Archive for April, 2011

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Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI showcase HTML5 gaming via the world’s biggest PAC-MAN

Thursday, April 14th, 2011

Let’s face it, Internet Explorer hasn’t been the browser of choice for quite a while.  Generally, it’s the browser most of us are forced to use at the office.  However, Microsoft, who’s already teasing IE10, is clearly putting efforts forward to change this attitude.  Announced yesterday, Microsoft, in cooperation with NAMCO BANDAI, announced the world’s biggest user generated PAC-MAN.  Presented in Internet Explorer 9 by Corporate Vice President, Internet Explorer, Dean Machamovitch at the MIX11 keynote in Las Vegas, the reimagined timeless classic was developed in Australia by Soap Creative.

“PAC-MAN has iconic status in the video gaming community and continues to be one of the most famous arcade franchises of all time,” said Michael Kordahi, Developer Evangelist at Microsoft Australia in a statement. “Through Internet Explorer 9 we’re taking PAC-MAN to the next level – literally!”

“By developing the world’s largest user-generated PAC-MAN with NAMCO BANDAI, we are giving the world one of its favorite video games through the browser, in a fun and engaging way that truly showcases how developers can deliver a new class of web experiences by taking advantage of modern web standards and hardware acceleration. I can’t wait to start work on my own maze!”

And while this isn’t the first time we’ve seen PAC-MAC outside of a traditional, coin operated, arcade console, this is the first time we’ve seen an HTML5, browser based, user-generated version.  Soap Creative took full advantage of Canvas, WOFF, audio and CPU accelerated JavaScript to pull it all together.  “The project team has been working tirelessly on this game for weeks, but it’s been such an exciting project and we’re delighted with the result. Although we’ll be glad when we don’t have to listen to the PAC-MAN sound FX every day,” said Ashley Ringrose at Soap Creative in a statement.

Along with user generated levels, some of which are quite challenging, the Microsoft/NAMCO BANDAI wisely incorporates a Facebook Connect option which plugs into leader boards, as well as rewards/keeps accountable users creating these levels.

Again, Internet Explorer has fallen out of favor for many years, and Microsoft has put the majority of gaming efforts towards the Xbox division.  While the World’s Largest PAC-MAN isn’t blowing any graphics cards out of the water, but that’s exactly the point.  Simply stepping into the space, and with a beloved title, is a big move for Microsoft.

However, it can’t go without saying, while Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI have certainly positioned the title as unique, am I the only one that remembers google.com/pacman?

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Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 smashes franchises’ first week sales history

Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

EA has recently announced that the newest installment of the long-running Tiger Woods PGA Tour franchise has shattered all previous first week sales records. Spearheaded by the long awaited arrival of The Masters course in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, EA’s internal estimates place the title at 225,000 units sold. This figure places 12 firmly atop the pile, exceeding the previous record held by PGA Tour 8 in 2007, by a healthy 17 percent. Looking at the long range picture, EA is reporting the year-over-year, week one console digital revenues for the franchise have increased by a massive 200 percent. Keep in mind, when EA talks about the Tiger Woods franchise, they’re also including properties under the Woods’ umbrella, including the iPhone and iPad offerings. Adding to the “winning” at the EA/Tiger Woods camp, the company also points to strong iTunes sales, with the aforementioned iOS apps garnering the #1 top grossing sports game app position the day it launched and throughout the remainder of that week. Oddly enough, the iOS versions of the title do not include the hallmark Masters Tournament or the Augusta National Golf Club.

“We expected fans to be excited about the Masters and for sales to be up significantly. We’re pleased that they are,” said Peter Moore, President of EA SPORTS in a statement. “Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 12: The Masters has earned rave reviews, and fans have played nearly two million rounds at Augusta National Golf Club during the first two weeks.”

And this newest installment of the Tiger Woods series is worthy of the praise. First and foremost, both real-world and non golfers have been clamoring for an authentic replication of arguably, the world’s most famous golf course since the inception of video game golf. Thanks to remarkable advancements in technology, Augusta, GA’s classic has been fully laser scanned, and it accurate down to six millimeters. External media have taken note, with SI.com commenting, “each hole is rendered perfectly down to the last azalea and the course plays as tough as it looks on TV.” The all-things-sports publication gave Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters a 9.5 out of 10 rating. Likewise, Golfweek ads, “the attention to details and the new features make it tough to imagine it can get much better than here,” and provided a rating of 9 out of 10.

