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Chủ Nhật, 30 tháng 12, 2012
Thứ Sáu, 26 tháng 10, 2012
Arzea
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free games online |
Description
Pulled into an unknown world, a young Wizard must master magical spells, fight dangerous enemies, gain powerful abilities, and search a mystical land in order to find his way home. Arzea was originally created for a Ludum Dare 22 (a 48 hour game programming competition). The game was then extended to include more content and better music.Instructions
Control the wizard with the arrow keys or ASDW, and using your mouse to aim and shoot your spells. [Tab] or [Escape] will open the menu, [M] will open the map, and [Shift] will open the spell change wheel.Arthur The Gladiator
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Friv |
Description
Arthur The Gladiator is on a mission to save all the prisoners. He has to defeat each of the enemies to rescue their prisoners and proceed to the next level. The dragon guardian is invincible and you can't kill it, so dodge its attacks.Instructions
Use arrow keys to move and Space to jump. Use X key to attack. Dragon guardian is invincible and you cant kill it. Dodge its attacks.Keywords:
Army Blaster
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bubble shooter |
Description
Toby is accused for murder but he's innocent. He and his friends are trying to kill the one who set him up. Help them to reach there goal in this hard battle.Instructions
Controls: Wasd to move, space to get in vehicle, s to pick up weapon, mouse to aim and shootKeywords:
Thứ Năm, 25 tháng 10, 2012
Ape Madness
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cubefield |
Description
Go absolutely ape in this epic game. You are in a exotic jungle and you must catch the bananas that are falling down from the trees. Be careful not to eat the empty banana skins, as they will award you minus points! You must avoid the bulldogs and the bees if you wish to survive in the jungle!Instructions
Use keyboard arrowsAngry Charlie
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bubble shooter |
Description
Charlie is angry at all women. He is treated badly every time. Help Charlie to take revenge!Instructions
Use your mouse to shootThứ Sáu, 28 tháng 9, 2012
Evening On The Terrace
Game Info - Lily is having a
great time at her summer house in southern France. She enjoys this
location so much because the wind is so calm and it brings see sent from
the Mediterranean Sea
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Craze Rush
Game Info - Serve quickly to
your clients on you exclusive fashion boutique. Use the mouse to go with
them to the free seats and choose the clothe they want.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Super Mario Star Scramble 2
Game Info - He runs, he jumps, he plumbers. Mario is back with the second part of the nice jump and run game Mario Star Scramble!
Game controls - Arrow Keys - Move.
Z, Spacebar - Jump / Select.
Game controls - Arrow Keys - Move.
Z, Spacebar - Jump / Select.
Sort My Tiles Care Bears
Game Info - Care Bears needs to sort love with the rainbow in the sky.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.
Jungle Hunter
Game Info - The objective of
jungle hunt is to protect the little Indian village against all the wild
animals from outside. 50 waves of attacks with a really huge mammoth
boos at the end!
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.
Thứ Ba, 4 tháng 9, 2012
Spongebob Squarepants in Bikini Bottom Bowling
Game Info - Play a game of bowling with spongebob square pants.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Undercover Ops
Game Info - You have to
infiltrate inside the guerrilla base without being detected. Sneak /
climb and hide to surprise your victims. Finally destroy the weapon
supplies to st
p them once and for all.
Game controls - Left / Right Arrow Keys - Move.
Up Arrow Key - Jump / Climb up.
Spacebar - Attack.
p them once and for all.
Game controls - Left / Right Arrow Keys - Move.
Up Arrow Key - Jump / Climb up.
Spacebar - Attack.
Mayan Raiders
Game Info - Move the two characters together and reach the exit without either falling off the map.
Game controls - Use your Arrow Keys to guide both archaeologists.
Game controls - Use your Arrow Keys to guide both archaeologists.
A Parting Shot II
Game Info - The womans, kids,
and old people of your town trust in you. Defend them from the enemies
throwing arrows at them with your bow.
Game controls - A - Walk Left.
D - Walk Right.
W - Jump.
Mouse - Aim / Shoot.
Game controls - A - Walk Left.
D - Walk Right.
W - Jump.
Mouse - Aim / Shoot.
Word Search Gameplay - 27
Game Info - Circle out all words given on the right side of your screen.
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.
Game controls - Use Mouse to interact.
Thứ Năm, 30 tháng 8, 2012
Dancing Princess Dress Up, Fever Frenzy
Game Info - Dancing Princess has
beautiful 18th century fashion, accessories and classical music. When
you love your creation just print the result. It’s easy and fun.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game Info - As a nurse, look after your patients, cure them and earn money. Move your patient to the chair on the right and then to the matching hospital bed. When an outbreak happens, click on the patient to make the diagnosis and take the result.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game Info - As a nurse, look after your patients, cure them and earn money. Move your patient to the chair on the right and then to the matching hospital bed. When an outbreak happens, click on the patient to make the diagnosis and take the result.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.
Nina Dobrev Makeover, Hot BBQ Party
Game Info - With sweet-cute
looks like that, a gorgeous smile like hers and with a little bit of
help from you, the talented celebrity make up artist, this rising big
screen diva is ready to hit the red carpet and steal the spotlight! Play
the Nina Dobrev makeover game and use your expert eye to pick the right
lipstick hue, eyeshadow color, hairstyle and stylish outfit to put
together that jaw-dropping celebrity look!
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game Info - With the sun shining, the grill sizzling and happy customers, what could go wrong this summer?
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game Info - With the sun shining, the grill sizzling and happy customers, what could go wrong this summer?
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Tessa's Fashion Shoes, Stick Strike
Game Info - This is the third
part of the Tessa series. Tessa is going to town with her friends Eva
and Ann. They want to buy shoes, but could use some help. Help them find
the most gorgeous shoes!
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game Info - Sticks has gone bad with this counetrstrike game. Go on different missions, select maps and game types, and the number of friendlies and enemies you decide! Good luck!
Game controls - WASD - Movement.
R - Reload.
Spacebar - Throw grenade.
F - Drop mine.
1,2,3,4,5,6 - Cycle weapons.
Mouse - Aim and fire.
E - Open door.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game Info - Sticks has gone bad with this counetrstrike game. Go on different missions, select maps and game types, and the number of friendlies and enemies you decide! Good luck!
Game controls - WASD - Movement.
R - Reload.
Spacebar - Throw grenade.
F - Drop mine.
1,2,3,4,5,6 - Cycle weapons.
Mouse - Aim and fire.
E - Open door.
Spring Hat Dressup, Eva's New Cat
Game Info - Choose for the girl a nice spring dress and hat.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.
Game Info - This is a part of the Eva series. Do you love cats? Eva does love these animals, and you can help her to find the two most beautiful cats in the World! Choose the color of the cat, as well as its nose and eyes. You can even choose different kind of tails and legs. Create the sweetest cats in the world, in this cute animal game. Of course, Eva would like to look as lovely as her cats. So help her choose her makeup, and dress her up. I think you can make Eva and her two cats good looking!
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.
Game Info - This is a part of the Eva series. Do you love cats? Eva does love these animals, and you can help her to find the two most beautiful cats in the World! Choose the color of the cat, as well as its nose and eyes. You can even choose different kind of tails and legs. Create the sweetest cats in the world, in this cute animal game. Of course, Eva would like to look as lovely as her cats. So help her choose her makeup, and dress her up. I think you can make Eva and her two cats good looking!
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Dot Pattern Dressup, Alias 2
Game Info - She loves wearing fashionable dress with dots designs. Try different dotted designs in different fun combinations.
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.
Game Info - Artificial life form intended to assassination and sabotage. The story continues.
Game controls - ASWD for movement left click to shoot
Game controls - Use mouse to interact.
Game Info - Artificial life form intended to assassination and sabotage. The story continues.
Game controls - ASWD for movement left click to shoot
Penalty Fever,
Game Info - Try to kick the soccer ball and get it into the goal. Then switch and defend your goal.
Guide your favorite club to the title in European penalty shoot-out challenge.
You will take shots, but also you will take a role of the goalkeeper. Timing and fast reflexes are crucial in both situations.
In each game, the first shot is yours.
Game controls - In order to shoot properly, you will need to make 2 mouse clicks.
The first click will make your player move towards the ball.
In the same time, it determines where your player \"intends\" to shoot if no second click is made - making it possible to trick the goalkeeper.
The second one determines the final direction and height of the ball. Be careful how long you keep your finger on the mouse this time. Just press it and release it immediately, or it will kick too high.
When defending, click on the part of the goal where you'd like your goalkeeper to dive. You will see a red marker just before the opponent shoots, showing the direction of the shot.
If you qualify for the semifinals, you will get points for your team which will help them to win the title.
Championships are played each week from Monday to Sunday. Good Luck!
Guide your favorite club to the title in European penalty shoot-out challenge.
You will take shots, but also you will take a role of the goalkeeper. Timing and fast reflexes are crucial in both situations.
In each game, the first shot is yours.
Game controls - In order to shoot properly, you will need to make 2 mouse clicks.
The first click will make your player move towards the ball.
In the same time, it determines where your player \"intends\" to shoot if no second click is made - making it possible to trick the goalkeeper.
