Sunday, July 31, 2011

FarmVille: Vineyard Model Farm shows off decorating ideas for limited edition items


While it may reveal nothing about upcoming releases, the FarmVille Model Farm does serve two purposes: showing users the scale of items in a particular theme without actually purchasing them, and giving decorating tips for those who may like an item, but aren't sure how to design around it. Such is the case with the updated Model Farm, which gives us a look at the current Vineyard limited edition item theme (sans the random Boar and Ram released this week), with items like the Vineyard B&B and Tasting Room being surrounded by a forest of trees (both old and new) and a field of plenty of grape vines.

As usual, should something strike your fancy on the farm, you'll be able to purchase it by hovering over it to first see its price and then clicking to confirm the purchase. Of course, there are some non-limited items mixed in with this theme as well, like Peach Trees and Hedges, as just a couple of examples.

Sure, straight copy-and-pasting designs isn't very original, but hopefully with the Model Farm as inspiration, you'll be able to think of something even better! Be sure to let us know if you do.

FarmVille: Free Mystery Game Darts get you one step closer to a French Unicorn

Well, this looks a bit desperate, doesn't it? I had a feeling when this week's FarmVille Mystery Game released, offering farmers a free French Unicorn only after they had paid enough Farm Cash to win the six regularly available animals in the game, heads might roll. While it may not have come to anything as violent as that, it does look like the response has been less than anticipated, as Zynga is now outright giving away Mystery Darts to get people to play the game.

This, of course, is good news for those who have yet to play the game this week, but bad for those who've already spent dozens or even hundreds of Farm Cash to complete the game. There's no word on whether those particular farmers will be able to save the free dart until next week's game (it doesn't show up in your inventory), but I wouldn't get my hopes up about that. As it stands, you'll need to manually check to see if you have been given the dart, by entering the Mystery Game as though you were about to pay to play it. There, you may be greeted by the "You've been selected for a free dart" pop-up, although there's no guarantee that you'll be so lucky.

Now that this is the second time we've been given a free Mystery Game Dart, it leaves us to wonder: has the popularity of the entire game slipped, or was this French Unicorn debacle simply something Zynga wanted to apologize for? The real test will come this evening, when the Mystery Game is restocked. Will another "free" item be available to lure players back in, or will Zynga have learned from this week's fan backlash? Stick with us to find out.

FarmVille Vineyard Animals: Race Stripe Ram and Boar offer patterns for the impatient

In an unusual update, Zynga has released a new Boar and a new Ram to the FarmVille marketplace, both in the current Vineyard limited edition item theme. As it stands, there's no reasonable explanation as to what these animals have to do with vineyards, or even grapes, making their placement in this theme feel entirely out of place. If anything, it could just be an easier way for Zynga to make sure the items have a limited edition time limit, but I digress.

The Race Stripe Ram is a red and orange Ram that offers you the Racing Stripe pattern in Sheep Breeding, while the Race Stripe Boar is a two-toned blue Boar which also gives you the Racing Stripe pattern, but in Pig Breeding instead. The Boar costs less at 20 Farm Cash, while the Ram costs 30.

Let's not be so hasty to press the "buy" button though, farmers. Keep in mind that both of these patterns (albeit not in the same colors) are available for "free" by simply leveling up your farmer as a Pig or Sheep Breeder. To be specific, the Racing Stripe pattern unlocks at Pig Breeding Level 20 and Sheep Breeding Level 15. That being the case, the only real reason you should purchase these animals is if you have a true love of their colors, or don't want to work your way through leveling up the old-fashioned way, and want these patterns right now.

If you are toying with the idea of purchasing either of them, know that you only have a limited amount of time to do so: 11 days, as of this writing. Hopefully we'll see more actually "Vineyard" themed items released in the "Vineyard" theme in the future (how novel a concept), and we'll make sure to let you know if and when we do.

FarmVille Bug Report: Invisible Vineyard Goat available for 120,000 coins

If you like getting "in" on the many bugs and glitches in FarmVille that don't necessarily break the game, but add a bit of humor to the barnyard, you'll be thrilled to know that a new "Vineyard Goat" has been added to the store prematurely. For one, the Goat hasn't been marked as a limited edition item in the Vineyard item theme, and it also shows up as a Ginkgo Tree in the store. It costs 120,000 coins to purchase, but the item is actually invisible, both when you click to preview it in the store, and when you actually place it on your land.

