1w/0/di
[5]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6JRCxLgQS0PwdU5mggqdsDOpM1w/0/da
[6]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6JRCxLgQS0PwdU5mggqdsDOpM1w/1/di
[7]: http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6JRCxLgQS0PwdU5mggqdsDOpM1w/1/da
[8]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=pnQdOprp5To
[9]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=p4sfXKlUyRs:k0y8kxH7pZo:pnQdOprp5To
[10]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?d=qj6IDK7rITs
[11]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=p4sfXKlUyRs:k0y8kxH7pZo:qj6IDK7rITs
[12]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?i=p4sfXKlUyRs:k0y8kxH7pZo:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[13]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/allfacebook?a=p4sfXKlUyRs:k0y8kxH7pZo:gIN9vFwOqvQ
[14]: http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allfacebook/~4/p4sfXKlUyRs

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/p4sfXKlUyRs/facebook-officially-debuts-offers-premium-ad-placement-2012-02

U.S. Military Closes Ranks Around Facebook Timeline

![][1]The U.S. army, [navy][2], [air force][3], [marines][4] and [coast guard][5] are joining the ranks of the first Facebook pages to upgrade to timeline, in conjunction with the company's [marketing conference][6] in New York.

The move complements an ongoing effort by Facebook to enhance communications for the [members][7] of the military and their families through the social network.

Joel Kaplan, vice president of U.S. Public Policy for Facebook said:

New Facebook pages give government agencies, lawmakers, and political campaigns more engaging ways to tell their stories, and we're excited to see branches of the U.S. military leading the way. We're eager to see others join the army, navy, air force, marines, and coast guard in embracing new pages to better to connect with citizens, provide information, and deliver services.

Each of the military branches highlights its unique history and culture on their timeline.

For example, the [U.S. army][8] page features striking and compelling photos from the extensive history of the military's oldest service branch.

A recent photo shows guards keeping watch in in Afghanistan, a reminder to page visitors of the nation's ongoing involvement in that country.

The army's timeline upgrade also uncovered a minor glitch. Apparently, Facebook only allows dates as far back as 1800, although the Army was actually founded in 1790.

The army makes full use of their dateline by including key dates of major skirmishes that resonate with many Americans, such as the Battle of the Bulge during World War II and even the controversial Tet Offensive in Vietnam throughout 1968.

Facebook's Washington, D.C., office alerted Capitol Hill staffers about the timeline upgrade via email. It will be interesting to see what role Facebook will play in helping more than 500 individual congressional offices [upgrade to timeline][9], since Capitol Hill is sometimes slow in adapting new technologies and offices are only given until March 30 to make the transition.

Political campaigns will probably find timeline a boon and move quickly to upgrade, since they are inherently more fast-paced, have dedicated social media staff and resources to make the most out of the new features.

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URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/allfacebook/~3/4pOQdVwfrBk/facebook-timeline-pages-military-2012-02