Zynga Games Team Up with Hasbro

Hasbro and Zynga Games have teamed up to bring to life some of the most popular online games that you can find on facebook.    Everyone have probably heard of CityVille, Farmville and Words with Friends.    These games have now many players from all around the world.     I will admit that I myself tried the Farmville one but I found it a bit too time demanding to pursue the growth of my farm so I decided to remove it.  

So imagine my surprise when I heard that the three most popular Zynga games have come to life with the help of Hasbro and some of their popular games.   So let’s look at Zynga Cityville Monopoly Game, Zynga Farmville Hungry Hungry Herd, and Zynga Words with Friends Game.

Zynga Cityville Monopoly Game

It looks like the classic fast-dealing property trading MONOPOLY game, but this CITYVILLE MONOPOLY game has been reimagined like the addictive online CITYVILLE game! Buy properties, build houses, community spaces and businesses on them, and raise cash when it’s your turn. You’ll pay when you land on zoning permit spaces and get paid when you pass Go! The first player to build 4 skyscrapers wins. Become a tycoon while you build your dream city with the CITYVILLE MONOPOLY game!

Includes gameboard, 4 movers, 66 buildings, 16 skyscraper tops, city money, zoning permit cards, mystery gift cards, visitor center cards and 2 dice.

For 2 to 4 players.

My Thoughts

I must admit that I am somewhat overwhelmed by all the different MONOPOLY games out there – whether they are a real Monopoly, a Monopoly based on popular movies or one of these Monopoly wanna-be like the Canadian one or the Homeschool version, it is easy to realize that this game has made quite an impact on people everywhere.

Hasbro has recently released a new version of a beloved game based on a popular online game via facebook.  CityVille is similar to the regular Monopoly version but at the same time different.   How’s so?  Well first of all when you build your buildings you can build skyscrapers and you will purchase building like a flower shop,a bakery, an ice cream stand or a toy store.    Beware as you might land on a zoning permit fee or the visitor center.   You will still have the famous jail, the Go and the Parking on the board game.  You will also have the opportunity to give your friends mystery gifts like a tiered fountain to decorate their neighbourhoods.

The game is definitively different and will allow a new challenge as you play with your friends.  However, the game only has four movers compared to the original game which contains six I believe.   Also included in the box you will get 85 city cash billets for use in Zynga’s CityVille online game. 

If you are looking for a new way to entertain friends over this fall/winter seasons, check out the CityVille Monopoly.

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Zynga Farmville Hungry Hungry Herd

Head to the fields to play the HUNGRY HUNGRY HERD game! It’s the new version of the classic HUNGRY HUNGRY HIPPOS game, but it’s based on FARMVILLE. When the game begins, move fast to make

your hungry farm animals munch as many marbles as they can. If your animal chomps the most, you win!

Game includes farm base, 4 animals, 4 marble flippers, 20 marbles, label sheet and game guide. For 2 to 4 players.

My Thoughts

I find this game totally adorable and even more fun that the Hungry Hungry Hippos.      Okay I will admit that the game itself is noisy because of the yell of the kids when playing and the little balls going crazy on the main part.  But having animals from the farm eating the little balls is very creative and perfect for the little ones.    I particularly love the fact that they are different animals and not the same in different colors.   The game is easy to play and will entertain your little ones for a certain period of time.   We have the original version of this game with hippos eating the balls.   But if I had a choice between the original edition and the Herd one, I will definitively pick the farm animals one just because when your kids are at the age of playing with this game, they are also in the process of learning the animals on the farm.    The game also come with 50 farm cash billets to spend on your online farm if you have one.      I applause the originality of this version of a game that has been known for many years now.    I great way to revive the popularity of it by introducing a new environment and new animals.

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Zynga Words with Friends Game

Have the wordiest fun right at home with the new WORDS WITH FRIENDS game, based on the addictive online game! Take 7 tiles and create words vertically or horizontally that connect to previous words when it’s your turn. If you use all your tiles first, you get to add the points from your friends’ remaining tiles to your own score. Do you have the words to win? Find out when you play the classic WORDS WITH FRIENDS game!

Includes gameboard, 104 tiles, 4 tile racks and tile bag.

For 2 to 4 players.

My Thoughts

Thirteen Million Five Hundred Thousands.  That’s own many people are playing the online version of Words with Friends.   I will admit I never played but I have decided to try it out today and felt somewhat overwhelmed.  Though I find it similar to Scrabble, I wonder how it works with friends.  I know many people who love to play the game while on facebook but I must say that I don’t spend as much time as these people on the social media even though I own a Social Media Certificate.  Go figure!

