Zynga today announced the global launch of FarmVille 2, its first next-generation social game that delivers a brand new farming experience through stunning visuals, beautiful animations and new ways to visit and interact with friends. Marking Zynga’s first game to be built entirely in 3D, FarmVille 2 allows players to create a beautiful farm and express themselves in a world that feels alive and reacts to every touch. FarmVille 2 is available today for free on www.zynga.com and on Facebook at http://apps.facebook.com/farmville-two/.
“The FarmVille franchise brought social games into mainstream consciousness, and we’re proud to launch a new chapter in the FarmVille legacy,” said Tim LeTourneau, vice president of games at Zynga. “FarmVille 2 offers players a new way to farm by delivering an immersive experience, rich characters, and new social features that make game boards come to life with their friends. We can’t wait to see the farms that players create. We also want dedicated players of FarmVille to know that we remain fully committed to bringing them new reasons to play the original game they love.”
FarmVille 2 invites players on a journey to a vibrant countryside where they return to their old family farm with hopes of making it thrive again. Players work with friends to restore their family’s land to its former glory by harvesting crops, raising adorable animals and crafting fresh goods to sell in their roadside stand or to their local grocer.
FarmVille 2 harvests a crop of new features including:
- Meaningful Social Interactions – Friends in FarmVille 2 are the most powerful way to advance in the game. Each friend plays a more meaningful role and feels like they live right down the street. The game introduces “Farm Helpers,” a new social feature that allows players to invite their friends over to their farms and control where and how their friends help them in the game. Each action performed by a farm helper accelerates progress on their farm. Players can also visit friends’ farms to harvest crops, feed animals and collect resources they need on their farm.
- Farm Mastery & Crafting – FarmVille 2’s ecosystem thrives on water, just like a real farm. Players gather water from their well and their friends’ wells, and use it to nurture crops which, in turn, create feed for animals that produce ingredients such as milk and cheese. Players use these ingredients to craft useful items which can be sold in the roadside stand. As players continue this virtuous cycle, they’ll find that their crops grow faster and when the conditions are just right, players can grow GIANT prized crops to compete with friends. As players progress, they level up to unlock new items and expand their farm.
- Nurturing Animals – In FarmVille 2, farm animals really come to life. Players care for their animals from babies to adults, and use resources they produce, such as milk or eggs, to sustain and grow their farm. Each animal responds differently to a player’s touch and just like crops, players can nurture and grow their animals to earn rewards.
- Decorator’s Dream – Decorating, organizing and expanding farms can now be done effortlessly. FarmVille 2 includes a brand new control system where players use their mouse like a paintbrush to plant seeds, water crops and move items in broad strokes. For the first time ever, players can now right click in a Zynga game. This subtle, yet powerful, feature lets players more quickly pick up, move and rotate objects on their farm as they find new ways to express themselves. The rich and vibrant 3D world of FarmVille 2 includes gorgeous and adorable items ranging from garden gnomes to sprawling mansions.
- Memorable Characters – As players restore their family farm, they meet memorable characters along the way. Marie, a tough country girl shows players the ropes early on, while Walther Thorncroft, a retired engineer turned gentleman farmer, teaches players how to take their farm to new heights. After a player’s farm is up and running, they’ll meet Cornelius, a local grocer unlike any other from previous games. Cornelius gives players daily challenges to harvest crops for his general store and uniquely tailors each challenge to actions players already enjoy taking within their farm.
“I love to play Zynga games because of the social interaction, more than anything,” said Denise Lambert from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. “When life gets busy and things get stressful, you can step away for a little bit to relax and socialize with people who have the same interests as you, which brings you to a happy place. I’m excited for FarmVille 2. I can’t wait to play!”
Current players of FarmVille also have more to look forward to as Zynga will continue to roll out new expansions and new ways to decorate and share. FarmVille 2 and FarmVille have dedicated teams working to bring players a unique and enriching experience in each game.
FarmVille 2 is available in 16 languages, marking the first time a FarmVille game is available outside of English. The game is also Zynga’s first to be developed for Adobe Flash Player 11 utilizing Stage 3D technology. This innovative technology brings gameplay to a new level and allows players to draw a deeper emotional connection to the farms they create. Wider marketing for FarmVille 2 is expected to begin in a few weeks.
