Here’s What You See When You Load FarmVille 2 For the First Time

FarmVille 2 is out now! We've played the first 30-40 minutes, so you don't have to. Check it out:

1

You’re just a city guy (or gal), fixing up the old family farm.

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A short tutorial teaches you how to harvest, sow and water plants & feed animals.

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Bam! You’re asked to post a status to your wall after just a few seconds playing. You can ignore it, though.

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More nefariously, you’re bribed to allow the game to post on its own. You can ignore this too.

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About one minute later you’re asked to invite your friends to join.

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After the tutorial you get to expand your farm for the first time. It grows in small square chunks.

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A herd of goats rush in and eat away all the tall grass – it’s actually pretty adorable.

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After the tutorial you’re free to play how you want, but some basic quests still help guide you.

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…Some of these quests are more hand-holdy than others.

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After about 10 more minutes of basic farming you’ll be level three with a small (but bustling!) farm.

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But it’s around now that players will run out of water. Everything you do uses it up, and it recharges slowly.

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Without water you can’t farm – you’re stuck. You can pay money to get more, or wait an hour or two and come back to a full water pale.

…and there you have it! The entire tutorial and initial farming fun lasts about 30-40 minutes and ends unceremoniously once players use up all their water supplies. During that period players will be encouraged to share the game with their friends around 6-7 times, but none of these posts are mandatory.

When you level-up all watered crops automatically spring to life, even if they had hours or days of growing time left. So strategic players will make sure everything is watered before they earn that final bit of XP required to gain a level.

Will you be giving FarmVille 2 a shot? Leave a note in the comments below and let us know.

Justin is Editor of IGN Wireless. He has been reviewing mobile games since the dark days of Java flip phones. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

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Champagne Supernovas Are Real, Says Science

And all this time we thought Noel Gallagher was just tripping...

A team of astronomers from CalTech, the University of Toronto and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory observed a Type Ia supernova 4 billion light years from Earth, which originated from a "white dwarf" star. The mass of this supernova exceeds all previously known examples by far.

An article in Nature by U. of OK professor David Branch termed it the "Champagne Supernova," explaining some of the most nebulous Oasis lyrics years after the fact and prompting us to wonder anew whether scientists have great senses of humor or none at all. Branch's explanation for the new moniker: discovering a supernova of this magnitude is an obvious cause for celebration.

Seriously, are we laughing with him or at him?

On a more serious note, the similar levels of brightness for all previously discovered Type la supernovae were a crucial element of a 1998 study that concluded the universe's rate of expansion is accelerating due to dark energy. The Champagne Supernova apparently doesn't invalidate those claims, but the researchers haven't explained why, and we probably wouldn't have understood anyway.

Now if only architects would tell us what the hell a Wonderwall is.

Source: Space Daily 

Jon Fox is a Seattle hipster who loves polar bears and climbing trees. You can follow him on Twitter and IGN.

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Star Trek: TNG - Second Season Blu-ray Announced

Just in time for the holidays, Paramount and CBS Home Entertainment will bring Star Trek: The Next Generation - Season Two to Blu-ray December 4, 2012!

From the official press release, "Fans have been clamoring for a high-definition release of "Star Trek: The Next Generation,"" Ken Ross, Executive Vice President and General Manager of CBS Entertainment, said in a statement. "Transferring the series to high-definition presented difficult technical challenges, but our team has come up with a process to create true 1080p HD masters with true HD visual effects. We can’t wait to show fans how pristine the series looks and sounds with our upcoming Blu-ray releases."

CBS is, in fact, returning to the original film negatives, a mother lode of material encompassing 25,000-plus reels of footage, and editing the episodes together precisely as they were when they originally aired between 1987 and 1994. Visual effects will not be upconverted from videotape, but instead will be recompositioned. The freshly cut film will ultimately be transferred to high definition with 7.1 DTS Master Audio. And all of the work is being done in conjunction with respected, longtime Star Trek figures Denise and Michael Okuda, who are on board as consultants."

