Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Sneak Preview of New-look app

We're really delighted to hear that you're enjoying the new Live Leaderboards the DiLiGO Devs have recently added, but wait, there's so much more to come!

I managed to gain access to the "Nerd Cave" (this is where the Devs spend all their time coding and designing stuff for the app) and got a sneak preview of what they have spent the last few months working on. It's top secret stuff, so even I hadn't seen it until now, however now that I have I've also managed to get some screen shots to show you.

It's awesome! You're going to love it- I know I do! :)

So, this is how your game screen is going to look when you're playing:


Note: The new Live Leaderboard is here to stay. This updated feature was released a little bit early to give DiLiGO Gamers a taste of what is still to come.

This is what you will see when you click on the "See All Games" button (top left of previous image):


Ooh- what do you think Tournaments are going to be? That sounds like fun!

There is also a new-look Lucky Draw Store:


However, the most exciting part of all is the new Profile Screen:


Here you'll be able to see all your achievements as well as the really cool new feature of "Badges"! Look- I've already got some!

I don't know about you but I'm getting really excited!

It's still going to be a few weeks until we see these changes go live- so keep your eye on the Slot Machines app and Fan Page for more info- as we'll definitely keep you updated!

What do you think? Click the "Like" button if you like what you see or leave a comment below.






Monday, June 28, 2010

Thank You!

For taking the time to give our app, Slot Machines on Facebook, these AWESOME reviews:

"customer service is wonderful...response is fast...thanks" - Ron MacK

"I absolutely love this game!! It's not only addicting, but remains FUN & challenging as well! :)" - Tami LFC

"Thank you for the newsletter and the new games...DiLiGO Slots rock!" - Felicia RA

"Yah Hoooo I am a Winner!!!" - Marilyn H

"completely addicted to this app...best slot games yet!" -Steven MR

"love the slots! good choices of game variety...won 500 tokens, YES!" - Vicky B

"Yeah! I won 500 tokens just now!! Thanks! Loyal Fan here!" - Selma IH

"I love this game...it is so thrilling and fun." - Peggy G

"Way kool and thats that... ;p" - Finley RP

"great game" - Michelle R

"Lots of FUN!" Joy D

"great" - Gwen PBC

"I found this by accident and I LOVE IT!" - Kimberly V

"I love this game!" - Jessica M

"I have always loved these slots" - Theresa GH

"best slot machines on f/b, just like the real thing" - Nigel D

"I love these slots! Certainly the absolute best on FB!" - Donita D

"This is one of the best sites I have seen in some time. Keep it up" - Terry G

"I love to be spoilt and it's fun" - Anette R

"like this game as it is a welcome change from all the other games" - Willa V

"Very good easy to navigate Facebook games site. Plenty to do with lots of upgrades and devs are actively improving [the] experience on a daily basis" - Chris D

"I love slots and love [to] be able to play them on Facebook. Thank you" - Iola RW

"loving it" - Kyla R

"this is great. having heaps of fun" - James McA

"best game I've seen yet" - Richard H

"Good game, love it" - June Z

"This is what I was looking for" - Frank H






Monday, June 21, 2010

FIFA World Cup 2010: Durban

Durban is the home of the Moses Mabhida Stadium which was built as a multi-purpose venue to host the Soccer World Cup and other sporting events in the future. The really interesting thing about this stadium is the giant, free-standing arch which towers above it.

The arch is a symbol of the divisions that previously existed in the country and of how people have come together as a new and whole community of South Africa. More than just a symbol, this arch has functional purposes as well; most importantly in providing support for the stadiums cover to enclose the field. However, it offers some other exciting features too.

On one side you can take a trip in a funicular up to the view platform situated at the highest point of the arch. For those who are fit and energetic, you also have the option to climb the 550 steps of the "adventure walk" from the other side of the arch.

And, for those who have a real spirit of adventure and enjoy a good adrenaline rush, you can enjoy one of the biggest swings in the world! That's right, it is possible to jump in a sort of bungi-style swing from the fourth rung of the arch structure. I don't know about you, but I had to see it to believe it!




