Not this time.  The Crazies have arrived! 

When I was asked to play The Crazies, I thought “this will be just another game to pass time.  I’m already playing Mafia Wars.  I have put so much time into Mafia Wars.” 

After, a little bit of pushing I agreed.  “WOW” would be a good word to use here.  After reading the instructions and working through the tutorial, I started playing.  From level one the intensity was incredible.  It started off slow to allow you to learn the controls like any other game.  By the time you reach level two or three, you are so involved that your heart feels as if it is about to beat right out of your chest.  The Crazies are coming out of the woodwork.  The Crazies came from the left…no the right…no from top to the bottom.  With each wave of the Crazies, they become more reluctant die so the intensity and quick reaction of the player becomes electrifying.  Eyes and hands are moving from side to side trying to insert barriers and shooters to stop these Crazies, but they just keep coming at you. 

The Crazies game is nothing like any other Facebook game that I have seen.  For those who like badges and metals, you will not lose any of that.  The Crazies will post level promotions and badges that you earn so your friends can still follow your progress and maybe even join in on your fun. 

I do recommend this game, but not to anyone with a weak heart!  This game will have you jumping up and down and shouting at your computer screen by the time you reach level 3.  So, go CRAZY and ENJOY.  It’s a great game.

Ronnie Bourgeois

In three days, I have spent more real currency than I have in several months playing Café World, Tiki Farm, and Fishville combined.  It is just so seamless and easy to spend money that you can’t resist (or at least I can’t).  This is a game changer (pardon the pun, but again, my blog, I can do these type of things). 

It’s very exciting and I can’t wait until we get Facebook credits in our games.  Stay tuned!

Lloyd Melnick
Chief Customer Officer

It is a good list for other, more run of the mill-type emergencies… though not as fun as using it against the hordes of infected Crazies!

1. Bleach. Not only will a few drops purify water sources for drinking, but bleach can also offer a quick fix during a surprise attack. Simply throw some at the eyes of perpetrating Crazies to add valuable seconds in your escape!  How it burns!

2. Mini Ax. Cuts down trees for both fire and fort construction in order to protect you against the elements. Plus, it is great for slicing and dicing the Crazies. You can’t go wrong with this handy tool!

3. Emergency Crank 2-way Radio. Learn about your predicament. Call in your location. Let the military know you are not infected to avoid that tragic ’survive a zombie invasion only to get a bullet between the eyes’ ending.  Oh yeah, we have all seen that movie!

4. Gun. Hunting animals for food, keeping aggressive survivors away, the typical ’shot in the brain’ zombie-like kill. Downside: running low on ammo. Upside: your mini ax will never run out.

5. Duct tape. Handy in every-which-way possible when dire situations threaten your survival– just ask MacGyver. And though MacGyver never used it for tying up Crazies to extract some sort of antivirus, I am sure he would approve!

6. Medicine & antibacterial care. Clean your wounds and treat small conditions before they turn sour. Remember, when a member of your party is bitten by an infected friend or family member, do not try to treat them and do not ignore the impending doom! One swift blow to the head with your trusty mini ax is the only sure-fire treatment for any possibly contaminated party members.

7. Gasoline. For many uses– from driving to safety and fueling your fire to cook to thoroughly toasting Infected remains for disposal. Better safe than sorry: shoot between the eyes, remove the head and burn. No coming back from that. Just don’t forget the matches!

Check out our Twitter account @TheCraziesTD and Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Crazies-Tower-Defense/199121078443 for more helpful advice when the going gets tough, and the neighborhood gets Crazy!

Gwendolyn Borgen

The next incarnation was gaming consoles and games with more complex stories.  The first I remember playing was Mario. The reasons why you played changed– you would play for the story and the main goals were no longer to rise in rank or to get the high score to impress your friends. You played to be a part of the environment, to explore different levels, and to be a part of the story as it unfolds. Gaming moved away from its social roots in the arcade to a more personal, home venture.

Jump ahead a few decades.

The advent of online gaming is claiming the time of committed gamers now. Call of Duty is one of the main games.  The goals of the gamer have changed again. No longer do people play to get new levels nor for the story, but the goals mirror their arcade roots.  The goal of the social gamer is to gain stats and play against friends to achieve the high score all from the comfort of your home.

Now, the social gaming consoles are limited to those who own them; however, with social games online, such as those on Facebook, the need for gaming is now met.  It is no longer along the lines we once played such as Final Fantasy.  It is back to the basics: simple levels, basic graphics, and the goal of social competition to keep you coming back.

Do high scores, ranking, and social recognition outweigh the story or the actual complexity of game play? I for one love a great game with epic stories that challenges you, but I can understand the even more addictive nature of surpassing your peers in  competition. It is what makes you come back, even when the dynamics of the game is as repetitive as sowing crops.

Gwendolyn Borgen

Driving to one of local bars in Chapel Hill, where my friend Tom works as professional intoxicator, I’ve been thinking about how challenging it has been for me as a Producer. In fact, very little of my experience that I’ve gained producing casual games could be applied to producing the Facebook social game Drinking Buddies. The main difference in producing social games for Facebook or any social platform is there’s no such thing as a “postmortem” simply because there’s no Golden Master.  As long as our game is gaining new users it will continue evolving and eventually become an even important part of my life and, hopefully, my project for years to come. Basically, once any game on a social platform is launched you can have a “postpartum” with your peers and then it’s going to be a series of numerous check-ups. It sounds so much like a living being it’s scary, isn’t it?

We’ve hit 10K+ MAU (Monthly Active Users) yesterday. In fact, this the main reason I’m visiting my bartender friend Tom tonight. Of course we have long way to go to compete with 800 hundred pound gorilla games from our West Coast competitors.  Yet it feels great to check our rankings every day and see how many new folks came aboard. “Look,” says Lijith, who leads our project on our developer’s side, “we are moving into the right direction!  We got another 500 folks to share drinks with their friends tonight. Isn’t that great?”

It is great, indeed.   Lijith and I have been living a very intense life lately. Our working hours have extended in a desperate attempt to cover each other’s normal working hours so both of us in fact feel relocated to the other’s country. My day starts very often in Kochi, India when the rest of my neighborhood rests peacefully in Orpheus’ arms and Lijith wraps up his work day when his native town is about to call it a night.

Cheers, Lijith!

Let’s go wild – you in Kochi and me here in Chapel Hill once we hit 500.000 users per month.

Dimitri Kirin