You can hover over the item's very large shadow (it seems large for a goat, anyway), and it says that the item is the "Vineyard Goat," but right now it might as well be called "Vineyard Ghost." We're sure that it's only a matter of time before the FarmVille team spots the error and removes the "animal" from the store, but if you're interested in seeing what happens to the item in the future, make sure to add one to your farm while it's still available. You'll gain 1200 experience points for purchasing it, so at least you'll come out ahead in the end. Remember, if you're having trouble finding the item, just search for "Goat" in the store, and it will show up as one of the three items in your search.

All things considered, it's likely that the true Vineyard Goat will be launched as early as tomorrow, when FarmVille is once again expected to update with new items in the theme. As the final version will most likely cost Farm Cash, it will definitely be interesting to see if we've all just scored on a bargain, or if the item will be removed entirely, forcing us to purchase a real one for cash. We'll make sure to let you know the final verdict, just as soon as we know more.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

FarmVille: Zynga asks for opinions on possible friend-of-a-friend neighbor feature

Wait, do you here that? It's the sound of great ideas being hatched in the Zynga offices. Specifically, some great ideas are being tossed around by the FarmVille team, and we're being asked to rate them via a new fan survey. This survey is available to complete underneath the FarmVille gameplay area, in the same place you'd find sponsored links for free Farm Cash promotions.

Once you start, you'll find that the majority of the survey asks us to rate current or possible social features in the game, based on how much we like them. There are plenty of current features here to rate, such as how much we like having to ask for building ingredients from friends, or how we like gathering bushels for crafting recipes, but (of course) the more interesting options here are those that aren't currently available. While there's no guarantee that any of these will launch in the game officially, it's hard not to be a little excited.

Two features in particular have us cautiously optimistic, both offering the ability to add new neighbors to the game, without actually adding them as Facebook friends. Specifically, we've been asked if we would like the ability to add complete strangers as neighbors (and then interact with them as normal), or whether we'd like to simply extend our neighbors list to friends-of-friends. Both of these choices would (we assume) allow us to add another user to our network, with which we could trade free gifts, send quest items or building materials, and even visit each others' farms, all without worrying about that person finding out our personal information as we've never added them as a friend.

Remember though farmers - while these features may be incredibly exciting, they aren't actually live yet (and may possibly never be). To help things along though, remember to take the survey and vote accordingly. Who knows? With enough positive votes, we might actually be able to expand our farming networks to dozens more people that regularly play the game!

Friday, July 29, 2011

FarmVille Vineyard Items: Bay Laurel Tree, Stomp Barrel, Camarillo Horse and much more

With tonight's FarmVille update comes a fairly large set of items in the current Vineyard limited edition item theme. There are new trees, animals, buildings and decorations available for purchase, and while most do scream "vineyard" when you look at their design, there are still a few items here that would match other themes as well. Without further ado, let's jump right into our look at what's available.

Trees:

Bay Laurel Tree - 5 Farm Cash
California Laurel - 5 Farm Cash

Here's something that's both exciting and confusing, as both of these trees are only 5 Farm Cash each. They are a pair, meaning that one will give you the other via Mystery Seedlings, but which tree is the Mystery Seedling tree? Fear not, farmers, as we've figured that out for you. If you're looking to just purchase the level one tree, then purchase the California Laurel, as Bay Laurels will appear from Mystery Seedlings (for free) after the fact.

Animals:

Camarillo Horse - 28 Farm Cash
White-winged Scoter - 18 Farm Cash

For duck collectors, the White-winged Scoter is a mostly black duck, with white feathers on its wings. Meanwhile, the Camarillo Horse is all white, and actually looks quite dainty when standing next to other, larger horses (mind you, it's still cute). The Camarillo Horse can be bred, producing an adorable Camarillo Foal, so keep that in mind as well.

Buildings:

Vineyard - 30 Farm Cash
Vineyard B&B - 25 Farm Cash

Personally, the Vineyard is one of the prettiest buildings I've seen in quite some time, with tons of landscaping and an animated water wheel. It's just unfortunate that both of these buildings cost Farm Cash, as I would've loved a cheaper option to add them to my farm.

Decorations:

Barrel Cart - 30,000 coins
Grape Vines - 1 Farm Cash
Grape Vines II - 5,000 coins
Green Hill I - 5 Farm Cash
Green Hill II - 2 Farm Cash
Grape Baskets - 10,000 coins
Stomp Barrel - 50,000 coins

For the Grape Vine items, the difference between the two is that the premium item has grapes visibly growing on the vines, while the coin version does not. Meanwhile, Green Hill I is a much larger, and more complex item than the Green Hill II, which also explains the pricing.

While there may not be many truly impressive items in this release that are available for coins, you'll still have two weeks to decide whether or not you'd like to splurge by spending some Farm Cash instead. It's likely that Zynga will release more Vineyard items into the theme before these expire, however, so keep checking back with us as we'll be sure you're the first to know if/when they do.

