I'm personally trying to wait for the actual Paradox Green figures come out before doing much exploring. I know others have been using portal jammers and have been posting a lot of great info. If you WANT to know what's coming, check out some of these sites...

ubfunkeysarefun.blogspot.com
pteprocks.blogspot.com
funkeysfun.blogspot.com
onewa80blog.blogspot.com
funkeyman.blogspot.com

If there are other sites out there doing some digging like these folks, just add a comment with your URL. (I don't usually approve comments with links in them, but for this I will) :)

Labels: Game Updates, Links, Paradox Green, Portal Jammer

The update is installed and it look like there will be plenty to explore tomorrow!

The first thing I noticed that I feel was a GREAT addition was the screen that tells you to wait while the updates are being installed. We've seen SO many people have issues because with previous updates, they would get impatient waiting for the game to pop back up after clicking "let's go" and try to launch the game again. This would then cause issues with their game files and big headaches for parents who's kids just lost their progress...



The one little glitch I saw personally is that when the game first loaded I got the "invisible Funkeys" all over town...



No worries though. I went to my crib, came back out to town, and everyone was back to their nice solid selves...

So I took a quick trek over to the library and did screen-shots of the new Funkeys. Below you can see them in all their rarity defining glory...

Mulch:


Ace:


Maul:


Rastro:


Tadd:


Nectar:


I'll link them to their profile pages here once I get them built...

Good night all!

Labels: Ace, Game Updates, Maul, Mulch, Nectar, Paradox Green, Rastro, Tadd

I'm downloading it right now myself. More to come once I have it up and running. For now, go get it!!!

Labels: Game Updates, Paradox Green

As posted by Daisee in the Babble Forum, there is a new Angus Experiment available called a Sparkling Startree. She wrote, "It is big like the Fruity Tree but it has yellow stars and a moon hanging from the branches. When you click on them they make musical sounds, explode surprises and sparkle. Really cool. I have one in my crib tickledpink2 so you can check it out there."

Here's a pic posted a little later by one of our great mods, mystery66...

Labels: Angus Experiment, Babble, Game Updates, Sparkling Startree

I have seen complaints over the past few months from people who have just started playing Funkeys (or who had to re-install) regarding the monstrous size of the update download once they do the initial install. I just re-installed Funkeys myself on a computer at home and all I can say is... Wow... 489MB...



I sure hope that the new starter pack released when Paradox Green hits will have an updated install disk that includes everything up to that point. I can't even imagine having to update from a fresh install if the Paradox Green update has to be downloaded too!

Labels: Game Updates, Install Help

For quite some time now, people using the 64 bit version of Windows Vista have been unable to install and play U.B.Funkeys. It's been a constant question in each installment of Ask Funk-E and was said to be on the list of things that Mattel wanted to address. Well, that day has come!

Wags, a member of our forum recently called the tech support line at Mattel and asked again about the problem again. This time, the answer was quite welcome! The driver had been created to allow for the use of U.B.Funkeys on a 64 bit Vista computer...

They'll e-mail the files out if you want to call the Mattel tech support line at 800-803-9611. I thought I would also add them here for download if you'd like them that way. The following is the e-mail exactly as Mattel sent it out, and the two files are downloadable at the end of this post in a zip file...

Thank you for contacting Mattel regarding your U.B. Funkeys product..

Our records indicate that you were unable to install U.B. Funkeys on your Windows 64bit system. We have created a patch that will install the drivers need to play U.B. Funkeys. Attached are 2 files that will assist you with this process.

o The Patch Installer
o Instructions for installing.

To avoid these files being blocked by Spam and E-mail Filters you will need to first change the name of the installer file.

o Save the Funkeys Patch.txt to your Desktop.
o Right click on the downloaded file.
o Select Rename.
o Delete the txt and replace it with zip, hit enter.
o Extract the files to the Desktop
o Open the folder, and launch the exe file.
o Follow the instructions in the README attachment to run the Patch.

Thank you again for contacting us. If you have any questions or concerns in the future, please feel free to call us at 800-803-9611, Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 7:00 pm, ET, and Saturday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, ET.

Sincerely,

Mattel Consumer Relations

Download the Zip file here!

