Archive for March, 2010

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Capcom scores former SCEE Prez to take on COO role in Europe

Wednesday, March 31st, 2010

Capcom announced today that they’ve appointed David Reeves to the roll of COO at Capcom Entertainment Europe. Effective April 1st (no this is not an April fools joke), Reeves will take on the Chief Operating Officer role, overseeing all aspects of the European operation with the mission to maximize potential revenue and explore new areas for growth throughout the region. In other words, Reeves is now in charge of upping Capcom’s game presence, as well as associated revenue across Europe.

Reeves has most recently served as President and CEO for Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. For the past 14 years, his primary region of responsibility revolved around setting up operations in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as overseeing the launch of the PlayStation throughout Europe. (Is this the man responsible for German being the only language option available when I choose Austria as my home country?).

Reeves’ new boss, Hiroshi Tobisawa, Preseident of Capcom Entertainment Europe comments, “We are very pleased to have secured the services of someone of David’s caliber. He brings with him an unprecedented level of industry knowledge and expertise which will be invaluable as we look to grow our European operation.”

It also appears that Reeves is eager to get started as well, as he comments, “I established a close working relationship with Capcom during my time at Sony and have always admired its commitment to push boundaries and develop innovative titles. It is therefore a real pleasure to now join this organization and be a part of its future successes.”

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Secret Builders lands an additional $2.3M in funding

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

Announced late last Friday, kid focused virtual world Secret Builders has recently secured $2.3M in new funding.

Initially launched in December of 2008, Secret Builders is doing seemingly well in a ‘what what as the time’ highly competitive market. They’ve organically grown the online destination to over 1 million users, and currently see 350k – 400k unique monthly visitors from around the world. One of the keys to Secret Builder’s success has been the interaction and cooperation from educators around the world. Since Secret Builders focus is placed primarily on education through fun, approximately 800 schools participate in the virtual world.

“We’ve weathered a tough time in the market,” Khan said via VentureBeat. “Spending money to get users was a good way to go out of business. Now the investors are looking for traction and your long-term success in attracting users.”

Based on the free-to-play/microtransactions business model, Secret World players can play as much as they want without charge. However, if players would like to do so, they can purchase a virtual currency in exchange for real-world money in order to purchase virtual goods and decorations for their home.

What’s more – the company is now also offering a white-label version of their own software, thereby making it easy for advertisers to simply adopt a world from Secret Builders, rather than sink million of dollars into developing their own virtual world.

The average Secret Builders play is between 8 – 12 years of age, logs in approximately 3 times per week, and spends roughly 30 minutes playing.

To date, Secret World has raised over $4M and staffs 24 employees. Investors include The Entrepreneurs Fund; Michael Tanne, CEO of Adforce; David Jeseke, former director of applications at Google; Sheila Marcelo, CEO of Care.com; Carl Page, co-founder of eGroups; John Welch, CEO of Making Fun; Sohaib Abbasi, CEO of Informatica; Scott Hassan, co-founder of eGroups and founding team member at Google; Carlos Cashman, founder and CEO of CourseAdvisors, and Ken Morse, a professor at the MIT Sloan School and co-founder of 3Com.

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In order to save the world – we must play more games

Monday, March 29th, 2010

It’s not too often that you find a doctor (PhD) presenting the case that in order to save the world, we all need to be playing bigger and better video games, and more often. However, this past February, that’s exactly the case that Dr. Jane McGonigal, PhD. argued at the TED 2010 talk.

Jane McGonigalMcGonigal is the director of Game Research and Design at the Palo Alto, CA based Institute of the Future. She says that currently, around three billion hours per week are devoted to online gaming. However, according to McGonigal, if the world wishes to survive well into the next century, that figure needs to be closer to the 21 billion hours mark.

“If we want to solve the problems of poverty, hunger and climate change, global conflict and obesity, we need to aspire to play games online for at least 21 billion hours a week by the end of the next decade,” says McGonigal.