The second one determines the final direction and height of the ball. Be careful how long you keep your finger on the mouse this time. Just press it and release it immediately, or it will kick too high.
When defending, click on the part of the goal where you'd like your goalkeeper to dive. You will see a red marker just before the opponent shoots, showing the direction of the shot.
If you qualify for the semifinals, you will get points for your team which will help them to win the title.
Championships are played each week from Monday to Sunday. Good Luck!
Scooby Doo - Terror in Tikal, Image Disorder Katherine Heigl
Game Info - Guide Scooby and
Shaggy in another coolness-threatening adventure and collect some clues
to solve the mystery behind the game. Are you willing to help them?
Enjoy the game!
Game controls - Arrow Keys - Walk.
Spacebar - Action.
T - Exchange selected item.
Game Info - Arrange the tiles and complete the images of one the doctors in Grace Anatomy.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Game controls - Arrow Keys - Walk.
Spacebar - Action.
T - Exchange selected item.
Game Info - Arrange the tiles and complete the images of one the doctors in Grace Anatomy.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Scooby Doo's Big Air, Flower Shop Game
Game Info - Head over to the vent ramp and participate in a big air contest with Scooby Doo.
Start Scooby's motion until he can get off the ramp and when he is airborne, increase his speed and height, so is his downward speed. Repeat the steps to jump higher and higher. Your sense of coordination will help Scooby do the big air. Start rolling!
Game controls - Left / Right Arrow Keys - To start his motion while on ramp.
Up Arrow Key - To increase his speed and height while going upward.
Down Arrow Key - To increase his downward speed.
Game Info - In this store you can find the most beautiful flowers and you can make wonderful bouquets. In the Free Model part of the game you can create your own bouquets. In the Challenge Model part you have to try to make the bouquets your clients order. There are various levels in this game. In this store you can find the most beautiful flowers and you can make wonderful bouquets. In the Free Model part of the game you can create your own bouquets. In the Challenge Model part you have to try to make the bouquets your clients order. There are various levels in this game.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Start Scooby's motion until he can get off the ramp and when he is airborne, increase his speed and height, so is his downward speed. Repeat the steps to jump higher and higher. Your sense of coordination will help Scooby do the big air. Start rolling!
Game controls - Left / Right Arrow Keys - To start his motion while on ramp.
Up Arrow Key - To increase his speed and height while going upward.
Down Arrow Key - To increase his downward speed.
Game Info - In this store you can find the most beautiful flowers and you can make wonderful bouquets. In the Free Model part of the game you can create your own bouquets. In the Challenge Model part you have to try to make the bouquets your clients order. There are various levels in this game. In this store you can find the most beautiful flowers and you can make wonderful bouquets. In the Free Model part of the game you can create your own bouquets. In the Challenge Model part you have to try to make the bouquets your clients order. There are various levels in this game.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Praying Girl, Stick Figure Penalty : Chamber 2
Game Info - Looks like the cute girl is off to church, can you dress her for her Sunday adventure?
Game controls - Use mouse to drag the items into the girl.
Game Info - The most anticipated sequel of stickman's greatest torture is here! The chamber is now filled with more ways to end up the so-called lif
Game controls - Mouse - To interact.
Game controls - Use mouse to drag the items into the girl.
Game Info - The most anticipated sequel of stickman's greatest torture is here! The chamber is now filled with more ways to end up the so-called lif
Game controls - Mouse - To interact.
Bee Boxing, Tessa's Cake
Game Info - In this game you
take on a tribe of purple bees who are after your territory. Destroy
their hive, and claim back your land, it belongs to you!
Take charge as the commander bee and order your little army to bash into the opponents hive to bring it down.
Your troops will lose fatique and health when attacking, so give them some rest when they need it.
You can block the opponent's attack by using your shield. This will also cause damage to their troops.
Game controls - The game is completely mouse controlled. Aim at your opponent's hive and hold down the mouse button to launch an attack. Hold down your mouse button while moving backwards to use your shield. This will inflict damage to your opponent's , and will block their attack. Remember to allow your troops time to heal from their wounds.
Game comments:
Game Info - This is a part of the Tessa series. Tessa has a beautiful kitchen in her home and she loves to cook and bake for her friends. Today she asked all her friends to come to her house and taste all kinds of different cakes. Tessa's friends like to come and they ask Tessa to make special cakes for them. Can you help Tessa to serve her friends all the cakes they want? In this game we also have a free to play part. In this part it is your turn to make lots of different cakes. You can make them just the way you like it.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Take charge as the commander bee and order your little army to bash into the opponents hive to bring it down.
Your troops will lose fatique and health when attacking, so give them some rest when they need it.
You can block the opponent's attack by using your shield. This will also cause damage to their troops.
Game controls - The game is completely mouse controlled. Aim at your opponent's hive and hold down the mouse button to launch an attack. Hold down your mouse button while moving backwards to use your shield. This will inflict damage to your opponent's , and will block their attack. Remember to allow your troops time to heal from their wounds.
Game comments:
Game Info - This is a part of the Tessa series. Tessa has a beautiful kitchen in her home and she loves to cook and bake for her friends. Today she asked all her friends to come to her house and taste all kinds of different cakes. Tessa's friends like to come and they ask Tessa to make special cakes for them. Can you help Tessa to serve her friends all the cakes they want? In this game we also have a free to play part. In this part it is your turn to make lots of different cakes. You can make them just the way you like it.
Game controls - This game is played with mouse only.
Chủ Nhật, 15 tháng 7, 2012
Moto X
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Welcome to your motocross playground...time to trick out!How to Play:
Up/Down = Accelerate/BrakePress the arrows in the air to perform simple tricks.
Hold the Spacebar while pressing arrows in the air to perform advanced tricks.
When approaching a ramp, hold Space to charge, and release at the top to perform a back flip. (Use the up and down arrows to control your rotation.)
Link tricks to multiply your score.
Land on the downslope of the ramp to score double.
Between runs, use the credits you've earned to buy upgrades.
Atom Heart
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What's even more awesome than stunt riding? Zombie-killing stunt riding.How to Play:
Up/Down = MoveLeft/Right = Tilt
Space = Tesla Blaster
P = Pause
S = Sound
Collect energy cocoons to charge the Tesla Blaster. Use the Tesla Blaster to destroy the zombies.
Trials Dynamite Tumble Stunt Champ
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Do some motor-driver damage for more points!How to Play:
Up/Down arrows = Accelerate/BrakeLeft/Right arrows = Lean back/forward
Arrow keys = Nudge driver when out of vehicle
Spacebar = Driver jumps out of vehicle
You have three runs to deal lots of damage to the driver. Dynamite will automatically explode when driver is near. More air time = more damage.
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Are you a mere biker, or are you a Stunt Champ?How to Play:
Up/Down = Accelerate/BrakeLeft/Right = Lean
W,E,R,A,S,D = Stunts
P = Pause
Bike Master
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Another one bites the dust!How to Play:
Left/Right = Lean Forward/BackwardUp/Down = Accelerate/Reverse
Enter = Turn Around
Nuclear Bike Construction Yard Bike
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Pull off some sweet stunts and you'll be the bomb!How to Play:
Up/Down = Forward/ReverseLeft/Right = Lean back/forward on bike
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The turmoil of construction is the perfect playground for stunt-bike action!How to Play:
Up/Down = Drive/Back UpLeft/Right = Balance
Enter = Change Direction
Dirt Bike 4
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The toughest dirt biker can take on any obstacle. Are you game?How to Play:
Up/Down = Move forward/backwardLeft/Right = Lean forward/backward on bike
Make it through these crazy terrains in the shortest time possible without crashing!
Beach Bike
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Fat tires, lots of vert, and plenty of horsepower: this uphill racing game is coast-to-coast coolness.How to Play:
Finish the level without wiping out too much.Up/Down = Forward/Backward
Left/Right = Balance Left/Right
Enter/Return = Change Direction
Moto Jump
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Can you pull off the ultimate motorcycle distance jump?How to Play:
Up = AccelerateSpacebar = Shift up gear
Ctrl = Shift down gear
Left/Right = Bike angle in air
Over 6 rounds, gradually increase your distance until you can jump an entire football field.
Missing one = starting over
Military Rush
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What can the military offer you? The most explosive stunt riding on the planet!How to Play:
Up/Down = Drive/Back UpLeft/Right = Tilt
P = Pause
M = Mute
Drive into all of the explosives to set them off, make it to the end of the course, and don't fall off your ride.
Mo is Bike
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Choose your speed and jump over the obstacles to score points.How to Play:
Left mouse button = click the arrows on the screen to perform an actionThứ Tư, 11 tháng 7, 2012
Moto Rush
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Get ready for a rush of action: in this game, your driving is as important as your shooting!How to Play:
Mouse = Drive & FireRace to the end of each level, picking up power-ups to help you and destroying as many enemies as possible. Don't get knocked off your bike.
Risky Whiskey
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This contraband hooch is going fast...and you're taking it there.How to Play:
Arrows = DriveChoose one of the 3 paths, and make it to the end before time runs out without breaking all the bottles in your case. If you drop the case, drive back over it to pick it up again.
