Thursday, January 31, 2013
Facebook profits slump due to cost of mobile transition
Facebook profits slump due to cost of mobile transition: Mobile ad revenue rockets, Q4 mobile DAUs exceed web DAUs for the first time
This Game Was Made The Old-Fashioned Way. By Hand.
This Game Was Made The Old-Fashioned Way. By Hand.:
This is Lumino City. It's the sequel to a 2012 game, Lume. It's "hand made" in the sense that rather than being built from digital 3D assets, it was mostly filmed on a set, that was made in the real world. More »
Insomniac's Fuse delayed
Insomniac's Fuse delayed:
Insomiac's multiplatform co-op shooter pushed back by at least a month to a release after April 2013.
Resistance and Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games' first multiplatform title Fuse has slipped from its intended March 2013 release date. The third-person shooter will now be released between April and June, EA has announced.
The release slip was confirmed as part of EA's Q3 earnings report, where EA also said that sales-conquering soccer sim FIFA 13 has scored 12 million sales and Battlefield 3 Premium had notched up almost three million subscribers.
Fuse is a third-person shooter designed around four-player co-op, and it incorporates Insomniac's iconic fondness for innovative weaponry. The game was originally announced as the cheerily-coloured Overstrike during EA's press conference at E3 2011, only to resurface as the aesthetically darker Fuse in August 2012.
Despite the controversial art change, Insomiac has repeatedly insisted that Fuse still retains a sense of humour and fun. Speaking to GameSpot in September 2012, CEO Ted Price said the challenge for Fuse was in "having a sense of humor that isn't campy but isn't so subtle that players miss it. And then integrating it into real-time gameplay so players hear emergent dialogue throughout the game that's relevant to what they're doing but also entertaining."
For more information on Fuse, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
Insomiac's multiplatform co-op shooter pushed back by at least a month to a release after April 2013.
Resistance and Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac Games' first multiplatform title Fuse has slipped from its intended March 2013 release date. The third-person shooter will now be released between April and June, EA has announced.
The release slip was confirmed as part of EA's Q3 earnings report, where EA also said that sales-conquering soccer sim FIFA 13 has scored 12 million sales and Battlefield 3 Premium had notched up almost three million subscribers.
Fuse is a third-person shooter designed around four-player co-op, and it incorporates Insomniac's iconic fondness for innovative weaponry. The game was originally announced as the cheerily-coloured Overstrike during EA's press conference at E3 2011, only to resurface as the aesthetically darker Fuse in August 2012.
Despite the controversial art change, Insomiac has repeatedly insisted that Fuse still retains a sense of humour and fun. Speaking to GameSpot in September 2012, CEO Ted Price said the challenge for Fuse was in "having a sense of humor that isn't campy but isn't so subtle that players miss it. And then integrating it into real-time gameplay so players hear emergent dialogue throughout the game that's relevant to what they're doing but also entertaining."
For more information on Fuse, check out GameSpot's previous coverage.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"Insomniac's Fuse delayed " was posted by Martin Gaston on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 15:13:56 -0800
Warcraft film finds director in Source Code
Warcraft film finds director in Source Code: Duncan Jones will helm the Blizzard adaptation
Fighting Fantasy gamebook House of Hell lives again on iOS and Android
Fighting Fantasy gamebook House of Hell lives again on iOS and Android: The 10th Fighting Fantasy gamebook, House of Hell, has made the leap to digital and is available now on iOS and Android,...
Pirates: Captain Clumsy Review (Android)
Pirates: Captain Clumsy Review (Android):
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Pirates of the Burning Sea Readies for Portalus Transition | Ten Ton Hammer
Pirates of the Burning Sea Readies for Portalus Transition | Ten Ton Hammer:
Pirates of the Burning Sea prepares to sail out of SOE waters as the transition to Portalus Games begins.
Pirates of the Burning Sea prepares to sail out of SOE waters as the transition to Portalus Games begins.
FIFA 13 sells 12 million, Origin has 39 million members
FIFA 13 sells 12 million, Origin has 39 million members:
Sales of latest soccer sim up 23 percent year-over-year, Origin platform rises to new user milestone; EA posts loss of $45 million for the quarter.
