CrowdStar is Number 2 on Facebook, Playfish and Playdom eat dust

CrowdStar, creator of Happy Pets, is now the Number 2 social games company on Facebook with 54.6 million monthly users, according to Inside Social Games, beating out big timers Playdom and Playfish. We all know that Zynga has and probably will be the biggest social games company for a long time, which is why the focus on leading statistics has been on the coveted Number 2 spot.

So, how does a game company with no big time entertainment corporation behind it sneak in just beneath the sleeping giant's nose? Persistence, consistency and freedom. It's been over a month since Playfish has put out Madden NFL Superstars and Playdom had a drought for months before it released ESPNU College Town on September 27.

CrowdStar, on the other hand, has released two games in the past two weeks, It Girl and Pop Boom, which already have 2.5 million and 1.6 million monthly players respectively. Without the constraints of a corporate stepmother like Playdom's Disney or Playfish's Electronic Arts, CrowdStar can probably get more games developed, polished and out on the market in a fraction of the time it takes a developer like Playdom to even get clearance for one game from the higher ups.

While some might consider this a stroke of luck, developers still have to make good games to get noticed. Playfish is close behind CrowdStar with over 50 million monthly users, and a killer app could knock out CrowdStar more quickly than the company found itself in the spot. And that's the beauty of the social games business: everyone is on their toes.

The Sims Social finally gets spooky in The Ultimate Horror Movie Week

Look, last week in The Sims Social was a little too ... inspired for some of us when it comes to item themes. Thankfully, Playfish has brought the true meaning of Halloween to the game in The Ultimate Horror Movie Week. This week, a slew of items hit the in-game that embody the spirit of Halloween: really gory, disgusting and generally spooky decorations.

Take the MSS Doll of Doom for instance--that thing might just be too creepy to purchase altogether. Frankly, decking your pad out in all of these items, including the numerous wallpapers and windows, might scare your friends away. But without further delay, let's take a look at how much it might cost you to spook up the place:

MSS Zombie Plan

    Costs: 300 Simoleons
    House Value: 300


MSS Loose Connection

    Costs: 10 SimCash
    House Value: 1,500


MSS Doll of Doom

    Costs:10 SimCash
    House Value: 1,500
    3 Fun; 3 Social


MSS Sink of Despair

    Costs: 350 Simoleons
    House Value: 250
    5 Hygiene


MSS Hand of Hazard

    Costs: 12 SimCash
    House Value: 1,750


Metal Trapdoor

    Costs: 375 Simoleons
    House Value: 250
    3 Fun; 3 Social


MSS Toilet of Relief

    Costs: 400 Simoleons
    House Value: 250
    9 Bladder; -1 Hygiene


MSS Stool of Havoc

    Costs: 200 Social Points
    House Value: 400


Wooden Trap Door

    Costs: 15 SimCash
    House Value: 2,200
    3 Fun; 3 Social


Necronomicon

    Costs: 15 SimCash
    House Value: 2,200


Side Table Prop

    Costs: 250 Social Points
    House Value: 550


MSS Chest of Horrors

    Costs: 19 SimCash
    House Value: 2,200
    3 Fun; 3 Social


Axe Prop

    Costs: 300 Social Points
    House Value: 650


MSS Experiments

    Costs: 300 Social Points
    House Value: 650
    3 Fun; 3 Social


MSS Mirror of Shame

    Costs: 600 Simoleons
    House Value: 450
    19 Social; 11 Sleep


Creepy Window Prop

    Costs: 600 Simoleons
    House Value: 450


MSS Doomsday Plans

    Costs: 350 Social Points
    House Value: 800


Hoojamaflip     Doll of Doom     Experiments     Haunted TV     Hand of Hazard
Small Table Prop

    Costs: 400 Social Points
    House Value: 900


MSS Door of Death

    Costs: 900 Simoleons
    House Value: 800


MSS Well of Fear

    Costs: 500 Social Points
    House Value: 1,150
    11 Social; -1 Bladder


Lab Barred Window

    Costs: 500 Social Points
    House Value: 1,150


MSS Shower of Chaos

    Costs: 500 Social Points
    House Value: 1,150
    7 Hygiene


MSS Radio of the Dead

    Costs: 35 SimCash
    House Value: 5,150
    3 Fun; 3 Social


Haunting Chair Prop

    Costs: 35 SimCash
    House Value: 5,150

Haunted items
Haunted Door Prop

    Costs: 1,200 Simoleons
    House Value: 1,250


MSS Desk of Evil

    Costs: 1,250 Simoleons
    House Value: 1,350


Haunting Sofa Prop

    Costs: 45 SimCash
    House Value: 6,650
    3 Sleep


Haunted TV

    Costs: 1,500 Simoleons
    House Value: 1,550
    7 Fun; 3 Social


MSS Lamp of Terror

    Costs: 1,500 Simoleons
    House Value: 1,550


Coffee Table Prop

    Costs: 750 Social Points
    House Value: 1,900


MSS Workbench

    Costs: 1,800 Simoleons
    House Value: 1,700
    3 Fun


Haunted Desk

    Costs: 2,500 Simoleons
    House Value: 2,000


Poltergeist Bed Prop

    Costs: 1,300 Social Points
    House Value: 3,850
    11 Sleep


Thingymajig

    Costs: 1,400 Social Points
    House Value: 100
    19 Fun


Haunted Wardrobe Prop

    Costs: 1,500
    House Value: 4,300


This week's set of items also includes an MSS Hoojamaflip decoration that's worth 3,050 House Value and 11 Sleep, but it requires players to complete the timed Ghost Town quests to unlock. Of course, the majority of the super cool items cost SimCash to acquire. But at least there are a number of items worth Social Points and Simoleons to at least give the feeling that you're house has been reclaimed by the Jigsaw Killer for whatever reason. Isn't that Halloween is all about anyway?

Check out the rest of our Halloween 2011 coverage right here >

[Image Credit: Playfish]

Which of these in-game items have you picked up in The Sims Social to ring in Halloween? What else are you doing this holiday to celebrate?