Needless to say,I think this game as potential for an homeschooling family.   My kids are too young to be on facebook yet but eventually they will join and I can see myself challenging their vocabulary with the Words with Friends online version.   In the meantime, I think we will use the Hasbro board game to discover how this game works.    As much as social media is nice to stay in touch I personally find that there is nothing better than a face-to-face meeting with your friends.   And after a good meal and get interactions together,why no pulling a popular game and challenge each other in a good battle of the words.  

To top if off, you can download a word check and a score pad for your iPod/iPhone/iPad or android device.

Finally, you also get a code to redeem the Words with Friends Ultimate Play Pack which would enhance you game online.

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I am very impressed with the creativity of Hasbro in modifying older games into a newer and enhanced version based on popular online games.   The idea of teaming up with Zynga is ingenious and I suspect that this new partnership will be fruitful in the future.   I think bringing online game to life via board games is a great way to encourage families to spend time together.

These three games are available at your favourite toy store in your city.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Hasbro Canada for sending me the above mentioned products for review purposes . I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

@stickyJesus

@stickyJesus – how to live out your faith online
Written by Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong
Published at Digital Scribe Press LLC

About the book

It's jaw dropping: People now spend over 110 billion minutes a month on social networks like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. Some are ranting. Some are raving. Almost all are revealing their hearts and minds as never before. This historic social shift is a dream come true for big brand marketers, political parties, and just about anyone who has something to say.

So how do you-a Christ follower-navigate the noise, dodge the danger, talk the tech, and speak life and hope into the online space?

You get sticky. Just like Jesus. You share the stickiest message ever spoken, the gospel.

Learn to:
* Build and honor relationships the way Jesus did.
* Understand the marketing-driven culture of social networks and how to navigate them.
* Influence, engage, serve, and lead online-like Jesus.
* Use dozens of tools, tricks, tips, and resources to grow your reach.
* Identify and avoid the danger zones.
* Learn the basics of Facebook, Twitter, blogging, and how to find great content to share.

Authors Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong uniquely blend biblical truth and social media know-how with inspirational true stories of people engaging, connecting, and changing the world for Christ through social networks.

@StickyJesus exists to equip you, the Christ follower, to confidently live out your faith in the digital world. We're here to infuse biblical perspective and daily inspiration into your online time.@ We'll help you grow your technical know-how so you can share the sticky love of Jesus Christ with others. We're teaching, listening, and collaborating with a fired-up community of digital scribes about culture, social media, and the kind of relationship building that will outlive cyberspace. Are you in?

Who are Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong?

Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong are communication professionals and Christ followers who bring a fusion of marketing, social media, and biblical knowledge to the online conversation.

Tami Heim is a brand development partner in The A Group, a tech, marketing, media, and consulting firm in Brentwood, Tennessee. Heim previously served as the executive vice president and chief publishing officer at Thomas Nelson Publishers and president of Borders, Inc.

Toni Birdsong is a partner in Birdsong Creative, a visual communications, Web, and marketing firm in Franklin, TN. With an extensive background in writing, she's served as a communications specialist with The Walt Disney Company and provided marketing content for numerous companies.

My Thoughts

I first discovered this book because of an interview about it on our Christian radio.   I was curious about it and asked if I could review it.   I received a PDF format of the book which I didn’t mind. For the past couple of months, I have read the book and discovered a new mission field right under my eyes and my fingertips.

I knew it was there.    And I had used it numerous times.  But not on a regular basis.   @StickyJesus will help you to live out your faith in the online world.

I love the presentation of the chapters and how the authors are presenting the online mission field.    Throughout the book, you will also discover how other people are using their facebook and twitter account to help to spread the message of God.  

Let’s face it.  Social media is definitively here to stay.  What we do with it as a Christian is our choice but using these tools to share your faith and living your faith is a great idea.  

Each chapter ends with a download section where the main idea of the chapter are listed.  There is also an upload area where a prayer is suggested.    Seeking out the Holy Spirit at the beginning of each day will help you live out your faith daily in the various online communities you are part of.

This book will guide you on how you can share and live your faith online.  It will provide tools and scripture references, suggest how to proceed, highlight the world of facebook/twitter/blogging/RSS and give your guidelines on how to be a game changer as well as protecting yourself online.

How did reading this book changed my view of using social media?   Well for quite some time now, I try to post at least one (or more) scriptures/quotes from either the Bible or Christian authors.    I sometimes uses my daily calendar on my desk or books I am currently read for reviews.    And even though I have been part of the online world for a few years, I learned some interesting things in this book.

