Black Friday doorbusters: Coming to an online game near you?

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year in retail stores and, apparently, in online games.

Maple Story creator Nexon reports a massive surge in in-game item purchases during BF 2010 and expects history will repeat itself this year. On that day, which is generally devoted to gorging on Thanksgiving leftovers and stalking doorbuster deals, the company saw a 240% increase in virtual goods sales compared to the previous week. What were virtual shoppers snapping up like cheap flat-screen TVs? An item called a Miracle Cube in Maple Story, which can be used to randomly upgrade in-game items.

That statistic certainly leads one to wonder if other online games will roll out some doorbuster deals of their own. I'm sure more than a few people would be willing to wait on a virtual queue to buy, say, a deeply discounted FarmVille Unwither Ring, a rare (and pricey) item that ensures you'll never see a withered crop on your farm ever again.

Black Friday deals in games -- would that entice you to buy virtual goods?

Cafe World Fall Feast Amelia's Goals: Everything you need to know

While we already brought you the news of the Fall Feast Event in Cafe World, I'm now here with news that makes even this dedicated player shake her head in disbelief. Instead of just a single set of five goals comprising Amelia's entire portion of the game's Thanksgiving event, we've been given 25. Yes, with all of the Cook-A-Thon goals, and Fred's goals that have yet to released in this event as well, that couldn't possibly be enough for us to work on, so Zynga has disregarded almost every thread on the game's official forums, begging the developers to slow down on content and went ahead and released more. My own personal ranting aside, if you're ready to tackle this massive set of Amelia's Fall Feast goals, here's a complete guide to doing just that.

The Fall Feast

    Collect 3 Family China
    Place the Festive Table
    Serve 28 Dishes


To make matters a bit more complicated, this is a goal series where some of the dishes will be randomly generated for you. I wish I could give you the exact specifications for each and ever goal, but unfortunately, we can't. Sorry! Just check out our guide to building the Festive Table and then ask your friends for Family China and you'll do fine. Finish this goal and you'll receive 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites. These Invites give you a chance to win Cafe Cash in the game, so you'll win plenty of them throughout this event, if you decide to complete it.

Traditional Dish

    Collect 7 Cranberries
    Serve 24 Dishes
    Collect 4 Traditional Recipe Cards


These recipe cards serve as this event's "one-per-friend" item. If a friend responds to your request, they'll never be able to send you another Card throughout the rest of the event (at least, that's the rules so far). Once they accept, they'll show up at your dinner table in-game. If a friend ignores your request, or just misses it, you can resend every 48 hours, but again, you will not be able to send another request to someone that's already accepted. Finishing this goal gives you 2,000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites.

Keep it Spicy!

    Collect 6 Family China
    Serve 32 Dishes
    Spice 3 of your Neighbors' Dishes


The rewards for this goal are the Cream of Mushroom ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites.

New Fall Tastes

    Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
    Collect 8 Fresh Green Onions
    Serve 20 Dishes


Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 20 Fall Feast Invites

Setting the Table

    Collect 9 Family China
    Complete the Festive Table
    Serve 40 Dishes


Reward: Cranberry Chutney recipe, 100 Cafe Points and 50 Fall Feast Invites

Additional Guests

    Collect 6 Family China
    Serve 15 Dishes
    Serve 20 Dishes


Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites

Sage Advice

    Collect 7 Chopped Sage
    Serve 24 Dishes
    Collect 4 Traditional Recipe Cards


Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points, 10 Fall Feast Invites

New Ingredients

    Collect 8 Family China
    Serve 32 Dishes
    Spice 3 of your Dishes


Reward: Spicy Sausage ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites

Fresh Fall Dishes

    Collect 5 Traditional Recipe Cards
    Collect 8 Fresh Mushrooms
    Serve 30 Dishes


Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points, 20 Fall Feast Invites

Pass the Potatoes

    Collect 10 Family China
    Ask for 8 Potatoes
    Master Cranberry Chutney to Level 2