As part of its latest financial report today, Electronic Arts announced that FIFA 13 has sold over 12 million units through its third quarter, a 23 percent year-over-year jump. In addition, FIFA 13 digital net revenue topped $100 million for the three-month period ended December 31, up 98 percent compared to last year.
EA's Origin digital platform now has 39 million members, 17 million of which which are mobile users, the company said. By comparison, Valve has more than 50 million members. In all, EA has signed agreements with 86 independent developers for Origin.
Overall, EA's digital business saw gains during the quarter, hitting $407 million, compared to $377 million last year.
In total, EA posted net revenue of $922 million, compared to $1.06 billion this time last year. The company posted a loss of $45 million for the period, better than the $205 million hit the company took this time last year. EA CEO John Riccitiello called the quarter "challenging."
’We are investing for the future wave of growth that we foresee in digital and console,’ he said in a statement.
Other financial highlights for the period included the $50 Battlefield 3 Premium offering, which generated $108 million in sales and has now sold 2.9 million copies to date, up from 1.3 million last summer.
EA also called out mobile game The Simpsons: Tapped Out as a bright spot, noting it generated more than $23 million during the quarter. Lastly, the company said Dead Space 3 preorders are outpacing Dead Space 2 and Crysis 3 reservations are up 40 percent over Crysis 2.
Looking ahead, EA said it expects net revenue for its fourth quarter to land at $1.025-$1.125 billion, with net revenue for the full-year expected to hit $3.778-$3.878 billion.
During a post-earnings conference call, EA called Medal of Honor: Warfighter a "miss," saying it sold "well below our expectations." The company also said sales of NHL 13 are down year-on-year, due in part to the NHL lockout that was only just recently lifted.
In addition, the company commented on Star Wars: The Old Republic and its recent free-to-play switch. EA said early checks are proving positive, but it is too soon to tell if the business model change has been successful.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
Sales of latest soccer sim up 23 percent year-over-year, Origin platform rises to new user milestone; EA posts loss of $45 million for the quarter.
As part of its latest financial report today, Electronic Arts announced that FIFA 13 has sold over 12 million units through its third quarter, a 23 percent year-over-year jump. In addition, FIFA 13 digital net revenue topped $100 million for the three-month period ended December 31, up 98 percent compared to last year.
EA's Origin digital platform now has 39 million members, 17 million of which which are mobile users, the company said. By comparison, Valve has more than 50 million members. In all, EA has signed agreements with 86 independent developers for Origin.
Overall, EA's digital business saw gains during the quarter, hitting $407 million, compared to $377 million last year.
In total, EA posted net revenue of $922 million, compared to $1.06 billion this time last year. The company posted a loss of $45 million for the period, better than the $205 million hit the company took this time last year. EA CEO John Riccitiello called the quarter "challenging."
’We are investing for the future wave of growth that we foresee in digital and console,’ he said in a statement.
Other financial highlights for the period included the $50 Battlefield 3 Premium offering, which generated $108 million in sales and has now sold 2.9 million copies to date, up from 1.3 million last summer.
EA also called out mobile game The Simpsons: Tapped Out as a bright spot, noting it generated more than $23 million during the quarter. Lastly, the company said Dead Space 3 preorders are outpacing Dead Space 2 and Crysis 3 reservations are up 40 percent over Crysis 2.
Looking ahead, EA said it expects net revenue for its fourth quarter to land at $1.025-$1.125 billion, with net revenue for the full-year expected to hit $3.778-$3.878 billion.
During a post-earnings conference call, EA called Medal of Honor: Warfighter a "miss," saying it sold "well below our expectations." The company also said sales of NHL 13 are down year-on-year, due in part to the NHL lockout that was only just recently lifted.
In addition, the company commented on Star Wars: The Old Republic and its recent free-to-play switch. EA said early checks are proving positive, but it is too soon to tell if the business model change has been successful.
Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot
"FIFA 13 sells 12 million, Origin has 39 million members" was posted by Eddie Makuch on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:49:06 -0800
Gabe Newell Says Apple, Not Consoles, Is The Biggest Threat To The Steam Box
Gabe Newell Says Apple, Not Consoles, Is The Biggest Threat To The Steam Box:
Most of the talk of Valve's recent excursion into the world of living-room PCs has focused on how their hardware, née the "Steam Box", would compete with gaming consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. But Valve co-founder Gabe Newell has another competitor on his mind: Apple. More »
Facebook's Daily Mobile Users Exceed Daily Desktop Users For The First Time
Facebook's Daily Mobile Users Exceed Daily Desktop Users For The First Time:
For the first time, more people are logging into Facebook daily on mobile than on desktop, the company announced in its fourth-quarter earnings report Wednesday.
Facebook now has more than 680 million users who log in using their mobile devices each month, an increase of 57% since last year.
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Can its mobile advertising products keep up?
Facebook now has more than 680 million users who log in using their mobile devices each month, an increase of 57% since last year.
Read Full Story
EA struggles to keep up with declining console game sales
EA struggles to keep up with declining console game sales:
A big hit from lower-than-expected sales of Medal of Honor Warfighter -- along with overall softness of the retail market -- forced EA to scramble to keep its numbers up during this last important December quarter. ...
A big hit from lower-than-expected sales of Medal of Honor Warfighter -- along with overall softness of the retail market -- forced EA to scramble to keep its numbers up during this last important December quarter. ...
EA reports $45M net loss for Q3 2013, made $79M from mobile titles
EA reports $45M net loss for Q3 2013, made $79M from mobile titles:
Today, Electronic Arts reported $1.18 billion in net revenue for its third fiscal quarter of 2013, down 28.5 percent year-over-year.
CEO John Riccitiello said the below-expected earnings was largely due to the disappointing performance with its recent Medal of Honor release, as well as the increasingly challenging packaged goods market.
The company revealed it saw sales of $1.18 billion, based on non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) reporting. This is below the company’s guidance of $1.25 billion. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) were $0.57, while GAAP loss per share was $($0.15).
GAAP net loss for the quarter was ($45 million), up from ($205 million) in Q3 2012. Non-GAAP net income for the quarter was $176 million, down from $334 million in Q3 2012. EA said it expects digital revenue for the year to total around $1.6 billion.
Overall, the company’s digital revenue for Q3 2013 amounted to $321 million, up from $274 million in Q3 2012. Mobile, including handhelds, contributed approximately $100 million to this total. The company credited its mobile titles as the key reason for this growth, citing The Simpsons: Tapped Out as a particular highlight that generated more than $23 million during the quarter. No breakdown was mentioned for the company’s social games like The Sims Social, SimCity Social or JetSet Secrets.
Last quarter, we noted Electronic Arts was shifting its development focus away from social to mobile, either delaying or flat-out killing 10 different social projects. This is in keeping with what we’ve heard from industry insiders, who recently told us EA has moved BioWare Social’s Sacramento office (formerly KlickNation) away from all social projects to work on mobile titles instead. This quarter, EA’s earnings report shows eight social titles are being worked on, though none of these are new IP.
On the earnings call, Riccitiello was enthusiastic about EA’s upcoming (and much-touted) mobile title Real Racing 3, due out on Feb. 28.
Developing.
Today, Electronic Arts reported $1.18 billion in net revenue for its third fiscal quarter of 2013, down 28.5 percent year-over-year.CEO John Riccitiello said the below-expected earnings was largely due to the disappointing performance with its recent Medal of Honor release, as well as the increasingly challenging packaged goods market.
The company revealed it saw sales of $1.18 billion, based on non-GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) reporting. This is below the company’s guidance of $1.25 billion. Non-GAAP diluted earnings per share (EPS) were $0.57, while GAAP loss per share was $($0.15).
GAAP net loss for the quarter was ($45 million), up from ($205 million) in Q3 2012. Non-GAAP net income for the quarter was $176 million, down from $334 million in Q3 2012. EA said it expects digital revenue for the year to total around $1.6 billion.
