Games.com Weekly Roundup: Spotlighting social games at E3 2011

Couldn't get your daily Games.com news fix and want to know what you've missed? Whether it's a major FarmVille guide or the launch of a new Facebook game, the Roundup will bring you up to speed on the most important or popular or just plain out amazing and weird social gaming stories of the week.

Monday:

    The Sims creator Will Wright is making a Facebook game, and it's not SimCity
    Instead, Wright is basing his new game on Bruce Sterling's short story "Maneki Neko".
    Want to work for Marriott Hotels? Play the Facebook game first
    "We had no idea there was such a demand for hotel employees, but alas, here we are, recruiting them through ... Facebook games."
    Zynga hangs on iPhone in Hanging with Friends: Fuhgettabout pen and paper
    "Developed by Texas-based Zynga subsidiary Zynga with Friends, Hanging with Friends is a mobile multiplayer take on the classic two-player puzzle game Hangman."
    Playdom's City of Wonder on iPhone: Conquer the world wherever
    "Playdom has released City of Wonder, it's Civilization-like empire-building Facebook game, to iOS devices. And better yet, it's absolutely free."
    The Sims Social: Yup, The Sims is finally coming to Facebook
    Were you as creeped out by the debut trailer as we were? Nonetheless, it's hard not to get excited.



Tuesday:

    Apple Game Center in iOS 5 mirrors Facebook gaming, coming this fall
    "Social gaming has effectively become mobile gaming in many a developer's eye, and Apple is poised to strike the competition this fall with the new Facebook games-inspired Game Center."
    'Arookoo: World Explorers' steps up social gaming, but stumbles on Facebook
    Reader's Digest Association and Vivity Labs' create a Facebook game to complement a free iPhone app that nabs you virtual perks for real world strolls.
    E3 2011: Prime World mixes free-to-play MMO with Facebook friend interaction
    "You'll be able to invite your Facebook friends to play the game with you . . . There's even a Zuma-inspired marble game for those that would prefer to match marbles than enter combat (at least temporarily)."
    E3 2011: Yoostar Playground puts you in the movies on Facebook
    "With Yoostar Playground, you're really given the opportunity for your 15 minutes of fame, as the company routinely holds contests over the best videos uploaded to the service."



Wednesday:

    Zynga celebrates FarmVille's 2nd Birthday with an explosion of items
    For the full scoop, check out our FarmVille 2nd Birthday Guide.
    E3 2011: Walking Dead game gets a Facebook tie-in
    "A few months ago, we learned that The Walking Dead, a hit TV series on AMC as well as a comic book series with a serious cult following, is getting the game treatment."
    Casino City, Bar World and Slot City get the axe
    "[A]s a result of Zynga's recent acquisition of DNA Games (its 14th purchase in just a year!), all three of the studio's games will shut down come July 8."



Thursday:


    E3 2011: Fruit Ninja Frenzy takes a slice out of Facebook this summer
    "In Fruit Ninja Frenzy, the same basic gameplay from the mobile version has been retained, but has been chopped (no pun intended) into 60-seconds of bite sized fruity goodness."
    E3 2011: Pet Society Vacation on iPhone takes your Facebook pet on a tropical trip
    Playfish fans are definitely excited, but the catch is this iOS game won't crossover with the one on Facebook except when it comes to porting over your pet.
    John Carmack: Facebook offers the 'Walmart experience of gaming' [Interview]
    "[Social games are] not a connoisseur experience, but it's important to recognize that most of what people consume in the world is not a connoisseur experience."
    E3 2011: Shooters, not social, are still king
    So how's E3 treating the social games scene? Our EIC, Libe Goad, spent the week over there and left us this thoughtful piece.
    The Amazing Spider-Man's Emma Stone was hooked on FarmVille
    "I got to level 42, and I wasn't doing anything else anymore, so I had to stop," Stone told ELLE.
    FrontierVille Oregon Trail becomes 'Pioneer Trail' after community vote
    Not that we thought anyone could confuse the official Oregon Trail with Zynga's FrontierVille expansion on Facebook, but that's lawsuits for ya.
    Scam Alert: 'Zynga Promotions' is not RewardVille, but another scam
    Dastardly!

E3 2011: Playdom's City of Might goes to war with Zynga's Empires & Allies this summer

Don't they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? I hope Zynga will feel mighty flattered then, as Playdom unveiled a new Facebook game at E3 this year - City of Might. During my limited demo of the game (I wasn't actually allowed to play, but rather was shown a scripted series of events), I learned that City of Might combines the city-building elements of City of Wonder with resource management and player-vs-player combat. Instantly, we're left with comparisons to Zynga's Empires & Allies which just launched days ago.

For City of Might, you'll need to collect resources to build more units, and can then use those units to plan and execute invasion strategies on other players. While combat is a bit interactive, it's mostly cinematic, and you'll only be able to place your units on the enemies' maps and then add more units mid-battle if your troops wind up defeated. From what I saw, it appeared that the rest of battle was automated, as each side shows their damage as small numbers that float rapidly up from the unit or building in question. If you don't succeed your first time in battle, you can call in the help of friends for a rematch. These friends will allow you to earn bonuses to your damage and armor stats, giving you a better chance at success. There are air and ground units to choose from, but this demo didn't make it clear as to whether naval units would complete the expected trio.

Where City of Might looks to have a one-up on Zynga is through the use of an in-game chat system, allowing you to interact in real time with other players, whether they are your Facebook friends or not. In this way, you won't have to have tons of personal friends playing the game on Facebook to actually play the game with other real people.

As for an expected launch, we can look to see City of Might drop its first bomb on Facebook later this summer. We know there are many more features still being completed that will eventually be added to the game, but details are heavily under wraps as of right now. You can see a small preview of what the game looks like at the top of this post, but we'll make sure to give you a more in-depth overview of the game as we get closer to launch.

What do you think of the idea of Playdom's City of Might? Do you think anything could have the power to defeat Zynga?

E3 2011: Playdom offers in-game bonus for Gardens of Time in activity book

The Disney booth at this year's E3 may have been filled to the brim with the brand's major stars like Cars' Lightning McQueen and Phineas and Ferb, but tucked away in a corner sat a demo station of Gardens of Time, Playdom's hidden object Facebook game. Next to the unassuming PC sat a Gardens of Time activity book, containing some stationary hidden object scenes, allowing visitors to see what the game was about without requiring them to actually sit down, mouse in hand.

While browsing through the book for new details or announcements, I found a bonus at the end. Disney and Playdom are offering users a free decoration for our gardens if you visit a particular link. Even if you didn't go to E3, you can still get your hands on this bonus item - just click right here. Once you visit this link, it appears that the bonus is the same regardless of visitor, and you'll receive a free Mandarin Ducks item.

We're not sure if this link will only remain active for a limited amount of time, but it does seem to be permanent. Either way, make sure you visit the link sooner, rather than later to claim your Mandarin Ducks decorative item while you know it's still available.

What do you think of your free Mandarin Ducks item? Are you happy Gardens of Time was shown off at the show?