PlayFirst Grapevine
Behind the Scenes of Emerald City Confidential
2009
by annemariePF
FEB
17
Ever think about creating your very own game? Get behind the scenes of the latest PlayFirst release, Emerald City Confidential with Dave Gilbert of Wadjet Eye Games. Check out Emerald City Confidential today.
David Gilbert writes: Three years ago I wrote my first game from inside a New York City café. Every morning for a month I would walk in, nab a cup of joe, sit down, plug my battered laptop into a handy outlet, and get to work. It was a great way to make a game. There was no office, no schedule, and no rush hour subway crowds. I had an epiphany during that month - I was going to do this forever. So, I proceeded to do just that. The games have gotten bigger, prettier, and more expensive since then; but I still work in cafés. I'm actually writing this blog entry from one!
It's been over a year since Emerald City Confidential went into production, and what a ride it's been! It is without a doubt the largest and most ambitious project I've ever worked on. It has interesting characters, tells a great story, it looks beautiful, it has a bunch of neat puzzles, and it takes place in Oz! I look at the game now, all shiny and new and on the verge of release, and I'm so gosh darn proud of it. I am so thankful to PlayFirst for believing in my work and making this possible. This is the type of game I dreamed of making ever since I was a kid.
I just try not to think about the amount of coffee I consumed while making it. This game has probably kept my local café in business all by itself.
The Animals of Wandering Willows
2009
by bobonut
FEB
13
This week, I'd like to cover the animals in Wandering Willows. There are over 40 animals in the game. Each and every one of those animals can be your pet.
What does your pet do?
Your pet does 3 things:
- Climbing
- Digging
- Charming
How are pets different?
Well, some pets are faster at climbing, some are faster at digging, and some are better charmers than others. Each pet also has a special perk. These perks range from digging up rare metals more often to receiving eggs from charming more often. There are quite a few different perks, so I won't list them all here. In addition, you can outfit your pets with special collars which enhance them. That's a whole other topic though…
Also, I'd like to answer some questions that came up in the comments from the last blog:
Psycology99 asks, "When will it be released?"
I'm not sure how specific I can be about the release date but it won't be this month. It could be soon after that…
Ender asks, "How does one go about making a game so clearly awesome? Also, where can I procure a torpex?"
Thanks for the compliment Ender! It was a lot of hard work by a handful of people here. For all who don't know, a torpex is an explosive (I had to look it up myself). There is a point in the game where you make an explosive and you acquire the raw materials by digging them up.
Drbronty asks, "Are you going to have additional beta tests before releasing it?"
Unfortunately, there will be no more beta tests but the game is almost done! So, that should be even better.
-Dan
A few new points about Points
2009
by JenMP
FEB
12
Hey, look, we changed some of the Points stuff! Wish we could take credit for the clever ideas, but of course we were mostly just listening to you, our brilliant and loyal PlayFirsters.
When we introduced PlayFirst Points on the beta version of our website way back when, we were surprised (happily so!) by some of the reactions we got from you. Our intent was to add a casual little game element into the website experience—put some low-key competitive fun into our newest website features. But fans really latched onto the idea and became very invested in their Points. We got a lot of requests to redeem Points for things and earn Points for different things. We toyed with spending Points to ask questions. But people didn't want to lose what they had worked hard to accumulate—even though they couldn't yet do anything with them!
Well, that kind of investment deserves a payoff. So, we went ahead and revamped Points! Some changes come directly from your suggestions; some we had secretly planned all along (heh heh). Here's a quick summary:
You earn Points not only for answering questions (and being selected for providing the best answer), but also for asking questions that other people find interesting. You get Points for improving the Tips knowledge base by voting for best answers, and for becoming more engaged with the PlayFirst community by choosing an avatar and validating your email address.
And what's even better? You can now redeem Points for actual online stuff!
- Like backgrounds! Dress up our website with a special background. Your background gets noticed on your Profile page—whenever anyone views your Profile, they'll see your special background.
