Friday, January 11, 2013
January 11: IDC: Game consoles, discs to remain revenue mainstays for "years to come"
IDC: Game consoles, discs to remain revenue mainstays for "years to come": New report from IDC also states that Wii U should exceed 50 million sold by 2016
January 11: CiiNOW: Cloud gaming's tipping point will come this year
CiiNOW: Cloud gaming's tipping point will come this year: We talk to the execs behind the cloud startup and discuss how and why cloud gaming will finally take off
January 11: EA Mobile doubles down on free-to-play
EA Mobile doubles down on free-to-play: EA All Play's Nick Earl on the success of The Simpsons: Tapped Out and the future of the freemium model
January 11: GameStop: DLC attach rates are rising
GameStop: DLC attach rates are rising: Mass Effect 3's day-one DLC was bought by 30 per cent of customers
January 11: Scott Henson takes head of operations role at Xbox, overseeing Lionhead
Scott Henson takes head of operations role at Xbox, overseeing Lionhead: Former EA Origin biz dev Roger Walkden also joins Microsoft as chief of staff
January 11: New Microsoft team Lift London to act as studio incubator
New Microsoft team Lift London to act as studio incubator: Will act as mentors for young talented start-ups in development sector
January 11: Xbox 360 is best-selling console in US in 2012, sells 1.4 million in December
Xbox 360 is best-selling console in US in 2012, sells 1.4 million in December: Microsoft touts some great numbers for its Xbox business in the US
January 11: Funcom confirms closures, restructuring of company
Funcom confirms closures, restructuring of company: It's unclear how many have been laid off, but Funcom says the moves are necessary to become stronger going forward
January 11: Roundtable: Here Comes a New Challenger
Roundtable: Here Comes a New Challenger: One platform after another keeps popping up. Piston, Project Shield, and on and on. Do they even have a fighting chance?
January 11: Minecraft sells 15 million in 2012
Minecraft sells 15 million in 2012: 4J Studios' XBLA version outsells Mojang's PC original by 20 per cent
January 11: End of the line for "razors and razorblades"
End of the line for "razors and razorblades": The old business model of subsidising console hardware is finished. Welcome to the era of break-even hardware, says Rob Fahey
January 11: Wii U has stronger first six weeks than Wii
Wii U has stronger first six weeks than Wii: Wii U hardware pulls in $30 million more in revenue after 41 days
January 11: GCW-Zero joins fleet of new gaming hardware on Kickstarter
GCW-Zero joins fleet of new gaming hardware on Kickstarter: Open-source handheld using Linux to run classic PC and homebrew titles
January 11: Mobile publisher Ngmoco guns for the console gamer
Mobile publisher Ngmoco guns for the console gamer:
Ngmoco's new CEO Clive Downie is hoping to replicate the success of Rage of Bahamut with an iOS first-person shooter aimed at the western market. Will he succeed in bringing console players over? ...
Ngmoco's new CEO Clive Downie is hoping to replicate the success of Rage of Bahamut with an iOS first-person shooter aimed at the western market. Will he succeed in bringing console players over? ...
January 11: Blog: Mid-core - The shape of social games to come
Blog: Mid-core - The shape of social games to come:
Rebel Entertainment's Mike Goslin argues that appealing to the "mid-core" might not just be an option, it might be the way to get your social game noticed. ...
Rebel Entertainment's Mike Goslin argues that appealing to the "mid-core" might not just be an option, it might be the way to get your social game noticed. ...
January 11: How retail figures may point to a coming disruption
How retail figures may point to a coming disruption:
Retail video game sales tell a brutal tale: a market cut in half from 2008 to 2012. Gamasutra analyst Matt Matthews discusses what's going on behind the scenes, suggesting that a disruption is well underway. ...
Retail video game sales tell a brutal tale: a market cut in half from 2008 to 2012. Gamasutra analyst Matt Matthews discusses what's going on behind the scenes, suggesting that a disruption is well underway. ...
January 11: The 5 things game developers should take away from CES 2013
The 5 things game developers should take away from CES 2013:
3D is irrelevant, everyone wants to make their own console, and no one really knows what's going on in mobile games: Here's what the games industry should take away from CES 2013. ...
3D is irrelevant, everyone wants to make their own console, and no one really knows what's going on in mobile games: Here's what the games industry should take away from CES 2013. ...
January 11: Indie Royale co-ownership shifts to Tenshi Ventures
Indie Royale co-ownership shifts to Tenshi Ventures:
IndieGames.com and Gamasutra parent the UBM Tech Game Network has transferred its 50% share in the ">Indie Royale game bundle to UK games investment firm Tenshi Ventures. Desura remains the co-owner of the other 50%. ...
