Treetopia started out very similar to most social games - the game gave you an area to decorate, buildings to build, and a shop full of pretty things to buy. Over the last few months, it has been differentiating itself by adding some truly unique features. The introduction of questing made the game feel far more interactive, allowing players to take an active part in accomplishing tasks that earn them XP. Now, Treetopia have taken their questing system and stretched it into a PvP-lite experience that puts players in the hotspot of challenging virtual depictions of their friends in a card game.
The card game is accessed by the "Combat" button, which brings up a list of friends to battle (in a Mafia Wars style). You select the friend you wish to battle, and the card game will begin. Unfortunately, this isn't true PvP because you aren't actually playing with your friend. Your friend is controlled by the game's AI and you have to pick the best moves to defeat them. This isn't a simple game though, and Playdom have recognized this by making a guide to the new questing card game. You do have to use tactics and pick your damaging and healing abilities correctly in order to beat your friend in the card game.
It's not flawless, but this level of depth in a social game goes a long way to combat the negativity that surrounds these type of games - critics are constantly insulting them for being nothing but clicks, no depth, and no skill. The question is, do players want this? In the past month, Treetopia has been losing some momentum but still has over 2.3 million monthly players. Time will tell.
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn Playdom. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn Playdom. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Thứ Bảy, 11 tháng 2, 2012
Thứ Năm, 9 tháng 2, 2012
Fifteen Facebook games headed for the chopping block
There are hundreds of games on Facebook, but only a select few have earned a spot on the social gaming red carpet. For every success story like FarmVille, Zoo World or Pet Society, there is a game that's broken, abandoned or just doesn't have that magical formula that will take it to the top.
We take a look at a handful of games that fit into the latter category (as in, we analyzed the monthly active users, update frequency and actual gameplay experience) to predict why they'll soon take a one-way trip to the chopping block.
The Agency: Covert Ops by Sony Online Entertainment
When we wrote a review of Agency Covert Ops in May, this game really looked promising. It had more polish than almost other Facebook games, has a big marketing push from SOE and did a good job at taking familiar social game mechanics to the next level.
Our theory is that SOE tried to do too much all at once with The Agency. Playing through the tutorial was an overwhelming clickfest, which left the player confused on what they were actually doing. The game tried to throw everything including the kitchen sink at the player, which made for a game that felt like it was too packed and not simple enough. There was so much reading involved, because there was too much story attempting to be told. And frankly, the game wasn't built with viral mechanics in mind, so it never spread to the masses. Taking a peek at the numbers from Appdata, it's easy to see that The Agency's players were purchased through marketing, and but aren't sticking around for the ride.
The Agency: Covert Ops is lingering at 87,123 Monthly Active Users (MAU), 8,853 Daily Active Users (DAU) and these numbers are rapidly falling. It's all-time high MAU was 391,216.
Purina Pet Resort by Playdom
If you thought Playdom could do no wrong, well, you're wrong. WIth top games like Social City, Bola, and Sorority Life, Playdom is normally on top when it comes to social games. With Purina Pet Resort, a branded pet themed advergamegame, it's clear they missed the mark. This advergame provides all fluff and no depth, and leaves players confused about what the point of the game actually is. We never did a full review of the game, but we mentioned that it had a different feel than other Playdom titles. So far, we have yet to see a branded game take off on Facebook, and Purina Pet Resort is no exception. Even with the powerhouse cross promotion capability of Playdom, this game is hanging out as a dismal 13,000 DAU and while it has 248,000 MAU, it lost 247,000 players in the last week alone. At its peak, it had 514,535 MAU.
City of Eternals by Ohai, Inc.
This game has a sad story, because it was a promising full MMO on Facebook that hasn't proven that complex games of its sort can be viable. At its peak, this game never went above 7,424 MAU and 954 daily actives. While the game does appear to do most of its traffic from the standalone game site, it uses Facebook Connect for logins which means that those people would be counted in the Appdata traffic stats. The game's blog hasn't been updated since May, and the company founder recently told a crowd of industry insiders that the game would not be getting any more updates. Yikes.