Drag Racer 2
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Buy a car, test it, and take part in the race!How to Play:
Spacebar = gas/release to let in the clutch Arrow key up = gear up Arrow key down = gear down N = nitrous oxideStreet Racer
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Choose your car, be the fastest, and win the race.How to Play:
Arrow key up = accelerate Arrow key down = slow down Arrow key left = turn left Arrow key right = turn right Spacebar = handbrake Ctrl = change view Shift = nitro P = pause Z = toggle soundSuper 21
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Get the highest score without exceeding 21!How to Play:
Use your mouse to click on + or - to place your bet. Then click on Deal to be dealt some cards. If you're happy with your cards click on Stand, if you want to be dealt another card click on Hit.Thứ Sáu, 22 tháng 6, 2012
Hive Hero
When all of the defense walls have been conquered you are the only
one standing in the way of the wasps. Save your bee hive from the
terrifying attacking wasps!
Hip-Hop Debate
Bush and Kerry battle hip-hop style. Place your vote in the biggest
election poll ever taken. Once you've seen all their moves vote for your
favorite candidate.
Thứ Hai, 11 tháng 6, 2012
Battlefield Arena
Mô tả game: Create factories & buildings to produce units. When your forces are large enough, attack the enemy.
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to play the game. See inside the game for further instructions.
Điều khiển game: Use mouse to play the game. See inside the game for further instructions.
Freaky Cows Gold Mania
Mô tả game: The freaky
cows are back with more cattle, clovers and.. a yellow submarine! It
doesn't make a whole lot of sense but sure is a lot of fun. With over 12
million views the game Freaky Cows deserved the long awaiting sequel
with 25 fresh new and exciting levels for you to explore.
Điều khiển game: Mouse key cursor to aim and press on left mouse button to launch a cow. It is important to catch the cows with your yellow submarine, don't let them drawn!
Điều khiển game: Mouse key cursor to aim and press on left mouse button to launch a cow. It is important to catch the cows with your yellow submarine, don't let them drawn!
Kicking Zombie Heads
Mô tả game: The Grim
Reaper has stolen the zombies bodies, your duty is recover the bodies,
to achive this you must pass all the protection levels created by the
mummies and the Grim Reaper.
Điều khiển game: This game is played by mouse only.
Điều khiển game: This game is played by mouse only.
Blackbeards Assault
Mô tả game: Shoot the balls with other similarly colored balls to make them disappear before they reach the end.
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.
Spotfinder - The Doctors
Mô tả game: Spot the
differences in all of “Doctor Who” doctor’s images. You have a limited
amount of time but five jokers to complete the game.
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.
Modern Car Room Escape
Mô tả game: Modern Car
Room Escape is another new point and click room escape game from
games2rule.com. You are trapped inside in a modern car room. The door of
the room is locked. You want to escape from there by finding useful
object, and hints. Find the right way to escape from the Modern Car
Room. Have a fun game play.
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.
Điều khiển game: This game is played with mouse only.
Thứ Hai, 28 tháng 5, 2012
Shopaholic : New York
Mô tả game: Nobody knows the streets of New York like a shopaholic!
Điều khiển game: Mouse to interact.
Điều khiển game: Mouse to interact.
Billiard SIngle Player
Mô tả game: Pocket as many balls before time runs out in 8 ball billiards. New rack of 14 balls given when you pocket all balls.
Điều khiển game: This game is play by mouse only.
Điều khiển game: This game is play by mouse only.
Super Defence Game
Mô tả game: War has begun in Space. Enemy ships
attacked the Space Station, It is extremely hard job to protect the
Station from enemies. Armies are determined to fight back. Super Shooter
has come to bring back the glory for diffender, by doing devastating
destruction in battlefield. Experience the epic nature of war by using
deadly weapons and its excellent upgrades. Declare war with Super
Shooter and watch the devastating magic.
Điều khiển game: This game is played by mouse only.
Điều khiển game: This game is played by mouse only.
Office Slacking 5
Mô tả game: Help Sarah completely waste her day at work! Give her a makeover and send some emails, but don't get caught!
Điều khiển game: Use mouse and keyboard to perform the tasks.
Điều khiển game: Use mouse and keyboard to perform the tasks.
Thứ Ba, 6 tháng 3, 2012
Feed your Linsanity with this flash game -- it's a slam dunk every time
And we mean that both literally and figuratively. Gonzo Games has created a Jeremy Lin flash game where you get to play as Lin, as he tries to shoot as many baskets as possible within 60 seconds. Since Lin's got perfect aim, your job is to decide when he shoots and to maneuver him around the court for power-ups (score multipliers; time extension) and avoiding trick ups: Kaboom! (subtracts 10 points off your score) and Troll Face (knocks you back down to earning 1 point per shot). The highest score so far is over 200. Think you can do better? Click here or scroll down to play "Linsanity" below!
Have you been swept up by Linsanity yet? What's your highest score in this game?
Have you been swept up by Linsanity yet? What's your highest score in this game?
Blackwood & Bell Mysteries on Facebook puts a magnifier on story
Playdom helped jump start the hidden-object genre on Facebook, and now it looks to keep it rolling. The Disney-owned developer announced Blackwood & Bell Mysteries on Facebook, its next seek-and-find game on the platform set to launch on Feb. 22. Blackwood & Bell aims to evolve the hidden-object genre by injecting more story into the play with a "darker Victorian mood," according to Playdom.
The game follows two detectives in that era, James Blackwood and Catherine Bell, as they team up to solve various mysteries and wicked crimes. (The former is British while the latter is American, which we imagine will somehow play into the story.) Across four chapters initially, players will piece together the objects they find and recreate the scenes of the crimes in their evidence yard, which looks similar to to property management hook in Gardens of Time.
Players will venture deep into abandoned ghost ships and haunted Victorian mansions to--what else?--find hidden objects. But with features like an evidence yard, we imagine players will use said objects as clues to solve the crimes at hand. Like games in the genre before it, players can send challenges to one another. But Playdom claims to offer a wide variety of play modes in the Headquarters tab of Blackwood & Bell.
Blackwood & Bell on Facebook
Zynga's recently echoed the hidden-object trend on Facebook with Hidden Chronicles, which is now the third most popular game on the network. That said, it's tough not to see Blackwood & Bell as Playdom and Disney's attempt to reinstate its position as top hidden-object game developer on Facebook. See for yourself whether that's the case starting Feb. 22.
Click here to play Blackwood & Bell Mysteries on Facebook Now >
Are you psyched for another hidden-object game from Playdom? Do you think this could help Playdom reclaim the top spot in the genre on Facebook?
The game follows two detectives in that era, James Blackwood and Catherine Bell, as they team up to solve various mysteries and wicked crimes. (The former is British while the latter is American, which we imagine will somehow play into the story.) Across four chapters initially, players will piece together the objects they find and recreate the scenes of the crimes in their evidence yard, which looks similar to to property management hook in Gardens of Time.
Players will venture deep into abandoned ghost ships and haunted Victorian mansions to--what else?--find hidden objects. But with features like an evidence yard, we imagine players will use said objects as clues to solve the crimes at hand. Like games in the genre before it, players can send challenges to one another. But Playdom claims to offer a wide variety of play modes in the Headquarters tab of Blackwood & Bell.
Blackwood & Bell on Facebook
Zynga's recently echoed the hidden-object trend on Facebook with Hidden Chronicles, which is now the third most popular game on the network. That said, it's tough not to see Blackwood & Bell as Playdom and Disney's attempt to reinstate its position as top hidden-object game developer on Facebook. See for yourself whether that's the case starting Feb. 22.
Click here to play Blackwood & Bell Mysteries on Facebook Now >
Are you psyched for another hidden-object game from Playdom? Do you think this could help Playdom reclaim the top spot in the genre on Facebook?
Poll: How do you pay up for your favorite social and casual games?
Credit cards
Paying for games or for goodies within games using plastic isn't so popular anymore. (Well, at least personal plastic.) A study by research firm NewZoo found that consumers paying up for games with credit cards fell to 20 percent last year. In 2010, 26 percent of gamers used a credit card to pay for new games. MCV reports that the amount spent on prepaid cards, at least in the UK, had jumped from £90m in 2010 to £125m in 2011.
And Ukash, a prepaid card specialist, came to a similar conclusion. The prepayment provider found that nine out of 10 of its customers preferred cash alternatives over credit when buying things. While you'd expect the customers of such a service to prefer that method, it does raise an interesting question: Just how do you pay for your games and in-game content (i.e. virtual goods, like energy or power-ups)?
You'd think that more gamers would use credit cards, the easier and near-frictionless alternative to hitting up the local game store every once in a while to pick up some Facebook Credits or what have you. Then again, increasing concerns of privacy and security could be reason enough to avoid credit cards online as much as possible, So, we ask you:
How do you pay up for social & casual games?
It depends on the game, really.I use prepaid cards only for security reasons.I use a credit card. It's too easy not to!I don't have a credit card, so prepaid for me.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
[Via IndustryGamers]
Have something unique to add to the discussion?
Paying for games or for goodies within games using plastic isn't so popular anymore. (Well, at least personal plastic.) A study by research firm NewZoo found that consumers paying up for games with credit cards fell to 20 percent last year. In 2010, 26 percent of gamers used a credit card to pay for new games. MCV reports that the amount spent on prepaid cards, at least in the UK, had jumped from £90m in 2010 to £125m in 2011.
