PS Blog

Costa Rica

2013-11-29T01:33:00.000+11:00

This photo of La Fortuna Waterfall is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of La Fortuna Waterfall is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of La Fortuna Waterfall is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of La Fortuna Waterfall is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of La Fortuna Waterfall is courtesy of TripAdvisor

This photo of La Fortuna Waterfall is courtesy of TripAdvisor

An abandoned dog on the railroad tracks gets rescued - you must see this...

2013-11-07T08:39:00.001+11:00

Electronic Arts: Giving the Gaming Industry a Bad Name

2013-08-19T13:15:00.000+10:00

oh the dreaded captchas….weren’t they a nightmare!? I lost the vast majority of my original neighbours in pet society during the captcha nightmare. I started playing in 2008 with a bunch of friends I’d played another game with called Lil Green Patch after it was shut down when Playdom took over (sound familiar?). I had to find new neighbours, which wasn’t a problem in itself, but losing my original neighbours was crushing. Their pets were still there, but they were not visited by their owners anymore and going to see them was depressing-they’d be covered in flies and walking the dying from starvation walk.
I wrote a similar topic post on my blog about how EA bled pet society dry but there were many things you mentioned here that I had forgotten about, and now when I think of all these points added together, I feel so violated for all us at the hands of EA. I also feel really bad for the Playfish team and the thousands of employees EA have sacked throughout their many acquisitions, wheelings and dealings. How many careers have been destroyed by them? How many people have fallen ill with various stress and anxiety-related disorders as a direct result of their actions? What are they doing to offset the negative effects they have on multiple country’s economies with their mass lay-offs and relocations? I am aware these last two factors are not unique to EA and are in fact, often common behavioural traits of trans-national corporations. However, most TNC’s are equally aware that their reputation is paramount to their ongoing success, and that the embracing of corporate social responsibility is likewise a two-way, win-win situation for the company and the community upon which it impacts. It was these two key factors that sprung to mind when reading the response by Peter Moore to EA being awarded ‘The Worst Company in America’ for a second year running.
Many people found Peter’s response arrogant, biased, and non-repentant, but a few reporters wrote that Peter had a point when stating that “EA had not leaked oil or caused any serious environmental or health issues like some of the other contenders for the ‘award’ had”. It was on these grounds he based his argument: ‘that EA did not deserve the award because other companies are a lot worse’. The remainder of his response sounded like an aggressive, spoilt brat who refused to take responsibility for EA’s actions, and focused solely on sales numbers as the only marker for success. Very telling. While the so-called bad companies take measures to give back to the community via sponsorship, donations, project launches and other identified needs, EA does nothing at all but take people’s money. While other companies perform regular customer evaluation surveys and seek feedback from customers to tailor their products/services to better suit customer needs, EA respond to help requests from customers by sending automated email replies for weeks, even months on end. Their customer service centre is notorious for it’s ineffectiveness and ineptitude. I needn’t even mention the myriad of glitches, bugs and loading issues customers were forced to put up with for months, even years, while their requests for help went ignored and the problems remained unfixed. As long as the money was still coming in, EA just simply didn’t care.

#SavePetSociety twitter campaign gains attention from gaming journalist

2013-05-31T04:16:00.001+10:00

Will The Community Be Able To #SavePetSociety From EA? @forbes onforb.es/ZufaAk

— Ewan Spence (@Ewan) May 29, 2013

the article this tweet refers to is published in Forbes, one of the most prominent news publications in the industry. This is well worth the effort constant tweeting has been, and big kudos must go to the admins of Save Pet Society for their unwavering efforts and hard work in trying to save our beloved game pet society.

Growing Body of Dis-Satisfied EA Customers: Have EA Burnt Too Many Bridges?

2013-05-15T23:34:00.002+10:00

Pet Society's Fate: Resentment of EA Intensifies as EA's Monopoly on Games Market Extends

There is no shortage of articles from all corners of the world in the global media reporting on the shortcomings of EA. A growing body of gamers resentful towards the company are increasingly loud in their chorus of 'rage against the machine' that EA embodies.