- And avatars! Dress up your PlayFirst persona with a brand-spanking-new avatar, only available via Points redemption. You can show off your avatar in the forums, Tips, and blog comments;
...which we know you will be ;-)
A Glimpse of Wandering Willows
2009
by bobonut
JAN
28
My name is Dan, and I'm the lead designer on Wandering Willows, which some of you have played in First Peek.
First off, I'd like to thank everyone for their participation in the Wandering Willows First Peek. We're going to try and take all your feedback and make the game even better!
The game might be a little different from what everyone is used to but we hope you enjoy it. For those who didn't get to try it, I'd like to describe it. Here's the opening story:
You decide to take a break from stressful city life and sail a balloon around the world. A storm blows you off course and causes you to crash in the land of Wandering Willows. The inhabitants of Wandering Willows are a bunch of happy, go-lucky folk that are from all different time periods. You and your pet will be helping these folks out and getting into many adventures while exploring this strange and whimsical land!
The game is what we're calling an Adventure Role Playing Game or Adventure RPG. You get to create your own avatar (you can see mine in my profile pic) and choose your gender, hair, eyes, etc. You'll help people out with their daily tasks as they help you fix your balloon. With the help of your pet, you will garden, pick fruit off trees, dig up items, create new clothes, cook food, and collect new pets.
I'd like to answer your questions about the game length. This game is at least twice as long as most casual games. Also, the world is about five times the size of what you explored in First Peek.
In addition, I'll try to make these posts as regular as I can and answer any questions in the comments that anyone has. I hope everyone has as much fun playing it as we had making it!
Player of the Month: Kel3369
2009
by applesun
JAN
19
One of our Players of the Month is the wonderful Kel3369, who you may know from TIPS and the forums. Kel3369 and her husband of 21 years, Joseph, have recently re-set the clock on their child rearing years with the birth of their twins, Charlie and Emma. Having already raised two children and begun to make plans on what to do with their empty nest, it was quite a shock for the happy family when they learned that twins were on the way! Kel, a fixture in the PlayFirst Community, has taken everything in stride with the support of her friends here at PlayFirst.com, where she’s been a member for a little over a year. A Registered Nurse Midwife and Educator, Kel is currently on Maternity leave for one year, spending her days playing with her twins and on her absolute favorite online hang out, PlayFirst!
How long have you been "a gamer?" How were you introduced to video games, and what was the first game you remember playing?
I remember my first intro to video games was at an arcade in a little town down South, and I fell in love with Centipede. I have been home video gaming since the early 80's when my Father brought home an Atari and a Vic 20 computer. Ever since then, I have always been hooked on some kind of video game. I used to love to play games such as Pong, Pac Man, Space Invaders and Donkey Kong.
How often do you play games?
I play computer games every single day that I possibly can. :)
Do you have any funny gamer quirks?
Hmmm, I am not really sure if this counts as a "quirk" but I have recently started to not let myself proceed to the next level in a game until I get an expert score. Fitness Dash cured me of that since it was so challenging. LOL I finally had to move on and come back and beat the levels with an expert score later on. Luckily, after many attempts, I did finally get my Fitness Dash expert medal. :)
Aside from playing games, what are some other ways you like to spend your free time?
Well, as most people know, I am recovering from a bad accident where I fell while holding my infant daughter last September, so I am in a leg cast and on bed rest for several months. Right now, I am gaming, chatting with friends, playing forum games and taking care of the twins while I heal. Before the accident, I still played computer games, and visited the forums, but I also worked on professional counted cross stitch projects, and loved going out to movies and plays with my husband and friends whenever we could come up with some free time.
What games are you currently playing?
I just finished Fitness Dash and Parking Dash and I am currently working on earning my expert medal in Pet Shop Hop.
What is your favorite game of all time?
I would have to say it is a tie between Wedding Dash 1 and 2. I think the concept is adorable, the gameplay is fun, and the games really do make me laugh every time I play them. I really hope there will be a Wedding Dash 3 one day. Fitness Dash is a close second for me. I adore that game as well.
What attracts you to the PlayFirst Community, and how do you most like to participate in it?