The concept is simple enough: Humans are innately smart beings, and when left to their own devices, they will almost always find a solution to any problem presented to them. Using this given, McGonigal sees gamers as a, “human resource that we can use to do real-world work.” She believes that one of the best plans for tackling real-world problems is by utilizing the experience that gamers have already gathered. “In the best designed games, our human experience is optimized we have important work to do, we’re surrounded by potential collaborators, and we learn quickly and in a low-risk environment.”

Putting this theory to the test, McGonigal’s EVOKE project is already underway. “If you have a problem, and you can’t solve it alone, evoke it,” is the strapline for the EVOKE project, one that seeks to address some of the world’s most pressing issues in a creative ‘gaming’ environment. Commissioned by the World Bank Institute, the game focuses on a collaborative problem solving environment where players accomplish their missions through blog posts, photos, and video. Throughout the process, fellow players offer encouragement, as well as extra game powers – courage, creativity, resourcefulness, local insight, etc.

Set inside a graphic novel in 2020, EVOKE is based around a secret group of African problem solvers. The game kicked off on March 3rd, and runs through until May 12th. Those that complete the 10 challenges will become certified by the World Bank Institute as one of the year’s social innovators. This certification will not only give players bragging rights, but also allow them to compete for online mentorships, as well as seed money for real-world projects. Top EVOKE players will also be invited to the EVOKE summit to be held in Washington, D.C.

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Moshi Monsters tops 15 million players – FusionFall goes free-to-play

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Moshi Goes Big

383567-aUK based, children’s free-to-play game developers Mind Candy has recently announced that they’ve passed the 15 million registered players landmark with their hit Moshi Monsters. The game, aimed at the children’s market allows players to adopt their own digital monster to play mini-games, solve educational puzzles, customize their homes, and explore the in-game world.

Players can choose from one of six unique monsters that they may then customize and nurture. Once satisfied with their custom creation, players navigate the virtual world by solving puzzles that are designed to increase the player’s skills in basic math, spatial awareness, logic, and vocabulary. As a reward for solving said puzzles, players receive Rox, Moshi Monsters’ in-game currency that can be used to purchase accessories used to customize their pets’ home.

“The ongoing global growth and success of the game has amazed us,” said Michael Acton Smith, CEO of Mind Candy. “Moshi Monsters has been adding over 150k new players a day and is now one of the fastest growing children’s games in the world.”

To commemorate this landmark even, Mind Candy will be hosting a “15 Million Monster Party” at the London Aquarium. Dubbed a “Green Carpet” event, Mind Candy is inviting hundred of the game’s most loyal players to the event.

Fusion free-to-play Fall

fusionfall-300x226Lanuched in January of 2009, Cartoon Networks’ FusionFall is based on the idea of bringing content from multiple Cartoon Network shows (Adventure Time with Finn & Jake, Generator Rex, Symbionic Titan, etc…) all under one virtual roof, and accessible via a monthly subscription.

Whether that business model is working or not, the head honchos at Cartoon Networks have decided that the free-to-play model works better for them. As noted by Virtual Worlds News, post April 19th, FusionFall will go strictly free-to-play. Those that had paid subscription time past the April 19th deadline are expected to receive a refund. As a final adieu to the subscription fee, paying members will receive a steampunk inspired exclusive armor kit.

No word yet on how or if Cartoon Network will choose to monetize the new free-to-play property. They may go the microtransactions route, charging for individual virtual goods to be used within the game. However, they might simply opt for the advertising supported route, and use the platform mainly as a marketing and promotional tool for their television based properties.

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There.com rises again –ThereNewWorld.com

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

As you’ll remember, early this month, Makena Technologies, which operated There.com for 12 years, pulled the plug and shut the virtual world down. Makena Technologies cited dwindling revenues as related to the current world economic climate. Enter stage left – Utherverse, who’s technology is involved in one way or another in over 16,000 online worlds. In less than 48 hours, Utherverse created ThereNewWorld.com.