It is not just Pet Society players who are angered by the apparent lack of concern EA has for it's customers satisfaction in the products and services it offers. It's gamers across the board, and given the monopoly EA now has on the game market, we're talking a heck of a lot of disgruntled and frustrated customers.
So how has EA managed to earn itself such a bad reputation-indeed it took out the gong for 'Worst Company In America' again for the second year in a row-and the wrath of the majority of gamers? These clips and quotes are sure to give you a few clues!

"EA has become a company that releases mediocre products created by faceless teams. There is no real vision at work, no grand design. Just the idea that free-to-play games and microtransactions are the wave of the future, or at least they better be, because none of the company’s $60 boxed releases are finding much success with either critics or gamers."

~ Ben Kuchera Senior Editor, The Penny Arcade Report

"If they don't refund players for anything bought in the last few months then I expect a class action lawsuit in the US as a minimum. People have spent money and invested in their worlds.. Now they can't play anymore.... pretty much all purchases are made with long term plans if your playing a game like this. You effectively made every purchase in the last year or so a waste of money.
Always online game problem 101... what happens when a company closes down a game people have invested time and money into with little or no notice?
And companys like EA wonder why they get hatred and win awards all the time for bad customer service. Seriously imagine the reaction when they shut down a mainstream games servers"

~Tom Pickard Art Lead, The Creative Assembly

"Hopefully you'll at LEAST get some sort of credit for your purchase. It's idiotic for a company to drop a title without letting users know this and allowing them at least a window of time to download it once more before it's gone forever."
~Greg Wilcox Creator, Destroy All Fanboys

"I'm amazed that the games are being shut down. Ceasing active development; fair enough, but surely the games have enough players to cover maintenance and server costs?"
~Mark Faulkner Executive Producer, Bossa Studios Ltd

And here's one of my many, many tweets with the #SavePetSociety hashtag:

typical #EA, at it again.Worst company in America 2 years in a row, scandal after scandal… disq.us/8d0c4o @savepetsociety @gamesbeat

— cindy considine (@considine_c) May 5, 2013

There are literally so many articles in the online media about the manner in which EA has conducted business underhandedly and with little concern for their customers other than for what's in their wallets.
In an uncannily accurate portrayal of EA's spiral downward, Ryan Bates of GotGame writes (paraphrased):
"EA hit their peak in the late 2000s. That’s when, much like the college freshman at their first frat party, EA drank too much of the Happy Juice. You see, those employees that were making scads of money, they wanted more. Lots more. And those people making scads of money were now also making scads of decisions. Not only were they going to take that money, they were going to do it in a way that made gamers thank them for the pillaging after the fact.
This was right around the time when EA started discovering the micro-transaction. Not everyone was willing to plunk down $20-$40 for an expansion pack full of crap for one of EA's games. They were fine with the game and what it had to offer. But, would they, perhaps, pay $4 for a cool town statue? Yes, yes they would. Would they pay, say, $10 for a new city to explore? Sure they would.
And unlike expansion packs, micro-transactions could be used much more widely, especially in their sports games. Sure, your team’s uniforms in NHL 13 look lifelike and authentic… but wouldn’t you want to have their throwback jerseys too? Sure, the other cars in Need for Speed: Most Wanted are pretty cool, but don’t you want to ride around in James Bond’s original Astin Martin DB5? EA even went so far as to re-sell us things via micro-transaction. For example, during this past year of the game's existence, old coin-costing items from Pet Society's earlier years were given a quick colour tweak then added to the shops, though the second time around they were slapped with a ca$h price tag rather than the original coin price.

