Nintendo merging handheld and console divisions on February 16

Nintendo merging handheld and console divisions on February 16: New ¥30bn Kyoto facility will allow R&D collaboration and tech sharing

AMD employees accused of industrial espionage

AMD employees accused of industrial espionage: Including Robert Feldstein, man behind company's console push

Future Games of London: 50m downloads to date, 40m target for 2013

Future Games of London: 50m downloads to date, 40m target for 2013: Milestone for Hungry Shark developer as it heads to PC and Mac

Samsung Galaxy S III crosses 40 million units

Samsung Galaxy S III crosses 40 million units: The entire Galaxy lineup pushes Samsung - and Android - forward

Wakfu changes North American publishing away from Square Enix

Wakfu changes North American publishing away from Square Enix:
Filed under: Fantasy, MMO industry, Free-to-play

North American fans of the sandbox MMO Wakfu may be interested to hear that the game will be switching publishers in the West as announced in a press release earlier today.



Square Enix will be handing full responsibility and control of the game in North American markets over to the game's developer, Ankama Games, starting March 1, 2013. This control includes community management, customer support, promotion, sales, marketing, and all other live operation duties. All characters and progress will not be affected by the transition.



Our own Beau Hindman gave Wakfu his "The Bestest Ever" award for 2012 and the game has earned respect among many sandbox fans for its unique gameplay and mechanics. But recent layoffs at Square Enix had us all wondering how its MMO division would be affected. Despite claims to to the contrary less than a month ago, this is now a thing that is happening.



Be sure to read through the updated FAQ on Wakfu's website for more information.



[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Wakfu changes North American publishing away from Square Enix originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Source: Press Release

General: Can Revenue Models Be Too Complicated?

General: Can Revenue Models Be Too Complicated?:

As more and more games add in "free to play" options, developers and publishers keep trying out new definitions of what F2P means. In today's The Free Zone, we opine on whether or not these different models are simply too complicated. See what we've got to say before adding your ideas to the mix in the comments.

Wait, That's Not a Zynga Game at the Top of the Facebook Charts

Wait, That's Not a Zynga Game at the Top of the Facebook Charts:

Since I started covering the social gaming scene for Kotaku I've been regularly checking the numbers over at AppStats to see which Zynga games were topping the charts on any given day. You can imagine my surprise when the name on top of today's daily active users chart had King.com next to it. Way to go, Candy Crush Saga! More »

'Graph Search' could help Facebook users find your game more easily

'Graph Search' could help Facebook users find your game more easily:
At a press event on Tuesday, Facebook unveiled a new way for its users to proactively seek out Facebook content, including social network games. ...

GameStick manufacturer adds new Head of Games

GameStick manufacturer adds new Head of Games: Sameer Baroova has joined the PlayJam team

Amazing Ants (iOS) review

Amazing Ants (iOS) review:
Amazing Ants is a new iOS game developed by Twyngo and published by Pocket Gems. It’s available now as a free download from the App Store, with additional in-app purchases of hints and special abilities.

Sega partners with Gogogic for cross-platform Godsrule: War of Mortals

Sega partners with Gogogic for cross-platform Godsrule: War of Mortals:
Sega today announced it’s partnering with Icelandic social mobile studio Gogogic to develop Godsrule: War of Mortals, a cross-platform “build and battle” game for both iOS and the web.
Godsrule is a new fantasy-themed game that seeks to mix social mechanics with core strategy elements. Players are tasked with managing a kingdom, harvesting resources and battling with one another for contested land. Users choose a side between two warring factions and then create their own clans to control contested territory.
The game will be available to play via browser and iPad, allowing for a cross-platform play experience. Sega is clearly looking to tap into the lucrative core-games market, which is especially popular on iOS as evidenced by the runaway success Kabam has experienced with its Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle for the North. Although Sega isn’t known for these mid-core games, Sega has been a presence on iOS mainly due to ports of beloved console games like Jet Set Radio and Crazy Taxi, and a port of Sonic Jump, an old mobile phone game first published in 2006. Gogogic, in turn, already has produced hits like Tiny Places on iOS and its social massively multiplayer online game Vikings of Thule.
For more information about Godsrule: War of Mortals, or to enroll in the game’s public beta program, head over to the game’s official website.

Trion Posts Defiance Advanced Mission Beta FAQ | Ten Ton Hammer

Trion Posts Defiance Advanced Mission Beta FAQ | Ten Ton Hammer:
Get ready for the first Defiance beta event with Trion’s new Advanced Mission FAQ. Get all the details after the jump.

That other gaming - Why you should pay attention to social casino games

That other gaming - Why you should pay attention to social casino games:
Social casino games are attracting more players -- and more dollars -- than any other social gaming genre right now, but is the video game industry ready to dive into the "other" kind of gaming yet? ...

You'll Be Able to Play As Jack Sparrow, Woody, Or Any Other Disney Character In The Crazy Ambitious Disney Infinity

You'll Be Able to Play As Jack Sparrow, Woody, Or Any Other Disney Character In The Crazy Ambitious Disney Infinity:

Disney Infinity sounds like it's going to be the biggest thing Disney has ever done with games, and it's coming out this June. More »

The Latest Batch Of Steam Greenlight Games Includes Leisure Suit Larry

The Latest Batch Of Steam Greenlight Games Includes Leisure Suit Larry:

Lewd adventure game Leisure Suit Larry and the funny parody DLC Quest are among the latest batch of Steam Greenlight games, announced by Valve today. More »

Sweet Pixel Graphics Can't Save This Game from Collectible Card Banality

Sweet Pixel Graphics Can't Save This Game from Collectible Card Banality:

It takes something special to get me invested in one of the wave of mobile collectible card games seeking to ride on the overwhelming success of Rage of Bahamut — it took Transformers to get me to appreciate the appeal of the genre. With its eye-catching pixelated style, DeNA's D.O.T. Defenders of Textel threatened to be the next collectible battler to capture my attention, but then it fell flat. More »

Former Funzio executives return at the helm of Wormhole Games

Former Funzio executives return at the helm of Wormhole Games:

Wormhole Games today came out of stealth and revealed it’s already nearing completion of its first mobile title. The company is co-founded by Jamil Moledina and James Kelm, both previously of Funzio. If that name sounds familiar to you, it should: Funzio was acquired by GREE last year for $210 million.