SPP! Ranch by Slide
This game that used to be leading the charts with almost 3 million monthly active players, and has slipped to 441,437. Slide's SPP! Ranch was using their SuperPoke IP and taking it to the farming/ranch decorating genre. Why isn't it doing so well? Frankly, it simply doesn't look as nice as the competitors any more. It's also simply a decorating game, and doesn't have the fundamental farming mechanics to keep players coming back. The Marketplace is small and hard to read, and nearly all the items are limited in quantity. SPP! Ranch might be an example of a game that's past its prime.
Little Rock Pool by Meteor Games
Little Rock Pool has a lot going for it - it's cute, and a new fun take on the fish-themed games. For some reason, the game peaked around 879,000 monthly players and has now fallen over the months down to 209,103. The game has regular updates, fan page engagement, and a seemingly passionate community. So what's wrong? Players say that they're bored because once you reach level 40, there's nothing else to do. The game is also super buggy. With so many Facebook gaming options out there, a game needs to be rock solid to stand out. Little Rock Pool simply isn't making the cut. Also worth not, Meteor's newer title Ranch Town doesn't seem to be faring much better.
My Casino by Rock You
Rock You has taken Facebook gaming by the horns with their popular game Zoo World, which is currently the 6th most popular Facebook game with almost 26 million monthly active players. However, Rock You haven't found the foolproof secret recipe yet. Their title My Casino, which launched in March, never really exploded the way Zoo World did. While it did reach 920,000 at one point, much of that was due to cross promotion with Zoo World. The game is now sitting at 389,000 MAU and 47,000 DAU. My Casino has a heavy Asian influence and style, which may have something to do with its lack of success in North America.
Epic Goal by Watercooler
This soccer themed game seemed promising when we reviewed it in early June, we even recommended it as the perfect balance of fun and complexity. The audience has never really caught on though, and Epic Goal has never gone above 364,000 MAU. It's been hovering around 315,000 for some time now and isn't growing. In contrast, Bola has been doing very well. However, another soccer game, Winning Goal, is doing even worse with only 7,593 MAU. Ouch. Looks like sports games still have to prove themselves on Facebook.
Poker Blitz by Zynga
Zynga is the juggernaut of Facebook games, but not everything they touch is gold. Poker Blitz was a very interesting title, with an easy to play Texas Hold 'Em gameplay with an adorable art style. The game felt like a winner out of the gate, but hasn't performed up to par. The game topped out at 1.3 million (low for a Zynga game) and is currently sitting at 434,000 MAU. A better indicator of the game's health is the fact that Zynga haven't updated the game's fan page since March. We predict this game will be folding 'em in the not-too-distant future.
Towner by Metrogames
Metrogames saw early success with Towner, a city-building game. This game topped out at 2.3 million MAU, and is currently struggling at 512,867 MAU. The fan page for the game hasn't been updated since June, and that update was just to promote Metrogame's newest title Fashion World (which is faring better, especially with some cross promotion love from Playdom).
Honorable Mentions:
We take a look at a handful of games that fit into the latter category (as in, we analyzed the monthly active users, update frequency and actual gameplay experience) to predict why they'll soon take a one-way trip to the chopping block.
The Agency: Covert Ops by Sony Online Entertainment
When we wrote a review of Agency Covert Ops in May, this game really looked promising. It had more polish than almost other Facebook games, has a big marketing push from SOE and did a good job at taking familiar social game mechanics to the next level.
Our theory is that SOE tried to do too much all at once with The Agency. Playing through the tutorial was an overwhelming clickfest, which left the player confused on what they were actually doing. The game tried to throw everything including the kitchen sink at the player, which made for a game that felt like it was too packed and not simple enough. There was so much reading involved, because there was too much story attempting to be told. And frankly, the game wasn't built with viral mechanics in mind, so it never spread to the masses. Taking a peek at the numbers from Appdata, it's easy to see that The Agency's players were purchased through marketing, and but aren't sticking around for the ride.