Although, I don't think I'll be doing that any time soon - I'd much rather stick to the beach as Durban is well known for it's beaches, warm water and surfing and has even hosted international surfing and other water-sports related events.








Friday, June 18, 2010

DiLiGO Interview: Paddy-Man-Pat

Name

Paddy-Man-Pat

Date of Birth

15/02/1985

Who would you say your celebrity doppelganger is?

Eddie Murphy - some say I'm the splitting image of him... ;)

What do you do at DiLiGO Games HQ and how much do you LOVE it?

I do the illustrations and animations for the themes. It's really awesome here, I do what I love and work with great people!

Which do you prefer and why - playing slots at a casino or on Facebook?

Slots on Facebook- I can chill at home and play when ever I feel like instead of schlepping to a casino and playing next to someone wearing an adult diaper.

What is your favorite game on DiLiGO Slot Machines and why?

Don't really have a favourite as all of them were fun to design; some more challenging than others, but if I had to choose one it would be the sushi theme which I created recently. It's a very different style to what I normally do. I enjoy a challenge!

What theme would you most like to make?

I can't really say what theme I would most like to make, but what I can say is that if I do one more feminine theme- I'm going to drop an ovary. *JOKES* I don't mind what theme I design, I just try to make it look awesome!

What's your best strategy for playing slots?

I don't know if you can call clicking your mouse vigorously a strategy?






Monday, June 14, 2010

NEW FEATURE: More Leaderboards

We hear you! And so our Developers have re-designed the Live Leaderboard- as well as added 23 NEW Leaderboards, one for each game!
This means 23 more times the prizes and 23 more times the chances at being able to get in the top 20 for having a "Best Spin of the Hour".

The Live Leaderboard will now have two components:

1. Your OVERALL position
Where you will compete with all DiLiGO Slot Machines players for a spot on the Top 20 "Best Spins of the Hour" Overall Live Leaderboard.

2. Your specific GAME position
Where you will compete with DiLiGO Slot Machines players who are playing the same game as you.

This now means that if you are placed in the top 20 for "Best Spin of the Hour" on either the OVERALL or specific GAME Live Leaderboard, you will win token prizes! To remind you:

1st place: 1000 tokens
2nd - 20th place: 500 tokensEVERY HOUR!

Therefore you now have an INCREASED CHANCE of getting your winning spin placed in the top 20 for the hour as you compete not only for an overall position, but for a position on each games Live Leaderboard as well!

With 23 games (and counting) to choose from, what are you waiting for?



Note: The top 20 "Best Spins of the Hour" are determined at the end of the hour. You need to be in the top 20 at the end of the hour to be able to receive token prizes. Token prizes will be credited to your account within a few minutes after the turn of the hour.








Tuesday, June 8, 2010

FIFA World Cup 2010: Johannesburg

Soccer City in Johannesburg is the largest Soccer Stadium in Africa with a capacity of 94,700 - it's HUGE and is in the Top Ten Biggest Soccer Stadiums in the World!

The stadium was originally built in 1986 and is not only a soccer venue but has hosted the funeral of Chris Hani (an Apartheid Struggle hero). It was also the first place that Nelson Mandela spoke at following his release from prison.

The stadium was massively overhauled in order to host the world cup and, as part of this, the capacity was also increased.

In designing how the stadium would look, architects took inspiration from an African Pot used by the Zulu's who were the original inhabitants of the Northern parts of South Africa.

Johannesburg itself is an interesting place. It's one of the worlds biggest cities but it wasn't built near a water source - water is collected in man made dams or is piped in from other areas. The city was founded due to the mineral wealth of the area and is well known for it's Gold and Diamond mines.

Johannesburg even found itself on the international map recently, following the release of a South African film where it was featured as the landing place of extra-terrestrials called "the prawns". The international blockbuster hit is titled "District 9" and stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope and David James. The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards in 2010, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Editing.

However, unfortunately for you, the only Alien's you will see there during the World Cup season will be fellow visitors from other countries!







Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Want more Tokens?

Updated: 4 July 2011

It's the one question that every Slot Machines player has on their mind: How can I get more tokens? How can I play for longer every day?