Without hesitation, it is the people in the forums that attract me to PlayFirst. I have met some amazing friends at PlayFirst and they have really helped me through some rough days while healing from my accident. I am amazed at the kindness these people have in them. I love to answer questions in the "Tips" section when I can, but my first love is absolutely the forums. I think the PlayFirst lounge is where I hang out the most, and the thread topics and forum games that the members come up with are a lot of fun. I log in pretty much every day to play the forum games and to see what the other members are up to.
What's your favorite thing about PlayFirst?
I love the forums with its great sense of community among the members, and of course the fantastic games!
You answered tons of TIPS in September, handling some very technical, customer-support-type questions. Do you find yourself explaining things to people a lot in real life?
LOL Yes, I spent a lot of time in the "Tips" section right after the accident and I really enjoyed it. Since I am a Nurse and an Educator, I guess it is in my nature to enjoy explaining things to others if I know the answer.
You're also very well known and trusted in the forums, where threads are started with your user name as a subject line. What advice would you give to people about posting in a forum, especially when it comes to sharing personal information in a safe and courteous manner?
I have been very blessed with some amazing friends in the forums and my name is probably in subject lines mainly because they have been wishing me well since my accident. Several members have done amazingly kind things, such as start threads with movie recommendations so I have things to watch while I am on bedrest, and some have started threads to check in on how I am doing. A few members have become honorary Aunts and Uncles to the twins and ask me often how they are doing, which is great.
The best advice I could give about posting in a forum is to be careful not to give out your full name and location as well as any phone numbers and things of that nature. If you do make contact with others via email, open a separate account just for forum use, that doesn't give out your full name and personal information to others. It's important to be careful and use good judgment. I tend to share more with PlayFirst members than any other forum because they have become a cyber family to me and have been so supportive from long before the twins were born up until now.
Anything else you'd like to share?
I would just like to thank PlayFirst for choosing me as "Player of the Month" as it is really a great honor and I know there are many others that deserve this more than I do. I also want to take the time to thank the wonderful people in the forums that have helped me through a really rough few months while I have been healing from my accident. I have been in a lot of pain and have had several complications while healing, from infections to kidney stones. It is amazing to me how kind people can be to someone they have never met in person. Thank you to PlayFirst for providing a fun, safe site to interact with these amazing people, and for developing the amazing games you do that bring us all together in the first place. I hope everyone has a safe and happy Holiday season. :)
Best Mac Snack
2009
by Nemone
JAN
6
Congratulations to Chocolatier® 2: Secret Ingredients for winning the '08 PlayFirst Firsties for Best Mac Game!
Available on PC and Mac, Chocolatier® 2: Secret Ingredients is a delicious economic simulation set in the industrious age of the 1920s. Players aid the Baumiester family, owners of a world-class Chocolate empire, by traveling the globe to source exotic ingredients and optimize factory operations in ports from Bombay to Moscow. Quest-driven and bursting with chocolate trivia, Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients is perfect for Monopoly fans, historical romance buffs, and epicureans of any age.
Brush up now, on PC or Mac, before Chocolatier®: Decadence by Design™ releases on--
--your favorite gaming website!
Firsties Guest Blog: Joel Brodie
2008
by Nemone
DEC
23
If you work in the casual game industry, you know Joel. Joel Brodie is the founder of Gamezebo.com, the editorial home of casual games on the net. Previously, Joel was head of business development for Yahoo! Games, where he was responsible for building numerous enterprising products, including Yahoo! Games Downloads, Games on Demand, and Video Games.
See Gamezebo’s latest post, featuring tips & tricks for Nightshift Legacy: The Jaguar’s Eye, at http://gamezebo.com/games/nightshift-legacy-jaguars-eye/tips-tricks/nightshift-legacy-jaguar-039-s-eye-tips
PlayFirst is proud to present Joel Brodie’s Wish List for 2009, and assures you that wish number five has been granted:
Instead of giving you my predictions (which you can read on Gamezebo in my editorial, “Recession? What Recession?”), I’ll going to give you my Wish List for what I want to see in 2009.
- A fair deal for developers. It’s not easy to be a game developer these days, with lower prices, lower margins, higher development costs, and less ways to sell their games. I wish that game developers get a new fair deal, so that they have more money to make better games for us to play.
