Handy App Store Optimization Infographic

Handy App Store Optimization Infographic:
App Store visibility is a real issue for many small mobile app developers. Most of them can’t actually fight big publishers on their ground of high-priced performance marketing campaigns and paid PR.

Korean News and Beta Test Announcements

• Mgame MMORPG “Darkfall” ends 2nd Korea-Japan CBT. Average playtime recorded at 380 minutes.
• SG Internet 3D fantasy web RPG “Gods & Hero” starts Entermate channeling service.
• Efun Company RPG “Shingihaeng” starts CBT tester recruitment, holds CBT from October 5 to 8.
• Soft Bigbang MOBA “Core Masters” releases new promotion video, to hold CBT in mid-October.

MechWarrior Online Review

MechWarrior Online Review:
At this point, MechWarrior Online has been in open beta for so long that you could be forgiven for thinking it came out months ago. To be sure, there was little in the way of new content when the official launch date dropped last week; instead, the well-worn "beta" tag at last slipped away and presented new players with essentially the same game others have been playing for months. What we have here is a combat experience that's exciting and intense for many sessions, but winds down once the tedium of the free-to-play model and repetitive objectives takes over.

Lost Echo Review

Lost Echo Review:
Lost Echo is a modern point-and-click adventure in every sense of the word. Its near-future setting focuses on technology over fantasy, presenting even mysterious occurrences as explainable scientific phenomena. Puzzles emphasize logi

FIFA 14 Review

FIFA 14 Review:
When it comes to gigantic companies like EA making mobile versions of their popular console games, the process is clearly a work in progress. There hasn't yet been a truly definitive version of

Will Infinity Ward Continue to Support Competitive Call Of Duty?

Will Infinity Ward Continue to Support Competitive Call Of Duty?:
With Activision publicly announcing their support of eSports at the recent Call Of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer reveal it's

Lord of the Rings Online: The Curious Case of Lord of the Rings Online

Lord of the Rings Online: The Curious Case of Lord of the Rings Online:
Lord of the Rings Online is one of the more well-known MMOs, even given its advancing age. The latest expansion has

EA considering user-generated content tools for SimCity

EA considering user-generated content tools for SimCity:
Maxis is considering opening up its latest SimCity game to allow for user-generated content and modding, offering drafted guidelines on the topic. ...

Neo's Land voxel-based building demo now available

Neo's Land voxel-based building demo now available:
Filed under: Fantasy, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, New Titles, News Items, Sandbox, Crowdfunding Did our Neo's Land preview whet your appetite for voxel-

Steam news only a "curiosity" without a must-buy like Half-Life 3 - Pitchford

Steam news only a "curiosity" without a must-buy like Half-Life 3 - Pitchford:
We speak with several devs about the industry impact of last week's big news around SteamOS, Machines and the new

Valve Announces A Steam Controller With No Thumbsticks

Valve Announces A Steam Controller With No Thumbsticks:
We've got the operating system, we've got the hardware, and now we've got the human interface device. The third prong of Valve's all-out attack on living room

Beyond: Two Souls is fully playable with your iPhone

Beyond: Two Souls is fully playable with your iPhone:
Beyond: Two Souls is has always been described as more of an emotional journey than a game. Perhaps that's why Quantic...

China to end decade-long ban on game consoles

China to end decade-long ban on game consoles:
The WSJ says console sales will happen as part of a new free-trade zone in Shanghai

Q& A: Understanding the future of Linux game development

Q& A: Understanding the future of Linux game development:
When it comes to Linux game development and porting, Ryan "icculus" Gordon is The Guy. With Valve's biggest push yet into Linux, we ask what the

Intro to mobile publishing in the Chinese market

Intro to mobile publishing in the Chinese market:
As the Chinese smartphone market heats up, getting involved becomes more crucial. But what are the basic challenges of operating there? This post, from

Drakensang Online lands in Southeast Asia

Drakensang Online lands in Southeast Asia:
Filed under: Fantasy, Launches, MMO Industry, News Items, Free-to-Play, Browser, MMORPG Players in Southeast Asia will now be able to leap into the

A Scientific Guide To Maximizing Your Impact On Twitter, Facebook, And Other Digital Media

A Scientific Guide To Maximizing Your Impact On Twitter, Facebook, And Other Digital Media:
We're pretty keen on optimal timing for social media here at Buffer, and I figured

Some Weeks It Seems Like All The Good Apps Are On iOS

Some Weeks It Seems Like All The Good Apps Are On iOS:
Barring special occasions, I never go out of my way to exclude any mobile platform from the Week in Gaming Apps. Sometimes it just happens. Read

The game design milestone that was Mafia Wars

The game design milestone that was Mafia Wars:
Tadhg Kelly explains why he has come to consider Zynga's first hit, Mafia Wars, a "milestone moment in game design" -- and shares lessons learned from the

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: A Realm Revitalized

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn: A Realm Revitalized:
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a game living its second life, a rarity in an ever-increasingly crowded market. It's rare to get another chance at magic. In

Blog: To patent or not to patent?