ThereNewWorldIn just under a week Utherverse garnered more than 800 former There.com users (Therians), but more importantly, Utherverse has converted approximately 50 million Therebucks to Rays (Utherverse’s currency). This conversion and introduction of an external currency supply raises a number of questions surrounding an in-game economy. Remember your basic economics: the rule of Supply and Demand. As Utherverse has taken in a massive amount of new currency (as well as digital properties, i.e. virtual goods and services), it should be interesting to see how the economic balance within the game prevails.

“That’s really the shame in all of this,” said Brian Shuster, Utherverse’s CEO. “If you spent years as a Thereian acquiring virtual goods and assets … all that just disappears.”

There.com acquired roughly $35 million in venture capital since it’s inception in 1998. On the other side of the coin, Utherverse. Which was founded in 2003, has taken the organic growth route. According to company CEO Shuster, Utherverse has registered over five million people, has around 600,000 active users, and it pulling in around 200 new registrations per day. In the finance area, Utherverse generates over $10 million in annual revenue and is currently experiencing an annual growth rate of 25%. No word if the new comers from There.com are factored into this growth.

While Utherverse’s main IP is a freely distributed software platform, the main revenue generator is VIP subscriptions that allow virtual world developers better tools for designing virtual worlds. In addition, the company licenses out it’s technology to businesses, online advertising firms, and renting virtual real estate, as well is utilizing a microtransaction income method via virtual goods sales.

Since all of Utherverse’s ‘child’ virtual worlds are based on the same platform, residents of one world can freely move to another.

Looking forward, Shuster compares Utherverse’s network of virtual worlds akin to a 3D version of the internet in it’s early days. He says that five years down the road there will be one singular virtual world or a singular network of virtual worlds.

“It will replace the web as we know it,” he said. “The 2-D web is going to become a library within the 3-D space.”

Source: Business In Vancouver

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Razer and Riot Games partner to enhance League of Legends experience

Wednesday, March 24th, 2010

Chances are, if you take your gaming seriously, you’ve invested in a quality mouse and/or keyboard combo. If you’re a fan of World of Warcraft, options abound, but outside the WoW realm, the pickin’s get rather slim. And if developing a partnership with (arguably) THE gaming peripheral of choice is any indication of ‘arriving’, well then Riot Games’ League of Legends has struck gold.

RazerLoLRazer has joined forces with Riot Games to develop special in-game items, a gaming grade desktop skin, as well as a Razer sponsored tournament program for League of Legends.

The first product to be released by the Razer/Riot Games collaboration will be the Sphex gaming surface that will features League of Legends artwork. Adding to the tie-in, special promotional codes will also be soon included in packaging of the recently released Razer Abyssus optical gaming mouse. These promo codes will unlock exclusive League of Legends Runes. The first of these Runes will be the “Razer Mark of Precision” which grants +2.23% Critical Damage and can be used at level 1. The second exclusive Rune is the “Razer Quintessence of Speed” which grants +1.5% movement speed and can be used at level 10.

Not satisfied with just a mouse and gaming mat, Razer will add to the excitement surrounding Riot’s highly anticipated Twisted Treeline map by hosting a 3 vs. 3 team tournament with the winning team receiving a major cash prize.

“We are very excited to be teaming up with the creators of DotA Allstars on their new League of Legends project. We love this game and this is a partnership that we will totally enjoy,” said Robert “Razerguy” Krakoff, president, Razer USA. “Our fans will receive increased precision and accuracy using Razer products to experience League of Legends at its best.”

“Collaborating with Razer will further the mission of both companies to provide the best possible gaming experience through innovation,” said Brandon Beck, CEO, Riot Games. “As a company with competitive gaming in our DNA, teaming up with Razer feels like a natural fit and we think our players will be excited about the exclusive promo codes to unlock Champions as part of our contest series with Razer.”

According to the official Razer/League of Legends landing page, the specially marked boxed mice should hit retails stores (in North America and Europe) on May 1st. All in all, this is a great score for Riot Games and League of Legends. Congrats guys – looking forward to some exclusive Runes! :)

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Are MindArk and ESA looking for Viper pilots?

