The Stranger's SWAG - Duet
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Monday, July 30, 2012
Mark Zuckerberg Reveals He Is Open To A Radical Change In Facebook Strategy
ShareIt's not often that a public company CEO suggests that he might be open to an entirely new product strategy, but that's exactly what Mark Zuckerberg did on Facebook's earnings call last week.
Allow us to explain.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-reveals-he-is-open-to-a-radical-change-in-facebook-strategy-2012-7#ixzz228sLTGgO
Allow us to explain.For all it's popularity with users and resources from investors, Facebook has always been an understaffed company.
Except for the early years, when it couldn't hire fast enough, this has mostly been intentional.
It's a strategy.
The company likes to tell star recruits that Facebook's low engineer-to-users ratio means they will have a greater impact in their work. They will have more "leverage."
This limited headcount has also gone hand-in-hand with Facebook's platform strategy: Facebook develops and updates a core set of features and products – and then gives third-party developers controlled access to its user-base so they can do the work of building out new products, features, and applications.
Then Facebook attempts to extract value from those developers in some way.
What this abstract strategy has meant in reality is that Facebook doesn't make games for Facebook; it lets Zynga do it. Facebook doesn't have a music player; it lets Spotify make one. Facebook doesn't have a bookmarking service; it lets Pinterest build one.
During Facebook second quarter earnings call, CEO Mark Zuckerberg re-iterated this strategy:
We've always been significantly smaller per employee compared to the number of people who we serve in the world. So it's really baked into the company that we have to build systems and software that take into account the leverage that employees here have. And that's actually one of the reasons why a lot of people love working here and one of the biggest reasons why people cite for wanting to join the company and staying here. So it's also affected the strategy. I mentioned we believe that all these consumer products, and maybe even more than consumer products that people use, will become social over time. But we can't build all those things ourselves, so we focused on building this platform.
But then he said something that surprised us.
He said: "Over time, it might make sense for us to build more of these things ourselves."
Zuckerberg has talked about Facebook's platform strategy for years – most memorably at a Web 2.0 conference in 2010 – and this is the first time we've heard him float the possibility that Facebook could, someday, start competing with the developers on its platform.
Facebook's sudden openness to owning more of its platform might terrify the developers who have been building companies and making a living there for the past few years.
It should not. It should be viewed as a potentially lucrative opportunity.
That's because if Zuckerberg does decide that Facebook needs to start owning more of the third-party products on its platform, the smart way for Facebook to do it is to use its incredible horde of cash and valuable stock to buy, buy, buy.
That's what Facebook did this spring when it bought Facebook-connected photo-sharing app Instagram for $1 billion.
Despite speculation to the contrary, Facebook isn't likely to buy a gamesmaker like Zynga. It already collects heavy taxes from Zynga's revenues, so the upside is limited. Besides, gaming is a hits-driven business where owning the studio is much harder, riskier work than owning the distribution point. Spotify and Pinterest are more natural (and neutral) extensions to Facebook's platform, and more likely targets.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-reveals-he-is-open-to-a-radical-change-in-facebook-strategy-2012-7#ixzz228sLTGgO
Be Very Skeptical About Suggestions Facebook Will Buy Zynga
ShareNow that Zynga's stock has cratered, there are reports thatFacebook could buy Zynga.
First off, the whole acquisition talk is centered on a conspiracy theory that Facebook is no longer featuring Zynga's games to drive its stock price down. Zynga confirmed that Facebook changed its algorithm to feature newer games on its earnings call, and this has actually not hurt Zynga much, for two reasons:
Could Facebook buy Zynga? Of course it could buy Zynga. And with its pile of cash Apple couldbuy Facebook.
Just because something could happen doesn't mean it will.
And yet, Zynga's stock got a tiny jolt this morning when NBC picked up on a Seeking Alpha report that Facebook could buy Zynga. (Welcome to public markets, guys! Fun times.)
Given Zynga's very close relationship with Facebook a rumor like this might make sense to outsiders. But you should be extremely skeptical.
First off, the whole acquisition talk is centered on a conspiracy theory that Facebook is no longer featuring Zynga's games to drive its stock price down. Zynga confirmed that Facebook changed its algorithm to feature newer games on its earnings call, and this has actually not hurt Zynga much, for two reasons:- The decline of Zynga's web games wasn't a result of the algorithm change. That happened late in Q2, and Zynga's web games were already declining well before that.