- Better games. We played a lot of great games in 2008 (Cooking Dash, Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst, Mortimer Beckett and the Time Paradox, etc), but there have also been a lot of major disappointments. It’s kind of like a TV schedule where every show is sort of the same. I wish for better games to review and play.
- New hybrid game categories. The most interesting casual games to me are those that combine different genres. A hidden object game meets an adventure game. An adventure games meets a time management game. You get the picture. I wish for more games that break between the lines.
- Lower prices and more ways to pay to play. OK, this is less a wish and more a fact of life. Games are being offered at lower prices due to the recession and different discount clubs (like you have seen here at PlayFirst). And it’s a good thing. The lower the price per game, the more game players can buy and the larger the market will be.
- 6 PlayFirst gift cards for the Holidays. My 6 nieces love the Dash games. My last wish is for PlayFirst to give me 6 free coupons to give my nieces the gift of Dash games to my nieces so that I am officially become the coolest Uncle ever.
Finally, I would like to wish everyone reading this a Happy Holidays and New Year.
FIRSTIES WINNERS: "Cutest Critter" Game
2008
by Nemone
DEC
12
When asked about animated animals they just couldn't resist, players voted for the stylish canines and felines of Doggie Dash™, a PlayFirst® time management game set in a DinerTown™ pet spa. Easy to get into but amusingly challenging in the higher levels, Doggie Dash is perfect for time-management buffs, pet lovers, and anyone interested in being introduced to classic point and click play.
Competitors in cuteness included Farm Frenzy 2, Ranch Rush™, Fishdom, and Virtual Farm.
Thanks for voting!
FIRSTIES WINNERS: Best Leading Lady
2008
by Nemone
DEC
11
Congratulations to Flo™, Winner of the Firsties Best "Leading Lady" category!
Star of PlayFirst's award-winning Diner Dash® series as well as the new Cooking Dash™, the spunky, entrepreneurial, and DIY-devotee Flo has been a fan-favorite for years. Practical, confident, self-empowered but also an anti-glamour everyman, Flo can be befriended in almost any of PlayFirst's exclusive DASH™ games. Flo is also the best known resident of DinerTown™, both the setting and story world for many of PlayFirst’s most compelling hits.
The other entrants were Jojo in Jojo's Fashion Show 2: Las Cruces, who came in second; Jill in Cake Mania 3, who came in third; Jane from Jane's Realty and Evageline in Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients.
Thanks for voting!
Firsties Guest Blog: DFC
2008
by Nemone
DEC
9
In honor of the Firsties™ (where fans pick first!), we're proud to introduce David Cole and Joost van Dreunen, analysts with DFC Intelligence, a strategic market research and consulting firm focused on interactive entertainment and the emerging video game, online game, interactive entertainment and portable game markets.
Here, David and Joost share their Top 5 Trends in Casual Games. To receive free game industry research, visit DFC Intelligence.
1. Multiple Platforms: Now every game platform is embracing casual games. The Xbox 360 has Live Arcade, the PS3 has the PlayStation Network, the Wii has Virtual Console and the most successful platform of all, the Nintendo DS, is all about casual games.
2. Microtransactions: In the 1970s, consumers spent billions of dollars a year in the arcades one quarter at a time. Today, after an initial purchase, people often continue to spend in small increments on additional features such as avatar clothes or extra levels to enhance and expand the original experience of games like Diner Dash: Hometown Hero.
3. Going to Retail: You know casual games have arrived when retailers want to get involved. With the ability to see cards for consumers to download products online, stores like 7-11 and Rite Aid can carry products without having to sacrifice valuable shelf space.
4. Brands and Franchise: There are now entire companies devoted to copying the latest hit games. This means that in the casual game space it requires not only innovation but strong brands and franchises. Success comes down to marketing and distribution.
5. Everyone is a Casual Gamer: The stereotype of the casual gamer was a woman aged 35-54 that played as a quick work break. The success of products like the Xbox 360 Arcade and Nintendo DS and Wii show that casual games appeal to a much broader demographic.
Recent Posts
Archive
PlayFirst is the creator of Diner Dash, Chocolatier, Dream Chronicles and other award-winning casual games.