IndieGames.com and Gamasutra parent the UBM Tech Game Network has transferred its 50% share in the ">Indie Royale game bundle to UK games investment firm Tenshi Ventures. Desura remains the co-owner of the other 50%. ...
January 11: Another month of retail video game decline in the US
Another month of retail video game decline in the US:
Another month, another decline for the retail video game industry in the United States, despite the new Wii U console and a strong debut for Ubisoft's Far Cry 3. ...
Another month, another decline for the retail video game industry in the United States, despite the new Wii U console and a strong debut for Ubisoft's Far Cry 3. ...
January 11: The 10 best-selling games of 2012
The 10 best-selling games of 2012:
It was a rough year at retail for the United States video game industry, which saw $3.73 billion fewer dollars spent than it did in 2011, but the biggest triple-A games continued to sell. ...
It was a rough year at retail for the United States video game industry, which saw $3.73 billion fewer dollars spent than it did in 2011, but the biggest triple-A games continued to sell. ...
January 11: 3DS piracy is a problem - because publishers say so
3DS piracy is a problem - because publishers say so:
When Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham raised concerns over Nintendo 3DS piracy, the public reaction was brutal. Here, Dreamrift's Peter Ong explains why we should indeed be worried about piracy on the 3DS. ...
When Renegade Kid's Jools Watsham raised concerns over Nintendo 3DS piracy, the public reaction was brutal. Here, Dreamrift's Peter Ong explains why we should indeed be worried about piracy on the 3DS. ...
January 11: At Least One Person Has Paid For College By Selling Team Fortress 2 Items
At Least One Person Has Paid For College By Selling Team Fortress 2 Items:
College can be expensive—ridiculously so. Most people can't afford college, and those who can sometimes end up paying the price of entry for years to come. You know what can make mad cash, enough to pay for college and then some? Selling popular Team Fortress 2 items. More »
January 11: Joe Danger's Most Impressive Stunt is How Good His Mobile Game Turned Out
Joe Danger's Most Impressive Stunt is How Good His Mobile Game Turned Out:
When I first caught wind of Hello Games bringing their stunt-racing hero Joe Danger to iOS, I imagined a straight port of the original PlayStation Network release, complete with a screen cluttered with virtual controls. Instead they've delivered a game that fully embraces the touch-based platform, one that's as refreshing to play as it was for the company's founder to develop. More »
January 11: Six Things More Online Shooters Should Do
Six Things More Online Shooters Should Do:
I play lots of online shooters—from esoteric indie ones like Waiting For Horus to popular ones like like Call of Duty. This means I have (possibly crackpot) ideas on how online shooters could improve. While it's important that different franchises retain what makes them special, there are some things that I think nearly every shooter could benefit from adopting. More »
January 11: The Moon Sneezes Its Way into Your Heart in This Little-Kid Version of the Universe
The Moon Sneezes Its Way into Your Heart in This Little-Kid Version of the Universe:
My two-year-old daughter doesn't think of stars as huge bodies of flaming gas millions of miles away. She thinks of them as little five-pointed symbols that live inside books and on top of Christmas trees. In similar fashion, she knows that there's a moon in the sky but also thinks the glowing circles formed by domed light fixtures in our home are also moons. Getting glimpses of how she's thinking about the universe is almost unbearably cute. And so is Paper Galaxy, which manages to cast the cosmos as a giant playground. More »
My two-year-old daughter doesn't think of stars as huge bodies of flaming gas millions of miles away. She thinks of them as little five-pointed symbols that live inside books and on top of Christmas trees. In similar fashion, she knows that there's a moon in the sky but also thinks the glowing circles formed by domed light fixtures in our home are also moons. Getting glimpses of how she's thinking about the universe is almost unbearably cute. And so is Paper Galaxy, which manages to cast the cosmos as a giant playground. More »
January 11: Noble Nutlings (iOS) review
Noble Nutlings (iOS) review:
Noble Nutlings is a new iOS game from Boomlagoon, a company made up of ex-Rovio employees. The game is already available in selected territories around the world, and launches today worldwide as a free-to-play app.
Noble Nutlings is a new iOS game from Boomlagoon, a company made up of ex-Rovio employees. The game is already available in selected territories around the world, and launches today worldwide as a free-to-play app.
January 11: Second Fiction brings ‘action science’ to iOS with Atomic Robo: Violent Science
Second Fiction brings ‘action science’ to iOS with Atomic Robo: Violent Science:
Mobile developer Second Fiction is bringing Atomic Robo to iOS and Android later this year with Atomic Robo: Violent Science. Until now, the studio has been relatively quiet about the project, but has been teasing out details on its company Facebook page. However, we recently sat down with Marketing Director Allen Clements to talk about the upcoming mobile title and get the first real details.