Fans can expect 1080p transfers, lossless audio, and archival extras, in addition to new extras produced exclusively for the Blu-ray release. More details on these goodies in the coming days.

Suggested retail for Star Trek: TNG - Season Two is set at $129.99. Amazon has already listed the Blu-ray with a pre-order price of $90.99.

Stay tuned for more news regarding this release. And if you haven't already, be sure to read our review of Star Trek: TNG - Season One, and listen to Scott Collura's exclusive interview with LeVar Burton!

"Do you realize how many great advancements of mankind have been tied to speed? This is a moment in history, right here, right now." Become a friend of R.L. Shaffer on Twitter, Facebook or MyIGN for quotes, rants, reviews, news and more!

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The Five-Year Engagement Blu-ray Review

As with most filmmakers and producers who drop into the mainstream consciousness, there comes a time where an audience grows tired of their cliches, plot conventions and hangups. With Judd Apatow, the gripes boil down to one big complaint – pacing. And like many of Apatow's other productions, this issue is alive and well throughout Nicholas Stoller's latest rom-com, The Five-Year Engagement.

Running over two hours (even longer in the extended cut), the film takes you on a lengthy journey through Stoller and Jason Segel's potent narrative revolving around a grand-scale communication breakdown between boyfriend and girlfriend. And while some might enjoy the journey, others will find the humor stretched a bit too thin.

In the film, Segel plays Tom, an up-and-coming chef in San Francisco who proposes to his girlfriend, Violet (Emily Blunt). After Violet is offered a position in Michigan, the two decide to delay their nuptials and move. Tom abandons his career while Violet pursues hers, but one thing after another forces the two to question their relationship as their wedding grows further and further from sight.

It would seem Jason Segel loves breaking down the lines of communication between loved ones. It's been a staple of pretty much any film he's written, even The Muppets. And while he has treaded this ground before, The Five-Year Engagement does manage to find enough energy and originality to keep things lively. In fact, on some levels, this film represents a strong sense of maturity and growth in Segel's writing as he delivers more realism and less raunch.

The film does, at times, languish in its sluggish pace, dragging the audience through a surprisingly moody middle act that takes you down a few dark roads. That said, in order to really bring the crux of the psychological side of the narrative to the surface, it's sometimes necessary to take the audience to the darkest corners of a relationship. But for those seeking a laugh-a-minute riot, The Five-Year Engagement is likely to disappoint.

If you're in the market for a film that challenges you, however, The Five-Year Engagement will be a delightful experience. The film is often very funny, with more than its fare share of laugh-out-loud moments. Director/co-writer Nicholas Stoller does a knockout job balancing the picture's quirky sense of humor with the rigid drama the story must endure, all while giving his characters weight and purpose.

Jason Segel is absolutely terrific as usual, and Emily Blunt is put to good use, and not just played as the token love interest. The supporting cast, including Rhys Ifans, Chris Pratt, Mindy Kaling, Kevin Hart and Allison Brie, are top-notch, with nearly every single performer nabbing a scene-stealing moment. Sure, The Five-Year Engagement isn't a comedy gold mine, but it's a meaningful, honest (and sometimes brutal) look at relationships, told by two expert writers. If nothing else, the film is a terrific complement to other Apatow hits, as well as indies like Bachelorette, Friends with Kids and Take This Waltz (which stars Seth Rogen and Segel's real-life girlfriend, Michelle Williams).

The Five-Year Engagement arrives courtesy of Universal Studio Home Entertainment as a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital Copy/UltraViolet combo pack. The film is presented in 1.85:1, encoded in 1080p/AVC, mixed in 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio.

There's not really much to say about the presentation. While hardly earth-shaking on any level, the transfer is quite strong, with no noticeable compression flaws or distortions. Colors are balanced, flesh tones are spot-on, and the image is just slightly soft, but detailed. Audio is right on par with the transfer. While not remarkably aggressive, the track is perfectly balanced, providing plenty of atmosphere and nuance. Dialogue is clean. No crackles or distortions of any kind were noted.