FarmVille Sneak Peek: Vineyard Horse and Foal love crushing grapes

FarmVille Vineyard HorseApparently, FarmVille farmers need to learn a thing or two about animal rights. Getting Vineyard Horses to crush grapes for you? (I have PETA on speed dial, Zynga--watch it!)

Anyway, these pristine, white horses look fantastic. They're each adorned in necklaces made from grapes that make the two steeds look almost regal.

But look more closely, and their hooves are covered in grape juice and guts. Who knew those of the equine persuasion were such lushes? FarmVille Feed estimates that these horses will hit the Market for between 24 and 28 Farm Cash.

Of course, we also imagine they'll be part of the ongoing Vineyard Theme. Better go grab that five bucks quick, if you want to be the first with these delightfully-stained horses.

FarmVille Vineyard Horse and Foal

Thursday, July 28, 2011

FarmVille releases new quests and Craftshop expansions

Wednesday afternoon proved to be a big day in FarmVille, with the release of Craftshop Expansions and three new quests for players to work on.

Players can now expand their Craftshop to craft up to six recipes at a time. This will certainly help those on the path to mastery, as we were previously only able to craft one item at a time. For each new station you wish to unlock, you’ll need to add 5 Wrenches, 5 Clamps and 5 Pipes in.

The three new quests are only here for the next 13 days, so if you plan on participating in them, you should get started on them as soon as possible. Here’s what you will be doing, and the rewards for competing them.

Quest 1: A Fitting Beginning
Your first quest asks you to build 1 Craftshop (if you already have one, you’ll immediately get credit for it), obtain 6 Sawhorses, and harvest 200 items of any type (crops, trees and animals count). Completing this set of tasks will earn you 100XP, 1,000 Farm Coins and 5 Love Potions.

Quest 2: The Big Job
Your next quest requires you to add a station to your Craftshop (by collecting 5 Wrenches, 5 Pipes and 5 Clamps), harvest 1 Pigpen, and craft one Yellow Racer. The Yellow Racer recipe needs 4 Bags of Manure, 10 Coffee Bushels, and 6 Pepper Bushels. It’s a good idea to ask your friends to send you these bushels now if you can’t find any to purchase! Finishing this set of quests will get you 250XP, 2,500 Farm Coins and 10 Fuel Tanks.

Quest 3: Joy Ride
Your final quest entails getting 12 pair of Fuzzy Dice from friends, use a Tractor 15 times, and harvest 1 Orchard. Your prizes are 500XP, 5,000 Farm Coins and a Mechanic Gnome.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Earn 2 free FarmVille Farm Cash in new AT&T U-Verse promotion

It's actually been quite a while (in the world of Facebook gaming anyway) since we've seen a new free Farm Cash promotion being made available in FarmVille, but that has changed this evening, as FarmVilleFreak has reported the launch of a new promotion with AT&T U-Verse. Yes, there was another AT&T U-Verse promotion available in the past, but this one is new.

This promotion comes with the same ground rules as others: you'll find the sponsored link to the activity underneath the FarmVille gameplay area, but this promotion may not be available to all farmers, depending on where you live, even if you live in the United States. If you're lucky enough to have this promotion available to you, all you need to do is complete a short survey concerning AT&T's U-Verse service, and will be rewarded your free Farm Cash on the spot.

If your Farm Cash total doesn't automatically update with your new funds, try a refresh of the game to see if that sets things straight. To skip any issues though, make sure you stick around in the promotion's window until you see the familiar black text appear in the top right corner, letting you know you've actually earned your Farm Cash. After that point, you should be able to confidently close the window.

Don't have this promotion? I feel your pain farmers. Hopefully, this promotion will roll out to more users over time, so we can all have a chance at those free Farm Cash! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to rapidly refresh my game in the hope that it shows up.

Zynga discounts FarmVille 2X Mastery Statue, still about four bucks

FarmVile 2X Mastery Statue discountAnd that could buy four full-blown games on your iPhone. Hey, we know that an item that grants FarmVille players double Mastery for a whole 48 hours is just plain awesome, but just consider the options before dropping about two Red Bulls on it.

Zynga has cut the price of the 2X Mastery Statue from 25 to just 20 Farm Cash, which slashes about a buck off of its price. However, keep in mind that 20 Farm Cash could nearly restock your Fuel tank, or buy a slew of attractive Trees or Animals.