Overall, the company’s digital revenue for Q3 2013 amounted to $321 million, up from $274 million in Q3 2012. Mobile, including handhelds, contributed approximately $100 million to this total. The company credited its mobile titles as the key reason for this growth, citing The Simpsons: Tapped Out as a particular highlight that generated more than $23 million during the quarter. No breakdown was mentioned for the company’s social games like The Sims Social, SimCity Social or JetSet Secrets.
Last quarter, we noted Electronic Arts was shifting its development focus away from social to mobile, either delaying or flat-out killing 10 different social projects. This is in keeping with what we’ve heard from industry insiders, who recently told us EA has moved BioWare Social’s Sacramento office (formerly KlickNation) away from all social projects to work on mobile titles instead. This quarter, EA’s earnings report shows eight social titles are being worked on, though none of these are new IP.
On the earnings call, Riccitiello was enthusiastic about EA’s upcoming (and much-touted) mobile title Real Racing 3, due out on Feb. 28.
Developing.
Vanguard throws sixth anniversary giveaway
Vanguard throws sixth anniversary giveaway:
Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Vanguard, Free-to-play, Giveaways, Anniversary
It's Vanguard's sixth birthday today, and if you haven't read our recent dev tour of the game's progress since free-to-play, we're going to have a strong word with your mother. As for SOE's part, the studio is giving away five 'schwag bags' full of awesome Vanguard goodies -- but you'll have to sign up quick to get your chance at winning something.
The prize package contains a signed copy of Vanguard's collector's edition, a backpack, a $15 Station Cash gift card, a mug, a mobile stylus, and a phone case. It's open to everyone 18 and older, but all entries must be in by tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. EST. You can head over to the official contest page for more details and your chance to win.
Vanguard throws sixth anniversary giveaway originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Fantasy, Contests, Vanguard, Free-to-play, Giveaways, Anniversary
The prize package contains a signed copy of Vanguard's collector's edition, a backpack, a $15 Station Cash gift card, a mug, a mobile stylus, and a phone case. It's open to everyone 18 and older, but all entries must be in by tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. EST. You can head over to the official contest page for more details and your chance to win.
Vanguard throws sixth anniversary giveaway originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
- Source: Contest page
It Doesn't Get Much More Social Than a Game That Teaches You How to Flirt
It Doesn't Get Much More Social Than a Game That Teaches You How to Flirt:
You're an alien from a distant planet, sent to Earth to harness the most powerful force in the universe, generated by a Living Organism's Volatile Emotions — LOVE. That's the strangest back story for a dating simulator I've ever heard. It's the back story to Flirt Planet 3D, a social game aimed at helping awkward internet denizens learn social interactions they can apply to real-world situations. More »
Stratego Review (iPad, Facebook, Online)
Stratego Review (iPad, Facebook, Online):
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Spooky Cool Labs: What happens when arcade vets take on Facebook
Spooky Cool Labs: What happens when arcade vets take on Facebook:
A group of console, arcade, and casino veterans hopes that flashy graphics and more complex gameplay can lure in social game players -- but will it work? ...
A group of console, arcade, and casino veterans hopes that flashy graphics and more complex gameplay can lure in social game players -- but will it work? ...
Wizardry Online Launch Day Arrives | Ten Ton Hammer
Wizardry Online Launch Day Arrives | Ten Ton Hammer:
SOE and Gamepot bring the classic Wizardry series to MMORPG fans with trap-filled dungeons and the threat of permanent death.
SOE and Gamepot bring the classic Wizardry series to MMORPG fans with trap-filled dungeons and the threat of permanent death.
With BB10 Launch, BlackBerry Aims To Kill Apple's "In-And-Out Paradigm"
With BB10 Launch, BlackBerry Aims To Kill Apple's "In-And-Out Paradigm":
"Just saying we've reinvented this company is not enough."
That was the now-defunct Research in Motion's Thorsten Heins today at the BlackBerry 10 event in New York City, where the company's CEO attempted to put his money where his mouth is. Not only did Heins decide to rename the company BlackBerry--thus killing any and all RIM branding--but he introduced a pair of compelling smartphones that could give the struggling smartphone maker a fighting chance in the mobile market. BlackBerry's two new flagship devices? The Z10, a sleek smartphone with a 4.2-inch display, and its less expensive cousin, the Q10, which retains a physical keyboard.