In addition to the ultra-realism of The Masters course, both long-time and new comers to the game are treated to an (almost) completely revamped method of play. The games’ Career Mode and all new Caddie system still have that new-car smell, and an all new broadcast system are sure to delight. Fans can challenge more than 20 professional golfers, including new additions Zach Johnson, Rickie Fowler, and Bubba Watson.

By the numbers, EA is reporting that since it’s March 29th launch, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 has racked up over 7 million games played on all courses, with over 184 million golf shots taken. These drives, pitches, and puts have resulted in 1.5 million achievements and trophies unlocked and 12 million course mastery objectives completed. From the online world, the title has garnered the equivalent of 2,515 PGA Tour seasons in online tournaments.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters is available for $59.99 for Xbox and PlayStation3, $49.99 for Wii, and $69.99 for the PS3 exclusive Collector’s Edition. For some Tiger on the go, fans can find a $4.99 iPhone and $9.99 iPad version of the latest installment available via iTunes, as well as a free version available for iPhone and iPod Touch. This free version allows players full functionality when combined with the “Closest to the Pin” Facebook Challenge.

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Pocket Gems on the move; scores Playdom’s Ben Liu, approaches 30 Million downloads

Tuesday, April 12th, 2011

Free-to-play mobile games maker Pocket Gems has recently surpassed 28 million downloads across their product lineup and are gearing up for a banner year. The company’s flagship title, Tap Zoo, has spent 27 of the last 31 weeks in Apple’s top 10 grossing app chart, and the company is rapidly preparing for their move to an all new corporate headquarters in The City by The Bay.

Adding to the excitement and success, Pocket Gems has also recently acquired the services of Ben Liu in the role of Chief Operating Officer. Liu arrives fresh from Playdom where he directed the largest studio in Playdom’s holdings as executive producer of top social games including the City of Wonder franchise. Liu has been tasked with directing and guiding the company as it evolves from start up to established games maker.

Adding to the unspoken seal of “You’ve Arrived,” Liu will be joined by former EA art director Jeff Hunter, former Senior Producer at Playdom Niels Hoven, and former Pogo Studio Director, Creative Director Rich Cooluris. Supporting this new group of talent, Pocket Gems has announced that they’ll also be bringing more then 20 new development staff on board.

“We are thrilled about all the top talent joining our team,” Daniel Terry, CEO, Pocket Gems, said in a statement. “As we grow our company we are dedicated to keeping our focus on handcrafting and operating the best mobile games to continue to deliver amazing experiences for our customers.”

You’ll remember that back in December of last year, Pocket Gems landed a cool $5 million from Sequoia Capital, also adding Jim Goetz to the board. Other investors included Michael Dearing, former eBay veteran and Associate Professor at the Stanford University Institute of Design, Jeff Fluhr, co-founder and former CEO of StubHub, and Omar Harmoui, founder of AdMob. It would appear that the Pocket Gem investment is starting to bear fruit, as the company’s offerings are closing in on the 30 million downloads mark, and clearly the firm is headed in the right direction with these notable talent acquisitions. Now that the company joins the ranks of giants in location, let’s see what these former giant vets can turn out for our amusement (and wallets).

“COMEDY CENTRAL and Spike TV squarely target the video game audience. Our ‘Deadliest Warrior’ gaming franchise exploded out of the gate last season,” said Yang in a statement. “With the launch of 345 Games, we are tapping into the passionate fan base of both COMEDY CENTRAL and Spike and creating an enhanced interactive experience based on our hit shows and brands.”

345 Games is a new creation from MTV Networks, although the division isn’t fully independent. The gaming arm will work closely with the Networks’ existing talent as well as supported by existing Marketing departments and channels. 345 Games plans to reach out to independent developers who are interested in producing content for the COMEDY CENTRAL and Spike brands.