Mobile developer Second Fiction is bringing Atomic Robo to iOS and Android later this year with Atomic Robo: Violent Science. Until now, the studio has been relatively quiet about the project, but has been teasing out details on its company Facebook page. However, we recently sat down with Marketing Director Allen Clements to talk about the upcoming mobile title and get the first real details.
January 11: King’s Bounty: Legions launches on Android
King’s Bounty: Legions launches on Android:
Russian game developer Nival today announced its turned-based strategy game series King’s Bounty is making its Android debut with King’s Bounty: Legions, and is now available on Google Play. Originally released on iOS and Facebook, the game already has a large following and Mac OS and Kindle Fire versions of the game are coming soon.
Russian game developer Nival today announced its turned-based strategy game series King’s Bounty is making its Android debut with King’s Bounty: Legions, and is now available on Google Play. Originally released on iOS and Facebook, the game already has a large following and Mac OS and Kindle Fire versions of the game are coming soon.
January 9: Samsung's New TV Hardware May Dazzle, But Just How Smart Do You Want The Software To Be?
Samsung's New TV Hardware May Dazzle, But Just How Smart Do You Want The Software To Be?:
That's a mighty fine looking tellybox you got there, Mr. Samsung. But what does it actually do?
Not content with trying to boss the rest of the smartphone manufacturers (bar Apple) about, Samsung is now turning its attention to the TV market. With smart telly the buzzword du jour, with even Tim Cook calling it "an area of intense interest" and our own Kit Eaton expecting Apple to launch its own version in the first part of 2013, it's logical that Cupertino's bete noire would use CES to launch its aspirations in this arena. And launch some stuff it did. But then again, so did all the other tech firms, offering everything from personalized content (thanks to Panasonic's in-set camera) to Sharp's "8K" TV and split-screen display allowing you to watch TV and use the Internet at the same time.
But back to Samsung. Alongside a 85-inch 4K TV that lets viewers see everything in ultra-high-def (with a 105-inch monster due later on in 2013), it also showed off its revamped user interface. Smart Hub is an all-singing, all-dancing idea, with voice- and gesture-based control. It uses facial recognition tech to separate the Gleeheads in your house from the Charlie Rose fans. The Verge reports owners of 2012 Samsung TV models can upgrade with what Samsung calls an "evolution kit," but doesn't exactly bless it with a positive review. But what we at Fast Company want to know is this: Just how smart do you want your TV to be? Is facial recognition at the top of your list, or do you just want a great picture? All the rest is available on your second screen.
Read Full Story
That's a mighty fine looking tellybox you got there, Mr. Samsung. But what does it actually do?
Not content with trying to boss the rest of the smartphone manufacturers (bar Apple) about, Samsung is now turning its attention to the TV market. With smart telly the buzzword du jour, with even Tim Cook calling it "an area of intense interest" and our own Kit Eaton expecting Apple to launch its own version in the first part of 2013, it's logical that Cupertino's bete noire would use CES to launch its aspirations in this arena. And launch some stuff it did. But then again, so did all the other tech firms, offering everything from personalized content (thanks to Panasonic's in-set camera) to Sharp's "8K" TV and split-screen display allowing you to watch TV and use the Internet at the same time.
But back to Samsung. Alongside a 85-inch 4K TV that lets viewers see everything in ultra-high-def (with a 105-inch monster due later on in 2013), it also showed off its revamped user interface. Smart Hub is an all-singing, all-dancing idea, with voice- and gesture-based control. It uses facial recognition tech to separate the Gleeheads in your house from the Charlie Rose fans. The Verge reports owners of 2012 Samsung TV models can upgrade with what Samsung calls an "evolution kit," but doesn't exactly bless it with a positive review. But what we at Fast Company want to know is this: Just how smart do you want your TV to be? Is facial recognition at the top of your list, or do you just want a great picture? All the rest is available on your second screen.
Read Full Story
January 9: 2013: When Tablets Beat Laptops
2013: When Tablets Beat Laptops:
New analysis from NPD puts definite numbers around a trend you may have spotted: the death of the laptop at the hands of the tablet.
NPD DisplaySearch's mobile computing market analysis has predicted a startling development for 2013: This is the year tablets will occupy over 50% of the market, as shipments of the slate-like computers leap 64% over last year's figures. That stat has one important implication--that tablets will outsell laptops. In fact, NPD predicts that the trend will continue so that by 2017 laptops serve just over a quarter of the market.