Whilst every user receives 1,000 daily tokens every 24 hours, for some people, this is just not enough! And so we have created other ways for you to get more tokens.

Here are some of the ways that you can "Get more tokens":


1. Exchange Token Gifts with your friends each day. You can send Token Gifts of 100 tokens each to up to 10 friends each day (ie. every 24 hours). Find Friends to share Tokens with on the DiLiGO Slots Buddy Finder

2. Enter a Lucky Draw. Using the points you have won from spinning on the Slot Machines you can purchase tickets to enter a Lucky Draw and stand the chance to win tokens. One point = one ticket.

There are two draws for 500 tokens run every half an hour as well as daily, weekly and monthly draws for 5000, 20 000 and 50 000 tokens respectively.

There are two kinds of half-hourly draws. The regular ones where you can purchase as many tickets as you want thereby increasing your chances (statistically speaking) of being drawn the winner.

There are also "Max 1000" draws that cap each user at a max ticket purchase of 1000 tickets. This ensures that users have a more equal chance at being picked the winner. We highly recommend entering these draws.

3. Answer Questions. For answering various survey questions you will be rewarded with between 15 and 25 tokens per question.

4. Take up an Offer from one of three offer applications like SuperRewards, OfferPal or TokenAds. Upon the successful completion of one of their offers you will be rewarded with the specified amount of tokens.

5. Play games like Leprechaun, the Token Rocket Bonus Game (level 1) and Disco on the Progressive Jackpot level (level 4) as these games all pay out in tokens.

6. Upgrade the various Slot Machines to higher levels using the points won from hitting winning combinations and then play with a higher amount of tokens bet per line so that you can multiply your win pay out and put yourself in the running for a place on the top 20 "Best Spins of the Hour" Live Leaderboard. First place wins 1000 tokens and 2nd to 20th place win 500 tokens each.

7. Purchase a VIP subscription. For only $9.99 per month you can purchase a VIP subscription that entitles you to 2,000 Daily Tokens (instead of 1,000) and double the 24 hour Token Gift limit.



8. Purchase tokens or level upgrades. This is a much faster way to get tokens to play for longer and upgrade quicker.

9. Finally, we have some exciting news that will definitely reward all those loyal users who play regularly.

Currently the DiLiGO Developers are locked away in their "coding cave", hard at work on a new feature of "Achievement and Reward" that will have certain goals set that, upon achievement of them, will reward regular players with more tokens.

The Developers still have some work to do to get these up to the DiLiGO standard, but we hope to have them released ASAP. Keep your eyes on the Slot Machines Fan Page, monthly Newsletters and this blog for more info as we will inform you as soon as these are released.

Until then, good luck! And, ready... steady... SPIN! ;)


[Post Updated: 5th July 2011]







Tuesday, June 1, 2010

May Newsletter Competition Winners

In our May Newsletter Competition we gave away the following:

Ten prizes of 5000 tokens each

1. Diana J

2. Susan S

3. Sharon Q

4. Ona A

5. Kirsty H

6. Ellen M

7. Bryan M

8. Robert D

9. Mary M

10. Paul D

Five DiLiGO Games Mouse pads each

1. Michael Adkins

2. Kim Pavar

3. Sherry Smith

4. Belinda Goold

5. Shayne Sutton






FIFA World Cup 2010: Soweto

Soweto is a name familiar to most people, even if they don't know exactly where it is or why the name is familiar. It's name comes from the words South Western Townships which was it's given name under the old South African Apartheid Government which had policies that prevented people from different races from living together (among many other things). It also was the home of the iconic figure Nelson Mandela who lived there for many years, and his old residence is now a very popular tourist attraction. Just down the road is the home of another well known Nobel Prize winner by the name of Desmond Tutu - making this the only place in the world where two Nobel Prize winners lived in the same street!