Apatow productions rarely skimp on extras, and this release is no different. Not only do fans get two cuts of the film (the 125-minute theatrical cut and a 132-minute extended cut), but the film also includes a mostly solid commentary track (featuring Nicholas Stoller, Jason Segel, Emily Blunt, Chris Pratt, Alison Brie and Rodney Rothman) and nearly three hours of additional bonus content, including dozens of BD-exclusive deleted scenes, featurettes and extended material.

You can expect nearly 90 minutes of deleted/extended scenes, in addition to the usual gag material and line-o-ramas – a token of Apatow releases. There are also five featurettes, many of which are also deleted scenes or gags in their own right. And lastly, there's a terrific 45-minute making-of documentary that walks you through the production. While the extended material can get a little tiresome, there are plenty of fun goodies to keep you occupied, and smiling, for hours.

The Five-Year Engagement is not going to be everyone's breed of romantic-comedy, but it's a film well worth checking out, especially on Blu-ray. With hours of bonus features, two cuts of the film, and a knockout commentary track – not to mention a solid overall presentation – there's plenty to love about this disc.

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IPTL Amateur -- Will Scarlett help push Acer over the top?

Acer as a company has been around in eSports for many years long before their decision to create and manage a team. They have been supporting and donating money to wide range of tournaments in all kinds of games, whether it was League of Legends or Starcraft 2. However, it was their decision to create their own team that brought them huge attention from all kinds of eSports-related websites and communities.

Still, Starcraft 2 was not their game of choice; they first acquired FIFA back in February 2011 when they’ve launched Team Acer’s website. Yet, their current super-star players are all in the Starcraft 2 roster.

At the very beginning of Acer’s existence in the world of Zerg, Terran, and Protoss they brought in four players to the team, including the most famous German SC:BW player – Mondragon, but as the time was passing by none of them excluding Nerchio, who we are going to talk about in a minute, have not shown any promising results.

Currently, the once called “all-zerg” team has 5 active players in their line-up. Four zergs:  Bly, Nerchio, ParanOid, and Scarlett who joined Acer late June 2012, and one terran – DarkHydra. Single SCV user on the team is also the youngest – he was born in 1997. He participates in online cups on a regular basis, but has won only 1 so far back in 2011. Earlier this year Christian was invited as a stan-in for DeMulim to attend HomeStory Cup IV; he lost 0-3 in his group.

ParanOid aka GOsia used to be one of the top SC:BW players in Poland winning 2009 Polish WCG qualifiers. He played alongside Mondragon in clan called Templars of Twilight. Lately he qualified to IPL Season 5 through the European Satellite Qualifiers, but just like DarkHydra, he also has no huge victories in his Starcraft 2 portfolio.

Bly, despite not being the most recognized player from his country, is one of the top players representing Ukraine on the international scene at the moment. Active participant in many online cups he proves every single time why people cannot underestimate him. He took first place during WCS Ukraine Nationals beating faer, White-Ra, Strelok, and White-Ra once again in the finals. He also qualified for the IPL Season 5 just like DarkHydra and Nerchio through the European Satellite Qualifiers.

Until recently Team Acer was known because of Nerchio who grew immensely as a player since he joined the team in July 2011, but now he’s not the only star  on the team. Scarlett has been performing good since she started playing in the official tournaments like IGN ProLeague Season 4 where she took out DeMusliM, Terius and DdoRo or IPL TAC 3, but the epiphany of her skill took place during WCS Canada qualifiers and WCS NA Championship where she destroyed the competition winning both events with less than 10 games lost in total.

She is more than ready to take part in a huge international events, and go against the best our scene has to offer, but IPTL Season 1 is also going to be a test of her true abilities. For the first time in her career, Scarlett will have to play against the best of what Europe and Korea has to offer; this is not a North American only tournament anymore. Is she going to step up? We might potentially find that out on the 13th of September when Team Acer face aTn.Type in their IPTL Season 1 opening match.