EA had extended their micro-transaction efforts not just on PC gamers, but gamers on every platform. For every piece of furniture, every sword, every health kit, every boxing glove, and every single piece of clothing a character could ever wear, there was a newer, different, and possibly better version for sale at the low, low price of when-the-hell-did-we-start-paying-for-this-crap.
But that was just the problem… we paid for it. We wanted that town statue, that new bundle, those magic wings. We wanted the extra rooms. We wanted three Petlings. And for a few extra bucks, we were down for it. And EA took notice, as did other studios, and before we knew it, we were being bled dry not all at once, but via the ol’ nickel-and-dime game.
While many companies stuck their hands in the proverbial cookie jar, EA became notorious for it. If it was an EA game, you could almost rest assured there would be DLC (downloadable content) and microtransactions, and you would be paying for it. If you turned it down, in the best case scenario you wouldn't be one of the cool kids. In the worst… you could find yourself at a disadvantage, or even unable to attain a 100% run or progress any further in the game.
Refusal, denial, and haughty (and occasionally flat-out demeaning) responses to players protests have been EA’s modus operandus as of late. Their debacle with the reboot of SimCity drew ire not only for their pre-and post-release planning, but their handling of player criticisms. The recent response to EA's second successive award for The Worst Company in America by Chief Operating Officer Peter Moore is one such example. Instead of addressing the concerns customers raise by voting for EA in the first place, he blames EA's Worst Company success on homophobes and whiny Madden fans.
Gamers, it is imperative that you do your homework. Research the games, and refuse to give money to any company that does not actively fight for your needs. Only by attacking their bank accounts can we tell EA, and other companies in gaming (and any field, for that matter) that we are not characters in their games, but people with hard-earned dollars in a tough economy.
The happy little buzz that EA once brought to the Video Game Party is now bordering on poisoning, and if we let it go unchecked, much like a wild bar night, all we will have to show for it is broken promises, bad decisions, a maxed-out credit card and a thumping headache."

PS Blog: EA Shuttering 3 Facebook Games June 14 | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

2013-05-05T22:55:00.001+10:00

PS Blog: EA Shuttering 3 Facebook Games June 14 | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

A response I wrote to this article can be seen below it:

EA Shuttering 3 Facebook Games June 14 | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

By Stephanie Mlot

April 15, 2013 12:10pm EST

Electronic Arts's recent struggles seem to have trickled down to its social gaming platform. The company today announced that three of its Facebook-based games will shutter in two months, thanks to a drop in user activity.

As of June 14, EA will retire Playfish Facebook games The Sims Social, SimCity Social, and Pet Society, according to a blog post. EA acquired Playfish in 2009 for $300 million.

"After millions of people initially logged into play these games, the number of players and amount of activity has fallen off," EA wrote.

The oldest title of the trio, Pet Society launched in Aug. 2008, according to Polygon; The Sims Social was released in Aug. 2011, before SimCity Social opened to Facebook players in early July. Pet Society is a Playfish-developed title, while the two Sims games were co-developed with Maxis.

As Joystiq pointed out, these were the last three Playfish Facebook titles standing; the rest have been shut down already, or are scheduled for closing. Only Madden NFL Social, developed at EA Tiburon for iOS and Facebook, managed to escape execution...

..."Retiring games is never easy," according to a Playfish forum message, which urged users to spend the remaining balance of SimCash (The Sims Social) or Diamonds (SimCity Social) before the game shuts down in June; unredeemed Playfish cash cards should also be spent before time runs out.

"For people who have seen other recent shutdowns of social games, perhaps this is not surprising," EA admitted in its blog post.

In an effort to appease fans, EA/Playfish said they will announce "a special offer to thank you for playing our game," and encouraged users to watch the gaming site for more details. (yeah-they sent us an email offering some free coins for use on their popcap games!?! That is a 'special offer'?!!! More like a giant slap in the face -Cindy)

The news comes a week after EA earned Consumerist's title of "Worst Company in America" for the second consecutive year, thanks in part to the disastrous SimCity release. Meanwhile, company CEO John Riccitiello left the company at the end of March, less than two weeks before Electronic Arts laid off a reported 160 employees from its Montreal-based mobile studio.

Post Script: The confidential internal memo is now public: Video game industry juggernaut Electronic Arts is laying off as many as 1,000 employees.

T ypical EA, at it again. Worst company in America 2 years in a row, scandal after scandal concerning dismal customer service, treatment of their employees, and rip offs, closing games without considering selling them to other companies, or making offline versions available, despite the fact customers have paid and paid and paid for items in these games only to have them 'repossessed' without any good reason other than the costs to them. They keep our money, we get no refunds or restitution. Buying an average of $25 in-game cash a week, I spent just under $6000 on Pet Society from 2008 when the game was introduced until now, and that figure does not include the hundreds of Playfish cash cards I purchased for use on the game by trading them with other players who didn't have in-game cash (which costs real money, as do the cards). What will I have to show for all the thousands of dollars I spent? Not even an opportunity to see all the items I paid for in a preserved offline version of the game. I will simply have to swallow that my paid-for items will be unjustifiably taken off me because of EA's ineptitude and greed, as will thousands of other devastated players....