Reward: Mom's Mashed Potatoes recipe and 50 Fall Feast invites

Friendly Recipes

    Collect 5 Traditional Recipe Cards
    Serve 20 Dishes
    Serve 28 Dishes


Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites

Cook for Friends

    Collect 7 Cornbread Stuffing
    Serve 24 Dishes
    Collect 8 Family China


Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites

Rice is Nice

    Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
    Serve 32 Dishes
    Spice 3 of your Dishes


Reward: Rice Pilaf ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites

Setting the Mood

    Collect 9 Family China
    Collect 8 Candlestick Holders
    Serve 24 Mom's Mashed Potatoes


Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 20 Fall Feast Invites

Candle Collection

    Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
    Collect 8 Holiday Candles
    Master Mom's Mashed Potatoes to Level 2


Reward: Sweet Potato Pie recipe and 50 Fall Feast Invites

Extended Holiday

    Collect 6 Family China
    Serve 20 Dishes
    Serve 28 Dishes


Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites

Fall Harvest

    Collect 7 Sweet Corn
    Serve 24 Cakes
    Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards


Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites

Holiday Spices

    Collect 8 Family China
    Serve 32 Dishes
    Spice 4 of your Dishes


Reward: Apple Cider ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites

A Personal Taste

    Collect 6 Traditional Recipe Cards
    Serve 20 Taste Lab Dishes with Rice Pilaf
    Serve 24 Dishes


Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 20 Fall Feast Invites

Going Green

    Collect 3 Family China
    Ask for 8 Cheddar Wheels
    Master Sweet Potato Pie to Level 2


Reward: Green Bean Casserole and 50 Fall Feast Invites

Fall Feast Finale

    Collect 6 Family China
    Serve 20 Cassava Cakes
    Serve 28 Dishes


Reward: 1000 coins, 100 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites

Recipes Galore!

    Collect 7 Fresh Zucchini
    Serve 24 Dishes
    Collect 5 Traditional Recipe Cards


Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 10 Fall Feast Invites

Mmmmm Bacon!

    Collect 8 Family China
    Serve 30 Dishes
    Spice 5 of your Dishes


Reward: Bacon ingredient and 15 Fall Feast Invites

New Creations

    Collect 7 Traditional Recipe Cards
    Serve 20 Taste Lab Dishes with Bacon
    Serve 24 Dishes


Reward: 2000 coins, 200 Cafe Points and 5 Fall Feast Invites

Holiday Upgrades!

    Collect 10 Family China
    Master Green Bean Casserole to Level 2
    Serve 40 Dishes


Reward: Mystery Prize (likely a 50% Lighting Stove) and 50 Fall Feast Invites

As of this writing, this is just the "Amelia's Goals" portion of the Fall Feast Event, but as you can probably tell from the prizes above, the goals themselves are split into sections. If you look into your game and see "I of V," trust me, the rest of these goals come later in different parts. Whether you're ready to dive into this massive event or not, the time is ticking down, and your choice will ultimately be made for you. If you're interested in filling out your Cookbook with every dish possible, then start plugging away at these goals. If not, feel free to go back to working on the Cook-A-Thon instead.

[Via Zynga]

Check out the rest of our Thanksgiving coverage right here.

What do you think of Amelia's Goals in the Fall Feast Event? Do you think Zynga releases too much content too quickly? Have you stopped playing the game because of it?

FarmVille Harvest Bonfire Goals: Everything you need to now

To go along with the Harvest Bonfire that has launched in FarmVille for Thanksgiving, you'll also have a set of six goals to complete as well. These goals offer (appropriately) some Thanksgiving or Fall-themed rewards, and require some themed items to complete as well. As usual, we're here to give you a look at how to complete these goals, so let's get started.

Like a Sheep to the Flame

    Get 6 Lanterns
    Harvest 5 Cows
    Harvest 150 Wheat


These goals have the fairly standard quest setup of asking your friends for a specific item (either through individual requests or general wall posts) and then completing two other tasks on your own. Here, Cows are able to be harvested once a day, and Wheat grows in 12 hours. Finishing this first goal gives you 100 XP, a Shaggy Fall Sheep and 2,500 coins.