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"Just saying we've reinvented this company is not enough," BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins said today. With a new operating system, he will finally compete against Android and Apple's iOS software. Too little too late?
That was the now-defunct Research in Motion's Thorsten Heins today at the BlackBerry 10 event in New York City, where the company's CEO attempted to put his money where his mouth is. Not only did Heins decide to rename the company BlackBerry--thus killing any and all RIM branding--but he introduced a pair of compelling smartphones that could give the struggling smartphone maker a fighting chance in the mobile market. BlackBerry's two new flagship devices? The Z10, a sleek smartphone with a 4.2-inch display, and its less expensive cousin, the Q10, which retains a physical keyboard.
Read Full Story
Pantheon the Legends (iOS) review
Pantheon the Legends (iOS) review:
Pantheon the Legends is a new iOS card-battling game from RedAtoms. It’s available now as a free download from the App Store, with additional in-app purchases available to acquire hard currency.
Pantheon the Legends is a new iOS card-battling game from RedAtoms. It’s available now as a free download from the App Store, with additional in-app purchases available to acquire hard currency.
After iOS success, Sword & Sworcery sees strong sales on Android
After iOS success, Sword & Sworcery sees strong sales on Android:
For some notable independent game developers, releasing an Android version of an iOS game has proven to be worth the effort. Maybe you should take a closer look at Android too. ...
For some notable independent game developers, releasing an Android version of an iOS game has proven to be worth the effort. Maybe you should take a closer look at Android too. ...
Warframe Closed Beta Update 6 hits today, more Beta keys available!
Warframe Closed Beta Update 6 hits today, more Beta keys available!: Players who have been completing missions in the co-op focused online shooter, Warframe, will be treated to a whole new...
Digit raises $2.5M for cross-platform game development
Digit raises $2.5M for cross-platform game development:
Dublin-based Digit Game Studios, announced today it’s closed a $2.5 million round of Series A funding.
The funding round was led by Delta Partners and also saw participation from ACT Venture Capital. According to a statement from Digit CEO Richard Barnwell, the money raised from the round of funding will be used by the company to pursue “disrupting the industry with new cross platform technology and awesome games.”
Currently, Digit is working on its debut title, Kings of the Realm, a massively multiplayer strategy game that will reportedly work “across any connected device.” This takes the concept of cross platform gaming one step further, as these types of games are currently limited to certain device and platform types.
According to a statement by CMO Martin Frain, the titles the company is developing will also allow players to transition between devices to continue playing their game.
This latest round of funding brings the total raised by Digit to $3.75 million. Kings of the Realm is due out later this year and will also have a series of books launching around the same time from Penguin Publishing.
Dublin-based Digit Game Studios, announced today it’s closed a $2.5 million round of Series A funding.The funding round was led by Delta Partners and also saw participation from ACT Venture Capital. According to a statement from Digit CEO Richard Barnwell, the money raised from the round of funding will be used by the company to pursue “disrupting the industry with new cross platform technology and awesome games.”
Currently, Digit is working on its debut title, Kings of the Realm, a massively multiplayer strategy game that will reportedly work “across any connected device.” This takes the concept of cross platform gaming one step further, as these types of games are currently limited to certain device and platform types.
According to a statement by CMO Martin Frain, the titles the company is developing will also allow players to transition between devices to continue playing their game.
This latest round of funding brings the total raised by Digit to $3.75 million. Kings of the Realm is due out later this year and will also have a series of books launching around the same time from Penguin Publishing.
Arranger Is Like A Musical Zelda Meets Psychonauts
Arranger Is Like A Musical Zelda Meets Psychonauts:
If you've been paying attention to our burgeoning mobile coverage, you can't have missed talk of Arranger, an iOS game by musician Arman Bohn from a few months ago that recently got an updated iPad version. (That's the one I've been playing: it works really well on iPad.) More »
Trion to launch Defiance on April 2, full live-action trailer revealed
Trion to launch Defiance on April 2, full live-action trailer revealed:
Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Post-Apocalyptic, Defiance
Trion has announced that the MMO third-person shooter half of its two-headed Defiance monster is set to be released on April 2nd. The other half is of course the upcoming television show which ties in to the game via some sort of mysterious transmedia secret sauce.