As for first offerings, from the Spike TV side of things, 345 Games will build upon the existing traction developed by “Deadliest Warrior: The Game,” “Deadliest Warrior: Legends,” seeks to take the franchise in a different direction, as the new title will ditch the weapons and armor, and pits gamers against some of the deadliest warriors across the span of time. The game will feature new heroic warriors, fighting options, a more precise projectile system, more arenas, and a new campaign mode. In other words…better everything. Players will be armed with Deadliest Warrior signature weapons and combat skills are unique to each character played. “Deadliest Warrior: Legends,” is slated to be available for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network for $10.

From the COMEDY CENTRAL side of things, 345 Games will be launching “Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon,” in conjunction with the season two launch of the animated series of the same name. The four player side scroller will capitalize on the horror-comedy series appeal, and feature an exclusive script authored by the shows writers and creators. Adding to the exclusivity, the game will feature a new character unique to the game, and feature voiceovers provided by the original cast. Similar to Deadliest Warrior, “Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon” will be available for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network for $10.

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MTV Networks Entertainment Group launches 345 Games to develop for Comedy Central and Spike TV

Monday, April 11th, 2011

The MTV Networks Entertainment Group has recently announced the creation of 345 Games, a new gaming division that will develop gaming related products for COMEDY CENTRAL and Spike TV.  Senior Vice President of strategy and business development, MTVNE, and General Manager 345 Games, Dan Yang announced that the new gaming unity is slated to develop products for the franchises and will be fully supported in both on and off air efforts, as well as online.  First on tap are new products for COMEDY CENTRAL’S “Ugly Americans”, as well as Spike TV’s “Deadliest Warrior”, series.  The later will build upon the success of “Deadliest Warrior: The Game,” which to date has racked up 400,000+ downloads since it’s Xbox 360 and PlayStation launch.

“COMEDY CENTRAL and Spike TV squarely target the video game audience.  Our ‘Deadliest Warrior’ gaming franchise exploded out of the gate last season,” said Yang in a statement.  “With the launch of 345 Games, we are tapping into the passionate fan base of both COMEDY CENTRAL and Spike and creating an enhanced interactive experience based on our hit shows and brands.”

345 Games is a new creation from MTV Networks, although the division isn’t fully independent.  The gaming arm will work closely with the Networks’ existing talent as well as supported by existing Marketing departments and channels.  345 Games plans to reach out to independent developers who are interested in producing content for the COMEDY CENTRAL and Spike brands.

As for first offerings, from the Spike TV side of things, 345 Games will build upon the existing traction developed by “Deadliest Warrior: The Game,” “Deadliest Warrior: Legends,” seeks to take the franchise in a different direction, as the new title will ditch the weapons and armor, and pits gamers against some of the deadliest warriors across the span of time.  The game will feature new heroic warriors, fighting options, a more precise projectile system, more arenas, and a new campaign mode.  In other words…better everything.  Players will be armed with Deadliest Warrior signature weapons and combat skills are unique to each character played.  “Deadliest Warrior: Legends,” is slated to be available for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network for $10.

From the COMEDY CENTRAL side of things, 345 Games will be launching “Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon,” in conjunction with the season two launch of the animated series of the same name.  The four player side scroller will capitalize on the horror-comedy series appeal, and feature an exclusive script authored by the shows writers and creators.  Adding to the exclusivity, the game will feature a new character unique to the game, and feature voiceovers provided by the original cast.  Similar to Deadliest Warrior, “Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon” will be available for Xbox LIVE Arcade and PlayStation Network for $10.

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Social Gaming to top $5 Billion by 2015

Friday, April 8th, 2011

In a new report issued by Parks Associates, the firm forecasts that the social gaming industry will increase it’s revenue by five times between 2010 and 2015.  The revenue increase is fueled primarily by increased advertising revenues and virtual goods sales.  According to Parks Associates, these driving factors have already pushed social gaming revenues north of $1 Billion in 2010, and they see the trend continuing.  The research firm will be presenting the findings of their Social Gaming: Market Updates report at the upcoming Game Investment Conference in Austin, TX on the 13th of April.

“Gaming on social networks has quickly become the most visible category of online games,” said Pietro Macchiarella, Research Analyst, Parks Associates in a statement. “Right now more than 250 million people play games like Zynga’s CityVille and FarmVille on Facebook every month, and both game developers and marketers have taken notice. Big brands such as McDonald’s and 7-Eleven have carried out cross-promotions with existing social games.”