I think that every Christians who are on facebook/twitter and blogs should take some time to go through this book as it will give them a new perspective on how to be real in cyberspace.

@stickyJesus is available at your favourite bookstore even amazon.ca.

Disclaimer: I received the product in a PDF form for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Branded

Branded – Sharing Jesus with a Consumer Culture
Written by Tim Sinclair
Published at Kregel Publications

About the book

The church spends $1.5 million for every one new follower of Jesus. Apple sells 26 iPads every minute. What is it that makes Apple so exciting and Jesus so boring? What is it that compels someone to bring their iPod everywhere and their Bible nowhere? In a word: marketing. Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy salespeople-people who are intimidated and embarrassed by the word "evangelism" and who show more enthusiasm for their gadgets than their God.

What would life look like if we stopped mass-marketing Jesus and started marketing our faith like Nike and Apple market their products--sharing relationally, from person to person? Using examples from these and other successful companies, author Tim Sinclair challenges Christians to throw out their casual attitudes toward faith and sign on for a marketing campaign for the Savior.

Written with the wit and wisdom of an experienced marketer, Branded peels away the feelings of fear and encourages readers how to share their faith in ways that are honest, authentic, and, most importantly, effective.

Who is Tim Sinclair?

Tim Sinclair is a radio personality on one of the top Christian morning shows in the country, Mornings with Tim and Pam. For over a decade, he has been helping radio stations and various other businesses creatively and effectively market themselves. His award-winning productions have been heard on more than 2,000 radio stations worldwide and recent clients include McDonald's, Word Records, Moody Press, and the country's most-listened to Christian nonprofit radio station KSBJ/Houston. Tim has written for CCM Magazine and the Huntsville Times. For more about Tim, please visit his website, http://www.tim-sinclair.com.

My Thoughts

Branding.  A popular term in marketing and social networking.   I first came in contact with this particular word while doing my first course of my social media certificate.  As part of an assignment, I had to write a branding for my blog and myself.  

When I received an email about promoting the book Branded, I thought it was an interesting concept and jumped on board.

I am not disappointed with this book.   From the earliest chapters, the author has grabbed my attention and I am motivated to become more bold with sharing my faith.

Using techniques found in the marketing world, Tim Sinclair is encouraging Christians to share Jesus with non-believers and get out of their conform zones.   With comparative chapters like cereals, cars, Apple, Nike and so on, the author will present what branding Christianity and Jesus should be in this time and age.   I want to become a sneezers for Jesus! Bottom line, I will try to apply in my life what St. Francis of Assissi has apparently said;

Preach the gospel at all times – if necessary use words.

Being a stay-at-home mom who homeschool my children, my first audience is definitively our four kids.  They watch, they observe, they see mom making errors, they hear her apologizing.    From there I can touch the world around me, family, neighbours, strangers at the store,… you name it, you got it.

At the end of the book, the author is going extreme by suggesting some radical ways to re-market Jesus to the people around us.   Though I love some of his ideas, I have issues with other suggestions like the neighborhood poker game, the not praying before meals or bedtime and the not reading your Bible.    The last two items are essential I find while the poker game instill someone to gambling with which I have issues with.   Mind you I understand that his point is to get together with non-believers and do something together but I think I would have preferred that his example would have been different.

Nevertheless, this book is worth reading it and sharing it with others.   At the end of the book, you will also find a discussion guide which will help you ponder about the information on each chapter.   Personally, I would have preferred having the discussion questions right at the end of the chapter because I didn’t realize there were there until I was at chapter seven.   I would not hesitate to use this book in a book club or  small group.   It would definitively sparks discussions and help us see the World as our mission field.

CONTEST!

Kregel Publications is sponsoring a $50 Amazon.com giveaway open to both me and one of my blog readers.

To enter all you have to do is send a tweet (using #litfuse) about Branded or share about it on Facebook!

If you tweet we'll capture your entry when you use @litfuse.

If you share it on Facebook, just email us and let us know (info@litfusegroup.com).

Easy.

Not sure what to tweet/post? Here's an idea.

TWEET THIS

Branded by @timsinclair - Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy sales-people! @litfuse http://ow.ly/566nr

FACEBOOK THIS

Branded by Tim Sinclair is a compelling look at what Christians can learn from companies like Apple & Starbucks about sharing their faith! Jesus is a life-changing product with lousy sales-people! http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13338985

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Branded is available at your favourite bookstore, even amazon.ca.