By rights the game should still be available for players to log into and enjoy what we paid for, players don't mind if the game is not updated weekly, we just want to play with the items we painstakingly bought, collected, traded, saved for, worked for, and received as gifts from friends. The work the Playfish team put into designing the thousands of items in the game was deeply appreciated and loved by millions of players, indeed that's why we were prepared to pay real money for them, even when EA acquired the game and made items bought with real money non-giftable so they couldn't be traded. Just pure greed it was on their behalf, and that greed effectively cut off a large portion of players who didn't have real money to spend but who had managed to play and enjoy the game by trading with other players like me who did have access to real money. The fact EA didn't bother making the Playfish cash cards available in many countries to cater for players who had cash money but not a paypal or credit account (and you need a credit card to open a paypal account in many countries) only served to further disenfranchise another portion of players, such as the ones who were too young to have bank accounts, people who conscientiously chose not to have credit cards, and people who did not wish to keep their money in bank accounts for security reasons.

Inevitably these greedy choices EA made led to a drop in player numbers, so what does EA do to attract new players or old ones back? It hikes the prices up of cash-only items in the game, and increases the quantity of cash-only items!! Sure, that's really going to draw in more players....not. So another wave of players drifted away after growing tired of paying so much each week for items that were fast losing quality yet were getting higher and higher in price. Another factor EA is responsible for- the dismal treatment of their employees and the increasingly tight deadlines and work demands they made on their shrinking workforce.
This was evident in the quality of item's designs dropping in the game as well as being widely reported on in the media. What was left of the previously millions of pet society fans was a core bunch of loyal players who had integrated pet society into their daily lives in such a way that it served more purposes than just regular gaming entertainment.
Given the social aspect of the game, many friendships, relationships, even marriages, had come about through interaction in the game which evolved into offline interaction. Others used pet society as a strategy to relax and unwind from the daily problems they faced in their lives, while others with disabilities and/or limited mobility were able to socialise and make friendships they would not otherwise have the chance to.
Pet Society offers a unique experience vastly different from most other games on facebook, it's non violent, doesn't promote gambling, sexism, competitiveness, misogyny, isolated game-play or any of the other common issues often cited in the media as being detrimental to kid's development and adult's mental health. Instead it encourages creativity, maths skills, sharing, socialising and peaceful game-play that is non- pressuring, not time-limited and allows players to socialise with one another at their own pace. People are consequently attached emotionally to pet society in ways that are not possible in other games for these reasons, among others. Therefore our outrage at the imminent closure is not just about the financial investment we have lost to EA, it's the very real and tangible way this will legitimately traumatise many people who have been involved in the pet society community for the last five years.
In taking this decision to cull pet society without any regard to these factors, EA prove further still why they have earned the title of 'worst company in America', 2 years in a row. Indeed EA have treated paying loyal customers with nothing but contempt and greed.
It is crystal clear now that EA's future has a big black cloud hanging over it, and I for one will be one of the many who will never again buy a product with the EA logo or any other connection to EA, no matter how remote. Bearing in mind I have 2 children who each have various gaming consoles and computers, it will not be only my gaming dollars going to other companies, it will be those dollars I will spend on games for my children too. Never again EA.

EA Shuttering 3 Facebook Games June 14 | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

2013-05-05T21:49:00.001+10:00

A response I wrote to this article can be seen below it:

EA Shuttering 3 Facebook Games June 14 | News & Opinion | PCMag.com

By Stephanie MlotApril 15, 2013 12:10pm EST

As of June 14, EA will retire Playfish Facebook games The Sims Social, SimCity Social, and Pet Society, according to a blog post. EA acquired Playfish in 2009 for $300 million.

"After millions of people initially logged into play these games, the number of players and amount of activity has fallen off," EA wrote.