Alright, the statue stays on your farm even after the effect wanes. Well, if that's worth 20 Farm Cash to you, then pick it up by all means. But this price cut only lasts for another five days, so run--don't walk!--to your nearest credit card/Pay Pal/Wal-Mart.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

FarmVille Vineyard Animals: Add a Vineyard Sheep to your collection

A new limited edition item theme has launched in FarmVille this evening, giving farmers the opportunity to purchase a single animal (so far) in this theme. The Vineyard Sheep is available for 20 Farm Cash, and will be available in the game's store for the next two weeks. If you're keeping track, this Vineyard Sheep would make a great partner for your Gumball Sheep, if you picked one up during this year's Valentine's Day event, as their bodies are basically identical, save for the coloring of the "grapes."

Unfortunately, for all of this particular sheep's cuteness, you can't breed this pattern into Lambs as this is simply a Sheep and not specifically labeled as a Ram. Still, if this Sheep goes over well enough, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw a Vineyard Ram released in the future - perhaps one with a vine pattern running down its side/back?

Either way, if you'd still like to add this Vineyard Sheep to your collection, you'll be rewarded handsomely with 2000 experience points, but again, it will only be around for a limited time. Too bad this isn't an item that's immediately "on sale" upon release, huh?

Monday, July 25, 2011

FarmVille Marans Chicken Mystery Egg: What's inside?

Late last week, Zynga launched the Marans Chicken as part of the current Parisian limited edition item theme in FarmVille. At a price of 20 Farm Cash, the chicken definitely isn't cheap, so you might be interested in learning what you could potentially find from opening one of its eggs (that is, what you could give away to friends, or what they could give back to you if they had purchased one as well). Well, FVNation has figured out the prize list for the Marans Chicken, but unfortunately, it's nothing to get excited about.

Here's what's inside:

Old English Hen
Dorking Chicken
Silkie Chicken
Clover chicken
Scots Grey Chicken
Cornish Chicken
Butler Gnome
Town Fountain
English Bench
Fuel

Does that list seem familiar? It should, as the contents are those found in many other eggs, and specifically the English Mystery Egg. The biggest problem here isn't so much that there aren't tons of new items here (or any), but the simple fact that you apparently can't earn more Marans Chickens from a Marans Chicken Mystery Egg (as of this writing) is disappointing at best, and a deal breaker at worst. Is the chicken worth a purchase, at 20 Farm Cash, if you can only earn these old items by opening its eggs?

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Lonley White Mustang wanders into FarmVille

FarmVille players may notice a new wandering animal on their farms Saturday afternoon. A new White Mustang is being spotted on farms, and you'll need the help of your friends to catch him for good.

If a White Mustang wanders onto your farm, you will receive a popup notice letting you know there's a wandering animal around. Clicking the message will bring you outside the borders of your farm to find a sad White Mustang.

Once you'ce spotted the White Mustang, you can ask five friends to help coax him onto your farm. Alternately, you can skip asking your friends and pay 20 Farm Cash immediately to call in the help of an animal expert, who will catch it for you right away.

When you have received enough help, you will get the White Mustang and you'll be able to share a free one with your friends via a Facebook post.

Friday, July 22, 2011

FarmVille Super Crop guide

FarmVille released Super Crops into the game on Thursday night! These all-new crops give players something new to plant and mastery, and they boast special Gold Mastery Signs upon completion of all three mastery levels.

In order to plant a Super Crop (and there are several available), you’ll need to master their regular crop counterpart first. For example, in order to plant Super Pumpkins, you must have Pumpkins mastered first. You’ll also need to obtain approval from 6 of your friends before you can plant.

There are nine new crops for you to unlock:

  • Super Cotton: Requires Cotton mastery. This is a 12 hour crop that yields 3XP and 207 Farm Coins per harvest.
  • Super Pumpkin: Requires Pumpkin mastery. This is an 8 hour crop that yields 2XP and 68 Farm Coins per harvest.
  • Super Yellow Melon: Requires Yellow Melon mastery. This is a four day crop that yields 10XP and yields 528 Farm Coins per harvest.
  • Super Grape: Requires Grape mastery. This is a 1 day crop that yields 4XP and 270 Farm Coins per harvest.
  • Super Watermelon: Requires Watermelon mastery. This is a 4 day crop that yields 10XP and 400 Farm Coins per harvest.
  • Super Pepper: Requires Pepper mastery. This is a 1 day crop that yields 4XP and 162 Farm Coins per harvest.
  • Super Pink Aster: Requires Pink Aster mastery. This is a 1 day crop that yields 4XP and 165 Farm Coins per harvest.
  • Super Cranberry: Requires Cranberry mastery. This is a 10 hour crop that yields 2XP and 98 Farm Coins per harvest.
  • Super Strawberry: Requires Strawberry mastery. This is a 4 hour crop that yields 1XP and 50 Farm Coins per harvest.

