Daily News: 04/29/13

Monday, April 29, 2013

General: Pocket Galaxy Closed Beta Giveaway!

General: Pocket Galaxy Closed Beta Giveaway!:
MMORPG.com has partnered with Spectacle Games to give out keys to the closed beta of Pocket Galaxy. Grab a key now before they all run out!

How Do User Data Turn Into New Features?

How Do User Data Turn Into New Features?:
We asked Andrew Hogue, Foursquare’s head of data and search, how his team uses millions of data points to decide what to build (or not to build) next. You can see

DC Universe Online: Game Update 25 Brings Spring Event Online

DC Universe Online: Game Update 25 Brings Spring Event Online:
Sony Online Entertainment has announced that Game Update 25 for DC Universe Online is now live. The update brings the Spring Event online as well as marketplace

General: Traipsing in Agon

General: Traipsing in Agon:
Darkfall: Unholy Wars is getting a lot of attention these days, including catching the eye of The Tourist. Check out our latest tourist's look at one of the day's hottest

Earthrise: First Impact: New Features Revealed

Earthrise: First Impact: New Features Revealed:
SilentFuture has revealed a few new features for Earthrise: First Impact as the game continues its optimization process. Players will be able to choose from any one

The Invaluable $1.80 Beer Lesson On Selling Products And Buying Habits

The Invaluable $1.80 Beer Lesson On Selling Products And Buying Habits:
You think you like the option that's neither cheapest nor most expensive because you're a reasonable person. But the real reason may surprise you. Products often

Sony doubles full-year profit forecasts to ¥40 billion

Sony doubles full-year profit forecasts to ¥40 billion:
Operating income also up from HQ and other assets sales

First Screenshots of Can Knockdown 3 Released, Coming This May

First Screenshots of Can Knockdown 3 Released, Coming This May:
Infinite Dreams has developed two Can Knockdown games already and had begun teasing the third in the franchise a couple of weeks ago. Well the company has now

Skullgirls funding held by Paypal

Skullgirls funding held by Paypal:
Crowdfunding meets Paypal and the results aren't pretty

Getting Customer Feedback Better, Faster, And Cheaper

Getting Customer Feedback Better, Faster, And Cheaper:
Businesses spend billions and obsess over figuring out what their customers think--but they shouldn't. Here's why you can no longer make excuses for a lack of useful

Warren's Mailbag: Games are still niche, too expensive

Warren's Mailbag: Games are still niche, too expensive:
Thanks to the overwhelming response to Warren Spector's column, the veteran designer is replying to some of your most interesting comments

Coming in May: Steve Jackson's Sorcery!

Coming in May: Steve Jackson's Sorcery!:
inkle, an independent developer of interactive narrative apps, will release their iPhone / iPad adaptation of Steve Jackson's Sorcery! on the App Store in May. Based on

Spellirium funding campaign: First week stats

Spellirium funding campaign: First week stats:
Funding for Untold Entreatment's (Sissy's Magical Ponycorn Adventure) new game has been going too slowly. This post details funding stats so far, showing the effects of

Peter Molyneux may have just monetized trolling

Peter Molyneux may have just monetized trolling:
"Maybe the effects of automatically removing cubelets will be neutralized by players keen to keep Curiosity going." - A note from Peter Molyneux's 22cans tells users they can pay

League of Legends player goes pro to pay rent

League of Legends player goes pro to pay rent:
Filed under: Video, Culture, News Items, League of Legends What would you do if you were kicked out of your house as a teenager with nothing but a bicycle, a

How Costa Coffee Used Data To Drive Loyalty And Sales

How Costa Coffee Used Data To Drive Loyalty And Sales:
U.K. chain Costa Coffee uses customer data from multiple sources to create sharply targeted communications that drive a loyalty program that actually works for buyer and

League of Legends All-Stars Announced, Battle in Shanghai May 24-26

League of Legends All-Stars Announced, Battle in Shanghai May 24-26:
The world's best League of Legends players will descend on Shanghai and vie for glory during All-Star Week May 24-26. Riot Games will host top competitors from

CEO of Ubisoft Montreal gives his recipe to making AAA games

CEO of Ubisoft Montreal gives his recipe to making AAA games:
Ubisoft might be the hottest gaming publisher or developer right now. Lately, it seems they can do know wrong, regardless of...