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

MindArk, already recognized as an official bank in their home country of Sweden, and reknowned for their record breaking in-game sales via Entropia, has made the news again. This time around, the firm has completed it’s commissioned study regarding the use of online game technology for “space-related purposes” (like blasting Cylons?). The contract was awarded to MindArk in 2009 by the European Space Agency (EAS).

You’ll remember, this is not the first time that MindArk and associates have had their eyes on the stars above. In 2008, they were one of 3 finalists selected to present to NASA. The goal of the NASA project was to develop an exciting and interactive MMO educational game that would spur teens’ interest in Math and Science fields. Based on the NASA project, the EAS project, and Entropia Universes’ record sales, it would seem as though planet Earth isn’t quite enough for MindArk.

“MMO-based technology has strong ties to acquiring knowledge through discovery, collaborative problem solving and team-based learning. This is supported by the findings of the study and the project with the European Space Agency has been a great push forward for us in this area. MindArk´s interest in implementing educational content inside online games was sparked by our previous discussions with NASA about their online game plans.” said Christian Bjorkman, MindArk’s Chief Marketing Officer. “The work on the study has helped MindArk in finding new means of mixing educational content with entertainment in Entropia Universe. Working with ESA has made us ready to move on to the next level, ready to work with learning industry partners in building qualitative, engaging and top-class game content for online environments that will be both entertaining and motivating”.

The study, “Online Game Technology for Space Education and System Analysis” (read: Viper Pilot Training Manual), was conducted to analyze options for the European Space Agency in regards to using online game technology, specifically in the areas of outreach (finding Viper pilots), promotion (finding Admiral Adama), education (looking for Dr. Baltar), and collaborative engineering (those with the last name of Tyrol are encouraged to apply).

Below is MindArk’s video mock-up/presentation in a live game environment within Entropia Universe.

MindArk might not be looking to staff the next Battlestar Galactica (all references are fictional, and not intended as fact), but they are quietly building a collection of “first”s that are not only putting them down in the record books, but winning and completing studies like this. Some gaming firms are striving for more and more pixel magic, but it seems as though MindArk has found it’s own path to travel – and we all know how the road less traveled goes.

Well done MindArk folks! Based on your current track record, this author is interested to see what exciting projects you’ll be working on next.

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Steamworks to support microtransations

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

As always, many a new product, title, concept, and methods were discussed at this year’s GDC. While some announcements were highlighted stronger than others, there are always a bit of tidbits which may or may not have been announced at the convention, and how much media coverage said announcement receives.

micro

One such bit o’ info was spotted by a few eagle eyed editors over at BigDownload.com. Apparently, Valve Steamwork’s popular game service game development tools PDF brochure reveals that Steamworks will now support in-game microtransactions.

This unannounced addition has been subtly slipped into the fine print, seemingly while we were all ogling over the Mac client support and Epic Games’ adding Steamworks support to Unreal Engine 3 based titles. In addition to the microtransaction support, Valve also managed to slip in an 100 fold increase in cloud storage limits, up to 100MB per game, as opposed to the previous 1MB.

From Steampowered’s overview of changes site:

Want to offer your customers a scabbard for their sword? New tires? The latest in night vision goggles? Now you can through microtransaction support in Steamworks. Your item server can now be easily integrated with Steamworks so that Steam users can buy and instantly use the items they want – all without leaving the game. Steam handles all of the billing through the user’s Steam account.

And while microtransactions are most seemingly a welcome addition to many developers, it’s also an interesting situation for Steam to be in. Could these microtransactions (and associated support) be paving the way for free-to-play games on Stream? And if so…does this then in turn open the door for free-to-play titles being based on Source and Unreal game engines? If so….. wow!