Macchiarella also points to improved user monetization is a factor contributing to the industry’s success.  He notes that early entrants to the field missed key monetization and revenue opportunities, but rapid advancements in gameplay has allowed for more effective incentives for users to purchase virtual items.  Examples include virtual tractors and seed, items that improve or enhance gameplay, as well as rare items (swords, shields, etc.) to build status.

“The most powerful asset of social game developers is the quantity of behavioral data that they can obtain from their games,” Macchiarella said. “The abilities to measure the efficacy of different gameplay mechanisms, to tweak game design in near-real time, and to test new models are advantages that traditional gaming companies will never have. Zynga’s huge market share is the best proof of the competitive advantage made possible by properly leveraging consumer data.”

Parks Associates’ report also addresses the 500-pound Gorilla in the room: In Game Advertising.  The once “Holy Grail” that was to save the gaming industry has all but disappeared, or rather, highly evolved since it’s inception.  A shift in focus towards branded games, sponsored items, communities, and “advertainment” options that are far better suited to their end goal, and have come around to enhancing the gamers’ experience rather than interrupt.  Parks Associates points to this new model as further revenue opportunities for games makers.

As mentioned above, Macchiarella will present the firms findings during the Social Games session on Wednesday April 13th, at the Game Investment Conference.  The session is slated to provide a detailed overview of the social gaming space, and looks at market drivers and inhibitors, competitive analysis, market dynamics, and an investigation of current monetization and payment methods.

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EA and Hasbro going for Guinness World Record attempt with MONOPOLY Millionaires on Facebook

Thursday, April 7th, 2011

In a joint venture, Electronic Arts and Hasbro have announced today, April 7th, as Global MONOPOLY Day on Facebook. The promotion includes more than $20,000 in real world prizes up for grabs, as well as a Guinness World Record attempt. This Guinness World Record attempt will measure the greatest number of people simultaneously playing MONOPOLY Millionaires concurrently on Facebook. As this record is clearly in a class of it’s own, any guesses on whether they’ll accomplish the task?

“With MONOPOLY Millionaires, EA and Hasbro have brought the beloved family board game to a growing audience of tens of millions of people on Facebook,” said Katie Mitic, Director of Platform and Mobile Marketing, Facebook in a statement. “We’re excitedly anticipating the record to be set on Facebook as people share the whole experience with their friends.” Again, in a class of it’s own … not too difficult.

But ok, ok, enough with the fat, let’s get to the meat. Cold hard cash. Of sorts. In addition to the fluff, EA is handing out $20,580 in prizes. If this number rings a bell (Alex, I’ll take Monopoly economy, for $100), it’s the same number of cash in the board game version of MONOPOLY. Of the $20k, $5,000 is heading out in the form of greenbacks, $5,000 in Visa gift cards, a variety of Apple products, and “others”.

On April 6th, EA put out a special deal on their MONOPOLY Streets game via facebook.com/EAInsiderDeals, presumably warming up interest in the classic boardgame. Bookending the program, EA will offer a sale on MONOPOLY games for iPad, Kindle, and a wide variety of other mobile devices. Additionally, EA is leveraging the power of Meetup.com to publicize and promote the participation in the global event.

You’ll remember that MONOPOLY Millionaires is the very first incantation of the brand as a free-to-play title. During the weeks of March 7 and March 14, MONOPOLY Millionaires was the fast growing games title on Facebook, and have an increase of 472% in player numbers between March 1st and April 1st.

“The popularity of MONOPOLY Millionaires underscores the massive appeal and connection that the brand holds with consumers worldwide,” said Jane Ritson-Parsons, Global Brand Leader for MONOPOLY at Hasbro in a statement. “Social gaming platforms such as Facebook have significantly broadened the MONOPOLY playing universe and events such as Global MONOPOLY Day celebrate the rich heritage and exciting future of a branded play experience that has been entertaining families for nearly eight decades.”