The Agency: Covert Ops is lingering at 87,123 Monthly Active Users (MAU), 8,853 Daily Active Users (DAU) and these numbers are rapidly falling. It's all-time high MAU was 391,216.
Purina Pet Resort by Playdom
If you thought Playdom could do no wrong, well, you're wrong. WIth top games like Social City, Bola, and Sorority Life, Playdom is normally on top when it comes to social games. With Purina Pet Resort, a branded pet themed advergamegame, it's clear they missed the mark. This advergame provides all fluff and no depth, and leaves players confused about what the point of the game actually is. We never did a full review of the game, but we mentioned that it had a different feel than other Playdom titles. So far, we have yet to see a branded game take off on Facebook, and Purina Pet Resort is no exception. Even with the powerhouse cross promotion capability of Playdom, this game is hanging out as a dismal 13,000 DAU and while it has 248,000 MAU, it lost 247,000 players in the last week alone. At its peak, it had 514,535 MAU.
City of Eternals by Ohai, Inc.
This game has a sad story, because it was a promising full MMO on Facebook that hasn't proven that complex games of its sort can be viable. At its peak, this game never went above 7,424 MAU and 954 daily actives. While the game does appear to do most of its traffic from the standalone game site, it uses Facebook Connect for logins which means that those people would be counted in the Appdata traffic stats. The game's blog hasn't been updated since May, and the company founder recently told a crowd of industry insiders that the game would not be getting any more updates. Yikes.
SPP! Ranch by Slide
This game that used to be leading the charts with almost 3 million monthly active players, and has slipped to 441,437. Slide's SPP! Ranch was using their SuperPoke IP and taking it to the farming/ranch decorating genre. Why isn't it doing so well? Frankly, it simply doesn't look as nice as the competitors any more. It's also simply a decorating game, and doesn't have the fundamental farming mechanics to keep players coming back. The Marketplace is small and hard to read, and nearly all the items are limited in quantity. SPP! Ranch might be an example of a game that's past its prime.
Little Rock Pool by Meteor Games
Little Rock Pool has a lot going for it - it's cute, and a new fun take on the fish-themed games. For some reason, the game peaked around 879,000 monthly players and has now fallen over the months down to 209,103. The game has regular updates, fan page engagement, and a seemingly passionate community. So what's wrong? Players say that they're bored because once you reach level 40, there's nothing else to do. The game is also super buggy. With so many Facebook gaming options out there, a game needs to be rock solid to stand out. Little Rock Pool simply isn't making the cut. Also worth not, Meteor's newer title Ranch Town doesn't seem to be faring much better.
My Casino by Rock You
Rock You has taken Facebook gaming by the horns with their popular game Zoo World, which is currently the 6th most popular Facebook game with almost 26 million monthly active players. However, Rock You haven't found the foolproof secret recipe yet. Their title My Casino, which launched in March, never really exploded the way Zoo World did. While it did reach 920,000 at one point, much of that was due to cross promotion with Zoo World. The game is now sitting at 389,000 MAU and 47,000 DAU. My Casino has a heavy Asian influence and style, which may have something to do with its lack of success in North America.
Epic Goal by Watercooler
This soccer themed game seemed promising when we reviewed it in early June, we even recommended it as the perfect balance of fun and complexity. The audience has never really caught on though, and Epic Goal has never gone above 364,000 MAU. It's been hovering around 315,000 for some time now and isn't growing. In contrast, Bola has been doing very well. However, another soccer game, Winning Goal, is doing even worse with only 7,593 MAU. Ouch. Looks like sports games still have to prove themselves on Facebook.