- The change in Facebook's algorithm favors newer games, which also includes Zynga's new games. The Ville, for example, received a 4.5 million install bump once Zynga turned on cross-promotion.
Second of all, it just doesn't make sense for Facebook to spend money buying a company that makes Facebook games, because it already gets money from every gaming company on the platform. Facebook charges a 30 percent fee for every transaction, whether it's on a Zynga game or any other company.
Buying a big company like Zynga would be a huge risk. If Facebook were to buy Zynga and a new gaming company like Kixeye suddenly shot to the top of the charts, Facebook would be caught flat-footed.
Facebook would benefit the most by doing what it has always done — working with whichever companies are popular at the time — given the short shelf life of Facebook games.
We've also already made the case that Facebook games are already declining in favor of mobile games, with newer Facebook games not reaching the same peaks they used to catapult to after launch.
Zynga is in the process of evolving into a mobile gaming company, with nearly half its users coming from mobile games. If Facebook were to buy Zynga, it would receive 100 percent of the income from in-game purchases in mobile games, but already mobile games do not monetize as well as Facebook games.
Zynga is also getting ready for its third act: real-money gambling games. We have made the case that real-money gambling games are at least a billion-dollar opportunity for Zynga, which would at least double the value of the company.
Pincus confirmed that Zynga's first "real-money gaming" products in international markets in the first half of 2013 — referring to that same real-money gambling opportunity.
Right now, buying Zynga represents too much of a risk, even if the company's stock is floating around a cheap $3. And it would be a disservice to Zynga for Pincus to sell, because there is a huge potential upside for Zynga if real-money gambling games work out.
reprinted from
http://www.businessinsider.com/be-very-skeptical-about-reports-that-facebook-will-buy-zynga-2012-7
reprinted from
http://www.businessinsider.com/be-very-skeptical-about-reports-that-facebook-will-buy-zynga-2012-7
Fight To Earn 2x Rewards - Limited Time Only
Share
Fight To Earn 2x Rewards - Limited Time Only
Fight and destroy! It's time to claim double the loot! Each time you win a fight, you win twice as much loot. Put 'em up and attack now, because the chance to win double fight loot ends on 3rd August at 11:59PM PDT.
Fight and destroy! It's time to claim double the loot! Each time you win a fight, you win twice as much loot. Put 'em up and attack now, because the chance to win double fight loot ends on 3rd August at 11:59PM PDT.
New Lucky Stash Bonus Items
ShareSpin the reel to complete the Bonus Meter and a shot to win one of 10 new super items. Go ahead. Take a spin.
Post For 3 Free Spins
FREE Stamina Point
Share
Keep fighting & robbing with a FREE stamina point!
Click "LIKE" and "SHARE" if you want more FREE point !
http://zynga.tm/b2z <-- Claim your FREE stamina point!
http://zynga.tm/b2z <-- Claim your FREE stamina point!
Sunday, July 29, 2012
FREE Energy Point
Share
Complete more jobs & advance more quickly with a FREE energy point!
http://zynga.tm/d36 <-- Claim your FREE energy point!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
E-mail bonus reward for Today
Share
- If the player did not take a bonus e-mail, via e-mail
- If the player did not take a bonus e-mail lately
- If the player did not take a bonus in the last 24 hours
FREE Health Point
Share
Boost your health with a FREE Health Point:
Claim your free health point!
Claim your free health point!
Click "LIKE" and "SHARE" if you want more FREE point !
http://zynga.tm/f3B <-- Claim your FREE health point!
Friday, July 27, 2012
New Mission Event: Riches To Rags (All Missions)
Share
1.Mission - The Traitor
2.Mission - The Heist-man
3.Mission - The Stood-up
4.Mission - The Warlord
5. Mission - The Visitor
6.Mission - The Runner
7.Mission - The Reviver
8.Mission - The Outbidder
9.Mission - The Revenger
FREE Defense Point
Share
Get extra protection on your side with a FREE defense point!
Click "LIKE" and "SHARE" if you want more FREE point !
http://zynga.tm/d35<-- Claim your FREE defense point!
Daniela's Deal - FAQ
ShareQ: What is the new Feature all about?
A: Daniela’s Deal is all about earning double the amount of deposited Reward Points through weekly takes.
Q: How does it work? What are the benefits?
A: To seal a deal with Daniela, you need at least 260 Reward Points in your account. Once you deposit 260 Reward Points with Daniela, you will receive 10 Reward Points every week for the next 52 Weeks.
Q: How does this deal double my Reward Points? When will I start receiving the returns?