And Ukash, a prepaid card specialist, came to a similar conclusion. The prepayment provider found that nine out of 10 of its customers preferred cash alternatives over credit when buying things. While you'd expect the customers of such a service to prefer that method, it does raise an interesting question: Just how do you pay for your games and in-game content (i.e. virtual goods, like energy or power-ups)?
You'd think that more gamers would use credit cards, the easier and near-frictionless alternative to hitting up the local game store every once in a while to pick up some Facebook Credits or what have you. Then again, increasing concerns of privacy and security could be reason enough to avoid credit cards online as much as possible, So, we ask you:
How do you pay up for social & casual games?
It depends on the game, really.I use prepaid cards only for security reasons.I use a credit card. It's too easy not to!I don't have a credit card, so prepaid for me.
VoteView ResultsShare ThisPolldaddy.com
[Via IndustryGamers]
Have something unique to add to the discussion?
The Sims Social survey ponders Madmen, Gothic, Circus themes et al
Want to know what's coming in The Sims Social? Well, you can't. What you can do, however, is help decide where the game goes with future themes. Playfish recently released a survey on its Facebook fan page asking players to chime in on what should come to the game next. And boy, is Playfish thinking up some goofy stuff way across the pond.
The survey describes potential themes to hit The Sims Social with a general name for each and five bullet points detailing specifics of the theme. Players are asked whether they think "not interested," "there's potential" or "LOVE!" (Their emphasis, not ours.) For instance, the "Fantasy" theme would be a "fairy tale twist on the middle ages" with knights in shining armor and unicorns. But sadly, no dragons were mentioned.
The rest of the survey covers themes like "Madmen", "Spa", "Pop Stars" and more. These surveys aren't uncommon in social games, and almost always result in at least one of the items mentioned becoming a reality in-game. So, it might be worth your time to have a say in what hits The Sims Social next. (Unfortunately, there was no mention of neither "Cars" nor "Careers".) To take this survey while it's hot, click right here or you can dig through the Facebook fan page.
Did you participate in the survey? What themes would you like to see come to The Sims Social next?
The survey describes potential themes to hit The Sims Social with a general name for each and five bullet points detailing specifics of the theme. Players are asked whether they think "not interested," "there's potential" or "LOVE!" (Their emphasis, not ours.) For instance, the "Fantasy" theme would be a "fairy tale twist on the middle ages" with knights in shining armor and unicorns. But sadly, no dragons were mentioned.
The rest of the survey covers themes like "Madmen", "Spa", "Pop Stars" and more. These surveys aren't uncommon in social games, and almost always result in at least one of the items mentioned becoming a reality in-game. So, it might be worth your time to have a say in what hits The Sims Social next. (Unfortunately, there was no mention of neither "Cars" nor "Careers".) To take this survey while it's hot, click right here or you can dig through the Facebook fan page.
Did you participate in the survey? What themes would you like to see come to The Sims Social next?
Pirates: Tides of Fortune drags its anchor onto Facebook's shores
Following its exclusive 30-day launch on Google+ Games, the Israeli-based developer Plarium has unleashed Pirates: Tides of Fortune onto Facebook. Out of Plarium's reportedly 12 million monthly active users, 3 million of those play Pirates on Vkontke, making it the number one game in Russia's largest social network site. Since the Google+ launch, Plarium claims the game's player count is now at 5 million.
Pirates: Tides of Fortune
Available in English (not counting the "Pirate English" option), French, German, Spanish, and Russian, Plarium's game is hailed for its use of voice acting. But the only character you'll be hearing is Pirate Queen Anne O'Malley, whose sole, smothering picture is plastered on every mission notice. This isn't to say the rest of the game isn't pretty. Pirates: Tides of Fortune is a high quality package through and through. But the gameplay is as slow as a galleon weighed down with gold.
Maybe I'm just not used to social strategy games, but here's what we're dealing with: The tutorial mission tasks seem neverending. Buildings can only be built one at a time. Tasks require a combination of several resources -- primarily rum, wood, and gold -- which are dished out at different rates. If you want to send resources to someone, then it'll take you at least a minute. If you want to raid someone, then it'll take you five minutes. Another disappointment is that you won't get to see an attack. All you'll get in the end is a notice of whether you've won or lost. Kixeye's Backyard Monsters, this ain't.
Pirates: Tides of Fortune
The game seems to enjoy making things take forever. For example, nearly every little action in the game can be rushed or "boosted" with Rubies, the game's regular currency, which you can buy with Facebook credits. I can understand social strategy games being large and complex. But the amount of complexity in Plarium's game feels cumbersome and there's a mighty learning curve for the average Facebook gamer.
Click here to play Pirates: Tides of Fortune on Facebook now >
Think I'm too hard on Pirates: Tides of Fortune? Have you played it yourself?
Pirates: Tides of Fortune
Available in English (not counting the "Pirate English" option), French, German, Spanish, and Russian, Plarium's game is hailed for its use of voice acting. But the only character you'll be hearing is Pirate Queen Anne O'Malley, whose sole, smothering picture is plastered on every mission notice. This isn't to say the rest of the game isn't pretty. Pirates: Tides of Fortune is a high quality package through and through. But the gameplay is as slow as a galleon weighed down with gold.
Maybe I'm just not used to social strategy games, but here's what we're dealing with: The tutorial mission tasks seem neverending. Buildings can only be built one at a time. Tasks require a combination of several resources -- primarily rum, wood, and gold -- which are dished out at different rates. If you want to send resources to someone, then it'll take you at least a minute. If you want to raid someone, then it'll take you five minutes. Another disappointment is that you won't get to see an attack. All you'll get in the end is a notice of whether you've won or lost. Kixeye's Backyard Monsters, this ain't.
Pirates: Tides of Fortune
The game seems to enjoy making things take forever. For example, nearly every little action in the game can be rushed or "boosted" with Rubies, the game's regular currency, which you can buy with Facebook credits. I can understand social strategy games being large and complex. But the amount of complexity in Plarium's game feels cumbersome and there's a mighty learning curve for the average Facebook gamer.
Click here to play Pirates: Tides of Fortune on Facebook now >
Think I'm too hard on Pirates: Tides of Fortune? Have you played it yourself?
Pioneer Trail Fanny's Baby Shower: Everything you need to know
With Fanny and Hank getting ready to have a child in Pioneer Trail, Bess has taken it upon herself to volunteer you into helping her plan a surprise Baby Shower for the new mom-to-be. This comes via the Fanny's Baby Shower event, which has four goals for your to complete. You'll earn themed rewards along the way, so let's get started!
Scrubbin' for a Shower
Craft or Have 4 Baby Booties
Clear 12 Skulls
Send Invites for the Baby Shower
The Baby Booties are crafted using Knitting Wool and Tiny Bows (ask friends for those). As for the Invites system, this is a goal within a goal, asking you to collect a series of ingredients just as you would if you were constructing a building. In this particular case, you'll need to collect six Baby Shower Invites and four Well Wishes, along with crafting both a Party Favor and Teddy Bear in order to finish off the "Send Cute Invitations" task. When you finish this goal, you'll receive 250 XP, 250 coins and two Hazelnut Trees.
Bakin' and Decoratin'
Craft or Have 120 Choco-Nut Squash
Sell 30 Fully Grown White Peach Trees
Do the Party Prep for Baby Shower
Again, this Party Prep task requires a slew of materials and crafting projects to complete, as you can see below. As you go along, these steps become more complex (and therefore more time consuming), but you'll need to do it all to plan the perfect baby shower for Fanny. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 500 XP, 500 coins and a Baby Shower Flower Crate.
Party Time
Craft 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies
Harvest 50 Flax
Organize a Party Game at the Shower
When you complete this goal, you'll receive 750 XP, 750 coins and a Baby Shower Animal Crate.
Showered with Gifts
Craft or Have 5 Bouquets of Roses
Sell 20 Adult Loverly Cows
Give Fanny her Gifts
For finishing this final goal, you'll receive 1,000 XP, 1,000 coins and a Sheep in a Cradle.
On top of these specific goal rewards, you'll also receive more rewards in the overall Fanny's Baby Shower menu: a Pink Dogwood, Black Puppy, Tabby Kitten and Brown Bear Cub. Just make sure you complete these goals sooner, rather than later, in case Zynga removes them to make room for the new baby itself in the game!
[Via and Image Credit: Zynga]
What do you think of these Baby Shower goals?
Scrubbin' for a Shower
Craft or Have 4 Baby Booties
Clear 12 Skulls
Send Invites for the Baby Shower
The Baby Booties are crafted using Knitting Wool and Tiny Bows (ask friends for those). As for the Invites system, this is a goal within a goal, asking you to collect a series of ingredients just as you would if you were constructing a building. In this particular case, you'll need to collect six Baby Shower Invites and four Well Wishes, along with crafting both a Party Favor and Teddy Bear in order to finish off the "Send Cute Invitations" task. When you finish this goal, you'll receive 250 XP, 250 coins and two Hazelnut Trees.