In context, it's worth noting that last year NPD said that the tablet/laptop switchover would happen in 2016, and that tablet shipment growth would be a much more sedate 28% compound annual rate over the next five years. Which means that even this new prediction may be conservative.
Read Full Story
New analysis from NPD puts definite numbers around a trend you may have spotted: the death of the laptop at the hands of the tablet.
NPD DisplaySearch's mobile computing market analysis has predicted a startling development for 2013: This is the year tablets will occupy over 50% of the market, as shipments of the slate-like computers leap 64% over last year's figures. That stat has one important implication--that tablets will outsell laptops. In fact, NPD predicts that the trend will continue so that by 2017 laptops serve just over a quarter of the market.
In context, it's worth noting that last year NPD said that the tablet/laptop switchover would happen in 2016, and that tablet shipment growth would be a much more sedate 28% compound annual rate over the next five years. Which means that even this new prediction may be conservative.
Read Full Story
January 9: Ouya's $45,000 Game Jam
Ouya's $45,000 Game Jam:
Kickstarter-funded Android gaming console Ouya is offering developers $45,000 in prizes to build games within 10 days.
Android gaming console Ouya, which famously Kickstarted $2.5 million in under 24 hours, is taking a similarly disruptive approach to game creation. Ouya announced today they they will hold a 10-day-long game jam in conjunction with Kill Screen for developers to create playable prototype games.
Winning games qualify for more than $45,000 in prizes donated by Ouya supporters. According to Kill Screen, entries will be judged on community support on YouTube and other platforms, successful use of the Ouya platform and SDK, and “purposely subjective views of the game's sheer greatness.”
Read Full Story
Kickstarter-funded Android gaming console Ouya is offering developers $45,000 in prizes to build games within 10 days.
Android gaming console Ouya, which famously Kickstarted $2.5 million in under 24 hours, is taking a similarly disruptive approach to game creation. Ouya announced today they they will hold a 10-day-long game jam in conjunction with Kill Screen for developers to create playable prototype games.
Winning games qualify for more than $45,000 in prizes donated by Ouya supporters. According to Kill Screen, entries will be judged on community support on YouTube and other platforms, successful use of the Ouya platform and SDK, and “purposely subjective views of the game's sheer greatness.”
Read Full Story
January 9: iPhones And Americans: How Consumer Electronics Became A Trillion-Dollar Business
iPhones And Americans: How Consumer Electronics Became A Trillion-Dollar Business:
Global spending on consumer electronics will spike to $1.1 trillion this year, and iPhone-lovers in the U.S. are a big reason why.
It's easy to dismiss the Consumer Electronics Show going on right now in Las Vegas as a bit of a tech dinosaur--an event that Apple and even Microsoft shun as irrelevant to their plans. But new data from the Consumer Electronics Association suggests that global spending on CE goods will soar to $1.1 trillion during 2013, up about 4% on last year's figures.
In a pre-CES briefing, the CEA explained that much of the projected growth will come from emerging markets. Europe's CE spending will be flat as the economic crisis continues, and even the U.S. will only grow spending by some 2%.
Read Full Story
Global spending on consumer electronics will spike to $1.1 trillion this year, and iPhone-lovers in the U.S. are a big reason why.
It's easy to dismiss the Consumer Electronics Show going on right now in Las Vegas as a bit of a tech dinosaur--an event that Apple and even Microsoft shun as irrelevant to their plans. But new data from the Consumer Electronics Association suggests that global spending on CE goods will soar to $1.1 trillion during 2013, up about 4% on last year's figures.
In a pre-CES briefing, the CEA explained that much of the projected growth will come from emerging markets. Europe's CE spending will be flat as the economic crisis continues, and even the U.S. will only grow spending by some 2%.
Read Full Story
January 9: Archlord: The World of Chantra Grows with the Server Consolidation
Archlord: The World of Chantra Grows with the Server Consolidation:
WEBZEN.Inc has announced that there will be a consolidation of Gracia and Zian servers for Medieval MMORPG Archlord.On January 30th, Archlord's server consolidation will take place as the result of enduring effort to provide enhanced gaming experience according to players’ constant feedback. Through this combination, further intense battles from players will revitalize the most competitive siege warfare and the final battle to be the absolute ruler of the Chantra.
WEBZEN.Inc has announced that there will be a consolidation of Gracia and Zian servers for Medieval MMORPG Archlord.On January 30th, Archlord's server consolidation will take place as the result of enduring effort to provide enhanced gaming experience according to players’ constant feedback. Through this combination, further intense battles from players will revitalize the most competitive siege warfare and the final battle to be the absolute ruler of the Chantra.
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