A: You will receive double the amount of Reward Points in the form of weekly takes of 10 RPs each for 52 consecutive Weeks.
10 Reward Points (need to collect every week) x 52 Weeks = 520 Reward Points (Double of 260 RPs)
You will receive the first take of 10 Reward Points as soon as you deposit RPs with Daniela. After the first credit, you will receive 10 RPs every Saturday for the next 51 Weeks. This amount translates to double the amount of Reward Points deposited with Daniela.
Please note that RPs will not be credited automatically You will need to visit Marketplace > Daniela’s Deal and click on “Collect” button to collect the weekly take of 10 Reward Points.
Q: How do I deposit Reward Points with Daniela?
A: To deposit Reward Points with Daniela, you need to have a minimum of 260 Reward Points in your account. Please follow the below steps to deposit Reward Points with Daniela:
Step 1:
Visit Marketplace and click on “Daniela’s Deal” to deposit the Reward Points with Daniela:
Step 2:
Click on the “Seal Deal for 260 RP” button:
Sealing the deal will deduct 260 Reward Points from your account and those will be deposited with Daniela for Weekly benefits.
You’ll receive a confirmation pop-up with the first weekly take of 10 Reward Points where you will also be able to buy Limited Edition items.
Q: How long will the Limited Edition items be available through Daniela’s Deal?
A: The Limited Edition items will be available through Daniela’s Deal only for 24 hours after you collect your weekly take of 10 Reward Points.
Q: How would I know the date to collect the next take of 10 RPs?
A: Once you have collected the first take of Weekly Reward Points, you will be notified through a countdown timer for subsequent collection times:
When the timer expires, you will see the option to collect the weekly take:
Q: What if I am unable to collect my 10 Weekly RPs in a particular week? Will these get added to next week’s take?
A: The weekly take of 10 Reward Points cannot be carried forward to the next week.If you are unable to collect the weekly take for a particular week, you will lose the take for that week.
Q: Can I request a partial withdrawal of deposited Reward Points from Daniela’s Deal?
A: Reward Points deposited with Daniela cannot be refunded or partially withdrawn.
Q: Can I opt out or cancel this deal after I deposit Reward Points?
A: No, you cannot opt out of the deal once you have made the deposit.
Q: Can I deposit more than 260 RPs or deposit multiple times to be eligible for a higher weekly take?
A: No, you can deposit 260 Reward Points with Daniela only once.
--xx--xx--
A: Daniela’s Deal is all about earning double the amount of deposited Reward Points through weekly takes.
Q: How does it work? What are the benefits?
A: To seal a deal with Daniela, you need at least 260 Reward Points in your account. Once you deposit 260 Reward Points with Daniela, you will receive 10 Reward Points every week for the next 52 Weeks.
Q: How does this deal double my Reward Points? When will I start receiving the returns?
A: You will receive double the amount of Reward Points in the form of weekly takes of 10 RPs each for 52 consecutive Weeks.
10 Reward Points (need to collect every week) x 52 Weeks = 520 Reward Points (Double of 260 RPs)
You will receive the first take of 10 Reward Points as soon as you deposit RPs with Daniela. After the first credit, you will receive 10 RPs every Saturday for the next 51 Weeks. This amount translates to double the amount of Reward Points deposited with Daniela.
Please note that RPs will not be credited automatically You will need to visit Marketplace > Daniela’s Deal and click on “Collect” button to collect the weekly take of 10 Reward Points.
Q: How do I deposit Reward Points with Daniela?
A: To deposit Reward Points with Daniela, you need to have a minimum of 260 Reward Points in your account. Please follow the below steps to deposit Reward Points with Daniela:
Step 1:
Visit Marketplace and click on “Daniela’s Deal” to deposit the Reward Points with Daniela:
Step 2:
Click on the “Seal Deal for 260 RP” button:
Sealing the deal will deduct 260 Reward Points from your account and those will be deposited with Daniela for Weekly benefits.
You’ll receive a confirmation pop-up with the first weekly take of 10 Reward Points where you will also be able to buy Limited Edition items.
Q: How long will the Limited Edition items be available through Daniela’s Deal?
A: The Limited Edition items will be available through Daniela’s Deal only for 24 hours after you collect your weekly take of 10 Reward Points.
Q: How would I know the date to collect the next take of 10 RPs?
A: Once you have collected the first take of Weekly Reward Points, you will be notified through a countdown timer for subsequent collection times:
When the timer expires, you will see the option to collect the weekly take:
Q: What if I am unable to collect my 10 Weekly RPs in a particular week? Will these get added to next week’s take?