Bakin' and Decoratin'
Craft or Have 120 Choco-Nut Squash
Sell 30 Fully Grown White Peach Trees
Do the Party Prep for Baby Shower
Again, this Party Prep task requires a slew of materials and crafting projects to complete, as you can see below. As you go along, these steps become more complex (and therefore more time consuming), but you'll need to do it all to plan the perfect baby shower for Fanny. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 500 XP, 500 coins and a Baby Shower Flower Crate.
Party Time
Craft 4 Chocolate Chip Cookies
Harvest 50 Flax
Organize a Party Game at the Shower
When you complete this goal, you'll receive 750 XP, 750 coins and a Baby Shower Animal Crate.
Showered with Gifts
Craft or Have 5 Bouquets of Roses
Sell 20 Adult Loverly Cows
Give Fanny her Gifts
For finishing this final goal, you'll receive 1,000 XP, 1,000 coins and a Sheep in a Cradle.
On top of these specific goal rewards, you'll also receive more rewards in the overall Fanny's Baby Shower menu: a Pink Dogwood, Black Puppy, Tabby Kitten and Brown Bear Cub. Just make sure you complete these goals sooner, rather than later, in case Zynga removes them to make room for the new baby itself in the game!
[Via and Image Credit: Zynga]
What do you think of these Baby Shower goals?
Adventure World: Finish Emily's Zoology Tent for free!
In January, Adventure World's Emily received her very own tent for your Base Camp: Emily's Zoology Tent. As a refresher, this Tent, when finished, gives you the ability to collect animals from Expeditions that you play in the future. However, it required quite a few building materials to finish. Formerly, you would need to play through the Scientific Survey maps / Expeditions to claim these items, but now, Zynga has removed all of the requirements, if you've still yet to finish it off.
To be specific, if you've yet to complete Emily's Zoology Tent, you can now login to your Base Camp to see a pop-up letting you know you can finish it for free. Sure enough, clicking on the pop-up allows you to click on "Finish Upgrade" to complete Emily's Zoology Tent automatically. You can then use the Tent as you would if you had built the structure from scratch, clicking on "Find on Map" to go to maps that contain certain animals, or clicking on "Place" to place any animals you've found onto your Base Camp, where they can then be fed (using feed you'll still need to find on maps).
While this isn't the best building that could have been automatically completed (why couldn't we have a new tool shop upgrade instead?), it is nice to have one item taken off of our plates with all of the other features the game currently contains. We'll make sure to let you know if additional buildings are given automatic completion in Adventure World, so keep checking back with us!
Had you already finished Emily's Zoology Tent, or will you take advantage of this opportunity to finish it for free?
Thứ Bảy, 3 tháng 3, 2012
The Godfather: Five Families on Facebook puts friendly ties to the test
The word "family" implies a lot to the average American: love, togetherness, mutual respect and support ... in-laws. But for folks, you know, in the mob, that same word holds an entirely different meaning. Soon enough, we Facebook gamers will know what "family" means all too well, and that lovey-dovey stuff isn't part of the equation. Kabam, creator most recently of sci-fi-themed strategy Facebook (and Google+) game Edgeworld, has announced The Godfather: Five Families for Facebook.
Thanks to a partnership with Paramount Digital Entertainment, the developer will pay homage to the Academy Award-winning film trilogy in the only way it knows: intense, constant competition. (And, in this case, tested friendships.) The Godfather: Five Families throws players into the Prohibition Era of our fine nation's history with the initial choice to join one of five families--just like in the movies--and vie to become the dominant family in New York.
Five Families concept art
Based on an early look at Five Families, thanks to Kabam GM Lawrence Koh and VP of Brand Marketing and Communications Ted Simon, these families look to act much like factions in previous strategy games by the developer. However, the ties that bind your family together haven't been done with the best knots, but more on that later.
When it comes to combat, the developer's old fondness for sprawling battle scenes filled with clashing swords and searing spells will give way to smaller, more meaningful conflicts and focused rivalries between families. Of course, resources like cash, food and building materials and will be at the heart of your combat operations. But even more important is your muscle, which at launch will span 10 far more down-to-earth units like Hitmen, Arsonists and Tommy Gunners.
Gallery: The Godfather: Five Families on Facebook
While--like in most Kabam games--players will have to defend their own territory known as Estates, combat will be provoked in more inventive ways in Five Families. As friends come to each others' defense in the wee hours of the morning, neutral areas known as Landmarks with rich, attractive resource bonuses will lure players into cross-family skirmishes over control. These battles over familiar locales like the Empire State Building and Times Square will quickly become ongoing struggles.
While these bloody games of King of Hill rage on, players will have that Estate to worry about. Estates will serve as the home base for all of your operations from recruiting new units to gathering resources and interacting with your family. We imagine that, like other Kabam games, you will be given a grace period to build their defense before you become a fair target. So, unless you want to be open to attack from the 70,000 players per server (a figure Kabam revealed to us), we suggest you pimp out your Estate.
And fast. As your Estate progresses, thanks to upgrades, its appearance will change and improve. Not only will this slowly increase your cred within your own family, but give you a sense of your power increasing. (Check out the nifty, interactive slider above to see how a Level 10 Estate looks compared to a Level 1 Estate.) But that's far from the only thing that will change as you progress through Five Families.
Remember this well: There can only be one "Don" ... per family. This position of power--much like the King in CivWorld--holds far more weight than you might think. While it's specific benefits weren't revealed just yet, what was is the fact that this will be a highly coveted goal for members of the same family, which will inevitably lead to tension and eventually conflict within families. Five Families will cause players to question their social connections, which speaks volumes to how ambitious this project looks thus far.
Five Families concept art victory
But you will see evidence of that almost immediately through the engrossing, scene-setting concept art littered throughout the game. When you win a battle, you'll be greeted by a dramatic scene of a mobster plodding through the streets of New York on a damp night, bodies laying motionless on the curb behind him as he totes a tommy gun. And this is just one of many vivid pieces you will come across in Five Families.
The Godfather: Five Families, with its focus on faction-based combat and intense inter-familial conflicts, looks to be Kabam's most socially inventive strategy game yet. While we were told that a heavier focus would be on combat in this game, we weren't shown enough of it to give impressions just yet. But if you want to see the combat firsthand, Kabam is now accepting registrations for a closed beta test of the game set to launch within the next several weeks.
Click here to sign up for The Godfather: Five Families Closed Beta Test Now >
Are you psyched about a Godfather game coming to Facebook? How well do you think the game will represent the films in its social strategy combat format?
Thanks to a partnership with Paramount Digital Entertainment, the developer will pay homage to the Academy Award-winning film trilogy in the only way it knows: intense, constant competition. (And, in this case, tested friendships.) The Godfather: Five Families throws players into the Prohibition Era of our fine nation's history with the initial choice to join one of five families--just like in the movies--and vie to become the dominant family in New York.
Five Families concept art
Based on an early look at Five Families, thanks to Kabam GM Lawrence Koh and VP of Brand Marketing and Communications Ted Simon, these families look to act much like factions in previous strategy games by the developer. However, the ties that bind your family together haven't been done with the best knots, but more on that later.
When it comes to combat, the developer's old fondness for sprawling battle scenes filled with clashing swords and searing spells will give way to smaller, more meaningful conflicts and focused rivalries between families. Of course, resources like cash, food and building materials and will be at the heart of your combat operations. But even more important is your muscle, which at launch will span 10 far more down-to-earth units like Hitmen, Arsonists and Tommy Gunners.
Gallery: The Godfather: Five Families on Facebook
While--like in most Kabam games--players will have to defend their own territory known as Estates, combat will be provoked in more inventive ways in Five Families. As friends come to each others' defense in the wee hours of the morning, neutral areas known as Landmarks with rich, attractive resource bonuses will lure players into cross-family skirmishes over control. These battles over familiar locales like the Empire State Building and Times Square will quickly become ongoing struggles.
While these bloody games of King of Hill rage on, players will have that Estate to worry about. Estates will serve as the home base for all of your operations from recruiting new units to gathering resources and interacting with your family. We imagine that, like other Kabam games, you will be given a grace period to build their defense before you become a fair target. So, unless you want to be open to attack from the 70,000 players per server (a figure Kabam revealed to us), we suggest you pimp out your Estate.
And fast. As your Estate progresses, thanks to upgrades, its appearance will change and improve. Not only will this slowly increase your cred within your own family, but give you a sense of your power increasing. (Check out the nifty, interactive slider above to see how a Level 10 Estate looks compared to a Level 1 Estate.) But that's far from the only thing that will change as you progress through Five Families.
Remember this well: There can only be one "Don" ... per family. This position of power--much like the King in CivWorld--holds far more weight than you might think. While it's specific benefits weren't revealed just yet, what was is the fact that this will be a highly coveted goal for members of the same family, which will inevitably lead to tension and eventually conflict within families. Five Families will cause players to question their social connections, which speaks volumes to how ambitious this project looks thus far.
Five Families concept art victory
But you will see evidence of that almost immediately through the engrossing, scene-setting concept art littered throughout the game. When you win a battle, you'll be greeted by a dramatic scene of a mobster plodding through the streets of New York on a damp night, bodies laying motionless on the curb behind him as he totes a tommy gun. And this is just one of many vivid pieces you will come across in Five Families.