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PS If no Canadians has claimed ownership of every maple leaf maybe I should check into it… *grin*

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Blog Tour Schedule

6/6

Kris at Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers

Tarena at Laughing Family

Alena at Little Bit Of Wonderful

6/7

Becky at In The Pages

Debra at Footprints in the Butter

Suzanne at Suzannesaphone

6/8

Billie the Girl

Melissa at Books R Us

Glenda at Authors Book Corner

Pam at Can't Wait...

6/9

Lena at A Christian Writer's World

Tracye at A Heart Poured Out

Danita at (review & life)

6/10

Leah at Love Grows Best

Vic's Media Room

Deanna's Corner

6/11

Michele at My Blessings From Above

Elizabeth at Count It All Joy

Kaylea at My Scrappy Life

6/13

Megan Homeschoolin’ Mama

Theresa at Frugal Experiments

Christina at Kennedy Book Reviews

Brian at Live Generously

6/14

Scott at LaVigne's Blog

Elizabeth at Be Joyful Always

Amy at Writing in the Margins

6/15

Melissa at Real Heart Prints

Christine at Write to the Heart

Isabelle at Canadianladybug Reviews! – this is me!

Crystal at Cinnamon Hollow Reviews

6/16

Mel's World with Melissa Mashburn

Jodie at Mom's Pace

Kendra at Happily Managing a Household of Boys

Laura at Day by Day in Our World

6/18

Michelle at Beyond Silver and Gold

Tammy Is Blessed

Ponderings by Andrea

Missie at Thirsty

6/20

Shannon at Curled Up With a Good Book and a Cup of Tea

Renee at Doorkeeper

Michelle at A Life Better Than I Deserve

Amy at Backseat Writer

6/21

Jacque at Good family reads

Stacy at Mom in Training

Linda at Christian Book Reviews

6/22

Lori at Not So Superwoman Homeschool, Reviews, and More

Barb at Country Bookshelf

Norma at Wakela's World

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Disclaimer: Book has been provided courtesy of LitFuse and Kregel Publications.  I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Media Diet Calculator

New Free Media Diet Calculator Planned to Launch Dec. 26

Aims to Bring Awareness of Family Media Intake Versus Real Life Interaction

Nashville, Tenn. Dec. 15, 2010… After a season filled with record-setting cell phone and gaming gifts to teens and tweens, iShine is announcing the upcoming Dec. 26 release of the Family Media Diet Calculator.  The calculator is a new tool providing customized awareness to families in regards to how much time they spend connected to media in comparison to the amount of hours they spend plugged in with real life interaction and content consumption.

By visiting http://www.familymediadiet.com, parents nationwide will be able to plug in amounts of time their families spend texting, browsing online, consuming television and more. They will then be able to print a free custom analysis of where their families are spending their time in comparison to their involvement in recreational and faith-based activities along with family time and reading.  The campaign is not an anti-technology movement.  It is about use awareness and being intentional about the content.

It is estimated that the 20 million tweens in this country spend 25 hours a week watching television and playing video games and only one hour in church.  George Barna (The Barna Group), a pioneer in research on Christian culture, recently noted that kids spend more time absorbing media than anything else in their lives, except sleeping. A recent article in The New York Times titled “Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction” also discussed the effects of technology compared to focusing and learning.

“We as parents must be deliberate of what media our kids consume, understanding that it is forming the way our kids look at everything – self image, friends, parents, leaders, themselves,” remarks iShine Founder and Chief Creative Officer Robert Beeson. “If we as parents aren’t actively forming the person our kid’s are becoming – make no mistake – someone else is.”

iShine, known for bringing family-friendly media options through tours, music, television and radio mediums, is sponsoring the free Media Diet Calculator. The organization will also be releasing a new interactive Bible for tweens with Tyndale House Publishers in Feb. of 2011.

http://ishinelive.com

More about iShine

iShine is a Christian media group dedicated to ministering to “tweens” and their families. Tweens are defined as children between the ages of 7 and 13, and represent the single most influential age group in the world today. Mainstream media and consumer marketing groups focus their messages of identity, popularity and value predominately to the “tween” marketplace for a reason. iShine reaches today’s “tweens” through Biblically-based live concerts events (iShineLIVE!), unique television programming seen weekly on TBN (iShine KNECT), iShine artist releases to CD and DVD, interactive websites and coming in 2011, an entire line of books and Bibles all specifically designed to be relevant to this vital audience.

SafeSocial.com

As a parent, your children's safety is your first priority. But in today's digital age, what can a parent do to protect their kids online as well as off?