Labels: Drivers, Game Updates, Install Help, Vista 64

There has been some grumbling and a level of discontent revolving around Funkeys 4.5 Funkey Trunk, the latest update to the U.B.Funkeys game, and I’d like to try and clear up a few misconceptions that are causing most of it.

To help out, we sent some questions along to our contacts close to the development team. Here are the responses. Keep in mind that these answers, while informative, cannot be taken as official responses like in the "Ask Funk-E" section since they did not go through all the normal channels.

Q: Is the purchased loot applied to only the account logged in or to all accounts on the computer similar to a bonus code? (This was sent before this was confirmed by some of the forum members)

A: Currently it’s a per account basis. The problem is that we cannot detect that 2 different accounts come from the same computer.

Note: This is followed up on and commented on more below…

Q: When will additional Familiars be available?

A: They will be rolling out in the next few weeks...the Familiars will never catch up to the physical Funkeys in regards to series. This is done so that they don’t compete directly with the figures. The series 1 figures are getting harder to find, so the Familiars for series 1 will be available....as we progress, Familiars will be added in a 1 to 2 series behind roll-out. Again, this reinforces the idea that in order to get the new content, you need the figures, but new users just coming in can catch up on older content if they can’t find the figures

Q: Will there be other ways to purchase loot, like through the website using unique Funkey name, or in stores like through a card purchase (like with Neopets).

A: The plan is to roll out gift-cards next year, and provide for other purchasing options...we are learning as we go, so bear with us....

Q: Will there eventually be ways to earn loot within the game as well?

A: I imagine that we will be implementing ways to earn loot; we have to gauge the overall response first.

Q: Why has Master Lox been so busy since the 4.5 update? Many are having issues trying to purchase loot and those who have loot are at time not able to spend it.

It was communicated that they are well aware of these outages and will get things fixed as soon as possible.

Also, while I can’t share the communications in their entirety, I wanted everyone to see a few snippets to help reinforce the fact that the folks working on the game are trying to make a better game in response to past feedback and not deliberately trying to just make more money off the fans.

"...I think its being a bit misunderstood. It is never the intention to make player's buy digital stuff in order to progress the game....all the Funkey trunk stuff is there if you want it, but won’t hurt if you don’t want it...like I said, the intention is to give the users who can’t find Funkeys the ability to get familiars....in addition, the games in Angus's lab are to reward those people who decide to get both a Funkey and a Familiar..."

"...the system is still being tweaked, and we’re eager to get feedback from the community. I just want to make sure that everyone knows the intention is not to squeeze extra cash out of the users..."

We had some discussion about the Familiars not having the same functionality as the real Funkeys (such as coins and trophies and such) and while the current functionality IS what was planned, the team is listening to the conversations going on in the forums and are considering what (if any) changes should be made to that.

And finally (for now) there’s the “per account” problem that many have raised regarding this update being a very expensive proposition for those with multiple users in the same house. (There are six in mine!) The answer above was that they couldn’t determine what accounts were on the same computer. They are working on ideas now. I had further communication with them about this and here are a few snippets from that...

...I agree that this is an issue, and one that we didn't anticipate...

...It is our #1 thing to discuss with the developers...

...due to timing, if we can find a fix, then it probably can’t be instituted until the beginning of next year due to end of year vacations...

...I 100% agree with the users on this issue, and will work to find a solution...

So what does all this mean? Well primarily, that the folks working on the game are working hard to make a great game for all of us to enjoy and the motives are where they should be. There ARE problems right now both technical and with some of the design, but they have acknowledged that fact and will work on fixing things. There will likely never be perfect agreement between them and the players of the game on everything, but I have faith that they are trying hard to make it a great experience for all. Give them some time to work all of this out.

Have a great time!

Labels: Funkeys News, Game Updates, Mattel

The site VirtualGoodNews.com has posted a small article regarding the recent press release from Mattel/Arkadium.

You can read it here...

Labels: Funkeys News, Game Updates, Press Realeases

There's a new press release about the Funkey Trunk Update from the Funkeys game. I've noticed it start popping up today here, here, and here so far.

I also have some additional information and opinions to post about this update. I hope to get that up later today...