The Godfather: Five Families, with its focus on faction-based combat and intense inter-familial conflicts, looks to be Kabam's most socially inventive strategy game yet. While we were told that a heavier focus would be on combat in this game, we weren't shown enough of it to give impressions just yet. But if you want to see the combat firsthand, Kabam is now accepting registrations for a closed beta test of the game set to launch within the next several weeks.
Click here to sign up for The Godfather: Five Families Closed Beta Test Now >
Are you psyched about a Godfather game coming to Facebook? How well do you think the game will represent the films in its social strategy combat format?
Over 55 percent of gamers play to socialize, meet people, study finds
Facebook games grew into a worldwide phenomenon for something, right (and not just the dollars)? "The Future of Gaming," a study by media research consultancy Latitude, says that 56 percent of gamers today play to socialize and meet new people. The most common reason, of course, was "enjoyment" at 95 percent. Latitude surveyed 290 smartphone owners who identified themselves at least as casual gamers.
The survey goes on to find that, of these 290 folks, 84 percent use social media several times a week--you do the math. (But remember kids, correlation does not equal causation.) Of course, however, the majority of people surveyed listed smartphones as their preferred gaming platform at 81 percent, with home consoles tailing closely at 80 percent.
Even more interesting is what Latitude found regarding what players want from their social games. (In this case, we're broadly speaking to not just Facebook games, but all games that feature social interaction.) More than half of gamers want to see games better connect people in new ways. Perhaps some of these participants were referring to the supposed lack of social interaction in Facebook and other social games.
Finally, a whopping 96 percent of gamers told Latitude that they'd like to see more games that help players make a positive change in the world, if executed correctly. So far, Facebook game developers are still working on that execution part.
The bottom line here is that, regardless of whether they're played on social networks or at social gatherings, gamers want their games to be more social. Games like The Sims Social by EA are already working to finally earn that moniker, and there can only be more where that came from.
Do you, too, look for social interactions in your games more than other things? How do you think social games will improve these connections in the future?
The survey goes on to find that, of these 290 folks, 84 percent use social media several times a week--you do the math. (But remember kids, correlation does not equal causation.) Of course, however, the majority of people surveyed listed smartphones as their preferred gaming platform at 81 percent, with home consoles tailing closely at 80 percent.
Even more interesting is what Latitude found regarding what players want from their social games. (In this case, we're broadly speaking to not just Facebook games, but all games that feature social interaction.) More than half of gamers want to see games better connect people in new ways. Perhaps some of these participants were referring to the supposed lack of social interaction in Facebook and other social games.
Finally, a whopping 96 percent of gamers told Latitude that they'd like to see more games that help players make a positive change in the world, if executed correctly. So far, Facebook game developers are still working on that execution part.
The bottom line here is that, regardless of whether they're played on social networks or at social gatherings, gamers want their games to be more social. Games like The Sims Social by EA are already working to finally earn that moniker, and there can only be more where that came from.
Do you, too, look for social interactions in your games more than other things? How do you think social games will improve these connections in the future?
Wooga CEO: 'I don't think the 30 percent Facebook share is an issue'
Well, I guess neither do the legions of iOS game makers. Jens Begemann, CEO of Berlin-based Diamond Dash creator Wooga, defended Facebook's 30 percent cut it takes from Facebook Credits in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz. The chief of the fourth largest social games company on Facebook outright said that he doesn't think the 30 percent is an issue. (The company just released yet another Facebook game, Magic Land, with plans for mobile expansion.)
"The whole Facebook platform is free, you've got tons of communication channels, you've got lots of viral communication to users, it's an amazing platform and you have traffic that's worth millions of dollars, and you get all of that for free," Begemann told GamesIndustry.biz. "And only when you're successful do you pay your 30 per cent revenue share. So it's fair."
Wooga helped boost the recent launch of Google+ Games with ports of three of its biggest games: Bubble Island, Monster World and Diamond Dash. Begemann went on to say that Wooga's presence on Google+ Games, which currently only charges game developers 5 percent of revenues from purchased in-game goods, is not mutually exclusive. "But we remain very very committed to Facebook," he said. "We will not slow down there."
The Wooga chief had a much more ... diplomatic approach to the Facebook vs Google+ Games debate than, say, Sean Ryan of Facebook recently. The head of games partnerships at the dominant social network said, "Google is at 5% because they don't have any users," to Fortune. While that might be (a heavily exaggerated) truth, what happens when even more game creators are lured in by the tiny number?
Do you think Wooga is right in its defense of Facebook? Does Google have a chance of competing with Facebook even after its discounted revenue cut dries up?
"The whole Facebook platform is free, you've got tons of communication channels, you've got lots of viral communication to users, it's an amazing platform and you have traffic that's worth millions of dollars, and you get all of that for free," Begemann told GamesIndustry.biz. "And only when you're successful do you pay your 30 per cent revenue share. So it's fair."
Wooga helped boost the recent launch of Google+ Games with ports of three of its biggest games: Bubble Island, Monster World and Diamond Dash. Begemann went on to say that Wooga's presence on Google+ Games, which currently only charges game developers 5 percent of revenues from purchased in-game goods, is not mutually exclusive. "But we remain very very committed to Facebook," he said. "We will not slow down there."
The Wooga chief had a much more ... diplomatic approach to the Facebook vs Google+ Games debate than, say, Sean Ryan of Facebook recently. The head of games partnerships at the dominant social network said, "Google is at 5% because they don't have any users," to Fortune. While that might be (a heavily exaggerated) truth, what happens when even more game creators are lured in by the tiny number?
Do you think Wooga is right in its defense of Facebook? Does Google have a chance of competing with Facebook even after its discounted revenue cut dries up?
Pokémon Trading Card Game Online inches closer to a Pokémon MMO
Come on, you know you came up with that brilliant idea years ago just like everybody else. Before we get into this incredible news, I have a confession to make. I'm a reformed Pokémon card addict--I bought hundreds of dollars worth of cards in my youth, attended tournaments and was even part of a weekly league (remember those?). Go on, commence the teasing in the comments.
So, imagine the pitch of my nerd squeal when I learned that we can now play Pokemon cards with anyone over our web browsers ... for free. The Pokémon Company just launched Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, a browser-based edition of the mega popular TCG (trading card game). But before we continue, a disclaimer: This does not mean Nintendo will get into free-to-play MMOs (massively multiplayer online games), as this is an effort by The Pokémon Company, which has a certain level of independence from Nintendo.
Pokémon TCG Online enters "open beta" today or, in other words, it has gone live and will improve as time passes (and players complain). All you need to do is sign up for an account with The Pokémon Company, choose your deck of cards from a selection of pre-made decks and start dueling. Of course, there are plenty of interactive tutorials for the uninformed, and advanced players will be able to build their own decks.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Online
According to Kotaku, the launch of this game coincides with the most recent release of physical Pokémon cards, Pokémon TCG: Black & White Emerging Powers, which come in packs stuffed with codes to redeem special cards in the browser game. (Whoever thought this whole thing up deserves a vacation, a raise and a beefy Christmas bonus.)
The game looks to emulate the experience you'd find at a convention, but with infinitely flashier Pokémon attacks presented in a smooth interface. And, better yet, you don't have to remember every single rule--the game will execute those effects as you play. Ah, the beauty of the Internet ... and Pokémon.
Click here to play Pokémon TCG Online Now >
[Source and Image Credit: Kotaku]
How excited are you that you can now play Pokémon cards from the comfort of your parents' basement? Do you think (hope and pray) that this is the next step toward a Pokémon MMO?
So, imagine the pitch of my nerd squeal when I learned that we can now play Pokemon cards with anyone over our web browsers ... for free. The Pokémon Company just launched Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, a browser-based edition of the mega popular TCG (trading card game). But before we continue, a disclaimer: This does not mean Nintendo will get into free-to-play MMOs (massively multiplayer online games), as this is an effort by The Pokémon Company, which has a certain level of independence from Nintendo.
Pokémon TCG Online enters "open beta" today or, in other words, it has gone live and will improve as time passes (and players complain). All you need to do is sign up for an account with The Pokémon Company, choose your deck of cards from a selection of pre-made decks and start dueling. Of course, there are plenty of interactive tutorials for the uninformed, and advanced players will be able to build their own decks.
Pokemon Trading Card Game Online
According to Kotaku, the launch of this game coincides with the most recent release of physical Pokémon cards, Pokémon TCG: Black & White Emerging Powers, which come in packs stuffed with codes to redeem special cards in the browser game. (Whoever thought this whole thing up deserves a vacation, a raise and a beefy Christmas bonus.)
The game looks to emulate the experience you'd find at a convention, but with infinitely flashier Pokémon attacks presented in a smooth interface. And, better yet, you don't have to remember every single rule--the game will execute those effects as you play. Ah, the beauty of the Internet ... and Pokémon.
Click here to play Pokémon TCG Online Now >
[Source and Image Credit: Kotaku]
How excited are you that you can now play Pokémon cards from the comfort of your parents' basement? Do you think (hope and pray) that this is the next step toward a Pokémon MMO?