These days, your teens' "friends" aren't just the kids hanging out in your family room - they're also the hundreds of contacts on their online "friend" and "buddy" lists. Did you know that more than 50 million teens (ages 13-17) are online worldwide? Or that the average number of "friends" on a list is 130? The totals are much higher for many teens.

SafeSocial, a new AOL product that launches today, can help you protect your children, even if you aren't a social media expert. SafeSocial helps you:

· Find out where your child has online accounts

· Know who your child is "friends" with online

· Get notified if your child is in a conversation about violence, suicide or drugs

· See photos your child has posted online, and others' photos in which your child has been tagged

Another benefit? You can monitor all this activity without being a "helicopter parent." Your child will have to agree to be monitored, but you won't need to connect with them on the social media accounts, or hover over their shoulders in person.

What is the big deal about being safe on the net?   Here’s on blog written by Regina Lewis about being safe online with SafeSocial!

By Regina Lewis, AOL Consumer Advisor

These days, your teens’ “friends” aren’t just the kids hanging out in your kitchen and family room, they’re hundreds of contacts on their “friend” and “buddy” lists. More than 50 million teens (ages 13 to 17) are online worldwide and the average number of “friends” is 130. For many teens, these numbers are even higher. It’s not unusual to have more than 500 “friends” and more than 1,000 profile photos.

So, how can you realistically keep up with your child’s vast circle of “friends” and ongoing status and photo updates?

1. Become a “Friend”

For starters, you can become your child’s online. They’ll need to accept your friend request. This can be easier said than done. In some cases, you may get push back. It’s your call how strongly you press.

There are more private alternatives. A new product called SafeSocial lets you privately see everything you would as a “friend” and even more. Many kids prefer this route. Remember, you’re not “spying” on them; you’re simply doing your job as an informed and involved parent.

2. Curb the Comments

If your child is reluctant to accept you publicly as a “friend,” be sure not to push your luck by excessively commenting on their page once you are granted access. Grandparents can be over-commenting culprits, too. Often teens find this “embarrassing” and it may even lead to having them “un-friend” you. It happens all the time.

3. Get a Report Card

The new parenting tool SafeSocial offers a time-efficient and thorough way to keep tabs on your children’s social networking without being too intrusive. It delivers an easy-to-read report card providing a 360 degree view of their overall social networking— what they’re saying and doing and who their friends are.

This answers one of the biggest issues facing parents all over the country—feeling like you need to spend hours each week monitoring your child’s online activity and still not really being sure if you’re seeing everything (they can filter your view) or what you might be missing (what’s happening on their friends’ pages).

4. Watch the Friends

All friends are not created equal. Some your children may know well, some they may barely know at all. You can get a good feel for their entire list via SafeSocial’s Friend Engine, which takes an extensive look at your kids’ friends and checks them against more than 50 databases to see if they may not be who they say they are. You’ll be alerted when an adult becomes a friend of your child, when someone looks suspicious or has no or few other mutual friends with your child.

5. Loaded Language and Photos

Specific words that may come up in strings of conversation— sex, drugs, alcohol, suicide and so on and suggestive or violent language will be flagged, so you can hone in on the suspect dialog versus reading every post. This helps prevent missing something inadvertently.

You can even opt to be immediately notified via an email alert. This piece could prove priceless in protecting your children’s safety and managing their reputations.

While every conversation and image is archived, you can adjust the settings to simply view those that are called out. This lets you give kids more privacy as they mature. You will also see all photos, including those other people post of your child. Young people tend to push the envelope with photos and videos, so checking out this section of the report card is critical.

Overall, social networking is an integral part of many teenage lives and an opportunity for your kids to learn to express themselves in a creative and responsible fashion. It’s too big a trend to ignore. You can embrace it with these new tools on your side. For more information, visit www.safesocial.com,  www.safety.aol.com and www.reginalewis.com.

AOL Consumer Advisor Regina Lewis (www.reginalewis.com) is a national TV and radio contributor and Internet trend expert. She knows the tips, tricks, secrets and shortcuts for making technology work for you.

Personally, my kids are too young to be on facebook and other social network.   We are not looking forward to this when it comes but knowing this service is available definitively gives us a peace of mind.

How can Safe Social works and why is it so important?   Check out this video!

Want to try it?   You can have a free 30-day trial – click on the link below.

http://www.safesocial.com/product-details/?campaign=49e5d122-f29c-4263-97d9-b8621dcb68e8

"Overall, social networking is an integral part of many teenage lives and an opportunity for your kids to learn to express themselves in a creative and responsible fashion," says Regina Lewis. "It's too big a trend to ignore. You can embrace it with SafeSocial on your side."

For more information, make sure to visit SafeSocial.com.