PlayFirst Grapevine
Ready for Dream Chronicles?
If you are a FirstPeek member, you've probably already had a chance to play one of our upcoming games, Dream Chronicles. In the game, the main character has a difficult time distinguishing between her life-like dreams and reality.
Has this ever happened to you? I can't think of a good example but I once woke up after I punched the wall next to my bed. Luckily I didn't punch the wall too hard but it startled me and got me out of bed fast. The sad thing is that I couldn't remember anything about my dream after i woke up Was I taking a self defense class? Was I horsing around with friends? I'll never know... but I still laugh about that one every now and then.
Tell us about your funniest or strangest dreams by posting a comment to this blog entry and we'll send you a coupon for 25% off Dream Chronicles to celebrate all dreams weird and wonky! You will need to submit your dream by June 10th, 6 PM PST. (Please limit your post to 500 characters and keep in mind that this is a family friendly environment. All entries are governed by our Terms of Service and will be publicly viewable. Only one coupon will be emailed per PlayFirst account; coupon will be mailed around June 11)
Dream on...
In time for summer: Zenerchi and June calendar
Catch Flo relaxing on the beach in our new June calendar!
You can also get your hands on Diner Dash: Sizzle & Serve handheld. Play new levels alone or play with friends in multiplayer mode! If you already have it, let us know what you think.
In between all your fun summer activities, sit back and relax with PlayFirst's newest game, Zenerchi. With its soothing meditative music, inspiring quotes and mesmerizing color wheels, Zenerchi will cool you down in no time.
More new games: Profitville (addicting!) and Yahtzee.
What's in a Username?
The other day I was playing Diner Dash + Together, and while in a chat room a player asked me if I was a doctor. It was at that point that I explained how I came up with that name...
Early in my career in the gaming industry I was working on Tiger Woods Golf. Because we all know most doctors play golf, I started using "Dr." before each of the usernames I created. In one of the games I was testing, there was a character named "Davis Love the III" but he appeared in the game as "Davis Love the iii" so I then made up the name Driii and it stuck! So that is how I came up with my username. How did you come up with yours?
Wedding Planning 101
My big news of the hour is that I just got engaged and that I am going to try and plan a wedding for 150 people in 4 months. WOW! I am a little overwhelmed, as you can imagine.
The one thing I can say so far is that everyone has commented on how, unlike a lot of brides, I am making decisions at lightening speed and miraculously not regretting them (so far). Why am I able to do this when other brides seemingly obsess about every single detail? Well, it could be that I have a massively short timeline, unlike others who give themselves an entire year to plan this day. Or it could be in my genes that I hate getting wrapped up in details and therefore make quick decisions. But since this is a gaming blog, I will find a way to relate it to the products that I work on on a daily basis.
Could it be that the quick reactions that Diner Dash promotes has not only increased my ability to make on-screen decisions but also off-screen? Could it be that my obsession with Mystery Case Files, and finding things quickly has somehow managed to train my eye for just the right flower, setting or caterer? Probably not... but who knows?! Could it be that casual games are not only fun but good for you too? My fiance would certainly say so... since he gets to get out of planning this whole thing!!! :)
Mythic Marbles Madness!
We've got a lot of new stuff for you this week. To kick it off, we have a hot new game from PlayFirst - Mythic Marbles! Knock out the competition with your marble magic and become champion in this game that requires a steady hand and a cool temper.
You can also get your gear on and dive into an underwater quest (Atlantis Adventure), play a drop-and-watch-it-bounce gameshow (Drop'Em), or ride a train fueled by words (Text Express 2).
For all those great Mac people out there, we now have a bunch of games available on Mac: Pokersuper Stars 2, Bejeweled 2 Deluxe, Bookworm, and Zuma.
Check out all the games here!
Discovering Casual Games
I recently wrote about PlayFirst's guidelines saving me from my blogging addiction. But in PlayFirst's new Together service, I face another old addiction: chat rooms. I was an IRC junkie in 1992--I couldn't get enough of chatting to far-away people and finding out how they lived.
Now that we've added features for filtering the yobbos out, Together Chat provides me similar insight into our game audience's lives. A girl in the Diner Dash Lounge recently complained about babysitting her 15 siblings--I would never have imagined that many kids in a 2-parent family or them sharing a handful of computers without killing each other!
I also wrote that casual games benefit society. That girl's family must surely show it: by giving the kids something to do, our games can make that family less chaotic, and we might even reduce the global population problem if the parents ever decide to play Chessmaster Challenge one night instead.
I never used to think much about games, except for a bit of X-Blast when that IRC server was down. The few games that grabbed my attention were more about creativity than my non-existent hand-eye coordination. I did enjoy that city-building one, even though some stupid dinosaur would inevitably stomp all over my hard work, but I probably spent less than 10 hours total on it. I would've played more if it allowed me to arrange timetables for the transit systems I built but the game's creators probably thought that feature wouldn't sell.
Working here is changing me. I'm discovering the breadth and depth of casual games and enjoying them more than I could've imagined. Subway Scramble grants me my timetabling fix and I have a girlfriend who I'm sure would be delighted by Mariposa. I'm also finding games help clear my mind between web-engineering challenges. I only worry that casual games will be my next addiction.
Meet Sketchie, our Player of the Month!
For our 2nd Player of the Month, we have a personality from the forums that some of you may know already: Sketchie! A passionate gamer and die-hard Diner Dash fan, Sketchie is also a talented graphic designer fresh out of college who hopes to someday put his artistic skills to use in the game industry.
How were you introduced to video games and what was the first game you remember playing?
When I was 7 or 8 years old, my parents got me a Nintendo Power magazine and I was immediately hooked. The first system I bought was Nintendo, and the first game I played was Super Mario Brothers.
How often do you play games?
Daily, pretty much! I don't think I've ever gone through a day without playing at least a couple hours of video games.
How long have you been a gamer?
Since I was 7 or 8 years old. I'm 25 now, so that's quite a long time ;)
Aside from playing games, what are some other ways you like to relax and unwind?
I'm an artist, so I tend to draw every once in a while. I often like watching movies and reading books. I also like to go bowling and hang out with my friends at various places.
Mouse or joystick?
Both! Can't live without either ;)
What games are you currently playing?
Cubology. It's my current puzzle game I'm trying to finish up so I can move on to Circulate.
What is your favorite game of all time?
I'd have to say that Peggle Deluxe and Slingo Quest are my favorites.
Nanny Mania is here!
Cooking and cleaning not your thing? Wait until you try Nanny Mania! Folding laundry was never so entertaining!
We've also got two other new games this week: Join Oceana in Escaping Atlantis and rack 'em up in DDD Pool.
Your picks for mom?
If you haven't found a Mother's Day Gift yet, you're in luck. A few of us got together and picked games that we'd buy for our moms so check out our Mother's Day Gift Guide! It was hard for me to pick just one (I ended up recommending Burger Rush) but here are some other games I thought my mom would enjoy:
- Chocolatier - she has a serious sweet tooth
- Mystery of Shark Island
- Plantasia
And how about you?
What games do you think your mom would enjoy?
May Flowers
Did you know the multitalented Flo has a green thumb too? Pluck some flowers from her flowerbed in our May calendar and let us know which is your floral favorite.
If you're up for something a little more dark, solve a murder mystery in Agatha Christie™ Death on the Nile. Hunt for objects, find clues and interview suspects in this visually compelling game.