Blog: To patent or not to patent?:
Attorney Jonathan Sparks examines whether developers should patent their creations -- from the more angle, in terms of advantages it confers, and the

New study shows that gamers who spend more also share more

New study shows that gamers who spend more also share more:
A new study this week from specialty research firm EEDAR has revealed an insightful connection between how much

Rockstar's Houser: There's a "huge audience" for single-player

Rockstar's Houser: There's a "huge audience" for single-player:
Dan Houser explains why GTA V's online mode didn't come at the game's launch

GDC Taipei Summit 2013 announced for Dec 5-6, call for talks open

GDC Taipei Summit 2013 announced for Dec 5-6, call for talks open:
The call for submissions to present talks for the GDC Taipei Summit 2013 in December is now open, the second year

Betawatch: September 21 - 27, 2013:

Betawatch: September 21 - 27, 2013:
Filed under: Betas, MMO Industry, News Items, Betawatch, Miscellaneous Playing a beta means you're going to see your progress evaporate. So it can't come as

Not So Massively: Star Citizen hits $20m, LoL semi-finals, and Diablo III to cap stats

Not So Massively: Star Citizen hits $20m, LoL semi-finals, and Diablo III to cap stats:
Filed under: Betas, Sci-Fi, Video, Business Models, Expansions, Game Mechanics, MMO Industry, Patches, PvP,

EverQuest II Dropping Free & Silver Gear Restriction | Ten Ton Hammer

EverQuest II Dropping Free & Silver Gear Restriction | Ten Ton Hammer:
SOE is making a few more changes to EverQuest II and some of them up the perks for playing subscription-free.

Zynga officially out of online gambling in Nevada, for now

Zynga officially out of online gambling in Nevada, for now:
Zynga has withdrawn its application for a gambling license in Nevada, reports US Poker, reinforcing the company's recent decision to back away from real-money

Second Wind: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, part two

Second Wind: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, part two:
Filed under: Fantasy, Opinion, Final Fantasy XIV, Second Wind Welcome back to Second Wind, one and all. You may remember that a couple of weeks back, I

Blade and Soul China: New updates for Test Server (29/09/13) and important news for OBT

Blade and Soul China: New updates for Test Server (29/09/13) and important news for OBT:
As weekend approaches, there are some wonderful news from Tencent! After one

[Exclusive] All Kinds of News Indicate Blade and Soul China Version's Non-Deleted-Account CBT and OBT

[Exclusive] All Kinds of News Indicate Blade and Soul China Version's Non-Deleted-Account CBT and OBT:
Recently, all kinds of information and news indicate the date of the next non-

Twitch closes $20 million Series C investment

Twitch closes $20 million Series C investment:
Take-Two joins investors in Twitch's growing media platform

Angry Birds and Clash of Clans dev joins Scopely

Angry Birds and Clash of Clans dev joins Scopely:
Supercell product manager Michail Katkoff makes another career move

Rovio mergers boss leaves to form mobile studio

Rovio mergers boss leaves to form mobile studio:
Teemu Huuhtanen departed in August to form Next Games

MMObility: Battle Dragons and Tiny Tycoons make for light fun

MMObility: Battle Dragons and Tiny Tycoons make for light fun:
Filed under: Game Mechanics, New Titles, Previews, PvP, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Casual, First Impressions, MMObility This week I would like to

Hack N' Slash MMO Hero of The Obelisk to Enter CBT1 on Oct.10th

Hack N' Slash MMO Hero of The Obelisk to Enter CBT1 on Oct.10th:
Korean MMO fans should be familiar with the Korean Hack N' Slash MMO Dungeon Hero, the exciting news finally comes with

Priston Tale(KR) Added 2 New Classes For the First Time After Running For 11 Years

Priston Tale(KR) Added 2 New Classes For the First Time After Running For 11 Years:
Priston Tale has been living for about 11 years since it launched in Korea in 2002. Some days ago, KR servers announced

Eurogamer Expo 2013: The Elder Scrolls Online First Impressions | Ten Ton Hammer

Eurogamer Expo 2013: The Elder Scrolls Online First Impressions | Ten Ton Hammer:
Lewis B. reports on the good and the bad of his time with The Elder Scrolls Online at Eurogamer Expo.