Poker Blitz by Zynga
Zynga is the juggernaut of Facebook games, but not everything they touch is gold. Poker Blitz was a very interesting title, with an easy to play Texas Hold 'Em gameplay with an adorable art style. The game felt like a winner out of the gate, but hasn't performed up to par. The game topped out at 1.3 million (low for a Zynga game) and is currently sitting at 434,000 MAU. A better indicator of the game's health is the fact that Zynga haven't updated the game's fan page since March. We predict this game will be folding 'em in the not-too-distant future.
Towner by Metrogames
Metrogames saw early success with Towner, a city-building game. This game topped out at 2.3 million MAU, and is currently struggling at 512,867 MAU. The fan page for the game hasn't been updated since June, and that update was just to promote Metrogame's newest title Fashion World (which is faring better, especially with some cross promotion love from Playdom).
Honorable Mentions:
Thứ Bảy, 4 tháng 2, 2012
Support Breast Cancer Awareness in Playdom's My Vineyard
My Vineyard Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Playdom's game My Vineyard is giving players a chance to show their support and honor their loved ones and friends who have suffered from breast cancer. Several items that have already been released in the game have received a fresh coat of paint and a few revisions, such as the hanging of a pink ribbon upon the door of the buildable cottages. There is also a new item, the Pink Ribbon Sign with the message "Hope, Love, Cure" displayed for all to see. Here are the new pink items:
Pink Buildable Cottage - 10,000 coins
Pink Picket Fence - 500 coins
Pink Picket Gate - 500 coins
Pink Ribbon Sign - 200 coins
Pink Streetlight - 5000 coins
Pink Umbrella - 6000 coins
Some players have made beautiful tributes to their lost family members and friends, which is truly touching. In a very gracious move by Playdom, none of these items require spending real life money, and they are all very affordable in coins. Kudos to My Vineyard for embracing a wonderful cause.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Playdom's game My Vineyard is giving players a chance to show their support and honor their loved ones and friends who have suffered from breast cancer. Several items that have already been released in the game have received a fresh coat of paint and a few revisions, such as the hanging of a pink ribbon upon the door of the buildable cottages. There is also a new item, the Pink Ribbon Sign with the message "Hope, Love, Cure" displayed for all to see. Here are the new pink items:
Pink Buildable Cottage - 10,000 coins
Pink Picket Fence - 500 coins
Pink Picket Gate - 500 coins
Pink Ribbon Sign - 200 coins
Pink Streetlight - 5000 coins
Pink Umbrella - 6000 coins
Some players have made beautiful tributes to their lost family members and friends, which is truly touching. In a very gracious move by Playdom, none of these items require spending real life money, and they are all very affordable in coins. Kudos to My Vineyard for embracing a wonderful cause.
Thứ Năm, 2 tháng 2, 2012
City of Wonder's Russia Week brings the Manifesto to your settlement
Russia Week
Players of City of Wonder have seen nearly every ancient civilization in world history from Mesopotamia to Egypt to Ancient Greece, but now it's time to enter the age of political upheaval and military might with Russia Week. In this seven-day event, you'll find several items inspired by the ancestors of the Mongols and the birthplace of socialism. Most importantly, this update includes a new legend, Beethoven, who will clean all of your cultural buildings.
But when it comes to buildings, Playdom has got you covered with structures like the brand new Marvel, St. Basil's Cathedral--the iconic church will boost your Happiness and Culture by three percent. There are other interesting items like the Gold Wall, which for one Gold a piece will "protect your city in style," and Cossack Calvary who are known for "their awesome hats." You can decorate your city with the Kremlin Clock, a Russian Church and Socialist Statue to finish off your settlement's religious and political personality. The Russian theme is only here for another six days, so get your Slav on before these items go way of the dodo.
Players of City of Wonder have seen nearly every ancient civilization in world history from Mesopotamia to Egypt to Ancient Greece, but now it's time to enter the age of political upheaval and military might with Russia Week. In this seven-day event, you'll find several items inspired by the ancestors of the Mongols and the birthplace of socialism. Most importantly, this update includes a new legend, Beethoven, who will clean all of your cultural buildings.
