YoWorld
| YoWorld (Formerly Yoville) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) |
|
| Platform(s) | PHP and Smartfox Server |
| Release date(s) | May 8, 2008 |
| Genre(s) | Virtual world |
| Mode(s) | Single-player with multiplayer interaction |
YoWorld (Formerly Yoville) is a browser-based virtual world game owned by Big Viking Games. YoWorld can only be played on Facebook. The game was initially developed by Tall Tree Games, now called Big Viking Games, YoWorld was acquired by Zynga in 2008. Zynga expressed their plans of discontinuing the game in early 2014 which sparked what could be the biggest movement in the game's history.[1] On April 24, 2014, both Big Viking Games, Inc. and Zynga announced that YoVille was sold, and was rebranded to YoWorld.[2][3]
The game operates on a Freemium model, allowing users to purchase premium "YoCash" items with real world currencies.[4][5] YoVille was the first of the successful -Ville series of social/casual games by Zynga.[6]
YoWorld allows Facebook members to create a virtual person and homes. It also allows the player to decorate their apartment or home with furniture, change their look in the Clothing Store, work in the factory for virtual coins, meet people around the world, and make new friends in a virtual world. The game allows you to purchase 'YoCoins' and 'YoCash' using real life money. The average cost of 25 YoCash is $5.00 and cost of 50,000 YoCoins is $1.00. Players can also buy additional homes as Big Viking Games release themes. Players can visit other players homes from a buddy list feature by adding friends through Facebook and public places.
Features and Game info
Within the game, players are able to decorate their homes, and buy new ones, as well as dress up their very own avatar. Through 2008-2013, themes were release almost regularly in game. With each theme, new clothing as well as furniture would be released into the game for players to purchase. YoWorld players also have the ability to add their Facebook friends as in game neighbors. You can visit your neighbors and collect YoCoin rewards for doing so, this action is popularly known amongst the YoWorlders as "Coin-runs", or "Coin Runs". Having plenty of neighbors also results in a higher salary at the Widgets Factory. The Widgets Factory is an area on the YoWorld map where players are able to clock in every four hours and collect free YoCoins. To get an even higher payment, a player could also hire their neighbors as extra factory workers, these workers can then be fed energy in the form of Hot dogs to work with you when you clock in, giving you even more YoCoins!
Leveling up and its rewards
In YoWorld players are able to level up, the current level maximum is level 500. As players level up and gain experience they also earn rewards. The first 50 or so levels of the game reward players with items that can only be obtained by leveling up, such as a Magical Herb Garden, an item which allows players to grow and harvest their own Magical Herbs, these herbs can them be consumed, or eaten, eating them would temporarily transform your avatar into a troll-like creature. Another reward would be the Mystery Bookshelf, a bookshelf with a secret library inside of it. This secret Library can only be accessed and decorated by their owners, other players can enter this secret room only if the owner opens the Bookshelf for them. Players can also unlock other rooms in their apartment that would otherwise be inaccessible if they are not at a high enough level. These unlockable rooms only exist within a players starter apartment, other purchasable homes, or homes that a player can buy, don't have unlockable rooms, instead, all of the rooms are accessible no matter what level you are on.
Events
Yoworld players can set up Hosted Parties which Appear in the events Tab. The events tab consists of eight categories: Parties & Music, Trading, Jobs, Games, Debates and Discussions, Grand Opening, Dating, Performance. Events host many things from buying/selling to games. Events can also include things like pageants and auctions.
Buying homes, and earning YoCoins
Homes in YoWorld usually cost YoCash. Occasionally, a few YoCoin homes would be released every once in a while. Previously, some homes could be bought for YoCoins if a player gets over 10 (usually) neighbors to cosign for them. YoCoins are generally easier to get than YoCash, YoCoins can be awarded to you for clocking into the Widgets Factory every four hours. Players can also earn YoCoins by playing and beating other players in mini-games, such as tic-tac-toe and rock, paper, scissors. Players also have the ability to play the YoFishing game and collecting coins, as well as going motorcycle racing.
Earning YoCash
Players were once able to earn YoCash by completing surveys and buying items from the 'Add Yocash' tab. There were also other options to earn YoCash, Players could design their own clothes for different themes, and enter them in Fashion Design Contests. They were able to post their entries on the YoVille forums and forum staff and moderators known as 'Ninjas' chose the top ten entries however the players decide which one should be on the game by voting. The winners' designs were released as clothing and accessories for the players and the winner received a cash prize of 100 YoCash. The second-place winner received 75 YoCash and The third winner received 50 YoCash. Sometimes the runner up's designs were also showcased in the game, after a while these contests were no longer held. When YoVille became YoWorld it took them a while to start this up but they have currently re-opened this feature and at the moment only 10 player designs have been released. At times, special events occurred in game in which players were able to win free YoCash.