Google axes Slide, takes many Facebook games down with it
In a bit of a scandalous move, Google has announced that many (OK, almost all) of Slide's products--including many Facebook games and applications--will be shut down over the coming months. Google purchased Slide, the company behind Superpoke!, last August for $182 million, but now, they've dropped the hammer on the company.
The reasoning? It apparently all boils down to the fact that Max Levchin, the founder and CEO of Slide, has decided to leave Slide and Google altogether. If the reasoning goes deeper than that, we've yet to see that announced.
As reported by TechCrunch, most of Slide's specific employees will stay on at Google, but all of their products, save for one, will close. In terms of Facebook applications, this includes apps like SuperPoke! (one of the original truly popular social applications), SuperPoke! Pets (the company's pet care-taking sim) and SPP Ranch!, a game that had what I would argue are some of the cutest graphics in a social game to date.
When adding in Slide's other Facebook applications, we're left with a figure of around 460,000 monthly active users, according to AppData. But that arguably low number still doesn't make this news any less of a disappointment to those who remember just how popular SuperPoke! was back in the day. It also doesn't include the users that may not have used Facebook Connect to sign up for games like SPP Ranch! and SuperPoke! Pets that are now hosted outside of Facebook proper.
Outside of the Facebook game arena, this announcement also shutters the new photo-sharing iPhone application Photovine, which launched just last week. This leaves us to believe that there might be something more cryptic to the Slide closure than Max Levchin leaving, but that we'll probably never know for sure. With the closure of of Slide, we've certainly reached the end of an era, and I, for one, will be sad to see the adorable SuperPoke! sheep go.
[Image Credit: SPP Addict]
Are you / were you a fan of any of Slide's Facebook / stand-alone games?
The reasoning? It apparently all boils down to the fact that Max Levchin, the founder and CEO of Slide, has decided to leave Slide and Google altogether. If the reasoning goes deeper than that, we've yet to see that announced.
As reported by TechCrunch, most of Slide's specific employees will stay on at Google, but all of their products, save for one, will close. In terms of Facebook applications, this includes apps like SuperPoke! (one of the original truly popular social applications), SuperPoke! Pets (the company's pet care-taking sim) and SPP Ranch!, a game that had what I would argue are some of the cutest graphics in a social game to date.
When adding in Slide's other Facebook applications, we're left with a figure of around 460,000 monthly active users, according to AppData. But that arguably low number still doesn't make this news any less of a disappointment to those who remember just how popular SuperPoke! was back in the day. It also doesn't include the users that may not have used Facebook Connect to sign up for games like SPP Ranch! and SuperPoke! Pets that are now hosted outside of Facebook proper.
Outside of the Facebook game arena, this announcement also shutters the new photo-sharing iPhone application Photovine, which launched just last week. This leaves us to believe that there might be something more cryptic to the Slide closure than Max Levchin leaving, but that we'll probably never know for sure. With the closure of of Slide, we've certainly reached the end of an era, and I, for one, will be sad to see the adorable SuperPoke! sheep go.
[Image Credit: SPP Addict]
Are you / were you a fan of any of Slide's Facebook / stand-alone games?
Watch out, Zynga: EA's The Sims Social is gaining on you ... and fast
Is that a drop of sweat we see on Zynga's brow? EA and Playfish's The Sims Social is already growing faster than one of the FarmVille creator's most popular games, The Pioneer Trail. Since its "open beta" release a little over two weeks ago, the game has amassed over 6 million daily players, according to AppData. That's 2 million more than Zynga's aforementioned expansion to FrontierVille, and less than 900,000 below the company's fourth-largest game, Empires & Allies.
At this rate, The Sims Social could surpass the mighty CityVille in daily players sometime in September, according to Mashable. While the game didn't explode as quickly as, say, E&A did during its June launch, these numbers are unprecedented for a non-Zynga game. The Sims Social's astronomical growth is even more significant considering the game suffered performance and connection issues right out of the gate, which would spell death for any other Facebook game.
But it seems EA nailed the dismount, and is now poised to turn The Sims Social into Facebook's most popular game. Leave it to a property like The Sims to threaten Zynga's Facebook throne, as no other type of Facebook game has come as close.
Gallery: The Sims Social on Facebook
However, it looks like the social game behemoth might already have a retaliation in the works, as the company recently registered a domain with the word "FamilyVille" in it. But regardless of how popular this rumored game becomes, it's still not The Sims. In the Facebook Thunderdome, two developers enter, one developer leaves.
Do you think The Sims Social poses a legitimate threat to Zynga and it's long-time rule of the Facebook games world? How do you think Zynga will respond to the threat?
At this rate, The Sims Social could surpass the mighty CityVille in daily players sometime in September, according to Mashable. While the game didn't explode as quickly as, say, E&A did during its June launch, these numbers are unprecedented for a non-Zynga game. The Sims Social's astronomical growth is even more significant considering the game suffered performance and connection issues right out of the gate, which would spell death for any other Facebook game.
But it seems EA nailed the dismount, and is now poised to turn The Sims Social into Facebook's most popular game. Leave it to a property like The Sims to threaten Zynga's Facebook throne, as no other type of Facebook game has come as close.
Gallery: The Sims Social on Facebook
However, it looks like the social game behemoth might already have a retaliation in the works, as the company recently registered a domain with the word "FamilyVille" in it. But regardless of how popular this rumored game becomes, it's still not The Sims. In the Facebook Thunderdome, two developers enter, one developer leaves.
Do you think The Sims Social poses a legitimate threat to Zynga and it's long-time rule of the Facebook games world? How do you think Zynga will respond to the threat?
Chủ Nhật, 19 tháng 2, 2012
RockYou to lay off 100 staff, will not publish John Romero's CloudForest Expedition on Facebook
Hard times have come to Facebook game developer RockYou, as the company has announced that it will lose 100 of its staff, leaving it with about 90 employees in all. As told to TechCrunch, CEO Lisa Marina says that this move will allow for the company to become profitable. "Last year was about finding a business model. This year, it's about making the company healthy and profitable," Marino says. With that profitability comes sacrifices, one of which will be the Playdemic studio that RockYou acquired back in January.
Playdemic will be sold back to its original owners for an undisclosed amount of money, and the Facebook game Gourmet Ranch, along with around 40 employees will go with it. As for what remains (after RockYou itself loses 56 employees), Marino has stated that RockYou will not be publishing CloudForest Expedition, the John Romero game we brought you a preview of earlier this year.
While Marino didn't give an exact reason for why Cloudforest Expedition is being shuttered (we could assume the worst - that RockYou no longer contains the manpower to develop it), she did state that perhaps RockYou had been a bit too creative in its past endeavors. "We went too far down the creative path and lost our way in terms of being a profitable organization."
Needless to say, it's disappointing that profits have been chosen over creativity in this case; however, it's not impossible that CloudForest Expedition will still see the light of day. A long shot? Sure, but if someone else were to suddenly jump in and take the reigns, we may be able to explore the jungle landscapes of CloudForest after all.
Are you disappointed that RockYou has turned down publishing CloudForest Expedition on Facebook? Do you think the game can find a new owner and actually be released?
Playdemic will be sold back to its original owners for an undisclosed amount of money, and the Facebook game Gourmet Ranch, along with around 40 employees will go with it. As for what remains (after RockYou itself loses 56 employees), Marino has stated that RockYou will not be publishing CloudForest Expedition, the John Romero game we brought you a preview of earlier this year.
While Marino didn't give an exact reason for why Cloudforest Expedition is being shuttered (we could assume the worst - that RockYou no longer contains the manpower to develop it), she did state that perhaps RockYou had been a bit too creative in its past endeavors. "We went too far down the creative path and lost our way in terms of being a profitable organization."
Needless to say, it's disappointing that profits have been chosen over creativity in this case; however, it's not impossible that CloudForest Expedition will still see the light of day. A long shot? Sure, but if someone else were to suddenly jump in and take the reigns, we may be able to explore the jungle landscapes of CloudForest after all.
Are you disappointed that RockYou has turned down publishing CloudForest Expedition on Facebook? Do you think the game can find a new owner and actually be released?
Moonga deals in on Facebook with fantasy trading card battles [Video]
Ever since Warstorm was axed earlier this year by Zynga, Facebook has been devoid of the nerdiest of dreams: fantasy card battles. (Well, aside from that Big Bang Theory game, we guess.) French game maker Everdreamsoft has formally announced Moonga for Facebook. The game allows players to compete in high fantasy battles through--what else--tradable cards with cool artwork on them.
Ah, our not-so-closet days of Magic: The Gathering are coming back to us. The game, which was released to the web in January 2010, is in an open beta test on Facebook. (In other words, it's live.) Moonga has existed on iOS for a bit longer, and was reportedly number one in role-playing games on the App Store in the summer of 2010. The gameplay appears to be your standard card battle game, but between friends on Facebook and in much shorter spurts.
Players build hands of five unique cards featuring monsters and weapons that duel in one-on-one combat. The idea behind the game isn't far different from most: Create a winning strategy by combining cards that work well together to reduce your enemy's defenses to zero. The game's iOS version doesn't appear to have any social features.