U.B. Funkeys™ Debuts Funkey Trunk Micro Transactions for Access to Exclusive Game Enhancements

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - December 22, 2008) - Radica, a division of Mattel, in conjunction with causal game and software developer Arkadium, today announced the launch of its new Funkey Trunk micro transactions system. As the latest addition to U.B. Funkeys™, a popular interactive game that combines vinyl toy collecting with the world of gaming, Funkey Trunk enhances players' user experience by providing them with the ability to purchase exclusive new add-ons for their virtual world. The new Funkey Trunk is made up of two parts: My Funkey Trunk and Angus' Lab.

In My Funkey Trunk, items called Funkey Familiars and Portal Jammers can be purchased. Funkey Familiars are virtual Funkeys that grant access to the Game Rooms that belong to a specific Funkey, without having to own the physical Funkey first. Players who already own that physical Funkey will receive extra features with a Funkey Familiar. Portal Jammers are items that allow players to pass through any Portal, into any Game Room, or into any game for a one-time preview.

Also introduced in this release is Angus, a new character in the U.B. Funkeys™ world who walks around and can be accessed within every Zone. When clicked on, players are transported to his lab where new items such as mood indicators and animated and interactive items for a player's home base, or Crib, can be found.

"Our teams have created a 'loot' system that allows parents or guardians to securely add funds for their children to spend in the U.B. Funkeys™ virtual world," said Jeff Bruneau, Sr. Marketing Manager for U.B. Funkeys™. "These micro transactions are a fun way to educate children on responsible spending habits, while letting them customize their gaming experience. Because these items are available within the controlled virtual environment, parents can be assured that they will continue to provide fun even past the holiday season and are appropriate for children."

Loot is purchased through a secure online system inside the U.B. Funkeys™ PC game software. Parents can purchase loot easily and the Loot added in the Funkey Trunk does not have an expiration date if not spent. The balance can be tracked by the player though the 'My Loot Balance' area, and a complete list of transactions can be viewed in the 'Transactions' section of all accounts.

Vinyl toy collecting and online virtual gaming are both popular activities among today's young adults and children. This latest enhancement of U.B. Funkeys™ further marries the vinyl figure collecting trend with the world of online casual gaming and delivers an all-new virtual experience filled with fun, exploration and games. The U.B. Funkeys™ Starter Kit, available at major retailers everywhere, includes the U.B. Funkeys™ hub, figure and PC software. Individual Funkeys figures are also available for sale separately.

About Mattel

Mattel, Inc. (NYSE: MAT) (www.mattel.com) is the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys and family products. The Mattel family is comprised of such best-selling brands as Barbie®, the most popular fashion doll ever introduced, Hot Wheels®, Matchbox®, American Girl®, Radica:® and Tyco® R/C, as well as Fisher-Price® brands, including Little People®, Power Wheels® and a wide array of entertainment-inspired toy lines. Mattel is recognized as one of 2008's "100 Best Companies to Work For" by FORTUNE Magazine. With worldwide headquarters in El Segundo, Calif., Mattel employs more than 30,000 people in 43 countries and territories and sells products in more than 150 nations. Mattel's vision is to be the world's premier toy brands -- today and tomorrow.

About Arkadium

Arkadium is the premier game solutions developer for the advergaming and casual game markets. The company's growing archive of over 200 Flash-based and custom game solutions currently reaches millions of people through some of the most popular online destinations and corporate branded Web sites on the Internet. For more information visit http://www.arkadium.com.

Labels: Arkadium, Funkeys News, Game Updates, Mattel, Press Realeases, Radica

Wow! Hot on the tail of the 4.0 Hidden Realm Update, we now have the version 4.5 release called Funkey Trunk. It's not as big as the last update but still a healthy 70+ MB download so those of you who waited all night for the last one to download on your dial-up account, get ready for another agonizing wait...



I must say that these latest updates show just how much effort the folks at Mattel/Radica are putting in to our beloved game. If you haven't explored the Hidden realm Update yet, you're really missing out on some awesome visuals! The scene with the flying ship that takes you to Hidden realm alone is very impressive.