The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV beta phase 1 and 2 - combat

The Mog Log: Final Fantasy XIV beta phase 1 and 2 - combat:
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Classes, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Consoles, Final Fantasy XIV, The Mog Log I've mentioned in the past that sometimes plans get changed

Yoshida Reiterates Summer Launch Schedule for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Yoshida Reiterates Summer Launch Schedule for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn:
The 2nd Niconico Chokaigi is currently going on for the weekend. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn development team are there to show the product. The producer Naoki Yoshida, which now seems to be a household name to the FFXIV fans, has reiterated that the PS3 and PC versions of the game would launch this summer. Continue reading Yoshida Reiterates Summer Launch Schedule for Final Fantasy XI

Buy Guns of Icarus Online for however much you want

Buy Guns of Icarus Online for however much you want:
If for some reason you haven’t played Guns of Icarus Online yet and have always wanted to, now is literally the...

Guns of Icarus Online achieves Kickstarter goal but there is still time

Guns of Icarus Online achieves Kickstarter goal but there is still time:
With currently 33 days left, the Guns of Icarus Online's Kickstarter is still afloat despite the 100k goal already being...

Obliterate pocket-sized zombies in House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels

Obliterate pocket-sized zombies in House of the Dead: Overkill – The Lost Reels:
Killing zombies is now as easy as tapping your phone ... which makes me wonder whether the undead become less of a threat...

Spicy Horse's New Collectible Card-Time Strategy Looks Mighty Familiar

Spicy Horse's New Collectible Card-Time Strategy Looks Mighty Familiar:
Coming this fall to PC, Mac, Linux and tablets everywhere, Spicy Horse's (thankfully) tentatively-titled Hell Invaders brings collectible card games to life in full

Defiance Producer on Improvements and Dealing with Cheaters | Ten Ton Hammer

Defiance Producer on Improvements and Dealing with Cheaters | Ten Ton Hammer:
Executive Producer Nathan Richardsson returns for another update on what’s in the works for Defiance and dealing with those pesky cheaters.

Trion Teases New Defiance Crossover Competition | Ten Ton Hammer

Trion Teases New Defiance Crossover Competition | Ten Ton Hammer:
Trion Worlds teases a new competition to bring the first Defiance player into the television show.

Defiance Celebrates the Armistice Festival | Ten Ton Hammer

Defiance Celebrates the Armistice Festival | Ten Ton Hammer:
Trion adds a couple of new things to do to celebrate the Armistice Festival in Defiance.

Capcom's 'decline in quality' blamed on 'excessive outsourcing'

Capcom's 'decline in quality' blamed on 'excessive outsourcing':
Publisher will spend 7.2 billion Yen on restructuring as it slashes expectations for Resident Evil 6 and Devil May Cry. Capcom has announced it is revising sales

FIFA 14 announced with new features that 'capture the emotion of scoring goals'

FIFA 14 announced with new features that 'capture the emotion of scoring goals':
As expected, EA today unveiled FIFA 14, the next installment in the popular soccer franchise. FIFA is one of...

Analyst: US sales trends will remain negative until GTAV

Analyst: US sales trends will remain negative until GTAV:
Sterne Agee analyst does not foresee turnaround until Rockstar…s open-world game arrives in September, believes BioShock Infinite sold as many as 750,000

Sony helping to unify console biz, says Ready at Dawn boss

Sony helping to unify console biz, says Ready at Dawn boss:
Ru Weerasuriya tells us all consoles now will have to be more open; he also stresses team, not the game, as "the ultimate goal"

The Doctor is Out: Zeschuk on BioWare, EA and consoles' uncertain future

The Doctor is Out: Zeschuk on BioWare, EA and consoles' uncertain future:
Zeschuk wouldn't change a thing about his time at BioWare or EA, which he says "gives you enough rope to hang yourself"

C9 Unleashes First Raid for Bardiel Seal

C9 Unleashes First Raid for Bardiel Seal:
Webzen launches the first raid for THE EXTREME DUNGEON: BARDIEL SEAL in the 3D Fantasy Action MMORPG, CONTINENT OF THE NINTH SEAL (C9). Continue reading C9 Unleashes First Raid for Bardiel Seal.