    If you do not want to wait for your friends to answer their game requests and approve your crops, you can skip this step for Farm Cash. We suggest being patient and waiting though – these are permanent crops for you to master!

    For those who need mastery signs as soon as humanly possible, remember you can purchase the 2 day Mastery Statue in the FarmVille Market for a little while longer!



FarmVille Sneak Peek: Tasty Truffle Trees joined by Merens Pony

Truffle TreesYou know, I think there's a reason why advertisers have fallen in love with FarmVille. After looking at these Truffle Trees in this next Sneak Peek, I (and probably you) just can't help but crave something sweet. There's not much information available on these upcoming fudge-filled pieces of foliage.

However, FarmVille Feed guesses that they'll release with an extension of the Parisian Theme. Like most trees, and this is just a guess, these will probably release through Mystery Seedlings and later into the Market for Farm Cash.

As for this adorable Merens Pony, which will also likely be part of an extension to the Parisian Theme, as these doe-eyed horses reign from the Pyrenees mountains in southern France (and Spain). However, Horses have been released outside of a theme plenty of times, like the random Dartmoor Pony gift many of us received recently. Well, until you can see these items in-game, enjoy the pretty pictures.

Merens Pony
Truffle Trees

Sunday, July 10, 2011

FarmVille: Yellow Sow now available through Animal Feed Trough

Farmers, I have a confession to make. I'm not the biggest fan of the Animal Feed Trough in FarmVille. There, I said it. I can take only so many Poncho Llamas and Baby Elephants before I go out of my mind, but luckily, Zynga looks to be trying to rejuvenate the feature by adding a new animal for "discovery." You can now find a Yellow Sow in the Feed Trough, so long as you always keep your feed level at 20 and hope for the best.

As usual, the animal you'll find is random, but if you're a Pig Breeder, this is actually a really great animal to find, as it will add this pale yellow color to your breeding catalog, so that you can pass it on to Piglets with patterns... Well, again, if you're lucky. Hopefully, if enough users start using their Feed Troughs again, Zynga will take it as a hint to add more new animals, and we'll make sure to let you know if they do.

FarmVille: Boer Goat available as free gift for a limited time

If you're new to FarmVille, or know someone who is, you may not have any Boer Goats on your land. This animal was first launched in 2010 as an adoptable animal, and has gone through short periods of re-releases since. Such is the case today, as the Boer Goat has been re-released as a free gift, but only for a limited time.

The Boer Goat can be found on the free gifts page, and sent like any other item. You can add the animal to your "Wishlist," should you wish to post a news feed item directly to your friends, letting them know you want one, or you can do the gifting to new players, or anyone you know that's an animal collector. Remember, the time limits for these limited time free gifts are unknown, so if you want a chance to send (or receive) one of these cute little animals, do it fast.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Emma Stone Deactivates Facebook Account After Becoming 'Addicted' to FarmVille

Emma Stone Cancels Facebook Account After Becoming 'Addicted' to FarmVille

Emma Stone says she deactivated her Facebook account after becoming addicted to the online game FarmVille, Cambio reports.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, the cover girl says she was hooked on the app, which allows users to create a virtual farm by growing crops and accumulating animals. "I got addicted to FarmVille, so had to get off," she admits.

The 'Easy A' star isn't the only celeb who loves the game. Lady Gaga teamed up with the app to debut her new album, 'Born This Way,' on a version of FarmVille called GagaVille.

Emma shouldn't feel too bad -- the game has driven users to do some unbelievable things. In 2010, a 12-year-old became so obsessed with FarmVille that he racked up $1,400 worth of charges on his mom's credit card to buy "farm cash."

It's no wonder why the actress wanted to cancel her Facebook account all together! Emma is starring in 'Crazy, Stupid, Love,' which opens in theaters on July 29.

Zynga spices FarmVille up with limited edition Habanero Chili crop

Since the Mexico theme has arrived in FarmVille, the Market has certainly heated up--caliente!--with a slew of new animals, decorations and more.

But Zynga just turned it up to 11 with this new limited edition crop, the Habanero Chili. And, get this, it doesn't require a Farm Cash license. (You can applaud now.)



The Habanero Chili costs just 50 Coins and, after eight hours, the crop will ripen and sell for 110 Coins and 1 XP. The crop has full Mastery, though it's doubtful unsure whether Bushels can be made from it.

However, you only have the next 21 days to master it, so get started now if you want that big old Chili sign. And don't get too confident now that you've planted them digitally--unless you can do without taste buds.