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PopCap opens experimental games center in Druidic chamber below Seattle

Wednesday, April 6th, 2011

Named after the company’s HQ address in Seattle, PopCap Games has recently announced the opening of 4th & Battery, a new initiative to foster experimental game development. According to PopCap, the new design center is located in a, “secret druidic chamber below one of Seattle’s largest parks.” I’m not making this stuff up.

Chamber dwelling PopCap designers and developers will have free reign at 4th & Battery, where they are encouraged to let their minds’ run wild and focus on creating small, simple, and the occasional edgy games. And given the lab’s location, it’s fair to say that this team of devs and designers are by in no means under the constraints of a corporate situation.

“4th & Battery is a pressure valve intended to keep our heads from exploding,” explained Ed Allard, Executive Vice President of Studios at PopCap in a statement. “The PopCap brand has become closely associated with ultra-high quality, polish and attention to detail — which is a great thing. But our standard game development process is therefore long and involved, and doesn’t really accommodate all of the creativity pumping through our collective veins. 4th & Battery gives us a way to quickly try really strange or marginal ideas, and to give our designers a safe area to hone their chops.”

And while this sounds great in principle, 4th & Battery is still under the gun when it comes to results. The project is expected to push out several games a year, mainly small, arcade style games aimed at a wide gamut, including PC, Facebook, and iPhone. Eager to prove their point, and give audiences a preview of what they are in store for, 4th & Battery’s initial offering is titled Unpleasant Horse, and is geared towards “Mature” audiences. And by “Mature” I certainly hope we’re talking about booze, boobs and bongs and not blood, bullets, and bombs. Unfortunately, the game description reads more like similar game mechanics put with an “Unpleasant” ending for trampled horses. Read: The glue factory awaits.

“4th & Battery is a purely experimental, creative label with none of the typical concerns like schedules, profitability, or even target audience. It’s kind of the video game equivalent of B-sides or short films,” explained Jason Kapalka, co-founder and Chief Creative Officer at PopCap in a statement. “Expect weirdness.”

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Bigpoint names former Discover Networks EMEA Managing Director Arthur Bastings to Co-CEO position

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

“Winning,” might just be the hashtag of the year applied to Bigpoint. In addition to their already massive (and growing daily) registered user base, the Hamburg, Germany online gaming platform has recently announced the appointment of former Managing Director Discover Networks EMEA, Arthur Bastings as Co-CEO. Mr. Bastings will serve alongside the company’s founder Heiko Hubertz effective April 7th. As Bastings is intimately familiar with the EMEA territory, this move will free Hubertz plate to focus his efforts towards futher international expansion in the U.S..

“Arthur Bastings has successfully built top media brands on a global level, and I’m very happy that we’ve been able to attract him to Bigpoint,” said Hubertz in a statement.

“We are now ideally positioned to accelerate our global growth plans.” Added Simon Guild, Bigpoint’s Chairman of the Board, “Arthur Bastings will bring a whole range of skills to Bigpoint and we are very excited about him joining the company.”

Arriving at Bigpoint from Discovery Networks, Bastings headed up the EMEA region expansion of the network. Prior to his position with Discovery Networks, Bastings served as Managing Director for Northern and Central Europe at Turner Broadcasting Europe. Adding to his international flair, Bastings previously served as VP of Strategic Planning and MTV Networks International, as wells as SVP of Asian operations.

Bastings’ experience should come in particularly handy when Bigpoint sits at another Hollywood meeting. Remember, the company already has a few high profile deals in place with Universal, Syfy, and USA Network. Something tells me that Bastings’ contact list looks quite similar to a Bigpoint shopping/wish list. The firm has been able to negotiate these previous deals without Bastings, so the company’s future moving forward could look quite interesting. I’d wager that Bigpoint will be doing a big push to position themselves as the gaming house of choice for a number of media companies. Need proof?

“Online gaming is the strongest growing industry in the entire entertainment sector,” said Bastings, “and Bigpoint has demonstrated impressive international growth. I’m looking forward to working together with Heiko Hubertz in guiding the company on its continuing journey.”

Let’s just wait and see what the next move from Hamburg is.