Gordon Walton: Publishers see devs as "replaceable meat puppets"

Gordon Walton: Publishers see devs as "replaceable meat puppets":
Veteran exec laments the treatment of dev teams, talks about Riccitiello's struggle, and predicts Activision's business ending in "catastrophe"

Icarus Online preps for closed beta, releases trailer

Icarus Online preps for closed beta, releases trailer:
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Trailers, Video, Free-to-Play We haven't talked about Icarus Online after its unfortunate journey to the sun last year, so it's definitely time to check

City of Steam Early Beta Access Starts May 10th | Ten Ton Hammer

City of Steam Early Beta Access Starts May 10th | Ten Ton Hammer:
City of Steam will be hosting an early access beta event next month before open beta gets underway.

Marvel Heroes: NDA Lifts

Marvel Heroes: NDA Lifts:
Marvel Heroes beta testers can finally begin speaking about the game now that the non-disclosure agreement has finally been lifted. Gazillion Entertainment surprised

MMOsite Exclusive Interview with Ragnarok Online 2

MMOsite Exclusive Interview with Ragnarok Online 2:
Ragnarok Online 2 is regarded as the sequel to the world-renown Ragnarok Online. Gravity Interactive is proud to announce that Ragnarok Online 2: Legend

Neverwinter founder early access begins today

Neverwinter founder early access begins today:
Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Video, Launches, New Titles, Neverwinter, Buy-to-Play If you're a diehard Neverwinter fan (i.e. you threw down $200 for the Hero of the

Neverwinter: Open Beta Launch Interview

Neverwinter: Open Beta Launch Interview:
Today marks a seminal point in Neverwinter's development as the open beta, or "soft launch", begins with Founders checking into the game. We managed to

Where is Zynga's supposed turnaround?

Where is Zynga's supposed turnaround?:
For all the talk of a changed company, Pincus' firm still seems to be making all the same mistakes in all the same ways

Zynga: Closing games puts the best talent in the right places

Zynga: Closing games puts the best talent in the right places:
With costs under control, Zynga's Dan Ko looks towards building better franchises

Catch up on Zynga's state of affairs with these analyst takeaways

Catch up on Zynga's state of affairs with these analyst takeaways:
Zynga shed plenty of users in the first quarter, and shut down some major Facebook games, but analysts haven't completely given up on the company yet. ...

Zynga Is Clearly Paying Celebs to Pretend to Like Draw Something 2

Zynga Is Clearly Paying Celebs to Pretend to Like Draw Something 2:
Zynga, cruising on the highway to BrokeVille, is banking on its newest ripoff of Pictionary to be as wildly popular as the first one. Banking so heavily, in fact, that the

Draw Something 2 (iOS) review

Draw Something 2 (iOS) review:
Draw Something 2 is a new release from Zynga, currently available as both free and paid downloads for iOS and coming soon to Android. The game is featured in the New &

Zynga launches Draw Something 2

Zynga launches Draw Something 2:
Yesterday, during Zynga’s Q1 2013 earning call, CEP Mark Pincus announced the launch of Draw Something 2. The game is available to download for free exclusively on

Respecting the player's wallet

Respecting the player's wallet:
Free-to-play is a design opportunity, says BioWare Austin's Damion Schubert, who looks into how developers can cater to their big spenders while still integrating free

Ambient Studios to close, Death Inc backers to be refunded

Ambient Studios to close, Death Inc backers to be refunded:
Dev couldn't "make enough money to keep the wolves from the door"

Subscription plans now available on Steam

Subscription plans now available on Steam:
Half-Life developer's online marketplace now allows users to sign up for subscription plans; first supported title is MMO Darkfall Unholy Wars. Beginning today, Steam will offer subscription plans, Half-Life and Portal developer Valve has announced. The first supported title is Darkfall Unholy Wars, a massively

Mythic community manager bids a sorrowful farewell

Mythic community manager bids a sorrowful farewell:
Filed under: Dark Age of Camelot, MMO Industry, Warhammer Online, News Items, Ultima Online, Free-to-Play It looks as if yesterday's EA layoffs are hitting MMO

EA Sports Also Hurts After a Rough Week of Painful Cuts

EA Sports Also Hurts After a Rough Week of Painful Cuts:
Theoretically, sports should be one of the safer gigs in video games today. These are series that come out every year, they're usually reliable sellers, the publishers have