The last but definitely not least on the team is Artur “Nerchio” Bloch. This Polish zerg is not only perceived as a top player in his country, but as one of the best players outside Korea. What is more, in public’s opinion he is also the most skilled Zerg on the western scene, but he exchanges this title with Stephano constantly based on their results in the most recent events. Second place at IEM Cologone 2012, First place in HomeStory Cup V, First place in WCS Poland Nationals and many many more – this is a short list of his latest achievements, and he’s still coming for more.

Although, we what we are seeing now is Nerchio at his best, last year during European Battle.net Invitational he was still an inexperienced newcomer, constantly described as a maphacker and a stream cheater due to his amazing runs in online cups, and poor performance during offline tournaments. Back then people didn’t believe him, when he said that he gets stressed during big events like EBI 2011 for example, but now he got it all sorted out, and can perform at the highest competitive level in Starcraft.

In a team league like IPTL both Nerchio and Scarlett might be used for two things; opening a match to get an early advantage and closing a match to secure a victory. Scarlett has proven many times in the past that she has no problem with being under pressure, hence she might be used by her team mainly as a closer, whereas Nerchio can open a match or be used in the middle of it to secure a draw or catch-up with a score.

Nonetheless, Team Acer, being one of the best team in their group, have a huge chance of advancing into the Up and Down Matches. With two strong star players as a core of their success they might even advance to Premier Division next season.

Written by Albert Palka

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Emily Rose Director Will Beware the Night

Filmmaker Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Sinister) has signed on to direct Beware the Night from a script he co-wrote with Paul Boardman. Screen Gems will produce the film and is currently in negotiations with Disney for the rights.

TheWrap describes the story which follows a New York police officer tasked with investigating demon possessions, exorcisms and werewolves after dark. Casting has yet to begin, although Mark Wahlberg was reportedly being eyed for the leading role.

In addition to Emily Rose, Derrickson directed 2008's The Day the Earth Stood Still and penned the screenplay for the upcoming Devil's Knot.

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App Store Update: September 5

Every day hundreds of new apps make their debut on the App Store, and hundreds more are updated or reduced in price. We have sifted through the noise and highlighted those select few that might be worth your attention.

Game Debuts

Pocket Trucks – ($0.99)

In the tradition of titles like Trials HD and MotoHeroz comes Pocket Trucks, your latest place to send vehicles flying through side-scrolling stages full of loops and realistic physics. The 99 cent price is for launch only, so move fast before it jumps up.

IGN's App for Guild Wars 2 – (Free)

Are you already knee-deep in playing through the recently released Guild Wars 2? Well, our next app recommendation is one of our own – IGN's App for Guild Wars 2 brings together an interactive map, wiki access and more in one convenient place, making your iPad or iPhone the perfect traveling companion for your adventures through the land of Tyria.

Price Drops

Thor: Son of Asgard – (Free)

On Avengers withdrawal? Been too long since your last showing at the local theater? Get back into gear with Marvel's superhero team for free today by joining the God of Thunder in this iOS adventure.

Robber Rabbits! – (Free)

It's been a while since this puzzler starring a couple of bandit bunnies last came to our attention, and its latest content – a pack of Easter-themed levels – isn't exactly timely any more here in September. But when the game is free, we'll gladly ignore the calendar on go on another egg hunt. (There's a free iPad version for this one too.)

Reckless Racing 2 – (Free)

Check out the trailer below, then just try to keep yourself from zipping straight to the App Store to download this one for free.

Depict – (Free)

If you're a little burned out on Draw Something, try this alternative Pictionary homage for free.

Hunters: Episode One HD – ($0.99)

We highlighted Hunters 2 in our list of Price Drops yesterday, but don't miss the series' first installment at the same low 99 cent level.

Updates

King of Dragon Pass – ($9.99)

This interactive storytelling adventure (set in the world of HeroQuest) has received a new universal update. Enjoy crafting your own epic legend on either iPhone or iPad!

That's all for now! If you haven't already, consider subscribing to the App Store Update via email. It's extra convenient!

Lucas M. Thomas is IGN Nintendo's longtime champion of downloadable titles across the Wii, DSi and 3DS. He's happy to now be helping Justin round up the best options for App Store shoppers. You can follow him on Twitter.

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