The company has also released a full five-minute live action trailer, the teaser for which debuted last week alongside a meaty pre-order FAQ.
Defiance players take on the role of Ark Hunters adventuring through the alien-infested ruins of a post-apocalyptic San Francisco and surrounding environments. Defiance features co-op PvE and PvP, and it's coming to PC, PlayStation 3, and XBox 360 platforms. Trion has been working on the game and the IP for over five years. The Syfy television series is set to debut on April 15th.
Click past the cut for a look at the live-action preview.
[Source: Trion press release]
Continue reading Trion to launch Defiance on April 2, full live-action trailer revealed
Trion to launch Defiance on April 2, full live-action trailer revealed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Post-Apocalyptic, Defiance
The company has also released a full five-minute live action trailer, the teaser for which debuted last week alongside a meaty pre-order FAQ.
Defiance players take on the role of Ark Hunters adventuring through the alien-infested ruins of a post-apocalyptic San Francisco and surrounding environments. Defiance features co-op PvE and PvP, and it's coming to PC, PlayStation 3, and XBox 360 platforms. Trion has been working on the game and the IP for over five years. The Syfy television series is set to debut on April 15th.
Click past the cut for a look at the live-action preview.
[Source: Trion press release]
Continue reading Trion to launch Defiance on April 2, full live-action trailer revealed
Trion to launch Defiance on April 2, full live-action trailer revealed originally appeared on Massively on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Twitch partner for in-game streaming
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 and Twitch partner for in-game streaming: Tired of watching all those Black Ops 2 streams and think, "I could do better," but you never got yourself a...
PlayHaven picks up AdMob’s Charles Yim as COO
PlayHaven picks up AdMob’s Charles Yim as COO:
![Charles Yim_Headshot[1]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_vF976F_ZWFwZWqnnduB8cQSnZtUK84UEO6PgsRlgOrZz7wAwgXvGWz6wJDZqbnUzExleqE1FCpke_xvilJwG5AdExdadjBu3-SSozfAbhTllWbwCEVqWCOPRXgYgJ0j_9WGYvr_qRKJFEotFE5A_8JFHiGXazqQpI=s0-d)
Mobile game developer resource PlayHaven announced a new hire today with Charles Yim joining the company as Chief Operating Officer. Yim was previously at AdMob, which was acquired by Google in 2010.
PlayHaven’s mission is to maximize the lifetime value of a mobile game player; a large part of this strategy comes from advertising, which is where Yim’s expertise comes in. With more mobile developers turning to native video ads as a monetization solution, it makes sense to bring in a guy that helped AdMob launch mobile video on iPad and Android tablets. PlayHaven has grown to 60 since closing an $8 million third round of funding late last year.
The following is a brief interview conducted with Yim earlier this week.
Inside Social Games: Do you see Tablet emerging as the dominant “mobile” games platform in the next year, or are we already there?
Charles Yim: If you look at the games industry holistically, it’s pretty broad. Each different game genre — a casual game, a casino game, a hardcore game — they lend themselves to different users and tablet is a good platform for certain genres, but not all genres. I don’t think tablets are the end-all, be-all of the industry.
ISG: We’ve seen a lot of advertisers and ad platforms focus on video in the last year — including AdMob. Where can native ads go beyond video?
Yim: The ongoing debate that you find is in the advertising technology perspective — on one side of the spectrum, you have super native and then on the other you have scalable. When I think back to AdMob in 2009 when we came out with our own video ad unit, the companies were developing niche swipable video ad units, but the industry couldn’t scale those. Integrating with a large number of publishers was a difficult process to manage. Whenever you look at a new channel in native ads, there’s a natural dynamic tension between delivering a native, unique experience and something that can be scaled. AdMob’s [ad unit] was the first that really gained traction because it was easy for advertisers to understand. The things you could do outside of video is really a question of how much deep integration are people willing to do and are advertisers willing to buy into that experience.
ISG: What’s the biggest mistake game developers make in implementing ads on mobile?