EA confirms more layoffs

EA confirms more layoffs:
Publisher continues cuts; PopCap Vancouver and Quicklime added to list of closures in reported headcount reduction of 10% [UPDATE: reorganization info]

Massively's Neverwinter early access launch diary: Day two

Massively's Neverwinter early access launch diary: Day two:
Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, First Impressions, Neverwinter, Neverwinter Days After yesterday's initial foray into Neverwinter, I was eager to get

Massively's Neverwinter early access launch diary: Day one

Massively's Neverwinter early access launch diary: Day one:
Filed under: Fantasy, Previews, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, First Impressions, Neverwinter, Neverwinter Days Neverwinter's launch isn't so much a launch

More Smartphones Were Shipped in Q1 2013 Than Feature Phones, An Industry First According to IDC

More Smartphones Were Shipped in Q1 2013 Than Feature Phones, An Industry First According to IDC :
The worldwide mobile phone market grew 4% year over year in the seasonally slow first quarter of 2013 (1Q13) as smartphones outshipped feature phones for the first time. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker, vendors shipped a total of 418.6 million mobile phones in 1Q13 compared to 402.4 million units in the first quarter of 2012 and 483.2 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Amazon Preps Set-Top Box

Amazon Preps Set-Top Box:
Given that Amazon.com already streams a catalog of 150,000 movies and TV shows to its Prime service members owning a PlayStation 3, Wii U, Xbox 360 or Roku device, it comes with little surprise that Bloomberg News is reporting that the online retailer is prepping its own Internet set-top box for release later this year.

GigaMedia appoints new COO ahead of China push

GigaMedia appoints new COO ahead of China push:
Former Gamania COO joins Taiwanese online firm to oversee Chinese expansion of FunTown platform

ArcheAge(KR) Update Preview: Battlefield and Nation System Coming in May

ArcheAge(KR) Update Preview: Battlefield and Nation System Coming in May:
ArcheAge Korean server has come to commercial launch for almost half an year, and plenty of new updates have come into use, including siege battles, farming

Age of Wushu: Review in Progress #2

Age of Wushu: Review in Progress #2:
We move into our second week of Age of Wushu and have experienced more of the game outside of the initial training grounds. See what we have to say in this week's

Age of Wushu: Review in Progress Part I

Age of Wushu: Review in Progress Part I:
Last week's launch of Age of Wushu marked the beginning of our process leading up to our final and official review. We start the journey with a few articles

Age of Wushu Retail Edition Hits GameStop Today | Ten Ton Hammer

Age of Wushu Retail Edition Hits GameStop Today | Ten Ton Hammer:
Age of Wushu’s Special Retail Edition arrives at GameStop today with an assortment of exclusive items and single player experience.

Age of Wushu: Red Phoenix Rising This Weekend

Age of Wushu: Red Phoenix Rising This Weekend:
Red Phoenix is launching at 11:00 AM PDT, Saturday, April 13, for all players looking to start fresh from the ashes or are a new player joining the red hot epic in its opening

Age of Wushu: Launch Day Impressions

Age of Wushu: Launch Day Impressions:
Age of Wushu launched with great fanfare yesterday and we were there from minute one. We've prepared our launch day impressions on our way to an official review

The Age of Wushu team on what's coming after launch

The Age of Wushu team on what's coming after launch:
Filed under: Historical, Events (In-Game), Interviews, Launches, Free-to-Play, Age of Wushu, MMORPG A week ago, we asked Snail Games some questions pertaining to

The Art of Wushu: Launching into Age of Wushu

The Art of Wushu: Launching into Age of Wushu:
Filed under: Historical, Events (In-Game), Launches, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Age of Wushu, The Art of Wushu, MMORPG Age of Wushu just launched publicly today, and

Age of Wushu Is Now Available!

Age of Wushu Is Now Available!:
Are you counting down the launch time for Age of Wushu? April.10th has arrived, so has Age of Wushu. Snail Games announced today that the revolutionary,

MMOsite Exclusive Interview with Age of Wushu

MMOsite Exclusive Interview with Age of Wushu:
Age of Wushu will be officially launched tomorrow, we made an exclusive interview with the Age of Wushu develop team to give you a deeper understanding of this game.