But when it comes to buildings, Playdom has got you covered with structures like the brand new Marvel, St. Basil's Cathedral--the iconic church will boost your Happiness and Culture by three percent. There are other interesting items like the Gold Wall, which for one Gold a piece will "protect your city in style," and Cossack Calvary who are known for "their awesome hats." You can decorate your city with the Kremlin Clock, a Russian Church and Socialist Statue to finish off your settlement's religious and political personality. The Russian theme is only here for another six days, so get your Slav on before these items go way of the dodo.
Thứ Tư, 1 tháng 2, 2012
Unseating FarmVille: Have social games seen better days?
We reported earlier this week that FarmVille has been ousted as the top Facebook application, with the Phrases application coming out on top as of this week. For those of us who work with these games day after day, we know that FarmVille falling to 54 million players from 84 million players isn't the end of the world. An article posted today in PC World claims that this is a sign of general social gaming woes:
It's like Zynga is scrambling to add more sources of air to a deflating bubble. The fact that a random quiz app could unseat Farmville from its top spot, even temporarily, shows that social games have seen better days.
[Source: PCWorld]
We think that this article was a bit sensational and overblowing the situation. Many articles on the web talk about social games as if there is only one game (FarmVille) or only one company (Zynga) who are playing a part in the massively popular gaming trend. What these articles fail to mention is that smaller developers are now showing huge successes, and that there are many more companies out there making social games. There are currently 10 social game developers with over 10 million monthly active users across their games. Another 12 with over 5 million MAU. And over 75 other lesser-known social game developers who have games with over 1 million players combined. This is no easy feat, and nothing to sneeze at.
Social games are diversifying. The days of Zynga not only ruling the roost but also being the only major player are dead. There are up-and-coming developers such as Digital Chocolate that are pumping out high quality games at an unbelievable pace. Massive brands such as Google (who purchased Slide), EA (who purchased Playfish), and Disney (who purchased Playdom) are coming in and putting existing IP and familiar faces into new and existing games.
Social games aren't dying, by any means. The loss in numbers of FarmVille is an indicator of the game's age and lifecycle, and the vast number of new games by new companies that are being released weekly. It's never looked better for social game players, nor social game developers. Using FarmVIlle as an indicator of social game health as a whole is a rookie mistake that many journalists are making, but at Games.com - The Blog, we know better because we are completely immersed in Facebook games.
It's like Zynga is scrambling to add more sources of air to a deflating bubble. The fact that a random quiz app could unseat Farmville from its top spot, even temporarily, shows that social games have seen better days.
[Source: PCWorld]
We think that this article was a bit sensational and overblowing the situation. Many articles on the web talk about social games as if there is only one game (FarmVille) or only one company (Zynga) who are playing a part in the massively popular gaming trend. What these articles fail to mention is that smaller developers are now showing huge successes, and that there are many more companies out there making social games. There are currently 10 social game developers with over 10 million monthly active users across their games. Another 12 with over 5 million MAU. And over 75 other lesser-known social game developers who have games with over 1 million players combined. This is no easy feat, and nothing to sneeze at.
Social games are diversifying. The days of Zynga not only ruling the roost but also being the only major player are dead. There are up-and-coming developers such as Digital Chocolate that are pumping out high quality games at an unbelievable pace. Massive brands such as Google (who purchased Slide), EA (who purchased Playfish), and Disney (who purchased Playdom) are coming in and putting existing IP and familiar faces into new and existing games.
Social games aren't dying, by any means. The loss in numbers of FarmVille is an indicator of the game's age and lifecycle, and the vast number of new games by new companies that are being released weekly. It's never looked better for social game players, nor social game developers. Using FarmVIlle as an indicator of social game health as a whole is a rookie mistake that many journalists are making, but at Games.com - The Blog, we know better because we are completely immersed in Facebook games.
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