SWTOR 'Return of the Gree' update 1.7 detailed

SWTOR 'Return of the Gree' update 1.7 detailed: EA and BioWare have revealed the first details for Star Wars: The Old Republic game update 1.7, titled "Return of...

Wizardry Online: Retail Launch Delayed

Wizardry Online: Retail Launch Delayed:

Wizardry Online developers have announced that the official retail launch of the game will be delayed from January 16th to January 30th. Devs cite the desire to deliver "the most epic gameplay experience to our players".

Bake Shop Drop is Not a Game to Play If You're Counting Calories

Bake Shop Drop is Not a Game to Play If You're Counting Calories:

A drop-based matching game recently launched on Facebook from Broken Bulb Game Studios, Bake Shop Drop is an addictive little game that has me quite conflicted—do I play another round, or run to the store for cupcakes? More »

What DUST 514 means for EVE factional warfare

What DUST 514 means for EVE factional warfare:
Filed under: Betas, Sci-fi, EVE Online, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, PvP, News items, Free-to-play, DUST 514, Sandbox

Fan site DUST514Base.com has a new blog post that's worth a read if you're curious about the changes that CCP's recent integration has brought to both EVE Online and its new shooter sibling.



While everyone is basically aware of the fact that EVE capsuleers can now coordinate with DUST infantry to deliver orbital strikes, what you may not know is how the factional warfare aspects of both games synergize. In EVE, factional warfare involves earning enough victory points to wrest control of a particular star system away from the local militia. In DUST, mercs who manage to subdue militia districts on the ground make it easier for their EVE counterparts to mop up and take control of the system (or vice versa, as DUST mercs can also make things more difficult).



The post goes on to point out that the current interaction between EVE and DUST is intentionally limited so as to ensure a smooth launch and integration of the latter title. Over time, though, CCP plans to add plenty of bells and whistles, all with the ultimate goal of granting players more ways to pursue power and ISK.

What DUST 514 means for EVE factional warfare originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Source: DUST 514 Base

Elsword: Revealing the Battle Magician

Elsword: Revealing the Battle Magician:

We have teamed up with Kill3rCombo to bring our readers the first ever information about Aisha and an amazing transformation she will undergo in Elsword Online. We've got an exclusive trailer and information about the Battle Magician. Check it out and leave your thoughts in the comments.

Defiance: Beta Key Giveaway!

Defiance: Beta Key Giveaway!:

MMORPG.com has partnered with Trion Worlds to give out keys to the upcoming 'Advance Mission 1 Beta' event. The event runs from January 18 at 8AM PST through January 20 at 9PM PST. Grab a key below and keep en eye out for your invite e-mail!

Asia, Europe will make up 87% of global mobile, online game revenue in 2015 - report

Asia, Europe will make up 87% of global mobile, online game revenue in 2015 - report:
According to a new and extensive report from Digi-Capital, revenue from online and mobile games will soon make up more than 50 percent of global video game revenue -- and this shift will be dominated by Asia and Europe. ...

ArenaNet sells three million copies of Guild Wars 2, looks to the future

ArenaNet sells three million copies of Guild Wars 2, looks to the future:
Filed under: Fantasy, Events, in-game, Game mechanics, News items, Guild Wars 2, Dev Diaries

We've got a whole passel of Guild Wars 2 news for you today, courtesy of ArenaNet Game Director Colin Johanson, who took to the company's blog to talk about some of the game plan for 2013. Johanson kicked things off by nonchalantly dropping the fact that Guild Wars 2 has now surpassed three million copies sold. (The last million milestone was hit in early September.) He then moved on to goals for 2013 -- specifically, to "build on areas of the game that were successful in 2012" and to "learn and apply lessons from things that didn't work as well."



ArenaNet has plans to add more events (since more events means fewer repeats all around), build new storylines, and give players of all levels a good reason to go back and re-examine content. Some of those good reasons will come in the form of tokens for achievements (which can be traded in for stuff like ascended gear and infusions), re-imagined daily achievements (and eventually, the option to complete only a certain subset of dailies to get the reward), and more vanity items.



Guilds will be getting more love with some new types of content, due "in early 2013," which will allow members to go on missions together. Over time, that system will be expanded with new rewards, missions, and tools to strengthen the importance of guilds within the Guild Wars 2 community. World vs. World will be seeing a lot of the same tweaks as the rest of the game, with the addition of improvements to culling and the introduction of paid server transfers.



PvP will also be getting some polish. Revamped reward systems, matchmaking based on skill, the ability to observe other matches, custom arenas, and leaderboards have all been listed as part of the plan. In case that's not enough for the first half of the year, there are also plans to improve the looking for group tool, fix up the Fractals dungeon, set up leaderboards on the website, redesign world and dungeon boss encounters, continue the war on bots, and otherwise tighten up the game as we know it.



Skip below the cut to let Johanson speak for himself.

Continue reading ArenaNet sells three million copies of Guild Wars 2, looks to the future

ArenaNet sells three million copies of Guild Wars 2, looks to the future originally appeared on Massively on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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• Source: Official post