Jobs Feature
One other popular way of earning YoCoins besides going to the Widgets Factory is performing jobs. Jobs is a feature in game which allows users to explore certain areas which cannot be reached or traveled to through normal game play, the player is then given a job, with a certain goal. Once a player accomplishes that goal, they get YoCoins as a reward, or, if they complete the entire area, they get the YoCoin rewards, as well as an added-in bonus. The goals of the jobs are all the same, the player has to explore a certain area and collect items. Each job has different objects for you to collect, as well as a different quantity of that object you have to collect. There is a wide range of jobs for players to perform with the jobs feature, there are things like Ghost Hunting, Party Hosting, Criminal Busting, and other things like Animal Rescue. If a player gets lucky, as they collect the job items, they may also find a special real item for them to keep. Performing jobs drains a players energy, which is why it's always a good idea to have some energy drinks in your energy bag.
Energy is what allows players to clock in at the Widgets Factory, and do jobs. Clocking in at the factory completely drains your energy on the spot, but usually pays a player well depending on how many neighbors they have, and how many of their factory workers are active. Performing jobs also drains your energy, but it drains energy gradually. Jobs pay well depending on the level of their difficulty, the more difficult the job, the higher the pay, but the faster your energy gets drained.
History
- On May 8, 2008, YoVille was first launched, and the game opened its doors to the world of players.
- In late 2008, Tall Tree Games sold YoVille to Zynga, where the game was run by VP of Product Kyle Stewart and Zynga co-founder Justin Waldron. The team grew the user base from 10,000 daily active users at the time of purchase to over 5 million daily active users less than a year later.[7] Zynga operated the game until March 2014.
- In 2009, YoVille forums, the official forums of YoVille was created for players at www.yoville.com. The site replaced forums located on both Myspace and Facebook. Later on the site was brought down.
- In 2012, the V.I.P was released which enabled players to pay for a monthly subscription which allowed them to access exclusive items in the clothing and furniture stores with a discounted price. The cost of $17.99 allows the player either the clothing store or furniture store VIP and discount sections, 15 YoCash and 1 free hair of their choice weekly (4 weeks a month). After 3 months of paying for VIP service, the player is allowed into both stores and both discount stores, 20 YoCash and 2 hairs of their choice.
- The introduction of the Auction House in 2012 added another way to purchase items in game. Later in 2013 it added an option to trade using YoCash.
- On January 10, 2014, Zynga announced that YoVille will be closed on March 31, 2014.[8]
- Greg Thomson, creator of the YoVille game from London, Ontario, Canada, was featured on CBC Ontario Morning and when interviewed, he expressed interest in buying the game back. He said to the fans that he was "cautiously optimistic" about buying the game back.
- On March 5, 2014 Zynga announced that they are continuing the YoVille program & It will not shutdown as previously planned.
- On April 24, 2014, Big Viking Games announced that discussions between both Big Viking Games and Zynga had come to a close. Big Viking Games announced on their Facebook page that they had successfully acquired and 'saved' YoVille. On May 12, YoVille was taken offline for 24 hours while data and information are transferred to Big Viking Game's servers. Due to copyrights YoVille is now formally known as YoWorld.[9]
- On May 12 the game began its transformation from YoVille to YoWorld.
- On May 13 YoVille was re-launched as YoWorld.
- Since the Re-launch of Yoworld, It has continued to thrive. With the player base that once exceeded 500,000+ daily users, Fell to roughly 40,000 daily users before the purchase of the game by Big Viking Games. Since the purchase of YoWorld, The game's community has expanded to roughly 70,000 daily players.
References
- ↑ Pepitone, Julianne. "Game On: Thousands of YoVillers Rally for Doomed Virtual Town - NBC News." NBC News. N.p., 10 Feb. 2013. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
- ↑ Pepitone, Julianne. "#SaveYoVille Succeeds: Zynga Sells Game Back to Creators for Relaunch." . N.p., 25 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
- ↑ Etherington, Darrel. "YoVille Renamed YoWorld | TechCrunch." TechCrunch. N.p., 24 Apr. 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
- ↑ Smith, Justin (2008-07-23). "Social Game Developer Zynga Raises $29 Million Series B, Acquires YoVille". Inside Network, Inc. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ↑ "Silicon Valley firms join $29M round for social networking game company Zynga". San Jose Business Journal. Charlotte, NC: American City Business Journals. 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ↑ Johnson, Stephen (2011-01-25). "Farmville Legal Fight: Who Owns "Ville?"". G4. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
- ↑ Wagner, James Au. "How Virtual World YoVille Got 5M Users". Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- ↑ YoVille Team. "YoVille Shutdown Announcement". Retrieved 12 January 2014.
- ↑ http://techcrunch.com/2014/04/24/yoville-renamed-yoworld-and-officially-acquired-from-zynga-by-big-viking-games/