"For people who have seen other recent shutdowns of social games, perhaps this is not surprising," EA admitted in its blog post.

Post Script: The confidential internal memo is now public: Video game industry juggernaut Electronic Arts is laying off as many as 1,000 employees.

Pet Society Closing 14/6

Typical EA, at it again. Worst company in America 2 years in a row, scandal after scandal concerning dismal customer service, treatment of their employees, and rip offs, closing games without considering selling them to other companies or making offline versions available, despite the fact customers have paid and paid and paid for items in these games only to have them 'repossessed' without any good reason other than the costs to them. They keep our money, we get no refunds or restitution. Buying an average of $25 in-game cash a week, I spent just under $6000 on Pet Society from 2008 when the game was introduced until now, and that figure does not include the hundreds of playfish cash cards I purchased for use on the game by trading them with other players who didn't have in-game cash (which costs real money, as do the cards). What will I have to show for all the thousands of dollars I spent? Not even an opportunity to see all the items I paid for in a preserved offline version of the game. I will simply have to swallow that my paid-for items will be unjustifiably taken off me because of EA's ineptitude and greed, as will thousands of other devastated players....

This was evident in the quality of item's designs dropping in the game as well as being widely reported on in the media. What was left of the previously millions of pet society fans was a core bunch of loyal players who had integrated pet society into their daily lives in such a way that it served more purposes than just regular gaming entertainment.
Given the social aspect of the game, many friendships, relationships, even marriages, had come about through interaction in the game which evolved into offline interaction. Others used pet society as a strategy to relax and unwind from the daily problems they faced in their lives, while others with disabilities and/or limited mobility were able to socialise and make friendships they would not otherwise have the chance to.
Pet Society offers a unique experience vastly different from most other games on facebook, it's non violent, doesn't promote gambling, sexism, competitiveness, misogyny, isolated gameplay or any of the other common issues often cited in the media as being detrimental to kid's development and adult's mental health. Instead it encourages creativity, math skills, sharing, socialising and peaceful gameplay that is non- pressuring, not time-limited and allows players to socialise with one another at their own pace. People are consequently attached emotionally to pet society in ways that are not possible in other games for these reasons, among others. Therefore our outrage at the imminent closure is not just about the financial investment we have lost to EA, it's the very real and tangible way this will legitimately traumatise many people who have been involved in the pet society community for the last five years.
In taking this decision to cull pet society without any regard to these factors, EA prove further still why they have earned the title of 'worst company in America', 2 years in a row. Indeed EA have treated paying loyal customers with nothing but contempt and greed.
It is crystal clear now that EA's future has a big black cloud hanging over it, and I for one will be one of the many who will never again buy a product with the EA logo or any other connection to EA, no matter how remote. Bearing in mind I have 2 children who each have various gaming consoles and computers, it will not be only my gaming dollars going to other companies, it will be those dollars I will spend on games for my children too. Never again EA.

Pet Society by Playfish

2013-04-28T10:32:00.001+10:00

A State of disbelief

This is an old promo video for Pet Society when it was still in the hands of Playfish Studios. EA bought the game in 2009 for 30 million then milked the players dry of money, with barely any items sold for coins by the time they decided they would close the servers for Pet Society, and a dozen other games they ruined through their greed and mismanagement.
For the second year running they have been voted 'worst company in America' and not without good reason. They have also been busy sacking many of their studio employees, while the big boys at the top are cushioned from any effects and continue to feather their nests with our money. There are many news articles online circulating around at the moment about their winning worst company, closing down games, ripping off customers, providing inferior service and products, and mass layoffs of employees. The fact they are not refunding players money and actually had a cash sale before announcing Pet Society's closure is another unethical notch in their belt, indeed they encouraged players to spend remaining cash balances on in-game items before the end date! No offline mode is being offered and no plans to sell the game to another company either-they want to just bury it and keep our money. I personally spent $6000-7000 Australian dollars on the game since I began playing in 2008, and if I factor in the prepaid internet charges I clocked up for the first 4 of those 5 years at $50 per 3gb