Soweto drew worldwide attention in 1976 when a mass uprising against government policies exploded in violence with the police opening fire on a group of school children involved in a protest. It was this incident that caused the international community to impose sanctions against the South African government, both culturally and economically.
Soweto is a very large area in the North of South Africa which is a part of Johannesburg and comprises of 87 townships. Housing is made up in part by "matchbox houses" that were previously built to house migrant workers. It is still a poor area, with many still living in shanty towns with little or no access to facilities like water and electricity, however other areas have large homes that are much alike to the wealthier areas of Johannesburg.

In recent years there has been more effort by the government to improve the area by paving roads, building houses and ensuring residents have proper access to facilities. There has also been the development of a number of Malls and even an upmarket hotel.

Soweto will also be hosting some of the matches for the FIFA World Cup. Orlando stadium was originally built in 1959 and is the place to which the school children were marching when the police opened fire on them in 1976. It is remarkable that just over 30 years later there has been so much change in the country, and even the area alone, that it is now hosting an international event such as this.

Orlando Stadium has also been re-vamped and is ready to host a world-class event in world-class style. On the 10th of June they will be celebrating the launch of the FIFA World Cup by having a Concert where proceeds will go to a number of really great charities for the upliftment of the local community.

A number of local musicians will be playing at the concert and our favorite is a band called Freshly Ground. They were featured with Shakira in the official World Cup Song. Check it out on YouTube here.

And, to get yourself in the mood, don't forget to play our latest Football themed slot machine, "Footy Fanatic".









DiLiGO Interview: Lady Lala


Name

Lady Lala

Date of Birth

21/10/1985

Who would you say your celebrity doppelganger is?

Jennifer Aniston

What do you do at DiLiGO Games HQ and how much do you LOVE it?

Yeah of course i love it, what's there not to love in this awesome job? I design themes, animations and keep the boys on their toes.

Which do you prefer and why - playing slots at a casino or on Facebook?

I prefer playing slots on Facebook. I play for excitement and entertainment, not for big money, and that's what Facebook is giving me.

What is your favorite game on DiLiGO Slot Machines and why?

My favorite theme is still being created so I can't tell you what it is. All I can say is that I am really excited for it to be released and I'm sure all the DiLiGO Gamers are going to be blown away!

What theme would you most like to make?

Well, all of them. Every theme has had a spot on my favorite list for different reasons. There are some awesome games coming out soon that I found very exciting to design and I feel very proud of all the hard work that was put into it. I just can't choose one because I enjoy making all of them!

What's your best strategy for playing slots?

Go big or go home!!! I play maximum lines and maximum tokens for the maximum WIN!






Poker Face

Most people are familiar with the term Poker Face, and after reading this article on the poker face, it got me thinking - is there really a way to tell when someone is bluffing?

Body Language is an interesting subject. The first book that captured the public's imagination was "Body Language" by Julius Fast which was published in the 1970's but was primarily centered around the idea of knowing if a woman is interested in you, and how to attract women through your own body language. Since then we've been hooked on the idea of the mysterious skill that could give us influence over others.
When it comes to poker, body language certainly plays a role but it's often the face that holds the truth of what kind of hand the player has.

Charles Darwin claimed that facial expressions are universally recognized and this was later proven by a researcher by showing photographs of people with expressions of fear, happiness etc to tribal people who had not been exposed to Westernization. As they managed to correctly describe the facial expressions it proved it's something we're simply born being able to do. However, as with most things, some people are just naturally able to do this better than others.

Poker Players are generally considered masters at being able to control emotion on their own faces, but they are also masters at reading the expressions of others. However, the greatest masters of the Poker Face are those who are able to limit Mircroexpressions.

A Microexpression is a very brief (25th of a second long), involuntary expression of one of the seven universal facial expressions that Darwin identified and that were subsequently tested with the non-westernized tribal people in proving his theory - disgust, anger, fear, sadness, happiness, surprise, and contempt.

As these expressions are involuntary, they are nearly impossible to fake. While most people know of the larger indications that someone is lying while speaking to them (touching the nose or face, avoiding eye contact, eyes looking towards the left while answering), very few of us know how to correctly read microexpressions.