Rise and Shiny revisit: Wakfu

Rise and Shiny revisit: Wakfu:
Filed under: Video, Game Mechanics, Opinion, Free-to-Play, Rise and Shiny, Livestream, Sandbox, Dungeons One of the great benefits of this job comes from revisiting worlds that have gone

EVE Evolved: Everything we know about Rubicon

EVE Evolved: Everything we know about Rubicon:
Filed under: Sci-Fi, Video, EVE Online, Expansions, Game Mechanics, Patches, Previews, PvP, Endgame, News Items, PvE, Opinion, EVE Evolved, Livestream,

Eurogamer Expo 2013: Dragon's Prophet First Impressions | Ten Ton Hammer

Eurogamer Expo 2013: Dragon's Prophet First Impressions | Ten Ton Hammer:
Reporting from this year's Eurogamer Expo, Lewis B. goes hands-on with Dragon's Prophet.

A cloud version of Dragon Quest X is coming to Japanese smartphones and tablets.

A cloud version of Dragon Quest X is coming to Japanese smartphones and tablets.:
A cloud version of Dragon Quest X is coming to Japanese smartphones and tablets. It will be released between

Apple's challenge denied in Lodsys in-app purchases lawsuit

Apple's challenge denied in Lodsys in-app purchases lawsuit:
Although Apple was looking to intervene in a lawsuit filed by Lodsys against various iOS developers, the iPhone

Faeria Closed Beta Key Giveaway Event

Faeria Closed Beta Key Giveaway Event:
MMOsite is teaming up with Abrakam to give away Faeria closed beta keys. Continue reading Faeria Closed Beta Key Giveaway Event.

The Future of Gaming in China, According to an Industry Veteran

The Future of Gaming in China, According to an Industry Veteran:
Richard Tsao has had his fair share of interesting stories about China. Tsao, who headed up Ubisoft's Chengdu office,

EA closes North Carolina studio

EA closes North Carolina studio:
One of the many caveats to working in the video game industry these days is that mass layoffs and studio closings have become all too common: and neither small nor multi-million dollar companies

MechWarrior Online: The Unfinished Robot

MechWarrior Online: The Unfinished Robot:
MechWarrior Online went into final retail release not too long ago. We've walked the paths and fired the rockets in MWO and offer up our final review of the game

New principles for in-app purchases targeted at kids

New principles for in-app purchases targeted at kids:
The UK's Office of Fair Trade has released its Children's Online Games report -- and F2P consultant Ethan Levy writes about how you should implement

Luke Cage joins Marvel Heroes in update 1.3

Luke Cage joins Marvel Heroes in update 1.3:
Filed under: Super-hero, Trailers, Video, Game Mechanics, Patches, News Items, Free-to-Play, Marvel Heroes As of last month, update 1.2 was Marvel Heroes'

Pocket Trains Review

Pocket Trains Review:
Open wide: Here comes the choo-choo train. In other words, clear your schedule because NimbleBit's done it again. Pocket Trains is the charming, highly addictive follow-up to last year's Pocket

New GDC Next talks: Star Citizen crowdfunding, Kongregate analytics

New GDC Next talks: Star Citizen crowdfunding, Kongregate analytics:
New GDC Next talks include Wing Commander creator Chris Roberts on building community and crowdfunding

How digital publishing is shaping the future of the game industry

How digital publishing is shaping the future of the game industry:
The era of digital publishing is here -- but do you have a handle on everything you should consider when deciding whether

Shanda Group among first in China's Free Trade Zone

Shanda Group among first in China's Free Trade Zone:
The new Free Trade Zone grants its first set of permits for operations in China

Eurogamer Expo 2013: Ten Ton Hammer Awards | Ten Ton Hammer

Eurogamer Expo 2013: Ten Ton Hammer Awards | Ten Ton Hammer:
Eurogamer Expo 2013 may have come to an end, but our coverage hasn't! Join Lewis B. as he shares his list of what

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Dread War Arrives A Day Early

Star Wars: The Old Republic: The Dread War Arrives A Day Early:
Star Wars: The Old Republic players got a nice surprise today with the launch of patch 2.4 "The Dread War". The patch

Blizzard Outlines Upcoming Changes in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Beta Update | Ten Ton Hammer

Blizzard Outlines Upcoming Changes in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft Beta Update | Ten Ton Hammer:
Blizzard reveals new details for the first major update that will accompany the

GTA Online Will Launch Tomorrow Morning

GTA Online Will Launch Tomorrow Morning:
Grand Theft Auto V has been out for a couple of weeks, but a big chunk of the game—the entire multiplayer part, actually—was missing at launch.

FIFA 14 vs Pro Evo 2014: Which Football Game Should You Get?

FIFA 14 vs Pro Evo 2014: Which Football Game Should You Get?:
There are two football games on the market. The vast majority of people will only buy one of them. So which one should you buy?Read more...

Idea Factory moves for global expansion

Idea Factory moves for global expansion:
Japanese dev opens California office to push products to North America and Europe