Women's Week 2013

2013-03-04T22:03:00.000+11:00

Women's Week

Cupid's Corner Week

2013-02-12T01:42:00.000+11:00

Cupid's Corner Week

Week 2250 is a Valentine's Day theme and by all accounts the items released in this database are exquisite! There are 3 beautiful cash outfits including a limited edition Mon Petit Cheri bundle, while the first 2 are detailed, delicate, formal gowns which evolve into even more detail, much like the petals of a rose budding. One is off-white and the other red, but how can you choose between them?! No thanks, I will take all 3 please! ^_^

Cupid Heart Cupid Angel Wings

Red Cupid Angel Wings

Cupid Arrow

Love Struck Cupid

Sleeping Cupid

Cupid Balloons

Cupid Bath

Cupid Candle Love Struck Candle

Cupid Heart Candle Cupid Love Boat

2013-02-01T22:53:00.000+11:00

2249 sketch week

video preview courtesy of Tim Burton of Pet Society Extreme, grazie mille bro xx

2013-01-16T04:59:00.000+11:00

Butterfly Meadow Week

This week's theme is already well underway, so this post is certainly no sneak peek. Despite the timing, I think the item's in this theme are still very worthy and deserving of a blog post about them, so here we are!

Some of the most beautiful items are as follows:

Azure Wings
Pearl Wings
Purple Wings
Butterfly Meadow Wings
Red Admiral Flower
Purple Hairstreak Flower
Painted Lady Flower
Butterfly Ceiling Lamp
Butterfly Clock
Butterfly Flower Vase
Meadow Door
Yellow Flower Bed
Nectar Flower Pot
Butterfly Flower Vase
Mystery Evolving Meadow Egg
Butterfly Fairy
Mariposa Fairy
Meadow Fairy

Brand New Quest in Pet Society! Meadow Make-up Kit as reward!

Below are the features available with this kit, if not finished on time the make-up kit will cost 50cc

and here is a demonstration of the make-up kit features

Limited Edition items in the theme include this gorgeous Nectar Plushie for coins

and Cash limited Items include the lovely Nectar Lady Outfit

and these beautiful Butterfly Meadow Wings

to top it off, here's 2000 free coins to spend !

click for 2000 coins

Limited Edition Item Reminder Sugar & Spice Week

2013-01-09T08:45:00.000+11:00

What do you think of the theme so far? I like some of the items, but not the pink-ish ones so much. I find that the designer who creates this style of item makes the furniture items too large, so it is difficult to use them with other themed furniture in a room. I prefer the items designed by the other graphic artist which are detailed, in proportion to a room's surrounds, and look less like a child has designed them. An example of this type of work would be items from the dark manor theme, masquerade theme, and Pandora theme.

I find it hard to remember when LE's are released since the days they were usually available changed, but pet society friends posts a good image each week that makes it easy to see at a glance when LE items are on sale. Here's this week's: One last thought on this week's theme so far is about the v4 ponymaker.
I love ponies, but I think it was too soon to release another maker after the Rudolph plushie maker was released barely a week or so ago. It doesn't give us much of a chance to familiarise ourselves with the Rudolphs and decide what features we'd prefer to collect. It's a time-pressed and very busy time of year for a lot us already.
I don't enjoy feeling 'rushed', but I am a sucker for a pony.... This rapid release of v4 pony makers has me feeling like a spoilt kid at Christmas, like the bratty type who opens one expensive present then tosses it over his shoulder the second another present is spotted...

Sugar & Spice Week 2000 free coinage

2013-01-08T13:24:00.002+11:00

Animated Items of Sugar & Spice Week

2013-01-07T12:51:00.001+11:00

Released today an hour and a half ago were the Sugar and Spice Week Items. Some items we were able to get sneak peeks of before today, such as the v4 pony makers and ponies, and a couple of themed mystery box items. This week holds some limited edition items in coins which is great, and as always, some cash LE's too.