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GameSalad raises $6.1 million to advance game creation for all

Monday, April 4th, 2011

Just over a week since the announcement of the appointment of industry vet Steve Felter as CEO, games creation tool for all, GameSalad has received $6.1 million in funding. Game Salad’s mission it to provide an easy-to-use platform whereby aspiring designers can get the ball rolling on that next great app. The next influx of capital was led by Steamboat Ventures, and includes participation from Greycroft Partners, DFJ Mercury, DFJ Frontier, and ff Asset Management. GameSalad says that the new funding will be directed towards expanding it’s technical and product teams, as well as build upon and improve existing technology with the ultimate goal of broadening GameSalad’s impact on web and mobile games.

“We are focused on growing GameSalad into a world-class gaming company,” said Steve Felter, CEO of GameSalad. “By making game creation accessible to anyone with a passion for games, we’ve empowered a new breed of game designers through GameSalad. We’ll continue to build on this momentum in 2011 and unveil some exciting new technologies that will bring people together through the creation, sharing and playing of games.”

As part of this round of funding GameSalad will now see a new face at the board meetings, with Steamboat Ventures managing director Beau Laskey sitting at the table. Likewise, Greycroft Partners’ Dana Settle will join as board observer. The pair will now join DFJ Mercury’s Blair Garrou, who was appointed during the initial seed round of funding.

“We are thrilled to partner with such an exciting company and talented leadership team,” said Laskey. “We believe that GameSalad’s disruptive technology is creating an entirely new set of opportunities for game enthusiasts. By putting powerful creative tools in the hands of anyone who wants to make games, GameSalad is changing the way people interact with entertainment.”

An interesting note on GameSalad; the information that was provided about Felter’s appointment indicated that the company’s tools were responsible for the creations of, “over 4,500 titles,” while the funding round announcement claims, “over 8,500 titles.” I’m hoping that either the first quote was a bit humble and underestimating the actual numbers, as 4,000 titles in 8 days is a massive success story in it’s own. If these figures are accurate, GameSalad is experiencing a growth rate of unprecedented proportions. Either way, it’s clear that there’s a very viable market for drag-and-drop, write no code, app and games creation. With an experienced veteran at the helm and previously demonstrated success, investors have shown their support to the tune of $6.1 million.

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New Report: PS3 surpasses Xbox 360 in Global Active Devices

Friday, April 1st, 2011

Market research firm Strategy Analytics has recently published a report indicating that Sony’s PlayStation 3 has overtaken Microsoft’s Xbox 360 in terms of globally active devices.  In the new report, “Global TV Games Console Forecast: Will New Sensor Technology Revive the Demand?” the firm documents that the active installed based of PS3s at the end of 2010 clocked in at 43.4 million.  Xbox 360’s numbers totaled 42.9, while Nintendo remained king of the console hill with 75.5 million active devices.

Obviously, based on the title of the report, there’s a heavy focus on motion controlled UI, which all three platforms now support.  Sony’s Move controller is easily compared to the Wii’s groundbreaking technology, while Microsoft has gone their own route with the Kinect.

“While the Kinect peripheral has given a boost to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 strategy, the console’s performance outside of the US continues to disappoint,” says report author, Jia Wu, Senior Analyst in Strategy Analytics’ Digital Consumer Practice. “Global demand for Sony’s PS3 has exceeded that of the Xbox 360 in each of the past two years, and we expect that to continue over the coming years.”

The report also includes predictions for the remainder of 2011, with Xbox excpected to fall short of Sony’s numbers.  Strategy Analytics points to a healthy 15.7 million PlayStations moving out the door, while Microsoft with move 13.7 million Xbox units.  The group is also forecasting Nintendo’s continued decline, with just over 10 million units expected to find new lodgings with consumers.  Along with other industry analysts, Strategy Analytics is predicting that Nintendo will launch a successor to the Wii by Q2 2012.

“Microsoft’s second generation console has dramatically improved the company’s position in the digital home,” notes David Mercer, Principal Analyst at Strategy Analytics in a statement. “But its relative weakness in Europe and Asia acts as a drag on its global performance. Microsoft should continue to innovate around its motion sensor technology, which will become increasingly relevant in the smart home era.”

Authored by Senior Analyst Jia Wu, the Global TV Games Console Forecast: Will New Sensor Technology Revive Demand is available directly from Strategy Analytics.

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