WildStar chronicles closed beta metrics and milestones

WildStar chronicles closed beta metrics and milestones:
Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Bugs, Game Mechanics, News Items, Humor, Dev Diaries, WildStar, Player-Generated Content Last night, WildStar's Jeremy Gaffney

WildStar begins beta testing

WildStar begins beta testing:
Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, WildStar Saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words," the WildStar team has posted a picture of the team with the caption of "IT HAS

World of Tanks Has Been Hacked, Hide Yo' Wife, Hide Yo' Passwords

World of Tanks Has Been Hacked, Hide Yo' Wife, Hide Yo' Passwords:
User accounts for World of Tanks, one of the biggest games in the world, have been comprised following what the game's publisher calls a "security incident".Read

World of Tanks vs. Project Tank: Is there IP infringement?

World of Tanks vs. Project Tank: Is there IP infringement?:
Filed under: Historical, Video, MMO Industry, War, Free-to-Play, Browser, Legal Browser-based Project Tank from Gamebox is under fire this week from the makers of World of

Wargaming Celebrates Two Year Anniversary of World of Tanks

Wargaming Celebrates Two Year Anniversary of World of Tanks:
Wargaming celebrates two year anniversary of World of Tanks in north America with a 12-hour live stream and a weekend of hook-ups. Tankers get discounts, bonuses and

BioWare Delays SWTOR’s Next Update to Address Major UI Bug | Ten Ton Hammer

BioWare Delays SWTOR’s Next Update to Address Major UI Bug | Ten Ton Hammer:
A UI bug halts today’s launch of SWTOR’s 2.0.1 update and the release of the new Vice Commander’s Contraband Pack.

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Best (and Worst) of Rise of the Hutt Cartel

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Best (and Worst) of Rise of the Hutt Cartel:
In this week's SWTOR column, we're breaking down some of the best and worst aspects of Rise of the Hutt Cartel, the first digital expansion to Star Wars: The Old

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel: A New Hope for SWToR

Star Wars: The Old Republic: Rise of the Hutt Cartel: A New Hope for SWToR:
Rise of the Hutt Cartel is the first digital expansion for Star Wars: The Old Republic. Is this the expansion you're looking for? Find out in our official review!

Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR free-to-play experiment, week one

Hyperspace Beacon: The SWTOR free-to-play experiment, week one:
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Hyperspace Beacon The complaints about free-to-play and Star Wars: The Old Republic have been itching at me. Although I'm sure there are legitimate issues that players have with BioWare's F2P model, but with all the vitriol, it's hard to tell the difference between which problems are caused by BioWare and wh

First Impressions: SWTOR's Rise of the Hutt Cartel

First Impressions: SWTOR's Rise of the Hutt Cartel:
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Expansions, Launches, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, First Impressions, Star Wars: The Old Republic How much of an expansion can you really

SWTOR Launches 2.0 and Early Access to Rise of the Hutt Cartel | Ten Ton Hammer

SWTOR Launches 2.0 and Early Access to Rise of the Hutt Cartel | Ten Ton Hammer:
Early access opens for SWTOR’s Rise of the Hutt Cartel expansion along with the launch of Game Update 2.0: Scum and Villainy.

App Annie: Amazon Appstore could grow to the size of iTunes

App Annie: Amazon Appstore could grow to the size of iTunes:
Analytics firm now supplying data for Amazon as it expands to nearly 200 countries

Defiance: Review in Progress #4

Defiance: Review in Progress #4:
This week wraps up our four week Review in Progress for Trion Worlds' Defiance, with our final score to come next week. Find out where we are in the game and check our

Defiance: Review In Progress #3

Defiance: Review In Progress #3:
We are winding down our series of 'review in progress' articles for Trion Worlds' Defiance. In the third installment, we take a look at PvP and the latest (and largest)

Leading the Charge: Execution Labs' First Cohort

Leading the Charge: Execution Labs' First Cohort:
The Firemasters, Henchmen, Big Action Mega Fight, MacGuffin Quest, Afterland: Jason Della Rocca's incubator turns up the heat

That Brain: Big team sizes are a hindrance to development

That Brain: Big team sizes are a hindrance to development:
Veterans from Media Molecule and Grin have launched a new studio - we speak to them about their plans and the state of independent development