In research conducted by the BBC for a show on lying and facial expression they tested people who are generally thought to be good at detecting lies. Specifically they tested a wide variety of law enforcement officials who one would generally regarded as having good instincts when it comes to knowing if someone is lying. The study revealed that Police Officers and other investigators only had a slightly higher than average ability to detect lies. The surprising result was that Secret Service agents were far better than anyone at detecting lies, but still only got it right 80% of the time. What was their secret? They had been specifically trained to recognise micro expressions.

So unless you have the time and patience to master your ability to disguise a microexpression, we advise giving your poker face a rest. Just let all those emotions hang out where we can see them and have a good session behind a slot machine!










Fairy Friends


"When the first baby laughed for the first time, his laugh broke into a million pieces, and they all went skipping about. That was the beginning of fairies."
J.M. Barrie in The Little White Bird


Do you believe in Fairies? They really are the most beautiful creatures and despite sightings of them, stories, poems and more- in many cultures across the world no one has ever been able to catch one. In Celtic Societies (Scottish, Irish and Welsh) Fairy's were considered to be a race of diminutive humans that lived in barrows, mounds and hills but they could also be spiritual beings from the Otherworld.

Hawthorne Trees in the British Isles were thought to mark the doorways to the Otherworld (the home of the fairies) and it is considered exceptionally bad luck to ever cut down a Hawthorne Tree, except when it is in bloom (image below). When the flowers blossom it signifies the beginning of Summer in Britain and branches are cut from the tree to decorate homes.

Do you remember the famous DeLorean car that was used in the Back To The Future movies with Michael J. Fox? The company which made the car (the DeLorean Motor Company) was based in Ireland but they eventually went bust in 1982 after many problems. While it would be normal for any business to deal with a fair amount of problems, this company seemed to have unusually bad luck - anything that could go wrong, did!

Many would simply write this off to coincidence, but the truth is that they had done something truly unspeakable. When they bought land in Ireland to build the production plant there had been many Hawthorne Trees growing there - all of which had been chopped down to make way for the construction. It is still believed today that this had angered the fairies who then created havoc where ever possible in response to the destruction of their sacred tree. The company owners must have felt desperate enough about their situation as they eventually replanted some similar trees on the property with much ceremony as a way to appease the fairies. Alas, it was too little too late and production stopped and the company closed down.

This doesn't really prove the existence of Fairy's even if it is quite an interesting story. Perhaps one of the most convincing pieces of evidence are the Cottingley Fairies - a tale so spectacular that it captured the attention of many when it happened and was later made into a movie, Fairytale: A True Story.

This exceptional tale is of two girls living in England during the first world war who took photo's of, what they claimed, were real fairies.

Think about it: could two young girls in those early day's of photography have the skills necessary to fake such photographs? Even experts were hard pressed to prove them fake. The idea that the girls were able to fake them was very remote, and to this day there are many who still believe they captured the first definitive proof that fairies are real.

Whether you believe they are real or not, you can't help but be captivated by the idea of these beautiful winged creatures who can slip into the Otherworld, a kingdom filled with celebration and happiness. Next time you find yourself out in nature, perhaps sitting under a tree on a warm spring day, take a moment to sit as still as you can and who knows? Perhaps you might catch a small glimpse of a tiny creature flying between the flowers and the toadstools!

We found this video of a very special place, called The Sulina Fairy Sanctuary which is a home for fairy's in Africa. This just goes to show that there are still plenty of people who believe in these creatures and will even open their home to them.




So how can you get the fairies to visit you? They love gifts of cake and sweets and they love a garden that is filled with birds, flowers and other wildlife. Having a water-feature or bird bath is another great thing to help attract fairies to your garden and home. But the most important thing of all is to believe that...

Fairies are Real










Best Review Ever!

I spin and spin and then spin some more
spinning the reels to my favorite Diligo slot games.
I spin so much my hand gets sore
Even a VIP member maybe I will win even more.
I spin and spin and spin some more
I go to Token Rocket to hopefully win some more
so I can spin and spin and spin some more.
Low on coins, spent all on lucky draws
just so I can hopefully
spin and spin and spin some more.

I really enjoy spinning the reels with Diligo Slot's;
I spin everyday
Wishing to hit a big win
Maybe one day my luck
will change.

by Dawn H L