Chili Pepper Pal
Green Chili Pepper Pal
Sugar Muffin Pal
Sweet Tooth Pal
Chili Lights
Strawberry Wall Hanging
Sugar Butterfly Wall Hanging
Special Pony Plushie Maker 4

next week's theme announced: Sugar & Spice and all Things Nice

2013-01-03T22:29:00.000+11:00

VISIT THE OFFICIAL BLOG! click: http://playfi.sh/YQPqI7

new special pony plushie 4

new quests

2013 a new year begins

2013-01-03T08:07:00.003+11:00

FREE GIFT! ----> http://bit.ly/Vu4ECh

Collect 2013 FREE Coins now!

Favourite Christmas Item

2013-01-02T00:36:00.001+11:00

I have to admit, when the dark Christmas items were released a few weeks ago, I didn't hold out much hope for some traditional 'merry' Christmas items in pet society for 2012. However, Christmas castle week turned out to be simply stunning, as did the winter themed week preceding it!
Of all the items in Christmas week (of which I am referring to the proper 'Christmas' castle week of database 2243), my favourite item was the snow fairy. I loved all the animated items actually, but this one struck me immediately I saw it as a 'must have' item!

Christmas Snow Fairy

Muzy and Mullings

2012-12-31T04:24:00.001+11:00

My last contest in Pet Society Allies which began December 20th finished up a few days ago, in fact the prizes consisting of the New Year's Eve Bundles were released earlier than I had anticipated, which threw a bit of a spanner in the works for the contest theme. I had believed the costumes were to be released at the start of the week, instead they came out on Thursday's game update last week..

the contest picture

Entrants were required to upload a photo of their pet's diary and the winners were chosen randomly using random.org using the pat's birthdays as the numbers entered into random.org. I created a collage of the diary photos entered using an app I had not tried before, Muzy.com. Below is the result. I wasn't aware that Muzy was another blogging service however, so now I have a Muzy.com account!

My New Muzy

'via Blog this'

I began sending the prizes out after announcing the winners, however an argument ensued between 2 of the other admins and I over some trivial matter. Unresolved past resentment from one of the admins reared it's ugly head and the argument became personal. The result? I decided to leave the group as an admin and as a member, which was the wisest choice for me as I was over-committed with juggling admin duties between 3 groups, my blogs, and my real life. Now I hope to have more time to devote to what I choose rather than feeling pressured and under the pump constantly. I like to do my best at any task I set my mind to, and working in such a way was leading to my personal dis-satisfaction with the results from working in a rushed fashion.

Happy New Year everyone!! Here's to a fresh start and a
year of new beginnings!!

2012-12-30T18:45:00.000+11:00

Announcing the beta launch of a PSA facebook Page for PSA admins to test new concepts and expand upon current services and contests available to PSA members.

P et Society Allies Page -beta

Pet Society Allies Group

The PSA group is a trading group for pet society fans which offers a small, safe, and regulated environment for members to trade safely and fairly. PSA has a comprehensive rule system, verified STL, and runs regular contests. Staff are experienced and senior members of the facebook ps trading community.

vote and win!!

2012-12-26T20:35:00.000+11:00

You Could Win One of these Prizes: 50cc Playfish Card, A Nofil Default Rudolph Special Plushie, Rare NY Bash Bundle, Lovely Set of Random Special Plushies, HOW TO ENTER:

1.'like' and 'share' this contest;
2.click this link: http://bit.ly/RhL1iH and 'allow app', and 'allow permissions', see screenshot for visual instructions above
OR// After allowing App and Permissions, click this entry: http://bit.ly/RhL1iH and click the green vote button on the right.
4. Post the number of your vote under this contest photo, eg: vote 321
GOOD LUCK!!
conditions: vote with real accounts only, or the Photo entry in the Samsung contest you are voting for will be disqualified (yes facebook does track your IP address so please don't vote multiple times from the same IP address/computer, even if it is from a different facebook account)

Merry Christmas

2012-12-25T13:09:00.000+11:00

click on the picture to claim your coins

for my facebook friends today

2012-12-21T17:16:00.000+11:00

2011-10-24T16:05:00.001+11:00

Pet Society Friends: "1000 FREE Coins ! CLICK: http://playfi.sh/pZlyg1"

2011-10-20T12:59:00.000+11:00

Taking a break away from PS and facebook for an indefinite amount of time, so putting this blog on hold also until I decide whether (or not) to continue playing PS, and if I do continue, on what basis time-wise also.