Chris Roberts: I can be more profitable than AAA games on a fifth of sales

Chris Roberts: I can be more profitable than AAA games on a fifth of sales:
The veteran developer talks about Star Citizen's development process, the problems with big publishers and whether the PS4 may see his game

Star Citizen dev opens new office

Star Citizen dev opens new office:
Chris Roberts' Cloud Imperium Games launches new Santa Monica, California office to support development of new space sim. Star Citizen developer Cloud

Activision's Kotick was paid $64.9 million last year

Activision's Kotick was paid $64.9 million last year:
Kotick is now one of the highest paid CEOs in the US

Yatzy Online Brings New Design and Features to Android Phones and Tablets

Yatzy Online Brings New Design and Features to Android Phones and Tablets:
Yatzy Online makers Miracle Mill have unveiled the new design of the popular dice game for Android phones and tablets. The new look shifts from the purple and orange

OP Grand Line OBT Coming April 29 with OBT Event

OP Grand Line OBT Coming April 29 with OBT Event:
The master work which got adapted by One Piece, “OP Grand Line”, has reached the stage of CBT. The schedule and many activities have published recently. Player’s

OP Grand Line Closed Beta Test and Game Review

OP Grand Line Closed Beta Test and Game Review:
OP Grand Line, a MMORPG web game, will be a closed test on Apr 22. The content of the closed test has been published recently. Continue reading OP Grand Line Closed

OP Grand Line S1 Merry April 22 1200 Close Beta Starts

OP Grand Line S1 Merry April 22 1200 Close Beta Starts:
OP Grand Line is a ARPG game based on the hit animated TV series "One Piece". Players can challenge millions other gamers online and equipped with high

IGDA head Kate Edwards: "Games are an art-form, pure and simple"

IGDA head Kate Edwards: "Games are an art-form, pure and simple":
GDC 2013: Plus more on gender, cultural sensitivity and the resignation of Romero

Lobby group calls Android a "Trojan Horse" for Google's dominance

Lobby group calls Android a "Trojan Horse" for Google's dominance:
FairSearch lodges complaint with EU Commission on behalf of Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle, others

MMObility: Revisiting The Lost Titans

MMObility: Revisiting The Lost Titans:
Filed under: Betas, Screenshots, Video, Events (In-Game), Game Mechanics, Interviews, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Browser, Casual, Family, Livestream,

Idol Words Review

Idol Words Review:
Gamezebo Rating: Idol Words is a social word game that plays like an asynchronous version of Boggle. Face off against random opponents, friends or even bitter rivals as

The Legend of Tibet Official Beta Test Phase Coming in July

The Legend of Tibet Official Beta Test Phase Coming in July:
While Diablo III is somehow still not available in China, NetEase (Blizzard's long-time partner in the country) has decided to pull out their own self-developed game: The

Unity makes a move on the real-money gambling space

Unity makes a move on the real-money gambling space:
As part of Unity Technology's recent push into the real-money gambling market, the game engine provider today signed deals with a couple of large casino-management

Epic Games' global marketing head leaves to oversee Halo marketing

Epic Games' global marketing head leaves to oversee Halo marketing:
Kendall Boyd has joined Microsoft to direct all marketing on the blockbuster Halo franchise

Everything's Blue in The Week in Gaming Apps

Everything's Blue in The Week in Gaming Apps:
Well, almost everything. We had a good thing going, Talisman Prologue, and you had to go and completely screw things up. Great job. Don't know why I even bother

Will Tencent's Dota 2 Rip-off Game Eat LoL's Lunch?

Will Tencent's Dota 2 Rip-off Game Eat LoL's Lunch?:
Tecent’s new game, code-named Rgame will release detailed information on UP+ Conference on 18th April. Do not despise the game. Sources said Tencent had hired

This might seem obvious to some, but it's still kind of sad: as people grow older, they tend to care

This might seem obvious to some, but it's still kind of sad: as people grow older, they tend to care:
This might seem obvious to some, but it's still kind of sad: as people grow older, they tend to care about video games less according to Facebook data. Do you think

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive gets Operation Payback event

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive gets Operation Payback event:
Community map-making event asks players for $5.99 and is running until July 31. Valve will add seven community-made maps to its official Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

General: Lunaria Story Open Beta to Kick Off Today

General: Lunaria Story Open Beta to Kick Off Today:
R2Games has announced that the open beta for Lunaria Story will officially commence today, Friday, April 26th. Lunaria Story is a side-scrolling MMO.