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Stonetrip’s ShiVa 3D engine ports iPhone games to Android in under and hour

Friday, March 19th, 2010

France based gaming engine developer Stonestrip announced yesterday that their ShiVa 3D gaming engine now supports the Android platform. Those already employing ShiVa’s technology now have beta access to the authoring tool, with a full release slated for sometime within the next two weeks.

shivaDevelopers using ShiVa technology now have access to the PC, Mac, Linux, Web, iPhone and Android platform all under one familiar roof. In other words, this engine will now allow developers to write code one time, and then port to all these various platforms. To illustrate the power of this new development, ShiVa user DVide Arts demonstrated porting it’s Crusade of Destiny title for iPhone to Android with only a few clicks. Less than an hour later, the title was fully Android Ready.

“With the success of iPhone and the App store, we see Android as a platform with a lot of potential. Being on the target platform early will allow ShiVa developers to capture the audience early and build their brands,” said Philip Belhassen, CEO of Stonetrip. “iPhone apps built in ShiVa can quickly and easily be ported to Android with minimal effort. It’s literally just a few clicks to port a game.”

This new development opens a whole new world to developers. This is certainly not the first or last that we’ve heard surrounding the iPhone -> Android conversion process, but this IS the first real world demonstration of it that we’ve seen. Previously, games developers had to make a distinct choice: iPhone or Android? While Ngmoco’s Neil Young says that he likes Android, but that the company will still stay with the iPhone as their platform of choice. With the advent of the ShiVa 3D development tool, developers may no longer have to make that choice. Granted, they will need to rethink their development, and utilize the Stonestrip engine.

However, for startups and hobbyist game development folks, the ShiVa 3D engine could become extremely attractive, simply based on its “code it once, port it overnight” features. The ShiVa engine has been specifically designed to ease the process of creation, as well as maximizing the space for content on mobile and browser based platforms. More than 8,000 applications have already been developed using the ShiVa engine, according to Stonestrip.

Technical demos of Stonestrip’s Shiva 3D engine can be found here.

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EA plans Masters release of Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

EA Sports announced yesterday, in conjunction with Tiger Woods’ return to golf statement, that the full commercial version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online will go live on or around the time of this years’ upcoming Masters golf tournament.

Tiger WoodsEA’s Peter Moore revealed at the IMG World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles that the launch of the browser based, free-to-play title will coincide with consumers peak interest in the golfing world. “It’s more than serendipity. That’s when people start thinking golf. It’s the first major,” comments Moore.

Moore also revealed that current beta testers are playing around 40,000 rounds of golf a day. The final version of the Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online will remain free-to-play, but will also feature subscriptions, microtransactions, advertising, and possible downloads. Moore declined to comment on any of the pricing structures.

Adding to the Tigermania, EA Sports, which generates approximately 30 percent of EA’s overall income reports that they’re still on track with their planned June release of the console version of the Tiger Woods franchise which will be available for the wii, Xbox 360, PS3, and iPhone.

Clearly, EA is capitalizing on Tiger Woods’ recent announcement that he’ll be returning to the golf tour this coming April in Augusta, Georgia. And unless you’ve been living under a rock, we all know the trouble surrounding Tiger’s personal life as of late. As a result, Woods has seen a fair share of sponsors either distance themselves from, or drop completely, Tiger’s endorsement deals. Accenture PLC, AT&T Inc., and PepsiCo Inc’s Gatorade all backed out on their sponsorship deals. On the other side of the coin, both Nike Inc. and EA Sports have stood strong behind their golfer of choice.

A quick look at what Tiger’s announcement has done to the golf world may bode extremely well for those that decided to stay behind Tiger. Normally selling for around $200 a ticket, post Tiger’s entry announcement, ticket outlet StubHub reports prices averaging around $500. The site reported seeing 5 times the normal activity on Tuesday, and pages where Masters tickets could be purchased experiences a 70 percent surge in traffic. Granted, these are only ticket prices, and have no direct connection to how well the online game will perform, but….if this data is an indication of things to come, EA’s ‘stand by your man’ policy could reap rewards tenfold.

The EA Sports/Tiger Woods deal was inked back in 1997, and 12 versions of the console game have borne Woods’ name. It’s estimated that the Tiger Woods titles sell around 2 million copies annually, generating around $80 million in net revenue.

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