Yim: Game developers have gotten much better at this, but they think about building their game before they think about monetizing it. They’re very focused on the player experience and afterwards, they slap ads on top of it. Savvy game devs in mobile understand that ads are a important part of the business model and they incorporate that into their game from the get-go.
ISG: Anything to add?
Yim: My motivations for joining PlayHaven are asking what are game developers doing well or not doing well. As the industry matures, the needs of the developers mature. As their business scale and grow, they run into growing pains they haven’t anticipated. PlayHaven has an incredibly talented team and the best perspective on what’s coming and on helping game developers manage their businesses.
Mobile game developer resource PlayHaven announced a new hire today with Charles Yim joining the company as Chief Operating Officer. Yim was previously at AdMob, which was acquired by Google in 2010.PlayHaven’s mission is to maximize the lifetime value of a mobile game player; a large part of this strategy comes from advertising, which is where Yim’s expertise comes in. With more mobile developers turning to native video ads as a monetization solution, it makes sense to bring in a guy that helped AdMob launch mobile video on iPad and Android tablets. PlayHaven has grown to 60 since closing an $8 million third round of funding late last year.
The following is a brief interview conducted with Yim earlier this week.
Inside Social Games: Do you see Tablet emerging as the dominant “mobile” games platform in the next year, or are we already there?
Charles Yim: If you look at the games industry holistically, it’s pretty broad. Each different game genre — a casual game, a casino game, a hardcore game — they lend themselves to different users and tablet is a good platform for certain genres, but not all genres. I don’t think tablets are the end-all, be-all of the industry.
ISG: We’ve seen a lot of advertisers and ad platforms focus on video in the last year — including AdMob. Where can native ads go beyond video?
Yim: The ongoing debate that you find is in the advertising technology perspective — on one side of the spectrum, you have super native and then on the other you have scalable. When I think back to AdMob in 2009 when we came out with our own video ad unit, the companies were developing niche swipable video ad units, but the industry couldn’t scale those. Integrating with a large number of publishers was a difficult process to manage. Whenever you look at a new channel in native ads, there’s a natural dynamic tension between delivering a native, unique experience and something that can be scaled. AdMob’s [ad unit] was the first that really gained traction because it was easy for advertisers to understand. The things you could do outside of video is really a question of how much deep integration are people willing to do and are advertisers willing to buy into that experience.
ISG: What’s the biggest mistake game developers make in implementing ads on mobile?
Yim: Game developers have gotten much better at this, but they think about building their game before they think about monetizing it. They’re very focused on the player experience and afterwards, they slap ads on top of it. Savvy game devs in mobile understand that ads are a important part of the business model and they incorporate that into their game from the get-go.
ISG: Anything to add?
Yim: My motivations for joining PlayHaven are asking what are game developers doing well or not doing well. As the industry matures, the needs of the developers mature. As their business scale and grow, they run into growing pains they haven’t anticipated. PlayHaven has an incredibly talented team and the best perspective on what’s coming and on helping game developers manage their businesses.
Neverwinter: Hope & Fear All at Once
Neverwinter: Hope & Fear All at Once:
It seems that every game coming our way also comes with both hope and fear attached. With Neverwinter, one of the year's most anticipated titles, that Catch 22 of emotion reigns supreme. In our latest Neverwinter column, we take a look at those things that cause us to tremble both with joy and fright. Read on and then leave your thoughts in the comments.
This Week's Android Charts: A Temple Run Triple Play
This Week's Android Charts: A Temple Run Triple Play:
It's all Temple Run, all the time in this week's Android charts, as the launch of the smash-hit sequel brings all three games in the franchise into the spotlight. I wonder if Imangi Studios' other games ever get jealous. More »
Nvidia means business, signs up Bohemia for Project Shield
Nvidia means business, signs up Bohemia for Project Shield:
Nvidia is keen to show industry naysayers that it is dedicated to bolstering support for its upcoming Project Shield console -- and it has signed up Arma studio Bohemia to help it do so. ...
Nvidia is keen to show industry naysayers that it is dedicated to bolstering support for its upcoming Project Shield console -- and it has signed up Arma studio Bohemia to help it do so. ...
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