Some Assembly Required: Community as content

Some Assembly Required: Community as content:
Filed under: Culture, MMO Industry, Opinion, Miscellaneous, Some Assembly Required, Player-Generated Content Not too long ago, I had the opportunity to cover an occasion

Rise and Shiny: War Thunder

Rise and Shiny: War Thunder:
Filed under: Betas, Historical, Real-Life, Video, Game Mechanics, Previews, PvP, Opinion, War, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Casual, Humor, First Impressions, Rise

Hello MMO - April New MMO Collection

Hello MMO - April New MMO Collection:
Have you been excited about the dazzling MMO month? Recently lots of new MMOs bursting out in the gaming stage, I guess it’s not a difficult thing for you to pick out one

Blendoku Review

Blendoku Review:
Gamezebo Rating: The App Rule of Four states that the best game ideas can be described in a four-word sentence, such as: fling birds into pigs. Get water to alligator.

Last Temple on top of this week’s emerging games on Facebook

Last Temple on top of this week’s emerging games on Facebook:
Ganymede’s puzzle adventure game Last Temple took the top spot on this week’s top emerging games on Facebook, growing by an estimated 31,261 monthly active users

The psychology of money: Why players pay

The psychology of money: Why players pay:
How does the human brain handle money? Understand that and you should have a better chance of understanding what players will pay for. This blog post spells it

Video: Fixing toxic online behavior in League of Legends

Video: Fixing toxic online behavior in League of Legends:
Toxic player behavior exhibited during online gaming sessions can be improved several ways, Riot Games' Jeffery Lin reveals in this analysis of experiments conducted in League of Legends. ...

I Will Never Doubt the Power of Archery Again

I Will Never Doubt the Power of Archery Again:
Oh Hawkeye, where do I begin? For years I've ridiculed you for being the guy with the bow among gods. Now I've played a game where I shoot a bow with such power and

Ubi Singapore's Jamie Stowe joins 22Cans

Ubi Singapore's Jamie Stowe joins 22Cans:
Assassin's Creed III naval battle technical director to work on crowdfunded Godus

Paid vs. free-to-play: Advice from notable mobile studios

Paid vs. free-to-play: Advice from notable mobile studios:
At the start of 2012, a selection of notable mobile developers gave UK editor Mike Rose advice on which business model would best suit his mobile game. This

Blog: Analysis - what Star Wars: TOR's community efforts are missing

Blog: Analysis - what Star Wars: TOR's community efforts are missing:
Interacting with your fans on Facebook is an integral part of community management, and in this post, a community professional highlights some of the weak points in

Ninja Village Review

Ninja Village Review:
Gamezebo Rating: The ninjas of Ninja Village aren't exactly what you'd expect of deadly assassins. In keeping with Kairosoft tradition, they're tiny, pixellated and actually

Second Wind: All Points Bulletin Reloaded

Second Wind: All Points Bulletin Reloaded:
Filed under: Screenshots, Video, Business Models, Game Mechanics, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Hands-On, Races, All Points Bulletin, Crime, MMOFPS, Humor,

Deep Sea Deli Review

Deep Sea Deli Review:
Gamezebo Rating: Narwhals are the Jedi of the sea, and they’re also pretty darn good at making sandwiches. Deep Sea Deli by PlayFirst is an iOS puzzle game that shows

Final Fantasy Tactics S, a new Final Fantasy Tactics social game, was just announced for Japan.

Final Fantasy Tactics S, a new Final Fantasy Tactics social game, was just announced for Japan.:
Final Fantasy Tactics S, a new Final Fantasy Tactics social game, was just announced for Japan. "S"? Social? Geddit? Read more...

Blog: Tips for designing your video game's logo

Blog: Tips for designing your video game's logo:
You want a logo that captures the spirit of your game and correctly communicates that to your potential audience. How do you go about it? The developers of Folk Tale

Betawatch: April 20 - 26, 2013

Betawatch: April 20 - 26, 2013:
Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous Do you want to build an entire functional city? How about a barely functional one? You can do either in Anno Online, which has launched its closed beta test this week. Lunaria Story has started its open beta, and Marvel Heroes is launching a big push to give away keys prior to its launch in June. Long-time