We Did Start the Fire

    Get 6 Fire Pit Stones
    Harvest Shaggy Fall Sheep
    Harvest 150 Corn


Plain corn takes three days to harvest, but you can plant any variety of corn if you'd rather not wait that long. Just note that you can't plant the new Multi-Color Corn that was released in the Autumn item theme. For finishing this goal, you'll receive 200 XP, 2,500 coins and a Founder Duck.

Time for a Good Sit

    Get 6 Stumps
    Harvest Founder Duck
    Harvest 150 Potatoes


Traditional Potatoes take three days to harvest, but again, this looks like a time when you can plant any variety of potato to save some time. For the record, Kennebec and Super Kennebec Potatoes only take a single day, rather than three. When you finish this goal, you'll receive 300 XP, 2,500 coins and a Lantern decoration.

Now We're Cooking

    Get 6 Baked Potatoes
    Harvest 5 Horses
    Harvest 150 Aloe Vera


Aloe Vera takes 6 hours to plant. As for the Horses, you should technically be able to harvest a Horse Stable or Paddock for this task to complete, but if it's bugged (as it has been in the past), you'll need to pull horses out of storage and wait for them to become ready to harvest on their own (a much more time consuming process, to be sure). Finishing this goal gives you 500 XP, 2,500 coins and a Merriam Turkey.

The Best Part of a Bonfire

    Get 6 Marshmallow Sticks
    Harvest Marriam Turkey 10 Times
    Harvest 150 Strawberries


You'll be able to earn more Marriam Turkeys through Aviary eggs, so make sure to either continually harvest your Aviaries, or claim as many eggs as you can from friends to increase your population fast (well, at least freely). For finishing this goal, you'll receive 750 XP, 2,500 coins and the Night Under the Stars decorative item (sleeping bags placed outside).

Tending the Embers

    Get 6 Fire Spades
    Harvest Founder Duck Twice
    Harvest 150 Pumpkins


Regular Pumpkins take eight hours to grow when planted. As for the Founder Duck, again, you should be able to place it in storage buildings to be able to harvest it once per day, but if it glitches, just pull it out of storage and wait for it to "mature" on its own. Finishing this goal gives you 1,000 XP, 2,500 coins and a Fall Lantern Horse (a horse carrying a Lantern, what else?).

As of this writing, you have two weeks left to finish these six goals, so while you're not being incredibly rushed, remember that you probably have goals to complete in Lighthouse Cove as well. Do a bit of multi-tasking across both farms and you'll be able to finish off both of these series with ease. Good luck!

[Via FarmVille Freak]

Check out the rest of our Thanksgiving themed coverage right here.

What do you think of these Harvest Bonfire goals in FarmVille? Which of the prizes is your favorite? Will you be able to finish all six goals within the two week time period?

Holiday Resources

Holiday resources help make holidays an even more special and joyous time for everyone. Holiday resources can be found for different members of the family, allowing everyone to be part of the festivities.



Whether at school or at home, kids can contribute to the preparations for a big upcoming holiday. Teachers may be able to find worksheets with a Christmas, Thanksgiving or Halloween theme that can be used in the days leading up to the special day. There is a lot of information available about the origin of different holidays, and teachers can talk about such things with the students in class. Both parents and teachers can find plenty of cool art projects revolving around the holiday theme. Many of these are simple and require only easily available material. The finished product can be used to decorate the classroom, school or home :. Parents can also find lots of ideas for holiday games that can be played during kids’ parties.



Check out JumpStart’s holiday resources for kids:

Bootiful Bat Bootiful Bat

Festive Fourth of July Decorations Festive Fourth of July Decorations

Flowerpot Snowman Flower Pot Snowman

Giving Thanks Tree Giving Thanks Tree

St. Patrick's Day Crafts - Crafty Leprechaun St. Patrick’s Day Crafts