Reports on the forum are that the Hidden Realm purchases made on eBay and Amazon.com have started to show up and people are starting to play, but so far I've seen no reports of them in real-world stores like Walmart or Target. I'll personally be waiting to find them in the stores, but I'm a cheapskate... :)

I've heard a little about what this new update introduces, but I'll wait for clarity before reporting on it here. Have fun as always and feel free to post back here about what you find! :)

Labels: Game Updates, Hidden Realm, Purchasing Funkeys

As many have already found out since yesterday evening, the Hidden Realm update is now available for download. Be prepared! It's a hefty 151 MB in size, so if you are on an old dial-up connection, it's gonna take a while...


I have not personally had time to poke around yet, but I'll be sure to do that soon and post some more...

Have fun, and post back here about what you find! :)

Labels: Funkeys News, Game Updates, Hidden Realm

As first announce by our forum member JustinSprocket, the 3.2 update, called the Exclusive Characters Update, started to hit last night. My computer did not find the update yesterday or today even though it looked for one, but I was just updated by Funk-E that there was a glitch last night and they had to temporarily reverse the update. Mattel hopes to have it ready again either today or Monday. From the discussion in the forum, there is a new update to the Funkiki Island zone which is assumed to be for the Target exclusive Funkiki Island Adventure Packs that are supposed to be hitting the shelves soon. There's more details on that exclusive (with Jerry Pearl, a Funkiki Native, and the Pineapple King) here and more here if you missed that announcement.

Further info from Funk-E: I was also informed about a couple VERY exciting new features in this update. Players with unique Funkeys names will now be able to save their progress to the servers. This means two things:

1) We'll be able to recover all player data if anything happens (computer crash?) and we need to re-install everything!
2) We'll be able to play our accounts from different computers!

There's more, but Funk-E wanted me to hold off and let everyone discover some on their own as well...

Discuss this here!

Labels: Adventure Pack, Ask Funk-E, Exclusive Funkeys, Funkeys News, Funkiki Island, Game Updates, Jerry Pearl, Natives, Pineapple King

Game Update:
As most of you know by now there was a version 3.15 update released recently called "Promo". I didn't post about it right away because there weren't any obvious changes to the game. I confirmed over the weekend that the update was strictly back-end updates. On the plus side, some in the forum have reported that it seems to have fixed some glitches in their games for them.


Pink Exclusive Dream State Starter:
Over the weekend, Bryan1-2 from the forum reported a new color variation of the Dream State Starter. It has a pink version of the UB hub (not just plain pink like the Limited Too exclusive) and comes with Twinx and Waggs. Funk-E confirmed to me that it is a Toys R Us exclusive. On a side note, Funk-E also confirmed that the black hub version of the Dream State Starter is an exclusive for a UK based retailer called Argos. I've done some digging and they will not ship outside of the UK, so US collectors are going to have to resort to places like eBay as they start becoming more widely released.


Other Images:
First one up is this image of some early prototypes from Hidden Realm. We originally talked about it here but didn't post the image at the time...


Second is an image that was pointed out by someone on the forum. It's the Speed Racer image from Target.com. I hadn't noticed, but the Racer X in the image looks completely different as if it was an early design...


Last image for this post is a Funkiki Island image I had not seen before. Looking around last night, I found this on the UK version of the Radica website...

Labels: Argos, Black Hub, Dream State, Exclusive Funkeys, Funkeys News, Funkiki Island, Game Updates, Pink Hub, Preview, Racer X, Speed Racer, Toys R Us, Twinx, Waggs

Signed on just a bit ago and downloaded the 3.1 update for Daydream Oasis. It was another big update, so if you don't have a good connection be prepared to wait a while. I'll look around and post more about it later...

Labels: Daydream Oasis, Dream State, Funkeys News, Game Updates

The download for version 3.05 hit on Friday and Dot's place is added the the Funkeystown map, all but assuring us that the talked about "ladybug" exclusive Funkey to be sold at the San Diego Comic-Con will indeed be Dot. Questions still swirl regarding which version of Dot will be release. Or will all three?

Below you can see some screen-shots of what's to come...

Labels: Dot, Exclusive Funkeys, Funkeys News, Game Updates

The wait is over! What we're pretty sure is the Dream State update (version 3.0) has started downloading to computers today. Here's what you get greeted with when you log in...



My computer is currently downloading and it's late, so we'll see tomorrow what all we find new! Get your's downloading too and talk about it here in the Funkeys Babble Forum...

Labels: Dream State, Funkeys News, Game Updates