It was a surprise when the top Facebook game of 2011 wasn’t a title from market-leading Zynga. But this year, it has plans to change that.
Today it is launching Hidden Chronicles, the company’s first-ever “hidden objects” game on Facebook.
Zynga's Hiden Chronicles (Click Image To Enlarge)
So far, the casual game genre, which challenges players to find wineglasses or candlesticks in a crowded and messy illustration, has not had a major presence on Facebook.
That is, with one exception: Facebook deemed Gardens of Time by Disney’s Playdom division the most popular game of 2011.
Disney's Playdom Gardens of Time (Click Image To Enlarge)
In many regards, Zynga’s Hidden Chronicles is a copycat of the game or others found on the PC. The launch is important to Zynga since it marks one of the first times it is branching out from creating ’Ville games. Such hits as FarmVille and CityVille laid the foundation for Zynga’s $1 billion public offering in December.
Cara Ely, creative director of Hidden Chronicles, said the category is popular on the computer, but today the games are single-player experiences.
Cara Ely, creative director for Hidden Chronicles, shows off the game in an interview with VentureBeat's Dean Takahashi
She said.
“Zynga has so much knowledge about social play. People who already like hidden object games will have this new twist, and then people who have been playing ’Villes will enjoy them if you are a puzzle solver and like that completion-ist feeling.”
The premise of the game is that your Uncle Geoffrey has died under suspicious circumstances, and he’s left behind a number of clues to solve the mystery.
After arriving on the estate, the game feels like a scavenger hunt, where you search the uncle’s home and its grounds, including tree houses or secret gardens that you gain access to over time.
And, because it is a social game, you will need friends for some components of the game.
Challenge your friends to a contest of who can find the most hidden objects in a particular scene within 60 seconds, or earn “reputation points” by interacting with friends to unlock new content and scenes. If you don’t want to interact with friends, you can always pay to unlock these new scenes.
After all, Zynga’s got to have a way to make money.
Ely said the game will be able to live on forever with no final conclusion as to why your uncle died.
She said.
“We have a lot of story written that goes beyond that. We’ve structured it so you solve one piece, and then you have another avenue to go down. It’s like a TV series that goes on as long as you have new narrative and story content.”
Ely, who joined Zynga last year, was the creator of the popular Dream Day Wedding series of hidden object games on the PC and worked at Sierra Online and iPlay.
Hidden Chronicles, which is expected to go live on Facebook later this morning, will be available in 15 languages.
COMMENTARY: It certainly appears that Zynga has a potential winner on their hands, because the new game is loaded with social features. I do have a bone to pick with Zynga. Only 3% of their gamers actually pay-for-play. The rest (97%) are freeriding, not contributing to the bottomline. Let's not forget that Zynga must split the revenues from virtual products with Facebook (Facebook keeps 30%). Zynga must find a way to increase pay-for-play or attract more advertising or both.
Zynga is no longer a private company, so they must find ways to create predictable and sustainable revenues and increased profitability. They appear to have gamers locked into their site for hours on end, but the revenues are not sufficient to cover all the bandwidth and overhead expenses to generate the type of earnings to justify their market cap of $6.4 billion.
Many of their "ville" games are losing monthly average users in huge numbers so Zynga must continue to create new hit games with a lot of stickiness if they are to continue to grow revenues and profits, otherwise their business model will begin to crack.
Courtesy of an article dated January 4, 2012 appearing in All Things Digital
Brenda Calecas, Sorry that I can't help you with your problem. You should try to contact Zynga directly with your problem or join a Zynga games forum for Hidden Chronicles and do a post describing your problem. You might be able to get an answer from someone who is more familiar with your problem than I am. Thank you for your comment, and hope you will visit regularly, Tommy
Posted by: Tommy | 03/28/2012 at 08:24 AM
I am trying to correct a problem. Could you please help me? No one else's app is posting on my feed. Mine is posted on my own wall, but that is all. I have checked and I have not blocked Hidden Chronicles. Please help me with this problem. My e-mail address is lovemybadges@yahoo.com . My name is Brenda Calecas. Thanks for all your help.
Posted by: Brenda Calecas | 03/28/2012 at 01:28 AM
Maluy,
Sorry, I can't help you much with the rules of these online games. The only games I play is casino, poker, Angry birds, etc. You should post your question on some of the game forums that are out there, like the one on the Zynga website. I am sure someone more knowledgeable will provide an answer to your question.
Thank you for your feedback, and I hope you will visit my blog regularly.
Tommy
Posted by: Tommy | 03/09/2012 at 07:34 AM
Why is it that it takes maybe 2uses to fill one trophy but when you get to last trophy # 5 one has to use 3-4?
Posted by: Matuy | 03/08/2012 at 11:39 PM
I think most of them are related to technology..Can you help me find some related to education…
Posted by: freelance writers | 01/09/2012 at 10:13 AM