A: The weekly take of 10 Reward Points cannot be carried forward to the next week.If you are unable to collect the weekly take for a particular week, you will lose the take for that week.
Q: Can I request a partial withdrawal of deposited Reward Points from Daniela’s Deal?
A: Reward Points deposited with Daniela cannot be refunded or partially withdrawn.
Q: Can I opt out or cancel this deal after I deposit Reward Points?
A: No, you cannot opt out of the deal once you have made the deposit.
Q: Can I deposit more than 260 RPs or deposit multiple times to be eligible for a higher weekly take?
A: No, you can deposit 260 Reward Points with Daniela only once.
--xx--xx--
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Recent Bug Fixes: 7/26/2012
Share
Mobsters,
We have some bug fixes to report! Before we get to the details, though, please continue to report any bugs you encounter in our "Report a Bug" forum, as it helps us prioritize their fixes for you. Also, detailed reproduction steps help us more quickly determine the reason behind an issue, so we always encourage you to include them.
Thanks again to everyone who submitted the bug reports that helped us close these issues!
- The Mafia Wars Team
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Rob Squad' not displayed under Robbing
Issue:Some players reported that they were not able to see the 'Rob Squad' under the robbing tab.
Status: Resolved around 6:50 AM on July 24,2012. If you are still experiencing this issue, please reply to this forum thread with your answers to the questions found there.
Issue:Some players reported that they were not able to see the 'Rob Squad' under the robbing tab.
Status: Resolved around 6:50 AM on July 24,2012. If you are still experiencing this issue, please reply to this forum thread with your answers to the questions found there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game fails to launch via Hit-List email notification.
Issue:When user A sets a bounty on user B, user B gets the Hit-list notification via an e-mail. When user B clicks on the link, the game fails to load and is unable to attack the opponent.
Status: Resolved around 7:33 AM on July 23,2012. If you are still experiencing this issue, please reply to this forum thread with your answers to the questions found there.
Issue:When user A sets a bounty on user B, user B gets the Hit-list notification via an e-mail. When user B clicks on the link, the game fails to load and is unable to attack the opponent.
Status: Resolved around 7:33 AM on July 23,2012. If you are still experiencing this issue, please reply to this forum thread with your answers to the questions found there.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Family Progression - First 20 Artillery Shells Accepted In A Day Counts To Progression
Issue: Some players report that only the first 20 gifted Artillery Shells accepted in a day contribute to their Family Progression. This is by design.
Status: Resolved around 7:34 AM on July 24,2012. If you are still experiencing this issue, please reply to this forum thread with your answers to the questions found there.
Issue: Some players report that only the first 20 gifted Artillery Shells accepted in a day contribute to their Family Progression. This is by design.
Status: Resolved around 7:34 AM on July 24,2012. If you are still experiencing this issue, please reply to this forum thread with your answers to the questions found there.
From Don, To Dusk
ShareMobsters,
The Don's making you an offer you cannot resist.
-The Mafia Wars Team
FREE Attack point
Share
Click "LIKE" and "SHARE" if you want more FREE point !
<-- Claim your FREE attack point!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
You can Now Gift Upto 110 Loots Per Day!
Share
Mobsters,
Many of you requested us to increase the cap on the number of loots you could gift to your Mafia per day.
We took your suggestion into consideration and now you we have increased the cap on gifting the loots to your Mafia from 85 to 110!
We welcome your feedback on this change via this very quick survey and hope that you continue to enjoy Mafia Wars.
Family Boss Fight: Mimi LaNoir
ShareUse the collaborative strength of your family to show her that Mimi LaNoir not as dangerous as she thinks she is, and be among the top contributors to the fight for a chance to receive the Quick Draw (203/203) when your family beats her!
Family Boss Fights pit your entire family against an epic boss. In the case of Mimi La Noir, you'll have 7 days to reduce her 1,000,000 health to zero once the fight is initiated. Once these 7 days are over or whenever the timer runs out on a Family Boss Fight, the boss' health resets and you will have another chance to prove that your family is in charge. This time it will be available until 25th September, 2012 which increases your chances to win more rewards!
If you're not familiar with how Family Boss Fights work, be sure to read our introductory post, otherwise get in there and show Mimi La Noir what your family's made of!
PS: Help us make better Mafia Wars features and events by completing this very quick survey to let us know what you think of this one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