Regardless, Everdreamsoft CEO Shaban Shaame showed off the game's NFC technology that allows players to buy physical cards and import them into the iOS game. It's clear that Everdreamsoft looks to create the next Magic: The Gathering on Facebook and mobile. If the company can somehow incorporate a similar technology into Moonga's Facebook version, then the game maker might be onto something.
Click here to play Moonga on Facebook Now >
Have you been looking for a card battle game on Facebook? Do you think Moonga looks as if it can fill that void on the platform?
Ah, our not-so-closet days of Magic: The Gathering are coming back to us. The game, which was released to the web in January 2010, is in an open beta test on Facebook. (In other words, it's live.) Moonga has existed on iOS for a bit longer, and was reportedly number one in role-playing games on the App Store in the summer of 2010. The gameplay appears to be your standard card battle game, but between friends on Facebook and in much shorter spurts.
Players build hands of five unique cards featuring monsters and weapons that duel in one-on-one combat. The idea behind the game isn't far different from most: Create a winning strategy by combining cards that work well together to reduce your enemy's defenses to zero. The game's iOS version doesn't appear to have any social features.
Regardless, Everdreamsoft CEO Shaban Shaame showed off the game's NFC technology that allows players to buy physical cards and import them into the iOS game. It's clear that Everdreamsoft looks to create the next Magic: The Gathering on Facebook and mobile. If the company can somehow incorporate a similar technology into Moonga's Facebook version, then the game maker might be onto something.
Click here to play Moonga on Facebook Now >
Have you been looking for a card battle game on Facebook? Do you think Moonga looks as if it can fill that void on the platform?
Oregon Trail makers just can't scratch that mobile, social game itch
Blue Fang Games made two critical hits (but commercial flops) on Facebook, The Oregon Trail and Carmen Sandiego, before it shut down this summer. The Boston, Mass.-based developers known for PC game Zoo Tycoon still can't get enough of social, as former Blue Fang CEO Hank Howie (animatedly pictured) told Gamasutra about his new mobile and social game studio, Beach Cooler Games.
Still based in Boston, Howie is joined by ex-art director and lead designer Lou Catanzaro in heading the new company. While Beach Cooler Games intends to make social games, Howie told Gamasutra that mobile will be its primary focus. And new game projects are already underway. "We think we can make this work, and it should work pretty well, so we'll see if we can get it to work," Howie said to Gamasutra. "And again -- I'm knocking on wood here, as I often do -- so far it's working great. It's pretty eye-opening, I have to admit."
The studio isn't giving any details on its existing products, but said that it isn't set on working with original intellectual property. This means that Beach Cooler Games could be working with another brand, like the team did with The Learning Company as Blue Fang. Howie and Catanzaro are hot off the heels since Blue Fang's shutdown in September, and took a portion of the former studio's team with them. Based on the love Blue Fang Games gave those two childhood classics, it's safe to be excited for what Beach Cooler Games thinks up.
Did you like The Oregon Trail or Carmen Sandiego on Facebook? Do you think it was wise for these Blue Fang veterans to stay in the mobile and social games space?
Still based in Boston, Howie is joined by ex-art director and lead designer Lou Catanzaro in heading the new company. While Beach Cooler Games intends to make social games, Howie told Gamasutra that mobile will be its primary focus. And new game projects are already underway. "We think we can make this work, and it should work pretty well, so we'll see if we can get it to work," Howie said to Gamasutra. "And again -- I'm knocking on wood here, as I often do -- so far it's working great. It's pretty eye-opening, I have to admit."
The studio isn't giving any details on its existing products, but said that it isn't set on working with original intellectual property. This means that Beach Cooler Games could be working with another brand, like the team did with The Learning Company as Blue Fang. Howie and Catanzaro are hot off the heels since Blue Fang's shutdown in September, and took a portion of the former studio's team with them. Based on the love Blue Fang Games gave those two childhood classics, it's safe to be excited for what Beach Cooler Games thinks up.
Did you like The Oregon Trail or Carmen Sandiego on Facebook? Do you think it was wise for these Blue Fang veterans to stay in the mobile and social games space?
Now DeNA is ready for global domination; Mobage exits open beta
"Alright, guys, time-in." If the mobile social games space were a game of tag in the schoolyard, that's essentially what Japanese social game maker DeNA just said. The company announced that the ngmoco-powered Mobage platform for Western Android devices is out of open beta. Ngmoco CEO Neil Young said, "Mobage has come out of beta," according to GamesIndustry.biz.
Certainly an apt description of current events, but we'll take it. Since Mobage launched this July, the service hasn't enjoyed much success. Despite that, a number of games from Zombie Farm to We Rule already hit the top 25 on the Android Market while on Mobage. However, according to Young, that was just a test.
"The beta period allowed us to test, refine and prove the service, assuring a superb user experience with Mobage and our world-class suite of games," Young said. "We now start the process of scaling the service and it is great to already see our games ranking high in the charts."
A wild success or not, DeNA is already ahead of its arch nemesis, Gree. The competing Japanese mobile social game network has yet to release its OpenFeint-backed global games network, though it has said that it's coming ... in 2012. Of course, there's also the mighty Zynga to worry about, which might have a few mobile tricks up its sleeves with Project Z. It looks like we'll have to wait another year to see the mobile social games race pick up the pace.
How do you connect with friends in your mobile games? Which of these three companies do you think will provide the best service?
Certainly an apt description of current events, but we'll take it. Since Mobage launched this July, the service hasn't enjoyed much success. Despite that, a number of games from Zombie Farm to We Rule already hit the top 25 on the Android Market while on Mobage. However, according to Young, that was just a test.
"The beta period allowed us to test, refine and prove the service, assuring a superb user experience with Mobage and our world-class suite of games," Young said. "We now start the process of scaling the service and it is great to already see our games ranking high in the charts."
A wild success or not, DeNA is already ahead of its arch nemesis, Gree. The competing Japanese mobile social game network has yet to release its OpenFeint-backed global games network, though it has said that it's coming ... in 2012. Of course, there's also the mighty Zynga to worry about, which might have a few mobile tricks up its sleeves with Project Z. It looks like we'll have to wait another year to see the mobile social games race pick up the pace.
How do you connect with friends in your mobile games? Which of these three companies do you think will provide the best service?
Zynga really wants to see better HTML5 games, but it's a "pain machine'
It's like they say: "No pain, no gain." During the New Game Conference in San Francisco, Zynga Germany HTML5 guru Paul Bakaus urged game creators to work past the glaring shortcomings of HTML5 games, Gamasutra reports. You know, because HTML5 is the future of games, and all that jazz. Despite his love for the emergent platform, Bakaus was brutally honest.
"Audio is still broken -- and we need audio to create rich interactive games," Bakaus said. "In addition, there are all kinds of issues with certain devices,: Bakaus said. "For instance, the iPhone can only play one sound at a time." But that's not all: Game makers aren't exactly in love with WebGL, a 3D graphics creation tool compatible with HTML5.
"I have high hopes for WebGL, but if you look at the demo scene today, it reminds me of the Flash demos in the '90s," Bakaus said. "WebGL has another problem, and that problem applies to web developers, because you have to learn a new language, you can't just work with Javascript."
Bakaus then likened HTML5 game creation to a Pain Machine (pictured), an electrified Pong cabinet that shocks anyone that loses a match. But as much disdain Bakaus seems to have for HTML5 in its current state, he still believes it has potential. "What we need are AAA and social game makers to commit to making full scale and beautiful games in HTML5, and not just porting something over," Bakaus said.
"I think we're really getting closer to making HTML5 gaming a reality. I don't think were completely there yet, but we're really close," the designer concluded. And his parent company seems to agree. Just this month, Zynga released three HTML5 games for mobile browsers. With a guy like Bakaus in Zynga's ranks, there's likely more where that came from.
[Image Credit: Blogoscoped]
What do you think of the HTML5 games Zynga recently released? Is there a future in HTML5 social game creation, and should Zynga continue to pursue it?
"Audio is still broken -- and we need audio to create rich interactive games," Bakaus said. "In addition, there are all kinds of issues with certain devices,: Bakaus said. "For instance, the iPhone can only play one sound at a time." But that's not all: Game makers aren't exactly in love with WebGL, a 3D graphics creation tool compatible with HTML5.
"I have high hopes for WebGL, but if you look at the demo scene today, it reminds me of the Flash demos in the '90s," Bakaus said. "WebGL has another problem, and that problem applies to web developers, because you have to learn a new language, you can't just work with Javascript."
Bakaus then likened HTML5 game creation to a Pain Machine (pictured), an electrified Pong cabinet that shocks anyone that loses a match. But as much disdain Bakaus seems to have for HTML5 in its current state, he still believes it has potential. "What we need are AAA and social game makers to commit to making full scale and beautiful games in HTML5, and not just porting something over," Bakaus said.
"I think we're really getting closer to making HTML5 gaming a reality. I don't think were completely there yet, but we're really close," the designer concluded. And his parent company seems to agree. Just this month, Zynga released three HTML5 games for mobile browsers. With a guy like Bakaus in Zynga's ranks, there's likely more where that came from.
[Image Credit: Blogoscoped]
What do you think of the HTML5 games Zynga recently released? Is there a future in HTML5 social game creation, and should Zynga continue to pursue it?
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